The year is 2254 -- eleven years before Captain Kirk's five-year mission commanding the USS Enterprise. Two weeks after a battle on Rigel VII that left seven crewmembers injured and took the life of three Enterprise crewmen, including Captain Christopher Pike's yeoman, the ship encounters a space distortion on a collision course, according to helmsman Jose Tyler. It turns out to be an old radio distress signal, keyed to cause interference and attract attention.  The crew says it was sent eighteen years earlier from the Talos star group, but first officer Number One notes they have no Earth colonies or vessels that far out. Pike declines to investigate without any indication of survivors but proceeds to the Vega colony to care for the crew's own injuries. Pike calls the Enterprise's chief medical officer, Dr. Boyce, to his quarters but Boyce instead fixes Pike a martini to induce Pike to talk about the battle on Rigel VII. Pike has been thinking of resigning, burdened with making lethal decisions, but Boyce counsels against it. The science officer Spock interrupts on the intercom that a follow-up message from Talos IV indicates there are eleven survivors. Pike returns to the bridge and orders the ship to Talos, at time warp, factor seven. He encounters a comely young woman, J.M. Colt. The ship's first officer, a woman named Number One, says Colt is the captain's replacement yeoman. Pike expresses discomfort with a woman on the bridge, assuring Number One that she is an exception, as she's different, of course. Pike leads a landing party to the surface of Talos IV and finds the makeshift campsite of a disheveled group of male scientists from the crashed survey ship SS Columbia. The scientists identify themselves as an expedition of the American Continent Institute and Lieutenant Jose Tyler describes technological advances while they have been marooned, particularly in the time barrier being broken. A beautiful young woman approaches them. She is Vina, born almost as the group crash-landed on the planet. Vina strangely tells Pike he is a prime specimen -- as three aliens with huge, pulsating heads watch the landing party through a viewing screen. Boyce provides his medical report to Pike and reports that the survivors are in good health, almost too good. The scientist Theodore Haskins offers to show Pike their secret, and Vina leads him away from the others. Vina suddenly vanishes, along with the scientists and their camp. Talosians render Pike unconscious and abduct him through a doorway in the rock. The landing party fires laser pistols at the door to no avail and Spock advises the ship via his communicator that this is all some sort of trap. We've lost the captain. Do you read? Pike wakes up without his jacket, communicator, and laser, inside an underground cell with a transparent wall, through which he sees several creatures of different species in nearby cells. Several Talosians arrive and make callous scientific observations about him, which he perceives not through sound but telepathy. They note that Pike is more adaptable to his new surroundings and prepare to begin the experiment. The Talosians intend to make Pike experience illusions based on his memories, in order to interest him in Vina. The first illusion returns Pike to Rigel VII, with the new task of saving Vina. Pike is not interested in participating, telling Vina he is not an animal performing for its supper, but he is interested in learning the parameters of the illusions and of his captivity. Nevertheless, he manages to survive the illusory attack from the Kalar and is returned, with Vina, to his cell. He learns from Vina that the Talosians have severely weakened their world and themselves by reliance on their telepathic powers. They want Captain Pike and Vina as breeding stock for a new, stronger race to repopulate the barren surface of the planet. The Talosians punish Vina for revealing this information to Pike. The Talosians provide him with a vial of liquid nourishment and insist that he consume it, even offering to make it appear as any food he wishes. Pike proposes to starve himself instead, which results in the Keeper punishing him with an illusion of being surrounded by scorching flame and threatens to punish him more severely for continued disobedience. Pike appears to relent by consuming the liquid, but then displays another outburst of attempting to break through the containment, unexpectedly startling the Keeper. Pike realizes that the Keeper was unable to read his mind during his outburst of anger and tries to inquire more as to why this is. The Keeper, still unable to probe Pike's mind, attempts then to distract Pike by changing the subject to Vina. Pike relents again, and the Keeper reveals that Vina was the sole survivor of the Columbia crash and confirms what she inadvertently revealed previously -- that Pike and Vina were being kept to propagate Humanity and repopulate Talos IV. The conversation ends with Pike demanding that the Talosians punish him instead of her, since he is the one being uncooperative, which the Keeper regards as an excellent development in their relationship. The next illusion is a pleasant picnic just outside Pike's hometown of Mojave, with Vina attempting to entice Pike with the familiar setting, but with Pike still resisting, knowing that all of it is just a mere illusion. Vina then realizes that scenarios with which Pike is already familiar have not been successful in enticing him to cooperate, and surmises that he might be more easily swayed by a forbidden fantasy. The Talosians next tempt Pike by making Vina appear as a dancing Orion slave girl. The Enterprise tries without success to channel the starship's power to the surface to blast a way to Pike. Then Spock locates the Talosians' power generator and prepares a landing party. However, only the females are the only ones transported, as the Talosians seek to give Pike a choice of mates; and their weapons and communicators appear not to work. Vina resents the competition; Number One says records indicate Vina cannot be as young as she appears. As the rescue attempts have failed, Spock orders the Enterprise to leave orbit, but the Talosians immobilize it and scan its records, convincing Spock that the ship's utility to the Talosians is at an end and that they will now swat this fly. Pike determines that any strong emotions keep the Talosians from controlling his mind and uses this to his advantage. While Pike feigns sleep, the Talosian magistrate tries to recover the female officers' lasers from the cage. Pike seizes the magistrate and ignores the illusions. He reasons that the malfunction of the lasers was itself an illusion and uses the laser pistol to compel the magistrate to stop deceiving him. He now sees that they had blasted away the wall of the cage on their first attempt. He escapes with the women to the surface and sees that the blasting operation on the door had also succeeded, despite an illusion made to appear otherwise. But the communicators still don't work, and the Talosian says that the original goal was to put the group on the surface. Pike offers himself as a captive for the freedom of the others and the Enterprise, but Number One begins a force-chamber overload of her laser pistol, intending to destroy herself and her shipmates to thwart the Talosians' plans. She tells the Talosian magistrate that it is wrong to create a whole race of Humans to live as slaves. The magistrate's aides arrive, presenting the summary of the ship's records. The records have shown that Humans possess a unique hatred of captivity, even when pleasant, making them too dangerous for the Talosians' needs. The magistrate does not apologize for the imposition but concedes that they will now become extinct. Pike asks if commerce or cooperation might not restore the planet, but the magistrate replies that Humans would learn the Talosians' power of illusion and destroy themselves, just as the Talosians did. The crew members are free to go, but Vina says she cannot join them. After the others transport aboard, the Talosians show Pike Vina's true appearance: underneath the Talosian illusions, she is badly deformed from the crash of the Columbia. They were able to make it so that she could remain alive, but could not restore her appearance. The Talosians agree to take care of Vina and they provide her with an illusory Captain Pike to keep her company. Pike returns to the bridge, reassuring Dr. Boyce that he is completely refreshed for work, and waving off a query from Yeoman Colt about whom he would have chosen as a mate, as well as accusing the doctor of being a dirty old man for inquiring into the meaning of Colt's remark. The Enterprise departs. 
<EOS>
In the briefing lounge, Captain James T. Kirk and Vulcan science officer Lieutenant Commander Spock are playing three-dimensional chess. Spock warns the captain that he's about to checkmate him on his next move, but the captain is preoccupied with awaiting the bridge's update on the unexplained Earth-vessel distress signal. The captain notes that Spock plays a very irritating game of chess, to which Spock responds with "Irritating? Ah yes, one of your Earth emotions." Captain Kirk makes a move that surprises Spock, and smiles, to which Spock simply turns to look at him. "Certain you don't know what irritation is?" Kirk says wryly. As Spock begins to state that despite the fact that one of his ancestors married a Human female, Kirk interrupts him and jokingly chides him, saying it must be terrible to have bad blood like that. Just afterward then, a call comes over the comm. Navigator Lieutenant Lee Kelso informs the captain that the object is now within tractor beam range, and that it is only about a meter in diameter, too small to be a vessel or an escape pod. Kirk tells him to lock on to it, and the two of them head out. In the transporter room, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott is fine-tuning the transporter, preparing to beam the object aboard. Kirk gives the order, and Scott transports the device into the transporter chamber. The captain immediately recognizes it as an old-style ship recorder, one that would be ejected in the event of an emergency. Spock agrees, but states that, based on the level of damage the object seems to have sustained, something must have destroyed the ship. Scott tries to feed the tapes into the computer, when the marker begins transmitting a signal. Captain Kirk orders red alert, and the crew go to their stations. Throughout the ship, the crew is reporting to their emergency stations. Kirk and Spock enter a turbolift to go to the bridge, and Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell enters just as the doors are closing. Kirk and Mitchell joke about Kelso sounding nervous, and Spock's chess skills, showing that they're comfortable being around each other even in times of red alert. The three officers enter the bridge, Mitchell taking his station as Spock scans for the message. As they approach the edge of the galaxy, Kirk orders all stop. Captain Kirk announces ship-wide that what they picked up was a disaster recorder launched from the SS Valiant two hundred years prior. Department heads report to the bridge as ordered, and Captain Kirk is given introductions. Smith, whom he mistakenly addresses as Jones, is his new yeoman. Astro-sciences physicist Sulu reports ready, engineering officer Scott reports ready as always, and Chief Medical Officer Doctor Mark Piper introduces the Enterprise's new psychiatrist, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, who came aboard the vessel back at the Aldebaron colony to study the long-term effects of space travel on the crew. Spock points out he's been able to get a signal from the recorder, as Mitchell tries to flirt with Dr. Dehner, who rebuffs him only to overhear him call her a walking freezer unit. Spock interprets the Valiant's message: that they had encountered a magnetic storm and were pulled out of the galaxy, and that the crew accessed computer records on ESP in Humans, frantic to find information about it. The captain asks Dr. Dehner her opinion, and she mistakes the question as asking whether she has ESP. She reports that there are some Humans who can see the future, but it is never very powerful. Spock goes on to explain that several crewmen had died aboard the Valiant, which had suffered severe damage. The Valiant crew continued researching ESP, until it seems the captain ordered a self-destruct. As future vessels will someday be coming out this far into space, Captain Kirk decides to go ahead anyway and engages warp factor 1. The crew reacts with mixed emotions as the Enterprise heads out of the galaxy. The ship encounters a strange field and Spock orders a full array of scans -- deflectors indicating something in front of them while sensors say there's nothing. Smith and Mitchell hold hands to comfort each other as the ship enters the field. Flashes of light fill the bridge and electric discharges penetrate the hull, causing several consoles to explode. Kirk orders Mitchell to reverse course, but, before he can carry out the order, Dr. Dehner and he are struck by a mysterious electric charge which drops them to the deck. With no one in control of the Enterprise, Spock dashes over to the helm console and steers the starship clear of the energy field. Taking damage reports, Spock informs Kirk that main power is out, the Enterprise is on emergency power cells, and nine crewmen are dead. Captain Kirk tends to Dehner and Mitchell, only to find that while Mitchell feels a little weak, his eyes are glowing an eerie silver. Captain Kirk, while supervising repairs being made to the bridge, proceeds to the science station where he finds Spock reviewing medical records of the dead crew members, and the crew members who survived but seem to have been affected in some way. Specifically, Spock is looking at ESP ratings of Dr. Dehner and Gary Mitchell. Both of the officers had high scores on ESP tests given by Starfleet Medical, Mitchell's having ultimately read as the highest in the crew. Dr. Dehner approaches Captain Kirk and provides an autopsy report of the nine dead crew members. She mentions that in all cases, there was damage to a specific region of the brain. Kirk shares the fact that all of the dead crew members, as well as Dehner and Mitchell, had high ESP ratings. Spock also mentions that the captain of the Valiant was frantically searching through their records for information on ESP. Spock then reports that the Valiant's captain seems to have given a self-destruct order. Dehner defends those with ESP, stating that the ability is not harmful. Spock, however, reminds the doctor that there are the more extreme and dangerous abilities of ESP, such as the ability to see through solid objects or cause spontaneous combustion. In sickbay, Mitchell is reading text on a viewer, trying to pass the time. Kirk enters the room, and Mitchell greets him by name without actually looking to see who it is. Kirk and Mitchell talk about some past experiences; it is obvious they have known each other well for many years. Mitchell mentions that he feels better now than he's ever felt in his life, and he's catching up on his reading, including Spinoza, which surprises Kirk. Mitchell finds Spinoza simple, almost childish, to him. The two continue to reminisce about their days at Starfleet Academy and Gary says that he aimed that little blonde lab technician at Jim. Kirk replies, "You planned that?!? I almost married her." Kirk informs Mitchell that he's assigned Dr. Dehner to work with him. Mitchell doesn't seem happy, since Mitchell and Dehner have already gotten off to a tense start. As Kirk moves to leave, Mitchell, in an echoing voice, says, "Didn't I say you'd better be good to me?", prompting Kirk to pause and eye him with uncertainty. Once Kirk leaves the room, Mitchell continues reading books on the viewer, at a steadily-increasing rate that soon far exceeds normal pace. Kirk enters the bridge to find Spock monitoring Mitchell's viewer. Kirk assigns 24-hour security to keep an eye on Mitchell. Kirk approaches the science station viewer to look closely at Mitchell, and Mitchell looks directly at the security camera, seemingly aware that Kirk is watching him. Dr. Dehner enters sickbay and acknowledges the fact that she realizes that Mitchell doesn't like her very well. He apologizes to her for calling her a walking freezer unit. She asks him how he feels. Mitchell jokingly says that everyone thinks that he should have a fever or something and proceeds to change the vital signs monitor in sickbay with his mind. Then, he makes the readings show that he is dead. All indicators fall to zero, to Dr. Dehner's surprise and horror. Moments later, Mitchell awakens, and starts telling Dr. Dehner of some of his other abilities, like being able to read quickly, going through half of the Enterprise's database in less than a day. Dr. Dehner decides to test his memory, and shows Mitchell the title of a record tape, asking him to recite what's on page 387. Mitchell recites, "My love has wings, slender feathered things with grace and upswept curve and tapered tip" from the poem Nightingale Woman, written by Tarbolde on the Canopus planet back in 1996. Mitchell wonders out loud why she happened to choose that particular poem, which is considered to be one of the most passionate poems written in recent centuries. He then pulls Dehner close to him, and asks her how she feels. Her reply, that she only fell and that nothing else happened, is seemingly disbelieved by Mitchell, but the conversation is cut short by the arrival of Lieutenant Kelso, awkwardly entering at a time which might have seemed like an intimate moment. Mitchell smiles and invites him in, joking that his eyes are merely lit up due to the lovely doctor. Kelso reports that the main engines are in bad shape. Mitchell warns Kelso to check the starboard impulse engine packs, which Kelso jokingly dismisses. Mitchell snaps that he isn't joking, and that if they activate those engines that the entire impulse deck will explode. Kelso leaves sickbay and Mitchell tells Dehner that he could see the image of the impulse packs in Kelso's mind and that he is a fool not to have seen it. In the briefing room, Kelso shows Kirk the burned out impulse circuit, which he had checked on Mitchell's recommendation, noting with puzzlement that their condition was exactly as Mitchell described. Dr. Dehner enters late, says she got held up observing Mitchell, and attempts to defend him in the face of Spock's and Kirk's seemingly cold assessment of him. She reports her observations of Mitchell's ability to control certain autonomic reflexes and increased memory. Scott reports that bridge controls had started changing on their own about an hour prior, and Spock adds that each time it happened, Mitchell could be seen smiling on the surveillance monitors set up in sickbay. Kirk is annoyed that Dehner hadn't reported Mitchell's new powers earlier, but she argues that no one has been hurt, furthermore saying that someone like Mitchell, with such powers, could give rise to a new and better kind of human being. Following an awkward silence, Sulu adds that the growth of Mitchell's abilities is a geometric progression, meaning they would increase at an exponential rate. Spock concludes that Mitchell would become uncontrollably powerful within a month. Kirk tells those present to not discuss their findings openly before dismissing them. After the others have left the briefing room, Spock advises taking the Enterprise to the planet Delta Vega, only a few light days away, where they can adapt the lithium cracking station's power packs to try to repair its damaged systems, and also strand Mitchell there. Kirk strongly disagrees with the plan, stating Delta Vega is uninhabited and automated, and ore ships only visit every 20 years. Spock informs Kirk the only other choice he has is to kill Mitchell before he overpowers the entire crew. Kirk tries appealing to Spock's conscience, saying Mitchell is his long time friend, but Spock merely reminds him that the captain of the Valiant probably had a similar dilemma about his afflicted crew members but made his decision to self-destruct too late. Kirk reluctantly orders the Enterprise course set for Delta Vega. In sickbay, Mitchell's telekinetic power continues to grow. Feeling thirsty, he moves a plastic cup below a faucet and dispenses water from it with his mind. Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Dehner enter to see Mitchell's levitate the filled cup towards his outstretched hand. Mitchell senses worry in Kirk and Spock's continued urging for the captain to kill him while he still can. Mitchell quickly subdues both Kirk and Spock with an electric shock and informs them he knows the Enterprise is orbiting Delta Vega but won't allow them to force him down there. As he postures about what kind of a world he can use, Kirk and Spock jump him and hold him down long enough for Dr. Dehner to tranquilize him. In the transporter room, preparing to beam down, Mitchell regains consciousness and proclaims "Soon I'll squash you like insects!" before being sedated again. After transporting down, Mitchell is confined to a holding cell as Lieutenant Kelso and the engineering team begin to salvage the needed components from the outpost to restore the Enterprise engines to full capacity. As Mitchell regains consciousness, he reminds Kirk of how he saved his life on the planet Dimorus, taking poisonous darts meant for the captain and nearly dying from it. He wonders why Kirk should fear him now. Kirk retorts that Mitchell has been testing his ability to take over the Enterprise and reminds him of the threat he made in the transporter room to squash the crew like insects. Mitchell defends himself by pointing out that he was drugged at the time, then snaps back that mankind cannot survive if a true race of Espers like himself is born, and attempts to escape the force field of the cell. Kirk pleads with him to stop, but, Mitchell refuses and is jolted back, draining the light in the eyes. Gary pleads out to Jim, but, it doesn't last and the maniacal power that has now totally consumed Mitchell returns and he sneers that he'll just keep getting stronger. Back on board the Enterprise, the repairs are nearly complete as Scott beams a phaser rifle down to Spock. Kirk is angered by Spock's callousness towards Gary, but, Spock retorts that he's just being logical and he believes that the crew will be lucky just to repair the Enterprise and get away from Mitchell in time. Kirk, finally seeing Spock's viewpoint, instructs Kelso to wire a destruct switch to the power bins of the outpost, an explosion that will destroy the entire valley and hopefully kill Mitchell, and orders him to hit the button if Mitchell escapes. As the landing party prepares to return to the Enterprise, Dehner, completely transfixed on Mitchell, announces she's remaining on Delta Vega with him. At the same time, Mitchell uses his powers to remotely strangle Lieutenant Kelso with a cable. As Kirk orders Dehner to return to the ship, Mitchell turns to the captain and taunts him that Kirk should have killed him while he still had the chance. With that, he shocks both Kirk and Spock and easily eliminates the force field holding him. Dehner takes no action to stop him, and he slowly walks her over to a mirror, where she can now see the light in her own eyes. A short time later, Dr. Piper revives Captain Kirk and informs him that Kelso is dead and that Mitchell and Dr. Dehner have left the facility. Kirk advises Piper not to revive Spock until after he's left as Kirk now blames himself for not listening to the Vulcan's warning. Taking Spock's phaser rifle, Kirk orders that Piper and Spock return to the Enterprise and to give him twelve hours to signal the ship. Failing that, Kirk recommends that the Enterprise proceed at maximum warp to the nearest starbase with his recommendation that the entire planet be subjected to a lethal concentration of neutron radiation. When Piper begins to protest, Kirk firmly tells the doctor it is an order and leaves. In an open valley, Mitchell uses his powers to create food and water for himself and Dehner. He begins to sense Kirk approaching them, as does Dehner. Mitchell invites Dehner to talk to the captain and begin to realize just how unimportant Humans are compared to what Mitchell and Dehner have become. Dehner appears before Kirk and advises the captain to retreat while he still can. Kirk appeals to what's left of Dehner's Humanity and her profession as a psychiatrist and asks her what she believes will become of Mitchell if his power is allowed to continue to grow. Dehner begins to see the wisdom of Kirk's words, but, before she can decide anything, Mitchell appears before both of them. Kirk opens fire with his phaser rifle, but, it has no effect on Mitchell who easily casts the weapon aside. Taunting Kirk, Mitchell creates a grave for his old friend, saying he deserves a decent burial, at the very least. Completely convinced of his power and his superiority, with absolute power corrupting absolutely, Mitchell uses his powers to force Kirk to pray to him as a god and for an easy death. Dehner, now realizing that Mitchell is inhuman and becoming more and more dangerous, helps Kirk by blasting Mitchell with some of her power, stunning him. Mitchell turns away from Kirk and counters Dehner's attack, however, the battle drains both of them and they both collapse, Dehner's attack being sufficiently powerful enough to weaken Mitchell who temporarily loses his powers. Imploring Kirk to hurry, the captain begins to attack his former friend, pummeling him to the ground. With a heavy rock raised high and preparing for the death blow, Kirk begs Gary to forgive him for what he must do. However, the captain's hesitation is enough for Mitchell to regain his powers and easily tosses Kirk away. With Kirk no longer able to cope with Mitchell's physical strength, he dives at him, sending both into the open grave. Kirk, scrambling to the discarded phaser rifle, is able to blast the rock face above Mitchell, sending him into the grave and entombing him, thus ending Mitchell's threat forever. Kirk, with his uniform torn and beaten and battered, walks over to Dehner and kneels beside her. She apologizes to the captain for her actions, but offers that the captain had no idea what it was like to be almost a god, before finally dying herself. Silently mourning Dehner's sacrifice, Kirk opens his communicator and hails the Enterprise. Back on the Enterprise, Kirk, sitting in his chair with a bandaged hand, laments to Spock that he wants Mitchell's service record to end with dignity as he didn't ask for what happened to him. Spock admits he felt for Mitchell as well. With a smirk, Kirk remarks that maybe there's hope for Spock after all, as the Enterprise continues to journey where no man has gone before. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is in its third day of making star maps of a region previously unexplored by the Federation. Spock is in command while Captain Kirk submits to a quarterly physical. Lieutenant Sulu announces contact with an object approaching the Enterprise at light speed. Evasive maneuvers and deflectors are ineffective. Spock sounds the alarm, then countermands it as the object begins to slow down. Chief navigator Lieutenant Dave Bailey reacts emotionally to the danger. When the Enterprise cannot steer around the object, Sulu declares red alert and calls Kirk to the bridge. In sickbay, Doctor McCoy continues Kirk's physical, writing his results down on a PADD though McCoy sees the red alert. Kirk scolds McCoy for not notifying him, but McCoy is pleased to have completed an examination on the usually unwilling Kirk. "What am I, a doctor or a moon shuttle conductor? If I jumped every time a light came on around here, I'd end up talking to myself," McCoy says after Kirk leaves him alone in sickbay. On the bridge, Bailey interrupts Spock, then defends his emotional reaction earlier, noting that he has an adrenaline gland. Spock has a dry retort, asking Bailey if he has considered having it removed, and Sulu good-naturedly teases Bailey of the risks of crossing brains with Spock. The bridge crew analyzes the object as solid and of unknown composition, 107 meters on each edge, and almost 11,000 metric tons in mass. Scott cannot say what propels it or allows it to sense, and react to, the movements of the Enterprise. McCoy has no analysis of it either. Attempts to communicate with it fail. Bailey says, "We've got phaser weapons; I vote we blast it." At that, Kirk gives him another reminder of how things work on the bridge, retorting dryly, "I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Bailey when this becomes a democracy." Eighteen hours later, the department heads assemble in the briefing room. Spock concludes that the object is either some kind of buoy -- or flypaper. Kirk and Spock agree that sticking around would convey weakness. Bailey misinterprets the talk as an order to prepare phasers and starts to issue an order to the phaser gun crew. When countermanded, he begins to defend his action. Kirk instead orders Bailey to plot a spiral course away from the object. The course is executed, at speeds increasing from 0.25 to warp factor 3, but the object stays with the Enterprise, begins to emit lethal radiation, and closes with the ship. When it is within 51 meters, Kirk orders fire from the main phasers, with Bailey hesitating until Kirk repeats himself. The object is destroyed, but the Enterprise is rocked hard by the resulting shock wave. Spock reports no other objects within sensor range, and believes that, if the ship continues forward, it will encounter the intelligence that sent the cube, intelligence probably both different and superior to their own. Kirk resolves to proceed, as contact with alien life is the mission. But he orders the phaser crew and engineering to conduct drills, calling their reaction to the attack too sluggish. Bailey supervises the drills. In the turbolift, McCoy questions the timing of Kirk's order, as the crew is tired; and doubts Bailey's fitness as navigator, suggesting that Kirk promoted him too fast, possibly seeing something of himself in the young man. Bailey had, in fact, been slow to respond to orders during the crises, and Sulu covered for him. Bailey's emotionalism on the intercom during the drills, the doctor suggested, support his doubts as to Bailey's fitness to have been promoted so quickly, but Kirk brushes off these expressed doubts. Kirk and McCoy continue their conversation in Kirk's quarters over a drink. Spock reports a rating of 94% on the last drill but Kirk presses them for 100%. He faces two additional annoyances: the fact that McCoy has put him on a salad diet to lose weight, and that someone has assigned him an attractive female yeoman, Janice Rand, who had just delivered the salad. Kirk and McCoy pause to listen to the intercom, where Bailey orders a second drill. But Sulu countermands the order, as a new object is approaching. It is spherical and much larger than the first one: about a mile in diameter. Sulu reports this is not a drill and Kirk abandons his salad and heads for the bridge. As the object comes onto the viewscreen, Kirk cuts speed to warp 2. A hard tractor beam grabs the Enterprise. The engines overload and Kirk orders a full stop and orders phaser crews to readiness. Kirk orders Bailey to decrease the main viewscreen magnification; Sulu does so when Bailey doesn't hear him, or perhaps froze at his station. Kirk orders Uhura to open a hailing frequency and starts to offer a greeting, but Bailey detects a message on the navigation beam. The message identifies the sphere as the Fesarius, the flagship of the First Federation, and the speaker as her commanding officer, Balok. Balok claims the Enterprise and her crew have shown their hostile intention by ignoring the cube; a warning buoy and furthermore by destroying it, and says the Fesarius is now considering their disposition.  When Kirk tries to explain to Balok, exceptionally powerful sensors invade all Enterprise systems. Balok refuses further communication from the Enterprise and says he will destroy her if she makes any move. When Kirk launches a recorder marker, Balok destroys it and declares that the Enterprise must be destroyed, giving the crew ten minutes to make death preparations, assuming they have a deity or deities. When McCoy tells Kirk that Balok's message was heard throughout the ship, Kirk addresses a calming and optimistic message to his crew. Kirk signals to the Fesarius that the Enterprise will return the way it came, but all engine and weapon power is drained. Spock, claiming curiosity, obtains a fearsome visual image of the face of Balok, who declares that the Enterprise cannot escape. Bailey, becoming more unnerved by the moment and the realization of certain death sinking in, launches into a tirade against the bridge officers for their apparent lack of concern or emotion at their impending destruction. Kirk orders him relieved of duty and for Dr. McCoy to escort him to his quarters. Kirk, not immune to gravity of the situation, pleads with Balok about their non-hostile intentions, but Balok ignores them. With four minutes remaining to annihilation, Kirk asks Spock for options, but Spock says that sometimes, as in chess, when one is outmatched, the game is over. "Checkmate," Spock finishes. Kirk balks at Spock's recommendation and the Vulcan nearly admits that he's sorry, but, quickly rephrases himself by saying he cannot think of a more logical alternative. McCoy uses the lull in activity to ask to record the incident with Bailey as fatigue, but Kirk rebuffs him. McCoy disagrees with Kirk, saying that the incident is a direct result of Kirk putting too much pressure on the young navigator and threatens to challenge Kirk's actions in his report, pointing out, "I'll state that I warned you about Bailey's condition. Now that's no bluff!" Kirk angrily dares McCoy to try to bluff him, but, is suddenly struck by inspiration. Drawing not from chess, as Spock suggested, but rather poker, Kirk signals to Balok that a substance aboard all Starfleet vessels called corbomite, undocumented in any ship's memory banks. As Kirk explains, the corbomite aboard the Enterprise creates a reverse reaction of any destructive energy that touches the ship, destroying the attacker. He further details that since Starfleet began using corbomite two centuries earlier, no attacking vessel has survived and dares Balok to open fire. With no apparent reaction from the Fesarius, it appears the bluff has failed. With seconds to live, Bailey returns to the bridge, calmer, and requests permission to resume his duties, which Kirk grants. Sulu counts down the final seconds to destruction, but, as the timer reaches zero, the Fesarius does not attack. The crew exhales, apparently safe, with even Spock admitting that the game of poker sounds rather interesting. However, Balok hails the Enterprise, and Kirk readies to either raise the bluff or call. Balok claims that the destruction of the Enterprise has been delayed, with the intent to relent in their destruction if they can have proof of the corbomite device. Kirk, his back to the wall, hails back that Balok's request has been denied and lets him sweat it out. A small pilot vessel emerges from the Fesarius, which disengages, as Balok announces that it has been decided that he shall direct the crew to a planet of the First Federation, where the crew will be interred and the Enterprise will be destroyed. He grabs the Enterprise with a tractor beam and declares that any attempt to escape or destroy his ship will result in the instant destruction of the Starfleet vessel. With the Enterprise in tow, Kirk orders a right-angle course, shearing away from Balok, with the intent to tax his small ship's engines against the strain of the Enterprise's engines. The impulse engines are engaged, but quickly begin to overheat. Kirk orders more power applied. As the strain increases, the Enterprise begins to shudder, but Balok's ship begins to show signs of stress, as well. Mr. Spock warns that the engines are close to exploding, but Kirk is relentless and orders more thrust applied against the tractor beam. As the crew weathers the horrific ride, Bailey finally announces that they're breaking free. The Enterprise veers away from Balok, whose ship seemingly becomes disabled. Scott advises the captain that their engines need work badly, but, Spock warns that Balok has sent out a distress signal to the Fesarius. Uhura intercepts it, reading that his engines are down and his life support systems are failing. She determines that the signal is so weak, it's doubtful if the mothership could have heard it. Kirk orders an intercept course, with the intent to rescue Balok. Dr. McCoy is skeptical, but, Kirk proclaims that the mission of the Enterprise is to seek out alien life and that's what he intends to do, friendly or not. He orders McCoy and Bailey to accompany him on the landing party over, but also orders Mr. Spock to remain behind, just in case Balok is baiting a trap for them. The three transport to the escort ship where they find that the fearsome creature they had viewed is the head and torso of a puppet-dummy. The real Balok warmly welcomes them aboard, appearing as a small child. He offers them some tranya, a beverage, as a sign of goodwill. He explains that the puppet is simply an alter-ego he used in order to frighten the Enterprise, as he was attempting to determine their real intentions, believing that even their memory banks could have been deceptive. He also reveals he has no crew aboard; controlling the entire Fesarius starship from his small pilot vessel. However, he laments on how lonely his voyages are, as he misses company and would welcome even an alien aboard for an exchange of information and cultures. Balok suggests one of Kirk's crew remain for a period of time. Bailey immediately volunteers and Kirk agrees, explaining that while Bailey might not represent the best of Starfleet, it would be an extraordinary learning experience for him and would allow Balok to learn more about Humans by learning about their fallibility. Balok laughs, amused by the notion and that he agrees with Kirk's rationale. Offering the trio a tour of his vessel, he also remarks how much alike he and Kirk are, as they are both very much proud of their ships. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise chases an unregistered starship, a small class J cargo vessel. Fleeing, the ship approaches an asteroid belt with a Shiller rating of three-five. The small ship's peril increases further when its desperate speed causes its engines to overheat. As the cargo ship drifts into the asteroid belt, the Enterprise is forced to extend its shields around the ship, and this extreme power expenditure destroys three of the ship's crucial lithium crystal circuits. Montgomery Scott manages to beam the ship's master and three lovely women off just before an asteroid destroys the vessel with a dead-center hit. The ship's master, speaking with a broad Irish brogue, identifies himself as Leo Francis Walsh. He claims he avoided the Enterprise out of fear that it was a hostile vessel. In the transporter room, Scott and McCoy are immediately transfixed by the three women, as are all the male crew members, as the women saunter through the ship's corridors. Walsh, a charismatic figure but clearly a con man, plays up the women's effect in a manner suggestive of a pimp, but notes that Spock, being half-Vulcan, is immune to their charms. Walsh and his women are led by Spock to Captain Kirk's quarters after the captain demands that Walsh be there whether he can walk or not. Kirk is enraged by the irresponsible actions of Walsh, who explains that the women, Eve McHuron, Magda Kovacs, and Ruth Bonaventure, are not so much crew as cargo. Still insisting his name is Walsh, the cargo ship captain tries to blame Kirk for the accident. Kirk has him confined to quarters pending a hearing. Meanwhile, all ship's power is being channeled through a single lithium crystal circuit and the crystal has a hairline fracture at its base. The bypass circuits were also burned out in the rescue attempt. Repairs are needed, and that means a visit to the nearest source of crystals, the mining colony on Rigel XII. Before the ship's hearing, Walsh meets with the women and coaches them on their testimony, advising them not to lie, but mysteriously ordering them not to submit to a medical exam. At the inquiry, Kirk learns that the women are to be wives for settlers on Ophiucus III; each voluntarily left a situation in which her marriage prospects were slim or non-existent. Leo Walsh's real identity, Harcourt Fenton Mudd, also comes out, and his Irish brogue promptly disappears. He has a long history of convictions for smuggling, transport of stolen goods, and purchasing of a space vessel with counterfeit currency, and has been sentenced to psychiatric treatment, the effectiveness of which is in dispute. His ship's master's license has also been revoked. Kirk decides to hand Harry Mudd over to legal authorities as soon as possible. Toward the end of the hearing, the final lithium crystal fails and when Mudd overhears Kirk's orders to contact the miners on Rigel XII, he begins to plan how the situation can work to his advantage: the women can work their charms on the lonely, isolated, overworked, rich lithium miners, and get a much better deal for themselves. Mudd himself dreams of taking over the Enterprise with all his new fortune and loudly announces that the next orders Kirk will be taking will be from Mudd himself. Strangely, he delivers this whole speech in front of Vinci and another security guard. Using their allure, the women learn about the miners; there are three of them, one for each woman. The mystery of the women deepens when Ruth sets off an alert on McCoy's medical scanner in sickbay. McCoy wonders whether they're actually as beautiful as they seem, or whether there's something else responsible for their allure. Eve visits Kirk's quarters, whom Kirk views lying on his bed. Eve claims she's feeling harassed by the men on board, but is unable to go through with her flirtation, blurting out that Mudd put her up to it. She flees to Mudd's quarters and tells him she's feeling ill, saying "It's time." Magda manages to obtain a communicator from Lieutenant Farrell; Mudd uses it to contact the miners before Kirk, and hammers out a deal. But back in Mudd's quarters, the women begin physically breaking down, turning terribly old and haggard. Just in time, Mudd finds a pillbox he had hidden in his mattress, and gives one pill to each of them, immediately restoring their good looks. As Eve is turning the crystalline Venus pill over in her hand, Spock is examining a burned out lithium crystal. The miners come on board the Enterprise, but when Kirk offers them an equitable price he learns they really want to barter. They want to look at Mudd's women, and maybe trade for them. On top of which, they want Mudd released and the charges dropped. Shocked and annoyed, Kirk refuses the offer, but Mudd figures Kirk will have no choice soon enough, as the ship's functions are starting to shut down without the crystals and the Enterprise will begin to spiral down toward Rigel XII. As Mudd notes to Kirk, he has no choice; he must acquiesce to the miners' demands. Kirk, Spock, and Mudd beam down to the forbidding surface of Rigel XII, where the women are now living it up with Ben Childress and the other miners, Herm Gossett and Benton. Childress keeps Kirk waiting for the crystals, and the miners start fighting over Ruth and Magda. Eve, already conscience-stricken about the deception, runs out into a storm. Childress goes out to find her, and the two go missing as the Enterprise, still without the crystals, begins to run out of energy. Back aboard ship, Kirk snaps at Scotty, but apologizes, and Scotty tells him the ship has approximately five hours of power left. Childress finds Eve and brings her back to his quarters, and the Enterprise locates them through the heat of a cook stove in his hut; Eve is cooking for Childress. Kirk and Mudd prepare to beam down. Childress and Eve, both prickly characters, begin to warm up to each other as Eve proves more resourceful than Childress expected. But soon Eve's looks begin to fade again and Childress comments on this. As they start fighting, Kirk and Mudd arrive, and explain about the Venus drug, which Childress had heard of but thought was only a legend. He and the other miners are dismayed to learn that Mudd has sold them a bill of goods: the women's natural beauty and allure has been enhanced by the Venus drug. Two of the miners have already married Mudd's women, the ceremonies having been performed through subspace radio. The chief miner is angry, and Eve berates him for being more interested in the pill than in a real woman. She takes the pill and turns beautiful again. Childress isn't happy because her beauty is a fake, but Kirk reveals that he switched the pill with a placebo, colored gelatin. Eve's beauty is the result of her own self-confidence. Childress is happy about this, and asks her to stay and talk. Kirk and Mudd beam back up, and Kirk turns down Mudd's request to let him go. 
<EOS>
During a survey of Alfa 177, geological technician Fisher slips down a rock, gashing himself badly and smearing his uniform with a strange magnetic type of yellow ore. He beams up to the USS Enterprise for treatment. Detecting a curious overload in the transporter circuitry, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott has Fisher decontaminated before reporting to sickbay, but the problems have already begun; the strange ore has altered the function of the transporter. Next, Captain Kirk beams up from the planet, before the fault is discovered. He apparently materializes normally and Scott escorts the disoriented captain out of the room. Kirk is, in fact, a shadow of himself. Due to this transporter accident, Kirk has been split into two beings. The first that materialized embodies all of Kirk's positive qualities. Moments later, after everyone has left, Kirk's evil twin materializes. Some time passes before the mishap is discovered. He demands Saurian brandy from McCoy in sickbay and proceeds to roam the ship's corridors drunk. McCoy goes to Commander Spock about this who goes to the good Kirk about what the good doctor tells him. Kirk shrugs it off telling Commander Spock that McCoy was just pulling his leg. The evil duplicate Kirk, who was now instinctively drawn to Janice Rand, was alone with her in her quarters, drunk and amorous. The duplicate Kirk mentioned to her the feelings they'd been hiding, claiming she was too beautiful to ignore, and too much woman, and that they have both been pretending too long. The duplicate Kirk suddenly grabbed Rand and starting kissing her very hard and rough. As she was fighting back, the duplicate Kirk pushed her to the floor and attempted to rape her, but she defended herself and left a large scratch on the duplicate Kirk's face. During the struggle, the evil Kirk attacks Crewman Fisher, who was walking by Rand's quarters. In sickbay, Rand tells the good Kirk, plus Spock, and McCoy that the captain tried to assault her in which both her and Fisher accuse him of this. Kirk firmly denies this whereupon Spock deduces that there is an impostor of him aboard the Enterprise. Scotty finds that the yellow ore Fisher beamed up with somehow caused an overload in the transporter. The transporter does indeed work but they dare not use it for risk of duplicating Sulu and the rest of the landing party. Kirk tells Spock that he must inform the crew of what has happened to him, since they deserve to know. Spock, with all due respect, tells Kirk that as he is the captain, he cannot afford to be anything less than perfect in the eyes of the crew. If he does appear so, the crew will lose faith in him -- and in turn, he will lose command of the Enterprise. Kirk knows this and wonders why he just forgot it just now. Later, on the bridge, Kirk makes an announcement to his crew from his chair about the impostor aboard. While making the announcement, his evil half is rummaging through the captain's quarters. Good Kirk informs the crew that the impostor can be identified by scratches on his face. Evil Kirk angrily destroys the captain's desktop monitor and rants at the top of his lungs "I'm Captain Kirk. I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!!!" Evil Kirk goes to good Kirk's mirror and finds make-up on the table. He applies some of it to his scratches and they are now barely visible. He opens the door to good Kirk's quarters and finds CrewmanWilson walking down the corridor near the room. He asks Wilson for his phaser. Wilson hands it over and is promptly knocked out. Later, both the good Kirk and Spock in the briefing room try to figure out where Kirk would go on the Enterprise to elude a mass search. Good Kirk quickly deduces that the evil Kirk is hiding in the lower levels of the ship -- the engineering deck. He and Spock head there. In main engineering, a cat and mouse game ensues between the two Kirks and they confront each other near the warp core. Just as the evil Kirk is about to kill the good Kirk, Spock knocks him out with the Vulcan nerve pinch, but not before the phaser discharges and disables the transporter ionizer with a phaser shot, making it harder to rescue Sulu and the landing party who are trapped on the rapidly freezing planet. Meanwhile, on the planet below, the remaining landing party is suffering through the increasingly bitter cold. Attempts to beam heaters and other support devices produce only non-functional duplicates. Kirk speaks to Sulu in the Enterprise's briefing room, trying to reassure his helmsman, all the while growing more and more unsure of his command abilities. Spock cuts in and tells Sulu to hold on for just a little while longer. Evil Kirk is screaming while being restrained on a bio-bed in sickbay, in pain from his body functions having been weakened from the duplication process. Good Kirk takes his evil self's hand, tells him not to be afraid and to use his mind, rather than his savagery. McCoy takes Kirk aside for a brandy. Kirk realizes through McCoy that he needs his negative side of himself back but does not want it back. McCoy assures his captain that all Humans have a dark side to them and that his strength of command lies in his negative self. Finally, Scott and Spock believe they have isolated and repaired all the damage. Spock contacts Kirk and asks him to come down to the transporter room. An Alfa 177 canine test animal, previously split, is sent through to see if it will reintegrate. Spock and Scott subdue the fierce canine with a hypospray and place it beside its good self on the transporter pad. Spock and Fisher place the two canines on the transporter pad and Scotty energizes. "If this doesn't work, I don't know what will," Scotty says. The canines become one again, but it rematerializes dead from the shock from having suddenly had its two halves reintegrated forcefully. The evil Kirk recovers in sickbay while Sulu contacts the good Kirk from the planet, just before he succumbs to the extreme cold. The good Kirk decides to release his evil half and have both of them go through the transporter, but the evil Kirk attacks and overpowers the good Kirk in sickbay and dresses in good Kirk's wraparound tunic. Later, heading to the bridge, the evil Kirk, pretending to be the good Kirk, runs into Janice Rand outside a turbolift and explains to her that the transporter malfunctioned, and that the animal part of him was with her in her cabin during the attempted rape.  Evil Kirk also points out that the evil Kirk scratched his face to make them more alike. Arriving on the bridge, evil Kirk orders navigator Lieutenant John Farrell to take the ship out of orbit and abandon Sulu along with the landing party, callously asserting that they cannot be saved. At this point, the good Kirk appears on the bridge with McCoy. At first, Farrell and the others are confused as to which one is the good Kirk, but soon the evil Kirk collapses under the strain. "I want to LIVE!", the evil Kirk screams and cries soon before falling into his good self's arms. Later, both Kirks are taken to the transporter room to be reintegrated as one being.  Spock handles the transporter console and promises Kirk that he will take command of the Enterprise if the procedure is unsuccessful. Spock energizes the transporter and the two Kirks disappear. After a few tense moments, Spock materializes Kirk back in the transporter chamber as one person. To Spock and McCoy's relief, the much more confident Captain Kirk steps off the pad and orders that the landing party be rescued immediately. Sulu and the others are beamed back aboard, frostbitten but alive. On the bridge, Rand awkwardly tries to explain to Captain Kirk what his imposter told her about what had happened and when she tries to elaborate further, Kirk simply thanks her and walks away. When Rand hands a PADD to Spock to sign, the first officer says to her, "The, uh, imposter had some interesting qualities, wouldn't you say, yeoman?" She takes the PADD and stylus from him and walks away in a huff as Kirk orders that the Enterprise break orbit of Alfa 177 to continue its mission. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise arrives at the planet M-113 to provide supplies and routine medical exams to Doctor Robert Crater and his wife, Nancy, with whom Dr. Leonard McCoy was once romantically involved. M-113 has been home to the Craters for five years, during which time they have conducted an archaeological survey of the planet's ruins. They are the only known inhabitants of the planet. Kirk, McCoy, and Crewman Darnell beam down to the planet and meet Dr. Crater and, apparently, Nancy Crater, but each of the landing party sees a different woman. McCoy, who says he is amazed at how little Nancy has changed since the last time he last saw her, sees the Nancy he knew twelve years prior. Kirk sees a woman similar to the woman McCoy sees, but more appropriately aged. Darnell sees a completely different, younger blond woman who looks exactly like someone he met before on Wrigley's pleasure planet. When he mentions this, Nancy doesn't seem to mind, but Kirk and especially McCoy find this an offensive remark and ask the crewman to step outside. Minutes later, Nancy leaves and still looks to Darnell like a beautiful blond woman, and he is lured away by this seductive version of Nancy Crater. Dr. Crater then arrives, treating Kirk and McCoy with hostility, telling Kirk that the only thing they need are salt tablets. Otherwise, he and his wife want to be left alone. Kirk debates this, insisting they must need other supplies and that regulations require that McCoy give them physicals at a yearly interval. After Crater realizes that McCoy is the same man he heard his wife mention, his demeanor takes a turn for the better. During the physical, a woman's scream is heard from outside. When Kirk goes to investigate, he finds Darnell dead, with Nancy standing over him. Darnell's face is scarred with circular marks. Nancy, appearing very distraught, claims she saw him put a poisonous plant called a borgia in his mouth, but was unable to rescue him in time. On the bridge, a bored and somewhat flirty Uhura is attempting to engage Commander Spock in conversation while he sits in the Enterprise's command chair. Kirk and McCoy beam back up. When the transporter room reports that one of the party is dead, Spock, who is still talking to Uhura, unemotionally responds, "Bridge acknowledging." This causes Uhura to express wonder that Spock did not even ask who among the party had died, as it could have been Captain Kirk, whom Uhura notes is the closest thing he has to a friend. Aboard the Enterprise, McCoy determines that Darnell was not poisoned, and in fact McCoy can find nothing wrong with him at all. When McCoy recalls that Nancy looked younger to him and notes that he could have been looking at her through a romantic haze, Kirk snaps, "How your lost love affects your vision doctor doesn't interest me. I've lost a man. I want to know what killed him." Later, McCoy discovers that Darnell's body has been completely drained of salt. Kirk, McCoy, and two crewmen beam back down to the planet to investigate further, and Kirk insists that Dr. Crater and his wife beam up to the Enterprise until the investigation is complete. Abruptly Dr. Crater runs off to find Nancy. Sturgeon, one of the crewmen who beamed down with Kirk and McCoy, is found dead. The other, Green, is also killed by Nancy and then Nancy transforms into Green. Kirk and McCoy question Nancy/Green, and then the three beam up to the Enterprise. The woman Kirk and McCoy saw as Nancy Crater, and later Green, is a shape-shifting creature, the last surviving native of M-113, and can literally appear as a different being to each person it meets. By reaching into their minds and drawing on their memories, the creature can lull potential victims into a false sense of security, and apparently hypnotize them, before killing them. Still in the image of Green, the creature follows Yeoman Janice Rand who is carrying a tray of food, including a salt shaker, into a botanical laboratory where Sulu greets Green by name. Green says nothing, which Rand finds curious. Eventually, Green exits without harming anyone, revealing the deception, or getting any salt. Loose aboard the Enterprise, the M-113 creature still disguised as Green, bites his knuckle nervously, an idiosyncratic gesture Nancy had done earlier. When Uhura appears, the creature assumes a new form, one Uhura regards with curiosity and a sense of familiarity. When he begins speaking in Swahili, Uhura is delighted and responds in the same language. But then her smile fades as the creature apparently causes her to freeze, to the point which she is unable to respond to hails for her to return to the bridge. It is only the appearance of Sulu and Rand leaving the botanical laboratory that saves Uhura from being the next victim. She comes to her senses and acknowledges through an intercom panel that she is on her way to the bridge. But soon another victim, Crewman Barnhart, is found dead by Sulu and Rand on the Enterprise, with the same distinctive markings on his face. Kirk now knows that whatever killed Darnell and Sturgeon on the surface has now killed again -- on board the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet to capture Professor Crater. While Kirk tries to reason with Crater, who is armed with a laser pistol, Spock finds Green's body. Kirk calls up to the Enterprise with his communicator and orders general quarters condition three, and has Sulu begin the search for Green. Crater does not want to be captured and fires his laser pistol at Kirk and Spock, hitting and partially destroying one of the ancient archeological structures. Kirk and Spock set their phasers for stun. Spock then distracts Crater and Kirk fires a red bolt from his phaser and stuns Crater. Kirk and Spock question Crater about the creature. After Kirk inquires about Nancy, Crater says that she has been dead for a year, maybe two. He also describes the M-113 creature, comparing it to the buffalo on the planet Earth: once they covered three states, but no longer. The problem facing the M-113 creature is the need for sodium chloride -- salt. The creature will die without salt. The rest of its race died due to this shortage, and now Nancy is the last of her kind. In the Enterprise's briefing room, Kirk holds a conference with department heads and Professor Crater. The M-113 creature appears at this meeting as McCoy, who the creature knows is asleep in his quarters. It is during this meeting that Crater reveals that he and the last surviving creature have formed a symbiotic relationship. Crater provides the M-113 creature with the needed salt and, in turn, the creature gives the professor companionship, something Crater has craved since the creature murdered his wife, the real Nancy Crater, for her salt. Crater also admits that he can recognize the creature in any guise--but does not reveal that the creature is presently sitting right next to him, in the appearance of Dr. McCoy. When Crater refuses to assist in the capture of the creature, Spock suggests a truth serum, and the captain asks McCoy about it. McCoy reluctantly agrees, and the creature leaves with Crater. Spock volunteers to accompany them. Finally, the creature kills Crater in sickbay and attacks Spock. Fortunately Vulcan physiology makes him an unappetizing victim for the creature. Now desperate, the creature, now once again appearing as age-appropriate Nancy, returns to McCoy's quarters, begging him to defend her from Kirk and Spock, who have figured out the creature's secret. Kirk appears, with salt tablets in one hand and a phaser in the other, and tries to convince the doctor to stand clear: this is not the real Nancy. Even when the creature overpowers Kirk, and McCoy is standing dumbstruck at the turn of events, the doctor still cannot bring himself to shoot what appears to be the woman he once loved. Spock arrives, sees Kirk in distress, and immediately urges McCoy to shoot, but the doctor refuses. After a brief but unsuccessful struggle to take the phaser away, Spock repeatedly and violently strikes Nancy, in an effort to convince McCoy that this is NOT Nancy. The creature, who is apparently not affected at all by Spock's blows, strikes the Vulcan, knocking him across the room. Then the creature reverts to what is its apparent natural form, placing its hands on Kirk's face. Kirk cries out, and finally, in an emotionally painful move, McCoy kills the creature with a phaser blast, saving Kirk and the Enterprise crew. Afterwards, the Enterprise departs its orbit of M-113. Spock notices a solemn-looking Kirk in his captain's chair and asks what is wrong. Kirk solemnly replies "I was thinking about the buffalo, Mr. Spock." The Enterprise departs M-113. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise orbits the planet Psi 2000, a world that was much like Earth in its distant past, tasked to observe the planet's impending disintegration. Lieutenant Commander Spock and Lieutenant Junior Grade Joe Tormolen beam down in environmental suits to a frozen surface laboratory and investigate the horrific deaths of the lab's scientists. Carelessly, Tormolen removes a glove of his suit to better scratch his nose, unknowingly exposing himself to a red, blood-like liquid substance leaping to his exposed hand from a frozen wall. Spock contacts the Enterprise and informs Captain Kirk that all of the station's personnel are dead. Kirk asks what caused it and Spock replies, "Unknown, captain. It's like nothing we've dealt with before." The landing party returns to decontamination on the transporter pad, and undergo further examination and clearance by Doctor McCoy. Tormolen's sudden anguish over the surface deaths, something that didn't faze him previously, is brushed off with an order by Captain Kirk for him to rest. Captain Kirk and his senior officers discuss the possible causes of the madness displayed on the surface in the briefing room. Concerned about the planet's break-up and the crew efficiency needed to maintain a tricky orbit for their observations, Kirk asks if the surface tragedy could happen aboard the Enterprise. Spock admits to limitations in their scanning technology as space still contains infinite unknowns, but Scott is confident in his engines, as long as the bridge crew stays sane. Early stages of the planet's destruction begin. Tormolen, aggravated by his hand and sweating, sits in the Enterprise's recreation room, getting something to eat from the food synthesizer. Entering in a jovial mood, Lieutenant Sulu tries to sell Lieutenant Kevin Riley on the virtues of fencing after previously trying to interest the Enterprise's navigator on botany. An effort to bring Tormolen into the conversation triggers a hysterical response. Tormolen brandishes his table knife and rants about the futility of life in space. He says "what are we doing out here in space? Good? What good?! We're polluting it, destroying it!". His mood quickly turns to despair and he turns the knife on himself. Sulu and Riley try to wrestle it away unsuccessfully, as Tormolen falls and impales himself. Riley runs over to the room's intercom calling for medical assistance and he begins to sweat on his hands profusely. McCoy and Nurse Chapel fail to save Tormolen's life, despite the fact that his wounds were not that severe, leaving a confounded McCoy to speculate his patient had simply lost his will to live. Psi 2000's breakup accelerates, and the crew follows. Sulu and Riley, now at their helm and navigation consoles and showing signs of infection, are slow in making a necessary orbital correction. Sulu abandons the helm in favor of some exercise to take the edge off, encouraging Riley to join him. Riley remains, but soon becomes flamboyantly insubordinate to Spock, sporting an exaggerated Irish brogue. Reporting briefly to sickbay as ordered, Riley learns of the death of Tormolen from Nurse Chapel, and attributes his friend's bad luck to the fact that he wasn't born an Irishman. Riley then proceeds to flirt with Nurse Chapel, touching her face and infecting her. Sulu, now fantasizing himself a musketeer, stalks the corridors with a foil and frightens off two crewmen. Deeper in delusion, he returns to the bridge and takes Uhura, declaring her a fair maiden, under his protection before Kirk jumps him from behind and Spock subdues him with a Vulcan nerve pinch. The planet convulses, but the helm is unable to respond. A call to engineering is answered by Captain Kevin Thomas Riley, who has expelled Scott and crew and begun the ship-wide broadcast of a one-man musical/comedy show, including a very off-key version of "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen", to the great annoyance of Kirk and Uhura who are unable to turn off the broadcast. Without power, the Enterprise is twenty minutes from destruction, and the affliction continues to spread throughout the crew. Spock tours the ship, urging Scott to hurry in re-taking engineering, observing the madness of crewmen, and checking on McCoy's progress. Chapel is emboldened, confessing her love for Spock and infecting him with the touch of her hand, affecting him quickly. He insistently blurts "I am in control of my emotions." Ignoring repeated hails from Uhura, Spock begins losing composure in the corridors and secludes himself in the briefing room trying to regain control by stating his duty and counting by twos before he suffers a complete loss of his emotional control. Kirk, Scott, and two security officers recapture engineering and Riley is taken away by security, but Scott discovers Riley has shut the engines down completely; a normal restart requires at least thirty minutes. The Enterprise, now skimming Psi 2000's upper atmosphere, only has eight to spare. "I can't change the laws of physics; I've got to have thirty minutes!", Scott declares to Kirk. A cold-restart with a controlled matter-antimatter implosion in balanced engines is possible, but requires Spock's attention. Meanwhile, McCoy has discovered a cure for the affliction, after administering it to Sulu. Kirk finds his first officer in anguished reflection, regretting his inability to express love even for his mother. Kirk slaps him in the face hard, and Spock admits to feeling shame over his friendship with the captain. Struck again, he responds in kind, sending Kirk backwards over a table, infecting him. Kirk haltingly advises Spock that he's better off without love, and rhapsodizes over his great affair, the Enterprise, and the price she exacts. Kirk suddenly shouts out and admits "I have a beautiful yeoman!". Self-awareness returns to Spock, who proceeds to help Scott with the restart. Kirk finds the strength to return to the bridge with quiet words to his ship, "Never lose you, never." Entering a turbolift and heading to the bridge, Kirk sees "SINNER REPENT" painted on the inner door. Seeing this, he wipes away blood from the corner of his mouth. Entering the bridge, Kirk's uniform is ripped by McCoy, who administers the antidote to the captain. Taking the center seat, Kirk's orders are muddled, but a cured Sulu is able to plot the escape from orbit. With a hesitating reach, Kirk longs for his beautiful Yeoman Rand, standing next to him, whom he can't touch but for duty. Spock and Scott finish preparations, and the restart is engaged. The implosion is successful with an unexpected result, sending the Enterprise three days back in time. Perhaps deciding not to return to Psi 2000, Kirk orders a course ahead, warp factor 1. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise makes a rendezvous with the Antares, a small cargo ship. While investigating the planet Thasus, the Antares discovered an adolescent boy named Charles Evans, the sole survivor of a ship crash who has lived on his own since age three. Evans transfers to the Enterprise, which is on its way to Colony Alpha 5, where Evans' only relatives live. Captain Ramart and his navigator and first officer, Tom Nellis, are eager to be on their way after beaming aboard the Enterprise, even refusing Captain Kirk's offer of Saurian brandy, as well as entertainment tapes. But they are also effusive in their praise of Charlie. Charlie interrupts Ramart and Nellis a couple of times, which prompts Kirk to say to him, "You keep interrupting, Mr. Evans. That's considered wrong." This encounter is the first of many mysteries surrounding the young man. Yeoman Janice Rand enters the transporter room and Kirk asks her to show Charlie to his quarters and to drop off his medical records at sickbay. Innocently, Charlie asks Captain Kirk if Yeoman Rand is a girl. "That's a girl," the captain replies. Rand escorts Charlie out, much to Kirk's amusement. After a routine check-up by Dr. McCoy, Charlie attempts to learn and integrate, demonstrating the effect of his years away from all Human contact. At the same time, strange incidents occur in his vicinity. Charlie is also struggling mightily with adolescence and with his first crush, the beautiful Yeoman Rand. After observing Wilson and a sciences division crewman slapping themselves casually, Charlie does the same to Yeoman Rand's behind in a corridor, angering her. After calming down, Rand advises Charlie to tell Captain Kirk or Dr. McCoy what he had just done and ask them for advice. Afterwards, in the Enterprise's recreation room on deck three, Uhura is singing "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise" to a rapt Rand and other crewmembers. Rand ignores Charlie's card tricks; he uses his power to secretly silence Uhura's voice, as well as the sounds coming from Spock's Vulcan lute, so that he can have Rand's undivided attention. He then proceeds with a few card tricks that amuse Rand and others in the crews' lounge, who applaud appreciatively. Later, in a corridor, Kirk is advising a galley chef that on Earth today it is Thanksgiving, and if the crew of the Enterprise has to eat synthetic meat loaf, he wants it to look like turkey. Just then, Charlie arrives and tells Kirk of the trouble he had interacting with Rand earlier. Kirk awkwardly attempts to explain that men and women do things differently but before he can elaborate further to Charlie, Kirk is asked to come up to the bridge by Uhura. At extreme range, Captain Ramart attempts to contact the Enterprise and speak to Captain Kirk, but before he can say more than "I've got to warn", his ship is destroyed. Charlie advises Kirk that "It wasn't very well constructed" -- a strange comment, since it comes before Spock actually confirms the Antares' destruction. Kirk is then hailed by the Enterprise's chef, who tells the captain that he had put meat loaf in the ovens, but there are turkeys in them now -- real turkeys. Charlie laughs at hearing this, then leaves the bridge abruptly, leaving Kirk feeling that Charlie is hiding something. Kirk and Spock are pondering the destruction of the Antares during a game of three-dimensional chess when Charlie walks in and asks to play. After defeating Spock in an "illogical approach" to the game, Kirk turns it over to Charlie, during which Spock easily beats him in two moves. When Charlie gets angry, Spock leaves and then Charlie uses his powers to melt the white chess pieces. Afterwards, Rand introduces Charlie to Yeoman Tina Lawton, who is near Charlie's age. Charlie ignores Lawton, hurting her feelings, after which Rand tells Charlie that he was rude to her. Charlie then makes his feelings known to Rand that he wants her and only her, which makes the yeoman feel very uneasy. Rand goes to the bridge and wants Kirk to have a talk with Charlie before she asks the young man to leave her alone, which will hurt his feelings. Calling Charlie to his quarters, Kirk takes pity on the young man and attempts to befriend him, taking him to the physical training room for some light sparring. Initially refusing to participate, Charlie falls awkwardly and prompts laughter from Sam, Kirk's sparring partner. Humiliated and angry, Charlie makes Sam "go away", revealing his powers. Kirk immediately calls for security to escort Charlie back to his quarters. But Charlie resists, knocking down the two security officers with his powers. One of them draws his phaser but Charlie makes it disappear but finally agrees to go to his quarters after Kirk tells the young man that he will personally pick him up and take him there himself if he does not. After Charlie and security leaves Kirk is informed by Uhura that ALL phasers on board the Enterprise have disappeared. Later, in the briefing room discussing Charlie to McCoy and Spock following the incident in the gymnasium, Kirk speculates that Charlie might be a Thasian, but McCoy doubts this based on his medical analysis results. Charlie then enters and Kirk asks him outright if he was responsible for the Antares' destruction. Confronted, Charlie admits to destroying the Antares by making a warped baffle plate in its energy pile "go away". He defends his action by claiming that the ship would have blown up anyway, and that the crew weren't nice to him and tried to get rid of him. He leaves and Spock tells Kirk and McCoy, "We're in the hands of an adolescent." Charlie, his powers now common knowledge, takes over control of the Enterprise, starting with Charlie causing Uhura's communication console to explode, preventing Kirk from sending a distress signal and causing Uhura second-degree burns on her hands. He wants to go to Colony 5; Kirk knows that the mayhem he would create in that unstructured setting would be far worse than what he's done so far on the Enterprise. Charlie then begins his reign of terror. Passing Yeoman Lawton in the corridor, he turns her into an iguana. He enters Rand's quarters with a pink rose. When Rand tells Charlie to go away, he moves closer toward her, saying he only wants her. Rand is able to surreptitiously activate a communication device; on the bridge, Kirk and Spock hear the conversation leave the bridge to rescue Yeoman Rand. Kirk and Spock rush to Rand's quarters and try to stop Charlie, but the teenager throws them against the wall, breaking Spock's legs in the process. A shocked Rand slaps Charlie, to which he responds by making her disappear. Charlie then releases both Kirk and Spock after he realizes that he needs Kirk's help to run the Enterprise. Rigging a force field, the crew attempt to trap and hold Charlie in his own quarters, but once he realizes an attempt has been made to confine him, Charlie easily escapes. He then goes on a rampage: he turns a young crewmember into an old lady and removes a young woman's face, leaving her groping in a corridor and still able to vocalize her terror. Determined to stop Charlie before he can reach Colony 5, Kirk speculates that in taking over the ship, Charlie may have reached his limit. He thus attempts, with the help of Spock and McCoy, to overload the boy's abilities, ordering more and more of the ship's systems to be activated. In the midst of this struggle, a ship from Thasus appears. It is at this point that Charlie begs to stay with the Enterprise crew. The Thasians restore the Enterprise back to normal and return a confused Rand on the bridge. The Thasian explains to the bridge crew that they granted Charlie immense powers so he could live -- powers that they cannot, or will not, remove. The Thasian expresses regret at the loss of the Antares, but at least can assure Kirk that his own crew, and ship, have been fully restored to him. Certain it would be impossible for Charlie to live a normal life with his own people, and despite Charlie's own pleas to stay with the crew, and even Kirk reconsidering his position that Charlie would never fit in among Humans, the Thasians remove him to their vessel and depart. Rand, with tears in her eyes, moves over to Kirk, seated in his captain's chair. "It's all right, yeoman. It's all over now," he says as the Enterprise moves on in space. 
<EOS>
Despite indications that Earth Outposts 2 and 3 have disappeared, Captain James T. Kirk is officiating at a wedding between two crew members, Angela Martine and Robert Tomlinson. Everyone is all smiles when suddenly a klaxon interrupts the ceremony, including an announcement from Sulu for red alert and Captain Kirk to report to the bridge. Outpost 4 is under attack and the wedding ceremony is cut short as everyone runs to battle stations. The USS Enterprise investigates in the vicinity of the Romulan Neutral Zone, where an unknown assailant is methodically destroying each of the Earth outposts bordering the Neutral Zone. Spock explains that the Romulan Neutral Zone was put into place after the Earth-Romulan War over a century ago. Neither race has had contact with the other since that time. One hundred years ago there were not even two-way visual communications, so neither side knows what the other looks like. Kirk then tells the crew that while defense is permitted, any act of aggression by the Federation would be considered an act of war by the Romulans. Starfleet Command's orders are that if the situation becomes a choice between their survival or provoking a full-scale war with the Romulans, the Enterprise and its crew are to be considered expendable. Lieutenant Stiles is willing to intercept and attack Romulan vessels, but after a century, no one even knows what a Romulan ship looks like. Stiles shares his knowledge of Romulans, since a number of his relatives died in the Earth-Romulan war a century ago. "Their war, Mr. Stiles," says Kirk. "Not yours." Earth Outposts 2 and 3 are found to be destroyed, and the Enterprise briefly contacts Outpost 4. The sole survivor of Outpost 4, Commander Hansen, describes a powerful blast of energy from a ship they couldn't track, taking out Outposts 2, 3, and 8. Hansen reports that the ship is making another pass at them -- and the viewing screen goes blank. Spock tries to track the unknown ship but cannot pinpoint its location. He theorizes that the Romulans have some form of invisibility shield. Since the Romulan ship is moving around in a leisurely manner, Kirk theorizes that ship may not be aware of the Enterprise. Spock also reports that the ship is heading back towards the Romulan Neutral Zone, towards home. Despite objections from Stiles, Kirk orders a parallel course instead of an intercept course. By matching the unknown ship's course and speed, he hopes to make the Enterprise seem like an echo. Under no circumstances is the Enterprise to enter into the Romulan Neutral Zone without a direct order from Kirk. Stiles shocks everyone by declaring there could be Romulan spies on board the Enterprise. Kirk gives the order to maintain a security alert following a recommendation from Sulu. Uhura picks up a communication signal. Spock is able to tie into the Romulan ship and the Enterprise crew get their first look at the Romulans. Stiles notices the Romulan's physical resemblance to Spock by looking back accusingly at the Vulcan. Attempts to interpret the Romulan signals are hampered by Stiles, who says Spock should have no trouble with decrypting them. Kirk tells him that he hopes Stiles refers to Spock's skill at decryption and orders him, "Leave any bigotry in your quarters; there's no room for it on the bridge." Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Romulan ship, the Romulan commander has noticed the Enterprise following them. He confers with someone known as the centurion, much as Kirk would confer with another officer on the ethics of their mission; exposing the weakness of the Federation while risking interplanetary war. A Romulan officer named Decius reports to the commander as ordered. The commander rebukes Decius for his carelessness in dispatching a coded subspace message, violating orders for radio silence. The commander reduces Decius two steps in rank and dismisses him. His trusted centurion warns the commander that Decius has powerful friends who could be dangerous and that he should be careful. The Romulan captain quietly expresses distaste for the mission to the centurion, mirroring Kirk and Spock. The Romulan captain believes it is only a politically motivated attack, but they are Romulan officers, and they will complete their mission, come what may. Kirk holds a conference and Scott and Spock show how the outpost's protective shields, made from cast rodinium -- the hardest substance known to Federation science -- were reduced to crumbling by the unknown Romulan weapon. Scott reports that the Romulan ship has no warp power, only impulse. Stiles declares that the Enterprise has to attack. Since the Romulan ship is on the Federation side of the Romulan Neutral Zone, there would be no doubt that the Romulans broke the treaty. Stiles claims that running would only guarantee war, and his bigotry emerges in his arguments as he claims that the Romulans would attack with full force. Stiles also openly accuses Spock of being an "expert" on Romulans and purposely hiding that fact from the rest of the crew. Spock agrees with Stiles in that if the Romulans are indeed an offshoot of the Vulcan people who have not learned to choose logic over emotions, they are more dangerous than Kirk realizes and that attacking is the logical choice. After a moment, Kirk gives the order to attack. The Enterprise heads into battle at red alert. Following the Romulan ship's path into a comet's tail, Kirk orders the Enterprise to jump forward and intercept the Romulan ship on the other side. The Romulan commander gives the order for his ship to double back to intercept the Enterprise. Each ship fails to intercept the other and both commanders reflect on the other's intelligence. A barrage of phaser fire damages the Romulan ship. The centurion pushes the Romulan commander out of the way of falling debris but is fatally injured himself. Meanwhile, the phaser circuits on the Enterprise burn out as the Romulan ship fires its primary weapon. Kirk orders full astern and as the Enterprise backs up, they find that the weapon has a range limit which causes the shot to partially dissipate, resulting in reduced impact. Determined to prevent the Romulan ship from reentering the Neutral Zone, Kirk orders another barrage of phaser fire. Unable to stop the Romulan ship, and aware of the consequences, Kirk orders the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone. Displaying restrained emotion as his friend dies, the Romulan commander orders all debris and, sadly, the body of his friend into the escape chute as a decoy. The Enterprise picks up the debris on the sensors but in doing so, loses track of the Romulan ship. It has come down to a waiting game and both ships have powered down in the Neutral Zone to prevent detection. After the Enterprise has been powered down for 9 hours and 47 minutes, Kirk tries to rest in his quarters when Yeoman Rand enters and asks the captain if he would like something to eat from the galley. Kirk shakes his head and tells Rand to get him coffee and have it on the bridge, as he will be heading up there soon. Just then, Dr. McCoy arrives as Rand leaves. Kirk confesses that he wishes he were on a cruise somewhere with no responsibility. He admits to McCoy that when his crew looks to him to make the next move, he wonders, "What if I'm wrong?" McCoy struggles at first to come up with an answer to this and Kirk does not expect him to provide one. However, McCoy puts his hand on Kirk's shoulder and gently says, "In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us. Don't destroy the one named Kirk." Later on the bridge, Spock, while making repairs, accidentally activates a panel, and the Romulan ship detects the Enterprise and moves in to attack. Kirk anticipates this and manages to fire on the Romulan ship. Furious, the Romulan commander orders more debris into the disposal tubes, including a nuclear warhead. Spock picks up the "metal-cased object" on his sensors and the Enterprise fires upon it. The massive explosion causes damage to the Enterprise but despite now having the upper hand, the Romulan commander decides to head for home. Scott reports that while phasers are operational, only Tomlinson, the groom from the wedding, is manning the station. Stiles quotes his experience with phasers and Kirk sends him down to assist. In an attempt to lure the Romulan ship back, the Enterprise plays dead. Despite his reservations, and the crippled status of his ship, the Romulan commander is reminded by Decius that it is the commander's duty to crush the enemy. The commander then reluctantly gives the order to attack. Meanwhile, Spock checks on the phaser crew and Stiles coldly remarks that they "will handle things without your help, Vulcan."  After Spock leaves however, a phaser coolant leak erupts. As the Romulan ship moves in to attack, Kirk gives the order to fire phasers. But both Tomlinson and Stiles have been overcome by the coolant fumes. Realizing the danger, Spock runs back and manages to fire the phasers in time, severely damaging the Romulan ship. Visual contact between ships is somehow established as Kirk watches a severely wounded Romulan commander stagger to his feet. The Romulan commander turns and looks upon Kirk's face. Despite Kirk's offer to beam aboard any survivors, the Romulan commander informs him that it is not the Romulan way. He then says, with admiration, "I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend," and as the last part of his duty, he sets the Romulan ship to self-destruct. Kirk watches regretfully as the ship is destroyed. Kirk goes to sickbay and discovers that not only did Spock fire the phasers, he also rescued Stiles. Stiles is humbled and amazed that Spock saved his life after everything he had said to him. Unfortunately, Spock was unable to save Robert Tomlinson. Kirk is then forced to console his grief-stricken fiancee, Angela Martine, while she stands alone in the chapel. "It never makes any sense. We both have to know that there was a reason," Kirk says softly to Martine. She tearfully assures the captain that she will be fine and leaves. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise approaches the planet Exo III to learn the fate of Dr. Roger Korby, a prominent scientist whose last message was sent over five years earlier. Two previous expeditions have failed to uncover any trace of the Korby expedition. Despite the odds, Korby and at least part of his expedition have survived by taking refuge in underground ruins left by the former inhabitants of the planet. Lieutenant Uhura picks up a transmission from Korby on the planet's surface, surprising the Enterprise crew. Korby requests that Captain Kirk beam down alone, explaining that he has made discoveries that may require an extraordinary decision on Kirk's part. But when he learns Christine Chapel, his former fiancee, is aboard, he readily agrees for her to also beam down. Kirk and Chapel beam down but are met by no one so Kirk has two security officers beam down as well. Security officer Rayburn is instructed to remain at the beam down location while Kirk, Chapel, and the other security officer, Mathews, explore the ancient ruins, searching for Korby. Shortly after they meet Dr. Brown, Dr. Korby's assistant, Mathews falls into a "bottomless" cavern, leaving Kirk and Chapel alone. Dr. Brown seems somewhat detached and aloof, barely reacting to Mathews' tragic fall. He also seems slow to recognize Chapel. Making their way through the winding cavern, Dr. Brown explains that the previous civilization that inhabited Exo III moved underground when their sun went dark. He elaborates that the inhabitants replaced freedom with a mechanistic culture and claims that once Dr. Korby is freed from the cavernous environment they are currently in, the discoveries he has made will revolutionize the universe. The group then enters a room. Inside, they also meet Andrea, a beautiful woman. Kirk meets Korby, who seems friendly enough. But he insists there be no communication with the ship. This is not acceptable to Kirk, especially since in addition to the death of one crewman, he has also lost contact with another, Rayburn, whom he left at the cave's entrance. When Brown threatens Kirk with a laser pistol, there is a brief struggle during which Brown is shot -- and it is revealed that he is not Human, but a complex android. Meanwhile, the massive android Ruk immobilizes Kirk by picking him up and lifting him against a wall, preventing his escape. In another room, Korby has Ruk, in a near perfect imitation of Kirk's voice, send a message to the Enterprise through Kirk's communicator, where Spock had been concerned that Kirk's routine check-in time had past. Korby warns Kirk that if he moves or cries out to Spock, Ruk will have no choice but to harm him. "Kirk" informs Spock that everything is fine and to maintain routine contact and signs off. Korby informs Kirk that Ruk had been tending the machinery in the ruins for longer than even he could remember. With his help and with the records Korby found, they built Brown. When directly asked by Kirk the fate of his second security officer Rayburn, Korby informs Kirk that Ruk killed both Rayburn and Matthews, but Korby claims it was expressly against his orders. Korby has Ruk imitate other voices, but grows angry when Ruk imitates Chapel. He orders Ruk never to mock or harm Chapel, and at Kirk's prompting, adds that he is to obey all of Chapel's commands. Kirk attempts to once again escape but Ruk is too fast for him. The hulking android picks him up and throws him across the room like a doll. Korby returns to the main dining room to join Chapel and Andrea. Kirk is being held securely by Ruk as Korby begins to reveal more of his plans to Kirk and Chapel. He then reveals to them that Andrea, too, is an android and tries to convince a jealous Chapel that there is no romantic feelings between him and Andrea. Korby explains that Andrea simply obeys his orders. To prove his point Korby orders Andrea to kiss Kirk, which she does, then slap him across the face. But Kirk still demands answers: if these 'mechanical things' as Kirk dubs the androids, say and do only as Korby programmed, then why did Brown tried to shoot him earlier and why did Ruk murdered Kirk's two security officers. Kirk says that there are many things he still doesn't understand regarding everything that has happened up until then. Korby tells the captain that he will answer all of Kirk's questions now. A short time later, Korby leads Chapel to his laboratory where the android duplicator, with a Human-shaped blank that Ruk just locked down on the side facing her, catches her attention. Korby informs her that this is how an android is made, then orders Andrea to slightly turn the platform and Chapel is horrified to see Kirk, locked down by Ruk, naked and unconscious, on the other side. Kirk is then spun around to be made a copy of while a shocked Chapel looks on in confusion. Soon the physical process is completed. Korby says the android is an exact physical replica of the real Kirk. He then explains that he will transfer all of Kirk's memories into the android to make the duplication complete. But Kirk overhears this, and while Korby readies the machine, Kirk murmurs to himself, "Mind your own business, Mr. Spock, I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?" He repeats this as the memories are copied. Korby then presents his new android to Chapel. "How do you do, Miss Chapel?"' After the experiment, "Kirk" joins Chapel for lunch, and asks her if she would obey if he gave her an order to betray Roger Korby. Chapel says, "Please don't ask me to make that choice." The tone of the conversation causes her to lose her appetite, but she encourages "Kirk" to eat. With a smile, he informs her that "Androids don't eat, Miss Chapel." She had been unknowingly talking to the android Kirk all along. Korby, Ruk, and the real Kirk, wearing a jumpsuit similar to Korby's, enter and even Kirk is impressed. He quizzes his duplicate on details of his life and family, but the android answers every question perfectly. The duplicate Kirk is sent to the Enterprise to secure the command packet from Kirk's quarters containing the ship's itinerary; Korby's plan is to select a colony where he can begin carefully manufacturing android replacements. He believes he can secretly create a superior android civilization, and he plans to prove it. Kirk makes a third attempt to escape by choking Korby with a rope and running off. As Ruk pursues him, Chapel yells after him, "I order you not to harm him!" Ruk imitates Chapel's voice in an attempt to lure Kirk out of hiding, but Kirk sees through the ruse and attacks Ruk with a broken-off stalactite. In the struggle, Kirk falls and hangs dangerously from the edge of another deep hole. But after Ruk stares at Kirk for a moment as he dangles off the precipice, the giant android pulls Kirk to safety, perhaps in obedience to Chapel's order not to harm the captain. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, Spock is surprised by Kirk's unannounced return, as he casually strolls past him in a corridor. When Spock enters Kirk's quarters and tries to inquire about Dr. Korby, Kirk snaps at him, "Mind your own business, Mr. Spock. I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?" Immediately after this uncharacteristic outburst, Kirk is pleasant again; he returns to the planet, leaving a very bewildered Spock behind. Realizing that something is wrong, he forms a security team to prepare to beam down after "Kirk" has left the ship. Back on the planet, the real Kirk asks Andrea to kiss him. She gives him the same type of kiss she gave him earlier -a brief gentle kiss on the lips. After the brief kiss, she half raises her left arm ready to slap him -another occurrence from the previous kiss. Kirk then stops her from slapping him, grabs Andrea, and gives her a much longer, passionate French kiss. This confuses her, since she was not programmed to respond to him. Deep down she enjoyed it, but her circuitry protested. Kirk is then confronted by Ruk and discusses the Old Ones with him. Kirk learns more about the ancient civilization: they built their machines too well, became fearful of them, and started shutting them off. Survival outweighed programming; the androids murdered their creators. Goaded by Kirk, Ruk grows angry and realizes that Korby is doing exactly the same thing. He starts to threaten Korby, who is forced to destroy Ruk with a phaser. Meanwhile, Andrea comes across the android Kirk and tries to repeat the romantic advances, thinking he is the real Kirk. When the android Kirk refuses, citing it as "illogical," Andrea vaporizes him with a phaser. In a scuffle between Kirk and Korby, a section of skin is torn from the back of Korby's hand, revealing wires and circuits. Korby is revealed to be an android as well, to Chapel's horror. Korby tries to explain to a shocked Chapel that while critically injured, he built a perfect body and decanted himself into it. He claims that he's still the real Roger Korby, but is unable to demonstrate any uniquely "Human" qualities. The breakdown of this small segment of android civilization reveals the pitfalls of Korby's utopian vision. Soon enough, even he realizes this, and hands over his phaser in defeat and despair. But Andrea will not relinquish hers, and she confusedly tries to profess her love for Korby. As she kisses him, Korby pulls the trigger of the laser pistol in her hand, killing them both. Spock and his security team arrive and come upon Kirk and Chapel. When Spock inquired about Korby's whereabouts, Kirk replies to his first officer, "Dr. Korby was never here." Back on the ship, Chapel decides to stay on the Enterprise. Spock then tells Kirk of his dismay over his use of the term "half-breed". Kirk replies, "I'll remember that, Mr. Spock the next time I find myself in a similar situation." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is on a routine cargo drop to the Tantalus Penal Colony on the planet Tantalus V, beaming down cylinders containing infra-sensory drugs and other supplies. Lieutenant Berkley, in charge of the transporter, tries to beam the cargo down, but is having trouble doing so. Captain Kirk enters the transporter room seeing this and jokingly chides Berkley over the fact that the colony has not yet deactivated its security force field. After contacting the colony, it does so and the cargo is beamed down. The colony sends up a large case to the Enterprise, which is research supplies for the Central Bureau of Penology at Stockholm. After Kirk and Berkley leave, the case opens slowly, revealing a man, clearly mentally ill. He carefully makes his way towards the distracted assistant transporter operator, knocking him out. On the bridge, Kirk talks to Dr. McCoy, telling him that he wishes he could have had the time to meet Dr. Tristan Adams, and asks McCoy if he has visited a penal colony since they have started following his theories. "A cage is a cage, Jim," he remarks. Kirk tells McCoy he is behind the times, as the captain considers them to be more like resorts now. Just then, the Tantalus colony hails the Enterprise, informing the starship that an inmate is missing, and possibly hid in the case they had sent up. They also inform them that the missing patient is a potentially violent case. Meanwhile, the mysterious stowaway has taken the transporter operator's operations red utility uniform and makes his way out into the Enterprise's corridors. He is immediately spotted by Fields, who alerts the bridge through an intercom that he is on deck fourteen. Spock reports that deck fourteen is being closed off and a search is in progress. Security is then alerted to the stowaway and he surprises one of the guards looking for him, overpowers him, and takes his phaser. He then heads to the bridge where he easily dispatches the bridge guard and then reveals his name is Simon Van Gelder and he demands asylum from Kirk. After he is incapacitated by Spock using a Vulcan nerve pinch, he is captured and restrained in sickbay. Later, Kirk attempts to get answers out of Van Gelder, but he seems to struggle enormously when he tries to confirm his name and that he was a director at the Tantalus colony. McCoy then has him sedated with a hypospray. Later on the bridge, Spock determines that Van Gelder is indeed a former associate of Tantalus administrator Dr. Tristan Adams, assigned to the colony only six months prior. Required by regulations as quoted by McCoy to investigate Van Gelder's injury, Kirk decides to visit the penal colony with someone who has psychiatric experience. The Enterprise has returned to Tantalus V and assumed standard orbit. Kirk enters the transporter room with Spock and is surprised to discover that he is beaming down to Tantalus V with Doctor Helen Noel, a psychiatrist with whom he's been previously acquainted. In the transporter room, she tries to remind Kirk about their previous encounter, but he cuts her off. After Kirk and Noel take a very fast turbolift down to the colony, Adams meets with the two immediately after the doors open shares a toast in his office with them. Just then, Lethe, an emotionally detached former patient at the colony and now therapist enters. "I love my work," she says unenthusiastically. Adams raises his glass to Kirk and Noel for the toast. "To all mankind. May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that -- that we cannot fill them with love and warmth." Later, walking through the corridors of the colony, Dr. Adams informs Kirk and Noel that Van Gelder injured his mind by testing an experimental therapy device on himself, the neural neutralizer. Adams shows the device in operation on a patient, but says that it is of limited therapeutic value. On board the Enterprise, Spock and Dr. McCoy continue to investigate Van Gelder, whose ravings are difficult to decipher. However, at one point, Van Gelder claims Dr. Adams will destroy "like death". In sickbay, Spock decides to employ an ancient technique, the Vulcan mind meld, to learn the truth that Van Gelder cannot speak aloud. Although Spock had never previously performed a mind meld on a Human, the procedure meets with some success. He learns that Adams has been experimenting on various individuals, including Van Gelder, using the neural neutralizer. At the colony, Kirk and Noel investigate the neural neutralizer privately. Kirk wants first-hand experience with the device. After Noel provides assurance that an experiment can be done safely with her supervision, Kirk sits in the treatment chair. Using a very low setting, she suggests to Kirk that he is hungry. A few seconds later, unaware of the suggestion, Kirk does in fact suggest they find a kitchen to raid. Then, at Kirk's request, Noel begins with a more elaborate suggestion; that Kirk and Noel went back to Kirk's quarters for a romantic evening after a meeting at the previous year's science labs Christmas party, which didn't really occur. Suddenly, Adams surprises them, has his assistant Eli immobilize Noel, and begins using the device to condition Kirk, including the suggestion that he is desperately in love with Noel, and using very high settings that are obviously causing Kirk great distress. Fighting off the suggestions placed in his mind by Adams, Kirk dispatches Noel through the air conditioning ducts, in the hope she can find the power controls and deactivate the security force field. That field protects the facility, and prevents transporters from operating in it. After crawling through the duct, Noel manages to locate the power control room for the colony. She takes care of the guard in the power control room and deactivates the field long enough for Kirk to escape the torture, and Spock and a security force to beam down and secure the colony. In an ironic twist, Dr. Adams dies of exposure to the neural neutralizer after Kirk knocks him unconscious and leaves him near it when Spock restored the power. However, Dr. Noel notes that the neutralizer was not on high enough to kill Adams. Kirk says that he died because he was alone, his mind emptied by it, "without even a tormentor for company." Dr. Van Gelder is cured, and resumes his responsibilities at the colony. He also dismantles and destroys the neural neutralizer equipment. Before the Enterprise heads away from Tantalus V at warp factor 1, McCoy says that it is "hard to believe that a man could die from loneliness." Kirk tells him "not when you have sat in that room." 
<EOS>
Responding to an Earth-type distress signal over a hundred light years from Earth, the USS Enterprise discovers a planet that is an exact copy of Earth. It has the same mass, circumference, density, and atmosphere. Even the topography is identical. Beaming down, the landing party of Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Janice Rand, along with security officers Galloway and Fields, discover architecture like that of Earth, circa 1960. But there is debris in the streets and evidence that decay has been ongoing for at least several centuries. Spock surmises that the distress signal is automated. Then, while McCoy is examining an old bicycle, he is attacked by a diseased man -- a man horribly disfigured, insane, and violent. Before Kirk can get any useful information, the man dies, crying out several times, "fibber". Noises draw the landing party to one of the abandoned buildings, where they discover a terrified girl hiding in a closet, named Miri. Meanwhile, Spock, Galloway, and Fields search the ruins outside. They hear children, and are pelted with debris and rocks, but they never actually see anyone; the feral children, who call themselves Onlies, know the area too well, and are too canny. Talking to Miri, who only gradually realizes that she is in no danger, Kirk learns that the adults, whom Miri calls grups, became ill and insane, and the Onlies had to hide from them until all grups died. McCoy realizes that a plague struck this world, and killed most of its people. And then, on Kirk's hand, Miri finds a blueish blemish. Kirk has the same disease that killed the grups. Miri leads the landing party to an abandoned laboratory where McCoy takes tissue samples from the group in an attempt to isolate the organism responsible for the disease. Everyone in the landing party has this disease except Spock, thanks to his Vulcan green blood. However, Spock is a carrier and the whole crew would contract the disease if he were to beam back to the Enterprise. McCoy begins to work, asking Lieutenant John Farrell to have a biocomputer and an electronic microscope beamed down from the ship. Spock discovers research dating back three hundred years: there was a project with the goal of prolonging life. It worked, after a fashion, but a miscalculation annihilated the adults, leaving only the children to survive on their own for the last three centuries. Once they reach puberty, they each succumb to the disease. Spock calculates that within a week, all of the Human members of the landing party will succumb; even sooner than that, they will go mad. Kirk, wanting to find the elusive children to get some answers, asks Miri to show him where they are hiding. In an old, rundown building, Jahn, the oldest and apparent leader of the Onlies, and a number of Only children, discuss the sudden reappearance of the "grups". The children are afraid of things returning to the way it was in the "before time". Jahn hatches a plan to steal the landing party's "little boxes" they use to talk to other "grups" so they will be all alone on the planet. Before he can go on further, Kirk arrives with Miri and the children hide. When Kirk enters the building, a deformed and crazed Only child named Louise attacks him and he is forced to stun her with his phaser, which accidentally kills her. Miri, shocked and saddened by the death of an Only a little older than she is, embraces Kirk. In the laboratory, Kirk orders Spock and McCoy to recreate the way the scientists on the planet's thinking. If they can isolate the virus creating the disease, McCoy will be able to create a vaccine. Just then, Kirk hears the Onlies saying "nyah, nyah, nyah" outside and runs with Spock and McCoy to investigate. In the empty lab, Jahn emerges from an open vent and takes all of the landing party's communicators. Returning to the lab and discovering the communicators missing, McCoy underscores the need for them; if they do not have the devices, they will not be able to verify their findings through the Enterprise's computers and they won't have a chance. The disease is starting to affect the landing party; their nerves are frayed and their tempers are short. Kirk passes by Rand and bumps into her while walking by, causing her to drop a beaker. This causes her to snap, cry hysterically, and run out into the laboratory's corridor. Kirk, alone in the corridor with a crying and upset Rand, takes her into in his arms to comfort her. Miri witnesses this and becomes jealous of Kirk's attention to her and Rand's romantic looks at the Captain. Miri returns to the Onlies and helps Jahn and then develop a plan to capture Rand, thereby luring Kirk to them. Meanwhile, McCoy has discovered the organism responsible, and succeeds in isolating a substance that might be the vaccine. But without the ship's computer, it is impossible to be certain -- or to know the dosage. Later, Rand goes missing and Kirk becomes worried and lost in thought with Rand's whereabouts, and in finding his "Janice." Kirk persuades Miri to help him, by revealing the secret the landing party had kept: that she, and all the children, would get the disease, and that the youngest would starve long before that. Miri takes Kirk to where Rand is being held and tied up by Jahn and the other Onlies. The children don't trust Kirk and pummel the captain. Beaten and bloodied, Kirk finally makes the children realize they're doing what the grups did -- hurting others. Meanwhile, a desperate Dr. McCoy injects himself with a hypospray filled with the serum, knowing that without confirmation from the ship's computers he could be injecting himself with, as Spock described it, "a beaker full of death." Returning with Rand and the communicators, and carrying one of the smaller children, Kirk finds Spock and a security man at McCoy's side. The doctor is unconscious, perhaps dying and then the blemishes begin to fade. The vaccine is a success. The Enterprise departs, leaving a medical team in charge of the children, who will soon receive the care they need. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is diverted three light years off of its scheduled course to Planet Q, lured by word of a new synthetic food which promises to ease chronic shortages on Cygnia Minor. But what Doctor Thomas Leighton actually wants to show his childhood friend Kirk is merely a traveling Shakespearean actor, Anton Karidian. Leighton believes Karidian to actually be Kodos the Executioner. Kodos is notorious because he seized control of the doomed Earth Colony Tarsus IV in 2246 and ordered the execution of half its population of 8,000. Of the 4,000 survivors, only nine, including the young Kirk and Leighton, ever saw the face of the revolutionary governor. Though convinced Kodos is long dead, Kirk does enough research to pique his curiosity about Leighton's claim. He returns to the planet in hopes of meeting Karidian in person. At a cocktail party held at the Leightons' home, Kirk meets Karidian's attractive daughter Lenore, and the two hit it off. They leave the party to stroll in Planet Q's desert, and come upon the body of their host Thomas Leighton. Leighton's death makes Kirk take his dead friend's suspicions more seriously. After promising Leighton's distraught wife Martha that he will find out why her husband was killed, Kirk calls in a favor: he asks Jon Daily, commanding officer of the Astral Queen, to leave Planet Q orbit ahead of schedule and without notice. This strands the Karidian Players, who now have no choice but to ask for passage aboard the Enterprise. Researching, Kirk reviews the list of the nine eyewitnesses, and discovers that Lieutenant Kevin Riley, a member of the Enterprise crew, is one of them. Despite the fact that Riley recently was promoted from engineering to communications, Kirk orders Spock to send Riley back down to engineering with the apparent intention of protecting him. When Spock asks why, pointing out that such action may be regarded by Riley as a demotion, Kirk refuses to explain. Spock becomes concerned about the captain's behavior and confides in Dr. McCoy, while Kirk proceeds to get more involved with Lenore. Spock does his own research and learns enough to raise his own suspicions, including the disturbing fact that of the nine eyewitnesses who could positively identify Kodos, seven are now dead. And whenever one died, the Karidian Players were somewhere nearby. Only Kirk and Lieutenant Riley remain alive. With a tray of food at his side Riley broods while alone in engineering and calls up the rec room pleading for company. Lieutenant Larry Matson turns over the intercom to Uhura, who serenades him by playing a Vulcan harp and singing "Beyond Antares". While Riley is distracted by her performance, someone sneaks into the room and emerges from the shadows to squirt something into his glass of milk. His spirits brightened, Riley reaches for his drink and takes a long gulp. Uhura finishes her song and Riley begins choking. Fortunately, Uhura's party realizes the situation and sends help in time to save him. As Riley lies in critical condition on a bio-bed, Spock realizes that if he dies, Kirk will be the next target. In McCoy's lab report on Riley's condition, he finds that the lieutenant had an appreciable amount of tetra-lubisol in his system, a milky lubricant used aboard the Enterprise. Spock is now certain that Riley was poisoned and with a reluctant McCoy confront Kirk in his quarters. Spock is now certain Karidian and Kodos are the same man, but Kirk remains unsure and has to make certain of it. McCoy asks Kirk what he will do if Kodos and Karidian are one and the same, inquiring if he will carry his head through the ship's corridors in triumph, noting that will not bring back any of the dead colonists. Kirk agrees but notes that "they may rest easier." Later, a similar discussion Kirk and Spock have is interrupted by the hum of an overloading phaser. Somewhere in Kirk's quarters is a potential explosive that can take out the entire deck. While Spock orders ship's personnel to clear the area, Kirk finds the overloading phaser in his quarters' red alert indicator and disposes of it seconds before it explodes. Kirk is finally driven to confront Karidian, asking him point blank whether he is Kodos. Karidian gives him evasive answers, and after twenty years of playing parts that, of all things, he is tired. He does perform a short speech for the purposes of voice comparison with a piece of voice film in the Enterprise's database. This was apparently the speech made by Kodos condemning thousands of innocent people to death. Kirk mentions how Karidian barely looked at the text, hinting that it was already familiar to the actor, but Karidian simply states that he learns his parts quickly. Meanwhile, in sickbay, the recovering Lieutenant Riley overhears McCoy's log entry, learning that Karidian is suspected of being Kodos, the man who murdered Riley's family. The voiceprint comparison is close, very close, but Kirk argues that when a man's life is at stake, very close isn't good enough. The Karidian Players begin a presentation of Hamlet. Riley, with a stolen phaser, sneaks backstage. Kirk manages to talk him out of killing Karidian, who overhears their sotto voce conversation. Riley, with great reluctance, heads back to sickbay. Kirk is still backstage when Karidian and his daughter Lenore discuss what he overheard during an act break. Trying to shield her from his past, Karidian attempts to pass off his distress as hearing the "voice of a part that he played long ago". But he is horrified when Lenore lovingly reveals that she knows all about his past deeds, and has already killed seven of the nine people who could identify him. Lenore goes on to tell him, innocently, that she will dispose of the remaining two after the performance. Karidian is horrified that there is still more blood on "his" hands, but she proclaims that "they had to be silenced", and says, all with a smile on her face, that she buried those ghosts for him, and she has "saved" him. Karidian is devastated that all his attempts to prevent his past crimes from tainting his daughter have failed, and left him with nothing but a long legacy of murder. Kirk appears from his hiding place to confront them. Lenore rebukes Kirk for interrupting her father before his appearance on stage. Kirk says she has killed seven innocent people, and she declares to Kirk that those people weren't innocent, they were "dangerous", and that she would have killed a world to protect her father. Kirk summons security to take them into custody; Lenore snatches security officer Harrison's weapon and runs on stage. Her eyes show she's quite insane. Karidian/Kodos, desperate there should be no more blood on his hands, steps between her and Kirk as she fires; the shot is fatal. Twenty years after earning the name, Kodos the Executioner is dead. The death of her beloved father at her own hands sends Lenore over the edge. By the time Kirk leads her away, her tears have given way to laughter. Sometime later, after the performers have been dropped off at Benecia, McCoy promises Lenore will get the best of care, and that last report of her is that she believes her father is still alive performing to cheering audiences. McCoy suggests that Kirk did care for Lenore, which Kirk does not respond to, instead giving the order for Lieutenant Leslie to break orbit and go to warp. He does give McCoy a knowing look, which is all the answer the doctor needs. 
<EOS>
On the bridge of the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk receives a signal from Spock that the shuttlecraft Galileo is ready for launch. A crew composed of Spock, Lieutenant Commander Scott, Dr. McCoy, Lieutenants Latimer, Gaetano, and Boma, and Yeoman Mears, has been assembled aboard the shuttlecraft for this scientific mission. High Commissioner Ferris enters the bridge from the turbolift and reminds the captain of his objection to this diversion from the greater priority of delivering medical supplies. The plague on the New Paris colonies is spiraling out of control, he contends, and the Enterprise must make the rendezvous on Makus in order for the supplies to be transferred from there to the colony. Kirk understands this, but he also states that he is under orders from Starfleet to investigate "all quasars and quasar-like phenomena" and observes that the rendezvous is in five days, while the trip to Makus will only last three. Hence, he reasons, he has 48 hours with which to study the phenomenon. The Galileo proceeds to launch. While inside the phenomenon, the shuttlecraft encounters some rough turbulence, knocking it off-course. The electrical interference generated by the phenomenon makes sensors unreliable and communication impossible for the shuttlecraft, as well as for the Enterprise. However, Uhura does manage to make out the words "blown off-course" in an extremely garbled transmission. Kirk must attempt a rescue without working sensors inside a quasar-like formation which contains four solar systems in the immediate vicinity. The Galileo is forced to make an emergency landing on Taurus II, a lone planet at the heart of Murasaki 312. While Scott attempts repairs on the damaged craft, Latimer and Gaetano are sent out to scout the area and instructed to maintain visual contact with the ship. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, the sensors remain inoperative and the transporters are not operating in a safe manner. Kirk orders that a second shuttlecraft, Columbus, prepare for launch in order to search the planet's surface for the other craft. Tensions mount between Kirk and Ferris as Kirk makes it clear that he plans to use every spare minute to search for his stranded shipmates. Uhura temporarily acts as science officer and helps to narrow the search for Galileo by discovering that one planet in the area, Taurus II, is type M. Kirk has Sulu set course for the planet. As Scott assesses the damage, he finds that the Galileo has lost a great deal of fuel -- so much that they would be unable to reach escape velocity, and to even reach orbit they would need to leave at least five hundred pounds lighter than when they arrived. Noting that very little of the equipment on board is dispensable, and that five hundred pounds roughly equals the weight of three grown adults, Spock prepares himself for the difficult decision of which three crewmen to leave behind in order that the rest may survive. It is at this point that Spock's cold logic begins to unnerve some of the crew, most noticeably Lieutenant Boma. Boma proposes that they draw lots to determine who stays behind, but Spock replies that he is better qualified to make the decision than would be a "random drawing of lots." While on their scouting expedition, Latimer and Gaetano hear strange grinding sounds, seemingly coming from all around them in a dense fog. Attempting to escape back to the Galileo, they encounter a giant, spear-wielding, "cave man"-like humanoid. The creature is hostile, and attacks the two crewmen. Taken by surprise, Latimer is hit by a spear in the back, mortally wounding him. He falls from a rock ledge to the ground and Gaetano then attempts to fend off the Taurean with his phaser, firing blind. Gaetano, successful in driving the Taurean away, is found by Spock and Boma, slumped over, staring dumbfounded at the body of his fallen crewmate. After running a bit ahead to make sure that the giant is gone, Spock returns and examines the spear. He observes a similarity to the Folsom point, commenting that it is "crude" and "not very efficient." Again, Spock's words unnerve his crewmates, who find it highly inappropriate for him to be musing about archaeology when one of their comrades has just been slain. Spock, logical as ever, responds, "My concern for the dead will not bring him back to life, Mr. Boma." Boma and Gaetano decide to carry the body back to the ship. Spock has no objection, since doing so will not interfere with the repair efforts. When he offers to help them, they refuse. There is no change in the status of sensors, transporters, and communications. The search party has found no sign of the Galileo or its passengers. Kirk orders the Columbus to "widen its course two degrees on every lap from now on." Sulu objects that this leaves significant gaps in the search area, but Kirk notes that they simply do not have enough time to cover the entire planet, and this way they cover the most area, even if they leave gaps in doing so. Kirk advises Sulu to keep his attention on the helm. Back inside the shuttlecraft, McCoy and Yeoman Mears report to Spock that they were able to gather about one hundred and fifty pounds of non-essential machinery for removal from Galileo. Spock commends them, but observes that even after dumping that weight, they are still 150 pounds too heavy. McCoy and Spock argue a bit about the ethics of leaving behind one man to save six, but they are interrupted by Boma, who upon entering the craft announces that they are ready for Latimer's funeral ceremony. Spock has no interest in performing such a ceremony as his expertise is needed in assisting Scott with the repairs. He attempts to push off the funerary duties to Dr. McCoy, but McCoy insists that it is Spock's responsibility as their commanding officer. Spock accepts this duty, but insists that the repairs take the utmost priority. He argues that by taking care of "first things first" he intends to maximize the chances of survival for the remaining crew. Boma leaves and closes Galileo's doors. Later, while Scott and Spock continue to attempt repairs, a ruptured tube leaks all the remaining fuel. The shuttlecraft is now without any means of propulsion. Disappointed by the event, Spock advises a pessimistic Scott to "consider the alternatives," stating, "there are always alternatives." Outside, loud grinding noises are heard again. Spock identifies the sounds as wood, rubbing on leather. Boma suggests that if the Taureans are a tribal culture, and thereby have a sense of unity, the crew can use that to their advantage. By hurting them, they can be dissuaded from bothering the crew again. McCoy and Gaetano agree that this is a "logical" course of action. Spock is hesitant, but concedes that there is logic to the plan, though he abhors unnecessary violence toward other forms of life. He proposes a third plan -- to scare them by blasting phasers near the giants -- firing not to injure or kill, but to simply frighten. He sends McCoy and Mears back to the shuttlecraft to assist Scott, while he leads Boma and Gaetano towards the Taureans. The plan appears to be executed successfully, and Spock returns with Boma to the shuttlecraft, leaving Gaetano to stand guard and stay in communication with the ship. When he returns, Scott tells Spock of an idea he has to reconfigure the main reactor to function on the energy from the hand-held phasers. Unfortunately, their only means of escape happens to be their only means of defense. Using the phasers for fuel disallows their use for defensive measures against the giants. Spock and the others conclude that it is their only option. Scott begins the modifications. The Enterprise transporters are now operational, and Kirk decides to beam three landing parties down directly to the planet in hopes of increasing the chances of finding the lost crew. Crewman Gaetano is attacked and loses his phaser when a large rock is thrown against his hand. He tries to scramble up a cliff, but cannot, and is ultimately killed horribly by a Taurean. Spock, McCoy, and Boma arrive at Gaetano's last known position. He is nowhere to be found but Spock discovers his phaser lying on the ground. Spock orders the other two to return to the craft and hands over Gaetano's phaser to Scott for conversion. Boma objects, but Spock's response is to hand them his phaser as well. Spock then pursues a "scientific curiosity" regarding what happened to Gaetano. Sneaking up to the Taureans, Spock finds Gaetano's lifeless body and carries it off towards the shuttlecraft. The Taureans soon notice him and begin throwing numerous spears, one of which just narrowly misses Spock's head, but is blocked by the tip a protruding rock. Soon after Spock makes it back, one of the creatures which followed Spock begins assaulting the craft itself by slamming large rocks against it, with the terrified crew inside. Spock comes up with an idea to use the ship's batteries to electrify the outer hull. Apparently the Taureans were actually touching the ship at the time it was electrified, as the creatures leave shortly after. Boma then argues that it is time to perform the funeral rites for their two fallen crewmates. Eventually, Spock relents and allows the burial, "provided the creatures will permit it." On the Enterprise, landing party two has just beamed back with a few casualties and no shuttlecraft survivors. Lieutenant Kelowitz, who led the party, reports back to the captain, describing the same giant creatures encountered by the Galileo crew. By his account, Ensign O'Neill "got a spear through the body before we even knew they were around."  Lieutenant Immamura survived with severe lacerations and a dislocated shoulder but should be fine. Commissioner Ferris arrives on the bridge and informs the captain that his time has run out. Ferris now assumes command of the ship under the powers granted him by Title 15, Galactic Emergency Procedures. Kirk orders the remaining landing parties to return and calls the Columbus back in, holding out hope that the Galileo might still report in the time it takes for the others to return. With great reluctance, Kirk commands Sulu to set course for Makus III. According to Uhura, the Columbus will be back and docked within 23 minutes. Thus, only 23 minutes remain for the search. On the surface, Scott has just finished draining the last phaser into the ship's power supply and estimates that they have just enough power to maintain orbit for a few hours, and even enough to perform a controlled-burn re-entry. Scotty says that the ship will be ready to take off in eight minutes. Spock then tells McCoy and Boma that they have ten minutes to bury Gaetano, and that he will assist them. The Columbus returns to the Enterprise and docks. The landing parties have all been beamed aboard. Kirk is left without any further excuses for delay. Therefore, the Enterprise begins the trip to Makus III at "space-normal speed", and Kirk, not ready to give up hope for the Galileo crew, orders full reverse sensor scans, beams directed aft. On Taurus II, the funeral ceremony is interrupted by flying spears. McCoy, Boma, and Spock are attacked by the Taureans again, and race back to the ship. After throwing one of the spears back at the assailants in order to buy more time for the others, Spock turns and makes for the ship as well. But after just a few steps, a large rock is hurled at him and traps him against a rock face. He tells the others to take off without him, but they disregard the command and roll the heavy boulder off of him so that he can return. The three make it back to the shuttlecraft, but the extra time taken to free Spock allowed the Taureans to gather around the ship and physically hold it down to prevent it from taking off. After firing the boosters they are able to break free and take off. Unfortunately, once they attain orbit, they come to the realization that without the boosters, they will not be able to make a soft landing, and if they are not rescued, will face a burn-up in the atmosphere upon re-entry. Spock grimly reminds his party that thanks to Boma and McCoy trying to save him, they will have ruined their slim chance for survival. At this point, Scott reminds Spock of his earlier comment that "there are always alternatives." Spock, in an act that surprises the others, acknowledges that he "may have been mistaken." When they achieve orbital altitude, while chasing the Enterprise, Scott estimates they have enough fuel to maintain it for 45 minutes. At this point, Spock commits an act of desperation. He jettisons the fuel and ignites it in the hope that the Enterprise might see the flare and come to their rescue. This leaves them just 6 minutes of orbit. The Galileo crew is shocked, but soon Scott realizes that Spock's action was "like sending up a flare", and offering that it was "a good gamble." Fortunately, the gamble pays off. The flare catches Sulu's watchful eye, whereupon he informs the captain, and they change course 180 degrees to once again attempt a rescue, this time without Ferris noticing. As the Galileo's orbit begins to decay, the five surviving passengers prepare for the inevitable burn-up. Just as the ship is about to incinerate, the Enterprise beams the crew out, alive and well. Upon hearing the good news, an emotional Kirk orders Sulu to resume the course to Makus III at warp factor 1. With Spock and McCoy safe and sound on the bridge, Kirk confronts Spock at his science station about his actions, trying to get Spock to admit that the flare was a purely emotional act. Spock tries to evade the question by framing the action as a logical decision to act in desperation. Kirk puts it to him directly, asking if he is going to admit that it was a purely Human emotional act. "No, sir." replies Spock. Kirk then comments that Spock is a very stubborn man. "Yes, sir." is Spock's response. With the exception of Spock, the bridge crew all has a good long laugh. 
<EOS>
On the surface-based facility of Starbase 11, Commodore Stone is advising Maintenance Section 18 to reschedule their repairs to the USS Intrepid to give the USS Enterprise priority one. Captain Kirk is reading -- for the third time -- a copy of his sworn deposition on the events that led to the death of records officer Benjamin Finney. While waiting for Spock to arrive with an excerpt of the computer log, Kirk explains that he waited until the last possible moment but, with the ship on red alert, the ion storm got worse. Kirk had to eject the ion pod containing Finney, to his death. Spock finally beams down ten minutes late with the computer records, which Stone takes; shortly afterward, Jame Finney enters and names Kirk as "the man who killed my father." She shrieks at him and breaks down into tears. Stone asks Spock to escort the girl out of the room, but then accuses Kirk of committing willful perjury -- the computer records show that Kirk ejected the pod before placing the ship on red alert. Stone orders Kirk to remain on Starbase 11 for an inquiry on whether a general court martial is in order. Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy walk into the M-11 Starbase Club on Starbase 11, and meet up with several members of Kirk's graduating class from the Academy, including Corrigan, Teller, Timothy, and Mike. Several claim to be concerned about how long they are staying, but Kirk realizes they already have made up their minds that he was indeed responsible for Finney's death. As Kirk leaves, Areel Shaw enters, just missing her. Dr. McCoy introduces himself and they find they are both mutual friends of Kirk, McCoy saying of himself, "In these trying times, one of the few." He notes that soon, Kirk will need all the friends he can get. In Commodore Stone's office, Stone begins the inquiry. Kirk starts by describing his relationship with Finney, including the fact that he taught at Starfleet Academy when Kirk was a midshipman, and that his daughter was named after him. But a number of years later, while they both served together on the USS Republic, Kirk says that Finney left a circuit open to the atomic matter piles that should have been closed. Another five minutes and he could have blown up the ship. Kirk closed the switch and logged the incident, and Finney drew a reprimand and was sent to the bottom of the promotion list. Kirk says that Finney believed that Kirk's action delayed Finney's assignment to a starship and ultimately to command. They turn to the ion storm. Kirk says he chose Finney to occupy the ion pod solely because the duty roster said it was Finney's turn. Finney entered the pod just before the Enterprise reached the leading edge of the storm. Kirk signaled yellow alert. Due to "pressure, variant stress, force seven, the works," Kirk signaled red alert. This alerted Finney to exit the pod, and Kirk said he delayed even longer before finally ejecting the pod. Stone reminds Kirk that the logs show he ejected the pod before signaling red alert. Kirk cannot explain that, but says it is next to impossible that the computer is wrong. Commodore Stone stops the recording, and suggests that perhaps stress and time as commanding officer of the Enterprise have worn Kirk down. Stone offers Kirk a report that will lead to a ground assignment if Kirk does admit responsibility. Stone says it would smear the Service if a starship captain were to be court-martialed. However, Kirk is insulted by the idea of covering up the incident: "Sweep this whole thing under the rug and me along with it! Not on your life. I intend to fight!" This decision angers Stone, who says in retort, "Then you draw a general court!" Kirk replies, "Draw it? I demand it. And right now, Commodore Stone; right now!" Kirk meets with his old friend, Lieutenant Areel Shaw, whom he has not seen in "four years, seven months, and an odd number of days," Shaw states. She warns him that he appears to be taking the case very lightly, which he attributes to "the confidence of an innocent man". She says that the prosecution will argue "Kirk vs. the computer", on which basis he would most certainly lose. He asks her to be his attorney, but she protests to being too busy with another case. She recommends Samuel T. Cogley. He asks her how she knows so much about what the prosecution is going to do. She reveals that she is the prosecuting officer and that she will have to do her very best to have him broken out of the service in disgrace. She leaves the bar, abruptly. In Kirk's temporary quarters on Starbase 11, a man has set up shop with hundreds of bound books, which he argues is "where the law is", along with the intent of its writers, not in a computer, which he has but never uses. Kirk declares that the man is either an "obsessive crackpot" or Samuel T. Cogley, Attorney-at-Law. Cogley says Kirk is right on both counts and agrees to take the captain's case. Captain Kirk's court martial begins, with Commodore Stone presiding and with Starfleet Command representative Lindstrom, and starship Captains Krasnovsky and Chandra. Kirk does not object to the personnel, and consents to both the services of Shaw as prosecutor and Stone as judge. After the computer lists the charges and specifications that have been formally proffered against him, Kirk formally pleads not guilty. Lieutenant Shaw calls Spock to the stand. After the computer reads off his service file, Shaw asks Commander Spock how much he knows about computers. Spock says, "I know all about them." Shaw asks Spock if he knows of any malfunction that caused an inaccuracy in the Enterprise computer, and Spock says he does not. "But the computer is inaccurate, nevertheless," he adds. Shaw clarifies that the computer reports that Kirk was reacting to an extreme emergency that did not then exist. Spock says that is impossible based on his knowledge of Kirk, which he insists is not speculation. Spock says that Kirk's characteristics are as predictable as gravity, and do not include panic or malice. Shaw finishes by getting Spock to admit that this is all his opinion. Cogley chooses not to cross-examine him. Lieutenant Shaw then calls the personnel officer of the Enterprise to the stand. She confirms that when Kirk was an ensign on the Republic with Finney, Kirk's log entry cost Finney a promotion. Cogley has no questions for this witness, either. Lieutenant Shaw then calls ship's surgeon Dr. Leonard McCoy to the stand. She claims that he is an expert in space psychology and the mental effects of long-term space travel; as he considers himself no such expert, he concedes in his response, "I know something about it." She then asks McCoy if it was possible that, if Finney hated Kirk, Kirk reciprocated by hating Finney. McCoy is adamant that Kirk is not that kind of a man, but Shaw forces McCoy to admit that it is possible. Again, Cogley does not cross-examine. Commodore Stone questions Cogley's failure to cross-examine any of the prosecution witnesses, but Cogley calls their testimony "preliminary business" and calls Kirk himself to the stand. The computer begins to list Kirk's service record and awards. Shaw tries to halt this, conceding Kirk's "inestimable record," but Cogley insists that the wheels of progress not run over his client, though he relents once a few more honors are recited. Cogley asks Kirk if there was indeed a red alert before the pod was jettisoned, despite what the computers said. Kirk states that there was, and that he would do it again, because his actions were absolutely necessary for the safety of his ship. In cross-examination, Shaw plays the video playback from the bridge of the Enterprise on stardate 2945.7. The footage shows Finney being posted to the pod, and the Enterprise going to yellow alert after encountering the ion storm. Shaw then magnifies a panel on the right side of Kirk's command chair. The video playback shows that Kirk did in fact launch the pod before signaling red alert. A shocked and horrified Kirk insists, his voice a bare whisper as he does, "But that's not the way it happened." Back in Kirk's quarters on the starbase, Cogley suggests that maybe Kirk did have a lapse in memory, and that they can still change their plea. Kirk allows himself a moment of self-doubt, but concludes, "No! I know what I did!" Spock contacts Kirk from the Enterprise, saying that he ran a megalite survey on the computer. Kirk guesses the results: Nothing. Kirk thanks Spock but has no further orders for him, only speculation that Spock will be able to defeat his next commanding officer at chess, and closes the channel. Spock repeats that word thoughtfully and leaves the bridge. Jame Finney enters, asking Cogley to make Kirk change his plea and take a ground assignment. Cogley calls Jame's change of heart unusual, but Jame says she has been reading through old letters to her and her mother, in which Benjamin Finney talked about how close he was to Kirk. Kirk leaves to change into his dress uniform, while Cogley formulates an idea. Back on the Enterprise, Spock is playing a game of three-dimensional chess with the computer in the briefing room. Dr. McCoy walks in and, irritated, calls Spock cold-blooded for playing chess while their captain's career is hanging in the balance. After thanking McCoy for the compliment, Spock adds that he has just won four games in a row against the computer. As Spock had programmed the computer himself, he says the best he should have been able to attain was a draw. The two men immediately prepare to beam down to Starbase 11 with the new information that the program bank has flunked a major test. The court martial is back in session, and both the prosecution and defense both rest their cases. Just then, Spock and McCoy enter and whisper to Cogley and Kirk. Cogley now tells the court that he has new evidence that he cannot tell the court but must show it. Shaw objects that Cogley had rested his case and is now attempting "theatrics". Roused to anger against machines, Cogley enumerates, with passion, a long list of historical precepts which maintain that an accused man has the right to confront the witnesses against him. In this case, the most damning witness is the computer of the Enterprise. Cogley moves, and indeed demands both in his rage and "in the name of a Humanity fading in the shadow of the machine," that the court reconvene aboard the Enterprise lest it elevate the computer above Humanity. In the briefing room, Spock testifies that he has now won five games of chess against the computer, to which he gave a knowledge of the game equal to his own and which, assuming that neither he nor it commits any mistakes, should have led to a best result of successive stalemates; it has not. Spock concludes that someone, either accidentally or deliberately, adjusted its programming and therefore its memory banks. The only people who could have done it are Kirk, Spock himself, and the records officer, who, at the time, was Lieutenant Commander Finney. Cogley turns to Kirk to describe the search for Finney after the storm. Kirk says it was a phase one search, a painstaking effort to find a crewman who may be unable to respond. Cogley notes that it presupposes that the crewman wishes to be found. After all, he explains, when searching for someone it is natural to assume that the someone wants to be found, and is not hiding. Kirk admits, much to Shaw's shock and horror, when Cogley asks him, that it is possible that, on a ship of this size, a man could evade such a search. Cogley declares, "Gentlemen, I submit to you that Lieutenant Commander Ben Finney is not dead!" The court demands an explanation, and Cogley defers to Kirk to conduct an experiment. Kirk orders all but the command crew and the court to beam off the Enterprise to the surface, including Cogley, who says he has an errand of vital importance to the business of this court. The crew leaves, the impulse engines are shut down, and the ship orbits Starbase 11 by momentum, though Kirk assures the court they will be finished long before the Enterprise's orbit starts to decay. Spock uses the ship's auditory sensors to amplify the heartbeats of all aboard, and McCoy uses a white-sound device to mask the heartbeats of all aboard the bridge. After masking the crewman in the transporter room, a single heartbeat is still heard, coming from the B-Deck, in or near engineering. Kirk orders that area sealed and goes down with a phaser to find Finney. The Enterprise's orbit begins to decay. In main engineering, Kirk encounters a crazed Ben Finney, who explains that Kirk and Starfleet conspired to rob him of his own command. He aims a phaser at Kirk, but says that Kirk's death would mean too little to the captain, losing his ship would be far worse. Finney has also tapped out the primary energy circuits and intends to destroy the ship. Kirk tries to reason with Finney, but they begin fighting in main engineering. Spock tells members of the court that time is running out to beam back to the planet, but Stone regards Finney as a witness that the court should finish hearing. However, Sam Cogley's errand on the planet was to bring Jame aboard. Kirk asks Ben Finney whether he also intends to kill his daughter, and gets the upper hand. Beaten and sobbing, Finney tells Kirk where he tampered with the controls. Kirk begins attempting repairs in a Jefferies tube. On the bridge, Lieutenant Uhura takes the navigation console as power returns. Lieutenant Hansen is able to have the Enterprise's orbit stabilized and Stone rules that the court is dismissed, to which Shaw has absolutely no objection. As the Enterprise prepares to depart, Shaw delivers a gift from Cogley to Kirk on the bridge: a book. Cogley himself is busy, now representing Finney in his own trial. Kirk wishes Shaw better luck next time, but Shaw counters that she had pretty good luck in losing the current case. Shaw kisses Kirk goodbye and leaves. Kirk returns to his chair with Spock and McCoy flanking him. "She's a very good lawyer," Kirk says. "Obviously," Spock replies. "Indeed she is," McCoy adds. The Enterprise departs Starbase 11 and continues its mission. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise arrives at Starbase 11 after a subspace message asks it to divert there. When Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy beam down, they are puzzled when Crewman Piper, assistant to the base's commander, Commodore Jose Mendez, tells Kirk the base sent no such message. Kirk insists that Spock received the urgent request from the former commander of the Enterprise, Fleet Captain Pike. Mendez is surprised that Kirk does not know the news about Captain Pike and leads them to the medical section, explaining that, during an inspection tour of a cadet vessel, one of the baffle plates ruptured. Pike removed the cadets who were still alive, severely exposing himself to delta rays. Now, confined to a wheelchair, Pike is disfigured and cannot speak, though his mind is unimpaired. His sole means of communication is a flashing light with an accompanying beep: once for yes, twice for no. Spock requests a moment alone with his former commanding officer, and says cryptically to him, "You know why I have come. I know it is treachery and it is mutiny, but I must do this." Pike can do nothing but repeatedly beep "No." In Mendez's office, Kirk continues to defend Spock's claim that the starbase summoned the Enterprise. Mendez shows Kirk the record tapes, which show no such transmissions, and emphasizes that the paralyzed Pike could not have made the call -- which was heard only by Spock. Kirk says that if Spock wanted to see Pike, Kirk would have granted him shore leave; moreover, there is no trouble in that sector of space that would have induced aliens to divert the starship as a ruse. Mendez calls the computer center, where Chief Humbolt confirms he has checked and rechecked the data tapes, and the starbase could have sent no message without his knowledge. Humbolt leaves the lab and Spock slips in and begins operating a computer to create a voice transmission to the Enterprise. Mendez's aide, Miss Piper, enters his office with a report that again denies summoning the starship. She mentions Spock's years of service under Pike, and indications of Spock's extreme loyalty to Pike. Kirk defends Spock, telling Piper that a Vulcan is incapable of disloyalty. But Piper and Mendez insist that Pike, under constant observation, could not have even asked for that message to be sent. On board the Enterprise, Lieutenant Uhura receives a message from starbase operations with new orders -- secret, scrambled, and to be fed directly into the ship's computers. Lieutenant Hansen orders Uhura to request confirmation. Back on the starbase, as Uhura calls for confirmation, Humbolt walks in on Spock and notices Spock's alterations to the computer. Humbolt tries to wrestle and punch Spock away from the computer terminal, but Spock nerve-pinches Humbolt into unconsciousness. Uhura then tries to call Kirk, but Spock has now prepared a tape of Kirk's voice, confirming the new orders and directing any questions to Spock. Spock then activates an intercom and tells Hansen the ship's computers will handle the helm, and forbids Hansen from discussing the orders with ship or starbase personnel. Later, Kirk and McCoy watch Pike on a monitor, still blinking "no" to an unknown question. Kirk and McCoy discuss Pike's condition, the frustrating limitations on the art of medicine, the futility of solving the mystery through Pike, and the unimaginable possibility that Spock is lying, despite the fact that Vulcans are capable of exaggerating. McCoy then receives a message from Starbase Transporter Control, claiming a medical emergency aboard the Enterprise but providing no details. McCoy grudgingly returns to the ship. Mendez shows Kirk a report on the planet Talos IV marked, "for eyes of Starfleet Command only."  The report is the basis of the well-known General Order 7: "No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV," the only capital offense left on the books, for reasons known only to top fleet command. But the report does mention that the Enterprise was the only Starfleet vessel to have visited Talos IV -- while commanded by Captain Christopher Pike with a half-Vulcan science officer named Spock. While discussing the situation, Miss Piper notices that Captain Pike has disappeared from his room on a monitor. Mendez contacts Starbase Operations and is told that the Enterprise is leaving orbit and refuses to acknowledge their signal. The Enterprise departs from Starbase 11, completely under computer control. Uhura receives a communication signal but Spock tells her not to reply. He announces to the crew that Captain Kirk has been given medical rest leave and that he is assuming command. McCoy hears this upon entering the bridge and asks who made the diagnosis and who called a medical emergency. Spock takes McCoy to a guest quarters, containing Captain Pike, and plays a tape with the voice of Kirk, telling McCoy not to disturb Pike with questions but to follow Spock's instructions to the letter and to take care of him. During the recording, Pike again blinks "no" continually. When Spock returns to the bridge, Hansen tells him that a shuttlecraft is approaching, but Spock says they will not make contact. Aboard the shuttlecraft Picasso, Kirk and Mendez try to raise the ship and Kirk gets angry when the Enterprise doesn't respond, as the shuttle has already traveled too far to return to Starbase 11. The shuttle's fuel runs out and it continues coasting forward. Kirk and Mendez contemplate the consequences for Spock and his inexplicable actions. Aboard the Enterprise, Spock directs the library computer to execute pre-loaded instructions. The ship reverses engine power and comes to a full stop. Spock summons an armed security team to the bridge, orders the transporter room to beam Captain Kirk aboard, and places Lieutenant Hansen in command. Spock presents himself to McCoy arrest on a charge of mutiny -- the orders for Spock to take command of the Enterprise were false. The security team arrives and McCoy reluctantly confines Spock to quarters. Kirk and Mendez beam aboard, and Hansen transfers command of the Enterprise to Kirk and explains the situation. The engines restart, but the computer retains control and defies Kirk's direct order to disengage. The computer controls are tied in to the ship's life support systems and cannot be disengaged until the ship reaches Talos IV. As the Enterprise continues toward Talos IV, arrangements are made for a hearing. But Spock waives his right to the hearing and requests an immediate court martial. Kirk denies his request because, of the three required command-grade officers, there are only Kirk and Mendez on board. But Spock points out that Captain Pike is still on the active duty list. Mendez confirms this: "We didn't have the heart to retire him, Jim. He's got you; whatever he's up to, he's planned it well." The court martial convenes, with Mendez presiding. He reminds Spock that, if the Enterprise enters the Talos star group, a further charge involving the death penalty will be held against him, a fact of which Spock confirms he is aware. Mendez asks Spock what purpose it serves to go to Talos, and with Captain Pike, given the severity of the penalty. Spock asks if Mendez's comments are part of the record. Mendez says they are, and Spock then says he can only explain with the use of the viewscreen in the briefing room. Mendez's query has opened the door for any evidence Spock wishes to present, which Kirk believes is what Spock had in mind. Scott activates the viewscreen. On the screen, the panel views the voyage of the Enterprise to Talos IV under the command of Pike, thirteen years prior. The astonishing video record is much more detailed than were log entries in those days. Questioned by Kirk, Pike signals "yes," that it is he in the video, but "no," that such records were not made during the voyage. Spock will not explain how the video was produced, but reminds Mendez that viewing the video is necessary to answer the question Mendez asked him. Mendez says the court isn't obliged to view evidence without knowing the source, but Kirk insists on seeing more of it. Later, Mendez interrupts the presentation again to remind Spock they are in a court of space law and not a theater. Spock asks Pike if they are witnessing the actual events of thirteen years previous. Pike beeps "yes."  Spock then offers to release control of the ship if, after watching the complete transmission, the court still wishes to turn back. Mendez calls the situation ridiculous and says it has gone far enough. Kirk votes instead to continue and hear the full story. Mendez votes not to continue and declares a deadlock, but Kirk points out that there is still one member of the trial board to hear from. With that, Mendez asks Pike if the trial should continue. Pike beeps "yes." On the viewscreen, the visit of Captain Pike and the Enterprise to Talos IV continues. Uhura interrupts the trial with a message from Starfleet informing Commodore Mendez that Starfleet's subspace monitors show the Enterprise has been receiving transmissions from Talos IV in violation of Starfleet general orders. Spock confirms that the video presentation is coming from Talos IV. Starfleet relieves Kirk of command, and orders Mendez to assume command of the Enterprise, disabling it if necessary to prevent further contact. Mendez tells Spock that his contact with Talos IV has invited the death penalty: Spock has not only doomed himself but ended Captain Kirk's career as well. Spock protests that Kirk knew nothing about what was happening, but Mendez reminds Spock that a captain is responsible for everything that happens aboard his ship. Mendez then orders Spock to release the ship to manual control, and Spock respectfully declines. Mendez declares the court in recess. As everyone leaves, Kirk confronts Spock, asking him if he has lost his mind. Spock pleads with Kirk that, for his career and Captain Pike's life, he must see the rest of the transmission. Kirk orders the security guard to lock Spock up, and remains in the briefing room alone to contemplate the situation. 
<EOS>
Captain Kirk, in his personal log ponders the events of the past day. Spock is facing a court martial aboard the USS Enterprise on multiple charges: Mutiny; kidnapping his former commanding officer, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, mutilated by a recent space disaster and unable to speak; and locking the Enterprise on course for the planet Talos IV, for which the penalty is death. Spock has pled guilty to all the charges. However, when the presiding officer, Commodore Mendez, asks Spock about his motive, it gives Spock a legal opening to present his evidence:  mysterious but authentic video from thirteen years before, as the Enterprise, commanded by Captain Pike, became the only starship ever to visit Talos. The recap concludes with the revelation that the video presentation is itself being transmitted from Talos. The court martial reconvenes, this time in closed session. Mendez reminds Spock that Starfleet has ordered no contact with Talos IV, with no exceptions. Spock says that the Talosian Keeper has taken over control of their viewscreen. The presentation resumes as Captain Pike had been knocked unconscious and captured by the Talosians. The Talosians make Pike relive the deadly battle on Rigel VII with the Kalar two weeks earlier in a deserted fortress. But Pike deduces that he is still in the cell, which Spock calls a "brilliant deduction." Later, the viewscreen shuts off. Pike's head has slumped over, and Spock says the Talosians know that Pike is fatigued, so they have ceased transmitting the image. As Kirk remarks that the Talosians must care for Pike, Spock confirms that the Talosians want him back, alive. Mendez demands an explanation, but Spock insists that they will understand only after they reach Talos and watch the rest of the video transmission from the Talosians. The court martial and the viewscreen presentation resume. The Talosians continue to show Pike a spacewreck survivor from the SS Columbia named Vina, in various guises, to induce Pike to breed, but he is only interested in learning from her the parameters of the illusions and of his imprisonment. Here she appears as a green-skinned Orion slave girl. Mendez mentions that the seductive women are said to be irresistible. The viewscreen presentation continues: The Talosians beam down Number One and Yeoman Colt to give Pike a choice of mates, but their laser pistols do not work. Pike deduces that this too is an illusion and uses a weapon to threaten the Talosian Keeper and win their way to the planet's surface. The presentation is interrupted again and the Talosians seem to have abandoned Spock. Mendez demands that the court-martial panel of three captains reach a verdict. Spock asks Pike to wait to reach Talos, telling him that he will have a chance for life, but Kirk likens it to life as a zoo specimen or amusement. Pike, Mendez, and finally, Kirk vote that Spock is guilty of mutiny, as charged. Lieutenant Hansen reports from the bridge to Mendez that the Enterprise has entered orbit around Talos IV. Spock tells the court that Talos controls the Enterprise, just as it did on her previous encounter, and that Mendez's inquiry into Spock's motives will now be answered. The Talosians had abandoned their effort to capture and breed Humans as servants when Captain Pike and the others threatened to destroy themselves using a forced chamber explosion with Number One's laser pistol, a decision the atrophied Talosians had claimed condemned them to eventual death. Vina had declined rescue by the Enterprise, for a reason made evident at the end of the Talosians' presentation: the Talosians show Vina to be horribly disfigured, though their mastery of projecting illusions lets her live a normal life. Spock's purpose in bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to enable Pike to live out the rest of his days in the same fashion; the Talosians are willing to "free" him from his wheelchair. The basis of General Order 7, the capital crime forbidding contact with Talos IV, is also evident now: to keep Humans from learning the Talosians' power of illusion which would lead to their own destruction. Kirk then addresses Mendez, but Mendez suddenly disappears. The Talosian Keeper explains that Mendez's presence on board the Enterprise and on the Starbase 11 shuttlecraft with Kirk was merely an illusion. Spock and the Talosians orchestrated events to keep the crew from regaining control of the ship too quickly. Kirk challenges Spock, saying that despite the harsh regulations, Spock could have come to him for help; alluding to Kirk's willingness to help his friend, no matter what. Spock admits the reason he did not simply reveal his plan to Kirk was that he did not want to run the risk of subjecting anyone else but himself to the death penalty. The real Commodore Mendez, still at Starbase 11, sends a message that he too has received the Talosians' presentation. Uhura reports to Kirk that he has suspended General Order 7 for this occasion and directs Kirk to proceed as he thinks best. Pike signals that he will remain on Talos. Kirk needles Spock for a disturbing tendency toward flagrant emotionalism. Spock regards this as an insult and insists that his actions have been completely logical. On the Enterprise briefing room viewscreen, the Talosian Magistrate shows Kirk the healthy Pike and Vina walking hand-in-hand. 
<EOS>
The crew of the USS Enterprise has been through a grueling three months. Captain Kirk is tired and has a sore back while sitting in his command chair on the bridge. Yeoman Barrows attempts to alleviate his condition, but Kirk, mistaking her for Spock, responds positively to her ministrations. Upon realizing the identity of his "massage therapist", he becomes embarrassed, prompting her to cease. After Barrows suggests he take a rest and also with some prompting from Spock, Kirk reluctantly agrees. He leaves the bridge and hands command over to Spock. Just before leaving, he has Lieutenant Uhura have Dr. Leonard McCoy's communications channeled to his quarters, so he can hear the doctor's report on the planet below. Meanwhile, on the planet the Enterprise is orbiting, McCoy and Sulu are part of a landing party sent there to investigate it. McCoy finds the planet's lush green surface to be similar to "something out of Alice in Wonderland." When Sulu leaves the doctor to go investigate the planet's various cell structures, McCoy then sees a giant white rabbit and, following it, a little girl with blonde hair and an English accent asking if he's seen a rabbit. McCoy yells for Sulu, who is busy cataloging the planet's flora. The helmsman asks the doctor what is wrong but McCoy stares ahead at the hedge where the girl and the rabbit disappeared into, speechless and in disbelief. In Kirk's quarters, Yeoman Barrows notes on her PADD that she does not see the captain's name on any of the scheduled shore parties. Kirk replies that while he may be tired, he is not falling apart and does not require shore leave. He dismisses her and Spock arrives. Kirk notes to his first officer that they are beaming down the crew located at the Enterprise's starboard section first. Kirk asks Spock which party he will be joining but the Vulcan says he will not, as on his homeworld, "to rest is to rest; to cease using energy" and sees no point in expending energy rather than storing it. McCoy contacts the Enterprise through his communicator and Uhura has him patched into Kirk's quarters. The doctor tells Kirk that the Enterprise's scanners and detectors have somehow malfunctioned or he must report himself unfit for duty. When Kirk asks for an explanation, McCoy tells the captain of his sight of a large rabbit with waistcoat and pocket watch. The captain is humored by McCoy's tale, and asks if the rabbit was followed by a little blonde girl, which McCoy confirms. Kirk supposes that the doctor is trying to lure him down to the planet under the guise of a mystery. Spock tells Kirk that he has picked up a medical log from Dr. McCoy on an Enterprise crewman. The crewman is showing signs of stress and fatigue and his reaction time is down nine to twelve percent. The officer is also becoming irritable and quarrelsome, and refuses to rest and relax. The captain, concerned about the safety of his ship, demands that this crewman go ashore on his orders and asks Spock for the officer's name. "James Kirk", he tells the captain. The Vulcan tells his chagrined commanding officer to enjoy himself, as the planet is "very much like your Earth. Scouts have detected no animals, artifacts, or force fields of any kind. Only peace, sunshine, and good air. You'll have no problems." Meanwhile, on the planet, a revolver is revealed under a rock. Lieutenant Rodriguez is conducting a scan with his tricorder while Crewman Martine observes a leaf on a tree. Rodriguez is eager to get their reports done before the captain asks for it, though Martine cannot understand why Rodriguez wants to do work instead of enjoying the loveliness of the planet. Just then, Kirk and Barrows materialize near them. Kirk tells them to finish up their scans and to go enjoy themselves. He and Barrows walk around, enjoying how lovely and restful the planet appears to be when they find McCoy. McCoy shows them rabbit tracks, indisputable evidence that he "saw what I saw." Kirk, suspicious about this evidence, contacts the Enterprise and orders Uhura to cancel all shore leave for the crew until further notice. Kirk will not beam any of his crew down until the situation is proven harmless. Just then, Kirk, McCoy, and Barrows hear what sounds like gunshots. Kirk draws his phaser from his holster and runs towards the source of the loud sound with McCoy and Barrows running just behind him. They find Lieutenant Sulu firing a pistol. Kirk asks his helmsman just what he thinks he is doing. Sulu excitedly tells Kirk that he found an old .38 police special, a pistol he has always wanted in his collection of old Earth firearms. Kirk confiscates the pistol from Sulu, figuring the planet has made him "trigger happy." Barrows notes more footprints from McCoy's rabbit nearby. Kirk recalls that the ship's sensors could find no animal life, which McCoy confirms, noting their instruments couldn't have been that off. Kirk orders Barrows and Sulu to investigate the tracks while he and McCoy head back to the glade. When the officers separate, McCoy and Kirk do not realize they are being scanned by a strange metal antenna-like device. Kirk tells his chief medical officer that this is turning out to be a "very unusual shore leave." McCoy jokingly tells the captain it could be worse; Kirk could have saw the rabbit instead of him. When Kirk suggests McCoy is developing a persecution complex because of this incident, McCoy admits that he is feeling like he is being picked on. At this, Kirk recalls being the victim of multiple practical jokes from a cadet at the Academy named Finnegan. Kirk recalls being quite grim during his years at the Academy, something which delighted Finnegan, an upperclassman, to no end. Kirk remembers Finnegan as someone who would leave "a bowl of cold soup in your bed or a bucket of water propped on a half-opened door. You never know where he'd strike next." Kirk sees more tracks in front of them, as well as a girl's footprints. Kirk has McCoy follow the rabbit and he decides to backtrack the girl. Kirk follows the tracks and to his great surprise, finds his old Academy nemesis Finnegan, appear seemingly out of nowhere. Kirk is in disbelief that Finnegan, appearing as he did at the Academy, fifteen years prior, is there. "You never know when I'm going to strike, huh Jim? How's this?!" Finnegan punches Kirk in the face and the captain clenches his jaw in pain. Finnegan taunts him on, telling him to lay one on him, as it is what Kirk has always wanted. Kirk smiles at this and begins to wrestle with Finnegan when he hears Yeoman Barrows screaming in the distance. He leaves Finnegan to find Barrows with McCoy running beside him. They find Barrows sobbing and her Starfleet uniform is torn and tattered. After getting herself together, Barrows says that her attacker wore a cloak and had a dagger with jewels on it. McCoy says that it sounds like it was Don Juan. Barrows recalls that she was thinking just before she was attacked that all a girl needs is Don Juan, during her daydream about the storybook-like setting of the planet. Kirk asks where Sulu is and Barrows says that he went chasing after her attacker. Kirk has McCoy stay with Barrows and goes after him. Kirk is observed again by the metal tracking device while looking for Sulu. Kirk runs across the planet's rocky terrain looking for his helmsman when he comes across some flowers and he is reminded about someone or something. Just then, a beautiful woman in a dress comes toward him. "Ruth? Ruth!", Kirk says. The woman tells him that she is, indeed, who he thinks she is. She kisses him on the cheek. While sitting with Ruth, Kirk tries to contact McCoy on his communicator but cannot reach him. He is distracted by Ruth's presence and wonders how it can possibly be her and how she has not appeared to age, since the last time he saw her was fifteen years prior. "It doesn't matter. None of that matters", she says. Kirk's communicator beeps; it is McCoy. The doctor asks if he has found Sulu but Kirk says he has not, in halting responses, intoxicated by Ruth's presence and beauty. In a mellow, distracted voice, Kirk tells his medical officer that he is sure Sulu is all right, and McCoy asks if he is all right. Kirk says he is and disables the communication. Lieutenant Rodriguez's channel comes in and he reports to the captain that he saw a whole flock of birds flying, when the sensors say that there is definitely no lifeforms on the planet and their surveys could not have been that wrong. Kirk is awakened from his daze by this and has Rodriguez rendezvous with the search parties at the glade. Kirk reluctantly leaves Ruth. "Do what you have to do and I'll be waiting", she says before disappearing. Spock calls from the Enterprise. He has detected an energy field on the surface of the planet -- one that is draining the Enterprise's power and interfering with communications. The patterns are consistent with industrial activity, the first officer suggests, perhaps subterranean. Kirk asks to be kept posted, tells Spock they will continue their investigation down on the planet, and ends the communication. He continues his search for Sulu. Meanwhile, McCoy and Barrows are walking together through the foliage. She is feeling better from her earlier ordeal but would not want to be alone here. She thinks that a girl in a place like this should be dressed like a fairy tale princess with a tall hat with a veil. McCoy tells her she would then have whole armies of Don Juans to fight off -- and flirtatiously himself, as well. The look into each other's eyes and hold hands. Just then, Barrows spots the princess dress she just fantasized about, to the surprise of McCoy. Encouraged by the doctor, she begins to change into the dress behind a bush -- and tells the good doctor not to peek. Just then, McCoy is contacted by Rodriguez but his channel begins to degrade into static. Meanwhile, Rodriguez and Martine are holding tightly onto each other and leaning into a tree as a very dangerous thing has appeared near them: a tiger. Rodriguez slowly moves his communicator to his mouth to contact McCoy for help but cannot reach him. They stand frozen in fear. Meanwhile, Kirk orders his science officer to come up with an answer for everything that has happened, citing McCoy's Alice in Wonderland vision, Sulu's gun, Rodriguez' birds and the two people that captain just saw. Kirk discounts Spock's suggestion that they are merely hallucinations, as Kirk still feels the impact of Finnegan's fist into his jaw. Spock notes that there must be a logical explanation for all of this. Kirk's communicator signal is weak, despite being on maximum gain. Spock asks if he should send down a contingent of security officers but Kirk says that the landing party is armed with phasers and is currently in no real danger yet. Kirk then looks up and sees the birds Rodriguez saw. Elsewhere, Sulu is suddenly under attack by a samurai warrior. He aims his phaser and fires at the samurai but it emits no beam. He tries again but it still does not fire. He dodges the samurai's sword and runs away. While frantically trying to get away from the samurai, Sulu runs into Kirk, breathlessly warning the captain about the samurai behind him, although no samurai appears. Kirk and Sulu note that their communicators and phasers are inoperative and the captain suggests they make their way back to the glade. Just then, Sulu notes a beam down nearby -- someone is trying to materialize from the Enterprise's bridge to the planet surface, but something is obstructing it. It is revealed to be Spock. After fully materializing, Spock remarks that he will be the last to be beamed down; the transporter is now also inoperative. Notwithstanding Kirk's order that nobody else beam down, Spock concluded that with communication out, it was necessary for him to discuss his findings with the captain. The planetary field soaks up energy at the source. They are stranded on the planet until they can ultimately figure out what is going on. A tiger makes its way near to them and Kirk orders Sulu and Spock to spread out to find the source of the energy. Kirk had instructed the landing party to rendezvous at the beam-down point at the glade; there, McCoy encounters a black knight. Convinced it cannot harm him, as it is not real, he stands his ground -- and takes a lance right through the chest. Barrows screams and Kirk shoots the knight with the .38 police special gun since his phaser did not work, knocking the knight off his horse. Kirk and Spock run to McCoy. They look at each other grim faced, finding their friend dead. The landing party are stunned by McCoy's death, Barrows in particular, sobbing and hysterical, and blaming herself. Kirk brings her to her feet and tells her he needs every crewman "alert and thinking" so they can be prepared for anything. She does her best to calm down and remain focused. Meanwhile, Sulu calls for Kirk to come over to the body of the black knight. His face is clearly unreal. Spock performs an analysis with Sulu's tricorder and finds that the knight is definitely a mechanical construct and it has the same basic cell structure as the plants, trees, and grass on the planet. Elsewhere, Rodriguez and Martine spot an Japanese aircraft flying through the air, to Rodriguez' amazement. Martine asks if it can hurt them but Rodriguez assures her it can't so long as it doesn't perform a strafing run on them. Unfortunately, no sooner said than done; the aircraft gets closer, and closer and closer. Rodriguez realizes that his words were prophetic, and tells Martine to run and the ground is hit as they flee from rapid machine gun fire. Rodriguez makes it to safety but Martine falls unconscious, apparently hit. Just as Kirk, Sulu, Spock, and Barrows are distracted by the Japanese aircraft flying through the air, McCoy's body disappears, along with the black knight shortly thereafter. Spock then comes to the conclusion that these artifacts can be just as real as they are deadly. Just as the Vulcan asks Kirk what was he thinking at the time, Finnegan reappears. Kirk goes after him personally wanting to find out what has been happening to his people. Kirk chases after Finnegan and orders Spock to join with Sulu and find McCoy's body. After a long run to intercept Finnegan, Kirk is jumped by him and they get into a fight. "I've got the edge. I'm still twenty years old. Look at you! Heh, you're an old man!", Finnegan says. Kirk attacks him, punching him a few times until he falls on his back. When Kirk now has the best of Finnegan, the former cadet fakes a back injury, and Kirk tries to help him up. Finnegan then flips Kirk over, knocking the captain out. "Sleep, sweet Jimmy boy. Sleep as long as you like. Sleep forever, Jim baby. Forever and ever", Finnegan laughs while Kirk lies unconscious, his uniform ripped. When Kirk awakens, he's no closer to the answers he wants, although Finnegan's comment -- "I'm bein' exactly what'ya expect me t'be, Jimmie-boy" might be a clue. But beating the tar out of Finnegan one last time makes up for a lot of past miseries at the Academy, a fact that Spock finds enlightening after finding Kirk. He and Kirk realize the truth: all of the artifacts are representations of someone's wish fulfillment fantasy. Outrunning the tiger and making it past the samurai, they gather the landing party at the glade. Kirk instructs them to remain at attention, and not to think of anything. An elderly man appears; this caretaker confirms the guess: his people constructed this planet as a playground. Anything one can think of can be manufactured -- and none of it is permanent. Sulu wonders how a race can be so advanced as the caretaker's people are and yet still have the need to play. To Kirk, it makes perfect sense: "The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play." When Kirk mentions the death of his friend, McCoy reappears, alive and well, and as a bonus has a chorus girl from a cabaret on Rigel II he once visited on each arm. Barrows promptly reclaims McCoy, and the chorus girls find other members of the crew, such as Sulu and Spock, to sidle up to. The caretaker offers the use of the Shore Leave Planet to the crew while cautioning them to take care what they summon. He will not comment on his species or their home planet, saying enigmatically that he believes the Enterprise crew are not yet ready to understand his people. Kirk plans to beam down shore parties for the best shore leave they've ever had. He prepares to have himself beamed back to the ship and then Ruth reappears, changing his mind. 
<EOS>
En route to the Beta VI colony, the USS Enterprise must pass through a void, or "star desert" -- a region of space where solar systems are not common, roughly 900 light years from Earth. While there, they discover a rogue planet comprised primarily of iron-silica. Sulu prepares to steer around it when he suddenly vanishes. Seconds later, Captain Kirk also disappears. Being informed of this by navigator DeSalle, Spock orders all reverse power. Spock and the crew of the Enterprise conduct a sensor sweep of where Kirk and Sulu could be. The bridge crew conclude, since they can find absolutely no trace of them on the Enterprise, that their two missing officers have to be on the planet even though it is extremely inhospitable. Despite this, it appears to host some form of life and someone transmits a clear, if somewhat archaic, greeting. "Hip-hip hoorah. And, I believe, it is pronounced "Tally-ho".", Spock reads. Spock orders a beam down, and a landing party consisting of DeSalle, Jaeger, and Dr. McCoy discover a zone of Earth-like conditions, and within it, a large fortified manor. Inside is a collection of bizarre artifacts and decorations -- and the frozen forms of Kirk and Sulu. "They're like waxworks figures", McCoy notes. Almost as soon as the missing officers are discovered, the door slams shut, and a harpsichord begins to play; seated there is a foppish figure in a blue coat and ruffled shirt. He introduces himself as General Trelane, the Squire of Gothos. Trelane is friendly enough at first, but does not hesitate to make it clear that he is in firm control of the situation. When Kirk demands to Trelane that they are to leave immediately and go back to the Enterprise, Trelane transports him to the outside of his castle, which is filled with toxic gas, as a demonstration of his "authority". When Trelane returns Kirk to his home a few seconds later, the captain is choking and coughing. Trelane makes it quite clear that the landing party is not leaving. "Now, you will behave yourselves hereafter, won't you? Or I shall be very, very angry", Trelane threatens. On the Enterprise, Spock has Scott beam up everything that is considered a life form within the life-supporting zone the planet. In Trelane's castle, McCoy informs Kirk that he is receiving a transporter signal through his communicator. The landing party is about to be beamed up to the ship. Trelane, furious that his "guests" are departing, shouts to Kirk, "Wait, I won't have this! I haven't dismissed you yet! Stop! I won't have this!" Back aboard the Enterprise, an escape attempt is then underway. However, this only lasts a few brief moments before Trelane appears on the bridge. He immediately develops a dislike for Spock, since Kirk announced Trelane's "party" was over thanks to Spock prior to being beamed up. "I have a perfectly enchanting sojourn on Gothos planned for all of you", he states. Suddenly, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, DeSalle, Jaeger, Sulu, and Yeoman Ross find themselves in Trelane's drawing room, with a large dining table set up. DeSalle tries to attack Trelane but is frozen. After Kirk demands Trelane release him, he does. "We haven't even got our phasers", Sulu quietly reminds the navigator. Several mistakes and incongruities, including a fire without heat and food and brandy without taste, convince Kirk that Trelane is not omnipotent and knows only the forms of Human society, not the substance, and further lead him to conclude that some agency is assisting Trelane -- a machine of some type. While Trelane flirts with Yeoman Ross, Kirk has had enough and is fairly sure that Trelane's mirror is his source of power, the captain challenges him to a duel. "And captain, I never miss", Trelane tells Kirk while aiming his pistol at the captain's head. During the duel, Trelane fires his gun into the ceiling and invites Kirk to shoot at him. "And now, captain, my fate is in your hands." Kirk takes aim at Trelane and instead shoots the large mirror behind Trelane. Kirk's guess is right; intricate machinery behind the mirror is destroyed, and much of Trelane's creation collapses, enabling the landing party to escape and flee Gothos. Trelane is enraged. "Go back! Go back to your ship, all of you! And prepare, you're all dead men. You especially, captain." Trelane goes toward his mirror and disappears. Kirk flips open his communicator and contacts the Enterprise to beam all of them up. The respite is brief. The Enterprise flees in the direction of Beta VI, but Trelane reveals that his power is more extensive than yet displayed as the planet Gothos appears directly in the path of the ship. Kirk immediately orders Sulu to turn the Enterprise hard to port to avoid a collision. Kirk wonders if the Enterprise has been going in circles, but Sulu's instruments show that they're on course for Beta VI. Gothos appears in front of the ship again and Sulu executes a hard turn to starboard this time to avoid the collision again. Spock compares their situation as a "cat and mouse game" with Kirk lamenting that they're the mouse. Gothos appears in front of them again but this time Trelane becomes wise to their tactics and continuously moves the planet in front of the Enterprise no matter which way she turns. Finally, Kirk realizes he must confront Trelane and orders the Enterprise to accelerate into orbit so he can beam down, but before he can, Trelane snatches the captain down to the surface and into his kangaroo court where a bewigged Trelane has established himself as a judge, and this time, his instrumentality is unbreakable. Trelane plans to execute Kirk for the crime of opposing him. "You will hang by the neck captain, until you are dead, dead, dead!" But it is all too easy for the powerful alien. "That's your problem, Trelane. Everything is easy. It's given you a bad habit. You not aware of it but you have it," Kirk tells him. "Eh?", Trelane asks. Seizing on this, Kirk suggests Trelane needs a challenge, and offers to provide one, suggesting a hunt. Trelane is delighted at the prospect and readily agrees. Trelane hunts Kirk for a time, and soon enough captures him. As Kirk is about to be killed, he calls Trelane's bluff, breaks his sword, and starts to scold him, like he would a child. Salvation comes in the form of Trelane's mother and Trelane's father, who appear as disembodied, hovering glowing green lights. It seems that Trelane is essentially a naughty child who has overstepped his bounds, especially how he treats his "pets". His parents, telling Trelane that it is "time to come in now", apologize to Kirk, free the Enterprise and take Trelane away to be disciplined. Trelane's parents vanish and Kirk regains contact with the Enterprise. Later, Spock asks Kirk what he should describe Trelane as. Kirk tells him to classify him as a "small boy -- and a very naughty one at that." He tells Spock that Trelane probably engaged in the same "mischievous pranks" the Vulcan did as a young boy. Spock is confused by this classification, so Kirk continues. "Dipping little girls curls in inkwells. Stealing apples from the neighbor's trees. Tying cans on", at which point Spock expresses complete incredulity. "Forgive me, Mr. Spock. I should have known better", Kirk remarks. Spock says he shall be delighted, then raises an eyebrow before returning to his station. The Enterprise then enters orbit of Beta VI. 
<EOS>
Captain Kirk and a landing party -- Spock, Dr. McCoy, O'Herlihy, Kelowitz, and Lang -- beam down to the Federation observation outpost on Cestus III at the invitation of its commander, Commodore Travers who has received quite the reputation for setting a fine table with his personal head chef.  When the Away Team arrive, they discover that the invitation is a ruse and the colony has been destroyed. After the landing party takes cover and Kirk declares full alert, they discover a survivor in the ruins, Lieutenant Harold. Spock quickly locates the presence of other lifeforms nearby, but, no colony survivors. His tricorder reads them as cold-blooded creatures, but definitely not Human. O'Herlihy scouts them out, but is immediately disintegrated by an alien weapon, as the landing party is bombarded by a massive shelling attack. At the same time, the USS Enterprise comes under attack in orbit by an unidentified starship. With her deflector screens up, the Enterprise cannot beam up the landing party. Kirk orders Lieutenant Sulu to return fire with the phaser banks, but, it has little effect as the alien ship has screens up as well. Kirk orders the use of photon torpedoes, but, the torpedoes are ineffective, as the alien is too far away even for visual contact. The captain orders Sulu to take whatever action is necessary to protect the Enterprise, be it leaving orbit or engaging maximum warp. Sulu opts for the former and takes the ship away from Cestus III. Kirk makes his way to the colony's arsenal, avoiding large blasts from the unidentified attackers and retrieves a grenade launcher. Spock and Kelowitz rendezvous with him as the first officer reports that the enemy troops are moving towards their location. Kelowitz reports that Lang has been killed and gives Kirk his best guess as to where they have moved and Kirk launches the grenade in that direction. The tactic proves successful as the aliens begin to decamp back to their vessel, allowing Sulu to return with the Enterprise and retrieve the landing party and quickly set a pursuit course of the attacking ship. In sickbay, Harold tells Kirk and Spock of the attack on the colony. The aliens had knocked out their phasers with their first salvo, leaving the colony defenseless and confirms Kirk's earlier theory that the aliens had faked the message from the colony diverting the Enterprise to Cestus III in an attempt to destroy the Enterprise, the only protection in that part of the Federation. Such a move, a prelude to invasion, suggests the correct course: overtake and destroy the enemy, before he can return to his home base and report. The captain orders the ship to battle stations and to warp 6 to overtake the aliens. "Red alert. I repeat, red alert. This is no drill," Kirk announces to the crew through the Enterprise's intercom. "This is no drill." The aliens, aware that the Enterprise is in pursuit, jumps to warp 6 as well. Kirk orders warp 7 engaged, drawing concern from Spock and chief engineer Scott that a sustained warp 7 speed would be hazardous to the Enterprise's warp engines. Spock argues against destroying the enemy vessel on the basis of respect for sentient life. Kirk disagrees; his opinion is that a crime has been committed and the perpetrators must be punished. Sulu reports that the aliens have moved to warp 7, as well. Kirk, mulling over his options, orders the ship to accelerate to warp 8 and have all weapons departments at battle ready. Closing at warp 8, the Enterprise records a scanning beam from an uncharted solar system at 2466 PM. The alien is not approaching this system; it appears that a third party is "curious" about the Enterprise. The alien abruptly begins to slow, going quickly to sublight speed until finally stopping dead in space. Kirk closes for the kill, but the Enterprise is soon slowed to sublight, as well, stopped dead like the alien with all power to the engines and weapons simply cut off. The architects of this reveal themselves: the Metrons, an advanced race who regard intrusion into their space for the purpose of conflict as entirely unacceptable. They remove Kirk from the Enterprise and the Gorn captain from the alien vessel and deposit both of them on a suitably-prepared world. From there, they will settle their differences, using strength and ingenuity. The winner and his ship will be free to go; the loser and his ship will be destroyed. The Gorn captain is reptilian, large, and very strong -- but quite slow. Kirk is able to evade him initially, but knows he can't evade him indefinitely. He'll have to find a way to defeat an opponent who is far stronger and tougher. The key may lie in a comment the Metron made, that the prepared environment contains elements suitable for fabricating weapons. Attack and evasion continue for some time, with Kirk narrowly evading death at the Gorn's claws. Back on the Enterprise, the crew is unable to restore power to the engines and the weapons and remains immobilized. The Metrons reestablish communications and inform the crew that Kirk is losing the battle. In view of his impending death, they allow the crew to watch what is happening on the viewscreen. The Gorn finally communicates: it proposes that Kirk cease trying to evade him, and promises in exchange to be merciful and quick. Kirk compares this offer to the "mercy" that was shown to the Humans at Cestus III; this enrages the Gorn, who tells Kirk his people regard Cestus III as part of their space. From the Gorn perspective, they were repelling an invading force. Watching from the bridge, McCoy posits that it is perhaps they who are in the wrong. Spock agrees it is possible. As the conflict continues, Kirk remembers an old formula: gunpowder. Using sulfur, coal, potassium nitrate, diamonds, and a bamboo-like plant, Kirk constructs a makeshift cannon. Spock, impressed by the captain's ingenuity, posits that Kirk might be successful if he can complete construction of the cannon before the Gorn closes in for the kill. Moments from a fatal attack, Kirk rips up his own uniform to make a fuse and uses the metallic recording-translating device provided by the Metrons to spark the coal, allowing Kirk to touch off his crude device which incapacitates the Gorn. Kirk has won the contest, but stops short of delivering the fatal stroke to the Gorn captain. He yells out loud to the unseen Metrons that he won't kill him and that they will have to find their entertainment elsewhere. The Gorn suddenly disappears and the Metron appears, expressing surprise: their analysis did not prepare them for Kirk's demonstration of mercy towards his helpless opponent. The Metron informs Kirk that he is 1,500 Earth years old and has returned the Gorn to his ship. The Metron will destroy him for Kirk, if he so chooses. Kirk declines and claims that the Federation and the Gorn can talk their dispute over and perhaps reach an agreement. This also impresses the Metron and theorizes that although Humanity is still half-savage, perhaps in several thousand years it will be civilized enough to be of further interest to the Metrons. Kirk is returned to the Enterprise, where he discovers that the ship has been relocated five hundred parsecs away from the Metron solar system. Talking over the incident with the Gorn captain and the Metrons with Spock, Kirk tells his first officer that "We're a most promising species, Mr. Spock, as far as predators go," when Spock asks what happened after Kirk fired off his cannon. Spock remarks that he frequently had his doubts about that, but Kirk informs him that in a thousand years or so, Humanity will be able to prove it to the Metrons. "A thousand years, captain?," Spock inquires. "Well, that gives us a little time," Kirk replies as the Enterprise heads back to Cestus III. 
<EOS>
In standard orbit around an iron-silica-type uncharted planet, the USS Enterprise prepares to complete its survey, when the starship is violently rocked twice and everything within sensor range suddenly "blinks", almost as if the universe is on the verge of ceasing to exist. And, in the wake of this, a man appears on the surface of the planet, where moments earlier there was no life. Beaming down, Captain Kirk, Spock, and the landing party encounter a man. "You came! Thank the heavens, it's not too late!", he exclaims. Dirty and disheveled, he falls from a rock. The landing party returns to the Enterprise with him, where Kirk learns more news -- the strange phenomenon drained the dilithium crystals almost completely. Still worse, Starfleet Command issues a Code Factor 1 message -- invasion status. The effect experienced by the Enterprise was also experienced everywhere in the galaxy, and far beyond. Starfleet withdraws all nearby ships -- Commodore Barstow informs Kirk that the Enterprise is the bait. In his quarters, Kirk talks to his "guest" -- a man named Lazarus, who is pursuing a "thing," a monster who destroyed his entire civilization. He informs Kirk that he will stop at nothing to destroy it. Beaming back down to the planet, Kirk learns from Spock that there is no other creature here. Spock, accusing Lazarus of lying, states "I fail to comprehend your indignation, sir. I have simply made the logical deduction that you are a liar." Kirk demands the truth -- and the universe turns inside out once again. The same "winking" phenomenon occurs again. And Lazarus, first he has a bandaged forehead, and then he doesn't, and then he does again. Meanwhile, Spock has discovered a source of radiation that is not there -- a "rip" in the universe, where regular physical laws do not apply. The key to locating this source seems to be the dilithium crystals -- a revelation which excites Lazarus, who demands the impossible: that Kirk give him the crystals. The captain refuses, but Lazarus overpowers Lieutenant Charlene Masters as well as an engineering officer and steals two dilithium crystals, nevertheless. In the briefing room, Kirk confronts Lazarus, but he denies it, blaming his monster. And the evidence suggests he isn't the thief, for the crystals are not aboard his ship. In Sick Bay, Kirk confronts Lazarus with his lies, and learns that Lazarus distorted a fact: he is a time traveler. The dead world the Enterprise orbits is the distant future of his destroyed homeworld; the place and time he has traveled to in pursuit of the monster.  At Dr. McCoy's urging, the crew departs Sick Bay to allow Lazarus to rest and recover from his fall. Having relocated to the briefing room to consider all of the known evidence, Kirk and Spock conclude that the strange energy must come from a source outside the universe. A source in another, parallel universe. There are two copies of Lazarus, and they are periodically exchanging places through a kind of door -- and if they ever exist in the same universe at the same time, everything, everywhere, will be annihilated in a cataclysmic matter/antimatter explosion. Meanwhile, the alternative Lazarus creates a diversion by starting a fire in main engineering, steals the ship's energy crystals, then beams down. Kirk pursues. As he attempts to enter Lazarus' spaceship, he vanishes, hurled through the corridor into the other universe. Once there, Kirk meets the other but sane Lazarus-B, and learns the truth. Lazarus-B's people discovered how to pass through the negative magnetic corridor that both connects and protects the two universes. When this happened, Lazarus-A couldn't bear the knowledge that he had a duplicate, and resolved to destroy his opposite. He is mad and doesn't care if this causes the destruction of two universes. Lazarus-B and Kirk realize he must be stopped: if Kirk can force Lazarus-A into the corridor, Lazarus-B can hold him there, and Kirk can destroy his spaceship -- which will also destroy Lazarus-B's spaceship. Access to the corridor will be sealed forever and both universes will be safe, but the men named Lazarus will be at each others' throats for the remainder of eternity. Kirk goes back through the corridor and fights in hand-to-hand combat forcibly throwing Lazarus-A into the "dimensional door." Kirk heads back to the Enterprise, ordering the Lieutenant Leslie to bring the ship's phasers to target the inter-dimensional ship. The two Lazaruses meet once more and fight as phaser beams vaporize the ship, sealing the two for all of eternity, caught together, between universes. Kirk ruminates on the fact that the two Lazarus are going to be at each other's throats for all time and wonders how it would be. Spock reminds Kirk that the universe is now safe. "For you and me. But, what of Lazarus? What of Lazarus?" 
<EOS>
At an Air Force base in 1969, an airman by the name of Webb detects something on his RADAR. At first, his commanding officer believes it to be an enemy aircraft. The signal is over Offutt AFB near Omaha, Nebraska, but the strange part is that it just appeared. It is as if it simply dropped out of the sky. Interested by the strange appearance of this aircraft, Webb's commanding officer orders someone to go up there and take a look. He believes they may have a real UFO on their hands. Outside, a military F-104 fighter is launched. In the sky, the starship USS Enterprise is gliding through the clouds. Except for secondary systems, everything is operational and they are heading on impulse power. Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott brings on auxiliary power from engineering, and Captain James T. Kirk asks to report damage and casualties to First Officer Spock. Kirk asks Uhura to contact Starfleet Control, to advise them of the black star's close proximity to Starbase 9. Casualty reports show nothing more than minor injuries. Scott reports that warp engines are offline, and he is holding them at impulse in orbit over Earth. The breakaway from the star threw the ship to Earth. They are, however, in a low orbit, and Kirk orders Sulu to use impulse to rise to a higher orbit. Sulu reports that the helm is answering but is a little sluggish. Uhura reports that there is no response on any standard Starfleet channels; however, she is getting something on another frequency. A radio broadcast states that the first manned moon shot is to take place on Wednesday. Kirk recalls that the first manned moon shot took place in the late 1960s. Spock concludes that the Enterprise is also in the 1960s, having been thrown backward in time by the black star's whiplash. Uhura reports that she is picking up ground-to-air transmissions. A military craft is approaching the Enterprise, fast. The craft, designated Bluejay 4, is gaining on the UFO. Kirk orders Sulu to gain altitude faster. Bluejay 4 states that the UFO is climbing, and he will go in closer. As he raises altitude, Blackjack states that Bluejay 4 should be close enough for visual contact. Bluejay 4 spots the Enterprise, which is climbing in the sky, amazed at its size. He starts to describe the UFO, and tries to determine what purpose the cylindrical projections might serve. Blackjack states that backup forces should rendezvous in about two minutes, but Bluejay 4 remarks that the UFO is not going to be there by then. Blackjack gives order to shoot down the UFO, or at least disable it. Spock concludes that the aircraft may be armed with nuclear warheads, which in the Enterprise's severe condition, could possibly cause serious damage to the hull. Kirk orders Scott to lock on with a tractor beam, but Spock advises against it. Scott locks on, regardless, and the aircraft begins to break up. Kirk orders the pilot beamed aboard. He goes to the transporter room to meet the pilot, and welcomes him aboard. The pilot is surprised to learn that Kirk speaks English, and gives his identification as Captain John Christopher of the United States Air Force, service number 4857932. Kirk remarks that the captain is among friends, and introduces himself. Captain Christopher asks Kirk who they are, and what happened. Kirk states that all will be revealed in good time, but Captain Christopher is understandably impatient. On the bridge, Spock reports that the aircraft has broken up. They turn off the tractor beam, and Kirk takes Christopher to the bridge. Christopher seems surprised to see a woman in the halls. Christopher admires the size and complexity of the ship, and as Kirk explains that the ship is one of twelve like it in service of the United Earth Space Probe Agency. He freely admits that he is from the future. On the bridge, Christopher is taken aback by Spock's skin tone. As Kirk allows Christopher to look around the bridge, Spock expresses his concerns about their guest to Kirk privately. As Christopher looks around, Spock reports that most main systems have been restored, including the main deflector, which will prevent them from being detected again. Spock also expresses concern for Christopher's presence. He states that Christopher cannot return to Earth, as this could alter the course of history. Kirk states that this is an annoying conclusion, but accepts the truth. He asks Spock to get Captain Christopher some more comfortable clothes, and to bring Christopher to his ready room. In his quarters, Kirk makes a computer recording. Kirk also gets annoyed by the computer's frequent references to him as "dear". Kirk asks Spock to fix the computer's affection. Spock explains that the computer had recently been overhauled on the female-dominated planet Cygnet XIV. Christopher finds the computer system amusing, and would love to see how the dilemma works out. It is at this point, that Kirk breaks the news to Christopher that he cannot be sent back with information he now knows from the future. Christopher asks about his disappearance, but Spock says that Captain Christopher made no relevant contribution to history. Christopher says that this is an outrage, having a wife and children back on Earth, something which seems to catch Spock's attention. He says it is his duty to report what he has seen, but Kirk says that the risk is impossible. Kirk offers his heartfelt apology. Scott calls to tell Kirk that the engines will be operational in about four hours, but they have nowhere to go in this time. Kirk understands. Christopher finds some comfort in the fact that Kirk and his crew cannot go home themselves. Finally getting fed up with the computer, Kirk asks it to record that it either be repaired, or scrapped, which seems to take care of the computer problem. Spock calls Kirk, stating that he has new information regarding Christopher. Kirk orders Spock to report to his quarters, and that he will call Captain Christopher. However, Christopher does not respond to Kirk's hails. Kirk orders a security alert, noting that Captain Christopher is not in his assigned quarters. Kirk hypothesizes that he may be trying to escape, and goes to find him. Christopher is indeed trying to escape, but runs into security officer Bobby on his way to the transporter room. He takes out the security officer, and acquires his phaser. Entering the transporter room and pointing his phaser at Kyle, Christopher tells Kyle that he wants to be transported to the surface immediately, but before he can complete his escape, Kirk comes, disarms Christopher, and knocks him out. In sickbay, Dr. McCoy reports that the injuries are superficial, and Kirk sympathizes about Christopher's want to escape. It is at this time that Dr. McCoy says that they too are just as stuck as Christopher. They can't beam down the entire crew, as it would be too great a disturbance in the timeline. Kirk however, says that Enterprise is not at that situation yet, but even if they do get back to their time, Christopher would be useless, archaic. McCoy says that he may be able to be retrained, but Christopher says that he cannot forget his family. He remarks that he is feeling fine, and Spock comes to sickbay. They cannot keep Christopher aboard, because his son, Colonel Shaun Geoffrey Christopher, did make an historic contribution, heading the first Earth-Saturn Mission. Christopher remarks that he has no son, to which McCoy responds, "yet". Kirk realizes that they must find a way to return Captain Christopher, and Christopher himself muses of the fact that he someday will have a son. In orbit of Earth, Spock states that the biggest problem they must deal with is that Christopher's plane wreckage landed in open land, so search parties will know that he wasn't on the plane. Also, Captain Christopher informs them that his radio conversation was recorded, and that his wing cameras were recording the Enterprise. Kirk remarks that these UFO sightings were usually taken for explainable things, but Spock remarks that their tractor beam destroyed the plane, making them nothing else but a genuine UFO. Kirk then asks about returning them to their own time. Spock has a theory, albeit complicated, which may work. Kirk then makes a plan; they need to destroy the hard evidence of their presence, so that if Christopher reports, there is nothing to support his claims, and he simply joins the ranks of one of thousands who has seen a UFO. Christopher then offers his help, and he sketches out a layout of the base on a PADD. At the base, Kirk and Sulu beam down, Sulu with a bag for the tapes. They are a bit disoriented at first, but soon find the correct room. They force the door open with little difficulty using their technology. Upon entry, Kirk starts to look for what they need, and soon finds the audio tapes. On the Enterprise in the transporter room, Dr. McCoy is getting nervous, but Spock reassures him, noting that stealth missions are much more complicated than others. McCoy starts to get annoyed, and asks Spock whether he should be working on his time warp calculations, to which he calmly responds, "I am."  Back at the base, Kirk and Sulu finish getting the tapes, when a Security Police staff sergeant enters. He orders them to give him the belts and the bag, with the tapes inside. On the ship, Spock now agrees with McCoy and starts to think it has been too long, so he calls the captain. The security officer opens one of the communicators, transmitting an emergency signal. Spock orders an immediate beam-up, only to find that they beamed up the wrong man. They now have two undesired passengers aboard, and the sergeant is frozen out of both surprise and fear. Kirk calls Spock, reporting that they now clearly have another problem. Kirk informs Enterprise about their "surprise package", and asks them to keep him in the transporter room. After finishing up in the audio tape section, both Kirk and Sulu go to retrieve the video tapes of Enterprise. They find them in the dark room, but set off a silent alarm. They finish collecting the video, but after a small brawl with some security officers, Kirk gets caught. Sulu however, seems to have disappeared. He managed to beam up, with the tapes, and Kirk calmly explains to the curious guard that it was only he who was prowling about. On the Enterprise, Scott reports that warp engines are ready for re-firing. Spock orders them to be, so that they can have full power. Down on the surface, Kirk is being interrogated by the guards who caught him. Kirk jokingly references that he got in to the base by popping in out of thin air. Lieutenant Colonel Fellini picks up Kirk's phaser, mistaking it for a radio transmitter. Then he wonders about Kirk's uniform and he starts to list Kirk's offenses, threatening to lock him up for 200 years. Kirk ruefully comments that that ought to be just about right. Back in orbit, Spock and Christopher hypothesize in the Enterprise's briefing room as to the captain's most probable situation, as they are planning a rescue operation. However, Christopher insists on coming down with them, to which Spock reluctantly agrees. He issues phasers only to himself and Sulu, set on maximum stun. They beam down, as the security policeman who beamed up earlier is amazed. Kyle offers the guard some chicken soup from a food synthesizer to satisfy his hunger, which only amazes him more. On the surface, Spock takes out the two guards holding Kirk, and frees him. However, while Kirk and Sulu talk, Christopher gets one of the security guard's guns. He holds it to Kirk, refusing to be beamed back up. Kirk tries to talk Christopher out of it, but he doesn't listen. He asks Spock to come out of Colonel Fellini's office, but as he moves towards Kirk, Spock comes up from behind, and administers a nerve pinch. He had suspected Christopher's actions, and had beamed into location for incapacitating Christopher. Sulu then beams up all four officers. Mr. Spock says that the best possible course of advantage is to use a slingshot effect like the one they used to arrive in the first place. Theoretically, the whiplash from the sun's gravity would send them into another time warp. At this point, Christopher asks what they will be doing about him and the guard. Spock states that for a moment, they will go into the relative past, and transport both the captain and the guard to points before they were beamed up. The events, though still in their minds, will not have occurred, so there would be nothing for them to report. Scott now brings up one problem. The Enterprise may not have enough braking control to stop in their own time. They may overshoot their century, or be torn apart. In other words, it won't be an easy ride. Everyone assumes stations, as the Enterprise prepares for the time-warp. They leave Earth, and head towards the sun at warp factor 3. Christopher, at this point, tells Kirk how he always wanted to make it into space, and Kirk tells him that he made it farther than anyone in his century. As Enterprise heads towards the sun, their warp factor increases, and the chronometers have started to move backwards. Christopher goes to put on his flight gear, and reports to the transporter room. As they approach the breakaway point, Sulu engages engines, and the ship is severely thrown. All power is just barely enough, but they do break free of the pull. As they head away from the sun, they gain speed, and the chronometers begin to move forward. Christopher prepares to beam back to Earth, and thanks Kirk for the look ahead. As they approach Earth, they energize, beaming Christopher back into the plane cockpit. However, there is no longer any Enterprise in the sky. Christopher reports to Black Jack, marking down Enterprise as another UFO. They then beam down the guard, but he too finds no unusual activity at the base. As they approach their century, they have to begin braking, despite some risks. Kirk, being annoyed by Spock's countdown, asks him to just never mind. They begin braking, but the ship is thrown violently. Scott reports from engineering that the engines are buckling, but they manage to make a safe and complete stop. They hear the friendly voice of Starfleet control, and Kirk reports that the Enterprise is home. 
<EOS>
Lieutenants Sulu and O'Neil are undercover and dispatched to the surface of the planet Beta III to learn what became of the Archon, which disappeared there one hundred years earlier. Recognized as outsiders, they draw the attention of the lawgivers. Pursued, the officers call for beam-out, but O'Neil flees before they are to be beamed up, only Sulu is retrieved, and upon materializing in the USS Enterprise's transporter room, he is in a strange mental state, stating to Captain Kirk that the planet below is "paradise, my friend. Paradise." Captain Kirk beams down with a larger landing party to investigate. Spock, Dr. McCoy, sociologist Lindstrom, and two guards, Leslie and Galloway, form the balance of the landing party. Immediately upon being beamed down, Spock notices a strangeness in the people they encounter; a kind of contented mindlessness expression on their faces. Then, at six o'clock, the red hour strikes -- the beginning of the Festival, a period of debauchery and lawlessness. Fleeing, the landing party bursts in on Reger, Hacom, and Tamar. They had been told by Bilar and Tula, two passersby, that Reger could rent them rooms for after Festival. Their questions seem to terrify Reger. They are given rooms and retreat from the mayhem outside, trying their best to get a few hours' sleep. The Festival ends the next morning, at six in the morning. Reger, learning the landing party did not attend Festival, concludes they are not of the Body, and asks an astonishing question: "Are you Archons?" The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Hacom and lawgivers, the robed servants of the mysterious Landru. The lawgivers command the landing party to accompany them to the absorption chambers, to be absorbed into "the body." Kirk, acting on a hunch, defies them -- and causes confusion. He'd correctly concluded this society is built around obedience, and might not be ready for any disobedience. Taking advantage of their confusion, Reger guides the crew to a place he knows, where they will be safe. But on the way, Landru employs a form of mass telepathy to command an attack, which is easily repelled by the landing parties' phaser fire. Among the attackers is the missing Lieutenant O'Neil. Reger warns against bringing him along, but Kirk cannot bring himself to abandon a member of his crew. He orders Leslie and Galloway to take the still-unconscious O'Neil with them over the strenuous objections of Reger. Through his tricorder, Spock discovers a source of immense power, radiating from a point near the landing party's location. Reger tells Kirk about the arrival of the first Archons: many were killed, many more were absorbed. And then he drops the bombshell, mentioning casually that Landru pulled the Archons from the sky. Kirk contacts the Enterprise, and learns that heat beams are focused on the ship. Scotty, in command of the Enterprise, reports that her shields are able to deflect them, but nearly all ship's power is diverted to this purpose. Communications are poor, escape is impossible, and the orbit is decaying. If Kirk can't put a stop to the beams, the ship will be destroyed in less than twelve hours. Worse, contacting the ship enables Landru to discover and stun the landing party with an intense sound. They awaken in a cave-like cell, but McCoy, Galloway, and O'Neil are missing. Kirk begins to think of ways to get out of their cell. He asks Spock about the lawgiver's inability to cope with the unexpected. Spock, noting that in a society as well organized as Beta III's appears to be, he cannot see how an oversight like that can go on uncorrected. He does find one thing interesting; the lawgiver's reaction to Kirk's defiance was similar to a computer's when fed insufficient data. Kirk disputes that the lawgivers are computers, not Human. Spock replies that they are quite Human, it is just that there are facts missing currently as to why they behave like computers. Soon after, McCoy and Galloway return -- and they have been absorbed, with McCoy speaking similarly to the way Sulu had on the Enterprise. Evidently, this is the fate that awaits the entire landing party. Lawgivers appear, demanding Kirk accompany them, and this time, Kirk's refusal results in an immediate death threat. Spock was correct; the orderly society has now corrected a flaw. Kirk is taken to a futuristic room: the absorption chamber. There, a priest named Marplon will oversee Kirk's forcible induction into the Body. Spock attempts a Vulcan mind meld with McCoy but is unsuccessful. Lawgivers summon Spock, who is taken to the same place, and there encounters Kirk, now mindlessly happy. Spock learns that Marplon was Tamar's contact and is part of the same underground to which Reger belongs. Marplon intervened to prevent both Kirk and Spock from being absorbed, and returns their phasers to Spock. Spock, acting as instructed, makes his way back to the cell, pretending to be as mindlessly happy as Beta III's inhabitants. Discussing Landru and his society, Kirk and Spock reach the same conclusion: the society has no spirit, no spark; Landru's orders are being issued by a computer. Kirk decides the plug must be pulled. Spock is concerned this would violate the Prime Directive, but Kirk opines that the directive applies to living, growing cultures, of which this is not. When Reger and Marplon join them, Kirk demands more information: the location of Landru. Reger reveals that Beta III was at war, and was in danger of destroying itself. Landru, one of the leaders, took the people back to a simpler time. And, Marplon claims, Landru is still alive. Marplon takes Kirk and Spock, disguised as lawgivers, to a chamber, the Hall of Audiences, where Landru appears to his acolytes -- or, at least, a projection of him does. There, Landru regretfully informs them that their interference is causing great harm, and that they, and all who knew of them, must be killed, to cleanse the memory of the Body. Blasting through the wall, Kirk reveals the truth: an ancient machine, built and programmed by the real Landru 6,000 years earlier before he died. This machine, now calling itself Landru, was entrusted with the care of the Body, the society of Beta III. To that end, it has enslaved all members of that society, and those who visit, in a thralldom of happiness that is stagnant and without creativity. Kirk and Spock discuss this with Landru, asking it difficult questions it has evidently never had to answer, questions about whether its approach to creating the good is really creating evil. Ultimately, they convince it that it is the evil, and that it must destroy the evil -- and it does, exploding in a burst of pyrotechnics. Kirk leaves a team of specialists, including Lindstrom, to help restore the planet's culture "to a Human form". 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is en route to star cluster NGC 321 to open diplomatic relations with the civilization there. After several unacknowledged overtures, a message comes from the planet Eminiar VII, the principal planet of the cluster: Code 710 -- stay away at all costs. Ambassador Robert Fox overrides Kirk's wish to honor the request, and forcibly orders him to take the Enterprise into the system. Kirk orders that the Enterprise go to yellow alert and in an intercom message to the crew of his ship, Kirk announces: "We're going in gentlemen. Peacefully, I hope, but peacefully or not, we're going in." Kirk's orders are clear: establish diplomatic relations at all costs. He, Spock, Yeoman Tamura, and two security officers, Lieutenants Galloway and Osborne, beam down; they are met by Mea 3 at the Division of Control, seat of the Eminian Union. There, Kirk learns that he is in grave danger. Mea takes him to the High Council, whose leader, Anan 7, rejects Kirk's diplomatic overture -- because of the war. Anan reveals that Eminiar has been fighting a war with the third planet of the system, Vendikar, for almost 500 years. But despite a hit, right in the city, Kirk and his landing party can find no evidence of war. No explosions, no radiation, nothing that would suggest the damage he is assured is occurring. Spock finally deduces the truth: the war is fought with computers. Casualties are calculated, and the victims have twenty-four hours to report to a disintegration station so their deaths may be recorded. This tidy solution preserves the civilization, despite the cost in lives. Kirk is incredulous that people would simply walk into disintegration machines and never come out; Anan assures him that his people have a high sense of duty. And then Anan tells Kirk that when the Enterprise entered orbit, it became a legitimate target, and it has been destroyed by a tricobalt satellite explosion. Like the victims on the surface, Kirk's crew has twenty-four hours to report for disintegration. Kirk and his party are imprisoned to ensure compliance. Mea, herself declared a casualty, defends the system. She insists that she values her own life, but tells Kirk that if people don't report for disintegration, then Vendikar will be forced to launch real weapons, and Eminiar would be forced to retaliate, and both civilization and the population would die. The Eminians attempt trickery. Using a voice duplicator to approximate Kirk's voice, Anan 7 tries to lure the crew to the surface, contacting the Enterprise through Kirk's communicator. Montgomery Scott, suspicious, analyzes the message at Spock's science station and discovers the duplicity. Meanwhile, on the surface, Spock employs trickery of his own: using a form of telepathy, he plants a suggestion in their jailer's mind through a wall. Thinking the Federation prisoners have escaped, he opens the door, and is quickly overpowered. Moving about the Division of Control, the party encounters disintegration station 12, and destroys it. In response, Anan 7 institutes a full search, and orders the planetary defense batteries to open fire on the orbiting starship. Scott's cautious approach to the situation proves most fortunate; the batteries open fire on the Enterprise but the shields are able to turn aside the sneak attack. Without the shields they would have been destroyed. Looking for options to respond to this unprovoked attack, Scott decides to respond with a barrage of photon torpedoes, but Ambassador Fox halts any attempt at retaliation. Ignoring protests by Scott and McCoy, Fox takes command of the situation and opens communications with the planet. Kirk realizes the only way he can save his ship and his crew is to put a stop to the fighting. To this end, he inveigles help from Mea 3, while at the same time solving their shortage of weapons needed for the task, with an added bonus of two Eminian security uniforms commandeered by both Osborne and Galloway. Meanwhile, Ambassador Fox, still unaware of the treachery of Anon 7 and the danger to the lives of the Enterprise crew, attempts to salvage the situation. He contacts the planet, offering to have the ship lower its shields and to beam down personally to discuss the matter; Anan apparently agrees. However, this is a trick to enable the Eminians to destroy the ship and meet the terms of their treaty with Vendikar. Fortunately, Scott, with McCoy's support, bluntly refuses Fox's order to have the ship stand down. He notes that the landing party is obviously still being held prisoner, and the ship was just fired on without provocation. Fox is furious; he vehemently threatens to have Scott court martialed for insubordination and proceeds to the planet with his aide alone. Although he's in the hot-seat, Scott stands firm on not lowering his defenses until he knows what has happened to the captain. Anan retreats to his office to prepare and has a drink of trova. Kirk, hidden there, confronts him, demanding to speak with his ship. Anan is more interested in saving his world, and refuses to yield. But finally, Anan tells Kirk where the communicators can be found; in the war room. Kirk, correctly suspecting trickery pushes Anan into the corridor ahead of him. But it is no good; the guards overpower him after a brief struggle. Fox beams to the surface with his attache; they are escorted -- but not to the council chamber. Instead, Anan and his guards herd them to a disintegration station. Fortunately for the ambassador, Spock learns he has beamed down, and effects a rescue, with Galloway and Osborne posing as guards; destroying disintegration station 11 in the process. After the rescue, Fox admits that he has been dangerously mistaken about the situation and although has no experience being a soldier, he offers to help in the fight. Spock replies that they will need all the help they can get. With Kirk held in the council chamber, he learns that Eminiar is falling behind its quotas, and Vendikar accuses it of violating the treaty, escalating the tension between them. Anan pleads with Kirk; if his crew doesn't report for disintegration, the civilizations on Eminiar and Vendikar will be destroyed in the very real war that will erupt. Kirk is unmoved. Anan opens a channel to the ship; Kirk takes advantage of the opportunity to order Scott to implement General Order 24 in two hours, before being restrained. Anan threatens the hostages' lives if the crew does not report immediately. Kirk informs Anan that his threats are academic, since in two hours, the Enterprise will destroy Eminiar. Anan immediately orders the defenses to fire on the Enterprise but the Constitution-class starship has moved out of range. In a corridor, Spock, Ambassador Fox, the two lieutenants, and the ambassador's aide all come under fire by security. While Spock, Osborne, and Galloway manage to dispatch the two attacking guards, Fox's aide is seriously injured in the firefight, unable to go further. Anan is at his wits' end; helpless, he faces certain abrogation of his planet's treaty responsibilities. Anan pleads with Kirk to de-escalate the situation, but Kirk is counting on escalation, and has no intention to stop it. The situation goes from bad to worse for Anan as Scott informs the council that all cities and installations on the planet have been fed into the Enterprise's fire control system, and will destroy the entire planet if they don't release their captives. Realizing that Kirk does indeed intend to carry out General Order 24, Anan collapses on the table in agony as he is trapped between the Enterprise and Vendikar. Chance favors Kirk, who manages to overpower all of the armed guards and the council. Spock and his party arrives moments later. Kirk hails the Enterprise informing them to standby to transport the party in ten minutes or carry out General Order 24 on schedule. Then, Kirk tells Anan his plan: to save his crew, he plans to end the war. The captain asks Ambassador Fox to hold the people outside while Spock, one other councilman, and Lieutenant Osborne remain. They retrieve their phasers and communicators and locks the master computer. Spock details that the computers are in constant contact with their Vendikan counterparts. Terminating that contact abrogates the agreement between them, and by destroying the master computer, the others will go. Kirk orders Osborne to escort the councilman, Sar 6, out and destroys the master computer with his phaser. With the machines destroyed, Kirk paints a very frightening image to Anan 7: those on Vendikar will assume Eminiar has broken the treaty, and will plan for real war. The next attacks, by both sides, will be very real. Kirk offers an alternative: they could change five hundred years of theoretical fighting, and make peace instead. Kirk tells Anan that if they contact Vendikar, they will quickly realize that they are just as horrified at the prospect of a real bloody war. Anan remembers that the communication link with Vendikar is still in existence, though it has been unused for centuries. There might be a chance to save both planets if they put it to use. Fox offers to serve as a mediator between Eminiar and Vendikar, and Kirk leaves him behind to negotiate the peace. Later, on the bridge of the Enterprise, Spock remarks on the big chance Kirk took in destroying the computers running the war between Eminiar and Vendikar, risking real war. Kirk disputes that, noting that a real attack would not have killed as many as the computer simulation, but it would have ended both planets ability to make war -- permanently. Kirk, however, acknowledges that it was a calculated risk, but had a feeling that an orderly society such as the Eminians would not have risked war, since it is a very messy business and would have done anything to avoid that. Spock tells Kirk that a feeling is not much to go on and Kirk replies that feeling is sometimes all Humans have to go on. Spock tells his captain that he makes him almost believe in luck. "Why, Mr. Spock, you almost make me believe in miracles," Kirk retorts. 
<EOS>
In 2267, the USS Enterprise encounters a spacecraft floating in deep space, sending out a signal in Morse code. Captain Kirk recognizes it as being similar to the DY-500 class, but Spock points it out as being the much older DY-100, built back in the 1990s. Spock identifies the vessel from its outer hull markings as the SS Botany Bay, but finds no registry of the ship in the computer library; however, he points out that records of the era from which the ship was launched are fragmentary, as the 1990s was the era of the Eugenics Wars, a "strange and violent period in your history" as Spock puts it. Faint life signs are detected on board, and Kirk has the ship go to red alert as it closes in on the mysterious vessel to investigate. The Botany Bay takes no action as the Enterprise approaches it, the only sign of life being the faint life readings. Now certain the ship is a derelict, Kirk orders Scott and Doctor McCoy to join an engineering party to board the ship and investigate the life readings. Kirk also requests the services of the ship's historian, Lieutenant Marla McGivers. In the transporter room, Scott takes note of the life support systems coming back on, as if the ship is expecting them to transport over. "Very interesting," Kirk notes. The landing party materializes on board the Botany Bay, and Scott confirms that the vessel is Terran in origin, using old style atomic power and computers with transistor units. He tells Kirk that he would "love to tear this baby apart." McGivers speculates that the ship is a sleeper ship, designed for long periods of interplanetary travel due to the limits of space travel technology in that era until the year 2018. One of the life units is then activated, and Kirk asks McGivers if this could be the leader; the lieutenant does not reply immediately, seemingly smitten with the appearance of the man, but eventually answers that it's likely, as the leader would be awakened first to determine if circumstances warranted the reviving of the others. She also speculates that the man could be Sikh, from the northern region of India, noting that they were the most fantastic warriors. Scott then reports that there are 84 people held in suspended animation, all of varied ethnic origins. The life support unit malfunctions, likely due to the accumulation of dust, and its occupant's life readings begin dropping. As McGivers begs Kirk to save him, he breaks the glass on the stasis unit to release him. Taking shaky breaths as he regains consciousness, the man asks in a hoarse whisper how long he had been asleep; Kirk estimates the time at two centuries. Kirk flips his communicator open to request that McCoy and the man be beamed aboard the Enterprise immediately for further medical attention. "Magnificent," McGivers states. McCoy is conducting a medical analysis on the unidentified man at sickbay on the Enterprise. McCoy is amazed at the physical and recuperative power of the man. Aboard the Botany Bay, Scott notes that twelve of the life units had failed, leaving 72 alive from the 1990s. Spock can find no record in the vessel in any of the computer libraries. Kirk suspects that since Botany Bay was the name of an Australian penal colony, this might have been a way to deport criminals. Spock refutes this, as it would be a seeming waste of Earth's then-most advanced spacecraft, but has no other explanation of his own, lacking sufficient facts. Spock also notes the extremely low probability that a vessel of this type could have survived for so long, and managed to leave Earth's solar system. Kirk orders Lieutenant Spinelli to have the Botany Bay put under tow, and to set course to Starbase 12. In sickbay, Kirk arrives to speak to the man. McCoy notes his superior bodily strength and efficiency of his lungs, hinting at his Augment origin. McCoy estimates that the man could lift both he and Kirk with one arm. He tells Kirk that it would be interesting to see if the man's brain matches his body. McGivers arrives, while Kirk chides her on her performance on the landing party. She admits to finding the man fascinating, in a purely professional way, as her position aboard the Enterprise is historian. Kirk thanks her for admitting this, noting "If I can have honesty, it's easier to overlook mistakes," then dismisses her. Later, the man awakes from his slumber and goes through some exercises of Hatha yoga; then, hearing Dr. McCoy at work, the man notes a scalpel among a collection of antique medical instruments on the wall. He takes it, and moves back to his bed, feigning sleep. McCoy arrives to check his vital signs, and the man reaches towards McCoy's throat, threatening him with the scalpel. McCoy sarcastically, and in an admirable display of calm, tells him to make up his mind to choke him or cut his throat, adding that it would be best if he would cut the carotid artery, just under the left ear. The man says he admires such bravery, and lets McCoy take back the scalpel. McCoy simply and calmly tells him that he was just trying to avoid an argument. The man demands to speak to the captain of the vessel, and McCoy calls Kirk, saying he is a man with "many questions." Kirk arrives, identifies himself as the captain, and asks the man his name. The man avoids the question, and asks what the ship's heading is. Kirk answers that it is Starbase 12, a planet in the Gamma 400 star system, the Enterprise's command base in that sector. The man identifies himself simply as "Khan". Kirk attempts to question Khan further, but he declines to elaborate on his history, claiming he is fatigued. He says that he was once an engineer of sorts, and would very much like to study the ship's technical manuals. Kirk and McCoy then show him how to use the computers to access such information. He is later visited by McGivers, asking her to "sit and entertain" him, rearranging her hairstyle to something more "attractive". In the officer's mess, the crew prepares a full-dress banquet, and McCoy wonders if the Enterprise is hosting a fleet admiral; Kirk replies it was McGivers' idea to welcome Khan to their century. Dressed for the occasion, Khan meets with McGivers in her quarters, decorated with portraits of great conquerors of the past, including Leif Ericson, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as an unfinished portrait of Khan in the 20th century. Khan tells her he is honored, but cautions her "such men dare take what they want", before passionately kissing her, which she apparently doesn't mind. At the banquet, Khan explains the nature of his journey from Earth, going in search of "adventure", believing there was nothing left on Earth. Spock comments on the Eugenics Wars as a conflict to end tyranny, while Khan replies that it was an effort to unite Humanity, calling his era "a time of great dreams, great aspirations"; while there were dozens of petty dictatorships, Khan declares one would have ruled eventually, like Rome under Caesar, "think of its accomplishments!", he intones. Kirk bluntly asks why Khan fled, asking if he was afraid, goading Khan to declare, "We offered the world order!" to which Kirk responds by asking "we?", noting Khan's reference to a master race. Khan congratulates Kirk on his discovery of Khan's intent, then says he says he is "fatigued" again, and returns to his quarters. McGivers appears at Khan's quarters, and apologizes for how he was treated at the dinner; Khan comments their reaction is understandable, given that he is something of a "mystery" to them. McGivers confesses that she knows exactly who he is, and wonders if he is going to like living in her century, to which Khan replies that he will have to remold it to his liking. Showing the darker side of his nature, Khan tells McGivers he intends to take control of the Enterprise and demands her help, bullying her into submitting to his desire; unwilling to lose him, she promises to do anything he asks. In the briefing room, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scott consult the historical records and determine that their guest is Khan Noonien Singh, one of the genetically-engineered tyrants of the Eugenics Wars, and the last to be overthrown. From 1992 to 1996, he was absolute ruler of one quarter of the Earth, from Asia to the Middle East. Scott admits he's always held a "sneaking admiration for this one", with Kirk and McCoy adding that his rule lacked the usual massacres and internal wars endemic to tyrants; Spock counters that he also severely curtailed freedoms, and is alarmed at the romantic tone of the Humans towards a ruthless dictator. Kirk replies that they can be against him and admire him all at the same time. "Illogical," Spock says. "Totally," Kirk responds. The captain then orders security to place a 24-hour guard on Khan's quarters, effective immediately. Later, Kirk visits Khan in his quarters, who is wearing a Starfleet uniform and "lost in thought", commenting on his door being locked from outside with a guard posted. Kirk admits it was "unusual treatment" for who he is, and wishes to know the truth about his departure from Earth. Khan replies that he and his followers sought a new life and a chance to build a new world, plus "other things" he did not believe Kirk, who he considered mentally and physically inferior, would understand; he comments on how little mankind has changed despite its technical advancements, and that he and his people would do well in this century. After Kirk leaves, Khan breaks out of his quarters and brutally knocks out the guard outside, taking his phaser, while McGivers holds transporter chief Kyle at phaser point, beaming Khan over to the Botany Bay to revive his people. Security alerts Kirk that Khan has escaped; shortly afterwards, communications become jammed, the turbolifts disabled, and life support on the bridge cut off. Kirk calls engineering to find out why, and is answered by Khan, who controls engineering with his followers and has cut off life support, demanding that Kirk surrender the ship to him, or die of suffocation. The bridge crew suffocates to the point of passing out. Kirk and Spock are the last to fall unconscious; before passing out, Kirk, making a log entry, states he takes full responsibility for Khan taking over his ship. When the crew awakens, they are being held at phaser point by Khan's men in the briefing room while Khan holds Kirk captive in McCoy's decompression chamber, and the rest of the bridge crew in the briefing room. Khan threatens to kill the captain if Kirk's crew doesn't join with him, offering to make all humans superhuman like himself, telling them that this is much better than improving machines. When none of them will follow him, Khan becomes infuriated at the uselessness of their resistance. During this, the channel to the decompression chamber is suddenly cut. Joaquin, one of Khan's henchmen, asks Uhura how he can regain picture. When she says nothing, he prepares to slap her across the face. Khan stops him with a gesture, telling the crew that Kirk is dead and Spock be taken in to die next. McGivers then excuses herself, unable to watch the torture of Kirk and the brutal way Joaquin treats Uhura. She then comes to Kirk's aid by knocking out the guard who is watching Kirk in the chamber with a hypospray. She removes Kirk from the decompression chamber and after freeing Kirk, she urges him not to hurt Khan. Spock and an augment enter just then. Kirk hides and confronts Khan's man but he is incapacitated by Spock using a Vulcan nerve pinch. In the briefing room, Khan realizes something is wrong when he cannot contact his men, specifically, Rodriguez, Ling, and McPherson. Kirk and Spock then succeed in flooding the ship with knockout gas, but Khan is able to avoid the gas by escaping to engineering and cutting it off, rigging the ship to blow up with an overload. Kirk rushes to stop Khan with a phaser, but Khan ambushes the captain and crushes the phaser with his bare hands. The two men come to blows in engineering, with Kirk eventually defeating the genetically engineered man by knocking him out with a makeshift club, and saving the Enterprise from destruction. Later, at a formal hearing, Kirk drops all charges against Khan and his people, considering it a "waste" to put Khan in a penal colony, and gives him the offer of taming the uninhabited world of Ceti Alpha V an offer which Khan accepts referencing a quote from Milton's Paradise Lost that "it is better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." Marla McGivers is given the option of court martial or accompanying Khan and his people. Khan warns her it will be difficult at first to survive, to find food, and Marla chooses to join Khan and his people. As soon as Khan and his people leave, Kirk and Spock express an interest in returning to Ceti Alpha V in a hundred years to learn what crop will sprout from the seed they planted, but 15 years later, a disastrous reunion with the genetically superior tyrant will occur instead. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise arrives at the planet Omicron Ceti III, the site of a colony established in 2264. Unfortunately, the Enterprise's mission is only to catalog its destruction under the bombardment of deadly berthold rays, which were discovered after the colonists left Earth. Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Doctor McCoy, Lieutenants Sulu, DeSalle, and Kelowitz beam down to the planet's surface and discover to their surprise that Elias Sandoval and the other colonists are not dead after all. Sandoval and two other colonists are excited to see others than themselves; they haven't seen other Human beings since they left Earth. Sandoval explains that the colony's subspace radio had malfunctioned and they did not have anyone with the expertise capable of repairing it. Kirk grimly notes that they did not come here because the radio was broken but Sandoval says they are glad the Enterprise crew are here nevertheless. He offers to show the colony to them. "On pure speculation, just an educated guess -- I'd say that man is alive", McCoy tells Kirk. Spock notes that the berthold rays are deadly to all life on this planet -- the colonists should be dead. The crew of the Enterprise would be safe on Omicron Ceti III for a week but not for four years, as the colonists have. As McCoy and Spock debate how the colony's inhabitants could possibly still be alive, Kirk tells the landing party that they had better find some answers first. In a house, Spock encounters Leila Kalomi, a botanist he had met on Earth six years prior. She had loved him, but he had been unable to return her love despite being half-Human. Sandoval tells Kirk, McCoy, and Spock that the colony's philosophy is that man should return to a life less complicated by machinery. Thus, the colony has no mechanical devices or vehicles and weapons. "We have harmony here -- complete peace", Sandoval proudly says. Elsewhere, anomalies in the colony are discovered by Sulu and Kelowitz, such as the total lack of any animal life on the colony, like cows, pigs, horses, and dogs. Alone together, Leila promises Sandoval to tell Spock their secret. Sandoval asks Leila if he would like Spock to stay with them and live as they do. "There is no choice, Elias. He will stay." Later, during his examination of the colonists, McCoy is astounded to discover that every inhabitant is in perfect physical health, even to the point where childhood injuries have repaired themselves. He points to the example of Sandoval's multiple health problems prior to journeying to the planet, such as scar tissue found on his lungs that cannot be detected now or his removed appendix, which is somehow back in his body. Sometime later, Kirk tells Sandoval that Starfleet Command has just ordered him to remove the colonists from the planet but Sandoval tells Captain Kirk that they will not leave. Kirk says this is not an arbitrary decision on his part but Sandoval still says they are not leaving, "it's entirely unnecessary", he says. McCoy reminds Sandoval of the deadly berthold rays currently bombarding the planet and their effect but Sandoval tells the doctor of their healthy lifestyle that is a plant based diet and that no colonist has of yet died. Kirk asks him how their animals have died and the colonists have not. Sandoval dodges the question and still refuses the captain's order to leave. Outside, Leila leads Spock towards a flowering plant, she says she was one of the first to find them. Spock is then blasted with spores. The spores cause Spock's emotional barriers to break down, making him drop his tricorder and react in physical pain, which quickly passes. He gets back up in a euphoric state and confesses his love for Leila, who says the Vulcan is now one of them. They kiss passionately. When Kirk hails Spock with his communicator, his first officer responds casually and lacking any respect or formality for his commanding officer. McCoy notes that this behavior didn't seem like Spock at all. Kirk attempts to question Spock further, but Spock drops the communicator and again directs his attention to Leila. Concerned, Kirk follows the open com link, and finds Spock laughing and clowning around -- actually hanging from a tree. When Kirk orders Spock to be placed under arrest, the Vulcan leads Kirk and his officers a short distance, stopping in front of one of the spore plants. Immediately, the spores blast Sulu and Kelowitz, who both exhibit the same euphoric behavior of the people on the planet. Meanwhile, DeSalle, already under their influence as well, infects Dr. McCoy, who begins beaming the plants aboard the Enterprise. Kirk decides to go back to the Enterprise. However, because Dr. McCoy had ordered about a hundred plants beamed aboard, the spores are carried throughout the Enterprise by the ship's ventilation system. He orders Lieutenant Uhura to contact Admiral James Komack at Starfleet. Lieutenant Uhura, under the spores' influence herself, leaves the bridge to beam down, but not before completely sabotaging the communications station. Only short-range sensors, to be able to contact the crew on the planet, remain. In a fit of rage, Kirk throws one of the pod plants on the bridge over the helm console and storms out. Outside the transporter room, the captain discovers that his entire crew is beaming down to the surface and orders them to go back to their stations. Leslie, speaking for the deserting crew, refuses and openly admits his actions are mutiny against the captain. Kirk returns to the planet to find McCoy, to the house where he finds Spock and Sandoval. Spock responds by saying McCoy went to "make something called a mint julep." He goes on to explain the spores not only induce a feeling of total peace and euphoria, but they are also the reason that the colonists have been protected from the deadly berthold rays. Spock, able to act as a scientist notwithstanding still being under the influence of the spores, explains that the plants traveled through space until they landed on the planet, actually thriving on the berthold rays. The plants act as a repository for thousands of microscopic spores until they find a Human body to inhabit. In return, they give their host complete health and peace of mind: in short, paradise; "It's a true Eden, Jim." When Kirk hears that, he disagrees, stating that Humans weren't meant for that. He insists that man stagnates if he has no challenge to drive him and motivate him. But Spock says that Kirk simply doesn't understand now, but that he will come around eventually and really comprehend what they mean and join them. The bridge is deserted, save for the quiet beeping of the various stations running on automatic. Kirk enters and surveys his situation. He tries to call Scott in engineering, but receives no answer. Other sections of the ship are similarly deserted. Recording his log, he notes that while the Enterprise can remain in orbit for several months without a crew, he cannot pilot the ship alone, even with automatic controls. He realizes that he's ultimately been marooned aboard the Enterprise. Moving over to the helm station, Kirk laments on how big and quiet the Enterprise is without anyone aboard and wonders how he can possibly get his crew back; what he can possibly offer, he rhetorically asks himself, against the paradise that the spores bring. Lost in thought, he forgets that he is sitting near the pod plant he threw earlier when it blasts him with a dose of the spores. He becomes just as mindlessly happy as the others and hails Spock to let him know that he finally understands and wants to join them after all. Returning to his quarters to pack, Kirk opens his safe and finds one of his medals. A look of frustration comes over his face and he refuses to take the medal with him. He angrily closes the box and immediately leaves his quarters. About to beam down to the planet, he suddenly gets hold of himself and becomes angry, yelling that he cannot leave the Enterprise, and, after slamming his fist down on the transporter console, he becomes himself again, free of the spores. He realizes that violent emotions and anger are what counteract the spores' euphoria-inducing effects. Noting this cure for the spores in his log, Kirk also realizes that his plan to free his crew and the colonists from the spores' effects and escape Omicron Ceti III comes with one potential danger: Spock. Knowing his first officer to be considerably stronger than a normal Human being and could kill him with his bare hands, Kirk decides to risk it. Kirk, pretending to still be under the influence of the spores, hails Spock and tells him that he would like some help in moving some of the ship's equipment that could be useful down on the planet. Spock offers to send a team, but Kirk says he thinks the two of them can handle it. Spock agrees and beams up, telling Leila he will return soon. However, upon returning to the ship, Spock is greeted with Kirk threateningly brandishing a metal pipe and calling him a "mutinous, disloyal, computerized, half-breed." Spock thinks Kirk is joking, but, the captain persists and begins insulting Spock's parents and the entire Vulcan race. Spock pleads with Kirk to stop, but, he continues, now turning his attention to Leila and how Spock couldn't possibly love her, and that he is a freak who belongs in a circus, "right next to the dog-faced boy." At this, Spock finally snaps and attacks Kirk, throwing him around the transporter room. As he prepares to smash a small metal table over Kirk's head, Spock regains control of himself and is broken from the spores' influence. He and Kirk set out to create a subsonic transmitter that will induce anger and intense emotions in everyone on the planet's surface via the crew's communicators, thus eradicating the spores. When Leila beams up to the ship to find out what happened to Spock, she tells him that she cannot lose him again. But Spock tells her that he has a responsibility to the ship, and to his friend the captain. He goes on to tell her that he is who he is, and that if there are self-made purgatories then we all have to live in them, that his can be no worse than that of someone else. Leila cries and then realizes that she lost not only Spock but the feeling the spores induced as well. However, she says that her feelings for Spock still have not changed and that she still loves him. The transmitter is activated, and fights break out across the colony, destroying the spores' effects. Sandoval expresses regret, noting that they have not really accomplished anything in three years, as any progress they made was purely the result of the spores. He hopes that he and the other colonists can try again on another planet. As the Enterprise leaves Omicron Ceti III for Starbase 27, McCoy cynically states that this is the second time Humans have been thrown out of paradise and Kirk responds jokingly that actually this time they just walked out on their own; maybe they weren't meant for paradise, says Kirk, maybe they were meant to fight their way through, struggle and scratch for every inch of the way. Spock, on the other hand, realizes that his time with Leila on the surface was the first time he had ever been happy. 
<EOS>
On Janus VI, a miner named Schmitter replaces Sam at his guard post. Schmitter is extremely nervous about doing guard detail, but Chief Vanderberg reassures him by recommending that he have his phaser on him at all times and if he hears or sees anything, help can arrive in three minutes. Moments after Chief Vanderberg and the other guards move on, they hear a scream and return to find Schmitter reduced to a pile of ashes. Two days later, the USS Enterprise arrives at Janus VI in response to the distress call. For the past three months, a creature has been terrorizing the mining colony, killing more than fifty people, sabotaging machinery on the lower levels, and bringing the Pergium production to a halt. Captain Kirk, Spock, and McCoy analyze the situation in Vanderberg's office. Only one man saw the creature and lived: Chief engineer Ed Appel, who shot it with his phaser type-1 with no effect. He doubts that the power of a starship will do any good "down in the tunnels." McCoy analyzes Schmitter's remains; they are not burned but corroded, as if he had been immersed in a vat of extremely corrosive acid. Spock is fascinated by a silicon sphere on Vanderburg's desk; Vanderburg says there are millions of them underground but they have no value. Their conversation is interrupted by an alarm at the colony's nuclear reactor. The creature has killed the guard outside, burned its way in, and taken the reactor's main circulating pump, without which the reactor will go super-critical and irradiate half the planet. Scott reports from the Enterprise that he can rig up a replacement with "some odds and ends," that might last 48 hours. Kirk orders him to beam down with it and hopes that, within that time, the original pump can be retrieved. Spock, still contemplating Vanderburg's sphere, speculates that they may be dealing with a silicon-based lifeform rather than carbon-based life. This would explain why the creature does not show up on sensors and why it was impervious to Appel's phaser. Kirk summons Lieutenant Commander Giotto and a security team, and Spock adjusts their type 2 phasers to be more effective against silicon. The security team is dispatched to level 23, which was opened just before the attacks began. Kirk orders them to set their phasers to maximum, and to fire whether or not attacked. A security officer is killed by the creature, bringing Kirk and Spock to the scene. They see the creature, and fire on it, damaging it, but it gets away, tunneling through the rock with its acid. They examine a piece of the creature, which seems to prove Spock's theory of silicon-based life. Spock detects only one such creature within a hundred miles, and suggests that to kill it would result in the extinction of the species, "a crime against science," he states. Kirk says there is no alternative. The search teams focus on where the creature was seen. Spock gives them orders to "surround it, and possibly capture it" but Kirk countermands him, stressing that the goal is to "shoot to kill."  Kirk orders Spock away to assist Scott with the reactor, but Spock counters with logic and Kirk relents. Spock states that the probability of he and Kirk both getting killed by the creature is approximately "2,228.7 to 1," to which Kirk ultimately allows Spock to stay with him. Scott's improvised pump fails and Kirk prepares to beam the miners up to the ship. But Vanderburg and his men refuse to be chased from the planet; they vow to fight the creature -- "with clubs" if there are not enough phasers. Kirk and Spock separate and Kirk finds a chamber with hundreds of the silicon spheres. Spock warns Kirk not to damage them but is still not ready to state his theory about them. A roof near Kirk collapses, which Spock finds much too odd to be a coincidence. The only way out for Kirk is to continue forward -- to a face-to-face encounter with the creature. Kirk senses the creature's intelligence, as it backs off when Kirk raises and lowers his phaser and it displays its wound from the previous encounter, and Kirk's determination to kill the creature softens. Spock arrives and initiates a Vulcan mind meld to communicate with the creature. He learns that it is a sentient being of a race called the Horta and is in extreme pain, and the Horta learns enough to etch the ambiguous "NO KILL I" into the rock floor. Kirk summons McCoy, though Spock thinks his medical training will be useless on the Horta. Another mind meld reveals that the Horta is preparing for the extinction of its race. It directs the Humans to find their pump in the "Chamber of the Ages." Kirk tells Spock to communicate to the creature that they are trying to help. He goes to the Chamber and finds about a million silicon spheres, which Kirk and Spock now understand are Horta eggs, ready to hatch. But several miners, held apart from the confrontation by the Enterprise security team, overpower it and stream into the confrontation. Kirk vows to kill the first man who fires and explains that the Horta is a mother reacting naturally to the destruction of thousands of her children. Spock adds that the Horta "harbor ill will towards no one." Kirk envisages a collaboration between the miners and a new generation of Horta who can tunnel through rock with as much ease as they do walking through air. McCoy repairs the Horta's wound by troweling thermal concrete, used mostly for the construction of emergency shelters, onto it. The crew returns to the Enterprise and Vanderberg radios in that the Horta have started hatching and have already found new mineral deposits. He even mentions that one can get used to their appearance. Spock says the Horta told him the same thing about Humans. He counters some teasing from McCoy by replying that the Horta especially admired Vulcan ears. 
<EOS>
Coded orders from Starfleet Command to the USS Enterprise disclose that negotiations with the Klingon Empire are on the verge of collapse and that Starfleet expects a surprise attack. The Enterprise is ordered to Organia, a peaceful, class M planet in the disputed area, to prevent the Klingons from using it as a base of operations. En route, a Klingon vessel suddenly attacks the Enterprise with magnetic pulses. Kirk orders the phaser banks to lock on and return fire. After a brief weapons exchange, the Enterprise destroys the Klingon ship with a proximity blast set at a 100% dispersal pattern. Lieutenant Uhura receives a Code One alert from Starfleet: War with the Klingons has begun and Captain Kirk resolves to reach Organia "before the hammer falls", as the trigger has now been pulled. Assuming orbit, Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet, leaving Lieutenant Sulu in charge, with specific duties "to the Enterprise, not to us" and, if outnumbered, to avoid combat and immediately warn Starfleet. Upon beaming down to the surface of Organia, Kirk and Spock find a primitive, agrarian society whose people seem curiously unconcerned about visitors materializing within their midst. Ayelborne welcomes them, but tells Kirk "we don't have anyone in authority." But, as Chairman of the Council of Elders, he invites them to the Council chambers. However, the councilors tell Kirk they have no need of protection nor defenses; they do not believe the Klingon invasion poses any threat to their people or their culture or way of life. While they recess to discuss Kirk's offer, Spock discloses that the culture has not advanced for as far back as his tricorder can measure; Organia is "an arrested culture." The Council's discussions result in no change, and they can see no benefit to affiliation with the Federation. Then the Klingon fleet of D7 battle cruisers arrives -- a fact councilor Trefayne somehow seems aware of before even Spock can confirm it with his tricorder, surprising him and Kirk. The Enterprise is forced to leave, stranding Kirk and Spock amid a Klingon occupation army, led by Kor. The Organians provide Kirk and Spock with native clothing, but take their weapons. Kirk is now Baroner, a leading Organian citizen, while Spock is a Vulcan merchant dealing in kevas and trillium. But Kor considers Spock a spy, since Vulcans are members of the Federation, and takes him in for questioning. When Kirk protests, Kor decides that Kirk is "a man I can deal with" as his liaison to the civil population. The examination, performed with the mind scanner, does not pierce Spock's pretense, and he is released. Kirk has been instructed in his duties as liaison, and both men are released to go about their business. Formulating a plan to fight against the Klingons, Kirk and Spock destroy a Klingon ammo dump -- and find that the Organians are appalled by mere thought of violence. Kirk tells Ayelborne that the Organians can resist a military dictatorship, but Ayelborne replies that Kirk simply doesn't understand them. Unfortunately, Kor has the Council chamber under surveillance and hears everything. Ayelborne, learning Kor's plan to interrogate Kirk with the mind sifter, reveals Kirk's identity. Betrayed, Kirk and Spock are taken prisoner and threatened. But Ayelborne remains placid, assuring Kirk that no harm will come of it. Kirk and Kor discuss their differing ideologies; Kor is pleased that the universe is full of people who don't like the Klingons. Kirk is given twelve hours to answer questions about Starfleet's starship deployments; otherwise, he will be subjected to the mind sifter, becoming a vegetable, and Spock will be dissected to determine how he can resist it. Kirk tells Kor he will need a lot more than twelve hours to get the necessary information out of him. Kor tells Kirk that he will get the necessary information from him at the designated time as war is a game that the Klingons intend to win. With just over six hours left, the cell door opens, but it is Ayelborne, offering them safe passage back to the Council chambers, where he assures them the Klingons will not come. Kirk cannot understand how their betrayer is now their rescuer. He does not initially trust Ayelborne, but as the Organian informs him he has very little choice. When asked where the two Klingon guards are, Ayelborne simply states nothing happened to them. When informed of the escape by his lieutenant, Kor is furious. The Klingon officer reports that the two Klingon guards were simply not there with no other exit. Kor gives a Special Occupation Order 4. Kirk, Spock and the Organians hear disruptor fire and, on the loudspeakers, that hostages will be killed: two hundred immediately, and two hundred more at two hour intervals until the "Federation spies" are returned. Kirk plans a suicide assault on Kor's stronghold that evening to save Organian lives. The Council returns the officers' phasers, then confer privately that, "Of course, we cannot allow it." Darkness falls, and Kirk and Spock begin their assault, resolving to stun and not kill, as "we're after the top dog." They disable the Kor's lieutenant and gain entry to Kor's office. Kirk doesn't plan to kill Kor; Kor wants to discuss the prospects for war, on the surface and in space. For example, even Kor's office is under surveillance. But, as Klingon troops stream in, everyone's weapons become too hot to handle -- and the same is true on every ship in both warring fleets. Ayelborne and Claymare enter Kor's office, apologize for being forced to intervene, but announce that they have put a stop to the violence. Ayelborne states that, as he stands before Kirk and Kor, he also stands on their respective homeworlds, Earth and Qo'noS. Both sides must agree to cease hostilities, or their armed forces will be immobilized. While insisting that nobody wants war, Kirk seems equally annoyed at its interruption as is Kor. He states they have legitimate grievances and that they have a right to handle it as they see fit. Ayelborne tells them that in the future, their races will eventually become fast friends and will work together, which Kor finds unbelievable. Claymare says the visitors' discordant emotions require that they must leave. Ayelborne discloses that the Organians are millions of years beyond the need for physical bodies. They have evolved into advanced and powerful energy beings, and the outward appearance of Organia was solely to provide points of reference for visitors. Ayelborne and Claymare disappear, turning into very bright pure energy, Kirk turns to Kor and tells him it looks like they will not be going to war after all. "A shame, captain. It would have been glorious", the Klingon commander states. Back on board the Enterprise, Kirk admits to Spock at being embarrassed that he was furious with the Organians from preventing a war with the Klingons -- a war he did not want. Kirk tells Spock that they often think of themselves as the most powerful force in the universe, it's unsettling to find out they ultimately are not. Spock tells Kirk that he and himself have no reason to be embarrassed; it took millions of years for the Organians to evolve into what they are now. Spock points out that even the gods did not come into being overnight. Spock also says that at least they beat the odds in not dying on the planet. Kirk tells Spock he is wrong, they didn't have a chance at beating the odds. "The Organians raided the game." 
<EOS>
In orbit around an unexplored planet, the USS Enterprise is on red alert as it passes through violent time distortions surrounding the planet. As the ship plots its orbit, Montgomery Scott warns that the control circuits are threatening to overload. No sooner does Captain Kirk acknowledge the report, the helm console on the bridge explodes and Lieutenant Sulu is injured. Scott takes the helm as Doctor McCoy is called to the bridge for emergency first aid. Scott questions if the ship should break orbit, but Spock advises against it -- the ship is literally passing through ripples in time and it is of great scientific importance that they remain and investigate. Kirk agrees and orders Uhura to broadcast to Starfleet Command his past week's log entries, detailing the unusual readings on the instruments that has diverted the Enterprise to this planet. McCoy arrives and diagnoses Sulu with a heart flutter. He prepares a hypo of cordrazine, warned by Kirk that it is "tricky stuff." Fortunately, the two drops administered by McCoy successfully revives Sulu. Scott reports that the Enterprise is nearly clear of the time ripples, which Spock confirms, with one heavy displacement directly ahead. The Enterprise shudders violently as it collides with it, causing Dr. McCoy to slip on the helm console and inject the loaded hypospray into his abdomen, emptying its contents into his bloodstream. Kirk and Spock rush to his aid, but McCoy darts up in a panic. Raving and screaming about "killers" and "assassins", McCoy breaks free from the concerned bridge crew and flees the bridge via the turbolift. Kirk orders a security alert. Dr. McCoy evades the security teams and enters the transporter room where he attacks the transporter chief Lieutenant Kyle from behind, steals his phaser and energizes the transporter. On the bridge, Kirk has returned from sickbay, where the ship's medical department in uncertain of what McCoy's condition will do to him. Spock, having consulted the library computer, discovers that patients exposed to such a level of cordrazine would fail to recognize acquaintances and become hysterically convinced they were in mortal danger, becoming extremely dangerous to himself or anyone else nearby. Suddenly, the transporter room calls the bridge and informs Kirk that McCoy has beamed down to the planet, with the transporter at the time being focused on the center of the time disruptions on the surface. Kirk orders a landing party to be set up to retrieve Dr. McCoy. Kirk, Spock, Scott, Uhura, Galloway, and a security officer transport down and discover a ruined city with an unusual looking portal in the midst. As Uhura and Scott's teams search for Dr. McCoy, Kirk and Spock investigate the object. Spock reports that it is indeed the center of all the time disruptions, although he cannot explain how it is possible. The object, though it appears inert, is in fact generating powerful enough waves of displacement that the Enterprise could detect it millions of miles away. Kirk asks what it is and a loud, booming voice intones from the object "A question! Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question." The object identifies itself as the Guardian of Forever, explaining that is both machine and being, while also being neither. Spock deduces that the Guardian is a time portal -- a gateway to other times and dimensions, which the Guardian confirms is correct and activates its portal, offering Kirk and Spock a gateway into Earth's past. Suddenly, McCoy cries out -- he has been cornered by the search parties. Still madly convinced they are killers and assassins, he tries to escape, but is subdued by a Vulcan nerve pinch, courtesy of Spock. Kirk ponders if they could use the Guardian of Forever to take McCoy backwards a day in time to make certain that his accident never happens. However, the portal's speed is moving fairly quickly, jumping from century to century. Spock suddenly realizes that his tricorder is capable of recording images at the same speed and activates it, just as McCoy regains consciousness. As the landing party is transfixed on the Guardian and the images it is showing, McCoy hears the Guardian explain that this portal will allow people to go anywhere in time. With the landing party momentarily distracted, McCoy jump up and runs towards the portal until it is too late to stop him. The doctor jumps through it and the portal shuts down. When Kirk wonders where he went, the voice of the Guardian explains "He has passed into what was." Uhura suddenly discovers that she's completely lost contact with the Enterprise. Scott finds nothing wrong with the communicators, but the Guardian further explains that "Your vessel, your beginning, all that you knew is gone." Kirk makes the horrible realization that McCoy has somehow changed history, stranding the landing party on the planet with no past and no future. Uhura tells Kirk she's frightened, but, Kirk is equally as disturbed. The tricorder scans Spock took just as McCoy left reveal that he jumped back to the early 20th century and can approximate when they should jump through the portal, putting them possibly a month or a week prior to McCoy's arrival. Kirk wonders how they will return to the their own time, but the Guardian tells him that if he is successful in mending the timeline, they will all be returned, as if none of them had gone. Scott and Uhura are skeptical about their chances, but Spock logically states that there is no alternative. Kirk, however, out of concern for his officers, tells each of the landing party to jump through the portal if they feel like they've waited long enough for he and Spock to return, allowing them to live in Earth's past rather than be stranded on the Guardian's planet should they fail to find the time date McCoy jumped to. Scott and Uhura bid them good luck as Kirk and Spock simultaneously jump through the portal, backwards through time. They arrive in New York City, circa 1930. Kirk recognizes the period from old photographs, which Spock clarifies that an economic upheaval had occurred at this point in time. As passersby scrutinize Kirk and Spock's unusual appearance, they make for a back alley to get out of sight. Kirk notices some contemporary clothes on a fire escape and elects to steal them, as their Starfleet uniforms are not suited for the time period. However, they are approached by a police officer, caught red-handed. As Kirk awkwardly tries to explain Spock's Vulcan ears, the policeman prepares to arrest them. However, Spock disables him with a nerve pinch and they escape to the basement of what they soon learn is the 21st Street Mission. After changing clothes, Spock laments that locked in his tricorder are the images of how McCoy will change history. Unfortunately, he would need to tie it into the Enterprise computer to access the information. Kirk wonders if he could build a computer aid using contemporary materials, but, Spock is dubious as to its success. As their voices carry, they are accosted by the proprietor of the mission, Edith Keeler. Kirk apologizes for their intrusion and tells her the truth as to why they came down there -- that they had stolen their clothes because they had no money and were being chased by a policeman. Believing them to be victims of the poor economy, Edith offers them jobs at the mission doing chores at fifteen cents an hour for ten hours a day. Kirk and Spock agree and set to cleaning up the basement. Hours later, they are eating their complimentary dinner of soup and bread with the other poverty-stricken citizens, when Keeler takes the stage and gives a motivational speech about how she believes the days ahead are worth living for, theorizing that one day soon, man will be able to harness the power of the atom, which could ultimately propel them into outer space, where they will be able to find ways to feed the hungry millions of the world, to cure their diseases, and give mankind hope and a common future. Kirk is impressed with her foresight into the future, while Spock believes it to be merely intuition. Afterwards, Keeler compliments Kirk on his and Spock's work in the basement and offers them further work and sets them up with an apartment in the building where she lives. Several days later, Spock is hard at work attempting to build the computer aid to access the information in his tricorder, but he laments the speed at which the work is progressing as the technology of the 20th century is barely adequate for his needs. The next day, Spock observes a man using tools for finely detailed work and steals them from the mission's toolbox using his sensitive Vulcan ears to break the combination. Keeler quickly discovers the theft and is very upset that Spock did it, but Kirk is able to convince her that Spock meant no ill will, and would return the tools when he was finished. Edith agrees, as she has become fascinated by Kirk, and asks him to walk her home. The two become close as Keeler questions where Kirk comes from and how he sees the world the same way that she does. As they walk away, Spock looks concerned. After a few more days, Spock is finally able to access the information in the tricorder, where he discovers Edith Keeler's 1930 obituary -- her death the result of a traffic accident. As Kirk enters, he attempts to replay it for him, but another image appears -- a newspaper article from 1936, detailing a meeting Keeler has with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Unfortunately, the strain on the computer aid overloads it, requiring extensive repair work before it can be used again. Kirk believes within six years, Keeler will become nationally famous, but Spock tells Kirk their caretaker will die this year. Spock tells Kirk of Keeler's 1930 obituary, and that Edith Keeler is the focal point in time that both they and Dr. McCoy will be drawn to. Kirk ponders what the correct course of history is, if she lives or dies and what role McCoy, especially in his cordrazine-induced condition will play in it --  does he kill her or prevent her from being killed? Spock asks Kirk the most pressing question of all: Suppose they discover to set history right, Edith Keeler must die? Kirk cannot answer and he wrestles with his growing affection for her and the role she will ultimately play in history. In a back alley elsewhere in the city, Dr. McCoy arrives, screaming out to the "assassins" and the "murderers", garnering the attention of a homeless man, awestruck with fear. He runs, but McCoy pursues him, promising he won't kill him. He eventually catches up to him, but, McCoy soon wonders where he is. The constellations in the sky lead him to believe that he's on Earth, but, even in his manic state, he believes it's some kind of trick. He begins sobbing hysterically at how hospitals in the past needed to use needles and sutures to attend to people and loses consciousness. The derelict picks McCoy's pocket and takes his phaser. Unfortunately, as he examines it, he activates the overload circuit and disintegrates himself. The next morning, McCoy looks in terrible shape. As he staggers around the streets, still suffering the effects of his cordrazine overdose, he discovers the 21st Street Mission. He goes inside, where Edith is serving coffee. She notices his condition and offers to help, but he says he must not be found, so she takes him to a cot in the back room where he won't be disturbed. As they depart, Spock takes over for her pouring the coffee, missing McCoy by only a few seconds. Shortly thereafter, Spock is able to repair the computer aid and accesses the tricorder again. According to the scans taken from the time vortex, Spock is convinced that McCoy prevented Edith Keeler's death in a traffic accident as she was meant to in the "correct" timeline. She later went on to found a pacifist movement whose influence on President Roosevelt delayed the United States' entry into World War II. As the peace negotiations dragged on, Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany had time to complete their heavy water experiments, allowing them to develop the atomic bomb first, with which Germany conquered the world. Spock tells Kirk they must stop McCoy. Kirk wonders when she has to die, but, Spock informs him that while they can extrapolate general events, they cannot pinpoint exact movements at exact time. Kirk, his heart already breaking, tells Spock that he believes he is in love with Edith Keeler. Spock grimly reminds Kirk: "Edith Keeler must die." McCoy regains consciousness, almost fully recovered now, with Keeler at his bedside. While it appears to him that he's back on Earth around 1920 or '25, Keeler asks him if he would care to try for 30. McCoy introduces himself to her, and declares that he is the chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise. Keeler, believing him to be speaking of a naval vessel, tells him that he's hardly wearing a navy uniform and dismisses his claim as part of his condition. Noting the peculiar way he speaks of present-day Earth, she asks McCoy if she would like to meet her friend who seems to talk the same way, but McCoy is not interested. "I'm a surgeon, not a psychiatrist," he states. Later, at their apartment building, Kirk approaches Keeler on the staircase. As she goes to meet him, she stumbles. Kirk, reflexively, catches her before she can fall. Spock witnesses this and after Kirk and Keeler part for the moment, Spock reminds him that she might have died had Kirk not caught her. Kirk, his voice vacant, dismisses it by saying "It's not yet time. McCoy's not here." Spock, however, logically states that they are not certain of their facts and cannot know for sure when the right time will come. He reminds Kirk that if he saves her life, "Millions will die who did not die before." In the evening hours, McCoy is now fully restored to health thanks to Keeler's ministrations. As he drinks a cup of coffee, he offers to help out around the mission to thank her for saving his life. Keeler tells him they can discuss it later as she has to leave, her gentleman caller is taking her to see a Clark Gable movie. Dr. McCoy doesn't know who Clark Gable is, but he knows what a movie is, which she finds very strange and bids him good night. Spock exits the mission as Kirk and Keeler do. As they cross the street, hand in hand, Keeler mentions the idea of seeing the Clark Gable movie. Kirk questions who's she's talking about and Keeler makes an offhand comment about how Dr. McCoy had the same reaction. Kirk, immediately, jumps to attention and asks her if she's talking about Leonard McCoy. She confirms that she is and Kirk tells her to wait on the sidewalk for him as he calls out to Spock. They dash back to the mission as Dr. McCoy exits from it. The three embrace in relief at finally being reunited. Keeler, watching from the other side of the street, begins to cross to see what is going on as a large truck turns the nearby corner and speeds down the street. Kirk notices her approaching and the oncoming truck and tries to warn her, but Spock yells out: "No, Jim!" Dr. McCoy, oblivious to what the ramifications are, begins to run out to help her, but Kirk holds him back as the truck slams on its brakes and strikes Edith.  She is killed instantly. Kirk, his eyes clenched in grief, cannot bear to look as passersby scurry into the street and surround Edith Keeler's lifeless body. McCoy, shocked and outraged, turns to Kirk and says: "You deliberately stopped me, Jim! I could have saved her! Do you know what you just did?" Kirk shoves McCoy aside as Spock somberly replies: "He knows, Doctor, he knows." In Kirk, not even the knowledge that history has been returned to normal can heal the open wound in his heart over the death of the woman he loved. Back in the 23rd century, Spock and Kirk, once again in their Starfleet uniforms, emerge from the time portal. Scott, incredulous, asks them what happened as from his perspective they had only left a moment ago.  From within the time vortex, Dr. McCoy also emerges from the time portal. Spock answers: "We were successful." The voice of the Guardian of Forever booms as it declares "Time has resumed its shape. All is as it was before. Many such journeys are possible. Let me be your gateway." Uhura is now able contact the Enterprise, where the crew is wondering if the landing party wants to beam back up. Even with the wondrous invitation from the Guardian to travel to other times and other places, a devastated Captain Kirk gives his order: "Let's get the hell out of here." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise approaches Deneva. Captain Kirk is concerned; Uhura has been unable to contact any transmitter on the planet, including a private transmitter code Kirk suggests. Spock's research has revealed that a pattern of mass insanity has been spreading in a straight line through this part of the galaxy, starting with Levinius V, then Theta Cygni XII, Ingraham B, and now Deneva is next, a planet on which Kirk's brother Sam is stationed with his family. Lieutenant Sulu picks up a ship on sensors. The small craft of Denevan configuration is on course directly for the Denevan sun, and does not appear to be out of control. Kirk orders Sulu engage the Enterprise at warp 8 interception course. The Denevan vessel is out of range of the tractor beam; the Enterprise pursues. Finally, they make contact: seconds before the ship burns up, the pilot cries out "I did it!  It's finally gone! I'm free!!". After the vessel's destruction, Doctor McCoy walks up to Kirk and softly asks, "Jim, your brother Sam and his family -- aren't they stationed on this planet?" Spock and Montgomery Scott inform Kirk about Deneva's history and the fact that there has not been contact in a year. Uhura reports activity on the private transmitter channel, a woman speaking but does not respond to Kirk. He identifies her as his brother's wife to McCoy. Once the Enterprise arrives at Deneva, Kirk forms a landing party consisting of him, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Yeoman Zahra, and Bobby. Spock says there are the expected number of Human life signs, but "strangely quiet." They beam directly into the capital city on Deneva. Once on the planet, they are struck by the curious lack of people; in a city of 100,000 people, no one is visible -- until, a few minutes later, they are about to be attacked by four men who, even as they charge, scream "Go away!  We don't want to hurt you!" But, with their crude clubs, they start to try anyway, forcing the landing party to stun them with their phasers, an attitude inconsistent with their actions. Then McCoy discovers with his medical tricorder that the nervous systems of the unconscious men are violently active -- as if they are somehow still being stimulated. A loud scream draws them next to Kirk's brother's lab. Kirk's brother, Sam, lies dead on the floor. Aurelan, Sam's wife, is hysterical, and their child Peter is unconscious nearby. Evidence suggests something has been trying to force its way in, despite the fact that the sensors showed nothing on Deneva that didn't belong there. In sickbay aboard the Enterprise, Aurelan, in terrible pain, tells Kirk that "things" came, eight months prior, on a ship from Ingraham B. As she tries to answer Kirk's questions, she experiences more and more pain, until McCoy is forced to sedate her. The creatures use the Denevans as their arms and legs, and are forcing them to build ships. They control their hosts with pain. Aurelan's last act is to implore Kirk not to let the things go any further; this effort costs her everything she has left, and she dies. Kirk rejoins the landing party; he knows there is some sort of creature present, but the landing party has not yet discovered anything beyond a curious buzzing. Entering a building where they heard this sound, the landing party discovers strange creatures. Looking like little more than loathsome blobs of jelly, they emit an unwholesome buzzing, and employ a crude, wingless flight. A phaser at force 3, on the kill setting -- sufficient to destroy most organisms -- barely affects these creatures, even after several seconds of exposure. And the creatures do not even register on Spock's tricorder. Thinking it may be a trap, Kirk orders the landing party out of the infested area; as they leave, a creature strikes Spock in the back, leaving a strange puncture wound. Kirk rips it off of Spock's back and asks the Vulcan if he is all right. Spock looks upward in pain. McCoy removes a small strand of tissue, and then, over Nurse Chapel's objections, he closes the wound. The creatures attack by stinging; they leave behind a piece of this tissue that rapidly infiltrates the victim's entire nervous system, far too completely for conventional surgery to remove it. McCoy explains this to Kirk on the bridge while showing him the piece of tissue in a container. Spock recovers consciousness, rages out of sickbay and storms the bridge. His goal: to take the ship out of orbit. Spock is ultimately overcome, sedated by McCoy after being held down by Scott, Sulu, and Kirk, and he is returned to sickbay, where McCoy makes another grim discovery. The K3 indicator, a measure of pain, is very, very high. The reason for the madness is confirmed: victims are in such agony that their minds eventually break under the stress. Spock, recovering consciousness, now claims the ability to control the pain. But after his visit to the bridge, Kirk isn't sure and has him continued to be confined to sickbay. Spock, conquering the pain, breaks out of sickbay and plans to visit the planet's surface. Scotty, acting on Kirk's orders, refuses to transport him. A scuffle breaks out, including Spock using the Vulcan nerve pinch on Leslie. Scott holds Spock by threatening to stun him with a phaser and calls for Kirk to come down. Later, when Kirk appears, Spock explains that his plan is to retrieve a creature for study. He believes that since his nervous system is already infiltrated, there is little more the creatures can do to him. Kirk is convinced, and over McCoy's objections, Spock beams down to collect a creature for study. Spock is attacked by a colonist on Deneva almost immediately after being beamed down. The man knocks Spock's phaser out of his hand with his club. Spock is able to incapacitate the crazed man with a Vulcan nerve pinch and, upon regaining his phaser, begins to struggle against the pain of the parasite. Spock returns with a creature he fires his phaser at and begins to study it. Immediately, in one of the Enterprise's science labs, he realizes that the creature resembles, more than anything, an enormous brain cell. Kirk catches on immediately: these creatures are not separate animals, they are all parts of a single entity, connected together in some mysterious fashion. This is how it resists phaser fire: each part draws strength from the whole. McCoy's multiple efforts to find some method to kill the creatures fail. Not heat, not radiation -- nothing can kill it. Kirk knows that if they cannot find a way to kill these creatures, he will be forced to destroy Deneva to prevent their spread. A million people will die if nothing can be done. Kirk cannot let the creatures spread, and has absolutely no wish to kill the Denevans, including his nephew. He demands a third alternative. The key lies in exploring the properties of the sun. The Denevan the Enterprise contacted earlier was free of the creature moments before he died; something in the sun killed it. It is not radiation, it is not heat -- could it be light? After turning a computer in his quarters on and off, Kirk thinks that it may be the answer. McCoy rigs a test cubicle, puts the sample creature inside, and confirms the theory: high intensity light is fatal to these creatures. Spock enters next; it is necessary to see what will happen to tissue that has infiltrated a victim. Spock volunteers to enter the cubicle -- McCoy, who would prefer his guinea pig be someone other than the man he regards as Starfleet's best first officer, attempts to dissuade him, but Spock insists. This test does, in fact, succeed: the blinding light completely frees Spock of the creature and the pain -- but at the cost of his eyesight. Spock, exiting the cubicle, remarks that it is an equitable trade -- the closest he comes to revealing how much pain he has been experiencing. Only then is the true tragedy revealed: lab tests indicate that the creatures are vulnerable only to a specific subset of the light spectrum: ultraviolet light is its Achilles' heel. McCoy is chagrined to realize that Spock need not have been blinded at all. Despite this, the answer is at hand. Kirk orders satellite control to deploy a formation of 210 ultraviolet satellites at 72 miles altitude, in a permanent orbit. The satellites are turned on; the creatures begin to fail, to fall, to smoke and to die. Ground stations on Deneva quickly make contact; the creatures are dying everywhere. Spock returns to the bridge -- he can once again see. It seems that an inner eyelid, an hereditary trait of Vulcans, protected his eyes automatically. Relieved beyond words, McCoy asks Kirk not to mention his previous "best first officer" statement -- at which point Spock turns around from his science station and thanks the doctor for his compliment, and Kirk jokes that all the concern over Spock's eyes had led McCoy to forget about his Vulcan ears. Kirk has Sulu take the Enterprise to warp factor 1 and the ship leaves Deneva. 
<EOS>
A landing party of Sulu, Scott, and Crewman Jackson on Pyris VII is overdue for a routine check-in, when Jackson finally answers the USS Enterprise's urgent hails. His disconcerting message: one to beam up. And, when Jackson is beamed aboard by Kyle, he materializes on the transporter pad and he immediately falls down to the floor, dead. But from his dead lips a sonorous voice tells Captain Kirk that his ship is cursed; he must leave or all will die. With two crewmen missing and a mysterious death, Kirk doesn't plan to leave just yet. He organizes a second landing party: himself, Spock, and Doctor McCoy. They beam to the point from which Jackson was beamed up. There, Kirk intends to discover what happened to his missing men, and what killed Jackson. The planet is fogbound, something extremely unlikely given the environmental conditions, as there are no cloud formations or bodies of water on the planet. Proceeding towards a reading of nearby lifeforms, the landing party encounters three witches; the spectral hags again warn Kirk to leave. Winds and fog try to thwart the landing party, but they eventually discover a large castle -- the source of the lifeform readings. Entering the castle, they find a black cat and identify all the iconography of old Earth tales. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Ensign Chekov reports to assistant chief engineer DeSalle that the landing party's lifeform readings are the only ones on the planet. As the landing party entered the castle, he then says they have simply stopped registering. DeSalle asks Chekov to check the scanning equipment for malfunctions but Chekov already has -- the equipment is functioning perfectly. DeSalle then orders Chekov to recalibrate the scanners. The landing party explores the castle further and falls through the floor, plunging them down to a dungeon chamber, and unconsciousness. Awakening, the landing party discovers they are chained. Scott and Sulu appear, and Kirk is at first relieved to see his missing men. Then he realizes they're marching to someone else's drum: alive, but unresponsive and no longer allies. The two enthralled men free Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, and herd them towards the door at phaser point; a brief scuffle is halted when all the men are suddenly -- elsewhere, in the presence of a strange robed man. This is Korob, decked out in wizard's finery, with robe, wand, and black cat. Spock's comment that mapping expeditions have not discovered lifeforms on Pyris VII wrings a small truth from Korob -- that he is not native to this world. Korob first plies the crew with food and drink, then with fortunes in gemstones. All to get them to leave, without asking more questions. But Kirk tells Korob he could manufacture such stones by the ton on his ship; they're valueless, a fact that conflicts with whatever research Korob has done. Korob then reveals that the events were staged to test the landing party. He has learned they are loyal, brave, and incorruptible. Sylvia enters. She tells Kirk that she can read and control the minds of men. Kirk briefly overpowers Scott, seizing his phaser, and when he refuses to return it, Sylvia reveals another skill: she can perform sympathetic magic. She admits that she thought of Jackson in her mind, and when she killed the image and knew it was dead, so was the real Jackson. A small model of the Enterprise, held in the flame of a candle -- and the real ship, orbiting above, begins to grow hot. Chekov reports to DeSalle that the temperature has jumped sixty degrees in just thirty seconds. "We're burning up, sir," he states. Seizing Sylvia's arm, Kirk removes the model from the flame, and the Enterprise from danger. When he suggests that landing parties will soon appear, Korob seals the model in a block -- and above, the ship is suddenly surrounded by a force field unlike anything ever encountered, a field that doesn't come from anywhere, but just is. On the Enterprise, Chekov cannot analyze it. DeSalle orders Chekov to attempt to puncture the force field. Kirk and Spock are returned to the dungeon, while McCoy remains with Sylvia, who intends to question him. Kirk and Spock spend some time speculating about Sylvia and Korob, and Kirk decides they must be stopped. Their questions and interest seems to him a little too sinister. McCoy eventually returns, though he has been taken control of by Sylvia. He, Sulu, and Scott take Kirk to Sylvia. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Korob argue. Sylvia likes her new sensations, and it's obvious that the interest goes further than their original plan. Wherever these aliens call home, they have nothing like them -- and she intends to remain here. Korob reminds her they have a duty to the Old Ones, a fact she considers unimportant in light of her new infatuation. Kirk is returned to Sylvia's presence, where he learns she is infatuated with him, as well. She reveals her plan: to dispose of Korob and join with Kirk. But Kirk is using her, gaining answers through manipulation. Among other things, he learns that the transmuter is the key to her power, a mechanism that facilitates the actualization of thought. But she discovers the deception, and has McCoy, Scott, and Sulu haul Kirk back to his cell. On the Enterprise, Chekov reports that they had an effect on the force field, identifying a small electrical field as a start. Korob finds Kirk and Spock; he reveals he has released the Enterprise, and he releases them. He also reveals that he can no longer control Sylvia or her pawns, and that he considers her dangerously irrational. He is regretful, offering his opinion that their visit could have been a peaceful one. Time presses, and he cannot explain in detail; instead, he urges the men out of their cell, where they again encounter the black cat -- now grown to enormous size. The men are forced to retreat back into their cell, where they attempt to escape through the ceiling. The cat forces the door of the cell, however, crushing Korob. Kirk now has an opportunity to retrieve the wand. Escaping through the ceiling, Kirk and Spock are confronted by their own enthralled crew, and a brief scuffle ends with Sylvia's pawns out of action, and the reappearance of the cat, as well as Sylvia. The wand Kirk has retrieved is the transmuter, and Sylvia wants it very badly. She transports Kirk away from Spock into the main hall and tells him to give her the transmuter. She informs him that she has a less powerful, and simpler mechanism; that it's Korob's wand which holds the key to their power. Sylvia is reluctant to simply seize the device from Kirk, despite her contention that he does not know how to use it. Finally, she threatens Kirk with a phaser, demanding the wand. Kirk responds by shattering the wand, an act that undoes everything almost everything. At the landing party's feet, two small aliens wither and fall. Deprived of their transmuter, Sylvia and Korob have resumed their real forms, and are as Sylvia described them: feathers in the wind, a life form that is totally alien to their universe. They quickly perish, and both landing parties return to the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are ferrying Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford back to the USS Enterprise. The commissioner, who has been called upon by the Federation to prevent a war on Epsilon Canaris III, has developed Sakuro's Disease, an extremely rare life-threatening illness, and must be removed to a medical facility for treatment. The commissioner is bitter at what she regards as incompetence in the Federation Medical Department, which she believes should have properly prepared her. En route, the shuttlecraft Galileo encounters a phenomenon that Spock describes as "vaguely like a cloud of ionized hydrogen, but with strong erratic electrical impulses". Moving at warp speed, it quickly envelops the shuttlecraft and disables its systems. The craft is pulled to course 98 Mark 12, towards the Gamma Canaris region. There, it is soft-landed on an iron-nickel planetoid with a standard oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere and standard gravity -- a place entirely suited for Human life. Examining the shuttlecraft, Spock discovers something that should be impossible: nothing is damaged and yet nothing works. McCoy notes that the gaseous cloud they encountered in space seems to be here, on the surface. Then a loud "hallooooooo" breaks the stillness. Someone else is here -- a young man who quickly joins the stranded group. He introduces himself simply as Cochrane. He tells the officers that a damping field prevents some technology here from working. But he denies knowledge of the force that brought the shuttlecraft here. Kirk and McCoy find this man familiar, somehow, but cannot quite place him. Cochrane shows his visitors to his home, decorated with instruments Kirk regards as antiques. Ominously, Commissioner Hedford has developed a fever, the first symptom of her illness. Finally, Kirk presses Cochrane, and learns about the Companion. This is what he calls the strange creature that brought the Galileo here. Kirk asks him his first name, and then realizes why Cochrane seems so familiar: he is Zefram Cochrane of Alpha Centauri, inventor of space warp drive. Cochrane was old, and knew he wanted to die in space. So he took a spacecraft and left his home on Alpha Centauri for parts unknown. The Companion found him, reversed his aging process, and has maintained him here ever since. Cochrane is responsible for the abduction of Kirk and his party via communicating his loneliness to the Companion; he had thought that the Companion would simply release him. During the discussion Hedford suddenly starts crying and yelling incoherently, forcing McCoy to sedate her with a hypospray and place her in Cochrane's bed. Kirk asks Spock to attempt to repair the Galileo. While doing so, with a trident scanner, the Companion appears there, directly behind him. Curious, he touches it, and receives an electrical shock that destroys the scanner and knocks him out cold. The circuitry of the Galileo bursts into flame; the Companion is taking no chances. Cochrane agrees to summon the Companion, to see if it can help the commissioner, but learns that it cannot. While observing the Companion with Cochrane, McCoy and Kirk notice the apparent communion, and find it cannot be minimized to anything less than love, perhaps equating it in their minds with a sexual joining, something Cochrane alludes to later. McCoy discovers Spock; the encounter has left Spock with a new insight: the Companion is largely made of electricity. McCoy asks Spock if he is correct in surmising that something made up of electricity can be shorted out. Spock confirms this and later constructs a mechanism to scramble electrical impulses; with this, Kirk intends to disable or destroy the creature, so that the Humans may depart. Cochrane now has reservations; he doesn't want the creature killed, saying "we've been close in a way that's hard to describe". Kirk overwhelms him with the force of his personality, though Cochrane understands their perspective. Unhappy at being forced into the role of a Judas goat, Cochrane nevertheless agrees to summon the creature. Spock throws the switch, and discovers that his mechanism is sufficient only to irritate the creature. It attacks Kirk and Spock, choking them. McCoy yells at it to stop before it kills his friends. Despite McCoy's pleas, the Companion continues to attack Kirk and Spock. Cochrane eventually comes to and calls off the Companion. McCoy suggests to Kirk he is thinking too much like a soldier, not a diplomat. Trying the carrot instead of the stick approach, Kirk decides that they will communicate with the creature instead using the universal translator. Nearby, the Enterprise searches for the now long overdue shuttlecraft. Finally, at 210 Mark 40, the sensors detect a strong antimatter particle concentration. Lacking evidence that the shuttlecraft has been destroyed, Scott elects to follow this tenuous course. On Gamma Canaris, Spock has completed modifying the universal translator from the Galileo so Kirk can communicate with the Companion. Among the first things they discover is that the Companion is female, casting her relationship with Cochrane in an entirely new light. Kirk implores the Companion to permit their departure, but she is adamant; to her, the safety and health of Cochrane is the only important goal. And to ensure that, she intends to keep the shuttlecraft crew here, forever. Cochrane is dismayed to discover the apparent sexual dynamic between himself and the Companion. He finds it repulsive, disgusting even, and feels used. Kirk, Spock and McCoy do not understand his parochial attitude. For her part, the Commissioner -- who is now barely conscious and close to death, but has regained some level of lucidity -- is baffled by someone who, offered love, rejects it. The great regret of her life, as it draws near its end, is that she has never been loved. The Enterprise continues its search. Sulu has discovered an asteroid field containing 7,000 bodies in sizes ranging from A to M. Thirty percent of them have atmospheres in types ranging from H to M. The search will be a long one, but Scott remains convinced by the lack of evidence that the shuttlecraft landed safely somewhere, and he is prepared to search every asteroid if necessary. Kirk tries new tactics. First, he tries to convince the Companion that without obstacles to overcome, the Humans will weaken and die. When that fails, he tries to convince the Companion that there can never be real love, because it and Cochrane are too different. The Companion considers this, and then disappears. Kirk's hope is that the Companion will release Cochrane and his party -- love expressing itself as sacrifice -- but this is not her choice. Instead, moments later, an apparently healthy Nancy Hedford appears in the door of Cochrane's small home, her voice now gently echoing. The Companion has joined with Hedford, sacrificing her powers and immortality to become Human, and experience life with Zefram Cochrane as a Human woman would. Cochrane is reluctant, but becomes enthusiastic, promising to show her the galaxy now that he can. Sadly, she tells him that she cannot leave; her life emanates from this small planetoid. Just as he must eat, so she must remain here or perish in a short march of days. Cochrane cannot bring himself to leave her, and elects to remain behind. He asks Kirk to keep his existence a secret, a request Kirk grants. Spock observes that Cochrane and Hedford will now live out a normal life span without immortality -- a condition that both of them accept as inevitable and uniquely Human. McCoy fears that they have failed to stop the war on Epsilon Canaris III, but Kirk gives him relief that the Federation will find a replacement woman to stop the war. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise approaches Capella IV, the home of the Capellans and a rich source of the rare mineral topaline. Topaline is vital to the life support systems of certain planetoid colonies. Captain Kirk's assignment from Starfleet is to obtain mining rights. Doctor McCoy, who had previously visited Capella, briefs the senior officers in the briefing room; among other things, he reveals that Capellans have a complex structure of taboos, and that they can be angered easily. Kirk leaves Scotty in command of the Enterprise while he, Spock, McCoy and security officer Lieutenant Grant beam down and are immediately accosted by a party of Capellans led by Maab. Also in the party is Kras, a Klingon. Grant reacts too quickly, drawing his phaser, which prompts immediate retaliation: one of the warriors with Maab throws his kleegat, which hits Grant, killing him instantly. Maab demands the landing party surrender their weapons and instruments as a show of good faith. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy throw their phasers and communicators on the ground. The landing party must wait for a period of time. Kirk expresses frustration at losing a crewman and Spock warns about getting emotional. A female Capellan enters offering a gesture of fruit, though McCoy warns not to touch it in fear of a taboo. In the meantime, on the Enterprise, Chekov thinks he detects another ship, likely the Klingons, though Scotty does not see the need to contact Kirk. The landing party is then taken to see Akaar, who is High Teer, or leader, of the Ten Tribes of Capella. In this meeting, Kras attempts to gain the diplomatic upper hand, but McCoy's knowledge of Capellan culture trumps his efforts. Kras sneers at the Federation's offer, claiming that Capellans believe only the strong should live, just as Klingons do. Kirk retorts that the highest of Federation laws states that Capella belongs to the Capellans, and it will never be taken from them, and that Klingon space is full of worlds that learned not to trust the Klingon Empire the hard way. Maab is enthusiastic, believing that competition for the mineral can only help Capella. Akaar notes thoughtfully that in all their dealings, Earthmen have never lied to Capellans. Maab warns him that there are those who will not bargain with Earthmen, which Akaar interprets as challenge. On the Enterprise, Uhura detects a transmission that could be a distress call, but she can't be sure. A fight breaks out between Capellans -- an armed coup. Both Maab and Akaar are involved. During the fracas, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy race to the main tent to retrieve their gear, only to discover Kras engaged in the same search. Overpowering him, Kirk learns he was sent in a small scout ship to negotiate the mineral rights for the Klingon Empire. His people need the topaline, too. Before Kirk can learn more, the fight outside is ended, and Capellans burst into the tent, demanding Kirk free Kras. Then Maab enters, declaring himself the new Teer -- Akaar died in the fighting. When Kras demands he kill Kirk, Kirk suggests he fight with Kras. Now that Maab has seen fear in Kras, he is not sure about him. In orbit, Uhura confirms the distress call is from the SS Dierdre, a small freighter. She claims she's under attack by a Klingon vessel. Kirk doesn't respond to communicators. On the planet, Eleen, Akaar's pregnant widow, enters the tent. Maab trips her with his sword and she burns her arm in the fire. Because she carries an heir, Maab must kill her to solidify his rule, but when he is about to do so, Kirk interferes, sparking another melee that ends with Eleen and the landing party imprisoned together. When Kirk snatched Eleen away from Maab's descending blade, he violated a taboo: no man may touch the wife of a Teer. She demands to see Kirk die before she herself is killed. Uhura cannot reach any of the landing party, but Scotty decides to take the Enterprise out of orbit to investigate, thus stranding the landing party on Capella. Eleen and the landing party have been imprisoned together to await Maab's decision. Eleen is in a great deal of pain, and McCoy intends to help her. Kirk understands this is a distraction, as no one is allowed to touch her. Kirk and Spock overcome their guards and escape to the hills with Eleen. They are able to recover their communicators but not their phasers. In space, the Enterprise has been unable to locate the Deirdre, which is strange, since its top speed is limited to warp 2. Ensign Chekov can detect no debris from the science station, as well. The landing party, with the reluctant Eleen, has taken refuge in a narrow canyon with a wide but defensible entrance and a narrow chute-like exit. McCoy demands to inspect Eleen, and slaps her to convince her of his determination, while Kirk and Spock see to their position. He determines the child could be born soon. Kirk proposes to block the entrance with a sonic disruption; two communicators linked together can produce a sympathetic vibration. This will cause a rock slide, sealing the entrance and buying time, as the Capellan search party will be forced to go around the hills to the other side. Several large rocks tumble down from the disruption, injuring many Capellans. During the confusion, Kras manages to retrieve a phaser from one of the fallen warriors and quickly kills the Capellan with his own blade. The landing party continue on -- Kirk discovers a cave in which the landing party seeks refuge. On the Enterprise, unable to discover the source of the distress call, Scotty has Chekov pull the microtape and realizes how he has been duped: the Deirdre specifically called for the Enterprise by name -- and there's no way a freighter would have known the Enterprise was ordered into this sector. Clearly, the intent was to lure the Enterprise from Capella IV. To be sure, Scotty has Sulu complete the search pattern. In the cave, Kirk uses one of McCoy's magnasite-nitron tablets to start a fire, lighting the inside of the cave. Kirk and Spock leave McCoy there to supervise the birth, while they search for weapons. Eleen expresses frustration that the child will belong to the husband, and she does not want it to be born. McCoy attempts to convince her she wants the child and that it belongs to her. By the time Kirk and Spock have weapons fabricated, Eleen has given birth. The Enterprise has finished its search pattern and heads back to Capella IV. Lieutenant Uhura receives another distress call, this time from the USS Carolina. Scotty ignores it, even though the Carolina is registered in the sector. When Kirk and Spock leave to reconnoiter, Eleen hits McCoy with a rock and escapes without the child. Kirk and Spock have fabricated bows and find out what happened to McCoy. He stays with the child as they prepare to meet the Capellans. En route to Capella IV, the Enterprise Then, a Klingon warship intercepts them -- sitting in space, establishing a line and daring the Enterprise to cross it. The Capellans have found their way to the chasm's other entrance, and the landing party have placed themselves in the rocks overlooking the cut. Before they can attack, Eleen appears. She lies to Maab, telling him all the Earthmen, and her infant son, are dead. Maab accepts her at her word, believing her to follow the Capellan code of honor, but Kras is immediately suspicious. He questions Eleen's word, angering both Maab and Eleen. When Maab refuses to verify her claim, Kras draws a stolen Starfleet phaser and offers to demonstrate to them what killing really means. During the ensuing battle, the Capellans are introduced to the bow and arrow, a weapon they never developed. Kras manages a standoff; to break it, Eleen proposes to flee as a sacrifice and a distraction. Maab elects to return her life to her, which forfeits his own. He advances upon the Klingon and sacrifices himself to draw Kras' fire: his lieutenant Keel is ready and kills the Klingon in the chest with a kleegat. As the confrontation is about to conclude badly, Scotty and a rescue party appear, pointing their phasers at them and demand the Capellans' surrender. McCoy appears from the hills with the new Teer, Leonard James Akaar. Eleen signs the mining agreement as regent for the new Teer, and the Starfleet team beams back to the Enterprise. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Kirk and McCoy remark with pride on how the new Teer of Capella IV is named after them both. Spock remarks that they will both be insufferably pleased with themselves for at least a month. The Enterprise then departs Capella IV. 
<EOS>
Montgomery Scott is flirting with Lieutenant Carolyn Palamas on the bridge while Kirk and McCoy lightly tease him. As the USS Enterprise nears the planet Pollux IV, a huge green hand made of energy materializes in space, catching and holding the ship. "Am I seeing things?", Ensign Pavel Chekov exclaims. Captain Kirk orders that the Enterprise reverse all engines but the "hand" manages to hold the ship anyway. "Helm doesn't answer. We can't move!", Lieutenant Sulu states. Kirk orders Uhura to send word to Starbase 12. After a couple of failed attempts to break free of the "hand" holding the Enterprise in space, scanner five-seven displays the ghostly, laurel-wreathed head of a man. Claiming the eons have passed, he welcomes the Enterprise crew, congratulating his "beloved children" for leaving their plains and valleys and making a "bold venture" into deep space. Among other things, this being claims familiarity with Earth of five thousand years ago, dropping the names of individuals alive then. Captain Kirk's repeated demands for freedom finally irritate him, and he threatens to "close his hand" and crush the ship -- a threat sufficiently credible that Kirk agrees to visit the planet with his officers, expressly omitting Spock, with Apollo saying that the Vulcan reminds him of Pan, whom he was always bored by. The landing party consists of Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Chekov, and Palamas, who is trained in archaeology, anthropology, and ancient civilizations, all fields likely to be of some use. Materializing on the surface, the five crew members meet the being responsible for their capture, a being familiar with ancient Earth, who introduces himself as Apollo. Despite his claims, McCoy's tricorder scans show him to be a "simple humanoid". Changing to an enormous height, Apollo looks down at Kirk and the crew, and in a loud, booming voice, he intones, "Welcome to Olympus, Captain Kirk." Apollo claims he and others -- Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Hermes, and Artemis -- were a "gallant band of travelers" who visited Earth some five thousand years ago. He demands to be worshiped by the Enterprise landing party, and in return offers a simple yet pleasurable life. He reveals himself as petulant and arrogant -- qualities that correspond to his depictions as a god. But he controls a dangerous power, as the crew discover in a number of ways: their phasers are all fused, the transporter device and communicators are inoperative, and Scott is injured by lightning strikes for other willful acts he commits against Apollo. Moreover, he has developed a romantic interest in Palamas, angering Scott. Aboard the ship, Spock is proceeding under the same assumption, and the crew may be making headway: Lieutenant Uhura rigs a subspace bypass circuit to restore communications, and Sulu discovers a strange radiated power on the planet with no clear source. Spock asks the helmsman to scan the entire planet for the source of the power readings by looking where it is not -- a simple process of elimination. Sulu, along with Leslie's assistance, begins the scan. Apollo, meanwhile, has taken Palamas away from the rest of the Enterprise crew. He tells her the gods left Earth when mankind turned away from them, and that they need admiration just like humans need food. They returned to their home, an empty place without worshipers. But they lacked the strength to leave, and so they waited. And over the course of time, all but Apollo discorporated. Apollo claims the gods are immortal, and can't die, at least, not the way Humans understand death. But even they eventually reach a point of no return; they "spread themselves upon the wind thinner, and thinner, until only the wind remained." He then mentions that he "knew [Carolyn] would come to the stars" and be forever by his side as his queen. Palamas doesn't understand, but Apollo seduces her by saying that fifty centuries ago, gods took mortals with them to love and care for, as his parents did. As on the Enterprise, the landing party has discovered the energy flow but is equally unable to isolate it. Chekov's theory is that Apollo can channel this flow of energy through his body without harm to himself, much like the electric eel on Earth or the giant dry worm of Antos IV. Finding the source of this energy is top priority. McCoy notes that, although Apollo is generally a standard humanoid, he has a mysterious extra organ in his chest. Apollo returns to the landing party and tells them Palamas is no concern to them anymore. Scott is enraged and charges at Apollo with a vase, but the god strikes him down with a bolt of lightning, throwing him off his feet. Chekov observes that, as Apollo vanishes, he appears tired or pained. It seems that Apollo has a limited reservoir, and when he expends too much energy, he must retreat and recharge his energy cells. They therefore plan to force him to expend his power, and weaken him so that he might be overpowered. Aboard ship, Spock asks Kyle to take his equations to the nuclear electronics lab so that they can generate M-rays on selected wavelengths to punch a few holes in Apollo's force field to fire their phaser banks through. On Apollo's return, the landing party attempts to goad him into attacking someone, however, Palamas, who was not part of the plan, ruins it in her well-meaning attempt to save Kirk from Apollo's wrath. Kirk begins to devise another plan -- but notes that it depends on Palamas' loyalty. If his plan does not work, Kirk notes, the Enterprise crew had better get used to herding goats. Palamas has fallen in love with Apollo, who has told her she will be his consort, the mother of a new race of gods, and will inspire men throughout the universe. Palamas is returned to the landing party, weakened but content. Palamas tells Kirk of Apollo's plans for the crew to live on the surface of the planet, but Kirk tells her she has work to do after noticing her weakened state. "All our lives, here and on the ship, depend on you." She must spurn Apollo; to do otherwise condemns the crew to "nothing less than slavery." Kirk reminds her of her loyalty to humanity, since that is where her duty and his lie. Palamas reveals her sympathy for Apollo's plan, but Kirk speaks to her of duty, orders, and the Humanity she shares is tied together beyond any untying with Kirk and others that she cannot share with Apollo. Kirk seems to be getting through to Palamas -- when Apollo summons her back. Kirk reminds her of her duty once more before she disappears. Uhura is successful in contacting the landing party. Spock determines that the god's powers come from his temple. The Enterprise has used Spock's technique with M-rays to pierce the force field around the ship. The ship could fire phasers, but Kirk needs to know exactly where Apollo and Palamas are first before they are fired. Apollo and Palamas are kissing passionately, but then Palamas tells Apollo she has merely been studying him; she could no more love him than love "a new species of bacteria." Of course, she is lying when she says this, and is broken-hearted, but she must put responsibility before love and duty before desire, no matter how reluctant she is to do so. She walks away, and there is wind and thunder, noticed by the rest of the landing party. Palamas screams, and the sounds appear to indicate that she and Apollo are near the temple, and a gigantic Apollo looms nearby. Kirk angles to lure Apollo closer to the temple -- his power source -- and orders phaser fire to destroy the temple, despite the close proximity of the landing party. The Enterprise shudders from lightning bolts fired at it by Apollo, but continues firing phasers until the temple is completely destroyed. Apollo, rejected by a mortal woman and bereft of his powers, asks for the Humans' forgiveness and spreads himself upon the winds to join his fellow gods. After he is gone, McCoy and Kirk regret what they had to do. Now believing that Apollo was the god of the ancient Greeks, Kirk talks about all that Apollo's people gave to Earth -- their culture and philosophy -- and wonders whether another outcome was possible. He muses to McCoy if it really would have hurt them to have gathered just a few laurel leaves. The Enterprise departs Pollux IV for open space. 
<EOS>
Dr. McCoy notices that Spock is growing restless and has stopped eating, and decides to discuss this with Captain Kirk in the corridor outside Spock's quarters. As the two men discuss this, they come upon Spock's quarters, in time to see the first officer throwing Nurse Christine Chapel out of his quarters and physically flinging the Vulcan plomeek soup she has specially prepared for him after her. After this outburst, he demands that Captain Kirk grant him a leave of absence on his home planet Vulcan. Captain Kirk is baffled by Spock's behavior, but orders the Enterprise to Vulcan. However, a priority message forces him to change course to Altair VI in order to be on time for the planetary President's inauguration ceremony, which is to take place a week earlier than planned. When Kirk later asks Ensign Chekov how late they would be if they diverted to Vulcan, the puzzled navigator reveals that they are already on course for Vulcan, as ordered by Commander Spock. When questioned by Kirk in a turbolift, Spock is visibly confused and says he does not remember doing this, though he admits that if Chekov says he did, he must have. Kirk orders Spock to sickbay, where McCoy examines him and finds that he is suffering from extreme stresses resembling those produced by high levels of adrenaline in Humans. McCoy informs Kirk that Spock will die from this condition within eight days at most if he is not taken to Vulcan. Upon hearing this news, Kirk confronts Spock in his quarters. As Kirk walks in, Spock is looking at a picture of a Vulcan girl and turns the screen off immediately. Spock says he cannot tell the captain the cause of his problem because it is a deeply personal affair, and that no "outworlder" may know except those that have been involved. Kirk eventually persuades Spock to reveal that his problem is "Vulcan biology," which Kirk correctly infers to mean Vulcan reproduction. Spock explains to Kirk that, like the giant eel-birds of Regulus V or the salmon of Earth, Vulcans must also periodically return home to mate. Vulcans do not typically discuss this mating cycle even among themselves, instead cloaking it in archaic ritual, as it is shameful for such a logical race to be overcome by urges so powerful as to strip them of their intellect and veneer of civilization. Spock has reached his time, the pon farr, and if he doesn't return to Vulcan immediately to mate, he will die. Kirk jeopardizes his career by disobeying a direct order to the contrary from Admiral Komack of Starfleet, and proceeds with all possible speed to Vulcan. Nurse Chapel visits Spock in his quarters to tell him they are going to Vulcan. Spock notices she has cried and asks for plomeek soup. Upon the arrival of Enterprise at Vulcan, Vulcan Space Central establishes contact. A beautiful Vulcan woman appears on the viewscreen, and she exchanges formal greetings with Spock. When asked by Lieutenant Uhura who she is, Spock states that she is "T'Pring, my wife", much to the shock of Kirk, McCoy, and especially Chapel. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the surface of Vulcan, to the ancestral lands of Spock's family. This is their first time on Vulcan, and McCoy states he now understands the phrase "hot as Vulcan." Spock explains to his companions that he actually has not seen T'Pring since they were both seven years old: at this age, Vulcan children enter into arranged marriages during a ritual ceremony. Spock further clarifies that while he earlier called T'Pring his "wife", this childhood bond does not have an exact correspondence with Human pairing, as it is "less than a marriage, but more than a betrothal". As Spock's friends, Kirk and McCoy are invited to witness the marriage ritual -- the koon-ut-kal-if-fee. The mistress of ceremonies is T'Pau, whom Kirk recognizes as the only person ever to turn down a seat in the Federation Council -- one of the most famous and respected Vulcans alive. Trouble starts when T'Pring announces she would rather not marry Spock. T'Pring invokes the kal-if-fee -- her right to have Spock fight for her. Spock retreats to the side of the platform, hunched over and speechless. Kirk tries to speak with him; T'Pau warns him off, explaining that he is deep in plak tow. T'Pring chooses Kirk as her champion, over the strenuous objections of Stonn, another member of the wedding party, who will not be silenced about his traditional rights until T'Pau commands "Kroykah!" (meaning "Stop!"). Stonn promptly apologizes, asks for forgiveness, and remains silent. Spock tries to protest to T'Pau, but in vain. Both Kirk and McCoy correctly guess that Stonn is T'Pring's actual choice and would be chosen next should Kirk decline. Fearing Spock, in his current condition, is now too weak to fight Stonn, Kirk agrees to the challenge. It is only then Kirk is informed that this is to be a fight to the death and is given a Lirpa. The fight begins and Spock quickly demonstrates physical superiority. However, Kirk survives the first round. McCoy objects to T'Pau that Kirk isn't used to the Vulcan atmosphere and climate. He asks permission to inject the captain with a tri-ox compound to compensate. T'Pau agrees and Kirk is given the injection. During the fight, Spock apparently strangles Kirk to death, and McCoy accompanies the captain's body back to the Enterprise. Spock, his mating urges apparently subsiding, demands to know why T'Pring took Kirk as her champion. T'Pring reveals that she did not want to be the "consort of a legend", as Spock had become to his people, and instead desired Stonn. She chose Kirk as her champion, reasoning that Kirk would not wish keep her as his bride, while Spock would again leave Vulcan and probably release her because she had challenged the marriage, allowing her to be with Stonn in either case. Agreeing with her logic, Spock relinquishes T'Pring to Stonn, but advises him that "having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting." Spock then returns to the Enterprise, expecting to face court-martial at the nearest starbase for the murder of his commanding officer. Back on the ship, McCoy repeatedly attempts to explain something, but Spock cuts him off, continuing to speak of his guilt and its consequences. When he tells McCoy that Scott must take command of the Enterprise, Kirk comes in behind him and playfully asks, "Don't you think you'd better check with me first?" Seeing Kirk alive, Spock betrays his joy with a big smile, which he quickly suppresses when he realizes that Chapel and McCoy have seen it. Kirk then reveals that McCoy did not give him a tri-ox injection, but a neuro-paralyzer to simulate death. When asked about the final outcome of the marriage, Spock explains that when he realized he had killed Kirk, he no longer had any interest in T'Pring. Kirk then receives a message from Starfleet granting him permission to divert to Vulcan at T'Pau's request. 
<EOS>
On the USS Enterprise, Lieutenant Palmer receives a faint and garbled distress signal. It is apparently a starship's disaster beacon, but Palmer is unable to make out any words aside from "Constellation". At the same time, the Enterprise also encounters heavy subspace interference, which prevents the crew from reporting their discoveries to Starfleet Command. The Enterprise enters system L-370 and finds that all seven planets in the system have been destroyed, smashed to rubble. Proceeding to system L-374, they find the same thing: debris where there were once healthy planets the previous year. All of the systems in the sector have been destroyed except for the two inner planets in L-374. In L-374, the Enterprise also finds her sister ship, the USS Constellation, commanded by Commodore Matt Decker, now a powerless wreck, drifting and apparently abandoned. As there is no apparent natural cause for the planetary destruction and the condition of the Constellation, Captain Kirk assumes that they were attacked and orders the Enterprise to go to red alert. Sensor scans show the Constellation to be running with minimal life support, using its reserve energy banks. All of its power plants are dead, and the bridge is uninhabitable. Subspace interference is preventing further sensor readings, as well as any communications beyond the distress signal. There are no other ships detected in the area, however, and Kirk orders the ship's status dropped to yellow alert. Kirk then orders Dr. McCoy, Montgomery Scott, and a damage control party to the transporter room. He intends to board the Constellation, and leaves Spock in command of the Enterprise. The landing party beams aboard a corridor on the Constellation and begins investigating. Scott and his team examine the engine room and find the warp engines totally destroyed, the impulse engines heavily damaged, and the phaser banks completely exhausted. The Constellation has clearly fought a pitched battle and lost. Kirk and McCoy, examining the rest of the ship, find no signs of the crew and no bodies. Wondering if the crew might have beamed down to one of the remaining planets, Spock on the Enterprise informs Kirk that the planets could not possibly sustain Human life: the inner planet having a surface temperature close to the melting point of lead and the second's atmosphere is simply too toxic to support Human life. When Scott, after giving his report on the condition of the engines to Kirk, suggests that they might play back the tapes of the captain's log, they proceed to the auxiliary control room. There, Kirk finds Commodore Decker, the sole survivor aboard, in a fugue state. McCoy gives him an injection with his hypospray and he starts to come around, eventually recognizing Kirk. As he begins to recover, Scott plays back Decker's log: Decker, still in shock and barely lucid, begins to remember what happened as he hears his log played back. Kirk orders the Constellation sensor tapes beamed back to the Enterprise for analysis by Spock. Decker describes how his ship was attacked and disabled and, unable to contact Starfleet due to heavy subspace interference, he beamed his crew down to the third planet. As the captain, he was the last man aboard when the ship was attacked again. The transporters were disabled, and he was stranded. Prompted by Kirk for a description of the attacker, Decker becomes increasingly distraught as he describes something "right out of hell" that destroyed the third planet, along with all four hundred of the Constellation's crew. Telling of how his crew begged for rescue as he sat helpless on the ship, he collapses in grief. Washburn reports that the ship's antimatter stores have somehow been deactivated, and Kirk asks Scott if a "general energy dampening field" could be responsible for that, as well as the subspace interference. Scott agrees that it's possible, but doesn't know of anything that could generate such a field. Decker, recovering somewhat, begins describing the planet killer in more detail. "Miles long, with a maw that could swallow a dozen starships," Decker explains that the planet killer uses a pure antiproton beam to carve planets up into rubble. He couldn't tell if it was a ship or a living organism. Spock reports in from the Enterprise. From the sensor tapes, he has determined that the planet killer is an automated weapon designed to smash planets and digest the debris for fuel. As long as there are planets to consume, the device is self-sustaining. Spock and Sulu have used the locations of the ravaged star systems they encountered to calculate that the planet killer came from outside the galaxy, and that its projected path will take it through the most densely populated section of our galaxy. Speaking with McCoy, Kirk postulates that the planet killer is a "doomsday weapon," a bluff created by an unknown maker and intended as a deterrent only. This one is roaming the galaxies, consuming everything in its path for fuel, including whole planets. Its alien makers are presumably long since dead. This becomes the operational theory, though the Enterprise never finds any evidence that confirms or denies it. McCoy is still concerned about Decker's mental condition, and wants to get him to the Enterprise sickbay. Decker, slipping back and forth between his authoritarian captain's persona and that of a grief-stricken trauma victim, at first refuses to leave his ship, but is convinced when Kirk offers to take the Constellation in tow. Decker ruefully notes to Kirk that he has never lost a command before. McCoy and Decker beam back to the Enterprise while Kirk and Scott remain on board the Constellation to rig her for towing. However, when McCoy and Decker materialize in the Enterprise transporter room, the red alert klaxons are sounding, and they both rush to the bridge. The planet killer has returned, and they find Spock in the command chair, reporting to Kirk on the Constellation as the planet killer turns to pursue the Enterprise. Facing them with its gaping maw, the planet killer turns to pursue the Enterprise as Spock analyzes his sensor readings and concludes that they have little chance of deactivating the device without drawing an attack upon themselves. Kirk orders the landing party beamed back to the Enterprise, but the planet killer attacks the Enterprise before Kyle in the transporter room can do so. The transporters are damaged, as are communications, causing the Enterprise to lose contact with Kirk, now stranded aboard the Constellation with no viewscreen and no maneuvering ability. Kirk orders Scott to try to repair the impulse drive, while he and Washburn work on restoring the viewscreen. After the initial attack by the planet killer, the Enterprise evades and outruns it. Dr. McCoy reports no casualties, and Decker, already assuming an attitude of command, orders a status report from Kirk's chair. Warp and impulse engines are undamaged, but transporters and communications are under repair. Now some distance away, the planet killer stops pursuing the Enterprise, veers off, and resumes its course for the densely-inhabited Rigel system. Spock states his intention to keep his distance from the planet killer, circle around to pick up the landing party, and then evade the device's subspace interference so that they can warn Starfleet Command of the danger. Decker objects, stating that their primary duty is to protect Federation citizens, and that they must attack the planet killer immediately. He orders a 180 degree turn. Spock dispassionately ignores Decker's arguments and instructs Sulu to carry out his order. Decker, at this point, asserts his rank as a Starfleet commodore and assumes command of the Enterprise, despite the precise and logical objections of Spock, as well as the more hysterical ones of Dr. McCoy. Spock points out that Decker's previous attempt to attack the planet killer resulted in the loss of his ship and the death of his crew. Momentarily losing his attitude of command authority, Decker admits his previous mistake and asserts that this time he will get much closer to the planet killer and attack it with full phasers. Spock protests that the device's hull is made of solid neutronium, and is therefore impervious to attack from a single ship. Decker ends the argument by ordering Spock to surrender command or be relieved of duty. Confronted with an official order from a superior officer, Spock has no choice but to let Decker assume command. McCoy, looking for a loophole in the regulations, offers to declare Decker medically unfit, but having had no time to perform a complete examination, his declaration would carry little to no weight. Decker's mask of authority again slips momentarily when he thinks McCoy might have a case for relieving him, but Spock's adherence to the spirit of the regulations makes his argument for him. Decker orders McCoy off the bridge and gives orders to set course for the planet killer and prepare for battle. The bridge crew looks on worriedly, but Sulu has no choice but to carry out his orders. As the Enterprise reverses course and approaches the planet killer again, Commodore Decker sits comfortably in the captain's chair, in full command mode. However, he still looks a wreck: unshaven, bedraggled, and wild-eyed. Spock, instead of returning to his science station, stands at attention by the captain's chair. Aboard the Constellation, Kirk and Scott are proceeding with repairs, oblivious to what's going on outside. Scott will have to use the warp control circuits to control the impulse engines, which will make the ship difficult for one man to handle. The Enterprise closes in on the planet killer, pushing its deflector shields to the limit. The planet killer fires, weakening the shields further. Spock recommends retreating, but Decker, asserting his command status, takes the ship still closer. On the Constellation, Kirk and Washburn have repaired the viewscreen, and the first image that appears is the Enterprise, approaching dangerously close to the planet killer. The Enterprise fires its phasers and scores direct hits on the planet killer, to no apparent effect. Spock urgently recommends withdrawal, but Decker "notes" his recommendation and ignores it, ordering Sulu to lay down more phaser fire. Kirk desperately tries to contact the Enterprise, and when he cannot, orders Scott to get the impulse drive up and running as quickly as possible. The planet killer fires on the Enterprise again, disabling its shields and its power energizers. Lieutenant Palmer, the communications officer, also reports severe casualties on decks 3 and 4 and reports of an inner hull breach. The planet killer stops firing and begins pulling the Enterprise inside itself using a tractor beam, presumably to "digest" it as fuel. Spock says that they must veer off, and when Decker tries to continue the attack, he informs him that with warp power out, they must break away from the tractor beam within sixty seconds, or they never will. Decker, his irrational obsession now blatantly apparent to the crew, insists on trying to destroy the planet killer, but Spock warns him that if he does not order a withdrawal, he will relieve Decker of command using evidence of attempted suicide as proof of Decker's instability. Decker gives in, looking far less confident than he was just a few minutes prior, and orders Sulu to veer off, but it is too late; the planet killer has the Enterprise in its tractor beam, and continues pulling her inside. On the Constellation, Scott has managed to partially repair the impulse engines, providing basic maneuverability. Running from console to console, Kirk starts the ship limping towards the Enterprise and the planet killer. On the Enterprise, Decker orders full power astern, but they still cannot break free from the tractor beam. Captain Kirk's plan is to attract the planet killer's attention by moving towards it, while the Enterprise remains stationary. He wishes aloud for phasers, and Scott tells him that he has one bank recharged. Kirk, delighted with his engineer, fires at the planet killer, causing it to immediately release the Enterprise from its tractor beam and come about to pursue the Constellation. With the planet killer rapidly approaching the Constellation, however, Kirk's plan suddenly does not seem like such a great idea. He orders Scott to retreat, and Decker, now excited at the prospect of having two ships to attack the monster, fires phasers again and orders the Enterprise to clear the area. The planet killer does not pursue them, and Spock opines that the device has a set defensive sphere; it attacks any energy source encroaching the sphere. The Enterprise's warp drive and deflector shields will be out for one solar day, while repairs are proceeding on the transporters and communications. The planet killer starts moving towards the Enterprise again, and Decker orders Sulu to maintain their speed and distance. The planet killer pauses to ingest rubble from the destroyed planets, and Spock notes that by refueling itself this way, the device can maintain its pursuit indefinitely, while the Enterprise, at its current speed, will exhaust its fuel in seven hours. Decker takes this to mean that they should attack now, but Spock once again points out the illogic of Decker's actions. He repeats his initial plan, insisting that they must pick up Kirk and the landing party and then get clear of the subspace interference so they can warn Starfleet about the planet killer. Before Decker can object, Palmer reports that ship-to-ship communications have been restored. Kirk hails the Enterprise through his communicator and Decker, back in command mode, insists on speaking for the ship. Kirk, expecting Spock, is surprised to hear Decker's voice. When he finds out that Decker has assumed command because Spock refused to attack the planet killer, Kirk, angry and insubordinate, calls Decker a "lunatic" and demands that he get the Enterprise out of the area. Decker, his mask again slipping a bit, allows Spock to give Kirk a status report. Kirk orders Sulu to take evasive action, and when Decker again tries to assert his command authority, Kirk orders Spock to relieve him, on his "personal authority as captain of the Enterprise." Spock tells Decker that he is relieved, and even though Decker does not recognize his authority to do so, he sees that Spock will have him arrested if necessary, and that the crew will not back him up, and so he surrenders command. "You're bluffing," Decker states. Spock immediately follows up with "Vulcans never bluff." Spock takes the captain's chair and resumes command, to the evident relief of Sulu. Spock then orders Montgomery, a security officer, to escort Decker to sickbay for a medical examination, and Decker leaves the bridge. Spock orders an evasive course back to the Constellation. However, on the way to sickbay, Decker overpowers Montgomery, knocks him unconscious, and sneaks down to the hanger deck. On the Constellation, Scott reports to Captain Kirk that they now have ship's communications, one-third impulse power, and minimal deflector shields. Kirk plots a course and plans his rendezvous with the Enterprise. On the Enterprise, an unauthorized class F shuttlecraft launches before Sulu can stop the launch bay doors from opening. It is, of course, Commodore Decker, who replies to Palmer's repeated hails with the exhausted calm of finality. He describes his plan to pilot the shuttlecraft directly at the planet killer, sending it and himself "right down its throat." More a suicide than a serious attack, Decker speaks of his responsibility for his crew and how he has been ready to die himself ever since their deaths. All of Matt Decker's masks are gone now, and as Kirk tries to talk him down and Spock preaches logic, he stares at the gaping maw of the planet killer. Closing the comm channel, Decker watches with increasing horror and panic as he approaches death, and it consumes him. With a sorrowful expression, Kirk closes his communicator and Spock, looking as emotional as he ever gets, says "He's gone." Spock hails Captain Kirk on the Constellation and offers his condolences on Commodore Decker's death. Kirk's biggest regret is that Decker died for nothing. However, Sulu reports that the ship's sensors have detected a slight drop in the planet killer's power emanations, and wonders if it could be a result of the shuttlecraft explosion. Palmer reports that the transporter is now operational, and Spock asks Kirk if he should beam them aboard. Kirk orders Spock to beam the damage control party back to the Enterprise, but he and Scott will remain behind. Kirk has the idea that Decker's method was viable; he just didn't have enough power in the shuttlecraft to be effective against the planet killer. Kirk asks Spock if the 97 megaton fusion explosion that would result from an overload of the impulse engines on the Constellation would be enough the destroy the planet killer. Spock reminds Kirk of the device's neutronium hull, which no known force can penetrate. Kirk's plan, however, is not to penetrate the hull, but to trigger the explosion while the Constellation is inside the planet killer. He orders Scott to rig a thirty-second delay detonation device for the impulse engine overload, which Kirk can set off from auxiliary control. Spock reports that he can't tell if the explosion would be sufficient to destroy the planet killer, and warns Kirk that he is getting dangerously close to the device. Echoing Decker, Kirk says that he plans to take the Constellation even closer and "ram her right down that thing's throat," only beaming back to the Enterprise at the last minute. Both Spock and Scott warn Kirk that the transporter is not operating at 100% efficiency, and that thirty seconds is cutting the margin of safety rather close. Kirk is determined to proceed, however. Scott demonstrates the operation of the delay detonation device to Kirk, and warns him that once initiated the overload cannot be stopped, before beaming back to the Enterprise. He makes it back safely, but the transporter malfunctions and needs repair before they can transport Kirk. The power levels on the Constellation are dropping, however, and the ship is rapidly approaching the planet killer, so time is of the essence. Scott climbs into a Jefferies tube to effect repairs. The transporter is soon operational again, but only just barely. Scott doesn't expect his jury-rigging to last for long. When the Constellation is less than five hundred miles from the planet killer, Kirk activates the time delay trigger and requests beam-out. Unfortunately, the transporter shorts out again, and Kirk is trapped on the Constellation with no way to stop the impulse engine overload that is imminent. Scott returns to the Jefferies tube and, with Spock's repeated urging to hurry, completes repairs just in time for Kyle to beam Kirk out before the explosion. Kirk hurries to the bridge, arriving there to find everyone demonstrably relieved, for the planet killer is quite dead. Kirk orders a power-conserving course and the continuation of repairs and communications with Starfleet are restored. Kirk and Spock lament the death of Matt Decker, with Kirk assuring Spock that his log will say that Decker died in the line of duty. Kirk points out the irony that they ended up using a form of H-bomb, the doomsday machine of the 20th century, to destroy this alien 23rd century doomsday machine. Spock wonders if there might not be other devices like it wandering around the universe. Kirk sincerely hopes not, as he found the one they encountered to be "quite sufficient." 
<EOS>
Montgomery Scott is on medical leave on Argelius II, accompanied by Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy, following a serious head injury caused by a female crewmember's error. McCoy believes that the sexually permissive Argelian culture will cure Scott's "total resentment towards women." On the planet, they are gathered together in a cafe, watching the seductive dance of an Argelian woman, resembling belly dance or Middle Eastern dances of Earth. McCoy states that this is a completely hedonistic society. Scott especially is intrigued by the dancer. After she is done with her performance, she sits down with them at their table. Scott suggests they go for a walk in the fog and she joyfully agrees. Kirk and McCoy are glad they were able to help Scott recuperate in this manner. Having set Scott up properly, Kirk suggests they go to another place across town where the women are apparently equally permissive. McCoy enthusiastically agrees. When Kirk and McCoy enter the densely fogged alley, they hear a woman's scream and soon find out that it is the female dancer who left with Scott. She has been stabbed a dozen times and is dead. Nearby, they find Scott leaning against the wall, moaning in agony, with a knife covered in blood in his hand. Hengist, who is not a native Argelian, but from Rigel IV, confesses himself "speechless" about the incident, because Argelius is the last place in the galaxy that one would associate with violent crime. Hengist begins interrogating Scott, who doesn't seem to recall at all what has happened to him or the woman. All he remembers is that they were walking in the fog, that he was up ahead, trying to lead the way and then suddenly heard her scream and recalls nothing after that. Kirk presses the issue, insisting that Scott remember what happened, but McCoy holds him back, asking him to be a little more considerate, especially because of the recent trauma Scott suffered. Kirk, however, states that he is facing a dilemma as a diplomat. This crime happened under Argelian jurisdiction and if the Argelians want to arrest Scott, try him, and even convict and sentence him, Kirk must go along with it. Hengist points out that Scott's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon. Kirk replies that there were other people in the cafe and that several of them left just before Scott and the girl did. Hengist says that they are actually looking for those people and trying to question them. Kirk asks what the law in this case is, and the Prefect Jaris, who just entered the room with his wife Sybo, states that the law of Argelius is love. Jaris says that they are capable of learning the truth in such matters through the Argelian empathic contact, a sort of seance. He invites Kirk and his men to his home where, with the aid of his wife who can initiate such an empathic bond, they can learn the truth. Despite the objections of Hengist, they decide to proceed as proposed by the Prefect. In the meantime, the USS Enterprise beams down Lieutenant Karen Tracy, who is asked to perform a 24-hour memory check of Scott with a psycho-tricorder. McCoy and Kirk discuss the situation. McCoy says that under normal circumstances Scott wouldn't have done such a thing and suspects that maybe it was some form of hysterical amnesia; repressed memory of an event too terrible to recall. The Prefect's wife, after having prepared herself for the ceremony, returns. She asks for the murder weapon, as she can get psychic impressions from inanimate objects. At this point, they discover the knife is missing, and they hear a loud scream from the other room. Kirk and McCoy find Lieutenant Tracy lying dead, having been stabbed over and over again, while, once again, Scott lies unconscious with the bloody knife in his hands. When Scott regains consciousness, he is disoriented and doesn't remember what happened. Kirk explains that Lieutenant Tracy is dead. Scott says that all he remembers is her taking the readings and then nothing else after that. He cries that he really cannot remember anything. Hengist returns with two men who were at the cafe at the night of the first murder. Tark, a musician who played for Kara's dance at the cafe, was her father; they'd put on shows together since Kara was a child. The second, Morla, was her fiance. The father accuses Morla of behaving disgracefully and says he was extremely jealous. Morla reluctantly admits it. When he saw her going to the spacemen's table he couldn't stand to watch it, so he angrily left and went home. Kirk points out that jealousy has often been a motive for murder. The Prefect agrees, stating that this is why the emotion is so strongly disapproved of on Argelius. Morla protests that he did not kill anyone. Kirk is agitated and impatient, pressing the issue more and more, trying to prove Scott's innocence, but Hengist reminds him that in both cases, it was Scott who was found over the bodies with the murder weapon. When Sybo signals that she is ready, they begin the ceremony. Kirk wants Jaris to have the room sealed so that no one can leave or enter. Scott is not happy about this, asking if his neck is going to have to depend on "some spooky mumbo jumbo". Kirk receives a message from Spock through his communicator who informs him that while interesting, the technique of the Argelian empathic contact is truly not sound enough to risk a man's life. He suggests beaming Scott back to the ship and use computers to find out the truth. Kirk says that these people have their own customs and laws and that while they are there, they are subject to them. He emphasizes that importance of resolving this matter according to Argelian law. They gather around the ceremonial altar of truth with a flame burning at its center. Sybo closes her eyes, saying that there is something terrible there, filled with anger, hatred, and fear. She moans that there is monstrous, terrible evil there, hater of all that lives, hater of women, a hunger that is strong and never dies. It has been called Beratis, Kesla, Redjac. While she keeps chanting and repeating these words, the lights suddenly go off and another terrible scream is heard. When the lights come back again, Scott is standing behind Sybo, who falls over, revealing a knife stabbed in her back. Scott's hands are bloody and he looks petrified. He cannot answer questions; his mind is completely blank. McCoy doesn't care what the circumstances indicate, he knows that Scott is not the killer. Kirk reminds him that Scott recently had a head injury just before their arrival to Argelius, and wonders if that could be a factor. Scott insists he did not kill the women; Hengist points out that by his own admission, Scott doesn't remember what he did. Kirk says that on the Enterprise they have a reliable method for recording Scott's conscious and subconscious mind. Jaris agrees to go to the ship, stating that whoever is guilty will face the ancient penalty for murder, which was death by slow torture. On the Enterprise, Kirk explains the procedure and they begin. Scott is asked a series of test and identifying questions. The computer confirms the accuracy of Scott's testimony about not remembering what happened. Scott points out that he didn't black out when Sybo was killed: they were holding hands and when the lights went off, the circle was broken and he heard the lady scream. He went towards her but remembers that something was in his way -- something cold emitting a "stinking draft", according to Scott. The computer again confirms the veracity of Scott's testimony. Hengist keeps pointing out to the fact that Scott was standing behind Sybo, with bloody hands. Kirk proceeds to ask Scott about having killed Kara and Tracy, and in both cases Scott says that he doesn't remember. Again, the computer confirms the veracity in Scott's testimony. Hengist is still not convinced, so Kirk suggests that after they are done taking the testimony here, they will run a psychotricorder analysis of Scott's memory to have a complete record. Hengist is still not satisfied with this answer, but Jaris decides to give this a fair chance. After the computer also verifies Morla's innocence and the accuracy of his statements, Kirk wonders to Spock if they are going about this the wrong way. Sybo, after all, did sense something evil down there. They go through her words again, trying to remember what exactly she said. They run the names and words Sybo mentioned through the computer which identifies Redjac as Red Jack -- "Jack the Ripper" -- mass murderer of women on Earth. Everyone is taken aback because Jack the Ripper lived hundreds of years ago and couldn't possibly have survived all these centuries. They conclude that if it is impossible for it to be Human, it has to be something else. Bones points out that this entity, whatever it is, not only feeds on death, but also fear. Spock notes that deriving sustenance from emotion is not unknown in the galaxy, such as the Drella of Alpha Carinae V -- and fear is one of the strongest and most potent of the emotions. Perhaps, he says, there are more women victims than men because "women are more easily and more deeply terrified, generating more sheer horror than the male of the species." Hengist loses patience, stating that all this has gone far enough, unwilling to let the prime suspect get away so they can chase ghosts. Spock asks the computer if an entity with such discussed limits could exist within this Galaxy. The computer says that such an entity could in fact exist in both corporeal and incorporeal form. Spock points out that "Jack the Ripper" was never identified on Earth. He suggests the possibility of a hypnotic screen which blinds all but the victim to the presence of the killer. After much debate, investigation and speculation, they conclude the true murderer to be a malicious incorporeal entity that feeds on fear. It once took the form of "Jack the Ripper" on 19th century Earth and then traveled from planet to planet, assuming humanoid bodies to murder women and to feed on their fear. None of those murders were ever solved. The other two names Sybo mentioned before she died are identified as Beratis, a mass murderer on Deneb II who was never caught, and Kesla of Rigel IV -- the murders on Rigel IV having occurred just a solar year ago. Finally, the reason for Hengist's opposition to this line of inquiry is revealed -- he is the current host of the murdering entity. According to Spock, an entity which feeds on fear and terror would find a perfect hunting ground on Argelius -- a planet without violence, where the inhabitants are as peaceful as sheep and the entity a hungry wolf in that fold. The entity is forced out of Hengist's body, but it moves into the Enterprise's computer systems and threatens to slowly murder the crew and disable vital systems. Knowing that the entity feeds on fear and terror, Kirk asks the crew through the ship's intercom to remain calm. Dr. McCoy gives everyone a tranquilizer to deprive the entity of the fear on which it feeds. Spock forces the entity out of the computer by ordering it to compute, at top priority, pi to the last digit -- a task it can never complete. They succeed in getting the being out of the computer, but it then briefly possesses Jaris before managing to reanimate Hengist's body and threatening to kill Yeoman Tankris. The attempt fails, as the tranquilized yeoman finds the situation more amusing than terrifying, and Kirk manages to save her from Hengist before Spock gives him a dose of tranquilizer. Kirk orders Hengist, and with him the entity, beamed into space "at maximum dispersion", spreading it into billions of harmless atoms floating forever in open space. Relieved they have vanquished the creature, Kirk then amusingly looks at the rest of his crew, who are still happy from the tranquilizer; and comments to Spock how, for five to six hours, they have the "happiest crew" in space. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is en route to the Malurian star system, investigating a distress call. Lieutenant Uhura has received no response to hails on any frequency, even after Captain Kirk reminds her of a Federation science team transmitter from Doctor Manway. However, Spock's sensor data contains tragic news: although there should be over four billion Malurians there are absolutely no readings of life anywhere in the system. As Kirk and Spock speculate about what could have caused the eradication of life in such a short time, a large bolt of energy comes out of nowhere. Kirk orders red alert, and the object violently impacts upon the Enterprise's shields. The entire crew is hurled around, and when things stabilize, Kirk orders Uhura to inform Starfleet of the apparent disappearance and the attack. Spock reports that the shields will stand only three more such impacts, as they have been reduced by 20%. The Enterprise's shields continue to be battered by repeated attacks. Finally, after the shields are completely gone and a photon torpedo in response has been completely absorbed, Kirk orders Uhura to hail the very small object Spock has identified as the source of attack. The object stops its assault and tries to respond to the hail with an old-style binary code. The crew has some difficulty translating, but eventually succeeds. The object identifies itself as Nomad, and its mission as "non-hostile." As it is only a fraction over one meter in length Kirk has it beamed aboard, if only to prevent it from firing on the ship again. It introduces itself and Kirk remembers the launch of a probe named Nomad in the early 2000s, and Spock says it was reported destroyed with no more in the series. Later it is revealed that the object had stopped its assault when it heard Kirk's name, somehow believing that Kirk is its creator. Nomad wastes no time investigating the ship, with only Kirk's orders preventing it from having free rein. Knowing how powerful it is, and that it stated it was programmed to destroy "biological infestation," Kirk orders two security guards to watch it at all times, but Nomad is able to evade them. Furthermore, it seems highly logically-minded and gets confused whenever it encounters something illogical; when it hears Uhura singing "Beyond Antares" on the bridge from the auxiliary control room, it leaves Lieutenant Singh, who was watching it, and goes to investigate. Meanwhile, Kirk and Spock check the computer on Nomad's creation and launch. Originally, Nomad was built by Jackson Roykirk for a deep-space extraterrestrial contact mission early in the 21st century, in the year 2002, but was lost in a meteor shower, where it was presumed destroyed. Somehow, it got a directive to kill, and must have killed the Malurians. Nomad arrives on the bridge to question Uhura, and it is unsatisfied with her explanation of the song's function and wipes her memory. Scott, seeing this, attempts to save Uhura from the probe, but is thrown clear of Nomad, landing near the viewscreen. Upon Dr. McCoy's examination of Scott, he declares him dead, to Kirk's shock. Just after Scott's death, Nomad announces to Kirk if he wishes to have the Enterprise's chief engineer "repaired". Kirk immediately replies in the affirmative, although McCoy tells him that Scott must be revived soon. Spock has detailed files on Human physiology brought up at his station, which Nomad scans. McCoy then leads Nomad to sickbay, where the probe instantly revives Scott, who is baffled as to why everyone is looking down at him on a bio-bed. Kirk also orders Nomad to help Uhura, but Nomad says it is not possible. McCoy and Nurse Chapel proceed to re-educate her using the computer. This event proves disconcerting to Kirk, who then orders Nomad to be guarded and analyzed by Spock. After the analysis and a background check on Nomad in the ship's data banks, Spock gets enough details through a mind meld with the probe to fill in the blanks. After the meteor collision, Nomad was disoriented and wandered through space until coming into contact with Tan Ru, an alien probe whose mission was to collect and sterilize soil samples, presumably as a prelude to colonization. The two melded into this new Nomad, combining their technology and missions into one extremely powerful probe bent on sterilizing any imperfect lifeforms it encountered, using its own perceptions of perfection as a measuring stick. As such, it destroyed all life in the Malurian star system but because its original programming was damaged and corrupted in the merger, it erroneously equates Kirk with its creator, not realizing that the two are different people and its creator has been, in fact, dead for centuries. While Kirk and Spock are gone, Nomad leaves the confined area and decides to improve the efficiency of engineering, taking the Enterprise eventually to warp 10 in the process. Kirk arrives and forces it to stop. Unfortunately, the mind meld and an unintentional admittance from Kirk confirms to Nomad that its creator is an imperfect biological entity, and with that knowledge, it leaves on Kirk's order to contemplate the new data with two security officers. They deduce it will not obey for long and eventually sterilize Earth. En route, Nomad instead escapes, killing the two guards, and goes to sickbay to scan Kirk's personnel file. McCoy finds Nurse Chapel has been attacked, and signals Kirk and Spock to come to sickbay. They realize Nomad is gathering the information they feared. Furthermore, Scott informs them from the bridge that Nomad has turned off all life support on the ship. With little time left, Kirk comes to recognize Nomad's refabricated mission and takes a gamble to confront it again before it returns to Earth to "sterilize" the planet's population. Through a questioning to Nomad on its prime directive in engineering, Kirk confirms his suspicions that it must execute it with no exceptions, and then reveals that he indeed is not Nomad's creator. He explains that Nomad had mistaken himself for Roykirk who is long dead, the two men's names being similar, and as such Nomad has committed an error; furthermore, it has compounded that error with two more, specifically failing to realize its mistake and failing to immediately execute its prime directive as a result. This causes Nomad to lock up in an irreversible logic loop, its stubborn belief that it is perfect conflicting with the realization that it is in error. Capitalizing on the weakened Nomad, Spock and Kirk manage to get it to the transporter room with anti-gravs and have Scott beam it out into space just as it executes its prime function on itself. The explosion is detected near the Enterprise and Nomad is no more. Later, on the bridge, Spock commends Kirk on his dazzling display of logic that allowed them to defeat Nomad. McCoy enters through the turbolift and reports that Uhura is now reading at a college level and should be able to return to duty within the week. Spock laments the loss of Nomad, noting that it was a "remarkable instrument." Kirk jokingly wonders what Spock is so upset about, given that the machine considered Kirk to be its "mother". "You saw what it did for Scott. What a doctor it would have made. My son, the doctor. Kind of gets you right here, doesn't it?" Kirk says while pointing to his heart. 
<EOS>
On stardate 3715.3, the starship USS Enterprise orbits the planet Gamma Trianguli VI. A landing party comprised of Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, Ensign Chekov, Yeoman Martha Landon, and two security officers, Kaplan and Marple, beam down to the planet to scout the area, followed shortly after by Dr. McCoy and two more security officers, Hendorff and Mallory. Spock notes that the soil on the planet is rich and fertile and that there is very little variation in temperature, even at the poles, with a planet-wide average of 76 degrees. Chekov says that it makes him homesick, because it is "just like Russia". When McCoy corrects him that it is more like the Garden of Eden, Chekov claims that the Garden of Eden was "just outside Moscow". However, almost immediately, one of the crewmen, Hendorff, is shot and killed by a pod plant. "What did somebody say? That paradise must have looked like this?", Kirk says. Kirk contacts Montgomery Scott on the bridge of the Enterprise, who reports that they are encountering a minor problem with the antimatter pods and that the readings on the planet's electromagnetic field are "a wee bit abnormal". At this point, it does not appear to be a major problem, but Kirk asks him to keep an eye on the situation. Spock reports that his tricorder has detected strong subsurface vibrations, coming from miles in all directions, that are "quite strong, fairly regular, [and] artificially produced". Kirk orders two of the remaining security officers to make a full reconnaissance of the area, but to avoid contact with humanoids, be wary of other dangers, and stay in constant communication. Spock detects a humanoid lurking in the bushes nearby. Kirk goes off to investigate, and reports that "whatever it is, it moves like a cat". He advises the other members of the landing party that they are being watched, and they start heading through jungle for a nearby village in formation L. Spock discovers a rock that has a low specific gravity, and is very brittle. After breaking it in two with his bare hands, he casually tosses aside one of the pieces, and it violently explodes. Kirk asks him to be careful when tossing his rocks from now on. Back aboard the Enterprise, Scott contacts Kirk to report that the antimatter pods are completely inert because of something on the planet's surface that is acting "like a pail of water on a fire". Spock surmises that it may have something to do with the vibrations his tricorder picked up earlier. McCoy shows Kirk some of the plant darts and notes that they have an extremely strong poison on the tip. While he and Kirk are talking, Spock notices one of the pod plants turning slowly and preparing to shoot, just in time to step in front of it and take a chestful of darts himself instead of Kirk. He falls to the ground and the captain fears the worst, but Spock is still alive and McCoy quickly begins treating him. Realizing there is too much danger, Kirk orders a retreat. However, Scott reports that the ship's power systems are being drained. An attempt to transport the landing party fails; the Enterprise's transporters don't have enough power to even beam up a fly, Scott reports. After Kirk realizes he and his party are trapped on the planet, Spock regains consciousness, reporting that the injection McCoy had used to revive him turns his stomach, but that he is otherwise quite well. Kirk chastises him for stepping in front of the plant and tells him to "just yell" next time. Suddenly, an electrical storm starts and Lieutenant Kaplan is struck by lightning and vaporized. The rest of the party runs for cover. Meanwhile, security officer Mallory has reached the village and contacts Kirk to tell him the coordinates, but his and Kirk's communicator stops working shortly afterward. Concerned for his safety, Kirk and the others rush to find him, just in time to see him step right onto an exploding rock. He is killed instantly. Kirk remarks that he knew Kaplan's family, and that Mallory's father helped him get into the Academy. Kirk has become increasingly distraught over the now multiple deaths of his crewmen. Spock and McCoy try to console him by telling him that he couldn't have foreseen any of the accidents that have happened while they were on the planet and that he was given orders to explore the planet, but Kirk is convinced that he could and should have done more to prevent the deaths. While they are talking, Spock notices that the humanoid who was spying on them before has returned. Kirk orders Spock, Chekov, and Marple to create a diversion while he ambushes the humanoid. Kirk successfully comes up behind the humanoid and punches him in the face, but is surprised when the planet native starts to cry. Kirk assures the humanoid that he won't hurt him again, and asks him why he has been following them. He says, "I am the eyes of Vaal. He must see," and introduces himself as "Akuta, the leader of the feeders of Vaal." Spock notices antenna on the back of his head, and Akuta responds they are Vaal's ears, given to him in the "dim time." Kirk asks to speak to Vaal, but Akuta says that he is Vaal's representative and that only he speaks to Vaal. Akuta offers to take Kirk and the others to the village. Meanwhile, Scott hails Kirk to inform him that the Enterprise is being held in orbit around the planet by an unknown source, and is unable to break free. Kirk asks again to be taken to Vaal and this time, Akuta agrees, but says that Vaal will speak only to him. Akuta takes the landing party to Vaal, which is a large cave with a mouth that resembles the head of a serpent. Spock's tricorder reads that Vaal's opening leads beneath the planet's surface and Kirk believes it may be the source of the field that is affecting the Enterprise. When he tries to approach Vaal to get a closer look, he is repelled by a powerful force field. Kirk asks Akuta how he talks to Vaal, and he says that Vaal calls him when he has something to say and that Vaal might be willing to talk when he is hungry. Akuta leads the landing party to the village for food, drink, and rest and introduces them to the "people of Vaal" who are smiling and friendly to the landing party. A female native introduces herself as Sayana, and she and the others seem much amused upon learning Spock's name. Kirk points out that the tribe doesn't seem to have any children and asks Akuta why. Akuta at first doesn't know what a child is, but finally realizes Kirk is talking about "replacements", and replies that Vaal has forbidden love and marriage. McCoy scans the people and sounds surprised when he discovers they are in perfect health and that they don't seem to be aging at all. Suddenly, the villagers all begin to congregate around Vaal. Kirk and Spock follow, and spy on them from behind a bush. After observing that the villagers are able to approach Vaal, Kirk decides to try his luck. When Kirk and Spock start to get up from behind the bush, Vaal immediately notices, as apparent from suddenly glowing eyes, so they decide against it And resume their attitude of observing only. Kirk wonders whether Vaal gets weaker around feeding time and asks Spock to get an estimate from the Enterprise's astrophysics lab of the total amount of energy Vaal is expending against the ship on an hourly basis. McCoy joins them and complains to Spock that Vaal is depriving the planet's inhabitants of their right to "a free and unchained environment" and an opportunity for growth. Spock argues that McCoy is unfairly applying Human standards to non-Human cultures, and that humanoids also have the right to choose a system that works for them. Scott contacts Kirk to report that Vaal's power output has been slowly decreasing, and that they are working on increasing power to the ship's impulse engines, but the work will take eight hours to complete. Kirk notes that they don't have much longer than that to break orbit before they get pulled into the planet's atmosphere. Back in the village, Kirk wonders what would happen if one of the villagers died. Yeoman Landon agrees that they would need a replacement, but she wonders where this replacement would come from, since they don't have any concept of love or sex. Spock postulates that in that case, Vaal would provide the "necessary instructions." McCoy remarks that he would like to see that. Out in the jungle, two of the villagers, Sayana and Makora, see Landon and Chekov embracing and kissing, become curious and decide to try it themselves. Vaal reacts by shaking the ground as Akuta catches them in the act. Vaal communicates to Akuta through his antennae, apparently telling Akuta that Kirk and the others are dangerous to the planet's inhabitants. He calls a village meeting at the clear place of the male "children of Vaal" to take place while the landing party is asleep. Akuta tells the male villagers that Vaal has ordered them to kill the strangers. The villagers don't understand what the word "kill" means, so Akuta explains that "it is a thing to do, like feeding Vaal," and demonstrates by smashing a piece of fruit with a stick. In the hut, while the others sleep, Kirk and Spock discuss the situation. Kirk has decided that he agrees with McCoy: the villagers' society is completely stagnant and exists only to serve Vaal. Spock warns that interfering with Vaal would violate the Prime Directive but Kirk sees no other choice. "These are people, not robots." Spock does not believe Starfleet Command would agree with Kirk's interpretation, but the captain decides to take his chances. Kirk contacts Scott and asks for a progress report. Scott still needs half an hour to complete the modifications to the engines, but he only has 47 minutes until the Enterprise is pulled into the planet's atmosphere. Spock announces that the people of Vaal seem to have disappeared. Kirk and Spock go to Vaal and Spock determines that the force field is down. Kirk tries to talk to Vaal, but Vaal starts another lightning storm. Spock is stunned by a bolt of lightning, and Kirk carries him back to the village, where McCoy diagnoses him second-degree burns -- painful, but not serious. Suddenly, the villagers return and successfully ambush and kill Marple but the others are able to fight off the rest of the villagers. Kirk orders Chekov, Landon, and McCoy to imprison the villagers in one of the huts. With twelve minutes left before the ship enters the atmosphere, Scott has transferred all available power to the impulse engines and is ready to try to break orbit. He orders Kyle to apply full reverse and the ship begins to pull away enough to gain another hour but most of the ship's systems have been heavily damaged and Scott will not be able to try it again. Kirk becomes distraught at the idea of the Enterprise's entire crew of over four hundred dying because he didn't realize the danger early enough and orders McCoy and Chekov to prevent any of the villagers from feeding Vaal and Scott to concentrate all of the Enterprise's phaser power on Vaal's coordinates. The ship begins firing phasers at Vaal. Trying to defend itself against Enterprise's phasers forces Vaal to exhaust all of its energy reserves. Spock determines that Vaal is no longer generating any power and pronounces it dead. Scott reports that potency is starting to return to the ship's antimatter pods and that engineering will be able to start repairs immediately. Kirk orders him to send an engineering detail down to the surface as soon as the transporters are fixed and then tells Chekov and McCoy to release the villagers. Later, in front of a lifeless Vaal, Akuta is at a loss as to how he and his people will survive without Vaal. Kirk tells Akuta and the rest of the natives that they will now have the freedom to live their lives as they see fit and to love. Back aboard the Enterprise, Spock expresses his concern in one of the ship's corridors that the people of Vaal have been "driven out of paradise", as in the Biblical story of "Genesis". Kirk asks if Spock is casting him in the role of Satan, which Spock denies and then rhetorically asks Spock whether he knows of anyone on the ship who looks like Satan, while he and McCoy circle him. Spock replies, "I am not aware of anyone who fits that description, captain." Kirk says, "No, Mr. Spock, I didn't think you would." 
<EOS>
A landing party from the USS Enterprise comprised of Captain Kirk, Scott, Dr. McCoy, and Uhura are on the Halkan homeworld, attempting to gain rights on behalf of the Federation to mine dilithium on their planet. The Halkan leader, a man named Tharn, tells Kirk that while they find him to be believable, it does not change their overall position and that the Halkan Council cannot permit the Federation to mine dilithium on their planet. Kirk says that they have shown them historical proof that the Federation's missions are peaceful. Tharn tells him they believe that the Federation is currently peaceful, but there's no guarantee that that will always be so. Tharn knows that the dilithium crystals represent incredible power, and even one life lost as a result of the power of their dilithium crystals would violate the Halkan's history of total peace, and the Halkans are all willing to die to prevent that. The Halkans are complete pacifists. Kirk says that while he admires the Halkan's ethics, he hopes to be able to prove theirs. While these discussions are going on, an ion storm is passing through the Halkan system, causing strong thunder and lightning bolts. Kirk calls the Enterprise through his communicator and asks Spock for a report. Spock tells Kirk that it is a standard ion storm but rather violent and unpredictable. Kirk tells Spock to prepare to beam up the landing party and also to increase Enterprise's orbit to clear the disturbance of the storm. Kirk then asks Tharn when they may resume negotiations. Tharn tells Kirk the Council will meditate on the Federation's offer more, but that he shouldn't be very optimistic of any change. Just before the landing party can depart Tharn points out that with the weapons on board Enterprise, Kirk would have the might to force the crystals from the Halkans. Kirk tells him to consider that, while they do have such power, there is absolutely no chance that they would use it. He then calls for beam up and the landing party dematerializes. Unfortunately, interference from the ion storm gives the transporter operator, Kyle, trouble as Spock enters the transporter room. Spock helps Kyle try to beam the landing party aboard, but they eventually disappear out of the transporter platform. Finally, the landing party does materialize and they start to step off the transporter pads, when Kirk looks up and sees Spock with a beard, the crew wearing much more flamboyant uniforms and offering Kirk a Roman-like salute, fist striking chest and then arm extending outward toward Kirk. Kirk and company are briefly shocked at the change, but manage to cover their shock. The changed Spock steps up to Kirk asking him for a status report on the mission. Not sure what to make of the situation, Kirk simply tells Spock that there was no change in negotiations. Spock asks Kirk if standard procedure should be initiated to which Kirk simply nods "yes," not knowing exactly what that means, but playing along. Spock steps over to the transporter console and contacts the bridge, telling Sulu to program a phaser barrage on the Halkan cities. Spock then asks if the Halkans have any military capabilities and Kirk tells him they don't. Spock says that it is regrettable that the Halkans have chosen suicide. Spock then turns to Kyle and lectures him that he was supposed to compensate during the ion storm and that carelessness with the equipment cannot be tolerated. Spock then demands for Kyle's agonizer. Kyle begs Spock not to make him use it, saying he really tried to do what he was supposed to. One of the security guards reaches over and takes Kyle's agonizer and gives it to Spock, who places it on Kyle's shoulder causing him extreme pain for a few moments. Spock finally stops and lets Kyle slump down to the floor. Kirk and the others do their best to contain their shock and horror at what is happening. Having finished with Kyle, Spock drops the agonizer and steps over to tell Scott that the storm caused some minor damage and there were some injuries requiring McCoy's attention. He then shows a bit of impatience when neither man moves to leave the transporter room. By this point, Kyle has recovered enough to tell Spock that the power beam jumped just as the landing party was about to materialize. Spock asks if it was due to Kyle's error, but Kyle tells him it was before his error. Spock then asks Kirk if they've suffered any ill effects, to which Kirk says that he does and tells McCoy to give them an examination. As the landing party stop to leave the transporter room, Kirk turns back to Spock and tells him to have the transporter circuits examined. Once having exited into the corridor, Scotty and Uhura begin to loudly ask Kirk what's happened, but Kirk silences them and tells them to wait until they are able to speak privately. They walk through the hallway, which seems to have security officers at every intersection. Every crew member that Kirk encounters gives him the same Roman/Nazi-esque salute, which Kirk mimics. Every door on the ship seems to have a picture of the Earth bisected by a sword on it. Once they enter sickbay, McCoy goes over to a table and tells Kirk that everything is out of place, all messed up, and changed around, except for a spot where he spilled acid a year previous. Kirk asks everyone if any of them felt dizzy in the transporter beam; they all say that they did. Kirk says it happened twice. First they were in their own transporter chamber, then they faded, and upon finally materializing, they had appeared wherever they were. Scott says that the transporter lock could have been affected by the ion storm and they just materialized somewhere else. Kirk then realizes what has happened. They've somehow entered a parallel universe, where everything's duplicated or, almost duplicated. Everyone contemplates the thought that they all likely have counterparts in the universe that they exchanged places with during transport, that there were similar storms on both universes disrupted both sets of transporter circuits. Kirk and crew are on this strange ship and their counterparts are on their Enterprise. Kirk realizes they have to use the computer to try to figure out how to get home. McCoy tells Kirk they can't let the Halkans be destroyed. Kirk tells Scott to go down to engineering and short out the main phaser controls, but to make it look like the storm blew out the standby circuits. Then he wants Scott to study the ship's technology as they're going to have to use it to get back home. Kirk also tells everyone to scramble the frequency on their communicators and to use them for private messages as the intercoms are most likely monitored. Kirk then tells Uhura to go to her post and find out his exact orders from Starfleet Command and if he has any options. Uhura stops and starts to tell Kirk she's scared, but Kirk reassures her that she's the only one who can do it and that he'll be right there. Reassured, Uhura leaves for the bridge. Meanwhile, Kirk and McCoy take a quick look at the ship's library. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Chekov and Sulu are preparing coordinates for planetary targets when Uhura enters the bridge and assumes her station. Sulu leers over at her and steps up to her post, taking her face in his hand and telling her he could change her lack of interest in him. When Uhura tells Sulu he's away from his post, Sulu asks if either Kirk or Spock are there, and prepares to move in on her when she slaps his hand from her face hard. Just before he can move against her, Kirk enters the bridge from the turbolift. The entire bridge crew stands at attention and salutes Kirk, who returns the salute. Sulu quickly resumes his post, and Kirk steps over to Uhura, who tells him there was no storm damage and all stations are normal. She then quietly tells Kirk he is under orders to destroy the Halkans unless they comply and he has no alternatives. Kirk steps down and sits in the captain's chair, which is the same as his except for a raised back to it making the chair almost throne-like. When Sulu asks permission to fire, Kirk tells him to stand by. Meanwhile, in the phaser control, Scott is stopped by a security guard who asks Scott if he has authorization for this area; Scotty tells him he has the captain's orders, but the guard says he'll have to check with Security Chief Sulu. Scott says he'll do it, then after the door closes, he calls Kirk on the intercom and tells Kirk there's no damage to the phasers. Spock enters the bridge and sees that the planet rotation is carrying the primary target out of phaser range. When Kirk won't let Sulu alter Enterprise's orbit, Spock tells him to lock onto the secondary city. Kirk tells Uhura to contact the Halkan Council so he can speak to them again. He then looks at Spock and tells him they have other things of value besides the dilithium crystals. Spock points out though that they have clearly demonstrated they will not cooperate by refusing the Empire. Spock tells him that standard procedure demonstrates that they make an example of them. When Sulu reports the secondary target rotating out of phaser lock, Kirk orders Sulu to put phasers on standby, which Spock notes is a serious breach of orders. Kirk tells Spock he'll make the reasons clear to him in his own good time. At that point, Uhura tells Kirk she has the Halkan Council on channel. Kirk tells the leader it is useless to resist them, but the Halkans insist they are not resisting. Kirk gives them twelve hours to reconsider. However, Tharn tells Kirk that, be it 12 years or 12,000, they are ethically compelled to deny the Empire's demand for their dilithium crystals, for the Empire would use their power to destroy. Kirk tells them destruction is the Enterprise leveling their planet and taking what they want, and that the Halkans will die as a race. Tharn says they will willingly do so to preserve their culture. Kirk closes the channel and tells Sulu to turn phasers off. Spock says a twelve-hour reprieve is unprecedented. Kirk leaves for his quarters, telling Uhura to have McCoy and Scotty meet him there. On his navigation panel, Chekov presses two buttons and leaves with Kirk. Spock tells Kirk before he enters the turbolift that he must report Kirk's conduct to Starfleet Command. Kirk tells Spock he is at liberty to do so. In the turbolift, Chekov asks Kirk if he wants to go to Deck 5; Kirk nods that he does. Just as the doors open and Kirk prepares to walk out, he is hit forcefully in the mouth by a crewman, and held against the wall by two others. Chekov pulls out a phaser and tells Kirk that with his death, the entire crew will advance in rank and that no one would dare question the assassination of a captain who disobeys the prime orders of the Empire. Just as Chekov is about to shoot Kirk, Wilson knocks the phaser out of Chekov's hand, and throws him into the corner, knocking him out. He then gets one of the crewmen off of Kirk and shoots him dead, vaporizing him with his own phaser. Kirk wiggles away from the other guard and knocks him across the deck and Wilson shoots him dead with his phaser. Just at that moment, Kirk's henchmen appears out of the turbolift; Wilson tells one of them that he helped Kirk, which Kirk confirms. He then turns his attention to Wilson, who tells Kirk that Chekov was going to make him a chief and asks if Kirk might make him an officer. Kirk says that Wilson is, from then on, working for him. Wilson asks if he's commissioned, and Kirk smiles at him and tells him that he's now in line, he might even make captain. Wilson smiles; after an enthusiastic "Yessir," Kirk knocks Wilson out and says he won't be captain on Kirk's ship. Farrell asks Kirk if Chekov should go to "the booth"; Kirk assents. Arriving at Kirk's quarters, he tells McCoy and Scott to watch their backs, as the officers move up by assassination. Scott tells Kirk that Sulu is security chief and compares him to the ancient Gestapo. McCoy compares sickbay to a chamber of horrors where two of his assistants were betting on how long it would take an injured man to pass out from the pain. Scott then tells Kirk the technology is virtually identical, with only variations in instrumentation. When Kirk asks about star readings, Scott tells him everything is exactly as it should be, except for them. Kirk then decides to try the library computer. At first Kirk is surprised to hear the computer have a male voice. He then begins a program of classified security research, accessible to only him and Scotty. Using all the data from the ion storm, Kirk has the computer work on the idea to see if a sufficiently strong enough ion storm could cause a power surge in transporter circuits which create a momentary interdimensional contact with a parallel universe. The computer answers "affirmative."  Kirk then asks if people, in the act of beaming through such a storm, could they transpose accidentally with their counterparts in the other universe, to which the computer answers "affirmative."  Kirk then asks if such conditions could be artificially-created using the ship's power, to which the computer, again, answers "affirmative."  Kirk records the research onto a record tape and gives it to Scott. Scott tells Kirk that he'll need help, but Kirk would be too conspicuous. At that point, he drafts McCoy to help him. "I'm a doctor, not an engineer," McCoy states. "Now, you're an engineer," Scott replies. As Scott steps off to another terminal in Kirk's quarters to do some research of his own, McCoy asks Kirk what kind of people they are in this universe. So Kirk asks the computer for a readout of the current commander. The computer tells him that Captain James T. Kirk succeeded to command the ISS Enterprise through assassination of Captain Christopher Pike. Kirk's first two actions were suppressing a rebellion by destroying the rebels' home planet and executing 5,000 colonists on Vega IX. Kirk quickly cuts off the record, having heard more than enough. Scott tells Kirk that their plan can work by using the automatic transporter setting. Unfortunately however, their interruption of the engine circuits will appear on Sulu's security board. Kirk says he'll get Uhura to create a diversion to distract Sulu's attention as soon as he's ready. Kirk tells everyone to get back to their posts and keep him appraised. After Scott leaves, McCoy and Kirk ponder what their counterparts are doing back in their universe and on their Enterprise. At that moment, on the prime universe Enterprise, the counterpart Kirk is being forcefully dragged to the brig by two security officers. Kirk demands that the security release him, but they ignore him. Spock Prime is waiting for them at the brig. Kirk tries to get Spock to let him go. The security officers throw Kirk into the brig with the other counterparts who angrily ask what's going on and they also clearly yell at Spock. Kirk threatens to have Spock and the security guards executed. Spock tells him that's not likely as his authority is extremely limited in that regard. Spock tells Kirk that the four of them will remain in the brig and in custody until he can figure out how to get them back to wherever it is they belong. Kirk says the whole galaxy's gone crazy, wonders about his uniform, about Spock's beard, and what has happened to his personal guards. Spock says he cannot answer those questions at this time. Kirk then tries to bribe Spock with either credits or perhaps his own command. Spock theorizes that some kind of interesting transference has taken place. Kirk asks Spock what might buy him, perhaps power? Spock can only reply with "fascinating."  Kirk yells at Spock as he's walking away, telling Spock that he can get power for him. Meanwhile, back on the mirror Enterprise, Kirk Prime is walking through a corridor when he's met by Spock, who has a guard of his own -- another Vulcan. Spock tells Kirk that he's pleased Kirk foiled Chekov's plan, stating that he does not want to be captain, he prefers his scientific duties, and that he is, quite frankly, content to be a lesser target. Kirk tells him that he is logical as always. At that moment, a switch is thrown and we hear Chekov screaming. Kirk turns and sees Chekov in some kind of booth, surrounded by the guards that took him away. Spock tells Kirk the agony booth is a most effective means of discipline, and then asks Kirk if he's ordered full duration. Kirk says he hasn't decided -- a decision which surprises Spock, as Chekov's act warrants death. Kirk angrily repeats that he hasn't decided. Spock submits that that is Kirk's business, then asks if he intends to continue in this unusual course of action regarding the Halkans, as they are in conflict with standard Imperial procedure and that Kirk cannot ignore the consequences. Kirk asks Spock if that is a threat; Spock tells Kirk that he is merely stating facts. Spock says that he has found Kirk to be an excellent officer, and that their missions together have been both successful and profitable. However, Spock will not permit Kirk's aberrations to jeopardize his position. Kirk asks Spock if he thinks they should destroy the Halkans; Spock tells him that "terror must be maintained, or the Empire is doomed. It is the logic of history." Kirk wonders if they've perhaps gone too far with their conquest, stating that that part is easy, but controlling the masses are not. Spock says he does not want to have to find himself opposing Kirk, but if Kirk persists in his confusing, inexplicable behavior, he will have no choice. Kirk tells Spock that it is his concern and not Spock's. Kirk tells Spock that he would find Kirk to be a formidable enemy; Spock says he knows that, and asks if Kirk is aware of the reverse. After Spock leaves, Kirk tells Farrell to release Chekov from the booth and confine him to quarters. Meanwhile, outside engineering, Scott distracts a guard, McCoy is able to hypo him unconscious. They drag him inside the door and climb up the ladder to the emergency manual monitor and begin to do some of their work. Kirk goes to his quarters and finds a woman asleep on his bed. She tells him they had a difficult time in the chemistry lab cleaning up the mess after the storm, but nothing compared to what he's gone through, referring to his earlier incident with Chekov. Kirk says that Chekov gambled and Kirk won. Marlena says that Kirk got lucky, and states she's surprised as to how easily he was caught off-guard. Kirk tells her he was preoccupied. She asks if he's still in trouble with Starfleet Command. She can't figure out what kind of scheme he's got in mind. She figures that either the Halkans have something he wants, or he's trying to scheme a way to advance to the Admiralty or perhaps the Cabinet. Kirk says if he's successful, he may go further than that. Moreau asks if she can know what his plan is, thinking it only fair if she's to be the woman of a Cæsar. After a brief kiss, the intercom chimes and Kirk steps over to it. Spock is calling him, telling him that he's received a private message from Starfleet Command and that by telling Kirk about it, he is violating regulations. Spock tells Kirk that he must wait until planet dawn over principal target to permit Kirk to carry out their mission; if Kirk does not discharge his duties, then Spock is ordered to kill him and proceed against the Halkans as the new captain of the Enterprise. Moreau and Kirk drink a toast to Spock as the only man aboard with the decency to warn Kirk, and he'll die for it. Kirk says he does not intend to kill him. Moreau asks if he's going to act against the Halkans before the deadline and Kirk says he won't, but he'll also avoid killing Spock. Moreau asks if Kirk is just going to get Spock and his men out of the way; Kirk says he'll get out of Spock's way. Moreau asks if she should activate the Tantalus field so Kirk can monitor him; not knowing what she means, Kirk tells her to go ahead, and watches as she touches a couple of areas on what appears to be a decoration on the wall, revealing a monitor screen and some buttons. Moreau tells Kirk she hates the device. Playing for time while she unwittingly shows him what the device is and how it works, Kirk says "it's not so bad". Moreau replies that of course he'd think that, as it is what made him captain of the Enterprise. She then wonders how many people Kirk has simply wiped out of existence by the touch of a button and then contemplates the humor in how "the great, powerful Captain Kirk, who owes everything to some unknown alien scientist and a plundered laboratory." Kirk and Moreau mutually agree then that if one does not take advantage of one's opportunities, one does not rise to command a starship or even higher. Observing Spock, Moreau offers to go ahead and kill him, but Kirk stops her and deactivates the device. Moreau says that if Spock fails to kill Kirk, then he'll still be executed. Kirk says that he'll make certain the circumstance of Spock's failure will clear him. Moreau is amazed that Kirk isn't even afraid of Starfleet Command. She wonders just how much power is Kirk expecting to accumulate and then wonders how she'll fit into the circumstances. Kirk asks Moreau how she wants to fit in, to which she smiles and then walks through a door, ostensibly to her end of the cabin, leaving Kirk alone. Alone, Kirk calls Scott on his communicator and tells him they have to get out of there inside of three hours as Spock has orders to kill him unless he completes their military mission. Scott tells him that the two-way transmission affected local field densities within the two universes and they've got to escape within a half-hour or they'll be stuck in the mirror universe for the rest of their lives. Scott needs Kirk to get to the transporter room in about ten minutes and free up the board so Scott can lock in. Kirk says after he leaves the transporter room he'll meet Scott and McCoy in sickbay afterward. In his quarters, Spock has been curious about the computer activity and inquires the computer about it. The computer tells him that the captain and Scott are conducting a classified security research under Kirk's voice index log. Spock turns to contemplate that when he notices a beep on his computer and after he activates it, asks Sulu why he is monitoring Spock's communications. Sulu tells Spock that his security board had detected extensive use of computers and he was going to inform Spock. Sulu says that he can figure out what Starfleet told Spock and tells him that he suspects that Kirk is working on escape or defense. When Spock tells Sulu it's his business, Sulu tells Spock he hopes Spock succeeds, because the order would fall on Sulu next, and Sulu is concerned about how Kirk's enemies have the unfortunate habit of disappearing. Spock tells Sulu that if he succeeds, Sulu will find himself a step closer to the captaincy. Spock says he does not want to command the Enterprise, but if it should happen, Spock reminds Sulu that his operatives would avenge his death, and some of them are Vulcans. That statement seems to frighten Sulu a bit, and he closes the channel. Back in Kirk's quarters, Moreau reappears, wearing a much more seductive outfit. She admits to being a bit out of practice and laments that it's difficult for her to appear perfectly as a woman constantly. Kirk says that he's never seen any woman come closer to perfection. She says she remembers how he used to talk that way. Kirk says he still does. When she asks for proof, Kirk says he has to go. Moreau is angry about being put off for one task or another. She then realizes that their relationship must be over. Moreau tells Kirk that Commander Kenner will take her for a time. When she prepares to call a yeoman for assistance to move out, Kirk tells her that's unnecessary. Moreau wonders if Kirk is feeling sorry for her. Then she demands a transfer, saying on the Enterprise she's humiliated but on another ship she can hunt for another man. She then says she's got her rank, that she's been a captain's woman and she likes it, and if it requires she go through every officer in the fleet, she'll be one again. Kirk says she could, and when Moreau turns to strike him, Kirk stops her and tells her he simply meant that Moreau could be anything she wanted to be. He then kisses her very passionately. Moreau says it's been a long time since he kissed her like that and based on Kirk's mercy toward Spock and toward her, calls him a stranger. She then asks if she's his woman. Kirk tells her she's the captain's woman until he says she's not. He then leaves their quarters. Moreau turns on the Tantalus field and watches Kirk go into the turbolift. In the turbolift, Kirk calls Uhura and tells her that Scott should be calling her soon. He asks if she's prepared; she says she is, and that she will do her best to keep Sulu distracted. Kirk wishes her good luck and then closes the channel. At this point, Scott and McCoy have climbed up into a Jefferies tube and, just before Scott begins to make the alterations, he signals Uhura. Uhura walks down to Sulu and chides him for not being very persistent, reminding him that he's ignoring the rules of the game. She's supposed to protest and then he's supposed to come back. Sulu puts his arms around her and tells her she's making sense now. Uhura says she was getting bored, but of course this isn't the time. Sulu, meanwhile, is kissing Uhura's neck and tells her any time's a good time. While he is kissing her, the beep on his console from Scott's work is detected, but goes unnoticed. When the beep stops, she smiles, backs away and then backhands Sulu back into his seat, telling him she's changed her mind again. An angry Sulu tells her she takes a lot of chances, but Uhura draws her knife and tells Sulu he does, too. She keep Sulu at bay with her knife and has one of the relief officers take over for her and she leaves the bridge. While in the turbolift, she contacts Scott and tells him that it's all clear and she's headed for sickbay. In the transporter room, Kirk is working on unlocking the controls on the transporter console when Spock steps in and detains him. After confiscating Kirk's weapon, Spock asks Kirk what he's doing, but Kirk will give no information and tells Spock to go ahead and shoot him. Spock says that Kirk is too inflexible and disciplined once he's made up his mind. Conversely, Dr. McCoy is sentimental and soft, so he'll be able to get the information he needs from him. Kirk threatens Spock, but Spock reminds Kirk that he's the one with the phaser and he does not intend to simply disappear as so many of Kirk's opponents have previously. Spock then leads Kirk to sickbay, where he finds the rest of the landing party waiting on Kirk. Kirk turns and attacks Spock and the others join in. Spock is able to handle all four rather easily, although Kirk does put up more of a fight than the others. Finally, Uhura hands Kirk a ceramic which he smashes over Spock's head, rendering him unconscious. Scott tells Kirk they have maybe 15 minutes to go and McCoy demands they help him get Spock on the examination table as Spock will die without immediate treatment. After complying, Kirk asks Scott if everything's ready for them to go; Scott says it is and tries to get McCoy to hurry, as they are risking not going home. McCoy says they have time and tells Scott to shut up. McCoy asks Kirk if he should stop, but that his work will only take a minute. Kirk mentions that this Spock is very much like their own Spock, and that McCoy can continue. Just then, Sulu walks in with three security guards. When Kirk asks what he is doing, Sulu says that Spock is going to succeed in his order to kill Kirk apparently. Kirk will also appear to have killed Spock after a fierce battle. Sulu calls it regrettable, but it will leave him as captain. As Kirk and company prepare to defend themselves against Sulu, one of Sulu's henchmen suddenly disappears. Back in Kirk's quarters, Marlena has been monitoring Kirk ever since he left their quarters and she has learned who he really is. She vaporizes the other guards, leaving Sulu alone to fight Kirk, and Kirk knocks out Sulu fairly easily. Scott tells Kirk they only have ten minutes. Kirk tells McCoy that his time is up, but McCoy can't let Spock die and asks for only five minutes; he guarantees he'll be there. After Kirk and the others leave, McCoy gives Spock a hypo which wakes him up. Spock then grabs McCoy's arm and asks why Kirk has let him live. McCoy won't answer him, so Spock backs McCoy up against a wall and then mind melds with him. In the transporter room, Marlena is waiting on the landing party. Kirk sends Scott to activate the transporter and expresses gratitude to Marlena for saving them. Marlena asks Kirk to take her with him. Kirk says he can't, that their power is balanced for only four and if they try it with five, they could all die. Marlena points out there are only three of them. Kirk says one is coming and that he wishes he could help her. Marlena points a phaser at Kirk then, and Kirk tells her if she kills them, she'll still stay. Uhura approaches her from behind and quickly disarms Marlena. Kirk asks for the time and Scott tells them they have five minutes when suddenly the power cuts. Kirk asks if auxiliary power will work and Scott says getting the power is no problem but the automatic setting is linked to the transporter main and if they bypass, someone will have to stay behind to operate the controls manually. Scott volunteers to stay, but Kirk tells him and Uhura to get to the transporter chamber. Scott begins to protest, even calling Kirk "Jim," but Kirk makes it an order and Scott reluctantly complies. Kirk goes around to the transporter controls, and then Spock enters with McCoy. Spock has also learned the landing party's true identities through his mind meld and it was him that had the transporter power cut so they couldn't beam out before he arrived. Spock gives McCoy to Scott, and then orders engineering to reactivate the main transporter circuits. Kirk calls Spock "a man of integrity in both universes."  Spock says that they must get back to their universe and Spock must have his captain back and that he will operate the transporter. In the two minutes and thirteen seconds that remain, Kirk asks how long before the Halkan's prediction of galactic revolt is realized. Spock, as ruthlessly logical as his counterpart, has calculated that it will occur in approximately 240 years, and the inevitable outcome will be the overthrow of the Empire. Kirk then challenges the "illogic" of Spock continuing to serve an Empire that he knows is certain to collapse. Kirk then asks if change is inevitable, and for the good, wouldn't logic insist that he be part of it?  Spock tells Kirk one man cannot summon the future, but Kirk tells him one man can change the present. "Be the captain of this Enterprise, Mr. Spock! Find a logical reason for sparing the Halkans and make it stick, push till it gives! You can defend yourself better than any man in the fleet." Spock tells Kirk that a man must also have the power to effect change. With a glance toward Moreau, Kirk reveals the existence of the Tantalus field, with which Spock will be "invincible." Spock appears intrigued. Kirk asks him to make the choice: the past or the future, tyranny or freedom. Kirk then steps into the transporter chamber and then tells Spock "in every revolution, there's one man with a vision." Spock says only, "Captain Kirk, I shall consider it," and then energizes the transporter. Reappearing in the their own universe, the landing party steps off the transporter pad and are happy to see a clean shaven Spock, who welcomes them home. On the bridge, as the Enterprise leaves orbit of the Halkan homeworld, Kirk asks how Spock detected their counterparts so quickly. Spock tells Kirk that as civilized men, they were able to impersonate barbarians much easier than it was for barbarians to imitate civilized men. Spock speculates that the counterparts returned to their Enterprise at the same time the landing party arrived home. Kirk speculates that his counterpart might be in for a few changes, though. McCoy says he thinks he liked Spock with a beard better, as it gave him character. Kirk mentions how easily the counterpart Spock fit into the other universe, and speculated that Spock might be a bit of a pirate at heart. Spock comments on how he observed their counterparts also, calling them "brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilized, treacherous; in every way splendid examples of Homo sapiens, the very flower of Humanity." Spock also adds that he found them quite refreshing. Kirk says he's not sure, but he thinks they've been insulted. McCoy, however, is sure. At that moment, Lt. Marlena Moreau walks on the bridge with a report on a PADD for Kirk. McCoy, Scott, and Uhura are shocked to see her, and when she arrives at Kirk's chair, he asks Moreau her name and she tells him she was just assigned to the Enterprise last week. After she walks away, Spock asks Kirk if he knows her, citing his reaction as one of recognition. Kirk tells Spock that he hadn't met her before exactly. He hopes that he and Moreau can become friends. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is on a routine mission to resupply the experimental colony at Gamma Hydra IV. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Lt. Galway, and Ensign Chekov beam down. While the landing party is spread out looking for the missing colonists, Chekov wanders into a darkened building. As the lights come on, they reveal the dead body of a very old man. Chekov runs out of the building extremely scared and the rest of the landing party goes in to investigate. McCoy reveals the cause of death to be natural causes, extreme old age. Spock finds this impossible, since he had checked the records prior to the group beaming down and found that none of the colony members were over thirty. Then, two elderly people wander in, Robert Johnson, who claims to be only twenty-nine; and his wife, Elaine who claims to be twenty-seven. In the Enterprise in sickbay, Kirk tries to question Robert Johnson, but being of advanced age, he doesn't quite understand what the captain is asking him. He fills in his passengers, Commodore Stocker, Yeoman Doris Atkins, and Dr. Janet Wallace, Wallace also being an old flame of Kirk's past. Kirk promises to keep them all informed and that they will remain in orbit until the mystery is solved. Commodore Stocker expresses his pressing concern to reach Starbase 10, and Kirk says he will do everything he can to get Stocker there. Everyone leaves the briefing room and Dr. Wallace and Kirk reminisce about the past for a moment and how their careers got in the way of their relationship over six years ago. Kirk goes to the bridge and gives Sulu the order to maintain orbit, and Spock informs him that a rogue comet passed near the planet some time ago, but is unsure if it had any effects on the planet. Commodore Stocker tries to again push the Enterprise to leave immediately for Starbase 10, claiming the instruments there would be more effective. Kirk politely refuses the Commodore's request and leaves the bridge giving the command again to maintain orbit, much to Sulu's and Spock's puzzlement. Meanwhile, a perplexed Lieutenant Galway visits McCoy complaining about suffering a sudden loss of hearing. Kirk, in his quarters, calls Spock on the bridge and informs him to look into a comet that had recently passed the planet. Spock, of course, replies he is already doing so as per Kirk's orders, leaving Kirk a little confused. He then goes to sickbay complaining of shoulder pain, and jokes about McCoy's hair getting a little grayer. McCoy's initial exam reveals advanced arthritis in Kirk's shoulder, which Kirk doesn't believe at first. But then Scott walks in, complete with gray hair and wrinkles. Everyone that had been in the landing party is showing definite signs of accelerated aging, with the sole exception of Chekov. Most of the party members are aging at approximately thirty years a day, and McCoy is at a loss for the cause. He has run a complete physical on Chekov and found nothing to explain it. Spock estimates that they all have less than a week to live and that in lesser time, they will be little more than mental vegetables. Though Spock is showing no obvious physical signs, he admits to suffering from lethargy, memory and vision loss, and the ship's temperature is feeling increasingly colder to him. Kirk sends Scott and Galway back to their duties and leaves McCoy to do yet another physical on Chekov. As Kirk heads back to the bridge, he exchanges a mildly flirtatious conversation with the concerned Dr. Wallace. The tone changes however, when Kirk realizes that her deceased husband, Theodore Wallace, was 26 years her senior. Kirk rejects her advances, and inquires if Dr. Wallace's affections to him are because of his current appearance, and also concerned it's out of pity for his sad condition. Sitting at his navigation console on the bridge, Chekov gripes to Sulu about McCoy's constant examinations of him and him giving all sorts of samples. "If I live long enough, I'm going to run out of samples." An elderly Kirk arrives at the bridge while a concerned Commodore Stocker looks on, and the bridge crew can see that Kirk's advanced age is clearly taking its toll. Kirk gives orders, then forgets giving them. He even falls asleep in his command chair. A gray-haired Spock wakes him and informs him that the comet is indeed the source of the problem. By now, even Spock appears to be tired. The orbit of Gamma Hydra IV took the planet through the comet's tail. Though no regular levels of radiation were detected, there were extremely low levels of radiation, which is the probable cause. Kirk then orders Lieutenant Uhura to send a coded message to Starfleet and to use code 2 since they are close to the Romulan Neutral Zone. Uhura reminds Kirk that the Romulans have already broken code 2. A befuddled Kirk orders her to use code 3 and to relay the information about the comet. He then tells Sulu to move the ship to a higher orbit, and when Sulu indicates that he had already given that command, he yells, "I fail to understand why my orders are repeatedly being questioned!" McCoy confirms the radiation theory, and Kirk returns to the bridge. Spock then informs McCoy that the ship has become increasingly cold and he's had to increase the temperature in his own quarters to 125 degrees, to which McCoy informs him that he will not be making house calls to Spock. Dr. Wallace then tells McCoy that none of the conventional means for radiation therapy will work in this case. In a corridor, Commodore Stocker meets with Spock, informing him of his concern for Kirk's ability to command. He asks Spock to take over as captain, since Vulcans have a much longer life span than Humans. Spock reminds the commodore that he is also feeling the effects of the aging and that he also is half Human. Stocker asks Spock to conduct a competency hearing, which according to regulations is Spock's duty as first officer. Spock, wanting to spare Kirk of any more suffering than he's already going through and the humiliation of an almost guaranteed judgment against him, tells the commodore that he has duties to attend to. Stocker holds firm and insists to Spock that a competency hearing is mandatory by regulations. Spock reluctantly agrees and announces that he will convene the hearing at 1400 hours. As McCoy continues to examine Chekov, an even more aged Lt. Galway arrives at sickbay and falls dead in Kirk's arms. McCoy speculates that Galway's metabolism caused the disease to affect her far more severely, resulting in her early death, and that they themselves don't have much more time. They may have days, perhaps hours left. Spock conducts the competency hearing. Scott is by now much older, looking tired and depressed. Kirk and McCoy are also in terrible condition. A reluctant Atkins, Uhura, and Sulu testify about Kirk's failing abilities. McCoy also reluctantly confirms the computer analysis of his medical examination. Testifying, Kirk tries to maintain his control, but it is quite obvious that his mind and deteriorated body are failing, and he digs himself a deeper hole by going on a long, rambling speech in which he erroneously refers to the planet that they are orbiting as "Gamma Hydra II". He is removed from command and to his dismay, the inexperienced Commodore Stocker assumes command. Kirk, despite his senility, has enough common sense to predict that Stocker, with no command experience, and in Kirk's words, a "paper pusher", would be a poor choice to command the Enterprise, and tries to order Spock to take command. When Spock rebuffs Kirk and reminds him that he no longer has power on the Enterprise, it deeply hurts him and temporarily causes a rift between the two. Kirk then fruitlessly tries to justify his command ability to Janet, telling her that his brain is still as sharp as it ever was, despite evidence to the contrary. Kirk asks Wallace if she sees him getting older for which she cannot provide an answer. Later, a very old and gray Kirk and an equally-gray Spock and McCoy review again their beaming down to the planet. Spock then reminds them that the only time Chekov was not with them was when he went into the building, discovered the body, and ran out from the building scared half to death. McCoy postulates that the increased adrenaline levels somehow may have protected Chekov from being afflicted. Stocker, who has no field experience, plots a shortcut to Starbase 10 through the Romulan Neutral Zone and, of course, the Romulans immediately attack. The Enterprise is quickly surrounded by several Bird-of-Prey ships, as a shocked and frozen commodore tries to decide what to do. The Romulans continue to attack the Enterprise while Stocker tries to establish communication. Spock races against time and makes a crude serum, but it could either cure or kill. Kirk, unable to endure any longer and determined to get back to the bridge, demands the first shot stating he's about to die anyway, and upon receiving it, he starts to scream and writhe while held down with restraints on his bio-bed. Stocker feels that the only way to get the Romulans to stop is by surrendering. But Chekov reminds him that Romulans do not take prisoners. Suddenly, a fully-recovered Kirk arrives on the bridge and retakes command. On purpose, he instructs Uhura to post a message to Starfleet, using code 2, that he plans to self-destruct the ship and take all the Romulan ships with him by using the "recently installed" corbomite device. Spock looks exhausted, but relieved. As expected, the Romulans tap into the message and start to move out of the way. Kirk uses this opportunity to warp the Enterprise out of the Neutral Zone and back to safety. McCoy is shown to be recovered, and informs Kirk that Scott is fine, though he pulled a muscle when his body reacted to the serum. The cure is a success, even if the procedure is very painful to humans, and even more for Vulcans. McCoy informs Spock that a super dose is already ready for him, and all breakable objects were removed from the infirmary, and they can start whenever Spock is ready. Spock is in bad shape, and he asks to receive it now. Kirk remarks that the events of the past day will be an experience they will remember, even in old age -- which hopefully will still be far off. Kirk orders Sulu to take command of the Enterprise, steady as she goes, which the helmsman repeats. Kirk replies that he thought he already said that. 
<EOS>
Spock and Dr. McCoy are walking through the corridors of the USS Enterprise, where they encounter Crewman Norman, who joined the Enterprise crew only 72 hours before. McCoy mentions that Norman is odd and unemotional; for some reason, Spock hasn't noticed. Norman makes his way into auxiliary control, where he knocks out Jordan, the crewman on duty and activates the override. On the bridge, Lieutenant Sulu reports a course change whereupon Captain Kirk sends security to auxiliary control, but to no avail. Sulu tries to override the course change, but fails. Norman then breaks into the emergency manual monitor and engineering section, knocks out much of the engineering crew, and jams the controls. A dazed Scott hails the bridge and informs Kirk that the intruder is in engineering. Later, Norman emerges from the turbolift onto the bridge and announces he is in control -- any attempt to alter course will destroy the ship. He then says "we" don't intend harm to humanoid life, but rather require the ship, and opens up a panel in his abdominal region, revealing himself to be an android. Norman announces that he's locked the controls and that they will arrive at their destination in four solar days. He then promptly shuts down in front of the bridge's turbolift. Four days later, the Enterprise enters orbit around an uncharted planet. Norman wakes up and announces that Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, and Chekov must beam down, or he will destroy the engines, stranding the Enterprise in orbit forever. The planet is Class K, which means that it can be adapted for life with the help of a large amount of machinery. They are ushered into the presence of Harry Mudd, sitting on a throne and drinking from a goblet, who declares that here he is Emperor: Mudd the First. He declares that Kirk and crew must stay for the rest of their lives on the planet, now also named Mudd. Harry Mudd is surrounded by androids, who for the most part are a slew of beauties -- 500 in the Alice class alone. He implies that these androids can provide for him anything he wants. Mudd goes on to explain his presence on the planet and tells them that he had been sent to prison by Kirk and company after his last encounter with the Enterprise crew and the affair on the Rigel mining planet. After his escape, he had been employing himself by illegally reselling patents. He was caught selling a Vulcan fuel synthesizer to the Denebians and, upon being informed of Mudd's deception, sentenced to death on Deneb V; fortunately for him he was able to steal a ship and get away despite being shot at. After drifting aimlessly for a while, he found himself on his planet. The problem is, of course, that he has gotten bored, and the androids won't let him go. Kirk and his crewmates are there because he told the androids to go and get a starship, so the crew could stay and he could leave. Mudd then demonstrates to Kirk and McCoy an android replica of his shrewish wife Stella; he amuses himself by telling her to shut up whenever he likes, thereby finally getting the last word with his wife. The androids bring them to a recreation area, where they reveal that they were made by the Makers, a humanoid race from the Andromeda Galaxy. Their home planet's sun went nova and only a few exploratory outposts survived. After the androids leave the room, Spock surmises that the number of androids and their interactions are such that they cannot operate independently, and logically, there should be a central control system which guides the entire android population. Spock finds what appears to be a central control room. Norman is there, but will not tell Spock much about the controls; he is "not programmed to respond in this area". Kirk and Uhura are being shown the Barbara series of robots by Mudd and Alice. Uhura asks how long they last; the answer comes back -- 500,000 yrs. Plus, they can put a Human brain in the android -- effective immortality. Uhura seems to respond well to this idea. Back in the recreation room, Scott is forcefully brought down to Mudd by the androids and joins the rest of the crew. Scott is the last of the Enterprise's personnel to be brought down and androids are now completely running the ship. Because the androids can provide whatever the crew wants, Kirk is worried his crew will be tempted. Chekov, for example, is being serviced by two Alice androids, and seems to be enjoying it a great deal, noting that "this place is even better than Leningrad." Scott, on the other hand, is quite interested in their engineering facilities. Kirk and his crewmates are planning to escape -- Uhura and Chekov seem to be enjoying it there, but Kirk snaps them out of it. An Alice comes in and promises anything to make them happy, and Kirk says he can't be happy without their ship. Alice doesn't respond to this very well; she asks Norman who is not present to coordinate, and promptly leaves. Mudd is saying goodbye to the androids when Kirk comes in to have a chat with him. To no one's surprise but Mudd's, the androids won't let him leave. The androids then reveal their plan: to "serve" Humans until they will become completely dependent upon the androids. "Their aggressive and acquisitive instincts will be under our control. We shall take care of them." Spock figures out that Norman coordinates the androids, for two reasons: first, there is only one Norman, but many of the others, and second, when Alice was confused earlier, she asked Norman to coordinate. They decide to target Norman with insane logic in an attempt to overload the central control. They decide to provide an escape attempt, because the androids will be expecting one. They knock Mudd out -- over his vehement protests -- and then tell the androids he will die without a trip to the Enterprise for treatment. Uhura then pretends to betray the crew for immortality. At this point, the crew puts their real plan into action. They engage in a surreal pantomime for two of the Alice androids in order to confuse them. The androids cannot rationalize the conflicting and illogical inputs and suspend operation. Elsewhere, Spock tries to nerve pinch another Alice, but it has no effect. He then causes two other Alice androids to freeze up by telling one he loves her, but the other he hates her. The androids can't deal with this, as they are identical in every way -- it is illogical to love one and not the other. When this seems to work, they decide to take down Norman. After a series of over the top speeches, android imitations and pantomimed deaths and explosions, a recitation of the Liar's Paradox finally incapacitates Norman and, with him, the remainder of the androids. Mudd is left on the planet for an indeterminate amount of time under a type of "parole" as an example to the androids of a Human failure. He is quite happy with his sentence -- the androids can provide him with as much of whatever he wants as he likes -- until he learns that he has to share the planet with at least three and possibly up to 500 copies of his wife, Stella. Furthermore, he has no  control over them and they are programmed to harangue and annoy him as much as possible. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise bid Mudd farewell and continue on their mission. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is en route to Deep Space Station K-7 for assistance with an important assignment regarding a disputed planet. One parsec from the nearest Klingon outpost, the post is near Sherman's Planet, which is claimed by both sides. In the Enterprise's briefing room, Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, and Ensign Pavel Chekov review the area's history: twenty-three years after the inconclusive Battle of Donatu V, the Organian Peace Treaty is set to grant control of Sherman's Planet to the party that can demonstrate it can develop the planet's resources most efficiently. Lieutenant Uhura reports from the bridge that K-7 has issued a Code One alert, which signals that it is under attack. Kirk orders a speed increase to warp factor 6, while Uhura initiates a red alert. The Enterprise arrives at maximum warp, ready for a fight, only to find no battle. Beaming over with Spock, Kirk demands an explanation from station manager Lurry, but is told he was ordered to do so by Nilz Baris, a Federation undersecretary in charge of the Sherman's Planet development project. Baris and his aide, Arne Darvin, fear that the Klingons might try to sabotage the Federation's best hope to win control of the planet -- a high-yield grain known as quadrotriticale, the only Earth grain that will grow on the planet. Tons of the grain are stored at the station, and Baris demands from Kirk security and protection. Kirk still believes they have misused the Priority One designation, but assigns only two guards to the station, and allows shore leave for the Enterprise crew. On leave, Uhura and Chekov meet a dealer named Cyrano Jones, who is trying to wholesale to the skeptical bartender various rare galactic items, among them, spican flame gems and furry little creatures that Jones calls tribbles. While they bicker over the price, Chekov notices a tribble has eaten a quadrotriticale sample left on the bar and Uhura is enchanted by it. Jones gives the tribble to Uhura, a move the bartender claims will ruin the market but Jones claims will help spur more sales. Back on the Enterprise, Kirk receives an order from Starfleet Admiral Fitzpatrick to render any and or all aid that Baris may require. The admiral informs Kirk that the safety of the grain -- as well as the project -- is the captain's responsibility. Kirk is exasperated, and just then learns from Uhura that a Klingon battle cruiser has arrived within a hundred kilometers of K-7. Kirk orders the ship to go to red alert and for Lurry to be notified. Lurry, however, discounts a possible attack, as the Klingon ship's captain, Koloth, and first officer, Korax, are sitting in his office. Kirk orders the red alert canceled. Kirk beams over with Spock and the Klingons assert their rights to shore leave under the terms of the Organian treaty. Kirk reluctantly accedes, but sets limits of twelve at a time, with one guard from the Enterprise for each Klingon soldier. In the recreation room aboard the Enterprise, Uhura's tribble gives birth to a litter. The sounds the tribbles make seem to have a soothing effect on Humans. Dr. McCoy takes one of the offspring to study it. Meanwhile, Kirk argues with Baris about the adequacy of the security Kirk is providing, until Kirk claims he is getting a headache. Going to sickbay for treatment, Kirk sees that McCoy's tribble has also produced a litter. McCoy reports that almost 50% of their metabolism is geared towards reproduction. Kirk tells crewmembers beaming over to shore leave on K-7 to avoid trouble with the Klingons. Montgomery Scott declines shore leave, but Kirk, concerned for him getting too wrapped up in his technical journals, orders him over to keep an eye on the others and to enjoy himself. At the bar aboard K-7, Jones tries to sell more tribbles. The Enterprise crew aren't interested, and the tribbles and the Klingons react to one another with loud hostility. The bartender is uninterested in more tribbles either -- the one he acquired earlier is already multiplying. Korax starts insulting the Enterprise crew, first by comparing the Humans to Regulan bloodworms. He then tries to provoke Chekov by repeatedly insulting Kirk, but Scott restrains Chekov. Korax then turns his attention to Scott by insulting the Enterprise itself, first calling it a garbage scow, then just garbage, provoking Scott to punch Korax in the face and start a brawl between the two groups. The barman retreats and Jones dispenses himself some drinks in his absence. Security officers from the Enterprise arrest the brawlers and restore order, and shore leave for both ships is canceled. Kirk interrogates the crew involved in the brawl, but none are forthcoming about who started it. Kirk orders that they are all confined to quarters until he determines who started the brawl. After Kirk dismisses his officers, Scott confesses to Kirk in private that he started the fight after Korax insulted them, recalling some of the more colorful examples. Kirk presses further and is perplexed to find that Scott didn't start fighting until Korax insulted the Enterprise but realizes it was due to an engineer's sensitivities. Kirk restricts Scott to quarters, to which Scott happily complies, anticipating time off to catch up on his journals. In sickbay, Spock and McCoy have a characteristic debate on the aesthetics and utility of tribbles, Spock in particular, notes to McCoy their one redeeming characteristic -- they do not talk too much. The question soon attracts Kirk's attention. There are tribbles all over the bridge, including one in his chair. McCoy reports this is because they are "born pregnant" and are swamping the ship with their rampant reproduction. Kirk orders Uhura to call for Jones to be detained on K-7 -- and to "get these tribbles off the bridge." On K-7, Spock berates Jones for removing tribbles from their natural predators and letting them over-breed. Jones counters with excuses and insists that, at six credits each, they're making him money. Then Baris confronts Kirk on the insufficient security detail for the quadrotriticale. Baris claims Jones is "quite probably a Klingon agent," but Kirk is unconvinced by the evidence and finds that Jones has done no worse than disrupt activities on K-7, which is not unprecedented. "Sometimes, all they need is a title, Mr. Baris", Kirk pointedly concludes, and he and Spock return to the Enterprise. Back on board, the tribble problem has worsened. Kirk can't even get a meal, as tribbles have gotten into the food synthesizers. Scott reports that the tribbles are circulating through the Enterprise's ventilation ducts, ending up in machinery all throughout the ship. Spock points out that there are comparable ducts aboard K-7 that lead to the grain storage tanks. Realizing the implication, Kirk orders all the tribbles removed from the Enterprise and rushes to K-7, gaining access to one of the storage compartments, but when he opens the overhead door, an avalanche of tribbles buries him. Kirk finally climbs out from the pile of tribbles -- a population Spock estimates at 1,771,561 -- and Spock discovers that they are gorged on the grain. Baris claims Kirk's orders have turned the project into a disaster and that he will call for a Starfleet board of inquiry against Kirk. But Spock and McCoy notice that many of the tribbles in the pile are dead or dying. Kirk orders McCoy to find out why they died, though McCoy protests that he doesn't yet know what keeps them alive. Kirk assembles all the principals in Lurry's office. Koloth demands that Kirk issue an official apology to the Klingon High Command, though Baris says that would give the Klingons the wedge they need to claim Sherman's Planet. Koloth also asks that the tribbles be removed from the room. The guards do so, but they pass Darvin, at which point the tribbles shriek just as they did around the Klingons. With his medical tricorder, McCoy reveals Darvin to be a Klingon. He poisoned the grain with a virus that prevents its victim from absorbing nutrients, which is how the tribbles died. "They starved to death. In a storage compartment full of grain, they starved to death!" Kirk summarizes. Darvin is arrested, the Klingons are ordered out of Federation territory within the next six hours, and Kirk says he could learn to like tribbles. In K-7's bar, Kirk and Spock then give Jones a choice: twenty years in a rehabilitation colony for transporting a harmful species, or pick up every tribble on the station. Jones accepts the latter. Back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk is happy to find the ship has been swept clean of tribbles, and asks Spock, McCoy, and Scott how they did it. They all deflect Kirk's questions until Scott reluctantly replies that before the Klingons went into warp, he beamed all of them into their engine room, "where they'll be no tribble at all." The crew share a good, long laugh at this. 
<EOS>
Near the planet 892-IV, the USS Enterprise discovers the wreckage of the SS Beagle, a merchant ship missing for the last six years, whose commanding officer is R.M. Merik, a old friend of Captain Kirk from the Academy. When the Enterprise enters orbit to look for survivors, it intercepts a 20th century-style television broadcast in which a Roman gladiator defeats and kills a "barbarian."  The casualty is named William B. Harrison, whom Spock identifies as the Beagle's flight officer. Kirk assembles a landing party to the surface of the planet to investigate. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down, outside the city where the broadcast originated, mindful of their duty under the Prime Directive not to interfere with the society's natural development. Almost immediately after their materialization, they are captured by the "Children of the Son" -- runaway slaves who are hiding in caves to avoid recapture. Flavius Maximus, a former gladiator, regards the officers as Romans who should be killed to avoid disclosing the hiding places; but the rebels' leader, Septimus, abhors violence, and Kirk's use of his communicator convinces him they are not with the authorities but are from an "offshore ship." Septimus says the Children of the Son teach peace and brotherhood but are persecuted for their beliefs. In a cave, the crew look at magazines that show astonishing parallels with Earth's ancient Rome, though with 20th century technology. However, when Kirk mentions the loss of Captain Merik six years earlier, they conclude that he is now Merikus, the First Citizen. Kirk explains to the Children of the Son that such interference would violate an "important law," for which he needs to be removed for punishment. Septimus orders Flavius to lead them into the city. However, the group is quickly spotted and captured by the police. The captives are taken into the city. Kirk uses their captors' fear of reprisal to angle for a meeting with "Merikus." He is indeed Merik, and he takes them to Proconsul Claudius Marcus, who knows all about their off-world origins. Merik explains that, after the shipwreck of the Beagle, he was forced to beam down all 47 of his crew. They were given two options:  "adapt" to their new world or fight in televised gladiatorial competitions for the entertainment of its inhabitants. Kirk sees that Merik has violated his oath and ordered his own crew to their deaths. Claudius hands Kirk his communicator and tells him to do the same. Kirk initially plans for he, Spock, and McCoy to be beamed up, but Claudius' guards enter with machine guns pointed right at Kirk. Abandoning the attempt, Kirk gives Scott the code Condition Green: a signal that the landing party is in trouble, but forbidding a rescue attempt. Claudius elicits from Merik that Kirk has a starship commission that Merik sought but could not qualify for. The livid Claudius dispatches Spock and McCoy to "the games" to die. On the Enterprise, Scott notes in his log that Kirk ordered him to carry out Condition Green, which prohibits him from taking any action to save the troubled landing party. Scott orders that Ensign Chekov locate power sources down on the planet and how much their beams will take to overload them. Scott announces that, although he is forced to not take any action on the planet below, there is nothing stopping him from frightening the planet's inhabitants about what a starship's power capabilities truly are. On the planet, Kirk is forced to watch as Spock and McCoy are condemned to fight Flavius and another gladiator named Achilles in the arena. Spock holds his own against his opponent, but McCoy is severely outmatched, only surviving because Flavius is reluctant to kill him. Claudius again tries to pressure Kirk into ordering his crew down but Kirk calmly refuses. Flavius is threatened and whipped to encourage him to attack, whereupon he gives McCoy some tips to make it "look real." Spock overpowers both opponents and incapacitates one with a Vulcan nerve pinch. This violates the rules, and the lives of Spock and McCoy are put in the hands of Merik and Claudius. They spare the two to maximize their influence on Kirk. Kirk enters Claudius' quarters, and a blonde woman emerges, pouring wine. She tells Kirk that her name is Drusilla and she is the proconsul's slave. Tonight, though, she is Kirk's slave. Kirk yells out to Claudius that this will not work on him and he still refuses to cooperate. Drusilla assures Kirk that they are indeed alone together. McCoy and Spock seek a way out of their cell -- and McCoy seeks a way past Spock's determination to control his emotions, remarking that the Vulcan isn't afraid of dying -- he is more afraid of living, for fear in that one day, his Human half might "peek out", as McCoy puts it. For a moment, Spock appears to admit it but then turns to McCoy and simply says "Really, doctor?". McCoy then tells him "I know, I'm worried about Jim too." Kirk is eating the food given to him by Drusilla. He finds the food good, and Drusilla informs Kirk that she is here to please him. Kirk tells her that he has been to many worlds with strange customs; perhaps what he is experiencing is torture on her planet. Drusilla does not understand, as she does not wish to see Kirk tortured and gives him a kiss. She asks Kirk to tell her when he feels the first sign of pain, and they continue to kiss. Much later, Kirk wakes up alone and Merik tells him that the crew of the Enterprise will eventually come down to the planet's surface, but Kirk still refuses to cooperate. The Enterprise intercepts broadcasts announcing Kirk's execution in the arena. Scott, though forbidden to mount a rescue because of the Prime Directive, devises a way to disrupt the execution and warn the city through the power demonstrated by the Enterprise. Claudius tells Kirk that his night with Drusilla was a favor to a condemned man rather than an attempt at interrogation, in the process dealing an insult to Merik. Kirk is taken to the arena for his execution, one that Marcus promises will be swift. On the way, Merik has a change of heart; he is too late to save Kirk, but tells him he will try to save the other two. The execution, however, is interrupted by Flavius, and by a power black-out induced by beams activated by Chekov from the Enterprise. Flavius is killed by the guards' machine guns during Kirk's execution, but the captain escapes and runs to free Spock and McCoy from their cell. The Romans intercept Kirk's rescue attempt from both sides, and thus draw swords rather than firearms to avoid crossfire. During the fighting, Merik signals to the Enterprise with a stolen communicator but is stabbed by Marcus. Merik still manages to toss the communicator to the feet of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Locking onto the signal, Scotty beams them back aboard, just as the Roman guards open fire. On the bridge, Spock muses about the remarkable parallels between Earth of the Roman Empire and Planet 892-IV -- except that Rome had no sun-worshippers. But Lieutenant Uhura, who has been monitoring the planet's broadcasts, reveals that they are not worshipping the sun but the "Son of God." Planet 892-IV had both a Caesar and a Christ, and its evolution will proceed, implying that Rome will fall, in due time. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise arrives in orbit around the planet Vulcan, picking up the last delegation of Vulcans to add to an assortment of 114 ambassadors and dignitaries aboard. The delegates will be attending a conference on the neutral planetoid named Babel to decide the admission of the planet Coridan to the Federation, which is rich in dilithium but is poorly defended. As the Vulcan delegation arrive on the shuttle Galileo, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy greet the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, Sarek, and his Human wife Amanda. Welcoming the ambassador aboard, Kirk offers to have Spock take him and his wife on a tour of the ship, but Sarek coldly asks that someone else give it. Sensing unpleasantness between the two Vulcans, the captain suggests to Spock that, with two hours before the ship leaves orbit, he should beam down to the planet and visit his parents, which Spock insists would be unnecessary, for the ambassador and his wife, in fact, are his parents. As Kirk conducts a tour of the ship for the ambassador and his wife, he seeks out the roots of estrangement between Spock and his parents once they pass by Spock in Engineering. The rift seemingly sprang from Spock's election to attend Starfleet Academy over his fathers' choice of the Vulcan Science Academy as Sarek followed his father's teachings. Kirk voices support of Spock's choices and notes that he has a personal friendship with Spock to his mother Amanda, who appreciates the sentiment but also warns that the estrangement between father and son may be permanent, since it has been 18 years. The delegates meet at a reception on the Enterprise. The Tellarite ambassador, Gav, confronts Sarek asking about his vote on Coridan's admission, to which he replies that it would be known at the conference. Kirk and Sarek move on to other guests while McCoy discovers a hint of Spock's childhood from Amanda, that he had a pet sehlat, "a fat teddy bear," as Amanda says, delighting the doctor. Spock corrects his mother's sentiment, saying that on Vulcan, the "teddy bears" are alive and have six-inch long fangs. Kirk also learns the Enterprise is being tailed by a mysterious unidentified vessel. On the bridge, they determine that the vessel is an unknown configuration, unauthorized, and not responding to hails. Kirk orders an intercept to take a closer look. Meanwhile, Amanda speaks with her husband against their son's estrangement in their quarters, but Sarek resists, saying that Spock is due respect for his own achievements, not for feelings of pride. Amanda believes Sarek feels pride in Spock despite his disapproval of Starfleet but won't show it. The unidentified vessel makes a pass at the Enterprise at warp 10 without firing. Later, Sarek is again confronted by Gav at the reception area, and Sarek reveals that he would vote in favor of admission, citing that Coridan needs the Federation's protection against illegal dilithium mining, which alludes to illegal Tellarite mining operations on Coridan. A brief struggle between the two ambassadors ensues, broken up by Kirk who just arrived. In a few hours, Gav's lifeless body is later found stuffed up a Jefferies tube on deck eleven by security officer Josephs. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy investigate Gav's murder. McCoy explains his neck was broken in a very precise manner, leading Spock to conclude it can only be a Vulcan execution technique called tal-shaya. Kirk then deduces that Sarek is logically the prime suspect, but when he is confronted by Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, it is revealed that Sarek is becoming increasingly ill with a cardiac defect, and claims he could not have committed the murder, as he was in solitude at the time of Gav's death on the Enterprise's observation deck. McCoy takes him to sickbay. Kirk and Spock go to the bridge and rule out the Romulans and Klingons. Uhura additionally finds that the communication signal is being received inside the ship, but not pinpointed. It falls on McCoy to attempt to heal the ambassador with heart surgery, but the doctor has reservations, what with his own limited surgical experience on Vulcan physiology and the requirement of large amounts of a rare Vulcan blood type, T-negative. Spock elects to take the role of blood donor, risking his own life by taking a dangerous stimulant only tested on Rigelians to induce blood cell production despite Amanda's objections. They debate this for a while. However, Kirk is suddenly stabbed by the Andorian delegate Thelev. He subdues Thelev in a corridor on deck five just outside his quarters and alerts Spock on the bridge through an intercom panel just before passing out in the corridor. Thelev is placed into custody in the Enterprise's brig. Kirk has survived the assassination attempt, but now Spock refuses to participate in the procedure while his commanding officer is lying in sickbay, stating his first duty is to the ship, and cannot relinquish command due to "personal privilege." He goes to the brig and questions Thelev, however, even under a verifier scan and truth drug, he does not answer. The lead Andorian doesn't know him that well, and can't help other than to say the Andorians have no quarrel with Kirk. Amanda comes to Spock to convince him to help Sarek, but Spock's decision is unchanged. However, in a bold move, despite objections from McCoy, Kirk assumes command before he is fully healed, and sends Spock to surgery, with the intent of handing command over to Scotty while Spock is undergoing the blood transfusion and recover in his quarters. When he does, however, the alien vessel comes closer and Uhura picks up a signal and determines that it's being received in the brig. Kirk orders red alert and security to search Thelev. As McCoy takes blood from Spock and begins to operate on Sarek, Thelev attempts to escape from his cell while being searched, but is stunned unconscious. As he falls his antenna breaks, revealing a transmitter used to communicate with the intruder vessel. The intruder ship begins to open fire on the Enterprise. The smaller vessel makes unbelievably quick passes and phaser strikes against the larger starship, too fast for Enterprise to return fire effectively, missing with a phaser attack. Despite being faster than the Enterprise, their weapons only consist of standard phasers according to Ensign Chekov, indicating to Kirk they have little chance of success. The Enterprise continues to fight a battle against the smaller and faster ship, shuddering with each successive hit and suffering power losses. McCoy fears he may lose both his patients if the ship continues to take a pounding. As Enterprise struggles against the unknown vessel, missing with a full spread of photon torpedoes, Thelev is brought to the bridge, where Kirk confronts him as to his true identity as a spy. Thelev is uncooperative, preferring to taunt Kirk and enjoy the view of his fellow ship succeeding over the larger Enterprise. As the power goes out in sickbay, Sarek goes into cardiac arrest. McCoy and Nurse Christine Chapel try to make do with portable resuscitation equipment in an attempt to restart his heart again. Meanwhile, Kirk, fed up with Thelev's taunts and the other ship's apparently superior tactical ability, does the unthinkable. He drops the shields, then systematically fakes losing all power to lure the other ship in. The Enterprise appears dead in space. The enemy ship appears to hesitate, then slowly closes in for the kill. As soon as it is in range, Kirk delivers phaser fire that cripples the vessel, to the observing Thelev's disappointment. The mystery ship then self-destructs to avoid capture, and Thelev dies of an apparent suicide via slow poison. In sickbay, Kirk discovers that Sarek's surgery was a success, and not only are he and Spock recovering well, but they are also talking again as father and son. They even tease Amanda together, Sarek explaining that despite her rampant emotions a marriage to Amanda seemed at the time the only logical thing to do. When Kirk orders McCoy to perform an autopsy on Thelev to determine his true identity, Spock surmises Thelev and the attackers in the enemy ship were Orions, who had much to gain from disrupting the Babel conference so they could continue to loot Coridan of its dilithium. Kirk then slumps, finally too exhausted and in too much pain to continue, but he continues to protest as he is led to another empty bed in the ward by McCoy and Nurse Chapel. McCoy, exercising his rightful medical authority over his patients, is eventually successful in telling Kirk and Spock to lie still and be quiet, finally and gleefully getting "the last word". 
<EOS>
On a scientific mission to Neural, a primitive, pre-first contact planet protected by the Prime Directive, Spock, Kirk, and McCoy are doing some minor research on indigenous plant life and chemical compounds. Spock finds large footprints of the Mugato, a white ape-like creature. Kirk remembers his first planetary survey as a lieutenant thirteen years prior on this very planet. Spock comments on the qualities of the planet, how Earth-like it is. Kirk notes that the inhabitants have stayed at the same technological level for centuries, and that bows and arrows are still the tools of hunting. He also explains that the people are peaceful and never fight amongst themselves. Kirk and Spock hear yells from some of the inhabitants and run over to see what is going on. It is obvious the men are not holding bows and arrows, but flintlock firearms. Kirk explains that it would be impossible for them to have invented these types of weapons in the duration since his previous visit. Coming toward them is a band of men, one of whom is Tyree, the man Kirk lived with while on his original mission. They are walking directly into a trap set by the armed men. Warned by Spock that the use of his phaser is expressly forbidden, Kirk throws a stone and distracts one of the men, causing him to fire his weapon and give away his position. The other men scatter for cover, as do Kirk and Spock. The armed men make chase and McCoy quickly prepares the USS Enterprise through his communicator for the landing party's return. Spock is shot in the back by one of the flintlock guns and goes tumbling to the ground. Kirk helps him back to his feet and they run to McCoy. The three of them beam up, leaving the armed men wondering where they could have gone. They arrive on the ship, with Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel waiting in the transporter room ready to treat Spock. "Lucky his heart is where his liver should be or he'd be dead now", McCoy says. As they hover over Spock, a red alert is called by Lieutenant Uhura; a Klingon ship is approaching. Before leaving for the bridge with Scotty, Kirk asks McCoy about Spock's condition, and he can only reply, "I don't know yet, Jim." Kirk arrives on the bridge. Ensign Chekov explains that the Klingon ship does not know of their presence, since the Enterprise is holding the planet between them. Uhura offers to contact Starfleet, but Kirk warns that it could give away their position and alert the Klingons. Kirk begins to contemplate the likelihood that the inhabitants of the planet could have developed firearms in the few years since they started forging iron. Scotty, Chekov, and Uhura on the bridge offer explanations as to how it could have happened progressively but Kirk abruptly cuts them off. He later apologizes, stating to them that he's worried about Spock. Spock's condition is poor because there are no replacement organs available to treat him. They are forced to wait and see what happens. However, Spock is also in excellent hands with McCoy's immediate subordinate, Dr. M'Benga, who has considerable experience in treating Vulcans, having interned in a Vulcan ward. Kirk explains to McCoy that they must go down to the planet, together, overruling McCoy's preference to treat Spock personally by reminding him of his own recommendation of M'Benga, and must discover what has happened with the disparity in weapons. While asking Scotty to have the ship's stores prepare period clothing, Kirk is warned that Enterprise may have to leave orbit to avoid being discovered. They set a time for a rendezvous. McCoy and Kirk beam down to the planet. McCoy reminds him of their orders. Kirk recalls it was his own recommendation not to permit contact with the inhabitants. As the men walk, Kirk is attacked by a Mugato. He is bitten and suffers from the effects of its poison fangs. McCoy pulls out his phaser and vaporizes the Mugato. Rushing to Kirk's side, McCoy's small collection of medical supplies will not be sufficient to save his life. He attempts to contact the ship but to no avail -- it has left orbit. Kirk tells him to get Tyree's men, the Hill People, who have already found them. McCoy explains to them that they must take Kirk to Tyree or he will die. Tyree's men bring Kirk and McCoy into their camp. Tyree and his wife, Nona follow some men with guns. She explains to him that they must obtain the same "fire sticks", making them strong and able to take the enemy's houses and supplies. Tyree is sure that the enemies will someday return to peace again. She does not agree. She brags that she is a kahn-ut-tu, valued by men because they aid in achieving power. Tyree claims he accepted her because she cast a spell on him. She explains about many spells that she uses to keep him. She pulls out a sprig of leaves and rubs them on his face and arm, driving the plant's contents into his skin. He is obviously affected by its presence. He grabs her and kisses her intensely. They are interrupted by a scout, Yutan, from the camp requesting their presence. Tyree is dazed by the plant but Nona heads back. She asks Yutan to bring Tyree when his head has cleared. McCoy notes Kirk's struggles. Hoping to keep him warm, he uses his phaser to heat rocks in the cave where Kirk lays. As he is heating the last of three stones, Nona returns and sees him firing the weapon. She is surprised and awed. She steps out of the cave, avoiding being seen by McCoy. As Tyree returns to camp, Nona asks him to explain who these men are before she will help them. Tyree tells her that he promised Kirk silence. She says she is his wife, and that she too will remain silent or Kirk will die without her help. Back on the Enterprise, Nurse Chapel takes Spock's hand as she watches the medical panel. Dr. M'Benga walks in and Nurse Chapel quickly puts Spock's hand down. M'Benga comforts her and assures her that Spock is concentrating on his healing and that is why his readings are so low. It is self-induced hypnosis. He says that Spock is aware of them and what they are saying but that he cannot show it. He also says that Spock probably knows she was holding his hand. Nurse Chapel looks at him in surprise, then in embarrassment. Tyree and Nona enter the cave. She pulls out a Mahko root and holds it above Kirk's chest. It moves in her hand. McCoy asks what it is. Nona replies that few know how to use it. She offers Tyree her knife, and he cuts the palm of her hand. She puts the root on Kirk's bite, then places her hand over the root. Her blood and Kirk's blood mix through the Mahko root. Nona flails about as if she is seeing what is going through Kirk's mind and his knowledge. Tyree softly pounds on a drum. The poison is extracted and Kirk regains his consciousness, then promptly falls asleep. McCoy removes the root showing that the injuries have been completely healed. Nona claims that Kirk belongs to her now. Tyree explains to McCoy that legend says that no man can refuse a woman who is joined with a man in this way. McCoy wakes up to find Kirk missing, but discovers that Kirk is sitting in the next room. As he rouses Jim, Tyree stands. Kirk and Tyree are reunited. Kirk remembers nothing since the animal attack, but knew that Tyree would find a kahn-ut-tu to heal him. Kirk asks Tyree to tell him about the weapons the enemy has acquired. Tyree assures him that he will hear everything. Back on the Enterprise, Spock's readings fluctuate, but have improved. Dr. M'Benga tells Spock that someone will constantly be at his bedside. M'Benga tells nurse Chapel that if Spock awakes, she is to do whatever he asks. Tyree tells Kirk that the "fire sticks" arrived about a year ago, and that the villagers are producing them. McCoy asks if any strangers have been seen with them. Tyree answers in the negative. Kirk then asks if they can spy on the enemy during the night. Tyree warns about the Mugato, which travel at night. Since McCoy killed one earlier, its mate will not be far. Nona walks to the table, alluding to the fact that Kirk and McCoy have enough tools and strength to make Tyree a very powerful man on Neural. Kirk explains to her that they are simply visitors from another village. She interrupts him and claims that they come from the sky and that they have powers far above "fire sticks". Tyree warns her to not speak about any of this with anyone. Nona claims that the act of kindness she did brings her the right to be rewarded. Kirk admits he is grateful, but explains that his people's weapons grew faster than their wisdom. This leads to his vague explanation of the Prime Directive. Nona assumes that this implies that Kirk will not help them. She is disgusted. Tyree understands the issue and yet refuses to kill anyone. McCoy mentions to Jim that it could be the Klingons who have dabbled in this conflict, and that there may be a way to balance things out. But that possibility disturbs Kirk. Tyree, McCoy and Kirk make their way to the other village. Kirk knocks out a guard and Tyree takes the man's gun. An enemy villager named Apella walks into a room with a Klingon, Krell, inside. The Klingon tells him to bring in the man who did the most killings because he is to be rewarded as an example to the others. He offers the man another improvement to the flintlock weapon. He mentions other improvements that will make the weapon more effective and more accurate. McCoy and Kirk continue their spying. They find coal for forging, and sulfur which is used in making gunpowder. They enter the building and find the forge, some drill points, and barrels of extremely high quality, none of which could have been manufactured by the planet's inhabitants. It is further proof that the Klingons have been providing these weapons. Voices can be heard outside, forcing Kirk and McCoy to hide. The Klingon man and Apella enter, discussing the rewards for bravery and conquest. Krell assures that rewards will be granted, including power over the planet, and making Apella a governor in the Klingon Empire someday. As the men are talking, McCoy's tricorder is somehow activated, its high-pitched whirring sound announcing their presence. Kirk leaps from behind the forge and attacks Krell, causing him to discharge the flintlock rifle he carries. It fires harmlessly into the floor. A fight ensues, and though they defeat Apella and the Klingon, they are caught at the door by two more men with rifles. They escape by clubbing the men with fists and gun barrels. As they run, voices cry out that intruders are in the village. The men are chased through the streets of the village, with the villagers firing their flintlocks at the fleeing Kirk, McCoy, and Tyree. In sickbay, Spock partially arises from his hypnosis. He calls to Nurse Chapel and asks her to strike him. At first she refuses, but does so to appease his request. Spock barely feels her first few strikes; he asks her to hit him harder. He explains that the pain will help him return to consciousness. She then hits him repeatedly, much harder. Just then, Scotty enters the room and, assuming Spock is under attack, restrains Nurse Chapel. Dr. M'Benga runs into the room and pulls Spock into a sitting position. He slaps Spock in the face with great swings. After several strikes, Spock catches his hand and explains that he is sufficiently revived. Witnessing this bizarre ritual, Scotty questions the practice. Spock and M'Benga tell him that it is a natural Vulcan response to self-healing. On the planet, Kirk explains to Tyree and his men how to use a flintlock weapon and how to work the trigger and hammer. Tyree brings the weapon to his shoulder and fires it, shattering a clay cup on his first shot. McCoy requests to speak to Kirk about this new development. He is intensely upset that Kirk has now introduced these weapons to both sides in the battle. Kirk defends the decision. McCoy reminds him about the power that Nona supposedly has over him. Kirk explains that they must equalize the fighting forces, even though McCoy is worried about a never-ending war. They discuss the 20th century Brush Wars on Earth, and how it led to the balance of power. They struggle with their decisions, but know there is no better way. Since Tyree refuses to fight, they hope to convince Nona to sway him. Spock returns to the bridge as Enterprise returns to orbit. They are approaching the rendezvous time. They also detect that a Klingon is beaming back to his ship. Kirk follows Nona to a waterfall but she believes that she willed Kirk to be there. She pulls out the same leaves she used on Tyree and begins tempting him. Kirk simply wants to talk. He is obviously affected in the same way as Tyree, who happens upon the two of them. His jealousy is aroused, but Kirk walks away from Nona only to return to her. Tyree raises his gun and cocks the hammer. Kirk and Nona kiss, but Tyree can't bring himself to fire. He throws the weapon to the ground and runs into the trees. As Tyree flees, a Mugato appears and makes its way to attack Kirk and Nona. Kirk is dazed by the effects of the leaves and cannot help her. The animal pushes her around repeatedly but Kirk finally pulls out his phaser to vaporize the creature. As he is still recovering, Nona hits him on the head with a stone and takes the weapon. Tyree returns to the camp. McCoy notices he no longer has his gun. After asking him about it, McCoy asks him to take him back to where he left it. When they arrive, they find Kirk rubbing his head and still fighting off the effects of the plant. Nona runs to the enemy villagers. She asks them to take her to Apella, because he will know how to use the new weapon. She brandishes the phaser and shows it off to them. The men know she is a kahn-ut-tu, and they only want her for themselves. They surround her and she begins to fight them. McCoy offers to give Kirk an injection from his hypospray. He refuses and discovers that his phaser is missing. They realize that Nona has taken it. Nona tells the villagers that the weapon she holds is more powerful than their "fire sticks". They continue to fight her. As the fighting continues, Tyree, McCoy and Kirk catch up to them. Tyree calls out to Nona. The villagers think it is a trap set for them. They stab Nona and throw her to the ground. A gunfight ensues, and McCoy is struck in the arm but it is only a simple nick. Tyree and Kirk fight the men. A distraught Tyree catches his wife's assailant and bludgeons the man to death with a rock, only stopping when Kirk physically restrains him. McCoy informs them that Nona is dead. Tyree is angered and asks Kirk for more weapons. He no longer has a desire for peace. McCoy returns the phaser to Kirk. They are upset about the outcome, but there was no other option. Kirk calls to the ship, and Spock responds. McCoy is almost surprised to hear that Spock is alive, but then tells him that a computer could never die. Kirk asks Scotty to construct 100 flintlock rifles for the people. Scotty is confused about the request, but Kirk changes his request to, "Serpents, serpents for the Garden of Eden." He adds, "We're very tired, Mr. Scott. Beam us up home." 
<EOS>
The three Starfleet officers leave the bridge with Captain Kirk leaving Commander Spock in command. They enter the transporter room and wait to be beamed down but just as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott begins the sequence, the three instantaneously disappear from the starship. They find themselves lying on their backs on a strangely decorated floor. Kirk surmises it could be a transporter malfunction, and then realizes by looking up at the planet's sky that there are three suns and they are on an entirely different planet, judging from the color of the sky. Meanwhile, Scott reports to Spock the unusual disappearance of the landing party, but they can find no reason. The three trapped officers try to use their communicators to contact the Enterprise only to discover that none of them works. At this point, they are surrounded by four alien warriors, all carrying a weapon of some kind, and approaching menacingly. Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov draw their phasers and wait for the right moment to fire. Kirk gives the command, but their phasers do not work either. The captain quickly orders hand-to-hand combat, but they are eventually outnumbered and overpowered. Kirk is knocked onto his back and finds a sharp blade aimed at his throat by an alien woman. A mysterious bald figure appears, clothed in black. He commends the Starfleet officers for their fighting spirit and introduces himself as Galt, the master thrall of the planet Triskelion. They are taken to a dungeon and cuffed to the walls where they are fitted with metallic collars. Galt reveals that his masters, the Providers, were "expecting them and arranged their transportation". The three are to be trained as thralls and to fight in the games for the Providers for the remainder of their lives. Meanwhile, back on the ship, Scott has checked the transporter from one end to the other and found absolutely no malfunction. Spock has scanned the planetoid twice and found no life. Doctor McCoy is becoming frustrated with Spock's inability to find any leads on their friends' whereabouts. Back on Triskelion, the captain, Chekov, and Uhura are taken to "quarters" that have been prepared for them. They are prison cells complete with barred doors with their names on them. The three attack the thralls guarding them and begin to make a run for it. Galt closes his eyes and they start to shine like two stars. The small, white devices on the collars they are wearing light up. They stop dead in their tracks, grabbing at their collars, and drop to the ground in total agony. When Galt opens his eyes, the collars shut off and they slowly get back to their feet. Galt tells them that escape is impossible while they wear their Collars of Obedience. The three voluntarily return to their cells. On the Enterprise, Spock has determined that their missing crewmates are not within the confines of the solar system they are in. Doctor McCoy's frustration is mounting while Spock is at a loss as to where else to look for them. Back in their cells, the prisoners discuss the possibility of rescue by the Enterprise. Uhura is visited by Lars, her Drill Thrall, with a tray of food. He backs her into her cell and tells her, "There is little time. I have been selected for you." The sounds of a struggle follow and Uhura cries out while Captain Kirk shouts, helplessly, from his cell. One of the female thralls approaches Kirk's cell. He reaches for her through the bars shouting, "What's happening to Lieutenant Uhura?" Kirk still looks on from the bars of his cell as Lars leaves Uhura's cell, telling her that it is not allowed to refuse "selection". Kirk's Drill Thrall enters with food telling him it is the "nourishment interval" and sits to watch him eat it. Ensign Jana Haines at the science station on the bridge reports a fluctuating energy reading on a hydrogen cloud. Spock takes over at the science station and identifies it as an ionization trail. The ship's computers can offer nothing that would account for it. Spock orders a course change to follow the ionization trail. Dr. McCoy accuses Spock on taking them on a wild goose chase. Spock informs him that it is the only lead they have. They leave the system on 310 mark 241 at warp 2. Chekov gets a visit from his big, female drill thrall and is worried that she has been "selected" for him. She has not. She introduces herself as Tamoon and promises to train him well. If her provider chooses him, they may yet be selected for each other. Chekov looks away, grimacing. In Kirk's cell, Shahna tells him that the color on the collars are the sign of the provider that owns them. "The Provider that offers the most quatloos puts his color on us." While eating his "nourishment", Kirk begins telling her of the concepts of slavery. He starts asking about who operates the collars and how, but Shahna tell him that it is not permitted to speak of that. Kirk then starts flirting with her, telling her she is very beautiful, but she has never before heard the word. He shows Shahna her reflection on a food cover as a definition. When he asks about where she was born and who her parents were, she tells him her mother was killed in a "freestyle match." A light and gong signals the beginning of the "exercise interval." Shahna gives Kirk a training harness to wear. On the Enterprise, McCoy and Scott express doubt as to their course of action. Spock has them heading for the nearest solar system along the path of the ionization trail, M24 Alpha, 11.630 light years ahead. Back in the arena area where they first landed, Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are practicing with weapons with their drill thralls. Galt brings out a thrall -- an older black man who Galt says was slow in obeying a command -- for them to use as practice target. Uhura hotly refuses the training exercise, as do Kirk and Chekov, which earns them a taste of their collars of obedience. Galt orders Uhura bound, but Kirk claims responsibility for the actions of his crew and takes her place as practice target. Galt regrets losing Kirk in this way, but says that it is worth it as an example to the others. Kirk is bound and placed in the center of the arena. Kirk is already bleeding from a wound to his back from the whip of Kloog, the towering alien thrall that has been selected to administer his punishment. During a rest interval, Shahna gives Kirk an energy drink and advises him that Kloog's left eye is weak and to attack him from that side. When the combat resumes, Kirk works at his bonds and manages to partially untie them. Getting his hands in front of him, he eventually gets Kloog in a strangle hold and is about to defeat him when a voice from above says "Hold!" It is the voice of Provider 1. He, Provider 2, and Provider 3 begin bidding for the newcomers. They eventually are sold to Provider 1 for the price of 2,000 quatloos. Kirk asserts that they are free people and belong to no one. Providers 2 and 3 then place a series of wagers: fifteen quatloos that Captain Kirk is untrainable, twenty quatloos that all three are untrainable, five thousand quatloos that they will all have to be destroyed, all of which Provider 1 accepts. Galt's eyes light up and the color of the three Starfleet officer's collars changes to red. Galt tells them that they now bear the mark of a fine herd and that any disobedience is now punishable by death making escape unlikely. On the Enterprise, Scott is arguing that it does not make sense that their missing friends could have been transported this far and that they should continue to search the area where they were lost. Spock reminds him that they did and found no sign of them. McCoy is beginning to fear that they might not still be alive after all the time that has passed. Somewhere outside the thralls' compound, Shahna and a shirtless and whip-scarred Kirk take a break near some old ruins after a two-mile run. Kirk asks why the Providers like watching people suffer and if they are computers, but Shahna does not seem to know. She gets nervous when he starts asking if this was a city for the Providers, and he starts talking about how the area they are in reminds him of his home planet, Earth. She is unfamiliar with the concept of planets and suns which Kirk says make up the lights in the night sky. He comes closer to Shahna and starts speaking about the concepts of freedom and love, and how, on Earth, no one selects a mate for you, you get to choose your own. Shahna does not think his words are permitted and starts to walk away. Kirk goes back to asking about the Providers. She begins to tell him that she has never seen them but that they are said to be "not like us". Before she can tell him any more, her collar lights up and she drops to the ground in agony. Kirk looks to the sky shouting that it was his fault, that he made her talk and begging them not to kill her. Kirk continues to plead for Shahna's life, asking that they punish him instead. The voice of Provider 1 asks if that is what Humans call compassion. It is interesting but of no use here; he must learn obedience, if he is to be an excellent thrall. Shahna's collar shuts off and she asks him why he would risk his own punishment on her behalf. He tells her that it is the custom of his people to help each other when they are in trouble and kisses her on the lips. She asks if this, too, is "helping," and he says you could call it that. Looking into his eyes she asks, "Please help me once again." After some more kissing she begins to understand that a man and a woman can be together of their own choice. Galt appears out of nowhere but because they have amused the Providers, there is no punishment. Kirk protectively puts his arm around Shahna and they walk off together. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Spock asks Scott if they can sustain a speed greater than warp 6. Scott and Dr. McCoy think they have gone too far already on a hopeless errand. Both of them want to go back to Gamma II for another search. Spock takes them aside and reminds them that he is in command and that they will remain on course unless they are planning to announce a mutiny. They ask that if they do not find them in the trinary system they are approaching, can they then go back for another search of Gamma II. Spock agrees and asks if Scott can give him warp 7. Scott happily says yes, "and maybe a wee bit more." Spock orders warp 7. Shahna brings Kirk his dinner and tells him that he makes her feel "strangely". He begins kissing her again and as she looks at him with bedroom eyes, he knocks her out. Taking her key, he frees Chekov and Uhura, who have also disabled their drill thralls. They plan to find their phasers and try to short out their collars. As they move across the arena, Galt appears and activates their collars but does not kill them. The voice of Provider 1 tell them that this was just a warning. The Enterprise assumes standard orbit around Triskelion. Sensors show only one concentration of lifeforms on the planet, in the lower hemisphere, and humanoid. Not wanting to endanger the captain and the others if they are alive by beaming down a large force, Spock plans to beam down with Dr. McCoy hoping to rescue the captain and the others. Before they can even leave the bridge, the ship's systems are frozen by the Providers. Kirk and Provider 1 explain the situation on Triskelion. Kirk accuses the Providers of being too afraid to show themselves. Since they feel he presents no danger while he wears the collar, Provider 1 transports Kirk to a chamber 1,000 meters below the planet's surface, where three disembodied brains sit in a dome-shaped glass case. An enormous power plant looms in the background. The Providers explain that their race once had humanoid form, but they evolved beyond that form. The games have become their only purpose. They had hoped that the Humans would bring new blood to the thralls, but regret that they will now have to be destroyed. Kirk threatens that to do so would mean their own destruction at the hands of the Federation and Starfleet, but the Providers plan to make it look like they were destroyed by a magnetic storm so that no one will ever know they were responsible. Enraged, Kirk accuses them of being murderers without the spirit to really wager for the lives they take. As soon as he says it, he realizes that gambling is the key to these creatures. He tells the Providers that his people are the most successful gamblers in the galaxy and it is in their nature to win. He wagers that his crew can defeat an equal number of thralls set against them. The providers immediately start placing bets on the outcome in quatloos, but Kirk tells them that quatloos are trivial and that the stakes must be higher. If they win, the Enterprise goes free and the thralls are freed and started on a course to self governance. If they lose, the entire crew of the Enterprise will become thralls and give them generations of the most exciting wagering they've ever had. The Providers agree but on the condition that Kirk fight three other thralls on his own. Kirk protests that the odds are not fair, but he is told by the Providers that they are extremely fair since the alternative is death. Because he is fighting for the lives of his crew, the Providers allow them to watch the combat on the ship's viewscreen. Kirk must stay on the yellow sections of the arena; his three opponents, Kloog, Lars, and an Andorian man, must remain on the blue sections. Touching another's color deprives a competitor of a weapon. An opponent must be killed to be removed from the game. If only wounded, he is replaced by a fresh thrall. The combat begins. Kirk takes out Kloog and then Lars, but only wounds the Andorian. Shahna is brought in to replace the wounded. Kirk does not want to fight her, but she accuses him of having tricked her with lies and attacks. Kirk gets her on the ground with his knife to her throat and she surrenders. The Providers keep their word and tell everyone to remove their collars. Kirk tells Shahna that he did not lie and she asks if she can go with him back to the lights in the sky he had told her about earlier. He tells her that she has much to learn on Triskelion first before reaching for the stars. He kisses her goodbye and gently strokes her cheek. Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov beam back to the Enterprise as Shahna, a tear running down her cheek, Tamoon, and Galt look to the sky to which Kirk has returned. Through her tears, Shahna says, "Goodbye, Jim Kirk. I will learn and watch the lights in the sky and remember." The Enterprise then leaves for Gamma II. 
<EOS>
Captain James Kirk, Spock, Ensign Rizzo, Leslie, and a security guard are carrying out a survey of Argus X, a planet rich in tritanium, a material twenty times harder than diamond. While appraising the material, Captain Kirk notices a sweet odor, and orders Rizzo and the security guards to perform a sweep with their tricorders of the perimeter of the landing site, with special instructions to scan for dikironium, and to fire on any gaseous clouds they might encounter. He notifies chief engineer Scott, standing by on the ship, that he is conducting an investigation of the area, in spite of the fact that the USS Yorktown expects the Enterprise to rendezvous with them in eight hours time. Rizzo and the security team report in when they encounter an odd cloud, and are ordered to fire on it immediately. Contact is then lost with the team. When Kirk and Spock run over to them to investigate, they find two of the security team dead, and Rizzo badly injured. Every red blood corpuscle had been drained from their bodies. Rizzo is quickly returned to the ship for treatment. Chief medical officer McCoy reports that Rizzo remained unconscious for some time, following massive blood transfusions. His autopsy of the deceased crewmen reveals that all red blood cells had been drained from their bodies, without any marks, cuts or incisions of any kind. Captain Kirk suggested that McCoy examine the record tapes of the USS Farragut, which listed casualties eleven years earlier from identical causes. At this point, Kirk decides to investigate the officers' deaths further, in spite of the fact that the USS Enterprise was scheduled to pick up highly perishable medical supplies from the Yorktown, supplies that are badly needed on the planet Theta VII. He further requests that McCoy revive Ensign Rizzo for questioning, which he does with cordrazine. Although half-conscious, and, in McCoy's medical opinion, unreliable, Rizzo reports that he remembered a sickly sweet odor and that he felt an intelligence when attacked. Kirk then leaves sickbay, requesting McCoy's medical report as soon as possible. Kirk meets with Spock on the bridge, where Lieutenant Uhura reports an urgent message from Starfleet which is promptly ignored by the captain. Because sensor scans for dikironium were negative, Spock hypothesizes that the creature might be able to change its molecular structure and thus avoid detection from the Enterprise's sensor scans. Kirk then receives word from Uhura that Ensign Rizzo had died. Ensign Garrovick, the new security officer, arrives on the bridge and expresses interest in pursuing the creature that killed Rizzo, as he was close to the late ensign, having graduated from the Academy together with him. Kirk, Garrovick, and a party of four armed security officers beam down to the planet to investigate the phenomenon that killed Rizzo, with their phasers set on disruptor effect. They split into two parties of three, one led by Kirk, the other by Garrovick. Kirk gives orders that the cloud was to be shot on sight. Garrovick's party almost immediately encounters the cloud. While it was approaching them, the cloud appeared to hover briefly; Garrovick hesitates for an instant before
firing. By the time he shoots, the cloud was moving. He missed the cloud entirely, and it attacked and rendered unconscious the two crewmen that were accompanying him. When the landing party returns to the ship, one of the men is in critical condition, and the other is dead. Kirk is now convinced that not only was the creature intelligent, but it was also the same creature which attacked and decimated the crew of the Farragut eleven years previously. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy meet with Garrovick in the ship's briefing room to hear his report. He details his experiences, including his hesitation before firing. As punishment, Captain Kirk has him relieved of all duties and confined to quarters, an action McCoy finds to be too harsh on the young man. Kirk dismisses McCoy's words and then directs Spock and the doctor to make any observations in official reports. He hastily leaves. At this point, chief engineer Scott reports that the Enterprise will be ready to leave orbit in half an hour. Kirk replies that they would not be leaving orbit, whereupon Scott reminds Kirk of the urgent nature of their mission to Theta VII. Kirk dresses Scott down, complaining that he was "tired of my senior officers conspiring against me."  When pressed, he admits that he should not have used the word "conspire". He also severely admonishes acting science officer Ensign Chekov, who reports that they have conducted full scanner probes twice on the planet. Kirk yells at him to continue running scans twenty times if necessary until the gaseous creature was found. At this point, Spock approaches Doctor McCoy to consult on what he has observed to be a persistent, single minded fixation on the creature on the part of Captain Kirk. Spock informs McCoy that eleven years earlier, then Lieutenant Kirk, under the command of Captain Garrovick on the Farragut, had encountered a similar situation. Captain Garrovick was the father of the ensign of the same name. Shortly thereafter, Doctor McCoy meets with Captain Kirk in his quarters to discuss his recent actions. He speaks of the terrible stress of a young officer in his first real danger, but when Kirk snaps that punishing Ensign Garrovick was his command decision, McCoy reveals that the "young officer" he referred to had actually served aboard the USS Farragut -- Lieutenant James T. Kirk, assigned to phaser control. McCoy reminded him that, as a young man, he had hesitated before firing on the creature, causing him to miss it. Shortly thereafter, it had killed two hundred crewmen, including Captain Garrovick. McCoy suggests that Kirk's guilt was causing him to become obsessed, and that he was preparing a medical log entry on Kirk's emotional condition. Such a log requires a witness of command grade, so McCoy produces such a witness: first officer Spock. As per regulations, Spock and McCoy inquire about his recent command decisions. Kirk defends his position by stating that he had sensed that the creature was intelligent, and that he felt it was the same one that attacked them on Argus X. Since this indicated the creature was dangerous and capable of space travel, Kirk had decided to pursue it. At this point, McCoy decides to withhold his judgment on Kirk's emotional state. Chekov reports that scanners detected the cloud was heading into space, so Kirk orders the Enterprise to follow it and has the ship set on red alert. The cloud's speed surpassed warp eight; if the ship traveled at that speed for a prolonged period, it would damage the engines. After a brief hesitation, Kirk decides to abandon pursuit and the Enterprise slows to warp six. As he could not leave his cabin, Nurse Chapel brings Garrovick his dinner. She finds him lying on his bed consumed with guilt over his inability to fire his phaser at the creature in time. When he insists he's not hungry, she claims that McCoy had her bring a microtape containing a simple order: to eat. She threatens to feed him intravenously in sickbay if he does not; unknown to him, this was a ruse, as Chapel's tape contained "A Survey on Cygnian Respiratory Diseases". After she leaves, Garrovick angrily throws the cover to his plate across the room, causing his ventilation control to jam. A red alert is then declared over the ship's intercom by Kirk, with an order for all crew to get to battle stations. Garrovick leaves his room and reports to the bridge in violation of orders. The red alert was called due to the fact that the creature had decided to turn toward the ship. With Garrovick watching, the captain orders phasers to fire on it; however, the phaser attack is completely ineffectual, as is a barrage of photon torpedoes. The creature then enters the ship through an impulse engine vent that had been left open for repair. It enters the ship's ventilation system, killing one crewman and severely injuring another in the process, and leaving the crew of the Enterprise with only two hours of remaining air supply. Ship's senior officers Kirk, Spock, Scott, and McCoy meet in the briefing room to discuss the situation. McCoy feels, more than ever, that the situation was a result of Kirk's obsession, but Spock counters that the question of obsession is now an academic one, as the creature had attacked. McCoy is taken aback by the scientifically-inclined Vulcan's use of the word "creature," the same description as the "obsessed" Human, so Spock responds that this attack -- it had significantly changed its course to face the ship -- indicated to him that it was, in fact, intelligent. The consensus of the meeting is that radioactive waste should be flushed into the ventilation system to drive out the creature. After the doctor and engineer leave to return to their posts, Spock also reminds Kirk that, as phasers were ineffective, there was no basis for his self-recrimination due to his actions on the Farragut -- though the captain responds that he was not the crew member who needed to hear that message. Later, Spock visits Ensign Garrovick in his stateroom. He informs him that his hesitation was natural, which Garrovick doesn't want to hear, but they are soon interrupted by the sickly smell of the cloud creature, coming through the vent. Spock ejects Garrovick from his cabin, seals the door, and attempts to reverse the vent, which is jammed. From outside Garrovick's cabin, Kirk orders that the pressure inside be reversed. Garrovick lets the captain know that Spock had saved his life, but when he claims that he was the one who should be dead, Spock emerges from Garrovick's quarters and informs Kirk that neither of them died, the reverse pressure was effective and the vent was closed. When a stunned Kirk asks Spock how he could have survived the encounter, McCoy jokes that his green blood must have left a bad taste in the creature's mouth, to which Spock informs the doctor that the sarcastic nature of his comments did not make them any less accurate. Due to his copper-based blood, he was not affected by the creature. Kirk enters the cabin and is about to report a strange sensation to Spock, when he is interrupted by Scott, who reports that the creature is moving out of the ship the way it came. Soon after, Kirk meets with Garrovick, recalling that he had been on the bridge during the attack. The ensign apologizes for violating orders, but, after commending his dedication, Kirk instead reminds him that, having been at the captain's side, he would have seen first-hand that phasers were ineffectual against the creature -- since his hesitation made, even in Kirk's words, "no difference," he could report for duty. Sensors indicate the cloud is moving off at high warp speed. Kirk, however, believes the creature had in Garrovick's cabin communicated its intent to go home. Course is therefore set for the planet Tycho IV, where the Farragut had encountered the creature eleven years earlier. McCoy logs his objections to the trip, as the medical supplies being brought by the Yorktown were urgent -- and perishable. However, Kirk overrules him, particularly in light of Spock's conclusion that the evidence indicated the creature is going home to reproduce by fission -- and by the thousands, it must be stopped as soon as possible. The officers agree to use antimatter to destroy the creature, in spite of the fact that a matter/antimatter blast would rip away half the planet's atmosphere and that transporters might not function in such an environment. They further agree to use hemoplasm to attract the creature. Spock volunteers to go down to the planet's surface since he was resistant to the creature' corpuscle-draining attacks. However, Kirk overrules him and instead transports down with Ensign Garrovick. Kirk and Garrovick beam down to the surface of the planet with the hemoplasm and one ounce of antimatter, which has the explosive force of more than ten thousand cobalt bombs. Unfortunately, while the antimatter is being primed, the creature takes the hemoplasm. As a result, Captain Kirk decides that he would use himself as bait. He orders Garrovick to return to the ship; at this point, Garrovick attempts to overpower Kirk and force him to return to the ship, but is unable to do so. Both men remain on the planet and attract the creature, detonating the bomb just as it approaches them. On the Enterprise, Spock has some difficulty transporting them aboard. First, the crew tries to reset the transporter, then they cross-circuit to "A." They then decide to cross-circuit to "B", which enables them to beam the landing party aboard. Once safely aboard, Garrovick joins Kirk to hear some tall tales of his father's adventures. 
<EOS>
Headed for much-needed shore leave, the USS Enterprise gets a call from Starbase 6. Through massive subspace static, Lieutenant Uhura can only hear "Intrepid" and a sector coordinate. As she tries to reconnect, Spock suddenly appears stricken and informs Kirk and McCoy that the Intrepid -- an all-Vulcan starship -- has just "died" with all hands aboard. As Spock leaves for the sickbay with McCoy, Uhura gets through to Starbase 6. The Intrepid was investigating the Gamma 7A system in sector 39J when communication with the system and the ship both ceased. The Enterprise is commanded to divert to the area. As they change course, Ensign Pavel Chekov conducts a full long-range scan and reports that the Gamma 7A system, with its billions of inhabitants, is dead. Kirk notes that the system has billions of inhabitants but Chekov states again that it is simply dead. Diverted to investigate, the Enterprise encounters a "zone of darkness," an area of space so black not even starlight penetrates through. Spock says its location lies directly in the Intrepid's, as well as the Gamma 7A system's, projected path. The zone also appears to have a strong attractive force about it. Passive means of gathering information, such as sensors and probes, are ineffective as no data comes back from the zone, just a very loud noise, like feedback from a sound system. The sound nearly knocks everyone on the bridge out, such as Kyle, Uhura, and Chekov. Dr. McCoy reports to Kirk that half the crew members on the Enterprise fainted, but he and Nurse Chapel are treating them with stimulants. Kirk asks Spock for an analysis on the dark area ahead. Spock can provide none due to insufficient information, which irritates the captain. Spock comments that it is not liquid, gaseous, or solid, nor is it a nebula, and since the Enterprise's deflectors were activated by it, it must be some form of energy. Finally, Kirk decides to penetrate the zone. Once inside, the attractive force appears to grow stronger, pulling the Enterprise towards the center. In addition, energy is being drained from both the ship and the crew; McCoy orders stimulants to keep everybody going. Later, McCoy reports to Kirk that according to the medical monitors in sickbay, people are dying -- they are all dying. Kirk enters engineering where Scotty informs him that the Enterprise's power levels are down by twelve percent and steadily decreasing. On the bridge, Spock notes that the ship is being pulled toward the center of the zone of darkness by an unknown force. Scott and Spock find that normal laws of physics seem to be reversed within the zone. Reverse thrust, for example, creates forward motion. Forward thrust is ordered by Kirk, which slows the forward motion. Later, McCoy announces at a meeting in the briefing room that as the Enterprise moves further into the zone of darkness, the weaker the crew's life signs become and he cannot determine why that is. Kirk has Scotty channel all impulse and warp power into one giant thrust forward, so the Enterprise has a chance to escape the zone, and Scotty plans to reserve power for the shields in case they do not. Kirk dismisses his crew, but Spock remains behind to discuss with Kirk that the crew of the Intrepid may have done all of these things they are planning on doing to escape their current predicament and yet they all died. Kirk disagrees, noting that Spock himself has commented on how illogical the whole situation is, thus the Intrepid's crew may not have undertook the same course of action. Spock concedes to this point, but says the crew of the Intrepid did not know what was killing them, sensing earlier that he felt a "touch of death" from the crew. He also says the crew felt astonishment just prior to their deaths. Scott transfers the necessary power for the large scale thrust in the emergency manual monitor area of engineering. Kirk announces to the whole crew the plan via the intercom and to brace themselves. The attempt fails however, and the best they can do is to maintain thrust against the pull. The Enterprise then penetrates deeper into the zone, the mystery is finally revealed at its center -- an 11,000 mile long, single-celled creature, which apparently radiates the zone as a protective covering. Spock announces that it is living. A quick analysis reveals the creature to feed on energy, explaining the drain on machines and lifeforms and it can reproduce like any other organism would, but the crew don't presently know what. The entity must be destroyed in order to save the ship and crew, but more information is needed. A shuttlecraft is fitted with special instruments to take detailed readings from inside the creature itself. Both Spock and McCoy eagerly volunteer for the mission, despite the fact that it means almost certain death for the one selected. The confrontation between both men, each an expert in his own way, leaves Kirk with an agonizing choice. Finally, he decides: "I'm sorry Mr. Spock; you're best qualified to go." Once inside, Spock sends back telemetry, but his power systems rapidly fade, and what power the shields have will nevertheless only last 47 minutes. His last transmission informs the crew that the 40 chromosomes of the creature are lining up in an apparent first step toward dividing -- the creature is preparing to reproduce and soon it will destroy the entire universe if not stopped. Spock radios back how to destroy the creature, but his transmissions are increasingly garbled and unintelligible. Fearing Spock to be dead, Kirk and McCoy reflect over what he was trying to say. Kirk makes the observation that when the creature divides, the Enterprise will be like an invading virus; McCoy is fascinated by the idea of being antibodies of their own galaxy. The analogy gives Kirk an idea -- use a charge of antimatter in the chromosome body to destroy the entity. The ship goes into the creature itself, and a probe with the antimatter charge is implanted at point-blank range to prevent currents in the protoplasm from carrying it away from its target. Power levels are quickly dropping, however, and the ship backs out of the creature. As it does so, however, sensors pick up the shuttlecraft with Spock still alive. Despite the power drain and Spock's protests, tractor beams are activated. Power levels read dead as the charge explodes, just before the Enterprise exits the creature. Both the ship and shuttlecraft are thrown clear, with power levels restored. As Spock and McCoy argue over which tests were performed satisfactorily, the shuttlecraft is brought back aboard to the Enterprise's shuttlebay, and it resumes its course for the crew's well-earned shore leave. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise arrives at Sigma Iotia II. This remote planet had been visited by the Horizon in 2168, before the establishment of the non-interference directive. The Horizon was lost shortly after leaving Sigma Iotia II and Starfleet only managed to receive her radio reports nearly a century later, as the Horizon was only equipped with conventional radio. After planetfall, Uhura informs Captain Kirk that she is in contact with an Iotian named Bela Okmyx who describes himself as "Boss". Okmyx invites Kirk to come down to the planet's surface saying that a "reception committee" will be waiting for him upon arrival. Since the Horizon's visit was before the Federation's Prime Directive against non-interference, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are concerned about what effects the Horizon's crew may have had on the Iotian culture which was just beginning industrialization at the time and have a knack for imitation. The three beam down to find a culture resembling that of Chicago in the 1920s. They are immediately greeted by two men dressed as gangsters who threaten them with Tommy guns. The landing party surrenders its standard phasers and communicators and are asking questions of the gunmen when a drive-by shooting occurs. One of the gunmen is killed; the other refers to the "hit" being committed by someone named Krako. Kirk, Spock and McCoy are taken to Okmyx's office, where they learn that Okmyx is one of a dozen or so "Bosses" and that he has the largest territory on Iotia. The office contains a book published in the year 1992 titled Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. Okmyx informs Kirk, Spock, and McCoy that "The Book" was left by the crew of the Horizon, and the landing party correctly deduces that the entire Iotian culture has been formed by "This Book". Okmyx refers to the landing party as "Feds" and tells them he wants the Enterprise to furnish him with "heaters" so he can wipe out all of the other Bosses and take total control of the planet. Kirk refuses and Okmyx gives him just eight hours to provide the weapons or die. Okmyx has the landing party taken to a warehouse under guard. He then takes one of the confiscated communicators and contacts the Enterprise. He threatens to kill the landing party unless the ship provides him with one hundred phasers and troops to show him how to use them. In the warehouse the gunmen are playing cards on a makeshift table while the landing party speculates while sitting in the background about the future of the Iotian society. Spock reasons that, although Okmyx's methods may seem deplorable, his ultimate goal is what the Enterprise crew must also work for: Iotia's society must become united or it will break down completely into anarchy. Kirk feels that since a Federation vessel contaminated the culture, it's the Enterprise's responsibility to set things right from this mess the planet's inhabitants are currently in. He distracts one of the gunmen named Kalo with a nonsensical and nonexistent card game supposedly from Beta Antares IV called "Fizzbin" which he makes up on the spot, enabling the landing party to overpower the gunmen and escape. Kirk grabs one of the mobster's Tommy gun and instructs Spock and McCoy to find the local radio station, contact the ship, and have themselves beamed aboard. Kirk goes off by himself planning on abducting Okmyx and bringing him back to the Enterprise. He is promptly greeted by a new gunman, named Zabo, and is forced to take a ride. Kirk is taken to the office of Jojo Krako, another boss who wants to be in control of the planet. Kirk again refuses to "come across with the heaters" for Krako and is confined to a small room. Spock and McCoy find the radio station. Spock incapacitated the station's operator with a Vulcan nerve pinch and they manage to contact Lieutenant Uhura and return to the ship. Shortly after, Okmyx contacts the ship through the communicator he stole and informs Spock that Krako has kidnapped Kirk. He offers to assist in getting Kirk back if Spock and McCoy will return to his office. Spock finds it difficult to trust Okmyx but decides to rather than use blatant force. Using wire from a radio, Kirk rigs a trip line across the doorway and then yells out for help. He knocks out two gunmen and escapes with a machine gun. In the transporter room, Spock instructs Scott to set one of the ship's phaser banks to a strong stun setting. He and McCoy then beam down to Okmyx's office where they are again met by armed hoods. Okmyx again takes them prisoner, but Kirk arrives and turns the tables. Kirk and Spock dress in the clothes of Kalo and one of Okmyx's henchmen, commandeer a car and set out to "put the bag" on Krako. They are assisted by a small boy who demands "a piece of the action" in exchange for creating a diversion. The boy poses as Kirk's son and pretends to be injured, so Kirk and Spock can incapacitate the guards. They break into Krako's headquarters and appear to be in control until Krako's men gain the upper hand. Kirk tells Krako that the Federation is taking over and arranges, via an indirect order to Scotty, to have Krako beamed up to the Enterprise to show him what he's up against. They overpower Krako's men in the process and then head back to Okmyx's office where Kirk has Scott locate and transport the other Bosses including Krako. Tepo is successfully transported, though, before more are located, an argument arises and Tepo casts doubt and supposes there aren't more people than just the three "Feds" he sees. Soon, on the street below, Krako's men try a hit on Okmyx's territory in an attempt to rescue Krako and a gunfight ensues in the street below. The landing party loses their guns once again, and Kirk has the ship fire its phasers on wide stun in the surrounding area to demonstrate their power. The mobsters are now convinced and agree to Federation control with Okmyx as the top boss and Krako as his lieutenant. They call the new structure a syndicate. Back aboard ship, Spock has concerns about Kirk's solution of having the Federation take a 40% cut of the planet's annual "action". Kirk explains that the money will go back into the planetary treasury to help the Federation guide the Iotians into a more ethical society. Spock has his doubts as to the logic behind Kirk's plan. McCoy is concerned because he seems to have left his communicator behind somewhere in Okmyx's office. Kirk and Spock speculate that with that kind of technology, such as the communicator's transtator in the hands of the Iotians and with their gift for imitation, the Iotians may one day want a piece of the Federation's action. 
<EOS>
Responding to a ship's distress call, Captain Kirk's landing party beams down to a planet in search of survivors. A male and female humanoid placidly approach, demanding the unconditional surrender of the USS Enterprise. Activating paralysis fields from small devices on their belts, the aliens leave the landing party frozen but conscious in their places. The male humanoid, Rojan, calmly explains to Kirk he is now their commander and will take them with his people out of the galaxy. Furthermore, all of humankind will not exist as they do now. The female, Kelinda, disarms them while paralyzed and then they are released. Rojan explains they are scouts from the Kelvan Empire of the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy, which seeks a new home by force as their galaxy will soon reach unsustainable radiation levels. The Kelvan ship that was used in crossing over into the Federation's galaxy was destroyed at the galactic barrier, but they still traveled in life pods. Rojan intends to take the Enterprise to get back to Andromeda. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, Kelvans Hanar, Drea, and Tomar subdue the crew by freezing them the same way Rojan and Kelinda did the landing party and take over the starship. At first Kirk says there's little point in taking it as even at maximum warp, it would take Enterprise thousands of years to reach Andromeda. Rojan explains that Enterprise will be modified with Kelvan technology which will shorten the journey to only three hundred years, a concept which fascinates Spock, as an intergalactic journey requiring only three centuries is a leap far beyond anything they have accomplished. The Kelvans explain that their ship was a multi-generation starship and explains to Yeoman Thompson that they were born in the intergalactic void and they shall die there. Rojan says the mission will be completed by a commander who is his descendant. These descendants could report on the suitability of the Milky Way Galaxy for Kelvan conquest and occupation. Kirk then says that there's no reason to do all of this by force and he proposes to take the Kelvan problem to the Federation. He tells Rojan that expeditions have cataloged hundreds of uninhabited planets that are suitable for colonization. Rojan replies that the Kelvans do not colonize, but conquer and rule. The landing party is imprisoned in a nearby cave, guarded by Kelinda, while they wonder why they registered as human, and also wonder if the paralysis field is centrally controlled. Using his mind meld ability to fool the guard as he did on Eminiar VII, Spock's attempt is thwarted before establishing an effective link, but Kelinda is distracted enough to get knocked unconscious by Kirk. The party's freedom lasts only for a brief moment before Rojan and Hanar recapture them by freezing Kirk. In a display of power, Rojan orders Shea, by Hanar, and Thompson, by Kelinda, taken aside declaring as punishment for what Kirk has done. The captain will now watch two of his crew die. Hanar uses his belt device for a new purpose, instantly reducing Shea and Thompson into dehydrated porous cuboctahedron solids, the size of a Human fist, composed of their base minerals which represents the "distilled" essences of their being. Hanar picks up both solids and Rojan orders him to bring them to him where he is standing next to Kirk. Rojan points out that the solids represent "the flesh and brain, and even what Humans call personality" of Shea and Thompson. Rojan crushes and crumbles one solid, declaring "this person" dead. Rojan says the other one though can be restored and throws the other one over to where Hanar had earlier picked up both. Hanar touches his belt device, again, revealing that Lieutenant Shea is the one that is reconstituted. Thompson, on the other hand, is not so fortunate and a dispirited Kirk bends down to scoop up and shift through his hands the white powdery substance that is all that remains of her. Returned to confinement, Spock reports on what little he learned from his interrupted mind meld. He describes the Kelvans' native appearance as something quite far from the local humanoid norm, confirming the aliens expressed unease in their new humanoid "shells". The five Kelvans oversee the entire crew and Enterprise upgrades. Once underway, Kirk is still permitted to take the captain's chair with Rojan nearby and Kelvan female Drea taking the helm. Accelerating to warp 11, the galactic barrier is now only a mere hour away. Spock and Montgomery Scott learn in the emergency manual monitor room that an attempt to disable the Kelvan belt devices at their source is hopeless. They prepare another option for Kirk, a self-destruct trigger to use at the Barrier. They present this plan to Kirk while heading up to the bridge in a turbolift, but Kirk wonders if they have gone mad. Upon entering the bridge, the Barrier looms and tension flares on the Enterprise's command center. With too many to guard and too many to feed, Rojan declares the majority of the Enterprise personnel non-essential.  The Kelvans neutralize and reduce Uhura, Chekov, Leslie, Hadley, and all but four of the Enterprise personnel into inert solids. As necessary specialists, Kirk and his three senior officers Spock, McCoy, and Scotty are allowed to remain animate with free run of the ship. Rojan also reminds Kirk in an empty corridor, with eight inert solids, that Tomar saw through the attempt to detonate the ship and this is perhaps better fate for the personnel the Kelvans considered non-essential. Kirk and his officers are discussing their predicament over a meal in the mess when the Kelvan Tomar criticizes the Humans' consumption of "bulk" material for sustenance in favor of his more efficient Kelvan nutritional pills. Dr. McCoy tells Tomar "don't knock it 'til you try it" and piques Tomar's interest in the bulky foods humanoids prefer. The officers notice the inordinate pleasure the Kelvan takes in a typical meal from the food synthesizer, and begin to speculate on their species' inexperience with their radically different new humanoid bodies and sensory perceptions. Inspired, the four officers split up, each targeting a Kelvan and introducing them to a different form of sensory overload. Scott weighs in first, luring Tomar into a drinking tour of the Federation. In sickbay, McCoy suggests that Hanar may be malnourished, and starts pumping him with stimulants, telling him they're vitamin supplements. Before the others can reach their marks, Scott and Tomar manage to polish off a bottle of Saurian brandy in his quarters. Kirk decides to focus his energies on Kelinda, the Kelvan who has taken the form of an exotically attractive, young, blonde female. Kirk apologizes for having struck her in their escape attempt on the planet and kisses on her neck where he had struck her, then he moves to her lips. Kelinda admonishes Kirk at first, knowing this must be a seduction but she admits she's not opposed to the action. Kirk plays hard to get and Kelinda rewards him by pulling him in for more. Rojan interrupts, puzzled, and Kirk hurries away. Kelinda explains the Human "apology" ritual, demonstrating it on a nonplussed Rojan. Scott and Tomar finish their second bottle, both becoming more and more inebriated. Scotty confounds the universal translator and starts pouring something green. Over a game of three-dimensional chess with Spock, Rojan expresses his confusion about the "apology." Spock blithely suggests Kirk and Kelinda's motivations might have been otherwise, or perhaps Rojan was just experiencing jealousy. Rojan denies the emotion, but Spock is able to needle him into visible aggravation, making him lose the game. Rojan confronts Kelinda, forbidding her to see Kirk again. Kelinda insists she'll do as she pleases, and a brief argument in which both of them clearly display anger follows. The argument ends with Rojan roughly grabbing her arms, only to realize that he is experiencing emotions. In sickbay, pushing another hypospray, McCoy tells an irritated Hanar that he'll definitely need more of his new drug therapy. He later goes to the bridge to complain to Rojan about his assignment of duties. Indomitably vertical, Tomar asks for more alcohol, forcing Scott to break into his secret stash. The officers meet for a progress report, noting the absence of Scott. Kelinda interrupts, her eyes only for the captain, asking for another "apology." Spock goes to the bridge, glibly reporting on the forbidden meeting, bluntly suggesting that Rojan has lost control. Victorious on the battlefield, Scott watches the drunken Tomar collapse under the table and fondly kisses his expended weapon of last resort. Stealing Tomar's belt device, he staggers away to report to Captain Kirk, but before he can, he collapses into a drunken stupor in the doorway of his cabin before he can take the confiscated device to the captain. Rojan, incensed, storms in on Kelinda and Kirk, deep in the midst of the "apology." Rojan repeats his orders, but Kirk holds her and claims Kelinda as his own. Enraged, Rojan pulls the two apart. Not yet satisfied with Rojan's anger, Kirk slaps the Kelvan twice, inciting Rojan to lunge in fury. As they fight, Kirk taunts Rojan, saying he's not acting Kelvan anymore, but more Human. Head-locked by Kirk, Rojan is forced to consider how much he has changed in a short time and how unrecognizable his descendants would be when they eventually arrive "home" in three centuries. Rojan relents when Kirk reminds him that the core of his mission was to find a new home for his people. Kirk says they can still take the problem to the Federation and that they can help them find a new world for them to live on. When Rojan asks if the Federation would really welcome invaders, Kirk says that indeed they wouldn't, but they would accept friends. Spock says that this is a chance for Rojan to make a destiny of their own and that he is only a link in a chain, following an order given three hundred years previous. Rojan finally agrees that perhaps it can be done. Spock says that a robot ship could be sent to Kelva with the Federation proposal. In the meantime, Rojan's crew could experience life as humanoids on a vibrant world. Rojan considers a life with these new physical sensations, and asks Kelinda if she'll stay with him, receiving her enthusiastic apology. Rojan calls the bridge and reaches Drea. He announces to her that he is restoring Kirk's command of the Enterprise to him and that she will follow his orders. Kirk then orders Enterprise turned around and states that they are all going home. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is traveling through a region of space hundreds of light years farther than any Earth starship has ever explored. A great, ineffable intelligence has activated her distress signal relays, giving her strong readings yet remaining invisible to her sensors. The crew arrive at a destroyed class M planet -- much older than Earth, Spock determines, and long dead, its atmosphere ripped away by some cataclysmic event about half a million years ago. A male voice suddenly speaks, referring to the ship's crew as his "children" and asking them to come into orbit. He admits the unpromising state of his planet, and says strangely that he too is dead -- and death will be the fate of mankind too, should they choose not to visit. In his captain's log, Captain Kirk states his intention to risk contact; Lieutenant Uhura tells him that the entry will not reach Starfleet for three weeks due to the Enterprise's distance from known space. Spock's science station probes touch the mysterious planetary speaker, named Sargon, who feeds him the transporter coordinates to a chamber more than a hundred miles beneath the surface. In that deep vastness, Spock detects a serviceable atmosphere and presumes that a landing party should fare well enough. Kirk plans to leave him in command, saying that with this many unknowns "we can't risk both of us being off of the ship." But Sargon makes his preferences plain by cutting the ship's power completely until Spock is added to the guest list. Kirk now asks Spock to accompany him and leaves Lieutenant Sulu in command of the Enterprise. In the transporter room, Dr. McCoy, crewmen Lemli and Leslie, and Lt. Commander Mulhall have reported for beam-down. Mulhall, an astrobiologist seconded to the operations division, is unknown to Kirk; it turns out that her orders to join the landing party came from Sargon himself. McCoy is apoplectic when he hears Spock's revised approximation of the thickness of solid rock through which the party is to be transported: 112.37 miles. When the party leaves the ship, the two crewmen's transporter pads fail to energize -- another one of Sargon's surprises. Deep underground, the Enterprise landing party materializes in a sort of holding area. Spock finds that the walls date from the time of the cataclysm, and are made from the strongest, hardest material he has ever come across. Mulhall finds the atmosphere only slightly different from that aboard ship. A chamber opens and the unguarded party enter to discover Sargon -- energy without substance, matter without form -- housed in a glowing spheroid shell. He gives his guests a little history lesson: 6,000 centuries ago, the humanoids of this planet were spacefarers. They colonized throughout the galaxy. Sargon speculates that a Human creation myth were perhaps two beings of Sargon's race. Mulhall objects to this idea, but Spock picks up on it, saying it might explain away some elements of Vulcan pre-history. But 1,000 centuries after the colonial heyday came the ultimate conflict. Possessed of minds "infinitely greater" than the landing party's, having goals beyond their comprehension, Sargon's race fought a superwar, unleashing powers to which even nuclear war pales in comparison. And so the masters of the galaxy all but exterminated themselves, and their homeworld for half a million years has lain dead. Calling Kirk his "son", Sargon exchanges places with him, taking the captain's body from him and storing his mute mind within the sphere. Sargon is thrilled to have a corporeal form again, and states his intention of using Kirk's, Spock's and Mulhall's bodies. Leading the landing party to an inner chamber, Sargon shows them ten other spheres ranged in two rows. His wife Thalassa's is the only one still aglow on the lower tier. On the upper, one glows as well -- Henoch, of the ultimate conflict's "other side." These essences, too, will require hosts, namely Mulhall and Spock. McCoy complains that Sargon is "burning up" Kirk's body -- his heart is beating 262 times per minute. Sargon says he and his fellows wish to hold the Human and Vulcan bodies only long enough to build "humanoid robots" with methods and skills "far beyond your abilities." Sargon staggers back to the main chamber and, again calling Kirk "son," vacates his body. Kirk's metabolism promptly returns to normal. He says his mind's stay in the receptacle was a "floating in time and space." But the intimate proximity to Sargon during the exchange has affected him deeply: "For an instant we were one. I know him now. I know what he is and what he wants -- and I don't fear him." In a briefing room back aboard the Enterprise, the landing party is joined by Scott, whose assistance will be necessary in the construction of "android robots." Kirk will not order their participation. With such mechanical bodies, Spock says, Sargon and company will be able to leave this planet and share their technology. The resulting advances for "mankind" would be a great leap of ten millennia. Scott is won over by the prospect of starship engines being "the size of walnuts"; Mulhall says that in the interest of science she must cooperate. McCoy finds it a suspicious coincidence that the bodies of both the captain and first officer are required for the task ahead and worries that to such "giants" the Human crew must be "insects." Kirk compares the undertaking at hand with the first Earth missions to the Moon, to Mars, to Alpha Centauri, and reminds McCoy that six generations ago surgery was done with scalpels and catgut. "Risk" he concludes, "risk is our business. That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her." Spock, McCoy, Scott, and Mulhall's doubts about the transference are erased after Kirk's passionate speech. In the medical lab, McCoy and Nurse Chapel oversee the transference. Thalassa, seeing through Mulhall's eyes, at first looks for her husband in Spock, but Sargon draws her attention "here" -- in Kirk's body. She approves of his choice of host, finding it similar to the body he lost in the cataclysm. Henoch is pleased with his own host: the human-Vulcan hybrid has "strength, hearing and eyesight, all far above your Human norms." Spock's body deals better with the transference too, being "accustomed to the higher metabolism"; Henoch stays in it when the others collapse and for the second time Sargon relinquishes Kirk's body. In the pharmacology laboratory, Henoch and Chapel make up a metabolic reduction formula which, administered from a hypospray at 10 cc/hr, should allow the three cataclysm survivors to function in their host bodies. Chapel notices that Sargon's formula has been doctored and fears for her captain. Henoch confirms that he intends that Kirk die -- so as to finish off Sargon. He then establishes mind control over Chapel, touching his middle finger to her forehead, making her forget about what he just said. McCoy makes an entry in his medical log: Sargon is now in his third possession of Kirk's body, Thalassa is back in Mulhall's, and Henoch continues to possess Spock's. In a science laboratory, Sargon and Thalassa are beginning the assembly of their new android bodies. They reminisce, but the lost scenes of their beloved homeworld turn to a cruel reminder of the insensate future that awaits them. Henoch enters and enjoys the plight of his sorely tempted but morally rigorous opponents. He for one has no intention of relinquishing his host body. Sargon feels the damage he is wreaking on Kirk's inadequately suppressed metabolism, but does not want to worry his wife and soldiers on. In the medical lab, Chapel conveys Henoch's bogus metabolic readings to McCoy. Mistaking her evident stress for fatigue, he offers to administer the last few doses of formula to the visitors. Alarmed, Chapel insists she will be up to the task. In the shop, Scott cannot see how the technology of the ancient colonizers is going to work in the android bodies, which must "need micro-gears and some sort of pulley that does what a muscle does." A happy Henoch/Spock appears in the doorway and corrects him: comprehend its workings though Scott may not, the android form will surpass his Human strength and agility by 100%. To Thalassa, though, Henoch's upbeat manner rings hollow: the android form will house her for a thousand years -- is that not what a prison does? She feels a tremor of revolt against the impending surrender of her humanoid existence. Might a Human body not after all be her due, given all the good she proposes to bring to mankind? In the deck six briefing room, Sargon realizes he can no longer ignore the danger to Kirk's body and calls McCoy. Thalassa arrives first and runs the idea of sacrificing Mulhall past her husband. Seeing that the wrongness of the proposition has escaped her, Sargon points out the practical difficulties -- it will take months, if not years, for the host bodies to grow accustomed to the presence of their essences. She knows that he, too, longs to resume their physical intimacy -- the "intertwining" of senses -- and kisses him, asking "can robot lips do this?" Fighting temptation as well as Henoch's vapid medicine, he collapses. McCoy and Chapel arrive to find Sargon/Kirk "dead." McCoy makes an entry in the medical log. He is sure that Sargon has died, forced to flee the captain's collapsed body, and too far from the receptacle to bring about the exchange of essences. Despite its inhospitality, the vacant body has been brought around in sickbay, its "vital organs now working," as the nurse says. In the shop, Henoch works on a male-shaped android body. Thalassa wonders why he bothers, since he clearly doesn't plan to return his present body to Spock. He stokes her revulsion, saying the android form is for her -- she can occupy it before it has its female features installed. She cannot bring herself to put her consciousness into the android body. In the medical lab, Thalassa proposes a back room deal with McCoy: she is able to move Kirk's mind back into the functioning body, but she requires that the doctor connive at her keeping that of Mulhall, "whom you hardly know -- almost a stranger to you!" Even for such a return, McCoy cannot leave Mulhall to die. Thalassa threatens him, "we can take what we wish. I could destroy you with a single thought!" She projects fire onto McCoy, but soon her godlike posturing disgusts her, and she realizes that physical existence is seductive and corrupting for her kind. Relieved to witness her integrity, Sargon now speaks: he has been sheltering unsuspected in the very fabric of the vessel. Chapel arrives summoned. Thalassa asks McCoy to leave them stating -- "Sargon has a plan." In his study, McCoy is alarmed by a series of explosions from the lab. Unable to enter, he is calling for aid when Chapel exits -- with something plainly on her mind. Back in the lab, Kirk and Mulhall have regained their bodies. The three receptacles are burnt out -- completely destroyed. And Spock's mind? Kirk says the loss was "necessary." The urgent task is to terminate Spock's physical form and so put an end to Henoch. Kirk orders McCoy to prepare a hypo fatal to Vulcans. On the bridge, Henoch terrorizes Uhura, who screams. Henoch sits in Kirk's chair and warns helmsman Sulu not to fight him. Chapel stands beside Henoch. McCoy arrives with Kirk and Mulhall, whom Henoch stops short by forcing pain upon them near the turbolift. Chapel takes McCoy's hypo. Its contents are known to Henoch from reading McCoy's mind. He orders Chapel to inject McCoy -- but suddenly, she injects him/Spock instead. At first he belittles their attempt, but when he senses the undead and powerful Sargon his instinct is to beg. Spock's body collapses, Henoch flees but with no host, android nor receptacle at hand he is destroyed. Chapel swoons, Spock stands. She explains that she had been carrying Spock's essence, which behind Henoch's back Sargon had "placed in me." And the hypo, potent enough to "kill ten Vulcans"? A necessary illusion, says Sargon. He borrows Kirk's body for a fourth and last time, in order to hold his wife as a living woman before the couple consign themselves to oblivion "forever." Their final kiss, says Chapel with a teary, fond look at Spock, was "beautiful." The Enterprise leaves Arret and continues its exploration of the galaxy. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise heads for the planet Ekos to locate a missing cultural observer, John Gill, a noted historian and brilliant history teacher who had been one of Kirk's instructors at Academy. Spock and McCoy reminisce about his style of approaching history as a matter of causes and motivations, rather than simply dates and events. While approaching the planet, the Enterprise is attacked by an old-style chemical rocket with a thermonuclear warhead -- technology of whose development the planet is not yet supposed to be capable. Kirk has Chekov destroy the rocket with the ship's phasers. McCoy notes that the missile is generations ahead from where they should be technically. Kirk surmises that they may have had help -- and Spock glances at Gill's photo. Fearing that Gill's mission has been compromised in violation of the Prime Directive of non-interference with developing planets, Kirk and Spock beam down to Ekos. Before they do, they have McCoy insert subcutaneous emergency transponders, dependent on crystalline rubindium, into their forearms, to locate them for retrieval in the event they cannot use their communicators. Kirk orders that Scotty beam them up at the appointed time if they fail to contact the ship, no matter what their condition may be. Upon beaming down, Kirk and Spock find a culture almost identical to that of Germany during its Nazi period of the 1930s and 40s, right down to the uniforms, salutes, persecution of another ethnic culture -- in this case the inhabitants of the neighboring planet Zeon, and the concept of the Fuhrer -- John Gill himself. Stealing some SS uniforms, Kirk and Spock attempt to infiltrate the Fuhrer's headquarters but are quickly captured when Spock is forced to remove his helmet, revealing his pointed Vulcan ears. Kirk and Spock are stripped to the waist and interrogated by an SS-Major, who lashes them cruelly with a whip; this, however, is interrupted by Chairman Eneg, who chides the SS guard for not realizing that punishment is effective for only just so long. Left with their wounds still open, they find themselves imprisoned next to Isak, a Zeon underground member who explains how the Nazi movement began on Ekos, coinciding precisely with the time of Gill's arrival. Improvising a crude cutting-torch laser from the rubindium crystals from the transponders Kirk had had McCoy insert, at a subcutaneous level, into the skins of their forearms before beaming down, the trio manage to escape and retrieve two disassembled communicators from a SS laboratory. Kirk and Spock are able to steal SS uniforms again and leave, hauling out Isak in a stretcher. Later, the three return to the underground's base. There, Isak is greeted by his brother, Abrom, and told of the death of his fiancee, Uletta. In the midst of this, a squad of Ekosian stormtroopers arrives, intent on arresting the entire lot. She apparently shoots Abrom dead and plans to "finish the job" by killing Kirk. When Kirk and Spock intervene to help the underground workers, it is revealed that the woman, Daras, is an Ekosian member of the underground and the storming was a test to see if the two strangers could be trusted -- once Kirk and Spock responded to her apparent murder of Abrom by her holding at gunpoint, those gathered realized that the two strangers were definitely on their side and put an end to the ruse. Kirk and Spock then reveal who they really are and why they are there. The next opportunity to the Fuhrer, is an upcoming speech in the chancellery in which Isak suspects war will be declared on Zeon. To infiltrate the chancellery, Kirk and Spock accompany Daras and Isak to Fuhrer headquarters posing as a Nazi documentary crew to try and reach Gill. Kirk, Spock, Isak, and Daras walk down a corridor pretending to film a record of the Fuhrer's final solution speech. During this, Spock catches a glimpse of John Gill in a guarded room, seemingly drugged. Kirk tells Spock that they need Dr. McCoy. Kirk hides inside a cloakroom with Spock and asks Lieutenant Uhura to have McCoy beamed down from the Enterprise, however, they learn from Daras that the transmission was traced, prompting a search party. The doctor joins them dressed in a Nazi colonel's uniform and throws the search party by pretending to be drunk. With McCoy now joined with them, the group listens to a speech by Gill, followed by another from his deputy, Melakon, pledging the destruction of Zeon which is already taking place as he speaks. Meanwhile, the three are able to sneak into a broadcast booth and find Gill, heavily drugged. Partly revived by McCoy, they learn the truth; Gill had taken matters into his own hands on Ekos, which he had found to be in a condition of anarchy. He had organized the planet using what he thought was the efficiency of the Nazi system, but had tried to prevent it from sliding into sadism. Unfortunately for his plans, however, Melakon had begun a takeover and had begun drugging Gill, leaving what now remained of Gill as a figurehead; the direct result was that Melakon has been the real power on Ekos for years. The search party, led by Eneg, steps into the room, and Kirk quickly pretends they foiled an assassination attempt by Spock. They convince Eneg to present him to Melakon, which also convinces Isak that he is a member of the underground resistance. While they distract Melakon, Kirk struggles to revive Gill to a sufficiently coherent state. Gill is finally able to broadcast a message halting the invasion and declaring Melakon a traitor. Melakon takes an MP40 machine gun from a guard and shoots Gill through the broadcast booth curtain to silence him. Isak, in turn, shoots him twice with a Luger, killing him instantly. As Gill dies in Kirk's arms, he tells the captain that the Prime Directive was the right way all along. Meanwhile, Eneg takes control of the government, declaring, "There has been enough killing. Now we'll start to live the way the Fuhrer meant us to live." He plans to go on the airwaves with Daras to offer a new way of life for both Ekosians and Zeons. Back on board the Enterprise, Spock expresses confusion as to how a man as logical as Gill could make such a mistake emulating the Nazis. Kirk says the problem was not simply the Nazis themselves but giving any one individual so much power. McCoy remarks how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely; Spock dryly points out several examples from Earth history of just that mentality and Kirk cuts off their argument by saying, "Gentlemen, we've just been through one civil war; let's not start another." Kirk then orders that Ensign Chekov to plot a course and break out of orbit around Ekos as quickly as they can before another civil war starts. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is summoned to a space station by Commodore Enwright without explanation. Commodore Bob Wesley, commanding the USS Lexington, explains in the Enterprise's transporter room that the Enterprise will be a test vessel for a revolutionary tactical computer called the M-5 multitronic unit, designed by the brilliant Dr. Richard Daystrom. The M-5 will handle all ship functions, including responding to a simulated attack led by Wesley, during the test with a crew of only 20, much to Captain Kirk's chagrin. Dr. Richard Daystrom, who designed the duotronic computers used on the Enterprise, arrives on board to install his new M-5 multitronic unit, which is capable of running a starship with only minimal personnel. Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy meet him in Engineering where he is finishing up the installation. Daystrom explains the first four units weren't entirely successful, but this one has the capability to control the ship. Responding to Kirk's skepticism, he challenges Kirk on enjoying the prestige of the captaincy. Spock stays with Daystrom, while Kirk and McCoy leave. Kirk wrestles with his own unease about the advance in technology and his own possible obsolescence. The Enterprise, under M-5 control approaches the planet Alpha Carinae II, achieves standard orbit and makes its recommendations for the landing party. As the first example of the difference between the M-5's decisions and a human's, Kirk's recommendation is at odds with the M-5's call, which includes the same astrobiologist Phillips, a different geologist and doesn't include Kirk and McCoy in the landing party, calling them "non-essential personnel." While this is going on, Scotty is observing that power on decks 4 and 5 is cut, along with environmental controls for each deck. He traces the source of the power shutdowns to be the M-5 itself. In engineering, Dr. Daystrom examines the situation, but explains that the M-5 simply turned off the power to those decks since they were unoccupied crew quarters and there was no one there that needed it. Spock also observes the M-5 is drawing more power than before, which Daystrom simply responds more is required of it. Kirk again challenges Daystrom that the M-5 can only process information given to it; it cannot make value judgements. Daystrom dismisses this and describes the M-5 as "a whole new approach" to logic systems. An unidentified vessel cuts off the conversation and brings Kirk and Spock to the bridge. Dr. McCoy is already there, since the sickbay's power was also cut by the M-5. The Enterprise is approached by two ships, the Lexington and USS Excalibur. They engage in an unscheduled wargames drill, and the M-5 responds swiftly to simulated attacks, hitting back the "enemy" ships and maneuvering more quickly than it would have were a Human in command. Kirk tries to be gracious to the computer's ability, telling Spock that such applications might be practical, but Spock tells Kirk that although true, such a thing as a computer running a starship would be undesirable. He goes on to explain that a key attribute of Human command is loyalty, loyalty to one man, and that this should never change. Captain Kirk, whose ego has been somewhat beaten up by all that has been going on recently, appreciates the comment. Meanwhile, the M-5 is seen to be drawing increasing amounts of power. Wesley communicates back, awarding the test to the M-5 and jokingly calling Kirk a "Dunsel." Dismayed by this, Kirk goes to his quarters to contemplate the increasingly successful M-5. McCoy arrives with a Finagle's Folly. Their conversation is cut off, as the Enterprise's sensors detect a ship moving slowly. It is the automated ore freighter Woden, and not a drill this time. M-5 abruptly changes the Enterprise's course to intercept the ship, speeding up to warp 3. It then engages the ship with photon torpedoes, destroying it, even though it presented absolutely no threat to the Enterprise, and then resumes its prior course. Captain Kirk tries to disengage the M-5 in the process, but neither he, Sulu, nor Scotty are able to regain manual control of the ship. Dr. Daystrom still tries to make excuses and explanations for this, but there is clearly something very wrong. Kirk, Spock and Scotty go to engineering and Kirk tries to approach the M-5 to shut it off, only to be thrown back by a force field, learning the M-5 unit will protect itself, as well. Kirk is infuriated, now. He demands Daystrom shut off the unit, but Daystrom insists he correct it, first. Kirk has Scotty attempt again to cut its power, but when Ensign Harper, working with a trident scanner, moves in to cut the power, the M-5 vaporizes him and makes a direct connection to the warp engines using a power beam of its own devising. Shocked and enraged, Kirk berates Daystrom for being unable and unwilling to deactivate the M-5. Daystrom continues to excuse the M-5's behavior, insisting that Harper "simply got in the way" of M-5's progress, and that his death was not a deliberate act. Kirk fires back at Daystrom, asking, "How long will it be before all of us simply 'get in the way'?". Senior staff collaborate on a plan to gain back control in the briefing room by focusing on a certain relay unit between the M-5 and the bridge. McCoy goes to Daystrom to convince him to shut off the M-5. Daystrom, on the other hand, defends the M-5, saying it's learning, and further, that the advance M-5 represents would liberate man from hazardous duties, saving life. McCoy notes later to Kirk that Daystrom reacts toward the computer as a father would to his child. Kirk and Daystrom observe Spock and Scotty attempt to gain control, but Sulu and Chekov report it is unsuccessful. They realize the relay they were working on was a decoy, leading Spock to note the illogical behavior of the M-5 unit. Daystrom explains he impressed Human "engrams" onto the circuits. "The relays are not unlike the synapses in the brain," Daystrom explains to Captain Kirk. "M-5 thinks, captain." Uhura reports the four Federation ships as part of the scheduled war exercise, but now Kirk fears the M-5 will not treat it as a drill. When the war games exercise begins, M-5 has prevented all communication. The Lexington, Excalibur, Hood and Potemkin are approaching. Daystrom assures that the M-5 will treat it as a drill, but then the M-5 attacks the Lexington and Excalibur with all weapons at full power, crippling the Excalibur in the process. Despite knowing that M-5 will have full tactical and functional control of the Enterprise, Commodore Wesley blames Kirk for the attack. When Commodore Wesley cannot raise the Enterprise by radio, he requests approval from Starfleet Command to destroy her. McCoy hauls him off to sickbay, and Spock notes the self-preservation that the M-5 is displaying is probably a consequence of Daystrom's engram imprinting. Hearing that Starfleet has agreed that Wesley can destroy the Enterprise, Kirk himself tries to force the computer to recognize its responsibility in the deaths of hundreds of people as there are no more life readings on the Excalibur. Feeling Daystrom's regret over the deaths, M-5 shuts down, dropping the deflector shields and leaving itself open to attack to atone for its crime. Spock and Scotty then disconnect the computer from ship's control. With communications not quite restored, Kirk orders that the shields be kept down, gambling that Wesley will be both compassionate and cautious and break off the battle force. Sure enough, Wesley does so, much to the crew's relief. Dr. Daystrom, meanwhile, is cared for in sickbay under sedation and heavy restraint to await transfer to a total rehabilitation facility, under McCoy's recommendation. Kirk orders that Sulu plot a return course to Starbase 6. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise discovers the starship USS Exeter in orbit upon arriving at the planet Omega IV. When Captain Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Lieutenant Galloway beam over to the empty ship's engineering section to investigate, they discover the ship to be seemingly abandoned only Starfleet uniforms; and some crystals remain. Kirk uses the ship's intercom to raise anyone on board the ship. Spock hails Kirk and reports the same thing as in engineering, while Galloway reports all four of the Exeter's shuttlecraft are on board, proving the crew didn't leave that way. McCoy and Kirk then head to the Exeter's bridge and then order both men to meet them there. Arriving at the Exeter's bridge, McCoy's analysis finds the crystals to be what was left of the crew with all the water removed. A tape left by the Exeter's ship's surgeon, Carter, reveals the crew was killed by a virus which was brought up to the ship by the landing party; only Captain Ronald Tracey remained alive by staying on the planet's surface. Kirk orders the landing party to beam down to the planet at once, and gazes down at the floor at the remains of the ship's surgeon. Once on the planet, they interrupt some natives about to behead another, and Captain Tracey, apparently in charge, calms them down and welcomes them. Captain Tracey has been living among the Kohms, an iron-age people engaged in a war with the Yangs, a seemingly primitive, savage and fierce tribal culture -- one of whose leaders has just been taken captive. He informs them there is a natural immunity offered by the planet's environment -- they will stay alive only as long as they remain on Omega IV. The landing party sets up in a building to contact the Enterprise, for McCoy to confirm the disease and Kirk to record a log entry. Kirk is disappointed that Tracey has apparently used Federation technology to assist the Kohms in their fight. Because of this, he has become something of a leader of the group, which is a clear violation of Starfleet's Prime Directive of non-interference with developing civilizations. McCoy notes the similarity of the infection to some inflicted during biological warfare experiments on Earth in the 1990s. Suddenly, Spock and Galloway return, with Galloway critically injured from a Yang ambush. Spock confirms the viciousness of the Yangs, and that they are preparing to attack, however, Spock also finds an empty phaser pack, confirming he is using his technology to help the Kohms. Before Kirk can contact the Enterprise, Tracey enters, prevents him, and kills Galloway. The landing party is disarmed and Tracey makes Sulu think the landing party is indisposed. Tracey explains to Kirk alone that the Kohm people have no record of any kind of disease but possess extremely long lifespans, for example, his guard Wu is over 400 Earth years old, his father over 1,000 years. He wishes to use the resources of the Enterprise to isolate the cause for this "super-immunity", cure themselves and share it for a profit. To do this, he must keep the Yangs at bay, and asks for Kirk's help. Kirk instead tries to escape unsuccessfully, and is thrown into a cell with the savage and his woman from before, while Tracey plans to attack the Yangs. After a fierce fight, however, Kirk comes to realize that the Yangs worship concepts such as freedom and bear remarkable similarities to the native peoples of North America -- the "North American Natives" -- and helps the Yang prisoners escape. However, the male prisoner knocks Kirk unconscious with an iron bar while he and his female partner escape. Seven hours and eight minutes later, Kirk awakens and together he and Spock who is in the next cell get the keys to escape their cells. McCoy, conducting medical research in the meantime under guard, learns that both the super-immunity enjoyed by the Omega IV inhabitants, and the plague which killed the Exeter's crew are the results of biological warfare similar to experiments researched by Earth in the late twentieth century, in the 1990s. The plague still exists, but after this war, the planet's ecosystem developed powerful immunizing agents, essentially due to natural evolution. McCoy discovers that the longer a person stays on the planet, the more well-established the immunity; tragically, if the Exeter landing party had stayed on the planet just a few hours longer, no one would have died. Spock and Kirk subdue the guard and learn everything from McCoy. Since they are now cured of the plague, Kirk tells Spock to repair the transmitter so they can beam up to the Enterprise. Just as Spock is about to do so, the console is destroyed by a phaser blast, injuring him. Tracey stumbles into the room, trembling, and recounts how his Kohm force was routed by the Yangs, despite the thousands of Yangs that Tracey and his allies killed with their phasers. Tracey assumes that Kirk freed the Yang prisoner to warn the others of the attack. Kirk demands that Spock be beamed up to the Enterprise for medical attention. When Tracey objects that they are still infected, Kirk and McCoy furiously tell him that they are now immunized, there is no serum, and there is nothing that Tracey can "extract" that will excuse the atrocities he has committed. On being told that he has thrown away his crew, his career, and his honor for nothing, Tracey seems to lose what remains of his sanity. Focusing on the impending Yang attack, Tracey marches Kirk outside and tells him to call the Enterprise with his communicator and have it beam down more phasers. Kirk obligingly relays the request to Lieutenant Sulu, who says that he cannot do that without verification. Staring down the muzzle of Tracey's phaser, Kirk carefully says that the landing party is in danger. Sulu says that, if that is the case, then teams of armed volunteers are ready to beam down -- which is the last thing Tracey wants. Kirk says the danger to the landing party is not imminent, and tells Sulu not to beam anyone else down, before flipping his communicator shut. Just as Tracey begins to understand that he is stymied, Kirk tries to overpower him, and the two men fight, only for them both to be taken prisoner by the Yangs. Kirk and Spock eventually realize that Omega IV's culture was an extremely close parallel of Earth's, except the Omegans fought the war Earth managed to avoid, and the Kohms took over the planet. The Yangs have been fighting to regain their land ever since; this is confirmed when the victorious Yangs bring in their battle standard -- an ancient, tattered "stars and stripes" US flag. While the fight takes place, Spock uses his telepathic abilities to get Cloud William's mate, Sirah to use one of the communicators, after which a landing party of volunteers from the Enterprise, led by Lieutenant Sulu, beams down armed with phasers to take control of the situation. Fortunately, Kirk wins the fight with Tracey anyway. Seeing these events, Cloud William believes Kirk to be God's servant. Kirk informs the Yangs that the "holy words" were not merely written for chiefs, but for everyone, even the Kohms. He reads the "greatest of holies" -- the preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America, and tells Cloud William the words must apply to everyone or they are meaningless. Cloud William does not understand the meaning behind Kirk's words, but promises that he will obey the "holy words." When Spock asks Kirk if his actions do not also violate the Prime Directive, Kirk explains he was simply explaining the meaning of what they were fighting for as all the Yangs read the Constitution. Before leaving Omega IV, Kirk glances at the torn and tattered US flag. 
<EOS>
After Captain Kirk finishes his log entry, suddenly the Enterprise is rocked, and Spock reports that they appear to have intercepted someone's transporter beam. Kirk remarks that there were no such devices in the 20th century. Spock maintains that someone is beaming aboard. Spock discovers that the transporter beam originates more than a thousand light years away. Scott finds that difficult to believe, stating that no transporter beam could reach that far, not even in their time. Suddenly a man in a dark suit, holding a black cat, appears on the transporter pad. The strange man asks Kirk why he was intercepted and who his interceptors are. Kirk identifies himself and tells the man that he is aboard the United Space Ship Enterprise. The man asks what planet they are from, and Kirk says they are from Earth. This the man refuses to believe, because 20th century technology would not allow for a ship like the Enterprise. But when he notices that Spock is a Vulcan, he realizes the ship is indeed from the future and asks to be beamed down to Earth. As security arrives, the man identifies himself as Gary Seven, calling himself a man from the 20th century, and gives his cat's name as Isis. Kirk states, however, that Humans of the 20th century do not go beaming around the universe. Seven explains that he has been on another planet, one much more advanced, and that he was beaming to Earth from that planet when the Enterprise intercepted him. When Kirk asks which planet it is, Seven says that the inhabitants wish their planet to be kept secret and that even in Kirk's time, it will remain unknown. Seven reiterates that he is of this time period and adds that, if Kirk does not allow him to do what he needs to do down on Earth, then Kirk will have changed history. But Kirk, unsure that Seven is telling the truth, decides to keep him aboard the ship until that can be determined. However, Seven tries to escape, overpowering the security guards, and he even shrugs off Spock's attempt at a Vulcan neck pinch. Seven is only subdued by a phaser stun from Kirk. Kirk calls Dr. McCoy and asks him to examine the mysterious man in the brig to determine if he really is Human. In the briefing room, Spock, who is stroking Isis, mentions that he finds himself strangely drawn to the cat. Ensign Chekov reports that analyzing the direction Seven's transporter beam came from show no habitable planets in that area of the galaxy and Scott says that they will not be able to analyze the transporter beam, as it had fused their recording circuits. The beam could have brought him across tremendous distances across space, and perhaps even through time; there is, quite simply, no way to know. Spock also mentions that current crises on Earth could fill a tape bank, noting that, on this one day alone: "There will be an important assassination today, an equally dangerous government coup in Asia, and, this could be highly critical, the launching of an orbital nuclear warhead platform by the United States, countering a similar launch by other powers." Kirk and Spock briefly discuss the nuclear arms race and how that once the sky was filled with orbiting H-bombs, the slightest mistake could have brought one down, setting off a nuclear holocaust. Seven soon escapes from the brig using a device called a "servo," disguised as a pen, to deactivate the force field and put the guard to sleep. Back in the briefing room, McCoy tells Kirk that Seven is indeed Human, but that also that his is a totally perfect body, without a physical flaw at all within him. This raises the possibility that he could be an alien taking Human form, and Spock points out again that Seven could be telling the truth. Kirk laments that neither of them is telling him anything definite. At that point, Isis jumps out of Spock's lap and leaves the briefing room. Security then alerts them that Seven has escaped. In the transporter room, where Isis rejoins him, Seven renders Lemli and Leslie unconscious with his servo and beams down before Kirk can stop him. Seven materializes inside a transporter chamber, disguised as a vault concealed behind a sliding rack of glasses, in what appears to be an otherwise normal office. Seven accesses a computer behind the bookcase. Seven asks for the locations of agents 201 and 347. The computer asks Seven to identify himself and Seven tells the computer to check his voice pattern, and it will identify him as Supervisor 194, code name Gary Seven. The computer recognizes his voice pattern but is unaware of a Gary Seven being assigned to this planet. Seven then tells the computer that he is a Class One supervisor and that the computer is to override all previous instructions and answer his questions. The computer identifies itself as a Beta 5 computer capable of analytical decision and forces Seven to prove himself by describing the mission of the two agents that were sent here. Finally Seven, after griping that he has "little love for Beta 5 snobbery," relents and tells the computer that missing agents 201 and 347 are a male and a female descendant, respectively, of Humans taken from the Earth approximately six thousand years ago and that they were specially engineered and trained for this mission. The problem is that on Earth, its science and technology have progressed faster than its political and social knowledge have. Their mission is to prevent Earth from destroying itself before it can become a peaceful society. The computer states that Seven's information, while incomplete, will suffice and tells Seven that the agents have not reported for three days. Seven tells the computer to immediately begin a search and begins describing how to do so when the computer tells him it is aware of proper search procedures. Meanwhile, back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock, and Scott are trying to determine where Seven had beamed down. Scott says that they can get to within approximately one thousand meters of where he had gone. Spock reminds Kirk that following him down is very risky because they may end up accidentally doing something to alter history. Kirk says he knows but he must also know if Seven is being truthful with them. Kirk tells Scott to have ship's stores prepare the proper costumes and then prepare to beam them down. In his apartment, Seven learns that the agents' mission was to disable a rocket that will launch an American orbiting nuclear platform which is a counter-move to an opposing country that has already done the same. This appalls Seven, who says that this arms race is the same kind of nonsense which almost resulted in the destruction of planet Omicron IV, which the Beta 5 computer confirms. Seven asks if the warhead has been disabled, but the computer says both that it has not been and that there are just under ninety minutes before launch. Seven says that unless the agents are immediately located, he will have to undertake their mission in their absence. Having beamed down, Kirk surreptitiously calls Scott with his communicator and tells him to lead them to Seven. Scott gives Kirk the coordinates and Kirk and Spock proceed. The computer provides Seven with various pieces of false identification, including identification listing Seven as a colonel with the CIA, a lieutenant in the NYPD, and a colonel with the NSA. It also produces a map of McKinley Rocket Base. At that moment, a young woman walks in and asks if anyone is in. Seven steps out and demands to know where she has been. Seven means where she has been for the past three days. The woman sees no reason to tell him and asks who he is. Seven asks where 347 is. But she neither knows nor understands, jokingly replying that perhaps he is with 348. She then threatens to call the police. After insisting that she sit down, Seven, wrongly believing her to be agent 201, tells her that he is "Supervisor 194, code name Gary Seven" and that he needs a complete report of all that she has done in the last three days. As the woman prepares to start typing, Seven flips a switch and tells her not to bother with her hands. When she wonders how she will type, the typewriter begins typing everything she says. This gets the young woman very frustrated, and after she yells at the typewriter to stop typing what she says, Seven finally switches it off and she says that she will quit. Seven then realizes that she is not acting. Using his servo, he locks the door; he then accesses the computer and has it identify the woman in the room. The Beta 5 identifies her as Roberta Lincoln and says that she is a secretary hired by Agents 347 and 201. Realizing the terrible mistake he has made, Seven asks Roberta what work her employers said they were doing and she says they were doing research for a new encyclopedia. Seven tells her she can go, though she will not be helping her country, unless of course, she does not care for her country. When Roberta protests that she does, Seven tells her that thanks to his incompetence, he has made her aware of some top secret devices vital to the security of the nation. He shows her his false CIA ID and she accepts that it is legitimate. Isis opens the door and meows at Seven. Seven explains to Roberta that Isis is a trained cat and asks Roberta not to let anyone in and she agrees to do so. Out on the street, Kirk calls Scott again, and Scott tells Kirk that the source was about thirty meters higher than his present location. Thus, Kirk and Spock enter Seven's apartment building. The Beta 5 tells Seven that agents 201 and 347 were killed in an automobile accident ten miles north of McKinley Rocket Base on Highway 949. Seven laments the uselessness of dying in such a manner and asks if the facts are verified. The computer does confirm this, noting that the description of the agent's bodies is accurate. On the floor outside Seven's apartment, Scott tells Kirk which way to go and they find the right apartment. Kirk rings the doorbell and Seven has the computer deactivated. Roberta opens the door, but when Kirk asks about Seven, she says that she has no idea who he is talking about, that this is a government office, and that they should leave immediately. But Kirk will have none of it, demanding to know where Seven is. Roberta demands that Kirk leave, but he refuses, and she finally grabs the phone and calls for the police. Kirk and Roberta briefly struggle over the phone and she asks Seven to come help her. Seven, meanwhile, has entered the transporter in his safe and disappeared. Spock discovers where Seven was, and Kirk goes in and has Spock restrain Roberta. She manages to pull Spock's cap off and is dumbstruck at the sight of Spock's pointed Vulcan ears. Seven rematerializes inside the rocket base and observes the rocket which is armed with the warhead. Kirk finds Seven's map of McKinley Rocket Base. Roberta tells them she has already called the police to the office. When the police arrive, Spock tries to keep Roberta quiet, but she screams before he can. Kirk calls Scott, whom he orders to perform a wide scan, as they will be moving, and be ready to beam them up. They run into the office, but Roberta runs to the door, admits the police, and points them into the office. They run in just as Kirk orders them beamed up -- and the two police officers are beamed up with Kirk and Spock, all four disappearing before Roberta's eyes. Kirk and Spock jump off the transporter platform, and Kirk immediately orders Scott to beam the policemen back down, which he does. The two policemen are returned to the office, leaving them dumbstruck at what they have seen and experienced and Roberta not knowing what to believe. At the rocket base, there are only fifty minutes until launch. Seven is approached by a security guard as he approaches launch control. The guard, Sergeant Lipton, has Seven lower Isis to the ground and requests identification, and Seven produces his CIA ID. While the guard calls to verify, Isis distracts Lipton, allowing Seven to stun him with his servo and he then takes the phone and tells the security identification office at the other end that everything is now OK. He then sits the stunned guard down and tells him to take a nap. Seven then makes his way to the gantry elevator by hiding in the trunk of the launch director's, Cromwell's, car. When the car arrives at the launch pad, he exits the trunk, hides in the elevator, reaches a gantry, removes an access panel with his servo and begins to rewire the rocket. Meanwhile, Kirk, Spock, and Scott, in the transporter room, search for Seven at the launch site by reflecting their sensors off a low-orbiting weather satellite. Unable to find him, Kirk and Spock decide to beam down to the base to search for Seven the old-fashioned way. They materialize in front of the previously stunned guard as he awakens. Lipton takes them into custody and escorts them to the control room in the launch complex. They are briefly interrogated, but all attention is focused on the launch preparations. Kirk and Spock stand there unable to act. Meanwhile, planning to quit again and telling the computer interface that she promises not to tell anyone about Seven or anything she has seen, Roberta accidentally discovers that depressing a pen holder on the desk opens the sliding glass rack. She then fiddles with the combination lock to the safe and succeeds in opening the safe/alien transporter room. At the same time, using the ship's sensors, Scott locates Seven on the rocket gantry while he is manipulating wires on the rocket. Scott calls for security and then attempts to beam Seven back aboard. Sensing the transporter beam, Seven gathers Isis into his arms. But at the same time, Lincoln's fiddling with the safe/alien transporter controls pulls him back to the NYC office. In the launch facility, Kirk and Spock watch helplessly as the countdown progresses. The security officers inspect Kirk's and Spock's phasers and communicators. The security supervisor tells Kirk that only the slightest possible charges will be brought against them if they explain why they are here and what they are doing. Kirk can only stand silently and watch as the rocket launches up toward space. In the office, Seven is initially angry at Roberta for interfering, but he then calms down when he realizes that what she had done likely kept him from being transported back aboard the Enterprise and again taken prisoner. He then goes over and begins to work at the Beta 5 computer. He inquires whether he had done enough to take control of the rocket, and the Beta 5 confirms that he had. Seven uses the Beta 5 exceiver circuits to cause the third stage of the American rocket to malfunction and veer the rocket off course. He also arms the warhead and Roberta, who had become very suspicious of Seven, hits him on the head with a small jewelry box, for she now realizes that what he has been doing is beyond the CIA's abilities. She grabs Seven's servo and tells him to stay where he is. Seven begs Roberta to let him finish what he had started, otherwise when the rocket warhead detonates somewhere in six minutes, it will start World War III. From the science station on the bridge, Chekov and Sulu see the warhead arm and call Scott in the transporter room to inform him. Sulu tells Scott that the computers indicate an impact somewhere in the heart of the Eurasian landmass. Uhura, listening in to broadcasts from her station in multiple Earth languages, reports that she is receiving military alerts from the major powers. Scott decides that he will have to risk calling Kirk, and tells Uhura to open a channel to his communicator. At launch control, the mission planners note the malfunction in the rocket and try to override it and get it back on course. When the warhead arms itself, the scientists are confused as to how it could have done so on its own. They prepare to send a self-destruct signal to prevent the H-bomb from otherwise detonating on an unsuspecting population somewhere. Kirk, taking advantage of this distraction, steps over and tries to activate his communicator, but Lipton catches him and sends him back to his corner. Just then, Scott attempts to contact Kirk for instructions. When the communicator beeps and the rocket base guard picks it up and tries to talk to Scott, Spock steps over, under the guise of showing Lipton how to use it, and uses his nerve pinch to render him unconscious. Kirk has Scott beam them directly to Seven's office. Unfortunately for the scientists, the self-destruct signal does not work. The lead flight controller picks up a red phone to make a call to the President. Back in Seven's apartment, Seven tries to tell Roberta the truth about what has been happening and that truly advanced civilizations would neither take strange forms nor visit Earth in force, explaining that the best option is to bring Humans to their planet and train them for generations, until they are needed on Earth. Roberta tells him that she wants to believe him, for she knows that her world needs help; this explains the seemingly insane conduct of some of the people of her generation, of whom she points out, "We wonder if we're gonna be alive when we're thirty." Just as Seven tries to run back to the computer, Kirk and Spock enter. Kirk asks Spock if he can detonate the warhead using the computer, and the Vulcan says that he can attempt it. Seven says that he wants it detonated too and that he will have to do it, at least a hundred miles above the ground so that it will frighten the people of Earth out of the arms race. At that moment, Scott calls Kirk, telling him that the Enterprise's monitors show all major powers on full missile alert and a retaliatory strike is ordered upon warhead impact. Spock says that without more time, he can only estimate, and Seven angrily asks Kirk to allow him to do his job. Kirk insists that he still does not know what Seven's job is, and that for all he and Spock know, Seven may set the controls so that the warhead may not even be detonated. Then Roberta points the servo at Kirk and demands that he leave Seven alone. Seven quickly grabs it from her hand and tells her that the servo was set to kill. He deactivates it and then hands it over to Kirk. Kirk tells Spock if he cannot detonate the warhead, then they will both have to trust Seven. Spock tells Kirk that in the absence of facts, there is no logical decision and that he will have to rely on his Human intuition to guide him. After a brief moment, Kirk tells Seven, "Go!" Seven runs over to the Beta 5 and begins working the controls, activating a visual of low Earth orbit and having the computer count down the miles by tens. Finally, at 104 miles, Seven manages to detonate the warhead. A bit later, Seven is dictating the last bit of his report into the typewriter. "and in spite of the accidental interference with history by the Earth ship from the future, the mission was completed." Spock then corrects Seven and tells him that by all appearances they did not interfere but that, rather, that the Enterprise was simply part of what was supposed to happen on this day in 1968. Kirk says that their record tapes show that while it was never generally revealed, a malfunctioning sub-orbital warhead was exploded exactly 104 miles above the Earth. Spock adds that, furthermore, it caused the nuclear powers to re-assess the risks of a nuclear orbiting platform. That everything turned out just how it was supposed to leaves Seven feeling relieved. For a moment, Roberta looks over at Isis and sees a rather gorgeous woman. She steps over to Seven and asks if he will explain who that is. Seven says that it is simply his cat. When Roberta looks back, Isis is a cat again. Seven then asks Kirk what else their record tapes show, but Kirk says they cannot, in turn, reveal all they know. Spock does say that it would be safe to say that Seven and Roberta have some interesting experiences ahead of them and Kirk agrees with that assessment. Kirk calls to be beamed up by Scotty, Spock tells Seven to "live long and prosper," and Kirk says that the same goes for Roberta. They beam back aboard, and the Enterprise leaves orbit to go back to its proper time. 
<EOS>
On a mission on behalf of the Federation to establish contact with the reclusive and xenophobic Melkotians, Captain Kirk decides to ignore the message of a space buoy warning the  Enterprise to immediately withdraw from Melkotian space and go back the way it came. It speaks this warning in Vulcan, English, Russian, and Swahili, which Spock, Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura hear in their own individual languages. Kirk orders Uhura to further contact the Melkotians, but there is no response to his hails. When Spock, Kirk, Scott, Doctor McCoy, and Ensign Chekov beam down to Melkot, they materialize in a fog bank not recorded by sensors. Their tricorders and communicators do not function. The landing party encounters a Melkotian. The Melkotian emerges from the fog and tells the Enterprise officers that their warning was plain, they have disregarded it, and will now be punished. The Melkotian informs them that they are "outside" -- a disease that must be destroyed. They learn that their trespassing is to be punished by death and how they will die will be taken from Kirk's mind, since it was he who ordered that the Melkotians' warning be disregarded. The Malkotian tells Kirk that "yours shall be the pattern of your death." The landing party suddenly finds itself teleported to a facade of an 19th century American frontier town. All of their equipment is gone, and instead each now has a gunbelt and a revolver. They observe the curious "incompleteness" of the town. Buildings with only a front wall, open to the air on the sides and back, signs and clocks hanging in mid-air. Kirk reads from a copy of the Tombstone Epitaph, a newspaper with the date of October 26th, 1881. Kirk wonders "Why here? And why now?". Spock notes that the time and place is based on the patterns of Kirk's memories. A man with a sheriff's badge greets them, acting as though he knew them well. He refers to Kirk as Ike, Spock as Frank, Scott as Billy, and McCoy as Tom. Recognizing the sheriff's name, Johnny Behan, Kirk quickly puts the names together. Ike Clanton, Frank McLowery, Tom McLowery, Billy Claiborne and Billy Clanton. He further recalls that the Clantons were one of the factions who fought for control of the town of Tombstone; the other being the Earps: Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil, who were the town marshals, as well as "Doc" Holliday. Spock notes that the famous gunfight of O.K. Corral took place on October 26, 1881 and that the Clantons lost. Kirk warns that the antique guns they all are carrying can be as deadly as phasers at close range. They witness the shooting of a bar patron by Morgan Earp, and conclude that death is one thing that is real in this surreal scenario. Inside the bar, Chekov is accosted by a woman named Sylvia who claims to know him as Billy. Kirk recognizes Morgan as the man who kills on sight, and rises to confront him. Spock cautions him to back down, without moving a muscle, as he would be quickly gunned down in a "fast draw." Kirk says he does not want any trouble from Earp, but Earp says he will get them to draw soon enough, and then leaves. Kirk and Spock discuss what is expected to happen based on history, that they are supposed to be killed at the OK Corral at 5 pm. Kirk says that they will not be there. Kirk tries to convince Ed the bartender vehemently that he is not Ike Clanton, that he and his group are from the future, Kirk is the captain of a starship, but to no avail. The bartender tells him it makes no difference who he thinks he his, but rather whom the Earps think he is, while walking away still laughing. Kirk then attempts to make peace with the Earps, saying there is a mistake. Virgil Earp says that he always felt the Clantons were "yellow" and then hits Kirk. Kirk strikes him back, Wyatt Earp then draws on Kirk, but Virgil stops him. Wyatt Earp warns Kirk that if he is in town at 5:01pm, the Earps will kill them. Kirk returns to the bar, and discusses what options they have with Spock, McCoy and Scotty. Kirk and the landing party try to leave town, but they are stopped by a force field. Spock notes that the Melkotians will not allow them to leave. Recognizing that they must fight, Kirk asks if they can find some way to stop the Earps using materials at hand in this recreation of Tombstone. McCoy and Spock cooperate to build a tranquilizer gas grenade which will incapacitate the Earps. McCoy encounters the town dentist, "Doc" Holliday, while acquiring the chemicals needed for the tranquilizer, asking to borrow a small quantity for a serious emergency. Holliday tells McCoy that his "emergency sure is real," and lets him take the chemical, but warns him to be finished by 5:00pm, because at "one minute past five, you'll find a hole in your head." Meanwhile, Chekov has fallen in love with Sylvia, telling her that he is looking forward eagerly to the dance next week. Sylvia asks if they can turn the dance into a wedding ball, but Chekov says that would not be possible, because he is not someone she could marry. The two share a passionate kiss, but then Morgan Earp appears and knocks Chekov down, and starts to walk Sylvia away. When Chekov gets up and tells Morgan to get his hands off of her, Chekov draws for his gun, then he is shot and killed by Morgan. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty appear as do the Earps. McCoy examines Chekov and tells Kirk that there is nothing he can do. Wyatt tells Kirk to "do it now," and Scotty says that they must do something. Kirk however says that it's not yet time and they are not prepared. Back in the bar, McCoy and Spock work on the gas grenade. McCoy and Scotty give Spock a hard time for not showing any feelings over Chekov's death, as Scotty points out, he and Chekov worked closely together on the Enterprise. Kirk asks the two of them to stop but Spock notes that they forget he is half-human. Spock observes that Chekov as Billy Claiborne died, but in the actual gunfight at the OK Corral, Billy survived. Kirk takes it to mean that the outcome of the conflict does not necessarily correspond with the historical outcome. Kirk finds the sheriff and asks him to stop the fight, but Behan says that no one wants to stop the fight, and that it is a little late for Kirk to decide he "does not have the belly" for it. The sheriff tells Kirk that the people in the town are counting on Kirk to get rid of the Earps for them, and that no one would deny them their revenge for killing Billy. Kirk angrily says they just can't just kill them, but the sheriff says that there will be no questions asked as Kirk puts his hands around his neck. Upon seeing he will get no help from the sheriff, Kirk walks away. With time running out, Scotty volunteers to test McCoy and Spock's gas grenade. Despite McCoy and Spock's careful preparation, it does not work, even when Scotty deeply inhales it. Spock finally realizes that nothing around them is real and that the entire scenario has been taking place in their minds. Kirk vows not to leave the bar until "well after 5 o'clock", but suddenly finds himself and the others teleported to the O.K. Corral where they cannot leave either, as it is surrounded by force fields. The corral is encircled by a force field so that escape is impossible. Spock tries to convince the others that if they recognize that the situation is not real, they will not die and Kirk observes that the "smallest doubt" would be enough to kill them, just as it had killed Chekov. McCoy argues that they don't have that "clockwork ticker" in their heads like Spock, that they can't just turn it off and on at will. Kirk says that they must. Using a mind meld, Spock is able to convince everyone else that the bullets are not real, they are merely "shadows" and "illusions," "spectres without body to be ignored." The Earps arrive and demand that the ersatz Clantons draw, but the landing party refuses. The Earps begin shooting when Kirk reaches for his gun, but the bullets harmlessly pass right through the landing party, hitting the fence behind them. When the Earps deplete their ammunition, Kirk attacks Wyatt Earp and knocks him to the ground. Kirk draws his gun, and is about to shoot him, but upon seeing the abject terror in Wyatt's eyes, he releases him. Suddenly, the landing party finds themselves back on the bridge of the Enterprise. Chekov is alive and well, sitting at his station, and wonders "where have I been?" Kirk suggests they have been on the bridge the whole time, and that Chekov survived because the only thing that was real to him was the girl. The Melkotian buoy, once again directly in front of them, begins to emit M-rays beyond measurable levels, and then explodes. A Melkotian appears on the main viewer screen, noting that Kirk did not kill. Kirk explains that they fight only when there is no choice, and prefer peaceful contact. The Melkotians extend an invitation to establish relations with the Federation, and asks Kirk to send a delegation to the planet. Spock then asks Kirk a "personal" question: did he actually want to kill the Earps? Kirk agrees that is exactly how it was that afternoon, and how it was in 1881. Spock wonders how humanity managed to survive. Kirk says that Humans overcame their instinct for violence, receiving a doubting look from Spock as he moves back to his console. The Enterprise then begins its orbit of Melkot. 
<EOS>
Disgruntled by the cloak-and-dagger orders cut by a desk-bound Starfleet bureaucrat, Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Scotty prepare to welcome the Elasian members of the mission. Kirk still doesn't know the details of the task he is about to perform. The secrecy is apparently called for because the Tellun system is in the vicinity of the Federation-Klingon border. Scientists who first reported on Elas called the men "vicious and arrogant," the women "very special, with a subtle, mystical power that drives men wild." Petri, the somewhat fussy, Troyian ambassador, says the next step is to pick up the "Dohlman", the person most feared and hated by Troyians. The Dohlman is a small woman, Elaan, the ruler of Elas, who commands absolute obedience. She is accompanied by a group of huge, powerful men, who wear body armor and carry nuclear hand weapons. Petri now explains to Kirk that the Dohlman is to be given away in an arranged marriage to the ruler of Troyius. The two worlds now possess the capability of mutual destruction and it is hoped that the marriage will symbolically unite the worlds and bring peace. His own job is to teach her more refined, "civilized" manners -- so the Enterprise must proceed back to Troyius at the slowest speed possible. Almost immediately, Kirk is summoned to Elaan's quarters by the news that she is dissatisfied with them. Kirk arrives to find Elaan throwing a fit. Petri is there, trying to placate her with wedding gifts: a pair of embroidered slippers, a shimmering blue gown and an antique folk-art necklace he calls "the most prized of royal jewels -- for your lovely neck!" His reluctance is very obvious despite his veneer. She wants nothing of Troyius or what she considers its soft, servile customs, but Kirk tells her she'll have to put up with them if she is to fulfill her obligations. Asking Kirk if he is responding to her many complaints about Uhura's quarters, the captain suggests that she will have to get comfortable here. When told this, Elaan prepares to throw a pillow around and Kirk responds, "There are no more available, but if that's the only way you can get gratification, I'll arrange to have the whole room filled from floor to ceiling with breakable objects." In a corridor outside Elaan's quarters, Petri insists to Kirk that he hates the Elasians and cannot complete his task, for Elaan is impossibly arrogant and violent. Troyian males had been described in these terms earlier, and we also hear Elaan denounce "female trappings" as offensive, saying she is not a "soft fawn to need pillows to sit on." Petri still insists that there cannot be peace between Elasians and Troyians, since when he is around them, he wants to kill them. In response to Petri insisting that Elaan will not listen to him, Kirk suggests that he stop being so diplomatic and instead deal with her in a strong, straightforward manner. Spock reports what looks like a sensor "ghost," but can't be, since all his equipment at his station is working perfectly, so it must instead be a spaceship. Kirk suggests that it may be a hydrogen cloud reflection, but Spock notes that the Enterprise is not near any in the area. Again, Kirk is summoned away from the bridge, this time to engineering where Elaan and her personal guard are looking around and fiddling with the controls. She expresses disdain for the crew trying to give her a tour and explanation of engineering, wanting only to know how the ship is used in combat. Scott is quick to point out that the engines are considered crucial in combat. Kirk tells her she should be more courteous but she says courtesy is not for inferiors. No sooner have Kirk, Spock, and Sulu determined that the "ghost" is in fact a Klingon warship, than Kirk is summoned again to Elaan's room. He finds Petri lying in a pool of blood with a dagger embedded in his back. Petri will recover, but he renounces his mission and wants absolutely nothing further to do with Kirk. On top of everything else, the Federation High Commissioner is on his way to Troyius for the wedding. Asked by Nurse Chapel why any man would want an Elasian bride if they act like this, Petri explains that it is biochemical: any man whose skin is touched by the tears of an Elasian woman immediately falls in love with her -- forever. Kirk explains the mission to Elaan in terms of military discipline, while she sits there eating like a barbarian and drinking right from the bottle of Saurian brandy, with no table manners whatsoever. She reiterates that she despises Troyians and will not go through with the wedding. Kirk states that he'll teach her basic etiquette himself. Meanwhile, Kryton sneaks into engineering and performs acts of sabotage on the dilithium crystals. Watson, an engineer, catches him in the act and Kryton kills him by snapping his neck. When Kirk tries to visit Elaan again, he is kept out by her guards, but has had the forethought to bring Spock, who phaser-stuns the guards long enough to let Kirk in. Again, Elaan throws a fit, but Kirk yells right back at her and demands that she accept the orders she's been given as laid out by the Elasian and Troyian councils, letting some of his own irritation with "councils, rulers, and bureaucrats" creep into his lecture. Elaan decides there's one thing she can trust Kirk with; she worries that nobody likes her. As she talks about this, she cries, and Kirk wipes her tears away, not having heard Petri's earlier warning in sickbay. It is not clear whether Elaan has done this on purpose or whether she's genuinely unhappy; perhaps both. In any case, the two soon embrace and make love. Sometime later, Kirk is paged by Uhura, who's found a tight-beam radio transmission to the Klingon vessel coming from within engineering. Kirk orders intruder alert and that security report to engineering on the double. It is discovered to have come from Kryton, the chief of Elaan's guard, using a Klingon communicator, just before he is caught by the engineering officer he promptly murdered. Kirk questions him about his sabotage and his involvement with the Klingons but Kryton will not talk and he states he is conditioned against responding to any physical torture to make him talk. Kirk calls Spock to engineering to perform a Vulcan mind-probe on him. Kryton kills himself by self-vaporization. Scott checks various relays for sabotage. Kirk returns to Elaan, who tells him that Kryton loved her and had acted out of jealousy. Kirk wonders why the Klingons would care about disrupting the wedding, but Elaan is unconcerned and welcomes the interference. She suggests that he use the ship's power to completely obliterate Troyius, and be rewarded by the Elasians but his will and ethics are still too strong for that. This is something she can admire and understand. Judging by Elaan's much gentler behavior, it seems that the bond affects the woman as well as the man; she seems to now genuinely care for and respect Kirk as an equal. After being reluctantly called out of Elaan's quarters by McCoy and Spock, Kirk finds out about Elasian tears and demands that McCoy find an antidote. The Klingon ship prepares to attack. Scott discovers a bomb has been rigged to the engines and set to go off if the ship goes to warp. Kirk manages to bluff their way out of the attack, observed by Elaan who has followed him to the bridge, standing near the turbolift. He asks her to go to sickbay as it is the safest part of the ship, reminding her that he must still take her to Troyius. While in sickbay, she encounters Petri, who again offers the wedding necklace and speaks, sincerely and without frills, of the hope for peace between their worlds. Scott manages to dismantle the bomb, but finds the dilithium crystal converter assembly has been fused, meaning the ship couldn't go to warp anyhow -- or power up the phaser banks. They must have replacement crystals. If they contact Starfleet, they would alert the Klingons of their vulnerability. The Klingon captain calls for their unconditional surrender. Kirk manages some slow but impressive tactical maneuvers as the Klingon ship approaches and fires. Again, Elaan appears on the bridge in her wedding outfit, thinking they are about to die. Spock picks up unusual energy readings and finds they're coming from her necklace, which is strung with uncut dilithium crystals. She explains that the white beads are common stones called radans, and that the necklace is of little value other than its traditional meaning of good fortune. Klingon and Federation interest in this system is now clear, and Elaan gladly donates the necklace for Scotty to reactivate the engines. Her words, "If I can be of any help, of course", proof that she was aware of common courtesy all along. The Klingon captain offers one last chance to surrender as he points out the Enterprise is draining its reserves and shields are buckling. Stalling for time, Kirk requests protection of Elaan as a condition for surrender. The Klingon captain refuses, and reiterates its unconditional surrender demand. Spock and Scott finish the installation of the crystals, while Kirk orders that Ensign Chekov have the photon torpedoes armed and ready. Explaining his strategy to the bridge crew, he prepares a full spread of torpedoes at the Klingons. The crude shape of the crystals cause power fluctuations but the Enterprise manages to power up and restore its shields. Kirk orders warp maneuvers and pivots at warp two. The Klingons fire on the Enterprise, but exposes their aft to her. Seizing the attack of opportunity, Kirk orders photon torpedoes fired, scoring a direct hit to the Klingon's midship. Spock reports significant damage to the Klingon's shields while Chekov says the ship is badly damaged, and is withdrawing at reduced speed. Kirk orders that Sulu resume course to Troyius while Elaan doesn't understand why he won't pursue and finish off the crippled Klingons. Later in the transporter room, as Elaan prepares to beam down for the wedding, she invites Kirk, but he won't come. She presents him with her dagger, saying that on Troyius they don't carry personal weapons. Openly weeping, she mounts the transporter platform and dematerializes. On the bridge, McCoy tells Spock that he has finally found a possible antidote, but Kirk is already apparently back to normal, and Spock says the Enterprise had captured his heart long before the Dohlman did. 
<EOS>
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down into an idyllic location next to a lake on the planet Amerind, reminiscent of the American Pacific Coast. Kirk remarks on the "duplication" of the planet's evolution as compared to Earth, while McCoy notes the beauty of the flora. They come upon an obelisk of an elongated pyramidal shape, covered with unknown alien symbols. Spock notes that the obelisk is "an alien metal of some kind, an alloy resistant to probe." Even the age is beyond the tricorder's ability to date. Spock examines the symbols but can offer no insight into their meaning. He speculates that to build such a monument would require a civilization equal to or beyond the Federation's ability. McCoy brands the planet "an enigma." The trio only has thirty minutes to explore the surface before leaving the planet. They return to the lake and look across at a village which houses an indigenous, Native American-like tribe that is "a mixture of Navajo, Mohican, and Delaware" characteristics, according to Spock. Kirk feels it is similar to discovering a mythic lost society like Atlantis or Shangri-La. McCoy suggests contacting the natives to warn them, but is discouraged by Spock. An asteroid is on a direct course towards the planet. The thirty minute restriction on exploration was to allow them to return to the ship in time to make the journey to a deflection point. As the time on the planet draws to a close, they return to the obelisk. On the way, Kirk remarks on the simplicity of life for the natives. McCoy diagnoses him with Tahiti Syndrome. Before the landing party returns to the USS Enterprise, Kirk climbs up onto the platform at the base of the pyramidal obelisk and flips open his communicator. A trap door slides open and drops Kirk into a chamber. He falls down some stairs and begins to pull himself up, accidentally leaning onto a control panel. As he regains his footing, energy tendrils strike out from the panel, immobilizing him and finally leaving him slumped across the controls. Spock and McCoy attempt to scan the interior of the obelisk but have no success. They are unable to discover how to open the trap door. McCoy berates Spock for suggesting abandoning the search for the time being. Spock explains the danger of delay in reaching the deflection point. If they fail to get to the deflection point in time, it would become impossible to divert the asteroid, and everyone on the planet including Kirk would be killed. The two return to the Enterprise. Kirk regains consciousness and attempts to remember where he is or how he got into the chamber. He staggers about, looking over his phaser and communicator, disoriented, admonishing himself to "try to remember". He ascends the stairs and the trap door opens to let him out. As he looks around, two of the natives arrive at the obelisk carrying baskets of fruit and bread. Presumably they are delivering them as sacrifices to the obelisk or to what they believe lives within. At the sight of Kirk emerging from the obelisk, both kneel and cover their faces with their hands. One, the priestess, rises and climbs up on the platform with Kirk, saying "we are your people, we've been waiting for you to come to us." Back on the Enterprise, Montgomery Scott warns from engineering that the ship is being pushed too hard. Spock urges Scotty to keep the engines at warp nine in order to reach the deflection point in time. Scott warns that "[they are] moving further into the danger range all the time." On the planet, Kirk is brought before the tribe's elder, Goro and medicine man Salish. Kirk still remembers nothing of the asteroid danger or of his own history. The medicine man, Salish, insists that he prove himself. The elder explains to Kirk that their legends prophesy that one will come "who can rouse the temple spirit and make the sky grow quiet". Kirk does not know whether this describes him or not. As they are speaking, a young boy who had been caught in fish nets and had drowned was brought in. Salish examines him and states that "there is no sound in the boy, there is no life in the eyes, he will move no more."  As he moves off, defeated, Kirk moves in and tries CPR on the boy. Within a few moments, the boy is breathing again. While Kirk insists that it's simply a very old technique that "goes way back" although he can't remember more about it, the elders acclaim Kirk, saying that only a god can give breath to the dead. Salish's medicine badge is taken from his forehead by the priestess, Miramanee, and placed on Kirk. All bow to Kirk, covering their faces. As Salish rises, his face twists in shame and anger. The Enterprise has reached the deflection point, and Sulu prepares to target the asteroid. Spock asks Scotty for full power to the deflectors. Scotty provides it, worrying that the circuits will blow under the strain after such a stressful journey to the deflection point. Spock orders Scotty to bypass the relays. As they activate the deflectors, the power flickers. Scotty reports that the dilithium crystal circuits are failing and must be replaced but Spock has him hold off on doing so for the moment. The deflectors start to move the asteroid, but the power drops and the asteroid has only moved 0.0013 degrees. Spock moves the ship into the path of the asteroid. They will retreat in front of it until the power is strong enough to destroy the asteroid. McCoy worries that the power might not be enough and that they will be crippled in the way of their own destruction. Spock reminds him that they will still have impulse engines and will be able to get out of the way. McCoy counters with "Jim won't be able to get out of the way." For Spock, this is a calculated risk that must be taken. Miramanee and Salish meet by the lake. Salish reminds Miramanee that she should be working on their ritual cloak. Miramanee tells him there will no longer be a ritual as the priestess and medicine man always marry and he is no longer the medicine man. Miramanee attempts to reassure Salish that any other woman in the village would be honored to have him, but Salish bitterly tells her that he will have no other. They part tearfully. Kirk works in one of the shelters and Miramanee brings him clothing to replace his Starfleet uniform. He asks her about the gods of the obelisk, known to them as the temple. She is surprised as she believes he knows everything. He convinces her to tell what she knows. Miramanee tells him that the gods brought them there long ago and appointed a medicine man to keep the secret of the temple and to use it "when the sky darkens". The secret is passed from one medicine man to another. Salish's father, who was medicine man before him, died before he could pass on the secret. The elder joins them and asks Kirk his name so they may honor him. Kirk manages to remember "Ki, Ku.". With that, Goro, the elder guesses his name to be "Kirok."  The elder knows that Kirk is displeased about something. Kirk assures him that he is happy and has never felt so peaceful before. He only doubts his ability to help them. Miramanee touches him tenderly and tells him that "here there is much time". Under Spock's instruction, Ensign Chekov scans for the asteroid's weakest point from the science station. After determining it is almost dead center, Spock instructs Sulu to lock all phasers there to split the asteroid. The engine room scrambles to keep up with the phaser bombardment. However, this effects no damage to the asteroid. Miramanee wakes Kirk and tells him their ritual cloak is finished. Kirk doesn't understand until she explains the traditional joining between the priestess and medicine man. She takes his confusion as a sign that there is another. Kirk reassures her that "there is no one else in my mind or in my heart." He tells her to name the joining day. Miramanee chooses the very next day. Scotty reports to Spock that the Enterprise's warp drive is non-functional and can only be repaired at a starbase. McCoy orders Spock to rest. Spock ignores him and signals Chekov to place them on course back to the planet. They will continue under impulse drive the 59.223 days back to the planet, trailed by the asteroid with only a four-hour gap. McCoy is disturbed by Spock's lack of attention to his rant. He notices that Spock is intently studying the tricorder images of the obelisk. Spock tells him that it is "another calculated Vulcan risk." Miramanee dresses for the joining in her lodging while the elder paints Kirk's face on the platform of the obelisk. He tells Kirk that he will return to the village first to tell the priestess that Kirk will follow. Kirk walks back to the village feeling content and lucky. Salish jumps out and threatens Kirk. He pulls a knife and cuts Kirk's palm in their struggle. Salish is shocked and elated that Kirk cannot be a god as one would not bleed. They fight and Kirk disables Salish. Salish tells him to kill him, saying, "I will not rest until I prove to my people that you are no god." Kirk leaves him and continues back to the village. Kirk dons the ritual cloak and Miramanee joins him under it to complete the ceremony. Spock continues to try to decipher the symbols. He has gone without much rest or food for 58 days. McCoy diagnoses him with exhaustion. He reminds Spock that he made a command decision and it isn't his fault that the asteroid wasn't deflected. He also tells him Kirk probably would have undertaken the same course of action. Spock goes and lies down but returns to his work as soon as McCoy leaves. A shirtless Kirk and Miramanee frolic together in the woods near the lake, kissing and laughing together. Kirk tells her that he is "so happy". Unfortunately, he is plagued by bad dreams. He dreams vaguely of the Enterprise and her crew. Miramanee tries to take his mind off "the strange lodge which moves through the sky" by showing him a gift. She brings out a swaddling board and tells him that she bears his child. Kirk is delighted. Back in camp, Kirk shows Miramanee how he plans to set up an irrigation system to double the food production. She praises him for his invention of the lamp and his knowledge of food preservation, that will protect the people in time of famine. As they talk, a storm brews outside. Miramanee is frightened but is comforted by Kirk's presence. She looks outside and tells him that he must go to the temple "and make the blue flame come out". Kirk is confronted by the fact that he does not know how to get into the temple or how to stop the storm. Salish and the elder arrive and urge him to go to the temple. Kirk suggests going to the caves, but Salish berates him. The elder demands that he "rouse the temple spirit". Kirk begrudgingly goes off to the obelisk and asks them to take care of Miramanee. Kirk stands in front of the obelisk and pushes and beats at the exterior to no avail. He begins calling out to the obelisk but the only apparent response is stronger winds and Salish smiling at Kirk's failure. McCoy returns to Spock's quarters and sees that he is still working at his computer, trying to decode the language of the temple. Spock tells McCoy that the symbols are not words, but music. Spock has been working them out on his Vulcan harp. He has discovered that the people who made the obelisks are called The Preservers. They moved humanoid species in danger of extinction, placing them around throughout the galaxy in hospitable areas in order to save them. For McCoy, this answers the question of why there are so many similar humanoid species scattered throughout the galaxy. They speculate that the obelisk is an asteroid deflector. Kirk's inability to make the obelisk work was noted by Salish who has brought the villagers to the temple to kill Kirk by stoning him. Miramanee tries to stop them, but Salish stops her. They struggle and he tells her to "go, go die with your false god." Kirk and Miramanee are both stoned by the villagers, and Miramanee receives a hard blow to her abdomen. As this happens, Spock and McCoy beam down and this frightens off the villagers. Both Kirk and Miramanee have been knocked unconscious by the stones. They revive Kirk, but he does not remember Spock or McCoy. He calls out for his wife but, unlike him, she has not recovered as quickly. Spock speaks with her and figures out some of the missing pieces. Nurse Chapel joins the team with an emergency surgical kit and she and McCoy tend to Kirk. Sulu calls to report the time to impact. Discovering they are dangerously short on time, Spock performs a Vulcan mind fusion on Kirk to restore his memory. Spock breaks the meld, and McCoy asks what is wrong. Spock replies "His mind, he is, an extremely dynamic individual." Kirk rises and says, "It worked." Once again himself, Kirk looks to his wife. Spock interrupts and asks him about the interior of the obelisk. Kirk says that it is filled with equipment, and Spock explains that it is a deflector device. Kirk and Spock work to try to re-enter the interior. Kirk re-opens his communicator and the trap door opens. Kirk kisses Miramanee and asks McCoy to help her. Spock and Kirk go down into the monument and try to discover how to work the controls. Spock manipulates what he believes to be the correct controls and a blue beams emits from the obelisk and successfully pushes off the asteroid away from Amerind. Kirk goes to the shelter where McCoy has laid Miramanee. He asks about her condition and McCoy tells him that her internal injuries are fatal. After McCoy leaves the two of them alone together, Kirk tells Miramanee that the planet has been saved. Miramanee does not realize she is dying or Kirk's real identity and speaks hopefully to Kirk about how she will give him a happy life with many children, when she is recovered. Kirk holds her and confirms his love for her, kissing her just before she dies. 
<EOS>
Captain Kirk has been behaving irrationally of late, as noted in McCoy's medical log. Kirk then inexplicably orders helmsman Sulu to take the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone and into Romulan space, where it is quickly surrounded by the Romulans -- who are now using Klingon-style vessels. Kirk instructs Lieutenant Uhura to contact Starfleet Command and transmit all log entries. Sub-Commander Tal demands the immediate surrender of the Enterprise. Kirk says he will blow up the Enterprise if any Romulans attempt to take it. Tal tells Kirk that no one should have to choose quickly to die, and gives Kirk one hour to surrender the ship. If he does not, he and his crew's deaths are certain. In an exchange of hostages, Kirk and Spock transport aboard the Romulan vessel, where they meet Tal's superior, a female commander. Kirk is accused of invading Romulan space in an attempt to steal a newly developed cloaking device for study by the Federation. The commander points out that there are no methods to coerce a Vulcan to speak, but threatens to torture Kirk until he confesses his crime -- or dies. Spock, however, testifies that Kirk was not under Starfleet orders; he is mentally unstable and has ordered the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone for his own glorification. An enraged Kirk is taken to a holding cell. The Romulan commander broadcasts a message to the Enterprise informing them of what has transpired. She orders the crew to have the Enterprise follow her to Romulus, where the crew will be processed and then released back to the Federation. Chief engineer Montgomery Scott retorts that he takes no orders except those of Captain James T. Kirk, causing the slightest of smiles to flicker across Kirk's face. Thereafter the Romulan commander attempts to persuade Spock to side with his Romulan "cousins," take command of the Enterprise and accompany the commander back to Romulus. She wonders why an officer of his abilities was never given the opportunity to command, despite his 18 years of service to Starfleet. She says that Spock must have his own ship but he points out that it is she that needs a ship: the Enterprise. She admits that bringing the Enterprise to Romulus would be considered a great accomplishment. In the process, she attempts to woo him, which he finds moving to his Human -- and emotional -- side. Spock attempts to walk down the forbidden corridor, but respects the commander's wish that only loyal Romulans walk down it. Meanwhile, Kirk injures himself when he is transferred to a holding cell aboard the Romulan ship. McCoy beams aboard to examine him. McCoy reports to the commander that he is mentally incapacitated, which seems to corroborate Spock's testimony. She proclaims Spock to be the commander of the Enterprise. This leads to an altercation between Spock and Kirk, in which Spock uses the Vulcan death grip on him. McCoy pronounces Kirk dead. Kirk is brought back aboard the Enterprise and is revived by McCoy; the "death grip" is revealed to be a simple nerve block. Another truth is learned: Kirk and Spock are working under Federation orders to steal the cloaking device. Kirk asks McCoy to surgically alter him to appear Romulan. Nurse Chapel and Scotty are brought into the conspiracy. Meanwhile, the Romulan commander brings Spock to dinner. He notes that the food is much better on board than it is on the Enterprise, being a powerful inducement. They drink a blue beverage, followed by an orange colored beverage. She continues her promise that a place can be found for Spock in the Romulan Star Empire. She promises him that Romulan women, unlike Vulcan women, are not dedicated to pure logic and the sterility of non-emotion. She demands a token of his love: he must lead some Romulans on board the Enterprise and bring the ship to Romulus. He agrees, but asks that they wait an hour in her chamber before proceeding. She whispers her first name in his ear. Spock finds it a name incongruous with a Romulan soldier. The Romulan commander tells Spock that she will now "transform into a woman," and goes off to change out of her uniform. Wearing the uniform from one of the Romulan prisoners, Kirk transports aboard the Romulan battle cruiser. While the Romulan commander is changing, Spock contacts Kirk with his communicator and speaks low. Spock reveals the location of the cloaking device. Their transmission is detected on the Romulan bridge and Sub-Commander Tal is alerted. While Spock and the commander proceed with their intimate time together, Kirk makes his way to the forbidden corridor. Sub-Commander Tal interrupts the commander and Spock, saying through the door that the matter is urgent. The commander reluctantly allows him to enter, where he informs her of the source of the alien transmission: right there, in the commander's chamber. Spock is discovered. All proceed urgently to the cloaking device. Kirk removes the cloaking device from its control panel and has Scotty beam him with it back to the Enterprise. Upon returning, Scott takes the device and installs it into the deflector shield from engineering. Back on board the Romulan ship, the commander confronts Spock; she wonders who he is that he has done this. Spock replies, "First officer of the Enterprise." She slaps him across the face upon learning of his betrayal of her. Spock asks what the Romulan's present form of execution is. Kirk returns to the bridge with Romulan physiology; however he appears, the crew is happy to see him. He quips that the reports of his death were premature. He orders Sulu to plot a course back home and for Chekov to man the sensors to locate Spock. The commander learns of Spock's complicity in the scheme and prepares to have him executed. He asks for twenty minutes to exercise the Romulan Right of Statement. He begins that he is guilty of the charge of sabotage -- but he had carried out his duty due to the fact that the Romulan cloaking device poses a threat to the Federation. Chekov locates Spock by using the sensors to isolate the Vulcan life signs and establishes a transporter lock as Scotty finishes connecting the cloaking device. While making his final statement, Spock is beamed back aboard the Enterprise -- with the commander holding onto him. Brought to the bridge, the commander orders Tal to destroy the Enterprise, leaving Kirk to prepare to fight in case Scott is unable to activate the cloaking device. Scott succeeds, however, and Enterprise escapes with the Romulan commander. While escorting her to her quarters on Deck 2, Spock tells the commander that he regrets that she was unwittingly brought aboard the Enterprise. He confesses that his only interest was the cloaking device when he came on board her ship, but now he tells her that his interest wasn't all pretend. She tells him the Romulans will soon develop a way to penetrate the cloaking field technology Starfleet now possesses. "Military secrets are the most fleeting of all," he says. "I hope you and I have exchanged something more permanent." The commander and Spock agree that what has passed between them will be their secret. Returning to the bridge, Spock takes command from Kirk, who leaves for sickbay to get his Human appearance restored by Dr. McCoy. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise responds to a distress call from the Starnes Expedition at the Federation outpost on the planet Triacus. But a landing party consisting of Captain Kirk, Spock and McCoy find a scattering of dead bodies. Just then, a group of children emerge from a cave and begin playing, singing "Ring Around the Rosie" near their parent's lifeless bodies. A log replayed from a tricorder supports McCoy's opinion that the event is a mass suicide. The log mentions an "enemy from within." The scientists' children, however, are unharmed -- and oblivious to the death, unmoved even as the landing party buries their parents. They continue to play as though nothing happened. McCoy theorizes that this could be a psychological defense against trauma and warns Kirk against questioning them further. Captain Kirk and Spock believe the colony has been attacked, with the children deliberately excluded from the attack for an unknown reason. A strange tricorder reading leads Kirk and Spock into a nearby cave, where Kirk is struck by sudden anxiety, which subsides when he leaves the cave. Kirk has the children beamed aboard the Enterprise, where Nurse Chapel serves them ice cream from the food synthesizer in the ship's arboretum. But McCoy can find no physical anomaly in the children, and Kirk cannot get them to discuss what happened to their parents. When the children are left alone, they chant to summon a friendly angel and he appears, congratulating them for getting rid of the adults on Triacus and telling them that they must take control of the Enterprise and travel to Marcos XII. The children, with Gorgan's help, can exercise psychological control over adults. Scott sees in the auxiliary control room that his engineers have taken the Enterprise out of orbit, but they subdue him. By pumping their fists, the children exert mind control over Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and other crewmen to do their bidding. For example, at first Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura believe that they can see Triacus on the viewscreen even though the Enterprise is no longer orbiting the planet. Kirk and Spock do not realize the starship is en route to Marcos XII until Kirk orders two additional security guards down to Triacus, who are instead beamed out into space. Kirk and Spock enter the bridge as the children summon Gorgan, revealing him to Kirk for the first time. Gorgan does not address Kirk but merely warns the children that their "operation" has been discovered. Kirk makes the crew realize that they have left Triacus and the children plant new fears in them: Sulu sees rings of swords that will destroy the Enterprise if he even slightly changes course and Uhura sees not her console but herself as a disfigured, diseased, dying old woman. The children briefly take over Spock's mind and unleash Kirk's greatest fear, losing command of his ship, as every command he issues to Leslie is either disobeyed or heard as gibberish. Spock frees himself of the children's mind control and gets Kirk off the bridge to help him overcome his fear in a turbolift. They try to take control of the ship through the Auxiliary Control Center but Scott and the control center crew are now under the children's influence; he and his engineers force them out. Outside auxiliary control in a corridor, Spock tells Kirk that so long as the children are present on the Enterprise, there is danger. Kirk doubts this, given that they are only children, but Spock also says that they are followers and without followers, evil cannot exist. He also says that if the evil inside the children is growing and if they cannot find a way to stop it, they will have to kill them, Kirk finishes for him. Just then, Chekov, Freeman, and another security officer corner Kirk and Spock, telling them that Starfleet has ordered their arrest. When Kirk resists, Chekov threatens to shoot him with his phaser. Kirk again tries to reason with Chekov but under the influence of Tommy, Chekov tells his captain Starfleet Command supersedes his orders. Kirk and Spock defeat the delusional security team by fighting and with Vulcan nerve pinches. Kirk has Spock escort Chekov, Freeman, and the security guard to the detention area and goes to the bridge. Upon arriving, Kirk finds Tommy sitting in his chair and forces him out of it to stand next to Mary. Kirk, together with Spock, summon Gorgan to the bridge by replaying a recording of the children's chant on a microtape and then challenge him. They show the children footage of themselves on Triacus, playing with their parents, followed by images of the parents lying dead, then by the headstones marking their graves. The children suddenly realize what they have done and begin to cry. McCoy is pleased that the children are finally showing authentic grief. Without the children's support, Gorgan morphs into a grotesque being with a face of drooping flesh as he disappears, shouting "Death to you all!" As the ship nears Marcos XII, Kirk orders Sulu make a course change to Starbase 4. 
<EOS>
The crew of the USS Enterprise encounters an ion drive vessel, something Scotty finds particularly interesting. Soon though, a strange woman from that ship transports herself onto the bridge and renders everyone on the Enterprise unconscious. She slips deliberately among the crew until she finds Spock. Mysteriously, she presses her hand against the first officer's head. When the crew awakens, they find that Spock is missing from the bridge. Dr. McCoy urgently calls Captain Kirk down to sickbay, where he finds Spock on a biobed. McCoy struggles to explain that, somehow, Spock's brain has been surgically removed, leaving the body alive but on full life support. Kirk proposes to find Spock's brain, but McCoy warns that the unique properties of Vulcan physiology give them only 24 hours to reintegrate it into the science officer's body. The Enterprise uses the bulk of those hours following an ion trail to the Sigma Draconis system. Ensign Chekov places a schematic of the system on the viewscreen, pointing out that there are three class M planets. With only eight hours remaining to save Spock, Kirk has time to visit only one of the planets before Spock's body expires, so he holds an informal staff meeting on the bridge with Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura to arrive at a decision. None of them seems capable of supporting interstellar flight, but Uhura finds large, regular energy pulsations on the otherwise glaciated and pre-industrial Sigma Draconis VI. The unlikely world thus becomes Kirk's best hunch. If he is wrong, Spock will die. Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, and two security officers beam down to the frigid surface. There, they detect five large, primitive male humanoids. Following an ambush, Kirk subdues one of the humanoids with his phaser. The humanoid, a Morg, is confused because Kirk and Scott do not seem like "the Others", whom he describes as being the givers "pain and delight." Kirk is puzzled because the Morg does not understand what it means to have a mate nor does he seem to understand exactly what a female is. Chekov finds evidence of an underground city with his tricorder. Scott finds food and weapons stored in a cave, but Kirk discovers a sensor and surmises that the cave is a trap the Eymorg use to capture the male natives. McCoy beams down with Spock, whom he has fitted with a remote-controlled device to substitute for his brain. They allow themselves to be captured. Chekov and the Enterprise security officers remain above ground; Chekov uses his phaser to heat a rock to help them stay warm, since Kirk and company may be a while. In the underground city, they encounter Luma, one of "the Others" -- a race of beautiful females, the Eymorg, who live in comfort below the surface of the planet, but have the minds of children. Captain Kirk finds that he is able to establish contact with Spock's brain by using his communicator. Spock reports that he is well but that he does not know where he is. They find the woman they saw on board the Enterprise immediately before Spock's brain was removed, who renders them unconscious by pressing a button on a device located on her wrist. They are taken prisoner. When the landing party comes to, they find that they have been outfitted with silver belts that have large, round green devices at the abdomen. Kirk demands to know what has happened to Spock's brain, but the Eymorg do not understand what a brain is or what is the Enterprise. Finally they understand that the "Controller" the Eymorg speak of is Spock. It seems that these women have somehow connected Spock's brain into their computer and that his brain is responsible for running their expansive underground dwelling because they, as a race, have long forgotten how to take care of themselves. Having been left alone, McCoy, Scott, and Kirk incapacitate the guards. Kirk speaks to Spock using the communicator. They inform him that his brain has been removed and it is being used as some sort of controller. Spock reports that he has a body that stretches into infinity and his medulla oblongata seems to be breathing, pumping blood, and maintaining temperature. Spock suggests that the project to restore his brain might be impractical; he would trust McCoy to remove a splinter or lance a boil, but the knowledge to replace his brain does not exist in the universe. Kirk, however, insists that if the knowledge exists to remove his brain, there must be knowledge to put it back. He instructs Spock to send out a signal so that they may find where he is being kept. Spock complies. As they make their way to the chamber, Kirk asks about the belts. Spock accesses the information: one must press a red button on a bracelet in order to release the belt. They enter the chamber where Spock's brain is kept, but an Eymorg is in the chamber and activates the pain belt. Kirk uses the remote control device to use Spock's body to grab Kara's bracelet and press the red button, releasing the belts. With the crew freed, Kara pleads that Spock's brain must remain connected or their civilization will die. Kirk tells Spock that he is in a black box connected by light rays to a control panel. He wonders if the sensations he is feeling means that Spock is recirculating air, running heating plants, and purifying water. Kirk asks Kara how she was able to remove Spock's brain by placing on her head a device known as the "teacher". They place it over her head, and she suddenly speaks with erudition. She admits that she does have the knowledge, but she also now knows to use a phaser, which she points at Kirk. It is set to kill. Kara and Kirk debate over the proper disposition of Spock's brain. Scott pretends to faint and distracts Kara; they obtain the phaser from her. She says that the teacher will provide knowledge for three hours, which McCoy says would be just long enough to effect the transplant, but she refuses to perform the operation. McCoy points out that he has medical knowledge and should be able to use what he already knows and retain the knowledge. McCoy places the teacher on his head and receives the knowledge; when he recovers, he says "Of course; of course. A child could do it. A child could do it." McCoy begins quickly restoring Spock's brain, using the same knowledge originally used to remove it. However, after a time, McCoy begins losing the knowledge he has gained. He exclaims in despair, "I am trying to thread a needle with a sledgehammer!" Drawing on his own skills with only a few minutes left, he connects Spock's speech center, allowing Spock to speak. Spock then assists McCoy in completing the reconnection of his brain. "I'll never live this down," McCoy says, "this Vulcan is telling me how to operate." Upon his restoration, Spock makes a speech that explains the history of this retrograde civilization and the split of the sexes. McCoy then laments, "I should have never reconnected his mouth."  "Well, we took the risk, doctor," Kirk jokes. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is assigned to transport the Medusan ambassador Kollos back to his homeworld. Brilliant navigators with unique mental abilities, the Medusans are so different physically that any Humans go insane at just the mere sight of them. Vulcans, however, can safely view them by wearing a protective visor. The ambassador beams aboard along with Dr. Miranda Jones and Larry Marvick, one of the designers of the Enterprise's engines. Kirk clears the way on the Enterprise for Spock and Jones to escort the ambassador to his quarters. Jones says she is a telepath tasked with performing a Vulcan mind meld with the ambassador, which has never been done before. Spock was initially asked for the assignment, but he turned it down. Jones becomes suspicious of this. At dinner in full dress, Dr. Jones tells Captain Kirk, Scott in a kilt, McCoy and Marvick that she studied on Vulcan for four years to learn how to temper her telepathic abilities, shutting out the thoughts of others, and not go mad. Her goal for the mind link is a preliminary step toward Medusans becoming navigators on starships. Marvick's part will be to adapt the instrumentation to meet the needs of those navigators. At the dinner, Dr. Jones points out that Spock is wearing an IDIC, but he reassures her that he wears it to honor her and not to suggest that he could more easily use the Vulcan mind meld to communicate with the Medusans. McCoy wonders aloud why someone would risk going mad by attempting this research. Spock chides McCoy for subscribing to the "outmoded notion promulgated by your ancient Greeks that what is good must also be beautiful." Kirk concedes that one of the last prejudices faced by Humans is to be attracted to what is beautiful, and makes a toast to Jones, "the most beautiful woman to grace a starship." Jones retorts by wondering why McCoy would look on disease and suffering for the rest of his life, and he then gives a toast "to whatever she wants the most." Before they take another drink, Jones receives the disturbing sensation that someone nearby is thinking of murder. The feeling passes but she quickly excuses herself. It turns out that Marvick loves Jones. He comes to her quarters and pleads with her not to go with Kollos, but she rejects him. She then realizes that it's Marvick who wants to commit murder, and she urges him to seek help, but he leaves. Marvick tries to kill Kollos with a hand phaser, but looks upon him during the attempt. He goes mad and runs out of Kollos' room down a corridor in a frenzy. An insane Marvick heads to engineering, knocking out Hadley on the way. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, accompanied by Lemli and Leslie, go to the ambassador's quarters where they find Dr. Jones. She informs them that no harm has come to Kollos, although Larry Marvick tried to kill him. Jones confirms that Marvick did see Kollos, at which Spock notes that dangerous insanity will soon result in him. In engineering, Scotty, thinking Marvick has taken him up on his previous bet that he wouldn't be able to handle the controls he helped design, hands over the console to Marvick. As he does, Kirk makes a shipwide announcement that Marvick has just attempted to murder Kollos, that he is insane and extremely dangerous. Scotty tries to wrestle Marvick away from the controls, but Marvick attacks him and his staff and speeds the Enterprise past warp factor 9.5 which propels them through the Galactic barrier and into an uncharted void far outside the Milky Way Galaxy. Spock and Chekov try to disengage the engines from the bridge's engineering station, but have no luck. Upon hearing Marvick's ranting in engineering, Kirk, McCoy, and a security team, along with Dr. Jones, rush to the engine room to stop Marvick. Still ranting and raving, Marvick tries to grab Jones by the throat and screams at everyone to not love her, as she will kill them if anyone loves her. He then utters that he loves her, and suddenly dies of sheer terror. The Enterprise is now stranded in an uncharted void with no known points of reference by which to return to normal space. Spock says that in going beyond warp 9.5, the Enterprise entered a space-time continuum and left the galaxy. Kirk wonders whether Kollos with his superior navigational abilities inherent to Medusans can get the ship home; however, in order for the attempt to take place Spock must mind meld with Kollos so that he can provide the navigational skill while Spock physically pilots the ship. Spock notes Jones will certainly not allow it, and cannot be confined to quarters due to her abilities. Kirk decides to occupy her in an arboretum by asking her about her future. She eventually understands what is happening, and rushes to Kollos' quarters. Spock, already there, says he must be the one since he can pilot a starship. Furthermore, Dr. McCoy has surmised her secret and reveals that she is blind. Jones admits that she hides her blindness because she hates the pity of others, and has been using a sensor web worn over her clothes to feign sight. Jones argues that her sensor web gives her more detailed information than Human vision. Nonetheless, Kirk insists that she communicate with Kollos to understand that it is necessary for Spock to meld with Kollos. Kollos is brought to the bridge, and Spock initiates the mind meld near his station with a protective shield covering Kollos. Kollos speaks through Spock, recognizing Kirk as an "old friend," McCoy, and Uhura. Kollos/Spock succeeds in returning the Enterprise to normal space by taking the helm from Sulu. Before returning, Kollos notes "how compact these bodies are" and how "remarkable" language is, but that humans are "so alone, you live out your lives in this shell of flesh, terribly lonely." However, when the time comes to break the link, Kollos/Spock forgets the visor and looks upon Kollos in its native form. Spock arises from behind the shield stunned, and begins attacking crewmembers, until Kirk has to stun him with a phaser in which he may die as a result. Spock is taken to sickbay, where Jones, with her Vulcan training, may be able to repair Spock's damaged mind. Against McCoy's advice, Kirk enters sickbay to convince her to help. She argues that she cannot help Spock, because his "mind has gone down too much". Kirk confronts her with her jealousy of Spock's ability and accuses her of not wanting Spock to recover, telling her that the true "ugliness is within you." Jones refuses to acknowledge the truth of her jealousy, telling Kirk to go away. Kirk leaves and tells McCoy that he may have made a mistake in going in to confront her and if Jones lets Spock die, that it was because she could not stand to hear the truth. Jones ultimately decides to help Spock, and successfully melds with and heals him. As a result, Jones gains her desired ability to link with Kollos to the same level that Spock can. In the transporter room, Jones meets Kirk and tells him that his words enabled her to see; Kirk gives her a rose. Jones tells Spock that she understands the great joy Spock felt upon linking with Kollos, and Spock is pleased that she understands. They wish each other peace and long life before Jones beams over to the Medusan ship. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is ordered to evacuate a research station on the planet Minara II whose sun, Minara, is about to go nova. Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, and Doctor McCoy beam down to the planet. They find the six-month old research station abandoned, with dust covering the floor and desks, indicating that the station has been uninhabited for some time. Informed by Scott of an imminent solar flare with high levels of cosmic rays, Kirk immediately orders Scott to take the Enterprise out of orbit, reasoning that the landing party will be protected by the planet's atmosphere during the 74.1 solar hours it will take for the flare to subside. Upon consulting a visual tape recording, the landing party discovers that the two researchers, Drs. Ozaba and Linke, had mysteriously disappeared three months earlier amid a flurry of seismic activity and deafening noise. Soon after this discovery the landing party similarly vanishes, while hearing the same noise. Moments later Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find themselves 121.32 meters below the planet's surface, transported by a matter-energy scrambler similar to their transporter technology. After wandering through a cavern, they encounter a humanoid woman reclining on a dimly lit, cross-shaped couch. McCoy wants to go forward because she looks harmless, but Spock reminds him that the sand bats of Manark IV look like inanimate rock crystals until they attack. The woman awakens but does not respond to any of Kirk's questions. McCoy determines that she does not have any vocal cords, not even vestigial, indicating that she comes from a species of mutes. Kirk observes that she is very much like the naturally mute people of the civilization on Gamma Vertis IV. McCoy names her Gem. Two different-looking humanoid aliens suddenly appear to the landing party. Identifying themselves as Vians, Thann and Lal, they make it clear that they know the identities of the landing party. They demand that Kirk not interfere, and when he approaches they stun him with a hand-held control device with a red button on the face. Kirk points out that if the Vians know who they are, they also must know that they come in peace and that their Prime Directive prohibits interference. The Vians momentarily trap the landing party in a force field while they tend to Gem. McCoy tells Kirk not to fight the force field since it interferes with the body's metabolism. The Vians correct McCoy's hypothesis, saying that the field draws its strength from their bodies' energy and the more they resist the stronger the field becomes. They depart and the field vanishes. Kirk has suffered a cut on his forehead and when he touches Gem to see if she is all right, she recoils in pain. Gem composes herself and then touches Kirk's wound. With a flash, the wound is transferred to Gem's forehead. A doubting Kirk touches her wound and notes the blood on his finger. Suddenly, the wound on Gem's forehead quickly heals as well. McCoy, observing, is clearly impressed by her ability to heal and surmises that Gem is an empath. Her emotional system is so sensitive that it feels the pain of another and that pain becomes part of her, before she dissipates it. Spock finds that his tricorder now gives readings of electronically sophisticated devices elsewhere. Heading to the source of the readings, they find a laboratory with the deceased Drs. Linke and Ozaba trapped in clear tubes marked with their names, their bodies twisted in agony. There are also tubes designated for McCoy, Kirk, and Spock. One of the Vians appears and says there is need for more testing. He blames the weakness of Ozaba and Linke's bodies for their deaths. While Kirk talks, Spock sneaks up behind and gives the Vian a Vulcan nerve pinch. As the landing party walks off toward a passage to the surface Spock has located, the Vian arises. Apparently the nerve pinch was less effective than normal. He joins his companion, and they share a look that indicates they are impressed with the crew. At the surface, Kirk tries to contact the Enterprise with his communicator but the ship is out of range. He leads the landing party through a storm back to the abandoned research station, where it appears to them that Scotty, Lemli, and a security officer are waiting for them. Spock and McCoy go ahead with Gem, but Kirk spots the Vians watching them and stops. He moves toward them, but one uses his weapon to make Kirk move in slow motion. He remarks, "Their will to survive is great. They love life greatly to struggle so. The prime ingredient." When Spock, McCoy, and Gem reach the research station, the images of Scotty and the security officers suddenly vanish. Gem brings Spock and McCoy back to where Kirk is confronting the Vians. They announce that they only need one specimen, so Kirk sends the others back to the ship. The Vians transport them away, and then recapture Kirk. The Vians bring Kirk back to the laboratory. Here, where the bodies of Ozaba and Linke are displayed like specimens, the Vians chain a shirtless Kirk by his arms to the ceiling. They tell him they want to witness his courage and will to survive. Kirk asks, "Why? What is it you hope to prove? If my death is to have any meaning, at least tell me what I'm dying for!" Thann says that if Kirk lives, he will have his answer. Using their hand devices, they torture Kirk, as Gem watches helplessly. Spock and McCoy have been transported to the chamber where they originally met Gem. When Kirk and Gem are also transported there, Spock and McCoy are trapped in a force field. With McCoy's encouragement, Gem heals Kirk's wrist wounds. When she finishes, she collapses. The process is physically draining and, apparently, has its limits. The Vians return and indicate that for their next experimental subject Kirk must choose either Spock or McCoy. To make the decision all the more difficult, the Vians indicate that there is a 93% chance that Spock will suffer brain damage and permanent insanity, and an 87% chance that McCoy will die. Spock analyzes the confiscated Vian hand device. McCoy, uncomfortable with the wait, comments that it's not natural for a Human to live underground. Spock points out that some Humans spend the majority of their lives "beneath the surface." McCoy responds, "I'm a doctor, not a coal miner." Spock tells McCoy that he is recording his notes of the hand device in the tricorder in the event that he is taken by the Vians so that McCoy and Kirk can continue his work and escape. McCoy further protests, adding that he's not a mechanic and doubts he would be able to make it functional; Spock assures him that the two of them together will be able to figure it out. Plagued with symptoms resembling the bends, Kirk is caught off-guard by McCoy, who renders Kirk unconscious from behind with a hypospray. Now finding himself in command, Spock declares that he will go with the Vians at the appointed time, but McCoy sneaks behind Spock, who has been momentarily distracted by Gem, and renders him unconscious as well, intending to sacrifice himself for his two friends. All of these noble efforts at self-sacrifice are observed by Gem. Taken to the Vians' laboratory, McCoy undergoes extensive torture. Meanwhile, now awake, Spock has come to understand the Vian hand-held devices. They are control units, not control mechanisms -- they are not a mechanical device at all. They are tuned to the pattern of electrical energy of the person who uses it and are activated simply by mental commands. Being most familiar with his own brain pattern, Spock re-tunes the device to his own pattern. Kirk points out that it is strange that the Vians let them keep the device if they would be able to understand it. They must want Spock and Kirk to escape and to leave McCoy behind. Spock completes the modifications and says he may only be able to effect one transport. He suggests there is enough energy to go back to the Enterprise, but Kirk would prefer to go to McCoy, stating "the best defense is a strong offense -- and I intend to start offending right now." Spock transports Kirk, Gem and himself to the laboratory, where they find McCoy severely injured and on the verge of death. The Vians are nowhere to be found. Kirk suggests that Gem could heal McCoy, but he is not sure if the attempt will kill her. At least, he hopes, she can improve his condition so that McCoy can be healed on the Enterprise. Suddenly the Vians appear and trap Spock and Kirk in a force field; they demand that the Human and Vulcan not interfere and allow Gem to make her own choice without urging or forcing. It is their wish to see if Gem will attempt to help McCoy on her own at the cost of her own life -- the completion of their test. At this time they explain to Kirk, Spock, and the dying McCoy that they have been part of an experiment. They have the power to save only one species from the impending nova, and so they wished to test whether Gem's species is worthy of being saved. Apparently the Vians want to be certain that she has learned the principles of self-sacrifice, the will to survive, the passion to know and the love of life from her contact with the landing party. These qualities, they say, make a civilization worthy to survive. As they speak, Gem has approached McCoy. The Vians are pleased that compassion has entered her "life-system." She moves her hands on McCoy's face, transferring his injuries to her. McCoy awakes, but Gem collapses, sobbing. She tries to help him more, but moves away in fear. Inside the force field, Spock points out that Gem is not the only one who can save McCoy: of course, the Vians must have the power to help. The Vians respond that McCoy's life is not important, but what is important is their experiment. McCoy starts coughing and Gem returns to his side. McCoy asks that Gem not touch him. If she touches him, she will die, and he cannot take life -- even to save his own. Spock realizes that if he and Kirk were to suppress their emotion, they would be able to escape from the force field. Spock escapes first and takes the other control device from the Vians. Kirk demands that the Vians save McCoy but they refuse, demanding that the experiment continue. Offering to give her life, they say, is not sufficient. She must sacrifice her life. Kirk gives the Vians their control devices and reprimands them. They have forgotten what it means to feel the emotions they want Gem to experience. He scorns their lack of love and compassion, saying that they are nothing but intellect. The Vians heal McCoy and, taking Gem with them, teleport from the laboratory, presumably to save Gem's species. The landing party returns safely to the Enterprise, which has returned to orbit after the solar flare has subsided. Back on board, Kirk says he is awed by the element of chance that brought them into contact with Gem. Scotty observes that she must have been like the pearl of great price. McCoy is pleased that, in the end, it was the strength of Human emotion that overcame their captivity by the dispassionate, intellectual Vians. Scotty suggests that the Vulcans be made aware of this and Kirk asks Spock to deliver the message. Spock sarcastically promises to give the thought all the due consideration it deserves. Kirk then orders Sulu to take the Enterprise to warp factor two. 
<EOS>
As the USS Enterprise searches for the USS Defiant, which vanished without a trace in unsurveyed space three weeks earlier, they encounter a glowing object that apparently is not there according to sensors. As the ship moves closer, Kirk identifies it as the Defiant, and prepares to board the ship. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Chekov beam over to the vessel in environmental suits on the Defiant's bridge, and discovers the entire bridge crew dead and the Defiant's commanding officer lying near his chair with another officer's hands on his neck, both dead. When the party sees the ship's captain having been strangled by a crewman and the dead bridge crew, Chekov asks if there is any record of a mutiny on a Federation starship, and Spock says, "Absolutely no record of such an occurrence, Ensign." When they discover there are no life signs on the vessel, the party splits up to investigate. McCoy checks out the sickbay and finds many dead crewmen, some restrained to the biobeds, while Chekov finds that the life support section and engineering are littered with dead bodies. After giving his report to Kirk, Chekov suddenly becomes dizzy and loses his balance. McCoy reports that the crew of the Defiant seemed to have killed each other but he cannot determine why. According to the ship's log, the surgeon on board didn't know what was going on either. He encounters a translucent dead body and can pass his hand through it and a table in sickbay. He determines the Defiant is dissolving. Kirk orders that McCoy return to the Defiant's bridge immediately. As the Defiant starts to "blink" on and off, repairs are under way on the Enterprise's transporter, which Scott reports has become "jammed up." When Kirk and party are ready for beam-out, only three of the landing party can go at once. Spock requests permission to remain behind but Kirk orders him back to the Enterprise and stays behind himself. During transport, Scotty and Lieutenant O'Neil have trouble getting the three officers to materialize. The Defiant continues to "blink" on and off, and Scotty eventually gets Chekov, Spock, and McCoy back onto the Enterprise. Kirk waits on the Defiant's bridge while the Enterprise tries to beam him aboard. The Defiant disappears and Kirk is lost with it. Back on the bridge, Spock explains that Kirk has slipped into another universe. He has determined that an interphase occurs for short periods in which one may travel between universes occupying the same point. In two hours, the computer calculates, another interphase will occur. However, the Enterprise must not expend any energy or the dimensional rift will be damaged and Kirk will be lost forever. During this explanation, Chekov becomes enraged and attacks Spock. During the struggle, Chekov is subdued when Spock applies a Vulcan nerve pinch to him. The Enterprise crew is subject to the same plague of madness that destroyed the crew of the Defiant. Spock must stay close to the space the Defiant was in in order to rescue Kirk at the right moment, or he will die, as his environment suit can provide air for only 3.62 hours. The conversation is interrupted by the approach of a geometric, rainbow-colored ship. A Tholian Commander named Loskene informs the crew that they are trespassing on territory of the Tholian Assembly and they must leave immediately. Spock says that the Enterprise is engaged in a rescue mission but Loskene points out that there is no other ship present. In the interests of "interstellar amity", Loskene agrees to wait until exactly one hour and fifty-three minutes when the Defiant reappears from the interspatial rift, the time Spock had calculated. When the time comes for the interphase, everything goes wrong. In sickbay, an orderly attacks Dr. McCoy, who was trying to find a cause of the mental derangement. Nurse Christine Chapel administers a hypospray to subdue the orderly. The time for the interphase comes and goes, but the Tholian ship's engines have disrupted the timing of the interphase. McCoy reports that the sickness is not due to an infectious agent. Instead, the area of space they are in is damaging the Human nervous system. This conversation is interrupted when the Tholians fire upon the Enterprise. Spock does not wish to attack but locks phasers on target and hails the Tholians. They do not respond, and he orders Sulu to fire phasers. The Tholians stand down but the ship's power converters become fused and the Enterprise is adrift. Another Tholian ship appears, and the two touch aft ends briefly before separating, weaving a web between them. Spock analyzes the web and concludes that it is made of energy. However, "there is no analog to this structure in Federation technology." He announces that if the structure is completed before their repairs are done, the Enterprise will not see home again. Approximately two dozen crew members assemble for Kirk's memorial service. So far, McCoy's attempts to make an antidote for the space the spaceship is in have failed, while theragen was promisingly tested so far. Spock speaks, noting Kirk's concern for his crewmembers that led him to stay aboard the Defiant. Spock repeats the sequence of events that led to Kirk's disappearance and says that the crew must accept the fact that their captain is no longer alive. One of the crew members becomes unstable at this point, screaming and yelling, and must be removed and taken to sickbay under restraint. Spock concludes that "I shall not attempt to voice the quality of the respect and admiration Captain Kirk commanded. Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts." Scotty calls the crew to order, and they observe a moment of silence. After the crew is dismissed, McCoy informs Spock that Kirk has left a message in his quarters that was to be played in the event that the captain is declared dead. McCoy persuades Spock to view the message but first berates the Vulcan for attacking the Tholians and reducing the Enterprise's chances of escape. McCoy accuses him of attempting to usurp Kirk's command. After their argument, they play the message, and in it Kirk asks Spock to temper logic with intuition, and if he needs help with the latter he should consult with McCoy. He also tells McCoy to remember that Spock is now the captain and that his command decisions must be followed. McCoy apologizes to Spock for his earlier outburst and they leave to attend to their duties. Meanwhile, Uhura is off-duty in her quarters dressed in her civilian wear. She feels a sudden pain, and when she recovers she sees an image of Kirk wearing an environmental suit in her mirror. She runs out into a corridor and tells McCoy what she saw, but he takes her to sickbay as if she had been hallucinating. She wants to tell Spock, but she faints. In the engine room, another crewman goes berserk and attacks Scotty. McCoy is attempting to synthesize an antidote that will counteract the debilitating effects of interspace. When McCoy returns to the bridge, Scotty reports that he also sees an apparition of Kirk. Scotty returns to the bridge. Spock and McCoy are talking there when suddenly McCoy appears to be fainting. Spock catches him and then turns to see the image of the captain, who appears to be trying to shout something. The captain's image then disappears. When Uhura is released, the crew's fortunes begin to change. Spock and Scott have calculated the next time that Kirk will appear. McCoy has found an antidote for the mental degradation with a diluted theragen derivative -- theragen being a Klingon nerve gas which, while toxic in its pure form, merely acts as a powerful nerve blocker when dissolved in alcohol. Spock is understandably reluctant to take this antidote, but McCoy orders him to and tells him that it's the Human thing to do. Scotty, on the other hand, likes it well enough that when he leaves he takes the rest of the bottle with him, presumably to see how it will taste mixed with Scotch. At the next interphase, Kirk appears in space near the Enterprise. The ship attempts to rescue Kirk, but the ship is thrown clear of the web when it tries to resist a Tholian tractor beam. Thankfully, since Kirk was locked into the transporter beam, he was also dragged along. McCoy and Nurse Chapel stand by in the transporter room with a hypo of tri-ox compound, as Kirk's environmental suit is beginning to run out of air and he is about to suffocate. Kirk is successfully beamed back by O'Neil aboard the Enterprise and revived. Kirk is back in uniform and sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge, and tells Spock and McCoy that after the Defiant was thrown out of the interphase, he had a whole universe to himself, but he prefers a crowded one instead. He asks them how they got along, and Spock and McCoy say that things went all right, for the most part. Kirk says he hopes his last taped orders were helpful, but Spock and McCoy lie and say that they were so busy with the crisis that they never got a chance to listen to them. Kirk gives them both a doubting look and orders Sulu to take the Enterprise to warp factor two. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is attacked by primitive, chemical-fueled nuclear missiles. The crew of the Enterprise destroy the missiles with the ship's phasers and trace back to their source. Captain Kirk orders that Ensign Chekov plot a course for the Enterprise to proceed to the source of the missiles at warp factor 3. Meanwhile, during a routine health check, it is discovered that Dr. McCoy has a rare terminal illness, xenopolycythemia, which has no known cure and from which he will die within a year. McCoy insists that he can remain in his post on the Enterprise, but Kirk immediately informs Starfleet and requests a replacement. Arriving at the missiles' point of origin, the Enterprise finds only what appears to be an asteroid, 200 miles in diameter, that is not in any orbit but follows an independent course through the local star system. Upon scanning, it is found that the "asteroid" is an atomic-powered spaceship. There are no living creatures detected, leading Spock to presume that the passengers are dead. More seriously, the asteroid's course, 241-mark-17, puts it on a course to collide with the planet Daran V, a planet with a population of 3.724 billion, in 396 days. The Enterprise charts a parallel course to the asteroid/spaceship. Entering the transporter room, Kirk and Spock prepare to beam onto the asteroid/spaceship, but McCoy insists on joining them. Arriving inside the asteroid, they find a surface that appears geologically active, with a reddish sky, and are puzzled that the builders apparently wanted the inside of the ship to look just like the surface of a planet. The surface is dotted by large orange cylinders, from which a band of primitive, sword-bearing men emerges, led by a beautiful woman. After a brief melee, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are captured, McCoy sharing a meaningful look with the woman before he is knocked unconscious. The beautiful woman introduces herself as Natira, the high priestess and leader of her people. Natira "welcomes" the officers to their world Yonada. The three are taken below the surface, where they encounter a large population of young and apparently healthy people. Natira leads the three into an Oracle Room, where she consults an unseen authoritative entity manifested by a decorative altar and a booming voice. Kirk and McCoy estimate that after 10,000 years in this multi-generational ship, the people no longer realize they are inside a spaceship. The Oracle "punishes" Kirk, Spock and McCoy by shocking them with an energy beam, rendering them unconscious. The three regain consciousness, although McCoy remains out longer due to his illness, in some sort of guest area. Kirk then informs Spock about McCoy's condition. An old man enters the room and gives them an herb derivative to counteract the effects of the Oracle's attack, noting that many people on the ship have been punished in this way. When they tell him they are not from Yonada, he recalls how he once climbed the mountains, "even though it is forbidden," and found that the world of Yonada is not a planet at all. "For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky", he says before collapsing to the ground. He dies immediately, apparently from a subcutaneous control device in his temple. Natira comes in, has the old man's body gently taken away, and seems to take a special interest in McCoy. Kirk recommends that McCoy use this to their advantage so that they may learn more about the civilization. The captain is faced with a triple dilemma: either risk violating the Prime Directive by informing the people of Yonada of their situation, destroy the asteroid with them in it or allow it to destroy Daran V. Natira admits she is in love with McCoy and wants him to stay on Yonada as her mate. She speaks of a final destination that is rich and green and notes that the Oracle has promised they shall reach it "soon." When McCoy tells her he has only a year to live, she tells him even a day, a month, or a year with him will make her happy. Spock and Kirk make their way to the Oracle Room, and Spock recognizes the writing as that of the Fabrini, a civilization wiped out 10,000 years ago, when their star went nova. He also sees a symbolic map of the Fabrina solar system. Prior to dying out, the Fabrini had lived underground to protect themselves. They had also built this spaceship Yonada and programmed the Oracle of the People, which is actually a powerful computer, to take their surviving civilization to another habitable planet. The people of Yonada are their descendants. Spock manages to open the door, and the two conceal themselves in the temple behind a monolith as Natira enters. She asks the Oracle for permission to marry McCoy. The Oracle grants it, so long as McCoy agrees to join the Fabrini and submit to the instrument of obedience to become one of their people. As she's leaving, however, the Oracle discovers Kirk and Spock and zaps them. They are arrested and sentenced to death. McCoy agrees to stay on Yonada but begs that Kirk and Spock be released. McCoy tells her he could never be happy on Yonada knowing that his two friends had died for his happiness. Natira agrees. As Kirk and Spock prepare to return, McCoy insists on staying. Kirk and McCoy briefly argue about his decision but Kirk agrees to leave him behind. He and Spock return to the Enterprise. In a ritual with the Oracle, McCoy has the instrument of obedience implanted in his head and he and Natira are married. At the Oracle's command, she reveals to him an ancient book that is to be opened and read when the ship reaches the "New World of the Promise." Meanwhile, Kirk consults with Admiral Westervliet on a monitor in his quarters, who relieves him of all responsibility for the Yonada, saying that Starfleet Command will handle the situation. McCoy calls the ship with his communicator and tries to explain that by consulting the book Spock can change the Yonada's course. His instrument of obedience immediately sends him a shock of pain. He passes out as Natira enters. Kirk and Spock beam back to the Yonada and Spock removes McCoy's instrument of obedience, shocking Natira. She tries to call for the guards, but Kirk subdues her and persuades her to give them a chance. He explains the history of the Fabrini and Yonada. She is very skeptical of the story and the Oracle begins to torment her through her instrument. She flees, but does not turn Kirk and Spock over to the guards. Kirk and Spock have found that a faulty part of the Oracle computer has caused a change in course. Natira consults the Oracle, which knocks her out. When Kirk, Spock, and McCoy arrive, she says she believes them and McCoy removes her instrument. Kirk and Spock move to take the book out of the temple, but the Oracle fights them, kicking up a storm and increasing the temperature in the room to 120 degrees planning to burn them to death or until they die of heat stroke. McCoy shows them how to open the pylon containing the book and Spock uses the book to disable the heating element, as well as the Oracle, and reprogram the spaceship's course. McCoy and Natira share a tearful farewell: She must stay to lead her people to the promised land and McCoy is determined to keep traveling the universe in search of a cure for his disease as well as for others afflicted. After correcting the Yonada's course, Spock shows Kirk the cylinders containing the vast database of the Fabrini, which contains medical knowledge, including the cure for xenopolycythemia. McCoy undergoes the very painful treatment for his illness, with Nurse Chapel at his side in the Enterprise's sickbay. Emerging cured,  Kirk promises him the Enterprise will soon return to the area in 390 days when the Yonada eventually reaches its correct destination. McCoy is pleased by Kirk's promise and the Enterprise leaves Yonada. 
<EOS>
Responding to a distress call from Beta XII-A, a landing party from the USS Enterprise beams down to the planet. The team consists of Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, Ensign Chekov, and Lieutenant Johnson, a security officer. They find no evidence of a colony nor any indication that one was attacked. Dr. McCoy reminds Kirk that whoever sent the distress call claimed they were under attack by an unidentified starship. From the bridge of the orbiting Enterprise, Spock hails the captain and reports that a Klingon battle cruiser is approaching. Although Kirk authorizes the Vulcan to defend the Starfleet ship, Lieutenant Sulu determines that the Klingon vessel is totally disabled, but the Enterprise never fired upon it. A team of Klingons beams to the planet and approaches the Starfleet officers. Commander Kang, the leader of the team, believes that Kirk is responsible for the damage to his ship and for killing four hundred members of his crew. He smacks Kirk in the face with his disruptor, knocking Kirk to the ground. As a result, the Klingon claims the Enterprise as his own and takes the Enterprise crew as prisoners of the Klingons. Both men are unaware of a strange anomaly nearby. Kang tells Kirk that the Klingons have honored a peace treaty "to the letter" with the Federation for the past three years, and that Kirk appears to have tested a new weapon against his ship, killing his crew. Kirk rebuts that the Federation colony on the planet was destroyed. But Kang scoffs at this, saying there is no evidence of bodies or ruins. Kirk says this is because it was a new Klingon weapon that leaves no traces, and that the Federation does not conduct sneak attacks. Kang threatens to torture one of the Starfleet prisoners, but has difficulty deciding which officer will suffer -- until Chekov angrily cries out that the Klingons killed his brother, Piotr Chekov, on a Federation research outpost on Archanis IV. One of the Klingons uses an agonizer to inflict pain on the Russian. After much debating with Kang, Kirk authorizes Spock to beam the Klingon and Starfleet officers aboard the Enterprise; however, while giving the order Kirk also presses a distress key on his communicator, causing an amber light to blink on the command chair. Seeing the signal, Spock orders that the landing party be beamed into the ship's transporter room, but he also has the Klingons suspended in the pattern buffer and they are arrested by Enterprise security when they are rematerialized. As the Klingon battle cruiser is emitting an excessive amount of harmful radiation, Kirk intends to destroy the alien craft. Klingon survivors are beamed aboard, including Mara -- Kang's wife and science officer. Mara fears that she will be tortured for their scientific and military information, but Kirk assures her and her husband that the Klingons will not be harmed. The captain orders Lieutenant Johnson to secure the Klingon prisoners in the crew lounge and to program the food synthesizer for Klingon cuisine. Spock explains that when the Enterprise received the distress call, the Klingons were too far away to have been the attackers. McCoy argues that they know the Klingons did attack, and that the log tapes will prove the innocence of the Enterprise. The Enterprise is unable to contact Starfleet Command, as all subspace frequencies are being blocked. The Enterprise destroys the Klingon craft with its forward phasers in orbit of the planet, but communication with Starfleet is still unobtainable. In the crew lounge, Kang plans Kirk's death, vowing to hang Kirk's head on a wall in his quarters. Mara fears that the Starfleet crew will overpower the Klingons, while another Klingon officer eagerly advises Kang that they should strike quickly. Kang tells the officer to be patient and opines that the Starfleet crew will make a mistake soon and they will seize upon it. Meanwhile, the crew loses control of the Enterprise and several malfunctions result in the ship pursuing a new course out of the the galaxy. Scott explains that controls have gone crazy, and engines have gone to warp 9 by themselves. Nearly four hundred crewmen are trapped by emergency bulkheads on the vessel's lower decks. Assuming that the Klingons are responsible, Kirk questions Kang in the crew lounge. Kang denies any responsibility. Kirk tells Kang that before he puts him in the brig, there is something he "owes him" and punches Kang for having struck him earlier on Beta XII-A. Suddenly, several inanimate objects in the room, including a three-dimensional chess set, transform into swords. Kirk orders his men to draw phasers, which also mysteriously transform into swords. The Starfleet officers and the Klingons fight, using these primitive weapons of their ancestors. Two more security officers join the battle against the Klingons and Johnson is injured in the fight. The crew members luckily escape in a turbolift that takes Johnson and the other security personnel to sickbay. With the Klingons free to roam the ship, Kirk stays in the turbolift and heads to the bridge. There, he informs the senior staff of the situation. The captain contacts Scott in engineering and tells him that he must free the trapped crewmen at all costs so they may help to fight the Klingons. The engineer reports that he has been unable to regain control of the ship's velocity and is amazed that the vessel has not yet self-destructed. Spock deduces that the Klingons could not have caused the swords to appear, as the instantaneous transmutation of matter that caused their creation is beyond the capabilities of Klingon technology. If the Klingons had this power they would have created more effective weapons than just swords, reasons Spock. When Kirk orders Sulu to take control of engineering and the Auxiliary Control Center, Chekov insists that he join the helmsman. Despite Kirk giving him a direct order to return to his post, Chekov explains that he must avenge the murder of his brother and dives into the turbolift aft of the bridge. With a puzzled expression, Sulu tells Kirk that Chekov is an only child and never had any such brother. In sickbay, McCoy grows furious with the Klingons, calling them "filthy butchers" as he treats an injured crew member with a numanol capsule. A group of Klingons enters the Auxiliary Control Center and accesses the Enterprise's specifications. When Mara notifies Kang that there are as many Starfleet officers as there are Klingons aboard the ship, Kang decides to make an attempt at commandeering the vessel and plans to take control of engineering first. In the armory, Scott uses a communicator to contact the bridge and reports to Kirk that the phaser torches have proven useless against the metal bulkheads that have trapped the crewmen, as something has happened to the metal. The armory itself now contains only antique weaponry. Scott marvels at the beauty of a claymore sword, and refuses Kirk's orders to return to engineering. Scott and the Starfleet personnel in engineering are attacked by Klingon soldiers, who drive them out, and seize control of the engine room. On the bridge, Spock detects a single alien life force -- the strange anomaly from Beta XII-A. Spock consults the ship's computer, which reveals that the entity is composed of pure energy, has intelligence and is acting toward an unknown purpose. Kirk believes that the alien force is responsible for Chekov's imaginary brother, the missing colony, the distress call that the Enterprise had supposedly received and the creation of the antique weapons aboard the ship. He proposes to form a truce with Kang, but Spock reminds the captain that the Klingons are infamous for refusing to agree to a truce once blood is drawn. When McCoy enters the bridge, he is overly outraged by the fact that the senior officers are considering a truce with the fiendish Klingons, who would force them into "slave labor, death planets, experiments" Spock informs the doctor of the alien's presence and Kirk adds that the alien is their real enemy, but McCoy believes that they must obliterate the Klingons in what he calls a "fight to the death." After the doctor angrily exits the room, Kang hails the bridge. The Klingon notifies Kirk that his soldiers have captured the engineering section of the ship. Kang is now in control of the Enterprise's power and life support systems. The Klingon warns Kirk that he will "die of suffocation in the icy cold of space." The bridge lights darken. As the Enterprise rushes through space at warp factor nine, Kirk uses a tricorder to record a log entry. With Kirk's authorization, Sulu leaves to protect the life support circuits and auxiliary power in emergency manual control. Scott enters, irrationally desperate to fight the Klingons. Influenced by the alien entity, the engineer trades insults with Spock. Kirk stops Spock moments before the Vulcan can assault Scott with his fist, but begins to insult the science officer himself. The captain gradually realizes that he and his two officers are being manipulated by the entity. He wonders why the alien seems to be staging a war between his crew and the Klingons. Spock notes the importance of finding the entity, determining its motives, and stopping it from causing any further hostilities. From a Jefferies tube, Sulu reports that systems should be functioning but are not responding. Suddenly, power and life support are restored but the helmsman claims he was not responsible for the restoration. Aware of the sudden change, Mara notifies Kang that sensors are holding steady. She reports that she is neither able to cause them to falter nor deviate from the ship's course for a new heading to the Klingon Empire. Kang angrily ponders the nature of the power that supports his men in battle but stops them from achieving victory. Under Kang's orders, Mara leaves engineering with another Klingon officer and heads to the ship's main life support couplings on deck 6. As the alien continues to creep through the Enterprise, Spock detects the entity using the ship's newly reactivated sensors. He and Kirk exit the bridge and take a turbolift toward the engineering section, where the anomaly is hiding. Meanwhile, Chekov unknowingly follows the alien through a corridor. When he hears a door open and close behind him, Chekov hides in an alcove. He attacks Mara and the Klingon officer accompanying her as they pass by. After the officer falls to the deck unconscious, Chekov attempts to rape Mara but is stopped by Kirk when he arrives with Spock. Kirk slaps the Russian several times, but Spock reminds him that Chekov was not in control of himself. Nevertheless, the Russian's body slumps to the ground. Although Kirk tries to explain the situation to Mara and pleads for a temporary truce, she does not respond. Spock takes her away securely while Kirk follows close behind, carrying Chekov in his arms. In sickbay, McCoy scans Chekov's brainwaves and determines that the Russian was suffering from paranoid mania. The doctor also tells Kirk that several officers, including Johnson, have suffered serious injuries that are healing at a miraculously accelerated rate. Spock deduces that the alien wants the officers to stay alive. As he and the doctor discuss the entity, Johnson regains consciousness unobserved. The lieutenant watches as Kirk, Spock and Mara leave in search of the alien. Soon, Kirk and his two companions discover the anomaly. Lieutenant Johnson suddenly appears behind Kirk and reports that he is ready for duty. The captain instructs Johnson to return to sickbay, but the lieutenant insanely shouts that he has orders to kill the Klingons. He attacks Kirk with a sword, though he loses consciousness again when Spock employs the Vulcan nerve pinch from behind him. Kirk and Spock observe that the alien's life energy momentarily increased during Johnson's emotional outburst. This leads the officers to suspect that the entity thrives on the hateful emotions of others. To combat the alien, Kirk and Spock agree that they must join forces with the Klingons and eliminate all hateful emotions from the ship. The captain uses an intercom to contact Kang, but Mara rushes forward and warns the Klingon commander that Kirk has set a trap. As Kang's mind is being affected by the entity, he refuses to answer any further hails. Scott contacts Kirk from the bridge, informing the captain that the ship's dilithium crystals are deteriorating and will be completely depleted in twelve minutes. With the crew's losing their minds to the alien seemingly inevitable, and with the ship drifting powerless in space, Kirk asks Mara if she now believes that the entity exists. Holding Mara's arm, Kirk accompanies Spock out of a turbolift and onto the bridge. The ship's dilithium crystals are still being drained and, according to Spock, will be totally depleted in less than ten minutes. Scott and the science officer recommend using Mara to force Kang into agreeing to a truce. Kirk contacts Kang and carries out the suggestion, threatening the Klingon commander that Mara will be killed in five seconds if he does not reply. But Kang simply accepts that his wife is a victim of war. After closing the communications channel to Kang, Kirk assures Mara that the Federation does not kill its prisoners -- she has been listening to propaganda and fables. Mara realizes that the alien entity actually exists. Scott tells her that the Klingons are also under alien power and that a truce would save both the Klingons and Humans aboard the Enterprise. However, Mara insists that her people must continue to hunt and fight in order to survive. When Kirk tells her that mutual trust and assistance can also help a civilization endure, Mara agrees to help the captain and take him to Kang. With less than nine minutes before the ship loses power, Kirk decides to use intra-ship beaming to transport through the Klingon defenses and reach Kang. The process is extremely dangerous but the captain chooses to take the risk. Kirk and Mara dematerialize from the ship's transporter room into engineering. Against Mara's objections, Kirk and Kang fight each other. Outside engineering, a team of Starfleet security officers led by Spock and McCoy battle several Klingons. The senior officers leave the confrontation and enter engineering. They watch as Kirk surrenders and finally manages to persuade Kang that they are all being controlled by an alien. Eventually, the Klingon commander purposefully drops his sword. He and Kirk use the ship-wide intercom to direct their respective troops to cease hostilities. When the officers comply, the entity is weakened by the abrupt termination of violence. Calling the alien a "dead duck", Kirk urges the anomaly to leave the ship. Kang tells the entity that Klingons need no urging to hate Humans and also yells at it to leave the Enterprise. At Spock's suggestion that "good spirits" may help to combat the entity, Kirk shares a hearty laugh with McCoy and Kang, and the alien eventually departs the Enterprise into open space. 
<EOS>
Summoned by an urgent distress call for medical help, the USS Enterprise landing party consisting of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy find a group of aliens who supposedly model their society on the teachings of Plato. Their leader is suffering from a massive infection in his leg and is close to death. Alexander, a servant to the Platonians, quietly suggests to Philana that they should not kill the Enterprise landing party, given that they are trying to save their leader, Parmen. Before he can finish his sentence, Philana telekinetically makes him bite his hand. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy discover the Platonians' powerful psychokinetic abilities, as the man's delirium has violent effects on his surroundings. Another Platonian trait is extreme longevity, as well as frail physical immunity seemingly caused by their emphasis on mental prowess. This is what caused their powerful ruler to be so vulnerable to what should have been a minor treatable injury. The result of a eugenics, "Plato's stepchildren" had escaped to Earth in the time of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato when their star, Sahndara, went supernova. After Plato's death they established a republic based on his philosophy, where 38 inhabitants live a life of quiet contemplation and self-reliance. A simple cut in the leg had developed an unknown infection which caused Parmen to have a fever and lose control of his powers. Furniture is thrown around and the Enterprise is shaken in orbit, while Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Alexander duck and hide from the flying objects. "Fascinating. I believe we are experiencing the psychokinetic manifestations of Parmen's delirium", Spock notes. Philana, Parmen's spouse, is able to distract Parmen long enough for McCoy to sedate him with a hypospray, ending the chaos. Later, Dr. McCoy's treatment of Parmen is effective and the landing party prepares to leave the planet. However, the Enterprise is frozen; Scott reports that there are no functional transporters, navigation or even subspace communication with Starfleet. Captain Kirk barges into Parmen's chamber, and Parmen strips Kirk of his phaser and tells him that guests must recognize his supremacy. In an allusion to the Greek ideal of guest-friend, Kirk retorts: "Guest? You don't know the meaning of the word. Guests are not treated like common prisoners." Parmen uses his psychokinetic powers to force Kirk to slap himself in the face repeatedly. After the ordeal with Kirk smacking himself around, he, Spock, and McCoy are back in their guest chamber, trying to contact the Enterprise with his communicator to no avail. The Platonians summon them and seem grateful for McCoy's help. They provide the landing party with variety of gifts: the shield of Pericles for Kirk, a kithara for Spock, and a collection of Greek cures written by Hippocrates himself for McCoy. Parmen appeals for Kirk's forgiveness. He says he will release the ship, but he wants McCoy to remain on the planet. McCoy refuses and Parmen says he will not be refused. Kirk says that he cannot consider himself a descendant of Plato. Spock points out, "Plato wanted truth and beauty and above all, justice." Parmen says that theirs is the most democratic society that ever was -- unlike the Federation, which uses weapons and fleets of starships to enforce justice, the Platonians use the power of the mind. He says he wants to persuade Kirk and Spock to leave peacefully so as not to upset McCoy. Parmen uses his mental powers to intimidate and humiliate Kirk and Spock into compliance. First, he makes them sing a song and dance a jig. Kirk tells McCoy that he is not going to let him stay behind and Parmen makes Kirk recite some lines from William Shakespeare's Sonnet LVII: "Being your slave what should I do but tend | Upon the hours, and times of your desire? | I have no precious time at all to spend; | Nor service[s] to do, 'til you". Parmen makes Spock dance some more and then forces him to laugh and cry, torturing his Vulcan psychology by forcing severe emotion, such as hearty laughter and a good cry out of him. McCoy decides to volunteer to stay but Kirk still refuses, pointing out that once they are gone they and the Enterprise will be destroyed. Alexander speaks up, saying that Kirk is right. He gives a speech about how he used to think it was his own fault that he did not have the same powers as the Platonians and that he was lucky that they had kept him around. But now, after the Enterprise crew stood up to the Platonians and showed them for what they are, he realizes how they've been putting him down. Spock questions Alexander about the powers and determines that the power had manifested itself shortly after the Platonians had used up their food stores and started eating local food. McCoy scans Alexander's blood with his medical tricorder and finds that Parmen has more kironide, which is broken down by the pituitary gland. McCoy synthesizes some kironide and injects himself, Kirk, and Spock -- to double that of Parmen's level. Kirk suggests that Alexander get a dose, take Parmen's place and rule the planet, but Alexander refuses: "You think that's what I want? Become one of them? Become my own enemy? Just lie around like a big blob of nothing and have things done for me? I want to run around for myself. If I am going to laugh or cry, I want to do it for myself. You can keep your precious power. All I ask is one thing: if you do make it out of here, take me with you." The conversation is interrupted when the Platonians force Lieutenant Uhura and Nurse Christine Chapel to beam down as Kirk, Spock, and McCoy look on in bewilderment. The women, unable to speak, walk away and are forced against their will to prepare for the evening's festivities. Kirk angrily surmises that the Platonians have now found some new entertainment for their amusement. Later that night, Uhura and Chapel step out into the main hall, both dressed in fabulous Greek dresses as Kirk and Spock join them, both clad in short Greek tunics and laurel leaf crowns. Kirk asks Spock to try to lift some plates of food, but the powers have not kicked in yet. Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and Chapel are led to a stage. Parmen would like to welcome McCoy, but he has to convince McCoy to change his mind first. He makes Spock sing what he calls "a serenade from the laughing spaceman" to Uhura and Chapel. Then, the four are split into two pairs: Uhura and Kirk, and Chapel and Spock. Chapel and Spock are forced to kiss despite their protests; Chapel confesses that she has wanted to be close to Spock for so long but now she wants to "crawl away and die". Uhura likewise confesses to Kirk that she was so often calmed by Kirk's presence when she was frightened on the bridge of the Enterprise. The two couples struggle in vain to avoid being forced to kiss. After the kisses, Parmen compels Kirk to crack a bullwhip at Uhura and Spock to brandish a hot poker rod at Chapel. While Parmen is distracted controlling the four officers, Alexander attempts to sneak up on him with a knife. Parmen shifts his focus to trying to make Alexander turn the knife on himself. Meanwhile, Kirk begins to feel his telekinetic power building and laughs once he prevents Alexander from hurting himself. Parmen cannot believe that Kirk has telekinetic abilities and tries to test them. He sends Alexander to threaten Kirk with the knife, but again the captain turns the tables on the Platonian. For a brief time, the two minds fight for control of Alexander. Kirk's power is proven the greater but ultimately they both release him. Alexander begins to use his free will to attack Parmen but Kirk stops him, asking simply, "Do you want to be like him?" Alexander struggles with his conscience, but finally drops the knife, heaping contempt onto his former leader instead. Parmen sees that Kirk has spared his life, and appears repentant. He promises that he will be more benevolent towards future visits by other starships. Spock and Kirk are very dubious of the reform and so stresses that any new visitors can easily be dosed with kironide as well. Parmen appears to acquiesce to this truth and Kirk seems satisfied that the "Platonian problem" has been solved. Kirk calls Scotty for transport, saying that he has "a little surprise" for the chief engineer. Kirk intends to make good on his earlier promise to rescue Alexander from Platonius and the Enterprise departs soon after. 
<EOS>
Captain Kirk and a landing party respond to a distress call on Scalos, but the planet seems deserted. McCoy and Spock can detect no signs of life but Kirk hears an insect buzzing. Spock reports that the civilization on Scalos was highly advanced, rating 7 on the industrial scale. He will have the abundance of literature translated and processed. Compton vanishes while taking a water sample, right before Dr. McCoy's eyes. Kirk and the landing party return to the USS Enterprise, where they begin to analyze the mystery. Lieutenant Sulu reports that he is having a malfunction on his console and Nurse Chapel says that the medical supply cabinets have been opened and rummaged through. While being examined by McCoy in sickbay, Kirk hears the strange insect noise again. Kirk and Spock discover an alien device hooked into the Enterprise's environmental controls but they cannot disconnect or destroy it, as it is protected by a force field. Kirk, Scott and Spock consult the ship's computer, which concludes that an unknown presence is trying to gain control of the Enterprise. The computer recommends negotiation for terms but Kirk refuses. He takes a cup of coffee from a passing yeoman. Kirk hears the buzzing noise again and sets down his coffee on his chair's console arm. Some bubbles appear in his coffee. Kirk's perception slows and the crew on the bridge seem to move in slow motion. Kirk has become hyper-accelerated. The Queen of the Scalosians, Deela, has given Kirk an agent that accelerates him to the Scalosian time frame; a Scalosian experiences time much more quickly, to a point where they can no longer be seen by the Enterprise crew. Kirk attempts to stun Deela with a phaser but she easily steps out of the way of the slowly moving beam. Deela is amused by Kirk's defiance; she says that "it always happens this way; they are very upset at first" but "then it wears off and they learn to like it." The scene momentarily cuts back to normal time; Kirk's sudden disappearance from his chair is noticed by Uhura, Spock, and Sulu. Then, Kirk runs to environmental engineering where he encounters Compton, who has been accelerated and is guarding the entrance. Compton assures Kirk that he will come to accept the new arrangement with the Scalosian invasion of the Enterprise. Kirk overpowers Compton, but Kirk is subdued in the control room by two male Scalosians. Deela fawns over the unconscious Kirk and hopes that she can keep him for a long time. Hopefully, she says, this species is strong enough to last. Kirk awakes, only to see Compton unconscious and exhibiting severe cellular damage. He ages rapidly and dies, becoming another casualty. Kirk ruefully exclaims, "He was so young." "Was," Rael points out. Kirk makes a recording of his report in a medical lab on a microtape, while Spock, Chapel, and McCoy stand by like statues, moving in the slower time frame. He states that the cause is hyper-acceleration, and that the device in the environmental control will put the Enterprise into a deep freeze. Deela confirms his story, and tells him about the history of her race. Radiation poisoning had transformed the population of Scalos, accelerating them out of the normal timeframe and making them sterile. Their only hope, Deela suggests, is to abduct members from other races in order to procreate. Unfortunately, to do this, they must hyper-accelerate the other race, which usually causes them to die quickly. While Deela is distracted talking to Rael, Kirk slips the tape with his recorded message into the machine Spock is using and flees to the transporter room. Deela tries to transport Kirk to the surface, but the transporter is still inoperable thanks to Kirk's sabotage efforts earlier. They retire to Kirk's quarters while the problem is investigated. Meanwhile, Spock leaves the medical lab when he realizes what the buzzing sound is. He replays the distress call from the science station on the bridge and examines the telemetry from the original away mission. He uses the ship's controls to speed up and slow down the recording. Speeding up the distress call makes it sound like the now familiar buzzing noise. Back in the medical lab, McCoy discovers a tape with the same buzzing sound. He brings the tape to the bridge, where Spock slows it down and then the crew learns of the Scalosian plot. Having repaired the transporter, Rael tries to inform Deela but she is in Kirk's quarters and does not answer. He interrupts them as they are about to kiss and attacks Kirk. Deela subdues him with her weapon and chides him for being jealous. After Rael leaves, Kirk seems to have pleasantly accepted his fate. McCoy, Chapel, and Spock have synthesized an agent to counteract the hyper-acceleration, but do not know how they will administer it to Kirk. Spock takes the initiative and drinks the Scalosian water sample. Accelerated, he collects the antidote and goes off to find Kirk. The other Scalosians beam down to the surface, and Rael activates the refrigeration device. Catching Deela unaware, Kirk steals her weapon and meets up with Spock; together they incapacitate Rael and destroy the device. Kirk confronts Deela and asks what they should do with her. Kirk suggests putting her and the other Scalosians in suspended animation, but she notes that their survival does not depend on that. Kirk does not disagree and he believes that if he sends her and Rael back down to Scalos, she and her people would simply incapacitate another vessel with their distress call. Deela says that that will not happen any more as Kirk will undoubtedly warn the Federation and they will quarantine the area. She offers no protest, accepting the fact that it will effectively end her people’s difficult quest to restart their race. Later, in the transporter room, Deela points out that life with her would not be unpleasant but Kirk states that he would rather stay alive. He sends Rael and Deela back down to the surface. Spock gives the counter-agent to Kirk, but says that it has not been tested. Kirk says "Let's test it," and returns to normal time. Kirk appears in front of Scotty, who is both baffled and pleased to see him. Spock remains in accelerated time in order to efficiently effect repairs to the ship. With the Enterprise quickly repaired, Uhura slips and activates the tape of Deela, and Kirk says goodbye to her. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise investigates a planet whose size is approximately that of Earth's moon, yet mass and atmosphere are similar to Earth. Stranger yet is that it is apparently only a few thousand years old. Its geological age is much less than the indigenous vegetation and atmospheric content would indicate. Captain Kirk is intrigued by the unexplainable planet and organizes a landing party consisting of himself, Doctor McCoy, helmsman Sulu, and senior geologist D'Amato. As the landing party steps onto the transporter platform and starts to transport down to the surface of the planet, a mysterious woman suddenly appears, telling them that they must not go. She then touches the transporter operator Wyatt who instantly crumples to the deck as the dematerializing landing party watches helplessly. She is too late to prevent the beam down, and moments later the four men materialize on the planet's surface. Once on the planet, Kirk attempts to contact the Enterprise with his communicator to report the attack, but before he can do so, a powerful tremor rocks the planet. At the same instant the Enterprise is tossed about in some sort of turbulence. Both disruptions subside simultaneously, and the crew of the Enterprise quickly discovers that the planet is no longer on the viewscreen. On the planet D'Amato's tricorder reads an energy burst of almost immeasurable power. When Kirk is unable to raise the Enterprise on his communicator, Sulu discovers that the Enterprise is missing from orbit, effectively stranding the landing party on the planet. The landing party is at a loss to explain the sudden disappearance of the Enterprise. Sulu conjectures that the Enterprise must have blown up, citing high radiation readings as evidence of a matter/antimatter intermix explosion. Kirk quickly dismisses Sulu's theory due to a lack of residual radiation. McCoy then suggests that the Enterprise may have crashed onto the planet itself. Neither of these theories fits the facts. Recognizing that regardless of the Enterprise's fate, the landing party will soon need food and water, Kirk orders a detailed analysis of the planet's resources. The report is not encouraging, as all plant vegetation on the planet is poisonous to humans, there is no evidence of rainfall or surface water and the only other form of life is a virus-like plant parasite. During the survey, Sulu makes a sweep with his tricorder and registers a sudden magnetic reading that quickly dissipates, like a door opening and then closing again. McCoy also detects a powerful lifeform reading that appears and then disappears. These fluctuations occur as the same woman who appeared in the transporter room of the Enterprise confronts D'Amato, killing him with her touch. McCoy reports that all the cells of D'Amato's body have been disrupted from the inside. Kirk attempts to dig a grave for the geologist with his phaser, but the surface of the planet withstands its force. Further investigation reveals that the planet is an artificial body. Although the ship did not appear to suffer any damage, chief engineer Montgomery Scott is disquieted, and reports that the ship feels "wrong." Spock initially dismisses this as emotional. Still concerned, Scotty instructs crewman Watkins to check the bypass valve on the matter-antimatter reaction chamber to ensure that it is not overheating. While Watkins is doing so, the woman appears in the control room and inquires about the engine mechanisms. She then kills him in the same manner as the others. Before Watkins dies, he cries out a warning about the intruder to Scott, but she disappears before Scott can see her. Back on the surface of the planet, Sulu volunteers to keep watch while Kirk and McCoy sleep. While the captain and the doctor sleep, the woman appears to Sulu and, although she is able to briefly touch him, disrupting all the cells his shoulder, she does not kill him. Sulu yells out for help and Kirk and McCoy run to his rescue. Sulu cries out not to let her touch them. The woman insists that she is for Sulu and that she must touch him. When she touches Kirk on his shoulder, however, nothing happens. Kirk asks how she can destroy others and she explains that she does not want to destroy. She then disappears. The landing party surmises that the woman's destructive power can only be directed at one specific person at a time. Aboard the Enterprise, which is warping back to the planet, the ship's engines begin to race out of control. Scotty discovers that the emergency overload bypass of the matter-antimatter integrator has been fused, although it would have taken all the power of the ship's phasers to do so. It becomes apparent that the woman is responsible for this sabotage. With this damage, the Enterprise has less than fifteen minutes before its engines will explode. Spock and Scotty devise a risky plan to save the ship -- Scotty will enter the crawlway leading to the matter-antimatter reaction chamber and attempt to manually shut off the flow of fuel with a magnetic probe. Scotty installs explosives at the end of the service crawlway that will permit Spock to jettison the pod if Scotty ruptures the magnetic bottle. Recalling Scotty's earlier assertion that the ship felt wrong, Spock runs an analysis comparing the condition of the Enterprise with its ideal condition. When the woman reappears to kill Kirk, the landing party is able to use this information to defend him. Kirk questions her with McCoy and Sulu keeping her at a distance. She calls herself Losira, commander of the station. When Kirk asks how she feels about killing him, she says that the act of killing is wrong but that she must do so. She says that she is sent to defend the station, although the people who once lived on it are no more. Kirk presses her, sensing her confusion and loneliness, and she disappears again. Following their tricorder readings, the landing party eventually finds an underground door to the planet-station. Spock's analysis proves crucial, for he has discovered that the Enterprise has been put through a molecular transporter and then reassembled slightly out of phase, which will require Scott to reverse the polarity on the magnetic probe in order to seal the incision. Scott attempts to do so as the final seconds tick down, but the mechanism on the probe becomes jammed. Scotty insists multiple times to Spock that he jettison him, but Spock gives him a few seconds more. Scotty is able to loosen the tool and, just moments before the engines go critical, accomplishes the task and the Enterprise finally begins to slow down. On the planet, the landing party enters a computer room, where they are confronted with three versions of the destructive woman, each programmed to kill one of them. The landing party seems to be out of options when Spock and a security officer materialize into the room and Lemli destroys the computer with his phaser. The women disappear and are replaced by a recorded image of Losira. In the recording, Losira welcomes her fellow Kalandans to the colony. She explains that the population of the colony has been destroyed by a disease that they accidentally produced when they created the planet. Losira is the last survivor, and because she does not believe she will survive until help arrives, has set the station defense mechanism on automatic to defend against other life forms. McCoy surmises that the entire species was destroyed by the disease, and that the image of Losira has been waiting thousands of years to deliver her message to a people who have become extinct. It is apparent to the landing party that the computer defense mechanism called upon the only image available, that of Losira, but the replication was too perfect and projected so much of her personality that it felt regret and guilt at killing. They agree that she was a remarkable and beautiful woman. Spock says that beauty is transitory, but Kirk disagrees, saying "beauty survives". 
<EOS>
On an urgent decontamination mission to the planet Ariannus, the USS Enterprise encounters a Federation shuttlecraft reported as stolen from Starbase 4. The vessel's life support systems are failing and the pilot may be suffocating in the lack of atmosphere. Captain Kirk orders the shuttlecraft to be brought aboard. When the pilot emerges and subsequently collapses in front of Kirk and Spock, he displays a unique appearance: black on the left side of his face and white on the other. Brought to sickbay, Kirk, Spock and McCoy surmise the alien's skin coloration to be a mutation of some kind. The pilot is revived by Dr. McCoy and identifies himself as Lokai from the planet Cheron. Although grateful for the Enterprise's rescue, he is combative when Kirk questions him about the theft of the shuttlecraft. Kirk plans to return him to Starbase 4 to face serious theft charges once the important Arrianus mission is completed. En route however, Chekov reports that sensors have detected a highly sophisticated and invisible vessel on an apparent collision course with the Enterprise. At the last moment before impact, the ship appears to disintegrate, but deposits its pilot on the bridge -- similar in appearance to Lokai, but with his black and white skin colors reversed. "Explain, Spock," Kirk asks. "One of a kind?" The alien identifies himself as Commissioner Bele, the "Chief Officer Of The Commission on Political Traitors," from Cheron, and informs Kirk that he has come to apprehend Lokai. When Bele is brought to sickbay to see Lokai, the crew learns that Bele has been pursuing Lokai for a very long time: 50,000 Earth years as it turns out. Bele charges that Lokai led a revolt of people who are black on the left side against the ruling order, which is black on the right side. Lokai counters that the black/right order enslaved the white/right people of Cheron and continues to oppress them. Bele demands that Kirk surrender Lokai, while Lokai claims political asylum with the Federation. Kirk ends the bickering, giving Bele quarters and states his intention to fulfill his mission, then hand both of the aliens to Starbase 4 to have the matter settled. Bele is clearly not satisfied, but leaves sickbay. Kirk advises that Lokai get some rest, especially his vocal cords, as he will get a chance to practice his oratory when they arrive at Starbase 4. Suddenly, the Enterprise is commandeered by an unknown source. Soon, Bele reveals on the bridge that he is controlling it, by using his mental powers to direct the ship to Cheron. Impervious to phasers, Kirk, along with Spock and Scotty, are forced to activate the three-part self-destruct sequence in order to force Bele to relinquish control of the ship. With only six seconds left before the Enterprise destroys itself, Bele releases control of the starship. With force not being an option, both Bele and Lokai attempt to enlist the sympathies of the crew while en route to Ariannus, Lokai with the crew and Bele with Kirk and Spock. Kirk submits a report to Starfleet Command for a resolution. Starfleet's answer to Bele's request is received while he speaks with Kirk and Spock--and it is to deny that request. Since Cheron has no diplomatic treaties with the Federation, Starfleet cannot extradite Lokai without due process. Uhura also adds that the decision from Starfleet notes that they are confident that Bele will be allowed to return to Cheron with Lokai after the hearing is over. Bele is pessimistic, however, believing that Lokai will again gain supporters in his cause and will escape from him again. The Enterprise arrives at Ariannus and begins the decontamination procedures. Once the decontamination mission to Ariannus is complete, Kirk orders to head to Starbase 4, however, Bele sabotages the self-destruct mechanism as well as directional control, regains control of the ship, and re-forces it to head for Cheron again. Lokai begs for the Enterprise crew to intervene, and Bele berates him, for he believes he has finally caught him. They fight, but Kirk tries to defuse the situation for fear of destroying the ship, saying the bridge will be their "last battlefield." Bele returns control, since their fighting will destroy themselves with the ship. The crew realizes they are near Cheron, however, its sensors reveal massive destruction of all Cheron's major cities and huge piles of unburied corpses -- the entire population of Cheron has apparently mutually annihilated itself in a civil war. Consumed with mutual insane hatred and blaming each other for the resulting holocaust, Bele and Lokai fight on the bridge, despite Kirk's offer for them to live with the Federation. Kirk implores them to give up their mutual hatred of one another, since that destroyed their planet and their people. Lokai derides Kirk, accusing him of being an "idealistic dreamer," and flees the bridge. The pair then chase each other through the ship's corridors, each eventually finding their way to the transporter room and returning to the planet's surface to continue their fight the last two sapient life forms on a dead planet. Kirk sadly notes that, in the end, all they have left is their hatred of each other. Kirk decides to leave them there and orders that Sulu set course for Starbase 4. 
<EOS>
Kirk and Spock beam down to the Elba II asylum with a revolutionary new medicine to treat the inmates' mental disorders. They are met in the asylum control center by Dr. Cory, the governor of the penal colony. He explains that in order to maintain security they are under a transport shield, and so he laughingly won't take "no" for an answer on his invitation to Kirk and Spock to dinner. He also explains that the colony has just increased the number of 14 inmates by one, and that new inmate is Garth of Izar. Kirk mentions that Garth was a legendary Fleet Captain before going insane, and that his exploits were required reading for cadets at the Academy. Kirk asks to see Garth, so Dr. Cory leads Kirk and Spock to his holding cell, only to discover the actual Dr. Cory restrained and looking roughed-up. At this point, the man who had appeared as Dr. Cory reveals himself to be Garth and electronically opens the remaining holding cells, releasing the inmates of Elba II, including a Tellarite, an Andorian and a beautiful, young, Orion woman. After Spock is stunned by Garth with a phaser and dragged away by the Andorian and Tellarite, Kirk is placed into the holding cell with the real Dr. Cory. Garth demands to be called "Lord Garth" and talks about destroying his enemies. Destroying the medicine, he is intent on taking command of the USS Enterprise, seeking vengeance against his former crewmembers, planning to hunt them all down. He instantly morphs into Kirk in front of the real Kirk and goes to the control room. When he leaves, Dr. Cory explains that Garth had learned how to morph his cellular structure from the Antos natives on Antos IV to look like other people, unfortunately only after he had escaped his cell. Dr. Cory also says, "He claims to have developed the most powerful explosive in history and I believe him." Realizing that he can't board the Enterprise without the countersign, Garth returns to Dr. Cory's cell and renews his dinner invitation for Kirk and Spock but states that Governor Cory is not on the guest list, an intentional oversight, as Garth puts it. They all proceed to an elaborate feast with the inmates providing the entertainment, including a seductive dance by Marta, the Orion inmate seen earlier. Kirk and Spock whisper to each other the idea of causing some sort of distraction which would allow Spock to get to the control room and de-activate the shield. Kirk surmises that Scott has already put together a security detail on the Enterprise and all they need is a few seconds. Garth silences them and asks that they instead pay attention to Marta's recitation of her "poetry", which is actually by Shakespeare and Housman. After the feast, Kirk and Spock talk with Garth about his record including the battle of Axanar as well as his attempt to destroy the inhabitants of Antos IV. He clearly had gone insane over some rejection and his crew mutinied to prevent his actions. Spock tries to reason with him, only to be carried away. Garth then brings in a rehabilitation chair which he has modified to cause pain. He places Governor Cory in the chair and tortures him for a short while, demanding that Kirk provide him with the countersign. Kirk still refuses to give in, then Garth places him in the chair for some torture as well. Marta begs that Garth cease the torture on Kirk, but Garth continues. Marta again protests the torture, saying she can convince him, and Garth agrees. Kirk is placed in a separate room where Marta pours him a drink and goes over to him. She begins to seduce him on his bed. While they kiss, she suddenly reaches for a dagger under a pillow and tries to stab Kirk, who manages to fight her off. Spock arrives with a phaser and Marta explains that Kirk is "her lover and she must kill him." Spock prevents her from doing so, apparently by administering a Vulcan nerve pinch. Spock and Kirk proceed to the control room, which is guarded by the Tellarite inmate. Spock stuns the Tellarite and retrieves Kirk's phaser from him. Once inside the control room, they contact the Enterprise and lower the planetary force field. Spock attempts to get Kirk to give the countersign to Scott. Kirk suspects a trick, and demands that Spock give the countersign himself. He steps back and draws his phaser instead. At this point, "Spock" morphs back into Garth and energized the force field again. Kirk's phaser, not surprisingly, is uncharged. Kirk now tries to appeal to Garth's better impulses, asking him to remember the man he was "before the accident." Kirk wants Garth to be the sort of man he was before he went mad, the sort of man that Kirk and so many others admired. Garth is nearly persuaded, until he wavers and shouts, "I am Lord Garth!  You doubt me only because I have not as yet had my coronation." Unsuccessful, Kirk rushes for the shield controls. Garth, however, stuns him before he can reach them. When Kirk awakens, Garth is trying yet another tactic: he has arranged an elaborate coronation ceremony for himself, also naming Marta as his consort, giving her a necklace, and names Kirk as his heir apparent, perhaps as an appeal to Kirk's vanity. When the ceremony is over, however, Kirk is not returned to his cell, but brought to the asylum control center. There, as a show of power, Garth displays the explosive Dr. Cory had alluded to earlier that has enough power to destroy an entire planet and explains that he has put a very small portion of it in Marta's necklace. Through the window in the control room, Kirk is forced to watch Marta choke in the poisonous atmosphere of the planet, brought out in the open by inmates in environmental suits. With no real motivation or remorse behind his actions, Garth is clearly and completely insane. Garth kills Marta by triggering a massive explosion. The explosion registers above the planet. Scott and McCoy on the Enterprise change their orbit to focus their phaser banks on weak areas of the force field, to no avail. Meanwhile, Garth has decided he may get further in his quest for the code with Spock, since he is "a very logical man."  He sends the Tellarite and Andorian inmates to retrieve him from his holding cell. Spock feigns unconsciousness when the inmates approach. They de-activate the cell force field and carry him out, each with one arm around their neck. After a few steps, Spock jumps to his feet and incapacitates them both with a double Vulcan nerve pinch. An alarm sounds in the control room. Garth turns on a security monitor and sees Spock with a phaser walking alone in the corridors and making his way toward the control room. Spock enters the control room and finds two "Kirks." Obviously, one of them is Garth in disguise. Spock asks for the countersign to "Queen to Queen's Level Three", but one of the Kirks refuses to answer, claiming that's exactly what Garth wants to know while the other Kirk rebuffs the claim, saying it's what he was going to say. Spock arranges for a security team from the Enterprise to be beamed down, but one of the Kirks objects, saying they may beam into a trap, while the other one agrees. Spock asks the two Kirks what maneuver the Enterprise recently used to defeat a Romulan vessel near Tau Ceti. One of the Kirks answers with the Cochrane deceleration maneuver, but the other Kirk states that every starship captain would know such a classic battle strategy, to which Spock agrees. Spock decides that whoever is Garth must be expending a great deal of energy to assume the appearance of Captain Kirk, which cannot be maintained indefinitely. He intends to wait Garth out and begins to pull up a chair. However, Garth, still disguised as Kirk, attacks Spock. The two Kirks begin to struggle, with one of them gaining the upper hand on the other. This Kirk prepares to clobber the other Kirk with the chair and demands that Spock realize that he is his captain and shoot the other. The other Kirk agrees that Spock must indeed shoot, but he must shoot both of them, as it is the only way to ultimately guarantee the safety of the Enterprise. This is all the evidence Spock needs; he shoots the Kirk holding the chair, who crumples to the ground and resumes his form as Garth. Deactivating the force field, Spock signals the Enterprise and gives the proper countersign: "Queen to King's level one." Dr. McCoy has beamed down to the asylum with Lieutenant Brent to administer newly synthesized doses of the medicine to the inmates. Dr. Cory places Garth in the rehabilitation chair and returns him to a sedated state. As he is being moved from the chair to his cell, he notices Kirk and very calmly asks if they know each other. Kirk tells him that they do not, and Garth is led away. Kirk asks Spock why it was so impossible for him to determine who the real Kirk was earlier. Spock tells his captain the interval of uncertainty was actually fairly brief; it only seemed long for him. Kirk notes that Spock let himself be hit on the head by Garth to make his determination, a method he does not think that King Solomon would have approved of. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is in synchronous orbit over the capital city of Gideon, a candidate for Federation membership. The physio-cultural reports the Gideons have submitted to the Federation describe their planet as a virtual paradise, with a germ-free atmosphere. Yet for the duration of the delicate negotiations, Starfleet has agreed to the Gideons' unusual stipulation that no surveillance scans be carried out upon their planet. Hodin, the Gideon Council's de facto ambassador to the Federation, accordingly provides the coordinates for the landing party's beam-down -- 875-020-079 -- a spot he says is within the Council Chamber. Furthermore, the Enterprise landing party must comprise of only one particular individual: Captain Kirk. After being beamed down by Commander Spock, Kirk arrives in what seems to be a completely depopulated Enterprise. He presumes the beam-down was unsuccessful, and upon arriving on the empty bridge satisfies himself from looking at the viewscreen that he and the ship are "still orbiting Gideon." In a corridor, Kirk continues to search every part of the ship, and can find no one. He has sustained a bruise on his arm, but has lost any recollection of the incident or indeed the minutes in which it occurred. While speaking to Spock via a viewscreen, The High Council's Ambassador Hodin denies responsibility for the loss of the captain, suggesting that the Enterprise's equipment must be faulty. Hodin repeats the coordinates for Kirk's transport that were given to the Enterprise, which Chekov confirms on a PADD that he was sent to. He frustrates ship's surgeon McCoy and even First Officer Spock with his steadfast refusal to drop his planet's sensor-jamming shields. He claims they are necessary to protect the Gideons against any "contaminating contact" with violent otherworldly nature. Hodin does assent to a "thorough search" but pretends that Spock has agreed that the High Council should be the party to institute it. Continuing his search, Kirk encounters a young woman wandering the empty corridors of the ship in an ecstasy of new-found personal space. Telling Kirk that her name is Odona, she says that on her world "thousands pressed in against me. I could hardly breathe." When she evinces fear Kirk consoles her, offering his hand. She notes that Kirk too seems to be troubled. The captains says he is, "I seem to be the only one of my crew left on board the Enterprise. 430 and I apparently am the only one left." Lieutenant Uhura tells Spock that Starfleet wants him to go through diplomatic channels -- the Federation -- but that the department she has been referred to, the Bureau of Planetary Treaties, has, of course, no treaty with the Gideon and wishes Starfleet to handle the crisis. Spock muses that diplomats and bureaucrats may function differently, but they seem to achieve the same results. Seeing the chronometer on the astrogator, Kirk says that there are indeed some nine minutes that are unaccounted for since his transport. Odona is plainly a Gideon, but apparently is not in the habit of calling her world by that name. Putting the Enterprise's forward environs onto the main viewer, Kirk finds that they seem no longer to be in orbit, but rather in some unfamiliar quadrant. Meanwhile, back on the real USS Enterprise, the ambassador informs Spock that Kirk is not on Gideon after conducting a thorough search of the planet by the natives. However, Spock insists on transporting to the planet. The ambassador grants permission with the provision that a Gideon co-worker beam aboard the Enterprise. Spock agrees, and Scotty beams Krodak, a Gideon representative aboard, but when Spock begins to press for his beam-down to the planet, the Gideon ambassador prevaricates again, and claims that he has acted outside his authority to grant Spock the permission to come to the planet. Spock is clearly insistent and exasperated by both the bureaucratic logjam in the Federation, and by the diplomatic stonewalling of the ambassador. He tells Uhura to demand an answer from Starfleet about the issue of beaming to the planet's surface. At the same time, Kirk and Odona are together on the bridge of the empty Enterprise, and unable to raise any form of communication at all. At the engineering station, the captain drops the ship out of warp, explaining this to Odona, who remarks that it feels exactly the same as when they were at warp. This raises Kirk's attention because there "is no change in how the ship feels." He grows suspicious and looks at the viewscreen, which is displaying a field of stars moving slowly. Odona asks Kirk if he is having a problem with the way the stars look. After Odona and Kirk toy with the idea of remaining alone aboard the Enterprise, Kirk decides he has to discover and contact whoever is manipulating them. He asks Odona about her homeworld, and she says she doesn't remember; she only knows she is at the moment happy. She explains that her home planet is packed to the brim with people. There is not one area on the surface where an individual can find solitude, in fact, there are some who would kill for it. Odona and Kirk embrace, however, other hooded people now appear on the viewscreen unbeknownst to them. While Kirk and Odona walk about the ship and discuss Kirk's bruise, they hear a strange thumping noise. Though Odona believes it is the engines or a storm, the captain knows every sound the Enterprise makes and that is not one of them. He opens a viewport, which shows an ordinary star field after a momentary ghostly appearance of the dense planetary population en masse, with the captain surmising the thumping sound was the heartbeats of all the people he saw out the window. As Kirk begins to request answers from Odona, she begins to feel faint with the manifest prognostics of illness as the ambassador -- her father -- and his aides watch from the council chamber, unknown to them. Hodin then boards what Kirk now knows to be a fake Enterprise. The captain and the ambassador partake in a brief exchange regarding Odona's health before Hodin takes Kirk prisoner and lays Odona in a bed in the captain's quarters. Spock contacts Starfleet Command and argues with Admiral Fitzgerald, who refuses to allow Spock to beam down to the planet's surface without being able to determine that Kirk's life is in immediate danger. On the planet, Hodin comforts Odona in Kirk's quarters, expecting her to die. However, he asks her what pain is like, foreign to both of them, and is proud of her strength in fighting the infection. Going outside to Kirk, he reveals he knows what she has -- Vegan choriomeningitis -- and that they sought Kirk out because they knew he had it. Kirk attempts to subdue the guards unsuccessfully. On the Enterprise, Spock finally resolves to violate Starfleet orders and search for Kirk. He demonstrates the slight difference between the coordinates given them for beaming down Kirk to those beaming up the Gideon councilman, Krodak. He orders McCoy and the others to remain aboard the Enterprise, leaving Scott in command. Hodin explains to Kirk in the council chambers how Gideon was once a paradise, and its atmosphere has always been germ-free. The lifespan increased and death became almost unknown to the Gideons. The birthrate continued to rise until Gideon became encased in a "living mass," with no space to live in comfort. Hodin says sterilization is impossible as their organs renew, and contraception is unthinkable because of their "love of life." Eventually, they decided to introduce mortal illness to Gideon, choosing Kirk as its source, and Odona as an inspirational model of self-sacrificial heroism. Hodin tries to convince Kirk to stay and provide the necessary virus, but Kirk argues against it. They are notified of the approaching death of Odona and they go to her. Meanwhile, Spock initiates a search for Kirk on the duplicate Enterprise and surmises that this is some experiment and Kirk is in danger. Spock finds them, subdues the guards. On Kirk's orders, Spock asks Scotty to beam up him, Kirk, and Odona to the Enterprise immediately. He warns Hodin not to interfere. In sickbay, McCoy then cures Odona and Kirk shows her around the real Enterprise, now filled with people. She tries in vain to persuade Kirk to go live with her on Gideon, wishing her homeworld could now fit one more person on it. They part, and she beams down to save her planet. 
<EOS>
While the USS Enterprise ferries Lieutenant Mira Romaine to Memory Alpha, a planetoid that serves as the central library of the Federation, Scott and Romaine spend a good deal of time together working in engineering and Scott seems to be falling in love with her. On the bridge, Spock detects an apparent storm from his station, approaching the ship at warp factor 2.6, and concludes that it cannot be a natural phenomenon. After Kirk orders yellow alert, the storm bypasses the shields and penetrates the Enterprise. Soon after, the crew loses their voice. The phenomenon backs off, and the crew is normal again. Romaine, however, faints after making some strange inaudible sounds, and is taken to sickbay. Dr. McCoy examines the lieutenant, but Romaine minimizes the event to the point of being uncooperative. Dr. McCoy insists that Romaine was the most affected of the crew of 430 and he wants to know why. Scott attributes it being her first deep space mission, and coaxes Romaine to cooperate more fully but Romaine fears her assignment is at risk. Lieutenant Sulu projects the storm's course as heading for Memory Alpha, which was built without defensive shields in view of its academic purpose. The Enterprise cannot contact Memory Alpha to warn it, nor reach Memory Alpha until the storm has come and gone. Kirk assembles a landing party. Upon beaming over to Memory Alpha, they learn the generator is inoperative and all the staff are dead. The landing party finds one person alive -- a female who is making the same garbled sounds Romaine made during the initial "attack" on the bridge. She soon dies, of "severe brain hemorrhaging due to distortion of all neural systems, dissolution of autonomic nervous system", according to McCoy. The other Memory Alpha personnel have each had a different brain center destroyed. Kirk asks Sulu to have Romaine beamed down for questioning. Romaine, however, interrupts the dialogue, seeing that the staff is dead, to urge the crew to get back to the Enterprise, as she is sure the storm is returning. When Sulu soon reports the same thing, Kirk orders the landing party back to the ship. Lieutenant Kyle has a tough time trying to complete the transport of Romaine, though, as it is interfered with but eventually completed by Scott. Romaine tells Scott she saw the dead workers on Memory Alpha, "in their exact positions." Scott ascribes it simply to "space" and tells Romaine not to report it unless "you want to spend the rest of the trip in sickbay." As the storm closes in on the Enterprise, Ensign Chekov cannot evade it. Spock reports ten distinct lifeforms in the cloud and doubts that the ship can adequately be shielded against it. The cloud approaches the ship. Since Spock has reported that the entity may be alive, Kirk believes he can reason with it through communication. He has Uhura open hailing frequencies and tie in the universal translator. He announces that the crew of the Enterprise mean it no harm and asks that the "storm" cease its approach as physical contact with their form of life is fatal. The cloud passes the Enterprise's starboard side and positions itself directly in front of the ship. It is increasing its approach. Kirk says that "perhaps it understands another kind of language." He orders the ship be put on red alert and for phasers to be fired, first a warning shot, then a shot directly into the cloud. As Sulu reports that the direct shot has slowed the cloud, Kirk orders phaser crews to fire again. In engineering, Romaine has become affected by the phenomenon again in agony, comforted by Scott. Scott reports by intercom that the damage to the cloud seems to be killing Romaine as well, so Kirk calls off the attack. Kirk orders key personnel to the briefing room. There, Kirk searches for personal data on Romaine from Starfleet that might relate to the attacking cloud. McCoy reports that two hyperencephalograms show that Romaine's brain wave patterns have been altered since the encounter. Spock thinks McCoy has presented the wrong tape, but his concern shows that the hyperencephalogram now matches the ship's tracking of the cloud. Her mind is joining that of the attacker. Scott now discloses that Romaine has been seeing future events. Kirk asks Romaine to describe each event. She describes the effects that have occurred, and one that has not occurred: Scott dying. Sulu reports from the bridge that attempting to escape at warp factor 8 is useless. Kirk asks Romaine not to resist but to let the aliens operate through her, hoping to control that moment to save the ship. Finally, he orders the medical lab to prepare antigrav units. As they make their way to the lab, the lights appear in a corridor, heading toward Romaine. The lights swarm on Romaine and enter her body. Scott despairs that Romaine is lost, and McCoy believes there is no way to force the lights out without killing her. Romaine is determined to retain her identity, but begins speaking for the aliens, which Spock encourages. The alien reports through Romaine that they are from Zetar, a planet where all humanoid life was destroyed. They are the will of the last hundred from Zetar, who have searched for a millennium "for one through whom we can see and speak and hear and live out our lives." Kirk insists that Romaine's body "has its own life to lead." The aliens say they regret the killing they have done, but intend to survive. Scott insists to Kirk that Romaine cannot hurt him and carries her to the pressure chamber. The aliens attack Scott -- as Romaine foresaw -- but the attack is ultimately not fatal. Chamber pressure is increased, despite the risk of killing Romaine. The aliens are successfully driven out of her body. "Now, we have all the time in the world," Scott beams. The Zetarians did not further attack the Enterprise. In sickbay, Kirk asks McCoy and Spock for estimates on the incident's long-term impact on her. Spock thinks the episode should strengthen her. Kirk orders a return to Memory Alpha to let Romaine begin her assignment. Kirk believes they may have an "Enterprise first," with Scott, McCoy, and Spock, for once, in complete agreement. Kirk laughs at this. 
<EOS>
A botanical plague threatens a planet, Merak II, near the quadrant where the USS Enterprise is operating. Under Federation orders, the Enterprise is to go to Ardana, the only known source of a mineral called zenite, which can stop the plague. Kirk asks Uhura to send the High Advisor of Ardana his regrets that, due to the emergency, the landing party will beam directly down to the mine entrance instead of attending a welcoming ceremony in Stratos, a "cloud city" which contains a significant population of artists and scholars. On beaming down, Kirk and Spock find no one or the zenite. Instead, they are ambushed by two Troglytes, dressed in dusty jumpsuits, boots, gloves, bandanas and goggle-like silver bands. Kirk and Spock are outnumbered. Kirk demands to know why he and Spock have been attacked. The woman in the group replies, "interference breeds attack, Captain." Mistaking them for Stratos dwellers, Kirk explains the situation, but they begin fighting instead. Three more men, two of them dressed in sky-blue tunics, materialize on the platform where Kirk and Spock had. The third man, older and bearded, yells for the fighting to stop while the other two draw weapons. The guards shoot, striking one of the attackers; the woman and the other two attackers manage to escape into the mine. The robed figure introduces himself as Plasus, the High Adviser of the Council and explains the situation. The Disrupters, a rebel group of Troglytes, have confiscated the zenite in order to force negotiations in their favor. He orders the guards to immediately organize a search party and invites Kirk and Spock to visit Stratos in the meantime. Kirk, Spock, and Plasus materialize on a balcony in Stratos with steps leading down from it. They are impressed with the city, Spock commenting that Stratos is the "finest example of sustained anti-gravity elevation" he has ever seen. As they descend the stairs, a woman comes to meet them, Plasus' daughter Droxine. Plasus shows them around and points out the art work assembled there, though stops in mid-sentence as his eyes come upon a miner's tool embedded in one of the artworks. Plasus invites them to stay in a rest chamber while they wait for the zenite to be found. When they leave, two sentinels struggle to bring a miner into the presence of Plasus and his daughter on the balcony. The Troglyte was apprehended leaving the city without carrying a transport card. Plasus questions him and it is clear that the man is not answering him truthfully. Plasus commands that the Troglyte be secured to the rostrum, but the Troglyte breaks free from the sentinels, and hurls himself over the balcony instead, falling to his death. In the luxuriously appointed resting chamber, Kirk is asleep on a bed while Spock reclines on a chair, meditating on the contrasts between the two classes that live on the planet. He hears Droxine and leaves to talk to her about Vulcans, however, they fail to notice a woman that lurks behind some columns nearby and then enters the resting chamber where Kirk is, drawing a cavern implement to his neck. At the last possible moment, Kirk grabs her arm and in one swift move, pins her to the bed. He recognizes her as his attacker on the surface and insists that she answer his questions. When Kirk releases her, however, she again grabs the weapon and attempts to attack Kirk but is subdued again. Kirk's attacker insists that murder was not her intent -- she wanted to take Kirk hostage. When Droxine and Spock enter, it is clear that Kirk's attacker, named Vanna, is a servant on Stratos, who mistakenly believes that the Enterprise and her crew have been called there to decisively end the Disrupters' rebellion. Droxine's and Vanna's conversation indicates that the Stratos dwellers view the Troglytes as inferior, both intellectually and physically, and thus undeserving of any privileges. Vanna is taken away by a sentinel and Kirk tries to understand the logic behind the mistreatment of the Troglytes from Droxine. She insists that the system, as it stands, is perfect and can see no reason to change it. Outside, Vanna's hands are bound behind her back to the rostrum. Droxine and two Sentinels are also present. As some people stroll by casually, Plasus demands to know the names of the other Disrupters. When Vanna denies their existence, he signals for the torture rays. Vanna is unable to look away or even shut her eyes, but does scream, attracting Kirk and Spock. As they arrive, the torture stops and Vanna slumps unconscious. Kirk did not realize torture was involved in obtaining the zenite, and objects. Plasus reiterates it is necessary. After some heated words and threats are exchanged between Kirk and Plasus, he orders the Sentinels to remove Vanna from the torture device and demands Kirk and Spock to return to the Enterprise or risk a diplomatic incident. After Kirk and Spock beam up, Plasus advises the sentinels to kill Kirk if he ever sets foot on Stratos again. Kirk and Spock are back on the bridge of the Enterprise. Dr. McCoy, who has been studying the Troglytes' environment, reports. It appears that exposure to the gas emanating from unrefined zenite has deleterious effects on the mental function of the Troglytes. This would partly explain their decreased mental capacity. McCoy adds that the effects are fully reversible, regardless of the repeated exposure. Therefore, that simply wearing gas mask filters should protect them from the effects of the gas. It is further postulated that since Vanna has passed a considerable amount of time at the city in the clouds, the effects of the gas on her are minimal and is therefore in a position to lead the Troglyte uprising. Seeing that they now may have a bargaining chip to help persuade the Disrupters to give them the desperately needed consignment of zenite, Kirk orders McCoy to acquire as many gas masks as he can. Kirk, Spock and McCoy contact Plasus from the transporter room to advise him of their findings but his resolve and obvious prejudice keep him from accepting them. Moreover, he accuses Kirk of interfering with the workings of a local government. Plasus abruptly terminates the communication. Kirk orders Spock to beam him to Vanna's confinement cell, against Plasus' stern suggestion that he not return to Stratos. Kirk, with gas mask in hand, is transported to the cell, where he tries to persuade Vanna. He promises her that after the zenite has been delivered, he will return to mediate the differences between the Cloud Dwellers and the Troglytes. At first, she too seems unmoved: "Hours can become centuries and promises can become lies " But in the end, Kirk seems to have gained her trust, and Vanna agrees to take him directly to the consignment, which is in a mine deep below the surface. A sentinel enters to deliver Vanna's refreshments. Kirk, hiding in a corner, stuns him with his phaser. They appropriate the fallen sentinel's transport pass and leave the cell. Once they have made it into the subterranean zenite mine, Vanna strikes the mine wall three times with a mortae as a signal, and two other Disrupters, Anka and Midro, appear. But once Vanna has greeted them both, she orders them to subdue Kirk, take his phaser, and toss his communicator out of reach. She does not believe that an invisible and odorless gas has been keeping her people from functioning at the height of their potential. Now she has laid a trap, and has a very valuable hostage. She forces him to mine zenite with his bare hands. Vanna sends the two Disrupters away, Anka to transport the gas mask to the Cloud Dwellers' City as a message to the High Adviser, and Midro to alert the other Disrupters of any Enterprise officers who try to rescue Kirk. An argument between her and Midro reveals some disagreement about who makes the decisions. This leaves her alone with Kirk. Having somewhat placated Vanna by getting her to talk, he throws zenite dust at her, which distracts her. He then rushes at her and retrieves his phaser, using it to seal them in. Vanna exclaims that Kirk has cut off their air, but Kirk says he needs to run a demonstration. He finds his communicator and orders Spock to transport Plasus to Kirk's coordinates in the mine, without warning. On Stratos, Plasus is at the moment very close to Droxine, who currently is thinking about Kirk and Spock. They are interrupted by a sentinel who informs them of Vanna's escape with Kirk's help. Droxine points out Kirk is desperate, and Plasus sends her away, not tolerating any defense, but not before she asks her father whether their methods of dealing with the Troglytes are really the only correct recourse. Soon, Plasus finds himself beamed into the mine. In the mine, Kirk forces both Plasus and Vanna to mine the zenite in order to become exposed to the gas. Plasus eventually refuses and challenges Kirk to a duel with the mining implements. Kirk accepts, and the two rumble on the mine floor. Vanna finally realizes that the gas does have an effect on even Plasus and on Kirk, who are descending into fits of rage. She grabs the communicator, and pleads to the Enterprise for help, to transport them away from this mine, else the two combatants kill each other. Spock orders it so, and once the three materialize on the transporter platform, Spock has to restrain Kirk and remind him of the effects of the zenite gas. Kirk slowly becomes himself again. On Stratos, Kirk now has Vanna's trust and receives the consignment of zenite. Furthermore, Vanna makes it clear that with their minds unimpaired by the zenite, her people will be pursuing their political cause with even more vigor and determination. Kirk once again offers his assistance in mediating on behalf of the Troglytes, referring them to the Federation Bureau of Industrialization. Plasus and Kirk again exchange accusations, but Vanna convinces them to drop them both. Spock bids farewell to Droxine; she states that she will leave Stratos and go to the mines on the surface below. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise intercepts the Aurora, a stolen space cruiser. The crew of the craft attempt to run away, but the engines overheat and the vessel is destroyed. Moments before the explosion, Scott is able to beam them safely aboard. There, the thieves are revealed to be a wild-looking group of space hippies. In the transporter room, Kirk and Spock meet the thieves. Among them is Tongo Rad, the son of a Catullan ambassador -- and whose involvement prevents Captain Kirk, under orders from the Federation, from arresting the group for theft. Instead, Kirk is ordered to bring them to a starbase as guests. Rad and the group are not phased by Kirk, and continue to sit on the floor, though they do demand Kirk bring them to the planet Eden -- which Kirk insists is a myth. Spock apparently seems to understand the group's gestures and motives, though they do not give him details, either. They chant Kirk derisively, "Herbert! Herbert!" Kirk goes to the bridge to have Lieutenant Palmer notify the starbase that they have the group alive. Another member of the group is Irina Galliulin, an acquaintance of Ensign Chekov and a dropout from Starfleet Academy. The group, led by Dr. Sevrin, a former university professor on Tiburon, rejects conventional society. In sickbay, Chekov meets Galliulin after losing track of her a long time ago. He asks what happened, and she says she believes in her path and knew Chekov would not approve. When she rejoins her group, shouting is heard since Dr. Sevrin is quarantined. After being examined in sickbay, Dr. Sevrin is found to be a carrier for the deadly bacteria synthococcus novae, created by the very advances that make life in the 23rd century possible. The disease has no cure, but immunization is available. Kirk orders Dr. McCoy that boosters be administered to the crew, but that Dr. Sevrin must be put in isolation until he no longer poses a danger to the crew or his companions. Dr. Sevrin protests the action, claiming he did not know he was a carrier. Meanwhile, Dr. Sevrin's companions boldly circulate among the crew, attempting to incite the younger members, in particular, Sulu, to join them. Kirk finally asks Spock to speak to Dr. Sevrin to persuade his followers to stop their actions before they are charged under Federation laws and barred from continuing their search for Eden. Dr. Sevrin then reveals to Spock he did know he was a carrier, and blames advanced technology for infecting him, then forcing him to stay near advanced technology. He says only a primitive world -- such as Eden -- can fully cleanse him from the disease. Spock counters that his presence would destroy any life on that planet, but Dr. Sevrin is unrelenting in his quest. Spock concludes that Dr. Sevrin is insane, but offers to help in the search for Eden by using the resources of the Enterprise. Adam, one of Dr. Sevrin's followers, visits Spock in his quarters with a request to put on a concert for the crew. Spock agrees to ask Kirk about the idea. Adam spots Spock's Vulcan lute on a shelf behind him and Spock lets him try it out. Adam then hands the lute to Spock for a little demonstration on how to play it. Adam asks Spock to join him on the concert that he has proposed. Spock agrees. Meanwhile, in Auxiliary Control, Chekov is assisting Spock's search for Eden, but he is distracted by Irina's presence. In trying to seduce the young ensign, Irina learns about the functions of the secondary control room. Adam and Irina then rejoin the rest of the group and there the true plan is revealed: the group is attempting to seize control of the Enterprise once Eden is located. During the concert, Tongo Rad climbs up a ladder, sneaks up behind Sevrin's guard, knocks him out and releases Dr. Sevrin. They make their way to Auxiliary Control and the others join them, they divert control of the ship to themselves and change course for Eden -- taking the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone and into Romulan territory. On the bridge, Sulu reports to Kirk that the helm is unresponsive. Scott believes it may have shorted out, but determines that helm control has been redirected to auxiliary control. Sevrin announces that he now has control of the Enterprise, as well as the ship's life support, and will not release control of the vessel until they reach Eden. Knowing that Dr. Sevrin will do whatever he plans to do, Kirk orders Scotty to break into Auxiliary Control by cutting through a wall with a phaser. As Kirk, Spock, and Scott attempt to enter the room, Sevrin prevents he and his followers from being seized by applying ultrasonics to knock out the crew of the Enterprise. Kirk and Spock come to, however, and, under great agony, manage to shut off the sound waves. They realize Dr. Sevrin and his followers stole the shuttlecraft Galileo II to take them to the planet's surface. Kirk decides to go after them. They are joined by Chekov and Dr. McCoy in the transporter room and beam down to the planet's surface in search of the group. They learn the legends about the planet are true -- Eden is a fabulously beautiful planet. However, they learn the beauty hides deadly secrets: the grass and plant life are full of a powerful acid, and the fruit is poisonous to Humans. Eventually, the shuttlecraft is found, with Sevrin and his followers nursing severe burns on their bare feet from the acid in the grass and Adam dead from eating the fruit. McCoy makes plans to beam everyone to the ship for medical treatment, but Sevrin refuses to leave, runs to a tree, takes a bite out of the fruit and quickly dies. Back on the Enterprise, Sevrin's followers prepare to leave the ship; Spock urges Irina to continue their quest for Eden. "I have no doubt you will find it or make it yourselves," he tells Irina as she and Chekov then kiss goodbye. "We reach, Mr. Spock," Kirk says. 
<EOS>
Its crew suffering from the deadly Rigelian fever, the USS Enterprise pays an emergency call on a supposedly barren planet, Holberg 917G, to gather ryetalyn, a rare element that is the key ingredient of the antidote. Beaming down to the planet, Kirk, McCoy, and Spock are attacked by a hovering robot called M-4. An old man, Flint, arrives to halt the robot's attack, but insists to Kirk that the landing party leave at once or die. Kirk asks Flint to reconsider but Flint still refuses. As a result, Kirk flips open his communicator orders that Scott have the Enterprise lock phasers onto their coordinates. When the situation seems completely hopeless, Flint relents and gives Kirk two hours to obtain the ryetalyn. Flint orders M-4 to gather the ryetalyn. In the meantime, Flint invites the landing party to his impressive home. At Flint's home, the landing party find what appears to be authentic but undiscovered specimens of Earth art, such as a score by Brahms and paintings by Leonardo da Vinci. They also come across a Gutenberg Bible and several works of Reginald Pollack. When M-4 returns with the ryetalyn, Kirk prepares to beam back up to the ship but ultimately accepts Flint's offer to process the rare element. It was at this time that Flint introduces his beautiful, highly intelligent, but ultimately enigmatic ward named Rayna, whose beauty immediately attracts Kirk's attention. Flint introduces Rayna to McCoy and Spock. Her first time encountering a Vulcan, she wishes to discuss field density with him at a later time. Flint explains that Rayna's parents were in his employ and died in an accident. They placed her in his custody and has been with him ever since. She explains that the landing party are the only men she has ever seen, which McCoy replies, "the misfortune of men everywhere and our privilege." Flint seems to encourage encounters between Kirk and Rayna, such as having them play billiards or having them dance while Spock plays his piano. Kirk recalls to Flint that he had said something earlier about savagery and wonders when was the last time Flint had visited Earth. Flint tells him that Kirk will probably say that it is no longer cruel but he notes that the Enterprise itself is "bristling" with weapons and its mission is to colonize, exploit, and destroy if necessary. Kirk replies that their missions are peaceful and their weapons are used strictly for defense. He notes that if they were truly barbarians, they would not have asked for the ryetalyn, they would have simply took it. He recalls that Flint's own introduction to the landing party lacked a certain benevolence when they arrived. Kirk is becoming closer to Rayna while they play a game of billiards, and while she teaches him some pointers on the game, Kirk tells Flint that to be Human is to be complex, the species cannot avoid ugliness from within or without. Meanwhile, McCoy returns with the report while Kirk and Rayna are dancing. He reports that the ryetalyn contains irillium in quantities sufficient enough to render the antidote useless. Flint offers to go with M-4 and collect more samples and to screen them himself. He offers to let McCoy join him. Later, Kirk enters Flint's laboratory. He is looking around when Rayna enters. He walks over to her and notes that the room became lonely without her. She tells him that loneliness is "a thirst. A flower dying in the desert," something Flint had said to her earlier. Kirk does not understand what she is talking about and asks what is behind a closed door in the lab. Rayna does not know, as Flint has told her she is never to enter it. Kirk asks why she is here then, and she tells him she often comes to this place when she is troubled. Kirk asks why she is troubled and also if she is happy here with Flint. She says Flint is the kindest man in the galaxy, but if so, Kirk wonders, why is she troubled? As Kirk leans in to give her a kiss, M-4 arrives and prepares to attack him. Rayna orders the mechanism to stop, but it does not. Just as it prepares to fire on Kirk, Spock enters and vaporizes it with his phaser. Later, Flint tells Kirk that the robot was programmed to defend the house and its occupants; it did not anticipate Kirk looking around in the lab. However, another M-4 unit arrives in Flint's living room. He states that it is too useful a device to be without. Flint notes that Kirk should be thankful that he did not attack him, as he has twice the captain's strength.but Kirk remarks that, as Flint had said earlier, it would be an interesting test of power. Rayna is pleased that Kirk did not die in the incident and Flint states that death, when unnecessary, is tragic. He orders that Kirk wait in his study, "patiently, safely," while McCoy analyzes the quality of the ryetalyn in the lab. He reminds Kirk that his defense systems operate automatically and not always in accordance with his wishes. As Flint and Rayna leave, Kirk and Spock realize Flint loves Rayna and is exhibiting jealousy towards Kirk. However, Kirk points out that Flint seemed to want Rayna and Kirk to participate in activities together, which Spock notes seems to defy male logic as he understands it. Kirk contacts the Enterprise and asks for a status on the progression of the Rigelian fever. Scott tells him that the fever has infected nearly everyone on board and they are now operating with a skeleton crew. Kirk also asks for the report on a computer search on both Flint and Rayna. Uhura informs him that there is absolutely no past records of Flint, and later, of Rayna. Kirk and Spock realize that Flint wishes for them to linger for reasons unknown. In another room, Rayna and Flint are watching Kirk and Spock. Rayna tells him that she could not have summoned M-4, as she was not frightened. She believes Flint had sent the robot there to kill Kirk, which he vehemently denies. He asks her to say her farewells before Kirk leaves. Rayna sees Kirk again, and the captain tells Spock he will see him in the lab later. She tells Kirk that she has come to say goodbye, but he does not want to. He kisses her, asks her to leave with him and leave Flint. Shortly after, Rayna runs away when Kirk tells her she loves him, not Flint. Later, in Flint's lab, Kirk meets up with McCoy and Spock. They discover Flint has been hiding the processed ryetalyn behind a closed door. In their search for the antidote, they enter a room containing earlier versions of Rayna; she is an android. Flint then arrives and reveals his other secret; he is an ancient immortal, born almost four millennia before Christ, in 3834 BC. Over the course of his long lifetime, Flint has taken on many names, such as Brahms and da Vinci. Eventually, he acquired enough wealth to purchase Holberg 917G and work on a perfect, ultimate -- and equally immortal -- woman. Kirk had provided the final step in her creation, stirring her emotions to life. Now, Flint prepares to put Kirk and the Enterprise in suspension for a thousand years or more, as Rayna's emotions turn to him. Despite Flint's intent to keep her creation a secret, Rayna enters the room and learns the truth, forcing Flint to release the ship. Flint and Kirk fight over Rayna, stopped only by the emergence of Rayna's emotions. However, her new feelings and suddenly having to choose between Flint and Kirk overwhelm her, and she shuts down. Back aboard ship, the plague is stopped and Kirk finally falls asleep in his quarters after ruefully reflecting on what had happened. McCoy enters and informs Spock that the full tricorder readings on Flint indicate he is aging and will eventually die of natural causes. By leaving Earth, he had sacrificed his immortality. After commenting about love and Spock's eschewing of that emotion, the doctor looks at Kirk and wishes he could forget Rayna. As McCoy leaves, Spock moves over to his sleeping captain, places one hand on Kirk's temple, and whispers, "Forget". 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is conducting some last observation scans of a planet incapable of supporting life -- the surface is molten lava and the atmosphere is poisonous. However, from his science station, Spock detects an enormous power generation coming from the supposedly uninhabitable planet. During the ensuing investigation, the ship undergoes a deep, swift scan from the surface of the planet, causing the lights on the bridge to flicker. Then an image of Abraham Lincoln appears on the viewscreen, stunning the bridge crew. The stunned crew of the Enterprise takes in the image of "Lincoln". He asks to be beamed aboard when the Enterprise is directly above his location on the planet below, to allow the crew to confirm his humanity. Captain Kirk orders full dress uniforms and for the crew to take the guest at face value, with Presidential honors, while his real nature is determined, much to the chagrin of Scott and Dr. McCoy. While waiting, Spock notes a small change happening on the planet. A landmass has appeared out of nowhere on the lifeless planet, inexplicably capable of supporting life. In the transporter room, Scott locks the transporter on Lincoln. Spock notes that their target a moment earlier appeared "almost mineral, like living rock with heavy fore claws." Dickerson has the security officers stand ready with their phasers on heavy stun. The lifeform is beamed aboard, with band music playing and Dickerson blowing a bosun's whistle. "The USS Enterprise is honored to have you aboard, Mr. President," Kirk tells the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln steps off the transporter platform and charms them by asking about the taped fanfare and noting his age. Doctor McCoy scans him with his tricorder and confirms to Kirk that he is indeed Human. After introducing Lincoln to Spock, Scott, and Dickerson, Lincoln immediately wants to answer Kirk's questions about him, as well as questions Lincoln himself would like answered. Kirk dismisses security and leads Lincoln away. After everyone but McCoy and Scott leave, McCoy and Scott wonder about the "living rock" reading. Lincoln makes a brief tour of the ship, impressing Kirk with his charm. A conversation with Lieutenant Uhura illustrates that "Lincoln" knows terminology from the era of slavery and Lincoln escapes from a gaffe with the same grace. He then acknowledges to Spock a concept in Vulcan philosophy, and that there is a great Vulcan philosopher on the planet, but has no explanation for how he knows. Kirk had a meeting in the briefing room to consider the situation, and leaves "Lincoln" with Uhura to go there. McCoy warns Kirk of the risks on discipline of Kirk being seen admiring an impostor. McCoy and Scott insist that the whole affair is a trap, however, Spock says it would be illogical given their power -- they could just as easily destroy the ship, if that were their goal. Kirk declares that they have been offered contact with a new race -- the reason for their mission out here-- and that he will accept it. Kirk, Lincoln, and Spock are beamed down, but the phasers and tricorders are left behind on the transporter pads. The surface resembles a canyon on Earth. Kirk now confronts Lincoln, but he insists there's nothing wrong. Then, another being in the form of Surak greets them, also believing to be himself. When Kirk tells them they won't go along with the charade, a nearby rock comes alive. Yarnek, one of the planet's rock-like inhabitants, called Excalbians, says they stage "plays" to learn more about alien philosophies. The current contest, their first experiment with Humans, is to compare good and evil -- "good" being represented by the two Enterprise officers, Lincoln, and Surak, and "evil" represented by four archetypes: Kahless, Zora of Tiburon, ancient Human conqueror Genghis Khan, and the charismatic but duplicitous 21st century genocidal military officer Colonel Green. Kirk protests the manner of the invitation, to which Yarnek responds by enabling the Enterprise crew to watch the contest. McCoy, Scott and Chekov confirm the uselessness of their situation, but are allowed to watch the area. Kirk refuses to participate, and, when Yarnek becomes solid and lifeless again, Green comes forward and appeals to Kirk that all eight were tricked, and that they should join forces against the Excalbians. Kirk reminds Green that he would attack enemies while their guard was down during negotiations. But the truce is insincere and Green's associates ambush during the parley, but are repulsed. Kirk refuses to participate further, and the Excalbians re-enable communication with the Enterprise for just long enough to reveal that its matter/antimatter seal is failing, which will cause the ship to "blow itself to bits" in four hours. Yarnek says this can only be avoided by victory in the combat. Kirk selects high ground for a defensible base, though noting there is no time for a defensive war. Surak proposes to become an emissary, the option that resolved the final war on Vulcan. Kirk protests that Vulcan logic will not sway their treacherous enemies on Excalbia, but Surak says that their belief in peace may be what the Excalbians are testing. Ultimately, Kirk says he cannot command Surak, who leaves for the enemy camp. He is captured and his cries and screams for help to Spock are heard. Kirk says they should rescue Surak: "He's in agony." Spock says that Surak knew his risks and that a Vulcan "would not cry out so." Lincoln proposes that they should do what the other side wants -- "Not the way they want it, however." He proposes a clumsy frontal attack with a stealth rescue from behind. Lincoln crawls to effect the rescue, only to find Surak tied up and dead. Kahless was imitating Surak's voice, and now starts to imitate Lincoln's. At great length, Lincoln walks back to Kirk's base. But he warns Kirk to stay back, then topples over with a spear imbedded his back. Though it is now four-on-two, "good" wins the battle after Kirk kills Green by breaking his neck and the others run off. Yarnek reappears and says that, "it would seem that evil runs off when forcibly confronted." But he sees no difference between good and evil. Kirk points out that "evil" fought for personal gain, while "good" fought when it became necessary to save others. He asks Yarnek by what right the Excalbians compelled the Humans to participate. Yarnek replies, "The same right that brought you here: the need to know new things." Back aboard the Enterprise, Scott and Chekov report that the damage to the ship is reversing, for which they have no explanation. Kirk and Spock reflect on how real "Lincoln" and "Surak" seemed. Spock says it could not be otherwise, since the replicas were created "out of our own thoughts." Kirk feels he understands the effort on Earth to achieve final peace -- and all of their work still left to be done in the galaxy. Kirk has Sulu break orbit of Excalbia and the Enterprise warps away. 
<EOS>
Captain Kirk, Spock and Doctor McCoy transport to the surface of the planet Sarpeidon, to warn the inhabitants that their sun,the star Beta Niobe, is about to become a supernova which will destroy the planet. All three members of the landing party are surprised to find there are no inhabitants of Sarpeidon remaining. In a Sarpeidon library, the team encounter a librarian named Mr. Atoz and several of his replicas. Mr. Atoz tells the three men from the USS Enterprise that the planet's population had been warned about the impending supernova and has escaped by traveling into the planet's past using a time portal called the atavachron. Kirk and McCoy are intrigued by the library and start exploring the small discs which archive the planet's past. Kirk is viewing a disc of an era that resembles 17th century England on Earth, while McCoy is viewing one detailing the Sarpeidon Ice Age. Kirk offers to evacuate Atoz, but Atoz tells them to hurry up and pick a destination and that he himself plans to join his wife and family when the supernova comes. Suddenly, a scream is heard coming from the outside of the library. Kirk runs toward it through some type of portal and is transported to the era of the disc that he had been viewing. Spock and McCoy immediately follow after him, and appear in a frozen wasteland. As it turns out, Spock and McCoy have traveled five thousand years into the past when the planet was in an ice age. Meanwhile, Kirk has "rescued" a woman from being stabbed with a sword by challenging her attacker to a sword fight. Only after chasing the man away does Kirk discover that the woman was a thief attempting to rob the man and he cannot find the entrance back to the library. Kirk goes to the wall from which he had emerged and is able to talk to McCoy and Spock, but cannot get to them. When Kirk is arrested by the authorities for aiding a thief, McCoy and Spock ask him what is going on, and the authorities can also hear the voices. The woman then betrays Kirk and denounces him as a witch, claiming that he and the "spirits" made her steal against her will. Kirk is forcefully taken away. Meanwhile, Spock and McCoy try to find shelter while stuck in Sarpedion's ice age. McCoy falls down, his hands and face are frostbitten and he cannot feel his feet. McCoy asks Spock to abandon him and find Kirk himself but Spock refuses. Just then, a figure clothed in a jacket and hood emerges from the snow and leads them to a heated cave. Spock has McCoy put onto a bed and wraps him up in a blanket. The figure removes its hood and jacket, revealing it to be a beautiful woman named Zarabeth. While McCoy sleeps, she informs Spock that she has been exiled to the ice age because one of her kinsman tried to assassinate Zor Kahn, the tyrannical leader of her time. While in prison, Kirk is questioned by the Prosecutor. When Kirk mentions the library, the Prosecutor becomes extremely uncomfortable. At first, he tries to maintain that Kirk might indeed be innocent. But when the guard insists that he heard voices talking to Kirk, he is forced to back off. When Kirk then starts repeating the word "library" to the Prosecutor, the Prosecutor gets flustered and rushes out, saying he wants nothing to do with Kirk. Meanwhile, in the ice age, Spock tells Zarabeth that he must find his captain and get back to his own time. He proposes that she join him and the doctor and find the time portal. He will have the both of them immediately beamed up to the Enterprise upon making it to the future. However, Zarabeth tells Spock that the atavachron alters a person's cell structure and that he therefore cannot return to the future, as he will die. At the same time, Kirk escapes from his cell when he grabs the guard who is trying to pour soup into his bowl, steals his cell keys, and knocks him out. Kirk hides the guard's body to the side of his cell just as the Prosecutor arrives to take Kirk to the inquisition. However, Kirk overpowers him as well. He questions him and comes to realize that he too had also been sent from the future. Kirk threatens to denounce him as a witch as well if he does not help get him back to the library. The Prosecutor then informs Kirk that the atavachron alters cell structure and brain patterns to prepare people for their journey into the past. The Prosecutor had been "prepared" before crossing and cannot return without immediately dying, but when Kirk announces that he hadn't been similarly prepared, the Prosecutor tells him that they must get him back to the future immediately. If not, Kirk can only survive for a few hours in the past. The Prosecutor then leads Kirk back to the brick wall from which he had emerged. The Prosecutor says he cannot go any further and backs away while Kirk steps back into the library and returns to his own time. He meets one of the Atoz replicas, who insists again that Kirk be prepared, and Kirk is forced to lock him in a closet. Another replica appears and Kirk knocks him out. The real Atoz then appears and stuns Kirk with a cylindrical weapon. In the ice age, Spock's personality is beginning to change. He falls in love with Zarabeth and believes her when she tells him he cannot go back. McCoy notices the changes in Spock and guesses that Zarabeth is not being completely truthful in order to keep Spock with her. Spock also begins to notice that he is not himself after he eats meat and enjoys it. However, even with this knowledge in hand, Spock continues and proceeds to tell Zarabeth that she is beautiful and embraces her. While kissing her, he then begins to further emote and smiles. Meanwhile, Kirk has managed to recover enough from the stun blast to avoid having Atoz wheel him back into the atavachron. He overpowers Atoz and forces him to help him locate Spock and McCoy by trying out various discs in the viewer. McCoy has begun to realize that it is only Zarabeth who cannot return and confronts Spock with this fact. When McCoy also confronts Zarabeth and tries to force her to admit the truth to Spock, Spock grabs McCoy and flings him against a wall with his hand around his neck. McCoy then asks Spock if he's trying to kill him and if that's what Spock really wants. Spock angrily asserts that this is impossible for him to be acting like this because he's a Vulcan. McCoy reminds Spock that the Vulcan he knows won't exist for another five thousand years and then asks Spock what's happening there at this very moment. Spock remembers his ancestors at that point were warlike barbarians and McCoy tells Spock he's reverting to the ways of his ancestors, five thousand years before he was born. Spock says he has lost himself and does not know who he is anymore. He then asks Zarabeth if it's possible for them to go back. She says she doesn't know definitively but McCoy says he's going to try to find the portal because that's where his home and life is. Spock agrees finally to go with him and Zarabeth accompanies them as well. When they find the area where they had came into the past, and where they once again hear Kirk call out to them through the atavachron, Spock can't bring himself to leave Zarabeth alone in the past. But she once again tells Spock that if she were to cross through the portal she would immediately die. Kirk calls to McCoy and Spock and tells them they've got to come back, that it's almost time for the supernova. Spock tries to send McCoy on ahead but McCoy can't go through. Mr. Atoz realizes that they can't come back separately because they had gone through together initially. Finally, Zarabeth turns and leaves them behind and Spock reluctantly goes with McCoy back through the portal. Zarabeth turns around and takes one last look at Spock, with a tear running down her cheek. With everyone back, Atoz puts in a disc, pushes Kirk, Spock, and McCoy out of his way, and rushes to join his family before it is too late. Kirk tells McCoy that Atoz had his escape well planned, and that Kirk is glad he made it to where he was going. He then begins to call the Enterprise to have Scott beam them up. Spock tells McCoy that there's no need to watch him anymore, that he has fully returned to the present. McCoy tells Spock that it did happen though, and Spock agrees, but that it was five thousand years ago and Zarabeth is dead now, dead and buried, long, long ago. On Kirk's communicator Scott tells Kirk "It's now or never." Kirk orders them to be beamed up and to have the Enterprise taken to maximum warp as soon as they're aboard. The landing party is beamed up and the Enterprise warps out of orbit just as Beta Niobe begins its supernova explosion and Sarpeidon disappears. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise answers a distress call from an archaeological expedition on Camus II and a landing party beams down. Captain Kirk finds that Janice Lester, whom he knows, is gravely ill, and Doctor Arthur Coleman is tending to her. Lester awakens just as Spock's tricorder picks up faint life-form readings. Lester becomes unquiet and Dr. McCoy suggests that Kirk stay with her while the others leave to investigate the readings. Kirk and Lester reminisce about their time together at Starfleet Academy, Lester still resenting her inability to rise to a captaincy. When Kirk examines an apparatus in the room, Lester activates it. It traps Kirk into position on one side of it. Lester takes a place alongside Kirk on the apparatus and effects a life-energy transfer, each from one body into the other. Lester in Kirk's body discloses to Kirk in Lester's body her plan to command the Enterprise, as well as her willingness to kill. She starts to strangle Kirk but is interrupted as the others return. McCoy reports that the rest of the staff on the planet are dead of exposure to celebium, though Coleman says that this is unclear, a disagreement that will affect the choice of treatment. The survivors beam back to the Enterprise. Lester, in Kirk's body, orders that a medical team stand by in the transporter room for Kirk in Lester's body. In sickbay, Lester and Dr. Coleman discuss Kirk, whom they want to keep from reawakening. Coleman knows Lester's plans, and in fact knows both that celebium was the lethal agent and that Lester had caused the deaths by sending the personnel to where the celebium shielding was weak. On the surface of Camus II, Coleman had kept the rest of the landing party apart to give Lester time enough to kill Kirk, but he refuses to induce Kirk's death. McCoy arrives and is surprised to see the captain in sickbay. Lester, in Kirk's body, transfers responsibility for the patient's care to Dr. Coleman, despite McCoy's strenuous protests. The patient regains consciousness, but Coleman orders Chapel to administer a sedative. The impostor Kirk orders Sulu to execute a course change for a hospital on Benecia Colony, even though Spock points out that a course for Starbase 2 would provide a better radiation treatment without delaying the rendezvous with the Potemkin at Beta Aurigae. The new Kirk reacts sternly to being informed of the consequences of his orders. The captain next meets with McCoy in Kirk's quarters, who defends his qualifications to treat Lester and has discovered that Coleman was relieved of duty as a chief medical officer on a starship due to severe incompetence. The captain says his decisions stand but McCoy uses his authority to order the captain to a medical examination based on "emotional instability and erratic mental attitudes since returning from that planet." The captain calls this revenge, but the confrontation is interrupted as he is recalled to the bridge. In sickbay, Kirk as Lester again regains consciousness and calls for McCoy. Dr. Coleman says he is in charge and tells Nurse Chapel that Kirk's claims are symptoms of a paranoia that has been developing for six months. He tells Kirk, "You are insane, Dr. Lester."  He orders the nurse to keep Dr. Lester under constant sedation. Kirk, in Lester's body and working not to seem paranoid to Nurse Chapel, asks to meet with McCoy or Spock, but is alarmed to hear in passing of the course change ordered for the Enterprise. After Chapel leaves, Kirk escapes from his restraints by breaking a glass and using it to cut them. Nearby, McCoy discusses with Spock his plans to run tests on "Kirk". News of the captain's aberrant behavior is spreading around the ship, and both of them are convinced that a rapid-onset mental illness began during Kirk's brief time alone with Lester on Camus II. The patient approaches the two -- but the captain had arrived a moment earlier. Lester orders Kirk to be placed in isolation with a twenty-four-hour watch. Soon, however, Spock arrives at the cell to question the prisoner. Lieutenant Galloway concedes Spock's point that isolation orders have never applied to the Enterprise's senior staff. Kirk calmly explains to Spock the technology of life-entity transfer, "accomplished and forgotten long ago on Camus II." When Spock protests that Starfleet requires objective evidence, Kirk describes events from their common past, such as their encounter with the Tholians and also the Vians, then finally, he invites the Vulcan mind meld. Performing, then breaking, the meld, Spock is convinced and asks Kirk to come with him. Galloway tries to block this. Spock disables him with a Vulcan neck pinch, but not before Galloway can call for help. The captain passes McCoy's physical, but McCoy insists on performing the Robbiani dermal-optic test to compare to a previous test. This, too, reveals nothing. Then they hear on the intercom that the prisoner has escaped. The captain goes to the cell, Spock surrenders, and the captain broadcasts throughout the ship a call for an immediate court martial of Spock on the charge of mutiny. The court martial convenes in a briefing room. Scott interrogates Spock, who describes his telepathic evidence that Kirk and Lester have exchanged bodies. Scott tells Spock that Starfleet Command will need more concrete proof than that. Later, McCoy testifies that the captain's physical and mental state are as they were when he assumed command of the Enterprise. Spock's logic compels Lester to call Kirk out of isolation to testify. Kirk describes the life-entity transfer, but Lester interrogates him in such a way so as to ridicule him. Lester accuses Spock of inventing the life-entity transfer controversy to assume the captaincy. Spock asserts his intent to reveal the truth and oppose the captain. Lester regards this as an overt confession of mutiny, but as she makes this clear, she sounds increasingly irrational. She declares a recess, followed immediately by the vote. In the corridor, McCoy and Scott agree that the captain's state of mind is unprecedented, Scott admitting to never having seen the captain "red-faced with hysteria." Scott asks McCoy what the captain will do on losing the vote, concluding that "we'll have to take over the ship" and conceding that that too will be mutiny. But Lester is recording the conversation and extends the mutiny charge, and orders the death penalty to them. Chekov and Sulu protest that the death penalty is expressly forbidden, except for General Order 4, which has not been violated by any Enterprise crewmember. The enraged Lester angrily orders that the other senior officers return to their posts and has Spock, Scott, McCoy, and Kirk detained in a holding cell by Lemli to await execution. Lester schedules a group execution on the hangar deck, with interment to take place on Benecia, but Sulu and Chekov take their hands away from their helm and navigation consoles in defiance. But just then, the life-entity transfer temporarily reverses, as Kirk senses it briefly in the holding cell. Lester runs to meet Dr. Coleman in the archaeology lab to tell him the transference is weakening. Coleman says the only solution is to kill Lester's body but again refuses to do so personally. However, Lester says Coleman is complicit in many murders and now has no choice. He gives Lester a phaser and prepares a doubly lethal hypospray and the two proceed to the detention cell. Lester disables the cell's force field and orders Kirk to come out, to be the first to be executed, lying that the prisoners would be moved to different cells, supposedly to prevent further conspiracy. But before she can kill Kirk with the hypospray, the life-entity transfer breaks and reverses for good, and Lester weeps over her defeat. Kirk lets Coleman accompany Lester back to sickbay to care for her and laments her sadness. 
<EOS>
In San Francisco of the year 2121, a young boy named Jonathan Archer paints a model of his father's spacecraft. When he recites a famed quote from a speech by Zefram Cochrane, Henry Archer tells him the inventor of the warp drive would be proud of him. Jonathan curiously asks about his father's upcoming ship, wondering if it will be bigger than "Ambassador Pointy's" ship. Henry corrects his son, noting that the ambassador is actually named Soval, an extremely helpful Vulcan. Jonathan responds that -- according to Billy Cook, an acquaintance of his -- Humans would already be flying at warp five, if the Vulcans had not intervened. Although Henry Archer does not fully understand the reasons behind the Vulcans' constraint, he believes that there must be an explanation. Thirty years later, the Broken Bow Incident takes place in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, on Earth. A pair of aliens pursue Klaang through a corn field, the Klingon pilot of a crash-landed K'toch-class scout ship, attract the attention of a farmer named Moore. Although Klaang eventually manages to kill the aliens by blowing up a corn silo with them in it with his disruptor, he is shot with Moore's plasma rifle. Aboard a inspection pod, Orbital 6, Jonathan Archer, now a captain in Starfleet, and Commander Charles Tucker inspect the prototype NX-class starship Enterprise NX-01 in the Orbital Drydock Facility, a spacedock orbiting Earth. After being urgently called back to Starfleet Medical, Archer attends a meeting where a group of high-ranking Starfleet officers, including Admiral Forrest, discuss Klaang with several Vulcan dignitaries: Ambassador Soval, Tos, and Sub-Commander T'Pol. Archer also meets an alien doctor who is providing Klaang with medical care. Eventually, it is decided that Enterprise will launch ahead of schedule on a mission to return Klaang to the Klingons' homeworld, Qo'noS. The Vulcans completely disagree with this; they had objected to Humans returning Klaang out of fears that a perceived provincial attitude and accompanying volatile nature of Humans would complicate Human contact with the Klingons so soon. However, Archer manages to convince Forrest to approve Enterprise delivering Klaang to Qo'nos over Soval's protests. After the Vulcans leave, Forrest reminds Archer to not "screw this up." Archer looks at the alien doctor treating Klaang and taps on the glass to get his attention. Aboard Enterprise, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Travis Mayweather discuss the vessel's transporter, a brand-new piece of equipment first installed on their ship. As they walk through a corridor, Mayweather reminisces about his childhood aboard cargo ships, particularly about their artificial gravity. When they enter engineering, Reed introduces Mayweather to Commander Tucker. Meanwhile, Archer travels to Brazil to recruit linguist Hoshi Sato as his communications officer. Sato is reluctant at first, but Archer plays a Vulcan recording of Klingonese, and tells her to think that she would be the first Human to talk to these Klingons. "Do you really want somebody else to do it?" She smiles at him. Another addition to Archer's crew is Sub-Commander T'Pol, whose assignment for the position of executive officer and science officer was obligatory in exchange for Enterprise's use of the Vulcan star charts. In the captain's ready room, T'Pol is introduced to Commander Tucker by Archer and she gives him a PADD confirming her new assignment. An embarrassing encounter with the captain's dog, Porthos, then follows, since Vulcan females have an heightened sense of smell. Along with T'Pol -- whom Archer saw as a Vulcan "chaperone" -- the doctor he met before, at Starfleet Medical, is also added to Enterprise's crew. At Enterprise's launching ceremony, Admiral Forrest makes a speech and remarks there is no better person to captain the first warp 5 starship than the son of its inventor, Jonathan Archer. After this, a recording of a speech by Doctor Zefram Cochrane is played, from the dedication ceremony of the Warp Five Complex, 32 years ago. As these historic words are spoken, Archer remembers his childhood, when he and his dad placed an anti-gravity controller into the model. Mayweather then asks for instructions. He responds, "Take her out, Mr. Mayweather. Straight and steady." And so, the NX-01 Enterprise leaves spacedock and jumps into warp. Meanwhile, in a strange chamber aboard an alien complex, a Suliban officer confers with a mysterious silhouetted figure and promises to recover evidence that the figure requires. This evidence apparently was in the hands of Klaang when he was pursued by the Suliban. Aboard Enterprise, Archer observes a jar full of immunocytic gel worms in sickbay. The doctor he met earlier, a Denobulan in the Interspecies Medical Exchange program named Phlox, asks the captain to make sure that he doesn't shake the worms. Archer helps Phlox unpack medical equipment and an Altarian marsupial, an animal that makes the captain squirm because its droppings are used as medicine. Meanwhile, Travis Mayweather shows Commander Tucker the "sweet spot", an area of every ship where gravity is reversed. Mayweather is a well-traveled "space boomer" and has visited the planets Trillius Prime, Draylax, and both the Teneebian moons. Later, when Tucker enters the ship's mess hall, he is offered a seat by Crewman Fletcher but the engineer replies that he has already been asked to the captain's mess. There, the engineer eats with Archer and T'Pol while they discuss Human evolution. However, all is not well -- during a test of the ship's warp reactor, a verbal conflict between Hoshi Sato and T'Pol arises. When Ensign Sato insults T'Pol in the Vulcan language, the science officer retorts that she herself was instructed to speak English during her assignment aboard the ship and expects Sato to do the same. Later, the vessel loses main power while Archer, Sato, and Phlox are in sickbay, trying to interrogate Klaang. Alien soldiers board Enterprise and attack the Starfleet officers. Klaang recognizes the aliens as Suliban and, although Archer manages to shoot one of the aliens, the Klingon is abducted from the ship. On the bridge, an irritated Archer asks his crew why the Suliban were not detected by Enterprise's new state-of-the-art sensors. When Lieutenant Reed tells him that the starboard sensor logs did record a spatial disturbance, the captain orders the bridge crew to conduct a full investigation into the incident. T'Pol advises Archer to consult the astrometrics computer in San Francisco, believing that he himself has no hope of finding Klaang. However, the captain decides not to take her advice and forbids T'Pol from contacting Starfleet. In sickbay, Phlox shows Archer the corpse of the alien soldier that was left aboard Enterprise. The doctor has learned that the alien has Suliban DNA, but its anatomy has been radically altered by very sophisticated genetic modifications. In engineering, T'Pol helps Tucker to review the sensor data. Archer and Sato soon enter. Using both Sato's translation of Klaang's words as well as T'Pol's reluctant assistance, Archer learns that Klaang visited Rigel X just before his scout ship crashed on Earth. The captain contacts the bridge and orders Mayweather to set course for the tenth planet in the Rigel system. Meanwhile, an alien officer aboard the Suliban complex interrogates Klaang in Klingonese. This Suliban officer asks Klaang where he left a particular unnamed item, but the Klingon claims ignorance. He tells the officer that he was sent to meet a Suliban woman named Sarin on Rigel X but that Sarin did not give him anything. As Enterprise approaches the planet, Archer and T'Pol brief an away team in the ship's launch bay. Archer informs the officers that Klaang was a courier and tells them to find the person who gave the Klingon whatever he was carrying, so they might find out why the Suliban have captured Klaang. The team travel to Rigel X in Shuttlepod 1 and search in a trade complex on the planet's frozen surface. Reed and Mayweather are persuaded, by a man who claims that he saw Klaang, to watch a pair of alien females performing with butterflies. The pair of officers doubt the man's honesty and soon leave. While T'Pol investigates, Tucker finds difficulty with accepting several aliens that he encounters, including a Lorillian mother and son. Archer and Sato meanwhile catch a fleeting glimpse of a group of Klingons. Soon after, the entire away team is attacked and captured by Suliban. Sato, T'Pol, and Tucker are imprisoned by the alien soldiers in a section which is sealed by a force field. Archer is taken to a woman who looks Human but who changes her appearance after she kisses the captain. The woman's name is Sarin -- the same Suliban female that Klaang met on Rigel X earlier. Sarin was once a member of the Cabal, the Suliban military. She informs Archer that the Cabal are following orders from a faction in the Temporal Cold War, a conflict which is being fought through time. The Suliban are promoting internal strife within the Klingon Empire, making it appear that one house is attacking another and Klaang was transporting evidence of this back to Qo'noS to prevent a civil war. Sarin offers to help Archer find the Klingon, but agents of the Suliban Cabal discover them and open fire. Sarin frees the Starfleet officers but is killed in the fight between the Cabal and her small group of renegade Suliban. Archer, injured while on the run, manages to escape in the shuttlepod. With a damaged thruster, the shuttlecraft ascends into the atmosphere as T'Pol contacts Enterprise and announces that she is taking command of the ship. When Captain Archer starts to lose consciousness, he dreams about himself as a child flying his model spacecraft on a beach with his father. He is disappointed when the model crash-lands in the sand, and his father tells him that he can't be afraid of the wind as T'Pol watches from the shore. After Shuttlepod 1 has returned to Enterprise, T'Pol and Tucker use the decon chamber to rid themselves of a protocystian spore they picked up on Rigel X. Here, Tucker questions whether he should take command rather than T'Pol, because she was only assigned to the ship as an "observer". The engineer worries that T'Pol will not continue the search for Klaang if she takes command. Six hours later, Archer regains consciousness in sickbay. Phlox removes, from Archer's leg, an osmotic eel that the doctor used to cauterize the captain's wound. T'Pol and Tucker visit and the Vulcan informs Archer that they have tracked a Suliban ship that left Rigel X just after the captain was injured. Archer is surprised that T'Pol didn't order a course back to Earth, but the Vulcan states that, as acting captain, she was obligated to anticipate Archer's wishes. Archer responds that, as acting captain, she could have done whatever she wanted. As Enterprise continues to follow the Suliban ship, Archer, back in his quarters, is making a log entry, pausing the log several times to question himself about T'Pol's motives to continue the mission. Archer hears the warp drive changing and looks out his window to see that the ship has dropped out of warp. He contacts T'Pol, who asks him to come to the bridge. There, a class 7 gas giant is displayed on the viewscreen. T'Pol tells Archer that the Suliban craft entered the planet's radiation belt a few hours ago, scattering the vessel's warp trail. T'Pol instructs Reed to run a spectral analysis on fragments he has detected nearby. The bridge crew finds that the fragments were left from fourteen different ships. Realizing that Enterprise has found an area used frequently by the Suliban, Archer orders Reed to activate the ship's weapon systems and to polarize the hull plating. The captain then directs Mayweather to lay in a sixty degree vector that will take the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Aboard the alien complex, the Suliban officer talks with the mysterious figure. The officer is unsure whether Sarin gave the Enterprise crew anything, but he knows that Enterprise has followed a Suliban ship and is nearby. He promises the figure that he will destroy the Human vessel before it locates the helix, the complex that he is currently on. The figure says that he didn't intend for Humans or Vulcans to become involved yet, and demands that the officer must stop Sarin's message from reaching Qo'noS. In the atmosphere of the gas giant, Enterprise almost loses the warp trail. T'Pol estimates that the ship's condition should improve, shortly before the bridge starts to shudder. She uses a viewer at her station to determine that the quakes are being caused by unexpected liquid phosphorus. When the ship's condition improves, the officers detect two Suliban cell ships and the helix. Sato reads more than three thousand bio-signs aboard the alien station, but is unable to find Klaang with the ship's sensors. When Suliban ships start attacking, Enterprise returns to the phosphorus layer, where the enemy vessels can't find the Starfleet craft. T'Pol reports that the helix seems to be comprised of hundreds of other vessels, locked together by magnetic seals. When Sato finally detects Klaang aboard the complex, Reed suggests using the transporter to get him out but Archer finds Reed's plan too risky. The captain decides to use Enterprise's grappler to retrieve one of the attacking cell ships and bring it aboard Enterprise. In the situation room, aft of the bridge, Mayweather questions Archer and Tucker about the workings of the captured Suliban vessel. As the engineer seems to be slightly unsure of the craft, Mayweather believes that he would make a better pilot. Archer replies that the ensign is needed on board Enterprise and Tucker believes that piloting the Suliban vessel won't be as hard as it seems. In the captain's ready room, T'Pol attempts to discourage Archer from leaving. She suggests that he appeal for support from a nearby Vulcan ship. The captain suspects the Vulcan is displaying emotional concern, but T'Pol claims that the Vulcan High Command will hold her responsible if anything happens to Tucker or the captain. Reed enters, carrying two cases into the room -- one holds a magnetic device and the other holds two newly-designed weapons called phase-pistols. According to the lieutenant, the weapons have two settings -- stun and kill. He advises Archer not to confuse the two. Archer and Tucker leave Enterprise and use the captured cell ship to travel to the helix, where they eventually locate Klaang. Although the Klingon is initially hostile, Archer threatens the alien with his phase-pistol so he will cooperate with the captain's orders. Together, the three men move through the helix and attack any Suliban guard that approaches them. The captain instructs Tucker to return to the cell ship with Klaang while he stays behind and tries to separate the helix using the magnetic device. After doing so, Archer contacts Tucker and tells the engineer not to return for him, but to take Klaang to Enterprise. Tucker complies as several of the drifting enemy ships surrounding the commandeered cell ship collide. Tucker ignites the cell ship's thruster exhaust, giving Sato, on board Enterprise, the opportunity to tell T'Pol what to look for. When T'Pol detects Tucker's position, she thanks Sato in the Vulcan language. Aboard the helix, Archer fights with the alien officer. The alien nearly kills Archer with his own phase-pistol, but the captain moves out of the way just in time. The alien chases Archer into another room where a strobing, pulsating light throbs. Just as the alien shoots again, Archer is beamed aboard Enterprise. Tucker apologizes for using the transporter, but claims it was the only way to recover the captain. Enterprise immediately leaves the gas giant at warp speed. After arriving on Qo'noS, Archer, Klaang, Sato, and T'Pol enter the Klingon High Council Chamber. As Klaang addresses the High Council in Klingonese, Sato tries her best to interpret his words. According to the linguist, Klaang says something about disgracing the Klingon Empire and mentions that he's ready to die. The Klingon Chancellor approaches Klaang and makes a small cut in his hand with a jagged dagger. The Klingons then pour some of Klaang's blood into a vial which they examine with a large scientific device. The extracted DNA from his blood contains a wealth of Suliban information. The Klingons shout in gruff approval, but soon quiet again. The chancellor approaches Captain Archer and, holding the dagger against the captain's throat, says something in Klingonese that Archer interprets as a thanks. Once the Chancellor leaves, Sato comments that the captain's interpretation was incorrect, and claims that Archer wouldn't want to know what the Klingon actually said. Aboard Enterprise, Archer tells his crew that the starship's mission is to continue forward. Tucker begins work on repairing the starship as Archer orders Mayweather to set a course for an inhabited planet nearby. Although there is an ion storm between the starship and its destination, the captain tells Mayweather that they can't be afraid of the wind. He orders Enterprise to engage at warp four. Archer remembers himself as a child, standing beside his father as his model spacecraft flew across the sunny morning sky. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker, Data, Worf, and Geordi La Forge file into a transporter room. Worf notifies Riker that there has been no contact from the surface of Jouret IV for over twelve hours, nor any signs of life. Immediately after the away team is beamed down by Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien, the team finds not only that the entire colony of New Providence has been completely destroyed but also that the colony's former town center is now nothing more than a giant crater. Entering her quarters with Riker, Shelby reveals she has an uncertain theory about how to search for the Borg, extrapolating a "Borg footprint" from their previous encounter with the Enterprise. Discussion turns to the forthcoming mission and, even though Shelby takes the initiative to select away team members, Riker interjects that not only has he already assigned them to the away team but will be joining the team himself. Shelby lets Riker know, in no uncertain terms, that she wants his job but then apologetically claims she was unaware that he has no intention of leaving the Enterprise. Riker responds that she will be the first to know if he does decide to leave. On his way out of the quarters, Riker tells Shelby the details of that night's poker game. They, Wesley Crusher, Deanna Troi, Data, and Geordi La Forge are later at the game, which results in Riker fooling Wesley -- inexperienced at poker -- into suspecting that Riker has an impressive hand. By confronting Riker, Shelby wins the game. Friction mounts between Shelby and Riker after he, attending the mission with La Forge, learns that she and Data beamed down to the colony an hour beforehand. On the planet surface, he authoritatively draws her away. Data is confused by Shelby's statement that the "early bird gets the worm" and confers with La Forge, saying she made a mistake because there are no "avifaunal or vermicular lifeforms" on Jouret IV. La Forge tells Data that's not what she meant, but she did make an error. Shelby privately tells Riker that her expediency was due to an approaching storm front. Riker reminds her of regulations, of which she takes note. Shelby reports to him that the area's soil contains their Borg footprint, confirming that the colony's decimation was due to the Borg. With the Enterprise now in a solitary orbit, Riker notifies Picard of the efforts being made to ready the ship and Starfleet for the impending Borg invasion. When Picard asks for his assessment of Shelby, Riker admits that she knows her stuff but has not earned his full confidence, noting her initiative and taking risks. Humorously, Picard indirectly likens those qualities to a younger Riker. The captain then questions why Riker is still on the Enterprise, since he's been offered command of the Melbourne. Although Riker answers that he has not decided to pursue that commission, Picard lengthily urges him to reconsider, noting that he is ready to take command, and the Enterprise will be just fine without him. Later in Ten Forward, Riker discusses his uncertainty with Counselor Troi and, as he considers reasons why he is still aboard the ship, Troi doubts each one. He agrees with Picard that there is a similarity between Shelby and his younger self, and wonders why he seems to have lost attributes she now possesses -- such as impatience, ambition and risk-taking. Troi reassures him that, on the contrary, he has matured and thereby gained more than he realizes. Giving him pause for thought, she asks him what he wants. In engineering, Shelby and a team that includes Data, Geordi La Forge and Wesley Crusher deduce that a Borg cube's systems are likely interconnected, like the Borg themselves. The team debate their own ship's available technologies but La Forge and Crusher confess to being overly tired. Despite Shelby wanting their work to continue, Riker insists otherwise, due to the team's exhaustion. Eventually, Riker dismisses Shelby. With the Enterprise continuing at warp, the bridge officers later detect the invading Borg cube, which moves to intercept the Starfleet vessel. Picard instructs Worf that Hanson is to be contacted with news that the engagement has begun. With the two ships face-to-face, Picard is hailed by the Borg. Data is unsure if the cube is the same ship the Enterprise encountered at J-25 but says their dimensions match exactly. The Borg demand that Picard personally surrenders to them, influencing the bridge officers to realize that the Borg's priorities have changed from an interest exclusively in technology. Picard defiantly refuses and continues to threaten the Borg to withdraw. A skirmish ensues, in which the cube makes an eventually successful attempt to trap the Enterprise in a tractor beam. Whereas the Enterprise's weapons do no damage to the cube, the Borg's use of a cutting beam forces La Forge to evacuate engineering. Thanks to Shelby's quick-witted strategy and technical knowledge, the Enterprise breaks away using multiple phaser hits with random frequencies. On a course set by Picard, the ship speedily departs, pursued by the cube moments later. La Forge arrives on the bridge, while Data reports that eleven crewmembers were killed when the Borg attacked, along with eight more missing. Picard supervises the ship's entry into the sensor-blinding Paulson Nebula, a hiding spot into which the cube does not follow. Riker, Shelby, and the engineering team in the observation lounge review their escape from the cube's tractor beam, finding that a high narrow band of phaser frequencies momentarily nullified the cube's power. La Forge and Crusher come up with a plan to fire a concentrated blast of those same frequencies from the main deflector dish. Shelby fears that such a blast would also destroy the Enterprise but Riker proposes that the plan could still work, if some distance was put between the ship and its target. Although Riker approves of Shelby suggesting that all phasers are retuned to the same band of frequencies, he repeatedly dismisses her recommending that they separate the vessel's saucer section and use it to divert the Borg. Shelby insists that Captain Picard be given the option of deciding on her proposal, but -- after Riker replies that he personally presents all ideas to Picard -- she finally desists and exits with Data and Wesley, leaving Riker and La Forge to remark on her stubbornness. They nevertheless agree that she can help the Enterprise crew. Riker later enters Picard's ready room to find Shelby there, having brought her controversial suggestion to the captain. Picard agrees with an uncomfortable Riker that the right time for Shelby's plan is not yet but dictates that her proposed stratagem should be used as a fall-back. Riker accepts Picard telling him to make the necessary preparations to enact her plan. Riker and Shelby board a turbolift via the bridge but Riker immediately stalls their journey to the battle bridge on deck eight. Fuming about her insubordination, he warns Shelby not to bypass his authority again. After he grants her permission to speak freely, she irritatedly emotes that Riker is obstructing her career. Riker mocks her frustration but she then criticizes the cautiousness of his shipboard service, telling him that -- if he cannot make the big choices that go with his rank -- he should abdicate to someone who can. While touring the Enterprise after surveying engineering, Picard visits an empty Ten Forward, where Guinan, sitting off to the side in the dark, is puzzled to see that he is awake. He tells her of his tour and, as they converse over the tradition of such a tour, Guinan intuits that Picard is not confident about the imminent clash with the Borg. He admits as much, anticipating that the conflict may spell the end for his civilization. She assures him that -- even in the face of almost certain obliteration -- Humanity, like her own people have done, will prevail against the Borg by surviving. Explosions outside the ship's hull and a communication from Worf summon the captain to the bridge. There, Picard learns that the blasts are due to magnetometric guided charges from the Borg cube. Soon thereafter, the Enterprise speeds out of the nebula under Riker's supervision, as requested by Picard, but is struck by one of the charges. The cube gives chase, soon managing to tractor onto the Enterprise, and Borg intruders begin to transport onto the bridge. Although Worf manages to disable the first with his own phaser, he and Riker are forcefully discarded when they consecutively try to assault a second Borg, who resists Worf's phaser. A third appears beside Picard and restrains the captain before both vanish. He and the two Borg survivors are transported from the bridge, leaving the disabled one to self-destruct. Recovering, Riker and Worf find that the Borg are making a quick getaway, so Riker orders pursuit. O'Brien is unable to beam Picard back due to interference. Worf shockingly discovers the course the Borg has set will lead them to Sector 001. Riker grimly identifies the Borg's exact target: Earth. Picard is escorted to face the cube's interior, where the Borg Collective inform him that he has been chosen to become a liaison between the Borg and Humanity, to expedite the assimilation of Earth into the Collective. Picard refuses to comply, saying that Humans would rather die, but the Borg maintain that his efforts to resist them will not succeed. La Forge meanwhile informs Riker, on the Enterprise's bridge, that their deflector is nearly weaponized but will require an abundance of power from the warp engines. Riker arranges an away team to retrieve Picard and, on Shelby's advice, he also prioritizes inducing the cube to drop out of warp. Riker plans to lead the away team himself, leaving Shelby to coordinate with Starfleet from the bridge, but she objects that the team could use Shelby's knowledge of the Borg. Riker cuts Shelby off mid-sentence but listens to Troi's objection that protocol dictates that Riker's place is on the bridge as the Federation is currently in a state of war. Reluctantly, he assigns command of the team to Shelby. After preparing to board the cube, the away team members -- Shelby, Worf, Data and Dr. Crusher -- are transported over to the Borg craft, armed with newly retuned phasers. Shelby reminds the team that their phasers would work once or twice before the Borg learn to adapt. Dr. Crusher, who was heading up Starfleet Medical when the Enterprise first encountered the Borg near J-25, questions what kind of resistance they should expect. Data replies that the Borg ignored them when they originally beamed aboard their vessel as they did not see their presence as a threat. Shelby pipes up that may change should they begin to interfere with their plans. They begin their quest for Picard, whom Worf is unable to detect using a tricorder. As predicted, the Borg take no action against the the away team. Dr. Crusher notices a Borg linkup and metaphorically suggests -- likening the away team to mosquitoes -- that vandalizing the cube's systems could hinder the Borg. In another section of corridor, Data finds more distribution nodes and Worf's tricorder detects Picard's combadge but the communicator is unresponsive, so the team start heading towards it. In the Enterprise's ready room, Riker strongly advises Admiral Hanson -- via the room's desktop monitor -- that Earth's protection be prioritized. By way of acknowledgment, the admiral says his fleet will intercept the Borg at Wolf 359. Riker notifies Hanson of the Enterprise's situation, worriedly implying to a curious Hanson that there has not yet been any sign of Picard. The away team find Picard's discarded uniform and combadge. Shelby apprises Riker now on the bridge of this news, just before he is told -- by Wesley and La Forge -- that the deflector weapon is ready but will require some rearrangement of the ship's crew, which Troi goes to help with. Riker orders the away team to find a way to disengage the cube from warp and Shelby acknowledges. She oversees the experimental destruction of one of the distribution nodes, requiring the combined phaser power of Data and Worf. The disturbance influences the Borg to become energized but the team manage to shatter two more nodes. Their sabotage causes the Borg cube to drop out of warp, a development that Wesley reports on the Enterprise's bridge, and enables La Forge to divert power from warp to the weaponized deflector. Riker supervises final preparations for using the weapon. Meanwhile, the away team manages to disable several approaching Borg but they soon adapt to the modified frequencies. As the Borg close in on the away team, Beverly notices Picard in the distance and calls out to him, but, as the Captain turns to face his crew, his features reveal the implementation of Borg implants and hardware throughout his body - he has been physically altered into a Borg. Worf, shocked, determinedly heads towards his former captain but a powerful force field blocks his way and knocks Worf to the floor. On Shelby's command, the team makes a hasty escape to the Enterprise, leaving Picard behind. They somberly arrive on the bridge and regrettably notify Riker that the captain "has been altered by the Borg" as Worf disgustedly clarifies that Picard is a Borg. Riker is disturbed by this news, as both Shelby and Dr. Crusher are intent on making another recovery attempt but, as the Borg cube re-energizes, Riker insists that they instead use their deflector weapon as this is the only chance to destroy them - should the Borg regain warp drive, the Enterprise's weapon will become useless. The Borg hail the Enterprise. The crew watches in horror as Captain Picard, now calling himself "Locutus of Borg", to assimilate the Enterprise and destroy the Federation. Determined, and with no other option, Commander Riker makes the ultimate decision.
<EOS>
The year is 2364. Captain Jean-Luc Picard takes command of the new starship, the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D, the fifth Federation ship to bear the name Enterprise. The vessel is about to embark on its first mission to Deneb IV, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. Picard, in his log, notes that he is impressed with the size and complexity of the ship as he walks through the Enterprise, surveying engineering, then finally enters the bridge, manned by tactical officer Lieutenant Natasha Yar, Lieutenant Worf, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data. Picard continues with his log, in which he reports that the ship is en route to Farpoint Station and that the ship is short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but Picard is informed that a very experienced officer, William T. Riker, will fill the position. Picard sits at his command chair and makes an off-hand comment on how Starfleet wants the crew of the Enterprise to "snoop" around Farpoint station, to which Data makes an inquiry into the definition of the word snoop. Picard wonders how Data, a complex android with encyclopedic knowledge does not know the meaning of a basic word like "snoop". Data responds that he possibly was not designed to emulate this type of Human behavior. Picard says that it means "to spy, to sneak." Data responds, "Ah, to seek covertly, to go stealthily, to slink, slither, creep, skulk, pussyfoot, gum." "Yes" Picard interjects, to which Data finishes, "shoe." Suddenly, Counselor Troi senses a powerful mind. The ship then goes to red alert, with the familiar alert sound blaring through the bridge. Then, conn officer Lieutenant Torres reports that there is something strange on his detector circuit. A large field begins to appear in front of the Enterprise, which reads as solid. Picard calls for Yar to turn off "that damned noise!" and go to yellow alert. Picard orders helm to make the ship come to a full stop. Soon after controls read full stop, a white light shines on the bridge and a humanoid emerges, dressed from 16th century Europe. Picard asks the being to identify itself. The being notes that he is called "Q" and walks around the bridge, while Torres discreetly takes a small phaser out from the bottom of his console. Q, however senses this and freezes Torres before he can fire. Q, after showing his ability, warns the crew of the Enterprise to go back to Earth or they shall most certainly die. Later, Q changes into many costumes of Earth's eras, including the late 20th century in the guise of a United States Marine Corps captain: "Actually, the issue at stake is patriotism. We must go back to your world and put an end to the commies. All it takes are a few good men." Picard tells Q that that kind of nonsense is centuries behind them. Q brings up that Picard cannot deny that Humans are a dangerous, savage child race, which Picard denies, saying that Humans have made rapid progress in only a few centuries. Q then changes again, thinking Picard and his crew will be able to identify with the period that he next embodies, that of a soldier in the late 21st century, where Q notes that Humans learned to control their militaries through drugs. The other officers, not amused with Q's behavior, attempt to make him leave, but Q keeps on heaping disapproval on Humans, noting that when they finally reached deep space, they found enemies to fight out there as well, which Q says is "the same old story all over again." Picard says that Q is the same old story they have been seeing, self-righteous beings who prosecute and judge for things they can't understand nor tolerate. Q notes that "prosecute and judge" is an interesting concept. He then begins to leave, but notes that he will be back and will proceed the way Picard suggests. Picard, who gets many suggestions from his senior staff, orders that no stations on the ship will make audio transmissions, only print-out, in an attempt to catch Q off guard, with Picard noting, "Let's see what this Galaxy-class starship can do." Picard orders Worf to head down to engineering and have them prepare for maximum acceleration. Picard also asks Data if it is possible to perform a saucer separation at a high warp velocity. Data notes that the separation is inadvisable at any warp speed, however, it is theoretically possible, but there can be no margin for error. Worf returns from engineering, with the report that the engine room is ready, and takes his position at the helm. Picard orders "Engage", the ship turns away from Q's force field and warps away. The entire force field collapses into a ball and heads towards the Enterprise. The object is at high warp speed, at warp 9.6, and the Enterprise increases speed accordingly. However, the object is increasing speed. Data notes that the Enterprise may be able to match the object's 9.8 warp, but at extreme risk. However, the object reaches warp 9.9 while the Enterprise is only at warp 9.5. Picard, seeing no other alternative, calls out to the entire ship, "Now hear this, printout message, urgent, all stations, all decks, prepare for emergency saucer sep." The bridge officers are shocked at this new order. Picard orders Worf to command the saucer section, while Picard commands the battle section. Worf stands up from his conn station and tells Picard, "I am a Klingon, sir. For me to seek escape when my captain goes into battle", to which Picard bluntly overrules him and reminds him that he is a Starfleet officer. Worf grudgingly agrees. Picard, along with Yar, Troi, and Data take the bridge's emergency turbolift to the battle bridge. The Enterprise's corridors are filled with crewmembers and families leaving the stardrive section to the saucer section. Picard, Data, Yar and Troi enter the battle bridge, with Chief Miles O'Brien manning the conn. First, Picard orders that Yar fire photon torpedoes towards the object. Yar complies and the torpedoes are away. Shortly after, Picard orders that the countdown to saucer separation begin. Data counts down, and the ship separates while at warp. The stardrive section turns around and heads towards a confrontation with Q. The stardrive section arrives to see the torpedoes hit the object, however, it has no effect, the point being that the detonation of the torpedoes masked the getaway of the saucer section. Picard asks Troi to send out a message in all languages that they surrender. Then, the stardrive section is soon encompassed by a sphere-shaped force field and bright white light surrounds the battle bridge. Picard, Troi, Data and Yar are taken to a World War III-style courtroom, which Troi reveals that everything that is happening is real, even the soldiers with lethal weapons. The magistrate orders everyone in the courtroom to stand as the judge enters. The judge is revealed to be Q, who charges Humanity of being a grievously savage race, to which Yar is unable to control her anger and starts to berate Q, saying that she comes from a world where a similar "court" was commonplace, and that it took people like her Starfleet comrades to save her from such atrocities. Q then freezes Yar, the same way he did to Torres. Outraged, Picard demands that Q uphold his promise that "the prisoners would not be harmed" and thaw out Yar, which he does, much to the crowd's displeasure. Picard pleads not guilty to Q's charges. Q does not take kindly to this and has two soldiers aim their weapons at Data and Troi, ordering them to push the triggers if Picard says anything other than guilty. Picard, forced into a tight spot, admits that there is indeed evidence to support the court's contention that Humans have been savage. Therefore, he asks Q to test the crew of the Enterprise to see if this is presently true of Humans. Q is fascinated by this idea and tells Picard that the Farpoint station will be an excellent site for this test. Picard, with his crew are transported back to the battle bridge, where O'Brien has been the entire time. O'Brien claims that he has heard that Farpoint is a rather dull place but Picard hears that it might be rather interesting. On Deneb IV, Commander William T. Riker walks to Groppler Zorn's office. Riker has just been dropped off by the USS Hood for his new assignment. He talks with Zorn for a while, and Zorn asks him if he would like a piece of fruit off of his desk. Riker looks for an apple, but cannot find one. Then, a bowl of apples suddenly shows up on Zorn's desk, which Riker swears could not have been there two seconds ago. Zorn assures him that it has been there the whole time. Riker then leaves eating the apple, while Zorn, alone in his office, says "You have been told not to do that. It will arouse their suspicion, and if that happens, we will have to punish you. We will! I promise you!" Meanwhile, at Farpoint Station, Riker meets up at Farpoint's mall with the beautiful Dr. Beverly Crusher and her son, Wesley, who is eagerly anticipating joining the Enterprise. Riker asks Dr. Crusher if there is something useful they can do while they wait for the ship to arrive. For example Riker tells Crusher about the apple incident at Zorn's office, which Dr. Crusher dismisses as Riker attempting to pull favor with the captain, as she is shopping. She sees a purple bolt and says that gold would look great on it, then five seconds later, a gold pattern appears on the fabric. Dr. Crusher later apologizes to Riker and that she looks forward to meeting Picard, which Riker wonders if she knows the captain. Wesley solemnly tells Riker that when he was a child, Picard brought his father's body back to them. Dr. Crusher notes that it was a long time ago and ends the conversation. Riker tells Wesley that he'll see him on board. Riker then meets up with blind Starfleet officer Lieutenant Geordi La Forge, who makes an official report that the Enterprise has arrived, but with the stardrive section only and that Captain Picard has requested his presence. Riker taps his combadge and is beamed up to the Enterprise. Once aboard, the commander is greeted by Lieutenant Yar, who escorts him to the battle bridge. Riker arrives and is not greeted warmly by Picard, who tells him to watch the video recording of Q, so he'll know what the ship is facing. Picard leaves the bridge for the ready room and asks Riker to enter once he is done watching the recording. Riker enters and Picard asks him to perform a manual docking of the stardrive section and the saucer section, a difficult task. The saucer section enters orbit of Deneb IV, ready for reconnection. Riker asks O'Brien to adjust the pitch angle, then assures, with the stardrive's velocity being zero, that its inertia should finish the job. Riker orders the lock up of the stardrive and saucer, and thus the Enterprise is successfully reconnected. In the ship's conference lounge, Picard discusses with Riker during an incident on the planet Altair III, when he refused to let Captain Robert DeSoto of the USS Hood beam down to the planet, seeing that a captain's life could be in danger. Picard tests him by suggesting that Riker doesn't respect a captain's authority, which Riker denies, only to state that preserving a captain's life takes priority over obeying his orders. Picard asks him if he intends to back down from that policy. Riker confidently says "No, sir."  Confident in Riker's loyalty, Picard proceeds to express his discomfort with the substantial number of families and particularly children aboard the Enterprise and orders Riker's assistance in ensuring Picard project the image of geniality expected of a starship Captain, to which Riker agrees. Then, Captain Picard formally welcomes Riker on board the Enterprise and shakes his hand. Riker enters the bridge of the Enterprise for the first time, when he inquires to Lt. Worf as to the location of Lieutenant Commander Data. Worf reports that Data is on special assignment, escorting an admiral around the ship, who took a shuttle to the Enterprise to inspect the new vessel's medical layout. When asked why the admiral couldn't have just beamed over instead of taking a shuttle, Worf responds, "Well, I suppose he could, sir, but the admiral is a rather remarkable man." In a corridor, Admiral Leonard McCoy, conducting an inspection, claims that Data wanted his atoms scattered all over space. However, Data claims that with his age, he should not have to bother with the time and trouble of a shuttlecraft. McCoy stops walking and asks Data "What about my age?" Data apologizes, if the subject of his age bothers McCoy. "Troubles me? What so damn troublesome about not having died?!", McCoy exclaims. The admiral then asks Data just how old he thinks he is. Data reports quickly that he is 137 years old, according to Starfleet records. McCoy wonders how he can remember that so exactly. Data replies that he remembers everything he is exposed to. McCoy sarcastically says that Data may not have pointed ears, but that he sounds like a Vulcan, only to claim that the actual fact that he is an android is "almost as bad," much to Data's puzzlement over his own perception of Vulcans as an advanced and respected race. McCoy replies, "They are, they are -- and damn annoying at times." While continuing to walk down the corridor, McCoy tells Data to treat the Enterprise like a lady and that she will always bring him and the crew home. Later, on the bridge, Q appears on the Enterprise's main viewscreen and tells Picard that his time is running out. Worf reacts by pointing a phaser at him, but Picard restrains him, pointing out that he would be shooting the viewscreen instead of Q himself. Picard states that they will proceed the same regardless of Q's involvement, stating that, "If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are." In Picard's ready room, Riker then tells the captain about objects appearing when thought of on the planet. Picard is a bit skeptical about Riker's observations and orders Counselor Troi to join him and Riker on an away mission, which results in an awkward reunion on the bridge between Troi and Riker, her Imzadi. Picard meets Zorn, but Zorn immediately becomes fearful since there is a Betazoid at the meeting. Troi assures Zorn that she is only half-Betazoid and that she can only sense strong emotions in people. She then feels a strong flood of emotions coming from somewhere, namely pain and loneliness. Picard begins to leave, and tells Zorn that the Federation may not protect Farpoint anymore, to which Zorn says that the station may become vulnerable to species like the Ferengi, to which Picard replies, "Fine, let's hope they find you as tasty as they did their past associates." Later, on the Enterprise-D, Riker finally meets Data in the ship's holodeck, where the android is in a forest program trying to whistle Pop Goes the Weasel. He requests Data's participation in the away mission, to which Data agrees. They then proceed to discuss Data's background and his studies at the Academy, with Data admitting that, while superior to humans in many ways, he would rather be human. As Riker and Data discuss the intricacies of the holodeck technology, Wesley enters the holodeck, excited about the potential of the technology, but accidentally falls into a pond, only to be rescued singlehandedly by Data. They exit as Picard is walking down a corridor, Riker stating that he is leading an away mission down to Deneb IV, and Wesley apologetically dripping water on the corridor carpet. Riker then leads a team to explore more of Farpoint Station, with Yar, La Forge, Data and Troi. They go underground into tunnels, where Troi again senses great despair and pain. Wesley asks his mother to let him see the bridge. Crusher hadn't met Picard since her husband died, and goes with Wesley to see him on the bridge. Taken aback, Picard lets Wesley in the bridge, though suddenly an unexpected ship appears. Zorn insists he does not know the ship or expect one. The ship scans the Enterprise and begins attacking the surface of Deneb IV, though only the Old Bandi City rather than the station. On the surface, the away team loses communication and exits the base into the city on hearing the attack. The conspicuous targeted attack leads Picard to suggest that Zorn may have more information about the aliens than he is letting on and orders Riker to seize him so that they may interrogate him further. After he confirms with Troi that attacking the ship will not violate the Prime Directive and orders phasers prepared, Q appears. Q says he expected force from Picard, when the motives of the ship should be clear. Picard orders the Enterprise in between the ship and the planet, but Worf says his control has been lost. In the Bandi city, Riker and Data find Zorn, who is now willing to explain, however, he is transported out of his office while he screams in horror. Riker reports in to Picard about Zorn's abduction, speculating that Q might be responsible. Q mocks the crew for not knowing who abducted Zorn, but then Troi reports a feeling of satisfaction emanating from the alien vessel. Riker and Data return to the Enterprise. Q goads Picard into ordering an away team onto the vessel, which Picard resists, but Riker volunteers, independent of Q's mocking. Riker and the away team beam over to the entity and see that its corridors are exactly the same as the underground tunnels on Deneb IV. They find Zorn suspended in mid-air, being tortured. Riker and Data fire their phasers and free him. Suddenly, the ship pulses. Soon, the captain realizes the truth: the Bandi have captured an alien lifeform, a space-dwelling being, and have constructed Farpoint Station and its goods by feeding off its power; feeding it the energy it needs just enough to keep it alive so it can morph into any shape Farpoint wants. The ship in space is not actually a ship, but rather the alien life-form's mate. Picard assists the captured alien by using the Enterprise's phasers to deliver an energy beam to the entity allowing it to break free of its bonds, thus solving the mystery much to Q's dismay. Q then retreats, though he hints that it won't be the last time the crew sees him. With the Farpoint mission over, the crew settles in. Picard asks Riker if he has a problem. Riker replies that he wonders if all their missions will be like their first. Picard assures him that he doesn't think so -- they should be much more interesting. Picard orders Lt. La Forge to set a course, "Let's see what's out there. Engage." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has been assigned to investigate a loss of contact with the SS Tsiolkovsky, which had been assigned to observe the final days of a dying red supergiant star. Opening communications, the Enterprise bridge crew hear a woman speaking in a seductive voice. In confusion, Data requests for the woman to repeat her message, in which she states that a huge 'blowout' is about to occur. Many other crew on the Tsiolkovsky begin laughing before a large explosive sound is heard followed by silence. Captain Picard requests a report. Data responds stating that the crew had just opened an emergency hatch. This prompts Commander Riker to stand up and head to the turbolift, followed by Data, Geordi La Forge and Natasha Yar, to beam over to the Tsiolkovsky. As they leave, Worf reports to Picard that there are no life signs on board the ship. On the Tsiolkovsky, the ship is on red alert as the away team spreads out to investigate the ship. The corridors are quiet, but are littered with discarded items and food. The walls are also covered with phaser burn marks. Data states that the mess in the corridor indicates a "wild party", to which Riker agrees. They approach a distorted screen which Riker makes out as the bridge. Data successfuly repairs the screen to clear the static, to which they see the bridge is empty of all loose items, and people; and is open to space; the emergency hatch was indeed blown. Riker remarks the crew were all sucked out into space, to which Data corrects him, stating that they were instead "blown out." Yar contacts Riker from Engineering, stating that ten people present there are frozen. Someone had modified the environmental controls, venting all heat into space. In the crew quarters, La Forge witnesses many nude or barely clothed bodies, all frozen. He enters the bathroom and opens the shower to find a fully-clothed woman frozen, who falls in his arms. Riker contacts the Enterprise to submit his report. He reports that the crew - all 80 people, are dead. In Doctor Crusher's office, the doctor and Deanna Troi are analyzing the tricorder readings from the away team to ascertain what happened to the Tsiolkovsky's crew. Picard enters to request a report, but Crusher and Troi are unable to give any theories as to what happened to the crew. Picard asks if it could have been madness, hysteria, or delusion to which Troi responds it could have been any or all. Picard then requests that the away team be returned to the Enterprise after undergoing full decontamination. Later in sickbay, Dr. Crusher is giving medical scans to all members of the away team. Scanning Data, she notes how perfect his overall condition is, stating that she would write him up in a Starfleet Medical textbook. Data responds to her praise by stating that he already is in many bio-mechanic texts. With that said, Data leaves the main biobed and Geordi La Forge takes his place. After a few moments, she checks the scan results for La Forge. All of his systems are normal, except Crusher notes that he's perspiring. He raises his voice saying that the room is too hot; the perspiration is visible on his face. Those in the room are surprised by La Forge's response, with even Riker noting that it didn't sound like him. La Forge smiles and says that Dr. Crusher threw her voice. He means this as a joke, but nobody is amused. With this response, Crusher decides to perform some more tests on La Forge. Later, after conducting her tests, Crusher contacts Picard via the communications network. She notifies him that she is confining La Forge to sickbay until further notice, as she couldn't determine what the problem was, if any. On the bridge, Riker steps out from the turbolift towards Data at the science station. Riker wants some information and enlists the help of Data. He has a vague memory of reading something about a person fully clothed in a shower, relating to La Forge's discovery on the Tsiolkovsky. Data agrees to help Riker and commences an extensive library computer inquiry for Riker after he comments that it should be easy for Data to find the information as he is written in many bio-mechanical texts. Data is curious and inquires if he was boasting about his comment about being in many texts to Crusher. Riker comments that he possibly was in a dry way, and inquires about the time it would take for the search. It would take several hours. Data, however, continues the conversation about him by saying that Crusher may look him up in the texts he mentioned. Back in sickbay, Crusher continues her tests on La Forge, who is still lying on the main bio-bed. She checks the reading of one of her latest scans and then proceeds to her office and compares her readings with ones on her viewer. Meanwhile, La Forge sits up in his bed, removes his combadge and quietly leaves sickbay unnoticed. Not long after, Crusher returns and notices La Forge missing. She snatches his combadge and runs out the door calling out for him, but there is nobody present in the corridor. She sends a message to the bridge to notify Tasha Yar of La Forge's escape. Tasha Yar confirms and notifies her teams while Picard orders a ship-wide search. In Dr. Crusher's quarters, Wesley Crusher and La Forge are present. Wesley is showing La Forge a miniature tractor beam emitter he created. He demonstrates its abilities by lifting a small chair, stating that the emitter uses technologies similar to those of the Enterprise's emitters with his own ideas included. Despite La Forge's compliment, Wesley is disappointed that Picard still won't let him on the bridge, even with his superior knowledge of ship's systems. He brings out a cube-shaped object that makes him feel like he's welcomed. The object emulates Picard's voice from words he has used over the communication network. La Forge compliments Wesley again, but he notices something wrong in La Forge's voice. La Forge notes that he has a burning feeling, then comments that the room is hot. He exits Crusher's quarters, leaving Wesley confused. Geordi finds refuge in the observation lounge. However, he is discovered by Tasha Yar, who tells him that Medical is worried about him. Still staring out the room's windows, La Forge yearns for help. Ignoring him, Yar calls for a security team. La Forge asks for help yet again -- help to not give in to the wild behavior in his mind. She asks how she can help, but he wants to see with his eyes again. The security team arrives outside the door as La Forge removes his VISOR, revealing his blind eyes. She tells him that they'll talk about it later and leads him to sickbay. In sickbay, La Forge lies on a bio-bed again but is having difficulty controlling his emotions. Both Dr. Crusher and Deanna Troi are monitoring his condition while Picard and Yar are discussing the current circumstances. She mentions to Picard that La Forge was quite upset and wanted normal vision. Picard acknowledges her and proceeds to sickbay while Yar leaves. Right before she reaches the exit, she wipes her hand on her head; she knows she doesn't feel right but continues to leave. When Picard arrives at La Forge's bio-bed, Crusher tells him that none of her equipment can detect an elevated temperature in him, but it is obvious by sight. Picard is worried about the spread of the infection, but Crusher doubts it can be spread as full decontamination procedures were performed. Crusher states that the condition was more likely to be a case of insanity or severe emotional upset. Picard and Crusher both look to Troi for answers. All she can sense is confusion, and possibly intoxication. Crusher denies this as tests showed no drugs or hallucinogens in his body. Back on the bridge, Data and Riker are continuing their search, but it is proving nearly impossible. The mention of a proverb by Riker prompts him to tell Data to search the historical records of all starships named Enterprise. As Data looks over the relevant medical records, Picard arrives on the bridge. Just as he reaches the station, Data finds the relevant information from the medical database from the old Constitution-class USS Enterprise. The records state that during a planetary breakup, complex water molecules had acquired carbon from the body creating similar effects of alcohol on the brain, essentially intoxication. By Picard's orders, this information is downloaded and transmitted to medical. He contacts Crusher and notifies her that the information and a cure is being transmitted to the medical database. Crusher requests confirmation, in which Picard gives an out-of-character 'Absolutely!' making Data curious. Later, Deanna Troi goes to her quarters to find Tasha Yar rummaging through her selection of gowns. Troi enters, confused. Yar is comparing the gowns to her body, but the clothes are noticeably not right for her. Yar tells her that she wants help with clothes and hair style, noting that she wants to change her image and that Troi wears great clothes while off-duty. She holds up one gown, but Troi says it is not her style. She senses Yar's confusion and tries to comfort her, but Yar resists, puts the clothes down and heads for the exit, saying that she'll find what she wants in the ship's stores. As she leaves, Troi heads for the door but can't stop her. She hits the comm panel and notifies Picard that she thinks Yar's been infected with the mysterious Polywater intoxication. Picard says Yar "has the equivalent of a snootful", but Data is unfamiliar with the term. Instead of helping Data, Picard replies 'Forget it!'. Back in sickbay, Crusher is continuing her work. Wesley calls out for his mother, prompting her to leave her work and see him levitating a medical tricorder. Perspiration is also notable on his face. Crusher is too worried for Wesley, however, to compliment him on his work. She tells him to go to their quarters until it is safe. He excessively acknowledges her orders and starts to leave, but notes that she is stunting his emotional growth. Just as he leaves, he says that the room is hot and wipes his forehead of sweat. Before she can think about what he said, Picard contacts her, inquiring if a test injection had been created. She replies with a negative. In one of the Enterprise's corridors, Tasha Yar moves in a very seductive way. Around her, everybody is acting unprofessionally, with lots of flirting. A crewman walks past a corner in the corridor in front of Yar. She beckons him closer and gives the officer a huge kiss. On the bridge, Data continues to upload the information from the Tsiolkovsky to the Enterprise. He notes to Picard that it will take another 41 minutes to complete the upload. Picard asks him why the upload is so slow and Data says the Tsiolkovsky had eight months of information that needed to be transferred. However, Picard looks at the viewscreen, revealing the system's star. He asks what the danger is from the star if it exploded in the worst-case scenario. Data notes that they could outrun any dangerous events from the star at half-impulse. A view of the star again reveals many surface flares. In engineering, both Chief Engineer Sarah MacDougal and her assistant Jim Shimoda are working at their posts. A boatswain's whistle is heard, accompanied by orders from Picard for MacDougal to come to the bridge. She is obviously not happy with the order and reluctantly leaves engineering, leaving Shimoda in charge. A moment later, Shimoda is ordered by Picard to go to sickbay. He, too, is reluctant, but Wesley arrives inquiring about the order. Shimoda notes that if he left, nobody would be in charge of engineering. Wesley tells Shimoda that he could take care of Engineering and contact MacDougal if anything bad was to happen. He gives a big smile at Shimoda, who then leaves, while Wesley stands in engineering with his arms crossed along with a big grin. MacDougal arrives on the bridge, but Picard doesn't know why she's there. She notes that he called her to the bridge. As far as he knows, he didn't and he wants her in Engineering in case they need to immediately leave the system. Another boatswain's whistle is heard with Picard's voice accompanying it. Picard looks in disbelief as he hears his own voice turning over command of the vessel to Acting Captain Wesley Crusher. As Picard repeats the title in disbelief, Wesley's voice is heard with joy thanking the recording and he gives a short speech mentioning that this marks a brave new day for the Enterprise. After hearing Wesley's recording, Picard orders MacDougal to take control of engineering. She heads for the turbolift as Riker follows to assist. Worf, at operations, mentions that abnormal behavior is being reported from all decks, including the ship's training division ordering all officers to attend a lecture in metaphysics. Data confirms this, including a limerick developed by an officer from the shuttlebay involving a "woman from Venus." Picard interrupts Data before he can finish the "adult" limerick by contacting security. The officer who replies is laid back, speaking informally to Picard, even acting rude, telling him "Keep your britches on!" Picard inquires for Yar's location. Yar replies that she's in her quarters and is busy. Picard tells her to stay there and orders Data to take her to sickbay. As Data leaves, Picard orders all security supervisors to report to the bridge. In engineering, Wesley has complete control, cutting off everybody from himself in the main work area with a force field from his tractor beam emitter. He and the officers outside the force field are contaminated with the intoxication, with all focus on Wesley. He continues his speech, mentioning that a dessert course would precede and follow every meal in his command. Everybody outside the force field cheers for "the acting captain." Shimoda walks into the force field and is knocked back slightly. Being intoxicated, he asks Wesley how he created the field. Wesley motions towards his tractor beam emitter and notes that he connected it to ship's power and made it into a repulsor beam. He asks if Shimoda wants in, and he joyfully nods, giving an oath of loyalty to Wesley. The field is deactivated, then quickly reactivated after Shimoda enters the work area, leaving the rest of the officers outside. Data goes to Yar's quarters and finds her provocatively dressed. Unsure how to react, Data tells Yar that he needs to take her to Sickbay; however, she has no intention of going with him. Data indicates that Yar needs time to return to uniform, but she notes that she got out of uniform just for him. She tells Data that she was abandoned when she was five years old and learned how to stay alive from rape gangs. It wasn't until she was 15 that she escaped, but now she wants love and joy. She asks how "functional" Data is; he replies he is fully functional and is programmed in many "techniques," a wide variety of pleasuring. She leads him to her bedroom, where Data gives a programmed smile. The door closes. In engineering, Riker and MacDougal are working as Picard contacts them for a progress report. Shimoda had removed all the isolinear chips from the command computers, disabling the ship's engines. In the office, Shimoda is sitting in a great pile of isolinear chips, throwing them around with glee. Riker tells Picard about Wesley's tractor beam force field. Picard asks if there was a way to short out power to the emitter. MacDougal thinks for a moment, then says she can, but it would take some time. Picard, with concern about the impending star explosion, orders her to do it. Riker and MacDougal begin work on a panel near the office, but a door opens nearby and a voice calls for "Bill," Troi's rare nickname for Riker. She goes towards Riker, obviously intoxicated. She's feeling a Human side she had never felt before. Riker picks her up and takes her to Sickbay, but all Troi wants is to be alone with him. After a long time, Crusher finally concocts the antidote found in the medical database to combat the intoxication. She fills a hypospray and injects La Forge with the antidote. Expecting instant results, she waits, but La Forge asks how the antidote was to help him to see with normal sight, to see a rainbow or sunset. To her dismay, it didn't work. Later, Riker brings Troi over his shoulder into sickbay and puts her down on a bio-bed. He calls Crusher, but gets no response. He rushes into her office where he finds a disconsolate Dr. Crusher. He shakes her slightly, repeating his call. She tells him that the formula didn't work, and that the water-carbon complex had possibly mutated. She snaps out of her funk and heads back to sickbay with Riker to treat Troi. Crusher then realizes that Riker touched Troi, then Riker touched her. They have both been infected. She tells him that he can't leave, but Riker insists on leaving to assist in reactivating the command computers. If he stayed, they could die; if no formula could be made, they would die. The stress on Dr. Crusher is worsening. On the bridge, Picard is speaking to Wesley on the viewscreen. Despite Wesley's condition, he speaks formally to Picard as a superior. Picard demands for him to return control of the Enterprise to the bridge, but Wesley simply states that he'll do whatever it is he wants from engineering. Picard interrupts him and tells him that starships are controlled by their own captains. Wesley then notes that the captain doesn't control the vessel by himself, but orders people to do the work. He then asks what the problem is with asking him to perform the work. Interrupting the conversation, Worf notes that there are unusual readings coming from the star. Picard tells him to stand by, then tells Wesley that he's been infected by the intoxication that occurred on the Tsiolkovsky. Wesley thinks for a moment, then asks if that is why he feels hot and strange, he then asks if he's drunk, because he feels "good." Picard, in a calm tone, tells him that the intoxication is greater than that of alcohol. Wesley appears to be buying it and asks what Picard will do with the Enterprise. He tells Wesley that he intends to tow the Tsiolkovsky away with a tractor beam. The instant Picard mentions of towing, Wesley notes that he's an expert in tractor beams and proceeds to work, closing the channel. Additionally, without warning, the officer at the Conn leaves the bridge, ignoring Picard. Just as the officer leaves, Worf reports that the star is collapsing. In engineering, Wesley is attempting to get the tractor beam working to tow the Tsiolkovsky, but all the command chips are still out of their slots, now mixed up due to Shimoda. Meanwhile, Riker and MacDougal think they've found the solution. They look back at the office, where the force field is still active. Dr. Crusher attempts to find a new formula to cure the intoxication. Out of habit, she wipes her forehead and realizes that the intoxication is beginning. She attempts to focus, but finds difficulty handling simple objects. Thanks to Wesley's efforts, a tractor beam instantly activates and locks onto the Tsiolkovsky. On the bridge, Worf reports on this. Picard attempts to contact Wesley with no luck; however, Data has arrived on the bridge but in a weird stagger, since he's been infected by Yar. Picard is confused as to how Data got infected. Dr. Crusher arrives and asks to talk to Picard in his ready room on an urgent matter, then goes into it anyway. Entering the ready room, he finds Crusher with a smile on her face; she's obviously been infected. She giggles, but Picard is not amused. She tries to control herself, speaking in a formal nature but having difficulty controlling her emotions. She can't help but keep mentioning her extreme attraction to Picard, but all Picard wants is a cure. All of a sudden, he finds himself wiping sweat from his forehead; he's been infected, too. They exit the ready room; Crusher giggles again and waves to Picard. Picard tries to refrain from giggling and waving. Worf notices this and contacts Riker to notify him that Data and Picard have been infected. Riker tells him he's on his way and leaves MacDougal alone to continue the work in Engineering. The reaction in the star is becoming more severe, prompting the red alert klaxon to activate. Seconds later the star implodes into a white dwarf, ejecting a vast number of fragments of its former mass in the process. Despite being intoxicated, the bridge crew look with concern towards the viewscreen; an object is approaching. Worf tells the crew that a portion of the star's surface is on a collision course just as Riker arrives. Picard attempts to order Worf to move the ship, but he can't think of the correct words to say. A moment later, Picard is able to get the words out and orders Worf to move the ship out of the area. He tries his controls on both conn and ops panels, but there is no response. He jumps over to the helm, but still no response. Riker contacts Wesley in engineering, but he ignores the call. Meanwhile, MacDougal is continuing her work and finally shorts the power to the force field. She rushes in as Riker calls engineering again to reactivate ship power. She walks over to Shimoda, telling him that they are command chips rather than toys. She contacts the bridge to reply to Riker's call. Agitated, she tells him that nothing can be done as all the command chips have been removed. Worf estimates fourteen minutes until the stellar mass collides with the ship, but that isn't enough time to return all the chips into their slots. Wesley, trying to help as much as he can, notes that Data can replace them due to his great speed. Riker orders Data to report to engineering. As MacDougal attempts to sort the pile of isolinear chips, Data arrives, obviously infected. Wesley and Data exchange greetings, but Riker interrupts them so work can proceed. He yells at Data to get to work before he ends up like everybody else. Wesley compares the task to a game, which intrigues Data and he starts replacing the isolinear chips. To see the progress of the star's explosion, Wesley switches one of the engineering consoles to the main viewer; visible is a stellar core fragment, racing towards the Enterprise. Riker asks Data if he can finish in time, but Data needs slightly more time than is available. Riker wipes his head, to find he's sweating. He starts to panic as he's now succumbing to the infection. In her office, Crusher is continuing to work on finding a vaccine. Picard skips into her office and Crusher calls him by his first name, which he still considers inappropriate despite being infected. However, Crusher sees it all as a game and tells Picard that he can call her "Chief Medical Officer." Picard begins to wander off and starts to have fun with the conversation, but quickly shakes his head, trying to concentrate. Crusher stands up, taking the blue hypospray container, but she forgets where she was going. Picard indicates the hypospray, which reminds her that she was going to test it on La Forge. Meanwhile, in engineering, Data continues to work on resetting the isolinear chips, but Wesley is trying to show off his school project. He shows it to Riker, boasting about his work, but Riker focuses on Data instead. Back on the screen, the core fragment continues to approach the defenseless Enterprise, and it begins to worry Wesley. He looks at his project, and contemplates what it could do if it were much more powerful. Crusher vaccinates La Forge in sickbay with Picard still present. She is unsure about her new vaccine as it is still based on the old Enterprise's remedy. However, after being injected with the modified vaccine, La Forge notes that his head is clearing -- the new vaccine has worked. Crusher instantly turns around and injects Picard and herself with the working vaccine. She then hands the hypospray to Picard and both leave to inoculate the crew. With the fragment homing in on the Enterprise, Wesley develops the idea to turn the starship's tractor beam into a repulsor beam. MacDougal says it would take weeks to lay out new circuits for the idea to work. Despite his intoxication, Wesley is able to formulate an idea to make his theory reality. He begins work at the console he's at; however, he is unable to think straight and becomes stuck halfway through. Picard rushes into engineering, where Riker is not confident that they have enough time. While Picard inoculates the officers present, Wesley, still suffering from the intoxication, manages to finish turning the ship's tractor beam into a repulsor beam. The beam activates and bounces the Enterprise away from the Tsiolkovsky, buying the extra time needed for Data to finish inserting the last of the isolinear chips. The core fragment impacts the Tsiolkovsky, utterly destroying her. As the crew tensely watches the monitor as the fragment bears down on them, Data finishes the repairs and Riker orders the bridge to engage the warp engines. The Enterprise blasts into warp speed with seconds to spare as the fragment drifts harmlessly out into space. With his mind now clear, La Forge, who is present on the bridge, wonders what pushed them out of the way. Worf thinks it was Data, but Picard corrects him saying it was both Data and Wesley. Worf, incredulous, asks if the captain had said Wesley's name. Dr. Crusher, glowing with pride, confirms what Picard had said. Additionally, Riker recommends to Picard that Wesley should receive a fair mention in his log. Picard begrudgingly agrees with the intent to acknowledge his science teacher, as well. With everything back to normal, the senior staff returns to the bridge to commence normal operations. However, when Yar arrives on the bridge, she turns to Data at the science station and informs him, out of embarrassment, that the actions of that day had never happened. As Data puzzles over her statement, the Enterprise warps off to its next destination as Picard states that he believes his new crew will work out well, if they can avoid temptation. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has traveled to Ligon II for a vaccine, found only on that planet, that is needed to cure a plague, Anchilles fever, on Styris IV, a Federation planet. Captain Picard has to negotiate with the Ligonian leader Lutan for the vaccine. Picard, Troi and Riker meet up with Natasha Yar in cargo bay 1 to greet the Ligonians. Riker and Troi inform Picard that the Ligonians are a closely humanoid race with similarities to Human culture, as well as an extremely proud race of people with a highly-structured society. The Ligonians beam over with a red carpet, which is rolled out before Lutan himself beams over. Picard greets him, and Lutan introduces his secondary Hagon. Picard then introduces his crew. Immediately, Lutan is intrigued that a woman, Yar, is in charge of security on the Enterprise. Hagon approaches Picard with a sample of the vaccine, and brushes Yar out of the way when she tries to take it from him. Yar then throws Hagon to the ground before inspecting the vaccine and giving it to Picard. Troi recommends not to apologize for the incident as they would see this as a sign of weakness. Picard thanks Lutan and invites them to stay for entertainment. Lutan agrees, however, once the Enterprise crew leaves, he tells Hagon that Yar may be "just what he needs." In the observation lounge, Picard presents Lutan with a 13th century statue of a horse from China's Sung Dynasty. Lutan makes a speech praising Picard and saying he hopes their two peoples can become friends. He tells Picard that on Ligon, the women own all the land and wealth, but apart from that they are subservient to the men. He then asks to see the holodeck, and specifically requests Yar to show it to him. She brings him and Hagon there and shows them an aikido training holoprogram. Lutan tells Yar that he is very impressed by her. They return to the cargo bay and prepare to leave. Lutan goes to shake Yar's hand, but then grabs her and forcefully beams her down to Ligon. Picard immediately orders a red alert. Picard tries to contact Lutan through Ligon's orbital control station, but he doesn't respond. He then orders a display blast of photon torpedoes 1,000 meters above the planet's surface. Unfortunately, they cannot trace the location of the transporter beam. Troi advises the captain that she sensed avarice and ambition from Lutan, but general attraction and curiosity from the rest of the Ligonians. Data comments that the Ligonians value patience and that perhaps they should wait and see if Lutan contacts them. A day later, Dr. Crusher visits the captain in his ready room and tells him that the vaccine can't be replicated -- only the original will work. She also asks him to allow her son Wesley to come on to the bridge. Picard relents and goes out onto the bridge and asks him to come out from the bridge's turbolift and to sit at the operations officer station. Data is ready with his briefing on the Ligonians. He tells Picard that they live by a strict code of honor and that what Lutan has done is similar to what Native Americans called "counting coup". In this case, Lutan's abduction of Yar was a sign of his heroism. Since Yar was the security chief, she was the riskiest target to capture and thus carried the most prestige. Lutan hails them and Troi and Riker advise Picard that he ask for Yar back. Although he's not happy about it, Picard agrees and asks Lutan to return Yar. Lutan invites them down to the planet. Riker is persuaded to allow Picard down to the planet, as a visiting leader becomes an honored guest and cannot be harmed. Riker jokingly warns Picard that if he gets hurt, he will put the captain on report. Picard and Troi beam down to a building Lutan calls his Centerplace. He arrives with Hagon and his "first one" Yareena. Lutan offers any courtesy Picard desires, and so Picard insists to see Yar. When she is brought out she tells him that she's all right. The culture difference in the incident is acknowledged, and Lutan says she will be returned at a banquet in their honor tonight. At the banquet, Picard makes a speech about Lutan and his honor and asks for Yar back. However, Lutan refuses, saying he wants Yar as his first one. This outrages both Picard and Yareena, who challenges Yar's right of supersedence with a fight to the death. When Picard objects, Lutan exclaims he won't give them the vaccine or enter a treaty. Riker is alerted and maintains sensor sweeps of the compound. A message is received from Starbase 14, saying that the plague has worsened and that millions could die without the vaccine. Picard and Troi come to visit Yar in a room prepared for her, where she admits that she finds Lutan attractive. She is confident that she can win, and Troi agrees, saying that the odds are in her favor. Picard decides to reason with Lutan. He finds out that Lutan needs Yareena's money and land if he is to stay in power. If she dies, he gets her money, so he's in a win-win situation. Picard says he will order Yar to fight, and they toast. On the Enterprise, Data visits La Forge in his quarters while he shaves with a razor and tries to tell him a joke, but Data still doesn't understand humor. Then they are ordered to beam down to the surface, where they meet Picard. He orders them to examine the weapons on display, as they won't know which is to be used until just before the fight. On the Enterprise, investigation of the area continues in order to be ready to transport Yar out in case of trouble. Yareena comes to see Yar at her request. Yar tries to talk her out of fighting but Yareena is determined to fight for Lutan, unconvinced that Yar is only fighting for the vaccine, and not out of love for Lutan. Clearly, the honor is to fight even if death is likely. Yar reports this to Picard, as Data and La Forge return with their report on the weapons, which are very sharp, light and poison tipped. Hagon arrives with the weapon to be used -- a spiked metal ball on a glove, called a glavin. As Yar examines the weapons, the group overhears Yareena practicing in the arena. Lutan is initially upset, however, Picard convinces him he has seen the final blow, concluding the fight. Hagon reminds him he has Yareena's money and land. Happy with the outcome, he allows medical teams from the Enterprise to beam down to get the vaccine. Quickly, though, Picard orders the away team to be beamed up, along with Lutan and Hagon. They are brought to the observation lounge, where Yareena is alive, resuscitated by Dr. Crusher. Since Yareena technically died, her marriage to Lutan is over, but she still has her wealth. Upset with Lutan, and as she heard Hagon call out to her during the fight, she selects Hagon as her new first one. He now has all Yareena's wealth and power. She asks Lutan to be her second one and he accepts. With the vaccine secured, the Enterprise leaves for Styris IV. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is in pursuit of a Ferengi vessel suspected of stealing a Federation-owned T-9 energy converter from Gamma Tauri IV. The mission is also an opportunity to encounter the Ferengi, who have never established visual contact with the Federation. The pursuit ends when the Ferengi ship gets close to a planet in the Delphi Ardu system and goes to sub-warp speed, possibly suffering a power surge and damage to their engines. After a while, it opens fire on the Enterprise, causing her minimal damage. Captain Picard chooses not to return fire, arguing that the Ferengi are just reacting to the pursuit. Soon after, however, the Enterprise also suffers a power system failure, becoming immobilized with phasers and shields off-line. The crew members believe their ship is trapped by the Ferengi. In the attempt to understand more of their enemies, Data summarizes what is known about them: they are traders, and value profit above all, not unlike Yankee traders of 18th and 19th century North America. Riker and La Forge envisage a way to escape the trap, by jumping abruptly to maximum warp and taking advantage of the relatively slower reaction of the force field. To catch the Ferengi off guard, Picard hails them, asking for the restitution of the stolen equipment, but receives no answer. The Enterprise then attempts the warp jump, but the plan is not successful. Furthermore, the computer data banks are being accessed by some unknown external source. Troi points out that all the attention has been devoted to the Ferengi, neglecting the possible role of the planet. A conference is held in the observation lounge among the senior officers, and, after discarding the hypothesis of fighting, they decide to try contacting the Ferengi again. Picard hails them, reluctantly asking to present their terms. After a moment, the Ferengi DaiMon Tarr replies. Much to the astonishment of the Enterprise bridge crew, he says that he is ready to discuss surrender, but not unconditional surrender: he will return the energy converter and offer the lives of the second officers. It is now clear that both ships are trapped, and that the Ferengi are not the actual source of the energy field. The Enterprise senior officers convene again in the observation lounge. There, Data explains what is known about the mysterious planet, but not before becoming stuck with a Chinese finger trap left in the room by a couple of children, Matthew and Pola. Thanks to the help of Picard, Data gets his fingers released and explains that the planet might be one of the most distant outposts of the Tkon Empire, an ancient and powerful space federation that existed over 600,000 years in the past and was now extinct due to their star going supernova. During the meeting, a probe launched from the Enterprise transmits its information, revealing that indeed both ships are trapped in a force field emanating from the planet's surface. Picard again contacts the Ferengi, who have also discovered the true nature of the trap. After some confrontation with DaiMon Tarr over his deception, Picard suggests to exchange information in order to solve the common problem, which is endangering both ships. They each decide to send a joint away team of Starfleet officers and Ferengi down to the surface. Despite the apparent risks, including a loss of communication and no way to beam back on board the Enterprise, Riker, La Forge, Data, Worf, and Yar beam to the planet. On the surface, the Enterprise members are initially separated and try to rejoin. The planet surface is full of crystalline tree shapes and the sky is beset by thunder and lightning. Worf, Riker, Data, and La Forge are attacked by the Ferengi away team, armed with energy whips, rendering them unconscious. On the Enterprise, the situation is getting critical, as life support is failing. All energy is diverted to the family decks to extend their survival. It is getting colder and very dark. Picard and Beverly Crusher discuss whether she should give a sedative to her son, Wesley, or if he should keep awake waiting for death. Picard thinks Wesley has the right to greet death while awake, which Crusher considers to be a simple male perspective. The Ferengi on the planet have the Enterprise away team's weapons, and examine Riker's combadge, wondering whether it is gold, while the crew gradually recover their senses, and they begin to argue. With an acute sense of hearing, the Ferengi are disturbed by the planetary thunderclaps. Taking advantage, Worf attacks, and the resulting fight is resolved when Yar intervenes with a phaser. The Ferengi show their surprise for the way Humans work together with their females and keep them clothed. Suddenly, a mysterious figure materializes and is very loud, sending the acutely hearing Ferengi trio into agony. The newly arrived entity declares himself as Portal 63, a guardian of the Tkon Empire, and asks the away teams whether they want to enter the Empire. The aged guardian is then told by Riker and Data that the Tkon Empire does not exist any longer, and that several ages have passed. Portal 63 has been asleep for a very long time: hundreds of thousands of Earth years. The Ferengi try to strike a friendship with the Portal, asking for control of their ship, and promising to destroy the Enterprise and its crew. They describe the Humans as savages and barbarians, and misrepresent Humanity by noting their non-interference with other civilizations as proof of being against legal trade. Also, their allowance of females to wear clothing as proof of their "insanity". The Enterprise team, however, accepts the Portal's trial, ready to prove their innocence. Riker is challenged first. Riker is surprised that the Portal knows his name. The Portal guardian attacks him with his sharp, bladed spear and is impressed by the composure with which Riker faces his fate after the blade lands perilously close to his right ear. Riker replies that "Fear is the true enemy. The only enemy", quoting Sun Tzu. The Portal is pleased by Riker's thoughts, unlike those of the deceptive Ferengi. The Portal says to Riker that he wants to know more about Earth history, as it is similar to the Tkon's. Then at Riker's request, he immediately releases the Enterprise, restoring its power just in time to let the crew recover from what looks like their slumber, but is their point of death. The Portal explains to Riker that he would usually destroy both ships since they were fighting, but then he saw that they were curiously trying to cooperate. The Portal askes Riker if he wants him to destroy the Ferengi, but Riker asks him to release them, since they are similar to ancient Humans: they have much to learn, but they can grow. Portal 63 asks "What if they never learn, Riker?" Riker says his values, and that of the Federation, require them to face the possibility of the Ferengi learning how to destroy them. When Riker asks what the Portal will do now that his Empire is gone, Portal 63 says he will sleep until needed again and then disappears in a flash of lightning. On board the Enterprise, the energy converter has been regained. Picard congratulates the away team for the success of the mission. Riker, with a devilish grin, then asks him permission to beam aboard the Ferengi ship Data's box of the Chinese finger traps as a "thank you for all they tried to do". After Picard commands "Make it so", the two ships leave orbit but not before La Forge has his fingers caught in a finger trap, at which Data enters the course on the helm for him. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has met the Excelsior-class starship USS Fearless in order to take on a Starfleet propulsion specialist who will perform an upgrade on the warp drive. He has already performed the upgrade on the Fearless, as well as the Ajax. Both these ships reported an increase in engine efficiency. Riker, however, is not convinced. He and Data have run a controlled test of the formulae that the engineer, Kosinski, has sent over, and found them to have no effect. Picard reasons that there's no harm in letting him come over and attempt the upgrade, especially since it doesn't change the hardware. Riker is still skeptical, so Picard sends him to meet Kosinski when he beams aboard, along with his assistant. Riker, Troi, and Chief Engineer Argyle go to meet him in the transporter room. Kosinski is pompous and arrogant. He asks why the captain isn't there to meet him and demands to be taken to engineering. As he leaves, Troi comments to Riker that Kosinski is as he appears -- loud and arrogant -- but she can sense nothing from his assistant, not even his presence. In engineering, Riker questions Kosinski about what he is going to do and asks him to explain his formulae. At first Kosinski resists, but eventually agrees to explain himself to Riker and Argyle. Meanwhile Wesley, who is also in engineering working on a school project, watches the assistant enter the formulae on a screen and suggests various changes to the inputs. When Kosinski is ready, Picard orders La Forge to take the Enterprise to warp 1.5. They are now in the galaxy M33, and at maximum warp it will take them over three hundred years to get home. Kosinski, Riker, and Argyle arrive on the bridge. Picard asks them what happened and Kosinski replies that he made "a mistake, a wonderful mistake". He is highly excited, claiming he has broken the warp barrier and that his name will go down in history. However, hearing the procedure that Kosinski used, Commander Riker isn't convinced. Down in engineering, Wesley is talking to the assistant. He realizes that the assistant has been performing the "upgrades" all along, and that Kosinski is just a joke. The assistant tells him he means no harm to the ship or the crew -- he made a mistake. He is exhausted now, and Wes offers to get his mother, but the assistant declines. Wes then says that from looking at the warp equations he thinks time and space and thought are all one thing. This surprises the assistant, who tells him never to say such a thing again "in a world that's not ready for it." Picard orders Kosinski to bring them home, and they return to engineering. Wes tries to tell Riker about the assistant, but he won't listen. Kosinski sets up to return them home, and the Enterprise shoots into warp with another tremendous burst of speed. As they input the equations, it becomes obvious to Kosinski that it is not working. Then Riker sees the assistant as he starts to "phase" again and then collapse across the console. Meanwhile, the Enterprise picks up incredible speed moving into untold measurements. On the viewscreen, spatial phenomena streak past faster and faster into indistinguishable light blurs. Picard orders full stop, and the Enterprise blasts out of warp once more, but they are certainly not back in their own galaxy. Outside the ship, clouds of cosmic dust and energy beings swim in a never-ending blue abyss. Data concludes that they must be at the edge of the known universe, "where none have gone before." The Enterprise is now a billion light years from the Milky Way Galaxy in the other direction. In frustration, Picard leaves for engineering. The crew now starts to see things that cannot be there. Worf is at his station when he suddenly sees a Klingon targ in front of him, his childhood pet. Yar also sees it but it disappears just as quickly. Then she sees her pet cat and is back on the colony where she grew up, trying to avoid a rape gang. La Forge touches her and she snaps out of it.  When the turbolift doors open, Picard almost steps out into open space before throwing himself back inside. The doors open again and he goes into a corridor. He meets two crewmen running away from some unseen pursuer. Picard sees an ensign in a cargo bay dancing ballet. The visions of thought seeming to become visual reality soon become more evident to the captain when he then sees his dead mother drinking tea in a corridor, and starts to talk to her before he is interrupted by Riker. When he looks back, she's gone. Picard immediately orders general quarters and goes to engineering. He tells the crew that they are in a region of space where thoughts become reality, and that they must try to subdue their thoughts. In engineering, Dr. Crusher is examining the now unconscious assistant. Riker informs Picard that it was the assistant the whole time, not Kosinski. Crusher says the assistant is dying. The assistant is brought to sickbay, where Picard tells Crusher to wake him. They must leave this place before their own thoughts cause the ship to be destroyed. The assistant wakes and tells Picard that he is a Traveler from another plane of existence. He is traveling through their galaxy, observing them, using his knowledge of propulsion to get passage on Starfleet ships. Kosinski is just his cover. He meant no harm to the Enterprise. He tells them Humans shouldn't be here until their distant future, until they have learned to control their thoughts. Picard asks him if he can get them home. He tells him he will try. He then asks for a private word with Picard. The others leave and the Traveler tells Picard that people like Wesley are the reason that he travels. He compares him to Mozart, only instead of music, Wes has, or will have, the ability to manipulate time, space, and thought. He urges Picard to encourage Wes, but not to tell him or Beverly any of this. He weakens, and Picard helps him up to Riker to go to engineering. Picard hurries to the bridge, helping a crewman on the way to put out a fire he has created. The Traveler prepares to engineering and Picard makes a ship-wide announcement, telling everyone to concentrate on home and on the Traveler's well being. They follow the same procedure as before: the ship jumps to warp 1.5 and the Traveler uses his powers to attempt to send them back. He starts to "phase" as before and the ship hurtles through space. Then the Traveler disappears altogether and the Enterprise finds itself right back where it started. Mindful of the Traveler's advice, Picard calls Wesley to the bridge and thanks him for his part in their successful return. He then makes him an acting ensign, "for conduct in the true spirit and traditions of Starfleet." He instructs Riker to make out a duty roster for him and tells him to learn the ship and its operations from top to bottom. Then Wesley takes a seat on the bridge as the Enterprise resumes course. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has begun orbiting the two major planets in the Beta Renner system, Antica and Selay. The two species of those worlds, the Anticans and the Selay, have both achieved space flight and they have applied to become members of the United Federation of Planets. However, the two species are mortal enemies. The Enterprise is to transport both peoples to a neutral planet called Parliament, in the hopes of resolving their conflicts. On the Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William T. Riker and Lieutenant Natasha Yar stand in the transporter room wearing their dress uniforms awaiting the delegates. The delegates from Selay beam on board. Picard introduces himself to Ssestar, a male Selay. Riker is about to lead them to their accommodations, but Ssestar insists that the Selay's quarters be upwind from the Anticans and as far away as possible. Riker attends to this and leads them to their quarters. After the delegation leaves the transporter room, Yar tells Picard that neither species seems like promising Federation candidates. Picard agrees and believes that Parliament's peacemakers may have difficulty satisfying the two species' needs. The Enterprise leaves orbit of Selay on course for Parliament. On the bridge, Lieutenant Commander Data notes that his sensors are picking up an unusual energy object ahead of the Enterprise. On the viewscreen, an enormous cloud is shown. Data notes that it is also traveling at warp speed. Picard, intrigued, orders Data to make a close sensor pass on the cloud, then jump back to warp speed so they are still on schedule for Parliament. In sensor maintenance, Lieutenants Geordi La Forge and Worf are running diagnostics on sensor assemblies. La Forge wonders why Worf is so interested in routine maintenance on sensors. Worf tells him it is simple, because Picard wants his junior officers to "learn, learn, learn". Yar signals sensor maintenance to see if there are any problems with systems, since they are making a close sensor pass. La Forge replies that all equipment is functioning perfectly. The Enterprise begins scanning the cloud. Worf, while working at a console, hears a strange noise. He goes over to investigate, but his body is struck by swirling blue energy. The energy discharges from Worf and he falls, unconscious. La Forge rushes over to Worf's side and taps his combadge, signaling a medical emergency. Dr. Beverly Crusher arrives in sensor maintenance with a medic. She is about to examine Worf, but he awakes, violently attacks the medic and throws him away. La Forge heaves himself on top of Worf, so Crusher can administer a sedative, via her hypospray. Worf finally calms down and is taken to sickbay. In Picard's ready room, La Forge tells Picard that he could see a glow in sensor maintenance and Worf jerked, as though something had hit him. Picard asks La Forge if his VISOR could have malfunctioned, but La Forge doubts it. In the Antican's quarters, Yar and Riker are attending to the Antican's dietary requirements. Yar had misunderstood that the Anticans prefer their food live, not dead. Riker tells Badar N'D'D, the lead Antican delegate, that Humans no longer enslave animals for food purposes, rather they consume meat that has been inorganically produced from the ship's replicators. Badar N'D'D finds this practice "barbaric". In sickbay, Crusher examines Worf. She uses a medical tool, but the same energy that entered Worf's body now enters Crusher's. Soon after, Counselor Deanna Troi enters sickbay to inquire about Worf's condition, but Crusher is now acting strangely and Troi begins to notice. She asks if she is all right. Crusher responds, "Yes, perfectly. Both of us, quite normal now." Worf awakens on a bio-bed and inquires where he is. Troi responds that he is in sickbay and asks if he remembers what happened to him. Worf can only remember what happened prior to his accident and asks what he is doing in sickbay. Troi replies that Crusher will tell him all about it, but she promptly leaves sickbay. On the bridge, Picard and Data wish to examine the cloud further, since there are many unexplained mysteries surrounding it, but Picard tells Data that it will have to wait until the delegates are delivered to Parliament and orders helmsman La Forge to take the ship to warp eight. Crusher enters her quarters, where she finds her son, Wesley Crusher, working at a desktop monitor. Wesley tells Crusher that he is working on a project for his physical sciences class, where he is studying Dr. Channing's theory on dilithium crystals. Crusher asks Wesley to tell her about it, which strikes Wesley as odd, since his mother has never shown interest in warp theory before. Wesley explains that Channing believes that it may be possible to force dilithium into more useful crystals. Crusher asks if that would affect navigation. Wesley replies that this theory is related to engineering, not helm control. Crusher then remembers that helm is located on the bridge. Wesley then notices that his mother is now acting strange and wonders if she is all right, but she abruptly leaves without answering. Crusher arrives on the bridge and walks over to helm, manned by La Forge. She replies that La Forge's station must be the helm. La Forge replies that it is, unless there have been some changes that he is unaware of. Picard walks over to Crusher and asks about Worf's condition. Crusher does not give Picard a lot of information and Picard presses her to give him an accurate diagnosis, since it involves a bridge officer. Crusher replies that she will have to run medical cross checks in the ship's computer. She uses science station II next to Data. Data looks at her console and wonders what helm control has to do with medical cross references. Crusher remains silent. Then, the blue energy that was inside Crusher enters the computer. Crusher is disoriented and leaves the bridge. Suddenly, Data cannot get any of the science stations to work. From engineering, assistant chief engineer Lieutenant Singh, reports that there is a failure with the warp drive circuits. Various other stations on the ship report failures, as well. Picard, seeing that the Enterprise is not even a year out of spacedock, asks Data what the chances are of the ship having all these failures. Data responds that it is a virtual impossibility. In the conference lounge, Picard, Riker, Data, and Singh, along with other department heads discuss the various problems on board the Enterprise and solutions to them. Singh believes that an electronic short made its way into several systems is to blame, but Singh concedes that that should not be possible, as the affected systems do not interact with each other. Singh replies that chief engineer Argyle and all engineering staff are just as puzzled as they are. Picard wants an explanation for the system failures by the time the ship reaches Parliament. In the Antican's quarters, Riker and Yar confront and confiscate weapons from Anticans seen out of sight, near the Selay delegation's quarters. Riker tells Badar N'D'D that all weapons, no matter what their basic function, will be taken away and that violence will not be tolerated on the Enterprise. On the bridge, conn officer Worf announces that warp drive is failing yet again and the Enterprise drops out of warp. Picard asks Data to send a message to Parliament, informing them that they will be delayed. However, Data cannot send a message as communication systems are down. In Picard's ready room, Data replies that if the Enterprise had all these system failures, the ship would have never left spacedock. Therefore, Riker and Data believe the Enterprise has a saboteur on board. Riker believes the Ferengi may have bribed the alien delegation to sabotage the Enterprise, as Ferengi have had contact with both the Selay and the Anticans. Picard asks if they have any more suspects, to which Riker tells Picard that he is beginning to sound like a private eye. Data wonders as to the meaning of the term "private eye". Picard tells him that it is a person who solves crimes, like the immortal Sherlock Holmes, which piques Data's interest. In engineering, Wesley Crusher and Singh are trying to come up with solutions to the system failures. Singh tells Crusher that he will relieve him and that it is time for him to work on his studies. Crusher reluctantly leaves. In the Crusher's quarters Wesley finds his mother, Beverly, sitting down reading a PADD. Wesley complains that he has learned more about starship operations than any of the senior staff care to admit, like Channing's theory on dilithium crystals he told Beverly about earlier, to which she has no memory of. Wesley replied that he told her about it that morning, but she cannot remember. Singh, in engineering, works at a console. He touches a button, then the same energy that enveloped Worf and Crusher strikes his body, quite violently. It blasts Singh backwards and he falls unconscious, right next to the ship's warp core. Worf, coming down a lift, sees Singh. He rushes over to him and checks his pulse. Worf taps his combadge to inform Picard that Singh is dead. Picard has begun an investigation into the death of Singh. In engineering, it is discovered that warp drive has been miraculously restored and the Enterprise can jump back into warp at any time. The Enterprise goes to warp six, on course of Parliament. Yar again questions the Antican delegates where they were during the time when Singh was killed. Badar N'D'D replies that they were eating for hours, because the animal they hunted was a large one. In sickbay, Crusher and Troi have called Worf to discuss his memory blockage, as well as Dr. Crusher's. Troi announces that she would like to try hypnosis, as it may restore their memories as to what happened to them. In the conference lounge, Data, adopting the mannerisms of Sherlock Holmes, discusses the possible involvement of the Selay and the Anticans in the ship's systems failures and the death of Singh. Data, smoking a pipe, tells Riker and Yar that the two species were too involved in their own affairs to have disabled the ship and murdered Singh. The two species would rather kill each other than the crew. Back in sickbay, Troi has begun hypnosis of Dr. Crusher, while Worf watches. Troi asks Crusher to remember what happened up to the point she had memory loss. She recalls walking up to scan Worf, but then, there was someone else, another presence in the room. Troi then snaps Crusher out of the hypnosis and replies that her responses were identical to Worf's. Troi reports her findings to Picard and believes that something invaded their bodies, as it is the only reasonable conclusion. Data replies that, although improbable, it is possible. On the bridge, Wesley Crusher is talking to La Forge. He tells him that the warp computer in engineering could not possibly have fixed itself. Suddenly, the warp engines are failing again and the Enterprise drops to impulse. Picard walks out of his ready room to the bridge, where he monitors the situation from the helm console. Then, the blue energy emanates from the console and enters Picard's body, where he is now beginning to act strangely. Picard, inhabited by the non-corporeal lifeform, restores warp power back to the Enterprise and orders La Forge to double back on their course and head back to the strange energy cloud. The entire senior staff is completely puzzled by this change of orders, since the ship is behind schedule for Parliament. Picard assures them that he wants to take another look at the cloud, since they only obtained minimal information on it. In a corridor, Chief Miles O'Brien is following Badar N'D'D, who is demanding to see Picard to know why the Enterprise has changed course. O'Brien orders him to return to his quarters, but Ssestar comes out of his quarters and a confrontation ensues. The senior officers gather together and discuss Picard's strange orders. Troi senses that Picard is deliberately concealing something from her and that he has become dangerous. If Picard is dangerous, they argue, he should be relieved of command, which Dr. Crusher could do, falling under her responsibilities as chief medical officer. Crusher and Riker arrive in Picard's ready room to order a medical scan on Picard. He refuses and believes they are hallucinating and working too much. He instead orders that all senior staff be examined. Later, Dr. Crusher comes with the test results. She hands it to Picard, who then casually tosses it aside. She asks if she is talking to the real Picard. The lifeform within Picard tells her that Picard is there, along with more and that very soon, the both of them will be home. The Enterprise arrives at the cloud, again. Picard walks out of his ready room and examines the cloud from the viewscreen. The lifeform tells the crew that when the Enterprise passed the cloud before it accidentally took a lifeform with it. The lifeform within Picard recalls the horror of being taken from the cloud, then going from body to body, and accidentally causing the death of Singh. Troi asks Picard if he exists in combination with the entity in his body. The entity reveals that both it and Picard have the same desires, for exploration and dreams beyond Human expectations, since the lifeform is essentially an energy pattern, free of matter, Picard could literally go anywhere in his energy state. The lifeform plans to beam itself and Picard to the energy cloud. The crew pleads with Picard to reconsider, but the lifeform inside Picard has full control and overwhelms the bridge crew when it fires the blue beams at them all over the bridge. Riker yells for security to restrain the Captain, but the entity is far too powerful. It leaves the bridge unopposed and travels to the transporter room, with the transporter chief incapacitated. The entity activates the transporter controls and beams away. After searching for over an hour, the Enterprise still cannot find Picard's energy pattern. Riker, seeing no other option, orders La Forge to set course for Parliament. But, Troi senses Picard. He does not belong with the rest of the lifeforms in the cloud and needs help. Riker tells La Forge to move the Enterprise into the cloud, so they can find Picard's energy signal. At first, there is no sign of Picard anywhere in the cloud, but on La Forge's helm console, the circuits re-arrange to form a "P". Data surmises that Picard has found his way into the ship's systems. Data asks Troi and Riker to accompany him to the transporter room. Since Picard's physical pattern is stored in the transporter system, Data attempts to recombine his energy pattern, as he hopes that Picard has worked his way into the transporter. Data energizes and Picard materializes on the transporter pad. Picard has a vague memory of what happened to him, much like Worf and Crusher. Riker tells Picard that he should head down to sickbay, as Dr. Crusher believes Picard is very tired. Yar enters, with news that one of the Selay delegates is missing and the Anticans have asked the chef to broil reptile. Picard turns to Riker and tells him to take charge of the situation, as he believes he needs a rest. The Enterprise continues on course for Parliament. 
<EOS>
Upon his return back from the surface, Commander Riker tells everyone with great enthusiasm about the planet; he explains that the planet's lifeforms are almost identical to Humans and that it is a class M planet, beautiful and stunning. Doctor Crusher suggests shore leave for everyone, stating that nothing is better than fresh air and open spaces. Lieutenant Natasha Yar states that the inhabitants' laws and customs are pretty straightforward and nothing out of the ordinary. What is special about them, however, says Geordi La Forge, is their great affection for others. The doctor's suggestion of shore leave is approved but only for a small group at first. Among them is Wesley Crusher, whom the captain personally designates as the one to evaluate this planet as a place for young people to relax. If their scans and observations support the report from the away team, then shore leave for the entire crew will be approved, says Picard. He just hopes the planet it is not too good to be true. Before they beam down, however, Commander Data continues to receive a faulty reading in the sensors, indicating there is something in orbit, despite the fact that nothing appears on the viewscreen. Commander Riker, Lieutenant Yar, Lieutenant Worf, Wesley, and Counselor Deanna Troi beam down to the surface where they are passionately greeted and welcomed. Two of the planet's inhabitants, Rivan and Liator, introduce themselves by hugging everyone in turn. Worf compliments them on their planet and uncomfortably accepts the hugs and affections. Wesley isn't sure how to take them and how to react. Overall, these aliens are warm, empathetic, and seem to have thought of everything. Suiting to their fit and joyous lifestyle, people do not walk anywhere, but run and jog along. They wish everyone health and happiness, even passers-by as they run to the counsel chamber. When they arrive, three children take Wesley to play right away, while the adults enter the chamber to find more of a massage parlor, where people are playing games, dancing, exercising, receiving massages, hugging, and kissing. Meanwhile, aboard the USS Enterprise-D, Data has completed his analysis. None of the internal systems are at fault; the reading, though mysterious, is accurate. It appears to be some sort of shadow, like something that is "neither in nor out of their dimension". When the main viewer is not showing anything out there, Data hails the empty space, requesting that it identify itself. Suddenly, a strange object fully appears and the ship enters automatic red alert. The sensor readings do not make any sense, and the response to their transmission is difficult to decode. When La Forge looks out of the window with his VISOR, he experiences the same confusion; it is as if whatever he is seeing is not really there. Data, however, is finally able to make out something, stating that the message they are receiving translates as something like "stand by". Then, a small, transparent, ball-like object exits the big one, and passes right through the Enterprise's hull, moving through corridors and bulkheads. The shimmering ball of light makes its way to the bridge, and then rocks the entire ship as it speaks. Captain Picard speaks with it, explaining, between shakes, who he is, and that he is on a mission of peaceful exploration. It then demands to know why they have come to visit. Picard explains that they have sent down an away team to make peaceful contact and that he does not plan on leaving lifeforms there. It asks about the colony they just planted and Picard explains terraforming, and that they would only do it for uninhabited worlds. After a warning not to interfere with its "children" below, the object then communicates directly with Data, who falls unconscious. Down on the planet, Worf is extremely uncomfortable with the advances of the women, avoiding them as much as he can. He is not much concerned with pleasure, according to himself, as he is a warrior. Plus, he is convinced that these women couldn't handle his Klingon mating habits. When Riker fails to contact Enterprise, he gets nervous and orders everyone together, including Wesley, just in case. Troi doesn't believe it is anything these people have done, since they are much too open and friendly. Yar, who is just fascinated by the Edo, is talking with Rivan and Liator about their laws. They explain to her that there is no crime in their world and that no one breaks the laws. A long time ago, there was much disorder, but no longer. They explain that they have no police or law enforcement but instead have so-called mediators who select only one area each day for a certain period of time: the punishment zone. It is a completely random selection, no person ever knows when or where a zone will be and so no one risks death. The Edo explain to Worf and Yar, who are both very disturbed by this news, that there is only one punishment for any crime: death. While it sounds drastic, the Edo consider it very wise and a basis for their lasting peace. After all, since no one would want to risk execution, no one breaks the rules. Hearing this, the away team is immediately alarmed and heads off to find Wesley quickly, who they know is running around with the other kids, not knowing anything about these rules. Unfortunately, they are too late. While Wesley was playing ball, he jumped for it in midair, crashing into the greenhouse, past a short white bar, destroying the plants. And what's worse, the mediators picked that moment to show up. Everyone attempts to cover for him, pleading that he is only a visitor and did not know, but the mediators are adamant and insist on applying the law equally to everyone to avoid chaos, crime, and disobedience. It pains them deeply what they have to do, but given the circumstances and existing canon of laws, they have no other choice. As one of them raises a syringe to inject Wesley, Worf and Yar draw their phasers and Riker knocks him down to the ground. The mediators are taken aback by this, not knowing why they are not allowed to simply execute the boy. They are disappointed in the Enterprise crew, stating that they thought they came as friends. Riker tries to contact the Enterprise but there is still no response. On the ship, the bubble finishes its information exchange with Data and disappears, leaving him unconscious. At the same time, communication is restored. When informed about the situation, Captain Picard immediately beams down to the planet. Everyone seems as kind as ever when he arrives in the counsel chamber, and the dialogue begins. They regret that their system of justice is troubling him. Liator explains that Wesley is being held, pending the execution of his sentence at sundown, and they stand by their system of justice. They explain that the tranquility in their lives has been made possible by their laws, for they are a people of law. Picard makes the argument that when Earth executed criminals, they thought for the longest time that it was necessary to do so until they learned to detect the seeds of criminal behavior; capital punishment is, therefore, no longer considered a justifiable deterrent. The Edo's reaction is a little confusing to comprehend, but they do seem to feel that Picard is suggesting some kind of a superiority. Since they apparently are not as advanced as they are, Liator suggests that they just use their superior powers to rescue the boy, stating that they would just record him as a convicted criminal out of their reach, an advanced person who luckily escaped the barbarism of their "backward little world". But Picard tells them that he wants to honor and respect the Edo's rules and law, referencing the Prime Directive. He takes the time, since the Edo guarantee Wesley will not be harmed, to ask about the vessel in orbit. The Edo recognize it as their god, who is said to be somewhere "up there"; a protector who is far above them, both here and in another place, with great powers. Doctor Crusher calls in, and says Data wishes to speak with him urgently. Not wanting to involve all of the Edo, and not sure if he accepts their description of god, he beams himself, Counselor Troi, and Rivan up to the Enterprise. On the way to a room with a window, Rivan is amazed at "the city" in the sky, and is surprised that with all this power, they do not just take Wesley. When she sees the object in orbit, she kneels and bows down before it immediately, confirming that yes, it is god. Rivan is seems to be extremely frightened by the object. Deanna coaxes her to explain that she can identify it because it has appeared before. Suddenly, it then thunders for Picard to "return its child," and begins moving closer. Hurriedly, Picard attaches his combadge to Rivan and has her beamed back to the planet's surface, and the object moves off again. Picard then talks to Data about his experience. He explains that it was a large two-way communication in which he was given some information and they copied everything he knew. Data tells him there is more than one entity in question. They are aware they are being worshiped, but consider it harmless due to the Edo's present state of evolution. The complex, multi-dimensional object is not actually a vessel as they understand it. The entities consider the entire star cluster as theirs, meaning that in his opinion, the colony should be removed. They are not sure yet what to make of the presence of the Enterprise, and they are observing it for curiosity. Dr. Crusher is worried more and more about her son waiting to be executed, requesting that something be done finally. When Data cautions that Picard should not violate the Prime Directive because it would make them appear deceitful, she angrily walks out. Picard sends for Data to ask more questions, as he attempts to try and put together what he knows into some sort of decision. He is torn between the letter of the law, and the knowledge that the Prime Directive never intended to cover a circumstance like this. Data states simply that it is the object he should be worrying about. They know of the Prime Directive, but how it will be viewed is the question. How would they react to taking Wesley, especially with regard to that warning? Data believes that they did exist earlier in our dimension, but now are taking advantage of their present abilities. Perhaps they did share a value system like that of the Federation. He theorizes that the Edo are a child race they have chosen to protect just as the Federation puts down colonies and protects them. When Dr. Crusher arrives, Picard lets her beam down with him, and announces his decision: he will not allow the Edo to execute Wesley, regardless of the cost. Picard simply states that he will ensure Wesley will not be executed, but in a way everyone will agree upon. The mediators do not like it, saying he cannot understand what they were like before. Picard knows what they went through and their laws were in the spirit of justice for them, which does not mean being executed for such a minor offense. Risking the wrath of God -- and the Federation when he returns -- he gives the order to beam up. Nothing happens. When the Edo are vindicated, Picard then shouts to the ceiling that such laws as these -- without degrees of punishment, and with such severe consequences -- cannot be just. He argues that rules should also have exceptions, and that rules with no exceptions can never be just. The transporter works. When they return to the ship, Picard hails the object to inform them they are leaving, and that the colony will be removed at its signal. It dematerializes, which is enough for Picard. With Wesley's life saved, the Enterprise departs. 
<EOS>
In response to an order from Starfleet, the USS Enterprise-D has been sent to the Xendi Sabu system to rendezvous with a Ferengi Alliance vessel. For three days there has been no message from the Ferengi except "Stand by, Enterprise." Dr. Crusher comes to see Picard in his quarters, where he complains of feeling fatigued and having a bad headache. She examines him and can find nothing wrong, but tells him to come to sickbay all the same. Just then the Ferengi hail the Enterprise. Picard returns to the bridge and talks with the Ferengi captain, DaiMon Bok over the Enterprise's viewscreen. Bok claims to know Picard, but Picard doesn't recognize Bok at all. He wants to meet Picard in person, so despite being wary of his intentions, Picard agrees to meet him aboard the Enterprise. Picard goes to sickbay where Crusher examines him again, but fails to find any medical reason for his headaches. She gives him a painkiller for the time being. He returns to the bridge, where Wesley Crusher arrives and tells Geordi La Forge that when he was boosting the range of the long-range sensors, he detected a ship approaching. Then La Forge detects it as well. It's an unidentified Constellation-class starship, which is not responding to hails, nor sending out call letters. The time arrives for the Ferengi to beam over, and three of them materialize on the bridge: Bok and two of his officers, Kazago and Rata. Bok tells Picard that the starship is under their control and is a gift to honor the "hero of Maxia", Captain Picard. Picard realizes they are referring to an incident that took place nine years prior while he commanded the USS Stargazer. Traveling through the Maxia Zeta system, they were attacked by an unknown vessel, which Picard was forced to destroy. It turns out that the vessel was Ferengi. Picard is then hit by another headache, before ordering La Forge to zoom in on the approaching starship. It is the Stargazer, which the Ferengi found adrift, and are now giving to Picard. Bok says it will be a gift, free of charge, which his subordinates don't like. Later in the observation lounge, Picard tells the crew about the battle. They had been traveling at warp 2 through the Maxia Zeta system when they were fired upon by an unidentified starship, damaging their shields. In the confusion, the Stargazer was hit again.  Suddenly, Picard asks the Stargazer's weapons officer, Vigo, to identify the the attacking ship. This surprises the Enterprise crew, and Picard then realizes what he's said. He continues with the story, saying he ordered a sensor bearing on the enemy vessel and as it came around for another pass. He then performed what is now known as the Picard Maneuver: he ordered a jump to high warp, making it appear to the Ferengi for a second that the Stargazer was in two places at once. The Ferengi vessel fired at the Stargazer's former position while the actual ship pulled out of warp right next to it. He was then able to destroy the Ferengi vessel, but was forced to abandon ship and he and his crew drifted around space in shuttlecrafts for weeks. Data, Natasha Yar, Worf, and La Forge beam over to inspect the Stargazer. La Forge gets the emergency power going, and as everything looks all right, Picard then beams over. He affectionately acknowledges his old ship, then goes to look at his old cabin, and is going through his things when he suddenly gets another headache. He grabs his head and falls back in agony. Amongst his things in an old chest, a pink sphere glows. Bok is controlling it aboard the Ferengi vessel. Dr. Crusher passes by and sees Picard in pain. She brings him back to the Enterprise, telling him that his belongings will be beamed over later. The Enterprise tractors the Stargazer. Data tells Picard that Starfleet is sending a tug to bring it to Xendi Starbase 9, before Picard goes to his quarters for a rest. When he starts to dream, he dreams about the battle. Meanwhile in the ready room, Data shows Riker a personal log that Picard supposedly recorded, claiming that he attacked the Ferengi vessel without provocation and that the Ferengi ship was under a flag of truce. When Riker shows Picard the log, Picard denies making the entry, but tells him he has to report his findings to Starfleet. Then Picard's headache returns. He goes back to his quarters, before Riker contacts Kazago, Bok's first officer, asking if he finds it odd that Bok is returning the Stargazer to Starfleet. Picard is in his quarters when Crusher arrives. He tells her the headache is worsening, and he is worrying about the battle and whether he did the right thing. Crusher gives him a sedative and puts him to bed. He starts to dream about the battle again and relives it, seeing the crew and the bridge. Bok laughs aboard his own ship as he manipulates a matching sphere to the one in Picard's chest. In Picard's ready room, Data is informing Riker that the log is a forgery, when Picard enters. Crusher follows soon after and is surprised to see the captain up and about. He dismisses everyone except Riker, whom he tells to disengage the tractor beam. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher is discussing the headaches with Deanna Troi when Wesley enters. He tells her that he noticed the captain's brain patterns were exactly the same as low intensity transmissions detected coming from the Ferengi ship. They report this to Riker, who checks on Picard's location and finds out he has beamed onto the Stargazer. Aboard the Stargazer, Bok meets Picard and raises the ship's shields. He is carrying his pink sphere, and tells Picard that the ship the Stargazer destroyed was his son's first command as a DaiMon. Bok has spent years devising a suitable revenge, and bought the two spheres with his life savings. He leaves the sphere on the bridge and beams back onto his own vessel, leaving Picard to relive the battle. Aboard the Enterprise, the sphere in Picard's quarters has been found, and as the Stargazer turns to attack them, Riker realizes that the sphere is being used to influence the captain's thoughts. He hails Kazago, who recognizes the sphere as a "thought maker", a device that is forbidden. Then Captain Picard comes on the viewscreen. Riker realizes that he is going to use the Picard Maneuver, so he orders Data to come up with a suitable defense. Then Kazago hails, and tells Riker that Bok has been removed from command for his part in this "unprofitable venture". Data comes up with a defense which involves detecting the correct ship by noting the compression of gas in space and then immobilizing the Stargazer with the tractor beam. The defense works, and Riker hails Picard. He manages to convince Picard to destroy the sphere with his phaser, at which point Picard returns to normal. He then beams over to the Enterprise, leaving the dead to rest in peace and letting the past remain the past. 
<EOS>
Having dropped Troi's shuttlecraft off at Starbase G-6, the USS Enterprise-D is fortunately close to the Sigma III system, when its Federation colony transmits an urgent call for medical help. An accidental explosion has devastated a mining operation there. There are 504 colonists at the site. En route to the mining colony at warp 9.1, the Enterprise is once again trapped in Q's force field grid. Q appears as an Aldebaran serpent on the bridge of the Enterprise, and informs the bridge crew that the Q Continuum, after studying their recent contact with Humanity, are mostly impressed by them and wishes to discuss it. Picard urgently asks to wait until they've completed their mission, but Q demands he abandon it. He then changes into a Starfleet Admiral. Picard again says that he will listen to Q's offer of the realization of their "impossible dreams", but only following their rescue mission. Q, however, disagrees, and turns himself towards Riker, asking what he finds of Q's offer. Riker says that they do not have time for Q's "games," which triggers Q's excitement. He transports Riker, Data, La Forge, Yar, and Worf off the bridge to a class M planetoid, appearing before them in the uniform of a Napoleonic marshal. Picard is left alone and unable to contact anyone in the ship. Q colorfully engages them in a Napoleonic-era campaign tent, declaring that the point of his game will be to stay alive. He promises a great future for humankind if they win, but something "disastrous" if they lose. Furthermore, the game will be completely unfair, brushing off fairness as a human concept. Yar protests, and Q transports her away into a "penalty box", but, unbeknownst to the crew, she is really back on the Enterprise. He says, that if anyone else violates the rules of the game, he will be put in the penalty box, displacing Tasha into nothingness. Q appears before Yar and Picard on the Enterprise bridge, saying Yar's penalty is now over. While seated in the captain's chair, he makes a Starlog entry for Picard, explaining that the real intent of his game is to test whether the ship's first officer is worthy of the greatest gift the Q can offer. They make a bet: Picard's command against Q's keeping out of Humanity's path forever. Q then promptly tells Picard that he has already lost as Riker will be offered something impossible to refuse. Picard then confronts Q in his ready room. Q sits in his chair, reading one of Shakespeare's works. Picard asks why Q is demonstrating a "need" for Humans through this confrontation, instead of providing a simple, direct explanation, a statement of what he seeks. Through Q's recitation, Picard understands that how Humans respond to a game tells him more about them. Q proposes to continue and quote some Hamlet for him. Picard refuses, and quotes him instead: "What a piece of work is man? How noble in reason? How infinite in faculty, in form, in moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel; in apprehension, how like a god." Q stands up in objection from his chair, and responds that surely Picard doesn't see Humanity like that. Picard answers that he sees Humanity as one day becoming like that, and perhaps that is what the Q fear. Q, obviously irritated by Picard, throws the large Shakespeare book at him and then disappears. Meanwhile, down on the planetoid, Riker, Data, and La Forge discuss the situation while Worf gathers reconnaissance. Apparently, aliens dressed in 18th century French uniforms are heading their way, armed with ancient muskets. Data explains that muskets are inferior to their phasers. The muskets, however, turn out to have phaser power. Q, appearing as Data before Riker, tells him that he now has the power of the Q, and is able to transport his crewmates back to the ship. He does so, and is amazed. Back aboard Enterprise, all systems are again functioning, and the Q grid has disappeared. There is no sign anything happened, and no others noticed anything. Data, La Forge, and Worf appear back on the bridge, where Picard explains to them Q has shown some kind of interest in their first officer. On the planetoid, Riker and Q discuss the powers Q has granted Riker. Interestingly, the rank insignia that Q now carries on his uniform is that of a Starfleet commander, implying they are now equals. Riker asks what Q wants from him. Q replies that the Continuum has granted them a gift, beyond all other gifts. He explains that, before Farpoint Station, they saw Humanity as savages only. However, they discovered instead that Humans are unusual creatures, in their own limited ways. He also states that since Humans are constantly evolving, they may eventually become stronger than the Q one day. Riker rejects Q's powers, and Q disappears. Suddenly, the bridge crew, including Picard but also Wesley Crusher, appear on the planetoid's surface again, while they are approached by the soldier creatures Q created. Now unarmed, only Riker's powers can save the crew now. Worf is stabbed by a bayonet from one of the animal soldiers, and after Crusher runs to his rescue, the acting ensign is killed as well. Frustrated and angry, Riker uses his new-found powers to create a Q-style force field around the soldiers, and transports the crew back to the Enterprise, healing Worf and Crusher in the process. Picard is stunned. The Enterprise, meanwhile, has arrived at the mining colony. In Picard's ready room, Riker guarantees Picard that he will be strong enough not to use the power of the Q. An away team beams down to the mining colony, and they find a small group of people seriously injured. They find a young child underneath some rocks. Dr. Crusher says it is too late, and that the child has died. Riker is faced with the dilemma of whether to bring the child back to life. He says that he is prevented from doing so by a promise. He shows his frustration to Picard on the Enterprise and surprisingly demands a meeting with the senior staff from him. The senior staff, including Wesley, meets on the bridge. Riker explains that even though he has been granted unusual powers, he is not a monster, that he is still the same William Riker they know. Picard reminds him that he has already changed, for example, by not addressing him as captain. Riker doubts that his decision not to save the child was right, comparing it to when he saved the Enterprise crew earlier, however, Picard reminds him that that was a fiction Q created. He tries to convince Riker that the Q do not admire Humans, but that they have muddled Riker's mind. Then, Q appears as a medieval monk on the bridge. Picard furiously asks Q why he takes on so many guises, "Have you no identity of your own?" Q retorts, "I forgive your blasphemy." Riker asks to give each of the senior staff something they'd most like. Dr. Crusher asks Wesley to leave with her. Riker, however, knowing that his young friend wishes he was older, turns Wesley into an adult, aging him ten years in an instant. He offers to make Data Human, but the android declines, saying that it will never feel real to him. For the Enterprise crew, it is as if they had just returned from their rescue mission, like no time had passed in between. Data asks the captain how the Q can handle space and time so well, while they handle interactions with Humans so badly. Picard answers that they may one day learn that space and time are easier to handle than the Human equation. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D arrives at the planet Haven. Captain Picard notes that the planet has been said to mend souls and heal broken hearts. Lieutenant Commander Data tells the captain that those legends are completely unsupported by fact; but Picard believes that such legends are the spice of the universe, as they sometimes can become true. Meanwhile, Commander Riker sits in his quarters, relaxing to miniature holograms of attractive women playing harps. Just then, security chief Lieutenant Yar informs the commander that his presence is requested in transporter room one. "Sorry, ladies. Duty calls", he says before deactivating the holographic interface. Arriving at the transporter, Riker asks what he is needed for. She answers that an object is being beamed up to the Enterprise but does not know what it is. The transporter chief informs them that Haven has approved the beam up and the object materializes on the transporter pad. Riker finds it odd looking. Counselor Troi then enters, asking what is going on. The box's "face" opens its eyes and states "I hold a message for Deanna Troi. Lwaxana Troi and the honorable Miller family will soon arrive. The momentous day is close at hand. Rejoice! Ha, ha, ha!" After frightening Yar, a compartment underneath the "face" opens, spilling jewels onto the pad. Troi tells Lieutenant Yar that the jewels are "bonding gifts", or what Humans would call wedding presents. When asked by Commander Riker who is getting married, Troi says "I am." In Picard's ready room, Troi tells the Enterprise's captain that she thought the arranged marriage would never happen, as the years she assumed she would be on the Enterprise's mission of exploration for, as well as the distance it would take her from Betazed. She tells him that a man named Steven Miller was her father's closest friend. When asked by Picard if she will be staying on the ship along with her soon to be husband, she says she will not. Picard nevertheless congratulates her and excuses himself, leaving Riker and Troi alone together. Addressing the Enterprise's first officer as "Bill", she tells her former imzadi that more than anything else, he wants to be commanding officer of a starship. He tells her that is not all he wants in his life. Troi can feel that and she invites Riker to come dance at her wedding. Riker promises he will try and leaves. Troi is told by Data that she has a message from Haven. They wish to beam the Miller family aboard the Enterprise. The Miller family arrives on the Enterprise to make the necessary arrangements for the wedding. Greeting them in the transporter room is Captain Picard and Troi. Steven Miller tells Picard that he has quite the starship and looks forward to his visit. His wife, Victoria Miller warmly greets Troi. Their son, Wyatt, appearing to be shy, comes up to Troi to introduce himself. He gives her the gift of a chameleon rose, a flower that changes color according to the mood of the individual holding it. Troi thanks the young man for his gift and asks where her mother is. Wyatt tells her that she is still on Haven. Victoria Miller seems to be disdainful of Troi's mother and asks to be taken to their quarters. Picard agrees and has the Miller family escorted out of the transporter room. Picard remarks that Wyatt seems like a fine young man. Troi agrees but notes that she is not what he had expected. Picard does not understand and nor does Troi but she senses that she is definitely something of a surprise to him. Before Troi's mother is beamed aboard, Troi warns the captain that her mother is "a little eccentric." With that, Lwaxana Troi and another very tall individual are beamed aboard. Lwaxana materializes backwards and wonders where everyone is. She turns around and remarks on how much she hates beaming. Troi verbally greets her mother. Lwaxana however, insists that she think it, not say it. In defiance, Troi again says "Hello, mother". Lwaxana appears dismayed that her daughter has chosen to speak verbally, wondering telepathically what her current life has done to her. "Don't tell me, you're the captain." Picard tells her he is aware of her telepathic ability, but Lwaxana tells the captain that it was merely common sense and asks Picard to carry her luggage. Troi is aghast that her mother is demanding the captain do this menial task, but Picard insists it is all right. However, Picard finds the luggage case almost unbearably heavy. Picard leads the way to Lwaxana's quarters, straining to keep ahold of the luggage case down a corridor, past Data and La Forge. Troi insists that her mother's valet, the tall Mr. Homn, lift the heavy case himself. Picard gratefully allows it and Homn lifts the case up with ease. While in a turbolift, Lwaxana continues talking and talking, and at one point, tells of how Betazoids are much more advanced than plodding Humans, before her daughter telepathically tells her "that's enough!" Lwaxana finally ceases talking. Lwaxana finds her quarters "adequate". She tells Picard that he may go and the captain sarcastically bows and leaves the room. Lwaxana apologizes to her daughter for the sudden marriage. She tells her daughter that Steven Miller had tracked her down and reminded her of the vows they had made many years before. Troi tells her mother she is having trouble believing in those vows as she did in the past but she will honor them as she is a Betazoid. Lwaxana tells her daughter that she may find Wyatt Miller to be an unusual person, as she has sensed remarkable depths in him. On the bridge of the Enterprise, helmsman La Forge reports that a message is coming in from Haven. Appearing on the Enterprise's viewscreen is Valeda Innis, the First Electorine of Haven. She tells Picard that their timing is fortuitous. Picard is puzzled but Innis tells him that an incoming vessel has bypassed their stargate and violated their law. Picard asks if she believes the vessel is hostile and she replies "failure to communicate is inherently hostile." She notes that Haven has no defensive capabilities and the Federation specifies the Enterprise's obligations in this matter. Innis again expresses to Picard her gratitude at the Enterprise's presence. Meanwhile, Troi visits Wyatt Miller in his quarters. She wanted to apologize for her mother's behavior but Wyatt finds her honesty refreshing and respects it. Wyatt begins to describe himself to her, telling the counselor he is a medical doctor. When he asks her about her mind reading ability she tells him that someday, they could be able to read each other. She tells him she has only felt this way with someone is currently aboard the Enterprise. When Wyatt asks if he has any competition, she says no, what he really wants is to captain a starship. Wyatt says that what he really wants to do is cure people. Troi sees the drawings Wyatt has done of a woman. He thought that Troi could be this woman which explains why he was surprised at her appearance. Wyatt tells Troi that he has seen this face ever since he was a boy and when he closed his eyes, he heard her voice whispering his name. Troi tells him she's sorry she is not what he expected but Wyatt feels honored to be married to her soon. Back on the bridge, Data has gotten an image of the rogue vessel approaching Haven. It is traveling at sub-warp, several hours away from reaching the planet. When La Forge increases magnification, Picard asks his android operations officer "is that the trouble I believe it is?" Data replies that it is, indeed, a Tarellian starship. Picard signals for Dr. Crusher to report to the bridge at once. He says that ship must not be permitted to destroy the crew of the Enterprise or Haven. In the observation lounge, the crew discuss the current problem. Riker and La Forge suggest the ship has been damaged, explaining its slow speed and why it would have taken all these years to reach Haven from their world. Data explains that Tarella, their homeworld, was once much like Earth but "hatred outpowering intelligence" occurred, as Data puts it. During the hostilities, one group of inhabitants unleashed a biological weapon on the other group. As the Tarellians were at a 20th century level of technology, the virus became deadly and infectious. As all Tarellians were infected with the plague, they were hunted down and destroyed since they could take their sickness and spread it to other worlds. The last Tarellians were believed to have been wiped out by the Alcyones eight years prior. The Tarellians will reach Haven in just over thirteen hours. Picard reminds the crew that they will protect Haven from the Tarellians and asks his crew to help him find answers. He also tells the crew that their voluntary second assignment will be the pre-joining announcement of Deanna Troi and Wyatt Miller. Riker sadly leaves the lounge. In a lounge on the Enterprise, Victoria Miller asks Picard if he will perform the marriage ceremony. Picard agrees, so long as both parties request him. However, Lwaxana's eccentric behavior causes friction as she demands the traditional Betazoid marriage ceremony, during which all participants are expected to be nude, be respected. Lwaxana refuses Victoria's request, stating that the captain is not experienced in Betazoid tradition, so Mr. Homn will conduct it. The Millers and Lwaxana Troi continue to argue over this but Captain Picard states that it is a Starfleet tradition that disputes at social gatherings are not permitted. He declares "all disagreements resolved." Later, Picard raises his glass in a toast to Deanna and Wyatt, as well as their families. Homn bangs the Betazoid chime at a regular interval during the meal, generally annoying everyone in the room as they drink and eat. Riker excuses himself, claiming to Picard that he would like to consider the Tarellian situation further and he leaves the celebration. Data, fascinated by the social activity in the room, asks Homn, who is drinking beverages profusely, if his lineage is mixed at all with Human. Homn takes it as an insult and turns his back on the android. The dinner however, continues to go badly, as Victoria and Lwaxana bicker over differences between Humans and Betazoids. As this continues to go on, Troi explodes at her wedding party, especially at her mother. She storms out, knocking over Homn's chime as she leaves. In a holodeck, Riker is sitting on a rock while in a simulation of an alien world, brooding. Troi enters and asks if she can join him. Riker admits that he will miss his former imzadi. They discuss the difficulty involved in their parting and Troi remarks that Humans, particularly those who are young, often have difficulty separating platonic and physical love. Riker admits that he cannot, not now. Suddenly, Wyatt Miller walks in marveling at the realism of the holodeck. Riker excuses himself again and leaves the holodeck. Wyatt tells Troi that their parents have come to an agreement, some wedding guests will go naked and some will not. Wyatt asks Troi if she really wants to go through with their wedding and Troi says she really wants to. They kiss. Picard is faced with a difficult decision. The Tarellian ship still refuses to answer their hails. Valeda Innis contacts the ship and fearfully notes that the plague ship will soon be approaching transporter range. "Do you realize that they can turn this lovely world of our into a graveyard? Please, please take action now before it's too late!" she pleads. Then, Picard comes up with a solution. He orders that Enterprise hold the Tarellian vessel with a tractor beam. Finally, the ship sends communication, showing their bridge crew. Troi recognizes the woman in front as the woman in Miller's drawings. The leader of the Tarellian group introduces himself as Wrenn, and explains that the eight people remaining on his ship wish to live their last days on an isolated beach on Haven. Wyatt, now on the bridge, is surprised to find out the woman from his dreams was aboard that vessel upon seeing her image through the viewscreen on the bridge. Wyatt communicates with the Enterprise and explains he's decided to remain there, to try to cure the Tarellians. Everyone, especially his parents, are shocked but they come to respect his decision. The Tarellians agree to move on, removing the threat to Haven, and are released to return to space. The Enterprise warps away from Haven and the crew continues their mission of exploration. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to a meeting with the Jarada on a diplomatic mission. Captain Picard has been appointed by Starfleet to attempt to establish a relationship with them; however, the captain must recite their complicated greeting to them, in their native tongue, without any errors, or otherwise the meeting will fail. The captain and Deanna Troi have been practicing the speech in his ready room for hours. Troi says that the captain should take a break and suggests trying the new holodeck upgrades. Picard's face brightens when he remembers that he's been looking forward to trying out the new Dixon Hill holodeck program. After entering the holodeck, Picard is impressed by the upgrades. He is met by a lady, Mrs. Jessica Bradley, in Dixon Hill's office, who claims someone is trying to kill her -- Picard has been hired. Bradley briefs Dixon on her predicament. As she leaves his office, Picard turns to the window, and notices automobiles outside, a fascinating sight to him. He leaves the simulation for the time being. Just as he is leaving the holodeck, a Mr. Leech knocks on the door, and opens it, to find, to his surprise, that the captain has "vanished". Picard calls a meeting in the observation lounge with all the senior staff to discuss the Jarada mission. Before starting, though, he marvels at the holodeck upgrades, and invites Dr. Crusher to accompany him next time, along with Mr. Whalen, a 20th century historian. The conversation quickly turns to the Jarada, where Riker starts the briefing, noting the requirement that Picard perfectly enunciate the greeting for a successful outcome. Commander Data further emphasizes this, starting to mention in detail the last Federation attempt, much to the captain's annoyance and ends the meeting since he has seen it enough. Data and Geordi La Forge discuss Dixon Hill after the meeting in a corridor, and compare him to Sherlock Holmes. This intrigues Data, and he decides to look up every piece of literature on Dixon Hill in the ship's computer. He then decides he should accompany the captain and Whalen on their holodeck excursion. The three enter holodeck 3. Kitted out in full '40s-style clothing, they arrive in the middle of a busy San Francisco street. Data almost immediately attracts attention by not being "from around here", and Picard claims that Data is from South America, to which a near-by newspaper seller responds "Yeah, he's got a nice tan!". Reading a newspaper, Picard notes that Jessica Bradley has been murdered, and he feels sorry that he couldn't do anything to stop it, despite Whalen's remark that she's only a character from a story. Two police officers arrive, and accuse Picard of Jessica's murder, since she had his business card on her. Back on the bridge, the Jarada send out a long-range probe, and commence scanning the Enterprise, disrupting the ship's systems momentarily, including causing the holodeck's doors to open and close repeatedly. The Jarada then attempt to communicate with the Enterprise, more specifically with the captain, but they are offended to hear that only Commander Riker is available to speak to them. He tells La Forge to go find the captain on the holodeck. Dr. Crusher enters the holodeck, with some difficulty, but thinks nothing of it. She meets up with Whalen and Data in the lobby of a police station. Data confuses her with his newly-learned '40s accent. Dr. Crusher seems excited by the idea of her shipmates being "on ice" and wants to know why they're not all being interrogated. In a back room of the station, Picard is being "grilled" by the two officers, Dan Bell and McNary, and loving every minute of it. Outside the holodeck, La Forge has arrived and discovered a problem with the holodeck controls, and cannot locate the captain or the rest of the team inside. Wesley Crusher and Commander Riker leave the bridge and join La Forge outside the holodeck to try to solve the problem. Meanwhile, inside the holodeck, Picard realizes he's got to be getting back to the bridge soon for the greeting of the Jarada. He manages to worm his way out of the interrogation, and leaves the room. Back in the station foyer, Dr. Crusher is getting some unwanted attention from a desk sergeant. She's distracted from him by Picard's return, and they both look at each other for a lingering moment. At her request, they all head back to Dixon Hill's office before leaving the holodeck. However, Leech is waiting for them when they arrive, and he pulls a gun on them. Back on the other side of the holodeck doors, Wesley and La Forge are searching for the problem. Wesley proposes the problem started with the Jaradan probe, which may prove difficult to fix. Yar communicates from the bridge, saying they have arrived in the Jaradan sector, and that there has been no further communication from Torona IV, so Riker decides to wait. Leech continues to detain the crew members, and demands to know what Picard has done with a certain "object" Dixon Hill was hired to find. Whalen acts tough in front of Leech, and Leech fires a shot at him. Whalen falls backwards, and initially everyone thinks he's just acting. But everyone is shocked as Whalen is genuinely bleeding and turning pale; the holodeck safety protocols that prevent injuries must have been deactivated by the Jarada scan. Dr. Crusher rushes forward to tend to him. Crusher announces that if Whalen isn't taken to the sickbay immediately, he will die. When Leech comes closer, Picard rushes at him, knocks the gun out of his hand and punches him, letting him run out of the office. The captain then tries to call for the holodeck exit, with no response. Data goes to try another exit point, but to no avail: the computer is not responding to their commands. On the bridge, the Enterprise has arrived at Torona IV already, without resolving the holodeck problems. Riker announces to the repair team that they're running out of time before the greeting will be expected to be given to the Jarada. Back in the holodeck, Dr. Crusher is struggling to keep Whalen alive while Picard and Data search in vain for a solution from their side. At that moment, Leech returns with a thug and a large man announcing himself as Cyrus Redblock. Redblock proceeds to look around Dixon's office, searching for "the object". He tries to get Whalen removed from the room, but Picard objects. Leech strikes Picard on the face with his gun, cutting his mouth. Officer McNary walks into the office at that moment, and is surprised to find Cyrus Redblock and his cronies there, too. He's quickly disarmed by the thug. Redblock then notices Data, and asks where he comes from. Picard decides to reveal where they all came from, but Leech is unconvinced. Data then exacerbates the situation by revealing that none of the others' characters are actually real, a comment that seems to enrage Leech. Redblock wants to test Picard's theory by shooting one of them. He instructs Leech to shoot Dr. Crusher. Just before Leech pulls the trigger, Picard says that he has the item. Redblock is intrigued, and calls off Leech. Picard then tries to bargain with Redblock to try to save Whalen. Back on the bridge, Commander Riker attempts to contact the Jarada, only to receive an earful of angry insectoid-buzzing sounds in return. Hoping for better luck with the holodeck controls, he contacts La Forge and Wesley. Wesley comments that the problem can be fixed, but if it is not done properly, the holoprogram could abort and everyone inside the holodeck could vanish. Riker gives the order to proceed with the repair. Inside the holodeck, the Enterprise crew members are trying to explain their situation to Redblock and his team, however there are problems with the vocabulary. Leech is getting ever more edgy, and demands that he should be allowed to kill Data. At that moment, the holodeck scenery changes to a windy, snowy alien environment, much to the astonishment of the holodeck characters. Just as suddenly, the group are returned to the office, still shell-shocked by the sudden change. The holodeck exit appears and opens, revealing the Enterprise corridor. Picard remarks to Redblock and Leech that that is the way into their world. Redblock and Leech decide to attempt to leave the holodeck, but dematerialize just outside the doors. Data picks up Whalen and takes him to sickbay, accompanied by Dr. Crusher. Lt. McNary, who has befriended Picard, realizes the possibility that his own reality is in doubt. He asks Picard, "When you've gone, will this world continue to exist? Will my wife and kids still be waiting for me at home?" Picard responds with the only honest answer he can find "I don't know". Picard then rushes to the bridge, where he recites the greeting perfectly, much to the relief of everyone on board. The Enterprise then leaves Torona IV. 
<EOS>
While passing Omicron Theta, the USS Enterprise-D stops to investigate the site of Data's discovery. An entire Earth colony disappeared from the planet 26 years ago, and the whole planet now appears dead. Riker leads an away team that beams down to the spot where Data was found by crewmembers from the USS Tripoli. For some reason, Data has been given the memories of all 411 colonists, and he is interested in learning why. The away team proceeds to the topographical site where Data was found; it is a hollow with a rock wall. He was found in the open, and was apparently activated by a marker beacon that detected the crews' presence. Geordi La Forge examines the rock wall with his VISOR and sees that it was man-made. He finds a hidden door in the wall that opens onto a passage that leads to an underground shelter. The away team goes down one of the corridors before coming to a door that leads to a laboratory, where Data recalls impressions of his basic functions being tested. There are children's pictures on the wall, all apparently of the same scene. Data doesn't know what they represent, only a sense that they refer to something dangerous. Riker presses him and asks if he can remember anything else about the lab. Data replies that he can remember one of the machines being used by a Dr. Noonian Soong. La Forge recognizes the name of Earth's foremost robotics scientist. He tried to create a positronic brain, but failed and then disappeared. Now, they realize he went to Omicron Theta under a different name to continue his work. Data, La Forge, and Riker continue to search the lab, while Natasha Yar and Worf search the rest of the bunker. They find molds for making Data's skin, and Yar reports that the rest of the bunker is empty. Then La Forge comes across a storage area. Inside, they find another android identical to Data. Data is excited by the discovery and they decide to bring it back to the Enterprise for assembly. Back on the Enterprise, a team of engineers and technicians try to reassemble the android. Argyle confirms that "it" has the same body parts as Data, and asks if he can examine Data if he needs more information, comparing the internal circuitry, and Data agrees. After briefly conferring with Picard in the observation lounge, he returns to Dr. Crusher. He shows Crusher his off switch, asking her to keep it secret. Then she and Argyle open him up and check his internal construction. After they close him up, Picard and Riker arrive in sickbay. The other android has been fully assembled, but he is still not active. Picard wonders aloud which was made first. Suddenly, the second android comes alive and says that Data was. He calls himself Lore, and says he was made to replace the "imperfect" Data. Data and Picard talk in the ready room. Data believes both Lore and himself have the same physical and mental capabilities. Picard then asks Data where his loyalties lie, and Data assures him that his loyalty is to Picard and Starfleet, completely. They go out onto the bridge where Wesley Crusher and La Forge are explaining the helm controls to Lore. Riker then says the first part of Pythagorean theorem, and Lore unthinkingly completes it, except the last word, "sides," which he claims he never really knew in the first place. While his face twitches, he says he enjoys pleasing Humans. Data leads him off to show him the rest of the ship, telling him Riker tricked him into revealing he knew more than he let on. He warns him not to underestimate Humans, but Lore is dismissive. He tells Data not to be jealous of his ability. They go to Data's quarters, where Data checks up information about Dr. Soong. Lore calls him "Often Wrong Soong" and derides Data for the way he tries to mimic Humans. Data asks him again which of them was built first, and Lore admits he was built first. He says the colonists became envious of him and persuaded Soong to build a less perfect android -- Data. Lore was too Human, understanding language and humor. Data leaves to go on duty and asks Lore to make a report to the captain about what happened to the colonists. On the bridge, Picard and Riker analyze Lore's report. The colonists were killed by a Crystalline Entity that feeds on lifeforms, and is capable of stripping all life from an entire world. The two androids survived because they were not alive when the entity attacked. Yar tells Picard that Lore has left his room to go to deck four, and Picard tells Data to check up on him. When he goes, Yar asks if he can be trusted, to which Picard replies that he trusts him completely. In Data's quarters, Lore mixes a pill into some Altairian Grand Premier champagne which he offers to Data when he enters. Data drinks the champagne, and realizes immediately something is wrong. He collapses, and Lore reveals that he learned to communicate with the crystalline entity, which he led to the colonists in order to get revenge. On the bridge, a subspace communication is detected coming from Data's quarters, and Picard sends Wes down to check it out. Lore is communicating with the crystalline entity. He tells it to identify him as Data. Wes comes in and "Data" tells Wes that "Lore" attacked him and he had to switch him off. His face twitches and covers it up, saying he's been practicing Lore's facial twitch. Lore/Data says he's coming up onto the bridge, and after Wes leaves he uses a small tool and fixes his own twitch and causes one in Data. Dr. Crusher asks Wes on the bridge what happened and he tells her he shut Lore off, which makes her suspicious since it was their secret. "Data" arrives on the bridge when La Forge detects an unknown object approaching at high speed. It is the crystalline entity. Picard says they need to question Lore. Wesley loudly protests now that he doesn't trust Data/Lore. Picard and Riker are both annoyed at this, and Riker brings him with him and "Data" as they go to see "Lore". "Data" approaches "Lore" and causes him to shake by using Data's activation switch to rapidly turn him on and off. He tells Riker and Wes to leave, saying he can't control "Lore". After they leave, he kicks Data in the head in anger, causing part of his "skin" to come loose and exposing the circuitry on his skull. On the bridge, Riker tells Picard what happens, but Wes is still not convinced. The entity brushes against the shields. "Data" rushes in and says he wants to talk to it. He tells it the Humans here are powerful. It backs off, and "Data" suggests beaming something like a tree out into space and destroying it in a show of force. Picard agrees. "Data" leaves, but Wes continues to protest. Wesley tries again to convince Picard that "Data" is really Lore, but the captain refuses to listen and dismisses him, telling him to "shut up, Wesley." He still orders Worf to monitor what "Data" does, since it is unusual. Beverly, just as hurt as her son, repeats in shock, "Shut up, Wesley?!" Picard dismisses her also and orders them both off the bridge. Wesley, angered, starts to complain, but Beverly fearfully adds, "Shut up, Wesley" herself in an attempt to protect her son from further ridicule by the rest of the crew. Worf steps into the turbolift with Lore, who then assaults him and knocks him unconscious. Meanwhile, Wes has managed to convince Dr. Crusher to stop off at Data's quarters. She sees he's hurt and switches him on. He tells her he is not badly hurt, and they go to cargo bay 3 to stop Lore. They sneak into the cargo bay and hear Lore talking to the Crystalline Entity. Lore spots Data and Wesley and threatens to kill Wesley. Beverly comes out from hiding and pulls a phaser on him, but she is too close and he grabs it from her. He then tells her to leave and Data to cooperate with him or he will kill Wesley. Dr. Crusher hesitantly makes her exit, but not before Lore fires his phaser at her, igniting the sleeve of her blue lab coat. Taking his chance, Data knocks the phaser out of Lore's hand and they start to brawl. Data throws him into cargo containers and then onto the transporter pad where the phaser landed. Lore fires just as Wes is able to energize the transporter, beaming him out into space. Picard, Riker, Yar, and Crusher enter with phasers drawn to find that Lore is gone. With no way to reach the crew, the Crystalline Entity leaves and Picard orders Data to get rid of the twitch and to find a proper uniform as the Enterprise resumes course for the computer overhaul. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has discovered the wreckage of the Odin, a freighter that disappeared seven years earlier. It was disabled by a collision with an asteroid, and there are no life signs on board, but three escape pods are missing. The Enterprise travels to Angel I, the nearest class M planet, to search for survivors. Angel I is a female-dominated society, ruled by six elected mistresses and a leader known simply as "the elected one". It has been 62 years since the last Federation contact with the planet. The Enterprise hails the planet, and Troi speaks with the elected one, Mistress Beata. Although initially wary, she agrees to let an away team beam down to visit the planet. As the away team heads for the transporter room, they encounter Wesley and a friend entering the holodeck for a skiing lesson. The away team of Data, Riker, Troi, and Yar beam down to the planet, where they meet with Beata and ask about any survivors that might be on the planet. Still suspicious, she asks why they are only coming now, and Riker explains that the Enterprise's discovery of the freighter was unexpected. Their only purpose in coming is to simply find any survivors and bring them home. Another member of the council, Ariel, expresses her misgivings, and Beata refuses to tell them if there are survivors. Instead Beata's male servant, Trent, takes them to another room. Troi reckons that Beata's refusal to tell them about the survivors confirms that there are in fact survivors. Back on the Enterprise, Picard tells Worf in the turbolift that they have to prepare for a trip to the Neutral Zone when the away team returns, as Romulan battle cruisers have been detected near one of the Federation's border posts. As they pass the holodeck, they are hit by a snowball thrown by Wesley. Picard scolds him. He also detects an unusual smell that Worf identifies as throgni, a Klingon scent. Data is investigating some perfume when Trent returns to bring them back to the council chambers. Beata tells them that, although the decision was not unanimous, they have decided to tell them about the survivors. She says there were four of them, and their leader is a man named Ramsey. However, they are now fugitives in hiding: some time after arriving on Angel I, they started to abuse the hospitality they received and began to cause trouble. She warns Riker that they are dangerous. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher tells Picard that Wes and his friend are sick with a respiratory ailment. She is, however, working on a vaccine. On the planet, Data suggests that they can locate the survivors by searching for platinum, an element not found on Angel I, but which would have been brought by the survivors. Data asks La Forge to begin the search. Riker is brought an outfit worn by the men of the planet, as he wants to wear it when he meets Beata, to impress her by wearing indigenous apparel. Troi and Yar find his appearance wearing the outfit hilarious, however. Dr. Crusher examines Captain Picard, pronounces him unfit for command, and orders him to bed. He relents and tells La Forge he has command. La Forge sits in the captain's chair, and Worf tells him the platinum has been located on the planet. Riker meets with Beata and tells her the Enterprise has found the location of the survivors. Ariel is still suspicious and tells Riker this, then she storms out. Riker waits with Beata and tells Yar to begin the search. She, Data, and Troi beam to the location of the platinum, a cave mouth, where they meet a man who says he's been expecting them. Crusher tells La Forge there are 82 more cases of the virus and she's converted a holodeck to deal with it. Worf then leaves the bridge to go to sickbay. Meanwhile, Yar tells Ramsey how they found him, and tells him they're bringing him home. He shocks them by telling them he doesn't want to leave as he and the others are happy. They have wives and in some cases children. Beata tells Riker that Ramsey and his friends are anarchists and outlaws. She starts flirting with him, and as they start to kiss, Trent walks in with a present that Riker has brought for her. He shows her the Albeni meditation crystal, before they get back to kissing. Ramsey tells the rest of the away team that at first they thought Angel I was great, but then they saw how the men had no respect and were discriminated against. When they spoke out, they were forced to become fugitives. He refuses to leave, and Data adds that they can't force him, as he and his crew are not members of Starfleet, nor do they have to obey the Prime Directive. Crusher tells La Forge there are more sick than beds, and he remarks they'd be seriously undermanned if they were forced to take action against the Romulans. Yar contacts La Forge, asking to beam the three of them to their previous location, where they will regroup with Riker and return to the ship. He informs them that one-third of the crew is infected and more Romulan vessels are converging in the Neutral Zone. Ramsey won't tell them how he knew they were coming, but after they beam away, Ariel comes out of the cave and kisses him. Riker is with Beata when Trent enters and tells her that the away team hasn't got the survivors. Yar fills in Riker, and then Beata says she is forced to sentence the survivors to death. Dr. Crusher visits Picard in his quarters to give him some medicine and notices the same odor that Picard smelled at the holodeck. She realizes that this is the way the virus spreads. Down on the planet, Data tells Riker that seven Romulan battle cruisers are now in the vicinity of the outpost, and the USS Berlin has responded to the distress call. However the presence of the Enterprise is still regarded as a vital show of strength by Starfleet. Beata brings in Ramsey and his crew, whom she found by having Ariel followed. She tells Riker that the fugitives are to be executed tomorrow. Riker is outraged and asks her for another chance to convince Ramsey to leave with them. She agrees, but Ramsey still won't go. Riker wants to beam them aboard anyway, against their will, in violation of regulations. However, Dr. Crusher won't allow anyone to come aboard the ship. La Forge has succumbed to the virus, and she can't find a cure. Riker orders Data to beam up and take the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone before it is too late. The next day, Trent invites them to come to the execution. Data contacts them and says they still have time before their ship has to leave for the Neutral Zone: 47 minutes to be exact. Riker agrees to attend the execution, which will be carried out by disintegrating the fugitives. Riker makes a speech about how Beata is trying to hold back evolution, which can't be done, and warns her that she'll just make a martyr out of Ramsey. At the last second, she relents and adjourns to reconsider. Crusher informs Data that she has devised an inoculant. Data then informs Riker that the Enterprise is ready for the away team to return. Riker instructs Data to maintain a lock on the away team and Ramsey's group but to stand by for further instructions. Beata then returns and says she's decided to stay the executions, and she exiles Ramsey and his followers to a remote region. It's not quite as hospitable as the rest of the planet, but she is confident that if they work hard, they can make a life for themselves and be free to live as they please. The away team returns to the Enterprise and is inoculated by Dr. Crusher against the virus. Captain Picard, although hoarse, has returned to the bridge, and the ship heads for the Neutral Zone. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is calling at Starbase 74, in orbit around the planet Tarsas III, for a maintenance check and upgrades. The ship docks, and Captain Picard and Commander Riker go to meet the maintenance crews. The crews' leader, Commander Quinteros, greets them and tells them he was in charge of the team who constructed the Enterprise. Also with him are the Bynars, two aliens named One Zero and Zero One who work as a unified pair. They have recently completed a successful upgrade to the computer aboard the USS Wellington, and will be upgrading the computers on the Enterprise, as well as making repairs to the holodeck. Riker and Picard discuss the Bynars on the way to the bridge. Apparently, over time they have become so interconnected with the master computer on their home planet that their thought patterns are as close to binary code as is possible. On their way back to the bridge, the two discuss their plans for the downtime. Picard plans to relax with an old novel in his quarters, but Riker hasn't decided yet, as he doesn't manage his time off very well. "Something'll turn up. It always does", he tells Picard. On the bridge, Wesley Crusher is watching the Bynars work. They have been joined by two more of their species. Picard goes to his ready room, and Riker tells Wesley to keep an eye on the Bynars, as he doesn't altogether trust them. He then leaves to take a walk around the ship. Riker is walking the decks. He meets Worf, Natasha Yar, and two other crewmembers on their way to play a game of Parrises squares with some of the starbase maintenance crew. They invite him to join, but he declines; they already have the requisite team of four, and switching off mid-game disrupts a team's rhythm. Instead, he wishes them luck, but Worf's reply seems too forceful. Yar assures him, though, that Worf is probably joking; he is picking up a sense of humor. As they leave, the lights dim in the corridor. Inquiring at a wall interface, Riker learns from the computer that uninhabited sections of the ship are being selectively shut down to free computer resources and facilitate the systems upgrade. Satisfied with the explanation, he next drops in on Data, who, with the help of Geordi La Forge, is exploring his creativity by trying to paint a creative picture in the observation lounge. Riker amusingly tells the two to take notes; a blind man teaching an android how to paint is bound to be of scientific significance someday. Riker then visits sickbay, where Dr. Beverly Crusher is getting ready to meet Professor Terence Epstein, the leading mind in cybernetics who had lectured at her medical school. She is highly excited with the chance to meet such an expert, mentioning the disaster at Micromius as when she started working on an approach that combines cybernetics and regeneration. She keeps talking about him with Riker even as she heads for the turbolift. Finally, Riker approaches Holodeck Four, where two of the Bynars are working. They tell him the holodeck is repaired, enhanced, and ready for use, so he creates a jazz club, the Bourbon Street Bar, in New Orleans, 1958, a trombone, a trio accompaniment, and a one-woman audience. He experiments with various looks and hair colors for his female companion until he finally gets what he wants: a brunette who is more alluring and realistic than anything he has ever seen on a holodeck. He starts to chat with her and her name is Minuet. On the bridge, Wes asks the Bynars how they can process information so fast. They tell him they store information in buffers and save it until they need it. Picard emerges from the ready room. Upon learning that Riker is on the holodeck, he decides to join him there. Riker is playing the trombone with a backing group. He tells Minuet he has to leave, but she asks him to dance with her. He still can't get over how realistic she is. She asks him why his work "consumes and enthralls" him. He tells her that his posting is a dream come true, and starts to kiss her passionately when Picard walks in. On hearing his name, Minuet speaks to him in French. They ask him to join them, and Minuet praises him, telling him Riker is a credit to his captain. Picard is also highly impressed with the program, commenting how it adapted to speak French to him. On the bridge, Wesley calls Data and tells him that there is a problem in engineering. The magnetic containment field that holds the antimatter is reporting difficulties. Data and La Forge rush down to engineering and learn that the containment field is deteriorating; a containment breach will destroy the ship. Data initiates a red alert while La Forge tries to determine the source of the problem, but he can't halt the collapse. They quickly learn that they have only four minutes until the antimatter is released. Unable to reach Picard, Data makes an emergency command decision and broadcasts an "all hands" message ordering everyone on board to abandon ship. Instructions are broadcast through the ship instructing people to appropriate transporter rooms for beam-off to the starbase; Wes is among the first to leave this way. Others leave via the gangway. The commotion attracts Yar and Worf at the starbase, and they're quickly filled in. On the bridge, Data and La Forge set the autopilot to put the maximum distance possible between the Enterprise and any inhabited area. Though the computer reports they are the last two aboard, Data is concerned for Picard since, as captain, he is usually the last to leave, but there is no time to search for him. They beam onto the starbase, and are told by Yar, Worf, and Dr. Crusher, who had been on the starbase since before the emergency, that Picard and Riker aren't there either. Data wants to return for him, but there's no time. As the Enterprise starts to move out of the starbase, the magnetic field suddenly restores itself. The ship, no longer in danger, clears the starbase and jumps to warp. Picard and Riker, unknowing of what has been going on this entire time, are still in the holodeck, amazed at how intuitive the program is. When Picard tries to leave, however, Minuet becomes nervous and goes to great lengths to make him stay. He gets suspicious and orders the holodeck exit to show. Upon the emergence of the holodeck arch and the opening of the doors, he and Riker discover the red alert, learning there is no one on the bridge. Picard consults the computer and learns the details of the situation. They come to a conclusion; the Bynars have stolen the Enterprise for some reason. They question Minuet, who tells them she was programmed by the Bynars to keep Riker busy. Picard's presence was just a lucky coincidence. She is not able to tell them what the Bynars want with the ship. On Starbase 74, Data asks what the nearest Starfleet ship is. When he learns it's the Trieste, he dismisses it as too small and too slow, to which Commander Quinteros replies that even if it is the ship closest to the starbase, it is still too far away. Then Data notices that the Bynars are missing and deduces that they stole the ship. He also guesses their most likely course: their homeworld, Bynaus. Back on the Enterprise, Picard and Riker enter the weapons room to obtain phasers. It is now up to them to retake the ship. Picard and Riker have a momentary disagreement about a course of action, but Riker eventually follows Picard into main engineering. Facing an unknown opposition, they must assume the worst, so they activate the one function of the ship that requires both of them to consent: the auto-destruct sequence. Riker is a bit reluctant since they'll only have five minutes once the auto-destruct is activated, but should they retake the ship, they can stop the countdown at the bridge. As they leave, Picard notices that huge amounts of information are being stored in the ship's computer. Finding access to the turbolift blocked, they decide to use the transporter room. La Forge tells the others that there is no response from the Enterprise, and Worf states that someone else must be in control of the ship. Data blames himself for what happened, claiming that he was negligent of his duty since he doesn't require rest or recreation and thus theoretically can be on duty constantly, but the others console him by saying that the incident could have occurred even if he was present on the bridge. The ship nearest to readiness in the starbase is the USS Melbourne, but it's still eighteen hours from being ready. Using a timed delay, Picard and Riker both beam onto the bridge at the same time and in different locations in order to give themselves a better chance of retaking the ship should they meet resistance. Upon arriving, they find the four Bynars, collapsed near the entrance to the observation lounge. Two of them ask for help before they pass out. With the bridge under their control again, Picard and Riker deactivate the auto-destruct sequence and find that they're in orbit around Bynaus. All the equipment on Bynaus is inert, and no one is responding; they reason they're probably dying like the ones on board. Another look at their computer shows it completely packed with data -- a core dump from the main computer on Bynaus -- but they can't access it. They go back to Minuet, who tells them that a star in the Bynaus system went supernova. The electromagnetic pulse was going to knock out the main computer, so the only option was to back up its contents into the only mobile computer large enough: the computer aboard the Enterprise. However, the star went supernova sooner than expected and the Enterprise arrived later than expected at the starbase, leaving them no time for consultation and forcing them to resort to their desperate action. Riker and Picard must now restore the computer before it is too late, but not even Minuet knows the means to access it. They return to the bridge, where Picard contacts Data. Data tells him that the Bynars would want them to access the stored file, which would be called something simple; based on the Bynars' way of thinking, the most likely name is an 8- or 16-character binary string. Riker runs some 8-bit possibilities and they find the file called 11001001. They both have to work together, as the Bynars do, to access the information. The Bynaus computer reboots and the Bynars awaken. They tell Picard they didn't ask for help because they were afraid that they might be turned down; by their way of thinking, their situation was too desperate to gamble on such an uncertainty. They trapped Riker because they thought they might need someone to restore the computer for them. Picard takes the conn, and they return to Starbase 74. The crew comes on board and the Bynars are led off to face a hearing. Riker returns to the holodeck, but the Minuet he knew is gone; in her place is another brunette -- similar looking to his, but nowhere near as sultry, enchanting, beautiful, and perceptive. He is unable to get her back. Disappointed, he returns to the bridge. Picard suspects that maybe it was part of the Bynar's programming, stating, however, that "some relationships just can't work." Riker sighs, admitting that she will be difficult to forget.
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has been sent to Persephone V to confer with Admiral Mark Jameson. Starfleet received a subspace transmission from Karnas, the governor of Mordan IV two days previously. In it, he says that terrorists have taken the Federation Ambassador Hawkins hostage. They want to talk to a Federation negotiator, and in his opinion there is only one man qualified -- Admiral Jameson. Captain Picard transmits the message to Jameson and asks that he come. Mordan is at peace after forty years of civil war and Picard wonders why Karnas would be unable to deal with this threat, having settled the civil war five years ago. Jameson was the man who negotiated the release of hostages from Mordan 45 years previously. Jameson beams aboard in a wheelchair with his wife, Anne. He warns Picard that Starfleet has designated him senior mission officer, and as such he will be in charge of the away team and the mission itself. Picard is slightly taken aback, but agrees to this. They go to the bridge, where Karnas contacts them again. He informs Jameson of the situation on Mordan, and says that the terrorists demand that the discussions are held on Mordan, and that they speak only with the Federation negotiator. Jameson accepts the conditions, and the transmission ends. Deanna Troi says that she senses that Karnas is being honest, but that he is holding something back. Jameson suggests that maybe he doesn't want to admit his failure to deal with the situation. Doctor Beverly Crusher contacts Picard and says she's ready to perform the standard medical exam on Jameson, who looks nervous at this, which Troi notices. They go first to the ready room, where Riker asks how Karnas knew Jameson was still alive. He says he briefed Hawkins before he took over his post on Mordan. Data wonders what the terrorists want, but no one is able to offer an answer. Later in Jameson's quarters, he gets out of his wheelchair and staggers to a chair. His wife says he seems better, but then he gets a sharp pain in his chest. She wants to call sickbay but he won't let her. He says it has happened before, but it will go away. In the ready room, Dr. Crusher is talking to Picard. She says that the medical records Jameson gave her were two months old and not two days old as he claimed. She wonders why he lied. Picard says he's 85 years old, but Crusher says he suffers from Iverson's Disease, which affects the body but not the mind. Picard decides he wants her on the bridge for the duration of the mission so she'll be on hand should anything come up with Jameson. As the Enterprise-D approaches the Idini Star Cluster, Picard asks Jameson if he would like to take the conn as they make transit. He amazes everyone by standing up and walking slowly to the conn. He says he has begun some new therapy that is working well for him. In the ready room, Crusher says there's no known cure for Iverson's and it has never been known to go into remission. Jameson has been confined to the wheelchair for the last four years. Picard goes to Jameson's quarters, where he now looks about fifty. He demands answers, so Jameson tells him how he obtained a drug from Cerberus II that rejuvenates the body. He negotiated a treaty there and the inhabitants gave him the medicine. It is a combination of drugs to be slowly administered over two years. He got enough for himself and his wife, but took both doses himself when this mission came up. Anne gets upset, saying he didn't think of her and why did he not tell her what he was doing. She goes to the next room, and Jameson leaves his quarters. Jameson goes to the observation lounge and opens a secure communications frequency to Mordan. He talks to Karnas and asks him who's behind the kidnapping. He claims it is political opponents. He says that now that Jameson is returning, it is as if the last 45 years never happened. Jameson comments that Karnas never forgave him. Then he realizes that Karnas has the hostages and there are no terrorists. Karnas says he's going to ask a very high price for their release. Jameson goes to the bridge and tells Picard to increase the Enterprise-D's speed to warp 8 to put Karnas off balance. He tells Picard that Karnas has the hostages and that negotiations are no longer the answer. He intends to lead an away team on an armed rescue mission Jameson notes that the maze of tunnels under the city were simply built over without changing. He reckons that Karnas is holding the hostages there, the same as he did 45 years ago. He claims again that an armed raid is the only option. Picard tells him that the Federation might feel differently now that the situation has changed, but Jameson still claims command of the mission. Meanwhile, Troi, Crusher and Anne are talking in the doctor's office. Anne is distraught, asking why he did what he did. Then Crusher breaks the news that Jameson is not stabilizing, and that his life is now in danger. Picard goes to the observation lounge, where Jameson is sitting in the shadows, initially keeping his face turned away from the captain. He slowly turns in his chair and reveals himself to be now in his thirties. Picard asks why the mission is so important to him and what he is hiding. Jameson tells how Karnas took the passengers of a starliner hostage 45 years ago and demanded weapons from Starfleet. After two other negotiators were killed, Jameson went in and brought the hostages out safely, as the official version goes. What really happened was he gave Karnas the weapons he wanted, and then gave the exact same weapons to his rivals. Picard is appalled, but Jameson defends his actions, stating that this was his way of bending the Prime Directive without technically breaking it; however this plunged Mordan into forty years of civil war, instead of the brief skirmish that Jameson thought would happen. Now he wants to vindicate himself, but Karnas wants revenge. When the away team prepares to beam down, Picard decides to go with them, leaving Riker in charge of the Enterprise. Jameson beams down to Mordan along with Picard, Data, Worf, La Forge and Tasha Yar. They move through the tunnels under the city, where Jameson's inaccurate memory of the tunnel layout initially causes some problems, but they eventually find their way to the area where he believes that the hostages are being held. The landing party blasts their way through the wall, but in doing so alert Karnas's troopers to their location. A phaser fight starts, and as they take cover, Jameson suddenly clutches his chest and collapses. Initially Picard assumes that he was hit by a phaser blast, but there is no sign of a visible injury. With the group outnumbered and Jameson unable to continue, they all beam back up to the Enterprise-D. Back aboard the Enterprise, Picard reports to Riker that Jameson's condition is deteriorating sharply. An infuriated Karnas then hails them, saying that he knows full well that Jameson beamed down and tried to extract the hostages by force, and demanding that the admiral be turned over to him. Picard tells him he's critically ill, but Karnas doesn't care. He gives them ten minutes to beam Jameson down. Picard goes to sickbay, where Jameson is very sick. However, he still wants to beam down so he can save the hostages, but Picard tells him that even if the hostages are still in the same place, he is in no condition to attempt another rescue mission. Riker then contacts Picard, informing him that Karnas has sent another message; if Jameson is not turned over within the next five minutes, one of the hostages will be the victim of a "most painful" execution, after which Karnas will continue to execute the hostages at a rate of once every fifteen minutes. Picard realises that he is now out of options, and has no alternative but to allow Jameson to beam down, even though this will mean almost certain death at Karnas's hands. They beam down along with Dr. Crusher. Karnas doesn't recognize Jameson, and Picard insists the man with him is Jameson. 
<EOS>
While investigating faint energy readings coming from the Epsilon Mynos system, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D are witness to the revealing of the legendary planet Aldea. A woman contacts the Enterprise and introduces herself as Rashella, welcoming them and wishing to talk with them. Suddenly, she and Radue, introducing himself as the leader, appear on the bridge, startling everyone, notably Dr. Crusher, as they did not undergo decontamination procedures by going through the transporter, but they quickly explain that the Enterprise's transporters won't work because of the planet's shields. They formally invite them to the planet, but also show visible signs of discomfort, which they justify by not being used to bright lights and soon afterwards they beam back on the planet. Without warning, Commander Riker, Deanna Troi, and Dr. Crusher are transported to the surface of Aldea, and they're welcomed to their community. However, the Aldean's motives are quickly revealed, as Radue explains that he wishes to acquire some of the Enterprise's children, in exchange for technology. This outrages both Riker and Crusher, and Troi explains that Humans are very attached to their children; other species might be tempted. Then Radue explains that the Aldean society is dying out, and they've become infertile. Riker expresses his sympathy, but declines their trade offer. Radue promptly returns them to the ship. Meanwhile, strange beams of light come from the planet, scanning everyone on board but focused only on the children, such as Wesley Crusher on the bridge. Data reaches out to help him, but Picard warns him not to touch the teen, as they may unknowingly harm him. Suddenly to Dr. Crusher's alarm, Wesley is beamed away by the Aldean's transporter, and the disappearances of several other children across the ship are reported. The Captain is infuriated, and contacts Radue, demanding to have their children back. Radue appears on the viewscreen and informs Picard that the children will be well looked after, and that they'll want for nothing. He wants to discuss compensation, but Picard's response prompts him to close communication. Picard and Dr. Crusher along with Troi have a meeting with the other parents in the conference lounge to explain what's happened. Picard will have Dr. Crusher with him to represent the other parents, and assures them that the Enterprise will not leave without the children. On Aldea, Wesley and the children meet their new foster parents, and are quickly enticed by the skill-enhancing instruments that are offered to them. Wesley, however, is not impressed by the Aldeans and resists. Radue attempts to label him as the leader of the group, and gives him the task of helping the others adjust since he has no choice, like the Aldeans. Riker reports that Data has discovered random fluctuations in the shield, holes in essence, that could possibly be used to transport an away team through.  Riker is surprised that the Aldeans haven't perfected their technology after all this time and eliminated the flaw.  As using a hole would have to be precise with timing and there would be no guarantee, Data notes it may be better to crack the code used to transport through the magnetic shield, but it will take time as the sheer number of possible codes is almost endless.  While Data works on it, Picard orders Riker to work with La Forge to figure out a way through a hole.  An away team can then find the power source for the shield and neutralize it; Picard knows that they have to keep the Aldeans talking, because once they realize the crew will not accept anything but the childrens' return, they will just turn the cloaking device back on and the Enterprise will have lost any chance to get them back. Duana introduces Wesley to the Custodian for storing records of him. Wesley immediately wants to know more about the computer system, which takes care of the Aldeans' every need. He asks about what the other children are doing and interacts with the Custodian and learns the controls. He also asks what's behind one of the doors, but Duana admits that she doesn't know. Picard and  Dr. Crusher are transported to the planet to negotiate for "compensation" for the children. They refuse to give the children back, thinking that it's not a problem as they can have more children, but the captain warns that the Aldeans are messing with a primal Human instinct and that parents are willing to die if necessary for their children. To Crusher's questions about the children's future fertility, Radue is convinced that the problem is a genetic dysfunction and not contagious. Picard nevertheless remains amicable and says they sympathize with the Aldeans and is open to a satisfactory solution to both sides. The Aldeans see their problem as solved and they're offering the sum of their knowledge: what more could they want? Picard manages to convince him to let Dr. Crusher see Wesley. While with him, she coordinates a covert scan of Duana with the hand scanner from her medical tricorder. Rejoining Picard, she reports her son and the others are well; Radue states that the crew have their offer, which is final, and the away team is sent back to the ship. Radue decides to show the Enterprise that there is no bargaining room and displays the planet's power by blasting the ship, and throwing it back in ten seconds the equivalent distance of three days travel from the planet at warp 9.  He claims that he could very easily push the Enterprise so far away that by the time they returned to Aldea, their children would be grandparents. During the return trip to Aldea Picard tells Radue that there is room for discussion and ends the communication. Dr. Crusher has analyzed the covert scan and discovers that Duana is dying, suffering from some chromosomal damage, probably like the rest of the population. Crusher can't determine if it is genetic or environmental, so leaves to determine the cause. Whatever it is, it explains their pallor, general lack of appetite and sensitivity to light. It is similar to the situation on Earth in the 21st century. On Aldea, the children each show signs of dissatisfaction while being taught their respective activities. Wesley, however, firmly says to Radue and Duana that they will not cooperate. That night, he decides to convince the younger children to go on a hunger strike and to not speak to their hosts, in an attempt to make the Aldeans return them to the ship. Using the Custodian, he locates all the children and explains to them that it is a form of passive resistance. He assures them that while the Aldeans may become upset, they will not harm them as they need them.  While a couple are not sure, he reminds them that while the Aldeans are very nice, they all want to go home and gets the mutual solidarity he needs. Rashella walks in and finds them. Upon the Enterprise's return, Crusher confirms the Aldeans are suffering from acute radiation poisoning, which is reversible and causing the infertility. Also, while Data says it would take too long to decode the Aldean's transporter beam, La Forge has found that the holes in the shielding can be used to beam down a team with the right timing. When Radue beams Picard and Crusher down to negotiate, Worf carefully orders the transporter officer to beam Riker and Data down to Aldea in a discreet location. They are successful and locate the Custodian. Radue meets with Picard and Crusher and first demands that he make the children end their strike. Picard goes to the children and surprises Radue by taking them back to him and reveals that Riker and Data are on the planet. Crusher tries to convince Radue that the cause of their infertility is the planetary shield and cloaking device affecting their ozone layer, similar to Earth in the 21st century. Eventually, even the children will become affected as well. Radue does not believe her, insisting that their scientists would've known but Crusher retorts that they have been so reliant on their technology, they've stopped questioning it or know how it works. Radue attempts to beam the officers away but his commands to the Custodian are not responding; Riker and Data have temporarily disabled it. Picard has the Enterprise to beam up the children, but not before young Harry Bernard says goodbye to his "adoptive" father, Accolan. When they are gone, Radue is convinced that Picard has destroyed them. The captain says they are doing the exact opposite. The Aldeans, led by the Starfleet personnel, go to the mysterious door and find what Data identifies as the power source. Radue muses that they need to relearn how to look after themselves and use the power source safely. Picard offers their help, which is gladly accepted. The crew successfully reseeds Aldea's ozone layer, which to be maintained, the cloak nor the shield can ever be used again. On the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher reports that the population is responding well to treatment, and will become fertile in time. Picard remarks that while the planet's legend will die, its people will live. They leave Aldea, but not before Wesley escorts Alexandra, one of the children, to the bridge as she wants to thank and hug Picard. When she leaves, everyone on the bridge giggles behind the captain's back as Alexandra's plush toy has become accidentally stuck to his back. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is on a mission to catalog young planets in the Pleiades Cluster. Along the way, they have been instructed by the Federation to check on the terraforming colony on Velara III, as they were behind schedule. Captain Picard calls down to the station, and after a minute or two of no answers from the planet, Director Kurt Mandl finally responds. The director insists there is no need for them to pay a visit as they are back on schedule. Counselor Troi senses that he is extremely nervous about something, especially when Picard insists that an away team be sent down to have a look around. Troi, Commander Riker, Lieutenant Yar, Lieutenant Commander Data, and Lieutenant La Forge beam to the facility. They are greeted by hydraulics specialist Arthur Malencon, biosphere designer Luisa Kim, and Chief Engineer Bjorn Bensen. Outside the complex is Velara III's dark, windswept desert, a hostile place, which Kim tells them to remember; in a couple of decades, she plans for it to look like a Garden of Eden. Kim apologizes for their director's rudeness. She points out that they don't get many visitors and mentions that Dr. Mandl has been under stress lately. Kim offers a look around, proudly explaining their amazing procedure of taking a lifeless planet and converting it into a class M environment. Afterwards, La Forge and Data can't help but go to Malencon at the controls for the hydraulic probes. He mentions he has been having problems with the servos that control the probes. La Forge offers assistance, wondering if the high saline content of the soil is disrupting conductivity. Mandl finally enters, appearing gruff and moody. He reminds Malencon of their tight schedule and sends the tech off to work in the laser drilling room. Mandl directs the away team's attention to a schematic diagram of their planning; everything is specific and exacting. Suddenly, Troi senses terror and announces that Malencon is in trouble. A warning siren sounds and the group runs to the hydraulic station. As they approach, they hear the blasting of a drilling laser and cries of pain. The door to the room is sealed; they try to force the hatch when the laser blasts and screams abruptly stop. Upon opening the door, they find the room is a complete mess and spot the smoldering remains of Malencon; they are too late to save him. In the center of the room a large drilling laser hangs from a control arm, still pointing down at him. Riker has Malencon's body transported to the ship. In the meantime, they have the power to the hydraulics room shut down. Kim, Mandl, Troi, and Riker head to the Enterprise-D as well; the rest stay to survey the damage. Data finds it interesting that the laser seemed to stop at the moment Malencon stopped screaming. He reactivates power to the room and reruns the drilling program. Data watches the beam run its cycle as it blasts down into each of the bore holes. He turns away for a moment to check the readouts. Suddenly, the beam pivots toward him. He quickly dodges the stream as it blasts past him. It fires again, but he is saved by his android reflexes. La Forge and Benson come to the rescue, but find the door is sealed again. Beyond it, they hear a horrendous crash and the smashing of equipment. La Forge screams Data's name but receives no answer. They finally get the hatch open, and find that Data has ripped the machine down from its mounting. The whole device lies mangled on the floor, and Bensen laments a year's work has been destroyed. In Picard's ready room, he tells Mandl he is shutting down operations until the matter is investigated; Mandl is outraged, stating that Picard is overstepping his authority. Picard says a member of his crew has been attacked, which gives him the right to intervene. Mandl reminds him that he has a delicate schedule to maintain, but Picard says it is on hold until he has answers. Yar escorts Mandl to his temporary quarters and now La Forge and Data inform him the drilling laser was somehow reprogrammed to kill anyone who entered the room. Picard suspects one of the three terraformers, and instructs La Forge and Data to return to the planet to look for any sabotage or tampering. He also tells Yar to dig up the service records of all the terraformers for himself and Counselor Troi to review and look for a possible motive. Data and La Forge return to the station. Data notices a strange flicker of light down at the far end of one of the bore shafts. He makes sure it isn't a reflection of light, and scans it with his tricorder. He gets no readings, so he asks La Forge to look at it with his VISOR. Using its various visual modes, La Forge scans the object. It's inorganic, yet the pulses of light and color are unexplainable. Data wonders if it could be alive; it might be what the terraformers are trying to cover up. The object is beamed to the Enterprise-D, where Dr. Crusher has it placed inside a glass dome for analysis in a medical lab. The computer makes scans and verifies that it contains no organic molecules. Crusher enhances the scan on the wall display, which shows a complex pattern of crystalline forms. Energy patterns flow throughout a beautiful network of structures. It begins to emanate an audible hum. Crusher asks the computer what is causing the flashes and noise, but it is uncertain, since it is theoretically impossible for the substance to produce such an effect. However, it gets louder as they approach the object. She asks the computer for a hypothesis, to which it replies: "Life". Picard relays the findings to Mandl and his staff. Mandl insists that the Federation verified Velara III to be lifeless, which Picard says is understandable given the novel nature of the lifeform. Regardless, Picard mentions his suspicions of Mandl knowing there was life down there; a direct violation of the Prime Directive. Mandl makes it clear that he is in the business of creating life, not taking it. He leaves, and now Troi and Yar make it clear he did have some knowledge, but perhaps may not have concluded murder. Furthermore, only he and Malencon would have necessary skills to program the drill in the manner it behaved. Back in the medical lab, Crusher calls for Picard for new information. Picard arrives, and La Forge indicates he has detected a shift in the infrared spectrum; its internal structure is somehow changing. Suddenly, the small flicker of light brightens, nearly blinding everyone in the room. The hum grows louder as well. The hum and light subside, revealing two points of light inside the bell jar. Data points out that only life can replicate itself. As a precaution, Crusher activates a containment field around the glass dome, but the computer has trouble maintaining the field. The computer indicates that a "translation request" is being made; the glowing objects are trying to communicate with the computer. Power is increased to the containment field, but the fight for control continues. It looks as if Data is right; it's a lifeform, and also intelligent, with the power to access the computer. Everyone evacuates the lab. In the observation lounge, Picard now directly confronts Mandl, asking if he knew there was life on Velara III. He admits he knew of random energy patterns that disrupted their drilling, but that hardly indicated life by anything he is aware of. He adds they're meaningless silicon crystals that rebroadcast sunlight. Picard tells him they are hardly meaningless; they are clearly alive and intelligent, and are trying to communicate. By now, the glass dome contains a cluster of several points of light. Data, La Forge and Worf further the analysis and confirm its structure and properties. From engineering, however, an ensign reports that the power fluctuations are increasing, causing numerous systems around the ship to go haywire; something is taking over. Soon, the universal translator comes online by itself, saying "Ugly giant bags of mostly water!" Picard is confused, and Data indicates it is an accurate description of Human physiology; he points out that Humans are 90% water surrounded by a flexible container. The crystals speak, saying they had asked the Humans to leave, but they did not listen. It has driven them to kill. Picard tries to reassure the crystals that they come in peace; they didn't understand the message, and were unaware there was life on the planet. The crystals object, stating the "bags" at the station knew. They tried peaceful contact, but were ignored, and some were killed. They have no choice now but to declare war. Before Picard can respond, the crystals end communication. At this point the whole ship is jarred by a force. Data indicates that the crystals have joined together into a kind of living computer he calls a "microbrain"; the more there are, the stronger they become. Data identifies the flashes of light they emit appear to be program instructions allowing them to interface with the ship's computers. Additionally, it is intelligent enough to interface faster than the crew can. After a quick flare up of energy and more disturbances in the ship, the crystals seem to power down. Crusher indicates that with single-celled organic life, replication is followed by a resting state; perhaps it is the same for the microbrain. Picard orders Yar to beam the entity back to the planet. She tries to energize the beam, but the beam is redirected. Picard is agitated; lifeform or not, the safety of the ship is at stake. He tells Data to remove the atmosphere from the medical lab. Data tries, but again, the controls are locked out. Picard meets with the terraformers, explaining that the entity said it has tried to contact them before, but they ignored it. Mandl claims that if it tried communicating, they didn't understand it; how were they to know? Picard wants to know what the terraformers did to cause the crystals to fight back. Kim indicates Malencon was siphoning off a layer of saline water on the surface of the sand. Crusher suggests that life needs water; perhaps it was sustaining them. Data suggests it might have been what linked them together; individually, a single brain cell is not intelligent, but when linked to others, intelligence is formidable. To prevent the loss of the saline, it drove them to kill. The image of the medical lab shows the mass in the glass dome growing brighter. Suddenly, the dome shatters. Data and La Forge come up with an idea; they had detected cadmium salts, which create electrical current under infrared light. Perhaps the crystals are photoelectric in nature. Picard has them kill the lights in the medical lab. Riker opens an access panel at the room, and disables the lighting system. Now in total darkness, the glow of the microbrain begins to soften, and the crystals respond, begging for more light. They reluctantly declare the war to be over if they are returned to the "wet sand". Picard has Riker bring the lights back up, just a bit, to relieve them of their torment. He expresses his apologies for having caused them harm, and has the transporter chief beam the entity back to Velara III. Afterward, Picard places an indefinite quarantine on the planet. Data is disappointed that they couldn't learn more about the strange lifeform. They set course to the nearest starbase to drop off the surviving terraformers.
<EOS>
Wesley Crusher runs through a corridor to catch up with his friend Jake Kurland and tell him he's sorry that he didn't make the final exam for Starfleet Academy. Jake was short just 32 points says it is okay and wishes Wes the best. The USS Enterprise-D is in orbit around Relva VII, where Wesley is taking the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. Captain Picard's old friend, Admiral Gregory Quinn is also at Relva and he requests to beam aboard immediately. He brings Lieutenant Commander Remmick with him, and wants a private meeting with Picard, on official business. The three officers go to the ready room. Remmick is with the Inspector General's office and is there to conduct a thorough investigation of the Enterprise-D. According to Quinn, there is something seriously wrong on the Enterprise-D, but he won't tell Picard what. He orders him to cooperate fully with the investigation. On Relva, Wes is in the testing center examining a flux coordinating sensor, when a Human girl comes in. She introduces herself as Oliana Mirren, and she is also taking the test. Then a Vulcan, T'Shanik, enters, along with a Benzite, Mordock. Wes has heard of Mordock; he constructed the Mordock Strategy. The officer in charge of the test, Lieutenant Chang, enters. He tells them that they are all top candidates, but only one of them can go forward to the academy this year. He warns them that the test will be challenging, as well as exhausting and wishes them the best. Remmick is on the bridge, watching the crew, who are not happy with his presence. Riker goes to the ready room to ask Picard what is going on. Picard tells him he doesn't know. Riker is unhappy with this, so when he returns to bridge and Remmick asks to talk to him, Riker refuses, saying he has duties to attend to. Down on the planet, the candidates are finishing one part of the exam, the hyperspace physics test. Oliana comments how lucky Wes and Mordock are that everything comes so easy to them, but Wesley denies this, saying he has to study hard. Riker apologizes to Picard for his earlier behavior, and goes with Remmick when he asks him to. They go to the ready room, where Remmick questions Riker about discrepancies in the logs. Riker argues with him and is generally uncooperative. Remmick asks La Forge in engineering about the incident with Kosinski and the Traveler, and La Forge is forced to acknowledge that the captain lost control of the ship. He questions Troi about the incident with the USS Stargazer, saying it demonstrated a mental lapse on Picard's part. Wesley is in an empty holodeck when Worf enters. Wes asks him about the test, saying he's most worried about the psych test. Worf tells him there's no point in worrying about something that you can't change. The test confronts you with your greatest fear, and Worf reveals that his own greatest difficulty is depending on someone else for his life. On the bridge, Tasha Yar detects an unauthorized entry to the shuttlebay. It is Jake Kurland, and he steals a shuttle, intending to sign onto a freighter at Beltane IX. Picard orders him to return to the ship, but then Jake unbalances the dilithium reactor, and his engine stalls. He is heading for Relva VII's atmosphere, where he will burn up. The tractor beam won't work and he's out of transporter range. He can't get the engine started as it needs time to cool down, and he starts to panic. Picard orders him to point the nose of the shuttle towards the planet. Jake initially resists but then he does as he's told. Picard tells him to restart the engines and pull up when he reaches a certain speed. Jake does this and manages to pull out in time. All on the bridge cheer, and La Forge says that he built up enough speed, and then bounced the shuttle off the atmosphere. Remmick questions Picard on how he got access to the shuttle, but Picard assures him that he will get a refresher in discipline. Wes and Mordock meet a tall Starfleet officer called Rondon in a corridor down on Relva. He bumps into Wesley and starts to insult him. Wes apologizes, then Lt. Chang arrives. Wes stops apologizing and shouts at Rondon. All of a sudden Rondon's mood changes, and he laughs and leaves. Chang asks what happened, and Wes says he noticed from his webbed hands that he was a Zaldan, and Zaldans hate courtesy. They see it as covering up true emotions. Chang congratulates him and tells him it was part of the test. Mordock admits he wouldn't have passed. Remmick interviews other crewmembers, among them Worf and Data, who says that there is nothing wrong with Picard, despite Remmick's claim to the contrary. He also questions Dr. Crusher, asking her how she feels serving with the man who was responsible for the death of her husband. She says her personal feelings are irrelevant. He finally questions Picard himself about his violation of the Prime Directive with the Edo. Picard gets angry and goes to Quinn to ask him what's going on. Picard demands that Quinn tell him what is going on. Quinn tells him Remmick's report is nearly due and needs more time, but relents and calls for Remmick. The candidates are taking the dynamic relationships test and Mordock is having trouble, so Wes helps him. Mordock finishes first, and Chang comes in and tells him his time was the second fastest ever. Mordock tells him that Wes helped him, but Chang knows this. There is only one test left -- the psych test. Remmick makes his report to Quinn, and tells him he could find no problem on the Enterprise-D despite his best efforts. Quinn dismisses him, tells Picard he had to be sure about him. He says there are problems in the Federation and that someone is trying to destroy it. He says he needs people he can trust, and offers Picard promotion to admiral, as Commandant of Starfleet Academy. Picard says he doesn't think he's the best man for the job, but promises to think about it. Wes enters room 101 where the psych test will take place. It is empty except for a chair. At first nothing happens, then he hears a noise outside. He goes out, and the corridor is deserted. He hears shouting coming from the environmental lab. He goes in and sees a technician trapped under a pipe. Another technician is frozen with panic and won't leave. He frees the trapped man, and drags him out, but has only just enough time to get him out before the lab is sealed off. He sees Lt. Chang standing over him. He tells Wes that this was the psych test, confronting his fear of having to choose between saving one man and leaving another. This was because the same situation resulted in the death of his father. Wes had overcome his fear and made a similar choice; whom he chose was not as important as the fact he actually chose; Wes had passed the test. Chang says he's proud of all the candidates and hopes they will all return next year. He reveals that Mordock has won, and tells him that Wes' help wasn't the only difference between them. With this, Mordock became the first Benzite in Starfleet. The other candidates congratulate him. On the Enterprise-D, Picard is walking down the corridor when he meets Jake, who apologizes for what he did. Picard reminds him that running away solves nothing, but compliments him for keeping his wits about him. He finds Wesley in the observation lounge. He tells Picard that he failed the exam and let him down. Picard disagrees, saying that as long as he did his best, and would improve next year, he shouldn't worry. He then confides that he failed the test the first time himself. Quinn is leaving, and says he's sorry that Picard turned down the promotion. Picard promises that he will be ready if Quinn needs him. With that Quinn beams back down to Relva. 
<EOS>
Starfleet Command sends a communication to the USS Enterprise-D about a disturbance in the Neutral Zone, a battle. There are no Federation vessels in the area, and William T. Riker suggests that the Ferengi are involved. On arriving at the location of the battle, they find a vessel adrift without power. Data scans the debris from the explosions and speculates that the weapons used in the battle may have been Romulan in origin. The drifting vessel is identified as the Talarian freighter Batris, a cargo vessel. Riker has an away team consisting of Data, La Forge and himself beam over to the Batris after Worf detects life signs aboard. Riker, La Forge, and Data go to transporter room 3. The away mission to the Batris gives La Forge a chance to test out his visual acuity transmitter. The device transmits what his VISOR sees, but only has a range of a few kilometers. The away team beams over, and finds the ship in ruins. La Forge switches on the transmitter, and the viewscreen shows an image of flashing colors and indistinct shapes, a visual frenzy. Captain Picard is intrigued by the images, and asks La Forge how he is able to filter out all the extra information. La Forge compares it to listening to an individual conversation in a noisy room; mentally "filtering out" information that isn't wanted. Picard also has trouble identifying Riker and Data. They move off down the corridor, dodging falling beams amid smoke and deuterium gas. La Forge spots a fissure in the bulkhead, and reckons they only have five minutes until the hull breaches, which will have catastrophic results given its proximity to the engineering section. The bridge loses the transmission from the VISOR. They locate the survivors on the far side of the engine core. Data goes across on his own, to minimize the risk to the others. He returns, telling them that the door to the compartment is jammed. The others run over, and Data pulls open the door. Inside are three Klingons, one badly injured. They all make their way out of the engineering section, as the ship's superstructure begins to collapse. Tasha Yar tries to get a lock on them, and tells them to get further away from engineering, but Worf says that there is no time; the Batris is a matter of seconds away from exploding. Picard yells that they have no further options and to beam them out immediately, and Tasha tries to do so, but the transport fails and drops them back on the Batris. The away team and Klingons are alarmed to see an explosion racing toward them from the engineering section, and seconds later the entire ship explodes. For a terrible few moments it appears that the away team has been lost, but Tasha is able to materialize them on the transporter pad, having gotten them off right as the ship exploded. The survivors are brought to sickbay, and Picard and Worf go to meet them. Dr. Crusher says the injured Klingon is in critical condition. The others introduce themselves as Commander Korris and Lieutenant Konmel. They say they were being transported on the freighter when a Ferengi cruiser attacked them. Worf says the weapons were Klingon. They agree, but reiterate that the ship was Ferengi. They took control at the captain's request, and pretended to surrender, but when the Ferengi dropped their shields they destroyed the cruiser with merculite rockets. Worf shows them to their quarters, but Picard is suspicious as to why they were on the freighter in the first place. In the Klingons' quarters, they get something to eat. Worf tells them as far as he knows, he is the only Klingon in Starfleet, and they mock him, saying he has become soft and docile living among Humans. Then they reassure him, telling him they are only trying to anger him to see if it is still possible. Worf assures them it is. Then the captain calls from sickbay, where the third Klingon, Kunivas, is dying. They go to sickbay, and Korris opens Kunivas' eyes and looks into them. Then all three howl at the ceiling. They leave again, Korris telling Crusher that the body is now only an empty shell, and to treat it as such. As they return to the Klingons' quarters, Konmel carelessly lets slip that the opponent they battled was in fact not an enemy. Worf asks the pair what really happened, and they in turn ask Worf how he came to be where he is. He tells them that he was at Khitomer as a child when it was attacked by the Romulans. He was buried under some rubble, but survived to be rescued by a Starfleet officer, who brought him home with him. He was raised as his son at the Gault colony, and when they were old enough, he and his foster brother attended the Academy. His brother hated it and dropped out; Worf stayed. Korris and Konmel tell him that he was shunned and misunderstood all his life, and even now he is driven by something inside, even though there are no other Klingons around. Worf admits those feelings are still there, but that he is able to control them. They say that is the mark of a warrior. Korris says that the peace was like a living death to them, so they commandeered a freighter, in search of somewhere they could live as warriors. The ship they destroyed was a Klingon cruiser, and they claim that Klingons have been corrupted by peace. Worf is initially outraged by this revelation, but Korris placates him and then asks to be shown around the ship. On the bridge, Data comments that this was the first time outsiders have witnessed the Klingon death ritual. The howling is a warning to the afterlife that a Klingon warrior is about to arrive. He then detects a ship approaching, though is unable to yet discern what type. Meanwhile, Worf shows Korris and Konmel around main engineering. Konmel wonders of the battles they could wage if they had command of the Enterprise, but Worf tries to persuade his two fellow Klingons that their desire for battles and glory is something that does not fit the modern era. Korris, however, remains resolute in his desire to return to the old ways. The approaching ship is in visual range -- it is a Klingon K't'inga-class cruiser. Picard hails and Commander K'Nera answers. Picard tells him they rescued three Klingons. K'Nera asks if that is all that is left of the IKS T'Acog. Picard tells him that they were on the freighter and K'Nera replies that they are criminals who have stolen a freighter and destroyed a cruiser. He wants them delivered to him when he arrives. Picard sends a security team led by Yar to arrest the fugitives, who are in a corridor talking with Worf about the ship's saucer separation capabilities. Just as Worf comments that the Enterprise is an "exceptional weapon" when relieved of the bulk of the saucer section, Yar and her security team arrive. Worf asks what's going on. The Klingons appeal to Worf for help, saying he is one of them. Then, a turbolift door opens and a small girl runs into the corridor. Korris picks her up, and after a moment hands her to Worf. Yar's team arrests them and brings them to the brig. Yar says she was afraid she was going to have a hostage situation, but Worf replies that Klingons don't take hostages, that it's a cowardly thing to do. The prisoners are in the brig when the Klingon ship arrives. K'Nera tells Picard that they will be tried and executed for their crimes. Worf appeals to him, saying their words have stirred something inside him, and asking him to allow them to die an honorable death on a remote planet in the Halee system. K'Nera says he feels the same, but he must follow orders. In the brig, Korris and Konmel assemble a disruptor from their belts and other components of their uniform. They disable the force field and kill security guard Ramos. The second guard hits Konmel three times before he dies, but then Korris kills him too. He runs, and Yar arrives on the scene. She informs the captain what has happened. Korris gets to engineering and climbs onto the second level around the core. He points his phaser at the dilithium crystal chamber and says he will only talk to Worf. Worf and Picard go down to engineering. Yar wants to wait him out, but Worf says that Korris will fire his phaser the moment he feels the situation is not to his advantage, destroying the Enterprise-D and taking everyone with it. Worf goes up to talk to Korris. He wants Worf to separate the ship and come with him in the stardrive section. Worf says that won't happen. He pulls out his phaser and points it at Korris. He can't believe what is happening and appeals again to Worf. Worf tells him he is looking for battles in the wrong place, that the true test of a warrior lies within. He hasn't mentioned duty, honor, or loyalty, the things a true warrior must have. Korris doesn't respond to this, saying that Worf has become weak like the Humans. Worf makes one last attempt to talk Korris into surrender, but this causes Korris to completely lose his temper and angrily tell Worf that he is no true Klingon, momentarily pointing his weapon away from the warp core as he does so. Worf admits that Korris is right, and then blasts him with his phaser, mortally wounding him as well as sending him reeling forwards and down through the glass floor to the second level. Worf returns down, and performs the death ritual for Korris. He and Picard return to the bridge and tell K'Nera that the fugitives are all dead. Worf adds that they died well. K'Nera is impressed with Worf, and invites him to join his ship when his tour of duty is finished aboard the Enterprise-D. Worf says he would be honored. K'Nera leaves, and Worf assures Captain Picard he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise-D, he was just being polite. Picard replies that the bridge wouldn't be the same without him. 
<EOS>
Arriving at Minos in the Lorenze Cluster to investigate the disappearance of the USS Drake, the USS Enterprise-D enters orbit. Discovering no life signs on the planet's surface, they are surprised by a hail from a peddler, which is soon realized to be an automated message from the time of the Ersalrope Wars. Commander Riker, Natasha Yar and Data transport down to the planet's surface to investigate. The away team searches the area. Yar finds a piece of melted tritanium and Data finds an undamaged high-tech mounted weapon in a ruined structure. Riker comments on the finds, and Yar mentions that whatever weapon melted the tritanium is beyond current Federation technology. Suddenly, Captain Paul Rice, the commanding officer of the USS Drake, appears from behind the bushes and engages Riker, who personally knows him and attended Starfleet Academy at the same time, in conversation. Back on Enterprise, they confirm that there are still no lifeforms other than the away team, but there is an energy build-up close to the commander. Captain Rice asks Riker about the abilities of the Enterprise, which raises suspicions in Riker's mind, and soon realizes that he's not speaking to the real Captain Rice. Rather than give away any information, Riker gives Rice false information about the USS Lollipop rather than the Enterprise, calling it "a good ship." Riker then reveals to the fake captain that he knows he's fake, having among other things not called him "Will" even once, and Rice is quickly replaced by a weapon device. Before the away team can respond, the weapon fires on Riker, encasing him in a bubble of energy. Yar quickly fires back, and destroys the weapon, but the energy is still there. Data and Yar examine the bubble holding Riker in stasis, and contact Captain Picard to tell him that Riker has been trapped by a force field. Unable to transport Riker to the ship, the captain and Doctor Crusher transport down to the planet's surface to help, leaving Geordi La Forge in charge on the bridge. On the planet's surface, Picard and the others theorize about the reason why the weapon put Riker in stasis rather than kill him. Data is instructed to try and use his phaser to cut away the bubble, but just as he starts, the Enterprise hails the away team, informing them that another energy reading has appeared, and that it is moving towards them. Suddenly, the second weapon arrives and fires, chasing Picard and Crusher from the area. They fall into a deep underground cavern. Picard lands well and is unharmed, but the doctor is almost buried in loose sand and rocks, suffering significant injuries. Meanwhile, Data and Yar battle with the second weapon, discovering that it has learned and adapted from its previous encounter, and is now evasive and much more difficult to destroy. However, the combined effort of the two is enough to destroy it. Finally noticing the disappearance of the captain and the doctor, Yar and Data try and contact them with their combadges, but they're no longer functioning. Yar decides to go off and try and find them, leaving Data with the still immobile Riker. Back in the cavern, Crusher is nearly unconscious, with a broken arm and heavy bleeding. Picard also discovers that their communicators are malfunctioning. Realizing the need to tend to Crusher, Picard begins to treat her broken arm by using a twig from a branch nearby and stopping the bleeding by tearing a piece from Crusher's lab coat.  Yar returns to Data, after failing to find the captain, and discovers that Data has figured out the precise setting to use to dissolve the bubble around Riker. He fires his phaser, and Riker is released, disoriented, but unharmed. Back on the Enterprise, La Forge receives a report that they can now beam up the entire away team, but suddenly the deflector shields raise automatically, as one of the weapons starts firing at the ship from almost point-blank range. The blast rocks the ship, but the shields hold. Just before their weapons can target the device and destroy it, it vanishes from the sensors, appearing moments later behind the ship, and firing again. Realizing that the ship won't be able to stand up to this much punishment indefinitely, and that the away team can't be beamed up with the shields up, La Forge is left to ponder his options. Chief Engineer Logan arrives on the bridge, and, hearing La Forge's plan of staying in orbit to try and rescue the away team, he demands that La Forge relinquish his command to him, a higher-ranking officer. However, La Forge is more interested in trying to destroy the weapon, so he ignores Logan, and tells Worf to compute the predicted attack path of the weapon, firing in the dark. Logan continues to interfere, and La Forge sends him back to engineering, saying he's in command until relieved by either Commander Riker or Captain Picard. Back on the planet, a third weapon has been released, and this time it is equipped with its own deflector shield. Data comments that the weapon continues to upgrade itself after every encounter. But, still, now with the combined fire-power of three phasers, they only just about manage to destroy the weapon. Data tells Riker that the weapons appear every twelve minutes, which gives them all the incentive they need to be off the planet by that time. In the cavern, Picard continues to make sure Crusher doesn't fall unconscious. He discovers that she's got another, more serious, wound on her leg, which is bleeding heavily. Searching for a clotting agent, she notices some roots nearby. Picard breaks a piece off and tastes it to learn how bitter it is, but notices some discoloration when he applies some on his hand.  Crusher slips in and out of consciousness much to the concern of Picard, who needs her help to treat her as he crushes the root and applies it to the wound.  He manages to stop the bleeding, and although Crusher is still in shock, he tries to do his best for her by elevating her legs to settle her down. Back on the ship, La Forge and the bridge crew are just about ready for their first test shot. The Enterprise's phasers and photon torpedoes are fired simultaneously, but they miss totally. This is reinforced by the weapon firing on the shields once again. As La Forge sits back in his chair, disappointed, the weapon fires again, further damaging the shields. Everyone on the bridge is now looking to him for orders, as the weapon fires once more. La Forge then calls for Logan to come to the bridge. As soon as Logan arrives on the bridge, La Forge calls for the Enterprise to go to warp and leave the orbit of the planet, surprising everyone on the bridge. He then orders Lieutenant Logan to take command of the saucer section of the Enterprise, ensuring the safety of the majority of the crew by taking it to Starbase 103, while La Forge takes the stardrive section back to the planet. La Forge retreats to Picard's ready room to ponder his strategy. Counselor Troi enters and gives him some advice on how to properly command the two young junior officers Solis and T'Su, telling him that it is he they will draw strength from. She advises him to show confidence in them, just as Captain Picard showed confidence in La Forge when he left him in command of the Enterprise. La Forge gratefully accepts Troi's advice. When La Forge and the bridge crew have relocated to the battle bridge, the ship separates, leaving the saucer section behind. Meanwhile back in the cavern, Picard uncovers an alien viewscreen. A holographic projection of the same salesman as they'd seen before appears and begins extolling the virtues of the "Echo Papa 607," the Minosians' ultimate achievement. Picard is shocked to be told that the attacks on the away team and the Enterprise have simply been part of an automated "demonstration" of the weapon. Picard tells the salesman to abort the demonstration, but the salesman says they have to see what the weapon can do. Beverly volunteers that the salesman program doesn't understand anything other than what it's been programmed to sell -- it has no idea that its parent civilization was wiped out. The salesman continues to explain the weapon: after each encounter with the enemy, the central unit learns and adapts its weapons to combat them. Once it is activated, the Echo Papa 607 is unstoppable. The captain realizes that this is all too true: it was the Minosians' own weapon system that destroyed their civilization. The unit then signals that the final weapon device is about to be launched. Commander Riker and the others locate the hole the captain and the doctor fell through, but there is no way for them to reach each others. Then Data states that he can safely jump down the 11.75 meter drop without damage. This surprises everyone, but without hesitation, the android officer drops down the hole, and easily lands firmly on his feet. Riker and Yar take up defensive positions in an attempt to prepare for the final weapon. As the stardrive section of the Enterprise returns to Minos, La Forge tries to give Solis and T'Su some encouragement just as Troi suggested. Back in the cavern, the final weapon is launched, and Data attempts to reprogram the targeting settings. Finding no alternate targets for the weapon to lock onto, however, Data draws a blank. Crusher suggests that they simply turn the machine off. The idea is so simple, Picard hadn't even considered it. He demands to the peddler to turn off the machine. Again, the peddler seems not to understand, insisting that they have to see everything the machine can do. Picard says they've seen enough, and quickly agrees to "buy" the weapon system. Satisfied, the peddler congratulates Picard on his decision, and disappears. The effect is instant -- the display screen goes blank, the final weapon deactivates, and the dampening field blocking communications is released. However, things are not so good on Enterprise. The weapon system is still functional in orbit of the planet, and is chasing the ship. La Forge orders the ship into the planet's atmosphere, where the atmospheric interaction with the weapon's cloak will reveal its presence. As the Enterprise descends, the shields begin to fail, but, just in time, T'Su detects a disturbance to starboard. The plan works perfectly as Worf instantly locks phasers on the weapon and obliterates it with ease. Celebrating their victory, the bridge crew quickly returns the Enterprise to standard orbit and T'Su reports the away team being transported aboard. When Captain Picard and Riker arrive on the battle bridge, La Forge rises from the captain's chair to relinquish command but Picard refuses. At first La Forge doesn't understand but Picard tells La Forge that when he left, the Enterprise was still in one piece and that he would appreciate it being returned to him in that same condition. So La Forge, delighted that he will remain in command for a bit longer, orders Solis to lay in a course for a rendezvous with the saucer section while Picard and Riker look on and T'Su reports that sickbay says Dr. Crusher will be fine. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is investigating unusual solar flares and magnetic activity in the Delos system when they receive a distress signal from the Ornaran freighter Sanction orbiting the fourth planet of the system. The bridge crew, Captain Picard and Commander Riker in particular, are perplexed by the apparent incompetence of the freighter's crew. The Enterprise reaches the freighter and Picard tries to discern the problem from the freighter's captain, but he is unable to describe it. Data determines the problem for him by connecting to his computer -- their electromagnetic coil is damaged. Picard offers to beam a new one over to them, but the captain admits he doesn't know how to install it, despite being captain for a long time. Instead of risking beaming their crew over, due to the solar interference, Yar attempts to beam them to the Enterprise by interconnecting their transporter system with theirs. On the first attempt, the cargo of the freighter is beamed over instead. With little time to lose, Yar clears the cargo to cargo bay 11 and attempts to beam again. She is able to beam four onto the Enterprise-D in the nick of time. When the crewmembers, two Ornarans and two Brekkians, arrive, they are very anxious to see the cargo. Even though two of those aboard the freighter have been lost, the primary concern of all four is the cargo. The Ornarans, named T'Jon and Romas, claim that they have paid for the cargo, therefore it belongs to them. The Brekkians, Sobi and Langor, argue that since the payment was lost on the destroyed freighter, the cargo still belongs to them. Sobi and T'Jon begin to fight, using their natural electric charges, until Yar breaks it up by shooting at them with a phaser set on stun. The four are taken to the observation lounge, where T'Jon and Romas reveal that the cargo is felicium, medicine that their planet needs to combat a plague on their planet. Furthermore, Langor and Sobi note that the medicine is very expensive to make, and they cannot give the medicine when payment has not been delivered. Then, T'Jon reveals that Romas and himself are carrying the plague, and Captain Picard now realizes that the "plague" they have may infect the entire ship. He puts the ship on med alert. As the Ornarans suffer from their lack of medicine in sickbay, the Brekkians continue to refuse them the cargo. Doctor Crusher reveals that she cannot find a cause of the signs of infection. The Ornarans entreat Picard to give them the felicium, and Picard offers to talk to the Brekkians, asking them to give enough for the Ornarans' needs. The Brekkians agree to "two doses for immediate use." In the cargo bay, Langor removes the casing and measures out two doses. It is revealed that Brekkian society is entirely dependent on the trade of felicium with the Ornarans; they have no other industry, nor do they need it. The Ornarans provide all the goods they need in return. They have focused on increasing the potency of the felicium since there is no cure. Dr. Crusher goes to sickbay and observes the Ornarans take the drug. When they use it, the Ornarans act as if they are experiencing a drug high. Crusher deduces that the "medicine" is really an addictive drug. Dr. Crusher is now certain of this and informs Picard. Data and Riker research the history of the drug which confirms the contraction of the Ornaran plague, though there is not much detail. Dr. Crusher interjects, convinced that the plague has already been cured, but now the Ornarans have become dependent on the addictive nature of the medicine. To Crusher's frustration, though, Picard says he cannot intervene in their societies, despite Crusher's belief she can develop a non-addictive version of the drug. Then, the Enterprise-D receives a signal from Ornara. Someone named Margan wants to contact T'Jon, so Picard, Riker and Crusher go to the guest quarters. Meanwhile, Wesley Crusher wonders about how people become addicted to drugs, Yar explains the draw of drugs for people in desperate circumstances. She alludes to her possible use of drugs on her home planet. She says that, though drugs may seem to solve problems, they do not in reality make anything better. Wesley fails to understand, however. In the guest quarters for T'Jon and Romas, Margan desperately pleads that the Ornarans on the Enterprise-D must get the felicium to Ornara. T'Jon attempts to explain the situation, but Margan stops him and stops transmission. T'Jon, frustrated, then attacks Riker and demands that the Enterprise-D send the felicium to the planet. Picard does not believe he will kill, and refuses. T'Jon releases Riker. Langor comes to the Ornarans' guest quarters and asks to talk to Picard. He and Crusher go to the Brekkians' quarters where they offer to "give" the drug to the Ornarans. Picard realizes that they have been purposely exploiting the Ornarans, and that they need to give the medicine now to keep them desiring more of the drug. Picard tells them that he knows, and that he cannot tell the Ornarans without violating the Prime Directive, much to Crusher's visible frustration. In the cargo bay, the Ornarans prepare to leave with the coils they need for their ships. Picard arrives with the Brekkians. He informs them they can leave with the medicine, however, he refuses to repair the Ornarans' freighters, again citing the Prime Directive of non-interference for both decisions. Without the ability to repair their ships, the Ornarans will therefore not be able to obtain the drug anymore and begin to painfully withdraw from it. Additionally, they will believe they are dying. After beaming Sobi, Langor, T'Jon and Romas down to Ornara with their cargo, Picard orders helmsman La Forge to put some distance from the Ornaran system and the Enterprise-D heads for the Opperline system, a place never before explored. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is traveling through the Zed Lapis sector where it will rendezvous with shuttlecraft 13, carrying Counselor Deanna Troi, who is returning from a conference, along with the shuttle pilot, Lieutenant Ben Prieto. As the engineering crew is conducting maintenance of the ship's dilithium crystals, the ship is flying at impulse, with the main engines deactivated. On the bridge, Lieutenant Worf tells Lieutenant Natasha Yar that deep space probes have picked up no vessels within three light years. Worf then shifts the conversation towards the martial arts competition on the Enterprise-D in three days. He asks Yar if she is ready. She replies that she needs some practice with the Mishiama wristlock and break, and if she can use it on Worf, she can use it on anybody, an assumption Worf assures her is valid. He then asks who she is facing, and Yar says her first opponent is science officer Swenson. Worf says that she will easily defeat him. However Yar is more concerned about being beaten by Lt. Minnerly, a skilled kickboxer. Worf then boosts her confidence by telling her that she is favored in the ship's pool to win. Yar asks Worf if he placed a bet on her. Worf replies that it is a sure thing. Yar then looks at Worf with a smile. Worf, embarrassed, moves away. Helmsman Lieutenant Geordi La Forge reports to Captain Picard that the Enterprise-D will meet up with the shuttle in just over an hour. Picard comments how it will be good to have Troi back aboard, a sentiment Commander Riker agrees with. Suddenly, Worf receives an emergency distress call from the shuttle. The shuttle's computer is severely damaged and impulse engines are off-line. Prieto can't even tell where they are. Picard calls down to main engineering and asks chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Leland T. Lynch how long it would take to restore warp drive. When Lynch complains that he's in the middle of re-aligning the dilithium crystals, Picard tells him there is an emergency and they need warp drive. Lynch initially says it'll be more than twenty minutes, and Picard berates him, telling Lynch that they don't have that much time. Lynch promises to re-align the crystals by hand to get warp drive restarted immediately. La Forge then tells Prieto that he's coming dangerously close to a planet, which Prieto confirms. Lieutenant Commander Data reports that the shuttle is near Vagra II, an uninhabited planet. Picard calls down to engineering again and Lynch tells him that although he offers no guarantees, he's working on it and it'll be about three minutes. Just then, Prieto reports that the shuttle is now out of control and has been caught in Vagra II's gravity. In engineering, the engineers are frantically trying to restore the Enterprise-D's warp drive. Lynch, along with his engineering crew, quickly re-align the dilithium crystals into the warp reactor and Lynch decides to ignore the final safety check, telling the computer to restart the warp drive. When the ship's computer begins the checklist, Lynch overrides the checks and they go directly to startup. As the warp reactor comes back online, Lynch calls Picard and tells him that they now have minimum warp drive. When La Forge reports course for Vagra II is laid in, Picard orders warp eight. Over the intercom, Lynch tells Picard he recommended minimum warp drive. Picard then tells Lynch he heard his command and to make it so. Shortly thereafter, the Enterprise-D arrives at Vagra II, although the ship is not reading the emergency signal from the shuttle. Data runs a scan of the planet. There is no vegetation and no lifeforms on the planet, but the atmosphere is breathable for Humans. Worf locates the shuttle on the planet. It appears to be buried under debris. Picard asks if they can beam up Troi and Prieto; however, the debris appears to be blocking the ship's sensors. Picard, seeing this as strange, orders Riker to prepare an away team. He chooses Data and Yar. Picard signals Doctor Beverly Crusher to join them. On Vagra II, the shuttle's nacelle has been ripped off and the shuttle itself has been embedded within a rock face. The away team materializes on the barren surface of the planet. Dr. Crusher notes that the signals inside the shuttle are weak. The away team begins to walk over to the shuttle, but a giant black liquid pool is blocking the way. Dr. Crusher asks the away team to walk around it, just to be on the safe side. However, the black substance follows the away team to the right side. Yar suggests that they go to the left, but the substance still follows them. Crusher prepares to step over a narrow part of the pool, but Riker stops her. He then asks if the creature has a skeletal structure. Data scans with his tricorder, however, he cannot confirm Riker's question. Picard asks Data if the black substance is a lifeform. Again, Data cannot confirm. When asked finally if it is possible that this pool is alive, Data says it is but again, he has insufficient information. Then they hear an ominous voice calling Data "Tin Man" and a figure begins to slowly arise from the black liquid. Picard asks Riker what he sees, and Riker simply replies, "Trouble." Picard signals Riker and comes to the conclusion that the placement of the creature and the shuttle's crash landing cannot be a coincidence. Picard asks Riker to try to communicate with the creature. Riker greets the creature. The creature states that his name is Armus. He asks why the crew is there. Riker explains that they mean no harm and they have injured crewmembers on the shuttle. He asks permission to pass over. Armus states that he still has not given him a good enough reason. Riker states that preserving life is important to all Humans. Armus suggests the Enterprise-D crew leave the planet. Yar walks up to Armus and says that they will not leave without their crew and that they will not harm him. Yar begins to walk over to the shuttle and is hit by a blast of energy from Armus and knocked away. Riker and Data react quickly and fire their phasers at Armus. Dr. Crusher rushes over to Yar, followed by Riker and Data. Picard asks for a report on the situation. Data says they fired on Armus, but their phasers had no effect on him. He seemed to feed off their energy. Armus retreats back into the black liquid. Picard inquires about Yar's condition. After scanning her body, Dr. Crusher grimly reports that Yar is dead. Picard tells the transporter chief to beam up the away team quickly. The away team rematerializes on the transporter pad. Dr. Crusher reports that they will have to get Yar to sickbay immediately if they are to revive her. Picard tells Worf to put the ship on yellow alert and leaves the bridge for sickbay. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher and her medical assistants are desperately trying to revive Yar. Picard asks for a report on Yar's condition. Crusher reports that it is unchanged. Riker and Data stand in the back, joined by Picard, waiting and watching. Dr. Crusher puts Yar on total life support, but Yar is still not responding and her synaptic network is breaking down. Dr. Crusher, seeing no other choice, decides to go for direct reticular stimulation. The energy goes into Yar's body, but she is still flatlining. Dr. Crusher then pronounces Yar officially dead, and that Armus sucked the life right out of her. On Vagra II, Armus moves toward the shuttle. Inside, Lieutenant Prieto is unconscious, lying down on his console. Troi is uninjured. She taps her combadge and tries to contact the ship. Armus is blocking the communication. She can feel Armus' presence. Armus taunts her by saying that her friends deserted her and even killed one of them. Troi says she knows, she felt her die. Armus then says that he wanted to kill Yar to amuse himself. Troi tells him that he thought it would amuse him, but it did not. Troi senses he has a great need for something. Troi asks Armus to let her and Prieto go, and that the crew of the Enterprise-D will not give him what he wants, to break their spirit. Armus replies that if breaking their spirit amuses him, he will do it. In the conference room on the Enterprise-D, the senior officers are arguing and talking over each other about Yar's death and how she did nothing to provoke Armus. Only Worf and Picard remain silent. Picard taps the table with his finger. Picard tells the crew that Yar's death is painful for all of them, but they will have to put it aside until the crisis is resolved. Picard makes Worf an acting chief of security. Worf accepts. Picard asks about the condition of the shuttle crew. Crusher says the life signs are faint, but the sensor readings are fluctuating, which means they may not be accurate. Riker asks to go down to the planet again. La Forge volunteers to join the away team; his VISOR may see something in Armus that the other crewmembers may not see. Picard agrees. Riker asks Worf to join them, but Worf believes he will be better used at tactical. The away team sees Armus stretched out on the shuttle. Armus is surprised that the away team came back for Troi and Prieto. Troi senses something in Armus, that he was abandoned by his kind. Troi says he cannot hide the emptiness he feels from her. Armus goes back to his liquid state. Back on the Enterprise-D, Worf and acting ensign Wesley Crusher are monitoring Armus from a science station. Worf notes that Armus' energy went down when he enveloped the shuttlecraft. Picard asks them to chart it and to see if there is a pattern. The away team beams down again. Armus returns to his humanoid state and speaks with Riker. La Forge examines Armus with his VISOR discreetly as Riker pleads with Armus to see their injured crewmembers, with Dr. Crusher making an impassioned plea to Armus. Armus says she can, but only if she says please. Crusher submits to Armus' strange request and he allows her to communicate with Troi via combadge. Troi responds and says she is fine. Armus is angered when the crew continues to ask him about going over and helping their crewmembers, which he views as ungrateful. He then rises up again, but taller than before. Armus uses his powers to throw Data's phaser and La Forge's VISOR away. La Forge, blinded, falls to his knees looking for his VISOR. Data directs him towards the VISOR, but Armus moves it away. Data then refuses when Armus demands that he try to help La Forge again, knowing he will just keep moving the VISOR away anyway. Angry that the crew won't amuse him, Armus allows Data to retrieve the VISOR then leaves. Armus re-envelops the shuttle, and on further probing from Troi, reveals how he came to be. The original inhabitants of Vagra II devised a process via which all their negative drives would be physically manifested as a "dank and vile" second skin, which could then be shed. This left them as "creatures whose beauty now dazzles all who see them," who then left the planet, while the parts that they left behind coalesced into the singular being that is Armus. Troi expresses sympathy for him, but this causes Armus to temporarily lose cohesion. He becomes enraged again, he shakes the shuttle, then moves over to the away team. Suddenly, Riker falls to the ground and is dragged toward Armus' liquid state. Riker screams for Data's help, but Armus threatens to kill Riker if any of them touches him. The first officer is sucked into the slick and disappears beneath the surface. Picard orders the away team to return to the ship, but Armus warns that if they leave, Riker and the crash survivors will be killed. Data, Geordi and Beverly gasp as Riker's lifeless face briefly surfaces, wracked with pain, before disappearing back into the pool. Picard, after seeing the grave danger his crewmembers are in, decides to beam down. Troi, feeling her imzadi, Riker, in pain, pleads with Armus to let him go. Armus continues taunting Troi, with her begging him to let the away team go. He considers it, but then realizes that Picard has beamed down. Picard asks if Riker is still alive. Data surmises that, since death can no longer alleviate Armus' boredom, then Riker is, indeed, still alive. Picard asks to see his crewmembers, and Armus asks Picard to entertain him, but Picard refuses. Armus replies that he will have to provide entertainment for himself. Data, under Armus' influence, takes out his phaser and points it at Crusher and then Picard. Armus asks Data how he would feel if he was responsible for the death of Captain Picard. Data notes that he is not in control of himself, thus he would not be an instrument of his death. Armus then makes Data point the phaser at Dr. Crusher, then La Forge, then finally, has Data point the phaser at his own head. Armus finally has Data drop the phaser from his hand. Data feels that Armus must be destroyed, since he is capable of cruelty and sadism and he cannot be redeemed. Picard then asks Armus if he can see Troi and Prieto. Armus lets Picard see one member of his crew, Commander Riker, covered in black, who is finally brought up to the surface by Armus. Picard tells Armus that this is now between him and Armus. He tells Armus to let the Enterprise-D beam up the remaining members of the away team. They are beamed back to the ship; Picard is finally allowed to see Troi and is taken there by Armus. Picard, in the shuttle, checks Prieto's pulse and finds that he's still alive, while Troi asks if they were able to revive Yar. Picard, regretfully, tells her that they weren't. Troi is saddened by the loss of her friend, but Picard is able to find out about Armus's past, and works out how to distract him long enough for Troi and Prieto to be rescued. Armus brings Picard back outside the shuttle, and asks to be taken aboard the Enterprise. He makes it clear that he wants to find Vagra II's original inhabitants and avenge himself upon them. Picard attempts to sympathise with Armus, who irately dismisses his attempts and taunts him over Yar's death. On the Enterprise, Worf and Wesley notice that Armus's energy field has almost weakened enough for Troi and Prieto to be transported, and set the computer to automatically beam them out when the field weakens sufficiently. In response to Armus's claims to be the embodiment of evil, Picard says that true evil would be allowing Armus to force them into giving him what he wants. Armus threatens to kill Picard and the shuttle crewmembers, to which Picard points out that if Armus murders them, he will still be immortal and alone, forever, on Vagra II. Armus lets out an angry scream, and is distracted enough and the Enterprise-D beams out Troi and Prieto from the shuttle. Finally, Picard announces he will not take him anywhere, at which Armus yells out an enraged scream as the Enterprise-D beams up Picard, once again leaving Armus as the only life-form on the entire planet. Back on the Enterprise-D, Picard orders that the shuttle be destroyed with a photon torpedo fired from the ship so that Armus will not have a chance to leave Vagra II and declares the planet off-limits. Still, as Picard notes in his log, the damage has already been done. On the holodeck, a funeral on a grassy knoll with a bright blue sky for Yar has begun. All of the senior staff—Worf, Data, La Forge, Beverly and Wesley Crusher, Riker, Troi and Picard—attend the service. To begin the service, a hologram of Yar is played, with her noting all of the exceptional qualities that each member of the crew possess and what she learned from them. The service concludes when the hologram of Yar fades away. Everyone leaves the holodeck, except Data and Picard. Data notes that, during the service, he was not thinking about Yar, but how empty it will be without her. He asks if he missed the point of the service, but Picard assures him that he understood it completely. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is on its way to Sarona VIII for shore leave. Captain Jean-Luc Picard is getting a head start by fencing with Lieutenant Dean. Although he loses the first point, he wins the second. As Dean congratulates him, time loops, and the moment is repeated. Picard hails Riker, who confirms that it also occurred on the bridge. Picard goes to the bridge, where Data reports a moment in time repeated itself. Worf receives an automated distress call from Pegos Minor from Paul Manheim, calling for help and directing them to a set of coordinates. Picard remembers that Manheim left Earth fifteen years previously, along with a team of scientists, to perform experiments on non-linear time. It must be related, and he orders the helm to travel there immediately. Data explains that Manheim was highly respected, but his theories didn't find acceptance. Picard says that he knew of Manheim teaching at the university in Paris when Picard was there, but never met him. After he orders Riker to check how widespread the time distortion was, Deanna Troi approaches him. She tells him Manheim's name caused an emotional response in him, and advises him to try to analyze his feelings in this area. Picard brushes off her concerns and leaves the bridge. Picard goes to the holodeck, where he recreates the Cafe des Artistes, Paris, 22 years previously on April 9th, "a warm spring day", as he recalls it. He enters and is greeted by the waiter. He admires the view, and tells the waiter he had a rendezvous with a woman there many years before, and he didn't show. He sits at a table, and overhears a conversation between two women. One of them, Gabrielle, is waiting for a man to show up. The other gets frustrated and leaves. Gabrielle asks Picard why her man didn't show. He answers that maybe he was afraid, but then gets annoyed with himself, declares "enough of this self-indulgence" and leaves for the bridge. Riker tells him that the USS Lalo and the farming colony on Coltar IV both experienced the loop. Since Manheim was performing time-gravity experiments, it could be linked to him. They reach the given coordinates, but there is nothing there. Then new coordinates arrive, directing them to the Vandor system, a binary system of a red giant and a pulsar. When they reach Vandor, Data detects activity on Vandor IV, a planetoid in orbit of the binary system. There is a small force field on the planet. Picard hails the planet, but doesn't mention his name. A woman answers, saying Manheim is having convulsions. She lowers the force field, and both are beamed directly to sickbay. Picard heads there with Data and Riker. Dr. Crusher puts Manheim on the biobed, and when Picard enters, the woman calls him Jean-Luc. Picard introduces the woman as Jenice Manheim, and asks her what happened. She says a second lab was completely destroyed in an accident, killing everyone else. Manheim believed that there were infinite dimensions, and that by changing the linearity of time, a window could be opened to these dimensions. He had been trying to do this in his lab. She tells them the team spent two years searching for a location before settling on Vandor, and that he thought he was very close to proving his theories. He had installed a security system and force fields, and he made her stay in a protected room whenever he performed an experiment. As he neared his goal, he became more and more obsessive, maybe causing his judgment to be clouded. She also tells Picard he's done well, being the captain of a great starship. Then Dr. Crusher enters and asks to do some tests on Jenice, who kisses Picard on the cheek as she leaves. Crusher tells Picard that Manheim is dying, but she doesn't know why. The three officers leave sickbay and enter a turbolift, for the bridge, but when the doors open they see themselves in the corridor before they got on the lift. As the doors close, the "past" Data supposes that the Manheim Effect is becoming more pronounced, before they enter the lift. In the captain's ready room, Data says there is immense energy emanating from the planetoid's core being focused at the lab. Riker says if they want to find out what's going on, they're going to have to beam down. Picard agrees, and an away team tries to beam down, but they can't materialize on the planet, as the signal is being bounced back up. Transporter chief Herbert is afraid he is losing them. Fortunately, Herbert is able to bring all three back to the Enterprise, and Riker contemplates options. In sickbay, Manheim wakes. He tells Jenice that it was all worth it, and that he has been on the other side. His mind is still floating between two places. Picard and Data arrive, and Manheim tells them he was able to open a window to another dimension, but when he learns how far the effect has spread, he tells them it must be shut down. He will give them the transporter coordinates and the security codes. In the observation lounge, Data says the closing of the window must be timed to match the occurrence of the effect, or the new dimension will rip further into the galaxy. Jenice comes in as they are leaving, and Picard remains behind to talk to her. She asks him why he didn't come. They joke about it, but he eventually tells her he was afraid of staying, of losing himself. She says the real reason was that he thought life with her would be ordinary. Troi visits sickbay. She asks Crusher how Manheim is doing, but she really wants to talk about how Beverly feels. She says she can't compete with a ghost from the past, which is what Picard sees when he sees Jenice. On the bridge, Data is informing Picard that the next distortion will occur in 28 to 47 minutes. Picard then is called down to sickbay to talk to Manheim. He warns Picard he might have forgotten some of the security codes. Then he asks him to take care of Jenice if anything should happen. Picard agrees, and Manheim tells him she's had a terrible time the last few years. He gave her no attention, and he thinks she deserves better. Picard suggests he underestimates her, as he had done. Picard tells Data he wants him to go down alone, since he is not affected as badly by the time distortion as the others, decreasing the risk of disorientation affecting the mission. Data agrees, and he beams down successfully. As he approaches the lab, he is fired on by phasers mounted on the wall, but manages to destroy them. He keeps an open comm channel as he goes into the lab. The next distortion will occur in 90 seconds. Data explains he has to add antimatter to realign the system. He gets the antimatter and goes to the opening. Suddenly, there are three Datas, only one of whom is in the correct time continuum. They figure out which one it is and he releases the antimatter and seals the hole. Manheim has returned to normal, but is unable to describe his experiences. As his lab is intact, he wants to go back and finish his experiments, telling Jenice he has learned too much, and that he owes it to his friends. She agrees. Later, Troi brings her to the holodeck, where Picard awaits in the Paris program. He tells her he wanted to say goodbye properly. She thanks him for Paris and Picard returns to the bridge, where he orders Geordi La Forge to set course for Sarona. 
<EOS>
While en route to Pacifica for a mission, Jean-Luc Picard receives a code 47 emergency message from Walker Keel, an old friend who is captain of the Ambassador-class USS Horatio. Keel asks Picard for a secret rendezvous on the abandoned mining colony on Dytallix B. Even though it is a secured channel, Keel insists they meet face to face. Picard quickly arrives on the bridge and asks Data if he knows Dytallix B. He orders the helm to travel there immediately, with no record of the change and no communication to Pacifica. He goes to his ready room, leaving William T. Riker to wonder what is going on. On arriving at Dytallix B, Picard meets alone with Walker and two other captains, Tryla Scott and Rixx, who, after confirming Picard's identity with a series of questions about his past, tell him about their suspicions of a conspiracy of some sort reaching up to the highest levels of Starfleet Command. They don't have all the answers, but they cite recent suspicious orders and deaths. They are convinced that people, even top-level personnel, are "changing" somehow. Keel already suspects his first officer and chief medical officer. The sign of the change appears to be memory loss of long-term memories. They ask that Picard stay vigilant. After returning to the Enterprise-D, he first consults Deanna Troi, saying he believes Keel and trusts him as a friend, even though he is violating Starfleet regulations. Picard looks into the matter, having Data review Starfleet directives of the past six months. While Data is reviewing the records, the USS Enterprise-D continues on to Pacifica, but, along the way, encounters shipwreck debris. Picard re-directs the Enterprise toward it, and they eventually identify it as Keel's ship. In light of Keel's death, Picard tells Riker about the suspicions Keel voiced in the observation lounge and connecting them with Rear Admiral Quinn's earlier that year. During their conversation, Data enters and reports what he has found: during the past six months there has been a great deal of "uncustomary reshuffling of personnel -- usually in the command areas" of a select number of starbases. Furthermore, the new officers have had a great deal of contact with the highest levels of command. Data hypothesizes that the reorganizations are an attempt by a hostile force or individual to control important sectors of Federation territory. Faced with this information, the Enterprise-D returns to Earth. Upon entering orbit, the Enterprise-D is contacted by three admirals from Starfleet Command, requesting an explanation for their return. Picard states that he would prefer a discussion of that sort occur in private; the three admirals convene for a moment, then invite Picard and Riker to dinner at Starfleet Headquarters for the discussion to take place. Quinn says that he will not be able to attend the dinner, but that he would like to see the Enterprise-D again. Just before he beams up, he looks at a scorpion-like creature he has in a case. When Quinn is on board the Enterprise-D, he bluffs his way through references to old times, stating that his earlier perception of a threat to the Federation was merely a metaphor for the "tumultuous process" of assimilating new species into the Federation. Picard realizes that Admiral Quinn is an impostor of some sort and tells Riker to observe Quinn closely while he beams down alone to dinner. Also, he wants Doctor Crusher to give him a medical examination under false pretenses; after Riker reaches his conclusions, he is to join Picard on Earth, in force if necessary. Picard then beams down and meets with Rear Admiral Savar and Vice Admiral Aaron, as well as Dexter Remmick. On the ship in the guest quarters, Quinn offers to show Riker the creature and tells him about it. It was discovered by a Starfleet survey team on an uncharted planet, and Quinn refers to it as "a superior form of life". When Riker says he'll get his science officer to examine it, Quinn grabs his arm very strongly, saying the creature will only like Riker. After a brief scuffle, in which Quinn displays amazing strength, Riker is knocked unconscious, but not before calling security. Worf and La Forge arrive, calling a medical emergency. Quinn says that Riker slipped and hit his head, and then announces his departure. When they try to detain him, however, he throws La Forge out into the corridor, his body knocking down the door. He turns to Worf. He similarly beats Worf before being repeatedly phasered with increasingly powerful stun settings into unconsciousness by Dr. Crusher. In sickbay, Crusher's scans show that Quinn really is Quinn, but she discovers a bizarre appendage sticking out of the back of his neck. On Earth, the two admirals try to subtly persuade Picard that there is in fact no conspiracy. However, they reveal they know his first officer by name, which is unusual. Furthermore, they know the Horatio is destroyed, and they blame Keel's negligence. Dinner is announced, so Picard takes a moment to contact Riker. Crusher answers on Riker's combadge, as Riker is unconscious. Crusher informs Picard that a parasitic creature of some sort has taken control of Quinn and all his brain functions. The spike at the back of Quinn's neck appears to be a gill, which is a helpful indicator of those who have been taken over by one of the creatures. Crusher states her doubts about removing the creature, believing it would kill Quinn. She instructs Picard to set his phaser to kill rather than stun, which has little effect on the creature or its host; Picard, however, believing that no one beams down to Starfleet Headquarters armed, has no phaser with him at all. Picard goes in to dinner. The dish being served is a bowl filled with worms. Picard is disgusted, and realizes that everyone at the dinner has been infiltrated by the aliens. He gets up to leave, and runs into Riker. Riker has also apparently been taken over by the creature: he has a gill in his neck. So, too, has Captain Scott. The "conspirators" announce that they have known of Picard's intentions the whole time. They talk of their plan to infiltrate the Enterprise-D. Riker moves to eat, but instead he pulls out a type 1 phaser and shoots the dining security guard. When Captain Scott draws her phaser at Riker, Picard grabs at her arm and throws off her aim, allowing Riker to shoot her as well. However, Admiral Savar begins to subdue Riker with a Vulcan neck pinch. Picard then grabs the Captain Scott's phaser and uses it to take down Savar. Admiral Aaron flees the dining room, and Picard and Riker pursue and shoot him in the hallway after he returns fire. The admiral falls to the ground, and the parasite infesting him crawls out of his mouth and goes under a nearby door. They follow it to find Remmick sitting in a chair. He turns to look at it, unconcerned; Riker goes to shoot it, but Picard stops him, as the creature crawls up Remmick and enters his mouth. He swallows it, and it begins moving around in his neck. "We mean you no harm", he says as he stands, his neck noisily bulging in and out. "We seek peaceful coexistence". Picard and Riker open fire with their phasers, knocking Remmick back into the chair. Riker aims higher and destroys Remmick's head, the outer layer of skin vaporizing and the rest exploding. Remmick's chest cavity begins to dissolve and a large creature breaks through with several blood soaked parasites trickling behind, screaming at the two Starfleet officers. With a disgusted look on his face, Picard opens fire again with Riker following suit, both phasers continuing until the creature is vaporized, leaving several blood soaked parasites around the chair and floor, and the decapitated smoldering remains of what was once Lieutenant Commander Remmick. Back aboard the Enterprise-D, Picard notes in his log that Admiral Quinn will make a full recovery, and with the death of the "mother creature" inside of Remmick, the remaining parasites died while Riker reveals that Dr. Crusher had simulated the gill on the back of his neck in order to fool everyone, including Picard. As the Enterprise-D moves on into space, Data theorizes that Remmick had been transmitting a homing beacon before he died and that should the parasites receive it, they would know where to find Earth. 
<EOS>
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is attending an emergency conference on Starbase 718 while the USS Enterprise-D waits, it is observing an ancient space capsule, apparently from Earth. Data requests permission from Commander Riker to board the vehicle while waiting for the captain's return. Riker grants him permission but wants him back aboard the Enterprise-D before Picard returns. Data and Worf beam aboard the capsule and examine the still-functioning old-style equipment. Worf is momentarily baffled by a door that must be manually opened. Upon entering the vessel's main chamber, the two discover a number of refrigeration pods. The seals on two of them have been broken, and the environment corrupted; these two contain decomposed Human remains. Three pods contain frozen Humans. When Data is ordered back to the Enterprise-D in preparation for Picard's return, he requests that the frozen people also be brought aboard, as the capsule is seriously damaged. Upon Picard's return, he immediately orders helmsman Geordi La Forge to lay in a course that will take them into the Neutral Zone. He explains to the senior officers in the observation lounge that several outposts have been destroyed, and the Enterprise-D is being sent as the only Federation vessel to investigate, as it is the flagship. It is assumed that Romulans are behind the problems, but since the Federation has had no contact with them in a number of years since the Tomed Incident, the situation is very uncertain. Riker and Worf both advise the captain to be prepared to fight, but he is determined to wait and see what the situation truly is before deciding on a aggressive course of action. Meanwhile, Doctor Crusher has thawed and revived the frozen Humans. All three had been cryogenically frozen in the late twentieth century on Earth. Dr. Crusher awakens the woman, who promptly faints at the sight of Worf. "Welcome to the 24th century", Picard remarks to her while she lies unconscious. The Humans are Clare Raymond, Ralph Offenhouse, and L.Q. "Sonny" Clemonds. As the ship continues toward the Neutral Zone, Riker explains to them what has happened, and they attempt to make sense of their new situation. Offenhouse, in particular, is shocked to learn from Data that the current year is 2364. Offenhouse is very concerned about his financial investments and repeatedly demands to speak to the captain so he can get in touch with his attorney or bank on Earth. In the ready room, Riker, Worf, Data and La Forge are all in belief that, if the Romulans are inviting confrontation to see how far the Federation has advanced, the Enterprise should be ready for combat. Picard does not like the option, but, suddenly, Offenhouse calls Picard, obviously having observed Riker use the room's comm panel. This forces Picard to visit the survivors, and Offenhouse seizes the opportunity for a face-to-face talk with the captain, demanding contact with his attorney. But the captain tells him that people are not consumed with owning possessions in this century and his attorney has been dead for four hundred years. Offenhouse believes his lawyer's firm is still operating and that he has a lot of money coming to him. He stands firm, stating that Humanity must still be as it once was: power-hungry and controlling. Picard retorts that Humans no longer seek such material things; they have grown out of their infancy. Clare becomes very upset thinking about her sons and family, so Picard has Counselor Deanna Troi come down to talk to her. She shows her the computer library's recorded family tree for her. It turns out there are ten generations there. Sonny goes to Dr. Crusher to find something to relax him, though he has no medical need. He is having trouble waiting around without "something to do." He asks if Data can come visit him, and he suggests throwing a party when he arrives. Data says he will suggest it to the captain. However, the Enterprise now reaches the neutral zone and Data leaves, but not before confirming the Romulans will not be coming to the party. When the Enterprise-D arrives at the edge of the Neutral Zone, they find that a number of outposts have been completely obliterated. There is no evidence of conventional weapons or attack, but Riker and Worf find this as clear evidence. Picard orders the ship to yellow alert, though Riker and Worf urge him to go to red alert and battle stations. Meanwhile, Offenhouse notices the tension level on the ship has jumped up and decides that he must take matters into his own hands and heads out to look for the captain. He eventually finds a turbolift and reaches the bridge. He arrives while the bridge crew wait for a Romulan D'deridex-class vessel to appear. Picard has decided not to fire as it de-cloaks, but it remains cloaked. Riker sees Offenhouse and immediately orders him off the bridge, but just then the Romulan ship de-cloaks. The Romulan ship responds to the Enterprise-D hailing them, and the Romulans reveal that their outposts have been destroyed in the same manner as the Federation's. Picard asks who is responsible, and the Romulans fall silent. Offenhouse interjects, "They haven't got a clue! They're hoping you know, but they're too arrogant to ask." Picard proposes an agreement of cooperation as both sides investigate the disappearance of the outposts, and the Romulans agree. Before heading back toward their own territory, Tebok states to Picard that Federation "expansion" will not be tolerated any more, that the Romulans "are back." Offenhouse is finally removed from the bridge. Deanna Troi helps Clare locate one of her living descendants, and Picard makes arrangements for the three Humans to be returned to Earth on the USS Charleston at the nearest starbase. At warp 8, they can make it there in five days. Riker says that it is a shame they can't take the three with them; it's like a visit from the past. Picard tells him that would be a step backward, when they still have so much to do and to learn. The Enterprise-D continues onward. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is in the midst of a rendezvous with the USS Repulse. As a Repulse shuttle leaves the Enterprise's hangar bay, Commander Riker contacts the Repulse and says they are on their way. The Repulse's command officer acknowledges and asks that Riker give his regards to his captain. Riker then goes to report to Captain Picard's ready room, where the ship's new chief engineer, Geordi La Forge, explains to both Picard and Riker about the containment module he's constructing in one of the ship's cargo bays. The containment module is to hold dangerous specimens of plasma plague that Enterprise is going to be transferring for research to the Rachelis system in hopes of developing an antidote. Meanwhile, as Enterprise begins to head for Rachelis, an energy pulse enters the ship. The pulse goes through the Enterprise's corridors and crew quarters until it comes across Counselor Troi, asleep in her quarters. She suddenly wakes up as her body is entered by a strange alien entity. The Enterprise also has a new chief medical officer; Doctor Katherine Pulaski has replaced Doctor Crusher, who has left to head Starfleet Medical. Captain Picard is annoyed when the new doctor fails to check in with him and is surprised when after calling down to sickbay, Picard discovers that Pulaski has already found the ship's Ten Forward lounge and he goes there to meet her. He's met by Wesley Crusher coming out from a turbolift, who has temporarily remained aboard Enterprise and will shortly be joining his mother. Picard apologizes that their mission will delay that reunion, but Wesley says it gives him time to work on some projects. When he admits that leaving the Enterprise will be difficult, Picard says service in Starfleet is always like that and it will be part of the life that Wesley is choosing and then is forced to agree when Wesley comments that Enterprise isn't just any ship. Upon arriving at Ten Forward, Picard is pointed to Pulaski by Guinan. When he arrives at her table, he finds her with Troi and as Picard begins lecturing Pulaski about protocol, she interrupts him and asks him to sit down as he needs to hear what they are talking about. Picard sits down and is informed that Troi is pregnant. Shortly after, in a staff meeting in the observation lounge, Picard briefly introduces Dr. Pulaski to Worf, Data, and Riker, saying they'll handle formal introductions later as Riker reaches out to shake her hand. He then announces to the senior staff that Troi is pregnant, which surprises Riker and he says so. Troi says it's even more of a surprise for her. Pulaski takes over and then reports on two separate examinations of Troi. The first exam shows the fetus at a rather early stage of development but still rather advanced considering she and Troi believe conception took place eleven hours previous, news which shocks Riker. Pulaski says the news just gets better as a second examination, which took place a few hours later shows that the fetus seems to have gained several weeks of growth. Pulaski says that at that rate, Troi will be ready to give birth in only 36 hours, while the normal Betazoid gestation period is ten months. Riker turns to Troi and, while he doesn't mean to sound indelicate, he demands to know who the father is. Troi says that while she slept the night before, something that she can only describe as a presence entered her body. Riker asks Pulaski what the baby is and she says it is a male Human/Betazoid hybrid, exactly as Troi and there is no evidence of any genetic material other than hers. Worf believes that the child represents a threat to the Enterprise's security and should be aborted. Data says to Picard that doing so would deprive them of the opportunity to study this new lifeform. Worf says that laboratory analysis should still be possible if there is an abortion.  When Riker asks if there would be any risks to Troi in such a procedure, Troi finally speaks to Picard and says that he should do what is necessary to protect Enterprise, but that she is going to have this baby. Picard then says the discussion is over. Several hours later, the Enterprise-D arrives at the 'aucdet IX Federation research station to pick up the samples of deadly plasma plague as well as a medical trustee named Hester Dealt, who will supervise the transfer of plasma plague specimens to Enterprise and then later to the Rachelis system. He asks Picard if he can inspect the containment module and explains that while he doesn't mean to sound distrustful of Picard's crew, it is only that they can't make any kind of mistakes with these specimens. Picard agrees but he tells Dealt he wants a complete, detailed manifest of everything he intends to bring aboard the ship. Dealt transports aboard the ship and conducts a painstaking, fourteen hour inspection of the containment module. Until Dealt is assured of zero growth, he will not permit the transfer. Finally, as the pleas from Rachelis grows, the final manifest is received. Picard sends Data to review it with Dr. Pulaski. As Data heads for sickbay, he encounters Troi in a corridor, who has entered labor and asks for Data's help. When they arrive in sickbay, Data calls for Worf to bring his security team to sickbay. When Pulaski asks if that's necessary, Data says it is per Picard's orders. When Pulaski tells Troi that the father is usually present for deliveries that she's conducted, Data volunteers to fill in. Pulaski at first refuses, saying Deanna will need a comforting Human touch and not a cold hand of technology, but Troi says Data will do fine. After Worf and his team arrive, Pulaski tells him to stay back and that while she understands the need for them to be there, she insists they stay out from underfoot. As they wait for the birth, Troi tells Data that he doesn't need to be nervous, but just be there for her. Data says he's not nervous, but intrigued. He then asks Deanna some rapid fire questions about the baby which amuse her but then she interrupts him when labor intensifies. He then calls for Pulaski who comes over and the birthing process begins. Pulaski asks if Troi wants something for the pain, although it won't diminish the experience at all. Troi says she has not felt any pain which surprises Pulaski. Then very shortly afterward, the baby is born. Pulaski cleans him off and then hands him to Troi, asking if easy births are the norm for Betazoids and Troi says it's not, at least according to her mother. Data thanks Troi for the opportunity to observe the birth and that it was remarkable. Pulaski asks Troi if she has a name and she says he will be named Ian Andrew, after her father. Then Riker who came in during the birth steps up and tells Troi that the baby is beautiful, just like her. He then bends down and kisses her cheek. Pulaski asks Deanna how she feels and she says she feels wonderful and thanks Pulaski for everything. But after only a few hours, when Pulaski and Picard come to check on Troi, they are shocked to find out that Ian has grown into a young boy, appearing the age of four. Data and Dr. Pulaski are performing research on the manifest list in sickbay. It is taking longer than expected to categorize the specimens. It appears a significant number of them are genetically engineered. She deems this an excessive amount of engineering and informs Picard of the danger to the ship. Data then goes to transporter room three, joining Lieutenant Miles O'Brien, for the transport of the virus. O'Brien beams it up in batches without incident. Meanwhile, Troi is taking care of Ian. She brings him to play with a litter of puppies in the ship's nursery. He's quite tactile, according to the officer there, Miss Gladstone. At supper, Picard and Dr. Pulaski check in. Ian, wanting to experience the hot temperature of his soup, inserts his finger, only to be burnt. He then is confused when his face is wet from his subsequent crying. He then implies he knows why he is on the Enterprise, but is not ready to articulate it. In Ten Forward, Wesley contemplates his departure from the Enterprise, as he was expected to join his mother at Starfleet Medical during her duration there. While doing so, he is observed by new shipmate, Guinan. The two carry on a conversation about his status on the Enterprise and what is in his best interest. The Enterprise leaves for Rachelis, however, before long the containment module shows a serious malfunction. La Forge is having trouble isolating the problem with the containment. One of the specimens is now showing growth. Riker, Data, and Dr. Pulaski all converge on the cargo bay. They cannot release the module or else they will risk the plague growing into a spore until it hits a planet or another ship, which they cannot allow. La Forge is showing all the right environmental settings for the containment, and sensor malfunctions don't seem to be the problem. Studying the etiology report for the virus, Dr. Pulaski supposes Eichner radiation could be the reason for the virus' growth. However, they rule out known sources. Meanwhile, Troi is putting Ian to bed. Ian states that he is the source of the problem and that only he can resolve the situation. Troi realizes he is deciding to die, and calls a medical emergency. Shortly after, Ian passes away in the arms of Troi. Dr. Pulaski arrives with Data and Riker to Troi's quarters. She verifies Ian's death, and Data scans him, determining that he is the source of the radiation. Several minutes later, Ian transforms back to the glowing white light that visited Troi earlier and thanks her for the experience. Troi explains he is a lifeform who was curious about the Enterprise crew when passing by, and thought the best way to learn about them was to experience their lives as one of them. The light leaves the ship, and La Forge calls in, saying the containment is stabilized. Troi is left to grieve. The Enterprise reaches the science station and begins to transport both Dealt and the virus. Meanwhile, Wesley meets with Picard and requests that he stay on the Enterprise. Picard doesn't decide right away, feeling that the decision wasn't his responsibility alone and that allowing Wesley to remain would create difficulties for all. Picard decides that Data could assume responsibility for Wesley's studies. When Riker asks "who will tuck him in at night?" Worf accepts that responsibility, although Troi expresses confidence that Wes will get his sleep. Picard agrees that the practical is then taken care of but as there's much more to growing up than just the practical matters, he then asks Riker if he would be interested in serving in that regard, and Riker agrees. With that taken care of, Picard tells Wesley to communicate with his mother at Starfleet Medical, giving her Picard's regards and telling her that Picard has approved Wesley's request to stay on Enterprise, but that the final decision would be hers. Wesley is grateful and enthusiastically believes that Beverly will agree. Wesley Crusher becomes the regular helm officer on the bridge as La Forge is relocated as chief engineer to the rear of the bridge. Picard orders Ensign Crusher to break the Enterprise out of orbit from Science Station Tango Sierra and take the ship to the Morgana Quadrant. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is on a charting mission in the Morgana Quadrant. Commander Riker is taking part in one of Worf's calisthenics holodeck programs. They are attacked by vicious monsters and Worf is somewhat overwhelmed by the violence. When the program ends, Riker asks Worf if all his workout programs are like this. However, Worf admits that others are more intense but "too personal" to share. On the bridge, Data detects an unusual reading, an area of total blackness, seemingly devoid of space, matter and energy. It is like a "hole in space." Captain Picard orders a probe to be launched into it. However, as soon as it enters the void it disappears. This alarms Worf and he recommends raising shields, for the void reminds him of a Klingon legend about a space creature that devours "entire vessels". He soon realizes that he is being foolish, and Picard orders another probe to be launched. This second probe also vanishes. Ensign Crusher tells Picard that he can determine the boundaries of the anomaly based on where the two probes disappears and suggests that he can bring the ship closer. Picard agrees and orders Crusher to bring the ship in closer using thrusters only. Suddenly, the blackness expands and envelopes the Enterprise. Data tries to scan the surrounding area, but there is absolutely nothing to see. Picard decides to proceed with the mission and orders Crusher to set a course out of the void. However, no matter how fast or how far they go, they cannot leave. They drop a beacon in order to help them get a fix on their position. They set off on a course away from the beacon, yet soon enough they are approaching it again. They are going in circles. Picard orders full stop. Suddenly, they detect a Romulan D'deridex-class Warbird approaching them. It fires on them. The Enterprise returns fire and destroys the ship with only a single torpedo. Picard thinks that the battle was too easy and Data can detect no debris from the Romulan ship. Another ship appears on sensors. This time it is the Galaxy-class USS Yamato, their sister ship. They hail the vessel but there is no response. Sensors also detect no life signs. Riker recommends sending an away team over. Picard agrees, but only to have a minimal away team go over. A strange set of events. Riker chooses Worf to join him and Miles O'Brien beams over to the bridge. On board, they find out they are not on the bridge, and furthermore, hear screams with no one to be found. They find that the ship makes no structural sense. When they do reach the bridge, there appear to be several of them. When one walks through a door, they wind up not where they expected. This situation infuriates Worf and he begins to lose his temper. However, Riker calms him down. Meanwhile, relief conn officer Ensign Haskell on the Enterprise detects a gap, through which stars can be seen. It appears to be a way to escape, but Picard will not leave without the away team. The starfix suddenly disappears. Suddenly, the Yamato too begins to vanish. Picard orders O'Brien to beam the away team back immediately. O'Brien succeeds, in the nick of time. Riker comes to the bridge, very agitated. He has had enough and suggests that they "put all this technology to work, and get the hell out of here!" Another starfix soon appears. A pleased Picard orders Ensign Haskell to set a course towards it, but as soon as this is done, it quickly closes again. Another starfix appears, but once again vanishes when a course is set towards it. Yet another starfix appears, but Picard ignores it, having enough of it. Haskell observes that it seems closer than the others, yet Picard still holds position. Dr. Pulaski thinks that the crew is being treated like "rats in a maze". Counselor Troi says that she can sense a vast intelligence at work. Picard has had enough of responding to stimuli and decides to do nothing from now on. Suddenly, a disjointed face appears on the screen. It introduces itself as Nagilum. It inquires about Pulaski's "construction" and how it differs from most of the other people on the bridge. Pulaski explains that she and Troi are female and that the others are male. Picard says that these differences are necessary for the propagation of the species. Nagilum asks for a demonstration of this but Pulaski refuses this request. Nagilum then inquires about Humans' "limited existence", in which "you exist, then you cease to exist. Your minds call it death". Suddenly, Haskell begins to shake violently. He grabs his face in a vain effort to control himself, but falls from his station screaming. He collapses on the floor, in a fetal-position, with his hands clasped over his mouth and dies with his eyes still open. Pulaski rushes to help him, but there is nothing that can be done. Nagilum watches his victim die, fascinated. "How interesting", he mutters. Pulaski confirms with her tricorder that Haskell is dead, and an angry Picard declares, "We cannot allow you to do that! We will fight you!" Nagilum replies that in order to completely understand death, he is going to have kill about a third of the ship's crew, possibly up to a half; he then absentmindedly muses on how he will need to observe "every kind of dying" as Picard and the rest of the bridge are rendered speechless, visibly blanching at the thought of such unspeakable suffering being inflicted so wantonly on the crewmembers of the Enterprise. Picard calls a staff meeting in the observation lounge and opts to initiate the ship's auto-destruct sequence rather than allow the entity to perform any more experiments on them. He and Riker set the sequence for twenty minutes, an interval Riker thinks is a nice, round number. Picard, while preparing himself in his quarters for the destruction of the ship, as well as his death, is visited by Data and Troi to discuss death and the implications of death. After a short discussion, Picard realizes that both are merely Nagilum in disguise, and that they are trying to trick him into aborting the self-destruct. Picard verifies Data's location, which is on the bridge. "It's not going to work, Nagilum," he says. The two impostors vanish and suddenly the ship is back in normal space. Picard goes to the bridge to make sure that they are free. With only a few seconds left to spare, he orders the computer to stop the countdown. When asked if he concurs, Riker replies, "Yes! Absolutely! I do indeed concur! Wholeheartedly!" The sequence stops and Picard jokingly informs Riker that a simple "yes" would have sufficed. Riker remarks that he didn't want there to be any chance of a misunderstanding. Picard goes to his ready room and hopes that Nagilum got what he wanted. Suddenly, Nagilum appears on Picard's desktop monitor, and informs Picard that he got much more than he needed. Nagilum reports his conclusions to Picard. He says that Humans "seem to find no tranquility in anything. You struggle against the inevitable. You thrive on conflict. You are rash, quick to judge, slow to change. It's amazing you've survived. As a species, we have no common ground. You are too aggressive. Too hostile. Too militant". Picard does not argue with him, but points out that they do indeed have one trait in common, curiosity. Nagilum, with a Human-like chuckle, agrees. Picard also says that they may meet again, but that next time, it will be out among the stars. Nagilum fades off screen. Picard then returns to the bridge, and orders Crusher to put them back on their original course. Riker tells him to steer clear of "any holes". 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is awaiting the arrival of the USS Victory. Data is then summoned to engineering, where Geordi La Forge's assistant, Ensign Clancy, tells Data that he's with the Victory, which puzzles Data. Data then walks over and inquires about the Victory, since it is not here yet. La Forge shows Data a model, a replica of the original HMS Victory, which he intends to give to Captain Zimbata, with whom La Forge had previously served as an ensign. In return for indulging him, La Forge gives Data a smoking pipe and invites him to take part in a Sherlock Holmes holographic story. Data, who has memorized all of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes, recognizes Holmes office and many of the trinkets in it. Data starts playing the violin and becomes in character as Holmes, while La Forge starts to read, taking on the character of John H. Watson. The story seamlessly starts with Inspector Lestrade knocking on the door. However, Data recognizes the story after only the first few moments, and immediately solves the case. La Forge abruptly freezes the program and storms out of holodeck two. Talking over the incident in Ten Forward, La Forge explains to Data that playing through the story is part of the fun, and since Data knows all the stories, there isn't any fun. La Forge and Data are overheard by Dr. Katherine Pulaski, who states that Data, while he does have good deductive reasoning, like Holmes, doesn't understand the human soul, unlike Holmes, and so is incapable of solving a Holmes mystery of which he doesn't already know the answer. With La Forge's suggestion that the computer could create a story in the style, Data takes this as a challenge, and invites Pulaski to join La Forge and him in another Holmes story. This time, Data instructs the computer to create a new mystery in the Holmes style. This is less than successful, however, because the computer merely combines elements of the existing Holmes stories in a way that Data is again easily able to solve by recognition. La Forge makes an attempt, now, and carefully instructs the computer to create a story and a character "capable of defeating Data." At that moment, a power surge is detected on the bridge by Lieutenant Worf although it quickly passes and isn't investigated. The new program runs and the three are off on their new adventure. The story takes an unexpected twist when Dr. Pulaski is actually kidnapped by Sherlock Holmes' arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty, who now "felt like a new man" while witnessing La Forge's use of the holodeck arch earlier. Data and La Forge track the footsteps of the kidnappers, though an unrelated murder distracts them temporarily. Moriarty has been observing them in order to learn about them. Data spots Moriarty going into a warehouse which turns out to be his secret laboratory. Moriarty welcomes them and says he somehow knows the two are not Holmes and Watson and is able to call for the holodeck's arch, which surprises them both. Furthermore, he explains he sees images and has thoughts he doesn't understand. Upon being given a piece of paper with something hand-drawn on it from Moriarty, Data immediately leaves the holodeck with La Forge following in confusion. "Why does it frighten you, Holmes?!" Moriarty shouts. After trying and failing to deactivate the holodeck because of an override of the holodeck protocols, Data reveals to La Forge that the drawing on the paper is a side profile of the Enterprise. Meeting with Captain Picard and the senior officers in the observation lounge, La Forge figures out that it was his instructions to create an adversary capable of defeating Data, not Sherlock Holmes, that initiated the holodeck override control and is preventing them from ending the holodeck program. Furthermore, he has access to the computer and all related libraries. Worf suggests infiltrating the holodeck, and Riker destroying the holodeck creations directly. Troi senses a "unifying force," which prompts Data to speculate Moriarty has a consciousness, necessary to defeat him. The ship suddenly lurches due to a temporary control switch to the holodeck, revealing that Moriarty can control the ship if he wants. Picard decides that he must personally meet with him. Meanwhile, Moriarty learns a great deal about the Enterprise from the computer, and somehow constructs a crude device that toggles attitude control in the holodeck. Pulaski deftly plays along with the program while not acknowledging that anything odd is going on. Moriarty, for his part, treats the Doctor as a guest; offering her tea while gently trying to get more information. He reveals that he can call the arch and that he suspects he is on the Enterprise. Outside, Worf, Data and Picard dress appropriately for the scene and enter the holodeck. Picard and Data go to the warehouse. Moriarty now seems very knowledgeable about his situation, and is convinced he has grown beyond his original programming. He asks that he continue to exist. Picard explains that it isn't possible, and that he is only a holographic image that can't exist outside the holodeck. Moriarty challenges this by asking if Data has life, using the definition "I think, therefore I am" to argue he is alive. Picard is convinced, but it still isn't possible with current technology to give him existence outside the holodeck. Moriarty accepts this and releases Pulaski and control of the ship. Picard explains that the ship's computer can store Moriarty's character indefinitely, and that the Federation would work on a way to bring Moriarty out of the holodeck. Moriarty's program is stored and ended. Picard then goes down to engineering, where La Forge is overlooking the model of the HMS Victory which sustained minor damage during the shaking of the Enterprise by Moriarty. La Forge laments that he put the Enterprise in danger by simply misspeaking a single word, but Picard assures him that the Enterprise, like the model Victory, will soon be repaired. The USS Victory arrives for its rendezvous with the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D, while traveling in the Omega Sagitta system between two twin planets inhabited by Humans who have created a pact called the Madena Coalition, stumbles upon a Class 9 starship with one humanoid inside. The ship is the cargo freighter Erstwhile commanded by Captain Thadiun Okona, who has problems with the guidance system. The Enterprise offers Captain Okona help repairing his faulty guidance system. Deanna Troi establishes that he displays rogue-like characteristics, making him a suspicious character who should not be taken lightly. Upon entry to the ship, Okona meets Riker, Data, Worf and Crusher and also the transporter chief, Lieutenant Robinson, and begins to display characteristics of a scoundrel and a rake, charming Robinson. While the others observe this, Okona soon leaves the transporter room and he accompanies Data and Wesley to main engineering to observe the repairs to his guidance system. Okona questions Data's ability to comprehend humor and other Human characteristics, apparently finding the concept of an emotionless android fascinating. He then goes to spend time with Robinson. Data is inspired by Okona's questions and insights about humor, and goes to Ten Forward to seek counsel from Guinan regarding his difficulty grasping the concept. Data then travels to the holodeck to view a comedy show by a holographic comedian. Data inquires about a series of comedic acts and performances to further his understanding of comedy. They begin a series of improvisations which include 20th century Jerry Lewis, and continue to examples of stand-up comedy, which Data views at maximum speed. Data then returns to Guinan to try out his new comedy material, but his first attempt fails miserably. His second attempt is abruptly interrupted by a call to the bridge: an unidentified ship is approaching the Enterprise. Debin, the captain of the ship, warns the Enterprise that they are entering their territory. Debin establishes that Okona is, in fact, a rogue who committed crimes on the planet Atlec. While the entire confrontation is occurring, another ship of similar classification is approaching. This ship is commanded by Captain Kushell from the planet Straleb, who also states similar issues relating to Okona. Jean-Luc Picard calls Okona up to the bridge to understand what crimes he has committed. After brief deliberation, Okona hedges his response, stating that he isn't aware that he committed any crime on either world. A skeptical Picard asks Debin what crimes has been committed. Debin, infuriated, explains that Okona had impregnated Debin's daughter, Yanar. Kushell has claimed that Okona stole the national treasure, the Jewel of Thesia. Picard and Okona discuss the matter at hand. If Okona is handed to Debin, the Thesians will use the slight to declare war, while if Picard gives him to the Thesians, the same result will occur. Picard and Okona agree that the only way to resolve the situation is to let Okona continue on the Erstwhile and find a place of refuge. After a long talk with Wesley Crusher in engineering, in which it's revealed that Okona has become tired of living the nomadic lifestyle and just wants the entire mess surrounding Yanar and the Jewel to be settled, he has made a decision to "take a stand." Okona tells Picard he decided to voluntarily turn himself in. This choice allows Picard to use the Enterprise as a neutral meeting place for both parties to settle their claims. The two families are antagonistic towards each other, both claiming that Okona has infringed their laws and both expressing an equally valid claim on the wayward freighter captain. The story unfolds when they discover that Kushell's son Benzan has actually impregnated Yanar, rather than Okona, and that Okona was the go-between for Yanar and Benzan's courtship which was disapproved by both families. The jewel was stolen to be used in the wedding between Yanar and Benzan, who agree to marriage, and their fathers continue their quarrels in a more light-hearted manner as Picard invokes the Prime Directive as an excuse to make a discreet exit from what has now officially become an internal matter of the respective families' governments. Data and Guinan participate in a comedy show with the holo-comedian. They resolve the issues of Data's ability to deliver a joke by giving Data an audience. Unfortunately, Data discovers that the holographic audience is programmed to laugh at anything he says or does, regardless of whether or not it's actually humorous, and that his delivery is still flawed. Data asks the computer to erase the audience as well as the comic. Guinan assures Data that being able to laugh or to make people laugh is not the final result to becoming Human. Data agrees, but notes that there is nothing more "uniquely Human." Later, on the bridge, the crew sees Okona off. Data inadvertently delivers a joke that causes the bridge crew to break into laughter, but later the crew gets annoyed after Data begins to make bad joke after bad joke, and Okona, having resolved his differences with the Thesians and Yanar's father, continues on his way. 
<EOS>
The war-torn planet Solais V, desperate for peace, calls for the famous mediator Riva to hear their dispute. This man, being deaf and mute, depends on his telepathic powers, and those of his three aides, to communicate with others. The USS Enterprise-D is dispatched to Ramatis III to bring Riva to the planet. Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Worf, and Troi are transported down to Ramatis III to pick up Riva. Prior to beaming down, Troi senses discomfort from Worf. At first Worf denies it, but Troi insists and presses the issue. When Riker and Picard turn to inquire, Worf admits to some discomfort because of Riva. Picard understands and explains to the others that Riva had played a key role in negotiating several peace treaties between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Worf tells the away team that before Riva, there was no Klingon word for "peacemaker." When they arrive, however, there is no one to be found. Riva eventually arrives, coming close to each one of them without speaking. Then, three others arrive, calling themselves his chorus. They explain that they are his interpreters, since he is deaf. In fact, for several generations there have been people like Riva and interpreters like them. They call themselves the scholar, the warrior, and that which binds them. It's a beautiful method of interpretation, Troi admits. Riva is impressed and attracted by her telepathic capabilities and, foremost, by her beauty. Riva and his interpreters arrive on the bridge to meet some of the bridge crew. He very diplomatically greets each of William T. Riker, Geordi La Forge and Data by commenting on Data's uniqueness and La Forge's VISOR. He then asks that Troi show him to his quarters. There, he asks her to dinner after a briefing from Picard's team. In the observation lounge, Picard, Riker and Data have prepared a lengthy briefing, however, all Riva needed to hear was that the fighting started over some historical event  a long time ago and that something recent has changed prompting a desire for peace. Confident in his abilities, he decides to leave the meeting early and prepare for his dinner. Riva and Troi continually meet to show their affection. Riva, in his persistent behavior, has let his emotions takeover the mission that he set out to do. Over dinner, they carry on conversations through sign language. Suddenly, their dinner is interrupted by Picard. The Enterprise reached Solais V and Picard discovered that the ceasefire on Solais V has been broken. Upon Picard's request, Riva approaches the bridge to communicate with the two factions. Beyond all skepticism, Riva successfully stops the fighting. Picard shows him to the computer in order to locate a meeting spot on Solais V to conduct the peace meeting. He chooses the site of the Battle of Zambrano, on a hilltop. Worf, Riker, Riva and his chorus beam down to the site. Riva calls for a specific kind of table and torches from the Enterprise to set the stage, though the two factions arrive before they are beamed down. During initial meeting, a rogue member of one of the factions suddenly opens fire at the negotiation team, missing Riva due to Riker's interference but instead killing his whole chorus. The enraged leader of the faction instantly executes the rogue subordinate and quickly throws up his hands, pleading for them to stay. In the confusion, Riker orders immediate beam-out of Riva and the Enterprise crew. Despite the subsequent pleas of both faction leaders, Riva is very distraught and refuses to continue with the negotiations, but frantically expresses this in some kind of sign language no one can understand. Picard quickly asks Data to attempt to learn his language and to get Dr. Katherine Pulaski to see if she can develop some way of helping him communicate. Riva continues to be frustrated. Picard grabs Riva and tells him that while his chorus is dead, he is not alone. They are all in this situation together. This made an impact on him, and he leaves with Troi. Data, through the computer, analyzes a number of different sign languages that help him to construct an index which he later uses to decipher Riva's sign language. They now understand that Riva assumes responsibility for the deaths of his translators and is not willing to continue with the peace treaty. Riva explains that he cannot use Data in their stead because while he considers Data a fine machine, he cannot deliver the necessary emotions found in his translator's voices. Meanwhile, Geordi La Forge and Dr. Pulaski discuss La Forge's medical case. Dr. Pulaski is apparently capable of repairing his eyes through two types of surgery: ocular implants, which would give him 80% of the vision provided by his VISOR, or extensive repairs done to the optical nerves and replicated eyes, which would give him normal vision but at greater risk. She tells him if he decides to undergo the surgery, there is no going back. La Forge, surprised and overwhelmed, decides to take time to think about his decision. Troi tells Riva that she will be conducting the negotiations in his place and asks for help. Riva explains several of the important aspects of negotiating peace between warring factions. One such idea, "turn a disadvantage into an advantage," inspires Riva to come up with a solution. He agrees to try it himself. Riva decides that the best way to resolve the confrontation is for him to teach sign language to both factions, believing that as the factions learn to talk to him, they will also learn to talk to one another. The Enterprise leaves Riva on the planet to resolve the issue and carries on. Picard thanks Troi for her help with Riva and says that while she can read his thoughts, he wanted to tell her himself. 
<EOS>
Dr. Ira Graves, a prominent specialist in cybernetic technology, has sent a distress call. The crew soon discovers that the distress call was sent out by Graves' assistant and that it was sent out of fear; however, the crew can only find two lifeforms on Gravesworld. While en route, a distress call is picked up from the USS Constantinople, which  is carrying 2,012 colonists and has suffered an outer hull breach. Due to the need to assist the Constantinople quickly, as well as Graves, a near-warp transport is used to transport an away team to Gravesworld. Dr. Pulaski suggests to Captain Picard that she remain on the USS Enterprise-D and help treat the injured personnel on the Constantinople and recommends that Dr. Selar, a Vulcan, go in her place. Selar has Pulaski's full confidence, so Picard agrees. The Enterprise drops out of warp, Lieutenant La Forge initiates the transport, and the ship re-engages its warp engines. This was a disorientating process for the away team, since Counselor Deanna Troi noted that she thought she was stuck in the wall for a moment while materializing. Worf reinforced that, for a moment, she was. The assistant, Kareen Brianon, reported the distress based on the fact that Graves' health is deteriorating rapidly, with shortness of breath and outbursts of temper. Graves is not entirely happy at the presence of Doctor Selar, commenting that he is "healthy as a Rigellian ox". In their discussion, Graves begins to offer new information about himself. Graves was the mentor of Doctor Noonian Soong, the creator and "father" of Data. Graves is diagnosed by Selar with terminal Darnay's disease. As Graves' condition worsens, he and Data form a rapport, and after Data asks about a song Graves is whistling, they begin a conversation on the nature of emotions, life, and death. Graves reveals that just prior to death, he intends to transfer his intellect into his computer, commenting that Data can never truly understand death. However, Data comments that he has an "off" switch, the presence of which gives him an understanding of death. Graves takes a particular interest in the location of this switch. As the Enterprise enters orbit around the planet, Data joins the rest of the away team and informs them that Graves has just died in his arms. Back on the Enterprise, Data is behaving a little unusual, using more informal, florid language and exhibiting emotional behavior. He has a discussion with Brianon in Ten Forward, revealing how much Graves loved her and showing deep insight, leaving Brianon looking somewhat unsettled. This unusual behavior continues when Data delivers a very personal and dramatic eulogy of Graves in the transporter room, praising him extremely highly. After the funeral, Captain Picard questions Data on his behavior at the funeral, commenting that perhaps Data should not try so hard to emulate Humans. After being dismissed from the ready room, Data smiles, looks appreciatively at the rear end of a female crewmember, and begins to whistles the song from The Wizard of Oz that Graves had done previously. Suspicion of, and concerns about, Data's behavior grow among the crew and his errant behavior escalates as he belittles Wesley Crusher on his age and lack of experience, acting in a remarkably arrogant manner, reminiscent of Ira Graves' personality. He also mutters under his breath, then lashes out at Picard as he gives Brianon a tour of the bridge, accusing him of coveting her. Picard orders Data to come with him, and after they have left, Troi comments that she felt intense burning jealousy emanating from Data. In the ready room, Picard comments that something is clearly wrong with Data, despite Data protesting that he is "healthy as a Rigellian ox", and orders him to carry out a self-diagnostic. Data says the diagnostic shows he is fine, but Picard says that, for the first time since he has known Data, he does not believe him. Further engineering tests are carried out by Geordi La Forge as an uncooperative Data's insubordination grows. The engineering tests show no problems. Troi comments that it may be a mental health problem rather than a physical problem, and performs a psychotronic stability examination on Data in his quarters, uncovering two disparate personalities present in him. The burgeoning negative personality displayed special hatred of Picard and other authority figures. Without it being stymied, it will forever engulf Data's natural personality. Despite having been ordered to remain in his quarters, Picard discovers from the computer that Data has gone to Ten Forward. Lieutenant Worf is ordered to go there and keep an eye on Data, but not to interfere with his actions. Picard also orders Dr. Selar to report to his ready room. Data approaches Brianon in Ten Forward -- she is planning to disembark at Starbase 6, and finally reveals that he is Graves, alive in Data's mind. He admits that he deactivated Data and transferred his mind into his frame. All his feelings and dreams were retained and he dismisses Brianon's assertion that he will not be able to get away with it. Picard, however, has begun to understand what has happened. Data/Graves talks with Brianon about the wonder of having a new body, musing on what he may accomplish in the next thousand years. He offers to build Brianon an android body as well, so they can remain together forever. Data/Graves is rebuffed however, and leaves Ten Forward. Picard confronts Data/Graves in engineering. Graves dismisses Data's right to life and warns the captain not to approach. As Picard does so, he sees that Graves has already attacked La Forge and rendered him unconscious. Picard implores Graves that he has gone too far, physically injuring Brianon's hand in the process. As Picard ramps up his case for Graves to give back Data, Graves reaches tipping point and strikes the captain across the face, knocking him unconscious. This act seems to shock Graves, who is disturbed that he keeps injuring people in anger. Upon being revived, Picard tracks Data to his quarters. When they find Data laid on the floor, La Forge cautiously approaches and wakes Data. It is immediately apparent that he is back to his former self. Brianon discerns from the monitors that Graves has deposited himself into the ship's computer, though the conscious Human element has been lost. Data has no memory of the time in which he was infested with Graves' personality and worries that he might have behaved in a manner unbecoming of a Starfleet officer. As Commander Riker jokingly tries to persuade Data that he may have wrestled with a targ, the Enterprise leaves orbit of Starbase 6. 
<EOS>
En route to the station, Captain Jean-Luc Picard asks Counselor Deanna Troi about his new chief medical officer, Katherine Pulaski. He has concerns about her dedication interfering with her objectivity. She senses his concerns, but believes she is a good choice for chief medical officer. Data then receives a distress signal from the Federation supply ship USS Lantree. All they say is that they are dying, unable to give any more details. The voice on the other end of the comm is weak, and then falls silent. When the Enterprise arrives and hails the ship, there is no answer. Data reads no life signs, but all systems seem functional. At Commander William T. Riker's suggestion, the Enterprise establishes a remote link with the Lantree's computer. Picard quickly goes to his ready room to provide access codes to authorize the link. When they turn on the bridge monitor, the entire crew is dead. Dr. Pulaski's scans find they died of natural causes through aging. In the conference lounge, everything is laid out on the table. They download and play back Captain Telaka's last entry: Riker says that Captain Telaka was his age. The Doctor's search of medical records indicate nothing happened, except that the first officer was treated for the Thelusian flu at Darwin Genetic Research Station on the planet Gagarin IV. She has the ship quarantined, and they head for Gagarin IV. Once in orbit, they hail the station. Doctor Sara Kingsley answers, and explains they have declared a medical emergency. Their staff is suffering from the same phenomenon as the Lantree. She is convinced they were infected by the crew of the Lantree. She wants Enterprise to help them evacuate their genetically-engineered children to protect them. Doctor Pulaski says there must be a full quarantine on the station, and that includes them. But Doctor Kingsley pleads that the children have no symptoms. The captain interrupts and says there is very little they can do, they will discuss it. In the conference lounge, Doctor Pulaski says that the children should be evacuated after a full examination in a force field. Picard decides that they must err on the side of caution, and denies her permission for the examination. If they are carriers, the ship could quickly become infected. The doctor instead suggests she beam up a child encased in styrolite, in suspended animation, so she can scan for disease without it being able to spread. She doesn't know what to scan for, and the only way to know is to collect some data. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge sets up the force field, and the twelve-year-old child is beamed aboard by Chief O'Brien. However, what materializes is a male whose age is closer to twenty. Worf is about to call it a trick, but Picard stops him from doing anything rash. Since the styrolite is intact, he orders the force field down, and lets the doctor scan him. Counselor Troi immediately detects a strong presence, even in stasis. She believes he is telepathic, a surprise to everyone. After scanning with everything they've got, the doctor concludes ecstatically that he is in better health than the crew. In fact, his immune system is so advanced, it may not be possible for him to contract disease. She wants to release him to do further tests. Picard won't allow that. Despite her passionate opinion and interrupting the captain a few times, the risk is too great. She tries to think of everything, suggesting force fields and separate environmental systems, but the captain knows they can fail, and to him, that is not acceptable. The best he can give her is an open door: if she can find a way which is more accident-proof, bring it to him, and he'll allow it. Picard then informs Pulaski that he is not one to discourage input but asks her to let him finish his sentences once in a while. When she talks to La Forge, he suggests the only independent environment is a shuttlecraft. When she takes her suggestion to Picard, he doesn't like it, since she would still be at risk. But as she is about to argue, he immediately approves her request, much to her surprise. She takes Data to pilot the Sakharov, and has the boy beamed aboard. She removes the styrolite, and immediately, he comes to life. She is surprised when he suddenly reaches out to her telepathically. For eighteen minutes, she examines him, and when Data confirms that everything seems to be fine with her, she suddenly gets an arthritic cramp, the first stage of the disease. Still startled, in pain and very agitated, she tells them to return the boy to Darwin station, and says there is nothing they can do for her. She will not make herself an exception to the quarantine. Since she is now suffering from the same disease as the Darwin staff, she decides to head to the station. When the rest of the senior staff meets in the conference lounge, they don't see what they can do for her. The children are carriers, and they can't screen out the disease because the boy was beamed twice already and he still had it. However, Transporter Chief O'Brien gets an idea: they can use the transporter trace trace, a previous pattern when she didn't have the disease, to control the way she is reconstituted. Unfortunately, no one remembers her ever using the transporters; she possesses transporter phobia. Picard asks for the captain of her last assignment, the USS Repulse, to be contacted via a captain's priority subspace message. Aboard the station, the puzzled Kingsley still cannot believe it is the children who transmit the disease. She shows Data and Pulaski several telekinetic children, their finest achievement. These children, she proudly argues, are perfect in every way. In fact, their immune system is aggressive, creating an antibody to destroy the virus in midair by altering its genetic code. It even works at a distance. That's when the light bulb goes on in Pulaski's mind; remembering that the Lantree's first officer was suffering from Thelusian flu when he visited the station, she tells Data to run a genetic analysis on the interaction between the flu virus and the antigen. Kingsley remarks that such an analysis could take months; Pulaski informs her that Data has a way with computers. Back aboard Enterprise, Captain Taggert said they erased her pattern after she transferred, not that she used the transporter much, preferring to take shuttles. Taggert says he would have given Pulaski a shuttle if it kept her on the Repulse, however the moment she saw there was an opening on Enterprise, she jumped at it, because she greatly admired Picard. Data's analysis is conclusive, and unfortunate. As he explains to the astonished Kingsley and Pulaski, the antibody the children created to counteract the virus interacts with normal Human DNA to change sequences which affect the aging process. The children are in fact more than carriers; they're the cause. Since DNA is self-replicating, the effects are irreversible. Devastated, the two desperate women lose all hope and recognize defeat. Pulaski sadly and silently accepts her doomed fate, while Kingsley tries in vain to get a hold of herself, but can´t help but ending up crying. Looking tired, Pulaski explains the situation to Picard through the viewscreen. She looks at least twenty years older, and in pain, but trying her best to look strong. He wishes to beam her aboard in suspended animation and keep her until they can repair this damage, but she is adamant against it. She doesn't want them to leap before they looked like she did. Instead, she reads a log entry over the com: Data beams back aboard after a farewell to the now-white-haired Pulaski, who looks around a hundred years old by now, like the equally deteriorated Kingsley. Both women now seem to have accepted their terrible fate with more calm by now, but both still look very depressed. However, after Data is screened for organics and beamed aboard, Picard asks him about another idea. Since the genetic changes are the cause, they could take a sample of her genetic code and have the transporter reverse the transposition. Chief O'Brien says it will work, but it would be risky, since they will lose her pattern if it doesn't work. It takes some doing to get a DNA sample; Pulaski's records have not arrived from Starfleet Command yet. Riker and Data search her quarters and finally find a hair follicle on her hairbrush. Picard calls Pulaski. The bridge crew and Picard are shocked by the image of severe deterioration, now looking much older than a hundred years. The captain explains the possible solution to the terminal doctor. Pulaski, now totally exhausted, out of time and options, is willing to give it a try. Troi is very shaken and sad, seeing and possibly feeling Pulaski's terror, despair and unbearable suffering. O'Brien warns Picard that the trip is one-way only; if the procedure doesn't work, Pulaski can't be beamed back to Darwin Station. Picard takes the transporter controls and assumes full responsibility for the attempt so that O'Brien will not be to blame should something go wrong, to O'Brien's gratitude. After a tense several seconds of controlling the transporter during beam-in, the doctor, restored to her proper age, appears. Picard admits to her had the procedure not worked he would have had to beam her pattern into space. Pulaski doesn't mind, since she assumes the worst whenever she uses it anyway. The Enterprise returns to the USS Lantree and, after paying final respects, consigns the ship to oblivion by destroying it with a single photon torpedo.
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is passing Starbase 179, where some replacement crew are due to come aboard. Riker and Wesley go down to the transporter room to meet the new arrivals. Among them is a Benzite who is participating in an Officer Exchange Program. At first Wes thinks it is his friend Mordock that he met on Relva VII, but he calls himself Mendon, telling Wes that they would look the same as they come from the same geostructure. He tells Riker he requested the assignment and that he feels he will be a great help to the Enterprise. Riker goes to the phaser range, where he and Captain Picard get in some phaser practice. Picard comments that Starfleet thinks it would be a good idea for someone from the Enterprise to participate in the exchange program. He also notes that there is a Klingon vessel, the IKS Pagh, in the area. Riker gets the idea, and volunteers to be the one to participate in the exchange because "nobody's done it before". Riker talks to Worf about the assignment, asking him if it is true that one of the duties of the first officer is to assassinate his captain when he becomes weak or unfit. Worf confirms this, saying the system has worked successfully for the Klingons for centuries. On the bridge, Mendon walks around commenting on what the crew are doing and suggesting he has a more efficient way in a pompous manner. He mentions to Wesley that he intends to mention these observations to the captain. Later, Mendon notices something in a scan of the Pagh's hull. From the initial scan, it appears to be some form of subatomic life unknown to the computer. He decides to continue his analysis. In Ten Forward, Riker is testing out Klingon food such as pipius claw, heart of targ and gagh, watched by Katherine Pulaski. Picard arrives to wish him well, but isn't tempted by the Klingon food. Riker seems to enjoy it and the reactions of his crewmembers. The time has come to leave. On his way to the transporter room, Worf gives Riker an emergency transponder, just in case he gets into trouble. The Pagh arrives, commanded by Captain Kargan. As Riker prepares to beam over, Miles O'Brien wishes him good luck and that he would not be interested in going. The Pagh leaves and Picard heads for the observation lounge. Mendon catches him and tries to tell him about his procedural changes, but Picard brushes him off, telling him to report to Worf. Meanwhile, Riker is brought to meet Kargan on the bridge of the Pagh. He asks Riker if he can trust him in the same way he trusts the rest of his crew. Riker replies that he will serve the ship and obey his orders. Klag, the second officer says that he doesn't believe Riker and that he challenges his authority. Riker beats up Klag in a fight, after which he accepts Riker's position. On the Enterprise, Worf reports an unknown substance on the hull. It is a subatomic bacteria that doubles in size every fifteen minutes and feeds on the materials in the skin. Mendon interjects, saying he noted it before on the Pagh, and Picard admonishes him that he should have immediately reported it. Mendon is surprised, saying Benzite regulations would have him wait until he has a full analysis. Picard tells him he should have followed Starfleet protocol instead and to continue with the analysis. On the Pagh, Riker is in the mess hall, eating the very Klingon delicacies he studied for the assignment. One of the female Klingons, Vekma, eyes him up, while he eats bregit lung and rokeg blood pie. Klag offers him some gagh, which is still alive. Riker didn't expect that, and Klag teases him, saying that perhaps he would prefer to be breast-fed. They joke for a while, before Riker says that the Klingons were not as he expected, having a sense of humor, for example. The Klingons say the same thing about him. Starting a more serious conversation, one of them says they are alike -- he also has a father and mother. His mother is still alive, but his father was killed gloriously in battle at Tranome Sar. Riker asks about Klag's parents, and he tells him ashamedly that his father was captured by the Romulans and not allowed to die with honor. However he escaped and will die an old man on Qo'noS, weakened, useless and without honor. He tells Riker he doesn't talk to him anymore, but Riker urges him to try, as nothing is impossible. On the Enterprise, Data says that the organisms feed on the compounds in the hull, and that the Pagh is more susceptible than they are. Picard orders an intercept course with the Pagh. Meanwhile, Kargan calls Riker to the Pagh's bridge, showing him a hole in the hull. He tells him it's due to a space organism. They have no way to repair it, and in eight hours too much of the hull will have been lost for the ship and its crew to survive. He questions Riker why the Enterprise conducted an intensive scan of the area for two minutes, but Riker doesn't know why. Kargan orders the ship cloaked and an intercept course set to destroy the Enterprise. Wes talks to Mendon, who feels he made an error and failed in his task. Wes cheers him up, saying that he discovered the organism and that it wasn't his fault, he just made an error in protocol. He reminds Mendon his main goal is to take what he has learned about the Enterprise to his own government. Mendon goes back and eventually isolates the organisms, concluding they can be removed using a tunneling neutrino beam. Picard orders this information be added to the hail being broadcast. The Enterprise still has not found the Pagh, and Data concludes that it is either cloaked or destroyed. The hole in the Pagh has become bigger and Kargan sends Riker to engineering to check on the situation. Klag tells him he thinks that Riker does not know anything about a plot. He may be a spy, but he's no coward. When Riker returns, the tactical officer reports that the Enterprise is on an intercept course. This convinces Kargan that it is hostile, and he orders a full battle alert and the photon torpedoes armed. Riker tries to convince Kargan that the Enterprise is trying to help them. He won't listen, and tells Riker that since he gave his word he should tell him the best way to attack. Riker refuses point blank, saying he has also sworn an oath to Starfleet, which he won't break. Kargan pressures him, and Riker says he will obey his orders, but won't break the oath. Kargan then admits that if he had told him the Enterprise's secrets he would have killed him where he stood. When the Pagh notes the new message about the organisms, Kargan still doesn't believe the Enterprise and orders weapons ready. Due to the lack of debris, Data says the Klingon ship must be cloaked, so Picard raises the shields. Kargan orders the torpedoes readied, and Riker tells him to wait until the distance to the Enterprise is 40,000 kilometers. Klag comments that Riker is honoring his promise. Riker says he still questions Kargan's judgment. Then he takes out the emergency transponder and switches it on. He gives it to Kargan when he asks to see it. Worf detects the signal, and Picard orders O'Brien to lock on to the signal and beam Riker out as soon as possible. He decides to wait until they are within 40,000 kilometers. Kargan is beamed off before the order to fire can be given. He materializes on the bridge, and pulls out his disruptor, whereupon Worf stuns him with his phaser and Data disarms him. On the Pagh, Riker tells a bemused Klag that he has relieved Kargan of his command. Now he is the captain. He orders the ship to be decloaked, and hails the Enterprise. He demands that Picard surrender, and Picard agrees with a smile. Picard orders that O'Brien beam a very angry Kargan back to the Pagh, and repairs started on its hull. When Kargan returns, he tells Riker he is back in command. Riker growls at him, so Kargan sends him flying with a punch, regaining some of his dignity in the process. He tells Klag to get him off his ship. As Klag helps him up, he concedes that Riker may know more about Klingons than he thought. As the Enterprise finishes repairing the hole in the Pagh with the neutrino beam, Riker returns. Picard congratulates him, and tells him to go to sickbay. As Worf escorts him there he welcomes Riker home. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is visiting the newly-built Starbase 173 for a crew rotation. Meanwhile, four of the senior staff and Chief Miles O'Brien sit down in Commander Riker's quarters for a game of poker. It is Lieutenant Commander Data's first official game, but he has studied up on the subject and explains it in detail as the cards are dealt. Doctor Pulaski announces a bet, which the rest of the staff calls. Data bets ten, as he holds the highest hand, whereas Pulaski and Lieutenant La Forge fold. The cards are dealt, and Riker's new card is the five of hearts, as we see three hearts, compared to Data's pair of queens, ace high. Data bets five cautiously, whereas O'Brien calls, but Riker raises to five. Data calls, but O'Brien folds. The cards are dealt a final time, but a four of hearts comes down, which causes a moan from the others -- Riker may have a flush. Data bets ten, but Riker raises another ten. This causes Data to peek at his face-down card, which is a queen, indicating he has three of a kind. Data comments about Riker's facial expression being a "poker face", but Riker asks if Data is "playing or not?". Data hesitates and then folds. Riker reveals his face-down card as the two of spades, which raises a resounding groan from the table. Confused, Data doesn't understand how Riker could have won--as he had nothing toward a winning hand -- but La Forge points out to Data Riker's valid play and that he did win, in bluffing Data. Captain Picard, having tea on the station, encounters Captain Phillipa Louvois, who he has not seen in ten years. Phillipa Louvois is a longtime friend who had previously prosecuted Picard with zeal during the court martial following the loss of the USS Stargazer. While they reminisce, the pair is approached by Admiral Nakamura, accompanied by Commander Bruce Maddox, a Starfleet cyberneticist. On the admiral's request, Picard, with Maddox following, guides Nakamura on a tour of the Enterprise. They finish up on the bridge, where Maddox looks at Data with interest; he in turn notices this and looks back. On Maddox's reminder, Nakamura tells Picard that the commander is there "to work on your android" and takes his leave. Maddox and Data greet each other with familiarity; Data explains to Picard that Maddox was the sole member of a Starfleet special admissions panel to oppose Data's admission to Starfleet Academy, on the basis that Data was not a sentient lifeform, who briefly looks annoyed with the memory. Maddox tells Picard that the "work" entails dismantling Data. In an interview in the Enterprise's observation lounge with Picard, Riker, and Data, Maddox explains that he wants Data to help him understand better how Dr. Noonian Soong was able to overcome certain engineering challenges in designing Data's positronic brain. He mostly speaks to Picard and Riker, not really addressing Data. Data is intrigued, until he discovers that it is Maddox's intention to "dump" Data's memories from his positronic brain into the Starbase 173 main computer, then deactivate and disassemble Data in hopes of deriving enough technical knowledge to enable him to construct more Soong-type androids. He also asks if Maddox, having built a model positronic brain, has solved the most important first step: the electron resistance across the neural filaments. Maddox admits he hasn't, but plans to examine Data's working filament links; Data points out that if he can't find the answers that way, Maddox's model will not work. In spite of this, Maddox claims the risks to Data are "negligible." Data concludes that Maddox lacks sufficient technical knowledge to carry out the procedure safely, and declines to participate, with Picard's support. Maddox, prepared for this eventuality, produces orders from Starfleet Command separating Data from the Enterprise, transferring him to Starbase 173, and compelling Data to submit to the procedure. In his Ready Room, Picard, recognizing Starfleet's inherent interests in the creation of more Soong-type androids, Picard attempts to persuade Data into submitting to Maddox's procedure. Despite Picard's approach being the opposite of Maddox's -- with the application of much more carrot than stick -- Data counters that asking him to submit to an uncertain, dangerous, potentially destructive Starfleet experiment is tantamount to compulsorily requiring all Starfleet officers to have their biological eyes replaced with superior cybernetic implants such as the type utilized by Geordi La Forge. Data goes on to remind Picard that it is precisely because he is not human--and even considered among some to lack true sentience--that Starfleet is emboldened enough to make their request in the first place. Realizing this to be the jarring truth of the matter, Picard dismisses Data and has the computer pull all relevant information of Starfleet regulations on officer transfers to a PADD for further research. Swayed by the gravamen of Data's argument and having made little sense of Starfleet's official regulations, Picard seeks the counsel of the Judge Advocate General's office on Starbase 173, headed by Captain Louvois. Louvois initially contends that while Data can refuse to participate in the experiment, the transfer itself cannot be stopped. Picard articulates his concern that once Maddox has Data in his clutches, as it were, anything could happen; Louvois therefore suggests, alternatively, that Data could resign his Starfleet commission. Aboard the Enterprise, Maddox enters Data's quarters unannounced and without permission, continuing to bluntly drive home the point that he clearly does not accord Data the same respect he would otherwise a being whose sentience were not a matter of opinion. He finds Data packing his cabin after having resigned from Starfleet. Maddox, unaware that Data has resigned, passionately attempts to convince Data to reconsider the experiment by reassuring Data that his memories and knowledge will remain intact. Data, still genuinely concerned that Dr. Maddox has not yet demonstrated his ability to make good on that promise, argues that the substance and flavor of his experiences would be lost, reduced to mere facts. He offers the Teaser's earlier poker game as an example: he had absorbed all the available literature on the subject of Poker to prepare for the game, but when he actually played it, found it bore little resemblance to the rules as published. Continuing the inference, Data communicates his lack of confidence that Maddox has acquired the expertise needed to retain Data's "essence" of his stored experience. Data finally reveals to Maddox that while he regretted having to do so, he has resigned his Starfleet commission such that he cannot be compelled to participate in Maddox's experiment. Maddox is infuriated at this complication and does little to hide it, angrily insisting the experiment will proceed whether Data's cooperation has been obtained or not. Still smarting from Data's sudden resignation, Maddox has found a legal loophole he can use to get his experiment back on track. Meeting with Captains Louvois and Picard aboard Starbase 173, Maddox angrily counters to the affirmative when Louvois ponders aloud whether Data is actually the property of Starfleet -- rather than an individual, sentient being with rights and freedoms within the Federation -- and that Data is no more legally able to refuse his procedure and resign from Starfleet than the Enterprise's computer is able to refuse a refit. Ironically, this is in contrary to Maddox's wishes years ago: had he had his way, Data would not be in Starfleet -- and would not, in Maddox's own opinion, be "Starfleet property." Louvois tells Picard that there might be established law to support Maddox's position, who asks her to find the proof. After announcing his resignation, Data's shipmates throw an impromptu going-away party in Ten Forward. Among the gifts, Worf presents him with a copy of The Dream of the Fire, a classic Klingon novel by K'Ratak. Across the room, Data sees Geordi La Forge sitting alone, and he approaches his friend. La Forge tells Data that he's upset about the android being forced out of Starfleet, and the two express that they will miss each other. After deliberating, Captain Louvois initially finds for Commander Maddox's position "based on the Acts of Cumberland passed in the early 21st century." Picard requests a formal legal hearing to challenge the ruling; however, because the brand-new Sector 23 Judge Advocate General's Office has not yet received their staff transfers to Starbase 173, JAG staff consists only of Captain Louvois herself and "one terrified little ensign." Despite this, Louvois agrees to convene a hearing on condition that Enterprise personnel serve as legal counsel during the proceedings: As his commanding officer, Captain Picard is burdened with the defense of Data and his rights and freedoms as a sentient being. A reluctant Commander Riker is pressed into representing Commander Maddox's position; Riker initially refuses to participate in the hearing on the grounds that he vehemently disagrees with the premise of the case: Not only does Riker consider Data legally possessed of the same rights and freedoms of all sentient beings under Federation law, but also because Riker considers Data a comrade and friend, and on a personal level does not wish to be compelled into potentially placing a friend in harm's way. However, since Data's position is at peril of Louvois' preliminary ruling, which would be finalized in Maddox's favor if Riker does not participate, Riker disappointingly concludes that he is offered no palatable choice in the matter. Louvois goes on to sternly warn Riker that she will tolerate no attempt to sandbag his performance--if she at any point determines that Riker is not prosecuting the case as vigorously as she feels he is capable, she will rule summarily in favor of Maddox. Picard calls Data to his ready room and informs him that he has been denied his resignation. Data remarks that gives him no choice but to submit, but his captain tells him about the hearing, which will clearly define the android's legal status once and for all and how he was asked to represent him. He asks if Data would be happier with another officer, but Data places his confidence in Picard's abilities. In the meantime, Riker does research for the hearing, and uses his authorization to look up Data's technical schematics. He is initially pleased to find what he was looking for but then remembers why he was doing so in the first place. On Starbase 173, Louvois begins the hearing, acting as judge. Riker calls Data to the stand and the computer recounts Data's service record -- including Data's Starfleet decorations, which Picard insists be recited in its entirety as an example of Data's service. Riker begins his prosecution by seeking to demonstrate that Data is, in fact, a man-made, constructed being. Data is asked his maximum storage capacity and how quickly he can access information. Riker then compels Data to bend a rod of parsteel, despite Picard's objection based on the fact that many creatures in the Federation are possessed of mega-strength. Riker asks to be allowed to remove Data's left hand for examination; Picard objects then withdraws it, realizing he has no way to rebut it. Softly apologizing to his friend, Riker removes it for Captain Louvois' examination. Citing that Data is essentially hardware built by a man and programmed with software written by a man, Riker then moves behind Data and abruptly deactivates him, proclaiming "Pinocchio is broken; its strings have been cut." Even Louvois, who warned him to do his best, is a bit taken aback and as a remorseful Riker takes his seat, Picard requests a recess, which is granted. Back on the Enterprise, Captain Picard recounts Riker's devastating prosecution to Guinan in Ten Forward, admitting that he himself was ready to believe that Data was only a machine after Riker's arguments. Guinan aptly observes that were Maddox to prevail in the proceedings and go on to become successful in replicating Data -- despite the value this would represent to Starfleet -- Maddox's success would almost certainly result in the creation of an entirely new race of "disposable creatures": beings whose welfare and needs would not require consideration. Picard quickly concludes that victory for Maddox would have far more sinister repercussions throughout the Federation; that behind the comfortable, easy euphemism of "property", this fledgling race could potentially become a race of slaves. This grim realization strengthens Picard's resolve and inspires him to take a new approach in the defense phase of the hearing. In the courtroom, Picard begins Data's defense by quickly dismissing Riker's arguments that Data is a constructed being: Picard then calls Data to the witness stand and enters as evidence Data's personal belongings, a sample of the items he had packed in preparation of his resignation: a plaque of his Starfleet medals, a book that was given to him by his captain, and a holocube portrait of the late Enterprise crewmember Tasha Yar. Picard asks Data, what purpose do any of these articles serve him? Of the Starfleet medals, he answers that they serve no purpose other than that he simply wanted them, wondering out loud to Picard if that demonstrates vanity. Of the book, Data says that it is a reminder of his friendship and service with the captain. Picard questions Data about the holocube of Tasha Yar, taking the time to set it out and activate it, stating for the record that he has "no other portraits of [his] fellow crewmates." Data replies that he would prefer not to answer any questions related to Yar, as he had given his word to her to not speak of the matter. Picard gently reminds Data that considering the circumstances, he doesn't believe that Tasha would mind. Data reveals--with what can only be interpreted as discomfort--that Yar was "special" to him because they had been intimate with one another. Calling Commander Maddox forward as a hostile witness, Picard proceeds to expose for the court, and then to impeach, Maddox's assertions as to Data's sentience. In doing so, Picard maneuvers Maddox into conceding that Data fulfills most of the cyberneticist's own criteria for sentience -- intelligence and self-awareness -- and dramatically coerces the scientist into an admission that the remaining criterion, consciousness, is too nebulous a concept to precisely determine whether the android is in possession of it or not. Having cemented his argument for Data's sentience, Picard summarizes his final contention that to create more Soong-type androids would be the beginnings of a race, and a sentient race that is considered "property" is to sanction slavery -- a profound violation of the basic principles and ideals upon which the United Federation of Planets is based: Ultimately, Captain Louvois rules in favor of Data: Data formally refuses to undergo Maddox's procedure after Louvois' ruling is entered, and Maddox, in turn, states he will see that Data's transfer orders are rescinded. Surprisingly however, Data encourages Maddox to continue his work; he claims to remains intrigued by some of what Maddox is proposing, and suggests he might agree to the procedure at some point in the future, once he is certain Maddox can perform it safely. Captain Louvois notes to Maddox that he no longer refers to Data as an "it" but as a "he", inferring that he now ascribes to Data "personhood." After the victory, Riker, deeply affected by the gravity of nearly costing a friend and colleague his life, prefers the solitude of the Enterprise's darkened observation lounge to Data's victory celebration on the holodeck. Data himself arrives to ask why Riker hasn't joined them, who sullenly explains his guilt over his role in the trial. Data reminds Riker in his immutable manner that had he not agreed to prosecute the position in favor of Maddox, they would not have been afforded the opportunity to defend the position that Data is sentient and legally entitled to the full panoply of rights and freedoms accorded sentient beings in the Federation, as Louvois would have ruled summarily in favor of Maddox's position. Data expresses his sincere gratitude at the ignominy Riker had endured, but that had, in its effect, saved him. Riker smiles, declaring his friend a wise man; Data cautions that he does not believe he is yet, but with Riker's help, he is learning. Feeling better, Riker leaves with Data to join the celebration. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is given the task of transporting the young leader of Daled IV, Salia, and her guardian, Anya, to their homeworld from their place of exile on Klavdia III. Their world has been in civil war for generations, and Salia is expected to bring peace to her troubled planet, which is tidally locked, developing separate cultures that dwell on day and night sides, which has caused the war. Salia was the child of two now deceased natives of Daled IV who were on opposing sides of the conflict. She is seen as the only person who can bring about peace due to her parentage. The Enterprise beams up Anya and Salia. In a chance encounter, Wesley Crusher and Salia meet each other in the corridor just outside the transporter room and become smitten. Anya orders Salia to go straight to their quarters. Later, Picard checks in on Salia, and they say they are fine. Counselor Deanna Troi senses that they are hiding something, not being untruthful. It is hard to believe that they will bring peace to the planet. Afterwards, Salia continues conversation with a young woman in her quarters, doubtful about how she will know what to do when arriving at Daled IV. She thinks instinct will not be enough, but the woman assures her she will know what to do. Then, the woman transforms into a shorter creature, but obviously Salia expects this. Meanwhile, Wesley cannot concentrate on anything. He bumbles in engineering, and La Forge relieves him of duty, insisting that he go talk to her. He has no idea what to say, and therefore visits Worf and Data, where Worf regales him with a passionate summary of Klingon romance, Data starts explaining the anatomic angle. Picard invites Anya to take a tour of the ship, and Salia says she would like to join. However, the shorter creature -- who turns into Anya -- does not permit it. Wesley goes to Riker for advice in Ten Forward, and Riker lays his smoothest lines on Guinan. As they quickly get caught up in the back-and-forth, Wesley becomes exasperated at all three situations he has seen, and decides just to go to Salia's quarters. When Wesley arrives, Anya is away on the tour. Wesley cannot say anything immediately, but Salia asks about the replicator. He treats Salia to a Thalian chocolate mousse from Thalos VII, and, finding out she has never been on other planets, takes her on her own tour. Anya is on a tour of the ship with Worf, where she becomes increasingly agitated at how unsafe the ship is. In engineering, she identifies what La Forge is doing and starts to diagnose it, pointing out potential problems. This culminates with her revealing her true nature as an allasomorph when Dr. Pulaski refuses to kill a sick patient, Hennesey, who has Andronesian encephalitis. She intends to kill him herself. Worf wrestles with Anya as Pulaski calls for more security. Picard arrives, and Anya transforms back to the old woman. Anya declares the ship unsafe and that she is more powerful than any of them. Picard agrees she is powerful, but the ship is fine and orders her back to her quarters for the rest of the trip. Wesley takes Salia to the holodeck and shows her a few planets, then to Ten Forward, where she laments how she will never be able to leave Daled IV after she arrives. When Wesley suggests she stay on the Enterprise, she bolts from the room, and Guinan hints that Salia wants Wesley to follow her. She, emotionally distraught, yells at him, and is soon met up with Picard and Anya. Anya demands that Salia come with her and Picard orders Wesley to move away from her. Salia goes to her quarters with Anya while Wesley stands in the corridor, alone. The Enterprise arrives at Daled IV, surprised to find an almost identical environment, still having trouble with communications. In his ready room, Picard tells Wesley not to see Salia again. He would not usually get involved, but the events thus far seem to be endangering the ship. However, Salia comes to visit Wesley in his quarters later, telling him that she slipped out while Anya was asleep. As Wesley and Salia are kissing, Anya suddenly appears, and Wesley is shocked to discover that Salia, too, is an allasomorph, as both Anya and Salia shapeshift in a fight over whether or not she should be allowed to see him. The Enterprise finally gets communication and beam-in coordinates. Unable to reply due to the atmosphere, Picard simply has Worf go down to escort the passengers to the transporters. There, Anya says goodbye to Worf, saying it would be nice to meet again or do battle on the same side, and Worf agrees. Anya is transported to her home moon to Salia's surprise. Anya says she has completed her task and cannot go with her. Salia comes to say goodbye to Wesley, but Wesley is hurt by her deception and asks her to leave. Anya and Salia have a heartfelt goodbye, and Wesley comes to the transporter room to say goodbye to Salia also, just before she beams down in her true form, amazing Wesley. After she is beamed down by O'Brien, Wesley, somewhat depressed, goes to Ten Forward where Guinan comforts him. Wesley tells her that he won't feel the same about another woman the way he felt about Salia. Guinan, to Wesley's surprise, agrees with him. She assures him that there will be other women but he will not feel the same love for another woman quite the same again. Wesley tells her that that doesn't make it any easier for him. Guinan remarks "It's not supposed to." 
<EOS>
The Enterprise responds to an urgent call from Captain Donald Varley, an old friend of Captain Picard. Varley's ship, the USS Yamato, the sister ship of the Enterprise, has been plagued by a series of system malfunctions while in the Romulan Neutral Zone. Upon rendezvousing with the Enterprise, Varley explains to Picard that he was investigating "rumors that started making the Iconians sound a lot less like legend" and had, in fact, located the planet Iconia in the Neutral Zone. As Varley continues, revealing his goal of preventing the Romulans from gaining Iconian technology, his transmission to the Enterprise cuts in and out. Worf detects a failure in the Yamato's antimatter containment chamber. Before the Enterprise crew can act, the Yamato explodes and all 1,000+ crew members and their familes are killed. Meanwhile, a Romulan warbird enters the Enterprise's sensor range. The Enterprise is trying to find out whether this Romulan warbird is responsible for the destruction of the Yamato. After Picard and Sub-Commander Taris of the Haakona exchange accusations, the Haakona cloaks, and the Enterprise crew begins investigating the Yamato's destruction. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge and Data determine that the antimatter containment failure was not caused by the Romulans, and even entertain the possibility that a design flaw in Galaxy-class starships was responsible. As the investigation continues, Picard searches through Captain Varley's personal log to more thoroughly understand his friend's intent, asking the computer to highlight the words "Romulan" and/or "Iconian" in the log. In the archived logs, Varley describes finding Iconian artifacts, locating their homeworld, a puzzling Iconian probe scan, and the increasingly dangerous systems failures affecting his ship. In his final entry, he is determined to convince Picard of the importance of this mission to the safety of the Federation. Picard's ready room door fails to immediately open as he approaches, the first sign of trouble on the Enterprise. The bridge crew observes a visual record of the Iconian probe scan mentioned in Varley's log, and Data determines the coordinates at which this event occurred. Picard decides to take the Enterprise to this planet, on the far side of the Neutral Zone, and assume the Yamato's mission -- a mission that Picard believes will prevent a war. Wesley Crusher talks privately with Captain Picard about the Iconians, who were remarkably technologically advanced and were rumored to be able to magically appear on planets throughout the galaxy. However, Picard sees through Wesley's cover and asks him what really brought him into Picard's ready room. Wesley confesses that he can't stop thinking about how all the people on the Yamato were just suddenly dead and he states he doesn't know how Picard and Riker and the others can handle that so easily. Picard reassures Wesley that they are able to handle it because they have been trained to do so, as Wesley will be. However, Picard starts to remark about how the death of a single individual fails to move them, then is interrupted by a malfunction in the replicator. Picard has ordered Earl Grey tea from the replicator, and instead of tea, a potted plant materializes. "Now that should not have happened," he remarks to Wesley. La Forge begins to suspect that the Iconian probe had something to do with the Yamato's destruction, but has no explanation for the apparently random problems being experienced on the Enterprise. Upon arrival at the Iconian homeworld, the Enterprise finds the planet largely destroyed from orbit approximately 200,000 years prior. One small energy signature remains, however, and soon a probe is launched toward the Enterprise. Picard initially intends to capture the probe in a tractor beam, but a frantic La Forge, now aware of the imminent danger but unable to contact the bridge due to an intercom failure, takes a wild turbolift ride to the bridge, thrown all about the turbolift as it races through the turbolift shafts, including being stuck at the top and bottom of the lift car. He is thrown about so violently that his VISOR is knocked off of his face. Upon arriving on the bridge, La Forge is literally thrown out of the turbolift and is assisted to his feet by Riker just in time to warn Picard to destroy the probe. Picard orders Worf to destroy the probe and after he does so, La Forge tells Picard that if the probe had successfully scanned the Enterprise, there would have been no chance of saving the ship. In the observation lounge, La Forge explains that the Iconian probe was transmitting an alien computer program to rewrite software in its own image. That was the cause behind the Yamato's systems failures. The Enterprise was not scanned by the probe, but did download the Yamato's log before its destruction, and contained within the log was the alien program. This means the Enterprise has a little breathing room, but likely not enough. As La Forge and Data work on correcting the problems, Picard realizes that information on the planet may be useful. He decides to lead an away team to the planet's surface -- over Riker's objection -- to find this information. As soon as Picard, Data, and Worf beam down to the surface, a Romulan warbird decloaks in orbit near the Enterprise. The Haakona attempts to fire photon torpedoes but appears to be experiencing problems similar to those of the Enterprise, leading Riker to conclude that they too have tapped into the Yamato log. When another probe is launched from Iconia, Riker informs Taris to destroy it, which she does. But because of the remaining Romulan threat, Riker wants the shields to stay up, meaning that the away team cannot return to the ship. On the surface of Iconia, the away team cannot establish contact with the Enterprise. Picard and Data attempt to make sense of a large console in the Iconian control room. Data determines that the Iconian language shares enough common roots with other languages to enable him to develop a working understanding of the controls. This understanding proves to be somewhat less than working, as Data's attempts to engage "manual override" result in the appearance of a gateway. A series of landscapes and architectures cycles through the gateway. Picard concludes that the Iconians traveled to distant worlds through this gateway "as easily as we would cross a room."  This is what Captain Varley was investigating and hoping to keep out of Romulan hands. As the team continues to stare into the gateway, an image of the Enterprise bridge appears briefly, offering a potential means of return to the ship. Meanwhile, Data appears to gain access to an underground power source activated by the gateway's appearance, but as he works the controls, an energy surge similar to the Iconian probe's transmission cripples him. Picard and Worf try to assist Data, but his software is being rewritten by the Iconian program. Picard realizes that he must destroy all the Iconian technology, and asks Data how to go about that. He also orders Worf to destroy his tricorder containing everything they have learned thus far about the Iconians to keep the information from getting into enemy hands. Deciphering Data's broken speech, Picard surmises that he can launch all the Iconian probes but override the launchbay doors, so that the backwash from the rockets spills into the power grids to create an overload. Data is able to give Picard the correct key sequence for launching the probes and for overriding the doors. Picard orders Worf to take Data through the gateway the next time the Enterprise appears. Worf arrives on the Enterprise with Data and takes him to engineering. La Forge ascertains that all of Data's systems "are just going crazy" but cannot help him. He laments not having an expert on Soong-type androids such as Maddox on the Enterprise to help with Data. The beeping emanating from La Forge's tricorder turns into a continuous tone, and it appears that Data has died. On Iconia, Picard presses "blue-amber-amber-red" on the console, waits a moment, then enters "blue-blue-blue". In engineering, Data's eyes suddenly open and he sits up, apparently fully functional, but confused as to why he's on the Enterprise. La Forge surmises that Data's self-correcting mechanism wiped all memory affected by the Iconian program in order to save him; this had required a "cold boot", thus why Data had briefly shut down and why he knows nothing of events since he was infected. La Forge proposes a similar procedure for the Enterprise: a complete shutdown, a wipe of all affected memory, and then a reload of systems from the protected archives in the central computer core. Riker is worried about doing this while the Haakona is nearby, but La Forge points out if they don't do this, they'll die anyway when antimatter containment inevitably fails, and Riker authorizes the procedure. Picard appears to have been successful. Seeing that the control room itself will be destroyed in moments, he decides to go through the gateway rather than die on Iconia. As he approaches it, the scenery switches from a pristine planet to the bridge of the Haakona. Given the options, he quickly makes his decision. The Iconian program has been successfully removed from the Enterprise's computer, and Chief O'Brien searches for Picard on the planet. But as soon as the transporter locks onto him, Picard vanishes. O'Brien soon locates him on the warbird, where Picard learns that the Romulan's auto-destruct sequence is active and cannot be disengaged. When O'Brien beams him back to the Enterprise, Picard orders the bridge to move the Enterprise away because of the impending explosion of the warbird, but Riker intervenes and offers Taris the solution to purging her computer systems. Having succeeded in preventing war with the Romulans, the Enterprise leaves orbit of the now entirely barren Iconia, as explosions continue to detonate on the horizon. Eventually, the Haakona, apparently able to purge its systems, leaves as well. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D enters orbit of the eighth planet of a previously unmapped solar system, Theta 116. This diversion was caused by a report from a Klingon cruiser regarding the discovery of a strange vessel in the atmosphere of the planet below. Initial scans of the planet by Geordi La Forge show it to be quite inhospitable: nitrogen, methane, liquid neon, surface temperature −291 °Celsius, and wind speeds up to 312 meters per second. These scans also reveal debris in orbit of the planet. Commander William T. Riker asks to be kept informed so that they might resume their mission in a timely fashion. Riker visits Captain Jean-Luc Picard in his ready room to report only to find Picard puzzling over Fermat's last theorem. Picard's interest in this theorem goes beyond the difficulty of the puzzle; he also feels humbled that despite their advanced 24th century technology, they are still unable to solve a problem set forth by a man who had no computer. At this point, Riker informs Picard of the debris they found in the atmosphere and advises that it be beamed aboard. A few minutes later, Miles O'Brien and Riker are down in the transporter room targeting the debris. Picard joins them and Riker tells him that they have found a piece with markings on it. Picard asks what kinds of markings. Riker admits that he does not know, then orders the piece beamed aboard. He and O'Brien then pick up the large chunk of hull beamed aboard and turn it to face the captain, revealing the word NASA and the flag of the old United States of America on the panel. Picard then marvels at the puzzle that they have discovered. In the observation lounge, Lieutenant Commander Data reports at the staff briefing that the debris is definitely terrestrial, from the mid-21st century. Picard doubts that any ship from that time could have traveled that far but Data holds to his conclusion based on the markings. Deanna Troi asks if Data knows what destroyed the ship. Data reports that several surfaces have disintegrated molecules. Riker asks how this could have happened and Data speculates that a weapon of their own time would have had this effect. "Curiouser and curiouser," Picard remarks. Wesley Crusher reports over the comm that they have found a structure on the surface of the planet and that the building is situated on frozen methane in the middle of a structure. The fact that the structure is surrounded by breathable air baffles Riker, but he still advises that he take an away team down. Picard agrees to a minimal team. Riker, Data and Lt. Worf beam down to the narrow patch. On the surface, they find a revolving door, seemingly free standing. Data insists that the structure is there but somehow invisible. Riker reports back to the ship their findings and Picard orders them to proceed. The away team passes through the door to enter into the lobby of a casino bustling with life. Upon entering, their signal is lost. The Enterprise cannot communicate with them or beam them up. Lt. La Forge begins rotating through different frequencies to find one that will cut through the interference. Back on the planet, Data advises that they should beam back up. Riker insists that they should look around since there is no apparent danger. A bellboy passes near them, informing them to check in at the front desk, where the assistant manager welcomes them to the Hotel Royale. The Bellboy from before asks the assistant manager if Rita called. The assistant manager pulls him aside and tells him to forget about Rita. The bellboy denies being afraid of Mickey D and the assistant manager tells him he is a fool for not being so. The bellboy leaves, insisting that he be told if Rita calls. The assistant manager turns his attention back to the away team, explaining that Rita is too much for the kid and Mickey D will beat him up for it. The away team then receives their room keys and a few casino chips. Worf asks where they are and how the assistant manager got there. He tells them that they are at the Royale and that his personal life is none of their business. Riker explains that they meant what planet they are on. The assistant manager says that they are on Earth, rather than Theta VIII, then leaves to sort mail. Data wanders off and starts scanning the hotel only to find that none of the people are emitting life signs. The bewildered Riker asks what they are, only to be met by confused looks from his team. Worf asks if they are machines or illusions. Data says that they are not illusions; they do exist, but they are neither machines nor human. He explains that the man who just walked up to them has no DNA. The man, who overhears, says that Data sounds like his ex-wife, then leaves to "get down to bidness." Data, confused by this saying, follows the man. Back on the Enterprise, Picard asks for a status report. Wesley and La Forge report that they are trying different encoding schemes to break through. Picard asks if an intelligent being could be causing the interference and La Forge reports that they have no idea. Returning to his command chair, Picard expresses worry that Riker has not followed protocol, returning to the beam down coordinates when they lost contact. Troi says that she does not feel that he is in any danger. He is, instead, amused. Picard accepts this but dislikes it. In the hotel, the man Data was following has sat down at a blackjack table next to a young woman. Data comes over, and the man puts his own ten-gallon hat on Data's head, inviting him to join the game. Data accesses the rules for the game, reciting them to the wonder of the other two at the table. He then cuts the deck single-handed, also amusing the other two. The cards are dealt and the young woman becomes worried. The man, whom she calls Texas, advises her to take a hit, which puts her over 21. Similarly, he takes a card, putting him at 21. Data asks for one card, then another. Texas asks if Data is done, to which he states that if he is supposed to get to 21, he will need at least one more card. Texas insists that this is foolish but Data asks for the card anyway. He then reveals that he, too, has 21. The man then asks if Data was counting cards, a phrase that baffles him. Riker walks over, insisting that they leave. Texas offers to watch Data's chips in his absence, then asks for his hat back. Picard asks for another report. Wesley and La Forge report that the interference has a random nature that is impossible to predict. Picard understands the problem and then expressed wonder at the difficulty of the calculations La Forge is running through the computer. He reports that he is attempting to find out if the interference bubble would withstand their phasers but does not yet know if they can get through it. He needs one more test, to which Picard agrees. As the away team tries to exit, the revolving door only sends them back into the hotel. They try again to the same effect. Annoyed, Riker leads them in trying to find another way out. Data starts to ask one lady if she knows of another exit, but she leaves. He tries again but the second woman is distracted by winning on her slot machine. Riker has similar luck, being ignored by multiple people. Worf moves a slot machine, looking for an exit behind the machine. Riker allows him to use a phaser to try to blast through but even on the highest setting, the phaser leaves no signs of damage. Data reports his failure, believing them to be trapped. Aboard the Enterprise, La Forge reports that they have almost cut through the interference. Troi reports that she can sense Riker's tense feelings of being trapped. Worf reports that the phaser does not work on anything around them. Data states that they have very few options. Riker, concluding they will only make it out on their own, goes back to the front desk for some answers. The bell boy then takes a gun out of a drawer but is found by the assistant manager, who tries to stop him. The kid insists that he will make Mickey D leave Rita alone. The assistant manager says it will not work, but the bell boy will have none of it. After the bell boy leaves, Riker tells the assistant manager he wants to leave. The assistant manager says that the exits are clearly marked, but Riker tells him that that is not good enough. The assistant manager says that if he has any complaints, he should tell the manager about them. Riker asks to see the manager, but he is told that the manager is very busy. Finally, Picard is able to get through to Riker, though he still has to fight heavy interference to do so. He asks why the away team has not yet left. Riker explains that they cannot, but maintains that they are not in danger. Picard explains that they are trying to help, then ends communications, still confused by the situation. Data reports that he has found Human DNA elsewhere in the hotel. Worf suggests that the nearby "turbolifts" might take them where they want to go. After overcoming the non-automatic doors, they take the elevator to one of the guest floors. There, they follow the signal into one of the hotel rooms. Under the covers of the bed, Riker finds a skeleton. Data reports that it is the body of a Human male. Riker speculates that he died in his sleep, a horrible death by Worf's standards. Data extrapolates that the man died 283 years ago, his corpse preserved by the sterile environment. Riker wonders why someone would go to the trouble of making a false casino for a dead man. In the closet, Worf finds the man's uniform. On the sleeve is a version of the United States flag with 52 stars, which places it between AD 2033 and AD 2079, the same time frame as the debris in orbit. Also on the uniform is the name of Colonel S. Richey. Finally, stable communications are established and Riker reports that they are stuck. Picard reports similar failures on their part to beam them back. Riker also reports that they have found Human remains, asking that they search their database for his name. Worf finds a novel on the nightstand, titled Hotel Royale. At Riker's request, Data reads the book in a matter of seconds. Picard reports back with the colonel's identity, explaining that the corpse is that of Colonel Stephen G. Richey, who was the commanding officer of the Charybdis when it launched on July 23rd, 2037. It was the third manned attempt to leave the confines of Earth's solar system. It was never heard from again after its telemetry failed. Riker then reports the novel that they have found, which Data then summarizes. Riker explains that the novel is being played out around them. He also reports that they have found a diary with only one entry, which he reads aloud. The colonel had written that he was the sole survivor of an alien contaminant that killed all the others on his ship. He then found himself in the Hotel Royale, exactly as described in the novel he found in his room. He managed to survive there for 38 years, learning that the aliens created the hotel for him out of guilt, using the novel on the shuttle as a guide. Unknown to the aliens, the recreation of the cliched and shallow characters of the book only served as a hell for the colonel. He welcomed death as it would release him from it. Picard, grateful for understanding how the hotel came to be, still wonders why they cannot leave. Picard reports that might be able to cut a hole through the bubble with the ship's phasers, allowing them to beam the away team out. Data calculates that they would have only twelve seconds before the hazardous atmosphere of the planet rushed in and killed them. Dr. Katherine Pulaski confirms this, stating that they would be instantly frozen but she could revive them, theoretically. Surprisingly, the telephone in the room begins to ring. Worf answers, reporting that a woman is asking if they want room service. Data speculates that they are being asked if they want the room cleaned. Worf tells her no, then is told that the kitchen is open at all times should they change their minds. Riker orders Data and Worf to the lobby while he explores the rest of the hotel. In his ready room, Picard and Troi begin reading the novel Hotel Royale by Todd Matthews, whose complete text they have found in the Enterprise's library, and quickly realize the questionable quality of the writing. Picard is dismayed, but Troi shows optimism; she says, "It may get better." Back in the hotel, Data suggests that they try to blend in with the other guests in an attempt to learn something useful. Data returns to the blackjack table from before and asks Texas where he is from and how he got to the hotel. When he reports that he drove there in a car, Data asks where it is and if he could see it. The man refuses and Data speculates that they are both trapped. Texas explains that he is simply trying to help the young lady, who has been losing hand after hand. She reveals her cards, asking for advice. The man advises her to take a hit, while Data advises the opposite. She takes a card, losing again. She then worries that she's almost lost all of her money. The man comforts her. Riker comes back down to see the assistant manager telling the bell boy that Rita had called, crying. Mickey D enters through the revolving door and walks over to the bellboy. The assistant manager tries to tell them to take it outside, but they do not. Back on the Enterprise, Troi and Picard are listening in; Troi expresses disbelief that Humans actually talked that way, and Picard explains that the dialogue was all taken from a second-rate novel. Troi leaves Picard to listen to the overdone dialogue. Mickey D and the bellboy finally agree to go outside. As the bellboy walks to the door, Mickey D pulls out his gun and shoots him in the back, killing him. He walks to the slain bellboy, telling him that Rita wasn't worth dying for, then he leaves. Riker asks Picard how that was possible and he explains that it happened on page 244. He then summarizes the ending of the novel, explaining that the hotel is bought out. When Riker asks by whom, Picard explains that it is not specific, the novel just says that foreign investors bought it for 12.5 million dollars then return home, leaving the assistant manager in charge. Riker brightens and exclaims, "That's how we're getting out. We're buying this place!" Data explains that craps is a simple game of probabilities, then explains the rules. Riker asks if he can win them the money they need and Data believes he can. The away team goes over to a nearby craps table where Texas and the lady from the blackjack game are playing. On her first roll, the lady rolls a two -- snake eyes, and Data explains that they are not desirable. She rolls again, getting a seven. The dice are then given to Data, who rolls them, getting a six. At Riker's confusion, Data explains that he must then get another six before getting a seven. Confused at the roughly equal probabilities of rolling a six or a seven, Data explains that there is a degree of random fortune involved, hence gambling. He rolls but gets a seven -- loses his bet. Texas, however, feels confident in their ability and wants him to roll again. Data notices that the dice are loaded, and then re-weights them in his favor, proclaiming he "needs a new pair of shoes". He then rolls successfully several times over, much to the delight of Vanessa and Texas. Riker reports that they are having good luck but Picard warns them to stay in character. He then explains that the investors are "flamboyantly generous." At that, Riker insists that they bet all 12.3 million dollars, giving out some of their winnings to those around them. Texas however, decides to bet against the away team, reasoning that their luck is running out, over objections from Data. Upon winning again, Texas complains to Data he knew the roll would work in the android's favor. Data rebuffs saying he tried to warn him. Afterwards they buy the hotel, and spread the remainder of the cash to the patrons and staff, fulfilling their roles as the foreign investors in the novel. Texas, impressed with their style, offers to buy them a drink, but Riker politely declines his offer, and instead tells them to enjoy the game, but reminds them "not to change the dice". With their roles finished, they finally leave through the revolving doors and beam back up to the ship. Back on the ship, Riker visits Picard in his ready room. Riker still wonders how such a primitive ship made it this far. Picard suggests that maybe the aliens who made the casino brought the colonel there but also suggests that, like Fermat's Last Theorem, they may never solve the puzzle of the Hotel Royale. 
<EOS>
En route to the Endicor system, Commander Riker is busily preparing an omelette made from 'Owon eggs he picked up at Starbase 73. Soon, Data, La Forge, Worf, and Pulaski show up for the meal. La Forge and Pulaski take the first bites of their omelettes but are immediately disgusted while Data observes. However, Worf is rapidly eating the omelette, which he describes as "delicious." Soon after, Captain Picard calls Riker to the bridge. The USS Enterprise-D has encountered a Starfleet shuttlecraft adrift in space, which is odd because at this time there should not be any Federation vessels. Once the pod is brought aboard the Enterprise, the crew discovers that it is not only the El-Baz, one of their own shuttles, but it contains an unconscious double of Picard. After Doctor Pulaski examines the unconscious Picard, it is found that his brainwaves are out of phase, but his heart is strong. Also, Counselor Deanna Troi detects very little emotion from him, but she believes he is truly as much Picard as their captain. Finally, the shuttle he was in appears to be off-line. Back en route to the Endicor system, Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Geordi La Forge attempt to transfer power to the shuttle, but end up shorting out its circuits. In sickbay, Dr. Pulaski examines the other Picard in more detail. She is able to determine that he is alive but all other readings seem to fluctuate erratically. At Captain Picard's request, Pulaski attempts to revive him but instead almost kills him. It seems that the stimulant had the opposite effect. Meanwhile, La Forge and Data apply a power inverter to the shuttle to try and extract the logs from it. After an adjustment fails, Data suggests doing the opposite of the previous procedure, and the power comes back online. La Forge sees that the stardate on the shuttle's chronometer is six hours in the future and deduces that the other Picard must be from that time. Pulaski is now successful in waking the future Picard, but he is disoriented and confused. The present Picard calls a staff meeting and La Forge shows him the logs he was able to retrieve from the shuttle. The visual log shows some sort of distortion, and the shuttle leaving the Enterprise, with Riker watching, then the Enterprise itself being destroyed. This is followed by an audio log by the Captain himself: Despite this, the crew decides to remain on course as they realize that the Enterprise crew may have already committed to a series of unalterable events. Pulaski theorizes that as they move closer to the time in which the other Picard left, his internal body clock is realigning, and that when normal time intersects with the time in which he left, for that instant he would begin to function normally and there will be two Picards. Troi begins to feel emotion from the future Picard and realizes that his one wish is to leave the Enterprise. Still on course to Endicor but not far from a meeting with fate, the other Picard is now more coherent. The present Picard begins to question him, becoming frustrated at his counterpart's abandonment of the Enterprise. Troi tries to reason with Picard, saying that the other is afraid. Picard, now disgusted at his other self, denies all familiarity with him and leaves sickbay. Pulaski then tells Troi that she will relieve the present Picard of duty should his judgment become impaired which Troi assures her it won't. Picard now debates with Commander Riker as to how and why the other Picard traveled though time, bringing up The Traveler and Paul Manheim's experiments with time. Riker suggests that Picard suppress his natural tendencies to try and save the Enterprise from decisions he may make and not to second-guess himself. Suddenly, without warning, an energy vortex appears beneath the Enterprise. In order to avoid being pulled in, La Forge has to hold the warp engines at 30% just to maintain their position. After being probed by the center of the vortex, Picard decides to stay and investigate, but then begins to worry that staying was the mistake which caused the destruction of the Enterprise. He decides to leave immediately, but trying to escape the vortex only results in the Enterprise being pulled further inside. The warp engines now have to be held at warp 7 just to maintain their position. A Class-1 probe is launched, but is destroyed by the vortex. Almost immediately after, both Picards are struck by some sort of energy beam. When the beam strikes again and La Forge is forced to hold the ship at maximum warp, Riker suggests destroying the vortex. Troi deduces that the energy wants Picard and he must leave the ship to distract its attention, now realizing what the plan of his counterpart was. Returning to his counterpart in sickbay, who is now much more aware of himself and his surroundings, he orders him released and follows him to shuttlebay two. The other Picard says that the entity recognizes Picard as the "brain" of the Enterprise and wants him, not the ship. Both Picards now argue as to what to do, with the present Picard trying to get as much information from the future Picard as he can before he gets to the shuttle. With the future Picard unwilling to divulge any more information and the present Picard now seeing that his counterpart is unable to alter his actions, locked into a single event and purpose, he realizes that it is not him that will enter the shuttle but his counterpart. Future Picard admits that there is another option, but he believes it will never work. Trying to get his future self to tell him, present Picard goes over every option he can think of. Noting future Picard's reaction to the suggestion of going forward into the vortex, present Picard realizes that this is the other option. As future Picard starts to get into the shuttle, present Picard kills his counterpart with a phaser to stop him from leaving, and then returns to the bridge, calling Pulaski to the shuttlebay, accompanied by Chief Miles O'Brien. Picard orders that a course be set for the center of the vortex with all the power the ship can muster, and that their position be held no matter what. With the Enterprise coursing through the vortex, Chief O'Brien witnesses the other Picard and his shuttle vanish from existence and seconds later the Enterprise bursts back out into normal space. Later, Picard is in the conference lounge after the ordeal with the energy vortex, contemplating while looking out at the lounge's windows into space. Riker walks in and Picard reflects on meeting himself, telling him "They say if you travel far enough, you will eventually meet yourself. Having experienced that, Number One, it's not something I would care to repeat." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Starbase Montgomery in the hope that the base can provide a consultation regarding minor readout anomalies in engineering. While Lieutenant Commander Data believes the anomalies are insignificant, both Riker and Picard think it is necessary to investigate the issue. Data suggests that the best solution would be to re-program the system to correct the readout variables, which Picard agrees with but with the Enterprise heading to Starbase Montgomery anyway, they should have it checked out by the starbase's maintenance personnel. Riker points out that Montgomery was not in their mission itinerary. Picard mentions that a layover will not hurt crew morale and that he just received some priority personnel transfer directives. Riker asks if personnel are boarding or disembarking. At that moment, Ensign Wesley Crusher calls the captain from the bridge to inform him that they are within hailing range of the starbase. Picard orders them to proceed at half impulse and asks Riker to join him in the observation lounge for a moment. In the observation lounge, Riker enters the room to a waiting Picard. Picard recalls Riker's impressive  manual docking maneuver when he first arrived on the Enterprise. Picard offers Riker a belated congratulations in the way of informing him that the commanding officer of the USS Aries is retiring, and that Riker has been promoted as its new captain. The Aries may have found as-yet-unconfirmed indications of an intelligent lifeform which is in the Vega-Omicron sector, where it is stationed and which is months away at high warp. Starfleet wants to utilize Riker's impeccable exploratory and diplomatic skill to ascertain the situation. Picard informs Riker that he has twelve hours to decide whether he will accept the position. On the bridge of the Enterprise, Picard exits his ready room and asks Wesley to enter synchronous orbit with the planet. Picard informs Riker that a civilian strategic attache with specialized knowledge of the frontier region will be coming aboard the Enterprise from Starbase Montgomery to brief him on the Aries mission. Riker is called to Transporter Room 3. The attache beams aboard. It is Kyle Riker, Will's estranged father of fifteen years. Kyle acts cautious around his son, while Will is cool -- saying that he must attend to his duties, and when Kyle is ready, Will would be available to listen to his briefing regarding the Aries and her mission. Will exits while requesting that Ensign Herbert assign a security escort for Kyle, whom he calls "this gentleman." Wesley finds Worf in one of the corridors and calls to him. Wesley asks Worf if he has heard of Riker's promotion, his father's arrival, and Riker's reaction to his arrival's presence. Worf informs Wesley that he did not know his father and curtails Wesley's persistent conversation by yelling "Enough!" and storming off. In engineering, Geordi La Forge's ego is being bruised by the Montgomery's analysis crew. Wesley enters and mentions Worf's strange behavior. La Forge believes it may be the prospect of losing Riker, and while he and Wesley agree the loss would be great, Wesley is unconvinced that this is the issue. In Ten Forward, Riker and Miles O'Brien are having drinks. O'Brien asks Riker what's troubling him. Riker answers "family". Kyle Riker enters then, with his son looking on, and greets several people. Among them is Katherine Pulaski, who seems to be an old flame of Kyle's, of which Will was not aware. Back in engineering, Wesley, Data, and La Forge are discussing Worf's strange behavior. Data agrees that Worf is "out of sorts." They decide to observe Worf's behavior in order to come to a conclusion as to his issue. Back in Ten Forward, Riker approaches his father, who is sitting with Dr. Pulaski, and informs him that he is ready for his father's briefing. Will abruptly exits. La Forge and Data enter Ten Forward while Kyle Riker and Dr. Pulaski discuss their past relationship. Kyle inquires as to Katherine's marriages. She says she's had three, that they were all good men, and that she's still friends with them. Kyle asks, "Like us?" and Katherine says that her ex-husbands were a little more in touch with their emotions than Kyle is. She says that Kyle has a reputation for being tough and efficient, but that he is lovable to some people. La Forge and Data observe Worf, who is looking out at the stars. They discuss whether or not to approach him. Data believes Worf may be lonely and that socialization may make him feel better. He joins Worf, telling him that he seems withdrawn and that his friends are concerned for him. Worf bellows at him to "be gone!" to which Data complies. Upon returning to La Forge, he remarks that Worf seems to be valuing his solitude. They leave. Will is in his quarters looking at old photographs of him and his father. There is a chime at the door and Worf enters. Worf begins by saying that words are not his strong suit, then he mentions the photograph. Riker indicates that the picture is of him at age 9 in Alaska holding a fish. He says he did not catch it. As soon as his father realized that Will's line was pulling, he took the rod because he believed Will would lose the fish. Worf asks after Riker's feelings for his father. Riker says he does not know and redirects Worf to his reason for visiting. Worf asks that, if Riker accepts the captain's seat of the Aries, he would like to go with him, too. Worf believes that there is a great risk for battle, and to die in battle, on the Aries mission. Riker understands, and Worf leaves knowing that Riker will "do the right thing." Will arrives for the briefing. While Kyle is glad they are alone, Will is only interested in the briefing. Once he receives a memory chip with the relevant information, he asks why the data wasn't just simply transferred to him. Kyle says he has heard good things about Will, and Will asks why he hasn't heard anything from his father. Kyle tries to explain that there is no manual for being a parent and that communication is not one of his strong suits. Kyle tries to bring up the death of Will's mother, but Will excuses himself. As Will is leaving, Kyle says that he visited the Enterprise because, in the event his son accepts the captain's position, he would be going far away. Kyle says, "I'm here with my hand out, son." Will exits without saying anything. In sickbay, Kyle and Pulaski are discussing her most recent patient who has a flu. When Kyle asks after the remedy, Dr. Pulaski mentions medicine and "PCS" or Pulaski's chicken soup. Deanna Troi, overhearing the conversation, says that Pulaski's greatest medical skill is her empathy. The doctor introduces Troi to Kyle, saying that she thought they should meet. Kyle knows that it is a set-up, and Troi acknowledges the intent. The doctor leaves, allowing Troi and Kyle privacy to talk in her office. Troi senses anxiety in Kyle about Will, recognizing that Kyle wishes to be closer to him. Troi says she wants to help, and Kyle tells her that he came to Enterprise to bury the hatchet with his son "only to find out that the ground was frozen solid." Kyle says he has not given up, but that he would like to have some sort of acknowledgment from Will. Troi responds, "Respect is earned, not bestowed." Kyle says he does not need respect, nor pride, from Will. Troi senses that Kyle covets Will's achievements -- that he is still competitive with him -- and tells him that Will respects honesty above all traits. Kyle balks at each accusation and insists that he is only on the Enterprise to assist his son with his first responsibility as captain. Troi asks why Kyle seems so sure that Will would take a dangerous post, and Kyle responds that his son will do it because it is something he would do. Picard visits Riker in his quarters. He notices that Will is reviewing the assignment and asks if Riker has questions regarding the mission. Riker says no, though he is interested in the first officer, Commander Flaherty. Picard says the last time he saw Flaherty, the man spoke forty languages, had an uncanny ability to pick up new ones very quickly, and would be a valuable asset on the mission. A chime is heard, and Kyle enters. The captain exchanges pleasantries with Kyle and then excuses himself. Will tells his father that he will not be pushed into a decision despite the opinions of his father and Starfleet. Kyle says that he is available if Will needs him. Will quips that he has been independent since he was fifteen, but Kyle says, "spare me the pain of your childhood. I hung in for thirteen years. If that wasn't enough, it's just too bad." Then he leaves. Back in engineering, La Forge worries that he did miss something in his diagnostics. Data assures him that it is unlikely. Wesley arrives with news. It is the tenth anniversary of Worf's Age of Ascension. It is traditional to celebrate the tenth anniversary with ritual spent with fellow Klingons and family, so Wesley suggests a holodeck re-creation of the event with Worf's friends substituting for his family. Riker visits sickbay to apologize to Dr. Pulaski for being judgmental of her personal life when it is not his business, even if it involves his father. Pulaski asks Will if his father ever told him why he did not remarry. Will is skeptical that any woman would want his father and his ego. Pulaski replied that she would have. She tells Will that twelve years ago, Kyle was a civilian strategist advising Starfleet in its conflict with the Tholians. The starbase where he was working was attacked and those on the station were not expected to live. And they didn't, except Kyle, who was the only survivor. He was the only one with the strength to face the pain and live. Will says his father never told him the story. Pulaski says she never saw a man fight so hard to live. She and Kyle fell in love, but marriage was not Kyle's first priority. His career was. Pulaski advises Will to get rid of his emotional baggage before he leaves to take command of the Aries. Wesley, Data, and La Forge discuss the details of the Age of Ascension ritual which includes the use of Klingon painstiks. La Forge is not keen on watching Worf submit to pain, but he will do it for his friend. Will enters Picard's ready room to talk about his promotion. Picard says he cannot tell Will what to do; it is his decision. He says, In engineering, La Forge is still worrying over the inspection. O'Brien asks if any progress has been made, and Data says there is none to find. He does point out that he would find the scrutiny insulting if he "were not a consummate professional and an android." La Forge is thankful. Wesley invites O'Brien to Worf's ceremony, and O'Brien says he will attend. Wesley also requests that O'Brien keep the ceremony a secret from Worf. O'Brien agrees. Will and Troi meet. They do not want to say goodbye, so they settle on "until next time." They share an intimate moment discussing their emotions. Will says he is feeling sad. Troi confesses she is too, and they embrace. Kyle is waiting outside of Will's quarters for him. He asks for a minute of his son's time, and Will ushers him in. Their conversation immediately devolves into an argument. Finally, the two challenge each other to an anbo-jyutsu match, a traditional Japanese martial art form of combat. Kyle arrives in sickbay after hearing the doctor wanted to speak with him. Pulaski disapproves of the anbo-jyutsu match, insisting that violence solves nothing. She also expresses her concern for his health, but Kyle is confident. In the holodeck, La Forge, Data, O'Brien, Wesley, and Pulaski set up the Rite, while Counselor Troi is escorting Worf to their location. Worf is resistant to follow, as he dislikes games, but Troi insists that she knows the importance of this day, his Rite of Ascension anniversary, and asks him to bear with her. They arrive, but she leaves him as he enters. He enters a hall with eight Klingon warriors, four to each side on two raised platforms. His friends wish him a happy anniversary, and Data asks if they may begin. Worf recites in both Klingon and English: "Today I am a warrior. I must show you my heart. I travel the river of blood" while being prodded by the Klingons with painstiks parallel to each other. The ritual involves being able to endure intense pain while expressing one's true feelings, and Worf continues to express his determination. Halfway through he falls to one knee; Pulaski's first instinct is to try to go to him, but O'Brien holds her back. Worf gets to his feet and continues, finally enduring all eight painstiks and reaching the end of the hall. Despite being out of breath, Worf genuinely thanks his friends for allowing him to observe the tradition. Pulaski joins Troi. Deanna asks if the Rite was successful, and Pulaski says that it was, but that she is happy Humans have moved past such barbarism. Troi brings up the match that Riker and his father have agreed to. She believes that certain traits are endemic to gender, in spite of evolution. They come to the conclusion that these are the very traits that make Human males so attractive, including Riker and his father. Riker and his father begin their anbo-jyutsu match, a sightless sport that takes place in a ring where each fighter uses a stick to attack the other. One end of the stick is padded and the other has a type of sensor on the end of it to help detect one's opponent. Will says his father should have died instead of his mother. Will successfully takes down his father once. Kyle confesses that when he lost his wife, the only thing that kept him going was Will. Will is skeptical. Kyle takes his son down, but Will protests. He says that the move, Hachidan kiritsu, is illegal. He realizes that his father only won by cheating when he was younger. Kyle tells Will that they both were affected terribly by the death of Kyle's wife, Will's mother, but Will barely knew her, and Kyle had loved her. He could not talk about it in the past, and then they grew distant. He says, "It's funny. I can talk to a whole room of admirals about anything in the galaxy, but I can't talk to you about how I feel." Riker asks how he feels, and Kyle says that he loves Will. Will says he's glad Kyle came. They hug. Back on the bridge, Worf informs the captain that the analysis team and attache have left. Picard asks La Forge what the results of the analysis team were. La Forge reports that they suggested he reprogram the system to correct the readout variables, which Picard points out was what Data had initially suggested. As the Enterprise prepares to leave, Riker joins the bridge and requests that, with the captain's permission, he would like to remain aboard as first officer. Picard grants the request. He asks what changed Riker's mind. Riker replies, "Motivated self-interest. For now the best place for me to be is here." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is studying a series of planetary breakups in the Selcundi Drema sector. Planet after planet has been reduced to rubble, apparently as a result of natural geologic cataclysms. Captain Picard prepares to ride an Arabian horse on the holodeck, with Troi watching. Just as he is about to climb onto the horse, Riker calls him to the bridge to view geological calamities on a once thriving planet in the first system they entered. Now, there is nothing. Riker calls a meeting of the senior staff in the observation lounge to discuss leadership of the team that will investigate the planet, suggesting that Wesley Crusher lead the team. After some debate about whether or not he is up to the task, Picard consents and allows Wesley the command. Crusher chooses members of his science team, including Prixus for mineralogy and metallurgy, Alans for volcanology, Hildebrant for geomechanics, and Davies for geochemistry. He is initially apprehensive about commanding officers older than he is, but a meeting with Riker and Counselor Troi in a corridor reassures him of his ability to lead the team. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Data is undergoing a personal project to increase the frequency range of the sensors. It should identify natural and artificial signals. Continuing his analysis in his quarters, low level RF signals were detected -- artificial signals. A girl's voice asks "is anybody out there?". Data responds, "yes." Wesley meets the team as a whole for the first time. He reviews results from two team members, and asks for another test. Davies questions Crusher's decision to run a further but expensive ico-spectrogram because he has more experience in the matter, and Crusher relents. Meanwhile, Data has been speaking with Sarjenka, a member of a pre-warp species inhabiting Drema IV via a radio transmission. After eight weeks of communication, Data has understood that her planet is suffering the same symptoms as the other destroyed planets, and asks Picard's advise for other options. He orders Data to terminate contact because it is in violation of the Prime Directive and to call a staff meeting. Crusher asks Riker for advice in Ten Forward on the situation. He points out that no one questions Capt. Picard when he makes a decision and thus Wes should think similarly, so Crusher tells Davies to run the Ico-scans, to which Davies affably complies. After sensor scans, Crusher and his team discover that the planet has become unstable because unusually high levels of dilithium in the crust have formed a matrix, which creates a piezoelectric effect that is tearing the planet apart. The team credit Crusher's thoroughness to the discovery, as the problem wouldn't have been found otherwise. A meeting of the senior staff is held in Picard's quarters, and the members lay out their positions on Data's friend. Picard and Worf's argument is straightforward; helping the Dremans would violate the Prime Directive, and therefore they should be left to their fate. La Forge and Pulaski on the other hand are aghast at the prospect of sitting by and allowing an entire sentient race to die out. Riker and Troi offer yet another argument; that the destruction of Drema IV and the other planets could be part of a larger "cosmic plan," which the crew of the Enterprise have no right to interfere with. Picard announces that they will obey the Prime Directive and leave the system. Picard orders Data to cut the transmission with Sarjenka, but Data plays a transmission from her, where she pleads them to help her planet. Upon hearing this, Picard decides that since it is a direct plea for help, the Prime Directive no longer applies. The crew cannot simply turn their backs on the inhabitants now. The Enterprise arrives at Drema IV to analyze the planet's activity. In a briefing with Crusher's team, Picard learns what they know, but the team needs more time to determine if the activity can be reversed. The team leaves and comes back with a plan: use modified class-1 probes with torpedo casings as resonators to destroy the dilithium matrix lattice and restore geological stability to the planet. Riker and Worf supervise the effort. Data is allowed to contact Sajenka again. However, communications are now impossible. He beams down to Sarjenka's house on Drema IV to meet her and warn her family to travel to a safe region on her planet, but finds that they've already left. Sarjenka then returns home to retrieve the transmitter she had been using. Data, not able to leave her on the planet because of what is happening to it, has her beamed back to the Enterprise by Chief O'Brien. Data goes to find Riker on the bridge, and takes the frightened Sarjenka. Picard is obviously not pleased to find this out, and has Troi attempt to bring her to sickbay. The child insists on staying with Data, however, and Picard relents. Data goes to his station to join in with the procedure to tame the planet, and they are successful. Picard orders Dr. Pulaski to erase Sarjenka's memory of her Enterprise experiences in order to limit violations of the Prime Directive. While in sickbay, she picks up a stone on Dr. Pulaski's desk -- an Elanin singer stone -- which sings a different song for anyone who touches it. After Sarjenka's memory is modified, Data returns her to her home planet, safe and sound, but leaves with her the Elanin singer stone as a token of her experience on the Enterprise while she sleeps in her bed. Later Data apologizes to Picard in his ready room for putting him in a difficult position, but the captain is grateful to his officer for the reminder that some obligations transcend duty. Although Sarjenka won't recall him, Data is content that he'll remember her, and Picard comments that learning about friendship and remembrance has brought Data another step closer to understanding Humanity. 
<EOS>
New ensign Sonya Gomez orders a hot chocolate from a replicator in engineering. While doing so, La Forge passes, and the two converse, La Forge noting Gomez's polite manners toward the replicator, saying "please" and "thank you". As the two walk to main engineering, La Forge urges the talkative and enthusiastic Gomez to relax. After arriving, he notes to her that she is carrying food or drink in the premises of engineering, which is forbidden. As she turns around to put it away, she spills some all over Picard's uniform. La Forge accepts responsibility and Picard, though not entirely unvexed, welcomes Gomez to the ship. Picard excuses himself to change his uniform. He walks to the nearest turbolift to get to his quarters. However, when the doors open again, he finds that the turbolift did not make it to his quarters, but is inside a shuttlecraft far away from the USS Enterprise-D. He quickly realizes that he has been kidnapped by Q. Picard reminds Q about their agreement from a year earlier, when Q agreed never to trouble Picard's ship again; Q points out that they are nowhere near the Enterprise. Q is, however, kind enough to clean Picard's uniform with his abilities. In Ten Forward, La Forge and Gomez arrive and talk some more. Meanwhile, Guinan is tending to her regular duties. While talking to Martinez, she pauses and wanders around the room for a moment, before making contact with the bridge. Commander Riker answers and wonders what she wants. Guinan wonders if everything is fine with the bridge, since she felt something she only encountered long ago, but merely brushes it off and tells Riker to forget she called. Later, La Forge notices something is up with Guinan, and wonders if she's OK. She merely responds, "I don't know." Meanwhile, in the shuttlecraft, Picard tries to make contact with Enterprise. However, Q tells him there is no point, since at the current distance, he will never reach Enterprise. Picard attempts to communicate anyway. Q explains that they have business to discuss, but Picard will not discuss anything with him, stating that keeping him prisoner will not convince him to listen to what Q has to say. Q merely says that he will, eventually. Counselor Troi walks onto the bridge, and wonders where Captain Picard is. When she hears he is in his quarters, she decides to contact him, but there is no response. Riker asks the ship's computer, but according to it, Picard is nowhere to be found. Furthermore, Lieutenant Worf reports that a shuttlecraft is missing from the shuttlebay. With the captain missing, Riker orders Wesley to put a stop to the ship. They hail the shuttle on all frequencies, but there is no response. In fact, there is no trace of a shuttle anywhere in the sector. While the Enterprise continues to search for Picard and the missing shuttlecraft, Picard demands Q to return him to the ship. Eventually, he agrees to give Q's request a full hearing and in a flash, they're back on the Enterprise, and the shuttle is back in place. Worf reports that the shuttlecraft has returned, and the computer tells the crew that Picard is in Ten Forward, allowing Riker to conclude that Q has returned. Guinan immediately confronts Q, revealing to Picard that they know one another, and not in a friendly way. Q calms down and expresses his desire to join the Enterprise crew, after being cast out from the Q Continuum. Skeptical, Picard refuses his request, especially after he put the crew on trial for the crimes of Humanity and asked Riker to join the Continuum. Q argues that they need him since they are not prepared for what awaits them. Picard claims that they are ready to confront the unknown, and Guinan adds that the Humans' ability to adapt is their great advantage. Q, in rebuttal, seeks to test how prepared they are, and throws the Enterprise seven thousand light years into uncharted space, to give them "a preview of things to come" upon which he disappears. Guinan advises Picard to return to Federation space as quickly as possible, but he decides to explore the nearby System J-25 first. A survey of the only class M planet in the system reveals that while there was once an industrialized civilization there, it has been ripped away from the planet, "identical to what happened to the outposts along the Neutral Zone." A cube-shaped ship then approaches the Enterprise, and scans of the ship show nothing. Picard asks Guinan for her advice, and she reveals that the ship belongs to the Borg -- a cybernetic race who were responsible for the near-extinction of her people. "Protect yourself, captain," she advises, "or they'll destroy you." The Borg proceed to transport one of their own into engineering, in spite of the Enterprise's shields being activated. La Forge sees the intruder and requests security to report there immediately. Picard and Worf arrive with a security team and see the Borg apparently making a survey of the ship. Q appears for a brief moment and warns Picard that it's not interested in Human lifeforms, only the ship's technology. Before leaving, he advises the captain not to allow it to interfere with the operations of the Enterprise. When the Borg attempts to do so, Picard orders Worf to stop it. A security officer tries to drag it away, only to be hurled clear across the room. Worf then tries to stun it with his phaser, to no avail, and is forced to increase the phaser to full power. They successfully destroy the Borg, but almost instantly another is beamed aboard in its place. Worf again attempts to destroy it, but shields form around it, protecting the Borg. It tampers with the same engineering console, then turns and removes some components from the dead Borg before it is beamed back to the cube and the corpse disappears. Picard holds a conference, in which Guinan further details what the Borg are, and how they destroyed her people. She advises them that the Borg do not negotiate with people, at which point they hail the Enterprise. Picard tries to reason with them, but the Borg voice completely ignores him and simply informs the crew that they will not be able to defend themselves against the Borg ship, threatening to "punish" them if they attempt to do so. Troi tells Picard that every Borg is part of the same mind, and that they have no distinct leader. The Borg lock onto the Enterprise with a tractor beam that drains their shields and prevents the ship from moving. The Borg then use a cutting beam to slice a section out of the Enterprise hull, and all eighteen crewmembers in that section are vaporized. Picard orders Worf to use whatever force is necessary to sever the Borg's beam, and they are ultimately successful after three phaser attacks, which blast several craters into the surface of the Borg ship. Q shows up at another crew meeting in the observation lounge, telling them that the Borg are not concerned with the crew nor the Federation, only the Enterprise and how they can use her technology. Picard asks him to reveal that this is just another illusion, only for Q to respond that the situation is perfectly real as everything else before vanishing. With the ship temporarily immobilized by the damage, Picard sends over an away team consisting of Riker, Worf, and Data in an attempt to learn more about the Borg over Guinan's strong objections. The away team discover the ship to be full of Borg, most of whom are in stasis. The few active Borg take no notice to the team, or are ignoring them. The away team then finds what they believe to be a Borg nursery, where the Borg are born as biological lifeforms, and, immediately after birth, they begin growing artificial, cybernetic implants. What Riker finds astounding is that the Borg have developed the technology to link artificial intelligence directly into the humanoid brain. Data notices that the Borg seem to be using their combined mental powers to repair the ship, which is why the team has not been attacked. Picard has them beamed back to the bridge, and says "Let's get the hell out of here". They start leaving at warp 8, but the Borg follow with ease. Q appears on the bridge, warning the crew that the Borg will not stop until they have them in their grasp. He even says to Picard, "You should have stayed where you belonged." They increase to maximum warp, but still have no success in escaping. Riker orders them to arm photon torpedoes and Picard gives the order to fire, but the torpedoes have no effect. The Borg ship, after getting within firing range, fires a shield-draining missile twice and the Enterprise, now with very low shields, fires torpedoes again, with the same result. Q then makes the Borg threat perfectly clear to Picard: "You can't outrun them, you can't destroy them. If you damage them the essence of what they are remains; they regenerate and keep coming. Eventually you will weaken, your reserves will be gone. They are relentless." The Borg fire twice more and the Enterprise loses both shields and warp drive. The cube re-engages their tractor beam and holds the Enterprise. Riker orders Worf to prepare to launch another spread of photon torpedoes but Data warns that at close range, without the protection of their shields, it is highly likely that a photon detonation will destroy the Enterprise. Picard nods in approval as Riker orders Worf to prepare to fire. Q prepares to leave the crew to their fate as Picard implores him to end the confrontation. Q asks the captain why he should and Picard appeals to Q's vanity. If they are destroyed, Q will not be able to gloat. Picard admits that they are frightened and that Q has -- for the moment -- shown them to be inadequate. Picard simply says that he needs Q's help. With a snap of his fingers, Q flings the Enterprise away from the Borg ship and back into Federation space. He congratulates Picard for admitting his need for help, claiming that "another man would have been humiliated to say those words." Picard is still upset about the loss of eighteen of his crew, but Q is unapologetic, telling him that the universe is not a safe place before disappearing. The Enterprise sets course for the nearest starbase. Reflecting upon events in Ten Forward with Picard, Guinan says that the encounter with the Borg happened before it should have. She believes that at some point, perhaps it might be possible for the Federation to establish some kind of communication between them and the Borg, but, for the time being, they are just raw material to be consumed. Guinan begins, "Since they are aware of your existence" "they will be coming," Picard continues. Guinan ominously warns, "You can bet on it."  Picard comments that perhaps Q did the right thing for the wrong reasons, to shake Humanity out of its complacency for whatever lies ahead. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to the Epsilon IX sector for an astronomical survey of the Epsilon pulsar cluster. Captain Picard is having a discussion with his chief medical officer Doctor Pulaski about Picard's artificial heart, which needs to be replaced on Starbase 515. This procedure should have been performed earlier, but Picard has ignored it for far too long. When Doctor Pulaski proposes performing the procedure on board the Enterprise herself, Picard refuses, being concerned with his image, and reluctantly agrees to make the trip to Starbase 515. Wesley Crusher is also going to Starbase 515 to take Starfleet exams, which Data found quite elementary. Crusher is surprised when Picard tells him that he will be traveling with him, and asks Geordi La Forge and Sonya Gomez what he should talk about while traveling with Picard. First Officer Riker is wondering why Picard is taking this trip, since he knows that Picard was looking forward to seeing the Epsilon pulsar cluster, when the Enterprise receives a distress call from the Rhomboid Dronegar sector 006. The distress call was sent by the starship Mondor, which is manned by the Pakleds. When Riker asks what is wrong, the only answer he gets from Grebnedlog is that their ship is broken and that they need help. When he asks what the nature of their mission is, he gets the answer that they "look for things that make them go". When he asks more questions he gets the same answers. Data has scanned their ship, so the crew can determine what is wrong. Riker decides to send chief engineer La Forge to repair the Pakled ship. Worf strongly protests against sending the chief engineer but, since Riker thinks that the Pakleds pose no danger because of their speech impediment and their appearance, he only sends La Forge. Later on Counselor Troi proves him wrong and tells him that La Forge is in grave danger. Wesley tries to make conversation with Captain Picard in the shuttle Einstein, when Picard confides in him that this trip was not his idea and that he hates the prospect of a cardiac replacement. Wesley, not knowing that the captain had a cardiac implant, asks him why it needs to be replaced and why Doctor Pulaski could not perform the procedure. La Forge fixes the Pakled guidance system but then there is a main power failure. Meanwhile the Pakleds keep asking if he "can make it go". With La Forge forced to stay longer on the Mondor, Riker gets irritated, because it seems that they need more than minor repairs. When he offers to tow them with a tractor beam to the nearest starbase, the Pakleds say that La Forge can make them go. As the Enterprise tries to beam La Forge back, the Pakleds stun him. A quick scan tells Riker that they cannot beam La Forge out and that all systems on the Mondor are working perfectly. Their shields seem to be more advanced than the current state of Pakled technology. Over a coffee and a sandwich Picard and Wesley engage in some small talk on kids, women, discipline and why Picard never married. Picard also tells him how he came about the cardiac implant. When he was at the Bonestell Recreation Facility at Starbase Earhart with some friends, he picked a fight with three Nausicaans. Having one Nausicaan down in a joint lock, Picard was impaled by a Nausicaan stake. The only reason he survived is because a medical facility was nearby. They eventually arrive at Starbase 515, where Wesley escorts Picard to the medical facility. It turns out that Doctor Pulaski asked Wesley to make sure that Picard made it inside, which prompts Picard to say "that woman". On the Enterprise, Riker is considering their options when Data tells him that the malfunctions on the Pakled ship were programmed. Riker's demands to return La Forge are refused and the Pakled stun him again. For Riker to get La Forge back he has to give them all the information from the Enterprise computer. Of course, this is not an option, since it would violate Starfleet security. While lying on the operating table, the surgeon tells Picard not to worry because they have done this operation a hundred times. After the anesthesiologist administered anesthesia, the surgeon begins the operation, a secondary cardiac procedure with mid-line entry. He anticipates no problems and expects the operation team to be home for dinner. Riker plans to mislead the Pakled so that he can get La Forge back. They try to lead the Pakled to believe that he is a phaser and photon technology  expert. By mentioning specific words during their conversation with the Pakled ship they try to tell La Forge what they are planning to do. Grebnedlog and Reginod tell him that he must make them strong, meaning he has to fix the weaponry of the Mondor so they can attack the Enterprise. Fortunately Geordi understands what Riker wants and he changes the Pakled's weapons configuration so they don't work properly. When the Enterprise detects that the Pakled weapons are on-line they contact the Mondor and demand that Geordi be returned or they will be destroyed. The Pakled respond that "they are strong now" and that they "want respect". During Picard's operation there were complications, which the surgeon was not qualified to resolve. A biomolecular specialist knows someone who is. During this ruse Lieutenant Worf received a message that Captain Picard is close to death and the Enterprise needs to go to Starbase 515 as soon as possible. Riker starts a countdown of the time the Pakleds have to return La Forge. When the Pakleds try to fire at the Enterprise nothing happens and La Forge tells them that the Enterprise disarmed the Mondor by using a crimson force field; the reality is a cleverly-coordinated ruse comprised of La Forge disabling the torpedoes as the Enterprise vents hydrogen through their Bussard collectors. The Pakleds, convinced that they are "not strong", drop their shields and Riker beams La Forge back to the Enterprise. When Picard awakens from his anesthesia, he sees Doctor Pulaski standing over him, the surgeon they called in who was qualified to perform the operation. She tells him that she saved his life. Picard is less than thrilled, and is more concerned that the entire Enterprise now knows of his condition. When Picard returns to the Enterprise bridge to the applause of some of the bridge officers, which he does not appreciate, he is pleased to report that Wesley Crusher's test results permit him to continue to study on board the Enterprise and that any rumors of his brush with death are greatly exaggerated. The Enterprise once more sets course for the Epsilon sector.
<EOS>
On the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D, Worf is at his post when he suddenly begins to feel uncomfortable. He is fighting the odd sensations the best he can. Captain Picard arrives on the bridge and summons Commander Riker into the ready room. There, the captain talks about a meeting he had with Admiral Moore. He then plays for his first officer the subject of the meeting: a series of sound pulses that had begun transmitting one month ago. Riker is quick to discern the sound as an antiquated distress signal; Starbase Research had spent hours coming to the same conclusion. A computer lookup reveals the distress signal as one that had been used by the European Hegemony, a 22nd century alliance that had been one of the earliest progressions towards a United Earth. However, further research into deep space launches in that timeframe draws a blank. That leaves only one option: go to the Ficus sector and figure out who needs help. But as they emerge from the ready room, Picard and Riker are surprised to see the bridge crew surrounding Worf who has collapsed at his post. Data calls for Doctor Pulaski to come to the bridge. Worf, in typical Klingon stubbornness, is adamant that he is fine, but Dr. Pulaski counters with sarcasm. Eventually, the doctor gets to the point; Worf has contracted rop'ngor: "Klingon measles." Worf is appalled to learn that he had fainted because of a childhood ailment. However, Dr. Pulaski understands his concern, so when Picard asks what happened, Pulaski says Worf fainted due to a Klingon rite of fasting. Worf genuinely appreciates her going out of her way to preserve his dignity. Meanwhile, Data reports to Picard in the ready room with a possible means of identifying the unknown ship. As the 22nd century was a rather tumultuous time, record keeping from that era is known to be spotty. However, someone had to have loaded the ship. Picard realizes that means a manifest of that loading must be on record. Sure enough, this angle provides the answer. The ship they seek is the SS Mariposa: loaded 2123, commanded by a Walter Granger, and bound for the Ficus sector. However, the manifest introduces its own mystery; there are two distinct sets of cargo. One set is high-tech and expected cargo for a deep-space colony. But the other set lists among it spinning wheels and farm animals. Data proposes a theory for the latter; the tumult of the time prompted some people to revert to simpler ways of life: the Neo-Transcendentalism movement, founded by Liam Dieghan. Still, the mystery of the two apparently conflicting sets of cargo remains. In appreciation and apology for earlier, Worf treats Dr. Pulaski to a Klingon tea ceremony in her office. Pulaski is aware of the nature of the plants used to make the tea, which is lethal to Humans, and antidotes herself so she can partake properly. The Enterprise traces the distress signal to the Bringloid system. The problem is soon apparent: the system's sun is undergoing major solar flare activity, threatening the viability of the planet, Bringloid V. There is no sign of technology other than orbital satellites that set off the signal automatically when the star became a threat. The situation is complicated. Data projects the flares will reach the planet in 3.6 hours, Worf points out that transport can only occur between flares, and Counselor Troi warns that exposing unsophisticated people to the Enterprise will present problems of culture shock. Picard decides to send Riker down to the colony located underground as an emissary to provide a cultural bridge and assist in the evacuation. Riker reports the situation of the colony: approximately two hundred people, all in good spirits and understanding of the need to leave, but Riker still has an issue with them. Picard orders the evacuation to proceed in spite of the concern, saying they can deal with it later. This concern becomes known, however, once Chief O'Brien requests the captain come to the transporter room. In addition to some of the colonists, an assortment of farm animals have been transported aboard. Picard and Worf are on their way to the transporter room when a chicken flies out of the door. A young girl picks it up, beams, and runs back in. Once Picard is inside, one of the refugees steps forward: the colony's leader, Danilo Odell. All in all, he and the other Bringloidi seem to be taking the exposure to advanced technology after two centuries with surprising sanity. Riker explains that the Bringloidi had refused to leave without the animals since they represent their livelihood. Picard quickly demands they be placed out of the way and has O'Brien redirect the entire colony to Cargo Hold 7. The Bringloidi quickly get back on the pads for transport, and all remaining Bringloidi are directly transported there. In the observation lounge, the final tally is made: 223 refugees. Picard prepares to transport them to the nearest starbase, and Riker quips that, while anachronistic, the Bringloidi are eager; he speculates that they will probably be running the place before long. Suddenly, a fire alarm goes off. The problem is quickly traced to the Bringloidi. Unused to modern conveniences like replicators, they had been cooking their own food, which had triggered the automated fire-suppression force fields. Danilo is puzzled and a little nonplussed, but his reaction is nothing compared to that of the cook: his daughter, Brenna Odell. Sharp of tongue, she voices her frustration and displeasure in no uncertain terms. The whole situation leaves Picard laughing, left with no choice but to "bow to the absurd." The trip will be a learning experience for both parties. However, Riker's gentlemanly manner helps Brenna to warm to him. Danilo catches up with Picard in the corridor with a thought that had slipped his mind. He asks if there ever was any word about "the other colony." Suddenly, things begin to make sense in Picard's mind; there were two colonies aboard the Mariposa. Riker leads Brenna to his quarters. The first thing she sees is a mess, and she insists on cleaning up. The conversation gets rather spirited, with both of them making verbal jabs at each other. Eventually, the words give way to actions as Riker gives in to Brenna's advances and they passionately kiss. Back in Cargo Hold 7 the rest of the Bringloidi, true to their Irish roots, try to get their still set up to brew poteen, but Danilo explains to Worf that it would need a fire.  On Worf's mention of the replicator, Danilo is reluctant after O'Brien offered him synthehol.  Worf explains that replicators can make real alcohol instead and adjusts the nearest food replicator's control panel to do so.  However, Danilo still finds that the 24th century's Earth standard of his ordered whiskey "has no bite," so Worf orders a Klingon drink, chech'tluth, for him, which is strong and much more to his liking. Just then, Brenna bursts in -- and she is as angry as ever! After giving him an earful about drinking, she discusses having the Bringloidi children educated with the ship's children. A drunk Danilo goes along, and Brenna quickly sets everyone back to work. She even has a few choice words for Worf. Upon arriving at the nearby system, the Enterprise is hailed from the surface. The caller identifies himself as Wilson Granger, prime minister of Mariposa. Although the Granger surname leads Data to believe Wilson is a descendant of Walter, the captain of the Mariposa, Wilson points out this is not exactly true. Still, he is eager to reestablish ties with Earth after several centuries and invites them down planetside. Troi cautions, however, that Wilson is hiding something. An away team composed of Riker, Worf, and Pulaski visits the Mariposans. Pulaski, while scanning the inhabitants discreetly, quickly learns that the entire Mariposan society is composed of clones. Wilson confirms Pulaski's assumption; the Mariposa had suffered a hull breach during landing, and only five people survived, not enough to sustain the colony. However, as they were all scientists, they found another way to survive: cloning. Everyone is a clone of one of those five survivors. Through a combination of drug therapy and strong cultural taboos reinforced over several generations, they have suppressed their natural impulse towards sexual reproduction, and now find the practice outdated and somewhat repugnant. However, Wilson admits to Pulaski that their cloning process has failed to eliminate replicative fading, the process by which subtle imperfections creep into each successive set of "copies"; within about fifty years, they will be unable to produce viable clones.  Wilson therefore asks the Enterprise crew to donate fresh DNA so they can clone new citizens. Riker refuses because he values his individuality. Picard points out that Riker's attitude is not unique and that Wilson will be hard-pressed to get consent from anyone on board the Enterprise. Picard does agree, however, to help repair defective equipment, and Pulaski is curious about the replicative fading effect. As Riker and Pulaski report to Wilson that repairs are almost complete, they are shot from behind with a phaser-like weapon and stunned. The two are dragged away to have some of their cells taken without their knowledge while Wilson tells Geordi La Forge that he hadn't seen Riker or Pulaski. La Forge eventually finds Riker and Pulaski back on the Enterprise. He wonders where they had been since every clone he spoke to lied about their whereabouts; he knew they were lying because his VISOR reads beyond normal vision and he's trained himself to detect the physiological signs of Human lying. Between the three of them, Riker and Pulaski note inconsistencies and finally holes in their memories. Curious, Dr. Pulaski scans Riker, La Forge, and herself with her tricorder. She finds that both she and Riker are missing some epithelial cells; interstitial undifferentiated cells had been extracted from their stomachs without their knowledge. Outraged and repulsed at what the Mariposans have done, the three transport directly to the cloning labs. Inside, two clones are incubating: clones derived from their cells. Riker proceeds to destroy his maturing clone with his phaser, and Pulaski's clone with her permission, to the chagrin of Prime Minister Granger. A heated argument ensues. Riker accuses the Mariposans of stealing, but Wilson counters that desperation had forced their hand; they have a right to survive. Back on the Enterprise, Picard considers the Mariposans' situation. Pulaski reports that Wilson's concerns are valid; their DNA will become terminally faded in two to three generations. Riker insists on a full inspection of the cloning lab, in case the Mariposans found more tissue samples to steal. Troi counters that the Mariposans are doing what anyone else would do given the situation. However, Pulaski notes that providing fresh DNA to them will only stave off the replicative fading for about fifteen generations. The only long-term solution is "breeding stock". Picard realizes there is an answer: the Bringloidi. Troi immediately agrees; the colonies have complementary traits that could work well in concert. If the two could be convinced to merge, both their problems would be solved; the Bringloidi would have a new home, while the Mariposans would have sufficient genetic diversity to sustain themselves. Riker notes the one catch, though: "It will have to be a shotgun wedding." Wilson Granger and Danilo Odell are brought in to discuss the merge in the Enterprise's observation lounge. It does not start well. Wilson looks with disdain at the technologically backward, whiskey-loving Danilo, and Danilo is not impressed by Granger's haughty attitudes. Picard points out that they may have to confiscate the cloning lab to inspect for stolen tissue samples. Wilson takes it as blackmail, but Pulaski points out they're doomed anyway; lab or no lab, the colony will be vacant in about fifty years. Wilson is still reluctant to tear down a centuries-strong culture, but Danilo points out they're open to new ideas. This diversity is what they need to strengthen themselves. As for breaking down the sexual taboos, that'll be up to nature to fix. Pulaski then notes that the Bringloidi will also have to change. To encourage genetic diversity, polyandry will be permitted and encouraged for several generations; every woman in the colony will be allowed three husbands. Danilo considers it and is willing to adapt. He spits his palm and offers it to Wilson. Grudgingly, Wilson shakes it. "I must be out of my mind," Picard states to Pulaski. "Starfleet will probably agree with you," Pulaski replies. They all head for Cargo Hold 7 where the Bringloidi are currently residing. Wilson is genuinely shocked at the Bringloidi. Meanwhile, Brenna, sharp-tongued as ever, wonders how this whole business will sort itself out. Picard offers her the chance to be taken to a starbase and seek out a new destination on her own, but Brenna is reluctant to leave her father. When she learns that Wilson is Prime Minister and leader of the Mariposans, however, she realizes that "moving up" might not be such a bad idea. 
<EOS>
On a mission to deliver Antedian dignitaries from Antede III who are brought on in a catatonic state to a conference on Pacifica, the USS Enterprise-D is unexpectedly ordered by Starfleet to pick up Lwaxana Troi and to extend full diplomatic courtesies to her. Before they even get the order, Lwaxana has caught up with the Enterprise in a Federation transport. She is also going to the conference, representing Betazed. Lwaxana draws the ire of her daughter, Deanna, and then insinuates that Picard is having 'naughty' thoughts about her once again. Lwaxana arrives on the Enterprise with her manservant, Mr. Homn. In her characteristic forward manner, she compliments Captain Picard on his legs and insists that he carry her belongings, but Picard has no intention of doing so. Commander Riker then offers, but can hardly lift the luggage, as Picard had before. He still manages to do so and brings it as the group escorts Lwaxana to her quarters. When most of everyone else has left, Lwaxana invites Picard to a dinner, saying it will be a diplomatic event. Picard happily accepts and leaves. Deanna then chides Lwaxana's description of human men. On the bridge, Picard catches the bridge crew talking about Lwaxana's behavior. He reminds them she is an ambassador. After a quick status report from Katherine Pulaski on the Antedians, he also reminds the bridge crew to wear dress uniforms for the dinner before quickly leaving, which confuses them since they don't know about it. Later, Picard goes to Lwaxana's quarters and slowly realizes he is the only one joining. At the dinner, Lwaxana tells Picard that Human males are extraordinary and they toast to it. Lwaxana's irises are darker and larger than usual and seems to hunger for more than the food that she's cooked. Picard realizes that the dinner means something far more to her than to him, so begins to talk shop, inquiring about the Betazoid chime Homn hits at dinner. Picard asks Lwaxana what she knows about other culture's ceremonies at dinner. She has no idea, so Picard says Data is a great talker and informative, so calls him to the dinner. Thanks to Data, Lwaxana is so bored by his constant talking that she cannot seduce Picard. In the corridor, Counselor Troi informs Dr. Pulaski that Lwaxana is going through the Betazoid equivalent of menopause called The Phase, which, for Betazoid women, leads to exceptional increases in their sex drive. Troi believes that she should warn Picard when she finds out he is at dinner with her mother alone, but Pulaski says that it would be important for the captain to stay quick on his feet. Later in Picard's ready room, Deanna informs Captain Picard and Riker about her mother's condition and says that the only option for her mother is to focus all her energy into one male with the goal of making him her husband. For him to spurn her would be considered an insult. Picard, sensibly, puts Riker in command of the bridge, and runs to hide on the holodeck as Dixon Hill. After settling in to the holodeck program, Picard takes a breather at Hill's desk. He hasn't tried a Hill program since the previous year. The story continues, but the various scenarios the computer comes up are too violent for his current mood. Deanna informs Lwaxana that Picard is "busy" which prompts her to consider other options for herself, to Deanna's continued concern. William Riker? Already taken by her daughter. Lieutenant Worf? Wrong species. Ensign Wesley Crusher? Too young for her tastes. Picard decides to leave the holodeck, but not before inviting Hill's secretary Madeline to Rex's Bar for a drink. She hands him a gun because he'll need it there. The Hill series obviously has mostly violent stories. At Rex's bar, Picard is having fun remembering the previous cases and jargon of the Hill stories. It turns out there's a bad character that may come to the bar to confront Hill and the bartender, Rex. They continue talking. In the meantime, the Antedians have been brought out of their catatonic state by Dr. Pulaski. She calls to the bridge to inform Riker, where Lwaxana has just entered looking for the captain, but not finding him. When he leaves to inform Picard of the Antedians, Lwaxana announces to the bridge crew that Riker and her will be married, much to his surprise, Deanna's horror, and the surprise of rest of the bridge. Without sticking around, Lwaxana leaves to prepare. Riker decides to let the captain deal with the situation and flees with Data to the holodeck to tell Picard about this development and the revival of the Antedians. Picard is unpleasantly surprised to hear this, but Rex thinks Riker has all the luck in the world. Lwaxana, using the Enterprise computer, finds Picard and Riker on the holodeck. Initially outraged, she is quickly taken with Rex, since she cannot read his mind. She decides to now marry Rex, but as they reach Pacifica, Picard tells Lwaxana that Rex doesn't exist. As Lwaxana leaves, husbandless, and her mind much clearer than it ever was during the whole duration of her stay, she saves the conference by revealing the Antedians are, in fact, assassins. She reveals they plan to set off a bomb made with ultritium at the conference. Lwaxana bids her daughter farewell, with Picard, Riker, Data and O'Brien in the transporter room. While dematerializing in the transporter beam, Lwaxana chides Picard on his naughty thoughts in front of everyone. 
<EOS>
Worf, Data, La Forge, Dr. Pulaski, and Riker are playing poker. When Worf makes a big bet, Data suggests that he doesn't fully understand the nuances of the game. Riker points out that Worf has been the biggest winner that day, implying that Data shouldn't underestimate his poker skills. Data expresses doubt that Worf's success is due to anything other than random chance. Pulaski, being the only one who doesn't fold, calls Worf's hand. Worf wins. On a subsequent hand, Worf once again bets big, and La Forge says he's bluffing. Worf insists that Klingons never bluff. The poker game is interrupted before the hand can be played out, when the USS Enterprise-D receives an urgent confidential message from Starfleet Command to divert course, but without any details. The crew is informed by Admiral Gromek that they are to pick up a special emissary who will assist them with a very important mission. Captain Picard asks for more information, but is told that utmost secrecy is required and that he will be fully informed of the situation by the emissary. They later rendezvous with the emissary's shuttle, a specially-converted probe capable of transporting one person at warp 9. Upon opening the probe, the emissary is revealed to be K'Ehleyr, a half Klingon, half Human woman and one of Worf's former love interests. He is not happy to see her. K'Ehleyr explains in the conference lounge that a Klingon battle cruiser named the IKS T'Ong was launched from the Klingon homeworld over seventy-five years ago, during the Klingon War, on a long-term mission unknown to the Federation. The crew used suspended animation to travel to their target, and are now on the return. Since the crew of the T'Ong are unaware of the peace between the Federation and the Klingons, they will attack any Federation outpost they see when they awaken. Picard assumes that K'Ehleyr has been sent to talk with the crew, but K'Ehleyr says talking will be a waste of time; she believes there is no way of reasoning with the Klingons, and the only way to prevent loss of innocent lives is to destroy the T'Ong on sight. Picard refuses to accept this and orders her to work with Worf in developing a non-violent alternative. On the way to her quarters, K'Ehleyr bonds a little with Deanna Troi, also half-human and forced to experience two often conflicting cultures. K'Ehleyr seems to prefer her human side and conscious of her temper. K'Ehleyr changes and heads to a research area to work with Worf. Hoping to work through unresolved feelings from their previous relationship from six years prior, K'Ehleyr ignores Picard's request and tries to talk to Worf. Worf, however, is adamant about working the mission. They get into heated emotional conflicts and are unable to properly concentrate on the job at hand. After a particularly vicious argument with Worf, K'Ehleyr storms back to her quarters and shatters a glass table in rage. Deanna Troi notices the destruction and tactfully suggests that she blow off some steam on the holodeck. Seeing the list of available programs, K'Ehleyr selects Worf's calisthenics routine, entering hand-to-hand combat in a primitive jungle. Meanwhile, up on the bridge, Picard notices that Worf is taut as a drum, and likewise orders him to relax. Venturing down to the holodeck, Worf sees his program in progress, and realizes K'Ehleyr is running it. Entering the program with her, they fight and defeat holographic enemies, then give in to their desires and engage in a Klingon mating ritual. Afterwards, Worf initiates a vow of marriage, shouting "tlhIngan jIH" (Klingonese for "I am a Klingon"), but K'Ehleyr refuses to participate, unwilling to commit to the marriage dictated by Klingon tradition. Despite her disbelief in a peaceful solution, K'Ehleyr goes to run some simulations. Worf joins her with Data, which she interprets as him needing a chaperone with her. They finish and go to the observation lounge, but K'Ehleyr insists the Klingons will have to be destroyed because they will never believe him if he tries to explain that they are no longer at war. During the meeting, they first encounter the T'Ong and the Enterprise is immediately fired upon with no attempt made at communication. It appears K'Ehleyr's prediction is correct; the Enterprise will be forced to destroy the T'Ong. The ship cloaks. Fortunately, La Forge has a way to find the T'Ong. Picard orders an intercept course when Worf has come up with a cunning plan. Clad in full traditional Klingon command uniforms, he and K'Ehleyr appear on viewscreen as captain and first officer of the Enterprise. Worf introduces himself as "commanding the Enterprise" and informs Captain K'Temoc of the T'Ong that the war is over, implying with his appearance and apparently permanent command of a Federation ship that the Klingons have been victorious. He then orders K'Temoc to lower his shields. K'Temoc hesitates to comply, unsure whether to trust Worf's explanation -- but finally agrees, fooled by Worf's well-played bluff. Arrangements are made for K'Ehleyr to beam on board the T'Ong and take command until the arrival of the Klingon ship IKS P'Rang to escort them back to Qo'noS. Worf and K'Ehleyr discuss their feelings for one another prior to her departure, leaving open the question of whether their paths will cross again. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has a rendezvous with a shuttlecraft carrying the famed strategist Sirna Kolrami en route to a battle simulation in the Braslota system in which Commander Riker will command an inferior ship, the eighty-year-old USS Hathaway. Kolrami is a Zakdorn, a race which has been feared for nine millennia as having the most innately strategic minds in the known galaxy. Captain Picard and Riker are at first reluctant to take part in this simulation as they believe diplomacy and exploration are the more important mandates of Starfleet, and that Starfleet itself is not a military organization. However, because of the newly-discovered Borg threat, they decide it is a good idea to hone their tactical skills so as to have as many options as possible in crisis situations. Picard gives Riker his choice of officers. Riker goes down to engineering to ask Geordi La Forge to join him. La Forge has already prepared the necessary engineering tools to join Riker on the Hathaway. Next, he goes to Worf's quarters, where Worf is attempting to build a wooden ship. Worf thinks the exercise is a waste of time, but Riker convinces him to join the team after remarking that he has a hopeless chance of winning, which piques Worf's interest. Finally, Riker asks Wesley Crusher to come along as an observer. Before starting the simulation, Riker challenges Kolrami to a game of Strategema, of which Kolrami is a third level grandmaster. The challenge takes place in Ten Forward, with a large audience. Worf informs Riker that he has wagered heavily that Riker will take Kolrami past the sixth plateau. If he does not, Worf tells him he will be irritated. Data is intrigued by the Human urge to compete. Dr. Pulaski and La Forge suggest that Data challenge Kolrami to a game of Strategema. Both of them would like to see Kolrami's smugness taken down a notch. Riker assumes his seat opposite Kolrami and the game begins. However, it is over almost as soon as it begins, Kolrami winning by a large margin. Riker and his team beam over to the Hathaway, and are given only forty-eight hours to get the ship into working order. On seeing the condition of the Hathaway, Worf is not enthusiastic, but Riker is. Crusher and La Forge are in engineering. La Forge doesn't think  they can attain warp speed as there are not very many dilithium crystals and no antimatter to power the warp drive. Back on the Enterprise, Kolrami challenges Data to a game of Strategema after Dr. Pulaski goads him into it. He has nothing to gain by beating a computer, but everything to lose if Data wins. Worf suggests using the Enterprise's sensors against it to create a false image of another hostile ship. Crusher wants to beam back to the Enterprise, under the guise of shutting down a science experiment for his plasma physics class. Picard and Kolrami allow it as long as he has no other contact. Crusher tells his escort Burke that his antimatter experiment is ruined and that he will have to dispose of it by beaming it into space. However, he instead beams the experiment onto the Hathaway's engine room, surprising La Forge. Data and Kolrami prepare to play Strategema. The game is more evenly matched, but Kolrami again wins. He offers Data a rematch. Deanna Troi consoles Data as Pulaski is amazed as Data is supposed to be infallible. Back on the bridge, Kolrami continues to display a lack of confidence in Riker. Picard takes him aside in his ready room for an explanation and Kolrami says that he has found Riker "wanting". He does not think that Riker will make a good captain because he makes light of serious situations. Picard sticks up for him, saying that his joviality is his leadership style. Data has removed himself from bridge duty because of his loss to Kolrami. Troi tries to counsel him in his quarters to learn from his mistakes. But Data has performed a diagnostic of his systems, and found that he has made no mistakes, and therefore his deductive capabilities should be questioned. Pulaski later tells Data that he should rebound from his loss rather than sulking and licking his wounds. But Data is still concerned about giving unsound advice. Meanwhile, on the Hathaway, Wesley and La Forge are hooking up Crusher's experiment, which can be used to fuel their warp engines because it contains antimatter. Riker walks in and accuses him of cheating, to which Wesley says he was told to improvise. La Forge thinks that they can use the rig to achieve warp 1 for less than two seconds, but there is a chance that they could stall the Hathaway. An hour before the battle, Troi and Pulaski approach Picard about Data's condition. He is not pleased, but goes to see Data anyway in his quarters. Picard tells him that he might make a mistake, but that does not alter his duty and that it is possible to lose without making mistakes. He tells Data that that is simply a part of life and leaves. Data goes to the observation lounge to brief Troi on Riker's past use of tactics. This dissolves into a circular debate over whether Riker will play into their knowledge of his tactics, or their knowledge that he knows they know. Troi interrupts with some practical advice concerning Riker's temperament, and suggests that he will fight to the bitter end, and that the more desperate his situation, the harder he will fight. The battle commences. Picard initiates the Kumeh Maneuver to get Riker to tip his hand. At Worf's suggestion, Riker counters with the Talupian maneuver and readies one of their tricks. Suddenly, a Romulan warship appears, and the Enterprise attacks it, but it is only a hologram. The Hathaway scores several hits as the Enterprise is otherwise engaged. Picard changes the access codes on the Enterprise, and prepares to fire. The Hathaway prepares the warp jump. A Ferengi D'Kora-class warship appears, and the Enterprise ignores it. But this time it is real, and scores several real hits on the Enterprise, weakening its shields and disabling the transporters. Neither ship can attack the Ferengi, as neither has any real weapons that are operable. Picard refuses to abandon the crew on the Hathaway and retreat as Kolrami orders. The Ferengi are confused why the Enterprise was attacking and now defending the Hathaway. They believe they have the upper hand, as both ships are unarmed, and that the Hathaway has some secret value. The Kreechta's commander, DaiMon Bractor, gives the Enterprise ten minutes to surrender the Hathaway and leave in peace. Picard confers with Riker who informs him about the warp capability of the Hathaway. Data formulates a plan to fire photon torpedoes at the Hathaway, which will jump to warp only one millisecond before the torpedoes detonate, thus making the Ferengi momentarily think that the Hathaway has been destroyed. Riker agrees to the plan despite the possibility that they will be destroyed if their warp drive doesn't function. The plan works. As Picard negotiates with the Ferengi, the Hathaway projects a false Federation starship image on the Ferengi warship's sensors, making the Ferengi think they have been outmaneuvered. They retreat, and Kolrami admits to greatly underestimating Riker. As the Enterprise tows the Hathaway to the nearest starbase, Data and Kolrami engage in a rematch of Strategema. Kolrami is intent on the game, but Data is calm. Both players have made over thirty thousand moves over the course of the record-setting game, and the numbers are still climbing rapidly. Finally, Kolrami throws down his controls in disgust. He accuses Data of making a mockery of him, and storms off. Data explains that instead of playing to win the game, he played for a stalemate, passing up obvious avenues of advancement and simply countering Kolrami's own advances again and again until Kolrami finally ran out of patience. Thus, Data declared that though he had not strictly defeated Kolrami, he had "busted him up". 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D orbits an unexplored planet named Surata IV. An away team of Lieutenant Geordi La Forge and Commander Will Riker are on the surface in an alien swamp, teeming with strange lifeforms. La Forge finds Riker sitting on a log, injured. Something has bitten his leg. La Forge, not taking any chances with alien biology on a world unknown to the United Federation of Planets, calls for the transporter. Transporter Chief O'Brien delays, getting an alert signal from the biofilter in the transporter, as Riker's body has been infected with some type of unidentified microbes. Doctor Pulaski is summoned, as the chief medical officer must authorize any transportation of unfiltered biomaterial. Pulaski reluctantly uses the transporter -- a rare occasion for her -- to beam down and verify if it is safe to bring Riker aboard. She materializes and inspects Riker's wound with her tricorder. He complains of no pain, but of a numbness near the bite. La Forge hasn't had any luck finding what might have infected the wound. Pulaski beams them directly to sickbay. Two medical orderlies help Riker to the bed. He tries to shrug off their help, but when he takes a step his leg suddenly gives out. Captain Picard records a log entry detailing Riker's predicament. He chides Riker for putting his foot where it didn't belong, but Riker maintains he is just trying to keep the doctors busy. Pulaski informs them that Riker's nervous system is being invaded by a microbe which combines elements of both a virus and a bacteria. She uses a medical scanner to illustrate the microbes bonding themselves to Riker's sciatic nerve and multiplying. They are not damaging his nerves, just preventing them from functioning - and they are progressing towards his brain. Meanwhile, Picard decides to send La Forge and Lt. Commander Data to the surface to locate the source of the infection. Data protests at risking La Forge for the mission. However, La Forge tells him that he knows exactly where Riker was standing when he was injured. Data, using his android reflexes, prevents his Human friend from being hurt. They find a thorned vine in the swamp using parasites to paralyze animal life. Data records significant fossil remains around the area of the vines, which, judging by their fast motion attacking La Forge, are predatory in nature. When La Forge cuts off the thorn, the vine writhes in futile resistance. The officers call O'Brien for a beam-out and the thorn sample is delivered to sickbay while Data reports on the predatory nature of the vines to the captain. Pulaski is hard at work analyzing the samples and Riker's condition, but is unable to find what characteristic in Human nerves causes the microbes to thrive. Riker is continuing to grow more numb, but acts stoic when Picard expresses regret at Riker's condition. As Counselor Deanna Troi watches unseen, Riker even tries to cheer up the medical technicians with stories. Troi attempts to reach out to her imzadi, but Riker soon falls unconscious. Pulaski attempts to stabilize him, but estimates he will die within an hour. In order to prolong Riker's life, Pulaski puts him into a neural stimulator, hopefully keeping them active and resisting the virus. This causes Riker to dream of his past adventures aboard the Enterprise. At first, Riker's dreams are of reasonably neutral occasions, such as his first meeting with Data in the holodeck and his attempt to help Wesley with meeting Salia. He also remembers saying goodbye to Deanna when he considered the USS Aries promotion. Soon, his dreams become more pleasurable, perhaps even erotic, including meeting the cheerful young Edo women on Rubicun III, or the matriarch Beata on Angel I, the attractive Bringloidi woman Brenna Odell, and the computer-generated holodeck woman Minuet. However, while pleasing to Riker's mind, the passionate dreams actually worsen Riker's condition, with the organism's growth rate doubled. It is apparent that the organisms are sensitive to the nature of the dreams Riker is having. Pulaski hypothesizes that they are sensitive to brain endorphins, with positive endorphins attracting them. Pulaski and Troi therefore agree to try to make the machine evoke negative dreams instead. Riker then experiences dreams of the death of Lieutenant Natasha Yar and the apparent death of Troi's child Ian. Sure enough, this has the desired effect, as the negative endorphins drive the bacterio-virus growth down, but these endorphins are not strong enough. Pulaski tries again, using the machine to evoke dreams of raw, primitive feelings of fear and survival. Riker then dreams of his experience aboard the Pagh, then fighting the parasite-infested Admiral Quinn. The growth rate now decreases significantly, but still not enough. Pulaski can focus her beam even tighter, but Riker is now very weak. Troi says they have no choice but to proceed. With Riker's vital signs very weak, Pulaski tries yet again. Riker is now dreaming more quickly through memories of pain, of T'Jon's attack on him, then being attacked by the Ferengi on Delphi Ardu IV and being enveloped by the tar creature Armus. The organism's growth rate is now very low, but still too high. His blood pressure dropping, Pulaski calls for the tricordrazine. Riker now remembers tense situations, like setting the Enterprise auto-destruct sequence, saving the Klingons from the Talarian freighter that was about to explode. The organism's growth rate continues to decrease, but it needs to decrease even more. He relives his memories again at a much quicker pace, but also his encountering the neural parasite's mother creature, Data repairing the ship which was about to explode, the killing of one of the inhabitants of Solais V, the destruction of the SS Tsiolkovsky and the USS Lantree. Finally, the treatment eradicates the infection once and for all. Riker's vital signs head back to normal. Riker recovers to his well-adjusted, humorous self. Pulaski asks him who he is, and, seeing Picard walk in, he wittingly says he is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. Picard in turn refers to data as Admiral, saying they were worried about him. Data obviously doesn't get it. 
<EOS>
Wesley Crusher is asleep in the science lab as the USS Enterprise-D orbits a red giant. There is a beep as the familiar voice of Commander Riker can be heard over the comm. He asks Crusher if he forgot to set his alarm, to which Crusher, realizing he is late, expresses his apologies, packs up his things, and hurriedly heads for his station. Moments later, on the bridge, Dr. Stubbs gazes out into the viewscreen as Crusher assumes his position at the helm. Riker asks the acting ensign what their current position is, to which he replies, "approaching one million kilometers from the neutron star, sir". The commander orders him to slow to one third impulse power. Stubbs then turns to Crusher and expresses his feelings of how beautiful the star is and explains how, "over and over again, the intense gravitational pull of the neutron star sucks up the star material from the red giant and builds up on the surface until it explodes, every one hundred and ninety six years like clockwork", and they are only eighteen hours away from experiencing it. Or eighteen hours, seven minutes and ten seconds, as Data corrects. Just then, Captain Picard enters the bridge from his ready room, and asks the doctor if he would like to make one final inspection of the egg. Dr. Stubbs replies that he has been inspecting the egg for the last twenty years and that they "may lay it when ready". Picard, slightly bemused by the statement, orders the launch of the probe. The shuttlebay doors are opened as Data reports they are nearing the launch site. Suddenly, something rocks the Enterprise-D and Dr. Stubbs goes flying across the bridge. Picard quickly orders Crusher to stabilize but the ship's controls aren't responding. In engineering, chief engineer La Forge reports that there is nothing wrong with the inertial dampeners. Back on the bridge, Worf says they are heading straight into the path of the stellar matter. The captain orders shields up but Worf cannot; "the shields will not respond," he shouts, as the ship slowly drifts away. The Enterprise-D continues to drift towards the stellar matter with only thirty seconds until impact. Picard orders a manual override on the shields while Riker tells La Forge to reset the inertial dampeners. The shields begin to rise but the inertial dampeners are still unresponsive. The chief engineer activates the impulse engines in full reverse, which seems to stabilize the ship, but the momentum is still carrying the Enterprise-D into the stellar matter. Dr. Stubbs clings onto the bridge's tactical handrail, frightened, while Data reports that all systems are reporting normal. Picard asks the computer what the cause of the control malfunction was but the computer has no record of any such error. Confused, he checks Data's console, but everything appears normal. Down in sickbay, there is a hive of activity as the injured are being treated. Among them is Dr. Stubbs, lying on the main surgical biobed, being treated by Dr. Crusher, who has returned to the Enterprise-D and replaced Dr. Katherine Pulaski as chief medical officer. Moments later, Wesley enters and informs Stubbs that all systems are back to normal and that they can attempt another launch as soon as he is ready. Stubbs jokes that the Crushers are "quite a dynamic family team". Beverly replies that it is nice to be together again, after her year away at Starfleet Medical, where she missed her son. Stubbs says "I'm not sure I'd want my mother flying through space with me," which gets a concerned look from Dr. Crusher. After hearing Wesley give a technical report, Stubbs asks if Wesley does anything other than work, to which Dr. Crusher expresses confidence that he does, but to her dismay, Wesley answers that he is actually spending most of his time in study to prepare for Starfleet Academy. After Stubbs is given a clean bill of health, he invites Wesley to go and check on "Humpty Dumpty", and the two leave. Just as the doors swish closed, Dr. Crusher notices something strange happening in the replicator - the computer is replicating a glass of water, with the water overflowing the glass. When asked to correct the error, the computer replies that it is working perfectly. "Well, check again," Beverly orders, annoyed. According to the computer, the food slot is working fine. Crusher finally deactivates it and the water stops replicating. Back in engineering, La Forge is investigating the earlier matter on the bridge. Over the comm, he informs Picard that they are analyzing the computer systems data but it is not showing anything unusual. In his ready room, Picard orders a level 1 diagnostic series. Picard tells La Forge that he needs the computer working 100%, in order to expedite Dr. Stubbs' experiment and the food slots in sickbay, before closing the channel. Crusher visits Picard to talk about her son, asking, "How would you feel if you were seventeen years old and the only Starfleet officer whose mother was on board?", to which he replies, "Inhibited, I suppose". He goes on to say that Wesley is doing fine and that, if she is concerned, she shouldn't be. The doctor then asks him to tell her about Wesley during her time away. The captain has some good things to say about him. He begins to tell her how hard-working her son is, when she stops him mid-sentence. "No!", she says, "Tell me about him". After a moment of reflection, Picard compares him to the captain's dearly departed friend and Beverly's husband, Jack Crusher. "He's his father's son. Honest, trusting strong," he tells her. Beverly smiles at Picard's statement, and asks him what he was like when he was seventeen. He jokes that he was probably getting into more trouble than Wesley is. "So was I!" Crusher says, "Isn't that what seventeen's supposed to be?" Meanwhile, Dr. Stubbs is inspecting his probe, down in the shuttlebay. He concludes that everything is fine. Wesley asks him how he can be so calm when he is on the verge of making a major breakthrough in astrophysics. The Doctor says that he has had no doubt that this day would come and that Wesley's day would come too. "You will never come across a greater adversary than your own potential," he tells Wesley. Suddenly, the red alert is sounded. Wesley informs Stubbs that he should return to his quarters, immediately. On the bridge, there is an air of tension. Sensors have detected something but there is no evidence of it on the viewscreen. Picard, worried, orders Worf to zoom in on a region of space, but he still can't see anything. Riker asks if Worf was absolutely sure, to which Worf says, "Sensors clearly indicate the approach of a Borg vessel." He is ordered to raise the shields but they are not responding and the manual override is jammed. Suddenly, sensors report the Borg ship is opening fire. As Worf calculates the Borg ship's vector, all of a sudden, it disappears. They realize that this was another computer error. As Picard tries to ascertain the cause of the malfunction, the computer begins spurting out chess moves and the doors start opening and closing to the observation lounge for no reason, whatsoever. The ship is rocked violently, knocking everyone off-balance. Data reports the controls are unresponsive and La Forge states that all engines are down. He and Worf head for engineering, while Picard orders Riker and Data to the conference room. "It's time to discuss the future of this mission" he says, "if there still is one." In the conference lounge, the three officers are discussing what is happening on the Enterprise-D. Picard fears that the ship is suffering from a failure of the main computer. Data objects, however, saying the system automatically provides for self correction and that there hasn't been a complete systems failure on a starship for over seventy-nine years. Just then, Counselor Troi enters, informing the captain that Dr. Stubbs is waiting outside. Without waiting to be let in, the doctor enters, asking to be informed as to what is going on. Picard invites him and the counselor to sit down. He informs Stubbs that Lieutenant Commander La Forge is attempting to resolve the situation but the doctor is only interested in his experiment. Picard reassures him that the experiment will go ahead as planned, as long as it is safe to do so, and that the safety of the ship and crew come first. The counselor attempts to reassure Stubbs but he is adamant to continue his experiment, saying that he would rather die than leave. A moment later, he stands up. "Well, if we don't leave in time, it's one sure way to get into the record books, eh?" he says, before leaving the room. After he has left, Troi explains that Stubbs has put his entire self-worth on the line for the experiment and that he really would rather die than leave. Down in engineering, La Forge is attempting to correct the situation on the ship. Wesley is with him and the two of them have found some kind of continuing disintegration with the computer circuitry but La Forge has no idea what is causing it. He zooms in on a computer image of the circuitry. "If I didn't know better, I'd say somebody had climbed in there and started taking it apart," he says. Wesley suddenly looks concerned, as though he might have an idea about what is causing the malfunctions. He rushes back to the science lab, where he was working the night before. There, he opens a container and begins scanning it with a piece of equipment. Finishing, he looks very worried and leaves. Wesley has gone to an empty Ten Forward, where he is crawling along the floor, behind the bar, with another piece of equipment in his hand. He places a circular object on the floor, next to the bulkhead, and notices Guinan, looking over his shoulder. He stands up and explains to her that he is setting traps. Guinan jokes that she runs a clean place. Wesley says he is scared, saying that everything that is going wrong could be his fault. He goes on to explain that he had been working on nanotechnology, as part of his advanced genetics project, and that he was specifically studying nanites he obtained from the sickbay genetics supplies. His theory was that, by working together in tandem, nanites could combine their skills and increase their usefulness. He says it worked, but he fell asleep while collecting the data and left their container open. "It's just a science project," he says, but Guinan reminds him of Dr. Frankenstein. Just then, he gets a call from his mother, over the comm. She says she stopped by his quarters but he wasn't there. Wesley says he is on his way but he stops to ask Guinan not to tell anyone. She just gives him a look and he says he will be the one to tell everyone. Before Wesley leaves, Guinan asks him if he will get a good grade. He says he always gets an "A" and leaves Ten Forward. As the doors close, Guinan mutters to herself, "So did Doctor Frankenstein." On the bridge, Commander Riker orders a manual restart. La Forge reports the restart was successful and the impulse engine functions all appear normal. With Picard's approval, it is time to begin the experiment once again. Riker contacts the shuttlebay and tells the crewman to open the doors. The crewman reports that the door did not respond and the computer begins loudly playing "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa - another malfunction. Riker tries to turn it off but the computer isn't accepting it. Data says that it is playing on all communications channels; the Enterprise-D is being stripped of one system at a time. "Shut off the power to the bridge!" Picard shouts, over the music. The bridge plunges into darkness, with only the light of a few flickering consoles providing illumination. Picard asks La Forge if he can get the ship out of the star system, safely. Stubbs, who was quietly standing at the rear of the bridge, lurches forward, insisting they stay. He is told to be quiet by Riker and La Forge is given the green light to get the ship out of the system. Riker then suggests circuiting in auxiliary power to the bridge, in case "Sousa decides to do an encore". The captain agrees but prioritizes the task of finding out who or what is doing it. Dr. Stubbs and Wesley are now back in the shuttlebay. The doctor is worried that history will not remember him, that he "won't even be mentioned." He goes on to talk about baseball and how he has "seen the great players make the great plays." Wesley asks if he recreates the games on the holodeck, to which Stubbs replies, "No, in here," pointing to his head. He says that playing whole seasons of baseball, in his head, was his reward for patience and the knowing that his time will come. He is now disappointed that he will never get the chance to carry out his experiment. "A brand new era in astrophysics postponed one hundred and ninety six years on account of rain," he says. A few minutes later, Wesley is back in the lab, analyzing the traps he set for nanites. He manages to find one of them, just as his mother enters the room. She suggests to him that he should get some rest but he insists he has responsibilities and must finish. Beverly says she thinks he has taken on too many responsibilities. Wesley snaps at his mother, for not being there for the past year. "I'm here now, Wesley," she replies, before offering to help him with his work. Wesley admits, "I think I've made a horrible mistake." The senior staff are gathered in the conference room. Dr. Crusher stands at the front, filling everyone in on nanites and their medical uses. She goes on to say that the nanites that have "infected" the Enterprise-D are no ordinary nanites - they have evolved. Stubbs is skeptical, asking how it is possible a machine can evolve. Wesley then informs everyone that it was his fault - that he allowed the nanites to interact and evolve past their intended purpose. Picard asks how far they have evolved, to which Wesley shows them how the nanites can absorb any piece of technology, such as a linear memory crystal from the Enterprise's computer core and replicate. "It's like candy to them," Riker observes. Data then calls engineering and has them display computer core processor 451, element 0299, and magnifies the section, one thousand times. Picard proposes that they may know what they are doing and Riker asks why they would attack the Enterprise-D. Stubbs suggests that they should just "kill" them, thus solving the problem straight away. Dr. Crusher protests, arguing that they are now working with a new collective intelligence, operating together and teaching each other new skills. Stubbs argues that the whole thing is nonsense, that a whole civilization of computer chips can't exist. Crusher challenges him by asking how he could explain what he has just seen, but he argues it is no more strange than watching a strain of Leutscher virus reproduce itself and that is actually a lifeform. Picard interrupts as Stubbs asks Crusher how many diseases and viruses she has destroyed, during her time. The captain says that he cannot exterminate something that may or may not be intelligent. As Stubbs gets ready to argue some more, Picard stops him and reminds him that there is still time. After ordering Wesley and Data to work together to solve the nanite problem, he concludes the briefing. Dr. Stubbs has now gone down to the computer core, where Data, La Forge and Wesley are working. Crusher reports that they are trying low gamma bursts in an effort to slow down the productivity of the nanites. Stubbs asks if they have tried a high-level charge but Data replies a high-level charge will kill them. "I know," Stubbs says, taking out an energy weapon and firing on the core with high-intensity gamma radiation. Data, La Forge and Wesley grab the doctor, stopping him before he can do any more damage. In his ready room, Captain Picard is discussing the situation with Commander Riker. He says he cannot get the story of Gulliver out of his head: how he was overpowered by the tiny Liliputians. He wonders how much longer they have to wait. Riker says they can continue to bypass the section of the computer that is affected, but the nanites are soon spreading through the whole ship. Suddenly, Picard smells a change in the air - the bridge is being flooded with toxic levels of nitrogen oxide, a reaction to the attack by Stubbs. Riker manually overrides the air handler and removes the toxic gas, but the bridge continues to suffer malfunctions, with lights flashing on and off and consoles activating and deactivating. The next moment, Worf arrives on the bridge, along with Stubbs and Data. He informs Picard of Stubbs' actions and that all the nanites in the upper core have been killed. The bridge systems are continuing to malfunction, as Stubbs stands smug in front of Picard. "You have no choice now. It is a matter of survival," he says. Picard begins to inform him what would happen if he was a member of his crew, but the doctor interrupts him, reminding him he has been sent by the "highest command of the Federation." Picard replies that he would have Stubbs' head, should anything happen to anyone on the Enterprise-D. Stubbs cannot believe that the Captain wants to save them, when they are only "machines with a screw loose." Data proves him wrong by informing him that his own actions have shown that the nanites do indeed possess a collective intelligence. Their actions against the life support system were in direct response to the irradiation of the upper core; it is difficult to see it as anything other than retaliation. The warrior in Worf suggests to the Captain that, as the ship is at risk, extermination may be the only option. After a brief pause for thought, Picard orders Dr. Stubbs confined to his quarters. As he leaves the bridge, the systems come back online and the Captain asks Data if there is anyway to communicate with the nanites. He suggests modifying the circuitry in the universal translator to enable communication with them. Dr. Stubbs, now working in his quarters, receives a visit from Counselor Troi. She says she wants to help him but Stubbs is resistant. He invites her to join him in New Manhattan on Beth Delta I, when the mission is over, where they can laugh over glasses of champagne. She refuses, saying his "self portrait is so practiced, so polished." She continues by telling him that it is stretched so tight that the tension fills the room and that if he finally fails, it may snap. He congratulates her on a good try and informs her that "sometimes, deep down beneath a man's self portrait, you may find nothing at all." The Counselor has had enough and leaves. The doctor goes back to his work. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Data is busy trying to communicate with the nanites. He doesn't seem to be having any luck, as of yet. Stubbs is now resting in his quarters, imagining a baseball game out loud while he drifts off to sleep. Suddenly, the computer terminals begin to switch off, plunging the room into darkness, but Stubbs is oblivious. A bolt of electricity climbs the wall and enters the food replicator, where it sends a surge towards Stubbs. He cries out in pain. The security officer outside hears his scream but the door is locked. A second later, Stubbs comes staggering out of the doorway and falls into the crewman's arms. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher is treating the doctor on the main biobed, when Captain Picard walks in. He says he cannot believe that it was an arbitrary attack. Crusher asks him if Data has made any progress but, before he gets a chance to respond, Stubbs grabs Picard and begs him to protect him by killing the nanites. Picard enters the bridge and informs Riker that he has decided to irradiate the nanites with gamma radiation. Just as Worf readies the gamma pulse generators, Data reports he has established contact. Data explains that, as they continue communicating, the nanites learn more and adapt. Picard asks if they can talk to them, yet. Data believes it is worth an attempt and Dr. Stubbs is brought to the bridge. The captain tells Stubbs to apologize to the nanites, so they can negotiate peace. Data proposes he allow the nanites to inhabit his body, so as to make communication easier. He explains how they can interface with his programming by entering his neural net, something which would only require them to use their basic skills. Worf protests, arguing that, if they had control of a Starfleet commander, they would become an even greater threat. Picard wants to know if they can be removed from Data. Data says it would be an enormous risk but would demonstrate trust on their part. Picard agrees and Data submits the suggestion to the nanites, along with a diagram of the path they need to take once inside him. They agree. Picard, Riker, Worf, Data and Stubbs are now down in the computer core, where Data is making preparations for the transfer. He places his hand on a piece of equipment and the nanites enter his body. His head suddenly jerks up and haltingly looks around, as the nanites experience the world as Data does for the first time. "You are very strange looking creatures," they say. The captain explains that they have encountered even more creatures, perhaps even more strange looking than them, and that they seek to live peacefully with them. The nanites ask why they were attacked. Picard tells them that that they misinterpreted their actions as an attack. They explain that they were seeking out new raw materials for use in their replicating process and that they meant no harm. The nanites turn to Stubbs. He apologizes for the deaths of the nanites and explains he was protecting his lifetime's work. Picard interrupts, proposing they end the conflict. "Mistakes were made on both sides," he says. The nanites agree, but they have a request. "This ship is too confining. We require relocation." With all systems restored and the nanite situation resolved, Dr. Stubbs' experiment goes ahead as planned. The Egg is launched and everything goes according to plan. Dr. Stubbs is in a state of excitement, as the computer telemetry pours in. In Ten Forward, Beverly Crusher is talking to Guinan about being a parent, when Wesley enters and it looks like he has a girlfriend. The Doctor is happy to see him finally enjoying himself. "It's so good to see him having fun for a change, with an attractive young woman who obviously looks at him with extraordinary affection." She suddenly realizes something. Turning to Guinan, she quickly asks, "What do you know about this girl?" 
<EOS>
In Ten Forward, a string quartet is tuning up. Data enters carrying a violin and approaches Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher, who are sitting nearby at a table. He advises that they attend the second concert, as he will not be playing the violin, saying that although his playing is technically proficient, he has been told by his fellow performers that he lacks soul. He says he is only trying to be honest, but Picard tells him that excessive honesty can be dangerous in a leader. Data takes his place, but just as the quartet begins the first movement of Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Riker calls Picard to the bridge, forcing the Captain to depart, painfully aware that it appears he's walking out on his friend's performance. When he gets there he learns that they have been contacted by the Sheliak Corporate, for the first time in 111 years. In a recorded message, set on repeat broadcast from the Shelia system, they demand that a Human colony on Tau Cygna V be removed, as this planet was ceded to the Sheliak in the Treaty of Armens. They give them four days to remove the Humans. The Federation has no record of a settlement on the planet, which is cloaked in hyperonic radiation that is lethal to Humans. Picard reasons that there must be someone there, so they set course for Tau Cygna. On arriving there, Lieutenant Worf detects Human life signs, but interference from the radiation prevents him from determining how many exactly. The radiation also prevents the use of the transporters and phasers. Crusher suggests that they must have adapted somehow; previous research had suggested it could be done, perhaps through extensive virotherapy. Picard says they must be evacuated or the Sheliak will remove them forcefully, as they consider Humans a lower form of life. 'Forceful removal' would more than likely equate to outright extermination. As Data is unaffected by the radiation, Picard orders him down to the surface, Riker commenting that there are probably only a dozen or so survivors. Data lands the shuttlepod Onizuka on the surface, and is approached by two humans, Kentor and Haritath. They recognize that he must be from the Federation and tell him he is the first visitor they have ever had. They will bring him to their leader, Gosheven. They claim to be descendants of the original settlers from the colony ship SS Artemis. On the USS Enterprise-D, Riker learns that the Artemis was launched 92 years ago, its destination being Septimis Minor, but when they missed a check in, an extensive search by Starfleet was begun. To the shock of the bridge crew, Data informs them that there are 15,253 colonists. Without transporters, and using only shuttles it will take over four weeks to evacuate the colony. Picard orders Data to prepare for evacuation, and tells Worf to attempt to hail the Sheliak colony ship. On the surface, Data is brought to the town square where he meets Gosheven. He explains the situation and the need for evacuation, but Gosheven won't listen to him, and claims the planet is theirs. When the guidance system on the Artemis failed it took the ship far off course, and their ancestors were lucky to find Tau Cygna V to land on at all. One third of the colonists died before they learned that they could adapt to the radiation. Data agrees that the colony is remarkable, but as the planet clearly belongs to the Sheliak, the most sensible course of action is to evacuate. Gosheven tells him to go back to his ship. Someone throws a pipe towards Data, which he catches. A woman approaches, marveling at his reflexes and at him in general. She says she is very interested in cybernetics, and wants to question him. However he tells her he needs to know more about the settlement and its people. She agrees to show him around, and introduces herself as Ard'rian McKenzie. Gosheven is not happy with this development. In the observation lounge, Riker tells La Forge and O'Brien to try to get the transporters to function. They leave, and Picard goes to the bridge to talk to the Sheliak director. They are very hostile, and repeat that the Humans must be removed. Picard tries to get them to compromise, but they refuse to negotiate, saying the law is paramount, then cut him off. In Ard'rian's house on Tau Cygna, she tells Data that Gosheven won't listen to him because he is an android. She however, believes androids are better than Humans, as they have no emotions to cloud their judgment. Picard contacts Data, telling him he's contacting Starfleet for a transport ship. The transporters are still not working despite La Forge, O'Brien and Wesley Crusher's best efforts. Data is trying again with Gosheven, but he still won't listen. He calls the town a monument to his people, saying his grandfather died in its construction. Too much has been sacrificed for them to leave. Data comes to the conclusion he will have to convince others of the need to leave, and Ard'rian says she will help him. In the captain's ready room, Picard tells Riker that Starfleet is profuse in its apologies and that it will be three weeks before a colony transport ship will arrive. He will have to convince the Sheliak to compromise. Then he realizes that with the distances involved and the timetable the Sheliak intend on, their colony ship must be already en route, and orders the Enterprise to intercept. Riker contacts Data and tells him what's planned. Data is unsure if he can arrange the evacuation, saying few colonists want to leave, but Riker dresses him down, saying he's responsible for the 15,000 colonist lives. He asks how violent the Sheliak may be in dealing with the colonists themselves; Riker explains that the treaty was the only thing preventing them from eradicating the colony the moment they discovered it. Ard'rian tells Data that Gosheven has called a meeting to discuss the situation, then gives him a kiss, saying that she thought he needed it. She then suggests some reverse psychology is needed. At the meeting, Data makes a speech, saying he admires their doomed effort, and how they are willing to die for land and so on. Gosheven sees through it, but Kentor and Haritath are getting worried. Gosheven starts to talk about his grandfather, when Ard'rian interrupts, saying, "who will bury you?" Gosheven counters, saying he is not willing to lose everything without a fight. The crowd cheers and gathers around him. Later Kentor and Haritath approach Data and confess they are not convinced by Gosheven. Ard'rian suggests a secret meeting at her house. The Sheliak ship is intercepted, and hailed. Picard uses a clause in the treaty to get a hearing with them. In Ard'rian's house, Kentor agrees to the need for an evacuation, but says they still need to convince Gosheven. Then Gosheven turns up, saying the matter is settled, there will be no evacuation. He then gives Data an electrical shock with a tool, knocking him out. The crowd leaves, as Ard'rian tries to revive Data. Troi and Picard beam over to the Sheliak ship. Picard asks for some flexibility, saying they need three weeks. The Sheliak refuse, saying they will kill all the colonists if they are not removed. They then beam them back over to the bridge of the Enterprise. On Tau Cygna, Data reawakens and says that actions speak louder than words, so some drastic action is needed. He returns to the Onizuka and modifies a Type 2 phaser using parts of his own circuitry, so it will work in the radiation, and tells Ard'rian to let Gosheven know he intends to destroy the aqueduct at the pumping station. Picard has the Enterprise put on yellow alert and tells the Sheliak they will have to go through him to get to the colonists. He then decides to look through the treaty for something that will help. On the planet, Data has made his way to the pumping station unseen, where Gosheven has posted four armed guards and many of the colonists are present to watch what Data may do. He pops up from his hiding spot and stuns the guards as a demonstration of his firepower, and then demonstrates a stronger setting, firing it at the aqueduct and vaporizing the entire flow of water up to its source in the mountains. He informs the stunned colonists that he could reduce the pumping station to a pile of debris, but trusts that his point is clear. He then tells them that one android with a hand phaser has destroyed their aqueduct, while hundreds of Sheliak are on their way, with far more powerful weapons, and the will, to eradicate their entire colony from orbit; they will not even see the faces of their killers before they die. The choice is theirs. Kentor speaks out, saying they must leave, telling Gosheven that there are challenges awaiting them elsewhere on another world. As colonists leave to start preparing for the evacuation, Data comforts Gosheven, hunched mournfully over the aqueduct, where the water has started to flow again. Gosheven now understands the reality of their situation, but tells Data that he really was ready to die for all they've built. Data knows this, but reminds him that the aqueduct -- and by extension, the colony it sustains -- is merely a thing. It can always be replaced: lives cannot. Looking through the treaty, Picard sees something. He hails the Sheliak, and requests third party arbitration, as is his right. He nominates the Grizzelas, who are in the middle of their hibernation cycle for another six months. Three weeks or six months: which would they prefer? The Sheliak insist that their colonization plans will not be delayed, but when Picard declares the treaty in abeyance for arbitration, they realize he's serious and quickly change their minds about negotiation; he cuts them off by closing the channel. They hail him back, but Picard makes them wait before answering, taking the time to casually inspect the ship's dedication plaque for dust, and return to settle into his command chair. They grudgingly agree to give him the three weeks and he politely thanks them. Data is preparing to leave in the Onizuka, when Ard'rian approaches and says the evacuation plan is going well; they'll be ready to go when the transport ship arrives. She asks if he feels anything for her, but he reminds her he has no feelings at all. She looks downcast before Data kisses her, saying she appeared to need it. He returns to the Enterprise, where he goes to Picard's ready room. Picard is listening to a recording of Data's concert that Dr. Crusher made for him, and comments how he has managed to combine two disparate styles successfully. Picard considers this highly creative. Data is forced to admit that through his situation on Tau Cygna V, he has indeed learned to become more creative. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to a Federation colony, Delta Rana IV, which sent a distress signal indicating they were under attack. When the Enterprise crew arrives, they find the entire planet completely devastated, save for a few acres of land and a house. Still aboard the Enterprise, Counselor Troi senses something unusual about the two. Riker heads a landing party to the surface, meeting two elderly botanists, Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge originally from Earth. They did not know they were the only ones left on the planet, but they haven't heard from the colonists. They did observe a large ship in orbit, taking the world apart, but did not visit the surface, so they don't know who they are. Riker asks if the landing party can investigate the house to see why they have been spared, but they can't find anything. While they investigate the house, Data becomes fascinated by a music box on Rishon's shelf. At that moment, Troi begins hearing music in her mind, replayed in an endless loop. The music blocks her empathic abilities, an uncomfortable experience. The two survivors refuse to be beamed up to the Enterprise when Riker offers them safety aboard. They insist, saying they have each other. In the Enterprise observation lounge, the senior staff wonder if the two survivors provided anything to the assailants. Troi, however, hears the music during the conversation and can't concentrate, excusing herself. Picard goes to Troi to check on her, learning of the music she is hearing. Despite Worf's thorough search of the system for the invading force with nothing found, the Enterprise soon is attacked by a large warship, apparently the one responsible for the devastation. Data reveals that there is no record of the ship in the vehicle identification index. The ship flees after the Enterprise fires a warning phaser shot. After being unable to catch up with the unidentified ship, Captain Picard returns to the Delta Rana system. Upon returning, he visits the two survivors with Worf, offers them a portable replicator, and stays for tea to talk to them. Rishon relates their history, and also the horrors of the colonists' fate. Picard says he can't leave until he finds out what happened, and describes his encounter with the unknown ship to the two survivors who, again, claim not to know why they were spared. Picard says that there must be something different about them from the other colonists, and insists on taking the survivors back to the ship. They again refuse, and Picard and Worf return to the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Troi is still haunted by the music, which is becoming louder, soon rendering her hysterical and incapable of doing much of anything beyond tearfully begging Dr. Crusher to make it stop. She suggests moving her to sickbay, which Troi refuses. Dr. Crusher offers to induce delta-wave sleep, but Troi is convinced the music is real and that not even deep sleep will spare her from it. The Enterprise goes into red alert as the unidentified ship returns with more firepower. Picard attempts to open a hailing frequency before being attacked again. This time, its attacks are much stronger.  The Enterprise throws everything she's got at it, but the alien ship's defenses dissipate the Enterprise's attack harmlessly. After taking severe damage and incurring casualties, the Enterprise escapes the ship's firing range. Picard now guesses the survivors are in no danger. In Troi's quarters, Picard theorizes to Dr. Crusher that Troi's music stems from Rishon and Kevin's unwillingness to leave, preventing her from seeing the truth of the matter. Back in the Delta Rana system, Picard believes that the unknown ship is no longer in the vicinity, and that it somehow protects Kevin and Rishon, directly or indirectly. He then returns to the planet to talk to the survivors. The survivors appear to be celebrating and are startled by Picard and Worf's sudden appearance. Kevin asks Picard and Worf to leave him and his wife alone. Picard tells him that after he leaves, he will never set foot in their home on Rana again, for any reason. He explains to the survivors his recent encounters with the ship, however Kevin refuses to believe him, calling his stories methods of intimidation. Right before leaving, Picard sternly explains that - so long as the two are alive - the Enterprise will remain in orbit around Rana IV. Upon beaming back to the Enterprise, the unidentified ship reappears, much to the evident dismay of Worf. Commander Riker and Worf begin preparations for a fight, but Picard calmly informs them that the Enterprise will take no action. The alien ship veers away from the Enterprise,targeting the house of Kevin and Rishon. The house and plot of land are utterly obliterated. The ship itself is then blown apart by a single photon torpedo from the Enterprise. Picard orders the Enterprise to stay, and to look out for anything and everything. The crew are astounded by this turn of events, and even more puzzled as to why they remain in orbit over a dead planet. After approximately three hours, Geordi La Forge notices a change in sensor readings and informs the captain that the house and land are back. Picard orders Kevin and Rishon to be beamed directly to the bridge, and confronts them over what really happened on the planet. Speaking to Rishon, Picard notes that all of his senses tell him that she exists, but he has realized that she is not real. Rishon then vanishes, leaving only a sad Kevin. Picard tells him he knows he's not Human. Kevin then teleports to the turbolift; Picard orders the crew to keep clear and to track him, as he believes Kevin to be a creature of conscience that has some unfinished business before returning to the surface. Dr. Crusher visits Troi's quarters, startled to find Kevin at her bedside: he has removed the music from her mind. The music was his creation; her empathic powers were also threatening to reveal the truth. Picard enters and demands the truth about what happened to the planet. Kevin makes a startling confession: he is in fact a Douwd, an immortal being with vast powers. He met his Human wife many years before, and decided to live as a Human with her. The alien raiders were the Husnock, who he knew as being of "hideous intelligence, knowing only aggression and destruction".  As a devout pacifist, he was ethically limited to avoid using his vast abilities to harm them. He used his powers to try to trick them instead, which only made them more angry and cruel.  Rishon joined the colonists in fighting what Kevin knew to be a hopeless battle against the raiders, and was subsequently killed. Viewing her broken body, he suffered a moment of weakness. Out of regretting his inaction, in a moment of insane rage at the raiders, and grief at his tragic loss, he instantly annihilated the entire Husnock race -- all fifty billion -- with a single thought. Stunned at his "sin", Kevin recreated Rishon and their house, and sentenced himself to exile on the ruined Delta Rana IV. He used the fake warship as a ruse to try and keep the Enterprise from finding out the truth. Picard confesses that the Federation, much less humanity, is not qualified to judge him, or the issue, and allows him to stay on Rana IV. With Troi returned to full health, the Enterprise departs for Starbase 133. Picard notes in his log that the Douwd is a being of extraordinary power, and isn't sure if he should be condemned for his crime or praised for his conscience. What he does know, however, is that "Kevin" should be left alone. 
<EOS>
The observation post is studying Mintakans, proto-Vulcan humanoids at the Bronze Age level, from behind a holographic wall. When contacted en route, Dr. Barron informs the USS Enterprise-D they only have 3 hours of battery backup remaining. However, during the status report, there is a large explosion, resulting in power failure, injuries, and the transmission failing. Captain Picard orders that the Enterprise increase speed to warp nine. When the Enterprise arrives, and the away team begins repairs, flashing lights from behind the failed holographic wall draw the attention of two Mintakans, Liko and Oji. Before the holographic generator can be repaired, Liko manages to get a glimpse of the inside. When noticed by Data, he accidentally touches one of the electrically charged walls, and falls off. Dr. Crusher, acting upon instinct, goes down, scans him with her tricorder and gets him beamed to sickbay. Oji is amazed when she sees them disappear into thin air. Only now is the holographic generator repaired successfully. Dr. Crusher, after defending her decision to violate the Prime Directive in this manner, performs a short-term memory wipe, a technique of Dr. Pulaski. When Dr. Barron awakens in the next bed, he is informed of the situation: one of the scientists, Dr. Palmer, is still down there. Liko sees Picard explaining this, and giving several orders before Dr. Crusher re-sedates him. When Liko is beamed down to the planet, he does in fact remember everything. He explains to Oji about his experience, convinced that the beings of legend saved him, and knew the name of one: the Picard. In a meeting in the Enterprise's observation lounge, Data explains that Mintaka III exhibits karst topography, notably sinkholes and caverns. He explains that the rock strata also contains a thallium compound which interferes with ship's sensors, making it difficult to locate Palmer's life signs. Crusher underlies the importance of finding Palmer, as he is badly injured and suggests sending an away team down to locate him. Troi notes that their presence must not interfere with the natural development of the Mintakans and Picard agrees, noting that cultural contamination must be prevented. Commander Riker tells the captain he has a suggestion. Riker and Troi beam down to Mintaka III, and once they arrive in the town, they hear that Liko's story is continuing around. Nuria is one of the major skeptics. Riker and Troi attempt to convince them it was a dream, but to no avail. Then Dr. Palmer is brought in, and Liko is convinced it will please the Picard. Riker reports that "we have a problem." When Riker reports this, Dr. Barron is adamant that Palmer should be beamed aboard, since the cultural damage has been done. Picard will look for an opportunity, but refuses to do it immediately or drastically. The town concludes that Palmer should be kept safe to please the Picard, and he will be bound in case he was hiding from the Picard. Troi attempts to distract many members by claiming that "another servant of the Picard" is headed for the caves, while Riker binds the lone, elderly guard Fento and escapes with Palmer. He manages to beam back to the ship before he can be caught by Hali. Troi, however, is captured. Liko suggests they harm Troi to hold off the Picard's anger. Nuria refuses to until they have have at least tried to find Riker and Palmer, noting that with Riker carrying Palmer, they couldn't have gotten far. Meanwhile, on the ship, Dr. Barron suggests that Picard "show them a sign". He refuses, citing again the Prime Directive, and all of the damage he would do, over Barron's objections that the Prime Directive has already been violated and the damage has already been done. Picard states that he cannot "impose a set of commandments on these people." Instead, he believes that he can convince Nuria that "the Picard" is not magical, simply very advanced. When Nuria is alone, Picard alone transports her aboard. Upon hearing Picard state his name to her, she cries out and bows in reverence. Picard tells Nuria to get up, and tries to talk her out of her superstitions. When it does not work, he shows her the ship, the view of her world, and continues to explain to her the fact he is only natural, using technology which evolved over many centuries, comparing it to some of the technological advances of her era, such as building huts, weaving cloth, or shooting a bow and arrow. She appears to understand, but then asks Picard to return her people to life who are long dead. Since there seems to be nothing else he can do to convince her, Picard brings her into sickbay when Dr. Mary Warren is dying. Nuria watches her die, and then finally understands: she couldn't be saved; his power does have limits. Picard's people are remarkable, but not supreme beings. Meanwhile, on the planet, a storm frightens Liko, one out of season and quite intense. Believing the Picard has sent it, and without Nuria to question his actions, he prepares to sacrifice Troi, feeling he has no choice. Troi attempts to dissuade him by casting doubt as to whether the Picard actually wants him to sacrifice her, and Liko prays to the Picard for guidance. Just in time, Picard returns with Nuria, who attempts to persuade Liko that Picard is mortal, and not "The Overseer", or God. Liko, however, will not believe it. He begs for Picard to restore his dead wife, but Picard again tries to explain this is impossible. In a desperate attempt to demonstrate Picard's supreme nature Liko aims his bow and threatens to shoot him. Nuria attempts to stand in between Liko and Picard, but Picard gently moves her out of the way, encouraging him to indeed shoot if that is the only way he will be convinced that he is truly mortal. Liko shoots, just as Oji pushes him, and the arrow injures Picard seriously in the shoulder, for all to witness. Only now, as Nuria shows him Picard's red blood, does Liko believe in Picard's mortality. He shows them the observation post, and explains their presence, their desire for research, and the Prime Directive. Liko shows a firm understanding. Nuria sees progress for her people on a grand scale. After accepting a tapestry from a Mintakan boy, exchanging good will, he departs the planet. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D encounters a planet that appears to be uninhabited. Captain Picard sends an away team to investigate, led by Worf. Picard learns that the planet was once inhabited by a race called the Koinonians, but due to a war, every last person on the planet was annihilated; the civilization seems to have killed itself off. An accident happens to the away team; one of the members, Enterprise archaeologist Lieutenant Marla Aster, is killed when an unexploded mine detonates in a ceremonial chamber. She is pronounced dead upon arrival at the ship. Picard and Worf feel understandably very disturbed by this senseless death. The captain learns that the deceased crew member is survived only by a twelve-year old son, Jeremy. The son is now an orphan, as his father died when the boy was a child. Worf offers to go with the captain to tell Jeremy since he was the away team's leader. Picard says it is unnecessary, but does send another away team to the surface, headed by Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge, to find out what happened. On the bridge, Wesley Crusher tells Commander Riker that he understands what Jeremy will be going through since his father also died in the line of duty under Picard's command. Accompanied by Counselor Troi -- expressing to her his disapproval of the policy allowing families on board precisely because situations like this on the turbolift ride -- the captain reaches the classrooms and he breaks the news to the boy, who takes it bravely, but muses that he is completely alone now. Picard reminds him that on the starship Enterprise no one is ever alone. Data finds Riker drinking in Ten Forward and asks why Humans ask how well one knows the deceased. Riker explains by using Lieutenant Yar's death. Data says he feels more loss when talking about Yar, and Riker says that is exactly how Humans feel when knowing someone close as opposed to someone one does not know well. Data muses why one should feel the same sense of loss when dealing with other people's death. Riker says that if that were true, Human history would be a lot less bloody. In Picard's ready room, La Forge reports that five more mines, left over from the Koinonion wars, were found by the away team. However, unlike the one that killed Aster, these ones had recently been pulled up from the ground and defused despite there being no signs of any life on the planet. Worf still feels very unsettled with the situation, understandably as he was also orphaned by parents who died in the line of duty. He feels awful for the senseless death of the crew member and frustrated that there is no enemy he can fight/kill to avenge her. While speaking to Troi in the Enterprise's computer access room, he has the idea of protecting the boy through a Klingon ritual that will bond the two together for life. Although Troi advises against showing too much affection to him so soon after his mother's death, Worf introduces himself to Jeremy. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher has called Wesley to her office so that he can talk to Jeremy about the loss of a parent. Dr. Crusher reasons that having someone not that much older to talk to would help Jeremy. Wesley asks his mother if she ever thinks about his dad. He says sometimes he can't remember what he looked like and then there are days like this one where he can remember every detail of the day, down to the last hug and Picard's eyes when he had to break the news. On the bridge, Data reports an odd energy buildup on the planet's surface. The energy expands upwards from the planet, touching the ship. Soon afterward, Jeremy is alone in his quarters watching old videos of his parents on a PADD, when his mother appears to him, solid and seemingly real. Marla explains to Jeremy that the crew "made a mistake" and that she is not dead. Then she tells him that they will live on the planet, in a home, like on Earth. She promises that everything is alright. At that moment, Worf enters to check up on Jeremy, and summons Picard and a security team to deal with the situation. The entity posing as Marla Aster leads Jeremy to the transporter room where she wants Chief O'Brien to beam them to the surface. Picard and Troi catch up with them. The entity explains that she wants to take Jeremy to the planet, where they will live a happy life. Picard and Troi attempt to reason with her, but she is adamant. They take Jeremy from the transporter room by force, and the entity vanishes. Troi comforts Jeremy as best she can, taking him back to his quarters, but the entity isn't gone for long, returning and transforming Jeremy's quarters into a facsimile of his house on Earth and even recreates his pet cat, Patches. She repeats her desire to return to the planet with Jeremy. Troi explains to Picard that the entity doesn't understand why there is such resistance from the crew. It only wishes to make Jeremy happy. To thwart her efforts, La Forge remodulates the shields to block the energy from the planet; she, and the recreation of the house, again disappears. With a surge of power from the planet, the energy being enters the ship again, takes down a few security officers, and transforms Jeremy's quarters once more. La Forge gives the command to shut down all power to the transporters because even though the entities can come and go, Jeremy is flesh and blood and must use a transporter to leave the ship. Picard talks to the entity, trying to establish its motives. It explains that there were once two races of Koinonians -- one of energy, one of matter. The physical beings living on the planet engaged in a massive civil war while the energy beings refused to intervene/interfere. After the physical Koinonians destroyed themselves, the energy beings felt a terrible guilt that they might have been able to avert the tragedy if they had acted. They vowed never to let the conflict hurt another person, and feel responsible for the accident that killed Jeremy's mother. Therefore, they offer to raise him on the planet, and cannot comprehend why the Enterprise officers refuse to let them take him. Picard summons Worf and also Wesley to help explain his position -- that Humans must learn to deal with loss in their own way, and that they become stronger people overall because of it. He and Troi argue with the entity: how would he live on the planet with no friends, no career, no family? Wesley explains that when his father died, he hated Picard for a time because he survived the mission that killed Jack Crusher, but he has since got over his anger. Hearing this, Jeremy is able to express his anger at Worf but quickly understands that he is really just angry that his mother is gone and it was not actually Worf's fault. Worf tells how his own parents were killed at Khitomer, and he was raised by Humans -- then makes his offer to perform the R'uustai ritual with Jeremy, a ceremony that would make him a member of Worf's House. The energy being, seeing that Jeremy will be well looked after, leaves the ship. Later, Worf and Jeremy go through the R'uustai ritual in Worf's quarters, uniting their houses and making them brothers. 
<EOS>
Geordi La Forge enjoys a holodeck date with Christy, but he gets rejected by her just after he calls up a holographic gypsy violin player to play Johannes Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5. Christy tells La Forge that, while she thinks he is a great person, she doesn't like him in that way. Meanwhile, Data and Wesley Crusher play chess in Ten Forward. Wesley sees La Forge comes in and realizes that his date didn't go so well since it ended earlier than expected. The USS Enterprise-D is investigating the asteroid remains at Orelious IX. They discover a Promellian battle cruiser. Data says there are no life signs aboard the ship and Picard says there shouldn't be: it's a ship which belongs in a museum. He explains that they are 'a little late' and that the signal for help from the cruiser was probably sent over a thousand years ago. Picard and Riker argue about the risks of sending an away team to the old cruiser in a corridor. Picard likens the ship in space to a ship in a bottle. After Data informs Riker that there is an adequate amount of oxygen aboard the cruiser, Picard tells his first officer that the ship is exactly as the Promellians left it, in the bottle. This elicits confused stares from Worf and Data, prompting Picard to ask if any of his officers built ships in bottles when they were boys. "I never played with toys", Worf says. "I was never a boy", Data remarks. "I did, sir", Chief O'Brien informs Picard. Picard thanks the chief and has him beam the away team over. Riker gives O'Brien a look after his comment but O'Brien confirms that he truly did. Suddenly, the Enterprise experiences a power loss. O'Brien tells Riker that the transporter's secondary power bus may need adjusting. Riker tells O'Brien to keep him informed. Picard, Data and Worf materialize on the ship and discovers that the crew of the cruiser died at their posts and their bodies have been preserved. Picard comments on how simple the ship's design is, and yet functional and designed to be used for generations. La Forge sits in Ten Forward asking Guinan for romantic advice. He asks what does she look at in a man and she says, "his head." La Forge mistakes this for one's mind but she really means someone's head. She tells Geordi that she was once taken care of by a bald man when she was hurting and therefore looks for that. Geordi says that's what he wants too, to take care of someone. Data finds a memory coil on the Promellian cruiser and plays it. Galek Sar, the Captain of the Cleponji, takes full responsibility for what happened to his ship and its crew. The feedback ends, and the away team returns. The Enterprise tries to leave, but a Menthar booby trap begins to drain the power reserves of the Enterprise, which is unable to move, and creates a deadly radiation. The ship loses power and while Ensign Crusher tries to reverse course and leave at warp, the ship is still stuck. La Forge says that everything is running as it should, but he suggests that the ship slow down in case they burn out the reaction chamber. The Enterprise has three hours until energy reserves run out. In the observation lounge, Riker suggests sending another away team to the ship to check their records. Worf says the radiation is inhibiting the sensors. Lieutenant Commander La Forge does not yet have an explanation for the energy loss. Picard goes with the away team and leaves La Forge to research the problem. Afterwards, Dr. Crusher wants to set up emergency life support in case the ship does lose all power and is exposed to the radiation. Unfortunately, the crew will only be able to live for 30 minutes after exposure. Furthermore, cutting life support to non-operational areas would help. Data and Riker find more memory coils on the old cruiser and bring them back to the Enterprise for analysis. La Forge then checks with the computer on how to get out of the literal rut they've gotten themselves into. He finds Dr. Leah Brahms, the engineer who built the warp engines of the Enterprise, in the database and recreates the conditions in which he can work with her in order to find more energy for the ship. He tries to come up with a solution using the help of a holodeck recreation of Drafting Room 5 at Utopia Planitia and accidentally ends up having the computer recreate a holodeck image of Dr. Brahms as well. Dr. Brahms continues with her analysis, triggering an idea by La Forge. He happily reports a solution to the captain to get more energy to maintain the shields. Continuing on, Geordi pauses to search for Dr. Brahms' personality profile from the collective databases and has the computer add that personality to the recreated facsimile. The result is a tough-as-nails, highly intelligent but argumentative personality which La Forge finds progressively more attractive; she "comes to life" when he asks her to show him which chambers to use for supplementing energy to the life support and ship's systems. Data tries to use the information gathered from the memory coils to come up with a way to combat the problem. They discover that the asteroids have been booby-trapped with aceton assimilators, and that it is impossible to destroy the asteroids while they absorb the energy of the fired phasers. Commander La Forge and Dr. Brahms, now on a first-name basis, argue on how to make sure they can maintain the ship's life support and not lose additional power. Picard summons La Forge, who is so caught up with his discussion with Brahms that he says to her, "Don't go away," before coming to his senses and has the computer save the program. Riker wants to fire on the asteroids, but La Forge says that the shields might not hold. Picard sends La Forge back to engineering and has Worf fire phasers at the asteroids anyway. As soon as that happens, the radiation increases, the energy reserves are being lost, and the programs running unnecessary energy are terminated, including the holodeck program Geordi is running, just as he is about to make progress with how to run the ship out of the trap. Picard and the rest of the senior officers discuss in the observation lounge how they can get out of the trap and how long they have until fatal exposure, which Dr. Crusher estimates to be about 26 minutes from the time the shields fail. La Forge has Picard reinstate the holodeck energy so he can run simulations in order to find the solution. He gives him one hour to run the program. An hour later, Picard comes to the holodeck and finds Brahms and La Forge, to which he is confused. Geordi explains that in order to understand the ship's power, he needed to understand what the ship was made for when it was built. Picard asks for a solution and La Forge states that control would need to be turned over to the ship itself since the key to get moving lies in the time-differential between action and reaction. Human beings, and even androids such as Data, would be no match for making the calculations needed to navigate the asteroids. Picard discusses with Riker in his ready room the suggestion that La Forge has given. Riker says it's not a good idea because computer can take orders, but not create them. La Forge continues to run simulations of the computer taking control through the mine field of radiation. He gets one successful run but the rest of the runs are failures shows that the ship is unable to successfully escape the radiation field. At that moment, the deflector shields fail and counts down from 26 minutes until fatal exposure. Brahms still says that they must give control over to the ship and La Forge pleads for two more minutes with the captain to figure out a solution. It turns out the Human brain will provide a solution. Instead of trying to overpower the trap, a minimal energy boost from the impulse engines and minimal thrusters can be used to drift the ship clear from the booby-trapped field, while shutting down all non-essential systems. La Forge offers to take the conn since he's been the one running through the simulations, but the captain declines. In order to eliminate the time-differential between order and action, Captain Picard instead relieves Wesley of the conn to manuever the ship himself, while Riker warns the crew to brace themselves for the impulse burst, as the inertial dampeners are on manual.  Riker also disables the radiation exposure warning from the computer as it will only be a distraction. Picard and Data work together, with information provided to Picard as necessary from the bridge crew, and begin to steer the Enterprise clear of the field. However after getting around a large asteroid, Data finds that the variable gravity from the asteroids has sapped the Enterprise's inertia by eight percent; he calculates that they no longer have the momentum to escape the trap. Picard, unflappable, thanks him and plots a new course to take the Enterprise directly towards a large asteroid -- the gravitational pull increases the ship's momentum, allowing Picard, at the right moment, to slingshot the Enterprise around the mass and move the ship clear of the field, much to Data's amazement. Picard then orders Worf to destroy the Cleponji and the aceton assimilators to prevent it from luring any more victims. Back in the holodeck, Geordi says to Leah that he thinks technology improves people's lives, including his, and even his eyesight, lets species travel through the galaxy but sometimes, technology needs to be turned off. As he says his goodbyes to Leah, she reminds him that the ship is her and that she would never be far from him. They kiss, and Geordi ends the holodeck program. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D intercepts a distress call from a craft within the Neutral Zone and Captain Picard chooses to set aside Federation diplomatic policy and quietly respond. The Enterprise is just about to reach the vessel at maximum warp when the object plummets to the surface of an inhospitable, though life-supporting planet, Galorndon Core. Powerful electromagnetic storms on the surface are obscuring all scans and Picard orders an away team to beam down to the surface to look for survivors. Riker, La Forge and Worf are dispatched, and great care is taken in maintaining a transporter lock on them. As the team disperses, it is made clear that the atmosphere is very harmful and that it causes slow health decay. As well, their combadges do not function. Based on the markings on the remnants of the ship, Riker and Worf conclude that it was a Romulan vessel. As the group splits up to investigate the area, Worf locates a Romulan survivor, alive enough to feebly attack him. Worf incapacitates the Romulan and calls for Riker. Meanwhile, La Forge falls into a large chasm and is cut-off from the rest of the away team. As the transport window closes, Worf and Riker return to the beam-out site with the wounded Romulan, and are forced to return without La Forge to avoid being stranded on the planet. While the Romulan is rushed off to sickbay, Picard and Riker discuss the situation. Picard is concerned Galorndon Core could be a hiding place for the Romulans. They intend to question the Romulan as soon as they can. In sickbay, they are informed the Romulan, Patahk, is dying. Dr. Crusher determines that he needs a ribosome infusion from a compatible donor to live, one too complicated to replicate. She orders tests of all Enterprise crew to see if anyone can do this. Riker attempts to question him, but he will only state his name. He also states he was alone, which Riker interprets as false. On the planet, La Forge is OK. He melts chunks of silver ore with his hand phaser, fashions them into a pair of spikes, and uses them to make a difficult climb out of the pit. He makes it and takes a breather. Wesley Crusher proposes setting up a beacon out of a portable neutrino source installed in a probe sent to the planet. La Forge should be able to identify it on his VISOR as a signal, but must alter it to alert the Enterprise to beam him up. Picard agrees and he leaves to execute it. Data reports a transmission coming from the Neutral Zone. A Romulan commander named Tomalak is reaching out to the vessel and intends to arrive at the planet. Picard engages in dialogue with Tomalak, the commander of a Romulan D'deridex-class warbird to notify him of the rescued Romulan and implicitly confront him over the obvious transgression into Federation space. Tomalak claims it was a navigational error. They agree to rendezvous in the Neutral Zone, where Picard will hand over the dying Romulan found on the planet. Despite Riker and Worf noting the right to detain and interrogate the Romulan, Picard decides to return the officer when they are finished on the planet. Unfortunately, Crusher reports he is not responding to treatment. It appears a ribosome donor is the only answer. Wesley Crusher completed the beacon using a class-3 probe and Worf launches it. La Forge makes his way to the previous beam-out point, and sees the neutrino beacon. He recognizes it as Wesley's work and thanks him aloud. Making his way towards it, however, La Forge is knocked out by another Romulan. On the planet, the Romulan, whose name is Bochra, holds La Forge at disruptor-point. La Forge attempts conversation with him, however, the Romulan is very reluctant to relinquish authority or accept help, even after he is injured by falling rocks. The electromagnetic radiation has debilitating consequences for the Romulan, as he becomes paralyzed and is unable to walk. As it turns out, only Lieutenant Worf has the compatible ribosome for the Romulan. Citing his parents' deaths at the hands of Romulans at Khitomer, Worf refuses to donate his blood to Dr. Crusher. Back on the ship, the Enterprise is still waiting anxiously to hear back from La Forge. They hear from Tomalak, who has noticed they have not reached the rendezvous and objects to not being able to receive their man. La Forge is eventually successful in eliciting cooperation from Bochra, and explains their only hope is being able to sense the neutrino stream. Similarly to Bochra, however, La Forge's nervous system is soon compromised by the EM radiation, rendering him unable to process the signals he receives through his VISOR, and thus blinded. Riker attempts to convince Worf to agree to the transfusion, noting that grudges have to end some time. Worf still cannot agree. He's called to sickbay to see the Romulan before he dies. He tells the Romulan he can save him, but the Romulan states that he would rather die, that he doesn't want "Klingon filth" in his blood anyway. On the planet, Bochra suggests using the tricorder in conjunction with La Forge's VISOR to detect the neutrinos, but La Forge cannot perform this task blindly. So, Bochra offers to be his eyes while La Forge directs him as how to connect the tricorder and VISOR. The Enterprise soon learns that the Romulan ship has crossed the Neutral Zone and is entering Federation space. Bochra and La Forge successfully set up the tricorder. Finally, they are able to detect the location of the neutrino beam and alert the Enterprise. Picard calls Worf to his ready room to ask that he volunteer to donate his blood to the Romulan because they cannot afford causing an incident if the Romulan were to die on board a Federation starship. Worf respectfully refuses to do so. He, however, will do it if Picard makes it an order. Picard replies that he does not want to order him, but he asks and begs his security chief to reconsider. "I cannot", Worf says. Picard, without further pursuing this, dismisses him. While he informs Dr. Crusher as to Worf's final decision, she tells him that the Romulan has already died. Then, the Romulan ship approaches the Enterprise giving them one last chance to return their officer to them. When Picard informs him that he is dead, the Romulan ship powers up its disruptor array. At this instant, the signal-pattern from the neutrino beacon modulates, indicating that La Forge found it and is alive. Data also detects a second lifeform in addition to La Forge. They realize, however, that they cannot transport them with the shields up. At the same time, if they lower their shields, the Romulan vessel will strike. The EM window that allows for transport is rapidly closing, however, and they need to act quickly. Given that one of the people trapped on the planet is a Romulan, Picard hails the Romulan ship, explaining the situation and asks that they not fire on the Enterprise while it is transporting them over. Tomalak continues to ignore Picard but he also does not fire when La Forge and Bochra are beamed right to the bridge. He warns that if the Romulan fire destroys the Enterprise, they will have broken the cease fire that the Federation and the Romulan Empire currently enjoy. Picard tells Tomalak that he can transport his man back to his own ship. Bochra assures Tomalak that he has not given Starfleet any information and that, in fact, La Forge saved his life. Tomalak, who until the very end still refuses to acknowledge any wrong-doing on his side, is pleased. La Forge and Worf escort Bochra back to the transporter room so that the Enterprise can escort the Romulan ship out of Federation space. 
<EOS>
Counselor Troi enters her quarters after what appears to be an exhausting day. She begins to read some mail from her mother, ignoring a research inquiry originating in Canada from the Manitoba Journal of Interplanetary Psychology and plans on having a chocolate sundae from her replicator when she is called by Captain Picard to attend a reception in Ten Forward for delegates negotiating for the rights to the Barzan wormhole, which is about to appear visibly. After attempting to beg off, she reluctantly heads to Ten Forward, muttering sarcastically to herself about not wanting to miss seeing a wormhole. Once arriving, Picard introduces her to Premier Bhavani of Barzan II and two of the negotiators: Seth Mendoza of the Federation and Leyor of the Caldonians. Then the third negotiator, Devinoni Ral, a Human representing the Chrysalians, introduces himself. Troi seems immediately drawn to Ral, who has an attractive female companion on his arm. Those gathered then turn their attention out the forward windows, where the Barzan wormhole - the only stable wormhole known to exist - makes itself visible, as it does every 233 minutes. Troi then turns to Ral, who is looking at her with interest. Since the Barzans don't have the means to administer the wormhole's use, they are offering that right to interested spacefaring races and groups. Just as the negotiations start in the conference room, Riker informs them that a Ferengi delegation wants to be included. Bhavani admits that she was not expecting the Ferengi, but does not wish to incur any ill will. Picard has Chief O'Brien beam the Ferengi party directly to the conference room. Their leader, DaiMon Goss, begins by protesting at not being invited, then demands seats for himself and his two consuls, Dr. Arridor and Kol. Picard, keeping his temper with difficulty, informs the Daimon that all the parties have agreed to limit their delegations to one representative, that the two Ferengi counsels are welcome to accommodations aboard the USS Enterprise-D, and Picard will vacate his own chair for Goss. Goss says they can handle the pleasantries later; taking a large bag from Kol, he opens it on the table to display a pile of gold, confidently predicting that he can outbid anyone else at the table. Back in her office, Troi is researching Ral. She discovers that he was born on Earth in 2325, but moved to Hurkos III when he was 19. Her door chime sounds, and Ral enters. He begins a flirtatious conversation with Troi, during which he informs her that his traveling companion is now "traveling."  He then begins rather forwardly stroking Troi's hair, removing the hair clip she had in it. She protests slightly, but Ral silences her and then invites her to dinner at 20:00. In Picard's ready room, Picard, Riker, Data, La Forge and Mendoza are reviewing the data from the Barzans' unmanned probe sent into the wormhole, which indicates that the other end exits near the Denkiri Arm, in the Gamma Quadrant. Picard gives a low whistle: a distance that would take nearly a hundred years at warp nine to traverse, covered in a matter of seconds through the wormhole. Riker has some reservations; a "stable" wormhole is an unknown beast in the galaxy, and Picard agrees that, for all the eagerness of the other parties, the Federation should hesitate before bidding its resources to acquire "the proverbial lemon." Mendoza notes that, for all of Goss' bluster, the Ferengi don't have the resources needed to whet the Barzans' interest. Riker agrees, guessing that Ral, the most relaxed competitor at the table, is the one to worry about. Mendoza agrees, shrewdly guessing that Riker is a poker enthusiast. La Forge and Data volunteer to man a shuttlecraft to gather more meaningful information. Picard agrees, and says they may do so the next day, after taking more readings on the Barzan side of the wormhole. In the Ferengis' quarters, Dr. Arridor is helping Goss set up a "poison handshake" that will make whoever he grasps have a severe allergic reaction, albeit non-fatal, in order to remove the competition in the negotiations. They cackle at their ingenuity. At 8:00, Ral arrives at Troi's quarters. She invites him in for a drink, but he steals a kiss before she can order. She turns away, unsure of why she's so drawn to him and what she may do. She then orders champagne from the replicator; Ral appends the order "for two." Troi then admits that she's been constantly thinking of Ral, and steps forward and kisses him deeply. Troi breaks the kiss, stating that they'll be late for dinner. Ral then lifts her into his arms and states, "very late." Mendoza is staggering down the hallway, obviously a victim of Goss' handshake. He stumbles into sickbay, and collapses. Dr. Crusher and Martinez rush forward to help him. In Picard's ready room, the Ferengi are arguing with the captain and Riker about their plans to explore the wormhole. Picard offers to share their data, but Goss is skeptical. Riker angrily suggests they send their own probe, which Goss says he will. After the Ferengi storm out, Picard tells Riker to instruct Data and La Forge to stay out of the Ferengis' way on their shared probe mission. As Riker leaves, the doctor calls and asks for the captain to come to sickbay. The doctor tells Picard that Mendoza is having a histaminic reaction, and won't be able to return to the negotiations for several days. Picard and Riker leave, where Picard tells Riker that he'll have to take over for Mendoza. Riker protests, but Picard points out that he, Picard, is the host and cannot step in without awkwardness. However, Mendoza had already noted Riker's poker skills, and all he's doing is stepping into the game as the stakes are raised. Data and La Forge ready themselves in a shuttle to enter the wormhole at the same time that Arridor and Kol are doing the same in their pod. The opening of the wormhole appears, and Picard orders them to proceed. The Ferengi follow the shuttle in. Communications are quickly lost between the shuttle and the Enterprise as it rapidly travels across the galaxy. In the conference lounge, Ral is trying to undermine Riker's confidence as a negotiator, but Riker counters him well. Ral then continues his case for his clients, stating that the Chrysalians may be not be as powerful as "the mighty Federation", but they have the resources and technology to make the Barzans prosperous, and they have also had peace with all species for ten generations - something the Federation cannot claim. Later in Troi's quarters, Ral and Troi are having an intimate discussion about their developing relationship. Ral asks about Riker and Troi, and she admits that although they are friends now, they were once much closer. Troi then presses Ral about himself. Ral admits to her that he is also part Betazoid; he is one-quarter, Troi is one-half. Ral was the only child out of five with empathic abilities. He says this is why he left Earth, because it was difficult having empathic powers while others didn't. He then received training so he could handle them. At the other opening of the wormhole, the Enterprise's shuttle and the Ferengi pod arrive. La Forge tries to be cordial, but Arridor dismisses him. Data then notices that they are not where the Barzan probe's data indicated. They are 200 light years away from where the probe emerged, well within the Delta Quadrant, and 70,000 light years from Barzan II. Data speculates that this far end of the wormhole is unstable, moving about while the other end is anchored in the Alpha Quadrant. La Forge detects heightened sub-atomic activity with his VISOR in the now-invisible wormhole opening, and Data detects increased gravitational changes. While preparing for a gymnastics session, Crusher and Troi spend a few minutes giddily discussing Deanna's budding relationship with Ral. In Ten Forward, Goss is making unsuccessful passes at female crew members at the bar. Ral is talking with Leyor about his people's motivations for administering the wormhole, since the Caladonians are more renowned for their scholarly pursuits. Leyor admits that he's uneasy about taking on the responsibility of administering the wormhole. At the next session of the negotiations, Leyor suddenly withdraws his people's stake. Riker immediately asks to negotiate with the Caldonians for their resources to be added onto the Federation's offer. But Leyor reveals that the Caldonians have already negotiated such an arrangement with Ral's clients. Riker voices his suspicions, but Ral coolly says it was just a matter of timing. He then adds the Caldonians' assets to the Chrysalians'. Back in the Delta Quadrant, La Forge is trying to convince Arridor that the wormhole is unstable, and that they should all return immediately. Arridor dismisses him again. La Forge and Data enter the wormhole before it is visible, returning to the Alpha Quadrant. After they leave, Arridor chuckles that they quickly panicked, and the wormhole becomes visible again, right where he predicted. But before they can enter, the wormhole's opening zips away, leaving Arridor and Kol with their mouths agape, stranded in the Delta Quadrant. That evening, Troi and Ral are having dinner in her quarters. Troi says everyone's talking about Ral's coup. She then accuses him of using his empathic powers to unfairly read his competitors' emotions to gain negotiating advantage. Ral disagrees with her assessment, saying he uses that plus reading body language, just like any other good negotiator. Troi then says that he hides his empathic powers not because they make others uncomfortable, but because they are his secret tool to outmaneuver his opponents. He then storms out. Later that evening in Ten Forward, Ral sits with Riker and compliments him on his negotiation skills. But Ral says it is in the last round of negotiations that the stakes become highest, and only those willing to take the biggest risks will succeed. Ral, for instance, confides that he is willing to commit his clients to owning the wormhole before the Federation and Ferengi explorations return with more data - can Riker say the same?  Riker is silent. Ral then further needles Riker, hinting at his intimacies with Deanna, saying he'll take Troi away from Riker and the Enterprise, because Riker was not attentive enough. At that, Riker smiles, saying that if it makes Deanna happy, then he's all for it. He then needles back, saying that Ral isn't such a bad fellow, but he is, at heart, a mercenary, with nothing to value or look forward to except his next deal. Riker can attest, from experience, that Deanna is just the sort of woman who could bring some meaning to Ral's sorry life - if Ral is the sort of man with the wit to realize it, but "I doubt that you are." The next day, Ral and Riker are back at the negotiating table, but DaiMon Goss has left the Enterprise. He's gone back to his ship, and complains that the Federation has not acted fairly, that they already have an agreement with the Barzan. Picard denies this, but Goss fires a missile at the wormhole to destroy it. Worf destroys it anyway with a quick phaser shot. The Enterprise goes to red alert, drawing Riker out of the negotiations. Ral then takes this opportunity to point out that the Federation-Ferengi power play wouldn't be an issue if his clients were the wormhole's administrators. Goss continues to threaten to destroy the wormhole, but Troi says he's lying, almost unequivocally. Ral and Bhavani then enter the bridge, where Ral offers to quell Goss' anger. He says he's come to an agreement with the Barzan on behalf of the Chrysalians, and that he's willing to allow Ferengi free access to the wormhole if he stands down, in exchange for trade concessions to the Chrysalians to be negotiated later. Goss accepts, and Bhavani apologizes to Riker for negotiating behind his back, but she realized that the Chrysalians' long tradition of peace makes them a more desirable partner than the Federation. Troi, though, speaks up, revealing Ral's empathic powers, and guessing correctly, that the minor upset was a piece of theater arranged between Ral and Goss to tip Bhavani towards Ral's side. Among other things, she sensed a complete absence of tension from either Ral or Goss during the confrontation. Goss begins to protest, and Picard orders the communication off. Wesley Crusher then announces that the shuttle is returning from the wormhole. La Forge hails them, saying he's reporting in, though just barely. Picard asks where the Ferengi pod is, and La Forge informs them that the Ferengi pod is stuck in the Delta Quadrant. Data explains that the other end of the wormhole shifts, and that eventually the Alpha Quadrant end will shift too - the wormhole is not stable at all, and is indeed worthless. Bhavani sags - whatever short-term gains her people will receive from the Chrysalians, the wormhole will not usher in the new age of prosperity she was fervently hoping for. Riker cannot resist "congratulating" Ral on his "victory" in the negotiations. Ral does his best to smile, saying he wouldn't take the risks if he wasn't prepared to lose, and will stand by his clients' new commitments to the Barzans. Worf announces that DaiMon Goss is hailing, demanding to know where his men are. Picard instructs Worf to tell Goss that if he heads for the Delta Quadrant, he'll meet up with them in about eighty years. Ral makes a final visit to Troi, saying that he's being recalled by the Chrysalians to address their questions about now owning a worthless wormhole. Troi offers a half-hearted apology, and he shrugs, saying his services have been valuable to them in the past, enough that he can be reasonably sure nothing really unpleasant will be done to him. He admits to her that he read Bhavani's desire to contract with the Federation, and had to act on that. She then tells him that she was obligated to let everyone know the nature of his skills once he did that. Ral admits that he now sees the error of his ways, and he asks Troi to run away with him, to be his conscience. She turns him down, saying she already has a job as a counselor. He leaves without another word. 
<EOS>
Riker, Dr.  Crusher, Worf, and Data beam into an unknown, very torn-apart room in a Federation outpost. After lifting a few pieces of debris, Worf observes that the reactor belonging to whomever was stationed here is missing. Crusher sees blood on a sharp metal fragment, and notes it is not Human blood, and will have to do more tests on it when they get back to sickbay on the USS Enterprise-D. Data detects life signs behind a door, demonstrating his superior strength and pries the door open when Worf could not. Behind it, two federation scientists lie, stunned and unmoving. Crusher remarks that the scientists were hit with several phaser stuns each, and it will take them some time to recover. Crusher shows Picard the results of her scan of the blood, that it is unique to one humanoid species: the Acamarians. That would suggest Gatherers, nomadic marauders belonging to that species and who raid similar outposts to the one the scientists belonged. Picard, realizing that the Gatherers have not gone as far as this outpost before, orders Wesley on the bridge to set a course for the Acamar system. Marouk, a middle-aged woman dressed in yellow, sits in the conference lounge as Picard briefs her on the raids. Marouk says that they've only managed to capture a handful of them, but with Starfleet's help, they could find many more. Picard, ever the diplomat, does not want to hunt them down but try to reconcile the orthodox Acamarians with the Gatherers; Marouk does not think it possible, and claims the Gatherers are animals and parasites, preying on all manner of civilization to live. A century ago, before the Gatherers left, the Acamarians were violent, inciting wars over the slightest injury. When they did split, the greater part of the race became peaceful, and the Gatherers, so Marouk thinks, remained in their savage, warlike ways. Picard insists that they find a way to reconcile the two halves of the species, as the problem affects them all. Marouk looks as if she may finally agree. Marouk, looking over the bridge, announces she is ready to leave as soon as two more of her servants are brought up; Riker sees to it. Marouk says there is a Gatherer colony in the Hromi Cluster; Picard orders a course set. In her quarters, Marouk watches the stars out the window as the Enterprise goes into warp, and offers compliments on the ship. Marouk turns to her young servant/chef Yuta and orders a light meal in twenty minutes; Yuta, a beautiful blond girl, asks Riker where the kitchen is, but Riker explains about the ship's replicators and orders a glass of water for the Sovereign. Yuta insists on tasting it, as it is also part of her duties to be sure that Marouk is not poisoned. Yuta says that although Marouk will be glad to try many Federation foods, there are a few Acamarian dishes that likely aren't programmed; Riker will arrange to have them put in. Yuta mentions one of her dishes, parthas, a green vegetable with fleshy roots, and Riker says he looks forward to tasting it, then excuses himself. On arriving to Gamma Hromi II, an away team consisting of Riker, Worf, Data, and La Forge beams down to try to find some Gatherers to communicate with. The team finds several things that the Gatherers stole, including a cheap metal alloy, noranium, Artonian lasers and a reactor that probably came from the ransacked outpost. The Gatherers aren't very particular about things they steal, apparently. Just then, the Gatherers attack. Worf yells "Ambush!'" While taking cover from their outmoded phasers' fire, Riker asks Data about the vaporizing temperature of noranium, and they use that information to set their phasers on setting seven and fire on the noranium piles, creating a smokescreen, and fake beaming up to the Enterprise. The Gatherers climb down to where the team was, and suddenly Worf grabs their leader from behind, growling, "Your ambushes would be more successful if you bathed more often!", followed by the away team surrounding their ambushers, phasers trained. Next, Picard, Marouk, and the others from the Acamarian delegation are down on the planet. The male Acamarian servant offers a drink to Brull, the leader, who offers it to Temarek, his second, to taste. He hesitates, so Brull grabs him, bends him over and pours it down his throat. Brull and the others, including Temarek, laugh at their own bravado, but Marouk turns away distastefully, barking, "You people haven't changed in a hundred years!" Brull replies, "You should know; you were there!" Picard again brings peace, and discusses calmly the benefits of their reunification. Brull looks about to agree to negotiate, but sends everyone else except Picard and Marouk away, so he would not look weak in front of his campmates. While everyone else is just looking around, Yuta approaches an old Gatherer named Volnoth and questions him about belonging to the clan Lornak. Volnoth says he is of that clan and asks why she wants to know. Yuta asks if she looks familiar to him. He says yes, but it is impossible, it was fifty years ago. Yuta reveals her clan affiliation: Tralesta. She brushes Volnoth lightly on the face, and his eyes go wide, and he appears to have a heart attack, convulsing. Just before he dies, Yuta says, "I am the last of my line, but my clan will outlive yours!" The focus returns to Brull and Marouk. Brull seems willing to talk, but is unsure. He decides that Chorgan, the leader of the Gatherers, would be a better judge. He allots twenty days to allow for the decision, but Marouk insists on making the offer to Chorgan, face to face. Picard offers Brull any number of Gatherers he wishes to take as guards, but he intends to go alone. He appoints a secondary Gatherer, Mallon, to be leader for ten days, when one of the Gatherers shouts and draws attention to something. Picard, Marouk, Yuta, and the Gatherers find Volnoth dead. Brull is unconcerned, noting that Volnoth was an old man, and the Gatherer, Temarek, who discovered his body immediately lays claim to his possessions. Marouk is disgusted, remarking that the Gatherers have no respect for the dead, to which Brull replies snidely that there should be no respect for a corpse. Crusher beams down and examines the body. She concludes that Volnoth died of cardiac arrest, but can find no cause for the sudden onset. The Enterprise warps away from Gamma Hromi II. Brull comes aboard the bridge, where Picard informs him to tell Wesley Crusher the coordinates of Chorgan's ship. Brull scoffs at the idea of a child on the bridge, to which Picard glares at Brull. He sets in the coordinates of 3-4-3 mark 7-2, all the while joking at the "child helmsman". Wesley notes that this path will take them through an asteroid belt, and he proposes an alternate route. Brull, uncaring, agrees to the path. In Ten Forward, Marouk and Picard talk about Acamarian history, including the blood wars between various clans on her home planet in the past century. When one clan did wrong to another, they sought vengeance, retribution for the actions, which would be passed on for generations. Picard briefly compares this to Earth's past, when Commander Riker and Counselor Troi enter. Yuta excuses herself, at which time Brull enters Ten Forward. Brull immediately goes over to the bartender area and grabs a drink out of a patron's hand, drinks a small amount down, and finds Wesley sitting in a remote corner near a window. He puts down the drink and approaches Wesley in a very casual manner, taking his PADD and asking what it contains. Wesley replies that it is his math homework. Brull can tell that Wesley does not like him. Wesley retorts that his dislike stems from Brull's being a thief. Brull shouts back, saying that the Gatherers steal to survive. Wesley then poses the question as to why he is now willing to reason with the Acamarians after a century, to which Brull replies that it would be the best for his children. Nearby, Yuta brings the parthas over to Riker and Troi. The two remark that it is a delicious dish, and Troi excuses herself, leaving Yuta and Riker alone in a conversation. Yuta explains how all her life, she was a servant to the Sovereign. Her life revolved around that. She also quips that, while Riker may make a good commander, he would be a poor Sovereign, because Riker does not believe in the system of servitude; he treats Yuta like an equal. Riker asks her why she is a slave to the Sovereign. Yuta replies that she is not a slave, that she can leave her at any time. However, she says that she cannot ever have freedom. Riker notes that Yuta while being an excellent chef, speaks rather cryptically, to which Yuta responds that she's always been a poor conversationalist. Marouk calls Yuta back. As she returns, Dr. Crusher contacts Riker, informing him of a surprising discovery. In sickbay, Crusher reveals to Riker that Volnoth was killed by a microvirus. The interesting part was that the microvirus was specifically designed for a certain strain of DNA in Acamarians, approximately one in a million. Riker notes that this is unnatural, which leads Crusher to presume that Volnoth was murdered. Riker lies back in his quarters, when Data contacts him and informs him that Acamar III has agreed to transfer its medical database to the Enterprise. The door chimes, and Yuta enters. Her time of servitude for the evening was over, and Marouk had suggested that she spend time with Riker. Riker quips about how obvious his affection for her was. She kisses him immediately, and then pulls back for a bit. However, Riker feels that Yuta is acting subserviently, which he feels is wrong. He wants Yuta to be his equal, not his slave. She, however, does not understand freedom and its emotions, let alone equality. She remarks that it has been a long time since she had been free. Riker tries to pull her into his embrace when the ship engages red alert and the ship rocks from weapons fire. Riker excuses himself and heads to the bridge while Yuta's face switches to a somber look. Aboard the bridge, Brull informs Picard that Chorgan's ship is the one that is firing on them. Worf tries to hail the ship, but gets no response. The ship rocks again from another round of fire. The captain asks Worf if they could take out his shields without doing any serious damage to his ship. Worf believes he can, and Picard prepares phasers and tries to send a threat by hail, but is yet again cut off by the weapons fire. Picard figures that since Chorgan won't listen, they'll have to get his attention. He orders Worf to fire phasers and the ensuing counter attack by the Enterprise takes out Chorgan's forward shields. Chorgan sends a hail to the vessel, and immediately assumes that Brull is a turncoat, having betrayed the Gatherers. Brull tries to reassure him, telling him that Sovereign Marouk is on board and wishes to talk. Chorgan refuses, but Picard forces his hand and announces that they're beaming aboard and cuts off the transmission. Picard calls off red alert and prepares to transport over to Chorgan's ship with himself, Brull, Marouk, and Yuta. Riker feels unsafe about letting the captain go alone, but Picard tells Riker that he needs to act as an arbitrator, and knowing that Chorgan won't do anything foolish while the Enterprise has phasers trained on his ship. Aboard the Gatherer vessel, Marouk, Brull, and Picard enter the makeshift bridge, and Chorgan invites them to sit. Before Picard can begin the preliminaries, Chorgan casually remarks that he could take Picard hostage then and there, and there is little anyone could do to prevent it. Picard looks up sharply, and Chorgan laughs, saying he has no intention of doing so -- he cannot deny that he is curious as to why the Federation and Marouk would go to so much trouble to track him down. Marouk gets right down to business, and proposes that every Gatherer receive amnesty. Chorgan scoffs, calling this an attempt at re-enslaving the Gatherers. Marouk replies that she might have considered that, before Picard had convinced her to seek a diplomatic solution. Marouk offers Chorgan some Acamarian brandy, but Chorgan refuses, still insisting that the Acamarians are enslavers, and asking sardonically whether the state will feed and clothe the Gatherers if they return to Acamar III. Marouk says no, the government has allotted land for their use at which Chorgan laughs heartily, stands up, and beckons her to his men, asking if they look like farmers. Marouk tells them that they are free to do whatever they want on the land, and that is the key to her offer: they will be free men, and no longer fugitives. After only a moment, Chorgan demands autonomy for the Gatherers on their new land. Marouk is outraged by Chorgan's gall, but Picard gently reminds her that Chorgan has gone from scorning her offer to at least being willing to discuss it. Restraining her temper, Marouk says that certainly the Gatherers will be entitled to certain basic rights, and Chorgan rejoins that those rights will be spelled out before he agrees to anything. Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Enterprise, Data is only able to find a birth record for Volnoth. While Riker and Data mull over the lack of information present, Dr. Crusher comes to the bridge with a startling fact: 53 years ago, someone died of the same microvirus. The man's name was Penthor-Mul, a Gatherer of the Lornak clan who raided an Acamarian outpost, but was captured and died before his trial. Data immediately makes the connection: Volnoth was also of the Lornak clan, as is Chorgan. Riker realizes that this microvirus is indeed targeted against Lornak clan members, and wants to find anyone who might have a grudge against the Lornaks. Crusher notes that the microvirus is transmittable in several different ways, and so finely tailored as to be perfectly harmless to the carrier, so long as he does not match the Lornaks' DNA signature. Data locates a record of a massacre eighty years ago, when the Lornaks were believed to have annihilated their rival clan, the Tralestas, from existence. Data cannot find any information on the Tralesta clan, but locates an image of Penthor-Mul before his execution. Data points out a half-obscured face behind him. Riker orders the computer to restore the face. The face belongs to Yuta. Crusher, Data, and Riker are in disbelief: Yuta has not aged at all in 53 years. Back on the Gatherer ship, Marouk is indignant about Chorgan's demand for three seats on the Ruling Council, saying that no clan ever has had that many. Marouk accuses Chorgan of being greedy, not interested in his people's welfare but only what he can grab for himself. Chorgan retorts that Marouk is trying to limit the abilities and rights of the Gatherers. Both leaders are on their feet, shouting accusations at each other, when Picard intervenes, reminding Marouk that, if their positions were reversed, she would be making the same demands as Chorgan. Marouk apologizes and sinks into her chair to calm down. Picard suggests a brief recess, and Chorgan agrees, admitting to interest in sampling Marouk's brandy. Marouk calls Yuta to pour a glass for everyone. As Yuta pours the brandy for Picard, then Marouk, Picard takes the opportunity to comment on how alike Marouk and Chorgan are -- a suggestion that outrages both of them, but Picard persists, remarking on how they are both extremely able negotiators and strong leaders. Chorgan scoffs that he and Marouk have nothing in common and they haven't reached any kind of agreement yet. Picard lifts his glass and says, on the contrary, they've agreed to share in the brandy. As Yuta heads towards Chorgan, Riker beams into the conference room. A Gatherer reaches for his weapon and Riker fires his phaser quickly, knocking him down. Chorgan snarls that the Federation has laid a trap. Riker, however, orders Yuta to move away from Chorgan. Yuta acts innocent, but Riker accuses her of being with Penthor-Mul over 50 years ago. Chorgan wants to know how Riker knows of Penthor-Mul, but Riker tells him to hold still as his life is in extreme danger. Yuta, at the verge of tears, demands justice for the Tralestan massacre. She was one of the only five survivors of the assault, but she died and was reborn, with altered cell structure and slower aging to complete her vendetta against the Lornaks. Marouk realizes that Yuta used her to find the last of the Lornaks for her. Chorgan says she is a dead woman, but Yuta just smiles and says that once he is dead, her quest will be complete and what will happen to her doesn't matter. Riker tries to talk Yuta out of doing this: the clan wars are over, there is nothing to feud for any more. She looks guilt-ridden and teary, but lurches towards Chorgan. Riker fires his phaser, forcing Yuta to recoil in pain. Otherwise unaffected, she approaches again, but Riker fires a second shot at her, this time on a stronger setting. She clutches the spot where Riker shot her, watching in agony as she would fail in her vengeance for her clan. Riker sets his phaser to the maximum setting since he is unable to stun her and pleads with her by saying: "Yuta, don't do this." After one last agonized glance at Riker, Yuta makes one last lunge toward Chorgan, forcing Riker to vaporize her. Picard looks grave at the decision Riker has been forced to make, while Marouk looks stricken at the death of her trusted servant and companion. Riker holsters his phaser and turns away from the table, and a shaken Chorgan gets up, and tells Riker he is indebted to him. Back in Ten Forward, Riker is at the bar, quietly moving his glass, thinking about the recent events. Picard enters, and takes a PADD from a crewman before approaching Riker. He informs him that their orders from Starfleet have changed. The rendezvous with the USS Goddard is postponed. Instead, they are to proceed to Starbase 343 to pick up medical supplies for the Alpha Leonis system. Picard reasons that this out-of-the-way mission is not crew-intensive, and tells Riker that some of the crew should take shore leave at the starbase. Riker merely replies that he'll tell the crewmen. Picard leaves Riker at the bar. Riker is obviously looking on with regret at what he had to do, but accepts it. 
<EOS>
As Data performs in Shakespeare's play Henry V on the holodeck, Captain Picard watches, and applauds him that he is getting better and better with his performance. Data intends to study the Human condition through Shakespeare. They are interrupted by Commander Riker, who informs them that sensors have detected an unidentified craft in the Romulan Neutral Zone headed towards Federation space. Picard and Data leave the holodeck and discuss why a king would want to pose as a commoner. Picard arrives on the bridge, and Riker informs him that Outpost Sierra VI has confirmed that the vessel is a Romulan scout ship. The ship hails the USS Enterprise-D and its pilot requests assistance and asylum, as he is under pursuit. The ship enters visual range and Worf displays it on the main viewer, just as a Romulan warbird decloaks, chasing the scout ship. The warbird begins firing on the scout ship. Picard immediately brings the ship to red alert and attempts to communicate with the warbird. He informs them that they have crossed the Neutral Zone and are engaged in hostile action, and demands an explanation. No response is received, so they contact the scout ship again, this time visually. Its pilot pleads for help as the Enterprise moves to intercept, but then the ship is struck by weapons fire and communication is lost. The ship drifts into Federation space and the Enterprise extends its deflector shields around it. The warbird approaches, entering Federation space. Picard orders phasers locked on and demands that the warbird withdraws from Federation space. They turn around and do so, having never communicated with the Enterprise. Life support on the scout ship begins to fail, so Picard orders that its pilot be transported aboard, and the scout ship taken in tow. Worf and Riker go to the transporter room to meet the pilot. The pilot is injured, unable to move his left arm, and has severe burns on his face. He demands to see the captain, and when Riker suggests he go to sickbay he refuses, insisting the information he has is vital to their survival. He claims to be a low-ranking logistics officer with vital information. In the observation lounge he tells them that the humiliating defeat suffered by the Romulans at the Battle of Cheron has not been forgotten and their new leaders have vowed to disregard the Treaty of Algeron -- Nelvana III is just the first step. The Romulans have already established a base there, and it will be operational within forty-eight hours. Riker is suspicious, wondering how the Federation sensors that monitor the Neutral Zone just happened to have missed this new base. The pilot insists that within two days a fleet of warbirds will be within striking distance of fifteen Federation sectors. Picard tells Worf to take the pilot, Sublieutenant Setal, to sickbay. Picard, Riker, Data and Geordi La Forge discuss "Setal"'s intentions. Whether he is legitimate or not, this could be a ploy by the Romulans to make the Federation look like the aggressors. As La Forge talks about the scout ship the defector has left them, with a suggestion that Picard sends an away team to the ship, it suddenly explodes just outside the observation lounge's windows. Riker questions "Setal" in sickbay. "Setal" insists that he is not a traitor and he set the ship's auto-destruct sequencer to prevent it from being captured. "Setal" is surprised when Dr. Crusher displays knowledge of Romulan medicine. She says she had gained experience recently, at the incident at Galorndon Core. Worf remains suspicious, asking how a clerk knew of that incident and questioning the authenticity of his credentials. "Setal" defiantly spouts Klingon insults, but Riker artfully counters with a Romulan insult then has Worf leave the room to see to other arrangements. "Setal" laughs and admires Worf, but reminds himself that a man like Worf could get everyone killed. Riker shows "Setal" to his quarters. When Riker leaves, "Setal" asks the replicator for water, giving the temperature in onkians. The computer does not understand and asks for the temperature in Celsius degrees. He impatiently asks for water at the cold side of whatever their temperature scale is. He then sits on his bed and removes a small, round object that was concealed in his boot. On the bridge, Data reports that no unusual activity has been detected in the Nelvana system. A priority communication from Starfleet Command on Lya III arrives. Admiral Haden informs Picard that the Romulan government has officially demanded the return of the defector but the Federation Council has refused. He suggests taking the Enterprise to a Federation position proximate to Nelvana III. Picard then calls Lieutenant Worf to his ready room. Back on the bridge, Picard, La Forge, Data and Dr. Crusher watch sensor recordings from the chase. La Forge reports that the warbird deliberately slowed down to avoid catching the scout ship. Data also reports that the Romulans have the same ability to direct the impact of their weapons as they do. Crusher admits that despite the severity of his wounds, it is conceivable that "Setal" could have inflicted them upon himself. Picard receives another communication from Admiral Haden. The USS Monitor and the USS Hood are on their way but will not arrive in time. All Federation outposts have been warned, and all starships have been placed on yellow alert. Starfleet does not want a war, but is prepared to take the Romulans on if that is what they want. Picard orders Data to prepare a Class-1 probe to scan "every meter of Nelvana III". He also asks for Data's clarity of thought, asking Data to keep a clear record of these events, so that history will have an unbiased account. He also asks about the crew's spirit, confessing that, unlike King Henry, he cannot disguise himself and walk amongst his men. Riker and Deanna Troi interrogate "Setal". Riker tries to make him prove that he is not a spy by asking about the strength and locations of the Romulan battle fleet. Setal says he does not know. He tells them he is a logistics officer for only one sector, under Admiral Jarok. He responds with the exclamation "Irrelevant!" to the rest of Riker's questions. The Enterprise receives a priority message from the security officer on the IKS Bortas, which Worf leaves the bridge to deal with. Data, in the meantime, launches the probe. In main engineering, Data and Geordi analyze the probe's telemetry. The probe has picked up low-level subspace radio communications and ionization disturbances coming from the planet, which may be evidence of cloaked Romulan ships. However, they have not detected a base. The only way to be certain is to go to the planet and look for themselves. In Ten Forward, Data observes "Setal". "Setal" recognizes him as the android he had heard about. He apparently knows of a number of Romulan cyberneticists who would love to study him, but Data realizes that that is not something he would want. "Setal" asks if the replicators are capable of producing Romulan ale but Data says they are not as they do not have the appropriate molecular pattern, as their knowledge of Romulan culture is very limited. "Setal" and Data discuss the possibility that he will never be allowed to return to Romulus. Data takes him to the holodeck where he recreates the Valley of Chula on Romulus, but he does not need to stay for long. He tells Data to arrange a meeting between himself and Captain Picard, and to tell him that Admiral Jarok wishes to speak with him. Admiral Haden confirms that "Setal" is, in fact, Admiral Alidar Jarok, the commander responsible for the massacre at the Norkan outposts. Jarok is brought in to the ready room, where Picard questions his credibility. He suggests that the massacres at the Norkan Outposts are an example of the fact that Jarok is not a man of peace. Jarok counters, saying what Picard calls massacres were called the Norkan Campaigns on his homeworld. Picard asks Jarok if he is willing to help them overcome the Romulan B-type warbirds, and deactivate their cloaking shields. Jarok says nothing, and Picard invites the Admiral to consider Picard's dilemma: Jarok wants them to act, yet stubbornly refuses to tell them any of what he certainly knows of the Romulans' military capabilities, which means his credibility is less than nothing. Jarok insists that he cannot betray his people, and Picard snaps that Jarok already has, and he had better get used to the fact that he is a defector. After a pause, Jarok asks if Picard has children. Picard attempts to return the discussion to the present, but Jarok stops him, saying that when a man becomes a father, he realizes it is his duty to make the whole world a better place for his child. After Jarok's daughter was born, he pleaded with the Romulan High Command for months, telling them that another war would destroy the Empire but they would not listen. They censured him and sent him off to command some distant sector. He had no choice but to defect. His daughter will now grow up believing her father is a traitor, but at least she will grow up, if Picard acts. Picard, unmoved, says he will only act unless Jarok cooperates, completely and unequivocally. In the observation lounge, Picard announces that Jarok has given him the strengths and locations of the Romulan fleet and will provide them with technical data on Romulan ships. Picard orders the ship to Nelvana III. The Enterprise enters the Neutral Zone, in direct violation of the Treaty of Algeron, but suspiciously meets with no resistance. The ship arrives, but no lifeforms, power systems, weapons or any sign of a base are detected on the planet. Data realizes that the signs are coming from a unknown source in orbit about the planet. Jarok arrives on the bridge. He is stunned when Picard confronts him -- he claims to have seen the tactical communiques, the timetables describing this base, et cetera. Picard asks if the whole incident could have been a test of Jarok's loyalty. The Enterprise prepares to withdraw but two warbirds decloak and attack them. Picard tells Worf not to fire back and then receives a hail from the lead Romulan ship. Commander Tomalak appears and tells them that this time it is they who have made an aggressive move across the Neutral Zone. Tomalak reveals that the communications they picked up were coming from an orbiting probe sent to conduct archaeological research. He announces that they will dissect the Enterprise and display its broken hull in the center of the Romulan capitol. There it will serve as inspiration for their troops for generations and also a warning to any other potential traitors. Jarok confronts Tomalak, but Tomalak refuses to listen, demanding that Jarok be returned and then the Enterprise crew surrender as prisoners of war. Picard refuses to accept Tomalak's terms, and Tomalak is not at all surprised. He asks if Picard is willing to risk the lives of his crew for a lost cause, and Picard says if the cause is just and honorable, his crew will follow him. He asks if Tomalak is also prepared to die, and Tomalak scoffs at him, expecting more than an idle threat, to which Picard replies "You shall have it." He instructs Worf to signal three cloaked Klingon Birds-of-Prey to reveal themselves -- surrounding the Romulan ships. Tomalak boasts that Enterprise will still not survive their assault and Picard tells Tomalak that they will not survive his, either. Picard asks if they shall die together. Tomalak then tells Picard he looks forward to their next meeting and closes the channel. Worf reports the Romulan disruptors are powering down and the warbirds retreat from the Nelvana system. Picard asks Worf to extend the appreciation of the Federation and his personal gratitude to the Klingons. Extremely bitter, Jarok laments to no one in particular, "I did it for nothing. My home, my family; for nothing." Later, Jarok is found in his quarters -- dead, having committed suicide with a Felodesine chip, leaving only a letter for his family. Data remarks that Jarok must have realized that they could not deliver it, given the Federation's current relations with the Romulan Empire. Picard replies that if other Romulans show the courage of Admiral Jarok then, perhaps they will see a day of peace when they can take his letter home.
<EOS>
At the conclusion of the tour, Captain Picard and Commander Riker congratulate Nayrok on their culture's rapid recovery from the Tarsian War, and Nayrok says their people are equally grateful; violence of any kind is abhorrent to the Angosians, who consider art and intellectual achievement to be their greatest virtues. As they are talking, Nayrok's aide pulls him aside with an urgent matter. In private, Picard comments that the Angosians will make a fine addition to the Federation's members. Riker agrees, though he finds the people of Angosia III somewhat stuffy. Nayrok returns and asks for Picard's help: an Angosian prisoner has escaped from a penal colony, Lunar V, in a stolen transport vessel. Angosian security forces are trying to track him down, but, frankly, are not very well-trained or equipped. With Picard's agreement, Riker signals the Enterprise, where Data is in command. The ship's sensors locate the sub-warp vessel with little difficulty, but as soon as they begin pursuit, the transport ship ducks behind a nearby asteroid and jettisons its drive section, which is devoid of life readings. When the Enterprise circles around the asteroid, they locate the wreckage of the ship's main body, but Wesley Crusher reports in surprise that the drive section has meanwhile disappeared. Slightly bewildered, Data reports to an astonished Picard and Riker that the tiny vessel has successfully eluded the Galaxy-class starship. Picard and Riker return to the ship to command the pursuit. Nayrok calls to inform them that the fugitive's name is Roga Danar, and warns them that he is extremely violent. Without a warp drive, La Forge is certain that the vessel could not have fled the system, but sensors cannot locate it. Riker guesses that he must be suspending his ship over the magnetic poles of the planet to avoid detection. When the Enterprise flushes him out and locks a tractor beam on him, he pushes his vessel towards the Enterprise in a Kamikaze run. The ship's computer automatically raises the shields and disengages the tractor beam, and the shuttle bounces off their shields. Becoming exasperated, Picard prepares to have the whole craft beamed into a shuttle bay, but the prisoner anticipates them and ejects from the drive section in an escape pod. The pod is still devoid of life readings, but Picard orders Miles O'Brien to beam the contents of the pod aboard. O'Brien detects a weapon in the transporter beam and deactivates it, before completing the transport with a two-man security team standing by. When Danar refuses to surrender, he is shot twice with phasers set on stun, which have no effect on him, and he overpowers O'Brien and the security team. The fight takes Danar out into the corridor, but before he can get further, Riker and Worf are able to subdue and capture him. While Picard and Nayrok make the arrangements to send Danar back to Lunar V, Riker asks why the sensors did not detect him. Data has confirmed that the sensors are functioning properly -- for some reason, Danar has no discernable life signs. In the brig, Danar is tossing and turning on his bunk, apparently in the grip of a violent nightmare. Deanna Troi is passing by the cell in a corridor when she senses his turmoil, and goes in to talk to him. Her conversation with the man is a surprise: though he is distrustful and suspicious, he is also intelligent, emotionally perceptive, and even has a fine-tuned sense of humor and irony. She describes her role as ship's counselor, and is offended when he labels her a "mind-control expert."  She is unable to fathom what has made Danar -- for all appearances a civilized man -- commit such violent acts, and asks if the other prisoners on Lunar V are mistreated. Danar replies that, on the contrary, Lunar V is a very comfortable and well-provisioned prison, but a prison nonetheless, since no one is allowed to leave. Troi tells Picard that she senses something wrong -- Danar has a thoughtful and intelligent personality typical of his Angosian heritage, and she does not sense anything inherently violent about him. Picard reminds her of the mayhem he caused while they were trying to capture him, and says he will be glad to transfer Danar off the Enterprise when the Angosian shuttle arrives. Troi asks Data to check the Angosian government's records, trying to find out what crime Danar committed that sent him to Lunar V in the first place. Data finds that Danar has no criminal record whatsoever. As a matter of fact, Lunar V is a military facility, and Danar's records show him to be a highly decorated soldier of the Tarsian Wars. Troi goes back to Danar and asks what did he do to end up at Lunar V, and he replies that he did everything the Angosians asked him to. Her next supposition is that his psyche was damaged by his experience in the war, and he says the "damage" began when he first volunteered for service, and was introduced to his first military instructor -- who, ironically, also carried the title of "Counselor." Troi and Dr. Beverly Crusher examine Danar and finds that he has been psychologically manipulated and biochemically modified -- programmed to become "the perfect soldier."  The conditioning enhanced his strength, reflexes, and intelligence, and programmed him to survive at any cost. Crusher adds that one of the chemicals also shields his cellular electrical impulses, masking his life signs to sensors. Unfortunately, the soldiers became a liability to their people after the Tarsian Wars. Minor arguments could trigger their programming on and result in extreme violence. Instead of trying to reverse their programming, the government simply exiled them to Lunar V, including those like Danar who committed no criminal acts. Data visits Danar in his cell. Danar is initially mistrustful and asks Data to leave, but then asks him back, admitting that he needs company. Data identifies himself as an android and says that they have one thing in common -- they have both been programmed. Data asks Danar if his programming cannot be changed, and Danar says bitterly that no one on Angosia has ever explored the possibility -- instead, they left him to live with the alterations they made to him. Picard confers with Nayrok, who says that Danar is putting an undeservedly harsh spin on the truth. The soldiers had trouble readjusting to normal life, so the government resettled them to a "colony" on Lunar V. Nayrok assures Picard that the Angosians went to great lengths to give the "colonists" a comfortable way of life, and it was only later, after the agitations of a few men like Danar, that they had to add security measures and convert the soldiers' "colony" into a prison. Picard asks if the resettlement was of the soldiers' own choosing, and whether the government ever explored the possibility of reversing the soldiers' conditioning. Nayrok curtly replies that the Federation is "treading on matters of internal security," and cuts off the transmission after thanking the Enterprise for its help. In conversation with Data, Danar says the man he used to be is still inside him, but the "programming" takes over at the slightest provocation. Danar asks Data whether Data is programmed for combat like he is. Data says no, he is not programmed to kill. Danar reflects that his enhanced combat abilities have enabled him to kill 84 people in his lifetime, and his enhanced memory enables him to remember each of the 84 faces with perfect clarity. Picard enters with Troi and says that he has no choice but to transfer him back to Angosian custody, even though he sympathizes with the plight of Danar and his compatriots. Danar courteously thanks the captain for being upfront with him, and returns the favor by telling Picard that he will do anything in his power to escape. Troi tries to reassure him that if Angosia joins the Federation, its resources will be put to use finding a cure for their condition. Danar says simply that even if that happens, he will not be around to see it, because he would rather die than return to Lunar V -- and that resolve is stronger than the imperative to survive programmed into his soul. The Enterprise readies Danar for transport, and knowing how intelligent Danar is, Worf has calibrated the transporter beam to activate 0.1 seconds after the cell's force field is shut down. During the attempted transport from the Enterprise's brig to the Angosian police transport vessel, Danar literally breaks out of the transporter beam, causing an explosion of energy within the cell that momentarily blinds Worf and Troi . When they come around, Danar has disappeared and a phaser is missing. As with the initial pursuit in space, Danar's cunning and resourcefulness are on full display during the chase through the Enterprise's interior. Picard blocks off the decks where Danar was held and shuts down the power to the turbolifts. Since the sensors cannot follow Danar's movements, he is able to evade the internal sensors. Riker tells Data to reactivate the turbolifts, to trap Danar if he tries to use them. When a turbolift is engaged, the bridge diverts it to where Worf and a security team is waiting. But when the doors open, instead of Danar, they find a phaser set on overload. Worf disables it barely in time. Meanwhile, Danar knocks out a security guard and uses his combadge to order a force field shut down. Danar moves quickly through the hallways and heads to engineering to override the system lockout. Geordi and the rest of the engineering crew are overpowered by Danar. Data reroutes everything from the bridge, but Danar still manages to restore power to the shuttle bays by rerouting power through engineering's isolinear chips, something which Data finds Danar to be incredibly adept at. To avoid the sealed hallways, he crawls through the core reactor and enters a Jefferies tube. He places another of his captured phasers into a power conduit and sets it to overload. Riker orders security teams to the shuttle bays, but Data volunteers that Danar's past strategy has been based on misdirection and diversion; it is extremely unlikely that he is planning to use the shuttle bay, but Data cannot anticipate what his true destination is. Danar makes his way to a cargo bay and plugs his phaser into the deactivated transporter console. Data reads the activity, and Picard has the cargo bay flooded with anesthizine. Seeing the gas, Danar grabs a pressure suit from a cargo container. When Worf's security team is outside the cargo bay, Picard has the gas removed. When Worf and his team move in, the cargo bay is apparently deserted, but Worf notes the absence of the pressure suit and surmises that Danar may try to access the shuttle bay from an external hatch, such as from the Enterprise's photon torpedo launcher. Worf signals the bridge that he and his security teams will guard the external exits. In a corner of the cargo bay, Danar smiles, and emerges from hiding, leaving the pressure suit behind. But Worf, having out-thought the Angosian for once, emerges from hiding, aiming his phaser. He congratulates Danar for his extreme cunning, remarking that he must have Klingon blood, but orders him to surrender. At that moment, the phaser in the Jefferies tube explodes, shutting down the lights in the cargo bay. That brief distraction is all Danar needs to tackle Worf, and knock him unconscious after a brief struggle. Using his phaser to power the transporter, Danar successfully beams himself onto the Angosian police shuttle and takes its pilots hostage. With the Enterprise external sensors disabled by the explosion, it has no way to track him, and Danar has made a clean getaway. When the Enterprise restores its systems, Nayrok informs them that Danar has organized a mass breakout from Lunar V, and that several soldiers have made their way to Angosia and entered the capital city. Nayrok urgently asks Picard for help. Picard, Worf, Troi and Data beam down to the surface while Nayrok's staff are arming themselves. Nayrok is surprised to see only four members of the away team -- he was expecting Picard to bring an army to protect them. Picard says the Federation is not going to help them evade responsibility for their actions: they recruited an army of idealistic young men like Danar, turned them into killing machines, and then locked them away and did their best to forget about them. Troi and Data urge them to consider whether the soldiers' programming can be reversed. Nayrok and his adjutant, Zayner, admit that the chemicals can be removed, but the psychological conditioning is considered irreversible. Even before the soldiers were trained, the government knew that was a risk they were taking -- and Worf, whose warrior sensibilities are naturally outraged, asked whether the government revealed that risk to the men who volunteered to fight for their world. Underneath their sophistry, it is clear that the government never seriously tried to cure the soldiers; instead, "the people" chose to "resettle" them, "for the greater good," turning their backs on the soldiers who helped defend their way of life. Besides, Zayner adds tactlessly, they do not wish to undo the programming, because they may need the soldiers again if Angosia ever fights another war. Just as Picard and Troi are about to detonate with anger, Danar and his fellow inmates storm into the building. Picard warns everyone not to raise their weapons. Since Danar and his fellow inmates are not being provoked, they can not willfully attack the Prime Minister or his staff. Danar demands that the Angosians fight back, rather than continue to ignore them. Nayrok says that the soldiers have been given the skills they need to survive, and should be able to survive on Lunar V. Danar says that is not enough: he and his comrades want their lives back, and they want to come home. Nayrok then says that he is not going to bow to a threat of violence, but promises to review their case if they surrender and return peaceably to Lunar V. Danar laughs the offer back in his face, knowing full well that Nayrok has no intention of helping them once he has them under lock and key again. Nayrok says the Enterprise must do something about the situation, and Picard agrees -- he tells the transporter room to beam the away team back aboard the ship. Picard says that, after all, he cannot interfere with the "internal security" of Angosia. He tells the government that they must make a decision regarding the fate of their veterans. In the meantime, Picard has all the information he needs for his report, and, if the Angosians wish to reapply for Federation membership, their application will be given all due consideration. Danar seems pleased that he is being recognized and smiles at the away team as they leave. Aboard the Enterprise, Picard notes that if the government survives the night, they will be given assistance by the Federation in helping their veterans with their conditioning. When Riker asks whether the government will survive the night, Picard remarks dryly that he believes it will "choose to." The Enterprise leaves Angosia. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is in orbit above the non-affiliated planet Rutia IV on a routine mission dropping off medical supplies. Lt. Commander Data, Lt. Worf, and Dr. Beverly Crusher are on the surface having lunch. When she calls for the waiter, a bomb explodes injuring several bystanders. Crusher rushes to help the wounded while Worf tries to provide security for her, knowing that their position is vulnerable. The doctor orders him to get medical supplies for the wounded. Data reminds her that the Rutians have physicians; she snaps back that none are there right now while she is. Worf and a shopkeeper returns with the improvised medical supplies. Data informs the ship about the attack, and Captain Picard orders the team to beam up, under protests from Crusher. Commander Riker suggests that if they do beam her up, he does not want to meet her on the pad. Out of nowhere, an Ansata terrorist appears, killing a police officer before abducting Crusher, unchallenged by the two Starfleet officers remaining, or the three other officers. Discussing the abduction in the Enterprise's conference lounge, Data could not find anything related to where she may have been taken, with the possibility that her combadge may have been deactivated or she is being held in a location that would make her signal untraceable. Picard asks why her, and Worf believes she was the terrorists intended target. Riker wonders why the rebels would abduct her, a Starfleet officer; since the Federation is not part of their conflict. Shackled, Crusher is met by the leader of the Ansata rebels, Kyril Finn. Carrying a tray of food, he asks if she was hungry and wanted something to eat. Crusher, with her Starfleet training, holds the high ground by refusing to cooperate with him, even saying no to food. Finn explains that she is a doctor on a Federation starship. Unfazed, she speaks no words regarding it. Whatever the outcome, Finn may have been fazed by her lack of cooperation. Picard explains to Wesley that it may be possible that they may be holding her as a bargaining chip, to use her in their fight for independence. He isn't sure what the reason is, as long as he gets her back to the ship. He explains that he and Riker will meet with the head of Rutian security Alexana Devos and try to get more information on who they're dealing with. Wesley wants to tag along, but he is needed on the ship to figure out a counter for their ability to shift in and out. Counselor Troi explains that he needs his strength, but Picard concedes that, as history shows, strength can be meaningless when dealing with terrorism. Both officers meet with Devos, who is stunned and helpless as they never did take hostages, and the device makes them even more powerful. She grants them permission to study the device, and will put them in touch with their research teams. Devos says that the Ansata terrorists are like dealing with animals, not people. She hints that advanced Federation weaponry might turn the tide in favor of the Government and aid in Crusher's recovery, but Picard flatly refuses, silently citing the Prime Directive, which Devos understands. Picard returns to the Enterprise leaving Riker behind to coordinate the recovery operation with her, who isn't too keen on it as she knows her enemy, and that does not leave much room for optimism. Sleeping, Crusher is met again by Finn, who asks if she was hungry. She becomes defensive when he comes close to her, but Finn instead removes her shackles. He then concedes that her not eating is bothering him. Finally, she eats. Finn introduces himself to her again, and Crusher breaks her silence by asking why he brought her there. They needed a doctor, says Finn, and she was with the Federation flagship and it had to be her. Finn then asks why the Federation is helping the Rutians. Dr. Crusher explains to him that they in fact don't, and that all they did was bring medical supplies to them. Finn reveals himself as the leader of the rebels, which horrifies Crusher. Finn takes the plate away and forcefully gets her up. Crusher reveals that she has a son, and Finn tells her she will be with him soon, as he has no reason to kill her. Finn shows Crusher to a medical room filled with weak, suffering Rebel agents. She requests medical supplies from the Enterprise, but Finn denies it. She reminds him that the Federation is not allied; they are on an errand of mercy. Finn understands that, but sends her medical supplies that bear Federation markings, meaning that they were stolen from the Rutian medical stations. Meanwhile, when shown a list, Riker asks if all the names are actual Ansata members. Devos replies no, stating that the organization may consist of only 200 members, but there are over 5,000 sympathizers that supply them with weapons and information, participate in pro Ansata demonstrations, general strikes, or riots. When asked when it all started, it is stated that the government denied them independence seventy years ago which in turn gave them the cause needed for an armed conflict. Now they use it as an excuse for more violence. Riker sees the hatred in her eyes. She claims that she used to be less passionate about all this until a terrorist attack on a shuttle school bus which claimed the lives of 60 school children. That incident opened her eyes to the immense injustice she was seeing. The Ansata claimed it was a mistake and that they wanted to target a police transport, but that did not make the situation go away. After that day, she vowed to put an end to terrorism. Crusher, assisted by a child, work together to try to cure the Ansata of their mysterious affliction. However all they can do is try and ease their suffering. She tells Finn they're dying and that there's nothing she can do. If she could find out the cause, she could prevent the suffering. Finn explains that the inverter is the culprit:  while it gives them a powerful new weapon, it seriously damages their health. Crusher is surprised to hear that they use it for dimensional shifting. Finn doesn't care, and tells her that one dead martyr is worth ten posturing leaders. Data and Wesley are amazed at the design, but still don't know what it is used for. Lt. Commander La Forge picks up faint nuclear vibration that the Rutians picked up from the terrorists movements. That gets Wesley's mind going, and he calls up the files of the Elway Theorem, and correctly matches the vibrations to the theorem, which gives Starfleet a major break: The files give them the tools needed to trace the rebels. Data informs Picard that using this form of transport would cause irreparable damage that can be detected. Picard now fully understands why they needed the services of a medical doctor. As the authorities round up the suspected terrorists, Riker shows remorse for both sides,  when he watches small children being handcuffed and detained as suspects, indicating there is no way people can live like this. Devos explains that her method is much less harsh than her predecessors, who would round up suspected terrorists, and no one would hear from them again. She also tells Riker about how the bomb on the shuttle bus was carried by a child. After watching him draw pictures, Finn and Crusher clash over their ideals. Finn tries to paint himself like George Washington on Earth, and tries to depict their struggle as similar to that of the American Revolution and its struggle for freedom and independence. Crusher tells him that Washington was a military general, not a terrorist, and blasts him by telling him that he is killing innocent people. Finn thinks that the difference between a terrorist and a General is a matter of subjective interpretation. He rebuts by asking how many innocent lives were lost for the cause of peace for the Federation; how many good and noble societies have bombed innocent civilians and wiped out whole cities in the name of their cause for freedom and unity. However, now people like Dr. Crusher, who are enjoying the comforts that come from these battles and killings, have the nerve to frown on Finn's morality and judge him? Finn states firmly that he is willing to die for his freedom and that in the finest tradition of Dr. Crusher's own great civilization, he is willing to kill for it too. Suspected members of the terrorist movement are being interrogated by Devos, with Riker observing. When the waiter Katik Shaw sat down, he became very uncooperative. Riker had enough of his stalling and gives a message, indicating that the Federation is willing to discuss terms for Crusher's release. Devos protests, but Riker points out she is a Starfleet officer and his responsibility. They want terms, they're willing to listen. Devos insists they should track him, but she'll play it Riker's way. She gets very irate at the fact that all she wants to do, is go back to her own country, without the fear and paranoia she has gotten from her stay here. Back on the Enterprise, Data has the ability to track their movements, but is unsure how many jumps it would take to physically track them. He then talks to Picard regarding terrorism and wonders why they would go to extreme measures. He then takes examples such as Irish Unification of 2024, the independence of the Mexican state from Spain, and the Kenzie Rebellion of uses of successful terrorism tactics that have worked, and asks if terrorism is justified for change. Picard explains to Data that the question is something that mankind has been struggling for years to answer. The messenger Shaw delivers Riker's message to Finn, but Finn is infuriated believing the Federation may have sided against them, which contradicts what Crusher has been saying. Crusher tells him that they want her back, but Finn tells her she will not be released until they find a cure for the sickness. Crusher pleads with him that she has a life and a son who needs her. Finn shows remorse that her son is on the ship, which makes her fearful. Finn calls out that they have shouted and no one has heard them for 70 years but one act would make them be heard across the galaxy:  Destruction of the Federation flagship, and puts the blame of her son's eventual death on the Federation. Under duress, Crusher pleads with him not to attack the Enterprise. Finn reveals to her he had a son too, but died in detention when he was 13. Finn walks off, as Crusher is helpless to do anything more for Wesley. Two crewman walk in the decks of the Enterprise, as a terrorist attacks them. Worf detects intruders, while Wesley discovers they're using dimensional shifts. Picard orders red alert. La Forge is surprised by the klaxon, but notices something odd through his VISOR. Two terrorists appear and one engineer is shot by the terrorist, while another escapes. They then fire on La Forge who calls for security while taking cover. Worf spots them in engineering, but neither the transporter or force fields can stop them as they are moving inter-dimensionally. The terrorists toss a device and attach it to the main warp reactor. As soon as they shift, La Forge approaches it and realizes it is a bomb. Picard orders the bomb to be transported out, but it is scrambling the sensors, making it unable to be pinpointed. Picard orders an emergency saucer separation, while La Forge tries to remove it. Using a tool to remove it, he sets in on the ground, while ordering the transporter room to lock on to his signal. Troi doesn't know why his signal, but Picard gestures that he knows what he's doing. He attaches his combadge to the device and gets out of the way, as the bomb explodes harmlessly off the starboard nacelle seconds later. Finn and another terrorist shift on to the bridge, shooting both the helmsman's console and Data's. Picard greets Finn with a vicious punch that sends him down and Picard leaps to tackle him. The other terrorists fires on Worf, and scores a hit, but Worf retaliates and scores a hit on her. Troi rushes to Worf, in a state of panic, calling security while Wesley and another crewman check on Worf. Both terrorists shift out, taking Picard before Data can help him. Two terrorists take Picard to their base and shackle him. Picard sees Crusher for the first time, realizing that both of them are now in Finn's hands. Riker and Devos return to the Enterprise. Troi reports that the attack has left three people dead and four others wounded, and Worf's wound was not severe. La Forge points out that another millisecond and the Enterprise would be a giant dust cloud orbiting the planet. Riker is dumbfounded as to why the Ansata attacked a Federation starship. All he asked was to talk. Devos balks at Riker's diplomatic stance. Riker then gets some good news from Wesley indicating that if the Ansata uses their device again, they should be able to track its source, which pleases Devos. Picard explains the attack to Crusher. He did assure her that Wesley did take cover when they assaulted the bridge. Crusher explains the motive behind her abduction, which was exactly what Picard knew, and gave high praise to Wesley for putting them on the right track. He notes that he will be a very fine Starfleet officer. Then clashes occur when Crusher admits she should have returned to the ship, while Picard explains that she should have beamed her anyway, which crosses her to the core. It even gets on to a subject about Finn and his men, which even casts doubts on Crusher's views on the Federation's mission to the planet, which Picard shoots back indicating she is arguing for someone who almost could've killed her son. Finn enters and explains that they didn't destroy the ship, and settled for her captain instead. An angry Picard points out that he made a miscalculation, by attacking a Federation starship and her crew, abducting two of her officers; and acts as if Starfleet is going to sit idly by and do nothing, which is incorrect, according to Finn. Picard asks if he really wants Federation involvement;  Finn counters by in fact, the Federation is involved, but by not admitting it, the Federation is tainted with moral cowardice with non-aligned worlds, and doing business with the Rutians. He points out that he can now take on both the Rutians and the Federation because of Picard. He knows that the Federation will grow tired of his abduction and will want him back. It will go to a point where they will force the Rutian government to give in to Finn's demands. Picard states that he will not cooperate, but Finn points out he already has, just by being his captive. Finn returns to the Enterprise to deliver his message to Troi. Using both Picard and Crusher as pawns, Finn demands that an embargo and trade sanctions are levied against Rutia, and that the Federation uses Starfleet to establish a blockade of the planet. No ships can enter or leave the planet. This will continue until both the Rutia government and the Ansata initiates talks that are mediated by a Federation Council. He then leaves before security arrives. Unknown to Finn, Wesley tracks the source to their base, located on the southern tip, thirty meters below in a cavern with no surface access. Riker notes that any light must be artificially generated. Devos points out if they are able to disable it, the confusion would buy time for them to get their people out. Worf emerges on the bridge, asks to be part of the rescue party, indicating he "owes it to the captain."  Riker grants Worf's request and gives Data command. Wesley wishes them good luck, and Riker promises they will bring the captain and his mother home. Finn warns Crusher that he may have to kill Picard soon. Crusher pleads with him to reconsider, as she could make him listen. Finn then tries to get her in his shoes, but Crusher angrily rejects that her position would not be reversed. She's been terrified for this whole ordeal, and that Finn controls using fear. He states that fear is not his best weapon, but it is a good one. Crusher fears that he may win the fight and gain real power. Finn asks her not to fear him, and gives her a scrapbook containing drawings of her eyes, and a picture of her face. The combined Federation/Rutian rescue team beams down to the base, and approach it cautiously, with phasers drawn. Worf and another police officer subdue two terrorists, and proceeds with caution, while Riker locates the generator. Their plan is in motion as Devos and her men take up positions, while Worf and Riker take up theirs. Crusher sees Picard who is trying to think of an escape. Asking if she's gained Finn's confidence, she shows him the scrapbook. Picard agrees that she has, and even more, which could prove as an advantage. Crusher prepares to reveal some secrets in the event that neither of them make it out, when the lights go off, indicating that they may have been found. In a scramble, the terrorists prepare for battle. Behind cover, Riker and Worf attack two guards who they were hiding from, using melee combat. After subduing them, they proceed to find their officers, while the police round up the terrorists from their base. Devos spots the two officers, and Finn as he prepares to kill Picard. Before he has a chance to, Devos shoots him from behind, killing him. Riker says that Devos did not have to kill him. She points out that if he was a prisoner, he would be a focal point for violence as his followers would free him. This way, he is a martyr. The death toll may drop for a time, she says; and points out it is an imperfect solution to an imperfect world. From behind, a boy points a weapon at Devos preparing to kill her. Crusher intervenes and says "No more killing". In conflict with his beliefs, he agrees with Crusher and lowers his weapon, as he is taken into custody. Devos knows this all too often as another is ready to take Finn's place. Riker points out that he could've killed her, and that maybe the violence could end with a boy lowering his weapon. Crusher steps on the bridge of the Enterprise with Picard, Riker, and Worf. She warmly reunites with Wesley and owes him her rescue. Wesley takes it in stride and indicates he was only "part of the team". 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is called to Bre'el IV to help them with their moon that is falling out of orbit and threatening the planet. As they are trying to find a way to get the moon back into its orbit, Q suddenly tumbles from mid-air onto the deck of the bridge. out of all the beings in the universe he considers "Jean-Luc" the closest thing to a friend he has. When a desperate Q practically begs to know what he can do to convince the crew that he is mortal and has lost his powers, Worf succinctly suggests that he dies. Counselor Troi confirms that she can sense emotions from Q which reveal that he is terrified. Data scans Q with a tricorder and tells the captain he is reading Human life signs from him. While not believing Q entirely, Picard has Worf throw him into the brig for safekeeping. Moments later, broadband emissions illuminate the Enterprise until they shrink down to sneak into the brig, where Q has fallen asleep. Picard is suspicious of Q's motives and keeps asking him to stop torturing these people and get their moon back. Q insists that he has nothing to do with it. Q complains about how ordinary it is to be Human. For instance, not realizing what "sleep" is, he describes it as suddenly feeling weak and being no longer able to stand. Q finally convinces Picard that he can help return the moon to its natural orbit with his immense knowledge of spatial phenomena from all over the universe. Picard, still deep in doubt that Q is Human, releases him from the brig and assigns Data to keep him out of trouble. In engineering, Q is not very helpful, as he complains mainly about his limited abilities as a Human and makes suggestions that no one on the Enterprise with their current level of scientific knowledge can follow. Still thinking as a Q, he suggests to Geordi La Forge that he merely change the gravitational constant of the universe, thereby altering the mass of the moon. That suggestion is quickly dismissed as impossible; however, La Forge realizes that they could wrap a low-level warp field around the moon, thus reducing its gravitational constant, making it lighter so they can push it. Q is glad he could help and then suddenly starts complaining about back pain. Dr. Crusher is called to engineering and it seems that Q has back spasms. When Dr. Crusher heals him, he complains of a noisy stomach that, as Dr. Crusher tells him, is probably a sign that he is hungry. Data takes Q to Ten Forward to get something to eat. Q asks Data what he eats and since Data doesn't "eat" in the traditional sense, he suggests something chocolate to Q, as it is Deanna Troi's favorite food when she's in a bad mood. Q orders ten chocolate sundaes; Data notes that's likely excessive, but Q says he has never consumed food before, so he reasons he must be hungry enough to eat it all. Guinan enters, which gives Q a sense of uneasiness as this is not a moment he was looking forward to. Data explains Q's transformation to Guinan and tells her the crew is not entirely convinced Q is truly Human. Guinan then calmly stabs his hand with a fork to test if he's really mortal. Q reacts in excruciating pain. The encounter with Guinan understandably causes Q to lose his appetite, so he is unable to enjoy his huge chocolate treat. He warns them of Guinan being a dangerous creature. Guinan snaps back that Q is a pitiful excuse for a Human and the only way he will survive would be by the charity of others.  While Q sulks miserably in Ten Forward, the Calamarain, a species Q tormented in the past, tries to kill him to return the favor. The crew is able to repel them and Q screams for help, while Guinan looks down on him and says, "How the mighty have fallen." While elaborating about the Calamarain, Q is forced to admit that for all his protestations of friendship, his real reason for being on the Enterprise is protection. He insists that he did not do the Calamarian any injustice, that they are intelligent beings, even if flighty. Riker accuses him of having tortured the Calamarain and hence they are after him. Riker supposes that since Q has made many enemies over his lifetime as an omnipotent being, the Enterprise would spend all its time fighting off the enemies of Q, which is not the job that Riker or Picard signed up for. Nonetheless, his knowledge is still useful in the task of moving the moon. When Q gets to engineering, he thinks that because he has knowledge of how to move the moon, he is in charge. Obviously this is not the case and when La Forge tells him what to do, Q tells La Forge that he will not take orders because he has never taken orders. Data tells him that it would be his wisest course of action to listen to La Forge, as he is in charge. During their attempt to surround the moon in a warp field, the Calamarain attack again, nearly killing Q. Data intervenes at great peril to himself and though he saves Q from being pulled through the hull, he himself is nearly electrocuted. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher works on fixing Data noting that if he'd been Human he'd be dead. The crew then reprimand Q, who is still concerned only for himself for not even caring that Data saved his life and kick him out of sickbay. Later, Picard and La Forge discuss the situation with the moon. La Forge confirms that their recent attempt has bought them another orbit, and can try again when the moon reaches its perigee. Riker, though, realizes that they have the same dilemma of protecting Q or helping the people on Bre'el IV. At this point, La Forge is ready to throw Q to the proverbial wolf. Q talks to Picard, who is drinking a cup of tea in his ready room, and admits that he cannot understand why Data would risk sacrificing himself. Going over the incident in his mind, Q is forced to admit that if the positions had been reversed and he had to endanger himself to save Data, he wouldn't have and that makes him feel deep shame. Picard gives Q short shrift, reminding him that all he ever did was bring misery and torment to the crew and he still isn't convinced Q isn't just playing some grand joke. Q insists that the joke is on him, and comes to the conclusion that being Human has made him a miserable coward. After, Q goes back to sickbay to check on Data. Doctor Crusher is still repairing him and Data is unable to speak. Q tells Data that for all as much as he covets humanity, he's missing nothing but regardless, Data makes a better Human than he does. Q figures the ship and planet will never be safe as long as he is on board the Enterprise, so he takes the type 7 shuttlecraft Sakharov and leaves the ship to distract the Calamarain. The Enterprise see Q is being chased again by the Calamarain but against their better instincts, try to save him. However all attempts of trying to beam him back on board, extending the shields to the shuttlecraft, and putting a tractor beam on it fail. The Calamarain seem to be catching up to Q in his shuttlecraft. All attempts to rescue Q fail as Q2, who had Q stripped of his powers and was watching him to see how he reacted, disables the Enterprise's tractor beam, transporters, shields, etc. He pops in to see Q and says that his display of selflessness has convinced him to give Q's powers back so long as he behaves himself. Q2 says he cannot go back to the Q Continuum and tell the others that Q was selfless right before he died because it would take too much effort and a very long time. So he gives Q his powers back; Q is about to seek revenge on the Calamarain, but Q2 pops in again with a warning, so Q puts the Calamarain back, blowing them away like a candle. With no sign of the Calamarain, or the shuttle, the Enterprise crew assumes they are dead, and Picard suggests that they had seen the last of Q. Q, however, appears on the bridge as a horn-player with a mariachi band, making cigars appear in Picard's and Riker's mouths, and materializing around Riker a pair of scantily-clad women to celebrate. After Riker denounces Q's materializing the scantily-clad females, Q tells him he wasn't "so stolid" before he grew his beard. Q then transfers them to Worf instead. Q protest that he "feels like celebrating", while Picard retorts "I don't!", and Q does away with both the scantily-clad females and the mariachi band, leaving only Q, wearing a uniform identical to Picard's, which elicits a disgusted look from Picard. Q declares that, as a Human, he was "ill-equipped to thank you; but, as myself, you have my everlasting gratitude." Then, just prior to his departure, Q leaves Data a little "going-away present" -- not using his powers to make him Human, as Data suspects, but allowing him to experience laughter for a few surreal moments. A grateful message comes in from Bre'el IV, thanking a stunned Picard for saving them. Picard has Worf and Data confirm that the errant moon has been returned to its correct orbit -- and, the captain, knowing it was not the Enterprise who accomplished this, says there may be a residue of Humanity left in Q. A visage of Q appears in the smoke rising from a lit cigar that had materialized in Picard's hand -- and tells Picard not to bet on it. 
<EOS>
Captain Picard is attending art class with two other crewmembers, and all three are painting canvasses of an unknown figure -- later revealed to be a nude model. Lieutenant Commander Data enters and informs the captain that the Enterprise has arrived at Tanuga IV, and that the away team has completed its survey of Dr. Nel Apgar's research and is ready to return. Picard acknowledges Data while he tries to subtly get a better look at the captain's painting. Picard notices and makes a gesture allowing Data to examine his work and that of the other students. Data compliments the work of Ensign Williams and Lieutenant Wright, but he is much more critical of Picard's work, saying that it is disorganized, using too many disparate techniques. Picard grimaces while Data makes his assessment but "thanks" him when he feels that Data has said enough, and the android leaves. Picard enters the bridge, welcoming Lieutenant Commander La Forge back from the station. The captain asks where Commander Riker is. La Forge replies that he is still on the station where Dr. Apgar is working as Apgar wanted to speak to Riker. Although La Forge replies evenly, Picard notices some tension in his speech, and asks if there were any problems. The chief engineer seems unsure of how to reply but says that nothing went wrong with the scientific portion of the mission. Picard becomes even more curious about what happened on the station due to La Forge's explanation, but La Forge is spared when Riker's exasperated voice is heard through the communicator asking to leave immediately. La Forge tells the captain that Riker will explain when he returns. Chief O'Brien engages the transporter to bring Riker back, but nothing happens, and when he reads the console, he immediately calls engineering, informing them of a power drain. Without warning, the station suddenly explodes, blowing up Dr. Apgar, to the horror of Picard and the bridge crew. O'Brien has not beamed Riker back yet as he is having trouble clearing the first officer's signal, but eventually Riker is brought aboard. Riker asks why O'Brien is so surprised that he brought him back; O'Brien informs him that the science station just exploded. Riker turns to the transporter, with a visibly shocked look. O'Brien tells the captain over the com that he has checked throughout the transporter system and has found no malfunctions, or indeed anything that could have caused such an explosion as the one that has just destroyed the station. He cannot explain the brief power drain just before the explosion, either. Picard tells O'Brien that he will want an explanation, and he is certain that the Tanugan government will want one as well. Data informs Picard that the radiation and debris are consistent with an overload of the station's reactor core, but neither La Forge nor Riker saw any indications of problems with the reactor while they were on board the station. Picard turns his attention to Riker and asks him about the mission not going quite so routinely. Riker is slightly dismissive and doubts that it had anything to do with the explosion. Worf informs the captain that Chief Investigator Krag of the Tanugan security force is requesting permission to beam aboard; Picard grants permission and asks Worf to escort him to the bridge. While Worf is escorting Krag, Picard wants Riker to explain everything that happened on board the station as best as he can. Upon Krag's entry to the bridge Picard introduces himself and Riker. As soon as he hears Riker's name mentioned, Krag dismisses Picard and approaches Riker informing him that he is to take him into custody on suspicion of murder. Riker responds angrily, but Picard interrupts saying that he and the rest of the Enterprise crew are willing to co-operate. Krag, though, insists on extraditing the "prisoner" and Picard asks Krag to accompany him to the ready room, as the bridge is not the best place to discuss such a delicate topic. Riker walks to join them but Picard dismisses him, telling him that he has the bridge, and the bridge staff cannot help looking at Riker in surprise about the recent accusation against him. In the ready room, Picard asks Krag what evidence he has against Commander Riker. Krag says that two witnesses have come forward to describe Riker's threats against Apgar. Picard is surprised, saying that there was only an altercation but Krag claims that it was much more than that. He says that Riker will be given the opportunity to prove his innocence -- in the Tanugan jurisprudence, the accused is "guilty until proven innocent," while the Federation's own works on the opposite basis. Krag informs Picard that he has consulted Federation regulations and because the alleged incident happened within Tanugan space, they have jurisdiction, but Picard says that the regulations also state that the captain will decide if extradition of an officer is warranted and that, if there is sufficient evidence is brought forward, he will release Riker into Krag's custody. Krag asks about Picard's closeness to Riker but the captain refuses to answer, saying that it is irrelevant in this instance. Krag feels that it is relevant, though, as he would not expect an impartial decision from Picard, but Picard feels compelled to protect the rights of those who serve with him. Krag appreciates his situation, but says that he will do it on the planet as the Enterprise can leave the Tanugan system at any moment; Picard gives his word that, as a Starfleet officer, he will not do so. Krag has little faith in Picard and demands that Riker be turned over for interrogation. Picard says that Krag can interrogate him on the Enterprise. Krag says that interrogation would be impossible on the ship, as great resources would be needed, from witness accounts to the ground computer data. Picard considers a compromise and says that perhaps it would not be impossible, calling Data into the ready room. Upon entering the ready room, Picard introduces Data to Krag and asks if it would be possible to recreate the events that took place on the station based on testimony from both the away team and witnesses. Although it would require extensive resources, including design specifications of the equipment used, Data replies that it would be possible to do so. Krag considers what Picard and Data have just said -- because the captain has no intention of releasing Riker as of yet, Krag agrees and will make arrangements to provide all of the available information. He will also return with his witnesses, he says. Data escorts Krag to transporter room three. Picard leaves the ready room, telling La Forge and Wesley Crusher that they are going to recreate the station in the holodeck: both La Forge and Riker will give the computer depositions with detailed descriptions of what they witnessed on the station, and Counselor Troi will assist Picard during the inquiry. Picard then considers what he will say next and firmly although quietly tells Riker and the other staff that his decision on whether or not to extradite him will be based on the evidence in the holodeck re-creations. Riker asks for a private word with Picard. But the captain refuses, as it would be inappropriate under the circumstances, and returns to the ready room. Picard, Riker, Krag and Troi enter the holodeck and take their seats in a holographic facsimile of the laboratory on board the space station. Before the inquiry begins, Riker makes a statement that he was not a murderer but a representative of Starfleet sent to make a progress report on Dr. Apgar's development of the Krieger wave converter, and that he acted accordingly throughout the mission. Riker then runs a simulation recalling events as he remembers them. Holograms of Dr. Apgar and his assistant, Tayna, appear and the holograms of Riker and La Forge beam aboard the station. Throughout Riker's simulation, the hologram of Riker maintains a neutral, business-like demeanor while Apgar is somewhat impatient and far from pleased with Starfleet's arrival, although he makes an effort to be polite. A simulation of Apgar's wife, Manua, enters, apologizing for the doctor's less than accommodating behavior. Throughout the simulation, she cannot seem to take her eyes off Riker and treats Apgar like an afterthought. La Forge accompanies Tayna to one of the stations, talking about the Lambda field generator while Manua escorts Riker while Apgar follows for a welcoming drink. The three share glasses of champagne, but Apgar has little interest in pleasantries and asks Riker why Starfleet came so soon, especially as Apgar was not due to update them on his progress for another three months. Riker felt that it was a good time, as the Enterprise was in the sector on another mission studying a protostar and that Apgar had requested additional dicosilium for his research. The Federation flagship would be returning the following day, with the hearing of which statement Apgar was less than pleased. But Riker told him that he and La Forge had already arranged accommodations on the planet below. Manua, however, insisted that they stay to keep her company and further apologizes for her husband's shortcomings in spite of his scientific prowess. Krag interrupts asking if it was Riker's testimony that it was Manua's idea for Riker and La Forge to stay on the station; Riker confirms this and says that it is also the truth. The simulation resumes now in the station's guest quarters with Riker and Manua present. Manua shows Riker around the quarters but does not leave and begins to proposition Riker, partially undressing. Riker insists that she leave but as he redresses her, Apgar walks in, catching the two in an extremely uncomfortable position. The scientist reacts furiously, hitting his wife and taking a swing at Riker. But Riker moves out of the way of Apgar's punch, and he falls. Riker insists that what just happened was a terrible misunderstanding but Apgar assures him that he will make a formal complaint to Starfleet. The first officer interrupts the simulation and says that he did not see Dr. Apgar until the following morning, when Apgar asked to speak to him alone. La Forge later returned to the Enterprise. The simulation resumes, returning to the laboratory, where Apgar asks if his complaint will result in Riker giving a less-than-favorable report on his work. Riker insists that the complaint will not affect the report in any way and asks that he call Manua in so they can all resolve the misunderstanding, but both she and Tayna have since returned to the planet. Apgar is frustrated with not knowing where he stands with Starfleet and asks Riker if he feels that there is no justification for the additional dicosilium that he ordered. He insists that he can explain why he needs it, but Riker needs no explanations -- he will not grant Apgar's request. Apgar dismisses him and Riker calls the Enterprise, saying that he is ready to leave now. Riker freezes the simulation and says that this was when he left the station. Krag asks if Riker has anything to add, such as firing a phaser. Riker denies having fired a phaser on the station at all, and Krag is somewhat perplexed by Riker's denial because the lab ground computers indicated that a focused energy pulse was fired just as the Enterprise's transporters were engaged. Furthermore, analyses of the trajectory and angle of the pulse were traced back to Riker's exact position. Krag then runs a hypothetical simulation of what he believes Riker did. The simulation returns to the point just before Riker departs. Riker calls the Enterprise saying that he is ready to leave now and as the materialization effect of the transporter begins, he quickly draws his phaser and fires at the reactor -- three seconds later, the station explodes. Data, La Forge and Wesley are all observing the monitors on the first science station on the bridge where there is a graph displaying the results of a composite radiation traceback analysis. There is an extremely large spike on the far right of the graph that indicates the explosion of the station but there is an anomalous smaller spike just before the larger one. Unfortunately, the energy signature is consistent with that of a phaser and there was nothing else on board the station that La Forge saw that could produce a similar energy signature. Wesley openly says that it could not have been Riker who fired the phaser and thinks that there is something else that caused the discharge but, although La Forge agrees, he cannot explain why the discharge came from Riker's exact position. Worf then reports that there is a radiation burst on Deck 39, just outside of cargo bay 12. The computer cannot identify either the source or the type of radiation, but it soon subsides. La Forge and Wesley are now studying the recent burst of radiation with a tricorder which has melted a section of the bulkhead, but both are baffled, as neither knows of any type of radiation that could have done this. Not even the ship's deflector puts out this much radiation spillage, but what they do know about this radiation is that it is a serious threat to the ship as it can melt a hole in duranium. Returning to the holodeck, Krag escorts the real Manua Apgar into the room. She is much more modestly dressed and her demeanor is much less sensual than the hologram of her in Riker's simulation. Before the next simulation is shown, she makes no statement -- she just "knows" that Commander Riker killed her husband. Krag runs Manua's recollection of events on board the space station. Holograms of Manua and Apgar appear in their quarters and Apgar is extremely anxious about Starfleet arriving and worries that they will stop sponsoring his research because he feels that he has not progressed as far as expected. Manua tries to assure him that just a bit of charm would be needed to persuade Starfleet to give him more time. The simulation returns to the lab where Riker introduces himself and La Forge and Manua enter, but throughout this simulation, Riker has a much more relaxed, charming, less formal attitude -- in some respects much like the real Riker. In addition, Riker pays more attention to Manua than Apgar's progress and looks at her in a provocative way, making her feel uncomfortable. Tayna shows La Forge the station, describing the field generator while Manua takes Apgar and Riker away for a drink. During the drink, Riker again shows little interest in what Apgar has to say, continuously looking at Manua, and asks if he and La Forge can remain on the station; Apgar reluctantly agrees. Manua shows Riker the modestly-sized quarters but Riker says that it has her charm, making her feel more uncomfortable with each move he makes. He then closes the door on her and makes more, stronger advances on her. Since she is smaller and much weaker than Riker, Manua is almost powerless to stop him although she resists as much as she can, pleading for him to stop. The real Riker interrupts with an angry outburst, leaving his chair, unable to take any more and Picard pauses the simulation. Riker is furious at Manua's accusations and categorically denies having propositioned her or, certainly, tried to rape her. He demands to know why Manua was doing this, but she said that this was exactly what happened. Deanna calls for Riker to return to his seat to prevent him from doing or saying something that he may regret. Visibly frustrated, he returns to his seat, and Krag resumes the simulation. Apgar walks in seeing Manua in Riker's arms and is immediately enraged, taking a swing at Riker. But Riker blocks Apgar's punch and lands two jabs in the scientist's stomach, causing Apgar to fall back onto the floor. Manua runs over to try to protect her husband, and Apgar promises that this will be Riker's last mission, but Riker threatens him saying that he will be making a terrible mistake if he lodges his complaint. Krag freezes the simulation and Manua says to Riker that his career in Starfleet was secure despite Apgar's promise -- as a scientist, he would have been distracted by some technical trivia and would have forgotten all about his complaint to Starfleet. The memory of her dead husband has become too much for Manua and she leaves the holodeck crying. Picard calls for a recess and reassuringly taps Riker's shoulder as he and Krag exit, knowing that the evidence against Riker is mounting. Riker turns to Deanna and asks why Manua would have lied about what happened, but the counselor does not respond. He notices and asks if she thought that he could have done what Manua accused him of. Deanna reassures him that she knows that he could never even have contemplated such an act, even though she sensed no kind of deception from Manua -- they are both telling the truth as they remember it. Unfortunately, Manua's recollection of events would result in Riker's extradition and likely conviction. Dr. Crusher and Martinez are treating a crewwoman in sickbay who has recently injured her arm. Crusher feels that the healing of her injury has advanced enough for her to start restoring the strength of her muscles, but Worf on the com calls for Crusher and those present to evacuate immediately as a radiation burst has been detected in sickbay; part of the wall begins to burn away. La Forge and Wesley are studying the newly-melted spot in the wall. Data confirms that it is the same radiation that had previously penetrated the section of wall on Deck 39 -- a highly-focused, powerful emission of radiation but it is of unknown origin. La Forge warns Captain Picard that if this radiation were to form in either the warp core or the antimatter storage pods, they would be in serious trouble. Picard asks if any of the three have any theories; none do. However, Data has noticed something that was too strange to be a coincidence -- the radiation events aboard the Enterprise occurred five hours, twenty minutes and three seconds apart while the space station exploded at almost four times that interval the previous day -- there is a 0.0014 second variance that none of them have been able to explain. Although there is no evidence at present to connect the events, it appears that they may be linked, but if they are correct, they would be able to predict the next radiation event occurring -- just over five hours from now. Picard orders them to take the necessary precautions to protect the ship's most vital areas and if they cannot find the source of the radiation by the next interval, the Enterprise is to leave orbit of Tanuga IV. In the holodeck, the hearing resumes with the real Tayna describing what Dr. Apgar told her about the alleged incident between himself, Commander Riker and Manua. She and Krag have made a reconstruction of what happened on the station in the guest quarters based on her deposition. Picard interrupts, protesting that Tayna's accounts are nothing more than hearsay evidence. But because Apgar is dead, Tayna's evidence is admissible under Tanugan law, and Krag insists that Picard consider it; Picard reluctantly agrees to listen to the "evidence." Tayna's simulation runs, beginning similarly to where Manua's simulation ended. Apgar walks in catching Riker and Manua sharing a passionate kiss; Riker takes a swing at Apgar. The scientist ducks, however, and he then strikes Riker, knocking him to the floor and assuring him that he will lodge a complaint to Starfleet. But Riker thereupon threatens him, calling him a "dead man." Tayna's next simulation set in the lab with Tayna and Apgar; he wants her to take his wife and return to the planet, but Tayna protests and says that he should come down too because Riker threatened him. Apgar, though, feels compelled to protect their work. She agrees and decides to contact the authorities, but Apgar tells her not to -- he will take care of Riker himself. The simulation stops and Tayna recalls hearing about the station exploding, also "knowing" that Riker killed Dr. Apgar, then leaves. Krag has now established motive, method and opportunity for to Riker to have murdered Apgar -- in any court within the Federation, these are sufficient criteria to warrant the extradition of a suspect and Krag awaits Picard's decision. Picard and Troi are in the ready room, and it seems all but certain that Picard will have little alternative other than to hand Riker over to the Tanugans, as the evidence gathered against Riker warrants a trial. Although both he and Troi know that Riker is innocent, they cannot yield to their feelings and unfortunately, there is little evidence to prove their friend's innocence. They are interrupted when Data calls them over the com, telling them that the source of the radiation has been discovered; they return to the bridge. Data reports that he, La Forge and Wesley have been looking for a phenomenon that occurs every five hours, twenty minutes and three seconds. They have discovered one such phenomenon on the planet's surface -- the field generator that Apgar used in his research. When it is fully charged, it emits an energy pulse, then requires the same amount of time to recharge itself -- it was left on after the station had exploded. Picard asks why the generator was affecting the Enterprise as it had been -- it should not have done so, as it was a harmless generator, but they knew that it was connected to the radiation bursts. They have now determined not only the cause of the radiation bursts, and the cause of the explosion that destroyed the space station -- but also who killed Dr. Apgar. Picard, Riker, La Forge, Troi, Krag, Manua, and Tayna are all present in the holodeck, where Picard says that despite all the evidence and events shown on the station, they have not seen all of what really happened. As Krag does not understand, Picard enlists La Forge's assistance to prepare their arguments with a few excerpts from their previous recreations: First is an excerpt from Manua's testimony, in which Apgar says that he has suffered several setbacks, and was upset at Starfleet's early arrival to check on his progress. Manua acknowledges her testimony, adding that her husband was under extreme pressure to make his breakthrough. Picard then posits that Apgar was lying to Starfleet, and had, in fact, already succeeded in creating Krieger waves. Geordi fills in Krag about the mysterious radiation bursts that have been hitting the Enterprise, which they have identified as Krieger waves. Baffled, Tayna says that is impossible -- even if Apgar had succeeded in creating them, there is nothing to generate them after the station was destroyed. La Forge explains that the waves are being created by the holodeck's facsimile of Apgar's lab, which includes the Krieger wave converter that Apgar had falsely claimed did not work. The field generator on the planet has been sending harmless energy pulses to the Enterprise, which were converted to Krieger waves by the facsimile of the converter. Riker is confused, since the holodeck cannot create anything dangerous unless the safety protocols are disabled. La Forge acknowledges this and says that technically, it did not do so, since the converter is essentially little more than a complex series of mirrors and reflective coils. The energy pulses from the field generator were reflected off elements in the converter that changed them into focused Krieger waves, which have been striking different areas of the ship as its angles to the generator have changed. Krag asks why Apgar would lie about his progress. Picard runs extracts of two simulations, one in which Apgar promises Manua that his work will yield rich rewards, and another in which Manua references these same rewards as she, Apgar, and Riker are toasting her husband's anticipated breakthrough. Troi explains that Apgar would not have made substantial profits from selling a new power source to Starfleet, but he could have made a much greater profit selling a new weapon to the Romulans, the Ferengi, and other species. Dr. Apgar's orders for extra dicosilium were a good indicator that he was trying to create larger reflective coils, to build a more lethal version of his existing converter. When the Enterprise arrived early, Picard theorizes, Apgar became worried that Starfleet had become suspicious of him. In all three simulations, Apgar claims that he needs more time for his research. Picard further theorizes that Apgar became convinced Riker was on to him, and decided to kill Riker to protect himself. Having found Riker with his wife did not improve matters. Manua finds Picard's submission ridiculous, but Picard replays Tayna's simulation from the lab, when Apgar assures Tayna that he would take care of Riker instead of taking the matter to the authorities. When Apgar sits at a console, Picard freezes the simulation and asks Tayna what Apgar is doing. She says he is activating the generator on the planet, but she does not know why. Picard suggests that Apgar was thinking ahead to his next confrontation with Riker. Picard replays Riker's simulation at the point where Riker and Apgar discuss what Riker would put in his report. After Riker says that he needs no explanation for Apgar's extra orders for dicosilium, Picard freezes the simulation and surmises that Apgar felt that Riker was confirming his worst fears and this was when he decided to kill Riker. Krag reminds Picard that the energy pulse that blew up the reactor causing the station's destruction came from Commander Riker's position, not Dr. Apgar's. La Forge picks up the explanation, hypothesizing that at the moment Riker beamed out, Apgar energized the converter to fire an energy pulse at Riker, hoping to make his death look like a transporter accident, but Apgar's plan went awry -- the pulse instead reflected off the transporter beam into the reactor, causing the explosion. Krag finds the hypothesis interesting, but dismisses it as impossible to prove. La Forge disagrees, as they have already established that the generator has been discharging and recharging at regular intervals except for the 0.0014-second variance between the first discharge and the explosion of the station. The only logical explanation for this variance is the split-second it took for the energy pulse to bounce off the transporter beam back to the reactor. Picard and La Forge then deliver their final effect, running a new simulation that has been deliberately synchronized with the next discharge from the generator. The simulation resumes with Apgar returning to the console that he was working on while Riker calls the Enterprise saying that he is ready to leave. As the transporter beam engages, a Krieger wave beam fires from the generator at Riker's position, but it reflects off the transporter beam into the reactor, resulting in an explosion, destroying everything in the simulation. Only the "real" people remain in an empty hologrid, where Picard summarizes that Dr. Apgar killed himself during his attempt to kill Commander Riker. After having seen this new evidence, Krag withdraws his request for Riker's extradition and offers Riker his apologies. After Krag, Manua and Tayna return to Tanuga IV, the Enterprise leaves the system on a course for Emila II. 
<EOS>
Worf is sitting alone in Ten Forward when Guinan comes to his table and hands him a glass and asks him to try the drink. Worf tries it and is extremely surprised to find that he loves the drink. Guinan tells Worf it's an Earth drink, prune juice, which Worf refers to as "a warrior's drink." Guinan notes that Worf always drinks alone and suggests that he seek out some companionship. However Worf says he would need a Klingon woman for companionship as Earth females are too fragile. He then laughs loudly when Guinan tells him there are women aboard who might find him tame, a thought he considers impossible. When Guinan playfully calls him a coward for saying he'll never know when she says he should find out, Worf says he was merely concerned for the safety of his fellow crewmates. Just then, a strange phenomenon appears outside Ten Forward's windows and Worf is called to the bridge. Guinan stands up and looks toward the phenomenon and simply utters "No." Arriving on the bridge, Worf is told that the USS Enterprise-D has encountered what appears to be a strange temporal rift in space. Investigating, the crew are unable to confirm exactly what and precisely where the phenomenon is. Worf reports a change in sensor readings. Captain Picard turns his back on Worf and asks Data for more information, who begins to check the sensors. As a starship emerges from the rift, the bridge of the Enterprise changes. It now appears much darker and the crew's uniforms have more of a militaristic flair to them. No one present seems aware of the changes. Picard turns to the tactical station and asks if the ship that emerged is an enemy vessel. However Worf is gone, and the late Natasha Yar stands in his place. Troi has also disappeared. Down in a much more brightly lit Ten Forward, as Guinan clears a table, everyone is in uniform and all are armed. She straightens up and senses something isn't right, that everything has changed. As the starship clears the rift, Yar confirms it as a Federation starship and tries to access the ship's registry. Commander Riker notes the crew must have had a rough ride. Yar reads the ship's registry as NCC-1701-C, which causes Picard and Riker to turn toward her in astonishment as Yar finishes reading the name of the ship USS Enterprise. On the altered bridge of the Enterprise, Data reports that the sensors confirm that the other ship's hull and engine components are of the Enterprise-C's time period. When Wesley Crusher mentions that the Enterprise-C was destroyed with all hands more than twenty years previous, Data corrects him, saying that the ship was presumed destroyed near Narendra III, a Klingon outpost. Captain Picard wonders if the ship was adrift for all the years it's been missing or perhaps traveled through time. Data says that if time travel does turn out to be the proper theory then the phenomenon they have encountered is a temporal rift, such as a Kerr loop in space which is most certainly unstable and capable of collapsing at any time. Yar then reports that she is able to scan the interior of the ship and she reports heavy damage but she does detect sporadic life signs. Riker calls sickbay to prepare emergency teams and orders the transporter rooms to standby, but Picard belays Riker's orders, reminding him that if the other ship has indeed traveled through time then they could be dealing with variables that might alter the flow of their history. At that moment, Yar tells Picard that the Enterprise-C is sending out an audio distress call, and Picard orders it put on speakers. Riker mentions that there was no record of Romulans ever attacking the Enterprise-C and then Yar reports the voice message has terminated and they are receiving only an automated signal from the vessel. Picard then orders a channel opened and tells the Enterprise-C that he is "Captain Picard of the Federation of a Federation starship" and tells Garrett to stand by for emergency teams. He then tells Riker to assess the situation and attend to their wounded and above all, avoid all discussions of where and when they are. Riker says he will and takes Yar with him for the away team. Just then, Crusher tells Picard that Starfleet monitor stations are detecting Klingon ships in the area and on their way, and Picard orders battle alert, condition yellow. Meanwhile, the Enterprise-C is in bad shape. The away team beams aboard the bridge and Dr. Crusher reports the rest of the bridge crew are dead and that the captain is seriously injured. She and Riker tell Garrett they are from a Federation ship and that they are here to assist. When Dr. Crusher tells Riker she must take Garrett back to Enterprise, Garrett demands an explanation, but Riker simply tells her they are from a Federation ship that answered their distress signal and that they will answer all questions, but for now they must get her to sickbay. With that, Garrett relents and allows Crusher to transport themselves back directly to sickbay. At the same time, chief engineer Geordi La Forge tells Riker the ship is in pretty bad shape. Riker tells him if they can't stabilize life support they will have to evacuate the ship; La Forge says he can do it, but he'll have to go to engineering, so he calls a damage control party to engineering. Then Yar and Riker notice some rustling underneath some debris. They pull the debris off and discover another survivor, Lt. Richard Castillo, the ship's helmsman. Picard arrives back on the bridge in time for a report from the away team. Riker reports back that they've stabilized life support and that La Forge is working on repairing the main power couplings. He also tells Picard that there are 125 survivors aboard the Enterprise-C. When Picard asks for recommendations, Riker says that he'd hate to have to lose the ship, as Starfleet could certainly use another vessel, even if it is old. While Picard agrees, he also cautions Riker that they can't stay in the area too long. Picard allows Riker nine hours to get the Enterprise-C under-way to Starbase 105. If they are unable to do so, then the survivors will be evacuated and the ship will be destroyed. At that moment, Guinan enters the bridge. Seemingly disoriented, she walks up to Picard. When Picard notices her, she says she needs to speak to Picard, claiming: "This is not the way it's supposed to be." In his ready room, Picard questions Guinan's "discovery." Things don't feel "right" to her, things like the bridge, the crew's uniforms, their attitudes. Picard asks what has changed and he counters that this is the way it has always been, and asks what else has changed. Families, Guinan says. There should be children on the Enterprise. Astounded, Picard scoffs at the idea -- the Federation is at war. No, Guinan says. The Federation is not at war, or at least it's not supposed to be. She tells Picard that Enterprise isn't a ship of war, but of peace. And the only way to restore that truth is to send the Enterprise-C back to its own time, as it does not belong in the present. Reeling from this revelation, Picard arrives in sickbay to meet Captain Garrett, who has just undergone surgery. Garrett asks where they came from, but Picard deflects her question with wanting to know how her ship ended up here. Garrett tells Picard that they were responding to a distress signal from the Klingon outpost on Narendra III and asks if Picard heard it, but he says they didn't. Garrett says she's never seen a sickbay like the one she's in, not even on a starbase. Nor has she ever seen their uniforms. She asks what ship she's on. Crusher urges Garrett to be still and relax, but she insists on finding out what ship she is on. Picard tells her that she is aboard the Enterprise 1701-D, a revelation that stuns Garrett. Picard tells her they have traveled twenty-two years into the future. Garrett wants to know if the crew has been informed and Picard says they haven't. Garrett says she should inform them and Picard offers to, but he seems hesitant. When Garrett inquires as to why, Picard explains his concern that if they return back with future knowledge, it could upset the timeline even more than their current position has done. Garrett says that they barely escaped with their lives. Picard tells Garrett that history never recorded their last stand against the Romulans. Garrett says they responded to a distress call from Narendra III and engaged the Romulan forces attacking the outpost, but that there were four Warbirds against the lone Enterprise. Picard tells her that the outpost was destroyed, and laments that if a Federation starship could have rescued a Klingon outpost, it just might have averted twenty years of war. Back aboard the Enterprise-C, Castillo struggles with the news that he is twenty-two years out of time, as Lt. Yar works to bring the weapons systems up to spec, and attempts to rationalize the situation. Castillo wonders about his family and laments that they're probably dead, but Tasha tells him that that's not necessarily true. She then tells Castillo that he might not like the future as the war has been very long. She tells him that the Federation has lost more than half of Starfleet to the Klingons. Castillo remarks that negotiations for a peace treaty were well underway when the Enterprise left on her mission. Yar says there have been a lot of changes. Castillo suggests she fill him in on them. Back on the Enterprise-D, Data tells Picard that the anomaly is likely symmetrical. Picard asks Data about what would happen if the Enterprise-C were to return through the rift. Data tells him that she would emerge in the midst of battle, at almost the exact instant she left. Picard asks if there's any chance of the ship surviving and Data says there isn't. Picard realizes then that sending the Enterprise-C back would be a death sentence. Having returned to the Enterprise, Yar tells Castillo that it was the first Galaxy-class battleship built by the Federation and that Enterprise can transport as many as six thousand troops at once. Yar says she was lucky to get the Enterprise and Castillo says he was too, referring of course, to the Enterprise-C. They arrive at sickbay and brief Captain Garrett on the Enterprise-C's current tactical state. When Garrett tells Castillo to concentrate on the ship's weapon systems, Yar tells her that there are Klingon battleships in the area. With that news, Garrett sits up, asks Castillo why she wasn't informed, and then tells an intervening Beverly Crusher that she must resume her duties; when Crusher protests that Garrett needs another 24 hours of rest, Garrett tells Crusher that 24 hours might as well be 24 years. Guinan once again comes to Picard in the conference lounge, now transformed into a strategic operations center. Picard asks if she has any more information, but Guinan doesn't. Without more information, without proof, Picard can't let them return. Guinan states he must. With barely restrained anger and slamming his fist on the table, Picard tells her the Enterprise-C crew would die moments after returning. Guinan tells Picard that she wishes she had more information but she doesn't. She only has a very strong feeling that this is wrong. Picard then asks who decides which timeline is the right one? Guinan says she does. That isn't good enough for Picard. He will not allow one hundred and twenty-five people to sacrifice their lives on her "feeling." Forty billion people have already been lost in this war, Guinan snaps back, a war that isn't and shouldn't be happening. She repeats that the only way to save those billions is to sacrifice that small group of people. But there is no guarantee of success, and everything Picard is tells him that the idea is wrong, dangerous, and futile. Guinan tells Picard that in all the years he's known her, she's never forced herself on anyone, or to take a stand based on whimsical triviality. Guinan tells Picard that she's told him what he must do and Picard only has his trust in her to base his decision on. Guinan then returns to Ten Forward, where she runs into Yar and Castillo, discussing improvements to the deflector system, how her Enterprise could now probably last twice as long in a firefight than the Enterprise-C. Guinan feels extreme uneasiness at Yar's very presence. There is a brief, awkward conversation between the two in regards to Yar ordering their food rations for the meal. Yar tells Castillo that is the first time she's ever seen Guinan like that. While Guinan goes to prepare their food, Yar and Castillo's conversation continues, with Castillo's head spinning a little due to the tactics that Tasha explained, which were more than what he learned at the Academy. Yar tells him he'll need it. Then the conversation heads toward more personal territory. Tasha asks what she should call him, now that they've decided they're probably past referring to each other by rank. Yar tells Castillo to call her Tasha and Castillo says everyone except his mother, who calls him Richard, calls him Castillo. But when Tasha tries calling him Castillo, he decides he'd rather she call him Richard. Just then, their conversation is interrupted by a call from Picard, ordering all senior officers to his ready room. Heading out, Yar and Guinan share another uncomfortable glance. Picard briefs the senior officers on his decision. Crusher is astounded that Picard is going to send them back based solely on Guinan's intuition. Riker says there's no way the Enterprise-C can save Narendra III. Yar then tells Picard that Captain Garrett reported four Romulan Warbirds, leaving the Enterprise-C severely outmanned and outgunned. La Forge then presents the possibility of re-arming the Enterprise-C with modern weapons, but Picard vetoes it, saying if they do that they'll alter the past. Riker says isn't that what they're talking about but Picard says they're talking about restoring the past. La Forge wonders how Guinan would know history has been altered if she's been altered along with everyone else. Data suspects that possibly her species has a perception which goes beyond linear time. Picard says there's much about her people they don't understand but fundamentally she is correct as a ship from the past has traveled through time and there is no way for them to know what effect that might have on the present and that they may never know but Picard has decided the consequences are too great to ignore. When Picard tries to dismiss them, Riker decides to speak again, although Picard tries to stop him, telling Riker that he's not seeking their consent and that this was merely a briefing. Riker though, with all due respect, tells Picard he's asking 125 people to die a meaningless death, but Data disagrees that it would absolutely be meaningless, pointing out that since the Klingons regard honor above all else, that if the crew of Enterprise-C died fighting for the survival of a Klingon outpost, it would be considered a meaningful act of honor by the Klingon Empire. Picard notes that their deaths might prevent the entire war, noting if Enterprise-C returns to the battle and its mission is a success, it will irrevocably change history, creating a new future for all of them. Having considered all the alternatives, Picard decides to go with Guinan's recommendation and this time, rather emphatically dismisses everyone. Preoccupied by a comment made by La Forge and Crusher about whether they'll even be alive in an alternate timeline as they depart the ready room, Yar joins Data in the bridge's fore turbolift. Data makes a point when Yar comments that she's worried about what will happen to Castillo; Data tells her that if history is restored, they will have no memory of these events. This disturbs Yar even more. As the crew of the Enterprise-C continue repairs, Garrett and Picard discuss possibilities for the ship either staying or returning, and the probability of Guinan's accuracy. Garrett gently asks if Picard trusts Guinan's judgement. Picard answers yes, that he learned long ago to trust his old friend's wisdom. Picard offers to arrange for Guinan and Captain Garrett to speak in person, an offer she declines. Garrett knows there is no chance for survival, and suggests the Enterprise-D return with them, and Picard says he can't. Garrett accepts that, saying Picard doesn't belong in her time any more than she belongs in Picard's. She then tells Picard how many of the Enterprise-C's crew want to return, some for not wanting to be without their loved ones and some because they don't like the idea of sneaking out in the middle of a fight. But Garrett has told her crew that the Federation needs another ship against the Klingons and they need to get used to the idea. Picard then tells her if she goes back it could be much more helpful. He then lowers his voice and reveals a disturbing fact to Garrett: the war is going very badly for the Federation, much worse than is generally known. According to Picard, Starfleet Command believes that defeat is inevitable and within six months, they may have no choice but to surrender. Garrett asks if this was caused by their presence. Picard says that one starship can make no impact in the present but twenty-two years ago, one ship could stop the war before it starts. Garrett tells Castillo to inform the crew they will return to their own time. She promises Picard that the Romulans will get a good fight, and that history will remember their actions. Picard tells Garrett he knows they will. As Picard beams back to the Enterprise-D, Yar and Castillo say their goodbyes but they are interrupted by an attack from a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, on a scouting mission. Yar mans the tactical station quickly and prepares to fight the Klingons. Garrett contacts the Enterprise-D and asks if Picard made it safely back and Riker acknowledges that he did. Despite fire from the Enterprise-D, the Bird-of-Prey scores some crucial hits on the Enterprise-C, causing a panel near Garrett to explode in sparks, sending her to the ground. As the Bird-of-Prey disappears under cloak, Picard hails Garrett and asks for a damage report but there is no response. After a second hail, Yar contacts Picard and reports that Captain Garrett is dead. Garrett has a piece of shrapnel embedded in her head. In the Strategic Operations Center, Castillo enters and tells Picard he is prepared to lead the Enterprise back himself. Riker, though, is skeptical, as Castillo is the last surviving senior officer, having limited support from ops, no tactical, and reduced staff in engineering. Castillo interrupts Riker and tells Picard he has good people who wish to do their jobs. Riker believes history didn't mean for the Enterprise-C to enter this battle without Captain Garrett and while Castillo can't speak to that extent, he knows he can get the job done. Just then Data contacts Picard and informs him that likely due to the battle with the Klingons, the temporal rift is destabilizing. Tasha says they can't remain there as their coordinates have been transmitted to the Klingon Command. Castillo says then that he intends to return unless Picard orders him otherwise. He then tells Picard that he can have his ship ready in a few hours, that they sustained only moderate damage. With that information, Picard gives his assent and tells Castillo that they will provide cover. Yar takes Castillo to the transporter room where they bid each other farewell again and then after joking about how they seem to have all the time one can afford to have, share a tender kiss, and then Castillo beams back to the Enterprise-C. From there, Yar goes to Ten Forward to confront Guinan about her fate in the other timeline. Guinan says she doesn't have alternate biographies of the crew, but Yar says there's something to the way Guinan looks at her recently and that they've known each other too long for these secrets. Guinan finally reveals that she feels like they weren't meant to know each other at all. Guinan then tells Yar that she's supposed to be dead and while she doesn't know how, she does know it was an empty death, that Yar was killed without reason or purpose. Resolved, Yar meets Picard in his ready room and asks for a transfer to the Enterprise-C, which is in need of a tactical officer. Picard asks why and she says they need one, but Picard says they need her here. Yar then tells him she's not supposed to be there and that she's supposed to be dead. Picard allows Tasha to sit and is also disturbed that Guinan felt it necessary to give Yar that information, but Yar responds that she wanted to know. Picard tells Yar she doesn't belong on Enterprise-C. Tasha agrees, she says that Captain Garrett belongs there but she's dead. She then says there may be some logic in her request, which Picard angrily disagrees with, saying that, after he calms his voice, "There's no logic in this at all! Whether they succeed or not, the Enterprise-C will be destroyed." Yar says that with someone skilled at tactical they might be able to make the difference in the conflict. It may only be seconds or minutes, but that could be the time it takes to change history. Yar says she didn't like the thought of dying for no real reason and that, knowing the risks that come with being a Starfleet officer, if she is to die being one, she wants that death to count for something. Picard considers for a moment, and then simply and quietly, grants Yar permission to go. She stands, thanks Picard, and leaves the Enterprise-D for the last time. Aboard the Enterprise-C, Castillo is making final preparations for departure, placing crewmembers at ops and conn, just as Tasha reports for duty at tactical. Incredulous, Castillo wants to know what she's doing and she tells Castillo about how Captain Picard approved her transfer request. Castillo tells Yar they're going back through the rift, into battle and not coming back. Yar says that's why she came. Quietly, Castillo then tells her he doesn't want her aboard, but Yar dares him to find someone in his crew better suited than her to do the job. Castillo knows she is right and welcomes Yar aboard the Enterprise-C. Starting to step away from her, he orders her to take her station. Yar does so as Castillo moves over and sits in the captain's chair. Wesley reports three K'Vort-class battle cruisers are en route to intercept the two Enterprises. Picard notes how the Klingons don't even bother to cloak themselves. Riker is surprised at their audacity, after the pasting they apparently gave the Klingons during a recent battle at Archer IV. Picard nods, and then addresses the crew: The battle begins as the Klingon ships focus all of their firepower on the Enterprise-D, whose shields hold. Riker, manning the tactical station, reports photon torpedoes ready and Picard orders them fired using dispersal pattern Sierra. Data reports one enemy ship was hit with moderate shield damage. Another volley from the Klingons causes minor damage to the Enterprise's secondary hull. As Picard orders a course change, Wesley reports one of the enemy ships is breaking off to attack the Enterprise-C. Picard tells Wesley to keep them within two hundred kilometers of the Enterprise-C, and Wesley turns course to intercept that Klingon ship, with Riker returning fire after the Klingons attack the Enterprise-C. La Forge reports from engineering that a starboard power coupling is down and antimatter containment fields suffered damage. The tactical situation for the Enterprise dims greatly as the Klingon warships flank the ship in an attempt to draw them away from the Enterprise-C. Picard then orders continuous fire of all phaser banks. As the Enterprise begins to fire continuous phaser blasts against the Klingons, a focused attack breaks through the shields of one of the ships, destroying it in seconds; but this is only a small victory, however, as the remaining ships knock out the main sensor array and cause critical damage to the warp core. The shields collapse, and the containment field is failing. As La Forge works to shut down the warp core, plasma coolant bursts free of the core manifold and the warp core builds to overload, with La Forge unable to stop it; there are two minutes until a core breach. Data reports on Picard's request that Enterprise-C is now fifty-two seconds from the rift, which is more than enough time. With his ship's destruction now inevitable, Picard orders all remaining power to defensive systems. Unfortunately, Data reports power couplings have been severed in the main phaser banks and he cannot bypass. The Enterprise is hit again and Riker is killed when part of the tactical console explodes. The Klingons signal, demanding that the Enterprise surrender to them. "That will be the day" Picard sneers and leaps the tactical rail, trying to fire the phasers himself. After several tries, the phasers fire on one of the Klingon ships, who respond by continuously firing on the Enterprise. Picard continues trying to fire as the bridge becomes engulfed in flames. The Klingon ships batter away at the now-helpless Enterprise-D. As the ship is mere seconds away from being destroyed, the Enterprise-C makes it back through the rift. The timeline is restored and Picard stands on the bridge in the exact spot he was before the timeline diverged. He asks for a report. Worf reports that his sensor readings fluctuated and what appeared to be a ship has now vanished. Data reports the anomaly is closing in on itself. Picard then orders a class 1 probe left behind to monitor the rift's final closure. He then orders Wesley to set course for Archer IV. Just then, Guinan calls up and asks if everything is all right. Picard and Riker are surprised to hear her on the intercom. He then tells Guinan everything is fine and asks if there's anything wrong. In Ten Forward, Guinan says no, that nothing's wrong and she's sorry to have bothered them. She then smiles, and goes to a table and sits opposite from La Forge.
<EOS>
Wesley Crusher, Geordi La Forge, and Counselor Deanna Troi are walking to Data's lab, where he has summoned them without revealing to them why. As they are walking, they speculate about what Data might have in store for them. La Forge says that ever since the cybernetic conference Data has been spending every second in the lab as well as keeping it locked. When they finally arrive at the lab, they find out that he has created a Soong-type android and named it Lal. The android greets them and somewhat taken aback, they realize that it calls Data father, upon which Data states that in fact Lal is his child. In his lab, Data explains that Lal has a positronic brain which is very similar to his own and that he began programming it at the cybernetics conference. La Forge points out that no one has ever been able to do such a thing, at least not after Data was created. Data explains that there was a new sub-micron matrix transfer technology introduced at the conference which he discovered could be used to lay down complex neural-net pathways. Essentially, he did a transfer from his brain to Lal's. Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who is also taken aback by this, tells Data that he would have liked to be consulted. Data is a little surprised at the captain's request, pointing out that he has not ever noticed anyone else on board consulting him about their procreation. Troi asks why he hasn't given it a more Human look, as this model looks androgynous. Data states that he decided to allow his child to chose its own sex and appearance. Picard, whose state of mind borders ever closer to irritation, asks that Data see him in his ready room at his earliest convenience. When leaving, he asks Counselor Troi to accompany him. During their conversation down the corridor, Picard insists that they do whatever they can to discourage the perception of this new android as a child, for it is not a child, to Picard, but an invention, an extraordinary one. Deanna wonders why biology, rather than technology, should determine whether it's a child for after all, Data has created an offspring, a new life out of his own being. To her, that suggests a child. She thinks that they have no say in Data's wish to call Lal his child. Picard states that he fails to understand how a five-foot android with heuristic learning systems and the strength of ten men can be called a child. Troi responds by pointing out that Picard has never been a parent. Determined to put an end to this, Picard still has a conversation with Data in his ready room. He tells him that what he has done will have serious ramifications, especially after Starfleet finds out about it. Data apologizes, stating that he did not anticipate his objections and asks whether he should just turn it off. Picard argues that he cannot just turn it on and off like a machine. He tells Data that he has taken on quite a responsibility by creating a new life, which, according to Picard, has nothing to do with the challenges of parenting itself. Data, however, wonders if that itself does not describe becoming a parent. Picard, who is growing increasingly impatient with Data, realizes that he is just not getting through to him like this. But Data tries to make him understand by pointing out that in most species there is a primal instinct to perpetuate themselves and until now, he has been the last of his kind. If he were to be damaged or destroyed, he would be lost forever. But if he is successful with the creation of Lal, his continuance is assured. He understands the risks and he is prepared to accept the responsibility. Later, Data and Counselor Troi take Lal to the holodeck so it can try on various appearances and genders. After many hours of searching, the choices are narrowed down to four: an Andorian female, a Human male, a Human female, and a Klingon male. Data's offspring chooses to be a Human female. Data takes Lal into their quarters and tries to acquaint her with her new life, explaining to her that they are a family now. He teaches her about painting, which she identifies as colors produced on a surface by applying a pigment. He helps her process and understand the sense of touch and explains that there are many experiences that he wishes to share with her. Lal is very enthusiastic about all this and wants to learn more. Later in his lab, Wes asks Data what Lal does while he is on duty. Data states that she studies in their quarters for she requires very little supervision. Wesley wonders if he has considered sending her to school, but Data responds that she already has full access to the sum of Human knowledge from him. Wesley objects that she could still learn a lot by being with children close to her own age. While they are discussing all this, Doctor Beverly Crusher calls in to remind Wesley of his haircut appointment. After he leaves, Data turns Lal back on and she asks him quite curiously what her purpose is; her function, her reason for being. Data says that their function is to contribute in a positive way to the world in which they live. But Lal wonders why she is needed instead of someone else, she wonders where she came from. Data does not answer her questions directly, but rather moves on to point out that all her questioning is a very good sign, for now she will be able to process information on logic, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology; she is truly becoming sentient by developing the awareness to question and examine her perceptions. Lal, however, carries on by asking a multitude of questions. A little overwhelmed by all her questions, Data just turns her off mid-sentence. In the meantime, Starfleet, which has gotten wind of the situation, communicates with Captain Picard about Lal. Picard tries to explain to Admiral Haftel that for Data, this android is his child and that he respects that. He is barely able to convince Starfleet to let Lal remain on board for the time being, but is fully aware that the time will come where he has to make that dreaded tough decision about Lal's fate. Lal's first day at school is not going so well either. The teacher, Ballard, explains to Data that she is too smart for most classes and the other children are afraid of her because she appears much older than them. Data takes her out of school and tries to explain certain things to her, such as peoples' fear of things that are different and which are new to them. Lal claims that she does not wish to be different. A little helpless about how to guide and help Lal in this time, Data seeks out the help of Dr. Crusher, whom he considers to be an example of a good parent. He tells her that Lal wishes to be more like the others and that he doesn't know how to help her. Crusher tells him that when Wes was growing up, he was a very bright boy, but also had a hard time making friends, mainly because the other children were intimidated by him. Crusher approached this by telling Wesley about herself, about when she was younger and unpopular. This made Wes see that she understood him. Data realizes that he has not told Lal how difficult it was for him to assimilate. Crusher suggests that he lets her know that she is not alone and tells him to be there and nurture her when she needs love and attention. Data points out that he can give her attention but that he is incapable of giving her love. Crusher finds that hard to believe. Later in his quarters, Captain Picard receives the dreaded message from Admiral Haftel who explains to him that he has discussed the situation with Starfleet Command and the Enterprise is to hold position until he joins them to personally review the android's development. He advises him that if he is not satisfied with what he sees, he is empowered to take the android back with him. Data decides to leave Lal in the care of the bartender Guinan, who begins to teach her the fundamentals of Human interaction and behavior. Guinan "hires" Lal, and tells her that the most important aspect of working in a place like Ten Forward is the art of listening. All three are surprised when Lal uses a verbal contraction, a skill which Data has never been able to master. She has exceeded his abilities. Captain Picard calls Data to his ready room and explains Starfleet's desire to transfer Lal, and only Lal, to a more suitable environment. Data, who doesn't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation, states that he doesn't agree with that decision because he feels that Lal can learn a lot from his own experiences and that he should not be separated from her. Then it finally dawns on him that the admiral is questioning his ability as a parent when suggesting to take Lal to a different environment. He wonders if the admiral has children, which Picard confirms. Data speculates on how much experience Haftel had as a parent when his first child was born. In Ten Forward, Lal, together with Guinan, is observing a couple engaged in typical courtship behavior. When the male kisses the girl, she yells out that he is biting her. Guinan tells her that he is not biting her, but instead is kissing her. However, she leaves it up to Data to explain to Lal what follows after the couple leaves Ten Forward in a hurry. Commander Riker, returning from leave and unaware of Data's creation, walks into Ten Forward and begins flirting with Lal, asking her casually if she is new around here. She experiments with some of her new knowledge by suddenly grabbing Riker from across the bar and kissing him. At that moment, Data walks in, asking the commander what his intentions towards his daughter are. A shocked and embarrassed Riker hastily excuses himself and rushes out of the bar. In their quarters, Lal realizes that she will never know love. Data tells her that it is a limitation they must accept, upon which Lal wonders why he is then still trying to emulate Humans. Data replies that it is the struggle itself that is most important; they must strive to be more than they are. It does not matter that they will never reach their ultimate goal, the effort itself yields its own rewards. Lal then, remembering what she learned about Humans holding hands and it being a symbolic gesture of affection, holds her father's hand in gratitude. Admiral Haftel finally arrives and the captain realizes that he did not come here to form an opinion, but to justify one. Picard asks for time, patience, and an open mind from the admiral -- allowing Lal to stay with Data during her formative years until she is ready to move on to other tasks and challenges. The admiral states that this is not a satisfactory suggestion, because if mistakes are made, the damage might be irreparable. He also wonders why Picard is so insistent about this, asking him whether he seriously believes that they are breaking up a family of some sort. Angrily, Picard states that they Data and Lal are living, sentient beings that have rights in their society; rights he helped define. But the admiral disagrees, stating that Lal might be the next pivotal step towards the development of artificial intelligence and that work like this demands to be done with controlled procedures in effective isolation. In an attempt to understand what Lal's life and development are like on the ship, the admiral decides to see her and talk to her. He is taken to Ten Forward, where Lal is working as a waitress. Even though Data tries to explain to him the value of letting Lal be in such an interactive environment where she can observe Human behavior, the admiral seriously questions Data's intentions of appropriate guidance. He is indignant to see a being that can run sixty trillion calculations a second working as a cocktail waitress. He is not even convinced that the behavior she observes here will have a good influence on her to begin with. He wants Lal out of there and wants her to report to him for an interview. Lal goes to see the admiral in the observation lounge, who sugarcoats his intentions to her, telling her that Starfleet is very excited about meeting her soon. She wonders if she has done something wrong since they are planning to move her away from her father. The admiral tells her that they only want to take her with them so she can learn more, nothing else, for after all, there is only so much she can learn on a starship. Lal agrees, stating that after she has learned everything there is to learn aboard a starship, she will relocate. But the admiral insists that this is not the natural conclusion here. Trying to ameliorate the situation, Picard tries to point out the positive aspects of her going away and the admiral states how much respect he has for Data. Lal points out that he in fact does not speak with respect. Picard then decides to ask Lal directly what she thinks about her father's ability to teach her and what her wishes are. Lal says that she wishes to remain on board the Enterprise. After leaving the admiral, Lal, who is very upset, goes to see Counselor Troi. She is distraught and stutters about an admiral from Starfleet coming to take her away and that she is scared. Deanna is startled to realize she can sense Lal's fear. Lal is irritated and clearly frightened, unable to comprehend what she is feeling. In the briefing room, Haftel orders Data to hand Lal over to Starfleet. He tries to appeal to Data's new-found sense of parenthood, explaining that there is a time where all parents have to let go of their children for their own good. Picard states that this is not the time, however, for the child depends on him. Data says that when he created Lal, it was in the hopes that one day she enter the Academy, that she become a member of Starfleet. He wanted to give something back in return for all that Starfleet has given him. But Lal is his child and he is being asked to volunteer to give her up; something he cannot do, for it would violate every lesson he has learned about Human parenting. It is his duty, and not Starfleet's, to guide this new life through all the steps to maturity, to prepare her to be a contributing member of society, to be there for her when she learns. No one can relieve him from that obligation. He is her father. The admiral refuses to give in, and orders that Lal be transferred aboard his ship. Picard tells Data to belay that order, stating that he is willing to take this to the highest level of Starfleet himself if he has to. He politely responds that even though the admiral acknowledges their consciousness, he nevertheless still ignores their personal liberties and freedoms. "Order a man to hand his child over to the state? Not while I'm his captain," Picard states firmly. He is about to suggest that the admiral go with him to Starfleet about this, when Counselor Troi calls Data to his lab. Troi explains what has happened to Lal, how she was very frightened and then walked out of her quarters back to the lab. Lal was programmed to report back to the lab in case of a malfunction -- a malfunction which Picard calls emotional awareness. Data states that this appears to be a cascade failure, requiring initialization of the base matrix without wiping out higher functions. The admiral agrees with him and asks Data whether he could assist in his efforts. Hours later, La Forge, Troi, and Wesley are waiting outside Data's lab when the admiral emerges, exhausted and heartbroken. He says Lal cannot be saved and will not survive much longer. No matter what they did, something else would show up: they repolarized one pathway and another would collapse, and then another. Watching Data using every ounce of his inhuman speed, trying to stay ahead of Lal's breakdown,  the admiral sadly concludes, "it just wasn't meant to be." In the lab, Lal and Data share her last moments together: Data tells her that he is unable to correct the system failure, and that they must say goodbye now. She says that she feels. She tells him that she loves him and that even though he cannot feel it with her, she can feel it for both of them. She thanks him for her life and the things she learned about: flirting, laughter, painting, family, female, Human. Walking to the bridge, where everyone is gathered and concerned, Data explains that Lal suffered complete neural system failure at 13:00 hours and that he deactivated the unit. Captain Picard tells him how much the crew is saddened by his loss. Data thanks him for the sympathy, but points out that she is there with him: that her presence enriched his life so much that he could not allow her to pass in oblivion. That is why he transferred her memories into himself. Data takes his station on the bridge; however, as he looks out into space, it is clear that Lal's death has had an effect on him. 
<EOS>
The Klingon Commander Kurn is temporarily assigned to the USS Enterprise-D as acting first officer as part of the Federation-Klingon Officer Exchange Program. Earlier, in 2365, Commander and Enterprise First Officer William Riker served in a similar capacity aboard the IKS Pagh. Kurn, in his new role, immediately tries to impose "Klingon-style" discipline aboard the Starfleet vessel, with Captain Jean-Luc Picard's full approval. The surprised crew find Kurn's method excessively harsh and draconian. When La Forge and Wesley complain privately to Riker in Ten Forward about this, he reminds them that Kurn simply has a different style of command and that Klingons believe in obedience and strict adherence to regulations. However, it is notable that the only person Kurn has not been giving a hard time is "the one person who wouldn't really mind it": Worf. Kurn gives Worf easy assignments and praises him sarcastically for his efficiency during a minor navigational procedure on the bridge. Worf is angered at being patronized, but resists confronting a superior officer. While in a turbolift on his way to the captain's dining room, Riker tells Kurn it took him some getting used to Klingon culture while serving on the Pagh. He offers to assist Kurn with suggestions in working with the crew. Kurn respectfully declines the offer, reminding Riker that on a Klingon ship, he would be killed for such a "suggestion". A special dinner is prepared at the captain's mess in honor of Kurn, who understands the honor and is prepared to sample some of the food, even though some of it is cooked—but he doesn't like it, and bluntly explains that it is too bland. La Forge observes that it seems to agree with Worf, earning Worf a contemptuous look from Kurn. After dinner, filled with rage, Worf goes to Kurn's quarters to demand an explanation. When the other expresses doubt of Worf's Klingon instincts, Worf erupts in a violent outburst. Kurn is pleased and says he's been testing Worf to see just how Klingon he was, revealing that he is really Worf's younger brother. Kurn explains that when Mogh's family went to Khitomer, he had been left behind with their father's friend, Lorgh, and so escaped the massacre. Worf explains to Kurn that the Starfleet officer that rescued him was told by the Klingon High Command that he had no living relatives, believing that Kurn was with the family and therefore killed at Khitomer. After the massacre, Lorgh adopted Kurn as his son and kept him in his family. When Kurn reached the age of ascension he was told the truth about his bloodline. Kurn has sought Worf out because their father, Mogh, is accused of treason by the Klingon High Council. Supposedly, he had given the Romulans defense access codes allowing them to lower the shields of the Khitomer outpost just before the Romulan attack. Kurn had lived all these years, hiding his identity by masquerading as the son of Lorgh, but when he learned of the Council's action he came to Worf, asking him to challenge the judgment as Mogh's elder son. Picard says that since Worf is accused of a capital crime it would be better if he were standing at Worf's side as he made his challenge, rather than simply granting him shore leave. Picard commands Kurn to set course for the First City of the Klingon homeworld. Kurn is surprised; he hadn't expected the Enterprise itself to change course. Now he respects Worf more deeply than ever. On the way home, Kurn asks Worf if he can be his Cha'DIch, or ritual second; while Worf is accused, he will not be allowed in any duels or fights. Worf agrees, and Kurn speaks the traditional words of acceptance: "I accept with honor. May your enemies tremble before you." Then Worf surprises Kurn by telling him that he must not reveal his true bloodline. Kurn protests, and Worf reminds him that, on the Enterprise, Kurn is the superior officer, but on the Klingon homeworld, Worf is the elder brother, and Kurn must obey him. Once they arrive at Qo'noS, Worf and Kurn beam down with Picard and Riker accompanying them. Worf pronounces his challenge before the Council and faces the accusations of Duras, the son of Mogh's greatest rival. Worf acknowledges that he is prepared to face the consequences with his very life if his challenge fails. "I am Worf, son of Mogh. I have come to challenge the lies that have been spoken of my father!", he defiantly states to the High Council. Duras accuses Worf of forsaking his heritage for the Federation, but Picard tells the council that Worf has served under his command with distinction, earning Picard's admiration and respect. Appealing to the council's better natures, Picard says he trusts their wisdom will guide them to clear Worf's family name and return him to duty. Chancellor K'mpec notes the trust of a commanding officer is admirable and notes it for the record. Duras testifies that a transmission of access codes went out from the outpost to the Romulan vessels which allowed them to dismantle the outposts' shields. Thousands of Klingons died on Khitomer, including Duras' father. Duras calls Mogh a traitor and because Worf has brought this challenge, Duras calls him a traitor as well, backhanding Worf in the traditions of their people. Duras then rips Worf's baldric off of him, telling Worf he is unworthy to wear the emblems of their people. Worf tells Duras "it is a good day to die, but the day is not yet over." During a recess of the council, K'mpec meets with Worf and tries to persuade him into abandoning his challenge. Worf reacts with shock and dismay at this seemingly un-Klingon request, even though he understands that K'mpec's personal affection for Mogh may be influencing the request. Kurn has received a note to meet someone in an isolated corridor; it is Duras. Duras reveals that he knows Kurn's true bloodline and tries to blackmail him into turning against Worf. Kurn refuses, and Duras' assassins attack and seriously wound him. Although Beverly Crusher reassures Worf that Kurn's wounds are not life-threatening, Worf tells her she should have let him die because he'll be executed anyway -- now that someone knows he is Worf's brother, Kurn will share Worf's fate if the challenge is unsuccessful. Worf asks Picard to be his Cha'DIch. Picard demurs, but Worf insists that there is no one better qualified. Picard pleases Worf by reciting the same traditional acceptance, in Klingon. Surprised by Worf's new Cha'DIch, Duras questions Picard's validity as Cha'DIch but Picard tells Duras that he's not here to command, to which Duras responds that he has to fight as well, which isn't something that is taught by Starfleet. Picard defiantly tells Duras that he is welcome to test that assumption at his leisure. The Enterprise crew, on Picard's orders, are investigating the Khitomer massacre on their own. The USS Intrepid was the first ship on the scene of the disaster; Data contacts Starfleet for copies of the Intrepid's logs. Meanwhile, La Forge and Data have gotten into the Klingon Central information net and discovered that the Klingons recently captured a Romulan ship with information about Khitomer in the ship's logs and that's how they found out about the treachery. Upon comparing the information in the Klingon archives with the Intrepid logs, La Forge and Data discover that there is a discrepancy in the transmissions. The evidence which supported Mogh's guilt was faked. Another survivor of the Khitomer Massacre, a woman named Kahlest, is found. Picard is told about this by Riker during the second Council session and asks Worf, who says that Kahlest was his nurse and that he thought she had died. Picard tells Worf he must find her and bring her before the Council. Worf recommends that he not go alone, as it is too dangerous. Picard tells him, "Hey, I'm your Cha'DIch." Using a cloak and keeping the hood up, Picard journeys into the Old City and finds Kahlest's home. Kahlest says she considers her life over after Khitomer and she is waiting to die. Picard tries to persuade Kahlest to accompany him back to the High Council chamber, telling her that the family that she once served proudly needs her again. She refuses, and Picard starts to leave. Just outside Kahlest's door, he is ambushed by Duras' assassins. He manages to overcome one, Kahlest emerges from her home, and throws a knife, killing the other. Kahlest now agrees to accompany Picard back to the High Council for the purpose of testifying for Worf. She also reveals that K'mpec was once romantically interested in her, but she wasn't attracted to him; he was too fat. Just as K'mpec is about to pronounce judgment on Worf, Picard enters with Kahlest. In a private session, Picard demands that she be allowed to testify in open council in accordance with Klingon law. Duras is almost hysterically against it. K'mpec silences him by asking him if he would really kill an old woman to cover his dishonor. With that one statement, Picard sees that the whole Council proceeding is a farce: a frame-up to save Duras, not Worf, from disgrace. K'mpec tells Kahlest she is free to go, adding, "It is good to see you again", to which she responds, "You are still fat, K'mpec." K'mpec privately explains the truth. When Klingons captured the Romulan ship with the records, they learned of the treachery behind the Khitomer Massacre; this soon became common knowledge, and someone had to answer for that treachery. Fortunately, only the Council knew who transmitted his code: not Mogh, but Ja'rod: Duras' father. K'mpec says the Duras family was too powerful and to expose him would likely split the Empire and cause a civil war. In order to avoid that, they decided to use Mogh as a scapegoat, believing that Worf, since he was in Starfleet, would not challenge the judgment. None of them realized that Kurn was Mogh's second child. But now things have progressed too far, and both sons of Mogh must die. Outraged, Picard says that Worf's challenge has succeeded, and refuses to hand Worf or Kurn over for execution. When K'mpec threatens to end the alliance with the Federation because of Picard's defiance, Picard shoots back that their alliance is not based on lies. If they must protect their secrets, then so be it but Picard will not allow the needless sacrifice of these two men. Worf speaks up and volunteers to die for the sake of the Klingon Empire. Picard begins to object but Worf tells his Cha'DIch to be silent. Worf asks for Kurn's life to be spared. Duras rejects this, as Kurn's honor would then demand revenge. Worf then offers to accept discommendation if Kurn will be allowed to live. K'mpec tells Worf that doing so would be the same as admitting his father's guilt. Worf simply says "So be it." K'mpec states that Worf's heart is truly Klingon, and commands that this will never be spoken of again to anyone. Before they proceed, Worf calls Duras the son of a traitor and backhands him as tradition demands. Kurn is heartbroken by Worf's decision, telling Picard that he was ready to die for Worf. Picard tells Kurn that he must live in order to restore the honor of Mogh's family: "There will be another day, commander. Do not forget what he does here today. Do not let your children forget." Picard and Kurn join Worf in the middle of the council chambers and the council members gather in a circle around Worf. Worf says the ritual words, "tlhIH ghIj jIHyoj" ("I fear your judgment"); K'mpec replies, "biHnuch!" ("Coward!"), and one by one, the Council members cross their arms and turn their backs on him in ritual ostracism. Worf softly tells Kurn that he must do it also. Almost on the verge of tears, Kurn very reluctantly complies, but instead of turning to his right, he turns to his left. The whole assembly having turned their backs, Worf and Picard leave the Council Chamber and return to the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
Captain Picard is reading in his quarters. He falls asleep when he is scanned by a mysterious probe and transported away to an unknown room where he cannot communicate with the USS Enterprise-D. On the bridge, an unknown energy source is detected in the captain's quarters. The captain doesn't answer when paged, so a security team led by Lieutenant Worf immediately heads to investigate. As they attempt to open the door to his quarters, they find the captain standing there, book and glass in hand, as if nothing at all is out of the ordinary. The real captain finds himself in a black holding cell with lights and with two others, a female Bolian Starfleet cadet named Mitena Haro, and Kova Tholl, a Mizarian from the planet Mizar II. The "captain" running the Enterprise is a replacement of some type, but still seems to have all of the memories and experiences of Picard. His behavior, however, is somehow unusual for the captain. It is subtle, but his demeanor has changed; he is more outgoing, yet emotionless. His actions become more and more unusual as time passes. He orders the crew to stop their course to their rendezvous with the USS Hood to assist in terraforming Browder IV, and head towards the well-studied pulsar in the Lonka Cluster. Wesley Crusher says that at warp 7 they can make the trip in a little under forty minutes, but "Picard" orders him to instead travel at warp 2, which will take nearly a day-and-a-half. The crew does not understand this but follows orders. Meanwhile, in the holding cell, Picard takes charge of the situation and attempts to find a way out. Tholl believes in peaceful non-resistance; his homeworld has been conquered six times. Because of this he refuses to help in escape and in fact tries to convince the others to stop trying. He states that he tried once earlier and received an extremely painful punishment. Tholl states he will never go near the door again. Cadet Haro is willing to do whatever Picard says. A moment later, a Chalnoth named Esoqq materializes and, startled at his abduction, jumps to his feet and pulls out a large knife. Picard raises his hands to calm him, but he doesn't stand down. After explaining they are prisoners like him, the captain is able to calm him down by saying that he has visited Esoqq's homeworld, twelve years previously, when he commanded the USS Stargazer. Back on the ship, the Picard replacement stops in at the poker game in Data's quarters and asks La Forge to increase the efficiency of the warp drive from 93% to 95%. He emphasizes that this doesn't need to be done right away, but La Forge, who has had a luckless night at the table, decides it'd be a better use of his time, and leaves. Picard, who has never stopped in for a poker game before, decides to watch the others play, though declines to actually take part. He asks to speak with Troi and when outside asks if the crew is suspicious of his actions in any way. She reminds him that such changes are not unusual and that she will tell him if they become distrustful. The conversation is rather odd and just a bit suspicious in and of itself. Esoqq finds that he is incapable of eating the food tablet that is the only nourishment provided. He is already quick to violence but he says that he can go only three to four days without food, but no more. He then eyes Tholl hungrily. The replacement captain on the ship then gets a physical examination in sickbay and appears to be in perfect health. Dr. Crusher does not understand why Picard would need a physical, as he was not due for a checkup for a month, and normally he hates physicals. Picard then invites Crusher to dinner in his quarters and she seems surprised about this unexpected gesture. In the holding cell, after some discussion, the prisoners decide to try to open the door and escape, notwithstanding the risks and Tholl's opposition. Esoqq smashes a panel. Haro then works on the circuits to try to rig the door open. The door opens a crack, closes again and then Picard, Esoqq, and Haro are punished by a painful green ray. On the Enterprise, Crusher is having dinner with the replacement Picard. She tells Picard that she knows that something is on his mind and he says he wants a more intimate relationship. They talk about their duty and how both their jobs require professional distance. He then asks her to dance. Surprised, Crusher exclaims she thought that Picard didn't dance; he responds, only on special occasions. He then kisses her, and Crusher gets the feeling that something is odd and asks if she is being played. Picard calls it a night and shows her the door. At this point, in the holding cell, the four captives begin to accuse each other. Esoqq accuses Tholl of being the enemy because he refused to help and seemed to sit there observing them, claiming he was peaceful. The remainder of the attack is directed toward Picard because he was ordering them all around all the time. Haro vouches for him by citing some of the deeds Picard has participated in, including his visit to Mintaka III and helping eradicate the Cor Caroli V plague. After clearing up some the conflicts in the holding cell, they all decide that it would be better to work together than to bicker about whose fault it was. Troi and Riker are sitting in Ten Forward talking about the unusual actions of the captain. Picard walks into Ten Forward and greets and congratulates Geordi La Forge for increasing the efficiency of warp drive even beyond his request, to 96%. He then decide to buy ale for him and everyone else in the bar, before leading them all in a sing-along. Riker becomes increasingly suspicious about the unusual behavior. The senior staff all meet together to discuss Picard's odd behavior. They are concerned but there is not enough cause for mutiny. "The next move is his", states Riker as the meeting is adjourned. The Enterprise finally arrives to the Lonka pulsar. Picard then orders to move the ship dangerously close to it, so close that their shields will only last 18 minutes. Riker asks to speak in private with Picard, and once in the ready room, complains about these orders. Picard suggests that Riker has been under a lot of stress and should get a physical examination. With no actual proof that Picard's judgement is compromised, Riker is forced to withdraw his objections for now. In the holding cell all of the prisoners cooperate in disabling the green ray and opening the access door, only to find a wall behind the door that they managed to open. On the Enterprise, Picard orders to move even closer to the pulsar, which would almost certainly destroy the ship. Riker orders to disregard Picard's orders, so Picard commands Worf to remove Riker from the bridge, but Worf does not budge. Riker takes control of the ship and orders Wesley Crusher to immediately move the Enterprise away from the pulsar. By now, the prisoners are depressed and confused. Picard, having long grown suspicious of Haro, announces to everyone that the entire thing is an elaborate experiment to see how everyone acts under leadership; there was Tholl, the pacifist, who follows whoever has the most power; Esoqq, the anarchist, who rejects authority of all kinds; Haro, the Starfleet cadet, sworn to follow the orders of a superior officer; and Picard, a Starfleet captain, trained to command. He notes that there were tasks designed to require them to work together to complete, and that the Chalnoth was unable to eat the food, to make him a threat. Picard then reveals that Haro is not who she appears to be; she had earlier mentioned the Cor Caroli V plague, which has been classified as top secret and would not be known of by any real Starfleet cadet. Haro admits that Picard is correct, and then morphs into a trio of aliens, who explain that Picard that they were studying leadership. However, Picard's knowledge of the experiment will taint the results, so they decide to return the captives to their places of origin. Picard is transported to his ship and the fake Picard is revealed. The Picard clone had been testing if the crew would follow him, even to death. The real Picard gives his crew a subtle signal to let them know that he wants the aliens to be trapped in a force field. Once trapped, they become afraid and panicked. Picard tells them that imprisonment is harm in itself and that they should rethink the morality of their experiments. He also warns them that the Federation now has the ability to trap them. Picard then sets them free and demands they leave his ship. They transport away. Picard asks the crew how they knew it was a replica and Riker jokingly explains that he didn't know that Picard could sing that well. Dr. Crusher enters the bridge and sits next to Picard and glances at him in a flirtatious manner, making Picard confused as they return to their normal course. 
<EOS>
Two aliens, a male and a female, beam to a resort on the surface of the planet Risa. The female queries the resort's computer about the location of Jean-Luc Picard's room, only to be informed that he hasn't arrived yet. When asked when he will arrive, the computer states it has no reservation on file under that name. While the male wonders about the situation, the female simply states, "He will come." Elsewhere, the USS Enterprise-D is returning from a two-week mission on Gemaris V, where Picard mediated a commercial treaty between two very stubborn participants, the Gemarians and the Dachlyds. Counselor Troi was with him, and tells Commander Riker how difficult it was to come up with the agreement. Picard arrives on the bridge, orders the ship to Starbase 12, and then goes to his ready room. Picard doesn't show any joy when Riker congratulates him, so Troi suggests to Riker that what their captain really needs is a vacation. Picard beams down to Risa and is immediately kissed by Vash, a woman he's never met. She is eying a Ferengi across the lobby. She claims to have mistaken Picard for someone else and walks off. "A simple handshake would've sufficed", Picard quietly notes. As he walks across the lobby, the two aliens who inquired about Picard staying on Risa watch him intently. The same Ferengi from the lobby covertly approaches Picard, telling him it is a big mistake to work with "her" and to ask "her" to return his disk immediately. Picard says that there has to be a mistake because he doesn't know what the Ferengi is talking about. The Ferengi orders Picard to talk about the business with him, and Picard replies that a Ferengi order doesn't count for him. When the Ferengi angrily replies, Picard stands up and states again that he doesn't know this woman or about the disk, and he is on Risa only for vacation. The Ferengi goes away after declaring the disk is his. As Picard returns on the deck chair, Vash arrives. As Vash talks about his encounter with the Ferengi Picard realizes that she is the woman the Ferengi was referring to, and he leaves looking for tranquility. At this very moment the Ferengi returns. Picard starts to move away towards his room, and Vash stealthily hides a disk inside his pocket. When Picard returns in his room he finds the two aliens who were waiting for him before. They tell him they are Vorgons, and they claim to be a security team from the 27th century. The Vorgons are looking for the Tox Uthat, an artifact built in 27th century that is sought after by criminals and was hidden somewhere nearby in this time. Picard says he knows about the legend, and the Vorgons respond that history in the future indicates that Picard will find the Tox Uthat while he is on the planet. Picard says that he hasn't found the artifact yet, and the Vorgons want to know what will happen if he does. Picard simply states that he knows it belongs in the future, and the Vorgons transport out of his room. Just as the Vorgons leave Picard reaches into his pocket and finds the disk. Picard arrives at Vash's door while she's cleaning up a huge mess. She says that Sovak, the Ferengi, has taken to rifling through her room looking for the disk every once in a while. Picard shows her the disk and speculates it has something to do with the Tox Uthat. She is surprised, replying that the last thing she needs is a business partner. She tells Picard that she was an assistant to professor Samuel Estragon for the last 5 years. He was a researcher who spent half his life looking for the Tox Uthat. The disk contains new data and maps on the Tox Uthat's position. She admits that the Ferengi also sometimes worked with the professor, and now it is difficult for her to search for the artifact without Sovak noticing. Picard proposes to go after the Tox Uthat, but she wants to come as only she knows how do decode data on the disk. Picard accepts the proposal. Sovak, brandishing a pistol, stops Picard and Vash just as they're leaving the hotel. Picard asks whether he is aware that weapons are prohibited on Risa, but Sovak just demands the disk again and threatens to kill Picard. Sovak reveals that he paid Vash to steal the disk but she betrayed him and used his money to travel to Risa. Vash denies this and Sovak calls her a "perfect mate for a Ferengi" -- greedy and unscrupulous. Picard declares himself quite annoyed, and Sovak says if that is so, he might as well kill Picard and then take the disk. Vash objects, saying she'll give him what he wants, and throws her large pack into Sovak's arms. While Sovak is off balance Picard seizes the pistol and knocks him out with a punch in the face. The next day Vash and Picard arrive where the Tox Uthat is hidden. Due to the composition of the rock in the cave Vash can't get a good reading on her tricorder. Picard pulls two shovels out of his pack and advises Vash to start digging. As they prepare to begin digging the Vorgons materialize on a ledge above the pit saying they just want to watch Picard discover the Uthat. Vash is furious that Picard didn't tell her about them. Immediately after that Sovak appears with a rifle. He followed Vash and Picard thanks to a half burned copy of the disk found in Vash's room. Sovak orders Picard and Vash to start digging. Picard and Vash dig a large pit. Eventually Picard throws down his shovel and gives up after it becomes apparent that there is nothing there. Vash notes that they should have found the Tox Uthat hours ago. It seems to Picard that the professor was wrong with his data, even if he did seem to have incontrovertible evidence. The Vorgons notice that this is very strange and they disappear. Sovak, panicked, hurries to dig himself as Picard and Vash exit the cave. Upon returning to the resort, Vash tells Picard that she wants to be alone for some time. Picard returns to his room and Riker contacts him. He advises the captain that the Enterprise is in orbit and ready to beam him back. Picard asks him to wait a little while but stand ready to activate Transporter Code 14. Vash is about to leave when Picard calls to her from a table. She claims to be on her way to say goodbye to Picard. Picard asks where she's hidden the Tox Uthat. Picard tells her that if she really wanted to keep Sovak from finding the cave she would have completely destroyed the duplicate disk. He tells her she wanted Sovak to follow them to convince him that the Tox Uthat could not be found. In reality she recovered the Tox Uthat as soon as she arrived on Risa. Vash concedes that this is true, and opens the head of a Horga'hn she's carrying to reveal a large gemstone. As Picard picks it up the Vorgons appear. Vash claims that the professor's notes stated that two Vorgons initially tried to steal the Tox Uthat. Picard asks the Vorgons to prove their identity, and one of them draws a pistol. Vash tries to take the Tox Uthat and the Vorgon stuns her. Picard then tells the Enterprise to initiate code 14 with a two-second delay, then drops the Tox Uthat and runs. The Tox Uthat explodes, and the Vorgons say that Picard's real destiny was to destroy it; a destiny he has fulfilled. They transport away, and Picard seems to take care of Vash. Picard prepares to leave the planet. Vash asks if there might be an available position for an archeologist on the Enterprise. Picard thinks for a moment, and then comments that he doesn't believe that life on a starship would suit Vash. Vash then says she next plans to explore ruins on Sarthong V, and Picard angrily reminds her what the inhabitants do to trespassers. She claims his outburst means that he does care about her, and they share a kiss. Picard says that since the Vorgons now know where and when to look for the Uthat they may have to meet and do this all over again. Picard, now back in uniform, returns to the Enterprise's bridge and is welcomed back by Riker, who informs him that the repairs have been made and that the ship is now in a splendid condition. Picard tells Riker that they need to have a chat about the Horga'hn. Troi asks him whether he had a good time on Risa. Picard turns, thinks for a moment, smiles slightly and says "uh-huh." Riker grins and says "I knew he'd have a great time!". 
<EOS>
As an initial step in the process surveying systems for Federation colonization, the USS Enterprise-D is on routine assignment preparing detailed exospheric charts of the Hayashi system, when the USS Hood is detected on long-range sensors rapidly approaching on an intercept course -- a rather odd appearance as they weren't expecting a rendezvous. Captain Robert DeSoto of the Hood, a long-time friend of Captain Picard, as well as Commander Riker's former captain, hails the Enterprise on a secure channel. Both captains engage in small talk with DeSoto pointing out while the "galaxy-class boys" explore the unknown, he just "hauls" himself back and forth between starbases, but not today. He informs them that Starfleet has new orders and they require the best ship and crew, which is the Enterprise. However these new orders are time-critical, because of security concerns of Romulan subspace surveillance the orders are being conveyed to the Enterprise via mission specialist Tam Elbrun. The fact that this new mission is being spearheaded by Tam Elbrun causes concern among many of the command personnel of the Enterprise, particularly Commander William T. Riker due to Tam Elbrun's involvement in the Ghorusda Disaster, which had cost the lives of forty-seven Starfleet personnel, among them Captain Darson of the USS Adelphi and two of Riker's Academy classmates. Many people, including Riker, blame Tam Elbrun for this tragedy. Ship's counselor Deanna Troi asks the captain if she may come with him and Data to greet Tam in a transporter room, and discloses that she had previously known Tam Elbrun as a patient at the university on Betazed where she was studying psychology. Picard is informed by Troi that Tam is considered a gifted telepath, even by Betazoid standards, and is a specialist for Starfleet in first contact situations. Lt. Commander Data and Captain Picard greet Tam in the transporter room where he is beamed over from the Hood by transporter chief Miles O'Brien. Though Picard extends common courtesy in welcoming Tam to the Enterprise, Tam appears almost brusque and aloof towards him, and causally attempts to forestall what Tam considers uncomfortable extended interaction with others by tossing his orders, and mission details, to Picard on an isolinear data chip. Tam's attitude change is noticeably visible as he turns to greet Deanna Troi, with whom he has a more friendly and more comfortable relationship. He is however startled when Data interjects his welcome, questioning who or what Data is. Data explains that he's an android. Tam is interested, since he cannot "read" Data's presence at all via his telepathic senses; it's as if Data's not actually there. Tam launches into a quick recitation to Data of Picard's wishes and orders for Data, by reading Picard's thoughts and cutting off Picard's spoken orders. It is not known whether this is once again to simply expedite his being around Human members of the Enterprise's crew, a demonstration to Picard of his own prowess as a telepath, or a combination of the two. It does however noticeably annoy Picard as he confirms what Tam had stated to both Data and via his combadge to Riker on the bridge that course heading and basic mission orders are being brought to the bridge, and that a staff bridge briefing would occur within fifteen minutes. Tam expresses his desire to quickly complete the briefing so he can seclude himself as soon as possible until he is needed further. As the bridge crew assembles to first review the orders on the supplied chip, then for the staff briefing on the new mission, Riker tells Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in the turbolift more background on the Ghorusda Disaster than what La Forge knew from common knowledge, and how Tam Elbrun, while not officially found to be responsible by a Starfleet Board of inquiry, should have been more competent and aware in order to prevent such an incident. The new mission orders are that the Enterprise is to proceed to the Beta Stromgren star system, following the path of the Vega Nine probe which has traveled twenty-three parsecs beyond the farthest manned Federation exploration. In the staff meeting in the Enterprise's observation lounge, Data conveys that the probe has discovered that the star in that system is in the final stages of an alternating cycle of expansion and collapse, which will soon result in the star going supernova. Tam interrupts Data out of frustration in Data's focus on tertiary background information and leaps ahead, explaining that the real focus of the mission is centered on the discovery by the probe of what appears to be a "living" starship possessing an unknown energy source, in orbit around the star. This object has been code-named "Tin Man" by Starfleet. Troi is confused as to why Starfleet has made the mission so urgent, and Picard informs her that the issue is the Romulans, at which Tam expresses frustration with himself at forgetting to address this in giving the overview of the mission. After failed attempts at long-range subspace linguacode messages, Starfleet has ordered that the Enterprise to set course for Beta Stromgren as quickly as possible, as that sector of space is claimed by the Romulan Star Empire. As the Romulans routinely monitor the telemetry of all Federation deep-space probes, Starbase 123 has detected that the Romulans have dispatched two D'deridex-class Warbirds in an attempt to reach "Tin Man" before the Federation. While these class Warbirds are somewhat slower than the Galaxy-class starships, it is essentially a race to get to "Tin Man" ahead of the Romulans. As Data holds an honors degree from Starfleet in exobiology and is considered by the command staff as the on-board expert in the field, Picard then orders Data to head-up the life sciences team for the mission. After the meeting is adjourned, Picard and Riker talk further with Tam, with Picard expressing his concern about Tam's initial omission during the briefing about the Romulans, since the possibility of an encounter with them during the mission was vital information that Tam did not properly prioritize within the parameters of the mission. Tam apologizes for not mentioning it earlier in the briefing, stating that he was distracted. Riker is perturbed by this seeming pattern of carelessness in Tam's professionalism, and Tam picks up his thoughts and angrily counters Riker by stating that "And no Billy-boy, I wasn't distracted on Ghorusda. If Captain Darson had listened to me no one would have died!" Apparently this does little to change Riker's opinion of Tam's history, and in fact in the next breath Tam confirms that Riker doesn't believe what he's saying. Tam storms out, while Picard, Riker and Data watch silently. Still two days out from the Beta Stromgren system, Picard confers with Doctor Beverly Crusher and Deanna Troi in sickbay because of his concerns about the stability of Tam, whom Starfleet considers crucial to the mission and upon whom Picard is forced to rely. Picard is surprised when informed by Crusher how high on the ESP scale Tam is, and how he is considered to be a prodigy when it comes to telepathic abilities. Troi explains that this is due to Tam being born telepathic, which is very uncommon in Betazoids, who usually develop their telepathic abilities in adolescence. Such Betazoids rarely if ever lead normal lives as the "noise" of hearing so many other people's thoughts during early development is often overwhelming, even incomprehensible. Early diagnosis and training helped Tam to adjust, though this has led to occasional need for hospitalization and therapy to deal with the stress, hence her contact with him at the university while studying psychology. As a result of his background, this has prompted Tam to seek assignments where he is more isolated from other humanoids and pursuing the more unusual lifeform assignments. As the Enterprise races towards its destination, acting Ensign Wesley Crusher notices that the navigational sensors are picking up an anomalous "echo" which matches their speed and course. Lieutenant Worf confirms from the tactical station that something does appear to be shadowing their flight path, yet doesn't fully register on their sensors. Data, who has the bridge, surmises that since there is no known naturally-occurring phenomenon that travels faster than warp one, it must either be a sensor malfunction, or another vessel is following them covertly. Worf declares that it is not a sensor malfunction, yet Crusher is confused with the easiest explanation that a cloaked Romulan vessel is following them, since if it were a cloaked warbird, they should not be picking it up at all. La Forge speculates that if they are pulling an extreme amount of power for some other system, they may not be able to fully cloak, thus being picked up faintly on the navigation sensors. Worf is ordered by Data to continue monitoring the "echo" and if it changes course or behavior, to take the Enterprise immediately to yellow alert. Deanna Troi goes to Tam's quarters to check on him since he has not been out of his stateroom for quite some time. Tam at first is sarcastic and curt with Troi, but finally lets down his emotional defenses and confides in Deanna that the reason for his sequestering himself in his stateroom is because the number of people on the ship scares him. His inability to block out their thoughts and feelings threaten to overwhelm him, and that he never really could shut it all out. Compounding Tam's own doubts about his reliability are Riker and Picard's, stemming from the Ghorusda incident which Tam is well aware of. Troi presses him on what happened to him during the incident. Tam admits that he may have gotten "too close" to the Ghorusdians, which was not a unique thing to happen for him, and that it may have affected the professional detachment that is often needed in such missions. He confesses that he probably could have warned Darson more forcefully, and maybe avoided the disaster that resulted. Troi puts forward the suggestion that he "ran away" because of the Ghorusda incident, by seeking out isolated assignments, such as being the only Federation delegate to be posted to Chandra V, giving him some measure of respite, and where Tam was up until his seeking out the assignment for making contact with "Tin Man". The Chandrans are a very peaceful and tranquil people, unlike humans, and this had been a relief for Tam, and one reason why Tam tells Troi that he likes being around Data since he is not bombarded by Data's thoughts. This perplexes Troi, since if the Chandrans proved some measure of relief for Tam, why would he volunteer to put himself into such an uncomfortable situation where he would be on board a vessel with over a thousand minds which would be quite uncomfortable for Tam? Tam expresses that he couldn't help but volunteer, since he found "Tin Man" so compelling, so alien. That such a creature, intelligent, born in space, "swimming" in it as freely a fish does in water, so mysterious, ancient, alone and lonely. The depth and certitude of what Tam says about "Tin Man", even what emotions it is feeling prompts Troi to confront Tam about whether he is in contact with "Tin Man" telepathically since he seems to know things that no deep-space sensor telemetry could possibly convey. Reflexively Tam denies this, but then acknowledges that he does have a connection with the creature, but not on a conscious level. This news is shocking to Troi, since such a connection light years away is impossible, even for a telepath as gifted as Tam is, to which Tam replies "but maybe not impossible for 'Tin Man'." As Tam and Deanna arrive on the bridge, Worf informs Picard that sensors are now detecting a subspace wave front of highly ionized particles ahead of the "echo" that has been following them for some time. Picard immediately takes the ship to yellow-alert as a Romulan Warbird becomes visible as it quickly enters the system. As the Romulan warbird approaches, it is detected arming its disruptors. Picard orders a red alert and to bring the shields to maximum. Riker orders the photon torpedo tubes be loaded, and Worf, as tactical officer to stand-by. Riker then wants an explanation as to how a D'deridex-class Warbird which is supposed to be slower than the Enterprise could have arrived at almost the same time as they did. Picard interrupts the query, and orders that the Romulans be hailed, but Tam assures Picard that the Romulans are not interested in talking to Picard. At that moment, the Romulans fire on the Enterprise, while passing by her towards Tin Man. The attack results in some casualties and disables 78% of the shields. Tam pointedly states that the Romulan attack was incidental, and was employed simply to delay the Enterprise so they could reach "Tin Man" first. This assessment is supported by Data's analysis of readings taken of the Romulan vessel as it passed which showed that they had exceeded their ship's warp output capacity by 30% in the effort to beat the Enterprise to "Tin Man", causing irreparable damage to their warp coils. Riker notes that in doing so, the ship sacrificed its ability to return to Romulan space -- a one-way trip. Tam confirms Data's hypothesis by stating that the second Romulan ship is two days behind the one which just attacked the Enterprise and that their mission is indeed to reach "Tin Man" first at any cost. Picard is amazed that Tam could know this; Tam explains that he got it from the mind of the Romulan commander as the vessel passed the Enterprise. Picard orders Wesley Crusher to put the ship at all stop, while La Forge effects repairs to the shields. He attempts to do this by reconfiguring the structural integrity field power supply and re-routing it to feed the deflector grid, having overridden the computer safety protocols by voice command authorization in order to do so as this would compromise standard safety limits. He further notifies Ensign Russell that he will have to watch the grid's lateral balance manually. He then calls Picard to tell him he should have partial shields restored within 30 minutes. to which Picard informs an exasperated La Forge he has only 10 minutes to do so. While the Enterprise awaits repairs, Picard begrudgingly cedes the "honor" of first contact to the Romulans, which greatly upsets Tam who worries that the Romulans may be able to win over "Tin Man". Picard assures him that the likelihood of that occurring is remote, and orders that life sciences and engineering continue to monitor "Tin Man" and to query the Vega Nine probe via long-range sensors. As the crew waits for repairs to be completed, Data continues to monitor "Tin Man" from a workstation he has set up in his own quarters, and is accompanied by Tam who questions Data about this. Data informs him that he often works from his quarters as he has configured the workstation to display information more efficiently and quickly than workstations configured for other crew members. Tam explores Data's quarters, noting that it is rather "Spartan" and doesn't afford much room "to live", but then speculates aloud that he guesses Data doesn't sleep. Data confirms this by stating the while he has tried it from time to time but that he does not require it. Tam also appears intrigued that Data has taken up painting as a hobby. Data, redirecting the conversation back to the task of monitoring "Tin Man", confirms that "Tin Man" has an internal layout similar to a space vessel, with interior corridors and chambers, and that it is maintaining an internal environment suitable for carbon-based lifeforms, even though there is no evidence of a crew aboard. Data then speculates that the lifeform was bred, or has adapted itself to serve a purpose and finds that "interesting". This prompts Tam to pose a philosophical question to Data, as to why that is interesting, why must living beings have a purpose, or do they exist for no reason but to exist? Data states that he does not think he is qualified to answer such a question. Tam disagrees since he sees Data as uniquely qualified since he studies Humanity a great deal, and is a meticulous and honest researcher. This leads Data to question Tam's earlier statement that he could not read Data's mind. Tam assures him that he cannot, but that he does feel he understands Data pretty well. Tam then asks Data if it bothers him that he could not read Data's mind. Data replies that perhaps there is nothing there to read other than mechanisms and algorithmic responses. Tam acknowledges that possibility, then counters with the idea that it is perhaps just that Data is different, and that there is no sin in being different. Data and Tam return to the bridge as the Enterprise is back under way, where Data informs the captain that they are picking up the Romulan equivalent of linguacode transmissions being directed towards "Tin Man". Tam scoffs at the idea that the Romulans would have anything in common with Tin Man. Riker counters by asking Tam why he thinks Tin Man would want to talk to him. Just then, Data picks up sensor readings indicating that the Romulans are powering up their disruptors. Picard orders the ship back onto yellow alert and to prepare for evasive action should the Romulans change course as the ship is still vulnerable with only partial shields. Tam frantically interjects that they, the Enterprise, are not the target, but that "Tin Man" is. He informs Picard that the Romulans have orders to destroy "Tin Man" if they can't secure the alien. Picard orders the speed increased and to hail the Romulans. Tam yells that the Romulans will not listen to him and concentrates mentally on the message: This causes a dramatic response from the alien object. It begins a clockwise rotation, suddenly discharging a massive energy wave which spreads throughout the star system, destroying the Romulan Warbird and striking the Enterprise causing a partial failure in the ship's main computer. This sudden and deadly turn of events makes obvious to Picard that Tam Elbrun has indeed made contact with, and awakened his "Tin Man". The crew begins to effect repairs, with La Forge having to take the warp drive off-line in order to re-calibrate its regulators, and begin to bring the main computers back online. Riker has him make the first priority getting the shields to function, since there was still a threat of Romulan attack. As Tam is checked out in sickbay after what appeared to be a seizure on the bridge following his frantic contact with "Tin Man", Picard presses him to be more forthcoming and explain exactly, and to what level of contact Tam has had with "Tin Man". Tam explains that he only sent out a mental warning, but that he had been in contact on an emotional level with "Tin Man", which calls itself Gomtuu. He then relays that Gomtuu is of an ancient species, most likely from beyond the galaxy, and that there were once millions of them, but now it is alone and perhaps the last of its species. Picard suggest that Tam attempt to ask Gomtuu to return to Federation space, or at least move away from the Beta Stromgren star. Tam explains that Gomtuu knows the star is about to go supernova, and that is why it is in the system, in order to commit suicide. Long ago, there was some sort of explosion in space near Gomtuu, which emitted high levels of radiation which penetrated its outer layers, and killed the crew which inhabited Gomtuu. As Tam relates what he senses of Gomtuu's history, he begins to be overwhelmed by the sense of loss and anguish which Gomtuu feels. Troi cautions Tam again about losing himself in his emotional connection to Gomtuu. Tam states that he can't do anything more to avert Gomtuu's suicide without physical contact with Gomtuu, and that he needs to be aboard it. Picard states that he would not risk such an action given Tam's inability to keep perspective, as evidenced by Tam's lack of regard to the Enterprise or her crew when he rashly warned Gomtuu about the Romulans. Tam notes to Picard that while he is right in having misgivings about him, that the only way for them to not fail in their mission is for Picard to trust him. La Forge attempts swapping out the main sensory array control circuits with the secondary system ones to gain a minimum beam scan with the ships sensors. This works, and restores partial long-range sensors, where they pick up the second Romulan Warbird approaching the system. This underscores the needs to regain shield function, even though it will not protect the ship should the star eventually go nova. Picard asks Troi and Data their views about Tam, as Data has developed an affinity with him and Troi from her background with him. Troi again expresses the precariousness of Tam's emotional stability though both Data and Troi agree that Tam's motives are genuine and not in question. Data suggests that Data could act as an oversight guide for Tam if he were to accompany him in beaming over to Gomtuu. The Romulan Warbird finally arrives in system and decloaks next to the Enterprise. The Enterprise hails the Warbird in an attempt to parlay, and the Warbird declares it has the right to retaliate against Gomtuu for the destruction of the first Warbird, and warns the Enterprise that they will be destroyed if they intervene, as well. Tam and Data are allowed to beam over to Gomtuu. Direct and full contact between Tam and Gomtuu is established almost as soon as they arrive and Tam is overcome with a flood of thoughts from Gomtuu. Data sees Tam's distress and begins to call for an emergency beam-out, but Tam has him call it off explaining that Gomtuu was trying to relay an entire lifetime's worth of information in a few seconds, but has slowed down to where Tam could cope with it. Gomtuu brings up a power shield of unknown type, which breaks the Enterprise's transporter lock, and reflects back any attempts at sensor scans. The warbird begins to move towards Gomtuu, with the Enterprise following her in. Picard brings the ship to red alert once more and orders Worf to arm photon torpedoes, in preparation for battle. Tam and Data begin to explore the interior of Gomtuu, which exhibits the ability to change its interior structures, and extrude itself into various shapes and forms. Data reads a larger chamber twenty meters ahead of the corridor they are walking through, and Tam states he now knows all about Gomtuu, including the existence of the chamber ahead. They arrive at an area in the corridor which opens up and reveals the chamber, which Tam explains was once the control area of the vessel from where the crew guided their journeys. Tam explains that the ship and crew existed in a symbiotic relationship, and that once the crew was killed, Gomtuu no longer had a reason to exist. Data says, "Is that the purpose of existence? To care for someone?" Tam says it is for him -- and that Troi was correct, that he could easily "lose himself" here. Data reminds him that their objective was to bring Gomtuu out of danger and report their findings to Starfleet, to which Tam confesses that he has no intention of returning to the Enterprise. During this time, the Romulan commander threatens to open fire on the Enterprise if they interfere, which is a second warning from their first communique. Picard informs him that they intend to do everything in their power to defend the space creature, and cuts off communications as the Enterprise readies to attack the warbird with its now partially functioning shields. Just as this happens, sensor readings indicate that the star has begun an irreversible reduction in diameter and is beginning its final collapse into a supernova. On board Gomtuu, Tam implores Data to explain to the Enterprise crew why he has chosen not to return, that he will carry out the main mission objective in saving Gomtuu from destruction by bonding with the creature; in doing so, Gomtuu in essence will also save Tam. Tam has taken the place of the long-lost crew for "Tin Man"; it now has a reason to live again. Meanwhile, Tam is no longer inundated by the thoughts of others. Now hearing only Gomtuu, Tam at long last has found the mental peace-of-mind long denied him due to his hypersensitive telepathic abilities; he says to Data, "Gomtuu is where I belong." Gomtuu once again emits a powerful energy wave, this time throwing both the Enterprise and the Romulan warbird out of the Beta Stromgren system. By the time the Enterprise comes to a full stop, it is close to 3.8 billion kilometers from where they previously were. Moments later, the star Beta Stromgren finally collapses into supernova. As the star explodes, the crew is gravely concerned that Data, Tam and Gomtuu are lost, but at that moment Data reappears on the bridge courtesy of Gomtuu and says it will be "difficult to explain" what happened. The Enterprise sets course for Starbase 152 in order to effect full repairs and undergo a systems inspection with Gomtuu's and Tam's whereabouts now unknown. Data, alone in the observation lounge, is joined by Troi at his request. Data states that it was Tam's expressed wishes that Data explain his decision to remain with "Tin Man" and that he hoped that Troi would understand. Data explains that he was witness to something "remarkable". Both Tam and Gomtuu were individually wounded and isolated, but with their joining, they had both been healed. Their grief transmuted into joy, loneliness into belonging. Troi expresses surprise that Data truly does understand. Data affirms that he does, and that when he was transported by Gomtuu back onto Enterprise, Data realized that that is where he himself belonged. Troi embraces Data from behind as they both look out at the lounge's windows at the stars. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Reginald Barclay, a brilliant engineer, relaxes in Ten Forward when Counselor Troi enters. Guinan, tending bar, warns Barclay that she doesn't want trouble here. Barclay questions why there'd be trouble, and she answers that wherever Barclay goes, trouble seems to follow. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge enters and browbeats Barclay for being derelict; he's supposed to be on duty. Barclay exhibits gross insubordination, tells La Forge to "take himself and his holier-than-thou attitude and get out of his life", and shoves La Forge so hard he sprawls against a booth near the starboard wall. Commander Riker approaches from the other end of the bar, strangely not looking shocked or angered, and tells Barclay that what Barclay has just done is insubordination, to which Barclay toasts after glancing at Troi. Riker makes a grab for Barclay but Barclay reverses and suddenly has Riker in a choke hold. Barclay tells Riker that he's nothing more than "a pretty mannequin in a fancy uniform", full of hot air. If Captain Picard has something to say to him, he should come and say it himself. Barclay releases Riker hard, slamming him on the bar. As this happens, La Forge finally recovers from his sprawl and runs out of Ten Forward. Troi, watching these events, seems worried over what she senses from Barclay. Indeed, as Barclay joins her, she says that she senses his confidence and arrogant resolve, and that it excites her. They're just about to kiss, when suddenly an unknown officer's voice pipes up on the intercom, and tells Barclay to report to Cargo Bay Five, now. Barclay tells Troi that whatever they were going to do will have to wait until later, and annoyed, tells the voice he'll be right there. Then he stands near the entrance to Ten Forward, and says, "Save program," and everything disappears, leaving the yellow hologrid of the holodeck. Barclay has been running a holodeck simulation of his delusions of grandeur, and his attitude as shown on his face indicates a far more timid, hesitant personality than the one we've seen. In Cargo Bay 5, the real La Forge and Riker are overseeing the beam-in of several containers on the cargo bay's transporter pad. La Forge tells Riker that he is basically at his wit's end when dealing with Barclay, that he is always late and never gives his best effort, and questions how someone like Barclay could have even made it through the Academy. Riker says he'll speak to the captain about Broccoli, the nickname Wesley has given Barclay, and tells La Forge to keep it to himself; La Forge notes that the nickname is apt. The officer, Duffy, working with the canisters has now placed them on an anti-grav sled, and informs La Forge that one of the canisters has a broken seal; indeed we see vapor pouring from the front middle canister. La Forge tells Duffy to destroy the broken canister, as the samples inside will be tainted. The cargo bay doors open and finally Barclay arrives. Upon spotting his two superiors he moves behind several red barrels to try to hide but they've seen him, and La Forge asks him if it is a problem to report to duty on time. Barclay makes up some lame story about having received a communique that required his attention, but La Forge doesn't want to hear it. He cools off, though, and tells Barclay about the anti-grav platform's difficulty. Barclay moves to follow his orders, but Riker grabs his arm, and tells him he's tired of seeing him disciplined by his superiors; he doesn't know how things were done on Barclay's last posting, but here, on the Enterprise, there is a different standard. Riker walks out, casting dark glances back towards Barclay. Despite Barclay's assurances that everything looks normal to him, the anti-grav platform falters after a few seconds and drops another canister. O'Brien moves to clean it up, and La Forge calls for more people from engineering. Barclay stammers that it shouldn't do that, and La Forge simply gestures, prompting Barclay to help with the cleanup. Barclay takes a panel off the unit and a chip out of the assembly, then inserts a testing device. In his ready room, Captain Picard is looking over the several reports made against Barclay and notes that he isn't used to seeing a man under his command on report. Riker questions whether Barclay is Enterprise material, and Picard infers from Riker's request for Barclay's transfer that the former thinks that the latter is not. La Forge is hesitant to add that he thought he could work with anyone, until "Broccoli," who makes everyone nervous. Picard picks up on the nickname; La Forge tells the truth, that it was an invention of Wesley's, and Picard orders that the nickname usage be stopped. Barclay has served competently in Starfleet for years; Picard notes what he's heard from Captain Gleason of the Zhukov, that Barclay performed quite brilliantly as an engineer. Riker wonders if Gleason wasn't feathering the real truth of Barclay's performance, that Gleason knew that the Enterprise was in need of a diagnostic engineer, and was trying to rid himself of the neurotic officer. Barclay has a history of seclusive tendencies according to his psych profile. Picard notes that it is too easy to transfer a problem to someone else, and denies the transfer request; instead, he assigns La Forge to work with Barclay and make him La Forge's pet project despite La Forge's protests that he can barely stand to be in the same room with Barclay. La Forge, looking like a cow being led to the slaughter, approaches Barclay, still examining the inner workings of the anti-grav unit in the cargo bay. La Forge does his level best to encourage Barclay and advises him to take his time with the unit's problems. La Forge tells Barclay that he would be a good addition to La Forge's senior staff meeting in the morning; Barclay positively squeals and asks what he should talk about, but La Forge assures Barclay that there's no pressure, just to be there. Barclay says he'll be on time, at 08:00. He looks a little stunned at La Forge's praise. In engineering as the meeting starts, La Forge encourages his staff to start their brains. The absence of Barclay is noted, however. He comes in just a hair too late, but La Forge doesn't call him on it. He immediately assigns engine work to Duffy and Costa, and assigns Wesley, on assignment to engineering as part of his training, to Myers, and jokingly instructs him to teach Wesley the difference between impulse and warp drive. La Forge next moves on to Barclay's preliminary report on the anti-grav failure, noting that there are some interesting theories he posited. Barclay is again somewhat lost, and La Forge has to prompt him to report to the staff. During his report, Duffy looks somewhat disdainful as Barclay stammers through some tech stuff on which Wesley immediately corrects him; Barclay looks quite abashed as the engineering staff moves off to accomplish their duties, and follows at a distance. In Ten Forward, the engineering staff is informally discussing the meeting of the previous morning. Wesley complains that La Forge criticized him for correcting Barclay, that the staff meeting is supposed to be about discussing different approaches. Again the nickname "Broccoli" comes up. Data expresses confusion -- first that Lieutenant Barclay is being referred clandestinely to as a vegetable, then that the assignment of a nickname is usually between friends, not as a pejorative. Commander La Forge relays the message that the captain gave him: the nickname is not to be used any more. Suddenly Duffy discovers his glass is leaking; the structure seems to have been twisted from within. Data, scanning the twisted glass in engineering with a tricorder, determines that its atomic structure has been abnormally altered. It is not a problem with the replicator, as that would affect the liquid in the glass as well as the glass itself. Data surmises that the glass had been struck with electricity somehow, which means a complete workup of the power systems on the Enterprise -- all 4,000 of them. Barclay is assigned to the project, but he awkwardly states he was already going to look at the power systems to find out what went wrong with the anti-grav unit. La Forge shows the glass to Riker on the bridge, who asks if the ship may need to go to a starbase, something that will not be known until the power systems are examined. Data points out that it was Barclay who first said that there could be a correlation between the glass and the anti-grav unit failure. Barclay exhibits his usual self-effacing mannerism, as Picard approaches the science stations around which they are all crowded. Picard asks Barclay if power should be affected during the tests; Barclay stammers his way toward saying he doesn't think so. Picard gives an encouraging smile, and tells "Mr. Broccoli" to carry on. The crew except for Barclay, of course, looks very amused in Picard's direction; Picard is shocked and appalled at his mistake, and corrects himself quickly. It doesn't help Barclay's demeanor, and he takes his leave, looking mortified. Data chalks Picard's mistake up to metathesis, somewhat encouragingly; the others turn away, as Picard continued to look shocked and appalled, Riker quietly amused, and La Forge somewhat shaken. Guinan, in talking to La Forge about Barclay, doesn't see anything out of the ordinary with him; he just comes in, never talks to anyone, just orders warm milk, to help him sleep. La Forge is just trying to figure Barclay out, as he doesn't have the luxury of letting him be, as Guinan does. Guinan confides that her special cosmic sense informs her that Barclay is imaginative, and La Forge expresses doubt in an imaginative person's value as an engineer, or rather just Barclay's place on the ship; he just doesn't fit in. Guinan remembers the story of her uncle Terkim, the "black sheep" of her family; she had grown very close to him when no one else did. She had picked up her fear of fitting in from Terkim. She says that if everyone felt uncomfortable around her, she'd probably be as late and nervous as Barclay is. Guinan then moves off to serve another customer, leaving La Forge to his thoughts. Finally he calls from his combadge for the location of Barclay; he's in the holodeck, as seems the norm these days. La Forge opens the holodeck doors onto the idyllic arboreal paradise we saw before; he calls for Barclay, to no avail. He comes across Doctor Crusher and Wesley as holograms, only they are in very odd 17th century clothing, and enjoying a picnic. Dr. Crusher chides her son, saying that "Master Barclay" will spank him if he misbehaves. Dr. Crusher notes that "the boys" got into a bit of a scrap, but that boys will be boys. Suddenly, a great shout draws La Forge's attention, and he sees Barclay involved in a fierce fencing match with holographic duplicates of La Forge, Picard and Data, all in period dress. Data offers Barclay the chance to yield since he is outnumbered, even though Barclay is winning; Barclay responds, "I shall speak with my sword, sir!" and continues the battle with two swords. Finally, left alone against Picard, Barclay responds admirably, and Picard is perplexed as to how Barclay learned to fight the way he does. Barclay claims he is self-taught, sardonically offers to teach Picard, and defeats him with his swords against Picard's throat. Picard notices the real La Forge behind Barclay, who disbelieves Picard at first, but La Forge clears his throat. Barclay looks back and blanches; he's been found out. Back in Ten Forward, Barclay offers to be reassigned, but La Forge won't hear of it. He's spent a few hours on the holodeck too, and feels what Barclay does there is his own business, but La Forge doesn't understand why he's making copies of the ship's crew instead of original characters; Barclay claims it is to blow off steam, especially against one particular officer, and La Forge knows Barclay's referring to him. Barclay couldn't, of course, tell La Forge off to his face, so he made the holographic La Forge and the others as a catharsis when he's fencing against them. La Forge strongly recommends Barclay talk to Troi about his holo-addiction, but Barclay's against it; he is far too nervous and afraid of forgetting little details that may turn others against him, but La Forge pulls rank on Barclay and orders him to counseling. O'Brien calls La Forge to the transporter room, and reports that there's a major problem; O'Brien shows La Forge how he transports a pure duranium test cylinder from one pad, into the buffer, and onto another pad; no problem, but when he beams the canister back, it's broken and steaming. La Forge, in a bit of gallows humor, expresses his relief at the fact that he has no place to go at the moment. Picard examines the remains of the duranium canister on the transporter pad that fell apart during transport, along with Riker and La Forge; it's strange that no other transporter rooms are malfunctioning yet. They will reach Nahmi IV in 22 hours, and Picard wants all transporters working by then. He orders a level-1 diagnostic across the board. Riker orders La Forge to summon Barclay to the bridge, but La Forge advises Riker to hold off until 14:00 hours; La Forge has Barclay working on something. Riker agrees, and on his way out orders O'Brien to cease maintenance on the transporters until further notice. Barclay is in counseling with Troi -- it is obvious now that it is the real Troi, as she's not acting amorous at all, purely as a counselor -- and Barclay is as nervous as ever. He declines Troi's offer to help him feel more comfortable; he talks about his former counselor, who wasn't really a counselor. After turning the lights down, Troi leads Barclay in some relaxation exercises, and tells him to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth. Troi places a comforting hand on Barclay's arm. Barclay embraces the technique rapidly, and practices it while making his way quickly and nervously from Troi's office. We can only imagine the horrible mixed messages that go through Barclay's mind and are picked up by Troi. Troi goes up to the bridge and talks to La Forge at the science station; she describes her visit from Barclay as "very strange" -- she's not sure what happened, as he left so suddenly. Riker leaves the ready room and asks Worf where Barclay is; La Forge calls for Barclay, to no avail; Riker learns from the computer that Barclay is in the holodeck again. He's fed up, and goes with Troi and La Forge to get Barclay out of there. La Forge informs Riker as to the nature of Barclay's "unique" programs, but Riker doesn't care what he's been running; he just ran out of patience with Barclay. Again the holodeck opens onto the arboreal paradise of Barclay's fantasies; hearing raised voices somewhere the three head off to find them. Troi is amused to find Data, Picard, and La Forge dressed as the Three Musketeers, but Riker is not. Riker, in an agitated voice, declares that crewmembers should not be simulated in the holodeck as a matter of protocol. The Musketeers look up and notice Riker, but they don't respond. Riker calls to erase the program instantly, but Troi belays the order, theorizing that if the means by which Barclay responds to reality is removed suddenly, the psychological damage could be quite severe. Musketeer Picard opines on the disagreeable nature of the real crew; the three stand up and have at the real La Forge, Troi and Riker. Riker doesn't want to fight them, so the Musketeers summon the holographic Number One, a bumbling fool much shorter than his actual self, who stumbles over to the crew and screams in a squeaky voice, "EN GARDE!" Riker asks his double where Barclay is; the hologram Riker assumes it is a personal grudge; he advises Riker to prepare for death, as Barclay is the greatest sword -- "in all the holodeck," grumbles Riker, to Troi's amusement. Troi remarks that Riker's height might threaten some people, which may be why Barclay designed Number One like this; Riker is terminally disgusted with Number One and erases him from the program. The Musketeers are in turn disgusted at Riker's poor sense of fair play; they simply turn their backs when La Forge asks again where Barclay is. Riker is doubtful as to the need to search through what could be a gigantic program, but Troi sees the opportunity to get valuable information about what troubles Barclay. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy fantasy life, as long as you don't let it take over," are the famous last words before Troi sets eyes on her counterpart, the Goddess of Empathy. Troi's jaw drops and steam nearly pours from her ears, so red is her face. The Goddess continues to spew soothing rhetoric, and Troi starts to erase the Goddess, but Riker stops her, turning her own words back on her. Troi seems fit to slap both Riker and La Forge when they agree that Barclay has a healthy fantasy life after seeing the Goddess. Back on the bridge, the ship suddenly speeds up to warp 7.25, with no explanation but that the engines have malfunctioned. It is a mystery, and Picard calls on La Forge to solve it. La Forge, of course, isn't in engineering, but promises to return as soon as he finds Barclay. La Forge tells the Goddess of Empathy that they need to find Barclay now, but she is now hitting on all of them, including Troi, who advises a shocked Goddess to "muzzle it." Then they start off again in search of Barclay. They find him, being tended by Doctor Crusher while he sleeps. Doctor Crusher shushes them, but they wake Barclay up and hurry out of the holodeck. Troi looks like she's going to pummel Barclay, but La Forge rescues him by dragging him off to engineering as requested by the Captain. La Forge and Barclay discuss the nature of his holo-addiction; La Forge relates his experiences with the holographic Dr. Brahms as a way of saying he fell in love in the holodeck once, but he knew when to turn it off. Barclay confides that the people he creates in the holodeck are more real to him than those he meets in real life, except maybe La Forge. La Forge reiterates his sincere need to have Barclay out in the real world, giving him a clap on the shoulder. Barclay suggests dropping out of warp to cure the nonresponsive diagnostic systems, but the engines will not respond. The injectors are physically jammed. Then the ship accelerates, right up to warp 9. Picard calls for red alert as the ship threatens to tear itself apart in about sixteen minutes; La Forge doesn't know what to do but he'll notify the bridge as soon as he does. La Forge calls for every idea to be thrown down on the master situations table; several technically-obscure solutions are offered, all shot down instantly as already tried. La Forge shouts that he needs to find a connection to the anti-grav unit failure, the twisted glass, the transporter malfunction, and now the jammed matter/antimatter injectors, just as the ship starts to tear; on the bridge, preparation for emergency saucer separation is made, but due to uneven plasma flow in the nacelles, Data announces to Picard that a saucer separation could rupture the warp field, which has now propelled them to warp 9.4. Barclay finally hits on an idea; what if one or more of the engineering crew is the connection to all the malfunctions? Someone could've picked up an untraceable substance and carried it around the ship. The common link is that both Duffy and O'Brien were in the cargo bay with the failed anti-grav, and one of them was present at each of the other malfunctioning equipment; they could be carriers. La Forge, with the help of the computer, narrows the list of suspected reactants -- those that would not be picked up by a standard scan, exist in an oxygen atmosphere, and can modify the molecular structure of glass. He and the others then begin evaluating the five remaining substances one by one. Barclay eliminates jakmanite; it has too short a half-life to be spread around the ship. Wesley eliminates selgninaem and lucovexitrin; both are too toxic for a person to carry around. Saltzgadum and invidium are the only ones left; and since virtually all of the affected technology was invented after both substances were phased out of use, the chance exists of one of them creating unexpected reactions. La Forge then remembers that invidium was once used in medical containment fields. Although Wesley replies that the Federation hadn't used it in over a century, Barclay counters that the Mikulaks who gave the Enterprise the samples in the cargo bay might still use it -- and one of their canisters was broken. La Forge tells the bridge that the problem might be invidium contamination; they're off to the cargo bay to confirm the hypothesis. Barclay opens one of the medical containers; wearing gloves, he now dips his hand into the material in the canister, and La Forge scans it with a colored beam; switching colors, La Forge finally finds it when the beam is purple; swirly bits brighter than the glove material. Barclay states that if the invidium is cooled to −200 °Celsius it will become inert. La Forge orders gaseous cryonetrium to be flooded through the antimatter injectors to cool and neutralize the invidium. The engine is pulsing rapidly as the injection of the cold gas commences; the injectors get steadily cooler and cooler, until finally the invidium goes inert. The matter injector responds immediately, while the antimatter injector responds after a power cycle. The warp engines are shut down, and the Enterprise safely drops out of warp. The immediate danger past, Picard cancels red alert; Riker congratulates La Forge and Barclay on their great work, but La Forge recommends putting in to Starbase 121 for removal of all the invidium remaining on the ship. Picard agrees. La Forge is glad Barclay was out in the real world. A few smacks on the back later, and Barclay seems to have come to a decision. Barclay arrives on the bridge and stands between Conn and Ops; he announces that he's leaving the crew; it is for the best, he says. La Forge assures Barclay he'll always be welcome on the Enterprise; Picard tells Barclay it was a pleasure to serve with him; Troi wishes him good luck. Barclay says it has been fun and then ends the program; he was announcing his goodbye to his holo-addiction. Barclay then deletes all of his programs except one, Program Nine; whatever it is, Barclay likes it a lot. Then he leaves the holodeck, for hopefully a more balanced lifestyle from now on. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is procuring 108 kilos of hytritium, a rare and volatile element needed to treat a tricyanate-poisoned water supply on the planet Beta Agni II. The seller is a trader named Kivas Fajo, his ship, the Jovis. Transport of the hytritium through the transporter is not advisable so Lt. Commander Data is making the trips via the shuttlepod Pike. As Data makes his last transport, a woman named Varria asks him to confirm the last transport with his fingerprint. Suddenly, Data is electrically shocked and disabled. Varria then scans him for what he is made of physically to plant the components aboard the shuttle. Data's last transmission to the Enterprise is for Shuttle Bay 2 to receive him. The Enterprise crew monitor Data as the Pike explodes in transit, and the shocked crew assumes that he was destroyed in the explosion. Captain Jean-Luc Picard speaks to Kivas Fajo and asks him for any information on what happened. Fajo says things looked as consistent as the other flights, and was "disappointed" at the loss of the pilot. After the information is transferred to the Enterprise, Picard tells Wesley Crusher to head for the Beta Agni II system with the 81 kilos of hytritium they obtained. Eighty-one kilos is just enough for them to complete their mission with zero margin for error, and Fajo had said the only other source he knew of was the Sigma Erandi system, three weeks away. Aboard the Jovis, Data is stuck in the position he was in before, and then wakes up. Data asks Fajo why he is where he is. Fajo says that Data has been brought to his ship because Data is supposed to entertain him. Data says this cannot happen because he is a Starfleet officer. Fajo says that he will never be able to leave, so therefore he is no longer a Starfleet officer, especially since the crew of the Enterprise think he is dead. Fajo begins communication with Data by speaking in a highly exaggerated manner until it becomes clear that Data is a very qualified communicator and can be spoken to normally. Data informs Fajo that he does not wish to stay and upon Fajo's refusal to free him, Data advises that he will have to attempt escape. However, Data soon finds he is unable to escape as the door is too heavy and is keyed to galvanic skin responses and DNA patterns. When Data tries to lift Fajo to use him to open the door, he is hit by a force field created by Fajo's proximity-actuated field, which impedes positron flows. Fajo takes Data on a tour of the gallery, viewing a Salvador Dali painting, The Persistence of Memory, looking at a sculpture from the late Mark Off-Zel, feeding the thought-extinct Lapling and sniffing the bubble-gum scent of the Roger Maris baseball card. Fajo asks Data to sit in the chair for display. Data refuses and says that he considers being held captive a hostile act by Fajo. La Forge and Wesley go to Data's quarters to clean out everything. On the Jovis, Varria comes back into the room that Data is kept in, and Varria tells him that Fajo wants him to wear a specific set of clothes. Varria tells Data to do as Fajo says because he is as giving as he is cruel, while touching her face knowingly. Data says that he will not change as the Enterprise will be looking at the remains of the shuttlepod to know he wasn't on board during the explosion. However, Varria tells Data that they planted enough of his composite materials in exact quantites as evidence on the shuttle so that the Enterprise will not search for him and that Fajo has him. Data replies that it appears he has them both. Later in Picard's ready room, La Forge tensely informs Picard and Riker that he has investigated the shuttle explosion and can find no explanation. The only reason La Forge can find is "pilot error", which he considers impossible given Data's exceptional abilities. Picard says he will support La Forge's continued investigations as long as the engineer thinks fit, with the caveat that he expects La Forge to be rested in time for the decontamination mission. Riker comments that Data's emotionlessness did not prevent him from stirring strong emotions within others, and after recommending Worf to take Data's place at Ops, he leaves. Picard looks at a book of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, one of the works he gave Data and reads a passage from it that reminds him of his "lost" officer. Fajo comes into the gallery and is angry at why Data has not changed into the robes he chose for him. Data says that he is a Starfleet officer and therefore will not change his clothes. Fajo does not understand why he is even a Starfleet officer in the first place, and then orders a flask of a finoplak, an acid powerful enough to melt clothing, but not harm Data's skin. This makes Data need to change. On the Enterprise, La Forge is sleeping, he goes over and over again what Data said, waking up with the realization that he did miss something. He reviews the audio logs from the shuttle flight with Wesley and discovers that Data failed to transmit a status message, several seconds before the explosion. Although trivial, it was a procedural error that Data would have never committed, and Geordi suspects that he was somehow unable to complete the task. Meanwhile, Worf is assigned to Data's Ops duties and Deanna Troi is concerned for his emotional well-being as Worf was close to Data and this is the second time Worf has replaced a crewmate who has died. Worf points out that promotion due to the death of a crewmate is common on a Klingon vessel and adds that he honors the death of those he is replacing by performing the duties as well as his predecessor. Later that evening when Fajo tries to "show off" his new "acquisition" to his friend and competitor, Palor Toff, Data stands still and shows no signs of activity. This angers Fajo as he is made to look a fool in front of his friend. As the crew of the Enterprise delivers the hytritium to the water table on Beta Agni II, the substance responds much more quickly than expected, and Picard orders Riker, Worf and Dr. Crusher beam down to investigate. As Data is viewing the "Mona Lisa" on the Jovis, attempting to imitate her smile, Fajo enters quickly and again asks Data to sit in the chair in which Fajo intends to display him, and Data refuses. Fajo then gets a Varon-T disruptor from a hidden shelf, an illegal weapon in the Federation. Fajo shows his true colors as a vicious, cruel and immoral creature. When Data continually refuses to sit in the chair, Fajo threatens to kill his assistant Varria with the weapon even though she has been with him for 14 years. Data realizes he can prevent this ruthless act by sitting in the chair, and does so. The away team find several holes in their investigation: tricyanate is not indigenous to the planet and the only counteragent is the rare hytrithium compound conveniently provided by Fajo. Worf's tricorder readings reveal that the poisoning was indeed artificial, but Crusher finds this difficult to believe — the poison used to contaminate the water table is very unstable and difficult to transport. However, the poison is also difficult to counteract, as hytritium is the only antidote. Hearing this, it dawns on Riker how "lucky" they were to find it, and in exactly the right amount. In a briefing in the observation lounge, Riker points out that Fajo was in the right place in the right time to provide them with the hytritium they so desperately needed. It is speculated that Fajo poisoned the water to then sell the Enterprise crew the hytritium to make a profit, but Crusher points out that, due to the expense of producing tricyanate, the venture would not be profitable, leaving them to wonder what his true intentions were. Picard requests a bio on Fajo, and it includes a list of priceless artifacts in his collection, which include numerous "rare and valuable objects". The computer only names four of his treasures, including van Gogh's The Starry Night, before being cut off by the captain, who, like everyone else, identifies what has likely been added to the collection -- a sentient, fully-functional artificial lifeform, one who apparently "died" in an accident. When La Forge asks what could have happened if Data was not on the shuttle when it exploded, Picard taps his combadge and orders Wesley to set a course for the site of the shuttlecraft explosion at Warp 8. They pursue the Jovis, sending a coded message to all Federation outposts Fajo could have reached since leaving the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Varria comes to Data's aid. She realizes that Fajo does not value her no matter how loyal she is. Varria assists Data in escaping even though the escape is a dangerous one because there is no way to communicate to the Enterprise that he is alive, the escape pod will sound an alarm once activated, and there are guards everywhere. Unfortunately, Varria is caught by the guards and then by Fajo and he shoots her with the Varon-T after hesitating for only a moment. Her death is excruciating and painful to witness as she is destroyed from the inside out. On hearing her scream, Data exits the escape pod he was preparing for launch, and picks up Varria's discarded disruptor, aiming it at Fajo. Fajo proceeds to taunt Data, saying that if he does not return to his chair with no escape, he will start killing others, and their blood will be on Data's hands as well. He continues by saying that if only Data's programming allowed him to feel rage over Varria's death, he could kill him and stop it -- but he has no feelings; he is only an android. Data, however, concludes that he has to stop Fajo, and draws the disruptor at his suddenly-panicking captor, but is beamed back to the Enterprise. O'Brien detects the weapon in mid-transport as having been discharged and remotely deactivates it as a precautionary measure. Data hands it to Riker, and tells him to arrest Fajo for murder, kidnapping and theft. When Riker asks about the discharge, having noticed Data's pose on arrival, Data pauses and suggests something may have occurred during transport. Data visits Fajo in the brig and informs him that all the items he stole from others are being returned. Fajo asks Data if it satisfies him to knowing that he has lost everything. Data simply replies that he has no feelings as he is only an android. 
<EOS>
Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan is called aboard the USS Enterprise-D to fulfill his latest diplomatic duty, a treaty with a mysterious race known as the Legarans. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Commander William T. Riker are in a corridor and Picard says that he was tongue-tied the first time he met Sarek briefly at his son's wedding. Riker asks Picard if the rumors that Sarek will be retiring after these negotiations are true, and the captain confirms that it's unofficial but true, and the successful negotiations with the Legarans will be considered a perfect way to end an exemplary career. They enter the transporter room and Sarek's aides, Ki Mendrossen and Sakkath, are beamed aboard. Mendrossen advises that Sarek is not a young man anymore and though Sarek may wish to attend the events that the Enterprise has prepared for him, he says that it is ill-advised because Sarek will tire too easily. He must be ready to negotiate with the Legarans when the Enterprise arrives at Legara IV. Picard says that they have readied a Mozart concert for him. Sarek and his wife, Perrin, are then beamed on board the Enterprise by Chief O'Brien. He introduces his wife, who, like his first wife, is Human. Sarek tells Picard he wishes to visit the conference room intended for the Legarans, contrary to Mendrossen's wishes. Mendrossen interjects to say that he should rest, but Sarek is insistent on visiting the conference room, telling Picard they worry about his health too much. Meanwhile, Ensign Wesley Crusher and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge are preparing in the conference room. They are currently readying the slime pit that is the home environment for the Legarans. Wesley says that he has a date with Ensign Suzanne Dumont. La Forge jokes that Wes would be too chicken to have even asked her out, but congratulates him. Sarek inspects the conference room and becomes uncharacteristically irritated that it is not properly prepared. After he has calmed down, he retires to his quarters, declining Picard's invitation to show him the ship. Before leaving, Sarek loudly announces that the walls are too bright, which causes Riker to look at Picard in concern. Picard and Riker discuss how Sarek is not as frail as Mendrossen implied. Picard will not cancel the concert even if the Ambassador is unable to attend, but regrets that the guest of honor won't be there. Counselor Troi suggests that Picard invite Perrin instead, understanding this could lead to Sarek attending. Picard agrees and heads straight down. Arriving at their guest quarters, Perrin says that Sarek is meditating and unable to greet Picard. Picard says he came to ask Perrin to the concert and to bring Sarek to the concert if he is willing to attend. After Picard leaves, Perrin consults with Sarek in the other room, and it turns out he cannot meditate and has not been able to for weeks. Sarek asks his wife to leave him, as he requires solitude. Wesley and La Forge verify the temperature of the slime in the tank, which is 150 °Celsius. Wes, unusually impatient, asks to leave for his date and La Forge remarks that nothing's going to happen anyway. The two quickly descend into a huge argument, as La Forge says that Wes is not going to get anywhere with Dumont and Wes retorts that at least he doesn't have to get his women on a holodeck. The two are about ready to come to blows when Riker walks in and breaks it up. Wes leaves, while La Forge insists that nothing is the matter. Picard and Riker go to the recital, as they discuss Worf putting a previously exemplary officer, Ensign D'Amato, on report for insubordination and Riker brings up the earlier incident. Before they can discuss further, Sarek and his group come in the recital room. He says it was at his wife's insistence and that it seemed the ideal diversion. Picard introduces Data who asks which performer's style they'd like to hear, as he is programmed with varieties for 300 violinists. Perrin asks Data to play in the style of Tataglia. While the concert is going on, Sarek actually cries at a moving moment in the performance. Picard notices this and, while retaining his composure, is astounded to see a Vulcan crying to music. Sarek and his group quickly leave, and as they do Troi also feels something unusual from them. Dr. Crusher summons Wesley to sickbay, and after picking a fight with him about not having attended the concert, she slaps him as hard as she can to make Wesley tell the truth. Later she tells Counselor Troi , whom Wesley reported to, that she would never hit Wes, especially as it was unprovoked. It was from a sudden burst of anger. Troi says that she has heard the same thing from 10 other people in two days. Sakkath gets a tour of the bridge from Data and he asks if Picard is prepared to go through negotiations with the Legarans if the ambassador's diplomatic capabilities are compromised. Data infers that Sarek may not be able to conduct negotiations as originally thought, but Sakkath backtracks and says that he was merely interested in exploring different scenarios of the situation. In Ten Forward, Miles O'Brien starts an argument with one of the other officers about the table they were going to sit at. La Forge sees this and calms them down and offers to buy everyone a drink. At that moment, Riker discusses Worf reporting Ensign D'Amato's recent behavior when they walk into Ten Forward and into a massive brawl. They both join the melee and try to restore order. Picard, Riker, Troi, and Dr. Crusher are in Ten Forward discussing the fights that have been occurring. Eventually, Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi deduce that Sarek is suffering from Bendii Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes Vulcans over the age of 200 to lose emotional control, and he is unconsciously broadcasting his intense emotions to the humanoids around him. Crusher says that all the fights started when the Vulcan party beamed aboard. She says that they can test for Bendii Syndrome but the results of the test to confirm it will not be available for several days after the scheduled meeting with the Legarans. Picard summons Mendrossen to his ready room and tries to reason with him that Sarek may have Bendii Syndrome, but Mendrossen refuses to listen. He summons Data and has him talk to Sakkath, who admits, after Data uses logic with him, that Sarek is not able to continue his diplomatic duties in his condition. It turns out that Sakkath has been using his own telepathic abilities to keep Sarek's emotions under control, but the strain of the mission has made it impossible to hold in Sarek's abilities. Riker tells Picard that he needs to tell Sarek about his condition, but they end up yelling at each other on the bridge. Data calms them down and Picard takes up the unpleasant task of confronting Sarek. He finds Perrin and tells her that Sarek may have Bendii Syndrome, but Perrin is in complete denial about Sarek's condition, saying that there has not been a case of it in Sarek's lifetime and that he does not have it. Picard insists, apologizing that he must barge in, but then, Sarek, Mendrossen and Sakkath come from the other room. When he finally gets to speak to Sarek, he also does not believe that he has the disease, but he will submit himself to take the test. Since the conference is in a few hours and the test results cannot be determined for at least several days, Picard asks that he postpone the conference with the Legarans. Picard reveals that Sakkath has been holding together Sarek's emotions and Sarek tells Sakkath that his assistance will no longer be required. He then asks everyone to leave while he speaks to Picard alone. Sarek offers Picard the chance to present his arguments and he will listen and consider them logically. Picard explains the violent emotional outbreaks that have been occurring on the ship, and that he feels Sarek is responsible. Sarek counters that any number of unexplained phenomena could be the cause, and while Picard states that other possibilities are being researched, there is also the fact this began after Sarek came aboard and that it can't be a coincidence that his wife and staff have been isolating him. Sarek suggests that Picard is reacting to their emotional feelings concerning his age, but Picard reminds him that Sakkath doesn't feel emotions. Sarek argues that Sakkath is a child who mistakenly thought that he needed help but Picard reminds him that he did need his help at the concert. The mention of the concert causes Sarek to hesitate, as Picard reminds him that he cried. He saw the tears. Sarek at first denies it, then correct Picard that he recalls that there was only 'one tear'. Picard then comes back with his original question; "Is it logical for a Vulcan to cry?". Sarek, beginning to lose control as his anger is rising, reminds Picard that the Legarans will meet with him and only him -- there are no other solutions. Picard reminds Sarek that he himself has said that there are always other solutions, and that Sarek would never be afraid to look at something he didn't want to see. Sarek angrily accuses Picard of trying to discredit him, but Picard stands firm with the statement that "Sarek of Vulcan never confused what he wanted with the truth." Sarek is now becoming blind with fury, and Picard tells him that he can hear the anger in his voice. Sarek screams that it is illogical to become angry, and his hysterical reaction proves that everything that Picard has claimed is true. Picard, upset at what he had to do even if it was the right thing, knows that Sarek is in no condition to do the negotiations and prepares to inform the Legarans personally. Perrin asks Picard privately in his ready room to let Sarek continue the negotiations, but Picard cannot do anything. She asks Picard to volunteer to allow Sarek to mind meld with him, so that Sarek would have Picard's emotional control. Sarek is reluctant, warning that this would cause Picard to be completely overwhelmed by extremely powerful Vulcan emotions, but he ultimately agrees. After the meld is performed, Picard is indeed overcome, and in the presence of Beverly Crusher, pours out the contents of Sarek's secretly anguished soul, such as his regrets of never showing tenderness to Perrin, as well as to his late wife Amanda and their son, Spock. In the meantime, a restored and rational Sarek successfully completes his negotiations with the Legarans. The link is dissolved, and with the negotiations over and Sarek under less pressure, Sakkath can again help him. The USS Merrimac will be transporting Sarek and his delegation back to Vulcan. Picard shakes Perrin's hand, and then tells her that Sarek loves her. She says that she knows. Picard bids farewell to Sarek in the transporter room. Their lives have been forever joined, and each will carry a part of the other with him. Picard feels he has the better part of the bargain. Picard displays the Vulcan salute and bids Sarek farewell. As the Vulcan party leaves, Sarek grabs his wife's hand. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker plays a version of three-dimensional chess against Nibor in Ten Forward as an Algolian musician plays ceremonial rhythms. He wins comfortably, and the Ferengi claims to have been distracted by the music. Meanwhile, Lwaxana Troi tries once again to assist in Deanna Troi's love life. However, it is she who is "found exotic" by DaiMon Tog, much to initial skepticism of Doctor Farek. When Tog attempts to proclaim his affections to her, as well as being interested in her Betazoid telepathy, she very loudly spurns him, humiliating him in front of the entire reception. He does not give up, however, finding her "exhilarating." Afterwards, in a corridor, Deanna walks with Worf to her mother's quarters. Worf thinks Troi's mother handled the situation with Tog with skill and calls her an "admirable woman." Deanna tells Worf that she will inform her mother of his compliment. In Lwaxana's quarters, she and Deanna then discuss the latter's happiness. Deanna insists that she is happy with her life and career aboard the Enterprise, however, Lwaxana wants Deanna to find a husband and have a family. Deanna says she already has a family, her friends aboard the Enterprise. When Lwaxana brings up Deanna's former romantic relationship with Commander Riker and how she ruined it, Deanna angrily remarks she didn't ruin anything; they have become very good friends. When Lwaxana calls Deanna her standard nickname of "little one", Deanna tells her she has been calling her that since she was 5 years old and asks to be addressed as an adult. She then storms out of Lwaxana's quarters, and Lwaxana reminds her that she'll be on Betazed if she needs her. In Picard's ready room, Data and La Forge discuss the recent upgrade to the Enterprise's neutrino counters which were completed ahead of schedule thanks to Wesley Crusher, who is due to leave the ship soon for the Academy. He will be admitted as a cadet as soon as he completes the oral portion of the exam. Picard then dismisses everyone except Riker. He and Riker agree that the Enterprise's mapping of the Gamma Erandi Nebula will be fairly routine, so Picard grants Riker shore leave on Betazed and will join Counselor Troi. "Have a good time, Number One", Picard tells his first officer. Later, when Deanna and Riker are visiting on Betazed, they revisit a place they visited often, when Riker was stationed on Betazed. When they briefly kiss, however, Lwaxana interrupts. Deanna asks how she knew about this place and Lwaxana tells her that her father used to bring her there. Lwaxana has Mr. Homn lay out a picnic, and just after he leaves to pick some berries, DaiMon Tog beams down and attempts to persuade Lwaxana again, but is forced to kidnap all three of them by beaming them back to his ship and knocking them unconscious. When the three of them awaken, they are far away from their previous position, out of range of Riker's combadge, in a prison cell. Their guards are playing chess, including the Ferengi who played Riker earlier, Nibor. When their consciousness state is noticed, Tog transports Deanna and Lwaxana to a new compartment -- without their clothes. Farek and Tog enter. Farek regards them with revulsion, while Tog continues to flatter Lwaxana. She therefore plays along, believing she can control him. Taking nearby blankets, Lwaxana and Deanna hear Tog's "business proposition" of Lwaxana joining him to aid him in his dealings. She asks that they talk alone, so Tog dismisses Farek and transports Deanna back to the cell. Tog shows her to a bedroom. On the Enterprise, Wesley has passed his written exam, and will go to Starfleet Academy to take his oral exam. He is concerned -- upon observations of Data and La Forge -- that, when he graduates, the Enterprise may not be here to serve on or Captain Picard may be gone. Having heard that Lwaxana is in no immediate danger, Commander Riker attempts to use the chess game to gain an edge on the guard. He advises Nibor's moves, but he doesn't take the advice, soon losing. He then plays him from the cell for a bit. Lwaxana continues to engage Tog in conversation, flattering him. He soon wants to kiss her, and Deanna senses the intense discomfort. On the Enterprise, Picard is fascinated by the phenomenon. From the nature of the nebula, communications are interrupted. It takes two days, but the Enterprise eventually completes its mission and leaves. A priority one message from Reittan Grax informs Picard that Riker, Deanna, and Lwaxana have disappeared. Riker disengages from the game, tired of standing up, and talks his way out of the cell in order to play Nibor. He soon defeats the Ferengi, knocking him out shortly thereafter. He tries to contact the Enterprise. Unfortunately, the communications array requires Tog's access code. Meanwhile, Lwaxana is boring Tog with her past relationships. Tog stops her, and so Lwaxana starts to rub his ears instead. Tog explains she is performing oo-mox, to her surprise. Having communicated that she has him "purring like a kitten," Deanna responds that they need Tog's access code. When Lwaxana asks for Tog's access code, Farek arrives and stops him just in time from breaching ship's security. With the blackmail of being reported, the doctor persuades Tog to let him use mind probes on her so as to duplicate her telepathic powers. This could kill her, but Tog reluctantly agrees. On Betazed, the search comes up with little evidence, however, Lieutenant Foley found a flower Data identifies as of the Zan Periculi, indigenous not to Betazed, but to the Ferengi world Lappa IV. They take the flowers to Picard, who assumes Riker will find a way to send a message and orders to concentrate Worf on monitoring Ferengi communications. La Forge says he can boost the gain on the long-range sensors, and leaves to do so. Deanna learns that Farek is about to begin the neural scan from Lwaxana. Riker now looks for a minor subsystem, something not protected by the codes, and selects warp field phase adjustment. He then sends out a signal by dampening and un-dampening the subspace interference suppressor. He uses it to send a message he thinks the Enterprise will understand. Deanna senses Lwaxana's pain, and they leave the prison area to find her. Meanwhile, Wesley is nearly late for his rendezvous with the USS Bradbury to go to the Academy. He barely has time to hear a scan for Ferengi signals -- which are encoded -- before rushing off to the transporter pad. He is about to transport when he realizes that a noise he heard in the background was familiar. While explaining it to his mother, it occurs to him that the static's rythms was the signal. He rushes back to the bridge. Wesley goes to the captain and informs him of his discovery -- but misses his rendezvous with the ship. He recognizes the pattern he heard as the Algolian ceremonial rhythms that the musician played at the reception. It was Riker's signal. Picard quickly plots a course toward the source. Riker, on the ship, manages to stop the experiment, but Tog comes from behind him to disarm him. Lwaxana sits up and negotiates an agreement: Riker and Deanna are let go, but Lwaxana will stay with him of her own free will. She has to convince Riker and Deanna as well. Giving her word as the daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed, Tog eventually accepts. The Enterprise arrives, and Tog beams over Deanna and Riker. Once the two of them are safely aboard, Deanna protests her mother's actions. Picard hails the Ferengi ship, and Lwaxana makes it clear that, "it's over between us, Jean-Luc," suggesting that Lwaxana and the captain used to be lovers, to Tog's surprise. It is a hint that Lwaxana wants Picard to fight for her, so that Tog will give her up willingly. Acting like a jealous lover, Picard says that their relationship is not over. He recites Shakespeare's sonnet #147, and acts in an insane jealous rage, threatening to destroy the Ferengi ship if she is not in his arms within ten seconds. He begins to count down,  continuing to recite Shakespeare between each number. When four seconds remain, Tog relents and beams her to the Enterprise bridge. Lwaxana continues with the charade, but the minute Tog is off screen, Picard wants no more to do with it. He orders Wesley to set a course for Betazed -- at warp nine. Captain Picard tells Wesley about how he and the commandant of Starfleet Academy are sorry that he missed the transport but hope he will reapply. Wesley states that he fully intends to. However Picard says that in his eyes, Wesley is an acting ensign in title only and then decides to grant Wesley a field promotion to a full ensign. Wesley changes into his new uniform, takes his position at the conn, and the Enterprise sets off toward their rendezvous with the USS Zapata. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is exploring an uncharted star system within the Zeta Gelis Cluster, when the ship discovers a faint life sign and debris from a small ship on one of the planets. La Forge is in Ten Forward with Worf and he says that he is interested in Christy Henshaw who is sitting at a nearby table with a friend but he is too shy to approach her. Christy comes over to the bar to leave her and her friend's empty cups. She tries to strike up a conversation but La Forge is tongue-tied. Then Commander Riker contacts him from the bridge and he leaves Worf. On the surface, the away team finds the crashed vessel, with a single badly-injured occupant. Dr. Beverly Crusher scans him and says that his brain stem has been damaged and his involuntary nervous functions are not stable enough for transport up to the ship. She asks for a volunteer, and La Forge steps forward. She establishes a neural link between La Forge and the alien, to allow La Forge's brain to regulate both nervous systems and stabilize the alien until they can beam up to the Enterprise. When the connection is made, an energy discharge enters La Forge's mind, and he inhales sharply, but assures Crusher that he's fine. As soon as the alien stabilizes, all three of them are beamed directly to sickbay. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher works tirelessly with her staff to stabilize the severely wounded mystery man. On the bridge, Commander Riker reports to Captain Picard that the crashed vessel appeared to be an escape pod, which means that the ship it came from must have been attacked somewhere close by. Data detects debris and refined metals in orbit of the planet, indicating the ship was destroyed. Worf also picks up residual phaser fire. Riker shows Picard a small module which is all that is left of the pod's computer system, and Picard gives it to Data for analysis. Picard visits sickbay to check on the patient's progress, and Crusher reports that he will make a full recovery, due in no small part to his body's quick recuperative powers. She is also troubled to note that his undamaged cells are mutating, a process that does not seem to be connected to his injuries. La Forge is in Ten Forward sitting at a table with Worf and Data discussing the salvaged computer module. La Forge and Data present various theories on how to decode it, but Worf is unhappy they are talking shop and not relaxing. La Forge says he is relaxed and has never felt better. He then spots Christy and decides to escort her out of Ten Forward to the ship's arboretum. "I have been tutoring him. He learns very quickly", a proud Worf tells Data. In sickbay, the mysterious alien has been removed from intensive bio-support and most of his major organs are functioning on their own after only 36 hours. While Dr. Crusher monitors his life signs, he awakens and touches her hand, surprising the doctor. His first words to her are "I am alive". Crusher remarks that he certainly is. He follows this up by asking "Who am I?" When the alien, now named John Doe, finally recovers enough to awaken, he does not know who he is or what led him to be on that planet. The bridge crew attempt to ascertain the mystery of John's origins while continuing their work on the charting of the Zeta Gelis Cluster. John Doe has been aboard for over a month, his recuperation speedy and successful, but the doctor is still puzzled by his continuing mutation, which now elicits pain and a glowing energy pulse from his torso. Beverly is frustrated at her inability to solve the mystery or halt the pain, while John is contrite about not being able to remember. Riker is waiting for the turbolift, and when it finally comes, he sees La Forge and Christy in a long kiss. Riker comments that he is having a lot of luck with her. La Forge says that he's still the same old Geordi, but Riker says he's changed. La Forge admits he is a lot more confident than he used to be. Chief Miles O'Brien comes into sickbay with a dislocated shoulder, after kayaking on the holodeck. While Crusher is preparing the necessary equipment, John drifts over and touches his shoulder. There is another glowing energy pulse, and O'Brien's arm is completely healed, to Beverly and her son Wesley's astonishment. Over dinner with Wesley, Beverly admits that there is something oddly compelling about the mysterious man, but denies that she is falling in love with her patient. She feels that she has a spiritual connection with John that is different than a romantic one. She tells her son she probably is not making much sense, but Wesley tells her he understands somewhat. As the bridge crew grow closer to discovering the origins of John Doe, including discovering the coordinates of the planet from which he came from, the alien is starting to remember fragments of his past, namely that he was escaping his planet and that there were others with him. He asks Picard not to return him, at least not yet. Picard states that the Enterprise will not be in the vicinity of the planet's star system for three weeks, giving John ample time to discuss the problem further. After Picard and Crusher leave John alone, a powerful yellow glow briefly appears on his body. John and Dr. Crusher have some drinks in Ten Forward celebrating John's first day out of sickbay. John marvels at the diversity of the Enterprise crew, many different species all working together freely. He tells Crusher that his species is different from this somehow. Crusher tells John how fond she has become of him and he vice-versa. John tells Crusher that he believes he is on some kind of journey and that his mutation in his body is connected to it. He knows he must complete his journey before anything else. Worf announces to Picard that the Enterprise will soon joined by a ship heading to intercept the Enterprise at high warp. It refuses to answer hails and will intercept in ten hours. Now nearly two months on board, John's painful and accelerating cellular mutations cause him to fear that what is happening to him may hurt people around him. He flees sickbay after telling Dr. Crusher he must leave the Enterprise. While chasing him down a corridor, Dr. Crusher reluctantly calls for security. As he tries to escape in the shuttlepod El Baz, Worf is mortally injured by John when he accidentally unleashed his power on him. Worf's neck breaks on impact after falling hard from high up onto the shuttlebay's floor. He is miraculously healed by John Doe. In Picard's ready room, Picard gets John to admit he was going to steal a shuttle and asks what is happening to him. John does not know, but believes he has to leave the ship before he harms another individual. Picard asks that John be kept under constant surveillance. The Zalkonian Commander Sunad finally answers the Enterprise's hails and demands the delivery of the stranger from Captain Picard. Allegedly, he is a dangerous criminal who is disturbing the normal order of society on Zalkon and deserves death. Sunad demands that the Enterprise leave the Zalkonian system and return John Doe to them. He gives them two hours to make their decision before he fires. Captain Picard, Riker, Troi, and Dr. Crusher discuss what John Doe could be accused of and whether or not they can let personal relationships affect their decision to return this so-called criminal. Crusher remarks on the irony of having saved John's life and now to give him back to his people to die for his alleged crimes. Picard tries to negotiate with Sunad, telling him that John has exhibited some extraordinary abilities, and would like to know more about the nature of his alleged crimes.  Declaring that John has "corrupted" the Enterprise's crew as well, Sunad motions to his bridge crew, and the Zalkonian ship creates some kind of effect that causes every member of the crew to suffocate. In sickbay, John is the only one not affected.  He finds Beverly suffocating on the floor and heals her.  Helping her to her feet, he declares that he finally remembers who he is and why he is there.  Finding another crew member on the floor outside sickbay, John heals him as well, then touches a panel, spreading his power throughout the Enterprise and freeing everyone from the Zalkonian weapon. As John and Beverly enter the bridge, Sunad furiously orders his ship's weapons targeted on the Enterprise.  Before it can fire, John simply raises a hand, instantly transporting Sunad from his ship's bridge to the Enterprise.  Sunad insists to Picard that John and his kind are a danger to society, but John tells Picard the truth: the Zalkonian species is on the verge of an amazing evolutionary change, but Sunad and their society's other leaders, fearful of something they don't understand and perceiving a threat to their authority, have decried the changes as "evil" and been murdering any members of their society who exhibit them.  John and three of his fellows decided to flee Zalkon and let the changes take their course, but only John has survived, with the help of the Enterprise crew. John gasps in sudden pain and undergoes the final metamorphosis, becoming a luminous being of pure energy.  He tells Sunad there is nothing to fear, but Sunad recoils in terror.  John says that they can no longer prevent him from telling the rest of Zalkon what is happening to them.  He returns Sunad to his own ship, which departs and heads back to Zalkon. John expresses how glad he was to have found people like those on the Enterprise but also apologizes to the people on the bridge for needing to leave, especially to Beverly. Captain Picard states his pride in being present at the birth of a new species, and the new energy life form says goodbye to Beverly before he wafts up and out of the ship into space. 
<EOS>
Hopes are dashed when the Enterprise's jury-rigged deflector dish-weapon fails to stop the Borg, who have kidnapped Captain Picard and transformed him into Locutus. Shelby is stunned. Commander Riker orders to cease fire on the weapon and wonders how they were able to adapt so quickly. Locutus then informs the crew that Picard's knowledge has been added to the Borg's and that they are now prepared for all courses of action that the Enterprise and the Federation are preparing to take. Locutus then notes that their resistance is hopeless, while chillingly addressing Riker as "Number One." The use of the deflector dish weapon has left the Enterprise disabled. No longer posing a threat and with their main objective, Picard, obtained, the Borg leave the Enterprise behind and resume their course for Earth. Admiral Hanson informs them that their engagement has bought them valuable time to assemble a fleet of 40 starships at Wolf 359, with more on the way. The Klingons are sending ships to assist and Hanson has even thought of opening communications with the Romulans. Shelby warns the admiral that with the assistance of Picard, the Borg are now ready for anything Starfleet may have prepared, but Hanson makes it implicitly clear that under no circumstances is Picard assisting the Borg -- he is a casualty of war, which Dr. Crusher takes to mean that there will be no recovery of him. Hanson declares that Starfleet intends to hit the Borg ship with everything they can muster and that either they will survive or the Borg will. He officially awards Riker a field promotion to captain and command of the Enterprise, wishing the circumstances were better, which Riker acknowledges and wishes the admiral luck in the coming battle. On course for Earth, the Borg continue to assimilate Picard's body, continuing his transformation into Locutus by attaching an arm prosthesis extension and draining the color from his Human skin. From within Locutus, the only sign of the remaining Humanity left within Jean-Luc Picard is a single tear that wells from his eye. Meanwhile, Worf and newly-promoted Captain Riker discuss in a turbolift how to deal with the Borg's ability to adapt to their hand phasers, as Ensign Crusher suggests creating a chip for the phasers that will automatically re-tune them with every discharge. They both agree that they too can adapt just as well as the Borg, but are left with a severe disadvantage since the Borg have Picard and now know everything they knew, even more than the crew knows themselves. "The Borg have neither honor nor courage. That is our greatest advantage", Worf states to his captain. Frustration mounts in engineering as Shelby cannot get the shields working again. She reports to Riker that the main deflector dish is operational and that Sherbourne and Barclay are testing it now. She and La Forge agree they should be underway in two to three hours. Riker then praises her for her effort on the Borg ship. She concedes that she didn't get Picard, but he responds that her efforts gave them their shot, and admits that while neither of them have to like each other, Shelby should continue to keep him on his toes. Shelby admits that she may not be Riker's first choice for first officer, which is now vacant; but reminds him that he needs her as she knows how to get things done, and for her knowledge of the Borg. Riker interrupts her that she has a lot to learn, but smiles and notes it was just as he did when he was selected as first officer to Picard.  He even admits Picard reminded him of it when Riker expressed of what a pain in the neck she is, at which she can't help but smile at as well. Just then, the Enterprise receives word from the Starfleet armada at Wolf 359, that they have engaged the Borg. Riker quickly heads to the bridge, as Admiral Hanson is relaying news that "the fight does not go well," and are trying to regroup. The signal is abruptly cut off, leaving Riker to wonder what happened. As the Enterprise completes repairs and heads for Wolf 359, Captain Riker "reluctantly" promotes Shelby to first officer over Data and Worf, as Riker cannot afford to move the current staff and needs everyone where they are. The crew discuss several possible methods for fighting the Borg, including heavy graviton beams, nanites, and phaser upgrades, but all possibilities appear to be long shots at best. Riker's pessimism can be heard even in his encouragements that "our efforts in the coming battle will justify Captain Picard's faith in all of us." Riker then withdraws to Captain Picard's ready room, upset with himself with how poorly the meeting went. Feeling lost without Picard, he asks the captain's empty chair "what would you do?". Guinan, realizing that Riker's attitude is filtering down through the crew through overheard conversations, visits him and insists that the only way to beat Locutus and save Picard is for Riker to let go of Picard and throw away everything the captain would have done. Riker is hesitant as the Enterprise was his ship and the crew his crew, but Guinan reminds him that the Borg now know everything Picard knew. She goes on to remind him that "there can only be one captain" and points to the chair and tells him that it is now his. Further, she states somewhat sternly that Picard was a dear friend to her and that while their relationship was "beyond friendship and beyond family" that she will let him go because she has to. As she leaves and Riker takes the captain's chair to ponder his new role as captain, the Enterprise arrives at Wolf 359. Riker takes the ship to the battle coordinates. Data picks up several ships, which Riker asks if it is the fleet. All the ships are reading no subspace communications and negligible power readings. When asked about life signs, Data responds in the negative. At visual range, Riker orders on screen, and discovers a horror beyond imagination. Federation starships drift lifelessly at Wolf 359, which stuns the whole bridge crew. Shelby identifies three starships, as the Tolstoy, the Kyushu, and the Melbourne, the same ship Riker had been offered. Riker's heavy heart grows heavier with the notion that thousands of Starfleet officers and their families have been killed in only a matter of minutes by the Borg. Data is able to track the course of the Borg ship and Riker orders a course to intercept. With the knowledge that Locutus possesses Picard's tactical genius, and not reflecting on the slaughter at Wolf 359, Riker devises a strategy to retrieve Picard from the Borg cube. By separating the Enterprise, Riker anticipates that the Borg will completely ignore the saucer section and instead concentrate on destroying the more heavily-armed secondary hull -- reminded by Shelby that, since she had briefed Picard on that plan, the Borg would be prepared for this, the captain responds that he's counting on it. Riker, now on the battle bridge, with Wesley at the helm and Gleason at ops, stalls for time with fake negotiations with Locutus. Locutus warns that their delay would not be successful and they would be destroyed if they intervened. Riker throws down the gauntlet defiantly telling Locutus to take their best shot, and orders to separate. After separation, both ships fire at the cube to no avail. The Borg then fires their tractor beam at the stardrive section, but Riker evades the attack. Just as Riker predicted, the saucer section is being completely ignored. The primary hull fires an antimatter spread, masking the engine signature from a shuttlecraft carrying Data and Worf. The shuttle is able to penetrate the Borg electromagnetic field, allowing Data and Worf to beam to the cube. They locate Locutus, but come under attack. Neutralizing five Borg with their adaptive hand phasers, they race to Locutus; while Worf restrains him, Data incapacitates him. Using their emergency transporter armbands, they transport back to the shuttle and get clear of the electromagnetic field, allowing O'Brien to bring them back to the Enterprise shortly before the shuttle itself is blown away. Rather than fight the stardrive section and the now-vulnerable saucer section, the Borg resume their course toward Earth. On the re-connected Enterprise, Locutus is revived in Sickbay despite Dr. Crusher's request to study the assimilation process. Locutus chastises Captain Riker for putting a whole ship at risk to save just one person, and that the abduction will have no impact on the Borg's mission of conquest. Raising his cybernetic arm extension draws a reaction from Worf by pointing his phaser at him, but Locutus reassures him he intends no harm.  He states he will simply continue to serve as the voice of the Borg on board the Enterprise while the cube continues on without anymore diversions to Earth. Data discovers, using multimodal reflection sorting, that a series of subspace signals form the basis of the Borg Collective, emanating between Locutus and the Borg ship. Crusher states that she is able to perform surgery to restore Picard back to his Human form, but hesitates because cutting the link to the Collective could be fatal. Data postulates that he could access the machine portion of Locutus and quite possibly, the Collective. Locutus surveys Sickbay for people and technology to assimilate. He coldly advises Worf that the Klingons will also be assimilated, to which Worf replies that the Klingon Empire will never yield.  Locutus is a bit mystified as to why the Borg is being resisted; in their view, they only want to raise the quality of life for all species. Worf retorts that the Klingons like themselves just they way they are.  Locutus blasts Worf's defiant tone, stating such vision is narrow, and that all would become one with the Borg, rendering Data obsolete. While he is focused on Data, Crusher quickly incapacitates Locutus with a hypospray and Worf assists Data to take him to his cybernetics lab. Riker then gets word that the Borg have entered Sector 001. As the Borg cube breaks through the Mars Defense Perimeter and is heading to Earth, too far ahead for the Enterprise to intercept in time, Data begins to interface with Locutus.  His team consists of Dr. Crusher monitoring Locutus/Picard's medical condition, while O'Brien is doing the equivalent for Data, and Counselor Troi is to empathically determine if they are reaching Picard or vice versa.  After unsuccessfully attempting to establish a neural link, he succeeds in establishing a net and gathers information on the Borg itself. Just then, Locutus comes to and turns to Data suddenly, surprising him. Locutus attempts to break out of the connection by using his mechanical spinning dissection blade on the circuits, but his mechanical arm is grabbed by Data, who, with his android strength, overpowers Locutus, ripping the blade unit out of its socket. Picard begins to return to normal as his Borg implants begin to shut down. As Troi asks him how he feels, Picard warily eyes his prosthetic arm extension and replies "almost Human." Dr. Crusher is confident that removing the Borg hardware will not pose a problem. Captain Riker asks him how much he remembers and Picard replies that he remembers everything, with a glint of admiration for some "brilliantly unorthodox strategy from a former first officer of mine." The Enterprise prepares to dock at Earth Station McKinley for five or six weeks of repair and refit. Shelby requests permission to disembark as Riker officially relinquishes command back to Picard, who has begun his recovery process. Being promoted to the head of Starfleet's task force, Shelby promises to have the fleet back up in less than a year. She also coyly suggests to Riker that he would have his choice of any Starfleet command, but, Riker politely tells her and Picard that his career plans are his own business, but appreciates having options. As Riker leaves to take the Enterprise to Station McKinley, Picard attempts to return to the PADDs strewn on his desk and his usual cup of Earl Grey tea, but with a haunted look finally realizes that no matter how much he tries to go back to his normal life, nothing will ever be the same for him again. He silently goes over to the ready room's window and looks out at Earth in the dark sea of space, forever changed; reflecting on how close he had come to being the instrument of Humanity's demise.
<EOS>
With the USS Enterprise undergoing repairs in drydock following the Borg attack, many members of the crew are either taking shore leave or are having family aboard. Commander Riker tells Worf in the Enterprise's observation lounge that his foster parents, Sergey and Helena Rozhenko, are on the visitors list. Worf is not happy to hear this news. He tells Riker it's inappropriate for a Klingon to receive family on duty. But since Enterprise isn't a Klingon ship, there's not a lot he can do to stop it. Riker tells him if he doesn't want to see his parents, it's his business but reminds Worf that it's not often they get back to Earth. Worf turns down an offer from Riker to have more off-duty time. As Worf starts to leave, Riker asks if he's afraid they might find out about what happened on his homeworld and Worf tells Riker that he's already written them and told them of his discommendation, adding that he doesn't believe any Human can truly understand his dishonor. Meanwhile Captain Picard, himself undergoing repairs of the emotional kind following his assimilation, is packing to go to Earth. He is visited by Troi, who asks him where he's going. He tells her he is going to go to La Barre, France, his home village. It will be the first time he has gone home in nearly twenty years. Troi says she finds it interesting that Picard is going on vacation so easily and yet they could hardly pry him out of his command chair for a vacation for three years. Picard tells her simply that it's Earth, it's home, and he doesn't think he needs a much better reason. He tells Troi that her assistance has been invaluable to him, but that he's much better now, saying his nightmares have ended and that what he needs now is some time to himself. Troi agrees, but states that his destination could stand some scrutiny. Picard tells her that if she wants to think that his going home is a result of being assimilated, she should feel free. Troi reminds him that it's just going to take time. His assimilation was an extremely traumatic event and he won't recover quickly, and that it's perfectly natural to spend time trying to find oneself again. She then tells Picard she hopes he has a safe trip, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves him. Picard reaches for a few books, then decides against taking them, putting them back on the shelf, and then heads out of his quarters. Worf arrives at the transporter room to receive his parents. O'Brien tells him they haven't signaled yet. Worf complains that his mother is never on time for anything just like Humans. O'Brien tells him, "Well, you know women."  Worf wishes they would hurry and get there so they'd leave sooner. O'Brien tells Worf that he understands, relating the story of the last time his father was on board, O'Brien caught him chasing Nurse Stanton around a biobed. Worf says he is not concerned of his father doing something like that, and O'Brien explains that he meant that it was usually always something with parents. Finally, the Earth Station Bobruisk signals that they have two to transport aboard. The Rozhenkos materialize on the transporter pad. Worf acts pleased to see them, and Sergey asks him if he's put on some weight and tells Worf, even though Worf denies the weight gain, that it looks good on him. Sergey then introduces himself to O'Brien, telling him that he's always glad to meet another chief petty officer and introduces himself as "Sergey Rozhenko, formerly of the USS Intrepid." When O'Brien tells Sergey he's pleased to meet him, he calls Sergey "sir" and Sergey rebuffs that, telling Miles he used to work for a living. Helena tells O'Brien that Sergey's proudest moment was seeing Worf receive his commission. Sergey tells Worf that he's wanting to see the whole ship, having all the specs of the Galaxy-class starship at home. Worf tells him that they are in the midst of a repair and he cannot give Sergey a full tour. Helena reminds him that they promised not to embarrass Worf and they came here to see him, not the ship. Worf takes them to their quarters. On Earth, Picard decides to walk to his home when he notices someone in the bushes sneaking by him. When he tells them to come out, a boy steps out from behind the brushes. Picard throws his hands up as if he were about to be robbed and calls the boy a highwayman. When the boy is confused, Picard explains that highwaymen used to hide in the bushes and rob people although none had been reported in the local area for centuries. The boy tells Picard that he's not a robber, to Picard's mock relief. The boy then recognizes Picard as "his nephew from the starship Enterprise." Picard tells the boy he must be his uncle Rene. When Rene says it's the other way around, Picard says he rather liked the idea of the boy being his uncle. Rene asks Picard why he never comes home, and Picard tells him that Starfleet keeps him very busy. Rene says that his father tells him that Jean-Luc doesn't like it at home and then tells Picard he doesn't think he's so arrogant. "What does it mean anyway, arrogant son of a" "Let's talk about that later, shall we?" Upon arriving at the house, Picard meets his sister-in-law, Marie. She tells him that she and Robert are pleased to have him. Picard offers to stay in town, fearing it may be an imposition but Marie refuses, telling him that this house is as much his home as it is theirs and that's all there is to it. Picard then notes how the family house and land look exactly like they did when he was a boy. Marie tells him keeping it that way is very important to Robert and Picard says it was so for their father too. Picard then goes to find his brother, out tending the vines. Robert greets him coldly, telling him "Welcome home, Captain." Robert asks Jean-Luc if he shuttled in and Picard tells him he walked from the village. This is a very tense moment between two brothers, who clearly have not had any pleasant feelings for each other for many years. Jean-Luc tells Robert he met Rene and Marie and that it's good to see Robert, which gets very little response. Robert asks Jean-Luc if he's tired, and Jean-Luc tells him he's not. Robert tells Jean-Luc to make himself at home and that they usually eat about 8pm. He tells Jean-Luc that he'll see him after he cures a sick vine. Robert then turns back completely to his work and Jean-Luc returns to the family house. Meanwhile, back on Enterprise, Dr. Crusher is talking to Troi about her plans to visit Angel Falls in Venezuela with Riker when she receives a suitcase belonging to her late husband Jack. She tells Troi that she had stored it on Earth after Jack died. She pulls out Jack's uniform, a white piece of lace, and a book called How To Advance Your Career Through Marriage, which Crusher explains was a joke from Jack and that it was his way of proposing to her. She then pulls out a holographic message from Jack for Wesley, recorded just after Wesley was born, intending to give it to him after Wesley grew up. According to Beverly, Jack intended to make many more over Wesley's lifetime, but obviously he didn't get the chance. Troi asks Crusher if she's afraid of what the message may say and she says she isn't, but she's afraid that since Wesley's just beginning to come to terms with his father's death, that the holo-message may do more harm than good. Troi tells her Wesley has many questions that Beverly can't answer and suggests that maybe the holo-message would help him understand more. La Forge and Worf are giving the Rozhenkos a tour through the engineering section, and Sergey tells La Forge a story about how they were called to school after Worf got into a fight. The Rozhenkos didn't know what to expect, and when they got there, they found their seven-year old son in a chair glaring at five teenage boys, all with bloody noses, at which La Forge laughs, and Helena tells him the principal begged them to tell him there weren't any more coming. After Helena stops Sergey from telling La Forge another story, Sergey asks La Forge to show him the new engine core, as he used to be a warp field specialist on the old Excelsior-class ships. Helena asks Worf to show her the arboretum. After they leave, La Forge starts to talk to Sergey about the engine core, but Sergey stops him and asks him about Worf. Sergey is clearly concerned about his adopted son. Later that evening at the Picard family home, Marie tells Jean-Luc that his old friend Louis left a message that he'd very much like to see Jean-Luc as soon as he's settled. Marie tells Jean-Luc that Louis is now a supervisor on the Atlantis Project. Robert says he sees no reason for the Earth to have another sub-continent. Jean-Luc says that if you understand the thought of exploring a new world right on your own planet it's really quite exciting. Robert says he must not understand then. Then Marie tells Jean-Luc that the mayor wants to give him a parade and give him the key to the city. Jean-Luc refuses, saying he's here to rest and to spend time with his family. After a toast to Marie, the family begins to eat. Jean-Luc asks Robert if the wine they're drinking is from '46 and Robert tells him it's a '47, and then accuses him of drinking too much synthehol and that it's spoiled him and ruined his palate. Jean-Luc says that he thinks synthehol does nothing but heighten one's appreciation for the genuine article. Robert tells Marie the food is delicious. Jean-Luc says it's just like Robert to find the best cook in France and then marry her. Robert says that thanks to technology, even cooking is quickly becoming a lost art and Marie says they've had several "discussions" about getting a replicator in the house. Jean-Luc is reminded of the same discussions between their mother and father. Robert says that he feels, just like their father, that with all this technology there is a real danger of losing those values which Humanity holds most precious. Jean-Luc says that you shouldn't have to lose anything just by adding a convenience, but Robert counters by stating that life is already too convenient. Rene tells Jean-Luc he wrote a report on starships and won a ribbon for it. Jean-Luc says he wrote a report too. When Rene asks him if he won a ribbon, Jean-Luc says he doesn't remember, at which Robert reminds him that he did win the ribbon and that he always did so. Rene, at Marie's urging, goes to get his report for Jean-Luc to read. After he leaves, Robert starts to yell at Jean-Luc, but calms after Jean-Luc glances up at him. He then proceeds to tell Jean-Luc that it's hard enough for him to protect his son from all that's outside in deep space without Jean-Luc encouraging him. Jean-Luc denies that he's encouraging Rene and suggests that if Robert wasn't so closed-minded that he'd allow Rene to see the world as it really is, but Robert interrupts him and tells Jean-Luc to raise his sons as he sees fit and to allow Robert to do the same. The next day, in the vineyard, Jean-Luc and Louis are walking through and Louis tells Jean-Luc that he knew no one else that was so uninterested in grapes, which Jean-Luc denies, saying he was interested and pleased his family was upholding their traditions, but that he just didn't feel bound by them. Louis points out that Jean-Luc looked to the future and Robert to the past. Jean-Luc laments that there should be room for both in this life. When Jean-Luc asks about his promotion, Louis tells him he is only one of two hundred supervisors, although his wife would have one believe that Louis runs the whole Atlantis Project. Picard then comments that it's ironic that Louis is working on the ocean floor when he was such a rotten swimmer. Jean-Luc asks Louis how he plans to accelerate the build-up on the underside of the mantle without increasing the stress on the tectonic plates, indicating that he's kept up with the project through the journals. He notes that on the Enterprise the previous year they used harmonic resonators to relieve the tectonic pressures on Drema IV, though it was a different situation. Louis tells Jean-Luc that they are looking for someone to take over the project and he suggests that it be him. He then offers to send some information over on the tectonic problems they are having with trying to raise the ocean floor for Jean-Luc to look over. He agrees to peruse the information and provide any thoughts he has on the problems. In Ten Forward on Enterprise, Worf and the Rozhenkos are sharing a drink. They tell Worf that the crew think the world of him. Worf tells them he wishes they would be more reserved. They confess that they go too far sometimes but they are simply excited to see him. When Worf gets called away, Helena finally gets visibly upset and although Sergey suggests leaving it alone, she says she's Worf's mother and she cannot do it. They both end up staring out the window, which leads Guinan over to them and she tells them everyone who goes into Ten Forward ends up looking out that window, trying to find the star they call home. After mutual introductions, Guinan sits them down and asks them why they never gave Worf prune juice. They are shocked to learn that he drinks it. Sergey said all he would ever eat was Klingon food. Helena even learned to cook Rokeg blood pie, even though they never learned how to eat it. They remark it was a difficult adolescence and they didn't do anything special, although Guinan disagrees, calling Worf pretty special. The Rozhenkos tell Guinan that since there were no other Klingons for Worf to turn to for guidance, they were forced to allow him to find his way on his own. Guinan remarks that other parents could learn from them. Helena says that she thinks Worf thinks they don't understand him. Guinan says that part of him may feel that way, but she's seen another part of Worf, a part that comes into Ten Forward and drinks prune juice. Guinan also tells them that when Worf looks out the window toward home, he's not looking toward the Klingon Empire, he's looking toward them. Marie finds Jean-Luc staring into space. He's amazed that he was actually considering taking the job offer Louis made him. Marie says it's understandable considering what he's been through. She says it would be wonderful if he were home for good and that given time, perhaps he and Robert might actually start to like one another. Jean-Luc says he already likes his brother's taste in wives, thanking her for her letters, they made him feel like part of the family. She tells him he is family. Louis comes over and tells Jean-Luc that he's set up a meeting with the board of governors, telling Jean-Luc they want him to be the head of the project. Jean-Luc tells Louis there was never a prospect but Louis asks him to attend, if nothing else, just to listen. Jean-Luc agrees. Beverly gives Wesley the message from Jack. She tells him his father wanted to say some things to him and that he wanted to make sure he didn't forget it. He recorded it a few weeks after Wesley was born and it was meant to be given to him when he was 18 years old. Wesley takes it and goes to the holodeck. In Worf's quarters, his parents come to see him. Worf admits that at first he wasn't sure he wanted them to come on board the Enterprise, but now he is glad about their visit. They tell him that they had to come after reading his letter about his discommendation. That regardless of whether or not they understood it all, they know what kind of man Worf is. Helena tells him that whatever he did it was for a good reason. Worf says he must bear this dishonor alone. Sergey says that is not true and Helena apologizes if what she's about to say is too human, but no matter what Worf is suffering, his parents are there for him, that they are proud of him and they love him. No matter what, Worf is their son. Worf reaches out to them and they take his hand. Back in the Picard house, Jean-Luc has been drinking and thinking about Louis' offer when Robert comes in. Robert asks him if synthehol never leaves a person out of control, and then remarks that the real thing will. He then says that seeing the "gallant captain" out of control is something he'd like to see. He then asks Jean-Luc what happened to him up there and Jean-Luc asks if this is brotherly concern and Robert says it's merely curiosity. Jean-Luc says he knows what happened. Robert says he gathered that Jean-Luc was injured, and that he could use a little humiliation or humility. Either would do. Jean-Luc gets up and walks outside but Robert follows him asking him why he walks away, that isn't his style. Jean-Luc says he's tired of fighting with his brother. Robert tells him that "the great Captain Picard" falling to Earth to plunge into the ocean with Louis isn't the brother that he remembers. Robert calls him a returning hero which Jean-Luc denies but Robert insists he wouldn't settle for anything less. Jean-Luc asks him if he were so jealous and Robert says he was and he was justified, watching Jean-Luc receive all the cheers, break all their father's rules and get away with it. When Jean-Luc asks why didn't Robert do so also, he says that he was the elder brother and therefore had to be responsible and look after Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc calls Robert a bully, to which Robert replies that sometimes he enjoyed it. Robert asks Jean-Luc if he wanted him to look after him again. This results in a rather heated fistfight, with both ending up wallowing in the mud, laughing heartily. Jean-Luc tells Robert that he was asking for it, but Robert says Jean-Luc needed it because he's been terribly hard on himself. Jean-Luc tells Robert that he didn't see what the Borg did to him, how they took away his Humanity and used him to kill and destroy and he couldn't stop them, all the while beginning to finally break down in front of his brother as he admits his guilt that he should have done more to resist, but he wasn't strong or good enough. Robert observes that his brother is Human after all, then tells Jean-Luc that this is going to be with him a long time and he has to learn to live with it. The question is where? Under the sea with Louis or above the clouds with the Enterprise. They pull each other up and Jean-Luc tells Robert that he thinks he did come home so his brother could help him. With their arms around each other Robert tells Jean-Luc he still doesn't like him, but it's followed with some light chuckles. Marie finds them, having tracked mud all through the house, sitting in a couple of chairs drinking and singing. They tell her they fell down and kept falling down. When she realizes they have been fighting, she asks what would their father have thought and Jean-Luc says they would probably have been sent to bed without their supper. Marie says at least they got it out of their systems. Jean-Luc agrees and then says he's going to cancel the meeting with Louis and that it's time to leave. He says that Enterprise will be ready to leave soon and he belongs on board and if he should ever doubt that again, he knows where to come. Wesley is at the holodeck, having loaded Jack's message in and walks inside. He sees an image of Jack, in his old-style uniform. When Jack recorded this, Wesley was ten weeks old. Jack says he wants Wesley to know what he was like when Wesley was born, saying that the person who makes this recording will be gone, replaced by an older, more experienced and hopefully smarter man but this one will be gone. Jack says that he knows nothing about being a dad and apologizes for the mistakes he will make through Wesley's life. He hopes that Wesley isn't too upset about him being gone as much as he was, but that's part of wearing the Starfleet uniform. He hopes that when Wesley gets the message he'll understand and perhaps try a uniform on for himself. Jack says he'll probably end up a doctor, like his mother. Jack says he can see himself and the entire family in Wesley and that he can feel Wesley is his son. That there is a connection between them and that Jack will always be part of him. He says that he will try to do better next message and that he loves Wesley. The hologram fades just before Wesley can embrace him and he simply can only say "Goodbye, Dad." Meanwhile, at La Barre, Jean-Luc prepares to leave. Marie tells him to come back and to be careful. Jean-Luc says goodbye to "Uncle" Rene. Rene tells Jean-Luc he'll be leaving for his starship one day. Jean-Luc says that when he gets older he may change his mind. Robert gives Jean-Luc the wine they were drinking. He tells Jean-Luc not to drink it all at once and if possible, try not to drink it alone. Just before Jean-Luc leaves, he and Robert finally embrace, having done much to heal their wounds. As Worf walks the Rozhenkos to the transporter room, Helena asks if they can send him something from home and Worf asks for some of her Rokeg blood pie. She says it's been a while but she thinks she still remembers how. They meet Picard at the door and Worf introduces him to his parents. Picard asks if they had a full tour and Sergey says that because of the repairs there were a few places they missed, but Helena and Worf push him into the transporter room. He tells Picard he has all the specs and diagrams at home as the door closes. Picard smiles and goes on into the ship. Back at home, Rene is still outside dreaming of starships and adventures. Marie says he's been out there a long time and Robert says to let him dream. As Rene sits staring at the stars, a streak shoots through the sky on its way out into space once again. 
<EOS>
Dr. Crusher is involved in a medical emergency as Willie Potts, a young child of the USS Enterprise-D, is infected by parasites from a cove palm that he ate during shore leave on Ogus II with his brother Jake. Willie ate the parasitic fruit after being tricked by Jake into thinking the former had killed Jake with a toy laser pistol. With his health rapidly declining, Willie has to be quarantined to protect the rest of the crew and to be stabilized before he can be transferred to Starbase 416 for immediate medical attention. In the observation lounge, the older Potts recounts the incident to Commander Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi, explaining that he frightened Willie for amusement, but that he did not intend serious harm. En route to sickbay in the turbolift with Jake Potts, Lieutenant Commander Data begins to reassure Jake when he uncharacteristically stops in the middle of his sentence and redirects the turbolift to the bridge while no longer even acknowledging the boy's presence. Jake clings to the turbolift wall out of sight and lets the door close, unsure of what to do. Data quietly returns to the conn and begins to covertly and silently commandeer the ship by changing the ship's heading and increasing speed. When pressed by Picard as to an explanation, Data doesn't answer. Suddenly, a blue alert sounds, indicating a life support systems failure on the main bridge. Riker orders everyone to evacuate via the two main turbolifts as well as the emergency turbolift, which Data heads for. Picard orders the crew to reassemble in main engineering, which Riker and Data acknowledge. However, Data stops short of the turbolift and remains on the bridge. He assumes the aft science station and begins inputting commands, locking out functions by imitating Picard's voice and localizing command functions to the bridge. In engineering, it doesn't take long for the crew to realize Data is orchestrating something. They attempt to regain control from engineering, which include an attempt to regain control of the secondary hull via a saucer separation, and towing the saucer section with a tractor beam. Unsuccessful, Lieutenant Worf, Commander Riker, and crew member Casey reestablish life support on the bridge and attempt to gain access to the bridge from deck 2 until Data activates a perimeter field charge, which then blocks the only access point left. Picard lastly has O'Brien disable the site-to-site transport, anticipating Data's escape. Meanwhile, in sickbay, Doctor Crusher tends to Willie. She notes to Picard that he's OK now, as the sickbay's force fields are not affected, but won't stay that way. Counselor Troi and Jake enter to visit Willie, where Crusher is trying to keep up his spirits with conversation, but he refuses to speak to or acknowledge his older sibling. Frustrated, Jake storms out. The Enterprise reaches the class M planet Terlina III. On the bridge, Data discovers that the crew has managed to disable site-to-site transport, and then programs a series of force fields to enable him to get to the transporter room without interference from security. He enters an extremely complex security code, locking all functions that were previously transferred to the bridge. He then makes his way to the transporter room, using the force field series he programmed. Seeing Riker's ambush on the transporter pad, he quickly commands the transporter pad force field activated and re-enables the site-to-site transport, and immediately beams down to his destination. Once on the surface, Data travels through the thick jungle and enters an old cybernetics lab, where he is greeted by Dr. Noonian Soong, Data's creator who was presumed dead at the Omicron Theta colony. Soong reveals that it was he who controlled him and brought him to the planet by the use of a homing device implanted in Data's positronic brain. His combadge is not functional, but Soong assures him that his crew will arrive to take him back shortly and performs routine mechanical maintenance on the android. Data is puzzled that his creator is still alive, as he assumed that he had been killed on Omicron Theta by the Crystalline Entity along with the other colonists; Soong explains that he escaped the powerful entity via a predetermined strategy, and that he is the sole survivor of the colony. Back on board, Willie Potts still refuses to listen to Jake and on the bridge, the crew are still experiencing difficulty reestablishing control of the Enterprise, although the ship's sensors are functional. Lieutenant Worf is unable to locate Data, but his sensors detect a solitary Human lifeform on the surface of Terlina III. He also locates a vessel in orbit which appears to carry no lifeforms. On Terlina III, Soong expresses disappointment in his son's choice in having entered Starfleet Academy, and inquires as to his reason, to which Data replies that he wanted to repay the people who first discovered him with dedication to service. Soong admits he would have preferred that Data follow in his footsteps and go into cybernetics instead. In the midst of their conversation, Lore enters the laboratory. Lore was brought to Terlina III via the same homing device as Data. Data insists that Soong not trust his brother, as he betrayed both the colony to which Soong belonged and the Enterprise once before. However, Soong, blinded by his love for his older creation, condones and excuses Lore's deviant behavior, claiming him to be "far from the maniacal android [Data has] made him out to be." Meanwhile, Captain Picard, Riker, Worf, Crusher, Troi, and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge conference in the observation lounge about their current predicament. Full control still has not yet been established on board, and Willie Potts' time is running short. Back on Terlina III, Soong laments Lore's deactivation on Omicron Theta and insists that it was necessary to prevent widespread harm, as the android was severely malfunctioning and frightened the colonists. However, Lore is extremely bitter toward Soong and Data for the events prior to and following his deactivation, as he was left inactive for years before Data discovered him on their home planet, and when Data thwarted his scheme to betray the Enterprise, was left drifting through space for nearly two years. Soong apologetically informs Lore that had he known he was reassembled, he would have spent time with him and repaired him. In response to a query about Lore's superiority, Soong explains to Data that he and Lore are nearly identical in construction, and that they differ only in programming. To Data's astonishment and Lore's ferment, this invalidates Lore's earlier assertion that Data is the imperfect and flawed model. Revealing the purpose for Data's summoning, Soong presents to him the emotion chip, designed to allow him to experience a broad palette of emotional feelings as Lore can. Soong explains that the upgrade is intended solely for Data, but decides to rest before attempting the procedure. As he leaves, however, Lore turns to Data and winks. As Soong rests, Lore incapacitates Data and switches his Starfleet uniform with him. Naturally thinking Lore to be Data, the doctor implants the chip in his older son, who reveals his true identity before fatally wounding Soong and making an expedient escape by beaming away. An away team consisting of Worf, La Forge, and Riker beams down to Terlina III. Locating the Human lifeform, the group enters Soong's laboratory, now in disarray thanks to Lore's assault. La Forge and Commander Riker discover Soong beneath a pile of lab equipment and debris, dying. Meanwhile, Worf finds an inactive Data behind another room, whom Riker reboots. The four attend to the doctor, who insists they leave him to die where he is most comfortable. Bidding farewell, Data assures his father that as long as he remains active, a part of Soong will be immortalized. With this in mind, Soong dies. Once back on board the Enterprise, Data restores the command functions to the bridge, and the ship rushes back to Starbase 416 in time to restore Willie to full health. Data observes that the Potts brothers seem to have reconciled after their bitter dispute and Crusher tells him that "They're brothers. Brothers forgive", a comment which, after recent events, gives Data pause. 
<EOS>
Despite Data's warnings that this may be a well-known trap as evidenced during the Talarian war, Troi senses life on board, which is rapidly fading. Picard decides to send an away team. When Worf, Riker, Crusher, Martinez, and other medics board the ship, they discover five Talarian males, all wearing uniforms, who are unconscious with radiation burns. They conclude it is a training ship, and beam them all to sickbay, but not before Doctor Crusher finds one of the boys is Human. During their treatment, all of the Talarians and the Human, Jono, are first still and silent, despite being talked to by the doctor and nurses. Suddenly, they all begin rocking and howling. Only when Captain Picard comes in and commands them to stop loudly do they all stop. The boy is silent until he hears Picard addressed as captain. He then admits his name is Jono and requests formally to return home to his captain, Endar. When Picard talks to Doctor Crusher in her office, she explains other medical findings, in addition to the radiation: two previously fractured ribs, a broken arm, and a low-grade concussion, all sustained during the past seven years. She believes that he has been with the Talarians for some time, since he has assimilated their culture, and it is they who could have brutalized him to cause the injuries. As they talk, Troi suggests that Jono takes off his gloves so that they can examine him further, but Jono begins to behave erratically by running away. Picard and Crusher rush in to stop Jono from resisting further medical examination, again by commanding him to stop struggling. In the middle of it, they receive a subspace message from Starfleet. Picard and Crusher leave to hear it. In the meantime, Worf takes Jono to his quarters and Jono asks why he would respond to a woman, Dr. Crusher. Worf explains that he is outranked by her, and Jono says that females would never outrank a male in his society. Worf explains that Jono is not Talarian, but Human, and confused. Then Jono makes the "B'Nar," the wailing noise that all Talarians make when they are in distress. Worf leaves him once he starts making the noise. In the observation lounge, Picard learns that the boy is the grandson of Admiral Rossa -- Jeremiah Rossa, the son of Connor and Moira Rossa. The crew concludes that the boy must rediscover his Human identity, and that Picard -- the only one he has listened to so far -- must be the one to help him do it. Picard initially disagrees because he is not good with children. Troi convinces him otherwise because Jono has only ever responded to him. Picard goes to Jono to attempt to bond with him in some way. Jono finds his quarters like a cage, and still wants to perform the B'Nar. Picard orders him to stop, and asks what he can do instead. Jono says he always lived with his captain, which Picard immediately resists, but nevertheless he accepts Jono to his quarters. He immediately picks at Picard's artifacts, which Picard is not accustomed to. Instead, Picard asks why he will not take his gloves off, and Jono says that it is because he does not wish to touch aliens. He then gently asks if his captain ever hurt him, but Jono explains pain does not matter, but rather passing "the tests." Picard then directly says Jono is not Talarian, and, while Picard is acting as fatherly as he can, Jono still wishes to return to Captain Endar. Later, Picard has called Troi to his ready room to say he does not do well with children, but Troi doesn't accept it, responding with, "Really?" keeping as straight a face as she can. Troi then says that, while the captain is willing engage in battles and face hostile aliens, he isn't willing to embrace a parental role. Troi tells him to muddle through, like most parents do when they become parents. Picard returns to his quarters and finds Jono in a hammock built out of his bedsheets, with the Alba Ra loudly turned on. Picard stops the "music" at once, and Jono says that he is in a hammock because he cannot sleep on the beds since they hurt his back. Picard tells Jono about his birth parents, Connor and Moira Rossa, and that he was born on Galen IV. Picard shows him some photos on a PADD and leaves him alone. He then remembers his parents screaming to get him to safety and becomes distraught at the thoughts. The Enterprise is intercepted by the Talarian ship Q'Maire and Picard arranges to send over the four Talarian youth they rescued, and also asks why a Human has been in their custody for so long. Endar says that Jono is his son. Picard learns that Jono was adopted by Captain Endar after he led the forces that wiped out the colony Jono lived on with his parents until he was three and half years old. Endar beams aboard to discuss the return of Jono to the Talarians, and Picard accuses Endar of torturing the boy. Endar says that according to Talarian custom, he is allowed to claim the son of a slain enemy since his own son was killed in a battle on Castal I by Humans. However, it seems Jono's injuries are not a result of abuse, but rather Jono's zeal to over-achieve in the warrior culture of the Talarians. Jono is asked whether he wants to return with Endar or be reunited with his biological grandmother, for in Talarian culture he has reached the age where he may choose for himself. He chooses to return with Endar, but Picard will not allow it. Endar threatens war with the Federation if his son is not sent back to the Q'Maire within a certain amount of time. He tells Jono that he may even die in the war, and Jono replies that he is ready to die. Picard and Jono begin a process of trying to introduce Jono to his Human roots. Jono receives a message from Admiral Rossa, which bring up conflicting emotions for the youth. He cannot understand why a woman would outrank the captain, and states that he cannot be calmed since he cannot do anything he would normally do to calm him. Later, during a game of racquetball between himself and Picard, the sounds of the ball hitting the boards cause him to recount the events of the colony massacre. Afterward, Picard takes Jono to Ten Forward, where Wesley invites Jono to try a banana split, "quite possibly one of the greatest things in the entire universe."  Jono, unaccustomed to using a spoon, stabs the dish and sends ice cream splattering all over Wesley's uniform and face. Picard and Riker begin to laugh while Data asks why it's funny, and Riker tells him to look it up in his databanks under humor, sub-heading "slapstick". Wesley and Jono also laugh and Wesley orders more ice cream for the two of them, while Picard and Riker move to the bar to discuss Jono's progress. That night, conflicted over whether to reclaim his Humanity or cling to his adopted Talarian father and way of life, Jono stabs Picard in his bed. Picard wakes to find himself in sickbay without any serious injury and vaguely surprised to discover it wasn't a dream. Dr. Crusher informs him Jono has been taken into security custody by Lt. Worf. Picard demands to see Jono. Meanwhile, Endar contacts the Enterprise and demands Jono's return. Riker tells him that Jono, having attacked the captain, is in custody and subject to judgment by Starfleet. Endar warns that if Jono is not aboard the Q'maire in five minutes, he and the two Talarian ships that responded to his call for back-up will attack the Enterprise. The boy is later brought in to answer to what he's done. Jono expects to be killed for harming a superior officer, and clearly expected to die. Picard assures him this will not be the case and begins to understand that they have not handled Jono's problem properly, as Jono explains he feels becoming more Human betrayed everything Endar had done for him and the life he loved with the Talarians. Picard takes Jono to the bridge and Endar again [as he stated to Riker moments before] insists that the attack would never have happened if they'd have returned Jono as demanded earlier, and that Jono should come home to his father. Picard concedes that the interests and feelings of the boy have not been considered fully, explains as much, and states that he will, indeed, return the boy. Endar thanks him and the attack is over before it began. In the transporter room afterward, Jono also thanks Picard, and finally takes off his gloves to touch Picard in the familiar greeting/farewell that he had given his Talarian father, then returns to the Q'maire. 
<EOS>
When Dr. Quaice, an elderly man, is beamed aboard by Chief O'Brien, he and Dr. Crusher begin talking about his life. Dr. Quaice's wife has died recently, so he is giving up his post in Starfleet and retiring. He tells Dr. Crusher that the worst part of growing old is that all of one's friends, all the people from one's life are gone, and that one never takes the time to appreciate them in their lifetime. Dr. Crusher agrees, telling him that even though she and her late husband, Jack Crusher, only had a few years together, she feels the same way. She continues contemplating what Dr. Quaice said. Meanwhile, in engineering, an eager Ensign Wesley Crusher performs an experiment with the ship's warp engines. Dr. Crusher comes to see him, standing right before the warp core. Suddenly, due to Wesley's experiment, there is a short flash, emitted from the warp core. Chief engineer Geordi La Forge impatiently demands to get "his" warp engines back online, as the experiment fails. Wesley returns the engines to normal control, and when he looks up to talk to his mother, she is gone. Wesley thinks that she simply walked away. The USS Enterprise-D leaves Starbase 133 as scheduled. When Dr. Crusher walks to Dr. Quaice's quarters to visit him for breakfast, the room is empty and unused. When she asks the computer about Dr. Quaice's location, it claims that no Dr. Quaice is aboard the ship. Dr. Crusher calls Worf, who agrees to order a search for Dr. Quaice immediately. However, both are puzzled; Worf, because he was not informed of Dr. Quaice's planned arrival by Captain Picard, and Dr. Crusher, because she thought that Worf was to be informed of the presence of all guests. Worf agrees to put together a search team for him, in case he has been injured however points out that him being injured would not explain his lack of belongings. In Captain Picard's ready room, a puzzled Dr. Crusher learns that there really is no Dr. Quaice aboard the ship. Furthermore, in the privacy of the ready room, Picard indicates that he was also not informed of Dr. Quaice's planned presence aboard ship. Dr. Crusher, astounded, protests that she had submitted her request weeks prior and received approval, while the two try to speculate how this could have happened. When Data checks Starfleet records, he reveals that no hint of the existence of a Dr. Dalen Quaice whatsoever. Even O'Brien can't remember beaming a Dr. Quaice aboard. Dr. Crusher decides to perform a thorough medical check on the Chief, and when she calls for Dr. Selar and Dr. Hill, she learns that the two of them and four other medical staff have vanished. Picard asks her if they were associates of Dr. Quaice, apparently having no memory of their presence on Dr. Crusher's staff. Wesley Crusher, then in engineering, tells the Captain that his experiment with the warp drive may be connected with the disappearances. Even though it all doesn't fit together, the Captain insists that Wesley Crusher continues to examine his theory. When Dr. Crusher returns to duty in sickbay, all of her personnel have vanished, and sickbay is completely abandoned. She returns to the bridge to tell Picard, Commander Riker and Data, but they are not surprised by the news at all. Dr. Crusher asks Data if it would make any sense that she is the sole medical officer on a ship with more than 1000 people on board but he tells her that the entire crew count is 230. Dr. Crusher talks to Picard in his ready room and she agrees to talk to Counselor Troi to see if she is mentally unstable, but asks the Captain to return the ship to Starbase 133. He agrees to do so. Beverly returns to sickbay and attempts to work, but is distracted by a series of violet flashes and a strange noise. Curious, she turns around and is buffeted by a powerful wind that pulls the flaps of her lab coat and blows her hair forward so that it covers her face. Then before her eyes, a vortex forms, which creates a powerful vacuum. The vacuum gains in strength and sucks in objects from all over the room, until even Beverly begins to be pulled forward against her will. Beverly realizes this and attempts to stop, but she is helpless and is mere moments from being pulled in. Terrified, Beverly screams and she desperately grabs on to sickbay's large replicator. The winds continue to pull at the screaming Beverly, and she nearly loses her grip. However, she is able to hold on until the vortex collapses. Afterwards, the windblown Beverly walks forward and stares at where the vortex was. She then shakes her head in disbelief at what happened to her, and is left badly shaken by her ordeal. When the senior staff meet in the observation lounge to discuss what happened, she learns that the crew now numbers 114 people. Even Lieutenant Worf has disappeared, and nobody but Dr. Crusher is aware that he ever existed, even though he has served aboard the ship for more than three years. Dr. Crusher rushes to engineering to see if her son, Wesley, has also disappeared, but he is in engineering just as he should be. Wesley asks her if everything is all right, but Beverly replies "no" for they may have very little time left. Wesley claims he's already spoken to Kosinski via subspace, and even he can't figure out what's happening. Wesley suggests the mysterious Traveler might be able to help them. As he and Beverly move to exit engineering, Beverly realizes that her son has also disappeared. Rushing to the bridge, Beverly is horrified to find the room empty, save for the red alert lights blinking and Captain Picard sitting in his chair. Beverly pleads with Picard to try and remember them all -- Riker, his first officer, who is very good at playing poker, loves to cook and play jazz; Deanna Troi, the counselor who loves chocolate and has a mother that makes Picard shudder; Commander Data, the android who sits at ops who dreams to be Human and never gets the punchline of a joke; O'Brien; Geordi; Worf; Wesley; all of those who have been the living, breathing heart of the Enterprise for three years. Picard remembers none of them. Beverly realizes that this entire situation seems totally logical to the captain -- the two of them roaming about the galaxy in the flagship of the Federation with no crew at all -- and indeed, it is logical to Picard, who claims they've never needed a crew before. Beverly orders the computer to monitor Picard's life signs until he disappears, to which Picard agrees. As the computer audibly reads out his vital signs, Beverly prepares to tell Picard something she had been meaning to say for a long time, but before she can say anything, the computer stops monitoring and Picard is gone, his captain's chair empty. Beverly declares to herself that she won't forget any of them. As she stands, the sound of rushing air fills the bridge. Beverly turns towards the viewscreen to find the source as winds begin pulling the sides of her hair forward. The same vortex that appeared in the sickbay reappears in the center of the viewscreen. The vacuum increases, pulling the ops console toward it. The winds sweep Beverly off her feet and she is knocked to the ground and rapidly pulled toward the vortex, stunned. Beverly recovers and, upon realizing her situation, screams and flails desperately trying to find a grip. She is inches from being pulled into the vortex, but manages to grab onto Data's chair. The vacuum then pulls her horizontally, almost into the vortex. Beverly has difficulties maintaining her grip, and she is nearly pulled free. Beverly stares at the vortex in utter terror, and then turns and swings her loose arm to grab the chair and is able to hold on until it dissipates once more. The disheveled and windblown Beverly falls to the ground and stares at the vortex as it fades, and manages to pull herself up into Data's chair as her labcoat falls off one of her shoulders. On the other side of the disturbance, La Forge and Wesley furiously input commands into an engineering console, but before too long, Wesley notices that the warp bubble on his monitor has vanished. Believing his mother to be dead, Wesley claims that "it's over." But, before he can give up hope, an unseen voice speaks "It's not over, Wesley." As he looks over, Wesley is surprised and pleased to see The Traveler once again aboard the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Captain Picard reports to the captain's log that two attempts to retrieve Dr. Crusher have failed. It is revealed that she is actually the one who has disappeared, into a parallel universe. The Traveler informs Wesley that he is the only one in the crew that can help him return his mother back to her proper reality. Back aboard the warp bubble Enterprise, Beverly attempts to examine the phenomenon of disappearing crewmembers as she would a disease, proceeding from the assumption that she is not insane. Though she catches the computer in several logical contradictions, she doesn't come any closer to determining how to find any of the crew. Deciding that one of The Traveler's race may be able to help her, she sets course for Tau Alpha C, but immediately upon engaging, she discovers that the entire planet has disappeared. When she tells the computer to turn the view screen on, there is a mist in front of it, and the computer says it is an energy field. She knows there is nothing wrong with her and figures something is wrong with the universe. She asks the computer the nature of the universe. Surprisingly, the computer answers with specifics: it describes the universe as a spheroid region 705 meters in diameter. In the real world, the Enterprise has returned to Starbase 133 and Wesley, with The Traveler's assistance, has succeeded in recreating the warp bubble, by "seeing beyond the numbers."  However, the Traveler is disconcerted, because the warp bubble has begun to collapse. They must rescue Dr. Crusher at the right moment, or she will die. The Traveler and Wesley begin to work on creating a gateway between the real world and the warp bubble, with both 'phasing' in and out of real space and time; they have less than four minutes before the bubble collapses. Beverly finally realizes that it is she that is trapped inside the warp bubble upon seeing a computer-generated visual image of the universe that looks identical to Wesley's experiment. As the bubble begins to collapse, destroying sections of the ship, Beverly continues to query the computer about warp bubbles, until she discovers that the vortex that she has encountered twice may be her means of escape. She decides that the vortex will probably be in engineering, since that is where Wesley would be working trying to create it. She races through the halls of the ship outrunning the collapsing warp bubble, finally arriving in engineering to the sight of the vortex. She jumps through with a few minutes to spare, and lands back in the real world engineering just as the warp bubble collapses. Wesley is exhausted from 'seeing beyond the numbers' and collapses on the table, while Jean-Luc goes to help Beverly to her feet. Beverly sees the Traveler and asks him if he was the one who brought her back. She and Wesley hug, and just to make sure everything is okay, she asks Jean-Luc how many people are aboard the Enterprise. The answer of 1,014, including Dr. Quaice, relieves her. 
<EOS>
Riker, Data, Troi, and Worf are playing poker. Troi and Worf are not having much luck, as most of the chips are shared between the two commanding officers. Data raises the stakes, and makes Riker leave the hand. Noticing that they are comparable in poker skill, Riker offers to challenge Data with a magic trick, betting all his chips in to a pot that he will retrieve any card Data will pick -- with Data's help. Troi cautions Data, but though he values her advice, the android accepts and adds all his chips with Riker's as Riker barely keeps from laughing out loud, believing he'll have an easy win. As instructed by Riker, Data pick a card, and puts it back in the deck without showing him. After shuffling and manipulating the cards several times, Riker makes Data pick the same jack again, to Troi's surprise. Data is however hardly impressed, explaining that he saw that Riker had kept the edge of his left thumb on the card and shuffled so it was on top. By keeping track of it, he was able to have Data remove or keep cards at his choosing until Data's card was the only one left. His gamble having utterly failed, Riker is left chagrined as the triumphant Data rakes in all the chips for himself. In that moment, Captain Picard calls and informs them that the USS Enterprise-D has received a distress call. On the bridge, an audio message is received from the Arcos engineer Tan Tsu, explaining that a warp drive breach is imminent. Picard orders Ensign Bennett to increase the Enterprise's speed to warp 9.6, although the engines have already exceeded recommended limits. They arrive in transporter range just a second too late, witnessing the freighter explosion. Data can however detect an escape pod trail, which is leading to the colony. The colony is infamous for being lawless: the USS Potemkin was the last Federation ship to contact the outpost in 2361, and was warned that any intruder entering the colony would be killed. Although the surface settlements have been destroyed, the colonists now live underground. The away team, including Riker, Worf, Dr. Crusher, and Data, beams down, with phasers ready and set to maximum stun. Looking for the pod, they initially meet no resistance, but suddenly an alarm rings and armed men engage the away team. While explaining their purpose, proximity detectors on the Turkana colonists start blinking, and the Enterprise crewmen follow the colonists away while they escape. In a safe place, Riker and the others learn from Hayne that the colony is controlled by two opposing cadres, the Turkana IV Alliance, who is currently holding the Arcos men captive, and the Coalition. Hayne, the Coalition leader, tells Riker that he will help him find the prisoners but expects weapons in exchange. He claims to need them in order to maintain peace, but the away team is not convinced. He also explains that no serious conflicts can occur, since intruders are immediately spotted thanks to the proximity detectors. Beverly and Data reply that they know how the colony is torn by conflicts and violence from a former crewmen, deceased in the line of duty. Riker decides to go back to the Enterprise, and Hayne gives him a bottle of Telluridan synthale as a gift for the Captain. On the ship, Picard states clearly that he won't provide weapons to anybody, although he recognizes that the Coalition is currently the only door open to rescuing the hostages. While discussing, a communication from the colony is received. Hayne introduces Ishara Yar, claiming she's Tasha's sister. Hayne offers help to the Enterprise, apparently to avoid Picard paying a ransom to the Alliance in exchange of the prisoners. After consulting with his senior staff, Picard accepts the proposal, although realizing that such an offer should be addressed with suspicion. Ishara beams on board and is welcomed by Data. Her first reaction is to think of him as a cybernetic warrior, but Data explains that his purposes are different. Data and Ishara talk to each other in a corridor, and Data is surprised that Tasha never spoke of her, although they spent much time together. Ishara replies that Tasha had behaved cowardly by leaving the colony, at which Data politely, but firmly, objects. For a moment, Data seems to recognize a gesture of Tasha in Ishara's face. In the observation lounge, Ishara is received by the senior officers, and offers her DNA to be scanned to confirm her identity. She then explains that the colony started to fall apart 30 years before, and the surface city fell in ruin. The Coalition and Alliance were granted police powers by the government, but at some point both factions got rid of the government itself. Tasha left the colony more or less at that time, asking her sister to follow her, but Ishara was already part of the Coalition at that point. At that moment, a message from the hostages, Tan Tsu, is received, informing that in twenty hours they will be killed. Ishara provides useful information on the structure of the Alliance base. To locate the prisoners, La Forge suggests exploiting the myographic scanner, a sensing device located in the escape pod which monitors the vital signs of the crew, but an amplifier needs to be installed in the pod. Ishara reveals that the pod is in level 3-C, section 547. She tells the crew that the Coalition has its sources. To work in the pod device, Worf suggests creating a diversion, and Ishara offers to beam into the Alliance base, so that her proximity sensor will trigger the alarm. To do this, she is ready to take the risks, but Riker prefers to leave the decision to the Captain. After providing her DNA to Dr. Crusher, Ishara talks with Data about Tasha. The android remarks that she is dearly remembered by the crew, and explains the circumstances of her death. After being granted permission from the captain, Ishara is beamed into Alliance territory by Chief O'Brien, triggering the alarm. The escape pod is thus left only lightly guarded, and the Enterprise away team can easily access it. The device is damaged, however, and La Forge has to fix it, taking some time. Riker therefore asks to beam Ishara to the ship, but O'Brien informs him that her position is currently shielded and no transportation is possible. Riker orders the others to leave as soon as possible, and goes after her. After shooting an Alliance guard, he finds her stunned and they both beam back to the Enterprise. On the ship Picard informs Riker that the DNA test was positive, but Riker isn't surprised after seeing how Ishara behaved in the colony. After Dr. Crusher has healed her broken ribs, Picard also congratulates Ishara for her actions. Ishara explains that she never flees from danger, like her sister did. Picard then replies that Tasha was no coward, and remembers how he met her for the first time, when she was trying to aid a wounded colonist through a Carnelian minefield. For this reason, Picard wanted her on the Enterprise. The Captain concludes that Ishara would be proud of what Tasha became. Ishara and Data talk again. After discussing some specifications of the Alliance base, she asks about Tasha, whether she had friends on the Enterprise. Data replies she had ties especially with Commander Riker, Lieutenant Worf, and himself, much to Ishara's surprise. He explains that friendship is not based only on emotions, which he does not possess, but also on familiarity, and that Tasha is now missed by him. La Forge has successfully localized the Arcos crewmen. They are deep underground, but the Enterprise's phasers can drill a hole and allow transportation. Ishara would like to help, but her proximity sensor would trigger the alarm and compromise the mission. She explains that the proximity sensors cannot be removed, since they have explosive inside, ensuring enduring loyalty to the cadre. Data, however, devises a procedure to remove the implant. Commander Riker suggests that Ishara think twice about this, a decision that would change her life forever. In Ten Forward, Ishara talks to Data. Tasha hated the cadres, and left the colony as soon as she had a chance. Ishara now seems to realize that Tasha was not weak, but willing to have a better life in a more constructive environment. Ishara understands how much she already trusts Data, even considering him a friend. Data would also like to consider her as a friend. Data tells the captain that Ishara wants to remove her implant, and that she has further intention to leave the colony and eventually join Starfleet. Troi comments that her loyalty is still divided, but Picard wishes to grant Ishara the possibility of changing her life. Talking with Troi, Data explains that he has now become used to Ishara, and for this reason he is supporting her. Ishara comments how different life is on the Enterprise: in the colony, nobody does anything but for gaining something. The android replies that he will enjoy her continued presence on the ship. Ishara has now to talk with Hayne to communicate her decision to him, and goes into the observation lounge for privacy. Before leaving, she softly kisses Data on his cheek. In the transmission with Hayne, however, Ishara behaves unexpectedly, bluntly reporting that everything is going as expected. Dr. Crusher has just successfully removed the proximity sensor from Ishara's body. Crusher gives Ishara the implant, in the form of an orange crystal. After gazing at it for a few seconds, Ishara chooses to give it to Data, as a way to remember her. In the corridor, an admiring Worf commends Ishara for her decision to join the Academy. In the meantime, the Enterprise's phasers have dug a hole 1.6 kilometers deep, allowing the away team composed of Riker, Data, Worf, and Ishara, to beam to the colony. The area they beam into has minimal security, being located deep behind the defense lines. After some wandering, they locate the hostages and get them free with minimal struggle. At that point, Ishara, unnoticed, leaves the away team, but is soon discovered by a member of the Alliance, who manages to trigger the alarm. Worf believes she tried to draw the enemy's fire against her. After beaming the hostages on board Enterprise, Riker and Data go looking for Ishara. She is at the base's power core, changing its programming, when she is discovered by Data. The android realizes she is overloading the fusion generator to deactivate the defense system. However, he fails to understand her purposes, and Ishara explains that this way the Coalition troops will defeat the Alliance. Since the Federation would be responsible, Data says he cannot allow this, but Ishara is ready to kill him to proceed with her plan. Data realizes how they were all deceived since the beginning, and Ishara angrily orders him to leave, since the hostages are free. Data asks if their friendship was also part of the deception. Ishara, now clearly uncomfortable, insists that Data should go away, otherwise he will die in the explosion. Thanks to the sudden intervention of Riker, Data manages to stun her and to restore the fusion reactor. Riker grimly notes that Ishara's phaser was set to kill. Back on the Enterprise, Picard and the other officers face Hayne via the viewscreen. Riker is angry, and wants Ishara to be judged for attacking the Enterprise crew, but Picard, saddened, ends the debate and orders her to be returned to the colony. He then abruptly closes the channel, interrupting Hayne. Picard realizes that everybody, including himself, gave Ishara so much confidence, trying to get some part of Tasha back with her sister. While Data is taking Ishara to the transporter, she feels uncomfortable. She explains that she did what she had to do. She also states that she was not lying, and that she enjoyed talking with him, and that their relationship was the closest thing to friendship she ever experienced. Apparently untouched, Data has O'Brien energize the transporter. A few days after, Data confides in Riker, explaining he is puzzled because his thoughts are still on Ishara. Will explains that in every trust there are risks, but without these risks there would be no friendship, which makes people what they are. Eventually, he claims that such risks are worth taking. Leaving Riker's quarters, Data stops, thoughtful, looking at the crystal implant Ishara left him. 
<EOS>
While investigating a radiation anomaly in the Gamma Arigulon system, the USS Enterprise-D is approached by a Klingon Vor'cha-class starship. When Picard hails the ship, he is pleased to be answered by Ambassador K'Ehleyr. Worf acknowledges her when she greets him. She asks to come aboard to talk about an "urgent matter". Picard assigns Worf to greet her, who does so even though he is reluctant due to his discommendation with the Klingon Empire. In the transporter room, Worf is surprised to learn from transporter chief Hubbell that two will be beamed aboard. He is further surprised when he sees the second person beaming on board with K'Ehleyr: a child. Worf immediately realizes that the young boy must be his son. K'Ehleyr leaves her son, Alexander, in the ship's school to play with other children. She is nervous because he has not had much contact yet with other children. She knows about Worf's discommendation, and is somewhat disheartened by his attitude about it. Worf doesn't know what to say to Alexander yet, and shies away from K'Ehleyr at this point. K'Ehleyr reveals that the Klingon Empire is indeed near civil war. Chancellor K'mpec is near death, and two factions are challenging for leadership. If it is not handled correctly, the resultant civil war will eventually drag in the Federation. Picard agrees to meet with K'mpec on board his battle cruiser. Aboard the cruiser, the aging chancellor reveals to Picard that he has been poisoned with small doses of Veridium Six for some months now, and there is no cure. Picard is thunderstruck when K'mpec also informs him that he has appointed Picard his Arbiter of Succession, to mediate the power struggle following K'mpec's death, without Picard's consent. Picard protests that a Federation officer has no business presiding over a Klingon power struggle. K'mpec says that the Arbiter's traditional role is to designate the two strongest claimants to the leadership, who will fight each other for the succession -- but in this case, there are only two challengers already. K'mpec says he wants Picard to investigate and discover which of them is responsible for murdering him, a job he cannot entrust to anyone within the Empire. On hearing the names of the two candidates -- Gowron and Duras -- as K'mpec predicted, Picard's interest is piqued: Duras had stripped Worf of his honor to protect his own family's name, and attempted to have Picard assassinated. K'mpec urges Picard that a Klingon who kills dishonorably with poison must not lead the Empire; such a man might be capable of anything, even initiating war with the Federation. Picard accepts the commission, and K'mpec raises his glass of presumably poisoned wine to him and takes one final drink. Worf finally meets with Alexander, and is troubled that the two-year-old child shows no interest in becoming a warrior -- likely the influence of his non-traditional mother. He speaks about this to K'Ehleyr in her quarters. She explains that she didn't reveal Alexander's existence because she knew Worf would have insisted that he take the oath of marriage with her. Worf has always wanted to marry K'Ehleyr, but cannot acknowledge that Alexander is his son, as to do so would confer the dishonor Worf bears upon his discommendation onto Alexander and his children, should he have any. K'Ehleyr expresses disbelief that Worf would agree to his dishonor so easily after challenging the accusations. She presses him, but Riker calls them to the bridge. Duras and Gowron arrive in their Birds-of-Prey, the Vorn and the Buruk. Duras contacts the Enterprise and scorns K'mpec's choice of Picard as Arbiter. Picard, who knows full well what Duras is capable of, is in no mood to be polite. He brusquely announces that the Sonchi ceremony, to formally mark K'mpec's passing, will take place in one hour. Duras bristles at the appearance of Worf on the bridge and warns Picard to keep Worf far from the proceedings. Privately in his ready room, Picard sympathizes with Worf in his discomfort with Duras. Worf says that Duras should not lead the Council, as he is a traitor for what his father, Ja'rod, did at Khitomer. Picard has a Human sensibility about this, however, as he says he cannot blame the child for what the father has done. Duras' true crime was laying the blame for the betrayal at Worf's father's feet. Worf did choose to accept the consequences, however. Picard reveals to Worf that K'mpec asked Picard to investigate who killed him. Worf knows little of Gowron, a relative neophyte in political affairs, but knows Duras well, and "his heart is not Klingon." At the Sonchi ceremony aboard K'mpec's ship, Gowron and Duras arrive with their aides. Picard, followed by each of the challengers, stands before K'mpec's body, says "Qab jIH ngil," ("Face me if you dare") and jabs the corpse with a painstik. While Picard does so with veiled detestation and Gowron simply does so as a matter of due process, Duras seems to relish his turn. Finally K'Ehleyr steps in front of the corpse and says, "Sonchi" ("He is dead"). Duras urges Picard to complete the Rite of Succession, since there are only two challengers, but Picard insists he will proceed according to Klingon law, which Gowron questions his qualifications to interpret. As they argue about it, a bomb explodes. K'Ehleyr reports to Worf on the explosion and realizes Worf is genuinely concerned about her safety. Worf claims it is his duty, but K'Ehleyr remembers Worf saying he'll never be complete without her. She realizes now that the feeling is mutual. Taking her face in his hand, Worf mutters "jIH dok!" ("My blood!") K'Ehleyr replies with the same gesture, and says "Maj dok" ("Our blood"). This is the beginning of the marriage oath; however, Worf stops, saying he does not wish either K'Ehleyr or Alexander to suffer his humiliation. K'Ehleyr tries to persuade him that his humiliation will not harm either of them, but Worf is insistent. K'Ehleyr suggests that Worf be Alexander's friend, if not his father. Worf smiles and nods. Dr. Crusher is still studying the remains of the men who were killed; Picard needs a way to stretch out the proceedings in order that Dr. Crusher might complete her work. K'Ehleyr suggests the ja'chuq, an old ceremonial recitation of honors and accomplishments which takes hours, if not days, to perform correctly. Before she leaves, K'Ehleyr asks Picard about Worf's discommendation out of personal interest; Picard says curtly he cannot discuss it. K'Ehleyr prepares to do some digging of her own. In the observation lounge, Duras is impatient to set a new Council leader so he can kill Gowron, while Gowron, in more typical Klingon fashion, relishes the prospect of killing his adversary; the two bicker rather childishly and almost come to blows until Picard silences them with a sharp "mev yap!" ("Enough!"). He announces that they will begin the ja'chuq -- a move which surprises Gowron and angers Duras. However, over their protests, he reminds them that it is his prerogative as Arbiter to choose any style he likes for the Rite of Succession, and he wants to observe ancient tradition. Meanwhile, Alexander is visiting Worf, who introduces him to the proper way to hold a traditional bat'leth. Later, K'Ehleyr is approached privately by Gowron and asked if she can speed up the ja'chuq. He offers her a seat on the Council, and mentions opportunities that may show themselves only, K'Ehleyr notes, if Gowron is elected. She sneeringly compares Gowron's posturing to that of a Ferengi. Gowron makes a seemingly veiled threat, mentioning K'mpec, but K'Ehleyr says "K'mpec was old and weak -- I am not!" Gowron smiles and leaves the room. Data and Geordi La Forge have analyzed the bomb and found that while the explosive was a common substance, it used a molecular decay detonator -- a device used only by the Romulans. In the conference lounge, K'Ehleyr and Worf suggest that the bomb could only be planted with the help of one of the Klingons. At this point, both challengers are suspect; K'Ehleyr mentions Gowron's suspicious conversation with her earlier, but Worf continues to insist that Duras is their man. Surprised, K'Ehleyr asks for an explanation, but Worf and Picard insist they cannot reveal details, much to her annoyance. At Picard's request, Worf reluctantly will be at the next meeting with the two candidates; Picard hopes they might slip up and reveal a sensitive item of interest. Meanwhile, K'Ehleyr begins her independent research into the Enterprise's last mission to Qo'noS, which saw Worf's discommendation. Gowron announces the conclusion of his part of the ja'chuq with a hearty "jIH DOQ batlh!" ("I claim the honor!") and bows to Picard. Picard calls a recess while the petitions of both are reviewed; Gowron accepts this and stands up, perhaps to return to his ship, but Picard wants to discuss the findings of the bomb investigation. He calls in Worf to reveal the Enterprise's results. As expected, his presence rattles both Duras and Gowron; with great relish at his effect on them, Worf reads out the results as reported by La Forge and Data. Gowron replies politely to Worf's inquiries, but Duras attempts to dismiss the investigation prematurely. At the mention of the molecular-decay detonator -- a signature Romulan device -- Duras jumps up and claims he needs to verify that, and Gowron says he will do the same, with a glare of absolute death at Duras. Picard has Worf transmit all the findings to the Klingon High Council. K'Ehleyr's investigations proceed into ever more dangerous territory as she hacks into the Klingon Imperial information net, using her own information to login and requesting High Council access. When she hits a block on her search about the Khitomer Massacre, she goes to Duras' records to try to find a clue. One of Duras' aides shows Duras a message from Qo'noS about K'Ehleyr's attempts to get more information about him and his connection to Khitomer. Duras slips off to K'Ehleyr's quarters. A brief, heated discussion follows; K'Ehleyr has discovered that Duras framed Worf's father, Mogh, as the traitor at Khitomer, when it was really Duras's father, Ja'rod. For K'Ehleyr, that is also enough to finger Duras as the latest Klingon selling out his people to the Romulans. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher reports her findings in her office to Riker: only two Klingons were killed in the bomb blast, one was one of Duras's aides, the other Gowron's. Crusher was confounded by the location of the bomb, until she examined one of the dead Klingon's injuries more closely and realized that the bomb was implanted in the man's forearm. The suicide bomber, she concludes, was Duras' aide. Worf, having shown Alexander a bit more about Klingon fighting techniques, brings him back to K'Ehleyr's quarters only to find blood everywhere and K'Ehleyr herself sprawled on an ottoman. Worf signals a medical emergency and cradles K'Ehleyr; He says "Gowron?", but she shakes her head; he says "Duras", she nods and whispers "Alexander!" She reaches for the child's hand, puts it over Worf's, covers it with her own and dies. Worf howls as part of the death ritual; Alexander runs away. "You have never seen death," Worf says; Alexander shakes his head, and Worf points to K'Ehleyr's body and says "Then look and always remember." Dr. Crusher and Martinez come in and scan K'Ehleyr's body; Dr. Crusher begins to ask when Worf found K'Ehleyr, but he is already out the door, having instructed Alexander to stay with Crusher. In his quarters, Worf removes his sash, as well as his combadge and takes his bat'leth down from the wall; he's on a mission. In K'Ehleyr's quarters, Picard and Riker watch grimly as her lifeless body is wheeled out, and Riker tries paging Worf, but the computer reveals that Worf has beamed onto the Vorn. Worf, with cold fury in his gait and eyes, stalks through the light onto the council room of the Vorn, led by one of Duras's aides. Duras demands to know what "that" is doing on his ship, and the aide states, "He has claimed the right of Vengeance!" Duras makes the ceremonial gesture of ostracism, but Worf coldly and deliberately states, "K'Ehleyr was my mate!" Startled, Duras commands one of his lieutenants to hand him his sword. Meanwhile, Riker and Data are on their way to the transporter room, discussing what measures may be necessary to bring Worf back. A vicious fight takes place. When they lock blades, Duras reminds Worf that if Duras dies, the truth will die with him and Worf will be branded a traitor forever. Worf shoots back, "Then that is how it shall be!"  Seeing he has no way to survive except to win in combat, Duras knocks Worf back with a kick to his midsection, then lunges. But Worf parries the thrust and knocks Duras onto his back with the flat edge of his bat'leth. Just as Riker and Data burst in and Riker yells for Worf to stop, Worf plunges an end of his bat'leth into Duras' chest for the fatal blow. The Klingon ships depart, their business with the Enterprise, for the moment, concluded. Worf is held to account in Picard's ready room. Worf says that he has acted properly and legally under Klingon law, but Picard tells Worf that while the Klingons do indeed consider the matter closed, he cannot. He reminds Worf that when people join Starfleet, they agree to abide by the laws of the Federation, including the one against murder, and if their culture and beliefs prevent them from doing so, they should resign. Picard asks Worf if he wishes to resign. After a tense pause, Worf says he does not. Picard, softening his tone somewhat, sympathizes with Worf's loss, and notes that Worf has been an exemplary officer to this point, and Picard is extremely disappointed in him. Picard informs him that a formal reprimand will appear on Worf's service record. As Worf is dismissed, Picard asks him if it is time to speak the truth about what really happened at Khitomer; with Duras dead, he asks, what is the point of keeping his family's secret?  Worf says that it is not time yet, as the High Council is not ready to acknowledge its own shameful behavior in assisting Duras's cover-up. But the day will come when he and his brother will confront them and let the truth be known. Worf tells Alexander the Enterprise will be going to Starbase 73 where Alexander will be sent to live with Worf's adoptive Human parents, Sergey and Helena Rozhenko, on Earth, where he will receive the family life Worf feels he cannot provide for him on the ship. He says "I miss her, too." Alexander asks, "Are you my father?" Worf says, "Yes. I am your father." The two hug, and the Enterprise moves on. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker is having his birthday party in Ten Forward. In front of everyone, he plays the trombone and fails to hit a high note. Everyone laughs as he wishes for music lessons when blowing out the candles. Captain Picard and Lieutenant commander Data are leaving to join the party on the bridge when Ensign Gleason detects some unusual subspace frequencies. They are coming from the M-Class but uninhabited planet Alpha Onias III near the Romulan Neutral Zone. Picard mentions a rumor about a secret Romulan base in the sector, and sends Riker to lead an away team and investigate whether the Romulans are involved. Riker, Worf and La Forge beam down to the surface. The mission is aborted after the surface unexpectedly fills with methane gas. The away team falls unconscious and transporter chief Hubbell tries to have them beamed up. Riker awakens in sickbay to nurse Alyssa Ogawa. Doctor Beverly Crusher comes over, happy that Riker remembers her and asks him what else he remembers, calling him "captain." In the mirror, Riker sees himself aged. Crusher gets some water to go through the explanation she clearly expected with Riker and tries to calm him. He explains the last thing he remembers was being on Alpha Onias III. She states that was sixteen years ago. She explains to him that he is recovering from Altarian encephalitis he picked up on that away mission all those years ago. This virus has caused a form of amnesia, destroying all his memories from the moment he became infected to the present. Riker tries to piece together what has happened in the sixteen years since that away mission. He is now captain of the Enterprise, a position he has held for the past nine years. Crusher suggests they try associational therapy to see if he can gain back those memories. Crusher leads Riker to his quarters, but he changes the destination to the bridge, saying that will be most likely to jog his memory. On the way, he notices a significant delay in the computer. Crusher explains that La Forge is running a diagnostic due to a malfunctioning processing attenuator. As he enters the bridge, he is surprised to see La Forge no longer needs his VISOR, Data is now his first officer with Worf in Data's old position, and his helm officer is a Ferengi ensign. Captain Riker temporarily places the Enterprise on red alert when a Romulan warbird decloaks. He is quickly informed by Data that the warbird was expected. The Enterprise opens communications, and Admiral Picard appears on screen with Deanna Troi to say hello, and they beam over. It turns out that the admiral and a Romulan ambassador have arrived to sign a peace treaty between the Romulan Empire and the Federation. Captain Riker has been a key figure in these negotiations after having saved some Romulans in a prior encounter. After the briefing, Troi goes with Riker to his quarters to talk more. He still does not remember anything. Suddenly, he hears a trombone in the next room. It is his son. Riker's son, whose name is Jean-Luc after the admiral, starts talking about school, however, it's clear he doesn't remember him. Troi asks to talk to Riker alone. She explains she didn't tell Riker since shocking him might produce a better effect. He asks who the mother is. Troi calls her Min, an "excellent captain's wife and ship's counselor," and says she died two years prior. After Troi leaves, Riker has a brief exchange with Jean-Luc on the trombone, and then tries to call up his service record, but the computer stalls again. Later, Riker goes with Troi and Picard to the transporter room to meet the ambassador and give him a tour of the ship. However, it is revealed that the ambassador is none other than Tomalak. Riker is surprised as the last time the ambassador encountered the Enterprise at Nelvana III, he stated he would take the Enterprise's hull back to Romulus as a trophy. Troi privately tells him that was a long time ago. When they reach the bridge, Riker asks to speak to Troi and Picard privately to express concerns with trusting Tomalak given all the previous events. Breaking the conversation, Crusher informs Riker that Jean-Luc is hurt in sickbay. Jean-Luc was playing Parrises squares and broke his arm. Riker initially scolds him, but Crusher sets him straight. Riker starts taking to a fatherly role and tells Jean-Luc that he is the most important to him, and explains that his father wasn't there for him. He commits to building new memories with Jean-Luc, mentioning his Curtis Creek program. Back in his quarters, he calls up family records. However, he recognizes his wife in the video as really Minuet, a holodeck character who appeared to Riker three years prior. Thus, he immediately realizes that he is not in the future, and gets angry. La Forge calls him to the bridge. On the bridge, Riker interrogates Geordi La Forge on why he shut down the warp engines. La Forge responds he has discovered that the antimatter containment fields are fluctuating and he will have the warp core back online. Riker doesn't believe him, and questions him on the constant computer delay and the supposed diagnostic which he doesn't believe would "For 30 hours? It would have never taken you four hours". Next, he demands Worf to remember the time he received one of his battle scars in which Worf is unable to answer. Finally, he confronts his first officer, who cannot complete computations as fast as the real Data would. In fact, Riker catches Data saying "can't" instead of "cannot," immediately calling him out for using a contraction when the real Data would not. When Picard arrives on the bridge and interrupts the Captain's tirade, Riker tells the Admiral to "shut up". He then informs everyone that he has discovered the lie and demands to know the truth. Tomalak walks away from the others and agrees. The Enterprise and all itsrom people disappear as holograms. He appears now to be in a Romulan holodeck. It seems that this has all been a holodeck fantasy put on by the Romulans for their own purposes in getting information from Riker. Tomalak asks how he figured it out, and he explains the time lag is due to the neural scanners. Riker informs him that Minuet is really a holodeck character. Tomalak is surprised, since, in Riker's mind, she is quite real. Riker is skeptical of the situation, asking why can't the neural scanners figure out the location of outpost 23. Tomalak says they are calibrated for Romulan minds. Riker is unconvinced, given the incredible detail of the entire program, but Tomalak ends the conversation. He takes Riker to a cell while explaining La Forge and Worf were allowed to beam back to the Enterprise. In the cell, he sees the child whose image was used for Riker's son. He has apparently been abused in some way. Tomalak leaves him to "give careful thought" to his situation. The child identifies himself as Ethan, the son of researchers on Miridian VI which is close to the Neutral Zone. Riker is surprised that the Enterprise didn't know about this research station, but promises to help him escape. Suddenly, Tomalak comes in with a guard to question Riker again. Riker doesn't answer, but Ethan charges at the guard. Riker subdues them both and fires their disrupter at a few other Romulans on the way to Ethan's secret hiding place which Ethan had found earlier. The chasing Romulans use their scanners to find them, but leave. Ethan says he heard them earlier say that the rock masks the scanners. Ethan takes Riker even further into the hiding place and shows him he has mapped the area and knows how many guards there are in different areas. Riker says the best plan is to try to send a message, but Ethan immediately says they are protected, requiring Tomalak's voice. However, Ethan slipped up by referring to him as "Ambassador Tomalak" when Tomalak in reality was only a Romulan captain. Riker realizes that he's still in a fantasy and orders the boy to end it. The Romulan base disappears, leaving Riker with Ethan in a large cave-like structure. At the same time, the Enterprise finds his signal and successfully contacts him. After confirming that La Forge and Worf are all right, Riker turns to the boy. He reveals that he was stranded here by his parents intentionally to save his life, and given technology up to the level of a sophisticated holodeck. He has lured Riker into this because of his desperate loneliness. Riker sympathizes and offers to take him back to the Enterprise. The boy then shows his true identity as an insectoid child named "Barash". Just before the two transport up to the ship, Riker says, "To me you will always be Jean-Luc." 
<EOS>
Wesley Crusher comes running onto the bridge and apologizes to Captain Picard for being ten minutes late for a summon. Picard chastises the young man, then, smiling, tells the young ensign that a position has opened in this year's class at Starfleet Academy and that Wesley has been granted the posting. Admiral Nsomeka has contacted Picard and expects Wesley to be leaving for the Academy in two weeks, though he will have to work hard to catch up with his classmates. In the interim, Picard is to arbitrate a mining dispute on Pentarus V, and he opts to bring Wesley along to observe the effects of outpost judiciary decisions on Federation law. The USS Enterprise-D rendezvouses with Captain Dirgo's shuttle, and Picard and Wesley depart with Dirgo. On first meeting Dirgo, Wesley quietly makes a rude comment to Geordi La Forge on Dirgo calling himself a captain -- though he holds no formal rank and commands only a mining shuttle. Dirgo makes it clear he heard it and says the ship has over 10,000 hours of flight recorded and means a lot to him and his people. Shortly before their departure, the Enterprise receives a distress signal from Chairman Songi of Gamelan V -- they are receiving high critical levels of radiation from a "space barge" which is entering their atmosphere. The Enterprise speeds off under Riker's command to assist. Meanwhile, Dirgo's shuttle suffers a mishap, and is likely going to crash land. The three collaborate in the crisis situation to land on Lambda Paz, a desert moon of Pentarus III. The three fortunately survive, but there are few emergency supplies. Dirgo tells Picard that since the mining shuttle had very little space, he depended on the replicator for supplies, leaving them only with a medicine pouch. The Enterprise reaches Gamelan V, and identifies the orbiting vessel as an unmanned garbage scow. The radiation levels are from toxic waste, and it appears that its engines have not been activated for a long time. This means the vessel was drifting and simply got caught in the planet's gravity, achieving orbit by itself. Riker promises Songi that they will remove the vessel. He plans to take it into the Gamelan sun. La Forge recommends using portable thrusters attached to construction modules to guide the vessel in order to work at a safe distance. Picard decides they must head towards the mountains to find shelter, to which Dirgo first objects but then admits he has no better alternative. After Picard leaves a directional marker on the ground so that a rescue party may find them, he, Wesley, and Dirgo start their walk. Dirgo secretly drinks clear liquid from a bottle on the way. During their hike, Wesley notes some strange energy readings with his tricorder in the direction of their travel. It could be anything, but they have no choice but to continue towards it. When the three finally arrive in a cavern in the mountain, the bottle falls from Dirgo's jacket, and is revealed to be an alcoholic beverage called dresci. Dirgo makes an excuse that "I was going to hand it round". Picard confiscates it and says that it would serve better as a disinfectant or coolant, and orders it to be kept under guard in the medicine box. On the Enterprise, Crusher is instructing her staff on where the biggest radiation effects will be on the planet, and the plans to replicate hyronalin for those population centers. Deanna Troi is behind her, and waits for her to finish. She attempts to assuage her fears of losing Wesley and Picard by noting that, while the nearest Federation ship is not that close, there's the possibility of the miners performing a search while they deal with the current situation. On the bridge, Worf confirms that the miners can start the search. In the meantime, Riker and La Forge configure the thrusters. It works for a bit, but one of the thrusters fail and Riker is forced to use the tractor beam. In the cavern, the three find a section with an increased level of the energy readings, and investigating, the trio find a strange fountain of water. Dirgo finds out the hard way that it is protected by a type of force field by running into it. Dirgo hastily fires at the field with his phaser, unexpectedly triggering a sentry energy weapon which knocks the weapon from his hand and encases it in a selenium-fiber shell. In the commotion, a landslide begins above Wesley, but Picard pushes him out of the way and himself is caught in the path of the falling rocks. Wesley determines that Picard is suffering a broken leg, fractured arm, and internal bleeding. Dirgo initially helps still the bleeding, but is skeptical that Picard will survive and leaves. Weakened, Picard tells Wesley that he has to take charge and deter Dirgo from any further rash attempts to breach the force field. But clearly, their need for water is greater than ever. On the Enterprise, they continue to tow the waste vessel by tractor beam while dosing themselves with hyronalin. Unfortunately, they only have 38 minutes before the radiation becomes lethal. Crusher initiates radiation exposure protocol for all non-essential crew. Seeing that they won't clear the asteroid field for 51 minutes, Riker risks ordering the towing speed to be pushed. It quickly destabilizes the beam, so La Forge suggests bringing other fusion reactors online, even though the coolant pressure is reaching its maximum. Lethal exposure will now be reached in 35 minutes. Dirgo runs out of patience and tries to convince Wesley to make another attempt to breach the force field. Wesley tries to talk him out of attempting this, but Dirgo does not yield. This attempt results in Dirgo being encased in the shell, and killed. In the Gamelan system, the Enterprise-D finally manages to get the leaking barge through the asteroid belt and directly into Gamelan's sun by, narrowly avoiding lethal radiation exposure to the crew in the process by ten seconds. They rush back to the Pentarus system to participate in the search for the now overdue shuttle. Wesley tends to Picard. The sun has gone down, and so the temperature has dramatically reduced. Wesley heats up some rocks with a phaser to keep Picard warm. Picard becomes temporarily unresponsive, so Wesley recounts his perspective of their trip to Starbase 515 to keep his attention focused. He says he feels extremely lucky to serve under Picard, and Picard in turn regrets his selfishness in bringing him along, as he worried he wouldn't see him again due to his procedure he was undergoing. Wesley promises to get to the water. The Enterprise is now joining the search for the trio. Focusing on M-class worlds, they eliminate Pentarus II and V, as the miners have already searched them. Fortunately, there are four such moons, and the closest moon that could support life is Lambda Paz. Wesley struggles to figure out a way to disable the force field, while keeping Picard conscious and comfortable. During some tense and emotional exchanges, Picard tells Wesley that he envies him, saying "you're just at the beginning of the adventure." He urges Wesley to seek out a man named Boothby as he considers him the "wisest man at the Academy." Wesley asks what he teaches, to which Picard answers, "He's the groundskeeper." Wesley confesses that everything he has done to succeed on the Enterprise has been to make Picard proud of him. Picard tells him that he's always been proud of him. On the moon, Wesley jury-rigs his combadge and tricorder to interfere and possibly disable the energy sentry. In trying to explain this to Picard, it seems he has some temporary memory loss, but remembers the situation. He succeeds and disables the force field around the fountain. He brings water to Picard in one of the shuttle's survival kit cases. Wesley is woken some time later by his mother, who informs him that Picard is all right and his vital signs are stabilized. As Picard is carried out on a stretcher by Martinez and another medic, he grabs Wesley's hand and confesses, "You will be missed." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is heading to T'lli Beta, and won't arrive for several days. On the bridge, Lieutenant Worf temporarily sees strange readings. After being unable to pinpoint the source of the strange patterns initially thought to be sensor ghosts, Data suddenly detects an aggregate field of plane-polarized objects, but disappears. Picard orders a full stop to confirm the readings. Meanwhile, Counselor Deanna Troi is conducting a session with Ensign Janet Brooks, who recently lost her husband Marc and has buried herself in work to avoid grieving. A typical session, she handles it like she always does. As Troi sees Brooks out of her office, however, Troi comes under an intense pain. Reaching her quarters, it becomes increasingly painful and she loses consciousness. Picard decides to resume their course. Ensign Allenby tries to reengage warp drive but the ship lurches due to a collapse of the warp field. Allenby then finds the ship is being dragged along at one-tenth impulse with no way to break free. Picard orders the ship moving in several different directions and speeds, with no success. La Forge in engineering reports the engines are working normally, so it must be an external effect. During this initial encounter, several crew members, including Deanna Troi, report potent headaches. Troi calls Dr. Crusher in the midst of this, but she can't get to her right away. However, Troi says she feels a bit better once she arrives, but then suddenly gets a strange feeling. Her examination of Troi is cut short as Captain Picard calls a staff meeting to discuss the ship's predicament. With Worf, La Forge and Data all giving uncertain answers, Picard asks Troi in the observation lounge if she senses intelligence. She responds no, not because she is certain the beings lack intelligence but because she has lost her empathic abilities and cannot get readings on the beings or any of the Enterprise's crew members. Dr. Crusher conducts a more thorough scan of Troi, including an inner nuncial series, but says all she can find are unresponsive neural cells. It's brain damage, but she eliminates a concussion as the cause. She'll need to review Betazoid physiology. Troi insists she may be fine tomorrow, and that the Betazoid brain heals itself naturally, but Crusher cautions that she is only half-Betazoid, and there is potential cause for concern. She advises Troi to seek a therapist, and Troi reluctantly agrees to consider it, but prefers to return to duty for now. Concerned, Riker goes to Troi in her office later and attempts to talk. Troi is irritated, and lectures about how people treat a person differently when a disability occurs. Riker leaves her alone. Troi continues her session with Ensign Brooks. Feeling like a new woman, Brooks is happy to tell Troi about getting over her husband's death overnight. Troi is frank about losing her empathic sense, but suggests that one night of crying can't be the end resolution for months of denial. Brooks says she is wrong, and Troi drops it. Data presents the findings from La Forge's and his study in engineering earlier. They found a large number of particles that only exist in two dimensions, explaining why the Enterprise, explaining why the crew was unable to consistently see the beings when they first approached. Due to the non-naturally occurring motion, Data suggests they are alive. They are able to polarize the graviton field, catching the ship in its wake. La Forge suggests a controlled overload of the warp engine to jump directly to warp 6, but it's not obvious it will work in the presence of a two-dimensional universe. While first exhibiting signs of denial and believing that the loss of her abilities is only temporary, Troi becomes increasingly angry at her situation, including launching into a tirade after Crusher admits she cannot tell if the brain damage revealed by medical scans is a temporary phenomenon. Deciding that she can no longer effectively serve as ship's counselor without her empathic abilities, Troi tenders her resignation to Picard. She later confesses to Riker that she feels trapped in a two-dimensional world of her own, as everyone around her is like flat holodeck projections because she cannot share their emotions; although concerned for his Imzadi, Riker points out that her empathy gave her a sense of comfort and control that let her "aristocratic" Betazoid half dominate and effectively shunt her Human half to the side. Riker leaves to the bridge to observe the direct warp jump. Allenby reports no change in their location. After a shaky few seconds, Picard orders to discontinue the engines. La Forge reports that the energy needed for warp was absorbed into the graviton wake instead, creating a torsional wave that rebounded to the ship. Data, though, notices a temporary change in the movement of the two-dimensional beings. Picard tells him to follow up on it, hoping it's an attempt at communication. Troi winds up alone in Ten Forward, when Guinan approaches and reveals that she will be applying to the position of ship's counselor, given the job's similarities with her bartending duties. Troi, relying on her Human intuition, instinctively knows that Guinan really had no interest in the job and realizes that she could still serve the ship with only her Human abilities. Meanwhile, Data discovers that the two-dimensional beings are dragging the ship towards a cosmic string, a one-dimensional version of a black hole, spelling certain destruction for the Enterprise. Faced with greater urgency, Worf fires photon torpedoes in front of and into the two-dimensional beings, but the weapons are ineffective. The beings still move toward the string, and their path is not altered. Left with few alternatives, Picard calls Troi to his ready room to work with Data on efforts to communicate with the beings. Meanwhile, Troi is packing up her things when Brooks comes in for her next appointment. Saying she has resigned as counselor and meant to cancel, as she is no longer effective, Brooks disagrees and says she has discovered Troi was right to question her believing in a newfound self. She was still avoiding the grief, and admitted that Troi perfectly read her true emotions about the death of her husband Marc even without her empathic abilities. Troi comes to Picard's ready room. Picard asks her to communicate with Data, saying that, despite what's happened to her, she is still the most qualified person to communicate. There's little time and they need her. Still uncertain of how she can contribute, Troi realizes that the Enterprise needs to think two-dimensionally and speculates that the two-dimensional beings are moving toward the cosmic string by instinct. With this in mind, Data proposes imitating the vibrations of the cosmic string, which might cause enough of a response in the beings to allow the ship to break free. Moments before the ship is drawn into the string, La Forge and Data successfully mimic the vibrations of the string, which causes the beings to pause, disabling the graviton field, which gives the Enterprise the opportunity to move away from the string. Now on the bridge as the Enterprise accelerates away from the two-dimensional beings, Troi experiences another apparent headache; this one, however, heralds the return of her empathic abilities, reflected in her revelation that the beings were intentionally heading "home" toward the cosmic string, which wouldn't cause any harm to them. She realizes that the high number of two-dimensional beings sharing the emotion of happiness at approaching their home had briefly overwhelmed her empathic abilities. Now fully restored, Troi informs Guinan in Ten Forward that the position of ship's counselor has been filled and resumes her post. 
<EOS>
Data, in voiceover, dictates a letter to Commander Maddox, continuing correspondence with the scientist that began after Data's trial regarding his rights. Maddox apparently last wrote to Data for help, expressing that his study on Soong-type androids lacks primary source information on Data's programming and operation. Agreeing with Maddox, Data decided to record a typical day of his life from his point of view, with particular emphasis on friendships. The day begins with the handover of the bridge from night watch to day watch, with Data ceding command to Commander Riker. Riker has arrived 15 minutes early so Data, a member of the O'Brien wedding party, will have more time to prepare which the second officer appreciates. He relates his not-quite-emotional anticipation regarding his participation in the wedding. Data updates Riker, which essentially sums up the action to come: Lieutenant Juarez went into labor, and the ship is at station awaiting the arrival of the Ambassador-class ship, the USS Zhukov, bearing Ambassador T'Pel. Data's narration continues as he departs the bridge and travels to his first off-watch destination. He describes in voiceover his difficulty in maintaining friendships, and detailing how he has developed programs to handle these relationships. He then drops in on Keiko Ishikawa in her quarters to inform her that the wedding rehearsal is to begin. Keiko informs Data that she's unhappy, and that she would like to call off the wedding to Miles O'Brien, and that this decision would make her happy. In the mistaken belief that making Keiko happy by canceling the wedding will in turn make Chief O'Brien happy, Data allows himself to be talked into taking the "bad" news to O'Brien in Ten Forward, who reacts entirely opposite to Data's prediction. "I have good news," he informs the chief. After O'Brien storms out, Geordi La Forge advises Data that he should let him deliver any further "good news" of this type. Data's log continues as he walks down a corridor, with statistics regarding the service of the Enterprise. This is the 1,550th day since its commissioning. There will be four birthdays, two transfers, a celebration of the Hindu Festival of Lights, two chess tournaments, one secondary school play, and four promotions. Overall it is an ordinary day. Data arrives at the transporter room and gives the order to Hubbell to bring Ambassador T'Pel aboard. She coldly informs Data that she wishes to meet with his captain. He then compares his emotional state to that of Vulcans, noting that he finds their stark philosophy to be somewhat limiting. Upon bringing T'Pel to the captain in his ready room, Data and Commander Riker are asked to leave. Data returns to the bridge, where Riker mutters to him that T'Pel is a "charming woman," and Data's narration notes Riker's sarcasm, a form of expression he has failed to master. Data's narration continues in the ship's barbershop, where Geordi La Forge and V'Sal are exchanging friendly insults and banter regarding La Forge's haircut and V'Sal's skill at it. Data tries out a friendly jibe: "My hair does not require trimming, you lunkhead."  La Forge advises him not to try it on the captain, which Data agrees with. Data then attempts to understand the interplay of Keiko and Chief O'Brien earlier in the day, and explores the terms "cold feet" and "jitters" with La Forge's help. La Forge ends the exchange with his firm belief that the wedding will in fact proceed and tells Data he'd better get a gift. Resuming the voiceover, Data describes his relationship with Lieutenant Worf as he comes across him already in the replicating center. He notes their similarity as orphans and outsiders who have been raised by Humans and joined Starfleet as a result.  Worf confirms that he's picking out a wedding gift and agrees to help Data in finding something appropriate, having attended weddings.  Worf points out a selection of crystal glasses as a typical traditional gift his adoptive parents would give for family weddings.  When he pauses the display on a crystal swan however, Data mentions that it was his understanding that the item selected should reflect the personality of the giver; a swan doesn't remind him of Worf.  Data changes the subject to actual participation in a wedding.  Worf notes his discomfort with the overall sentimentality of the wedding ritual and notes that though he would be honored to participate in one, he is not sure about all of the "talking, dancing, and crying" that would be involved. Data pauses at the notion of dancing. The narrative continues in sickbay as Dr. Crusher examines the expectant Lieutenant Juarez. Data explains that he rarely requires the services of Dr. Crusher, but that he often learns a great deal about Human interaction from her practice of medicine. He then asks her in passing if she would teach him how to dance. Crusher pulls him quickly into the privacy of her office after Martinez notices them talking about this while walking by. She informs Data that she will help him, but he is not to speak of her dancing abilities to anyone, as she does not wish to be known as the "Dancing Doctor" again. Data is then paged to the bridge by Captain Picard, who asks him to research Romulan deployments along the Neutral Zone. The captain then orders the ship to set a course for 130.246 at warp 7, which takes the ship very close to the Neutral Zone. Data finishes by voicing over that he is fortunate to not have emotional distractions in his duties, as a sudden course correction towards the Neutral Zone would otherwise make him nervous. In the meantime his right hand is seen tapping the console apparently of its own accord. Data enters the ready room and gives his analysis of the Romulan strategy, deployed to support a policy of confrontation, with 90% probability that they will continue that policy. Ambassador T'Pel rejects the notion of an escort for "the mission" but the purpose of said mission is not revealed. Data then goes to his quarters and orders feline supplement 74 for Spot, a long-haired orange cat. Data is shortly joined by Chief O'Brien, who comes to apologize for his outburst earlier in the day in Ten Forward. Data makes multiple and finally overly-friendly attempts to make the chief more comfortable, offering pillows, music, and drink. O'Brien gets to the point by appealing to Data to talk to Keiko to try and get the wedding back on. Data concludes by noting that Keiko may not have fully analyzed her position. He resumes his personal log as he walks down the corridor, noting to Commander Maddox that Keiko was calm and reserved when she made her decision, and concludes that reviewing the available facts should help, and that emotional considerations do not seem to have clouded her judgment. Data meets Keiko in the arboretum and logically and aggressively points out Keiko's "errors", to which Keiko responds with an emotional appeal to leave her alone. Data continues the voiceover as he describes his relationship with Counselor Troi. Data then describes his research to Counselor Troi regarding various wedding customs. Troi advises him that the best way to help Miles and Keiko is to stay out of the process. They then move onto the concept of Data getting married and his reservation that he cannot grow old with someone. They are interrupted when Ambassador T'Pel summons Data to her quarters. T'Pel attempts to make use of Data's Priority 3 clearance on the ship to gain information about the deflector shields' field strength at maximum output, using her access code of Kappa Alpha 4601704. Data informs her that while the code is valid, he must report any inquiry regarding restricted information to the captain. T'Pel lamely backs out of the request by telling Data she was merely interested in his security safeguards, and that they appear to be adequate. Data continues the narrative, telling Commander Maddox that he wishes for a gut feeling regarding T'Pel, even though he does not believe that she, a Vulcan, could have lied about her request. Data arrives at the holodeck, where Dr. Crusher is finishing up some pre-exercise stretching in a dance studio. She gives him one beginning lesson in dancing. Data informs her after this lesson that she should simply teach him the final lesson. Data then perfectly mimics Dr. Crusher's tap-dancing routine, which becomes increasingly elaborate. Crusher has to interrupt Data's exploration of routines with the refrain of "Stop, Data!" After mastering tap-dancing, Data informs the doctor that he is now prepared to dance at the wedding. Dr. Crusher explains that tap is not used at weddings, though she doesn't know why when Data asks. She figures that the waltz, the appropriate dance, will be much easier, but contrary to her expectations Data finds the act of dancing with a partner extremely difficult as he is unable to look at her feet, or understand the variables and nuances. Instead, Crusher leads while Data observes their feet as she explains the movements, and then to look into his partner's eyes while they switch leads, with Data being much improved. Crusher is called to look in on the laboring Lt. Juarez and leaves Data to practice with a holographic partner. In parting she orders Data to smile, which he does with a mannequin-like enthusiasm. Data next arrives on the bridge as Commander Riker is telling a gruesomely funny story to two other officers and Ensign Kellogg who is monitoring the security console, and narrates his speculation that humor and sex appear to have a correlation but notes the need for additional research is clearly indicated. The fun comes to an end as a Romulan D'deridex-class warbird, the Devoras, is detected and sends them a message telling them to proceed on a heading of 037.005 to the agreed-upon coordinates which end in the Neutral Zone. T'Pel informs Data to hold position at a specified set of coordinates. Admiral Mendak appears on the viewscreen and agrees to allow the ambassador to be beamed aboard. T'Pel refuses any attempt to have an escort, or to have the conference held aboard the Enterprise, and departs to the transporter room by herself. Over the intercom the bridge crew monitors the transport as the transporter pattern breaks down and the ambassador is killed. Data continues with a supplemental entry to his personal log, describing how he misses out on Human emotion at a time like this when the rest of the crew is suffering from the loss of a comrade aboard a starship. Chief O'Brien begins as the narrative ends to describe the accident and Data supplies that it is unlike any transporter malfunction ever recorded on a Starfleet vessel. La Forge establishes that the transporter is in perfect working order, and O'Brien follows up with the statement that the transition coil was replaced only the week before, and that there was no interference from the Romulans' shields. Dr. Crusher then reports that there isn't enough left of T'Pel to do an autopsy, only some molecular compounds left on the transporter pad. Worf calls Picard over the intercom that Admiral Mendak is hailing. Picard returns to the bridge and reports the apparent death of T'Pel. Mendak compliments him for a well-played maneuver, accusing him of arranging for T'Pel's death, and recommending that both ships leave the Neutral Zone. Picard gives Data the task of investigating the accident. Data's voiceover continues with his relation of the methods of Sherlock Holmes which he notes Picard had introduced him to and how he applies the adage of "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Data then arrives at sickbay and asks for a comparison of the ambassador's last transporter ID trace with the remains, with the caveat that he may be chasing an "untamed ornithoid without cause." The genetic code is examined and found to be identical, except that there are single-bit errors in the base-pair sequence as if it were replicated material. Dr. Crusher postulates that the DNA was mutated by the accident, or that the remains are not those of the ambassador. Data, La Forge, and Riker are in the ready room as Data explains to Captain Picard that the only explanation of the evidence is that a second transporter signal appears to have been operating during the accident, and that the ambassador was beamed off the Enterprise pad while fake remains were beamed onto the pad in her place. Picard queries Lt. Worf on the bridge as to the whereabouts of the Devoras. Worf replies that it is on heading 079, 125 at warp 2 and still in the Neutral Zone, on its way home. Data voices over his prediction of the 17% chance that Captain Picard will call for advice from Starfleet, and is rewarded with Picard's call to red alert and an order to intercept the Devoras. The Romulan ship drops out of warp and the Enterprise confronts her, ready for battle. Admiral Mendak hails and begins to complain about Picard, who interrupts with an accusation that Ambassador T'Pel has been kidnapped. At that moment a second Warbird decloaks to starboard, and Mendak suggests that Picard leave. Picard states flatly that he will take any action necessary to rescue the ambassador, as she is a Federation citizen. Data muses in voiceover his analogy of this event to a game of poker, and suggests that the captain is calling Mendak's bluff. Mendak relents stating he is not ready to start a war today, and signals to his right, revealing Ambassador T'Pel, now dressed in a Romulan uniform with the traditional Romulan bowl cut. She identifies herself as Sub-commander Selok, a spy, and thanks Picard for his help in getting home. Mendak notes that as there are no Federation citizens on his ship, he informs Picard that the game is over and expects them to leave peacefully before closing the channel; Worf reports three more Warbirds entering the sector on long-range sensors.  The Romulans have scored a point on Starfleet today.  Riker quietly sums up the situation as "Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you." Picard orders a reverse course back into Federation territory at warp 6. Keiko is in the arboretum as Data approaches with an apology for interfering in her plans. She informs him that it would be best if he got dressed for the wedding, leaving Data confused as she hands him a white carnation for the "father of the bride." The wedding takes place in Ten Forward. Traditional Japanese-sounding flute and string music plays, and Captain Picard officiates, stating the privilege of ship captains to perform weddings. Data voices over in his personal log how he still does not comprehend most of the emotions of violence, anger, or revenge but that he does understand the desire to be loved and the need for friendship. The wedding commences with a now-skillful Data leading the bride in a dance. Back in duty uniform, Data looks for Dr. Crusher in sickbay and comes across Picard. The captain has dropped by the nursery after the wedding to see Lt. Juarez' baby boy, cooing softly in a crib.  Noting that the child was born at the same time they were facing destruction, Picard welcomes him aboard. Finally, Data leads his night watch team onto the bridge. Worf reports that all systems are normal, they are on course for Adelphous IV, engineering is realigning the main deflector dish, sickbay reports that Lt. Umbato broke two ribs on the holodeck, and sensors continue to gather long-range information on the Murasaki quasar. Data's final voiceover expresses his belief that being Human is a way of thinking, acting, and feeling, and that he may one day discover his own Humanity. The lights dim as the bridge's night watch commences. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is conducting mapping surveys near the Cardassian border. Captain Picard is cautious. The Federation had been at war with Cardassia for some years and only recently established a peace treaty between the two peoples in the past year. This particular sector is a second trip for Picard, as he once encountered the Cardassians in the sector when he was in command of the USS Stargazer. He tells the story to the bridge crew, recounting how he lowered his shields as a sign of good will, but the Cardassians took offense and attacked, taking out his weapons and damaging the impulse engines before he could regroup and run. Counselor Troi finds the story humorous, and expresses mock disbelief that Picard was capable of running away from a fight. Picard simply replies "Believe it." Lieutenant Worf says that the Cardassians have no sense of honor and should not be trusted. Troi replies that they are now allies and have to be trusted. Worf scoffs that trust is earned and not given. Even still, Picard does not want to stay too long near the border without letting the Cardassians know. Alone in their quarters, newly-married Miles and Keiko O'Brien are having breakfast together. The chief doesn't seem to care much for Keiko's breakfast selections, but she explains that she has this every morning and that it's very healthy. O'Brien diplomatically thanks her for introducing him to the food she's accustomed to, and says that he'd love to make her food he's used to. He goes on to describe how his mother used to cook, using real, non-replicated food, as she believed that real food was more nutritious. This surprises Keiko, to which she asks if O'Brien's mother handled raw meat, touched it, and cut it. O'Brien says that he'll have to use the replicator to make something special for her, much to Keiko's delight. Their romantic moment is soon interrupted by a weapon impact, and the sounds of the red alert klaxon. O'Brien quickly gets up and reports to his station. Worf calls out that the Cardassian ship is beginning to fire again. The ship takes a hit off the shields and minor damage is sustained on the secondary hull before the shields went up. Chief Engineer Lt. Commander La Forge calls out that the starboard power coupling is down, as the ship is hit by an even heavier blast. The fish-like Cardassian ship lets loose another salvo at the Enterprise. Picard initiates a delta-sequence maneuver and orders the ship's phasers ready, and limits the targets to engines and shields. After scoring multiple hits on his opponent, Picard successfully forces the ship to stand down. The Cardassian ship's captain, Gul Macet, answers the hail, and informs Picard that the attack on the Enterprise was in retaliation -- a Federation starship attacked and destroyed an unarmed science station in the Cuellar system. Picard doesn't understand this, and asks for one hour to speak with his superiors at Starfleet. The alternative is for each ship to continue firing at each other, which Picard reminds Gul Macet that such a contest would put him at a disadvantage. Macet grants the Starfleet captain his request, only one hour. The report submitted to Starfleet is confirmed, and Admiral Haden reports it was the USS Phoenix, commanded by Captain Benjamin Maxwell. Picard knows of Maxwell, and is confused as to why he would do something like this, since he is one of Starfleet's finest captains, and that he must have had a reason. Haden doesn't know, because the ship is running silent. The Cardassians have given Picard safe passage as long as they allow a delegation to come along with them. He is ordered to find the Phoenix, which was last seen in Sector 21505, and return her to Federation space. Haden reminds Picard that the Federation is not prepared for a new sustained conflict -- after their losses to the Borg at Wolf 359 -- and that the peace must be preserved at all costs. Picard explains that Macet and two of his aides will be transporting to the ship as guests. Worf and Commander Riker ask that they post guards at sensitive areas of the ship. Picard agrees, but reminds Worf to instruct his men that they are guests. He asks Data if anyone on the ship has served previously with Maxwell. Data mentions O'Brien, since he served on the USS Rutledge as tactical officer. Picard asks Riker and Troi to meet the guests and tell O'Brien that he will need to meet with him soon. The three Cardassians transport on board and Riker and Troi introduce themselves. Macet introduces his aides, Glinns Daro and Telle. Riker introduces O'Brien to them, and O'Brien replies with a simple brief nod. Riker escorts them to the conference room, and Troi looks at O'Brien, as she senses something about the Cardassians is making him uneasy. In the observation lounge with the senior staff and the Cardassians, La Forge explains that they can scan up to ten light years, which translates to one sector per day. They've scanned Sector 21505 and found no sign of the Phoenix. Gul Macet appears to be dissatisfied at the Enterprise's progress, and expresses his doubt that the ship is still in the sector. Riker, echoing Macet's irritated tone, explains that they have no idea where the Phoenix is, but that its last known location is a good place to start. Macet then articulates his doubts that the Enterprise crew is seriously interested in locating the Phoenix, and the atmosphere in the room becomes more heated. However, Picard, demonstrating his diplomatic expertise, takes on a calm, genial tone and reassures Macet that he is hearing reports just as they come in--nothing edited or withheld. Gul Macet, unable to respond to Picard's reason with more anger, concedes the point and settles down. Riker looks at Picard with undisguised admiration for how skillfully he handled the Cardassians in that tense moment. Picard then turns the floor over to Chief O'Brien, who served with Maxwell. Picard understands that Maxwell lost his entire family in a Cardassian raid on Setlik III, and O'Brien explains the circumstances. He describes Maxwell as a model Starfleet officer, not missing a moment's duty, despite his grief for his family. Macet quickly concludes that Maxwell is acting out of a desire for vengeance, but O'Brien counters that Maxwell would not do that. Once again, the atmosphere in the room becomes heated, and Picard intervenes. Just as the discussion begins again, Worf reports from the bridge that they have located the Phoenix. The conference scatters as Picard and his bridge crew escort Macet to the bridge, leaving the Glinns and O'Brien to proceed to the turbolift by themselves. A discussion takes place on the turbolift between Daro and O'Brien, with whom O'Brien loses his cool when Daro asks if he would like to join them in Ten Forward. He responds that it is his business who he spends time with. Data reports that the Phoenix is indeed in Sector 21505. Picard orders helm officer Wallace to set a course there and has Worf send a subspace message to the Phoenix, instructing them to prepare for a rendezvous. Macet offers a suggestion to Picard: with precise coordinates and the ship's transponder codes, he can have one of his ships meet up with the Phoenix much quicker than Picard can. Picard refuses, indicating that if one of his ships retaliates, they could lose control of the situation, and he prefers to make the contact himself. During the lull as the Enterprise is en route, O'Brien treats Keiko to a potato casserole. He then starts humming "The Minstrel Boy," a war song from his days on the Rutledge, a song he says that Maxwell liked. He recounts the story told by the song, leading him to speak about his own experiences in the war and how he noticed that even in the conference room, there are people there who still don't like the Cardassians. He doesn't understand that even though the war is over, why there is still hatred towards them. Keiko asks how he feels about the Cardassians, and he responds that he feels fine. Keiko isn't too sure, however. The Phoenix is in hot pursuit of a Cardassian supply ship; this surprises Macet, as he does not expect them to be able to read the transponder codes of the Cardassian ships. Picard tries to hail the Phoenix but to no avail, which annoys Macet. He points out that he has warships that can intercept the ship much faster than the Enterprise. With no choice, and ignoring objections from Worf, Picard orders Worf to relay the prefix codes of the Phoenix to the Cardassian ship, stating he cannot allow Maxwell to destroy the ship. The Cardassian warship is in weapons range of the Phoenix, and Picard orders an overlay of the weapon ranges of both ships. The Cardassian ship fires on the Phoenix, which scores a direct hit on the starboard forward and aft, doing damage to its shields, and forcing the ship to move out of range and regroup. The Phoenix returns fire with its forward phasers and photon torpedoes, destroying the warship, all of which is watched by a stunned Macet. When Picard asks if the supply ship is armed, Macet numbly replies that its weapons are certainly not enough to combat a Nebula-class starship. Before he can react, the Phoenix fires on the supply ship, destroying it. Horrified, Macet reports that the warship had a crew of 600, and the supply ship carried 50. Picard accelerates to warp nine, while Macet leaves the bridge, clearly upset at these losses. Picard speaks to O'Brien, who is working on the transporter, about the man he once served under. O'Brien explains that Maxwell is a person who would not act based on vengeance, and that the Cardassians are up to something. He says that Picard should be investigating them, and not Maxwell. Picard reveals what happened moments ago, which puzzles O'Brien, but he still defends Maxwell, saying he must have had good cause to do it. Picard points out that when someone is angry for a long time, he gets used to it, and gets comfortable with it--so much so that he becomes blind to his own actions. In Ten Forward, O'Brien joins Daro for a drink. He apologizes for his behavior on the turbolift, which Daro accepts, and indicates that it's taking a toll on both sides. O'Brien then brings up the Setlik III massacre. He was sent there to reinforce the garrison there, and that mostly everyone was dead. Daro tells O'Brien that they were told it was being used as a launch site for a massive strike against them. O'Brien was with a group of women and children when two Cardassian soldiers burst in. He stunned one, and was jumped by the other. During the struggle, a woman tossed him a phaser, and he fired. The phaser was set to maximum, disintegrating the soldier. O'Brien had never killed anything before then, not even a mosquito. Finally, he gets up and says to Daro "It's not you I hate, Cardassian; I hate what I became because of you". Macet's other aide, Telle, is forcibly escorted to the bridge by Worf, who reports that the Cardassian was found accessing a computer terminal to study the ship's weapon systems on deck 35. Telle denies any such intention for accessing the computers, claiming only to study the efficiency of the computer systems themselves, but Macet chastises him for accessing them in the first place. He confines Telle to his quarters and asks to meet with Picard privately. He apologizes for Telle's actions in Picard's ready room and promises he will be disciplined. Picard takes it in stride and views the matter closed, but Macet isn't so sure. He then proclaims himself as a man who does not crave war, and states that he views Picard in a similar light. They then get good news from Data: they will intercept the Phoenix in 22 minutes. Maxwell beams aboard and is greeted by Riker. Maxwell knows all about Riker's efforts against the Borg and says they all owe him one. He is surprised to see O'Brien who Maxwell had no idea was serving on the Enterprise and details his service on the Rutledge. O'Brien takes it in stride and says he learned his technique from him, to which Maxwell laughs. He then asks to see the captain, as he has a lot to talk about. Maxwell gives O'Brien a wink before leaving. With introductions settled, Maxwell explains his motive to Picard: the Cardassians are rearming, and the science station he destroyed in the Cuellar sector was actually a military supply port. Picard asks for proof, but Maxwell can't provide it, for he has none. Maxwell indicates that a science station in the Cuellar sector served no purpose, but it's a good strategic location for a military supply base in three Federation-controlled sectors. They were running supply ships in and out, and he would not accept that they were used for scientific research. Picard asks why he did not contact Starfleet. Maxwell did not want to wait months while they sift through the reports and says lives were at stake and that they had to act now. Picard asks why. Maxwell gets annoyed and pins Picard as a bureaucrat. Picard points out that he nearly plunged the Federation into another war, but Maxwell counters that he prevented a war or delayed it. Picard dismisses it and scores a low blow on Maxwell, linking his actions to the loss of his family; a claim Maxwell vehemently denies and claims history will remember Picard as a fool; a claim Picard will accept. Maxwell points out that he will be vindicated once it is clear what the Cardassians have done, but Picard says whatever they've done or not done is irrelevant. This burns Maxwell to the core. He wants Picard to come with him to prove he's been telling the truth, but Picard orders him to return to his ship and set a course to Starbase 211 with the Enterprise. Both ships have been ordered by Starfleet to return to Federation space together. The alternative is to be thrown in the brig and his ship towed in disgrace. Faced with that reality, Maxwell reluctantly shows acceptance of the orders and returns to his ship. With the Phoenix in close formation with the Enterprise, Picard orders Worf to send a message to Admiral Haden with their expected time of arrival. Just then, the Phoenix alters course, which baffles the bridge crew. Maxwell has set an intercept course for a Cardassian ship, which Macet believes Maxwell will attack. Unable to overtake the Phoenix and separate the potential combatants, Picard orders an intercept course, and arms phasers. Riker reminds Picard that O'Brien was Maxwell's tactical officer, and Picard acknowledges this ordering Chief O'Brien to the bridge. When they arrive, the Phoenix does not appear to be ready to battle the Cardassian ship, yet the sensors cannot ascertain the Cardassians' status as the ship is running a high-powered subspace field. Picard is faced with a decision of firing on a Federation starship, and needs O'Brien's insight into how Maxwell thinks in a situation like this. Maxwell hails the Enterprise and demands that Picard board the Cardassians' ship, or he'll destroy it. Picard refuses and affirms his resolve to use whatever means necessary to prevent Maxwell from undertaking any further hostile action. With that, he closes the channel and O'Brien warns that Maxwell will strike if his back is to the wall, and that is exactly what happens. Picard initiates red alert and readies to attack the Phoenix but O'Brien offers to beam over to talk some sense into Maxwell. Riker cautions that the Phoenix captain won't bring his shields down to transport, but O'Brien replies that he knows how the Phoenix shields work. He explains that as it uses a high-energy sensor system, which cycles every 5.5 minutes, with a window of a fiftieth of a second, he can get on board through that window. Picard accepts the opportunity to avoid spilling the blood of fellow Starfleet officers, and O'Brien prepares to board the ship. Maxwell gazes at the Enterprise through his window and is surprised to see O'Brien enter. He points a phaser at O'Brien, but the transporter chief isn't armed. Maxwell wants Picard to board the Cardassian vessel, but O'Brien knows he won't. Maxwell is in disbelief that a Federation starship would attack another to protect the enemy, and O'Brien warns that he will. Maxwell asks what happened to the war, which O'Brien tells him that there is no war. Maxwell says the Cardassians live to make war, and that neither of them are the same. They start reminiscing about Setlik III, and Maxwell asks who that fellow was that used to follow O'Brien around like a puppy. O'Brien replies that it was Will Kayden. When Maxwell doesn't respond, O'Brien elaborates with the officer's nickname, "Stompie".  O'Brien confirms Maxwell's memory that they also lost Kayden at Setlik III.  Maxwell then asks "What was that song of his; the one he'd always sing, the one I liked?". O'Brien recollects for a moment, then begins singing soon joined by Maxwell: Maxwell realizes that he will not be able to win this fight, which O'Brien quietly confirms. Maxwell then turns over command of the Phoenix to his first officer and transports himself to the Enterprise, where Picard has him confined to quarters. Picard praises O'Brien for his accomplishment. Even though O'Brien knows Maxwell's action was wrong, he says he is still proud to have served with him. Macet scoffs that O'Brien's loyalties are misplaced, but Picard claims he has much to learn about Humans. Maxwell was twice decorated with the Federation's highest citation for courage and valor during war; that he could not adjust himself to peace makes him an object of pity, but he shall not be dismissed. Before Macet leaves the conference lounge, Picard tells him that Maxwell was not wrong, even if his actions were: the transports and the outpost clearly point to the Cardassians re-arming in secret. Macet rejoins that, if Picard believed that, why didn't he board the transport?  Picard says his mission was to protect the peace, and if he had boarded the transport, the Federation and the Cardassians would be arming for war at that very moment. But he tells the Cardassian Gul to take one last message to his superiors: "We'll be watching." 
<EOS>
On the holodeck, Jean-Luc Picard is watching with interest as Data performs a scene from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, playing Ebeneezer Scrooge to a holographic Jacob Marley. As with a previous critique of Data's performance as Henry V, Picard compliments him on his technique, but encourages him to be more creative and less imitative. The USS Enterprise-D receives a distress call from a Federation science station on Ventax II. They receive a garbled transmission from the team leader, Doctor Howard Clark, who reports that the planet is in chaos, and its entire population in the grip of mass hysteria: all of them believe their world is coming to an end. Suddenly, the transmission ends. The Enterprise arrives as the science station is being besieged by an angry mob, and are only able to beam up Dr. Clark before the mob breaks in and confuses their sensors. In Picard's ready room, Clark reports that, a thousand years ago, the Ventaxians had achieved an extremely advanced technological level, but then voluntarily renounced it and reverted to a simple, agrarian existence. Since then, their culture has been peaceful and prosperous, with virtually no social problems -- in fact, Clark says he would have described their society as idyllic, except for a superstitious streak that is now rearing its ugly head. Several years ago, the Ventaxian head of state, Acost Jared, became obsessed with the legend of Ardra, a figure akin to Earth's Devil. According to the legend, the Ventaxians made a deal with Ardra a millennium ago: 1,000 years of peace and tranquility, the end of war, poverty and famine which at that time plagued Ventax II; in exchange, she would lay claim to the planet and enslave its inhabitants upon her return. In fact, it is soon learned from Jared that a mob is holding the rest of the science team hostage, claiming that the prophecies surrounding Ardra's return have come true: a shaking of the cities caused by minor earthquakes, and many people, including Jared, having visions of her in their sleep. Picard beams down to the planet to try and convince Jared to negotiate for the release of the hostages, but Jared, a very frightened man, says it is no longer in his control. Picard tells him he is being ridiculous, when a small tremor shakes the capital city, and a woman appears with a flash in the main hall. Smiling, she gleefully announces, "Time's up." Picard demands to know who the woman is, and she airily claims to have many names, each belonging to some manifestation of evil in several cultures, including, the Klingon "Devil", Fek'lhr, into which she briefly transforms. Despite her flair, she acts in a very businesslike manner; she presents Jared with a set of forms appearing out of thin air covering censuses and economic forecasts of the planet, since it is now hers. When Jared mentions the Federation hostages, she orders them released, much to the relief of Dr. Clark. Picard dispatches Data to thoroughly study the ancient scrolls upon which the pact with Ardra is written. Meanwhile, with the hostages released, he returns to the starship. Aboard the Enterprise, in the observation lounge, Picard and his crew discuss possible explanations. Riker and Troi consider whether Ardra may be another renegade Q Continuum member, or even Q himself as Crusher suggests, appearing in female form as a lark. Picard, however, thinks the woman is too interested in the earthly resources of the planet, and has quickly concluded that the woman is simply a con artist: after all, each and every one of her "magic" tricks can be produced with modern technology -- transporters, holograms, or tractor beams -- and Ardra only adds a little dramatic flair. Emerging onto the bridge, Picard is upset to see Ardra sitting in his chair, continuing to show off, repeatedly using her powers to repel attempts to be removed by Worf and thwart attempts to beam her off the ship. She is present when Data concludes that the contract is quite clear. Intrigued by the speed of his mental powers, Ardra asks Data how he does it, and he replies that he is an android, which she declares an "unexpected bonus!" -- since the pact giving her possession of the planet includes things in orbit, such as the Enterprise. Aghast, Picard looks at Data, who confirms that the contract could well be interpreted that way. Only then does Ardra disappear. Picard, to arm himself against Ardra's tricks, immerses himself in a study of "the con game," which he declares to be "quite fascinating." He invokes the saying from P.T. Barnum, "There's a sucker born every minute." When Data asks why he can be so sure Ardra is a con artist, Picard invites Data to recall what he has learned from playing Dickens's Scrooge: that fear is a very powerful motivator. But while fear is used for positive ends by the Spirits in Dickens's story, fear is a potent weapon in the hands of a con artist. He tells Data to check Ventaxian legal precedents as well as the ancient scrolls. Until they can discover exactly how Ardra's cons are being worked, they need to find some way of challenging her claim on the planet. That night, Ardra attempts to seduce Picard by appearing in his quarters while he sleeps, and changing into several "forms" with her bag of magic tricks including Deanna's. Since he does not respond at all, his belief in her as a flim-flam artist far more powerful than whatever else he might think of her, she beams him down to the planet in his pajamas and apparently disables the transporters. Data has to come down in a shuttle with a uniform to pick him up. On the return trip, he informs the Captain that he has found a useful legal precedent: a contract dispute that would have been routine, except one of the claimants was an alien; because of this, the Ventaxian government decided to have the matter settled through arbitration, rather than the courts. Because it remains the only case involving an alien claimant, the same precedent could theoretically be used to challenge Ardra in an arbitration. Unfortunately, as the shuttle is about to dock, the Enterprise itself vanishes. On the planet, in the Federation science station, La Forge reports that the Enterprise cannot be detected anywhere within a light year. However, the station did detect a jump in Z-particles in the area, indicating a power source that could possibly be tracked down. Once again, Ardra appears, and Picard challenges her to an arbitration: if she loses, she will give up her claim on the planet. He reminds her that she has nothing to lose, if her claim is as unassailable as she maintains. She retorts that she has nothing to gain, since the planet is already hers; why should she waste her time?  Picard offers, if she wins, to take her to the Zaterl emerald, a semi-mythical gemstone on the planet Ligillium. Ardra has a counter-proposal: if she wins, she wants Picard himself: mind, body, and soul, without reservation. He agrees, and invites her to choose an arbitrator. She chooses Data: as an android, he is unable to lie or show favoritism. Aside, Data confides that Ardra is right, and if Ardra presents a convincing case under the rules of Ventaxian law, he will have to rule in her favor. Picard assures him that he supports her choice as well, since Data is probably the sole person on the planet Ardra cannot intimidate. During the arbitration, Jared is a prime witness for both sides. He explains the desperate state of Ventax II a thousand years earlier, that drove them to make their pact with Ardra, which gradually transformed the planet into its peaceful, agrarian state. Picard disputes that Ardra did anything to help Ventax II, and Ardra demonstrates her various "powers", including appearing as Earth's Devil. Ardra challenges Picard to explain these things, if he is so sure she is not really Ardra. Picard admits that he cannot. In the science station, the activity in the courtroom has generated more spikes in Z-particles that is allowing La Forge and Dr. Clark to close in on the power source that seems to be the source of Ardra's magic. In the courtroom, Picard comes at Ardra from a different direction: he asks Jared about the actual process by which Ventax II changed from a warlike, polluted planet to the "paradise" it is now. Jared describes a gradual course of events by which a new government was formed, a new economic model was adopted, all the weapons on the planet were rounded up and destroyed, and the people worked, and succeeded, in cleansing the polluted portions of the planet. As he describes each of these processes, Picard asks what Ardra's role in them was, and Jared, discomfited, admits that, as far as Ventaxian history records, she had none. Allowing himself some sarcasm, Picard asks, "did she not even pick up one piece of trash?" Jared, deadpan, replies that Ardra was long gone by the time the Ventaxians started cleansing their environment. Picard argues that the ancient Ventaxians saved themselves, and Ardra did nothing that now entitles her to the planet. In rebuttal, Ardra asks Jared a single question: whether he has any doubts that the Ventaxians owe their salvation to her. Despite what he just told Picard, Jared is too cowed to say anything other than that he has no doubts at all. Ardra concludes that both sides of the contract have been fulfilled, since the head of state agrees that she fulfilled her side of the bargain, and there is nothing to dispute. Things are not looking well for Picard's reputation as a litigator, not to mention his immortal soul. Then La Forge enters the courtroom and Picard requests a recess. Aside, Geordi tells him that Ardra's "magical" activity has allowed him to pinpoint the power source they were looking for: a ship in orbit above the planet's magnetic pole, concealed by a "bad copy" of a Romulan cloaking device. The Enterprise never left its position; Ardra's ship simply extended its cloaking shields over it. La Forge has already made contact. With a predatory glint in his eye, Picard instructs La Forge what he wants him to do. When the Court reconvenes an hour later, Picard holds the floor, and announces that Ardra has no powers whatsoever. Jared, confused, says that everyone in the courtroom has seen Ardra's power. Dripping sarcasm, Picard rejoins, "Oh, yes. Ardra's magic!" then, with snaps of his fingers, Picard causes the capital city to tremor, Ardra to disappear and reappear inside the courtroom, and Picard himself to appear as Fek'lhr, all of which Ardra seems powerless to stop. Picard explains that a team from the Enterprise has seized control of Ardra's ship, and arranged the "demonstration" they just witnessed, from her ship's rather ingenious suite of transporter, holography, and tractor beam effects, using two way communication between himself and Riker on the other side of his Combadge. Ardra was controlling these effects with a simple remote control implant, activated by imperceptible movements of her eye. Picard remarks wryly that Ardra was being truthful when she said she was "known by many names": her ship's records identify her as a notorious con artist, known by at least twenty-three different aliases in this sector alone. With the legend of Ardra committed to memory, she was about to win the largest prize of her career: an entire planet. Rising from her chair, Ardra formally renounces her claim on Ventax II, and attempts to escape, but Jared, no longer cowed, summons security guards, who place her under arrest. Jared thanks Picard for saving their lives, but Picard reminds him that Ventax II saved its own life, a long time ago. Ardra, however, has the last word, teasing Picard that he would have had much more fun if he had lost, and is led out of the room with a breezy "until we meet again." Data and Picard depart back to the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
After completing a mission early at Harrakis V, the crew of the USS Enterprise is granted extra personal time to pursue their interests, with Worf instructing a mok'bara class and Dr. Crusher conducting an experiment with Diomedian scarlet moss. Captain Jean-Luc Picard decides to show Guinan his Dixon Hill Holodeck program, and attempts to explain to her why Humans find mysteries fascinating. Just then, Data informs him of the discovery of a T-Tauri type star near the Ngame Nebula. The sensors have detected that the system has one M-class planet, and a small, unstable wormhole, which disappears. Data notes such phenomena are not uncommon in T-Tauri systems -- thirty-nine had been observed since 2267. Suddenly the wormhole reappears, and flings the vessel 0.54 parsecs from the system, and causes the entire crew, with the exception of Lieutenant Commander Data, to fall unconscious. As the crew awakens, Data informs Picard that the crew was knocked out for only 30 seconds. Picard orders Worf to launch a probe to study the M-class planet that they were going to investigate before they went through the wormhole, and they continue on their regular course. However, while treating minor injuries, Dr. Crusher discovers that her Diomedian scarlet moss has shown a full day's growth. As the probe approaches the planet, it detects that the planet has a hydrogen-helium composition with a frozen helium core, clearly not an M-class planet. This confuses some of the crew, but they conclude that the wormhole may have been interfering with the sensors. When Picard is in his ready room, Beverly comes in with her moss, and explains that they have experienced a full day's growth. Picard cannot come up with an explanation. At the staff briefing Data tries to explain away these contradictions, quoting an obscure theory by Pell Underhill, a 22nd century physicist. After Data leaves, Geordi La Forge informs the captain that he does not buy Data's explanation. In fact, he is surprised Data even brought up Underhill's theory. La Forge suggests to Picard that he examine the ship's chronometer to see if it has been tampered with and Dr. Crusher offers to analyze the transporter traces to see how much time had actually passed while the crew was unconscious. "Doctor, Commander, Make it so", Picard orders. Dr. Crusher heads to the transporter room and asks Chief O'Brien who had used the transporter before the crew had been knocked unconscious. O'Brien discovers one of his technicians, an Ensign Locklin, had done so. Dr. Crusher and Nurse Ogawa conduct a scan and discover Locklin's electrolyte concentration had deviated, confirming Crusher's suspicions. Later on, while informing Picard that the crew had been knocked out for a lot longer than thirty seconds, they go to engineering and speak to La Forge. He informs them that he has both good news and bad news. The good news is that he discovered the chronometer had indeed been tampered with and a new security program had been inserted in its place. La Forge says the bad news is that only he and Data would be capable of performing the task. Later on, in Picard's ready room, after Data evades several of Picard's questions about what really happened, he asks Data if he would consent to being examined by La Forge. Data agrees and is escorted to engineering by Ensign Kellogg. Evidence continues to mount that suggests the time of collective unconsciousness was much longer than 30 seconds -- indeed, it now appears an entire day had passed. Geordi examines but cannot find anything wrong with Data, yet Dr. Crusher learns lieutenant Worf's wrist had been broken and repaired, without either's knowledge, implying that the crew was not only "missing" a day but was also not even unconscious during the entire time. Geordi next attempts to discover whether Data rigged the probe they launched. He finds Data made it appear as though the observed planet was essentially identical to Tethys III. Picard orders Geordi to launch a second probe to the system, and this time they find there is in fact a much-different, class-M planet. It now is clear Data had at least tampered with the first probe and makes it seem doubtless that he has been concealing information and fabricating data to keep the rest of the crew from discovering the truth about what really happened during their alleged 30 second collective loss of consciousness. Picard implores Data to tell him the truth, but Data refuses; not even the threat of a court martial can compel him to end his by-now obvious mendacity. During these events, Picard and the staff are in a meeting discussing recent events. Counselor Troi says that she feels unwell and requests to be allowed to return to her quarters to rest. The Captain agrees to her request. Worf escorts her and the two walk arm and arm down the corridor. Worf inquires as to her health and ask if she is well. She assures him she is, and the two part ways as she enters her quarters. As Worf walks away, Deanna is heard to scream in terror. Worf calls her name and gets no response. He uses his security code to override the locked door and enters. In the bedroom, Worf finds Deanna terrified of her reflection, she says that it wasn't her in the mirror. Dr Crusher is called and examines Deanna. This turn of events makes the Captain realize that they need to go back to where their troubles began. Picard decides to set a course back to the T-Tauri system. As soon as they arrive, an energy pulse passes through the shields and possesses Counselor Deanna Troi and informs Data that "the plan has failed." Data asks the entity for more time and argues that the destruction of the Enterprise at this time would serve no purpose. Just then, Geordi enters and tells Data that the Captain has asked him to come to the bridge. Data does so, and implores Picard to leave the T-Tauri system. Picard refuses and demands to know why Data will not tell him the truth. Just as the possessed Troi enters the bridge, the android finally informs him that he, Picard, had ordered Data to lie. The crew finds that the system in reality contains a class M planet inhabited by the Paxans, a violently xenophobic and highly advanced race. They terraformed their planet in the T-Tauri system in order to conceal it from intruders. When an intruder comes within their space, the wormhole renders the ship's crew unconscious in biochemical stasis, and the ship is transported out of their space to just over half a parsec away. The idea is that when the crew awakens, they believe they were knocked unconscious by a freak wormhole and proceed on their way. However, the Paxans had never had to deal with an android before: their bioagents have no effect on Data, and Data had promptly taken action to revive the crew, foiling the Paxans' plan. A representative of the Paxans then possessed Counselor Deanna Troi and threatened to destroy the ship to protect their secret. Picard then created his plan to have the Paxans wipe their short-term memory and force Data into a pledge of secrecy. In this way, the first contact incident could be "undone" and the Paxans left alone. The body of Troi is possessed by the same Paxan representative to communicate with the crew and warns that their prior attempt to "undo" the contact has failed. Picard explains that the previous attempt had been imperfect; too many clues were left behind that piqued their natural curiosity and led to the unraveling of the plan. In order to prevent the Paxans from destroying the ship and killing all aboard, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew again work to alter or erase all records concerning the true nature of the planet: this time taking into account the problematic inconsistencies previously discovered. Only Data is allowed to retain any knowledge of what happened to the ship and crew during the missing day, and he is again instructed to conceal that knowledge. Once the crew is brought back from stasis again, the conversation goes approximately the same as the first time. When Data suggests launching a probe, the look on Picard's face suggests he once again suspects a mystery. However, this time he simply orders Data to dispatch a hazard advisory about the phenomenon to Starfleet, also preventing any other Federation ships from coming in contact with the Paxans. 
<EOS>
Riker is injured, and being treated at a hospital on an alien planet. The doctors, while trying to assess Riker's injuries, notice various peculiarities in his physiology -- the cardial organ in the wrong place, missing costal struts, and digits on his terminus. His face had been surgically altered to help him blend in, but not his entire body. Riker is posing as Rivas Jakara, from the Marta community on the southern continent. When he awakens, he explains to Dr. Berel that his abnormalities are genetic, and that his own physician, Dr. Crusher is familiar with them -- but she's on sabbatical. The doctors and hospital officials of the Sikla Medical Facility are not convinced. Dr. Berel decides to keep it quiet until they thoroughly check out his claims, but with a guard posted at his door "29 hours a day". The Malcorians are on the verge of possessing warp capabilities. Mirasta Yale, a scientist, presents her plans for a warp drive to Chancellor Avel Durken to get approval for funding, amid objections from the minister of security, Krola, who states that the people are frightened and confused by new technology. Ultimately, the chancellor agrees to fund the warp drive program. Later, Picard and Troi beam into Mirasta's lab as she is working, startling her. After introducing themselves, they inform her that they have been monitoring her progress with warp drive and now feel it is appropriate to make first contact with the Malcorians. In response to her natural skepticism, Picard offers her proof. Mirasta accepts, and they beam her back to the USS Enterprise-D with them. Mirasta Yale walks into Ten Forward and after seeing her homeworld from space begins to reminisce about her times in the planetarium when she was a nine-year-old. She had always wanted to know about other worlds and cultures. Captain Picard and Deanna Troi explain to Yale that they had been monitoring her planet for years, analyzing their popular culture, broadcast signals, and entertainment. Picard explains how the Federation also sends down observation teams to blend in with the culture. He reveals to Yale that the undercover observation teams have been gathering information on her species for years. Picard then tells Yale that Riker is missing on the planet somewhere near the capital city. Yale agrees to do whatever she can to find him. Yale states that the Malcorians' culture holds the belief of being superior in the galaxy and that it may be difficult to change that belief. Yale asks Picard not to discuss the missing Riker in front of Chancellor Durken and Krola, for fear that Krola will use him as a scapegoat in calling the warp project as a great threat to their culture and race. Back in the hospital, there is quite a stir. Doctor Berel is annoyed over the attention, but the nurse Tava says that it will be difficult to hold back the interest. Riker is being questioned in his room. Doctor Berel tells him that there is no Doctor Crusher on the planet. He accuses Riker of being a member of an alien species. Riker continues to deny the accusations; however, the doctor advises that he believes Riker is hiding something and that he cannot stay in hiding forever. Meanwhile, a busy Chancellor Durken reluctantly receives Yale to his office with Picard following behind. Durken is shocked over what he sees, and Yale suggests that Durken clear his afternoon schedule. Chancellor Durken is given a tour of the Enterprise and is brought to the bridge by Picard with Yale. Chancellor Durken and Yale both meet Commander Data as well, in awe of the android, a "constructed being" as Yale puts it. After the captain and the chancellor leave them to speak privately to one another, Data informs Yale that there is still no word from Commander Riker. In Captain Picard's ready room, Picard offers Durken wine from his brother's vineyard. Picard proposes a toast to the new friendship between the Federation and the Malcorians. Durken does not completely trust Picard's overtures of friendship, and he perceives it as a prelude to attack from an interstellar conqueror. Durken asks what Picard will do if the chancellor asks them never to return to his planet. Picard says that they will respect his wishes and stay away. Picard explains the Prime Directive after Durken asks why the Federation would not offer their superior technology to his people. Picard says that it would be irresponsible and destructive. Durken agrees and goes back to his family on the planet, deciding to tell his children that he had a good day. Back in the hospital, Riker is attempting to escape where he encounters a nurse named Lanel, who tells him he cannot escape due to the guards outside. Lanel asks if Riker is an alien. When he says no, she does not believe him. Lanel offers to let Riker escape to his spaceship in space, but only if he would make love to her. Riker says no, but Lanel insists, eager to learn how Humans make love. "I can't wait to learn", she eagerly says. Lanel fulfills her part of the bargain, distracting a guard by saying she thinks Riker is dead. Lanel asks if she will ever see Riker again. Riker says "I'll call you the next time I pass through your star system." He runs into several people who stop his escape and begin to beat him. The beating exacerbates the injury to his kidney and he begins bleeding internally. Doctor Berel, growing tired of the escalation in violence, instructs his staff to contact central security and to escort Riker back to his room for surgery. Krola, Yale, Chancellor Durken, and a member of their staff are having a meeting regarding what to do in regard to first contact with the Federation. Krola believes that Yale and Chancellor Durken are being naive and that the reforms Yale and Durken are making are destroying the Malcorian culture. After stating that Krola is overreacting and that Captain Picard has no intention of conquering the planet, Krola says that they do not have to since Durken and Yale are willing to give over their planet with open arms. In order to further drive home his point, Krola says that he has captured a spy -- Commander Riker. Yale then explains how the captured man is Captain Picard's first officer, and that she instructed Picard not to discuss Riker with Durken. Durken then angrily demands all the information that Yale was keeping from him. Krola arrives at the Sikla Medical Facility to interrogate Commander Riker. Yale pleads to contact the Enterprise to help Riker. Krola asks Doctor Berel to revive Commander Riker using drugs that would increase his heart rate and vascular pressure, but Berel refuses, citing an analog to the Hippocratic Oath that he will "do no harm". Krola then says that he will find someone else to replace Berel. At their next meeting, a deeply concerned Chancellor Durken confronts Captain Picard with Commander Riker's discovery on the planet when Picard arrives in Durken's office. Picard explains that when Starfleet met with the Klingons, contact was "disastrous" and decades of war resulted. After that, the Federation decided that surveillance of this nature was necessary. He assures Durken that in time, full disclosure of the surveillance would have been made. Picard had hoped that his crew would have found Commander Riker before the Malcorians did, because the Malcorians most likely would have reacted negatively to the Federation's arrival. Durken is pleased with Picard's forthrightness, and comforted by the fact that he makes mistakes. Durken informs Picard that he will make a decision later regarding Riker. Back in the medical facility, Krola relieves Berel as medical director and locates Dr. Nilrem, who agrees to revive Riker. Once Riker is revived, Krola asks to be left alone with him. Krola agrees to bring Riker's people to the hospital, but only after he answers his questions. Chancellor Durken is furious with Yale, stating that he would have asked for her resignation if it weren't for her vast expertise in space travel. Durken says that he is prepared to release Riker to Picard once he has been questioned, but Yale states that Riker condition is extremely grave, and he might not survive interrogation. Krola demands to know why a race of peaceful people would have such lethal weapons, while holding Riker's phaser. Riker explains that the weapon is only used for defense, but Krola does not believe him. Krola says that he must force Durken to keep him from forging an accord with the Federation. Krola then places the phaser in Riker's hands and fires it into his own chest, hoping to die as a martyr. Riker passes out again as Nilrem and Tava enter the room; they believe that Riker has shot Krola and that the security minister is going to die. Doctor Crusher, Worf, and Martinez materialize in the hospital room at this point to rescue Riker. She reports Krola's condition and that she will need to beam him up as well. Picard, who is in Durken's office, receives word of this and says that he will meet them on the Enterprise. Durken accompanies him. Crusher reports that Riker was stabilized and that they saved him just in time. Krola is fine as well, because the phaser was only set on stun, but Beverly is able to ascertain that his injury was self-inflicted. Upon regaining consciousness, he weakly begs Durken once more not to trust the aliens. In Captain Picard's ready room, Chancellor Durken regretfully declines Picard's offer for first contact, and agrees to delay the development of warp technology in order to allow the Malcorians more time to prepare themselves. Picard agrees, though he expresses sorrow that he will not be able to learn more about the Malcorian society. He asks Durken how they will keep the alien contact a secret. Durken says that even though stories of a government conspiracy will circulate for many years, they will pass in time. As a final request, Yale requests that Picard take her with him. Picard agrees, and summons Worf to escort Chancellor Durken to the transporter room and to assign quarters to Administrator Yale. Picard bids Durken a friendly farewell, hoping that they will meet again someday to continue their friendship. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Starbase 313 in order to pick up some equipment to transport to the Guernica system. At the starbase, Dr. Leah Brahms, comes on board to study the engine modifications Geordi La Forge has made. Dr. Brahms was responsible for most of the engine design on the Enterprise, when the ship was built at Utopia Planitia. La Forge, however, previously met Dr. Brahms in a holodeck simulation, in order to get the ship out of trouble, and has also had some romantic experience with the computer-simulated female. When Captain Picard informs La Forge of Dr. Brahms' arrival and asks him to greet the Doctor on the Enterprise's behalf, La Forge is more than happy, hoping that he and the "real" Brahms might become romantically involved. Later, in talking to Guinan, he insists that he is not expecting anything more than friendship. But once Ensign Hubbel beams Dr. Brahms  aboard, she skips the greeting and immediately insults La Forge by accusing him of having "fouled up [her] engine designs." La Forge takes Dr. Brahms through engineering as she proceeds to remark on his extensive engine modifications including the matter/antimatter ratio, magnetic plasma transfer, and a completely new swap-out schedule for replacement of main components. She calls them "not per regulations" but La Forge explains that they were necessary from experience; the classic tug-of-war between theory and application. On the bridge, Data informs Riker that the sensors are picking up some strange readings in the nearby Alpha Omicron system, which was then still unexplored by Starfleet. Riker decides that they should investigate, since "we're way ahead of schedule." Back down in engineering, La Forge tries to get along with Dr. Brahms, reminding her that "There is no reason for us to argue, we're on the same side here." To reach a better understanding, he proposes "Why don't I take you on a little tour, show you the adjustments I made, why I think they work and we can begin pulling together on this?" La Forge then shuts down the warp core in order to show the dilithium chamber to Brahms. She immediately notices the dilithium crystal's orientation different than designed. La Forge accidentally reminds her why, but that was her hologram a year ago, and goes into the full explanation. He doesn't claim the full credit for the idea, but doesn't go further than that. La Forge then suggests that the two meet later in order to "plan out our agenda for the next day or two." Brahms agrees to meet with La Forge in his quarters at 1900 hours, maybe to have a bite to eat -- he claims that he can make a great fungilli. Brahms tells that she loves fungilli and smiles for the first time since she has arrived on the ship. The ship then arrives at the Alpha Omicron System and the crew are starting to investigate the source of the strange energy readings the ship's sensors previously picked up. They learn that a lifeform is orbiting the seventh planet of the system. A lifeform, that is, as Picard tells Troi, "just to live between the stars, and have the entire galaxy as a home." While the ship analyzes the lifeform, it probes the ship, suddenly starts to attack it, and captures it in "an energy damping field." All of the crew's attempts to free themselves fail, and then the computer announces: "Radiation levels at 300 millirads per minute and rising. Lethal exposure in one minute." Forced to act quickly, Picard orders phasers be fired at the creature, at minimum power. But even at minimum power, the phaser fire is strong enough to kill the creature, and ruin Picard's efforts to initiate peaceful relations with a new species. Almost stunned by the accident, Picard wants to retreat to his ready room, as Data starts picking up some energy reading from the lifeform -- a reading which may suggest that the creature is still alive. Meanwhile, La Forge goes into great efforts to prepare himself and his quarters for Brahms' arrival -- he struggles to teach the computer what a "cozy" light intensity is, tries to choose a good ambient music and gets into casual wear, since "uniforms are so formal." Brahms arrives on time, and they start to talk. She admits, that she is often very possessive about her engine designs -- "it's like they are your children." She tells that she doesn't want to be that way but sometimes she simply feels better with engine schematics than with people. La Forge understands, and Brahms also sympathizes with him. When La Forge tries to continue and get dinner, she cuts him off and tells him that she doesn't think it would be appropriate if she stayed -- and abruptly leaves. Back on the bridge, Data, Riker and Picard analyze the new energy reading from the body of the creature, and conclude that it is a second lifeform -- a child. Picard states that it was no wonder that the parent lifeform attacked the ship because "it was about to give birth." Worf, Crusher, Counselor Troi, Riker and Picard meet in the Observation Lounge to discuss what to do. Dr. Crusher suggests, that the child may not be able to free itself from the body of the parent being. Riker then proposes using the ship's phasers as a scalpel to perform a Caesarean section. Worf advises against this, claiming that the child may be a threat to the ship, just as was the parent. Picard agrees, but reminds him that they have accidentally killed the parent, and so they are now responsible for the survival of the child. The next morning in engineering, Brahms and La Forge go through a list of discrepancies which Brahms has found in the engine modifications. They crawl into some Jefferies tubes in order to inspect the power transfer conduits. Brahms quickly notices that the sound of the engines is not correct, and La Forge shows her the cause: he has added a so-called mid-range phase adjuster. Brahms is quite overwhelmed by this technical refinement and tells La Forge that he should write a scientific paper on it, as she feels that this improvement should be shared. La Forge refuses and claims that he isn't good at writing. Instead, he proposes, that "we could collaborate. Writing is one of your strong points." When Brahms hears that, it's the last straw in a series of familiar comments he has made. She directly asks him how he knows her so well. He lies, and claims that he admired her work and so he studied her for years and is a great fan of her -- and wanted to meet her a long time ago. Brahms realizes that La Forge is seriously interested in her, and tells him that he should know that she is married -- one fact about her of which La Forge had not been aware. Later, in Ten Forward, a depressed La Forge plays a game of chess with Guinan, and speaks his mind. He says that he is quite disappointed in the 'real' Leah Brahms, as the holographic simulation of her was so very different, saying to Guinan that the real Brahms is as friendly as a Circassian plague cat. Guinan points out that the computer may have been able to give the holo-Brahms personality from her Starfleet records, but when it came to the relationship, "you filled in the blanks. And you had a perfectly wonderful, marvelous little fantasy." She advises him that he should take a good look at her, and see for who she really is, and not for what he may want her to be. On the bridge, the crew perform the procedure, and place an incision in the dead body of the parent, clearing the way for the child creature. This creature then makes its way out of the body, and the captain is very relieved. The crew make sure that the child being is okay, and then set to resume their course to Starbase 313. Riker suggests, that "it might be wise to put some distance between us before we go to warp." Picard agrees and orders the ship to be moved away from the newborn at a gentle velocity. The newborn however, starts to follow the ship, then softly lands on the rearmost upper surface of the Enterprise's primary hull and adheres itself there, not letting off it. Troi reveals that it now thinks that the Enterprise is its mother. Ensign Rager increases the ship's speed, but the creature just won't let go. Ultimately, it attaches itself more firmly to the hull of the Enterprise and starts draining the ship's power directly from the fusion reactors. Again, Troi has the answer: "It's feeding off the energy from the Enterprise as it would from its mother." Picard decides that they should not try and remove the child from the hull by force. In the observation lounge, the crew discuss what action to take. Data states that he may be able to determine the destination of the parent being -- Dr. Crusher claims that "perhaps it was on its way to provide a safe and supportive environment to its newborn." The captain decides to head for this destination, and to leave the child alone there. Dr. Brahms, who is part of the discussion, suggests that Junior could be removed from the hull by opening the door to shuttle bay two. The pressure from inside the bay might push the child away from the hull, as it is nearly completely covering the bay door. The captain agrees to this plan. On their way to engineering, La Forge and Dr. Brahms discuss how they could fit the engines for continually rising demands of power of the child-lifeform. Dr. Brahms asks La Forge whether there is a complete list of the modifications he has made. Captain Picard then summons La Forge to the bridge. La Forge asks Dr. Brahms to proceed to engineering alone, and tells her that Ensign Pavlik can show her the computer file which contains the list with the engine modifications. There she discovers the holographic simulation in which La Forge met her for the first time. When La Forge returns to engineering and Pavlik tells him that Dr. Brahms has gone to the holodeck, he immediately runs away to intercept her. He arrives too late, and Dr. Brahms has already seen most of the program. She is outraged by what she has seen and shouts angrily at La Forge. He claims that nothing intimate happened and insists that it was just a professional collaboration. Ultimately, he lets loose and tells Dr. Brahms what he really thinks about her: "Alright, look -- ever since you came on board you've been badgering me -- and I've taken it! I've shown you courtesy, respect and a hell of a lot of patience." He says angrily that he regrets having offered her his friendship, and leaves the puzzled Dr. Brahms alone in the holodeck. Meanwhile on the bridge, Data has managed to determine the destination of the parent being, an asteroid belt. Picard immediately orders Rager to take them there. Upon their arrival, Data suggests that some chemical compounds in the asteroid field may provide sustenance for this lifeform and that the child would have a good supply of food there. Now in shuttle bay two, La Forge opens the external door and deactivates the atmospheric force field -- but the child does not let go of the hull. Instead, it increases its power drain and starts emitting radio transmissions to communicate with other beings of its species. Riker orders main power to be shut down to compensate for the increasing power drain of the child, and an emergency level 7. Three other creatures in the asteroid belt immediately head for the Enterprise -- leaving some ten minutes until intercept. Down in engineering, the crew is desperate to find a way to get the child-creature to detach itself off of the ship's hull. Dr. Brahms shows up, and tells La Forge that she has an idea. She suggests that they need to look for a way to "sour the milk." However, since the ship is already running on auxiliary power only, this plan seems impossible to accomplish at first. But then La Forge has an idea and suggests adding "vinegar" to the baby's milk. Since all matter in space vibrates in a 21 centimeter radiation band, he suggests that they could try and "alter the power frequency so that it's completely foreign to the baby's natural vibrations." Dr. Brahms agrees and La Forge informs the bridge that he and Dr. Brahms together have a plan. They make the necessary preparations and implement the plan. Dr. Brahms lowers the wavelength down to 2 cm, but the lifeform's power drain is unaffected. After taking the wavelength down to 0.2 cm, the creature begins to drain more and more power, and notifies the other creatures, which immediately accelerate their approach and prepare to attack the Enterprise. However, when Dr. Brahms lowers the wavelength even further to 0.02 cm, the child disengages and is welcomed by the other creatures, which cease their plans to attack the ship. Riker orders main power to be restored and the ship piloted away. Picard then complements La Forge and Brahms for having "weaned the baby." Down in engineering, the two look at each other and congratulate each other for their cooperation. Having struck up an authentic friendship, Brahms and La Forge share a drink in Ten Forward, laugh and speak their minds, La Forge noting that "the computer is notorious for not volunteering information!" She apologizes for being so impolite, saying, "I wouldn't change a thing. Except for the way I behaved." He apologizes for having lied to her and admits that he's glad "to know you. The real you." They agree to remain friends. A message from her husband then summons Dr. Brahms and she walks out of Ten Forward while La Forge sits alone, looking out into space. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is given orders to find a lost Starfleet vessel, the USS Brattain. They come upon the ship adrift in an unexplored binary star system. Beaming on board, an away team finds the entire crew murdered, except for a Betazoid, Andrus Hagan, the Brattain's scientific advisor who is catatonic. In sickbay, Doctor Beverly Crusher informs Captain Picard that some of the Brattain's crew were found barricaded in their quarters, some who obviously fought hand-to-hand. They identify Hagan, but Counselor Troi cannot get through to him. As Crusher and Picard leave, however, she then hears him describe voices "out there." Data, Geordi La Forge and Commander Riker unsuccessfully try to figure out the engine malfunctions aboard the Brattain so the ship can get to the nearest starbase. Crusher reports to Picard in his ready room that there is no indication of a psychological or physiological disease based on the autopsies of the crew, leaving the growing madness on board the Brattain, as detailed in the last log entry of Captain Chantal Zaheva, unexplained. She had her first officer, Commander Brink "eliminated" through suspicion of mutiny. All 34 of the crew killed each other, with no alien presence. In the meantime, Counselor Troi has entered a rather intense dream. Spoken to by an unidentified voice, she asks the speaker "Where are you?". The voice repeats the phrases "eyes in the dark" and "one moon circles," as Troi is drawn toward two lights that are reminiscent of the binary star system in which the Enterprise is currently stationed. With little progress, Picard decides to tow the Brattain to Starbase 220. Unfortunately, now the Enterprise crew begins to experience her own problems, marked by an inexplicable increase in irritability and fatigue. On the Brattain, La Forge has to reassure a crewman who apparently heard some noises when no one was there, acknowledging that the 34 dead people found aboard would make anyone uneasy. And on the Enterprise, conflict is spreading all over the ship; when Keiko O'Brien enters the O'Briens' quarters, she and Miles quarrel, during which Miles displays a great deal of envy towards one of his wife's co-workers, Tom Corbin. Miles leaves their quarters and enters Ten Forward, where he is warned by Chief Gillespie about the current events. O'Brien brushes the warning off, dismissing it as "ghost stories". In the meantime, Picard is in his ready room when the door chimes. He says, "Come," several times but no one enters, and yet the chimes repeat. He finally goes to the door and sees no one there. The door continues to chime and finally someone knocks. At the door are Troi and Crusher. They say that the occurrences of violence aboard the Enterprise are continuing to escalate. Captain Picard gives the order for the ship to retreat to a safe distance from the Brattain, only to find that all energy expended by the ship's engines is drained by the anomaly, rendering the ship unable to move like the Brattain. The Enterprise is now adrift for awhile, and will not get assistance for two weeks. In the observation lounge, Data reports that it is actually trapped inside a space-time anomaly known as a Tyken's Rift, named after a Melthusian named Bela Tyken who had escaped a similar rift by detonating his cargo of anicium and yurium. However, they don't have the energy to reproduce the situation. Furthermore, there weren't any cases of unusual conduct among their crew. Picard and Riker talk in the turbolift while going to the Bridge and Riker says that sometimes he feels like someone is in his quarters, waiting for him. With grave importance on keeping their faculties intact, Picard relieves Riker for a few hours, telling him to get a nap. Riker obeys but as soon as he leaves and the door shuts, Picard thinks the turbolift ceiling is coming down on him. The door opens and the crew see him screaming. It's only a hallucination, but it's enough to make him feel that he needs Data for their continued survival while they try to find a solution to leave the Tyken's rift. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher is taking brain tissue scans of the dead Brattain personnel in the morgue, with the intention of comparing them to a random cross-section of the crew. As she does so, she fights off the hallucination that the bodies are moving and even sitting up. Later, in Picard's ready room, Dr. Crusher hypothesizes that the rampant outbreaks of violence aboard both ships are due to lack of rapid-eye movement sleep, leading to fatigue, loss of concentration, extreme irritability, hostility and ultimately, insanity. However, this is not being caused by the Tyken's Rift. Crusher noted that Troi can sleep, and Troi notes that she is the only person aboard the ship who continues to be able to dream, perhaps due to her unique telepathic abilities, but that all of her dreams are nightmares. She believes the crew will eventually meet the same fate as the Brattain. Troi, fatigued due to her nightmares, continues to listen to Hagan without any more information. She remarks to Dr. Crusher about the contrary situation the Betazoids and Humans have, but still with a dire ending. She takes a break to go to the bridge. Data and La Forge in Engineering signal to the bridge to execute their earlier plan of using a deflector burst to disrupt the Tyken's Rift. La Forge is losing his concentration, so Data helps him out. However, though it is unsuccessful since the energy was still absorbed into the Rift. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew are behaving irrationally. Gillespie expresses desire to fight instead of waiting until he meets the Brattain's fate. Worf feels so helpless after the deflector burst attempt that he tries to commit suicide in his quarters. He feels that he is no longer a warrior because he is afraid of whatever is causing their sleeplessness. Troi fortunately runs to his quarters and manages to convince him to put the knife down, telling him that whatever is tormenting them is just an illusion.  He agrees to go to sickbay, and it is a sign of the bizarre atmosphere aboard the ship, to see the hulking Klingon warrior being led by the hand like a frightened child by the diminutive Betazoid. Data has assumed command of the Enterprise since Picard, like most of the crew, cannot function. Fortunately, Troi has a breakthrough with Hagan, and reports to Picard in his ready room that she thinks there are aliens trying to communicate telepathically because they are trapped. Data says it's plausible there's another ship in the rift, and, if so, they could free themselves by working together to create an explosion. At the bridge science station, Data investigates elements to use for creating an explosion, though Troi realizes one of her message "one moon circles" refers to a hydrogen atom. If the Enterprise releases hydrogen toward the other ship, and Troi sends the message to act, they could produce the necessary explosion. Troi goes to sickbay to be put to sleep; Data says she only has two minutes to send the message. Data prepares the release, and assumes the role of acting captain of the Enterprise when he finds Picard slow to respond, ejecting the hydrogen into the space immediately in front of the ship through the Bussard collectors. To get more power, Data orders all crew to go to designated emergency shelter areas so unoccupied parts of the ship can be taken off of life support. The crew in Ten Forward think the situation is an experiment and want to mutiny, led by Gillespie. Guinan realizes that something might happen and calls security. As soon as security enters, a fight breaks out. Guinan takes a weapon from behind Ten Forward's bar she acquired from Magus III and fires it into the ceiling. The shock value of the sight is enough in stopping the fight. Just after there is no longer sufficient power to maintain the hydrogen stream leaving the Bussard collectors, an explosion erupts in front of the ship, indicating that Troi was successful. Power and life support are restored to normal, allowing the Enterprise and the alien vessel to escape the rift, although the Brattain is apparently left behind. As his last duty as acting captain, Data orders Picard and the rest of the crew to their quarters to sleep. Data leads the Enterprise to Starbase 220. 
<EOS>
In the observation lounge, Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Geordi La Forge, and Susanna Leijten are viewing a sensor log from an investigation Leijten and La Forge were part of five years ago, while attached to the USS Victory. They were investigating the disappearance of 49 colonists from the Tarchannen III outpost. The other members of the Victory away team, Brevelle, Mendez, and Hickman, have now deserted their posts without any warning. A Federation supply ship has spotted Hickman's stolen shuttle and it is heading back to Tarchannen III. Leijten and La Forge are the only two remaining members of the Victory away team not to have disappeared. La Forge and Leijten go to Ten Forward to reminisce about their days on the Victory and catch up with events, such as Leijten discussing on how she almost married Paul Bogrow, a man she could barely stand. Helmsman Graham reports that they have entered the Tarchannen system, where the crew finds the shuttle. Worf hails the shuttle but Hickman doesn't respond. The shuttle approaches the planet too fast and burns up in the atmosphere. Sensors detect two more shuttlecraft on the surface, but no life signs. Picard orders an away team to investigate. On the surface, the away team discovers the shuttle Cousteau, which Mendez stole from the USS Aries. While La Forge checks out the shuttle, Leijten finds strange footprints in the sand, and she moves toward them for a closer look. Worf tells Riker he has a feeling they are being watched. La Forge returns with chilling evidence: a torn Starfleet uniform. La Forge notices that Leijten is missing. The other members of the team spread out to look for her. When La Forge follows some footsteps in the sand, he finds her staring blankly into the darkness. She claims she can feel the missing crew's presence. She starts to shake violently, screaming, as La Forge calls up a medical emergency beam-out. Leijten wakes up in a bed in sickbay. Dr. Beverly Crusher reports that her blood chemistry is off and that she's had a histamine response to something she can't identify. Leijten feels compelled to return to the surface but Crusher orders her to stay on the Enterprise until she can find out what is wrong. Leijten protests, but Picard confirms the order. Leijten and La Forge are walking in the corridor when Leijten's hands start to tremble. She expresses the fear that whatever is happening to the away team members is happening to her. On the bridge, Data examines evidence collected from the survey. He has found some alien cells that don't belong to any known Tarchanen lifeform. While Data attempts to find a match for the cells and footprints, La Forge and Leijten decide to go through the mission log to see if there is any commonality they missed that would make the crew return to Tarchanen III to be abducted. As they examine the logs, Leijten becomes agitated and demands to go back to the surface. As she leaves, she begins to shake uncontrollably and collapses as he and Lt. Wallace rush over to help. La Forge notices a strange blue growth pattern on the back of her neck and that her fingers have grown together. Leijten is in sickbay with the lights dark, as she has developed an extreme sensitivity to light. The strange growth patterns now cover most of her body. La Forge comes to visit and comfort her. Crusher discovers that Leijten's cells have now changed to match the alien cells found on the surface. Crusher theorizes that the missing crew were not abducted, but transformed into a different species. Crusher informs La Forge that he will most likely be next and that he should stay in sickbay. He insists that he needs to work on the investigation and leaves, recommending that the computer monitor him. He returns to engineering and begins to thoroughly examine the logs again. He runs several scans on the data, but nothing comes up. Data arrives to ask about his progress and if he can help, but La Forge is exasperated and says he just needs to go over it again. Meanwhile, Leijten's body makes more drastic changes. Alyssa Ogawa shows Crusher that her body can simulate light in a radiant reaction. Furthermore, her body temperature dropped drastically, despite the T-cell inhibitors. Crusher tries to scan her, but the readings are faint. She orders a full genetic analysis. La Forge then notices a slight shadow on the visual log that he cannot identify. He tells the computer to create a holoprogram based on the sensor log data. As he goes to the holodeck he notices that his hand has begun to tremble as well. In the holodeck, La Forge uses the computer to remove people and their shadows from the simulation until only the strange shadow is left. He then uses vector analysis to determine the location of the object causing the shadow. He is shocked to discover a human-sized invisible shape. He then slumps down in pain. The same physical changes that Leijten experienced are starting to happen in his body. In sickbay, Crusher and Ogawa have found a parasite in Leijten's thymus which is transforming her body. Not like a normal parasite, it's using Leijten's immune system to propagate genetic changes to match its own. They have to act quickly, while there is still DNA intact, to help reverse the damage. Martinez comes to assist in the procedure. Dr. Crusher operates on Leijten and removes the parasite in time. She begins to return to normal. She tries to find La Forge, but he has disappeared. The computer reveals the last location of La Forge and Picard sends Worf, Riker and a security detail to the holodeck. When they arrive they see what La Forge saw, and Worf discovers a grisly scene: La Forge's torn uniform and his VISOR. Riker steps back as he gazes at the eerie image, thinking that this is what the chief engineer has become. In the transporter room an invisible shape attacks Hedrick, the transporter operator, overrides the transporter lock out and beams to the surface.  During the beam-out, the image of what La Forge has transformed into, appears for the moment before the transport is complete. With less than an hour left before the transformation is complete, Data develops a method to detect the aliens using ultraviolet light from an emergency beacon, while Hedrick finds the transport location and Riker and Worf prepare their search method. Meanwhile, Leijten has come around, the changes in her hands and face reversed. She wants to find La Forge, and tells Crusher that the process was actually a method of reproduction, a metamorphosis; they multiply by infecting humanoids with the parasite. She also says she has to go with them to find him, as they won't be able to detect him without her. Crusher, Leijten, Riker, Worf, and Data beam down to the surface. They find the nearly transformed La Forge, along with the fully transformed creatures that were once Brevelle and Mendez. The latter two flee, but Leijten was able to talk with La Forge, breaking into the conflict between his humanity and the metamorphosis trying to win control.  Breaking through the fear, he reached out and grabbed Leijten's hand and the two embraced, allowing Crusher to beam both of them to sickbay. On the Enterprise, Crusher is able to save La Forge, but sadly it's far too late to save Brevelle and Mendez. Based on his own experience, he reports that the creatures are unintelligent: operating entirely on instinct. He turns to Leijten and notes that he would not be able to recognize her voice in a matter of minutes.  Picard decides that the inhabitants of Tarchannen III should be isolated. He orders warning beacons placed around the planet and on the surface to warn others of the aliens there. La Forge thanks Leijten for her assistance in helping to find him. He remarks that while he was transformed, he had no idea who Leijten was but somehow he both believed and trusted her. "Must have been because of all the good advice I used to give you", she says. 
<EOS>
Reg Barclay and  Dr. Crusher perform a scene from Cyrano de Bergerac in the theater room before a handful of crew, including the senior officers. Crusher's performance is great as Cyrano's love interest but who is a woman already in love with another man, Cyrano's compatriot. But Barclay's performance, as Cyrano himself, complete with long prosthetic nose, is awkward, halting, and somewhat embarrassing to watch. Despite this lackluster performance, the crew present claps for both Crusher and Barclay. Data joins in after a quick question to Riker about why everyone is clapping and Riker's reply, "because it's polite." Troi compliments Barclay, saying it takes a lot of confidence to put himself out there and act, but Barclay doesn't feel too confident, awkwardly remaining on the play's set after everyone else has left. The USS Enterprise-D arrives at the Argus Array, a gigantic subspace telescope with reactors going critical. A huge amount of time is estimated for its repair, but of more pressing concern is the probe now holding station near the array, determined to be the cause of its malfunctions. Geordi La Forge is assigned to examine the probe using a shuttle, and he decides to take Barclay along to help. As the two conduct some unsuccessful scans, Barclay thanks La Forge for selecting him for the mission. La Forge assures Reg that he's one of his best engineers and deserves to get to the "interesting stuff" sometimes. Suddenly the probe emits a super-bright flash and knocks Barclay unconscious. The Enterprise tries to tow the probe with them back to a starbase to examine it. Barclay, in sickbay, awakens to the news from Crusher that the flash overloaded his optic nerves, and that was what knocked him unconscious; La Forge's VISOR must have filtered out the bright light. Dr. Crusher allows him to leave, but as he does Barclay, in an uncharacteristic show of self-confidence, makes a suggestion about how to get a read-out of his sero-aminos. Dr. Crusher brushes him off because she thinks that his suggestion is something that can be applied only to technology and not Human scans. Suddenly, the Enterprise goes to red alert. The probe is beginning to follow the Enterprise. An energy field starts to form around the probe and the Enterprise leaves it because the ship may not have the shield strength to withstand the intensity of the energy field. Barclay adjusts the phasers before La Forge can tell him to do so but they have no effect, and the ship will be badly damaged if they try firing photon torpedoes at such a close range. Picard orders Ensign Anaya to take the ship to warp two but as it becomes clear the ship won't outrun the probe, Picard asks for suggestions. Suddenly the Enterprise drops to impulse as Barclay has diverted the power to the shields without authorization which, using a new equation he's just thought up, have been reinforced by 300%. He tells Captain Picard to fire full photon torpedoes knowing that the shields will hold. Unsure, but with no other options, Picard gives Worf the command to fire and the probe is destroyed with no damage to the ship. Barclay apologizes for overstepping the bounds of authority to La Forge, but Geordi is more surprised than angry. Captain Picard calls a meeting in the observation lounge to discuss the repair of the Argus telescope. La Forge says that it would take approximately two to three weeks to repair the telescope. Barclay, who has been called into the meeting because of his recent success, suggests that they could repair all eighteen of the telescope's generators simultaneously, instead of one by one. Data says it would take seven weeks to implement Barclay's method, but everyone is incredulous when Barclay confidently says he can have it ready within two days. Barclay then rehearses another scene from Cyrano de Bergerac with Dr. Crusher. This time, his performance is so riveting that there are tears in Crusher's eyes and she momentarily forgets her own lines. Troi, who has been watching the scene, is also very surprised. She follows him to Ten Forward, where she tells him that he has improved greatly. Barclay tells Troi that he is aware that he has changed, and is full of confidence. He then makes a pass at Troi, who as counselor says that it would be inappropriate for them to have a romantic relationship. Barclay is still insistent that they take a walk in the arboretum, but Troi ends the conversation with, "Good night, Mr. Barclay." The next morning Barclay is late for the meeting that he called. He is in Holodeck 3 correcting a virtual Albert Einstein. La Forge says that something must have happened from the probe's light in order for him to have suddenly gained the confidence as well as the intelligence and takes Barclay to sickbay for an examination. Dr. Crusher is astounded by what she finds. Barclay's intellect has increased in all areas of study, eventually reaching hypercognitive levels. His new intelligence is caused by neurotransmitters hypersecreting in his brain. His corpus callosum is so active that the effect is as though the two hemispheres of his brain are fused. It's not just Barclay's raw intelligence that's been enhanced, as he is also exhibiting enhanced creativity, imagination and resourcefulness. Crusher says that Barclay must be the most advanced Human being ever to live. Barclay is not surprised at this. The senior officers are called into the ready room and they discuss how to take care of this new problem that is affecting Barclay. Picard decides that since nothing he has done has been menacing, Barclay will still be allowed to perform his duties, especially since he is needed to repair the Argus. La Forge is called to engineering because one of the Argus's reactors is about to overload. The crew try everything to stop the overload, and Barclay executes La Forge's commands before he can give them. Finally, Barclay decides he needs a newer, faster interface, so he goes to the holodeck to create a neural scan interface. The computer, however, does not have that kind of program on file. Barclay then instructs the computer how to build one. The Argus is seconds away from being overloaded and will take the Enterprise with it, but all of a sudden, the Argus reactors shut down. Riker asks the computer how the reactors shut down, but it is Reginald Barclay's voice which answers. Barclay interfaced with the computer is now running the functions on the Enterprise. In doing so, he locks out the main bridge from using the computer. Barclay now acts as the computer, and this causes discomfort among the crew. Barclay tells the senior officers why he did it. Picard instructs Barclay to remove himself from the computer at once, but Barclay says that his higher brain functions are now in the computer and that if he is removed from the computer, he will die. Picard calls an emergency meeting, and has La Forge disconnect the audio and visual nodules in the observation lounge so that the computer/Barclay cannot monitor their discussion. They decide that they need to bypass certain nodules so that Barclay does not continue to integrate himself into the computer any further. La Forge crawls into a Jefferies tube and tries to install an ODN bypass. Barclay asks why he is there, and La Forge lies about needing to do the level three diagnostic they discussed. They get on the topic of the change in Barcley which he believes it was a gift and he plans to do more for humanity.  Barclay is now trying new ways of travelling through space. Against Picard's orders, Barclay initiates a subspace distortion using the warp drive of the Enterprise. Troi elects to talk to him to try to put an end to all this. In the holodeck, she explains to Barclay that his actions have frightened the whole crew, which he rebuffs and likens their fears as young children being scared of the world.  He pleads with Troi to trust him but she warns him that Picard will do everything in his power to stop him, and leaves.  The beams over Barclay's head accelerate. The ship goes to red alert as La Forge is ready to install the bypass but Barclay comes on the comm and informs him that he is too late.  The bypass is blocked, meaning there is no way to stop his actions.  The Enterprise accelerates and moves towards the distortion. With all communication between the bridge and Barclay cut, Picard has no choice but to disconnect him from the computer.  He orders Worf to take a security team to carry it out. Worf and two security officers enter the holodeck with mere seconds before they reach the distortion.  A crewman tries to approach Barclay but is stopped by a force field.  Barclay informs Worf that he will not take his actions on him personally.  When phaser fire is blocked, all three of them are thrown to the floor as the Enterprise enters the distortion. Upon arriving, they realize they have traveled over thirty thousand light years, to the center of the galaxy. They then see that all functions and computer control are back to normal.  Just then, a Cytherian reveals himself to the bridge crew; he comments in fascination at their physiology and command structure. Barclay explains that the Cytherians are on a similar mission to that of the Enterprise, in that they want to explore the galaxy to learn. But instead of the Cytherians traveling away from their home, they bring those they are interested in to them. The probe they had encountered was the instrument of this "summons", but it ran afoul of incompatible Federation technology; however, it had been able to find a suitable vessel: Barclay himself. The crew then realizes they are in no danger, as can be seen by Riker's grin. After ten days of exchanging information, which Picard notes will take Federation scholars decades to fully analyze and appreciate, the Cytherians send the Enterprise back to Federation space and restore Barclay, who is left none the worse for his experience, to normal. Later, in Ten Forward, Barclay is with La Forge and Troi, and they are discussing how Barclay is back to his old self. Barclay can't help but feel a little let down, but Troi reassures him that many people experience moments in their life when they exceed their own limits, and that it is possible to carry something from that experience with them for the rest of their lives. La Forge then reminds Barclay that he's still a valued member of the crew, and asks for his help with the level 3 diagnostic. Reg appears cheerfully ready to get back to work, but Troi interrupts, telling him that he owed her a walk in the arboretum. It appears that Barclay is back to normal, as he is nervous about the walk in the arboretum, but he goes up to a pair of officers playing three-dimensional chess, and tells them how to force mate in nine moves. Troi exclaims that she did not know Barclay played chess, and Barclay, in his nervous voice, states that he doesn't. 
<EOS>
The entire senior staff of the USS Enterprise-D is attending a lecture on archaeology, presented by Jean-Luc Picard. It is held in orbit over Tagus III, a planet with extensive archeological ruins that have been closed off to any excavations or study for a number of years. Picard is nervously reviewing his speech when Counselor  Troi walks in and reassures him that his speech is fine and he should get some sleep. When Picard returns to his quarters and dims the lights, one light remains on, shining on a horga'hn sitting on his table. When he picks it up, Vash reveals herself and they passionately kiss. Vash and the captain discuss why she is at Tagus III over tea the next morning. Vash's responses are vague, not admitting to being a member of the archeology council, but Picard is pleased to see her. Then, Doctor Crusher arrives unexpectedly. Picard is caught off-guard and stammers when introducing Vash. Beverly is surprised that Jean-Luc never mentioned that he met Vash while on vacation on Risa. Crusher offers to give her a tour while Picard is busy. Picard reluctantly agrees, and Vash promises to "behave herself." Crusher takes her to Ten Forward and, while getting them drinks, Commander Riker tries to make a pass at her. She turns the tables on him completely and introduces herself, but is disturbed that neither Riker nor Crusher knew of her or of the captain meeting her on Risa. Riker agrees to continue her tour, which takes them to the bridge, where she runs into Picard again and promises to see him at the reception later. At the reception, it is obvious that no one in Picard's crew knew of her or her involvement with the captain, particularly when even the ship's counselor knew nothing about Vash. She confronts Picard about this. He insists that it wasn't appropriate for him to discuss their involvement, but she accuses him of being embarrassed by her presence. Picard returns to the bridge and angrily goes straight to his ready room, where Q is waiting for him, sitting at his chair reading his speech on a PADD. Q reveals that he has come to repay his debt to Picard for helping him when he was stripped of his powers a year prior. Picard tells Q that leaving would be repayment enough, but Q insists that he has to do something to actually help the captain. After refusing Q's offers to help him with his speech, take him to the Taguan ruins, and take him to the ruins back before the official sanctions were in place billions of years before, Q vanishes. Picard informs Riker that Q is around and wants to do something 'nice'. Riker tells Picard he'll alert the crew. Picard goes to visit Vash and apologize, but when he enters her quarters he finds maps of the ruins and mining equipment. When he confronts her about her habit of robbing archaeological sites, Vash states it's simply who she is and she can't change that. Picard agrees with the sentiment and they say they have nothing more to say to each other. Picard leaves, but we see Q stick his head in through the wall. Q confronts Picard in his quarters while he is trying to sleep, gloating because he finally figured out why he noticed something different about Picard, then reveals that he observed Picard's "spat" with Vash and regrets not appearing as a female initially. He warns Picard that love is dangerous and offers to get rid of Vash for him. Picard reacts strongly and Q brings up his debt again, which Picard dismisses. Q vanishes. At the speech the next day, the senior staff are all sitting in the back row as Picard starts speaking. Something is wrong however: Dr. Crusher and Troi acquire triangular hats, Commander Riker suddenly is holding a quarterstaff, and Data acquires a monastic robe. The changes cause a buzz in the audience and when Picard stops speaking, he is suddenly wearing a period costume and they all vanish and reappear in a woodland. The senior staff quickly recognize that they've been cast in the guise of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and identify Q as the culprit. Before they can guess further, a noble figure arrives with troops and confronts them. Worf attacks him and is wounded, while the others retreat into the forest. After eluding their attackers, Q arrives in the guise of the Sheriff of Nottingham and explains that he set all of this up and it is quite real and beyond his control, except that Maid Marian will be executed unless Robin comes to save her. Picard realizes that Vash has been drafted by Q to play the role of Marian. In the castle, Vash is angry and confused, ignoring her lady in waiting who assumes she is ill and insulting Sir Guy of Gisbourne. He asks once again if she will marry him, and she slaps him hard across the face. Sir Guy is about to storm out of the room but mentions her execution. After that revelation, she becomes more amiable to him. Back in the forest, some of the crew try to fit into their roles with mixed success, including Data being accidentally shot with an arrow by Troi. The captain tells Riker that he will attempt to rescue Vash on his own, despite Riker's protests. At the castle, Q is surprised and frustrated at Vash and Sir Guy being so agreeable to each other. When Sir Guy dismisses her back to her chamber, we see Captain Picard disguised as a hooded worker in the castle. Back in her room, Picard climbs in through Vash's window and briefly explains the situation. However, Vash is reluctant to escape with him when she hears he has come alone. She says she will stay and marry Sir Guy if it comes to it, but Picard picks her up to carry her. When guards burst in, she pulls his sword on him, causing his capture. Q looks on in amusement. That night, Vash calls her maid in and tells her to deliver a letter to Robin's men in Sherwood forest. The maid is reluctant and stalls until Q interrupts and reveals that he is intrigued by Vash's actions, leading her to deduce his identity. Then he reads her letter to Picard's crew and compliments her for her duplicity, admitting she fooled him. Despite saying she's worth further study, he calls the guards and declares Vash will be executed. On the morning of the execution, Vash and Picard go to the block arguing about who was more foolish in their actions. Q asks Picard if he's learned anything and Picard demands Q set Vash free. While all of this is going on, it is revealed that Data, La Forge, and Riker have disguised themselves and are in the watching crowd. La Forge declares that there are too many guards and Riker asks Data for a diversion. Data removes a component from his wrist and tosses it into a nearby torch. Meanwhile, Sir Guy calls for the execution to proceed. Momentarily shocked that Q is going to allow it to go on, Picard places his head on the block. Just as the headsman is going to bring the axe down, however, the torch explodes and the Enterprise crew attacks. Picard gets drawn into a duel with Sir Guy, eventually defeating him and going to the tower to find Vash. Picard calls for an end to the charade and Q appears and congratulates him on his performance, assuring him that his crew are all fine, but berates him for allowing Vash to expose negative qualities in him. Vash disagrees, saying it brought out the best in the captain. Q dismisses them back to the Enterprise, though Vash is nowhere to be found on the ship. Returning to his ready room, Vash appears in safari garb and explains to Picard that she and Q had things to discuss and that Q had proved he still cared about her. When Picard asks where she's going next, Q appears and reveals that they've decided to partner with each other. Picard objects, listing Q's negative qualities, then realizes that Q and Vash are more alike than he'd realized. Picard tells Q that he can repay his debt by guaranteeing Vash's safety. Q agrees, then leaves to give them a moment to say goodbye. Vash and the captain kiss, say goodbye, and Vash vanishes. 
<EOS>
On stardate 44769.2, a dilithium chamber hatch explodes aboard the USS Enterprise-D and sabotage is suspected. The explosion coincides with news that the Romulans have gained access to information about the Enterprise's dilithium articulation frame, indicating that there is a spy on board. A quick investigation turns up one suspect -- a Klingon exchange officer named J'Dan, but upon being interrogated by Riker and Troi, he denies any involvement.  As Worf escorts him to his quarters, J'Dan asks for aid as a fellow Klingon. Worf angrily rebuffs him and tells him that once the Klingon High Council learns of the incident, J'Dan will be put to a slow death as a traitor. With little progress in the investigation, Starfleet Command sends retired Admiral Norah Satie and her assistants -- including Sabin Genestra, who is a Betazoid -- to expedite the proceedings. She gets right to work, and Picard escorts her to engineering, where Geordi La Forge and Data relate their findings on the explosion and play back the sensor log. It initially appears to be sabotage, as all logs indicated normal operations before the incident and the articulation frame was indeed the culprit. She sees there is something to investigate, and wants a full briefing. Later, as Satie and Picard talk in his ready room, Worf arrives with his finding of J'Dan's hypospray in his room, modified to scan and resequence classified information into biological tags for transport on an injected body; J'Dan covers this by the fact that he has Ba'ltmasor Syndrome, which requires weekly injections and, thus, would easily hide the transfer of information. With this evidence against him, J'Dan admits to being a Romulan spy, but adamantly maintains his innocence in the explosion. However, Satie is still unsatisfied, and Sabin says he believes J'Dan is now telling the truth; they are convinced that J'Dan could not have been working alone. In the admiral's quarters, Satie and Picard discuss the current situation with J'Dan and his possible sabotage. Satie admits that when Starfleet ordered her to the Enterprise to participate in the investigation, it was expressly stated that she and the captain were to be equals. She was initially reluctant, as her father, Judge Aaron Satie, had always advised her to avoid partnerships. Picard expresses his admiration for Judge Satie's decisions, as those judgments were required reading when he attended the Academy. Satie states she and Picard will be quite a team. In the observation lounge, Genestra and Worf look over the people J'Dan had contact with on the Enterprise but the Klingon apparently did not make many friends on board, narrowing their search of possible collaborators. Genestra compliments Worf on his thorough investigation. However, Genestra tells him that he and Satie initially suspected he could have possibly been a security risk due to his father Mogh having been declared a traitor for betraying his people to the Romulans. Worf strongly declares that what his father did or did not do is no one's business but his own. Genestra assures Worf that he has the admiral and his complete confidence. Worf assuredly states, "If there is a conspiracy on board, I promise you I will find it." With that, he begins arranging interviews. Admiral Satie then begins an inquiry into all personnel and passengers on the Enterprise with whom J'Dan has come into contact during his stay. When she questions young medical technician Simon Tarses, she apparently has her man; her Betazoid assistant, Sabin Genestra senses great fear and guilt from Tarses, as if some sort of lie is consuming him, about which he refuses to come clean. Picard refuses to restrict Tarses's movements based on Betazoid intuition. Before a consensus can be reached he and Satie are called to engineering by La Forge and Data; the radiation levels preventing them from entering the chamber -- caused by the explosion -- have dropped low enough for them to enter safely, and their examination shows no foul play to have been involved. The explosion was caused by neutron fatigue along an undetectable defect in a hatch cover installed during the ship's last refit at Earth Station McKinley, making it an accident that just happened to coincide with the theft of the chamber's plans rather than sabotage. But this new development seems not to placate Satie or her assistants, who still believe Tarses was a co-conspirator with J'Dan. Another inquiry against Tarses is launched on stardate 44780, this time open to the public, and he is barraged with numerous accusations to try and establish his guilt, including a lie that the explosion was caused by corrosive chemicals to which he had had access, and the exposure of the lie Tarses himself tried to kept hidden -- that he put false information about his parentage in his admission form, stating that his grandfather was Vulcan when, in fact, he was Romulan. Overwhelmed, Tarses invokes the Seventh Guarantee of the Constitution of the United Federation of Planets to decline to answer further questions to avoid self-incrimination, on the counsel of Commander Riker. The ruthlessness of the accusations convince Picard that Satie is engaging in a drumhead trial, going on a xenophobic witch-hunt for Romulans and other enemy conspirators. After talking with Tarses and establishing that his lying on his application was his only misdeed, Picard confronts Satie and demands that the hearings be put to rest, threatening to go over her head and complain to Starfleet Command if necessary. Satie rebuffs him and reveals she has been in full contact with Starfleet Command since the beginning, and they fully approve of her methods. In fact, Admiral Thomas Henry of Starfleet Security will arrive in time to witness the next and all subsequent hearings until the conspiracy is solved. In other words, the interrogations will not be stopped; they will expand. Unfortunately, because of his outspokenness against them, Picard receives a summons from Nellen Tore, Satie's assistant, to appear the following morning at 0900 before the committee for questioning. At his interrogation, Picard attempts to appeal to Satie's sense of reason and convince her to end the hearings, but he is met with a thorough nitpicking of his competency and loyalty to Starfleet and the Federation. Worf, who up until this point had sided with Satie in her actions, realizes where the hearing is going and attempts to defend his captain but is also rebuffed with accusations of his father's supposed betrayal to the Romulans. Finally, Picard responds to the accusations laid against him by quoting her famous father's words about the dangers of denying basic rights to one man in the name of protection. Enraged, Satie interrupts him, accusing him of treason, conspiring with the Romulans, and violating the Prime Directive. She calls men like him a threat to the entire Federation whom it is her job to seek out and destroy, and warns him that she has "brought down bigger men than you--!" In the middle of her tirade, Admiral Henry gets up and wordlessly leaves the room, bringing an informal end to the interrogation. Embarrassed, Sabin declares a recess until the following day, and the room empties quickly, leaving Satie alone, shaken. By turning her father's words back on her, Picard has goaded her into revealing the depth of her fanaticism and paranoia in front of an audience, severely damaging her credibility, possibly permanently. Later on, in the ship's conference lounge, Picard is informed by Worf that Admiral Henry has officially called off the hearings, and that Satie has departed the Enterprise. Though it is unlikely that she will ever be trusted with such authority again, Worf cannot help feeling guilty for having been deluded into aiding her cause without realizing what she was. Picard, however, sees it as a learning experience; such enemies who cloak their misdeeds with the pretense of serving a greater good are very seductive and very hard to spot, and continual vigilance against them is "the price that [they] must pay" to maintain their freedom. 
<EOS>
The fear is real for Jean-Luc Picard as he slowly exits the turbolift. Deanna Troi's mother, Lwaxana Troi is on board the USS Enterprise-D, still lonely and looking for her match. The captain is on his way to a transporter room, to receive "the leading scientist of Kaelon II", an extremely reclusive people, who have not yet had real contact with the United Federation of Planets. On his way there, Picard encounters Lwaxana in the corridor, who effusively greets him, a little bit to Picard's chagrin. He tries to get rid of her, but she cuts off every one of his attempts at escape. He also tries to explain to her that her presence when receiving the guest would not be welcome, but she interrupts him again, and Picard eventually gives in, allowing her to join Picard, Miles O'Brien, and Geordi La Forge in the transporter room. There she immediately focuses her attention on the puzzled guest, Dr. Timicin, whom she leads away intending to show him the ship, explaining "you just think of me as your entertainment director." Once Lwaxana, Picard and Dr. Timicin have left the room, La Forge jokes to O'Brien: "That man's in a lot of trouble." Deanna Troi, William Riker, Dr. Timicin, Jean-Luc Picard, Data, Beverly Crusher, and Geordi La Forge are in the observation lounge. Dr. Timicin has made modifications to some of the Enterprise's photon torpedoes, which should help to revive the dying sun of the planet. The Enterprise is on its way to an empty star system with a sun almost perfectly identical to the Kaelon sun, in order to test the modified photon torpedoes. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Lwaxana bothers an unnerved Worf by playing around with the tactical station, almost pressing a torpedo launch initiator. As Riker, Deanna Troi, and Dr. Timicin return to the bridge, Lwaxana vividly greets the doctor, who explains that he does not have time for her right now, as he is expected in engineering. Riker politely asks her to clear the bridge, and she agrees reluctantly. Dr. Timicin then explains to Deanna, that he is surprised that Lwaxana is Deanna's mother: "She is so vibrant.". Then in engineering, Data, and a slightly overworked Dr. Timicin and La Forge prepare the test with the modified photon torpedoes. Lwaxana Troi then walks in with her assistant Mr. Homn, claiming that the men really need a break and sweeps all of their PADDs onto the floor. Dr. Timicin agrees: "Mrs. Troi, you're a wise woman. I'm sure we could use a respite." Mr. Homn then throws a cloth on the engineering table to start. Later that night, Timicin and Lwaxana have spent some time together and they are heading for Lwaxana's quarters. He mentions his wife died a long time ago and that he has been dedicated to revitalizing their sun because they cherish their home planet. She invites him in for a nightcap, however, despite the fun he is having, his says he must decline. The sun-reviving experiment is launched into the empty star system. The Enterprise monitors the results which initially appear successful as the system's star heats up according to plan. However, the heating process fails to stop, and the star explodes. Picard orders Ensign Bennett to take the Enterprise to warp two. Timicin sadly concludes the experiment in failure. Timicin is especially crushed by the failure of his experiment, and the reasons for this become evident as Lwaxana bonds further with the scientist. He sits alone in Ten Forward and Lwaxana joins him. She tries to cheer him up, but he cannot participate. He asks her to stay, and wishes they had met years ago, since he is going to his planet to die. While they talk, she discovers that, approaching the age of 60, Timicin is, upon returning to his planet, to undergo the "Resolution", ritual suicide, Lwaxana becomes livid with protest. She immediately goes to Picard in his ready room. There, Picard, Riker and Data are being informed by the Science Minister that, even though the Enterprise is willing to stay to help a second attempt, Timicin has "obligations at home" and won't be able to continue. Puzzled, they end the call. Lwaxana enters, explains the situation and demands he intervene to spare Timicin's life, but Picard refuses to do so, as he is bound by the Prime Directive not to interfere. Furious, Lwaxana storms out of the ready room and Picard asks the computer for the location of Counselor Troi. After an incident in a transporter room, where O'Brien refuses to beam her down to Kaelon II, Deanna enters and she and a very upset Lwaxana discuss Timicin's impending ritual suicide. Deanna tries to comfort her mother and they embrace on the transporter pad. Later, Lwaxana goes to Timicin, admitting she is hateful about the custom, hateful of him for going through with it and will never accept it. They embrace. Lwaxana and Timicin spend a lot of time together, discussing the concept of his species custom of ritual suicide back and forth. Timicin attempts to explain that in his culture it is an accepted practice for all to undergo the ritual on their 60th birthday to avoid old age, infirmity, indignity, dependence on others, and the cruel uncertainty about when the end would come. Each ends up finding the other's point of view cruel: Lwaxana because she sees it as arbitrary murder in an uncertain universe when death can come both well before and well after the designated age, Timicin because she is denying people control of their fate and the opportunity to end life with dignity. Initially, Timicin is reluctant to break with tradition, and intends to return to his planet and go through with his ritual suicide, until realizing that he has some ideas about the failure of his experiment, and if he only had some more time, he could perhaps come up with a functional sun-reviving system. However, because his birthday and ritual are rapidly approaching, he will not have the time to develop the system if he follows tradition. Thus, he ends up seeking asylum from Captain Picard. A diplomatic incident is created by Timicin's seeking asylum, and warships from his planet are dispatched by Minister B'Tardat and have been sent to retrieve him. Complications further arise when it's learned that because of his defiance against the ritual, the Kaelon government has barred his submitting of any other transmissions about the project; even if he does find a solution to the problem with their sun, Timicin's people will not listen due to his rebellion, rendering it moot. This results in a standoff, and after some time, Timicin's daughter Dara boards the Enterprise to attempt to convince her father to return to the planet. Timicin finds his daughter's arguments very convincing, and ultimately decides to return to his planet and carry out the tradition, thus concluding the diplomatic incident. Lwaxana, though she still disagrees with the tradition, packs her bags and sets out to accompany Timicin to the planet to be with him at his ritual. She promises Picard not to cause trouble on the planet. Picard gives her permission to go, and Timicin and Lwaxana beam down hand in hand to the planet. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Peliar Zel to mediate a critical dispute between the Alpha and Beta moons. A Trill ambassador, Odan, is aboard to mediate the negotiations. He and Dr. Crusher have initiated a romance and quickly fallen in love. However, they keep it to themselves and when Data nearly walks in on them when they are kissing in the turbolift, they become a little nervous. Odan feigns sickness to retreat to his quarters while Dr. Crusher leaves with Data to suggest something to keep him busy so that she can meet up with Odan. Odan, in his quarters, opens his shirt showing a bulge protruding. He applies a hypospray to relieve the stress. Crusher spends time in Odan's quarters, until Captain Picard summons the ambassador to the observation lounge, where Governor Leka Trion is arriving. The discord between the inhabitants of the two moons is revealed, which is that the Alpha moon has tapped into Peliar Zel's magnetic field, which gives them a rich power source, but in turn is causing severe global warming conditions on the Beta moon. The negotiations to resolve the conflict are to begin soon but Odan insists that he disembark to the planet only by the shuttle Hawking, rather than by transporter, even though he is made aware by Trion that many radical factions may try to block the negotiations by any means necessary. After everyone leaves, Picard asks what Troi is sensing. Odan is giving off a mix of emotions. In the meantime, Dr. Crusher is getting ready to meet Odan that night by treating herself at the spa on the ship. Counselor Troi goes in for some kind of treatment as well and sees her, remarking that it wasn't common to see her there. Troi also notes that Crusher must be in love since she's "glowing." Odan goes to Picard in his ready room and thanks him for his help in the situation with Peliar Zel and to ask about "Dr. Beverly." Picard, taken aback a little bit, replies that he cannot presume to speak for her. There is a call saying that a shuttle is ready for Ambassador Odan. Odan gives Crusher a rose before he leaves for the moon. When the Hawking with Odan and Riker launches, it is attacked by an unknown ship from one of the moons, seriously injuring Odan. Riker barely gets back to the Enterprise in the shuttle in one piece. When Odan is returned to the ship, Dr. Crusher and the medical staff attend to Odan. Crusher hypothesizes that there may be a parasite at play. Odan wakes and informs her that his body is just a host, and that she must make sure the parasite lives. Crusher learns that the Trill are a joined species, a symbiont and a host, and this was the reason why he did not want to be beamed to the surface -- it would have killed the symbiont. He asks her to contact Trill to send another host body. Not even Dr. Crusher was aware what Odan really was. Odan's host body dies of the injuries, even though the symbiont being Odan is still alive. In the observation lounge, Crusher explains what just happened. The Trill say that they will send another host in 48 hours. However, as Dr. Crusher explains, the symbiont cannot survive long enough for the new host to arrive. Though no Human has ever hosted a Trill symbiont before, Riker volunteers to be a temporary host, both to save the Trill symbiont and continue with the mission to avert war. Crusher and Ogawa attempt to implant the symbiont in Riker, making the incision and placing the symbiont inside. Riker feels strange sensations and undergoes irregular brain waive patterns. After a while, it is apparently successful, as Riker calls her "Doctor Beverly." The new Odan talks to Trion from the bridge. She must convince the participants in the negotiation that he is Odan, and not as a Starfleet officer with possibly his own agenda. She says she will try. Odan leaves to go to his quarters to rest. Dr. Crusher goes to tend to him. On a personal level, she feels confused and betrayed, since Odan still loves her, but the Odan Dr. Crusher loves now lives in Riker's body -- a Riker she has known for many years as nothing but a good friend. She avoids his advances while he attempts to reconnect with her, even though the new Odan reiterates that even though his body has changed, he still loves her. In a later conversation she has with Counselor Troi in Ten Forward, Dr. Crusher wonders what it was that she loved about Odan: his eyes, his hands, his mouth but those things are all gone and if that is all there was, then she should mourn him and go on, but she knows that it was more than that for she felt completely free with him, unguarded, at ease with herself; there were so many things that made him special to her, and she wonders where they are; whether they are still here, alive in Will Riker. She simply has a hard time accepting him in this romantic capacity and asks Troi for advice. Deanna tells her about the first man she ever loved, her father, who was strong and tall and chased away the monsters from under her bed and sang to her and kept her safe. And he went away. What she wouldn't give to hear those songs again, and even though she never will, she still can feel his warmth and his love, as though he were there with her. So she tells Beverly that if she can feel those things from the man they know as Will Riker, she should accept that love and go to him. Just then, Riker steps in. Trion arrives to the observation lounge with Kalin Trose of Alpha Moon and Lathal Bine of Beta Moon. Odan must convince them that he is in fact Odan and not the Enterprise's first officer, so he recounts their history of Trose and Bine's aunt thirty years ago, along with a little-known radical plot that developed and Trose's role in stopping it. Bine accepts Odan, but Trose must confer with his people, so Odan gives him eight hours and they leave. Then, Riker grabs his head, obviously in pain and goes to sickbay. There, Crusher examines him and only guesses that Riker's body is rejecting Odan, as it is overworked and its immune system under attack. Crusher can give him an immunosuppressant, but that won't correct the underlying cause. Picard leaves to wait for Odan in his ready room. Odan makes an advance on Crusher, but she still can't allow it, so Odan leaves. Picard informs Odan that the representatives agreed to accept him as mediator. Odan isn't surprised, calling them reasonable people trapped in their anger. Picard pauses during the conversation, saying that, for a moment, Odan sounded just like Riker, to which he is quietly reminded of Crusher's response earlier. Picard says a new host will arrive within eighteen hours, and Odan says he will push on. Dr. Crusher, still trying to figure out her feelings, goes to her quarters confused. Capt Picard asks Crusher to monitor Odan as he is feeling unwell. Odan tries to get through to her, but she rejects his advances. Beverly's feelings finally change when she sees the rose on a table in her quarters Odan gave her just before he left in the shuttle, and she reunites with him in his quarters. Despite increasing symptoms of rejection from Riker's body, Odan carries on. The effects of Crusher's injections are smaller with each dose, and Odan says they are damaging to Riker in any case. He must conduct negotiations today, and Odan insists that he be removed from Riker regardless of whether the new host has arrived in time. Odan leaves, and Picard offers a hand to Crusher, knowing the pain she is going through. After six hours, Worf informs them that the Trill ship is experiencing difficulty and won't arrive for nine hours. Just then, Odan comes from the observation lounge, saying "it was worth it" and collapses. He is successful and managed to prevent an inter-planetary war. Picard immediately orders to intercept the Trill ship at warp nine, but that leaves two hours time. Crusher gave her word she would remove the symbiont from Riker, so they head to sickbay. Dr. Crusher removes the symbiont in time to save Riker and places it in stasis. After some time, the new host, Kareel, arrives ready to accept it. Crusher is surprised to find out, however, that the body is female, and so the love between Dr. Crusher and Odan comes to an insurmountable obstacle for Crusher. She confesses that she still loves Odan, but she is not accustomed to these kinds of changes. Maybe it is a Human failing, she states, but she simply "can't keep up" with them; she can't live with that kind of an uncertainty. She goes on to say that perhaps some day, Humankind's ability to love won't be so limited. Kareel Odan says that she understands and, kissing Crusher's hand one last time in the same way that she used to do, she affirms that she will never forget her. 
<EOS>
While on his three hour journey to the planet Risa in the shuttlepod Onizuka for a cybernetics symposium and shore leave, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge's shuttlecraft is captured by a Romulan warbird. The USS Enterprise-D escorts Klingon Ambassador Kell to the Kriosian system, where a Klingon colony is fighting for its independence. The governor of Krios, Vagh, has accused the Federation of providing aid and weapons to the Kriosian rebels. Kell has been sent to examine the governor's evidence, and Kell personally requested Captain Picard's help as his name is respected with the High Council.  The captain assures the ambassador that the Federation would never interfere with the internal affairs of the Klingon Empire, which Kell hopes he is correct.  Picard assigns Lieutenant Worf to assist in the investigation, but Kell requests another security officer due to Worf's discommendation, but Picard rebuffs his requests citing that as Chief of Security and his Tactical Officer, this clearly falls in Worf's jurisdiction. Aboard the warbird, La Forge is subjected to intense mental conditioning. While an impostor is sent to Risa in his place, La Forge is fed several horrific images directly into his visual cortex, via his VISOR implants. Taibak, the Romulan officer controlling the conditioning explains to his Commander that La Forge's pre-existing implants will make their tampering untraceable. He also says they will have La Forge perform several test acts both on the warbird and the Enterprise to make sure the programming is working. Both Kell and Worf are examining a pair of attacks that occurred on neutral freighters, Ferengi and Cardassian.  Both attacks occurred near the Ikalian asteroid belt; a likely area where the rebel fighters are hiding.  Kell speculates the actinides within the asteroids are shielding the rebels from their sensors.  Worf points out that while the freighters are easy targets for the rebels, they would be foolish to challenge a Federation starship.  Kell retorts that they wouldn't, since they are supplying the rebels with weapons, but Worf quickly rejects that, suggesting he is challenging Picard's word with him, due to the fact he has no honor and is viewed as disloyal.  Kell quickly withdraws his statement and tells Worf that many on the High Council would personally thank him for killing Duras, as many stated that he would have headed the council; a prospect they were not looking forward to.  Worf points out his actions were not of a political nature, but a personal one; Kell said that while Humans care for motives, he acted as a true Klingon that day. In a holographic simulation, La Forge is told to kill Chief Miles O'Brien. La Forge hesitates at first, but eventually kills the holographic image of O'Brien, and sits down with two other simulated crewman for a drink. Unimpressed, Taibak says another round of conditioning will be required. When La Forge returns, he has no memory of the Romulan abduction. After his return, however, Data notices that the ship's sensors are detecting sporadic E-band emissions. Data tries to pinpoint the source of the emissions, and also works with La Forge to analyze the weapons seized from the Klingon rebels. On Krios, Picard steadfastly defies Governor Vagh's accusations, but he and Riker acknowledge that they made no efforts to restrict their medical supplies, unlike their weapons; but Vagh produces a phaser rifle taken from a rebel stronghold that appears to be Federation issue.  When asked where he got it, it was from the rebels, and has many more like it, he says.  Unconvinced, Picard would like to study the rifle further, and reminds him that the Federation has no interest in supplying arms to the rebels.  The governor points out that this colony is the only colony on the border of Federation space, and accuses Starfleet of wanting Krios to achieve independence to reduce their vulnerability to an attack.  When Picard questions whether Vagh's is speaking to them as an ally or not, they both exchange insults to one another, forcing Kell to intervene. Through a careful examination of the captured phaser rifle, La Forge and Data detect subtle differences between it and a Federation-issue weapon. The main difference was the efficiency of the phaser's discharge crystal which was well above Starfleet specifications.  Upon further inspection, they determine that the weapon had been charged with a power source calibrated in the terahertz range, which concludes that the phaser rifle is not Starfleet issue. Data comments that 327 known species use that range, and it will take several hours to make an exact match. La Forge says they can narrow down their search, just by asking themselves one question: who stands to benefit from driving a wedge between the Federation and the Klingons? In Governor Vagh's office, La Forge presents the rifle as a Romulan decoy; physically, it is a perfect replica, but since they had to charge it with their own power sources, the energy signature is identical to a Romulan disruptor. Governor Vagh remains skeptical, since Krios holds no strategic interest for the Romulans, but Picard points out that they certainly have an interest in sowing distrust between the Federation and the Klingons. Vagh still wants his own people to verify the findings. While in the office, La Forge's VISOR receives another distinctive E-band transmission. On the bridge, Riker and Data detect the new E-band emission, although this one is much larger than the first indicating that it could not have originated in the same location. Riker observes that if it has changed intensity, than it cannot possibly be a protostar, which they had previously thought to be a possibility. He then asks Data if there is any known instances of the Romulans using E-band for communications. Data is not aware of any. They decide to try to track the signal by reconfiguring the primary sensor array to narrow its focus to E-band emissions to possibly calculate a directional vector should there be any further emissions. Acting under mind control again, La Forge configures the transporter using a new batch of isolinear chips and reroutes power through the auxiliary replicator systems.  Next, he reroutes the transporter mode to the planetary sensor array.  With the modifications complete, he then beams a crate of weapons from the Enterprise to the surface, and erases all records of the modifications. The situation escalates when the weapons crate is intercepted by the Klingons. Furiously, Vagh contacts Picard and tells him to maintain his orbit until further notice. To back up the threat, a Klingon attack cruiser and two Birds-of-Prey decloak and take flanking positions around the Enterprise. With the situation escalating, Kell warns Picard that Vagh is fully prepared to open fire on the Enterprise, but convinced him not to do so without first consulting the High Council, which gives him a few hours. An investigation ensues, and Data and La Forge determine that an unauthorized transport was sent from cargo bay 4, but the memory chips in the computer were erased to hide the offender's identity and the power was routed through the replicator pathways to attempt to conceal its origin.  The only ones who could be able to preform this feat were La Forge, O'Brian, Data, and Lt. Costa.  Worf sounds off protocol asking each of them where they were at the time.  O'Brian was with Keiko in the Arboretum, Data was at the ops station on the bridge, La Forge was in his quarters alone, and Costa was on duty in engineering with over 20 witnesses.  Worf becomes frustrated as someone is not who he appears to be. Debriefing Picard and Ambassador Kell on their investigations, another E-band emission occurs, which Data explains to both Picard and Kell on the tracking.  As the commander leaves, Kell tells Picard that Vagh isn't known for his patience and time is running out.  Picard asks the ambassador to tell the governor that they're doing everything possible, and adds a warning that if necessary, he is prepared to fight in defense of his ship.  Realizing that a fight is on the horizon between the Enterprise and the three Klingon ships, Kell quickly offers to beam down to Krios to force Vagh to come aboard the Enterprise to witness the ongoing investigation, in an attempt to convince him of the Federation's innocence. Before leaving, Kell is enjoying a traditional Klingon feast, when La Forge visits him in his quarters, where it is revealed that Kell is conspiring with the Romulans, and that Kell has been implanting commands within La Forge's mind, including the command to transport the weapons to the Klingon rebels. Kell personally instructs La Forge to murder Governor Vagh when he arrives on the Enterprise from Krios and claim he acted on behalf of Starfleet in support of the colony's independence. La Forge visits Dr. Crusher in sickbay, explaining that he has not been able to sleep since his visit to Risa. She examines him and detects a slight abnormality in the visual cortex and recommends a complete examination at Starbase 36 when they visit there next month.  In the meantime, she hands him a PADD with a somnetic inducer that will help him sleep. Ensign Jae beams Vagh and Kell onto the Enterprise. Vagh says he has only come because of Kell's insistence that he review the Federation investigation in person. Kell suggests they begin in Cargo Bay 4. Picard agrees. Kell's e-band emissions continue to occur which causes Riker to nearly lose his patience.  Data narrows down the pattern as one that sends it to a receiver in an electromagnetic spectrum through a human brain.  Data reacts to this discovery and investigates further. La Forge meanwhile picks up a phaser and adjusts the setting from stun to kill.  He slips it in his pocket and leaves his quarters. Data begins to investigate La Forge's shuttle and realizes the craft was subject to a tractor beam due to the submicro deformations to the shuttle's nose and aft thrusters. La Forge reaches for his phaser but O'Brien stops him and asks him to take a look at the pattern buffers as he's not sure they are right. Data scans the memory chips of the shuttle and discovers anomalous variations in the molecular structure, consistent of replication.  When he compares them with Romulan replications patterns, the computer identifies them as identical. Data realizes that La Forge is compromised. Finishing his conversation with O'Brien, La Forge resumes his task to kill Governor Vash, ignoring repeated hails from Data.  When Data asks where La Forge is and the computer reports he is in Cargo Bay 4, he orders Worf to take La Forge into custody immediately. Seeing La Forge slowly approaching Picard and Vagh in the cargo bay, Worf jumps down, an action taken as threatening by Vagh's bodyguards. They seize him, and Worf struggles to get free, while the commotion draws everyone's attention away from La Forge. Worf shouts a warning, Picard spins around and pulls up on La Forge's hand just as he fires a hand phaser at Vagh. The phaser fires into the air. Vagh accuses the Federation of a murder plot. Picard is temporarily at a loss, at which point Data arrives and reveals that La Forge has been acting under Romulan control, explaining the E-band transmissions that have preceded each suspicious act aboard the Enterprise, which were transmitted directly to La Forge's brain through his VISOR. Kell, anxious to divert suspicion away from himself, asks whether a cloaked Romulan ship could be the source of the signals. Data says no; the signals would have to have been transmitted in close proximity to La Forge by a Romulan agent. As to who that agent is, Data reveals that only two people were close to La Forge at all three times when a signal was recorded: Picard and Kell. All eyes turn to Kell, as Data continues ominously that the Romulan agent must be hiding an E-band transmitter on his person. He suggests both Picard and Kell consent to a search. Kell blusters that, as a representative of the High Council, he will not consent to be body-searched, but Vagh has his bodyguards place the ambassador under arrest, saying they will take him back to the planet and search him there. Kell formally requests asylum aboard the Enterprise. Picard coolly rejoins that he will be happy to grant asylum -- after Kell is absolved of any crime. Vagh signals the planet, and the Klingons are beamed away. La Forge later undergoes counseling with ship's counselor Deanna Troi, where he begins to realize that his memories of his trip to Risa are false. Troi promises to work with him to restore his memory, and she begins by asking La Forge what happened after he saw the Romulan ship -- a question that leaves La Forge stumped, and worried as the full horror of the violation against him begins to sink in. 
<EOS>
Jenna D'Sora, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend, Jeff Arton, is working with Data on a probe in the USS Enterprise-D's torpedo bay. When Data notices that she is subdued, she mentions that she saw Jeff earlier, and that he had asked her to dinner. Responding to a request Jenna had made of him, Data recites a litany of reasons why she had chosen to break up with him. Data tells her that "As your friend, it is my responsibility to be supportive in times of need." -- a behavior she finds sweet. Meanwhile, the Enterprise-D launches the now-completed probe into the nebula, producing a beautiful display. D'Sora and Data play in a chamber concert, along with Keiko O'Brien. After the performance, D'Sora criticizes her own playing, but Data argues that there were no major technical errors in her music. She insists, and Data responds by offering to practice with her, but assuring her that the audience didn't notice any problems and enjoyed themselves. She appreciates his making the effort, and later, as D'Sora and Data have a drink with Keiko and her husband Miles O'Brien, Data successfully entertains the table by making lovers' small talk with Jenna. On the bridge, Data is analyzing the readings from their probe. The nebula has a greater density of dark matter than other similar formations. He hypothesizes that life in this region may have developed in hitherto unseen ways. It is decided that the Enterprise will travel to a planet within the region, to see if Data's theory is correct. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher hears a hypospray fall on the floor from a table as she walks by, but thinks nothing of it. In the torpedo tube, Data is working on another probe, while Jenna talks to him. Before she leaves, Jenna kisses Data, first on the cheek, and then on the lips, leaving the android somewhat puzzled. Data immediately starts seeking advice from his colleagues on romantic love in general and on what he should do, since Jenna apparently shows serious interest in him. In Ten Forward, Data tells Guinan, "Lieutenant D'Sora just gave me what could be considered a very passionate kiss in the torpedo bay." Guinan advises him that this will be an entirely new experience for him. Geordi La Forge warns him about pursuing a woman on the rebound, but then corrects himself, suspecting she might be over the rebound, and finally admits he has no advice to give and advises Data to seek someone out who is more experienced in giving advice. Deanna Troi worries that Jenna may be in a vulnerable position but stops short of discouraging him from romancing Jenna. "We're all more than the sum of our parts, Data. You'll have to be more than the sum of your programming", she tells him. Will Riker encourages him to go for it, stating that the rewards of a romantic relationship are far greater than that of simple friendship. Worf informs him that Klingons do not pursue romances the same way Humans do; they conquer what they desire. He adds in a menacing whisper that, as her superior officer, he would be very displeased if Lt. D'Sora were mistreated. Captain Picard refuses to comment, stating that he would be happy to pass along any advice about understanding women, as soon as he has any. Data goes to D'Sora's quarters, with a bouquet of flowers that Jenna finds lovely. The flowers are a variety of crystilia from Telemarius IV which Riker had recommended to Data. When Jenna asks how many people he discussed her with, he replies that it was less than 1% of the ship's crew. Data tells Jenna that he has created a special program devoted to romantic relationships. When Data informs her that he has "devoted a considerable share" of his internal resources to the development of a subroutine within this program, specifically for her, she tells him that's the nicest thing anybody had ever said to her. Data and Jenna then share a kiss. On the bridge, the Enterprise is approaching a class M planet within the nebula. The captain goes to his ready room, only to discover that the items usually located atop his desk are lying on the floor. Picard summons Worf, asking him to bring a tricorder with him. They discover that there is no evidence that anyone other than the captain had been in contact with the items, but there is no obvious explanation for the displacement. Worf is suspicious, but Picard feels the situation, while perplexing, is not serious. Data is confused by the strange concept of love and how he must continually show this to Jenna D'Sora. For example, D'Sora arrives unexpectedly in his quarters with a gift, as he is painting, but tells him to go back to his painting. He does so, and then is perplexed when Jenna reveals that she had actually wanted him to stop his painting and give her his full attention. As she leaves, a section of the wall in the corridor seems to disappear briefly. The anomalies have now moved past the point of what Picard initially laughed off as "poltergeist" phenomena, and as the ship arrives at the coordinates of the planet, it is nowhere to be found. After ruling out a sensor malfunction, the planet suddenly reappears in front of them. The computer informs the bridge crew that there has been a decompression in the observation lounge. When life support is restored to that room, the crew investigates, and discovers all the furniture in the room piled up near one of the windows. Data scans the transparent aluminum alloy in the windows, and notices an unexplained anomaly in the readings. Picard orders further investigation. When his shift ends, Data goes to D'Sora's quarters. At first, Jenna enjoys the relationship. Ironically, it is Data's nearly perfect performance as an attentive lover that causes Jenna to lose her love for him. He welcomes her with Calaman sherrys and a soothing, Barry White attitude, but this fails to set her at ease; he begins to straighten up her quarters, but she doesn't want him to do this. Confused, he bolts from his place beside her and begins shouting at her. Jenna is shocked by this, and tells Data to leave. He asks, "You do not wish to continue our 'lovers' quarrel'?", thus revealing that he is still running through his database to find an appropriate response for her. Jenna is both touched and saddened to hear this. It is now clear that the Enterprise must maneuver away from the Mar Oscura Nebula. Picard orders Ensign McKnight to move the ship out of the nebula at warp speed, which immediately leads to a sudden rush of deformations, nearly killing Thorne, one of La Forge's engineers. Picard orders the helm to stop the ship, and La Forge, along with two of his engineers, goes to check things out. While investigating, Lieutenant Van Mayter is killed when the matter/space anomaly melts her into the deck of the ship. Data informs the assembled staff in the observation lounge that the dark matter in the region is causing deformations in space. La Forge explains how the spatial deformations are affecting the ship: "when we hit one of them, part of the ship momentarily phases out of normal space.". Data reveals that the ship's sensors cannot detect the deformations in time to avoid them; the detection range is too short. Worf proposes using a much more maneuverable shuttle to lead the Enterprise out of danger. Picard agrees to the plan, and insists that he pilot the shuttle. Using the shuttle's small computer screen, Picard steers through a crowded minefield of deformations, but eventually loses control as deformations impact and damage the shuttle and its Krellide power cells. Fortunately, O'Brien manages to beam the captain out of the shuttle just before it explodes. By this time the Enterprise is close enough to risk a rush to the edge of the nebula. The Enterprise soon escapes into the safety of normal space and heads to Starbase 260. Jenna has finally realized that the android does not really feel any emotions for her, nor does he really care for her. What is most hurtful is the realization that nothing she says or does can have any effect on him, that she has broken up with an unemotional man only to fall for a man who is completely incapable of emotions. She reveals this to Data before a dinner date in his quarters. Data realizes he is being dumped but shows no emotion and simply notes that he will delete the appropriate program, just as D'Sora expected he would do. Sitting alone in his quarters, Data gives his cat, Spot, a chipper greeting. He scratches the cat's chin and then leans over to blow out the dinner candles. 
<EOS>
Captain Picard takes the USS Enterprise-D to Qo'noS so that he may fulfill his role as the Klingon Arbiter of Succession. En route, he advises Worf to take this opportunity to clear his father's name and regain his family honor. At first Worf feels that it is not yet time, but Picard reminds him that while patience is a Human virtue, this situation demands a Klingon response. Worf does admit to Picard that he's getting tired of the dishonor. Just then, the Enterprise is unexpectedly contacted by the Klingon vessel IKS Bortas, which is a surprise since no escort was scheduled. It's Gowron, who tells Picard that they will have to move quickly to prevent a Klingon civil war. Once on board, Gowron tells Picard in the ship's observation lounge that the House of Duras has massed a large fleet and are preparing to move against him. Although Duras died in disgrace and his family should share in that, Gowron says the Duras family's corruption is too widespread -- honor will soon have no meaning. Duras' sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, have somehow arranged a challenge to Gowron's claim to the leadership. He has no idea how they will take power because women are not allowed to serve on the Council. However he notes that most of the Council is loyal to Duras' family. Gowron asks for Federation aid, but Picard tells him he will only act according to Klingon law. Gowron tells him he fears that will not be enough. Later, Picard requests that Worf escort Gowron to the transporter room. As Gowron is leaving, Worf approaches him and explains that he is not a traitor, but accepted discommendation to protect the Empire. When Gowron asks how, Worf tells him the truth about how it was Duras' father who betrayed their people to the Romulans at the Khitomer Massacre and not Mogh. Gowron asks if there is proof, Worf says there is, and goes on to explain about Duras' family being so powerful that if he had been exposed it would have split the Empire so the Council chose to blame Mogh, long dead, his only known son far away, serving in Starfleet. The dual revelation of Duras' duplicity and the council's complicity in the ensuing coverup upsets Gowron. Worf requests that Gowron take the opportunity presented by the deaths of both K'mpec and Duras to restore Worf's honor. Gowron expresses his gratitude to Worf for killing Duras, but he also replies that the majority of the Council is still loyal to the Duras family and that he himself must have the support of the Council -- so he can't risk exposing them either. Gowron tells Worf that he accepted this dishonor for the good of the Empire and so now he must live with that decision like a Klingon. Worf vents steam on the phaser range, practicing at level 14. As he is about to begin, the doors open, and Guinan walks in. She claims she came because Ten Forward was slow today, so she thought she'd get in some target practice. They inspect their phasers, and begin. Guinan asks Worf why she never hears him laugh, and he replies that Klingons do not laugh. Not so, according to her. Guinan points out that Alexander laughs. Worf angrily replies that he is merely a child and part Human. Using a bit of logic, she gets him to admit that perhaps he doesn't feel like other Klingons. Talking further about Alexander and his difficulty adjusting to life on Earth, Guinan makes Worf realize that there are some things about what it means to be Klingon that he is just learning now. Shortly thereafter, Worf approaches Picard and asks for a leave of absence, which Picard grants, wishing him Qapla', victory, and good luck. Worf meets with Kurn on Kurn's ship, the IKS Hegh'ta, and tells him that Gowron has refused to restore their honor. Kurn says that if the Duras family doesn't kill Gowron, Kurn intends to. He tells Worf he has the support of four squadron commanders in key sectors, that he wants to sweep away the old council and put a new one in its place. Kurn tries to get Worf to join him and that together, they can restore their family honor and bring justice to the Empire. Worf refuses and tells Kurn that since Gowron has completed the Rite of Succession, he is the rightful leader of the Empire. Kurn is outraged that Worf would support someone who wouldn't clear their family name. Worf tells Kurn that one cannot regain honor by acting dishonorably. He reminds Kurn that he is older, and Kurn must listen to him. Worf's idea is that the House of Mogh will support Gowron, but not yet; they will wait until Gowron is surrounded by his enemies, and then they will offer him their support and the price will be the restoration of their family name. Kurn doesn't know if the other squadron commanders will go along with this, but will try to convince them. The Enterprise arrives at Qo'noS, and, as Picard is about to complete the Rite of Succession and install Gowron, Lursa and B'Etor interrupt and ask to speak to the council. The interim leader, K'Tal, allows them to speak. Lursa tells the council that they have discovered that Duras had a son. They present Toral, the illegitimate son of Duras. Gowron says that it is outrageous as Duras had no mate. Even if he can be proved Duras' son by genetic scan, he is illegitimate so cannot rule the High Council. K'Tal interrupts and says that the Arbiter will have to consider his validity and with that, the council session comes to a close with still no leader installed. In their chambers on the homeworld, Lursa and B'Etor talk quietly with Movar, a Romulan general, about Toral's claim to the leadership. Toral thinks it would be simpler to kill Picard, but B'Etor cuffs him roughly, saying they don't want the Federation as their enemy. From behind her, a deep, cool woman's voice is heard from the shadows: "At least not yet. But when the time is right we will deal with the Federation and Captain Picard." Kurn has been able to convince three of the squadron commanders to follow him and that the Duras family has the support of seven squadrons but that most of the fleet has yet to decide whose banner they will follow. Worf tells Kurn that Gowron is nearly out of options and that soon he will have no choice but to embrace their offer. Worf wants to use information in the Enterprise's computer banks about the Khitomer massacre to prove that the facts were altered and has Data gather the needed information. Picard sternly reminds Worf that using information in their ship's computer banks to affect political change on his home planet is a compromise of Starfleet's core principles. Worf asks Picard not to tie his hands now, and the captain admits he's in a similar situation -- although he will follow his role as arbiter according to Klingon law, he knows that allowing the Duras family to control the council would have grave repercussions both the Klingon Empire and the Federation. He agrees to make the Khitomer files available to anyone who wants them, to Worf, to the Duras family, to the Klingon High Council, anyone -- but that is all he can do. Picard gets a personal transmission from Qo'noS. It turns out that Lursa and B'Etor have invited him to their home. Serving him some Earl Grey tea, they try to convince him to judge in favor of Toral. Picard says he will have to see if it's within Klingon law. But he knows what they are planning -- if he supports Toral, the sisters will gain control of the Council and Gowron will be killed. But if not, he'll be accused of serving Federation interest in Klingon matters and use it as a rallying cry for war which, if won by the Duras, would end the Klingon-Federation alliance. Picard tells the women that "they have manipulated the circumstances with the skill of a Romulan," but they'll have to wait for his decision at high-sun tomorrow, thanking them for the tea. The next day, Picard reminds the Council of the law in which the son shares in the honors or crimes of his father. Toral is Duras' son, proven by a genetic scan. But Picard can find no precedent in Klingon law to accept as leader an inexperienced youth. Picard reaffirms Gowron to be the next Chancellor. Then, just as Picard predicted, Toral makes a blustering speech; "Does the Federation dictate Klingon destiny, or do we? Follow me, and I will show you honor!"  Almost the entire council stand with Toral and the Duras sisters. Gowron accuses them of ignoring Klingon law and warns quietly, "Then go. Your blood will paint the way to the future!"  The Klingon Civil War has officially begun. Shortly thereafter, aboard Gowron's ship, the Bortas, Worf comes to Gowron and offers him his support as planned. Gowron thinks this is merely the support of one dishonored Klingon, but Worf explains about Kurn and his allied squadrons. Gowron, who is just now hearing that Kurn is Worf's brother, notes that Kurn has opposed him in the past; but Worf says Kurn must obey him as he's older. Gowron says that four squadrons isn't enough, they must have Federation support. He knows that Picard will listen to Worf if he requests support, and Starfleet Command will listen to Picard's recommendation. Worf tells Gowron that they will not intervene and he can't ask them for any more help. Gowron accuses Worf of boldly coming to him and demanding his honor be returned, but when it comes time to fight, he hides behind his uniform. Gowron asks Worf if he is a "Human" coward or if he is truly a warrior, hearing the cry to battle, calling him to glory. Before Worf can answer, the Bortas is attacked by two Birds-of-Prey. When Gowron's weapons officer is killed, Worf assumes the station. Back on Enterprise, Picard orders a Red alert. Meanwhile on the Bortas, Gowron orders a distress signal sent. The Enterprise gets the Bortas' distress call, but Picard orders that Ensign Reel take the Enterprise out of the battle area, despite Riker's objections and the knowledge that Worf is on board. If they help the Bortas, they would drag the Federation into the Klingon Civil War. Back on the Bortas, the disruptors finally come online. Gowron commands Worf to lock on target, but Worf says the enemy will detect the lock and it would be better to pretend to be helpless. The enemy will try to board the ship and then Worf can aim and fire disruptors manually when they lower the shields. Gowron approves and Worf is successful in destroying one of the ships, although the other one is able to raise its shields in time. Just before the Bortas is disabled, Kurn's ship arrives, decloaks and drives the other Bird-of-Prey off. Gowron tells Kurn to meet him and Worf in the Great Hall and then advises Enterprise that their delegation is welcome to attend his installation as leader. In the Great Hall, the Rite of Succession is finally finished. Picard puts the Chancellor's cloak over Gowron and the fragments of the Council that remain, along with Worf and Kurn, swear their loyalty to him. Gowron calls Worf to him and tells him that he and Kurn fought as warriors and proved that their hearts are truly Klingon. Then Gowron restores Worf's family name and honor to him, all while Worf has his hand gripped around Gowron's d'k tahg, his blood covering the blade. Gowron again comes to Picard, asking for the Federation to intervene with the rebellion per the Treaty of Alliance. Worf even pleads with Picard to help, citing that they both know the Duras family has conspired with Romulans in the past and if they should be victorious in the war, they will surely form a new Klingon-Romulan alliance, causing a fundamental shift of power in the quadrant. Picard says it's an internal matter and interference would be against the Prime Directive. Picard then recalls Worf to duty, as the Enterprise will have to leave the sector. Worf then asks Picard for an extended leave of absence to serve with the Klingons. Picard denies the request, telling Worf that his obligations as a Starfleet officer are incompatible with remaining on board a Klingon ship during a time of war. Worf decides then to resign his commission as a Starfleet officer, to the shock of Riker and Picard. Picard comes to Worf's quarters while he packs and asks Worf if he's certain he's making the right decision. Worf says that while he's spent most of his life around Humans and respects them, in the end, he is Klingon -- his heart is of that world and he does hear the cry of the warrior. He belongs with his people. Picard says Worf took the best qualities of Humanity and made them part of himself, and that Worf's training and experience as a Starfleet tactical officer will be a great asset to Gowron's loyalist forces. En route to the transporter room, Worf is surprised to see the entire hallway lined with Enterprise personnel forming an honor guard. Once in the transporter room, the entire senior staff is there to see him off. Picard then bids Worf farewell Klingon style, "Qapla'!". Worf simply responds by telling all "Goodbye" and is beamed off the Enterprise. Meanwhile, Duras' sisters and their Romulan conspirators delight in the news of the withdrawal of the Enterprise. A blond woman wearing a Romulan uniform who is the spitting image of the slain Natasha Yar then emerges from the shadows, telling them not to celebrate just yet. 
<EOS>
Kurn's ship, the Hegh'ta, with Worf now aboard as tactical officer, is narrowly escaping destruction by two other Birds-of-Prey near a sun. Most of the bridge crew lie dead, and the Hegh'ta is losing shield strength fast. With no weapons left to fight, Kurn instead uses a clever technique of engaging warp drive near a star's surface, causing a large solar flare which destroys the two pursuers. Meanwhile, Captain Picard meets with several senior Starfleet flag officers, including Fleet Admiral Shanthi, to discuss the Klingon civil war at Starbase 234. Picard briefs the admirals on three engagements occurring in the past two weeks that were won by ships loyal to the Duras family. Shanthi reminds Picard that none of those facts are the Federation's concern because the Klingon civil war is by definition an internal matter of the Empire. Picard says that would be true if the civil war were entirely internal, but if the Duras family is being aided by the Romulan Empire then it is very much a concern of the Federation. Picard points out that the Romulans have tried to destroy the Klingon-Federation Alliance for the last 20 years and the Duras family has been secretly conspiring with them at the same time. Picard asks Shanthi if it seems strange that the Duras' are able to overpower Gowron's forces at almost every turn. Shanthi speculates that the Duras family may have better leadership but Picard states it's also possible that they're getting help. Picard reminds the admiralty that the Romulans are willing to take huge risks to gain any advantage they can over the Federation and now, with the future of the Klingon Empire in the balance, can the Federation seriously believe that the Romulans are content to just stand by and watch it unfold? Convinced of his argument, Shanthi asks Picard what he is proposing. The captain proposes they send a fleet to the Klingon-Romulan border, engaging in no offensive action, but creating a blockade to stop the flow of supplies from the Romulans to the Duras family. Picard further explains that the problem of detecting ships equipped with cloaking devices has been solved by his chief engineer, who has developed the tachyon detection grid, whereby several ships create a tachyon field and any cloaked vessel that passes through it will be detected. Shanthi tells Picard that she'll have to clear it with the Federation Council first but in the meantime he is to go ahead and assemble his fleet. Commander Riker smiles at his captain but also wonders if Picard knows what he's doing -- a feeling the captain shares himself. The plan is approved easily enough, but requires many vessels to cover the entire Romulan-Klingon border, which is proving most difficult. During a briefing, Riker explains to Picard that Starfleet is stretched pretty thin over the quadrant, with only 12 ships within a day's warp from their location. La Forge also points out that most of the ships in this area are either in drydock for repairs or have not been completed yet, but both don't even have full crews. Riker summarizes that they can spare seven to eight more starships. When asked if they can work the network with 20 ships, La Forge acknowledges that while the nets can work with that many ships, the more ships means they can cover a wider area. Satisfied, Picard rounds up 23 vessels in total, including the USS Endeavour, the USS Akagi, the USS Tian An Men, the USS Hermes, the USS Hood, the USS Excalibur, the USS Hornet, and the USS Sutherland. Picard adds that the Tian An Men, the Sutherland and the Hermes may not be completely ready as far as the yard superintendent is concerned but they're going anyway. He first assigns Data to select a group of experienced Enterprise officers to augment the crew of those three ships.  Then Picard assigns Riker and La Forge to the Excalibur as captain and first officer as their crew was reassigned when the ship put in for repairs. Picard tells them that he wants the fleet ready by 0900 hours and La Forge and Riker then depart.  Data remains for a moment and asks Picard why he wasn't assigned a command. Picard tells him that he thought he would need Data still on the Enterprise. Data comments on how Picard has mentioned a lack of senior officers that are available for this assignment. At first, Data thinks that Picard may not consider it time for an android to command a starship, despite his 26 years of service in Starfleet so as he plans on setting out ways to improve himself, Picard interrupts him and tells him that the Sutherland is in need of a captain and he can't think of anyone better for the job. Meanwhile, Worf and Kurn celebrate the war by drinking with a number of Klingons, many of whom support the House of Duras. Worf arrives and Kurn introduces him to Captain Larg, who commanded the squadron that tried to destroy them the day before. Larg insults Worf by implying that Worf isn't worthy of wearing a Klingon uniform. Worf is incensed and tries to attack Larg but Kurn restrains him, telling him that the capital city is neutral ground and that Larg's men are all around them, as are Kurn's. Kurn and Larg then both pick up a glass of bloodwine and tell each other to die well, then throw the glasses away and then Larg leaves. Worf asks Kurn if he really is drinking with their enemies. Kurn ask him how many of these warriors are with them and how many with the Duras family. Kurn tells them when they meet in battle they will fight to the death but here in the capital city they are all Klingons, all warriors. Worf starts to give Kurn a status report on the repair of the Hegh'ta's stabilizers but Kurn asks him if only duty is in his heart then tells him that they all have duties and responsibilities but at the same time he reminds Worf that they are all Klingons, all warriors, fighting in a glorious war. Kurn asks Worf to contemplate the fact that they will fight battles soon that others can only dream of and it is time to celebrate, for tomorrow they all may die. Kurn asks Worf to forget the status report and go with him and let them live the night together as if it were their last. Worf agrees and goes into the group of Klingons with Kurn. Over in a corner Lursa and B'Etor notice this and note that Worf is trying to be more like Kurn but that it's not working very well. In drydock, the Sutherland is preparing to depart for the fleet. The ship's senior officer, Lieutenant Commander Chris Hobson oversees preparations for the ship to be ready for the fleet. Data enters the bridge and introduces himself to Hobson, as well as the bridge crew, and announces he is taking command of the vessel by order of Starfleet Command. Noting a lack of confidence, Hobson requests a transfer, stating his reasons, with the main one being his belief that he doesn't think an android would be a good captain. Data sympathizes with Hobson, but denies his transfer. Manning tactical, Chief O'Brien informs Picard that the last assigned ship in the fleet, the USS Endeavour; has arrived and orders the fleet to get underway. The Enterprise heads towards the Klingon-Romulan border, with other Federation starships right behind. B'Etor shows impatience with Commander Sela, the Romulan commander who bears a strong resemblance to the late USS Enterprise-D security chief Natasha Yar. The convoy with supplies is late, but Sela gives them good news that Gowron's forces suffered another defeat in the Mempa system, and will not trouble their forces there. She assures her that the supplies will arrive. Lursa enters the room and informs Sela that a Federation fleet has left Starbase 234 on a course to Klingon territory, led by Picard. Toral becomes panic-stricken as he fears that the Federation might be preparing to help Gowron. Sela hushes him and orders her aide, General Movar, to return to Romulus with all available ships to a set of coordinates she provides to him. Lursa believes Starfleet is bluffing, since twenty starships are not enough for an invasion, but Sela speculates that Picard has an ulterior motive for this armada. On Gowron's side, Gowron is given the news in the High Council chambers about the loss of a key sector. Furious, he says that they destroyed that supply base weeks ago. Kurn says that the Duras must be getting help, but another Klingon warrior, Kulge, steps in and declares non-confidence in his ability to lead, and challenges him. Gowron rises and accepts the challenge, with Worf objecting, stating that the enemy is the Duras. Worf intervenes in the challenge by attempting to separate Gowron and Kulge, unwittingly allowing Gowron to run Kulge through with his d'k tahg ending the challenge, and then Gowron gleefully declares: "Now the war can continue!" Elsewhere, the Federation fleet arrives at the coordinates. O'Brien picks up unusual patterns on his sensors, which Picard speculates could be cloaked Romulan ships. He hails the Excalibur and orders Riker to deploy the fleet and spread the net. On the Sutherland, Hobson informs Data they've reached the designated coordinates. Before the crew can play their role, the ship's starboard power coupling overloads, flooding several decks with radiation, a sign that the ship was nowhere near ready for deployment. Hobson takes the phasers and torpedoes off-line, but is countermanded by Data, who reminds him that he cannot suggest a course of action without consulting his commanding officer. Hobson replies that he is trying to save the lives of the people on the decks, but reactivates the weapons, only to have them deactivated again by Data's orders. With the fleet in position, Picard asks La Forge how long it will take for the Romulans to detect the grid. Since their sensors are as good as theirs, not long. Despite that they will have the grid detected, Picard orders the network to be activated, regardless. On board the Romulan ship, Sela and General Movar pick up the increased in tachyon emissions from the Federation ships, and reminds Sela that they will be detected, cloaked or not. Sela advises her aide that she will have to convince Picard to withdraw. O'Brien picks up activity, and informs that a Romulan Warbird is decloaking, and asks to raise shields. Picard says no and the Romulan ship hails the Enterprise, which Picard responds. As Sela's image appears, Picard starts and answers with one word. "Tasha?", with Deanna Troi looking on, as if she has just seen a ghost. Sela introduces herself and tells Picard that the woman he knew as Tasha Yar, was her mother. Sela threatens Picard, telling him that deploying a fleet of this nature along their border is a clear act of aggression, and that he has 20 hours to take the fleet back to Federation space or risk a Romulan attack. In the conference lounge, Troi senses no deception and believes Sela's claim of being Tasha's daughter. Beverly Crusher, on the other hand, has no medical records of Yar ever being pregnant. Troi and Crusher both suspect she may be a clone or was surgically altered to look Romulan. Picard decides to maintain the blockade and leave the next move to the Romulans. As soon as Troi and Crusher leave, Guinan arrives and converses with Picard about Sela. She then asks him if he remembers what happened to the previous starship Enterprise. Picard recalls the Enterprise-C defending a Klingon outpost on Narendra III from the Romulans. He even acknowledges hearing stories about survivors being taken prisoner on Romulus, but believes they're only rumors. Guinan confirms that there were survivors and Tasha Yar was one of them. Furthermore, since Picard allowed Yar to transfer to the Enterprise-C, Guinan believes he may be responsible for the birth of Sela in the first place. Just as with the Narendra III massacre, Picard insists that what Guinan is suggesting is impossible, but Guinan simultaneously acknowledges the impossibility of what happened and insists that it did in fact happen and that Picard can't dismiss this. As a result, Picard then decides to arrange a meeting with Commander Sela. Worf argues with Kurn, saying that Gowron should forbid anymore challenges until the war is ended, but Kurn states that it's their way, and asks if he would challenge Gowron, which Worf flatly refuses. Kurn also tells him not to speak of it and reminds him that he convinced him to follow Gowron, and suggests that if it doesn't seem right, then he made the wrong choice to wear the uniform. Kurn stomps out of the room, while supporters of the Duras capture Worf. Sela meets with Picard in the conference lounge and reminds him that time is short. Picard assures her that Starfleet has no hostile intentions, which is real comfort to Sela, and mocks that she can tell her superiors that a Federation fleet is at their border for humanitarian assistance. Picard baits her to try to run the blockade, but Sela knows he didn't bring her here to discuss their military situation and answers the one question on his mind: "How could Tasha Yar be [her] mother?" She explains that a Romulan general saw Tasha, who was about to be executed along with other survivors of the Enterprise-C, and became enamored with her. He offered Tasha an agreement: the others' lives would be spared if she would become his consort. A year later, Sela was born. Then, four years afterward, on one fateful night, Tasha attempted to take Sela away from her home. As a result, she was executed, even after she was given a home and a child. Everything Human about Sela died that day with her mother. Now she's only Romulan. However, Picard doesn't believe her story and it will not influence his judgment the next time they meet. Sela then warns him he has 14 hours to leave the border, and returns to her ship. Meanwhile, Lursa and B'Etor offer Worf to join them so that together, they could rule the Klingon Empire, but he refuses, knowing the Duras family never cared about honor or loyalty, only power. A moment later, Sela appears on the viewscreen, demanding to know the strengths and capabilities the Federation fleet has. She then has one of her officers take Worf away for interrogation. Picard devises a new strategic plan, considering the options to either withdraw from the border, or fight the Romulan fleet is unacceptable: if Gowron were to launch a full attack on the forces of Duras, the Romulans would have no choice but to cross the line to grant assistance. He tells Gowron of this, and he cooperates, but closes the communique by telling Picard that Worf was captured by the Duras family and hopes "he dies well". Riker is brought on board from the Excalibur and Picard explains Starfleet's part in the plan: The Excalibur will fall back with engine problems while taking the Akagi and the Hornet to a position chosen by Picard. This will allow a small hole in the network, which would create a window opportunity for Sela's forces to move in; considering they're aware of the net.  Once they come across, the Enterprise and the Tian An Men will swoop in and close the gap, exposing the Romulan connection. Riker smiles at the plan and returns to the Excalibur to execute it. In the meantime, Sela is informed that Gowron's loyalist forces have attacked three Duras controlled sectors and the sisters are nearing defeat. Annoyed, she asks if there's a way to circumvent Starfleet's detection grid, and Movar tells her that by flooding a point in the grid, they could disrupt that portion of the grid. Just then, they see one of the starships leave the blockade line, which Sela sees that Picard is struggling with the net, thus creating a window to allow the ships to go through. Picard's window to be exact, as Sela sees through his tactics, and doesn't take it. Instead, she directs the pulse at the weakest spot: the point location of the Sutherland, which is commanded by an "android captain". The attack on Duras works, and the Romulans cross the line with 15 cloaked ships. Picard signals the fleet to standby, smiling triumphantly that his strategy worked. But that triumph is stopped by Sela as she disrupts the network. O'Brien points to the Sutherland and Picard informs Data about the situation. The resulting disruption makes the network ineffective in a radius of ten million kilometers around the Sutherland. Realizing that's where the Romulans will go, Picard orders the fleet to fall back and regroup at Gamma Eridon. Hobson receives the orders and Data signals the acknowledgment and orders the helmsman to engage at warp 9.3. While the ship is en route, Data heads to a nearby LCARS terminal, and begins searching through the database. A curious Hobson sits beside him and asks questions. The resulting disruption may have caused the Romulan ships to be tagged with a residual tachyon signature -- a theory that the Sutherland can't prove, according to Hobson. Data then orders all stop and returns to his command chair. Hobson protests, reminding him that the fleet was ordered to Gamma Eridon. Data explains to the commander that those signatures won't last long and it will be too late once the fleet is deployed, and orders him to reconfigure the sensors to detect ionized particle traces, which Hobson says that the entire area's been flooded with tachyon particles, making it impossible to find whatever they're looking for. Data acknowledges the difficulty, and also adds an order to bring the phasers back online. That draws another protest by Hobson, indicating that doing so will flood three decks with radiation. Data says when necessary, they will initiate radiation protocol. That's when Hobson angrily objects to the orders, saying that Data "doesn't give a damn about the lives he's throwing away". Data snaps back at Hobson, threatening to relieve him of duty if he doesn't carry out his orders. Hobson reluctantly agrees to carry them out. Back on the Enterprise, O'Brien informs Picard that the Sutherland has come to a complete stop, which seems to annoy Picard. He orders the chief to open a channel to the Sutherland. Hobson asks Data if he's going to answer the Enterprise, but Data ignores the hail, and instead orders a sensor sweep of the area, and focuses on the tachyon signatures. This task seems pointless according to Hobson, who says it "could be anything", and that they have no way of knowing if the Romulans are out there. Determined, Data orders the photon torpedo warhead yields reconfigured to high energy burst level six. According to Hobson, this level won't do any damage, but Data orders him to do it. Once the torpedoes are ready, they receive a message from Picard, reminding him he was ordered to rendezvous with the fleet at Gamma Eridon. Data asks the captain to standby, and orders Hobson to fire. The commander ignores his orders, but Data sharply turns and demands Hobson to fire. Annoyed, the commander complies. The Sutherland fires three photon torpedoes and scores a hit on three cloaked Romulan Warbirds, causing them to reveal themselves before the Nebula-class starship. The connection is revealed! Defeated, Sela orders the fleet to return to Romulan territory. Distressed, Movar asks what he is supposed to tell the Duras sisters. Sela curtly replies, "They're on their own." Data looks over Hobson's console and finds the Romulans are heading back to Romulus. Data orders a full report to the flagship, the phasers off-line for radiation cleanup and immediate medical treatment for all crewmembers exposed to the radiation. Hobson complies with new-found respect for Data, and referring to him for the first time as "Captain." The Duras' stronghold is under bombardment as an anxious Toral wonders what is keeping them. The Duras sisters barge in and admit defeat, indicating the Romulans never came. The Romulan soldier brings in Worf, coughing and weakened from his interrogation. B'Etor spits in his face, and Lursa orders the Romulan to kill him. Unexpectedly, Worf attacks the guard and the ensuing struggle allows B'Etor and Lursa to transport out before they are captured by Gowron's forces, leaving Toral stranded and at the mercy of Kurn, who is the first Klingon to break through the door, seeing both Worf and the unconscious Romulan lying beside him. While the Enterprise is en route to Qo'noS, after sending the rest of the fleet back to Federation space, Data presents himself for disciplinary action in Picard's ready room, stating that, while his actions ultimately won the day, he is still guilty of disobeying a direct order. However, Picard says that Starfleet is not interested in officers who blindly follow orders -- such officers have caused too many tragedies in history. Data made a careful analysis of the situation in front of him, and acted on it; his actions were appropriate, and Picard has noted as much in Data's record. He also congratulates Data by saying "nicely done". In the High Council chamber, Picard presents a full report to the High Council about Starfleet's encounter with the Romulans. Gowron thanks him for his help, then asks him to stay and witness a rare event. Toral is brought into the chamber, and grants Worf the "honor" of killing him, in revenge for his family's crimes against the House of Mogh. But Worf stuns the chamber by refusing to kill a boy who, despite his other failings, is innocent of his father's crimes. Kurn asks him what is wrong, "it's the Klingon way!"  Worf replies, "I know, but it is not my way." Gowron says that Kurn may do it instead, and Kurn appears all too eager to, before Worf interjects that Gowron gave him Toral's life, and Worf has chosen to spare it. Stunned, Gowron accepts Worf's wishes, and Toral is allowed to go free. He then turns to Picard and asks to return to duty. Picard happily grants the request, and the two walk out of the Great Hall. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is on a mission to attempt to establish communications between the Federation and the Tamarians after several previous attempts by the Federation over the last century had failed. The Enterprise and the Tamarian vessel make a rendezvous in orbit of El-Adrel IV. The two parties try to communicate but, like the occasions before, neither party can comprehend what the other party is saying. Captain Dathon disarms his first officer of a knife-like weapon and repeats, “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.” Suddenly both he and Captain Picard are transported off of their ships to the surface of El-Adrel IV. Data finds that the Tamarian vessel projected a scattering field in the ionosphere of the planet, preventing both the Enterprise and themselves from using their transporters. On the planet, Picard watches the Tamarian captain approach. He suddenly holds up two knives. Data also finds that the scattering field is blocking communications. However, sensors can still penetrate the scattering field, allowing either party to monitor Picard's and Dathon's locations. Lieutenant Worf suggests it might be a contest between champions. Seeing that they are in good health, Riker attempts to communicate with the Tamarian first officer, with no success. He has Worf prepare a shuttlecraft to get the captain, betting the Tamarian ship won't fire on it. On the surface of El-Adrel IV, Picard and Dathon once again try to communicate, as Dathon passes one of the two knives to Picard, repeating “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra.” Picard assumes that Dathon wants to engage in combat and refuses to take his knife. Frustrated, Dathon says "Shaka, when the walls fell" but Picard cannot understand the terms that Dathon is using and both men become frustrated with their failure. As nightfall approaches, Picard is still stuck on the planet's surface. He tries to make a fire, but cannot. Dathon then does something akin to prayer and goes to sleep, taking one of his knives for protection. However, he cannot sleep knowing that Picard will go through the night cold. Dathon takes a branch from his fire and throws it to Picard. He says "Temba, his arms wide." While Picard does not understand what or who Temba is, he understands that Dathon is trying to help him, and thanks him for the fire. Worf takes the shuttle Magellan with Ensign Kellogg to the surface of El-Adrel IV to rescue Captain Picard. As they begin to descend, the Tamarian vessel fires upon the shuttle and disables the starboard nacelle, destroying the shuttle's thrusters and forcing it to return to the Enterprise. It was a very precise shot. In the observation lounge, Riker has Lieutenant commander Data and Counselor Troi analyze the log of the communication between themselves and the Tamarians and consult the ship's computer with the words and names mentioned and find several commonalities. Data and Troi deduce that the Tamarian language is entirely based on metaphors derived from their own experience and mythology, making their language extremely difficult for a non-Tamarian to understand because without knowing the people or things in the metaphor, the metaphor is impossible to comprehend. Lieutenant Commander La Forge and Ensign Lefler then attempt to modify the transporters to transport Captain Picard through the dampening field. The following morning, on the planet's surface, Picard and Dathon are still no better off in their attempts to communicate with one another. Picard wakes up to find Dathon missing. He examines his things, finding what looks like a captain's log, then he returns. Picard notices that Dathon repeatedly uses the phrase "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra", but he does not understand who or what they were. Dathon is still insistent in giving Picard one of the knives, but again Picard refuses. They hear a loud roar in the distance and rocks fall from the cliffs behind the two men, and Picard realizes that Dathon and he are not alone on the planet's surface. As the creature approaches Picard and Dathon, Picard realizes that Dathon is not offering him the knife to fight him, but to arm him against the creature, and accepts the weapon. When Dathon speaks again, referring to what sounds like a battle plan, Picard understands that the Tamarians communicate by metaphor. Dathon utters a phrase that sounds like he was relieved that Picard finally understands why the knife was offered. Meanwhile, Worf detects a highly localized EM disturbance in fairly close proximity to Picard and Dathon, and it is approaching them. La Forge, Lefler and Chief O'Brien are almost ready to attempt to beam Captain Picard back aboard the Enterprise. Riker orders them to try early, but La Forge isn't hopeful. They make preparations for transporter room one where O'Brien is ready. The creature attacks Dathon and Picard wounds it, but the creature strikes Picard. Dathon makes a return attack and draws the creature. Just then, O'Brien makes the attempt to transport Picard while the creature is striking Dathon. Picard is furious with being transported as it leaves him unable to help his fellow captain just as the two are beginning to understand each other. The transport fails and Picard is left on the planet as the creature moves away from Dathon. Picard holds him as they say "Shaka, when the walls fell." The Tamarians lower the scattering field to a deeper level of the planet's ionosphere, making transport impossible and forcing the crew to devise a new way to bring the captain back to the Enterprise. Riker has La Forge work on a way to disable the field generator on the Tamarian ship. The Enterprise's sensors show that Dathon's life signs are fluctuating and they know that the Tamarians know this also, but, surprisingly, no action is taken by the Tamarians to save their captain. Troi and Data explain the difficulty with their language, that it is based on narrative imagery. One must know the context as well as the words of the language. Back on El-Adrel IV, Picard sits down next to a dying Dathon near the fire and asks him about Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. It seems that Darmok and Jalad were two legendary travelers, strangers who faced and defeated a common enemy on the island of Tanagra. Picard realizes that Dathon knew of the creature on El-Adrel IV and brought them both here so that they could re-enact the events between Darmok, Jalad and "the Beast" at Tanagra. Dathon's hope was that by facing a common enemy, the two sides could learn to understand one another and bring the two species closer together. Now that Picard understands how the Tamarians communicate, Dathon wants to hear one of his stories. Picard recites an old story from Earth, very similar to that of Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, about Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk, how two enemies became friends through hardship. Dathon appears impressed and amused by Picard's story. Dathon dies during the night, but not in vain, as he has become the first Tamarian to successfully establish communications between his people and the Federation. Back on the Enterprise, La Forge and his staff have developed a way to disable the Tamarians' scattering field -- by firing a highly focused single phaser beam aimed at the generator on the Tamarian vessel. Commander Riker gives the order to fire on the Tamarian vessel. The shot disables the generator, allowing Chief O'Brien to beam Captain Picard aboard just as the creature is about to attack him again. The Tamarians return fire, severely damaging the Enterprise and crippling the ship's warp drive. As Picard returns to the bridge, he orders hailing frequencies to be opened with the Tamarian vessel. The Tamarians reply angrily but they quickly calm down when Picard addresses them in metaphor. He explains that although the mission was a success as far as establishing communications between the two peoples is concerned, Dathon gave his life to accomplish it. This successful contact will henceforth be known as the story of "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel". Picard offers the knife to the Tamarian officer, but the Tamarian insists that Picard keep it. Picard later reads the Homeric Hymns in his ready room, explaining to Riker that maybe more familiarity with their own mythology may help them relate to the Tamarians. Picard notes to Riker that Dathon sacrificed his life in hope of communication, and wonders if he would have been willing to do the same. Riker leaves the ready room, and Picard picks up the knife and looks out of the ready room window into space while repeating the possibly religious gestures he saw Dathon engage in, paying silent tribute to his fallen comrade. 
<EOS>
It is a typical day as Mot trims Captain Picard's hair while dispensing advice on strategy with the Romulans. The conversation is interrupted by a call from Commander Riker, who reports that the Enterprise has just received a distress call from a colony on Solarion IV. As Picard leaves, Mot observes how close Solarion is to the Cardassian border and points out that he told them not to colonize it. When Picard arrives on the bridge, there is an audio-only communication from a Bajoran man claiming responsibility for destroying the colony and threatening more violence if their homeland is still kept from them. Picard is holding a private meeting in the observation lounge with Admiral Kennelly, who is ill with a Cardassian virus. Picard replicates him ginger tea with honey, his Aunt Adele's cure for the common cold. They move on to discussing the Bajoran terrorism issue. It seems the Cardassian Empire annexed Bajor forty years ago and the Bajoran people were subsequently driven from their own land. While the Cardassians have had problems with terrorism ever since the annexation, this is the first time the Bajorans have attacked the Federation. Kennelly wants Picard to stop Orta, the Bajoran terrorist leader, at all costs. While the two discuss the issue, Riker learns that Ensign Ro Laren is waiting to beam aboard the Enterprise. The ensign has come at Kennelly's request, for he thinks she will be useful on the mission even though she was imprisoned previously. Picard recognizes the name and protests due to an incident on Garon II while she was on the USS Wellington, but the admiral is insistent she is right for the job. Picard tells Riker to proceed. When Ro Laren arrives aboard the Enterprise, it is revealed that Bajoran surnames come first, and thus Ro Laren is Ensign Ro. There is visible anger on the part of Riker, as he tells her to respect uniform code. She takes off her earring. Riker expresses his concerns with Picard in his ready room. He says many officers won't want to serve with her. Picard assures him it will be temporary. Ro enters with a casual disregard for respect and procedure. Riker is insulted by Ro's disregard for what he considers the honor of being stationed on the Enterprise; in her words, it is "better than prison". At a staff meeting, Picard and the crew discuss how to get in contact with the Bajoran people. Data suggests that a man known as Jas Holza might be the best choice, and that he may be found on Valo III. Dr. Crusher is familiar with the man, as she met him at a medical symposium and adds that he is quite charming, as well as a good dancer. However, Ro points out that Jas holds no real sway over the Bajoran people. She does, however, know a man named Keeve Falor who lives on Valo II. They decide to go there instead. On the surface of Valo II, Picard meets with Keeve, who does not condone the terrorist attack against the Federation. However, at the same time he refuses to help Picard or the Federation, as he feels betrayed by the way they sat idly by while Bajor and its people were ravaged by the Cardassians. Picard determines to help the people of the planet using the Enterprise's replicators to produce blankets for every man, woman and child in the settlement, which makes Keeve much more cooperative. Ro tells Picard she ran away because she could not live as the Bajorans do and would not be lost nor defeated. Ro sits alone in Ten Forward, sipping her beverage and turning people away when they offer to sit with her. As Geordi La Forge sits at the bar nearby and expresses his displeasure at Ro's presence to Guinan, she decides to get to know Ro. During their conversation, it is revealed that Ro was court martialed because she disobeyed a direct order, resulting in the death of eight fellow officers. Guinan persists despite Ro's efforts to push her away, intent on making a new friend. In her quarters, Ro receives a transmission from Kennelly and tells him that all is going according to plan. When it comes time to beam to the surface, Picard finds Ro is gone and the terrorists never showed up at the designated meeting location. He beams down anyway with an away team, where they find themselves surrounded by armed Bajorans. Orta emerges with Ro to face the Enterprise crew, his face mutilated and vocal cords cut by the Cardassians. He tells them that the Bajorans did not attack Solarion IV and lets them go. Back on the Enterprise's bridge, Ro discusses the issue of who attacked Solarion IV with the other officers until Picard asks her into his ready room. There he angrily says she is not to beam down without authorization and confines her to her quarters. That night, Guinan visits Ro to talk about what has happened. She observes that Ro seems to trust no one, least of all herself. After a brief conversation, Guinan recalls a time in her life when she got herself into a bad situation and that she would probably still be there if she had not put her trust in one man. Despite Ro being confined to her quarters, Guinan takes her to Picard's ready room telling the Captain that she considers Ro a friend, convincing him to hear her out. Guinan leaves the two of them to talk, Ro reveals a secret about her purpose aboard the Enterprise. As she reveals, Admiral Kennelly wanted her to make a secret deal with Orta, in direct violation of the Prime Directive: so long as Orta stopped attacking the Federation, Kennelly would supply him and his fellows with weapons and ships. However, when she learned Orta was not responsible, she never made the offer and did not know what to do next. Ro shares a story about how her father was tortured to death in front of her at the hands of the Cardassians, explaining that she felt ashamed to be Bajoran. She and Picard decide to find a way for Orta to help them expose the ones who really attacked the Federation colony. As the Enterprise prepares to escort a Bajoran transport with Orta and his compatriots aboard, they find the ship can only travel at half impulse and match speeds accordingly. Picard tells Data to monitor the Cardassian border, and as they travel, two top of the line Galor-class Cardassian warships seem to take up a parallel course. Upon reaching the point along their path closest to the Cardassian border, the warships cross the border and move to intercept the transport. When the Cardassians order Picard to let them destroy the transport, Picard contacts Kennelly who states that the Enterprise should retreat in the interest of protecting the peace treaty with the Cardassians. Picard argues with Kennelly that the Cardassians may be using Starfleet to flush out the Bajorans, but Kennelly isn't interested and gives him a direct order to withdraw. Apparently forced into a corner, Picard has the Enterprise leave the transport unprotected and it is promptly destroyed by Gul Dolak's starship. However, when Kennelly hails the Enterprise seconds later, it is revealed -- in a conversation Picard makes a point of having on the bridge rather than in the privacy of his ready room -- that no one was aboard the transport. It turns out that, just as Picard suspected, the Cardassians were the ones who attacked the colony in an attempt to bring the Federation onto their side. They were hoping to find someone -- like Kennelly -- who was gullible enough to do so. Kennelly, Picard tells Ro, will likely be called to a hearing and will probably be court martialed. Back on the surface of Valo II, Picard sees in Ro some of the qualities shared by the finest Starfleet officers he has ever known. While she has not yet become one of those officers, he believes she can be in time. He asks her to stay, and at this point it is clear that the two of them have taken a liking to one another. The one provision is that, despite Starfleet uniform code, she must be allowed to wear her Bajoran earring. Picard smiles and agrees, beaming them back on board the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker is on the surface of a lush and life-filled planet called Melona IV. He is speaking to Carmen Davila about plans for the construction of a colony there, and plans a dinner date with her. Doctor Crusher and Lieutenant Commander Data are also present. The sky suddenly darkens and the Crystalline Entity appears. Data suggests that they might find cover for the colonists in caverns that lie to the east. Riker looks up at the Crystalline Entity looming large in Melona's sky. The Crystalline Entity destroys everything in its path with some kind of energy beam. Riker's friend Carmen goes back to help an old man who has fallen in the rush and Riker witnesses them being vaporized by the Entity. The USS Enterprise-D's sensors pick up an atmospheric disturbance, possibly an electromagnetic storm on Melona IV. The Enterprise is 27 hours away at present speed. Captain Picard orders Ensign Reel to increase the ship's speed to warp 8. Back on the planet, the colonists have taken shelter underground. Data believes that the refractory metals in the rock strata will protect them. Crusher is concerned that they and the settlers will run out of air soon. On the Enterprise, Picard increases speed to warp 9. They are still six hours away from Melona IV. Back on the planet, the cavern's oxygen is almost completely depleted but they haven't heard the Entity in an hour. Riker and Data respond to a sudden sound near the entrance of the cavern. Lieutenant Worf enters the cave along with a rescue party, which includes Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge. Riker exits the cavern to see that the surface of the planet has been reduced to a barren wasteland as far as the eye can see. Doctor Marr beams aboard the Enterprise and is escorted by Riker to meet with the senior staff in the observation lounge. Data confirms that it was the same entity that destroyed the colony at Omicron Theta. Dr. Marr says that the entity is basically an electromagnetic collector that converts all organic matter to energy. She states that in eleven recorded attacks, there have never been any survivors. Data surmises that the presence of kelbonite and fistrium in the cavern may have protected them. Picard orders Data to accompany Dr. Marr to the planet's surface to study the cavern. Dr. Marr is obviously displeased with having to work with Data, but Picard insists and she ultimately relents. Counselor Troi expresses to Picard her concern that he may have forced Dr. Marr and Data together far too soon. "If her discomfort is going to affect her judgment or her objectivity, I need to know now", Picard states. On the planet, Dr. Marr tells Data that the reason for her active distrust of him is because his brother Lore had aided the Entity in destroying the colony at Omicron Theta. Further, she believes that the reason the Entity allowed the colonists to survive was due to Data's presence. She tells Data that her sixteen-year-old son was killed during the attack on the colony at Omicron Theta and that is why she has devoted her life to studying the Entity. She promises to have Data dismantled piece by piece if she finds out that he has been assisting the Crystalline Entity as his brother did. La Forge, Data, and Dr. Marr are in engineering. Data suggests that the soil samples should be scanned for gamma radiation to see if there are any traces of antiprotons. It is determined that the Crystalline Entity deposits these antiprotons as it travels through space. Soon the crew is able to determine the likely course the Entity has taken. They set course for the Brechtian Cluster. Dr. Marr has developed a modification of the photon torpedoes to destroy the Entity. Picard has reservations and tells her that he intends to try and communicate with it. Dr. Marr is incredulous and very upset at Picard's desire to preserve a lifeform responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people. However, Picard reiterates his point, asking that Dr. Marr work together with Data to find a way to communicate with the Entity. She then joins Data in his quarters. He is playing the guitar when she enters. Data reveals to her that his memory contains the personal logs and even some personal memories of all 411 Omicron Theta colonists, including her son Raymond, who was called "Renny." Data and Dr. Marr are summoned to the bridge, where they learn that the freighter Kallisko is under attack. Dr. Marr is visibly distraught to hear the dying screams of the freighter's crew. An away team is sent to the Kallisko, only to find that the entire ship is devoid of life. Back in his ready room Picard asks Riker to write a letter to Carmen's family. Riker asks for permission to speak freely and tells Picard that he is beginning to think that maybe Dr. Marr was right in that the Entity should be destroyed when they encounter it again because it will just continue killing. Picard, however, believes that Riker is influenced by personal feelings. Riker is rather upset at Picard's remark, stating that he is not a raw cadet and that he has lost people on missions before and that if they take their time to communicate with the Entity they might lose their chance to destroy it; something they cannot risk. Picard responds with pensive silence as Riker, in a rather sarcastic tone, states that he will now go write that letter to Carmen's family. Data and Dr. Marr continue to work on a way to communicate with the Entity. They decide to use a graviton pulse to communicate with it. Dr. Marr creates a subroutine to allow them to vary the frequency of the pulses from the bridge. Dr. Marr, in an emotional tone, requests to Data that he recite one of Renny's journal entries using Renny's voice. Dr. Marr is visibly moved. While still five light years away from the Brechtian Cluster, they begin emitting five-nanosecond graviton emissions at one pulse per second. They increase to ten pulses per second, and Worf detects a large mass on an intercept course moving at warp speed. It is the Crystalline Entity, which stops near the Enterprise. They increase the graviton pulses to twenty per second and notice a signal coming from the Entity. A pattern emerges, and Data begins to decipher it. Dr. Marr then tries a continuous beam instead of the pulsing one. The Entity moves away slightly, as if hurt by the change. Picard orders a return to the intermittent signal, but Dr. Marr has locked out the controls and the graviton pulse begins to make the Entity unstable. The amplitude reaches a critical point and the Entity is completely destroyed in a spectacular explosion. Data escorts Dr. Marr to her quarters where she is confined on Picard's orders. A very shaken Dr. Marr asks Data if he thinks Renny would understand why she did it. Data states that it is his belief that Renny would have been sad about what she did, because her decision has now effectively ended her career as a scientist and he was proud of the scientific work that she did. Reality sets in for the shocked doctor about what she has just done. 
<EOS>
In Ten Forward, Riker, Worf, Data, Chief O'Brien, and a very pregnant Keiko O'Brien are discussing names for the O'Brien's baby. Miles and Keiko are arguing good-naturedly, each believing the other had agreed to name it after their respective fathers, if it is a boy. Straight-faced, Riker advocates "William" as the perfect name. O'Brien excuses himself, patting Keiko's belly and addressing it as "Michael", telling them he's due on the bridge for a transporter simulation. In a cargo bay, Lieutenant Commander La Forge and Dr. Crusher are inventorying a collection of supply canisters. She is trying to convince him to audition for a part in her latest play, and he reluctantly sings a few lines of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan. He protests that he is too bashful to sing in front of other people, but Crusher insists that he is perfect, and puts his name down for the role. On the bridge, Counselor Troi introduces three children to Captain Picard as the winners of the school science fair, whose prize is a tour of the ship with the captain. Forcing down his usual awkwardness with children, Picard greets himself but refuses when asked by one of his charges if they can see the battle bridge or torpedo bay, instead offering to take them round less sensitive and less interesting sounding areas, such as hydroponics and astrophysics, forcing a smile onto his face as he conducts the children onto a turbolift to begin the tour, passing a newly-arrived O'Brien. Aboard the lift, Picard tries to make conversation by asking each of the children about their respective projects. The third and oldest member of the group, Marissa Flores, is tongue-tied, and before conversation can go further, the ship is rocked by an impact, and the turbolift plummets, causing the children to scream in panic. The heavy quaking is felt throughout the ship, throwing people around and causing substantial damage before it passes. Aboard the bridge, the crew picks themselves up and O'Brien reports an impact with a quantum filament, and warns that another one is headed for the ship. The conn officer, Lieutenant jg Monroe only has time to warn the ship to brace for another impact, before the ship rocks again and her helm console blows up in her face sending her to the ground. On the bridge, O'Brien and Troi see that Lt. Monroe is dead and that most systems are down, including primary life support, communications, and the ship's computer. Ensign Mandel reports to O'Brien that the turbolifts are inoperative -- they are trapped on the bridge. In the turbolift, Picard is trapped with the three crying children. He cannot raise anyone on his combadge, and the children assume everyone else on the ship has been killed. When Jay Gordon Graas says they are going to die too, Picard angrily tells them all to calm down -- which only makes them cry harder. On the bridge, O'Brien reports that primary life support, main engines, and computer controls have all been disabled by the impact, and the turbolifts and communications have likewise been cut off, effectively sealing off the bridge from the rest of the ship. He also sends a distress call on automatic repeat, but doesn't know if it is transmitting. Ensign Ro squeezes through a turbolift door, having climbed up from her car which was close to the bridge when an emergency bulkhead closed just below it; the bridge is now cut off from the rest of the ship. Ops officer Mandel says that he is registering sporadic life signs throughout the rest of the ship, but cannot be sure they are real while the sensors are still malfunctioning. Troi is then surprised to be told by O'Brien, with Lt. Monroe's death; that she is now the commanding officer due to the fact that she, as a lieutenant commander, holds the highest rank of anyone present. Troi is bewildered, and doesn't have a clue what to do, having to be prompted by O'Brien and Ro who suggest implementing standard emergency procedures. Ten Forward has been turned into a make-shift sickbay for the wounded. Data returns from a survey of the corridors and reports that heavy damage has blocked off access both to sickbay and engineering. Riker says that they have to assume no one has been left alive on the bridge, and he and Data attempt to reach engineering via a service crawl-way. Worf is left in charge of Ten Forward. In the cargo bay, La Forge and Crusher are trying, unsuccessfully to open the doors. When La Forge goes to a wall panel to remove a manual hand actuator, Crusher feels heat coming from the wall, and a panel explodes outwards, revealing a plasma fire in a damaged power conduit. Crusher warns that the fire is emitting intense radiation, which could have long-term effects if they don't put it out. La Forge says they have a more immediate problem: the cargo bay is filled with drums of quaratum, which becomes explosive when exposed to radiation. In the turbolift, Picard has no success with the lift controls. His ankle was broken in the initial fall, so his mobility is limited. To help the children overcome their fear, and pitch in to help him, he gives each of them a rank in his makeshift "crew", and pins one of his collar pips onto each of them accordingly: Marissa Flores, the eldest, is appointed first officer, and henceforth addressed as "Number One"; Jay Gordon Graas, the second oldest, is appointed science officer; and Paterson Supra, the youngest,  is appointed "executive officer in charge of radishes," in reference to his science fair project. While crawling to engineering, Data and Riker are menaced by a coolant leak, and are forced to speed-crawl down the tunnel and seal a bulkhead behind them. They now have no choice but to go forward, but the way ahead is intimidating in itself, with electric arcs visible in the distance. In the cargo bay, Crusher notices that the radiation levels in the quaratum containers further away from the plasma fire are lower, so she and La Forge push the containers into a corner to buy themselves more time. On the bridge, Ro has managed to restore power to the engineering monitoring console by dumping raw power from the phaser array into it, over O'Brien's protests. She reports, with alarm, that the antimatter containment field has been damaged by the impact with the filament, and is slowly failing; when it does, the ship will explode from a warp core breach. Riker and Data are halted in the crawlspace by a ½ million-amp arc of electricity in front of them. Data cannot shut off the current with the controls, and they cannot go back. Data has the idea of interrupting the flow of current with his own body to break the circuit. Alarmed, Riker says the current may destroy him; humanitarian concerns aside, he also needs Data's help to operate the computers in engineering. Data volunteers that his positronic brain has extra shielding, and could withstand the current even if the rest of his body could not. He proposes that after the current is shut down, Riker detaches Data's head and carry it with him. Data steps into the current, and succeeds in interrupting it. In the turbolift, Picard helps Jay remove the ceiling hatch and climb up. Based on Jay's description of what he sees, Picard understands that the safety clamps meant to anchor the lift in an emergency are sheared away, meaning the lift will eventually break away and fall. He tells Marissa to lead the crew through the hatch and escape the lift via the shaft ladder. Picard says that, with his broken ankle, he would only slow them down and orders all of them to leave him behind. Exchanging a look with her crewmates, Marissa declares that they will not. Sighing, Picard accuses them of mutiny, but agrees to try. On his instructions, Marissa removes a large bundle of optical cabling from the control panel to lash them all together. In the cargo bay, La Forge and Crusher finish moving the quaratum containers, but the radiation levels are still rising. Frustrated, La Forge says that the only way to put out the fire would be to deprive it of oxygen -- and gets an idea. If they open the exterior cargo bay door, the escaping air will blow out the containers and deprive the plasma fire of oxygen; if he and Crusher can hold on to something, they can reseal the door and reventilate the bay once the fire is out. In Ten Forward, Worf and Keiko are caring for the wounded, when Keiko goes into labor.  Worf points out that it's not a good time, but Keiko insists that the baby is coming whether he likes it or not. In a staff meeting in the observation lounge, Ro demands that they separate the saucer section from the rest of the ship. They cannot stop the antimatter containment field from degrading from the bridge, and it is better that they save those people in the saucer section than let the explosion claim the whole ship. O'Brien objects that someone may still be alive in the stardrive section of the ship, but Ro says they can't know that for sure. Asserting her authority, Troi vetoes Ro's suggestion and instead tells O'Brien to transfer power to the consoles in engineering, to highlight the problem in case someone in that section is watching. In the turbolift shaft, Picard and the crew are climbing the ladder, trying to find a door they can open manually. After another door fails to respond, Paterson begins to despair, but Marissa "orders" him to steady himself. Before they can start to ascend again, the lift's clamps give way and it plunges, causing the walls of the shaft to tremble. They all cling to the ladder, and hear the crash of the lift far below. Grateful to at least be out of the lift, the crew keeps climbing. Picard suggests that they sing a song to boost their spirits, and eventually hits on "Frère Jacques" as one they all know. In Ten Forward, Worf is assisting Keiko, with the help of his tricorder and an emergency birth procedure he remembers from his Academy training. He appears flustered when Keiko starts to "deviate" from the procedure, asking him to check whether or not the baby's head is facing down. In the cargo bay, Crusher describes the sensations and dangers involved with vacuum exposure and explains they'll have about 25 seconds to restore the atmosphere before they collapse. The exterior door is opened, leaving only a force field keeping the air in the cargo bay. La Forge and Crusher hold on to a ladder and hold their breaths while La Forge hits the button to disengage the force field. The evacuating air blows all of the volatile barrels out into space, and the plasma fire eventually extinguishes from lack of oxygen. La Forge restores the force field and shuts the bay door, and Dr. Crusher is able to crawl to another panel and hit it before she collapses from the effects of the vacuum. She and La Forge breathe heavily in relief as air is resupplied to the cargo bay. On the bridge, Troi gives her final "no" to Ro's demand to separate the saucer section and tells them all to wait for a sign from engineering. In the stardrive section, Riker has rigged Data's head to the controls, allowing him to raise the bulkhead to engineering. Immediately noticing that the monitors have been powered up, despite the lack of power on the rest of the deck, he deduces that the bridge is trying to show them something. When he sees the containment field is failing, he has to quickly connect Data's head to a new link, enabling him to stabilize the field with only seconds to spare. Seeing the field return to normal from the bridge monitors, Ro and O'Brien realize that someone is alive down there and disaster has been averted. Ro apologizes to Troi for her error, but Troi says she might well have been right. In a deserted corridor, a door finally opens, admitting Picard and his crew out of the turbolift shaft. Safe at last, Marissa hugs Picard gratefully, while he exchanges hearty handshakes with the two boys. In Ten Forward, with Worf's help, Keiko delivers her baby, which is a girl. Worf comments that she looks like Chief O'Brien, much to Keiko's amusement. Troi conducts the three children to the bridge again. Riker jibes that she must be drawn to Picard's empty chair, while Troi admits that she isn't cut out to be a captain -- "first officer, maybe. I understand there aren't a lot of qualifications." When Picard emerges from his ready room, Marissa and the crew present him with a homemade plaque, thanking him for leading them out of the turbolift. Picard accepts it heartily, and says he will rendezvous with them later to lead them on their promised tour, starting with the battle bridge. Returning to his ready room, he says over his shoulder, "you have the bridge, Number One," causing Marissa and Riker to chirp, "aye, sir!" in unison. Marissa lets out an embarrassed laugh, but Riker smiles and Picard throws her a wink. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker is on shore leave on Risa, where he's been spending time with a Ktarian woman named Etana Jol. She teases him by taking his combadge, and then, to his disbelief, throws it out a window. She introduces to him a game involving a device that fits over the ears and projects signals into the eyes. This creates in the wearer's field of vision an image of discs going into funnels. When a disk goes into one of said funnels, the player is "rewarded" by receiving pleasure signals from the device. Etana says that the game can go as far as the player will take it, and Riker decides to continue playing. Riker enters the bridge and notices that things are starting to get busy around the Enterprise. He says that five new science teams have just beamed in from the Zhukov with quarters filling fast. Captain Picard adds that on top of everything else, they only have two weeks to complete the exploration -- something that Riker doesn't like, as he thought they had five weeks. This is due to the recent addition of a diplomatic mission to Oceanus IV to the agenda. Picard tasks Riker to ensure that all the science teams have an equal chance to complete their research, which would be a tough juggling act, says Riker. Picard also tells the first officer that they also have a scheduled rendezvous with a shuttle carrying Wesley Crusher, who is vacationing from Starfleet Academy and could provide some much-needed extra help. In engineering, Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is up to his neck in observation schedules, and explains to Riker the biggest hurdle would be sensor availability, a task made more difficult since two new exobiologists and three stellar cartographers transferred from the Zhukov. Getting down to the business of availability, La Forge tells Riker that the lateral sensors are booked solid for planetary observation, and the gamma ray scanners are being reprogrammed by Ensign Robin Lefler. La Forge compliments her work in engineering, remarking that she's the specialist for this mission. Lefler explains to Riker that they're increasing the available bandwidth of the sensors so more science teams can use the sensors at once. This is done by multiplexing the array, and Lefler assures the first officer that it will be done before they arrive at the Cluster. Riker tells La Forge that he's brought something back from Risa that he has to try. La Forge reluctantly takes a pass as he is running a full sensor recalibration in ten minutes, but promises to see Riker about it later. In Ten Forward, Riker eyes Deanna Troi, who is enjoying a large chocolate sundae. Jokingly, he asks if she's depressed, to which Troi replies, "I'm fine, commander."  She offers him a spoonful, but he politely declines, saying he doesn't like fudge. Troi smiles and tells Riker she never met a chocolate she didn't like. Getting technical, she describes the experience by explaining the best way to eat it and enjoy it, a detailed ritual which amuses Riker. "Chocolate is a serious thing", she informs him. He then tells her about the game he brought back from Risa, which he promises would be "better than chocolate". The Enterprise makes a rendezvous with the USS Cochrane, and Wesley is transported aboard and greeted by Chief O'Brien. He congratulates him on the recent birth of his daughter. O'Brien says that she's the spitting image of her father. He informs Wesley that the senior officers are in a meeting, and that Wesley can go to his mother's quarters. At Wesley's request, O'Brien hails the bridge and confirms that it's all right for Wesley to drop into the observation lounge to say hello. A darkened room awaits Wesley, who looks around in confusion. The lights go on and Doctor Beverly Crusher greets her son with a big hug, followed by Picard. He speaks to him in Latin and Wesley responds back; Picard credits that his Latin has improved. Troi compliments the uniform as he is looking handsome, and La Forge says the uniform probably "drives the girls wild". Worf offers him a Tarvokian pound cake which he made himself. Data then asks if their attempts to make him uncomfortable were effective. Wesley admits they were, having wondered if he was on the wrong ship. Riker asks Wesley to assist the crew with the Phoenix Cluster survey. La Forge wants him to settle in first and then to see him in engineering to get started. Beverly then asks Troi about the game, and she invites the doctor to come by her quarters to check it out. Wesley and Data talk about his time at the Academy, which Wesley found surprisingly challenging, as there's much more to know than starship operations. Data recounts his awkward early days at the Academy, during which his lack of Human understanding put him at a social disadvantage. One example was practical jokes, of which the android was a victim of several. Wesley completely understands and shares a practical joke that was played on him by fellow cadet Adam Martoni. Another obstacle was the Academy's annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. It was an awkward experience for both. Wesley admits he's not a dancer, and Data shares that he personally learned to dance thanks to Beverly, a talented former dancer. He offers to share what he learned with Wesley. Getting right to work, Wesley begins to modify the planetary scans while keeping the datalines open for the stellar physicists. Seeing that he's having difficulties with the sensors, Lefler walks over and gives him a hand. They introduce themselves, but before they can chat, Lefler points out that Wesley's neutrinos are drifting, leaving Wesley scrambling to get back to work. Conflicts arise between the stellar physicists and the planetary evolution team, with both of them wanting to be the first to use the thermal imaging array, Data reports. La Forge suggests they flip a coin, as they won't be able to finish the mission without working together. Data is then called away to sickbay by Beverly, who needs assistance. As he enters, she is working on an experiment using bioactive silicon and needs her tricorder modified to a certain specification. Data agrees to help, but as he works on the tricorder, Beverly shuts him off. Troi and Riker enter sickbay and carry him to a bio-bed, and secure the doors. Beverly begins to work on the android. Enjoying some tea with Picard, Wesley details his instructors at the Academy: Novakovich for anthropology, Walter Horne for creative writing. Picard is pleased to hear that Wesley met Boothby his first week, as he had suggested the year before. When asked how he was doing, and mused that Boothby may have told Wesley some stories about Picard in his Academy days, Wesley admits Boothby didn't remember Picard until he saw an old yearbook picture. Boothby was very proud that Picard had become captain of the Enterprise, and showed Wesley a grand tour of the gardens -- the very same tour Picard got when he was at the Academy. Wesley asked about the initials "A.F." that Boothby caught Picard carving in his prized elm tree, which Picard admits was an old acquaintance of his. His preoccupation with her cost him a passing grade in organic chemistry. Picard advises Wesley that whenever he meets someone whose initials he would carve in that elm tree, it should not interfere with his studies. Picard is then summoned to sickbay by Beverly. Beverly explains to the captain that Data was complaining about a servo malfunction, and although her scans came up negative, he collapsed. La Forge determines that his higher signals are intact, but none of them are entering the rest of his body through his positronic brain, leaving him in an almost comatose state. Picard wants to be kept up-to-date on the situation. In his quarters, Riker and La Forge end up with a dead end with no evidence to support a shutdown. The personal, diagnostic, and duty logs all show normal and a standard security sweep shows nothing out of the ordinary. Riker assures the troubled La Forge that Dr. Crusher has everything taken care of, and suggests that La Forge takes a break to unwind. La Forge agrees, which opens the opportunity for Riker to introduce him to the game. Still working on the sensors, Lefler shares with Wesley her view of conduit configuration quoting her personal Law #36: "You have to go with what works". The laws are her personal rules: whenever she learns something new, she makes a law so as not to forget it. To date, she has 102 laws. She credits Wesley's reputation for being good. Wesley realizes that Lefler knows more about him than he realizes. She admits she's heard about him from a few friends at the Academy. She also wants to know about the revenge prank he played on Adam Martoni. Wesley mentions there is another side to the story, and then Lefler inquires about his birthmark. Wesley complains he is at a disadvantage, as he hardly knows Lefler. While he needs to work on the sensor relays, he offers a chance to even the score. He invites her to meet him for coffee, but she counters with a dinner proposal, which he accepts. Beverly clears a challenging level of the game in her quarters, but is interrupted by Wesley, who inquires about it. Embarrassed, she concedes that the game was meant for him, but she couldn't resist trying it out. When offered a chance to try it, Wesley passes and instead asks about Data's condition. She says La Forge has everything under control, and stops Wesley from going to help out, reminding him he's on vacation. Running late for his date with Lefler, Wesley promises his mother he will have time to spend with her while he's on board. She then becomes adamant for her son to try one round of the game, but he insists he needs to get ready for his date. She tells Wesley to have a good time and sets the game down on a table. Lefler begins to talk about her life in Starfleet; her childhood involved frequent moving, as her parents were highly in demand as plasma specialists. As a child, she enjoyed playing with a tricorder, as Wesley did with a warp coil. She concedes her parents didn't have much time to spend with her, even when she needed them, which prompted her to make her first law: You can only count on yourself. They begin to discuss the game. Lefler says everyone in engineering are going crazy over it. They glance over at crewman at another table playing the game in a trance-like state. Lefler dismisses it as a fad, but Wesley wants to find out more before playing it. They team up to look into it, and as they leave Ten Forward, another crewman in a command red uniform begins playing. The two begin to study the game, and what it does to the brain. The highest concentration of activity is in the pleasure center of the brain, a key component in the game: it's addictive. Another unusual reading comes from the prefrontal cortex, which handles reasoning. Wesley concludes he needs to inform the captain about this discovery. Wesley explains to Picard what he and Lefler discovered, having concluded that the game is psychotropically addictive. Picard is even further concerned when he learns the game affects the brain's reasoning center. Picard says that he'll start an investigation immediately, and thanks Wesley for bringing it to his attention, mentioning how good it is to have him back. As soon as Wesley leaves, he turns around, picks up the game he had hidden when Wesley arrived, and resumes playing. By now, the game has spread through most of the ship. Wesley meets Lefler in Ten Forward and the two discuss how they're constantly being approached by people who are almost desperate to get them to try the game, as Chief O'Brien had a moment ago. Wesley tells Lefler that he's told the captain, however a crewmember interrupts asking them why they're not trying the game and is about to force hers onto Lefler's head before the two leave, but not before deducing that Data would be immune to the game and how convenient it was that he suffered a mysterious "malfunction" just after it arrived. Wesley and Lefler look over Data's systems, and determine that someone has severed a connection between his positronic brain and the rest of his body. Wesley is disturbed, and tells Lefler that only two people on board Enterprise have the training and experience to disable Data in this way: La Forge and his mother. They deduce that he has been deactivated to be kept out of the way so that the game could be spread throughout the rest of the susceptible crew. The Enterprise arrives at some designated coordinates, and Picard sends the senior staff to see to it that the few unaffected crewmembers left are introduced to the game. Worf and Beverly go to see to it that Wesley plays the game, only to find that he and Lefler have already seemingly succumbed to it. Satisfied, they leave, only for Wesley and Lefler to return to normal, having replicated dummy devices to fool the rest of the crew. They agree that no one can be trusted now, however Robin has to leave to report for duty, knowing that her absence could arouse suspicion. Wesley asks her to access the codes for the security tracking system as he has a plan, and she tells him to watch his back. Now believing the entire crew has played the game, Captain Picard summons all the senior offices to the bridge. Worf tells Picard that an alien ship is approaching and is hailing the Enterprise. Picard asks Worf to put the message on the video screen. It is Etana Jol, the woman from Risa who originally gave the game to Riker during his shore leave. She is in fact a Ktarian commander, and she now asks Captain Picard for a report. Picard answers "The Enterprise has been secured. We await further instructions". Etana is delighted with Picard's response and it is now apparent that her encounter with Riker back on Risa was designed to be more than just a romantic interlude, but was part of her plan to addict Riker to the game to the point that he would bring it back to the ship. Over time the game's addictive and mind control properties would allow Etana to gain control of the Enterprise and its crew. The true intention of the game is also clear now: it's part of a Ktarian "expansion project". She now orders various members of the crew to visit nearby Federation outposts and installations to distribute the devices there, and also to make sure that all other ships in the sector get the game. In a reference to Wesley, Picard also informs Etana that they may be able to get the devices to Starfleet Academy. Etana closes the transmission by saying the crew will all be rewarded when the "expansion" is completed. Wesley meets up with Lefler in engineering, where he tells her he's prepared a site-to-site transporter program in case of an emergency and asks how she's been doing with the security system. However, he then notices that she's staring at him blankly. He realizes something is wrong as Lefler reveals she's been exposed to the game and tells Wesley it's his turn. Riker and Worf have been hiding in order to perform an ambush. Wesley manages to escape from engineering and makes a run for it with Riker and Worf in pursuit. When further progress is blocked by a force field, he activates the transport program. He is beamed to transporter room 3, on deck six. In order to prevent the crew from tracking his whereabouts, Wesley ditches his combadge and deactivates it as he flees the room. After working through some of Wesley's sabotage, the crew tracks him to deck six and traps him with force fields. Wesley takes out a type-1 phaser and sets it to randomly fire on the force field. This activity is detected, tricking the crew into thinking he was trying to cut through it and buying him time to get away. He escapes into the Jefferies tubes, but they scan for his body heat in that quarter of the saucer section. Knowing where he's going, Worf and Riker corner Wesley in a Jefferies tubes junction and capture him. Even though he grabs onto a grate to anchor himself, they eventually manage to drag him to the bridge, struggling the entire way. Held down into the captain's chair, he is forced to use the game device, his head held still and at Picard's encouraging, his eyes forced open by Riker and Worf. Wesley still fights them while his mother encourages him to just relax and let the game play itself. In fact, the game does play itself: Wesley refuses to throw the disks into the funnels, but the funnels stretch toward the disks and pull the disks into themselves, triggering the same effects that would have been triggered if Wesley had voluntarily thrown the disks into the funnels. It would seem that he is now addicted -- and Ktarian control of the Enterprise is now complete. At that moment, the lights on the bridge go out, plunging the room into darkness. Data appears from the turbolift and, using a palm beacon, flashes an optical burst pattern into everyone's eyes to disrupt the mind-controlling effects of the game. He reports that he did the same to the rest of the ship, setting all lights and displays to flash as his palm beacon did. When Riker asks how Data is standing after being shut off, Wesley explains that he repaired Data. After learning the situation, Data had set to work on finding a way to dispel the mind-control, while Wesley distracted the crew as long as he could with his wild goose chase. Worf locks onto Etana's ship with a tractor beam. She angrily hails Enterprise, demanding an explanation. When Picard says that her plot has failed, she threatens to destroy the Enterprise, but Worf scans her ship and pointedly reports that with her ship's limited defenses, she is not a threat at all. After making it clear to Etana that she cannot escape, Riker closes the channel on a speechless Etana. Meanwhile, Wesley prepares to leave the Enterprise. His vacation is over -- back to the Academy and his studies. Riker informs Wesley that his ship is waiting and he should report to the transporter room. Wesley acknowledges that he'll be there shortly. But first he and Lefler say their goodbyes to each other, they kiss, and she gives Wesley a going-away gift -- a copy of her 102 laws written down. Wesley decides to add "Law 103. A couple of light years can't keep good friends apart". She nods her approval and Wesley is transported to the USS Merrimac that will return him to Starfleet Academy. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has had a terraforming mission on Doraf I cancelled and has been recalled to Starbase 234 by Fleet Admiral Brackett who is unwilling to discuss the matter over subspace. Meeting with Captain Picard in his ready room, she advises him that one of the Federation's most prestigious and celebrated Ambassadors and an advisor to Federation leaders for generations had suddenly disappeared without a trace, and that intelligence suggests that he is currently on the planet Romulus. The trip was unauthorized, and there are serious worries that he has defected. If so, the potential damage to Federation security would be devastating. She shows Picard an image taken on Romulus on his desktop monitor that clearly shows the face of the missing ambassador -- Spock. The Enterprise arrives at the planet Vulcan. In the observation lounge, Picard and Commander Riker discuss debris recovered from a crashed Ferengi vessel that appears to be Vulcan in origin. The debris has been sent to Vulcan for further analysis. Riker will be assisting the forensic team studying the pieces. Sarek's wife Perrin joins Picard for mint tea. Sarek is known to be very ill, suffering from the effects of Bendii Syndrome. Perrin tells Picard that Spock couldn't have been abducted, as he tidied up his affairs before his disappearance, and then relates that there has been a rift in the relationship between Sarek and Spock over the Federation-Cardassian War. Sarek is now wasting away in bed and wants nothing more than to heal the rift between himself and his son before it's too late. In a cargo bay, Riker and Lieutenant Commander La Forge examine the pieces of debris that were recovered from the Ferengi vessel that crashed in a Hanolin asteroid belt. The material dentarium is detected in the debris, confirming that their origin is Vulcan. Picard goes to the planet and enters Sarek's room. Sarek is in bed and restless -- shouting and ranting and he doesn't initially recognize or even acknowledge Picard. Picard asks him about Spock, and he suddenly calms and becomes more lucid. He finally recognizes Picard, who asks if he would know why Spock would be on Romulus. Sarek says possibly to meet with Pardek, a Romulan Senator whom Spock met at the Khitomer Conference decades ago. Picard asks if Spock may have defected, but Sarek responds, "Never!" Sarek soon becomes confused again, and in his ramblings recalls that when he was a child Spock would disappear into the mountains for days refusing to tell anyone what he was doing there and would endure punishments silently before immediately returning; Sarek then confesses that secretly, he was proud of his son's unyielding spirit. Picard reminds Sarek that they have a part of each other, and he knows Sarek loves Spock despite all the pain he's caused. Sarek struggles to give Picard a message to take to his son: "Live long and prosper." The Enterprise is en route to Qo'noS to request a ship from Chancellor Gowron that has cloaking capability. They hail Gowron for three days and receive no response. Worf explains that the messages are likely being ignored because "Gowron has been re-writing Klingon history", claiming that it was his genius that ended the civil war, without a word about the help of the Federation, to which Riker adds that the arrival of the Enterprise may be an uncomfortable reminder of the facts. Picard suggests that Lieutenant Worf try to contact K'Tal of the Klingon High Council instead. Data shows Picard a Barolian visual identification of Pardek taken at trade negotiation four years ago. Picard compares the image to the one with Spock in it on Romulus and finds that the man with Spock is indeed Pardek. Data tells Picard that Pardek has been a senator for nine decades and is considered a radical by the Romulan Senate as he is a known advocate for peace. Data adds that he lives in the Krocton Segment on Romulus. The Enterprise is hailed from Qo'noS. It is B'iJik, the Junior Adjutant to the Diplomatic Delegation. He advises Picard that Gowron is too busy to meet with him. Picard is incensed. He diplomatically threatens Gowron through B'iJik, implying that if Gowron doesn't grant his request, he will request a ship from one of Gowron's rival factions, and playing to Gowron's vanity as well. B'iJik promises to give the message to Gowron. Later in sickbay, Doctor Crusher is examining Commander Data's head in preparation for the prosthetic ears he will be wearing for his mission to Romulus. She tells Data and Picard that they still need to meet with Mr. Mot to be fitted for their hairpieces. La Forge has determined that the debris found on the Ferengi vessel is part of the deflector array from the Vulcan ship T'Pau. This ship was decommissioned and sent to Qualor II as scrap. Riker suggests that they take the Enterprise to Qualor II and continue their investigation, and Picard agrees. Worf calls in to tell Picard that a Klingon ship has just decloaked off the Enterprise's port bow, compliments of Gowron. Picard and Data go aboard the Klingon vessel and proceed toward Romulus while the Enterprise goes the other direction toward Qualor II. Captain K'Vada shows Picard and Data to quarters on the ship. K'Vada prods them with conditions on the ship, saying they have to share a room, eat Klingon food and get used to the hard bed. Picard takes it in stride. On the intercom, he's informed they have crossed the Neutral Zone. He confirms with Picard that he intends to continue, then orders the ship to cloak. Stardate 45240.6. Riker takes the Enterprise to the Zakdorn-operated Surplus Depot Z-15, a Federation scrap yard for decommissioned ships. They contact the quartermaster of the depot, a Zakdorn named Klim Dokachin, who is less than helpful. Riker invites him on board and has Troi try to persuade him to assist them in finding out the whereabouts of the remainder of the T'Pau. He agrees and the Enterprise goes to the coordinates of the T'Pau. To the quartermaster's shock, the ship is gone. Dokachin says that the deflector array was sent to the USS Tripoli, a holding vessel on the outer rim of the shipyard. They go to that location and find it, too, is missing. The quartermaster informs them that there is a transport of deuterium storage tanks to the Tripoli scheduled in two hours. Riker orders the ship to be moved away and powered down with the exception of sensors and life support. They lie in wait to see what will happen when the transport is initiated. Picard and Data see that there is one bunk, obviously for one person, which probably amuses the Klingons. Picard lies down to sleep as Data does not need to lie down. He stands nearby calculating how he should behave when undercover as a Romulan. He makes Picard nervous and unable to sleep. Their interplay and dialogue is very humorous, with Data staring in Picard's direction as he lies on the bunk making the Captain feel uncomfortable. Just as Picard gets up, they are called to the bridge, where Captain K'Vada hands him a PADD containing a subspace message he monitored that he believes Picard will find interesting. Picard reads, and sadly tells Data the news it contains. Sarek has died. On the Enterprise, a ship is approaching at warp speed. It stops at the coordinates 12 Delta 4 -- the previous position of the Tripoli. The small combat vessel is heavily armed and receives the scheduled transport. Riker powers up all systems and hails the ship, ordering them to identify themselves. The ship turns to intercept and fires phasers at the Enterprise. Riker orders Worf to return fire, targeting only the weapon systems and using only a .75 power burst with the phasers just to "get their attention." The ship is hit and takes damage to their forward shields. La Forge details a more through assessment with collateral damage in the cargo bay and a destroyed phaser array. However he also reads massive power fluctuations and internal explosions; and concludes that with all the armament on board, the ship will blow. No sooner from that assessment, the cargo ship explodes in front of the bridge crew's eyes. Data and Picard are in costume and prosthetic makeup looking just like Romulans. Data observes that Picard has been unusually pensive since learning of Sarek's death. Picard attempts to explain to Data the effect that Sarek's death has had on him, and how the mission has taken on a more personal nature as it is left to him to deliver the news to Spock. Data assumes that, as a Vulcan, Spock will simply accept Sarek's death as the logical conclusion of his illness but Picard disagrees, telling the android it is never that simple especially as Spock is half-human and now his chance to reconcile with his father is gone. Data notes how illogical it is that, given the naturally long lifespan of Vulcans, Spock and Sarek never chose to resolve their differences. Picard notes that Spock and Sarek were a lot alike in their stubbornness and pride, constantly building emotional barriers that were hard to bring down and now Spock will have to face the knowledge that it is too late to begin building bridges again. They beam down to Romulus after K'Vada tells them that he won't rescue them if anything goes wrong. On Romulus, Senator Pardek arrives at proconsul Neral's office and is asked if he knows of Jean-Luc Picard. He says he does not and is told that Picard is on his way to Romulus. They decide to alert security to be watchful for him. Picard and Data are on the street where the images of Pardek and Spock were standing. They locate the office of a lawyer who is likely related to Pardek. They decide to get some food and wait for him to arrive. At a nearby restaurant, they notice two Romulans in military uniform just before Pardek comes down the street. They turn toward Pardek and the uniformed Romulans stop them and escort them out. Data and Picard are taken to an underground chamber. Pardek walks in behind them and says, "Welcome to Romulus, Captain Picard." The military men were his assistants in disguise. Picard explains that he is on an urgent mission from the Federation. He is looking for Ambassador Spock. "Indeed," says a voice from deeper within the cavern. "You have found him, Captain Picard." Spock emerges from the shadows. 
<EOS>
Spock asks Captain Picard why he is on Romulus, and Picard tells him he is there to ask him the same question on behalf of Starfleet. Spock refuses to answer, telling Picard that his mission is a personal one of peace and will inform Starfleet when it is neccessary. Picard reminds Spock that he is in a position to heavily compromise Federation security; Spock asks Picard to leave and Picard refuses, saying that despite all that he has achieved on behalf of the Federation, Spock's sort of "cowboy diplomacy" is not easily tolerated. "If you wish to undertake a mission with obvious repercussions for the Federation, then you should discuss it with the Federation. I'm here as their representative." Picard also has the unhappy task of informing Spock that his father is dead. Taking a moment to take in the news, Spock then asks Picard to walk with him. Spock reveals that he is aware of the mind meld that Picard and his father shared to allow Sarek to complete his final mission at Legara IV. Picard tells Spock it was an honor, and Spock agrees that Sarek was a great representative for the Vulcan people and for the Federation. Picard then tells Spock of Sarek's pride in him, but Spock brushes this off as part of the emotional onslaught Sarek suffered due to his illness but Picard disputes this those feelings came from the heart. Spock is uncomfortable with this, and starts to tell Picard why he is on Romulus; some time earlier he became aware of an underground movement learning Vulcan philosophy that have been declared enemies of the Romulan government. However some members are sympathetic to the cause like Senator Pardek, who was the one who asked Spock to come and take the first step towards the reunification of Vulcan and Romulus. Picard is very surprised; it has been centuries since the Romulan society split from the Vulcan people and have developed several fundamental differences. Spock admits that reunification may be unlikely, however if it succeeds the benefits brought would be immense. The 'first step' that Pardek spoke of is a young proconsul in the Romulan Senate is promising reform and they may be able to convert him to their movement. When Picard asks Spock why he hasn't mentioned this either to the Federation or to the Vulcans, Spock says that it was a personal decision based on what happened with his small role in the early overtures to peace with the Klingons. "It was I who committed Captain Kirk to that peace mission, and I who had to bear the responsibility for the consequences to him and to his crew." Spock states that he is unwilling to risk anyone's life but his own in this venture and once again asks Picard to leave. Picard states that he almost suspects Spock's judgment is being influenced by his emotions. Spock states that Picard speaks almost as Sarek would if he were there. Picard replies that he speaks only as a Starfleet officer and cannot ignore the risks to Spock. Spock then remarks that Picard is, in his own way, as stubborn as another captain of the Enterprise that he once knew. Picard takes that as a compliment, remarking that he is in good company. Data, having returned to the cloaked Klingon Bird-of-Prey in orbit of Romulus, obtains the assistance of Captain K'Vada to access the Romulan Central Information Net, and to send a transmission to the Enterprise, piggybacking it on Romulan transmissions. In exchange, he promises to give the Klingons access to any Romulan information he uncovers. Back on Romulus, the Romulan Jaron comes to Picard and Spock's table bearing a flower -- a signal that Pardek will shortly arrive. Picard and Spock discuss the underground movement, with Spock noting that it has members in four provinces and is a serious concern to the Romulan leadership, while Picard expresses skepticism regarding its chances of success, which Spock urges him to reconsider. A Romulan boy, D'Tan, arrives with an antique Vulcan book telling the history of the separation. Pardek arrives, rebukes the boy gently for bringing the book into the open, and they leave. Pardek tells Picard and Spock that Spock's presence has greatly inspired the movement, and informs them that the proconsul will meet with Spock. Riker enters a bar near the Qualor II surplus depot and encounters Amarie, a four-armed pianist and the former wife of the smuggler who died when he and the Enterprise traded phaser fire over the stolen deuterium tanks from the depot. While killing her ex was a good start for bargaining, she agrees to provide the commander information on his business partners, in exchange for jazz lessons. In between notes, she informs him that Omag, "a fat Ferengi", will be in the bar at some point and will have information Riker seeks. On Romulus, Pardek and Spock meet with Proconsul Neral. He expresses enthusiasm for their movement, even greeting Spock with "Live long and prosper", and saying he may be able to obtain the support of the Romulan Senate and is prepared to publicly endorse reunification. But after Spock leaves, Sela enters the room -- she has heard the whole conversation, and Neral has tricked the underground. In the caves, Spock shares the good news, despite Picard's skepticism. In private, Spock and Picard argue, with Picard accusing Spock of being swayed by Romulan emotions, and Spock insinuating that Picard is over-influenced by Sarek, possibly even by the results of his mind meld with the ambassador. Picard remarks that this is the second such accusation, and then states that, while the mind meld was a profound experience and that Sarek's essence will always be a part of him, his judgment was still his own. In the end, Spock agrees that there is, most likely, a larger plan being played out by the Romulans and that, in order to find out what is going on; Spock will play along and "play the role they would have me play" Back aboard K'Vada's ship, Data is attempting to access the information net; Spock provides the last necessary cipher in order to access it. Picard leaves to remove his Romulan ears and Spock notes that the captain has an almost Vulcan-like quality, which Data is surprised by given that Picard has been his role model in his quest to become more Human. Spock is fascinated by this telling Data that his "efficient intellect, superior physical skills and no emotional impediments" gives him what many Vulcans strive for their entire lives and yet he wishes to be Human. Data then notes that Spock is half-Human, yet chose to live a Vulcan way of life thereby abandoning what the android has always aimed for. Data then asks Spock if, as he looks back on his life, he ever misses his humanity. Spock replies that he has no regrets. Data points out that 'no regrets' is a Human expression. Spock considers this, then simply responds with "fascinating." In the bar on Qualor II, Worf requests a theme from Aktuh and Maylota, in which Amarie joins with gusto. Soon, Omag enters the bar loudly complaining about the Klingon opera and Worf advises Riker on the Enterprise. Riker arrives shortly much to the chagrin of Omag, and mocks the commander's request for information on the Vulcan ship much to the laughter of his two female partners. Riker turns to Worf and then throws the tray of food all over Omag and his partners and lifts up and intimidates the arrogant Ferengi into revealing that he delivered the Vulcan ship to a Barolian freighter near Galorndon Core under threat of losing his right of passage in the sector, and making Riker very unhappy. Satisfied with his information, he throws Omag back on his chair and gives him a napkin, and politely tells him to enjoy his dinner. Riker is communicating with Picard over the piggybacked subspace signal, who brings him up to date about the negotiations with Proconsul Neral. The use of a stolen Vulcan ship by the Romulans makes no sense to the goal of Unification but Picard believes it's worth looking into. The Enterprise then proceeds to Galorndon Core at warp eight. On K'Vada's ship, Data has accessed Romulan communications logs and finds a transmission to a Barolian ship near Galorndon Core. K'Vada points out that the Barolians often run that trade route and the transmission was probably routine, but Data counters that the signal includes the code prefix of Romulan Intelligence. The signal is a mere four digits: 1 4 0 0. On Romulus, D'Tan catches up with Spock and shows him small carved stones, which Spock describes as the syllabic nucleus of the Vulcan language. D'Tan reveals that his parents taught him Vulcan when he was small, to prepare for the Romulans' inevitable reunification with their Vulcan cousins. Summoned by Picard and Data, Spock returns to the cave. They share the message with him, and Spock immediately realizes that the proconsul has deceived him and that the Vulcan ships are involved, as the time set for Spock's announcement regarding reunification was 1400 hours the following day. Suddenly, Romulan troops led by Commander Sela burst in and capture Spock, Picard, and Data; Spock realizes that Pardek has betrayed him. Sela tells Spock that his dream of reunification will still happen, but simply taking a different form, the Romulan conquest of Vulcan. She and her Romulan troops take Spock, Picard and Data out of the caves by disruptor. In orbit of Galorndon Core, the Enterprise receives a message, ostensibly from Picard, advising them that the initiative is successful and ordering to hold their position. Although the proper coded sequence was used, Riker dismisses it. On Romulus, Spock, Data, and Picard are brought into Sela's office. She informs them that Spock will read a speech encouraging the Vulcans to welcome the "peace envoy". Picard realizes the Romulans will be using the stolen Vulcan ship, and Sela reveals there's actually three stolen ships full of troops and she has sent fake orders to the Enterprise in Picard's name ordering them to remain in their present position and when the Vulcan ships cross the Neutral Zone the ship will be too busy to stop them. Picard points out that Starfleet will not just sit idly by while the Romulans attempt to conquer one of the Federation's founding members, but Sela states that by the time Starfleet get to Vulcan, the Romulans will be so firmly entrenched on the planet there'll be no getting rid of them and thus reunification will be a fact of life. When Spock refuses to read Sela's statement or any other, she threatens him with death, but he logically deduces that she would execute him and his companions in any event. Sela then reveals a programmable holographic version of him that will read the speech. She then leaves to order the ships on their way, locking the three in her office. Data and Spock immediately set about to access the Romulan computer system. Back in orbit of Galorndon Core, the Enterprise detects the oncoming Vulcan ships and moves to intercept. Sela returns to her office to find her three prisoners gone, and is immediately confronted by Riker and two security officers. She shoots at them, but the beam passes through them -- holograms. While they are distracted, Spock and Picard emerge from the wall -- also a hologram -- and incapacitate Sela's guards, and get the drop on her. But she blusters that her forces will be on Vulcan before they can alert anyone. Dr. Crusher arrives on the bridge saying she's received an urgent distress signal from Dulisian IV calling for emergency evacuation. The only vessel in range is a Rutian archaeological vessel, which is ill-equipped to handle the crisis. Just before they divert to assist, they receive a message from Spock alerting them to the invasion force and saying the Vulcan ships must be stopped at all costs. Riker tells Dr. Crusher to verify the signal from Dulisian IV, as it is probably fake. Data confirms that the message was sent and nerve pinches Sela, and the three make good their escape from the senate building. The Vulcan ships begin to retreat to the Neutral Zone, with the Enterprise in pursuit. Suddenly, a D'deridex-class warbird uncloaks; Riker calls red alert and warns the warbird to withdraw from Federation space and leave the Vulcan ships were they are, but the warbird destroys the three Vulcan ships, then re-cloaks as quickly as it appeared. La Forge and Troi note with shock that there were over 2,000 Romulan troops aboard the Vulcan ships, but the Romulans destroyed their own invasion force rather than let them be captured. In caves that Pardek never knew about, the remaining underground movement resolves to continue working for change in Romulan society. Picard promises that the Federation will welcome the day when they don't have to be enemies with the Romulans. Picard and Data prepare to beam up to K'Vada's ship, but Spock chooses to remain behind, saying his work has never been more important. He now understands that true reunification will not happen through diplomacy or politics, but through changing society from within, even if it takes years or centuries. As Picard and Spock discuss their gently adversarial relationship, Spock comments that Picard may know Sarek "better than his own son did. My father and I never chose to meld." On hearing this, Picard says, "I offer you the chance to touch what he [Sarek] shared with me." As Data watches, Spock places his hand on Picard's face and makes contact with the essence of Sarek that remains in Picard's mind, and Picard thus fulfills the request that Sarek made: Spock's face is suffused with emotion as he realizes the depth of his father's love for him. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise is trying to fix extreme weather problems resulting from an asteroid collision on the planet Penthara IV, a colony with a population of some twenty million persons. On their way to Penthara IV, Worf notices a space-time distortion, followed by the appearance of a small vessel. Captain Picard tries to hail the ship, to which the occupant replies that Picard should move over. Picard takes a stand saying that the Enterprise will not go anywhere until it explains itself. As soon as Picard physically "moves over," a man named Berlinghoff Rasmussen appears aboard the Enterprise claiming to be a historian from the future, specializing in 24th century interstellar issues. Rasmussen tries to convince the crew that he is actually from the future. In order to prove it, the crew tries asking him questions that only a man from the future would know the answers to. Doctor Crusher wants to know if they cured the Telurian plague by Rasmussen's time, but Picard says they shouldn't ask questions like that, despite the temptation. After the meeting is over, Deanna Troi says Rasmussen is holding something back, but is unsure that it has to do with his wanting to keep information from his century from the crew of the Enterprise. Rasmussen tries to study Data in a turbolift while he escorts him to his newly assigned quarters. Data tries to ask about whether or not he lives to see the 26th century, but Rasmussen avoids his questions and tells him that it would be better if Data kept those assumptions to himself. Data complies, apologizes, and leaves Rasmussen alone. After Data leaves, Rasmussen looks around his quarters with a sinister expression on his face. The Enterprise arrives at Penthara IV. Meanwhile, in Ten Forward, Riker, Worf, and Crusher are talking about Rasmussen's presence while sitting at a table. His presence on board is quite disruptive since he refuses to reveal anything about the future, but he nevertheless drops many hints that something important is about to happen. Rasmussen arrives in Ten Forward and Dr. Crusher invites him to the group's table. He asks them to each take a questionnaire. Then they talk about how they view the world and what they each think the most important inventions/advancements in the past 200 years were. Beverly says the way surgery was changed, Riker says warp coils, and Worf says phasers. Rasmussen says that it's typical that they would provide such different answers since Beverly is a doctor, Riker is a commander in Starfleet, and Worf is from a warrior background. Later, Rasmussen visits Geordi La Forge and Data in Engineering. La Forge conjectures that Rasmussen is there to witness the mission at Penthara IV after he comments on how little is known of Data's part in the mission in the 26th century. La Forge figures out the parameters of how much CO2 to inject into the air at Penthara IV and tells Picard he is ready to transport to the planet's surface. When La Forge leaves, Rasmussen steals a PADD left on the table. He then goes to the bridge to witness the event. La Forge and Data with Dr. Moseley are coordinating the start of the procedure and monitoring. After several phaser drills, CO2 emissions finally start and monitoring stations see the temperature holding and even increasing. Rasmussen continues to make small comments about Picard's crew, and it's to the point of annoyance. Troi and Crusher are in sickbay discussing if Rasmussen is really just after historical facts or more. Rasmussen comes into sickbay and Troi tries to excuse herself but he manages to talk about how she doesn't trust him, but she does finally leave. Rasmussen makes a pass at Beverly by telling her she has been the only person to make him think about not returning to where he is from. Beverly deters him by saying she could very well be his great-great-great-great-grandmother. Rasmussen leaves sickbay with a neural stimulator. Meanwhile, the initial attempt to release carbon dioxide from inside the planet into the atmosphere was briefly successful, but unanticipated volcanic activity released more particulates into the atmosphere, making the problem worse. Rasmussen goes to Data's quarters and finds him listening to 4 pieces of music loudly and Rasmussen is confused as to how he can listen to all that simultaneously. Data replies that he is capable of distinguishing over 150 simultaneous compositions from each other. Then La Forge sends a transmission to Data from the surface of the planet, and while they are discussing if Data made any errors, Rasmussen pockets a tricorder from Data's room. Data then notifies Picard in his ready room that they have already done everything they can, and if they try again and err, they would completely burn off the planet's atmosphere. The Enterprise prepares to discharge an immense amount of energy from the deflector dish using an auto-phaser interlock. La Forge and Data's plan is that the phaser energy will ionize the particles in Penthara IV's atmosphere, eliminating the electrostatic energy and returning the planet's ecosystem back to normal. The plan is set in motion and everything goes well, with the Enterprise sending the resulting energy that shoots out from the planet into open space. Dr. Moseley and La Forge report that the particulate levels are where they are supposed to be and that Penthara's sun is shining through. Meanwhile, a number of small objects have been found missing and Picard suspects Rasmussen. He nods to Worf right after Rasmussen makes a hasty departure from the bridge after Penthara IV has been saved. Later, Rasmussen is confronted by Picard, Riker, Crusher, Worf, Data, and Garvey in one of the Enterprise's shuttlebays shortly before he heads back into the future. Rasmussen asks to let Data inspect his time-travel pod for the missing items, Picard reasoning that Data is the only person who can be definitely trusted not to divulge about anything he witnessed inside the pod. Once inside, Rasmussen attempts to abduct Data and reveals that he is indeed from 200 years outside the Enterprise's timeframe, but in the opposite direction -- he is actually from New Jersey on Earth in the 22nd century. He stole the time-travel pod from the original time traveler from the future, and he plans to return to his own time with the high-tech objects he has stolen, now including Data, and "invent" them. However, his attempt is foiled, as the stolen phaser he planned to use to knock out Data has been deactivated remotely via a signal they transmitted into the pod when the door was open. Inside, Data postulates that the handprint lock will probably work whether Rasmussen is "conscious or not." They step back out into the shuttlebay and once Worf retrieves the stolen items Picard orders him to arrest Rasmussen, despite his pleas to be let go. The pod vanishes, stranding him in the future. Worf leads Rasmussen to the brig, with Picard welcoming him to the 24th century and remarking there are "many legitimate historians that would be interested in talking to a Human from your era." 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge is visibly excited about the history-making events about to transpire. He likens it to being present to see Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier or Zefram Cochrane engage the first warp drive. Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Worf don't share his enthusiasm. La Forge leaves them to talk with crewman Donaldson, a fellow engineer who may be more receptive. Worf receives a subspace communication from the transport ship Milan. It is Worf's mother, Helena Rozhenko, who has brought with her Worf's son, Alexander, to visit. Worf makes arrangements for them to come aboard. In the transporter room, Worf greets his mother and son stiffly and asks "How long can you stay?", to which Alexander replies, "I'm not going back." Worf and his mother enter Ten Forward and sit at a table. Helena explains to Worf that she and Worf's father are getting older and cannot take proper care of Alexander anymore and that he needs to be with his father. Worf protests that it is "not possible" and that they must find another option. Helena says that Alexander "needs his father" and that Alexander has been having difficulties with his behavior, even lying. She insists that he needs his father for guidance. Worf seems to agree with her. Afterward, Worf and Alexander are walking in a corridor to visit the Enterprise's primary school teacher, Miss Kyle. Worf is stiffly asking questions of Alexander who is giving one-word answers. When they arrive and are introduced, Miss Kyle asks Alexander to spell his last name for her. He isn't paying attention and the teacher moves on to another question, Alexander's date of birth. Worf doesn't know the answer and Alexander is clearly disappointed and answers, "The forty-third day of Maktag, Stardate 43205." When Kyle asks Worf how long Alexander will be on board, he replies that it hasn't been decided. Alexander looks crushed. Captain Picard is waiting in his ready room tapping an isolinear chip and looking somewhat annoyed. Worf enters and Picard mildly upbraids him for being late then begins speaking about new security officers coming on duty when they are interrupted by a call from Miss Kyle asking about scheduling placement tests for Alexander. Worf cuts her off and says he will speak to her at another time. Picard continues, only to be interrupted again by Doctor Crusher calling Worf from sickbay to ask about scheduling a physical examination of Alexander. Worf asks her if they can discuss it later and apologizes to Picard for the interruptions. Picard tells Worf to take care of his son and that the security matters can wait. He seems mildly amused as Worf leaves. Doctor Ja'Dar is briefing the senior staff in the observation lounge about the upcoming experiment. He says that there are 23 field coils on the planet working in concert to generate the soliton wave. The test ship will be towed to a position approximately two million kilometers from the planet. The plan is for the wave to envelop the ship and push it into warp. Picard comments, "Warp without warp drive," and Commander Riker jokes that this could put La Forge out of a job. Data asks how closely the Enterprise will need to follow the test vehicle and Ja'Dar responds that the soliton emits a great deal of subspace radio interference so they must remain within 20 kilometers in order to receive telemetry. Picard asks how the experiment will be terminated and is told that the wave is being directed at the planet Lemma II, about three light years away where their sister facility will generate a scattering field to dissipate the wave and bring the ship out of warp. The briefing ends and the staff leaves. On the bridge, Counselor Deanna Troi approaches Worf and informs him that she has spoken with Mrs. Kyle about Alexander being enrolled in the ship's primary school. She asks if Worf is planning to attend the father and son field trip scheduled for later in the afternoon. Worf replies that he has a personnel review scheduled for 1300 hours. Deanna replies that it would be a good opportunity for him to get to know the other students and parents. Worf decides to reschedule the review so they can attend. On the field trip, Miss Kyle is showing her class and the parents a pair of animals from Corvan II in a cage while Alexander is looking at some small animal models on a table. She explains that the animals are called gilvos and that their eating habits are similar to that of Earth's draco lizard, which went extinct more than 300 years ago. She goes on to say there are only fourteen of the animals left on Corvan II, so the Enterprise is transplanting this pair to the protected planet Brentalia where they will be able to thrive. After her lecture, Miss Kyle gently confronts Alexander about taking a model lizard from the table, trying to make it out to be a misunderstanding. Worf is angry at even the hint of an accusation and asks his son if he took the model. He looks directly at Worf and denies it. Miss Kyle insists that she saw Alexander put the model into his jacket. Worf reaches into Alexander's pocket and removes the lizard model; Alexander has lied to Worf's face. In his quarters, Worf is pacing and lecturing Alexander who is seated and staring at the floor. He is telling his son about honor and how "a Klingon's word is his bond, without it he is nothing." Alexander doesn't know why he stole or lied and this infuriates Worf who quickly calms down and takes Alexander into the next room and sits down with him on a couch. He points out a stature of two figures locked in hand-to-hand combat. He asks Alexander if he knows who they are. Alexander knows that one of them is Kahless, and Worf tells him that the other one is Kahless' brother, Morath. They are fighting because Morath told a lie and brought shame to their family. They fought for twelve days and nights. Worf explains to Alexander that when he lies, he is dishonoring his own family in the same way, and that he is dishonoring Worf. Alexander promises never to lie again. In the corridor, Troi asks Worf about the field trip. As they enter the turbolift en route to the bridge, Worf recounts the incident with the model and the lie. Troi offers to help if there are any further problems, but Worf is confident that Alexander will not repeat the behavior. On the bridge, the Enterprise is linked telemetrically to the test ship and Dr. Ja'Dar begins the launch sequence for the soliton wave. The wave rockets from the surface of the planet and envelops the test ship which successfully enters warp. The Enterprise follows and moves to within twenty kilometers. La Forge reports that the ship's speed is warp 2.35, slightly faster than they expected. Picard asks if the wave is affecting the Enterprise's warp drive, but Data replies that it is not. La Forge reports that the power efficiency of the wave is 98 percent. Data remarks that is 450 percent more efficient than their own warp engines. Suddenly, the wave's power signature fluctuates and efficiency drops to 73 percent. Then a subspace distortion is detected and hits the Enterprise. La Forge is unable to compensate and Picard is forced to order Ensign Felton to put all stop on the engines just as the test ship explodes. Sensors and warp drive are off-line and deflectors are at fifteen percent. Dr. Ja'Dar sends a message from the surface of Bilana III asking if everyone is all right. He speculates that there was a transient power imbalance and La Forge confirms this as consistent with the telemetry readings from the ship before it exploded. Though the experiment wasn't entirely successful, La Forge congratulates Ja'Dar for achieving warp without warp drive. Worf meets with Miss Kyle to discuss Alexander. She is concerned with his demeanor in class. Worf dismisses it as typical Klingon child behavior and suggests that Kyle use a "firm hand." She reports that Alexander is still stealing and lying and that perhaps they should meet with counselor Troi. Worf interrupts her, stands and inquires of the ship's computer the whereabouts of his son. The computer reports that he is on holodeck four. Worf turns as he leaves and tells Miss Kyle that he will "handle this." When Worf arrives at holodeck four, he discovers that Alexander is running his calisthenics program -- at the novice level. Worf enters the holodeck and finds Alexander fighting a skeleton-headed holographic adversary. Alexander wins the battle and Worf freezes the program. Alexander has taken Worf's bat'leth and used the holodeck without permission. Worf confronts Alexander about his disobedience to Miss Kyle. He denies doing it and Worf orders him back to their quarters, lamenting his own failure in his fatherly duties. Alexander doesn't leave and argues with his father. Worf decides to send him to a Klingon school and Alexander shouts that he "won't go." With that, Worf demands that he return to their quarters and remain there. Back on the bridge, Riker is informed by La Forge that it will be another hour until engines are back online. Sensors come back up and Data determines that the soliton wave is still on course for the Lemma II colony, and that the wave has increased velocity to warp 4.1. Riker repeats these findings to Dr. Ja'Dar and Data adds that the energy level of the wave has increased 12 times and will increase by a factor of 200 by the time it reaches Lemma II. Ja'Dar announces that at such a power level, not only will the colony be destroyed, but most of the planet as well. Worf and Troi are meeting to discuss his decision to send Alexander away to a Klingon school. Troi asks Worf many questions that Worf seems to have difficulty answering. She also mentions Alexander's mother, K'Ehleyr, who was killed by an enemy of Worf's while they were visiting him. It was at this time that Worf sent Alexander to live with the Rozhenkos on Earth. Troi opines that for Alexander, this was like losing both parents at the same time. Worf listens, then tells Troi about the last time he spoke to K'Ehleyr. They argued about how K'Ehleyr kept her pregnancy and Alexander's birth a secret from Worf. Troi helps Worf deal with his anger over the episode and suggests that he and Alexander should work together on healing, as they both have a lot to do. When Worf returns to his quarters, Alexander is packing a suitcase. He believes that Worf is ashamed of him and is sending him away for that reason. Worf tries to explain the reason for sending him away, but Alexander doesn't understand. Worf is called to the observation lounge by Commander Riker, but before he leaves, he instructs Alexander to remain in their quarters. Picard enters the observation lounge where La Forge and Data are waiting. La Forge begins speaking as soon as the captain is seated when Worf comes in, interrupting him. La Forge continues to explain that the wave's energy level has increased by a factor of 96 and will hit the planet within a couple hours. Picard asks how they can stop it and La Forge replies that there are two options. The first is to use the Enterprise's warp engines to create an inverse resonance wave, but since the soliton wave is constantly changing its frequency and amplitude, it would be very difficult to match it. The second option is to set off an explosion just in front of the wave which would cause it to dissipate. The wave is now traveling at warp 6.37 according to Data, and the Enterprise must get in front of it to set off the explosion. Due to the increasing size and power of the wave, it is no longer possible to circumvent it before it reaches Lemma II; they have to go through it. Worf warns that the shields are only at 33%, as they have not yet been fully restored after the explosion of the test ship, and thus the Enterprise would be in for a rough ride. Picard orders a course to be set to intercept the soliton wave. They leave the observation lounge for the bridge. Worf stays behind to apologize for his distractions on duty, which surprises Picard. The captain tells Worf that he has met all the challenges in Starfleet, hinting that raising a son is simply one more. Picard orders Ensign Felton to increase speed and hold relative position 23 kilometers in front of the wave. She increases speed to warp 7.21. As they approach the wave, Riker orders red alert and torpedo bays to be loaded with warheads set to level 16. The Enterprise increases speed to warp 7.3 and everyone braces for impact. Alexander has disobeyed his father and is in the biolab. He switches on the light in the gilvos' cage when the ship is jolted by the wave, knocking him to the floor. The Enterprise has encountered the soliton wave and has passed through it, but it has been a rough ride. They take position in front of it and Worf reports that there are fluctuations in several warp transfer conduits and that deflector strength is down to twelve percent. Riker reports gaps in the aft shields and recommends that they evacuate sections 24 through 47, decks 35 through 38 to avoid exposing the crew in these areas to ion radiation. Worf suddenly reports that there is a fire in Biolab 4 and that fire-suppression systems are not working. Data reports that there are lifeforms in the biolab and that one is humanoid. The computer identifies the occupant of the biolab as Alexander Rozhenko to Worf's horror. Captain Picard tries to contact Alexander, but there is no response. Internal sensors show that he is alive, but may be hurt. Felton announces that warp power is dropping and the ship is losing speed. Riker contacts La Forge in engineering for an explanation. He is told that they lost four warp plasma conduits and can't maintain current speed much longer. Data offers that they are four minutes and thirty seconds in front of the wave as Worf asks permission to leave the bridge to rescue Alexander. Picard grants it and sends Riker along to help. Data says that Biolab 4 is one of the areas that will be flooded with ion radiation when the torpedoes explode. Picard states that he must protect the colony at all costs and gives Worf and Riker "three minutes, not one second more." Riker and Worf arrive at the biolab, but can't open the doors because the primary control is shorted out. Worf rips off an access panel and is able to open the doors. Flames burst into the corridor and the two enter the smoke-filled room. They call out for Alexander but there is no response. On the bridge, Data announces that the soliton wave has closed to 10 kilometers. Torpedoes are at standby as Worf finds Alexander unconscious under a fallen beam. He is still alive, but Riker and Worf cannot move the beam that has fallen on his leg. Alexander regains consciousness and tells Worf that his leg hurts and that he's scared. Worf summons strength from this and struggles to lift the beam himself. He does so and throws it aside just as Riker is returning with a lever. They move more debris and Worf takes Alexander into his arms. Alexander pleads with Riker to save the gilvos. Riker does so as the wave closes to one kilometer. Picard has run out of time and orders the torpedoes launched. Worf and Riker exit the burning biolab carrying Alexander and the gilvos as the torpedoes explode, successfully disrupting the soliton wave. Riker reports to Picard that they made it out and that the boy will be fine. Later, Worf and Alexander are in sickbay with Dr. Crusher who finds that Alexander has suffered some minor smoke inhalation and has a hairline fracture of the tibia. She wants to keep him overnight but announces that he will be fine. After she leaves, Alexander is worried that he is in trouble, to which Worf responds, "yes." Alexander apologizes and promises to be good at the Klingon school. Worf explains how difficult and demanding the Klingon school is, but that if Alexander would like an even greater challenge, he can stay on the Enterprise with Worf and they can face the difficulties together. Alexander replies, "I accept your challenge, father. I will stay." Worf replies, "I believe your mother would be pleased." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D arrives at the designated coordinates of the black cluster, scanning for the Vico within the cluster. The vessel appears to be adrift and the sensors detect no life signs. The Vico has experienced multiple hull breaches, but it is determined that it is barely safe enough for an away team to beam over. Riker, La Forge, and Data beam on board the vessel. While on board, they find a young boy caught under the wreckage of the damaged ship. Because the area where the boy is trapped is protected by several layers of shielding and victurium, he cannot be beamed out from under the wreckage. Data says he can lift it away, but he may quicken the imminent hull breach, so he advises Riker and La Forge to beam back ahead of him. When the boy wonders how Data can lift the heavy wreckage, Data tells him he is an android, not a normal man. Working together, Data frees the boy and they run to an unshielded corridor, allowing them to be beamed away by Hutchinson moments before the hull collapses. The boy, Timothy, turns out to be the only survivor of the ship. He tells Data and Crusher that the ship was attacked and boarded. Geordi reports that the away team found his mother's body underneath some wreckage in another part of the ship, while his father was likely blown out into space when the bridge was exposed. Seriously traumatized, Timothy initially only trusts Data. Counselor Troi advises Data that "his world is gone," and the crew must help him to make a new one. La Forge and Data are examining the files transferred from the Vico. It appears some EM pulse hit the ship and damaged its databanks, erasing 83% of its data, including sensor logs. They start a structural analysis while Data asks La Forge about whether he has experienced a traumatic event. Data learns that a support structure is important for young children. Timothy has trouble blending in and appears to be suppressing his traumatic experience on board the Vico. While learning mythology in class, Timothy ignores the lesson and continues with a model of the Dokkaran Temple of Kural-Hanesh from their sculpture class. On the bridge, the crew learns that the vessel was attacked with disruptor-style weapons, and an attack style consistent with cloaked vessel. They suspect the Romulans, Klingons, or Breen. However, the ship wasn't boarded, so Timothy is not being truthful for some reason. Counselor Troi advises Data to spend time with him, given that the boy only seems to feel comfortable around Data. Data goes to Timothy's quarters, and recognizes the model he's building. Timothy is happy about the model, but then dismayed when Data innocently critiques the structure. Data attempts to comfort him when he is called by La Forge to Engineering and has to leave. Before leaving, Data decides to quickly build the model of the Temple with his super speed. Timothy is amazed by Data and asks how he does that. Data responds by saying that he is an android and was designed to exceed Human capacity, both mentally and physically. He further states that he does not possess the ability to experience emotions like Humans do. Timothy seems intrigued by the notion of not feeling happiness or sadness. He begins to emulate Data. In the observation lounge, the senior staff review new findings. The cluster has unpredictable gravitational regions, and Picard decides to traverse them to understand what happened to the Vico. Troi says she will meet with Timothy soon to attempt to get more information. Counselor Troi goes to find Timothy to talk in Ten Forward, and finds that he claims to be an android, too. Although strange, she finds it is just part of the healing process and that Timothy will eventually snap out of it. Reporting later to Captain Picard suggests Data help make Timothy the best android possible. Data then begins teaching him how to be an android, fixing his hair like himself, getting a check-up with Dr. Crusher, and painting with him. While doing so, Timothy seems to finally open up, admitting that he has indeed been having nightmares, but brushes it off by saying he doesn't need sleep. He finally falls asleep while painting, and Data puts him on his sofa. The Enterprise enters the cluster, and experiences gentle nudges as the gravitational fronts affect the ship. Worf sees a ship on his sensors, but it appears to be reflections of the ship itself. Meanwhile, Data and Troi observe Timothy having a laugh at school. Troi believes Data's work is not done, however, and encourages him to talk to Timothy about his desire to be Human. In Ten Forward, they share in some dessert, and Timothy finds that Data cannot enjoy food like he can. Picard orders Worf to perform various scans, but they get refracted by the waves. Picard performs an experiment by firing phasers into the cluster. They are refracted, even when fired at full intensity. Picard asks Data whether a disruptor-style weapon would also be ineffective, and Data says yes; likewise, a ship's cloaking device would be impossible to maintain. The evidence before them is clear: Vico could not have been attacked inside the nebula. They call Counselor Troi to bring Timothy to the ready room. There they once again ask Timothy what happened to his ship. He insists that they were attacked. Data then tells Timothy "androids do not lie."  Breaking down, Timothy tells them that it was him, that he "killed them all." Timothy explains that while the ship was being impacted, he lost his balance and his arm hit a computer panel in engineering, just before the ship was destroyed. Timothy believes he must have caused the ship's destruction, but they tell him that it was impossible for him to have done so just by hitting a computer panel, as there were safety protocols. While Picard, Data and Troi try to reassure the boy that he is not responsible, they are all left with wondering what really caused the Vico's destruction. The Enterprise then shakes and Timothy says that this is how it started on the Vico as well. The wave front intensity increases and Commander Riker orders that Worf raise the shields to 75%. The ship is then shaken again harder than before. Picard comes out of his ready room and orders Ensign Felton to bring the Enterprise full about and engage at warp 2, but the ship's engines have been disabled by the cluster. They continue to increase shield strength. Timothy remembers hearing the same demand for increased shield strength aboard the Vico before it was destroyed. Developing a theory, Data leads Timothy to the science station at the aft section of the bridge and begins running a rapid analysis. Despite the increased shield strength, the Enterprise is hit even harder, and Picard orders warp power transferred to the shields, something which Timothy also remembers hearing. The transfer is made, and an enormously powerful wave front is fifteen seconds from impact when Data tells the captain to drop the shields. Riker objects that that is suicide, but Data, deathly serious, repeats the order. Picard complies, and the wave front barely rocks the ship. Data then explains that their own shields caused the increases in the wave front. If they had maintained the shield strength with warp power, they would have been torn apart. Data says that this was also the cause of the Vico's destruction. Thanks to Timothy's memory and Data's own speedy analysis, the same disaster was averted on the Enterprise. Outside the schoolroom, Data and Troi talk about Timothy. Troi says he still has a lot of pain but he is a boy again. Data talks to Timothy. Timothy says he misses his parents but that he is all right. He also says that Data must have thought it was pretty funny when he was imitating him. But Data responds by saying that he has often heard that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Timothy asks if they can still do things together and Data says he would be happy to count Timothy among his friends. "That would be acceptable", Timothy replies with his android persona. 
<EOS>
Three Ullians, Inad, Tarmin, and Tarmin's son Jev have come on board. Interviewing Keiko O'Brien in Ten Forward, Tarmin probes her memory of a cup, which she knows is important but whose context she cannot recollect. With his help, Keiko remembers that it was used by her obachan to wash brushes used in Japanese calligraphy. She thanks the Ullians for the pleasant memory. Tarmin attempts to persuade Dr. Crusher to undergo the probe, but is reminded by Jev that they are not to probe people without permission. Data and Geordi La Forge discuss the nature of memory while walking together in a corridor. Data is puzzled over the importance of the Ullians' ability to retrieve memory, as he believes that if an event is important, it should not be forgotten. La Forge tells him that it is not that simple for Humans, as they cannot recall certain memories in an instant. Later, at a dinner for the Ullians with the senior staff, Tarmin describes the Ullians' project to build an archive of memories from many worlds, calling his group "archaeologists of the mind." However, he is stymied by the staff's refusal to undergo the procedure. He embarrasses his son with an anecdote of quickly retrieving a memory that Jev could not. Piqued, Jev leaves the dinner. Counselor Troi follows him, and sympathizes with him about overbearing parents. She then returns to her quarters. But while getting ready for bed, she has flashes of memory about a romantic encounter with Commander Riker. She gets a hot chocolate from her replicator to try to calm down. The memory turns unpleasant however, when he begins to force himself on her -- and then turns into Jev, who also appears elsewhere in the room. She then falls into a coma. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher and Dr. Martin are examining Troi and bringing Riker and Picard up to date on her condition. They cannot identify the cause of the coma, standard revival techniques have failed, and Dr. Crusher does not want to attempt anything else without identifying the cause. Riker goes to speak with Jev in Ten Forward, who reacts with a certain hostility to the questions Riker poses regarding his whereabouts and the speculations about a Ullian cause for the coma. But he consents to an examination. Riker goes to sickbay to see Deanna and speaks with her, hoping she can hear him despite the coma. He remembers that she did the same for him when he was in bad shape. He is exhausted and emotional; Dr. Crusher tells him to get some sleep. Back in his quarters, he, like Deanna, experiences flashes of memory. He is in main engineering during a containment breach; he must order the closure of the emergency door, trapping Ensign Keller inside. A colleague of hers angrily accuses him of killing her; this officer turns into Jev. When Picard tries to contact Riker, he does not respond; Worf, investigating, enters his room and finds him unconscious. Crusher has found an electropathic residue in the thalamus -- the memory center -- of both Troi and Riker. This suggests Iresine syndrome, but that condition is ruled out because the two patients are not showing decreased histamine levels. Worf suggests quarantining the Ullians, but Picard says no. When spoken to by Picard, Tarmin reacts with shock to the notion that the Ullians could cause the comas. Inad, however, agrees to such monitoring for the next morning. In the meantime, Dr. Crusher and Dr. Martin scan Keiko, who does not show any unusual signs, not even the electropathic residue that the others present; and Geordi searches for agents that can cause electropathic residue, finding nothing aboard the Enterprise. Beverly continues to research Iresine syndrome in her office; but as she works, she experiences the same memory flashes. In her case, she sees a younger Picard accompanying her in a morgue to see the body of her husband Jack. Picard turns into Jev, as does Jack -- horrifyingly opening his eyes. In fear she turns to Picard, who is also Jev; and lets out a frantic scream. When La Forge and Data come to deliver La Forge's report to Beverly, they find her in a coma. La Forge rushes to check on her while Data signals a medical emergency to her office. As La Forge and Data report the incident to Captain Picard in his ready room, he orders Data to investigate the other planets that the Ullians have visited for unexplained comas. He also decides to restrict the Ullians to their quarters, though La Forge questions the effectiveness of this measure on telepaths. They are interrupted by the news that Troi has awakened. In sickbay, she reports that she cannot remember the circumstances of falling into the coma. The Ullians react with irritation to being asked to stay in their quarters; even Inad reacts, asking for permission to help clear their name by conducting a memory search on Troi. Picard, despite his concern for exposing Troi to telepathy after her ordeal, agrees but will discuss the request with Troi first. Data and La Forge have not found any unexplained comas in their search; the Epsilon Nel system has yet to report. However, La Forge suggests seeking cases of Iresine syndrome, thinking that it might have been misdiagnosed. Indeed, two cases of Iresine syndrome turn up on Hurada III while the Ullians were present. Troi agrees to the memory search, which Jev conducts. She revisits the memory that provoked her coma -- but this time, Jev is replaced in her memory by Tarmin. Jev apologizes to Picard for Tarmin's behavior and offers the support of the Ullian legal system. Although Picard says the Federation has no law against telepathic memory invasion, the Ullians do and the penalty is severe, even though the practice has been unheard of for centuries. Picard notes that Tarmin is maintaining his innocence. Meanwhile, Data and La Forge receive a transmission from the Nel system, reporting unexplained comas. Tarmin is cleared when they discover that he was on the Ullian homeworld at the time, between stardates 45321 and 45323. Jev goes to visit Troi in her quarters to apologize. As he does so, however, he begins to make alarming remarks about her beauty. Abruptly, she starts to have the flashes of her previous memory. She realizes it was actually him in the memory, not Tarmin, and fights back physically. He throws her across the room, but Worf, Data, Kellogg and another security officer burst in and overpower him. Data tells Troi they have discovered that Jev, not Tarmin, was the only Ullian present at all the incidents of coma. The situation resolved, Tarmin promises the assistance of Ullian physicians, but warns that no incidences of this form of rape have occurred in over 300 years, and these physicians might be somewhat out of practice. Tarmin himself is badly shaken by the thought that any Ullian, much less his own son, could have committed acts that have not been known since a dark time in Ullian history was resolved. Picard notes that, although Earth experienced such times and is now peaceful, it is important for both humans and Ullians to recognize that the seed of violence remains within all of them. To forget that is to risk allowing such a seed to grow and consume them, as it did Jev. 
<EOS>
While the USS Enterprise-D crew is observing the fragment, they find that Moab IV, one of the planets it would affect as it passes by, is inhabited by Humans and that an artificial environment biosphere has been created there. When they contact the inhabitants, after a reluctant response by Aaron Conor, Picard arranges for Commander Riker and an away team to beam down. The away team explains to Conor and Martin Benbeck that given the nature of the stellar core fragment evacuation may be inevitable. However, Conor and Benbeck explain that it is in fact imperative that they remain on the planet and preserve the colony. It is explained to Commander Riker, Counselor Troi and Lieutenant Commander La Forge that this is a genetically-engineered society; their ancestors came from Earth to create a perfect society, believing that through controlled procreation they could create people without flaws and those people would build a paradise. They have evolved beyond Humanity. They also explain that they have achieved a fully integrated existence with their environment, thanks also to their master design. They cannot separate themselves from it without irreparably altering who and what they are. Benbeck, who is the interpreter of the colony founders' wishes, is the one who continually emphasizes the importance of preserving the balance of their society. He dislikes the away team's presence. Conor, on the other hand, is more receptive: he understands the necessity of them being here, and being the diplomat he is, welcomes them, and allows La Forge to work with Hannah Bates -- their top astrophysicist -- to find a solution. He even begins to find a liking in counselor Troi. However, he reiterates that this is a perfect existence for them which they will not give up easily. When Bates shows La Forge a design for a multiphasic tractor beam, he believes the Enterprise could use it to move the fragment just enough to reduce the effects below dangerous levels. However, he would need her assistance in setting it up, which means she would have to leave the colony and beam up to the Enterprise. Benbeck strongly objects, arguing that her absence would create a dangerous imbalance. Insistent though he is, Conor overrules him, and she is beamed aboard. While discussing the matter with Captain Picard, Troi notes that some of the colonists would chose to risk death rather than leave. Picard, who is opposed to the very idea of genetic engineering, has a hard time buying that. He thinks it is a bad idea whose time has long passed. In his opinion, the genetic engineering practiced by the founders of the colony eliminates much of the qualities that make life worth living. He advises Troi to use Conor's openness to suggestions and reasonable attitude, as well as her personal admiration for him, to help him see the reality of the situation and convince others to do the same. Meanwhile, as Bates and La Forge work on their multiphasic tractor beam, they find that it would overload some of the power conduits. As they try to come up with a solution, a tired La Forge takes his VISOR off, and she sees his non-functioning eyes. He bitterly observes that he probably wouldn't be here, were he born on their world, likely terminated as a fertilized cell. When she asks about how it works, he explains it to her and suddenly has an idea as how to solve the problem: he suggests using the same technology that his VISOR utilizes. He chuckles, saying that it would be an irony if the answer to all of this is in a device created for a blind man who never would have existed in their society. Down on the planet, during a piano recital by Matthew, there is an earthquake. It is the first tremor of what would become many. Counselor Troi is strongly attracted to Conor, almost falling in love. That's when she realizes that this is all wrong. Conor is obviously changed, ever since the Enterprise has been in touch with the colony, and she is concerned that this is affecting his decision making. He seems willing to throw everything away for her, not just for the survival of the colony. La Forge and Bates brief Picard and Riker on the design they came up with. They can't quite get what they need, so they suggest additionally fortifying the biostructure, which means beaming down about fifty engineers from the Enterprise. Picard approves and Riker will make preparations while they get Conor's approval. On the planet, Troi tells Conor she must leave because her presence is affecting the decision. Despite the concern about external influences on the colony, she allowed herself to become involved with him, and is angry at herself for it. Conor begins to say he doesn't see it that way, and that he needs her, but she is convinced they both know what would happen if they continued the relationship. They get interrupted when La Forge and Bates beam down to brief Conor on their plan. He is surprised at the need for even more people in their environment, but reluctantly agrees. Bates and La Forge activate the tractor beam in engineering and begin to use it on the fragment. Slowly but surely, the Enterprise pushes the fragment away, almost losing life support in the process. Conor is pleased, as is everyone on the colony. He is patched through to Bates and tells her the entire colony will celebrate her return. After the channel is closed, Bates walks away, looking reluctant to returning. It is only now, after most of the engineering crews have left, that the damage has been done. When Bates indicates a breach in the artificial biosphere and goes to the lab to analyze it, La Forge points out that there is no such breach for his VISOR's positronic scan would have detected even the smallest crack. He concludes she faked the incident. Bates admits she did that because of her encounters outside her world: if she's so brilliant, she wonders, why didn't she invent starships or deflector shielding. As a result, she requests asylum, and Riker indicates she may not be the only one wishing to leave. Captain Picard himself decides it is time for him to finally meet Aaron Conor. On the way to the transporter room, Troi confesses to Picard her brief relationship with Conor, apologizing for acting so unprofessional but assures him she can still beam to the surface. As Troi notes that she only wanted to help Conor, Picard reminds her they all went into this with good intentions and, in the end, "nobody's perfect". When they arrive,  Benbeck immediately starts attacking Picard, saying all of these people wanting to leave is his fault. Conor decides to talk to Captain Picard alone, and explains he didn't want to listen to Martin from the first moment they were hailed. He understands the desire to leave, with a curiosity about the outside world, and feels responsible for it happening. He asks that Picard refuse them passage, since his leaving will solve the problem he created with his arrival. Picard points out that this is simplistic. He cannot deny their Human rights, whatever other consequences it may have. However, he is willing to try to dissuade them from leaving. Conor and Picard stand before Hannah and the others wanting to leave, and Conor implores them to consider staying asking them to at least wait six months. Picard tries as diplomatically as possible to convince the colonists not to make any hasty decisions but to carefully consider the consequences, telling them that feelings are running high and they're only had the briefest of glimpses into the life outside the biosphere. Despite this and the promise that the Enterprise will return in six months, Hannah stands firm insisting that being forced to stay will only cause more problems. Conor finally gives in, but decides not to leave as well instead telling the departing colonists they are welcome to return if they like. He then discusses his impossible task of rebuilding the colony with Troi, and while he doesn't know what his mistake was he knows he would do it all again if he could before confessing he has fallen in love with her. The Enterprise takes twenty-three colonists in all, and Picard points out to Riker this is the best reminder of the Prime Directive. Riker reminds Picard that because they're human the Prime Directive does not apply. Despite that technicality Picard tells Riker that ultimately they are responsible for any consequences, good or bad, to the colony and were just as destructive as any core fragment could ever have been. 
<EOS>
As the crew is going through a typical day Data fixing Deanna Troi a Samarian sunset done in the traditional style in Ten Forward to settle a bet over a three-dimensional chess game, Dr. Beverly Crusher tending to Kristin, a crewmember injured cliff-diving on the holodeck, and Commander Riker arguing with Ensign Ro about her changing ship's procedure without his knowledge, the USS Enterprise-D is approached by a small vessel of unknown configuration. After the vessel initiates an intense scan of the Enterprise, a wave of green energy passes throughout the ship, and the entire crew suffers from memory loss. They have forgotten their identities, but have retained the appropriate skills for running the ship. What they also don't realize is that there is someone else on the bridge who wasn't there before the wave hit, also wearing a Starfleet uniform and claiming to be suffering from memory loss. While trying to ascertain who they are and why they are on this starship, Riker suggests to an equally anonymous Captain Picard that he is their leader, since he has four pips on his collar, more than anyone else present. Worf suggests otherwise, and presumes he is the leader because he is the most decorated person on board due to his baldric. Dr. Crusher realizes that she is a medical officer, but the injured crewmember in sickbay still doesn't know what she is doing there. Riker, Ro, and La Forge go to Engineering to try to get the engines running. La Forge works on getting engine propulsion back online and tries to find personnel files so that they'll know who they are while Riker and Ro go to the rest of the ship as a survey team. Worf, in the meantime, has assumed leadership and is happy when La Forge reports the ship is ready for battle with the navigation, propulsion, weapons, and communications back online. With computer access limited, Riker and Ro travel throughout the ship and confirm that the memory loss is not limited to the bridge; rather than their normal hostility, the two have an almost playful relationship, with Ro commenting that Riker doesn't look like someone who needs a holodeck to have fun. After La Forge successfully accesses the ship's computer, he is able to get a list with photos of the Enterprise's bridge officers. The list confirms that Picard is indeed the commanding officer of the Enterprise. To Worf's dismay, the list has him near the bottom, second to last. Interestingly, the computer's list has one new addition to the ship's regular command crew. Commander Kieran MacDuff is the ship's first officer, and Commander Riker has been bumped down to second officer. Data and La Forge are able to get more information out of the computer, and they brief the senior officers about their current mission: The Enterprise has been tasked to destroy the Lysian command center as part of a coordinated attack on their mortal enemy, with whom the Federation has been at war for years. The information also suggests that the Lysians have a weapon which could cause memory loss. Troi wants to open communications with headquarters to confirm their mission, but the Enterprise's orders include radio silence at all times. Picard orders MacDuff to set a course towards the Lysian command center. Troi doesn't like it. Troi has a strong feeling that the war is wrong but can't pin down a reason, and Riker suggests it is just due to the general nature of war. When Riker returns to his quarters, he finds Ro waiting for him. As the Enterprise crosses into Lysian space, a Lysian destroyer tries to hail the Enterprise. Picard wants to open a channel, but MacDuff suggests that that may be how they lost their memories to begin with. The Lysian destroyer starts to fire at the Enterprise, but the starship is able to easily destroy the Lysian vessel - too easily. Troi also inexplicably feels that Riker is very "familiar"; the two realize they have some connection when he finds a book, Ode to Psyche by John Keats, which she gave him as a gift "with love", producing a rather awkward moment when Ro arrives and sees them nearly kissing before she kisses Riker herself once Troi leaves. Efforts to repair the memory loss have been limited, as La Forge cannot gain access to more detailed personnel files or medical records that might allow Dr. Crusher to safely attempt to restore the crew's memories; MacDuff volunteers despite the risks, but Crusher stops her efforts when he apparently begins having seizures, missing MacDuff's slight sinister smile as she walks away. Picard wonders if the Federation is truly at war with such a technologically inferior enemy. He feels a moral dilemma, comparing his situation to being given a gun and told to kill a stranger but still wanting to know why; MacDuff counters that it would be wrong to allow the war to continue and claim millions of lives just because Picard is experiencing moral qualms. MacDuff has a private conversation with Worf, his fellow warrior, and warns him there might be a situation where a split-second decision may need to be made, even if Picard has not yet given the orders to do so. The Enterprise proceeds towards the Lysian Central Command, where it is intercepted by unmanned Lysian sentry pods. These vessels are easily destroyed, and the Enterprise proceeds to the command center. Commander Data informs Picard that the Lysian command center is virtually defenseless with over 15,000 people aboard. One photon torpedo could destroy the entire structure, while its entire arsenal could not even damage Enterprise. Troi again insists the situation is wrong, and Riker poses the question: How could the Federation's mortal enemy be over 100 years behind it in weapons technology? MacDuff insists that Picard destroy the station, but Picard refuses to fire on defenseless people; MacDuff declares that something is wrong with the captain and attempts to assume command, giving Worf an order to fire. When Worf refuses, MacDuff knocks him away with surprising force and tries to fire himself. Riker shoots him with a phaser. The beam knocks MacDuff back and reveals a shocking fact; he is not Human. Worf and Riker then combine their phaser shots to knock MacDuff to the floor and subdue him. Determining that there was an artificial effect suppressing the crew's memories, Dr. Crusher works to quickly restore them. MacDuff is identified as a Satarran, a race which has been at war with the Lysians for decades. Despite their skill with memory suppression, the Satarrans lacked sophisticated weapons technology, and so had plotted to hijack the Enterprise and tilt the war in their favor. Picard apologized on behalf of the Federation for the deaths of the Lysian destroyer's crew. With MacDuff's plan foiled, the Enterprise heads off to its next assignment -- although Riker remains uneasy when he encounters Troi and Ro intensely conversing in the Ten Forward bar. Ro insists somewhat facetiously that they have a memory they will both treasure; Troi concludes that such actions tend to result from subconscious desires. When Riker concedes confusion, she smiles and assures him that "if you're still confused tomorrow, you know where my office is." 
<EOS>
As the USS Enterprise-D attempts to identify the source of the distress call, they are confronted with extreme interference due to electromagnetic whirlwinds on the moon, which renders the sensors incapable of picking up life signs. However, Commander Data is able to identify the distress call to be consistent with that of Daedalus-class starships, which, however, have not been in service for 172 years. Captain Picard asks Data to check if any starships have been reported missing in this area. Data determines that the USS Essex under the command of Captain Bryce Shumar disappeared in the vicinity, over two hundred years ago. He also determines, that the signal from the moon is identical to the subspace signature from the Essex. The captain thinks that they have solved the mystery of the Essex, seeing no need to beam down to check a ghost ship, and orders Lt. Worf to notify Starfleet. However, in that moment, Counselor Deanna Troi tells the captain that they have not necessarily solved the mystery of the missing ship, since she senses life on the moon's surface. William T. Riker, Data and Deanna Troi are on board the shuttle Campbell on their way down to the moon surface. However, the shuttle is continually being shaken by the winds, until some systems fail and the crew are forced to emergency land on the moon's surface. On the Enterprise, the crew are worried about the people on the shuttle, however, Ro Laren is able to determine the coordinates where the shuttle crashed. The crew in the shuttle manage to release the exit door of the shuttle. However, they are unable to communicate with the Enterprise, and all equipment in the shuttle has been rendered inoperable. Riker's arm has been broken in the crash. Troi notices an odd-looking storm front close to their own position. Data does not pick up any life signs in the front with his tricorder, but Troi is absolutely certain that there is life, and it is approaching along with the storm. On the Enterprise, Geordi La Forge and Chief O'Brien are attempting to find a way to beam the away team from the surface. O'Brien suggests that he beam down by boosting the confinement beam and he will bring with him a set of pattern enhancers, which would allow safe transport for the away team. La Forge reminds the chief that the chances of him making it down to the surface are 50/50 at best, but O'Brien insists that he be allowed to try. As Worf informs Captain Picard that a storm front is moving towards their crew on the moon and Picard allows O'Brien to take the risk. O'Brien manages to beam down to the away team and starts distributing the pattern enhancers. However, as he tries to activate the third enhancer, it is struck by a violent lightning, knocking the four crewmembers over on the ground. As they lie unconscious, the storm passes over them and glowing orbs enter the bodies of O'Brien, Data, and Troi. A fourth one passes over Riker, but will not enter and flies away instead. He gets up and activates the third pattern enhancer, and the crew are beamed up to the ship, with Data, Troi, and O'Brien still unconscious. Now in sickbay, Troi's eyes move rapidly and she screams as she opens her eyes. Doctor Crusher comes to calm her down. The rest of the away team are also in sickbay and have all recovered consciousness. Captain Picard enters sickbay to check on his crew and finds them all in a fairly good condition. Troi, Data, O'Brien, Riker, and Picard then enter a turbolift to the bridge. In the turbolift, Data explains how they can continue with the investigation. However, there is a short audible buzz in his voice, which he dismisses as a fluctuation in his speech processors. He claims that he will have it corrected shortly. On the bridge, Troi asks Picard to have a word with him in private and they proceed to his ready room. Riker orders Ensign Ro to take a synchronous orbit around the shuttle's crash site, but Data claims that due to the EM-patterns it would be best if they begin the search around the southern polar region. Riker is skeptical and maintains his request to begin the search at the crash site. There is a visible reluctance on Data's face as he hears that. In the captain's ready room, Troi claims that the entities she sensed on the moon surface were calling her to the southern polar region. She recommends that they should look for the Essex there. On the bridge, Ro Laren notices that she has been locked out from the helm, but Riker has no explanation for it. He asks Data what may have happened, but Data does not answer. As Riker walks up to Data's console, Data hits Riker and knocks him on the floor. As Worf tries to fire a phaser on Data, he is pulled away and knocked over the tactical station by O'Brien. Ro tries to stun O'Brien with a phaser of her own, but he takes cover and shoots her. Riker manages to transfer all bridge control to engineering, which completely locks out Data from his console. In his ready room, Picard gets knocked on his back by Troi. Data, O'Brien, and Troi enter the turbolift and proceed to engineering. Riker restores bridge control and Worf walks up to tactical station. There he overrides the control for the turbolift and stops it at deck ten. However, O'Brien has sufficient technical skills to override the bridge command and can get the turbolift to move again. Picard orders Worf to engage emergency bulkheads in the turboshaft. The turbolift is stopped at deck 13 and Picard orders Worf to take a security team there. However, when the security team opens the door of the turbolift, it is empty except for Troi's, Data's, and O'Brien's combadges. On deck ten, the three walk through a corridor, as they get trapped by force fields. Data smashes a computer console on the wall and touches the exposed circuitry, thereby connecting with the computer and overriding the force field. Picard is informed of their break-free and location, and realizes the three are on their way to Ten Forward and sends security there. In Ten Forward, Keiko O'Brien, Miles' wife, tries to calm her daughter, Molly, who is hungry and crying. In that moment, Troi, Data, and O'Brien enter Ten Forward and force everyone on the floor. A security team arrives, which results in a phaser shoot-out. However, none of the phasers seems to have any effect on any of the three and they successfully seize control over Ten Forward. When Picard attempts to contact Worf from the bridge to see what transpired when the security team reached Ten Forward Troi refuses to let him answer. Instead, proving her control over the situation, she points a phaser at Worf and responds firmly, "Yes bridge, he can hear you." On the bridge, the crew try everything they can to get the situation under control, but without any success. Data isolates Ten Forward with force fields and O'Brien collects all communicators from any of the crew in Ten Forward. Meanwhile, Picard asks Dr. Crusher to see if she can find any clue as to what happened to Troi, Data, and O'Brien. He then contacts Ten Forward and asks the captors to discuss the situation. After some delay, they respond and tell Picard to move the ship to the southern polar region. Picard orders the ensign to move the ship there, but as slowly as possible. Dr. Crusher then comes up with a possible explanation -- she has determined that other life forms may have taken control over their people -- Riker was not affected because his broken arm inflicted pain, which has prevented him from being taken over by the alien entity. Picard then suggest that inflicting pain on Troi, Data, and O'Brien may free them from their possessors. Ro and La Forge come up with the possibility to fire a plasma shock on their people, which would inflict pain on Troi and O'Brien and incapacitate Data. They suggest that they could place a micro-optic drill in the ceiling of Ten Forward from above, deactivate the force field for a short moment and then fire the plasma shock through the drill. Picard then orders Dr. Crusher to work on a way to contain the alien entities once they have been forced out. Picard then contacts Ten Forward about the injuries of the people there. Troi tells Worf to inform the bridge about the injuries. Picard then asks Troi to release the injured, in exchange for him as another hostage, and Troi agrees. Riker objects to Picard placing himself in this position, but Picard points out that the whole ship is essentially being held hostage anyway and while he's there he can find out who or what they're dealing with. He leaves with orders that if La Forge and Ro can go ahead with the plasma shock then to, but if they can't or if it doesn't work then for Riker to watch for any opportunity Picard might give him. A medical team and Picard then enter Ten Forward. Troi tells Picard that she is Captain Shumar of the Essex. Stunned, Picard is in disbelief, and Troi tells him that Data is Shumar's first officer, Commander Steven Mullen and that O'Brien is the security chief Lt. Morgan Kelly. She also says that she has no wish to harm Counselor Troi, who is still alive, or anybody else on the Enterprise. She tells Picard that they have commandeered the ship because they have been trapped on the moon for over two centuries and simply want to find rest. For that, they need the help of the Enterprise. La Forge and Ro have reached a service crawlway just above Ten Forward. On the bridge, Dr. Crusher has determined how she could trap the alien entities -- by duplicating the magnetic flux density in the storms on the moon. However, La Forge tells the bridge that it would still take up to an hour for them to calibrate the device to fire the plasma shock. In Ten Forward, Picard and Worf have a chance to discuss the situation. Worf confides that Klingon history contains many legends of the living being possessed by the spirits of the dead, and Picard admits that Human history has many similar legends. Worf asks if Picard believes that "Shumar" and the others are who they say they are, and Picard, dropping his voice even lower, says absolutely not: if they were Starfleet officers, they would be behaving much less violently. Worf posits that, after years living disembodied on the moon, the crew of the Essex has gone insane. The entity inhabiting Data cuts them off and orders them to sit down apart from each other. The Enterprise is nearing the southern polar region of the moon and Picard asks Troi for further instructions. She demands that they beam up the skeletal remains of the Essex crew and bring them to Earth for a proper burial. Picard demands that all the hostages are released first, but Data threatens to kill some of the hostages if the Captain does not cooperate. Meanwhile, La Forge and Ro attempt to fire the plasma charge on the three captors but they miss Data. The alien beings emerge from the bodies of Troi and O'Brien as they slump to the floor. Dr. Crusher establishes the field that traps the alien entities. An enraged Data, still possessed, grabs Picard's neck and lifts him from the floor. He threatens to kill everyone in Ten Forward starting with the Captain if he does not order the bridge to stop. Picard, under duress; gives in. The bridge deactivates the field and the glowing orbs again seize control of Troi and O'Brien. The ship has arrived at the destination, but the electromagnetic storm activity renders the sensors useless again. The same distortion also makes the use of the transporters impossible and Picard reminds the captors that O'Brien is the only person on board who can get the transporters to work. O'Brien confirms this, but says he needs a transporter pad to conduct the procedure; since there is none in Ten Forward, Picard proposes that he give them safe passage to the transporter in Cargo Bay Four. Picard signals the bridge, telling Riker they have the "opportunity" to end the violence -- putting a barely noticeable emphasis on the word that reminds Riker of their earlier conversation. After some debate, the captors agree, but they each take a hostage. Troi takes Picard, Data takes Worf, and O'Brien takes Keiko, though he agrees to her plea to leave Molly behind, and Keiko gives her to the care of another woman. They deactivate the force fields and leave Ten Forward. After arriving in Cargo Bay Four, Picard asks 'Shumar' when he will really tell him who he is, but gets no response. On the bridge, Riker explains to Ro that there is only one reason why Picard chose that particular cargo bay: the bridge crew can blow the hatch and decompress the cargo bay if it becomes necessary. In the cargo bay, O'Brien is able to modify the transporter and beams up hundreds more of the alien beings. Then, Troi tells Picard that he was right: they and the other entities are all condemned prisoners from a system called Ux-Mal, who were brought to the moon over 500 years ago, separated from their physical bodies, and left to drift in the storms; the moon is, essentially, a penal colony. They tried to escape on the Essex, but the ship was incapable of eluding the moon's electromagnetic storms. Now, they intend to use the Enterprise and the bodies of its crew to escape. On the bridge, Ro reads with alarm that hundreds of the "prisoners" are now in the cargo bay. Riker gives Picard his advantage, ordering Dr. Crusher to activate the containment field she developed. When she does, the entities are now trapped in the cargo bay. Enraged, Troi threatens to kill Picard, but he calmly tells her that her threats have no value now, reminding her that all her fellow prisoners will die if the cargo bay hatch is blown. Data says Picard and the other Humans will likewise be killed, but Keiko and Worf step forward and say they are more than willing to give up their lives to save their friends and loved ones. Picard reminds them that Troi, Data and O'Brien are Starfleet officers who would also give their lives in this situation. He proposes to them that if they free their host bodies, Picard will return all of the entities, unhurt, to the moon's surface. After some thought, the criminal inhabiting Troi gives in and warns Picard not to pass their way again. The entities leave the bodies of O'Brien, Troi, and Data and join the others on the transporter pad. Using Troi's communicator, Picard informs the bridge that the siege was successfully ended and orders Worf to beam all the entities back to the moon. Troi describes her experience of being possessed, explaining that while she could see and hear everything she was doing but wasn't in control, and notes that the being that inhabited her was intelligent but ruthless. Data apologizes to Worf for his behavior and thanks him for his restraint, and Worf notes that Data has 'no idea' how hard it was to control himself. In sickbay, Doctor Crusher finishes checking out O'Brien and he reunites with Keiko and Molly, before apologizing for his behavior. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Worf and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge are in cargo bay three investigating strange readings. Their tricorders are unable to detect the exact problem. Worf is preoccupied with his loss to Deanna Troi in a poker game, and no one realizes that a large, heavy container sitting on a high shelf is leaking. Another similar container is sitting on top of it. Eventually, enough of the material leaks out that the lower container begins to buckle under the weight of the upper container. The two containers fall, and the upper container hits Worf in his back. La Forge summons emergency medical assistance. Worf wakes up in sickbay to find out from Dr. Crusher that his spinal cord has been crushed, resulting in paralysis. Dr. Beverly Crusher has Dr. Toby Russell, a neurological specialist, called in. She is brought to the USS Enterprise-D by the USS Potemkin. The two doctors find themselves in uncharted territory: in Klingon medicine those who are paralyzed are allowed to die. Klingons with these injuries would often commit Hegh'bat, the Klingon ritual suicide. Dr. Russell is amazed by Klingon anatomy, which has twenty-three ribs, two livers, and an eight-chambered heart. For Klingons, this is called the brak'lul, meaning every vital function has a backup system, though Russell notes that this also means there are many more ways it can go wrong. Commander Riker goes to visit his friend in sickbay. Worf asks him for a favor. When Riker tells him to name it, Worf asks Riker to help him commit ritual suicide. Riker is shocked and repulsed by what Worf is asking for -- basically to hand him a knife and leave him to stab himself in the heart. Dr. Russell proposes a new surgical procedure for Worf to Dr. Crusher. Dr. Russell believes that she can use what she calls a genetronic replicator to create an entirely new spinal column for Worf. But it would be the first time she had done this on a living being, having only conducted tests of this new procedure on holographic patients and claims the success rate is now up to thirty-seven percent. Despite Dr. Crusher's objections, Russell wants to continue. Meanwhile, the Enterprise diverts to render aid to the USS Denver, after the latter struck a Cardassian gravitic mine while transporting over five hundred colonists. Dr. Crusher sets up triage units in the shuttlebays, and accepts Russell's offer for assistance. Alexander is upset over his father's accident, and even more upset that Worf will not allow Alexander to see him in his condition. Counselor Troi tries to reason with Worf over this. At first, Russell and Crusher have Worf try using devices to transmit impulses to the appropriate muscles. But when it is revealed that Worf would not have full mobility, he refuses to use the devices. Against Crusher's wishes, Russell proposes the genetronic procedure to Worf. Doctor Crusher takes Russell aside and argues with her that they had already talked about and ruled out the procedure, and, furthermore, giving him that option is taking advantage of his desperation. Russell is picking up on Worf's frustration with his condition and is convinced he would want it. Crusher says she checked on her proposals at Starfleet Medical, seeing they were denied three times for humanoid patients. They get interrupted when Picard calls to inform her that the Denver survivors will soon be beaming aboard. Troi brings Alexander to see Worf, who has propped himself up to a standing position next to his bed, and is seen standing with the neurological devices strapped to his thighs. He begins to discuss the situation with Alexander, telling him there will be difficult times ahead. He loses his balance and falls. Feeling humiliated, he gruffly orders Alexander to leave. After meeting the other ship, the Enterprise medical staff begin treating casualties. Dr. Crusher discovers that a patient under Dr. Russell's care had died after Russell tried an untested, experimental treatment, borathium. Outraged by Russell's reckless choice of a radical approach over conventional treatment, Crusher relieves Russell of duty, and tells Russell that she will not be permitted to practice medicine any longer while on board the Enterprise. Captain Picard meets with Dr. Crusher in her office after he learns that she has relieved Russell of duty. She had found that Starfleet Medical had refused permission to allow Russell to use living subjects for her procedure. Crusher says that Worf was basically healthy for the time being, but that if he went into surgery he could die. Picard tells her that she should consider allowing Russell to perform the operation. He tells her that the only way to save Worf's life is to do this. Even though Crusher knows Worf could have a full life even with this paralysis, Picard knows that Worf's Klingon upbringing says that his life was over the moment he was struck by the container. Riker has studied the Klingon death ritual in detail and finds it despicable in the way it tries to "cloak suicide in some glorious notion of honor". Worf protests to Riker that each of them must die in their own time. Riker forcefully reminds him of their fellow crewmates who perished while serving with them on the Enterprise - Sandoval, Fang-lee, Marla Aster and Tasha Yar, to name a few. Riker then tells him that even though he strongly disagrees with the Klingon custom, he would most likely assist Worf except for one detail. He finds in his research that Worf's son Alexander -- his only immediate family member -- would need to be the one to assist in the ritual. It is not Riker's place to help Worf commit suicide. In light of this, Worf summons Alexander to sickbay and informs him that he has chosen not to kill himself, but instead to try the surgical procedure suggested by Dr. Russell. Worf goes into surgery. Before going, he asks Counselor Troi if she would raise Alexander if he does not survive the operation, and she accepts. Russell and Crusher remove the old spinal cord. They use the gentronic scanner to try to scan Worf's spinal cord, but the main scanner has trouble reading the cord. Russell scans the remainder of the cord herself. Once that's done, they begin generating a new spinal cord. Everything seems to go right until the end of the operation, when suddenly Worf crashes. Nurse Ogawa can read no vital signs from Worf and he has died on the operating table. Crusher goes to sickbay to tell Alexander that Worf has died. Alexander demands to see his father. When they come back they find that Worf's synaptic functions have reactivated; his brain also apparently had a backup system. This allowed him to survive the operation. Soon his body begins functioning again. While thrilled that Worf will recover, Crusher is disturbed by Russell's attitude of "the ends justify the means."  Crusher tells Russell that real research is a slow and painstaking process, and that she cannot abide Russell's shortcuts. After the operation, Worf begins the process of physical therapy. The process is slow as it takes time for Worf's body to adjust to the new spinal cord; Worf stumbles while he re-learns to walk. Watching his father stumbling, Alexander starts to move to him, but Deanna reminds him of the Klingon stoicism about which she's spoken to him. Surprisingly, Worf asks for Alexander's help, and tells him that they will struggle together. Within a few weeks, Worf heals completely, regains full mobility, and returns to his duties. 
<EOS>
When the J'naii mysteriously lose track of one of their shuttlecraft within their own star system, they request the USS Enterprise-D crew to assist in the investigation to locate it. Three of them are on the bridge observing the effort. Data detects neutrino emissions, but no source. They launch a probe, but after a few seconds it stops transmitting for no reason. A pocket of null space is discovered in the system, which until now had been considered theoretical. Believing the missing shuttle to be trapped inside the pocket, Commander Riker and Soren of the J'naii devise a rescue plan. Soren insists on being involved in the rescue mission, as Soren is a good pilot. Riker suggests they team up and they go to the shuttlebay to review the Magellan's systems. Working closely with the Enterprise crew, and Commander Riker in particular, Soren reveals herself to be curious about the differences between males and females. In Ten Forward, they have a long conversation about it. At the end, Krite arrives and Soren decides to leave, suddenly more formal as she bids Riker goodnight. Riker and Soren begin the charting mission of the null pocket. During this, Soren bluntly asks about Human sexual organs and acts. Riker, somewhat uncomfortable, explains the process and Soren describes the process for them, describing it as less risky while Riker comments that it is "less enjoyable." Soren disagrees, as the mating process is a long process. Soren then recounts the J'naii history of evolving from the male/female divide. Suddenly, the shuttle's engine is damaged and they retreat to the Enterprise. Soren is taken to sickbay to recover. Soren strikes up a conversation with Beverly Crusher about the sexes. She tells Soren that men and women are considered equal. Riker arrives and asks if Soren can continue, and Crusher agrees. Meanwhile, during a poker game, Worf reveals he is bothered by the genderless J'naii, because he still has stereotypical views on men and women and does not know how to relate to the J'naii. On the shuttle, Soren reveals to Riker that the J'naii consider it a criminal perversion for a J'naii to identify as either male or female, but Soren admits to having secretly identified as a female since childhood and having had relationships in secret with those who identify as males. Soren finds Riker attractive and is interested in starting a relationship with him. Geordi La Forge approves the shuttle's launch and they head out, noting they have a short timeframe. Fortunately, they find the Taris Murn and life signs, but the crew is unconscious. After a brief fight with power drains, they successfully beam the two to the shuttle, then to sickbay. Crusher says they should be all right and orders dexalin. Krite immediately thanks Riker and invites them all to the planet that evening to celebrate. At the celebration, Riker takes a moment outside to breathe, and Soren meets him. Under some slight observation, they decide to see the plant life. Soren notes some of the plants, but the romantic mood strikes Riker to kiss her. Riker goes to discuss the forming relationship with Deanna Troi and how it would affect their relationship if he pursues it with Soren. Troi puts aside Riker's fears of losing their friendship, telling him that that will never change. He's pleased and leaves to see her. Instead, he finds Krite, who informs him she's been arrested, and Riker immediately goes to the planet. Riker intrudes on the proceedings, already in progress, and pleads to Noor for Soren's release, saying he forced himself on Soren. Soren, however, is tired of living a lie and owns up to the act. She makes a plea for acceptance of all those with gender identities, saying no one has been hurt or affected. Noor allows her to speak, but with a blank expression, not giving away an opinion. The tribunal, incapable of open-mindedness, sentences Soren to receive treatment on the following day. Riker asks the tribunal for permission to give Soren asylum aboard the Enterprise in lieu of the treatment, but the request is denied, as the J'naii see Soren's condition as a simple sickness they have an obligation to cure. Picard offers to negotiate with Noor, the leader of the J'naii, for Soren's release. He urges Riker not to take matters into his own hands as he would be violating the Prime Directive if he does, thus putting himself at risk of losing his career in Starfleet. Riker, however, is convinced the J'naii's minds are set and any negotiations would be futile. Worf overcomes his prejudices after hearing of the events that had transpired on the planet. The same evening, Riker and Worf lead a rescue mission together to save Soren. They are able to get Soren away from the security guards, however, they are too late. Soren has already undergone the psychotectic treatment and has no more interest in Riker. After warning buoys have been deployed around the null space pocket, the Enterprise is prepared to leave the system. Picard asks Riker if all their business with the J'naii is finished, and he answers without emotion, "finished, sir". Picard orders Ensign Gates to take the Enterprise to warp six, while Riker stares ahead, distraught. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is in dire straits, with the starboard warp nacelle having suffered extreme damage from an impact. As casualty reports flood in and the ship's systems start failing, Commander Riker orders all hands to escape pods as La Forge tries desperately to shut down the warp engines. At that moment, the nacelle completely blows out sending the Enterprise into a helpless spin. Data reports that the engine shutdown failed, ejection systems are off-line and a warp core breach is imminent. As a fire engulfs the bridge, Captain Picard orders all hands to abandon ship. Alas, it is too late as the Enterprise explodes killing everybody aboard. Despite its previously depicted destruction, the Enterprise, intact and undamaged, is traveling at impulse through space. Data, Riker, Worf, and Dr. Beverly Crusher are in the first officer's quarters to play a game of poker. Data shuffles the cards very fast, and because of his android nature Riker and Worf question whether Data is truly randomizing the deck. Data deals the cards and Crusher has the highest hand. The four officers play and eventually a standoff occurs between Riker and Crusher. Crusher calls Riker's bluff and wins the hand, somehow knowing that she would win. After winning, she is called to sickbay by Nurse Ogawa. Upon arriving at sickbay, La Forge tells her that he is feeling dizzy. Crusher finds that although he has the symptoms of an inner ear infection, there is nothing physical to suggest that he has such an infection. After examining him, she prepares a hypospray of vertazine when she has the odd feeling that she has already performed this examination. La Forge has no recollection and suggests that she was talking about another patient but Crusher is insistent that it was La Forge whom she treated. She shrugs off her deja vu and administers the hypospray. Later that night, she gets ready to go to bed and shortly after she does, she starts to hear a voice and that voice soon becomes many voices, which are completely undecipherable. As Crusher puts the light on, the voices stop and she accidentally breaks her wineglass, which was next to her light switch. The following morning, the senior staff (except for Worf) are briefing each other on the vast undertaking of charting the Typhon Expanse in the observation lounge. As they are about to return to duty, Dr. Crusher reports the voices that she heard the previous night. The other staff are curious about her report and they are interrupted when Worf reports from the bridge unusual sensor readings in the vicinity of the Enterprise. Data reports that something is emerging from the distortion and an unidentified starship emerges. The ship is on a collision course with the Enterprise, just thirty-six seconds from impact and the helm still fails to respond. There is no response when the Enterprise hails the other ship. Picard asks for suggestions. Riker (standing closely to the left of Data) suggests decompressing the main shuttlebay allowing the explosive reaction to push them clear while Data alternatively suggests using the tractor beam to alter the ship's trajectory; Picard opts for the latter. The Enterprise emits a tractor beam but it is insufficient as the ship collides with the Enterprise's starboard warp nacelle, causing it to explode. The events portrayed in earlier replay themselves and again the Enterprise is destroyed by a warp core breach. Once again intact, the Enterprise is traveling at impulse through a familiar region of space. Data, Riker, Worf, and Dr. Crusher are in Riker's quarters playing a game of poker. Data shuffles the cards very fast and because of his android nature and Riker and Worf question whether Data is truly randomizing the deck. Data deals the cards and Crusher once again has the highest hand. Each player bets and as Data is about to deal another round, Riker now feels deja vu and eyes Crusher, having a strong feeling about the outcome of the game and he folds, telling her that she will call his bluff. Crusher eyes Riker back in surprise and asks him how he knew. Riker replies that he "just had a feeling", as did Dr. Crusher. Crusher is called to sickbay and, upon arriving at sickbay, La Forge tells her that he is feeling dizzy. Crusher finds that although he has the symptoms of an inner ear infection, there is no physical evidence of one. After examining him, she prepares a hypospray of vertazine, but she has the odd feeling that she has already performed this examination. When she asks La Forge if she did this examination before, La Forge says he too has the feeling that she has, but they cannot remember when. Crusher checks the medical logs on La Forge and finds that although La Forge recently had complaints about pain with his VISOR, he had none regarding dizziness. La Forge suggests that it was deja vu but it was unlikely, since both of them had the feeling. Later that night Crusher is in her quarters getting ready for bed and as she does, she hears whispers becoming louder and more frequent. She gets up and calls Captain Picard and at the same time, breaks her glass which was next to the light switch. In the ready room, Picard and Crusher share their recent feelings of deja vu; while reading, the captain started to feel as though he had read certain paragraphs before but dismissed it (assuming he must have read that same book years ago). Picard orders a ship-wide diagnostic with a report to be made in the morning. At 0700 hours, the senior staff (except for Worf) discusses the results and finds no anomalous readings in the diagnostic, although Crusher discovers that ten other people aboard the Enterprise heard voices at the same time of the night as she did. Worf interrupts from the bridge and reports that there is a distortion in the spacetime continuum in the vicinity of the Enterprise. The staff returns to the bridge. Picard orders Ro to have the Enterprise back off slowly but maneuvering thrusters fail to respond. The distortion begins to fluctuate as power levels on the ship drop. Counselor Troi warns Picard that they have to leave now. Data says that something is emerging from the distortion and a starship appears. The ship is on a collision course with the Enterprise, just thirty-six seconds from impact and the helm still fails to respond. There is no response when the Enterprise hails the other ship. Picard asks for suggestions. Riker suggests decompressing the main shuttlebay allowing the explosive reaction to push them clear and Data suggests using the tractor beam to alter the ship's trajectory; Picard opts for the latter. The Enterprise emits a tractor beam but again it is too late -- the ship collides with the Enterprise's starboard warp nacelle, causing it to explode. The previous events replay themselves once more and again the Enterprise is destroyed by a warp core breach. The Enterprise is traveling at impulse through space. Data, Riker, Worf, and Crusher are in Riker's quarters to play a game of poker. Data shuffles the cards very fast because of his android nature and Riker and Worf question whether Data is truly randomizing the deck. Data deals the first set of cards, face down, and Worf is agitated, having the feeling of having done this before, quoting nIb'poH, the Klingon equivalent of deja vu. Riker says that they have done this before, last Tuesday for the previous poker night but Worf means deja vu and Crusher has the same feeling. Data now deals the cards face up and Crusher predicts that she will get a queen; she does. She then predicts that Data will get a four; he does. She then tells Data to deal the cards and she, Riker and Worf are overcome with feelings of deja vu, flawlessly recalling the order of the cards that would be dealt. They all wonder how they knew. Crusher interrupts the puzzlement and calls sickbay asking if La Forge is present but is told he isn't. La Forge soon arrives in sickbay and the CMO leaves. Picard arrives in sickbay seeing Crusher and La Forge -- La Forge's VISOR is being examined with a diagnostic tool while a test is being done on his visual receptors. Crusher asks Picard if he has been experiencing deja vu as of late; he has, as have many other people aboard the ship. Crusher has foregone running a standard test on La Forge in favor of running an optical diagnostic where the results came back positive for a phase shift in his visual receptors, which caused his dizziness as the phase shift was projecting images that didn't exist. Small distortions were found in the surrounding dekyon field and La Forge's VISOR was converting these distortions into the images that he was seeing, causing his dizziness. Later that night, Crusher is getting ready for bed (dressed in her uniform) and puts her glass on a table rather than next to the light switch. As she goes to bed, she starts to hear voices again. She immediately gets up, prepared with a tricorder and records the voices. She calls La Forge, reporting the voices and La Forge reports that something strange happened as well. As she goes out, her coat hits her glass which falls and breaks. Crusher joins La Forge and Data in main engineering. La Forge reports that there was a distortion in the dekyon field. They analyze Crusher's six-second recording, and Data discovers that there are over one thousand voices, all coming from the crew of the Enterprise. Crusher calls all of the senior staff (Worf is now present) to the observation lounge early in the morning with a suggestion as to what was causing all of the unusual events that happened recently on the Enterprise. La Forge reports that the Enterprise has most likely been caught in a temporal causality loop, where they have been repeating events over and over again but they have no knowledge of how many times they have repeated events or how long they have been stuck in the loop. Crusher feels that if La Forge is correct, then the voices that she heard may be "echoes" from previous loops. Picard inquires how the Enterprise may have been caught in the loop. Data hypothesizes, from the recording, that the Enterprise had encountered a disaster so serious that the captain would order all hands to abandon ship and replays three segments of the recording -- Worf's report of the distortion, Data's report on the collision course and Picard's call for all hands to abandon ship. The staff are clearly disturbed by what they just heard. La Forge suggests that if the distortion was a temporal distortion then the destruction of the Enterprise may have caused a rupture in the space-time continuum, catching them in the loop. Worf suggests that they reverse course to avoid the disaster, but Riker points out that reversing course could be what causes the disaster. Picard decides that they cannot start second-guessing themselves; he orders them to remain on course. La Forge warns that if the disaster is not averted they will forget everything that they learned in this loop. La Forge and Data suggest modulating a dekyon emission which, if done correctly, would set up a resonance in Data's positronic subprocessors, leaving a message. However the message would be very short (a few characters or a word at most) and Data would not know what the message is immediately; it would be more like a post-hypnotic suggestion. La Forge, Data, and Crusher are in main engineering where La Forge is making some modifications to the circuitry in Data's head, and he attaches an emitter to Data's right arm. Neither La Forge nor Crusher recall having done this before so they feel encouraged. La Forge tests the modifications and finds an active dekyon field. Red alert is called and the three officers return to the bridge. The distortion is present again and the same events happen like before but this time Data is able to input a message on the emitter on his arm just before the Enterprise is destroyed. The Enterprise is traveling at impulse through space. Data, Riker, Worf, and Crusher are in Riker's quarters playing a game of poker. Data shuffles the cards in his typically fast android fashion and Riker and Worf question whether Data is truly randomizing the deck. Data deals the first set of cards face down -- however Worf is agitated -- feeling as if he has done this before. Riker says that they did last Tuesday, but Worf means deja vu -- and Crusher reports having the same feeling. As Data is about to deal the next set of cards face up, Crusher attempts to predict the order of the cards (the way she did in the previous loop) but this time they are all threes. Crusher is surprised, as she was certain she knew which cards would be dealt. Worf shared the same surprise and the same conviction. Data deals three more rounds and this time all four officers are dealt three of a kind. They are all surprised with the improbability of what just happened. Crusher is then called to sickbay by Nurse Ogawa. When she arrives at sickbay, La Forge complains of dizziness and she performs an exam and the results came back negative. She then runs an optical scan and calls Captain Picard down (while he experiences his deja vu while reading), reporting to him her findings as she did previously. La Forge then leaves and returns to engineering. Data and La Forge are in main engineering and Data runs a diagnostic on the warp subsystems. When he finishes the diagnostic, the results come up entirely as threes. Data says that he has encountered the number three "an inordinate number of times" in the past two hours. La Forge receives an alarm of a distortion in the dekyon field on Deck 9. Crusher (from her quarters) calls La Forge and reports the voices while La Forge reports the dekyon distortion. Crusher leaves her quarters and heads for engineering. As she leaves, Data and La Forge hear a glass shatter, and after asking if everything is okay, Crusher reports that she is fine and continues on her way. Some time later, the senior staff is in the observation lounge, half-way through discussing the theory of being caught in the causality loop. La Forge and Data report the many sightings of the number three occurring all over the Enterprise, knowing that it is more than a coincidence. Nothing was wrong with the ship, but a diagnostic revealed that there was a dekyon field modulation in Data's positronic subprocessors. They didn't know what caused it, but La Forge said that if he wanted to send a message, he'd do it in a similar fashion. The staff discuss the significance of the number three. Riker asks that La Forge perform a level 3 diagnostic when they are interrupted by Ensign Ro on the bridge. The staff return to the bridge and once again the distortion is present. As before, Picard orders the Enterprise to back off slowly but maneuvering thrusters fail to respond. The distortion begins to fluctuate and events begin to repeat themselves yet again as the unidentified starship emerges on a collision course. Also as before, Picard asks for suggestions and Riker suggests decompressing the main shuttlebay while Data suggests using the tractor beam. Picard opts for the latter but just before Worf engages the tractor beam, Data's gaze is caught by the sight of Riker's rank pips and the android is struck by a moment of realization. He deduces that using the tractor beam will not succeed and instead follows Riker's suggestion of decompressing the main shuttlebay. The bay door opens with gas violently rushing out, successfully pushing the Enterprise out of the path of the other ship and saving it. Power is restored and Picard asks Data what happened. Data speculates that "three" referred to the number of rank insignia on the neck of Riker's uniform, indicating that his suggestion would be the successful course of action. Red alert is canceled and Picard orders Worf to access a Federation time-base beacon to ascertain how long they have been in the causality loop. The beacon confirms that the Enterprise's chronometers are off by 17.4 days and Data resets them accordingly. The Enterprise is then hailed by the other ship, which the Enterprise identifies as the USS Bozeman, a Soyuz-class starship, a class which had been out of service for more than eighty years. The Enterprise opens a channel and the Bozeman's Captain Morgan Bateson offers assistance while Picard was going to offer assistance as well. Bateson is unfamiliar with the configuration of the Enterprise and he explains that they found a temporal distortion inside the expanse, then the Enterprise suddenly appeared with the Bozeman stuck on a collision course with it. Picard tells Bateson that the Enterprise was caught in a temporal causality loop and suspects that something similar happened to the Bozeman but Bateson dismisses Picard's suggestion, claiming that the Bozeman left starbase only three weeks previously, but when Captain Picard asks Bateson what the year is, Bateson replies saying that it is 2278. Realizing the Bozeman has been thrust a full ninety years into the future, Picard suggests that Bateson beam aboard the Enterprise as there is much to discuss. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is en route to Earth where Captain Picard will give this year's Starfleet Academy commencement speech. But before reaching Earth the captain receives a message from Rear Admiral Brand, the Academy superintendent: there's been an accident involving Cadet Wesley Crusher. Picard brings the news to Dr. Crusher: her son's flight team, Nova Squadron has suffered a catastrophic collision, one pilot has been killed, and Wesley has been seriously injured. While she is worried, Picard assures her that he will be fine, and their thoughts turn to Wesley's lost friend, Joshua Albert. Upon arrival at Earth, Admiral Brand briefs the Nova Squadron parents, and Captain Picard, about the upcoming inquiry into the accident. Joshua's father, a lieutenant commander in Starfleet, is consulted and requests that commencement ceremonies go forward despite plans to cancel them due to the tragedy. After all, there are still duties to perform and life must go on. Picard and Dr. Crusher go to Wesley's quarters. Picard attempts to talk to Wesley about what happened during the accident but he refuses, saying that he has gone over it too many times over the past two days. Their reunion is interrupted by the leader of Nova Squadron, Cadet Nicholas Locarno, who says that he was there to check on Wesley. Locarno tells them that he feels horrible that he has lost a member of his team. Picard replies that unfortunately for a commanding officer, it never gets easier. Wesley then asks Picard and his mother to leave, saying that he has to talk to Locarno about some things. After Picard and Crusher leave, Locarno tells Wesley not to worry about the inquiry and everything will be fine, as long as the team sticks together. Captain Picard walks through the quad of Starfleet Academy and finds Boothby, the Academy groundskeeper. He catches up with him and reminisces about his days in the Academy. Meanwhile, Locarno gives a pep talk to his team before entering the room for the board of inquiry investigating the accident. To open the deposition, Cadet Locarno gives a description of the maneuver they performed. He explains that, while approaching Saturn, the group turned toward Titan, moved into a diamond slot formation. They turned again in preparation for a Yeager loop. Soon after, Albert's ship, in the starboard position, collided with Jean Hajar in the center and eventually all five ships destroyed just after they were transported out. Admiral Brand turns to the team navigator, Cadet Hajar, if they had changed their flight plan after filing it with Starfleet. When the navigator gives a cryptic response of "we were still within flight safety parameters," Admiral Brand becomes angry, stating that Hajar did not answer her question. She then says yes, they did change their flight plan en route. Captain Satelk, a Vulcan, then asks Cadet Sito Jaxa, who was flying in the rear of the formation and thus had the best vantage point of the crash, if she saw either the collision itself or any indication beforehand that Albert was having problems. She says that she didn't see him because she was flying on sensors alone, which is extremely unusual for the maneuvers listed in the team's testimony. After being continually probed by Admiral Brand and Captain Satelk, not believing the answers they recieved, Locarno helps out Hajar and Sito by blaming the accident on Cadet Albert. Locarno says that Joshua crashed into Cadet Hajar when he panicked while performing the Yeager loop maneuver near Titan. Admiral Brand says that she is disturbed over what has happened. She says that Nova Squadron has displayed a large degree of misjudgment and she is dismayed that the team did not release the information on Joshua's jitteriness on flying before the accident. Admiral Brand says that the first data from Wesley Crusher's flight recorder would be available that evening. Pending the results, the board of inquiry will be in recess and will reconvene at 1300 hours tomorrow. Cadet Albert's father is visibly dismayed over what the team has said about his son. Locarno tells Wesley Crusher that there's nothing to worry about and to trust him. Captain Picard asks Chief Engineer La Forge and Data to make their own independent investigation into the crash. La Forge is unsure what they will find outside of the Academy investigation, as they have the most sophisticated accident reconstruction simulation equipment available. Picard agrees but notes that Wesley is one of their own and they must help in the investigation. Meanwhile, back on Earth, the flight team meets together to get their stories straight on the next round of questioning in the board of inquiry. Wesley and the rest of the team are angry that they lied to the board of inquiry, but Locarno insists that it is now time for them to save their own skins. They are convincing themselves that Albert did have some kind of trouble. Locarno then starts to brief Wesley on his flight recorder data that was highly damaged during the accident and only covers the time before the crash. Wesley doesn't believe he can lie to the board, but Sito tells him not to volunteer any additional information. With Locarno's emphasis on Wesley's knowledge that a team must support each other when their lives are in each other's hands, he silently agrees. Wesley goes to practice his deposition where he meets Cadet Albert's father. His father brings Wesley his sweater from Joshua's quarters that belongs to him. Wesley identifies it as a memento from a ski trip to Calgary, as Joshua had forgotten his. They reminisce on Cadet Albert, talking about his problems in math and how he never gave up on anything. Cadet Albert had a lot of respect for Wesley. Joshua's father admits that he knows that it was his son's fault and apologizes for letting the team down. The next day, Wesley begins his deposition, following along with the video account of the crash from his flight recorder. After his flight recorder shorts out, he gives a narrative of his version of the events. When Admiral Brand asks if he has anything to add, he says no. Captain Satelk suspiciously asks Wesley to describe a Yeager loop. The Captain asks Wesley if Nova Squadron had ever gone out of formation after completing the Yeager loop. Wesley says no. Admiral Brand asks if he is absolutely sure about that. He says he is. Captain Satelk then confronts Wesley with the image from a satellite orbiting Saturn that shows their squadron's ships in a very different formation while they were in the satellite's field of view, approximately seven seconds before the accident. When Admiral Brand asks what Wesley's explanation is for this, he has none. Doctor Crusher comforts Wesley in his quarters and assures him that the Enterprise is going to find out what has happened. She thinks it is strange that the satellite view makes it look like he is lying when she knows he is not. As a result, Doctor Crusher and the other parents got together and decide that they want to delay the inquiry. Wesley is shocked and tells his mother to stay out of the inquiry and not to protect him. Picard has another talk with Boothby on the Academy grounds, asking him to tell him more about Nova Squadron. Boothby says that after Nova Squadron won the Rigel Cup the other students treated them like they were gods, and that was a difficult thing to live up to. Boothby also says that Nova Squadron would do anything for the team leader, Locarno, even if it meant "going right over a cliff."  Captain Picard returns to the Enterprise and asks if La Forge and Data have come up with anything in their investigation. They say no, stating that there are too many variables to determine exactly what happened; however, one item of note was that Wesley's plasma interlock was open when it is supposed to be closed during flight. It is extremely dangerous, as the interlock may ignite the drive plasma. Given this information and the imagery shown from the satellite, Picard realizes what Nova Squadron was trying to do that caused the accident. Captain Picard invites Wesley Crusher to his ready room on the Enterprise. Picard asks him to watch an animation simulation on his display. Wesley identifies a Kolvoord Starburst, and admits that the maneuver hasn't been performed at the Academy for a hundred years because it had been banned after an incident where all five cadets who attempted the maneuver died after an accident. Captain Picard says that he thinks that Locarno wanted to end his Academy days in a blaze of glory and manipulated the team to perform the maneuver. He asks Wesley if he is correct. Wesley chooses not to answer. Picard says that he has already answered the question at the board of inquiry -- a lie. Wesley says that he has told the truth; however, Picard tells him that he has told a partial truth, leaving out important details, which in his opinion is still a lie. Captain Picard reminds Wesley of how he knew every control on his chair when he mother brought him to the bridge on the day he first boarded the ship, and that he chose to make him an acting ensign due to his belief that Wesley had the potential to be a great Starfleet officer, a belief Picard had never questioned until this incident. He then tells Wesley that the first duty of every officer is to the truth, one of the principles upon which Starfleet was founded on and gives Wesley a simple choice -- either he tell Admiral Brand the truth about what happened or he will before angrily dismissing him. Back on Earth, Wesley calls Locarno to his quarters where Wesley tells Locarno everything that transpired on the Enterprise. Locarno says that Picard has no hard evidence of what has happened and that it will be okay -- they simply have to dispute Picard's account. Wesley says he can't call Picard a liar and decides to tell Admiral Brand what really happened. Locarno becomes angry because Wesley has made the decision alone to turn them in. Locarno informs Wesley of the duty to his friends. As an alternate plan to coming forward, Locarno tells Wesley to resign his Academy commission to save the team. After all, Locarno would do it without hesitation if he were in Wesley's position. At the board of inquiry, Admiral Brand tells Nova Squadron that the disputing testimony of the satellite and their accounts are troubling; either the satellite has recorded inaccurate data or the cadets have lied to the inquiry. It is clear that Brand believes there is a cover-up going on between the four, but as there is no hard evidence either way she is left with no choice but to close the inquiry. Admiral Brand issues her judgment -- she revokes Nova Squadron's flight privileges and issues a formal reprimand to the cadets' permanent records. She then closes the investigation with the ringing of a bell. Wesley then stands up and says he has something to add. The admiral lets Wesley proceed and admit the truth. Wesley says that Josh died because they pressured him into executing the Kolvoord Starburst -- a maneuver that Albert admitted he wasn't ready for. Admiral Brand asks if Locarno has anything to say. He remains silent. The inquiry has concluded and Wesley is sitting on the grounds of the Academy. Captain Picard arrives and informs Wesley that Locarno has been expelled. Wesley thinks they all should have been expelled and Picard tells him they very nearly were, but were saved when Locarno took full responsibility for the incident to keep everyone else in Starfleet. "Just as he said he would," Wesley comments. Picard then informs Wesley of additional consequences Admiral Brand handed down. She had canceled Wesley's academic credits for the previous year and he will not graduate with his class. Captain Picard says that there will be difficult times ahead for Wesley and that it will not be easy for him to remain on campus with everyone knowing what he did. Wesley thanks Picard for his help. Picard says that Wesley knew the right thing to do; Picard just pushed him in the right direction (just like Boothby did for him). The two then bid a farewell to each other. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D destroys an asteroid in danger of colliding with Tessen III, near Starbase 117, after multiple methods used. As the Enterprise continues its course to the Moselina system, however, a mysterious dust heads straight to the ship and is absorbed. Worf brings his son Alexander before Counselor Deanna Troi to resolve discipline issues. Troi decides there is little respect in their relationship, so she recommends they draft a "contract" outlining each other's responsibilities and chores. This way, they could stand on equal footing and both have say in what needs to be done. Although Worf is hesitant to allow Alexander to have equal footing, he agrees to it. Unbeknownst to Deanna, Lwaxana Troi, along with her servant, Mr. Homn, come aboard the Enterprise. She calls in to inform Deanna of her wedding ceremony, much to her surprise. They meet in Ten Forward, where Lwaxana tells Deanna about the groom, a local nobleman named Campio. Further, she intends to have the wedding in Ten Forward, further to Deanna's surprise. Lwaxana is already thinking of how to decorate it for the occasion. Deanna tries to get more details when Worf and Alexander come in to get some more advice on their situation. Instead, Lwaxana intrudes in her usual style. She hears of her daughter's plan for Worf and Alexander, and notes that contracts are usually made between two parties who do not trust one another, and that it would not be equal in any case because Alexander would have no way of policing Worf's commitments. Later, Captain Picard expresses to Riker his dissatisfaction with "that woman" using the Enterprise as her personal rec room. However, when Riker reveals that Picard will be giving Lwaxana away at the wedding, Picard immediately agrees as "nothing would please [him] more." Just as Picard and Riker continue to walk down the corridor, the dust begins to infest the Enterprise by moving about the ship out of sight. Lwaxana finds Alexander waiting for Deanna for their session. Hearing his feelings about hating the rules his father imposes, and wishing he had his mother, she attempts to comfort him by taking him to break the rules for awhile. In holodeck two, she conjures up a program of the Parallax colony, a society of unusual, fun-loving souls, for a relaxing mud bath. Alexander gets in to the spirit of the program quickly. Deanna and Worf, realizing Alexander is gone, locate him and eventually confront Lwaxana during the mud bath. In Lwaxana's quarters, Deanna demands that she stop undermining their efforts to instill Alexander with responsibility. She eventually pries and questions why she isn't busy with wedding planning. It seems Mr. Homn is taking care of details, so Lwaxana has time on her hands. Deanna is surprised to hear Lwaxana is accepting a wedding without Betazoid traditions including being naked, but Lwaxana brushes it off as compromise. Meanwhile, Data and La Forge are in engineering investigating the over 200 reports of malfunctioning replicators. An energy fluctuation in an access corridor draws them out, afraid of what will happen if the captain decides to order dinner. At the access corridor, La Forge finds an odd EM pattern but not serious. Then, a mysterious goo drips out from behind the panel. Lwaxana is now with Mr. Homn trying on the dress. She is clearly uncomfortable, but Homn doesn't think any of her changes are feasible. Then, Alexander comes to the door to apologize if he got her into trouble earlier. Lwaxana thanks him and laughs, then relates to him about marriage being between those that like each other a lot. However, for those that are older one must compromise. She's happy Alexander visited. Picard is briefed on the replicators on the bridge. It turns out that the data net interface, which routes replicator selections to the correct subprocessors, has been transformed into an unknown gelatinous material. Suddenly, the inertial damping system fails and the ship shakes. Picard orders the ship out of warp, but, then, primary attitude control and helm control fail and the ship shakes even more. Fortunately, back-up systems kick in and attitude control returns. Since there are automatic back-up systems for the inertial dampers that didn't kick in, Picard orders answers. Later, in the observation lounge, La Forge informs them that the systems suffered the same transformation as the replicators, turned into gelatinous material. They will next attempt to identify the substance. Then, they get word that Campio is beaming aboard. In the transporter room, Campio meets Lwaxana and quickly proves himself to be an ill fit for Lwaxana, insisting on protocol and demanding that she resolve business before she goes to the holodeck for fun, and that she address him with respect and reverence by calling him by his title of minister. Campio's assistant, a stringent man named Erko, is appalled by her behavior. Lwaxana, caught at the hub of three completely different conversations all taking place in the same room at the same time, flees with Alexander to the holodeck the moment everyone's backs are turned. La Forge and Data finally identify that there is a nitrium parasite on the ship. The parasite begins to infest the entire ship, eating systems away. Realizing the dilithium crystal chamber and power transfer conduits are vulnerable, they go to investigate. The chamber is fine, but behind an access panel in examining the conduits, they get a glimpse of the parasite as it leaves more of its gelatinous waste. Lwaxana and Alexander are almost out of time in the holodeck. The juggler is sad because he's eaten his worlds, amusing Alexander. They begin to leave, and Alexander guesses that Lwaxana's husband would never take a mud bath. She is optimistic. She senses his sadness, but they are interrupted by obvious malfunctions in the holodeck and they leave. La Forge, Data, and Picard devise a strategy to get rid of the parasites -- find the asteroid field from which came the asteroid they previously destroyed, the Pelloris field. It must be rich in nitrium and therefore a natural feeding ground. Picard immediately orders a course at warp 9, but is reminded by Data that the parasites may do too much damage before then. Data suggests an exanogen gas to slow them down, and, when they get to the field, use the deflector dish to send a nitrium beam to lure the parasites to the field. Unfortunately, the parasite is eating away at the warp system, and the life support system begins to fail. It is now up to Data to fly the ship to the asteroid field, configure the deflector, and rid the ship of the problem. After the Enterprise arrives at the Pelloris field, Data, the only conscious crewmember on the bridge, activates the Bussard collectors to include nitrium and aims it at a nearby asteroid. The nitrium parasite then leaves the Enterprise and all ship's systems begin to return to normal. Lwaxana finally proceeds with the wedding. Campio, and especially Erko, are disturbed to find that as per the Betazoid custom she has arrived at the wedding in the nude. She winks at Alexander, who remains respectful of her spirit. Erko covers Campio's eyes and they retreat. Lwaxana remains a bachelorette. Finally, Lwaxana, Alexander, Troi, and an irate Worf share a mud bath together. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is en route to mediate a peace treaty between the Valtese and the Kriosians. While welcoming Ambassador Briam aboard, the Enterprise receives a distress call from a Ferengi shuttle about to suffer a collapse of the containment field and explode. The Enterprise arrives to their rescue and manages to beam aboard the two Ferengi before their shuttle explodes. Worf escorts them to quarters. They seem thankful to be there, but when Worf leaves, they remark to themselves that it "was too easy." Picard resumes talking with Briam, and takes him to the holodeck, where the Temple of Akadar has been programmed for the peace talks. He is impressed and optimistic. Briam needs to consult the history a bit more before continuing with La Forge for preparations. As they leave, one of the Ferengi, Par Lenor forcefully introduces himself to Briam attempting to gain exclusive trading rights, but Picard and La Forge eventually pull him away. Meanwhile, sneaking around the ship curiously, the other Ferengi named Qol discovers a strange, glowing cocoon in one of the cargo bays. He attempts to scan it while standing on a few stacked barrels, but slips when Worf, who asked him what he’s doing, and a security team enter. He kicks a barrel into one of the suspension beams, making it overcompensate and slice open the cocoon. As the captain, Briam and Riker enter, the cocoon slowly falls to the ground and melts before their eyes, revealing a beautiful woman, while Worf pulls Qol away. She approaches Picard, and gives herself to him, thinking he is Alrik. Her name is Kamala, and she is an empathic metamorph, a woman genetically predisposed to suit the desires of any man she is with. She has the ability to sense what a potential mate wants, what he needs, what gives him the greatest pleasure and then to become that for him until she reaches the final stage of bonding, where she must imprint upon herself the requirements of one man, to serve as his perfect partner in life. From birth she has been reared for this event and is thus being presented as a gift to Alrik, to seal the peace agreement between Krios and Valt Minor. By the symbolic act of wedding this perfect mate to the leader of Valt Minor -- Chancellor Alrik -- Ambassador Briam hopes to end the longstanding conflict that has been plaguing both their worlds for centuries. Riker escorts Kamala to quarters. She warns him about her elevated pheromones. This is due to her being in finiis'ral: the final stage of her sexual maturity, where her body produces an unusually high number of pheromones which are very provocative to members of the opposite sex. Because this is the final stage of her sexual maturation, she must also bond with whoever she wishes to be the most like for the rest of her life in a very short time. While they are having breakfast in his cabin, Dr. Crusher objects to the Enterprise crew essentially facilitating the "sale" of Kamala, a sentient being, into "a life of virtual prostitution." Picard rejoins that arranged marriage has been a diplomatic tool for centuries, including on Earth. Crusher does not relent, and Picard sarcastically suggests that they throw the Prime Directive to the winds, stop the marriage, and allow the two cultures' war to continue. But Crusher has the last word, informing him that Briam, has confined Kamala to her quarters like a prisoner. Picard is taken aback, and disturbed, to hear this. Picard pays her a visit. Although she turns the heads of many men, including that of Riker, she herself develops a very particular interest in Picard. During that visit, he already feels himself being affected by the things she does with men and asks her to stop doing whatever she is doing. However, Kamala states that this is her nature and that her wishes and her needs are fulfilled by what she gives to others. She tells Picard that he knows her better than he realizes, for she is independent, forceful, brilliant and adventurous -- exactly as he would have her be. A very uneasy Picard makes his way quickly out of her quarters and in an effort to protect both himself and Kamala from the effects that she has on men. He says he'll talk to Briam about her confinement. Picard tells Briam he won't let Kamala be confined, despite his warnings of trouble, the same as Kamala mentioned earlier. He assigns Data as chaperon. However, Kamala causes quite a stir around the ship for wherever she goes she stirs feelings of affection, adoration, and even downright lust in the hearts of male crew members and visitors. When Kamala and Data arrive in Ten Forward sometime later, her effect is immediately apparent in the miners the Enterprise had picked up at Harod IV. Riker, who is having a drink with Worf, leaves to avoid what he knows is coming. Kamala and Data go up to the bar, at which point one of the miners begins harassing Kamala. Data tells the miner that his behavior is extremely rude. The other miners begin harassing Kamala, as well, though she takes it in stride and is comfortable with it. When Worf steps in, however, the miners stop. Data escorts Kamala out of the bar to take her to the ship's arboretum. Just before they leave, Kamala growls at Worf suggestively and Worf instinctively growls back, before composing himself. In Picard's ready room sometime later, Picard is informed of the incident in Ten Forward. Picard tells Kamala that he has confidence in his crew members' self-control, but there are civilians aboard the Enterprise. Kamala then displays her knowledge on a variety of subjects, including Shakespeare's work and Picard's origins in France. Kamala tells Picard that some of her knowledge of Picard's origins came from help from Data. The more Picard surrounds himself with Kamala, the more he talks with her and the more he gets to know her, the more he feels himself drawn to her, while at the same time recognizing the impossibility of such a union. He even tries to convince Kamala that he is actually pretty dull, falling asleep with a book in his hand every night. However, Kamala does not give in, for she knows that some part of Picard wants her to continue pursuing him. Meanwhile, the Ferengi Par Lenor and Qol make their reasons for being on the Enterprise known; they want to buy Kamala from Briam. They offer up to 20,000 Ludugial gold coins. Briam is understandably offended, and, after thanking the Ferengi for sharing the information, promises to tell Picard, but the impulsive Ferengi attack Briam and he falls, striking his head on a glass table and falling into a coma. In sickbay sometime later, Crusher tells Picard and Kamala that if they're lucky, Briam should regain consciousness within a few days. Kamala, however, tells Picard that the peace negotiations can't wait that long because of her premature removal from stasis, so the responsibility falls with Picard who -- while having diplomatic experience -- is not quite familiar with all the ceremonial requirements of the treaty and requires the assistance of Kamala who knows about the rituals and ceremony of her people. After Kamala tells Picard about her childhood, she finds it rather ironic that on the eve of this ceremony, which she has spent her entire life preparing for, she should meet a man like him. Finally, Chancellor Alrik arrives on the Enterprise and quickly establishes himself as not particularly interested in either Kamala or a mate, only in trade agreements. However, he is willing to accept Kamala as it furthers his aforementioned ambitions. Picard himself is apprehensive as to what Kamala will become when she is joined with Alrik, but since she is unavailable, he doesn't entertain that thought much further. He confesses all of this to Dr. Crusher and thanks her for being a shoulder to cry on. However, the night before the ceremony, during a visit to Kamala's quarters, Picard's resistance fails. During morning tea, Picard confides in Crusher that he can't help thinking about her being with a man who cares more about trade agreements. He says Crusher was right about her. Shortly before her wedding ceremony, Kamala confesses to Picard, whom is in his dress uniform; that she will never truly love Alrik, for she has bonded with Picard. Who she is today, she will be forever. However, her empathic abilities will allow her to please Alrik and continue the facade in order to keep the peace. After having bonded with Picard, she also has learned the meaning of duty. "I only hope he likes Shakespeare" she adds with a smile. Picard then escorts her to Alrik. The wedding is a simplistic, yet elegant affair; Alrik meets Kamala in the holodeck reproduction of the Temple of Akadar, she repeats the ceremonial line which defines her existence, "I am for you, Alrik of Valt," and they kiss. If Alrik is moved by Kamala's beauty, he does not show it. Picard, standing nearby, appears distraught. When Briam is recovered and preparing to leave the ship, he asks Picard's permission to ask a personal question. Briam knows full well why he was chosen to escort Kamala on this peace mission: as a very old man of over 200 years, her pheromones don't affect him as much; however, he'd be lying if he said they didn't affect him at all. Briam is astonished that Picard worked with her for days, side by side, and cannot help but wonder how Picard could possibly resist her. Picard merely responds by wishing the ambassador a safe trip home. The ambassador seems to realize what happened between Kamala and Picard, but he quickly understands Picard's sacrifice and leaves. Picard stands in the transporter room long after the ambassador transports off, and the two ships depart, going their own, separate ways. 
<EOS>
Clara, a young girl who just moved to the USS Enterprise-D with her father, Ensign Daniel Sutter, talks to Counselor Deanna Troi, discussing the nature of her imaginary friend named Isabella. Troi believes that Clara imagined Isabella as she moves from ship to ship often due to her father's career, and hasn't had the opportunity to sustain a friendship. While the Enterprise explores the nebula, a small sphere of energy enters the Enterprise and roams about the corridors, sickbay and finally the arboretum, where Clara is assisting Keiko O'Brien in planting Nasturtium seeds. While there talking to the invisible Isabella, to her surprise, the imaginary friend appears to Clara in the arboretum seemingly in the flesh. Isabella suggests to Clara that they explore the Enterprise together, despite the fact that Clara thinks she should inform her father. But Isabella insists that they go anyway and they leave the arboretum. The two spend all their time together. Increasingly, Isabella gets Clara into trouble by having her do things she knows are wrong, and leading her into off-limit places, including main engineering, where Data, Geordi La Forge, and her father Daniel were discussing potential names for the nebula. After his superior officer La Forge expresses his annoyance at Clara's presence in engineering, Daniel orders that Clara return to their quarters. When Clara leaves, Isabella reappears. She says she needs to disappear around the adults. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is experiencing unexplained drops in velocity. La Forge thinks the ship is experiencing drag, as the engines are producing the same output. The rate of velocity decreases faster, but then Isabella tells Clara to wait and disappears. She returns, and the ship's velocity is back to expected. Generally others on the ship cannot see Isabella although Worf sees her when Clara and Isabella run into him in a corridor when they aren't paying attention. Worf too orders the young Sutter back to her quarters but after he enters a turbolift, Clara and Isabella return to running down the corridor. While talking to La Forge in engineering, Ensign Sutter asks him if he had parents serving in Starfleet when he was a child. La Forge says yes, his father was an exozoologist and his mother served on an outpost near the Neutral Zone. Ensign Sutter remarks that the experience must have been unpleasant for him, having to always be on the move. La Forge says that children are pretty resilient and as long as they know their parents love them, they can usually handle anything life throws at them. Later on, Clara enters Ten Forward. Children on the Enterprise are usually prohibited from entering Ten Forward without an adult but Guinan allows it, taking on Clara as her personal guest. She has Clara sit up on the bar and serves her and Isabella papalla juice. Isabella is invisible during this time, but Guinan pretends, thinking Clara is pretending, too. She tells Clara that when she was her age, her best imaginary friend was a Tarcassian razor beast that put her to sleep every night. Counselor Troi then enters and escorts Clara out of Ten Forward. Eventually, Troi sees that Isabella is getting Clara into enough trouble that Clara has to be with other children her age. Troi insists that Clara leave her friend alone to go play with others. She comes to invite Clara to a ceramics class, without Isabella. They leave and she reappears, now angry. The Enterprise is shaken again by the drag on the ship slowing it down. It stabilizes, but still unexplained. In engineering, La Forge and Sutter have determined there is a highly-charged form of plasma creating resonances on impact with the ship. They don't know how many there are, but they can modify the deflector dish to illuminate them for counting. They find, remarkably, an irregular lattice of about 47 million of the strands. Meanwhile, Troi takes Clara to meet Worf's son Alexander at the class, and they create some clay sculptures together. Isabella, however, is causing trouble. First, by annoying Troi, knocking down her cup in her quarters, twice. Then, she ruins a Klingon-style clay cup Alexander was creating for his father when he isn't looking. He believes Clara caused it and complains to her. An upset Clara goes to the arboretum, crying. When Isabella returns, she is very angry that she left her. Saying she liked her and wanted to protect her earlier, now she doesn't care and says, "When the others come, you can die along with everyone else." The strands are impeding the Enterprise's ability to leave the nebula. They can't go to warp, and are forced to muddle through. Meanwhile, Troi is concerned about her approach with Clara in Ten Forward. Guinan sits down and admits to her imaginary friend, and says a child shouldn't need to give that up. Then, Troi is called to the Sutters' quarters by Ensign Sutter when Clara is having trouble going to sleep because Isabella has been threatening her. Clara now tells Troi that Isabella isn't imaginary anymore, and that others like her will kill everyone aboard. Troi guides her to her room to search for Isabella, and she suddenly appears and attacks Troi, who is knocked unconscious. Afterwards, while Troi is being treated in sickbay by Dr. Crusher, Clara is brought in by Nurse Ogawa. Clara talks to her father and then talks to Captain Picard. The ship then shakes again and Picard orders the ship to stop. An energy being comes toward the Enterprise and starts to drain the shields. Then, more come. Picard decides to try to talk to Isabella in the arboretum. Picard appeals to Isabella to show herself in the arboretum. Suddenly, Isabella makes herself visible to everyone. The crew learns that Isabella is actually an energy-based lifeform whose home is the nebula outside the ship. He begins to talk to her about Human parenting. Isabella argues that the adults were cruel to Clara, and Picard explains that rules are for her protection, and even Clara will make some rules for her children when she eventually grows up. Isabella is convinced, and allows the ship to pass safely through the nebula. Isabella appears one last time to Clara in her bedroom and apologizes for frightening her. She tells Clara she never had a friend before and hopes she will return to the nebula someday. The Enterprise departs FGC 47 for open space. 
<EOS>
While exploring an uncharted system, the USS Enterprise-D receives a strange signal from a nearby moon. Believing it to be a distress call, Captain Picard sends an away team to the surface. There, Commander Riker, Worf and Dr. Crusher find a crashed starship, as well as several Borg corpses. Under the debris, an unconscious, but very much alive, Borg. When Commander Riker informs the captain of what they have found, Picard immediately prepares to bring the team back. However, Dr. Crusher disagrees, knowing the Borg will not survive if left unattended. Naturally, Worf suggests they kill it at once, but Picard agrees to bring it on board for a brief time. A holding cell is prepared and La Forge has a subspace dampening field placed around it, to prevent the Borg from communicating with its brethren. Picard retires to his ready room, as the team and the Borg are transported aboard. Counselor Troi follows, concerned that Picard is reliving old feelings from his capture by the Borg, but Picard reassures her that he's doing just fine and that he is perfectly comfortable with his decision. Meanwhile, Crusher tends to the still-unconscious Borg. Some of his Borg implants have been damaged, but Geordi La Forge believes he'll be able to replace them without much trouble. Picard asks La Forge if he can access the root commands of the Borg with the new implants, in order to introduce an invasive program (topological anomaly), which would function as a slow-acting virus to destroy the entire Borg Collective from within. "You make it sound as if it's a disease", Crusher says. "Quite right, doctor. If all goes well, a terminal one", Picard states. The crew think it would be a matter of months from the introduction of the program to the destruction of the Borg. Crusher seems to be the only one who is unsettled by this, as it appears to be pure genocide. Picard agrees that their plan would normally be unthinkable but claims that the Borg, and who they are, have left them no other choice. Riker also states that humanity is at war with the Borg and Picard states that they must do anything they can to survive. Shortly thereafter, the Borg regains consciousness and explores its small cell. It searches for a terminal with which to contact the Collective, but it can't find one. Crusher theorizes that the Borg hungers for energy, so La Forge prepares a power conduit on which it can feed. As he works, Crusher observes that the Borg almost seems scared to be so alone. In the meantime, Picard and Guinan fence, both physically and verbally. While Crusher disagrees with Picard on the introduction of the virus, Guinan suggests the danger of having the Borg on board at all is greater than he knows. When Picard cites humanitarian reasons, Guinan demonstrates the danger by suckering Picard into an easy defeat during another round of fencing. Worf and La Forge enter the cell and set the Borg up with a power conduit. The Borg calls himself "Third of Five," but shows no real gratitude or humanity whatsoever, merely repeating over and over, "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."  La Forge and Worf finish their work and leave the Borg alone. Some time later, La Forge and Crusher prepare to give the Borg perception tests in a science lab, when Crusher voices a great dislike for the proceedings. The Borg is beamed into their science lab and introduced to Crusher. After a brief discussion of how and why she saved its life and a mention of the upcoming tests, the conversation turns to names. Crusher explains that she and La Forge have names, not designations and La Forge suggests that they call the Borg "Hugh." Hugh passes a spatial acuity test with flying colors and La Forge realizes it is because of Hugh's prosthetic eye. Hugh placidly hands over the prosthetic for examination and listens to Crusher explain that Humanity doesn't want to be assimilated. This puzzles Hugh, because he no longer hears the "voices" of other Borg that permeate his existence under normal circumstances. Crusher sympathizes with Hugh's feeling of loneliness and La Forge tells him that, after the tests are done, Hugh can be returned to the Collective, although he knows it will not be what Hugh is thinking. After talking with Hugh, La Forge has second thoughts about their plan, so he voices them to Guinan in Ten Forward. Contrary to her normally sympathetic attitude, Guinan is completely closed off to him. She warns him what the other Borg are capable of and dismisses his soul-searching. When La Forge suggests she talk to Hugh, she refuses. "Then just listen; that is what you do best, isn't it?" La Forge replies. In the meantime, long-range sensors pick up a Borg scout ship about 31 hours away. Guinan reluctantly visits Hugh in his cell and angrily informs him that "resistance is not futile." As she describes the El-Aurians' struggle against the Borg, she laments how few of her kind are left. Processing this, Hugh realizes that Guinan, like him, is lonely. For once, Guinan is speechless. On hearing that the Federation wants to learn about other species, Hugh observes that assimilation allows the Borg to learn everything about a species. He fails to understand why Humans do not wish to be assimilated, causing Geordi to talk of individuality and having a sense of self and how he would rather die than lose that. Hugh listens to La Forge's explanations and when La Forge describes friendship, he observes that their current relationship fits the description. Later, La Forge and Data present the invasive program (topological anomaly) to an impressed Picard in the observation lounge. However, La Forge voices his newfound doubt about the plan, observing how un-Borg-like Hugh is now. It doesn't feel right to him to use Hugh as an instrument of genocide, but Picard likens La Forge's attitude to that of 20th century scientists growing attached to laboratory animals. He orders La Forge to "unattach" himself from Hugh. That evening, Guinan visits Picard in his quarters. After they exchange some small talk, she expresses her own doubts about the morality of Picard's plan. She suggests that at the very least, Picard should talk to Hugh before committing to the plan before he regrets what he is about to do. Picard seems unmoved, but he later has Hugh beamed directly to his ready room, along with Worf. Picard dismisses Worf and Hugh recognizes Picard as Locutus of Borg, so Picard plays along, attempting to bring out Hugh's full Borg-like nature. Instead, it brings out Hugh's individuality. The thought of La Forge and the others being assimilated seems to frighten Hugh, who has developed feelings of his own and refuses to help assimilate them. Most moving to Picard is Hugh's sudden grasp and use of the word "I." Picard is shocked and calls a staff meeting to explore other options. The crew eventually decide that, although the Borg would more than likely erase Hugh's memory of recent events, there might be a short time in which Hugh's "singularity" would impact the entire Collective consciousness, perhaps altering the nature of the Borg forever. Their plan is shattered when Crusher asks what will happen if Hugh doesn't want to leave. Picard and La Forge let Hugh choose his fate, which confuses Hugh. Although he wants to stay with La Forge, he concludes that it would be too dangerous for his new friends. It would appear that while Hugh has gained a sense of self, he has also maintained a sense of selflessness. When they beam Hugh back to the moon where they found him, Picard allows La Forge to go as well, knowing the Borg ignore individuals who pose no threat. Meanwhile, the Enterprise hides in the star's chromosphere. Two Borg beam to the surface and link with Hugh. The Borg then reclaim the circuits from their fallen comrades and return to their ship, but as the beam whisks them away, Hugh gives a slight, but noticeable farewell nod to La Forge. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is called to render assistance to a crippled Romulan vessel. When they arrive, the vessel is adrift and has taken heavy damage. Commander William T. Riker, Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, Ensign Ro Laren, and Lieutenant Worf beam over. Riker orders La Forge and Ro to disarm their phasers before going over, which Ro says is not a bright idea. When La Forge surveys the damage after beaming aboard, he determines that the graviton generator needs to be replaced, and beams himself and Ro back to the ship along with the damaged part. However, during transport, something happens to their patterns. Transporter chief Brossmer cannot get them to rematerialize, so she aborts. However, they do not rematerialize at the original coordinates as the safety protocols indicated. Riker and the engineer conclude they are gone. The Romulan ship is still in danger of a warp core breach. Lt. Commander Data and two more engineers go to the ship in a shuttle. When the pressure in the core suddenly rises, Riker, Worf, and the Romulans are forced to eject it manually, doing so just in time. Ensign Ro wakes up in a corridor in section 23 baker near sickbay and finds that she cannot use the communications system, nor does anyone notice her. She enters sickbay, only to hear from Doctor Beverly Crusher and Captain Jean-Luc Picard that she and La Forge are dead. She cannot get their attention, and when she blocks his path, Picard walks right through her. The Enterprise begins to transfer power to the Romulan ship, as Data examines the transporters for anything that could cause the safety systems to fail. He finds an energy fluctuation and begins investigating it. He also asks if he may arrange the memorial service, and Captain Picard grants his request. On board the Romulan vessel, Worf tells Riker that the Romulans have requested a Starfleet computer, which Worf believes is a severe security risk. Riker agrees and recommends that the Romulans be given a computer system from thirty to forty years ago. This would be technology that the Romulans would already be familiar with. Worf agrees and Riker gives Worf the approval to have the equipment manufactured and the leeway to make sure that his concerns be addressed before it is installed. La Forge also soon finds that he has the same problems as Ro. After waking up in the Enterprise's arboretum with a splitting headache, he headed for engineering. When she finds him, they start speculating about what happened. La Forge and Ro take two different approaches to their apparent death. Ro tries to accept her death and be at peace with herself, believing themselves to be borhyas, or spirits. La Forge is determined to figure out what happened, convinced they are still alive. While the chief engineer begins to follow Data's investigation, Ro wanders around the ship, and finds herself in the captain's ready room when Commander Riker tells Picard that he wants to say a few words about her at the memorial. This surprises and upsets her, given that she doesn't think he knows her that well. She also begins to speak her mind to the captain and others who can't hear her, telling Picard that she was glad he trusted her. After that, La Forge enters and talks her into going over to the Romulan vessel, where Data believes the problem originated. They take his shuttle, and overhear Data talking to Worf about the memorial service, including whether or not it would be practical to incorporate Bajoran elements (to which Ro responds with a groan, "Oh please, not the death chant.") Using his ability to look through the casing, La Forge discovers that a central device in the Romulan engine room is a phase inverter, which can transform normal matter so it will pass through other matter and energy. He remembers hearing at classified briefings that the Romulans have been trying to combine inversion and cloaking technology. He realizes this explains the chroniton fields, and the pair's abilities; they are alive, just "out of phase" with normal matter and energy. After Data is called away, the two of them then hear the Romulan bridge officers Mirok and Varel discussing the danger of the Starfleet officers discovering the inverter, and plotting to destroy the Enterprise by creating an undetectable muon feedback ray through the power transfer beam; as soon as the Enterprise goes to warp, her engines will explode. Ro and Geordi say they must return to the Enterprise immediately and find a way to reverse their condition, so they can warn the crew about the Romulan trap. As they leave the bridge, a Romulan who has been sitting in one of the bridge chairs gets up and follows them, passing through a console, showing that he is also phased and has overheard them. When Data and the transporter chief Brossmer scan for chroniton fields, using anyons to eliminate them, La Forge realizes that he and Ro are leaving chroniton particles behind them. La Forge tries to get Data to recognize the pattern of his movements, and accidentally finds the solution to his problem; a "careless" sweep from Data hits Geordi on the hand, stinging him -- and after discovering that this hand no longer went right through the master systems display table as easily, he realizes that the anyons partially re-phased his hand. He doubles his efforts, desperately hoping to make Data turn up the intensity so he will be brought back, but to no avail. Data gives up. Unfortunately, when Ro is following the transporter chief, the Romulan confronts her with a "phased" disruptor. He forces Ro to take him to La Forge, but on the other side of a wall, she jumps him, and knocks him down. A chase ensues, and Ro gets shot in the leg with the disruptor. A fist fight ensues, and La Forge enters (following Data to a very large chroniton field created by the weapon's fire) and knocks Parem through the ship's hull, and out into space, an action that saves Ro's life. Afterward, the power transfer beam is disconnected, Picard is thanked by Mirok and they are about to engage at warp, when the transporter chief reminds him the decontamination is still going on, and they shouldn't use any major system until it has been completed. La Forge figures that for them to be returned to normal, they will have to be hit with a very large anyon field, and since it will only work for a millisecond, someone will need to be looking right at them. When the memorial service in Ten Forward is announced, they go there. Joining Picard and Riker in the turbolift, La Forge hears the captain, practicing his eulogy, recall their first meeting years before, while Ro anxiously wonders what Riker will say about her -- but they reach Ten Forward first, leaving her even more frustrated. To Ro's shock and La Forge's pleasant surprise, the atmosphere in Ten Forward is rather festive (complete with a jazz band, which Riker eventually joins) as everyone mingles and reminisces. They start shooting everything with the disruptor -- approaching Riker, Ro sarcastically notes that she would never know what he was to say about her before putting a shot through his head. Soon, the chief finds the very large field forming in Ten Forward. However, their attempts to get attention when the field strength is increased fail, and the Enterprise will need to get to Garadius IV soon, as the diplomatic situation on the planet is worsening. So, they make the disruptor overload, and sure enough, a much larger decontamination is attempted. This time, they are seen by Data and the Captain. As Picard wonders what they have just seen, only now does Data put their appearances together with all of the chroniton phenomena -- they had been "cloaked" in some manner, and the anyons "de-cloaked" them. When the anyon field is put on its highest setting, all of the particles are purged, and the mourners look on in disbelief as the "dearly departed" reappear at their own memorial. Right away, La Forge gives the order to take the warp engines offline -- when the ensign in charge at engineering, understandably suspicious of a command from his dead superior, contacts Picard, the captain assures him that he heard right, and the order was valid -- and the muon wave is removed before they get underway. With that crisis averted, Geordi calls on the party to continue, which does with a much more joyous atmosphere. Afterward, with the pair eating after the party has concluded, Ro notes that she gained a new appreciation for her culture's religious beliefs that she once dismissed. At this confession, La Forge playfully suggests they should develop their own interphase device since if it can teach Ensign Ro humility, then it is surely capable of anything. The two share a hearty laugh. 
<EOS>
As the USS Enterprise-D encounters an unknown space probe, it emits a low level nucleonic beam at Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Picard faints, and Commander Riker catches him assuring the Captain that he is safe. Medical assistance is summoned. Captain Picard soon awakens with a strange woman tending to him and calling him "Kamin". He quickly learns that he is not on a holodeck simulation; in fact, he is no longer on the Enterprise, and nobody has even heard of the Enterprise. Going outside, he meets a councilman, Batai, who knows him and seems to be a friend. He confusingly explains to him, when Picard presses him, that the woman is his wife Eline, the community is named Ressik, and the planet is Kataan. He leaves Batai to walk around, convincing himself it's not a dream. He arrives back "home" at night to a worried Eline, and discovers more about this "new" existence. He is an ironweaver who enjoys playing his flute but has never been able to master it. Picard also learns that the world that has never made contact with any alien species. Eline tries to convince him to come to bed, but then Picard sees her necklace, a miniature of the satellite. She says Kamin gave it to her. Back on the Enterprise, Riker calls sickbay for help, as Picard has fallen into a coma. Dr. Beverly Crusher arrives with Ogawa and Martinez and discovers Picard is undergoing tremendous neurological activity - his neurotransmitter levels are off the scale. It seems the alien probe has locked itself onto Picard. Dr. Crusher advises Riker against destroying the probe in that the captain may be injured, so they wait. Meanwhile, five years have passed on Kataan, and "Kamin" has become integrated into his new society, though has not let go of his past life. He suggests to the visiting administrator that atmospheric condensers are needed to survive the extended drought they are currently experiencing. His ideas are rejected, but Batai notes that it is the first time Kamin has spoken as a member of the community in years. Later that evening, Batai and Kamin sit outside while Kamin plays Frère Jacques on his flute. After Eline asks Batai to leave for his home, she and Kamin begin to plan for a family, starting with the construction of a nursery. Back on the Enterprise, Geordi La Forge has launched a probe to follow the alien probe's ion trail back to its source. Data has determined a method of disrupting the beam, and they make plans to implement Data's idea and cut the connection to Picard. Once again, several years have passed on Kataan. Kamin and Eline are in the middle of a "naming ceremony" for their second child, named Batai (for their late friend, who had passed a year before). Right after the ceremony, as the reception begins, Kamin suddenly collapses. On the Enterprise, Ogawa finds Picard is suffering somatophysical failure with the connection cut. Dr. Crusher tries in vain to save Picard with delactovine and cardiac induction, but he needs the beam back. Data reestablishes it, thereby stabilizing Picard's condition. Ten years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin, together with his adult daughter Meribor, have found that the soil in their yard is simply dead. The sun's radiation has sterilized the dirt making it incapable of supporting life, a process that is implied to be wiping out all plant life on the planet. Kamin jokingly tells her that he should have filled her mind with trivial things instead of devoting so much time to scientific study of things she can't change. He mentions Dannick, a man who is in love with her. Meribor ominously says she should marry him sooner rather than later. La Forge has managed to trace the alien probe's path back to the unmapped Kataan star system in the Silarian sector. It contains no habitable planets as the star went nova approximately one thousand years earlier. Many more years have passed on Kataan, and Kamin is visibly elderly and now on the council himself. Using his telescope, he has discovered that the drought will continue indefinitely, and the planet may be doomed. Eline comes and encourages Batai to tell him he wants to concentrate on his music instead of school. Kamin is startled, but ultimately accepts his decision, musing after he leaves that there may not be much time to follow any dream. The next day, he argues with a government administrator, who tells him in confidence that the government scientists had come to the same conclusion two years earlier. Kamin pleads with him that an evacuation, even of a handful of people, must be attempted, but the pained administrator points out to Kamin that they simply do not have the technological capability for spaceflight of that magnitude, having only recently started launching unmanned missiles into orbit. Reluctantly, the administrator shares with Kamin that there is an effort underway to save "some" piece of the civilization, though he will reveal no more about it. Kamin's son Batai arrives and informs him that something is wrong with his wife Eline, and the pair rush home. Shortly afterward, Eline dies a natural death, and Kamin grieves. Years later, an extremely old Kamin is playing with his grandchild, Meribor's son, named Kamie. He laments that his grandson deserves a long and full life, but like the rest of their world he will not survive. Kamin reluctantly goes along with the pair to join everyone in the community to view "the launching", which only he seems not to know about. Kamin asks, "What is it they're launching?" His daughter, Meribor: "You know it, father. You've already seen it." "Seen it?  What are you talking about?  I haven't seen any missile." Batai: "Yes, you have, old friend. Don't you remember?" Kamin turns to see his old friend, Batai, but in the prime of his life. Batai explains, "You saw it just before you came here. We hoped our probe would encounter someone in the future -- someone who could be a teacher, someone who could tell the others about us." "Oh oh, it's me isn't it?  I'm the someone. I'm the one it finds. That's what this launching is -- a probe that finds me in the future!" "Yes, my love" "Eline" As the missile launches "Now we live in you. Tell them of us my darling." Picard regains consciousness on the bridge of the Enterprise as the alien probe breaks contact by ceasing its beam. After the initial disorientation, he discovers that he has lived an entire lifetime in the course of twenty to twenty-five real-time minutes. Riker orders the probe brought into a shuttlebay with a tractor beam onboard the ship for further study. As Picard approaches the entrance to the turbolift to accompany Dr. Crusher to sickbay, he instinctively raises his right hand to touch the door mechanism he remembers from Ressik. Later, Riker delivers to Picard a small box found inside the alien probe in his quarters. Picard opens it to find the flute which he still vividly remembers from his life as Kamin. Once Riker leaves, he plays the tune he had played at his "son's" naming ceremony. 
<EOS>
Captain Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data enter an underground cavern in San Francisco with a scientist where work crews have discovered some artifacts dating to the 19th century. Data notes the presence of a "bifocal visual aid" that is typical for the era and a revolver which is identified as a ".45 caliber double action(actually a single action) cavalry pistol invented by Colt Firearms in 1873." A gold watch is also present with the inscription "To S.L.C. With Love 30 November 1889." The time on the watch is 9:39:46. The scientist leading them explains that the work crews installing seismic regulators in the cavern under San Francisco were having difficulty with the phase conditioners due to the composition of the walls of the cavern. Data scans the rock walls with a tricorder and determines that the rock has been altered by exposure to triolic waves which are foreign to Earth in both the 19th and the 24th centuries. Picard wonders aloud why the Enterprise would be called back for such a discovery when there are experts on Earth better suited for an investigation. The scientist reveals that there is one more item they found. He lifts a cover to reveal Data's severed head. Data and Commander Riker are in engineering examining Data's head. Data notes that there is a twelve percent decomposition of bitanium in the neural pathway links. Riker is obviously uncomfortable and snaps at Data when he refers to his head as an artifact. Picard arrives and asks if the head could be that of Data's brother, Lore. Data says no because his brother's positronic brain has a Type L phase discriminating amplifier while his is a Type R. He estimates that the head has been in the cavern for approximately five hundred years. He further asserts that at some future date, he will be transported back in time to Earth, where he will die. Riker says they will do everything they can to prevent it, but Data appears to accept his death as inevitable - "It has occurred. It will occur." Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge interjects that he has some information on who the aliens in the cavern might have been. He believes they are dealing with a species with microcentrum cell membranes because triolic waves wouldn't harm them. Further, they may be shapeshifters. La Forge also discovers a cellular fossil, specifically, a microscopic ciliated lifeform designated LB10445, only known to exist on Devidia II in the Marrab sector. Picard orders Riker to lay in a course for Devidia II. Later, in Ten Forward, La Forge and Data are discussing Data's death. La Forge posits that the discovery must bother Data a little, but, to the contrary, Data finds it comforting. Previously, Data believed that he may exist for an unlimited period of time. This reinforced the fact that he was artificial and even more different from Humans who age. He explains that he is now more like everyone else because he is mortal. More importantly, prior to the discovery of his mortality, he expected to outlive everyone he considers his friends, and make new ones which he would then outlive as well. Mortality makes his existence complete in a way immortality cannot. He thus feels that he can "look forward" to death, since he has reviewed his existence to date and can be satisfied that he has accomplished a great deal. Picard's voice over the intercom interrupts them. He orders all bridge officers to their stations as they are approaching the Devidia system. Data leaves and Guinan asks La Forge about their conversation. He tells her that they found Data's head and it had been there for five hundred years. Guinan says, "Full circle. Hmm." as La Forge leaves for engineering. Counselor Troi and Riker are walking in a corridor on deck 12 toward the turbolift discussing the recent events. Riker expresses that he is angry about the situation. Troi says it is like finding out that someone you love has a terminal illness. Just then the turbolift doors open and Data is inside. They immediately cease their discussion and enter the lift. Data looks sideways at both of them before telling them that people are behaving differently around him, such as by abruptly ending conversations as they just did when the doors opened. Troi says that he's right and that it wasn't a very nice thing to do. Riker explains, "It's just that our mental pathways have become accustomed to your sensory input pattern." Data says he understands and that he's fond of them also. They exit the lift onto the bridge. The Enterprise is in orbit of Devidia II. Picard enters the bridge from his ready room and asks if there are any signs of life. Lieutenant Worf answers in the negative. Data announces that sensors have detected a temporal disturbance on the planet's surface at 42 degrees, seven minutes north by 88 degrees declination east. A spectral analysis shows a high level of triolic waves at the same location. The magnetic signature of the waves is identical to those found in the cavern under San Francisco. Picard asks if the waves are dangerous and Data replies "only with long-term exposure." Picard then orders Riker to take an away team to the surface. Riker orders Worf, La Forge and Troi to join him in transporter room three. Data is left out as Picard explains to him that he is needed to monitor sensor readings. Data asks to speak with the captain alone and they move the conversation into Picard's ready room. Once alone, Data notes that standard procedure calls for the second officer to accompany away teams. Picard explains that he is just being cautious. Data observes that there is not rational justification for the decision to which Picard snaps, "Then I'll be irrational!" Data then employs an aphorism saying, "One cannot cheat fate." Picard replies, "Perhaps we can't, Mr. Data, but at least we can give it a try." The away team materializes in a cavern under the surface of the planet. La Forge scans for and finds triolic waves but can't determine their source. He contacts Data and asks him to run a spectral field correlation to see if the waves are related to the temporal distortions. Troi is standing in the middle of a large room and says, "There's life here." She senses hundreds of lives. They're all terrified and they're all Human. Riker reports to Picard from the surface that Troi is convinced that there are Humans present and that they may be trapped. Data reports that his temporal analysis indicates a synchronic distortion in the areas emanating triolic waves. The displacement is a positive .004 percent which is enough to render the Devidians invisible due to being out of phase with the away team. La Forge hypothesizes that if they could create a contained subspace force field, they may be able to compensate for the phase variance, however, a very sensitive phase discriminator would be needed. Data allows that he has one built into his positronic decompiler and that he will need to join the away team to continue the investigation. Picard tells him to proceed. Data transports to the planet with a device for adjusting the phase of the subspace force field. He explains to the away team that he will become invisible after he adjusts his phase but that they will still be able to hear him because his combadge will transmit on a delay. The communication will not be two-way, however. As Data adjusts his device, he begins to disappear. He completely vanishes when he reaches .004. He reports visual contact with lifeforms in the room but they don't react to his presence. He describes vaguely humanoid creatures, two to three meters in height, silver-grey in color with an orifice in their foreheads. They are ingesting some type of energy fragments. There is a container with perhaps thousands of these fragments in the center of the room. As Data moves northward, he encounters an ophidian held captive in a force field. The away team can only stand in place and listen as his communication becomes more obscured by static with each passing moment. Data describes to them that two Devidians approach the ophidian and release it. A loud noise interrupts the communication and Data reports through much interference that his is caught in the aftereffect of a temporal distortion that was opened by the creatures. A bright flash of light is seen in the cavern and the phasing device that Data was carrying falls to the floor. Troi yells Data's name and Riker reports to Picard that they have lost him. Data finds himself lying on his back in the middle of a brick street outside fire house #5 as a horse-drawn buggy goes by. He is in 19th century San Francisco. Data is walking around the streets of San Francisco asking about two individuals with an ophidian. He gets ignored, laughed at and even called a Frenchman by the people. He finds a copy of the San Francisco Register dated Sunday, August 13, 1893 with the headline, "Cholera Outbreak." A forty-niner asks for his help. Data explains that he has no money but is in search of information. The forty-niner tells him some basic rules of panhandling. Data walks up to a bellboy outside the Hotel Brian and asks for temporary lodging and is told the cost is "six bits a day or four dollars a week." Data explains that he has no money but that he can work. The bellboy says he himself already performs all of the work and walks away past a sad-looking man leaving the hotel. The bellboy remarks to Data that the man hasn't filled a straight in five weeks. Data looks at the bellboy and asks simply, "Poker?" Data enters a smoke-filled room where four men, a seaman, an American Indian in a hat, a well-dressed man and another man, are playing poker. He asks to join the game and remarks (to explain his appearance) that he is a Frenchman. The well-dressed man speaks to him in French with a Louisiana accent. Data replies in French and is invited to join them. He sits down and offers his combadge in exchange for currency. He explains that it is a crystalline composite of silicon, beryllium, carbon-70 and gold. The well-dressed man offers him three dollars for it. Data accepts and deals the cards. Data walks into his room at the Hotel Brian wearing the Indian's hat and the well-dressed gentleman's vest. The bellboy is talking about how he beat the card sharks, Frederick La Rouque and Joe Falling Hawk. He gives Data the key to the room and holds out his hand with the palm upturned. Data shakes his hand. The bellboy clears his throat and puts his hand out again for a tip. Data advises him to monitor his cough as there is a cholera epidemic in San Francisco. He clears his throat again and Data finally understands. He hands a dollar to the bellboy, who is very impressed with the amount of his tip and offers to get Data whatever he needs. Data writes a list with his left hand and gives it to the bellboy. Data explains the odd list of items by saying that he is an inventor. He then gives the bellboy a large sum of money and tells him to "retain the surplus for yourself." The bellboy leaves the hotel in search of the items on the list and passes the old forty-niner Data had encountered before still begging on the street. A tall woman and a gentleman approach him. The man has a walking stick with the head of a snake on it. The woman lifts her leather bag and a blue beam of light emanates from the end and strikes the old man in the chest. He goes pale and dies. The beam is stopped and the two turn and walk away arm in arm. The senior staff is assembled in the observation lounge. They are speculating on the disappearance of Data and the purpose of the Devidian's travels to earth. La Forge says that he may be able to reproduce what Data did to reach the Devidian's phase, but it would be difficult and take quite some time. Picard doesn't want anyone else going alone and La Forge says he can make a large enough subspace field to encompass everyone. Picard says, "Make it so." Worf takes Riker aside as the rest of the senior staff exit the lounge after Riker suggests going after Data in the past. Worf notes that it may be their fate to die in the cavern five hundred years before with Data as their remains would have turned to dust long ago. In Ten Forward, Guinan is mixing drinks when Picard enters. She tells him she is mixing a Tzartak aperitif and that it is a very, very tricky recipe as it can easily just evaporate. She asks if Picard is going along on the away mission back to the surface. He says it is general policy not to. She asks him if he remembers the first time they met. When he says yes, she replies, "Don't be so sure." She adds that he must go on this away mission or they will never meet. Data has assembled many components into a device on a table in his room. The bellboy enters with an anvil, which Data explains he needs for a low intensity electromagnetic field core. Data almost exposes his android abilities by thoughtlessly lifting the anvil in one hand. However, he corrects the mistake by pretending to have overexerted himself and stretched a muscle. The bellboy, whom Data calls "Jack" leaves him a croissant wrapped in a page of an old newspaper. Data sets the pastry aside, looks at the paper and sees a picture of Guinan under the headline, "Literary Reception Announced." The date on the paper is Friday, August 11, 1893. At the literary reception, Samuel Clemens, while lighting a cigar, is holding forth about Alfred Russel Wallace and his theories about Earth being the only life-supporting planet in the universe while Guinan, dressed in period clothing, listens and comments on his words. She posits that perhaps Earth is one of millions of inhabitable planets in the heavens. Clemens agrees and notes how insignificant mankind is in the grand scheme of things. Data enters the house and is stopped at the door and asked his name. He is not on the guest list and is asked to leave immediately. He dodges the doorman, enters the reception and calls out to Guinan. When he finds her he asks to be able to speak with her. She doesn't know him so he tells her they were on a ship together -- a starship. Immediately she feigns knowing him and excuses herself and Data from Clemens' presence. Outside, Guinan asks Data if her father sent him. He says no and explains their service together on the Enterprise. He tells her how he came to be in the 19th century and that he assumed that she had followed him from the 24th century. Noting her reaction he indicates that although he knew that her species was so long lived he had no idea that she had visited Earth so long ago. A wisp of smoke drifts by giving away the presence of Clemens standing in the open doorway listening to their conversation. La Forge, Troi, Worf, Riker and Doctor Crusher are in the cavern on Devidia II setting up equipment when Picard beams down. La Forge establishes the subspace field and Picard orders Worf to return to the Enterprise. La Forge adjusts the synchronic distortion and as they get nearer to .004, the Devidians flicker into view. Luminescent spheres exit a container in the center of the room one by one, then swirl around before entering an orifice on the foreheads of the aliens. Crusher scans them with a tricorder and says the strands may be organic. Troi says there is no life, but she senses an echo of the last moment of Human life. "They all died in terror." A bright flash of light and a loud noise make the away team turn to see an opening appear in the wall of the cavern. Two Devidians enter, one holding a staff with a snake's head on it. They deliver more energy fragments and go back toward the temporal door. With grim determination, Picard leads the Enterprise crew into the vortex and into the unknown danger that awaits them. 
<EOS>
The year is 1893 and Samuel Clemens is walking down a street in San Francisco, California with a young reporter in tow while Clemens discusses time travel. He expresses his belief that there are people from the future, "right here in San Francisco." Their discussion ends when Clemens sees Lt. Cmdr. Data emerge from a building nearby and begins walking up the street. As he follows Data, they unknowingly pass a woman walking with a man who is carrying a walking stick with the head of a snake on it. Commander Riker and Dr. Crusher are in a makeshift morgue somewhere in San Francisco in 1893. Crusher is dressed in a black period dress with an elaborately decorated hat while Riker is dressed as a police officer. Riker mentions that the morgue is the location of all the cholera victims. Crusher expresses her surprise at so many people dying of cholera because it "just isn't that virulent." She scans a body with her medical tricorder and finds that the victim's entire nervous system has been depleted of electro-chemical energy. She determines that a number of the victims died because their neural energy was drained, not because of cholera. Later, in a rented apartment, Crusher explains her findings to Captain Picard, Lt. Cmdr. La Forge and Counselor Troi. Riker adds that they found triolic activity in the bodies that had to have come from the Devidians. La Forge suggests that they may be able to create an "alien alarm system" to alert them to the presence of the Devidians. He adds that he has been unsuccessful in contacting Data yet, though his tricorder is broadcasting on all frequencies that Data can sense. They are interrupted by a knock at the door and a shrill voice shouting for "Mister Pickerd." Mrs. Carmichael enters demanding the weekly rent. She is upset because it is one o'clock on Thursday and the rent is due at one o'clock on Wednesday. Picard explains that he and his theater troupe are rehearsing for their upcoming production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and that they have played to packed houses in London, Paris, and Milan. He promises her the rent in full with a bonus but she tells him no, she'll have her rent "tomorrow, or you'll be out performing on the street!" At the Hotel Brian, the bellboy, Jack, lets Clemens into Data's room. Clemens says he is looking for a letter of intent, but he is really just snooping. Jack takes the opportunity to ask Clemens if he'll write his life's story. Clemens tells him, "No one is more qualified to write your story than you are." Clemens encourages him to follow his dreams and go to Alaska. Jack agrees and vows to do it and reveals his full name to be Jack London. He leaves Clemens alone in Data's room. Clemens walks over to a device on Data's desk and removes a piece of it. The device stops functioning just as he hears a noise from the hall. He quickly hides in the wardrobe closet. Data and Guinan enter the room. She explains that Data will not be able to get into the cavern under the city because the only entrance is in the middle of the Presidio on an Army base. Data tells her he has full confidence in her persuasive abilities. She finally agrees to help him gain entrance when he notices that the transceiver assembly has been removed from his device. He explains that without it, he will be unable to track the time shifts. Guinan says that she believes Clemens is behind the missing piece because he has been stalking her lately. Data tells her that, if so, he must be warned that prolonged exposure to the piece would be toxic. An unexpected noise, quite like a transceiver assembly being dropped inside a closet, leads them to the wardrobe where they discover Clemens hiding. Data picks up the transceiver from the floor of the wardrobe as Clemens wipes his hands with a handkerchief. Clemens emerges from the closet as Guinan says, "Shame on you!" Clemens is instantly indignant and directs shame at both Data and Guinan. He says his friend Ches Whitley in the county assayer's office has told him that Data claims to be a geological engineer interested in mining operations in the 1850s. He goes on to tell Data many of the other places he's visited recently. Clemens then asks about the device on the desk and whether it has anything to do with time shifts. Data explains that a time shift is a gearing device he has invented for the horseless carriage. Clemens is agitated at the answer and tells Data that he knows he's come to "this century, and brought your infernal technology with you" and that he's up to no good. Guinan interrupts and tells Clemens to mind his own business and leave. Clemens rebuts that it is his business and the business of all Humanity to stop them from whatever they are doing, then he leaves. In a ward of the Sisters of Hope Infirmary, Picard is reassembling a gas lamp when he is questioned by a doctor. Picard explains that he is replacing the burner with a safer version in case of an earthquake. The doctor dismisses him and tells his nurse (a disguised Dr. Crusher with tricorder in hand) that he is leaving. Crusher hides the device in her apron and the doctor leaves. Across the room, La Forge says he can see an afterimage of triolic waves by a bed. Crusher says a man just died in that bed the previous night. Troi offers that another patient was complaining about a strange doctor and nurse near that bed and perhaps they're still in the building. La Forge and Troi leave as Crusher tends to a coughing patient. The device that Picard planted on the lamp begins to flash and Crusher's tricorder makes an alarm noise. She turns to see a doctor in a tall hat and a nurse in a dark cape standing nearby. She activates her combadge and approaches them. She asks the doctor if he needs any help and remarks that his cane is interesting. The nurse aims her bag at Crusher just as Riker, La Forge and Picard enter with Troi close behind. La Forge grabs the cane and knocks the Devidian down on a bed. He gets back up and Riker shoots him with a phaser. He is unaffected and turns to his companion and they vanish. Just then, Data's device records the time shift. He consults a map and hurriedly leaves the room. Back in the infirmary, a police officer arrives and asks Riker what is going on. Riker is unable to convince him to let them leave and the officer confiscates the cane from La Forge. Riker remarks that he has the "utmost respect for the law" just as he knocks the policeman to the ground and takes the cane. They leave the hospital and see Data driving a carriage toward them. He stops and they all get into the carriage. Three police officers run toward them as the galloping horses take them away. Back in the apartment, La Forge supposes that if he tunes a phaser to the approximate frequency of triolic waves and hit the cane with a field burst it might respond. He tries it and the head of the cane transforms into the ophidian the Devidians used to create the gateway. Tiny bursts of energy like bolts of lightning emanate from the snake which then transforms back into a cane. La Forge says they look like minute distortions in the space time continuum. Data remarks that the Devidians must have some way of concentrating the distortion. La Forge observes that anything that could focus them would produce high levels of triolic waves like in the cavern where Data's head was found. Data informs them that he has found that cavern. An unexpected knock at the door and Mrs. Carmichael's voice intoning, "Mr. Pickerd!" interrupts them and everyone scatters to pre-arranged places. Troi answers the door as the others read from their Shakespeare playbooks. Picard tells Mrs. Carmichael that they need someone to read a part. He shows her where to read and she does so very stiltedly. Picard stops her and tells her how unique her reading was. "Really?" she asks. Picard nods and announces that they have found their Titania. He tells her they start rehearsals tomorrow and kisses both her cheeks. She giggles. Guinan is in Data's room waiting. Data returns and she announces that she has found a way to get into the mine shaft under the Presidio. Picard walks in behind Data. She stops speaking and stares. He returns her gaze and removes his hat. She asks if he knows her. He replies, "Very well." She then asks, "Do I know you?" Picard answers, "Not yet, but you will." Outside the Sisters of Hope Infirmary, the reporter is finishing a conversation with the police officer who was struck by Riker. The reporter turns and walks alone down the street and meets Clemens who says hello. He tells the reporter that he heard two people vanished into thin air in the infirmary. The reporter tells him yes, and that he was told a band of outlaws set off an explosion in the hospital and then escaped. Clemens asks what they looked like and learns that the carriage they escaped in was driven by an albino. Clemens exclaims, "They've come from the future. My God! It's an invasion!" and he quickly hails a passing carriage. The reporter asks him if he has any proof. Clemens promises to meet him at 4:30 with a story that will make his career. He gets into the carriage and says, "Take me to the Presidio, driver, and don't spare the whip!" In the cavern under the Presidio, Riker notes that there triolic waves are just as high as those on Devidia II, but that he doesn't see any control mechanism. La Forge observes crystalline fractures in the rock wall with his VISOR. He says the entire cavern has been configured to focus the space time distortions like a lens, but he doesn't know if it will work with phaser power. Picard says they have to try. "An event I most certainly would enjoy witnessing." Says Clemens as he descends the stair into the cavern. He holds a cigar in one hand and a revolver in the other. He then says he plans to take them all to the authorities. Data tells him it is imperative that they finish their mission. Clemens tells him to move and suspects that "even time travelers are vulnerable to the Colt .45. Let's go," he says, glancing at his pocket watch, "I don't want to be late." Suddenly, next to Troi, the Devidians appear and snatch away the cane. Data grabs the cane and knocks the male to the ground. The cane emits many sparks and flashes before exploding. Everyone in the cavern is knocked from their feet and Data's head tumbles into the dirt, sparks dancing around his lifeless eyes. Picard sits up and sees the portal back to Devidia II open. The male Devidian checks his female companion and runs through the opening. He is followed by Riker, La Forge, Troi and Crusher. Just as the portal begins to collapse, Clemens dives through, leaving Picard and Guinan alone in the cavern. Back on Devidia II in the 24th century, Riker is surprised to find Clemens is with them. Clemens asks, "Where are we? And when?" Riker explains, and adds that he's not supposed to be there. Clemens claims he has the same right to be in their time as they had to be in his. Riker tells him that his disappearance would be problematic. Lieutenant Worf's voice over the communicator interrupts them and Riker tells him to stand by to transport five. La Forge calls Riker's attention to Data's headless body lying on the cavern floor still clutching the cane. Riker tells Worf to transport six and they beam up to the Enterprise. In the transporter room of the Enterprise, Riker calls for security to escort Clemens just as Worf arrives. Clemens is startled when he first sees him and exclaims, "a werewolf." La Forge tells Crusher to have Data's body taken to the science lab where he'll try to reattach the head they have. Troi offers to escort Clemens to his quarters. They walk out together as Clemens asks if they've ever run into Halley's Comet. In the San Francisco cavern, Guinan awakens in Picard's arms. She asks him why he stayed behind and he tells her that he had to make sure she was all right. He adds that she is far too important to him to let anything happen to her. Picard explains that in the future, their relationship will go far beyond mere friendship. Guinan laments that she'll have to wait 500 years and that she won't be able to tell him about it when they eventually meet. She notices Data's head and Picard comments that it is history fulfilling itself. In Ten Forward, Riker is angrily pushing Guinan for answers to how to get Picard back. She refuses to tell him for fear it would change history. Riker leaves in frustration. Troi has changed into her regular uniform and is walking the corridors with Clemens who is craving a hand-rolled Havana cigar. He says that he's not impressed with the future with all its technology and the loss of simple pleasures like gentlemen opening doors for ladies. He speculates that they have terrible weapons on the ship and that military conquest is a way of life. He seems amused at seeing a Bolian walk by them. They enter a turbolift and go to deck 36. On the way, Troi explains that they live in a peaceful Federation and the Bolian isn't a captive, but rather one of the thousands of species they've encountered. Clemens supposes that they are privileged and that they probably ignore the poor. Troi tells him that poverty was eliminated on Earth a long time ago, along with many other ills of Human civilization. Clemens, caught somewhere between sarcasm and incredulity, says he comes from a time where inequality, prejudice, and the ruthless pursuit of power and wealth are the norm for Human behavior, "and you're telling me that isn't how it is anymore?"  Smiling serenely, Troi responds yes. Clemens ponders her words and says that perhaps this future is worth giving up cigars for after all. They exit the turbolift and enter the science lab where La Forge has reattached Data's head to his body. He explains that Data's activating units won't initialize. Clemens is pleased to find his watch on a nearby table and La Forge says that after 500 years it probably won't work either. Clemens goes over to Data and apologizes for misjudging him, as he has misjudged many things. Back on Earth, the female Devidian awakens. Her arms and head sporadically flicker with blue light, revealing her true form. She asks Picard why they interfered with them. Picard says they are hunters and are killing humans, they had to stop them. He tells her that the Enterprise is going to destroy their transport site on Devidia II. The Devidian tells him that they'll only amplify the time distortion and annihilate Earth. She flickers with blue light and disappears. In the observation lounge, Riker announces that he is going back for Picard. Worf says they should destroy the cavern immediately to stop the temporal incursions to Earth. Troi agrees and Riker concedes. He asks to be alerted when the photon torpedoes are ready. In the science lab, La Forge is working with the computer to revive Data. The computer says the reload circuits are initializing, but La Forge still can't understand why he can't get Data to reactivate. He asks the computer to run a diagnostic on the input polarizers and finds there is only intermittent contact there. He goes over and opens a small panel on the back of Data's head and finds an iron filing in the circuitry. He wonders how it could have gotten there. In the cavern on Earth in 1893, Picard goes over to Data's head and picks it up. He opens the back panel on his head and looks around the cavern. He finds an iron filing and begins to do something to the circuitry under the panel. On the bridge, Worf informs Riker that the torpedoes are armed. Riker says to fire when ready. Worf replies that they will be ready to fire in only one minute. La Forge, in the science lab, has the computer run another diagnostic on the input polarizers. They are now functioning properly and he activates Data's positronic brain and turns him on using the switch on his back. Data revives, turns to La Forge and says, "Torpedoes, Phasing, Alien" He reaches back and adjusts something on the back of his head and tells La Forge he is processing a binary message entered into his static memory by Captain Picard. He then says it is imperative that they do not fire on the caverns. La Forge contacts Riker and tells him to hold his fire. Later, on the bridge, Data is back in uniform and tells Dr. Crusher, Riker and La Forge that the message from Picard isn't entirely clear. He says Picard was concerned that the phase differential of the torpedoes might produce catastrophic effects. He says they need to modify the torpedoes so the force of the explosion is re-phased into the alien's time continuum. La Forge says he can fit the torpedoes with phase discriminators but it will take a couple hours. Riker decides he now has time to go back and get the captain. Crusher tells him that the phaser will probably work, but the rift will only be stable enough for one person. Clemens and Troi enter and overhear Crusher. Clemens says he should be the one to go, so he and Picard can return to their proper places in time. Riker agrees and orders La Forge to brief Clemens on what he needs to know. Clemens shakes Data's hand warmly and thanks him for starting him off on "the greatest adventure a man's ever had!" Guinan, in the Earth cavern, tells Picard she is thirsty. He says he'll go for help when Clemens enters, with the cane in hand. He explains that, "This thing put me down in the middle of Market Street. It took forever to get here." On the bridge, Worf tells Riker that the reconfigured torpedoes are ready. Riker says they'll wait five minutes, then fire. In the cavern, Clemens explains to Picard that La Forge got his message and that a frequency setting of .047 on the phaser will activate the ophidian. Picard asks Clemens to get help for Guinan and to settle the bill at Mrs. Carmichael's boarding house. He agrees to take care of both matters. Picard thanks Clemens, and explains that he wishes he could have gotten to know him better. Clemens points out that his personality is written in his books. Picard goes to Guinan and she says, "I'll see you in 500 years, Picard." He replies, "And I'll see you in a few minutes." They part. Data reports to Riker that he is picking up massive triolic wave activity on the surface, but there are no Human life signs or temporal distortions. Riker orders Worf to fire torpedoes. Just as the torpedoes are away, Data detects Human life signs on the planet. In the Devidian cavern, Picard sits up and witnesses the Devidians flashing into and out of view just as Chief O'Brien beams him out. Worf reports to Riker that the target has been destroyed. Riker orders the ensign to lay in a course for the nearest starbase at warp 6. Picard enters Ten Forward to see Guinan. They both look upon each other with warmth. In the Earth cavern, Guinan is carried away on a stretcher and Clemens assures her she'll be fine. He stops and picks up his watch and goes to put it in his pocket, then he remembers. He places the watch on the floor of the cavern not far from Data's head and leaves the cavern. Both the watch and the head wait on the cavern's floor for history to repeat itself. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D responds to the stricken vessel USS Yosemite. The crew of the Yosemite seems to have disappeared, and due to its proximity to a plasma streamer, the only way to get there safely is by bridging the transporter systems of the two ships. As the away team prepares to beam over, Transporter Chief O'Brien informs them that due to disturbances in the plasma field, they may be experiencing problems during transportation. When Lieutenant Barclay hears this, he becomes very nervous and refuses to transport over, rushing out of the transporter room soon after Worf, Riker and Crusher beam over one by one to the Yosemite. Barclay, who is experiencing some form of transporter phobia, speaks to Counselor Troi about his troubles and she introduces him to a Betazoid relaxation technique known as plexing. However, completely unconvinced and still tapping himself on the neck as he walks out the door he returns to the transporter room, preparing himself for the ride. He's comforted a little by O'Brien, who tells him about his fear of spiders, which he conquered by crawling through a jefferies tube past twenty Talarian hook spiders, to repair a damaged emitter array on Zayra IV. On the Yosemite, there's no sign of survivors, yet the escape pods are in place and the transporter is functional. Dr. Crusher finds a body, ship's engineer Joshua Kelly. When Barclay finally materializes on the Yosemite, Lieutenant Commander La Forge asks him to download the ship's science logs. They collect fragments from a broken container and the body for further analysis. Meanwhile, Picard communicates with Admiral Hayes, who mentions Ferengi allegations of Cardassian destruction of two freighters and is concerned that, if the Yosemite was attacked as well, it would signal large-scale movement in the sector. The landing party then beams back to the Enterprise. During transport, Barclay has an awful vision of a worm-like creature swimming around in the matter stream and touching his arm. He steps off of the transporter pad nervous and shaking. Barclay is in engineering with La Forge while they try putting the logs together. Seeing them too badly damaged, La Forge turns to the broken sample container for clues. Plagued by what he saw, however, he asks La Forge if he had ever seen anything unusual while he was being transported. La Forge says he hasn't. Barclay then tells La Forge of his recent experience and La Forge has the transporter undergo a full diagnostic. In the transporter room, despite the exhaustive diagnostic of all subsystems and La Forge's and O'Brien's insistence that "transporting really is the safest way to travel", Barclay marvels at the job the transporters do consistently without accidents, but also how easy they are to occur. He thinks back to his Transporter Theory classes at Starfleet Academy. The empirical evidence of only a couple accidents in the past 10 years is hard to argue with, however. Barclay brings up transporter psychosis, too, but there hasn't been a case of that in the past 50 years. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher examines Kelly's body and determines it isn't alive, but residual ionization causes muscular activity. The heart starts beating, so Crusher quickly tries a cardiostimulator, but the activity disappears. Then, neuro-electric activity in the cerebral cortex is detected, then gone. He breathes, then it's gone. Barclay goes to Ten Forward to try to relax, but then finds his left arm glowing blue like during the transporter. Something must be wrong and he leaves. Barclay goes to his quarters, drinking lots of water and even going so far as to diagnose himself with transporter psychosis after asking the computer in his quarters for causes and symptoms from the Starfleet Medical Database. Barclay ascribes his symptoms, especially hallucinations, to his transporter psychosis but keeps quiet about it. On the observation deck, Crusher reports her findings, and they suspect that the ship's crew decided to beam aboard a container which exploded. La Forge and Data go to engineering to examine the container, and find the residual ionization that Dr. Crusher found on the body. Data suggests to re-create the beam-in. At the end of the conversation, Data and La Forge notice Barclay's preoccupation and La Forge asks him to get some rest. He also asks Counselor Troi to check on him, who then relieves him of duty temporarily when she finds him pacing the corridors and being agitated. However, while in his quarters, he finds his arm glowing again. Barclay decides to take action and goes to the transporter room, ordering O'Brien to transport him back and forth. He sees the creature again, and calls the senior staff to the observation deck to report what's been going on. Picard orders another diagnostic on the transporter system and calls for a level 3 security alert. Dr. Crusher also wants to run a micro-cellular scan on him, which does confirm the residual ionization like on the body and the sample container. Barclay is convinced re-creating the beam-in of the material will shed light, and Riker agrees. They attempt to recreate conditions on the Yosemite. They first take the precaution of setting up a force field around the container. A sample of the plasma streamer is beamed aboard the Enterprise successfully, however, while running a resonance frequency scan, it explodes, though the explosion is contained within the force field. La Forge also detects highly complex patterns of biomagnetic energy. Barclay suddenly collapses, and is taken to sickbay. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher discovers that some of the quasi-energy microbes from the Yosemite have gotten into Barclay's bloodstream during transport back to the Enterprise and this is what has been causing him the symptoms. La Forge and O'Brien decide that the transporter could be used, once proper adjustments were made, to filter the microbes from Barclay's body while holding him in a stasis. In the transporter room, they run the process. Once Barclay is inside the beam, he sees the creepy creatures again. In a spontaneous act of bravery, the lieutenant appears to catch one of the creatures in his arms and doesn't let go. When he rematerializes, we see that he has another person in his grasp, one of the Yosemite crew members. Barclay tells the others that there are three more crew members caught in the matter stream. He sends a security team led by Worf and Kellogg in to save the rest of the Yosemite crew from the transporter. Barclay explains to La Forge and the chief that while the crew of the USS Yosemite was trying to cleanse themselves of the quasi-energy microbes, Human patterns got trapped in the transporter which didn't allow them to escape. Worf and the away team return with the other three members of the Yosemite crew. O'Brien meets Barclay at Ten Forward, and shows him his pet Lycosa tarantula, whom he adopted and named Christina after getting over his arachnophobia. The chief remarks that he almost stepped on her when he discovered her on Titus IV. He gets up to grab some drinks, while the tarantula crawls up Barclay's arm, who is nervously waiting for O'Brien to return. 
<EOS>
As the USS Enterprise-D approaches the transport ship, two Rekag battle cruisers turn tail, unwilling to face the superior firepower of the Enterprise. The captain of the Dorian contacts the Enterprise with relief, explaining that he is carrying a mediator to Seronia. He asks Captain Picard's permission to transfer him and his companion to the Enterprise. In the transporter room, Counselor Deanna Troi meets Ambassador Ves Alkar and an elderly woman, Sev Maylor -- his mother. The old woman immediately reacts to Troi with hostility and jealousy, accusing her of being attracted to Alkar. He explains that she hasn't been feeling well and asks that she be taken to their quarters. Troi stands there, looking shocked. In the captain's ready room, Alkar is discussing the situation with Picard and Admiral Simons over a subspace link. Alkar is worried that his arrival at Seronia aboard the Enterprise would cause bad feelings, and asks to be transferred to an unarmed Federation transport instead. Picard is concerned that this would invite another attack, and the admiral agrees with Picard, turning down Alkar's request, noting that safety is an issue. Next morning, Alkar joins Troi at Worf's mok'bara exercise class. Troi chats pleasantly with him after the class. Alkar explains that Lumerians like him are only empathic with other members of their species, so he cannot tell what Troi is feeling. Troi says that she is curious about him, and explains that the calmness, serenity, and tranquility she is reading from him seems to embody the qualities he hopes to draw out from others in negotiations. Alkar explains how useful it could be to have an insight into other's feelings, and invites Troi to come with him to Seronia, to which she gladly agrees. Back at his quarters, they have another disturbing encounter with Alkar's mother -- she is annoyed that he is late, and asks Troi if she has mated with Alkar yet. Alkar guides the woman back into his room, and Troi leaves, looking concerned. She is still thinking about the woman later, when Riker visits her office to discuss the staff evaluation reports. She talks it over with Riker, explaining that she sensed evil and malevolent feelings from the old woman. Riker puts her mind at rest, suggesting that this might just be due to old age and senility. They are interrupted by a message from Lieutenant Worf -- there is an emergency in Alkar's quarters. Dr. Crusher administers 40cc's of inaprovaline, but the old lady dies anyway. Alkar is upset, and when Troi offers to help, he asks her to help him to perform a Lumerian funeral rite for his mother. The meditation involves two crystal encrusted rocks which Alkar keeps in a special box in his room. After reciting ritual words, Alkar taps on Troi's rock with his. A blue glow is transferred from Alkar's rock to Troi's, and she looks shocked as this happens. Alkar smiles and simply says "Thank you." In her quarters, Troi appears to be uncomfortable in her clothes, shifting them about as if she were too hot. She asks the computer to run through her appointments for the morning, then gets annoyed and tells it to cancel them. Dr. Crusher has been unable to determine the cause of death of the old woman, but Alkar has refused permission for her to perform an autopsy. Crusher asks Picard to speak to him, but he decides that since her death poses no threat to the ship, the customs of Alkar's people must be respected. Troi has changed her clothes, and is running through Worf's calming exercises, but then she begins touching herself in a sensual manner, and goes to Alkar's quarters. There, she attempts to seduce him, but he refuses her advances, saying that their relationship can't be like that. She storms out angrily. In the turbolift, an attractive young man enters. Troi looks at him suggestively. Later, Riker calls on Troi in her quarters. She is wearing a suggestive evening gown, and as Riker comes in the young man from the turbolift jumps to attention nervously as he sees Riker. He leaves, and Troi asks Riker if he's bothered by the young man's presence. Troi keeps insisting that Riker must be upset, as she knows him so well, while Riker tries to concentrate on the evaluation reports. Realizing that she's not in the mood to work, Riker leaves, concerned at Troi's unusual behavior. There have been several violent incidents, despite the fact that a ceasefire had been negotiated. Now, neither side is willing even to sit down with the other unless it's on neutral territory. While sitting in the observation lounge with Alkar and his two delegates, Jarth and Liva, Picard suggests a meeting at the city of Darthen, which has been neutral throughout the conflict, and contains both Rekag and Seronian people in its population. Alkar accepts this suggestion and asks to set up such a meeting. Counselor Troi is at work. A female crew member, Ensign Janeway, is having problems with her superior officer, Lieutenant Pinder, being overcritical. Rather than being sympathetic, Troi takes the lieutenant's side and tells her client that she's being pathetic and if she doesn't shape up she should consider leaving the Enterprise altogether for an easier assignment. She is taken aback by this and leaves, looking upset, while Troi appears to be unaware of the effect her outburst has had. Dr. Crusher enlists Geordi La Forge's help to look up Sev Maylor's biofilter record from the transporter, since she cannot do an autopsy. Crusher is surprised to find that the comparison between this and her medical readings shows massive physiological deterioration of Maylor's body in just the three days since she transported aboard. In Ten Forward, Riker comes to tell Alkar that the warring sides have agreed to a meeting. Deanna Troi shows up in a very suggestive dress, before confronting Alkar's female aide Liva in a jealous fashion, similar to the way Maylor had attacked her earlier. Riker steps in to smooth over the situation by pretending Troi is needed elsewhere and escorting her out of Ten Forward. He takes her back to her quarters, but when he too refuses her attempts at seduction, he gets four deep scratches across the back of his neck with Troi's nails for his trouble. Shocked and horrified, Riker leaves. Troi stands in the darkness in her quarters. Alkar comes to talk with her, explaining that he cannot take her to the surface now, but rather needs her on the ship. When Troi turns, her appearance has altered -- she now looks noticeably middle-aged. Troi is jealous and emotional about the fact that Alkar is going to the surface with Liva now. As he leaves, she is literally screaming up the corridor after him. While the doctor is fixing up the scratches on his neck, Riker is expressing his concerns about Troi's wild behavior. Crusher asks the computer to locate Troi and takes Riker with her to see Troi immediately, but Troi is at the transporter room where Picard is taking leave of the ambassador. Once again, she begs to be allowed to go with him. She now looks much older than the last time during her encounter with Alkar, and has a knife. She wrestles with the captain, stabbing him during the scuffle and inflicting a minor wound; until the transporter operator Chief Daniels drags her off him. At this point, Crusher and Riker rush in, with some security guards, and Troi is taken to sickbay. Nurse Ogawa notices that Troi is showing elevated neurotransmitter levels similar to those seen in Maylor's body. Now that there appears to be a threat to the Enterprise crew, Crusher requests Picard's permission to perform an autopsy. Picard attempts to contact Alkar on the planet, but he is unavailable, so Picard grants Crusher permission to proceed. Crusher is confused to find that, despite Maylor's appearance of great age, the organs in her body were those of a 30-year-old. Also, a DNA comparison between Maylor and Alkar shows that they were not, in fact, related. Crusher reports these strange findings to Picard saying that she needs answers from Alkar urgently if she is to save Troi's life. Picard beams down to the surface with Lieutenant Worf. Alkar readily admits that the lady he was with was not his mother, but when Picard further notes that she was not 93 either, Alkar accuses him of performing an autopsy against his wishes. Picard says he had good reason, and presses Alkar for answers to help Troi's condition. Alkar's aide interrupts them to explain that the talks are at crisis point. Alkar seems unconcerned, and explains to Picard that now, the point at which expectations are lowest, is the point at which his influence can do the most good. Alkar explains the situation to Picard, saying that he found a way to channel his darker thoughts into others, leaving him better able to perform mediations. He explains that Maylor, his current receptacle, had died earlier than he expected, leaving him in a predicament that Counselor Troi could solve for him by taking her place. However, as a non-Lumerian, Troi's aging process was faster than he expected. Alkar attempts to justify his use of other people in this way by reminding Picard that he does not profit in any way from his success as a negotiator, he only helps other people. But Picard is disgusted with his attitude, calling him a coward for exploiting the innocent because he is unwilling to face his own unpleasant emotions. He is determined to hold Alkar accountable for his actions. Alkar explains that he has no intention of releasing Troi, now or ever, and gets his security guards to disarm Worf, forcing Picard and Worf to beam back aboard the Enterprise while he returns to the negotiations. Picard asks Worf to work with La Forge on breaking through their shields to beam Alkar back to the Enterprise and goes to see Dr. Crusher and Troi in sickbay. Crusher suggests a way to reduce and reverse the stress on Troi's system, but it will only work if the link to Alkar is broken. When Picard explains Alkar's intention to use Troi as his receptacle until she dies, Crusher realizes the best way to make Alkar sever the link is to convince him that she really is dead. Crusher explains to a shocked Riker that she will be able to revive Troi with dylamadon as long as her body is dead for no longer than thirty minutes. Picard is also worried about the safety of Alkar's next likely victim, Liva, his female aide. Back on the surface, the peace negotiations have been successfully concluded. Alkar suddenly stumbles, feeling a moment of weakness. Picard communicates, telling Alkar that Troi is dying and he must transport to the Enterprise, whether he wants to or not. La Forge has managed to breach the Seronian's security force fields. Alkar grudgingly agrees. Alkar and Liva enter sickbay to hear Crusher pronouncing Troi dead. Alkar sends Liva to his quarters while attempting to justify his actions to the Enterprise crew, saying that Troi's death served a purpose in bringing peace to Rekag-Seronia. Picard promises that Alkar will answer for what he did, but Alkar reminds the captain that the Federation Council has granted safe passage, and expects him to honor it. After he leaves, Picard asks the transporter room to be ready to beam Alkar's aide out of his quarters at his signal. Worf is to be stationed outside his quarters to prevent Alkar getting close to her again. In his quarters, Alkar seems nervous. He is telling Liva how much Troi helped him, and how affected he has been by her loss. Then he asks Liva to share the funeral meditation with him. In sickbay, Crusher is preparing her attempt to revive Troi. She gets Troi's heart beating again, and begins the treatment to neutralize the excess neurotransmitters. Eventually, Ogawa reads levels going toward normal, and Troi's eyes flutter open just as Alkar is completing the ceremony -- he clutches his head in pain and collapses on the floor. As Liva starts to bend over him, he clutches desperately at her. She breaks away, and Picard beams her out as Alkar -- who is noticeably aging now -- lurches after her. Alkar opens his door to find Worf, Kellogg and Garvey blocking his way. Finally, he collapses on the floor and dies. In sickbay, Troi looks young again, and is relieved to see Riker standing over her, grasping her hand. Later, Riker explains to Troi that Alkar was at a susceptible point in his ceremony, so that rather than just sever the link, Troi's revival at that point caused all the negative energy to flow back from Troi into Alkar, causing his death. Liva has not been affected by him. Troi thanks Riker for looking after her, and they share a friendly kiss. Riker says he will always look after her -- even when she is old and grey. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D picks up a distress call from the USS Jenolan, a transport vessel that has been missing for seventy-five years. As the Enterprise drops out of warp to respond to the signal, the starship is rocked violently by a massive gravitational field. Although initial scans do not find the source of the field, they trace the field to its center and discover a massive spherical structure, two hundred million kilometers in diameter (about 2/3 of the Earth's orbital diameter around the Sun). The sphere's dimensions are consistent with those of the (until then) theoretical structure known as a Dyson sphere. The sphere's size creates massive gravimetric interference that interferes with sensors, preventing the Enterprise from locating it before the ship had dropped out of warp. The Enterprise locates the Jenolan, having crashed on the surface of the sphere. Surprisingly, power readings are still emanating from the crashed ship and life support systems are still operating. Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander La Forge and Lieutenant Worf beam aboard the Jenolan and find that, although some of the ship's systems are still functioning, there are no apparent signs of life. However, La Forge discovers that the transporters have been reconfigured in a strange manner -- power has been drawn from the auxiliary systems (they were a regenerative power source) while the rematerialization subroutines have been intentionally disabled with the phase inducers being connected to the emitter array and that the pattern buffers have been locked in a diagnostic cycle. Furthermore, a pattern is still in the buffer and, amazingly, it has suffered almost no degradation. Riker wonders if someone could survive in the transporter buffer for seventy-five years and La Forge finds out by rematerializing the stored pattern. Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott materializes on the transporter pad. After Scott thanks La Forge and Riker for rematerializing him, he runs over to the transporter console and attempts to retrieve a second pattern, that of Ensign Matt Franklin, but unfortunately, unlike the phase inducer that kept Scott's pattern intact, the phase inducer responsible for doing the same for Franklin's pattern has failed -- allowing it to degrade by 53% -- too much for him to be rematerialized when the transporters cannot compensate. Riker offers his condolences and introduces La Forge and himself to Scott. When Riker explains that they came from the starship Enterprise, Scott reacts understandably, believing he was saved by a crew led by Jim Kirk in the USS Enterprise-A, and asks how long he was in the pattern buffers. Worf interrupts the conversation and Riker introduces the security officer to Scott. Learning that there is a Klingon serving in Starfleet, Scott realizes that he has been in the buffer for an extremely long time. When asked why he used the transporters to place himself and Franklin in such a state, Scott explains that although only he and Franklin survived the crash, there were too few supplies to survive long enough to be rescued. After transporting back to the Enterprise, La Forge escorts Scott to sickbay while discussing some of the advances in technology over the past seventy-five years and the events leading to the Jenolan's crash. La Forge tells Scott that he is very impressed with his inventive use of the transporter to survive, but Scott acts modestly, due to the fact that he lost his friend. In sickbay, Scott is diagnosed by Dr. Crusher with only minor injuries. Captain Picard enters and greets Scott in sickbay. He is surprised that Scott was on board the Jenolan, as the engineer wasn't listed in the crew manifest. However, Scott explains that he was traveling aboard the Jenolan as a passenger to the Norpin colony on Norpin V to enjoy his then recent retirement from Starfleet. When La Forge is ordered to study the Dyson sphere, Scott is eager to help, but Dr. Crusher advises him to rest. When Scott is escorted to his quarters by Ensign Kane, he is awe-struck at the luxury that he is entitled to, compared with starships of his time period. Scott, with much enthusiasm, reminisces to Kane about his years in Starfleet, but Kane has very little interest in Scott's nostalgia and returns to duty, leaving Scott alone, feeling much less enthusiastic and somewhat pensive about his new life in the 24th century. As La Forge and his team are working on their spectrographic analysis of the sphere, Scott interrupts, insisting on offering La Forge his assistance. Lieutenant Bartel tries to inform him that engineering is restricted to authorized personnel only but La Forge allows him to stay. La Forge skeptically accepts Scott's offer for help and the team begin their duties. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Data reports to Captain Picard that the sphere was built around a G-type star and that its interior surface provides an environment much like that of an M-Class planet, but there are no apparent signs of inhabitants. Picard orders four probes to be launched to speed up the scans of the sphere. Back in engineering, Scott finds further advances and changes in technology that in his era were dangerous. La Forge is quietly becoming irritated until Scott offers advice on how to deal with Starfleet captains. When La Forge finally voices his frustration and tells Scott that he is in the way, the older officer leaves engineering in a disgruntled state. Later, Scott arrives in Ten Forward and orders a drink of Scotch whisky. He is repulsed when he tastes the drink, realizing that it is not "real" Scotch. Data approaches and tells Scott about the use of synthehol to replace alcohol in the majority of traditional spirits. Data offers Scott a "real" alcoholic drink from Guinan's personal supply, pulling out a bottle with a neon green liquid inside. After being asked by Scott what it is, Data attempts a rudimentary examination by sight, smell and taste, but cannot describe it any more precisely than, "it is green." The engineer's reaction to this drink is much more pleasant and Data shortly pours him another glass. In a slightly drunken state, with the bottle of green spirits and a glass in his hands, Scott arrives outside one of the holodecks and requests a simulation of the bridge of his ship. The computer states that his request is insufficient, so Scott angrily says he wants to see the bridge of the Enterprise. The computer then tells Scott that there have been five Federation starships with that name and asks Scott to specify by registry number. Scott then states in annoyance, "NCC one seven O one. No bloody A, B, C, or D." The computer accepts his instructions and creates an authentic replica of the bridge. In an instant, Scott feels like he's come home. The sounds of old-style duotronic instruments fills the air as Scott fondly remembers his time aboard his former ship. As he muses around, he notes the Enterprise in orbit of the planet Gideon on the viewscreen, as if no time has passed and raises a toast to his absent comrades. He sits down at his old engineering station and gives a deep, dejected sigh just as Captain Picard walks in after coming off duty and excuses himself for interrupting. Scott perks up and welcomes him into the simulation, offering Picard a drink, which he happily accepts. Just as Scott is about to warn Picard that it's not synthohol, Picard downs a glassful, which he instantly recognizes as Aldebaran whiskey and explains that he was the one who gave it to Guinan. Picard recognizes the bridge as that of a Constitution-class starship and explains that there's one in the fleet museum. Picard then recognizes the bridge as that of Scott's Enterprise. Scott then says he served on two, but this is the first one and the first ship he ever served on as chief engineer. Scott mentions that he served on eleven ships of varying class, but that Enterprise is the only one he misses or thinks about. Picard then recalls his first command on the USS Stargazer while taking a seat at Pavel Chekov's old navigation console. Picard describes the Stargazer as overworked, underpowered and always on the verge of flying apart at the seams. Picard says that while his Enterprise is far superior, there are days when he'd give almost anything to command the Stargazer again. Scott compares their feelings as to the first time a man falls in love and that he never loves a woman quite the same way. They then share a toast to the original Enterprise and to the Stargazer, Scott calling them "old girlfriends we'll never meet again." Picard then asks Scott what he thinks of the Enterprise-D. Scott calls her a beauty, but laments that when he was on his Enterprise he could tell the speed of the ship just by the feel of the deck plates. He then begins to feel gloomy and opines that he is in the way and obsolete in the 24th century. When Picard offers to let Scott peruse the updated technical manuals, Scott refuses with a chuckle, saying that is not eighteen years old any more and he can't start out again like a raw cadet. He says there is a time when a man knows it's time to quit and time to stop living in the past. He then shuts off the bridge simulation and leaves the holodeck feeling dejected but determined to start acting his age. Picard can only look on sadly as the legendary engineer exits, clearly feeling for the man. The following day, Picard asks La Forge in his ready room about recovering the logs of the Jenolan, but the engineer says that all efforts so far have yielded very little as the ship's computer core was heavily damaged when it crashed. Picard suggests having Scott assist in trying to recover the ship's logs; La Forge agrees that Scott would be of great help as he knows the Jenolan's systems better than anybody on the Enterprise and says that he'll send Lt. Bartel with Scott over to the Jenolan. At this point, the captain requests that La Forge personally accompany Scott back to the Jenolan to recover the ship's logs, hoping to make Scott feel useful again. While Picard makes it clear that this is a request, not an order, La Forge understands the captain's motive and gladly accepts. In the morning, La Forge waits in the transporter room for Scott, who is late. He finally arrives and apologizes as they immediately enter the transporter, mentioning that he has a bit of a hangover from drinking the Aldebaran whiskey heavily the night before. As La Forge and Scott transport over to the Jenolan, Data discovers a communications array in close proximity to the Enterprise's current location, and the crew set a course for it. As the Enterprise arrives at the array, the crew discovers a large hatch in the Dyson sphere, which they presume is a front door. As they open hailing frequencies, the hatch opens and a series of powerful tractor beams pull the Enterprise inside the sphere, easily overpowering it. Due to the fact that the resonance frequency of the tractor beams used to pull the Enterprise inside is incompatible with the starship's power systems, the relays for the warp and impulse drive overload and are rendered inoperable. The Enterprise has now lost primary and auxiliary systems and the ship is soon released from the tractor beams. However, because the Enterprise is still moving under the inertia of being towed in, it is heading directly for the star at the center of the sphere. Back on board the Jenolan, Scott is having trouble with recovering the ship's log, calling the vessel "garbage." La Forge realizes that Scott is referring to both himself and the ship and tries to console him by saying that the basics of technology haven't changed a great deal in seventy-five years, the transporters of the Jenolan are still virtually identical to those of the Enterprise, subspace radio and sensors work on the same basic principles and that impulse engine design has changed very little in two centuries -- long before Scott's time. La Forge adds that the Jenolan would probably still be in service had the vessel's structural damage not been so extensive. Scott is dismissive and retorts that nobody would want something as old as the Jenolan (and again hints at himself as well) but La Forge disagrees, saying that if the ship were in service, it could still "run circles around the Enterprise at impulse speeds -- just because something's old, doesn't mean you throw it away." Scott feels much more welcome and a bond begins to form between him and La Forge. However, the moment breaks as Scott moves back to the console he was working on. He asks La Forge to retrieve a dynamic mode converter from the Enterprise, a tool which may help to recover the Jenolan's log entries. La Forge suggests using something similar but his call from his combadge to the Enterprise goes unanswered. Scott wonders if interference is blocking his call but La Forge determines that the Enterprise is gone. Back on board the Enterprise, the ship is three minutes from being destroyed by the star. However, Commander Riker has managed to restore thirty percent power to the maneuvering thrusters, although they will still not be enough to save the ship from destruction. It is not until power is diverted from the auxiliary relay systems to the thrusters that Ensign Rager manages to achieve a stable orbit in the photosphere of the star. Picard demands to know how and why the Enterprise was towed in and orders Data to conduct a scan of the sphere's interior for lifeforms. When La Forge and Scott fail to locate the Enterprise, they realize that the starship must be inside the sphere. Although it seems impossible to repair the Jenolan's flight capability, the two engineers still try restoring power to the ship's engines. On board the Enterprise, Data reports to Picard that the sphere is abandoned and the star is highly unstable, expelling matter and severe bursts of radiation. This explains why the inhabitants of the sphere must have abandoned it. The android postulates that the Enterprise may have unintentionally triggered an automated series of piloting beams which would guide a starship inside the sphere -- this would explain why the Enterprise was pulled inside without anyone occupying the sphere. When the star emits a solar flare, the Enterprise raises her shields accordingly but the vessel's shields are only operating at 23%. To worsen matters, the solar flares are becoming larger and within three hours, the Enterprise's shields will no longer be enough to protect the starship from harm. La Forge and Scott work on repairing the Jenolan's engines by jury-rigging the ship's supply of deuterium -- La Forge initially insists that Scott's suggestion to send it through the auxiliary tank can't be done, but when he cites impulse engine specifications, Scott laughs, claims authorship of the regulation in question, and assures him that, while he knew the tank could handle the pressure, on paper a good engineer should be more cautious than in the field. Eventually, they are successful as power is restored. When Scott offers La Forge the command chair, La Forge is surprised as Scott is the senior officer. However, Scott tells La Forge that, while he holds the rank of captain, all he ever wanted to be was an engineer, and insists that La Forge take command of the Jenolan. La Forge finally accepts and Scott moves to the engineering console. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is heavily damaged by the star's solar flares, but Riker reports that partial impulse power has been restored. Picard asks Worf if the ship's phasers could be used to cut a hole through the shell of the sphere, allowing the Enterprise to escape, but the sphere is composed of carbon-neutronium and phasers (or any other of the ship's weapons) would be completely ineffective. As the Jenolan slowly orbits the sphere, La Forge and Scott trace the impulse ion trail from the Enterprise to the hatch that the starship was pulled into. The ion trail's momentum distribution around the hatch suggests that the Enterprise's impulse engines were at full reverse and that the starship was dragged into the sphere unwillingly. La Forge and Scott realize that the hatches are access terminals (and not communications arrays), which are triggered by certain subspace frequencies, such as hailing frequencies. When the Jenolan opened hailing frequencies seventy-five years ago, the tractor beams locked on to the ship, severely damaging it and causing the vessel to crash on the surface of the sphere. Scott suggests positioning the Jenolan 500,000 kilometers, far enough away from the hatch, then opening hailing frequencies so that the hatch will open but the tractor beams will miss the ship. As the hatch would begin to close, the Jenolan would enter a gap between the doors and use the vessel's shields to hold the doors open for the Enterprise to exit the sphere. La Forge dismisses the idea as suicidal, but Scott pleads to him that the theory will work, as he has spent his entire life figuring out crazy ways to do things. Eventually, La Forge makes the decision to go ahead with Scott's plan. The engineers wedge the Jenolan between the doors, the shields hold and La Forge manages to open a communications channel to the Enterprise. The starship receives the hail and sets a course for the hatch. The Jenolan suffers heavy damage while the craft is wedged in the hatch and La Forge tells Picard that the Enterprise will have to destroy the ship to escape. When the Enterprise is in transporter range of the Jenolan, Picard gives the order to beam La Forge and Scott back on board (with the Jenolan's shields still raised) and fire photon torpedoes, destroying the old vessel. The doors continue to close, but the Enterprise manages to exit the sphere. As La Forge and Scott walk off the transporter pad, Scott is cheerfully relieved to be returned to safety. Later, La Forge tells Scott about the Enterprise's encounter with a newborn lifeform on stardate 44614.6. It is obvious that a strong bond has formed between the two engineers. Scott was expecting La Forge to take him for a drink, but La Forge had different intentions. As they walk through the doors to one of the Enterprise's shuttlebays, the senior staff is revealed, standing in front of a shuttlecraft, the Goddard. Picard offers Scott the craft on "an extended loan" basis in thanks for sacrificing the Jenolan to save the Enterprise. Scott says that he won't be going to the Norpin colony as he had first planned. The senior staff bids Scott farewell: all shake hands, save Worf. Scott reveals his approval of the Enterprise-D, the crew and the starship's engineer. After shaking La Forge's hand, he begins to depart the Enterprise in his new shuttlecraft. "You take care of yourself out there," La Forge tells Scott. "Aye", Scott says before disembarking. 
<EOS>
William T. Riker is having trouble sleeping. He is late to his shift, as Geordi La Forge tells him how he is attempting to speed up the process of charting the immense globular cluster. He just listens, and struggles to pay attention. La Forge wants to boost the long-range sensor array using the warp drive. Afterward, Data asks Riker if he will be attending his poetry reading in Ten Forward. Riker tiredly tells him he "wouldn't miss it for the world." Later that afternoon, Data reads some of his poetry. The rhyme and meter are perfect, but there is no emotional content to it. Riker is very obviously tired, falling asleep twice while Data recites "Ode to Spot". Riker talks to Doctor Crusher, and explains how he has been on edge all day, and almost swatting away her scanning device on the medical tricorder. She finds nothing wrong with him, and suggests a warm milk toddy, a recipe from Captain Picard's Aunt Adele. La Forge, Data and Lieutenant Shipley execute their plan for the sensor array successfully. Data then takes La Forge aside to ask about his poetry, saying he noticed people were distracted. While his form was good, La Forge recommends focusing on what to say. Suddenly, there is a power grid overload in Cargo Bay 4, the location where they were routing power to amplify the sensors. When the damage control and medical teams arrive, they find nothing but people working. La Forge concludes that it was a glitch in the internal sensors. That evening Riker asks La Forge to stop by his quarters in the morning, since he's having trouble waking up. After drinking a warm milk toddy, he lies down in his bed and quickly drifts to sleep. What seems to be moments later, he is awoken by La Forge stopping at his quarters to wake him the following morning, as asked. Despite the fact that Riker says he just went to bed, La Forge assures to him that it is actually morning, leaving Riker, not only exhausted, but completely puzzled. While Worf is getting a haircut from Mot, the way the barber's scissors come at his face causes him to react strongly, but clearly he doesn't know exactly why. La Forge is trying to diagnose the sensor problem back in the cargo bay. He can't find it, so, at Riker's suggestion, he just disables the modifications. As he is about to run a structural integrity scan, his VISOR cuts out, making him dizzy. After another strange feeling, he goes to sickbay, leaving Data to continue the diagnosis. Doctor Crusher finds that there is a bacterial infection around La Forge's neural implants, interrupting the data stream, but it doesn't match anything in the medical database. She runs an additional scan to check that there are no other signs of infection. When La Forge returns, Data indicates he thought La Forge just left. He finds his internal chronometer off by more than ninety minutes. La Forge decides to have the cargo bay examined; his VISOR, a sensor glitch, and now Data's chronometer are not a coincidence. On the bridge, Riker is about to teach Ensign Rager how to compensate for gravimetric interference for a course correction, when he sits down at the conn and suddenly has an odd reaction to the console. He gets out of the chair and resumes his seat, apparently deciding that Stellar cartography won't get their better angle. Later, La Forge and Data detect a subspace particle emission within Cargo Bay 4. They locate a glow from the plasma conduit they were examining before. They examine it, and conclude that this is a subspace rift, and on the other side is something that is so deep into subspace it shouldn't exist in this universe. Riker explains to Counselor Deanna Troi in Ten Forward that he suddenly felt trapped sitting in front of the conn console on the bridge, and she tells him he is the third person to mention having a fear response provoked by an object. When she gets everyone together in the observation lounge, including Worf, La Forge, and Kaminer, they all start to realize they are remembering the same thing. They all begin to describe a vague, but consistent, picture. On Riker's suggestion, they all go into the holodeck, and begin to reconstruct it. Everything was dark, there were clicking sounds. They were laying on an inclined table restrained at the chest, with a bright light above it. There was something scissor-like on the end of a swing arm hanging above them. As the pieces are physically created by the holodeck, their memories are jogged. In a few moments they complete the scene; they have reconstructed a medical table equipped for experiments. They all conclude that they have been in that room before. In sickbay, Picard is briefed on Crusher's findings. She has found high serotonin levels in each of those who had these strange memories, mainly in the hippocampus, suggesting they were exposed to a neuro-sedative. Furthermore, they each had minute tetryon particle traces in their subdermal tissues, the same traces as in the cargo bay. Data arrives and reports that, after completing his self-diagnostic, he has concluded he was not aboard the Enterprise for the lost time in the cargo bay. When Captain Picard asks the computer if anyone is missing, it identifies Lt. Hagler and Ensign Rager, who have been gone almost since 2332 hours. He immediately orders a security alert and decides to locate the source of the tetryon emissions to find the missing crew members. Most striking, it appears that Riker's arm has been surgically removed and then reattached, almost invisibly. La Forge's analysis of the cargo bay soon finds the tetryon emissions have intensified and coalesced, the beginning of a spatial rupture. They decide to put a subspace containment field around it in case it expands. The Enterprise's internal sensors have not picked up anything unusual other than the rupture in cargo bay four. Picard orders that a metallurgical analysis be conducted on the ship's hull, as he believes subspace field incursions may have left a trace. Just then, Worf reports that Lieutenant Hagler has been returned to the Enterprise. When Dr. Crusher comes rushing to his quarters, she finds his blood turning into a liquid polymer. She calls for a plasma infusion unit to deck seven. At the next staff meeting in the observation lounge, La Forge tells them that the subspace containment field isn't working. There is no way to beam the affected sections into space since the transporter cannot get a positive lock on the affected sections due to severe nucleonic interference. La Forge also explains that the only way to close the rupture is with a coherent graviton pulse, but that has to be done at the source, and finding the specific tertiary subspace manifold where the abducting aliens dwell within the infinite number of domains which exist is almost impossible. Worf suggests creating a homing device, allowing them to track it when someone is taken. Riker volunteers to carry it, noting that he has been taken every night. The captain also asks Dr. Crusher if she can counteract the effects of the sedative the aliens have been administering. She gives Riker a neuro-stimulant. La Forge gives him a tricorder that's locked into a continuous cycle to record what they can of the subspace domain, and a modified sensor relay emitter to transmit a subspace beacon. Riker is laying in his bed wearing his uniform with his mission equipment and armed with a phaser, waiting for the inevitable. Suddenly, a bright rift appears in his quarters and he is levitated and pulled through it. Worf informs Picard that Riker is no longer on board the Enterprise. Riker finds himself on an examination table in a room with hooded aliens who appear to be busy with other tasks. The clicking sounds is revealed to be their language. The missing Ensign Rager is unconscious on a similar table nearby. Riker looks around at what he can, feigning unconsciousness whenever they come by to work with him. La Forge has trouble finding Riker in subspace but eventually locks onto him, located at a subspace energy level of 16.2 keV as the rupture in the cargo bay continues to widen. When the field then fluctuates, the crew on the Enterprise are forced to begin the graviton pulse. The aliens attempt to counteract it, La Forge starts adding a random shift to the frequency, but it doesn't work. He is forced to channel all of the graviton energy into a single burst, which does work. As the aliens are concentrating on keeping the rift open, Riker frees himself from the table, grabs Rager, and jumps through the rift moments before it collapses, shooting one of the aliens who attempts to interfere. Just as the rift finally collapses, the aliens are able to send something unknown through, which passes through the hull and out into space. Data and La Forge examine the tricorder readings and conclude that these solanogen-based lifeforms had created a pocket of "normal" universe within their subspatial domain, allowing them to examine and experiment on their victims taken from the Enterprise. They'd been attempting to establish a pocket of their subspace realm inside the ship's cargo bay. La Forge hypothesizes that they discovered the ship due to his modified sensor signal. Captain Picard decides that Starfleet will be notified not to perform such a modification on other vessels in the future. The alien intent behind the abduction and experimentation was unclear, and there is some discussion of whether or not the energy sent through the rift was a probe of some sort. Noting the death of Hagler and the experimentation on the various crew members, Riker believes that the motivation behind them was beyond mere curiosity. 
<EOS>
A female intern has come aboard the USS Enterprise-D, while the crew are helping Tagra IV with its worsening ecological state. The intern, whose name is Amanda Rogers, is speaking with Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher in the captain's ready room about assisting with some medical experiments, and how she eventually wants to go to Starfleet Academy. She explains she feels very lucky she was accepted as intern out of hundreds of other applicants. Commander Riker enters and leads Rogers to her quarters, but she unexpectedly seems to know much about the ship's layout already. In her quarters, she explains she wishes her three pet dogs were present, and displays an unmistakable attraction to the commander. After Riker leaves, several puppies appear in her quarters. She is dismayed and tells them that they have to go. The dogs gradually disappear. Rogers and Dr. Crusher are talking in a medical lab about her desires for the future and Crusher's family history while she is testing tricorders. Rogers mentions she is actually adopted and her biological mother and father were killed when she was very young. Crusher mentions her son Wesley being at the Academy and the fact that her husband had died many years previous. In the cargo bay, Rogers delivers the tricorders to Geordi La Forge and they discuss how the Tagrans have polluted their atmosphere and are now using a thousand barystatic filters rather than cleaning up their industrial base. Commander Riker arrives with a message for La Forge, and as he is reading information off a PADD, a container falls from above him. Rogers moves her hand and the container shifts, just barely missing Riker. No one notices that Rogers' actions saved Riker's life. La Forge then escorts Rogers to engineering and shows her around, though she has some familiarity already. While they talk, a completely bizarre warp core breach occurs. They try to contain the explosion and eject the core but the breach proceeds too quickly. The warp core explodes toward Rogers, who puts out her hands, somehow managing to stop the explosion and miraculously repair the breach. Everyone is stunned by these actions. Later in the observation lounge, Picard, Crusher, La Forge, and Counselor Troi discuss the issue cautiously. Picard reports that Rogers is medically fine without bringing up what she did. Picard asks La Forge for an explanation for the breach but he has none -- but when he claims that the laws of physics "went out the window," Q appears, wonders why such "inconvenient" things shouldn't be discarded, and admits that "of course" the core breach was his doing. He then reveals that Rogers is a Q, shocking everyone else. When Crusher claims Rogers' birth parents were Human, Q reveals they were members of the Q Continuum who had assumed Human form. They died in an accident and the Q were unsure if Amanda had inherited their powers, but they have begun to manifest so as an "expert in Humanity," Q was sent to oversee them. He warns that if Rogers doesn't control her powers, she could destroy the entire galaxy. Picard is dubious of Q wanting to help and Q admits he wouldn't care but (to his annoyance), others in the Continuum feel it's their responsibility to oversee Rogers. He says he is there to evaluate her and take her back to the Continuum. Crusher objects to his intentions and he teleports himself and Picard to the ready room. There he explains that he is there to evaluate the girl and make sure she isn't dangerous to herself or others. Picard doubts Q's abilities, but agrees to introduce them. After he leaves, Picard goes out to the bridge and asks Data to research Rogers' parents' death. They both agree that it doesn't make sense for a Q to die in an "accident." In Rogers' quarters, Crusher breaks the news as gently as possible. When Rogers agrees to meet Q, he walks straight through the wall and starts uncomfortably examining her while Picard rushes to make introductions. Q declares she has potential and tries to take her to the Continuum immediately, but Rogers throws him across the room with her powers. Q and Picard leave to the ready room and Q complains to Picard about her behavior. Picard suggests that Q try a less abrasive approach. Q admits it is worth a try and leaves to attempt it. Meanwhile, Crusher stays with Rogers. She admits much fear and insecurity about what is currently happening to her. Crusher tells her that she can see Rogers is distraught, but she can't ignore what she is, despite wanting a normal Human life. Furthermore, Q is really the only one who can help her through this. Rogers reluctantly agrees to meet with him again, but makes Doctor Crusher promise that she won't treat Rogers any differently. As Q is walking in a corridor, a shadow appears and asks him for a progress report. Q admits there are problems, but says they may not have to "terminate the girl." Q visits Rogers again and behaves much less forward. They discuss the Q and what is possible, to which Q replies "anything we want." She asks if they use their power for good, and he bluntly says she is missing the point, that she can have anything she desires. When she says she wants to see her biological parents, he then leads her through an exercise where she evokes their image. She meets with Doctor Crusher in the medical lab and she gives her an experiment to perform while she is working elsewhere. Crusher sees Rogers is disturbed by the potential of the abilities she has and listens to her. Rogers asks her if she would bring her husband back, but she says she probably couldn't make that decision unless she was actually faced with it. She recommends focusing on work for the moment and leaves. Q arrives after she leaves and tells Rogers she can use her powers to perform the experiment much faster. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Picard has Riker make the arrangements for Crusher's experiment. When he leaves, the Enterprise receives a message from Orn Lote on Tagra IV, who indicates that they are having problems with one of the reactors. Picard offers having La Forge help him, and he agrees. After, data reports that Rogers' parents were killed by a tornado in Topeka, Kansas, something Picard finds unbelievable due to the weather modification network in place to dissipate such events. Data has no explanation, but Picard has a suspicion of his own. Commander Riker visits shortly afterward and asks for Doctor Crusher. Rogers asks him to stay, but he goes to the cargo bay. Q accuses Rogers of being attracted to him and is repulsed by what he sees. Doctor Crusher then walks in and is amazed that Rogers is done with the experiment. When Crusher explains that by cutting corners she has actually ruined the experiment, Q accuses her of wasting Rogers' time. Crusher and Q argue about this and then Q briefly turns her into a dog, but Rogers turns her back. Data reports more about the tornado. It was unusually compact, three times stronger than normal for its size. Picard leaves to study the data in his ready room. Meanwhile, Q asks Rogers about her teleportation abilities and Rogers admits to ending up in the wrong place a lot. She and Q play "hide and seek" in different parts of the ship, first in the cargo bay, then in engineering where La Forge and Data work on the Tagran's problem, and eventually ending up on the hull of the Enterprise near the supports for the ship's nacelles. Back in her quarters, Q leaves so she can go to eat dinner with Counselor Troi and Dr. Crusher in Ten Forward. Riker enters and Rogers invites him to join, but he goes to sit with another female crewmate instead. Rogers looks despondent about this until she abducts Riker to a 19th century romantic setting. Riker is annoyed and tells her he has no real feelings for her. Rogers responds by giving him some, but quickly becomes disillusioned by the farce and sends him back. Q appears in Picard's ready room at his request, where Picard confronts him with the facts of Rogers' parents' death. He eventually gets Q to admit that they were executed by the Q for disobeying a mandate placed on them, and the real reason for his examination was to determine if Rogers was actually a Q or some sort of hybrid that would have to be exterminated. Picard is appalled at Q's callousness, but Q explains that the Continuum has no other choice, as allowing omnipotent beings to roam freely would be dangerous. Picard asks whether he will kill her, and he says he hasn't decided yet. Picard consults with Crusher and Troi, who eventually agree that Rogers should be told about Q's ultimatum. Picard offers to break the news to her himself. Meanwhile in the cargo bay, Orn Lote is consulting with Riker and is impressed with the solution they came up with for fixing the reactor with a field modulator and is eager to see it in place. They head down to the surface to commence repairs. Picard meets with Rogers in his ready room and explains Q's real purpose, to which Rogers becomes angry and demands Q face her. After a lecture from Picard about Q's laughable credentials as a moral judge, Q reveals that they have decided not to kill Rogers, and are willing to offer her a choice: return to the Continuum or live as a Human and refrain from using her powers. He tells her that it will not be easy: her parents were given the same choice, but were unable to live as just Humans. Rogers immediately chooses to stay on the Enterprise, just before an emergency call for Captain Picard comes through. Rike, on the surface, tells Captain Picard that the damage to the Tagrans' reactor was worse than they let on and there's the possibility of an overload. He and La Forge try to stay and repair the damage. Picard accuses Q of manufacturing the crisis, but Q pleads innocence. The reactor looks like it is about to go critical but then miraculously starts repairing itself, and then the entire atmosphere of the planet clears. Picard realizes Rogers did it just as Q reappears and says "I told you it would be harder to resist than you thought." Rogers says she couldn't let all those people die. Rogers brings Dr. Crusher to the bridge and says she has accepted that she's a Q and agrees to go to the Continuum after explaining it to her adoptive parents. Rogers tells Dr. Crusher she hopes she can come back and see her some day. Dr. Crusher says, "You're a Q. You can do anything you want." Rogers smiles, and she and Q vanish. 
<EOS>
Returning to the USS Enterprise-D from a botanic and archaeology expedition on the planet Marlonia -- where Keiko O'Brien had found a specimen of Draebidium calimus, and Captain Picard had found 700-year-old crockery with inscriptions somewhat resembling early Taguan but more closely resembling Barolian designs, the Enterprise-D shuttlecraft Fermi carrying Ro Laren, Captain Picard, Keiko, and Guinan is enveloped by an energy anomaly. The emergency transport to the Enterprise is difficult -- Chief O'Brien having been puzzled by the implication of a forty percent drop in mass of the transportees --and, upon being beamed aboard the Enterprise-D, O'Brien and the away party themselves are shocked by the materialization on the transporter platform of a twelve-year-old captain, bartender, botanist, and Bajoran ensign, instead of their adult selves. Despite their new appearances, the crew fortunately still have the mental capacity and memories of their former bodies. Since he seems physically fit enough, Picard immediately heads to the bridge to handle the situation. While dealing with the crew's discomfort at his appearance, he gives the command to leave a probe to study the area and head to Ligos VII once they are done salvaging the remains of the Fermi. Privately, Doctor Crusher tries to convince him to relieve himself of duty in case the transformation becomes more serious. He reluctantly agrees and retires to his quarters. Elsewhere on the ship, Guinan and Ro are trying to adjust to their new lifestyles. Ro just wants to return to duty, while Guinan is enjoying this experience. She tells Ro she has not been this young in a very long time and she intends to enjoy every minute of it. Ro complains constantly about how much she hates being a child, and Guinan insists how fun childhood is. Ro leaves to contemplate her current situation alone in her quarters and young Guinan joins her in a turbolift. Also, Keiko's situation is at odds with her family life, what with her being a wife and mother. Her husband Miles is confounded by fact that she now resembles the image of a twelve-year-old girl. In the course of a difficult discussion with Keiko, who is worried about their marriage, he eventually reassures her that they will make it work but admits he does not know how. Their daughter Molly does not recognize her mother when she comes to read her a bedtime story. Rather than telling Molly what has happened, Keiko leaves the room and Miles tells the bedtime story. Counselor Troi comes to see Picard. Exploring the possibility that he must grow up again, she suggests alternatives for him should Starfleet not accept a child Captain, such as getting another degree at Starfleet Academy or taking a sabbatical, and studying geology or archaeology. He admits the options have an appeal, but still seem like a big step, and feels like moving backward, instead of forward. Dr. Crusher compares the rybo-viroxic-nucleic sequences of tissues taken from Picard prior to the event and afterwards. It appears that the new sample is missing several key viroxic sequences. She explains to Riker that somehow these sequences were lost during transport. The same effect happened to Keiko's plants. By accelerating the growth, the plant became a normal older plant, which means, if they do nothing, the crew will grow up again like normal. She wonders if they can use the transporter pattern buffer since she has their patterns on file. La Forge arrives in the cargo bay with the sensor report to meet O'Brien where they study the shuttle debris. It looks like tritanium's molecular structure on the starboard side has completely broken down and can be easily crushed with the hand. He decides to run a metallurgical analysis on it in engineering. Meanwhile, Guinan finally persuades Ro to have a little childhood fun, which apparently allows Ro to relax and enjoy herself: they jump on a bed, each trying to go higher than the other. La Forge and O'Brien report to Riker their theory: a molecular reversion field caught the shuttle and threw off the transporter lock, reconstructing them as children when it missed the RVB sequences. Crusher starts to confirm her transporter option with O'Brien when Riker is called to the bridge since they have arrived at Ligos VII. The crew start their investigation when two Klingon Birds-of-Prey decloak and start firing. The Enterprise is able to fire briefly, but quickly loses systems. Soon, they are boarded by Ferengi at multiple locations, including the bridge. Fortunately, Riker manages to lock out the computer's command functions. They begin transporting all adults to the surface of the planet. The DaiMon, Lurin, enters the bridge and the Ferengi crew report they have secured the ship but don't have command access. Lurin addresses Riker and declares the ship to be a loss and open for claim to salvage, demanding they help or they will start killing them. The Ferengi decide to keep the children aboard the ship. One takes Picard to one of the schoolrooms and leaves him. Ro, Guinan, Keiko and Alexander are already there. Ro knows they have engineering and several decks, and they have to assume they have the bridge. With command functions locked out, they have limited options. Lurin is enjoying the ready room and tells Riker they are not affiliated with the Ferengi Alliance. He reveals their plan to use the crew as additional slave labor in extracting vendarite from the planet, the Federation science team already being used. Lurin wants to sell the Enterprise to the Romulans and threatens to kill them all unless Riker helps him. Picard and Guinan wrestle with the children's computer, which won't allow normal schematic information, but they do get a decent representation of the ship in general. Ro and Keiko open up a panel to a Jefferies tube and they all head in to start their plan. Picard and Keiko lure the Ferengi in the transporter room out with a toy car, obtain phasers, and set up a force field around the transporter pad while Alexander steals two hyposprays from sickbay and Ro and Guinan head to main engineering and wait. Next, Picard needs to talk to Riker. By tricking Berik, the Ferengi guard outside the room in which he is held captive by acting petulant (as a child might), Picard manages to get him to bring him to Riker, under the pretense that Riker is his father. Riker is surprised, but immediately plays along. Pretending to want to play computer games, Picard conveys the message while sitting in the observation lounge to Riker to activate the LCARS net in the schoolroom which would give them full access to the computer systems. Once Picard is back in the classroom, Lurin threatens to harm the children if Riker does not unlock the computer and teach his lieutenant Morta how to operate the Enterprise. Riker pretends to instruct the Ferengi officer but only speaks in nonsensical technobabble. On the side, Riker unlocks the computer in the classroom. When the "children" gain control to the transporter, they start using combadges to beam the Ferengi behind the force field on the transporter pad and the weapons deactivation program to disable their sidearms. With the majority of the Ferengi confined, and with help from Riker, Picard disables the Ferengi on the bridge and confronts Lurin in the ready room with a phaser, thus ending the siege. After the Ferengi are taken into custody, the doctor and Chief O'Brien use the transporter to change Picard, Keiko, and Guinan back into adults. However, at Guinan's suggestion, Ro stays a child a little longer so she can finally learn to enjoy her childhood. 
<EOS>
In his quarters, Captain Picard is trying to record a piece by Mozart with the Ressikan flute, but he is interrupted by Lieutenant Commanders Data and La Forge. They ask for permission to experiment with creating an interface between Data's positronic brain and the ship's computers, so he can act as an emergency backup system in case of ship-wide failure. Picard enthusiastically grants them permission and goes back to the recording when they leave, but is interrupted again by Doctor Beverly Crusher. She wants him to perform in her next play, "Something for Breakfast"; when he protests about his lack of free time and acting skill, Beverly explains she only wants to cast him in the minor role of the Butler, and assures him he can do it, reminding him of the rehearsal time as she exits. Picard again resumes the recording, but is almost immediately interrupted for a third time by Worf, who presents a proposed schedule for security drills. When Picard suggests the drills should wait for the new personnel soon to come aboard from Starbase 118, Worf suggests he make maintenance checks on the forward phaser array instead, but the Captain tells him to enjoy himself during this free time. Worf, slightly baffled, thanks him and leaves Picard to resume his recording. In Worf's quarters, his son, Alexander is lying on the floor while he plays with his computer. He jumps up when he hears his father entering the room and he asks what the Captain said; Worf lets himself fall into a chair and after a short silence reluctantly admits that he has been relieved from his duties for the duration of the delay. When Alexander asks him if this means that he can go with him, Worf told him he could. Alexander cheerfully announces, "Saddle up, father!", and places a Stetson hat onto Worf's head. There seems to be no way to escape his son's idea of recreation. Worf and Alexander are in the Deadwood holodeck program, looking down at the town of Deadwood. This program is situated on 19th century Earth in an era known as the "Ancient West." They are dressed up like law enforcement officers, Worf portraying the sheriff—and Alexander his deputy. While Worf and Alexander are walking through the main street, Geordi La Forge and Data are in engineering, preparing for their experiment. After Geordi connects an optic cable on the opened right side of Data's head to access Data's auxiliary input, he admits that he still is not used to seeing Data like this, with parts of his head opened and showing his circuitry. After Geordi completes the connection, Data establishes the link-up with the Enterprise computer and they start their experiment. Worf and Alexander, walking down the main street, are greeted by a lady of the night who whistles at them. When Alexander tells him that Lieutenant Barclay helped him write the program, Worf notes to himself that he will have to have a talk with Barclay later. Their conversation is interrupted by a gunshot and both run towards the source of the sound. In the saloon Eli Hollander is shooting at his wanted poster; he is angry with the man who drew his picture, since he feels that the artist didn't draw him ugly enough. His Mexican partner is laughing out loud, amused by Eli's reaction. After they empty their whiskey glasses they watch as Worf and Alexander enter the saloon. Alexander explains to Worf that Eli Hollander is the bad guy, the meanest and toughest gunslinger in the west, and Worf's job is to apprehend him if he can. Worf adjusts his gun-belt and walks over to Eli's table, looks shortly at Eli's partner and tells Eli he is under arrest. As Eli stands up from his chair he is hit by Worf, before he can say anything, and hits the floor. Alexander freezes the holodeck program and tells his father that this is too easy -- it needs to be harder to beat the bad guys, otherwise the program would not be any fun to play. Alexander orders the holodeck computer to change the difficulty level to level four and resets the program to where he and his father entered the saloon. As they enter the saloon again the piano player stops and other customers get out of the way; they do not want to be hit if shooting starts. Worf walks up to Eli Hollander and tells him he is under arrest. Eli, with his hand on his gun, tells Worf that that's not a good idea, then walks up to the bar and pours himself a whiskey. He challenges Worf, and even insults him by telling him he looks likes an armadillo. One of Eli's accomplices takes a chair with the intent to hit Worf in the back; he is warned by Alexander, but too late. The chair hits Worf and breaks apart, and with a swift turn Worf hits the assailant, knocking him to the floor. When Eli's partner wants to attack Worf, Worf hits him and he and falls backwards on the table, crushing it before he hits the floor. Worf looks around for more and enthusiastically tells his son he is beginning to like this program, but Eli is pointing his gun at him and tells his men to saddle up and demands Worf's money and jewelry. Eli walks up to Worf and cocks his gun, but before he can do anything someone shoots off his hat. It is a stranger who just entered the saloon -- Counselor Deanna Troi, who was asked by Alexander to participate because she loves western stories. In Main Engineering, Data is still connected to the computer while Geordi La Forge is working at a console. He experiences a brief power surge and disconnects himself. La Forge takes off the cable, and he gets up, and mysteriously puts his tricorder away just like the Eli character slung around his gun in his holster. Eli Hollander is in the sheriff's jail playing cards and tells Worf and Alexander that he will not be in there for long. When his pa hears about this he will get him out. Alexander tells him that his pa is no match for Sheriff Worf but the stranger tells them otherwise. Worf asks Deanna Troi if she could be more supportive, at which she tells him to call her "Durango" -- she was just passing through and thought she'd lend a hand when she saw them in trouble. With her feet on his desk she lights a cigarillo and tells Worf that she is not a deputy, when Worf suggested that she might help. When Worf asks her if she would consider becoming a temporary deputy, she tells him it would cost him five hundred dollars. Worf then turns to his son and tells him that they will need currency; Alexander tells him he will go to the bank to make a withdrawal and leaves the Sheriff's office. Worf asks Troi how she knows so much about this period of Earth's history, and she tells him her father always read her stories about the ancient west. She always wanted to play the part of the mysterious stranger. Their conversation is interrupted by Annie Meyers, the owner of the Gold Strike Saloon. After she enters the sheriff's office, she affectionately kisses Sheriff Worf and tells him he was so brave when he faced that evil man Eli Hollander. She tells him she will make him a special dinner, complete with a candle setting of real beeswax. When Worf tells her he cannot attend her dinner because he has a prisoner, "Durango" tells him not to worry, she will keep an eye on the prisoner while they are dining. Worf rejects Durango's offer and gets slapped in the face by Annie, who suspects there is another woman, someone from Miss Langford's House of Pleasure, although he denies it. An angry Miss Annie leaves the sheriff's office, slamming the door. When Eli sarcastically remarks that Worf has a way with women, "Durango" can barely suppress a laugh by masking it as a cough. Meanwhile, in the captain's quarters, Jean-Luc Picard is listening to the musical performance he recorded earlier. Suddenly the music changes, from his flute recording to a full orchestra playing Dvorak's Slavonic Dance, Opus 46, No. 8, although the computer identifies the performance as his: Picard Mozart Trio Program One. At the same time, Beverly Crusher is rehearsing Something for Breakfast together with Will Riker and some other colleagues. She finds that her play is missing when Riker recites a poem, the one Data wrote in honor of his cat Spot entitled Ode to Spot, instead of the text of the play. After she checks the PADD, the script of the play is still gone. Crusher takes the PADD to main engineering where La Forge opens it up and checks its performance. He can find nothing wrong with it. It seems that when Crusher tried to retrieve her script the computer accessed Data's poem instead. Data suggests that their experiment could be the source of the problems and they decide to run a level two diagnostic on the computer while Data performs a self-diagnostic. In Deadwood, Deputy Alexander is walking on the boardwalk back from the Bank where he got the money to pay Durango. After a quick check on the contents of the money bag he is pulled from the street, gagged, and brought to a mine by one of Eli's accomplices. Here Alexander complains that he was not supposed to be kidnapped at this time, but when he orders the holodeck computer to freeze the program nothing happens; even after a second command the computer does not respond. A man comes around the corner -- it is Data, as Frank Hollander, Eli's father. When the Mexican asks if he wants the deputy dead, Frank answers that he is more valuable alive. On the Enterprise Data is in his quarters. He orders his cat's food but the cat, Spot, refuses to eat it. He tells her perhaps hunger will convince her to try it later, then tries to do some work but Spot keeps on interrupting him by jumping onto his desk and walking over his computer console, and Data is forced to pick her up and move her back to the floor. The first time he does this, he speaks normally; the second time, however, he says in a Texas accent, "Vamoose, you little varmint." Data does not notice his accent and continues working. The interface experiment seems to be influencing Data also in addition to the other computer malfunctions. Sheriff Worf enters the Gold Strike Saloon and looks around for his deputy. When he does not see him he asks Miss Annie, who is behind the bar and trying to ignore him, still angry about his dinner rejection. After telling him that she has not seen his deputy she asks him what he likes to drink. Annie laughs when Worf asks for Klingon firewine and she tells him they don't serve European drinks, like they do in Kansas City. Annie tells him she could serve him a sherry like they do at Miss Langford's. While Miss Annie gets him a drink, Sheriff Worf hears footsteps on the boardwalk outside the saloon, and as he looks at the entrance, the saloon doors squeak and he watches a stranger walk in with two accomplices. The stranger looks exactly like Lieutenant Commander Data, however Worf simply assumes that either Alexander or Troi had invited him to participate in the program. This new character tells Worf that his name is Frank Hollander. As Worf checks him out, Frank Hollander asks him what he is looking at and Worf tells him he is not looking at him. When Worf asks him what he wants, Frank tells him he wants his son back. After sipping his drink, Worf turns to Frank Hollander and tells him that his son will have to stand trial for murder. Frank Hollander tells him that they have to work something out, when Worf refuses, he asks him if he has seen his deputy. When Worf asks him where his deputy is, Frank Hollander does not answer and Worf tells him he does not negotiate with criminals and that his son will stand trial. After emptying his glass, Sheriff Worf walks past Frank Hollander to leave the saloon but Frank grabs him by the shoulder, hard enough to be quite painful for Worf. Worf, in the belief that Frank Hollander is Data, asks him what he is doing and realizes that this is not Data at all and tries to freeze the holodeck program, but to no avail. As Worf backs out of the saloon, Frank Hollander tells him not to leave and his accomplices stand ready to draw their weapons. After a short silence, Worf turns and dives through the saloon doors while bullets from Frank's accomplices follow him on his way out. When Worf enters the sheriff's office, he bolts the door and Deanna Troi, who is practicing her fast draw, asks him what is wrong; he tells her that Alexander is missing and that the holodeck safeguards are not functioning. When Deanna notices that Worf has been shot in his arm, she tries to freeze the holodeck program; when this fails she tries to contact security and Captain Picard, but all attempts to contact someone outside the holodeck fail. Troi uses her bandana to tie a tourniquet on Worf's arm to stop the bleeding from his gunshot wound. Worf tells her that Eli's father looks just like Data but is in fact not the android and that he has kidnapped Alexander. Eli Hollander sneers at the sheriff from his cell, that his father might has been too rough with him, and as they look at him, Worf and Deanna see that he also has the appearance of Data. Troi wonders why the computer creates characters that look like Data and stops Worf when he tries to force Eli to tell him were Alexander is. When Worf walks back from the cell, she tells him that when they finish the story, the program will automatically terminate like it is designed to, despite the non-functioning safeguards. Worf agrees with her and decides to talk to the people of Deadwood and see if someone might have seen Alexander's abduction. In the Enterprise observation lounge, Captain Picard, First Officer William Riker, Geordi La Forge and Data are deliberating on how to solve the computer problems their interface experiment has created. Computer core-subroutine C47 seems to have been replaced by parts of Data's own programming and because C47 controls library computer access, replicators and the recreational programs, among other things, this is the reason that Picard heard the wrong musical part and Doctor Crusher lost her script; in addition, six decks' worth of food replicators are limited to producing cat food: the custom supplements Data had designed just for Spot. Data and Geordi are busy isolating the corrupted computer circuit pathways, but it will take several hours. During their conference they notice that Data used a contraction as well as the antiquated word "reckon", although Data himself does not remember using it; he even speaks with a Texan accent. Picard suggests to take Data to main engineering and try to examine Data's behavior; when they leave the observation lounge, Data walks with a cowboy swagger and mistakes the plant near the door for a cuspidor. Picard and Riker look at each other when they see his behavior, not knowing what to think. In the sheriff's office Troi watches how Eli shuffles his cards in exactly the same way Data does when he plays poker and with the same speed. Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door -- it is Sheriff Worf. He tells her that he has found witnesses who saw the abduction of Alexander and is told by Deanna about Eli's abilities and she tells him his father, Frank Hollander, would also possess Data's abilities. Their conversation is interrupted by someone knocking on the door; it is Frank Hollander, who wants to see his son. Sheriff Worf demands his gun, whereupon Frank sneers to take a good look at his gun, he would see it again real soon. When Frank asks Eli how they were treating him, he complains that he has not eaten since he was imprisoned. Frank tells him that the sheriff will pay for this and asks him who the stranger is. Eli does not know, but tells his father she is mighty good with a Winchester. Frank walks up to the sheriff and tells him he will give him one more chance to release his son. After a short silence Worf tells him he agrees. He will release Eli in exchange for his deputy. Frank Hollander tells him to meet him in two hours in front of the livery stables and he does not want to see the stranger there and asks for his gun back. After a last look at his son he leaves the sheriff's office. Troi tells Worf that in every story she has read about the ancient west, the bad guys always broke their word, and explains to him that bad guys are not concerned about honor when Worf tells her they have made an honorable agreement. This bad guy has the speed and accuracy of an android and will try to kill him. When Riker visits La Forge and Data in main engineering they have discovered that part of Data's memory structure has been replaced by the computer recreational database. More specifically, parts of the 19th century American west. La Forge confirms that this is a result of their interface experiment and tells Commander Riker that a progressive memory purge to restore Data's programming is running and will take a couple of hours to finish. When Riker asks about the computer recreational database, La Forge tells him that a memory purge is also in progress and that it will take one to two hours to complete. As Riker leaves he is told by Data not to worry, they will fix the problem in time for supper. In the sheriff's office, Worf and Troi are planning how they are going to deal with Frank Hollander when they are interrupted by several knocks on the door. It is Miss Annie, who brings Worf a toolbox with old man Newsome's telegraph machine. While Worf looks through the toolbox, Troi nods to Miss Annie, hinting Worf to thank her so she will leave the office. At 5:14 pm Worf finishes making a simple force field generator with some telegraph parts and his combadge functioning as a power source. When Troi asks how long the field will last he tells her not more than fifteen seconds because the field is very unstable. A few moments later Sheriff Worf and Eli Hollander walk out of the sheriff's office towards the front of the saloon. When they arrive Eli is stopped by Worf and they watch as Frank Hollander and Deputy Alexander walk into the middle of the street and stop in front of the livery stable. After lighting his cigar, Frank Hollander pushes Alexander forward, and he starts walking towards his father, Sheriff Worf, who nods Eli to start walking. Unknown to Worf, Frank's accomplices are hiding beside the street, ready to use their weapons if necessary; by now they all look like Data. As Eli passes Alexander, he looks at him disdainfully, and just before he reaches his father Frank, he yells at him to get down and draws his gun. Worf warns Alexander and while he runs to the saloon, Worf turns on his makeshift force field, just in time. Frank empties his gun but the bullets are stopped by the force field. When it stops working, one of Frank's accomplices draws his weapon and tries to shoot Worf but he is stopped by Troi, who was hiding under a cover on a nearby wagon. At that time Frank's Mexican accomplice, who was hiding on a roof, throws a gun towards Frank Hollander. As he catches it, Worf draws his weapon and shoots the weapon right out of Frank Hollander's hand. Hollander knows he is beaten and challenges Worf to shoot him. Worf cocks his weapon and looks towards Alexander, who is lying under the saloon doors, watching everything. After a short silence, Worf tells Frank Hollander never to show his face again in Deadwood. Frank calls his accomplices and walks out of the street while he throws a sharp look at Sheriff Worf. Deanna and Worf run into the saloon where Alexander embraces his father and tells him he is fine when Worf asks if he is alright. Worf orders the holodeck computer to end the program but nothing happens. Deanna does not understand -- the story should have ended by now. Worf tells the computer again to end the program. Miss Annie, who now also looks like Data, walks down the stairs and tells Worf he is as handy with a gun as with a woman's heart. An agitated Worf rapidly repeats his command to shut down the program while Miss Annie walks towards him. The computer shuts down the program just as Annie Meyers places her head on Worf's shoulder, and Worf sighs with relief as he sees the holodeck grid appearing. Back in Worf's quarters, Worf looks to his son who is almost asleep. When Alexander asks his father if he would go back to the ancient west despite what has happened, Worf tells him if the town of Deadwood would face danger again they would need a sheriff and a deputy. As Worf walks back to the living quarters he notices the Stetson lying on a chair and he cannot resist putting it on his head and trying out his fast draw in the mirror using his fingers as a pretend revolver and grinning widely as the Enterprise breaks orbit and rides off into the sunset. 
<EOS>
Riker, Worf, La Forge, and Crusher are playing poker, and the small talk drifts towards beards as, with La Forge recently deciding to grow his, all the men are sporting one. Crusher comments on her superstitious distrust of bearded men and decides on an unusual stake. If she wins the next hand, all the men will have to shave off their beards; if one of them win, she becomes a brunette. After La Forge lays down an aggressive bet to open the hand, Crusher calls his bet immediately, which draws a very nervous call from Riker, but La Forge assures the first officer he has this; but it's as far as they get though, as Captain Picard summons them to the bridge, which greatly disappoints the doctor. The USS Enterprise-D arrives at Tyrus VIIa to evaluate a Particle Fountain Project for possible use on Carema III. While Lieutenant Commander La Forge is talking with the project lead, Doctor Farallon, a malfunction occurs in one of the station's power grids. Dr. Farallon uses this opportunity to show Commander La Forge another project she has been working on, an exocomp: adaptive tools used for maintenance purposes. The exocomp is sent into an access tunnel, and repairs the malfunction very quickly, preventing a shutdown of the station's core which would have taken four months to return to its power level again. Lieutenant Commander Data meets La Forge and Dr. Farallon as they beam aboard the Enterprise. With them is an exocomp. In engineering, Dr. Farallon explains how she modified a common industrial servo mechanism over the course of several years to create the exocomps, giving them both the ability to replicate tools to effect repairs and a capacity to learn similar to that used by Data. In contrast to the ingenious nature of the exocomps, however, the particle fountain is behind schedule and over budget, and Picard is not very sympathetic. Dr. Farallon proposes putting the exocomps to work on the project to help accelerate progress. With Data's and La Forge's approval, Picard approves. On the station, Data successfully completes fourteen separate tasks in less than an hour with help from the exocomp. Data estimates that the same tasks would have taken two engineers over nine hours. The exocomp is then sent into an access tunnel to seal a plasma conduit. However, the exocomp returns without finishing its task, and when Dr. Farallon tries to send it back into the access tunnel, it blocks her commands and overloads her control pad. A few seconds later the plasma conduit explodes. If the exocomp had gone back into the access tunnel, it would have been destroyed. After bringing the exocomp back to the Enterprise for analysis, Data and La Forge discover that the exocomp had shut down and that the interface circuitry which connected the exocomp to the control pad was completely burned out. Further investigation reveals that the number of new circuit pathways has increased by 632 percent. Dr. Farallon explains that sometimes an exocomp randomly generates large numbers of new pathways, which ultimately leads to a total shutdown. When this happens the exocomp becomes totally useless and has to be erased and reprogrammed all over again. Data mentions that the new pathways do not appear to interfere with the original circuitry, but Farallon is giving up. Frustrated, she leaves and La Forge, feeling sorry, comments that somehow the exocomp seemed to know that the conduit would explode and therefore it had to leave the access tunnel. Because this remark implies some form of self-preservation motive, Data takes it upon himself to perform a level one diagnostic on the exocomp in his quarters. The diagnostic reveals that the command module is now working normally. When checking the exocomp's sensor logs it turns out that the exocomp itself had burned out its own command interface circuitry, and then ran a self-repair program on the same circuitry two hours later when it was safely on the Enterprise. Meanwhile, La Forge finds Farallon in Ten Forward and informs her engineering teams are assigned to help in place of the exocomps. He stays to cheer her up, saying he respects her work. She becomes confident that the project will eventually succeed. Data's discovery prompts him to discuss the definition of life (particularly as it pertains to himself) with Doctor Crusher, who herself is unable to give him a definite, conclusive response, stating that after she had grappled with the same question from a young Wesley, she had realized that scientists and philosophers have been struggling to answer this question for many centuries. The best answer she came up with was that it was not specific actions that defined life, but the struggle to maintain life, such as self-preservation. Still, the conversation allows Data to come to a significant moral decision, even though Crusher believes she hasn't really helped Data. On the planet, La Forge is managing the engineering teams. Data beams aboard the station and asks Dr. Farallon to stop using the exocomps -- he has reason to believe they are alive. Data calls for a meeting of the senior staff in the observation lounge in order to discuss his theory that the exocomps are a lifeform. Dr. Farallon attends only reluctantly. Data supports his theory by stating that the exocomp they sent into the tunnel earlier responded by deliberately burning out its control interface -- in essence, refusing to obey an instruction it knew would send it to its destruction. However, only two hours later when it was on board the Enterprise and no longer in danger, it repaired itself. This demonstrated awareness of environment. Counselor Troi notes that Dr. Farallon is extremely reluctant to accept the idea that the exocomps are lifeforms; she just keeps trying to rationalize her belief. Picard argues that if the possibility exists that these exocomps are a lifeform, then that possibility must be examined as it is the primary mandate of Starfleet and the Enterprise. Thus, in order to test Data's theory, a simulation is created in which an exocomp has to repair a small conduit breach in a Jefferies tube in which a plasma cascade failure is simulated by means of a transient overload signal. Unseen by the crew inside the Jefferies tube, the exocomp is carrying out the repair when it detects the plasma overload and begins to leave only to stop, turn back and after a long moment, resumes the repair. Having not exited the Jefferies tube before the plasma overload simulation would have destroyed it, it is declared to have failed, and Data can't understand why. Data performs thirty-four additional tests and all tests have the same outcome: every single time the exocomp decides to complete the repairs instead of evacuating, and returns to Data when commanded by him so he could reset. However, on the 35th test, Doctor Crusher is talking to Data so he neglects to recall the machine. Even so, the exocomp returns automatically and Data notices it has created a different tool than when it entered the tube. In the previous tests, the exocomp was recalled when the simulated plasma overload occurred. When Data checks the sensor logs this time, he discovers that the new tool had been used to deactivate the overload signal. The exocomp had actually known the whole time that the signal was false and that it was in no danger; it had completed the repair and taken the opportunity to rectify the false signal -- a clear sign of intelligence. As Crusher puts it, "The exocomp didn't fail the test; it saw right through it." Work is resumed on the station but while the captain is examining the project the particle stream begins to experience fluctuations and radiation slowly leaks into the station. Dr. Farallon and her staff are beamed to the Enterprise, but La Forge and Picard remain on the station trying to save a member of the doctor's staff named Takenta, who is killed in an explosion despite their efforts to save him. By the time the pair tries to beam back to the Enterprise the radiation levels on the station are too high for the ship's transporter to get a particle lock on La Forge and Picard. La Forge erects a temporary force field to hold the radiation at bay, but he knows that it is a temporary solution at best. Back aboard the Enterprise, Data projects that radiation levels in the station will be fatal within twenty two minutes even with the force field in place. When the particle fountain reaches a critical stage, Commander Riker asks for ideas. Worf suggests sending a shuttlecraft, which Dr. Farallon says would take too long, and Riker asks about using a photon torpedo to disrupt the particle matter stream, but Data explains it would take at least 65 minutes to do the proper, careful adjustments. Dr. Farallon states that she can reconfigure the exocomps so their power cells explode when beamed into the stream, which would only take a couple of minutes. However, due to their survival instincts, the command pathways would have to be disconnected. Data strongly opposes sending what he considers lifeforms to their deaths, but Riker, while he respects Data's opinion, doesn't have an alternative and approves the plan. When Chief Kelso reports to the bridge that the transporter controls suddenly go dead, Data reveals that he has locked out the controls, preventing the exocomps from being beamed out. In the observation lounge, Riker issues a direct order to release the transporter lock, but Data stands firm and will not do so, even if it means a court martial. He argues that sacrificing one lifeform for another is not justified, and based on his own experiences, he must believe that, like himself, the exocomps are alive -- and therefore have the right to live. Data volunteers to beam over and fix the problem, allowing La Forge and Picard to return. Riker refuses as he knows that at such high levels, the radiation would ionize Data's positronic matrix, killing him. However, Data points out that since he has the power to choose, he is within his rights to sacrifice himself; the exocomps don't have such rights. This gives Riker an idea; he proposes to ask the exocomps if they are willing to perform this mission, which Data finds acceptable. With their command pathways reconnected, the exocomps do not shut down after being given their instructions. Instead, they change the commands Data had entered, replicate power taps and alter the transporter coordinates to inside the station core instead of in space near the matter stream. Data realizes that, based on their own vast experience aboard the station, they have developed an alternative plan. Riker lets the changes stand, and the exocomps are transported inside. La Forge observes that the exocomps are using their power taps to attune to the particle stream's resonance frequency, so he and Picard use the consoles available to them to assist as best they can. The exocomps succeed, allowing them to distort the frequency. This opens a window for Kelso to beam La Forge and Picard back to the ship. He then tries to beam back the exocomps, but only two could be transported back - realizing that the particle stream had to remain distorted for the transport to succeed, the third exocomp sacrificed itself so that the other two could be rescued. When the Enterprise departs, Dr. Farallon decides to study the exocomps as intelligent beings rather than as tools to be exploited, and the captain agrees to reexamine the project in a couple of years and make a new recommendation to Starfleet. Once she leaves, Data has a word with Picard, wishing to explain why he was willing to endanger two friend's lives "for several small machines." Picard understands Data's decision had to have been extremely difficult. Data explains that, a few years ago, Picard himself had made a passionate case that helped establish Data's own status as a lifeform. In this scenario, Data had chosen to champion the exocomps for the same reasons. Picard understands, and he notes, "It was the most Human decision you have ever made." 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D and an Excelsior-class ship run side by side at impulse speed. Nechayev beams aboard the Enterprise and unceremoniously greets Captain Picard. In her no-nonsense fashion, she informs Picard In his ready room that she is here to relieve him of command of the Enterprise. Nechayev meets with Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander Data, and Counselor Troi in the observation lounge and briefs them that the Cardassians have mobilized three divisions of ground troops (having withdrawn the bulk of their forces from the Bajoran sector) and that their subspace transmissions have increased by 50%. The admiral hopes that the Cardassians are not willing to risk an incursion and possibly war over one system. When Riker asks about Picard, Necheyev tells him that he is to be replaced by one Captain Edward Jellico, commanding officer of the Cairo. Also that their chief medical officer, Dr. Crusher and Security chief, Lieutenant Worf, are also being reassigned to a mission. The change of command will occur at 1300 hours. Since Jellico was instrumental in negotiating the original peace treaty with the Cardassians, Nechayev feels he is uniquely qualified to negotiate with them again. Once Data and Troi leave the observation lounge, Riker reminds the admiral that Jellico can negotiate with the Cardassians without taking command of the Enterprise. She tells Riker that she wants someone on the bridge who has significant experience with the Cardassians, and that's not him. Picard, Worf, and Crusher are training for their secret mission in the holodeck. They are running a program in a series of dark caves including exercises such as escaping Cardassians, setting mobile shield emitters, and other surprises they might run into on the mission. They take turns and try to best each other's times. Riker meets Captain Jellico in the transporter room. Riker is immediately overwhelmed by his new commanding officer. Admiring the beauty and prestige of the Galaxy-class starship, Jellico surmises that must be why Riker has never accepted his own command. During the short walk to the turbolift, Jellico lists a series of orders including changing the duty shift rotation from three watches to four by 1400 hours and meeting with the department heads at 1500 hours. They arrive at the turbolift, and Jellico asks Riker whether he prefers "Will" or "William." Riker indicates the former, and Jellico asks where his quarters are. Before Riker can finish his reply, Jellico states the deck number for that room. He departs in the turbolift, leaving Riker befuddled. A ceremony for the Change of Command of the Enterprise is held in Ten Forward. The two captains are in full dress uniforms while the rest of the crew are in standard uniforms (except Troi, who wears her grey unitard). Captain Picard reads the transfer orders from Admiral Nechayev and instructs the computer to transfer all command codes to Captain Jellico. The Enterprise is now Jellico's. Riker meets up with Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, and the engineer asks Riker how long he thinks this change of command is going to last. Riker tells him that they usually do not perform this ceremony if it is just going to be a temporary assignment. Meanwhile, Troi spots the exhausted Dr. Crusher sitting in a corner and goes over to her. Troi asks her if she is sore. They exchange glances, and the doctor says that she wishes she could talk about the mission but cannot. Picard and Jellico discuss very specific issues on the ship's systems. Jellico says that he can handle anything that comes his way. They then discuss the specifics of Picard's mission in a somewhat coded fashion. Picard reveals that he wishes he had more current information than the two-year old intelligence reports. Jellico offers to send a Class-5 probe later, and Picard happily accepts. Jellico calls for Riker and passes the order to launch the probe during delta shift. Riker informs his new commanding officer that the new crew rotation is not yet ready and that the department heads believe it will put too much pressure on their personnel. Jellico orders the new duty roster to be ready immediately and dismisses his first officer. Riker leaves, and Jellico makes his dissatisfaction with Riker clear to Picard, who defends his former first officer. Jellico records a log entry: Some time later on the bridge, Jellico, Riker, Data and Garvey stand over the tactical station. Jellico orders several modifications to the terminal and then proceeds to order changes to Science I and II making them Damage Control and Weapons Status. He then orders one battle drill for each of the four shifts. He wants Riker to "get it done" by seeing to it personally. Before leaving on the turbolift with Data, he tells Riker he wants "that fish" out of the ready room. In engineering, Jellico tells La Forge to overhaul the warp coils, as he finds their performance unsatisfactory. The chief engineer insists that what Jellico is asking will take more than the two days that the captain is giving him. Data, apparently the only crew member with whom Jellico is impressed, calculates that the required actions are possible in the time requested. La Forge agrees but only if the entire engineering staff works around the clock for the two days. Jellico responds with his signature line, "Get it done." Meanwhile, Jellico is redecorating his ready room, sans fish. Troi enters, and Jellico shows her a drawing from his son of what he believes to be an elephant. Troi tries to explain the feelings of the crew to him. While recognizing that he and the crew are still getting used to each other, it is clear that Jellico does not feel there is any time for a period of adjustment. He orders Troi to do what she can to have the crew accept the situation. She turns to leave, and Jellico informs her that he likes "a certain formality on the bridge" and would prefer that she wears a standard uniform while on duty. La Forge visits Riker in a corridor and complains. La Forge wants to know how he is expected to get his work done with such a heavy load and with one-third of his staff being reassigned to security. Riker makes it clear to La Forge that Jellico will not listen to him or any of the other department heads. La Forge suggests he try to get Captain Picard, who has not left for his mission yet, to help in persuading Jellico to ease up a little. Riker heeds the engineer's advice and leaves to visit Picard. Picard practically stumbles into his quarters, exhausted from the training. He admits to Riker that he has not been this tired since he was training for the Academy Marathon. Riker does not want to bother him and leaves without asking his favor. Picard meets with Captain Jellico in the ready room, and they discuss the mission briefly. Riker calls and informs Jellico that the shuttle is ready for launch. Jellico asks whether he launched the probe as requested. Riker tells him that he has but that he did not know he was supposed to inform his captain about the launch. After the channel closes, Jellico again expresses his disappointment with Riker to Picard and that he sees why Riker is still only a first officer. Picard reminds the other captain that Riker has been offered command several times and that he will find him a very capable officer if given the chance. Jellico tells Picard that he does not have time to do that for Will Riker or anyone else. Jellico reminds Picard that he is in command of the Enterprise and that he does not expect Picard to come back from his secret mission into Cardassian territory. He also knows that negotiations with Gul Lemec will not go too smoothly and that neither side will give up anything very easily. He states the Enterprise is his. Once the members of the commando mission leave the Enterprise on the shuttlecraft Feynman, Picard informs his team of their mission: a secret investigation of the Cardassian planet Celtris III in search of a research facility for metagenic weapons. Picard studied theta-band carrier waves while on the Stargazer. Worf is there for muscle. Crusher is there to locate and destroy any bio-toxins they may find. In order to secure safe passage into Cardassian territory, they enlist the help of DaiMon Solok on the planet Torman V. Picard makes the proposal to him. Solok is worried because Celtris III is in Cardassian territory, and he then accuses the three of being Federation spies. Crusher then begins to charm Solok and even uses oo-mox to convince him to provide passage discreetly. Riker tells Captain Jellico that Lemec, commander of the Reklar, was beamed aboard and was escorted to the observation lounge. Jellico then announces that he will be waiting in his ready room, confusing Riker and Troi. Troi, now wearing a standard uniform, enters the ready room and asks Jellico if there has been a miscommunication. He reveals that this is one of his negotiating tactics. Jellico compares Cardassians to timber wolves in that they possess an instinctive need to establish a dominant position in social situations. He is making Lemec wait in order to gain the dominant position. After the counselor reminds him that sometimes a wolf ends up dead in the fight for dominance, Jellico tells her that the trick is to be the wolf that is left standing in the end. After arriving on Celtris III, Picard reminds Crusher to set her tricorder in order to keep a precise map of their route. She then starts picking up subspace signals, but cannot get a lock on them. By compressing the detection bandwidth, Picard determines that the source of the signal is five hundred meters east and seven hundred meters below their current location. Lynars, which are Celtran bats, fly by them, and Worf pretends not to be afraid of them. The team comes to a precipice and needs to descend the rock face to the floor, which is over five hundred meters below. As they prepare their equipment, Worf asks Crusher if she is afraid of heights, and she sarcastically says that she is not. The three of them begin rappelling down the cavern. Jellico has been keeping Lemec waiting for over an hour. Also, the fact that he brings Riker and Troi with him to the negotiating table infuriates the Cardassian. Jellico tells him that if he cannot negotiate anything other than minutiae, then maybe he is not serious about these talks. Jellico then storms out of the room and onto the bridge. Riker and Troi follow him, and he almost gleefully shares his plan of attack. Jellico tells Riker and Troi to let Lemec stew for a few minutes and then to tell him that Jellico is a loose cannon, but he has agreed to meet again. They are to explain to Lemec that he needs to be more reasonable since Jellico is such an unreasonable man and that he can include no more than two aides. After Jellico walks away, Riker notes that the captain is very sure of himself. Troi reveals that he is in fact not. On Celtris III, the team has finished rappelling, and they are only three hundred meters away from the installation. Picard leads the way, scanning with his tricorder. They encounter a lava tube that runs for seventy-five meters behind a wall. Worf notes that a phaser set to level 16 should suffice. He then blasts a hole in the wall to reveal the tube. Meanwhile in the Enterprise observation lounge, Lemec introduces Captain Jellico to his aides, Glinns Corak and Tajor. Jellico, along with Riker and Troi, sit at the other end of the table and Jellico accuses the Cardassians of massing troops in staging areas, assembling strike forces, and pulling ships off their normal patrols. Lemec insists they are merely routine training operations. Jellico proposes sending a few starships into the sector for their own training operations. Lemec is more concerned about the Federation's refusal to vacate systems that are "clearly Cardassian." Jellico is very agitated because he believes the Cardassians are seeking to get those worlds at the bargaining table that they could not take by force. Troi calms Jellico, and Riker states to Lemec that under the terms of the treaty those worlds are still under negotiation. Lemec reveals that they have reports that a small Federation task force has infiltrated Cardassian territory. He says that this action will likely fail, and if it were to succeed, there would be serious repercussions. Before they recess, Lemec asks Jellico where Picard is and does so in a way that implies that he already knows. Jellico tells him that Picard has been reassigned. On Celtris III, the team crawls through the lava tube with Crusher bringing up the rear. The two men get out safely, but the doctor is covered by rubble during a cave-in. Worf immediately leaps back into the tube and uncovers Crusher. Shaken but unhurt, they move on. They find a maintenance hatch with three proximity sensors around it. Worf sets up sensor echoes so that they can make it through without being detected. The hatch is magnetically sealed, but Worf is able to bypass it. They go through the hatch to find a room with only a single device, which has been emitting the theta-band waves. There is no lab. It has been a trap all along. Cardassians suddenly attack Picard and the others. The Federation team responds with phaser fire and hand-to-hand combat. Worf blocks the closing hatch so that the others can escape, but Picard is still fighting. Worf is shot, and he falls outside the room while the hatch closes. Picard is captured by four Cardassians and reluctantly drops his weapon. Crusher and Worf realize that they cannot help the captain, and they quickly make their escape. Back on the Enterprise, Riker notifies Jellico that there are a lot of coded messages from Celtris III. Also, there had been theta-band emissions until a few minutes ago. Jellico orders Riker to get Admiral Nechayev on a priority 2 channel. He tells her the mission was apparently successful since the theta-band emissions have stopped. She asks Jellico if there has been any word from "our friends," but there has not been. In a stark, imposing room, an unknown Cardassian, who is later revealed as Gul Madred, tells Picard that he is the most interesting challenge to walk through his door in years. He cites Picard's name, Starfleet serial number, parents' names, and place of birth. Then he states that he knows of Picard's extensive experience with theta-band carrier waves while captain of the Stargazer. He reveals that this information was used to lure Picard. Picard asks why he was chosen. Madred responds by telling Picard that he is not allowed to ask questions. Only Madred will ask them, and if he is not satisfied with the captain's responses, then Picard will die. 
<EOS>
Jean-Luc Picard is drugged and questioned by Gul Madred. He sits in the middle of a dark room answering in a monotone. Picard reveals details about his mission to Celtris III and the personnel involved. Madred then asks his prisoner about the defense plans for Minos Korva. Picard truthfully states that he has no knowledge of such plans. Madred has his Cardassian subordinate increase the dosage and has Picard answer the same questions again. Captain Edward Jellico, Commander William T. Riker, Counselor Deanna Troi, Gul Lemec, and his aides are in the observation lounge. Despite Jellico's assurances to the contrary, Lemec divulges that he knows that Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Lieutenant Worf, and Doctor Beverly Crusher have gone into Cardassian territory and killed fifty-five men, women, and children. When asked for proof, Lemec reveals they have Picard held prisoner. The Cardassians exit, leaving the officers stunned. Jellico then reveals the mission plans to his first officer and counselor and reveals that the USS Enterprise-D is supposed to rendezvous with the away team at the Lyshan system in eight hours. Since the negotiations have taken longer than expected, he will send Riker in a shuttlecraft. In the interrogation chamber, Madred unshackles Picard. They briefly discuss the ruins of the First Hebitian civilization of Cardassia Prime. The ancient tombs contained artifacts made of a rare, breathtaking stone called jevonite, but were plundered by impoverished Cardassians. When Picard requests to be returned to his ship, Madred informs him that he is considered to be a criminal because he was captured attempting to invade a secret Cardassian facility. Madred offers Picard the chance to make his trial and eventual punishment civilized, provided he agrees to divulge information about the Federation's defense plans for Minos Korva. Picard reiterates that he has no knowledge of any such defense plans. Madred rejects Picard's denials, informing him that he was lured into a trap, precisely because the Cardassians believe that, as captain of the Enterprise, he would have full knowledge of the Federation's defense plans. Madred's guards promptly enter and drag a struggling Picard to the center of the room. His captor warns him, "Wasted energy, captain. You might come to wish you hadn't expended it in such a futile effort." Picard protests that torture is forbidden under the terms of the Seldonis IV Convention, governing the treatment of prisoners of war. His pleas are ignored, however, as Madred uses a PADD to lower a steel suspension rack from the ceiling above him. Before continuing, Madred asks Picard, "Do you have any physical ailments I should know about?" He then approaches the captain with a knife which he says is made of jevonite. As he uses the knife to cut Picard's jumpsuit, Madred tells him he will no longer have the privilege of rank or individuality. From now on, Picard will be referred to only as "Human." The guards pull Picard's clothes down to his ankles and restrain his wrists in manacles which connect to the steel rack above. The captain is left naked and suspended, by his wrists, above the floor. In sickbay, the away team is treated for minor injuries. Jellico orders Riker to have La Forge analyze the team's tricorder readings, but the first officer wants to begin planning a rescue mission for Picard. Captain Jellico believes such an attempt would be foolhardy. "Good morning, I trust you slept well", Madred says when he enters the interrogation room. Picard has spent the entire night hanging by his arms, naked. After releasing him from his restraints, Madred sits at his desk and turns on four lights shining behind him and begins questioning Picard again, and informs him that while he was drugged, a small device was implanted in his chest. Madred demonstrates the device, causing Picard to fall to his knees in pain on even the lowest setting. He asks Picard how many lights there are behind him, wanting him to respond with "five." He says there are four and receives another painful shock. Gul Lemec shows Captain Jellico, Commander Riker, and Counselor Troi a PADD showing Captain Picard's original, more civilized interrogation. Jellico denies Picard was acting under his orders, and Lemec suggests they will execute him. Riker reminds Gul about the Seldonis IV Convention which is similar to the Geneva Conventions of 20th and 21st century Earth. This, however, would be almost like a declaration of war. Lemec alternately offers to release Picard in exchange for a Federation withdrawal from the sector. Jellico agrees to discuss the proposal with Admiral Alynna Nechayev. After Lemec and his aides leave, Jellico says that he's going to recommend against agreeing to Lemec's proposal, essentially abandoning Picard. Riker becomes upset at this, demanding that Jellico acknowledge that the mission was under Federation orders, thus Picard would be protected under the Seldonis IV Convention. Jellico sharply rebukes him stating it would show weakness on the Federation's part by playing right into Lemec's hands. Riker sharply objects to the captain's plan stating that one of the roles of a first officer is to point out mistakes by his or her commanding officer. Jellico will not have any of it and relieves Riker of duty, with an added threat of confinement to quarters. With Commander Riker's position open, Captain Jellico temporarily promotes Lieutenant Commander Data to the position of first officer. Data (wearing a command red duty uniform), Jellico, and Lieutenant Commander La Forge try to determine why the Cardassians would want to capture Picard. They decide that the Cardassians may have been interested in the defense plans for Minos Korva, knowing that the Enterprise would be assigned as command ship for the sector. Jellico orders La Forge to conduct a discreet scan of Lemec's ship to determine where they may have been recently. Meanwhile on Celtris III, Gul Madred is speaking with his daughter while feeding her wompat and having a discussion about whether Humans have parents. Picard is sitting in a spotlight in a red robe-like gown. Picard tries to get under Madred's skin by questioning his motives for bringing his daughter to such an installation, let alone allow her to see her father interrogating a prisoner. They banter back and forth about military power and its role in their civilizations. Madred tells his prisoner that because of the Cardassian military, his daughter will never go hungry. Picard turns this on him by saying, "Her belly may be full, but her spirit will be empty." Madred smacks Picard across the face for his comment. Madred continues with his questioning about the lights. Picard replies, "What lights?"  This infuriates Madred; he shocks Picard for his obstinacy. Gul Madred awakens Captain Picard from his dream of his family in France. Madred compliments Picard on his strong will and informs him that he is free to go. Picard stands slowly and heads toward the door. Madred claims he will just have to get the information from Dr. Crusher. Unaware that Dr. Crusher is not also a prisoner, Picard chooses to remain as a prisoner to spare Dr. Crusher, as among other reasons she would have no knowledge of any operations. La Forge discovers that Lemec's ship has some minor hull degradation along their warp nacelles, which indicates recent exposure to a molecular dispersion field, most likely from traveling through the McAllister C-5 Nebula. Guessing that the rest of the Cardassian fleet is hiding in the nebula, Jellico orders the ship there immediately. In the observation lounge, Jellico informs the senior staff that Starfleet has approved a plan to hit the fleet inside the nebula before they can leave. The crew is almost visibly disapproving of the plan. La Forge supposes it could be a scientific mission, but Jellico states he would need evidence of that. Crusher points out this is gambling hundreds of lives. He stops the conversation and orders Worf to prepare mines and La Forge to prepare a shuttle to deploy them. Finally, Crusher will need to prepare for casualties. She finishes his sentence and shakes her head as she is dismissed with the rest. Some time later, Picard awakens to find Madred having, as he explains, a small meal of boiled taspar eggs. He has one set aside just for Picard, but Picard finds that it is a raw, fertilized egg. Picard is disgusted at first, but since he is virtually starving, chooses to eat it to survive to Madred's amusement. As he has more food from a plate and drink pushed in his direction, the captor tells the prisoner the story of his childhood on the streets of Lakat at the age of six. He had found a nest of three taspar eggs and ate one on the spot "very much as you just did." He planned to save the other eggs for later but they were taken by an older boy, who had to break the tenacious Madred's arm just to accomplish it. Picard uses this to his advantage by thinking of Madred as that child who couldn't protect himself. Madred, angry, asks Picard by name about the plans for Minos Korva. Picard points this out and adds, "There are four lights." Madred shocks Picard, and repeats "There are five lights. How many do you see now?" and shocks Picard again. Picard jerks with the shock and starts shaking, but points at Madred and says "You are six years old, weak and helpless. You cannot hurt me." Picard is crying, but he begins singing in French in response when Madred demands an answer. While the shuttle is being prepared, Captain Jellico discusses the mission with La Forge. Sitting down at the controls, Jellico is reminded of starting his career in Starfleet by piloting the Jovian Run, a shuttle route between Jupiter and Saturn done once a day, daily. La Forge tells him that he also piloted that route for a while, and they share a laugh over having performed Titan's Turn, a dangerous maneuver one is not supposed to do. La Forge claims that he could complete the mission successfully, but that the best person for the job is Commander Riker, who could do Titan's Turn in his sleep. This does not sit well with Jellico, but he nods. Jellico reluctantly goes to Riker's quarters and talks to him about his piloting skills, and that every shuttle pilot on the ship labels Riker as the best. Jellico and Riker drop their ranks and exchange their active dislikes for one another, expressing their disapproval for each other's roles. Jellico will not order Riker to pilot the shuttle, to which Riker smugly replies "Then ask," after which the captain does and Riker accepts. Jellico begins to leave in a hurry, and Riker adds "You're welcome," which leaves a disgusted look on Jellico's face. Navigating through the nebula is a daunting task, with one near collision. When La Forge asks if he wants to know how close they came to disaster, Riker simply replies with "No," and continues the flight. After Riker and La Forge lay the mines, Captain Jellico initiates red alert and begins negotiations with Gul Lemec. The furious Lemec demands that the Enterprise withdraw, but Jellico interjects saying that he has mined his ships, his finger is on the button, and Lemec is in a very bad position. Lemec believes Jellico is bluffing, but the captain orders Worf to show Lemec that he is not by detonating a smaller mine. The room Lemec is in on the Reklar shakes as if it had been hit with a low-yield phaser discharge. Jellico reveals to Lemec that there's a much larger one sitting on his hull that will destroy his ship. Jellico tells Lemec that the Cardassian fleet may leave the nebula one by one only if they eject their primary phaser coils -- thereby leaving them at the mercy of the Federation for the return trip home. Lemec objects, but agrees before Jellico orders Worf to detonate the bigger mine. Jellico then gives the Cardassians a final demand: the immediate return of "a Starfleet officer, Jean-Luc Picard. Immediately." Meanwhile, on Celtris III, Picard awakens and tries to smash the control device used in his torture. Madred chides him rather gently for this, citing that he has many more. Madred then wrongfully informs his prisoner that the Cardassians have invaded Minos Korva and the Enterprise is burning in space. Gul Madred reminds Picard that the Federation will not look for him since the word will be that he died with his crew on the Enterprise. Madred then offers Picard the opportunity to live a life of comfort and scholarly reflection, but at a price. All he has to do is admit that he sees five lights. Looking blankly at the lights before him, Picard contemplates a long moment as Madred implores him to answer. Lemec enters the room with two other officers and as he is crossing the floor, Madred tells Picard that they will take him away as a prisoner for life and Madred's offer will be null and void if Picard doesn't answer before they get to them. Having reached the two, Lemec however complains that Picard should have been ready to transfer already. Lemec disgustedly orders Madred to get Picard cleaned up as a ship awaits him to return him to the Enterprise. Realizing that Madred had been lying to him, Picard continues to contemplate the lights as Lemec offers to take Picard back to his ship. Defiantly, and mustering all his remaining strength, Picard spits at Madred "THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" On Madred, the hint of a smile plays across his lips as Picard leaves; respect for a man that would not be broken. Back on board the Enterprise, Data has been restored to the ops position and Riker to the role of first officer as Picard is welcomed back aboard by Jellico. Transferring the command codes to his predecessor, Jellico offers to the bridge crew that he was honored to serve with them before departing back to the USS Cairo. Counselor Troi and Picard step into the ready room where Picard is at a loss for words to explain his ordeal. Troi explains she's already read his report, but Picard offers that what he didn't put in the report was that Madred offered him the choice of a life of comfort or more torture at the price of admitting seeing five lights. Although he did not say it, the captain admits he was going to -- he would have told his tormentor anything, but even more troubling to Picard was that in the end he could actually see five lights. 
<EOS>
Data and Geordi La Forge are enjoying a Sherlock Holmes mystery holodeck program. However, when Data tries to prove the guilt of the alleged murderer by throwing a matchbox at him which he catches with his right hand, Data is puzzled as the program should have rendered the character left-handed, which would have proved Data's accusation. La Forge, agreeing this seems like a malfunction, freezes the program and calls for Reginald Barclay, asking him to come down and examine the program, as this certainly was not the first time something went wrong with it. After saving the program, Data and La Forge run into Barclay outside the holodeck. Barclay thinks it might have been a glitch in the matrix diodes and assures them he will solve the problem. While performing a diagnostic on all files concerning Sherlock Holmes program 3A via the holodeck arch, he discovers files stored in protected memory. When Barclay runs the files contained within the arch, Professor James Moriarty appears. Barclay engages him and, unprompted, throws his diagnostic device at him and establishes Moriarty is left-handed, as he should be. Moriarty soon demands to see Captain Picard, surprising Barclay, who is unaware of the previous encounter between them four years prior. Barclay is shocked to hear that Moriarty knows what he is, a holodeck character, and even more so when he learns that Moriarty experienced the passage of time. Denying Moriarty's claim that he is alive, Barclay tells Moriarty he cannot leave the holodeck when he is asked if this is possible. Moriarty suspects that Picard has forgotten all about him since their first meeting, only agreeing to try to help him leave the holodeck in order to rescue his hostage. He demands to see Picard in the sitting room at 221B Baker Street. Barclay explains that he needs to store Moriarty in memory again until he has contacted Captain Picard. When Moriarty is gone, Barclay leaves the holodeck, but a brief moment later Moriarty reappears again with an amused smile on his face. The USS Enterprise-D has come to the Detrian system to observe the collision of two gas giant planets, Detria II and Detria VI, which may cause the formation of a new star. Back in engineering, Barclay tells La Forge and Data that Moriarty has appeared and that he demands to speak to the captain. Barclay takes the captain and Data to the holodeck, activating the sitting room at 221B Baker Street. They enter and run the Moriarty program. Picard greets Moriarty, and tells him how they have spent much time investigating how he became self-aware, and how he may manage to leave the holodeck. They turned over problem of how to allow Moriarty an independent existence to Starfleet's best scientific minds, but still are awaiting an answer. Picard is concerned that Moriarty experienced the passage of time. Moriarty gets angry that while Picard and the crew have a real life outside the holodeck door, he is left as a low priority, confined to the holodeck. Picard opens the exit, and demonstrates by throwing a book out of the door that objects will disappear when they enter the real world, as they have no substance. Moriarty claims that, as a conscious being, his willpower will maintain him outside the holodeck, quoting Descartes' Latin phrase "Cogito ergo sum" ("I think therefore I am"). In front of the astounded crewmembers, he walks through the holodeck door and into a corridor with no apparent ill effects. Data calls for two security officers, causing Moriarty to remark that policemen are recognizable in any age. Everyone believes that this is impossible. Picard wishes for them to go to see Dr. Crusher. Her tricorder scan reveals that he is real, and La Forge detects no traces of loss of molecular cohesion. Moriarty's DNA is a bit unusual, but he is functioning normally. Picard assures him that the crew will continue to investigate. Moriarty wishes to go "above deck," and is surprised to see the stars outside the Ten Forward window, exclaiming that they are adrift in the heavens. Picard explains to Moriarty that they are on a starship. Moriarty wishes to learn the ship's means of propulsion and how far they are from Earth. Picard offers to give him books, and asks that he remain aboard for a while. Moriarty does not care, and is excited to live his life. Picard reminds him that criminal behavior will not be tolerated in the 24th century any more than it would be in the 19th century, to which Moriarty replies that he was only a criminal because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made it so. He promises that as a person, he is no criminal. Picard enumerates the opportunities that await him in this century. He thanks Picard for his graciousness, and asks if they can bring out Countess Regina Barthalomew. Picard explains that they would have no idea how. Moriarty wishes to bring out the countess using a method similar to that which brought him out. He becomes angry, and begs the captain to give him his wish. In the observation lounge, the senior staff and Barclay are talking about whether they should comply with Moriarty's request. Counselor Troi understands Moriarty's frustration at being alone, without his love. Dr. Crusher thinks that they should at least fully analyze Moriarty before performing the procedure again, and Barclay agrees with this. Data remarks that they have no idea if Moriarty's ability to exist outside the holodeck is permanent, and advises not to recreate their actions until they fully understand what happened. Picard agrees, and decides to hold off on the request. He asks for the investigation to continue, and goes to tell Moriarty of their decision. Picard tells Moriarty in his quarters that they have decided to postpone action. Moriarty says he is tired of waiting. In an attempt to get Moriarty to understand their caution, Picard questions him about his feelings for the countess, hoping their shared concern for her safety will make him less impatient. He remarks that he would love the countess even if he had not be designed to -- he adores her. Picard tells him that they will act as soon as they learn enough to allow her to leave the holodeck safely. Picard is then called to the bridge by Commander Riker. On the bridge, Riker has the two planets on screen. Picard asks Worf to launch four class-4 probes towards the planets, but the computer does not respond. Command functions have been rerouted, and Moriarty reveals that he has transferred command controls and taken over the Enterprise. Worf brandishes a phaser from under his tactical console, but Moriarty warns him not to fire, as he is the only one who can release the command lockout. Picard explains the Enterprise is in grave danger. Moriarty tells him that he will relinquish control once the countess is in the real world. Picard orders Data to start working on a solution. In engineering, Data, Barclay, and La Forge are discussing the possibility of using the transporter. Barclay asks what would happen if they attempted to beam a holodeck object off the grid. La Forge explains that a holodeck object has no pattern to lock on to, making the attempt impossible. If the object could be locked on, the transporter might work. Barclay suggests that they use the pattern enhancers to create a way to lock on. As they are talking, Picard comes to inform them that Moriarty will not disrupt normal ship's functions as long as they work on the problem. Taking him aside, Picard asks La Forge how Moriarty gained control of the ship. Apparently Moriarty managed to override the security lockouts. Picard also asks La Forge to find a way to regain control of the ship. Barclay returns to the holodeck to set up the pattern enhancers. When he asks the computer to run Sherlock Holmes program 3A, he is slightly puzzled when the computer tells him that program is already active. He enters to find the countess there. He is initially cautious, but after the countess makes it clear that she understands that the pattern enhancers are part of the plan to take her and Moriarty into the real world, he relaxes a little. She talks about all her adventures in Africa, saying that she had a wonderful time. Moriarty returns, and explains that he has already attempted to make the countess self-conscious in a similar way to himself. The countess explains to Moriarty that they will be using the pattern enhancers to take a chair off the holodeck and into the real world. If the experiment succeeds, the countess will be next. Barclay asks Data to proceed with the transport. Data attempts to beam the chair off, but while the chair disappears from the holodeck, nothing appears on the transporter pad; it seems to have lost its molecular cohesion as soon as the transporter cycle is finished. Data explains that they may be able to learn something from this and checks the transporter logs to see the results, but while the log exists, it contains no information. Data remarks that it is as if the transport of the chair never occurred. Meanwhile, La Forge has asked Picard to come to Engineering as he may have a way to regain control; he asks the captain to try his codes again. Picard inputs his command codes, which the computer verifies. As La Forge notices that the transfer seems to not have worked, Data arrives. Data watches suspiciously as La Forge uses his PADD, and after gaining his attention, tosses a small tool which La Forge catches with his left hand. Addressing the captain, Data announces that he has determined how Moriarty managed to leave the holodeck - he never did. The entire Enterprise is a simulation created by Moriarty in order to fool Picard into releasing the Enterprise command codes to him. Data explains his Holmesian deduction of this fact to the captain. The fact that by beaming a hologram off the holodeck they were attempting something that had never been done before meant that the computer could have no real data to create the transport logs. He noticed that the holographic La Forge was working with his left hand, although the real La Forge is right-handed - a similar problem to the fault that first caused Barclay to activate the Moriarty hologram. As further confirmation, he throws his combadge at the warp core, causing the lines from the holodeck wall to show through briefly. Picard attempts to command the computer to stop the program, then calls Riker to ask him what is Picard's location on the ship. Riker says "engineering", causing Picard to suggest that Moriarty has their combadges tied in to his simulation. Data explains that the only real people in this simulation are himself, Captain Picard, and Barclay, the three who originally entered the holodeck to meet Moriarty. Now that Moriarty has Picard's command codes, Picard expects Moriarty to use them to attempt make demands on the real Riker to find a way to allow him to leave the holodeck. Picard begins to muse about a plan to give Moriarty what he wants. Aboard the real ship, Riker is indeed negotiating with Moriarty for the return of Captain Picard, Barclay, and Data. Moriarty, on the Enterprise viewscreen, appears to be in holographic crew quarters. He now has control of the ship, and Riker fears that they will not be able to move to a safe distance from the planetary collision. Moriarty demands that they must come up with a way for him to leave the holodeck, and explains the lines of research the crew on his holographic Enterprise were pursuing, telling the real crew that they must do better with their real transporters. La Forge explains that the fact that Moriarty's transporters were only holograms was probably not the only reason why their experiment didn't work. Moriarty then raises the warp core temperature to demonstrate his complete control of their ship. Riker orders La Forge to start work on the problem. Back on the holographic Enterprise, Picard enters the holographic holodeck, returning to 221B Baker Street where Picard introduces himself to Countess Barthalomew. The Countess finds him charming, comparing him to a bewitching Viscount of her acquaintance. Picard explains to her a plan he says his crew have devised, to allow him to use transporters to make holograms real, by first decoupling the Heisenberg compensators and allowing them to rescramble randomly. He appeals to her to work on Moriarty to persuade him to do the right thing by releasing the computer to him before he agrees to use this technique. After telling Picard that sounds more like a threat than a compromise, she agrees to do what she can. Back on the real Enterprise, the collision is proceeding apace. Worf is working on manually disabling the force field Moriarty has used to prevent physical access to the holodeck. Meanwhile, in 221B Baker Street, rather than attempt to persuade Moriarty to do the right thing, Countess Barthalomew is explaining to him the details of the captain's plan. Moriarty triumphantly calls for an arch, using this to contact Riker. He tells Riker he wants him to uncouple the Heisenberg compensators. Countess Barthalomew is putting a hat on while Moriarty explains to her how many other worlds there are to visit together. Riker communicates and tells them they are ready to transport. It appears to be successful, as Moriarty and the countess materialize on the transport pad. But Moriarty still refuses to give up control of the ship's computers until Riker agrees to give him one of the Enterprise shuttles. Riker has little choice but to agree. Riker walks into the shuttlebay, and tells Moriarty and the countess that they have programmed a shuttle to accept voice commands - they can control the ship by simply telling it where they want to go. Riker suggests they make Meles II their first stop, as it is the closest inhabited planet and its inhabitants are friendly. Moriarty says he's sorry he won't be able to say goodbye to the captain in person, as Picard is still trapped on the holodeck in Moriarty's program. They board the Sakharov and take off, admiring the beautiful sight of the heavens. Finally Moriarty orders the shuttle computer to interface with the Enterprise and uses his codes to release the Enterprise computer back to Riker's control. Back in the shuttlebay, Picard enters and orders the computer to store his program Picard Delta One and discontinue simulation. The "real" Riker and Worf disappear, and the shuttlebay becomes a blank holodeck. Picard has fooled Moriarty with his own "false reality" trick. Picard then "leaves" the "holodeck" meeting Data and Barclay "outside". Now that Moriarty has released his control over the computer, Picard can discontinue Moriarty's fake Enterprise program. Picard checks in with Riker, who says their systems came back on line a few minutes ago, allowing them to move the Enterprise to a safe distance from the collision. Picard opens the door, and they are at last back aboard the real Enterprise. Before he leaves, Barclay opens a control panel by the holodeck door and removes a green plastic cube from the computer. Debriefing Riker, Picard explains that the Moriarty program is still running inside that cube, and that although it is not physically realized, the Moriarty program will continue, unaware of the deception. Barclay places the cube inside a portable unit which he says contains enough active memory to provide them new experiences for a lifetime. Deanna Troi observes that, in a way, Picard has indeed given them exactly what they asked for. Picard suggests that their own reality might just be existing in a little device sitting on somebody's table for all they know, leaving a nervous Barclay to try a "computer end program" command. As nothing happens, he smiles, reassured, before leaving the observation lounge. From a safe distance, the Enterprise observes the collision of planets and the formation of a star. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D has sent an away team composed of CMO Dr. Crusher, Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Commander Riker, and Lieutenant Worf to the Communications Relay Station 47. Upon arriving, they find the station abandoned and the audio monitoring system in disarray, with many subspace messages playing all at once. They also find a large, fluffy white dog, who is hiding inside a service duct. The station's shuttlecraft is missing, along with both Starfleet officers, Aquiel Uhnari and Keith Rocha. Dr. Crusher discovers cell residue which must be the remains of one of the personnel. The blood traces match those of Uhnari, so Crusher assumes the cellular residue is Uhnari's also, but must study it further in her lab to make certain. Geordi La Forge explains to Riker that encrypted subspace messages are all sent through a particular channel, and that someone has tried to bypass the access protocols, perhaps taking or rewriting some of the messages. La Forge accesses the station's logs from the nearby quarters, but at first can see only a handful of official and personal entries by Uhnari. He peruses the logs accompanied by the dog, whom he discovers was Uhnari's pet. Uhnari seems to be an upbeat person, though appeared to have some problems with Rocha. The computer cuts out. Meanwhile in sickbay, Dr. Crusher tries to get a clear DNA sample from the metallic plate, she guesses to Picard and Riker that a high-level phaser blast caused the death. It also could have been a Klingon disruptor, but Picard needs evidence since Klingon attacks have not occurred for seven years. La Forge orders a diagnostic while he gets a coffee. Soon, he gets a visual of Uhnari. Uhnari's personal letters continue to reveal her to be a spirited, romantic Haliian woman who was abused by her father, is intensely homesick for the rest of her family and traditions, and has difficulty getting along with "egomaniac" Rocha. At one point she confesses countermanding his orders. Uhnari also mentions in her log that Commander Morag, an aggressive Klingon, has been harassing and threatening the station. La Forge reports this to Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and he then asks the Klingon governor Torak to investigate. At first, the governor is hesitant to help but Picard uses his influence as Gowron's Arbiter of Succession to convince him to help. La Forge watches more of Lieutenant Uhnari's personal logs in his quarters. In the log, she states that she misses her mother's own muskan seed punch and how the replicators on the station cannot quite make it the same when a loud bang is heard. Uhnari asks if its Rocha. The log suddenly goes to static. Back on the station, Worf, Riker and La Forge continue the investigation. Worf finds Klingon DNA traces. La Forge has most of Uhnari's logs, but cannot find Rocha's, telling Riker that  whatever happened to the station's encrypted messages had a cascade effect on the communications storage system. Eventually, the governor arrives at the Enterprise's position on the IKS Qu'Vat. Worf escorts Torak to the observation lounge and the governor has Uhnari brought in, very much alive. Uhnari claims that Rocha suddenly and irrationally attacked her; she first tried to access the weapons locker, but next remembers escaping in the shuttle; she was picked up by the Klingons. Possibly owing to a head injury, Uhnari's memory for exactly what happened is spotty, but she doesn't remember Morag on the station when she left. Torak is faced with the evidence of Klingon DNA on the station, and continues to be angered by the accusation of any Klingon involvement. He permits them to talk to Morag. Dr. Crusher now assumes that the cellular residue on the station's deck plate is Rocha, but continues to analyze it. While they wait for Commander Morag to arrive, La Forge escorts Uhnari out of the lounge, telling her he has a friend of hers that is probably eager to see her. La Forge brings Uhnari to his quarters, where he reunites her with her dog whose name is revealed to be Maura, named after a character in Cold Moon Over Blackwater, a gothic novel. He tells her she probably wants to be alone in assigned quarters after her recent ordeal. However, she tells him that she would like to go to a place that has a lot of activity since she has spent nine months on the station with only Rocha to talk to. They go to Ten Forward, where La Forge seems to know quite a bit about Uhnari, such as getting her muskan seed punch to drink and that she lived on a house on a hill growing up, which surprises the lieutenant. La Forge then confesses that he has reviewed her logs, as well as her personal correspondence. He explains that they thought she had been murdered and needed to investigate. She eventually understands. La Forge brings up her contemptuous relationship with her superior officer, Keith Rocha. She considered him hostile and obnoxious and felt she had to battle him to hold her own. But, she insists, she did not want to see him dead. La Forge asks why Rocha attacked her but Uhnari does not know. While taking Uhnari to her quarters, she asks La Forge, since he knows her the best from anyone on the Enterprise, if she seems like a person who would murder someone. La Forge admits she doesn't. She wishes him a good night in Haliian. Riker has Rocha's Starfleet ID file brought up to Picard on his desktop monitor, showing that he was not as nasty as Uhnari's experience of him; in fact, he seems to have been a bright and promising officer. Uhnari's duty records, on the other hand, show her to be difficult and argumentative from her previous posting on Deriben V. Picard orders Riker to examine the shuttle to shed more light on her story, since there's still no hard evidence. There, Worf finds a missing phaser from the station in the shuttlecraft: it is set to kill. Circumstantial evidence now points to her as possibly having killed Rocha, but she hotly denies this to Riker and Worf. Riker informs her that the phaser was found on level ten and all phasers in weapons lockers are set on level one. Uhnari still cannot recall what happened after her struggle with Rocha but admits she may have used the phaser in self-defense. Riker tells her that to inflict the cellular damage found in Rocha's remains, it would take a sustained phaser blast on level ten of thirty to forty seconds. At this point, La Forge defends her, saying that the phaser found hasn't even been established to be the murder weapon. La Forge tells Riker he is heading back to the station to try to retrieve Rocha's logs. Riker stops him and asks that he not get involved more with Uhnari, so his relationship doesn't cloud his judgment. La Forge responds back that he's "not the one making judgments." Commander Morag arrives shortly thereafter. He describes how he investigated the station when they did not answer his hails. He confesses that he was the one who tried to bypass the access protocols and filched a number of priority Starfleet messages, but that while he saw blood and signs of a struggle, he did not kill anyone. Torak has Morag remain on the Enterprise under Starfleet custody at Picard's request, as he does not want to cause a diplomatic incident with the Federation. On the station, La Forge discovers that Uhnari had established a subspace link with a console on the relay station and deleted a number of Rocha's personal logs, including a letter he was planning to send to Starfleet. Citing her as "belligerent and insubordinate", Rocha had planned to ask for a formal hearing. She explains that she did so because she was afraid that if Starfleet found the letter, they would blame her for the murder. Knowing her pattern of running away in panic when she is afraid, La Forge advises her to stay and face what has happened, and she agrees. They kiss passionately. On the Enterprise, Dr. Crusher continues to examine the cellular residue in sickbay, which suddenly, upon contact with her skin, takes the form of her hand. On the station, Uhnari and La Forge are quite close, and she introduces him to a Haliian custom in which their minds can telepathically connect, amplified by a large crystal ornament called a Canar. Meanwhile, Crusher explains to Picard that these are not Rocha's remains, but a coalescent organism that feeds off other lifeforms, then assumes their shape. Rocha never worked at the station; it was the shapeshifter who killed him at his last post of duty in the remote Triona system and took his place. Crusher warns that what appears to be Uhnari may actually be the creature, the same applies for Morag. Worf and Riker leave to find them. While Uhnari and Morag are examined, La Forge returns to his quarters, where he's been keeping Maura. The dog attacks him; revealing that she is the coalescent organism, not Uhnari. When it starts morphing again, La Forge shoots at it with his phaser, this has virtually no effect until he ups his phaser settings and so kills the creature. In Ten Forward, La Forge tells his theory, that Uhnari's memory loss after the Rocha-like creature attacked her was caused by the beginning coalescing process; which explains her feeling of having her memory drained out. Uhnari realizes she may indeed have taken the phaser and shot. She is grateful to La Forge for his advice and friendship but refuses his offer to recommend her for a post. She knows she is not an ideal Starfleet officer, but tells him she is considering staying in Starfleet and perhaps one day serving aboard the Enterprise. 
<EOS>
Deanna Troi slowly awakens in a dark room, and is shocked to discover when she activates the room's light above a mirror that she has been surgically altered to appear Romulan. She doesn't know why or even where she is. A real Romulan, Sub-Commander N'Vek, suddenly enters, and immediately begins giving her instructions. He explains she is on the Imperial Romulan Warbird Khazara, but refuses to answer any more of her questions, insisting that there is no time for a full explanation. He instructs her that she must act as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, and she must tell the captain of this vessel, Commander Toreth, to alter course to the Kaleb sector. When Troi refuses to comply with his instructions and demands answers, he contends that her best chance of survival is to do what he says. Troi senses no deception from him through her empathic senses, so she decides to go along with his plan for now. When Troi meets Toreth, Troi is at first demure, and fails to display the commanding assertiveness of a Tal Shiar agent. The commander soon begins to press Troi for answers, and begins to get angry. This forces Troi to also become forceful. When Toreth backs down, Troi realizes that maintaining her cover means also maintaining this harsh facade throughout the ordeal. Ensign Stefan DeSeve, a Human who had defected to the Romulan Empire, is beamed aboard the USS Enterprise-D. He is immediately put under arrest by Riker for treason and confined to quarters. Riker demands he change out from his Romulan uniform and into civilian clothing. DeSeve insists on speaking to the captain almost immediately. Riker promises he will tell him. When Captain Jean-Luc Picard sees him, DeSeve explains that Ambassador Spock is performing some "cowboy diplomacy," and that he wants Picard to rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb sector, and return its cargo to the Federation. After DeSeve explains his reasons for returning, Picard is willing to believe in his accuracy in delivering the message. He sets a course right away at warp factor eight. Meanwhile, on the Romulan ship, N'Vek explains to Counselor Troi what is in the cargo containers: Vice-Proconsul M'ret, one of the highest-level officials in the Romulan government, and his two top aides. N'Vek explains that he is part of Spock's underground, and is attempting to create a way for many dissidents to escape. The plan is to have this warbird rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter, where she and they will be taken to Federation space. She is there, instead of another Romulan, because if something goes wrong, a Starfleet officer is their only guarantee of success. In the meantime, Troi maintains her harsh Tal Shiar attitude. Over dinner, when Commander Toreth repeatedly attempts to flirt with notions of distaste and distrust of the intelligence service, she repeats her loyalty and service to the Romulan Empire, while critiquing the food, particularly the viinerine. When they arrive at the freighter, Troi senses that its captain is lying when he says the cargo will be delivered. She quietly informs N'Vek of this fact, and he simply destroys the ship without orders. Toreth is furious, and demands an explanation. N'Vek explains that Major Rakal ordered him to open fire. When pressed for an explanation, Troi does once again the only thing she can do: she threatens Toreth to justify her actions. She orders the commander to cloak and wait. Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at the coordinates specified to find no ship, or any within three light years. Picard has DeSeve brought to his ready room by Worf and demands an explanation from DeSeve, who cannot provide one, but reiterates his certainty of the information. He does add, however, that the freighter is old, and its speed and range is limited. Back on the Romulan ship, Troi engages in a heated argument with N'Vek. He justifies his actions by saying there was no alternative, and a lot of people have already died for this mission. He instructs her to go to the Federation outpost on Draken IV and use her Federation access codes to bypass the gravitic sensor net. When she explains this to Toreth, the commander is quite skeptical, and believes it is tactically unsound. Troi does the only thing she can, and pulls rank once again. Her plan will be acted upon. Before they can go to warp and head for Draken IV, however, the Enterprise appears in the area. Troi decides to change the plan and have the ship hold position. Toreth ignores her, and slowly begins to maneuver out of the debris field to avoid detection. Troi allows this to happen. The Enterprise, meanwhile, has been examining the debris. It is the remains of a freighter, one like they were supposed to meet. Commander Data's analysis concludes the freighter was destroyed by Romulan weapons within the last 4.3 hours. On the Romulan vessel, Troi is talking strategy with N'Vek. She wants to know if there is a way to allow the Enterprise to track them. N'Vek says that if there were, he wouldn't do it, because he wants to get them to a Federation base. Using more than the forcefulness of the major, furious for what he did to her, she shouts that they will now follow her plans, or she will pull rank and get him ejected into space for being a traitor. He then suggests there is a way, and has the ship's engineer, a sympathizer to the cause, misalign one of the warbird's nullifier cores. Sure enough, the Enterprise begins to pick up a moving magnetic distortion off their port side, which reappears and disappears. DeSeve believes that it could be a Romulan ship based on his understanding of their cloaking technology and their power source: an artificial quantum singularity. A system in less-than-perfect condition could produce detectable readings. Picard has the Enterprise head for the distortion. Toreth notices their movements, and isn't sure of their intent. She then orders a course directly under their hull; if the Enterprise moves, then they have detected the warbird, and she will attack and destroy them. The Enterprise detects the distortion moving towards them. Picard and DeSeve are baffled by this behavior, as Romulans only perform suicide attacks when the situation is desperate. With ninety seconds until impact, Picard concludes that they should move. When Commander Toreth gives the order to drop cloak and fire, Troi countermands her, declaring that such an attack would be foolish. The commander stands up for her abilities, causing Troi to order her removal from the bridge. Troi explains to the otherwise loyal junior officers that their families, as well as they, will bear the punishment of refusing to follow her orders, and takes command. Toreth steps down, and N'Vek is the first to take the major's orders. Troi suggests that they use discretion instead of a bold attack. She explains that she will offer a diplomatic solution, and destroy them after their shields are down. When the ship de-cloaks, and Troi addresses Picard on the viewscreen, the bridge crew restrains their surprise. Once she explains the attack in basic terms, she then suggests that she be beamed over to the Enterprise to discuss the matter. The Enterprise drops shields, and when N'Vek fires, he encodes a transporter beam inside the disruptor, and beams M'ret and his aides to the bridge. When the pilot reports that the Enterprise is undamaged,  N'Vek claims that their disruptor has malfunctioned, but a suspicious Toreth investigates and discovers that the disruptor has, in fact, been deliberately sabotaged to conceal a transporter beam.  The pilot tracks the beam to the cargo bay. Toreth declares that the major and N'Vek are both traitors.  N'Vek points his weapon at her, but the loyal Romulan pilot vaporizes him.  Toreth disarms Troi and demands to know what was in the cargo containers. When Troi refuses to answer, Toreth says they will eventually learn the truth and then execute her. As the warbird prepares to go to warp, they drop shields and cloak the ship. Just in time, the Enterprise beams Troi aboard. Troi is welcomed back aboard by Geordi La Forge, who takes her to sickbay. The Enterprise quickly leaves the area at Warp 9. After Doctor Beverly Crusher undoes her cosmetic surgery, Picard informs Troi that M'ret is grateful for her efforts.  Troi is glad to be back, but cites N'Vek as the hero, who sacrificed himself to save her. Picard assures Troi that N'Vek's efforts will not be in vain. 
<EOS>
In sickbay, Dr. Crusher orders the stasis units to be brought on-line and tells one of the medical staff that Dr. Selar can use Ward 3 for the ambulatory patients while she attends to the away team in the main area of sickbay. The away team, consisting of Commander Riker, Worf, Ensign Kellogg, and two security officers are transported in. After Worf lays Picard on the biobed, she asks how he was injured. Riker tells her that they were attacked by the Lenarians just outside a conference room. Dr. Crusher quickly deduces that Captain Picard has essentially had a heart attack, due to his artificial heart. She and Martinez, along with other medical staff, try to save the captain, though it seems that they are unable to. Picard suddenly finds himself in a white void of dazzling brilliance seemingly uninjured, except for the large burn on his uniform from the weapon that he was attacked with. After looking around with confusion for a few seconds, Picard sees a shining figure dressed in white holding out its hand. Picard walks towards the figure, who then holds out his hand. After Picard shakes hands with the figure, he is pulled into focus and turns out to be Q, who greets him "Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead." Picard pulls his hand sharply out of Q's and asks what happened, to which Q replies "I told you. You're dead, this is the afterlife, and I'm God."  Picard laughs in disbelief, but Q goes on to say that he had died approximately five minutes earlier. Picard still refuses to believe Q, on the basis of saying "I refuse to believe that the afterlife is run by you. The universe is not so badly designed."  Suddenly, Picard's father appears and starts lecturing him, telling Picard that joining Starfleet was destined to bring him to a bad end and then he hears all the people that had died because of things he did or failed to do. Picard refuses to respond to any of the people he hears, not wanting to play into Q's hand, though Q says he is doing this for Picard. Q then asks Picard if he has any regrets from his life, but Picard tells him that his only regret is "dying and finding you here."  In response, Q makes Picard's artificial heart appear in his hand. He asks why Picard needed it, and the story begins to play out, showing Picard as an ensign, fighting a Nausicaan, then getting stabbed through the heart and laughing. Picard admits that he did regret some things from earlier in his life. Suddenly, he is slapped by a woman and he finds himself in his living quarters as an ensign on Starbase Earhart. The woman who slapped him is Corlina, one of two dates that Picard set up and she found out a while back. She leaves and he turns around to find his two closest friends, Cortan "Corey" Zweller and Marta Batanides. Q appears in the room after Corey and Marta have left and convinces him he is back in 2327. Q explains it is two days before the fight with the Nausicaan, which Picard must choose whether to stop or not. Picard is adamant not to stop the fight in case he changes the timeline. Irritated, Q promises that nothing Picard does here will cause any major changes or affect anyone but himself. Frankly, he states, Picard is not that important. Satisfied, Picard accepts Q's terms and goes along in stopping the fight. By this time Picard realized that he is late for another date at the bar with an older woman named Penny. Later in the bar, Picard and Penny are seen talking to each other. Picard in his usual stiffness states that he just wants out. Penny, on the other hand wants Picard to make his advances. We learn from this exchange that Penny is from Rigel, her last name is Muroc, and she likes men in uniform. After the conversation Penny goes in for a kiss, but Picard meekly retreats from her advances. After the kiss, Picard goes on telling Penny that she is a "handsome woman" and he gets a drink splashed in his face for his comments. Q looks on as the bartender observing the conversation and Corey playing dom-jot. Picard goes over to Marta, who is watching Cory play his game. Marta asked what happened to his date and Picard tells her that she had to leave. At the same time, Corey is seen winning the game with one of the station's aliens. After some time, Corey wins the match and picks up his gambling tokens from the table. Marta states that Corey should give up Starfleet and play dom-jot professionally. Corey goes on saying that it was mostly math skills that helped him win that game. One of the Nausicaans interrupts the conversation and challenges Corey to a game. Corey accepts the challenge and the game starts. Throughout the game the Nausicaan dominates Corey and wins. After the game the three friends go back to their quarters to discuss why Corey lost so badly. Corey realized that the only way the Nausicaan won was by using a device that controls the balls on the table. He also wants to get even by rigging the table so the device will backfire. Picard by this point tries to dissuade him from going through with the plan. Corey agrees with Picard's reason and walks out. Marta notes that usually Picard plans the revenge. Picard counters by saying that they are officers now and not cadets any longer -- they need to set a different example. Picard and Marta are almost about to kiss when Q interrupts them as he delivers flowers to Picard, badly mangling his name as "John-Luck Pickerd". Marta comments that the flowers are from another of Picard's conquests and she leaves. Q and Picard talk about Marta being friends with him. Q notices that Picard regrets not having a romantic relationship with Marta, and he points that out to Picard. Q also points out that Corey is still going through with his plan anyway. Picard leaves to confront Corey about what he is doing. Picard goes to see Corey at the Bonestell Facility. Corey is under the table rigging it so he can win against the Nausicaan. Corey bumps his head when he thinks Picard is the gaming foreman checking up on the tables. Corey is happy to see Picard and asks him to help rig the table. Picard on the other hand is trying to stop him from making a big mistake. Corey states that Picard is acting like his mother and he should go away if he is not going to help. Picard threatens Corey to stop or he will tell the gaming foreman about what he has done and the two walk off. Picard goes and talks to Marta in her room. They both talk about Corey's rashness. Picard goes on saying that Corey and he will stay friends for years after this incident and hopes that stopping him won't jeopardize that friendship. The conversation gravitates towards how much Picard's personality has changed after graduation. Marta confesses that she finds his new personality "attractive." This causes both to reveal their feelings for each other and they passionately kiss. The next morning Picard wakes up to a soft caress on his earlobe and turns in bed to Marta. He is shocked to see it isn't Marta at all, but Q, who begins taunting him about his relationship with Marta. Picard meets her again, who expresses regret over what they did, fearing that it could have irreparably damaged their friendship. Later, the three friends go to the bar for one last big night out before they get shipped off to their first assignments. During this time, the same three Nausicaans that were there before taunt Corey about the game of dom-jot they'd played. Corey gets angry and tries to fight the Nausicaan, but Picard stops him before any real blows are exchanged, thus changing the timeline. In the original timeline, Picard helped Corey in the fight, and wound up getting stabbed in the heart. Now he makes the decision to walk away from the fight, protecting his heart but betraying his two friends. After the fight, Q states that Picard has changed history; he has alienated his friends, but he is alive, and with his real heart. Picard is then returned to the present, where, much to his surprise, his life is incredibly different: he is an assistant astrophysics officer on board the USS Enterprise-D, wearing a blue non-command uniform, a mere junior lieutenant with Worf as his immediate superior. Worf then asks him what is he doing on the bridge. Picard, disoriented, asks what is going on. Worf then looks at the PADD that he is holding and tells Picard that the PADD is for chief engineer Lieutenant Commander La Forge. Picard then asks who the captain of the ship is and Worf replies that it is Thomas Halloway. Picard goes to sickbay to talk with Dr. Crusher about his situation. When he enters sickbay, however, he finds Q in a 20th century doctor's uniform and speaking in a German accent. Q states that this is what happened to Picard's timeline per their agreement, after he stopped the fight with the Nausicaans. He now can live his life "in safety" running analyses, but not in command. Picard, in disbelief, goes to Ten Forward to get a second opinion from Commander Riker and Counselor Troi sitting together at a table. Picard soon discovers that he won't be promoted any time soon because he "just doesn't take risks" and "doesn't stand out." Picard then asks them if he is a good officer for command. They both agree that he is too timid and has never completed any big goals that he has attempted for himself. La Forge then summons Picard to deliver a report for which he has been waiting. Dejected by all this, Picard goes off to deliver the report and calls to Q from a turbolift about the situation. The doors open back to the white space. Q returns and explains that, although the injury nearly killed Picard, it also helped him realize how fragile life is, and thus made him more willing to take risks and make his mark on the universe. Picard asks him to let him reverse the changes he made, deciding that it would be better to die in the present with a satisfying life behind him rather than to continue living life as an average, dreary man bereft of passion and imagination. Q returns Picard back to the Bonestell Facility, moments before the fight with the Nausicaans, now three of them. One of the Nausicaans insults Picard, and the fight begins. As Picard is run through by one of the Nausicaans, he begins to laugh, knowing history has been set right, and is shown again in the present, lying on the biobed he was placed on after his injury, laughing as he comes to, his bionic heart reactivated. Picard and Riker speculate afterward in the observation lounge regarding Picard's experience, unsure if it was just a dream or another test by Q. Picard states that part of him can't believe that Q was willing to show compassion by giving him a second chance, but if it was Q then he is thankful for being allowed to see how important his decisions in life were -- he's not proud of many things he did in his youth, but when he pulled on this "loose thread," the tapestry of his whole life came apart. Riker wishes he could have known this young, cocky officer who went toe-to-toe with a massive Nausicaan, and Picard assures him that the stabbing was not his first unpleasant encounter with them, beginning the story from his sophomore year at the Academy on Morikin VII as the Enterprise continues on its way. 
<EOS>
As Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher walk down Deep Space 9's Promenade, Crusher tells Picard that she is eager to visit Quark's holosuites, especially a relaxation program from Alture VII. Picard has no time for relaxation, since he is due to meet with ten Bajoran bureaucrats to discuss the repair of the Bajoran aqueducts. Meanwhile, Worf and Geordi La Forge are in the Replimat, eating pasta al fiorella. La Forge wants to visit the station's Ktarian antique shop, as he hears they have a 21st century plasma coil. As they eat, a Yridian is watching Worf from across the Promenade. On the Enterprise bridge, Data detects a power drain in the starboard EPS conduits in sickbay. Someone has made an unauthorized access into the computer's bio-imaging systems from his console. In sickbay, Dr. Julian Bashir is studying a strange device. When Data arrives to assess the situation, Bashir explains that the device was discovered in the Gamma Quadrant, that he believes it to be some sort of medical imaging scanner, and that the Enterprise's sickbay systems can analyze it far better and faster than his limited resources on Deep Space 9 can. Data suggests that they take the device to engineering and have La Forge help them with the analysis. The Yridian introduces himself to Worf as Jaglom Shrek and reveals that his late father, Mogh, is in fact alive. Yridian Jaglom Shrek introduces himself as a broker of information. He says Mogh is being held prisoner in a Romulan prison camp. Enraged, Worf brands Shrek a liar and pins him to the wall, unwilling to believe that Mogh or any Klingon could have allowed himself to be captured at Khitomer. He threatens him for spreading lies and returns to the Enterprise. Worf finds that he cannot stop thinking about what Shrek told him. He verbally reprimands an ensign, and snaps at Riker. He immediately retires to his quarters, and begins some mok'bara training, breaking a glass table in a fit of rage. Counselor Troi enters just after and tries to talk to him about his problem, and Worf explains that if Mogh had indeed been captured, it would dishonor his whole family line for three generations, meaning even his son Alexander would also bear the dishonor. Meanwhile in engineering, Data and La Forge attempt to input energy from the dilithium crystal chamber to the inputs of Bashir's device. As they work, he finds his curiosity piqued by the android, asking him questions about how Data's miscellaneous functions allow him to seem more Human -- such as how he can control the rate of his hair growth, and his circulatory and respiratory systems. Powering up the Gamma Quadrant device, Bashir detects an overload in its power systems, and Data is struck by an energy discharge. Data suddenly finds himself walking down a corridor on board the Enterprise, drawn to the far-off sound of metal on metal. Exploring further, he finds a blacksmith, hammering a piece of metal. The blacksmith turns to Data and smiles -- it is Dr. Noonian Soong, Data's creator and "father". Data awakens from his "vision", and cannot understand what he has just experienced. There doesn't appear to be a problem with Data's positronic subprocessors or circuit controllers. Data's internal diagnostics don't reveal anything wrong with his memory, and no cognitive activity. There does not appear to be an immediate scientific explanation for what Data experienced. La Forge rules out easy explanations. They disconnect the device and Bashir suggests re-approaching the analysis given he is an exceptional machine. This prompts Data to seek out Worf, who had a vision when he was younger. Data finds him in Ten Forward, where he is still dwelling on his own thoughts. Despite his mood, he still engages Data in conversation. He becomes quite interested when Data explains he had a vision. Worf describes the Rite of MajQa and urges him to understand all he can from the experience, for it is very important one learn anything they can about their father. Data thanks him and leaves. Through talking to Data, Worf ultimately realizes what he must do. Worf checks the station records for Shrek's transportation to the station, and finds him on the second level Promenade. He "persuades" him to take him to the prison camp by holding Shrek over the railing, telling him he will take Worf there, and he will only be paid after the trip. Shrek says the prison is close to the Romulan Star Empire border, but Worf says it will be more dangerous for Shrek if he does not go. On the way to the planet in the Carraya sector, Worf determines he needs to beam down and make his way 12 hours to the camp, partly during night. Shrek has a map of the place. Worf questions him about why the planet isn't known to the Klingon Empire, but since he is only selling the information, he has not had an offer. Also, he "has his reasons." Meanwhile, Data talks to Captain Picard in his ready room about his vision; Picard suggests that rather than analyzing it from the point of view of another culture, Data should try interpreting what it means to him as an individual. Data goes to his quarters and starts to paint pictures of his vision. Worf and Shrek arrive on the Carraya IV where the prison camp is. Shrek tells him the location of the camp and he tells Worf will be back in fifty hours and gives him a homing device to help find his ship. After this, he begins his long trek through the jungle, with distant animal cries in the background. During the trek, Worf encounters a Klingon girl bathing in a small pool, though the ridges on her forehead are somewhat different. The girl is frightened by his intrusion, but Worf asks her to wait. He says he will take her home, but she is confused, saying she is home. When a Romulan guard comes near, he asks her not to reveal him to anyone and she goes toward the camp, with Worf quietly following. La Forge comes to Data's quarters since they were supposed to meet. Data's paintings are as incomprehensible as the vision, but certain paintings -- those of a bird, and a bird's wing -- were not present in the vision. Unable to understand how he could be painting something he has never seen, Data decides to replicate the accident with the experiment with the Gamma Quadrant device. La Forge reluctantly agrees. Monitored by La Forge and Bashir, Data is again struck by an energy beam and experiences another vision. He finds Soong once more, hammering a bird's wing on his anvil. Soong tells him that he has developed the capacity to dream; no man should understand his dreams, hence why they are incomprehensible. Soong tells Data he is proud of of him, assuming Data has developed enough cognitive ability while in fact the dream was caused by the energy beam. He then tells Data that he is the bird; Data "flies" through the corridors and out of the ship, before waking up in engineering. Finally understanding, he tells Bashir that there are circuits in his neural net that, until now, were dormant. It appears the plasma shock activated them prematurely, as Data believes Dr. Soong intended them to activate after a certain level of development. He intends to deactivate himself every night and dream more. Bashir mentions this could be a paper in the Starfleet Cybernetics Journal and asks to author it. Data permits it, and Bashir wishes him "sweet dreams" before departing the Enterprise for Deep Space 9. Meanwhile, Worf finds the Romulan prison camp and discovers a group of Klingons performing a ceremony. Taking one of them hostage briefly, he is told that his father did indeed die at Khitomer. He quickly learns that these Klingons are not treated as prisoners, but rather are living there together as a community and now that he knows of the camp's existence, he cannot be permitted to leave. 
<EOS>
After Worf is captured by the Romulans, he is told he will have to stay at the camp. He learns the story of the Klingons who were captured from L'Kor and Gi'ral. They were knocked unconscious due to explosions on a Klingon outpost during the Khitomer Massacre, and when they awoke in the prison camp, they failed to kill themselves through starvation. After interrogation, the Romulans tried to trade them for territory, but the Klingon Empire refused to accept that their warriors would have allowed themselves to be captured. When Tokath, the Romulan officer who captured them, offered to let them go, they did not wish to return and bring dishonor on their families. He took pity on them, and built the prison camp. Their own honor gone, the Klingons had nothing left to lose by staying prisoners. L'Kor asks Worf why he came, noting that if he had found his father, he would have found only dishonor. Worf tells him that he would be glad to see him; there is no room in his heart for shame. L'Kor says that if his son had found him here, he hopes he would be Klingon enough to kill him. Worf observes the Klingon children who live in the camp. Many of them are oblivious of their heritage, for example, a young male Klingon named Toq uses a gin'tak spear for tilling soil. When he asks Ba'el, she tells him the war is far away, and they are safe here. That is why their parents came here; to escape the fighting and find a safe place to raise their children. She seems to have no interest in the outside world. Worf suggests she tell her father she wants to visit the the Homeworld, and see what he says. He tries to reassure her that the war is over, and that The Homeworld is far safer than she has been taught, but her mother, Gi'ral, calls her home. It is clear that she does not want her daughter to speak with Worf. Worf's homing device goes off shortly thereafter and after Tokath visits his quarters and tells Worf that he has a Klingon wife, he attempts to escape. He manages to create a bomb from scavenged parts, and detonates it as a distraction as he scales the wall. However, one of the Romulans guards sees him and begins pursuit. When Worf thinks he has outwitted them, and arrives at Shrek's ship, Toq tackles him. When Worf is about to strike him, he is surprised to see it is Toq and, during this pause, the Romulans recapture him. Aboard the USS Enterprise, the Yridian vessel cannot be found on long range scanners, the only hope of finding Worf is to contact DS9 and retrieve the ship's flight plan. Meanwhile, Worf has a tracking device implanted under his skin: Tokath allows L'Kor to deal with Worf, but warns that "If he becomes a disruption, I will not be so tolerant.". Toq is instructed to guard him and make sure he does not cause further trouble. Restless, Worf practices mok'bara in the courtyard in front of the Klingon youths. When Ba'el is confused by the mok'bara, he explains it to her. When other Klingons, including Ba'el, copy him, Toq objects and places his hands on Worf's shoulder. Worf carefully but forcefully flips him to the ground. "These forms are the basis for Klingon combat", he explains. He offers to instruct Toq in Klingon combat techniques, but Toq leaves to tell L'Kor about Worf's behavior. Meanwhile, when her mother is out, Ba'el sneaks inside her home and shows Worf several Klingon objects, disused and tarnished, such as a d'k tahg knife with a rusted blade. She tells him she is not supposed to look at these things. He identifies them to her, including a jinaq, a necklace given to a daughter who has come of age, old enough to take a mate. Just then, her mother enters. She tells Ba'el these things are not needed here and commands Worf to leave. He does, satisfied that her daughter's doubt is well-planted. Later that night, Worf tells the children the ancient story of Kahless the Unforgettable. Toq claims that these stories were impossible, that Worf was making it up. Worf explains these are Klingon legends, and they tell us "who we are"; it is not made up. L'Kor interrupts, telling them it is time to sleep, and the group disbands. Ba'el asks Worf, later, if the stories are true. He says he finds new truths in them every day. She then asks if Kahless ever took a mate, obviously asking a different question. When Worf moves to kiss her, he brushes back her hair to find a pointed ear. He reacts instantly, backing off in surprise, shocked that Ba'el is a Romulan. Worf is indignant; the Romulans are without honor, he growls. She defends her father, saying he is kind, generous, and settled here to escape the wars like her mother did. He tells Ba'el to ask her mother about it but she angrily walks away. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, Geordi La Forge examines the Yridian's flight plan. He identifies two systems close to Romulan space: Nequencia and Carraya, so Picard tells him to head for the closest one, which is Carraya. Worf attempts to make amends with Ba'el. He apologizes, saying he was surprised, but it is clear he still holds her father in contempt. She demands that he accept her for who she is and leave the hatred behind. He is unsure if he can do that. She storms off, angry. When he leaves, he sees the other children, including Toq, playing a game. A line of short spears are set up, a row of spears, Qa'vaks, resting on top of several pairs and a large hoop is rolled between them. The object appears to be to knock off all the spears resting on the others. However, when the hoop is rolled, Worf throws one of the spears through the middle of the hoop as it is rolling. Worf explains that these spears are used in The Hunt, a ritual which tells Klingons where they came from. He sighs, and says perhaps Toq is too young to master the skill. Toq cannot resist this challenge. His first throw is strong, but inaccurate. Worf suggests Toq aim along his arm, which works. Worf suggests they go on the ritual hunt, and Toq agrees, but protests that Worf is not allowed to leave the compound. Worf talks to Tokath and L'Kor, who considers the idea ludicrous. Worf protests that he cannot just sit idly in the compound, and offers his word that he will not try to escape, which fails to convince Tokath. L'Kor points out that Worf gave them his word as a warrior, as L'Kor did years ago, promising never to leave the camp: thus Worf should be trusted. Tokath says that L'Kor will be the one who is taking the risk. L'Kor allows them to go, but tells Toq to take a weapon and to kill Worf if he tries to escape. Worf has found prey, with Toq just behind him. Upon learning to smell the prey, Toq is amazed, feeling more alive than ever before. He claims he was never taught anything of being a warrior, Worf tells him there is much that he was never taught. When Toq and Worf return to the others at dinner, Toq has clearly embraced his heritage, now. He has a dead creature in his arms, which he triumphantly drops at the head table before L'Kor and Tokath. Tokath orders him to get that off his table, but Toq boldly states that he will get rid of it, but not until it's been cooked. Toq then triumphantly explains that the Klingons here have forgotten themselves, and sings a song the young Klingons knew only as a lullaby, as a victory chant. All of the Klingons, including L'Kor and Ba'el, slowly join in. Tokath stares at Worf, and knows he has to deal with him. He later takes Worf aside and tells him that he has given up his career to create something wonderful and unique; a place where Romulans and Klingons live together in peace; and Worf is about to destroy all that. Worf argues that they live in harmony, because they have never learned what it is to be powerful. Otherwise, they would leave. Tokath considers the argument futile and instead offers Worf an ultimatum: live here and don't cause any more trouble, or be put to death. Worf chooses death. That honorable death, he says will show the young people: what it is to die as a Klingon. Ba'el urges Worf to attempt escape, offering to remove the tracking device, but he will not run. She believes her father was wrong, that Worf doesn't deserve to die. Worf refuses. "They will kill me", he says, "but they will not defeat me." She wants to know if he loves her, despite everything. He says he does, and he didn't think it possible. If he could leave with her, he would, but they can't. The next day, when Worf stands against the wall, staring at the firing squad, Tokath gives a short speech about how he has agonized over this decision, but has concluded that this is absolutely necessary: He cannot allow Worf to destroy what everyone else has built. Worf, with his final words, explains the truth: he has brought something "dangerous" to the children, knowledge of their origins and the real reasons why they are here. As the two Romulans are about to fire, Toq appears, in a full suit of warrior's armor with a gin'tak spear. To kill Worf, he says, they will have to kill him as well, for he would also rather die than accept this way of life -- and there are many others who Tokath will have to kill to keep the community here. When Toq does not move, L'Kor stands by them. One by one, a dozen others also come beside and behind them, including Ba'el. Gi'ral has him call it off. They avoided dishonoring their children back on the homeworld, she says, but they have lost sight of the children they have raised on this planet. They should be set free if they wish to go. Worf accepts her compromise, and explains to the children that their parents are now making yet another great sacrifice, and that to honor their parents, the children must never reveal their secret. Ba'el stays behind. When Picard asks Worf if he found what he was looking for, Worf answers no, there was no prison camp. The young people, he says, are survivors from a vessel that crashed several years ago. With a knowing look, the captain says he understands. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is at the Remmler Array where they are scheduled for a baryon sweep, a maintenance cycle that removes large amounts of radiation that builds up in the hulls of starships that travel for extended periods at warp. The sweep is lethal to organic matter, so there is a flurry of activity as the entire ship is being evacuated prior to the sweep, and various last-minute problems (such as slow progress on Deck 7 and a lack of storage for Dr. Crusher's living tissue samples) are being quickly addressed. Captain Picard is less than enthusiastic over the visit, as he has to meet with Commander Calvin "Hutch" Hutchinson, a Starfleet officer known for his gift of gab. Coincidentally, Data is studying the concept of "small talk", and during their turbolift ride to the bridge, Data tries to break the silence this way; Picard recommends that Data study Hutchinson so as to learn from an expert on the subject. Arriving on the bridge, Picard is met by both La Forge and Worf, speaking simultaneously. Worf reports that Picard must give his authorization to disable command functions during the sweep. Then La Forge informs Picard that he needs to install additional field diverters to protect the primary systems on board, such as the computer core and the bridge. He needs the equipment because the amount of radiation in the hull is so high (due to the Enterprise's high amount of warp use--double the average) that the baryon sweep may be more intense than normal. Picard agrees and instructs the ship's computer to shut down the primary systems in 30 minutes, allowing enough time for the diverters to be installed first. Worf then asks permission to be excused from Hutchinson's reception. When La Forge witnesses Picard agree, he attempts to do the same only to be denied because Picard can't excuse all of the senior staff, and Worf asked first.  Picard confirms the time of the sweep to Orton, the station administrator, and takes one last look around the bridge. He then sees a crew walking onto the bridge to install some equipment. Assuming that was the crew that La Forge ordered, he thinks nothing of it and transports to Hutchinson's reception at the Arkaria Base. True to form, Hutchinson greets each member of the crew and talks about horn fowl mating, weather conditions, and horseback riding with little interaction from them. Data, following Picard's advice, is studying Hutchinson from afar: mimicking his hand movements and facial expressions. Briefly practicing on Crusher and Riker, he appears to be over-doing it, but Riker is quite amused. Picard hears about the horseback riding and sees a way to escape from the meeting -- the damp weather and isolation on the trails sounds perfect -- and returns to the Enterprise to get his saddle. After retrieving his saddle, Picard walks to the transporter room with minutes before the sweep is to occur, but stops when he notices an open ODN junction with a severed ODN line. He encounters Devor, who says he is performing last minute maintenance to the systems before the baryon sweep begins. Picard agrees to let Devor get back to his work and starts to walk away. Devor attempts to attack Picard from behind with a laser welder, but Picard disables him with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Picard then runs to the transporter room with 30 seconds to go before the main computer shuts down the primary systems. Picard then sees several other people on the ship, but successfully hides from them in order to escape. Meanwhile, the baryon sweep has begun, starting at the warp nacelles. He enters the transporter room and starts the transporter, but he is too late and it immediately shuts down once he stands on the transporter pad. He is now trapped on the Enterprise. Data is continuing his small talk on Orton, still with little success while Hutchinson talks to Riker. After a little bit of maneuvering, he introduces Hutchinson to Data, who has been practicing Hutchinson's technique and is now ready to engage Hutchinson himself in conversation. They hit it off. Picard drags Devor to sickbay and asks him what he is doing on his ship, threatening him with a phaser, and then the laser welder when Devor tells him that his phaser wouldn't work. Devor refuses to help him; after all, Picard won't kill him because he is a Starfleet officer. Picard instead knocks him out with a hypospray. Picard takes Devor's communicator to listen in on the intruders' communications. Picard walks through the Enterprise where he is captured by Kiros and taken to Main Engineering. At Arkaria Base, the other crew watch with fascination as Hutchinson and Data continue to talk: Hutchinson is a pro, but Data is a fast learner with inhuman patience. Just then, La Forge notices unusual energy readings underneath a reception table and asks a member of the staff if he can take a look at it. The staff tells him there's nothing to worry about. Riker is wondering why the staff is trying to move La Forge from the table. Orton then pulls out a disruptor and shoots La Forge. An accomplice uses another disruptor to shoot Hutchinson. The base has been overtaken in a surprise attack. On the Enterprise, Picard meets Kelsey and her crew, who are attempting to steal trilithium resin from the Enterprise's warp core. Picard tells her that he is Mot, the ship's barber and that he got lost on the ship trying to collect his saddle. Picard is held under guard by Satler but eyes the field diverter with interest. Hutchinson was killed by the surprise attack in Arkaria Base, and La Forge is seriously injured. The rest are being held hostage but are trying to assess the situation with help from Deanna Troi's empathic abilities. The assailants have made no demands or claims, which indicates a strategic rather than psychological motive, and their anxiety indicates they're off schedule (probably because La Forge blew their cover). They're improvising, so if they plan well, they could seize the initiative. Data recommends modifying La Forge's VISOR to produce a hypersonic pulse, knocking out everyone in the room near-instantly except himself. Riker agrees but cautions to proceed covertly. Kelsey and company still don't know that Picard has knocked out Devor and taken his laser welder. He uses this to make a move. Keeping the tool behind his back, he maneuvers it into an inlet underneath an engineering console and fires into it. This produces an overheat and activates the emergency coolant systems. Picard then uses the distraction to make an escape into the Jefferies tubes as the isolation door begins to close. Before he leaves, though, he fires on and shorts out Kelsey's field diverter: rendering Engineering unsafe from the sweep. Satler follows him. Through the tubes, Picard is attempting to escape but finds the baryon sweep behind the door in front of him. Satler follows down the same corridor but only finds a closed door and Picard's jacket. By the time he realizes it's covering a hole in the floor that Picard had cut to escape, the baryon sweep passes the closed door. Satler is heard to scream as the baryon sweep consumes him; Picard pauses briefly at this, a look of regret on his face that the man's death was so painful. Picard himself prepares to make a stand, taking a crossbow from Worf's quarters. The communicator then relays Kelsey's plans. With Engineering no longer safe, they improvise a device to move the trilithium resin to Ten Forward, the last place to be scanned by the baryon sweep. Picard jumps on the communicator and warns her not to move such an unstable substance, but she refuses, saying that if he hadn't disabled her field diverter, she wouldn't have to improvise. She also knows Picard is a Starfleet officer since he'd left his combadge behind in the tube. Picard responds by making it difficult to travel to Ten Forward: cutting the rungs in the Jefferies tubes and forcing Kelsey into a longer, more random, alternative route. She and Picard continue to verbally fence through the communicator, trying to intimidate each other. On the station, Crusher uses a request for water to relay to Troi that the hypersonic pulse is almost ready, but a bright light that will appear from the VISOR when she finishes the configuration; she needs a distraction. Commander Riker creates a diversion by starting a fistfight with Orton. Riker is knocked out, but it works. Crusher finishes the modification without further incident. Pomet is searching for Picard when he's struck in the leg by a crossbow bolt. He quickly passes out. The substance that had been applied to the tip turns out to be a tranquilizer which will keep him unconscious for a while. But as Picard attempts to extract the bolt, Kiros appears, laser welder drawn at him. Word of "Mot's" capture is relayed to Kelsey as Kiros leads Picard away. Meanwhile, Kelsey and Neil are making their way through the Jefferies tubes. But when Neil passes the trilithium to Kelsey and explains how to unload it, she promptly points her welder at him. When she finally emerges in Deck 10 and rejoins Kiros, Kelsey claims Neil got caught by the baryon sweep. Kiros notes Picard shot Pomet. Picard says that he is still alive but he will not be for much longer; they cannot go back for him as the baryon sweep is entering his location and will kill him. Back on the planet, a signal indicating an incoming ship is approaching. Data and the others realize it's probably the terrorists' escape craft. Riker relays instructions to Data, the only one who will remain conscious after the pulse activates: stop that ship. Crusher activates the hypersonic pulse, and it works as planned. Data soon proceeds unhindered to the control panel. As Kelsey, Kiros, and Picard approach Ten Forward, Picard decides to reveal his true identity, hoping to be taken as a hostage, but Kelsey reveals that the trilithium is her sole objective. She's not a terrorist as Picard had suspected but a merciless thief who will steal and sell to anyone willing to pay; her only motive is profit. As they enter Ten Forward, though, Picard has another trap ready. He steps over several strips along the floor, but Kiros steps on one. It promptly bursts into an intense flash, stunning her. Kelsey is knocked back as well, and she drops the trilithium. She and Picard fight even as the baryon sweep finally enters Ten Forward. Kelsey eventually fights her way free of Picard and grabs the trilithium container, but Picard makes a grab for it also. Finally, Kelsey knocks Picard away and holds him at gunpoint, freeing her to be transported to her ship. But with the sweep approaching, Picard's main concern is shutting it off. After several attempts to contact the station and have the sweep terminated, it finally shuts off with mere meters to spare. Data asks about the ship that had transported someone off the Enterprise, to which Picard replies that they "won't get very far."  He reveals that he removed the stabilizer during the scuffle, and watches through the forward windows as Kelsey attempts to escape, only to have the resin destabilize and destroy her ship. The explosion rocks the Enterprise slightly. Picard is in sickbay where he is being treated for the injuries he incurred with the fight in Ten Forward with Kelsey. Picard is more concerned with getting back his saddle, which he left on Deck 7 after he was attempting to transport off the Enterprise before the baryon sweep began. Worf finds the saddle, which had been placed in a maintenance locker, and Picard says he regrets not being able to use it on an actual horse. "Of course", Worf replies. 
<EOS>
Captain Picard is up and active early in the morning. He finds that stellar cartography has ordered the shutdown of several systems he wishes to use, such as communications, the library computer and even the replicator. He decides to head down there and meets the new head of the department, Lieutenant commander Nella Daren: she is very strong-willed and he instantly takes a liking to her. The Enterprise is heading to the Borgolis Nebula for scientific study. Picard says it will be interesting to see what comes out of it. He heads to dinner with Doctor Crusher and, during, brings up Daren and her research since it captured his interest. Afterwards, they head to a musical performance with Commander Data, Ensign Cheney and, to Picard surprise, Commander Daren on piano. They begin with Chopin's Trio in G minor. After the concert is a reception. Picard and Crusher congratulate Data and Daren, and Data notices the increased applause volume. Data and Crusher leave to congratulate Cheney, leaving Picard and Daren. They have a brief discussion about her performance during which she discovers that he is an amateur musician. He remarks on her musical choices, and she replies that he should expect the unexpected, echoing his remark to her earlier. Daren goes to Riker to request more time on the arrays since her team is in the middle of something. However, it's already been claimed by engineering. She pushes, but Riker can only promise to give her time tomorrow. She has to live with it. Daren comes to Picard's quarters as he is working on Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto. She is immediately interested in the Ressikan flute he is playing, and asks how long he has played it. He simply responds, "a long time" and initially refrains from playing in front of her. She asks to try it, and he ends up demonstrating. She entices him to join her in duet while she plays along with a portable piano. He's having a lot of fun with the improvisations she brings out in him. The next day, both Picard and Daren are in a great mood. Picard asks Riker to fence with him jovially. Riker says he's not good, but, like Daren said last night, Picard replies "it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it." Daren, meanwhile, gets treated for an arm strain in sickbay, informing Crusher that she spent time with Picard the previous night. The two begin playing duets on a regular basis. Daren brings Picard that night to the fourth intersect in Jefferies tube 25, which she says is the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship. Picard shares with her the folk melody he learned during life as Kamin on the planet Kataan, but does not tell her its origin. The two begin playing a duet of the melody, which could be heard in main engineering by Geordi La Forge who, confused, enters the Jefferies tube junction to try and work out where it is coming from. However, when Data enters the junction too, the music has stopped, because back in the tube, Picard and Daren are sharing a passionate kiss. Later, Picard and Daren ride in a turbolift when another crew member enters. Picard immediately stops their personal conversation and changes his demeanor to professional and gets off at his stop. In the meantime, The Federation outpost at Bersallis III reports a period of fire storms beginning and the Enterprise goes to study the phenomenon. In his ready room, Picard asks Counselor Troi about his relationship with Daren, expressing his concerns that becoming involved with a subordinate could compromise his objectivity. Troi reassures him, so he then goes to stellar cartography to talk to Daren. He apologizes for his behavior in the turbolift, and assures her that he is just inexperienced with this type of relationship. He also assures her that he is not given to casual relationships. He takes her to his quarters and explains to her the story of his time as Kamin, and the significance of his music to him. Daren catches Commander Riker to ask about Cabot's transfer to her department from quantum mechanics. He doesn't want to grant the request, but feels uncomfortable due to her relationship with Captain Picard. He discusses this with Picard who assures him that he is free to do his job as usual. Picard later shares the experience with Daren and explains that they need to be aware of other people's perceptions. They get on with their evening when Worf reports in that the firestorms on Bersallis III have changed their speed and heading and begin to head towards the outpost. They request evacuation, and so Picard has to leave. In the observation lounge, the senior staff as well as Daren and Marquez discuss the situation. They determine that there will not be enough time to evacuate. Daren suggests using thermal deflector units that she used to study a plasma geyser on Melnos IV to create a "firewall" to block the storms temporarily. La Forge and Data confirm the idea, stating that the units require personnel to operate. Picard approves and Riker gets to work, ordering Commander Daren to lead the deflector deployment, Data to coordinate the evacuation, Marquez to track the storm, and Crusher to get their patients up to the Enterprise. When everyone is dismissed, Picard expresses concern for Daren, but she reminds him that they agreed not to let the relationship get in the way of their work. The Enterprise arrives at the planet. Marquez beams down first and informs them they have 50 minutes before the storm hits. In the hustle of the rest of the team getting in place to transport, Daren and Picard share a silent last look. The team has been on the planet for 30 minutes. Progress is good, though the storm gains speed and the ionization from the storm slows down the evacuation efforts. Soon, all of the infirmary patients are brought aboard. They realize the deflector teams will need to stay near the deflectors since the remote control won't work. All of the colonists are evacuated, but the storm reaches the perimeter before the last two perimeter teams, including Daren's, cannot be retrieved. Worried that something might have happened to her, Picard reflects on the situation in his quarters when he is informed by Worf that survivors have been discovered. He goes to the transporter room, but does not find Daren among them. As he is about to leave, Daren is beamed aboard with another survivor, Deng. Eight crew members ultimately lose their lives. Later, Daren explains to Picard how they managed to survive by modifying their phasers to create pockets of safety. She and Deng survived but they lost Richardson. Picard tells her about the moment in his quarters when he thought that she was dead. He tells her that he has lost people under his command, people who were very dear to him, but never someone he has been in love with. And when he believed that she was dead, he began to shut down: he did not want to think or feel. That was when he retreated and felt that the only thing remaining to him was his music, and how it would never again give him joy. Picard and Daren realize that they can never have a relationship while she is under his command where he is responsible for putting her life in jeopardy in the line of duty. They discuss whether one of them could give up their career and follow the other, but immediately realize that this would not be satisfactory. Hence, Daren decides to apply for transfer. Picard suggests that they coordinate their shore leaves together, but both know that their relationship will never be the same again. The two share one last kiss and she asks Picard to promise her that he will not give up his music. 
<EOS>
While the USS Enterprise-D is studying protostars in the Volterra Nebula, Captain Picard receives an unexpected visit from Richard Galen, a reclusive professor, and personal mentor of his, from Starfleet Academy. In the Enterprise's observation lounge, Galen gives the captain a rare archaeological gift, a Kurlan naiskos, and encourages him to take a leave of absence from Starfleet to go on an expedition of vast importance to the galaxy. Picard and Galen sit together in Ten Forward. Galen urges him to accept, telling Picard that when he announces his findings, it will be heard across the galaxy. Picard asks the professor if he can sleep on it. "Dream not of today", he tells the captain. Picard briefly mulls it over while talking to Dr. Crusher the next morning at breakfast, but knows that he can never leave the Enterprise, despite the tempting offer. He informs Galen that he cannot go with him, and receives a bitter rebuke from his former teacher, who immediately leaves on a shuttlecraft for his next destination. Not long after, the Enterprise receives a distress call from Galen's shuttle, as it is under attack by a Yridian vessel. With a moderate phaser hit, Worf destroys the ship, but he is confused as he should not have been able to. They barely retrieve the professor, but, unfortunately, Galen dies in sickbay -- telling Picard with his last breath that his earlier rebuke had been too harsh. Data and Geordi La Forge discover that Galen tried to protect certain files in his computer system when the Yridians attacked. However, without anything to narrow their search, it will be almost impossible to discover what the number blocks actually mean. Assuming the Yridians were going to sell the information, Picard asks about where Galen was. Data says his course had taken him through a star system with no current inhabitants, but with a planet, Ruah IV, capable of sustaining life. Picard abandons the ship's current diplomatic timeline to the planet Atalia VII to follow the clues in the number blocks listed in Galen's database. It will take four days to get there. When they arrive, they see that there are some proto-hominids, but no sign of previous civilizations. Picard recalls that Galen was planning to head to Indri VIII on his archaeological expedition. Picard believes here is some connection between the two planets and he intends to find it, though Riker reminds him of the diplomatic responsibilities. When the Enterprise arrives at Indri VIII, they find the planet's atmosphere being destroyed, killing all life on the planet. Picard asks if they can prevent the destruction but Worf announces that the effect is global; they cannot stop it. In a science lab, Crusher and Picard discover that the number blocks from Galen's database are actually DNA strands from 19 different species. Crusher has all the DNA strands combined together by protein link compatibility. It forms a strange shape that Picard and Crusher cannot identify. In engineering, Commander La Forge tells Picard and Crusher that it is not part of a natural design but rather an algorithm, suggesting that it is part of some kind of program. Picard, Data, Crusher and La Forge cannot determine what the purpose of the program is or why someone designed it apparently 4 billion years before. La Forge has tried every DNA material in the Enterprise's database to run the program but they cannot find any compatible protein combinations. Picard muses on this computer program designed by an apparently advanced civilization four billion years ago. "Whatever information this program contains could be the most profound discovery of our time or the most dangerous. The professor knew that." In Picard's ready room, he remembers Galen telling him earlier that he was in the neighborhood near Kurl. Crusher suggests he was in the Kurlan system collecting DNA samples. Picard, while looking through a PADD, finds that only one planet in the Kurlan system is capable of supporting life: Loren III. Picard has the Enterprise proceed to Loren III at maximum warp where they are immediately confronted by two Cardassian warships, prepared to attack in order to protect the planet for only their scientific mission. Immediately, the IKS Maht-H'a, a Klingon Vor'cha-class attack cruiser, decloaks, making the situation all the more tense. Picard decides to invite the commanding officers of each vessel to the Enterprise to discuss the situation and collaborate. Meeting Gul Ocett and captain Nu'Daq, he plays his cards, relating that the Enterprise crew has determined that Galen's research leads them to believe that a computer program has been written and scattered throughout the galaxy, being stored in the genetic code of organisms on certain planets. An uneasy truce is forged between the three powers so as to share the data the three factions contain. In the science lab, Ocett and Nu'Daq provide their samples. Combined, it appears there are still missing pieces. Picard supposes that there should be a pattern, for the designers would have wanted the code to be found. He has Crusher program the computer to use the locations of the samples to extrapolate where the missing DNA would be. It will take some time, so Ocett and Nu'Daq wait. Nu'Daq decides to use this time to seek out Data in Ten Forward and challenge him physically, unsuccessfully. He then attempts to bribe him if he will tell him first what the results will be, also unsuccessfully. However, chief engineer La Forge discovers that the Enterprise's defensive systems have been tampered with -- rightfully anticipating deception on the part of the Cardassians. Secretly, Picard and Nu'Daq decide to tamper with their data a bit prior to the meeting. All three factions meet back in the science lab to view the star chart inferred by the data points. Immediately, and as predicted, Ocett transports off of the Enterprise and begins firing on both the Maht-H'a and the Enterprise. The Enterprise makes a good show of being damaged, and then heads to the proper coordinates with Nu'Daq on board, since the Maht-H'a needs a bit of time to get operational. Once at the final planet, Vilmor II, they transport to the surface to take tricorder measurements of lichen growing in an ancient seabed. They don't get too far when Ocett and a team beam next to them. Then, suddenly, a team of Romulans appear, insisting that everyone leave the premises. They must have been monitoring communications since Galen's shuttle was intercepted. They all start to argue and threaten to destroy what they came for. Covertly, the away team takes readings of the lichen, and find that the program can reconfigure the tricorder to display a holographic image of a humanoid, silencing everyone. The recorded humanoid explains that her civilization existed in the galaxy alone, billions of lonely years before any of the others developed. As such, they spread their genetic material to other planets, in the hopes of creating a rich ecosystem of humanoids who could fulfill the joys of finding and integrating with alien cultures that these first beings never had. Most parties seem disgusted at the thought of a common progenitor. Back on board the Enterprise, Picard is pleased at solving the mystery, but wishes Galen could see it, and that the message had not fallen on deaf ears. Then, he receives an unexpected message from the Romulan commander. In light of the recent events, he expresses his opinion that Humans and Romulans are not so dissimilar after all, and hopes that one day, the two powers could stand together in friendship. 
<EOS>
Commander William T. Riker is in a play, rehearsing on the USS Enterprise-D with Commander Data. It is a dark story of an insane man, who is trapped in an insanity ward, where the doctors torture him. After a short but excellent performance, he expresses doubt, not sure if he is right for the part. Doctor Beverly Crusher reassures him that he is. He repeats his lines in the corridor, making several other people wonder about him. But when he gets into the turbolift, he sees an alien, in a science officer's uniform, whom he has never seen before. Riker ignores the alien at first, but then focuses on him at the moment as the doors close. During his next briefing with Captain Jean-Luc Picard he informs him that they will be going to Tilonus IV. Their government has fallen to anarchy, and there was a Federation research team on the planet. Riker's mission is to find where they are hiding from the factions and contact them. Lieutenant Worf's briefing in the observation lounge is informative, but forceful. He wants to make sure Riker knows every single word. During the demonstration of how to perform a blade-waving ceremony with the nisroh, Worf accidentally cuts Riker's face, requiring him to go to sickbay. Doctor Crusher heals the wound perfectly with a dermal regenerator, but is surprised when it continues to pain him. Unfortunately, she has to deal with another medical emergency when a crewman enters who had a plasma torch blow up in his face. As the medical staff are treating him, Riker just looks at him, and sees blame in his eyes. Later in Ten Forward, he tells Counselor Deanna Troi about this and several other times people have been staring at him. He has been feeling restless and uneasy. She advises that it is nothing to worry about; he is not used to the feelings the role requires him to explore. He should not be concerned. She says it is sometimes good to explore the darker side of the psyche, and encourages him, joking that he is becoming a good actor. Then, his cut bothers him again, and he looks behind her to see the alien again. He asks Troi about him, but she doesn't see him. He decides to check the personnel logs tomorrow. During the play, Data and Riker perform very well and receive a standing ovation. But after he bows and looks back at the audience, he sees the alien from the turbolift in the front row, not clapping. Disturbed, Riker bows again. The clapping ceases and, when he looks back up, the audience has been replaced by a wall. He turns around to find an alien standing behind him who says, "I can see we have a lot of work to do." When he asks what happened in an accusing way, the doctor sighs, and attempts to determine the cause of his relapse, of delusions that he is on the Enterprise-D. He asks Riker a long list of questions, to find surprising answers. Riker doesn't know who he is but his memories of the ship are vivid. At the doctor's suggestion, he is reminded (and remembers) that they contacted an Admiral Budrow at Starbase 29, and they had never heard of him. The doctor standing before him continues reminding him of things that really happened. He tried to escape, and hit his head on the door, which is why it hurts. But Riker is still wondering about all this. He still doesn't know where he is or why he is here. The doctor, Syrus, answers where he is, in ward 47 of the Tilonus Institute for Mental Disorders but will not explain why. He simply compliments Riker on his excellent progress and leaves. The attendants soon arrive, and take him to the cafeteria for lunch, through a corridor with sounds of screams. On the way, Riker recognizes a doctor who resembles the same alien he bumped into at the turbolift. In the cafeteria, no one is eating. All are playing games or building crafts. The attendant sits him down, and fetches his lunch. One of the other inmates, Jaya, comes over to talk to him. She explains that she is also a Starfleet officer and she and several more on the USS Yorktown were captured and brought here. She says she has made a communicator and will ask for a beam out. She then pulls a spoon from her sleeve and talks into it. Riker's eyes sink. The attendant watches him while he eats and makes jokes about Riker's mental state. Riker begins to remember things, like the attendant's name, Mavek, but the picture is incomplete, so he asks the guard. He says that Riker was brought in screaming, his hands and clothes covered with blood and that he stabbed someone to death. Riker jumps up and grabs him by the throat, making another guard rush over and sedate him with a very large needle. Riker wakes up in his quarters on board the Enterprise making it all seemingly a nightmare. The play has not yet occurred. It is one hour before curtain and Riker is applying dark makeup under his eyes. Riker tells Crusher about his vivid dream. She is astonished; opening night concerns are one thing, but this is quite unusual. She hopes that night they also get a standing ovation. As he performs the play he is momentarily distracted by an attendant from the hallucination looking at him through the prop door window. Crusher has to remind him of his lines. He then starts hearing noises off the stage and looks around as everyone continues to watch. Data finishes the scene, but Riker turns around to see the alien from the turbolift and the corridor outside the cell in his dream. Enraged, Riker storms off the stage and into the audience, grabs the man by the shoulders, and demands to know what is going on. The man is shocked and says his name, Lieutenant Suna. In sickbay, Crusher scans him, and cannot find a cause of the hallucinations. Other than elevated blood pressure, he is physically fine. At his insistence, she scans his body for drugs but cannot find any traces. Finally, no one reported anything strange happening during the performance. She tells him to get some rest so that he can recover from all this. He walks with Troi and confesses that he feels like an idiot for his behavior. She tells him that everyone understands the stress he has been under during his preparations for the mission on Tilonus IV. According to Data, it was unorthodox but ingenious to use an improvisation to draw in the audience, and it gave a realistic picture of multi-infarct dementia. Riker continues his conversation with Troi but stops in his tracks when he hears the doctor's disembodied voice, telling him he needs another treatment. Riker excuses himself and heads for his quarters. After the door of the turbolift opens, he sees the corridor of the hospital leading to his cell. He closes his eyes, tells himself that it is not real, and when he opens his eyes again the usual corridor of the Enterprise is there. Turning a corner, he encounters Jaya, the inmate with the "communicator". When he runs to his quarters, the doors clank shut. When he turns, he finds he is back in the cell. He screams to be let out of his cell and then silently falls to the floor, quietly asking for help. In the common area, Riker talks to Dr. Syrus, explaining that he wants to be here, where things make more sense; reality isn't real on the ship. He still isn't sure if he killed someone, but the doctor finds this progress encouraging. However, the doctor has bad news. The case must be decided one way or another within the next few days. They will use reflection therapy to determine if he is fit to stand trial. It's not painful, but interacting with holographic projections of hidden parts of his psyche can be disturbing. The only other option is synaptic reconstruction, a medical procedure that will permanently alter Riker's personality. As the reflection therapy begins, Riker examines how he felt before he supposedly became a killer. A holographic representation is created from each aspect of his personality; each manifestation being a member of the crew. Troi is Riker's feelings, and talks about being cold and frightened in the dark. Worf his actions, and talks of being watched and defending himself. Picard is his attempt to rationalize, and fills in more details about the incident. He was in an alley and was attacked from behind. Finally the alien from the turbolift -- who it is now revealed as Mr. Suna, the hospital administrator -- is the one who apparently attacked him. Both Riker and his doctor are confused as to what this might mean. Riker's reflections then take a left turn. Troi, Worf, and Picard all try to convince him that the Enterprise is his reality, he is in danger, and he is being tricked. He finally tells them to leave him alone, and the holographic projector shuts down. The doctor says he has made progress, and they will continue later. Later, when he is eating, Doctor Crusher, dressed in drab clothing, walks over and sits down at his table. He tries to ignore her, telling himself that she is an illusion. Crusher explains that he was on an undercover mission, he supposedly killed someone, and the crew is being blocked at every turn to try and get him back. The crew is attempting to unravel a conspiracy. His instructions are to sit tight. No one else seems to see her, so he tells himself it is not real. After some sleep, he starts hearing noises. Data and Worf appear in black commando gear and try to break him out. He shouts, but they take him by force. Before they can get down the corridor, guards arrive to investigate the disturbance. Riker runs to the two Tilonians, giving them Worf's phaser and hiding from Worf and Data. Data and Worf are approached by Mavek and the guard but they quickly fight them off, and Riker tries to run away. They grab him, transporting him against his will to the Enterprise using transport enhancers. As Crusher gives him her diagnosis, Riker simply stares straight forward. She says someone has been accessing his long term memory and he is in neural shock. Picard tells him that he was abducted during the mission and put in a psychiatric ward. Crusher heals an identical cut on the left side of his face, which still hurts. Yet it reopens and starts to bleed. He suddenly gets the sense that none of this is real, so he knocks down Worf and grabs his phaser. If it is not real, Riker explains, when he shoots himself nothing will happen. Turning the phaser on himself, he fires. The world appears to shatter around him. He appears to be back in his cell and finds the doctor telling the attendants about his failure to respond to reflection therapy. He broke out of his cell and ran down the corridor, telling them that he was being taken back to his starship. The doctor concludes he will have to perform the synaptic reconstruction. Riker can't figure out why he still has a phaser. The doctor says it is a knife and asks him to hand it over. Riker clutches his face, which is still painful and bleeding. He shoots Mavek, who shatters apart. Riker tries to focus -- he can't die while the illusory people and objects around him appear to be destructible. None of this is real, he concludes. He sets it to level 16, enough to destroy half of the building and fires into the wall and it shatters. He is back in the play, but Suna is where Data should be on stage. Riker starts demanding answers, and refuses to answer Suna's questions. But when Suna makes a demand, Riker starts bleeding again. He figures out that Suna is lying and trying to manipulate him. When Suna pleads, "Let me help you," Riker replies, "NO!" The audience applauds. He shoves Suna away, and the audience cheers him on as he continues to resist. He pounds the set, and finally he and the scene shatter apart for the last time. He wakes up on a table, a neural drain probe in the side of his head. Looking around, he soon locates the ceremonial knife and the secret communicator. Suna and another Tilonian in the room quickly realize he's awake, but Riker fights his way back to his feet. He uses the knife to hold them off and activates the communicator. The Enterprise locks onto Riker and beams him back aboard. Picard explains what really happened, and Riker remembers it. He was attacked from behind and abducted in an alley. As he tried to fight them off with the ceremonial knife, the nisroh Worf gave him, Riker's attackers injected him with something. Picard concludes that they were attempting to extract strategic information from him. Troi explains that everything he saw was a defense mechanism, which allowed his mind to keep its sanity. Most notably, the bleeding coming out of his head exactly corresponded to the point the neural drain device was attached to his head; it was his body warning him he was being injured. Picard advises Riker to get some rest but he has something he must do first. Later on, Riker returns to the stage where he had previously performed in the play. Crusher tells him that they plan on striking the set in the morning, but he decides to strike the set himself; he couldn't sleep knowing it was still up. Instead of using any tools when Crusher leaves, he starts tearing it down forcefully with his bare hands. 
<EOS>
Guinan visits Dr. Crusher in her quarters, complaining of tennis elbow. Crusher tells her she had better see Dr. Selar instead and then breaks the news that she is no longer a doctor on the ship and will be facing a court martial soon. Crusher expresses her frustration at the next few weeks as she will face Admiral Brooks. She clearly disagrees with the circumstances of the impending end of her career. In her usual style, Guinan insists on her elbow getting treated to calm Crusher down and asks about what happened. A Ferengi scientist, Dr. Reyga, has created a metaphasic shielding technique and had presented it at the Altine Conference, but his unorthodox methods have left most scientists in the field ignoring his work. Dr. Crusher decided to play "scientific diplomat" and invite other scientists in the field to come to the USS Enterprise-D and view a demonstration of the doctor's prototype. Only a few scientists were willing to come: a Takaran scientist Jo'Bril, a married couple Christopher and T'Pan, and a Klingon, Kurak. Crusher expected disbelief from the group, but the fact that they came made her hopeful. She gathered the group in the science lab and began by stating the vision that the group had for the potential benefits. Furthermore, Reyga was willing to share rights with whoever helped him. Reyga plans to perform a test using an Enterprise-D shuttle, the Justman. It is to be fitted with Dr. Reyga's experimental shield and flown into a nearby star, Veytan, a lofty goal as it is a particularly superdense corona, but Reyga is confident. As they are all skeptical, they decide that someone other than the Ferengi should pilot the shuttle. Jo'Bril volunteers and Reyga thanks him. At the test flight, they all watch from the bridge as Jo'Bril enters the Veytan's corona. Everything seems to be going as planned until suddenly Jo'Bril becomes short of breath. There are increased levels of baryon particles. He barely pilots the shuttle out of the star and is beamed on the Enterprise before dying in sickbay. Guinan says Crusher shouldn't take it too hard since she wasn't in control. Reminded of what Captain Picard said to her during the autopsy she performed on Jo'Bril, she recalled the frustration she felt at the unexplained nature of his death. His anatomy was very different from other humanoids. In fact, she cannot understand his physiology at all, especially why his cells seem to be decaying at such a slow rate. He also has no discrete organs and they are all distributed equally throughout his body, which should make him incredibly resistant to injury. Meanwhile, Data and La Forge analyze the Justman. The plasma flow regulators, the field emitter coils, and radial force compensators were all functioning normally. La Forge found the damage to the hull, confirming the shield was breached by the radiation. Reyga is livid and cannot accept that the shield was at fault. Gathering the scientists in the science lab, Crusher explains she has no choice but to end the visit. Reyga pleads with the other scientists to allow him a second test, but meets intense opposition, including Crusher, who refuses to put anyone at further risk. He seems determined to prove himself and leaves. A few hours later, he is found dead from a plasma discharge. Worf judges the death was a suicide, but Beverly is incredulous as he had tightly clutched his hand on the plasma infuser instead of dropping it, the normal response. She plans on performing an autopsy on him, but, after speaking to Picard about how unusual the death was, she learns the family won't permit it and arrangements have already been made to have his body returned home so they can perform the Ferengi death ritual. Frustrated, Dr. Crusher explains the situation to Ogawa and decides to perform an investigation of her own. She confronts Christopher and T'Pan in their quarters, and Christopher becomes incensed. Eventually, he mentions that Kurak and Reyga had a fiery argument shortly before his death. Dr. Crusher then confronts Kurak, much to her own peril, as the Klingon scientist throws her violently against the wall. As she determines Kurak also did not murder Reyga, she finds herself stumped. Knowing she will be disobeying a direct order, she performs an autopsy on Reyga, believing that it will answer her questions and can find nothing. She informs Picard, who is extremely disappointed. Picard has no choice but to relieve her from duty and report her conduct to Starfleet Medical. Guinan encourages Dr. Crusher to continue her investigation, as she has nothing left to lose. Crusher finds Data in the Justman making sure it wasn't permanently damaged by the radiation. She asks his help to determine a possible sabotage scenario. Data deduces that, if it happened, it must have been done during Jo'Bril's test flight, and it's unlikely he did it himself to put himself in danger. Another scenario is that a phased ionic pulse beamed directly into the projection matrix would result in a temporarily system malfunction. A tetryon field would form, causing a malfunction. Realizing she could confirm the tetryon field from Jo'Bril's tissue, she heads for sickbay. On the way, Riker cautions her from doing more damage to herself, but she tells him she knows what she's doing. Ogawa finds her attempting to access the computer, but her access was revoked. Crusher tries to leave without involving her, but she decides to help anyway, activating the computer for her. They perform an additional examination of Jo'Bril's body and confirm the tetryon particles. It's not conclusive evidence, Ogawa reminds her, but it does indicate there may have been sabotage of the metaphasic shield. She decides to take the Justman with Dr. Reyga's modifications into the star herself, and leaves the Enterprise while the bridge crew watches from afar. Picard urges her to come back, but she is determined. She's already isolated the navigational system and is too close to the star for Worf to attempt to stop the shuttle. Picard tries to reason with her to no avail even as the temperature rises. After a few minutes, it appears that the shield works. Crusher is delighted and tells Picard that one of the three remaining scientists must be the murderer. She asks that he confine them to quarters when the communication drops. Inside the Justman, Jo'Bril emerges from his hiding place armed with a phaser, and tells Dr. Crusher that his species are able to control their metabolic function to the point where they can simulate death. Crusher realizes he heard all her plans when he was in lying on a slab in the morgue. He admits that the metaphasic shield is a reality, and that he plans to simulate a warp core breach in the shuttle, wait until the Enterprise leaves (as its sensors cannot penetrate the star's corona sphere), and then take her and the shuttle back to his homeworld, where he will perfect the technique and sell it as his own for a weapon. Crusher then engages him in hand-to-hand combat over the phaser. Dr. Crusher's self-defense training prove far superior to Jo'Bril's, as she delivers a painful round-house kick, causing him to fall down, with possession of the phaser. After Jo'Bril is down, Beverly grabs the phaser he was holding and shoots him, blowing a hole in his torso. To her shock, this doesn't slow him down at all, only serving to annoy him. Crusher quickly adjusts the setting of her phaser and shoots him again, this time, shooting to kill; as Jo'Bril is vaporized by her phaser fire. She immediately adjusts heading and heads back to the Enterprise. On board the Enterprise they are beginning a search for shuttle debris when the Justman emerges from the star's corona and Dr. Crusher tells them she finally has the answers about Reyga's murder. She returns to the ship, where she is reinstated to active duty. She goes to Ten Forward and replicates the latest design in tennis racket for Guinan after all the help she had given Crusher. She gives it to Guinan and tells her that she will never get tennis elbow again -- but Guinan admits she has never played tennis. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is on its way to the Gariman sector, and undergoes a shift change in the morning. Data had the bridge overnight and hands it over to Commander Riker. Lieutenant Worf was assigned to the shift as well to relieve Ensign Torigan at tactical, but is late. Riker notes that Worf is never late for duty and brings a security team. He finds him in his quarters, absorbed in prayer. The room has been arranged like a traditional Klingon shrine. This is only the latest puzzling behavior from Worf; he has been increasingly forgetful and slacking off on routine duties. Captain Picard goes to talk to Worf in his quarters, and he explains that, ever since the incident in the Carraya system, where he found young Klingons and taught them about their heritage, he has felt empty. As he saw their eager acceptance and recognition, he realized that he himself did not believe these things strongly, if at all. He was trying to summon a vision of Kahless that morning to reconnect with his spiritual roots. Picard asks if there is a place where he could explore these things more fully; Worf says that place would be Boreth, where devout Klingons await the return of Kahless. It is not far from where the Enterprise is now and will take twelve days to reach it via shuttlecraft. Picard says that since his spiritual quest is interfering with his duties, he should consider himself on leave, go to Boreth, and return prepared to resume his duties properly. He says kindly, "I hope you find what you're looking for." The Boreth temple is built into the side of a mountain, with many interconnected caverns and caves decorated in ancient Klingon style. Worf joins several other Klingons in intensely-focused prayer around a fire pit, repeating "torva luq do Sel." (This is pronounced Torva luk do shell.) One very young man named Divok suddenly looks up and cries out that he sees Kahless standing before him. "He wants something -- me! He wants me!" High priest Koroth congratulates Divok and says this is a vision of great power, telling him that his place among the honored dead is secure. Worf packs up to leave; he has been there ten days and has received neither visions nor insights. Koroth reminds him of the story of The Promise: how when Kahless left, he pointed to the star around which Boreth orbits, and promised he would return there. That was fifteen centuries ago, and ten days is a relatively small amount of time. He tells Worf that this is a place of questions, not answers, and that Worf should open his heart to Kahless. Returning to the shrine, Worf prays alone; Divok sits nearby to tend the fire. Suddenly the air shimmers in front of Worf and Kahless appears. Worf is overjoyed, but Divok is puzzled; he sees Kahless too. While Divok runs off to get the others, Kahless holds out his hands to Worf. Rising, Worf touches him and breathes, "You are real!" When the other Klingons arrive, amazed, he declares "I am Kahless, and I have returned." Kahless enters the temple and tells the story of how his bat'leth was created. This story is known only to the high priests; it was kept out of the sacred writings deliberately so it could be used as a test in case the real Kahless came back. Kahless explains that he has returned to unite the people, to stop the fighting and the petty wars. Koroth and his assistant Torin are convinced, and lead the pilgrims in chanting praise to Kahless. Unconvinced, Worf goes to get a tricorder scan to make sure Kahless is even a real Klingon. Kahless finds him and allows the scan. He is Klingon, but Worf is still unconvinced. Kahless then says they have met before, in a vision in the caves of No'Mat. Still, Worf is skeptical, but wants to believe. Worf remains quiet and reserved at the party that is given in Kahless's honor. Kahless notices that Worf still has questions; Worf says it is honorable to question and not take things for granted as that is the beginning of wisdom, but Kahless replies that a leader does not have to answer questions; a real leader commands obedience. Worf says that is true if the leader is worthy. Realizing that Worf is issuing a challenge, Kahless engages Worf in single combat. The fight is brief, fierce, and seems almost equal; it ends abruptly when Kahless turns away, laughing and a bit out of breath, and says that Klingons must fight not only to spill blood, but to enrich the spirit. He leads the people in a loud, proud chant, "We are Klingons!" Not everyone is convinced at first, but his enthusiasm is infectious. Only Worf remains detached and thoughtful. Kahless, Koroth and Torin are brought aboard the Enterprise-D to be transported to Qo'noS. Chancellor Gowron has received news of Kahless' return with something less than enthusiasm. He therefore doesn't trust a Klingon ship to transport Kahless. Dr. Crusher wants to run more tests to be sure he is not a coalescent being, as they have run into one before, a bioreplicant, or simply a dressed-up Klingon surgically altered. Data asks how Worf and the other Klingons will ascertain that Kahless is for real, and Worf says it is a matter of faith. He does not want to discount the possibility that he is really Kahless. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise in his Vor'cha-class vessel and beams aboard, and he is indignant. Convinced that Kahless is an impostor, he has brought the Knife of Kirom, a sacred knife that is supposed to have the blood of Kahless on it. He talks to Picard about how hard it is to fight an idea, and that the crew of his ship have already split up into factions over whether or not this is Kahless. It will destroy the unity of the Empire, and he wants the lie stopped now. Picard goes to Kahless and explains Gowron's plan. Despite Koroth's and Torin's thoughts that they don't have to prove anything, Kahless allows it. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher runs the analysis and the computer confirms it is a match. Now, Worf believes. Worf invites Kahless for a drink, apologizing for the not-quite-right taste of the replicator's attempt to do Klingon Warnog. Kahless obviously cannot tell the difference, and says that he has forgotten many things. Asked about the next life he says he does not have those answers, but is merely a traveler. While he is corporeal, he knows only the here-and-now. Kahless changes the subject, saying he wants Worf to be near him while he builds his new Empire. Gowron is convinced the whole situation is a ploy for Koroth and the other priests to seize power. In the observation lounge, he points out to Worf that they want him on their side, because Kurn now sits on the Klingon High Council and, as Kurn's older brother, Worf has influence. Worf pleads with Gowron to keep an open mind and listen to Kahless, giving himself a chance to have his faith restored, before taking up arms. Gowron goes to meet Kahless in the holodeck, where the temple has been recreated. Kahless enters and ignores the introduction, instead telling the story of a man who would not go inside the city walls of Quin'lat when a storm blew up. He faced the storm and was killed. "The wind does not respect a fool," he says. "Do not stand before the wind, Gowron" he challenges. Gowron counters, challenging Kahless to remember details about the man in the story. Kahless says it does not matter, only that he has come to restore honor to the people. Gowron contemptuously challenges him to combat. As before, Kahless seems not to be able to fight very well, and tries to distract everyone with laughter and talk about fighting in the right spirit, but Gowron is unmoved and at last defeats Kahless, knocking him to the floor. Gowron laughs mockingly. Now convinced that this is not Kahless, Worf wants answers. So does Kahless. Koroth explains slowly that the problems with Kahless's memory and his inability to fight like a real Klingon have to do with "the way he returned." The priests used Kahless's original genetic material to create a clone. All of his memories were actually programmed in from the sacred texts or from personal information the priests had. Worf is shocked and outraged, but the priests claim they did it to unite the people. Worf returns to the holodeck temple and finds two of Gowron's men still there; they still believe. Data is also there, interested in the men's faith, and asks how Kahless's defeat has affected Worf's faith. Worf is unable to answer. Data tells how he was first activated by officers from the USS Tripoli on Omicron Theta and told he was only a machine, but believed he could become more than a collection of circuits and sub-processors. He calls this a leap of faith, and Worf is impressed. In the observation lounge, Worf chooses to tell Gowron, in front of Koroth and Kahless, that Kahless is a clone. Gowron is vindicated, but Worf points out it does not matter. The people do need something to unite them and put a halt to the strife and corruption in the Empire, so they should be told of Kahless -- the whole truth. Instead of becoming leader of the empire in Gowron's place, however, Kahless can be the Emperor, a figurehead but also a moral guide who inspires the people to return to true Klingon ways. Even though he will not really be Kahless, he will be Kahless's rightful heir. Gowron accepts this with reservations and they all bow to Kahless. As Kahless prepares to leave in a transporter room, he tells Worf that perhaps what Kahless gave the people -- the unique ways of thinking and behaving that make them Klingons -- is more important than Kahless himself. He also insists that Worf should be proud of his achievement. Perhaps it does not matter if the real Kahless never returns, because his spirit lives in the heart of every true Klingon. 
<EOS>
In Ten Forward, people are gathered together and a jazz band, with Will Riker at the trombone, is playing "I Remember You." Deanna Troi requests that he play "Nightbird" -- a piece Riker has been having difficulty getting right for the past ten years. He hesitantly grants her request when she insists, and just as he is about to start, Lieutenant commander Data calls him to the bridge. Relieved, Riker goes to the bridge, where Data informs him that they will be able to transport down to the surface soon to get to the science outpost due to the use of the transport logs of the USS Potemkin which had last been there. Riker reminisces that he almost didn't make it out of there eight years ago. According to Data, they only have about 26 minutes to beam down to the planet and retrieve the database. There will be only three transport windows open altogether within the next four days, and after that, the next transport window, so Data says, will not occur for another eight years, when the planet's orbit will bring it close enough to the sun to de-phase the distortion field. Riker decides to go in ahead of schedule. When Riker, Worf, Data and an engineer beam down to the outpost they realize that someone must have been down there. Data's tricorder detects a humanoid lifeform approaching, and much to their surprise, they find a man who looks exactly like William Riker. The duplicate claims to be Will Riker. He says that eight years ago he led a team to evacuate this station. He did not return to the Potemkin like the others because he was the last one out and the distortion field must have interfered with the transport. They lost the signal lock on him, and when he tried to contact the ship, he couldn't get through the interference. He asks them to check with Starfleet to confirm that he was lost that day. Commander Riker, however, tells him that this is not what had happened. He says that in fact he himself was the last one out and that he made it back to the Potemkin. He doesn't see how both stories can be true. He wants Doctor Crusher to check him out to verify his identity. In sickbay, Crusher informs the captain that genetically, this man is indistinguishable from Commander Riker. Since there is no evidence of genetic drift, she excludes cloning as a possible explanation. She even compares their brain scans, for brain organization patterns are as unique as fingerprints, and with only a few minor differences, she claims that they are identical. She states that brain patterns cannot be cloned either, because they are determined by experience -- mostly from early childhood. Captain Picard wonders how two grown men can share the same childhood experiences. The second Will Riker responds by insisting that he in fact is William Riker. He doesn't know who or what beamed back to the Potemkin that day but it was not him. Picard informs him that his chief engineer is checking the transporter logs of the Potemkin with the hope that it will shed some light onto the matter. In the meanwhile, he suggests that Will make himself comfortable in his quarters. After examining the transporter logs, Geordi La Forge informs the crew that apparently there was a massive energy surge in the distortion field around the planet just at the moment Riker tried to beam out. The transporter chief at that time tried to compensate by initiating a second containment beam. However, Commander Riker's pattern maintained its integrity by just the one containment beam. And even though the second beam was shut down, somehow it was reflected back to the surface, and another William Riker materialized there. The containment beam must have had the exact same phase differential as the distortion field -- hence the two identical Rikers -- they both rematerialized from a complete pattern and are identical. Both of them, it seems, are the 'real' William T. Riker. The only difference between them, as Picard notes, is that they led very different lives for the past eight years and thus are very different people. He compares it to meeting one's twin and as strange as it may seem, he states that they now have two Will Rikers on board and they should do whatever they can to make the second Riker feel comfortable and welcome. Commander Riker points out that they still have the problem of retrieving the database. Many of the station's components have been removed by Lieutenant Riker to facilitate his survival and they do not know what he did and what he changed. Picard suggests that maybe he could help them, but Dr. Crusher objects by stating that he has been alone there for a long time and that she is hesitant to let him go back until he has been fully evaluated. So, Troi suggests that she should talk to him. When she goes to see the second Riker, he is so happy to see her that he greets her by passionately kissing and hugging her, as if the past eight years had not happened. She tells him that they need to talk. At first he assumes she and the commander are together which would explain her presence on board, but she informs him that Commander Riker and she are close friends now and nothing more. The last time they saw each other, according to this Riker's memory, was at Janaran Falls on Betazed -- the day before he started his tour on the Potemkin. Riker recalls that they were going to meet on Risa six weeks later. Troi interrupts him and tells him that she and Cmdr. Riker never did meet up in Risa. She tells him that Cmdr. Riker earned a promotion very quickly (because, as Lt. Riker read in the commander's service record, of the commendation he received for the Nervala IV mission) and chose to make his career a priority. There wasn't much time for anything else. They kept in touch, says Troi, but they didn't see each other again until they were both posted on the Enterprise two years later. By then, however, their feelings for each other had changed. They have now been serving together for six years but things never went back to the way they used to be. Riker tells her that he had a lot of time on his hands down on that station, being mostly lonely and thinking of her. He tells her that the only way he made it through was the hope of seeing her again. He tells her that even though he knows that her feelings have changed, his have not. He can't just give up, he wants to be with her again. Troi is a little taken aback by this, wishing him a good night before she leaves. Cmdr. Riker and team are waiting in the transporter room on Lt. Riker while Lieutenant Palmer is briefing them on their transport window. When beaming down to the station, the two Rikers irritate each other easily and their initial interactions with one another are rather unpleasant and filled with antagonism. Lt. Riker second guesses Cmdr. Riker's orders, causing him to raise his voice against him and reassert his position in the chain of command. Back on the Enterprise, Troi arrives at her quarters and orders Valerian root tea from the replicator, only to find a message on a rolled piece of paper in her fruit bowl, informing her to meet up in transporter room three. When she goes to the transporter room, she finds a flower with another message attached to it. It directs her to seek out the crystal that powers their flight -- the dilithium crystal chamber in main engineering. There she finds yet another message with a piece of candy (quite possibly chocolate) directing her to go to Ten Forward. In Ten Forward, there is a package on the table for her to find. She opens it and finds a large square metal 'tile' with an engraving of the Janaran Falls -- the place where she and Riker spent their last night together. Having watched her open it, Lt. Riker approaches and tells her that he made it himself about two years ago, by using a very fine phaser beam he carefully adjusted and the etching itself took him three attempts to create. They sit down to talk, and he admits that things are a little more complicated than he had planned. He tells her how many times he used to think about her and how in the beginning he was hoping they would find him, so he could come back to her, see her on Risa. When he finally realized that no one would come for him, he accepted his situation.  He believed that it was though he was killed in the beam out and therefore there was no one to return for; it made him feel better to imagine that there had been a memorial service for him, with Troi dressed in black ("very flattering on you, by the way," he jokes). He tells her that sometimes he would look up into the sky and think that if he tried hard enough, he could make her feel his presence, that he is alive, hoping that she'd wait for him. Troi confesses that she was in fact very disappointed when she and Cmdr. Riker did not meet up on Risa as they had planned. Even though she knew his career was taking him away from her, she did not want to believe it. She spent a lot of time thinking about Cmdr. Riker, wondering where he was, what he was doing. Sometimes she'd look up into the sky, and imagine that he knew and that somehow he could sense her thinking about him. Lieutenant Riker had gone to see Picard about his plan to retrieve the database behind the commander's back. Picard called Riker to his ready room to discuss it. Picard explains the lieutenant's plan is to directly access the computer core underneath the station and that it's the only way to succeed in retrieving the database.  Cmdr. Riker believes the caverns they'd be going into would be too risky because of the seismic activity. Picard relates that Lt. Riker was confident it could be done safely because he'd been down there recently.  Cmdr. Riker says there's a good chance they can just use a console in the station, but Picard notes that if it doesn't work, there can't be another attempt for another eight years; they only have enough time for one plan.  Riker objectively analyzes that Lt. Riker's plan is more dangerous but also has a better chance of succeeding, and Picard agrees that the data is important enough that it's worth the risk.  He suggests that Riker have the lieutenant help him in drawing up the mission plan. Riker goes to see the lieutenant working in engineering and reprimands him, saying it is not his place to go to the captain.  Lt. Riker justifies doing so because Cmdr. Riker wouldn't hear him out the other day on the station, but Cmdr. Riker clarifies that he did but rejected the plan.  He confirms that Picard approved the lieutenant's plan, but that's not the problem.  He may disagree with the decision, but Picard is his commanding officer and he'll follow his orders, but in the same vein, he expects the same from Lt. Riker as his commanding officer.  If he can't, there's no place for him on the commander's away team.  After Lt. Riker stiffly acknowledges him, Cmdr. Riker informs him of a meeting scheduled for drawing up the mission plan. Later, Troi and Crusher work out using Mok'bara.  Crusher encourages Troi's feelings toward the lieutenant. When Lt. Riker enters, Crusher excuses herself to Troi's dismay.  Riker compares the moves to tai chi chuan once told that Worf teaches Klingon martial arts. He tries out some moves, but then Troi quickly gets the better of him and puts him on the floor. They kiss. The next day in Ten Forward, Troi has a conversation with Commander Riker. She admits that even though they both had relationships with other people, this is different. She is not sure how he feels about this and but can imagine that this must be very strange for him. Riker admits that ever since Lieutenant Riker has been on board, he has found himself thinking about the choices they made years ago. He doesn't mind if she chooses to be with him; however, he asks her to be careful, pointing out that if the lieutenant had gotten off the planet instead of him, he probably would have made the same choices as he did. He wants her to consider that because he doesn't want her to get hurt again. Later, Riker, Data and Worf play poker in Riker's quarters. The lieutenant comes to see him, and Riker asks him to join in. He plays, but it turns out to be an awkward experience for Data and Worf as the two comment about their different lives. Lt. Riker tries to bluff the commander, but it doesn't work as Cmdr. Riker knows all of his tells. The lieutenant leaves after losing the hand, saying Riker's always had the "better hand." Later that day, Lt. Riker meets Troi in her quarters to inform her that Captain Picard has managed to get him a post on the USS Gandhi, and considering how long he has been out of commission, it is an amazing opportunity he'd like to consider. He would leave in about a week. Troi is disappointed, seeing herself hearing the same lines she heard from the other Riker eight years ago about how he has to fix his career and work first before he can be with her.  Lt. Riker assures her that he will definitely not be making the same mistake of leaving her again, but somehow Troi finds that hard to believe. It took her a long time to get over what had happened between Commander Riker and her and she does not know whether she would want to put herself in that position again. She has worked hard to make a life for herself on the Enterprise; she is happy here. He tells her that if the situation was different, he'd stay but that he cannot stay while the other Riker is aboard. Even though Troi understands, she tells him that she just does not know whether she is willing to give up her life on the Enterprise. She is willing to think about it, however. Pleased, Riker kisses her and after he leaves, Troi realizes, heartbroken again, that she is back at square one even with this version of Will Riker. The away team makes their final attempt at retrieving the database. The two Rikers go off to the computer core, and Lt. Riker almost perishes when a catwalk drops out from under him.  Cmdr. Riker grabs hold of him, but warns him that he's sliding.  Lt. Riker tells him to let go and save himself, but Cmdr. Riker urges him to fight his way back up, and the lieutenant is able to get high enough so that the commander can pull him the rest of the way. They successfully repair the servo link and the rest of the team is then able to retrieve the database. After the Enterprise departs Nervala IV, Troi informs Lt. Riker of her decision to not join him on the Gandhi. She is just not ready to give up her life on the Enterprise. While they are talking, Cmdr. Riker comes in and gifts the lieutenant their trombone, noting that many things in his quarters belong to both of them. Lt. Riker is very pleased with the gift and announces that he has decided to change his name to Thomas, his middle name. Will notes that they really are different, for he never really cared for that name. Thomas kisses Troi one last goodbye and tells Will to take care of her. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker is sitting on one of the biobeds in sickbay with two deep cuts on his forehead. As Dr. Crusher scans the cuts with a medical tricorder, she says that it serves him right for playing parrises squares like he was twenty-one. She warns that next time he injures himself, she may not be able to treat him. Riker tells her that he wasn't playing parrises squares, however. Dr. Crusher then guesses that he was injured in one of Worf's calisthenics programs, but again she is wrong. Riker tells her that it was, in fact, Spot who injured him -- Riker had promised to feed Data's cat while he was away (even though he hates cats) and was attacked while going to feed Spot. Because of this, Riker suggests that Dr. Crusher feed Spot, and the doctor says she'd be happy to. Riker is then called to the bridge by Lieutenant Worf on the intercom. As Riker leaves sickbay for the bridge, he tosses Crusher a hand phaser, half-joking that she'd need it to feed Spot. As Riker enters the bridge, Worf informs him that they have picked up a distress call on the long range sensors. It is from a Romulan vessel claiming that they have suffered a total engine failure, falling power levels, and failing life support. Although there are signs that the distress call is a trap, Federation policy is to give the benefit of the doubt in these situations. Since the USS Enterprise-D won't rendezvous with Captain Picard's runabout for another thirteen hours, Riker orders a course to meet with the Romulan ship. As a precaution, he orders the shields raised and issues a red alert. Captain Picard and Lieutenant Commanders Data, La Forge, and Counselor Troi are aboard a runabout heading back to rendezvous with the Enterprise. Data turns helm control of the runabout over to the computer and joins Picard, La Forge, and Troi, who are sitting at a table finishing their lunches and discussing their thoughts about the conference. Troi talks about a Ktarian scientist, a Dr. Mizan, who wanted her to join him in "empirical research" on inter-species reproduction. Other than her encounter with Dr. Mizan, Troi was horribly bored at the conference, as there was little opportunity for those attending a seminar to give their views. The lecturer, Professor Wagner, was the only one with freedom to speak. Picard's experiences were no better -- he attended the physiognomy workshop where the lecturer, Dr. Vassbinder, spent an hour giving a dissertation on the ionization effect of warp nacelles, until he realized that the topic was supposed to be psychology. As with Troi, nobody could tell the instructor of his mistake, as he never gave anyone the opportunity to speak, as he himself spoke in incredibly long, unbroken sentences. La Forge, on the other hand, enjoyed his time at the warp energy symposium where he was able to physically touch a plasma field. Halfway through speaking, he, Data, and Picard freeze for no apparent reason. Troi is surprised by the sudden stop in the others' movements, but in a matter of seconds, they resume as if nothing had happened. La Forge notices that Troi is somewhat shaken by something and asks her if something is wrong. She isn't sure. While La Forge scans Picard and the counselor with a medical tricorder, Troi recalls what has happened, but she can't explain the event. La Forge's tricorder scans turn up inconclusive. If something did happen to them, no residual traces were left. Also, Data's memory showed no pause at the time when he froze. Furthermore, since Data's internal chronometer and the computer are perfectly synchronized, there appears to be no temporal discrepancy, but La Forge suggests running a ship-wide diagnostic to see if there was anything that they missed. Data agrees and goes with La Forge to the runabout cockpit. Picard asks Troi to describe exactly what happened when they appeared to freeze. She does so, adding that she was probably just tired and seeing things. In the blink of an eye, however, she is surrounded by all three officers. Troi jumps up in surprise, notices La Forge scanning her and asks what happened. Data explains that she appeared to be motionless for just over three minutes -- much like she had described the other three previously. La Forge then finds something unusual on the tricorder -- the two scans of Troi were taken twenty-three minutes apart, but, according to her rate of cellular decay, she has only aged twenty minutes. Picard asks what could account for the discrepancy, but La Forge does not know. He states that it was as if time stopped for three minutes for the counselor. The captain is unwilling to take any more risks. He orders Data to contact the Enterprise, telling Riker to come to the rendezvous point as soon as possible to scan the anomalies. La Forge leaves to check the sensor logs. Data reports that the Enterprise is not answering the hail because the flagship is beyond sensor range; Picard orders an increase in speed to reach the rendezvous coordinates more quickly. While Data and La Forge are piloting the runabout, Data reads that there is an engine failure which makes the ship violently jolt and veer to the right. The starboard warp nacelle has just stopped, so Data restores attitude control and brings the runabout to a stop. La Forge is surprised to report that the starboard antimatter pod has been completely drained, since there is no leak and all of the other engine systems are fully operational. Data believes that he has an explanation for the sudden depletion of fuel -- the plasma conversion sensor says that the starboard engine has apparently been in continuous operation for forty-seven days -- far longer than the crew had been away for the conference. Since this is something that should have been impossible, La Forge checks the sensor while Picard goes into the crew cabin to check the fuel consumption logs. While working in the cabin, the captain notices something unusual: the fruit on the table (which was fresh minutes ago) is rotten. He innocently reaches with his right hand to touch it, but before he can he screams in agony and pulls his hand immediately away. The three other officers run in to the cabin, reacting to the captain's yell. Picard sits in a chair holding his shaking right hand which has long fingernails that appear to have been growing for several weeks. Troi scans his hand with a tricorder and says that the metabolism in his hand has increased by nearly fifty times. The pain in his hand soon subsides. Data looks at the fruit and performs a scan of the room with his tricorder. The android reports that there is a temporal disturbance, roughly spherical in shape, that intersects with the table. Time within this disturbance passes fifty times more quickly than normal. The disturbance reaches out to seventeen meters in space -- covering the starboard nacelle, explaining why the runabout's supply of antimatter was drained. A final look at the fruit shows that it has completely disintegrated into dust. Picard orders La Forge to try and pilot the runabout away from the disturbance. He and Data manage to do so, but they are soon stopped by another disturbance that has appeared directly behind them. La Forge reads his console and calls the captain in. The sensors show that the runabout is surrounded by dozens of disturbances of different sizes where time appears to be passing at different rates -- almost as if the space-time continuum had been shattered into fragments. The fragmentation effect increases along the course of the rendezvous coordinates with the Enterprise. There is a somewhat ominous pause before Picard asks if they can navigate around the fragments. They can, but only at half impulse power. They set a course to the rendezvous coordinates. The runabout arrives at the rendezvous coordinates, but there is no sign of the Enterprise. La Forge reads a faint, possibly metallic, signature with negligible power levels. The runabout makes its way to the signature, but the fragmentation effect increases, so the runabout must slow further to compensate. They look though the front window and the moment turns to shock -- the Enterprise and a Romulan warbird appear to be in the midst of a battle. Furthermore, the warbird seems to have fired at the Enterprise but the disruptor beam is frozen in mid-blast. Both the Enterprise and the Romulan warbird have been caught in another one of the temporal fragments and all of the fragments converge at this particular point in space, so it is likely that this is the center of the disturbances. Picard orders a scan for life signs, but Data finds that sensors cannot penetrate the subspace field and he is unable to scan inside of either vessel. The Enterprise has taken some damage to its saucer section and port nacelle from disruptor fire but the Romulan warbird appears to have suffered no damage, suggesting that it decloaked and opened fire before the Enterprise could respond with their weapons. There is also a second energy beam, coming from the Enterprise's navigational deflector. It is impossible to tell what the beam is for from a mere visual inspection but it is aimed at the engineering section of the warbird. The crew of the runabout cannot work out what has happened between the two ships from their current location and Picard suggests transporting over to the Enterprise but Data advises against it as each time that they were exposed to one of the temporal fragments, they were integrated into its time frame; if they were to beam over to the Enterprise, they, too, would become frozen in time and unable to work out the situation. Picard thinks to himself and asks La Forge if using a subspace isolation field similar to one used on Devidia II would protect them from the effects of the temporal fragments. La Forge replies in the positive but they would need a very sensitive phase discriminator to modulate such a force field. Data points out that the subspace emitters in the emergency transporter armbands could be modified to produce the desired effect as they contain a type-seven phase discriminator -- a sensitive enough discriminator. However for the crew to be able to interact with the environment on board the Enterprise the field would have to be restricted to an almost skin-tight fit. La Forge and Data begin their modifications to the armbands and La Forge also channels communications through the subspace relays in them so they can remain in continuous communication. Picard, Data and Troi wear armbands while La Forge remains on the runabout where he'll monitor them. As he activates the field, Troi falls (and Data promptly catches her) feeling dizzy due to the small pocket of time being placed around them. La Forge beams the three directly to the bridge of the Enterprise. The three officers materialize on the Enterprise's bridge and Picard is disturbed by what he sees. Three Romulans are present, all armed with disuptors and one sitting at the conn. The bridge has sustained moderate damage and Commander Riker has been knocked to the deck with a Romulan standing over him. Although none of the consoles function, objects in the time frame can be moved and the console at Ops reads that there is a massive power surge coming from main engineering. Picard moves to tactical and reads from the console that security teams have been dispatched to both transporter room three and sickbay. Picard tells Data to go to main engineering to determine the cause of the power surge and for Troi to go to sickbay while he will go to transporter room three. Picard orders La Forge to transport the three of them to their respective destinations but he advises against it due to the power drain imposed both by the transporters and the subspace fields. Picard understands and the three go to their destinations through the Jefferies tubes. Troi makes her way to sickbay and finds several Romulans and medical and security staff all looking at a central point, and when she turns to see the center of attention, she is horrified to see that Dr. Crusher has been hit by a disruptor blast at point blank range; should the time frame return to normal, there is no way that she can survive. Troi runs out in shock but after she exits the room, a Romulan woman blinks and looks around, somewhat relieved that she was not spotted. Captain Picard walks into transporter room three and sees three Romulans on the transporter pad, all unarmed. He then walks over to the transporter console, being manned by Worf, and Troi walks in, still stunned by Dr. Crusher's imminent death. He tells Troi that Worf just beamed three Romulans over and another three to sickbay but he is confused as to why Romulans are being beamed aboard in the middle of a battle and why the Romulans are unarmed. Troi interrupts the captain and informs him of what she has just seen in sickbay and Data calls Picard asking that he and Troi come to engineering immediately -- it is urgent. As Picard and Troi arrive in engineering, Picard asks what the problem is. Data replies saying that he has found the cause of the power surge -- a warp core breach is in progress. The core breach is at its flash point (a large, motionless cloud has formed from the warp core) but it is also expanding. Picard is confused and thought that time was suspended but Data has determined that time is moving but at an almost immeasurably slow rate and that they failed to realize this because their first conclusion was merely based on the observations of the crew, but a warp core breach moves at a substantially faster rate than any other event on the ship. Data then says that based on the rate of the cloud's expansion that it will destroy the Enterprise in nine hours and seventeen minutes. With concern for his ship, Picard asks what can be done to stop the breach but unfortunately it is no longer a matter of stopping the breach as it has already occurred and the fact that it is moving so slowly changes nothing. Picard studies the breach in astonishment while Troi asks Data what caused the breach. Data does not know but the consoles in engineering reveal that the Enterprise was performing a power transfer to the Romulan warbird at the moment that time slowed down. Troi wonders why the Enterprise would be sending power to the Romulans and Data suggests going over to the Romulan ship to find out but Picard suddenly bursts into laughter and Data and Troi turn to see what he finds so amusing. The captain has just drawn a smiley face in the cloud but he stops laughing and falls back in to the wall behind him -- something is very wrong. Data and Troi rush over to him and Picard says that he feels dizzy and starts laughing again but as Data reaches for him, Picard pulls away and panics uncontrollably. Troi calls La Forge to beam them back to the runabout immediately. Picard (looking exhausted), Data, and Troi are back on the runabout while La Forge checks Picard's armband with his scanner. He realizes that the captain wasn't completely protected from the effects of the other time frame and Data compares what Picard experienced with nitrogen narcosis, similar to deep sea divers who experience nitrogen narcosis. Nothing more can be done to give better protection from the time frame and La Forge suggests limiting the time they spend on each trip and always staying together. The next course of action is to find out why the Enterprise was transferring power over to the Romulan warbird and Picard wants to begin the search in the engine room of the warbird and asks for Troi's input, as she spent several days on a Romulan warbird previously but he feels dizzy again and Troi suggests that he stay on board the runabout and have La Forge go instead. Picard reluctantly agrees but allows them to go for no more than ten minutes. When Data, La Forge, and Troi materialize in the Romulan engine room, Troi points La Forge over to a power utilization monitor that he'd find of use, then she and Data walk over to another monitor where Data finds something peculiar -- the crew is not at battle stations but rather at evacuation alert. La Forge calls them over and tells them that there is an energy feedback in the power transfer beam and that it was probably what overloaded the warp engines of the Enterprise, causing the warp core breach. Data considers that the Romulans caused the feedback to destroy the Enterprise but La Forge does not believe so -- the console suggests that they were trying to stop the power transfer. Troi realizes that the more they learn, the less that the situation looks like a Romulan attack. La Forge suggests looking at their engine power output but Data says that the engine core is completely inactive -- something that should be impossible as the Romulans use an artificial quantum singularity as the power source on D'deridex-class vessels; once it has been activated, it cannot be shut down. La Forge opens the hatch of the engine core for a closer look. He looks inside and believes that he has found the cause of the problem. There is a vortex within the singularity with several dark spots inside it. As Data scans the vortex with a tricorder he reveals that it is a focused aperture in the space-time continuum. Its energy signature matches that of the temporal fragments that they encountered previously but it is more than a million times more intense and it is likely to be the origin of the temporal fragmentation. The dark spots within the aperture produce complex bio-electric patterns, possibly those of a life form, but before Data can make further observations the aperture fluctuates. As it fluctuates, the time frame returns to normal, the Romulan officers speak and walk between stations, and all but one of the Romulans pay no attention to the Starfleet officers. As the time returns to normal speed, Picard sees from the runabout's viewport the Enterprise explode from the warp core breach. Suddenly time reverses and the Enterprise comes back together. Back on the Romulan warbird, the Romulan officers' actions are going in reverse then they stop at the exact same point before the aperture fluctuated. Moments later, the three officers are speaking to Captain Picard through the com and Data believes that the emissions from his tricorder caused the activation of the aperture and advises against any further exposure. He adds that the Romulans were trying to eject their engine core. Troi adds that there was some sort of energy feedback and La Forge believes that they were trying to stop the feedback in any way they could. La Forge reads one of the engineering consoles to try to determine what was happening on the bridge but he notices something unusual. He soon realizes that a Romulan (the same Romulan who noticed them when time briefly returned to normal) is in a space that was empty before but when he asks Data if he was there before, the Romulan attacks La Forge and they both fall back. Data and Troi run over to La Forge who is now dying from neural shock but there is too little time to send him back to the runabout to treat him. Troi removes his armband to slow down the neural shock and integrate La Forge into the timeframe, so they can save him later. She asks Data if the Romulan is alive, but after scanning him Data says that he is alive, but he is not sure that the man is a Romulan. On board the runabout, Picard, Data, and Troi are standing around one of the beds in the cabin, on which the "Romulan" alien is lying unconscious. Data's scan of the alien show that his cellular structure does not conform to any known species and that his bio-electric patterns are in a state of temporal flux. He doubts that the alien is native to their time continuum. Picard asks to see Data's readings of the organic matter that he found inside the aperture. Picard and Data look at a bio-spectral analysis of the aperture on the monitor and find that the bio-electric patterns of the organic matter are similar to those of the alien on the bed but they are much less complex and that the cellular structures of the organic matter are in a state of cellular mitosis -- it may be an embryo. The alien awakens and Picard asks him who he is. The alien replies saying that he assumed the body of the Romulan in order to survive in this time continuum but he struggles to speak. He adds that he has come to this time continuum to save their young that are trapped inside the artificial "gravity well" and that they are dying -- the alien is referring to the Romulan engine core but as he speaks, his body starts to phase and Data scans him finding that his molecular structure is destabilizing. Picard asks how the alien's young became trapped inside the singularity. The alien replies that they needed a natural quantum singularity to incubate their young. They used the Romulan singularity, which is artificial, hoping that it would suffice but it failed. Troi, Picard, and Data soon piece together the puzzle -- when the alien young were nested in the singularity, it shut down so the Romulans sent out a distress call and the Enterprise responded, finding the Romulan ship suffering from an apparent engine failure and began a power transfer. However when the power transfer beam made contact with the alien "nest" it disrupted the space-time continuum and threatened the lives of the young, forcing the alien to attack the Enterprise to stop the power transfer. The alien reveals that there is another individual like him but before he can give any further information, he disappears completely. Picard, Data, and Troi are now on their own to find the other alien. A few minutes later, Picard is frustrated that the destruction of the Enterprise is imminent (just over seven hours away) and asks Data if the entire warp core can be beamed into space. He is told it would require surrounding the entire core with a subspace isolation field. The runabout cannot generate a large enough field. Picard then mentions that the tricorder emissions caused time to go forward and then backward and asks if the opposite effect can be achieved with time going backward then forward. Troi catches onto the idea and suggests running time back to a point before the core breach and preventing the power transfer so that when time rolls forward again, the core breach will never happen. Data believes that it is possible to put the theory into practice by re-modulating the delta-band emissions of his tricorder to produce the desired effect. Picard gives the go-ahead, knowing that timing will be critical since there will be little time to prevent the power transfer. The three officers are in position -- Data is in main engineering standing by the engineering console, Picard is on the bridge by the aft science station, and Troi is in sickbay with her phaser drawn and aimed at the Romulan firing at Dr. Crusher. Unknown to Troi, the "Romulan" woman (the second alien) who was looking around earlier is absent from sickbay. Data has placed his modified tricorder in front of the aperture on the Romulan vessel and activates it via a PADD. There is another flash of light and time moves backwards. The disruptor blast that hit Dr. Crusher has now reversed and backed into the disruptor's emitter. The cloud from the warp core breach has disappeared, and Data reports that the breach has been reversed. He stands poised at the pool table to prevent the power transfer. The second alien walks in (unaffected by the time frame) and attacks Data. They both fall to the floor. Meanwhile, time returns to normal, going forward. Just as Data awakens, an ensign initiates the power transfer. Data attempts to shut down the transfer, but it is too late to do so. He instructs the computer to raise a level-3 containment field around the warp core. The Romulan warbird fires its disruptors at the Enterprise to try to stop the power transfer. On the bridge, the conn station explodes in the helmsman's face and a Romulan officer quickly takes over for him, Riker is knocked over and a Romulan officer helps him back to his feet. He is surprised to see the Captain, but there is no time for Picard to explain how he got back. He orders Riker to continue evacuating the Romulan ship and to beam La Forge (who is still in the Romulan engine room) directly to sickbay. In sickbay, Troi pulls Dr. Crusher out of the way just as the Romulan fires his disruptor, aiming her phaser at him. Dr. Crusher explains to Troi that he wasn't firing at her. The Romulan officer explains that he was shooting at an alien who had taken Romulan form and the doctor got in the way. Picard asks Data for a report and Data reports that he was attacked by the other alien and that he was unable to prevent the power transfer, so a core breach is again imminent. The Enterprise cannot move to stop the power transfer because the feedback from the beam would destroy the ship but Picard quickly gets an idea -- he has Riker patch him through to remotely control the navigation of the runabout. He navigates the runabout between the Enterprise and the Romulan ship, interrupting the beam and destroying the runabout in the process. As the runabout explodes, both the second alien and the Romulan warbird disappear. Severing the power transfer has prevented the warp core breach and restored the space-time continuum to normal. Some time later, Riker arrives at Data's quarters (feeling slightly nervous about Spot) with a PADD telling him that he has worked out new shift rotation schedules and that he wants Data to tell the department heads of the personnel assignments. Data is performing an experiment to try to understand how Humans perceive time after hearing how some say that time passes quickly in one instance and slowly in another although he knows that, in reality, the passage of time remains fixed. Riker says that the Human perception of time differs from person to person and that it varies according to the situation and one's mood. Data has boiled the same water in a kettle 62 times, sometimes watching the kettle intently and other times ignoring it. The water boiled at exactly the same time in each instance. He feels that he is incapable of perceiving time differently from his internal chronometer. However, Riker suggests that Data deactivate his internal chronometer and see if his perception of time differs, as Humans themselves do not have internal chronometers. Data thanks Riker for his suggestion. Riker leaves, jokingly warning Data, "Just don't be late for your shift!"  Data ponders Riker's advice when suddenly the water in the kettle begins to boil, surprising Data. 
<EOS>
Data is playing cards on the holodeck with simulations of Dr. Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. They engage in a conversation about the curvature of space-time and the "apple story". Hawking has just laid down a winning hand of four sevens when Riker calls for red alert. The USS Enterprise-D responds to a distress call from Ohniaka III, an outpost with little strategic value. The Enterprise arrives to find a mysterious ship in orbit. An away team consisting of Riker, Worf, Data, and security officer Corelki find that all personnel on the station are dead and it appears that whoever was responsible for the attacks was specifically interested in their deaths. Data overrides a control panel, causing a door to open and revealing that the attackers are the Borg. In the ensuing battle, the away team notice a marked difference in Borg behavior when compared to earlier encounters. Most notably, one Borg, Bosus, expressed sympathy for another by name, Torsus, after it is killed by the away team, promising that he would make the away team "suffer" for the death of his comrade, and referring to himself with the singular pronoun "I". In a similar unusual display, after a Borg kills Corelki and attacks Data, Data becomes uncharacteristically enraged and brutally kills a Borg in hand-to-hand combat. The engagement ends shortly afterward and the Borg transport out. Picard orders pursuit, but the Borg vessel disappears through a subspace distortion. La Forge will need time to understand the method used, so they go back to the planet. Following the Borg's departure, Data reveals to Riker that he had genuinely felt anger, and is stunned. Later, in a briefing in the observation lounge, Riker describes the marked differences in Borg behavior as compared to their previous encounters. The Borg were more aggressive, emphasizing destruction over assimilation, and Riker compares their behavior to that of Klingons rather than the Borg they had encountered in the past. Worf notes furthermore that they demonstrated facets of individuality rather than a collective consciousness, in referring to themselves in the singular "I" over the plural "we", as well as their concern for their dead comrade. It is hypothesized that the developments of named Borg and assertions of individuality may be tied to the influence of the Borg Hugh, who developed a sense of individuality after being rescued by the crew in 2368. Later, Admiral Alynna Nechayev arrives on the USS Gorkon and assigns the Enterprise to head a three-ship contingent of a fifteen-ship task force in the sector, consisting of the Enterprise, the USS Crazy Horse, and the USS Agamemnon. Nechayev berates Picard for having sent Hugh back to the Borg when they had a chance to destroy the Collective in one swift stroke. Despite Picard's insistence that Hugh's budding individuality had ethically compelled him to respect his desire to return to the Collective, she demands it would be better for Picard to safeguard Federation citizens rather than submit to his own feelings in the future. Meanwhile, Data is trying to make sense of the emotion he felt earlier. He speaks with La Forge and Troi about his recent feelings of rage, and begins to fear that negative emotions are the only ones he is capable of feeling, despite all attempts to elicit other positive emotions through experimentation. Troi assures him that feelings of anger are natural, and are not to be suppressed. However, what most worries Data is that he felt pleasure after killing the Borg on Ohniaka III, which in turn worries Troi as well. After sixteen hours of patrol, the Enterprise had no further Borg encounters, though tension still ran high on board and throughout the surrounding sector, causing at least one false alarm from the New Berlin Colony. During this time, analysis of the subspace distortion through which the rogue Borg ship escaped is revealed as an "artificially-created energy conduit", which later becomes labeled as a transwarp conduit. Picard reviewed mission recordings of Hugh's experiences on the Enterprise, and revealed to Riker an ounce of regret and second thoughts over sending Hugh back to the Collective. Though Riker maintains it was the moral thing to do, Picard is still fighting with himself over whether it was the right thing to do, given that Hugh presented the opportunity to destroy the Collective before it had caused further destruction. La Forge later joins Data in a holodeck simulation of his experience with the Borg, wherein he tries to recreate the emotional response it had generated on the outpost. Despite multiple attempts, Data tells him that he has not been able to duplicate the sensation, repeatedly and dispassionately killing the simulated Borg while increasing its strength with each failure. Data then asks La Forge if he could help him deactivate the safety protocols on the holodeck in order to augment the Borg's strength to dangerous levels. While La Forge refuses to let him put his life on the line for a theory, Data genuinely believes it will allow him to answer his questions of emotion that he has sought throughout his entire life. Data asserts his ownership over his life, and that he can risk it if he chooses, but despite compassion La Forge refuses. Shortly afterward, the Enterprise receives a distress call from the MS I colony, and immediately responds. The Enterprise gives chase to the Borg vessel, and is pulled into the transwarp conduit as it attempts to flee the system. As the Enterprise exits the conduit her shields are down significantly. With a single Borg weapons shot, shields are down completely and two Borg transport aboard the bridge. After succeeding in killing security officer Franklin, the Borg are neutralized, though in the diversion the Borg vessel was able to escape. This incident further compounds the differences in Borg behavior for the Enterprise crew, notably in that the disabled Borg were left behind instead of vaporizing them, as had been done on previous occasions. One of the Borg survives, and during his interrogation it reveals that he does not have a designation, but a name: "Crosis", given to him by an individual referred to as "the one", and, "the one who will destroy [them]". Picard argues with him on this emphasis of destruction, that it is the purpose of the Borg to assimilate rather than destroy. However, Crosis reveals that the modus operandi of these particular Borg is far different from those encountered in the past, in that they "do not assimilate inferior biological organisms, they destroy them", reflecting the development of an internalized ideological identity in these Borg rather than a mere collective identity as linked cybernetic organisms. After an unsuccessful attempt by Picard to communicate with him by referring to himself as Locutus, he orders Dr. Crusher to perform an autopsy of the dead Borg to find any connection to Hugh as an explanation for this behavior, and also leaves Data alone with the Borg to conduct a biospectral analysis. While Data is alone with the Borg, it attempts to communicate with him. After activating an unknown device on its body that noticeably affects Data in some way, Crosis begins talking to Data about emotions. Despite resistance to Crosis' insistent inquiries Data relents and reveals his experience on Ohniaka III. Crosis pointedly asks him if it felt good to kill, and though Data fights with his understanding of ethics he reveals the pleasure he felt in killing, despite the fact that Dr. Soong gave him programming that defines his sense of right and wrong. It quickly becomes evident that Crosis is goading Data into admitting his like of brutal pleasure. Data admits that it was a potent experience, and noticeably appears to be getting seduced by emotion. Data's ethics begin to deteriorate as he admits he wants to feel this way again. When Crosis asks him if he had a friend, Data mentions La Forge, and in a tremendous reversal of his ethical programming Data says he would kill his friend like the Borg he killed in order to feel emotions again. During this exchange, La Forge continued his analysis of the subspace conduit and its operation. As he explains the analysis a shuttlecraft leaves the shuttlebay, revealed to contain Data and the Borg prisoner, and proceeds through the transwarp conduit. After a short flight through the conduit they emerge 65 light-years away, it is revealed that there had been significant Borg activity in the surrounding three sectors from the terminus, as there had been indications both of advanced civilizations, recent plasma weapon discharge, and no signs of life. The shuttlecraft is tracked to a planet with unusually high EM interference. Weighing the risk of putting an away team down to the surface without knowing what could be waiting for them, to which Riker replies that they'll have to take that risk of being surrounded by Borg; Picard orders a well-armed away team down to the surface near the shuttle, with the transporter chief maintaining a lock on all of them at all times. The shuttle El-Baz is found abandoned in a field, with no structures in the immediate area and no signs of Data or the Borg prisoner. Sensing a need to cover more ground, Picard decides to establish a command post near the El-Baz and wants to use the shuttles for low-level reconnaissance, therefore ordering the designated pilots to the shuttle bay. Finally, he orders all available personnel including La Forge and himself to put together four-man away teams, while leaving a skeleton crew on board. When asked by La Forge who would be in command of the Enterprise, Doctor Crusher enters the bridge and asks for last orders. Picard orders her not to wait for him or anyone else, but to take the Enterprise back to the conduit, and return to Federation space should the Borg return and threaten the ship. Both officers wished each other good luck, with Picard adding "captain" to her title. Twelve teams from the Enterprise had been deployed so far, with Riker and Worf in one and Picard, La Forge, Troi, and a security officer armed with a phaser rifle in another. After leaving Wallace and Towles manning the command post on the planet, Picard's team search the surface. Troi sees a structure in the distance. Picard's team enter the structure some distance from the landing site, the interior and exterior bare save for a unknown claw-like insignia in the decor. When the crew attempt to leave the building, a large number of armed Borg flood the building, displaying a near-mob mentality. The security officer is killed, and shortly afterward Lore appears on a promontory in the hall, revealing himself as their leader. Data reveals himself as in league with his brother, as well as their plans to destroy the Federation. 
<EOS>
After Lore reveals himself to Jean-Luc Picard, Deanna Troi, and Geordi La Forge, the three are confronted by the fact that Data and Lore are now working together. Lore and Data tell Picard that the end of biological life is at hand and the age of completely artificial lifeforms has begun. Lore had apparently found the Borg struggling with the sense of individuality that Hugh had contracted to the Collective. He sees himself and Data as something for the Borg to aspire to and believe in. He has Data take them away. Dr. Beverly Crusher, now in command of the USS Enterprise-D with only a skeleton crew, faces the Borg ship that attacked the outpost on Ohniaka III and is closing in on their location. Crusher orders the ship to red alert and tries to speed the recovery of the away teams on the planet. The new tactical officer, Taitt, shows obvious inexperience, having been posted there only six weeks prior. When the Borg ship is in firing range, Crusher waits for the last minute to raise shields. After the Borg fire on the Enterprise, Crusher returns fire with a pair of photon torpedoes, which do nothing. The ship however, rescues all but 47 of the crew from the surface before escaping the Borg attack. On the surface, Commander Riker and Worf head off to search for the captain's team, which is being led to a holding cell by Data and a Borg. Another team led by Lieutenant Powell will take cover and avoid contact with the Borg. Riker thinks they only have a few days until another Federation ship can arrive. Picard's team discusses with Data his newfound emotions, and Data responds by telling them how his journey towards being Human was "misguided" and that he now sees the true way that things should be. He appears to be certain of what he's doing, but the others are certain he's being controlled. Data takes their combadges and La Forge's VISOR before leaving. As he activates the force field around their cell, he states coldly, "I am not your puppet any more." Lieutenant Barnaby relieves Taitt at tactical, but Crusher sends her to the bridge's aft science station to keep her on the bridge. She orders a buoy readied with their log entries and releases it into the transwarp corridor to transmit them to Starfleet. Meanwhile, Crusher and company ready a plan to drop out of warp in orbit of the planet and rescue the remaining crewmembers. They will need every second they can get. On the planet, Data brings La Forge's VISOR to Lore, who then puts it on and jokingly asks, "How do I look?" Data, not understanding, is confused. Lore remarks that Data will have to work on his sense of humor. Lore intends to experiment on La Forge's implants, saying it's needed to prevent further Borg deaths in the experimentation he has apparently been doing on them, unsuccessfully. They are interrupted by Crosis, who brings a disobedient Borg named Goval to Lore because he was not letting Crosis hear his thoughts. Lore convinces him to comply. La Forge, in the meantime, has been conspiring with Picard and Troi to find a way around the carrier wave that Lore is using to broadcast his emotions to Data. His ethical subroutines could be rebooted using a kedion pulse, it seems, but in the middle of the conversation, Data enters and takes La Forge away for experimentation without even stopping to talk. Riker and Worf are following the trail of the captain when they are cornered by some Borg, who take them into a cave. Surprisingly, they find Hugh, who is quite angry in seeing them. Hugh, apparently leader of an underground group of Borg, does not like the return of the crew of the Enterprise, whom he blames for the current state of the rogue Borg. He explains the effect his individuality had on the Collective, that all the Borg's voices became increasingly discordant, leading to dysfunction. They would listen to any voice to end the resulting confusion, and then they encountered Lore, who promised clarity and purpose to the Borg that were not connected to the Collective anymore. He shows Riker and Worf the results of the experiments that Lore is attempting on the Borg, to the end of becoming a superior race: two individuals in an obviously bad state. However, he agrees to show Riker and Worf a way into the compound to save his friend, La Forge. La Forge, meanwhile, is strapped to a table to undergo an experiment. Data comes in with Picard's voice in an attempt at humor, unsuccessfully. Data explains the procedure of replacing control of his cognitive abilities with an artificial neural network, which has a 60% mortality rate. La Forge explains Lore is manipulating him, but he ignores him. In the cell, Troi, standing over the body of Picard, calls a Borg over to help her. When the Borg leans over to check out Picard, the Captain pulls out a cable on the Borg's neck. Picard then steals the interlink transceiver while Troi takes the weapon from the Borg's arm to check the hall. There, she finds Data escorting La Forge back to the cell. Data takes the weapon and leaves with the Borg, unaware of the lost transceiver. Picard then begins to modify it to help activate Data's ethical subroutines, with La Forge's guidance. The Enterprise drops out of warp and transporter chief Salazar transports the last of the crew off of the surface, but informs the bridge that six people (Picard, Riker, Troi, Worf, La Forge, and an officer who had been killed by the Borg) still remain. Just as the Borg ship returns for another fight, Crusher orders shields up, but the Enterprise takes a hit which disables their warp drive. Retaliating with phasers, the Borg ship fires again which takes a toll on the shields. Crusher then orders the Enterprise into the nearby sun's corona, much to Taitt's disbelief. Approaching the star, Crusher orders Barnaby to activate the metaphasic shielding, but he reminds her that the shield is still in an experimental stage. Once activated, it works; it lowers the radiation level and temperature of the hull while getting the Borg ship off their tail. The Borg take a position, letting them know that they will wait until they come out of the sun. Crusher wonders how long they can stay in the sun's corona. Picard has finished modifications on the interlink transceiver, and places it near the force field, activating the pulse that will reset Data's subroutines. Meanwhile, Data is ready to irradiate La Forge's brain cells and begin construction of a positronic net to take the place of his biological brain. However, the pulse works, and at La Forge's coaxing, Data thinks of a false excuse to not destroy La Forge's brain yet. Outside, Lore and Data are chatting regarding La Forge. Data then projects accountability towards his comrades, stating that if they die, he is responsible. Lore wonders if something is wrong with Data's systems, then begins to induce pain within Data. Under duress, Data asks for more emotions, which Lore gives. As soon as he leaves, Crosis emerges and Lore wonders if Data has the strength to help Lore in his plan. Faced with only a few minutes of metaphasic shielding left, Taitt, having done her senior honors thesis on solar dynamics at the Academy, thinks up a plan to create a solar eruption to destroy the Borg ship. Barnaby objects, reminding Taitt that this is not the Academy, and that comparing the two is a long way from actually trying it. Taitt assures him that she's got a targeting sequence lined up. Barnaby tells her if her calculations are even slightly off, the eruption could obliterate the Enterprise as well. Taitt bluntly reassures him, echoing his own retort from earlier. After firing phasers and using the tractor beam, the Borg ship is destroyed, to the surprise and delight of Barnaby. Taitt just gives him a sly grin. With the Borg ship destroyed, the Enterprise is free to orbit the planet again. Back on the planet, Data returns with La Forge and then takes Picard, who begins to confuse Data by activating portions of his ethical subroutines. Lore interrupts them, and, as part of a ceremony, orders Data to kill Picard. The ethical subroutine has been activated, and Data tells Lore that that would be wrong. Beneath the surface, Riker and Worf use the environmental conduits to get to the central room, and then attack at a key point in the events when Lore was about to kill Data. Hugh tackles Lore, preventing him from killing Data. The Borg fight back and amongst themselves. In the chaos that ensues, Lore escapes from the room, and Data follows. As Lore tries to coerce Data into leaving the planet with him, Data shoots and proceeds to deactivate his brother once and for all. Lore's last words before his deactivation are, "I love you, brother." Picard, Riker, and Worf thank Hugh and welcome Data back to normal functioning. Picard hints that even though Hugh is unsure of their future, perhaps these Borg have a good individual leader for the future. Back on the ship, La Forge enters Data's quarters and walks over to his desk, where Spot is lying. La Forge tells Data that he will return to duty soon. Data is relieved at this, and shows La Forge the damaged and inoperative emotion chip that was retrieved from Lore's body. He is about to destroy it with a phaser, because his friendship with La Forge is more important to him than emotions, and emotions are what caused him to harm and nearly kill his friend. La Forge stops him and says that perhaps someday they will be able to use the emotion chip. After all, it is Data's lifelong dream to have emotions, and, as La Forge concludes, "I wouldn't be very much of a friend if I let you give up on a life-long dream now, would I? Maybe some day, when you're ready." 
<EOS>
The crew of the USS Enterprise-D welcomes aboard two Iyaaran ambassadors, Loquel and Byleth, who are visiting the ship as part of a cultural exchange that will also send Captain Jean-Luc Picard to their homeworld, Iyar. Before Picard departs, he assigns Counselor Deanna Troi to act as Loquel's liaison and asks Commander William T. Riker to do the same for Byleth. However, upon their arrival, Byleth demands that Lieutenant Worf serve as his shipboard guide. Worf reluctantly accepts, and Picard departs for Iyar with Voval, the Iyaaran shuttle pilot. In Ten Forward, a reception with buffet is held. Loquel and Troi get along while she introduces him to desserts, while Byleth continues to be rude to Worf, and demands he bring him more food despite Crusher's explanation of the protocol. Worf continues to play along and goes to get him food, running into Data who suggests he focus on their commonalities. Soon afterward, Picard finds Voval gruff and uncommunicative. Their awkward silence is disrupted by a sudden malfunction aboard their ship. Crashing on an unknown class M planet, Voval receives a concussion. Picard, seemingly unhurt, decides to seek help outside the shuttle when he detects a structure and some energy readings outside. While Picard walks around the surface, he falls to the ground trying to traverse the planet's stormy electrical discharges. As he lies unconscious, someone silently drags him away. On the Enterprise, Troi and Worf continue to deal with their guests' curiosities. Worf shows Byleth to engineering, and, in the middle of explanations, Byleth rudely asks a question only an engineer would know. He sees La Forge and asks if he is smarter than Worf. Then, he demands to see the Bussard collectors. Worf keeps his composure and leads him away. Meanwhile, Loquel has become fascinated by the existence of desserts, as his people only eat for sustenance. He is equally intrigued by children, as Iyaarans are born fully grown, particularly after seeing a young boy on the Enterprise named Eric. He and Troi partake in many desserts, much to Troi's eventual dismay. Picard awakens in the small, dimly-lit cabin of a crashed cargo freighter. He is approached by a solemn, attractive Human woman who informs him that Voval did not survive the crash, and leaves. Picard learns that the woman's name is Anna and that she is the sole survivor of a Terellian cargo freighter crash that occurred seven years before. After Anna tells Picard that he has three broken ribs, he sends her to retrieve the shuttlecraft's comm panel in order to send a distress signal. Meanwhile, Worf is struggling to maintain his composure due to the abrasive, demanding personality of Byleth. Riker says Worf can't transfer responsibility to someone else. Loquel has been pleasant, but Troi admits he is testing her as well, obsessed with desserts. Riker decides that the tension might be eased by a "friendly" game of poker. Picard gets up and walks around finally. He curiously finds that the door is locked from outside. Anna then returns with a non-functional panel, which she accidentally destroyed when removing it with a phaser. She seems distraught that she did that, and explains that she had to give up hope in order to not be crazy, but Picard insists they will be rescued. She is pleased, and Picard is then shocked when Anna pins him down, forcibly kisses him and tells him she loves him. Picard finds a power cell while Anna is out collecting food. She brings back coltayin roots she intends to cook, and again tells Picard to rest when she finds him up. He tells her he plans to use the remaining charge to power the shuttle's systems. She again tells him she loves him, but he frankly tells her it's because she hasn't seen anyone in seven years. She is disappointed, but Picard encourages her that they will be rescued. On the Enterprise, the poker game is anything but "friendly" when Worf realizes that Byleth is stealing his chips. Upon the accusation, Byleth verbally and physically provokes Worf, who eventually loses control and, despite Riker's insistence that he calm down, attacks his guest. But instead of getting angry, Byleth is pleased. He expresses admiration for Worf's display of anger and politely excuses himself to document the experience, leaving everyone confused (except Loquel, who is still gleefully enjoying his dessert and offering some to Troi). Back on the planet, Picard becomes enraged at Anna when he realizes that his ribs are not really broken, and the woman, who continues to beg for his love, is actually holding him captive. He angrily alerts Anna to his discovery, at which point she becomes distraught over failing to gain his affection and rushes out the door, breaking off her necklace and locking him inside the freighter. Picard finds a crowbar to try to force open the door when he hears someone on the other side, who turns out to be the very much alive Voval. Voval explains that he only appeared to be dead because, when Iyaarans are injured, their metabolic rates slow down in order to promote healing. He and Picard set off in search of Anna, eventually separating. Picard finds Anna standing at the edge of a cliff, threatening to commit suicide if he does not tell her he loves her. When he notices that Anna is again wearing her necklace and that Voval has again disappeared, Picard senses that something strange is going on and tells Anna to go ahead and jump. Picard begins to note the many coincidences that has happened since the Iyaaran shuttle crashed on the planet, such as her wearing the necklace at the moment, Anna disappearing and Voval appearing right after her or Voval's insistence that they find her before she jumps. Sure enough, Picard has found her just before she did so. At that moment, she transforms into Voval, who explains that he is not really a pilot, but an Iyaaran ambassador. He tells Picard that years before the Iyaarans discovered the freighter along with logs indicating how a Human woman was marooned on the planet, and seven years later fell in love with a man who had also crashed. Voval brought Picard to the same planet in order to study the emotion of love by using Picard as a subject. Similarly, Loquel and Byleth were sent to experience pleasure and antagonism, as described in the woman's logs, concepts unknown to the Iyaarans. Picard comments that Humans would not have taken such a direct approach in their research, and he informs the ambassador that he has technically committed a crime. Voval is confused, but Picard is more interested in escape than prosecution and, after Voval confirms his assumption that the shuttle is actually operational, they return to the Enterprise. Upon their arrival, Byleth along with a sore Worf, recount to Riker their experience of eleven consecutive hours of Worf's antagonistic holodeck program, while Loquel offers Troi a sample of Iyaaran food, apologizing that it lacks the flavor as chocolate, but which Troi reassures him will come as a welcome relief after the constant barrage of desserts they have been eating over the past few days. Voval and Picard part on friendly terms with Picard acknowledging the desire to obtain knowledge, and commenting that it's refreshing to encounter a people who are prepared to take an experience to its furthest extreme. 
<EOS>
Geordi La Forge, Data, and Beverly Crusher are testing an interface in a science lab on the USS Enterprise-D which allows La Forge to use the VISOR circuitry in his brain, along with an interface suit, to control a probe by remote control. Via this connection, La Forge can use the probe to virtually enter areas that would be too dangerous for actual crew members to enter, and the probe transmits information directly into La Forge's cerebral cortex, providing the sensation that he is actually there. As the crew prepare to use the probe to investigate the wreckage of the USS Raman, which became trapped in the atmosphere of Marijne VII, Captain Jean-Luc Picard learns from Admiral Marcus Holt of Deep Space 3 that the USS Hera under the command of Geordi La Forge's mother, Silva La Forge, was lost during a routine courier run operating out of the station. A massive search mounted by the USS Excelsior and the USS Noble failed to discover any trace of the ship, and all hands were presumed lost. Picard interrupts the probe preparations in the science lab to tell La Forge. Despite the apparent loss of his mother, La Forge intends to continue with the mission. He views the last message he received from his mother in his quarters when Commander Riker enters to try to talk La Forge out of performing the task, but La Forge insists he continue, as the interface has been specifically configured to his VISOR's inputs and there's little time if there are survivors on the Raman. After a brief period of adjustment in activating the interface, he travels through a corridor on the Raman, finding someone dead. He continues on and finds the rest of them in a magnetic storage bay. There is no one left alive on the ship. Suddenly, a fire breaks out and Crusher orders a disconnection. However, they see that La Forge's hands are severely burned. It turns out the heat sensory inputs overloaded through a possible feedback loop. In sickbay, Crusher treats the wounds. Picard wants to get the information they were collecting, but not at the risk of La Forge's health. La Forge says they can modify the interface, so they can try again in a couple of hours once the entry point on the Raman can be created. In the meantime, La Forge learns from his father that a memorial service has already been planned for the crew on Vulcan, as most of the Hera's personnel were native to the planet. La Forge's father wants to plan a private memorial along with his daughter and La Forge's sister Ariana, which seems premature to La Forge. Later, he "is just passing by" Data's quarters and stops in. Data is contemplating the emptiness of his computer screen in the style of the Doosodarians. He initially asks if La Forge wants to talk about his mother, and he says no, however, La Forge gives in and asks if it's crazy to think she's still alive. Data factually replies he's not crazy, but statistics show this situation rarely come out well. La Forge is back in the interface, but, immediately, he inexplicably sees his mother on the Raman. She states that she and the crew of the Hera are actually trapped on the planet's surface. Continued use of the probe soon exposes La Forge to unhealthy levels of neural stimulation, forcing his disconnection from the interface. La Forge becomes convinced that his mother was on the Raman, and wants to use the probe to communicate with his mother. Dr. Crusher and Picard refuse to allow him to use the interface suit again, and attempt to explain that it is highly improbable that he actually communicated with his mother who was last seen over three hundred light years away. Picard orders him to talk to Counselor Troi while Data comes up with an alternate plan to salvage the Raman. There, La Forge admits to Troi that he regretted not responding to her last message, but he does not accept the treatment he's being given, as there's no evidence of her death, and he believes the image he saw on the ship. He abruptly leaves the room, since he has a theory of his own. In the observation lounge, Data presents his plan to bring the Raman out of orbit. La Forge agrees, but presents his theory about the Hera: in his mother's last message to him, she stated that the Hera's engineer was experimenting with the ship's warp drive. He believes the trionic initiators, which are known to cause strange side effects on the warp coils, had created a subspace funnel. He believes that this funnel sent the Hera from its last recorded position three hundred light years away all the way to Marijne VII. Data says that this theory is possible but upon being pressed by Captain Picard further, he reluctantly admits that it is almost impossible. Picard makes the decision on Data's plan over La Forge's objections. La Forge takes matters into his own hands and prepares the interface in the science lab. Data had predicted this behavior and arrives. Despite Data's insistence of having La Forge stop what he is doing or be confined to quarters, La Forge doesn't back down. Data then decides to ultimately help his friend. With Data's assistance, La Forge returns to the Raman and again encounters the being who appears to be his mother. Prodding Data to continue increasing the sensory input at and beyond tolerance, La Forge takes the ship further down into lower orbit. However, when he eventually doesn't find the Hera, he eventually learns that the being is actually a subspace creature native to the gas giant's lower atmosphere who became trapped when the Raman entered, then left the atmosphere. These creatures inadvertently killed the crew of the Raman in their attempt to communicate, but were able to successfully read La Forge's mind via his interface with the probe. La Forge takes the ship closer to the planet so that she and others like her trapped on the ship can return home -- almost at the cost of his life. By this time, Picard and Dr. Crusher had arrived. The creatures leave the ship, but the shields are about to fail soon. By simulating sensory information from his previous attempts in the suit, she and Data were able to disconnect La Forge from the interface safely. Afterwards, Picard sternly rebukes La Forge in his ready room for going against his orders and informs him that the incident is going to be noted on his service file, before offering his condolences that he never found his mother. La Forge responds that the entity appearing to be his mother seemed real, and that in a way his encounter with the creatures allowed him to say goodbye. 
<EOS>
Commander Riker, Dr. Crusher, Counselor Troi, and Lieutenant Worf investigate Captain Picard's whereabouts in a musty bar on Dessica II, describing him as a "smooth-headed" Human. They find Yranac, a Yridian criminal sitting at a table in the bar who knows something -- after the group promises him safe passage on their starship, he admits to seeing Picard the day before, asking a group of aliens about archaeological artifacts. Crusher's tricorder scans confirm Starfleet fiber traces and Human cellular debris exposed to some kind of high energy field, and faint traces of micro-crystalline damage in the floor material. Yranac continues his story, and explains that a fight broke out and Picard was vaporized by a weapon. Troi empathically confirms that Yranac is telling the truth. Most of the USS Enterprise-D crew accept Picard's death, and plan on attending a memorial service arranged by Troi. However, Riker refuses to attend the service, and is instead focused on finding out who murdered Captain Picard but is unfair which makes Troi strict. The stricter Troi gets, the angrier and harsher it makes Commander Riker. His refusal starts an argument between the two, with Troi angrily telling him that he is not the only one in pain, does not have the monopoly on loss and that all of the crew is hurting and is angry and Riker has to give the eulogy whether he likes it or not, but Riker gets angrier, more selfish and kicks Troi out. This hurts Troi. As she turns to leave he offers a heartfelt apology realizing that this whole thing is about justice. Admiral Chekote offers his condolences to the commander and questions his request to delay a mission to the Argus sector. Riker asks the admiral to investigate Picard's death on the basis that he lacks the confidence with the authorities on Dessica II -- one of which is known corruption. Admiral Chekote agrees with Riker but asks if he is capable of pursuing this matter. Riker answers that the Captain's death hit him pretty hard while he may not be objective, he states that he is determined to find those responsible and will not rest until he does. Satisfied, Admiral Chekote grants his request by placing the Enterprise on detached duty and wishes him luck in his investigation. Riker interrogates Yranac in his assigned quarters. When the Yridian asks for an Enterprise shuttle in exchange for further information, Riker throws him against the wall and threatens to turn him over to the Klingon Empire due to his having twelve outstanding warrants for fraud and petty theft. Yranac tells Riker that those who killed Picard mentioned the Barradas system. Riker sets course for the system. The crew arrives at the system's only class M planet, Barradas III, which happens to also be home to a two thousand year-old Debrune archaeological site. Despite the planet being unpopulated, sensors detect energy signals from the surface. After beaming down, the crew discovers that most of the artifacts have been stolen, and the ground has the same micro-crystalline damage that was found on Dessica II. While Riker, Worf, Geordi La Forge, Kellogg, and a few ensigns are exploring, a variety of humanoids attack the away team, killing one ensign. While trying to set up a crossfire, Riker is knocked down from a blast. The attacking party lay down suppression fire on the away team making them unable to retaliate and beaming off planet with a captured Commander Riker. La Forge briefs Data on the attack just as a mercenary ship appears on sensors readying to attack the Enterprise. Data raises shields and calls for red alert as the mercenary ship opens fire, doing no damage to their shields. The Enterprise pursues the mercenary ship but the ship fades out of their sensors, and escapes. Data then orders the helmsman to return to the planet. In a briefing, Data informs the senior staff that Starfleet Intelligence has confirmed that the mercenary ship have been involved in many raids in this sector. The advantage they have is they are virtually undetectable by their long range sensors. Riker is taken aboard the mercenary ship, which is commanded by Arctus Baran. Riker finds that a neural servo has been implanted within his body which allows Baran to inflict severe pain on him. Everyone on the ship has similar devices implanted in their necks, which is how Baran controls his crew. As the crew argues over the ramifications of having a Starfleet officer onboard, a "smooth-headed" crew member demands that Riker be killed immediately. As he turns, Riker sees that it is Picard. Riker discovers that Picard is posing as a smuggler named Galen. Picard tells the crew that he is familiar with Riker -- he is a Starfleet officer with a history of insubordination who was once even relieved of duty due to a "Cardassian incident at Minos Korva."  Riker plays along, acting the part that Picard is describing. Picard then secretly manufactures an intermix chamber malfunction, giving Riker a chance to fix the malfunction and prove himself to Baran. At Barradas III, La Forge thinks the micro-crystalline patterns found could be left over from a high-energy transporter beam. Data connects the artifacts' value to the Romulans, since the Debrune are related to them, the leader of the attack party was Romulan, and the ruins on the planet Picard was killed also related. They identify Calder II as the likely next target, which also has a small Federation science outpost. Later, Picard visits Riker in his quarters and reveals that he went to study an archaeological site on Dessica II, only to find that it had been ransacked. Tracing those responsible to a bar, Picard confronted them, but was captured and taken prisoner. Picard explains that the criminals have configured some of their weapons so that if they shot someone or something, it activates the transporter and beams them away -- which is why the people in the bar thought he'd been vaporized when shot. Picard reveals that they are looking for specific ancient artifacts of Romulan origin, and that Baran is having Picard search through the relics they've stolen for these specific artifacts. Picard asks Riker to help him infiltrate the crew of the mercenary ship. As Picard and Baran had never gotten along very well, Picard asks Riker to befriend Baran to help learn more about his plans. Picard also asks Riker to play into the role of a less than perfect, insubordinate Starfleet officer who is ready to betray the Federation. When Baran suddenly enters the quarters, Picard backhands Riker and he falls to the floor. Picard tells Baran that he was interrogating Riker for information that he couldn't get from him. Baran forcefully insists to "Galen" that he is to be informed when any interrogations are being conducted on his ship by activating the neural servo on Picard's neck. After recovering from the shock, Picard leaves and kicks Riker on his way out. The mercenaries travel to Calder II in order to obtain more artifacts from a Sakethan burial mound, despite the fact that the planet is also home to a Federation science station. Picard convinces Baran to use Riker to gain access to the planet in order to avoid a battle. However, Riker is unable to convince the outpost's Lt. Sanders to drop their deflector shield without proper authorization from the Federation Science Council. Before Baran can order the outpost destroyed, Picard configures the disruptors to fire a phase-resonant pulse at the precise frequency to disable the outpost's shields with one shot. With the shields down, the mercenaries begin beaming the artifacts from the planet, getting all but two before the outpost re-raises their shields. Just as Baran orders the outpost destroyed, their ship is hit by phaser fire from the just-arrived Enterprise. Baran threatens to kill Riker unless he orders the Enterprise to retreat. Riker hails the ship and orders Acting Captain Data to disengage. Then, Riker attempts to use his access codes to bring down the Enterprise's shields, knowing that his codes would have been changed upon his capture. Data understands the ruse, and drops the shields, despite Worf's objections. As soon as the shields drop, Picard opens fire, and a disrupter blast strikes the Enterprise's starboard warp nacelle, seemingly crippling it. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D is hit on the port nacelle with a barrage of fire from the mercenary vessel where Riker is being held prisoner. To Worf's surprise the damage was minimal.  The same is true when the starboard nacelle is hit.  Troi believes Riker has done something to their weapons, which Data, as acting captain; believes it to be true and they must play along.  The Enterprise simulates serious damage and fires back with only minimal phaser power. Picard pretends that phaser hit damaged the vessel's three plasma arrays on their disruptors. This, along with the antimatter containment units buckling forces Baran to order the mercenary ship to withdraw. Data orders the crew to let the ship go, assuming that this is what Riker wants. Data is intent on holding still and investigating, rather than send ships to the other two likely planets to be attacked. La Forge and Troi attempts to find out more hidden signals in Riker's transmission, and La Forge does find a pattern in a sub-harmonic analysis of the transmission. On the mercenary ship, Riker and Picard stage a heated argument. Their acrimonious relationship arouses Tallera's suspicions, and she later interrogates Picard. Her questions stop when Picard's tests reveal that they have found one of the artifacts they are looking for. They immediately notify Baran, who is being fooled by Riker's portrayal of a less-than-ideal Starfleet officer. Baran says he might like to continue to work with Riker, and tells Riker that he wants him kill Picard. On the Enterprise, Data determines that the message is a flight plan, indicating the mercenary ship is headed to the Hyralan sector. Worf believes that it would take them at least 15 hours to be there since their maximum warp factor is 8.5, while La Forge says they could be there in five.  Data decides to beat them there, which Worf responds in an irritated tone, which catches both La Forge and Data off guard. Data brings Worf to the ready room and berates him over his performance as first officer, most notably: questioning his decisions in front of the crew.  Worf states that he has always felt free to voice his opinions that would differ from Picard or Riker.  Data accepts that but in those instances, he was acting as security chief.  Data explains the role of the second-in-command is to carry out the orders of the commanding officer.  In this case, the latter is Data.  Should Worf object to those orders, he should discuss it with him in private, and further states that he doesn't recall Riker ever showing irritation as he did.  Data states that if Worf is not capable of carrying out this role, he will return him to tactical and assign La Forge as first officer instead.  Worf elects to remain as first officer, and Data accepts it on the condition he conforms to the guidelines.  He also apologizes if this berating has ended their friendship.  Worf takes responsibility for it and asks if this incident be overlooked to continue their friendship.  Data accepts it and Worf leaves.  Once alone, Data simply straightens his uniform. Alone with Picard in his quarters, Riker fills him in on Baran's plan, including the fact that he is supposed to kill Picard after the authenticity of the final artifact is confirmed. Riker reveals that they are headed to the Hyralan sector to pick up the artifact, which will be Romulan in origin, from a Klingon transport ship. Picard, however, states that the artifacts are actually all Vulcan in origin. Picard discusses mutiny with Narik and is repulsed since he assumes Picard would want to be captain. He is favorable to Tallera, though. Then, Tallera bursts in and pulls a phaser on Picard, demanding to be told his true identity. Tallera reveals that she is a Vulcan intelligence officer named T'Paal on a mission of her own. The artifacts being sought are fragments of the mythical Stone of Gol, a powerful weapon she believes is being sought by a Vulcan isolationist group. She explains that the stone is a psionic resonator, a device that focuses and amplifies telepathic energy. If the stone were reassembled and used by a trained telepath, the weapon could eliminate the entire Vulcan council with a single thought. Meanwhile, in the Hyralan sector, the Enterprise is surprised to encounter a Klingon ship, Toron-class. Suspicious, they seek options on how to bring the craft over since the treaty with the Klingons gives its pilot, Koral free movement in Federation space.  Worf suggests the treaty does stipulate taking the ship in for health and safety reasons. Data takes Worf's suggestion and commands the right to inspect the vessel for that reason, noting that if Koral wishes to protest, he can file such a protest with the office of the Judge Advocate General. Koral is greeted by Dr. Crusher and Worf to conduct the "inspection".  Koral scoffs at the notion but Beverly carries out the inspection, nervously trying to avoid any attempt at their real objective. When the mercenaries learn what has happened, Baran reluctantly prepares a team to board the Enterprise.  Picard balks at the notion and asks how many security officers would serve on such as ship as that.  Dismissing him, Baran orders Riker to lead the team to invade the Enterprise and retrieve the artifact.  Acting out his role, Picard shows serious doubt in Riker's loyalty, which Baran allays by assigning him to Riker, then secretly pulls the commander aside and tells him that he expects him to kill Picard after the raid. Koral is in the observation lounge with Troi and Data who are overly-friendly with him, much to Koral's annoyance, who just sits with them in silence.  Data offers him some Klingon Bloodwine that Worf replicated to his liking.  Instead he simply looks at the beverage and pours it on the floor. Worf and Beverly are running out of time and excuses for the inspection, and have found nothing substantial.  Before they can continue, the mercenary ship beams Riker and his team in the shuttle bay, with Riker stunning an operations crewman who was just entering.  He explains to Beverly that he decided to make a career change with Picard demands Worf the location of the artifact, but Riker believes Koral has it and demands his location.  Beverly reveals his location, and Worf says security won't let them get there but by using the shuttlecraft Justman, they can simply beam in without encountering them.  Riker apologizes and stuns both Worf and Beverly; the latter seems to startle Picard a bit. While Data and Troi continue to fail at their attempts at conversation with Koral, the mercenary team beams in, which surprises all three of them.  Picard retrieves the artifact from Koral and prepares to leave.  Data warns Riker that his actions would bring charges of theft, assault, piracy and treason on him.  Riker shrugs it off and decides to add one more to the list: murder.  He fires at Picard who rolls out of the way, and returns fire, sending Riker to the ground.  Troi and Data rush to his aid and tells Picard that Riker is dead, which Picard takes pleasure of.  They then return to the mercenary ship, as Riker comes to as he was stunned, which Data feels a similar sensation.  Dazed, Riker explains it will take time to explain everything. Back on the mercenary ship, Picard delivers two items to Baran.  The artifact, and a vicious punch to the face.  Narik explains that Riker turned on the team, which they believe was acting on Baran's orders.  This forces Picard to incite a mutiny on the ship, which he succeeds as the crew turns their back on Baran and follows Picard.  Baran reaches for his device stating that while he has it, he's still in command and will use it to kill Picard. When Baran attempts to activate Picard's patch, he kills himself instead. Picard then explains that he switched the transponder codes. He destroys the control device and takes command. Next he orders the crew to deliver the artifacts as planned. On the Enterprise, Riker notifies Vulcan security minister Satok that their operative is on her way, and learns from the minister that the Vulcans have no one stationed on any mercenary ship. Meanwhile, Picard talks with Tallera about the two pieces, taking note of the symbol of War and Death and notices that the there seems to be an important glyph missing from between them. Tallera then says when they arrive that she will take the pieces and go to collect the payment. She says she must go alone, since she is Vulcan, to avoid suspicion. Picard then reveals that he asked Riker to contact Vulcan security, which unnerves Tallera. When they arrive at Vulcan, Picard stops her as she prepares to go, ordering her to leave one piece behind. Tallera then reveals to the rest of the crew his true identity as a Starfleet officer. They start to turn on him but he then reveals that Tallera is going to use the pieces to make a volatile weapon, there's no money waiting for them at all, and she is going to double cross them to escape. Vekor aims her weapon at both of them and says she is only interested in the money, and she and Narik will go with them to the surface and all they want is their reward and after they are paid she doesn't care where Tellara goes. They find the third resonator piece in a cave in the T'Karath Sanctuary on the Vulcan homeworld, where Tallera completes the device and proceeds to kill Narik and Vekor. She turns on Picard just as Riker, Worf, and two security guards materialize in the cave. Picard orders them to drop their weapons and to clear their minds of aggressive thoughts. He tells them that he now recognizes the missing glyph, which is Peace, and can defeat the effects of the weapon. Tallera tries to use it on Riker, but he clears his mind and the weapon fails. Picard says that when the Vulcans realized that Peace could defeat War and Death, the weapon was dismantled. Tallera, angry, tries the weapon on Worf, but also fails. After a last failed attempt on Picard, who has knelt in front of her, he gently takes it from her. She is taken into custody, and the resonator is given to the Vulcans, and they assure Captain Picard that they will destroy all three fragments. Once back on board the Enterprise, Picard is ready to move on and order Riker to leave orbit. Riker smiles and reminds Picard that he been officially declared 'dead' and therefore cannot give him orders. Data then reminds them that technically Riker has been declared a renegade, charged with twelve court martial offenses and cannot give orders either. Picard decides to stay 'dead' a little longer and goes to take a nap in his quarters and jokingly suggests that Data ought to put Riker in the brig. As Picard enters his quarters and closes the door, Riker laughs too, until Data starts dragging him away without getting the joke. 
<EOS>
Data is walking through the corridors of the USS Enterprise-D, when he sees three workmen destroying a warp plasma conduit. He tells them to stop, and after he speaks, he emits a high-pitched sound through his mouth. The workers tell him to be quiet, then attack and dismantle him, first his left arm, then his right leg, and then ultimately his head. A startled Data suddenly wakes up in his bed. The Enterprise is leaving a starbase after installing a new warp core. Captain Picard has been invited to the annual Starfleet Admirals' Banquet on Starbase 219 by Admiral Nakamura, and says that, after six years, he's run out of excuses to avoid such a boring event. Meanwhile, in engineering, Data can't stop talking about his nightmare. In the nine months since he has activated the dreaming program, he has had 111 dreams, but this appears to be his first nightmare. La Forge assures him that nightmares are a normal part of dreaming, and that being preoccupied with them is also part of the Human experience. They are interrupted by Ensign Tyler who triumphantly has just finished calibrating a electro-plasma system module and expresses her joy in learning from La Forge, obviously with a crush on him. He's uncomfortable, but politely suggests she work with Lieutenant Farrell next to get her out of his hair. Soon, Picard calls in to La Forge and Data to attempt to activate the new warp drive. It starts up fine, but, when ensign Gates attempts a course to the starbase, they run into problems and the Enterprise is delayed for several hours. In his quarters, Data observes his cat sleeping and wonders what Spot dreams about. Counselor Troi visits Data to talk about his nightmares, and encourages him to continue with the dream program. Data dreams. He's in Ten Forward, and Worf is nearby at a table, enjoying a piece of cake. Data asks what kind of cake it is. "A cellular peptide cake, with mint frosting. Would you like a bite?", Worf says. Data declines, and his attention turns to Dr. Crusher and Riker at the bar. Riker has a straw coming out of his head, and Crusher is drinking something out of it. There's a telephone ringing in the background. "Aren't you going to answer that?," Riker demands. The workmen are also there, and again Data emits the high-pitched scream. They tell him to be quiet, and he shuts his mouth. One hands him a knife, and he cuts at a cake in the shape of Counselor Troi. Troi pleads with him to stop, but he doesn't. Troi, Worf, and La Forge are standing in Data's quarters and wake him up. They tell him he's overslept. "That is not possible," he says, but it has happened nonetheless. In engineering, La Forge finds nothing wrong with his primary systems. He theorizes that perhaps it is part of the program, that Data is supposed to oversleep at times, as part of the Human experience. He asks about Data's dreams and comments that imagery must have been strange. "Strange," Data says, "is not a sufficient adjective to describe the experience." Data consults Sigmund Freud in the holodeck, but after the psychologist comes up with a bizarre theory -- telling Data that the nightmares are related to Data's desire for his mother and his impotence -- Data leaves. Admiral Nakamura calls the Enterprise, demanding to know when Picard will arrive for the banquet. The captain assures him he will be there on time. Shortly afterwards La Forge and Data again try to activate the warp drive, but there's another problem and the Enterprise is adrift. Nakamura is again contacted with the "bad" news. In engineering, Data and La Forge work on the problem. Tyler comes by again briefly for a plasma inverter, still with a crush but La Forge doesn't have time to talk to her. Data then starts seeing dream imagery while he's awake. He sees a "mouth" on La Forge's neck, and the brace coil he holds looks like the knife with which he cut the "cellular peptide cake". He hears the telephone ringing again, opens his own chest and picks up the telephone receiver. "Hello?" he asks. "Kill them. You must kill them all, before it's too late." It is Freud's voice. La Forge wakes him out of it, and Data turns to see him and Tyler. Data goes to Troi for counseling. With Data's insistence that the technical reasons are ruled out, she suggests they start regular sessions. Data is excited at the prospect at developing a new neurosis, which amuses Troi, and looks forward to the next meeting. Until then, Data is to discontinue the dream program. Picard insists to Nakamura privately that he will be on-time, and will not need a tow ship. He goes to engineering and nervously suggests actions over the shoulder that La Forge and Data have already tried. La Forge finally asks him to leave, but then Tyler suggests something he can help with and they leave. However, meanwhile Data stares at the brace coil and is compelled to leave, unnoticed. Later, Data attacks Troi in a turbolift, first asking her to hold very still. Riker and Worf find them, and Data claims that he saw another mouth on Troi's shoulder, and he had an uncontrollable urge to eliminate it. Data is confined to quarters while La Forge prepares a sub-polymer scan, the last remaining scan he can think of, since everything else reports nothing wrong with him. Worf brings Data to his quarters and confiscates his phaser. Data then takes the precaution of asking Worf to take care of Spot, since he isn't sure what he might do. Worf reluctantly agrees, and, on his way out, finds out he is allergic. Meanwhile, Dr. Crusher treats Troi's stab wound in sickbay, but it mysteriously becomes infected. When Crusher removes the vascular pad, she discovers a rash, but also cellular degradation and an interphasic signature. Martinez gets an interphasic scanner, which reveals an interphasic organism on the wound. She eventually confirms that herself, the whole medical staff and several other crewmembers are infected -- as well as Captain Picard and Commander Riker. Crusher reports in the observation lounge that the creatures are feeding on the cellular peptides of the crew's cells. They don't yet know how to destroy them, but if they don't, the cells of their bodies will disintegrate and they will all collapse into nothing more than a few pounds of chemicals. Picard and La Forge both think the creatures may be connected to Data's odd behavior, because their locations correspond to objects in Data's dreams. They decide to connect Data to the holodeck, so they might observe his dreaming. Once there, La Forge and Picard observe Data, who again finds himself in Ten Forward, and then in Sigmund Freud's office. The three workmen are there, again dismantling a plasma coil, leading La Forge and Picard to believe that the creatures are also linked to the malfunctioning warp core. Data makes the shrieking sound, which immobilizes them. Data wakes up and says he knows how to get rid of the parasites. By reconfiguring his positronic brain to emit an interphasic pulse, the creatures are killed. La Forge explains that the new warp core must have been infested with the interphasic organisms from Thanatos VII, and that's why the engineering staff had so many problems initializing it. He will have to construct a new conduit. It will take at least six hours, which means that Picard gets out of attending the admiral's banquet once again. La Forge suggests to the captain that he can speed up the construction, but Picard tells him he wouldn't want to put the safety of the Enterprise at risk. Troi visits Data in his quarters and brings him a snack: a cake in the android's shape. "I wonder what Dr. Freud would say about the symbolism of devouring oneself," Data says. "Data," Troi responds, "sometimes a cake is just a cake." 
<EOS>
Lwaxana Troi returns to the USS Enterprise, this time as the teacher of an alien race learning to speak, the Cairn. Their native form of communication is telepathy, but they want to learn spoken language in order to interact with other races and to join with the United Federation of Planets. Lwaxana comes aboard with Maques and his daughter Hedril. Hedril is a young child and is Lwaxana's star pupil. The crew begins to notice that Lwaxana doesn't seem to be her normal flamboyant self. She's quiet and almost reserved, even her clothing seems subdued compared to usual. She perks up when talking to Worf and Commander Riker, explaining the telepaths can't read their minds, only other telepaths. Then Deanna walks in, and she quickly has her meet Maques and leaves with Hedril. After introductions, he says Lwaxana told him Deanna needs a husband, and he, coincidentally, needs a wife. Lwaxana finds Deanna the next day, and pushes to know what she thought of Maques. Of course, Deanna doesn't appreciate it, and, in an awkward encounter with another officer in the turbolift, tells her to stop. Then, Lwaxana is visibly hurt, but brushes it off as part of her work with the Cairn. However, she then worries aloud about losing Deanna, which worries her, but she has her appointments so she goes. There, in her office, she finds Maques. He apologizes for his forwardness the previous day, but also relates that he senses some dark part of Lwaxana that she is keeping hidden. Troi asks Maques if he has asked her about it, but he tells her that Lwaxana told him it is private, the Cairn not understanding the concept of privacy. Relieved, Deanna says this is normal for them. Deanna talks about how strange her mother has been with Riker in Ten Forward. Suddenly, Lwaxana enters and has a very emotional outburst toward him, yelling at him to leave her daughter alone and that with him out of the way, Deanna would have been married by now. Troi attempts to figure out what's going on, and has her mother examined in sickbay. Dr. Crusher determines that the chemical psilosynine, used in telepathy, is sapped -- Lwaxana must refrain from telepathy and must rest until it can regenerate. Lwaxana is embarrassed by her outburst and asks Troi to pass on her apologies to Riker. Deanna volunteers to help Maques and Hedril, but it is clear that Lwaxana is better suited to the task. Deanna suggests using verbal communication, so the Cairn can have more experience using words. Lwaxana still uses her telepathy occasionally, and, after she sees Hedril trip and falls into a pond in the ship's arboretum, falls into a coma. Dr. Crusher cannot figure out what is causing the coma, as the telepathy-chemical depletion would not cause it. Neural activity has completely shut down, except for the paracortex in which activity is much larger than normal. Since she had just communicated with Maques before the coma, they go to talk to him. There, he tries to explain, but he doesn't have the words. He decides to use telepathy, and Deanna is bombarded with images. She needs to go sort it out. In Crusher's office, she explains that, what she thought Maques was describing as private thoughts, was really something in her metaconscious mind. It's possible she underwent some kind of trauma that it couldn't handle, and has long-term effects from it. Crusher wants to wait for the subneural scans to be analyzed before continuing. In the meantime, Troi tries to communicate with Lwaxana during the night. She hears her call out to help her, but cannot say more. Deciding to sleep in sickbay, she notices Maques come in, and is staring at Lwaxana. In the observation lounge, Picard asks Maques what he's doing. He is again unable to explain verbally, so he tells Deanna telepathically. He was accessing images from her to try to understand what happened, but he doesn't recognize the objects in the images. He believes her psyche is collapsing, forcing her to retreat into her metaconscious. Crusher suggests that, if they try to access those images, they could at least understand whether she experienced a trauma. Maques believes he can act as a bridge to help Deanna access the images. Despite the unknown risk, Deanna wants to try, and Picard approves. With Dr. Crusher monitoring Deanna's condition closely and Maques prepared to break the link if anything happens, Deanna enters her mother's thoughts. She has to fight Lwaxana's desire and defenses to keep her secret. Deanna encounters several obstacles, including having an illusory Captain Picard order her to leave, a wolf chasing her through a corridor and another delay tactic in the form of her own deceased father. He begs her to stay with and talk with him but she must continue her investigation. Reluctantly and with tears in her eyes, she leaves him. Finally, in the corridor, she sees Maques' young daughter, Hedril, but with dark eyes and Human ears. She wonders what she is doing in her mother's mind when suddenly Lwaxana appears and screams at her to leave. Troi awakens in sickbay, frightened and unable to understand what she had just experienced. In a meeting in the observation lounge, Maques brings Hedril so Troi can talk with her. Hedril does not know what she would represent, but presumes that it is somehow her fault that Lwaxana is sick, because she knows that for some reason she makes Lwaxana sad. After the two Cairn leave, Crusher states she believes that Lwaxana's current condition most likely had been precipitated by a traumatic event. Data speculates, given his recent experience with dream-like imagery, the different people inside Lwaxana's mind may represent different aspects of her. Deanna agrees, surmising that Hedril may represent a fragile part of her mother's psyche. Troi has Mr. Homn on Betazed transmit a copy of Lwaxana's personal journals to find clues as to what the traumatic event was that she experienced. Picard and Troi look through it and find that seven years of personal entries had been deleted for some reason. It starts about a year after her parents were married and ends a few months after Deanna's birth. Troi finds this odd, since Lwaxana keeps such diligent entries in her journals. Going back inside her mother's mind to get answers to these new questions, Troi finds her mother in a recreation of the arboretum doubling as Lake El'nar on Betazed. Lwaxana tearfully tries to get Deanna to leave her mind. She tries as much as she can to not disclose the painful secret she has kept for so long. She finally relents and shows Deanna that the Trois had an older daughter named Kestra, represented by a Betazoid version of Hedril, and had recently become a big sister a few months earlier due to Deanna's birth. One tragic day during a family outing at Lake El'nar, Kestra wanted to go play by the water. Her parents told her to stay with them as they were going to eat soon, but while they became distracted with the teething Deanna, the family dog got away from Kestra and she went after him. She ended up in the lake and drowned. The Trois, and Lwaxana particularly, were devastated by the loss. Troi is stunned to learn that she had a sister, her mother's "precious one."  She realizes this was the genesis of her mother's term "little one" for her: she was the little one of the two sisters. Lwaxana (who had looked away for a few seconds as the infant Deanna was crying) blamed herself. After confessing to Deanna, her daughter asks her to summon Kestra to say goodbye to her and a true version of Kestra appears. Kestra and Lwaxana share a tearful goodbye and Lwaxana awakens from her coma, holding hands with Deanna. Later on, mother and daughter look at an image of Ian holding Deanna and with Kestra at his side on a PADD. It is from a picture that Homn had saved in case one day Lwaxana wanted to remember her. Lwaxana can recall the day she took the photograph. Deanna and Lwaxana then have a heartfelt talk about Kestra. 
<EOS>
Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard are sharing breakfast in the captain's quarters. While Crusher tells Picard of the burgeoning romance between Nurse Alyssa Ogawa and Ensign Markson, Picard seems preoccupied. When confronted with his inattention, Picard confesses that he is, while not exactly worried, bothered by the idea of admitting only half of Kesprytt III to the Federation while leaving the other half out. Crusher attempts to alleviate his concerns by pointing out that the Kes inhabit about three-quarters of the planet and present all the characteristics necessary for admission, even if the Prytt are xenophobic and wish to be left alone. If Australia had refused to join the United Earth Government in 2150, Crusher asks Picard, should the people of  Earth have been left out of the Federation? Picard is arguing that the cases are hardly analogous when he is interrupted by a communication from Commander Riker, alerting him to the fact that Ambassador Mauric is awaiting them on the planet. Picard and Crusher leave for the transporter room, but not before Crusher promises a special Vulcan dish for the next morning's breakfast. Lieutenant Worf beams Picard and Crusher to Mauric's chambers, after receiving confirmation from Kes Security Relay Station One that they have dropped their defense shield and are ready to receive transport. Worf is about to leave the transporter room after successfully beaming down the two officers when he receives word from Security Relay Station 1 that Picard and Crusher never arrived. He is stunned. Picard regains consciousness lying on a dirty stone floor in a dimly-lit room. Crusher is slumped against a wall nearby. He calls her by her name, and she wakes at his touch. Together they observe their surroundings, and find that the last thing either remembers is beginning to transport off the Enterprise. Picard deduces that they must be on Kesprytt, in a prison cell of some kind, although he can think of no reason for Ambassador Mauric to detain them. When he stands up to look at the barred window, Crusher notices a device of some sort protruding from the back of his neck. Upon closer examination, she finds an implant, connected directly to the brain stem; an identical implant also juts from her own neck. Picard asks if it could be a coercive device, and Crusher observes dryly that she doubts it's intended for their health. The door slides open. Three guards enter, two armed with phasers and one carrying a tricorder. While they are being scanned with the tricorder, Picard demands to know what it is going on, but receives no answer. When Crusher asks why they are being held hostage, the guard with the tricorder responds that they are not hostages, but prisoners held by the authority of the Prytt Security Ministry, charged with conspiring with the enemy. She accuses the Federation of attempting to establish a military alliance with the Kes, and informs them that such an attempt will not be tolerated. When Picard tries to tell her that the Federation is not interested in destroying the Prytt, the guard will not listen, informing them that the truth will soon be known from their implants, which are being calibrated to their psi wave pattern. The guards leave. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, Data has run a diagnostic of the targeting components of the transporter and has determined that there has been no malfunction. Worf, however, has been looking at the sensor logs and has found an unusual concentration of antigravitons in the emitter coil. Data realizes that this suggests a tractor beam, which might have deflected the transporter beam to another set of coordinates. He is unable to find the exact coordinates, but tells Riker that the beam originated somewhere in the Prytt Alliance. Worf wonders aloud what the Prytt Alliance could have wanted with Picard and Crusher, and Riker responds that it's going to be hard to find out -- the Prytt are xenophobic, and have consistently shied away from any outside contact at all. He decides to work through the Kes, and orders Worf to contact Ambassador Mauric and schedule a meeting immediately. Picard is systematically trying the tiny bars on the window when he senses Crusher staring at him. She protests that she is only trying to think of a way to escape. He continues to search for a structural flaw, telling Crusher that the important thing to remember in any confinement situation is to think positively. Picard reminds her that there is a solution to every puzzle and a way out of every box - they just have to find it. The door slides open, disclosing a male guard with a phaser and a covered plate. He sets the plate down just inside the door, keeping the phaser on them at all times, and leaves. Picard rushes the door as it closes, but is too late. He swears, but Crusher observes that at least they won't starve. Upon lifting the cover, however, Crusher finds not food, but her medical tricorder. It is not only fully functional, but has been modified to include a map with an escape route. Picard gloomily observes that this may be a carefully-laid trap, but Crusher tells him that she would rather take her chances "out there," and he agrees. The code to the door is in the tricorder, and they creep out without further discussion. Having arrived on the Enterprise, Ambassador Mauric presents his formal apologies to Riker in the observation lounge on behalf of his government for the unfortunate incident involving the Enterprise's officers. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi assure Mauric that the Federation does not blame the Kes for what happened, and that the Enterprise's primary concern is rescuing Picard and Crusher. Mauric offers his government's assistance, and assures them that the Kes are prepared to send a hostage rescue team into the Prytt capital city in three hours. Riker rolls his eyes, looks at Troi, and tells Mauric that they have not even attempted a diplomatic solution yet, and that he would rather not use excessive force until they have exhausted all other options. Options, however, are something Mauric sees little of: the Kes have no formal diplomatic relationship with the Prytt, no ambassadors, and no way of communication. Troi asks about the system in place for a planetary emergency, but Mauric says they have never had need of such a system. Finally, when Worf suggests that they can determine the Prytt communication frequencies and simply establish a link, Mauric replies that he must be blunt -- the Prytt are a xenophobic, fanatical people who refuse to engage in civilized discourse, and it has been nearly a century since there has been any diplomatic contact between the Kes and the Prytt. In response to Troi's suggestion that the Prytt might have changed over the century, Mauric is adamant that they've indeed changed very little. Riker is annoyed by the Kes ambassador, and tells him that with all due respect, the Enterprise must communicate with the Prytt before he will sanction the use of force. Although Mauric assents, his placating manner is subverted by his statement that he will continue making preparations for a hostage rescue mission. Riker agrees, and brings the meeting to a close by getting up, along with Worf and Troi. Mauric has one last request, however -- due to the presumed breach of the Kes communication network, he would like to establish a base of communications on the Enterprise. Riker assigns Worf to help him. Worf leads Mauric and his young assistant to standard guest quarters. Mauric sends Worf into the room first to make sure there are no traps, then waits until his assistant carefully scans the entire suite before pronouncing it acceptable. Worf is offended by his excessive caution, and stiffly offers his assistance as Security Chief of the Enterprise. Mauric says they will manage alone, effectively dismissing Worf. Meanwhile, Crusher and Picard escape from the Prytt base into subterranean caves, about thirty meters above a lava flow. They follow the escape map on the tricorder through a cave of erupting gas spouts, barely managing to flee the area before an enormous fire explosion of gas pursues them. Back on the Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Data has scanned the entire Prytt communication network and found the primary access module to the central government. On orders from Riker, Data hails the Prime Minister's office. The official who answers is initially unaware of the origin of the communication. Riker gets no further than identifying himself and his ship before the official interrupts in fear and anger and, upon learning that the ship has no authorization from the Prytt Security Ministry, abruptly terminates the connection. Within seconds, the Enterprise is hailed by the Prytt Security Council, represented by Security Minister Lorin, who was the tricorder-bearing guard from Picard and Crusher's cell. Lorin demands the immediate cessation of all communication with her people. Riker counters by asking to discuss Picard and Crusher's confinement, but Lorin says there is nothing to discuss. As Mauric and his aide appear on the bridge, she continues by threatening aggressive action against the Enterprise unless it ceases all communication with the Prytt, and then abruptly ends the connection. Worf assures Riker that the Prytt pose no appreciable military threat to the Enterprise. Riker nonetheless orders the shields to be kept up. Mauric then tells Riker that while the Enterprise's efforts to effect a diplomatic solution have stalled, a Kes operative has freed Picard and Crusher from Prytt custody and set them on their way to the border between Kes and Prytt. Riker asks how exactly the two officers are meant to cross the fortified border, and Mauric says the information is confidential. When Riker presses the matter, Mauric intimates that the bridge is not sufficiently secure for him to explain. Neither is the captain's ready room, Riker's next suggestion. Only the quarters assigned to Mauric and his aide are acceptable to the Kes Ambassador, who claims that they are "safer". Riker is nonplussed, but agrees. On the planet, Picard and Crusher are navigating through a maze of underground tunnels. Crusher announces that she is also thirsty, under the impression that Picard had just made the same observation. He protests that he only thought about his thirst, and did not express it in audible speech. They realize that the transceivers must have calibrated to their psi wave pattern, as threatened by Loren back in the cell, and are now transmitting their thoughts to one another. Their attempts to prove the hypothesis are unsuccessful, and they wonder if it might have been a fluke. In any case, however, the immediate concern of finding a way out demands their attention. The map sends them to a great hill of rock, indicating that a ledge about thirty meters up leads to a tunnel connected to the surface. Picard has just started to climb when he stops and turns, having felt a sudden sense of fear from Crusher. Crusher admits her fear of heights, and Picard attempts to calm her by telling her to pretend that she is on the holodeck. They begin to climb toward the ledge. Entering Mauric's quarters, promptly scanned by the aide, Riker notices the "redecorating" done by the Kes. Machines and gadgets of all kinds now fill the room, humming and whirring away. Mauric characterizes them as a few pieces of equipment necessary for security, as the aide pronounces Riker "all right." Riker and Mauric huddle over a desk to discuss the situation. Demanding complete confidentiality, Mauric tells Riker that the Kes employ operatives in Prytt territory. The escape map provided to Picard and Crusher will lead them to a tavern in a village near the border, where these operatives will be waiting to help them cross. Riker is skeptical of the advisability of sending Human Starfleet officers into a Prytt village, but Mauric downplays the risk in a manner that is faintly patronizing, citing the great deal of experience the Kes have with the Prytt. He attempts to reassure the skeptical Riker by pointing out that the Kes have no reason to wish Picard and Crusher harm, as they still hope that the Enterprise will support the Kes petition to enter the Federation. Riker smiles wanly. Picard and Crusher emerge from underground into a sunny, deserted countryside. They hike down a hill amidst tall green grass as Picard observes that one of the two is hungry. Crusher admits it, and Picard pleads for her to think of something else, as he is becoming hungry himself just observing her thoughts of a large bowl of vegetable soup. Crusher remembers how her grandmother used to make it, with peas and carrots, but is interrupted by an exasperated Picard. She apologizes, but apparently indulges in the thought that he is being unreasonable. He abruptly stops and defends himself. They discuss the matter, and come to the decision that they cannot react to every thought that crosses the other's mind, and that there is a difference between thoughts and speech. Telepaths acquire new respect from the pair, as their experience demonstrates just how much clutter and flotsam the mind churns out on a continual basis. When Picard thinks a joke to see if Crusher is "still listening," she realizes that the link is growing stronger. Picard suggests putting some distance between them to see if that helps, although he sarcastically observes, "not that I'm growing tired of hearing your most intimate thoughts." As soon as they are a couple of yards apart, however, they are overcome with pain and nausea. Crusher's tricorder tells them there's nothing physically wrong with them, but a second try yields the same result, this time with only a foot's distance. They continue their journey side by side. As their link grows stronger, Picard "remembers" Dr. Crusher's memory as if it were his own. He finishes a sentence about a boy, Tom Norris, that Beverly had a crush on when she was younger. Beverly acknowledges Picard's sudden knowledge of shame on the Doctor's part, and Beverly admits she acted unkind towards Tom by asking him the question of whether he was growing in a beard or if it was just dirt on his face. At that moment, they see who they think is a Prytt operative, but was probably a Kes operative. Meanwhile on the Enterprise, Riker and Mauric argue about how safe Picard and Crusher are and whether or not they will know to meet up with their operatives. Mauric makes the accusation that since Picard and Crusher did not meet with their operative at the border, that they must be meeting the Prytt in secret in order to negotiate a military alliance. Riker says it's ridiculous, and denies it. Mauric doesn't believe him and wants to leave the ship. Riker agrees, and tells him to take his "junk" with him. Picard and Crusher try to find something to eat before nightfall, but there is nothing edible on the planet's surface. Picard tells Crusher that they will probably be on the Enterprise by tomorrow and that she can plant herself in front of a replicator with a fork and knife. Crusher and Picard talk about breakfast and the Vulcan dish she was meant to have prepared. Picard, it turns out, just wants a simple meal, not the elaborate things they have been eating. Crusher realizes that he wants coffee and croissants, and by her own admission, says she also likes the simple things. They then both agree that coffee and croissants are what they shall be having for breakfast in the future. When she mentions her deceased husband, Jack Crusher, she senses Picard's feeling towards her. Picard, a bit embarrassed, at first denies it, but Crusher realizes that Jean-Luc has had romantic feelings towards her even when she was married. Picard admits that because he was afraid of what would happen, he tried denying her application to be aboard the Enterprise;  he also says that he had those feelings from when Beverly was married and then hated himself for wanting to act on his romantic feelings when Jack died. He never did act on them and he says that eventually, those feelings went away. Crusher acknowledges that and then says they are now good friends, seven years later. Riker tries to contact the Prytt again, but they will not listen. Fed up by the two nations' lack of communication, Riker has Worf transport the Prytt Security Minister, Lorin, directly to the observation lounge against her will, to force a dialogue with Mauric. However, the "dialogue" is entirely unproductive, as the two ministers hurl various conspiracy theories at each other -- for instance, Lorin says the Prytt "know" about the Kes's plans to build new orbital attack satellites with Federation technology; Mauric calls these accusations ridiculous, but quickly re-opens an old debate between the Kes and the Prytt about ownership of certain territory -- and so on. Riker slams a hand down on the observation lounge's table and tells both ministers he is finished with them. He allays Lorin's concerns by assuring her that the Kes's application for membership will be denied. Mauric, outraged, says Riker has no authority to make such a decision, and threatens to go over his head to the Federation Council. Riker rejoins that his report to the Council will carry serious weight, and his report will state in no uncertain terms that the Kes, while outwardly democratic and friendly, are also paranoid and suspicious to the point of insanity. The Federation does not ask much from its members, but it does assume that they are at least willing to trust each other, and the Kes have a long way to go before they can meet this basic requirement. Moreover, although the Federation was initially willing to consider admitting KesPrytt because the Kes are the majority faction, Lorin and Mauric's "dialogue" has graphically illustrated that the division between the Kes and the Prytt is a much deeper problem than the Kes claimed, and disqualifies their world for membership. Addressing Lorin, Riker demands the return of Picard and Crusher, but she stubbornly insists that they are still suspected of espionage. Riker turns up the heat on Lorin, telling her that if anything happens to their missing officers, then Starfleet will subject her country to increasing scrutiny, ranging anywhere from more starships in orbit to sensor sweeps to maybe even away teams conducting interrogations of hundreds of Prytt citizens -- a very unsettling prospect to Lorin, as Riker makes clear that she will be held responsible by her own people for the Federation intrusion. On the planet's surface, Picard and Crusher are attacked by the Prytt. They run for a while before getting to the border. Crusher disables the force field just long enough for Picard to get through but she is captured by the Prytt. However, Riker has finally made Lorin understand, and Lorin tells her operatives on the surface to tell the Enterprise the coordinates of both Picard and Crusher. The Captain and Doctor both arrive in the transporter room and they continue to share some thoughts, literally, while Riker walks behind them utterly confused as to why they are laughing. Later that night, Picard and Crusher have just finished an elegant dinner, and both have already had their implants removed. Picard and Crusher are both relieved that they won't be hearing each other's thoughts any longer. Crusher then says "a penny for your thoughts" to Picard and reveals that while she was trying to sleep on Kesprytt, Picard fell asleep faster than her and that he had some very interesting dreams. Picard asks her not to blame him for his dreams because it wasn't something he had control over, as he was sleeping. Crusher then asks what about the things he does have control over, such as his thoughts when he was awake. Picard says that now that they both know how they feel, maybe they shouldn't be afraid to explore the possibilities that are in store for them. Crusher replies "Or maybe we should be afraid.", she then kisses Picard on the cheek. Crusher suggests maybe she should be going now. Picard agrees and they kiss on the lips. She departs from the room and stands outside the door reflecting for a moment on what happened. Picard goes to the dinner table and blows out the candles and looks out the window into space. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Commander Data arrives at Geordi La Forge's quarters to take back Spot after La Forge borrowed her temporarily to experience having a pet cat before getting one for himself -- a wise precaution, as La Forge found that he was not ready for a cat as yet. Spot had ruined his quarters and furniture during her stay. They discuss training Spot in order to rid her of her somewhat reckless behavior, but the discussion is interrupted when Commander Riker (on the intercom) calls all senior staff to the observation lounge for a mission briefing. Before leaving, they try to make an attempt to get her out from under La Forge's bed, only to have Spot destroy more items in La Forge's quarters. "Training, definitely", he tells Data. All of the senior staff are present in the observation lounge while Riker is briefing them about the disappearance of the USS Fleming, a medical transport vessel that had not been in contact with Starfleet for four days. Data continues the briefing describing the hazardous nature of the space surrounding the Hekaras Corridor due to the abnormally intense tetryon fields surrounding the corridor. The corridor itself is free of the fields and ships traveling at warp speed could only travel safely through the corridor in this region of space. Captain Picard asks how long it will take to perform a level-one search of the region, and Data replies saying that it will take at least two days (much longer than normal) because the corridor is twelve light years in length and the interference from the tetryon fields severely limits the sensor range. Lieutenant Worf suggests using probes to supplement the sensors but they would make little difference as communication with the probes would be extremely difficult to maintain -- the only viable solution would be to increase the efficiency of the sensors. Counselor Troi suggests contacting the inhabitants of Hekaras II, wondering if they had any contact with the Fleming. Riker states that the Enterprise had already contacted the Hekaran government; they had no contact with the Fleming but they did say that in the past week, only one vessel had traveled through the corridor -- a Ferengi trader. Because the Fleming's inventory included a supply of rare and valuable bio-mimetic gel, Dr. Crusher suggests the possibility that the Ferengi may have hijacked the ship or stolen the supply of the gel and destroyed the Fleming. Riker believes they should not discount that possibility and Picard agrees. He orders Worf to initiate a search pattern for the Fleming as the Enterprise heads in to the corridor. Some time later, La Forge is in main engineering performing maintenance on the dilithium chamber hoping to improve the efficiency of the warp engines. Data enters and reports to La Forge that there has been a small drop in the efficiency of the sensors and Commander Riker wants them to examine the phase buffers. La Forge says that he will assist Data in a moment and orders Hansen to transfer an EPS conduit through the stabilizer matrix as he closes the dilithium chamber and moves to another console. Data is curious about why La Forge is working on the warp engines, asking if something is wrong with them. La Forge replies in the negative but Data asks why he is having the EPS conduit stabilized. La Forge says that he wants a slightly higher power conversion level even though it will not affect the engines in any way. When Data questions his motives further, he reluctantly reveals that he has been in contact with Commander Donald Kaplan, the chief engineer of the USS Intrepid and a former Starfleet Academy classmate of La Forge's. Kaplan reported the power conversion level of the Intrepid's engines was slightly higher than those on the Enterprise, which prompted La Forge to improve those on the Enterprise. Data assumes that La Forge is in competition with Kaplan but La Forge will not admit it, saying that the Enterprise should be better than any ship in Starfleet in all respects as it is the flagship. Eventually, he concedes that it is a matter of personal pride. When the computer reports that there has been no change in the power conversion levels, La Forge is frustrated but is unable to refuse Data and they go to work on the sensors. Data and La Forge are traveling through a Jefferies tube until they arrive at a junction where La Forge works on a phase buffer, hoping to improve the sensor efficiency. There is an increase, but it is not as high as La Forge had anticipated, suggesting that one of the stages in the sensor system is out of alignment. The pair proceed to another junction and en route, Data continues the discussion about training Spot, noting that his instruction has been "largely unsuccessful". La Forge cracks a joke saying that using a phaser on stun should do the trick, although Data does not recognize the humor. Data and La Forge pass up another junction and find that one of the phase buffers in the third junction is out of alignment. Repairs fix the alignment but sensor efficiency has only increased marginally. Just then, Riker calls Data on the intercom and informs him that a starship has been located on the long-range sensors and asks that he and Geordi report to the bridge. La Forge tells Data that nothing more can be done to improve the efficiency of the sensors and they acknowledge Riker's order and make their way to the bridge. On the bridge, Worf reports that the Enterprise is now within visual range of the starship. When put on the viewscreen, a Ferengi vessel is shown -- the same one that passed through the Hekaras Corridor a week ago. Data and La Forge arrive on the bridge; Data takes over for the operations officer and La Forge mans the engineering console. La Forge reports that there are no emissions from the vessel's plasma vents, suggesting that its warp drive is completely inactive. Data confirms this, adding that the impulse engines are inactive and that power levels in general are low. Life support is functioning and approximately four-hundred-and-fifty life signs are detected on board the ship. The crew is briefly puzzled; Picard orders Worf to open hailing frequencies but the hail goes unanswered. La Forge reports a lack of subspace emissions, suggesting that the field coils have been completely overloaded and explaining the Ferengi communications blackout and power loss. Since the Ferengi vessel's sensors are still functioning, he believes that using delta waves emitted from a deflector array could be modulated with a com signal, which the Ferengi ship could pick up. Picard proceeds with La Forge's suggestion and as a precautionary measure, orders for the tractor beams as the Enterprise moves to transporter range. Suddenly, Worf detects rising power levels from the Ferengi vessel. The Ferengi lock weapons and Riker quickly orders for the shields to be raised just before the Ferengi weapons fire hits the Enterprise. The Enterprise is hit by a second blast of weapons fire from the Ferengi vessel. Picard and Riker order for phasers, targeting the Ferengi weapons array only. The Ferengi ship is quickly disabled and the Enterprise sustains only minimal damage to deck five. The Ferengi vessel's power levels quickly stabilize and their impulse engines come back on-line. Riker realizes that they were merely playing dead, waiting for the Enterprise to come in closer. Picard is curious why the Ferengi would attack his ship in the first place and opens a channel to the Ferengi ship via La Forge's jury-rigged link. The Ferengi DaiMon, Prak, appears and Picard asks why the Enterprise was attacked. In turn, Prak is outraged, accusing the Enterprise of aggression which led to his ship becoming disabled. Picard and Riker are confused about Prak's accusation, and tell Prak the Enterprise was merely ascertaining the status of Prak's disabled vessel. Prak is skeptical about Picard's motives and threatens that the Enterprise's "attack" is an act of war but Picard insists that there has been a misunderstanding and suggests that Prak come aboard the Enterprise to discuss the situation. Prak sees no reason to trust Picard but Picard is determined to investigate what happened to the Ferengi ship, as it may have a connection to the disappearance of the Fleming. After Picard tells Prak that the Enterprise will leave Prak's ship stranded within the corridor if he refuses to speak with them, Prak reluctantly accepts the captain's offer and transports over to the Enterprise. In the ready room, Prak reveals to Picard and Riker that his ship detected what appeared to be a Federation signal buoy and that when they approached it, it emitted a verteron pulse, immediately disabling the ship's warp drive, sensors and communications. Prak assumed that it was a new Federation weapon but Picard informs Prak that the Federation established the Hekaras Corridor as a safe route through the sector and that little stood to be gained from laying mines within it. Riker reinforces Picard's comment by revealing that this may not have been an isolated incident as the Fleming had gone missing in the Corridor. Prak admits that his ship encountered a Federation ship a few days before but it did not appear to be in any distress. Riker asks for the ship's heading but Prak is unwilling to divulge the information so easily and strongly hints that Picard could spare some of his engineering staff to help Prak's crew with repairs to his ship in exchange for the information they gleaned on the Fleming in the ship's sensor logs. Picard understands the hint and spares a team to assist Prak with his repairs in exchange for learning about the Fleming's last known heading. In his quarters, Data is still trying to train Spot as La Forge comes, in but his attempts are unsuccessful and he admits that it may not be possible to train her, as she may lack the necessary intelligence to respond to his commands. La Forge tells Data that he may have found another way to improve the power conversion levels of the warp engines. In main engineering, La Forge asks Data to keep the EPS flow constant while he modulates the flow of the power taps. Data informs La Forge that the increase will be marginal but Geordi knows this and that this marginal increase may be enough -- Kaplan sent La Forge a subspace message saying that the Intrepid's power conversion levels are at 97.1%. After completing their work, the computer reports that the power conversion levels of the Enterprise are now at 97.2%, and La Forge is finally satisfied with "winning" his competition with Commander Kaplan. The Enterprise has approached a large field of debris. Picard and Data are studying the debris field on a monitor on one of the science stations on the bridge and although the origin of the field is unknown it is possible that the debris could be the remains of the Fleming because the debris consists mostly of duranium and poly-composite fragments (materials used in  starship construction) and because the debris field contains enough mass to account for the Fleming. Picard has ensign Gates take the Enterprise through the debris field to see if the Fleming can be positively identified. During the investigation, Data picks up a small, metallic object on the sensors. Riker guesses that it could be either a probe casing or some sort of a log recorder but Data doubts Riker's guesses as an unusual signal is being emitted from the object. Data's tone then changes as he realizes that the object is beginning to generate a verteron field. Picard immediately orders for shields to be raised and for a full reverse but it is too late as a bright light fills the bridge and as the light disappears, the lights on the bridge dim and several of the consoles are now dark. A damage report reveals that the warp drive has been disabled as have the shields and all other subspace systems -- the Enterprise has now fallen to the same fate as the Ferengi ship. An unidentified vessel now approaches the Enterprise with two lifeforms aboard and the transporters of the vessel are initiated. All attempts to raise the shields fail and red alert is raised when the Enterprise is boarded. There is a brief moment of tension as the crew does not know where the crew of the unidentified ship are going to materialize and the moment is broken when La Forge, on the intercom, calls the bridge informing Picard that that there are intruders in main engineering. Two humanoids (one male and one female) are standing in front of the now inactive warp core. La Forge asks them what they want and the male, Rabal, says that he wants them to listen and the female, Serova his sister, says that they're killing them. Picard, Riker, Data, La Forge and two security guards are present with Rabal and Serova in the observation lounge. Picard wants an explanation of their accusation due to its seriousness. Rabal, the seemingly more reasonable of the two, claims that his and Serova's research shows that warp fields are slowly damaging their region of space and that their homeworld (they are Hekarans, the inhabitants of Hekaras II) will one day be rendered uninhabitable if nothing is done to prevent the damage that they claim is being caused. Picard briefly considers what the scientists have just said, but La Forge openly shows his skepticism as he has already heard of their theories -- the Federation Science Council reviewed their research several years before, but dismissed it for lacking evidence. Picard appreciates their situation but cares little for their methods in getting the Federation's attention and suggests placing a request to the Council for further research, but neither are interested in the bureaucracy that would ensue and feel that their method would have got a faster response from the Federation. Riker asks them if that was how they justified attacking their ships, but Serova does not consider it to be an attack as neither the Enterprise nor the Ferengi vessel suffered any casualties or serious damage. Riker responds furiously at their "justification" and both scientists acknowledge that they had taken extreme measures to get the Federation's attention, but neither are going to apologize for their actions. Picard asks La Forge how long it will take to repair the warp engines but because the warp coils were completely overloaded by the verteron pulse, La Forge estimates that it will take at least thirty-six hours. Serova knows exactly how the pulse disabled the warp engines and offers her assistance, which will reduce the repair time to just ten hours but she will only assist on condition that they review the research. Picard refuses to be forced into giving in to their demands but due to the seriousness of their claims and the urgency of locating the Fleming, he agrees to review their research but makes it clear that his top priority is to recover the Fleming. Furthermore, he expects Serova and Rabal to assist the engineering staff in restoring the ship's systems and to deactivate all of the remaining probes within the corridor -- if they refuse they will be placed in the brig and taken to the nearest Federation starbase where they will be charged. Serova is unwilling to back down but Rabal agrees to help Picard but insists that he review the research. Picard then orders La Forge to work with the Hekaran scientists in the effort to restore the ship's systems although La Forge is unhappy with the idea of having to work with them. La Forge, Serova and Rabal are working in engineering and they restore the shields. Serova informs La Forge that the warp engines can be engaged in eight hours but La Forge is irritated and says that even when the engines are back on-line, it will take at least a week to recalibrate them. Serova sarcastically apologizes for the inconvenience, saying that her concerns are more important than restoring the warp drive of the Enterprise. La Forge continues to argue with her and she soon leaves after realizing that La Forge's mind has already been made up. Rabal asks La Forge to reconsider Serova's research, as Rabal himself was in a similar position a few years before and hopes that if he and Serova can persuade Starfleet to prohibit the use of warp drive through the corridor, they will convince the Hekarans to stop using warp drive as well, effectively isolating the Hekarans from the Federation -- a sacrifice that Rabal and Serova are more than willing to make. In stellar cartography, Data reports his findings on the research to Captain Picard, Serova and Rabal. Using a monitor he explains that the two scientists' theory claims that there are regions of subspace instability within the corridor and that prolonged exposure of warp field energy to these regions of subspace will caused them to rupture resulting in a subspace rift. Picard compares the theory to running up and down a carpet -- eventually you will wear it out -- an essentially correct analogy. Picard asks Data if the theory can be proven but Data says that there is not enough evidence to prove it as of yet. Rabal is disappointed but Data continues by saying that the only way to determine whether or not a rift would form would be to expose a region of space within the Corridor to warp field energy at least a million times greater than that normally generated by most starships. Rabal says that the effect is cumulative and that each time a vessel travels at warp through the Corridor, they are one step closer to a rift forming in the corridor. Data agrees with the possibility and recommends that the Science Council sends a science vessel to the Corridor to hopefully resolve any further questions but Serova is dissatisfied as further delays will be caused. Before he can respond, Picard is interrupted by Riker on the intercom reporting that they have located the Fleming on the long-range sensors. The vessel appears to be intact but its subspace systems are disabled although its shields are functional. Picard says that they'll meet with the Fleming as soon as the warp drive is back online. Picard asks for Data, Serova and Rabal to put together a research proposal for the Science Council and Picard will give his full recommendation. Data complies and Rabal thanks Picard for the opportunity but Serova is not interested and refuses to have anything to do the proposal as delays will still be caused. Some time later, La Forge returns to the bridge, reporting that the warp drive is now on-line and that the other systems are ready. Picard orders a course to rendezvous with the Fleming, but as the order is given, Worf reports that the Hekaran vessel is moving away and that Serova is on board. When a channel is opened to the ship, Rabal asks Serova what she is doing and she grimly replies that she is giving them the proof that they wanted. Data informs Picard that she is overloading her warp engines, inevitably leading to a warp core breach. Soon, Serova's ship explodes with a shock wave coming from the epicenter of the breach. The Enterprise shakes as it is hit by the shock wave and Riker orders a full reverse. Data reports when the Enterprise clears the rift and adds that tetryon emissions in the area are increasing rapidly. The Enterprise is dwarfed by a massive purple phenomenon that has appeared in front of it. Data analyzes the phenomenon and finds that it is one-tenth of a light year in diameter and that high levels of tetyron radiation are emanating from it. He concludes that it is the subspace rift that Serova and Rabal had theorized and the bridge crew look at the viewscreen in shock and awe. The Fleming is found to be near its previous co-ordinates before the rift formed but it is now within the rift, and when Picard asks Rabal, who is still in shock from his sister's suicide, if a ship can survive within a rift, he is not certain. Suddenly, the Enterprise shakes violently from a high-energy distortion wave coming from the rift. As long as the Enterprise maintains its current position, its shields will protect the ship from the waves, but because the waves are much more intense inside the rift, the Fleming's shields will fail within twelve hours. Riker asks whether the Enterprise can go inside the rift to recover the Fleming. La Forge says that it is possible but only at impulse, for the rift is in a state of accelerating instability; warp fields could expand the rift even further. Yet traveling below warp speed would take weeks to reach the Fleming -- time they do not have. Picard wants better options and orders Data, La Forge and Rabal to analyze the rift and work on a way to recover the Fleming. Data, La Forge and Rabal have been working in the science lab for quite some time and they find that the rift fully supports the theories that Serova and Rabal made and that there is no way to close or reduce the size of the rift. Data suggests finding a stable region within the rift where the Enterprise can use its warp engines but there is nowhere inside the rift stable enough to travel at warp speed. As they all look at the monitor, La Forge notices something unusual and looks closer at it with the computer. Rabal makes out that it is a subspace instability outside of the rift -- something that should be impossible. Rabal says that he'll study the second instability in detail while La Forge prepares to break the bad news the Captain Picard that they cannot think of a practical way to get to the Fleming in time but Data is not so sure that that is true. In the ready room with Commander Riker, Data suggests to Captain Picard that the Enterprise "coast" into the rift by initiating a brief but intense warp pulse from their current position where they'd be able to reach a high enough velocity to enter the rift, beam the crew of the Fleming on to the Enterprise and leave the rift without using the warp engines inside of it. However the Enterprise would only be able to stay at warp speed for two minutes before coming out of warp, giving them very little time to transport the crew of the Fleming aboard. Data's plan is far from without risk but with little alternative, Picard goes ahead with it and Data leaves to make his calculations. In main engineering, La Forge and Data make their calculations and find that saturating the warp nacelles with a warp field at 18% will give them just over two minutes of warp speed -- as good as they are going to get. As La Forge turns saturating the warp nacelles over to the computer, he questions how he and Data could have missed the connection between warp drive and the formation of the rift, especially as he and Data have logged thousands of hours on the warp engines of the Enterprise. He feels that they were wrong this time about warp field theory but Data points out that, technically speaking, they were not wrong as Serova's theories were not based on empirical evidence but rather on assumptions that, until now, could not be proven. La Forge feels somewhat guilty about so readily dismissing Serova but Data tries consoling him by saying that perhaps her aggressive nature made the situation adversarial but La Forge realizes that he was taking everything personally -- La Forge looks at the warp core as being something beautiful and never considered it to be so destructive as well. The nacelles will take a further thirty minutes to saturate and La Forge leaves engineering, asking Data to call him when the saturation of the nacelles is complete. La Forge enters Ten Forward and joins Rabal, staring at the rift. La Forge feels responsible both for Serova's death and the formation of the rift but Rabal says that La Forge was not at fault -- he felt that it was down to time. He was confident that further research would have proved the theories but Serova was unwilling to wait. The two then consider where they'll go from this point onwards and La Forge has doubts about the Federation abandoning the use of warp drive as they are so dependent on it. "It won't be easy at all", Rabal replies, A little while later, all of the officers are manning their stations and Data reports that the warp pulse calculations are complete and that the warp drive will be engaged for just 6.3 seconds before disengaging. Damage control teams are put on standby and a course is plotted to intercept the Fleming and La Forge initiates the warp pulse. The Enterprise jumps to warp and six seconds later, the warp drive is disengaged and immediately as the ship enters the rift, it shakes. The ship is a little over eighty seconds from reaching the Fleming and transporters are on standby but Worf reports that power emissions from the medical ship are rising -- it may be attempting to engage its warp engines. The crew realize the danger of a ship engaging its warp engines within the rift but the Enterprise is now just under a minute from reaching the Fleming (well outside of transporter range) and communications cannot be established between the two ships as the subspace interference is too great. The Fleming engages its warp engines and as it does, the Enterprise is shaken violently, taking damage to decks six and fourteen but the flagship's structural integrity field is holding. The Fleming, however, is much worse off, having sustained very heavy damage and life support systems on the ship are now failing. Unfortunately there is now a more serious consequence to the Fleming having engaged its warp engines -- the rift has increased in size by 2.3% and the Enterprise no longer has sufficient momentum to escape the rift and the flagship is violently shaken again by a much more intense distortion wave. Data reports that the intensity of the energy distortion waves has increased by a factor of ten, occurring now every fifty-nine seconds. The Enterprise is now within transporter range of the Fleming and begins evacuation procedures. Because the distortion waves are both more intense and frequent, the hull stress is reaching maximum tolerance. Riker asks Data if forcing an EPS discharge through the impulse reactor would be enough for the Enterprise to escape the rift but Data does not believe so and that even if it did work, the resulting explosion would almost certainly destroy most of the saucer section in the process. La Forge then cuts in suggesting that the Enterprise could clear the rift without using the warp engines by "surfing" the distortion waves -- by phase-matching the deflector shields with the EM variance of the distortion wave they would be pulled along in the wave. As soon as the crew of the Fleming has been beamed over, La Forge phase matches the deflector shield and the distortion wave hits the ship fourteen seconds later but it doesn't work as the Enterprise was unable to maintain contact with the wave. La Forge then realizes that the speed differential between the Enterprise and the distortion wave was too great so the ship was thrown off of the wave. Riker points out that the hull stress is already critical and that the ship cannot take much more punishment from the waves. Data suggests engaging the impulse engines at full power to lessen the shock of the wave hitting the ship and Picard agrees. Another distortion wave hits the Enterprise but this wave pulls it along. Hull stresses are exceeding their maximum tolerance and the structural integrity fields on decks ten through sixteen are failing although backups are put in place. The Enterprise begins to break away from the distortion wave but La Forge attempts to compensate and hull stresses are at 120% of their maximum tolerance and the destruction of the ship is imminent. As the Enterprise approaches its demise, the ship breaks from the distortion wave and is thrown clear from the subspace rift and all of the ship's systems return to normal as do the hull stresses. All of the senior staff are present in the observation lounge in a somber mood where La Forge and Rabal are standing by the main monitor giving their report. La Forge shows that the scans of the sector have shown several more subspace instabilities and that if they are exposed to warp field energy, they too may create other subspace rifts. Rabal activates the monitor and displays the probable locations where subspace rifts will form over the next forty years based on warp drive patterns -- subspace rifts will occupy a significant region of the sector. Picard thanks the two and they take their seats while he reads out new directives from the Federation Council on a PADD given to him by Ensign Armstrong. Worf reports that the Klingons will observe the restrictions but the Romulans will not, and Troi wonders if the Ferengi or the Cardassians will be willing to observe them, but the Federation will inform all warp-capable species regardless and hopes that they realize that it is in their best interests to take similar action. Crusher knows that the warp speed limitations will prevent further rifts from forming but asks what will be done with the one that has formed. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done at the moment and although Hekaras II is not in immediate danger, gravitational shifts caused by the rift have already affected the planet, changing its climate. Picard informs Rabal that Federation will be setting up a weather modification network for Hekaras II that will suffice for now although it will only work on a short-term basis. As the seriousness of the problem sinks in, Picard dismisses the staff while La Forge remains in the observation lounge. The chief engineer tells his captain that the thermal stabilizers will be ready for the Hekarans in a day's time. Picard acknowledges La Forge but he can't help but feel that through his forty-three years as a Starfleet officer he was helping to destroy the one thing that he held most dear. La Forge confidently replies that it won't end that way and that there's still time to repair the damage that the warp engines had done. 
<EOS>
When the Atreans discover that the magma on their homeworld, Atrea IV, is cooling, posing a significant threat to the continued habitability of the planet, the USS Enterprise-D is dispatched to find a solution. Dr. Pran Tainer, an Atrean geologist, and his wife, Dr. Juliana Tainer, come on board to assist the Enterprise crew in this task. After briefing the senior officers on the nature of the problem, Geordi La Forge and Data suggest employing ferro-plasmic infusion to reliquify the planet's core, using the Enterprise's phasers to drill through the surface and setting up plasma infusion units. Data believes that if the procedure is successful, the core will remain molten for centuries. After Captain Picard and Pran approve this plan, they, along with most of the other officers leave the observation lounge, leaving Data alone with Juliana Tainer. Juliana asks Data if he remembers her, and when he says he does not, she reveals she was Dr. Noonian Soong's wife, and involved in Data's construction, therefore making her Data's mother. In Ten Forward, Data and Juliana sit down to talk. Juliana reveals details of Data's early days, which she considers to be his childhood. Data had trouble with his motor skills and sensory processing at first, and Dr. Soong tinkered with his programming until he'd corrected the problems. At this point, the Soongs deactivated Data, wiped his memory, and gave him the experiences and logs of the Omicron Theta colonists in an effort to aid in the development of Data's Humanity without the aid of emotions. As mentioned earlier, they believed that he would retain nothing of his memory from before the wipe, but couldn't be sure that would be true. It was during this time that the Crystalline Entity attacked the colony, and the Soongs were forced to flee. Juliana explains that the life pod in which she and Dr. Soong escaped only had room for two, and they had to leave Data behind. Data is curious as to why, when he met Dr. Soong on Terlina III, Soong did not mention Juliana, and why there was no record in the colonists' logs of Soong's marriage to Juliana. Juliana tells Data the story of how she and Soong eloped on Malaya IV because Juliana's mother disapproved of the age difference between them. There was only a Klingon and a Corvallen trader as witnesses. It wasn't her dream wedding, but Noonian had a way of making the oddest things seem romantic. When Data agrees that his father had an unusual way of looking at things, Juliana is pleasantly surprised to find out that Data had met him, but then is shocked when Data states that he died soon after. She had no idea that he was dead and admits the news has hit her a lot harder than she thought it would, as they had not parted on the best of terms. Then Juliana tells Data that she eventually left Soong because he was more focused on his work than her, and their solitary life in the jungle of Terlina III was "no life at all."  Keen to get to know him better, Juliana suggests they spend more time together, but Data brusquely tells her that he wants to corroborate her story first. Data joins La Forge in engineering, and proceeds with verifying what Juliana told him. He finds records that show Soong and Juliana spent four days on Mavala IV, but there is no accompanying proof of marriage. La Forge suggests that Data is looking for a lie, but Data protests that he merely can't figure out why Soong would never have mentioned his wife. Aware of the fact that Juliana left Dr. Soong, La Forge wonders if maybe Soong had his heart broken and wasn't eager to discuss the experience. Together, he and Data surmise that there may be hidden memories inside Data's emotion chip about his mother, which Soong intended Data to access when he was ready. Data is still clearly confused by the situation, and La Forge notes that it's because it doesn't fit in Data's logical processors -- there's no rational explanation. This, La Forge says, is life, and Data needs to get used to life not conforming to his preconceptions. Disturbed by a past he cannot remember, Data nevertheless says he's curious to know more about his mother. He goes back to her and says he would like to know more about her, calling her "mother" to her delight. As Juliana and Data walk through the halls, Juliana mentions that she had wanted a daughter while Soong had wanted a son. The dispute was settled when Soong created Data's head in his own image. When Juliana and Data reach Counselor Troi's quarters, Juliana remarks that Soong would be relieved to see that Data's sexuality program was fully-functional. As Data attempts to correct her, Juliana bids him goodnight and walks away with a teasing smile. The next day in engineering, Data, La Forge and Juliana are getting ready as the ship moves to establish synchronous orbit over the drilling site. Since the magma pockets to be targeted are unstable, Juliana says she will monitor the rock layers and adjust the particle beam strength. When Data thanks La Forge for re-configuring the phasers, Juliana giggles, pleased with Data's manners; it wasn't easy to strike the right balance with his programming. She explains that Data didn't care about being polite and was in fact downright rude, something La Forge can't quite imagine. She continues on for a moment then stops, not wanting to embarrass Data in front of his friend, but he reminds her that's not possible for him and asks her to go on. She reveals that one thing she and Soong couldn't possibly have anticipated was that Data didn't mind being naked, although some of the colonists certainly did as he is anatomically correct. The Soongs asked him to dress, but he didn't feel it was necessary as he didn't "suffer from the elements." With a laugh, Juliana concludes that they had to resort to writing a modesty subroutine just so Data would keep his clothes on. From the bridge, Commander Riker lets them know the Enterprise is in position. On overhearing Data's calculation for the phaser burst, after Riker acknowledges, Pran asks Riker if someone double checked Data's calculations, as he assumes that they would regularly do so. Riker states that they didn't but is sure that Data knows what he's doing; when Pran says that they should as Data is a machine, Riker remains professional and states his complete confidence in Data's "ability to check up on himself" and goes ahead with the drilling. It goes off without a hitch and Riker congratulates Data, saying he doesn't think it could have gone any better while giving Pran a meaningful sidelong glance. As Juliana also gives credit to Data's work and that she couldn't have done it without him, Pran keeps silent, his beliefs about Data having been proven unfounded. With several hours to wait before they can continue and Data having free time, Juliana suggests they spend some time together and asks to see his quarters. In Data's quarters, Data plays a Handel violin piece for his mother, telling her that he will play the piece at a recital the next evening. Juliana says that Data's performance was beautiful, causing Data to wonder if she is exaggerating his abilities as most parents do of their children. Juliana also reveals that she was responsible for Data's creative aspect, a part of his programming which Dr. Soong considered irrelevant in the absence of emotion. Data confides in his mother that it is during his creative endeavors that he feels that he comes closest to Humanity. After saying that she's quite familiar with the Handel piece, Juliana offers to accompany Data on the viola at the recital next evening. Data replicates a viola for her with which they can practice for the recital; she chuckles softly when he says "please" to the computer. She then notices Data's paintings, including one of his late daughter, Lal. When Data supplies the story of her inception and subsequent deactivation, Juliana looks slightly shaken. Data is unperturbed and asks if she would like to go practice. After practicing in Ten Forward, where the acoustics are most preferable, Juliana asks Data if he will ever try creating another child. Data still wishes to procreate, but Juliana begins recounting the difficulties she and Dr. Soong encountered. She relates to Data that she and Dr. Soong had created and lost three prototypes prior to Lore, and that Lore's cruel and evil nature had almost convinced them to stop trying. In fact, Juliana had cautioned against creating Data. This causes Juliana to reveal the reason that she had avoided contact with Data after realizing he'd survived the attack on Omicron Theta: guilt. She had deliberately left Data behind when she could have taken him with her and Dr. Soong in the life pod. She feared at the time that Data would eventually become like Lore, and forced Soong to abandon him when the Crystalline Entity came. Before Data can react, Juliana puts her hand gently to his mouth and rushes out of the room in tears. Drilling continues on the surface of the planet, with Data, La Forge and Dr. Tainer once again working from engineering. Suddenly the ship rocks: feedback pulses are picking up along the particle beam. Dr. Tainer believes the phaser beam must have impacted a pocket of magnesite ore, and tries adjusting the phaser harmonics to compensate for the pulse. Riker calls down, saying that they will have to terminate the beam if the feedback keeps up. Data explains that if they do, they would have restart the process in another suitable location; Dr. Tainer states that there are no other locations and asks for a few more seconds. La Forge starts to say that it will take her a lot longer than they have, but she unexpectedly finds the right frequency and the feedback ends. Dr. Tainer just attributes it to luck, but doesn't notice Data giving her a long, pondering look. The Tainers and Data beam down to the first magma pocket to set up the infusion unit. Later, as they are working in the magma pocket, Data notices something particular about Dr. Tainer's face. Pran Tainer then admits to Data that Dr. Tainer told him what she told Data. He begins to say that he understands if Data was angry with his wife, however Data explains that he has no emotions. Juliana confirms Data's question that had Data been a biological child, she would not have left him behind. However, when Data asks if that meant that she values biological life over artifical life, she adds, in an emotionaly stung tone that it did not make it any easier. It had hurt every time she and Dr. Soong lost one of Lore's predecessors, and even shutting down Lore, although necessary, had taken a severe emotional toll on her. She was just afraid of how Data would turn out; if he had become another Lore, they would have had to shut him down too, and losing Data was something she was certain that she wouldn't be able to take yet again. She is not trying to justify leaving Data behind: she's just sorry that she did and hopes he believes her. Now knowing the truth, Data tells her that he understands and sharing a nod with Pran, who appears gratified that the matter has been resolved, they get back to work. In the evening, Data and Dr. Tainer perform the recital in Ten Forward. The performance goes perfectly, a fact that Data, in the middle of their playing, seems to suddenly notice of Juliana. Data apparently asks to talk with Dr. Crusher immediately after in sickbay, as she was attending the recital and they walk in with him still carrying his violin. Data wants to see Dr. Tainer's medical records and see if there is anything wrong from her transporter trace pattern, for reasons he says that he does not want to specify but states that he does have a good reason. Dr. Crusher is initially reticent, but likely relents because Data is considered a close relative. She replies, after looking at Dr. Tainer's records, that Juliana only seems to have a mild case of hypertension, a normal occurrence for her age. When she asks Data once more, he only says that he believes that Dr. Tainer may not be who she claims to be. Commander Riker calls Data at this point, reporting a cave in in one of the magma pockets and they need him in Transporter Room 2. Data is informed that one of the magma pockets has become unstable. Pran and an assistant were doing a final check of the infusion units when one of the walls gave way; Pran sustained some injuries. La Forge reports that it's stable for the moment but seismic stress is building and at most, they have about 12 hours before the pocket collapses. The Tainers decide that they must finish configuring the remaining infusion unit and inject the plasma immediately. Riker is hesitant to send anyone inside, but the Tainers insist: it could take months to find another site, time they just don't have and he agrees, as long they finish quickly. Juliana goes in Pran's place. La Forge transports down Dr. Tainer and Data into the pocket. After Data rearranges the pattern enhancers they make their way through the now treacherous pocket to get to the infusion unit. The unit was damaged, and they must restart the programming sequence. Riker soon checks with them, informing them of an increase in seismic stress. Data promises to expedite their work, and they quickly wrap up, finish the re-calibration and bring the unit online. As they proceed to the transport point however, they realize that it has sunk far below their current level due to the seismic activity. Data determines that since there is no way to climb down, they will have to jump. Dr. Tainer protests, fearing that it is too high, but there is not enough time. Data takes her down with him. But while he easily lands on his feet, he sees that Dr. Tainer's arm has been separated from her collapsed body at the shoulder -- and circuitry flashes within it. In sickbay, La Forge examines the circuitry present in Dr. Tainer's head as Dr. Crusher scans her. It becomes apparent that Juliana Tainer is an Soong-type android, one more advanced than Data. Her internal machinery was designed to give off Human life signs. Dr. Crusher, however, is puzzled as to why she deactivated upon sustaining her injuries: as far as she can see, she should be conscious. Data suggests checking for a cascade anomaly in her positronic matrix. He clarifies to Riker that he had already worked out that she was an android, picking up on a few cues that were too subtle to be noticed by anyone other than him. During the feedback pulse incident, he reveals he saw her perform complex calculations without the computer's help: he agrees with Riker that it could have just meant she was good at math, but it was enough to get his attention. He later noticed in the magma pocket that her blinking is actually a pattern that is governed by the Fourier series mathematical formula that Soong had used for him to give the appearance of randomness, and she repeated the exact same performance from their private rehearsal, something impossible for a Human to do. Upon examining her further, La Forge finds an information chip built with a holographic interface. Data activates the chip in the holodeck, and a hologram of his father, a graying Noonian Soong, appears, explaining that he would answer any questions as to the nature of the Juliana android. When Data identifies himself, Dr. Soong becomes pleased; he hoped Data would be the one to activate the hologram, and had indeed wrote a special response program for him. Dr. Soong confirms that she was his wife, helped him to create Data and is glad he got the chance to meet his mother. When Data points out that she was likely created after himself, his father states that this is correct, but that there was a "real" flesh-and-blood Juliana O'Donnell. Dr. Soong explains that Juliana was severely injured in the Crystalline Entity's attack on Omicron Theta, and by the time they had gotten as far as Terlina III, fell into a coma. Once he knew she would never come out of it, he built an android and strove to perfect his synaptic scanning technique to encode a person's memories into a positronic matrix, so that he could somehow salvage her consciousness. He wasn't sure that it would work but he had to try, unable to stand the thought of losing the only woman he had ever loved. A few days after the real Juliana Soong died, he activated the Juliana android, complete with experiences and memory; the hologram shows the elation Noonian felt with how he had succeeded, but then his face soon falls. They were happy, but Dr. Soong's failure to adequately express his love for Juliana prompted her to leave him, something, he notes, that the original would have done too. He designed her to shutdown if the truth was discovered, and all Data needs to do is to put back the information chip and make up some excuse, as she will remember nothing. Data asks why he didn't tell her what she was, but Noonian says that there was no need: he wanted her to be happy, and in every way that mattered she was Juliana Soong. In the end, Dr. Soong sternly admonishes his son not to tell her that she is an android, so that until her body automatically shuts down after a long life, she can live out the rest of her life as a Human. He pleads with Data to not take her Humanity from her. Data is confronted with a difficult choice, and consults with Counselor Troi, Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard in the observation lounge. He understands his father's motives that he felt she'd wouldn't be happy if she knew the truth, but feels that his father's wishes are not necessarily the most important, as Data is more concerned with Juliana's best interests. Dr. Crusher opines that she may be better off knowing the whole truth about herself, but Troi points out that she has believed herself to be Human all this time and the truth might be devastating. Picard ponders that there could be another situation in the future where the secret could be exposed anyway: perhaps she should learn the truth from him now. Dr. Crusher adds that if it were her, she would want Wesley to be the one to tell her. However, Data admits that he is having difficulty separating what would be best for her from what would be best for himself. He wants to tell her the truth and not be the only one of his kind in the universe; they'd have something in common to share. Troi says while that she understands his reasons, she states that if he did in fact tell her, he would be taking away the one thing he himself has strived for all his life: being Human. Nevertheless, Captain Picard reassures Data that they will support whatever decision he comes up with. Data replaces the information chip in Dr. Tainer's head, and just like Dr. Soong related with her activation, she comes to, looks up at Data and smiles. As programmed, the last thing she remembers is the jump. Data tells her she lost consciousness and broke a bone in her arm from the fall, but Dr. Crusher repaired it and that everything is fine. While factually accurate, Data's description is also entirely consistent with Human injuries. As Juliana Tainer prepares to be transported off the ship, she asks Data to visit her sometime and he assures her he can return to Atrea someday on his next leave. As she turns to step onto the transporter pad, he stops her for a moment. Data relates that Dr. Soong had told him that he had only one great love in his life, and that he regretted not telling her how much he cared for her. Data says that he "is certain" his father was talking about her, to cover the fact that the Soong hologram directly confirmed it. Juliana is clearly moved, grateful for the knowledge. Juliana replies that she is consequently not surprised that Data developed and turned out so well -- as the Atreans would say, he is the natural outcome of two parents who loved each other. Juliana bids her son farewell, asking him to take care of himself and Data tells her goodbye, calling her Mother as he does so. 
<EOS>
Worf dictates a log entry while on a type 6 shuttlecraft, the Curie. He picks up a Klingon trophy. Back on the Enterprise, Riker and Worf walk down a corridor. Worf carries his bat'leth and trophy as Riker tells him that they are returning to the Argus Array. The subspace telescope has stopped transmitting data for the third time that year. He wants Worf to start a long range scan when he notices Worf's attention wandering and remarks that the Klingon seems extremely tense, considering he just returned from a vacation. Worf replies that today is his birthday. They reach Worf's quarters, but Worf is hesitant to enter. He cautiously looks around and Riker worriedly asks what's wrong. Worf is afraid that someone might have set up a surprise party for him. Riker says that he hates surprise parties and would never do that to him. Worf apologizes and Riker exits. Worf proudly studies his trophy, places it on a table and heads to the bedroom. Out of the darkness, happy shouts of "Surprise!" erupt. Lights come up and several crew members are revealed. As Deanna Troi and Beverly Crusher rush to kiss Worf, Riker comes in, puts a silly party hat on Worf's head and says, "I love surprise parties!" The guests sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" with Klingon lyrics. During the song, Crusher arrives with a chocolate cake for Worf (with at least fifteen candles). Worf blows them out and complains that the song was not Klingon. Troi replies that it was not easy to translate; there seems to be no Klingon word for "jolly." Crusher offers Worf a knife to cut the cake. Riker tells Worf that Captain Picard was needed on the bridge, but sends his birthday wishes. Worf cuts a piece of the cake and offers it to Crusher, as Data arrives with a gift and gives it to Worf, who rips off the paper, revealing a colorful, abstract painting. He does not quite know what to make of it. Data explains that he has entered his expressionist phase and the painting is his interpretation of the Battle of HarOs. Worf is not impressed. Deanna says that the painting is wonderful. She grabs it (turning it right-side up) and remarks, "And I know just where to put it". Riker takes down a shield from the wall and Troi hangs the painting to its place. Worf is not pleased. Geordi La Forge enters the party, sees the painting and comments that it is nice. He approaches Worf, who suddenly feels dizzy. The Klingon thinks that Data's painting is making him dizzy. Beverly offers pieces of cake to La Forge, but now a yellow cake instead of a chocolate one. Worf wonders about it aloud and Troi remarks dreamily, "Don't I wish." Troi gives a present to Worf, saying that it is a gift from Alexander, who gave it to her before he left to visit Worf's parents. Worf opens it, revealing a cast of Alexander's forehead made into plaster. He proudly explains that it is, "The ridges of a warrior." Troi says that Alexander wished to be at Worf's party and had "stayed up all night talking about how proud he was of his father." Worf thanks her for watching Alexander. Suddenly, Worf hears Picard ask, "So, how old are you, Mr. Worf?"  He turns and there Picard is, enjoying some cake. Worf is puzzled and says, "I was told that you could not attend." Smiling, Picard answers, "I wouldn't miss this for the world. How old are you?" Worf starts to tell the captain but stops himself. The guests wait eagerly for his response. Finally, he finishes by saying, "Old enough". Troi, Riker, and Picard laugh heartily. In space, the Enterprise is stationary, positioned next to the gigantic Argus Array, a massive subspace telescope. On the bridge, the senior staff man the primary stations as lower-ranking officers work the aft consoles. Picard demands a report from Lieutenant Commander Data, who tells the captain that the Array is working normally. Riker doesn't believe the android, as Starfleet reported that the Array had stopped transmitting data. Data explains that the Array is still sending data, but not to the Federation. He notes that the imaging systems have been re-directed. When Picard inquires where the information is being sent, Data replies that it is being directed to Sector 19658 and that he can't access the Array's main computer. Riker asks Worf about the sector. The Klingon reports that it is an uninhabited region, but there could be someone there receiving the data. Riker suggests beaming a repair team on board the Array, so they can download their imaging logs and find out where the information is being sent. Picard agrees with Riker, who exits the bridge with Data. Meanwhile, Worf enters Ten Forward, which is full of busy officers. He soon notices Troi, sitting at a table. He goes to sit with her and tells her that he wants to talk about Alexander. He begins to say that it has never been easy for him to have the child on board. He has tried to be a good father and to give Alexander guidance. However, his son has his own mind about things. Troi replies that most children do. Worf continues by explaining that he could not have brought Alexander up without her and that sometimes she is like a mother to his son. Troi happily replies, "That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me." Worf reminds her about how he once asked Troi to watch over Alexander when he thought he was going to die after the spinal injury. He asks if she would like to formalize it. He wants Troi to be Alexander's Soh-chim, a surrogate mother. Troi tells that it would be a great honor for her. Worf says that the closest approximation for a Soh-chim would be his stepsister. Troi playfully remarks that it would make her mother Worf's stepmother. Worf's shocked reply is in a whisper: "I had not considered that." He thinks a moment and says confidently, "It is a risk I'm willing to take." Just as Troi is accepting Worf's suggestion, Data asks Worf to accompany him to engineering. He leaves Troi happily sipping her drink. Down in engineering, Worf, Data, La Forge, and Picard study the Array's imaging logs. Data tells that the Array had been re-programmed to observe several Federation sites. From a monitor in the pool table La Forge points out two space stations, Deep Space 5 and Starbase 47, and two planetary bases, Iadara colony and Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards on Mars. Picard notes that they are responsible for new starship development. Worf suggests that the array is being used for covert surveillance of the Federation. Data tells that the Array was accessed six days ago. He shows a video of a Cardassian Galor-class cruiser approaching the station. La Forge says that the telescope is only three light years away from Cardassian space. Picard orders Worf to scan for Cardassians. La Forge offers a PADD to Worf and suddenly he feels dizzy again. When he regains his bearing, La Forge and Data have switched positions and Picard is gone. La Forge thinks that Worf should go to sickbay. He agrees. At sickbay, Dr. Crusher asks if Worf has had any nausea or blurred vision as she scans him with a medical tricorder. Worf tells that he felt dizzy earlier that day at his birthday party. Crusher diagnoses him with the aftereffects of a concussion and offers vertazine medication for vertigo. As she is about to give him a hypospray, Worf tells that he has no concussion. Crusher is puzzled and says that Worf came to sickbay that morning complaining about ringing in his ears. She asks if he doesn't remember it. Worf states he doesn't. Crusher says that Worf may have temporary memory loss resulting from the concussion. She tells Worf that he told her about how he lost the bat'leth tournament because someone hit him over the head. Worf says that he can prove he won the tournament. They go to Worf's quarters where he finds a new trophy from the table. It has changed; it is now less-decorated and reads "Ninth Place". Worf, angered now, thinks that someone is playing a trick on him. Crusher tries to calm him by explaining that memory loss can be very disorienting. Still agitated, Worf says that he recorded a log on his way back to the Enterprise. When accessed, the log plays out, but then Worf tells how someone used the illegal T'Gha maneuver on him and how the judges failed to notice it. He also presents the changed trophy to the camera. Then the log continues normally. Worf can't understand. Crusher still tries to convince him that he has lost his memory and again offers medication. Meanwhile, the Enterprise still monitors the Argus Array. On the bridge, Data asks Worf if he has finished the metallurgical scan of the Array. Worf can't remember such a scan. The tactical console alerts and Worf informs that a Galor-class ship is approaching. Picard orders to open a channel. He greets the captain and demand him to explain their presence on the Federation territory. The Cardassian, Gul Nador asks why the Enterprise is so close to the Cardassian border. Picard explains that they are repairing the telescope. Nador offers assistance but Picard declines. Then Gul Nador inquires the purpose of the telescope. After Picard's explanation about scientific observation Nador adds: "I'm certain it would never be used to observe neighboring species." He gives his best wishes for the repairs but ends threateningly: "Just try to make sure that your studies are limited to astronomical phenomena." "Charming fellow," Riker notes. Worf says that the ship was responsible for reprogramming the Argus Array. Picard doesn't know what he is talking about. As Worf explains seeing the ship at imaging logs, Picard is even more puzzled. Neither he nor Riker knows anything about the logs. Worf requests Data to show the logs, but like the others he doesn't know about them. Picard orders Data to re-examine the Array in case they would find evidence for Worf's claims. At Worf's quarters, Worf is agitated. Troi is present, wearing a blue dress. He tells that he remembers the logs very clearly. Troi doesn't believe what he is saying. She asks if he thinks that everyone else's memories have been altered. The door chime interrupts Worf. La Forge enters and says that they didn't find any signs of the Cardassian ship or any evidence of tampering from the logs. He thinks that the array simply suffered a mechanical failure. As Worf starts to speak, he once again nearly blacks out. Things have changed again. Data's painting is on the opposite wall. Troi tells him that she hung it there at Worf's birthday party. As Worf looks back, the painting has changed to show a Klingon Vor'cha-class starship. Now Troi wears her blue standard duty uniform and different hair style. As Worf's temper rises, La Forge takes his arm and suggests going to sickbay. Worf experiences another loss of orientation and finds himself standing at the bridge of the Enterprise. The ship is under red alert as Picard exclaims "Now!" to Worf as a Cardassian ship approaches. Worf doesn't know how to raise the shields, because the bridge and his console have been altered. The Enterprise is being fired upon and Data reports a direct hit to the engineering section and deck 42. The shield generators are overloading. After another hit, Picard orders Riker to take over the tactical station. He fires a spread of torpedoes at the Cardassian ship, damaging its main reactor. They return fire. Data reads from the Ops console that the Enterprise's deflectors have sustained heavy damage and they have hull breaches on decks 17 and 36. Grimly, Picard orders Ensign Gates to take the ship away. Riker reports that the Cardassians have destroyed the Argus Array. Picard tries to contact Geordi at Engineering but gets Ensign Hayes instead. He reports that Geordi has been taken to sickbay with plasma burns and that there is damage to the ship's secondary plasma conduits. Picard orders helm to lay in a course to Starbase 129. Then he demands an explanation for Worf's actions. Worf explains that he had "another memory loss." Riker doesn't understand and Worf requests permission to be relieved of duty. Picard grants it. Worf goes to his quarters and finds still more changes. The Klingon ship painting is at the place where Data's painting originally was. On the table is an arrangement of white flowers. Worf accesses his computer terminal and searches for the log he recorded on the shuttlecraft Curie. The computer cannot find it. Worf asks for any log about the bat'leth tournament and gets a log about Worf having to repair the deflector and that he has asked his brother Kurn to take his place despite his lack of bat'leth experience. The door chime rings and Troi enters, wondering why he has locked the door. She questions his state of health and orders hot chocolate from the replicator. Worf asks if he can do anything for her and she responds playfully: "actually, there is." She goes to sit on Worf's bed and asks him to join her. She lets his hair loose and starts to massage Worf's shoulders. She tries to get him talk and finally kisses his neck intimately. Worf is shocked and jumps away, talking about inappropriate behavior. To this Troi answers: "Even for your wife?" Worf is mystified and mutters that things are changing. Troi asks what has changed. Worf explains: "I do not remember us, you and I, being mates. It is as if events, circumstances continue to change from moment to moment, but I am the only one who seems to be aware of it." Troi asks Worf if he really can't remember them becoming lovers and getting married during the past three years. Worf says that for what he remembers, they were friends, not lovers. Agitated and confused as he is, Troi promises to believe what he says and wants to help. Down in engineering, Data initiates a subspace scan for temporal anomalies. More changes here; the warp core has a green dilithium chamber hatch and Data has completely normal-looking blue eyes instead of his usual yellow ones. Troi is called to sickbay and Worf questions Data about his relationship to Troi. He wants to know how long they have been married. "Two years, one month, twelve days", Data replies. According to him their relationship began when Worf was recovering from his spinal injury on Stardate 45587. Six months later, he asked permission from Riker to court Troi. Worf ponders aloud about the moment they "mated" for the first time. Data, taking this for an actual question, replies that he is not sure, but offers to investigate "when the initial coupling took place". Worf dismisses the offer, and Data reports no temporal anomalies on the sector. He suggests that they should try to pinpoint the moment when events became discontinuous. Worf recaps the changes he has experienced and Data thinks that they should try to find commonalities in those events. Worf realizes that La Forge was present on all occasions. Data decides to go to talk with him. At sickbay, they are greeted by Doctor Alyssa Ogawa, with the rank of Commander. Beverly Crusher is nowhere to be seen. Sadly, she informs Data and Worf that La Forge has died from his injuries. Data examines La Forge's body with a tricorder, but he cannot find anything unusual, other than energy residuals from his plasma burns. Ogawa suggests that he should check the VISOR. As Data activates it, Worf faints to yet another change. He now wears a red uniform with a commander's rank pips and a differently-styled communicator. Doctor Crusher is standing on the spot where Ogawa was just a moment before. They inform him that he is the first officer of the Enterprise. Data (who now has his original eye color again) scans Worf and finds quantum flux in his cellular RNA. Data goes to analyze the readings. Data and Worf meet with Captain Riker in his ready room. Riker's trombone is there on display. Data explains that Worf's cellular RNA is asynchronous with normal matter. In essence, he doesn't belong there. This Data gives a lengthy explanation: all matter in the universe resonates on a quantum level with a unique signature. That signature is constant and cannot be changed through any known process. It is the basic foundation of existence. Data doesn't know the reason, but theorizes that Worf may originate from another quantum reality. The counterpart Riker thinks aloud that Worf's discontinuities started after he returned from the bat'leth tournament on the shuttle, which Worf confirms. Riker states that no shuttlecraft had left the Enterprise for over a month; despite this, they decide to follow Worf's course and search for any anomalies. As they prepare to leave, Worf asks: "How long have you been the captain of the Enterprise?" "Four years. Ever since Captain Picard was killed in the incident with the Borg."  Worf closes his eyes in both frustration and distress over his captain's death. Riker observes that Worf doesn't seem to remember any of this. Worf tells the counterpart Riker that he does remember, only he remembers it differently. On the bridge, the tactical officer -- Lieutenant Wesley Crusher -- reports a minor anomaly in space. The bridge is even more modified now, with a transparent crosscut of the Enterprise separating the tactical and aft stations. The conn officer is a Cardassian ensign. Riker orders full stop and analysis, Data diagnoses the anomaly as a quantum fissure in the space-time continuum. Riker orders the anomaly to be viewed on main screen. A blue glowing rift appears after Data enhances it with a warp field. Data detects an ion trail intersecting the phenomenon. He says that is was left by a Federation Type 6 shuttlecraft. Data reports that he has an explanation. In the observation lounge, Data is lecturing the senior officers. "I believe the quantum fissure is a fixed point across the space-time continuum. A 'keyhole' which intersects many other quantum realities." The counterpart Troi wants to know what they are and Data continues: "For any event there is an infinite number of possible outcomes. Our choices determine which outcome will follow. According to a theory, everything that can happen does happen in some other quantum reality." Worf ponders that somehow he has been shifting from one reality to another. Troi asks how it happened. Data goes to the viewer and opens a diagram. "When Worf's shuttlecraft came into the fissure, its warp engines caused a small break between the quantum realities. Worf was thrown into quantum flux. He started shifting into other realities." After the counterpart Dr. Crusher's question about La Forge's VISOR, Data says that the VISOR uses a subspace differential pulse which intensified the quantum flux. Worf wants to know how will they find his own reality. Lieutenant Crusher suggests using a subspace differential pulse. Data agrees, "an excellent idea, lieutenant." Worf and Troi return to Worf's quarters. Troi is depressed. She explains that she is afraid that her Worf will not return. She cannot believe that a reality exists where he never loved her. Worf tries comfort her by telling that he has always considered her a close friend. He assures that he would not be opposed of the possibility of a romantic relationship, although he has never really considered it. Troi continues, "what about our children?" In this particular universe, not only are Troi and Worf married, they have a two-year-old girl, Shannara, and a three-year-old boy, Eric-Christopher. She does not know anything about Alexander. The thought of Alexander not existing in this reality greatly upsets Worf and Troi rests herself on his chest. Meanwhile, the Enterprise scans the fissure with the subspace pulse. On the bridge, the counterpart Wesley tells Worf that he has not found the correct reality after scanning over ten million frequencies. An alert sounds and Data reports a Bajoran ship approaching. Riker orders red alert, surprising Worf. According to Troi, the Bajorans have become very aggressive since overpowering the Cardassian Empire. Riker adds that a day ago they destroyed a subspace telescope because they thought the Federation was using it to spy against them. Crusher reports that the Bajorans are charging their weapons. Worf orders shields up as the ship is fired upon. Riker orders Crusher to return fire. Wesley reports that power system damage has caused an energy surge to the subspace pulse. The fissure is destabilizing. After another hit, the fissure lights up and several copies of the Enterprise appear. Data says from Ops station that the barriers between quantum realities are breaking down. In the space around them, more and more Enterprises appear. Wesley reports that the Bajorans are fleeing as Data says that quantum incursions are increasing exponentially. The sector will be completely filled with Enterprises within three days. The tactical console sounds wildly as they receive 285,000 hails. Riker quips that he wishes that he knew what to tell them, and asks Data how to stop the incursions. He theorizes: "Perhaps if we can find the ship that matches Worf's quantum signature. It was Worf's shuttle which traversed the fissure and weakened the barriers between quantum realities. If he re-enters the fissure in his shuttle and emits a broad spectrum warp field, it may seal the fissure." Riker orders Crusher to send a general hail: "This is Captain Riker of the Enterprise - that is, the Enterprise that is indigenous to this universe. We've all encountered a quantum anomaly. We think we have found a way to return us all to our proper realities. But we need to find that ship which exhibits a certain quantum signature. Our Mr. Data will transmit that signature to you now." Data transmits the signature, but Wesley has difficulties finding out who is talking to who because of heavy communications traffic. Finally he receives a matching response. Riker orders the message on screen and the prime universe Enterprise bridge appears with Picard Prime, Riker Prime, and (presumably) a counterpart Worf at their stations. Riker on screen looks back to Worf, as if making sure that he is really there. Riker on the alternate Enterprise asks Picard Prime to send the shuttlecraft Curie. As Picard agrees, Riker terminates the comm by saying, with a degree of sadness in his voice: "It's good to see you again, captain. It's been a long time." Picard glances questioningly at Riker Prime. The Enterprises multiply in the sector with increasing speed. In the shuttlebay, Data and several officers examine the shuttlecraft Curie. Data explains to Riker that he has modified the shuttle's engines to generate an inverse warp field. Worf asks if he will find himself near his Enterprise. According to Data, he may end up several days after or before the time he left because of the uncertainty principle. Riker gives his best wishes and leaves with the others, with only Worf and Troi remaining. They hug gently and finally kiss in a silent goodbye. Worf sets away, but the shuttle is attacked by one of the Enterprises. Captain Riker hails it and he comes face to face with another alternate version of himself. This counterpart Riker has a long beard, is disheveled and delirious, panicking on the badly damaged bridge of his Enterprise. The transmission is filled with static. He begs not to be sent back to his own universe, where the Federation is gone, the Borg are everywhere and the Enterprise is one of the only remaining ships. However Captain Riker says that there is no option and if the plan works, all ships will automatically return. Desperate and driven mad from exhaustion, the counterpart Riker declares they won't go back. He cuts the channel, then he fires on the shuttle. Captain Riker grimly orders Wesley to disable that Enterprise. Wesley fires a single photon torpedo, collapsing the ship's weakened shields and engine core, which destroys it completely. They learn that the ship had already taken heavy damage, which resulted in their warp containment field being very weak; which Riker speculates that the damage was due to constant fighting with the Borg. As Worf initiates the inverse warp field, the inside of the shuttle is filled with dozens of ghost-like Worfs from other realities. The inside whites out, and Worf wakes up to find himself on the floor. He has returned to his normal rank and uniform. Worf contacts the Enterprise and Picard answers the hail. Worf, relieved to hear Picard's voice, asks the captain if everything is all right. Picard says that it is and then asks if there is a problem. Worf says no, but that he will explain when he returns to the Enterprise. Picard questions him about the bat'leth tournament. Worf, discovering the original trophy next to him, proudly replies that he has won "champion standing." Worf and Riker walk and talk on the way to Worf's quarters. Worf has been telling Riker about what happened and assures him that the inverse warp field has sealed the rift so the quantum incursion will not be anything they have to worry with. Worf stops at the door and says, "I know what you are planning. I will not be surprised." Riker says he doesn't know what Worf is talking about but Worf does not believe him. Worf then enters his quarters and hurries to check the bedroom. Although there is no one there, he is startled as Troi steps into the room with a friendly "Welcome home, Worf!" After she explains that she was simply caring for Alexander's hissing beetle while both Worf and Alexander are away, Worf asks if she lives there. When she asks what that's supposed to mean, Worf adds, "It is a long story." Troi presents him with a gift and says that Riker wanted to throw him a surprise party but she talked him out of it, to which Worf is grateful. Troi says that she knows Klingons like to be alone on their birthday. "You probably want to meditate or hit yourself with a painstik." As she is about to leave, Worf asks her to join him for dinner and she accepts. He pauses at the replicator and, perhaps momentarily thinking about the counterpart Troi from the last reality that he encountered, orders champagne from the replicator, and Deanna's face adopts a curious expression, presumably confusion at his actions and her empathic knowledge. 
<EOS>
In the observation lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D, a brightly-colored banner proclaims it to be "Captain Picard Day". Picard, somewhat unhappy with the idea, surveys the numerous entries made for the event by the crew's children with Deanna Troi, as Commander Riker looks on, amused. Riker playfully uses one of the dolls and imitates Picard's voice, much to the captain's annoyance.  Fortunately for Picard, a priority one message from Vice-Admiral Blackwell is received, forcing him to excuse himself from the judging momentarily. After the admiral inquires as to the Enterprise's current status -- conducting surveys of the Mekoria Quasar -- she orders Picard to rendezvous with the USS Crazy Horse in sector 1607 and pick up an operative from Starfleet Intelligence. She tells Picard the operative will brief him on his orders when he arrives. She also adds that Picard is authorized to exceed warp speed limitations for the duration of the mission. She also inquires about "Captain Picard Day," which embarrasses Picard. Laughing nervously, he tells the admiral that he is a role model for the children aboard the Enterprise. The operative turns out to be Erik Pressman, a former commanding officer of Riker's, and now a rear-admiral. Picard recalls that Pressman was the captain of the USS Pegasus, Riker's first assignment. Pressman states that the Pegasus is the reason for his arrival -- at Riker's shocked visage, he reveals that the ship is still out there "and the Romulans have found her." Back in the observation lounge, Pressman briefs the Enterprise senior staff on the Pegasus -- a prototype vessel, the Pegasus was lost in the region twelve years earlier after what was reported to be a warp core breach. Riker, Pressman and seven others survived the ship's destruction. Although she was declared destroyed, three days earlier, an operative in Romulan High Command reported the discovery of debris from the Pegasus in the Devolin system, and a warbird is currently searching for the rest of the ship. Since the Pegasus was carrying experimental technologies, Starfleet cannot risk the ship falling into Romulan hands. The Enterprise must find the ship first and either salvage it, or destroy it. Picard orders a course laid in for the system. Upon arriving in the system, the warbird Terix decloaks in front of the Enterprise. After a tense standoff with weapons armed, its captain, Sirol, hails the Enterprise and inquires as to the nature of their mission. When Picard returns the inquiry, Sirol answers that the warbird is investigating gaseous anomalies in the area -- a mission Picard notes that they are also engaged in, and suggests that they pool their resources towards a common goal. After Sirol declines and the warbird moves off, Picard orders the search underway. Later, in Ten Forward, Pressman and Riker share a drink -- Pressman asking about Riker's beard -- but conversation quickly turns to the Pegasus and the "experiment" she carries. Riker wonders whether they did the right thing, but Pressman notes that what they were doing was "for the good of the Federation" and that the others couldn't see that. Riker is shocked when Pressman reveals that if they succeed in recovering the Pegasus, he plans on restarting the experiment, with the support of many admirals within Starfleet, including Admiral Raner, head of Starfleet Security. Raner has issued orders that prohibit Riker from discussing the true nature of their mission with anyone, including Picard. Pressman notes that this time, there will be no one to stop them. With the search continuing, Picard entertains Pressman in his quarters, where the two discuss Riker, and how Picard originally chose him to become first officer -- based on the fact that Riker placed more importance on the safety of his ship and crew than on his own career or the chain of command by refusing to let Captain DeSoto beam down to Altair III. Pressman disagrees with Picard, believing that the chain of command is sacrosanct, although he apologizes for his outburst, stating that the mission is bringing up old ghosts. Picard then turns the conversation to those old ghosts, noting that the reports of the destruction of the Pegasus are oddly vague, and asks if Pressman could add any more to what he already knows. Pressman declines, but notes that Riker was crucial in their escape, because he was willing to trust his judgment without question. At the same time, Riker himself comes into sickbay, having sustained a broken rib during bat'leth training with Worf. While Dr. Crusher works to repair the injury, Riker berates himself at having been so stupid, but is obviously distracted with something else.  With the injury healed, Crusher said he will do better next time.  Riker simply replies with "yeah maybe". The search has entered grid 158 and, with the Romulans a good distance away, La Forge detects a subspace resonance signature coming from a nearby asteroid -- gamma 601 -- that could be from a Federation warp core. Riker orders the ship closer, as Picard and Pressman join them. Pressman recognizes some of the signature's variance patterns as being from the Pegasus. Sensors reveal that the signature is coming from within the asteroid itself -- which contains deep chasms large enough for a starship to enter. Data speculates that the vessel could have been caught in the asteroid's gravitational field and pulled inside. However, before the crew can investigate further, the Terix is detected heading for them, and it would take more time than they have to locate the Pegasus. Riker immediately suggests that the asteroid be destroyed, taking the Pegasus with it, which Pressman objects to. Picard asks Data if saturating the asteroid with verterons would prevent the Romulans from detecting the Pegasus. The android replies that the strategy would work, but since verterons are artificial, that would reveal the deception to the Romulans. La Forge suggests blanketing the asteroid with ionizing radiation instead -- since there are high levels already present in the system, it wouldn't look out of place. The Enterprise moves away, as the warbird swoops in. The plan works, and the Romulans fail to detect the Pegasus, moving back onto their original search pattern. Picard requests that the search be continued, in order to further convince the Romulans that the asteroid is empty, before heading off-watch. Pressman then asks that Riker join him in the ready room, where he lays into the commander for suggesting that they destroy the Pegasus. When Riker hits back, Pressman remarks that he has changed, and that he likes that Riker now states his opinion and sticks by it -- but hopes that he hasn't lost his sense of duty, and that Pressman can count on him again. Riker brings an analysis of the scans on the Pegasus to Picard in his quarters. Once there, Picard questions him about a report from the Judge Advocate General concerning a mutiny that took place aboard the Pegasus prior to its apparent destruction -- a report that Captain Picard obtained by as he puts it "calling in a lot of favors" from his own friends and contacts in the fleet, as it had been classified. Picard is surprised that Riker never mentioned it, and presses him to reveal what happened. Riker recalls that during a test on the engines, an explosion in main engineering caused the first officer, chief engineer, and most of the bridge staff to mutiny against Pressman, believing that he was endangering the ship. Riker, "seven months out of the Academy, [his] head still ringing with words like 'duty' and 'honor'", armed himself with a phaser and defended his captain. The nine survivors engaged in a running firefight to the escape pods, where they fled the ship. Despite this, Picard continues quoting from the report -- the Judge Advocate believed that the survivors were covering up what really happened, and had advised further investigation, but that investigation never took place.  It was classified and then quietly buried.  Picard lays into his first officer for possibility conspiring to cover up the truth on what really happened on the Pegasus, and demands to know what is going on. After Riker reveals he has been ordered not to discuss anything further, Picard reluctantly drops it, but warns Riker that if Pressman puts the ship at risk, he will be forced to reevaluate Riker's position aboard the Enterprise-D. Still seeking answers, Picard contacts Admiral Blackwell once again, to request a delay in the mission, which is denied. She is unwilling to provide any more details, and terminates the communication, telling Picard he had better carry out the mission. The Enterprise is now approaching the asteroid, and the Romulans are well beyond sensor range -- allowing the starship to proceed undetected. Data has been monitoring the Pegasus' sensor readings, and concludes that the majority of the warp core is still intact. The problem is getting to the ship -- transporting through the depths of solid rock involved would be unsafe, and a shuttlecraft would be susceptible to any fluctuations in magnetic, gravimetric or gravitational fields. Pressman thus concludes that the best way to proceed is to take the Enterprise in through one of the larger fissures. Picard strongly objects, but Pressman overrules him, ordering him to proceed. Picard asks Data to note his objection in the ship's log, and orders Ensign Gates to pilot the Enterprise into the fissure on maneuvering thrusters. Deep within the asteroid, the Enterprise encounters shifts in the magnetic field, and Picard warns Pressman that if the fissure narrows any further, he will abort the mission, regardless of potential insubordination charges. However, a large resonance signature appears on sensors before that happens. An Oberth-class starship appears on the main viewer, partially embedded in a rock face: Pegasus. Pressman kills off the crew's speculation as to how it could have been enveloped as it has, and orders Riker to accompany him aboard, overriding Picard's request to beam a full away team aboard, citing the sensitive nature of the equipment aboard. With life support restored in the Pegasus' engineering section, Pressman and Riker materialize aboard. While Riker wonders how many of the crew are buried within the rock face, Pressman is more interested in retrieving a cylindrical object connected to the main console. He is surprised at Riker's lack of enthusiasm over the recovery, and angered when Riker reveals that he cannot allow Pressman to start the experiments again, and that, if he had the chance to redo the events that took place twelve years earlier, he would have been on the side of the mutineers. Pressman points out that if he sided with the mutineers, he would be among the dead in this area, but Riker shoots back saying they were brave enough to stop him from violating a treaty that the Federation signed in good faith, and that starting these experiments again would add to the death count already.  As the two continue to argue, the Pegasus is rocked by a series of blasts, and Picard orders them to beam back, which they do -- along with the object. As they reach the bridge, they discover that their way out is cut off -- the Romulans have sealed the entrance of the fissure with disruptor fire -- the Enterprise is trapped in the chasm. Sirol hails the Enterprise, remarking that the ship is in a rather precarious situation. When Picard challenges him about the destruction of the passage, Sirol is apologetic -- their geological experiments on the surface may have caused it, but they were unaware of the Enterprise's presence within the asteroid. He has a suggestion to help the crew -- he will transport them aboard the Terix and take them back to Romulus; from there, they will be returned to the Federation. Picard thanks him for the offer with some measure of sarcasm, and the communication is terminated. Worf suggests that the phasers could be used to cut through, but Data advises against it -- further weapons fire could collapse the remainder of the unstable passage, destroying the Enterprise. Riker makes a suggestion -- use the piece of equipment Pressman brought back from the Pegasus: a prototype for a Federation cloaking device -- the entire reason for the mission. Pressman warns Riker that his career is now over with his admission. Picard is surprised, but now understands clearly -- the Treaty of Algeron strictly prohibits the development of cloaking technology by the Federation, and Pressman's action are a violation of that agreement. Pressman attempts to relieve Picard of command, but the senior staff stand firm -- Riker noting that, unlike last time, no one is willing to come to his defense. Picard asks how the cloak can be used to escape the asteroid -- Riker explains that the device will phase -- a ship equipped with it can pass through solid matter. Picard orders it to be adapted for use by the Enterprise. In Engineering, Data and La Forge complete the final connections between the interphasic cloaking device and the Enterprise -- La Forge notes that there is a danger of the entire plasma relay system blowing out if the intercooler levels are not closely monitored. Riker realizes that this could explain what the survivors saw happen to the Pegasus -- the plasma relays blew out, and the resultant ignition of free plasma caused the explosion that Riker and the others saw. The ship drifted into the asteroid field still cloaked, the device finally failing while the ship was partially phased through solid rock. The device is brought online, and the Enterprise disappears as the cloak engages. Picard orders the ship out of the asteroid, and the device allows them to pass through the debris blocking their escape, and out into deep space. With the Enterprise safely clear, Picard orders the cloak disengaged, despite Pressman's desperate objection. The starship decloaks, directly in front of the Terix. Picard sends a message to the warbird, advising them that the Romulan government will be contacted shortly regarding the incident. He then orders, under his authority as captain of the Enterprise, that Pressman be placed under arrest, and charged with violating the Treaty of Algeron. Riker points out that he too will have to be arrested, and Picard reluctantly agrees. Worf escorts Riker and the admiral off the bridge, Pressman noting angrily that he has a lot of friends at Starfleet Command -- Picard quietly muses to himself that he will need them. Clearing the Devolin system, Picard comes to Riker in the Enterprise brig. Dismissing Armstrong and disengaging the force field, he comes into the cell. He tells Riker that Admiral Shanthi has spoken to the captain to say that a full inquiry into the Pegasus incident will take place once the ship reaches Starbase 247, which would result in a court martial of Pressman and several others at Starfleet Intelligence; Picard tells Riker that he'll have some hard questions to answer, and may lose some of the respect he has earned since his days aboard the Pegasus. But, Picard notes, Riker stepped forward and did the right thing, even knowing the cost. As long as Riker can still do that, then he will still be able to wear his uniform, and Picard will continue to be proud to have him as his first officer. Together, the two officers walk out of the brig. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D answers a distress call from the planet Boraal II: It is experiencing atmospheric dissipation and will be rendered uninhabitable in just a few hours. Lieutenant Worf is especially concerned with this recent development as his foster brother, Nikolai Rozhenko, is assigned to the cultural observation post on the planet. Worf asks Captain Picard for his permission to beam down and see if his foster brother is all right. Picard, concerned that Worf's visit may conflict with the Prime Directive, agrees, but says that Worf must be surgically altered to pass as a Boraalan. After his alteration into a Boraalan by Dr. Crusher, Worf beams down to a cave sheltered from the intense storms on the planet. Shortly after, Worf finds Rozhenko and many Boraalans inside the cave and discovers that Rozhenko has broken the Prime Directive by helping the Boraalans survive. When Worf enters the cavern protecting the Boraalans, he is questioned by a male Boraalan named Vorin, who assumes that the storm on the surface has stopped, since Worf was able to make it to the caves alive. Worf refuses to answer the question and only wants to speak to his brother. Worf asks Rozhenko why he did this. Rozhenko says that he was unable to stay at his observation post and watch the Boraalans slowly die. Worf says that the captain will most definitely want to speak with him. Back on board the Enterprise, Rozhenko explains his actions to the senior staff, including Captain Picard. Rozhenko says that he wants to save the village by creating an atmospheric bubble over a small section of the planet, which will protect the Boraalans. Picard refuses to compound the damage that Rozhenko has inflicted upon the Prime Directive and the Boraalan culture. Rozhenko is at once disappointed about Picard's decision and asks to transmit his logs back to the ship, stating that the only way he will now be able to save the Boraalan culture is by preserving it in a museum. Worf tries to heal his brother's pain by helping him to transmit the logs to the ship, but Rozhenko refuses his help. Later on the bridge, Rozhenko goes to the science station at the back on the bridge to transmit his logs to the ship's computer. There, the crew witnesses the imminent destruction of Boraal II. Picard reminds everyone on the bridge that this is one of the few times that they must face the ramifications of the Prime Directive and to honor it. Rozhenko tells the captain that he finds no honor whatsoever in what the crew is doing and leaves the bridge before Boraal is destroyed. Then, a plasmonic burst hits the ship and causes a power drain. Worf finds out that the drain is coming from deck ten. Riker asks Worf to go down to the deck with a security team. Worf makes his way down to deck ten, and then to the holodeck. Worf attempts to enter the holodeck, but the controls have been overridden. Suddenly, the doors slide open anyway, and Worf then hears Rozhenko's voice, drawing Worf towards the mouth of a cave. Rozhenko stands at the mouth with a PADD in his hand and reveals that all of the Boraalans did not actually die, but were beamed aboard the Enterprise-D just before the destruction of their homeworld. Worf is shocked at his brother's actions, another blatant disregard of the Prime Directive. Later, in a corridor, Rozhenko explains that he was able to make the plasmonic bursts look like they overloaded the ship's sensors so he could beam up the Boraalans without anyone on the ship noticing. The plan worked perfectly. Worf is dismayed at his brother's increasingly delinquent behavior and says during a conversation in a turbolift that he wants nothing to do with him after his actions. Rozhenko is sent to Picard's ready room where he is berated by the captain for his actions, and is told that as well as destroying his career, the Enterprise now has a group of unaware Boraalans on board while the crew has no idea what to do with them. Rozhenko reveals that he did not beam up the Boraalans without a plan; he plans to find a new class M planet for the Boraalans and to gradually change the terrain on the holodeck so it will appear that the Boraalans are traveling through the caves towards their new home. Although he is still very unhappy about the whole situation, Picard is forced to conclude that there isn't any other alternatives so they'll give the plan a try. Picard, Geordi La Forge, Dr. Crusher, and Data meet in stellar cartography to find a new home for the Boraalans. However, La Forge finds out that the holodeck is malfunctioning, its image processor destroyed by the atmospheric dissipation, and that it is not a question of how the holodeck will cease to function, but when. Rozhenko prepares to go back into the holodeck to prepare the Boraalans for their journey, but Picard is unwilling to leave him alone with them after all the trouble he's caused and asks Worf to accompany his brother. Worf is initially unwilling and suggests possibly sending someone else, like Counselor Troi, but Picard is unwilling to confuse the Boraalans further by introducing another new person to them. Worf is forced to agree. Rozhenko and Worf return to the holodeck simulation and announce to the Boraalans that their village was destroyed and there is nothing left. The Boraalans are dismayed to hear this, but Rozhenko says that they will be able to find a new home and that it is a great distance from their present location and they must hurry. Worf says that it will be very different from the home they knew; even the stars in their new home may look different. Vorin asks why they would be different and how Worf knows that they will be safe at their new home. Rozhenko backs up Worf by saying that he knows that they will be safe. Suddenly, a woman named Tarrana screams because she sees the holodeck grid flashing in a pool of water. Worf tries to calm down the Boraalans by saying that it is an omen, the Sign of La Forge, supposedly a good omen. La Forge understands Worf's predicament and fixes the problem. Rozhenko announces that their journey to their new home is blessed. He later goes over to Worf and says that they make quite a team. Worf says bluntly that they are not a team. Meanwhile, in stellar cartography, Data and Dr. Crusher are searching space for a new homeworld for the Boraalans. They come up with two solutions, Draygo IV or Vacca VI in the Vaccan system, located in the Cabral sector. The Draygo system is located only three light years away from Cardassian space and there are constant border disputes in the area, which rules it out, so Data and Dr. Crusher choose Vacca VI despite Crusher's worries due to the planet having a less hospitable environment than the Boraalans are used to. She also struggles with the profound importance on their selection of a new homeworld for the Boraalans  -- how will the Vaccan system be affected in the future by their society, will the climate be suitable for them, will they flourish on their new home? Data believes that they can make no guarantees on what the future may hold, they must simply make the best choice they can. Finally settling on Vacca VI, the Enterprise will reach the planet in 42 hours. In the holodeck, Worf notices that Rozhenko has become close with a Boraalan named Dobara. As he is noticing them, Vorin is drawing a chronicle, which documents the history of his village, including Worf and Rozhenko leading them to safety. Worf then announces that they must leave now. Vorin then realizes that he is missing one of his chronicles. Worf asks him to leave it behind, but Vorin says that without it, the village's future means nothing. Worf allows him to go. An elder Boraalan asks Worf to help him with his gear and asks him that if he does not make it to the Boraalans' new home, he wants Worf to become his daughter's husband. Worf assures the elder that they will make it. Vorin finds his scroll, but just as he is about to leave, he sees the holodeck arch half embedded in a cavern of rocks. He puts his hand into it, which dissolves the holo-image surrounding the door. Vorin opens the door and steps out into the Enterprise's corridors, shocked by what he sees. Vorin, afraid and confused, makes his way to Ten Forward, where a group on onlookers begin to crowd around him. Fortunately, Deanna Troi and Commander Riker are in the lounge, and they quickly realize what has occurred. They ask everyone else to back away from Vorin. Troi explains that they are both friends of Rozhenko and Worf. Vorin asks where he is and he is subsequently brought to sickbay, where Dr. Crusher announces to Captain Picard that his neuro-physiology is too complicated, so she cannot perform a memory wipe. Picard is now forced to explain that Vorin and the rest of his village has spent the last two days on the Enterprise and not on their homeworld. In the holodeck, Worf finds out that Vorin was able to exit the holodeck, and informs Rozhenko that Vorin will have to make a choice: if he wants to stay on the Enterprise, or to return to the holodeck and forever keep his knowledge a secret. Worf then accuses Nikolai of having never changed from the disobedient man he was when he was younger, always causing chaos wherever he went, refusing to take any responsibility for his actions and causing their parents to always worry about what kind of trouble he would be getting in next. Rozhenko argues that Worf was the perfect son and that he has become too involved in Starfleet protocols to think of others, but Worf counters that at least he didn't make their mother cry all the time. Soon after, Worf realizes that the holodeck malfunctions are increasing and talks to La Forge through his combadge. Later, Dobara approaches Worf while he is alone to tell him that Rozhenko is deeply distraught from their arguments. Dobara then informs Worf that she wishes to consider Worf a part of her family, as Dobara is carrying Rozhenko's child. The Enterprise arrives at Vacca VI, but it will be a few hours before the transporter will be able to beam down the Boraalans, and Picard has one more problem to take care of: Vorin. Picard goes to Vorin's quarters and asks him what he wants to do. Vorin announces that he wants to go back to his people, but he does not know what to tell them. Picard asks Vorin if he intends to tell the truth, and reminds him that his fellow villagers might think that he was hallucinating or that he is insane. Vorin knows that he cannot tell the truth, but he thinks that he cannot be able to live with a secret. Picard offers Vorin to stay on the Enterprise but Vorin tells Picard that he will need more time. Worf and Rozhenko get into yet another argument, this time about Rozhenko's upcoming fatherhood. They are about to physically attack each other when the holodeck begins to malfunction and is about to fail. Worf contacts Commander La Forge and asks him to generate lightning storms and thunder, so it looks like a massive storm. After all the Boraalans have been herded into their tents by Rozhenko, Worf tells La Forge to beam down the Boraalans to Vacca VI. A few seconds later, the Boraalans, including Worf and Rozhenko, beam down in an identical spot on Vacca VI, where the "storms" have suddenly stopped. Picard notes that the mission was a success, but their success has come at a high price; Vorin, utterly unable to make a choice, committed an apparently ritualistic suicide in his quarters. Picard states to Dr. Crusher that he wishes Vorin could have bridged the gap between their two cultures and that he could have gotten to know the Boraalan man better. Worf returns to Vacca VI to say goodbye to his brother. Rozhenko announces that he will replace Vorin as the new village chronicle and he will stay with the Boraalans. Worf smiles and jokes that Rozhenko was never an artist, and they share a small laugh. Rozhenko laments that their parents would probably not understand his actions, but Worf promises he will explain to them that he was happy. Worf and his brother embrace, and the Enterprise-D warps away from Vacca VI, the new homeworld of the Boraalans. 
<EOS>
Doctor Beverly Crusher reads a eulogy before her late grandmother's coffin at the Caldos colony, with Counselor Deanna Troi and Captain Jean-Luc Picard at her side, describing her grandmother, Felisa Howard, as a healer, and one who offers more than just a healthy body; she will miss her advice, healing, and most of all, her inspiration. Governor Maturin reads a modified version of the Anglican burial service as her coffin slowly descends beneath the ground. As the colonists circle the grave and the gravediggers begin to bury her, a camellia is thrown to the coffin. Crusher looks over and sees a mysterious man walking with the other colonists who stops and gives her one glance before leaving. Troi compliments Crusher on the eulogy, and the doctor asks about the mysterious man she saw throw the camellia on the coffin, describing him as mid 30s with longish hair. Troi says she didn't see anyone that fits her description. Crusher notes that the camellia was her grandmother's favorite flower, to which Troi responds by wondering whether he might be a friend or patient, but then Crusher mentions that the gesture with the camellia was too personal and that he gave her a remarkable look. Realizing the need to get her grandmother's affairs in order, she heads to her house and Troi comes along with her. Maturin asks Picard how long he plans on staying, to which the captain replies it would only be a few hours, and inquires why. Maturin explains to Picard that Caldos was one of the first terraforming projects in the Federation, and the weather control infusion systems are a century old and he would like a starship engineer to take a look at them, and possibly upgrade the infusion systems, in exchange for a tour of the colony and being a guest for some meals. Since the USS Enterprise isn't due to Starbase 621 until the next morning, Picard graciously accepts the governor's offer. The tour is an intriguing offer to Picard as he remarks the colony impressive accomplishment, and describes the terraforming project as reminding him of experiencing Earth's Scottish Highlands. The governor says that's exactly what the colonists wished; every cornerstone was brought from old cities in Scotland such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. The founders wanted to truly recreate Scotland. Maturin took the position of governor of the colony because of his fondness of the Scottish culture and the heritage of the people. He once visited the Glamis Castle, as a boy, feeling he was home when he gazed over the Scot highlands. At Crusher's grandmother's house, Troi glances at a picture of her and her grandmother and remarks how incredible Felisa's green eyes were. It was a Howard tradition where every woman in her family had green eyes, except her mother and herself, explains Crusher. She can remember her mother well, but remembers Nana more than her mother, who raised her after her mother died. Troi pictures the candle and says how beautiful it is. The candle is a family heirloom and has been in the Howard clan for generations and supposed to symbolize the enduring Howard spirit. Troi decides to return to the Enterprise and allow Crusher to have some time alone, which she appreciates. Wrapping herself in a blanket and reading her grandmother's journal, she goes upstairs. Another man enters her house unannounced and blows out the candle. The sound of his breath causes Crusher to race down and demand that he leave the house. The man identifies himself to her as Ned Quint, Felisa's caregiver. This surprises the doctor as her grandmother made no mention about Quint, but he replies that there's a lot of things she never talked about and demands she gives up the heirloom. When asked why, he replies the candle has been a curse to her family for generations. Dismissing his claims as rubbish, Crusher forcefully asks Quint to leave. Before leaving, Quint warns her that he will not be responsible for what happens as long as she continues to be stubborn, just as all the other Howard women were. Back on the Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Data performs basic maintenance on the colony's primary systems in engineering. Maturin asks about the seismic stabilizers due to the fact they've been having tremors for the past couple of months. He then humors the android by saying how it's like to enjoy afternoon tea while the Earth is shaking. The governor is alerted by Geordi La Forge about a power fluctuation in one of the weather control substations that controls atmospheric humidity, the first problem noted with the systems in over twenty years. Data checks the weather patterns and discovers the formation of a storm system in the northern coastal area, which, according to Maturin, normally doesn't happen in the summer and now threatens the next day's caber toss. Picard and Crusher discuss the entries in her grandmother's journal and was surprised to learn she had a younger lover, even though none of her grandmother's letters had mentioned him. The man is identified as 34-year-old Ronin, whom Felisa met shortly after Crusher's great-grandmother passed away; Ronin seems to match the description of the man who threw the camellia onto the grave earlier. Picard explains to Crusher they'll be staying in orbit for for a while longer, which gives her an opportunity to straighten out her grandmother's affairs. As she enters her quarters, Picard wonders why a man like Ronin would be dating Crusher's grandmother at his current age. The heirloom begins to flicker in Crusher's quarters as she is sleeping soundly. The covers over her begin to slide away, as well as her nightgown begins to slide away exposing her shoulder, and Crusher reacts as if someone was kissing her on the neck. An eerie voice calls her name, causing her to rise from her bed in fear. Discussing the events the night before with Troi while sitting at a table together in Ten Forward, Crusher explains to her she did not dream, but felt a presence with her. The experience she felt, especially when she was called out by her name, felt like she knew the person, or vice versa; it also was the most physical dream she ever had, as he knew exactly how she likes to be touched. The sensations were real, and extremely arousing, which caused Troi to be envious of her. Crusher admitted she fell asleep after reading a particularly erotic chapter in her grandmother's journal, going as far as detailing her experience with Ronin. She becomes curious if she would have another dream tonight, prompting Troi to suggest that she reads two chapters. Back on the colony, and out of uniform, Crusher enters the cemetery with flowers for her grandmother's grave. She sees Quint putting the final touches of the grave and Quint suggests that he should leave so she can spend time alone. Crusher apologizes that they didn't start off well, and understands, from her grandmother's journals, how much he meant to her grandmother. Quint admits that she would not find another grand woman like Felisa, and says that Crusher has her grandmother's fire. She offers Quint an olive branch and welcomes him to stay at the house to take care of it when she's away, but Quint swore he would never enter that house again, and advises her to do the same. He explains the house is haunted, and warns her not to light the candle or she'll bring out the ghost. "He's out now", he says, angry about being driven out. Quint blames the ghost on causing the storm that is about to occur. Crusher dismisses Quint's warning and explains the Enterprise is repairing one of the weather control substations that is malfunctioning. Quint asks her "Who do you think is causing the malfunction?" and warns her again not to light the candle or go into the house, or he'll be burying another Howard in the cemetery before long. As he turns to leave, the storm intensifies as thunder and green lightning begin to crackle. Crusher turns around and sees Felisa's grave covered in flowers. The storm continues to intensify as Crusher retreats to her residence. Lieutenant Worf detects large pockets of atmospheric turbulence and regions of electrical activity. Picard orders that this be shown on the main viewer, and sees in Commander Riker's own words "one hell of a thunderstorm" that is growing in intensity. Data explains to the captain that what began as a power fluctuation has now spread throughout the control grid and has caused an unusual concentration of cumulonimbus activity around the colony. La Forge recommends they set up a power transfer beam between the Enterprise and the weather control substations to give them enough power to stabilize the storm. Crusher returns to the house soaked, and is surprised to find the foyer of the house full of flowers. The door slams shut behind her as the fear level in Crusher rises. Asking if it was Quint in the house or someone else, she calls out for that person, and no one replies. Walking around the house, she calls out that she knows someone is in the house and suggests the person comes out. The mirror begins to tap against the wall, which she picks up and checks behind it to find nothing out of the ordinary. As she places it back, she finds a man in the reflection beside her, which frightens her, causing her to drop the mirror. She turns around and finds no one there, and warns whoever is in the house to show himself or she will contact the Enterprise and will have ten security guards down to the house in thirty seconds. The man calls her name and says he has come back for her and says that he was with her last night. Crusher dismisses it as a dream and reaches for her combadge to call the Enterprise. Suddenly she becomes dizzy and pain-stricken, leading her to drop her combadge to the floor. The mysterious visitor proclaims his love to her, just as he loved Felisa before. Crusher puts the pieces together and identifies the visitor as Ronin, who identifies himself as a spirit who lived in Glasgow in 1647. There he found a home with Jessel Howard, describing her as a pretty lass with red hair, and eyes like diamonds. She stayed with her daughter after Jessel died, and her daughter after her, and down on down the family clan through generations. Wracked in fear and terror, she wanted to know how he came to Caldos, two hundred light years away from Earth. Ronin tells her when her family moved into the galaxy, he moved with them. Crusher doesn't believe him, but Ronin says he believes the Howard women are the most beautiful he has ever known. Crusher then feels a strange sensation as Ronin says they are becoming one. Something she doesn't understand, but nevertheless, wants him to stop. Troi stops by Crusher's quarters on the Enterprise to see if she was going to the mok'bara class tonight, but she plans to skip it, due to her exhaustion. Troi is curious and asks if she had another dream, but the doctor says no, and everything is alright. Troi gets suspicious and asks if she was seeing someone, a suspicion proved correct when Beverly tries to dismiss it. Crusher simply says she met someone, but Troi's telepathic abilities says otherwise. Crusher admits defeat and reveals that she saw Ronin, her grandmother's lover. This man she says is unlike any man she met before, and is so passionate about her. It's a strange relationship says Troi, but nonetheless is very happy for her. Despite this, Troi offers her some advice: Ronin and Crusher have both suffered a tremendous loss, and that shared tragedies can often create the illusion of closeness, and romance. Crusher appreciates her advice but dismisses it, simply saying she's interested, but not in love; with Ronin. In the turbolift, Maturin explains to Picard that he moved to the colony because it was a recreation of Scotland, but admits it's getting a little too real, and sneezes. When they step foot on the bridge, the deck is flooded with a dense fog. The cause is a malfunction in the ship's environmental controls, which is traced to the power transfer, which is creating a feedback from one of the weather control sub stations. Data is unable to terminate the connection as a feedback loop is preventing it from being shut off. He would have to go to the sub station itself and correct it from there. Picard agrees and decides to go into his ready room to get his jacket in the meantime. La Forge and Data determine that the weather control grid is experiencing a power failure. A problem that is impossible according to La Forge, but is interrupted by Ned Quint who is dismantling the primary power conduit. Data asks him to stop, but Quint will not. Data forces him to get up, but Ned warns both Starfleet officers to keep away from him and warns them the ghost is trying to kill them all. A shock of green energy discharges and strikes Quint from the conduit sending him tumbling down near the feet of Data and La Forge. They both rush to check on him, and Data checks his pulse. He reads nothing, and grimly tells La Forge "He is dead." La Forge summarizes that he was trying to shut down the entire weather control system, and a plasma discharge from the primary plasma conduit is what killed Quint. Maturin knew him and doesn't believe he would do something like this, since he kept mostly to himself. Because of the tampering, another day would have to be added to the repairs, and Data lets the governor know the weather patterns will continue. Crusher finds something and brings it to the attention of Data. It was not a plasma discharge that killed him, but an anomalous energy residual, which Data links to the malfunctions to the sub stations, and suggests they scan the colony for those same readings. Crusher asks Maturin to take Quint's body back to the ship for further tests, which he accepts; but she won't run the tests herself, instead having Dr. Selar do them. When asked by Maturin why she won't do it herself, she quotes other matters she needs to attend to. Back at the house, Crusher again makes contact with Ronin. He knows about Quint's death but tells her there is something more important they have to talk about. And so he appears in the flesh, claiming he can not stay in corporeal form for long and that he needs Crusher's help -- he wants her to light the candle. Ronin confirms that he lives in the candle, that he weakens if he is away from it for too long. That is why the women in Crusher's family have kept it lit. The candle is on the ship, so as Crusher returns to get it, Ronin follows her, traveling along the power transfer beam in his natural form. In her quarters back on the Enterprise, Crusher lights the candle, and Ronin appears again. He promises her they will be together as one, as it has been for the Howard women before her. He then transforms into his anaphasic state and merges with Crusher. A distraught Picard walks in to the transporter room, where Crusher is getting ready to transport to the surface. He is holding a PADD displaying Crusher's resignation from Starfleet and demands an explanation. Crusher, who is all too anxious to get out of there, states that her intentions are to stay at the colony to be a healer like her grandmother and thus upholding the family tradition. As she has resigned from Starfleet, Picard is forced to let her go. Picard and Troi discuss what has happened in his ready room. She tells him that the attraction between Crusher and Ronin is intense and intimate, and that the counselor warned her that the relationship was very sudden but that Crusher did not want to discuss it. Yet Troi sensed there was something Crusher was not telling her. Picard characterizes this decision as sudden and ill-considered, and that it is not at all like Crusher to behave like this. Data enters and informs the captain that he and La Forge have detected an energy residual that matches the anaphasic signature found on Quint's body. It is coming from the colony's cemetery. Picard orders Data to go there and find the source. As Data and La Forge scan the cemetery with their tricorders, they discover that the energy readings are concentrated at Felisa Howard's burial site. At the Howard house, Ronin tells Crusher that they will be completely merged soon and will become one. There is a knocking on the door; when Crusher does not react, Picard opens it by himself. He startles her, apologizes and say he would like to meet Ronin. Crusher tells him Ronin is not there. He asks her if she has changed the color of her eyes. He tells her that he preferred the color they used to be. Crusher becomes agitated and makes it clear to him that she is not going to change her mind, and asks Picard to leave. He says that he won't as he understands that something is wrong. He points out the fact that no-one but Crusher has even seen Ronin, so Ronin reveals himself to Picard, by coming down the stairs. Picard starts questioning him, asking where he is from and how long he has been on Caldos. Ronin avoids the questions and tells Picard all that matters is that he and Crusher will be together for the rest of their lives. Data and La Forge hail Picard over the combadge and tell him of their findings at the cemetery. They request permission to exhume the body, but Ronin protests and urges Picard not to desecrate Felisa's grave. Picard orders Data to ask the governor's permission to exhume the body. Ronin threatens to go to the governor himself. Picard challenges him to do it, believing that the governor won't know who Ronin is and will have the same questions for him as Picard has. Picard continues to ask Ronin questions he can not answer until he turns in to his natural form and attacks Picard who is struck unconscious. Crusher takes out her medkit and starts to treat the captain. Ronin urges her to stop the exhumation, but she fears Picard will die if she leaves him. Ronin leaves for the cemetery and as Picard comes to he urges Crusher to go after him. At the cemetery, La Forge and Data have the Enterprise transport the coffin out of the grave, where they lift off the lid and scan Felisa Howard's peaceful body. Data determines that there is anaphasic energy in her body and that it has extended to the cellular level. La Forge is surprised at this as Felisa was nowhere the weather station and in fact died of natural causes. All of a sudden, the dead woman sits up in her coffin, her eyes glowing green. She strikes Data and La Forge to the ground in the same manner as Ronin attacked Picard, green bolts shooting through their bodies. As her friends fall to the ground, Crusher screams "no!" across the cemetery. Ronin, in her grandmother's body, asks her to trust him. Crusher, holding the candle in her hand, scream at him to leave her grandmother's body. And so he does, materializing again as the young man who has followed the Howard women through generations. He asks for her forgiveness, as he was only trying to make sure they could be together. But she can see through his game now, realizing that she has been infused with the same energy that killed Quint. Now she understands what he is, not a ghost but an anaphasic lifeform that's been using her grandmother as a host in order to maintain molecular cohesion. She's scanned the candle and it turned out to be plasma based, used only as a receptacle in order to merge with Crusher, her grandmother, and those who came before them. Ronin defends himself, claiming he loved his hosts and that they loved him. He asks her to give him the candle and as she refuses, La Forge is treated to another energy charge. Ronin threatens to kill him if she doesn't comply. Reluctantly, Crusher sets the candle down on the ground between them. Quickly, she grabs La Forge's phaser out of its holster and shoots the candle, destroying it, and then hails Riker and tells him to close off all the plasma conduits at the weather control stations. With no where left for him to go, Ronin says he has one last place: her. Ignoring her demands to keep away, Crusher fires at him, which weakens him. As Ronin throws himself at her in one final attempt to take her as his host, Crusher fires the phaser at him and the anaphasic lifeform is vaporized. Overwhelmed with grief over the fact she "killed" her lover, she drops the phaser and falls to her knees, crying. Back on the Enterprise, Data and La Forge have recovered from their ordeal. Doctor Crusher is talking to Troi about the events of the last few days. Now she understands that Ronin had somehow found one of her ancestors, a woman who had a biochemistry that made her compatible as a host. Although relieved that she escaped the "family tradition", a part of her is sad. As she re-read the entries from her grandmother's diary, she realized that whatever else Ronin had done, he made Felisa very happy. 
<EOS>
Counselor Troi and Commander Riker are discussing crew evaluations in Ten Forward, much to the dismay of Ensign Sam Lavelle, who is watching them from across the room with his friends Ensigns Sito Jaxa, Taurik, and Nurse Alyssa Ogawa. This concern deepens when another friend of theirs, waiter Ben, tells them that Lavelle and Sito are apparently up for the same position: ops night duty officer, as well as the promotion to Lieutenant that comes with it. The crew performs a battle drill, with Lavelle and Sito on the bridge at conn and tactical, respectively, and with Taurik assisting Lieutenant Commander La Forge in engineering. Afterward, Riker offers advice to Sito on improving her performance, but snaps at Lavelle for acknowledging with more than one "aye." Captain Picard enters the bridge from his ready room and orders a change of course to the Argaya system, near Cardassian space at maximum warp. When the senior officers are in the observation lounge discussing the new orders, Sito is asked to fill in at ops. This indicates to Lavelle that his chances for promotion to the position are slim but Sito tries to assure him by suggesting Riker might feel she needs more practice than he. In engineering, Taurik enthusiastically shares some new ideas in warp field configuration with a somewhat annoyed La Forge who is intrigued but still slightly irritated by the Vulcan's forthright nature. In sickbay, Doctor Crusher tells Nurse Ogawa that she is promoting her to lieutenant. Ogawa shares her fears about her relationship with Lieutenant Powell but Crusher thinks she's overreacting. Later in Ten Forward, Sito is surprised and encouraged to find out from Lieutenant Worf that he recommended her for the ops position. Meanwhile, Lavelle laments the fact that, apparently, Riker does not like him. Ben, who is friends with Riker, tells him that Riker likes poker, jazz and he is Canadian. Lavelle tries to strike up a conversation with the first officer about this while Riker sits at the bar. Unfortunately, Riker is actually from Alaska and an embarrassed Lavelle jokingly states that they both get a lot of snow before making a haste departure. Close to the Cardassian border, the USS Enterprise-D is searching in vain for an escape pod. Finally, it is located in Cardassian space, outside of normal transporter range. With some adjustments from La Forge and Taurik, the pod's occupant is beamed to sickbay. Due to the sensitive nature of this person's identity, Crusher orders Ogawa to leave. Ogawa finds Sito standing outside with orders not to allow anyone other than senior officers to enter. Captain Picard then arrives, and after doing a double-take when he sees who is standing guard, enters. After seeing the mysterious visitor, Picard has Sito join him in his ready room and tells her that he doesn't believe she is ready for the Ops position, reminding her of her record with the disgraced Nova Squadron while at Starfleet Academy and how she participated in an attempt at a forbidden stunt which resulted in the death of a fellow cadet as well as the cover-up which impeded the ensuing investigation and asks what does that say about the kind of person she is. Sito tells him that she now understands how she was wrong to try and cover up the truth, and since then her record has been spotless. She also details how difficult her time at he Academy had been afterwards, as she didn't have any friends and none of the other cadets were willing to fly with her again. Picard isn't the least bit interested that she didn't enjoy the Academy, and sternly tells Sito that she should have been expelled as far as he's concerned and he doesn't know how she ended up on his ship before curtly dismissing her. Severely chastened, Sito leaves without another word. In the shuttlebay, Taurik and La Forge are intentionally damaging the Type 6 shuttlecraft Curie with a phaser rifle. Taurik is puzzled but La Forge offers no credible explanation as to why they are doing this. Taurik, remarking on his pattern of phaser fire, says that it would be consistent if the shuttle were under attack and had engaged evasive maneuvers. La Forge tells him it is an "amazing coincidence." Ogawa is asked by Crusher to assist her with emergency surgery on the visitor and is ordered not to reveal the patient's identity to anyone else. Ogawa is shocked to find the patient is in fact a Cardassian. Later, the junior officers are playing poker and speculating on who was in the escape pod. Ogawa is quiet about what she knows. They encourage Sito, after hearing of her encounter with the Captain. Lavelle still laments Riker's seeming dislike for him, but Sito tells him that it doesn't matter if Riker likes him as long as he respects him which he must do. Lavelle feels better, and decides to stop trying so hard. Taurik is also concerned that his suggestions have put off La Forge. Meanwhile, Ben, who is also at the poker table, cleans out his preoccupied Starfleet friends until one by one they decide to turn in. The senior officers are also playing poker. Crusher notes that she saw Lieutenant Powell with another woman in Ten Forward. Troi tells her Powell should inform Ogawa, saying that it may hurt her initially but will be better for her in the long run. Also, Worf and Riker debate who to promote, Sito or Lavelle. Riker thinks Sito is too inexperienced, but Worf gives her his full confidence. Riker agrees to keep her in consideration, especially as he thinks Lavelle too eager to please. Troi points out that he and Lavelle are very much alike, and reminds him how during his time on the USS Potemkin, he took up poker so he could join in the officers game. Riker decides not to be so hard on the young officer in the future. As the games break up, La Forge invites Taurik to engineering to try out his engine improvements. Moments later, Ben comes by, hoping to press his luck by engaging the remaining senior officers in a few more hands. After his next mok'bara class, Worf singles out Sito and tells her she must pass a gik'tal challenge to move into his advanced class. He has her put on a blindfold and spar with him. But after being knocked down several times, she removes the blindfold and refuses to continue with the test. He praises her for standing up to the unfair treatment and hopes she will do so when it happens again. The gik'tal was, of course, invented by Worf, in order to test (and encourage) Sito's ability to stand up for herself when she is being unfairly attacked. Sito takes Worf's advice and confronts Picard about his comments on her academy days. She asks him to judge her on her performance on the Enterprise, not her past mistakes. Picard is pleased. In actuality, he was the one who requested that Sito be assigned to the Enterprise as he wanted her to have a proper chance to redeem herself. In fact, he had only been testing her mettle for an important and dangerous assignment. In sickbay, Ogawa announces her engagement to Lieutenant Powell to a relieved Doctor Crusher. Sito joins Picard, Riker, and Worf in the observation lounge. With them is Joret Dal, a Cardassian military officer and a Federation operative. He was the occupant of the escape pod. Now Starfleet must get him safely back to Cardassian space. His return would be easier if he had a prisoner, allowing him to pose as a bounty hunter. As a Bajoran, Sito is a perfect candidate but Picard, knowing the extreme danger of the assignment, cannot bring himself to order her to do it. Sito volunteers, fully aware of how the Cardassians treat their prisoners. After she leaves, Dal expresses his regret that she is so young. The Enterprise officers share this regret. The shuttle Curie, that La Forge and Taurik damaged with phasers, will carry the two to Cardassian space, where, after passing through the border patrols, Dal will return Sito to the Federation in an escape pod. Sito says goodbye to Worf as she boards, with fake bruises provided by Crusher. Sito wonders why Dal does what he does for Starfleet and he tells her that he is sick of the pointless fighting his people engage in, brought about by ambitious Guls trying to make a name for themselves in combat. He believes what he does is worth it if it will bring peace to Cardassia. Sito is surprised to hear such a sentiment from a Cardassian. Their sensors alert them that a Cardassian border patrol has spotted them. On the Enterprise, Lavelle is worried about his friend Sito's absence. He realizes Taurik and Ogawa know something, and is upset when they won't speak of it. Taurik reminds him that they are Starfleet officers, and Ogawa says that she isn't allowed to talk about it. Lavelle then drops it. Later, on duty on the bridge, Lavelle has just finished a long-range scan, and does not find any escape pod. Riker tells them to narrow the scan field. Lavelle says that it would help if he knew what kind of life signs to look for. He is told to scan for a Bajoran life sign. Lavelle wanted to know if he was looking for his friend. Riker senses his distress. Only after launching a probe do they detect something: debris just inside Cardassian space consistent with that of a Starfleet escape pod. Picard makes a note in his log that they have intercepted a Cardassian communication indicating that a Bajoran prisoner was killed in her pod while trying to escape. He then makes a ship wide announcement where he confirms Sito has been lost in the line of duty, describing her as an outstanding Starfleet officer who showed great courage, as well as strength of character and noting that he knows that her death will be deeply felt by everyone who knew her (with Picard himself saddened by her loss). Sito's friends are seen reacting to the news with shock and upset. Afterward, Ogawa and Taurik are sitting with Lavelle in Ten Forward, where Lavelle is regarding the rank pin for the promotion he has just received to lieutenant junior grade. He feels guilty about the promotion, wondering if he received it because Sito was killed. Ogawa and Taurik tell him that the best way to honor her memory is to excel in his new position. Ogawa attaches the pin to Lavelle's collar. At the same time, Worf is also in Ten Forward remembering Sito. Ben sees him sitting alone, and encourages him to join the other group. Worf doesn't think it is appropriate as he was her commanding officer while the others were her friends. Ben tells Worf that Sito considered him a friend, and Worf decides to join the junior officers as they remember her. 
<EOS>
Dr. Beverly Crusher is in charge of the night shift on the USS Enterprise-D. Counselor Deanna Troi arrives on the ship after having attended a class reunion at Starbase 231. A conversation ensues between Crusher and Troi on the bridge in which the main subject is Crusher's past decision to apply for the rank of commander, a rank which she does not need for the post of chief medical officer. Lieutenant Commander Data is commonly in charge of the night shift, but he is out on an away mission. A deep space probe containing radioactive material has crashed on a planet, Barkon IV, hosting a preindustrial civilization. Due to Data's android nature, he is the one best suited for the mission. He is hailed by the Enterprise's bridge by Ensign Rainer, but no response is received by them. Dr. Crusher is not overly concerned, as the radioactive nature of the fragments Data is supposed to collect on the planet are expected to disturb any received and sent messages, as Geordi La Forge had warned. Crusher says that Data can wait for a few days before being picked up by the Enterprise as the ship has to rendezvous with the USS Lexington to deliver medical supplies to the Taranko colony. In a village on Barkon IV, two Barkonians, a middle-aged man Garvin and his young daughter, Gia, are talking. They are interrupted when Data walks in, his appearance suggesting that he has been through some rough experiences; his hair is tousled and his uniform is dirty and ripped in places. He stops when he sees them, but is only able to emit non-vocal sounds. Garvin tells his daughter to go home and tries to talk to Data, but he at first can only repeat what Garvin has said. It is a slow process talking to him, but Data eventually recovers enough to state that he can explain he has no idea who he is. His only memory is that he walked to the village from the mountains outside it, which Garvin remarks is very far away, over 200 seltons. Garvin sees that Gia only hid behind a wooden wheel and again makes her leave for school. She is not afraid of Data. Garvin points to the box Data is carrying, asking what it is. Data is not sure, and hands him the box, the weight of which surprises Garvin. Garvin asks what the writings on it mean, and Data immediately replies "Radioactive", though he cannot say what the word means, and suggests that it is his name. Garvin opens the box in the hopes of finding some clues as to Data's identity, but finds only several hunks of silver metal, one of which he holds in his bare hands and examines closely. It is obviously harmful, but neither of them know it. On the Enterprise, Troi asks Commander Riker in his quarters if she is allowed to take the Bridge Officer's Test. Riker wonders why, and is told that she has considered it off and on for over two years, but was motivated by her class reunion, as well as being in charge of the bridge when the Enterprise-D struck a quantum filament two years before. Riker says she has his full support, though he will be involved in evaluating her. She is allowed to take the test and does so at the holodeck. Garvin and his daughter take care of Data because of his amnesia. Because they do not know his name, they call him Jayden, after initially having suggested that his name might be "Radioactive" since it was written on the case. Talur, a scientist and doctor, takes a look at Data and proclaims that he is not ill despite the amnesia, and that his pale appearance is because he is an Ice-man, a humanoid native to the mountains outside the village. Data is dressed in Garvin's old clothes and taken to the village's blacksmith, Skoran. Skoran shows interest in the metal fragments Data had collected and offers to buy half of them. There is also an incident at Skoran's and an anvil falls on a man's leg after the support gives way due to rotting wood. The villagers cannot lift it, but Data does so with ease, shocking everyone. At dinner, Talur posits that Data's strength is something he shares with all Icemen from the Vellorian Mountains, that they have to use their strength to fight off the wild beasts that roam the mountains. Data pushes that claim, saying she also said no one has ever seen one of these creatures. Then, Garvin finds himself feeling tired; Talur tells him to take a walk and get some fresh air to feel better. When he's gone, Gia notes that Data didn't eat, asking if the food was not to his liking, which Data denies, commenting that he simply didn't have an appetite. Gia comments that her father's cooking isn't as good as her mother's, revealing she has died. She tells Data that her father says she went to a place where no one gets hurt or sick, and asks Data if he thinks a place like that truly exists. Data looks out the window towards the stars and states that he is certain it does. In engineering on the Enterprise, Geordi La Forge and Worf are the senior officers in Troi's test simulation, where the insulation of the antimatter storage pod chambers is breaking down. Troi has to make fast decisions, but fails to stop the inevitable warp core breach. Riker tells her that all parts of the test went well for her, except for that last and most important part of it, resulting in Troi failing the whole test. Troi asks what part she failed, but Riker says he cannot tell her; not knowing is part of the test. On Barkon IV, Data follows Gia to Talur's school. Talur teaches the Barkonian children about the elements: sky, fire, rock, and water. She says that wood is combustible as it contains fire and, when exposed to a flame, the fire within the element comes to life. When the fire is put out, air is released as smoke. Data is not convinced that this philosophy is correct. He voices his opinion that he knows fire is not an element, and that wood is composed of many different chemical compounds of which none is fire. Talur shakes Data's words off, telling the children that his amnesia makes his reasoning unreliable. After Talur and the other students leave, Gia asks Data if he thinks Talur is correct. Data responds that, despite his amnesia, he is convinced that fire is not an element. Just then, they overhear Garvin arguing with Skoran about the price of the metal that changed hands. Skoran is trying to cheapen the deal, blaming Garvin's memory. Suddenly, Garvin begins to feel weak and ill, and has to go home. Talur examines him, but does not know how to handle Garvin's symptoms, involving hair loss and third-degree burns all over his body. She gives Gia some herbs, and hopes that they will help Garvin to recover. Data is not satisfied with the treatment Talur suggested, so he starts to investigate Garvin's illness more closely. He and Gia go to the market to get supplies to make equipment for his investigation, and there are confronted by Skoran and several others. They blame Data for bringing a sickness to the village, leading Data to realize that Garvin's sickness has spread. The townsfolk angrily tell Data to leave the village as he and Gia leave the market quickly. Data constructs the equipment he needs, including a five-hundred power magnifying glass and a Geiger counter. He studies cell samples from both Garvin and Gia, who also has started to show symptoms of radiation sickness. Talur comes with suggestions, that maybe Data is the one to have brought the sickness to the village, but it is only after Data has examined a pendant of Gia's more closely that he comes up with the cause for the villagers' sudden illness. The pendant was made by Skoran from the radioactive metal, and a large piece of the metal is the pendant itself. This also explains why the blacksmith has fallen ill as well. On board the Enterprise, Troi is intensely studying the ship's technical specifications when Riker enters her quarters. He tells her that she has failed the Bridge Officer's Test three times, and that she cannot take it again. She protests and says that she will take it as many times as she has to in order to pass it. She tells him there's more to being a bridge officer than studying technical manuals. Riker tells her that she shall not take the test again, that she does not possess the qualities expected from an officer on the bridge. He also says that no matter how much he likes her, his first duty is toward the ship. His last words before his exit make Troi think, and she rushes to the holodeck. After having entered the holodeck, Troi starts the test's simulation again. She is in engineering, and the antimatter is about to leak out of its container. She asks La Forge if he can repair the damaged parts from inside a crawl way. The Worf hologram explains that La Forge will not survive the radiation within, but Troi, well aware of this, orders the holographic La Forge to repair the damage anyway. As an anguished Troi watches him enter the crawl way, Riker, having known she would not give up so easily, enters and congratulates her on passing the test. She immediately deduces that the point of the test was to see if she could order someone to their death, which Riker confirms. Having known this was part of being in command, but having still hesitated when the time came, Troi admits that he may have been right about her being ill-suited for the job—to which Riker counters that she passed with flying colors; she had tried every possible solution she could think of, and when nothing else worked, she made the painful but necessary decision required to save the ship and has therefore earned her promotion to Commander. On Barkon IV, Data places the metal before the indicator of radioactivity, and discovers that the metal is the cause of the sickness. The indicator consists of a wooden frame and a linen cloth. The cloth has been treated with a liquid Data took from a lamp in Garvin's house. When exposed to a candle, the cloth illuminates, and when the metal is present, the cloth is illuminated by green dots scattered over the surface. This tells Data that the metal emits invisible particles, which however can be blocked by the box he brought to the village. He tells Talur to collect all of the metal fragments in the box, while he tries to find a cure. Skoran enters the house later, together with another villager. They attack Data and tear off a piece of skin from his head, exposing his internal circuits and flashing lights. The two villagers become scared and ask him what he is, but Data cannot answer the question due to his amnesia. The villagers retreat, scared, and Data is left in a confused state. Data has come up with a cure to the radiation sickness. He gives it to Gia, telling her that it worked on her father's cellular samples and that her father is recovering. Data says that he has to give it to the entire village, but that they never will trust him due to his exposed android nature. Gia offers to help, but is told that she will not be trusted either. As the village's well is the only water source, since the nearest river is two days away, Data decides to pour the cure into it. At night, Data exits Garvin's house and reaches the well. As he is about to pour the cure into the water, the villagers appear. They say that it was Data who made them sick, that he brought the plague to their village. Data pours the cure into the water, but is then stabbed in the back by Skoran with a long pole. The blacksmith is shocked with electricity and Data collapses onto the ground, the pole going through his torso. Sometime later, Gia stands before a tombstone with Barkonian letters. Cosmetically altered to appear Barkonian and dressed up in the local style of clothes, Crusher and Riker approach her, asking her if she has seen a friend of theirs, pale with yellow eyes. Gia nods and speaks about Jayden in past tense. Crusher wonders why, and is told that Data is dead, and that the tombstone is his. Gia says that she did not know his name, so they called him Jayden, and wonders what his real name was. Gia also says that Data was killed because he was different and the villagers were scared of him, despite his efforts to cure them of the sickness the strange metal fragments caused. Riker wonders where the fragments are and is told that they are buried in the woods. After Gia has left, Riker suggests that Data can be beamed up from his resting place directly onto the ship, together with the metal fragments. In the Enterprise's sickbay, Data is repaired and put on-line again. Captain Picard asks him if he remembers what happened, and Data says that he was recovering the information from the probe when he was shocked by it. He suggests that it overloaded his positronic net and that, as a result, he has no memory from that moment on. He says, though, that his clothes suggest that he had been through quite an adventure. Troi also tells Data that she will be his superior officer from that moment forward, as she was promoted during Data's absence. 
<EOS>
Counselor Deanna Troi is attending Mrs. Narsu's class in classroom 7 and helping the students convey their feelings in their sculptures. Data is also attending this class, and creates a nearly exact sculpture of a PADD. Deanna tells him that he needs to work on his imagination, and as an exercise, suggests he sculpt music. Data is at first confused and points out that music is a collection of acoustic vibrations, but Troi encourages him to sculpt an image that reminds him of music. Data proceeds to form the clay into a treble clef, and Troi says they'll work on it further. First Officer Commander Riker contacts him and tells him to report to the bridge. The USS Enterprise-D is traveling through sector 1156 when they encounter a rogue comet which is not on any of the Federation starcharts. It appears to have originated from the D'Arsay system, over two sectors away, and it seems to have been traveling for more than 87 million years. Captain Picard orders Data to begin a full sensor analysis and to send along his findings to the Federation Astrophysical survey. While scanning the comet the bridge is illuminated with a strange, bright, ambient light which gradually fades away. Data says it appeared to be a sensor echo caused by a distortion in the comet's inner core. In Troi's quarters, Beverly Crusher sees a strange object. When she asks what it is, Troi tells her she's never seen this object before, and its style makes it unlikely to be a gift from Riker. When Crusher and Troi leave the room to attend Lieutenant Worf's mok'bara class, a strange symbol appears on the object. At the next sculpture class, Data creates a mask. He tells Counselor Troi he used his imagination and for some reason the image of the mask appeared prominently in his mind. Troi then asks if he was in her room, since the symbol on his mask resembles the image on the object that appeared in her room. Their conversation is interrupted by Eric, who asks them if they can do something about his terminal because it is not functioning properly. Strange symbols are moving around on the screen. In engineering, Data, Commander Riker and Geordi La Forge begin to investigate the strange symbols which are not listed anywhere in the Federation linguistics database. La Forge has found that the symbols were downloaded into the Enterprise computer core via the sensor array and replicator systems, and are reconfiguring their systems. Riker wonders if it had something to do with the intense sensor echo earlier; La Forge tells him that they still don't know what caused the echo. Riker thinks of using the phasers to melt the comet's outer layers. La Forge wants to consult Data about this, but finds him examining the symbols. Unaccountably, Data has found himself able to read them, and does so aloud as they float around the screen; boundary, border, road, companion, message, messenger, and death (which is the prominent sun symbol). Using a widespread phaser beam, Lieutenant Worf evaporates the comet's outer layers, revealing a mysterious structure, obviously not a comet. A scan reveals that it's over 87 million years old and composed of fortanium and several unknown materials. This object is definitely responsible for the symbols, having used their sensor beam as a carrier wave to transmit information into the Enterprise's replicators and computer systems. Data thinks it is an informational archive. La Forge has noticed a repetitive node configuration, confirming that it could indeed be a database but cannot make an absolute determination. Data thinks he might be in contact with the object and requests a level 1 diagnostic be conducted of his positronic net. In his ready room, Picard is investigating several artifacts when Riker tells him that they have confined the system corruption but the alien symbols are still in their computer systems. Riker dismisses the artifacts as primitive, serving no useful purpose. Picard thinks they are ceremonial in nature, and are deceptively primitive since the structure on the comet was obviously made by an advanced technological society, and seems to be much more than a simple library. Riker recognizes the sunburst symbol on the object Picard has; he's seen it on several other alien objects. Picard tells him he's seen another small, U-shaped symbol all over the ship; less prominently displayed, it tends to show up in the background or off to the side. With La Forge's help, Data is performing a level 1 diagnostic of his positronic net when he experiences a mysterious impulse. He asks La Forge what it feels like when a person is losing their mind. When Data cannot explain what is going on but only says "I am different," La Forge disconnects him from the main computer and checks his positronic net, discovering strange connections. When Data turns his head to La Forge, he has acquired a sunburst symbol on his forehead. In a light, mocking voice, he says "Masaka is waking!" When Picard enters engineering, Data tells him that he has been waiting for him. "You should feel honored -- I don't usually wait for anyone." Picard asks what he wants and Data answers in the same teasing voice, "Masaka is waking." Picard then asks if he is Masaka; Data replies that he is Ihat and that Commander Data is gone. "Who can say where?" Picard calls for Counselor Troi to report to main engineering immediately and asks Ihat where he came from. Ihat tells him that he comes from Masaka City and that there are no others like him. Sashaying around the room, he displays somewhat effeminate mannerisms (or Ihat is a woman). Picard asks Ihat if he can get to know Masaka and speak with her. Ihat advises him to leave this place before Masaka finds them. When Troi enters engineering, Ihat thinks that she is Masaka. His body language and manner change completely, and he is now seen to be wearing a second, rectangular symbol on the front of his uniform; kneeling, he tells her with hushed reverence "I am yours." Picard decides to confine Data to his quarters. During a briefing, La Forge tells of at least fourteen behaviorial nodes that he found in Data's positronic net and that he believes the archive is using Data to create different people and the transformation is still ongoing. Troi tells him that Data's "real personality" is completely buried and that he has "the android equivalent of multiple personalities". La Forge adds that because the transformation is still in process there is no way of telling how many people will emerge. Picard asks La Forge to find a way to access the archive, while he tries to learn more from the people who are using Data's body. Picard visits Data in his quarters; the devotee who loves Masaka is still present. Picard asks if he can speak to Ihat. Ihat comes forward and explains that Masaka is a queen who spends most of her time sleeping and it is better not to wake her. Picard suggests keeping her asleep, but Ihat says only Korgano can do that. When Picard asks where he can find Korgano, Ihat steps back and another person comes forward; a terrified child who pleads for help. The archive activates a tractor beam which sends an energy pulse that overrides the Enterprise's control systems. At the same time, Ten Forward reports an emergency which Worf investigates. In Data's quarters Ihat comes back, and tells Picard that Masaka is awake. When Worf and his security team arrive in Ten Forward, they are surprised to discover multiple and large artifacts taking up most of the space. La Forge, Troi and Picard are investigating the artifacts' inscriptions. Troi sees the sun symbol they found earlier. Picard now recognizes this as representing Masaka; then he sees the small U-shaped symbol on the back of the artifact, like he found earlier, but no reasonable explanation, yet. La Forge has finished his scan and tells Picard that the artifacts were not beamed to the Enterprise, rather, the matter in Ten Forward was transformed to form the artifacts. Bit by bit, the Enterprise itself is being transformed. Worf informs them that part of deck 12 is now an aqueduct. Picard believes there is no alternative other then to destroy the archive, but the weapons control system is not functioning. Worf tells him they can re-configure a photon torpedo for a manual launch. La Forge and Worf are busy reconfiguring the torpedo in a darkened engineering when the power system stops working. When La Forge opens the torpedo he sees multiple snakes. At the same time, part of main engineering is transformed and fire blocks their way out. Worf and La Forge are forced to leave by beaming out. On the bridge, the operations station has been transformed into a stone slab. Riker exits the observation lounge and recommends holding briefings on the bridge as the lounge has been transformed into a swamp. La Forge establishes that the archive has transformed 20% of the ship. Doctor Beverly Crusher tells them that the archive can reorder and transform molecular structures into anything it wants -- that's how the alien plant life and artifacts are made. If this goes on, the entire Enterprise will be transformed into an alien city. La Forge tells him that he has managed to access the archive via the same energy beam. All he needs to do now is locate and access the transformation program. Picard thinks that the answer to doing that lies with Masaka. Picard visits Data again; now an elderly man is at front, saying that Masaka is his daughter. Picard inquires about Masaka, asking how he can speak with her. The old man tells Picard that only Korgano can talk to Masaka. Ihat returns, and tells Picard that he must build Masaka's temple to talk to her, and to do that he must use a specific sign. He says that Masaka will be able to track him down if he discloses the sign, and asks that Picard take his place when Masaka seeks to destroy him. Picard gives his word; Ihat begins to show the sign for Masaka, but says "She has found me!" Picard says he will go in Ihat's place, but Ihat is pulled away and replaced by the elderly man. Picard convinces the old man to tell him the sign; "A line as the unending horizon, a curve as the rolling hillside, a point as a distant bird, a ray as the rising sun." The child then reappears and says that he is alone, that Masaka sent the others away; "it will take them days to die." Back on the bridge (where all the free-standing stations and chairs have been transformed into stone and vines), La Forge locates the transformation program, but is concerned that with the way things have been proceeding, the Enterprise will turn into "a big chunk of rock" when they enter in and use the symbol. La Forge, Troi and Worf are together with Picard in a corridor when he asks Riker to enter the symbol Ihat gave him into the transformation program. Once entered, the entire deck transforms into Masaka's temple, where Troi finds the sun and U-shaped symbols together, unlike the other artifacts where those symbols are separated from each other. Picard speculates that those symbols are counterparts and asks Troi and Worf to look for more of the U-shaped symbols. Meanwhile, Data is seen sitting against a wall in his quarters with his eyes closed. When the temple appears, his eyes open, and he slowly gets up and walks over to a shelf. He takes the mask that he made earlier off of the shelf and puts it on. After this, he exits his quarters, effortlessly incapacitating the two guards outside his door. In the temple, Troi has found the most prominent U-shaped symbol; here, it is bigger than the sun symbol. Picard thinks that their relationship is like the sun and the moon, Masaka and Korgano switching positions being similar to the sun setting and the moon rising. Because Ihat and the others seemed not to be frightened by Korgano, Picard wants to find Korgano and see if he can force Masaka to leave. Suddenly the temple shakes and when they look up, they see Data, embodying Masaka and wearing the sun-mask. When Picard introduces himself, Masaka tells him to go away. La Forge has found Korgano's moon symbol in the archive and Picard tells him to enter the symbol into the transformation program; it causes a mask to appear. Despite the warnings from the others that they know very little about Korgano or the mythology, Picard thinks that the alien culture is based on symbolism so he wants to wear the mask and pose as Korgano. When Picard enters the temple wearing the mask, Masaka recognizes him as Korgano. Masaka thought she was alone and did not have to share the sky with anyone. Picard, in Korgano's guise, tells her that without him she is not complete, that she lives for the chase like himself and that she is beginning to get tired because it is difficult to brighten the sky forever. Masaka says that she is getting sleepy and tells Korgano to begin the hunt again. At that moment Masaka falls asleep and the entire ship is transformed back to its original state. When Picard asks Data if he is all right, Data answers that he is not entirely certain what has exactly happened and wonders if he has been dreaming again. La Forge is able to disable the transformation program and Starfleet is dispatching an archaeological team to study the archive further. In the Captain's ready room, Picard holds Masaka's mask and asks Data why it is the only artifact that hasn't returned to its original state on the ship. Data replies that it was the original clay mask he made in class and not part of the collection of artifacts that were showing up. Picard tells Data that he may have been hosting up to a dozen different life forms, but Data says that he was actually hosting thousands of people and that without them, he feels empty, but relieved. Picard notes that while Data can not experience what it is like to be human, he has experienced something which has transcended the Human experience by having been an entire civilization. 
<EOS>
Riker and Worf race to the control room of the starboard nacelle tube when the plasma injectors won't shut down, threatening a loss of antimatter containment. When they arrive, they find Lieutenant Daniel Kwan on the catwalk about to jump into the plasma stream. Lieutenant Nara is at her station, unable to shut down the plasma flow and afraid to approach Kwan as she thinks he'll jump into the stream. Worf goes to try to circumvent the override Kwan placed on the injectors while Riker slowly moves towards him and tries to talk him down from the catwalk. Kwan oddly remarks about people laughing at him, and that he does not want to do what he is about to. Worf gets control back, but there is still plasma. Riker tries to get him to explain, but Kwan replies by saying, "I know what I have to do." Kwan then jumps into the plasma stream. After Kwan's suicide the ship's crew is shocked. Captain Picard states that in his time as a commanding officer, he's had to notify families of Starfleet personnel deaths, but never a suicide. Riker and Troi both have had positive experiences with him; they don't understand a reason he would kill himself. Picard puts Worf and Counselor Troi in charge of an investigation, in order to explain Kwan's death to his family and "try to help them make sense of this." Picard gives them the right to look at Kwan's personal logs. La Forge, in engineering, calls in to Picard on the damage. The USS Enterprise needs to get to Barson II, and they can exceed warp limitations to do so. La Forge cuts off the call and Data starts a conversation about suicide, wondering why any lifeform would do it. Hearing La Forge's guess that sometimes one's life is too hard to live, he relates to his own experiences in forming more and more complex pathways in his neural net. He considered simply shutting himself off to try again because it was becoming harder and harder to incorporate those pathways. He said he finally decided against it, considering it a challenge to overcome instead. After seeing his personal logs, Troi and Worf see no evidence of hardship in his life. That morning, he mentioned recently completed work as well as looking forward to seeing Ensign Maddy Calloway, his girlfriend, more. Calloway says that Kwan was pretty much happy and easygoing. She also says that Kwan didn't seem like the kind of person that would take his own life. Worf and Troi have already agreed that Kwan didn't seem the type to commit suicide. Troi decides that it is time to see nacelle control. She questions Nara, but she doesn't have any clues as to his state of mind. Troi examines his workstation, then climbs to the platform where he died. There she is overwhelmed by a strong empathic impression, almost going over the catwalk. After being examined in sickbay by Doctor Crusher, she is told to wait a few hours before returning to the nacelle tube, as she is detecting elevated psilosynine levels in the counselor. It is hard to see how Troi got an impression from an empty room. She decides to go back with Worf later. Meanwhile, the Enterprise has arrived at Starbase 328 and obtained the medical equipment they need to take to Barson II. Worf goes to Troi in her quarters to continue the discussion. She doesn't find anything more from Kwan's logs, so they talk about the possibility that she felt something from nothing. She relates hearing her grandfather's stories to her telepathically as a child and, Worf, his visions. At the same time, Worf, from his experience in the alternate realities where he was married to Troi, begins to think about starting a relationship with her. He politely leaves Troi and goes to Ten Forward, where Riker is having a drink with Lieutenant Corell. Worf indirectly asks the first officer if it would be alright for him to date someone he had been close to. Riker says that it wouldn't be his choice. Then, Worf asks if there is anyone who Riker prefer he not date on the ship. Riker laughs and says that Worf is beginning to sound like he's asking him if he can date his (Riker's) sister. Worf realizes he's becoming suspicious with the hints and leaves quickly. Later, Troi returns to the nacelle tube with Worf. This time, she has visions. First, a woman pleading for her life, then, a man staring intently. She can tell it is in the cell where the plasma stream is held. Suddenly, she finds that Worf is gone, and she is alone. The plasma stream is not active, now. In fact, there are construction lights since the ship is inactive. On the ground, a box is labeled with "Utopia Planitia." She calls out to Worf. Troi gets down the ladder and back to the door. She then interrupts a man and a woman kissing, then laughing at her when they notice her. She turns around and bumps into Worf, as now the room is back to normal. After the vision, Worf and Troi call the senior staff to the observation lounge to discuss. It's clear that she was seeing some kind of scene eight years ago through someone's eyes. Crusher assumes that because Kwan was half-Napean that he may have gotten the same vision as Troi. Since the Napeans are also telepathic it is a possibility. Troi doesn't recognize the couple, but may recognize the man who stared at her. Crusher also tells Troi that she may be able to give her an inhibitor in order to manage the emotions she was feeling during the experience. While waiting sixteen hours for the inhibitor to be synthesized by Dr. Crusher, Troi goes over the computer logs to see if anybody else aboard the Enterprise had worked with Kwan in at Utopia Planitia when nacelle control was under construction. In the logs she sees the man from her vision: Lieutenant Walter Pierce. Troi and Worf decide to question Pierce in engineering about if he remembers anything about Kwan or from during the building of the Enterprise. Pierce, however, doesn't tell Troi and Worf much of anything. Troi can't tell if Pierce is lying or what Pierce is really feeling, but thinks he is holding something back. Worf escorts Troi to her quarters as she remarks about how she couldn't read him. When gathering more logs seems to take some time, Worf says that maybe they should start earlier the next morning. Worf then says good night, but doesn't leave. Worf takes Deanna's hand, touching her hand to his face, then sniffing her hand. Worf then embraces Troi in a kiss, a long kiss. The next morning Worf is still in Troi's quarters, making breakfast. Crusher summons both of them to the sickbay, Troi for her inhibitor and Worf to supervise the transport of medical supplies to the cargo bay for Barson II. They walk in at different times, not revealing their relationship. However, Troi silently notices the way Worf acts toward Ensign Calloway as she leaves. Troi goes back to the control room with La Forge, Data and Lieutenant Nara. Troi notices a bulkhead that was previously open in her vision, and Nara mentions that Kwan was working there that morning. After La Forge removes it, he detects Human DNA. Troi gets another vision of the woman being attacked. La Forge's device reveals a skeleton. Back in sickbay, Ensign Calloway sequences the DNA sample and matches it to Starfleet records and finds Marla Finn. Troi confirms she was indeed the woman in her vision. Suspicious, she says that something doesn't match up and pulls up Lieutenant Kwan's record. She realizes that it could not have been Kwan's eyes she was seeing through as he wasn't posted to the Enterprise until about six months after Finn's death. It must have been either of the men in the vision. She realizes that it was Lieutenant Pierce's eyes she was seeing through when she sees her reflection in the computer panel. Troi finally understands that Pierce must somehow have telepathic abilities since she could not read his emotions before and because she also sees him in the visions. Troi and Worf head to ask Pierce some questions. On the way, Troi asks him if is sorry for having been with her, thinking about his behavior toward Calloway. Worf says no, he doesn't and asks what's wrong. With the inhibitor, Troi admits she isn't feeling herself. Worf decides to question him alone and she goes to her quarters. However, shortly after she arrives, Pierce shows up unannounced. Troi immediately calls for security, and security officers Kellogg and Garvey arrive. Confused, Pierce says that Worf told him to go to her. When she can't find Worf using the computer, Troi asks him where Worf is and Pierce says that he is with Ensign Calloway. Pierce is taken away while Troi goes and finds Worf and Ensign Calloway in a kissing embrace. The two start to laugh at her, just like in her earlier vision. She is outraged and responds by shooting Worf dead with a phaser. Distraught, she runs outside, running into Lieutenant Pierce on the way who tells her, "You know what you have to do." Compelled, she then runs to through the corridors to nacelle control. Alone, she gets to the nacelle tubes, walks up to the catwalk and stares into the plasma saying, "I know what I have to do" just like Kwan had done. Just as she is about to jump into the plasma, Worf grabs her by the shoulder, whereupon it is revealed that her uniform has changed. The preceding events were a hallucination going back to when she had the initial vision in the spot where Kwan committed suicide. The investigation ends with Troi telling Picard in the observation lounge that Kwan had been affected by some sort of telepathic leftover from Pierce's memories. It turns out that Pierce had found his girlfriend Marla Finn in an embrace with another man and killed them before throwing their bodies into the plasma stream to cover up any hint of murder, and then jumped in himself. The reason the account had seemed to be sent telepathically is because Pierce's maternal grandmother had been a Betazoid. Worf asks Troi why she seemed surprised to see him alive when he pulled her from her hallucination. Troi replies that in her version of the vision, Worf was killed. Worf asks her who had killed him, and Troi replies, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." 
<EOS>
In sickbay, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa removes spines from Commander Riker's back; an accident in the arboretum had resulted in a close encounter with a Cypirion cactus. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Barclay, having diagnosed himself with a lethal illness, goes to see Doctor Crusher -- who assures him that he in fact is not suffering from any lethal illness at all, but instead has a mild case of Urodelan flu. Humans typically exhibit a natural immunity to the flu, but since the T-cells that would normally fight off the infection are dormant, she activates that particular gene with a synthetic T-cell to let his body fight the infection naturally. Data soon arrives carrying his cat, Spot. The cat is here for a routine check on the progress of her pregnancy; she is expected to deliver before the end of the week. The talk of babies prompts Ogawa to reveal that she is herself pregnant with her husband's child, prompting congratulations from Crusher. On the bridge, Lieutenant Worf's new weapons guidance system is being put to the test. However, out of three torpedoes launched, only two hit their targets, while the third swerves off course. With the USS Enterprise-D unable to follow and disable the other torpedo due to a dense asteroid field ahead, Captain Picard and Data leave the ship to disarm the torpedo via a shuttlecraft. Before they leave, however, Data asks Barclay to watch over Spot. The cat might deliver before his return, and Barclay is one of the few people that Spot tolerates. As time passes on the Enterprise, several crewmembers start displaying strange behavior. After being ordered to take a break from checking the problems with the guidance system, Worf shows signs of becoming increasingly irritable and very hungry. Meanwhile, Counselor Troi finds the atmosphere too dry and cold, constantly changing around the ambient temperature and humidity levels and consuming large amounts of salty foods and water. That night, Worf's behavior degenerates further and becomes more primal: he rips up his bed and sleeps tensely on the floor. In engineering, Lieutenant Barclay shows his own strange behavior. He seems unusually energetic, speaking so rapidly that La Forge and Riker are having difficulty keeping up with him. Riker's inability to keep up with Barclay is compounded by his own problems; he is having trouble with his memory and higher thinking. On the bridge, Troi (currently on watch) keeps trying to raise the temperature, and Worf keeps turning it back down: complaining it is too hot. Troi finally leaves the bridge to take a bath in her quarters. A problem detected in engineering has Barclay and La Forge in the Jefferies tubes. Barclay finds and bypasses a ruptured plasma conduit. As he does, La Forge detects cholic acid around the hole in the bulkhead where the ruptured line was located. The bulkhead and conduit seems to have been dissolved by an organic solvent. But in contrast to Barclay's increasing hyperactivity, La Forge seems increasingly lethargic. Barclay suggests a biospectral analysis; La Forge agrees before deciding to take a break. The changes being experienced by the crew continue to progress. Riker finds himself unable to either remember the recent weapons testing or respond to a Starfleet request for a report on the matter. Troi sits in her bath tub, wearing her Starfleet uniform, trying to stay wet when Worf suddenly enters her quarters, approaches Troi, and bites her cheek. Both Troi and Worf are taken to sickbay, and Crusher quickly notices the changes. When Ogawa adds that more of the crew are experiencing symptoms, but while some are also finding the temperature too cold there are others who have developed fevers, leading Crusher to conclude that something is spreading around the ship. She then turns her attention to Worf who is completely unresponsive, and notices something else: he has swellings under his jaw that appear to be venom sacs. They prove to be just that as Worf suddenly sprays venom in Crusher's face, then flees sickbay before he can be captured. In the observation lounge, Ogawa reports that she got Crusher into stasis before she became paralyzed by the venom. She will require reconstructive surgery, but Ogawa believes she will be all right. However, there is still the problem of the mysterious illness affecting the crew. Barclay reports that the venom that affected Crusher has been found in other parts of the ship, including at the ruptured plasma conduit seen earlier. Riker admits to his inability to think straight; he can't think properly when La Forge (now serving as acting first officer) reports on having trouble locating Worf on sensors. He dismisses the senior staff and tries to send a subspace message to Starfleet concerning their problem, but finds himself unable to recall the codes required. Picard and Data are a little puzzled to not be able to locate the Enterprise. A quick search locates the ship, visibly adrift. Upon docking, they ascertain that the ship's power systems are down, environmental systems are configured strangely, and where there should be over a thousand humanoid lifeforms there seems to be a near-equal number of myriad creatures. Some of the characteristics are inconsistent with those of the known crew, such as casting off skin like a reptile. They come upon Troi's quarters and discover her in her bath tub, having somehow developed into an amphibian-like creature. It is their first clue that the crew is undergoing unusual changes. Seeking to stabilize the ship, they then go to the bridge, finding it in shambles, with a dead Ensign Dern at the conn (from what appears to be an animal attack), his spine fractured in three places; he had also been affected, but was killed before undergoing any significant changes. From the bridge, Data is able to note that the crew is still on board the ship but in a similar state to that of Troi. Many of them have been gravitating towards water (the aquatic lab) and plants (the arboretum). Picard is unable to restore power to the ship due to the entire power-transfer grid being damaged. Suddenly, they hear a noise coming from the ready room. There they discover Riker, now a brutish proto-Human, attacking the captain's aquarium (in which Livingston, the captain's lionfish, has also devolved into a jellyfish). Easter egg- Riker seems to wield around and flick off Picard. When he charges them, Data stuns Riker with his phaser. Based on what they've encountered so far, Data announces his hypothesis that the crew is de-evolving. Troi and Riker are taken to sickbay for further analysis. Data, after analyzing Riker's DNA, discovers that a synthetic T-cell has invaded his genetic codes and has begun to activate his latent introns, a result of Crusher's treatment of Barclay. He explains that introns are genetic codes which are normally dormant; they are sequences of DNA which provided key physical and behavioral characteristics millions of years ago, but are no longer necessary. Counselor Troi's gill-slits and other amphibious characteristics, for example, are derived from introns which contain amphibious codes. Because introns can include genetic material from many different species over millions of years of evolution, it is possible that a wide variety of transformations is occurring among the crew. Since all humanoid life has a similar genetic pattern, the virus will work similarly on all non-Human lifeforms as well, and they will each be de-evolving to earlier forms of life in their homeworlds. He informs Picard that he has also been infected by the intron virus, and is now slowly de-evolving into an earlier form of primate. Realizing that they do not have much time, they decide to act quickly. Since Data's computer in his quarters operates independently from the ship's computer and is probably still intact, they decide to go there in order to examine the situation further. Arriving at his quarters, Data notices that Spot, who has been expecting a litter of kittens, has finally given birth. A further search finds a reptile wearing her collar; they soon realize that the reptile is Spot and that the intron virus is capable of also affecting non-humanoids. Her kittens, however, do not seem to have been affected by the virus that has been plaguing the rest of the crew. Given that Spot's kittens are unaffected, Data and Picard conclude that the placental barriers and amniotic fluid that serve as a filtration system to protect the fetus in the placenta have probably prevented the intron virus from being passed on from Spot to her kittens. They decide that they probably can inhibit the intron virus by using the natural antibodies in Spot's amniotic fluid. However, in order for it to be effective on humanoid crewmembers, humanoid antibodies would be necessary. Recalling that Nurse Ogawa is expecting, they track her down to the arboretum. But before they can begin tracking her down, a failure in a warp plasma vent forces them to detour to main engineering so Data can program repairs. While checking on the warp core, Picard is frightened by the sudden appearance of Barclay, partially transformed into a spider. Data surmises that his terror at the sight (a result of the heightened sense of awareness found in small primates) is an initial symptom of Picard's de-evolution; they need to hurry. They locate Ogawa (who is apparently partially de-evolved into a proto-Human) and Data begins to analyze Ogawa's fetus, confirming that it is not affected by the virus. He says that he can use her amniotic fluid as a template for a retrovirus which in turn would neutralize the synthetic T-cell and re-establish the genetic patterns of each host. While working on finding a way to most quickly address the situation, something pounds on the sickbay door. Life sign scans show something big, armored, and Klingon; it is Worf. A transformed Worf tries to force his way into sickbay. He appears to be seeking something or someone particular. Picard notices that the bite Worf gave Troi was not to hurt her but rather seemed part of a mating process, and that it appears as if Worf had come back for her. The situation becomes increasingly dangerous as an ever angrier and aggressive Worf almost breaks through the door. Data and Picard cannot just abandon Troi and the others in sickbay, but at the same time, Data needs to continue with his analysis of the amniotic fluid. Picard, who is beginning to experience the effects of the virus himself, suggests distracting Worf and luring him away from sickbay. He suggests extracting pheromones from Troi's sebaceous glands to lure Worf away from sickbay so Data can continue his work and the others are safe. While Data continues work on the retrovirus, Picard leads Worf on a chase through the Enterprise's corridors until becoming cornered at the ruptured warp plasma conduit La Forge and Barclay had been repairing earlier. Picard improvises, sitting upon the insulated access panel and using the bypassed conduit to send electricity through the Jefferies tube, knocking out Worf. At that moment, Data reports that he has completed the retrovirus. It will make the introns in the crew dormant again; at Picard's consent, he floods the ship with a gaseous form of the new virus, turning the crew back to normal. In sickbay, Barclay nervously asks Dr. Crusher if all this was his fault. She states that actually it was her fault for having activated a dormant T-cell which, in turn, activated all dormant T-cells (including the introns). She suggests naming the virus after Barclay, calling it the Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome. Jokingly, she tells Troi that Barclay not only devolved into a spider, but also had a new disease named after him. Troi sighs, realizing that she better clear her calendar for the next few weeks. 
<EOS>
Wesley Crusher has returned from Starfleet Academy for a vacation. His mother shows him some quarters for his own, joking that they are as far as possible to hers, so that they don’t have to see each other. Geordi La Forge and Data show up to welcome Wesley, happy to see him. However, Wesley is not his usual jovial self. His mother notices and says they should let him settle in. When they leave, it's clear something is bothering him. Jean-Luc Picard is in the observation lounge preparing some special refreshments to receive Admiral Nechayev of Starfleet, including Earl Grey tea, watercress sandwiches and Bularian canapes. He tells Riker that he wants to make the Admiral feel welcome to the Enterprise, in order to relieve the tension there has been between them in the past. When the Admiral arrives, she immediately dismisses Riker, and starts talking straight about her point. Only after she realizes the special refreshments that Picard prepared for her, fitting her tastes, does she accept to sit and talk. Necheyev explains that the Federation has completed 3-year long negotiations on the Cardassian border, and shows Picard the new trace of the border. He notices how some Federation colonies become placed in Cardassian territory and vice-versa. The Admiral says these colonies will have to be relocated. Specifically, she tasks Picard to evacuate a colony of American Indians who settled on Dorvan V twenty years ago. Picard reminds her that these people were already forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands centuries ago. Then they left Earth 200 years ago in order to preserve their cultural identity, and it was not until twenty years ago when they finally found a planet to settle. Admiral says she is aware and raised objections unsuccessfully. She says those people were originally warned about their settlement and agreed to the risk. Ultimately, it is a reasonable price to pay for peace. Meanwhile, in engineering, La Forge calls the attention of Wesley, who was just walking by, to tell him about his new work involving plasmadyne relays. Initially uninterested, Welsey responds arrogantly, questioning whether the converter interface would hold up, and says that his work is obsolete. La Forge is confused and displeased by Wesley’s reaction, saying he does not understand what happened to him. Reminding him about acting like an officer, he gets a snappy response, and dismisses him, saying he does not need his help with that attitude. Picard and Deanna Troi are on Dorvan V, conducting the initial meeting with the Tribal Council. Picard tells the Native American leaders that there is very little he can do to change the situation, as the decision was made at the very highest level of Starfleet. Anthwara, the leader of the tribe on Dorvan V, resists Picard's attempt to convince them to relocate. Troi offers the suggestion of other available planets to colonize with similar environmental conditions, as well as their help in getting settled immediately. Anthwara responds saying that the environmental conditions themselves are not the basis of their location, but, rather, that the mountains the rivers and the sky welcomed them. Another member in the council, Wakasa, is obviously skeptical and says that Picard is "laughing" at Anthwara even though his face shows no sign of jest. Before any more misunderstandings occur, Troi suggests to adjourn the meeting and Picard invites the group to the Enterprise for a reception later that night. Meanwhile, in Wesley’s quarters, Dr. Crusher tries to talk to Wesley about his mood. She says that since he arrived he has been moody, sullen and rude, and that she does not understand what is happening to him. She tells him that the incident in engineering is inexcusable and that a fourth-year Starfleet cadet should have a certain level of maturity. Then Wesley loses his temper and shouts that he is sick of following rules and regulations, and sick of living up to everyone else’s expectations and abruptly leaves. Later that night, the Native American leaders attend the reception in Ten Forward. Anthwara and Picard talk about the tense situation concerning the people on Dorvan V. Anthwara talks about his ancestors and says that their spirits still guide him and his people, including his grandfather, Katowa, who was the first person to lead the tribe to Dorvan V over two hundred years ago. Anthwara says that there was opposition to the move, but when his grandfather made the decision, it was final. Anthwara changes the subject and asks Picard about his family, which Picard knows a great deal about. Picard then starts telling Anthwara about his family history. Shortly after, Wesley comes in and apologizes to his mother for being late and sits down. One of the Native Americans, Lakanta, approaches him. He tells Wesley that he knew that he would come to Dorvan V two years ago when he saw Wesley in a vision he had in the Habak, a colony meditation chamber for vision quests. Wesley says he doesn't understand, but Lakanta interjects that Wesley that he has come to them in order to find the answers he seeks. After the party, Beverly asks Picard for help with Wesley. She says his grades are dropping and that he is defensive with everyone. If he continues on that path, he will end up being dropped out of his Starfleet class, according to Admiral Brand. Picard thinks, though, that Wesley is not willing to get help from them, and that pushing him would only make him move further away. The next morning, Wesley is on the planet's surface to find Lakanta. He questions him about what he should do, but Lakanta just says he doesn't know. He then asks about the Habak. Lakanta asks Wesley what he thinks is sacred. Wesley responds that he "respects" a lot of things, but he's not sure he really thinks of anything as "sacred." Lakanta explains that everything is sacred to them -- the plants, the mountains, even the dirt beneath their feet. And here Wesley is also a sacred person, regardless of whether Wesley believes it. Lakanta says that Wesley needs to respect himself as sacred. Wesley, surprised by this remark, says that maybe he should try using the Habak. In the meantime, negotiations continue about the inhabitants on the planet. Picard is still bound by his orders and the treaty. Anthwara ignores this and simply states he knows Picard won't take them from the planet. Not believing in coincidences, he says that they didn't know initially why Picard specifically was sent to the planet until last night when Picard was telling him about his family's history. Anthwara says he has found the answer and asks if Picard knows about the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when the native tribes revolted against the Spanish when they tried to gain control of the land. Troi knew the incident, but Picard wasn't familiar. Ten years later, the Spanish came back, and brutally displaced the natives. He says one of the soldiers was Javier Maribona Picard, one of Picard's ancestors. Picard wasn't aware of the incident or the soldier, but doesn't think it has any bearing on the present situation. He believes Picard is there to erase the stain of blood worn by Picard's family for 23 generations. With this revelation, he leaves. After the meeting, Picard and Troi go outside and find Worf and his team unexpectedly observing a team of Cardassians in the village. Picard moves forward and talks to Gul Evek, who says that the evacuation should be underway by now. Taking him aside, Picard does not understand why Cardassians are on the planet six weeks early and asks Gul Evek what they are doing there. He replies that they are doing a survey of the buildings left over. Picard warns them that any harm done to the colonists while they are still under the jurisdiction of the Federation means that Picard would have to respond accordingly. Picard then returns to the ship and asks Admiral Nechayev to request an emergency session of the Federation Council to reopen the issue of relocation for the tribe. She replies that she had already asked two days prior, but that Starfleet declined the request. Picard then asks Worf to make preparations to remove the inhabitants of Dorvan V. He reflects with Riker on the possibility of a dark chapter in his family history he may be about to repeat. Meanwhile, Wesley, somewhere in a building, goes with Lakanta to the Habak. Lakanta says strangers are not allowed there, but Wesley is not a stranger because Lakanta saw him in his original vision quest. Wesley asks him what he should do. Lakanta tells Wesley to start a fire for his journey because while Lakanta can "open the door, only he [Wesley] can go through it". After some time while Lakanta guides Wesley on a spirit quest, Wesley finds that Lakanta has suddenly disappeared, and slowly he realizes he is seeing the spirit of his late father, Jack Crusher, on the other side of the fire. His father congratulates Wesley on his travels and for having come this far since he died, but he also tells Wesley that he should not follow his path, the path of a Starfleet officer, any longer. Wesley needed to begin a new path that was genuinely his own. The vision at first startles Wesley, but he soon thereafter gains clarity from it. As Wesley leaves the Habak, he encounters Worf planning the forced, but covert, relocation of the planet's inhabitants. Compelled to stop them, he announces to the colonists Worf's plans, resulting in them demanding Starfleet's departure. In the observation lounge, Picard strongly reprimands Wesley for his behavior, which jeopardized the away team's safety. Wesley responds by calmly denouncing the relocation on moral grounds, saying that the people are not just some random group of colonists and that their culture predates the Federation. Picard understands but demands that Wesley keep his opinions to himself and follow orders so long as he is in a Starfleet uniform. Wesley promptly announces his resignation from the Academy and leaves his combadge on the table. Beverly doesn't understand why Wesley is leaving the Academy and confronts him, saying she can't stop him but he must explain himself. Wesley finally tells her about his vision of his father. He explains that he has known for a long time that he wasn't meant to be a Starfleet officer and that he wanted to please her, Captain Picard, and everyone else who hoped for him to become a Starfleet officer. He wasn't able to admit it to himself until now. Beverly drives home the point that she would be proud of Wesley no matter what he does because she loves him regardless of what he does. Beverly then reveals to Wesley that the Traveler had told Captain Picard long ago that Wesley was a special, like Mozart, and that he was destined for things quite different from the rest of the crew. She resigns herself to the fact that this might be the first step in that direction. In the meantime, Gul Evek is on the Enterprise discussing the situation on the planet with Picard when some Cardassians are taken hostage by the colonists. Worf reports to Picard, and he immediately asks Gul Evek to beam them up. Evek refuses and has his ship, the Vetar, to be ready to beam more troops to the surface. Picard tells him he must respond to those actions, and pleads with him to stop the escalation of violence now. On the planet's surface, a fight breaks out and a phaser is fired at a Cardassian. As Wesley watches, he tries to stop it and suddenly, all movement stops. A phaser beam is fired halfway through the air but hasn't reached its intended target yet. Wesley's guide, Lakanta, reveals himself as the Traveler, with whom Wesley had last had contact with years ago. Wesley, it turns out, can travel to a different plane in time and existence. The Traveler tells Wesley that he has evolved to a new level, ready to take the first step on a journey that few humans will ever experience. The Traveler will be Wesley's guide if he wishes. Wesley asks about the colonists, but the Traveler says they have to find their own journeys and that he must trust that they will do that. They step back into regular time, and the phaser strikes the Cardassian as the fight continues. Back on the Enterprise bridge, Picard pleads with Evek not to force a battle and states that they have taken so long to reach an agreement that they should try to avoid conflict whenever possible. Gul Evek considers the options and reluctantly orders the Vetar crew to lock onto and beam his people back aboard, avoiding a direct fight. He then tells Picard that he lost two of three sons during the war and that he does not wish to lose the last one. The colonists, still insistent on staying on the planet, decide to forgo Federation citizenship and remain on the planet under the Cardassians' control. Picard confirms with them that they understand that this means they will not be eligible for assistance from the Federation or Starfleet in case of problems, which they accept. Gul Evek then indicates that, while he can't guarantee every Cardassian encounter will respect it, most should be willing to leave the colony in peace so long as they do not interfere in their affairs. Picard says he will send a report to Starfleet, and that he hopes they will accept the deal as it would have the support of Admiral Nachayev. After Evek leaves, Anthwara tells Picard he has indeed wiped clean the stain of his ancestor's actions. Wesley prepares to leave his mother and Picard in the transporter room. He'll explore the universe with the Traveler and says his studies will begin with the people on Dorvan V, because the Traveler says they "are aware of many things" of which he can learn a lot. His mother reminds him to "dress warmly on those other planes of existence" and they both smile. Wesley thanks Picard and beams off of the Enterprise-D for the last time, and Picard comforts his mother as they walk out of the transporter room. 
<EOS>
In his quarters, Worf rehearses, a little nervously, how he will explain to his son Alexander what it means to be a true Klingon warrior. Alexander dashes in, pursued by his friend Eric with a fullerene water balloon. He misses Alexander and hits Worf, who is not amused. However, he continues with his explanation. He tells Alexander that there are actually two Rite of Ascension ceremonies; Alexander won't be required to pass through the second rite (the one with painstiks) until he is older, but is old enough for the first rite now. His fighting skills and his knowledge of the teachings of Kahless will be tested, and Worf promises to help him with this. The first step is lighting a kor'tova candle and declaring one's intention to be a Klingon warrior. Alexander doesn't want to do it, reminding Worf that his mother K'Ehleyr told him he didn't have to do any "Klingon stuff" he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it must be Alexander's choice, and Alexander runs out of the room, declaring that he has no intention of becoming a warrior. The USS Enterprise-D is supposed to rendezvous with another ship, the Kearsarge, but it won't arrive for another four days, so the senior staff plan extra activities. Captain Picard wants to visit the Hatarian system where there's an archaeological dig, and Data suggests stellar dynamics can have more access to the sensor array to examine the Vodrey Nebula. Picard notices that Worf looks distracted during the briefing, and Worf explains afterwards about Alexander. Picard suggests that the Enterprise detour to the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV where they'll be celebrating Kot'baval and Alexander can immerse in Klingon culture and folklore; this will also give Stellar Dynamics a chance to see the entire nebula, as the outpost lies on the other side of it. On Maranga, the festival is in full swing; there is almost a county fair atmosphere, what with the vendors and the banners and the colorful re-enactments of Klingon history. Worf and Alexander watch one such drama, in which the story of how Kahless defeated the traitor Molor is shown. The actor playing Molor issues repeated challenges to bat'leth duels, and audience members are invited to participate. Alexander is caught up in the excitement and accepts a challenge. The actor takes a fall to let Alexander win. After spending a full day at the festival and even making some friends among the Klingon children at the outpost, Alexander and Worf are about to return to the Enterprise when three armed husky Klingon warriors appear from the shadows, cornering them. Before the fight starts, an older Klingon man comes out of the shadows of an alley and fires a disruptor at one of the assailants. Worf takes on the other two, shouting to Alexander to run. The older Klingon helps to defeat them and they run away. Worf recognizes the man as K'mtar, gin'tak or adviser to the House of Mogh. They beam aboard the Enterprise where Commander Riker wants to question them, unhappy with K'mtar's reluctance to answer. K'mtar shows the dagger dropped by one of the assailants. It bears the insignia of the rival House of Duras, indicating that Lursa and B'Etor are behind the attack. They have not been heard from since they tried to sell bilitrium explosives to a Bajoran terrorist on Deep Space 9. They are after the seat on the Klingon High Council now held by Worf's brother Kurn, who has sent K'mtar to protect Worf and his child and put a stop to the sisters' treachery. Riker says the next step will be to track down the sisters. Riker offers to help find them and gives K'mtar quarters on the ship. Worf and K'mtar leave to his quarters. K'mtar relates Kurn's concern about Alexander, as he has no male heir and so Alexander may have to lead the House of Mogh someday. Kurn believes in Worf's ability to teach him, but it can't be easy being the only two Klingons on a starship full of Humans. He inquires how Alexander is doing as far as his Klingon warrior skills, and Worf says he is not as good as he should be, because he doesn't take time to practice as all Klingon youths do. K'mtar promises to help, and Worf accepts. Very gently (for a Klingon), he approaches Alexander's bedside and speaks in warm, understanding tones, telling him that learning warrior's skills will help Alexander to feel that not only he, but his father, are safe from harm. Worf, around the corner, is a little uneasy that there is another voice influencing Alexander, but he does trust him. The next day, on the bridge, Riker has Worf contact Deep Space 9 while Data searches records for the Duras sisters. Data does not find any more information, and so Riker turns to DS9. He bribes information out of the station's bartender Quark as to what the Duras sisters are doing and where they are. Quark explains that they were going to buy some mining equipment and dig up magnesite (which actually belongs to the Pakleds) in the Kalla system. While the Enterprise travels to the Kalla system, K'mtar comes up with a holodeck simulation different from what Alexander is used to. Instead of just going through the exercises, he proposes a re-enactment of what happened on Maranga. As Alexander goes up against one of the attackers, K'mtar freezes the program at various points to illustrate how Alexander can take advantage of his opponent. Alexander knocks the attacker to the ground but won't kill him. When K'mtar angrily insists, Alexander gets disgusted and runs away. When the Enterprise arrives at Kalla III and beams down an away team, they find a lone Dopterian, Gorta. In exchange for passage off planet, he tells them that the sisters have already left, taking everything of value with them (and stranding him). The plan had been to sell the ore to a Yridian trader in the Ufandi system. In Ten Forward, K'mtar meets up with Worf. He apologizes for his anger earlier and suggests that Alexander be sent to a Klingon school on Ogat. Worf dislikes the idea because Alexander is at home on the Enterprise, but K'mtar says it is almost impossible to learn true Klingon ways under these conditions. He again gets heated and says he might have to invoke the ya'nora kor, a law which can remove a child from unfit parental custody. Outraged, Worf asks if he questions his fitness as a parent. K'mtar says that for the good of their House, yes, he is indeed. He only wants what is best for the boy. However, K'mtar is growing increasingly angry and frustrated with Alexander, who questions traditional Klingon stories and disagrees that it is so vitally important that he become a warrior. K'mtar sits Alexander down to teach him Klingon ways, telling him more of Kahless and Morath. Alexander listens, but cuts him off, saying he already knows the story. K'mtar says it's important to tell it even if it's known, but Alexander starts questioning each statement like an inquisitive Human would. K'mtar is increasingly frustrated, saying those details don't matter, but rather the Klingon warrior interpretation. He then tells Alexander about the school, but he says he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise. He realizes K'mtar is just like his father, only caring about being a warrior, and leaves. Meanwhile, Riker has tracked down the ore taken by the sisters to the Yridian trader Yog, and buys it from him for half a gram of Anjoran bio-mimetic gel. Instead of beaming it to the Enterprise, though, Riker blows up the ore in space with the ship's phasers, and discovers a cloaked Bird-of-Prey ship nearby. He has found the sisters, and soon brings them aboard. Telling them he knows the ore was stolen, he confronts them with the assassination attempt and the dagger. They claim to know nothing about it, and Riker asks K'mtar about his other evidence which he claims to be on the homeworld. Riker prepares to set a course and K'mtar leaves to contact Kurn. However, after he leaves, B'Etor notices something on the dagger which clearly shocks her and Lursa, upon seeing it, claims that what's she's seeing is impossible. Riker asks what's going on, and B'Etor tells him the crest on the dagger has symbols representing the various members of the family including Lursa's son. Lursa says she doesn't have a son, but she is expecting a child and only found out a few days previously and told no-one but B'Etor who furiously demands to know where the dagger came from. Based of their reactions and the evidence, it's now clear that the sisters weren't responsible for the assassination attempt, and the officers are left astounded by this mysterious turn of events. Worf decides to go and speak with K'mtar about the origin of the dagger. Worf immediately goes to ask K'mtar about this, but discovers him apparently preparing to kill Alexander with his disruptor. After a brief struggle he throws K'mtar to the ground and prepares to strangle him. But K'mtar cries out, calling him father and that he is actually Alexander himself. Worf demands proof and asks him what his mother's last words were. K'mtar tells him of how he witnessed the death of K'Ehleyr, and that all she said was his name, and she put his hand in Worf's. "And then you howled in rage, and said 'Look at her. Look upon death, and always remember.' And I always have." He reluctantly lets him go and picks up the disruptor. Alexander explains that he has come back from forty years in the future, with the assistance of a man that he met in the Cambra system. Alexander did not want to end his own life, but rather to change things, to influence his younger self to follow a different path. He explains that he never became a Klingon warrior, but a diplomat and peacemaker, who sought to put an end to the centuries of struggle and feuding between the Great Houses. He had declared that the House of Mogh would no longer engage in vengeance or blood feuds. Worf warned him that this was a show of weakness, but Alexander insisted this was the way of the future. Almost immediately thereafter, Alexander witnessed Worf's murder in the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council. He thought that, if he had become a warrior, he'd have been able to stand with his father and defeat the assassins. So he came back to persuade his younger self to follow that ancient path, first by staging the assassination attempt on Maranga, then by trying to awaken young Alexander's interest in being just like all the other Klingons, as well as in protecting his father. He despaired when he saw that he had failed. Worf says that Alexander has already changed history by coming back in time, and that things may not at all happen the way he fears. Worf explains that he must die with honor, and he cannot do that unless his son is true to himself and his beliefs. This means that Alexander must return to the future and continue to work for peace. Even a Klingon can see that peace is a worthy cause, and Worf believes Alexander has a noble future. K'mtar says that he has failed, because the boy he was remains the same. Worf says that Alexander is the same, but Worf has changed, and now he understands that Alexander will have a noble future even if he is not a warrior. K'mtar embraces him and says, "I love you, father." Worf replies, "And I you, Alexander." Later, young Alexander is waiting for Worf and K'mtar in the holodeck to begin bat'leth practice. Worf explains that K'mtar had to leave suddenly, but asked him to say goodbye, and that he will always respect Alexander no matter what he decides to do. Worf, too, has come to respect Alexander, and suggests that they simply spend time together as father and son. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D encounters an unmanned probe, unarmed, which hails Captain Jean-Luc Picard by name. The probe projects a holographic image of Bok, the Ferengi who tried to kill Picard six years ago. The former Ferengi DaiMon still wants revenge for the murder of his son, so he tells the captain he will murder his own son, Jason Vigo, to settle the score. Picard is stunned. He manages to put a tractor beam on the probe, and has Commander Data start searching for Jason, starting with Miranda Vigo. He also has Commander William T. Riker find out why Bok is apparently wearing a DaiMon's uniform. Riker soon reports the Ferengi government is busy debating, and that Data found Jason. He is now 23 years old, and he and his mother settled on Camor V. Riker does not ask, but Picard answers the question: yes, he was involved with his mother in a short, but very romantic relationship. She never said anything about being pregnant. Once in orbit of the Camor system, Data can find no more information; their records are scattered at best. He scans for Human life signs on the southern continent, and finds eight Humans, including a male below the surface between 20 and 30 years old. When Commander Worf detects seismic activity, Picard has him beam the boy out of there. When he meets Captain Picard, he doesn't know who he is, and doesn't recognize him. After confirming he is in fact Jason Vigo, Picard slowly explains the situation, and Jason submits to a genetic test. Dr. Crusher runs the test and confirms her results -- Captain Picard is indeed his father. In the captain's quarters, Picard tries to talk to him like a father, but Jason does not seem interested in having one. He considers Picard to be annoying, and is somewhat resentful. He doesn't want to get to know his newfound father. Data, meanwhile, has been analyzing the probe. Bok has encrypted the probe's navigational systems, making them unable to determine where it came from. Fortunately, with the help of Geordi La Forge, they have determined several environmental conditions its hull has been exposed to. This still leaves a wide range of trajectories, but they continue to work on it. A transmission from DaiMon Birta on the Ferengi homeworld soon arrives, and Birta explains that Bok was relieved of command for being too unstable, and was sent to Rog Prison, from which he bought his way out two years ago. The last they knew, he was somewhere in the Dorias Cluster, an area of more than twenty star systems. Fortunately, given the conditions the probe suffered, La Forge and Data manage to plot its trajectory to the Xendi Sabu system. Picard sets a course immediately. While en route, he talks with Doctor Beverly Crusher about the walls Jason is putting up. He doesn't want to force anything on him. She does believe it's possible, but he can't just leave Jason alone. At the same time, Counselor Deanna Troi talks to Jason in his assigned quarters, but it is clear he is more interested in her than the subject of meeting his father. It is a very short discussion, but Jason would rather flirt with her than just talk to her. Troi leaves soon after. When the Enterprise drops out of warp, Picard is awakened by Bok's voice. He suddenly opens his eyes to find Bok standing in front of him. After repeating his threat, Picard calls for security, but Bok is gone a split second later. La Forge and Worf don't find anything at first. They can tell it's not a hologram because there was no generator, and he probably wasn't being mind controlled again. Soon after, Data informs Picard of Jason's criminal record: dozens of minor crimes, such as trespassing, which is related to his rock climbing activities. In Ten Forward, Jason asks the guards assigned to watch him, Lieutenant Rhodes and Crewman Garvey, to back off, and, after they move away towards the entrance, hides a sudden tremor. Picard soon arrives, and tries to get Jason interested with rock climbing on the holodeck, but Jason pushes him away. He says he will leave after Bok has been caught, and he sees no point in them getting acquainted. That's when Worf detects another probe. Soon, it explodes, causing no damage since the shields are up. As part of the explosion, there is a particular series of flashes, which Data sees is a message in B'Zal, a Ferengi code. It says "My revenge is at hand." Picard returns to his ready room, quite agitated. He orders a cup of Earl Grey tea from his replicator and soon Bok appears in his chair. Picard tries to negotiate with him, saying he didn't know he was in Ferengi space, and would have withdrawn if Bok's son had told him that he was. But Bok simply wants payment for his son's life; his feelings about the matter are none of his concern. Just then, Lieutenant Rhodes calls Dr. Crusher to Jason's quarters, where she and Martinez find him experiencing a seizure without warning. In Sick Bay, Crusher examines him, and finds it is Forrester-Trent Syndrome, a rare neurological condition. The best she can do is halt the degeneration. She also plans to run a microcellular scan in case it was caused by a random mutation. After Jason leaves, Picard admits Crusher was right; he convinced himself that Jason didn't want to reach out to him. But he wishes he was part of his life, and Jason might not have a criminal record if he were there. Dr. Crusher simply advises him the best tool of a parent is patience, and that he should use the time he has well. Picard returns to his ready room to find Data and La Forge scanning his chair behind the desk. They have found that it resonates with a particular subspace signature. They believe it is from a subspace transporter, a technology considered too unreliable and energy-intensive by the Federation. Data believes that they can trace the transporter signal if Bok uses it again, but Picard is more interested in Bok's ability to kidnap Jason. La Forge hypothesizes that they could hold Jason here by tying the transporters to the subspace field coils, and he tells them to make it so. Once they are gone he decides to check up on Jason. He finds him in the holodeck, rock-climbing. After telling Garvey and Rhodes to wait outside, he climbs up onto the same ledge Jason is on. On the rocks, they start having a better conversation than the ones they had had previously. Picard asks what happened to Jason's mother, and he tells him about orphans left on Camor V from the Cardassian war, and how she taught them all to read and sing. She was attacked by two men in the street one day, for the food she was carrying, and since she wouldn't give it up, they killed her. He is obviously shaken up by the story. Picard asks how he can be a father to him, since he and his own father were estranged. Jason still doesn't want to be his son, and tries to push him away with by telling him of his bad behavior. It doesn't work. Eventually, Jason seems to be willing to accept him. That's when Dr. Crusher calls him to sickbay with some news about Jason. Meanwhile, on the bridge, a signal has been detected; Bok is using his transporter again. He locks on to Jason, and La Forge puts up a fight with Enterprise's transporter, but before the captain can rescue Jason, Bok reestablishes his lock, and Jason disappears. Bok then beams another probe to their location, and sends the message that he has Jason. Fortunately, Data traces the location of his ship, 300 billion kilometers away. It would take twenty minutes at warp 9 to reach them. Picard asks Data if the modified transporter could create the same effect of Bok's transporters. He says yes, but it would be inadvisable to use that method of travel. That's good enough for Picard. He has La Forge transport him over there. As Jason is negotiating for his life, Picard materializes on Bok's vessel with phaser in hand. He has the other Ferengi put down their weapons or he'll kill Bok, and reveals the truth: Jason Vigo is not his son. He knows Bok resequenced Jason's DNA, but it gave him a neurological disorder. When one of the other Ferengi complains about not getting the ransom, Picard says there never was one; it was only for revenge. Since the Enterprise is on its way, their only hope is to give Bok (who is not a DaiMon) over to them. Tol agrees as they turn on Bok and release Jason. Jason has decided he will return to Camor V to try to straighten out his life. As a farewell present, he receives a Gorlan prayer stick from Picard and suggests that Picard look him up any time he finds himself in the area. 
<EOS>
Data and Captain Picard are at the holodeck as Data is rehearsing his performance of Prospero, a character from the William Shakespeare play "The Tempest." After adjusting the set lighting after Picard complains that he can hardly see the android, they discuss the character of Prospero, when suddenly they see three lights approaching in a distance, which Data identifies as a steam-powered locomotive. When the computer fails to end the program on Picard's command, the two barely manage to get out of the train's way. Picard has a cut on his right cheek. Upon exiting, Data examines the holodeck controls and tells Captain Picard that the train originated from one of Beverly Crusher's programs, a recreation of the Orient Express. In a malfunction of the holodeck database retrieval program, the two programs somehow became linked together temporarily. Picard orders Data to run a diagnostic of the holodeck system, and to discontinue the crew's use of the holodecks just to be sure. In sickbay, Picard has Dr. Crusher examine him for possible injuries while discussing her program and the history of the Orient Express. Just after Crusher suggests that Picard take a trip on the Orient Express himself, Picard is hailed by Commander Riker, who reports that "all sections are ready to begin the survey." Crusher again insists that Picard ride on the Orient Express one day, stating that he'll never know who he'll meet on the famed train. On the bridge, Riker tells Picard that they will probably find no new sites in the current systems, because most of the stars are main-sequence binaries with no M class planets. As Picard is ordering to continue, the Enterprise suddenly goes into warp drive. Riker asks who ordered the maneuver, but Data reports that no one did. "Helm and navigation controls are not functioning. Our speed is now warp 7.3 and holding." Down in engineering, Geordi La Forge can only tell his inquiring captain that he does not understand what happened: "The impulse systems suddenly cut out and the warp drive just kicked in." He tries to take the warp drive off-line. On the bridge, Data notes that the current heading is 187 mark 4. "I am unable to determine our destination, however we are moving away from the Mekorda sector." La Forge reports that the computer has locked all the controls and he is unable to override it. In order to stop, he would have to initiate an emergency core shutdown. Riker remarks that this would leave Enterprise without warp power for over a week. While taking this in, Picard then orders La Forge to initiate the procedure. However, the ship stops immediately. Data reports: "We are no longer at warp, sir. Impulse power has resumed, all systems show normal." The Enterprise has stopped 30 billion kilometers from their previous position. Picard congratulates his chief engineer, but La Forge concedes that it wasn't him, since he didn't have time to begin the shutdown procedure. Picard tells La Forge that he wants an explanation. Later on, La Forge rounds up his investigation with Data on the bridge, finding only more mysteries. It shows that a theta flux distortion had been building up around the ship. The sensors were never designed to detect such distortions, yet there was a record of the distortion in the sensor log. Data reports that "one fact is clear however. The distortion was growing in strength. If we had remained at our original position 1.7 seconds longer, the distortion would have ruptured our warp core." La Forge tells Picard that if the ship had not entered warp when it did, the Enterprise would have been "blown to pieces." La Forge and Data head down to a power conduit. While crawling through the Jefferies tube, they theorize about what could have caused the Enterprise to go to warp. Data suggests a random power fluctuation, but La Forge thinks the chances of that too small. As an alternative explanation, Data suggests that the sensors somehow did pick up the distortion and engaged the warp systems to protect the ship. La Forge objects that the sensors aren't connected to the warp system. They reach the conduit, finding a strange set of tubes inside the system. La Forge states that it looks like a new circuit node, connected to at least half a dozen points of the sensor array. To Data, "it appears to be connected to several other systems as well, including the warp control circuits." When La Forge tries to access the node, it turns out to be protected by a force field. Data remarks the node "appears to be protecting itself." In engineering, La Forge and Data report their findings to Commander Riker. The nodes have formed all over the ship, linking all systems together, including sensors, warp control and the defensive systems. The sensors detected the threat, which tripped the defensive systems, which in turn activated the warp engines to protect the ship. Data speculates about the magnascopic storm having had an unexpected effect on the ship's systems. The nodes are also multiplying. The more of them that are created, the more difficult it will become to keep control of the ship. Riker instructs that their "first priority is getting back control over the ship." All of the circuit connections appear to be connected to Holodeck 3. Data notes "it appears to be a focal point of some kind." La Forge believes there may be a way to disable the nodes permanently, using the holodeck circuitry. When Riker, Data and Worf arrive at the holodeck, Data finds it in operation, even though he had shut down the entire holodeck system earlier. The holodeck has reactivated itself, and will not disengage. Data tells the others that several different holodeck programs are running simultaneously. As they enter the holodeck, Riker comments that "this should be interesting." They enter into the Orient Express. The train compartment is filled with a strange crowd of holodeck characters. There is a knight in armor, cutting figures in old papers, a farmer (The Hayseed), and two ladies and a gentleman sitting at a nearby table building a jigsaw puzzle. Then, an old western desperado enters the compartment from the opposite side. He takes a puzzle piece out of his pocket and puts it on the table with the other pieces. Riker says "You weren't kidding, Mister Data." Data estimates that the scene contains portions from seven distinct holodeck programs. Riker orders Data to access the affected circuits. A Conductor enters the car, asking for tickets. When he comes to the Hayseed, the Hayseed tells the conductor that he has "never been away from home. Now I'm going to Vertiform City." At first, the Conductor passes the officers without taking notice of them. Data calls Riker to him and reports he has found a large concentration of nodes, connected directly to the holodeck's main power coupling. Riker orders Data to depolarize the entire holodeck grid. As they attempt to open the floor to access it, however, the Conductor has returned, telling them to "get away from there." He asks the officers for their tickets. Riker explains that they left their tickets in their compartments and blames Worf for leaving them. The Conductor says he doesn't "think you folks belong on this train." At that, the Train Engineer enters the cabin, and tells the Conductor to leave the officers alone, since "they're only trying to help." The Conductor orders the Engineer to go back to the engine since this affair is of no concern to him. The Engineer complains to the Enterprise officers that "they're all trying to hijack the train!" The Hayseed wonders who is doing the driving of the train. Then, the Engineer is shot by the Hitman, a mafioso stepping in to the compartment from behind the Engineer, and falls dead in Riker's arms. At that same moment in engineering, the console La Forge is working on explodes, throwing him to the floor without seriously injuring him. After being brought to his feet by Russell, he finds the navigational relay has overloaded. In the train, the Conductor looks out the window, then operates the emergency brakes. At the same moment, the Enterprise goes back to warp, and La Forge reports to Picard that the warp controls have "completely burned out." He is not sure if he can stop the ship. Back in the train, Data says he believes that they have changed direction. The Conductor, with a smile on his face, tells them that "now we're on the right track. Ladies and gentlemen, we are on our way!" The Hitman comes up to the Engineer's corpse and takes a brick from his uniform. The Conductor urges him to "take good care of that. We can't afford to lose it." The Conductor asks the officers if they will leave voluntarily, if not, they would have be to be forcibly removed. Data tells Riker that the holodeck safety protocols have been disengaged, making the Hitman's weapon lethal. Riker tells his men to retreat with him. Back in engineering, Data and La Forge inform Picard that the number of nodes has increased considerably. Sensors, engines, replicators and propulsion systems are all working together, almost independent of the main computer. The nodes also link all the systems through the holodeck. Data theorizes that the events on the holodeck directly affect the ship, asking La Forge whether he recognizes the pattern of the nodes' distribution. La Forge remarks that it looks a lot like Data's positronic brain, which Data confirms, concluding that the nodes are beginning to form a rudimentary neural net. "Unlikely as it may sound, I believe that the Enterprise may be forming an intelligence." In the observation lounge, Data briefs the senior staff about the current situation. He points out the similarities between the Human neocortex, his own positronic net and the nodes' current distribution, concluding with the hypothesis that the Enterprise is forming some type of intelligence. When Troi asks how this could be possible, he explains that this is an emergent property. "The Enterprise contains a vast database, which is managed by a sophisticated computer. This complex system gives the ship many of the characteristics of a biological organism. I believe a self-determining intelligence is emerging." Data also believes that "the key to understanding the ship's behavior lies in the holodeck. All of the connection nodes intersect at that location. It is clearly some kind of processing center." Troi volunteers to go to the holodeck to interact with the characters and learn what is happening. Picard agrees and sends Data and Worf along with the orders to disable the nodes without damaging them -- if the ship is creating an intelligence, "it deserves the same kind of respect as any other being." Troi, Data and Worf enter the holodeck. Troi finds one of the ladies clinking her cup to the knight's armor in a repeating loop. The Hitman and the desperado are playing cards. As Data goes off to depolarize the power grid, Deanna and Worf try to distract the other people. They go to look at the puzzle, now being built by the other lady and the Hayseed, which is still not quite finished. The picture on the puzzle somewhat resembles the nodes, but nobody can quite identify the picture. Worf sits down to help with the puzzle, while Troi visits the two men playing cards. She asks to be dealt in, but the Hitman says it is a two-man game. Then the Counselor notices that the desperado is tied around his chest. When trying to examine a brick lying on the table, the Hitman grabs her hand and warns her not to touch it, it being worth "plenty." He also tells her that he has to get it to Keystone City which is the place where "everything begins." After that, he puts his cards down and says "Gin." Troi notices the same strange picture, the same as on the puzzle, on each card. Worf checks on Data, who is now ready to access the power grid. At that moment, the Conductor comes in announcing the next stop to be Keystone City. When he notices Worf and Data, he asks to see their tickets again. As they don't have any, they have to leave the train in Keystone City. The Hitman also gets off, and Troi advises the others to follow him, as she considers the brick to be an important clue. The Hitman disappears in the streets of Keystone City. Data manages to find an access point below a manhole cover in the street. He attempts to depolarize the holodeck grid with a low-frequency inversion field, as this may disengage the nodes without destroying them. Then Troi spots the Hitman again, and she and Worf go after him. When Data attempts to access the hologrid, a taxi appears out of nowhere heading for his position. Data only barely manages to avoid an impact. The Hitman walks to a building under construction, with a wall missing one brick in the center. Troi and Worf walk up to him, and Troi asks the man what he is doing. He comments that he is "laying the foundation." At that he places the brick in the hole, the whole wall glows for one moment, and the brick melts in perfectly with the rest. The Hitman leaves, remarking that he has a train to catch. At that moment on the bridge, La Forge informs Picard that he cannot explain why Cargo Bay Five suddenly depressurized, but that everyone could get out in time and he has re-established the containment field. He also reads massive power surges and all kinds of transporter activity in the cargo bay, which prompts Picard to send him there to investigate. In Cargo Bay 5, La Forge finds a strange object which looks exactly like the picture on the puzzle as well as the playing cards at the holodeck, an ominous light glowing in the center of it. Picard asks him what it is, but La Forge is unable to tell exactly what. In the meantime, back on the holodeck, Troi and Worf are discussing the strange events. Troi says "That man said he was laying a foundation." Worf replies "For what?" Troi asks Data how he is doing. Data is then seen holding off the same taxi (which is still trying to run him over) with one hand while working on the now exposed node with his other. He reports that he has "encountered a minor difficulty, Counselor, but it has been dealt with." He begins to depolarize the holodeck power circuits. In the cargo bay, the object has by now grown to about knee height. La Forge remarks that "the ship's replicators and the ship's transporter systems have merged somehow to create this." He does not know, however, what 'it' is, and orders an ensign to run a full spectral analysis on the object. Then the cargo bay begins to shake and rumble. La Forge reports "massive power fluctuations. The ship is losing its structural integrity." Back with Troi and Worf, the holodeck also begins to shake. The brick wall collapses, almost on top of Troi. Behind the wall is a building entrance, bearing number 1136. La Forge tells Data to stop with whatever he is doing, and the trembling stops. Troi has suffered minor injuries. La Forge suggests that he and Data "ought to get together and compare notes." In sickbay, Crusher is treating Troi, who believes the ship was protecting itself. "Whatever it's doing, it intends to continue." La Forge thinks it has something to do with the strange object forming in the cargo bay. Troi agrees, seeing how the symbols in the holodeck all point to something being created. Picard asks his chief engineer what the object might be, but all he can tell Picard is that it is composed of silica-polymers, duranium and "a couple of other compounds we haven't been able to identify yet." Creating it however, has had a major effect on the systems. "Warp power has dropped 47 percent." Picard asks Troi if she has been able to determine anything else on the holodeck. She tells him it is full of metaphoric images, like it was having some kind of day-dream. The character could represent different systems: The Engineer stands for navigation, while "the gunslinger could be the weapons system." Troi tells Picard it will be difficult to reason with the characters, since they "seem unaware of what is going on." She feels the intelligence is still in an infant state, and "the only experience it can draw on is ours, through our holodeck programs." Picard asks if there is some way to influence the characters' behavior. Troi thinks there is, and wants to go back in. La Forge argues that the safeties are still off-line, and Crusher tells her that while her injuries were not too severe this time, she could get killed if it happens again. She understands, and still wants to go. Picard agrees, and suggests they cooperate with the holodeck characters. Troi, Worf and Data enter the Orient Express once again. Immediately, the Conductor tells them they "don't belong on this train." Worf then shows him three tickets to Vertiform City, upon which the Conductor admits that he was in error about them, and welcomes them aboard. The lights go on and off, and the train shakes. Worf asks what's going on, and the Conductor tells him "the engine's running out of steam. I hope we make it to Vertiform City on time." Troi asks if they can help, and the counselor asks Worf to help the Conductor and brings him to the engine room. Both leave, and the Hayseed walks up to Troi, worried if they will make it to Vertiform City in time. Troi reassures him, and inquires about Vertiform City. The Hayseed describes the city as an all-you-can-eat restaurant. At the engine, the Conductor tells Worf to shovel coals into the fire, saying that he's "much obliged for [his] help." Up on the ship's bridge, Riker reports that warp power is back to normal. Picard asks him for their heading, and Riker tells him they are going to Tambor Beta VI, a white dwarf star. In the train, the Conductor compliments Worf and tells him to keep going. When the Enterprise reaches the star, Riker reports the ship is "using a modified tractor beam to collect vertion particles from the star." Picard makes the connection between Vertion particles and Vertiform City, and concludes this is what the ship was looking for. The ship trembles, and Riker reports that "the particles are being routed through the transporter system into Cargo Bay Five." La Forge reports that the object is absorbing vertion particles, and growing even faster than before. Also, he is "picking up internal energy," reports coherent emissions and matter conversion. Suddenly, something appears to be going wrong, power is fluctuating, vertion absorption rate is dropping. Riker reports "the beam has exhausted the supply of particles in the star." The energy output of the object is decreasing. In the engine room, the Conductor is alarmed: "This was supposed to be Vertiform City. We've been on the wrong track all along." He pulls the brake lever and the train screeches to a stop, jumping off the tracks and knocking all the passengers to the floor. Worf comes to Troi and Data, who are just standing up after having been thrown to the floor, to report that "the Conductor accidentally derailed the train." Data informs Picard, who is now in the cargo bay, about the accident, asking whether there had been a similar incident on the Enterprise. Picard tells him that they have had "a ship-wide shutdown. We've lost attitude control, and most systems are off-line." La Forge asks Picard to take a look at a PADD, explaining "When the particle beam cut off, the object was beginning to form a coherent energy matrix. The emission patterns were almost organic in nature." He concludes that the Enterprise is trying to create a lifeform. Picard asks if it will survive, but La Forge observes that its energy levels are decreasing rapidly. Unless the lifeform gets a new infusion of vertion particles, it might not survive. The cargo bay shakes. La Forge walks to a console and tells Picard that the systems are functioning again, and the ship is moving at warp 9. Picard and La Forge head back to the bridge. Back in the train, the Hayseed tells Troi, Worf and Data that they are now heading for New Vertiform City. Data relays the information to Picard. On the bridge, Riker announces that they are heading toward the Cordannas system, the nearest white dwarf star. La Forge interrupts: "We have a problem." Even at warp 9, the system is 12 hours away, and though the object will survive that long, all energy is rerouted to propulsion, including life support, and there are only 2 hours of reserve oxygen. The captain orders Data to gain control over the train to stop the Enterprise, then asks for another source of vertion particles closer than the Cordannas system. La Forge reports white dwarves are the only natural source of vertion particles, but, on Picard's suggestion, tries to find an artificial one. Back aboard the train, Data and the others attempt to go to the engine and stop the train. All other characters suddenly spring to life to stop them, the Hayseed stating that they "are going nowhere." On the bridge, La Forge has found the MacPherson Nebula, which is a supernova remnant, and Dikon Alpha, which is a class nine pulsar. Both are close, and both can produce vertion particles if a modified photon torpedo is detonated inside them. La Forge cannot guarantee if enough vertion particles will be produced, if any at all. Picard leaves it up to La Forge to decide where to go. He decides on the nebula. Picard agrees, and tells him to "begin the torpedo modifications." On the train, Troi tells the Hayseed that they understand what is happening, and want to help the holodeck characters to get to New Vertiform City. The Hayseed is reluctant, but Troi convinces him. Data is allowed to go to the engine, but is stopped by the Conductor and the Hitman. Data argues he knows a shorter route to New Vertiform City. The Hitman doesn't trust him, but the Conductor grants permission, "but no funny stuff!" Data reports to Picard he has "taken control of the engine room." Picard orders Data to slow the Enterprise to impulse speed. Data adjusts the train's speed, using the brake to slow it down accordingly while the Conductor remarks "I hope you know what you're doing!" The Enterprise approaches the nebula and launches the adapted torpedo. La Forge reports it is working, and that the nebula is producing vertion particles. In the train, an ecstatic Conductor proclaims that they've arrived at New Vertiform City. Crusher, Picard, Riker and La Forge are assembled in the cargo bay and observe the lifeform. Riker observes that the nodes are disappearing and systems are functioning normally again. Picard concludes the entire purpose of the ship's odd behavior was to bring the lifeform into being. The doctor remarks that some species die after they procreate. Then, the lifeform lifts up, disappears through the bulkheads and exits Enterprise. On the holodeck, Worf, Troi and Data are drinking champagne with the other characters. Then the program ends and the holodeck's grid appears. Picard is drinking tea in his ready room when Data enters. He invites the captain to visit his performance of a scene from "The Tempest" in front of a small audience that evening. Picard asks Data what scene he will be playing, and Data tells him it will be the scene where Miranda first encounters other Human beings, since it seemed appropriate. Picard declaims: "Oh brave new world, that has such people in it." As Data is about to leave, he turns back around and observes that Picard "took a substantial risk by allowing the Enterprise to complete its task. The object could have been dangerous." Picard argues that the formed intelligence did not only come from the ship's systems, but also from the crew's personal records, mission logs, etcetera. "Now if our experiences with the Enterprise have been honorable, can't we trust that the sum of those experiences will be the same?" 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Ro Laren is on board the USS Enterprise-D in Ten Forward being congratulated by Troi, Crusher, and La Forge for completing Advanced Tactical Training at Starfleet Tactical. Captain Picard calls her to the bridge, but surprises her when she finds him standing outside Ten Forward. Ro thanks Picard for recommending her for the training and for having faith in her as an officer. Commander Riker, who reports that a Cardassian ship is being attacked and needs help, calls Picard to the bridge. Ro determines there are several small ships attacking, but aren't immediately identifiable. Data is able to determine the ships, surprisingly, are Federation. Picard identifies the ships as from the Maquis and orders them to withdraw, but there's no response. A surgical photon torpedo spread from Worf between the attacking ships and the Cardassian ship prompts the Maquis to withdraw. The Enterprise beams Cardassian survivors aboard and Dr. Crusher treats their wounded. Gul Evek and Picard exchange words in sickbay, each accusing the other of not doing enough to suppress the skirmishes in the Demilitarized Zone. Admiral Alynna Nechayev comes aboard the Enterprise and shares tea with Picard in his ready room. They discuss the mounting tension in the Zone between the Cardassians and Maquis. Nechayev admits that the situation has her worried and that Starfleet cannot track down the various Maquis cells. Nechayev tells Picard that she is sending a Starfleet operative undercover to infiltrate the Maquis and gather intelligence to expose the cells. Nechayev recommends Lieutenant Ro for the assignment. Ro and Picard discuss the mission and Ro agrees to accept the assignment, if only to prove the trust that Picard has shown for her. Ro, disguised as a civilian, walks into a bar on the Ronara Prime colony followed closely by Lieutenant Commander Data and Lieutenant Worf. They announce that they are seeking a Bajoran woman with dark hair who killed a Cardassian soldier. Ro grabs an unsuspecting man and kisses him, hiding her face from Data and Worf. Another bar patron, Santos, tells them that she was in the bar but had just left. Ro approaches the bar and thanks Santos. She mentions that she would like to meet other people who oppose the Cardassians. Santos stuns her with a phaser and she is rendered unconscious. She awakens in the presence of an older man (Macias), a woman (Kalita), and Santos. They question her and when she attempts to leave, Kalita aims a phaser at her. She tells them some of the truth and a few lies; she also admits to killing a Cardassian soldier. She then goes for a walk with Macias while the other two check out her story. Macias expresses his outrage with the Cardassians and admits to Ro that many of the settlers living in the compound they are touring are Maquis. He orders hasperat from the food dispenser. Ro is surprised that he likes it and tells him that she knows a recipe for a very spicy hasperat that her father used to make on Bajor. It is clear that Ro regards Macias as a father figure, having lost her own father during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor when she was just a child. Ro is brought to a meeting with several Maquis. They have received word that the Cardassians are planning to use biogenic weapons against them. They decide that a preemptive strike is needed to keep the Cardassians from poisoning them. Macias says they cannot strike because they are so low on medical supplies. Ro volunteers to steal medical kits from the Enterprise, she tells them that she used to serve on the ship. Kalita says that she will go along. Ro welcomes her both as a helper and a witness. The Enterprise receives a distress signal from a Starfleet science vessel in the Topin system. The Topin star renders communication and sensors nearly useless, and the Enterprise does not detect Ro and Kalita's ship, which is hidden near a planet. Ro piggybacks a message on the distress signal to alert Picard to her presence on the ship. Worf decodes the message just as Ro and Kalita are about to penetrate the Enterprise's aft deflectors. Picard lets the ship through and Ro beams the stockpile of medical kits onto the ship. As they leave, Picard orders Worf to fire phasers on their previous position to make it look like they are trying to stop them. After Ro and Kalita return to the Maquis compound, Kalita praises Ro for her bravery and Macias remarks that he could tell, despite the Maquis being suspicious of outsiders, he knew from the start that in her heart, Ro was one of them. Having gained the trust of the Maquis cell, Ro is given a ship and is allowed to leave the colony alone. She reports to Picard everything she has learned, including the Cardassian plan to use biogenic weapons against them. While they talk in the observation lounge, Picard suggests that they could use this to their advantage by making the Maquis believe that the Cardassians are close to finishing their biogenic weapon. He says that a convoy near the demilitarized zone would be the bait for the trap. The Maquis would be forced to attack the convoy carrying the components and the Federation would be waiting in the nearby Hugora nebula to arrest the Maquis in the trap. Ro seems to be uncomfortable betraying her new friends, but she tells Picard that she will do her duty. She then returns to the Juhraya colony and tells the Maquis that she intercepted a Federation transmission about a Yridian convoy of freighters coming from Deep Space 9. This convoy supposedly carries the last components the Cardassians need to complete their biogenic weapon having already taken possession of others from Ferengi and Pakled transports. Macias decides to tell the other cell leaders and get their help to attack the convoy. Later, Macias and Ro are walking through the courtyard of the compound. Macias talks to Ro about the grand feast he is planning when the Maquis finally make the Cardassians leave their homes. Ro tells him it will be a long time before they do celebrating of any kind. Macias tells her she must not give up hope. He remarks that they will make blueberry pie along with hasperat and he will play the belaklavion. Ro remembers her father had played the musical instrument when she was younger and afraid to go to sleep. As she tearfully recalls this, Macias suggests they celebrate tonight, anyway. As Ro and Macias go to the colony's market to pick up food, three hooded figures climb the central steps and open fire on the settlers with phasers. They are Cardassians and succeed in killing Macias before being killed themselves by the Maquis. Macias, while trying to help an injured colonist, is shot by a Cardassian. Ro kills him and goes over to help the dying old man. Macias tells Ro, just before he dies, that when an old fighter dies, another steps up to take his place. Ro looks up at the sky with a tear falling down her face. Picard is sitting in the settlement bar on Ronara having a drink. Ro walks in and suggests that they take a table in the back. They act like they are talking intimately and Ro is constantly touching Picard's head, arms and hands. Picard calls her Laren for the only time. She tells him that she doesn't know where her loyalty lies, but that she will do her duty. They lean toward each other and touch foreheads like lovers as Picard threatens Ro with a court martial if she fails to follow her orders. Picard tells her that Commander Riker will be joining her posing as her relative just to be certain that the plan goes through. The strike on the convoy is imminent and Riker and Ro are aboard a Maquis ship preparing to attack the convoy. Hidden in the Hugora nebula, out of sight of the incoming ships, is the Enterprise and other Federation starships. Just as the Maquis are about to cross into Federation space, Ro fires a low intensity particle beam toward the nebula allowing the Maquis ships to see the trap, Riker confronts Ro, who pulls a phaser on him and announces that she can't go through with the plan. Once Starfleet is exposed, they break formation stopping just short of Federation space and Federation jurisdiction. Ro transports to Kalita's ship and leaves Riker to take the Maquis ship to the Enterprise. Before she leaves, with tears in her eyes she asks Riker to tell Picard she is sorry. Later, in Picard's ready room, Riker says that Ro felt she was doing the right thing and that she seemed more concerned that she was letting down Picard than anything else. Picard remains silent and unmoving, not even taking Riker's report, so the Commander places it on his desk and leaves. After Riker leaves, Picard continues to sit silently, his face filled with anger because despite everything he did and how much he trusted Ro, she still chose to betray him. 
<EOS>
On the holodeck, Lieutenant Worf and Counselor Troi have just finished a walk on the Black Sea beach at night. Troi gets a bit irritated when Worf refers to their romantic experience as nothing more than "stimulating" and rolls her eyes when he tries to add that it was "very stimulating". On the way back to her quarters, Troi discusses how she doesn't spend enough time on the holodeck, and should go there more often. Worf is about to drop her off at her quarters, but wants to talk about their next date. He feels that they should get approval from Commander Riker before continuing their relationship but Troi firmly states that their relationship does not need such approval. Worf is about to kiss Troi goodnight, when Captain Picard walks off the turbolift. In a hurried mood, he asks Troi for the date, to which Worf answers that it is stardate 47988. Picard confirms the date with himself, before he reveals to Troi that he, without knowing the reason, is somehow moving back and forth through time. In Counselor Troi's quarters, Picard explains the experience. He had the feeling he was in the past. Troi asks for a description, but Picard says that it is as hard to remember as remembering a dream. He remembers that it was years ago, before he took command of the USS Enterprise-D. But then, the experience was that of him in the future, as an old man. He remembers being outside, but can not remember any specifics. Troi asks him to consider if this was a dream, but Picard says that the experience was much more real than a dream. The very touch and smell of things was more real than a dream. Troi asks how long he was in each period, but Picard responds that he is not sure. He remembers feeling disoriented, but this soon passed, and he felt as if everything was perfectly normal. As soon as he tries to explain something, Picard stops speaking in mid-sentence. Picard is now an old man in a vineyard, tying some vines. As he does this, he hears La Forge's voice, jokingly complaining about an issue on the Enterprise, "the warp core or the phase inducers or some other damn thing" as he approaches, smiling warmly. Picard is very delighted to see his old friend. La Forge is unsure of how to refer to the ambassador. Picard suggests Jean-Luc, but La Forge doesn't feel sure about calling him that, and settles on captain, like he had done twenty-five years prior, on the Enterprise. La Forge offers to help, and tells Picard how to help his plants grow better, saying he picked up some tips from his wife Leah. Picard asks how she is, and how the kids (Alandra, Bret, and Sidney) are. La Forge responds that they are just fine, his wife had just recently been named Director of the Daystrom Institute, but their son Bret is applying to Starfleet Academy in the next year. It is at this moment La Forge confesses that he stopped by to see Picard and how he was holding up to his newly contracted Irumodic Syndrome. As they go back to Picard's house, Picard tells La Forge what he thought of his latest novel, but in the middle of a comment, he suddenly sees a strange group of people, dressed in shabby clothes, and supposedly mocking the captain. La Forge apparently does not see the people, but before Picard can say anything, the scene shifts again, to another time period. On board a shuttlecraft, Natasha Yar, an old member of the crew, is talking with the captain about any previous experiences he has had with Galaxy-class starships. He states that he has never been aboard one, but is familiar with the blueprints and schematics. Yar comments that the Enterprise is quite a ship, and the shuttle is cleared for arrival. Outside the window, the USS Enterprise is docked at McKinley Station, in orbit of Earth. The time shifts back to the "present," in Troi's quarters, and he tells her that he was just with Yar in the shuttle. Picard sits down, seemingly troubled by this. In sickbay, Dr. Crusher reports that she found nothing to indicate hallucinations. There are also no indications of temporal displacement, and Crusher believes that Picard is enjoying waking people up in the middle of the night, to which he responds that he really just likes running around the ship in his bare feet. Nurse Ogawa gives Crusher bio-spectral results, but these also show no signs of temporal displacement. After asking Troi to excuse them for a moment, she tells Picard about results of a scan for Irumodic Syndrome. There were no signs of the disorder itself, but there is a defect that could lead to the syndrome. Although she says that it is possible to live a whole life without developing problems, she is not confident about it. Riker enters to report that Worf has found nothing on his security scans. Worf comes on the comm to report that there is a transmission from Admiral Nakamura. Picard answers it in Dr. Crusher's office, to hear that there is now a fleet-wide yellow alert. Nearly thirty Romulan warbirds have been diverted to the Neutral Zone from Romulus, and there is also some sort of spatial anomaly in the Devron system. The orders are to go to their side of the Neutral Zone, and to find out what the situation is, and what the anomaly is. They cannot, however, enter the Neutral Zone until the Romulans do. Suddenly, the time shifts to the future, but this time, Picard notices the difference. He says that he was somewhere else a few minutes ago, a long time ago, talking to Beverly Crusher. He notices that he was on the Enterprise, in sickbay, but conjectures that it may have been a hospital. La Forge wants to call Picard's doctor, thinking that it is the Irumodic Syndrome, but Picard says that it is not. La Forge then asks what he wants to do about it, and Picard responds that he wants to see Data, to which La Forge agrees. Then, Picard sees the strange, barbaric people again, but doesn't understand yet. Again, La Forge sees nothing, and then takes the captain to go see Data. They go to Cambridge, and Picard explains how real the experience was. Data's housekeeper Jessel offers them tea, and Picard accepts. As Picard and La Forge attempt to exchange seats with Data's cats (who seem to be sitting on every available chair, shelf, or other horizontal surface), Picard starts to compliment Data's home. Data explains that it is one of the perks of holding the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge, the home itself once belonging to Sir Isaac Newton, one of the early Lucasian professors. Data then goes on to explain the change in his hair color, and then Picard remarks that the tea is not Earl Grey, but Darjeeling tea. Data asks Picard about how long it has been since he has seen a doctor about his Irumodic Syndrome. Picard responds a week, and starts to explain that Data, too, thinks that his time shifting is all a delusion, an idea which Data says had indeed crossed his mind. Yet, Data says that because there is no evidence to disprove the captain, they can run some neurographic scans with the equipment on campus. He tells the captain that they will get to the bottom of this. As Picard says that this is the Data he remembers and could count on, another time shift occurs. In the past, Captain Picard just exits the shuttlecraft Galileo with Tasha Yar. Picard then commences to read the orders which placed him in command given by Admiral Norah Satie, but is interrupted several times by the strange people he saw in the future. The assembled crew look around and see no one present. As he finishes reading the orders, he goes to shake hands with Counselor Troi, but is again distracted by the shouting people he sees. Deeply disturbed, Picard calls for red alert and orders all crew to battle stations. The crew look puzzled at each other, hardly the reaction they were expecting from their new captain, but Lieutenant Yar barks at them to follow the captain's orders and everyone quickly exits the shuttlebay to comply. Picard, alone, takes hold of himself and with concern, exits as well. In the observation lounge, Picard, noting the golden models of the previous Enterprises adorning the wall which had long since been removed from the lounge in his original time frame, makes a notation in his personal log, recorded under security lockout omega 327, stating that he will not tell his crew about his time shifting, afraid of altering the timeline. Other members of the senior staff enter. Yar reports that scans showed no unusual anomalies, and Worf asks if they could know exactly what they are looking for. Picard does not answer, but asks the counselor if she senses a foreign alien presence, one with great intelligence, but the counselor states that she only senses the ship's crew and families. Picard then asks Worf to issue a level 2 security alert, which surprises Yar, as she is the security chief. Realizing his mistake, Picard promptly corrects himself, and asks Yar to issue the alert. Chief Miles O'Brien then calls the captain to the bridge. Starfleet has issued an alert, stating that a number of vessels, mainly freighters, are moving to the Neutral Zone between Romulan and Federation space. A large spatial anomaly has appeared in the Devron system, the same place an anomaly was detected in the present. Worf remarks that it could be a Romulan trick to lure their ships, and O'Brien states that Starfleet has canceled the mission to Farpoint, ordering the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone. Picard however, states that they will continue the mission to Farpoint, despite orders. Yar is surprised at this, but Picard stands firm. He tells Troi that he has no reason, but then correctly guesses that there is a problem with the warp plasma inducers. He asks O'Brien to accompany him to engineering, where he gives the chief instructions to bypass the plasma inducers. O'Brien is hesitant to make any corrections, stating that it should be the chief engineer who makes these modifications. However, Picard puts his full confidence in O'Brien. As he asks for more help from Fletcher, he states that they will need to "burn the midnight oil," something which the Data of the time states would be inadvisable. He tells O'Brien not to ignite anything as it will set off the ship's fire-suppression systems, but O'Brien states how it was an expression to relate that they would need to work late. Picard then welcomes the commander on board, and asks for his help on the infusor array. Data identifies the problem, and states that they will need to "ignite the midnight petroleum" to fix the problem. Suddenly, Picard shifts back to the present. He starts to describe that he remembers more each time he shifts. He states that at first, he felt that he was in the future, and then he suddenly had the experience of being in the past. Crusher then states that a scan she just did indicates that Picard has somehow accumulated over two days worth of memories in a matter of minutes, evidence that he is indeed traveling through time. In the observation lounge, Picard tries to put things straight. Troi does not remember any of the events in the past such as the red alert, or the diversion to the Neutral Zone. Data states that there appears to be a discontinuity between time periods, but Riker states that there appears to be the same anomaly in the Devron system in both time frames, something too coincidental. La Forge theorizes that it may be some kind of temporal disturbance, but Crusher asks what this has to do with the time shifting. Picard says that these are good questions, but he doesn't have the answers yet. He wants everyone to prepare battle readiness reports to cope with the Romulan threat, and ends the meeting. Riker asks Troi if she wants to have dinner before the late night work, but she says that she already has plans with Worf. There appears to be some sort of tension, and this bothers Riker, who loses his awareness for a few moments. Picard then tells Riker that because the time shifts coincide with disorientation, Riker should be ready to take command. He then goes to his ready room, and Dr. Crusher follows. She gets him some warm milk with a dash of nutmeg, and observing that he's exhausted, orders him to sleep. Picard notices the look of worry on Crusher's face, and she brings up the issue of his possible Irumodic Syndrome. She reminds him that he knows the disease will occur, but Picard takes her hands in his, smiles warmly at her, and says he prefers to view the future as something that is not written in stone. The two share a tender, but romantic kiss. Crusher then agrees with him and leaves. In the future, La Forge wakes the captain, and Picard asks if they have reached the Neutral Zone. He explains to La Forge that he was in the past, and tells him they have to get to the neutral zone in this time period. La Forge asks why, and Picard tells him about the anomaly in the Devron system, but La Forge says that it may all be coincidental. Picard insists that they have to check, and La Forge agrees. However, La Forge brings up a potential problem: there is no neutral zone, ever since the Klingons took over the Romulan Star Empire, and to make matters worse, relations between the Federation and the Klingons at this point are strained. Yet La Forge says that they will need a ship to get to the Neutral Zone, and Picard asks him to contact Admiral Riker at Starbase 247. Admiral Riker says that he cannot help. Picard asks what if the anomaly is really there, but Riker simply responds that the latest report from Starfleet Intelligence states no unusual activity in the Devron system. Picard refuses to believe this, wanting to go there to see for himself. Riker states that he will have the Yorktown conduct scans, stating that it is the best he can do. He ends the transmission, and Picard gets upset that he cannot go. Data however, has an option. They could arrange passage on a medical ship, which has been granted permission to help Romulans fight off a strain of Terrellian plague. Picard supports the idea, and La Forge states that now they need to find a medical ship. Picard however, can arrange this. He asks Data to find the USS Pasteur, saying that he has some pull with the captain-at least he used to. The Pasteur arrives in orbit with Dr. Beverly Crusher in command. She welcomes the three of them aboard, and tells Picard that his idea is absurd, but then again, she could never say no to him. A member of the bridge crew calls out for "Captain Picard" and both Picard and Crusher respond with a yes. Picard replies to Crusher that she kept his last name, suggesting a marriage and subsequent divorce of these two in this future timeline, hence the captain of the Pasteur is actually Captain Beverly Picard. She says that they need to get clearance to cross the border, and La Forge suggests contacting Worf. Picard immediately agrees, stating that Worf is the answer, as he is governor of H'atoria, a small Klingon colony near the border. Crusher asks Picard to get some rest, but Picard says that he is not an invalid. Crusher apologizes, and then Picard agrees to go get some rest. As soon as he leaves, Crusher asks them about what they think of his story, and all three silently agree that they don't believe it. However, she states that they will go on one more mission if it is what Jean-Luc Picard wants to do. In the turbolift, Picard asserts to himself that they will indeed find the anomaly. As he exits the turbolift, he is in the past, asking for a report. O'Brien states that they are nearing the coordinates he was given, and Picard asks Data to scan for something unusual, a strong barrier of some sort. Data reports that there is nothing there. Picard states that this is the right place, and the right time, but "he" is not here. Yar asks who, and Picard yells for Q. He states that he knows Q is there, but there is no response. Picard again asks the counselor if she senses an alien presence, and Worf asks Yar what is a "Q," who responds that all she knows is that it is a letter of the alphabet. Picard doesn't understand why history is not happening the way it should, but he suddenly shifts to the courtroom in which he had his first encounter with Q. He finally recognizes the barbaric people he has been seeing, and Q appears as he did seven years prior, stating that he thought Picard would never figure out it was Q who was behind it. In the courtroom, Picard demands to know what is going on. Q asks Picard if he doesn't know, based on where he is. Picard then recounts that the last time he was standing in that courtroom, he was accused for being the representative of a savage race. Picard stated that they had agreed that the "trial" was over, but Q says that he will not help connect the dots, thinking it would be boring. He then offers Picard the chance to ask ten yes-or-no questions, and he will answer. Q states that he is not putting mankind on trial again. He does say, however, that there is a connection between the trial seven years ago and these events. The anomaly is related to what is going on, but it is not a Romulan creation to start a war. Q also states that he did not create the anomaly, but that he is responsible for the time shifts. Picard however, loses his chance to asks more questions when he asks why. Q then states that the trial never ended, and that they have been ruled guilty. Q states that the Human race has failed to expand their minds. Picard defends that Humanity is what it is, but Q states otherwise. Their trek through the stars will be terminated, and Humanity will be denied existence. Picard states that even Q is incapable of such an act, but Q then says that it is not Q who destroys Humanity, it is Picard. Q states that Picard is doing it, has done it, and will do it again. Q then closes the court, and Picard is sent back to the present. He immediately goes to the bridge, and reports to Commander Riker that they have a bigger problem than they thought. He wants red alert, and a senior staff meeting immediately. In the observation lounge, the senior staff discusses the situation. La Forge thinks it is another one of Q's tricks, but Picard disagrees. He believes Q to be serious, but both Crusher and Troi say that there is an apparent confusion in Q's statement about that fact that he has, and is causing the destruction of humanity. However, Data points out that the discontinuities in the three time periods makes Q's statement accurate, if confusing. Now Picard conjectures that he may have to lock himself up in all three time periods, but Riker says that action in itself will cause Humanity's destruction. Counselor Troi warns them not to second guess, and believes that the best course of action is to handle each situation as it arrives. Picard agrees, and then goes on to describe a curious side note. He states that Q is responsible for his time shifts, and believes that there may be a way to actually save Humanity. Riker asks why, and Picard responds that it is only logical. Q has always had an interest in Picard, and seems to have more than just a passing observation. An officer states over the comm that they are approaching the Neutral Zone. Data scans, and finds four Romulan Warbirds holding place on the Romulan side. The USS Concord and USS Bozeman are waiting on the Federation side. Worf hails the lead Warbird, but a time shift occurs, placing Picard in the future. Governor Worf is now on the viewscreen of the USS Pasteur. Crusher and Worf exchange quick greetings, and then Crusher asks if he has had time to read their request. Worf reports however, that he is no longer a member of the Klingon High Council, and that he must refuse, for their own safety. If they had a ship with a cloak, it would have been safer, and criticizes Riker for not helping them, but Picard doesn't care. He needs to get to the Devron system. Picard then tells Worf that the Worf he remembered was more concerned with honor than regulations. But Picard remarks that this was a long time ago, and that perhaps Worf has changed. Worf gets outraged at this, and Worf reluctantly allows them to cross the border, provided that he comes with them. Picard accepts these terms. Beverly tells Picard, though, that if they run into any trouble, she is pulling them out. As soon as Worf is aboard, she sets course for the Devron system, warp 13. She allows Picard to give the order to engage, but as he does, he shifts back to the past. O'Brien asks where to engage to, and Picard responds to engage to the Devron system, warp 9. Yar states that the Devron system is in the Romulan neutral zone, but Picard disregards the warning. Counselor Troi then asks Picard to speak to her in his ready room. Picard also asks Yar to contact Farpoint Station. He wants to speak to Riker. In Picard's ready room, Troi tells him that the crew is a bit confused with his irrational orders, and some don't trust him. She says that it takes time for a crew to get to know their captain, and vice-versa, but Picard stands firm that he knows what they are capable of. Troi also says that it is hard to operate in the dark, without knowledge as to what they are doing, and Picard sympathizes with this. Yar then tells Picard that she has Commander Riker on subspace. Picard accepts the call, and informs Riker that they will be delayed a tad in picking him up at Farpoint. Riker asks how long, but Picard is unsure. He then tells Riker to deliver the message to the rest of the crew, and ends the call. It is at this time that Counselor Troi reveals the romance that she had had with Commander Riker, but Picard states that he is confident in her abilities to deal with the situation. Suddenly, Picard is in the present, talking with Commander Tomalak. He proposes sending one ship from each side into the Neutral Zone to investigate the anomaly. Tomalak agrees as soon as he hears Starfleet does not approve, and reminds the captain to only send one ship. Picard sets the course to the Devron system, warp 5. They arrive shortly, and sensors pick up a large subspace anomaly. Picard orders a full scan, wanting as much information as possible. In the past, the Enterprise arrives at the same location, and also picks up the same anomaly. However, it is larger that it just was in the present. He orders another full scan of the anomaly. In the future, Picard orders the anomaly on screen. However, Data regretfully reports that there is no anomaly to see. Continuous scans in the future report no anomalies within a light year of the Devron system. Worf also reports that several warships have been dispatched to their location to investigate a renegade Federation vessel. Crusher wants to leave, but Picard wants to try a different way to scan for the anomaly. Data suggests using an inverse tachyon pulse to scan beyond the subspace barrier. He starts modifications, but Crusher makes it clear that if they don't find anything in six hours, they are heading back to Federation space. Picard tells the ensign not to leave in six hours, but Crusher overrules him. She then asks to see him in her ready room. Picard goes, and Crusher scolds him for questioning her orders. She states that he would never tolerate that behavior on the Enterprise, and she wouldn't here. Picard agrees, but reminds Crusher about the fact that Humanity's fate is at stake. But Crusher says that he might not be saying anything that is the truth. She reveals that he has advanced Irumodic Syndrome, and that it is possible that the entire journey is in his mind. However, she reminds him that if it were anyone else, they wouldn't be here, and then she leaves for the bridge. Picard is about to follow, but Q appears again, this time in the guise of an old man. Picard demands to know where the anomaly is, but Q does not give him the answer. However, Q reminds Picard that he is not alone in this; who he is, who he was and who he will become are always with him. Picard realizes that the answer to the problem lies in his time shifting, and then asks Q if the anomaly destroys Humanity, but Q reminds Picard that it is he that destroys Humanity, not the anomaly. In the present, Data has a preliminary report of the anomaly. It is a massive temporal displacement, emitting the energy equivalent to ten G-type stars. However, they cannot scan the interior of the anomaly, and cannot find the source. Picard then suggests the inverse tachyon pulse that the future Data suggested. Data is amazed at the captain's knowledge, and agrees to make the modifications. He and La Forge work on rerouting power and initiate the tachyon pulse. However, soon afterward, La Forge experiences some pain, and trouble with his VISOR. Data calls sickbay, and Crusher determines that La Forge is growing new eyes. Nurse Ogawa reports that they have reports from two crew members stating that old scars are healing themselves. Data then offers a partial explanation. The anomaly is a multiphasic temporal convergence in the space-time continuum, an eruption of anti-time. The relationship between time and anti-time is analogous to the relationship between matter and anti-matter, and upon contact, the two would annihilate each other, causing the rupture in space. In the past, Picard explains to Data that if they scan the anomaly with an inverse tachyon pulse, they will see that the anomaly is a rupture between time and anti-time. He orders Data to make the modifications, and is still trying to figure out why the anomaly is bigger in the past. He then goes to his ready room. In the future, the Pasteur is under attack from two Klingon attack cruisers. Under attack, the USS Pasteur attempts to escape. Warp power is off-line, so they try to evade the attacks. The impulse drive is fluctuating, and shields are down to 30%. The Pasteur's weapons are no match for the Klingon ships, and La Forge can't get warp power. Shields are failing, and Crusher attempts to explain that they are on an errand of mercy. The Klingons don't listen, and Worf signals a surrender. As shields fail, helmsman Nell Chilton is killed and a ship decloaks. It is the USS Enterprise-D, still in service and now upgraded as well as being heavily armed. Admiral Riker hails them, and offers to help with the Klingons. He takes out one ship, and draws the fire of the other. The Pasteur's warp core, however, has destabilized, and there is a warp core breach in progress. Riker beams the Pasteur's crew aboard, and then angrily scolds Worf for letting the Pasteur enter hostile territory, and putting their friends in jeopardy. Worf retaliates, saying that if Riker had helped them in the first place, none of this would have happened, before Picard breaks up the argument by reminding them that the Pasteur is seconds away from exploding, and that they need to get to a safe distance. Riker orders them out of range of the Pasteur, narrowly escaping the blast caused by the ship's explosion, and then engages the Enterprise out of Klingon space. The cloak is down, so they engage at warp 13 back to Federation space. Picard is outraged, and demands that they stay, but Crusher administers a sedative to Picard. In the present, Picard accidentally bumps into a crew member on his way to sickbay. Inside sickbay, several time-reversing phenomena are occurring. La Forge's visual acuity is improving by the minute, and Alyssa Ogawa lost her baby. Picard enters, and Crusher explains that the baby somehow grew backwards, until the DNA itself broke down. However, the temporal energy seems to be affecting the entire crew, causing everyone to "grow backward," and it could kill all of them. In the observation lounge, Picard asks the senior staff to contact the nearest starbase to see how widespread the effect of the temporal reversion is. Data is about an hour and 45 minutes away from completing his tachyon scan, and Picard wants to find some way to collapse the anomaly, then dismisses the senior staff. After they leave, Q appears musing that Picard has a difficult decision ahead of him an anomaly he knows nothing about but will be somehow responsible for the end of humanity; the question is will collapsing it save humanity or destroy it. Q then gives Picard the proper perspective he needs to solve the puzzle. Q transfers them back to Earth, about 3.5 billion years in the past. He shows Picard the sky, which shows that the anomaly is so large that it can be seen from Earth and spreads across the entire Alpha Quadrant. Picard then realizes that the anomaly is expanding as it moves back in time. Q then shows Picard a pool of green sludge, a pool of amino acids. They are about to combine to form the first proteins, however, the disturbance from the anomaly stops the combination as it happens. Life on Earth doesn't start, and the anomaly stopped the creation of Humanity. Realizing from Q's words that he somehow created the anomaly, Picard is transported back to the past Enterprise. In the past, Picard wants to know how the anomaly was formed. Data says that their information is limited; they would need to be able to scan the center to get an idea of its creation. Picard asks if there is any way, but nothing aboard could do the job. Data says that a tomographic imaging scanner with multiphasic resolution could do the scan, however the device is still in the experimental phases at the Daystrom Institute. In the present, Data uses the imaging scanner (which, by this point in time, is completed) to scan the anomaly, but gets very unusual readings. He has found three tachyon pulses with the same amplitude modulation converging at the center of the anomaly. It is as if all three pulses came from the Enterprise. Picard then deduces that three pulses from three time periods, converging at one point in space may have caused the anomaly. In the future, Picard wakes up from a nap, and heads to Ten Forward to talk to Admiral Riker about this new information. In Ten Forward, La Forge compliments on how well Enterprise has held up over the years. Riker says that Starfleet tried to decommission her five years ago, but the advantage of being an admiral was that he got to pick his own ship. Crusher then asks Riker how long the tension between him and Worf would continue. Riker thinks that after twenty years, it would be too hard to stop, but Data says that the last thing Troi would have wanted is for her best friends to be alienated. Riker says that he tried to put it behind them at Troi's funeral and make peace, but Worf refused to even talk to him. As they talk about this, Picard enters Ten Forward, to the surprise of everyone there. Picard tells Riker that he knows why the anomaly is being caused. He tries to explain the creation like the problem of the chicken and the egg. Data deduces that the captain is describing a paradox. Data finds that it is possible they caused the anomaly they have been looking for, and that if they hurry, they may be able to see the initial formation of the anomaly. Riker agrees to head back, and tells the bridge to go back to the Devron system at maximum warp. As Riker leaves, he cautiously asks Worf for a helping hand on the bridge, to which Worf agrees. The Enterprise enters the Devron system, and does indeed pick up a small temporal anomaly off their port bow, an anti-time eruption. Picard was right, and proposes to stop it before it can travel back through time. Riker asks Data for any ideas. Data suggests that the tachyon pulses should be shut down in the other time periods. Picard shuts down the pulse in both the present and the past, but the anomaly remains unaffected. The only way to stop the eruption is to seal the rupture at the convergence point, by using a static warp shell. In the past, Picard orders the Enterprise into the anomaly, and Tasha Yar refuses to put the ship in jeopardy. She asks for an explanation, but Picard can not give an explanation. He tells them what they have to do, take the ship to the center of the anomaly, and create a static warp shell. He tells them that they may not survive, but that this has to be done, because what is at stake is far more than any of them could imagine. He tells them about the faith he has in them, and asks for their trust in return. They agree, and make preparations to go in. In the present, Data makes the same suggestion, and Picard orders the Enterprise in. In the future, the same is done, as the Enterprise heads towards the anomaly. Temporal energy interferes with main power once they enter, but they attempt to stabilize it. At the center, all three ships initiate the warp shell, and a new subspace barrier forms. All three time periods overlap, and there are now three Enterprises visible. The warp shell is working, but the temporal energy ruptures the past Enterprise's warp containment system, causing an anti-matter eruption, destroying the ship. On the present ship, the containment system also goes, and the present Enterprise is destroyed. On the future Enterprise, as La Forge reports that the anomaly is nearly gone. Q also appears to Picard, telling him that he had potential but "all good things must come to an end". At that point, the containment system is lost, and the ship is destroyed, along with the anomaly. "The continuum didn't think you had it in you Jean-Luc, but I knew you did." Picard is now back in the courtroom with Q. The anomaly was indeed collapsed, and Humanity was saved, once again, and everyone is safe. Picard then proceeds to thank Q for helping him get out of it. Q admits that he got Picard into it (under orders from the Continuum), but it was his choice alone to give him a helping hand. Picard hopes that he never finds himself in the courtroom again, causing Q to ask if Picard has been paying attention the trial never ends. The Continuum wanted to see if Humanity could expand their mind and horizons and for one moment Picard did, when he realized the paradox. Q tells Picard that during that one moment, his mind was open to possibilities that he had never considered before. That is the exploration that awaits Humanity, exploring the unknown possibilities of existence. Picard asks Q if there's something he's trying to tell him, and it appears for an instant that Q is going to tell Picard something meaningful, but at the last second pulls back simply stating that he'll find out and that he'll be watching, and may even drop in from time to time. "See you out there", the omnipotent entity states to Picard before disappearing. Back on the Enterprise, Picard is at the beginning of his journey, leaving a turbolift and walking into a corridor towards counselor Troi's quarters. He asks the date, very much the same way he did at the beginning, and upon hearing stardate 47988, Picard laughs to himself. He goes back to bed, saying that he could use some sleep, leaving both Troi and Worf dumbfounded. As he records his log, he states that he is the only one who remembers the events of the entire journey, and that there is no anomaly in the Devron system. In Riker's quarters, Riker, Worf, Crusher, Data, and La Forge are playing their weekly game of poker. At the end of a round (and the usual friendly banter), Crusher begins to wonder why Picard shared the information about the future he encountered with them. La Forge says that it goes against the rules they've heard about not polluting the timeline, but Data believes that the case is different. Since the anomaly never occurred, the future they encounter will be radically different from the one Picard experienced. Riker thinks that Picard told them so that they would not make some mistakes twice, as he looks towards Worf meaningfully. Worf agrees, and they silently affirm their friendship. At this point, Troi enters, and joins the game. A few moments later the door chimes again and to everyone's surprise, Picard is at the door. Riker calmly asks the captain if there is a problem. Picard says that there is no problem, but wants to join them for the game. A pleasantly surprised crew make room for him and Data gives Picard the cards to deal. As Picard starts to shuffle the deck, he takes a moment's pause to regard his crew and friends and notes that he should have done this a long time ago. Troi tells him he was always welcome, and Picard starts to deal the cards. As he gives those fitting final words, the Enterprise is seen from the outside in space, heading off to continue exploring the unknown possibilities that await them in the final frontier. 
<EOS>
Archer is carrying T'Pol's body into sickbay. "She's coming to!" he shouts to Phlox. As they place her on the biobed, they restrain her, just as she regains consciousness. She briefly strangles Archer and threatens to kill, calling him a liar when he says they are not trying to hurt her. Phlox applies the last restraint as T'Pol lets out an ear-splitting scream. Phlox tries to sedate T'Pol, who thinks the doctor is trying to kill her, like they "killed the others". Archer holds her head still as T'Pol calls them murderers and Phlox applies the sedative. T'Pol struggles briefly, but the sedative takes effect, as Phlox sends the biobed into the imaging chamber. Trip Tucker and Archer are in the command center. Tucker says that he has been talking with Chef, who is worried about the crew's morale and their lack of meals. He recommends they re-introduce movie night again, but Archer says there'll be plenty of time for movies after the Xindi mission. Tucker says it is either that or Phlox will have to start medicating the crew. Archer asks what he has in mind. "A comedy," Tucker replies, as T'Pol enters. She says she would have helped the two men with their work, but Archer didn't want to get her out of bed too early. "Besides, our resident insomniac was looking for something to do." Tucker asks T'Pol if she is doing anything on Tuesday night. She guesses that it is movie night. Hoshi Sato contacts them from the bridge. She has picked up an automated distress call -- it is Vulcan. They have had no response to hails. On the bridge, T'Pol recognizes the transponder frequency. It is from the Vulcan cruiser Seleya, a ship that entered the Expanse nine months previously. They set a course. Enterprise NX-01 arrives at the coordinates, finding an asteroid field affected by spatial anomalies. With their paths so unpredictable, Archer guesses that Enterprise will be too big to go in. Tucker finds out the reason the Seleya is there -- the asteroids are loaded with trellium ore. Archer asks Sato to wake up Malcolm Reed, and send him to the launch bay. He then asks Tucker to get some of the ore. He and T'Pol then leave the bridge. In the asteroid field, Archer is piloting the shuttlepod manually. MACO F. Hawkins makes up the fourth member of their away team. Two of the asteroids collide, sending bits of rubble on to the hull of the small craft. Reed says they may need a fresh coat of paint when they return. T'Pol offers to take the helm. "Maybe on the way back," Archer replies. He then finds out from T'Pol that she served on the Seleya for over a year, as a deputy science officer under Captain Voris. It was her last assignment before joining the Vulcan consulate on Earth. The Seleya was charting the thermobaric perimeter when they reported being caught in a subspace eddy. They were eventually pulled in to the Expanse, and were never heard from them again. The Vaankara was sent to find them. "You already know what happened to that crew," says T'Pol. Tucker and Travis Mayweather are transporting some of the smaller asteroids on to the ship, in an attempt to get some trellium. Tucker aims for something bigger, but as they energize transporters, an anomaly passes over it, and the transporter circuits become fused. The asteroid dematerializes, then rematerializes as small pieces, practically phased in to the transporter alcove. Mayweather says that with transporters down, he can land on one of the asteroids in a shuttlepod, even though it is risky. Tucker looks back to the transporter. "This'll be a new one for the maintenance crew," he says, before leaving with Mayweather. Shuttlepod 1 arrives at the Vulcan cruiser, which has taken quite a beating. Main power is off-line, life support is at a minimum, and T'Pol detects bio-signs. Archer tries to contact them, but again gets no response. They dock at the starboard docking port. Reed is the first one on board, followed by Archer, T'Pol and Hawkins. Reed discovers a smattering of a blue compound on a bulkhead, and finds out that it is trellium. T'Pol's scanner picks up some biosigns on their deck, but it can't isolate them. They split into pairs. Reed and Hawkins go starboard. They find Vulcan blood on another bulkhead, next to a computer terminal. Archer and T'Pol hear a knocking, and head towards a jammed door. Picking up a single biosign, T'Pol tries the override to the door's control panel and succeeds. When the door opens, a Vulcan, with a deteriorated and sickly appearance wielding a blunt weapon, nearly striking T'Pol. Archer wrestles him to the ground, where the Vulcan crewman scratches his face. Now standing up, T'Pol shoots him, but he does not fall to the ground. Next she kicks him, before Archer downs him with another shot. T'Pol is leaning against the door, recovering from the shock. As they start moving the Vulcan crewman to the shuttlepod, two more crewmen wielding the same weapons walk towards them. Again, it takes two phase-pistol shots to down them. Archer contacts Reed, who has not run into anyone yet. As soon as they stop talking, Reed and Hawkins are attacked. Hawkins is downed, while Reed keeps firing at the Vulcans heading towards them. Eventually getting up, Hawkins uses his stun baton to defend himself, as Reed himself is attacked. One of the Vulcans puts his weapon around Reed's neck, intent on strangling him, but he is saved by Archer, who shoots the Vulcan down. More Vulcans are converging on their position, so Archer suggests they retreat, as the other Vulcans begin to rise. Hawkins sets his weapon to kill, which T'Pol notices. T'Pol, then Archer, order him to switch back to stun, as there is still a chance the Vulcans could be rescued. The team get back to the docking port, but they are blocked by two Vulcans, who just stand there, staring coldly and almost hatefully at them. Archer tries to talk to them, but they seal the hatch, giving them no access to the shuttlepod. The rear door opens, revealing three Vulcans, one of them being armed a welding tool and firing at point blank range. They are downed by several shots, as even more crewmen approach. The team moves away from the area, up a ladder leading to the next deck. Archer is the last one to go up, and the Vulcans grab him as he climbs. Fighting them off, he gets up the ladder and closes the hatch. The Vulcans on the other side begin banging. Archer tries to contact Enterprise, to no avail. T'Pol believes they can contact Enterprise from the bridge if their com system is intact, but there is one slight problem -- the bridge is seven decks above them. If the whole crew is still alive, there will be 147 Vulcans on board. Malcolm suggests using one of the Vulcan shuttles, but the bay has decompressed. The four bulkheads leading to their own shuttle have been sealed. They decide to press on. As Hawkins is badly injured, they decide to go to the Seleya's sickbay, which is just two decks up. T'Pol tells Archer that she may be succumbing to the same thing that is affecting the Vulcan crew, so Archer tells her he'll get her out of there as soon as possible. Tucker and Mayweather are in Shuttlepod 2, looking for a large asteroid with plenty of trellium near the surface. "There isn't a flat spot much bigger than my quarters," says Mayweather, but Tucker gives him the choice. He takes the opportunity. Hitting a small outcropping and then skidding to a halt, Mayweather asks the chief engineer not to write up that particular landing in his log. "Are you kidding?" he replies. "I'm gonna recommend they give you a medal." They set out. Archer and his team have reached the Seleya's sickbay. They are almost surprised when yet another Vulcan jumps down from above, but Reed has it covered, shooting the man before he hits the floor. As Reed patches up Hawkins' wound, Archer asks about the man lying in the isolation pod. T'Pol is slowly losing her grip on her emotional control. She tells Archer that the man on the biobed is called Solin, and that he is the chief engineer. When T'Pol asks him questions, he doesn't answer, but only struggles to break free from his restraints. She eventually shouts at him, causing her to recoil when Solin again doesn't answer. She knows that she is losing control and believes that it is too late to save her. Archer reassures her, and with a steady hand on her shoulder, calms her down enough to continue. Moving through an access tube, T'Pol struggles to keep moving. When they come out, they find a lot of debris blocking their way. Archer and Reed squeeze through, telling Hawkins to look after T'Pol, while they proceed towards engineering and the two biosigns they have just picked up. Hawkins gives T'Pol some water, before apologizing for his earlier actions. He asks how the crew could have become so violent when they don't have emotions. T'Pol corrects him on a common misconception -- they do have emotions, but they are kept suppressed and under control. She relates Vulcan's past to their present situation. Vulcans used to be extremely violent, and they nearly destroyed themselves. Archer and Reed go through the access tube next to engineering, but as they open the hatch there is no-one there. Archer climbs out, before being promptly attacked by two Vulcans who had hidden themselves at the side. Reed takes one out with his particle rifle, and Archer punches the other one. Calling T'Pol and Hawkins to them, they continue. On one of the asteroids, Tucker and Mayweather have collected a whole box with trellium ore. Mayweather remembers about the "accident" that Tucker and T'Pol had in the lab while trying to synthesize trellium-D. Suddenly, the asteroid shakes as a spatial anomaly strikes. Sato contacts them to tell them that the asteroid has changed course and is headed into a denser area of the field. They look up as they see a particularly large asteroid moving towards them. Tucker and Mayweather board Shuttlepod 2 and Mayweather launches it. The two large asteroids collide, sending small pieces at them. They only have one thruster left, but Mayweather can get them back to Enterprise. Inside the Seleya's engine room, Archer's team find out that the transceiver has been damaged. T'Pol is in a very fragile state, but remains calm for long enough to tell Archer what needs to be done. Reed has encrypted the locking mechanism on the doors but he doesn't know how long it'll hold. In the launch bay, Tucker, Mayweather and an engineering crew are working on repairs to Shuttlepod 2. Tucker is contacted by Sato, who is receiving a transmission from the captain. Archer asks if they can go and pick them up, but it'll be a few hours before Shuttlepod 2 is ready to go again. Archer says he's sending some biodata that he wants Phlox to analyze, before terminating the comm link. Tucker tells his men to get a repair team. On the Seleya, T'Pol has rerouted the bulkhead controls to engineering. Reed has finished realigning the actuator circuits, and as T'Pol puts her hand into an access port, she gets a shock. Angry, she throws the circuits at Reed and Archer. She then accuses them of undermining her work when Archer and Tucker looked over the Xindi starcharts without her. Archer tells her they are all going to get off the ship, safely. Reed suggests causing an overload in the Seleya's power grid that would override all systems, including the bulkhead mechanisms. T'Pol says that with the warp core being unstable, it would probably shut down antimatter containment, causing a reactor breach. Archer says there isn't any other choice. Backing off, T'Pol draws her phase-pistol on Archer, as Hawkins and Reed point their rifles at her. Reed notices, and informs Archer, that T'Pol's phase-pistol is set to kill. T'Pol thinks Archer is trying to get revenge on the Vulcans, who undermined his father's work, among other things. Archer reiterates: they're on a rescue mission. T'Pol doesn't believe him. Archer asks her why would they keep their weapons on stun if they were trying to kill the Vulcans. There is a bang at the door, and as everyone turns, Archer seizes the moment. Disarming T'Pol, he then grabs his own phase-pistol and points it at T'Pol. In Enterprise's sickbay, Phlox and Tucker are analyzing the bioscans. They have found out that trellium is the cause of the Vulcan crew's symptoms. Tucker notes that T'Pol hasn't shown any signs of trellium exposure, but Phlox guesses that it is because she has not been near large quantities of it. Unfortunately for the crew of the Seleya, they had the misfortune of wandering into an asteroid field loaded with the compound. Trellium-D has become a potent neurotoxin to the Vulcan nervous system, and it is stopping them from controlling their emotions. In a corridor, two Vulcans open a panel and pull out an actuator. Archer is talking to Phlox about the condition of the Vulcans. T'Pol can yet be treated but the Seleya's crew is beyond help. T'Pol thinks that Phlox is lying. Suddenly, communication is cut off, and the compartment is being filled with hexafluorine gas. The Vulcan crew is attempting to gain access to engineering as Archer's team is trying to escape. They can't shut off the gas. Reed activates the overload as the team leaves through an access tube above them. As they walk along the corridors, the Vulcan ship begins its slow path to destroying itself. T'Pol tries to escape from Archer's care, but he stops her. Continuing, they find a rather large obstacle -- part of the floor is missing, and the gap is significant. If they miss the jump, they will fall several meters to their certain deaths in space. They find a piece of framework, and throw it over the gap, so they can cross over. Archer asks T'Pol to go over with him but she refuses. As she is about to attack him, Archer stuns her, and lifts her over his shoulder, making his trip a lot more dangerous. He makes it however, as the ship rocks around him. Suddenly, the Vulcan crew appears, and Reed and Hawkins become occupied. Reed sends Hawkins across, but some Vulcans come from the side and almost pull him off. Archer and Hawkins get the bulkhead open slightly, as Reed attempts to cross the gap, firing all the time. He jumps the last part, before getting rid of the framework and sending another Vulcan plunging to his death. Finally back in Shuttlepod 1, Archer's team find that the docking clamps are locked. They have just moments before the ship explodes. Then they are hailed -- it is Shuttlepod 2, which frees them by firing phase cannons at the docking clamps. Both ships then race away from the cruiser as it explodes. Tucker has collected over sixty kilograms of trellium, and it should be enough to cover the forward hull. As Phlox could take a while in finding an inoculation for T'Pol, Archer orders Tucker to put the trellium in a bio-hazard locker in cargo bay 1. In sickbay, T'Pol is recovering. She is informed of the Seleya's destruction and Tucker's efforts getting the trellium. T'Pol wishes to be left on the next habitable planet, but Archer disagrees. It is Tuesday night: movie night. Phlox, with a big bowl of popcorn, is discussing the film with Tucker. They are trying to solve the mystery out loud, much to T'Pol's chagrin. She tells them to use logic more quietly. He gives Phlox the "that's not fair!" look, as the film stops. Archer calls the crew to their stations, for a tactical alert. T'Pol walks down a corridor by herself, rather quickly. She suddenly slows however, when she hears something behind her. She turns, then, ignoring it, turns back as someone walks right past her. She enters the turbolift, and a Seleya crewmember appears next to her, attacking her. She walks out on to the deck, which has an eerie red glow, and is acting like one of the Seleya's corridors. She is grabbed by several Vulcans who push her to the ground. she hears Phlox call "T'Pol!" and wakes up in sickbay, hyperventilating. She looks up and sees yet another Vulcan, before sitting up straight and being held by Phlox. He calms her down and says that she is safe. Her breathing slows, and she lies back down on the biobed, scared by what could happen next. 
<EOS>
As Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher walk down Deep Space 9's Promenade, Crusher tells Picard that she is eager to visit Quark's holosuites, especially a relaxation program from Alture VII. Picard has no time for relaxation, since he is due to meet with ten Bajoran bureaucrats to discuss the repair of the Bajoran aqueducts. Meanwhile, Worf and Geordi La Forge are in the Replimat, eating pasta al fiorella. La Forge wants to visit the station's Ktarian antique shop, as he hears they have a 21st century plasma coil. As they eat, a Yridian is watching Worf from across the Promenade. On the Enterprise bridge, Data detects a power drain in the starboard EPS conduits in sickbay. Someone has made an unauthorized access into the computer's bio-imaging systems from his console. In sickbay, Dr. Julian Bashir is studying a strange device. When Data arrives to assess the situation, Bashir explains that the device was discovered in the Gamma Quadrant, that he believes it to be some sort of medical imaging scanner, and that the Enterprise's sickbay systems can analyze it far better and faster than his limited resources on Deep Space 9 can. Data suggests that they take the device to engineering and have La Forge help them with the analysis. The Yridian introduces himself to Worf as Jaglom Shrek and reveals that his late father, Mogh, is in fact alive. Yridian Jaglom Shrek introduces himself as a broker of information. He says Mogh is being held prisoner in a Romulan prison camp. Enraged, Worf brands Shrek a liar and pins him to the wall, unwilling to believe that Mogh or any Klingon could have allowed himself to be captured at Khitomer. He threatens him for spreading lies and returns to the Enterprise. Worf finds that he cannot stop thinking about what Shrek told him. He verbally reprimands an ensign, and snaps at Riker. He immediately retires to his quarters, and begins some mok'bara training, breaking a glass table in a fit of rage. Counselor Troi enters just after and tries to talk to him about his problem, and Worf explains that if Mogh had indeed been captured, it would dishonor his whole family line for three generations, meaning even his son Alexander would also bear the dishonor. Meanwhile in engineering, Data and La Forge attempt to input energy from the dilithium crystal chamber to the inputs of Bashir's device. As they work, he finds his curiosity piqued by the android, asking him questions about how Data's miscellaneous functions allow him to seem more Human -- such as how he can control the rate of his hair growth, and his circulatory and respiratory systems. Powering up the Gamma Quadrant device, Bashir detects an overload in its power systems, and Data is struck by an energy discharge. Data suddenly finds himself walking down a corridor on board the Enterprise, drawn to the far-off sound of metal on metal. Exploring further, he finds a blacksmith, hammering a piece of metal. The blacksmith turns to Data and smiles -- it is Dr. Noonian Soong, Data's creator and "father". Data awakens from his "vision", and cannot understand what he has just experienced. There doesn't appear to be a problem with Data's positronic subprocessors or circuit controllers. Data's internal diagnostics don't reveal anything wrong with his memory, and no cognitive activity. There does not appear to be an immediate scientific explanation for what Data experienced. La Forge rules out easy explanations. They disconnect the device and Bashir suggests re-approaching the analysis given he is an exceptional machine. This prompts Data to seek out Worf, who had a vision when he was younger. Data finds him in Ten Forward, where he is still dwelling on his own thoughts. Despite his mood, he still engages Data in conversation. He becomes quite interested when Data explains he had a vision. Worf describes the Rite of MajQa and urges him to understand all he can from the experience, for it is very important one learn anything they can about their father. Data thanks him and leaves. Through talking to Data, Worf ultimately realizes what he must do. Worf checks the station records for Shrek's transportation to the station, and finds him on the second level Promenade. He "persuades" him to take him to the prison camp by holding Shrek over the railing, telling him he will take Worf there, and he will only be paid after the trip. Shrek says the prison is close to the Romulan Star Empire border, but Worf says it will be more dangerous for Shrek if he does not go. On the way to the planet in the Carraya sector, Worf determines he needs to beam down and make his way 12 hours to the camp, partly during night. Shrek has a map of the place. Worf questions him about why the planet isn't known to the Klingon Empire, but since he is only selling the information, he has not had an offer. Also, he "has his reasons." Meanwhile, Data talks to Captain Picard in his ready room about his vision; Picard suggests that rather than analyzing it from the point of view of another culture, Data should try interpreting what it means to him as an individual. Data goes to his quarters and starts to paint pictures of his vision. Worf and Shrek arrive on the Carraya IV where the prison camp is. Shrek tells him the location of the camp and he tells Worf will be back in fifty hours and gives him a homing device to help find his ship. After this, he begins his long trek through the jungle, with distant animal cries in the background. During the trek, Worf encounters a Klingon girl bathing in a small pool, though the ridges on her forehead are somewhat different. The girl is frightened by his intrusion, but Worf asks her to wait. He says he will take her home, but she is confused, saying she is home. When a Romulan guard comes near, he asks her not to reveal him to anyone and she goes toward the camp, with Worf quietly following. La Forge comes to Data's quarters since they were supposed to meet. Data's paintings are as incomprehensible as the vision, but certain paintings -- those of a bird, and a bird's wing -- were not present in the vision. Unable to understand how he could be painting something he has never seen, Data decides to replicate the accident with the experiment with the Gamma Quadrant device. La Forge reluctantly agrees. Monitored by La Forge and Bashir, Data is again struck by an energy beam and experiences another vision. He finds Soong once more, hammering a bird's wing on his anvil. Soong tells him that he has developed the capacity to dream; no man should understand his dreams, hence why they are incomprehensible. Soong tells Data he is proud of of him, assuming Data has developed enough cognitive ability while in fact the dream was caused by the energy beam. He then tells Data that he is the bird; Data "flies" through the corridors and out of the ship, before waking up in engineering. Finally understanding, he tells Bashir that there are circuits in his neural net that, until now, were dormant. It appears the plasma shock activated them prematurely, as Data believes Dr. Soong intended them to activate after a certain level of development. He intends to deactivate himself every night and dream more. Bashir mentions this could be a paper in the Starfleet Cybernetics Journal and asks to author it. Data permits it, and Bashir wishes him "sweet dreams" before departing the Enterprise for Deep Space 9. Meanwhile, Worf finds the Romulan prison camp and discovers a group of Klingons performing a ceremony. Taking one of them hostage briefly, he is told that his father did indeed die at Khitomer. He quickly learns that these Klingons are not treated as prisoners, but rather are living there together as a community and now that he knows of the camp's existence, he cannot be permitted to leave. 
<EOS>
In his quarters, Worf rehearses, a little nervously, how he will explain to his son Alexander what it means to be a true Klingon warrior. Alexander dashes in, pursued by his friend Eric with a fullerene water balloon. He misses Alexander and hits Worf, who is not amused. However, he continues with his explanation. He tells Alexander that there are actually two Rite of Ascension ceremonies; Alexander won't be required to pass through the second rite (the one with painstiks) until he is older, but is old enough for the first rite now. His fighting skills and his knowledge of the teachings of Kahless will be tested, and Worf promises to help him with this. The first step is lighting a kor'tova candle and declaring one's intention to be a Klingon warrior. Alexander doesn't want to do it, reminding Worf that his mother K'Ehleyr told him he didn't have to do any "Klingon stuff" he didn't want to. Worf agrees that it must be Alexander's choice, and Alexander runs out of the room, declaring that he has no intention of becoming a warrior. The USS Enterprise-D is supposed to rendezvous with another ship, the Kearsarge, but it won't arrive for another four days, so the senior staff plan extra activities. Captain Picard wants to visit the Hatarian system where there's an archaeological dig, and Data suggests stellar dynamics can have more access to the sensor array to examine the Vodrey Nebula. Picard notices that Worf looks distracted during the briefing, and Worf explains afterwards about Alexander. Picard suggests that the Enterprise detour to the Klingon outpost on Maranga IV where they'll be celebrating Kot'baval and Alexander can immerse in Klingon culture and folklore; this will also give Stellar Dynamics a chance to see the entire nebula, as the outpost lies on the other side of it. On Maranga, the festival is in full swing; there is almost a county fair atmosphere, what with the vendors and the banners and the colorful re-enactments of Klingon history. Worf and Alexander watch one such drama, in which the story of how Kahless defeated the traitor Molor is shown. The actor playing Molor issues repeated challenges to bat'leth duels, and audience members are invited to participate. Alexander is caught up in the excitement and accepts a challenge. The actor takes a fall to let Alexander win. After spending a full day at the festival and even making some friends among the Klingon children at the outpost, Alexander and Worf are about to return to the Enterprise when three armed husky Klingon warriors appear from the shadows, cornering them. Before the fight starts, an older Klingon man comes out of the shadows of an alley and fires a disruptor at one of the assailants. Worf takes on the other two, shouting to Alexander to run. The older Klingon helps to defeat them and they run away. Worf recognizes the man as K'mtar, gin'tak or adviser to the House of Mogh. They beam aboard the Enterprise where Commander Riker wants to question them, unhappy with K'mtar's reluctance to answer. K'mtar shows the dagger dropped by one of the assailants. It bears the insignia of the rival House of Duras, indicating that Lursa and B'Etor are behind the attack. They have not been heard from since they tried to sell bilitrium explosives to a Bajoran terrorist on Deep Space 9. They are after the seat on the Klingon High Council now held by Worf's brother Kurn, who has sent K'mtar to protect Worf and his child and put a stop to the sisters' treachery. Riker says the next step will be to track down the sisters. Riker offers to help find them and gives K'mtar quarters on the ship. Worf and K'mtar leave to his quarters. K'mtar relates Kurn's concern about Alexander, as he has no male heir and so Alexander may have to lead the House of Mogh someday. Kurn believes in Worf's ability to teach him, but it can't be easy being the only two Klingons on a starship full of Humans. He inquires how Alexander is doing as far as his Klingon warrior skills, and Worf says he is not as good as he should be, because he doesn't take time to practice as all Klingon youths do. K'mtar promises to help, and Worf accepts. Very gently (for a Klingon), he approaches Alexander's bedside and speaks in warm, understanding tones, telling him that learning warrior's skills will help Alexander to feel that not only he, but his father, are safe from harm. Worf, around the corner, is a little uneasy that there is another voice influencing Alexander, but he does trust him. The next day, on the bridge, Riker has Worf contact Deep Space 9 while Data searches records for the Duras sisters. Data does not find any more information, and so Riker turns to DS9. He bribes information out of the station's bartender Quark as to what the Duras sisters are doing and where they are. Quark explains that they were going to buy some mining equipment and dig up magnesite (which actually belongs to the Pakleds) in the Kalla system. While the Enterprise travels to the Kalla system, K'mtar comes up with a holodeck simulation different from what Alexander is used to. Instead of just going through the exercises, he proposes a re-enactment of what happened on Maranga. As Alexander goes up against one of the attackers, K'mtar freezes the program at various points to illustrate how Alexander can take advantage of his opponent. Alexander knocks the attacker to the ground but won't kill him. When K'mtar angrily insists, Alexander gets disgusted and runs away. When the Enterprise arrives at Kalla III and beams down an away team, they find a lone Dopterian, Gorta. In exchange for passage off planet, he tells them that the sisters have already left, taking everything of value with them (and stranding him). The plan had been to sell the ore to a Yridian trader in the Ufandi system. In Ten Forward, K'mtar meets up with Worf. He apologizes for his anger earlier and suggests that Alexander be sent to a Klingon school on Ogat. Worf dislikes the idea because Alexander is at home on the Enterprise, but K'mtar says it is almost impossible to learn true Klingon ways under these conditions. He again gets heated and says he might have to invoke the ya'nora kor, a law which can remove a child from unfit parental custody. Outraged, Worf asks if he questions his fitness as a parent. K'mtar says that for the good of their House, yes, he is indeed. He only wants what is best for the boy. However, K'mtar is growing increasingly angry and frustrated with Alexander, who questions traditional Klingon stories and disagrees that it is so vitally important that he become a warrior. K'mtar sits Alexander down to teach him Klingon ways, telling him more of Kahless and Morath. Alexander listens, but cuts him off, saying he already knows the story. K'mtar says it's important to tell it even if it's known, but Alexander starts questioning each statement like an inquisitive Human would. K'mtar is increasingly frustrated, saying those details don't matter, but rather the Klingon warrior interpretation. He then tells Alexander about the school, but he says he doesn't want to leave the Enterprise. He realizes K'mtar is just like his father, only caring about being a warrior, and leaves. Meanwhile, Riker has tracked down the ore taken by the sisters to the Yridian trader Yog, and buys it from him for half a gram of Anjoran bio-mimetic gel. Instead of beaming it to the Enterprise, though, Riker blows up the ore in space with the ship's phasers, and discovers a cloaked Bird-of-Prey ship nearby. He has found the sisters, and soon brings them aboard. Telling them he knows the ore was stolen, he confronts them with the assassination attempt and the dagger. They claim to know nothing about it, and Riker asks K'mtar about his other evidence which he claims to be on the homeworld. Riker prepares to set a course and K'mtar leaves to contact Kurn. However, after he leaves, B'Etor notices something on the dagger which clearly shocks her and Lursa, upon seeing it, claims that what's she's seeing is impossible. Riker asks what's going on, and B'Etor tells him the crest on the dagger has symbols representing the various members of the family including Lursa's son. Lursa says she doesn't have a son, but she is expecting a child and only found out a few days previously and told no-one but B'Etor who furiously demands to know where the dagger came from. Based of their reactions and the evidence, it's now clear that the sisters weren't responsible for the assassination attempt, and the officers are left astounded by this mysterious turn of events. Worf decides to go and speak with K'mtar about the origin of the dagger. Worf immediately goes to ask K'mtar about this, but discovers him apparently preparing to kill Alexander with his disruptor. After a brief struggle he throws K'mtar to the ground and prepares to strangle him. But K'mtar cries out, calling him father and that he is actually Alexander himself. Worf demands proof and asks him what his mother's last words were. K'mtar tells him of how he witnessed the death of K'Ehleyr, and that all she said was his name, and she put his hand in Worf's. "And then you howled in rage, and said 'Look at her. Look upon death, and always remember.' And I always have." He reluctantly lets him go and picks up the disruptor. Alexander explains that he has come back from forty years in the future, with the assistance of a man that he met in the Cambra system. Alexander did not want to end his own life, but rather to change things, to influence his younger self to follow a different path. He explains that he never became a Klingon warrior, but a diplomat and peacemaker, who sought to put an end to the centuries of struggle and feuding between the Great Houses. He had declared that the House of Mogh would no longer engage in vengeance or blood feuds. Worf warned him that this was a show of weakness, but Alexander insisted this was the way of the future. Almost immediately thereafter, Alexander witnessed Worf's murder in the Great Hall of the Klingon High Council. He thought that, if he had become a warrior, he'd have been able to stand with his father and defeat the assassins. So he came back to persuade his younger self to follow that ancient path, first by staging the assassination attempt on Maranga, then by trying to awaken young Alexander's interest in being just like all the other Klingons, as well as in protecting his father. He despaired when he saw that he had failed. Worf says that Alexander has already changed history by coming back in time, and that things may not at all happen the way he fears. Worf explains that he must die with honor, and he cannot do that unless his son is true to himself and his beliefs. This means that Alexander must return to the future and continue to work for peace. Even a Klingon can see that peace is a worthy cause, and Worf believes Alexander has a noble future. K'mtar says that he has failed, because the boy he was remains the same. Worf says that Alexander is the same, but Worf has changed, and now he understands that Alexander will have a noble future even if he is not a warrior. K'mtar embraces him and says, "I love you, father." Worf replies, "And I you, Alexander." Later, young Alexander is waiting for Worf and K'mtar in the holodeck to begin bat'leth practice. Worf explains that K'mtar had to leave suddenly, but asked him to say goodbye, and that he will always respect Alexander no matter what he decides to do. Worf, too, has come to respect Alexander, and suggests that they simply spend time together as father and son. 
<EOS>
Weapons fire streaks through space as a Cardassian warship attacks a much smaller vessel with phasers. Piloting the small vessel, Maquis leader Chakotay is desperately trying to hold his ship together and get the impulse engine's power steady. Chakotay asks his half-Klingon half-Human engineer, B'Elanna Torres, to be creative; Torres replies that it is hard to be creative with 39-year-old rebuilt engines. The Cardassian commander, Gul Evek, hails the ship, telling them to stand down. Chakotay ignores him and tells Torres that if she can keep his engines going for thirty more seconds at full impulse, he will get them into the Badlands. Torres says that she can get enough power to the engines if they shut down the weapons systems. Tuvok, a Vulcan officer, advises against that given their current circumstances, but Torres retorts that their weapons are having no effect on the warship's shields. Chakotay concurs with his engineer. Tuvok shuts down the phasers and Chakotay orders the last photon torpedoes fired so that they can use the power from that system. The Maquis vessel soars into the plasma storms with the Cardassian warship in close pursuit. Chakotay's piloting skills are sufficient to avoid the funnels of energy in the Badlands; however, the Cardassian ship is less lucky and is severely damaged. Tuvok informs Chakotay that the Cardassian ship is sending out a distress call on all Cardassian frequencies. Chakotay relaxes and sets a course for a planet where they can make repairs when a bright flash erupts through the ship. Tuvok reports that they passed through a coherent tetryon beam from an unknown source and that a massive displacement wave is rapidly approaching. Chakotay tries to maneuver his ship away from the wave, asking Torres if there is anything left in the impulse engines. The Maquis ship begins to move away at full impulse, but the displacement wave impacts the ship. In the Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand on Earth, several inmates wearing ankle monitors are performing labor. One man's work is interrupted when an authoritative-looking woman in a Starfleet uniform approaches him and asks, "Tom Paris?" The man glances up at her and she introduces herself as Kathryn Janeway. She states that she served with his father on the USS Al-Batani and that she would like to speak with him about a job she wants him to do. He sarcastically replies that he is already doing a job for the Federation, but Janeway says that the Rehab Commission is very pleased with his work and has given her permission to discuss the matter with him. He replies, "Well, then I guess I'm yours." As they walk together, Janeway informs Paris that she was his father's science officer on the Arias Expedition. Paris comments that she must be good, as his father only accepts the best and brightest. Janeway tells him that her mission is to track down a Maquis vessel that vanished in the Badlands a week previous. Paris advises against it, having never seen a Federation starship that could maneuver through the plasma storms; Janeway retorts by saying that he has never seen USS Voyager. Paris infers that Janeway's motive is to have him lead the Federation to his former Maquis colleagues. Paris reminds Janeway that because he was only with them a few weeks, he didn't know many of their hiding places. Janeway replies that he knows the territory better than anyone in the Federation. Janeway informs Paris that her chief of security had infiltrated a Maquis ship and had not reported in some time. Paris muses that perhaps it was only the chief of security that disappeared. Janeway reveals that the ship was under the command of Chakotay, a former Starfleet officer. Paris acknowledges that he knew Chakotay and that the two never got along. Paris says that the point of disagreement was that Chakotay left Starfleet "on principle," to defend his home colony, but he considered Paris a mercenary who joined "whoever would pay [his] bar bills," an accusation to which Paris admits. Paris concludes that he will help track down the Maquis, but asks what he has to gain from the venture. Janeway says that the Federation will help him at his next parole review. Janeway informs him that officially, he'd be a Starfleet observer, to which Paris replies that he's the best pilot Janeway could have. Janeway is firm about Paris' role and once the mission is over he'll be 'cut loose', causing Paris to agree with the rejoinder, "Story of my life." Tom Paris arrives to Voyager, docked at Deep Space 9, via a shuttle, piloted by a Betazoid female pilot, Lieutenant Stadi. Now clad in a fresh Starfleet uniform, Paris walks up to her. Stadi focuses on flying the craft, but she livens up to Paris a little as he turns on the charm. He says that Stadi is changing his mind about Betazoids, because he always thought that they were warm and sensual. Stadi says that she can be warm and sensual, but Paris replies that she can, but just not to him. The conversation shifts as a sleek vessel comes into view at one of DS9's docking pylons. Stadi proudly identifies it as their ship, the Voyager. She states that the ship is of the Intrepid-class, has a new variable warp nacelle configuration, giving it a sustainable cruising speed of warp 9.975; it has fifteen decks and a crew complement of 141. It is also equipped with bio-neural circuitry. Paris inquires as to the circuitry, and as she flies around Voyager towards the shuttlebay, she informs Paris that the bio-neural circuitry speeds up response time in the ship's computer. Meanwhile, on board Deep Space 9, Quark is trying to sell bright, rare crystals to a young Starfleet ensign seated in his bar. He tries to politely tell Quark he is not interested and says cadets were warned about Ferengi at the Academy. Upon hearing this, Quark feigns being upset that the Federation is spreading lies about the Ferengi and that he will make a formal protest to the Federation Council. Quark asks for the young ensign's name for the report, to which he replies, "Kim, Harry Kim." Kim backs downs and offers to buy the whole tray of crystals in an effort to smooth things over. As Quark brings over the crystals and begins to negotiate, Paris interrupts and tells Ensign Kim that the crystals Quark is trying to sell him can be found on virtually any planet in the system and can be bought for little or nothing. Now knowing that Quark was trying to rip him off, Ensign Kim leaves with Tom Paris who says, "Didn't they warn you about Ferengi at the Academy?" Paris and Kim enter sickbay aboard Voyager and report to the chief medical officer. When Paris identifies himself, the doctor comments, "Ah, yes. The observer." When Paris comments that he seems to be observing some kind of problem now, the doctor says that he was a surgeon on Caldik Prime when Paris was stationed there, though they never met. He says Paris' medical records from his previous posting have arrived and that the captain had asked if he were on board, saying that he should check in with her. Kim, sensing a tense situation, says that he hasn't yet paid his respects to the captain, either. The doctor says that perhaps it would be a good thing for a new operations officer to do. After they leave sickbay, Kim asks Paris what the story is between him and the CMO. Paris responds that he's gotten tired of telling it and that he's sure someone will be happy to tell him. Meanwhile, Captain Janeway is in her ready room talking to her fiance, Mark Johnson, on her desktop monitor about her dog, who turns out to be pregnant. Janeway insists that the dog stays with him, leading him to reply, "Is this another 'love me, love my dog' demand?", to which Janeway quickly replies, "Yes." Janeway says they will be leaving as soon as she approves the system status reports. Johnson says he won't bother her anymore, leading Janeway to get on her knees in front of the terminal and says, "You never bother me, except the way I love to be bothered. Understand?" Saying that she'll see him in a few weeks, Janeway quickly asks Johnson to pick up her dog's doggie bed, which Johnson then says he already did -- an hour ago. After the connection closes, the door chimes. Paris and Kim enter. Janeway welcomes them aboard Voyager, to which Kim replies with a stiff, "Thank you, sir," standing at full attention, causing Paris to look at him curiously. Telling the nervous ensign to stand "at ease, before you sprain something," she lets him know that protocol aside, she doesn't like being addressed as "sir," to which Kim responds, "I'm sorry ma'am." Janeway smiles and says that ma'am is acceptable in a crunch, but that she prefers "captain." She tells them they are getting ready to leave and she shows them to the bridge. Walking out onto the bridge, she introduces them to her first officer, Lieutenant Commander Cavit, who exchanges a hearty handshake with Kim and one with Paris reluctantly and only after Paris extends his hand first. Janeway shows Kim to the operations station and asks if he would like to take over. Kim responds, "Yes, ma'am," to which she replies, "It's not crunch time yet, Mr. Kim. I'll let you know when." At a nod from Janeway, the first officer instructs Lt. Stadi to lay in their course and clear departure with Operations. After Stadi confirms this, they complete the pre-launch sequence and prepare for launch, which Janeway orders with "Engage." The dorsal light of the ship comes on, illuminating the ship's registration, and the ship departs. With the ship under way, Paris heads down to the mess hall for some hot tomato soup. As he is ordering the soup from the replicator, he notices that Voyager's chief medical officer and Commander Cavit are looking at him with judgmental eyes, while talking to Kim at a nearby table. As Paris makes his way over to Kim's table, Cavit and the CMO make a hasty departure. When Paris finally sits down, he says to Kim, "There. You see, I told you it wouldn't take long." Paris then begins to tell Kim that it was true that he caused an accident which led to the deaths of three Starfleet officers and that he falsified reports. What led him to turn himself in and tell the truth despite the fact that he would have got away with it otherwise, Paris sarcastically remarks that it took "the three dead officers to come in the middle of the night and (teach) me the true meaning of Christmas.". Paris therefore confessed everything, and was promptly discharged from service upon which he joined the Maquis, looking for a fight and yet he was arrested during his first assignment for them. Paris gets up to leave and says that he knows that Cavit and the CMO told him to stay away from him and that he should listen to them. As Paris walks away, Kim replies "I don't need anyone to choose my friends for me." As a curious Paris regards Kim following this statement, Captain Janeway summons them both to the bridge to inform them that the ship has reached the Badlands. Voyager enters the volatile region. Janeway, Cavit, and Ensign Rollins are crowded around the tactical station trying to ascertain where the Maquis ship would be. With some assistance from Paris, the ship begins to head in. Shortly after, Ensign Kim's sensors read that a coherent tetryon beam is scanning the ship. Janeway asks Kim if he can identify the source of the beam, but he cannot. The sensors then find out that a displacement wave is quickly moving towards the ship. Cavit suggests that they may be able to disperse the wave with a graviton particle field. Janeway orders that it be done. It is later found that the field had no effect on the wave. Janeway orders Stadi to move the ship away from the wave at full impulse. However, the ship is unable to outrun it and the wave collides with Voyager. After the ship has been released from the wave, it has suffered heavy damage. Janeway comes to and checks Cavit's pulse, only to find that he is dead. Stadi also did not survive. Janeway asks where they are. Kim gets the viewscreen working, but the Badlands are gone -- there's only empty space and an enormous array. Kim replies that if his sensors are working perfectly, they are over 70,000 light years from the Badlands. Voyager has been transported to the Delta Quadrant, the other side of the galaxy. As the crew begins to make repairs, Voyager finds the Maquis ship, but scans show that there is nobody aboard it and attempts to hail the array are unsuccessful. Just then, engineering contacts the bridge and informs Janeway that the chief engineer was also killed and that the ship is facing a possible warp core breach. Janeway heads down to engineering to help and orders Kim to see what the situation is in sickbay leaving Rollins to assume command of the bridge. Paris heads down with Kim as well. Adding to the list of casualties, Paris sees that the CMO and the entire medical staff were killed. Janeway makes it to engineering and finds out that there is a microfracture in the warp core and that a breach is imminent. In order to save the ship, Janeway orders the lock down of the magnetic constrictor and Lieutenant Joseph Carey warns Janeway that they may not be able to initialize the dilithium reaction and that it would make warp drive impossible. Janeway sees that there are not many other alternatives and orders that it be done nevertheless. At the same time, Harry Kim orders the computer to activate Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, a holographic doctor designed as a supplement to the medical staff. The EMH appears, giving his default statement: "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." Kim replies that the ship's doctor is dead and that the hologram is the only medical officer on board the ship since the entire medical staff was killed too. The Doctor informs Kim and Paris that, as he is only intended to be used on a short-term basis, a replacement will be needed as soon as possible. Paris then informs the EMH that he will be stuck with them for a while. The EMH then begins treating crewmembers, showing himself to be very efficient but also very brusque and lacking any kind of bedside manner. Meanwhile, down in engineering, the warp core breach appears to have been averted. Janeway then orders that the magnetic constrictor be engaged. The pressure begins to stabilize. Just then, the ship is being scanned and people begin to disappear. Eventually, everyone disappears with the exception of the Doctor. Strangely enough, the crew finds themselves on a farm, with wheat and cattle. Soon after, a middle aged woman emerges from the farmhouse named "Aunt Adah" and asks the crew to come up to the house for some lemonade and sugar cookies. Janeway says that the crew shouldn't be fooled, since they have only been transported a hundred kilometers from Voyager and that they are actually inside the array with Ensign Kim confirming that everything around them are holograms. The crew is greeted by holographic projections of lively southerners, including a man playing a banjo, who encourage them to make themselves at home. Janeway orders that Kim and Paris find the holographic projector. As Kim scans with his tricorder, he finds strange readings coming from a barn. A holographic projection of an attractive southern girl tries to pull Kim and Paris away from the barn, but is unsuccessful. Kim finds Vulcan and Human bio-signs in an unknown location. The southerners get a lot less friendly and start to attack Kim and Paris due to their curiosity. Janeway gets Kim's signal from his combadge and takes the crew she has with her to the barn. They arrive, to find Paris and Kim being threatened with a pitchfork by Aunt Adah. She says that she hoped the crew would do things the easy way but she sees that that will not work. A giant door opens to reveal the missing Maquis crew, all unconscious and restrained. The Voyager crew are soon subjected to the same painful genetic tests. Three days later the Voyager crew is returned to their ship, as well as with the Maquis on the Val Jean. When Tom Paris emerges in sickbay after being returned, he notices that Harry Kim did not return with them. Janeway calls up the computer to search for Kim, but it confirms he is not on board and is the only crewmember missing. Janeway asks Rollins to hail the Val Jean to see if Kim was accidentally transported there, but Chakotay says that he was not and that they also are missing a crewman of their own, their engineer B'Elanna Torres. Janeway asks that Chakotay beam aboard the Voyager so they can discuss what to do. Chakotay turns to Tuvok and agrees. Moments later, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Maquis security guard Ayala beam on board. Janeway then reveals that Tuvok is a Federation undercover operative, and Tuvok confirms that his mission was to gain intelligence on Maquis activity before delivering the crew of the Val Jean to Starfleet. Chakotay is at once angry about this, but then he sees that Tom Paris is on the bridge. After remarking that, while Tuvok was doing his duty as a Starfleet officer, Paris only does things that benefit himself, he is ready to attack him, but Janeway asks him to treat Paris as he would with any other member of her crew. Though reluctant to do so, Chakotay agrees with her. Tuvok explains that he believes there is only a single lifeform on the array, and the testing they all went through was an examination. Janeway decides to lead a team over to the array in order to retrieve their missing people and be returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Paris requests to join the away team, promising Janeway that it has nothing to do with Chakotay; rather he doesn't want to see anything bad happen to Kim Janeway, along with Chakotay and Paris return to the so called farm (this time armed with phaser rifles) and demand answers about their missing crewmen who are no longer on the array. The only person there is the old man playing the banjo. The man says that Janeway and the rest of the crew don't have what he needs, but Janeway isn't the least concerned about this but wants the missing officers returned and for both crews to be returned to the Alpha Quadrant. The man refuses to tell her what he's done with the crew, and although he understands why they're angry and sympathizes, he tells them that Kim and Torres might have what he needs, as he must "honor a debt that can never be repaid" but his search has not been going well. Janeway then offers to help, but the old man tells her she can't, and that there's not enough time left before he suddenly returns everyone to Voyager. Kim and Torres awaken in what appears to be a hospital room and notice growths on their arms and neck. Torres tries to escape, but two doctors come in and sedate her. The crew determines that the energy pulses that the array is firing towards the fifth planet of a nearby system might have been used to transport Kim and Torres there so they set a course. Tuvok later reports to Janeway in her ready room that the pulses emitted from the ray have been steadily getting faster. Meanwhile, Janeway has been studying the planet where the Array's pulses are being sent: while it meets all the other requirements of an M Class planet there are no nucleogenic particles in the atmosphere, meaning it is incapable of producing rain and has left the planet as a desert. Tuvok tells Janeway that she needs rest, as she recalls that Harry Kim's mother contacted her after he'd left Earth since he'd forgotten his clarinet and wanted to know if she had time to send it, Harry having been a member of the Juilliard Youth Sympathy. After noting that she barely knew the young ensign, just as she barely knows any of her crew and that she really should take the time to, Janeway promises she'll get Kim and Torres back and get everyone home. Tuvok points out that the crew needs a captain that is not exhausted, and Janeway thanks him telling him that she's missed his counsel. She tells him that his family miss him, and tells her friend that she'll get him back to them. While on the way to the fifth planet in the system where the energy pulses are being sent, Voyager encounters a small cargo ship inside a debris field, commanded by a Talaxian named Neelix. At first, Neelix thinks that Voyager might be wanting to take a piece of the debris field, but Captain Janeway assures him that they will do nothing of the sort, upon which the Talaxian's demeanor noticeably and immediately improves. Janeway then asks if he knows where the missing officers of Voyager and the Val Jean might have gone. Neelix suspects that they may have been taken to the Ocampan homeworld, to a city located deep beneath the planet's surface. Neelix offers to guide Voyager to the planet in exchange for water and Janeway agrees. Neelix is beamed aboard (marveling at the technology, which is new to him); Tuvok greets him and is embraced by the irrepressible Talaxian. Torres and Kim awaken once more and are greeted by an Ocampan doctor who tells them that they were sent here to protect their own people from their "illness". He takes them to the food dispensers, which are provided by the Caretaker, who built their entire underground construct when the surface of their planet turned into a desert. He also reveals that, unfortunately, other aliens with this "disease" that were brought to the Ocampa did not survive. Voyager finally makes its way to the planet. Upon arriving, Tuvok is sent to fetch Neelix from his quarters, where he finds the Talaxian has helped himself to a mountain of food from the replicator and is noisily enjoying a bath. After welcoming 'Mr Vulcan', Neelix prepares to head down to the planet and suggests where they might begin looking for Kim and Torres as well as recommending bringing water for barter. He then asks if the replicator makes clothes, and Tuvok replies yes but then makes a point, when asked, of telling Neelix that it will not make him a Starfleet uniform. Janeway, Paris, Chakotay, Neelix, and Tuvok beam down and are immediately captured by a group of Kazon-Ogla, a rogue faction in the Delta Quadrant. For some assistance and since the Kazon desperately need water, Janeway arranges for huge canisters of water to be beamed down in exchange for some answers. She asks where those Ocampa might be, and the Kazon leader, Jabin points to a battered Ocampan woman and says, "she is an Ocampa." As Jabin continues, he explains that the array is used by the Caretaker who provides the Ocampa with everything they need. Jabin has been torturing Kes to find a way into the Ocampan underground complex, but she does not give an answer. Around this time Neelix tries to barter with Jabin for the release of Kes in exchange for the water as well. Jabin refuses and Neelix grabs him and warns the surrounding Kazon to drop their weapons or he will kill him. The rest of the crew gets their weapons back and shoot at the enormous water containers. With the Kazon distracted with the water spilling out onto the ground quickly, Janeway contacts Voyager to beam them up. Soon after, the crew realizes that Neelix and Kes are lovers. Meanwhile, Torres and Kim are still being held against their will by the Ocampa. They try to devise a way out when a young Ocampa nurse comes up to them and tells them about secret passageways to the surface. But, she says that there are meters of solid rock to get through and even with the proper tools, it may take days or even weeks to get through. Ever determined, Kim and Torres ask for her help. While Kes is being tended to by The Doctor, Janeway asks if there is any way to get to their crew members. Kes replies that she escaped through a tunnel underground, but now, the passageway she came out of is sealed by solid rock and they won't be able to get through. Janeway assures they will be able to with their transporter technology. Kes then says that there are breaches in the tunnels which will help them get through. They beam to the surface where Kes reunites with her people, who are telepathic, but she defies them by helping the crew rescue their friends. Kim and Torres manage to escape, meanwhile the pulses from the array stop and the array re-positions itself and begins firing weapons at the surface in order to seal the conduits leading down to the facility. This action allows Tuvok to come to a conclusion for what is going on. the Caretaker is dying. Asked to explain his reasoning, Tuvok explains that the Caretaker has given the Ocampa enough energy to last for five years before sealing the conduits meaning he will no longer be continuing as Caretaker. Chakotay suggests that he may not be dying, but just leaving but Tuvok counters this by explaining that it's doubtful the Caretaker would just leave after providing for the Ocampa for a thousand years. the "debt that can never be repaid" is a debt to them. Also his references to "not enough time" meant that he knew he was going to die. Janeway realizes that if the Caretaker dies, the crew may be stranded in the Delta Quadrant. The crew decide they need to find Torres and Kim and splits up. Soon after, Tom Paris, Neelix and Kes find Kim and Torres. They go to the passageway to the surface, and eventually get past the barrier. Kes, Kim, and Torres beam to Voyager; Paris and Neelix remain behind to help the others.  They find them, but Chakotay, who had broken a leg, nearly dies when the metal staircase he is on breaks apart. Paris goes back for him and saves his life, thus proving Paris' loyalty. Later, the crew is all beamed aboard and Janeway sets a course back to the array. As the Kazon arrive at the array intending to take control, Janeway (who allows Paris to take the helm) and Tuvok beam over and come to realize the old man playing the banjo is, in fact, the Caretaker. The Caretaker explains that he can't send the crew home as he barely has the strength to complete his work, sealing the conduits before he dies. He knows that he has to in order to stop the Kazon from stealing the Ocampa's water and killing them. However, the Caretaker regretfully states that in a few years it won't matter as when the energy runs out the Ocampa will be forced to surface where they'll die anyway. Janeway realizes that something the Caretaker did turned the planet into a desert. that is the debt that can never be repaid. The Caretaker explains that his species were explorers from another galaxy, however their technology damaged Ocampa's atmosphere. In order to right this wrong, the Caretaker remained behind with a female counterpart, who abandoned her post in order to explore the galaxy. Before his death, he wanted to find someone who could take over from him. To that end, he that he has been abducting ships from across the galaxy in order to find someone he could procreate with, so the Ocampa would be taken care of. Janeway reassures him that, as explorers too, they've met species who have managed to overcome all kinds of adversity without a Caretaker; the Ocampa will manage to somehow survive without him. The Caretaker reveals that, in order to stop the Kazon from taking the array, he has activated the self-destruct despite the fact this will leave the crew stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Meanwhile, the battle between the Kazon and the two Alpha Quadrant ships intensifies. Eventually, in order to take some of the pressure off Voyager, Chakotay transports his crew to the Starfleet vessel. He then pilots the Val Jean to ram into the main Kazon ship just before transporting to Voyager himself, destroying the fighter and sending the Kazon crashing into the array, damaging it. Inside the array, the holographic simulation fails revealing the array's true layout. The Caretaker, now in his natural form, tells Janeway that the self-destruct system was damaged so now the array won't be destroyed. The Caretaker then finally dies, and in his final words states that if Kazon take the array, they will annihilate the Ocampa. Janeway is now left with a difficult decision. Should she use the array to return to the Alpha Quadrant and let it fall into Kazon hands or destroy the array, as the Caretaker wanted at the cost of a way home? Tuvok reminds his captain that any action taken to protect the Ocampa will affect the balance of power in this region of space; they would have to comply with the Prime Directive. But Janeway questions the validity of the Prime Directive in this situation because, regardless of whether they chose to become involved in the affairs of the Ocampa or the Kazon, they are involved nonetheless. She and Tuvok beam back to Voyager when they discover that a Kazon fleet has arrived at the array. Janeway finally makes her decision and asks Tuvok to prepare tricobalt devices to destroy the array. B'Elanna Torres loudly argues that they will never be able to get home, but Chakotay bluntly overrules her, acknowledging Janeway as the Captain. Janeway then orders Tuvok to fire and the tricobalt devices destroy the array, leaving no debris. After this, Jabin contacts Voyager and tells them that they have made an enemy this day. The Kazon ships withdraw. After this, Neelix and Kes ask Janeway if they could join the crew. After saying that Voyager is not a passenger ship, Neelix convinces Janeway that he will be able to be a guide for the crew through the Delta Quadrant. Kes assures Janeway that they want to be a part of the crew's journey back to Earth. Janeway agrees. The Maquis crew from the Val Jean then join the Voyager crew and don Starfleet uniforms. After bringing the crew together on the bridge, Janeway tells the assembled officers that, as Voyager is the only Federation ship in the Delta Quadrant, they will carry forward Starfleet's mandate of exploring new worlds and meeting new species. However she maintains that, even though the return trip would take 75 years at maximum speeds, Voyager's primary mission is to return to Federation space. They hopefully will find anomalies, wormholes, spatial rifts or technology that will shorten their journey back home to the Alpha Quadrant. With that in place, Captain Janeway orders newly-reinstated helmsman Lieutenant Tom Paris to "set a course for home." Thus, Voyager's 75-year journey back home to the Alpha Quadrant begins. 
<EOS>
The USS Enterprise-D picks up a distress call from the USS Jenolan, a transport vessel that has been missing for seventy-five years. As the Enterprise drops out of warp to respond to the signal, the starship is rocked violently by a massive gravitational field. Although initial scans do not find the source of the field, they trace the field to its center and discover a massive spherical structure, two hundred million kilometers in diameter (about 2/3 of the Earth's orbital diameter around the Sun). The sphere's dimensions are consistent with those of the (until then) theoretical structure known as a Dyson sphere. The sphere's size creates massive gravimetric interference that interferes with sensors, preventing the Enterprise from locating it before the ship had dropped out of warp. The Enterprise locates the Jenolan, having crashed on the surface of the sphere. Surprisingly, power readings are still emanating from the crashed ship and life support systems are still operating. Commander Riker, Lieutenant Commander La Forge and Lieutenant Worf beam aboard the Jenolan and find that, although some of the ship's systems are still functioning, there are no apparent signs of life. However, La Forge discovers that the transporters have been reconfigured in a strange manner -- power has been drawn from the auxiliary systems (they were a regenerative power source) while the rematerialization subroutines have been intentionally disabled with the phase inducers being connected to the emitter array and that the pattern buffers have been locked in a diagnostic cycle. Furthermore, a pattern is still in the buffer and, amazingly, it has suffered almost no degradation. Riker wonders if someone could survive in the transporter buffer for seventy-five years and La Forge finds out by rematerializing the stored pattern. Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott materializes on the transporter pad. After Scott thanks La Forge and Riker for rematerializing him, he runs over to the transporter console and attempts to retrieve a second pattern, that of Ensign Matt Franklin, but unfortunately, unlike the phase inducer that kept Scott's pattern intact, the phase inducer responsible for doing the same for Franklin's pattern has failed -- allowing it to degrade by 53% -- too much for him to be rematerialized when the transporters cannot compensate. Riker offers his condolences and introduces La Forge and himself to Scott. When Riker explains that they came from the starship Enterprise, Scott reacts understandably, believing he was saved by a crew led by Jim Kirk in the USS Enterprise-A, and asks how long he was in the pattern buffers. Worf interrupts the conversation and Riker introduces the security officer to Scott. Learning that there is a Klingon serving in Starfleet, Scott realizes that he has been in the buffer for an extremely long time. When asked why he used the transporters to place himself and Franklin in such a state, Scott explains that although only he and Franklin survived the crash, there were too few supplies to survive long enough to be rescued. After transporting back to the Enterprise, La Forge escorts Scott to sickbay while discussing some of the advances in technology over the past seventy-five years and the events leading to the Jenolan's crash. La Forge tells Scott that he is very impressed with his inventive use of the transporter to survive, but Scott acts modestly, due to the fact that he lost his friend. In sickbay, Scott is diagnosed by Dr. Crusher with only minor injuries. Captain Picard enters and greets Scott in sickbay. He is surprised that Scott was on board the Jenolan, as the engineer wasn't listed in the crew manifest. However, Scott explains that he was traveling aboard the Jenolan as a passenger to the Norpin colony on Norpin V to enjoy his then recent retirement from Starfleet. When La Forge is ordered to study the Dyson sphere, Scott is eager to help, but Dr. Crusher advises him to rest. When Scott is escorted to his quarters by Ensign Kane, he is awe-struck at the luxury that he is entitled to, compared with starships of his time period. Scott, with much enthusiasm, reminisces to Kane about his years in Starfleet, but Kane has very little interest in Scott's nostalgia and returns to duty, leaving Scott alone, feeling much less enthusiastic and somewhat pensive about his new life in the 24th century. As La Forge and his team are working on their spectrographic analysis of the sphere, Scott interrupts, insisting on offering La Forge his assistance. Lieutenant Bartel tries to inform him that engineering is restricted to authorized personnel only but La Forge allows him to stay. La Forge skeptically accepts Scott's offer for help and the team begin their duties. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Data reports to Captain Picard that the sphere was built around a G-type star and that its interior surface provides an environment much like that of an M-Class planet, but there are no apparent signs of inhabitants. Picard orders four probes to be launched to speed up the scans of the sphere. Back in engineering, Scott finds further advances and changes in technology that in his era were dangerous. La Forge is quietly becoming irritated until Scott offers advice on how to deal with Starfleet captains. When La Forge finally voices his frustration and tells Scott that he is in the way, the older officer leaves engineering in a disgruntled state. Later, Scott arrives in Ten Forward and orders a drink of Scotch whisky. He is repulsed when he tastes the drink, realizing that it is not "real" Scotch. Data approaches and tells Scott about the use of synthehol to replace alcohol in the majority of traditional spirits. Data offers Scott a "real" alcoholic drink from Guinan's personal supply, pulling out a bottle with a neon green liquid inside. After being asked by Scott what it is, Data attempts a rudimentary examination by sight, smell and taste, but cannot describe it any more precisely than, "it is green." The engineer's reaction to this drink is much more pleasant and Data shortly pours him another glass. In a slightly drunken state, with the bottle of green spirits and a glass in his hands, Scott arrives outside one of the holodecks and requests a simulation of the bridge of his ship. The computer states that his request is insufficient, so Scott angrily says he wants to see the bridge of the Enterprise. The computer then tells Scott that there have been five Federation starships with that name and asks Scott to specify by registry number. Scott then states in annoyance, "NCC one seven O one. No bloody A, B, C, or D." The computer accepts his instructions and creates an authentic replica of the bridge. In an instant, Scott feels like he's come home. The sounds of old-style duotronic instruments fills the air as Scott fondly remembers his time aboard his former ship. As he muses around, he notes the Enterprise in orbit of the planet Gideon on the viewscreen, as if no time has passed and raises a toast to his absent comrades. He sits down at his old engineering station and gives a deep, dejected sigh just as Captain Picard walks in after coming off duty and excuses himself for interrupting. Scott perks up and welcomes him into the simulation, offering Picard a drink, which he happily accepts. Just as Scott is about to warn Picard that it's not synthohol, Picard downs a glassful, which he instantly recognizes as Aldebaran whiskey and explains that he was the one who gave it to Guinan. Picard recognizes the bridge as that of a Constitution-class starship and explains that there's one in the fleet museum. Picard then recognizes the bridge as that of Scott's Enterprise. Scott then says he served on two, but this is the first one and the first ship he ever served on as chief engineer. Scott mentions that he served on eleven ships of varying class, but that Enterprise is the only one he misses or thinks about. Picard then recalls his first command on the USS Stargazer while taking a seat at Pavel Chekov's old navigation console. Picard describes the Stargazer as overworked, underpowered and always on the verge of flying apart at the seams. Picard says that while his Enterprise is far superior, there are days when he'd give almost anything to command the Stargazer again. Scott compares their feelings as to the first time a man falls in love and that he never loves a woman quite the same way. They then share a toast to the original Enterprise and to the Stargazer, Scott calling them "old girlfriends we'll never meet again." Picard then asks Scott what he thinks of the Enterprise-D. Scott calls her a beauty, but laments that when he was on his Enterprise he could tell the speed of the ship just by the feel of the deck plates. He then begins to feel gloomy and opines that he is in the way and obsolete in the 24th century. When Picard offers to let Scott peruse the updated technical manuals, Scott refuses with a chuckle, saying that is not eighteen years old any more and he can't start out again like a raw cadet. He says there is a time when a man knows it's time to quit and time to stop living in the past. He then shuts off the bridge simulation and leaves the holodeck feeling dejected but determined to start acting his age. Picard can only look on sadly as the legendary engineer exits, clearly feeling for the man. The following day, Picard asks La Forge in his ready room about recovering the logs of the Jenolan, but the engineer says that all efforts so far have yielded very little as the ship's computer core was heavily damaged when it crashed. Picard suggests having Scott assist in trying to recover the ship's logs; La Forge agrees that Scott would be of great help as he knows the Jenolan's systems better than anybody on the Enterprise and says that he'll send Lt. Bartel with Scott over to the Jenolan. At this point, the captain requests that La Forge personally accompany Scott back to the Jenolan to recover the ship's logs, hoping to make Scott feel useful again. While Picard makes it clear that this is a request, not an order, La Forge understands the captain's motive and gladly accepts. In the morning, La Forge waits in the transporter room for Scott, who is late. He finally arrives and apologizes as they immediately enter the transporter, mentioning that he has a bit of a hangover from drinking the Aldebaran whiskey heavily the night before. As La Forge and Scott transport over to the Jenolan, Data discovers a communications array in close proximity to the Enterprise's current location, and the crew set a course for it. As the Enterprise arrives at the array, the crew discovers a large hatch in the Dyson sphere, which they presume is a front door. As they open hailing frequencies, the hatch opens and a series of powerful tractor beams pull the Enterprise inside the sphere, easily overpowering it. Due to the fact that the resonance frequency of the tractor beams used to pull the Enterprise inside is incompatible with the starship's power systems, the relays for the warp and impulse drive overload and are rendered inoperable. The Enterprise has now lost primary and auxiliary systems and the ship is soon released from the tractor beams. However, because the Enterprise is still moving under the inertia of being towed in, it is heading directly for the star at the center of the sphere. Back on board the Jenolan, Scott is having trouble with recovering the ship's log, calling the vessel "garbage." La Forge realizes that Scott is referring to both himself and the ship and tries to console him by saying that the basics of technology haven't changed a great deal in seventy-five years, the transporters of the Jenolan are still virtually identical to those of the Enterprise, subspace radio and sensors work on the same basic principles and that impulse engine design has changed very little in two centuries -- long before Scott's time. La Forge adds that the Jenolan would probably still be in service had the vessel's structural damage not been so extensive. Scott is dismissive and retorts that nobody would want something as old as the Jenolan (and again hints at himself as well) but La Forge disagrees, saying that if the ship were in service, it could still "run circles around the Enterprise at impulse speeds -- just because something's old, doesn't mean you throw it away." Scott feels much more welcome and a bond begins to form between him and La Forge. However, the moment breaks as Scott moves back to the console he was working on. He asks La Forge to retrieve a dynamic mode converter from the Enterprise, a tool which may help to recover the Jenolan's log entries. La Forge suggests using something similar but his call from his combadge to the Enterprise goes unanswered. Scott wonders if interference is blocking his call but La Forge determines that the Enterprise is gone. Back on board the Enterprise, the ship is three minutes from being destroyed by the star. However, Commander Riker has managed to restore thirty percent power to the maneuvering thrusters, although they will still not be enough to save the ship from destruction. It is not until power is diverted from the auxiliary relay systems to the thrusters that Ensign Rager manages to achieve a stable orbit in the photosphere of the star. Picard demands to know how and why the Enterprise was towed in and orders Data to conduct a scan of the sphere's interior for lifeforms. When La Forge and Scott fail to locate the Enterprise, they realize that the starship must be inside the sphere. Although it seems impossible to repair the Jenolan's flight capability, the two engineers still try restoring power to the ship's engines. On board the Enterprise, Data reports to Picard that the sphere is abandoned and the star is highly unstable, expelling matter and severe bursts of radiation. This explains why the inhabitants of the sphere must have abandoned it. The android postulates that the Enterprise may have unintentionally triggered an automated series of piloting beams which would guide a starship inside the sphere -- this would explain why the Enterprise was pulled inside without anyone occupying the sphere. When the star emits a solar flare, the Enterprise raises her shields accordingly but the vessel's shields are only operating at 23%. To worsen matters, the solar flares are becoming larger and within three hours, the Enterprise's shields will no longer be enough to protect the starship from harm. La Forge and Scott work on repairing the Jenolan's engines by jury-rigging the ship's supply of deuterium -- La Forge initially insists that Scott's suggestion to send it through the auxiliary tank can't be done, but when he cites impulse engine specifications, Scott laughs, claims authorship of the regulation in question, and assures him that, while he knew the tank could handle the pressure, on paper a good engineer should be more cautious than in the field. Eventually, they are successful as power is restored. When Scott offers La Forge the command chair, La Forge is surprised as Scott is the senior officer. However, Scott tells La Forge that, while he holds the rank of captain, all he ever wanted to be was an engineer, and insists that La Forge take command of the Jenolan. La Forge finally accepts and Scott moves to the engineering console. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is heavily damaged by the star's solar flares, but Riker reports that partial impulse power has been restored. Picard asks Worf if the ship's phasers could be used to cut a hole through the shell of the sphere, allowing the Enterprise to escape, but the sphere is composed of carbon-neutronium and phasers (or any other of the ship's weapons) would be completely ineffective. As the Jenolan slowly orbits the sphere, La Forge and Scott trace the impulse ion trail from the Enterprise to the hatch that the starship was pulled into. The ion trail's momentum distribution around the hatch suggests that the Enterprise's impulse engines were at full reverse and that the starship was dragged into the sphere unwillingly. La Forge and Scott realize that the hatches are access terminals (and not communications arrays), which are triggered by certain subspace frequencies, such as hailing frequencies. When the Jenolan opened hailing frequencies seventy-five years ago, the tractor beams locked on to the ship, severely damaging it and causing the vessel to crash on the surface of the sphere. Scott suggests positioning the Jenolan 500,000 kilometers, far enough away from the hatch, then opening hailing frequencies so that the hatch will open but the tractor beams will miss the ship. As the hatch would begin to close, the Jenolan would enter a gap between the doors and use the vessel's shields to hold the doors open for the Enterprise to exit the sphere. La Forge dismisses the idea as suicidal, but Scott pleads to him that the theory will work, as he has spent his entire life figuring out crazy ways to do things. Eventually, La Forge makes the decision to go ahead with Scott's plan. The engineers wedge the Jenolan between the doors, the shields hold and La Forge manages to open a communications channel to the Enterprise. The starship receives the hail and sets a course for the hatch. The Jenolan suffers heavy damage while the craft is wedged in the hatch and La Forge tells Picard that the Enterprise will have to destroy the ship to escape. When the Enterprise is in transporter range of the Jenolan, Picard gives the order to beam La Forge and Scott back on board (with the Jenolan's shields still raised) and fire photon torpedoes, destroying the old vessel. The doors continue to close, but the Enterprise manages to exit the sphere. As La Forge and Scott walk off the transporter pad, Scott is cheerfully relieved to be returned to safety. Later, La Forge tells Scott about the Enterprise's encounter with a newborn lifeform on stardate 44614.6. It is obvious that a strong bond has formed between the two engineers. Scott was expecting La Forge to take him for a drink, but La Forge had different intentions. As they walk through the doors to one of the Enterprise's shuttlebays, the senior staff is revealed, standing in front of a shuttlecraft, the Goddard. Picard offers Scott the craft on "an extended loan" basis in thanks for sacrificing the Jenolan to save the Enterprise. Scott says that he won't be going to the Norpin colony as he had first planned. The senior staff bids Scott farewell: all shake hands, save Worf. Scott reveals his approval of the Enterprise-D, the crew and the starship's engineer. After shaking La Forge's hand, he begins to depart the Enterprise in his new shuttlecraft. "You take care of yourself out there," La Forge tells Scott. "Aye", Scott says before disembarking. 
<EOS>
A landing party from the USS Enterprise comprised of Captain Kirk, Scott, Dr. McCoy, and Uhura are on the Halkan homeworld, attempting to gain rights on behalf of the Federation to mine dilithium on their planet. The Halkan leader, a man named Tharn, tells Kirk that while they find him to be believable, it does not change their overall position and that the Halkan Council cannot permit the Federation to mine dilithium on their planet. Kirk says that they have shown them historical proof that the Federation's missions are peaceful. Tharn tells him they believe that the Federation is currently peaceful, but there's no guarantee that that will always be so. Tharn knows that the dilithium crystals represent incredible power, and even one life lost as a result of the power of their dilithium crystals would violate the Halkan's history of total peace, and the Halkans are all willing to die to prevent that. The Halkans are complete pacifists. Kirk says that while he admires the Halkan's ethics, he hopes to be able to prove theirs. While these discussions are going on, an ion storm is passing through the Halkan system, causing strong thunder and lightning bolts. Kirk calls the Enterprise through his communicator and asks Spock for a report. Spock tells Kirk that it is a standard ion storm but rather violent and unpredictable. Kirk tells Spock to prepare to beam up the landing party and also to increase Enterprise's orbit to clear the disturbance of the storm. Kirk then asks Tharn when they may resume negotiations. Tharn tells Kirk the Council will meditate on the Federation's offer more, but that he shouldn't be very optimistic of any change. Just before the landing party can depart Tharn points out that with the weapons on board Enterprise, Kirk would have the might to force the crystals from the Halkans. Kirk tells him to consider that, while they do have such power, there is absolutely no chance that they would use it. He then calls for beam up and the landing party dematerializes. Unfortunately, interference from the ion storm gives the transporter operator, Kyle, trouble as Spock enters the transporter room. Spock helps Kyle try to beam the landing party aboard, but they eventually disappear out of the transporter platform. Finally, the landing party does materialize and they start to step off the transporter pads, when Kirk looks up and sees Spock with a beard, the crew wearing much more flamboyant uniforms and offering Kirk a Roman-like salute, fist striking chest and then arm extending outward toward Kirk. Kirk and company are briefly shocked at the change, but manage to cover their shock. The changed Spock steps up to Kirk asking him for a status report on the mission. Not sure what to make of the situation, Kirk simply tells Spock that there was no change in negotiations. Spock asks Kirk if standard procedure should be initiated to which Kirk simply nods "yes," not knowing exactly what that means, but playing along. Spock steps over to the transporter console and contacts the bridge, telling Sulu to program a phaser barrage on the Halkan cities. Spock then asks if the Halkans have any military capabilities and Kirk tells him they don't. Spock says that it is regrettable that the Halkans have chosen suicide. Spock then turns to Kyle and lectures him that he was supposed to compensate during the ion storm and that carelessness with the equipment cannot be tolerated. Spock then demands for Kyle's agonizer. Kyle begs Spock not to make him use it, saying he really tried to do what he was supposed to. One of the security guards reaches over and takes Kyle's agonizer and gives it to Spock, who places it on Kyle's shoulder causing him extreme pain for a few moments. Spock finally stops and lets Kyle slump down to the floor. Kirk and the others do their best to contain their shock and horror at what is happening. Having finished with Kyle, Spock drops the agonizer and steps over to tell Scott that the storm caused some minor damage and there were some injuries requiring McCoy's attention. He then shows a bit of impatience when neither man moves to leave the transporter room. By this point, Kyle has recovered enough to tell Spock that the power beam jumped just as the landing party was about to materialize. Spock asks if it was due to Kyle's error, but Kyle tells him it was before his error. Spock then asks Kirk if they've suffered any ill effects, to which Kirk says that he does and tells McCoy to give them an examination. As the landing party stop to leave the transporter room, Kirk turns back to Spock and tells him to have the transporter circuits examined. Once having exited into the corridor, Scotty and Uhura begin to loudly ask Kirk what's happened, but Kirk silences them and tells them to wait until they are able to speak privately. They walk through the hallway, which seems to have security officers at every intersection. Every crew member that Kirk encounters gives him the same Roman/Nazi-esque salute, which Kirk mimics. Every door on the ship seems to have a picture of the Earth bisected by a sword on it. Once they enter sickbay, McCoy goes over to a table and tells Kirk that everything is out of place, all messed up, and changed around, except for a spot where he spilled acid a year previous. Kirk asks everyone if any of them felt dizzy in the transporter beam; they all say that they did. Kirk says it happened twice. First they were in their own transporter chamber, then they faded, and upon finally materializing, they had appeared wherever they were. Scott says that the transporter lock could have been affected by the ion storm and they just materialized somewhere else. Kirk then realizes what has happened. They've somehow entered a parallel universe, where everything's duplicated or, almost duplicated. Everyone contemplates the thought that they all likely have counterparts in the universe that they exchanged places with during transport, that there were similar storms on both universes disrupted both sets of transporter circuits. Kirk and crew are on this strange ship and their counterparts are on their Enterprise. Kirk realizes they have to use the computer to try to figure out how to get home. McCoy tells Kirk they can't let the Halkans be destroyed. Kirk tells Scott to go down to engineering and short out the main phaser controls, but to make it look like the storm blew out the standby circuits. Then he wants Scott to study the ship's technology as they're going to have to use it to get back home. Kirk also tells everyone to scramble the frequency on their communicators and to use them for private messages as the intercoms are most likely monitored. Kirk then tells Uhura to go to her post and find out his exact orders from Starfleet Command and if he has any options. Uhura stops and starts to tell Kirk she's scared, but Kirk reassures her that she's the only one who can do it and that he'll be right there. Reassured, Uhura leaves for the bridge. Meanwhile, Kirk and McCoy take a quick look at the ship's library. Meanwhile, on the bridge, Chekov and Sulu are preparing coordinates for planetary targets when Uhura enters the bridge and assumes her station. Sulu leers over at her and steps up to her post, taking her face in his hand and telling her he could change her lack of interest in him. When Uhura tells Sulu he's away from his post, Sulu asks if either Kirk or Spock are there, and prepares to move in on her when she slaps his hand from her face hard. Just before he can move against her, Kirk enters the bridge from the turbolift. The entire bridge crew stands at attention and salutes Kirk, who returns the salute. Sulu quickly resumes his post, and Kirk steps over to Uhura, who tells him there was no storm damage and all stations are normal. She then quietly tells Kirk he is under orders to destroy the Halkans unless they comply and he has no alternatives. Kirk steps down and sits in the captain's chair, which is the same as his except for a raised back to it making the chair almost throne-like. When Sulu asks permission to fire, Kirk tells him to stand by. Meanwhile, in the phaser control, Scott is stopped by a security guard who asks Scott if he has authorization for this area; Scotty tells him he has the captain's orders, but the guard says he'll have to check with Security Chief Sulu. Scott says he'll do it, then after the door closes, he calls Kirk on the intercom and tells Kirk there's no damage to the phasers. Spock enters the bridge and sees that the planet rotation is carrying the primary target out of phaser range. When Kirk won't let Sulu alter Enterprise's orbit, Spock tells him to lock onto the secondary city. Kirk tells Uhura to contact the Halkan Council so he can speak to them again. He then looks at Spock and tells him they have other things of value besides the dilithium crystals. Spock points out though that they have clearly demonstrated they will not cooperate by refusing the Empire. Spock tells him that standard procedure demonstrates that they make an example of them. When Sulu reports the secondary target rotating out of phaser lock, Kirk orders Sulu to put phasers on standby, which Spock notes is a serious breach of orders. Kirk tells Spock he'll make the reasons clear to him in his own good time. At that point, Uhura tells Kirk she has the Halkan Council on channel. Kirk tells the leader it is useless to resist them, but the Halkans insist they are not resisting. Kirk gives them twelve hours to reconsider. However, Tharn tells Kirk that, be it 12 years or 12,000, they are ethically compelled to deny the Empire's demand for their dilithium crystals, for the Empire would use their power to destroy. Kirk tells them destruction is the Enterprise leveling their planet and taking what they want, and that the Halkans will die as a race. Tharn says they will willingly do so to preserve their culture. Kirk closes the channel and tells Sulu to turn phasers off. Spock says a twelve-hour reprieve is unprecedented. Kirk leaves for his quarters, telling Uhura to have McCoy and Scotty meet him there. On his navigation panel, Chekov presses two buttons and leaves with Kirk. Spock tells Kirk before he enters the turbolift that he must report Kirk's conduct to Starfleet Command. Kirk tells Spock he is at liberty to do so. In the turbolift, Chekov asks Kirk if he wants to go to Deck 5; Kirk nods that he does. Just as the doors open and Kirk prepares to walk out, he is hit forcefully in the mouth by a crewman, and held against the wall by two others. Chekov pulls out a phaser and tells Kirk that with his death, the entire crew will advance in rank and that no one would dare question the assassination of a captain who disobeys the prime orders of the Empire. Just as Chekov is about to shoot Kirk, Wilson knocks the phaser out of Chekov's hand, and throws him into the corner, knocking him out. He then gets one of the crewmen off of Kirk and shoots him dead, vaporizing him with his own phaser. Kirk wiggles away from the other guard and knocks him across the deck and Wilson shoots him dead with his phaser. Just at that moment, Kirk's henchmen appears out of the turbolift; Wilson tells one of them that he helped Kirk, which Kirk confirms. He then turns his attention to Wilson, who tells Kirk that Chekov was going to make him a chief and asks if Kirk might make him an officer. Kirk says that Wilson is, from then on, working for him. Wilson asks if he's commissioned, and Kirk smiles at him and tells him that he's now in line, he might even make captain. Wilson smiles; after an enthusiastic "Yessir," Kirk knocks Wilson out and says he won't be captain on Kirk's ship. Farrell asks Kirk if Chekov should go to "the booth"; Kirk assents. Arriving at Kirk's quarters, he tells McCoy and Scott to watch their backs, as the officers move up by assassination. Scott tells Kirk that Sulu is security chief and compares him to the ancient Gestapo. McCoy compares sickbay to a chamber of horrors where two of his assistants were betting on how long it would take an injured man to pass out from the pain. Scott then tells Kirk the technology is virtually identical, with only variations in instrumentation. When Kirk asks about star readings, Scott tells him everything is exactly as it should be, except for them. Kirk then decides to try the library computer. At first Kirk is surprised to hear the computer have a male voice. He then begins a program of classified security research, accessible to only him and Scotty. Using all the data from the ion storm, Kirk has the computer work on the idea to see if a sufficiently strong enough ion storm could cause a power surge in transporter circuits which create a momentary interdimensional contact with a parallel universe. The computer answers "affirmative."  Kirk then asks if people, in the act of beaming through such a storm, could they transpose accidentally with their counterparts in the other universe, to which the computer answers "affirmative."  Kirk then asks if such conditions could be artificially-created using the ship's power, to which the computer, again, answers "affirmative."  Kirk records the research onto a record tape and gives it to Scott. Scott tells Kirk that he'll need help, but Kirk would be too conspicuous. At that point, he drafts McCoy to help him. "I'm a doctor, not an engineer," McCoy states. "Now, you're an engineer," Scott replies. As Scott steps off to another terminal in Kirk's quarters to do some research of his own, McCoy asks Kirk what kind of people they are in this universe. So Kirk asks the computer for a readout of the current commander. The computer tells him that Captain James T. Kirk succeeded to command the ISS Enterprise through assassination of Captain Christopher Pike. Kirk's first two actions were suppressing a rebellion by destroying the rebels' home planet and executing 5,000 colonists on Vega IX. Kirk quickly cuts off the record, having heard more than enough. Scott tells Kirk that their plan can work by using the automatic transporter setting. Unfortunately however, their interruption of the engine circuits will appear on Sulu's security board. Kirk says he'll get Uhura to create a diversion to distract Sulu's attention as soon as he's ready. Kirk tells everyone to get back to their posts and keep him appraised. After Scott leaves, McCoy and Kirk ponder what their counterparts are doing back in their universe and on their Enterprise. At that moment, on the prime universe Enterprise, the counterpart Kirk is being forcefully dragged to the brig by two security officers. Kirk demands that the security release him, but they ignore him. Spock Prime is waiting for them at the brig. Kirk tries to get Spock to let him go. The security officers throw Kirk into the brig with the other counterparts who angrily ask what's going on and they also clearly yell at Spock. Kirk threatens to have Spock and the security guards executed. Spock tells him that's not likely as his authority is extremely limited in that regard. Spock tells Kirk that the four of them will remain in the brig and in custody until he can figure out how to get them back to wherever it is they belong. Kirk says the whole galaxy's gone crazy, wonders about his uniform, about Spock's beard, and what has happened to his personal guards. Spock says he cannot answer those questions at this time. Kirk then tries to bribe Spock with either credits or perhaps his own command. Spock theorizes that some kind of interesting transference has taken place. Kirk asks Spock what might buy him, perhaps power? Spock can only reply with "fascinating."  Kirk yells at Spock as he's walking away, telling Spock that he can get power for him. Meanwhile, back on the mirror Enterprise, Kirk Prime is walking through a corridor when he's met by Spock, who has a guard of his own -- another Vulcan. Spock tells Kirk that he's pleased Kirk foiled Chekov's plan, stating that he does not want to be captain, he prefers his scientific duties, and that he is, quite frankly, content to be a lesser target. Kirk tells him that he is logical as always. At that moment, a switch is thrown and we hear Chekov screaming. Kirk turns and sees Chekov in some kind of booth, surrounded by the guards that took him away. Spock tells Kirk the agony booth is a most effective means of discipline, and then asks Kirk if he's ordered full duration. Kirk says he hasn't decided -- a decision which surprises Spock, as Chekov's act warrants death. Kirk angrily repeats that he hasn't decided. Spock submits that that is Kirk's business, then asks if he intends to continue in this unusual course of action regarding the Halkans, as they are in conflict with standard Imperial procedure and that Kirk cannot ignore the consequences. Kirk asks Spock if that is a threat; Spock tells Kirk that he is merely stating facts. Spock says that he has found Kirk to be an excellent officer, and that their missions together have been both successful and profitable. However, Spock will not permit Kirk's aberrations to jeopardize his position. Kirk asks Spock if he thinks they should destroy the Halkans; Spock tells him that "terror must be maintained, or the Empire is doomed. It is the logic of history." Kirk wonders if they've perhaps gone too far with their conquest, stating that that part is easy, but controlling the masses are not. Spock says he does not want to have to find himself opposing Kirk, but if Kirk persists in his confusing, inexplicable behavior, he will have no choice. Kirk tells Spock that it is his concern and not Spock's. Kirk tells Spock that he would find Kirk to be a formidable enemy; Spock says he knows that, and asks if Kirk is aware of the reverse. After Spock leaves, Kirk tells Farrell to release Chekov from the booth and confine him to quarters. Meanwhile, outside engineering, Scott distracts a guard, McCoy is able to hypo him unconscious. They drag him inside the door and climb up the ladder to the emergency manual monitor and begin to do some of their work. Kirk goes to his quarters and finds a woman asleep on his bed. She tells him they had a difficult time in the chemistry lab cleaning up the mess after the storm, but nothing compared to what he's gone through, referring to his earlier incident with Chekov. Kirk says that Chekov gambled and Kirk won. Marlena says that Kirk got lucky, and states she's surprised as to how easily he was caught off-guard. Kirk tells her he was preoccupied. She asks if he's still in trouble with Starfleet Command. She can't figure out what kind of scheme he's got in mind. She figures that either the Halkans have something he wants, or he's trying to scheme a way to advance to the Admiralty or perhaps the Cabinet. Kirk says if he's successful, he may go further than that. Moreau asks if she can know what his plan is, thinking it only fair if she's to be the woman of a Cæsar. After a brief kiss, the intercom chimes and Kirk steps over to it. Spock is calling him, telling him that he's received a private message from Starfleet Command and that by telling Kirk about it, he is violating regulations. Spock tells Kirk that he must wait until planet dawn over principal target to permit Kirk to carry out their mission; if Kirk does not discharge his duties, then Spock is ordered to kill him and proceed against the Halkans as the new captain of the Enterprise. Moreau and Kirk drink a toast to Spock as the only man aboard with the decency to warn Kirk, and he'll die for it. Kirk says he does not intend to kill him. Moreau asks if he's going to act against the Halkans before the deadline and Kirk says he won't, but he'll also avoid killing Spock. Moreau asks if Kirk is just going to get Spock and his men out of the way; Kirk says he'll get out of Spock's way. Moreau asks if she should activate the Tantalus field so Kirk can monitor him; not knowing what she means, Kirk tells her to go ahead, and watches as she touches a couple of areas on what appears to be a decoration on the wall, revealing a monitor screen and some buttons. Moreau tells Kirk she hates the device. Playing for time while she unwittingly shows him what the device is and how it works, Kirk says "it's not so bad". Moreau replies that of course he'd think that, as it is what made him captain of the Enterprise. She then wonders how many people Kirk has simply wiped out of existence by the touch of a button (thoughtfully pointing to the button as she speaks) and then contemplates the humor in how "the great, powerful Captain Kirk, who owes everything to some unknown alien scientist and a plundered laboratory." Kirk and Moreau mutually agree then that if one does not take advantage of one's opportunities, one does not rise to command a starship or even higher. Observing Spock, Moreau offers to go ahead and kill him, but Kirk stops her and deactivates the device. Moreau says that if Spock fails to kill Kirk, then he'll still be executed. Kirk says that he'll make certain the circumstance of Spock's failure will clear him. Moreau is amazed that Kirk isn't even afraid of Starfleet Command. She wonders just how much power is Kirk expecting to accumulate and then wonders how she'll fit into the circumstances. Kirk asks Moreau how she wants to fit in, to which she smiles and then walks through a door, ostensibly to her end of the cabin, leaving Kirk alone. Alone, Kirk calls Scott on his communicator and tells him they have to get out of there inside of three hours as Spock has orders to kill him unless he completes their military mission. Scott tells him that the two-way transmission affected local field densities within the two universes and they've got to escape within a half-hour or they'll be stuck in the mirror universe for the rest of their lives. Scott needs Kirk to get to the transporter room in about ten minutes and free up the board so Scott can lock in. Kirk says after he leaves the transporter room he'll meet Scott and McCoy in sickbay afterward. In his quarters, Spock has been curious about the computer activity and inquires the computer about it. The computer tells him that the captain and Scott are conducting a classified security research under Kirk's voice index log. Spock turns to contemplate that when he notices a beep on his computer and after he activates it, asks Sulu why he is monitoring Spock's communications. Sulu tells Spock that his security board had detected extensive use of computers and he was going to inform Spock. Sulu says that he can figure out what Starfleet told Spock and tells him that he suspects that Kirk is working on escape or defense. When Spock tells Sulu it's his business, Sulu tells Spock he hopes Spock succeeds, because the order would fall on Sulu next, and Sulu is concerned about how Kirk's enemies have the unfortunate habit of disappearing. Spock tells Sulu that if he succeeds, Sulu will find himself a step closer to the captaincy. Spock says he does not want to command the Enterprise, but if it should happen, Spock reminds Sulu that his operatives would avenge his death, and some of them are Vulcans. That statement seems to frighten Sulu a bit, and he closes the channel. Back in Kirk's quarters, Moreau reappears, wearing a much more seductive outfit. She admits to being a bit out of practice and laments that it's difficult for her to appear perfectly as a woman constantly. Kirk says that he's never seen any woman come closer to perfection. She says she remembers how he used to talk that way. Kirk says he still does. When she asks for proof, Kirk says he has to go. Moreau is angry about being put off for one task or another. She then realizes that their relationship must be over. Moreau tells Kirk that Commander Kenner will take her for a time. When she prepares to call a yeoman for assistance to move out, Kirk tells her that's unnecessary. Moreau wonders if Kirk is feeling sorry for her. Then she demands a transfer, saying on the Enterprise she's humiliated but on another ship she can hunt for another man. She then says she's got her rank, that she's been a captain's woman and she likes it, and if it requires she go through every officer in the fleet, she'll be one again. Kirk says she could, and when Moreau turns to strike him, Kirk stops her and tells her he simply meant that Moreau could be anything she wanted to be. He then kisses her very passionately. Moreau says it's been a long time since he kissed her like that and based on Kirk's mercy toward Spock and toward her, calls him a stranger. She then asks if she's his woman. Kirk tells her she's the captain's woman until he says she's not. He then leaves their quarters. Moreau turns on the Tantalus field and watches Kirk go into the turbolift. In the turbolift, Kirk calls Uhura and tells her that Scott should be calling her soon. He asks if she's prepared; she says she is, and that she will do her best to keep Sulu distracted. Kirk wishes her good luck and then closes the channel. At this point, Scott and McCoy have climbed up into a Jefferies tube and, just before Scott begins to make the alterations, he signals Uhura. Uhura walks down to Sulu and chides him for not being very persistent, reminding him that he's ignoring the rules of the game. She's supposed to protest and then he's supposed to come back. Sulu puts his arms around her and tells her she's making sense now. Uhura says she was getting bored, but of course this isn't the time. Sulu, meanwhile, is kissing Uhura's neck and tells her any time's a good time. While he is kissing her, the beep on his console from Scott's work is detected, but goes unnoticed. When the beep stops, she smiles, backs away and then backhands Sulu back into his seat, telling him she's changed her mind again. An angry Sulu tells her she takes a lot of chances, but Uhura draws her knife and tells Sulu he does, too. She keep Sulu at bay with her knife and has one of the relief officers take over for her and she leaves the bridge. While in the turbolift, she contacts Scott and tells him that it's all clear and she's headed for sickbay. In the transporter room, Kirk is working on unlocking the controls on the transporter console when Spock steps in and detains him. After confiscating Kirk's weapon, Spock asks Kirk what he's doing, but Kirk will give no information and tells Spock to go ahead and shoot him. Spock says that Kirk is too inflexible and disciplined once he's made up his mind. Conversely, Dr. McCoy is sentimental and soft, so he'll be able to get the information he needs from him. Kirk threatens Spock, but Spock reminds Kirk that he's the one with the phaser and he does not intend to simply disappear as so many of Kirk's opponents have previously. Spock then leads Kirk to sickbay, where he finds the rest of the landing party waiting on Kirk. Kirk turns and attacks Spock and the others join in. Spock is able to handle all four rather easily, although Kirk does put up more of a fight than the others. Finally, Uhura hands Kirk a ceramic which he smashes over Spock's head, rendering him unconscious. Scott tells Kirk they have maybe 15 minutes to go and McCoy demands they help him get Spock on the examination table as Spock will die without immediate treatment. After complying, Kirk asks Scott if everything's ready for them to go; Scott says it is and tries to get McCoy to hurry, as they are risking not going home. McCoy says they have time and tells Scott to shut up. McCoy asks Kirk if he should stop, but that his work will only take a minute. Kirk mentions that this Spock is very much like their own Spock, and that McCoy can continue. Just then, Sulu walks in with three security guards. When Kirk asks what he is doing, Sulu says that Spock is going to succeed in his order to kill Kirk apparently. Kirk will also appear to have killed Spock after a fierce battle. Sulu calls it regrettable, but it will leave him as captain. As Kirk and company prepare to defend themselves against Sulu, one of Sulu's henchmen suddenly disappears. Back in Kirk's quarters, Marlena has been monitoring Kirk ever since he left their quarters and she has learned who he really is. She vaporizes the other guards, leaving Sulu alone to fight Kirk, and Kirk knocks out Sulu fairly easily. Scott tells Kirk they only have ten minutes. Kirk tells McCoy that his time is up, but McCoy can't let Spock die and asks for only five minutes; he guarantees he'll be there. After Kirk and the others leave, McCoy gives Spock a hypo which wakes him up. Spock then grabs McCoy's arm and asks why Kirk has let him live. McCoy won't answer him, so Spock backs McCoy up against a wall and then mind melds with him. In the transporter room, Marlena is waiting on the landing party. Kirk sends Scott to activate the transporter and expresses gratitude to Marlena for saving them. Marlena asks Kirk to take her with him. Kirk says he can't, that their power is balanced for only four and if they try it with five, they could all die. Marlena points out there are only three of them. Kirk says one is coming and that he wishes he could help her. Marlena points a phaser at Kirk then, and Kirk tells her if she kills them, she'll still stay. Uhura approaches her from behind and quickly disarms Marlena. Kirk asks for the time and Scott tells them they have five minutes when suddenly the power cuts. Kirk asks if auxiliary power will work and Scott says getting the power is no problem but the automatic setting is linked to the transporter main and if they bypass, someone will have to stay behind to operate the controls manually. Scott volunteers to stay, but Kirk tells him and Uhura to get to the transporter chamber. Scott begins to protest, even calling Kirk "Jim," but Kirk makes it an order and Scott reluctantly complies. Kirk goes around to the transporter controls, and then Spock enters with McCoy. Spock has also learned the landing party's true identities through his mind meld and it was him that had the transporter power cut so they couldn't beam out before he arrived. Spock gives McCoy to Scott, and then orders engineering to reactivate the main transporter circuits. Kirk calls Spock "a man of integrity in both universes."  Spock says that they must get back to their universe and Spock must have his captain back and that he will operate the transporter. In the two minutes and thirteen seconds that remain, Kirk asks how long before the Halkan's prediction of galactic revolt is realized. Spock, as ruthlessly logical as his counterpart, has calculated that it will occur in approximately 240 years, and the inevitable outcome will be the overthrow of the Empire. Kirk then challenges the "illogic" of Spock continuing to serve an Empire that he knows is certain to collapse. Kirk then asks if change is inevitable, and for the good, wouldn't logic insist that he be part of it?  Spock tells Kirk one man cannot summon the future, but Kirk tells him one man can change the present. "Be the captain of this Enterprise, Mr. Spock! Find a logical reason for sparing the Halkans and make it stick, push till it gives! You can defend yourself better than any man in the fleet." Spock tells Kirk that a man must also have the power to effect change. With a glance toward Moreau, Kirk reveals the existence of the Tantalus field, with which Spock will be "invincible." Spock appears intrigued. Kirk asks him to make the choice: the past or the future, tyranny or freedom. Kirk then steps into the transporter chamber and then tells Spock "in every revolution, there's one man with a vision." Spock says only, "Captain Kirk, I shall consider it," and then energizes the transporter. Reappearing in the their own universe, the landing party steps off the transporter pad and are happy to see a clean shaven Spock, who welcomes them home. On the bridge, as the Enterprise leaves orbit of the Halkan homeworld, Kirk asks how Spock detected their counterparts so quickly. Spock tells Kirk that as civilized men, they were able to impersonate barbarians much easier than it was for barbarians to imitate civilized men. Spock speculates that the counterparts returned to their Enterprise at the same time the landing party arrived home. Kirk speculates that his counterpart might be in for a few changes, though. McCoy says he thinks he liked Spock with a beard better, as it gave him character. Kirk mentions how easily the counterpart Spock fit into the other universe, and speculated that Spock might be a bit of a pirate at heart. Spock comments on how he observed their counterparts also, calling them "brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilized, treacherous; in every way splendid examples of Homo sapiens, the very flower of Humanity." Spock also adds that he found them quite refreshing. Kirk says he's not sure, but he thinks they've been insulted. McCoy, however, is sure. At that moment, Lt. Marlena Moreau walks on the bridge with a report on a PADD for Kirk. McCoy, Scott, and Uhura are shocked to see her, and when she arrives at Kirk's chair, he asks Moreau her name and she tells him she was just assigned to the Enterprise last week. After she walks away, Spock asks Kirk if he knows her, citing his reaction as one of recognition. Kirk tells Spock that he hadn't met her before exactly. He hopes that he and Moreau can become friends. 
<EOS>
As Major Kira and Doctor Bashir make their way back to Deep Space 9, Kira asks Bashir to take control of the runabout USS Rio Grande, as she has a headache and would like to meditate. Bashir mentions that he once had the opportunity to study with a rhythmic breathing expert named Isam Helewa, but Kira seems less than interested. When he mentions that he would like to learn any Bajoran techniques, Kira tells him that Bajorans usually just sit quietly. There is a brief pause as Kira meditates before Bashir begins breathing spastically. She looks up, irritated, and asks him what he is doing. He explains that he is using a technique called Bellows Breath meant to increase one's energy flow. In an attempt to change the subject, Kira suggests that they listen to some music. An undaunted Bashir asks what type the Major prefers, but unfortunately her musical knowledge is limited to Bajoran composers. He immediately tells the computer to play a selection by Tor Jolan, one of Bajor's greatest composers, much to Kira's surprise. She wonders how he knows of Tor and he explains that he has made a point to listen to Bajoran music since he was assigned to DS9. They seem on the verge of finding a common ground when he starts comparing Tor to the great Boldaric masters of the previous century which seems to further annoy Kira. He remains as gung ho as ever, attempting to get to know Kira on a first-name basis. Bashir goes on to say that Nerys is one of the most interesting women he has ever met and he is glad they are putting their past conflicts behind them. Kira sarcastically adds that they are making room for new ones. Laughing, Bashir relates that he and Chief O'Brien were once at odds with one another, but now he claims they are "like this" as he crosses his fingers. He presses on, trying too hard as usual, and tries to get Kira to call him Julian instead of Bashir. However, when he attempts to hit on her, she tells him to stick with Dax instead. This finally silences the doctor. As their runabout drops out of warp, the warp field does not collapse properly and they are engulfed in a white flash upon entering the wormhole. When they exit the Bajoran wormhole in the Alpha Quadrant, they are shocked to see the station is gone, instead orbiting Bajor much as it did during the occupation. Before either of them can react, the runabout's sensors detect a Klingon Vor'cha-class attack cruiser moving towards them. Two Klingon officers beam aboard the runabout and are shocked to see Kira. Apologizing profusely, they offer to escort her back to the station; she simply nods, obviously confused. Upon arriving at Terok Nor, the two Klingons confer with a Cardassian officer named Garak. Bashir and Kira board the station, where they are confused to see Garak and even more confused to see another Kira Nerys dressed entirely in black. Bashir politely asks where they are and Garak informs him that they are aboard Terok Nor, the center of authority in the Bajoran sector for something simply referred to as "the Alliance." Kira observes that she and Bashir took a wrong turn at the wormhole, suggesting they return to their runabout. However, the other Kira, whom the Klingons and Garak address as "Intendant," seems to have other plans. Bashir attempts to intervene, only to be vociferously chastised as a "Terran" for his tone of voice. The Intendant believes she has an idea of who their visitors are, and if she is right, she tells Kira she cannot let them go. Dismissively, she orders one of the Klingons to put Bashir to work. Garak and the remaining Klingon escort Kira as they follow the Intendant out the airlock area and onto an identical version of the Promenade. Large flags display what appears to be a winged version of the Cardassian emblem enveloping the Klingon emblem, and below the flags, exhausted Humans carry large pieces of machinery in service to the Klingons and Cardassians. A Klingon officer named Telok informs the Intendant that a Terran has been discovered attempting to stow away aboard a freighter and brings the man to her. Approaching the Terran, the Intendant takes on a compassionate tone, asking his designation; she is dismayed to hear he is a Theta and observes how long and hard he had worked to earn this designation. Her tone changes to business as she tells Garak to send the Terran to the mines. Garak wants to execute the Terran to make an example of the man, but the Intendant claims Garak has made a career out of setting examples. He presses the issue, pointing out that two other Terrans have been caught trying to escape and asking that he be allowed to conduct an interrogation at least. While the Intendant permits this, she warns Garak not to kill his prisoner. Elsewhere on the station, an ore processing section identical to the one on DS9 houses dozens of Humans, who perform the same slave-like role as their Bajoran counterparts once did in the "normal" universe. As Bashir is escorted to the processing area, Miles O'Brien warns Odo that they need to upgrade one of the machines' thorium containment cells or there will be an accident. The Klingon escorting Bashir brings him to Odo and informs Odo that Bashir does not know the rules. Odo asks Bashir for his designation. Bashir can only think of his name, which Odo interprets as a joke; as a result, Odo brutally slaps him. Again, Odo asks for a designation, so Bashir informs Odo he does not have one; Odo corrects him, adding "sir" to the end of the statement. A rhetorical response garners another slap. Bashir becomes visibly enraged as they talk, but it is apparent that Odo takes perverse pleasure in provoking him. Upon hearing that Bashir is a doctor, Odo sarcastically reminds him to scrub before he operates. Bashir is put to work but notices that O'Brien has observed the exchange with great interest. Leading Kira and the guard escorting her to Ops, the Intendant passes several Alliance emblems before entering the office normally occupied by Benjamin Sisko. She sits and urges Kira to do the same, dismissing the guard, her eyes feasting on Kira like an excited child on Christmas. The Intendant reveals to Kira that almost a century ago, a Human named James T. Kirk accidentally traded places with his mirror universe Terran counterpart and drastically altered the course of history on this side. At the time of the switch, the Terran Empire was barbaric but strong. While in the mirror universe, Kirk met a Vulcan named Spock and had what the Intendant calls a "profound influence" on him. Spock preached peaceful reforms after "our" Kirk left, rising to commander in chief of the Empire in the process of doing so; however, once he had completed his reforms, the Empire was too weak to defend itself from the newly-formed Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Kira wonders how Bajor fits into the picture. The Intendant explains that the planet had been occupied by the Terrans for decades when the Empire fell. Upon becoming free, it petitioned for entry into the Alliance and became "quite an influential member" in later years. Her story finished, the Intendant wonders if the other side is similar at all. Unfortunately, Kira informs the Intendant that her Bajor has not been so fortunate. The Intendant is eager to hear about life in Kira's universe, but Kira insists that she cannot stay. However, the Intendant does not know how to send her back, nor could she if she wanted to do so. The Alliance, upon seizing power, declared that any visitors from other universes must be killed immediately to prevent future incursions after the first crossover, but unlike Garak, she says she does not like using violence. Kira knows exactly what she means, and that she is looking for an excuse not to kill "our" Kira. Kira solicits the Intendant's help, as she feels a leader like the Intendant could teach her what she needs to know to bring about a stronger Bajor in her universe. "My side once changed the course of your history," she says. "Well, maybe your side can change mine." While the idea appeals to the Intendant, she says she will still have to kill Bashir. When Kira asks her not to, she says letting him live is too dangerous and the Klingons and Cardassians would not allow it; however, Kira knows herself too well and points out that the Intendant does not give a damn what the Klingons or Cardassians think. "Oh!" the Intendant croons. "You know how to manipulate me!" She agrees to go along with Kira's idea and calls for a guard to find her some quarters. The next day, Kira, who has essentially been given free rein, visits the ore processing center to find a now-filthy Bashir pushing a cart full of ore. Mirror Odo greets her at the door. Like his counterpart on the other side, he prides himself on his efficiency. He offers assistance should she need him to explain anything, and when she demurs, citing that she has worked in ore processing before, he laughs out loud. When Kira mentions the name Kirk to Bashir, he immediately realizes where they are, having read about the transporter accident at the Academy. He plans to befriend the mirror O'Brien in the hope that this O'Brien knows as much about transporters as theirs does; meanwhile, Kira tries to find other help. Quark's is no different in the mirror universe aside from the clientele, with a mixed group of Bajorans and Cardassians standing around a dabo table as Kira enters. Quark has heard of the crossover and remarks that Kira is indeed the spitting image of the Intendant. However, he is surprised to find that Kira knows him. She claims that the two of them are close friends on her side and that her Quark does her a lot of favors. As her Klingon escort still observes them from the doorway, Kira nonchalantly mentions that her Quark gets things done for her that no one else can and inquires about a transporter. He is aware of how the first crossover occurred and agrees to help her if she can show him how to send other people across. Although Kira begins to talk about revolving doors, Garak enters followed by two Klingons and yells Quark's name angrily. Greeting Garak amicably, Quark attempts to act as if nothing is wrong. However, Garak informs him that he is under arrest for helping Terrans escape from Terok Nor. Quark claims he is a coward who does not stick his neck out for anyone, but the Terran whom Garak interrogated has said otherwise. Knowing what is about to happen, Quark pulls out a Cardassian phaser rifle and attempts to escape, only to be dragged away by the Klingons. "I shall miss him," Garak observes. "He always let me win at dabo." Shortly thereafter, Benjamin Sisko and a group of Terrans enter, helping themselves to free drinks in Quark's absence, and Kira sees another potential window of opportunity. Meanwhile, the exhausted Terrans are allowed a lunch break. Bashir seizes this opportunity to introduce himself to the mirror O'Brien. Handing what little food he has been given to one of the other workers, he makes his way over to where O'Brien is fixing a panel of some sort. Hearing that the two of them are best friends in the other universe piques this O'Brien's interest; he wonders what he does on the other side. Bashir informs him that he is chief of operations of the station, giving him reason to pause his work and consider the possibilities. When Bashir describes the other details of his O'Brien's life, mirror O'Brien says his other half must have gotten the lucky draw of the two of them. Bashir switches subjects, asking how much O'Brien knows about transporters. While he claims to be no expert, he adds that he knows as much as any Terran. "I hope that will be enough," Bashir remarks, explaining about the transporter plan. O'Brien finds the plan untenable and believes Bashir is lying to solicit his help. While Bashir insists that he is sincere, the spell that came over O'Brien when he heard of his other half seems broken, as he goes back to work and tells Bashir he does not know him. Odo interrupts to announce that break time is over and that Sisko has requested O'Brien's presence. O'Brien protests that he must finish his repair work, but as usual, no one listens to him. Back in Quark's, Sisko and the other Terrans are enjoying themselves at the bar and he remarks that the Intendant called him all the way from the Fowla system just to see Kira. She observes that he and his friends do not act like typical Terrans. As he explains, the Intendant provides him with a ship in exchange for "duties of a sort" that he collects from other vessels. While most Terrans are enslaved, he and his crew are allowed relative freedom because he amuses the Intendant. He observes that Kira must amuse her as well. O'Brien enters the bar to ask what Sisko wanted, and seeing him seems to brighten Sisko's day. Referring to O'Brien as "Smiley" despite O'Brien's objection to the nickname, Sisko asks how he is being treated in an attempt to make small talk. He observes that Smiley does not like him, which O'Brien reluctantly confirms, evoking a laugh from Sisko. He states that the fact that Smiley is not afraid to show this dislike is why he amuses Sisko. Getting to the point, Sisko tells O'Brien that his impulse driver coil needs to be repaired. O'Brien notes the problems in ore processing which he needs to fix first, but Sisko cannot be bothered with such things and orders him to fix the ship first. As the Intendant calls for Sisko and he leaves the bar, Kira realizes that she may not have any hope at all. Kira enters the Intendant's quarters to find the Intendant in a bathtub with several Vulcan servants massaging and bathing her as Sisko sits on a couch facing the door. The Intendant wants to know if there is another Sisko on the other side, and on hearing there is, the idea of two of Sisko pleases her. As she speaks, Sisko gets up to check on his ship, obviously not amused, but the Intendant stops him to ask if she has hurt his feelings. Obediently, he replies, "I never had any to hurt," and exits. Once Sisko is gone, the Intendant talks to Kira as the Vulcans help her out of the tub and dress her. She mentions that she has heard Kira is looking for a transporter, and Kira reminds the Intendant that she is looking for a way back home. However, had Kira come to the Intendant with her request, she would know that transporters were re-designed after the first crossover to prevent future accidents. That leaves the Intendant to wonder why Kira did not do so. As she approaches Kira, her voice betrays a combination of hurt and distrust. Kira reluctantly admits that she is afraid of the Intendant. "I don't want your fear," the Intendant confides as she stands face-to-face with Kira, "I want your love. If you can't love me, who can?" The door chime rings. Telok informs the Intendant that Garak has arrived with a prisoner. She tells them to come inside; they drag Quark, who has visibly been beaten, with them. As Quark apologizes for what he has done, the Intendant kneels beside the Ferengi and comforts him, explaining that he helped the Terrans because he felt sorry for them. However, she reminds him that the Alliance needs the labor to process ore, for without the Terrans, nobody would perform such tasks. Rising to her feet, she tells Garak to give Quark a quick death and seems to all but forget about the incident as Quark is dragged away begging for mercy. Kira is aghast, but the Intendant, now in a happy mood, announces she plans to throw a party. "What shall we wear?" she asks her pet. Kira enters her quarters carrying a lavender dress to find Garak waiting for her. "Lovely," says the Cardassian of the garment. "I do admire a well-tailored gown." He proceeds to explain that the Intendant will never let Kira return to "our" universe as she is clearly enamored with Kira. Describing how the Intendant talks about Kira constantly, Garak compares Kira to a Drathan puppy lig left on the Intendant's doorstep and hints at his true intentions as he makes a point of mentioning that the Intendant trusts Kira with her life. Kira points at the guard outside her door as evidence of how much the Intendant trusts her, but Garak reveals that he arranged the guard, not the Intendant. "Oh, she trusts you, as much as she trusts anyone. So who better to betray her?" he suggests. Garak's plan is that the Intendant will be "gone" in the morning and Kira will take her place. Shortly thereafter, he explains that Kira will retire to Bajor and he will take her place, at which point he will become the Intendant and Kira and Bashir will be sent home. He leaves Kira to ponder the idea and adds that, should she refuse, he has arranged for Bashir rather than the Intendant to be gone. Hurriedly entering the ore processing center, Kira warns Bashir that the two of them must escape tonight. She does not have time to explain the web of lies and treachery, but she tells him to be careful because he might be in danger. Regardless of where they go from there, she insists that they must find a way to the runabout. She tells him that there will not be much warning if an opportunity presents itself so he should be prepared. On the Promenade, Kira finds Sisko half asleep, his eyes closed, leaning against a pillar. She claims to have valuable information that she is willing to trade, and he finds amusement in the idea that Kira has already "gone into business for herself." When she tells him she wants her runabout or a way off the station, he laughs. "She'll have my head or something else," he says of the Intendant's reaction to such a plan. Kira dispenses with the negotiations and announces that Garak is planning to kill the Intendant. However, Garak has been doing so since he first arrived on the station. She reveals the plot in hope that it will convince him she is serious, but he laughs and observes that the plan is more creative than Garak normally gets. Frustrated, Kira wants to know why Sisko does not seem to care about the fact that he and his fellow Terrans are slaves; he counters by arguing that he has made the best of a bad life for himself. Disgusted, Kira accuses Sisko of being no less a victim than anyone else noting that out of everyone she has met in this universe the only person who had a shred of decency was, of all people, Quark; as she leaves, her words seem to weigh heavily on his conscience. Kira attends the Intendant's party in Quark's that night wearing the purple dress and Garak greets her charmingly. Telok brags to his fellow Klingons about his time in service to the House of Duras, commenting on the unpredictable nature of Lursa and B'Etor, when one of Sisko's crewmembers accidentally bumps into him. He punches the Terran dismissively, adding, "Stupid Terran pig!" The Terran pulls out a knife and rises to his feet, but does so with restrained anger as he knows he is not an equal. At seeing that the Terran is willing to challenge him, Telok nods approvingly, ready for a fight. However, when Sisko shakes his head, the Terran puts the knife away. "What's wrong, Terran?" Telok taunts. "Lost your nerve?" Telok spits in the Terran's face and the man almost loses control, but another shake of the head from Sisko prompts him to restrain himself. Visibly disgusted, Telok orders the Terran to get out of his sight, and as the man does so, Sisko takes his place threateningly. However, the room shifts its attention as the Intendant enters. The guests cheer as the Intendant enters followed by her Vulcan servants and the musician asks what her pleasure is. She tells him to play something bright in a happy mood and joins the festivities as Kira observes her, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Bashir sits exhausted in ore processing in front of a pile of rocks. Odo approaches him from behind and kicks him, noting that Bashir is not accustomed to the workload and, as such, has much to learn. "It's a shame this is going to be your last night on the job," he adds, with a hint of sadistic pleasure. His taunting is interrupted when, just as O'Brien warned, the thorium containment field on one of the machines short-circuits. The Terran workers scatter as Odo contacts engineering, and Bashir uses this opportunity to steal a phaser from one of the Bajoran deputies. Still facing the deputy, he begins to back out the doorway following the panicked workers. Odo spots Bashir and reaches for his own phaser, but Bashir shoots the Changeling, causing him to explode, and splattering goo everywhere. Not taking the time to gawk, Bashir leaves immediately. Telok and some other soldiers can be heard in the distance as Bashir runs through one of the corridors and enters a conduit. A pair of Klingons runs by, oblivious to his location. He crawls a short way before he finds O'Brien attending a panel on the wall. However, when he solicits O'Brien's help, O'Brien claims not to see him and goes about sealing the thorium leak. Bashir realizes it is futile and remarks that he thought O'Brien was a decent man, which O'Brien insists he is. O'Brien is worried that the Alliance will find and kill him if he helps Bashir, but Bashir points out that O'Brien, as well as every other Terran, is already dead. He begins to enter another conduit, but O'Brien points out that the runabout pads are through another conduit, asking if there is room on the ship for him. The two of them emerge in another corridor only to find the Klingons have cut them off. Interrupting the party, Telok brings O'Brien and Bashir and informs the Intendant of what has transpired; she immediately looks at Kira furiously. She declares that Odo's death is her fault for keeping Bashir alive in the first place and laments Odo's death. Garak and the others observe closely as she proclaims that Garak will use Bashir as his "example," and kill him slowly in public view for all Terrans to see. When Kira attempts to speak, the Intendant threatens to have Kira join him. She then turns her attention back to O'Brien. As he has been a perfect worker for years, she wonders what got into him, and he tells her that hearing about life on the other side and himself being chief of operations made him realize that, whatever the other side is like, there has to be something better than life as a Terran. "Not for you, Mr. O'Brien," the Intendant informs him. "Oh, he's going to be taking you with him -- just not exactly where you thought he would be taking you." With a nod from the Intendant, Garak begins to lead Bashir and O'Brien out of Quark's, but taking Garak's gun from its holster, Sisko intervenes, inspired by O'Brien's words. The Intendant does not believe what she sees and asks Sisko if he has lost his mind. He quietly replies, "No, I didn't lose it. I just changed it." By this time, "our" Kira and Sisko's crewmen have taken the cue and are all armed. They slowly exit the bar before Sisko shoots the panel above the door, locking it shut. As he does so, the Intendant is near tears; for all the disparity between them, she had true feelings for Sisko. Kira warns Sisko as he escorts her and Bashir to the runabout pad that the Intendant will track him down wherever he goes. Bashir suggests that he and his crew come with them, but Sisko assures them he can stay ahead of the law. "Maybe we'll stir up some things on this side," he adds with a grin. On hearing this, O'Brien changes his mind about leaving and joins Sisko's crew, as Sisko says he can always use a good tinkerer and putterer. Kira thanks Sisko before she and Bashir board the runabout. Disengaging the docking clamps, Bashir and Kira take the runabout straight to impulse and depart Terok Nor as quickly as possible. As they head for the wormhole, Bashir reports that the runabout still has a plasma injector leak from the warp core, which Kira is counting on to return them home. They mimic the conditions of their original entry into the wormhole that brought them to the mirror universe, but a Klingon cruiser heads straight toward them, trying to keep them from leaving and nearly destroying the runabout. However, as the Klingons on this side know nothing of the wormhole, Bashir and Kira are able to maneuver toward it and enter. They are inside the wormhole when one of the runabout's systems short-circuits and there is another brilliant flash of light. In Ops aboard Deep Space 9, Commander Benjamin Sisko emerges from his office and asks if the crew has found anything. Odo stands next to Dax as she reports that a search vessel picked up traces of the runabout's warp signature and indications of a plasma leak, but no ship. There is an alert from the computer, and O'Brien announces it is them, although their deflector grid is damaged. Sisko tells Dax to hail the runabout and with a mixture of annoyance and concern, asks where they have been. "Through the looking glass," Kira responds. 
<EOS>
Sisko, Odo, and Quark are in the station commander's office debating the disposition of 27 Cardassian voles which Sisko claims are intended for fighting. Apparently Quark and Morn were discovered painting numbers on the voles' backs, even though Quark claims that they were Morn's pets. Sisko orders that the voles be confiscated, suggesting that if Morn wants new pets, he can get some goldfish. Quark says "Poor Morn. This is gonna break his hearts." Sisko then walks out into Ops, where he tells an unnamed lieutenant "Ops is yours" and walks toward the turbolift landing just as the car arrives carrying O'Brien, who is out of uniform. As O'Brien steps off the turbolift he tells Sisko that he needs to converse privately, then draws a phaser. However, Sisko immediately orders the Ops crew to stand down. After ordering Sisko onto the transporter pad, O'Brien waves a multidimensional transporter over the normal transporter controls, after which O'Brien and Sisko transport to a raider and Sisko asks where they are. "I guess you could say we just stepped through the looking glass," O'Brien says in reply. O'Brien leads Sisko into another compartment, and, in a quick moment, Sisko disarms him. At barrel's end O'Brien confirms that they are in the mirror universe. Since the time last year Kira and Bashir crossed over, the Terrans have started a rebellion against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, and the rebellion at issue was led by Sisko’s counterpart until he was killed. Sisko demands to be taken back to his own universe, as he can't further influence events there. O'Brien then encourages him, explaining that, in his universe, Jennifer Sisko is very much alive, working for the Alliance on a trans-spectral sensor array that will enable the Alliance to root the rebellion out of their bases in the Badlands. In closing, O'Brien explains that if Sisko will not retrieve her from Terok Nor, the rebels will be left with "no choice but to kill her." Sisko concedes than he cannot bear the death of a second Jennifer Sisko, and agrees to attempt her rescue. On Terok Nor, Jennifer Sisko arrives at Intendant Kira's quarters, clearly not enthusiastic about talking to her. The Intendant informs Jennifer that her husband has been killed, but she is not phased, as they did not part on good terms. Back on the raider, O'Brien -- or rather "Smiley," as he's reminded Sisko to address him -- explains that Jennifer despises her late husband, who was much better at fighting than leading. Finally the two of them transport to a rebel base, where a new mission is under discussion. It appears Bashir is ready to take charge of their force, and wants to simply smuggle explosives on the station and detonate them, no matter the risk. Just then, Sisko and Smiley enter. As Bashir looks on Sisko with a gimlet eye, Tuvok points out that they all thought Captain Sisko dead. Sisko attributes it to propaganda. He successfully wins over the group with his confidence, but then Jadzia saunters in to give Sisko a kiss of gratitude, a slap across the face for letting her think that he was dead, and a question: "are you coming or not?" Sisko hangs back so that Smiley can explain to him that Jadzia is Sisko's mistress. On Terok Nor, the Intendant is dismayed by the decreased productivity on the station. Garak insists he's doing all he can, but she takes him down to the processing center and orders gratuitous executions of Terran slaves as an incentive. Garak suggests that she's been in a foul humor ever since Captain Sisko was killed. The Intendant denies it, but she is clearly frustrated and Garak knows it. As the rebels are restless about the impending completion of the sensor array, a suspicious Jadzia is telling Sisko that she is tired of fighting the Alliance, after not seeing progress for a year. She's tired of living on the run, and says they ought to abandon the rebellion, as their group is not capable of winning. Sisko says he's not ready to give up, yet, and they must make sure Jennifer Sisko does not complete the sensor array. Later, with the whole group, Sisko insists (over Bashir's objections) that Jennifer's rescue, not her death, is their next objective. Bashir continues to argue, and, quietly during, O'Brien suggests to Sisko that he hit him, as the other Sisko would. He quickly goes over and hits him just as he starts talking about his wife. He berates him for doing so, though Bashir and Dax remind him it would be much easier to kill her than to convince her to leave. O'Brien reminds them that they need a scientist to help them counteract the Alliance's efforts. On Terok Nor, Rom is on the station to inform the Intendant that Sisko is alive and that he has information that will lead to Sisko's recapture. Sisko and Smiley, in a fighter, soon become surrounded by decloaking Alliance ships en route to Terok Nor, captured, and taken to the station. The first thing Sisko does upon leaving the airlock is to kiss the Intendant passionately, and they briefly discuss the likelihood of his execution. Kira then moves onto O'Brien and chastises him for betraying the Alliance. After Smiley explains that he did it because he wanted to be free, Kira contemptuously orders him sent back to Ore Processing, and she leads Sisko back to her quarters. Once there, she explains to him that since she can't trust him, it will be a matter of time before she needs to "dispose of" him. Later, Jennifer arrives, accompanied by Garak, who leaves no doubt as to his hatred of Sisko. After Garak leaves, Ben and Jennifer spar over Ben's bellicosity and womanizing, but Ben puts that to a stop by explaining that he's on the station to rescue her. After more arguing, Ben uses the adversarial nature of their marriage as a wedge to suggest that she's working for the Alliance as a response to his leadership of the rebellion, and finally asks her to defect as an alternative to slavery. Sisko tells her to think about it, then uses a subdermal communicator to alert Smiley to his progress and disables the guards on the Intendant's quarters. Smiley creates a diversion to get himself and several slaves out of Ore Processing, while subduing a few guards in the process. With Ben guarding the door with two Klingon disruptors, Jennifer ultimately agrees to follow him -- though only after insisting that she still hates him -- and the two of them meet up with Smiley and the (former) slaves in the Habitat Ring. They need to coordinate to subdue a few Cardassian soldiers, but they successfully reach the airlock where Rom's shuttle is docked, only to discover Rom's corpse hanging from the airlock door, by a dagger through the chest. On the verge of being overpowered by the Intendant and her men and with no obvious means of leaving Terok Nor, the rebels head back to Ore Processing with Jennifer in tow. Once there, the rebels engage in a firefight with the guards, and after promising Jennifer that he will get her off the station, Sisko starts manipulating a console, explaining to Smiley that he hopes the designer of the Mirror Universe Terok Nor is the same Cardassian who designed Deep Space 9. The Intendant and the troops with her ultimately force entry to the rebels' haven in Ore Processing, where she orders the rebels (excepting Jennifer) killed -- only to have Sisko tell her that doing so would be a mistake because he has initiated the station's auto-destruct sequence. Thinking that he's bluffing, the Intendant points out to Sisko that he doesn't know the needed command authorization code, at which point he proves her wrong. When she tries to stop the sequence, she discovers that Sisko has changed the command code, and offers to let him off the station if he will give her the new code. He demands that he and his companions be let off the station first, and the Intendant capitulates, closing with an oath to Sisko that she will hunt him down. After the trip from Terok Nor to the rebel base, Jennifer insists on knowing who Ben really is. Commander Sisko tells her that she can ask Smiley for the details, and then the two of them say their goodbyes. 
<EOS>
Jake Sisko is at his usual place on the second floor of the Promenade when Odo walks by. Instinctively, he goes to leave as Odo often did when Nog was around, but Odo doesn't have a problem with just Jake there. Jake dismisses missing Nog that much, but Quark, nearby, says he does miss him a lot and furthermore complains about losing a waiter. Jake leaves to think somewhere else. When he arrives in his quarters, he finds his dad sitting with Jennifer Sisko from the mirror universe. Before being able to think about it, he thinks it might be his mother. Jennifer and Ben quickly explain to Jake, though he's amazed how much she looks and sounds like his mother. Although he knows Jennifer is not his mother, he becomes very affectionate to her. Benjamin is then called to duty, as a Bajoran Minister, Gettor, is anxious to see him. He is forced to leave the two alone. When he returns, he discovers they have left the station, leaving behind a multidimensional transporter device. Sisko tries to follow this trail, accompanied by Major Kira and Chief O'Brien, only to discover the device was programmed to transport him to the mirror universe alone. He finds himself on Terok Nor (which the Terran Rebellion had captured from the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance) and sees Smiley, who says Jake is with the professor, but he is not willing to let Sisko go. Some armed guards make the point stick. In the office, Smiley explains they have built a copy of the USS Defiant based on the data and schematics that Smiley downloaded from Deep Space 9's computers. Like the original, this copy has structural problems, and the rebels need Sisko's help to prepare it for an upcoming battle with the Alliance. Smiley is willing to transport the Siskos back to their universe before the battle begins, but only after the modifications are complete. Benjamin admits the structural integrity field grids needed overhauling, a two-week process. The Alliance attack, however, is expected in four days -- likely not enough time. Smiley promises him that, if he doesn't help, he'll either die in the firefight or serve in the Alliance with Jake. Then, Julian Bashir enters demanding to know whether Sisko will help them. Smiley says he will, and Bashir immediately punches him, a payback for Sisko's punch earlier. Sisko goes to Quark's to find Jake with Jennifer and talking to Nog, mentioning they were friends. Nog can't believe it, but invites him to spend time with one of the women there. Sisko yells for Jake, and Jake admits he wanted to spend time with his mother. Sisko tells him Jennifer is nothing like her, but Jake is unphased. He scolds Jennifer privately for what she did, but Jennifer has the same attitude that Smiley has. They are desperate to fight the Alliance. He agrees to help, but orders her to stay away from Jake, but she says she's unable, as Jake wants to spend all his time with her. Meanwhile, the lead Alliance ship, commanded by Regent Worf, is on its way. He has Elim Garak brought to him, and blames him for the loss of Terok Nor. Garak tries to explain he's not alone in the blame, but Worf is infuriated that he's the only one to escape, implying cowardice. He says he cut his losses while the Intendant Kira Nerys pleaded for her life. Worf commits to dealing with the rebels himself, promising Garak will be forced to fight as well. Garak forces enthusiasm, but he is chained and Worf won't release him until the rebels are killed. Sisko is on the bridge of the Defiant working on various parts and coordinating with Smiley. Jadzia Dax, after hearing Sisko is back, barges in and slaps him for being intimate with her earlier in order to keep his ruse. He quickly agrees never to try that again when they hear a scream from inside the station. The Intendant is being tortured by Bashir for trying to escape her interrogation. Sisko objects to Bashir continuing to hurt her out of malice, saying just because the Alliance was brutal doesn't mean he needs to be. Bashir orders her taken away, but not before she comments on how fooled she was by Sisko earlier. Word has reached the Alliance ships of the Defiant. Worf is told about the ship, and is angered at the increased effort it will mean for him. Garak suggests increasing their speed, but Worf is rebukes him, still blaming him for the situation. After a long day on the Defiant, he arrives at quarters to find Jennifer with Jake having dinner. Sisko says they need to leave in order to get sleep, and Jake goes to clean up after dinner. Alone with Jennifer, she tries to massage him and remind him she is not the enemy. She says he's done well with Jake, and admits she is enjoying her time with him, the son she will never have. Just then, Smiley enters to inform them the Alliance fleet is now only eight hours away. To stall for time for the much needed repairs, Dax says they need to stall for time. Bashir says he can get extra time with a few raiders, but Sisko is suspicious. He goes to the Intendant to get information on weaknesses in the Alliance fleet. She laughs, but Sisko convinces her that Garak has probably ran to the Regent and arguing she was at fault for losing Terok Nor and probably in danger now. After an unsuccessful attempt to get the force field lowered, she admits the ships' targeting sensors can be fooled with warp shadows. Meanwhile, Garak is punished by Worf for taking the key to his chains. Insisting he didn't take it, he points out he's still trapped on the ship, and it would not do him any good. Worf loses his patience  and stabs him with his d'k tahg, just as the guard finds the key in his boot. Worf takes his knife back and tells the guard to make sure he lives. As the guard leaves with Garak, Worf is informed of six rebel raiders approaching. They don't detect that they are actually false signals, and the Birds-of-Prey go after them, but their disruptor blasts are diverted. Jennifer finds Sisko working and offers to help, since she has smaller hands. During, she tells him she told Jake the reality of her intentions and what the rebels are trying to do. Furthermore, Jake said it doesn't matter, since she reminds him too much like his mother. Mentioning she never had someone care about her like that, she offers to send Jake back to Deep Space 9 now, and that both she and Smiley trust Sisko to finish what he's doing. Sisko says to go ahead. Before she leaves, she supposes that the connection they had initially between them is now lost because of what she's done, however, Sisko supposes it was never real to begin with. A little stunned, she leaves. Jake, at his usual spot, but in the mirror universe, has his thinking interrupted by Nog. He insists his thinking is disrupting him (or perhaps his loitering) and that he should leave. Amused at the reversal of roles, he laughs, but Nog is not amused. Jennifer arrives to get Jake. Soon, the Birds-of-Prey arrive and fire on the station. On the Defiant bridge, Smiley says Sisko can go and takes command, though not before wishing for some on-the-job training. Sisko considers it, and instead takes command himself. Smiley, very surprised, follows his commands. Nog soon decides to free Kira as a thank you for her earlier actions in killing Quark and Rom, allowing him to inherit the bar. She takes his phaser and they leave for a ship Nog has prepared. She plans to head for Bajor, and so Nog leaves her to it, going down a different corridor. Kira lets him go for a second, but rethinks it and instead kills him. Before Kira makes it to the airlock, she intercepts Jennifer and Jake. Sisko leads the Defiant, teaching Smiley a few moves in the process, to victories against a few of the Birds-of-Prey. Meanwhile, Kira says she plans to take Jennifer as a present to the Regent. Jennifer insists Jake be left on the station, which makes Kira interested. She fakes agreement to leave him, and tries to shoot instead, only for Jennifer to jump in front of the blast. She is about to kill both of them when she asks who he is. When she realizes he is Sisko's son, she spares him to give him a message -- that Sisko is now in her debt for sparing his son's life, and it is a debt on which she intends to collect. The Defiant is now faced with the Regent's flagship. Sisko then resolves to pilot the Defiant himself, which Smiley gladly accepts. He is able to make a couple passes very close to the ship, making it difficult to target him and at the same time inflicting major damage. The Regent is incensed, and can only demand the ship be destroyed. Another Bird-of-Prey arrives, but it is attacked by the raider, which has returned to the station. Bashir and Dax briefly celebrate, but Sisko orders them to concentrate on the flagship's forward shield, which he has punched a hole in. Garak successfully convinces Worf to flee, and the rest of the forces follow them. Worf is finally convinced that the Intendant is responsible for the loss, and Garak becomes enthusiastic about killing her himself. Sisko returns from the battle to find Jake in the infirmary with Jennifer, who is clinging to life. With her last words, Jennifer tells Sisko that she knew they were still connected, to which he responds, "always."  Sisko and Jake share an emotional hug, and Sisko suggests that they return home to Deep Space 9. 
<EOS>
Major Kira and Dax are heading to Ops, discussing who Kira will bring to the dinner Dax invited her to. Dax makes several suggestions including Captain Boday, all of whom Kira rejects, mostly because they have obvious non-humanoid characteristics. Shortly after they arrive and Dax despairs over Kira's "pickiness", O'Brien detects an unusual transporter signal. A man appears on the transporter, huddled as if hurt. When Kira approaches, he reveals a disruptor and the fact that he seems to be Vedek Bareil. Bareil takes Kira hostage and demands a ship. Captain Sisko alerts security of a hostage situation and directs Bareil to Landing Pad A. Bareil grabs a piece of food and then informs Kira that they will be walking rather than taking the turbolift. On the way, Bareil mentions that he doesn't recognize Kira's uniform and asks about the Alliance. Kira informs him that there is no Alliance and Bareil confirms to himself that he has actually crossed over. Kira continues to serve as his hostage until they reach the landing pad where she reveals that she doesn't believe he's dangerous because his disruptor isn't functional. After physically subduing him, Odo and some security guards emerge from the airlock and take him into custody. In a holding cell, Kira interrogates him. He confirms that his name is Bareil Antos and expresses interest in meeting "himself". Kira informs him that his counterpart is dead, and Bareil deduces that Kira was close to him. Kira questions how he got an interdimensional transporter, but Bareil brushes off the question and tells her he is just a run-down thief looking for a better life, which led him to this universe. Later in his office, Captain Sisko expresses disbelief that Kira doesn't want to press charges. Kira tells him that she feels bad for him and understands his feelings given her previous experience with the mirror universe. Captain Sisko changes his tone and warns her that she has a difficult situation in front of her, and relays his experience when the mirror Jennifer Sisko visited. Kira assures him that the differences between the Bareils are sharp enough for her to maintain distance. Later, Bareil is walking the Promenade trying to dodge the stares of virtually all of the passers-by. He sees Kira and calls out to her, thanking her for giving him a break. He mentions the staring crowd and Kira explains how much of a popular public figure Vedek Bareil was. Bareil resigns himself to the attention and thanks her again. When she is going to temple, Bareil declines to enter. Kira accepts his hesitance, but is then surprised when he comes in partway through the ceremony. He explains that he needs a new start and the Prophets may be able to help. After the ceremony, Kira asks his opinion and he says he envies her faith but feels that he has lived too long without it to ever be as invested. Kira encourages him to think about it more. When he mentions he doesn't really have plans, Kira invites him to dinner. At dinner, Bareil entertains Dax and Kira with a story of how he outwitted a Klingon guard and stole a Mek'leth in an escape. Worf is much less amused and expresses doubt that Bareil could have stolen a Mek'leth from a Klingon warrior, whereupon Bareil produces Worf's own Mek'leth to cut the dessert, and hands it back to him, which impresses the Klingon. After dinner, Kira invites him back to her quarters. Waking up together, Bareil jokes with Kira about how confused she must be. Kira reiterates that she knows the difference between the two Bareils and describes her version of him. She is surprised when Bareil is able to finish one of the Vedek's quotes, and he admits he did some research. In Ops, Dr. Bashir hand delivers a report to Dax that could have easily been transmitted. When Dax accuses him of hanging around purely for gossip's sake, he only makes a token objection. When Kira appears she gives a brief, uninformative description of Bareil, though she shares a knowing look with Dax once the doctor has left. Later, Bareil is pacing in the temple with Kira, nervous because of his impending Orb experience. Kira assures him he has nothing to worry about. The Vedek eventually arrives and welcomes Bareil before leading him to the Orb. Bareil carefully observes as the Vedek turns off the Force field, then moves forward and looks into the orb. At the Replimat afterward, Bareil looks dazed and introspective. He tries to put his feelings into words but is having trouble, which Kira assures him is normal. He begins describing what he saw, but Kira gets uncomfortable and tells him that the visions he saw should remain private. He says he feels as if he could sleep for days and Kira encourages him to rest. When he arrives at his quarters, he is greeted by the Intendant Kira. The Intendant asks him how their plan is progressing and Bareil tells her everything is fine. Upon discovering that he has become involved with the other Kira, the Intendant is ecstatic and asks him to compare them. He praises the other Kira's virtues over hers and she briefly becomes angry, but then consoles herself by berating Bareil and reminding him that Kira is too good for him. She asks him if stealing the Orb is going to present a problem and he tells her it won't be. She reminds him that with the Orb they can unite Bajor and he will be the next best thing to a king. She questions why he isn't more excited and he explains that he is tired from looking into the orb. Later, Bareil is drinking in Quark's Bar and snaps at the staring crowd. Quark backs him up and starts chatting about his resemblance to Vedek Bareil. Bareil recognizes that Quark is leading up to a business proposition, and lets him outline his dubious scheme. Bareil rejects it and says that he has dealt with men like Quark his whole life and that right now he doesn't like neither him nor himself very much. In a cargo bay, Quark arrives to pick up a shipment and sees Kira checking inventory. He starts chatting about Bareil and says that while he approves of their pairing, he notices Bareil is different from the men she usually picks. Kira starts to dismiss him, but Quark warns her that Bareil seems "tormented" and spent a lot of time wandering around outside the temple after leaving his bar. Kira dismisses that as well, explaining that Bareil just had an orb experience and Quark should know how draining it is. Quark admits it's possible, but he also suggests that Bareil was figuring out how to rob the temple. He leaves Kira pondering. Bareil returns to his quarters to find the Intendant Kira dressed up as Kira Nerys. She reminds him of their timetable and Bareil assures her everything is going according to plan. He is, however, preoccupied. The ersatz Kira goes to a secure cargo bay and tries to gain entry, but the Bajoran security guard won't let her through without her authorization code. She expresses despair and then complains about a sore shoulder. She encourages the flustered guard to rub it for her. He complies and then Kira subdues him. She goes in to a cargo transporter and reconfigures it with the inter-dimensional transporter device. Meanwhile, Bareil breaks into the temple and is about to steal the orb when Kira confronts him. He thinks it's the mirror Kira at first but her words reveal to him that it's the local one. He asks how she knew and she explains that she didn't, but Quark did. She can't understand why he is doing it until the mirror Kira arrives and explains. She begins to explain to her that Bareil is basically a spineless, irredeemable thief who duped her completely and encourages Bareil to tell Kira the same thing. Bareil instead stuns the mirror Kira. The local Kira warns him that she will kill him when she awakes and he brushes the warning off, saying he's dealt with her anger before. He reveals that he saw the two of them living together with a family in his orb vision. Kira asks him what would be wrong about such a life, and he answers that he would just screw it up because he doesn't belong. He activates the transporter and he and the mirror Kira disappear. 
<EOS>
Odo and Quark are conversing in Quark's Bar as they observe Dr. Bashir and Ezri. It seems Quark is convinced that Ezri is in love with him, although Bashir -- and Ezri as well, according to Odo -- is not aware of it. Quark's obsession is interrupted when Rom runs in and anxiously informs him that Grand Nagus Zek has gone missing while on a business trip. However, Quark is not worried, assuring Rom the Nagus probably stopped on Risa. By the time he gets rid of Rom, Bashir, and Dax have left together holding hands, much to Odo's delight. Quark goes to his quarters to pray (and pay) to the Blessed Exchequer for Bashir to be sent off Deep Space 9 for a few months. He slips the latinum slips into the shrine's lobe in the hope that Ezri will fall for him. Shortly thereafter, the door chime rings; it is Ezri Tigan, dressed in black and not acting at all like Dax. She assertively forces her way into the room, but as Quark learns in a recorded message from Zek, this is not a Vulcan Love Slave role-play but the mirror universe Ezri. In the message, Zek reveals that he is in the hands of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the alternate universe, not Risa as Quark originally presumed. Apparently the Nagus is being held ransom, and Quark has three days to secure a cloaking device for the Alliance or Zek will die. Quark and Rom exit the airlock carrying the extremely heavy cloaked cloaking device they have stolen off of the IKS Rotarran, which occasionally gives off faint glimmers of light. They slowly approach the habitat ring when they hear someone coming and put the cloaking device down. Captain Sisko and General Martok walk by talking about expanding their lines from the Kalandra system, but they do a double-take as they realize Quark and Rom are idly staring at a bulkhead. Although the Ferengi give no particular reason and Sisko is confused as to what they are doing, Martok grows impatient as they do not have time for such things. Once the soldiers are gone, Quark manages to find the invisible device but burns his finger on an induction coil. They bring the cloaking device to Ezri in cargo bay 14, where she has apparently set up the interdimensional transporter needed to travel to the alternate universe. As she gets it ready, Rom observes the striking resemblance to the Ezri he knows. However, before she leaves, Quark decides that he and Rom need to go with her to ensure they get Zek back. Ezri does not think doing so is a good idea, but as Martok angrily enters the cargo bay and comes after them, the mirror universe suddenly looks a lot more appealing. The three of them transport across with the cloaking device. Once in the alternate universe, Rom observes how normal the cargo bay on that side looks, while Quark reminds him that their counterparts are dead. The similarities soon end when Vic Fontaine -- who is not a hologram -- backs into the room, a phaser in each hand, followed closely by Bashir and a pair of Terrans. Fontaine, who does not know what a hologram is, is a renegade of some sort, and guns blazing, he is shot dead by Bashir in front of Quark, Rom and Ezri. With Fontaine dead, the Terrans turn their attention to the newly-arrived trio and the hostile emotions make it clear that Bashir and Ezri know one another. However, contrary to Rom's expectations, the Terrans hold them in no higher regard. They take the Ferengi and the Trill to the brig. Bashir and Miles O'Brien visit them in their holding cell, and are contemptuous towards Ezri for siding with the Alliance against the Terran Rebellion for money rather than loyalty. Bashir is eager to execute the Ferengi, but O'Brien observes that Quark and Rom's Sisko would not want them in the mirror universe and suggests sending them back where they came from (sans cloaking device). Quark is determined to get the Nagus back though, so they give him until morning to decide. Ezri suggests they take the offer and leave, but the Ferengi firmly refuse despite the hopeless odds. Aboard the Alliance's massive Negh'Var-class flagship, Kira gently massages Zek's lobes, intent on securing her freedom. Zek has promised Quark and Rom will deliver the cloaking device, and so long as the Intendant believes him, she appears dedicated to pleasing the older Ferengi. That night Quark talks about why he wants to save Zek; not because he's married to their mother and is extremely rich, but because of loyalty. Just then, Brunt breaks into DS9's brig to rescue Ezri. Unlike the "normal" Brunt, he is incredibly kind and compassionate. He even offers to take Quark and Rom along, offering them food and water. During the ride in Brunt's shuttle to meet the Alliance's regent, Rom eagerly feasts on fried tube grubs, but becomes perplexed by the paradoxical logic of the mirror universe. He and Ezri head to bed, leaving Quark and Brunt alone. Brunt then confesses he hates the Alliance, but helps them because Ezri is his closest friend -- although he hints that she is "very particular" about men, when Quark inquires about the nature of their relationship. Regent Worf, meanwhile, has discovered the sinus-clearing wonder of beetle snuff and eagerly awaits the cloaking device. His pet Elim Garak is eager to kill Intendant Kira, but Worf remains firm in making his own decisions. When Quark, Rom, Ezri, and Brunt deliver the cloaking device, Worf is quite pleased and orders it operational within the hour. Quark expects the deal to complete with the Nagus' return, but Worf does not. Kira then comes out to seductively greet Ezri and the Regent reneges on his deal with the Ferengi. Worf decided to release the Intendant for coming up with the idea to acquire the cloaking device, much to Garak's dismay. Quark and Rom are then imprisoned, but not killed. As Zek reveals that he stole the interdimensional transporter schematics from Rom's PADD in the middle of night at their mother's and came to the mirror universe to find new business opportunities, Brunt feels guilty about what he and Ezri have done to the innocent Ferengi. He attempts to convince Ezri to ask the Intendant to get them out of prison, but Kira enters as he is speaking and notes that she does not want to waste a favor from the regent on them. She kills Brunt, claiming she felt he was going to betray her and holding Ezri close. On the bridge, an officer announces that long-range sensors have detected the ISS Defiant, so Regent Worf decides to test his new cloaking device. However, it is not yet operational, so he sends Ezri to fetch Rom. Quark claims they have no reason to help someone who has betrayed them, but Rom and Zek are eager to do whatever is necessary, as they believe Rom's help may allow them to survive. Despite her prior treachery, Ezri's motives appear genuine. Rom grows impatient with Garak's inability to serve as his assistant, growing defiant when Garak threatens him; he knows Garak needs him more than he needs Garak. Meanwhile, Kira gets on Worf's good side in order to re-gain control of Terok Nor rather than the Alliance ships destroying it. Once Rom installs the device and the ship cloaks successfully, the satisfied regent allows Garak to "get rid of" the Ferengi as he sees fit. Ever a sadist, Garak relishes the thought, intending to test out a deadly and painful virus on them. As usual, Quark uses his Ferengi cunning to get him out of a tight spot; when Garak enters the brig with the virus, Quark and the others slyly try to convince him that they have valuable information he should want to know and negatively compare him to "their" Garak. The Terrans meanwhile begin to suspect something is wrong, knowing they should have caught the Ferengi ship by now. Smiley wonders if the regent has the cloaking device already, but Bashir is sure that, even if he does, it could not be functional yet. However, the regent's ship is right behind them, matching the clueless Humans' warp speed in anticipation. Right when the regent's ship decloaks and tries to fire on the Defiant, its power grid shuts down, having been sabotaged by Rom. The Ferengi (and Zek's silent Hupyrian servant, Maihar'du) jump Garak when the force field shuts down. Though he manages to overpower them and is ready to inject Quark with the virus, Ezri steps in and injects Garak instead. At the airlock, Ezri and company find Kira, and both Ezri and Kira are armed. Neither appears to trust the other, but they both lower their phasers slowly. However, Ezri decides not to go with Kira, having developed a conscience. She lets the Intendant go, as she owes her that much. Zek is shocked over the fact that they've mentioned that Brunt is dead but Rom informs him, "wrong Brunt." The Terrans return to Terok Nor triumphantly with the Regent in their custody and Ezri now on their side. After their recent ordeal, Quark offers to take Ezri back to our universe, but she decides to turn over a new leaf with the Terrans. Suddenly Leeta shows up, much to Rom's delight; however, it is the mirror Leeta, who has never seen him in her life and has been sent to "debrief" Ezri, as the two look seductively at one another. Rom suddenly wants to go home after seeing this, to which Quark and Zek agree wholeheartedly. 
<EOS>
When the USS T'Kumbra docks at Deep Space 9 for repairs, her Captain -- a Vulcan named Solok -- visits Sisko in his office to discuss the maintenance schedule, and apparently to disparage Humans in general. Solok had recently received the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor and makes a point of reminding Sisko it is his second. The T'Kumbra has been in combat in the Dominion War for six months, and Solok makes note that DS9 is well behind Federation lines. He even disparages the maintenance schedule as "inefficient." Sisko responds, calmly refuting his thinly veiled insults with his own. Then, Solok brings up a final matter that prompts Sisko to call for an immediate assembly of his senior staff in the wardroom the instant the turbolift carries Solok out of Ops. It seems that Solok and his all-Vulcan crew have challenged Sisko and the crew of DS9 to a "contest of teamwork, courage and sacrifice" that Sisko couldn't turn down -- a game of baseball! Deep Space 9's senior staff is skeptical, especially since none of them has ever played the game before, but they accept the challenge and promptly start learning all they can about the game. As they learn the basics and quite a lot of terminology (Bashir is convinced "Fancy Dan" is a phrase Dax invented until he reads it for himself), the excitement spreads to others aboard the station. Leeta and Rom are both interested in trying out for the team as a way to get closer to Nog. Even Quark begrudgingly agrees to try out after some harsh "encouragement" from Leeta. So, an unlikely collection of baseball players, dubbed the "Niners", gathers in one of Quark's holosuites -- Benjamin and Jake Sisko (the only two who actually know how to play), Worf, Kira, Ezri, Bashir, O'Brien, Quark, Nog, Rom and Leeta. After an inspirational speech from Coach Sisko, the players pair off for some easy throw-and-catch to get started. Nog, Worf, O'Brien, and Bashir get off to a good start, but everyone else clearly need more than a little practice. Quite a few balls go sailing past the target catcher, while others seem to be aimed right for someone's head. Rom has more trouble than anyone, missing balls even as they fly right past him. By the end of the first practice most of the team is in the infirmary with various injuries. Quark's had some bones in the back of his skull repaired (after an incident involving Rom and an errant bat). Ezri is just generally in pain (after thinking she could do all the things Emony Dax once did as an Olympic gymnast). O'Brien, worst of all, has torn his rotator cuff once again and won't be able to play. Disappointed, Benjamin recruits him as the batting, pitching, and first base coach. He also recruits Odo as the umpire -- the only person he trusts to be impartial. Unfortunately, that still leaves a hole to fill, so Benjamin "pulls a few strings" and brings in Kasidy Yates, a fellow die-hard baseball fan. With her next few cargo runs mysteriously reassigned, she has just enough free time to join the team as third base coach. With the addition of Kasidy and plenty of practice the team improves a little, though Rom still hasn't actually hit a ball, and isn't especially good at catching either. Nog and Leeta keep encouraging him, but Sisko eventually gets so discouraged he kicks Rom off the team completely. The other players (bar Jake, Worf and Kasidy) insist they'll quit the team if Sisko won't let Rom play, but Rom won't hear of it, assuring them that he'll be content to watch from the stands and give his encouragement. With Rom off the team it seems like they're improving quite a lot. Baseball has even permeated their normal activities. Quark, for instance, has his waiters throw glasses down to him from his second level so he can practice catching, and Kira is delighted to see Odo practicing umpire moves in the security office. Meanwhile, Yates makes Sisko explain the real reason he's so vehement about winning the game. Sisko tells her that it's not about baseball, it's about Solok. Solok was in Starfleet Academy with him, and he met the Vulcan in a bar called The Launching Pad where he made disparaging remarks about how Humans were "emotionally handicapped."  Already having had a few drinks in him, Sisko challenged Solok to a wrestling match, which, due to Vulcan strength, Sisko naturally lost (and ended up in the infirmary). Yates laughs a bit, and quickly apologizes, telling Sisko that Vulcans are three times stronger than humans. Sisko admits this, and says that had it ended there, all would have been well. But it didn't. Solok used the incident to write papers proving that Vulcans are naturally superior to humans in every way, even after they'd graduated. Still, Sisko doesn't want the Niners to know why he's so concerned about the game, and makes Yates promise not to tell anyone either. Despite her promise, she does promptly tell the team, who just take it as further motivation to win the game — for their Captain. So the Niners face Solok's Logicians on the holosuite field, though without spectators (per Sisko's wishes) and start the game with Odo in his umpire's uniform overseeing everything. A Vulcan batter hits the first pitch completely out of the park, and it doesn't take long for the runs to rack up against the Niners. By the end of the first inning the Logicians already have four runs, while the first three Niners up to bat strike out. They manage to keep the Logicians down to just one run per inning the next three innings, but that's still a score of 7 -- 0 to the Vulcans. The Logicians don't score at all in the fifth inning, and Kira actually makes her way to second. With two outs, Worf steps up to bat. Strike. Ball. Ball. Strike. Ball. He prepares himself for the last pitch and when the ball flies by on the outside he steps back, then tosses the bat aside and starts to jog to first even as Odo calls, "Strike three!"  Benjamin and Worf are both incensed and scream at Odo while he calmly asserts that the ball "caught the outside corner."  Benjamin gets furious at that and pushes Worf aside and argues chin to chin with Odo, going so far to jab Odo's chest as he's shouting. Without hesitation, Odo throws Sisko out of the game, quoting the rule book regarding physical contact with the umpire, and tells him to look it up in the stands. Benjamin stalks off to the stands muttering to himself that it was a ball, not a strike, and throws himself into a seat near where Rom has been sitting the whole time. The Niners manage two outs against the Logicians at the top of the ninth inning, and Worf throws the ball to Nog at home plate just as the Vulcan batter steps across and returns to the Logicians dugout. Nog doesn't manage to tag him out, but the runner didn't actually step on the plate. Odo watches silently, and O'Brien realizes what must have happened, but Nog doesn't know which player it was!  Failing any better idea, he runs to the Logicians dugout and starts tagging each one, but the last one on the bench runs toward home at the last second. Nog throws to Jake, who tags the Vulcan out as he slides in. They get the third out! Even Benjamin, up in the stands, is overjoyed. "That's what I love about this game -- you never know what's going to happen next, every situation is different."  With a gleam in his eye, he looks over at Rom. The Niners still haven't scored a single run in the bottom of the ninth, but Nog is on third when Benjamin sends Rom to bat in full Niners regalia. He fills the stadium with holographic spectators and even calls upon an announcer to introduce Jake Sisko's pinch hitter, but Rom completely misses the first two pitches. Bashir and O'Brien try to signal that he should bunt the ball down the baseline as the third pitch sails toward the plate. Rom leans forward to try to decipher their signal, bringing his bat right into the ball's path. It glances off and rolls down the first base line. The crowd cheers and Nog takes off, sliding into home just in time. They've scored! The Niners rush onto the field and lift Rom in the air. Solok is confused and angry, and grabs Odo by the shoulder to protest, but Odo just grins and tosses Solok from the game. The Niners have decided to end the game before even a single out in the ninth inning, and Solok can't understand it. Even as the team celebrates in Quark's, Solok protests that they're only attempting to "manufacture triumph where none exists," but every one of the Niners is willing to accept that, even going so far as to toast "manufactured triumph". When Solok protests further, they just accuse him of being emotional, irritated, defensive, angry, jealous, and quite bitter. Solok's continued disparaging comments at their "human" reactions only leads to further mockery by the Niners with Dax and Quark laughing that despite his intelligence he doesn't seem to know what a human actually is. ("Did I forget to wear my spots today?"-- Dax). To top it all off, Kira tosses Benjamin a new baseball for his desk -- signed by every player on the team. Benjamin offers it to Solok, asking "Would you like to sign it?" Solok storms off, amid laughter. 
<EOS>
On this Friday, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax discovers that a longtime friend, Leslie Wong, was lost with all hands on board the USS Cairo. Presumably, the Cairo was ambushed by a Dominion patrol that passed through Romulan space -- a common occurrence, because the Romulans have a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Dr. Bashir argues that bringing the Romulans into the war would be advantageous to the Federation war effort. Dax, however, replies that the Romulans are in a perfect position and have no reason to side with anyone. Initially, Sisko's objective seems unattainable, as staying neutral is clearly in the Romulans' best interests. When Dax role-plays the Romulan devil's advocate in a mock debate, Sisko determines how to get them into the war on their side. She convinces him that he needs "solid proof" to convince the Romulans that the Dominion is planning on conquering them after they are done with the Federation Alliance. Sisko contacts Elim Garak because of his skills at retrieving highly classified and guarded information (namely, secret Dominion war plans that Sisko can employ in manipulating the Romulan government). With apparent reluctance, Garak agrees -- after noting that it would involve the expenditure of all his resources on Cardassia Prime and may well turn out to be altogether a very messy and bloody business. Sisko, reminding him that their being at war already is a messy and bloody business, is prepared to do anything to accomplish his objective. That night, Sisko learns that the Dominion has conquered Betazed in a matter of hours, placing it in a strategic position to strike several key worlds (including Alpha Centauri, Andor, Tellar Prime, and Vulcan). This development makes Sisko even more determined, and after three days' time he inquires of Garak concerning his progress. Garak claims to have spoken with several Cardassian operatives willing to assist in the mission, but each and every one has suddenly been killed within a day of communicating with him. Garak bids the Captain not to give up and (with an almost unnerving enthusiasm) proposes that, rather than continuing their clandestine hunt for evidence, they go about personally manufacturing it. Garak proposes that Sisko invite Senator Vreenak to Deep Space 9, since the senator will be passing by in a few days. Vreenak negotiated the Romulan nonaggression pact with the Dominion and is an outspoken supporter of it; he is also known for his low opinion of the Federation. If Sisko can persuade him to join the war, Garak is certain, the whole Romulan Senate will follow. The two formulate a plan to show him a fabricated recording of a secret, high-level Dominion meeting, in which Dominion officials discuss their plan to conquer the Romulans. To ensure that Vreenak believes it, they will use a genuine Cardassian optolythic data rod, as well as a good cover story about how Starfleet obtained it. Sisko points out that he'll need approval from Starfleet, but Garak assures him that with the takeover of Betazed they should be more than willing to approve the plan, which ultimately they do. The first thing that Sisko needs to do is to get Grathon Tolar, an expert in holographic forgery, released from a Klingon prison where he is awaiting his execution. Sisko is able to influence Chancellor Gowron to pardon him, whereupon he explains to Tolar that the conditions of his parole are that he must create a special holographic program for him. Tolar, at first, assumes that he is to create a "special" program for Sisko's own use. Tolar soon realizes the hazardous nature of the assignment when he learns Garak is involved, but agrees, as the alternative is to be executed by the Klingons. While working in his office, Sisko receives a communication from Odo over the comm stating that Tolar has just tried to kill Quark. According to Odo, apparently Tolar got drunk at Quark's and solicited a "dance" with M'Pella, one of the Dabo girls which she refused; in the ensuing bar fight, he stabbed Quark. Odo cannot release Tolar unless Quark decides not to press charges. Sisko, who wants no record of Tolar being on the station, speaks to Quark who (pleasantly surprised that Sisko is willing to offer him a bribe) agrees not to press charges in exchange for compensation for his lost profits and damaged clothes and also that some merchandise of rather dubious legality be released from the security lot where it is currently impounded. Sisko, between a rock and a hard place, approves all these requests. Quark is happy not only to have received so many profitable concessions from the Captain, but also because this blatant act of bribery has reaffirmed his faith in the 98th Rule of Acquisition: "Every man has his price." The next step in the plan is to obtain a genuine Cardassian data rod. After locking Tolar in his quarters with a credible threat that attempting escape may kill him, Garak, by some "minor miracle," finds a seller; unfortunately, the price is quite high: 200 liters of biomimetic gel, a dangerous and heavily controlled substance. Sisko at first rejects the price outright, but Garak tells him that finding another rod will be quite impossible. Sisko then seemingly decides to drop the whole plan, but after a few seconds changes his mind and tells Garak that 200 liters is far too high a price. Garak assures him he should be able to haggle it down to something more reasonable. Later Sisko asks Doctor Bashir to prepare the gel; however the Doctor refuses and points out that they have no idea where it's going and that in the wrong hands it could be used for exceedingly dangerous and immoral purposes. Sisko gives Bashir short shrift and makes it a direct order. Bashir insists on seeing this order in writing; Sisko immediately hands him the order on a PADD. Angry and disgusted that his demand was anticipated, but with no other recourse, Bashir agrees to prepare the gel but informs Captain Sisko that he intends to note the incident in his log and will be filing a grievance with Starfleet Medical. The unfazed Sisko simply orders that the gel be ready by the end of the day and dismisses him. Sisko, Garak, and Tolar obtain the rod and begin preparing a convincing recording in which Weyoun and Damar plan the invasion of Romulus, making sure to have the two squabble with each other and appear as "real" as possible. The program is recorded onto the rod, and the forgery is complete. To ensure that Tolar isn't cheating them (though he has already encoded his forgery on the single-use data rod), Sisko detains Tolar for a while longer and threatens to hand him back over to Gowron to be tortured to death if the forgery fails to pass inspection. Tolar, who sycophantically insists he's sure the forgery will be successful, is further unnerved when Garak says he will stop by his quarters later. Sisko at this point is getting nervous, as Senator Vreenak comes to the station in a cloaked Romulan shuttle (with no one other than Sisko and Garak aware that he's there). Before Sisko greets Vreenak, Garak tells him he plans to inspect the Senator's ship covertly (for anything "useful"), and leaves. Upon arrival in the shuttle bay, Vreenak smugly exchanges greetings with Sisko, taking great pleasure in egotistically dressing him down for how poorly the Federation Alliance is faring in its war with the Dominion so far. Vreenak and Sisko discuss the fate of their respective worlds over a replicated bottle of kali-fal, at which point Sisko tells Vreenak that he has learned the Dominion is planning a surprise invasion of the Romulan Empire. Vreenak, naturally, demands proof, and Sisko presents his forgery. Vreenak asks to inspect the data rod and, in typical Romulan fashion, takes his time doing so, during which Sisko is understandably anxious. Sisko attempts, in vain, to calm himself until he's summoned by Vreenak. When he enters the wardroom, Vreenak silently dismisses his guards before angrily telling Sisko that he knows the recording is a fake. Sisko, Dax, and Bashir are reviewing a new casualty list when Worf comes in and reports that Vreenak's shuttle has exploded, killing the senator. When he adds that the Tal Shiar believe the Dominion is responsible, Dax, recalling their previous conversation, gives Sisko a knowing smile. Worf also points out that this event unfolding as it has is a real game-changer: the death of Vreenak, who was on a diplomatic mission in Dominion space, could bring the Romulans into the war. Realizing what has really happened, Sisko excuses himself. After walking through the promenade seething with fury, he marches into Garak's shop and greets the tailor with a backhand to the face. He accuses him of killing Vreenak, which Garak immediately admits. Sisko accuses him of never believing the rod would pass inspection, claiming he only wanted to lure Vreenak to the station to plant a bomb on his shuttle. Garak counters that while he did indeed hope that the rod would pass Vreenak's inspection, he realized that it was possible, even probable, that it would not. This is why he planted a bomb on the Romulan shuttle, and made its destruction look like Dominion sabotage. As for Tolar, the forger, Garak casually dismisses him as another "casualty of war", confirming that he has eliminated him as well. Sisko is furious and punches Garak again, but Garak reminds Sisko that all of this was necessary: when the Tal Shiar investigate, the explosion would appear as if the Dominion destroyed the shuttle. Moreover, in the wreckage they will find a badly damaged data rod containing evidence that the Dominion was planning to betray the Romulans, the damage to the rod masking any imperfections in the forgery. It will appear that Vreenak was on his way to expose the Dominion before being blown up. And the more the Dominion protest their innocence, the more the Romulans would believe they're guilty, because it's exactly what the Romulans would have done in their place. Garak reminds the Captain that this is why he came to him for help in the first place: because he knew that Garak was willing to do things that he couldn't, no matter how distasteful and illegal. The most important thing is that Sisko is going to achieve exactly what he intended, since in light of the damning "evidence" against the Dominion, the Romulans will surely enter the war against the Dominion now. Garak tells Sisko he has very likely just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant, having only had to sacrifice the lives of one criminal, an unsympathetic senator, and perhaps his self respect in the process. Garak calls that "a bargain", and Sisko has little choice but to admit that he's right. 
<EOS>
Lucsly and Dulmur from Temporal Investigations arrive on Deep Space 9 and are welcomed into Ops by Major Kira and Lieutenant Commander Dax. The investigators ask for Captain Sisko, and Kira directs them to his office. Before they go in, Dax makes a joke about how temporal investigators are always on time. But this elicits absolutely no response from the apparently humorless investigators, who promptly go into the captain's office. Sisko asks if they want anything to drink; they say they only want the truth. Dulmur asks Sisko why he took the USS Defiant back in time. Sisko says it was accidental and he confirms that he is not contending their trip back was a predestination paradox, a statement which relieves the investigators, as they hate predestination paradoxes. When they ask him to start at the beginning, Sisko tells them this may take some time and then assures them that he's not cracking a joke, something the investigators say they hate as well. Sisko tells them that the Cardassian government had expressed a desire to return one of the Bajoran Orbs that they had procured during the Occupation, so the Defiant traveled to Cardassia Prime -- under cloak to avoid detection by the Klingons -- to collect it, without knowing which orb it was or even if it were genuine, as many counterfeit orbs had emerged over the years. Though they were unaware of this at the time they recovered it, they had indeed gained possession of the Orb of Time. Sisko had security lock the Orb in crew quarters so it could be authenticated on Bajor. Before leaving Cardassia Prime, they took on a passenger. Commander Worf brings a man into the Defiant's mess hall who, upon seeing Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir, expresses his relief to finally see Humans again. Worf introduces the man as Barry Waddle, a Human merchant who had been trapped on Cardassia when the Klingons attacked. He is an elderly, seemingly harmless man. Waddle says he deals in gemstones, mostly kevas and trillium. While he orders a raktajino from the replicator, he tells O'Brien and Bashir about how Cardassians drink hot fish juice in the morning and that after being on Cardassia for a time, he was hoping for a Klingon invasion as they can make good coffee, even if they are foul-smelling barbarians. He then notices Worf is right there, apologizes to him, and steps away. O'Brien and Bashir gently tease Worf about his aroma, telling him he has a rather earthy, peaty aroma with a touch of lilac -- which only serves to annoy Worf further. On the bridge, as Defiant is halfway back to Deep Space 9 and Sisko tells the investigators that he was finally beginning to relax, O'Brien relays the story of the incident in the mess hall to Dax and suggests that she mention lilac the next time she sees Worf, but she refuses, saying she has her own ways of torturing him. "Don't look at me," Sisko responds. At that moment, O'Brien announces a massive surge in chroniton radiation around the ship as the entire bridge glows brightly. The viewscreen shows nothing but white noise. The ship drops out of warp and decloaks as someone activates the transporter. Sisko orders Dax to get the ship back under cloak and deactivate the transporter, but it is already too late, as the person has already left the ship. Just then, as the ship gets back under cloak, Dax tells Sisko that they are now over two hundred light years from their previous position. Sisko orders the viewscreen activated and the sight they see on the screen shocks them all; a Constitution-class starship, marked NCC-1701, the original Starfleet-registered USS Enterprise. In Sisko's office, Dulmur asks him to specify which Federation starship Enterprise as there have been five, but Lucsly quickly corrects him, saying there are now six. Sisko clarifies that it was the first Enterprise, the Constitution-class, NCC-1701. The investigators sit back in their seats in horror at the realization it is "his" ship, James Kirk's, which Sisko proudly confirms. The enraged investigators both call Kirk a menace, saying that Kirk's file, containing seventeen separate temporal violations, is the biggest on record. They ask what the Enterprise was doing and Sisko says it was orbiting one of the old deep space stations, K-7, exactly one hundred and five years, one month, and twelve days previous, on stardate 4523.7, a Friday. Sisko's story continues. Back on the Defiant, a briefing is occurring with the senior staff. Worf and Odo have discovered that Waddle's "real" name is Arne Darvin, a Klingon surgically altered to appear Human. Worf tells Sisko that the younger Darvin is, at that moment, on board K-7, posing as a Federation official. Odo picks up and tells Sisko that the younger Darvin's mission was to derail Federation colonization efforts in the area by poisoning a load of grain which was -- or rather, is -- stored on K-7. However, in eighteen hours, Captain Kirk will expose Darvin and he will be arrested. Worf tells them that Darvin's arrest ended his career, as Klingon Intelligence turned their back on Darvin and he became an outcast, apparently spending the next hundred years posing as a Human merchant and then in what Odo calls a "final indignity," he was trapped on Cardassia by the Klingon invasion. Sisko then is able to pick the story up from there. Apparently Darvin then heard rumors about an Orb capable of taking him back in time. Bashir wonders if Darvin may be going to warn his younger self about Kirk, but Dax thinks Darvin may be planning to kill Kirk. And not knowing how or where or when, Sisko decides that they will have to search both K-7 and the Enterprise without raising suspicions or altering the timeline themselves, as he ironically notes that the last thing he wants is a visit from Temporal Investigations when they get home. So the crew starts to blend in. Odo and Worf change into civilian traders' clothing, and Sisko, Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir all change into old-style Starfleet uniforms, with Dax taking the extra precaution of applying makeup to cover up her spots. Stepping out into the corridor, Sisko, who is now wearing a gold command uniform with lieutenant's stripes, sees Bashir, still in sciences blue, albeit with an appropriately altered hairstyle, Sisko tells him that he went with lieutenant's rank because he didn't want to arouse suspicion. Just then, O'Brien appears in a red support uniform, with ensign's insignia, and Bashir asks if Sisko and O'Brien are wearing the wrong colors. O'Brien asks if Bashir knows anything about this time period, and he denies having such knowledge, as he is a doctor, not a historian. Sisko clarifies that the colors were switched in Kirk's era. Dax then appears in the miniskirt uniform of the day (though in operations red rather than her usual sciences blue), saying that "women wore less," and the doctor, unsurprisingly, declares that he will like this time period. In the Defiant's transporter bay, O'Brien reports that the old-style duotronic sensors the Enterprise used allow for tiny interruptions in the scan cycle enabling the Defiant to decloak for three seconds and beam everyone to where they need to go. Worf and Odo are sent to K-7. Worf reports that most of K-7 consists of storage areas and industrial fabrication facilities and, since security on a space station such as K-7 is not as tight as it would be on a starship, they do not expect to have to take long to search the station. The other four go to the Enterprise, O'Brien and Bashir together, and Dax and Sisko together, each pair to opposite ends of the ship. After reminding everyone to do their best not to interact with people from this time period, Sisko and Dax go first, beam into a turbolift and step out into a corridor on the Enterprise. Bashir and O'Brien beam into another turbolift and try to proceed to Deck 21. O'Brien's vocal command goes unheeded and, not knowing what could be wrong with the turbolift, they try to take a panel off to see what's happening when they're interrupted by the lift's doors opening. A woman steps in, nods to O'Brien and Bashir, takes one of the handles on the side of the turbolift and orders it to Deck 15. Sheepishly, O'Brien and Bashir take hold of the handles near them and Bashir whispers to O'Brien, "I won't tell anyone if you won't." Dax marvels as to how many people are packed into the ship. Finding an auxiliary communications juncture, Sisko pretends to do repairs and Dax admires the "classic" 23rd century design of the Starfleet tricorder she carries, but Sisko quiets her before she attracts anyone's attention. On K-7, Odo steps into the station's bar and sits down at a table, discreetly pulling out a portable scanning device. As he does, the door opens again, admitting Ensign Chekov and Lieutenant Uhura into the bar. As they walk up to the bar, a waitress asks Odo what he would like to drink; he tries to order raktajino. When the waitress tells him he is the second person who ordered that today, he asks who the other one was; she says that it was an elderly Human male. She tells Odo that he said he would probably be back later. Then, after being informed that raktajino is Klingon coffee, she tells Odo they have no Klingon beverages, and so he settles for Tarkalean tea. As he sits at the bar and watches, he sees Uhura obtain a tribble from Cyrano Jones. Back on the Enterprise, Bashir continues to scan for Darvin. O'Brien is supposed to be conducting repairs so as to blend in, but unfortunately he cannot tell what is what, as all is cross-circuited and rewired. Bashir jokes that it sounds like one of O'Brien's repair jobs. Both are then interrupted by a young engineer who wonders why they are working at that panel, because Scotty had told him to do it. He then wonders why they need a doctor to repair a power relay. Bashir makes up a story about checking O'Brien for stress and, after O'Brien accidentally pulls out a circuit that darkens the whole deck (and quickly replaces it) tells O'Brien he has seen enough and that they need to go to sickbay. O'Brien tells the engineer he would appreciate if he did not mention this to anyone. The engineer says he will not, and expresses his hopes that O'Brien feels better soon. On K-7, Worf enters the bar and sees Odo sitting at a table. Worf tells Odo he has finished searching the primary habitat levels. Before he can get any farther, he notices a trilling sound and demands to know, "What is that noise?" Odo says the sound is very soothing; he holds the tribble up as it squeals at Worf, who disgustedly recognizes it. Odo has Worf sit down before he attracts any further attention. Sitting down, Worf asks where Odo got it; he tells Worf that he got it from one Cyrano Jones, who said that tribbles like everyone -- but apparently not Worf, a feeling which Worf shares. He calls the tribble a "detestable creature," noting that feeding a tribble more than the smallest morsel will cause prolific reproduction. Worf tells Odo how tribbles were considered mortal enemies of the Klingon Empire, which Odo is amazed to hear, finding it hard to believe that a simple tribble could be someone's "mortal enemy." Worf further explains that the Empire considered tribbles to be an ecological menace and that many warriors were sent out to kill any and all tribbles that they could find. Once the tribble homeworld was located, a Klingon armada obliterated it. According to Worf, tribbles were considered extinct by the end of the 23rd century, which Odo sarcastically calls "another glorious chapter in Klingon history," and then proceeds to ask Worf mockingly, "Tell me, do they still sing songs about The Great Tribble Hunt?" Before Worf can say anything else, the station goes to red alert. The same has happened on the Enterprise. Seeing everyone rush to battle stations, Dax asks Sisko what they should do; he says they should do the same. They find an empty turbolift and Sisko contacts the Defiant, or at least he tries to; he slaps the insignia on his uniform out of habit, expecting it to be the working combadge that it is not. After a moment of realization, he pulls out the old-style communicator and this time successfully contacts the Defiant. Kira reports that a Klingon D7-class battle cruiser has dropped out of warp and is approaching the station. Sisko asks if the Klingons have locked weapons, but Kira says they have not as yet. Recognizing something familiar, Dax asks Kira to identify the Klingon vessel; she identifies it as the IKS Gr'oth. Dax immediately recognizes it as Koloth's ship and she tells Sisko that Koloth is not here to attack. She remembers Koloth telling her about how he once traded insults with Kirk on a space station near the Federation-Klingon border and how he regretted never getting to face Kirk in battle. Kira then reports that the Klingons just beamed two people to the station manager's office. Dax remembers one of them being Koloth, and asks Sisko if they could beam over to K-7, as they know that Darvin was there a short time ago. However, Sisko refuses and tells Kira to contact O'Brien and have him and Bashir prepare to transport to the station. Dax wants to see Koloth and points out that it is not as if he would recognize her, but Sisko stands firm. After closing the channel with Kira, Dax says it would have been fun, but Sisko corrects her: it would have been "too much fun." Sisko informs the investigators that Dax was indeed correct. The Klingons only wanted shore leave, and Captain Kirk allowed the Klingons to beam over in small groups. Once the red alert ceases, everyone resumes their search for Darvin. Kira contacts O'Brien and Bashir on the Enterprise, telling them the next band shift in the Enterprise's scan cycle is coming up. O'Brien tells her they will be ready. He and Bashir duck into a turbolift, but Lieutenant Watley is there with them again. She notices that Bashir has left the flap open on his tricorder, thereby draining power. He closes it and thanks her for the tip. Watley asks Bashir if he is a doctor; he replies in the affirmative. She says that she just transferred over from the USS Lexington and O'Brien, acting as a regular member of the crew, welcomes her aboard. Watley tells Bashir that she will be in sickbay the next day at 15:00 hours for her physical, and tells him her name as she walks out of the turbolift. Bashir recognizes her name as his great-grandmother's last name and wonders if it could be her, which O'Brien scoffs at, as the odds of that happening are astronomically small. Since no one ever met his great-grandfather, he then begins wondering if he is supposed to meet with her later in a predestination paradox and become his own great-grandfather. O'Brien accuses Bashir of being ridiculous, but he begins to convince himself that if he does not meet with Watley, he may not ever even be born. Just then, Kira calls and asks O'Brien if they are ready for transport; the Chief's reply: "Are we ever!" Bashir denies being able to wait to get back to Deep Space 9 and watch O'Brien's reaction when he finds out Bashir was never born, a comment which causes a smirk from O'Brien as they beam out. Elsewhere on the Enterprise, Sisko and Dax are near another panel, pretending to work on it, when Dax looks up, sees Captain Kirk and Commander Spock walking toward an intercom close to them, and gets Sisko's attention. They look for a moment. Then Sisko reminds her they are supposed to be only maintenance crew members doing their jobs. But Dax cannot help looking as Kirk deals with the intercom transmission. She notes how he is so much more handsome in person; Sisko tells Dax how Kirk had a reputation for being a ladies' man, but she reveals herself to be referring to Spock instead. At that, Sisko closes the panel, takes Dax by the hand, and they walk away from Kirk and Spock. Dax is amazed that Sisko does not want to meet Kirk. Sisko calls that the farthest thing from his mind, as they have a job to do. Dax then reminds Sisko about how Kirk is one of the most famous captains in Starfleet history. Sisko then admits that indeed he would like to meet Kirk, shake his hand, and ask him about fighting the Gorn on Cestus III. That, however, is not the reason they are there. Dax concedes Sisko's point, but laments that as she remembers this time period, it is difficult for her not to want to be part of it again. At that point the turbolift opens and they enter. Bashir and O'Brien enter the bar on K-7, whereupon they good-naturedly tease Odo and Worf for sitting at the bar while they were crawling through conduits on the Enterprise and the station. Odo says they believe that Darvin will return and Bashir picks up on the raktajino hint, a clue that others might have missed. Before they can say anything else, Chekov, Scotty, and Freeman enter. O'Brien is amazed, having mistaken Freeman for Kirk. Worf agrees that it would be an honor to meet Kirk. O'Brien suggests buying Kirk a drink, but Odo reminds them they cannot, and O'Brien agrees, as altering the time line would be too great a risk to take. The waitress comes up and asks them what they want, including a warning not to dare ask her for a raktajino. She then points out the Klingons when Odo asks who else had ordered a raktajino, but they fail to recognize the Klingons as such, since they look nothing like Worf or any other Klingons that the crew had met. When they act confused, the waitress decides they have had enough and walks away. Everyone at the table then looks over at Worf, wondering what's going on. Worf tells them that those are Klingons, and that it is a long story that Klingons do not discuss with outsiders. Meanwhile, a Klingon named Korax has spent his time loudly insulting Kirk, trying to get a rise out of the Enterprise officers. Chekov stands up to fight, but Scotty restrains him, saying they can take a few insults. O'Brien is impressed at how "Kirk" (Freeman) is ignoring Korax. At that moment, a confused Bashir asks if that is really Kirk, and O'Brien says it is, but then Bashir points out that the man is only wearing lieutenant's stripes. Odo says they have more problems at the moment than a case of mistaken identity. Just then Korax begins insulting the Enterprise herself, which quickly gets under Scott's skin -- he is the engineer, after all. When Korax, who had called the Enterprise a "sagging old rust-bucket designed like a garbage scow," clarifies his statement by claiming, not that the Enterprise should be hauling garbage, but instead that it should be hauled away, as garbage, Scott slowly stands up and punches him. Every Klingon and Starfleet officer stand up immediately and then, despite Odo's efforts to stop them, Bashir, O'Brien, and Worf all stand up. Everyone ends up in the huge brawl in the bar. When the door opens to admit more Enterprise security, Odo notices Darvin in the background and knocks a Klingon off of Worf so they can both give chase to Darvin. Meanwhile, caught up in the fight, Bashir and O'Brien fail to notice Worf and Odo's departure and are themselves, shortly thereafter, arrested by the security officers and taken into custody along with the other crew members who were involved. In Sisko's office, the investigators are not happy, as regulations clearly state that Starfleet officers must take all precautions in taking minimal part in historical events. Sisko admits that they made a mistake, but it caused no alteration of the timeline. Dulmur is not so convinced, and goes so far as to point out that this could be an alternate timeline as far as they know, but Sisko says that if they had altered history, they would have known immediately upon their return. After exasperatedly wondering out loud why everyone he interviews always has to mention that particular fact, Lucsly bids Sisko to continue. Sisko tells them that instead of going to the brig, the arrested officers were taken in for questioning. Bashir and O'Brien find themselves in a line in front of Kirk, who wants to know who started the fight. Kirk asks O'Brien who started the fight; O'Brien tells Kirk he does not know. Likewise, Chekov tells Kirk he does not know who started it. When no one confesses, Kirk confines everyone to quarters until he finds out who started it. After they are dismissed, O'Brien and Bashir walk away as quickly as possible. O'Brien is astounded that, of all the people in the lineup, Kirk asked him about the fight and that, even more astonishingly, he ended up lying to him! O'Brien says he wishes Keiko could have seen it. Accidentally stepping on a tribble, Bashir wonders who left it out in the corridor alone. But rounding the corner, O'Brien realizes that the tribble is actually far from alone. Meanwhile, Odo and Worf have captured Darvin in the midst of the fight on K-7 and have beamed him back to the Defiant. Odo tells Darvin that he will face some very serious charges when they return, but Darvin says they would not dare put one of the greatest heroes of the Klingon Empire in the brig, to which Worf angrily tells Darvin he is no hero to the Empire. But Darvin says he will be one soon, and wants his statue in the Hall of Warriors to have him standing with Kirk's head in one hand and a dead tribble in the other. Worf grabs Darvin and demands to know what Darvin did: did he hire someone to kill Kirk, or sabotage the Enterprise? But Darvin says that though he did nothing like that, Kirk's death will have a certain poetic justice to it. Shortly thereafter, Sisko, who is still on the Enterprise with Dax, is amazed to hear from Odo that Darvin has planted a bomb in a tribble. Odo describes it as revenge from Darvin, as in the original timeline Kirk noticed how a tribble reacted to the younger Darvin and realized he was a Klingon. While Darvin has obviously refused to reveal the bomb's location, he did say it was set to go off within the hour. Dax suggests they risk going to the bridge and using the internal sensors to scan the ship within minutes. Sisko agrees and orders everyone else to K-7 to search for the bomb. However, Odo suggests that Worf remain on the Defiant due to his mutual dislike of tribbles, to which Sisko agrees. However, O'Brien is concerned they may not be able to reach the station's internal sensors. Sisko tells him that then he will have to manually scan every tribble on the station. O'Brien, in disbelief, says there must be thousands. Bashir notes it could be hundreds of thousands, but Dax has already worked out the number as one million, seven hundred and seventy-one thousand, five hundred and sixty-one, starting with one tribble, producing an average litter of ten every twelve hours over a period of three days. Sisko tells everyone they have their orders and closes the channel. Later on the bridge, Sisko is sitting at a station and Dax is standing over by the engineering station when Kirk comes onto the bridge. He tries to sit in his chair, but ends up accidentally sitting on a tribble. Removing the tribble, Kirk looks over at Dax who smiles and shrugs at him. He then calls Dr. McCoy to the bridge. Dax steps over and tells Sisko that she has reworked the sensor interface. Sisko scans the bridge. No explosives are found, which relieves Dax as she almost expected the tribble Kirk sat on to explode. Nothing is found on the first six decks either. Just then, McCoy comes up to the bridge and begins talking to Kirk. Dax seems to recognize him and Sisko identifies him as McCoy, the ship's doctor. Just then, Dax recognizes him, having met him when he was a medical student at "Ole Miss." Sisko asks if it was Curzon who met him; she says it was actually Emony, when she was on Earth judging a gymnastics competition. Dax tells Sisko that McCoy had the hands of a surgeon and that she knew he would be a doctor. Her smile suggests their acquaintance might have been more than purely social. Sisko is rescued from having to respond by the completion of the scan-- there are no explosives aboard. Dax, stating the obvious, says that the bomb must be on K-7. In the bar on K-7, Odo, Bashir and O'Brien are searching through tribbles frantically when Odo gets a call from Sisko telling them the bomb is not on the Enterprise -- thus, it must be over there. Unfortunately, Odo reports that they have been able to scan only two decks so far. When Sisko offers to send more people over from the Defiant, Odo tells him it is no man-power shortage; rather, it is that the tribbles are multiplying so fast that they cannot keep up with them. Dax suggests that she and Sisko stay close to Kirk, as Darvin likely will have put the bomb someplace he knows Kirk will be in the next half hour and, as a result, Kirk may lead them right to it. Odo says they will keep scanning the tribbles for now. Sisko and Dax get set up in the recreation room when Kirk and Spock come in. Kirk, upon ordering his chicken sandwich and coffee, sees that the tribbles are in all the food slots. Kirk tells Spock, "I want these things off the ship. I don't care if it takes every man we've got; I want them off the ship!" Scott comes in with an armful of tribbles and tells them the tribbles are in the machinery and probably in all the other food dispensers as well, probably having gotten there through one of the air vents. Spock realizes there are similar vents on the station "and in the storage compartments!" Kirk realizes, interrupting him. Sisko is given a clue then, and he and Dax beam to K-7 and climb down into one of the storage compartments to begin scanning tribbles for the explosive. Sisko notes that most of the tribbles are dead, as the grain has been poisoned. Dax detects a faint tricobalt signature, indicating the bomb is in the compartment somewhere. They begin scanning through the tribbles when they hear a strange, multi-toned beeping sound. As it turns out, that sound is Kirk, outside, trying to open the overhead hatch leading into the storage compartment. He finally does get it open -- and ends up being buried in tribbles. Sisko and Dax see the hatch open, and as it turns out, Kirk's opening the hatch all but exposes the bomb-laden tribble in the storage compartment. Dax realizes it is directly in front of them. Sisko begins searching frantically for the bomb, tossing tribbles away as he scans them, some of them falling through the hatchway and landing on Kirk. Down on the floor, Nilz Baris threatens to hold an inquiry against Kirk, stating there must be thousands of tribbles. Kirk laments it must be hundreds of thousands. Spock comes up with an exact figure of 1,771,561, using the exact formula that Dax had used earlier. In the hold, Sisko and Dax hear this, look at each other and simply shrug. Just then, Sisko finds the bomb-loaded tribble. He places the "tribble bomb" on his tricorder, contacts Kira, and has the Defiant beam the bomb into space, where it explodes harmlessly. As they start to get up, Dax tosses the last tribble in her hand down, where it falls through the hatchway and onto Kirk, causing him to ask in anguish, "Close that door!" Sisko tells the investigators that after the bomb exploded history continued uninterrupted and, thanks to a tribble's characteristic "alarm chirps", and McCoy's tricorder scans, Kirk exposed Darvin as a Klingon agent exactly as he had done before. By the time the DS9 personnel returned to the Defiant, Kira had figured out how to use the Orb to return the ship back to its proper time. Back in Sisko's office, the investigators ask if that is when they returned to the future, but Sisko is forced to admit that it was not, as he realized that there was one more thing he had to do -- something he had thought of since he first saw the Enterprise on the Defiant's viewscreen. Sisko goes to the Enterprise's bridge and brings a duty roster over to Kirk, seated in his chair, for the latter's approval. As Kirk looks it over, he looks over at Sisko, and asks his name. Sisko tells Kirk his real name and says that he has been on temporary assignment on the Enterprise. Before Sisko left, he just wanted to tell Kirk it was an honor serving with him. Kirk smiles, nods at him and then tells Sisko, "All right, lieutenant, carry on." Sisko thanks the legendary captain and leaves the bridge, while Spock and Uhura watch. Back in his office, Sisko tells Dulmur and Lucsly that if they want to put a reprimand in his file for that, then they are welcome to do so. They both stand up and tell Sisko they will have to review everything before making a final recommendation, but it does not seem as if any harm was done. Dulmur says he probably would have done the same thing himself, given the chance. Sisko walks them out of the office; Lucsly tells them he will have their full report in about a month, but that he should have nothing to worry about. Sisko admits he is happy to hear it, and the investigators then quietly leave the station, heading directly for their ship at Docking Port Seven. Dax asks Sisko if it went well; he says it did. Kira tells Sisko that Odo wants to see them on the Promenade. Odo asks Sisko if he told the investigators; Sisko says they did not ask, and that he is open to suggestions. Dax quips that they could build a new station. It turns out that Odo brought his tribble back with him, and that it reproduced. True to Worf's warnings about them, a considerable number of the creatures are now all over the Promenade -- particularly Quark's Bar, with one even sitting on Quark's head. 
<EOS>
Joseph Sisko, Captain Benjamin Sisko's father, has left Earth for the first time to visit his son on Deep Space 9, but his timing couldn't be worse. Although the Federation is in firm control of the station, the Cardassian border is still a risky place for Federation ships to patrol. In particular, the USS Cortez has recently been destroyed, and even a six-hour search by the USS Defiant failed to discover any survivors. That means Captain Quentin Swofford -- a man Sisko knew well -- is dead, and Sisko is distraught. He is beginning to despair of making any kind of difference in the war effort at all, and is seriously considering stepping down and letting someone else make the tough decisions. Joseph promises to support his son no matter what decision he makes, but warns him to think carefully before he does anything. As he discusses the news with his father, Sisko is distracted and puzzled when he sees a strange man walk past his office dressed in 1950s Earth clothing. Dax, standing right outside in ops, insists she didn't see anyone, which only makes it a greater puzzle. Later, when walking down a corridor with Kasidy Yates, Sisko is again confused when a baseball player walks past and calls, "Hey, Benny! Catch the game?" Again, Yates is sure she didn't see anyone. When Sisko follows the man through a door, he finds himself suddenly in the middle of a busy New York street and is immediately hit by a taxi. Doctor Bashir examines him and finds unusual synaptic potentials -- his neural patterns look like they did when Sisko was having visions the year before. When Sisko takes a PADD to examine the data for himself, he finds himself instead looking at a copy of Galaxy at a New York newsstand. What's more, Sisko -- or rather, Benny Russell -- feels completely at home on this street, and when Albert Macklin comes around the corner they walk off together to the office. The people Russell knows at the office and meets on the street are similar to the people Sisko knows on the station. They sound the same, and look at least somewhat similar, but they are not the same people. The news vendor is not Nog, Macklin is not Miles O'Brien, and Kay Eaton is not Kira Nerys. They are merely characters in a dream created from the likeness of his real-world friends. From this point until Sisko wakes up, the story is told from Benny Russell's perspective (as though the 1950s setting is the "real" world). When Russell and Macklin arrive at Incredible Tales -- the science fiction magazine for which they work -- they find writer Herbert Rossoff (Quark) and editor Douglas Pabst (Odo) engaged in "The Battle of the Doughnuts, Round 28" (as Eaton describes it). Eaton herself has been experimenting with White Rose Redi-Tea ("A pitcher of plain water becomes a pitcher of iced tea") -- a concept her husband, Julius (Julian Bashir), as a "self-respecting Englishman," finds appalling. Macklin is, as always, looking for matches to light his pipe. When the bickering and general bustle ebbs enough, Pabst calls the meeting to order. The magazine's illustrator, Roy Ritterhouse (Martok) comes in bearing a stack of science fiction sketches to distribute to the pool of writers for the next month's stories. Russell is particularly taken with a drawing of a space station -- basically a circle with pylons at 120 degree intervals, and "USAF DS/9" stenciled around the edge. He takes the sketch and offers to create an appropriate story to accompany it. Trouble starts, however, when Pabst announces that their publisher wants a group photo of the writing staff for the next issue, and Pabst "suggests" that Eaton and Russell "sleep late" the morning it is taken -- the public needn't know that women and blacks are writing for Incredible Tales along with the white men. Rossoff sarcastically quips about the dangers of "a Negro with a typewriter" and Russell is angry, but Pabst holds firm. There will be no picture of Eaton and no picture of Russell. That evening, as Russell leaves the office (Incredible Tales is located in the Arthur Trill Building), the space station sketch is caught in a breeze and lands under the shoe of Burt Ryan (Dukat) -- an NYPD detective with an attitude. He and his partner, Kevin Mulkahey (Weyoun) are suspicious of a janitor (as they perceive Russell) dressed in a nice suit, but give back the drawing with "This time you're getting off with a warning. Next time you won't be so lucky." Then, as he's almost home, Russell hears a preacher (Joseph) on a street corner who seems to be speaking directly to Benny. "Write those words, Brother Benny!" the preacher advises -- write the words of the "God of the spirits of the prophets." With all these events fresh in his mind, Benny Russell sits down before his typewriter with the space station picture in front of him and begins to write. "Captain Benjamin Sisko sat looking out the window." Even as he writes the words Benny sees his reflection in his own window -- only he has on a curious uniform instead of a shirt and tie and his glasses are gone. He presses on with his story into the night. When the story is finally finished some days later he shows it to his fiancee, Cassie (Yates) at the diner where she waits tables. While he is sipping coffee at the counter, famous baseball player Willie Hawkins (Worf) comes in and flirts, only half-jokingly, with Cassie while saying hello to Russell. Russell also encounters Jimmy (Jake Sisko), a street kid. Fresh after hearing Hawkins tell how white people wouldn't want him living in their neighborhoods, Russell hears Jimmy's skepticism about the new story. What's more, Jimmy is trying to pawn a watch he "found" and Russell's cautions about him getting in trouble don't seem to do any good. On the other hand, the entire writing staff of Incredible Tales loves the story, which Russell has titled "Deep Space Nine."  In fact, it is the best thing Pabst's secretary Darlene Kursky (Jadzia Dax) has ever read. Russell, exhausted from lack of sleep, is worried that he's hallucinating -- while Kay Eaton is complimenting the "strong female character" in his story, he takes off his glasses for a moment and sees her wearing a red uniform and strange ridges on her nose. Unfortunately, Pabst himself is unwilling to print the story. "It's not believable," he insists, since it features a Negro space station captain for a hero. Pabst tells Russell to make the captain white, but he angrily tells him that's not what he wrote. Russell is sitting at the restaurant telling about his story and Jimmy isn't remotely surprised, and Cassie suggests it may be a sign he should stop writing and go into the restaurant business with her -- owning and running the diner. When Hawkins comes in and grabs Russell by the shoulder, he's surprised to see ridges on his forehead and strange clothing. He jumps off the stool in surprise, but when he looks up again it is just Hawkins, asking if Russell had seen the game. Russell leaves, troubled by the vision. That evening, he encounters the same preacher again. "Walk with the prophets, brother Benny!" he insists. "Write the words that will lead us out of the darkness and onto the path of righteousness." Russell rushes home and sits down before his typewriter once again, concentrating so hard he even forgets about his date with Cassie. She finds him sleeping with a stack of pages in his hand -- a new Ben Sisko story -- and tries to get him to relax by taking a "spin around the dance floor" in the living room. He's startled once again when he instead sees himself dancing in a strange room and to hear "Cassie" talking about "the Dominion." He flashes back and forth between his living room and the space station -- seeing things from his own story. As Russell questions his own sanity, Pabst insists he's certifiable -- he's written six sequels to the "Deep Space Nine" story Pabst already refused to publish. Macklin makes a suggestion that could salvage everything though: make the story (at least the first story) a dream. If a poor Negro were dreaming of such a future, the story might work, Pabst grudgingly admits, and Russell agrees that anything would be better than not publishing the story at all. Even as Russell and Cassie are celebrating getting the story published, however, another tragedy strikes. They encounter the preacher, who warns, "the path of the Prophets sometimes leads into darkness and pain", just as gunshots ring through the air. Russell rushes forward and finds that Ryan and Mulkahey have shot and killed Jimmy. When Russell tries to fight his way to him, the two cops begin to beat him up, and Russell sees ridges on Ryan's neck and long thin ears on Mulkahey's face. Russell has been badly beaten and is walking with a cane, but on the day his story is finally published he makes his way to the office anyway (with Cassie's encouragement). The staff are happy to see Russell for the first time since his beating. They also reveal that Macklin has sold a novel, and Russell is very happy for his friend. Then Pabst arrives but with no magazine. Pabst explains that there's not going to be an edition of Incredible Tales that month; apparently the entire run was pulped because the publishers felt the issue didn't meet their "usual high standards". Russell, already knowing the truth, asks what the publishers didn't like. The artwork? The layout? But Russell, already starting to break down, answers his own question: the magazine was pulped because the hero of "Deep Space Nine" is a colored man. Pabst tells Russell that he knows it isn't right, but he furiously defends the decision, saying that "it's not about what's right, it's about what is." This leads into further bad news - the publishers have decided that Russell's services are no longer required. The rest of the staff recoil in shock, and even the normally unflappable Julius Eaton is horrified. Russell tells Pabst that he can't be fired, because he quits, before sweeping the contents of a nearby table on the floor in anger as he begins to have a nervous breakdown. He is devastated that everyone is attempting to deny both himself and Ben Sisko, that the publishers are attempting to destroy the story. But he says, sobbing, that they cannot destroy the idea. Ben Sisko, "Deep Space Nine", and all the people from the story, they exist inside his head, and in the heads of everyone who read it. Russell finally collapses, sobbing and cradled by his former co-workers. As he's carted away in an ambulance, Benny Russell finds the preacher sitting beside him and sees himself in a strange uniform. "Who am I?" he asks quietly. "You're the dreamer," the preacher answers him, "and the dream." Captain Benjamin Sisko wakes up in the infirmary with Kasidy, Jake, Joseph, and Dr. Bashir standing over him, happy to see him awake. He was unconscious for only a few minutes, and Bashir reports that his neural patterns are returning to normal. As Joseph gets ready to leave, Sisko says that his dream has encouraged him to stay on DS9 and keep fighting "the good fight."  He also confides to his father that he wonders whether their world really is "the real world," or just a vision, and somewhere far beyond the stars Benny Russell really exists. He stares out the window, and sees a reflection of himself wearing Benny's clothes. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir is preparing to attend a medical conference at Casperia Prime as Odo teases him about the fact that such conferences are always held at sunny beachside resorts. As they talk, Chief O'Brien enters the Infirmary, having dislocated his shoulder kayaking in the holosuite yet again. Bashir fixes O'Brien's arm but warns him not to go kayaking for a while. The next day, the computer awakens Bashir at 0700 hours. He is extremely tired to the point where he has the computer confirm the time. Dragging himself out of bed, he packs to leave the station and bids farewell to his beloved toy bear Kukalaka only to have Captain Sisko's voice come over the intercom, telling all senior officers to report to Ops. Heading there with the intention of going straight to his shuttle, Bashir finds that Deputy Director Sloan has arrived from Department of Internal Affairs with a contingent of officers from Starfleet Security and is discussing something grim with Sisko. When Sloan and Sisko emerge from the Captain's office, they announce that Internal Affairs believes that there has been a major security breach on DS9 and a member of the senior staff has been passing information to the Dominion. Sloan will conduct an investigation, but for now the senior staff are relieved of duty and confined to quarters and Bashir is dismayed to find Sloan has already cancelled his appearance at the medical conference. Now in his quarters, Bashir orders breakfast from the replicator, but finds it out of order. The door chime rings, and one of Sloan's officers informs Bashir that Sloan wants to ask him some questions. However, things do not seem right as she escorts him to the wardroom; a pair of officers carrying phaser rifles run past them in the corridor, but Bashir is told not to worry about it. Sloan comes across as surprisingly charming when he meets with Bashir, casually asking about Bashir's experiences with the Dominion. They go over Bashir's imprisonment and his work with a group of genetically enhanced humans, among other things. Before long, Sloan dismisses Bashir and promises to get the doctor his breakfast, as the replicators were taken offline as a security precaution. Later, Bashir is finally served his breakfast but finds he has been served gagh which was apparently meant for Worf. Examing his quarters, Bashir begins to suspect that someone has been there since he left as Kukalaka is now on his side but had been stood upright that morning, and a PADD that Julian had packed but since removed is now back in the bag. He then receives a message from O'Brien, who says Sloan grilled the chief for over two hours -- and every question he asked was about Bashir, making it clear Sloan suspects him of being the traitor. Once the transmission cuts out, one of Sloan's deputies enters and escorts him back to the wardroom. After arriving, Sloan asks if Doctor Bashir received his breakfast. Bashir, guessing that he was intentionally denied any food, answers "Yes". Sloan immediately wants to clarify his notes since his last meeting. Immediately, Sloan's tone of voice has changed from a nice, easy going tone in the last meeting to one that is more stern. He questions Bashir about the fact he was isolated from the other prisoners while at Internment Camp 371 for a number of days, with Sloan claiming that General Martok believes Bashir was gone for seven days instead of the five that the doctor believes. He also questions the relative ease of his escape, how his runabout was left in orbit of the prison and their cell was filled with everything he needed to construct a transmitter to get himself beamed to it. In Sloan's version of events, the Dominion "broke" the doctor during his time in prison and allowed him to escape. The allegation is that Bashir was coerced into spying for the Dominion but his memories are repressed; as such, even if Bashir is spying, he hypothetically would not know it. When Sloan realizes he will not get anywhere with an interrogation, he has the guards escort Bashir -- in irons -- across the Promenade for all to see. Later, Sisko visits Bashir in his holding cell telling him that Odo has discovered that Sloan had a son in Starfleet who was killed when his ship was destroyed by a Jem'Hadar patrol. Sloan then enters and admits that he believes Bashir supplied them the information that allowed the Dominion to target his son. When Sloan initally refuses to allow Sisko to talk to Bashir alone, Sisko uses his authority as commanding officer and demands to be allowed to see Bashir when he likes and to sit in on all interrogations to make sure his rights aren't breached. Sloan is forced to agree, and Sisko promises Bashir to get him out of this. In the next interrogation, Sloan brings up when Bashir worked with a group of Jem'Hadar in an attempt to free them from their need of Ketracel-white. Sisko argues that his happened before Bashir allegedly became a Dominion spy, but Sloan asserts that this proves Julian was already sympathetic to them. He then brings up that, while working with the genetically-enhanced humans, Bashir gave them access to classified information and then recommended that Starfleet surrender to the Dominion. Bashir insists that he was just trying to save lives, but Sloan doesn't accept this argument. Captain Sisko is forced to state he also didn't agree with the findings and admits that Julian has made some very poor judgement calls recently but argues that doesn't mean he's a traitor and that all the evidence Sloan has is circumstantial. Sloan then questions Sisko's loyalty towards his officer, reminding him that Bashir only came forward about his genetic enhancements because he was found out. Had he not been, Bashir admits that he doesn't know if he would ever have come forward with the truth. After the interrogation, Bashir apologizes to Sisko for not telling the truth about his genetic enhancements. Sisko decides to put that issue behind them, and tells Bashir that while he doesn't think he's lying asks him to consider the possibility he was broken in the Interment Camp, became a Dominion agent and repressed the memory. Bashir insists that, while such a procedure is a medical possibility, he is certain that it didn't happen. Captain Sisko tells Bashir to sleep and they'll talk later. In the night, Sloan visits Bashir to tell him he an order from Starfleet Command allowing him to "neutralize threats" to security, and he plans to put Bashir in a maximum-security prison until the war is over unless Julian is willing to sign a full confession. Bashir tells Sloan where he can stick the confession and is about to allow himself to be removed when he is suddenly transported off the station by a Dominion-style transporter beam. Bashir now finds himself aboard a Dominion warship, where Weyoun tries to convince him that he is in fact a Dominion spy. According to the Vorta, Bashir has gone through the same debriefing process a number of times, and the fact that the doctor does not believe his story does not surprise him. But rather than believing himself to be a spy, Bashir comes to believe Sloan is in fact the traitor. His conversation with Weyoun is interrupted as the ship comes under attack and Bashir is beamed aboard the USS Defiant. This time, the crew all believe Bashir is a spy, and he is at a loss for words for why he was beamed aboard the Cardassian ship. His story about Sloan only sounds even more incredible. As Bashir turns to O'Brien for support, the chief pushes him away, but Bashir realizes something is amiss. The chief's shoulder was dislocated previously, which leads Bashir to realize that none of the people around him are who they say they are. Suddenly, the Defiant's bridge disappears and Bashir finds himself in a holodeck aboard a Federation starship, surrounded by three men in black uniforms, one of whom is Sloan. Sloan motions for one of his lackeys to remove an implant from behind Bashir's right ear but the doctor reacts defensively. Therefore, Sloan gives Bashir the honor of removing the implant. The recording from the implant show that without a doubt, Bashir has unquestionable loyalty to the Federation. Sloan also comments that had they known about O'Brien's injury beforehand, then they would've incorporated it into the program. Bashir then deduces that he was beamed off of DS9 in his sleep so that no one would notice his absence. This explains a number of things, among them why Bashir was so tired at the start of his day. Tired of games, Bashir demands to know who Sloan works for. Sloan reveals that he is part of a covert organization known as Section 31, which he claims was part of the original Starfleet Charter but answers to no one. And they are charged with covertly dealing with threats to the Federation -- by any means necessary. Bashir asks what would happen if he was actually proven to be a Dominion spy. Sloan answers that they wouldn't be having this conversation now. Bashir voices his disapproval of Section's autonomy and blatant disregard for the founding principles of the Federation. Sloan tries to recruit the doctor into the organization, citing how Bashir likes to play spy in Quark's holosuites and his genetic modifications that were overlooked to continue his medical career. Bashir tries refusing, threatening to expose Section 31 but Sloan isn't threatened and promises that Bashir will eventually come around his way of thinking. As a result, Section 31 agents sedate him. When he returns to DS9, Bashir learns from Odo that he was abducted the same time he was to go to the medical conference. Kira reports to Sisko that there were no traceable transporter signatures in Bashir's quarters, meaning that Section 31 must've gotten him off the station another way or may be in use of transporter technology that they cannot detect. Bashir asks Sisko if Starfleet has come up with anything. Sisko states that that there is no record of anyone called Director Sloan or Section 31, but Sisko's investigation with Starfleet Headquarters on the matter turns up some odd results. Sisko receives neither confirmation nor denial of Section 31's existence, only promises to look into the matter. However, they didn't say when they'd report back, implying a conspiracy. Bashir comments his surprise that Starfleet would sanction this type of black ops activity. Odo points out that Section 31 is comparable to the Romulans' Tal'Shiar or the Cardassian's Obsidian Order. Bashir refutes that point, asking if they would sacrifice their own principles. Sisko has no answer for that. Kira suggests that they try and track down Sloan themselves but Odo reminds everyone that if Section 31 has existed since the birth of the Federation, then they've learned to cover their tracks effectively. Whatever the true nature of Section 31 may be, Sisko says they don't have to go looking for them: Section 31 will come to them. Next time they meet, Sisko wants Bashir to accept membership to bring the organization down from the inside. Odo muses that Bashir will finally be able to play spy, but this time for real. 
<EOS>
"Dad, there's something I've been wanting to say to you for a long time and now that I finally have the chance, I'm going to make it short and simple." The opening words in the wardroom from Benjamin Sisko's son Jake as he proudly places a fourth pip on his father's dress uniform, proclaiming him Captain Sisko. The two embrace as cheers erupt from the crew; being congratulated by his colleagues and as Quark serves the champagne, Chateau Cleon, 2303, Federation Ambassador Krajensky informs Sisko that a coup has taken place on the Tzenkethi homeworld. Sisko is to take the ambassador and the USS Defiant to that sector to remind the Tzenkethi of the Federation's presence on nearby colony worlds. In the Defiant's engine room, Captain Sisko orders Chief Miles O'Brien to begin preparing the ship for combat in case the Tzenkethi start looking for trouble. As O'Brien begins his work, he hears a noise in the engine room, but sees no one. In the Defiant's turbolift, Lieutenant Jadzia Dax asks Sisko if he has told Kasidy Yates about his promotion. Sisko says he hasn't, and that he barely had time to tell his father the news. Dax presses Sisko about his relationship with Kasidy, saying that the whole crew is curious. Sisko tells Dax that the next time he sees Kasidy, he's taking her to the seventh game of the 1964 World Series. Dax, amused by Sisko's response, concludes that he likes Kasidy. Arriving on the bridge, Sisko orders the Defiant to get underway. Not long after departing Deep Space 9, O'Brien is working in a jefferies tube. He hears the noise again; then suddenly takes a great fright before Doctor Julian Bashir appears from another tube. He asks the doctor why he didn't answer his call; Bashir explains that he was tying a new medical console into the main power grid.  After Bashir leaves, a curious O'Brien takes a look at what the doctor has done and seems impressed, saying it wasn't a bad job for an extension course. In the mess hall, Sisko tells his Chief of Starfleet security, Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington, to keep the ambassador out of harm's way in case the Tzenkethi decide to engage the Defiant. Eddington again congratulates Sisko on his promotion, and mentions how he wanted to become a starship captain himself when he first joined Starfleet. On the bridge, Constable Odo picks up a distress call from Barisa Prime. The colony reports that it is under attack before the Defiant suddenly loses contact. The Defiant sets course for Barisa Prime, and Sisko asks Odo to notify Starfleet Command of the situation. Dax tries to contact the USS Ulysses, which is the closest starship, but to no avail. Odo reports that the communication system is malfunctioning. O'Brien and Dax are dispatched to make repairs. In the jefferies tube, Dax and O'Brien find several tendril-like devices working their way into the Defiant's systems. They are protected by force fields, making them difficult to remove. O'Brien reports to Sisko that the devices are all over the ship, attached to almost every critical system. O'Brien states that these devices were not aboard when the Defiant left Deep Space 9, leading to the conclusion that someone on board is a saboteur. O'Brien reluctantly informs Sisko about his encounter with Bashir in the jefferies tube earlier. Sisko insists that he is not accusing Bashir of sabotage, but still would like to speak with him. However, Dax comes up with an idea to find out for sure who placed the devices. On the bridge, Sisko notifies his crew of the situation. Dax scans the crew for tetryon particles, since the saboteur would have been exposed to them when the devices were installed. Dax points out that she and O'Brien's scans have come up positive since they were exposed to the particles when they found the devices, meaning that if no-one else tests positive then they'll be the prime suspects. The senior staff tests negative, including Bashir, much to O'Brien's relief. As Dax scans Ambassador Krajensky, O'Brien talks with Bashir about their encounter in the jefferies tube, of which Bashir has no memory. The scan completes, and Krajensky tests positive. Suddenly, the ambassador changes form and escapes the bridge, revealing himself to be a Changeling. The Defiant cloaks and Sisko orders Dax to bring the ship out of warp, but she cannot. O'Brien cannot uncloak the ship and Major Kira Nerys reports that the ship's weapons are armed. The crew has lost control of the Defiant. Sisko orders Odo and Eddington to begin a search for the Changeling before he can do any more damage, but they are unable to locate him. Odo is confident that the Changeling is still on board, saying that he will not leave until his mission is completed. Sisko believes that the Changeling's goal is to start a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi, speculating that the distress call from Barisa Prime was faked, and goes so far as to suggest that their entire mission was engineered by the Dominion. Knowing that the Changeling can impersonate anyone on board, Sisko orders all non-essential personnel to be confined to quarters and sealed in with force fields, and that no one be left alone. After issuing weapons and orders to the security officers, Odo tells Eddington how he has never found it necessary to fire a weapon or take a life throughout his career. In the middle of their conversation, O'Brien calls for a security team to be sent to the engine room. Odo and Eddington arrive to find Dax unconscious. Bashir reports that she has a severe concussion and takes her to sickbay. On the bridge, Bashir tells Sisko that Dax will be unconscious for the next couple of days, leaving O'Brien alone in his attempts to regain control of the ship. Sisko tells Kira that he cannot allow the Changeling to start a war with the Tzenkethi, and that if O'Brien can't regain control of the ship, he'll have to destroy the Defiant. Sisko briefs the crew on their mission: They will break into two-person teams, each one equipped with phaser rifles, and systematically sweep the ship for the Changeling. A Bolian security officer voices his suspicions that the Changeling could be anyone of them, and Sisko reminds everyone to keep their partner in sight at all times for that very reason, and orders that anyone spotted alone be escorted to the brig. The crew begins searching the ship. Eddington asks Odo where he thinks the Changeling might be, but Odo is unsure, unable to put himself in the Changeling's position since he does not know his own people that well. Meanwhile, while Sisko and another security officer are searching a jefferies tube, the Changeling suddenly attacks them. The security officer is knocked out, leaving Sisko to pursue alone. Having been alerted to the Changeling's position, the crew moves to intercept. Arriving in the transporter bay, the Bolian security officer fires in Sisko's direction, believing that he has spotted the Changeling. Kira arrives from the opposite direction and insists that she is who she says she is, despite the fact that she and her partner have been separated for several seconds. The Bolian continuously accuses Kira of being a Changeling, and is paranoid to the point of ignoring a direct order from Sisko to lower his weapon. Just then, Odo appears and knocks out the Bolian. Eddington appears a split second later from Kira's direction, leading Sisko to conclude that any one of them could be the Changeling. Odo notes however, that Sisko is bleeding and therefore could not be the Changeling, as material removed from a Changeline reverts to its natural form, and his blood is just that -- blood. Sisko calls Bashir and orders him to meet them in the mess hall. In the mess hall, Bashir begins performing blood screenings of the crew. Kira and the Bolian security officer prove to be themselves, but when Bashir tests Eddington, his blood reverts to a gelatinous state. As he is escorted to crew quarters, Eddington maintains that he is not the Changeling. As Eddington is about to be forced inside the room, the adjacent door suddenly bursts open to reveal the real Doctor Bashir yelling for help. The Changeling that took Bashir's place morphs into the ventilation system and Odo pursues. A call comes in from the bridge notifying Sisko that the Defiant has entered Tzenkethi space. Kira reports that the Defiant is twelve minutes away from a Tzenkethi settlement on M'kemas III. With this news, Sisko and Kira activate the auto-destruct sequence and set the timer for ten minutes. Sisko calls O'Brien in engineering and asks if he has had any progress in regaining control of the ship. O'Brien thinks he may have a way to shut down the force fields and deactivate the devices. As O'Brien works, Odo and the Changeling -- who is disguised as Odo -- make their way into the engine room and each one tries to prove to the chief that the other is the saboteur. O'Brien refuses to play "choose the Changeling", and has the other officer in engineering keep his phaser on both of them while he deactivates the force fields. As the force fields deactivate, the Changeling drops his disguise and attacks O'Brien and the engineering officer, leaving Odo to face the Changeling alone. As the two struggle, the Changeling tries to convince Odo to return to the Great Link, but Odo refuses and pushes the Changeling onto the warp core, fatally wounding it. Before he dies, the Changeling whispers something to Odo, which startles him. O'Brien regains control of the ship. After Sisko and Kira abort the auto-destruct sequence, the Defiant leaves Tzenkethi space and heads back to Deep Space 9. In the wardroom, Sisko tells the senior staff that the real Ambassador Krajensky disappeared on his way to Risa. Starfleet Security believes that he has been kidnapped, or possibly killed. Bashir asks about the coup on the Tzenkethi homeworld, to which Sisko responds that it never happened. Odo joins the meeting and informs Sisko of the Changeling's dying words: "You're too late. We're everywhere." 
<EOS>
In 2367 (around stardate 44002.3) Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Sisko is the executive officer of the USS Saratoga as it battles the Borg, led by Locutus (the former Captain Jean-Luc Picard), at Wolf 359. Its shields drained by the Borg cube, the ship sustains a direct hit, which kills most of the bridge crew save Sisko and the Bolian tactical officer and causes the beginnings of a warp core breach: they have five minutes to evacuate. Sisko orders the lieutenant to help the surviving civilians to the escape pods and goes in search of his own family. In his quarters he finds his young son Jake and wife Jennifer buried under a pile of rubble. Although he is able to rescue Jake, Jennifer remains trapped. As Sisko digs through the rubble, the Bolian lieutenant scans Jennifer with a tricorder and finds she is already dead. Sisko ignores the lieutenant's desperate pleas to escape and continues trying to rescue his wife; he is ultimately dragged away screaming to an escape pod. Together with Jake and the other survivors, he watches from the escape pod as the Saratoga is destroyed. Commander Benjamin Sisko approaches Jake, now a teenager, who is fishing from a lake in an Earth-like setting. Jake seems dismayed they will be soon living on a space station rather than Bajor, the planet the station orbits. Sisko assures Jake that he will have fun and meet lots of new friends, but they are interrupted by a voice from the bridge, informing Sisko that they are approaching Deep Space 9. Sisko ends the program and they leave the holodeck. Walking past a window, Sisko and Jake get their first look at Deep Space 9, the former Cardassian mining station which will now be their home. Sisko and Jake arrive at Deep Space 9 and are dismayed to find the station in a state of disarray, ransacked by the Cardassians following the Occupation of Bajor; the planet itself is in a similar state. Neither Benjamin nor his son find the place, or their quarters, accommodating but they decide to "rough it" for the time being. Chief O'Brien reports that most systems are offline and a lot of equipment is missing or severely damaged. O'Brien also notes that Captain Picard wishes to meet with Sisko, a prospect the latter does not seem to relish. Ascending to Ops, Sisko enters the prefect's office and finds his Bajoran liaison officer, Major Kira Nerys, in heated argument with one of the Provisional Government's ministers, whom she hangs up on. Kira, a former member of the Bajoran Resistance, is openly hostile to the idea of another foreign power occupying Bajor. When Sisko says the Federation is only there to assist the Bajorans, she retorts that the Cardassians said the same thing when they arrived sixty years earlier. Their conversation is interrupted by an alarm from the Promenade, where Kira and Sisko capture a thief and his accomplice, a young Ferengi named Nog. Here, Sisko also meets Odo, the station's security chief, who aids in the apprehension of the two criminals. Quark, Nog's uncle and the proprietor of the local bar, urges Sisko to release Nog into his custody so the Ferengi may evacuate, but Sisko refuses, appearing to have something else in mind. Before he can continue, he is reminded that Captain Picard is waiting to meet with him. As he cannot put it off any longer, he heads for the Enterprise. When Sisko meets with Picard in the observation lounge, it is now Sisko's turn to be brusque and distrusting. He begins by "re-introducing" himself, mentioning that he has already "met" Picard (or rather Locutus) at the Battle of Wolf 359. Picard is obviously troubled by his memories of the event, so he begins discussing the havoc wreaked upon Bajor by the Cardassians. Bajor has applied for Federation membership, however their entrance will not be simple; with the Cardassians gone, several factions are now fighting for control of the planet. He tells Sisko that his mission aboard the station is to do everything short of violating the Prime Directive to secure Bajor's entrance into the Federation. Picard then notes that Sisko had objections to taking the assignment, and Sisko tells Picard with barely-restrained anger that he's raising his son alone and that a damaged space station is not the ideal environment. Sisko also says that he is thinking of resigning his Starfleet commission to return to Earth, but until he makes the decision he will do his job to the best of his ability. The conversation is dominated by thinly-veiled hostility on Sisko's part, as he faces the man he holds responsible for the death of his wife. In Odo's security office, Sisko and Odo interview Quark, encouraging him to stay on the station and reopen his establishment. The Promenade is the vital heart of life on the station, and someone has to step forward and lead the other vendors in rebuilding. As Quark is less than eager to stay -- citing that "when governments fall, people like me are lined up and shot" -- Sisko uses the incarcerated Nog as a bargaining chip, offering to free Nog if Quark agrees to his terms. Odo starts to warm up to the new Starfleet commander. While discussing Bajoran politics, Kira expresses her belief that Kai Opaka, the spiritual leader of Bajor, is their only hope to unite the people and keep the Provisional Government intact. When Sisko meets the kai on Bajor, she urges him to explore his pagh, or life-force, and declares Sisko to be the Emissary of the Prophets, though she doesn't tell him everything at first. She leads Sisko to the Orb of Prophecy and Change, which grants him his first orb experience: he is mentally transported to Gilgo Beach, years earlier (circa 2354), at the time and place he met Jennifer, his wife. He re-lives the moment of their first encounter in vivid detail, promising to prepare his father's famous Aubergine stew for dinner, and is distraught when the vision ends. As Kai Opaka shuts away the Orb safely in its container, she explains that this Orb is one of nine known Orbs that have appeared in the skies over Bajor in the last ten thousand years; the Cardassians took the other eight. She also informs Sisko that his destiny, whether he believes it or not, consists entirely of finding the Celestial Temple of the Prophets, from where the orbs originated. To help him in his task, she gives him the Orb for further study. Back on DS9, Sisko finds his son sleeping, still thinking of the image of his wife. Kira soon calls him to the Promenade, where he finds Quark has indeed unpacked and is entertaining the very diverse array of people on the station. He gets a drink and Quark implies he agrees to Sisko's terms. Sisko then greets his new chief medical officer, Doctor Julian Bashir, who is obviously smitten with Jadzia Dax, the station's new chief science officer. Sisko's meeting with Dax is really a reunion, because Dax is a Trill symbiont whom Sisko knew as Curzon Dax years earlier. Bashir offends Kira by referring to his new assignment as "frontier medicine"; to Kira, Bajor is home, not some frontier in the wilderness. Sisko quickly puts his old friend Dax to use, asking her to conduct research on the Orb and leaving her alone in the science lab. When she touches the Orb, it grows extremely bright and gives her a vision of her own. From high above, she sees herself (as the un-joined Jadzia) lying on an operating table, receiving the Dax symbiont from a dying Curzon, realizing the first moment of her new self-awareness. The vision has a noticeably powerful effect on her emotionally, as strong as Sisko's vision of Jennifer. On the Enterprise, Miles O'Brien stands outside the captain's ready room on the bridge, deciding whether to go inside or not. He decides not to, and after a final look at the bridge heads to transporter room 3. Upon entering, he asks Ensign Maggie Hubbell to beam him to the transporter pad in Ops. Just before he transports to the station, Captain Picard walks in, and dismisses the ensign. Picard notes that transporter room 3 is the chief's favourite one to use, and says that just the other day he called down and asked for him without thinking, and how it won't be the same without him. O'Brien smiles, and tells Picard that "it's just a transporter room", and requests permission to disembark. Picard operates the transporter console and beams O'Brien to the station. For a moment, Picard quietly laments the loss of his long time transporter chief and leaves the room. The Enterprise then sets off for the Lapolis system. Barely has the Enterprise left orbit than a Cardassian warship enters the system, transmitting fulsome good wishes from its commander, Gul Dukat -- the former Cardassian Prefect of Bajor. Sisko hosts Dukat in his office (which used to be Dukat's office two weeks prior, when the station was still under Cardassian control). With great diplomacy, Dukat "welcomes" the Federation to the region and pledges his "support" to their efforts to rehabilitate Bajor (especially in light of the fact that the Enterprise has departed the region). In his unctuous manner, Dukat fishes for information about the Orb Sisko brought to the station, as he had believed that the eight "acquired" by the Cardassians were the only ones in existence. He offers to share what the Cardassians have learned from those eight, but Sisko coolly says he knows nothing about any Orb. Smiling politely, Dukat says his ship will remain in system for a few days, in case Sisko changes his mind, and asks Sisko's permission for his men to enjoy the services on the Promenade. In her lab, Dax has plotted a central location common to the pathways of all the known Orbs, the Denorios belt, a charged plasma field. Sisko is intrigued and wants to take a closer look, but is wary of being followed by the Cardassians. So he concocts a ruse. In Quark's, the Cardassians are winning heavily at the dabo tables, when Kira strides in and announces the bar is being closed until further notice. Quark assures his customers that it is only temporary, and one of his waiters hands them a tote bag to carry their winnings back to their ship. The "bag" is actually Odo; once aboard the ship, he sabotages their computers, disabling their sensors and engines, allowing Sisko and Dax to depart in the runabout USS Rio Grande. Kira tells O'Brien to beam Odo back to the station, but O'Brien is having trouble operating the Cardassian transporter. When the machine refuses to respond to his commands, he kicks it in frustration -- which works, energizing Odo back. The coast is now clear for Sisko and Dax to embark toward the Denorios belt, the coordinates of the focal point of the Bajoran Orbs. As Dax steers the vessel toward high proton counts and the external wave intensifies, a wormhole suddenly opens directly in front of them. They are pulled into it, as DS9 loses contact with them, picking up only major subspace disruptions. The Rio Grande emerges in the Gamma Quadrant, some 70,000 light years from its previous location. Sisko suspects that the wormhole is the source of the Bajoran Orbs, and realizes that they have discovered the first stable wormhole known to exist, so they turn around and attempt to return to the Alpha Quadrant. However, the Rio Grande loses power and velocity while in the wormhole; they land on a "planet" with breathable atmosphere. To Sisko, it appears to be a barren wasteland, raging with electrical storms; to Dax, however, the planet appears beautiful, like an idyllic garden setting. A hovering Orb appears and scans their bodies; it engulfs Dax and takes her through the wormhole safely, and she materializes in Ops on DS9. Sisko is transported from the imaginary planet to the Celestial Temple, where he begins another vision, this one being his first communication with the Prophets of the Celestial Temple. The Prophets are non-corporeal entities, appearing to Sisko as people in his life: his late wife Jennifer, Picard, the kai, and Jake. They seek contact with other lifeforms, but do not consider him worthy, since he is corporeal, and relies on crude linguistics for communication. As he tries to defend himself and his species, Sisko seeks to develop some form of communication protocols with them. Once Kira realizes what Sisko and Dax discovered, she recognizes its tremendous importance and orders the entire DS9 space station to be moved to the mouth of the newly-found wormhole. With only six functional maneuvering thrusters, O'Brien states that it would take a month. Kira replies that it has to be done by the next day, stating that the Bajorans have to stake a claim to the wormhole, then in an apparent change of attitude, notes that the Federation's presence would strengthen the claim. Dax suggests they lower the inertial mass of the station with the deflector array; O'Brien begins work on this endeavor. Dax contacts Starfleet for assistance; the nearest starship is the Enterprise, which is two days away. Kira, Dax, and Doctor Bashir decide to set out toward the wormhole in another runabout, the USS Yangtzee Kiang, to rescue Sisko. Odo insists on joining their expedition, citing his own discovery in the Denorios belt and how his origins may be related to the wormhole phenomenon. Back inside the wormhole, Sisko communicates with some non-corporeal aliens who take the form of several people he knows; Jake, Picard, Locutus of Borg, Kai Opaka, Jennifer, and the Saratoga crew, among others. The aliens discuss destroying the intruder, while Sisko insists he was sent by the Bajorans. In order to prove he means no harm he offers to allow the aliens to share in his experiences and his past. However, it turns out the wormhole aliens have no concept of linear time. As Sisko and the wormhole aliens try to understand one another, O'Brien and the crew attempt to find a way to safely move DS9 to the mouth of the wormhole, but the Cardassian computer is less than cooperative to the point where it refuses to cooperate with some of his requests. With great difficulty, O'Brien manages to move DS9; however, Dukat has become aware of the wormhole's presence. Suspecting Sisko of already striking a deal with "whomever" in the wormhole, Gul Dukat races toward the wormhole himself; his Cardassian vessel, easily out-pacing Kira and the runabout, proceeds through the wormhole. Meanwhile, Sisko is showing the aliens a moment in his past when he and Jennifer were sharing a picnic. The aliens mention that Jennifer is a part of Sisko's existence, but Sisko tells them that while she was a very important part she is not anymore as she is no longer alive; he lost her. The aliens are now very confused, unable to understand what "lost" means. Sisko tells them that when in linear time, people are unable to go back to the past, when something is lost it is gone forever. The aliens cannot understand how any species could possibly survive in this manner. Sisko goes on to explain that this day is important as it affected every one that followed; it is the day he and Jennifer decided to have a child. As the two echoes kiss, Sisko starts to explain about touch and pleasure when suddenly he finds himself back on the Saratoga, standing over his wife's body. The aliens explain this is his existence. Sisko tells them that this memory is more difficult than any of the others because this is the day he lost Jennifer. The aliens don't accept this, and they ask Sisko why he exists here. Sisko doesn't understand what they're asking, but they insist that he exists here. Suddenly, everything stops. Gul Dukat's ship is traveling through the wormhole and emerges in the Gamma Quadrant. In anger, the aliens seal the wormhole, preventing the runabout from following. The aliens explain to Sisko that whenever someone travels through the wormhole their existence is disrupted, therefore they have closed it. The aliens tell Sisko that his linear nature makes him naturally destructive, a charge Sisko denies. He tells them he is aware that every choice he makes will have a consequence, even if he doesn't know what it is. To help, he uses past experiences to guide him. For example, he cites the day he met Jennifer on the beach and how their past experiences helped them realize they had a future together and when they got married they accepted any of the consequences that would come from that act including the birth of their son. The aliens are starting to understand but still need help, so Sisko decides to use the game of baseball as an example. He tells the aliens that when he throws the baseball anything could happen, the batter could swing and miss or he might hit the ball perfectly. A person prepares for every consequence as they happen, and as a result the game will start to take shape even though no one knows what the outcome will be. Now the aliens start to get it, but now can't understand why Sisko values his ignorance of the future. Sisko tells the aliens that the unknown is what drives his species, that they are always exploring and looking to the future to expand their knowledge. He explains that he isn't there to conquer but to co-exist and share their knowledge. "If what you say is true, then why do you exist here?!" Sisko is once again on the Saratoga looking at his wife's body under the debris, confused why the aliens keep returning him to this point. In light of Dukat's disappearance, the station is soon approached by three Cardassian warships, which take a threatening posture. Gul Jasad demands to know the location of Dukat's vessel; he refuses to believe Kira's "wormhole" explanation, since there is no sensory evidence of such. Jasad allows Kira one hour to prepare for surrender, but with the Enterprise still twenty hours away, Kira knows that surrender is not a viable option. Inside the wormhole, Sisko demands to know why the aliens keep bringing him back here to the Saratoga but the aliens tell him they are not bringing him here, he is taking them there. Sisko asks for the power to take them somewhere else, but the aliens tell him that he already has the power but is denying himself it and should look inside himself for the answer. Sisko then looks back, and sees himself from three years earlier, desperate to free his wife despite the knowledge she was dead. Sisko notes that he was ready to die with her. Sisko is clearly in pain at recalling the most horrific of his memories, and the aliens sense this and try to comfort him. As he sees his past self dragged away he realizes inside that he never completely left the Saratoga. As he looks down at his wife, and through his tears, he tells the aliens that the moment he looked down at Jennifer's dead body has always been in his mind, and whenever he closes his eyes he sees the same image. The aliens realize that none of Sisko's past experiences helped prepare him for this consequence and Sisko confesses he's never been able to get over losing her and that inside he does still exist here. But finally Sisko realizes that Jennifer is really gone and he has to let her go forever. He grieves properly this time, letting go of his emotions, but finally leaves the trauma of his wife's death behind him. Kira launches six photon torpedoes -- the station's entire complement -- as a bluff, to make Gul Jasad believe that Starfleet has replenished DS9's weaponry after taking over the station. The bluff fails, however, as the Cardassians begin assaulting the station, easily penetrating its weak shields. Odo calls for medical assistance on the Promenade from Doctor Bashir. Dax reports that their shields are down to eighteen percent and falling, then suddenly reports a huge neutrino disturbance -- the wormhole is back. The wormhole opens in an explosion of brilliant, neon-like light; the Cardassians, shocked to see it for the first time, immediately cease firing on DS9. To everyone's surprise, Commander Sisko emerges in the Rio Grande, towing Gul Dukat's disabled vessel from the wormhole to safety. Once securely back in the Alpha Quadrant, Dukat orders the Cardassian vessels to stand down. Luckily there were no fatalities on DS9, just various injuries being treated by Doctor Bashir and Odo, who has been pressed into medical duties, for the time being. Sisko, back aboard DS9, joyously greets Jake. The Prophets, known to the Federation as the "wormhole aliens," have granted Sisko and all other corporeal beings free passage through the wormhole. And with the return of the Enterprise, the Cardassian vessels retreat back to Cardassian space. Meeting once again with Captain Picard, this time in Commander Sisko's office, he is congratulated on finding the wormhole; Bajor will now undoubtedly become a commercial and scientific hub, as well as a strategic military focal point for the Federation. Sisko retracts his earlier conversation with Picard, about possibly resigning his commission. Picard, who had not forwarded the information up the chain of command, nevertheless asks Sisko if he is sure about staying at the helm of DS9. Sisko assures him that he is; Picard shakes his hand, and leaves for the Enterprise, wishing Sisko good luck. Kira warns Quark to not cheat his customers anymore, but allows him to keep his bar open. As the crew continues repairs and settles into their new home, so begins the command of Deep Space 9 by Commander Benjamin Sisko, the Emissary to the Prophets of Bajor. 
<EOS>
Garak, a Cardassian tailor on Deep Space 9, unexpectedly stops by Doctor Julian Bashir's lunch table at the Replimat to introduce himself. With little tact, Julian suggests that Garak is a Cardassian spy. Julian rushes to Ops to report the encounter, but Commander Benjamin Sisko is busy trying to head off a Cardassian attack on a Bajoran scout ship. With the ship breaking apart, the sole occupant is beamed to DS9. Recognizing Major Kira Nerys, he identifies himself as Tahna Los and requests political asylum; he is taken to the infirmary. Gul Danar, commanding the Aldara, demands he be released to them immediately as a Kohn-Ma criminal terrorist; Sisko pledges to investigate the matter before proceeding and invites him aboard the station, later having O'Brien stall him with docking regulations. Kira goes with him to the infirmary, along the way explaining she and Tahna worked together in the Bajoran Resistance, and she sympathizes with his cause. Sisko warns her he can't have a divided loyalty under him, and she indignantly declares a loyalty to Bajor. She also points out that splinter groups, like the Kohn-Ma, will need to be repatriated if the government is going to be rebuilt. When Sisko questions Tahna, it's clear Kira is on his side and Sisko dismisses her. Alone, Tahna admits to carrying out brutal acts against Cardassians, even after the end of the occupation of Bajor but hints that his days of violence are a thing of the past. He's obviously been subjected to Cardassian torture. Meanwhile, Kira goes over Sisko's head, asking Starfleet Admiral Rollman to intervene but the Admiral immediately reports Kira's actions back to Sisko, noting that he has a problem with her insubordination. Soon, Danar arrives in his office, angry at the docking delays, and demands the fugitive; Sisko politely denies him, saying he would have a problem with Bajor if he gave him up. He grants asylum to Tahna Los and Danar says nothing and leaves. Kira shows Tahna to quarters, and they soon debate Bajoran politics; Tahna wants a completely free and independent Bajor, whereas Kira sees the need for the Federation's involvement, at least for the time being, until they can fully exploit the wormhole commercially. Tahna is skeptical, and Kira understands with all their people have been through. She wants Tahna to take a leadership position to bring more people together, but he doesn't see the government as valid and sees her as having adapted to her misguided role. Kira promises her help and support in getting amnesty for him and any who follow him on Bajor, as long as he is no longer with the Kohn-Ma, which he assures her is true. Elsewhere, the Klingon sisters Lursa and B'Etor of the House of Duras arrive on DS9. Unwilling at first to relinquish their weapons on the Promenade, they are tacitly convinced by Odo to do so or leave. He promptly notifies Sisko of their presence, currently just sitting around at Quark's. However, unknown to him, Garak, and soon Bashir, are observing their "outfits" closely, for tailoring purposes, he tells Bashir. They observe Tahna arriving, and immediately the sisters leave with him to meet in a private location, demanding payment for a deal they had made. Odo, disguised as a rat, observes the entire exchange. Kira has arranged an amnesty hearing in the Ministers' Court on Bajor for Tahna. She informs Sisko, and also tells him of two other former Kohn-Ma agents who are also seeking asylum. Sisko promises to protect them as well, and Kira, surprised and relieved, tells him his help is greatly appreciated. Sisko thanks her, then bluntly warns her to never go over his head again to the admiralty. When Sisko hears from Odo, however, about the dealings between Tahna and the scheming Klingon sisters, he reserves judgment and keeps this information from her for the moment. Meanwhile, Garak receives the Duras sisters in his shop. After he gives a few lines about fashion, the sisters immediately get to the point of selling Tahna to the Cardassians, believing he still represents their interests. Garak eventually negotiates with them. Kira happily informs Tahna that she has the necessary votes in the Ministry for his amnesty; Tahna is not interested, though. He reveals the fact that he knew Kira was on the station before he got there, and announces his pride at still being a Kohn-Ma. He promises her that he wasn't lying when he said he has renounced the use of violence, but needs for a small ship with warp speed to carry out his latest plan, which he can't tell her. Kira asks how he can know she won't go straight to Sisko. Tahna just smirks and says that will only confirm what she so adamantly denied before: that she has turned her back on her friends and her own people, and become a willing puppet of the Federation. Garak finds Doctor Bashir on the Promenade, but dispenses with pleasantries. He notes the two recently arrived Kohn-Ma terrorists, which immediately worries Bashir. Garak, however, convinces him to come to his shop that evening at exactly 20:55 hours to "buy a suit." Bashir eventually understands and leaves. Unsure of what to do, Bashir asks Sisko for advice. Sisko recommends that he keep his appointment, as he understands it is a means for unofficial communication. They may be signaling a common enemy. Sisko also asks Kira about the two terrorists, but Kira doesn't reveal what she's learned. Unsure of whom to support, she asks for Odo's advice. Odo senses that she is torn between loyalties, but also that she knows what she wants to do and is afraid to do it. He gets her cleverly to say it out loud, including that, even if she refuses to help Tahna, he will still find a way to complete his plan. He convinces her to divulge everything to Sisko by simply calling him down to security since "someone" wants to talk to him. Bashir, arriving two minutes late to Garak's, is quickly herded into a back stall, where he is allowed to overhear the Klingon sisters agreeing to sell a small cylinder of bilitrium to Tahna in the Bajor system in four hours. Once they have departed, Bashir asks what bilitrium is, and Garak informs Bashir that it is a rare crystalline element, the atoms of which can release a tremendous amount of power. Garak also happens to know that Tahna was fleeing from the Cardassians for the theft of an Antimatter converter. Combined together, Tahna would have the ingredients for a bomb of "significant destructive capability." Kira, under orders from Sisko, provides Tahna with the runabout USS Yangtzee Kiang and accompanies them to the rendezvous; Sisko and O'Brien are nearby in the USS Ganges, lurking behind Bajor VIII's moon, reconnoitering the rendezvous area for the illegal weapons deal. After the bilitrium is exchanged for 13 kilograms of gold-pressed latinum, Sisko gives chase to Tahna and Kira. Tahna finally sees through Kira's act; he strikes her to the floor, and then combines the bilitrium he just purchased with an antimatter converter, activating the biogenic weapon. They go to warp and head toward DS9. With the Ganges and the Aldara closing fast, Kira learns that DS9 is not the target of the weapon; the target is the wormhole. By collapsing the entrance to the wormhole, and shutting it forever, Tahna seeks to remove Bajor from prominence in the Alpha Quadrant, so that Bajor will be left alone by both the Federation and the Cardassians. At the last second, however, Kira steers the Yangtzee Kiang straight into the wormhole, just as they drop to impulse power and release the weapon. But the weapon is deployed in the Gamma Quadrant, on the other side of the wormhole. Following them through the wormhole, Sisko confronts Tahna via the communicator. Tahna angrily says he still has Kira as a hostage, but Sisko informs Tahna that his choices have been reduced to two: surrender now, or be captured by the Cardassians. Quaking visibly, Tahna chooses the former. Tahna is taken back aboard DS9 and incarcerated by Odo. Although Kira has lost Tahna's friendship, she has begun a new one with Commander Sisko. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir finds Dax playing with an Altonian brain teaser, a puzzle responding to neural theta waves in a holosuite. Eager to get closer to her, he says he loves puzzles and volunteers to play. Before she transfers control to him, she casually mentions that she's been trying to solve it for 140 years. As soon as she transfers control to him, the puzzle bursts in a matter of seconds. Dax tries to warn him about Trill relationships, but is saved by the appearance of Benjamin Sisko, picking her up for dinner. Unwilling to give up, Bashir gloomily tells the computer to re-start the puzzle. In Quark's, Odo is sitting at the bar, keeping an eye on Quark's business. Both of them notice Chief O'Brien arguing with his wife Keiko at a table on the upper level. Keiko is miserable aboard Deep Space 9; with no need for a botanist, she has nothing to do, and also has doubts about the station as a fit place to raise their daughter. Odo denies being able to understand why humanoids place so much emphasis on mating with other members of their species; he himself has never "coupled," as he had decided that the aggravation of a relationship, worst of all the need to compromise, which idea he already hates, far outweighed its benefits. Having dinner in the bar, Sisko and Dax are still adjusting to their new relationship. Sisko has trouble seeing the young woman in front of him as his old mentor and father-figure, Curzon, which was how he had always seen Dax. Glancing around the bar, Odo tenses up when he notices a Bajoran man at the dabo table. Odo goes over to the table and informs the man that he is unwelcome on the station. A fight breaks out between the two and, after Commander Sisko forcibly separates them, Odo tells the man he has 26 hours to leave DS9. Elsewhere on the Promenade, a bored Jake Sisko approaches Quark's nephew, the only boy on the station of any species close to Jake's age, and tries to make friends. The Ferengi is standoffish at first, but grudgingly shares his name, Nog. Jake smiles, seeing the beginnings of a friendship. In Sisko's office, Odo explains his actions: the man, whose name is Ibudan, had lived aboard the station during the Occupation, smuggling medical supplies and other black market goods to the planet. Some Bajorans considered him a hero, but Odo saw him as nothing but a ruthless profiteer -- he had once allowed a young Bajoran girl die, when her parents were unable to afford his asking price for the drug that would have saved her life. A few years before, Odo had arrested Ibudan for killing a Cardassian officer who wanted a bribe to look the other way, and he went to prison for murder. Now, the Provisional Government has granted him amnesty, since "killing a Cardassian isn't considered much of a crime nowadays." Sisko agrees Ibudan is undesirable, but does not see what they can do when he has not recently broken any laws. Odo vows to get him off the station, one way or another, and goes on the record saying, "Commander, laws change depending on who's making them. Cardassians one day, Federation the next. But justice is justice, and as long as I'm in charge of security." Thereupon Sisko interrupts, "If you can't work within the rules, I'll find someone who can." That evening, Ibudan is enjoying a massage in a holosuite, when a gloved hand pushes the holographic masseuse away, then plunges a knife into Ibudan's back. Jake and Nog play a practical joke on the Promenade, releasing some Garanian bolites that infect a dining couple that harmlessly turn alternately blue, green, and yellow for a short time. A security officer catches the boys before they can run and marches them to the security office, while Keiko looks on disapprovingly. She doesn't believe that children should have the same freedom as they did on Starfleet ships. She later mentioned to Miles that the station should have a school. Sisko, Bashir, Odo, and Kira are in the deactivated holosuite, looking at Ibudan's dead body. Odo reports that, according to the security logs, the holosuite's door was locked, and only opened twice -- the first to admit Ibudan, and the second time, presumably, to let his killer exit. There is also no evidence of a transporter being used within the suite. Sisko orders Bashir to sweep the suite for DNA evidence to identify all persons who have been inside the suite. Sisko orders Kira to inform all docked ships that their departures will be delayed as the crime is investigated. In Ops, Sisko and Kira receive Zayra, a Bajoran businessman from the Promenade, who confides that Ibudan talked to him shortly before his death, and confided fears that Odo was going to murder him. Kira quickly discounts the accusation, but Zayra remains suspicious. Odo investigates Ibudan's berth on the Bajoran freighter he arrived on. According to the ship's manifest, he was alone, but booked a room with two bunk beds. The ship's officer had assumed he simply wanted the extra room. Examining Ibudan's computer terminal, Odo finds an appointment book, stating that Ibudan had a meeting with Odo scheduled for the time he was murdered. Keiko talks to Sisko in his quarters, with Jake present. She lobbies to open a school aboard the station, as there are no fewer than twelve children of school-age there. Sisko is more than happy to provide her with an empty room and some computer equipment; the only question is how many other parents aboard the station will accept her as a teacher. After Keiko departs, Sisko starts to read Jake the riot act, warning him to stay away from Nog, but Jake ducks into his room. Bashir reports that only five persons's DNA traces can be found in the holosuite: Ibudan's, and those of the four officers who were in there after he was murdered. Kira is baffled: Ibudan entered the room alone, and the door stayed locked until his killer exited -- which is impossible. Odo grimly says that the only explanation is that the killer was a shapeshifter like himself, who could enter the room through the cracks in the door. Odo says that if he is being framed, it is a very "neat package"; only a shapeshifter could have entered the holosuite in order to murder Ibudan, Ibudan's calendar said he was going to meet with Odo at the time he was murdered, and Odo has no DNA of his own to leave behind at the scene of the crime. Kira asks him if he has an alibi, and Odo confesses that he has to regenerate every 18 hours, and was shapeless in a pail in the back of his office when the murder occurred, so the answer is no. He asks Kira to instruct Bashir to do a sweep of Ibudan's quarters aboard the freighter. Quark's brother, Rom, is initially hostile towards the idea of enrolling Nog in a Federation-run school, saying that a traditional Ferengi education is designed to teach young Ferengi the cutthroat skills needed to thrive in commerce. Keiko does a clever sell job, convincing Rom that she can teach his son those virtues, and more: learning commerce from the perspective of other cultures, his son's future customers, will be a huge advantage. Rom appears thoughtful, and Keiko leaves him to mull it over. In another corner of the bar, Zayra and several other Bajorans are questioning Odo's innocence; after all, he is the purest form of alien, and all they really know of him is that he worked on the station when the Cardassians occupied Bajor. Quark, overhearing, cuts in and defends Odo: no one knows (and loathes) Odo better than Quark does, and whatever else he is, Odo was not a collaborator and is no murderer. Nevertheless, Zayra returns to Ops with a group of Bajorans for support, to confront Sisko with their suspicions. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Sisko reluctantly relieves Odo of his duties on a temporary basis. In the infirmary, Bashir reports to Odo that he has found the destroyed remains of a biological sample container in Ibudan's quarters. It appears that Ibudan was conducting some kind of medical experiment, but Odo says that Ibudan was neither a scientist nor a doctor. Bashir finds a small biological sample in the remains of the container. When he puts it into a solution to culture it, its cells begin dividing rapidly. Odo is summoned to Ops, where Sisko reluctantly tells him that he is relieving him of duty. He assures Odo that he does not believe the Bajorans' suspicions of him, but Odo sardonically replies that, with all the evidence mounted against Odo, Sisko would be inhuman if a small part of him did not believe Odo might be guilty. Odo returns to his office and finds it vandalized: his datapads are littered all over the floor, his monitors have been smashed, and the word "SHIFTER" spray-painted across the wall. As he starts to clear up, Quark happens by and offers to find out who did it. Chafing at the idea of asking the Ferengi for help, Odo declines. Then he asks Quark if he would be interested in Odo working for him, since it looks like Odo will be out of a job soon. Quark is briefly enthralled by the idea of having a shapeshifter to use in his various dealings, before he realizes Odo is joking with him. As he leaves the office, Quark mentions that he has been making some enquiries about Ibudan; but he seems not to have made any enemies in prison (who might be suspects in his murder) as he had spent most of his time hanging around the Bajoran dissidents jailed by the Cardassians for various non-criminal acts. In the Infirmary, Bashir and Dax show Sisko the sample from Ibudan's container, which has been growing exponentially and is now a large, flesh-colored blob. Both Bashir and Dax are sure it is a vital clue, but cannot yet say what it is. Sisko invites Dax to lunch, and Bashir, mistakenly thinking he is being invited as well, accepts. To diffuse the awkward moment, Dax begs off, leaving Sisko and Bashir to go by themselves. Over lunch, Bashir admits that he is attracted to Dax, but does not want to step on Sisko's toes, since Sisko has known "her" far longer. Sisko explains to the doctor that in all the previous years he knew Dax, the Trill was his male mentor and friend, Curzon. Therefore, Sisko assures Bashir, he is not interested in Dax romantically and the young doctor is free to choose to pursue Dax in that manner. Sisko and Bashir then witness Odo rejected by the customers at Quark's who refuse to drink with, or even be near, the former chief of security. Miles is helping Keiko to set up her new schoolhouse, and has replicated an old-fashioned schoolhouse bell. Molly, from her father's arms, says that she wishes she could attend her mother's school, and Keiko wryly responds that she does too, at least that way she would know someone would show up. They are interrupted by the sound of an angry mob on their way to Odo's office screaming that he is a murderer and a freak. O'Brien signals Ops to have them send security to assist Odo and requests Commander Sisko's presence to handle the mob. From afar, Bashir observes the mob outside Odo's office, trapping him inside and yelling for his head. Turning back to the infirmary, Ibudan's "blob" amazingly has grown much larger. Sisko and security arrive to see the mob growing larger and more violent. While Kira secures the turbolifts, more armed security arrives. Sisko plants himself in front of the door and defends the Constable, telling the Bajorans not to condemn a man just because he happens to be different from them. Zayra and others begin yelling about the evidence against Odo. Meanwhile, Bashir and Dax are frantically analyzing the blob, which has grown larger still like a man-sized humanoid. Bashir makes a realization and they appear to the mob, announcing that they have a breakthrough in the case: the murder victim was not Ibudan. Bashir's pronouncement stuns everyone there, including Odo, and they lead Sisko and Odo to the infirmary, while Kira and O'Brien tell the crowd to disperse. The man who was murdered was Ibudan's clone, whom Ibudan created himself, specifically to kill, then to frame Odo for the crime. (As Odo later finds out, one of the dissidents with whom Ibudan had associated in prison was a Bajoran geneticist who had been jailed for conducting cloning experiments.) Bashir and Dax have already checked the victim's DNA and found the signature gene sequence degradation that identifies him as a clone. The second clone will gain consciousness in a few hours and be a more-or-less exact copy of Ibudan, though hopefully not psychologically. Now Odo concentrates on finding Ibudan, who turns out to be masquerading as an elderly Bajoran man who arrived a short time ago on a ship. Odo captures him as he boards the ship for departure from the station, pulling off his mask and informing him that killing his own clone still makes him guilty of murder. In her empty schoolroom, Keiko glumly checks the time. Sisko enters with Jake, and, to her surprise, Rom enters a few minutes later with Nog. Nog starts to take the desk next to Jake's, but Rom tells him to sit on the other side of the room, not wanting him to have anything to do with "that Human boy"; apparently he and Sisko are of one mind on this subject. A short time later, two other Bajoran children are escorted in by their parents, and Keiko happily introduces herself, and begins her lesson plan, with a basic introduction to Bajoran history. 
<EOS>
Aboard Deep Space 9, Chief O'Brien is feeling both overworked and underappreciated. While he and his crew are in the docking pylon, trying to free several crew members stuck in a jammed airlock, a Boslic freighter captain, Jaheel, complains that O'Brien hasn't yet fixed his ship's antimatter flow converter; if his ship is left in dock for too long, the perishable goods aboard will be useless. After Jaheel exits with a rude comment, O'Brien is summoned to Lieutenant Jadzia Dax's lab, where an incessant whine has been coming from her equipment. After fixing this, he rushes to Ops, to repair a conduit near Major Kira's terminal. Just as he's thought he's earned a breather, Commander Sisko gags on a mug of coffee delivered by the Ops replicator and asks why it hasn't been fixed yet. O'Brien grumpily makes his way down to the command level. "Can't have the operations chief sitting around daydreaming when there's work to be done, can we? Oh, ho, ho, I'll get right on it!", he says while leaving, causing Sisko and Major Kira to exchange looks. After fixing the replicators, O'Brien asks for a cup of hot coffee, black, double sweet as a test. It tastes fine, but behind the panel, a long-hidden electronic device activates and starts sending a signal into the replicator. In Quark's, Asoth, an angry Markalian customer complains to Quark about his Kohlanese stew, forcing Quark to taste a sample of it. Odo recommends Quark ask O'Brien to fix his replicators, but warns wryly that O'Brien is a very busy man. After Odo leaves the bar, Quark breaks into the Cardassian computer system to find the location of a replicator on the station that isn't  broken. Jadzia Dax, walking along the Promenade with Major Kira, discusses how odd it feels -- being female for the first time in eighty years, she clarifies when Kira is confused. They notice Quark's is busy as they pass, and Quark himself greets them to say that they're having "a little party" to celebrate his replicators being fixed, and invites them to join in. Kira quickly excuses herself and tells Dax to go in if she wants. Dax is left flustered for a moment, before catching herself and smiling at Quark. Back in Ops, Sisko thanks O'Brien for fixing the replicator; he also compliments the chief's wife, Keiko, on being a good teacher in the station's new school, which she recently opened. When Major Kira is speaking with O'Brien a moment later, his talk turns to gibberish, which no one can understand. He appears unable to comprehend anything said by anyone. Dr. Bashir diagnoses the chief as suffering from aphasia, wherein the brain incorrectly interprets sights and sounds. As the senior staff discussed O'Brien's condition, Lieutenant Dax is suddenly stricken with aphasia, unable to communicate with the people around her. In the infirmary, Bashir discovers that a virus has infected the brain's synapses; as other crew members are afflicted, Sisko orders DS9 to be placed in quarantine immediately. Odo notices that business is booming in Quark's. When questioned, Quark lies and says his replicators were fixed by Rom; in fact, Quark is surreptitiously using the replicator of a quarantined crew member. Odo, disguised as a piece of furniture, catches Quark in the act soon after this. Sisko finds his son Jake on the Promenade after having been playing with classmate Nog. The concerned father orders his son back to their quarters. Sisko is now confronted by Jaheel, the impatient freighter captain, who is told to stay put. Back in Ops, Sisko begins to suspect the replicators are spreading the virus. When Odo informs them that Quark has been supplying his entire menu with an infected replicator, Bashir checks the station's air, and determines that the virus has mutated into an airborne pathogen. They are now all infected; however, the virus has different incubation periods in different people. While searching with a tricorder, Kira finds the device hidden in the replicator's pattern generator. By now, 60 percent of the station population is showing signs of the virus. The replicators were creating the virus within the food they were replicating (at the molecular level). While Kira initially suspects Cardassians are to blame, Doctor Bashir determines that the virus is actually Bajoran in origin, possibly placed aboard the station by the Bajoran Resistance years ago; the device is 18 years old, the same age as DS9 itself, built in 2351. As Sisko takes Jake, recently afflicted, to crew quarters converted into a hospital ward, he tries to console Dax and O'Brien, but they still can't comprehend one another. The situation soon worsens, as O'Brien is found unconscious in his hospital bed. The virus has attacked O'Brien's autonomic nervous system, threatening his life. Using her old contacts in the Bajoran Resistance, Kira tries to discover the creator of the virus. Her search leads her to a Dekon Elig, a Bajoran Resistance member, but he is deceased, his death certificate having been witnessed by a Surmak Ren, who was also a member of the underground. Surmak Ren has now been repatriated to Bajor and is currently a medical administrator. When she contacts him about the aphasia virus, he rudely terminates the connection. Sisko allows Kira to pilot a runabout to Bajor to confront the uncooperative Surmak Ren; she assures Sisko she will not set foot on the planet (so as not to spread the virus). She beams Surmak, without his permission, to the runabout. At first, Surmak protests that his involvement with the Resistance was minimal, and he is not to blame for the station's current troubles. Kira snaps that she is not interested in assigning blame, just the cure for the virus. Surmak says he doesn't know if Dekon even created a cure -- for all he knows, a cure doesn't exist. Kira informs him that she is infected with the virus, and now he has been exposed as well, so anything he knows about Dekon's work had better be put to use, and quickly. They return to DS9 to help with the cure. On DS9, Jaheel, the impatient and frightened freighter captain, decides to leave the station without permission. However, the docking clamps are still securing his vessel to the space station. As he increases power to his engines, the mooring clamps become stuck in place. The freighter's engine begins to overheat, threatening to explode, taking half the docking ring with it. Odo suggests they explode the mooring clamps to blow the ship clear of the station, but finds himself soon working alone, as Sisko now succumbs to the sickness. When Odo broadcasts a call for help throughout the entire station, it is answered in the form of Quark, one of the few people left unaffected. After smugly advising Odo that they could discuss his compensation later, Quark assumes control of Ops, beaming Odo directly to the docking ring; Kira is absolutely stunned to find Quark answering her hail as she returns to the station. After boarding and showing Surmak to medical, however, she becomes the virus's latest unintelligible victim. Odo rescues the babbling freighter captain and jettisons the doomed ship just in time. Surmak Ren, whose memory is refreshed about the virus once he looks at Doctor Bashir's notes, quickly develops an antidote for the virus, curing everyone. As things begin to return to normal, Sisko welcomes O'Brien back to Ops -- only to find a moment later that the replicators are faulty once more. 
<EOS>
Sarda, a dabo girl, complains to Commander Sisko that Quark has made repeated sexual advances toward her. His claim that sex is part of her job appears valid since the provision is buried within the contract she signed, but Sisko reassures her that the provision will not stand and sends her on her way. As the dabo girl leaves his office, Major Kira informs him that something is coming through the wormhole. In Ops, he learns that a small starship has emerged so he has Chief O'Brien hail the ship. The sole passenger is a reptilian humanoid who appears nervous and is extremely suspicious of Sisko and the rest of the crew. However, as the alien's ship is in danger of exploding, the alien reluctantly agrees to allow O'Brien to bring his ship to a docking bay with a tractor beam. Dispensing with first contact procedures for the moment, Sisko tells O'Brien to greet the new arrival alone so as to ease their guest's fears. O'Brien finds the ship deserted when he enters, although sensors indicate the alien is still present. He goes about inspecting the ship when the alien materializes behind him. The alien is Tosk, although Tosk doesn't tell O'Brien if this is his name or his species; he is simply Tosk. Although Tosk seems impatient and in a hurry, O'Brien convinces him to let O'Brien help fix the ship. As the two of them exit the ship and walk toward the Promenade, O'Brien casually attempts to find out about how Tosk's ship was attacked, but he gets nowhere. The two of them seem to develop an unspoken bond on the Promenade. Tosk observes everything, even Doctor Bashir as they pass him near the infirmary, with great interest. He also takes a particular interest in a diagram of Deep Space 9 on a wall panel. When Tosk observes that others will detect the wormhole and come to Deep Space 9, O'Brien seems enthusiastic, explaining that Starfleet's mission is to seek out new life and new civilizations. There is an awkward moment while Tosk and O'Brien observe Quark escorting a Bolian woman out of his bar. Quark promises to return the woman's money but forbids her from returning to his establishment, as she has cheated at dabo. O'Brien casually explains that some aspects of his culture can be explained later. They reach Tosk's temporary quarters and O'Brien escorts him in. Curiously, Tosk requires only seventeen minutes of sleep and has no use for food replicators as liquid nutrients are stored throughout his body. In any case, O'Brien says they can begin work on Tosk's ship tomorrow. Tosk turns to a terminal on the wall as soon as O'Brien is gone and tells the computer to show him where on the station weapons are stored. He studies a schematic of the station as the computer informs access to the specified section is restricted to security clearance seven and above. In Sisko's office, O'Brien informs the commander that, while Tosk seems amicable, O'Brien knows Tosk's ship was damaged by weapons fire. Sisko says he will tell Odo to keep an eye on Tosk. Back aboard Tosk's ship, he and O'Brien go about repairing the damage and continue to bond as they teach each other new things, including the phrase "piece of cake." There are some areas where they are unable to find commonalities, such as O'Brien's sense of humor. He suggests that he buy Tosk a drink and exits the ship, which intrigues Tosk. The two of them go to Quark's where Tosk observes that Humans and species like them have too much "downtime." He notes how very different he and O'Brien are. Quark attempts to find a way to make a profit off of Tosk, offering him a visit to a holosuite, but Tosk claims to live the greatest adventure of all. He continues to resist O'Brien's attempts to find out about his past. O'Brien speaks with Commander Sisko and Lieutenant Dax in Ops, where it becomes obvious that O'Brien is attached to Tosk. While Sisko is somewhat suspicious of their guest, he believes it is Tosk's option not to divulge the truth of his mission. Meanwhile, Tosk tampers with an access terminal in a corridor elsewhere on DS9, attempting to access a weapons locker. A painting on the wall turns out to be Odo, who interrupts Tosk's work. Tosk becomes invisible but is stopped when Odo activates security force fields in the hallway. Trapped, Tosk assures Odo that he will not put up a fight. With Tosk in a holding cell, Sisko, O'Brien and Odo meet him in the brig, where Sisko attempts to find out whom Tosk is running from. Tosk seems to think that the fact that he is Tosk explains everything, and he claims he can't tell them any more. Even with the others gone, Tosk is unable to tell O'Brien his predicament. He asks O'Brien to let him die with honor. O'Brien is perplexed and admits to Odo that he feels partially responsible, being that he was the one who talked Tosk into coming aboard DS9. Another, larger starship with ion signatures matching those of Tosk's ship comes through the wormhole. However, its occupants do not respond to hails and use alien technology to scan and beam aboard DS9. They board the Promenade, headed for Tosk's cell. Civilians scatter when three armored Hunters materialize on the Promenade. Sisko, Kira, and O'Brien arrive to join Odo and several deputies, and there is a stand-off feeling as the three officers approach the trio of Hunters. The Hunters appear to ready their weapons. As it is apparent that peaceable actions will not work, Sisko tells his officers to ready their phasers. Sisko instructs the Hunters to put down their weapons, and they refuse to do so. Odo heads forward to confront them, but is struck by one of the Hunters. A brief firefight ensues, with several direct hits against the Hunters, who apparently have a special armor that absorbs phaser energy. Odo comments that they're after his prisoner, Tosk, and vows that no one will abduct a prisoner from his brig while he's alive. Major Kira offers a phaser to Odo to help defend himself, but Odo declines, commenting that he never uses them. Eventually the Hunters blast open the doors to Security in a fiery explosion with their weapons, and they make their way into the brig. The Hunter scans the empty holding cell with his helmet to find Tosk, who has become invisible. Tosk reveals himself. O'Brien, Odo, and Sisko run into the room as the Hunter tells his two partners that he has found the Tosk alive. The Hunter removes his helmet, then criticizes Tosk for such "a disappointment" for having been caged and caught. It is realized by Sisko that Tosk is prey for the Hunters. The Hunter announces that Tosk will be captured and brought home alive ("the greatest humiliation Tosk can know"). Tosk hangs his head in shame. The Hunter commands Tosk's release, but Sisko does not allow it. Sisko and the Hunter debate over the morality of hunting another, even if he was bred specifically to be hunted. The Hunter states that the wormhole will be out of bounds for the hunt in the future, then once again demands the release of Tosk to him. In the Operations center, Sisko announces that Tosk will be released to the Hunters. Kira asks about asylum for Tosk. Sisko states it will be granted only if Tosk asks. O'Brien runs to Tosk in the holding cell telling him to request asylum, but even though Tosk does appreciate their efforts to help him, he refuses because it goes against what he believes in. Quark complains about the lack of tourism from the Gamma Quadrant while O'Brien drinks a raktajino. The chief tells Quark to be quiet, which piques the Ferengi's interest in whatever has upset O'Brien. Despite O'Brien's apparent annoyance with Quark, the fact that he stays put through Quark's provocative inquiries indicates he wishes to talk about something. Finally, he explains the situation with Tosk and the Hunters' game and observes that the Ferengi don't like playing by the rules. Undeterred by O'Brien's belief the rules are stopping him for accomplishing his desires Quark speaks of the rules and just inquires about them on a conceptual level---if they can be changed or altered within the context of the game and O'Brien suddenly has an epiphany and leaves shouting his thanks. Quark shrugs at his own skills of a bartender tending to his client's needs/concerns. In the security office, O'Brien claims Sisko has ordered him to escort Tosk and the Hunter, as it is a Starfleet rather than Bajoran matter. Odo immediately heads toward Sisko's office and with him gone, O'Brien claims that he must escort the Hunter off the station rather than transporting them, as a sign of respect. He leaves his combadge on Odo's desk as they leave the office. Odo arrives in Sisko's office to complain about the matter, but Sisko does not know what the constable is talking about. When Odo reveals the "order" that Sisko gave to Chief O'Brien, Sisko denies ever making such an order, and immediately tries to contact O'Brien. Having left his combadge back in Security, O'Brien does not receive Sisko's calls. Meanwhile, O'Brien, the Hunter, and Tosk, wearing a ceremonial collar and hanging his head dejectedly, reach the airlock entrance. As the Hunter enters the airlock, the power grid overloads, knocking him off his feet. Downing the Hunter with a punch to the jaw, O'Brien leads Tosk to escape to the second level of the Promenade and enter a corridor as the Hunter informs his colleagues that the hunt has resumed. Sisko, Odo, and the rest of the crew are in Ops when Dax informs them that internal sensors have located O'Brien and Tosk. Odo immediately heads off to find them, but Sisko tells Odo not to hurry. After a confused moment and a nod, Odo continues on at an almost leisurely pace. O'Brien uses a phaser to remove the collar from Tosk's neck. Tosk fends off several attempts by the Hunters to capture him, securing one of their energy crossbows for himself as he and O'Brien make their way to Tosk's ship.  Nearly there, the lead Hunter beams in the way with two others, but is determined to be the one that does the deed and fires.  Tosk dodges and fires back, killing the Hunter and possibly the other two. In his ship, Tosk stores the crossbow above the pilot's seat and asks O'Brien if he was looking to become a Tosk, which Miles declines, explaining that among other things, he has a family. The bond between the two of them is stronger than ever as O'Brien wishes Tosk good luck and Tosk tells O'Brien to die with honor, which the officer returns. As Tosk's ship departs DS9, the Hunter ship follows, continuing the hunt. Once the ordeal is over, O'Brien arrives in Sisko's office, where he attempts to make a feeble explanation for what transpired. Sisko appears furious with O'Brien as he scolds the chief and warns him not to pull a similar stunt again. Before O'Brien leaves, however, he wonders how it was that he was able to escape. He had figured that Sisko and Odo would be able to apprehend him almost immediately. "I guess that one got by us," Sisko observes dryly. He has a satisfied grin on his face when O'Brien leaves. 
<EOS>
In the Replimat on Deep Space 9, Dr. Julian Bashir recalls when he fought the "toughest battle of my life" to an attractive Bajoran woman, while Chief Miles O'Brien sits in the background, listening and occasionally rolling his eyes. Bashir remembers that during his Starfleet Medical exam, he was the last person in the room and there was no one else to turn to for help. Bashir says that he considered quitting the exam, as he could feel the seconds ticking away. Then, he says he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and he remembered the answer, a pericardial membrane. He entered the answer in just before it was too late. He tells her that it is the stuff that salutatorians are made of. The Bajoran woman wonders why he only made salutatorian. In response, Bashir tells her that during the exam, he mistook a pre-ganglionic fiber for a post-ganglionic nerve. If not for that trick question, Bashir tells her he would have been valedictorian. Bashir begins to tell her more, but then Commander Benjamin Sisko calls both Bashir and O'Brien to landing pad five. At the docking hatch, Sisko and Major Kira Nerys are desperately trying to open the door to the runabout USS Ganges. The Ganges has lost all power and oxygen levels have dropped dangerously low since the ship emerged from the Bajoran wormhole. Inside the Ganges are Lieutenant Jadzia Dax and Ensign Pauley. Bashir scans with his medical tricorder and asks Sisko how many people are inside the runabout. Sisko tells him that there are supposed to be two, but Bashir tells him that he is reading three. Kira suggests firing her Bajoran phaser at the door, but Sisko tells her the door hatch is made of duranium composite; it will take her an hour to burn through. O'Brien then tells Kira to hand him an EPI capacitor, which will re-energize the servos and thus open the door hatch. The hatch opens, with assistance from Sisko and Kira. The crew enters the Ganges. O'Brien helps a woman get to her feet and realizes it is Vash, whom he knew from the USS Enterprise-D. O'Brien asks how she got on board. Dax replies that they found her in the Gamma Quadrant, where she has been residing for the last two years. Sisko advises Bashir to take everyone to the infirmary. O'Brien asks Vash how she got to the Gamma Quadrant by herself. She replies that a friend brought her there. As everyone leaves for the infirmary, Q turns around and grins. In the infirmary, Bashir scans Vash and finds her to be in perfect health for someone who has been in the Gamma Quadrant for two years and has not had touch with civilization for that long. Vash tells Bashir that the Gamma Quadrant is hardly uncivilized, as there are cultures that have been around for millions of years. In Sisko's office, Sisko discusses with Dax how Vash got to the Gamma Quadrant, as she knew nothing about the wormhole and did not use it to get there. Sisko orders Dax to look into it. In the station's assay office, Vash brings in valuable objects she acquired from the Gamma Quadrant for safe keeping, as she is leaving the next day. Sisko walks to the office and begins talking to Vash. They walk out of the assay office into the Promenade. Sisko tells Vash that the Daystrom Institute will be disappointed not to hear from her, as they are anxious to hear what life is like in the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko also discreetly tries to inquire how Vash ended up in the Gamma Quadrant, but she tells him it is a personal matter and she does not want to talk about it. One of Vash's old professors, Woo, wants to speak with her again, which Vash finds ironic, since Woo suspended her membership, twice. Sisko hopes she'll make an exception in this case. Vash replies that it has been twelve years since she has been on Earth and she thinks she may go back. Sisko promises to arrange passage for her. While conducting repairs on the Ganges, O'Brien cannot find out why the ship lost power so suddenly. The runabout is now in perfect condition, despite what happened to it earlier. O'Brien replies that once new power reserves are put into the Ganges, it should be fully operational. O'Brien tells Sisko that it is like something drained the ship dry. Sisko asks O'Brien how well he knows Vash. O'Brien replies that he hardly knows her at all, apart from the one time she was on board the Enterprise. Sisko asks what she was doing there. O'Brien tells Sisko that Vash and Captain Jean-Luc Picard were very, very close on the Enterprise, ever since they first met on Risa. Sisko tells O'Brien that Vash does not seem to be Picard's type, but O'Brien tells him that the captain likes a good challenge. Suddenly, the power goes down in the corridor O'Brien and Sisko are standing in. The power returns. Sisko and O'Brien make their way to Ops, where Sisko asks for a status report. Kira tells him that power has drained. Dax tells the crew that the station's power drain is exactly what happened to the Ganges. O'Brien escorts Vash to her quarters. Vash asks O'Brien how Picard is doing. O'Brien tells her that the last time he saw him, he was fine. Vash tells him that now she is back in the Alpha Quadrant, she will have to look him up. Vash enters her quarters and finds Q there, who cannot believe that she is still pining for Picard, whom he still believes to be a "self-righteous do-gooder". Vash wants to part ways with Q, but Q does not want to leave her. He suggests they still explore the galaxy, as there is still the Delta Quadrant and many other exotic planets to see. Then, Vash's door opens to Quark, the Ferengi bar owner on the station. Q tells him to go away and makes him disappear. Vash makes Q return Quark, which he does. Quark tells Vash that he has heard that she has several items from the Gamma Quadrant that may have enormous financial value. Quark believes he may be able to arrange an auction for Vash's items, for a fifty-fifty split of the profits. Vash, unsatisfied, goes over to Quark and performs oo-mox on him. As she does so, he lowers his cut of the profits in gold-pressed latinum to twenty-two percent. Q reappears, telling Vash that if Quark was the kind of man she was with before, it is no wonder she was attracted to Picard. The doorbell rings and Q disappears again. Vash answers. Dr. Bashir enters and asks Vash out to dinner at Quark's. She accepts, but asks Bashir to wait for her, so she can freshen up. While Bashir is waiting for Vash in the Replimat, Q, disguised as a Bajoran waiter, tells Bashir not to meet with Vash. Bashir takes offense to this and tells Q that it is none of his business and he will be seeing her soon. Q tells Bashir that he looks tired and makes him yawn. Bashir, now very tired, leaves and goes to bed. O'Brien sees Q walking away and exclaims "Bloody hell". At Ops, O'Brien tells Sisko that Q is on board the station. When Kira asks what Q is, Sisko replies that he is a powerful and extremely unpredictable lifeform. Dax asks what Q wants with them, and Sisko responds that whatever it is, they can be sure they won't like it. O'Brien suggests Vash might know, and when Sisko asks if Q and Vash would know each other from the Enterprise, O'Brien responds that they met in Sherwood Forest. O'Brien tells them it was one of the jokes Q played with the Enterprise crew. Then, the station's power drains, yet again. O'Brien suggests, since the there has been nothing wrong with the systems for the first time in a month, that Q must be playing a game with them. At Quark's, Vash and Quark inspect one of Vash's items, a large crystalline jewel. Vash and Quark discuss what the crystal will be worth at the auction, until Sisko enters Quark's demanding to talk to Vash. Sisko wants her to tell him about Q. However, Q is already in Quark's and asks Sisko if Starfleet is punishing Sisko or if he actually requested command of Deep Space 9. Commander Sisko orders Q to vacate DS9, but Q intends to bring excitement to the droll Cardassian construct. Q then notices the new uniforms that the station crew wear, accordingly altering his own attire. But Sisko isn't impressed by Q's abilities and demands the cessation of power outages afflicting DS9. Q accepts blame for this if it makes the commander feel better, subtly hinting that he is not responsible. In the course of their conversation Q causes every person on the space station to disappear with the exception of himself and the station commander. In a fit of alarm, Sisko violently grabs hold of Q demanding the immediate return of everyone. Entertained and seeking to further antagonize Sisko, Q suggests they settle the matter "mano a mano." Temporarily transforming Quark's Bar into a boxing arena, he begins bouncing about Sisko and landing blows. Humorously, Quark and Vash wager on the sideline. Q keeps insisting that his opponent fight back, ultimately an annoyed Sisko knocks him down. Upon being struck to the ground a seemingly bewildered Q says, "You hit me. Picard never hit me."; Sisko answers, "I'm not Picard." Q is very pleased to find a command-level Starfleet officer who is much easier to provoke than the USS Enterprise-D's captain, and he vanishes in a flash. Arriving at Deep Space 9, numerous aliens who are attending Vash's auction head towards Quark's, which catches the suspicious eye of Constable Odo. Yet again station power levels drop and the atmosphere in Ops begins to vent, fortunately though O'Brien is able to activate shielding. Investigating one of the hull breaches that happened, Dax scans with her tricorder and finds that the damage was caused by a focused graviton pulse, concluding that Q is the cause although Sisko thinks otherwise. As per Odo's request Quark arrives at the station security office, where the constable informs the bartender that he is aware concerning the upcoming auction of Gamma Quadrant artifacts. Quark reacts with surprise to this and is a bit angered at being spied on by the local law enforcement, surmising that Odo had shapeshifted into an article of furniture or perhaps the liquor bottle. Odo remarks that the devious Quark cannot keep secrets from him. Quark defends his business venture, but Odo is actually interested in the clientele. In their conversation Odo mentions that he fails to fathom the logic of materialism and greed; the Ferengi then proceeds to tempt the ever spartan Odo with material desire: a suit made of Andorian silk, a ring made of surax, a latinum-plated regeneration bucket. Odo momentarily considers the bucket, but rejects it. On the Promenade, Q walks with Vash and again attempts to persuade her to stay with him, pointing out the safety she's had due to him. Vash tells Q that she does not require him or his protection in a dangerous universe. Q thus painfully reminds her of a harmful insect bite she received on Erabus Prime which he cured, then causing Vash to physically react as if bitten again. First she experiences irregular balding and her remaining hair becomes lighter in coloration, then something like hives appear on various areas of her body, finally her skin becomes pale and her hair greys as she collapses to the floor from weakness shaking and moaning. Q departs from Vash and allows her to reconsider their so-called friendship, restoring her to health. A man helps the woman up and she continues to Quark's as onlookers gawk. In Sisko's station log, he notes that the station's power is continuing to be drained and is being converted into gravitons. If the drain continues, Deep Space 9's life support system will go offline in less than fourteen hours. The station's Cardassian sensors are not sensitive enough to detect where the power outages are coming from, according to O'Brien. Dax suggests that if they flood the station with ionized tritium gas, they could trace the particle flow to the source of the power outages. Sisko orders it done. Then, Q appears on Ops and remarks that Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D would have solved this problem ages ago. O'Brien tells Q to go do something constructive, like tormenting Cardassians. Q asks if he knows O'Brien. O'Brien tells him he was from the Enterprise. Q remarks that he must have been one of the little people. Q gives Sisko a hint of where the power outages are coming from and tells the crew that Vash is far more dangerous to DS9 than Q is. In Quark's, Kolos, one of the alien bidders, walks up to Quark. He remarks that the Gamma Quadrant merchandise had better be legitimate, or else he will throw Quark out of the nearest airlock. Quark assures him that each item has been authenticated by Vash, who is the Federation's expert on the Gamma Quadrant. Since that is now out of the way, Kolos asks Quark for a synthale. Quark talks more with Vash and proposes a lucrative business venture with her. Vash insists to Quark that she has slept in her last tent, as she is looking forward to living on Earth again. Then, the station shakes. At Ops, Kira, at her station, is reading that DS9 is being pulled out of its normal position. Sisko orders that thrusters be used to stabilize the station, but that does nothing to stop it from moving. O'Brien suggests that the station's reactors be shut down in order to stop the feeding of the station's power to the graviton field. Sisko orders it be done. This, however, does nothing to stop the movement of DS9. Sisko asks Dax to ascertain where the station is headed. The coordinates have Deep Space 9 heading straight for the Bajoran wormhole. At Quark's, the alien bidders are unaware of the station approaching its impending destruction. Quark reminds everyone that payment must be in gold-pressed latinum and that all transactions are final. Vash then holds up a statue of Drohlak from the Verathan civilization in the Gamma Quadrant. She proceeds to go into a long discussion about the history of the Verathan civilization, which begins to bore the bidders. Quark tells Vash that this is not the Daystrom Institute, she does not need to put the statue in its proper historical context, rather Quark tells the bidders that it is rare, beautiful and it is an original Gamma Quadrant piece. The bidding begins. O'Brien starts to flood DS9 with tritium gas and Dax begins a sensor sweep. The first part of the station to be cleared is the docking ring. The tritium gas is draining toward the central core of the station, but O'Brien cannot pinpoint its exact location. Kira notes that the station will collide with the wormhole in eighteen minutes. During the bidding, Kolos has won the statue of Drohlak for thirty six bars of gold-pressed latinum. Bidding continues with a dagger. Q, sitting casually behind the bidders, tells them that the station is hurtling toward the Bajoran wormhole and that they will not live long enough to enjoy their purchases. Quark attempts to calm the bidders down by assuring them that everything is under control. The bidding resumes, with Quark's cousin Stol winning the dagger for a hundred and five bars of gold-pressed latinum. With the situation getting worse, Dax suggests returning the station to full power, so they will generate enough energy to create a power drain to trace the source of the station's problems. Seeing no other choice, Sisko orders O'Brien to bring the station to full power. Quark brings out the final auction item, the large crystalline jewel. The starting bid is two hundred bars of gold-pressed latinum. Soon, the bidding reaches six hundred bars of latinum. At Ops, the crew is desperately trying to find the source of the station's power drains. Dax finally locates it, on the Promenade. Kira and Dax leave, Sisko accompanies them and leaves O'Brien in charge. At Quark's, the bidding has reached 2,500 bars, which astonishes Quark. Q then proceeds to bid 2,501 bars. Sisko, Kira and Dax reach the Promenade and scan with tricorders. Dax locates the item in Quark's. Kolos makes a final bid with three thousand bars. Q then bids a million bars on the item. Sisko, Kira and Dax head over to the item up for sale. Sisko removes his combadge and places it on the jewel. He orders O'Brien to shut down the reactors and beam the object into space. The object is beamed five hundred meters away from the docking ring and begins to transform. Sisko, Kira, Dax, and Vash look outside the Promenade's windows as the creature they have just released heads into the wormhole and back to the Gamma Quadrant. Vash is preparing to leave DS9 for Earth. Quark entices her with news that a Rokai provincial capital has just been uncovered at Tartaras V. Vash decides not to go, as she has her mind set on Earth. Q appears again, calling Earth an abysmal place, although he notes that Earth once had a lot of character a thousand years ago, with the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and Watergate. Q tells her she would be much happier exploring Tartaras V instead of being on Earth. Q then decides to leave Vash and admits he is going to miss her. Q vanishes again. Vash grabs Quark's lobe and asks him what the quickest way is to Tartaras V. Quark leads her away, just as Bashir awakes from a long sleep induced by Q. He walks up to Dax and asks "Did I miss something"? 
<EOS>
Chief Miles O'Brien accompanies his wife Keiko O'Brien to Earth to visit her mother for her 100th birthday. During his absence, Jadzia Dax and Julian Bashir are studying the required repair work. When Dax decides to call it a night, Bashir offers to accompany her to her quarters and she politely refuses. As she walks down the corridor, three hooded figures approach her. One of them, Ilon Tandro, asks her to confirm that she is indeed Dax, after which the two others knock her out and carry her across the corridor. Just then, Bashir, having decided to accompany Dax back anyway, arrives and tries to rescue her, but he is unsuccessful and is knocked out as well. While Commander Sisko and Major Kira investigate an odd residual charge of the graviton generator, Bashir regains consciousness and reports the attempted kidnapping. Sisko immediately calls a full station alert and they attempt to contain them, noting that they need one of the faster ships. The kidnappers manage to escape by avoiding Odo's security system and disabling the tractor beam, the cause of the earlier residual charge. However, Sisko gets it back on line in time to tow the ship back to the station. When the kidnappers emerge from the airlock, Ilon Tandro identifies himself and claims that he has a valid warrant for Dax's arrest. The charges are treason and murder of his father, Ardelon Tandro. In order to stall for time, Sisko sends a message to Klaestron IV to confirm the warrant. Odo confirms the nature of the warrant, and that the crime was committed 30 years ago. Realizing it must have been Curzon Dax, Sisko is confused as he never mentioned being on that planet. Moreover, Jadzia refuses to reveal anything about the affair to Sisko, and blatantly says she does not expect help. In Sisko's office, Tandro wishes to be on his way, now that the warrant is confirmed. However, Sisko refuses, claiming that while the Klaestrons have an extradition treaty with the Federation, it is a Bajoran station and they have no such treaty with Bajor. Moreover, Ilon knew very well that the Bajorans would object to any request for extradition, which is why he tried to kidnap Dax. Ilon blandly says there are no Bajoran interests concerned, but Kira Nerys speaks up and says that since Klaestron IV is allied with the Cardassians, Ilon must have obtained the station's security codes from them -- "which not only compromises Bajoran security, but also annoys us." Caught between Sisko and Kira, Ilon has no choice but to agree to an extradition hearing before Dax can be lawfully released. Odo blackmails Quark into lending his bar for the hearing over the fact that it is not up to current building codes from the Bajoran Provisional Government. Arbiter Els Renora opens the hearing in Quark's with a very strict, no-nonsense call to order. Ilon simply restates the warrant, but Sisko's first argument is that Jadzia Dax is not the person named in the warrant. Curzon Dax should be charged, and he is dead. Renora agrees that Tandro must prove that Jadzia Dax and Curzon Dax are the same person. Sisko is pleased with himself, but Jadzia doesn't seem to return his look. Sisko orders Bashir and Kira to get to work on gathering evidence that Jadzia and Curzon are different people, medical evidence and judicial precedents, respectively. In the meantime, Sisko has sent Odo to Klaestron IV to investigate the evidence on the ground. It appears that the general and Curzon were friends, an odd situation for treason. By speaking with Ilon's mother, Enina Tandro, Odo discovers that the charges are based on the fact that, during a civil war, a coded message informed the opposing side of his father's location. Of the people who knew the location, Curzon was the only one without an alibi. Enina tells him that Ilon has become obsessed with finding the one who betrayed his father, and will not be satisfied until someone is punished. Tandro's murder inspired his people to victory and he has since become a worldwide hero. However, Enina is adamant that Curzon did not betray her husband. Unfortunately, her son won't listen to her. Back on Deep Space 9, the hearing continues and Dax's fate is still uncertain. Thanks to the testimony of another Trill, Selin Peers, about the nature of the relationship between the symbiont and the host, Sisko is able to establish that Jadzia and Curzon Dax are distinct entities, but Ilon argues that failure to punish Trill symbionts for acts committed in past life times would create a perfect crime. The debate becomes heated and Renora demands a recess. Curiously, Jadzia seems complacent about the entire affair. Julian Bashir takes the stand to explain the biological connection and interdependence between the symbiont and the host of a Trill. He insists that the two individuals are very different, eventually citing that their brain waves are unique. However, upon questioning from Tandro, is forced to admit that, if the symbiont's brain could be isolated, there is no evidence of a change in its activity when it changes hosts. Defeated, he sits down. Sisko himself then takes the stand and talks about his long-lasting friendship with Curzon Dax and his "new friend" Jadzia. He points out Curzon's mentoring role, but his less-than-ideal habits. He also says that he doesn't know Jadzia that well, yet. Ilon interjects to say that, as a Starfleet officer, he must agree that crimes need to have punishment. The Arbiter calls for a recess before Dax is to take the stand. Soon afterwards, Sisko receives a message from Odo during a recess that he has discovered evidence of an affair between Dax and Enina, giving Dax a motive for the murder. Odo goes back to Enina, who admits the affair to Odo; when he asks how her husband reacted, she replies cryptically that her husband was not the hero in life that he became in death. She tells him that Ardelon will always be remembered as a hero, and that it is her place to never remarry and be the brave widow, representing him. However, faced with the situation, she decides it is time for her place in history to change. Meanwhile, Sisko confronts Dax with the new knowledge. She doesn't deny it, but still won't go into it, and won't defend herself with the revealed truth. She feels the shame of Curzon's indiscretion, just like any Trill symbiont always feels the guilt of past crimes. Sisko is again frustrated, but promises to continue protecting one of his officers, even though his arguments are running out. When the hearing resumes, Sisko establishes Jadzia's academic and psychological testing, though Ilon counters that she accepted the responsibility of joining with a symbiont, including past crimes. Just then, Enina enters the courtroom, much to Ilon's shock. Enina tells the court that when the murder occurred, Curzon Dax was in her bed, and could not have committed it. The arbiter tells Ilon he may want to re-examine his evidence and leaves. The question of whether a Trill is responsible for the crimes of its past hosts is now left unanswered. Enina turns to Ilon, but he recoils from her touch. After the hearing is over, Jadzia and Enina walk together along the Promenade. Jadzia says that there is much of Curzon that is still part of her, including the desire to protect the reputation of Dax's old friend, General Tandro. Sadly, Enina supposes that the truth will remain unknown forever -- that it was General Tandro himself who sent the coded message, attempting to betray his own people, and that the rebels killed him for the favor. Enina bids an affectionate goodbye to Jadzia, telling her to live her life to the fullest. 
<EOS>
Major Kira and Doctor Bashir are returning from a medical mission in the runabout USS Rio Grande. Kira was reluctantly impressed by Bashir's competence, after he found a vital clue in a woman whom she dismissed as deceased. Bashir appears to accept such praise as no more than his due, and Kira is about to tell him off for his arrogance, when they receive a distress call from the Reyab, a Kobliad transport ship. They beam aboard to find that the ship's systems have been disabled by a fire raging on board. Kira looks for fire safety gear, and Bashir goes to the nearest crewperson, a Kobliad female named Ty Kajada. He asks her if anyone else is on board, and she says the pilot is dead. But Bashir reads another life form behind a locked door, and Kajada warns for him not to open it, the man is a prisoner who started the fire in an attempt to escape. Over her protests, Bashir overrides the door lock and finds a dying Kobliad male, Rao Vantika. Kira comes back and extinguishes the fire, preparing all four of them for emergency transport back to the runabout. Before she can energize, Vantika seizes Bashir by the throat with an iron grip and pulls him close. As Kira tries to pry his hand loose, Vantika growls, "make me live", before expiring. Back on Deep Space 9, Bashir revives Kajada in the infirmary. When she awakes, her thoughts go immediately to her prisoner. Bashir says the man is dead, but Kajada insists on examining his body herself. Bashir, a little insulted, assures her that Vantika is quite dead. She retorts that she has tracked Vantika, a multiple murderer, for over twenty years, during which he has faked his death more times than she can count, and more than a few medical "experts" have been fooled. After scanning Vantika's retinas to confirm that he is brain dead, Kajada shocks Bashir by coolly stabbing the corpse in the chest with a trocar. She asks Bashir to autopsy the body and confirm its identity with DNA records, and to scan her ship for anomalous life readings. Shaken, Bashir agrees. In Quark's, Quark delivers a drink with unctuous good wishes to Jadzia Dax, while Odo scornfully asks what he thinks his chances are with a woman like her. Quark retorts that nothing ventured, nothing gained, and not everyone in the galaxy is comfortable being as lonely and miserable as Odo. Odo is then put out to receive a visitor, Starfleet Security officer Lieutenant Primmin, who says they have been assigned to work together. In Ops, Bashir reports that every test he has run confirms that the dead Kobliad is Rao Vantika, and that he is indisputably dead. Kajada has warned that Vantika was on his way to Deep Space Nine when she captured him, and Sisko and Dax connects it with a shipment of deuridium ore scheduled to arrive at the station from the Gamma Quadrant. The Kobliads are a dying species, and need deuridium to stabilize their cell structures. Even with new deposits discovered in the Gamma Quadrant, the demand far outstrips the supply, so it makes sense that Vantika would want to steal a supply for himself. Bashir says Kajada still isn't convinced Vantika is dead, so Sisko agrees to her request to scan her ship. He is also concerned with unearthing any preparations or accomplices Vantika had on the station in preparation for the hijack. In conference with Primmin, Sisko quickly disabuses him of his belief that the station's security needs an "overhaul" to conform with Starfleet Security regulations; Odo has his own way of doing things, and Sisko has found that way to be effective, and best suited to the unique situations aboard the station. Sisko encourages Primmin to be a little more flexible, as he could actually learn something from "The Constable." With difficulty, Odo and Primmin begin working together, reviewing the security arrangements for the deuridium shipment. When Odo tries to access the computer, however, he is surprised to find that everything in the active memory banks has been accessed and then purged. He believes this is impossible, but Kajada appears in his office and says that Vantika has done exactly the same thing before on Rigel VII. In Ops, Sisko and his crew confer, with Kajada and Primmin present. Kajada says that Vantika usually pulls this sabotage trick by planting a subspace shunt in a nonessential system that would be overlooked by security checks. Odo concedes it is an elegant trick: rather than try to get past security programs guarding a particular file, a criminal simply performs a dump of the whole memory, which has not or cannot be guarded against. When a scan of the station detects an anomalous device planted, Odo (and Primmin) both order a security patrol to retrieve it. During these instructions, Kajada constantly speaks as though Vantika has done these things himself, but Sisko remains skeptical, and asks her whether it is more likely that some accomplice of Vantika is the one responsible. Kajada delivers an impassioned brief of Vantika's criminal history: the man is obsessed with ensuring his own survival; he has prolonged his life in myriad ways, and many of his crimes have been committed in the course of experiments, or thefts of cutting-edge research, to discover even more ways. Kajada assures them all that Vantika wouldn't have started the fire on board the ship unless he had a plan for living through it; she doesn't know what that plan was, but the sabotage aboard the station is enough to convince her that it succeeded. Impressed by her arguments, Sisko instructs the crew to assume for the time being that Vantika is alive, until Bashir receives DNA confirmation from Kobliad Security of the corpse's identity. Odo asks to have a word with Sisko in his office. Odo begins to complain about Primmin's presence, but Sisko already knows what he'll say. To Odo it is a professional insult, not to mention an annoyance, to have another security chief on the station. Sisko immediately says he likes Odo since he knows where he stands, but he reminds Odo that Starfleet has its own interests on the station, which makes Primmin a fact of life that Odo will have to deal with. Sisko says he has already encouraged Primmin to work with Odo, but Odo isn't satisifed. He wants to know who's in charge, and Sisko says: Odo. Trying not to look too pleased, Odo admits, "I can live with that," and departs. In Dax's lab, she reports to Sisko that someone tried to break into the cargo hold of the Reyab <u>after</u> it was docked at Deep Space Nine. What they could have been looking for, Dax reports, is an isolinear chip she found, containing a "map" of the humanoid brain. In Quark's Bar, Quark is collecting his "tips" (dropped money) from the floor of the upper level, when someone seizes him from behind and whispers in his ear, asking him whether he's made the preparations for the deuridium shipment -- hiring a group of mercenaries. Baffled, Quark says that he has done so, but he was told Vantika was dead. The voice whispers, "almost, but not quite," then releases Quark and retreats into the shadows. Bashir calls Kajada into the infirmary and triumphantly shows her the final results of the DNA comparison; every conceivable test has been run, and confirms that the Kobliad in the morgue is dead, and that he is Rao Vantika. To his amazement, Kajada still isn't convinced. Dax calls Bashir into her lab and shows him Vantika's computer models. She theorizes that Vantika was developing a means of transferring his consciousness into another's brain. Bashir says that such a thing is theoretically possible, and if Vantika succeeded, then his most likely "host" is Kajada, the nearest available Kobliad. They present their theory to Sisko, who isn't convinced. Why would Kajada be warning them so if Vantika was controlling her?  Bashir explains that, according to their theory, Vantika is only controlling Kajada part of the time; the rest of the time, he's simply "along for the ride," and Kajada isn't even aware of his presence. Sisko asks for proof, and Dax says that they can't know what to look for until they have a better idea how Vantika accomplished the transfer. Odo is in his office when Kajada storms in, protesting that he's revoked her security access and is refusing to answer her questions about the precautions for the deuridium shipment. He says he is just being extra cautious, and she storms out. Suspecting that Quark may be assisting Vantika, Kajada spies on him from the upper level of the bar after closing time. She finds him meeting with the mercenaries he summoned, including Durg. Suddenly, they look up when they hear a scream, and see Kajada, hanging from the balcony rail. Before any of them can react, she loses her grip and plummets to the deck. Kajada lies in a coma in the infirmary, but not before saying she was pushed by Vantika. Bashir reports to Sisko that he cannot examine her more closely until she regains consciousness. Sisko theorizes that Kajada may have tried to kill herself after realizing she was carrying Vantika around with her. In the morgue, Sisko finds Dax taking samples from under Vantika's fingernails. She says she thinks she has found his transfer method: a biocoded message imprinted onto a glial cell, that allows a message to be transmitted along a humanoid's nervous system directly to the brain. She found models of the glial cells on Vantika's data chip. Since the most effective means of transfer would be to inject the cells directly into the victim's skin, but there were no needles or hyposprays in Vantika's belongings. Examining the tissue from under his nails, Dax finds a microscopic electric generator, to "fire" the message along the nervous system. Vantika hid the device there, just to give himself a last-ditch escape. In the docking ring, Quark leads the three mercenaries to one of the runabout pads, explaining that their mysterious employer managed to access one, and is waiting for them on board. The door opens, and there is Dr. Bashir. Quark backpedals, stammering that they took a wrong turn. But "Bashir" steps forward, smiles coldly, and says, in a voice quite unlike his own, that on the contrary, he has been expecting them. Dax enters the infirmary, calling for Bashir. He does not answer. She asks the computer to locate him, and it answers "the Infirmary." She finds his combadge left on a counter. Odo meets with Kira's team and is surprised to find that Primmin is not working alongside them as agreed. When Odo finds Primmin, the lieutenant explains that he decided to take a hint from Odo's methods, and tried to think like Vantika. Doing so has led him to discover a second subspace shunt hidden in the waste extraction system. Impressed, Odo says that the device, if left in place, would have disabled the station for close to an hour. As the deuridium cargo ship comes through the wormhole, a runabout leaves the station, unscheduled, to escort it to the station. In Ops, the crew discover that Doctor Bashir is missing, and that it was his access codes that enabled the launch of the runabout. On the cargo ship, the three mercenaries beam aboard and kill the bridge crew, before signalling Vantika/Bashir that it's safe to board. Sending two of the mercenaries to secure the rest of the ship, Vantika orders the shields raised and to lay in a new course. Before the ship can engage, the station locks a tractor beam on them. Vantika is frustrated, because he thought he'd sabotaged them. Sisko hails the ship, and Vantika introduces himself from Bashir's body. He demands that the tractor beam be removed, or else he'll engage the warp drive, tearing the ship to pieces -- killing Bashir and the remaining crew and spreading deuridium (a hazardous material) all over the system. When the mercenary on the bridge refuses to commit suicide, Vantika shoots him dead with his phaser. He gives Sisko one minute to decide, then cuts off the transmission. Sisko asks for suggestions. The ship's shields are raised, and any attack to overwhelm them would risk breaching the ship's hull. Dax comes up with a way of sending an electromagnetic pulse along the tractor beam, where it will resonate off the shields and cause an energy field inside the ship that will disrupt Vantika's hold over Bashir. It is successful, for long enough for Sisko to get through to a very confused Bashir, who lowers the ship's shields, and let him be beamed to Ops. As Rao tries to seize control of him again, Sisko stuns him with a phaser, and they take him to Dax's lab. With a specially programmed transporter, she removes Vantika's signature glial cells and transfers them to a small containment field. Scanning the unconscious Bashir, Dax pronounces him "clear," and revives him. Waking up with a groan, Bashir's first words are to complain of a splitting headache. A short time later, Sisko, Bashir, Dax, and a recovered Kajada regard the containment field in Dax's lab. Kajada apologizes to Bashir for his ordeal, while Bashir feels that they all owe her an apology for not taking her warnings about Vantika more seriously. Bashir confesses that he doesn't remember any of what Vantika made him do, and feels humiliated for not being able to stop it. Sisko assures him that no one holds him responsible. Kajada asks Sisko to formally return custody of "the prisoner" to her. As soon as he agrees, Kajada draws her phaser and disintegrates the container, wiping out the last traces of Vantika, then walks out without another word. Sisko's expression indicate he is a little unsettled by her cold-blooded "execution" of Vantika, and even more unsettled when Dax and Bashir show no reaction at all. 
<EOS>
It's an important day aboard Deep Space 9 as an official delegation on behalf of the Wadi are due to arrive from the Gamma Quadrant  for first contact. Commander Sisko is in his dress uniform preparing to welcome the ship, although he gets worried when he learns that Jake has been learning about girls from none other than his new friend Nog. Sisko decides they need to set aside some time the next day so he can work 'damage control'. The senior staff assemble in the airlock to greet the Wadi representative, Falow. Although Sisko is keen to make a good impression, he is put out to find that Falow and the other Wadi just want to head straight to Quark's in order to play games. In Quark's Bar, the Wadi delegates are eager to play a new game. However, Quark has to make sure they have something to gamble with for dabo. Falow offers klon peags or alpha-currant nectar as items of value, but Quark refuses them. Then, he proffers a bag of gems, which Quark accepts greedily. After about six hours, the delegates are winning almost every spin and both Quark and Commander Sisko are getting tired (in Quark's case, he is tired of them always winning). Sisko decides enough is enough and leaves the bar to go to bed. Quark heads over to the table, and pleads that the Dabo girl's hands are tired from all of those spins. Falow orders Quark to replace her. Quark gets Broik to replace her, and instructs him covertly to begin fixing the table so that the Wadi do not win. He loses the next turn, and is suspicious. He soon discovers Quark's deception and corners him at the bar. Quark tries to pass it off like he didn't know, but Falow is not fooled. He decides to start a new game and transforms the dabo table to a different board game, which he announces is called Chula. He explains that the game involves four players, and that their objective is to "move along home". Quark decides to play the game, in hope that the Wadi will be lenient with his cheating. In Sisko's quarters, he finds Jake still awake late into the evening. Jake admits to his father that he has been spending time with Nog, but on a school project, nothing more. Sisko tells him to go to bed, saying that is no excuse, and promises to have a chat with him about Nog and girls in the morning. However, as he is sleeping, he tosses and wakes up to find himself lying on the floor of a large odd room. He tries to call Ops and attempts to end the program, if he is in a holosuite, but no luck. He has his tricorder with him, so he searches around, trying all the doors until he finds an unlocked one. Sisko wanders a hall, opening another door. Behind it, he encounters an image of Falow, who, laughing mockingly, instructs him to "Move along home!" Hearing faint cries for help, he finds Doctor Bashir, who believes this is a dream and is trying to wake himself up. Major Kira and Lieutenant Dax show up moments later, also drawn by Bashir's screams. Sisko tells them of his encounter with Falow, which Bashir believes is a behavioral test, which deeply upsets Kira. They decide to split up and use their comm badges, which are still working, to keep in touch. Early next morning, Jake Sisko informs Odo that his father is missing. Odo discovers that Sisko and three other senior staff members are not on board the station, and launches an investigation. After scolding Lieutenant Primmin, who had assumed they were affected by the long party last night, Odo orders a full security sweep of the station and the docked ships. Meanwhile, Falow keeps Quark in the game, forcing him to learn the rules as he plays. Quark nervously asks for a minimum wager and rolls. Falow goes to work, executing the next turn. Meanwhile, the four players reach a door, which opens to reveal a girl playing a hopscotch-like game, and singing a rhyme: The players move into the room, and are sealed in. Moving across the room, Kira stumbles into a force field. The girl, however, moves through it. Bashir deduces that the pattern of the girl's movements allows her to pass though, but is also knocked backwards. Jadzia follows the girl precisely, both singing the rhyme and mimicking the hand actions, and successfully passes the force field. The others follow. The girl proclaims: Back on the station, the Wadi cheer "allamaraine!", as Falow moves the four pieces down one level on the board and hands Quark several jewels. He happily accepts them and believes he is learning the game. Falow asks Quark to choose a path for the players, either the difficult short route, with a chance of winning more prizes, or the long, easy route. He says to choose carefully. "Double their peril, double your winnings!" teases Falow. Quark excitedly tries to negotiate a licensing agreement to keep the game in his bar, when Odo barges in demanding to know if Quark has seen them. He brushes him off until Odo exclaims four officers are missing. Slowly, Quark makes the connection -- four players, four missing officers. He nervously looks at the player pieces and then at Odo, who silently understands Quarks realization. Falow insists he choose, so he chooses the safer path and, with Odo watching, rolls the dice. Moving through the corridors of the maze, the players find a room with Wadi in it, all drinking and laughing. They don't very well respond to the officers. Frustrated, Kira starts shouting and throwing a tray of food to the floor. Suddenly the doors close, and a toxic gas fills the room, causing the players to start coughing. Furthermore, Falow comes into the room, telling them to move home again, but otherwise not responding. Bashir notices that the Wadi remain unaffected, and decides to try some of the drink that is being offered around. The drink relieves the effects of the gas. Sisko and the others also drink, and are also relieved. The Wadi all cheer. The image of Falow states that the players have progressed to shap four. At the table, the Wadi cheer "allamaraine" and Falow moves the player pieces ahead and Quark is happy to win more. Odo, concerned, leaves. After some strange readings are detected on the Wadi's ship, Odo decides to visit the Wadi ship over Primmin's Starfleet objections. He orders him to beam him over, and finds a room with an unusual energy signature. Stepping through the doors, he surprisingly ends up in Quark's Bar, to find Quark playing the game. Falow notices him, and reminds Quark to continue playing, choosing the next path. He chooses the safer path, but Falow says it's an "unfortunate roll." In the game, they continue to move through the corridors when their tricorders detect an energy buildup. A bright light source appears and moves towards them. At the table, Falow selects a player piece. The light source scans them all, and then focuses on Bashir, who vanishes. Falow knocks over the piece, suggesting the player is out. Odo immediately orders them to give the officers back, but Falow ignores it, insisting they keep playing. However, he says Odo can have them back when Quark is done, albeit cryptically. Falow then tells Quark to choose which route to take, and he considers the risky path. Odo cautions Quark, but Quark realizes that the players were only one level away from "home", and the short route would take them there in only one move. Quark reassures Odo that he has spent his life assessing chance in games of all kinds, and that he has a good understanding of this one. With Odo's agreement, Quark decides to take the short route, but rolls a thialo -- he must sacrifice one, so that two may live. Odo is dismayed, and so is Quark, who is unable to decide which player to sacrifice. Odo says he cannot be forced to choose, but Falow says all three will be lost if he doesn't. He grovels dramatically and pleads to be allowed not to decide, and Falow accepts. He programs the computer to randomly select a player to be sacrificed. In the game, they hear Bashir calling out. A door opens, and Dax heads into it. The others follow. They find themselves in a rocky cavern. In the distance, they can hear Bashir's voice calling to them, which entices them forward. Dax stumbles on loose rocks, and a large boulder lands on her leg. Fortunately, the leg is not broken, and they continue onwards. They see Bashir's figure, but instead of coming to help Dax, Falow's figure again appears and tells them they are on shap six. Dax eventually exhorts Kira and Sisko to leave her and reach safety, but they refuse, and insist on attempting to help Dax. Moving round a narrow outcropping on a steep cliff, they all fall off, appearing suddenly back in the bar, together with Bashir. The Wadi finish their game and change the table back to a dabo table, and are about to leave, when Commander Sisko demands to know what was going on. At that point, Falow's normally stern deameanor changes. He states, with a comical intonation, "It's only a game!"  There never was any actual risk, and that Quark had cheated them in Dabo. Having just feared for their lives, Commander Sisko is miffed at the Wadi; the Wadi have committed a faux pas on the group by offering them a game that deceived them into thinking that they were playing for their lives, which understandably would annoy the players especially after finding out that their lives were not in danger all this time. After the Wadi leave, Quark chases after Falow, sensing an opportunity to market Chula. 
<EOS>
An airlock door opens, and a Ferengi, Krax, steps out and looks around carefully. Once satisfied, he gestures, and a hunched-over figure, Zek, emerges leaning on a taller humanoid, Maihar'du. In his other hand, he clutches a staff with a golden Ferengi head. In Commander Sisko's quarters, Jake is getting ready for school when his father enters. Sisko informs his son that they're going to Bajor for the Gratitude Festival. After the festival, Sisko suggests visiting the Fire Caverns that Jake had wanted to see. They'll be leaving at the end of that day's school day and going for three days. Jake asks if he has to go because he and Nog have plans for the next day. In his bar, Quark is dealing with a customer and sends her on her way. When she is gone, he grabs Rom by the lobes and questions him as to why he had returned her purse against the First Rule of Acquisition and insists that Rom polish every rail in the bar that night. Rom runs off to find Nog, who is building a tower out of PADDs and knocks them over accidentally when his father arrives. Rom insists that Nog polish all of the rails in the bar that night. Nog sighs and heads off to school. Meanwhile, Quark is telling Morn and some other customers a joke about an Andorian and someone's wife. Just after the finish of the joke, Krax, Zek, and Maihar'du enter the bar looking for Quark. Krax then introduces his father, Zek, as the Grand Nagus. Quark and Rom move to kiss Zek's staff and ask if they're visiting on business or pleasure, and of course, to a Ferengi, there is no difference between the two. Krax demands the use of a holosuite from Quark for his father and takes Quark's favorite five for use. In the classroom at the school, the students are all sitting around talking loudly with no sign of their teacher, Keiko O'Brien, in sight. Her husband, Miles, rushes in as their substitute teacher, but only for another two weeks before Keiko is due to return from Earth. The older students had a homework assignment to write an essay on ethics. Nog is chosen to present his first, but claims that his PADD had been stolen by some Vulcans in Quark's. He gets Jake to corroborate his story, and O'Brien lets Nog hand in his essay the following day. In Quark's, Quark and Krax watch the holosuites and Quark wonders how much longer the Grand Nagus would be. Quark suggests they should check on Zek in case he has somehow injured himself, but Krax strongly disagrees, as Zek left orders not to be disturbed. Quark wanders down the bar to where Rom is standing, thrilled to have the Grand Nagus there, but Quark points out that Zek is likely there to purchase the bar for a price far lower than it is worth. Meanwhile, Zek has emerged from his holosuite, and proclaims it to have been a "good program". Quark offers up Rom's quarters for the Nagus' use while he is at the station and then invites him to dinner at the Nagus' request. Sisko approaches O'Brien and asks how school is. The chief mentions that he can't wait for Keiko to get back. O'Brien suggests that Sisko find another friend for Jake, one besides Nog, who seems to be a bad influence. Sisko appreciates the advice, but points out that if Jake were forced to choose between his friend and his father, he likely would choose his friend. When O'Brien expresses doubt at this, Sisko suggests that O'Brien will understand in another eleven years, when O'Brien's own daughter will be Jake's age (14). At dinner, Zek enjoys the tube grubs, and informs Quark that his cousin Barbo has been released from the Tarahong detention center and that Zek is quite impressed with their sale of defective warp cores to the Tarahong government. Zek also brings up how Quark had left Barbo to "rot behind bars while Quark kept all the profits" to which Quark quotes the Sixth Rule of Acquisition. Zek compliments Quark on his brilliance at opening a bar so close to a stable wormhole. Nog brings over a tray of instruments, and Zek chooses one to pick his teeth with. Nog asks if he could go to do his homework, to which Krax points out to his father's disappointment that a "hew-mon fee-male" is teaching at a Federation school on the station, and Rom tells his son that he will not be attending school anymore. Zek tells Quark that he needs his bar and his services to host a Ferengi conference to discuss business in the Gamma Quadrant. Meanwhile, in Ops, Major Kira informs Sisko that the Ferengi ship Sepulo is docking, the third Ferengi ship in the last eighteen hours. Dax suggests that it might be Quark's birthday. Sisko contacts Odo to ensure that the situation will be looked after. In Quark's, none of the regular patrons are around, and the dabo tables have been replaced with a large conference table. Krax informs Quark that the seating had to be changed to separate rivals Turot and Hoex. Meanwhile, Morn arrives at the bar, and Quark sends him away since the bar is closed for the impending conference. Gral, one of the other Ferengi, threatens to leave when the Grand Nagus enters, supported by Maihar'du. Rom and Nog leave, but Zek tells Quark to stay. Out on the Promenade, Jake runs into Nog, who is quite firm in his belief that he did not belong in the school and that school is a waste of time for a Ferengi because there is no profit in it. Nog stomps away after calling Jake a "stupid hew-mon". Back in Quark's, Zek salutes Nava for taking over the arcybite mining refineries in the Clarius system. However, he points out that the reputation of the Ferengi is making it more and more difficult to do business in the Alpha Quadrant, and that in the Gamma Quadrant, their word could be their bond until they chose to break it. Zek declines to lead the venture, claiming that he is "just not as greedy as [he] used to be" and informs the group that the new Grand Nagus is Quark. The other Ferengi complain loudly and storm out of the bar, while Zek congratulates Quark on his new job. At breakfast in their quarters, Sisko and Jake discuss Nog being pulled out of school over their oatmeal. Jake points out that Nog can't even read and that school wasn't going to be as much fun. To Sisko's comment that they could still get together after school, Jake expresses his worry that Nog no longer wants to be friends because Ferengi and Humans don't get along. Sisko agrees, noting that Human and Ferengi values are very different, and suggests playing some baseball after school, but Jake insists that he has something else to do. On the Promenade, Grand Nagus Quark and his brother are walking along when Gral approaches Quark and formally introduces himself as Quark's "new best friend," but in ominous tones. Gral suggests that he will protect Quark if Quark would be grateful enough to allow Gral his pick of the more profitable opportunities in the Gamma Quadrant. Though Gral is outwardly polite and respectful, his demeanor suggests to Quark it is more like a threat than an offer. In Rom's quarters, Zek is trying to figure out where to take his retirement, either Risa or Balosnee VI, as he hasn't taken a vacation in eighty-five years. Quark bursts in and asks Zek what he should do since Gral just seemed to threaten his life. Zek points out that more threats would follow, and that to survive, Quark must surround himself with loyal men, but none too loyal, and that he should be ruthless. Then, without warning, Zek's head slumps onto his chest. Maihar'du checks him, but he is already dead. Later on, at the funeral in Quark's, Krax is selling small discs with powder, Zek's vacuum desiccated remains, each for twenty bars of latinum. Quark asks Rom to be his bodyguard, because Rom is his closest associate, friend, and brother. Rom expresses his dismay, hoping that he could take over the bar. Quark bursts into laughter at this, until interrupted by Odo, who has questions to ask. Krax explains that his father died from "a massive infection of the tympanic membrane -- a chronic condition." Odo wants to have Doctor Bashir examine the body, but of course, the body has already been vacuum desiccated for sale. Out on the Promenade, Jake and Nog are sitting by their usual railing, but neither says a word. They both try to speak for a moment before the silence descends again. Jake suggests that Humans and Ferengi don't have much to talk about, but notes that they always had stuff to talk about previously. They agree to continue to be friends, despite the fact that it won't please either of their fathers. The funeral continues in Quark's, where Odo questions Quark about his new status. Quark offers his staff to be kissed by Odo, who grunts at it before leaving. A coin rolls across the floor and Quark steps on it, glancing around to ensure that nobody is watching him, bends over to pick it up, when something zips by overhead and explodes against the wall behind him - an obvious assassination attempt. In Quark's, O'Brien, Odo, and Sisko investigate the explosion and O'Brien points out traces of argine and sorium, a sign of a Ferengi explosive. He notes that it appears to be a Ferengi locator bomb designed to lock onto a target's body odor. If Quark hadn't bent over at the last minute, he would be fried. Outside the bar, Bashir informs Sisko that Quark is fine, but a bit shaken up. As they head to the infirmary, Sisko spots his son and Nog laughing together. In the infirmary, Odo questions Quark, who tries to hide his fear behind his position as Grand Nagus. Sisko informs Quark that the next time he might not be so lucky, but Quark blows off his concern, although admitting that Krax would benefit most from his death. Rom brings up Gral's threat, but Quark notes that neither could have set off the explosive, both being at the funeral along with all of the other Ferengi. Odo notes that Maihar'du is absent and recalls the devotion of his species to their employers. Back in Sisko's quarters, Jake is preparing to leave for school when Sisko questions him on his whereabouts the previous night, as he returned home after midnight. Jake responds that he was with Nog, not doing anything wrong, but that it's private. Sisko tells Jake that he wants him home in time for dinner. In Quark's quarters, Nava is telling Quark that he wishes to find profit in a new field, introducing synthehol to the Gamma Quadrant. Quark points out that Nava was not pleased on Quark's ascension, nor did he congratulate him at the time, but wants this opportunity. Nava suggests a fifty-fifty split on the profits, so Quark grants him the opportunity. Quark, tired after all of his work, heads to his bar to count the day's take and leaves Krax and Rom behind. They note that he is going to become very popular with the way he is handing out such good opportunities, so they need a new plan to kill him, one that could not fail. Sisko sits alone in his quarters at the dinner table, dinner for two cooling. Dax enters and mentions that she was going to inquire as to whether he would be interested in a round of Jokarian chess, but that Sisko is obviously otherwise occupied with his dinner of aubergine stew. Sisko says that he has been waiting for half an hour for Jake, but that he hadn't made an appearance as yet since he was with Nog. Dax suggests that he have a talk with Jake to set boundaries, having "been a mother three times and a father twice," but notes that she was not particularly successful with any of them. Sisko decides to go find Jake and bring him home to eat and finds out from the computer that he's in one of the cargo bays. He thanks Dax and heads out while Dax takes a plate of the stew to eat. Sisko heads to the cargo bay, not stopping by anything. In the poorly-lit cargo bay, he hears Nog and Jake's voices from ahead, and quietly makes his way through the stored materials. When he sees Jake and Nog, he stops and watches as Jake teaches Nog to read from a PADD. Sisko watches the two quietly. In Quark's quarters, Rom is helping Quark finish dressing, but seems distracted. Quark says that he is looking forward to traveling through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant to Stakoron II to negotiate for mizinite ore, negotiations that Zek had previously started, despite Quark not knowing about Zek's prior visit. Rom comments upon Quark having so much and he so little, and that maybe Quark could let him have the bar, but Quark states that's how things are meant to be. Quark and Rom head out and met up with Krax. Quark suggests bringing a dabo girl along for the appearance, but Krax compliments Quark by pointing out that he is so imposing he won't need one. As they arrive at the airlock for the Ferengi ship, Krax steps aside and lets Quark make a regal entrance into the airlock, only to find that there's no ship, only space through the window, and that the airlock door is sliding shut behind him with Rom and Krax on the other side. He begins to panic, but this only makes Krax smile as he indicates that Quark has been voted out of the office of Grand Nagus. Rom also seems to be quite ready to open the airlock and rename the bar to Rom's, saying it's a nice name for a bar. Just as they are about to release the outer airlock door (Rom had in fact paused briefly), a voice from down the corridor says, "Release him." It is Zek, still alive, standing there with Mairhar'du and Odo. Both Krax and Rom are stunned, and Odo lets Quark out of the airlock. Zek explains that he had entered a Dolbargy sleeping trance taught to him by Maihar'du to test Krax and see if he would be a worthy successor. However, despite the attempt by Krax to grab power, he is disappointed because "you don't grab power. You accumulate it, quietly, without anyone noticing." and that Quark's was the key and a prime location to quietly gather information on the Gamma Quadrant from those who passed through. Back in the bar, Quark returns Zek's staff, and Zek comments that he had been looking forward to retirement, and before leaving jokes that he might return and buy the bar next time he passes through. Quark catches up with Rom and says that he was pleased with Rom's show of treachery and makes him the Assistant Manager for Policy and Clientele, a position he'd just made up. Out on the Promenade, Jake and Nog agree to meet up again at the end of Jake's next school day. Sisko steps out of the Replimat and calls Jake over to give him a hug and a kiss on the head before sending him off to spend time with Nog. 
<EOS>
Odo arrives at Quark's, suspecting that he's doing business with the Miradorn raider that just docked. They also discuss a quiet customer who is sitting at the other end of the bar. Just then, Ah-Kel and Ro-Kel, a pair of Miradorn twins, enter the bar and nod in Quark's direction. Quark heads up to a holosuite and asks Rom to bring up some drinks. Odo morphs into one of the glasses to eavesdrop on the upcoming meeting. The twins are offering to sell a small egg-shaped object to Quark, who expresses concern that it was stolen. The twins were under the impression that he guaranteed a buyer who doesn't ask questions. Soon, however, the quiet customer from before, named Croden, enters and demands to be given the item at gunpoint. Rom drops his tray of glasses, one of which reforms into Odo as it hits the floor. Quark puts up his hands while Ah-Kel throws the table at Croden and Ro-Kel fires at him, but misses. Croden fires back, killing Ro-Kel, but before Ah-Kel gets a chance to fight back, Odo subdues Croden and calls for security. Bashir arrives and confirms Ro-Kel is dead. In the security office, Ah-Kel, furious about his twin's death, is interrogated. He explains his species' dependence on their twins, but is denied direct vengeance. Commander Sisko assures him the law will deal with Croden, who is being held in the brig, but Ah-Kel is not happy about it. He returns to his ship in frustration, but not before clearly vowing vengeance against Croden before he dies. They turn to Croden, who is wanting something to eat. Sisko says he will be tried, but Croden says his planet won't help him, as their people don't have trials. At the end of the conversation, Croden turns to Odo and calls him a Changeling, something which piques Odo's attention since it implies he has met or heard of one before. He confirms by saying he will tell him of the time he met one, asking him to feed him, first. Using the USS Rio Grande, Sisko and Lieutenant Dax leave to locate Croden's homeworld to inform them of Croden's arrest. They are disappointed a first contact must happen under these circumstances, but Kira suspects they may be happy to have a criminal taken off their hands. Meanwhile, Odo goes to investigate Quark at the bar. Morn said Quark bought Croden a meal for some information. Quark denies it, that he was just "being friendly," but Odo makes his accusation: that he was securing a ship for Croden to go back to the Gamma Quadrant in exchange for the stunt he pulled earlier. Quark is nervous about Odo's volume in the bar, but Odo insists on asking him if he said anything about his homeworld or other species. Quark says no, and Odo is called away when Ah-Kel is found blocking his office. Odo stands Ah-Kel down with a threat to jail him as well, and goes to talk to Croden. He tells Odo Changelings used to live on his planet before they were persecuted, but he knows of a place where there are a few left. Odo is skeptical, saying of course Croden has to bring them there himself for an opportunity to escape. Odo doesn't believe him, so Croden then shows and gives Odo an unusual pendant containing a miniature Changeling that shapes into what could be described as an unusual "chess piece". Sisko and Dax arrive at Rakhar and send out communications. Eventually, they speak to Hadran, the Exarch of Nehelik Province. It transpires that Croden is wanted for multiple crimes on his planet and Hadran demands his immediate return to face execution. Sisko says he should be tried on their station first for that crime, but Hadran interjects and says he is guilty of myriad crimes and his punishment will certainly be consistent with their crime. With an angry threat to a possible relationship with the people, Sisko reluctantly agrees and says to expect him within a couple days. Meanwhile, Odo takes the pendant to Dr. Bashir who examines it and tells him that it's organic. The only other living creature he'd encountered with a remotely similar genetic makeup is Odo. Jokingly, Bashir says that the pendant could be considered Odo's distant cousin. It could be a clue to where Odo comes from, but Odo is disappointed at the trustworthiness of the source of this information. He goes back and returns the pendant, at Croden's request. Odo goes to leave, but Croden comes close and says he found the stone in an asteroid field in an unusual nebula in the Gamma Quadrant. There, he came across the colony of Changelings by chance. He says it's uncharted, but he knows his way back. Sisko calls Odo to order him to return Croden to his homeworld, having obtained the Bajoran's agreement. They use a Rigelian freighter to mask their departure from Ah-Kel's raider. He warns Odo that the station can't warn him, for it will alert the raider. He will be on his own. Odo takes Croden on the USS Ganges and successfully escapes detection, and both the freighter and runabout enter the wormhole. Aboard the Ganges, Croden tries to appeal to Odo's loneliness on the station to relate to him. Croden goes on to tell Odo that on his homeworld he was declared an enemy of the state, the punishment of which is the execution of his family members. His two wives were killed and in response Croden killed the security officers responsible. Odo is suspicious of the story but Croden reassures him that it's true. On the station, Ah-Kel discovers that Croden is gone. After threatening Quark's life, Quark uses his security access to give Ah-Kel Croden's whereabouts. When he leaves, Rom is excited over the prospect of Ah-Kel killing both Odo and Croden, but Quark does not share his enthusiasm. Despite some delays from Sisko and Kira, the Miradorn ship leaves the station and Ah-Kel eventually catches up with Odo's runabout in the Chamra Vortex and opens fire. Odo agrees to let Croden take the controls, since he is familiar with this area of space and Odo is not a combat pilot. Croden successfully gets the Ganges into the nebula, but must be careful due to pockets of what he calls toh-maire which threatens the ship. With a few tricks, Croden evades the attacker and directs Odo to a small planetoid, telling him that he may end up meeting one of his people after all. When they arrive on the planetoid, they find a desolate environment. Croden immediately runs off, but Odo stops him, demanding for him to admit his stories have been false -- there are no Changelings present. But Croden is anxious to get somewhere. He heads to a stasis chamber hidden deep in a cave where he uses the "chess piece" as a key to open it and revives his daughter Yareth, seemingly proving his story to be true. On the way back to the runabout, the Miradorn vessel fires upon the planetoid which causes a cave-in and Odo is knocked out. Croden considers leaving him but ultimately goes back for him and rescues him when his daughter questions what he's doing. Odo regains consciousness on the runabout and is surprised to find that Croden didn't leave him behind. However Ah-Kel is still pursuing them, as Croden hasn't been able to shake him. Odo takes the controls from Croden and leads the Miradorn ship into a pocket of the volatile toh-maire gas. Just before the Ganges is fired upon, Odo moves it out of the way. The gas ignites, destroying the Miradorn ship. As Croden is preparing to be returned to his people, he asks Odo to take care of Yareth, saying that they're both going to be outsiders and they'll need each other. Odo is looking for a way to decline the request when a Vulcan ship, the T'Vran, intercepts the runabout Ganges, having detected the explosion and asks if they can be of any assistance. Odo replies and, surprising to Croden, asks if they would take the two Rakhari "survivors" back to Vulcan with them. The captain agrees and, while preparing for transport, Odo tells Croden that he will say Croden was killed during the Miradorn attack on the planetoid. Croden gives Odo his pendant as a way of thanking him for his kindness and for saving his life as well as the life of his daughter before beaming over to the Vulcan ship. Odo warns him that he will be an outsider living in an alien culture, but Croden says as long as he has his daughter he has a home. After they depart Odo, holding the pendant, tells his "cousin" that one day they'll find home as well. 
<EOS>
Jadzia Dax and Miles O'Brien tell Benjamin Sisko about finding the personnel files kept by the previous DS9 prefect. O'Brien tells Sisko he should probably warn Kira Nerys about her file before she can see it. Kira walks in at that moment and asks what should she be warned about; Sisko tells Kira she might find her file disappointing, and Kira assures him she can handle it, and begins to review her file. Moments later, Kira storms out of the room, angry and insulted at how little emphasis she got as a member of the Bajoran resistance. In the meantime, Julian Bashir tells Sisko that Kai Opaka, who has never left Bajor before, is aboard for an unannounced visit and wishes to have the tour of the station that previously Sisko offered her. As they show her around the station, though, Opaka seems unusually distracted, which is noticed by Bashir. Sisko then notices Opaka standing by the viewport where the wormhole can be best seen. It's obvious she would like to see the wormhole, but doesn't say it. Since there's nothing scheduled to go through that day, Sisko decides to take her himself on a runabout accompanied by Kira and Bashir. O'Brien prepares the USS Yangtzee Kiang, though, interestingly, as they board Opaka pauses to give O'Brien a necklace she was wearing and asks him to give it to his daughter for her. He sees them off, a bit puzzled. Sisko takes the Yangtzee Kiang through the wormhole, and Opaka is amazed by the spectacle of the inside. Sisko remarks that she'll see in a few years just what it is worth to Bajor, and is ready to head back. Opaka, who is seemingly waiting for something, is disappointed until they pick up a narrow band subspace signal and insists they investigate it before leaving the Gamma Quadrant. They identify the source as a planet orbited by artificial satellites, one malfunctioning. Bashir identifies a habitable moon with possible lifeforms when suddenly one of the satellites comes near the runabout and fires. The runabout loses control and they crash land. On the planet's surface, Sisko, Bashir, and Kira leave the runabout, carrying out the body of the Kai. Unfortunately, Bashir eventually pronounces the Kai dead, and Kira mourns. As they stand by the runabout, they realize they are not alone. Meanwhile, on DS9, it's been long enough that O'Brien and Dax prepare the USS Rio Grande to find the crew. Odo must handle the frequent messages from Bajor on the Kai's status, as they were informed she went into the wormhole. He can only tell them they have a lead on where they are at the moment. On the planet, the crew is taken by the Ennis, a humanoid species, and they escort them into the caves with weapons in hand. They are obviously cautious of them. The apparent leader, Golin Shel-la, is suspicious, but Sisko is able to convince him they are not hostile. He permits Bashir to help Kira with her wounds. He explains that they live along with their enemies the Nol-Ennis on the moon, which serves as a penal colony to which both groups were banished after their homeworld's mediators were unable to negotiate peace between the two factions. Now that the Starfleet crew is with them, they will be considered their allies and in danger, even though a rescue team is probably on the way. The Nol-Ennis suddenly attack the area and the prisoners immediately start the firefight. Several soldiers are killed from each faction before Kira puts an end to the skirmish by bringing down part of the cave ceiling, despite Sisko's desire not to get involved. Just then, the silhouette of the Kai unexpectedly appears in the cave entrance. She is alive. Bashir examines the Kai, who appears normal and healthy. She says she only remembers the crash, but then nothing. She gets up and walks to see the area. Bashir further says her physiology is radically different, with an inexplicable biomechanical presence in her cells. He needs to do a full analysis to see what's going on. Interestingly, the other fallen soldiers similarly begin to revive. Fortunately, O'Brien and Dax are able to trace the Yangtzee Kiang's warp eddy current to the system, and head there, though it is uncharted. O'Brien is confused that they aren't even picking up the ship's transponder signal, which will make the search difficult. Bashir sees that the same phenomenon in Opaka is the same in these prisoners. Somehow, the transformation has kept them from dying. Shel-la admits that he has "died" many times before. Bashir wants to get the runabout's computer working to figure this out, but Sisko says it's too dangerous. Shel-la wants the answer himself, so he guarantees his protection and Bashir leaves. Opaka questions Shel-la on why the war started, but it's clear they don't care, they still want vengeance. It appears that they were sent to the moon as an example for the rest of the population on what happens when two sides can't come to a peace. The whole moon was designed to prolong their suffering. Kira, needing a defensible area, questions Shel-la about the Ennis' lack of defenses. He responds that since both sides have realized that they cannot die, their tactics have changed. Sisko suggests that a Starfleet rescue team might be able to transport both of the factions to different planets, where they could live separately instead of continuing their endless fight. He challenges him to talk to the other leader to get a truce in the meantime. In the meantime, O'Brien and Dax find that they can't trust their sensors due to delta radiation. They'll need to search one planet at a time, but O'Brien comes up with a design for a differential magnetometer which, fitted onto a probe, should detect the particular magnetic resonance traces in the Yangtzee Kiang's hull. This should speed up the search, though Dax is skeptical. Eventually, it works and they are headed to the moon. The Ennis and the Nol-Ennis agree to meet at a neutral site near the runabout. Sisko leaves with them, but Kira stays behind with Opaka. When they leave, she starts a conversation with Kira about her possibly seeing herself in these hardened people, having fought for so long and delivered so much violence. Kira initially doesn't see the parallels, but Opaka detects the guilt Kira feels for the violence she committed during the Occupation of Bajor. She says Kira must accept the violence within her in order to overcome the guilt, and comforts her. Kira admits she is afraid the Prophets won't forgive her for what she has done, but Opaka says they are simply waiting for her to forgive herself. Bashir returns to the runabout, protected by the Ennis, to repair the computers so that he can investigate the artificial microbes, or nanites, further. He is successful and starts the computer to analyze the data. Soon, Sisko and the Ennis arrive. The Nol-Ennis leader, Zlangco, steps up to them and Sisko explains the deal. Unfortunately, neither side takes the negotiations seriously and the fighting breaks out again, with the Starfleet crew in the middle of it. Bashir pushes Sisko out of the way of a weapon that was coming towards him, claiming that they can't afford to die here, not even once. Dax finds Human life signs on the moon, but O'Brien, upon seeing the satellite system, realizes that it must be using a dampening field to block the Yangtzee Kiang's transponder signal, the reason he wasn't detecting it before. They retreat to a safe distance and he works on getting a communication through. Bashir explains to Sisko that the biomechanical devices that bring the Ennis and the Nol-Ennis back to life cannot survive in any other environment besides that of the moon. Furthermore, once a person has died with them, the body becomes dependent on them, meaning none of the Ennis, nor Kai Opaka, can ever leave again. O'Brien then cuts in to signal Sisko, and lets him know he's working on a plan for transport. The satellites are going to make it difficult. Sisko goes to inform Opaka of her fate, however, before he gets to it, Opaka declares she is staying. With a moment of clarity, she believes that she has found the answers to her own prophecies. She says that, even as they came through the wormhole, she sensed that she would not return. She asks Kira to tell the others that she has answered the call of the Prophets, and that she was brought there because it is time for the people on the planet to begin their healing process, just as Kira was brought there to begin hers. O'Brien manages to find a way to beam the marooned crew away by distracting one of the satellites with a probe thereby creating a hole in the defense grid established by the satellites. Informing Sisko, they start on it. Meanwhile, Bashir suggests finding a way to reprogram the microbes so that they would stop functioning after death, allowing the inhabitants to die for good and end their torture. However, when Shel-la expresses his intent to use it in order to defeat the Nol-Ennis for good, Bashir disappointingly abandons the idea. Fighting erupts outside and Shel-la is reluctantly drawn away. Sisko begins to tell the Kai that if they ever find a way to bring her back, they'll be back for her, but Opaka interrupts him and tells him that her work is now on the moon. However, her and Sisko's pagh will cross again. The crew gladly returns with Dax and O'Brien leaving the warring Ennis and Nol-Ennis behind, and the Kai with a lot of work to do. 
<EOS>
Sisko is busy preparing to receive the Paqu and Navot delegations, but another issue has come up with O'Brien. The chief has been assigned to pilot a runabout to Bajor, but he casually tries to find an excuse to get out of it. When his travel companion, Dr. Bashir, enters, it is obvious why O'Brien does not want to go: he does not like Bashir, who is oblivious to this fact. They have been told there is a medical emergency on a village on Bajor, although the nature of the emergency is uncertain. Sisko leaves O'Brien stuck with Bashir, leaving them in the turbolift to greet the newly-arrived leader of the Paqu. When they get there, they meet Tetrarch Varis Sul -- a fifteen-year-old girl. During the trip to Bajor, Bashir tries to make small talk, but O'Brien gives him the cold shoulder. Bashir does ask O'Brien not to call him "sir", but to use his first name, "Julian". They beam to the surface to meet the village's magistrate, Faren Kag, but find no signs of disease, despite Faren's claim that the village is in danger of extinction. A man, simply called the Sirah, is dying, and Faren believes they will all die with him. Confused, Bashir gets to work. Meanwhile, Varis and the Navot leader, Woban, meet with Sisko and Kira. They explain that they have had a treaty for ninety years and that it declares the boundary between their people a designated river, the Glyrhond. However, during the Occupation, the Cardassians diverted the river for their mining operations and caused twenty kilometers of land to shift from Navot to Paqu control. While Woban claims the land is still his, Varis believes the original boundary -- the river -- still stands. They break temporarily, and as Varis passes by a bored Jake and Nog on the Promenade, Nog is lovestruck. Bashir finishes his scan when the Sirah wakes. He cries about something called the Dal'Rok and calls for his apprentice, Hovath. He tries to get out of bed, but Bashir stops him. Suspecting the Prophets have sent him, he feels for his pagh, but doesn't see it. He calls for his companion, so O'Brien comes over. This time, curiously, he is pleased. The Sirah dismisses them, and Bashir explains to the leader outside that he is suffering system-wide organ failure from old age, and there's nothing he can do. Dismayed, he explains the Dal'Rok, a "terrible creature," will threaten the village that night and only the Sirah can save them. Back on the station, Nog takes Jake to Varis' quarters, but neither has the nerve to ring the doorbell, and they begin arguing. Suddenly the door is opened -- Varis no doubt was checking to see what the commotion was all about. Jake and (especially) Nog nervously stumble over their words to offer Varis a tour of the station, mentioning that a Klingon freighter is leaving for the Gamma Quadrant through the wormhole. She accepts with a hint of a smile. That night, against Dr. Bashir's medical advice, the Sirah insists that he be allowed to "tell the story" as a dark cloud forms over the village (although no atmospheric disturbances or energy discharges can be found with tricorders). He stands on a rock where all the villagers can look at him as his back is to the cloud. He begins to give an inspirational speech, which lifts the hearts of the villagers and causes some sort of energy beam to rise from the village. This seems to push the ominously close cloud back, but the Sirah finally collapses. As he does so, the beam stops and the villagers panic. Without his help, the cloud -- the "Dal'Rok" of their legend -- fires a lightning-like beam and injures several people. Bashir and O'Brien help the Sirah to his feet and he asks for his successor, but not Hovath, his prior apprentice. He wants O'Brien. Urgently, the Sirah dictates what O'Brien should say and has him tell the story of how the village is stronger than the Dal'Rok. The villagers rejoice as the cloud-like formation is pushed away and disappears; immediately thereafter, the Sirah collapses and Faren proclaims O'Brien the new Sirah. In Sisko's office, he confronts Varis about the last long round of unproductive talks. Bluntly, he asks whether she is there to talk or to start a war, since she has been wasting everyone's time to this point. She insists that the land belongs to the Paqu, despite claims otherwise. He asks if her people are as ready to die for the land as she seems to be, but she storms out. She heads out to the Promenade where she encounters Nog and Jake. She tells the two of them about her land negotiations, but in a circumspect way and Nog suggests that this could be an opportunity instead of a problem. Both Jake and Nog suggest talking to her parents, but she sadly reports that both her parents were killed by the Cardassians during the occupation. They all get chased off by Odo. On the planet, neither Bashir nor O'Brien can figure out what the strange creature was, nor how it was controlled. Bashir takes the opportunity to tease O'Brien before some of the villagers arrive bearing gifts and offering services (apparently including his choice of young, beautiful women). When O'Brien says he is a married man, Faren insists that O'Brien bring his wife and daughter down to the village to live with him. As he exits, the Sirah's previous apprentice, Hovath stares at O'Brien with undisguised hatred. The only thing they can do is figure out what the Dal'Rok is and destroy it. Jake and Nog visit Varis again, but she is preoccupied with the negotiations. Just as the two boys turn to leave, she asks how you can "be sure that an opportunity is worth the risk." Nog quotes the ninth Rule of Acquisition to her: "Opportunity plus instinct equals profit." This rings a bell for her, and says that helped, even though Jake and Nog still don't know her problem. Nog decides to celebrate with a practical joke and drags the other two to Odo's office to swipe his bucket with a Cardassian security rod that Nog has. In the office, Nog tells them to watch the front door and then heads to look for the bucket. After a moment, he comes running out, trips and the contents of the bucket spill onto Jake. Nog begins to laugh at the joke because the contents were oatmeal. The three join in the laughter, just as Odo walks into the office and takes the bucket from Nog, who, in attempting to escape, runs headlong into Sisko. Bashir and O'Brien continue to search for any hints of what the Dal'Rok might be when they are approached by a woman wanting her baby blessed by the Sirah. O'Brien leaves Bashir to distract the crowd and heads back to the Sirah's home. There, Hovath approaches O'Brien, and while O'Brien continues to search, draws a dagger and lunges at O'Brien. Instinct saves him and they struggle for a moment until Bashir enters the room and gets between the combatants. Hovath is disarmed and tells O'Brien that he is not the "true Sirah" and that Hovath is. Hovath explains his apprenticeship to O'Brien and Bashir and told how he was unable to control the Dal'Rok three nights ago. He then shows them a bracelet that apparently contains a fragment of one of the Orbs from the Celestial Temple. Hovath continues his story, telling them of the first Sirah, back when the village was split by hatred and mistrust, and how he used the fragment to create the Dal'Rok, and thus "give their fears a physical form" and force the villagers to work together to defeat it. O'Brien gives the Sirah's robe to Hovath, but Faren enters and tells Hovath that he had failed and would not be allowed to endanger the village again. In his office, Sisko listens to Varis as she takes responsibility for the actions of Jake and Nog in the security office earlier, telling him that they were just trying to impress her. She tells him that she was trying to learn more about him and that Jake thought very highly of his father. Her own father, Varis reports, was a great man who had been feared by the Navot. Turning to the talks, she admits she has been trying to be strong as he was. He could afford to make compromises because the Navot feared him, but she would not have the same luxury, appearing weak. Varis supposes "you don't lose by saying no," but Sisko remarks that great leaders know when to risk saying "yes." This prompts her to suggest she may have "an opportunity" that allows both sides to say "yes." In the village, O'Brien is reluctantly getting ready to tell the story. The crowd urges him on as he reaches the platform, but he is obviously not comfortable. He begins to tell the story, poorly, as the Dal'Rok makes its appearance. There is no sign of the sparkling lights to fight off the Dal'Rok though. Meanwhile, Bashir encourages Hovath to step up to his true role and that the prior Sirah had likely chosen O'Brien so that Hovath could rescue him, and thus regain the confidence of the villagers. As the Dal'Rok comes in for the final attack, Hovath rushes onto the platform, grabs the bracelet from O'Brien and begins to tell the story, brimming with confidence. The lights appear, and the Dal'Rok is driven off and defeated once again. Bashir and O'Brien quietly make their escape. Back on the station, O'Brien tells Bashir that he's had enough of storytelling for a while, and Bashir informs him that he is not required to call him "Julian". Walking with Sisko, Varis is nervous about the compromise she is going to suggest; giving the Navot their land, but allowing free access to the river for the Paqu. They encounter Jake and Nog, watched by Odo of course, and she thanks them both, giving Nog a kiss on the cheek. Odo walks the two boys to the security office to clean up the mess they left. Just then, Bashir and O'Brien arrive back on the station. Bashir's interested in telling people about what happened, but O'Brien has had enough of storytelling. 
<EOS>
Quark berates Broik for ordering 5,000 wrappages of Cardassian yamok sauce (with the Cardassians off the station, it is worse than worthless). Jake and Nog are playing cards nearby, and Nog overhears the exchange, ignoring the game to Jake's frustration. As Quark leaves the room, he begins to form a scheme to make a few bars of latinum off his uncle's misfortune, telling Jake his "ears are tingling." The crew in Ops is monitoring the moon's activity while Minister Toran observes nervously. Major Kira assures him everyone is ready and leaves for a final inspection of the moon with Lieutenant Dax in the USS Ganges. While Dax mentions that Morn had asked her out earlier, their scan reveals that there is a humanoid life-sign still on the planet, in spite of the fact that all the moon's inhabitants were ordered to evacuate. Kira beams down to the surface to find out what is going on, and who is still on the moon. She is surprised to find herself threatened by a Bajoran man and woman holding farm implements. An older Bajoran man comes out from the structure to talk to Kira, but tries to close the door on her when she approaches. She holds the door, determined to keep his attention. Assuming they were missed by the evacuation efforts, she tries to tell him he has to leave, but he ignores it, instead inviting her to dinner to stall her. Meanwhile, Nog and Jake set out to find a buyer for 5,000 wrappages of yamok sauce, but having very little luck finding one willing to pay latinum. They grudgingly settle for 100 gross of self-sealing stem bolts, being sold by a Lissepian freighter captain because the Bajoran man who ordered them could not pay. Back on Jeraddo, the old Bajoran begins preparing for dinner, and it will obviously take several hours. Kira tells Dax she will be delayed, content not to be seen as in a hurry. Along the way, he does his best to aggravate her into leaving, but she recognizes it. The man's name is Mullibok, and he knows that the moon's core is to be tapped and Jeraddo will be uninhabitable soon. Mullibok has decided to stay even at the cost of his life. Nog and Jake are now faced with the problem of obtaining Quark's yamok sauce. Fortunately, Quark is so disgusted with the whole yamok sauce fiasco that he is happy to take Nog up on his offer to dispose of it. His plan is able to continue. The old farmer tries to bore Kira into submission with the tall tale of how he got started farming on Jeraddo, careful to emphasize his treatment by the Cardassians. She indulgently listens to his story, though a little disbelieving at times. Later, as she begins to tell of her days in the Bajoran Resistance, she realizes she is forced to admit that she survived by hanging on like fanatics, just as Mullibok is doing. Mullibok's mind is made up; he will not leave his home, no matter the consequence. In a cargo bay, Jake and Nog inspect their new acquisition: 100 gross of top-quality self-sealing stem bolts. Just then, Chief O'Brien enters the cargo bay to tell them to warn Quark about bypassing proper import procedures. He begins to ask a lot of questions about why Quark needs so many self-sealing stem bolts, but fortunately he doesn't dig too deep. It does, however, seem that O'Brien, along with Jake and Nog, has absolutely no idea whatsoever as to what self-sealing stem bolts are, what they are for, what they do, or why anyone would want them. However, the original Bajoran who wanted them must know what they're used for, so they set out to find this person and possibly sell them. Kira returns to the station, and tries to convince Toran to give her time to convince Mullibok and his friends to leave, but he refuses. If they don't leave the moon, the project will go ahead anyway. Furthermore, Toran refuses Kira's suggestion of phased energy retrieval, which will allow the people to stay on the planet, but with a much longer time frame to obtain the energy. Kira is forced to return to the moon to remove Mullibok against his will, by force if necessary. The situation erupts into violence when Mullibok's friends attack a member of Kira's team. Enraged that his friends are being removed by force, Mullibok attacks one of the security officers and is shot. Back on Deep Space 9, Jake and Nog open communications with Sirco Ch'Ano, the original buyer of the stem bolts, under the name "The Noh-Jay Consortium." They offer to sell him the merchandise for five bars of gold-pressed latinum, but he cannot pay four, or even three bars. If he'd had latinum, he could have bought the stem bolts outright. He cannot pay even one bar of latinum, but offers a trade (a less than appealing offer, from Jake and Nog's point of view). The offer is seven tessipates of land on Bajor. Nog is getting impatient; he wants latinum, and he wants it now. Jake, however, is convinced that they should take the land. With no real alternatives, they accept the land. Nog remains skeptical, but Jake is sure it will work out. On Jerrado, Mullibok has survived. Dr. Bashir is treating him, and informs him that his friends have been evacuated to Bajor. Bashir wants to take Mullibok back to DS9 for observation, but the farmer is adamant. He will not leave. Bashir tells Kira that he will take Mullibok back without his consent; he is injured and needs to be cared for. Kira has another idea. She will stay with Mullibok and take care of his needs. Without another word, she starts to continue Mullibok's chores, building a kiln he has been working on for some time. Bashir reports back to Sisko, who, while unsure of Kira's intentions, decides to allow the situation to continue for the time being. He visits Kira on Jerrado, and discusses with her about her discomfort with the current situation. She was accustomed to being the underdog, fighting against impossible odds; now she is on the other side, and she hates herself for it. Sisko reassures her that she is on the right side, that Bajor needs people like her, and leaves her to decide how to handle the situation. Jake and Nog have still not managed to sell their newly acquired land. Nog is upset, he thinks the bolts were better than the land; Jake takes the opposite stance: he is certain that land is better than bolts. As they continue their tense and joyless card game, Quark and Odo enter the room, talking about a mysterious new business group: the Noh-Jay Consortium. Quark claims never to have heard of them, but Odo was contacted by someone in the Bajoran government planning to build on a strip of land owned by four different parties. Three of four have agreed to sell, but this fourth one cannot be contacted. Jake's and Nog's ears prick up; the government can't build unless they agree to sell their land. Finally, the land they worked so hard to get is worth something. Quark, intent on getting in on this wonderful opportunity for profit, barely notices as Nog approaches him. Nog proposes a deal to Quark, who, certain that his nephew is just being a bother, dismisses him out-of-hand, until it dawns on him that "Noh-Jay" is Nog and Jake. Mullibok becomes bedridden and, having had a bad dream, wakes up to Kira taking care of him. She keeps his temperature, and tries to sleep. Soon recovering enough to complete work on his kiln, he gets up while she sleeps. Kira comes out to help him finish, but then, as the old man fires it up, she goes back inside and comes out with her bags packed, along with Mullibok's. Kira says she could use a friend on Bajor and she'd like it to be him. He tells her that, as long as that cottage is standing, he will not leave. In response, she fires her weapon at the kiln, destroying it, and sets fire to his cottage. She tells him it is time to move on. Mullibok is devastated. He asks Kira to kill him as well; he is convinced he cannot leave, but there is nothing left on Jeraddo for him now. He says if he leaves Jerrado, he will die. Kira responds, "No, you won't; I won't let you" and signals the crew to beam them both up. 
<EOS>
Quark finds Odo is his bar during a particularly quiet time, continuing to oversee the area (and always keeping an eye on himself), so he starts to tell him he needs to lighten up and have some fun, perhaps in a holosuite. Odo dismisses imagination as a sign that one is not paying attention to one's real life. Quark offers to create a Shapeshifter "playmate," at which point Odo declares, "You're disgusting!" At seeing Jake Sisko walking toward a holosuite, Odo warns that Quark had better not have created any "playmates" for him. Jake's program, Quark explains, is one that includes famous baseball players from Earth, such as Tris Speaker, Ted Williams and Buck Bokai. Quark has made it his business to learn about Human customs and traditions because a wise man, he says, can smell profit in the wind. He tells Odo to try it. "I don't have a sense of smell," Odo says. As Quark explains economics to Odo, on the other side of the bar, Dr. Bashir and Lieutenant Dax are having dinner. Julian wants to become romantically involved, but Jadzia politely refuses and points out that he has eyed several other women as well. She returns to Ops, where she finds there are elevated thoron emissions in the nearby Denorios belt. Dax and Sisko hypothesize that it is because the amount of traffic around the station is currently elevated. Meanwhile, O'Brien reads his daughter Molly a bedtime story -- "Rumpelstiltskin" -- and tucks her in. However, Molly comes back out and claims Rumpelstiltskin is in her room. O'Brien returns with her and finds that Rumpelstiltskin truly has appeared in her room. O'Brien sends his wife and daughter away, and calls for security. Rumpelstiltskin wonders where the straw is, supposing he will be asked to spin it into gold. He's not making any threats, nor any other reason he is there. Two security guards arrive at O'Brien's quarters, but cannot catch Rumpelstiltskin, who disappears, leaving the guards grasping at thin air. O'Brien calls for Sisko, but before the Commander can proceed, Jake interrupts him, and shows his father that the baseball player Bokai has followed him home from the holosuite. He also does not appear to know why he is there. Meanwhile, Dr. Bashir is asleep in his quarters, but he is awakened by the caresses of a very amorous Dax. He resists at first, supposing that she is sick, or that he is hallucinating. But he can't think of a good answer when Dax asks why he is resisting. He decides to accept his apparent good fortune for a moment, but then believes it to be a prank. Just then, Sisko calls for all senior officers. Sisko introduces Buck Bokai to the senior staff, pointing out that the former baseball great had been dead for 200 years, and Rumpelstiltskin, who expresses annoyance that now everyone knows his name. Sisko asks Dax if these puzzling events could be related to the thoron emissions, but she doesn't seem to know what he is talking about. Then the real Jadzia Dax appears, much to Bashir's embarrassment. Bashir examines Bokai, and pronounces that he, and all the new characters, seem to be real. The "fantasy" Jadzia continues to have eyes (and hands) for Bashir, but when she suggests they return to his quarters, the doctor unequivocally rejects her, and she promptly disappears. Just then Odo contacts Sisko, reporting odd and seemingly random events, such as snow on the Promenade, occurring all over the station, apparently from people's imaginations. Sisko calls for a yellow alert while Dax determines that there is, in fact, a subspace disruption where anything that falls in disappears. They'll have to do a full analysis. Meanwhile, Odo reports that the snow is gone, but a Gunji jackdaw is loose. He shoes him off and goes to Quark's, announcing to everyone to refrain from using their imaginations. There, Quark has found himself surrounded by beautiful women who are unable to resist him and hopes whatever is going on lasts forever, until Odo points out every one of his customers is winning at dabo. He desperately tries to "wish" them to lose, but he is outnumbered. Dax and Bashir, with the help of O'Brien, are developing a theory as to the cause, and the remedy. Bashir tries to apologize, but Jadzia says an apology is not necessary; we all have fantasies, she points out, and besides, she was a young man once herself. But then she comments on the "fantasy" version's submissive nature. Bashir thought she would let it go, but then the "fantasy" version of herself appears and enters the room, objecting to the description and calling the real Dax a "cold fish." As if on cue, the computer finds a match for the kind of phenomenon that is presently occurring on the station in the Hanoli system in the 23rd century -- unfortunately, the phenomenon destroyed the entire system. A probe is launched into the wormhole to hopefully better understand the effects of the thoron. While O'Brien is busy working on the solution, he is heckled by Rumpelstiltskin. The Chief tries to ignore what he calls the "figment" -- until Rumpelstiltskin mentions Molly, in what could be interpreted in a threatening way. When O'Brien is about to lose his temper, his "figment" disappears. The crew find that the phenomenon is getting larger, pulling in matter from nearby. While Jadzia and Bashir continue to monitor the probe in search of a solution, Bokai follows Sisko and they briefly discuss baseball and Bokai's career. Baseball, it seems, simply fell out of favor with the general public -- only 300 people were in the stands for the World Series. Bokai expressed deep gratitude for Sisko's loyalty to the game. Rumpelstiltskin, Bokai, and "fantasy" Jadzia all discuss what to them seems like a surprising turn of events. "Jadzia" is annoyed and puzzled as to why Bashir would reject her, when he created her in the first place. Rumpelstiltskin wonders why O'Brien would dream up a character who frightens him. They both insists that their plan has been a failure, but Bokai says that he has made a real connection, and "it ain't over till it's over." The subspace anomaly continues to expand while the crew discuss the earlier rift. A Vulcan vessel attempted to seal it, but ended up destroying the system. O'Brien argues they have better technology, so can perform the same procedure with better control. Sisko then orders Kira to clear all personnel from the pylons as a safety precaution before implementing their plan to seal off the anomaly (which now represents a clear threat to the entire Bajoran system). Odo was supposed to help, but he still has his hands full with Gunji jackdaws (emus) running rampant through the promenade. As Kira reaches lower pylon one, she is nearly enveloped by a wall of flame, and calls for emergency assistance. She then sees a burning, screaming man running toward her -- and she has no escape. Cringing in the corner, Kira expects to be roasted alive. But after a few seconds, she looks up; there is no burning man, and no evidence of a fire. Sisko calls through her comm badge, asking for her report, but Kira is momentarily too confused to respond. Finally she says "false alarm", runs a few scans, then proceeds with the evacuation, somewhat nervously. Meanwhile, Odo is still dealing with the Gunji jackdaws (and numerous other "imaginative" problems) when Quark runs up to him to report two missing persons -- a blonde and a brunette, who his imagination had conjured up earlier, but just then, the two ladies appear and resume acting affectionately to Quark. Knowing that all the strange occurrences on the station have been the result of imagination, Quark expresses no surprise when Odo confirms that none of the recent oddities originated in the unimaginative mind of Odo himself. Odo returns to his office and runs a security sweep on the pylons, only to discover that he has wished Quark into a holding cell, confirming to himself that he does have an imagination. Jake is sitting with his baseball glove, procrastinating on finishing his homework, when he hears the sounds of a baseball park, and Bokai appears, inviting him to play. Jake resists, citing the trouble he'd get into with his father if he didn't first finish his homework. Suddenly, Benjamin Sisko appears (out of thin air) behind Jake's back; Jake mutters an excuse as to why he hasn't completed his homework. His father disappears, and so does Bokai, and Jake starts getting serious about his homework. The senior staff is still trying to contain a rapidly-growing subspace rift, which is now big enough to be seen on-screen. As Sisko looks it over, Bokai appears next to him. Rumpelstiltskin is seen observing O'Brien, and "fantasy" Jadzia is smiling at Bashir, who (like the rest of the senior staff, except Kira) is staring intently at the anomaly. Kira appears to confirm all pylons have been evacuated and secured. The one hope is a torpedo sent into the anomaly. While the real Jadzia is at her station, the fantasy Jadzia expresses fear at the seriousness of the situation -- Bashir told her that if this didn't work, all life on DS9, real or imaginary, would be ended. She asks him to hold her, which he does, but does not take his eyes off the viewing screen. O'Brien is ready with the torpedo, and Sisko calls a red alert and orders him to fire. At first, everything seems to be going well, but then it appears that they are not getting a controlled collapse of the anomaly. Despite heroic efforts by the senior staff, the station is hit by something, and Sisko immediately orders damage control. Fantasy Jadzia is seriously injured, and Bashir attends to her. Although sensors have come back online, it seems inevitable that the station is doomed. When Sisko asks for suggestions, nobody answers -- except Rumpelstiltskin, who claims to be able to solve the problem -- for a price. A confused Keiko, holding Molly, suddenly appears, and Rumpelstiltskin says "I always wanted to have a daughter". O'Brien refuses to agree, and angrily insists that if Rumpelstiltskin can seal the rift, he should do so, before realizing to his own confusion that Rumpelstiltskin is a fictional character from a children's fairy tale. At this point, Sisko realizes that everything -- including the anomaly, is the product of a wish, or at least an expectation, and as more people believe it exists, its size increases. Sisko orders O'Brien to lower the shields, and believe that there is no subspace rift outside the station. O'Brian complies. As the senior staff present begin understanding, and believing, all readings return to normal, and the "imaginary" characters disappear. Though almost everything is back to normal, the unusual thoron readings persist. Sisko orders the station go to yellow alert, and asks Jadzia to continue her investigation, "but no speculation!" Sisko then goes to his office, and, soon, Buck Bokai appears, and explaining through baseball metaphors that he is part of an extended mission that followed a Federation ship through the "hole in space." His people wanted to see what "imagination" is really about in an attempt to learn more about humanoids. "Bokai" departs shortly after suggesting that he and his compatriots might return "next year" to inform Sisko about his species. 
<EOS>
Dr. Bashir sits in Quark's with a trio of ambassadors: Lojal, Vadosia, and Taxco, who pester him in every way imaginable; he cannot please them no matter how hard he tries. Their conversation is interrupted as the fourth ambassador, Lwaxana Troi, cries out from the dabo table. Her latinum hair brooch has been stolen. Quark claims his establishment is not responsible for lost or stolen items, but the Betazoid seizes his lobe and demands that everyone in the room be strip-searched until her brooch is found. Fortunately, Odo arrives and, after a few brief questions, glances around the bar and apprehends a Dopterian pick-pocket who has it. Amazed, Lwaxana asks him how he solved the mystery, and he explains that, since she couldn't sense any guilt in the room, the thief had to be someone immune to telepathy, such as a Ferengi like Quark. However, as Odo doesn't believe Quark would stoop down to petty theft, he instead focused on a member of the Ferengi species's distant relatives, the Dopterians. As Odo leaves, Lwaxana commands Bashir to tell her everything he knows about the station's security chief, and it becomes apparent that he has caught the ambassador's eye. In Ops, Chief O'Brien struggles to force the Cardassian computer system to work, as it has a tendency to argue with his suggestions and even on occasions overrules his requests. With the help of Anara, he tries to operate it manually, but continues to have trouble. The problem is so bad, he explains to Commander Sisko, that he is seriously considering completely overhauling and replacing the computer, a procedure that would take around two to three years to complete. Sisko employs his dry humor, but O'Brien is clearly too frustrated. He allows him to do what he must. Just then, Bashir and the other three ambassadors arrive in the turbolift, having insisted on seeing Ops. Commander Sisko is forced to make conversation, but saved when a mysterious probe comes through the wormhole. The ambassadors interject a bit during the analysis, as Lojal assumes Dax is only a young woman without the necessary experience and Vadosia seems intent on being involved in what may be first contact with a new species. However, Bashir and Sisko are able to stand them down. Sisko assures them there will be a briefing later. Meanwhile, Lwaxana finds Odo in the security office and flirts heavily with him. She is fascinated by the idea of "being" with a shapeshifter. However, the constable is visibly disquieted by her advances and pretends to have business to which to attend, leaving in a hurry. O'Brien and Dax interface with the probe, and the chief finds that the station's computer is cooperating surprisingly well. However, the probe's computer system is unlike anything they've ever seen before. After a while, Anara finds the probe is made out of a type of corundium alloy when suddenly the computer says it's completed an analysis much earlier than expected. O'Brien and Dax come over to see that the probe is just a powerful computer -- no communications or science modules, or hint of its origin or mission. Meanwhile, Odo passes by the group on his way to Sisko and complains to the commander about Lwaxana's advances (like a Wanoni tracehound), but Sisko is unable to help him. He suggests he handle the matter "delicately." As he leaves, Lwaxana manages to catch up with Odo despite his attempts to avoid her, saying she's reserved a holosuite with Quark for a picnic. Saying he's not available and tries to re-enter the turbolift, she follows him headed for one of the upper pylons. Intent on having a picnic with him, she says she will send for her picnic basket. He finally goes on a rant about how different he is, but she ignores it. Before they reach their destination, however, the turbolift stops abruptly as the station's systems begin acting up. Dax attempts to beam them out with the transporter, but something causes it to malfunction. Lwaxana happily says "alone at last." Odo cannot shapeshift out due to exposed electric circuits running through the turbolift, so is forced to put up with Lwaxana while the chief attempts to remedy whatever is going wrong. Odo tells Mrs. Troi that he would prefer to pass the time quietly, however naturally Lwaxana isn't happy with that (while also noting she tends to be attracted to quiet men) and starts telling Odo about the time she was held captive on a Ferengi ship. Odo begins to seriously considering risking the exposed curcuit. In Ops, Bashir begs Commander Sisko to relieve him of his escort duties. Sisko refuses, telling the young officer that he himself had to do the same and in fact Curzon took a perverse pleasure in giving him the unwelcome duty of escorting important guests until the day Ben punched one of them for trying to force a young ensign into his quarters. Sisko ends the discussion by warning Bashir not to hit any of them, since he won't be as forgiving as Curzon. Chief O'Brien then tells Sisko that he's having a problem with the computer or rather, he isn't. As strange as he admits that it sounds, O'Brien claims the computer seems nicer somehow, ever since he downloaded the information from the probe. Additionally, every time he leaves Ops, a new problem comes up -- as if the computer wants to keep him busy. Sisko meets with Dax and Kira in Ops and they attempt to come up with an explanation for what is happening. Dax hypothesizes that the information in the probe might be a type of sentient non-biological lifeform. O'Brien suggests it's not malevolent, as it's not doing damage, so he suggests uploading the probe's files back to the probe. However, Sisko and Kira realize that it may be time for Odo to regenerate, meaning he will revert to his liquid state unless they can get him out of the turbolift. When O'Brien attempts to re-download the information into the probe, the lights go dim and the station shuts down. In the turbolift, Lwaxana finishes talking about her life and asks Odo if he wants to talk about himself for a while. Although it takes a while for him to open up, Odo starts to tell her about how he began his life being studied by a Bajoran scientist as he learned to become self-sufficient. He then begins to tell the Betazoid that, after that, he tried to fit in by entertaining people at parties, which is why he hates parties so much. Lwaxana tells him that, if he goes to one of hers, she promises everyone will be there to entertain him. Odo finds that, despite his initial reluctance, he is starting to appreciate Mrs. Troi's company. However Odo is also starting to feel pain, as he tries to hold off his need to regenerate. Meanwhile, O'Brien has come up with a plan to distract the lifeform that has taken over the station; as he slowly tries to cut it off from the station's systems, Sisko, Dax and Anara give the computer increasingly complex commands. The plan seems to be working, but something goes wrong and the system overloads. A fire erupts in one of the corridors, where Bashir is escorting the ambassadors to their quarters. They are trapped. Breaking through the doors sealing Bashir and the ambassadors in the corridor will take longer than expected, so Sisko and Kira work on it. In Ops, O'Brien comes up with a plan. Thinking of the lifeform as a puppy, he realizes it thrives on attention and begins to "build a doghouse," although Dax has no idea what he is talking about. As Odo begins to lose his ability to hold his shape, Lwaxana can see that his is in pain, yet he turns his back toward her and refuses to show his weakness. He tells her that he's not ashamed, it's just a part of himself that he'd rather keep private and no-one (other than the Bajoran scientist) has ever seen him like this. Just then Mrs. Troi holds forward her hair, revealing it to be a wig. Odo turns around to see Lwaxana with her real black hair tightly pinned up, telling him that no-one has ever seen her like this. Odo assures her that she looks fine, but Lwaxana tells him she looks 'ordinary', something she's never cared to be and she herself changes who she is. Odo tells Lwaxana that she isn't at all like he expected, and Lwaxana gratefully accepts the compliment and kindly offers to take care of him. Finally trusting Mrs. Troi, Odo transforms into his liquid state and houses himself in a fold in her dress. Kira and the others continue to try to get into the corridor while O'Brien prepares to set his plan into action. He sets up a special program through which all station commands can be performed, transferring the "puppy" into the doghouse. Satisfied to be at the center of the action, the lifeform returns the station to normal. As a result, Sisko and a team finally manage to enter the corridor where Bashir and the ambassadors were trapped, and the fire-suppression systems begin to work. After being briefly thought dead, Bashir and the ambassadors emerge from a conduit, sooty and disheveled but completely uninjured, with the ambassadors' opinions of Bashir considerably changed, having been quite humbled by the experience. Meanwhile, Odo and Lwaxana finally emerge from the turbolift, shape and wig restored. Odo thanks Lwaxana for her company, telling her that can't have been what she intended for their picnic. Lwaxana assures Odo that all that really matters on a picnic is the company, and promises him they will meet again. Sisko asks O'Brien how he resolved the situation, and he explains he isolated it into a subprogram (but not sent back to the probe). Surprised he suggests keeping it around, O'Brien assures him it won't bother them and he'll give it attention. Sisko tells him to "keep it off the furniture." 
<EOS>
Commander Sisko and Major Kira Nerys are in dispute over a Valerian freighter that is requesting permission to dock at the station. Kira wants to deny their request because the Valerians ran weapons-grade dolamide to the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor, and she believes that they are still continuing to do so. Sisko asserts that without proof, there is nothing that they can do. He appeases Kira by promising to contact the Federation about the matter if she brings him solid proof. In the meantime, the Valerians will be allowed to dock. As Kira steps into Ops, Chief O'Brien is bemoaning to Jadzia Dax the fact his wife is taking her school on a field trip to Bajor to visit a grain processing center at Lasuma. Odo exits the turbolift and informs Kira that he looked into the captain of the Valerian ship like she requested. A Klingon Vor'cha-class attack cruiser, the IKS Toh'Kaht, returns from an expedition through the wormhole a month ahead of schedule. Immediately after clearing the event horizon, the vessel explodes. A Klingon officer, Hon-Tihl, barely manages to materialize on the transporter pad, but the transport does not stabilize properly. O'Brien and Dax launch into action and coordinate the sensors allowing Hon-Tihl to fully materialize, but he immediately collapses. Doctor Bashir rushes over to tend to him, and as he leans over, Hon-Tihl grins and hisses the word "Victory!" before dying. Bashir tells Kira, Sisko, O'Brien, and Odo that he found tritanium alloy fragments in Hon-Tihl's body, but also notes that there are severe weapons burns. The Toh'Kaht had been on a bio-survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant, so the final words of Hon-Tihl make little (if any) sense. Sisko sends Dax and O'Brien out on a runabout to check the wreckage and look for the mission recorder to find out what may have caused the damage. O'Brien promptly gets up to leave, but Dax remains sitting and starts smiling to herself, as if enjoying a private joke. O'Brien calls after her, and she leaves with him for the runabout. In the meantime, the Valerian ship, Sherval Das, has been trying to get clearance for docking at the station. Kira is trying to keep the captain entangled in false delays, but Sisko appears and overrules her. Kira protests by explaining that she did a background check on their ship and has learned that it passed through Fahleena III and Mariah IV, the same two stops that the Valerians made when running dolamide for the Cardassians. At his bar, Quark is trying to be a good bartender by listening to one of his patrons, but seems to be doing most of the talking. After his patron walks off, Odo arrives and asks Quark what he has heard among the Klingons. Quark complains about the damage the last crew had caused to one of his holosuites, and how they talked of being on a "glorious mission", despite it being a bio-survey. Quark demands a bribe in exchange for more information, but Odo threatens to reassign the work crew away from the holosuite repairs. Quark says that the Klingons mentioned they were in search of something that would "make the enemies of the Klingon Empire tremble."  As Odo goes to leave, he screams in agony and grabs his head, which splits in two and collapses in the doorway. A panicked Quark rushes to get Dr. Bashir. In the infirmary, Odo awakens with a start to find Bashir leaning over him, checking him out. Bashir notes that he had no way of knowing if Odo was all right or not, because his body chemistry defies all of Bashir's instruments. As Odo hastily gets up to leave, Bashir's voice takes on a conniving tone, and he asks if Odo shares his concerns about "the Valerian situation". Confused, Odo asks what he means, and Bashir gloats that the "uneasy alliance" between Sisko and Kira will soon start showing cracks. Odo is put off by Bashir's eerie demeanor and refuses to commit himself to either side of the matter. Back in Sisko's office, Sisko is busy drawing some sort of blueprint on a PADD when Kira enters. With glee, she announces that the Valerians have visited the Ultima Thule station a week prior, and thus must be carrying dolamide. She announces her intention to board their vessel, confiscate the material, and take them to Bajor to press charges. Sisko, still calm, refuses to allow anything of the sort. Tensions in the room escalate until Kira reminds Sisko that Deep Space 9 is technically Bajoran property. Sisko grimly asks if she is challenging his authority. On the runabout, Dax and O'Brien locate the debris from the Toh'Kaht. While looking for the mission recorder, O'Brien notes that Kira has been acting aggressively of late, but Dax blows it off as a simple difference of opinion with Sisko. O'Brien does not press the matter, and for a short while the mood of the ship returns to normal. As they sift through the wreckage, O'Brien continues to needle Dax, who seems to be drifting off into her own world. O'Brien cuts off one of her rambling thoughts and demands to know if she's becoming "friendly" with Kira. He advises her to consider her loyalties, and warns that "anyone against Sisko is against me."  At this point, they find the mission recorder. Back in the security office, a seductive Kira enters and starts fawning over Odo, noting that the two of them have worked very well together in the past. Odo responds with caution, and Kira asks for his cooperation in breaking into the Valerian ship to acquire proof of weapons smuggling. Odo asks if Sisko suddenly changed his mind. Kira claims he has. Suspicious, Odo offers to check in with him, prompting Kira to admit her lie. When Odo asks whether she is asking him to go behind Sisko's back, Kira warns him to remember who his friends are, then leaves. In Ops, O'Brien and Dax present the information they found to Sisko, Kira, and Odo. A recording from Hon-Tihl has been recovered, in which he reveals that he killed the medical officer of the ship, Kee'Bhor, believing that he was a spy from the captain of the ship, Tel'Peh. Through the static, Hon-Tihl can also be heard discussing telepathic energy spheres from Saltah'na, which he suspects are somehow responsible for the violence on the ship. Sisko, obviously bored, flatly states that he doesn't care about anything that happens on a Klingon vessel. O'Brien and Dax continue working on interpolating more of the data in order to fill in the blanks. Dax, still in her own world, childishly remarks that the search is the real reward. In his bar, Quark set a fancy drink, a modela aperitif, in front of Dax. Kira enters and barks at Quark to "get lost", insulting him and driving him to the other end of the bar. Kira begins to flatter Dax in the same seductive manner she did with Odo earlier. She insists that Dax is the most valuable officer on the station. Dax is oblivious to Kira's advances and continues to quote stories about herself and Sisko. Kira angrily tells Dax that she is going to be rid of Sisko, and threatens Dax with the same. A startled Quark listens to this and accidentally drops a glass. Kira notices Quark's eavesdropping and grabs him by the collar, hoisting him up and throwing him against the back wall of the bar. Back in Odo's office, Quark enters wearing a neck brace and demands that Odo take action against Kira. He outlines the events in the bar, but Odo is more interested in whether or not Kira managed to persuade Dax. Quark admits that he did not hear much, but that Dax seemed to be "on the fence". Odo inquires about the change in personalities of the other officers, then realizes that Quark hasn't changed at all. With his questions answered, Odo exits, leaving Quark frustrated and demanding satisfaction. Odo arrives in Sisko's office, but Sisko is nowhere to be found; instead, O'Brien is sitting in Sisko's chair, watching more of Hon-Tihl's journal. O'Brien informs Odo that Sisko is "safe" in his quarters. From the journal, it is noted that Hon-Tihl had placed a thalmerite device near the reactor core to destroy his ship, killing his own crew while he attempted to beam safety to DS9. It seems that there was some sort of mutiny on the ship. O'Brien promises to give Odo access to each of the journal entries as they are reconstructed. On his way out, Odo receives yet another stark warning about his loyalties. Odo goes to meet with the increasingly reclusive Sisko, and is surprised to find two guards at the door to Sisko's quarters. Inside, Sisko is continuing to work on his blueprints and is becoming apathetic. Odo presents his suspicions about the behavioral changes amongst the crew, but Sisko is uninterested and tells him to go talk to O'Brien. Sisko put down his PADD to reveal that he is drawing up a set of plans for a highly complex clock, which perplexes Odo further. Odo returns to his office to find Kira relaxing in his chair with her feet on the desk. Kira informs him that she locked down the clamps on the docking pylons to keep the Valerian ship from leaving. She states that she is now going after Sisko and O'Brien, and that she needs Odo's help. Kira entices him with the prospect of a station run entirely by her, where Odo will be given free rein to maintain security however he likes, even to declare martial law. Odo decides to play along and asks what Kira's plan is. However, Kira won't share, knowing that Odo's the most incorruptible person on the station. She prefers to wait until Odo proves his allegiance to her camp. When Kira leaves, a distressed Odo immediately attempts to contact Starfleet Command, but finds that Kira has locked out access. He then tries the Bajoran Council, only to guess that O'Brien has similarly locked them out as well. Fortunately, the computer has finished reconstructing the journal of Hon-Tihl. In his office, Sisko is busy building his clock while O'Brien paces around impatiently. O'Brien updates Sisko on the situation, and confides his suspicion that Kira is about to make an attempt on Sisko's life. Sisko happily suggests that they should arrest Kira, along with every Bajoran on the station to root all of her sympathizers. O'Brien counsels against it, due to their larger numbers. He instead suggests leaving the station to gather a Federation attack force; at this, Sisko flies into a rage. O'Brien manages to talk Sisko down, but notes that for his plan to work, they will need time to free the Valerian ship so that they can hitch a ride on it. In the infirmary, Bashir hands a small device to a Bajoran officer and begins telling him how to use it. When Odo enters, both react as if caught, but Bashir pretends to be giving the Bajoran medical advice. The Bajoran leaves, and Bashir smugly advises Odo to choose sides soon, as events have moved swiftly since their last conversation. Odo decides to talk to Bashir as if he were a co-conspirator, in order to coerce information about the Klingon first officer's autopsy out of him. It seems that there were some symptoms that could have arisen due to some sort of telepathic influence, and that the telepathic archives from the energy spheres could be reenacting the power struggle that had destroyed the Saltah'nan civilization. The only people who have been affected were standing in Ops when Hon-Tihl beamed on board. Odo theorizes that the anomaly tried to control him too, but that he was unaffected due to his lack of a humanoid brain; this explains his earlier seizure in Quark's Bar. Odo coerces Bashir into helping to find a way of removing the telepathic influence, promising him that the means to remove the virus is the key to seizing control of the station for themselves. This nullifies Bashir's suspicion and makes him cooperative. Back in Ops, O'Brien is still laboring to release the docking clamps, with Dax's help. Sisko steps out of his office to see how much progress is being made. The Bajoran officer that was in the infirmary earlier exchanges a glance with Dax, then takes a PADD over to Sisko. In a flash, he pulls out the device that Bashir gave him and prepares to jab it into Sisko's back, but O'Brien sees it and alerts Sisko. Dax instantly contacts Kira, revealing herself to be a conspirator; O'Brien hits her across the face and silences her. Sisko violently interrogates the Bajoran as to whether or not Kira put him up to this. He picks up the weapon the Bajoran dropped and prepares to use it on him, but at that moment Kira and her guards storm into Ops. Kira points a phaser at Sisko, telling him to drop the device. Kira commands her group to seize O'Brien and Sisko. O'Brien cautiously reaches his hand to the control panel, and both he and Sisko beam out of the room. Frustrated, Kira demands to know why Dax didn't disable the transporters, to which Dax groggily replies "I forgot." In an airlock corridor, O'Brien and Sisko find that instead of materializing on board the Valerian ship, their transporter signal has been diverted by Kira, and they are now blocked in on both sides by force fields. Despite his apprehension as to Odo's loyalty, Sisko contacts him for help. Odo uses his priority security codes to guide the pair to the cargo bay entrance at docking bay 4. After the call, both O'Brien and Sisko leave their combadges behind, so that their movements won't be traced. Meanwhile, back at Ops, Kira and Dax are confused as to why Sisko and O'Brien don't appear to be moving, before realizing that they must have discarded their combadges. Kira quickly deduces that someone has been overriding their security force fields. In anger, she contacts Odo and demands to know what side he is on. Odo coolly replies that he is with her, and that he has just trapped Sisko and O'Brien behind the impenetrable cargo bay door. Bashir, still conspiring with Odo, expresses admiration at Odo's ploy and announces that he has set up an interference signal in that cargo bay, to drive the telepathic field out of the afflicted officers. In the cargo bay, Sisko and O'Brien discover that they are trapped. Kira, Dax, and their guards make their appearance at the opposite end of the bay. Sisko admonishes Kira for her lack of gratitude, and declares that history will vindicate him. Just as Kira is about to kill Sisko, Odo and Bashir open the door that O'Brien has been trying to open. Odo tells the computer to execute his program, and a strange wave of energy passes through the air of the room. Everyone drops their weapons and, save for Odo, collapses in pain as the telepathic force is driven from their minds. Odo advises everyone to grab onto something, then opens the airlock. The energy field is sucked out of the station into space, and Odo triggers the door shut again. In the commander's office, Sisko and Kira discuss the strange clock that Sisko built during his affliction. Kira expresses deep regret for her attempted mutiny. Sisko replies "I think we'll let it go this time." Sisko then focuses his attention on the clock, starts it and seems to still be fascinated by it. 
<EOS>
It is a typical day in Ops as Major Kira and Lieutenant Dax exchange childhood stories. A Kobheerian freighter, the Rak-Miunis, arrives with a passenger who requires medical assistance for a condition known as Kalla-Nohra Syndrome. Doctor Bashir is unfamiliar with the disease, but Kira recognizes it immediately. The disease originated from a mining accident at the Gallitep labor camp, which Kira helped liberate, so she goes to greet the new arrival in the infirmary, believing him to be a Bajoran. When Kira reaches the infirmary, she finds Bashir's patient is not a Bajoran, but a Cardassian. She immediately calls for security. The Cardassian man runs past Kira and onto the Promenade only to be stopped by Constable Odo and two deputies. Kira and Bashir follow shortly and Bashir is obviously clueless. Kira informs Odo that the Cardassian is a war criminal and Odo escorts the man to the security office. In Odo's office, Kira admits to Commander Benjamin Sisko and Odo that the Bajoran Provisional Government has not listed the Cardassian, Aamin Marritza, for any war crimes. However, she is certain that there is no way to contract Kalla-Nohra Syndrome except for the mining accident at Gallitep. As she describes the brutal conditions at the camp, her voice cracks. Sisko decides to talk to Marritza alone. When Sisko asks Marritza about his illness, Marritza claims he has Pottrik Syndrome, a similar condition to Kalla-Nohra, and that his medication is the same as that which is used to treat Kalla-Nohra Syndrome. Further, he denies ever being at a labor camp, as he is a file clerk who resides on Kora II. A Bajoran prisoner in another holding cell wakes as the Cardassian speaks and yells for Odo, refusing to be held in the same room as Marritza. Back in the office, Bashir confirms that a bio-probe proved Marritza's condition is Kalla-Nohra, not Pottrik Syndrome. His conversation with Sisko is interrupted as Kira contacts Sisko to inform him that he has an incoming transmission from the Bajoran Minister of State. Bashir exits and Sisko puts Minister Kaval on his viewscreen. Kaval has contacted Sisko to congratulate and thank him for detaining Marritza. However, Sisko reminds Kaval that the Cardassian has done nothing wrong and he therefore has no reason to detain the man much longer. The minister assertively assures Sisko that the man will pay if he was indeed at Gallitep. Finding Kira in the Replimat, Sisko joins her to inform her that Odo, as Chief of Security, will take over the Marritza investigation. He acknowledges that Minister Kaval put Kira in charge, but he does not feel Kira can be objective in the investigation. While Kira acknowledges that she is not objective, she promises to handle the case fairly, as she owes it to the victims of Gallitep. Sisko reluctantly agrees and informs Odo of the change. Odo is releasing an intoxicated Bajoran as Kira enters the security office. The man, Kainon, tells Odo he wants to know when the Cardassian will be hanged. Once Kainon is gone, Odo informs Kira that he has done a background check and confirmed what little they know about Marritza so far. As Kira enters the holding cell area, Marritza finishes a bowl of sem'hal stew, which he says could use some yamok sauce. Kira commences interrogating Marritza about his claim of having "missed [the] honor" of being at Gallitep, confronting him with the results of the bioscan that proved him to have been. Promising to "make [his] lies more opaque," Marritza confesses to having served at the camp as a file clerk, without any connection to the atrocities that had taken place there under Gul Darhe'el -- even as he minimizes them, turning Kira's interrogation into a debate over the deaths being the result of fights between the workers and industrial accidents (Marritza's story) and systematic abuse and brutality (Kira's). Marritza tells Kira that it was Gul Darhe'el himself who began circulating rumors of large-scale massacres at Gallitep, based on the logic that the rumors on their own would be just as effective as having actually killed millions of Bajorans in achieving the Cardassians' main goal: "To keep you Bajorans thinking of yourselves as victims. To keep you afraid and helpless." Having revealed his relatively innocuous identity and the truth of his presence on Gallitep, he challenges Kira to release him, accusing her of being more interested in vengeance than justice. Having learned of the detention of Aamin Marritza as a Cardassian national, Gul Dukat hails Commander Sisko via subspace, demanding Marritza's release and noting that his detention breached a Federation promise to allow free and safe passage through the station and its jurisdiction. Sisko stalls for time, telling Dukat that while he would like nothing better than to release Marritza there were still some inconsistencies in his story that needed to be cleared up. Dukat gives Sisko a thinly-veiled warning about allowing Bajoran thirst for violence to create tension between the Federation and the Cardassians. He closes the channel with the warning that the Cardassians will hold Sisko responsible should "those Bajoran hatemongers get their hands on" Marritza. Meanwhile, Kira is on the Promenade, gazing out of the window. When Dax asks her what she's looking for, Kira replies "Answers." She confides in Dax that even if Marritza is just a file clerk she still wants to see him punished, and that in some way she wants him to be more than just a file clerk; to actually be something worse. As far as Kira is concerned, Marritza is guilty by virtue of simply having been on Gallitep, and that his trial and punishment would bring some "satisfaction" or closure to the Bajorans. However, Dax believes that Kira is "trying too hard to believe" what she's saying and that she already knows that punishing Marritza without reason would not serve any purpose because Kira already knows that simple vengeance is not enough. Having consulted the Bajoran Central Archives, Commander Sisko informs his senior staff that Marritza's claims are accurate: there was a filing clerk on Gallitep by the name of Aamin Marritza. A further claim, that Marritza had been teaching filing at a Cardassian military academy on Kora II, is also verified. The Archives have also sent the only known photograph of Marritza from his days at Gallitep; a very blurred image with him in the background on one side. Dax carries out an image enhancement routine which cleans up the image enough to show that the man in the brig claiming to be Aamin Marritza and the man in the picture identified as Aamin Marritza are not the same man. Examining the images of the two other Cardassians in the shot standing in profile relative to the camera, Sisko has an idea: he asks Dax to enhance one of them. The imaging program extrapolates the profile into an impression of the full face, which does match the man in the holding cell. Dax checks the photo's legend, which presents the senior staff with the revelation that the man in the photo thus identified -- and thus the man in their custody -- is in fact Gul Darhe'el. Kira immediately confronts Darhe'el with this knowledge. He accepts his fate, noting that the Bajorans "can only execute me once," and proceeds to taunt Kira with his "accomplishments." Rejecting the notion of a war crimes tribunal on the grounds that there had been no war -- the Bajorans having surrendered so quickly -- he claims that he did everything he did to wipe out "Bajoran scum" because it needed to be done, he disavows any guilt on the part of his soldiers for having carried out the atrocities in question and derides the efforts of the Bajoran resistance to liberate their homeworld, dismissing Kira's cell in particular as a mere annoyance. Kira coldly challenges him to include his revelations in his testimony to the tribunal, knowing full well that they will sentence him to death, and he replies: Shaken to the core, Kira is given a glass of Maraltian Seev-ale by Odo, who suggests that she go and lie down after the shock of the revelations she has just been forced to hear. She refuses to do so: that would be what Darhe'el would want, to send a Bajoran scurrying off to hide in a corner. She goes on to tell Odo what Darhe'el said about the Shakaar cell, leading Odo to counsel her to not to reveal that kind of personal information -- but Kira hadn't revealed her membership of Shakaar to Darhe'el during the interrogation. This sets Odo thinking: as important as Darhe'el was in the Cardassian occupational leadership, he wouldn't necessarily have known that Kira was a member of the Shakaar cell. Had he been in charge of putting down the resistance then he probably would have known, but he was in charge of a labor camp -- why would he have had that information? Realizing that something doesn't fit, Kira goes back to interrogate Darhe'el again, while Odo tells the computer to review all off-station requests for information about Major Kira within the previous eight months. Back in the holding area, Kira demands to know how Darhe'el knew of her membership in Shakaar. Darhe'el reminds her of his earlier remarks concerning Marritza's filing system and how efficient it was, claiming to remember her name from an action report having previously forgotten about it until he was reminded of it on his arrival on the station. He then challenges Kira to answer some questions of his own -- unless Kira is afraid to do so. Meanwhile, outside the security office, a group of Bajorans has gathered. Wearing the "dust-wraps" around their face that prevented Bajoran laborers from being suffocated in the mines, they are survivors of Gallitep and Gul Darhe'el's brutality, holding a vigil. Passing them (and Quark) on the way, Odo goes to the infirmary to consult with Bashir: three months previously there was a request for information on Major Kira from Kora II, by Aamin Marritza. Odo asks Bashir to look into Marritza's medical records. At this point, Dax informs Odo from Ops that Gul Dukat is responding to his subspace hail and his request for access to the Cardassian government's files on Gul Darhe'el. After reminiscing for a moment, Dukat declines Odo access to the files, but notes that they would only tell Odo what Dukat himself is telling him: Gul Darhe'el is dead, that he is buried underneath one of Cardassia's largest military monuments, and that Dukat himself attended his funeral. Odo tells Dukat that the man in his custody has admitted to being Darhe'el, shocking and enraging Dukat. He accuses Odo of a plot to discredit the Cardassians, and Odo suggests that access to Darhe'el's files would prove Dukat's case. Dukat relents, and gives Odo limited access to the files. In the brig, the prisoner whom Kira still believes to be Darhe'el asks her how many Cardassians she killed. Kira claims not to have kept count, but the prisoner suggests that she did and that she also targeted Cardassian civilians on Bajor, noting that 'one of the most effective terrorist weapons was random violence." Kira admits to regretting some of the things she did during the Occupation, but insists that she had no choice: Bajor was fighting for its survival. The prisoner claims that the Cardassians were doing the same: they had an empire to manage and protect, and had urgent need of Bajoran resources. He finishes on the note "What you call genocide, I called a day's work!" At this point, Odo arrives and asks to speak to Kira outside. He tells her that, based on the research he and Dr Bashir have carried out, the man in the cell apparently wanted to be caught. In the commander's office Kira, Odo, and Commander Sisko assemble the evidence at hand. Odo shows Sisko a death certificate for Darhe'el included among the files which Dukat gave Odo access to, that lists him as having died six years previously from a massive coleibric hemorrhage. Kira denounces the certificate as a fake, a Cardassian ruse to trick station authorities into releasing him. Odo presents further evidence supplied by Dukat showing that, on the day of the accident at Gallitep when all known cases of Kalla-Nohra Syndrome were contracted, Darhe'el was back on Cardassia being awarded the Proficient Service Medallion, and thus never actually contracted the condition suffered by the man in the cell. Odo also notes that, during the prisoner's last two weeks on Kora II, he resigned his post at the military academy, put his affairs in order -- even providing handsomely for his housekeeper -- and booked passage on a ship specifically scheduled to stop at Deep Space 9, returning him to Bajoran jurisdiction -- an unusual choice of travel plan for a Cardassian war criminal. Kira will hear none of it. Conceding the interesting question that the evidence raises, she insists that the prisoner will stand trial on Bajor. Sisko points out that the decision has still to be made, and Kira challenges him to speak to the prisoner for himself. At this point Dr. Bashir enters with additional medical evidence: aside from his receiving treatment for Kalla-Nohra, the prisoner's medical history is consistent with his relatively advanced years, with one exception. Five years previously he began taking large doses of a dermatiraelian plastiscine: a dermal regenerative agent used to maintain skin resilience after large-scale cosmetic surgery. Kira is unable to deny the obvious conclusion of all the evidence, that the man in the cell is not Darhe'el but someone who has been surgically altered to resemble him. Kira returns to the brig to confront the prisoner. She asks the prisoner how he came to contract Kalla-Nohra Syndrome when his own progress reports showed him to be on Cardassia at the time receiving the Proficient Service Medallion. The prisoner denounces the reports as inaccurate, but Kira asks him why he is taking a dermal regenerative, and even begins to fill out the gaps. Increasingly frantic in his Darhe'el role, he demands that Kira leave and yells for security to escort her out. He begins detailing how he ordered his guards to slaughter the laborers on Gallitep while "the useless office clerks were busy packing their precious files" and this prompts Kira to ask why, if that was his opinion of them did he take Marritza's name. The prisoner continues to ignore Kira's questions, proceeding to rant and rave over Bajor and the Bajorans. As she listens to him, Kira's demeanor changes, and she tells him straight: he is Marritza. With that, Aamin Marritza breaks down and sinks onto his bunk, weeping uncontrollably. Now sympathetic, Kira moves to release him: "You didn't commit those crimes and you couldn't stop them, you were only one man." But Marritza begs her not to reveal his identity, insisting that he go to trial as Darhe'el so that he can be "punished" -- that all of his people must be punished for what they did to the Bajorans. When she asks him why he's doing this, Marritza replies: Kira, now emotional herself, replies "What you're asking for is another murder. Enough good people have already died. I won't help kill another." A little later, Kira and Odo walk Marritza along the Promenade to a ship that will take him back home to Kora II. Marritza says there is nothing for him to go back to, but Kira promises that the authorities will help him get back on his feet. Marritza is bitter at Kira: as Gul Darhe'el, his trial might have helped bring about a new Cardassia; as a lowly filing clerk, he can do nothing. But Kira says that, if Cardassia is to change, it will need men of honor like Marritza to help it. Suddenly Kainon reappears from out of the crowd and stabs Marritza in the back, wounding him fatally. Odo apprehends him before Marritza even hits the floor, and a distraught Kira demands of Kainon: 
<EOS>
It is a regular morning aboard Deep Space 9 with Keiko O'Brien heading to school as Chief O'Brien heads to work. The two discuss the sweet taste of a jumja stick, and Miles's Bajoran assistant Neela. Later, Keiko begins teaching the children about the Bajoran wormhole. As the lesson begins, a Bajoran religious leader by the name of Vedek Winn suddenly enters the classroom and asks Keiko to continue. Keiko continues to talk about the wormhole in a scientific way, however Winn argues against the lesson telling Keiko the wormhole is actually the Celestial Temple and the entities living there are the Prophets. Keiko explains that while she appreciates the Bajorans believe these things, she is teaching the children science and not spiritual beliefs. Winn tells Keiko that what she is doing is teaching blasphemy, and warns that she will not allow her to continue. O'Brien is late arriving to supervise Neela in fixing a junction, but she has already completed it and is ready to test. O'Brien tests it, and is impressed, ready to close the panel. However, he is missing his EJ-7 interlock from his case. He'll have to find it. Winn immediately starts to gain support among the Bajoran civilians who live on the station, while Keiko goes to meet with Commander Sisko. Sisko admits that he felt this situation was going to crop up eventually, and admits he sometimes wonders if they can find the common ground needed to help Bajor's admission into the Federation. He asks Kira to join the meeting, and asks her about Winn. Kira explains that Winn is a member of an orthodox Bajoran religious order who is currently in the running to take-up the vacant post of Kai, although she isn't expected to succeed. Kira then admits that she supports both Winn's candidacy as well as her viewpoint regarding teachings about the wormhole and asks Keiko if she would be willing to revise the school curriculum or consider having a separate school for Bajoran children, but Keiko outright rejects both ideas. Sisko suggests that Keiko teach the spiritual beliefs surrounding the wormhole in addition to her current lesson plan, but Kira reminds him that there's two completely different philosophies at the center of the debate. Keiko argues that she isn't trying to teach any philosophy, but Kira states that choosing to talk about the wormhole from a purely scientific point of view is a philosophy in itself. She's unsure if the situation can be resolved. Commander Sisko decides to go visit Vedek Winn while she is at the Bajoran Shrine, however he is made uncomfortable when she addresses him as the Emissary of the Prophets. He asks her not to call him that, but she tells him he has taken up a deeply important role in the Bajoran faith, and how she was punished by Kai Opaka when she questioned why a non-believer was the one to find the Prophets when she (Winn) would have done anything to meet them. Wishing to get to the heart of the matter, Sisko asks Winn if she is willing to discuss her issues with the school, but Winn tells Sisko that she is acting on behalf of the Prophets and that there will be serious consequences if Keiko does not back down from her position. O'Brien is determined to find the tool he is missing, as it could be used to access critical systems. Lieutenant Dax then reports that Ensign Aquino, an engineer, failed to report for duty, so they try to use the computer to locate the tool by looking for tritanium. In a maintenance tunnel on Level 12, Section 8, Neela finds a blob of sludge in a power conduit, and analysis by Dr. Bashir reveals that it is the remains of both Ensign Aquino and the EJ-7 interlock. They had apparently been incinerated by a power surge while Aquino worked on the power conduit at 4 AM that morning. As O'Brien is walking Keiko to school, he stops at a stand for his usual morning jumja stick, but the Bajoran vendor refuses to sell him one, because of Keiko. Moving on to the schoolhouse, they meet Vedek Winn outside the school, where she has gathered a group of Bajoran parents and children. Vedek Winn attempts to negotiate in public: she will not object to Keiko teaching a non-spiritual viewpoint of the Wormhole, if Keiko simply does not teach about the Wormhole at all. Keiko replies that it is her job to open children's minds to knowledge, not to hide it from them. Keiko asks if Vedek Winn will also object to teaching of evolution, and of the origin of the universe. Winn leaves with the Bajoran contingent, officially boycotting the school. The last five of her students are remaining. The senior staff is assembled to discuss Aquino's death. O'Brien gives a plausible theory, except he doesn't believe Aquino took his tool without asking, and the repair could have waited. It's an odd situation. Sisko suggests Odo look into it. After the meeting, Jake Sisko tells his father about school. Keiko continues to teach her remaining five students about Galileo, and how he was tried by the Inquisition for his belief that Earth revolved around the Sun. Jake makes the connection between the story of Galileo and current events on the station. He tells his father that the current controversy is stupid, and asks where the Bajorans get such ideas. Commander Sisko, however, points out that the Bajoran religion is quite reasonable in light of the Wormhole and the nature of the Prophets, and counsels Jake to be tolerant of the beliefs of other cultures. Sisko, attempting to heal the rift between Starfleet and the Bajorans on Deep Space 9, travels to the planet to meet with Vedek Bareil, the favored candidate to replace Opaka as Kai. Unlike Winn, Bareil is forward-thinking and personable however he is unwilling to arrange an audience for Sisko with the Vedek Assembly since being seen to ally himself with the Federation will certainly harm his chances of being elected. Bareil promises that if he is elected Kai, he will be able to show friendship then but right now can do nothing to help. Upon returning to the station, Sisko is angry to find that three Bajoran crewmembers have refused to report for duty. He asks Kira for her opinion, and she tells him that as far as she's concerned the only reason the Bajoran government haven't asked the Federation to leave is because if they do the Cardassians will certainly return to retake Bajor and claim the wormhole. Sisko, angered that all his apparent efforts to bridge the gulf with the Bajorans over the past several months have fallen short, orders Kira to get the Bajorans back to work immediately. Further analysis of Ensign Aquino's remains by Dr. Bashir reveals that Aquino was not killed by the discharge in the power conduit. Instead, Aquino had already been killed by phaser fire. In Sisko's office, he wonders to his staff if the murder is related to the school issue, but Aquino was killed before Winn arrived. Furthermore, Odo reports he was actually headed to Runabout pad C, not to the power conduit. O'Brien and Neela go to check the runabouts, but Neela reports that she has already performed the diagnostic that O'Brien would have. It appears normal, and so they sit down to think. After a brief chat about how Starfleet and Bajoran officers don't socialize, Neela says O'Brien is easy to work with since he's not fake, and compliments him. He dismisses her, thinking about what his wife was saying earlier. Odo and Quark observe the Promenade as a deputation of Orthodox vedeks arrives on the station, summoned by Winn to support her boycott of the station's school. Odo asks if Quark knows anything about Aquino's murder. Quark says he does not, but agrees to "keep [his] ears open." O'Brien then approaches Odo and says he has found evidence of tampering at Runabout Pad A, but is confused because Pad C, where Aquino's body was found, was clean. Odo says it makes sense: Aquino surprised his murderer in the act of tampering with Pad C, and after killing him, the murderer switched his plan to Pad A. The tampering seemed intended to allow the murderer to steal a runabout, but none are missing. Odo is confused: "he  goes through a lot of trouble to defeat the security net, and then doesn't go through with his plans." Before he can pursue this line of thought further, a bomb goes off in the schoolhouse. O'Brien runs in panic towards the school in fear that Keiko was inside, which is blazing, but thankfully, school was not in session and no one was hurt. Sisko and several station personnel go to the school, where they are met by Vedek Winn who asks after Keiko. Sisko, knowing that Winn was likely connected to if not directly responsible for the bombing, tells her that he's holding her responsible for the recent act of terrorism and informs her of his belief that, since her order is rarely listened to on Bajor she has instead began the school issue to gain more support. Winn in response accuses Sisko (and, by extension, the Federation) of wishing to destroy the Bajoran way of life. Sisko denies the accusation, and makes an impassioned speech where he speaks of how the Federation and Bajoran people have worked hard together over the last several months, and regardless of if they're having a discussion or an argument they still come away with a better understanding of each other. He finishes by telling Winn that her attempts to cause trouble won't succeed, and the Bajorans will eventually bring their children back to school. She simply says "we'll see" and Sisko leaves. Then, Neela and Winn exchange a look. In Ops, O'Brien discovers a secret file lodged in Deep Space 9's systems. With Dax's help, O'Brien decrypts the file (named "ANA"), and discovers that it contains the instructions to disable a series of force fields and create an escape route from the Promenade to one of the runabouts. He immediately locks down all the runabout pads to prevent anyone from using them to escape. Meanwhile Sisko is contacted by Vedek Bareil, who has heard of the bombing and decided to publicly offer Sisko his support. In the Bajoran shrine, Neela secretly meets with Vedek Winn and tells her that her plan to escape via runabout has been stopped and she now has no way to escape arrest and possible execution. Winn is uncaring, and orders Neela to proceed with their plan anyway, citing the will of the Prophets. Bareil takes Winn to the school to advocate for a peaceful resolution to the events, and she follows, soon joined by Sisko. As they speak publicly, O'Brien discovers that a security console in Odo's office has been tampered with. Suspicion falls on Neela, who had repaired the security console several days earlier, and O'Brien realizes that she tampered with the security systems so that a weapon could be smuggled onto the Promenade. O'Brien contacts Sisko and informs him of his suspicions. Scanning the crowd in front of the school listening to Bareil's speech, Sisko sees Neela drawing a phaser from her toolbox and aiming at Bareil. He charges through the crowd, which jostles Neela and spoils her first shot. Before she can fire a second, Sisko tackles her to the ground, saving Bareil's life. Odo drags Neela away, as she yells that "the Prophets spoke" and she "answered their call". Kira rounds on Winn, accusing her of orchestrating the entire school controversy just to lure Bareil to the station and have him killed, to stop him from being elected Kai. Winn turns away without responding. Later, in Ops, Sisko finds Kira in a melancholy mood at her station. He confirms that Neela has refused to incriminate Winn, and Kira says she never will, leaving them with no proof of Winn's involvement. Kira admits that she supported Winn because Kira wanted her own faith to be as strong as Winn's was. She also says that she listened to Sisko's speech on the Promenade when he faced off with Winn, and agrees that she has begun to trust him and the Federation. Sisko smiles, saying Starfleet and the Bajorans have made some progress after all. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, Odo visits Quark in his bar, but the Ferengi is much too busy to speak with him. Odo persists and asks Quark if he remembers a tip the barkeep gave him that a Subytt freighter was carrying smuggled goods. Much to Odo's surprise, when he investigated the ship, he found Quark was telling the truth and had some of the crew arrested. Odo thinks he has a hidden agenda but Quark insists he has changed and wants to call a truce. As Quark and his brother watch the Constable leave, Rom can't understand Quark's objective either so Quark quotes the seventy-sixth Rule of Acquisition, "Every once in a while, declare peace -- it confuses the hell out of your enemies." Quark is visited by an old friend, Rionoj, a female Boslic freighter captain. She asks him when the next transport to Bajor is to leave, as she has a delivery to make: a Bajoran earring. It was given to her by a Cardassian maintenance worker on Cardassia IV. Quark agrees to deliver the earring himself. The captain gives it to him, and Quark leaves her with a kiss. In her quarters, Kira Nerys is meditating. She is interrupted by the chime of the door; it is Quark. She almost refuses him entry but finally relents and gives him five seconds. He tries to flirt as she counts down the time till she's ready to throw him out. He finally comes to the point of his visit and presents her with the earring. She recognizes it immediately, snatches it from his hand, and leaves, with him still standing there. "Consider it a gift", he tells her. On the Promenade, Jake Sisko races to catch up to his father. He tells his father that he has a date with Laira, a young Bajoran girl. Benjamin thinks his son is looking for some relationship counseling but Jake says he's looking for some ideas where he can take her. Jake suggests the holosuites but Ben nixes that idea. As another option the boy wants to take her to their quarters to talk. No, no, no, his father asserts. Take her to the Promenade balcony if you want to talk. Jake complains, "But that's boring!" Just then Kira approaches Benjamin Sisko and asks him if she can borrow a runabout. Bajor is in trouble; since the loss of Opaka, there have been an increasing number of riots and civil unrest on the planet. She wants to go to Cardassia IV to rescue a Bajoran prisoner of war. She shows him the earring Quark gave her, telling him it shows the insignia of Li Nalas, one of the leaders of the Bajoran Resistance who is thought of by many Bajorans to be the greatest hero of the Occupation. Li has been missing and presumed dead, but the earring indicates that he's alive, and Kira believes it was smuggled out as a cry for help. Although the DNA on the earring matches Li's records, the Bajoran Provisional Government have refused to allow a rescue mission as they don't want to risk war with the Cardassians. She tells Sisko that Li is exactly the sort of man the increasingly factionalized Bajoran people need to lead them out the aftermath of the Occupation. It will be a dangerous mission and Sisko can only promise that he'll think about it. Over the intercom Miles O'Brien calls Sisko to one of the habitat rings. Sisko approaches Odo and O'Brien who point out another problem. Someone has sprayed the station walls with graffiti bearing the insignia of the Alliance for Global Unity, better known as 'The Circle' The extremist group wants to rid Bajor of all non-Bajorans. A troubled Sisko is worried that matters on Bajor will soon get out of hand so he orders Odo to step up security on the station. With Kira's request in mind, Sisko seeks advice from Dax in his office. He tells her that all their efforts to bring Bajor into the Federation are standing to come undone, and what Bajor needs right now is someone who can unite the factions and bring stability to the planet. Dax advises him to let Kira have the Runabout. Surprised that Dax knows the story he then wonders what they will say to the Cardassians if Kira succeeds. Dax counters with a better question, what will the Cardassians say if prisoners of war are still being held there after they promised all were freed? Sisko then decides to give Kira a runabout and hears ways to hide it from Cardassian sensors with O'Brien. Sisko then goes to Kira's quarters, and O'Brien accompanies him. He tells Kira that he wishes her luck and that O'Brien will be accompanying her on her mission into Cardassian territory. At first, Kira objects, worried that the presence of a Federation officer will only put Sisko in a bad light if they're caught. Sisko states he is willing to risk that and also states he's taking a precautionary measure to get his runabout back in one piece, as O'Brien is a better pilot. O'Brien mentions that he knows how Cardassians treat prisoners and doesn't want anyone to suffer like that. Kira reluctantly agrees saying she can use the company. Sisko and O'Brien rig a runabout to appear Lissepian on long-range scanners. As the Major and the Chief embark Kira tells Miles she wants something understood; if they don't return with Li Nalas they're not coming back at all. Miles still agrees to go. As the pair nears Cardassia IV, they are hailed by a Cardassian navigational control post, the runabout's disguised power signature having appeared as engine trouble on the post's long range sensors. Miles tells Kira that they are out of visual range and suggests they bluff their way out. Kira opens a channel and talks to the outpost. Kira first states they are having engine problems and are attempting to repair them, but the outpost offers to send a repair ship to assist them. When her efforts to decline grow suspicious, she gives the name of a Cardassian, Gul Marayn, that is waiting for her shipment. The post finally relents and closes the channel. When O'Brien inquires about the Gul she mentioned, Kira confesses she'd just made up the name at random. As they fly over the camp, O'Brien has the transporter scan for Bajoran life signs. They are both surprised when they pick up about a dozen. Since the runabout can only beam up two people at a time, once the first two dematerialize, the Cardassians will be alerted. In order to make sure they retrieve Li, they need to get inside the prison camp, where Bajorans are breaking rocks in the hot sun. Kira and Miles approach the overseer at the entrance, who demands to know what they want. Miles demands to see the camp Prefect. The overseer is uneasy about giving them entrance, so O'Brien offers him Kira's services while she flirts with him. Finally, the overseer accepts and shuts down the force field, with Miles warning that "no sampling the merchandise until the sale is complete." As Kira walks past the gate, the overseer snaps the force field back on and leaves Miles outside. He then asks to see what Kira has to offer. She starts to unbutton her blouse, then suddenly hits the Cardassian under his chin while he's distracted, knocking him out with a few more quick blows. Pulling a phaser hidden behind her back and taking the force field controller from the unconscious Cardassian, Kira lets O'Brien in and they quickly make their way to the prisoners. Li Nalas is unsure why these strangers are there. His friend Borum admits that he smuggled the earring out in order to get Li rescued. Kira and O'Brien usher the group of Bajorans out as Cardassian guards come at them with phasers blazing. Li is hit, and they take cover. The group has the grim realization that they cannot escape with all of the prisoners. Borum orders Kira to take Li back to Bajor and insists that he and three other prisoners will hold off the Cardassian troops. Reluctantly, Kira allows Borum and the others to sacrifice themselves in order to save Li and the rest of the group. Back on the station, Dr. Julian Bashir is there as they dock. Li is in need of immediate medical attention and Bashir has them beamed directly to the Infirmary. Kira meanwhile seeks Sisko out in his office and inadvertently steps in on a message from Gul Dukat. She is shocked to hear Dukat apologize for the existence of the prison camp, and assure them he will chastise the Prefect accordingly. Ben and Nerys are skeptical when he announces that all of the remaining prisoners will be released. Sisko encourages Kira to be pleased with what has been achieved. Li is amazed at the tremendous commotion he has caused on the station, as Bajorans openly stare at him in awe. Uncomfortable with the attention he admits he used to work there. An announcement is then heard of Minister Jaro's ship approaching. Kira greets the Minister as he complains that her adventure has made enemies. She has declared war on Cardassia, and they have thankfully declined it. He is adamant that the next time she disobeys orders will be the end of her military career. Then, the consummate politician soothes troubled waters by personally offering her his thanks. The Bajorans on the station crave a few words from Li and Sisko talks him into responding. After he utters a few words about a Bajor that is now free, Jaro asks to speak. Li politely stands by while the Minister asks his fellow Bajorans to never forget this day because they can tell their children and their grandchildren that this is the day Li Nalas returned to Bajor. When Sisko finally escorts Li to his quarters he tells the Commander that all he wants is a moment of privacy. This morning he was a slave and tonight he is a hero. He asks Ben what Bajor is like with the Cardassians gone. Ben tells him it is doing well for the most part. He tells Li that both he and Bajor could use his help in bringing stability to the planet. He then tells him to get some sleep and Li remarks that it sounds like he is going to need it. Meanwhile, inside his closed bar, Quark counts bars of latinum with Rom. Rom complains that the division is unfair because he only gets one bar to every six Quark gets. Quark agrees with his brother that it is very unfair then proceeds to count out one more bar for Rom and seven for himself. A frustrated Rom leaves the bar and Quark continues counting latinum when a group of strangers come in. Quark says the bar is closed but all of a sudden he is attacked by three masked figures in robes, who force him to the floor and burn the flesh on his forehead with what looks like a small branding iron, leaving behind the insignia of The Circle. When Quark gets to sickbay, Dr. Bashir heals his scar with a dermal regenerator. When the good doctor is done Quark asks Kira how he looks. She offers a polite non-answer by saying he's as handsome as always and he grins contentedly. Li is told that Quark's assailants are members of an extremist group from Bajor who call themselves The Circle. Li is appropriately shocked that Bajorans have done such a thing. Sisko explains that many Bajorans are turning to The Circle because they have grown impatient with their floundering government. Kira adds that The Circle is more organized than the government so the Bajorans look there for a leader. She adds that they need someone who will speak out against reactionaries, causing all eyes to zero in on Li. With the troubles of the station abating, Ben heads for the comfort of his quarters only to find Jake still awake. When Ben asks what's wrong the dejected youth tells his father that his Bajoran girlfriend couldn't make their date. Her dad refused to let the girl see Jake because he is not a Bajoran. Sisko tries to console his son by telling him about some of the problems Bajor is having and that he's sorry Jake has become a victim of the unrest. Nobody deserves it. Sisko then gets interrupted by a Com message, a freighter captain found a Bajoran stowaway aboard his vessel. As the captain moves aside Li Nalas steps into view. When Sisko retrieves him a short while afterward, the Bajoran hero is forced to explain he was secretly headed for the faraway Gamma Quadrant. Li painfully reveals that he was hardly a hero -- the bravery he is so famous for is based entirely on rumors. Li tells Sisko his story. When all but three of the members of his cell were killed he was the only one with a phaser so he became the point. He came to an embankment by a lake. however fell down and landed by the edge of it when suddenly Gul Zarale, one of the most hated Cardassians on the planet responsible for destroying several villages, emerged from the water having been bathing. After a few seconds of almost embarrassed silence, Zarale went for his weapon only for Li to then remember that he had his own phaser and shot the Gul dead. When Zarale's body landed on top of Li and when the other members of his cell found him, they were convinced he'd killed the Cardassian in a savage hand-to-hand fight and told everyone they encountered, despite Li trying to tell them the truth that it was entirely accidental. The story spread, and Li was soon a hero with almost every resistance victory attributed to him. His reputation was so well-known, it followed him into the labor camp where his mere presence inspired the prisoners. Li laments the fact that all his did was shoot an unarmed Cardassian in his underwear, and he is not the man the Bajorans think him to be. Sisko tells Li that despite this, Bajor does need him and that he isn't expected to perform heroic feats but just to be there for them as the Bajorans look at him and see the best they can be. Li argues that his reputation is built on a lie, but Sisko argues that instead it is a legend and that is exactly what Bajor needs now. Realizing that Sisko is right, Li agrees to assume whatever role is necessary. When Li returns from a trip to Bajor he is accompanied by Minister Jaro. Jaro announces that by a unanimous vote Li has been named Navarch. It is a new title because there were no suitable titles available. Jaro also mentions in passing that the Navarch is now the Bajoran liaison officer to Deep Space Nine -- the position currently held by Kira. "I already have a liaison officer," Sisko complains. Jaro states, "Not anymore, you don't. Major Kira is no longer assigned to this post. She's been recalled to Bajor." 
<EOS>
Benjamin Sisko discusses Kira Nerys's transfer with Minister Jaro Essa, who assures Sisko that this is a promotion, and that Li Nalas will be safer on Deep Space 9 than in the capital with everything going on with the Circle. Sisko doesn't like it and makes it known, saying he expected to be consulted. Jaro politely assuages him, but points out Starfleet would not consult them on their personnel changes. Jaro leaves with the comment that Li must be a better liaison officer. Just then, Jake Sisko calls his father to their quarters to show him that the Circle has painted their emblem on the door, obviously able to get clearance for his level. Kira is packing in her quarters, when Odo shows up to protest at her departure. She admits she doesn't want to leave, but says she'll go where she's ordered. Odo refuses to accept this, telling her to do "what she does best," and fight for what she wants. She reassures him that Li Nalas is a great man and will do an even better job than her as Sisko's liaison. Their conversation is interrupted by Dax, Bashir, O'Brien, and even Quark showing up at her quarters in quick succession on various pretexts, each reacting in his or her own way to her departure. "Is this a joke? Did you plan this?" she finally exclaims, to which Bashir says, "Nobody could have planned this!" When the door chimes yet again, she sarcastically tells whoever it is to "come on in. join the crowd!" but is taken aback to see Vedek Bareil. He apologizes for interrupting, but she tells him not to worry, the people in the room (she realizes even as she says it) are her friends. Bareil invites Kira to come to his monastery on Bajor to have some time to herself and reflect on her next step. She accepts gratefully. Reminiscing in Ops, she finds Li who admits he did not want the job. She relates how she hated her assignment to DS9 when she was first given it; now, a year later, there is nothing she wants more. Li is not sure how a Navarch will work with the Starfleet crew, but promises to work with Sisko, though no one can replace Kira. Finally she is ready to leave, and Sisko promises her that he will get her back. On Bajor, Kira has let her hair down and changed her uniform for a simple dress, but is still unable to relax at the monastery. Bareil finds her as she is adjusting, for the umpteenth time, a stepping stone over a stream on the monastery grounds. He asks her why she is so concerned with having something to do, and she replies that, from her earliest girlhood, she has always tried to be useful wherever she is or whoever she is with. Bareil invites her to try being "useless" for a little while -- to stop expecting so much of herself and start to reflect on who she really is and what she really wants. For help, he allows Kira to "encounter" one of the Bajoran Orbs for guidance. She has a series of visions in which she is denounced in front of the assembly of vedeks by Winn Adami as a blasphemer, and then she and Bareil embrace as lovers. Meanwhile, on Deep Space 9 Odo is conferring with an old friend of his in the Bajoran security forces, who says that the violence in the capital city is escalating, and that the Circle's gangs seem to melt away as soon as the security forces start looking for them. This suggests that they have powerful friends in the government. Odo's friend tells him the Bajoran Provisional Government is bringing military troops into the capital to impose martial law and put a final end to the Circle. He advises Odo to keep his eyes open. Odo reassures him, "I always do," and ends the transmission. Quark has entered his office. At first, Odo thinks he is checking on the progress of the investigation into the assault on him, but Quark is in a panic. He says the Provisional Government is on the verge of toppling, and the Federation on the verge of being expelled from Bajor, and they have to evacuate the station as quickly as possible. Odo scoffs at the idea that the Circle, "a bunch of hooligans" could cause any real trouble, but Quark has learned from his contacts that the Circle has enough weapons and supplies to mount an army. Odo, stunned, asks where the weapons are coming from, and Quark replies, from Kressari traders. Odo is baffled, since the Kressari don't even have a standing military, but Quark is confident that his information is solid. Odo asks him to find out where the weapons are going on Bajor. Quark refuses, telling Odo that he plans to leave Bajor at the first opportunity, so Odo blackmails him, offering him a choice between acting as Odo's deputy or being thrown into a cell on some trumped-up charge. On Bajor, Kira and Bareil are walking together on the grounds of the monastery. Bareil confides that, the last time he encountered the Orb, Kira was part of his vision. He asks, hesitantly, whether he appeared in her vision, and she -- lying through her teeth -- says no. They are interrupted by the sound of distant artillery in the city, warning that the violence is getting worse. Vedek Winn appears, claiming to be delighted at having Kira as a guest, and encourages her to stay for as long as she needs -- "even a week" she finishes, making it clear, without outright saying it, that Kira is not welcome. On Bajor, Sisko visits the commander of the Bajoran Militia, General Krim, and, after an exchange concerning their previous encounter at the Executive Committe, Sisko informs him of their intelligence on the Kressari. He notes that the military does not seem to be engaging the Circle as much as expected. Krim responds they are hesitant to fight other Bajorans, but Sisko also notes that the Provisional Government needs the military. He becomes convinced that the military will not support the Provisional Government if the Circle attempts a coup. At the end of the conversation, he asks for help in getting Kira re-assigned. Krim says that's not in his control, but notes that Sisko did not try to use his earlier intelligence to trade favors. On DS9, the crew interdicts a Kressari freighter and closely inspects its cargo, but without finding any weapons on board. Li, getting over his nervousness, makes his first real communications as first officer to the angry freighter's captain. Appearing to give in to the captain's angry protests, the Ops crew allows the vessel to depart, with Odo stowing away as a rat. While on Bajor, Sisko also visits Kira. She says she heard the gunfire in the distance, and he warns her to keep her ears open down there. Shortly after he leaves, however, several masked members of the Circle kidnap her. Kira regains consciousness in the Circle's underground headquarters. Jaro appears, revealing himself as the true force behind the Circle, preparing to mount a coup d'etat and take control of the Bajoran government. Li Nalas, a popular hero, might have objected to his plan, hence his assignment to DS9. Jaro says he shouldn't have to explain his reasons to Kira, since she shares his contempt for the Provisional Government -- "provisional" being just another word for "powerless."  He refuses to let the Bajoran people be powerless, and wants all alien influences, be they Cardassian or Federation, expelled from Bajor. What he wants to know from her, he explains, is what Sisko, and the Federation, will do when the coup is revealed. Kira refuses to talk, and he replies that, for all the hatred he has of the Cardassians, they have taught him a few useful interrogation techniques. She is led away. Aboard the Kressari freighter, Odo watches from the shadows as a shipment of weapons is beamed on board, along with a Cardassian gul, who signs off the shipment with a thumbscan on the captain's manifest pad. He decides to steal the pad for evidence. Aboard DS9, Kira's disappearance is being discussed by the crew. Quark appears, protesting at Odo's blackmail, but revealing that his underground contacts have located the Circle's headquarters for him: the caverns beneath the Perikian Peninsula. Sisko orders a security team to meet him at a runabout pad, and Li insists on coming along, since he owes Kira for rescuing him from the Cardassians' labor camp. Slipping into the caverns, Sisko, Li, Bashir, and a team of Bajoran security guards are drawn by the sound of Kira's screams of pain. In a brief firefight with the heavily-armed terrorists, the rest of the party holds them off, while Bashir pins a Starfleet combadge on Kira, allowing them all to be transported to safety. In the infirmary aboard DS9, Bashir is treating Kira's wounds, as she insists to Sisko that Li is the only person who can convince the Chamber of Ministers to take action against Jaro. At that moment, Odo returns, having "borrowed" the Kressari captain's manifest pad, and informing them that the Cardassians are secretly arming the Circle (though the Circle is unaware of who they are really getting their weapons from). Once the Circle takes power, and the Federation is expelled from Bajor, the Cardassians will return and re-occupy the planet. Li says he has to do something, but Sisko contacts Dax in Ops, who says that all communications to Bajor have been cut off, and a squadron of Bajoran assault vessels are coming up from the surface, carrying an occupation force. "Then it has started." Kira remarks somberly. Jaro pays a visit to Vedek Winn, asking for her public support for his movement. Winn insists that he provide her with favor in return. Jaro promises that he will make her the next kai, suggesting that their shared orthodox views make them a "match made by the Prophets." Winn agrees to Jaro's suggestion, but demands a greater role in the forthcoming government, suggesting shared leadership with Jaro. In his office, Sisko confers with Starfleet Admiral Chekote over subspace communication, informing him of the situation and warning him that if the Circle is allowed to take power, they will effectively be handing the Cardassians control of the wormhole. Chekote is troubled, but is forced to conclude that the Prime Directive applies: the Bajorans' power struggle is entirely internal to Bajor, even if the Cardassians are fanning the flames. He orders Sisko to keep out of the conflict, and evacuate the station. Outside, in Ops, Sisko asks how long it will take to evacuate the station. O'Brien says, maybe a few hours; when Sisko clarifies that he means a complete evacuation -- a total removal of the Federation's entire presence -- O'Brien says that that could take as long as a week, but the assault vessels will be docking with the station in only seven hours. Sisko notes gravely, "Then I guess some of us won't be gone by the time they get here." 
<EOS>
As the Bajoran assault vessels approach Deep Space 9, Sisko convenes with his crew in Ops and announces his intention to stay and defend the station. He will allow anyone who wishes to leave to evacuate along with the station's civilian population, but the entire crew volunteers to stay with him and fight. Various station residents react differently: Quark decides to sell seats on the evacuation vessels to desperate civilians, by bribing less desperate ones (starting with his brother, Rom) to stay behind and wait for the later vessels to depart. Jake Sisko and Nog realize that they will be leaving on separate runabouts bound for two different colonies, but are determined to stay friends. Keiko O'Brien urges her husband, Miles to leave with her and Molly, but to no avail. In Ops, Li Nalas suggests that the Lunar V base may have Bajoran raiders that can deliver the pad evidence to the Chamber of Ministers. Unfortunately, it was ten years ago that his forces hid them from the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor. It's unclear they are there and fly. Kira is willing to be dropped off so she can try, and Dax can help her with the technology. Just then, Odo drags Quark in to explain his plan. Sisko angrily grabs him, but then Dr. Bashir calls in to report the consequences of Quark's dealings. A flood of passengers surround the docking bay, thanks to his careless booking. Sisko goes and unsuccessfully tries to calm them, but Li steps forward and manages to calm the crowd by making an appeal for Bajoran unity. As the last evacuation vessel departs, Quark rushes to the airlock, dragging a trunk filled with latinum and insisting that Rom is holding his seat for him. Bashir calmly informs him that Rom gave his seat away to a dabo girl, and has escaped the station and left Quark behind. Once the occupation force from the Bajoran Militia arrives, the station appears deserted, with no sign of a Federation presence, but General Krim is highly suspicious. His forces set up a base in Ops, and find that the security net is disabled and the Federation crew is unaccounted for, leading him to believe they are still aboard. In particular, he tells the crew to scan the air ducts for organic matter, knowing all about Odo and his shape-shifting abilities. The USS Rio Grande drops Kira and Dax off on Lunar V and, after a while, locate one of the raiders. They get to work immediately. Dax mentions she is intent not to have to get stuck eating the local palukoo, as she finds she is allergic. Minister Jaro hails the station, and Krim's over-confident lieutenant, Colonel Day Kannu, proudly informs him that the station has been captured, intact and without casualties. Krim takes over and tells Jaro that their victory is not complete until the station's crew has been accounted for. Jaro orders Krim to capture Li Nalas alive, knowing that he will be an invaluable ally if they can win him over to their side, but dead, he would be a martyr. Back on Bajor, Minister Jaro promises Winn that if the Circle's coup succeeds, he will ensure she is elected kai. Kira and Dax manage to get the craft working, and Dax thanks Tobin Dax, whose knowledge she leaned on. Dax judges the engine not to be able to come back on again, so they quickly seat and start to take off. In Sisko's office, Krim considers his position, and that of the hiding Starfleet forces. Day wants to take them head-on, and argues with him. Just then, the station's sensor array is sabotaged. Krim's suspicions are confirmed, and the soldiers begin a sweep of the station. Meanwhile, the Starfleet crew, in civilian clothes, breaks with rations and waits for movement. Odo reports a team moving toward cargo bay 6. Sisko orders Bashir's team to meet them, and they successfully capture their first five prisoners of war. Over the skies of Bajor, Dax is disoriented by the antiquated state of the technology, to which Kira tells her they are flying by the seat of their pants. Fighters intercept them and a dogfight ensues. Kira takes the dangerous route of going into the atmosphere in order to level the playing field. O'Brien is working on a security panel while Li covers him. One of Krim's forces pins them in, but Sisko's group comes from the docking corridor to cover them with phaser fire and a smoke screen. O'Brien and Li escape the other direction where Odo is waiting to turn into a tripwire. Meanwhile, Kira's plan successfully forces the two attackers to go to thrusters. Dax finds the phaser targeting lock is dead, so she'll have to aim manually. Kira flips the ship around and Dax eventually fires down one of the attackers. Unfortunately, the other one is still behind them and, with a hit to a plasma conduit, they are forced to land. Krim's second-in-command, Day Kannu, corners Sisko, Li and O'Brien in one of Quark's holosuites. However, it is quickly revealed to be a trap, as Sisko and others are merely holograms. The door locks behind Day and his men, and Sisko's voice informs the soldiers of the Cardassians' involvement in the Circle. Day is beamed back to Ops so he may pass the information on to Krim, but Day chooses not to reveal the information. A scan for Federation communicators reveals they are somewhere in the conduits. Kira was injured in the crash, and so orders Dax to get the evidence to the Chamber of Ministers herself. Dax refuses to leave her, so they hide from the search parties. Kira goes unconscious. On the station, Odo informs Sisko that the soldiers intend to flood the conduits with anesthizine gas. They have some time, so Sisko reveals his plan to have Li sway Krim from the "wrong side," and therefore the coup's chance of success. Li needs a little convincing, since he's not sure of his ability. Bashir and Quark's group distracts the bulk of the Bajoran forces by making some noise and surrendering. Krim orders them captured and brought to him, then retreating to the office, after which Li and Sisko capture Krim in an attempt to reason with him. Meanwhile, Kira wakes up at Vedek Bareil's monastery. Bareil had sent out search parties for them and helps them disguise themselves as vedeks to allow them to travel to the Chamber of Ministers. Once there, Jaro immediately attempts to dismiss Kira as a troublemaker. However, she confronts him and everyone there about the Cardassian involvement, at which point Vedek Winn insists on examining the new evidence. Jaro, despite realizing that if the evidence is correct then the Circle is finished, announces that he will cooperate with any investigation. Kira stands expecting more of a resistance. Upon learning of the Cardassian involvement, Krim furiously berates Colonel Day for withholding vital information from him and informs his subordinate that he is returning to Bajor to meet with the Ministers where he believes he will be asked to resign. Krim gives control of DS9 back to Sisko. However, Day refuses to surrender, and attempts to shoot Sisko; Li Nalas jumps in front of him, taking the full blast. He dies from his wounds, remarking that he's off the hook after all. Sisko, O'Brien and Kira reflect on recent events after things return to normal. Kira is devastated as she believed that when Li returned things on Bajor would get better and wishes there were more heroes like him. Sisko reminds her that she's a hero herself, but Kira can't bring herself to appreciate the compliment and leaves the celebration. O'Brien questions the image that Bajorans have of Li Nalas, that everyone seems to remember him as larger than life and a military genius and yet the Li Nalas he fought with was an ordinary man. Sisko interrupts O'Brien and states that Li Nalas was the hero of the Bajoran resistance, a man who showed amazing acts of courage, fought for his people and died to ensure their freedom. That's how the Bajorans will remember him and that's how Sisko will remember him. he deserves to be remembered that way. With that, the two officers then leave to reunite with their returning families. 
<EOS>
The crew evacuates to avoid an impending plasma storm, leaving a skeleton crew. Jadzia Dax has the USS Orinoco ready in case of emergencies. Miles O'Brien and Odo are checking the station and are at the docking ring. A loud banging reveals Quark hiding in one of the ports. He goes back to the bar, but they don't see a device on the wall beeping as they leave. While monitoring the storm and securing the station, the crew receives a distress call claiming to be from a cargo ship called Ekina. O'Brien and Odo meet them, but the crew is hostile. A timid Trill named Verad and his crew (a pair of Klingon mercenaries T'Kar, Yeto and former prostitute Mareel) surprise them. T'Kar directs the takeover, forcing Odo into a locked box, and capturing O'Brien and Bashir, but not before forcing Bashir to put the box in stasis in the infirmary. The group then goes to Ops and captures the rest of the crew. In the corner, O'Brien realizes Quark probably had a hand in them getting around the security measures and notes this to Sisko. Yeto goes to Quark's bar and makes it clear he is not going according to the plan Quark understood (a business transaction), and brings him to Ops under guard. There, Verad, again timidly, states he wants the Dax symbiont. Verad explains he is bitter because he applied to be "joined" and was rejected after a lifetime of preparation. He targeted the Dax symbiont specifically, as it is the most compatible for him, and furthermore plans to escape to the Gamma Quadrant. Bashir attempts to refuse to perform the procedure, but Verad shoots O'Brien, making it clear he will hurt everyone there if he does not. He allows Bashir to tend to O'Brien briefly, and Jadzia submits in order to prevent further harm, even though it will kill her within hours. Yeto then escorts them to the infirmary, leaving Mareel and T'Kar. Verad forces Bashir to transfer the symbiont into his body while he's awake, using a neuro-electrical suppressor, and demands a monitor to watch the procedure. Bashir reluctantly puts Jadzia to sleep, asking for forgiveness. Yeto watches as Bashir performs the operation successfully, asking forgiveness from Jadzia. In Ops, the crew waits and has a quiet conversation. Demanding silence, T'Kar starts a scuffle and O'Brien is attacked. Mareel subdues Kira and gets the upper hand with a phaser. Later, Kira gets Mareel to talk. She informs them she knew Verad a long time ago and he helped her out of a bad situation, and that she loves him. She doesn't believe Sisko's point that a joined Trill is an entirely different person then before, and that she will lose him. At that point, Verad Dax appears. Bashir has Yeto act as a nurse as he tries to save Jadzia's life. Yeto resists, trying to get a rise out of Bashir, but does help him. She wakes up feeling very alone. He promises to save her, and tells her to rest. Meanwhile, Sisko tries to coax his old friend (Verad now has the memories of both Jadzia and Curzon Dax) into setting things right, first by recalling memories going back to when they first met, but eventually mentioning discovering the Bajoran wormhole, one of Jadzia's memories. This gives him pause, but he says it's too late, that the integration is already happening and the symbiont is too weak to undergo the procedure again. He then justifies it by saying he wants to benefit many worlds in the Gamma quadrant with his knowledge, including Jadzia's memories. Mareel questions why Verad is entertaining the conversation at all and gets a snap retort from Verad -- she begins to realize how much he has changed, but continues to remain loyal to him. Sisko realizes Verad intends to let Jadzia die, and ends their friendship abruptly. This affects Verad. Verad's group waits the storm for safe passage to the wormhole. Meanwhile, Mareel attempts to give O'Brien a Senarian egg broth to help him with his strength, which he reluctantly accepts. Mareel looks up to Verad, who is thinking alone, and Sisko again tries to convince her he's changed more than she realizes. She stays loyal, but the talk gets heated. Seeing this, Verad comes out from Sisko's office, but she assures him everything is fine. Just then, Quark attacks T'Kar, and pretends to be injured so he is taken to the infirmary. Verad orders Mareel to take him down. There, Quark squeals and signals to Bashir to "run some further tests." Mareel leaves Yeto alone with him and Bashir, giving the two their opportunity. Bashir knocks him out, and Quark cracks the lock on the container Odo is in, noting its Delgorian locking mechanism. Mareel goes to Verad and they plan their escape. Verad wants to ensure she is safe, however, when Mareel mentions them being together, he is reluctant to reciprocate. Now, Mareel is doubtful. Once Verad realizes Yeto is subdued, he guesses that Odo is free and immediately heads for his ship with T'Kar. He takes Kira as a hostage just in case. Mareel wishes him luck, staying behind. Verad bids Sisko farewell, wishing they could stay friends, but Sisko promises him they'll be seeing each other again. This stuns Verad a bit, but he leaves. Sisko goes to Mareel again, asking about the rendezvous since he knows it will never happen. She's now convinced Verad lied to her about the rendezvous, which he has never done, and finally accepts that the "new" Verad is no longer the man she loves.  Sisko promises that he will save both Verad and Jadzia by removing the symbiont from one and replacing it in the other. Mareel relents and surrenders her phaser and communicator, but promises to kill Sisko if Verad is not brought back alive. He believes her. By the time Verad reaches his ship, Odo has released the docking clamps, leaving him stranded. Verad runs when he sees Odo, leaving T'Kar to be overpowered by Odo and Kira. Verad heads for a different runabout in a neighboring airlock, but runs into Sisko and the two have a stand off. Believing that Sisko will not shoot his old friend in fear of harming the symbiont, Verad begins to walk away, but Sisko shoots him anyway, declaring, "Don't call me Benjamin." Fortunately, Bashir successfully reverses the symbiont's host, and Verad wakes up without it. He is very shaken up, despite Mareel's devotion and her promise that she will never leave his side.  Meanwhile, Jadzia wakes up on the next table and gratefully embraces Sisko.  She confides that the symbiont's brief contact with Verad has given her his memories - "and it's all so sad". Even though the procedure has been reversed, Verad is now part of the Dax symbiont forever. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir sits down at his usual table at the Replimat with Garak, and once again tries to figure out if Garak is a spy on the station with some thinly-veiled language about his clientele. Garak laughs it off, as he always does. When a young Cardassian boy, wearing a Bajoran earring and escorted by a Bajoran man, sits down near them, Garak cannot resist commenting on it. He goes over to the man and says what a nice boy he has. The boy bites Garak's hand, and shies away. After making sure Garak's hand is not severely damaged, the doctor reports to ops, and tells the senior staff about the incident. Everyone is baffled; then Gul Dukat calls on subspace to ask about the incident. When Commander Benjamin Sisko skeptically asks Dukat how the news reached him so quickly, Dukat changes the subject. He says the boy is one of the many war orphans left behind when the Cardassians left Bajor. He asks Sisko to investigate this incident, since he is trying to get the orphans returned to Cardassia. Sisko agrees. First, Sisko talks to the father, Proka Migdal. He is initially agitated, thinking that Garak filed a complaint and they want to arrest him. When Sisko explains they just want to talk, he relaxes slightly. He wishes that the Cardassians would have paid as much attention to his boy then as they want to now. He insists that he adopted Rugal so that Rugal wouldn't have to suffer for the mistakes of others, and that Garak should have minded his own business. The doctor points out that the boy was terrified of Garak, and that he was probably raised to hate Cardassians. The father agrees that Rugal hates Cardassians, because the facts alone would -- and should -- make him hate Cardassians. He loves his son, just as if he were his own flesh and blood, and considers him a Bajoran. Continuing the investigation, Doctor Bashir talks to Zolan, a trader who knows the family well. He is evasive, but when the doctor presses him, he explains that he had visited the family a few times when the father was looking for a new job. He tells Bashir that Rugal is being raised in a terrible way -- being told every day that he is horrible for being a Cardassian -- and that the parents are taking out their revenge against all Cardassians on the boy. When Sisko and Bashir confront Proka, he is outraged, saying he has done nothing. Sisko accepts his word, but has Rugal stay with the station's school teacher Keiko O'Brien for the time being. Rugal says he didn't do anything wrong when his father brings him out. He is nervous, but finally goes with Sisko and Bashir when the father says they won't hurt him, because they're Human, not Cardassian. Back in the infirmary, Doctor Bashir heals Garak's hand, and mentions Gul Dukat's attempt to resolve the war orphan predicament. Garak laughs and begins a line of questioning of his own. He plants in Bashir's mind that Dukat's story should not be believed: Dukat was in charge of the withdrawal from Bajor, therefore it is his fault that the children were left behind, so why is he trying to get them returned home? Back in ops, Sisko is explaining to Dukat that it may not be very simple to send Rugal back to Cardassia. When the doctor arrives, Sisko asks Dukat to look up the boy's DNA to search for any surviving relatives, in case he does decide to send him home. Dukat agrees, then Doctor Bashir interrupts. He asks Dukat why he chose to leave the children behind. Dukat is not pleased, and explains that he was ordered to do it by the civilian leadership of Cardassia and had no choice. Bashir corrects him, and states that the civilian leaders do not have such detailed control of the military. When Dukat asks where he got this information, he admits it was from Garak. Dukat tells Bashir to tell Garak he had no choice, and cuts off the viewscreen. Sisko asks why the doctor presumptuously interrupted his conversation with Dukat. Bashir explains that Garak thinks Dukat is lying -- which he had to deduce, since Garak doesn't actually tell him anything. Sisko is not pleased, but lets him off with a rebuke. Meanwhile, in the O'Briens' quarters, Chief O'Brien is initially uneasy around Rugal given his own experiences with Cardassians, and is aghast to learn that Keiko allowed Molly to play with him. Keiko warns him that she doesn't appreciate his prejudiced attitude. Later that night, Rugal is unable to sleep and Miles takes the chance to talk to the boy (who denies being abused) about his situation. O'Brien asks if it's hard on him being Cardassian. Rugal becomes defensive, saying he was born that way and it isn't his fault. The chief rephrases his question: "Isn't it hard to live with people who hate you?" Rugal answers that his parents hate other Cardassians, not him, and they have done nothing wrong to him. When he asks what Miles thinks of Cardassians, the chief explains that he can't generalize an opinion about an entire race -- he has met Cardassians he didn't like, and Cardassians he did like. Rugal doesn't understand how the chief could feel that way, since the Cardassians killed ten million Bajorans, and wishes he were Bajoran. In the middle of the night, Garak sneaks into Bashir's quarters and says that they need to go to Bajor now. The doctor wakes Sisko up and tries to explain, not very coherently, that he and Garak need a runabout right away to go to Bajor for something important, which Garak won't tell him. At the same time, Ops informs Sisko through the com that there is a communication for him from Gul Dukat. He informs Sisko that the boy's DNA has identified him as the son of a prominent politician, Kotan Pa'Dar, who is still alive -- so the boy is actually not an orphan. Pa'Dar is heading to the station to reclaim him. Sisko repeats that it's not that simple; the boy wants to go back to Bajor, and he won't send him to Cardassia against his will. Pa'Dar will have to wait for the investigation to finish. Bashir points out that Garak's urgency, the trader who made the accusation of abuse vanishing, and the news about Pa'Dar can't be a coincidence, and Garak must know something. This convinces Sisko to give them the runabout. Garak and Bashir head down to an orphanage for Cardassian children and ask about Rugal. The person in charge says that since Rugal's adoption occurred eight years ago, when the Cardassians were still in charge, she probably doesn't have the information. Garak responds with a correction that Cardassians always keep meticulous records, and if they would let him use their computer, he might be able to find the file. When she says that the government hasn't had the resources yet to repair her computer system, he offers to fix it himself. After repairing the computer, Garak downloads all the provincial records into a data clip. This again makes Bashir skeptical that Garak isn't a spy. The wind is taken out of Garak's sails, however, when he spots a couple of Cardassians watching him, with a young girl asking if he's there to take them back to Cardassia. Garak has to regretfully inform them that, no, he has not come to take them home. When they are in orbit, Dr. Bashir gets tired of being strung along. He has the computer shut down the runabout's engines and demands that Garak give him some information. Garak explains that Dukat had to leave behind the children, as orphans have no status in Cardassian society. This isn't enough for Bashir, who demands some answers or they will sit there until they rot. With that ultimatum, Garak plays another round of twenty questions. He helps Bashir put it all together: Pa'Dar was one of the most notable civilian leaders at the time, and was involved in the decision to end the occupation and evacuate Bajor; Gul Dukat lost his job as prefect when that happened, so he hates Pa'Dar; and now, mysteriously, this boy turns up, and Dukat coincidentally finds out it is Pa'Dar's long lost son. Pa'Dar shows up on the station, and Chief O'Brien talks to him before he sees Rugal. He explains that the boy hates everything he is, and probably won't react well to see him. Pa'Dar insists that he is the boy's father, so all of that will change. He explains that on his son's fourth birthday, a bomb blew up their house, and the father was convinced he was dead. Family is very important to Cardassians, he says, and he has come here despite the disgrace it will bring him (because there is no excuse for "losing" a member of his family) for that reason. When Rugal walks in, he is scared and stunned. He doesn't remember his father's face, and wants nothing to do with him, despite his father's pain and explanation of what happened. He says his father deserved his pain, and that his son is dead; he will never go back to Cardassia. The next fight is between Pa'Dar and Proka. Pa'Dar demands that no Bajoran court rule on the custody hearing. After some loud words, Sisko suggests an arbitrator, and both suggest him. Pa'Dar accepts, and then Odo informs him that Gul Dukat has just arrived on the station. Dukat explains he has come to observe the hearing, because there is great interest in the case at high levels of the Cardassian government. He wants to see Rugal reunited with his father. He says the disagreements between him and Pa'Dar are not relevant; it is the children who are important. Since Sisko is trying to stall for time to give Bashir and Garak more time to search the files, he asks Pa'Dar to again revisit the events from eight years ago. The doctor and Garak, however, aren't having any luck. Garak soon realizes it is because Dukat probably purged the file on Rugal, since there was something in it he didn't want anyone to see. So, he looks for -- and finds within seconds -- the person who created the file, Jomat Luson. While Sisko asks Rugal what he remembers about his adoption and gets nothing, the doctor and Garak talk to Jomat. She remembers Rugal well, because his case was very unusual. Bajorans usually brought in the Cardassian children from the streets, but Rugal was turned in by a female Cardassian military officer who was attached to Terok Nor. Also, the officer knew the child's name. Garak helps the doctor put together the last pieces, and they go to the hearing. With Sisko's permission, Bashir asks several questions. He gets O'Brien to reiterate the humiliation Pa'Dar is feeling, and when asked, Pa'Dar says it will be the end of his career when it is revealed to the people. Not only that, but the timing is very bad, considering there is an inquiry about to begin concerning an attempted military coup on Bajor. It just so happens that Dukat is one of the key witnesses in that inquiry. Dukat objects, and says it is irrelevant. Bashir quickly changes his line of questioning, and asks Dukat if he has ever been to the orphanage center where Rugal was adopted. He says no. That center, he explains, is located where Pa'Dar was living eight years ago. Rugal was brought in by a female Cardassian military officer, who seemed to know the child. Perhaps she knew he wasn't an orphan. When Dukat says he knows nothing about that, Bashir points out that the female officer was attached to Terok Nor, which was Deep Space 9's name under the Cardassians. The question for Dukat was: who was the commanding officer of Terok Nor eight years ago? Dukat walks out; he was that commanding officer. Pa'Dar thanks Sisko for salvaging his political career; Dukat will not make these events public, so this is a stalemate instead of a great loss. With a few words of encouragement from Miles O'Brien, Rugal goes with his father, hesitant, but willing. When the doctor asks Garak why he helped to defeat Dukat, he is evasive, as usual. If you can find all the details, he says, you can put it together yourself. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir and Lieutenant Dax are in the infirmary, testing a wheelchair designed for Ensign Pazlar. Dax expresses amazement that the specifications are even in the replicator's database, saying she hasn't seen a wheelchair in over three hundred years. Bashir reveals that they weren't. It was, in fact, Pazlar herself who had sent him the design, due to the fact that her normal anti-grav unit won't work on Deep Space 9, a situation that Bashir likens to the troubles they had with integrating Starfleet cargo lifts. Before they can discuss it further, Major Kira chimes in over the comm system, informing Bashir that the Yellowstone has just docked at airlock 14. The doctor responds, telling her they're on their way, before taking the wheelchair and heading out with Dax. On the Promenade, Bashir tells Dax how Ensign Pazlar must have had a hard time even getting to the station, since she grew up on a planet with such a low surface gravity. Before Dax can reply, Chief O'Brien interrupts them, explaining that he has done the best he can with installing ramps but that the Cardassian design has made it difficult. Bashir explains he has also been making some modifications to her chair, but O'Brien points out there are still a lot of places where she won't be able to get to. Dax suggests they can help her by using the transporter but, as Bashir explains, Melora Pazlar won't have it. She insists on getting about, herself, once her basic needs are met, a stipulation that Bashir greatly admires. He goes on to say that he has examined all of her medical files, in preparation, then checks with the chief that her quarters are all ready. "I even have the bumps on the head to prove it," the chief jokes, commenting on the low-gravity system he has installed. In the airlock, Melora is experiencing some difficulty walking. Using a walking stick, she makes it to the entrance-way before Dax and Bashir appear round the corner. "Ensign Melora Pazlar reporting for duty," she greets. Dax introduces herself and Bashir, though Melora already recognizes him from their subspace communications. She notices her wheelchair, or "trolley car" as she calls it, and begins walking towards it. Dax offers her some assistance but Melora abruptly refuses it. Taking a seat in the chair, she notices that it is different from the one she has practiced on. Bashir clarifies, saying he wanted to give her as much mobility as possible, but offers to change it back if that would help. "No, I'll adapt," she adamantly replies, before driving it down the hall. As they walk over one of the ramps O'Brien installed earlier, Dax explains she will be accompanying Melora on her upcoming survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant at the request of Commander Sisko. Melora objects, taking it as a sign the Commander thinks she needs extra help to get the job done, but Dax points out the Commander wouldn't let any ensign take a runabout into the Gamma Quadrant the day after they arrive. As the group approaches Melora's quarters, she rather apathetically asks Bashir if he has made any modifications to her quarters, as well. He courteously replies that everything is as she requested it. With that, Melora says it was nice to meet them and heads over the ramp and into her room. Dax and Bashir exchange a confounded look before heading off, themselves. In Quark's, a Yridian man named Ashrock is admiring one of the Rings of Paltriss. He says there are only eighty of them and Quark just happens to have forty two in his possession, but wants one hundred and ninety nine bars of gold-pressed latinum for them. Quark proposes they "seal the deal" over a drink and so goes behind his bar to grab a bottle. As he approaches the doorway to his bar, a shady figure enters. Quark immediately recognizes him and is visibly unnerved by his presence. Fallit Kot is his name, and in a typical Quark way, he begins to flatter him with compliments though he isn't buying it. Leaning in closer, he tells Quark that he has business with him, that he has come to kill him. Meanwhile, in Sisko's office, Bashir and Dax are discussing Melora's situation with the commander when she arrives in Ops. She wheels her way over to Sisko, who welcomes her to the station. Seeing Bashir and Dax, she asks if she is late, if the meeting has already begun but Sisko says he was just being informed about her request to pilot the runabout alone, something she expresses a wish to have been involved in. The commander states he regularly has briefings from his senior staff regarding personal issues and this one is no different. As they enter Sisko's office, she apologizes for sounding overly sensitive and explains that she is used to being shut out of the "Melora problem", though she believes there is no Melora problem until people create one. She further objects to Doctor Bashir being present, saying she doesn't want to be treated like someone who is ill, though Commander Sisko doesn't see anyone doing that. "Try sitting in the chair, commander," she argues. "No-one can understand until they sit in the chair." Calming down slightly, she illustrates the struggle she has been through since leaving her homeworld, that she has always spent her time in one chair or another since. She shows her cane to Sisko and explains it is made from the wood of a garlanic tree and that her family gave it to her when she left. She reveals how only a handful of Elaysians have ever left her planet, but she knew she wanted to be one of them, how she dreamed of exploring the stars when she was a child and that no chair or Cardassian station is going to stop her from attaining that dream. Sisko admires her but reiterates his concerns about sending her into the Gamma Quadrant alone. Melora says she can focus on the job better but Sisko denies her request; Lieutenant Dax is going with her. They are due to leave tomorrow at 0730. A little while later, Bashir visits Melora's quarters and asks her how she is finding the low gravity environment they have created for her. She describes the experience as "like slipping into a hot tub at the end of the day." Bashir jokes that he is a shower man himself before examining a photo on the desk, showing her and another man. He asks if it's her husband or boyfriend but she doesn't answer him. Instead, she apologizes for her choice of words in the commander's office. She says she didn't mean to attack Bashir directly. He knows that she didn't mean any personal offense by it but nonetheless points out that she does a lot of "attacking", an attribute that she demonstrates when scorning Bashir's offer of friendship by telling her to call him Julian instead of Doctor. He makes her realize how others perceive her, how she is always on the defensive, and then surprisingly, asks her out to dinner at the new Klingon restaurant on the Promenade. She accepts, much to his delight. In his bar, Quark is hard at work trying to appease his latest "customer" with a delicious home-cooked meal, starting with Vak clover soup. Quark's "former associate" picks up the dish and pours the soup onto the floor, right in front of Quark. Still thinking he can change his mind, Quark offers up some Jumbo Vulcan mollusks sauteed in Rhombolian butter. Kot takes a bite as Quark explains the game of dabo and how his two "excellent tutors" (dabo girls) can show him how to play. In an attempt to change his mind, Quark makes it clear that he wants Kot's stay on the station to be as pleasurable as possible and, to that end, proposes a toast to "old friends". "To old debts," replies Kot. At the Klingon restaurant, Bashir orders some racht, a double order of gladst without the sauce and a side order of zilm'kach. He hands a plate to Melora but she is immediately offended by it. Bashir, thinking her reaction is due to how the food looks, reassures her it tastes good, but that's not what she means. Speaking in fluent Klingon, she barks at the chef to provide racht where she can see the blood running through the veins. The Klingon laughs, noting, "I like a customer who knows what she wants," and snatches the plate from Bashir, flinging it and the food behind him. After a few seconds spent behind his kiosk, he returns with some live racht, as ordered. "There's nothing worse than half-dead racht," Melora jokes. As Bashir finishes off the last of the racht, he recounts a story to Melora. He tells her of how, when he was ten, he and his father were trapped on Invernia II during an ionic storm, and while they were waiting it out, he found a sick Invernian girl. When the storm passed, his father went to get help but it was too late and the girl died in front of his eyes. It was only later he found out that a simple herb, which grew all around them, could have saved her life. Melora asks if that was the reason he decided to study medicine, but Bashir jokes he first decided to study tennis though he later found out he was better at medicine. She laughs at him and there is a moment of silence as they gaze into each other's eyes. Melora suddenly breaks the silence and decides it's time to go. She has an early mission in the morning and wants to get some rest. The next day, Dax is walking down the corridor on her way to meet with Melora. She presses her door chime but there is no response. She enters her quarters but she isn't there either and isn't replying to her communication attempts. The computer tells Dax that Melora is on docking level 22, section 14. When she arrives, she finds Melora on the floor; her supports have malfunctioned. She explains how she had come to the storage bay as she wanted to get an additional astrometrics array for her upcoming mission, but wasn't paying attention and fell. In the infirmary, Bashir is tending to Melora's minor injuries. He tells her they aren't serious, though she'll have to postpone her mission to the Gamma Quadrant until tomorrow. She is upset with herself, saying that, if she had just paid attention, she would have been fine. Bashir explains to her that, in space, no-one is completely independent; they all depend on each other to some degree. When she is fit to leave, Bashir escorts Melora to her quarters. As they are walking down the corridor, he comments on some work Nathaniel Teros did thirty years ago, regarding low-gravity species. Melora recognizes his work, but discounts it as not having any practical success though Bashir thinks the principle was sound and, with modern advances, she may be able to walk in "normal" gravity in the future. As they arrive at her quarters, Melora asks him if he would like to come in. Initially hesitant, Bashir declines to allow her some time in low-gravity, but Melora invites him in anyway. Disengaging the gravity, she flies out of her chair, doing a backwards somersault in the air while Bashir looks on in amazement. She asks him to join her and the two float into the air together where he thanks her for allowing him to experience it with her. As they hang in mid-air, Melora tells Bashir that the man in the photo is her brother, before they lean in and kiss each other. The USS Orinoco arrives in the Gamma Quadrant with Dax and Melora onboard. As they lay in their course, Melora asks the computer if there are any Vulcan etudes on file then asks it to play something by Delvok. Dax confesses she doesn't see Delvok as a Vulcan, as there's too much emotion in his music, but Melora likes it. "It's pretty," she says. Turning to Dax, she asks if there is room for romance in Starfleet. Dax believes she has fallen for Doctor Bashir's "charming bedside manner". Melora laughs but, on a serious note, thinks their two species are completely different. Dax tells her, however, that she once knew a hydrogen-breathing Lothra who fell hopelessly in love with an Oxygene who were together for fifty-seven years, despite the fact they could only spend forty minutes a day in the same room as each other. Melora tells Dax of two Academy friends who got engaged, even though they were being assigned to different ships. They agree that "love across light years" is hard but, as Dax puts it, "Look at the alternative." Back on the station, Quark has gone to see Odo about Kot, but he is surprised to hear the security chief is already aware of him. Odo explains how Kot has recently been released from a labor camp after the attempted hijacking of a shipment of Romulan ale, and Quark's name appears right next to his on the indictment. Quark maintains he had nothing to do with the hijacking itself and was only the "middle-man", though Odo believes he sold out Kot to avoid himself going to the labor camp. Quark tells Odo of Kot's plan to kill him, to which Odo can only smile at the prospect. He begs Odo to do something about it. "I'll do my job, Quark," he tells the Ferengi, who nods and leaves the security office. "Unfortunately," mutters Odo. In the infirmary, Bashir is working away when Melora enters. He explains to her that he has been going over Nathaniel Teros' neuromuscular adaptation theory and that he believes he can make it work for her. Melora is extremely excited with the prospect, so much so that she begins to laugh in elation. If it works, she may be able to walk without her servo controls and without the chair. A security deputy has brought Kot to the security office, where Odo is waiting for him. Kot asks if he has done something wrong. Odo replies that they both have something in common; they don't like Quark. However, he isn't prepared to let Kot kill him. He insists that he is not planning to kill Quark and their history is just that -- history. Odo says, "You can tell a man's intentions by the way he walks," and, according to Odo, Kot walks like someone who's carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders. "It must be the memory of those Romulan bricks I carried for eight years," he replies. Odo knows he is up to something but he has no reason to keep him and so allows Kot to leave, keeping a close eye on him as he does so. On the Promenade, Quark approaches Odo and asks what his opinion is of Kot. Odo admits he believes he is a man with nothing to lose and gives Quark a comm badge so he can stay in contact with him at all times. He jokingly tells Quark that, if Kot does kill him, he would like to purchase a piece of his body, as per Ferengi tradition. Back in the infirmary, Melora is laid down on a biobed while Bashir runs some tests on her. She describes a warm sensation down her back, the result of the neuromuscular therapy. The Doctor decides that she has had enough of the treatment for today. He asks her how she feels and if she can use any of her muscles in the "normal" gravity. At first, there is nothing, but as Bashir checks over his calculations, Melora begins to move her toes and then one of her legs. He ascertains her neural pathways are beginning to adapt and she may be able to begin walking within the hour. In Ops, Sisko asks O'Brien for an update on an upgrade he's installing on the station. He reports he has been able to get it up to 70% of a standard EPS but is then interrupted mid-sentence by the sight of Melora standing by herself on the turbolift. She approaches the commander with her first day's mission report. Sisko is noticeably happy for her but, as O'Brien jokes about Bashir getting his name in the medical journals, Melora begins to look unsettled and stumbles into Bashir. The doctor adjusts her servo controls to compensate as it is just the first day's treatment wearing off. Helping her to the turbolift, the two of them head to the habitat ring. In her quarters, Bashir explains that, with each progressive treatment, her muscles will get stronger, but unfortunately she won't be able to use the room's low gravity field or she could risk confusing her body's motor cortex. She begins to thank Bashir for all he's done, but he stops her. She let him fly for the first time, so he is repaying that by allowing her to walk. After giving her a kiss, he leaves, saying he'll see her in the morning. Meanwhile, Quark has also gone to his own quarters. He enters with a drink in his hand and tells the computer to put on the lights, though nothing happens. At first, he thinks nothing of it, but soon realizes Kot may be in the room. Carefully placing his glass on a table, he makes his way back to the door. He tries to call Odo but Kot grabs him by the neck. Quark pleads for his life, offering Kot one hundred and ninety nine bars of latinum, the profit he would get from the sale of the rings. "It's a start," Kot growls, releasing him. Bashir and Melora are in the infirmary. Melora complains at how every one of her muscles ached the night before but Bashir says the effect will improve over time, and her next treatment should last for several hours. She seems happy but she misses experiencing low gravity and asks Bashir if she would be allowed to do it occasionally. Unfortunately, he is worried that if she did, she would experience a loss of fine motor control, meaning her ability to perform complex tasks would be affected. He reassures her that if she does change her mind, the effect is reversible for the next few days and all she has to do is say so. Later on, she and Dax are on the Orinoco, resuming their cartography mission in the Gamma Quadrant. As she heads for the forward controls, she stumbles slightly, indicating her treatment is starting to wear off again. As she takes her seat, she explains to Dax how she is in two minds about the treatment. On the one hand, it would give her more freedom than she ever dreamed, but on the other, she wouldn't be able to go back to her homeworld for anything more than a short visit. Dax compares her situation to The Little Mermaid, an old Earth fable by Hans Christian Andersen. Melora asks if she lived happily ever after but Dax remains silent. On the station, Quark and Kot are meeting with Ashrock in an airlock. After the necessary introductions, Ashrock hands his bag of latinum to Kot while Quark hands over the rings. However, once Kot has finished checking the payment is there, he pulls out a weapon and shoots Ashrock in the chest. He quickly forces Quark to grab both the latinum and the rings and makes an escape down the corridor. In the security office, Odo has been alerted to the weapons fire and orders a security team to that section, but when they arrive, they are fired on by Kot who heads down another corridor, where Dax and Melora are just disembarking from their runabout. He forces them back inside and orders them to depart the station. In Ops, Sisko, Kira and O'Brien are tracking the runabout as it leaves the pad. The commander orders a tractor beam to be locked onto the ship as he opens a channel to Kot. He instructs him to return to the station immediately but there is no reply. The tractor beam is engaged and the runabout comes to a halt. Kot orders Dax to open a channel to the station and demands that Sisko release them or he will kill a hostage. Sisko offers to negotiate but Kot stops him, mid-sentence. He turns to Quark but then changes his mind and shoots Melora. A charge is sent tearing through her body as the servos overload. Bashir, who has just arrived in Ops, looks on helplessly as she falls to the deck. Kot orders him to release the tractor beam before closing the channel. Sisko then orders Kira to beam himself, O'Brien and Bashir onto the Rio Grande and wait ten seconds before releasing the tractor beam. Back on the Orinoco, Kot commands Dax to take the runabout through the wormhole and into the Gamma Quadrant, with the Rio Grande in close pursuit. As Kot instructs Dax to go to warp, Melora quietly regains consciousness in the background. Kot asks if the phasers are online but Dax refuses to fire on the Rio Grande and, if he kills her, he won't be able to fly the ship himself. As she confronts him, Dax notices Melora crawling towards the transporter pad and buys her enough time to deactivate the gravity on the runabout. Kot floats into the air while Melora pushes off and slams him into the bulkhead. On the Rio Grande, O'Brien is monitoring what is happening, reporting that the ship has dropped to impulse. Sisko and Bashir immediately transport over to find the situation has been contained and Kot apprehended. Back on the station, Bashir and Melora are at the Klingon restaurant, talking. Bashir seems enthusiastic that her treatments will work but Melora has decided not to go ahead with them. Though she wants to be independent, she fears that if she continued with the treatments, she wouldn't be an Elaysian anymore. She thanks Bashir for getting her to realize she can depend on people. The Klingon chef then appears and begins to entertain everyone with a Klingon folk song. The couple sit and hold hands together as the chef weaves in and out of the tables. "I want to remember all of this," Melora smiles. 
<EOS>
In Quark's, a group of Ferengi are playing a late-night game of tongo -- as is Jadzia Dax. She informs Quark and his friends that Curzon used to play the game, but she is a better player than Curzon ever was. One of the newer waiters, Pel, makes a profitable suggestion to Quark during the game and introduces him to sand peas, which he says Quark can use to double beverage profits. While Rom is threatened, Quark is impressed, but before the conversation can continue, an alarm goes off to indicate a subspace communication on Grand Nagus Zek's personal channel. The Nagus offers Quark the chance to make "more profit than you ever imagined possible" -- all he has to do is earn it. Zek is seated in Commander Sisko's office, accompanied by his Hupyrian servant Maihar'du. He has made contact with a species from the Gamma Quadrant called the Dosi and plans to hold a business meeting with them aboard Deep Space 9, but Sisko and Major Kira warn Zek not to cheat their guests. As a goodwill gesture, Zek attempts to make another deal by selling Bajor 50,000 kilos of brizeen nitrate, something Bajor could very well use, at a reduced rate. With the purpose, Sisko suggests making it a gift instead, and Zek then compliments his negotiating skills and agrees. With Maihar'du at his side and Quark at his feet taking his shoes off, Zek explains that tulaberries and tulaberry wine are the secret to the Gamma Quadrant. He claims they will help the Ferengi Alliance get its foot in the Gamma Quadrant, making it the greatest deal in Ferengi history, and Quark instantly takes to the idea. However, when Quark goes back to the bar and tells his brother Rom about the new proposal, Pel quotes from the Rules of Acquisition: "The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife." The young waiter seems to think Zek is setting Quark up in case the deal falls through. Over Rom's objections, Quark takes Pel on as his assistant for the negotiations for 20% of the profits. He sends Rom to serve tables, instead. Pel is pleased with the outcome and, back in his quarters, removes a pair of synthetic lobes (Ferengi females have smaller lobes than males) and uniform, revealing Pel is actually female. The Dosi turn out to be an extremely aggressive people. On first contact with station crew and the Ferengi delegation, the first thing they see is one of the Dosi thrown onto the station during a "minor disagreement" that occurred between themselves just prior. At the meeting with two Dosi named Inglatu and Zyree, Quark, with Pel by his side, opens the deal by buying 10,000 vats of wine with some equipment. However, the Dosi are insulted they are not talking to Zek himself, and offer 5,000 vats instead. Pel helps Quark emphasize the deal and the fact that Zek wanted Quark to represent him. Inglatu eventually says he'll think about the 10,000 vats. Meanwhile, Maihar'du silently presents Kira a gift from Zek in Ops. He leaves before she realizes what it is and refuses, but Dax says it's nice. Dax has a kinder opinion of Ferengi than Kira does, and Kira makes it known she does not understand why. Dax says she actually enjoys herself around Ferengi more than any other race, thinking through her past lifetimes, even though she admits their primitive attitude toward women and extreme focus on profit. It's another night of tongo, now with Zek playing. There is more of the typical jostling, but Zek challenges Quark on the deal. Quark doesn't mention he has, so far, failed to acquire the 10,000 vats of wine that Zek requested, but before he can tell him the bad news, the Nagus decides he wants 100,000 vats instead. While Quark seems to believe this is impossible, Pel compliments Zek on his decision, since it will let them know they mean business. Quietly, Pel now reason to suspect he wants the negotiations to fail. Away from the table to get Zek more tube grubs, Pel encourages Quark, with complete loyalty and faith in him. Quark is glad to meet such a partner. After the game, Dax meets up with Pel at the replimat. She's observed there's something different about Pel from other Ferengi, for example, the loyalty shown to Quark. Dax admits that, in a certain way, she kind of loves Quark, and Pel does, too. Dax pushes that observation, and then Pel admits she is actually female and for Dax to keep her voice down. Quark arrives and brings Pel for negotiations, leaving Dax to ponder Pel's situation. Zek is having a drink on the Promenade looking at women walking by with Maihar'du. Kira comes to return his gift, though at first he supposes she wants to thank him for the nitrate. Also refusing his offer of a night of "wild passionate romance" she hands him the gift and leaves, but not before getting a tap on her rear again. Quark and Pel take her place, reporting that the Dosi have left without signing the contract. Just as Zek erupts at Quark for the failure, though, Pel intervenes, announcing a plan to take the Nagus' ship to the Gamma Quadrant and pursue the Dosi. Quark follows the lead and says he'll pilot the ship. On the way to the Gamma Quadrant, Quark wonders aloud why Zek insisted on so many vats, and the possibility that he is purposefully sabotaging the deal. Pel doesn't think so, but does believe Zek knows more than he is letting on. Quark says he's glad to have Pel as his consultant, which makes Pel quite happy. Pel tries to say something to him, but Quark interjects, thinking Pel wants more than 20% of the profits, but he will not change that arrangement. Meanwhile, Rom is tending the bar and frustrated about Pel's partnership with him. Odo comes to him to inquire about Quark's whereabouts, but Rom doesn't know. After a quick exchange about not letting someone come between family, Rom gets the idea to go through Pel's quarters. He turns it upside down, and eventually finds the synthetic lobes. He's stunned at realizing Pel is actually female. Quark and Pel reach the Dosi homeworld and travel to some common area, finding several acts of brawls, deals and disagreements among the various inhabitants. Zyree finds them and explains that the Dosi are very serious about profit. They find Inglatu, and Quark reiterates his demand for 100,000 vats of tulaberry wine. Inglatu continues to refuse until Quark declares that he does not plan to leave, and even overturns a barrel of some drink. He agrees to 10,000, but says 100,000 is impossible and leaves. Quark and Pel stay the night, and obtain quarters. Now, Pel is very anxious about sleeping alone next to Quark, and tries to get out of it. Quark is exhausted, and wants to be near Inglatu in case he changes his mind. Pel stalls with a toast to Quark, but then falls into it and kisses Quark, obviously having fallen in love with him. Just then, Zyree comes to their and reveals that neither Inglatu nor herself nor any Dosi can sell the Ferengi 100,000 vats of wine. Instead, she offers to put them in touch with the Karemma -- an important member of something called the "Dominion" -- for a price. Finally, Quark and Pel realize the plan was not to buy wine but to get in contact with the Dominion. At the same time, Quark decides to forget about Pel's attempt to kiss him. They return to Deep Space 9, having bought no wine but with contact information about the Karemma. Zek is very pleased, and gives Quark a percentage of any future deals with them. Rom tries to interrupt with his newfound discoveries about Pel. After leaving Zek, he reveals this secret to Quark, his brother declares that it must remain a secret, as females are not allowed to earn profit and associating with a female like Pel would land him in prison. He faints from the possible consequences. Waking up in the infirmary, Quark makes sure Rom hasn't told anyone about Pel, and says it must be kept a secret. Rom wants to tell Zek, but Quark "convinces" him not to. He then goes to Pel and tells her to leave the station before he gets implicated in doing business with a female. Pel has other ideas about the secret. During dinner between Zek, Rom and Quark, Pel barges in. She confronts the Nagus and reveals her true identity, to Quark and Rom's amazement. A "clothed female" disgusts Zek, and he threatens Quark with imprisonment until he realizes that he was represented by Pel as well. Zek allows Quark to go free so long as the secret remains secret, but it will cost Quark his Gamma Quadrant profits. Ultimately, Quark and Pel share a heartfelt goodbye, but Quark decides not to leave with her when she goes to the Gamma Quadrant to start a new life. Quark finds Dax for another game of tongo, but Dax responds that Quark has lost enough today, referring to Pel. He feigns ignorance, but Dax says she knows him enough to know he misses her. 
<EOS>
On Bajor, a lavishly dressed Bajoran woman named Vaatrik Pallra stands next to her window on a dark and stormy night. Quark is seated on a nearby couch as the two of them reminisce about the Cardassian Occupation. The woman reiterates that she did not kill her husband, although Constable Odo was convinced she did. It is clear Quark does not believe the woman's claim, but he does not care. She hires the Ferengi to retrieve a box, the contents of which are not revealed, hidden in her husband's former shop aboard what is now Deep Space 9. Assuring her it will take a day or two at most, Quark leaves. After he is gone, a Bajoran man steps out from the shadows. On DS9, as Odo goes about his daily routine, he narrates a log. Later that evening, Quark and Rom approach the former chemist's shop (now a storage area) cautiously. Quark says he can break through the lock in twenty-five seconds, but Rom is able to do it in ten; he has used a desealing rod to break into the store room at Quark's on occasion while Quark was away. Although Quark accuses his brother of being a thief, Rom denies it. Once they are inside, Rom reveals that he has magnasite drop, which can instantly burn off the wall panel; Rom has had to use them to open Quark's latinum floor vault to store extra profits on good business days. Rom has been hoping that his ingenuity would finally earn his brother's trust, but the older Ferengi tells him never to touch anything in the bar again. Quark takes a small box from behind the wall panel and he and Rom take it back to the bar. There Quark opens it to reveal a list of eight Bajoran names. Curious to find what they are, he tells Rom to fetch an imager before he reseals the box. However, while Rom is gone, the Bajoran man who was with Quark's employer emerges from the shadows, armed. The Ferengi immediately knows who sent the other man; their mutual employer knew Quark could not resist taking a peek. The man shoots Quark with a compressed tetryon beam and takes off with the list. Rom then comes back with the imager, sees his brother lying on the ground, and starts screaming for help. Doctor Bashir is now kneeling over Quark's unconscious body, attempting to resuscitate him as Odo, Commander Sisko and Major Kira look on. Quark is taken to the infirmary, and Kira goes off to secure outgoing vessels as Sisko and Odo turn their attention to Rom. While the younger Ferengi seems upset by the apparent loss of his brother, Odo suspects Rom of killing Quark for ownership of the bar. Rom is unable to conceal his elation at the thought of finally getting the bar, but then realizes that that makes him a suspect. Sisko (apparently playing "good cop") speaks up in Rom's defense, saying that his son is good friends with Sisko's, and asks Rom, as a friend, to share anything he knows that might be helpful. Rom comes across with the truth about the list, and Quark's mysterious employer on Bajor. Rom then leads Odo to the ship's store, mentioning that the list was hidden during the Occupation, when the room was the chemist's shop. Odo looks at him sharply, and he flashes back five years as the doors open. Odo, dressed in a nondescript civilian outfit, enters the chemist's shop, where Dukat, the Prefect of Bajor and the commander of Terok Nor, is seated behind a desk in someone else's office, in complete control and enjoying it. Dukat introduces himself to Odo and says that the owner of the shop, Vaatrik, has been found murdered. The standard Cardassian form of "justice" in such an event is to execute ten random Bajorans as an example to the real murderer. But Dukat, claiming that he prefers to be more merciful on this occasion, would rather find the real murderer. Odo has something of a reputation for integrity and is known for breaking up disputes between the Bajorans, so Dukat asks him to conduct the inquiry -- since Bajoran witnesses and suspects are hardly likely to be open to a Cardassian officer. Odo is resistant to the idea of working for the Cardassians, but agrees for the sake of justice: finding the guilty party is preferable to decimating ten innocent Bajorans. Dukat introduces Odo to the prime witness, the victim's wife, Pallra, who hasn't shed a tear since her husband was murdered. Pallra says right away that she knows who killed her husband: a young woman with whom he was having an affair. The woman is still on the station, and she points out a young Kira having a solitary meal on the Promenade. The flashback ends as Kira approaches Odo. The attempt on Quark's life, and the mention of the list, has brought Vaatrik's murder to both their minds. In his office, Odo is attempting to get Rom's mind off of the bar, and the two of them review the events of the night before in an attempt to jog Rom's memory. Although the Ferengi is unable to remember any of the complete names, he believes the first one started with "Ches'so". Odo gives the name to Kira, who goes to investigate as Odo enters another flashback. Odo approaches Kira in an attempt to seem casual; however, his behavior and lack of experience make it all too obvious that he is a security officer. Kira denies having had an affair with Vaatrik; in fact, she was transferred to the station from the surface after hitting a supervisor who made sexual advances to her. When Odo asks her for an alibi, Kira says she was in the bar, trying to find work. Odo is a little frustrated at her reticence, and insists that he is not on anyone's side, especially not Dukat's. She rejoins that he will have to pick a side (Cardassian or Bajoran) eventually. On Bajor, Odo interviews Mrs. Vaatrik in her home, which, in sharp contrast to the time of Quark's visit, is now brightly lit and sumptuously decorated. She claims to be ignorant of any list, or of the attempt on Quark's life. Odo asks whether the name "Ches'so" means anything to her, she says no. As he is leaving he compliments her on the elegance of her home, then mentions that records show her power had recently been cut off for lack of payments, yet now she is living well again. With a smile, she states that she has received gifts of money from an acquaintance, whose identity she can't reveal. Odo leaves and a distressed look crosses her face. Dr. Bashir is unsure if Quark will live. Major Kira stops by the Infirmary to tell Odo that she thinks she has identified the "Ches'so" he is looking for: a mining engineer named Ches'sarro Seeto, who traveled to the station frequently during the Occupation, and has since been very active for charities benefiting Bajoran war orphans. The bad news is, Ches'sarro is dead -- he drowned in a pond at his home the night before. Odo realizes that Mrs. Vaatrik had Ches'sarro killed as soon as he mentioned the name "Ches'so" to her. Realizing that Mrs. Vaatrik knows from him that Quark is still alive, he stations a security guard in the infirmary around the clock. Looking at the still-unconscious Quark, Odo enters another flashback. As he enters Quark's and found the Ferengi, Odo once again tries to be casual and discreet, and once again is unable to hide his role and connection to Dukat. When Odo asks him to confirm Kira's alibi, Quark insinuates that Kira was performing a sexual favor for him the night before, as an added "incentive" for him to hire her. But from what he gathered earlier, Odo knows Kira would not do this. Confronted with the truth, Quark admits that Kira paid him to provide her with an alibi. Odo finds Commander Sisko and Lieutenant Dax sitting in Quark's, and informs them that he has reconstructed the list from Mrs. Vaatrik's communications logs and bank records: eight people, who had no previous contact with her, suddenly began talking to her extensively after the list was stolen, and each of them has transferred 100,000 Bajoran litas into her bank account. The three of them reach the same conclusion: the men on the list were collaborating with the Cardassians during the Occupation, and emerged from the Occupation very rich men; with the list, Mrs. Vaatrik has been blackmailing them. Odo admits that he doesn't have enough evidence to charge her with a crime, but gets permission from Sisko to bring her in for questioning. Meanwhile, the man who tried to kill Quark looks on intently. In his office, Odo flashes back again. In the security office, Kira admits that she lied about her alibi, but swears that she didn't kill Vaatrik. Odo demands to know where she was, then, and she admits that she is a member of the Bajoran Underground, and was part of a team that planted a bomb in the ore processing section of the station. She begs him not to expose her, saying that she will be executed by the Cardassians. Just then, Dukat enters, demanding to know whether or not Kira is guilty. Realizing that he has to choose a side, Odo does not expose Kira, but simply informs Dukat that he is satisfied she did not commit the murder, and she is free to go. Mrs. Vaatrik's assassin enters the infirmary with a bouquet of flowers and uses them as a cover to stab the guard Odo has posted there. Approaching Quark's body, he turns off the Ferengi's life support monitor and then starts to smother him with a pillow. Rom enters the room, and, seeing the scene, begins (hilariously) screaming at the top of his lungs. The assassin throws Rom aside and tries to run, but is stopped at the door to the infirmary by Odo and his deputies. Odo restrains the assassin and summons Bashir to the infirmary. Rom is still screaming, and Odo tells him he can stop, he has heroically saved his brother's life. Rom appears pleased for a moment, only to realize he has lost possession of the bar, causing him to start screaming again. On the infirmary bed, Quark has just regained consciousness and gives a small but triumphant smile. In the brig, Mrs. Vaatrik is brought to view the assassin, and calmly states that she's never seen him before. Odo and Kira say that her communications records and bank transfer statements tell a different story. Vaatrik says she wants her advocate, and Odo locks her in a cell next to the assassin's while she is waiting. Mrs. Vaatrik defiantly says that, no matter what else Odo thinks she may have done, she didn't kill her husband and Odo can't prove that she did. To Kira's surprise, Odo replies, "I know." Outside in the security office, Odo confronts Kira with what he has figured out: Vaatrik himself must have been a collaborator, or else he wouldn't have had a list of names hidden in his office. Dukat could not risk exposing his other contacts on Bajor by investigating Vaatrik's murder himself, which is why he conscripted Odo to do it. All this means that the people with the strongest reason to want him dead would have been the Underground. Kira admits that another group of resistance fighters sabotaged the ore processor, while she was sent to Vaatrik's shop. She was not sent to kill him, but to find the list, knowing that Vaatrik was Dukat's liaison with his network of collaborators. She was searching the shop when Vaatrik surprised her, forcing her to kill him. Odo asks her why she didn't tell him the truth, even after the Cardassians left and it became clear that he was not working for them. She said she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth, for fear it would create a schism between them. He tells her that this incident may not affect their friendship, but can find no answer when she asks him if he'll ever be able to trust her in the same way again. 
<EOS>
Up late, Jake Sisko can't sleep either. He had a nightmare about running around the corridors of the station, unable to find his father. Once he feels better, he returns to sleep, adding as a footnote he misses his mother. Commander Sisko, however, still can't sleep. He wanders around the empty Promenade, looking out the window, and counting the stars. A mysterious woman comes up behind him, and talks to him about the stars for a while. She introduces herself as Fenna, and seems to take an interest in him. They talk for a while, about the station. She doesn't say much about herself, but that she can't stay here long. As he is offering to show her around the station, she disappears. The next morning, Commander Sisko seems to feel more alive than he did last night, even ordering a different drink, chiraltan tea (with a double twist of lemon), instead of the raktajino he usually takes to start every day for the last year. Major Kira Nerys notices this, and is surprised. Lieutenant Jadzia Dax calls on the com, and asks him to meet Professor Gideon Seyetik, a terraformer and an extreme egomaniac, but charming. He arrived to the station in the USS Prometheus, for an experimental attempt in reigniting a dead sun, Epsilon 119. He's more than excited and optimistic about his experiment. Dax reminds him it is just a theory, but he brushes it off. Soon, while Commander Sisko is gazing out of the window again, Fenna reappears, and asks if his invitation to tour the station is still open. He says it is, and shows her around. In one of the upper pylons, looking at the view of the station, she always seems to say exactly the right thing. When he asks about her, she can't say much, and she runs off right away. Once she gets to the turbolift, she's gone. At dinner, when Sisko is unable to concentrate on Jake's anecdote, he concludes his father is in love. As he points out, he's showing all three of the signs according to Nog: loss of appetite, daydreaming, smiling all the time. When Jake asks about her, Sisko is at a loss of words to describe her. Sisko next goes to see Odo to have her try to find Fenna. He's also unable to describe her to him; the description is vague at best, but Odo will do what he can. Later, Dax takes him aside, wanting to know what's going on, as she saw the two of them on the Promenade. She reminds him that, even if she's a female now, Sisko used to tell Curzon about his love interests. Sisko assures her it's too early to talk about it. Before the dinner, the professor is charming as always, even if a bit self-congratulatory, and dominates the conversation. He explains the process of how the star will be reignited in addition to his projects, his works of art on Ligobis X, and nine-volume autobiography. Meanwhile, his wife, Nidell, has been preparing the meal, yet to meet the crew. After awhile, Seyetik goes to check on her, and she comes out to greet the crew. Surprisingly, she looks just like Fenna. Toward the end of dinner, Seyetik details his stew recipe, which he perfected after years. Nidell, however, does not seem enthused about the dinner. Sisko whispers to Dax that she is pretending not to recognize him. When he asks her about talking to him, she knows nothing about what he's talking about. She doesn't know who Fenna is, either, but she is quite defensive. As Sisko and Dax return to the station, Sisko says he is convinced it's her. Odo, however, soon informs him that he couldn't find her after checking all of the logs. Sisko tells him not to bother, saying he did, aboard the Prometheus. Odo is perplexed; he says that no one has left the Prometheus except for the professor. She also doesn't show up the next day. Sisko is puzzled. Quark offers to talk to him, recognizing the "I've been stood up" look, but Sisko declines. When he enters his quarters, she suddenly appears, and embraces him. He asks her about Nidell, but she has never heard of her either. She doesn't have a twin sister, and she is still hesitant to say where she came from or who she really is. Her only reply is that she thought she was looking for a place, but she was really looking for him. After he kisses her, she suddenly fades out of existence, as if she were non-corporeal. After Chief Miles O'Brien and Dax reconfigure the Prometheus' warp drive, Sisko comes to travel along with Seyetik's team -- and his wife. Dax doesn't think it's a good idea, but Sisko says he needs answers. En route on the bridge, Dax works with the commanding officer, Piersall, and Sisko talks with Professor Seyetik. He talks about himself on the way there. He has an expectation to keep outdoing himself, quoting a Klingon poet, G'Trok, who wrote about a warrior having slain all his enemies. The talk turns to how he met Nidell. She was the daughter of a dignitary, and she was infatuated with him from the moment she met him. He was the first one to take her off-world, and he would give up the entire universe for her. When the Prometheus arrives at the dead star, Sisko suddenly sees Fenna in his quarters. He immediately calls for Dax. When Dax scans, there is no matter there, just energy. Fenna is frightened, but Sisko takes her hands and wants to help find out what's going on. The three go to Nidell's quarters, where they find Seyetik frantic over her condition. She won't wake up. Dax finds she is in shock. When Seyetik sees Fenna, he recognizes her and knows exactly what happened. Fenna is surprised. Fenna doesn't understand, but Seyetik is outraged, as he was under the impression Fenna would never return to them. The professor explains Fenna is an illusion created by Nidell's unconscious mind. She is a psychoprojective telepath, and has obviously produced Fenna before. According to Dax's scans, there is a lot of energy coming from Nidell's occipital lobe. Dax doesn't believe she can survive more than an hour or two. She also doesn't believe she can do anything about it, despite Seyetik's insistence. Sisko has Dax take Fenna outside, and Sisko talks to Seyetik. All of the charm fades from him as he explains what's going on. Nidell doesn't know what's happening; she is unconscious, and this happens when her species have strong emotions. All of his wives, he says, have trouble with him after a while; they hate him in the end as much as they love him in the beginning. Nidell can never leave him, because her species, the Halanans, mate for life. Sisko then goes to talk to Fenna, and explains this to her. She can't believe it, and doesn't want to die. Sisko promises to remember her, and that it's a dream. Dax then calls from the bridge, and says that Seyetik has launched the shuttlepod -- with himself on it. Piersall has opened communications with Seyetik, and Sisko tries to convince him to turn around. However, Seyetik says he is freeing Nidell forever, and not just from her current predicament, but from her mating obligation. He cheerfully says he has even written his own obituary, which he would like Sisko to take to the Daystrom Institute. He promises to send it off. Exclaiming "let there be light!", Seyetik's shuttle impacts the star and it is reignited. Then, Fenna disappears from the bridge. Nidell says goodbye, and thanks Sisko. She says she will probably stay on her homeworld the rest of her life, and wishes she could remember Fenna, but she can't. Before she leaves, she asks Sisko what Fenna was like, and is told, "She was just like you." 
<EOS>
Kira Nerys underwent a day of frustrations the previous day with Minister Rozahn fighting bureaucratic excuses concerning the logistics for irrigating the Trilar Peninsula on Bajor. Kira has a sense of urgency, and feels Bajor is really in trouble. Unfortunately, she put off gathering next month's duty roster for Commander Sisko, and so Sisko calls her in his office to remind her. He knows what kept her busy, as her frustrated voice carried. She promises to drop it and get the roster done. Chief O'Brien then relays a message from Quark, and so she goes down to the bar. She finds several Bajorans enjoying a sonata by Varani, but Quark sees customers not ordering food or drink. Despite agreeing to have Varani play for a month, he would like to see something more upbeat so more people come in. She relays the request to Varani, but wishes there could be a more appropriate venue for him. Varani is passionate about bringing back the Bajorans' artistic heritage. Particularly, he wants to rebuild the Jalanda Forum, and had asked Kira to talk to Minister Bolka about it, but she says Bolka is very busy these days. All this activity is interrupted by a new ship appearing through the wormhole. The ship is damaged, and four Skrreeans are beamed aboard while their ship is tractored in. Sisko introduces himself, but they are frightened. As they attempt to communicate, Sisko and the others realize that the Skrreeans don't appear to understand what they are saying, nor can the crew understand the Skrreeans. They resolve to keep the Skrreeans talking until the universal translator can make sense of the Skrreean language, and decide to bring the group of them, Haneek, Tumak, Gai, and Cowl, down to the infirmary to tend to the wounds of one. This trip, unusually adventurous for a walk to the infirmary, reveals that the single female Skrreean, Haneek, appears to be the leader of the group. She also appears to only trust Kira, the only female that has dealt with the Skrreeans. They arrive at quarters prepared for them, and Sisko gets them some food to show them what to do. After some further attempts at communication, the computer begins sporadically, but soon adequately, to translate the Skrreean language. It is revealed that some three million Skrreean refugees are in trouble in the Gamma Quadrant and need the crew's help to inform their people of the wormhole and travel through it. Haneek is now communicating well, and waits with the senior staff for Sisko in Ops. She explains her present and current nervousness is due to the presence of males, as theirs is a female-dominated society, though she herself is "little more than a farmer." She then goes into their situation: their people have been seeking the Eye of the Universe, as legend says it is the gateway to their new homeworld, Kentanna. They heard about the wormhole and believed it to be the Eye. Sisko, Dax, and Kira resolve to welcome as many Skrreeans on to the station as is possible, and quickly search for a suitable planet for the Skrreeans to colonize. Ominously, Haneek also explains that their race was freed from servitude to the T-Rogorans when that race was in turn conquered by a Dominion member. Haneek, back in her quarters, receives Kira who wants to have her greet the first group of Skrreeans when they arrive. She is nervous about this, as she's not a leader at all, but it would help to make sure the newcomers know it's safe. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog talk about the dabo girl Jake saw earlier, Mardah, but not quite on a date. Nog is impressed, and says he couldn't use the excuse of helping someone with their homework to see a girl. They also observe a Skrreean (Tumak) eating leftover food, unaware he can order from the replicators. They wave hello to him, and he runs away. The arrival of the first large group of Skrreeans is an awesome sight, as many of them fill the Promenade and experience their first taste of freedom. As Skrreeans begin arriving on the station, there is some cultural tension. Haneek mentioned that Skrreeans are matriarchal, as they find males too emotional and adversarial to make significant decisions. Nog finds this to be true, as he is pursued and eventually assaulted by several young Skrreeans including Tumak over a practical joke. Odo stops the children, and takes Nog to his office to have him talk to Rom. Quark arrives instead and makes Nog apologize. When Nog leaves, Quark looks down on the Skrreeans for loitering "without buying anything," and for the skin flakes they leave around his bar. Later, Nog meets back up with Jake, but runs into the Skrreeans again. They tackle him, getting Quark's attention and he helps chase them away. Tumak is now convinced his people are not welcome on the station. Meanwhile, the Skrreean matriarchs meet and agree that Haneek, as the first to find the wormhole, should lead the Skrreeans to Kentanna. She is nervous, but says she'll do the best she can. Kira encourages her afterward, saying she's not alone. Furthermore, Varani introduces himself, and presents a gift, saying his people know what it's like to be a displaced people. She happily accepts it and returns to her room. The gift inspires her to research Bajor, and finds that it fits the relevant description for the new Skrreean homeworld; it is "a planet of sorrow," and just outside the wormhole. Dax and Sisko research possible worlds, they settle on Draylon II. It should be very suitable for them, and they go to meet them with the news. But before they can make the suggestion, Haneek announces they have already found it -- Bajor. Haneek insists that the Bajoran Provisional Government be petitioned to let the Skrreeans immigrate there. After a debate to consider the Skrreeans' request, the government in the end denies them, for fear that Bajor's problems will both worsen due to and spread to the Skrreeans. Minister Rozahn and Vedek Sorad travel to DS9 to give the response in person. Varani catches up with Kira beforehand, presuming to know the response, and asks Kira to relay his regret at the eventual denial to Haneek. In Sisko's office, Rozahn diplomatically explains that, despite Haneek's assurance that they don't need the Bajorans' help, and that their projections on their future growth could be wrong, the government states the risk is too high. Should the Skrreeans need help, the Bajorans cannot deny them, and they simply don't have the resources to do so. Furthermore, the land is not guaranteed to be able to be farmed. Haneek is disheartened, and turns to Kira for support, but Kira states she agrees with the government. Meanwhile, Jake finds Tumak at the Replimat and tries to be friendly, suggesting icoberry torte. Tumak insults Nog, but Jake shakes it off. Tumak is curt with him, disappointed in the decision to go to Draylon II and his experiences on the station. Haneek considers the situation in her quarters when Kira arrives to talk. Haneek feels betrayed by a supposed friend, but Kira believes it is the right decision. Just then, Sisko calls in to inform Kira that Tumak has taken a Skrreean ship for Bajor, attempting to immigrate by force. Kira and Haneek arrive in Ops to get more information and communicate with Tumak. He, unfortunately, is unaware that his ship is suffering from a plasma leak, and he also resists communication. While Sisko and Haneek are attempting to warn him, a pair of Bajoran interceptors move in to keep him off Bajor. The Bajorans are under orders from General Hazar not to let them land, so they contact him directly to stand them down. He does so, but both parties have already exchanged enough fire for Tumak's ship to explode all by itself from the damage of the phaser fire igniting the radiation leak. In the end, the rejected Skrreeans reluctantly leave for Draylon II. Kira meets up with Haneek to wish her luck, and that she still thinks Draylon is the best choice for them and Bajor. Haneek responds she believes it's a terrible mistake the Bajorans are making due to the suspicion and mistrust gained from the Occupation of Bajor. She leaves without any parting words. 
<EOS>
On the upper level of Quark's, a lady named Alsia is telling a man of her late-husband and their business, and how she saved up a little bit of latinum every year just for her retirement. But, although she says she has saved quite a tidy little sum, she doesn't think she has enough to retire on just yet, and has decided to invest the money in business. She suddenly realizes that she is divulging all her plans to a stranger, someone she has only just met, though she does say it feels like she has known him forever. As the man charms her with words, she reveals her plans to purchase a mining concession in the Vlugta asteroid belt using the spectrographic analysis data her father, a stellar cartographer, gained thirty years ago. She goes on to explain that, as soon as she makes his findings public, she would get seven times her investment back "overnight." Her new-found friend smiles, flattering her with compliments before suggesting the two of them form a partnership in her new endeavor. But before she can respond, Constable Odo slaps his hand on the man's shoulder and begins to frogmarch him to the security office. Alsia implores that the two of them were only talking. "You were talking, madam. He was listening", replies Odo. As the two of them walk along the upper level of the Promenade, Odo reveals he has been watching the man, whom he knows to be Martus Mazur, a refugee from the El-Aurian system. Mazur tries to trick Odo by getting him to talk about his homeworld but the Constable knows better, citing the El-Aurians' reputation for being good listeners. Mazur argues everyone needs someone to talk to and if that someone happens to require his help, he is all too happy to provide it. Odo replies he is nothing more than a con artist, a con artist that convinced an elderly couple from Pythro V to invest all of their savings into his business, a business that subsequently folded. Now they have signed a complaint against him. As they arrive in the security office, Mazur pleads with Odo to release him, offering to talk it through with the Constable. He even offers him a drink but Odo simply laughs and activates the force field to his holding cell. Chief O'Brien is heading down a corridor towards his newly built racquetball court, practicing some swings with his racket as he goes. As the doors swish open, he is greeted by the unexpected sight of Doctor Bashir, in full racquetball gear. The chief explains that he missed playing the game and so built the court, figuring there would be at least a couple of other players on the station, though he didn't expect Bashir to be one of them. The doctor reveals he was captain of the team at Starfleet Medical Academy, winning the sector championships in his final year much to O'Brien's surprise. Bashir continues to boast he has taken on some tough opponents, most of whom "didn't really know what they were doing". After demonstrating an ancient warm up ritual, he challenges O'Brien to a game using the "old style" rules, judging by his lines on the floor. The chief is noticeably annoyed with Bashir's arrogance, "I can play any style you like" he argues, before snapping at Bashir to serve. The doctor then quickly rushes to the right hand side of the court and clubs the ball at the back wall, where it bounces back, hitting the door and narrowly missing O'Brien. "One", Bashir observes. Meanwhile, in his holding cell, Mazur is getting increasingly bothered by his cellmate's loud snoring. After shouting at him to no avail, he nudges the man with his knee and the snoring soon stops. As the man lies there, Mazur thinks the worst and tries to wake him. At first there is no response, but with a swift grunt, he then wakes up, much to Mazur's relief. The alien named Cos, apologizes to him, explaining his health is not so good and begins to sound off his life story to the El-Aurian, who uncharacteristically decides to ignore him. He says he used to have everything but his life was ruined by a small device, which he takes from his pocket. Mazur's interest is suddenly piqued, believing it to be a gambling device. The man activates it and several lights begin to blink in random fashion, before rapidly dying out. He tells of how every trade deal he has struck since owning it has been a disaster, every alliance formed has fallen apart, and every endeavor has been a failure, but Mazur dismisses it as simply "rotten luck" and lies back down on his bunk. His depressed cellmate agrees that it all comes down to luck and activates it again. This time, however, the device glows a bright white, indicating a win. A big smile appears across Cos' face before he slumps back down his cell wall. He is dead, and Mazur quickly realizes it. Taking the device from his hand, he calls for a security officer, "You've got a dead prisoner in here!", he shouts. O'Brien returns to his quarters after the racquetball match with Bashir. Keiko asks him how the training went but he can only complain about Bashir's smug attitude. "In my day", he says, "I could have wiped the court with him!" he tells Keiko. She points out that he is no longer the young man he used to be and his reflexes are bound to have gotten slower with age, though O'Brien is adamant he can beat him, it will just take some training. On the Replimat, Bashir is telling Dax about the game and that O'Brien looked like he was going to have a heart attack at one point. Dax is surprised Bashir would allow the game to continue but the Doctor says he tried, only O'Brien wouldn't let him finish it; he even made him wait while he went off to replicate a new racket after his own had snapped. Finally, as Bashir explains, he had his nurse interrupt them with a fake emergency medical situation so he could get out of the match. Dax tells him to look on the bright side, at least he's out of the match now. But Bashir know this is only beginning; the Chief wants a rematch and not only is he afraid it might injure him, but he respects the Chief's sense of pride and doesn't want to do anything that might humiliate him. Back in the holding cell, Mazur is playing with the gambling device which he has won several times now. The device lights up yet again as Odo enters, informing him the Pythron couple is now refusing to press charges, so he can leave, much to Odo's annoyance. In his bar, Quark is playing a game of chance with Morn, the prize being a free drink. Unfortunately, the die lands on the blue side and so Morn loses. Just then, Mazur enters and orders a drink, but with no money, Quark initially refuses him. Mazur then wagers his device on the outcome of Quark's game of chance. The die lands in his favor and so Quark pours him his drink as agreed. As he does so, he mentions that he has heard of Mazur's good fortune but, as the forty seventh Rule of Acquisition states, "never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own." Mazur demonstrates his device to Quark, which soon grabs his attention. He has a go himself, but unsurprisingly loses. He hands it back to Mazur, who proves his luck is running good today by winning again. Leaning into Quark, he offers him a proposition; with a little "tinkering" and some replication, the device could be adapted for his casino. But Quark appears uninterested. "It's just a child's toy", he says, but nevertheless places a few slips of latinum down on the prospect it could keep Nog occupied for a while. Mazur refuses the offer, demanding a hundred times what Quark had placed down, but the Ferengi isn't that keen. Mazur insists it will bring Quark profit by the end of the week, which prompts Quark to place a few more slips down. Mazur, however, still refuses, deciding to keep the device for himself. "Thanks for the drink", he says, heading out of the bar. As he walks out onto the Promenade, Mazur sees a Bajoran woman, Roana, packing away some items from her shopfront. He approaches her and she explains that her husband recently passed away and she doesn't think she can manage the shop without him anymore. "It's so much nicer working with someone else", she recalls. Mazur then picks up a gem stone from her counter and passes it to her, "You understand.", she says. In the racquetball court, Bashir is playing a rematch with O'Brien, but he is purposely losing the game and the Chief knows it. "I don't need your charity", he remarks, "Next time, you either play your best or you don't play". Odo is walking down the Promenade when Quark suddenly runs up to him from behind. He complains about Mazur, that he has opened a competing establishment against his exclusive contract with the station. He points to where the Bajoran woman's shop used to be. The entrance has been replaced with bright, flashing lights and Mazur is outside welcoming people in. Noticing Quark, he utters to his customers, "Welcome to Club Martus!". Quark is following Commander Sisko as he argues his point over the exclusive contract he paid considerably for, stating all gambling happens at Quark's. Though Sisko immediately dismisses his argument, "A few bribes to the Cardassians when they ran this station, doesn't constitute a contract. Not in the eyes of the Federation." he responds, as the two of them step into a turbolift heading to the lower Promenade. As they exit, Quark tries a different approach, insisting Sisko owes him, that he begged for him to stay on the station when the Federation took over. Likewise, Sisko reminds him that he blackmailed, not begged him, to stay and that he can't pretend it hasn't paid off for him too. He continues to walk off down the Promenade. As Quark shouts at him to reconsider, Rom exits the bar with Mazur, who reveals he has offered his brother a one quarter share in his establishment. Rom tells Quark that if he wants him back, he has to offer something better, but Quark simply laughs it off and lets him leave, rushing to tend to his own bar. The customers are filling up in Club Martus, much to Mazur's pleasure. He is walking through the bar when he spots Alsia, who tells him she has gone ahead with the mining bid and the Vlugtan government has accepted it. However, they won't finalize the deal until she commissions a study on the effects of asteroid mining on intersystem navigation and she put all her money into the bid itself. Alsia tells him she needs ten thousand isiks in order to get it done and she only has a week to do it. She goes on to explain that any investor would see return of ten times that amount. Realizing the potential for profit, Mazur agrees to help her. Rom approaches with a tray of canapes and warns him that Quark may decide to do something to the food in order to discredit his bar. After the good luck he has experienced recently, Mazur brushes it to one side, inviting a dabo girl to sit on his lap. But as Roana enters, he quickly jumps to his feet, pretending he was disciplining her. Mazur then takes two drinks from the bar and toasts to his Roana, "the queen of the Promenade". Then proposing they "formalize" their relationship, he offers her a gift of a Bajoran earring. In Ops, Major Kira is discussing the requirements of a new lab with Dax, who has her feet up at her console. The computer suddenly alerts them to a discovery; Dax explains she has been running a scan for a program buried in the deep code level of the database and the computer has just found it, to her surprise. She puts it down to luck and the two of them go back to their work. Chief O'Brien is lying in pain on the floor of the racquetball court. Bashir explains he slipped on the ball while it was in mid-air and fell on his back, to O'Brien's disbelief. They are then both interrupted by the sound of one of the medical staff requesting Bashir's presence in the infirmary. The chief says they can continue their match another time but as Bashir leaves, he tells him that he didn't really enjoy as he used to and, apologizing, hopes he'll find another opponent on the station. Disappointed, O'Brien heads for Quark's. The first thing he notices as he walks in is how empty the bar is; everyone is across the Promenade at Club Martus. In an effort to prove he can be just as much a listener as Mazur, Quark asks the chief how his game went. O'Brien begins to complain about Bashir winning all the time, but it turns out Quark isn't listening after all for he's just thought up a way to get back at Mazur. Major Kira slams a terminal in Ops after it crashes, destroying an evaluation report she has been working on for weeks; even the backups are affected. Sisko observes he has been hearing a lot of "bad luck stories" over the past few hours, including many people who have reported to the infirmary after sustaining minor injuries. Dax jokingly tells her she has been having a great day so not to send any of it her way. Kira, however, says she thinks everyone makes their own luck right before tripping over a step on her way up to the turbolift. In Club Martus, everyone playing the gambling device has just hit the jackpot leaving Mazur very unhappy. He reluctantly agrees to pay them all. Meanwhile, Quark is playing with his cup and dice while concocting up a scheme. "Challenge of the galaxy", he says to himself, "Match of the century. Wonder of the wormhole. House always takes blue!" Quark, standing on his bar, is rallying a group of customers, offering them new thrills, spills and excitement, among them is Bashir but he's confused about what Quark is referring to. The chief enters, in uniform and with his toolkit to hand, looking equally puzzled by what's going on. Quark continues his speech, introducing the "reigning champion of Starfleet, and a legend on both sides of the wormhole, Miles 'The Mechanic' O'Brien" alongside "the fast and the deadly", Julian Bashir, aka "The Doctor". Both of them are equally surprised by Quark's address, expecting to find an emergency in the bar. O'Brien shouts at Quark to get down and explain himself, but he continues with his speech, advertising "the grudge match of the galaxy" with half the winnings going to the Bajoran War Orphans Fund. He finishes by inviting his customers to place a bet on either contender while reminding them the dabo tables are open. O'Brien and Bashir are naturally outraged by Quark taking it upon himself to arrange this without their consent, but he puts the charm on and reminds them about the orphans' donation and that the monks have already made down payment on new blankets for the winter. They reluctantly give in to Quark's plan. He smiles smugly across the Promenade to Mazur, who is watching in anger. Back in Ops, Dax is frustrated with the computer, which seems to have lost the program she was looking for. Kira arrives on the turbolift, noting that she is fine after her earlier trip, which is more than she can say for the other people in the infirmary, whose numbers are increasing. Dax hypothesizes there must be a connection between the accidents and the system failures and Sisko agrees, suggesting it may be a virus or anomaly of some sort. He sets Dax to work finding something that could affect both people and machinery in this way. Meanwhile, thanks to Quark's scheme, Club Martus is just about empty. Rom is recounting to Mazur the times he was teased for his lobes being too small, but Mazur is too busy dwelling in his own failure and eventually snaps at Rom, before finding "comfort" in the arms of his dabo girl. At that moment, Roana walks in and witnesses his betrayal. As she still holds the lease, she orders him out of her bar and to take his devices with him, before storming out. Mazur chases after her as far as the Promenade where he sees Alsia and has another idea. A little while later, Mazur and Alsia are in the club where he provides her with the necessary funds she asked for, approximately ten thousand isiks. He reminds her of the return she promised him; he expects ten times as much back. She promises he will get it and leaves the club. Mazur then tries his luck with one of the gambling devices but it fails on him. His luck may be coming to an end. In his quarters, O'Brien is talking to himself in the mirror as he gets ready for the match with Bashir. Before he leaves, Keiko takes a silk handkerchief of medieval Japanese design, scented with her perfume, and ties it around his head as a good luck charm. "Kick his butt", she roots. Bashir is doing press-ups in the infirmary when Quark enters. He says he has brought a special gift from the Bajoran monks, a medicinal brew said to impart great energy and vigor. Bashir unscrews the bottle and takes a sniff, reeling at the smell of it. Quark tells him the monks said to drink it all in one go to get the proper effect which immediately causes the doctor to suspect he is up to something. Sure enough, after running a medical scan on the liquid, Bashir finds there is seventeen milligrams of hydroxylated quint-ethyl metacetamine, an anesthetic, which would make him hardly able to stand let alone play racquetball. Quark explains that nobody is betting on O'Brien to win so he had to do something to gain a profit from the match, and of course, raise funds for the orphans. Bashir instructs Quark that he will be paying for the orphans' blankets whatever the outcome of the match and that is the end of the discussion. In Ops, Dax has found something. Sensors have detected strange solar neutrino activity within the station. According to the laws of probability, around half of the neutrinos should be spinning clockwise and the other half counter clockwise, yet over eighty percent of them are spinning clockwise. Dax believes it is another symptom of the unusual activity on the station. O'Brien wishes Bashir a good game as they prepare to start. The Doctor takes the first serve, which the chief successfully counters, hitting the ball against the back wall and back to Bashir, who misses it. In Quark's everyone is watching the game on a large viewscreen as he narrates the score. O'Brien serves the next point which Bashir successfully hits back. O'Brien again successfully hits the ball back to Bashir but this time the Doctor's racket snaps in two. "Not a rousing start for the Doctor", Quark narrates. In Club Martus, Mazur is waiting on Alsia who had promised to meet him there once she had completed the deal. Rom reminds him that one quarter of the money he loaned to her is his and he expects it back. Mazur states he only gets any profit after all expenses have been settled and since all the money has gone towards expenses, he won't getting anything. Angry with this prospect, Rom takes his jacket off and throws it at Mazur, before returning to his brother's bar with the dabo girl. Back in the court, Bashir trips and falls to the floor in an unlucky move. O'Brien, realizing something isn't quite right, cuts the video transmission with the bar. He admits to Bashir that he is playing better than he did fifteen years ago when he played five hours a day. Bashir throws the ball straight against the back wall, expecting it to bounce back to him, but it goes to the Chief instead. Then O'Brien tries, this time ricocheting the ball around all the curves and corners of the room, though it still ends up in his hand. Something is most definitely happening. Heading for the nearest comm panel, he contacts Ops. Sisko and Dax have come down to the racquetball court to observe the phenomenon for themselves. O'Brien says he has thrown the ball at varying angles a dozen times now and it has always ended up in his hand. Sisko links this experience to the other improbable events that have been happening on the station and Dax believes she can find out what's causing it. They walk into Club Martus just as Mazur has lost another spin on his device. Dax notes that ninety eight percent of the neutrinos in the room are rotating clockwise and it's the machines that are causing it. Sisko asks Mazur how they shut them off but he doesn't know. He says he just told the replicator to scan the original and create copies, though he does believe they have an internal power source. With no way to turn them off, Sisko and Dax take out their phasers and shoot each of the devices, destroying them for good. Mazur claims he cannot be held responsible for what has happened and even though he would like to arrest him for it, Sisko admits he has no evidence on which to charge him. However, Odo enters and reveals he does; the elderly Pythron couple have decided to press charges after all. Mazur is back in his holding cell when Odo brings Alsia into the room. He incorrectly assumes she has come to get him out, right before she is herself placed into a cell. Quark reveals that she just tried to scam him with "the old asteroid mining trick." He tells Mazur that he has come to let him out and takes great pleasure in the fact that he was fooled by one of his own victims. Mazur demands Quark give him two thousand isiks so he can book passage out of Deep Space 9. Quark barters with him in true Ferengi style, until the price gets lower and lower. "Go on", he says "I'm listening." 
<EOS>
In his bar, Quark is trying to sell pieces of Plegg to another Ferengi when Odo walks in and comes up to Quark. The other Ferengi leaves upon hearing Quark's asking price, and Odo takes out latinum as if to buy some of the remains, before informing Quark that he wants to buy parts of Plegg, but that is impossible because Plegg is still alive. As they are discussing this, Dr. Mora Pol enters the bar and calls out to Odo. As Quark starts to talk to Dr. Mora, Odo leaves in disgust, with Dr. Mora walking with him. They head to the Replimat, where Dr. Mora hints that he may have a clue as to Odo's origins. Benjamin Sisko is reading a PADD in his quarters when Jake tries to discreetly leave to meet Nog. Sisko asks Jake about his homework, and upon hearing that it is done, tells Jake he can't leave because he should be listening to Klingon opera to appreciate their culture. In frustration, Jake asks his father when was the last time he listened to Klingon opera. Sisko informs Jake that it was when he was his son's age, and then suggests that Jake invite Nog over and they can listen to the Klingon opera together. Jake walks off in frustration as Odo enters. Odo requests the use of a runabout for investigation of a planet in the Gamma Quadrant, where DNA similar to Odo's had been found. Jadzia joins Odo, Dr. Mora, and a Bajoran scientist, Dr. Weld on the runabout, and Dr. Mora encourages Odo to tell Jadzia the story of when he was in the lab, but Dr. Mora then repeatedly interrupts Odo to correct him. The four people beam down to the planet, L-S VI, and begin to scan the surrounding area. They come upon an artifact with unrecognizable letters on it. Jadzia suggests taking the artifact back to the station to let the computers there decipher it. As they are engaged in looking at the artifact, Dr. Weld comes across a lifeform which has similar DNA to Odo. The silicate-based creature is placed in a container, and the artifact is transported up to the runabout. As soon as it leaves the surface of the planet the ground begins to shake. Dr. Mora starts to cough, and then falls to the ground. Soon after, Jadzia and Weld do the same, and only Odo is left standing, when the computer locks onto their combadges and transports them back to the runabout. In the infirmary on the station Dr. Bashir is caring for the two Bajorans and Jadzia, though he will need more time to understand what happened. Odo wasn't affected by the gas that paralyzed the others as he has no respiratory system, so he joins Miles O'Brien in studying the silicate-based creature that was found on the planet. Along the way, Sisko walks with Odo, sensing he is worried about Mora as a son would see his father ill. Odo appreciates the thought, but doesn't see Mora as a father figure. O'Brien states that the creature keeps changing, and that he's put a level 5 security field on it. It's been frequently reproducing and undergoing a metamorphosis. He observes the artifact they brought back for a second, then leaves. That night, Sisko is sleeping when Major Kira wakes him up and asks him to come down to the science lab. He enters the lab, and sees that the lab has been trashed. The case that the lifeform was in has been broken apart. The crew looks for signs of what has happened, while Odo sets up a scan for the missing lifeform, and the station goes to yellow alert. O'Brien notes that the lifeform might have gone through the ventilation. Jadzia enters the science lab and Odo leaves to talk to Dr. Mora. There, Mora attempts to leave sickbay to help find the creature, but Odo convinces him to stay. As O'Brien crawls through the ventilation duct in search of the lifeform, he is informed by Sisko there was a malfunction in the lab's security cameras and a temporary increase in heat. He suggests a lifeform that feeds off the computer's power, but there should have been an increase detected. Then, he hears something, and follows the sound. He comes across a structural breach, and when putting his hand up to touch the structure it breaks, pouring down some kind of liquid. He identifies it as the missing lifeform, and states that it is now dead. Dr. Bashir studies the lifeform, and determines that it needed more carbon dioxide to survive. As he is in the infirmary, he hears a noise coming from the ceiling. He is unable to find anything, but as he resumes his work a tentacle comes up from behind and grabs him. He struggles, it lets go, then he uses a laser scalpel to cut the creature. The lifeform retreats back through the ceiling vent, and Bashir calls security down to the infirmary. After a team arrives, Bashir explains to them what he has seen, but he's not too sure about it. However, he did agree it was warm and so Odo suggests looking for RF energy and the same power fluctuations they saw in the lab. Dax finds organic residue traces, giving more analysis to do. Sisko puts the station on red alert and Odo suggests to close the Promenade. As Odo and Mora walk away from the infirmary, Mora remarks at Odo's handling of his job. He's quite proud, and talks about the similarities between police work and the scientific method like a parent recognizing a child following their footsteps. Odo just says he was doing his job, but also that he hadn't thought of his approach to his work like that. Odo and Mora arrive at the lab, and Jadzia reports no luck translating the symbols or with the residue. Jadzia runs a cross-tabulation analysis, and, during, Mora talks to Dax about him. Dax says he's private, but invaluable on the station. Mora clearly regrets the bad parting they had previously, and is pleased he is integrating into society. The analysis completes and they find that the lifeform found on the planet and the one that attacked Dr. Bashir in the infirmary don't have enough similarities to be the same lifeform. Dr. Mora has her run a lengthy analysis on the new sample, but he already knows what it is. Mora goes to Odo's office to tell him he recognizes the organic sample as being from Odo himself. Dr. Mora confronts Odo with the likelihood that it was probably Odo himself who committed the trashing of the science lab and the attack on Dr. Bashir during his regeneration period. Odo proposes the gas affected him somehow, but Dr. Mora thinks it's gone on a long time. Dr. Mora attempts to convince Odo to return to the scientific center with him, since he has the experience, but Odo refuses. He says he doesn't trust Mora, which Mora resents. As they are arguing, Odo hits a security panel and he starts to change into something else. Dr. Mora flees from security. Dr. Mora arrives at Ops as the station crew attempt to find out why the power in security has just failed. He explains that Odo is the creature, and that this metamorphosis is probably a reaction to the gas that was encountered on the planet. Dr. Mora volunteers to be bait to attract the creature that was Odo into a trap. Mora waits on the Promenade, along with Sisko, Kira, Bashir, and station security personnel. The creature comes out and into the force field waiting for it. Dr. Mora watches in distress as the creature slams itself into the force field again and again, realizing then how Odo must have felt during his time at the center -- a prisoner. The force field drops and the creature morphs into Odo and falls to the ground. Mora rushes over to him. In the infirmary, Odo is back to normal again, and Bashir informs him that the gas has been purged from his system. Odo apologizes to Dr. Mora for attacking him, and Mora apologizes for not seeing sooner how Odo felt. Mora says he would like to be a small part of Odo's life on the station and visit, and Odo accepts. 
<EOS>
After trying for a week to identify the right frequency and combination of radiation used to destroy the Harvesters, test number 375 works. Bashir and O'Brien are ecstatic, as well as the other doctors involved in their destruction. Ambassador Sharat is pleased, and grateful for their work but as he reminds them, that is only half the task. All data pertaining to them must also be destroyed, as well as the very large stockpile on each side. Back at Deep Space 9, Commander Benjamin Sisko talks to the doctor, offering their congratulations. They are expected to be back the day after tomorrow, since there is a party on T'Lani Prime. However, when they run the cycle on the final batch of cylinders, two Kellerun soldiers enter, and begin shooting. Bashir and O'Brien manage to disarm two of them, and get rid of all the soldiers, blowing out the genetic bath in the process. Unfortunately, all of the scientists were killed before they could react. When they cannot contact their runabout for a beam out, O'Brien transports them to the surface and sets the system to overload. Meanwhile, Sharat and Ambassador E'Tyshra arrive at the station to give their condolences. They explain that everyone in that room, including many of their greatest scientists, were killed when Chief O'Brien accidentally set off a security device, and flooded the room with high-intensity radiation. Sisko doesn't believe it, but they show him the record of the internal security sensors, and ask him to extend their sincere sympathies to the families. Down on the planet, Bashir and O'Brien find a bunker, and hide there with their assault rifles, while Bashir opens a crate of medical supplies. O'Brien still can't figure out why the Kellerun would break their treaty. Either way, the way he sees it, they have to stay put; sensors will detect them if they make it a kilometer. They also find a very old communications system, which O'Brien thinks he can get working -- if Bashir will shut up and let him do his job. Back on the station, the rest of the senior staff looks at the video. It shows things as they happened when the last cylinder was destroyed. But after that, O'Brien is baffled by a strange file which suddenly appears. He can't shut it down, when he tries cutting the power, a flash of radiation vaporizes them all. Odo wants to do his own investigation, Major Kira Nerys can't believe it, and Jadzia Dax tells Starfleet they need replacements for Chief Medical Officer and Chief of Operations. Sisko also has to go tell Keiko O'Brien what happened. While O'Brien is fixing the transmitter, Bashir teases him about his being married with all the T'Lani women who would be running around. Bashir says marriage isn't fair to them with the lives in Starfleet they lead. The Chief, however, grabs a blanket, feeling quite cold. When Bashir scans him with the medical tricorder, he finds that his blood pressure is low, and he has a fever. He was near the genetic bath when it shattered, and he has been infected with the harvesters. When Sisko tells Keiko, he doesn't have to say much. She can read it all in his face. He agrees to give her a copy of the recording, and there isn't much else he can do. When the Chief's eyes get fuzzy, Bashir takes directions from him. His condition slowly worsens, almost falling asleep. On the station, Kira and Dax talk about Bashir all night, and even Quark gives him a toast. The next day, Keiko comes up and asks to see Commander Sisko. She shows him, Kira, and Dax a part of the recording where O'Brien is drinking coffee. According to the time index, it is late in the afternoon, and she says he never drinks coffee in the afternoon, because it keeps him up all night. She is convinced the footage has been altered. Sisko isn't sure, but he joins Lieutenant Dax to get the Ganges a day early, just to see what's going on. Bashir finds the problem: the contacts on the sub-processor are corroded. He cleans them with a sterile pad. It is getting harder and harder for O'Brien to stay awake. Bashir tells O'Brien about a ballet dancer he fell in love with, how they would finish each other's thoughts, and were crazy about each other. Her father even offered him a job in Paris that would lead to being chief of surgery within five years, but he didn't take it, because he couldn't have a Starfleet career. When he puts it back in the unit, they get power, but the transmitter still doesn't work. When O'Brien gets up to take a look at it, he falls right down again; he can't feel his legs. As Sisko and Dax arrive to collect the runabout, Bashir gets the transmitter working, and sets it to a distress signal. O'Brien then gives Bashir his answer: marriage is the greatest adventure of them all. Sisko also examines the station where the accident occurred, and asks E'Tyshra about the accident, including if Sharat could have (hypothetically) modified the data clip. She doesn't see any reason why he would; the lasting peace is because both sides trust each other. That's when Dax makes a discovery: an erased log in the Ganges computer reveals that a transport request was made 3 minutes after the fail-safe device supposedly went off, proving they were still alive at that time. As O'Brien's condition continues to deteriorate, Bashir hears something outside. He grabs a rifle, and is surprised to find it is Ambassador E'Tyshra. When Bashir was about to explain that the Kellerun have broken the treaty, Ambassador Sharat walks through the door, and they are both on the same side. After taking his weapon, they explain to Bashir that part of their destruction of information is killing the people who know it. Otherwise, they could be recreated by them, a risk they refuse to live with. As they are about to fire, Chief O'Brien suddenly tells them to wait, and has Bashir help him up so he can die "on his feet." As he is saying that it has been an honor serving with Bashir, they are beamed away. Bashir explains the situation as quickly as he can to Sisko. When Sisko wants to send out a distress call, Dax says that there is a broad band inversion in place, wiping out communications and short-range sensors. Using this, Sisko plans a deception. After refusing to release O'Brien and Bashir to the T'Lani cruiser, Sisko puts the runabout on a collision course, forcing the conspirators to destroy it. When they are about to take the other runabout in tow, they find it is gone. All they can find is a Federation warp signature. They conclude Sisko beamed aboard the runabout and piloted the first by remote. Back on the station Bashir and O'Brien are better friends, although O'Brien has to subtly nudge Bashir into giving him some privacy. Keiko is surprised when her husband informs her that he does in fact drink coffee in the afternoon, revealing that the grounds she had for believing the recording was fake (and thereby enabling his and Bashir's rescue) were entirely baseless and they're still alive through pure luck. 
<EOS>
The USS Rio Grande enters the wormhole. O'Brien is at the helm and instructs the computer on a new course; the Parada system at maximum warp. Since the journey is going to take over an hour, he decides to record a log entry. After prompting the computer, he begins. He pauses and, turning to the replicator, asks for his favorite beverage; "coffee, Jamaican blend, double-strong, double-sweet." He then continues with his log; O'Brien awakens in his quarters and quickly notices that his wife is missing from her side of the bed. Putting on a gown, he heads into the living area where Keiko and Molly are having their breakfast. He asks them what they're doing up at 5:30 in the morning. Keiko says she has a lot of essays to read and so wanted to get an early start, though there is a nervous slant to her voice, as if she doesn't know exactly what to say. O'Brien doesn't pay much attention to it and simply orders a cup of coffee from the replicator before saying good morning to Molly. He asks her if she had sweet dreams last night but she tells him to go away and rushes off into her room. Keiko explains it's just a phase and not to let it bother him. Though he does seem concerned, the Chief sits down and enjoys his coffee anyway, allowing Keiko to clear the table. As she begins to place the plates into the replicator, Keiko wants to know all about O'Brien's time with the Paradas. The Chief explains that they had him going through basic training on all of their security measures for an upcoming peace conference, something he believes Odo would have enjoyed far more than he did. After clearing away the last of the dishes, Keiko gets ready to leave. O'Brien offers to drop Molly at daycare on his way to work but Keiko immediately rejects the idea. She says that she is taking Molly to school with her as there is a Vulcan program she wants to show her while her mind is fresh. Picking Molly up, she heads out, leaving a confused O'Brien to drink his coffee. A short while later, in the security office, Ensign DeCurtis is conducting some repair work when the Chief walks in. He tells DeCurtis that he was waiting until Odo returned before he conducted any repairs, though the Ensign explains he was ordered to do it by Commander Sisko. O'Brien is noticeably annoyed with the idea that Sisko didn't consult him on this and so departs, leaving DeCurtis to continue his work. As he walks down the Promenade, he sees the commander engaged in serious conversation with Keiko outside the school. As Sisko leaves in a turbolift, O'Brien hides out of sight, wondering what's going on. In the runabout O'Brien is now fifty three minutes away from the Parada system. Directing the sensors back towards the wormhole, he asks the computer to display information on a pursuing craft; it's the Mekong. He knows they can't catch up to him at warp, so sits back and orders the computer to continue his log entry. O'Brien arrives in Ops, where everyone is busy at work as usual. As he heads to his station, Doctor Bashir makes himself known. The chief is overdue a physical and Bashir wants him to report to the infirmary within the hour. The chief objects, saying he has too much work but the doctor persists. Just then, Sisko walks out of his office and asks what is going on. Bashir explains the situation, forcing Sisko to order O'Brien to his physical. The chief gives in and tells Bashir he'll be down in an hour. As Bashir walks off, O'Brien asks to see Sisko in his office. As the two enter the room, Sisko apologizes for assigning Ensign DeCurtis without advising him. Changing the subject, Sisko asks him about the Paradas and if there's anything the chief can tell him that is "off the record." One thing comes to mind; the Paradas have an odor from some kind of skin excretion which changes with their moods, but it seems like Sisko was after something different. O'Brien reassures him that all the security protocols will be in place for the arrival of the Paradan delegation, something that he will see to personally. The commander insists that's not necessary and instead asks him to see to the three pylons that have gone down again. He explains they had to tow a Bolian freighter into one of the lower pylons just that morning. A bewildered O'Brien swears he has just been over those systems and they were working perfectly fine, but agrees to look at them right away nonetheless. Sisko reminds him that his physical comes first as the chief gets up and heads for the door. Before he leaves, he turns and asks Sisko about his chat with Keiko on the Promenade. He explains that Jake has been having some problems with his grades, to which a relieved O'Brien assures him Keiko will do what she can to help him. In the infirmary, Bashir has finally gets O'Brien to submit to his physical, though the chief isn't happy about it in the slightest, not hesitating to wind up the doctor with his sarcastic comments. After a few medical questions, Bashir asks him about his parents' health. Annoyed, O'Brien reminds him his mother died two years ago and he told Bashir all of this before. Finally, frustrated by all of the questioning, he leaps to his feet and demands to know why the medical is taking so long. Suddenly, he comes to the conclusion that he must be dying and that's why everyone is behaving strangely. But before he can ponder on it any longer, Bashir calmly reports he is in perfect health and is free to go. Having changed back into his uniform, O'Brien is now heading along the Promenade when he is greeted by Jake Sisko who needs his help in building a subspace transceiver for his school science project. Recounting how he used to build them himself, the chief says he is more than happy to help him get those grades back up. But Jake doesn't seem to know what he's talking about. "Oh, my grades are great" he says, "I just want to keep them that way." A bewildered O'Brien looks on as Jake walks off, wondering why Sisko would have lied to him. In one of the station's corridors, Ensign DeCurtis is finishing work on the security arrangements for the Paradan quarters when Chief O'Brien arrives. He orders DeCurtis to open up the door so he can check everything over himself, but as the ensign explains, the security field has been activated and only Major Kira can authorize access. Tapping his combadge, O'Brien asks Kira for the access codes, but Sisko interrupts over the comm, wanting to know what he is doing there when he should be seeing to the upper pylons. The chief argues he should be permitted to oversee the preparations but is overruled. He reluctantly complies with Sisko and seemingly walks back to the upper pylons. However, turning a corner, he stops and watches as DeCurtis opens the door to the Paradan quarters. It seems he was lying about the access codes. Back on the Promenade, O'Brien is deep in thought when he is again interrupted by Jake, who has with him an inverter for his science project. He asks the chief if it's the right one, and after close examination, he replies it is but he hasn't seen one of these models in a long time. Jake explains he replicated it from a really, really old data file. O'Brien then invites him to come round to his quarters later on so they can put it together, before asking him if anything unusual happened on the station while he was gone. Before Jake can reply, Major Kira interrupts telling him his father needs to see him about something important. As he walks away, Kira smiles, asking O'Brien if everything's under control. "All under control, major", he replies. A tired O'Brien staggers into his quarters and places himself on the sofa. Keiko informs him that Sisko just called and Jake can't make it tonight due to illness, which he finds peculiar since he was talking to him on the Promenade just a few hours ago. He then notices that Molly is missing, but Keiko explains she is spending the night at the Fredricksons'. With that in mind, O'Brien tries to stir up a bit of romance with his wife by kissing her but she uncharacteristically backs away saying she is just too tired for it and finishes replicating dinner. The chief notices she has replicated Fricandeau stew for him, his favorite, but since she doesn't like it, she's going to have the salad instead. O'Brien is suspicious. He plays with the food before going to take a mouthful. Noticing Keiko is looking at him with anticipation in her eyes, he stops, the fork inches from his mouth. Placing it back on his plate, he decides he doesn't have an appetite after all. On the Rio Grande, O'Brien instructs the computer to play back the last line of his personal log. "You're right", he mutters to himself, "She wasn't." "Scan complete" the computer announces, "no unknown microorganisms detected." O'Brien continues to go through station sensor records checking for unknown chemical agents, subharmonic transmissions, unusual neural wave patterns, even telepathic activity; all return a negative result. He then asks the computer to display the vessel arrival logs in an attempt to locate something unusual but, again, there is nothing. Sighing, he replicates another cup of coffee then orders the computer to playback the logs of all officers on the station. It takes time for the computer to play through the logs of all the senior officers but nothing seems out of the ordinary, that is, until the computer comes to a log which cannot be accessed. It seems all logs from the time O'Brien returned to the station are restricted to Level One access only and won't accept his access code. Arriving in Ops, the chief heads for the operations pit but before he can do much, he is interrupted by Ensign DeCurtis, who offers his help with any repairs he may be making. O'Brien politely declines his help, explaining that he is trying to get the upper pylons working by morning, which DeCurtis seems to accept. O'Brien makes his way back to his quarters, making certain that nobody is following him. At one of the station's airlocks, a Bajoran transport has just docked. Several passengers begin to disembark, with Odo among them. O'Brien takes the security chief to one side and explains his suspicions about the crew. Odo tells him to do nothing while he investigates and once they have some solid proof, they can go to Starfleet and the Bajoran authorities. In his quarters, O'Brien opens up his toolkit and takes out several small pieces. After assembling them all together as one, he places the device behind his uniform sleeve, just in case. Having left his quarters, O'Brien is now sitting on the upper level of Quark's, watching everyone walk by and waiting for something to happen. Quark then interrupts his thoughts, "The odds are against you, O'Brien" he taunts. The chief, thinking he knows something, grabs the Ferengi by his collar and demands to know what he means by it. It turns out Quark was simply referring to the racquetball match scheduled with Bashir for next week. Hearing this, the chief realizes he has made a mistake and lets him go. Quark then asks for information on the Paradas, explaining, "It's always good business to know about new customers before they walk in your door." The chief tells him to find his information elsewhere, before he is summoned to the security office by Odo. In his office, Odo asks O'Brien what he knows about the Paradan rebels, as it looks as if the secret communication messages he found were in fact to the rebels, a direct breach of the agreement they had with the Paradan government. O'Brien immediately suggests they cancel the talks but Odo disagrees, prompting the chief to suspect him as well. Before he can do anything, Sisko and Kira -- both armed with phasers -- enter and attempt to take him into custody. But O'Brien has other plans. Taking the device from his sleeve, he throws it to the floor, where it explodes with an intense flash, stunning everyone in the room. Grabbing Kira's weapon, he stuns the two security guards on the Promenade and escapes through one of the adjoining corridors. In the corridor, O'Brien orders the computer to lock onto his combadge and initiate an emergency transport to the Rio Grande but the computer denies his request. Throwing his combadge to the floor, he continues to run down the corridor, but is soon stopped by force fields. Realizing he can't take them down, he does the exact opposite and raises all force fields on the station, prompting Sisko's team to disable them all. Still on his way to a runabout, O'Brien bumps into Jake. He tries to explain what's happening but Jake has seemingly been affected as well and calls for security to that location before running away. Knowing he can't go back or forward, O'Brien crawls into one of the access conduits just as Odo's security teams arrive. O'Brien manages to make it to a ladder in the crawl space and begins to climb higher and higher. The climb wears him out and he soon drops his phaser down the tube. He eventually makes it to his destination; the cargo bay, where he uses the cargo transporter to beam himself to the runabout. After disengaging the docking clamps, Sisko appears on the comm channel and orders him to stand down, but O'Brien has no intention of doing so. With the tractor beam sabotaged, Sisko opens fire on the runabout, reducing shield strength significantly. With some quick rerouting of the emergency life support power, the shield strength quickly increases and O'Brien escapes the range of Deep Space 9. He immediately opens a subspace channel to Admiral Rollman at Starbase 401 to inform her of the situation, but she doesn't seem to accept what he's saying and orders him back to the station. Laying in a new course, O'Brien takes the ship through the wormhole, on a heading for the Parada system. With just one minute until the Parada system, O'Brien replicates himself another cup of coffee as he formulates his plan to escape the Mekong. With Parada IV being the largest planet in the system, he decides to head there and so adjusts course. A few seconds later, the runabout enters range. O'Brien instructs the computer to reduce speed to allow the Mekong to catch up but after a few seconds engages full impulse and swings into orbit of a nearby moon, shutting down all power systems on the ship to avoid detection. The pursuing Mekong soon gives up and heads off on a new course for Parada II, where its crew beams down to the surface. O'Brien, armed with a phaser, follows suit. The chief materializes in some underground caves. Scanning the local area, he notices a doorway of artificial origin. He opens it to find Sisko and Kira meeting with two Paradan rebels. Sisko tries to negotiate with him, saying it's not as it seems, but O'Brien isn't listening. One of the rebels, Coutu, tells him that all the answers he needs are behind another door and all he has to do is open it. But he isn't buying it. Kira insists they are not the enemy but before they can negotiate further, another Paradan shoots a bolt of energy at O'Brien, knocking him to the ground. Coutu opens the doorway he pointed before and Bashir rushes out with medical kit in hand. Inside, another Miles O'Brien is lying on a bed, looking surprised. Bashir tries his best to treat the O'Brien on the floor while the other O'Brien approaches him, amazed at the accuracy of the copy. As Sisko and Coutu explain, the real O'Brien had been kidnapped and replaced with a replicant version who had been programmed to disrupt the peace talks. Bashir goes on to say how the copy was indistinguishable from the real thing; he recounts how the copy had passed a physical with flying colors and certainly knew his way around the station. Coutu wonders why the replicant was returning to the planet, and O'Brien suggests that if he knew something was wrong on the station he'd try and warn someone. Sisko notes that, in a strange way, the replicant was trying to save the day and be a hero. With the replicant version dying rapidly, it holds out his arm to the real O'Brien and says just one thing, "Keiko tell her I love." 
<EOS>
Sisko and O'Brien are in the middle of a discussion about the possibility of Jake Sisko apprenticing with the Chief to help prepare him for Starfleet Academy. When Sisko mentions that Jake placed in the lower third of his age group on a mechanical aptitude test, O'Brien reveals that the same was true of him at the boy's age. He says his experiences on the front lines during the Federation-Cardassian War were what taught him the most and relates a story about Setlik III, which was the reason he became an engineer. As they talk, they come upon an M-class planet which would be a perfect place to build a colony. However, there is already an uncharted Human colony on the planet. The colony does not respond to hails, likely due to a low-level duonetic field that O'Brien suspects is interfering with the hailing signal. They decide to beam down and say hello the old-fashioned way. The moment Sisko and O'Brien materialize on the planet's surface, their tricorders cease functioning -- not even the diagnostics subroutine will work. Sisko attempts to contact their runabout, the Rio Grande, but his combadge, as well as their phasers, appear to be nonfunctional as well. O'Brien suspects the suppression of their devices' electromagnetic (EM) activity may have something to do with the duonetic field, although he is not sure what. Before they can investigate further, a voice from behind orders them not to move and to put their hands up. A pair of Humans stand behind O'Brien and Sisko, the younger one armed with a bow. The older man, Joseph, recognizes their Starfleet uniforms after a second and has the younger one lower his weapon. He introduces himself and his companion Vinod and explains that they are part of a group of colonists who were destined for Gemulon V over ten years ago. When their ship developed life support problems, they landed on the planet and like the tricorder, all of their electronic devices stopped working. As Joseph and Vinod lead them to the colonists' village, Sisko recognizes a crashed Erewon-class transport. It was originally named the SS Santa Maria, but now the colonists refer to it simply as "the cabin." Alixus, apparently the community leader, is delighted when she sees O'Brien and Sisko. The entire village comes out to see the newcomers and they answer several questions from the colonists about the outside world and how it has developed in the past ten years. Joseph was an engineer aboard the Santa Maria but is unfamiliar with runabouts, which O'Brien explains are multipurpose vessels a quarter of the Santa Maria's size. Apparently, the villagers gave up any hope of escape years ago, in part because the marshes surrounding the village are filled with astatine deposits. Like the runabout, their ship detected the duonetic field, but they have been unable to bypass whatever is inhibiting EM activity. Alixus seems especially proud of how well the colonists have performed under the circumstances, boasting about the quality of life they enjoy despite the lack of comforts such as replicators. She claims that, despite many hardships and the deaths of several colonists, they have "rediscovered what man is capable of without technology." Sisko reassures the colonists that even if they are unable to contact the runabout, someone from Deep Space 9 will eventually find it in orbit. However, when the topic of leaving comes up, Alixus says each person will have to make his or her mind up for themselves and declares her intention to stay on the planet. What they have, she says, means too much to her. However, Alixus welcomes O'Brien and Sisko to everything the village has to offer, the only condition being that they contribute. She adds that supper tastes sweeter when one works for it. As Joseph leads O'Brien and Sisko off to find a place where they can stay, Alixus tells Vinod that two more strong, healthy men could mean a lot to their community. Back on DS9, the crew are unaware of O'Brien and Sisko's predicament. In Ops, Kira and Dax make small talk as Kira wonders why someone named Admiral Mitsuya has made arrangements to divert the USS Crockett to the station for a discussion about Cardassian foreign policy. Dax laughs and tells her it is an excuse to play poker with Sisko, as Mitsuya wiped him out a year ago. She remarks about how Sisko has never had a poker face in Dax's two lifetimes of knowing him. While Dax talks, Kira notes that the Rio Grande is not responding to her hails. Meanwhile, Sisko has discovered that Alixus authored numerous books prior to becoming stranded. A philosopher, she wrote about a variety of topics, including economics, politics, and literature. Of particular note is that Alixus was a harsh critic of humanity's heavy reliance on technology, claiming that it had made people "fat and lazy and dull." O'Brien casually jokes that it took a crash-landing for Alixus to find her paradise. O'Brien is unable to find anything among the wreckage of the Santa Maria to use in his efforts to contact the runabout. However, Joseph informs him that the colonists discarded all such materials long ago. In part, this was because they were unable to use it, but Sisko detects the hand of Alixus at work. Joseph admits she told the colonists that removing the technology was necessary to make the transition to their new lifestyle easier. As an engineer, he describes himself as the last "convert," but he believes Alixus helped the colonists discover a new philosophy of life and that they are better for it. Cassandra interrupts the conversation to inform Joseph that the condition of a young girl named Meg has deteriorated. Meg has a bite from one of the native insects, which the colonists are trying to heal using various combinations of indigenous plants. It is not working and Alixus tells Sisko three colonists have already died from similar bites. Fearing Meg will die before a rescue team arrives and lacking faith in the colonists' ability to find a cure, he and O'Brien discuss ways by which to contact the runabout, which likely has a cure in its medkit. Alixus tells them to search for a root or fungus in the forest, and when Sisko argues with her, she asks to talk to him outside. Alone with Sisko, Alixus warns him that talk of contacting the runabout is "not constructive." She insists that he is wasting precious time and must not plant such ideas in the colonists' heads. Sisko pushes the point but Alixus claims they are doing all they can for Meg. When he points out her bald-faced lie, she forbids any further discussion of a Starfleet rescue party. "Before they come, if they come, you'll have to do things our way," she tells him. Before leaving, Alixus adds that the planet is hot in the afternoon and suggests he take his uniform off. Deep Space 9 receives a report from Starfleet Command that the Romulan vessel Gasko reported seeing an abandoned runabout in Sector 401. The markings match those of the Rio Grande, and the report says the runabout was traveling at warp two. Kira and Dax immediately start an investigation. Vinod compliments Sisko on his skill as the two prepare the field for planting. Sisko tells Vinod his father was a chef who grew his own food and he and his brothers used to work the garden every day. Unlike the other colonists, Vinod has never eaten replicated food because Alixus never allowed it. The other colonists had grown up on replicated food, he says, so the flavor of food from hand-grown gardens came as quite a surprise at first. O'Brien tells of how, while his wife Keiko is a botanist, he is known as the "black thumb." He thinks she would like the planet, and when Joseph suggests that Keiko visit some day, O'Brien jokingly suggests she would not want to leave if she did so. The men's attention is taken away from the field when two colonists open a nearby box with a young man inside. The man's name is Stephen and as they learn, he was placed in the box the day before for stealing a candle. While O'Brien and Sisko find such a punishment system outrageous, Alixus claims that all of the colonists approved it and they all live by it. As Stephen recovers from his time in the box, he apologizes to Alixus for letting the community down. She tells Stephen the matter is closed and sends him away. Once he is gone, Alixus points out to Sisko that neither Stephen nor anyone who saw him will ever steal again, calling the punishment box a simple and effective way to maintain law and order. As Alixus leaves, O'Brien suspects she does not plan on him or Sisko leaving any time soon. That night, Cassandra comes to Sisko's room to ask if he needs anything. When he says no, she enters anyway carrying a bowl of oil. She apologizes for the fact that there are no doors, a policy Alixus implemented, and tells him he will grow accustomed to the tradition with time. Alixus has told the colonists to be patient with Sisko until he is accustomed to their way of life, although he has no intention to stay any longer than necessary. She offers to massage Sisko with the oil, insisting it will make him feel better. When Sisko asks if Alixus sent Cassandra to make love to him, she looks frightened. Sisko visits Alixus's room immediately. Surprised to see Sisko, Alixus says she is writing about him and O'Brien and mentions she has heard he is quite a chef. He angrily slams her book shut and she seems pleased, claiming it is the first "core behavior" she has seen in him. "Does that chapter come before or after sexual procuring?" he demands angrily. Alixus admits to sending Cassandra to his room and Sisko calls her contemptible. In Alixus's view, however, Cassandra wanted to make Sisko feel welcome and Alixus suggested she might make things easier for him; the choice was Cassandra's. Sisko mentions the "interesting" coincidence that Alixus became stranded on a planet that fit her philosophy so well and she agrees, bringing up another book she is writing. Seeing that Sisko still rejects her way of life, Alixus assigns Sisko to guard duty for the rest of the night. The next day at breakfast, Alixus asks if Sisko will be able to work his normal shift in the field, infuriating O'Brien. She innocently tells Sisko she will understand if he cannot work, but he tells her he can work just fine. Alixus notes with enthusiasm that Joseph is optimistic about a new combination of herbs with which he hopes to cure Meg. Once more, she suggests that Sisko change into "some more comfortable clothes." Following the runaway Rio Grande in the Orinoco, Kira and Dax work on a way to catch it. Kira plots an intercept course and plans to beam over, but Dax looks for a better idea. She begins configuring the runabout's controls and claims she can use "an old rope trick" she once learned from a Hopi. Theoretically, Dax can use a tractor beam to "rope" the Rio Grande and bring it back to impulse, although Kira points out that there is also a chance the resulting strain will tear the hulls of both runabouts apart. However, it is the best chance they have and Kira reluctantly agrees. After a couple of tries, Dax manages to catch the Rio Grande with the tractor beam, and as the Orinoco brakes sharply, it forces the other runabout to come to a stop, allowing them to beam aboard. Back on the planet, Alixus informs the village that Meg has died and notes that no one was prouder of what the village has accomplished than Meg was, calling her an inspiration. Alixus uses Meg's death as a segue, claiming someone has committed an act that by its very nature defiles Meg's memory. As Vinod brings O'Brien out of the building behind Alixus, she claims that he and Sisko have continually disrespected the village's way of life and that O'Brien has committed the worst offense possible: selfishly wasting time that could have been put to productive use. The "offense" is that O'Brien was found attempting to contact his and Sisko's runabout, and as Joseph points out, it was probably an effort to retrieve medical supplies with which to help Meg. Alixus thanks Joseph for bringing that point up, as it demonstrates the true danger that O'Brien and Sisko represent. Had the villagers spent their time trying to escape from the planet over the course of the past ten years, Alixus claims they would all be dead. As he realizes where Alixus is going with the topic, Sisko asks if Alixus plans to put O'Brien in the punishment box. "No, Ben," she answers. "As his commanding officer, I'm putting you in there." An angry O'Brien attempts to intervene but is restrained by Vinod and another villager; without a word, Sisko places himself in the box and two villagers seal him in. Kira and Dax find no signs of struggle aboard the Rio Grande and are perplexed by the fact that it was flying aimlessly through space. Further investigation reveals that it has been exposed to intense gamma radiation resulting from a close proximity to Orellius Minor, a nearby star. Dax hypothesizes that someone tried to destroy the Rio Grande by flying it into the star, for if the trajectory were slightly off, the gravity of the star could have deflected the ship and sent it in a new direction. They tow the Orinoco back to the Orellius system in the hope of tracing the runabout's original warp signature. The next morning, Sisko is brought into Alixus's office, visibly weak and unable to talk. She tries to comfort him by claiming that watching him suffer is painful for her -- she wants to help him, to give him food and water, but she needs him to help her as well. Alixus offers Sisko water if he will change into different clothes, leaving them on the table as she exits. Seconds later, he staggers out of the building still in his uniform, motioning for O'Brien to stay away. He slowly places himself back in the punishment box. When Joseph finds O'Brien in a nearby cave, O'Brien solicits Joseph's help in disabling the duonetic field. Although Joseph repeats Alixus's claim that nearby astatine deposits have caused the field, he and O'Brien both know that were that the case they could have contacted the runabout long ago. O'Brien thinks he has discovered a way to find the source of the field, but he knows that if Joseph simply looks the other way Alixus will put Joseph in the punishment box. He asks Joseph to look at a hematite deposit he has discovered, and Joseph, knowing what O'Brien plans to do, reluctantly complies. Knocking Joseph out gently, O'Brien whispers, "I owe you one, my friend." An improvised compass leads O'Brien as he wanders through the woods until he finds a clearing where there is a very faint but very strange humming. Confused, he wipes away some nearby dirt to reveal a power generator. He slowly realizes what the generator means when an arrow hits a nearby tree, barely missing him. Vinod prepares to fire another and O'Brien runs. After a brief chase through the forest, Vinod shoots what he thinks is O'Brien in a bush, but he discovers it is only O'Brien's uniform. O'Brien tackles the confused Vinod from a nearby tree and subdues him, noting with amusement that Alixus finally got one of the Starfleet officers out of his uniform. O'Brien enters the village with Vinod restrained and demands to see Alixus. He opens the punishment box with his now-functional phaser and reveals to the colonists that the duonetic field was artificially created. However, when Sisko attempts to contact their runabout, he finds it missing. Alixus emerges and admits that she destroyed the runabout and even helped invent the device that created the duonetic field in the first place. She even planned the crash on the isolated planet. The colonists are outraged, but Alixus defends her actions by pointing out how much better each of them is thanks to the "accident." Sisko asks about Meg and the others who died. She replies that even if her son had been one of the sick colonists who ultimately perished, she would have let him die "for the sake of the community." She says she is prepared to leave and answer for what she has done. Kira contacts Sisko and he tells her to stand by for multiple transports. O'Brien says the colonists should pack up whatever they want to take with them, but Joseph stops him. They do not want to leave, he says. However unethical Alixus's methods were, the planet is the colonists' home now and nothing will change that. As Joseph and apparently the rest of the colonists see it, she may have taken ten years of their lives, but she gave them the gift of their community in exchange. He says he doesn't know if they'll leave the damping device on or off, but they have a community they value, and they want to stay. "It's time for those of us who don't belong here to leave," Alixus tells Sisko, and he, O'Brien, Alixus, and Vinod beam off the planet's surface. The colonists go about their business, leaving two young children to stare at the space where Sisko, O'Brien, Vinod and Alixus had transported out from in wonder. 
<EOS>
When Dax and Odo investigate the particle field on a nearby planet, Dax detects omicron particles isolated in a small valley. These particles are very rare, and they appear to be interfering with other scans, so the pair beams down to the planet. Once on the planet, they find a small village, and with their limited tricorder functions determine the source to be some sort of reactor at the center of the village. Odo suggests they leave, but Dax insists on scanning it in more detail, and they are discovered by Protector Colyus who is brandishing a weapon. Meanwhile, on Deep Space 9, Major Kira Nerys keeps her eye on Quark, and stops his cousin Kono from smuggling stolen merchandise from a museum on Cardassia V onto the station. Commander Sisko also talks to his son Jake about getting a job. He eventually talks Jake into becoming Chief Miles O'Brien's apprentice, saying it would look great on his entrance request to Starfleet Academy. However, Jake seems to do it because he has to rather than because he wants to. Back on the planet, Colyus interrogates Dax and Odo. They both insist they committed no crime and had just arrived. Odo demonstrates their innocence by temporarily beaming himself to the runabout, saying if they wanted to escape capture, they would have. They convince the Protector they did nothing, leaving Colyus disappointed; the Starfleet officers had been his last possible suspects in twenty-two unsolved disappearances occurring over a period of months. Odo offers his help as an investigator. The first person Dax and Odo talk to is Rurigan, the elder of the village. He confirms that his daughter was the latest victim to disappear. After Dax scans for EM traces and detects nothing, Odo talks to Taya, Rurigan's granddaughter. She shies away from Odo, and won't talk to him because she believes her mother will come back. Rurigan says the questions can wait until morning. On the station, Commander Sisko sends Jake off on his first day on the job, giving him a combadge. Meanwhile, Major Kira talks to Doctor Julian Bashir about spying on Quark. She wants to make sure Quark isn't up to something while Odo is away. Bashir is happy to do it, since Garak has been teaching him surveillance techniques. Just then, Kira is informed by Sisko that Vedek Bareil has just docked for an unannounced visit to the station. Continuing his investigation the following day, Odo tries talking to Taya again. She still seems uncomfortable discussing the subject of her mother's disappearance, asking instead what happened to Odo's face. He explains that he is a shapeshifter, which she immediately understands by the term Changeling. Taya maintains that Changelings are make believe, but speaks wistfully about being one. When Taya concludes that everyone would want to be her friend if she were a Changeling, Odo assures her that it is not easy. With uncharacteristic detail, Odo shares his experiences from his early years, when people befriended him just to see him change into various items. Revealing the beginnings of a friendship, Taya offers that while others may have been afraid of him, she is not afraid. Inquiring about Odo's parents, Taya then brings up her parents. She reveals that her father died when she was four, and that the last time she saw her mother, she was in her workroom making a pot for the village's baker, Mister Depnen. When she want to get her for the midday meal, Taya continues, her mother had vanished. Probing further, Odo asks how her mother was acting, or whether she had been on a trip or vacation. Taya replies with confusion that no, no one ever left the valley. Odo seems intrigued, and when Taya morosely asks if her mother is ever coming back, Odo assures warmly, "I promise you, I'm going to do everything I can to find her and bring her back to you." Back on the station, Jake is having trouble identifying isolinear rods with O'Brien. When he continues to be baffled, the chief reassures him he didn't even get this stuff until after his Academy training, drawing a sigh from Jake. Jake explains that he doesn't want to go to Starfleet Academy, but that he can't tell his dad. Understanding Jake's quandary, O'Brien shares how he had almost become a cello player as his father wanted. His father went so far as to send a recorded audition to the Aldebaran Music Academy. Two days before he was set to depart for music school, O'Brien enlisted in Starfleet. However, as O'Brien explains, his father eventually came around, and is even proud to introduce his as "My son, Senior Chief Specialist Miles Edward O'Brien." If Jake's father is anything like his was, O'Brien explains, he will understand. Also on the station, Bareil and Kira exit the shrine, arguing about the merits of the Vedek's speech. After some playful banter, they discover a mutual enjoyment of springball, and leave to engage in a match using the holoprogram Kira had O'Brien create for her. Back in the Yaderan settlement, the investigation continues. Odo interrogates Rurigan, asking him why he seems unconcerned despite his daughter being among the missing. The old man responds that there is nothing he can do about it. Odo points out the pain in his eyes. Rurigan states he is dying, but he has had a good life and only wishes he could have seen his daughter one more time. Odo presses Rurigan, asking him specifically why no one leaves the village, not even to look for the missing villagers. Rurigan only insists cryptically that he is certain there are no missing people out there. Later, Dax, Odo, and Taya climb a hillside outside the village, with the little girl telling them a story about a foolish Changeling. Odo engages the child in the story with friendly banter. As they continue to get further from the village, Taya shows them a tree where she and her friends go out and play sometimes. Odo tells her to wait there while he takes Dax further out. As she continues walking, the scanner vanishes in her hand. When Taya starts moving toward them, Odo tells her to stop, but she tries to hand some berries to him, and the end of her arm disappears. It reappears when she pulls it back to her. Now, the nature of their village is clearer to Dax and Odo. They return to the center of the city, and bring Colyus to the reactor. Dax explains she knows what happened to the people. After being able to use a console to make his cloak disappear and then reappear, she explains the situation. It's not a reactor; it's a hologenerator. It creates an omicron field and manipulates it to create matter. Everything in this village, his cloak, and the people, are made up of these particles. The component that controls the field is breaking down, and people are being lost. Colyus can't believe it, sure he's not a holographic projection. Odo explains what happened to Taya's arm. Colyus insists he needs more proof before he believes he and his loved ones are holograms. To prove it, Odo and Dax agree to take anyone interested to the edge of the valley. Back on the station, Vedek Bareil and Kira enjoy dinner after their springball match, during which Kira was victorious. Their conversation turns intimate as they begin to acknowledge their attraction to one another. Soon they are kissing when Bareil mentions in passing about how Prylar Rhit, the man who invited him to the station, had a sizable gambling debt to Quark. She suddenly bolts for the door, leaving Bareil confused. Kira, however, is convinced she knows the real reason why Bareil was invited here. On the planet, the villagers are gathered together after seeing the vanishing effects at the edge of the field. Back in the town square, many believe it is a trick. Colyus says it is because they were programmed not to want to leave. He says the only alternative to having everyone disappear one at a time is to let Dax turn off the machine and fix it. However, if she can't, the whole village will cease to exist. After some murmuring, at the suggestion of Rurigan, they agree to let Dax shut it off. Once it is disabled, the people, the buildings, everything disappears; everything except Rurigan, who appears to have expected this. He explains he lived on Yadera Prime, with all of the people there, but after the planet was conquered by the Dominion, he decided to leave. He came here and set up this hologenerator, recreating the village with all his friends. He has been living among these people for 30 years, sometimes even forgetting they were holograms. He wants them to take him back to Yadera Prime. Odo wants to know what will happen to the people in the village. While they may not be real the way biological life forms are real, perhaps they are worth keeping alive, since they appear to think, feel, and reproduce. Rurigan is also betrayed by his emotions; they are real to him, since he didn't want his granddaughter to get hurt, and he cares about them. After such a rousing speech, bringing him to tears since he does love his granddaughter, he agrees not to turn his back on them. Back on the station, Jake finally sits down and admits to his father he doesn't want to go to Starfleet. He wants to do something that is like he is, not like his father is. Benjamin understands. Kira confronts Quark with his cousin in custody, and while he refuses to admit trying to distract her by suggesting Bareil be invited to the station, it is clear she is correct. Dax fixes the machine, and Rurigan makes one last request: don't tell the holograms he isn't one. After agreeing, she turns it back on, and everything is restored, including the missing people. Colyus wonders who created all this, and Odo simply says that whoever they were, they did a fine job. Taya says goodbye, and Odo turns into a spinning top to amuse her, just before he and Dax beam up. 
<EOS>
Arjin, a Trill initiate looking to get joined with a symbiont, arrives on Deep Space 9 on the USS Nash from Starbase 41. Jadzia Dax was assigned to be his field docent, and he's been nervous about meeting the famous Dax. In the past, Dax has eliminated 57 host candidates from the program. Before arriving on the station, he found himself sitting next to Dr. Julian Bashir, who managed to put him at ease about meeting Dax. When Arjin first meets Dax, she's in Quark's winning a game of tongo and exposing the Ferengi's weaknesses. The next morning, Arjin arrives at Dax's quarters early. A rather intimidating male alien named Trajok answers asking what he wants, but Jadzia interrupts wearing nothing but a towel. Jadzia and the alien exchange pleasantries while Arjin watches uncomfortably. The alien leaves and while Jadzia gets dressed, she asks Arjin to get her a black hole. The two talk briefly before heading to Ops, and Arjin feels like he can't say anything right to impress Jadzia. When they arrive at Ops, O'Brien and Kira are hunting Cardassian voles. The voles are becoming a problem because they are chewing through wires. Jadzia jumps in to help them in their hunt and ends up stunning a vole and handing it to Arjin who again looks uncomfortable and has no idea what to do with it. Jadzia takes Arjin in the runabout USS Mekong to a trip through the wormhole and back. On the way, the two Trills discuss training, past experiences, and flight experience. Arjin had recently obtained his fifth level flight training, which shocked Jadzia because she only obtained her third level in her last year of training. Jadzia assures her first trill initiate that he doesn't have to impress her. During the flight, the runabout runs through a subspace interphase pocket. The Mekong's starboard nacelle snagged a piece of "subspace seaweed" and is no longer functioning. Meanwhile, O'Brien has come up with a directional sonic generator which can produce a sound at a frequency uncomfortable to the vole's ears and drive them out of hiding. Quark bursts into Ops carrying a dead vole that had run across a dabo table and demands they take care of the vermin problem. When O'Brien tries to demonstrate the sonic generator to Quark to show they are working on it, Quark falls to the ground screaming -- the sonic generator works, at least on Ferengi. Jadzia and Arjin return to the station, and Jadzia wants to study this "subspace seaweed" further. She asks O'Brien to setup a containment chamber in the science lab, and O'Brien informs her it'll take a while. While waiting, Jadzia takes Arjin to a Klingon restaurant on the Promenade where they discuss his past and eat racht. Arjin is less than thrilled with his Klingon meal, and reveals he's only in the initiate program because it was his father's dying wish and has no plans for the future. Back in Ops, O'Brien is getting desperate to handle this vole problem and contacts Cardassia looking for a solution. They provide no solution and "kindly" remind O'Brien that the vole mating season is fast approaching. After dinner, Jadzia and Arjin part ways and Jadzia heads to Ops to talk to Benjamin Sisko about the "subspace seaweed" and Arjin. Jadzia admits she doesn't see Arjin being much of a host to a symbiont, but doesn't feel it's her place to confront him about it as it's very clear in the guidelines as to what she's supposed to do. Sisko disagrees and reminds Jadzia of the things Curzon Dax did to her. In the science lab, a pair of voles manage to take down the security field that was surrounding the subspace sample. O'Brien has discovered the voles have eaten through the security fields energy lines, and Sisko tells him it's time to take the phasers off stun -- to better handle the vole problem. Jadzia and Arjin continue their analysis on the sample, but Jadzia's attitude toward Arjin has changed -- she's become more harsh and critical and accuses him of telling her what she wants to hear. Arjin feels betrayed because of their conversation in the runabout earlier, and begins to insult Jadzia, saying she is far below the standards of a host. He leaves the science lab and heads to Quark's to "drown himself" in synthehol. Quark has a disheartening talk with Arjin, explaining how he once missed his big opportunity and never recovered and welcomed Arjin to "the club". Jadzia has discovered the subspace sample is highly structured and doesn't conform to any physical laws. Further analysis reveals the electromagnetic flux are high plasma concentrations in a rapidly expanding mass. The mass is expanding in a very specific way that the computer recognized as the expansion patterns of a universe. Their "subspace seaweed" is actually a protouniverse in its early stages of formation. As it grows, it will displace their own universe. Returning it to the wormhole could prove devastating to the whole system if it came in contact with any of the wormhole's verteron nodes, and not doing anything would be just as bad. They decide to try to contain it using the universe's own feedback pressure to create an implosive wave destroying the protouniverse -- and the science lab -- in the process. Jadzia continues to study the protouniverse, and discovers local entropy readings in the protouniverse have decreased 12% in the last hour. This shows indications of life in the protouniverse and these readings have been confirmed by the computer. They agree to cancel the containment field and let the protouniverse expand and destroy level 22 section 14 of the station, causing multiple hull breaches. Kira can't understand why they won't destroy the protouniverse, comparing it to stepping on ants to which Odo replies, "I don't step on ants, Major." When Kira presses them for another solution, Sisko says he'll have a decision in an hour. While thinking things over, Sisko drops by his quarters to visit Jake. While talking, Sisko finds out Jake is in love with a dabo girl named Mardah--the one Jake has been tutoring in entomology. Jake asks if she can come over for dinner tonight, and Sisko says not tonight but soon, he does want to meet her after all. Jadzia and Arjin are in Quark's talking more about the initiate program. Arjin is convinced it's over, but Jadzia says otherwise and explains her past and how she changed after meeting Curzon Dax. Sisko interrupts the two saying he's decided to take the protouniverse back through the wormhole. After preparing a containment field aboard the runabout that will block out the verteron node radiation, the protouniverse is beamed over and the journey through the wormhole begins. While traveling through the wormhole, the containment field slowly starts to collapse. Every time they pass through a verteron node, the field gets weaker. They bring the runabout to a stop and decide to let the containment field fail and fly the runabout through the wormhole without touching any verteron nodes. This type of precision flying has never been done before, and Arjin is reluctant to try. Jadzia convinces him that he can do it, and he manages to get them to the Gamma Quadrant safely so they can return the protouniverse to where they found it. Jadzia tells Arjin this will look very good on his initiate record. After the mission, Arjin apologizes to Jadzia for the things he said. Jadzia says she wouldn't recommend the process of being joined with a symbiont for everyone, but with time, she might recommend it for Arjin--when he's ready. 
<EOS>
When a damaged Cardassian ship shows up near Deep Space 9, Commander Benjamin Sisko has it brought in. Sisko and Chief Miles O'Brien greet the passengers, Natima Lang and her students, Rekelen and Hogue. Lang claims that their ship was damaged in a meteor swarm and request repairs. Sisko offers quarters, but she is anxious about being on a Bajoran station. Sisko replies it will be fine if she sticks to the Promenade. In the meantime, Quark's is bustling as usual. Garak and Doctor Julian Bashir have their regular lunch, having a conversation about loyalty to the state versus family. Bashir attempts once again to elicit an admission of being a spy or an outcast, but unsuccessful. At the bar, Odo lets Quark know he knows about the cloaking device he obtained, but Quark assures him he has nothing to worry about. Just then, the new arrivals visit the Promenade, and Quark recognizes Natima and greets her excitedly. Natima, however, quickly slaps Quark and tells him she never wants to see him again, but as she walks away, Quark tells Odo, "This is the happiest day of my life." Quark and Natima were once lovers and it is apparent as he follows her, though she continues to deny him pleasant conversation. Steering her companions into the bar, drawing Natima along, he pours a Samarian sunset for her, and, in turn, forcing the other two to go to the bar. He tries to talk to her alone, however, the second he quotes a Rule of Acquisition, any such feelings seem to vanish. Garak and Bashir pass by and Garak acknowledges Natima politely, prompting her to panic silently. The three immediately leave for Ops, where Natima tells Sisko that she and her students must leave quickly. Before she arrives, though, O'Brien has discovered that her ship was actually damaged by Cardassian phaser fire. Natima then reveals they are political outcasts intent on reforming the Cardassian government, fighting for Cardassia's future. Natima explains the nature of the Cardassian dissident movement to Sisko and reveals that Rekelen and Hogue are important movement leaders. They also reveal that Garak has seen them. Sisko promises to increase efforts to repair their ship. While Natima talks to Sisko, Quark visits Garak's shop and asks for advice on Cardassian fashion. The tailor describes Natima's taste in fashion as "too radical" for his liking and warns that a poor choice in fashion can be detrimental to one's health. This thinly-veiled conversation reveals to Quark that he has been warned to separate Natima from the other two, as they will be pursued by the government, and, therefore, Natima and Quark. Furthermore, Garak will not help with Natima. Quark then goes to Natima and professes his love, even willing to leave DS9 and his bar for her. After all their history, she doesn't believe him and refuses. She feels betrayed by Quark's action of trying to steal from the Cardassians using her access codes, and believes all he cares about it profit, even if momentarily he does want to leave with her. A Cardassian warship arrives shortly thereafter, ignoring communication attempts and targeting the station with its weapons. Just then, Garak visits Ops to talk. Downplaying the aggressiveness of the warship's approach to the station, Garak explains that Central Command wants Hogue and Rekelen. He describes them as terrorists, but also says they are not dangerous, rather, annoying. Garak reminds him of the fragile relationship between Cardassia and the Federation, but Sisko warns Garak that if the Cardassians attempt to try and take them by force, he will respond in kind. Garak acknowledges that and also invites Sisko to his shop. Desperate to get Natima back, Quark offers Hogue and Rekelen a cloaking device to help them escape, but, as part of the agreement, he requires that Natima stay with him. Later, Quark goes to Natima with the device. Natima tries to reason with Quark, explaining that she cannot stay, and threatens to take the device by phaser. Believing she is bluffing, Quark dares her to do so; however she fires the phaser but looks just as surprised as Quark. Natima tells him she barely touched the trigger and did not mean to fire, after which she apologizes and declares her love for him. However, she still says the movement is her life, and she has sacrificed for it. Quark responds by reliving their relationship, and that she has already given enough for the movement. Finally, she agrees to staying with him. As the two of them happily reminisce about the past, Odo enters Natima's quarters and places her under arrest. The Bajoran Provisional Government has agreed to turn Natima, Hogue, and Rekelen over to the Cardassians in exchange for the release of several Bajoran prisoners. Sisko tells Natima and her group, and that he is forced to execute it. Meanwhile, a former rival of Garak's, Gul Toran, visits Garak's shop and tells the tailor that Central Command has changed its mind; he says he convinced them to have the prisoners killed instead. In exchange for killing the prisoners, Garak will be allowed to return to Cardassia from his exile. In Odo's security office, Quark convinces Odo to help Natima and takes her and her students to their ship. First, he tries profit motivations, then by appealing to Odo's apparent lack of emotion, then by trading information. Finally, he begs him, but Odo agrees due to the justice of it. The group leaves with Quark to the airlock, however, Garak greets them there, where he laments that he must now kill him as well as Natima and her students. Quark and Natima attempt to reason with Garak, but he says he's not there to debate the situation and that Quark should have taken his advice earlier. Before Garak can finish, Toran emerges from behind a cargo container, claiming he knew Garak would not go through with it. Toran reveals that he only used Garak to learn Hogue and Rekelen's whereabouts; Garak then shoots him as he tries to shoot the group. With the deal obviously gone, Garak allows the group to leave and Quark promises more business for him. Before Natima leaves, Quark tries one final time to convince her to stay. She tells him she must return to Cardassia until her work is done. "So all I have to do to get you back is wait until Cardassia becomes a free and democratic society?" he asks. Smiling, Natima tells him they will meet again some day and promises to make it worth the wait. Once she leaves, Quark asks why Garak shot Toran, to which Garak asks why Quark helped Natima. "I had no choice -- I love her," Quark says. "And I love Cardassia, which is why I had to do what I did," Garak responds. 
<EOS>
In his bar, Quark complains to Odo that an elderly, drunken Klingon is monopolizing one of the holosuites, endlessly re-fighting the Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt, a battle the Klingons won over the Romulans a century ago. With Odo standing by, Quark shuts off the power, and the Klingon, Kor, storms out with a bottle of Breshtanti ale in his hand. He lunges drunkenly at Quark, but Odo pacifies him by telling him a "victory celebration" is awaiting him, and leads him to a holding cell to sleep it off. Koloth, Kor's friend, comes to bail him out; however, when he sees Kor is still quite drunk, he furiously tells Odo to keep him. Shrugging, Kor passes out again, while Odo rolls his eyes. In Ops, Odo brings a report to Major Kira and apologizes for being late, as it's been a "Klingon afternoon."  Dax overhears the name and has Kor released. She reveals to him and to Koloth that she is their old friend and comrade, "Dax" -- Curzon Dax having been the last host of the symbiont now inside her. Kor is delighted that their old friend now inhabits a beautiful woman's body, but Koloth protests that some mistake has been made. Dax realizes that their meeting has been arranged by another old friend, Kang, who arrives and tells them that he has finally found "the Albino." Eighty-one years ago, the three Klingons and Curzon swore a blood oath to hunt down and kill the Albino, no matter what. After Dax does some convincing to Kang that she really is Dax, Kang explains he has finally tracked him down to a hideout in the Secarus system -- and, to ensure that no warning causes the Albino to flee before they can reach him, Kang killed the traders who disclosed the location to him. Walking alone with Dax on the Promenade, Kang muses that times have changed, and nothing is quite the same as it was in the Klingon Empire, not even a blood oath. With that in mind, he tells Jadzia that she has no obligation to honor her past host's commitments, and formally releases her from Curzon's oath. While on duty in Ops, Dax asks Kira about her experiences in the Bajoran Resistance and how she felt when she killed Cardassians. Kira is very uncomfortable talking about those days, but wants to know why Dax is asking. Dax reluctantly explains; the Albino was a heinous criminal who led pirate raids on several Klingon and Federation colonies, until a task force commanded by Kang, Kor, and Koloth destroyed his power base. Although many of his followers were captured, the Albino escaped and promised revenge on the firstborn children of Kor, Koloth, and Kang. He managed to keep his promise by infecting each of the three Klingons' firstborn sons with a deadly genetic virus; Curzon was godfather to Kang's son, who was named Dax in his honor, and swore the oath along with the other three. Kira tries her best to dissuade Dax from her mission, reminding her that it was Curzon's godson who died, not Jadzia's and that she should not be expected to pay keep her former host's commitments. Dax is unswayed, telling Kira she still remembers how she felt when her godson died and feels like she owes it to Curzon to fulfill the oath, even if the other Klingons don't expect her to. Kira finishes by answering Dax's original question; "when you take someone's life, you lose a part of your own as well." Dax talks to Kor at Quark's, who is as joyful as ever: "Oh, of course you should come! The splendor of fighting and killing, a bloodbath in the cause of vengeance; who wouldn't want to come!"  But when she asks him to speak with Koloth and Kang on her behalf, he hesitates, calling himself an old man whose influence and power are long past. Dax confronts Koloth in a holosuite while he is practicing his bat'leth techniques. He believes she is too young and fragile to accompany them, so she challenges him to a duel to show him that she still retains Curzon's skill with the weapon. After a few rounds, Koloth concedes that her presence will do honor to their cause, but Kang remains adamant in his refusal. Dax presses the matter: ultimately, Kang does not have the right to deny her vengeance against the Albino, who killed Dax's godson. Angrily, Kang agrees to allow her along, storming, "come and be damned!" As Dax packs in her quarters, Commander Sisko arrives to preemptively deny her a leave of absence, telling her that he cannot condone murder in the name of vengeance, nor can he understand why Jadzia feels the need to do so to honor a commitment Curzon made. Dax tells him that Curzon is a part of her, and Curzon understood and embraced the Klingon concepts of honor and vengeance. When Dax begs him not to make her disobey a direct order, Sisko does not prevent her from leaving, but warns her that she shouldn't expect to just return to the station like nothing has happened. Dax responds that the consequences she faces are up to him. Aboard Kang's ship, on the way to the Albino's hideaway, the Klingons and Jadzia discuss their strategy. Kang advocates a surprise frontal assault on the compound's main gate. His intelligence indicates that the Albino only has forty guards, and the shock and awe of their appearance will give them a decisive advantage. Koloth and Kor endorse the plan and march out of the room triumphantly, but Dax stays to confront Kang. Unlike them, she can see that the plan is suicide, and demands to know what Kang is really up to. In fact, she says, if she didn't know better, she'd think Kang had been paid to lure them into a trap. Kang admits that when he first learned the Albino's location, he visited the system to see if it was true, and was contacted by the Albino. The Albino offered Kang a "glorious" battle against forty of the Albino's best warriors and Kang accepted, believing that if he could not kill the Albino, he could die trying. Believing that Klingons embrace death too easily, Dax urges him to consider an alternative strategy. Kang insists that the Albino's defenses cannot be penetrated by the four of them, and victory is impossible. But Dax has the idea of disabling the guards' phasers, by reconfiguring the ship's disruptors to bombard the compound from orbit with tetryon particles. The resulting dampening field will disable any energy weapons inside. Although the Klingons will likewise be unable to use their hand disruptors, they will have a significant advantage over the guards in hand-to-hand combat. Kang agrees, saying, "perhaps it is a good day to live." After beaming down to Secarus IV, Dax scans the area with her tricorder and detects a gravitic mine buried inside the main entrance: the Albino obviously never intended to keep his bargain with Kang. On the other hand, the booby-trap gives them the advantage, since the Albino will be focusing his defenses on the main gate. The four of them quickly work out an alternate plan of attack: Dax will create a diversion by sabotaging the compound's armory, drawing a fair amount of the guards away from the main house, while the Klingons disable the power station, knocking out the Albino's communications and scanners. However, Kor points out that if the Albino lied to Kang about facing him down honorably, he might not be in the compound, or even on the planet. Koloth tells everyone to wait for a few minutes while he goes and asks somebody. The others wonder if he's gone insane, but sure enough, he comes back a few minutes later, having stealthily ambushed a "very helpful" guard, who has confirmed the Albino's presence. The four warriors prepare to split up to fulfill their roles in the attack, and Kang locks hands with his fellow Klingons: "May Kahless guide us on this day of vengance!" After a moment's hesitation, Dax puts her hand on the others'. When the armory explodes, the Albino realizes that his trap has been outmaneuvered. Before he can order his guards to draw back into the house, the power station is sabotaged, leaving him trapped inside his main hall with his Markalian aide and only a few guards, with no way to signal the others and no functioning phasers. The Klingons and Dax storm into the hall and fight his guards hand-to-hand. Koloth is mortally wounded when a guard stabs him in the back, while Kang fights his way up the stairs through to the Albino. The Albino manages to mortally wound Kang, but turns to find Dax's bat'leth at his throat. She introduces herself as the former Curzon Dax, and he smirks that she doesn't have it in her to murder him, alluding to the traditional consuming of the enemy's heart once they have been slain. She hesitates, and meanwhile Kang stabs his knife into the Albino's back. He falls to the bottom of the stairs to his death. On the surface, he thanks Dax for the act of friendship in "letting" him have the death blow, but the knowing eyes between long friends hints at the deeper reality: that Kang has saved Jadzia from being forced to make the decision to kill the Albino. Kang utters, "It is a good day to die," before dying. Dax murmurs sadly, "It's never a good day to lose a friend."  The only Klingon left standing, Kor, sings in honor of his fallen comrades, as he stands over the body of the dead Albino. Dax returns to the station and resumes her post; however, it is clear from the looks of both Kira and Sisko that they may not be able to regard her the same way again. 
<EOS>
While a Cardassian freighter, the Bok'Nor, is docked at Deep Space 9, a Human posing as a Starfleet maintenance worker tampers with a nearby wall panel. Shortly thereafter, the freighter explodes while leaving the station. A subsequent investigation reveals no signs of explosive devices or other obvious methods of sabotage, but traces of mercassium, a compound unique to the United Federation of Planets, are found in the debris of the Bok'Nor. Although the explosion may have been an implosive protomatter device, O'Brien informs Sisko that he cannot be sure. Starfleet has sent Calvin Hudson, the ranking officer and attache in the Demilitarized Zone along the Cardassian border, and an old friend of both Sisko and Dax, to the station to investigate the possibility of retaliatory attacks. After a few introductions, they talk in Sisko's office. He briefly catches up with Sisko, but the gravity of the situation comes back. He admits his belief that his presence on the border is a joke; his assignment has been to help colonists, whose land the Federation gave to Cardassia, adjust to the new circumstances. He believes the Federation is abandoning them due to a bad treaty, clearly in disagreement. Contrary to Starfleet's belief, Hudson is sure the Cardassians will not retaliate, but he guarantees a response will come. Meanwhile, a covert meeting takes place between the saboteur and a Vulcan on the Promenade. Pretending to read a sign, the Vulcan whispers that he has quarters while a ship arrives for him to escape. The Vulcan then visits Quark to offer him a business proposition. He assumes it's due to an earlier bad deal he made with the Vulcans, but, when she assures him that's not the case, he's immediately excited. Introducing herself as Sakonna, she insists it should be a private meeting, so they plan to meet for dinner. However, Sakonna and the saboteur were observed from above by a Peliar Zel native man and woman. Later, they abduct him in the habitat ring as he goes to his quarters. When Sisko returns to his quarters that evening, he finds Gul Dukat waiting for him. Sisko immediately asks where Jake is, saying bluntly he believes Dukat is capable of anything. Dukat says he's hurt by that, so Sisko calls for Kira to find him, but does not alert her to Dukat's presence for the moment. Dukat explains that Cardassian Central Command is unaware of his presence on DS9, as he came unregistered on a cargo ship. He has come unofficially to help Sisko find the truth about the destruction of the freighter, for he believes he knows what happened -- renegade Starfleet officers. In order to find the truth, the two of them must take a runabout to the Volan colonies in the demilitarized zone, which Dukat describes as "not so demilitarized I'm afraid." Sisko agrees to go, taking Dukat's intentions at his word. On the way, Dukat continues conversation, politely challenging the fact he is not able to help pilot the runabout and not able to even see his controls (they're not illuminated), preventing as much knowledge of its operation from Dukat's memory. They also talk about aspects of Cardassian education, obviously more intense than Federation, at the expense of having free time. Sisko barely responds to him, but then he gets a distress call from a Federation merchant ship, attacked by two Cardassian attack vessels. Dukat says they are not authorized to violate the treaty, and must have come from Cardassian colonies. He tries two direct hails, but they do not disengage. Before the runabout can intervene, another Federation vessel arrives and quickly destroys the Cardassians. Sisko doesn't recognize the ship, as it appears to have been modified. They discover there has been fighting going on without the two governments knowing about it. Back on the station, Quark has arranged a "business" dinner with Sakonna. She is eager to begin negotiations but he quotes one of the Rules of Acquisition: "Never begin a business negotiation on an empty stomach." When he describes the Rules of Acquisition, she finds them logical and "quite reassuring." Once Quark is ready to discuss business, he is surprised to hear she is looking to acquire weapons: she wishes to acquire a continuous supply of "guns, phaser banks, photon torpedoes, troop transports, and a number of cobalt-thorium devices," among others. In the demilitarized zone on Volan III, Gul Evek, the Cardassian attache to the demilitarized zone, is in a heated debate with Cal Hudson and the colony's council when Dukat and Sisko enter the room. Evek appears to not have been aware of Dukat's involvement. When they describe the incident they observed, both sides seem to feel that their colonists were justified. Evek then produces a confession from the Bok'Nor saboteur, William Patrick Samuels, but claims that Samuels committed suicide shortly after giving it. One of the colonists present named Amaros attacks Evek and must be restrained. Later that night, Hudson warns Sisko that the Cardassians have no intention of allowing the Federation colonists to stay and tells him the Bok'Nor was likely transporting weapons to Cardassian colonists. He concedes that Samuels might have destroyed the freighter but claims the colonists have the right to defend themselves. Furthermore, the authorities themselves are involved in the conflict, arming their civilians. Sisko says if it's true, the Federation can use diplomatic channels, but Hudson scoffs at that, saying they'll find discrete ways of supplying them. Sisko then mentions the Cardassian's supply of weapons to Bajoran extremists, suggesting the Bok'Nor could have carried the weapons to a third party before it was destroyed. Hudson has to leave to tell Samuels' wife about him, and briefly reminisces about their time at New Berlin. Sisko then asks if something bigger is going on, but Hudson says he's not aware. On the way back to Deep Space 9, Dukat again makes conversation, noting Sisko is quiet, now, angry at the reckless actions taken that will eventually hurt the treaty. Sisko then guesses that Dukat knew of Samuels' confession. Dukat admits it, but says he knew nothing of the "suicide" -- in fact, he told Evek he would be a fool if he let him die as a good interrogator. Furthermore, Dukat swears on the lives of his seven children that the Bok'Nor was not transporting weapons, despite the fact that it could have rendezvoused with a third party in order to do so. Back on the station, Sisko gives Dukat quarters and security before he is transported back home. In Ops, O'Brien has confirmed what Sisko believed: The bomb that destroyed the Bok'Nor was of Federation origin. As Sisko prepares to contact Starfleet, Kira starts a heated argument in his office, as she believes that the Federation should be protecting their own colonists ahead of their treaty with the Cardassians, which she believes will be violated at every opportunity. Meanwhile, Sakonna requests that Quark move the weapon shipment schedule forward to that night and he complies greedily. Later on, her and a man posing as a Starfleet security guard subdue the guard posted to Dukat's quarters with a Vulcan nerve pinch. They lead him to an airlock under false pretenses and are joined by Amaros and another of the colonists. They kidnap Dukat by phaser. Sisko and the rest of the crew determine the course the kidnappers most likely took. A Galador freighter left, but Dax confirms the registry was forged, as the Galadorans don't have a ship in the sector. It was heading toward Farius Prime, but now they know it is a false route. Just as he, Kira and Bashir leave Ops to go back to the demilitarized zone, Kira reports an anonymous transmission from there attributing the bombing of the Bok'Nor and the recent kidnappings to a group calling itself the Maquis. On the runabout, O'Brien reports that fortunately a Klingon ship reported the freighter's location. They follow the Maquis into an area called the Badlands with which Bashir is unfamiliar. Kira explains that it is an area of the Cardassian border with frequent plasma storms, which pilots generally try to avoid. "Sounds like the perfect place for a hideout," he observes. They beam to the surface of an Class M asteroid, where the armed Maquis members emerge from nearby foliage -- followed by Hudson, now out of uniform. 
<EOS>
Calvin Hudson, now openly part of the Maquis, has Sisko, Kira, and Bashir at his mercy. Sisko demands to see Gul Dukat, whom the Maquis abducted, to which Hudson accuses Sisko of siding with the Cardassians over him. According to Hudson, the Maquis's top priority is peace but insists the Cardassians' crimes cannot go unpunished, and Sisko points out that it is revenge, not peace, they seek. "I prefer to call it retaliation," Hudson smirks. After Sisko declines his offer to join the Maquis, the Maquis stun him, Kira, and Bashir. Admiral Nechayev is waiting for Sisko in his office when he returns to Deep Space 9, and Dax informs him that Legate Parn of Cardassian Central Command will be arriving soon as well. As well as expressing concerns that Odo is not suitable for the position as head of station security, Nechayev refers to the Maquis as "a bunch of irresponsible hotheads" and tells Sisko to talk to them. Sisko is left fuming, feeling that Nechayev's views are out of touch with reality and sounds off to Kira about what he feels is the real problem Earth. Kira is confused, as Sisko explains that on Earth there is no crime or poverty and it is easy to be a good person in a place where there are no problems. For the people in the demilitarized zone however there are still many problems and they are doing whatever they have to in order to survive, all while Starfleet Command still expects them to be 'saints'. Kira appreciates and supports Sisko's true understanding of the situation, and informs him that Legate Parn. He is on his way to greet the Cardassian leader when Odo reports that he has caught "one of the Vulcan's accomplices." Sisko arrives in the security office to find Quark in a holding cell. Quark attempts to evade discussion of his business with Sakonna but eventually reveals that he arranged for the Maquis to acquire weapons from the Pygorians. While he had not heard of the Maquis at the time, he is sure Sakonna plans to execute her plans within the next few days. Legate Parn, upon meeting with Sisko, informs him and Kira that the Cardassian Central Command has discovered Dukat to be the leader of "a small group of misguided officers" who were smuggling weapons to the demilitarized zone. However, neither Sisko nor Kira believe him. Sisko concludes the Command is, in fact, arming their colonists. Hudson was right. Afterward, Sisko hears of more violence, as Federation citizens are killed on Hakton VII in retaliation for the Bok'Nor. Focusing on Dukat, O'Brien discovers the subspace distortion of the Maquis ship's warp drive and reconstructs their probable course. Sisko immediately leaves on the USS Rio Grande to rescue Dukat, along with Bashir and Odo. Kira however believes Sisko should leave Dukat at the mercy of the Maquis with him "getting exactly what he deserves". Sisko tells her before he leaves that "the Central Command wants him dead. That's reason enough for us to want him alive". On one of the Maquis worlds, Sakonna attempts to establish a Vulcan mind meld with Dukat, however, it is unsuccessful. Dukat is pleased and starts to openly mocks his captors, attributing it to his mental discipline and boasting about Cardassian methods of information extraction. Amaros, observing, is fed up with Dukat and comes down to interrogate him himself. Just then, Sisko, Bashir, and Odo interrupt the interrogation, wanting to talk and work together on revealing the Cardassian plot. There is a momentary standoff, during which Dukat grows impatient. "Shoot them!" he yells and knocks Sakonna over, triggering a firefight. The Maquis are arrested, but Sisko allows one of them named Amaros to go free with a message to Cal Hudson that it is not too late to settle things peacefully, as he has not informed Starfleet of Hudson's actions. They bring Dukat back to Deep Space 9, where he enjoys a meal in quarters. Sisko arrives to talk to him. First, a brief exchange on the fate of the prisoners, where Dukat says that, in a Cardassian "trial," the verdict is known beforehand because "Cardassians don't make mistakes." Dukat then inquires about the fact that Federation, not Cardassian, forces rescued him. Sisko tells Dukat about Legate Parn turning him into a scapegoat to be executed "after a comforting trial." Dukat processes this briefly, and mentions he predicted this strained relationship with the Command since the end of the Occupation of Bajor. Dukat then offers to help Sisko stop the smuggling if he helps to stop the Maquis, and he agrees, believing for the moment that Dukat didn't know about the Command's plan. He invites Dukat to their next staff meeting. The next day in the Ops, Odo has obtained an extensive list of weapons Sakonna bought from Quark, but he has been unable to find out more from Sakonna herself. The crew focus on the weapons smuggling instead for the time being. With Dukat's help, they find a Xepolite freighter, impervious to scanners and with a faster engine than the runabout. After initially not responding to hails, O'Brien fires off its bow, and trader named Drofo Awa explains with a phony story. After Sisko tries to convince him to let them search the ship, Dukat interjects, using his authority and forcefulness to talk the man down. He lowers his shields and allows them to detain a shipment of weapons from him, finally obtaining proof of the conspiracy. Dukat sits back down, pleased to gain a small amount of trust from the group. Back on the station, Quark and Sakonna are sharing a holding cell. He calls her position with the Maquis illogical; she scoffs at the idea that a Ferengi can display superior logic to a Vulcan, but Quark quotes the Third Rule of Acquisition to her, "never spend more for an acquisition than you have to." The Maquis, and Sakonna, want to "acquire" peace in the Demilitarized Zone, and now that the Central Command's plan has been exposed, the two sides - the Maquis and the Cardassian settlers - are in stalemate, and "peace can be bought at a bargain price." But if the Maquis escalate the conflict, then peace with the Cardassians will become that much more "expensive".  Quark challenges her to fault the logic in his argument. To her (muted) astonishment, she cannot. Meanwhile, Sisko explains that the Maquis are going to attack what they believe to be a weapons depot hidden in a civilian center on one of the colonies, though Sakonna doesn't know which one. Sisko believes her, as Vulcans don't lie as a rule. Dukat challenges that, but takes it for granted for the moment. He ensures the Cardassian Central Command is not aware of this, and takes it on to find out where the depot is located himself. In the meantime, Sisko visits Cal Hudson one final time, interrupting a council meeting. He bluntly says if they attack the depot, they endanger the treaty, and therefore become enemies of the Federation. He will stop the Maquis if they approach the depot. He tells Hudson they stopped the weapons smuggling, and that there's no need for the Maquis, but Hudson ignores it, saying they're in a war, and he intends to win even if he has to fight Sisko. Sisko brings along Hudson's uniform, which Hudson vaporizes with a phaser before he leaves. Dukat says he believes the depot is on the Bryma Colony. They'll have to intercept outside its sensor range, so the colony doesn't call for reinforcements. O'Brien says they'll need to establish sensor probes in the system's Oort cloud to detect them, since they don't know what route they will take. The crew is waiting in runabouts Rio Grande, USS Mekong and USS Orinoco when the Maquis arrive at the depot. As neither Hudson nor Sisko wants to hurt the other, the resulting dogfight is relatively slow paced and targets are only auxiliary systems. Soon, the Mekong, Orinoco and one of the fighters are out of the fight. Sisko's runabout and Hudson's fighter are alone, and each try to disable the other. Hudson manages to knock out Sisko's engines, but his own phasers are disabled. Despite Sisko's plea, Hudson flees and, over, Dukat's strong objections, Sisko allows him to escape, saying he has indeed stopped the Maquis and doesn't need to kill the man. Ultimately, Sisko wonders if he has prevented a war or delayed the inevitable. In his office, he confides in Kira after reading his congratulatory message from Starfleet. Kira says he deserves the credit, but she is silent on the future. 
<EOS>
As he and Julian Bashir walk along the Promenade, Garak mentions that he wasted his entire morning waiting for a Galipotan freighter to arrive. He explains that such is the price of dealing with a species that refuses to acknowledge the concept of time, although he adds that they make magnificent sweaters. Bashir yawns as Garak talks, having stayed up late reading The Never Ending Sacrifice, a book Garak loaned him. Although Garak describes it as the finest Cardassian novel ever written, Bashir reluctantly admits he found it dull in parts. As he talks, they reach the Replimat only to find a line long enough that Garak suggests they will be finished with lunch only in time for dinner. Bashir suggests Quark's, but Garak is not in the mood for "noisy, crowded and vulgar," which also excludes the Klingon restaurant. They resume their discussion of the novel while they wait in line and Bashir notes that the plot involves seven generations of a family, yet all of the characters spend their lives serving the state. Garak finds this to be a redeeming quality, as the repetitive epic is the most elegant form of Cardassian literature. When Bashir points out that there is more to life than duty to the state, Garak calls him a prisoner of "Federation dogma and Human prejudice." Bashir seems hurt by Garak's harsh comment, and as he responds, Garak suffers a severe and sudden migraine. Although Garak insists he is fine, Bashir points out that his skin is clammy and his pupils have contracted. Garak claims to be in perfect health and attempts to return to the topic at hand but he is again interrupted by another bout of pain. Bashir rhetorically observes that Cardassian standards must be lower than his own and begins to lead Garak to the infirmary, but Garak refuses to go with him, believing there is nothing wrong that sleep will not cure. He claims to have lost his appetite and walks off, agitated. Major Kira observes Garak's sudden departure and curiously walks over to Bashir to ask what happened, but the doctor is just as confused as she is. Jadzia Dax looks on as Bashir uses his medical tricorder to examine an alien plant of some kind, which looks like a miniature bush with a large cone growing from it. She asks if he can tell what is wrong with the plant. In his "expert medical opinion," it is sick; however, when she asks why, he points out that he's a doctor, not a botanist. Unfortunately, Keiko O'Brien is at a hydroponics conference on Rigel IV and the only Dax host to experiment with gardening was Tobin, who had even less luck with plants than he did with women. All she is able to tell him about the plant is that she picked it up on Ledonia III. Asking to use her computer, Bashir discovers that Ledonian soil contains a type of fungus that helps plants retain water. He estimates that there is enough fungus left in the plant's soil to harvest it and produce a new batch and Dax tells him Keiko would be proud. However, he wishes humanoid patients were more easy to treat. Dax instinctively asks if Chief O'Brien has dislocated his shoulder again, but Bashir is referring to Garak. The doctor relates his lunchtime experience and how Garak seemed on the verge of a seizure yet refused to visit the infirmary. Dax suggests Garak has a phobia associated with doctors, but Bashir believes it has more to do with Cardassian pride. While Bashir can understand Garak's desire to keep his past a mystery, he is at a loss for why Garak would be secretive about his medical condition. Dax observes that Bashir is taking the matter too personally, which he concedes may be true, but he points out that he and Garak have eaten lunch together once a week for over a year, which should garner a little trust in his view. However, Dax points out that Bashir and Garak are not actual friends, so Garak has no reason to trust him. It is obvious Bashir has feelings to the contrary, as he agrees with her and claims he does not trust Garak either. Later that evening, Bashir enters the mostly vacant Promenade and notices Garak talking to Quark, who holds a data pad. "So I take it we understand each other," Garak is saying to Quark. The Ferengi asks if he has ever let Garak down once in Garak's two years aboard Deep Space 9. As Garak points out, they have never done business until now, which Quark says is why their deal is so important to him; he wants their business relationship to start on the right foot. Quark reassures Garak that he will procure Garak's merchandise, which Garak warns he must have soon. Garak leaves and Quark has a satisfied grin on his face until Bashir makes his presence known, claiming he could not help but "overhear" the conversation. Quark claims Garak ordered a "reasonably priced" sizing scanner from Merak II, nothing more. Bashir asks why Garak seemed upset, but Quark claims not to have noticed, offering him some Saurian brandy or a late-night session in a holosuite. Seeing he will not learn anything from Quark, Bashir politely declines. As Bashir administers a hypospray to Commander Benjamin Sisko in the infirmary, he jokingly tells the commander not to yell at any more admirals. "I wasn't yelling; I was just expressing my feelings -- loudly," Sisko replies with a grin as he exits. He and O'Brien acknowledge each other as the chief passes by on his way in. Bashir asks O'Brien to help him find some old Cardassian medical files. O'Brien is not surprised Bashir has had trouble in accessing them, as the Cardassians did a general systems sweep before they withdrew from Bajor. Medical files would have been deleted along with everything else, but as he accesses Bashir's computer, O'Brien estimates he can retrieve the bulk of the data within two to three weeks. Bashir seems dismayed, but Quark interrupts on the emergency communications channel to announce that he is needs the doctor to come to his bar immediately. Bashir and O'Brien exchange looks, unsure what to make of the request as Bashir grabs a medkit and leaves. In Quark's, Bashir finds a heavily intoxicated Garak sitting at the bar with several empty bottles of kanar in front of him, opening another despite Quark's insistence that he has had enough. Garak is pleasantly surprised to see Bashir. He promises to reschedule their lunch date and asks Bashir to join him. Bashir accepts, reaching for the bottle, and suggests that they drink the kanar somewhere private. Garak agrees and suggests his quarters, but as they get up to leave, Bashir mentions that he must make a stop at the infirmary. Despite being intoxicated, Garak still has his wits about him. The Cardassian stops and laughs at Bashir's attempt to trick him, demanding the bottle back. Bashir slips the bottle to Quark behind his back. and the two of them debate the matter for a few seconds before Garak appears to suffer a seizure, grabbing Bashir's arm as he collapses in pain. Bashir contacts Ops to order an emergency transport to the infirmary and the two of them beam out of the bar. Garak lies unconscious in the infirmary with a monitoring device on his forehead, and a Bajoran nurse attends to him as Odo and Bashir stand next to a screen on the wall. The screen shows a three-dimensional image of Garak's brain with a purple spot indicating a foreign object. Odo asks if it is an implant of some kind, but Bashir was hoping Odo could tell him since, Odo worked for the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor. However, Odo points out somewhat sarcastically that while he may know the Cardassians well, he has never looked inside their skulls. He asks if the implant is the cause of Garak's condition, which Bashir believes is possible, as the implant is connected to Garak's entire central nervous system. It may be a punishment device from the Cardassian government, but based on the scars surrounding the implant, Bashir estimates it has been in Garak's brain for years, whereas the Cardassian has only been in pain for a few days. Neither of them knows for sure what the implant is, but Bashir mentions that Quark may be responsible, piquing Odo's interest immediately. When he hears of Bashir's encounter with Quark, Odo remarks, "The direct approach seldom works with people like him." The meeting may help explain why Quark has sent several coded subspace messages -- Odo explains that he routinely monitors Quark's communications, which, while not entirely legal, is in the station's best interest -- and the constable tells Bashir to meet him in the security office at 0200, as that is when Quark makes his clandestine calls. That night, Quark goes to his terminal behind the bar after closing and contacts Boheeka, an old acquaintance from the time when the Cardassians occupied Bajor. Boheeka inquires about a dabo girl he knew, as he misses her company. In a mischievous tone, Quark replies, "I'm sure she misses you too!" They share a laugh before getting down to business. Quark enticingly asks Boheeka if he would like to earn enough latinum to buy himself a promotion, at which point Boheeka gives Quark his undivided attention. The Ferengi needs the installation schematics for a piece of Cardassian biotechnology, which Boheeka says should be relatively easy to obtain. Boheeka asks what it is, but Quark never asks such questions of his clients, so he simply transmits a requisition code to Boheeka. Meanwhile, Bashir and Odo observe from a monitor in Odo's office. Bashir hopes Odo does not have a camera like this in his quarters, to which Odo rhetorically asks, "Should I?" When Boheeka puts the code into his computer, a red light flashes and he looks terrified. Calling Quark an idiot, he exclaims that he is ruined, and his career over. Quark wonders what happened and Boheeka furiously informs him that the code was for classified biotechnology; even the requisition code itself is classified. He demands to know where Quark got it but, once again looking frightened, thinks better of it and says he does not want to know. If he is lucky, the Obsidian Order will not trace the signal back to him. "Nice talking to you, Boheeka. We'll have to do it again some time," Quark panics. As Quark terminates the transmission, Odo shuts off the camera feed and he and Bashir walk out to the Promenade. Odo explains to Bashir that the Obsidian Order is "the ever-vigilant eyes and ears of the Cardassian Empire." Common knowledge is that one cannot sit down to a meal on Cardassia without the Order noting each course; Bashir wonders what happens to people who eat something that is not in agreement with the Order, and Odo notes that people have disappeared for less. The Order's ruthlessness and efficiency are without measure, topping even the Romulan Tal Shiar. Bashir supposes that the Order put the device in Garak's brain, but Odo is more interested in why Garak wants to get his hands on another one. Garak may want to find a way to remove the device, but there is no way to know for sure without asking Garak himself. Bashir thanks Odo for his help and enters the infirmary as Odo resumes his patrol. Upon entering the infirmary, he queries the computer on Garak's condition. He is surprised to find out from the computer that Garak is no longer in the infirmary. Checking Garak's bed, all he finds is Garak's discarded hospital gown. Bashir then leaves to locate Garak. Bashir immediately visits Garak's quarters, but there is no answer so he uses an emergency medical override command to open the door. Inside, he finds Garak administering triptacederine to himself with a hypospray. Although Garak seems pleased to see Bashir and observes that he must have missed the door chime, his speech is heavily impaired by the effects of the drug. Bashir finds that Garak has taken enough of it to anesthetize an Algorian mammoth, but as Garak barely feels anything, he claims Cardassians must be made of sterner stuff. Fed up with the games, Bashir orders Garak to come with him to the infirmary, and Garak assures the doctor that he is beyond help. Cutting to the chase, Bashir tells Garak that Quark is not coming. A worried look crosses Garak's face although he tries to cover it up as he asks how Bashir knows this information. When Bashir tells him of Boheeka, a dismayed Garak says he should have expected as much. He concedes to himself that it may be for the best, requesting his hypospray back from Bashir. Bashir refuses, warning Garak that another dose could kill him. "Thank you for your concern," Garak says politely, "but I'd rather have the hypospray." However, Bashir refuses to let his Cardassian friend commit suicide. Garak demands it back, holding a small container of triptacederine, but falls to his knees in pain as the cranial implant acts up again. Now Garak leans against a chair and allows Bashir to take the container from his hand. He informs Bashir that his cranial nerve cluster should have deteriorated slightly by now, and as he scans Garak's head with a medical tricorder, Bashir adds that the deterioration is not so slight. Nonetheless, Garak refuses to go to the infirmary because he has no intention of allowing the Bajorans on the station to see him in his present state. Bashir asks about the implant, so Garak explains that it is not a punishment device, although it has become one in a way. He avoids direct talk of the implant's nature, however, reassuring Bashir that it cannot be removed, because if it could, it would be useless. The implant was given to Garak by Enabran Tain, head of the Obsidian Order, and was designed to trigger the production of endorphins in the event that Garak was tortured, ironically making him immune to pain. However, it was not designed for continuous use. Life aboard DS9, where the temperature is too cold, the lights are too bright, and the citizens loathe him, has been torture for Garak since he arrived. Not wanting to deal with the pain any more, he created a device that allowed him to trigger the implant on demand and used it for a few minutes each day. As time went on, he gradually began using it more and more until he left the implant on permanently. Two years later, the implant is breaking down, and while Bashir suggests turning it off, Garak's body has become addicted to the higher endorphin levels. Garak has essentially given up, a strategy which Bashir sees as letting "them" -- the Central Command, Obsidian Order, or whoever exiled Garak to DS9 -- win. The Cardassian calls Bashir an annoying pest, but he is used to hearing the insult from Chief O'Brien and claims he never listens to O'Brien either. In light of Bashir's undaunted optimism, Garak confronts the doctor with the fact that he deserves his punishment. Bashir insists no one deserves such treatment and all that matters is that Garak is his patient and he is Garak's doctor. "Wrong again, doctor," Garak corrects him. "You need to know who you're trying to save." At the time of the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, Garak tells Bashir, he was a Gul in the Cardassian Mechanized Infantry. When a group of Bajorans escaped from his custody, his aide Elim tracked them down and followed them aboard a Cardassian shuttle headed for Terok Nor. However, the captain of the shuttle claimed to be under strict orders from Gul Dukat to depart immediately and refused to let Elim search the shuttle. Garak had the shuttle destroyed, killing the escapees, Elim, and 97 other Cardassians -- one of whom was the daughter of a prominent official. Garak was subsequently stripped of his rank and exiled from Cardassia. As he finishes the story, Garak hangs his head in shame, having finally revealed the truth to Bashir-or so it seems. Bashir, now more compassionate than before, reaffirms that he is not concerned about what Garak has done in the past, and that he won't leave Garak to die. Whatever the side effects of turning the implant off may be, he promises to help Garak through them, but he needs to know where the triggering device is. Garak points him to a drawer and he takes it out. Garak lies unconscious on his bed with a monitoring device on his forehead. Bashir and a nurse are at Garak's bedside and Bashir informs him that he will be with Garak for at least the next twenty-six hours if he needs him. He leaves and Bashir tells the computer to monitor Garak's implant for any signs of activation. Shortly thereafter, the door chime rings. Odo enters, hoping to ask Garak a few questions. However, Garak has been unconscious since Bashir turned the implant off, so he and Odo talk quietly in the corridor outside Garak's quarters. There Odo informs him that he has four unsolved homicides which he is certain are linked to the Obsidian Order. However, Bashir explains that Garak's body has undergone a severe shock and he is unsure when, or if, Garak will recover. Odo wants to talk to Garak immediately when he learns the Cardassian might not recover, but Bashir forbids anyone except emergency personnel from entering Garak's quarters for the time being. That night, Bashir remains in Garak's quarters, monitoring his progress and worrying about him, and eventually falls asleep in a chair near Garak's bed. Garak awakens in the middle of the night and sits on the side of his bed sobbing out of both pain and sorrow when Bashir too awakens. The doctor approaches Garak comfortingly, but Garak wants to be left alone. The more Bashir attempts to comfort Garak, the more agitated Garak becomes, calling his life pathetic and DS9 a prison. He grabs a nearby vase of flowers and smashes it on the floor as he speaks. Although Bashir attributes this behavior to the side effects of the implant's deactivation, Garak claims he is more clear-headed than he has been in the last two years. Referring to his life aboard DS9 as a waste, he overturns a table in frustration. He claims he was once the protege of the head of the Obsidian Order, Enabran Tain, a man more powerful than even the Central Command, until he (Garak) was exiled. Bashir refers to the incident with the shuttle, but Garak reveals that his disgrace is even worse than he previously claimed. In this version of the story, on the eve of the Cardassian withdrawal of Bajor, Garak and Elim were interrogating a group of five Bajoran children, none of them older than fourteen. The air was chilly and Garak's stomach was growling, and suddenly the entire exercise suddenly seemed meaningless -- "all I wanted was a hot bath and a good meal." Garak gave the children whatever latinum he had and released them. "Elim couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at me as if I were insane." Bashir sees his act as honorable, but Garak claims he was a fool and should have turned the children over to the troops for execution. In one swift move, he was exiled to the station with nothing to look forward to but having lunch with Bashir. As Garak describes life on the station with contempt and claims he hates it, and hates Bashir, Bashir patiently tries to get Garak to lie down, but the Cardassian lunges at him. A brief struggle ensues before Garak suffers another seizure and goes into shock. Once again in the infirmary, Bashir tells Jabara to administer more hyperzine to Garak, but Garak's body does not respond. They use cardiostimulation to stabilize Garak's heartbeat, but the Cardassian's lymphatic system still reads critical. A perplexed Bashir cannot understand why toxins continue to accumulate despite the implant being shut down, so he uses the computer to analyze previous bio-chemical samples. A comparative view of samples from the past 39 hours shows a pattern in the progression of Garak's leukocytes, indicating that the molecular structure itself has been altered. While it may be possible to synthesize Cardassian leukocytes, doing so would take weeks. Jabara suggests that they turn the implant back on, as it could keep Garak alive for another week or two. However, Garak awakens and forbids it. Garak tells Bashir that he never wants the implant turned on again, and while Bashir empathizes, he is unsure of what else he can do. On hearing this, Garak gratefully assures the doctor that he has already done more than the Cardassian deserves. Garak announces that he wants to tell Bashir the truth, something Bashir has given up on finding. "Oh, don't give up on me now, doctor. Patience has its rewards," Garak replies softly. The truth is that Elim was not Garak's aide but his friend, closer to him than a brother. The two of them were powerful members of the Obsidian Order, referred to by many as the "sons of Tain" and feared by even the Guls. When a scandal erupted over the release of several Bajoran prisoners, there were rumors of who would be implicated, and as Tain had retired to the Arawath Colony by then, he was unable to protect Garak. Panicking, Garak altered records and planted files in an attempt to frame Elim. However, only then did he discover that Elim had beat him to the punch. When Garak was subsequently exiled, he admits he deserved it, not for the reasons the government claimed, but for betraying his best friend. He confides in the doctor that he needs to know someone forgives him, which Bashir does, acknowledging for both of them that Garak is a good man despite past wrongdoings. Finally at ease, Garak falls asleep peacefully. Bashir informs Jabara that he plans to leave and will return within 52 hours, intending to "find the man responsible for this." There is a somber feeling as Bashir leaves DS9 in a runabout and travels to the colony Garak mentioned. Bashir beams down to the surface, in an unoccupied room of a Cardassian-style dwelling. After glancing around to make sure that he is alone, he wanders over to a nearby computer console. Whatever is displayed on the console's monitor intrigues him, but as he reaches toward it, a Cardassian man emerges from a doorway behind him. "Doctor Bashir," the man interrupts in a friendly tone. "Welcome. Please, make yourself at home." Bashir is speechless, unsure of what to say. The Cardassian observes that the doctor must have something to say to him after coming all this way, at which point Bashir identifies the man as Enabran Tain. Tain returns the favor, demonstrating his knowledge by identifying his guest as "Doctor Julian Subatoi Bashir." Although he explains that he informed the military that Bashir would be coming, Tain is nonetheless impressed by Bashir's audacity in making the journey. Tain walks over to a replicator and asks if Bashir would like anything, suggesting Tarkalean tea. The idea appeals to Bashir, who mentions that he always drinks Tarkalean tea before he suddenly realizes how suspicious it is for Tain to know such a thing. "A good host always knows the needs of his guests," Tain explains as he orders Bashir's tea -- extra sweet, just the way Bashir likes it -- and a glass of kanar for himself. He hands Bashir the tea and asks if Garak's condition has improved at all. However, Bashir is focused not on Garak but on Tain's incredible wealth of knowledge, observing that Boheeka had reason to fear the Obsidian Order. Tain affirms that, indeed, everyone has reason to fear the order. Tain claims that he likes to stay informed on current events despite his retirement, noting with amusement that Bashir could probably tell him many things he would be interested to know. Sarcastically, Bashir offers his opinion on the latest nillimite alloy tennis racket, but Tain respectfully declines. Tain then steers the conversation back to Garak's condition. Bashir confirms that Garak is dying, and that he is trying to save Garak. Tain finds it strange that Bashir is trying to save Garak's life, since he thought Bashir was Garak's friend. Given the earlier exchanges Bashir had with both Dax and Garak, he thinks the matter over for a second before replying, "I suppose I am." In that case, Tain believes Bashir should let Garak die, noting that "for Garak, a life in exile is no life at all." Bashir reaffirms that his job is to keep Garak alive, and due to his limited knowledge of Cardassian biochemistry, he needs Tain's help. When the Cardassian feigns surprise at Bashir's belief in his ability to have access to such information, Bashir points out that information is Tain's business. When Bashir confronts him with the fact that he ordered Garak to put the implant in his brain, Tain fondly explains that what made Garak special was that he never had to order Garak to do anything. Tain sarcastically weighs the options, and decides to give Bashir the information. When Bashir thanks him, Tain deflects it, remarking that Garak doesn't deserve a quick death. Instead, he wants Garak to live a long, miserable life, growing old on a station with people who hate him, and knowing that he can never again return home. When Bashir sarcastically observes the lovely sentiment behind Tain's statement, the Cardassian assures him it is from the heart, and sends him on his way. Before leaving, Bashir asks Tain about what happened to Garak's friend Elim. Laughing, Tain explains that Elim is Garak's first name, and that Garak hasn't changed a bit. Tain remarks that never telling the truth, when a lie would suffice, is a hallmark of Garak's talent for obfuscation. Despite the hatred Tain has expressed, he asks Bashir to tell Garak he misses him. When Bashir orders the runabout to beam him up, he pauses momentarily before he gives the energize command, Tain's words weighing heavily on his mind as he realizes none of Garak's stories were true. Back aboard DS9, Bashir sits alone, deep in thought at his and Garak's table in the replimat. He is stirred from his trance, surprised when Garak walks up and asks to join him. Bashir seems annoyed, albeit in a concerned manner, that Garak is not in bed. Bed is out of the question, as Garak could not stand being in the infirmary and feels fine anyway. Before his companion can respond, Garak asks how Bashir's Idanian spice pudding tastes. Bashir finds it incredible that Garak can simply go on with life and pretend the last ten days never happened, but as Garak is satisfied with the way things turned out, he sees no point in dwelling on such a difficult time for both of them. Perhaps because he agrees, perhaps because he does not want to argue, Bashir simply sips his beverage. Garak seems surprised as he informs Bashir that Constable Odo is under the impression he was once a member of the Obsidian Order. Of course, he assured the constable this was untrue. Odo told Garak he plans to keep a close eye on him from now on, which seems fine with Garak as he claims he has nothing to hide. Taking out a data rod, he hands Bashir Meditations on a Crimson Shadow, a Cardassian novel by Preloc. The doctor is unenthusiastic by the notion of more Cardassian literature, but Garak believes this novel is more to Bashir's liking. He explains that it is about a futuristic war between Cardassia and the Klingon Empire. Bashir dryly asks who wins, to which Garak grins and responds, "Who do you think?" "Never mind, don't tell me, I don't want to spoil the ending," Bashir says sarcastically. As Garak laughs, Bashir obviously has something more serious on his mind. He wonders which of the stories about Garak's past are true and which are not. Garak reassures him they are all true -- especially the lies. 
<EOS>
In an orb experience, Vedek Bareil exits the Bajoran temple on Deep Space 9 to find the Promenade conspicuously deserted. He wanders around until he finds the corpse of an anonymous Prylar hanging limply from the second level. Unsettled, Bareil passes by a non-functioning computer terminal and finds Major Kira Nerys near the stairway to the second level, dressed for springball and bouncing a ball against the wall with her paddle. "Wanna play?" she offers, although he is dressed in his Vedek robes. He looks back at the Prylar's body and desperately asks Nerys to help him. "All right," she replies in an impatient tone. Kira runs up the stairs to the second level of the Promenade and approaches the rope from which the corpse is hanging. As she cuts the rope, the corpse falls to the ground and Bareil recognizes Prylar Bek. However, Nerys disagrees, claiming it is Bareil as the orb experience ends. He closes the orb and looks distraught. Bareil stands shirtless in his guest quarters on Deep Space 9 gazing at the stars, when Kira wishes him good morning as she embraces him from behind. He remarks that he thought she would sleep until noon after which Kira reminds him he is supposed to be relaxing. He reassures her he is very relaxed and asks how she is feeling. She claims she is miserable because she wishes he could stay longer; after pretending to consider the issue for a moment, Bareil declares that he will do so for a few more days. However, the election of the Bajoran Kai is at hand -- an election Kira is sure Bareil will win. After all, it is common knowledge that Bareil was Kai Opaka's hand-picked successor. Hearing Opaka's name seems to weigh on Bareil's mind. He reassures Kira that he can never replace Opaka, for without Opaka, Bajor would not have survived the Occupation. Whatever is on his mind, it is lost on Kira. As she embraces Bareil, she realizes that the two of them will not have nearly as much time together once he becomes Kai. Bareil reassures her that he will always make time for her, although he acknowledges that doing so will not always be easy and promises Kira he will never lose her. On the Promenade, near the temple, Vedek Winn finishes talking to a group of young children, telling them, "Honor the Prophets and they will love you," as Bareil and Kira approach. Bareil politely reminds Winn that the Prophets' love is unconditional and they ask for nothing in return. Winn thanks him, with equal politeness, for reminding her how easily the sacred texts can be misinterpreted. The tension between the two of them is evident as Winn remarks that she was unaware of Bareil's presence on the station but, on observing Kira, adds that she is not surprised. Bareil claims he would not try to surprise her and Winn notes that she has been watching him closely. Winn sees nothing wrong with this, as the eyes of all of Bajor are on the expected future Kai. Kira jumps in on hearing this and eagerly asks if Winn is announcing her intention to concede the race for Kai. Winn however points out that the Choosing is still two days away and the Prophets may still have a surprise in store. Kira suspiciously asks what the purpose of Winn's visit is to be, but Winn politely responds that had she wanted Kira to know she would come, she would have told her. In any case, Kira plans to warn Constable Odo to increase station security. When Winn reassures Kira that she believes she will be quite safe, Kira counters by clarifying that the extra security is not for Winn's protection. An indignant Winn asks what Kira is implying, but Bareil reassures her it was nothing. Knowing when to back down, Kira agrees that her comment was innocent. Winn acknowledges Kira's belief that she orchestrated the attempt on Bareil's life the year before, but she says she prays the major will "be cured of this unfortunate misconception" -- a prayer Kira reassures Winn will never be answered. Meanwhile, an elderly Bajoran man walks along the Promenade. Another Bajoran, Eblan, bumps into him and apologizes for the mistake before looking back with recognition. He gently grabs the older man's arm, identifying him as Kubus Oak, a traitor who worked for the Cardassians during the occupation. Kubus angrily tries to get past the younger man, but Eblan loudly announces Kubus' identity to the entire Promenade. Odo intervenes as a crowd begins to form and asks what is going on; upon seeing Kubus, Odo recognizes him immediately. Odo claims he was under the impression Kubus was living on Cardassia, but Kubus says he has simply decided to return home. "Welcome back," Odo greets him sarcastically. "You're under arrest." As Odo escorts Kubus to the security office, he seems to recognize Vedek Winn, who has observed the incident intently. In another orb experience, a group of Vedeks are gathered on Bajor as Bareil, newly elected Kai of Bajor, emerges from a nearby doorway. "The Prophets have spoken!" proclaims Winn. "All blessings on the new Kai!" The other Vedeks echo her sentiments in unity, chanting a blessing to Bareil. Bareil seems pleased if somewhat unsure of himself until Kai Opaka appears in a flash of light. Opaka tells him he must be strong now more than ever. Bareil asks why Opaka left him, to which she tells him all is as the Prophets will it to be and asks him to follow her. Before he can do so, Winn warns him that Opaka's path is a narrow one. Although Bareil does not believe he deserves to walk in Opaka's path, Opaka warns him that such is his destiny. He walks toward her slowly as Prylar Bek approaches carrying a small, round box. Telling Bareil the box is a gift from the Prophets, he opens it to reveal a venomous snake. Bareil hesitates shortly, but Opaka assures him the snake's venom will make him strong. He removes the snake to find a noose, and as he does so, the orb experience ends. Secretary Kubus sits in a holding cell as Odo informs him that extra security was needed to prevent a mob from forming outside. Kubus tells him he always was good at his job, Odo counters by pointing out that Kubus was equally skilled at his job as the liaison officer between the Cardassian forces and the "government" of Bajor. Defending his actions, Kubus claims that the situation on Bajor would have been ten times worse if he and the other officials had not cooperated with the Cardassians. However, Odo fails to see how Kubus, who spent most of his time aboard Terok Nor, would know. Although Kubus claims he could not stand Gul Dukat, describing Bajor's former prefect as an arrogant tyrant, Odo reminds him that Dukat once described Kubus as his favorite Bajoran. Obviously burdened by the weight of his actions, Kubus admits that he should never have left Bajor. "But you did," says Major Kira as she interrupts their conversation. "And you're going to have to live with that decision." Odo introduces Kira as the highest-ranking Bajoran on the station, and when Kubus requests an audience, she tells him to make it quick as she does not enjoy talking to collaborators. Kubus asks that he be allowed to return home, a request Kira denies. The Ilvian Proclamation exiled all Bajorans who were part of the Bajoran occupational government, and Kubus' name was the fourth on that list. Kira adds that she personally believes that Kubus and the others got off too easily. Kubus pleads with Kira, seeing no harm in allowing him to live out his few remaining years on Bajor. On hearing this, Kira angrily confronts Kubus with the fact that his signature was on numerous work orders, which were essentially death sentences, forcing Bajorans to mine ore for the Cardassians. As such, allowing him to return to Bajor would dishonor the memory of every Bajoran who died working in the mines. Vedek Winn visits Commander Sisko in his office to inform him with some hesitance that some on Bajor believe the relationship between the two of them is "not all it should be." According to Winn, she finds such inaccurate perceptions to be most disturbing. Sisko coldly asks whether such perceptions are inaccurate, although Winn does not seem to think there is any reason for Sisko to believe otherwise. Sisko points out that Winn once claimed he was sent to destroy Bajor. In an attempt to downplay this point, Winn explains that she only meant Sisko was sent to test the faith of the Bajoran people, although she concedes that she was concerned about Bajor's petition for Federation membership. However, when Sisko asks directly whether Winn now supports the petition, Winn simply replies that she will not oppose the will of the Prophets. Sisko requests that Winn tell the same to Bajor, so she suggests a joint appearance. Although Sisko knows she is attempting to garner support for her bid to become Kai, he agrees — suggesting an appearance the following week. Winn benignly asks why they should wait, as the Vedek Assembly would allow them an immediate audience if the Emissary of the Prophets requested it. Sisko points out the obvious: that such an appearance now could be construed as support for Winn, and as a Federation officer, he is not permitted to interfere in internal Bajoran affairs. "What an enlightened philosophy," Winn replies. They both agree to an appearance the following week, although it is unclear whether either intends to follow through on it. Odo interrupts Kira to inform her that Secretary Kubus is about to leave for Bajor, because Winn has granted him sanctuary. Kira immediately contacts Dax, who is about to clear Winn's ship for departure, and tells her not to release the docking clamps. Proceeding to the security office, Kira learns that Winn spent approximately ten minutes talking with Kubus before requesting the use of Odo's computer to access the library system. Although Odo is unsure of what Winn looked up, she proceeded to contact the Bajoran Provisional Government and informed them of her intent to grant Kubus sanctuary. They discover that Winn requested information on Prylar Bek, the liaison between the Vedek Assembly and the Cardassian occupational forces and a known associate of Kubus. On a hunch, Kira tells Odo to check whether Winn accessed information on the Kendra Valley Massacre, which she did. Odo suggests that perhaps Kubus told Winn something new about the massacre, but Kira is not sure what could be new; in the massacre, 42 Bajoran Resistance members died, including Kai Opaka's son, because Bek gave the Cardassians the location of their cell. Bek later hanged himself, detailing what he had done in his suicide note. As Kira is explaining this, Winn enters the office. Asking to speak with Kira in private, Winn confronts her about detaining her ship and "suggests" that Kira allow her to depart immediately. Kira, who knows she cannot legally detain Winn, assures the Vedek that she is free to go, but informs her that, in light of public sentiment toward Kubus, no ship carrying him can be allowed to depart without a thorough security sweep — including scans for nanotechnology, which could take days or even weeks. Both of them know the real reason for Kira's scans, so Winn reveals to Kira that in exchange for sanctuary, Kubus has agreed to give her the name of the man responsible for the Kendra Valley Massacre. It is common knowledge that Prylar Bek revealed the location of the encampment, but Winn informs Kira that Vedek Bareil ordered him to do so. Outraged at Winn's accusation, Kira warns her that no one will believe the word of a convicted traitor such as Kubus. However, Winn tells her that she never claimed to believe him; she simply wants to protect the sanctity of the Bajoran faith. Winn claims her intention is not to grab power but to protect Bajor, for as adamant as Kira is that Bareil is not a collaborator, were he elected Kai and later revealed to be one, Bajor would be devastated. While Winn has not yet condemned Bareil, she did not know who to trust with such a delicate investigation until now; however, she believes Kira is the perfect choice. Kira begrudgingly agrees to conduct the investigation so long as Winn promises not to make the allegation public until it has concluded. In exchange, Kira promises to give Winn her findings, whatever they may be. Kira, Winn, and Kubus are gathered in a cargo bay when Kira asks Kubus if, during his association with Prylar Bek, he knew the man was a collaborator. Kubus insists that Bek was not a collaborator, only a messenger between the Cardassians and the Vedek Assembly. In the weeks prior to Bek's suicide, Kubus observed that he had become erratic and was in constant communication with a then-unknown source within the Assembly. The day after the massacre, however, Vedek Bareil visited Bek for several hours, during which time Kubus could hear shouting through the station's bulkheads, coming from Bek's quarters. Bek hanged himself on the Promenade shortly thereafter. Based on this, Kubus believes that Bek wanted to confess his betrayal but Bareil forbid him to do so which led to his suicide, a theory Kira regards as incredible. There could be a dozen explanations for Bareil's contact with Bek — and as Winn points out it is Kira's job to find which of them is true. Visibly troubled, Kira contacts Bareil through her desktop monitor, who admits coming to the station to meet with Bek on the day in question. While he denies any involvement in the massacre and seems sure Winn will not be able to prove anything, Bareil cannot reveal what he and Bek talked about due to confidentiality between monks and their Vedeks. She solicits Odo's help, but as the Cardassians removed all communications logs on their withdrawal from Bajor, Odo must establish a link with the Bajoran Central Archives. As he does so, he observes how troubled Kira is; while she insists that she knows Bareil is not guilty, she admits she is still afraid he might be. Kira is deep in thought as Odo contacts the Bajoran Central Archives. After a few seconds, she admits to both Odo and herself that she loves Bareil. As she says this, a pained look appears on Odo's surprised face, although Kira is facing the wall pensively and fails to notice. He stutters with his response and Kira turns to him, wondering if something is wrong, but he covers his true feelings with one of his usual observations on the frivolity of humanoid relationships. "I was just wondering when you were going to figure that out," he explains of her feelings for Bareil. Once Odo accesses the archives, he discovers that the records between Prylar Bek and the Assembly for the week prior to the Kendra Valley Massacre have been sealed. However, he is not able to determine who sealed the records, only that there is a security seal present. One thing is certain: only a Vedek could have placed the seal there. Kira and Odo visit Quark's, against Kira's better judgment, where they find the Ferengi entrepreneur paying one of his dabo girls. As Quark counts out ten strips of latinum, the busty woman gives him a look and he is forced to add four more, after which she kisses his bald forehead and walks off. "I hate payday," he comments to himself before he realizes Kira and Odo are standing behind him. Grasping his latinum container, Quark says, "Whatever she told you, I didn't do it." The two of them take perverse pleasure in Quark's visible discomfort at seeing them. When Odo tells Quark to relax, the Ferengi claims to have developed a persecution complex because of them, asking what they want and how much trouble it will cause him. Kira reassures him that they only want him to break a security seal and it will cause no trouble at all, to which Quark asks in a rhetorically innocent tone, "Isn't that illegal?" He refuses to help them and cites the 285th Rule of Acquisition: "No good deed goes unpunished." On hearing this, Odo grabs Quark by the shoulders and leads him over to the computer terminal behind the bar with an air of sibling rivalry. Quark removes a panel on the computer as Odo tells him he can gain access to the Vedek Assembly files via the Central Archives, a strategy Quark dismisses as amateurish. As he inserts a data rod into the computer and begins to configure it, Odo leans in to observe. Giving the Changeling an indignant look, Quark grabs Odo by the shoulders and escorts him from behind the bar, shooing both him and Kira away, as it will take time for him to break the security seal. Outside Quark's, Odo brings Kira to the spot where Bek hanged himself, observing that, while he did not know Bek well, he thought he was a good man. Kira points out good men do not betray their own people, but Odo tells her that given the fact of extreme circumstances, even the best humanoids are capable of committing horrible acts. Quark interrupts their conversation as he gestures them over to announce that he was able to break through the security seal. However, upon doing so, he discovered the files in question were empty as someone had erased all of the message logs. Chief O'Brien helps Kira search for a way to retrieve the lost data contained in the erased logs. While data is still stored in the computer memory after deletion, the data fragments could hypothetically be unscrambled and pieced together. He warns her that to do so would take more time than they have. However, he thinks he might at least be able to pinpoint who erased the information. The accompanying retinal scan was deleted along with the logs, but like the logs, it is possible to piece the scan together from data fragments. Kira is obviously lost as he shows her the mathematical representation of the data fragments while the computer attempts to form an image. After O'Brien finishes, the computer finds a match and fills in the missing pieces of the retinal scan to reveal who erased the logs: Vedek Bareil. Bareil has an another orb experience, in which he revisits the image of his inauguration as Kai. His vision flashes back to the Bajoran temple aboard DS9, where Bek confronts him accusingly. "You!" the Prylar exclaims. "I trusted you. I needed you. You let me die." Now Bareil is in his quarters just as he was earlier, with Kira's arms again embracing him from behind. He turns around to kiss her, only to discover he has kissed a naked Vedek Winn. With a grin, she tells him he will be rewarded. He suddenly finds himself on Bajor as Kira comes toward him seductively, claiming she has a gift from the Prophets. Bareil seems cautiously yet pleasantly surprised, but as she is closing in, she stabs him in the stomach. As he collapses, Kai Opaka catches him. "May the Prophets comfort you, my child," Opaka tells him softly. "May they comfort us all." Kira and Opaka watch as Bareil loses consciousness and awakens from the orb experience, as there is a knock on his door. It is Kira, who is obviously in pain and has come to find the truth. The truth, Bareil concedes, is not always easy to recognize. Kira tells him that she recognizes it, but she does not like what she sees, desperately asking why he erased the transmission records. "Please, don't make me do this," Bareil begs her, but she sees no other choice. She still seems to maintain some hope that Bareil is innocent, confronting him with the charges against him: ordering Bek to reveal the location of the base, thereby killing forty-three Bajorans, including Kai Opaka's son. On hearing this, Bareil turns away and relates how the Cardassians were determined to wipe out the resistance in the Kendra Valley, being prepared to kill 1,200 innocent Bajorans in the area; he felt he had no choice. Kira, near tears, says Winn will destroy him now, but he corrects her: He has destroyed himself. Solemnly entering Ops, Kira asks for a status report and O'Brien tells her everything is under control. Dax reports that Vedek Winn is waiting for her on an urgent subspace frequency, and as she already knows what the message is about, Kira accepts it in Ops. Vedek Winn has been waiting for a response, but before Kira can say anything, Winn congratulates her on a job well done. She already knows the result, as Bareil has made a surprise announcement in which he withdrew himself from the Bajoran Choosing Ceremony. Acknowledging Kira's pain, Winn reassures her that what she did was for the good of Bajor and adds, "Whoever is chosen tomorrow to be the new Kai will owe you a debt of gratitude." As she realizes the ramifications of Bareil's actions, Kira seems to be deep in thought. Dax asks if she is all right, but Kira points out that the scenario does not make sense. Soliciting O'Brien's help, she accesses the Vedek Assembly archives once more. Back on Bajor, while the Vedek Assembly performs the choosing ceremony, Kira waits outside impatiently, already knowing how it will end. A number of Vedeks exit the building, followed by a pair of Prylars escorting Kai Winn. Grasping Kira's ear, Winn says Kira's pagh is strong and reassures her that, in time, she will no longer see her as an enemy. "I hope that's true," Kira says solemnly. "I know you do," Winn replies, adding that she must postpone her planned appearance with the Emissary of the Prophets, at least for now. She walks away as the rest of the Vedeks exit the building. Once the crowd has cleared, Vedek Bareil emerges, surprised to see Kira. Having finally discovered the truth, Kira reveals that in his quest to purge the evidence of after the massacre, Bareil forgot about the transit files. He is unsure of what she means, so Kira tells him that transit files for the time surrounding the Kendra Valley Massacre prove he was not a collaborator. During the time in question, Bareil was on a personal retreat at the Dakeen Monastery during which time he had contact with virtually no one. She has even verified the transmissions log from the monastery and confirmed that the sole transmission was an incoming one recalling Bareil to Bajor after the incident. Thus, without any doubt, Bareil could not be the traitor. He tries to stop her as she speaks, but Kira refuses to be silenced. The real traitor had to have been someone dear to Bareil — someone more important than Kira herself or his desire to become Kai. Bareil pleads with her as she continues, but as they both know what she is talking about, Kira sees no reason not to say it. The only person that dear to Bareil was Kai Opaka herself. As Kira speaks, Bareil looks down at his feet. Opaka logically knew where the base was located because her son was a member of that resistance cell. She sacrificed him and 42 other Resistance members to save the lives of 1200 people. "So," Kira says, "Now we have Winn to lead us." Taking on a tone mockingly reminiscent of that which Winn often uses, Bareil replies, "It is the will of the Prophets." Kira wonders where Winn will lead the Bajoran people, and Bareil admits that the future is uncertain. Whatever the future holds in store, Winn will need their help. When Kira asks what this means for her relationship with Bareil, he counters by asking where she wants it to go. She replies by embracing him, and after a few brief kisses, the two of them walk away together to go pay their respects to the new Kai. 
<EOS>
Chief O'Brien and his wife Keiko are scheduled to go on vacation, but as a workaholic, he finds it difficult to let go. Out of uniform and carrying his bag, O'Brien reminds Dax of various things that need attention as he makes his way to the turbolift. She assures him that she will look after the station as if it were her own child, although this does not seem to make him feel any better. Kira seems annoyed, albeit in good humor, and she reassures O'Brien that the rest of the crew are perfectly capable of running the station without him for a week. He reminds her that he will be available over subspace, at which point the major politely requests that he "get out of our hair." O'Brien takes the hint and gets in the turbolift as Dax reminds him to have a good time, something he seems to have forgotten. As soon as the turbolift leaves, Commander Sisko emerges from his office and tells Dax and Kira that O'Brien has been driving him crazy all day. The turbolift returns as he speaks and O'Brien starts to tell Sisko something about a recently installed subroutine, but the commander orders him to disembark Deep Space 9. Only after O'Brien is gone do Sisko, Kira and Dax allow their true amusement to show through. O'Brien hurries along the Promenade on his way to the runabout and nearly drops several PADDs he is carrying. A nearby Human moves to help with the load, but O'Brien reassures him he has it under control. As O'Brien walks away, the man seems to recognize his face but not his name. O'Brien realizes who he has just seen and turns back, recognizing Raymond Boone, one of his former colleagues from the Rutledge. Boone recognizes the name Miles O'Brien immediately and is glad to see him after so long. Boone is impressed with O'Brien's status as chief engineer, Boone says he left Starfleet eight years ago and now resides on Volan III; a confused O'Brien points out that Volan III is on the Cardassian side of the Demilitarized Zone. Boone admits that the new Federation-Cardassian Treaty puts him and his fellow colonists in harm's way, but as he mines ladarium, he says the Cardassians leave him alone. O'Brien is nonetheless surprised and does not understand how Boone could live among the Cardassians after what happened in the Border Wars at the Setlik III massacre. While Boone says the incident convinced him to leave Starfleet, it convinced O'Brien to stay in. The two plan to meet the next time Boone is on the station, but Boone loses his friendly air once O'Brien is gone. Boone enters his quarters carrying a data pad. He has recorded the exchange with O'Brien, and now he sorts through it to find the portion where O'Brien stated his name. "O'Brien! Miles O'Brien," it says. On the way to their vacation destination, Miles is engrossed in something he is reading as Keiko asks if he brought the holo-cam along. He asks if he was supposed to do so and she reminds him that they went over the list of items to bring along last night in bed. "I was dead as soon as my head hit the pillow," Miles says, his mind obviously elsewhere. He sarcastically claims there must have been someone else in their bed, as he only remembers falling asleep. Dismissing her husband's sarcastic remarks, Keiko asks what he is reading, and to her chagrin, he informs her it is a technical update manual. Switching subjects, Miles observes that it might have been a good idea to bring Molly with them on their vacation and wonders if she will be okay with the Petersons. Keiko sarcastically tells him that Molly likes the Petersons more than her own parents, reassuring him Molly is fine. However, he suggests traveling back to Deep Space 9 to pick up both the holo-cam and Molly, which would only cost a half-day's worth of vacation time. A stern look from Keiko causes him to rescind his suggestion and he goes back to reading. After a moment of awkward silence, Keiko asks how many he brought; he innocently asks what she means, although he knows she is referring to his update manuals. "Just a few," he claims sheepishly. Keiko simply stares at him, her arms crossed. Miles finally takes the hint and sets his manuals aside. He tells the computer to play something by Minezaki Koto; Keiko is still annoyed, but a smile begins to appear on her face. As the music plays, Miles gets up and kneels beside Keiko, bringing their faces close to one another. The two of them embrace and begin kissing one another, but as they do, they are stopped by Keiko's chair, which refuses to allow Keiko to lean back any further. Laughing, she asks if the runabout chairs recline, to which Miles admits he wishes they did. "You're an engineer -- do something about it," she suggests playfully, adding, "I'll make it worth your while." They resume their embrace and forget any hostility they may have felt earlier when the computer announces that a vessel is approaching. The computer identifies the ship as a Hideki-class Cardassian patrol vessel. Miles tells the computer to raise the runabout's shields as he returns to his seat. They try to send an emergency subspace message to Deep Space 9, but the Cardassians jam their transmissions and hail them. With a hint of contempt, O'Brien opens a channel with the vessel and identifies himself. On the other end is Gul Evek, who politely informs him that they have spoken before and orders him to shut down the runabout's engines to prepare for an inspection. Although Miles points out that they are nowhere near the Cardassian border and Evek thus has no authority to search the runabout, Evek claims the question of authority can wait; for now, he warns O'Brien to comply or he will take "preemptive action." As Evek says this, the computer alerts Miles that the sensors have detected a photo lock-on from the Cardassian vessel, an indication that Evek is prepared to open fire. Giving O'Brien ten seconds to comply, Evek terminates the communication. Reassuring Keiko that neither of them has done anything wrong, Miles lowers the runabout's shields. Evek and two other Cardassian soldiers beam aboard and materialize behind him the moment he does so. Evek thanks Miles for his cooperation and informs him that the Cardassians have orders to arrest him. Keiko is aghast as Evek tells the other soldiers to search the ship and a baffled Miles asks what the charges are. "You have the right to refuse to answer questions, but such refusal may be construed as a sign of guilt," Evek informs him, to which Miles demands to know what the charges are. Evek asks if Miles would like to deny all knowledge of the crime; when Miles again asks what the "crime" is, Evek interprets his response as a "no." Keiko insists that they have rights as Federation citizens. Somewhat dismissively, Evek acknowledges that their "rights" under the Cardassian Articles of Jurisprudence will be protected. Miles demands to speak to Commander Sisko, and with a mix of sternness and compassion, Evek assures him that they will contact Sisko and see that Keiko is returned safely to DS9. He goes on to explain that Miles will be taken to Cardassia Prime, where he will await trial. Miles seems to realize the futility of arguing and pushes Evek out of the way, attempting to grab Keiko, but one of the Cardassians shoots him with a phaser. Keiko cries out as her husband collapses and is beamed aboard the Cardassian ship along with Evek and one of the officers. The remaining officer restrains her from reaching for the command console, and she screams her husband's name. The setting is now Cardassia Prime. A government building looms prominently in the distance and large viewscreens placed strategically on the walls of various buildings display a Cardassian man giving a speech. A pair of soldiers forcibly escorts O'Brien into a darkened room and walk off-screen as a bright light shines on him. "Remove your clothes," a deep, emotionless voice commands. The overly bright light shining on him moves in a circle as he speaks. "My name is Miles O'Brien. My rank is chief of operations, Starfleet; I'm a Federation citizen," he defiantly states to the owner of the voice, a uniformed Cardassian whose features remain anonymous. "Remove your clothes," the man repeats bluntly. O'Brien repeats his statement as well, still somewhat disoriented, but the soldiers who brought him in grab him as he does so, slamming him against a nearby wall. Each soldier grabs a side of O'Brien's shirt and together they rip it off. Forcing him to the ground, they remove his pants as well. "Would you care to make a confession?" the faceless voice asks, and O'Brien repeats his statement yet again, although less adamantly this time. Still emotionless, the officer orders the soldiers to "process" O'Brien. O'Brien's head is restrained as one of the soldiers uses a pen-shaped device to perform a retinal scan, causing a picture of him and a dossier to appear on a nearby screen. The soldiers drag O'Brien to a sleek chair with arm and leg restraints. He manages to punch one of the soldiers and begins to get up, but the other restrains him and administers a sedative. As the sedative begins to take effect, the chair shifts to a horizontal position and O'Brien once again proclaims his Federation citizenship, the defiance of his original statement all but gone this time. One of the soldiers clips a sample of O'Brien's hair while the other uses a pair of pliers to remove one of his molars. Finally, pale blue light engulfs O'Brien's body, presumably forming a holographic record, and the chair returns to its vertical state as a Cardassian woman enters, formally clothed. She approaches the now-silent O'Brien and asks the interrogator if O'Brien has been processed. Observing a cut on O'Brien's forehead, she remarks with a tinge of annoyance that the prisoner was not to be harmed. One of the soldiers explains that O'Brien had to be restrained and the other brings in a black jumpsuit-like garment. Now assuming a more amicable demeanor, he hands the garment to O'Brien and motions for him to stand. The woman walks alongside O'Brien and apologizes sincerely for the way he has been treated. She introduces herself as Makbar, the Chief Archon, and assures him that she wants his stay to be as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. By "circumstances," she means the holding cell (similar in appearance to those aboard DS9) to which she has led him. Makbar follows O'Brien into the small cell and informs him that she has scheduled his trial to begin in two days; he has been assigned the venerable Kovat as his public conservator, or lawyer, which Makbar takes as a good sign. After all, she explains, many feel Kovat to be the best legal counsel in all of Cardassia. However, when O'Brien asks again what he is being charged with, she takes on a decidedly less comforting tone. "All in good time, Mister O'Brien," she says as she exits the cell. "All in good time." A dazed O'Brien is left, still naked and holding the black jumpsuit, to wonder what his fate will be. Aboard DS9, Keiko sits in Sisko's office with Sisko before her, Odo at his side. He informs her that Starfleet Command has ordered the USS Enterprise-D, Prokofiev, and Valdemar to the Federation-Cardassian border near the Demilitarized Zone, hoping that the threat of endangering their treaty with the Federation will give the Cardassians incentive to release O'Brien. However, this is not good enough for Keiko, who insists that her husband is being tortured. Odo, who served aboard DS9 when it was Terok Nor under Cardassian rule, confirms that the use of torture is standard Cardassian interrogation policy, further worrying Keiko. She reveals that O'Brien spoke to her on numerous occasions about the Starfleet officers whom the Cardassians took prisoner at Setlik III and what they were like after their release. The thought of being like them disgusted and scared him. As much as Sisko wants to help, he reminds her that they do not know where O'Brien is being held. Seeming to understand his logic but not wanting to admit it, Keiko leaves the office. Sisko and Odo follow Keiko into Ops, attempting to reason with her, but their conversation is cut short when Major Kira announces that there is an incoming transmission from Cardassia Prime. It is Makbar, who introduces herself as "the Archon representing the Cardassian Empire in its case against Miles O'Brien." While she claims it is not possible for Sisko to see or speak with O'Brien, she assures him that O'Brien is being treated with great care and respect. Warning her that O'Brien had better be treated properly or he will hold Makbar personally responsible, Sisko assures her his warning is a threat. Makbar goes on to announce that the charges against Chief O'Brien will be revealed at the trial as per Cardassian Jurisprudence. Keiko finds this outrageous and demands to know how they are supposed to prepare for a trial without knowing the charges, but Makbar claims the verdict has already been reached; the trial is to demonstrate how it was reached. While Makbar offers Keiko the opportunity to attend the trial, she tells Sisko that only family members of the accused enjoy this privilege. Odo interrupts to inquire about O'Brien's nestor, a type of adviser. The court has assigned O'Brien a conservator and a nestor by default, but Odo volunteers to take on the role of nestor instead. When Makbar informs him that the nestor must be an officer of the Cardassian court, he reveals that Gul Dukat made him an officer four years ago in order to testify in criminal cases during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. Reluctantly, Makbar agrees. Odo now takes the stage, inquiring as to the penalty O'Brien faces for his crimes. Makbar informs him that O'Brien has been scheduled for execution next week. Keiko is appalled by the notion of condemning a man to death before the trial even begins, but at Makbar puts it, "We believe in swift justice." With that, she terminates the transmission. Once the transmission ends, Odo tells Sisko that he and Keiko will leave immediately for Cardassia Prime and they exit in a turbolift. Meanwhile, Sisko tells Kira to conduct a complete security sweep of the station for anything that might explain what has happened. Noting O'Brien's well-known dislike of Cardassians, Kira asks what she should do if she finds he is guilty. Sisko grimly admits he wants to know that as well, if it is true. O'Brien lies in his cell as an older Cardassian man approaches. Entering the cell, the Cardassian speaks in a soothing voice and warmly introduces himself as Conservator Kovat. Kovat sits next to O'Brien, who impatiently asks why he would need a lawyer if he has already been sentenced. The role of conservator, Kovat explains, is to help the accused concede the wisdom of the state; O'Brien refuses to dignify such a statement with a response and simply laughs. Undaunted, Kovat maintains his comforting demeanor and relates an old Cardassian expression: "Confession is good for the soul." In addition, he adds, hearing the guilty confess makes the public feel better, and while such is not the primary purpose of the trial, he points out that it is not a bad side effect. O'Brien looks at Kovat as if he were insane. Kovat seems pleased as he reviews the information collected during O'Brien's processing. When O'Brien asks what he has been charged with, Kovat dismisses the question and claims there is no need to worry about it at this point. O'Brien calls the entire process insane and gives up on getting any straight answers. Whatever O'Brien may or may not have done, Kovat reassures him it does not matter in the long run. "The purpose of this trial is to demonstrate the futility of behavior contrary to good order," he says, calling the entire process uplifting for everyone. "Not everyone," O'Brien corrects him, but the words fall on deaf ears. Kovat enthusiastically describes how all crimes are solved on Cardassia and even the poorest of the poor can walk the streets in the dead of night safely. O'Brien informs Kovat that he is not guilty and holds the entire process in contempt, an attitude Kovat claims will put on a good show. Before Kovat leaves, O'Brien asks if he has ever won a case. "Winning isn't everything," Kovat proclaims as he walks away. Meanwhile, the crew of DS9 has discovered plenty of evidence -- all of it pointing directly at O'Brien. Twenty-four photon warheads have been stolen from a weapons locker, and Dax points out that they were beamed out of the locker in such a manner that it would require a transporter expert. Bashir sees what she is getting at, but he refuses to believe it. Furthermore, however, Kira has verified via command logs that O'Brien was in the locker minutes before the beam-out took place; his voiceprint is even in the computer. Frustrated, Bashir wonders why anyone would steal photon warheads. Kira points out that a Maquis raider stole photon launchers from a Bolian freighter two weeks ago -- launchers, but no warheads. They only find more questions as they dig deeper, such as how the Cardassians found out O'Brien was carrying the warheads and who in the Maquis he could have been giving them to. Odo visits O'Brien in his cell to see if he has been treated properly, and when O'Brien mentions that one of his molars was removed, Odo states that he is familiar with the practice. All Cardassians are required to give one of their molars to the Cardassian Bureau of Identification, a procedure normally performed at age ten. While Keiko has come with Odo, she is not allowed to visit her husband in his cell. However, Odo grimly informs him that families are always invited to trials and executions so the public can see them weep. The thought of this appalls O'Brien and he says he does not want Keiko to be present. He desperately asks whether the Cardassians told Odo anything about the charges against him, which they have not, although Odo has an idea. Rather than explain the theory outright, Odo uses indirect questions to test O'Brien's responses. He asks if O'Brien has ever had dealings with the Maquis, but the chief is unsure of what he means; rather than explain, he asks if O'Brien knows anyone in the Maquis, which he denies; finally, he asks if O'Brien has ever sold weapons to the Maquis, which he also denies with visible frustration this time. O'Brien wonders if anyone will ever tell him what he supposedly did, at which point Odo realizes O'Brien truly does not know anything. He reveals that Commander Sisko contacted him several hours ago to inform him of the missing warheads and that they suspect the warheads were in the cargo bay of the runabout. This begins to clarify things for O'Brien, as he knew the Cardassians found something in the cargo bay. However, he denies any knowledge of the theft and begins to break down. O'Brien confides in Odo that he has been in Starfleet his entire adult life and during that entire time, no one has ever questioned his loyalty. Odo observes as O'Brien speaks, gaining new insights into his colleague's personality. While O'Brien admits he is not an angel, he claims he has never cheated nor stolen, and tried to be the best Human being he can. Odo tries to comfort him by reassuring him that being accused of a crime is not a dishonor and Keiko will be at the trial but not weeping. "And neither will you," he adds. "I want the archon to see the unwavering eyes of an innocent man." Calling for the guard, Odo exits the cell. O'Brien thanks him for coming and he exits. Dax discovers that while O'Brien's voice opened the weapons locker, the voice was a fabrication assembled piece by piece from existing recordings. As she shows Bashir, the piques in the sound clips are slightly out of sync when compared with a recording from the real O'Brien. Meanwhile, Kira has narrowed a list of potential Maquis suspects down to twelve people who were on the station on the day of the theft and isolated Raymond Boone, who several merchants observed talking with O'Brien. Sisko tells Security to find Boone at once. Broadcasting live to all of Cardassia, Makbar announces the commencement of O'Brien's trial. She sits at high podium emblazoned with the Cardassian emblem; to her left sit several young children, while to her right sits the chair from which witnesses testify. Kovat stands in front of the podium and informs her that his client is ready. The children tap their knuckles against the sides of their seats respectfully as O'Brien enters and takes his place at a raised seat facing the archon. The archon offers O'Brien a chance to "spare your family and the Federation further humiliation" by confessing; he declines without hesitation. Keiko enters with Odo, and Makbar, per Cardassian Articles of Jurisprudence, offers her a chance to disassociate herself from her husband and testify against him. Giving O'Brien a supportive look, Keiko adamantly refuses. She and Odo sit directly in front of O'Brien on the main floor next to Kovat's seat. Makbar is about to call the first witness when Odo interrupts her. Before the hearing proceeds, Odo requests that he be allowed to confer privately with Kovat, which perturbs Makbar. She concedes that it is Odo's first time serving as nestor and he therefore may not be accustomed to protocol, but the nestor has no authority to address the court. He begs the court's indulgence and Makbar reluctantly does so; Kovat begs Odo not to ruin the case for him as he is only a year away from retirement. The idea that an innocent man could be convicted seems incredulous to the conservator when Odo informs him of the new evidence. Regardless, however, he reminds Odo that no evidence may be submitted after the verdict has been reached. Odo attempts to press the matter but Makbar impatiently interrupts their conference to ask Kovat if they are ready to proceed, which he hurriedly claims they are. Odo does not concur. Despite Makbar's warning, Odo requests permission to address the court and proceeds to do so over Makbar's objections, asserting that O'Brien's conservator refuses to bring to light new evidence which would prove his client's innocence. Kovat can hardly believe his ears as Odo speaks, and Makbar exclaims that Odo is out of order. Given the situation, Odo angrily demands to know what he is supposed to do. Respect Cardassian judicial procedure, Makbar claims, pointing out that were this a Federation courtroom he would ask that she do the same of their procedures. Odo uses this point as a segue to the fact that no crime has been committed against Cardassia and therefore the trial should be taking place in a Federation courtroom in his estimation. When he mentions that the crime in question was committed aboard a Bajoran space station, a flabbergasted Kovat proclaims he is extremely humiliated and denounces the case as he attempts to leave the courtroom. Makbar sternly orders Kovat to sit down before warning Odo not to try the patience of the Cardassian people, for he will find the punishment very unpleasant. "I regret that I have no teeth to give your Bureau of Identification," he concedes with disdain. Makbar explains that she fully expected the Federation to come up with fabricated evidence to confuse the issues at hand, and as such, she rules that no new evidence may be submitted. Back on DS9, Sisko and Kira stand beside a seated Boone and attempt to extract some form of information from him. Talking to O'Brien does not mean he is guilty, Boone claims; after all, they're old friends from the Rutledge. When Sisko reassures him that they do not plan to turn him over to the Cardassians, Boone observes that he has no reason to think they will since he has done nothing wrong. Sisko tells Kira to hold Boone for further questioning. Meanwhile, Bashir enters the infirmary to find the lights malfunctioning. He attempts to access them through the computer and is about to leave when a voice from behind him tells him not to turn around. A man stands in the shadows, his features indistinguishable, and claims that Boone is "not one of us." As Bashir realizes the man is from the Maquis, he asks for more information. All the man will say is that the Maquis knew nothing of the theft of the warheads. Bashir turns around seeking more information only to find the man gone and the lights once again functional. On Cardassia Prime, Gul Evek can be seen on the same wall-mounted viewscreens as Makbar was previously. He describes the Maquis as "savage, Federation-born killers" as the camera switches to an interior shot of the photon torpedoes from O'Brien's runabout, which he cites as evidence of his accusation. After Evek confirms for Kovat that the Maquis are based in the Demilitarized Zone, the conservator asks how Evek knew the weapons were intended for the Maquis. Evek claims to have received the information from "reliable sources" but does not reveal the nature of his sources, causing Odo to interrupt the proceeding yet again. Odo wants Evek to reveal his sources, and more to indulge Odo than out of her own curiosity, Makbar asks whether Evek can do so. Evek claims the details of how he obtained the information cannot be revealed without risk to national security, an answer Makbar accepts but Odo does not. He presses for more information on how Evek learned the warheads were in the runabout; again, Evek quotes "reliable sources," for which he gives the same rationale. Although Odo is still unsatisfied with Evek's answers, Makbar impatiently dispenses with the issue. The trial, she says, is already the longest in the history of Cardassia. Kovat resumes his questioning and promises to be as brief as possible. A pair of Bajoran deputies escorts Boone into the infirmary aboard DS9, where Sisko and Bashir are waiting for him. Bashir asks why Boone has not spoken to his parents in eight years and Boone claims he never got along with them; his parents, however, told Bashir otherwise. Sisko continues to connect the dots, adding that Boone divorced his wife of fifteen years and was discharged from Starfleet around the same time he stopped talking to his parents. Bashir finishes by explaining that all of these things happened shortly after Boone's return from Setlik III. On hearing all of this, Boone seems to know what they are talking about and attempts to push his way past the deputies guarding the door. He is restrained and placed on a biobed. "Some romantic vacation," O'Brien remarks to Keiko. She reassures him that there will be others, but he does not share her optimism and asks that she not be present at his execution. Their conversation is cut short as a bell announces Makbar's return and the room stands respectfully. Taking her seat, Makbar announces that the offender will testify. O'Brien informs her that he has nothing to say to the court, but he is compelled to testify under Cardassian law. Kovat meanwhile suggests to Odo that he advise O'Brien to confess and throw himself on the mercy of the court. "I never heard of a Cardassian court showing mercy," the constable counters. That, Kovat insists, is not the point, but Odo declines despite Kovat's urging. The irony of Odo interrupting before and refusing to speak now is not lost on Makbar. Kovat approaches the witness stand and inquires whether O'Brien was abused as a child. Annoyed, O'Brien wonders what Kovat is talking about. He hypothesizes that perhaps O'Brien's parents were abusive and that perhaps the chief hated them. O'Brien informs Kovat he loved his parents, and when Kovat suggests spousal abuse on Keiko's part, he indignantly describes her as "the most wonderful, supportive person I've ever known." Kovat respectfully apologizes for the question, claiming he is only looking for a reason why a fine man such as O'Brien would become a criminal. Perhaps O'Brien could assist him, Kovat suggests, but O'Brien insists he is not a criminal. "Well," Kovat declares in a resigned tone as he resumes his seat, "I tried." With Kovat done, Makbar takes over, asking O'Brien how many Cardassians he has killed. He has not killed any since the Federation-Cardassian War, but she requests a count that includes the war. Odo asks what relevance such information has, but she insists O'Brien's war experiences are very much relevant and repeats her question. O'Brien admits he is unsure of the number. What then begins as a neutral question becomes very much loaded as Makbar asks whether there is a warm place in O'Brien's heart for the Cardassians now that the war is over and whether he has stated on numerous occasions, "The bloody Cardies can't be trusted." He reluctantly admits this is true, at which point Kovat chimes in and concedes the verdict on his client's behalf. Despite O'Brien's objection and adamant insistence that he is innocent, Makbar orders him to stand down. Before the trial goes any further, a guard escorts Sisko and Boone into the courtroom. On seeing the newcomers, Kovat objects but Makbar, now staring intently at Boone, silences him. She addresses the court to proclaim that the Cardassian system of jurisprudence has worked once again and a guilty man has been brought to justice. However, she claims to see in O'Brien the potential for rehabilitation. In the spirit of furthering Cardassian-Federation relations, she says she will set aside the verdict and release O'Brien into the Federation's custody. As the courtroom clears, a dumbfounded Kovat asks Odo what has just happened, still in shock. Odo remarks dismissively to him, "You won." Kovat whispers to himself, "They'll kill me." Sisko explains on the way home that the "Boone" Miles encountered before leaving was actually a Cardassian spy who replaced the real Boone eight years ago, as genetic tests from Doctor Bashir confirmed. They first became suspicious when Boone's wife spoke of how radically different he was when released from imprisonment after the Cardassians captured him at Setlik III. Keiko is still confused as to why the Cardassians would want to frame her husband, but as Odo points out it was never about Miles. The entire scheme was an elaborate plot to give the Cardassian Central Command an excuse to destroy the Federation colonies on the Cardassian side of the Demilitarized Zone by making it appear as if the Federation were supplying weapons to the Maquis. After all, if the Federation itself was supporting the Maquis, the Cardassians would have no choice but to use military action. When Sisko entered with "Boone", Makbar knew he had the ability to embarrass the High Command with all of Cardassia watching. The O'Briens then resume their interrupted vacation, albeit without any bags or holocam, which is perfectly fine with Keiko. 
<EOS>
Jake Sisko brushes a small plant as Commander Benjamin Sisko enters the room. He tells his father he is growing Bajoran katterpods for a science project to see which hybrid yields the largest root. "That's it? You're just going to watch them grow?" Benjamin asks. Jake seems content with the project, but Benjamin thinks he can find something more challenging and asks what Jake would do if he could choose any science project he wanted. After thinking it over for a second, Jake says he would learn how to pilot a runabout. As that would not be a science project, Benjamin asks for his second choice and Jake suggests he would visit the Gamma Quadrant to conduct a planetary survey. "All right, let's do it," Sisko declares, calling the proposed trip a working vacation. As Major Kira reviews the arrival roster for Sisko, she suggests he visit New Bajor while in the Gamma Quadrant, as she has heard the new irrigation system is impressive. He tells her he hopes to spend time alone with Jake and notes with amusement that he will miss a reunion between Jadzia Dax and a rival of hers, Captain Keogh. When she mentions that Keogh is arrogant, Sisko notes that Keogh had said the same of her. Jake enters and announces that he has invited Nog to come along on their trip, at which point Dax and Kira sense the awkwardness of the moment and quickly leave. Sisko reminds Jake that the two of them were supposed to spend time together, but Jake says Nog plans to drop out of school if he fails the project. Reluctantly, Sisko agrees to let Nog come along. In Quark's bar, the Ferengi notes that Morn has been glumly sitting with the same drink all day and asks him to talk about whatever is bothering him. "I'm not just your bartender -- I'm your friend. Whatever it is that's wrong, I'm here for you." However, Odo walks by as Morn is about to speak and Quark immediately loses interest. He anxiously follows Odo and inquires about Sisko's response to a request that he use the station's monitors to sell merchandise. Odo informs him it is a firm "no," and as Quark wonders why, Odo suggests that perhaps Sisko does not like him. Quark dismisses the idea. He asks if there is any way to change Sisko's mind, to which Odo simply laughs and walks away. Nog interrupts his uncle's scheming to announce that he will be unable to work for the next few days. Upon hearing about the trip with Sisko and Jake, Quark grins and puts his arm around Nog. As he and Jake enter the cockpit of the runabout, Nog eagerly asks how to fire the phasers. Jake begins to worry, but Nog reassures him it was a joke. Sisko enters behind the boys and suggests the two of them go in back and store their luggage. Nog volunteers to take Jake's bag for him, and once he is gone, it is clear Sisko did not find his joke humorous. "Fire the phasers?" he asks rhetorically. Jake promises his father he will hardly know Nog is along, but Quark enters the cabin and asks where he should put his bag, surprising even Nog. Quark declares that Nog needs proper supervision, explaining innocently that Rom does not trust "hew-mons" and has requested he go along. Although Sisko obviously does not like the idea, he agrees at Jake's request. In the Gamma Quadrant, the motley crew visits an M-class planet similar to Earth, with lots of vegetation, fish, and insects but no large animals or predators. Sisko describes the planet as Paradise, but Quark fails to see the beauty of it and describes what he sees in two words: exploitable resources. He claims to have an allergic reaction to nature, although he declines an invitation to sleep on the runabout as he supposedly wants to get to know Sisko better. Later, once Quark puts ointment on his earlobes and begins to feel better, he comments on how there is nothing like facing the wilderness to bring people closer; Sisko immediately tells him the answer is no. Quark dispenses with the flattery and claims that with access to the station's monitors he could offer "collectibles" such as Andorian jewelry, Bolian crystalsteel, and Vulcan IDIC pins at a significant discount. He even offers to donate 2% of his net profits to the Bajoran fund for orphans but realizes he wasted his time in coming along. Jake and Nog begin their survey and conclude that the planet's atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 2% carbon dioxide. They find traces of various elements in the water and inform Sisko that they plan to check other water sources, but Sisko suggests taking a break until tomorrow as he is about to cook dinner. Jake immediately knows what his father is getting at: jambalaya, which excites him but confuses Nog. Jake is sure Nog will love it, and he is right. As they sit around the campfire eating jambalaya, Jake and Nog both decline a second helping and Nog remarks that he is gaining an appreciation of Human food. On the other hand, Quark does not share his sentiments, disgusted by the fact that there is dirt in the sauce and bugs continue to land on his food. A somewhat confused Sisko says he was under the impression Ferengi liked eating bugs, but Quark corrects him: only certain Ferengi bugs. Talking in private, Sisko tells Jake to get some sleep because tomorrow will be another big day. The two of them reminisce about a camping trip on Itamish III when Jake's mother was still alive and taught him how to water ski. Jake says he cannot remember a time when the three of them were happier, reminding Sisko of how much he misses his late wife. Despite the rocky start their trip has had, they are both glad to have the opportunity to spend time together. When Sisko suggests that they do so more often, Jake says he'll be ready and jokingly adds that Nog will be too; as the two of them laugh, a shrill cry from Quark brings them back to reality. The sleeve of Quark's shirt is on fire and he waves it around in a panic until Sisko grabs him with a blanket and extinguishes the flame. Once Quark calms down, Sisko asks if he is all right. A frustrated Quark declares he has not been all right since the trip began, to which an equally frustrated Sisko takes on a condescending tone as he tells Quark to sit down and be quiet. Nog hisses angrily and storms off into the forest, followed closely by Jake. Quark claims this is Sisko's fault because Nog could not stand to see his uncle insulted. He accuses Sisko of being bigoted toward the Ferengi, which Sisko denies, but when he asks Sisko to name a single Ferengi who Sisko likes, the commander is unable to do so. The two of them bicker until a panicked humanoid female enters the campsite, apparently running from something. Similar to a Human in appearance, the alien has elongated ears and a light complexion, but before Quark or Sisko can react, she emits a telekinetic energy discharge that knocks Sisko to the ground. She looks at Quark threateningly but he cowers in fear and tells her not to hurt him. She asks how many of "them" there are and Quark tells her there is only Sisko and himself. Confused, she tells him she meant the Jem'Hadar. Sisko assures the alien they are not her enemies and she warns them to run. At that moment, several armed reptilian humanoids appear, seemingly out of thin air, and surround them. "It's too late. You're done running," the lead one smirks to the runaway alien. "This has not been a good day," Quark observes. Traversing the foliage, Jake and Nog return to the campsite to find it deserted and the fire recently extinguished. Nog insists something has happened to their chaperons, suggesting a wild animal attacked them, but Jake reminds him that there are only insects and plants on the planet. "Maybe they were attacked by a vicious tree!" Nog exclaims seriously. Jake dismisses Nog's comment but notes the presence of boot-shaped footprints below them. A visibly shaken Nog wants to beam aboard the runabout to plan their next move, but Jake insists that Quark and his father are in trouble, as he knows his father would not leave without telling him first. They decide to track the adults with their tricorders. Quark, Sisko, and the alien are placed in a large cave, surrounded by a pinkish circle that appears to be emitting a force field. While his companions sit quietly on the ground, Quark wanders around the interior of the circle yelling for help. Sisko tells him to shut up, but he blames their situation on the alien, urging her to tell the Jem'Hadar she has never seen him or Sisko before. As Quark denounces any association with the alien to the surrounding darkness, Sisko stands and again tells him to be quiet; when the Ferengi claims he is entitled to his opinion, Sisko threatens to put his fist in Quark's "opinion." However, Quark informs Sisko that he is incapable of being scared of him, as he is already more scared than he has ever been. Sisko tells Quark he's not helping, to which Quark points out that the alien is doing nothing but sit on the ground. Sisko thinks she is more scared than he or Quark is, although Quark reassures him this is not the case. The two of them sit as Quark begins to calm down and Sisko observes that their companion has probably been through a lot. They wonder what the boys are doing; Quark is certain that Nog will "find the nearest dark hole and climb in it," but Sisko thinks Jake will search for them. Shifting focus to the force field surrounding them, Sisko reaches toward the pinkish circle but the alien intervenes, informing him that the security barrier is lethal. Sisko thanks her for the warning and comes closer to her, eager to find out how she knew this information. She says everything about the Jem'Hadar is lethal and on learning that Sisko has never heard of the Jem'Hadar, she seems surprised. Sisko introduces himself, explaining about the Federation and the wormhole. The alien says her name is Eris and she uncertainly shakes Sisko's hand. Introducing Quark somewhat dismissively -- the Ferengi returns the favor by simply nodding with a hint of annoyance -- Sisko focuses again on the Jem'Hadar. Eris tells him the Jem'Hadar are the most feared soldiers in the Dominion and upon hearing the Dominion's name, Quark interjects himself into the conversation. He mentions Ferengi efforts over the past year to open trade negotiations with the Dominion and he seems to doubt Eris' credibility, as he has never heard of the Jem'Hadar in all that time. When Eris says that negotiations with the Dominion are dangerous, Sisko wonders why anyone does business with the Dominion at all. However, doing business is not a choice; the Dominion decides a civilization has something it wants and then takes it, as was the case with Eris' people. Eris tells of how her homeworld, Kurill Prime, was offered entry into the Dominion. When they refused, the Dominion sent in the Jem'Hadar and seized the planet by force. At the time, she was on a freighter, which fled in light of the Dominion invasion. The Jem'Hadar tracked her down because her mother was an outspoken opponent of the Dominion. A telekinetic suppression collar is around Eris' neck, and without it she says she might be able to break through the force field. However, she believes that escape would be impossible even if she did break through, as no one escapes from the Jem'Hadar. Sisko points out the limited number of guards, indicating overconfidence on the Jem'Hadar's part. He attempts to take the device off, believing it is the only thing between them and freedom. Meanwhile, Jake and Nog have aimlessly wandered through the forest for hours when Jake picks up humanoid life signs on his tricorder. They spot the Jem'Hadar camp and while Jake wants to get a closer look, Nog points out the Jem'Hadar probably will not look any friendlier close up. Having resumed his attempts to attract attention, Quark continues to yell into the darkness as Sisko and Eris talk. Eris asks whether they have to take Quark with them if they escape and as he works on the suppression collar, Sisko points out that Quark's seemingly useless chatter is in fact serving a purpose. After all, he points out as a Jem'Hadar officer named Talak'talan enters, if there's one thing Quark is good at, it is attracting attention. Quark and Eris stand behind Sisko as Talak'talan deactivates the force field and steps into the circle. He refuses to discuss why they are being held, stating only that "the Founders" do not want them released. Quark intervenes and offers Talak'talan a thousand cases of tulaberry wine; his response is to grab Quark by the chest forcefully, nearly crushing the Ferengi's rib cage. Sisko begins to intervene, but pulling out a phaser, Talak'talan tells him not to bother and throws Quark to the ground. When Sisko demands to speak with the Founders, Eris defiantly claims they do not exist. Talak'talan insists they do and reveals that the Founders created the Dominion. However, he refuses to allow Sisko to speak with them. Looking down at Quark with disdain, Talak'talan says he had hoped the first race he would meet from the other side of "the anomaly" would be the Klingons. Sisko sarcastically apologizes and Talak'talan warns him it is too late for apologies and the Dominion will not allow ships from the Alpha Quadrant to violate its territory. He says he has heard the Klingons are effective warriors and mentions the bat'leth, demonstrating his knowledge about the Alpha Quadrant; when Sisko is not interested in discussing the Klingons, Talak'talan brings up the Cardassians. After asking somewhat rhetorically if Sisko is satisfied with the Federation-Cardassian Treaty, he calls it a "tactical error" on the Federation's part. Sisko asks how he knows all of this, and Talak'talan informs him that the Dominion gains more knowledge every day. He refuses to give the Dominion any information, but Talak'talan says he will not be asking the questions. Asked who will be asking them, he remarks, "I was really hoping to meet a Klingon." Reactivating the force field, he leaves. Jake and Nog beam aboard the runabout and scan the planet's surface for Human and Ferengi life signs. They attempt to beam Quark and Sisko up, but the computer is unable to do so due to what it calls a spatial distortion field. Jake suggests that they fly back to Deep Space 9 to get help and Nog agrees, telling the computer to plot a course back to the station. It asks him to restate the command, so Jake tells it to disengage the autopilot system; however, neither of the boys knows the authorization code. An alarm sounds and a red light flashes as the computer announces that a vessel is approaching, which causes them to panic. "Computer! Evasive maneuvers! Fire phasers! Launch torpedoes! And escape pods!" Nog yells frantically, although the computer is still locked and does not comply. When they tell the computer to display the ship, it disappears, having gone to warp. Left with no other options, Jake says he will have to disengage the autopilot manually. On the station, the USS Odyssey is due to arrive in eight hours when something begins coming through the wormhole. Kira tells Dax to display it on the viewscreen and it is a Jem'Hadar attack ship. Dax hails the vessel and raises the station's shields, but a Jem'Hadar beams into Ops despite the shields. O'Brien activates a containment field around the intruder and Kira introduces herself before telling the Jem'Hadar it is "customary" to identify oneself before beaming into someone else's command center. The Jem'Hadar introduces himself as Third Talak'talan of the Jem'Hadar and informs Kira that Commander Sisko has been detained indefinitely. Sisko, he says, will serve as an example to anyone who interferes with the Dominion by coming through the wormhole. Dax defiantly tells him that idle threats will not stop the Federation from exploring the Gamma Quadrant, so he walks through the force field and gives Kira a Bajoran PADD with a list of vessels he says have been destroyed for violating Dominion territory. The PADD came from New Bajor, he tells her, adding that they fought well for a "spiritual" people. He beams back aboard his ship and O'Brien attempts unsuccessfully to lock on with a tractor beam as it re-enters the wormhole. Sisko finally pries the casing on Eris' collar loose to reveal a locking mechanism. She asks what he plans to do if she breaks through the barrier and he tells her he can contact his son and the runabout, inviting her to come back to the Federation with them. When Sisko asks Quark to help him with the collar, Quark turns around angrily and tells Sisko he is tired of being ordered around. Eris watches them with interest. He claims he has realized why Humans dislike Ferengi: They used to be a lot like them. As Quark points out, however, events in Earth history such as slavery, concentration camps and interstellar wars are far worse than anything committed by the Ferengi; therefore, he claims, the Ferengi are better. With that, he begins to work on the locking mechanism. Sitting on the floor of the runabout surrounded by isolinear chips, Jake and Nog continue to work on the autopilot system. Jake claims he watched Chief O'Brien work on the navigational array of the Mekong a couple of weeks ago, but Nog is skeptical. As they pull out another chip, the computer announces that the warp core will collapse in ten seconds and begins counting down. Once he realizes what is happening, Jake hurriedly replaces the chip. A burst of inspiration comes to him and he searches with his hand for something in the control panel; he removes a small device and the computer tells him the autopilot system is offline. The boys are elated until they tell the computer to lay in a course for the wormhole and it again reports that the autopilot system is offline. They prepare to attempt to fly the runabout manually, although neither of them knows what they are doing. Meanwhile, the Galaxy class starship Odyssey has arrived at Deep Space 9 and Captain Keogh informs the crew that traffic through the wormhole has been suspended until the Odyssey can investigate what kind of threat the Jem'Hadar pose. Dax insists that the remaining runabouts go with him and he notes the lack of combat experience among most of the crew. When Bashir reminds him that they have fought the Maquis before, Keogh tells him he expects the Dominion to have "sharper teeth." Kira points out that in that case he needs all the help he can get and Keogh reluctantly agrees to let them come along. O'Brien reports that he has already begun to refit the runabouts with extra banks of photon torpedoes and that they will be ready within a few hours; Dax notes that it will take at least that long to offload nonessential personnel from the Odyssey. Walking through a corridor with a Bajoran deputy on one side and a Starfleet one on the other, Odo reviews additional security protocols, which he plans to implement in preparation for a potential Jem'Hadar attack. When he sees Kira approach him, he dismisses the deputies. She reminds him that his duties do not require him to go along on the mission, obviously worried for his safety. He acknowledges this as they walk toward the runabout pads but tells her that someone should be there to look after Quark while the others worry about Sisko. A surprised Kira says she was under the impression he hated Quark. He does, he tells her, but he would rather see Quark in jail than in the hands of the Dominion. Odo believes that they would all miss Quark if something happened to him. "I'd be willing to take that chance," Kira responds. "But not today." The Odyssey, Mekong, and Orinoco travel to the Gamma Quadrant to find it surprisingly void of Jem'Hadar activity. Tachyon scans show up negative, but Keogh notes the Dominion might have cloaking technology. As the other ships search for them, Jake attempts to fly the Rio Grande manually -- and, as Nog points out, very slowly. Nog impatiently presses him to go to warp, but Jake is still learning how to fly at impulse; Nog urges him to at least go a little faster and he points out how difficult it is to make manual course corrections without the aide of a computer. In any case, at their current speed Jake estimates it will take them five years to reach DS9. The boys are thrilled when they see the Odyssey and the other runabouts drop out of warp and O'Brien beams aboard the Rio Grande. He reassures Jake that they plan to rescue Sisko. Picking at the collar around Eris' neck, Quark remarks that the device is very sophisticated and much slimmer than most telekinetic suppression collars he has seen. Eris complains that he is hurting her, but seconds later he manages to break through the lock and she removes the collar. She tells Sisko and Quark to stand back and disables the force field using the same telekinetic attack that she previously used to shock Sisko, prompting a nearby Jem'Hadar to run toward them. Sisko tackles the soldier and manages to take his weapon, shooting him and tossing the weapon to Quark. Stuffing the telekinetic suppressor in his pocket, Quark shoots a second Jem'Hadar as it decloaks and attempts to shoot Sisko. The three of them leave the cavern together. The Odyssey and the runabouts assume an attack formation as they detect three Jem'Hadar attack ships on long-range sensors. However, O'Brien informs Keogh that he will have to break formation as half of the runabout's systems are nonfunctional. Keogh tells him to head for the wormhole but gives him ten minutes to try to locate Sisko. The Jem'Hadar ships come within firing range and Keogh orders them to use attack pattern delta, but when they engage the ships, the Jem'Hadar use a phased polaron beam to penetrate the Odyssey's shields. In their first pass, they knock out the forward torpedo launcher and port nacelle. After rotating through the entire spectrum of shield harmonics, Keogh realizes the shields will be of no use and has his crew divert shield power to the weapon systems. The Jem'Hadar seem intent to focus on the Odyssey, despite the Mekong and Orinoco's attempts to draw fire away from it. Oblivious to the events transpiring around them, Eris, Quark, and Sisko run through the woods looking for Jake and Nog. Quark is out of breath and must rest but Sisko refuses to leave him behind, noting that they would not have escaped from the Jem'Hadar without him. They are transported off the surface as they talk. Once in the runabout, Sisko greets Jake warmly, while Quark grabs Nog's ear and tells him he is never going on a field trip again. As the Mekong, the Orinoco, and the Odyssey concentrate their fire on a single Jem'Hadar fighter, it returns fire on the Mekong's sensor array, disabling it, and it is forced to initiate evasive maneuvers as the Federation forces appear to be losing the dogfight. Fortunately, O'Brien contacts the Odyssey to inform them he has rescued Sisko and the others. Keogh tells the runabouts it is time to leave, but as the ships retreat, one of the Jem'Hadar ships heads straight for the Odyssey. Kira and Bashir try to intercept it with no success, but rather than fire at the larger vessel, the Jem'Hadar intentionally ram the Odyssey's secondary hull at the deflector dish, initiating a chain reaction that causes the ship to explode. There is a momentary silence, as no one can believe what they have just seen. O'Brien, still stunned, wonders aloud why anyone would ram a retreating vessel. Sisko realizes the unfortunate answer: The Jem'Hadar were sending the Federation a message about the Gamma Quadrant. With the other Jem'Hadar vessels gone, the runabouts solemnly return to the Alpha Quadrant. Quark pulls Sisko aside as the others exit the runabouts, holding up the telepathic suppressor and telling him they need to talk. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew greets Eris in Ops. She comments on how disorienting it is to think she is on the other side of the galaxy, but Sisko enters, armed and tells her she will have to get used to it. The rest of the crew backs away from Eris as Sisko approaches her, accompanied by Quark, still holding the collar. Quark explains that he believed there might be a market for the suppressor in the Alpha Quadrant — until he realized the collar was nothing but a sophisticated locking device. Sisko notes that she could have used her telekinetic abilities at any time and asks why she did not; as Eris points out, he already knows the answer. The Jem'Hadar wanted Sisko and the others to escape in order to plant Eris as a spy. "Well done, Commander," she replies arrogantly as he hypothesizes. However, she is not a Founder. As Odo moves to arrest Eris, she transports off the station, although to where it is uncertain. As she did not rematerialize on the station and there are no nearby starships, there is no way to track the Vorta. Only one thing is certain: the Dominion will be back, and since the space station is the most likely location of contact, Sisko resolves to be ready for them. 
<EOS>
Kira, Dax, O'Brien, Odo, and Bashir are in Ops, having a discussion about the possible invasion by the Jem'Hadar, the soldiers of the Dominion. Dax says the only two options are to abandon the station and make a stand on Bajor, or to collapse the wormhole. Just as Kira rejects both ideas, a subspace surge activates the security sensors; O'Brien is shocked that a cloaked vessel somehow approached the station's shield perimeter completely undetected. Suddenly, the ship decloaks, and hails the station. It is Commander Benjamin Sisko, with an experimental vessel called the USS Defiant, a warship originally designed to fight the Borg. He says to Kira that he has "brought back a little surprise for the Dominion." Sisko and the senior officers discuss the Defiant in the station's wardroom. Sisko says it is a prototype; a warship designed to fight the Borg. With the Borg threat becoming less urgent over the years, the idea was abandoned after design flaws were found during initial testing. Sisko avoids the technical details, but sums up the situation: the Defiant is overpowered and overarmed for a ship of her size, and almost tore herself apart when tested at maximum impulse. When Kira complains at being sent this to fight the Dominion with, Sisko tells her that they are not going to fight the Dominion -- yet. Their mission is to find the Dominion's founders, in the Gamma Quadrant, and to convince them that the Federation is not a threat to them. The Defiant is to be used in order to show the Dominion that the Federation can, and will, defend themselves should there be an attack. At this point, Lieutenant Commander Michael Eddington and Sub-Commander T'Rul enter, informing Sisko of the new security measures they have implemented. When Odo objects, Sisko introduces the sub-commander, and says she is here to operate the cloaking device, loaned to Starfleet by the Romulan government. She says her role is to keep unauthorized persons away from the cloaking device. When Sisko tries to introduce his officers to her, she interrupts, saying she is not here to make friends. She then leaves, abruptly. Eddington then says he is here to make friends, and introduces himself to Kira. Odo is more than a little put out by Eddington being from Starfleet security, and asks what exactly Eddington is doing here. Before he can reply, Sisko tells them that there will be a full station briefing at 1800 hours, and dismisses everyone. Odo comes to a conclusion. He informs Sisko that there is no need to brace himself to tell him unpleasant news, and that he already knows he has been replaced as head of security. Sisko runs to catch up, telling him in a corridor that he will still be head of all matters concerning non-Starfleet security. For Odo this is not enough, and he asks why. Sisko says he has even been to the head of Starfleet Security herself, but the decision was final, due to concerns about recent security breaches on the station. Odo blames it on the restrictions caused by Starfleet regulations, and Sisko tells him that his reluctance to follow those regulations is a problem as well. Odo thinks it is to do with his being a shapeshifter, and assures that his resignation will be logged shortly. Inside the Sisko quarters, the commander finds Jake eating an I'danian spice pudding, even though he is supposed to be unpacking. Sisko finds he now thinks of the station as home, and wonders aloud when he began to think of "this Cardassian monstrosity" as that. Jake suggests it was last week, when the commander brought some of his items, including a 2,000 year old Yoruba mask, to the station, out of storage on Earth. The two have a comforting moment together as the elder Sisko looks for a place to hang the mask. Kira comes up to Odo as he looks out of a window on the Promenade. She says that the provisional government has asked for his presence on the mission. Odo says he highly doubts that, and he thinks it is just an attempt to make him feel better. Kira almost acknowledges that it is, and says that she is his friend, and is trying to make him see that he is still needed on the station. She leaves, after telling him that the Defiant leaves at 0700 hours. Odo continues to quietly look out the Promenade's viewports. Quark is in Sisko's office, confused as to why he has just been asked to come on the trip to find the Founders. Sisko says it is because he helped the Grand Nagus establish trade links with the Karemma, who are part of the Dominion. They may help to establish contact with the Founders. Quark tries to find excuses not to go, but Sisko will have none of it. Quark then flat out refuses, saying he has no intention of repeating his last experience with the Jem'Hadar. Sisko gets out the Grand Nagus' staff, saying that the Nagus has already agreed to Quark's going on this mission. Quark is forced to accept it, and is made to kiss the staff before leaving, to Sisko's amusement. Dax tells Sisko that O'Brien's checks indicate the ship will be ready at 0700. The two discuss the chances of succeeding; Sisko says the chances are slim, but better than the chances of surviving a Jem'Hadar attack on the station. Dax says she thought she'd never see him so passionate about something since Jennifer died. Sisko says it was going back to Starfleet Headquarters, and being inspired by the admirals that made him passionate again. Dax says that Curzon never thought Sisko would be an admiral -- he thought that Sisko would always have to be in the thick of things, and not behind a desk. Dax leaves, after they both agree that they need to sleep. On the Defiant the next morning, Bashir tells Sisko that the medical facilities are severely lacking. Dax enters, informing the commander that Quark has settled into his quarters, despite being disappointed by the decorations. All systems are online, and they are about to depart, when they alerted to someone's presence in the airlock. It is Odo. He requests to come aboard, and Sisko agrees. Bashir volunteers to find him some quarters, as he has to go down to sickbay. The ship leaves, and cloaks once it enters the Gamma Quadrant. It begins to head for the Karemma system. Odo has been forced to share a bunk with Quark, as it is the only remaining space with life support. Odo sits in a corner, as Quark begins to complain about almost everything there is to complain about. Odo says he needs to revert to his original form, and that he does not want Quark to watch. When Quark continues, he gets angry, and tells him to stay out of his way. Odo then shifts into a liquid, and goes into his bucket. A Jem'Hadar fighter detected in the vicinity. Sisko orders the ship to remain on course, as this will be a good time to check if the cloaking device is effective. The ship appears to have detected them, as it turns round. The sub-commander disagrees, saying it may be subspace fluctuations that a cloaked ship emits at warp, and suggests dropping out of warp. Sisko gives the order to do so. The ships scan the area with antiprotons, and it is unknown whether they will detect the ship. The ships almost seem like they have detected the Defiant, but they fly off into warp. On arriving on the Karemma homeworld, Quark tries to persuade the first minister Ornithar into putting them in contact with the Founders in exchange for trade advantages (namely a three percent increase of tulaberry wine purchases). However, stating that their only contact with the Dominion leadership is through the Vorta race, who didn't instruct them how to deal with the newcomers, Ornithar is reluctant to help them. He also points out he doesn't even know if the founders are real, and that the Jem'Hadar will intervene at the smallest sign of insubordination. Quark then threatens to discontinue buying the wine altogether, prompting Sisko to point out that losing an important trade agreement with the Alpha Quadrant might also displease the Dominion. Compelled by Sisko's argument, Ornither directs them to an unmanned subspace relay station in the Callinon system, where the Karemma send all communications for the Dominion. Interestingly, while looking at the star chart on the viewscreen, Odo recognizes a familiar form, the Omarion Nebula and feels inexplicably drawn to it. Quark, with his job now done, chooses to remain with the Karemma to continue trade negotiations and get a ride home and Sisko agrees. When the Defiant arrives at Callinon VII, the site of the subspace relay station, Dax and O'Brien beam down and manage to tap into the main computer suspiciously easy. However, before they upload the information to the Defiant, the two are interrupted as a hand grabs Dax's shoulder while an alarm is triggered which activates a shield around the facility, trapping them inside. As Jem'Hadar warships approach the planet, Sisko is forced to flee and abandon the two of them on the surface with T'Rul's approval and despite Bashir's objections. Bashir wonders what will happen to Dax and O'Brien. Sisko assumes they will be interrogated, and hopes they will also try to contact the Founders. He moves on and calls Odo to the bridge to talk through security measures, but, oddly, Odo refuses, saying he's busy. Kira leaves to talk with him when T'Rul reports that three more Jem'Hadar vessels heading in their direction. Sisko decides to drop out of warp, cut off main power, and wait until they pass just like last time. Kira finds Odo obsessed with the map on the computer in his quarters. She confronts him but also wants to repay the friendship he's shown her when she needed him. Odo then reveals to her his strange obsession with the Omarion Nebula, and begs her to let him go there in a shuttle. Kira, very confused by Odo's desperation, eventually tells him that while she understands it's important to him, but also insists on carrying on their mission first. Just then, the ship comes under fire from three Jem'Hadar ships, who have managed to penetrate the cloak. The Defiant decloaks and destroys one of the attacking vessels, but sustains heavy damage, and soon loses shields and main power, enabling Jem'Hadar soldiers to beam aboard. Kira is knocked unconscious, but Odo rescues her and escapes. After a brief fight, the bridge crew is overwhelmed. Kira wakes up on a shuttle with Odo, who informs her that the Defiant was captured by the Jem'Hadar. When she finds out the shuttlecraft is heading for the Omarion Nebula instead of back to DS9, Kira protests energetically, but Odo is unmoved. They finally arrive in the nebula, and discover an class M planet ahead, but no star system. They land the shuttlecraft on the surface, and discover a strange mass of viscous liquid. As they are watching, several humanoid forms resembling Odo's appearance rise from the liquid. One of them, a female Changeling, approaches Odo and greets him: "Welcome home".
<EOS>
On the shore of the Great Link ocean on his newly discovered homeworld, Odo faces other Changelings and Major Kira is on the sideline. A Changeling in female form welcomes Odo to his "home" and explains he was newly formed when he left them. Odo has many questions and, soon, it sounds like an interrogation, but Kira relaxes him. She explains the Link and, when Odo says he has been alone all his life, she offers her hand to reinforce his welcome with a partial link. Another Changeling cautions her, with concern it is too soon, but she insists. This affects Odo deeply, as he realizes that he has truly found his home and his people. In a shuttlecraft, a weary Sisko is dictating a report on the loss or capture of the Defiant by the Jem'Hadar and the unknown status of the rest of her crew, except Doctor Bashir, who is in the shuttle with him. Suddenly, the shuttle shudders and Bashir and Sisko try and get the sensors to work so they can find out what is causing the turbulence. They speculate that it may be a tractor beam when they hear something behind them. They both turn and note that the hatch mechanism is starting to rotate, indicating that someone is opening the hatch from the outside. Not knowing who that may be, they both arm their phasers and prepare to defend themselves. The door slowly opens and they are surprised by the appearance of Chief O'Brien, followed quickly by Jadzia Dax. They have been rescued and other ships are looking for the rest of the Defiant's crew. Dax indicates that there is a big surprise waiting for them back at Deep Space 9. On the Changelings' homeworld, Kira and Odo are waiting in an arboretum. Odo is getting impatient and Kira is trying to calm him down. When the Female Changeling returns, a brief discussion ensues about Changeling history and why they don't trust "solids". She enjoins Major Kira from sending any message that may be traced to the planet. The Female Changeling then begins giving Odo some shape-changing lessons. Major Kira goes off to the shuttle to try and get an untraceable message through to Sisko, disguised as elevated background radiation. Sisko is disembarking onto Deep Space 9 when he is met by Admiral Alynna Nechayev, who informs him that the treaty delegation from the Dominion has already arrived. They discuss some background information and then the admiral informs Sisko that one of the delegates would like to see him the moment he arrives. Sisko enters a suite and meets Borath, a Vorta who claims that he is one of the Founders of the Dominion. They have a brief discussion about trust and future alliances. On the upper deck of the Promenade, Bashir is greeted by Garak, the resident Cardassian tailor. As they exchange pleasantries, they pass a Jem'Hadar soldier looking down on the main Promenade deck. Garak informs Bashir that the Central Command is in favor of the treaty, but indicates his own misgivings about it, noting an old Cardassian proverb that states "enemies make dangerous friends." As they continue their discussion they encounter Romulan Sub-Commander T'Rul, who is very upset and informs them that the Romulans were excluded from the negotiations. In one of Defiant's shuttlecraft on the Changeling's homeworld, Kira configures the shuttle's communications system to transmit her signal and is informed by the craft's computer that it cannot be sent. This is due to excessive external interference from a subsurface power source and an analysis is not possible due to a polymetallic substance in the surrounding rock. While Kira is frustrated by this, Odo arrives. He is exhausted from his shape-shifting lessons and goes off to regenerate, leaving Kira alone with her frustration. In his office, Sisko looks extremely concerned when his staff announces the arrival of Admiral Nechayev. They get into a discussion regarding the Romulans' exclusion from the treaty talks. Admiral Nechayev makes the point that if the Dominion and the Federation create this alliance then the Romulans will be irrelevant. This leaves Sisko deeply troubled. Sitting in the garden on the Changeling homeworld, Odo and the Female Changeling have a fairly detailed discussion about Changeling history, including the fact that solids have been hunting and persecuting their kind for eons, and Odo's place in their history. They then embrace each other and merge into a link. Meanwhile, Kira is facing a large metallic door and scanning it with a Starfleet tricorder. She notes that this is an anomaly since Changelings shouldn't have need for doors. She then contacts the shuttle's computer and asks it to scan the door, and is frustrated when the computer tells her that there is too much interference for it to do so. In Quark's, Bashir and O'Brien are drinking and discussing the new treaty with Quark. The discussion is interrupted by a Jem'Hadar soldier, who picks a fight with O'Brien when he tells him he is in his way and throws him across the bar. When Bashir comes to his defense, he is also attacked by the Jem'Hadar and thrown up against a wall until finally security chief Eddington breaks up the fight. Bashir insists that the Jem'Hadar be incarcerated for what he did to O'Brien, but the doctor is reminded by Eddington that the Jem'Hadar have carte blanche on the station, for the moment. Sisko has a troubled meal in his quarters with his son, Jake. The elder Sisko is very distracted and lost in thought when Dax comes in and informs him that she has been transferred as science officer to the USS Lexington. While they are discussing this turn of events, Bashir calls him and requests that they meet concerning Chief O'Brien. Moments later, a very angry Sisko storms into a meeting between Admiral Nechayev and Borath and demands explanations as to why Dax has been reassigned without his consent, why the Jem'Hadar who attacked O'Brien is walking the station free and why the Federation is risking a war with the Romulans to sign a treaty with an organization they barely know or trust. Nechayev tells Sisko that there's going to be some big changes in the sector. Bajor's request for Federation membership is being suspended indefinitely, and the Federation is withdrawing from Deep Space 9 and handing the station, Bajor and the wormhole over to the Dominion. All of the Starfleet officers on the station are to be reassigned, while Sisko will be promoted to Captain for his work. Sisko isn't impressed, and asks about what happens if the Bajorans aren't happy with being handed over to the Dominion. Borath tells Sisko he's sure they'll fall into line, and it's clear he'll send in the Jem'Hadar if they resist. The admiral states that this is the price for peace and Sisko angrily answers that the price of peace is "too damned high" and that he wants to talk to the Federation's representative before the treaty is signed. At this point, the admiral tells him that it has just been signed and that Sisko is too late. In the arboretum of the Changeling planet, Odo, in the shape of a Arbazan vulture, flies in, lands, and changes back into normal form, as Kira watches in amazement. They begin to talk and an exhilarated Odo gushes about being a vulture. Kira then asks the Changeling for help with the door that she found. Odo also wonders about the door, and who or what could be using them if the Changelings are not. On the Promenade back at the station, Sisko is drinking a cup of coffee in the replimat when Garak walks in, complimenting Sisko on the job he has done for the past two years but notes that when Starfleet returns to the sector it will be to fight the Bajorans, who have just formed an alliance with the Romulans against the Dominion and their allies. In the ensuing conversation, Garak sits at Sisko's table and detects a tone of bitterness in Sisko's voice. The Cardassian mentions that he shares that bitterness. He further opines that, after a great deal of thought, he can only conclude that their leaders have gone insane, and that "it's a pity" that they are both committed to following the orders of their respective leadership. Sisko agrees with the "pity" part. At this point, Sisko states his surprise at at how much they seemed to think alike, to which Garak comments that "life is full of surprises." Suddenly, from down the Promenade, T'Rul appears, yelling for Sisko while being chased by two Jem'Hadar soldiers. Sisko and Garak get up and just when T'Rul reaches them, the Jem'Hadar manage to shoot her in the back with a hand weapon. She falls into Sisko's arms, dead, just as the soldiers arrive. Sisko immediately gives her over to Garak and begins to fight the Jem'Hadar in hand-to-hand combat. The Jem'Hadar overpower Sisko while Garak looks on helplessly. In the station's security office, Garak enters, followed by Dax and Bashir. Dax demands to see Sisko. Eddington, seated behind the security desk, states that no one is allowed to see the commander without authorization from Admiral Nechayev. Through a ruse, Garak manages to knock out Eddington with a hypospray. They free Sisko and take phasers from the office's armory. Dax informs Sisko that O'Brien is waiting for them on landing pad C with the Rio Grande and a full complement of photon torpedoes. Sisko asks Dax how she knew that they'd need the torpedoes and she answers that she anticipated that Sisko would want to destroy the wormhole to prevent further Dominion forces from arriving. He agrees and they begin their run to landing pad C. On the Changelings' homeworld, Odo is examining the door that Kira found and makes a startling discovery: the door is not meant to keep people out, rather it is to keep whatever is inside, in. The locking mechanism is a strange shape that only a Changeling can use without resorting to special tools and Odo morphs his hand to the required shape. In the station's corridors, Dax, Garak, Bashir, and Sisko are running towards the docking ring when they encounter a Jem'Hadar patrol. During the ensuing battle, Garak is shot and killed. The rest of the group move on and there is another battle at the airlock to landing pad C. They all enter the Rio Grande safely, where O'Brien is waiting for them and they launch without further incident. As soon as they launch, they head directly for the wormhole. Thirty seconds from arrival, Admiral Nechayev, with Borath at her side, contacts the Rio Grande from the station and orders Sisko to stand down, but Sisko refuses. Borath then threatens them with the Jem'Hadar and Sisko states that they had better not expect any reinforcements for "about seventy years". Sisko turns to the front window of the Rio Grande and sees the wormhole open for them. He then orders attack pattern theta and O'Brien turns hard to port and launches three photon torpedoes into the wormhole. The wormhole implodes and the blinding light of that event illuminates the interior of the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, in the underground complex of the Changelings' homeworld, Odo is working on the lock mechanism by having his right hand shape-shifted into a lock-picking tool and it finally opens for him. As the door opens, it reveals two armed and ready Jem'Hadar guards who immediately take them into custody and march them deeper into the underground complex. They enter an underground chamber filled with various types of equipment and five inclined tables. The three tables on the left hold Bashir, Dax, and T'Rul, and the two tables in the back hold Sisko and O'Brien. Borath and two Vorta technicians are also present. A third Jem'Hadar stands guard in the chamber. Borath invites them in and Kira runs up to Sisko and tries to talk to him. Borath informs her that they are unconscious because he is running an experiment on them. Kira is immediately suspicious and concerned, demanding to know what sort of experiment the Vorta has been running. Borath answers that it is a simulation exercise designed to determine how they would respond to an attempt by the Dominion to gain a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant, to measure how much they would be willing to sacrifice in order to avoid a war. However, according to his findings, they are extremely stubborn and Borath is thankful that he is not the one who has to solve that problem. At that moment, a female voice states, "But I do." All within the chamber look towards the entrance where the Female Changeling has arrived. Odo is surprised that she knew about the experiment, but Kira figures it out quicker and challenges the Changeling, stating that she belongs to the Dominion. The Changeling corrects Kira by replying that the Changelings are the Dominion. Odo is awestruck as he realizes that his people are the Founders, the leaders of the Dominion. She admits to the irony that the hunted now control the destinies of hundreds of other races. Odo now challenges her as to why the Founders should need to control anyone. She replies that "What you control can't hurt you," and that following maltreatment by solids when they were attempting to explore the galaxy many years ago they set themselves the task of imposing order on a chaotic universe. Kira objects, stating that the order of the Founders should actually be called "murder". The Founder states that what the solids call it is irrelevant to the Founders. Odo then asks how the Founders can justify the deaths of so many people, to which the shapeshifter answers that the solids have always been a threat to them and that's the only justification they need. Odo retorts that these solids have never harmed the Founders, implying that none of the Alpha Quadrant solids have ever harmed the Founders, and that the Federation is just like what the founders used to be, explorers and researchers. The Founder counters that the "solids are nothing like us." At this point, Odo pauses to consider and then answers that neither is he. He states that his whole life has been devoted to the pursuit of justice and that justice means nothing to the Founders. The Founder doesn't challenge that, rather, she believes that Odo would rather have order than justice and that the Great Link will satisfy his need for order. Odo declines, acknowledging the temptation of the offer, but maintaining that he already has a link to his comrades. Odo then turns to Borath and orders him to wake up the prisoners and that they are leaving. Borath objects and Odo, turning to the Founder, states that he is leaving with his friends. The Founder objects and looks shocked when Odo confirms his intent. The Founder states that "no Changeling has ever harmed another." To this, Odo replies that whatever she does to his friends, she will also have to do to him. The Founder concedes the point and confirms Odo's orders to Borath, the Vorta. But she warns him that the next time they will not be so generous. The Vorta technicians move among the unconscious Defiant crew, removing leads, patch cords, and devices. As they do so, the crew wakes up slightly dazed and asking what happened. They all have various confused memories of the Rio Grande and collapsing the wormhole, except T'Rul, who remembers being shot by Jem'Hadar soldiers. Kira explains that none of what they remember is real and that they've been held in the chamber since the Jem'Hadar captured them on the Defiant and that they've been in a simulation. Sisko demands an explanation from Borath, but the Vorta merely informs the commander that the Defiant is in orbit and that they can transport up to it when they are ready. Odo informs Sisko that he will be remaining behind for a few moments, and Kira indicates that she'll come up with Odo. Odo promises Sisko that he will explain everything later, but that he and the others must leave immediately. Sisko then taps his combadge and has himself and his crew beamed up to the Defiant. As Odo and the Female Changeling walk through the arboretum to the Great Link, the Founder expresses her wish that Odo will someday return to them. When Odo expresses his doubt of that, she points out that he'll always be an "outsider" with the solids. Odo states that being an outsider isn't so bad, it gives one a unique perspective and that it is a pity that the Founders have forgotten that. The Founder then states that she might visit him, but the Alpha Quadrant seems wracked with chaos, and that it could use some order. At this point, Odo warns her that imposing her form of order on the Alpha Quadrant may prove more difficult than she imagines. The Founder walks out into the Great Link and, turning back to Odo, states "We will miss you, Odo but you will miss us even more." With that, she merges back into the Great Link. When she is gone, Kira approaches Odo. As they hold hands, Kira taps Odo's Bajoran combadge and the two of them are transported back to the Defiant. 
<EOS>
Quark and Rom are gloomily looking over the practically deserted bar. With the bellicose threats from the Dominion, many families and officers have departed the station, and Quark's business has nose-dived. One of his few customers, a drunken Klingon, yells for another bloodwine. Quark attempts to demand that he pay his tab, but the Klingon's anger quickly dispels his effort. Enraged, the Klingon draws a dagger and attacks Quark, but stumbles and falls onto his own knife, killing himself. While Bashir examines the corpse, Quark excitedly notes a huge crowd gathered outside the bar, curious to hear the details of what happened. Hoping to lure back customers, Quark plans to claim to have killed the Klingon in self-defense. Rom finds the idea ludicrous, until Quark informs him that if the bar's current slump continues, Rom's salary will be the first expense trimmed. Odo asks Quark what happened, and Rom quickly supports his story. Ignoring Odo's skeptical look, Quark tells a thrilling story for the benefit of the crowd, and quickly earns a great deal of notoriety. Miles O'Brien returns home after a busy day and asks Keiko how school was that day, only to be told she had to close it; due to all the families leaving the station, the only students that were left were Jake and Nog, not enough to sustain a school. Keiko tells Miles that she has offered to tutor the boys privately, and is ok with what's happened. However Miles can tell Keiko is upset, since she has lost the school and her main focus in life. Before long, the bar is humming again. Odo drops by and informs Quark that the Klingon was Kozak, leader of a powerful Klingon house, and warns that Kozak's relatives may come seeking vengeance. Rom is worried, but Quark refuses to back down from his story, proclaiming "It's not about profit anymore, it's about respect. You see the way they look at me now — I'm not just some venal Ferengi trying to take their money. I'm Quark, slayer of Klingons!" However, respect makes poor armor a few hours later, when Quark is slammed against a corridor wall by a seething Klingon, D'Ghor, who claims to be Kozak's brother. D'Ghor asks how Kozak died, and threatens to kill Quark if Kozak did not die "honorably". Quark tries to tell the truth, but quickly realizes that it is not what D'Ghor wants to hear. With a dagger at his throat, Quark assures D'Ghor that his brother died honorably in personal combat. Miles prepares Keiko a romantic dinner for the two of them, and showers his wife with praise and romantic gestures. The two have a wonderful evening, however the next morning Keiko is left miserable again as Miles has to leave for work while she is left with nothing to do but sit around their quarters all day. Later that evening, Kozak's widow Grilka arrives in Quark's Bar, asking for him. No sooner does Quark offer her a refreshment than she lunges forward with a dagger; a terrified Quark dives over the bar and hides himself behind a serving tray. Grilka knows such a cowardly Ferengi would be no match for her late husband, drunk or not, and asks if Quark wants to revise his story. Quark admits the truth, at which point Grilka tranquilizes him with a hypospray and abducts him. Quark regains consciousness inside Grilka's home on Qo'noS where he is greeted by Tumek, Grilka's advisor. When Quark asks who the house belongs to, the older Klingon solemnly tells him that their House "no longer has a name", since Kozak died without a male heir. Quark wonders why D'Ghor cannot inherit the House, and Tumek grows furious. Quark has been duped; D'Ghor is no relation to Kozak. Instead, he and his family are sworn enemies of Kozak's family, and D'Ghor has been plotting to seize control of their land and property for years. Though he has been unsuccessful to date, his power and wealth have been growing, while their house's has inexplicably been dwindling. Tumek explains that Quark played into D'Ghor's hands: had Kozak died in an "accident," and not in battle, the High Council might have granted a special dispensation and allowed Grilka to inherit the House, despite the fact she is a female. Now, with Quark having endorsed D'Ghor's story that Kozak died "honorably," no dispensation will be granted and D'Ghor is poised to seize control. At that moment, Grilka barges into the room and tosses Quark a large ceremonial robe, demanding that he wear it. Tumek recites some chants, and as Grilka holds Quark by knife-point, she and Quark are wed. Miles decides to go and visit Commander Sisko to discuss his problems with Keiko. After trying to lift her spirits with dinners, visits to the holosuite and rearranging his work schedule to give him more free time during the day, he has been unable to cheer her up and wants permission to build an arboretum on the station. Commander Sisko approves the request, allowing Miles to build one in an unused cargo bay. Miles is very happy about this; as Keiko gave up her career to join him on Deep Space 9, he feels he owes her. Before the Klingon High Council, D'Ghor is petitioning the Council to cede Kozak's holdings to D'Ghor. Chancellor Gowron appears ready to grant this request, when Grilka drags her new husband into the Council chamber. She states she performed the brek'tal ritual with Quark, and, since D'Ghor has already established that Kozak died an honorable death, her house now has a male head. Her holdings may, for the time being, remain in her hands. D'Ghor objects and threatens them. Bewildered and scared, Quark speaks up and says that some mistake has been made, and wonders if he can reach an accommodation with the parties involved, speaking directly to Gowron. Gowron is stunned at the situation, but then D'Ghor openly challenges Quark, prompting Gowron to interject and silence him. Gowron orders a review of the situation within a few days, keeping the brek'tal in place. Mispronouncing Quark's name, he declares the new name of the house will, for the time being, be known as "The House of Quirk". Back at her home, Grilka berates Quark for opening his big, fat mouth, but he rejoins by asking her what their next move is. Grilka is lost for a response, and admits that she is making things up as she goes along. Quark asks her — since he is now her husband, after all — to at least explain to him what is going on. Grilka explains that D'Ghor is angling for a seat on the High Council, and to do that, is seeking to increase his family's power and assets at the expense of hers. Intrigued, Quark asks to examine her family's financial records. Grilka is hostile toward the idea and refuses to sully herself with "filthy ledgers," but Quark points out that she doesn't have a back-up plan, and convinces her to try things his way for the time being. Miles is working on plans for the new arboretum and asks Doctor Bashir for his input. Julian tells Miles its a good idea and will work in the short-term but then Keiko will be miserable again. He explains that while Miles has been trying to provide ways to simply cheer Keiko up, he hasn't been trying to solve the actual problem but is now turning his wife's profession into a hobby. He then asks Miles if he would be satisfied just playing around with simple gadgets. Miles admits he wouldn't, and Julian tells him that Keiko is a botanist and until she can be one again she will never be truly happy. While perusing the records, Quark learns that D'Ghor has been systematically "attacking" Grilka's family for five years, using various financial stratagems to devalue Grilka's property and to assume ownership of Kozak's debts. As a Ferengi, Quark expresses frank admiration for D'Ghor's cleverness; as a Klingon, Grilka is outraged at the idea of another Klingon using financial chicanery to "attack" a Great House. She wonders why D'Ghor does not instead openly challenge her house, to which Quark answers that in doing so would destroy everything he seeks to seize. Quark presents his findings to the Klingon High Council, who, like Grilka, find themselves somewhat at a loss to understand the intricacies of financial scheming. D'Ghor claims Quark is lying, and presents the abducted Rom as a witness in his defense. Declaring his honor insulted by the Ferengi, D'Ghor challenges Quark to a duel. After returning to Grilka's home, Quark and Rom decide to beat a hasty retreat and leave the planet. Grilka stops them at the front door and is disgusted by Quark's cowardice. She decides to let them run away if they wish. Upon returning to the High Council, Grilka stands helpless as her husband is branded as a coward and her house is about to be handed over to D'Ghor. But Quark suddenly appears and readies himself for the duel. As both combatants raise their weapons at each other, Quark suddenly throws his bat'leth away, leaving everyone in attendance speechless. Quark points out that he has no hope of overpowering D'Ghor, and everyone there knows it; the supposed "duel" is nothing more than an execution. Quark kneels, completely unable to defend himself, and invites D'Ghor to complete his conquest of Grilka's house by slaughtering an unarmed Ferengi, taunting him to tell the "heroic" story to his children. Grinning victoriously, D'Ghor raises his bat'leth to strike, but Gowron steps in and seizes his arm. Gowron did not want to believe Quark's earlier accusations, but D'Ghor's dishonorable willingness to kill an unarmed man is as good as a confession. Gowron discommendates him on the spot, and D'Ghor is ejected from the Council chamber. Gowron lifts Quark to his feet, commending him for a show of bravery atypical of his people. Declaring that special circumstances exist, he allows the House of Kozak to pass to Grilka. Grilka thanks Quark and asks if she can repay him in any way. Quark immediately requests a divorce, and Grilka acquiesces; she slaps him to the ground, shouts "N'Gos tlhogh cha!" ("Our marriage is done!") and spits. "You're a free man." Grilka then lifts Quark off of the floor and plants a genuine kiss on him. On the station, Miles tells Keiko that a six-month agrobiology expedition to an unexplored series of mountains on Bajor requires a chief botanist and he feels she should apply since he's certain she would get the job. Keiko clearly wants to take up the opportunity but doesn't want to leave Miles and Molly for that amount of time. Miles tells her that she can take Molly with her and he can visit her all the time since Bajor is only a few hours away by runabout. She still doesn't feel she should go since she made a promise to Miles when they moved to the station, but he tells her that her happiness is more important and when she isn't happy then he isn't either. He reminds Keiko that her training and passion are in botany, and implores her to go out and be the best botanist she can be. Keiko happily agrees to apply. Quark and Rom are back on Deep Space 9 and business at the bar has returned to its previous slump. Rom is still awestruck by his brother's "magnificent" display of courage in the Great Hall, and reminds Quark that he has now earned genuine respect from many people, not the least of whom include his erstwhile ex-wife and the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council himself. Glumly, Quark says that "respect is good, but latinum's better."  Rom asks him to tell the story again; Quark says that everyone's heard the story already, and it won't do any good for business. But Rom insists, "No brother, <u>I</u> want to hear it again." At this, Quark perks up and begins to recount his epic confrontation with D'Ghor on Qo'noS. 
<EOS>
Commander Sisko is preparing food for a dinner (with some help from Jake) for Doctor Bashir, Major Kira, and Odo in his and his son's quarters. Odo assists with the mixing for a souffle, with difficulty at first, and Kira comments that she finds it cute. It turns out that Sisko used to help out at his father's restaurant in New Orleans, Earth. Bashir discovers that the meal contains beets, something he obviously is none too fond of. "Beets are a very misunderstood vegetable," Sisko tells him. Dax arrives and asks what smells so nice. In response, Bashir mentions the beets as a major ingredient and she notes her approval. Sitting down at the table, Dax finds Jake's keyboard instrument. He had taken lessons but had not proven to be terribly musically adept, unfortunately. Dax notes that throughout her seven lifetimes, she'd ended up with a tin ear and no musical ability. She begins playing a tune on the piano, but cannot recognize it. Later on, while playing chess with Sisko in his office, Dax keeps humming to herself and is totally distracted from her game. She takes one of his bishops, leaving a move open for Sisko to move a knight and put her king in check. She asks where the knight came from and he points out that she was distracted. She then declares that he must have made an illegal move made to attract her attention and that Curzon had always thought that he was a cheat. Dax then upends the board and storms out of the room. Later on, she is in the Replimat having a drink alone and Kira comes by to ask her what is wrong. Dax asks if she's come from Sisko to apologize for his behavior. Kira says she is worried about Dax after she'd heard about the earlier incident. Kira cannot believe that Sisko would have tried to cheat but Dax insists that Kira leaves. Before she has a chance to do so, Dax stands up to leave, but Kira catches her arm. Dax tells Kira to remove her hand before she does something that she will regret. Dax stares at her for a moment and then storms off, onto the Promenade. As she walks along, the place seems to be deserted, then the light seems to change, and she spots someone watching her from the second level. She turns around to find that figure behind her. It is wearing a robe with a cowl and has a smooth mask on. The figure removes the mask with one hand, revealing another mask beneath it. Dax turns to escape and the figure has now appeared in front of her again, tearing the second mask in half, revealing a third underneath. She turns about again and suddenly runs into Quark, and the Promenade is back to normal with the masked figure having vanished. At the infirmary, Bashir checks Dax over with a medical tricorder. She apologizes to Sisko for the horrible things that she had said to him earlier. He suggests that she input the music into the computer to let it find out what it is. After a brief discussion of her symptoms, it arises that Torias (the Dax host prior to Curzon) had fallen into a coma after a shuttlecraft accident, forcing the Trill to eventually remove the symbiont due to low isoboramine levels. A quick check of Jadzia shows that her own isoboramine levels are dropping and are now at 73% of normal, thus she might be rejecting the symbiont. They decide to take Jadzia to the Trill homeworld to see if any solutions could be found. On the bridge of the USS Defiant, Bashir and Sisko discuss not having Jadzia (the host) around anymore and how much they would miss her if she were gone. That night, Dax cannot sleep and goes to talk to Bashir in his quarters. She discusses her time as an initiate, the tests she endured, the immense pressure she put on herself, and how going back as a patient will be worse than being there as an initiate. She also comments that she was afraid of doctors, while Bashir notes that as a child he also was terrified of doctors. As he grew older, he wanted to find out and know more about what they knew, and that's what ended up leading him towards medical school. After the discussion, Bashir offers to let her stay over, even allowing her the top bunk. She agrees, but insists on the lower bunk because Curzon once fell out of a tree. She falls asleep almost immediately. Now on the Trill homeworld, Jadzia discusses some of the tests with Bashir. She notes that they had to make a small incision on her side to insert the scanner to scan the symbiont. Doctor Renhol enters the room and notes that Jadzia was the only initiate to successfully reenter the program after being dropped. She notes that Jadzia is on a benzocyatic regimen to compensate, but that she does not need to stay at the hospital because Bashir could administer the treatment. The doctor and Dax make an appointment for the next day for a follow-up and lunch. She then excuses herself to assist an initiate. Back on the Defiant, Bashir prescribes rest for Dax, who notes that she could never sleep in the afternoon. Sisko suggests lying down, closing her eyes, and not trying to think, something that worked for him. She left them to head to her quarters, and as she moved down the hallway, she encounters the figure she'd previously seen on the Promenade. She asks who he is and he replies "It's beautiful, isn't it?" A door opens, and two Trills come through and try to kidnap her; as she fights them off, she is just about to punch one in the face, and it turns out to be Bashir. Back in the hospital, Bashir can't understand why Dax is still hallucinating as her isoboramine levels have risen another 6%. Jadzia notes that her attackers in the hallucination had been from the Symbiosis Commission, wearing uniforms from over a hundred years ago, long before she had been an initiate herself, but none of her other hosts had bad memories of being there. Sisko notes that the computer still has not figured out the piece of music that Jadzia had been humming earlier. Despite Bashir's suggestion of therapy, Dax insists that she needs answers and suggests visiting the Guardians, a group of unjoined Trills who devote their lives to the care of symbionts. They go to the symbionts' breeding pools in the Caves of Mak'ala and watch two symbionts surface and communicate with each other with electrical impulses. A Guardian, Timor, enters and begins using a testing instrument in the pool. He seems very distracted as he checks to ensure that the symbionts are comfortable and not cranky; after all, they get very demanding when they are cranky. He comments that he sometimes doesn't know why he puts up with it and asks about the weather, before saying that he misses sunshine. He then recognizes Jadzia as Dax and immediately recognizes that something is wrong. He asks about her dreams and points out that they're actually memories. This is due to an imbalance between host and symbiont and that someone isn't playing fair, and that it could be any one of her prior hosts. Back on the ship, the computer finally discovers the piece of music and that it was written by Joran Belar 86 years previously. The name is not familiar to Jadzia, but his picture is and immediately brings back a memory of what appears to be a Trill doctor working at a desk. The masked figure appears behind him holding a weapon shaped like a spike which he then plunges into the ear of the working man, killing him and stating that "he left me no choice!" Jadzia demands to know who the masked figure is and reaches to remove his mask, which shatters and vanishes in a flash of bright, white light, revealing Joran. The hallucination over, she falls into neural shock. Sisko holds her while she convulses on the floor of the bridge. At the hospital, she begins to stabilize, and it is noted that her condition is worsening again and that if her isoboramine levels, now at 51%, do not rise within 48 hours, the symbiont will have to be removed, killing her. It is suggested by Renhol that dynametric fields from the wormhole might be causing it. Sisko and Bashir visit Timor, the Guardian, and ask for his help. He merely recounts what he had already told Dax and insists that he can't help. He acts scared, and both Bashir and Sisko wonder why and are curious as to why an investigation of the past Dax hosts is unwanted. They return to the Defiant and begin investigating Joran Belar and find that his record consists of merely a birth date and death date, but also that the file has been altered substantially. In a comparison with the Dax records, it turns out that Belar died on the same day as Torias Dax, which was the same day that the symbiont had been put into Curzon. A check of the musical schools reveals that Yolad Belar had been registered. Contacting Yolad, they discover that he was indeed Joran's brother. Yolad has trouble remembering much, but does note that Joran entered to become an initiate but was dropped after his second year. Apparently Joran had killed the doctor who recommended that he be dropped and was killed himself while trying to escape. It turns out that Joran had a violent temper. However, about six months before the incident, Joran had contacted Yolad and had seemed more confident and attributed this to being joined, but Yolad cannot recall the name of the symbiont. Some further checking of the records leads Sisko to theorize that perhaps the Dax symbiont had been put into Joran Belar before being put into Curzon. Back in the hospital, Jadzia's isoboramine levels have dropped to 44% and Renhol is preparing for surgery with a nurse to transfer the Dax symbiont to a new host. Sisko and Bashir confront Doctor Renhol about the Joran Dax incident. Since only one in a thousand candidates are acceptable, initiates are put through rigorous testing, since poor choices would result in the symbiont being rejected within three or four days and thus both host and symbiont dying. However, Joran and Dax had been joined for well over six months, despite Joran being a poor candidate. The Symbiosis Commission wanted to hide this fact and had put a memory block into Dax when it was transferred into Curzon, and are now willing to let Jadzia die to continue the cover-up. Sisko threatens to expose the cover-up unless Jadzia is saved. It turns out that nearly half of the Trill population is capable of being joined and the Symbiosis Commission did not want the symbionts to become commodities, items to be sold to the highest bidders and to be fought over. With this ultimatum, Sisko takes the decision out of Renhol's hands. Renhol says that in order to stabilize the synaptic functions between Jadzia and the symbiont, Joran's memories must be brought to the surface and reintegrated with all of the other previous hosts. Sisko argues that Jadzia is strong enough to cope with the risks involved, and that ultimately it's her decision to do so. After her recovery, Jadzia visits the Caves of Mak'ala again and enters one of the birthing pools. A symbiont approaches her and sends its electrical communication to her. Joran emerges from the pool and Jadzia invites him to become a part of her. They hug and he vanishes into her with an electrical surge, awakening the memories from his host period in Jadzia and Dax once again. Back on the station, Dax sits at a viewport in her quarters, and Sisko enters the room. She asks if he was checking up on her, and he comments that he is just ensuring that she is okay. She comments that Bashir had been in 15 minutes earlier doing the same. She states the importance of knowing one's past in knowing one's self, then sits down at the table with her piano and begins playing. 
<EOS>
Quark finds a glum Dax sitting by herself in the Replimat. She fears she has been stood up by Kira, with whom she had plans to go anti-grav sailing in the holosuites. Kira finally does show and admits, though she hates the holosuites in general, she is looking forward to this outing. But as they are leaving the Replimat, Kira receives a communication from the Bajoran Central Archives. Scholar Alenis Grem is studying Elemspur prison and wants to ask Kira some questions about it. Kira is happy to help but cannot understand why Alenis is coming to her, since she was never at Elemspur. Alenis is puzzled by this, explaining that Cardassian records clearly indicate that a Kira Nerys, member of the Shakaar resistance cell, was held at Elemspur during the Occupation for seven days. Kira is shocked when a mug shot of her, apparently from ten years ago, appears on the screen. Above them, on the second level of the Promenade, an alien woman, Yteppa, observes. Later, Kira discusses this mystery with Odo. He tells her that clearly either the records or her memories are wrong. But Kira insists she knows exactly where she was that week. Odo is skeptical that she can remember her whereabouts ten years after the fact. Kira says that that entire winter was quite memorable because the Shakaar had to hide in caves from the Cardassians, with little food or phaser power. The records have to be fake and she has to find out who did it and why. Odo suggests that she contact one of the other inmates listed as her cellmates in the records. Kira contacts Yeln, the only surviving cellmate. To her astonishment, he recognizes her and says the Cardassians dragged her out of their cell. That was the last he saw of her. He long thought her dead and is glad to see that she survived the ordeal. Kira is deeply disturbed that both records and witnesses disagree with her memory of events. She tells Sisko that she has to find out the truth and he gives his blessing for a trip to Bajor to investigate. After Kira boards the transport leaving for the planet, Yteppa follows her on. In the Replimat, Bashir and Elim Garak are sharing a table. Bashir tells the tailor about his recent trip to Klaestron IV and Garak expresses his envy of the doctor's freedom, as he has only left the station once in three years. Bashir wonders if Garak fears the Cardassian government would kill him if he left the station. Garak denies that this is case. Bashir does not believe him, but lets it go. Sisko and Dax are concerned when Alenis Grem informs them that Kira never showed up at Elemspur and cannot be located. Apparently she disappeared after leaving the spaceport on Bajor. In a dark room, Kira lies unconscious on a bed. A voice from the shadows says "Wake her." and Yteppa gives her a hypospray. Kira sits up, groggy, and Yteppa tells her she is safe. In front of her is mirror and Kira sees herself in it. To her horror, the face staring back at her is Cardassian. A man named Entek steps out of the shadows and tells her she is home on Cardassia. Kira is stunned and backs away from them. Whatever they want from her, they are not going to get, she vows. Entek explains that she is an undercover field operative of the Obsidian Order, named Iliana Ghemor. Her appearance and memories were altered so that she could infiltrate the Bajoran Resistance. She has been given drugs to reverse the memory loss and help her reintegrate into Cardassian society. Although, of course, she does not yet remember it, Entek supervised her training in the Order. Kira does not believe him but he tells her she is standing in the house where she was born. He gives her a data rod on which he claims she recorded a message to herself before she left on her mission to Bajor and leaves. Kira makes no move to view it. On the station, Sisko, Dax, and Odo discuss their search for Kira. Scans have found a residual electrostatic charge in the area where she was last seen. Sisko thinks that may indicate that she was transported away and wants a list of all ships in the area at the time. He asks Odo to get all the transporter activity logs for that area. Dax admits that the charge may have been caused by disruptor or phaser fire. But Sisko is not ready to believe that yet. Kira finds that the window of her room is guarded by a force field. Entek enters and tells her that someone wants to see her. It is Tekeny Ghemor, her "father." Ghemor is overjoyed to see her but she rebuffs him, telling him her father died fighting Cardassians on Bajor. Entek does not want to leave them alone together but Ghemor insists that his daughter would never harm him. When they are alone, he tells "Iliana" how much he has missed her. Kira reacts with hostility. Ghemor is saddened but knows it is only because the memories of her Cardassian life has not resurfaced yet. He tells her to consider herself his guest and leaves. On the station, Garak tells Bashir that he has urgent news about Kira. Kira searches her room for surveillance devices. Ghemor brings her a breakfast of Bajoran hasperat and tells her that the Obsidian Order devices are not turned on in his house unless he requests it, since he is a member of Central Command. She turns down the food. Ghemor notices her admiring a carving and tells her she made it for him when he was promoted to Legate. He says he wishes she had become an artist, instead of joining the Order. But she was as stubborn as her mother. Kira angrily informs him that her mother died of malnutrition in the Singha refugee camp. Ghemor insists that her mother was an inquisitor at the Central University. He wishes he had stopped her from going on her mission to Bajor but she had been so determined. Her mother never forgave him. Kira tells him he is very convincing, but she still does not believe a word of his story. She storms away, ignoring his apologies. On the station, Sisko and Odo want Garak to repeat what he told Bashir. He tells them there is nothing they can do for Kira, if she is being held by the Obsidian Order. But they believe that, with Garak's help, they can save her. Garak is dubious but agrees to help when Sisko warns him that the Bajoran government have called for his removal from the station, but he is willing to convince them otherwise if he helps them. With no other choice, Garak is forced to agree. Sisko's plan to reach Cardassia is to disguise the USS Defiant as a Kobheerian freighter, using shield modifications. Entek is concerned that Kira's memory of her life as Iliana has not resurfaced yet. Usually the drugs work in a few hours but two days have now passed with no effect. He says he has to start questioning her. Ghemor objects but Entek insists and tells him he should not be worried about her safety, since she is member of the Order. Ghemor tells Kira that he will be right in the next room anyway. Entek interrogates Kira about Deep Space 9. She does not take him seriously and offers obviously false answers. Entek is not satisfied with the information she gives him and decides to use other methods to convince her she is really Iliana. He tells her the Order saves everything and has a biological specimen beamed into the room. Kira pulls back the covering sheet to reveal a Bajoran corpse. She is looking at her own body. She insists it has to be a clone or a hologram. But now fear has started to set in. Entek reminds her of an incident during her time in the Resistance, when she shot a hara cat. She had never told anyone about it and Entek says he knows about it because he implanted that memory. Kira's doubt deepens. Entek leaves her, saying that he cannot wait much longer for the information he needs from her. If she does not supply it soon, he will have to take it from her mind by force. Later, Ghemor walks in on Kira while she is disabling the window force field. He tells her she tripped a silent alarm and in any case would not get far if she tried to escape. Kira tells him that she will never cooperate with the Order and, if he wants to help her, he has to get her off Cardassia. Ghemor assures her that, no matter what happens, he would never let them hurt her. He begs her to watch the recording Iliana made before she decides what to do. Kira watches the recording, which shows a young Cardassian woman who looks and sounds very much like her. She is earnest in her belief that she is doing the right thing in going to Bajor, even though her parents do not agree. On the Defiant, Garak is caught snooping around the ship's weapons. Sisko is ready to have Garak confined to quarters under guard when they are intercepted by Cardassian warships giving the crew a chance to test their ruse. Through the holofilter, Sisko informs Gul Benil that he is Captain Viterian of the Kobheerian freighter Rak-Miunis, on its way to Cardassia Prime. Benil is skeptical and insists that all incoming ships must be searched on the order of Central Command. Garak tells Sisko to drop the holofilter and let him talk to Benil. The crew are wary but do it. Garak speaks to the surprised Benil: "This is an Alpha Red priority mission, clearance verification Nine Two One Eight Black. By the authority of the Central Command, you are ordered to turn your ships around. Erase all record of this encounter from your logs and speak of it to no one." The crew are astonished when Benil agrees. Garak explains himself with "Just something I overheard while hemming someone's trousers." Entek continues his interrogation of Kira. He is starting to wear her down, although she still gives away nothing. She is near the point of tears. Ghemor enters and orders him to stop. Entek is furious that Ghemor would second guess the Order but backs down. He tells Kira that the next time he sees her, it will have to be at Order headquarters. He leaves and the distraught Kira smashes the mirror on the wall. Ghemor comforts her and, to her amazement, tells her he will get her off Cardassia. Later, Ghemor gives Kira a bracelet he says belonged to her mother. She does not want to accept it but he insists. Then he introduces her to Ari, the young Cardassian who is going to help her escape. Ari states his belief that Central Command wields too much power over the lives of Cardassians. Kira is shocked by what she is hearing. She now realizes that they are members of the Cardassian dissident movement. Ghemor urges Kira to get away while she can but she hesitates because she cannot believe that this is mere coincidence. Perhaps the Order was never after her at all. They are trying to expose Ghemor's ties to the movement by forcing him to save her. This is confirmed when Entek and two aides arrive, phasers drawn. Ghemor calls for a beam out but finds that there is a transporter suppression field around the house. Entek shoots and kills Ari when he tries to resist. Entek gloats that he has now put an end to the resistance, and tells Kira that while he would prefer she lives so she can give testimony he is willing to dispose of her if she causes any trouble. Just then, Garak and Sisko, who is carrying a backpack, arrive. The backpack turns out to be Odo, who surprises and disarms Entek. Sisko offers to take Ghemor with them and he quickly agrees. As the group is leaving, Entek warns Garak that the Obsidian Order was happy to let him live in exile. however Garak doesn't let him finish the threat, and makes to leave. Entek suddenly pulls a hidden phaser and Garak kills him, coldly remarking, "A pity I rather liked him." Back on the station, Kira is back to her old appearance, and tells Ghemor that Dr. Bashir has confirmed that she is indeed Bajoran. Yeln has disappeared, having apparently been a spy planted by the Obsidian Order who also altered the Elemspur records. She wonders why Entek went to all the trouble of altering her, when the real Iliana would have done just as well. But Ghemor reminds her that the memory drugs would have worked on Iliana and she would have cooperated with the Order, giving Entek no opportunity to attack Ghemor. Kira wonders if Illiana is still alive, and Ghemor believes that she is and hopes that they will someday be reunited. Meanwhile, the Mathenite government has offered him sanctuary, although Kira, who has grown fond of him, wishes he would stay. Before he goes, Ghemor gives Kira some fatherly advice: never trust Garak. She tries to give him back the bracelet but Ghemor says she should keep it, since she is the closest thing he has to family. Kira tells him she knows he is an honorable man and that his daughter must have loved him very much. 
<EOS>
In Quark's, Okalar is making a killing at the dabo table. He's about to leave the table a winner when Mardah, the dabo girl, entices him to make one final -- and losing -- spin at the wheel. Mardah leaves the dabo table and walks over to a table in the bar where Jake is seated, and she explains that Jake's father has invited her to dinner on the following evening in the Sisko's quarters, which startles Jake. However, he recovers and says, "It'll be great," and that Mardah will enjoy the food. Just then Quark is at the bar, when a Boslic captain walks up behind him and the two start negotiating the sale of salvage from the Gamma Quadrant. She wins the negotiations after putting her feminine charms to effective use. Next, Quark is in a cargo bay, rummaging through the salvage he'd bought for three bars of latinum. After a few moments he hears the cries of a baby, and walks toward the source of the noise only to discover a stasis chamber which holds the crying baby. In the infirmary, Quark is with Dr. Bashir and Commander Sisko, and the infant is lying on a biobed. Sisko berates Quark for failing to inspect the salvage before purchasing it, and just then Dax walks into the infirmary to announce that the chances of finding the Boslic captain approach nil. Dr. Bashir, meanwhile, tells Sisko that the infant is growing at rates Bashir has never seen outside of a laboratory, and that the infant ought to be kept on hand for more medical tests. Sisko then asks about the salvage, and Dax replies that O'Brien will be examining it. Quark offers a fruitless protest against the sequestering of his property, and promptly leaves the infirmary when Sisko shoots him a look. Before Dax and Sisko leave the infirmary, Sisko picks up the infant to hold him, and Dax offers to find an orphanage on Bajor for the infant. Shortly thereafter Sisko gives the infant up to Dr. Bashir and leaves the infirmary with Dax, who teases him about the change in his demeanor when he was holding the baby. Sisko then explains that he actually feels nostalgia for Jake's early childhood -- notwithstanding the hassles of fatherhood -- because he misses the days when it was easy to make Jake happy. Sisko then returns to his quarters, where Jake is writing on a PADD while lying on the sofa. He asks Jake for a hug, but Jake turns away and expresses dismay at the fact that his father gave so little warning of the plans he'd made with Mardah. The commander excuses himself by pointing out that some time ago, he'd threatened to invite Mardah to dinner if Jake didn't -- and Jake backs down, reminding them both that it will be "just dinner." Sometime later Commander Sisko enters the infirmary, where Bashir announces that the child taken from the salvage is "not a baby anymore." Sisko then looks through a nearby doorway, only to see a child on the table who appears to be eight or nine years old. Bashir then explains that his tests reveal the boy to be no more than two weeks old, in fact, which is mystifying since the only organisms ordinarily capable of growing as fast as this boy are small and simple, not "anything as complex as a humanoid." The boy chooses that moment to announce clearly that he is hungry, which Bashir says is no surprise. Sisko introduces himself and Bashir to the boy, tells him that they are on a space station, and asks the boy if he knows what that is. He replies, "No, but I want to learn." Sisko and Bashir then go into the next room, where Bashir explains that the only rational explanation for what they are seeing is some sort of advanced genetic engineering. Next Sisko goes to the cargo bay containing the salvage, where O'Brien explains the stasis chamber -- which implies that someone wanted to forestall the boy's maturation while aboard ship -- and says that the wreckage was likely from some sort of transport. Before Sisko leaves the cargo bay he asks O'Brien spare someone to give the replicators in his quarters some attention, and O'Brien mentions that he'd heard from Jake about Commander Sisko's dinner invitation to Mardah. Sisko expresses his reservations about the fact that his sixteen year old son is romantically involved with a twenty-year-old dabo girl, and confides to O'Brien that in the face of his discomfort he "wanted to see what [he was] up against." O'Brien then asks, "What if it turns out you like her?" Sisko answers that he doesn't want to like her. Next, Major Kira is at the entrance to Odo's new quarters, with a plant in hand. She offers the plant to Odo, which he guesses is for the sake of decoration. He thanks her with his typical reserved tone, and shares his supposition that she would like to see his quarters. She says, "Everyone wants to see your quarters! It's called curiosity!" They go in, and Odo tells Kira that he's not finished setting things up, that he's just started turning the space into a place where he can "truly explore what it means to be a shapeshifter." Kira points out that he doesn't need an entire set of quarters just to sit in his bucket, and he announces that he doesn't need the bucket anymore, but that he keeps it as a memento to remind himself of the life he led before getting his own quarters. He then goes on to explain that with the new space, he can more easily regenerate and explore his true nature in private, which leads Kira to catch herself and apologize for intruding on Odo's personal space. Odo brushes off her apology, and says that she's always welcome. Kira then looks around, and asks where they should put the plant she brought. Odo walks over to his bucket and puts the plant into that, which Kira says is "perfect." Later Bashir and Dax are in the Replimat, where Bashir is explaining that the boy is missing a critical enzyme, notwithstanding the fact that he's genetically engineered and Bashir can't understand why someone would be engineered to have "such an obvious flaw." At that moment Bashir is asked to come to the infirmary immediately, and there is disruption on the Promenade. The boy, who is now an apparently teenage humanoid, is stalking around causing people to back away in apprehension. Bashir tries to pacify him by saying, "No one is going to hurt you," but the boy punches him in the face. Dax taps her combadge in a call to security, and then Odo steps out of his office, ordering the boy to stop. At that point, Dax calls Sisko on her combadge and tells him, "I think we've solved the mystery of our young visitor, Benjamin. He's a Jem'Hadar." In the wardroom, Odo, Kira, Dax, and Bashir are waiting when Commander Sisko comes into the room and announces that on orders from Starfleet, the Jem'Hadar is to be taken to Starbase 201 for research purposes. Kira agrees enthusiastically, but Odo is not pleased, knowing from personal experience that the Jem'Hadar will be nothing more than a "well-treated specimen" once Starfleet gets their hands on him. Bashir sides with Odo, while Kira points out that with all of the genetic engineering that's gone into him, the Jem'Hadar may be nothing more than a killing machine. At that point Odo takes personal responsibility for the Jem'Hadar, insisting that as a Changeling he's the best person to find out if the Jem'Hadar's makeup will or will not allow him free will as a normal sentient lifeform would exercise it. At that point, Commander Sisko asks to speak with Odo privately. Once they're alone, Sisko points out to Odo that there's no real obligation on Odo's part to make up for the things that the Founders did to this Jem'Hadar, but Odo stands fast, pointing out again that he knows what it means to be a research subject against his will, and that he doesn't want to inflict that on the Jem'Hadar. Commander Sisko concedes and promises to temporize with Starfleet, but reminds Odo to be careful. In security, the Jem'Hadar is flinging himself against the force field of a holding cell while Bashir is attempting to explain to the Jem'Hadar his need for the enzyme that Bashir explained to Dax in the Replimat. Just as Odo walks in, the Jem'Hadar demands to be left alone, then takes a step back when he sees Odo, who orders the force field lowered and says, "Everything is under control now." Odo orders the Jem'Hadar to sit down and asks about his condition. The Jem'Hadar admits to being nauseous and in pain, while Bashir explains the enzyme. Bashir goes on to say that he'd like to perform more tests, with the goal of replicating the enzyme. The Jem'Hadar first refuses but is persuaded by Odo to change his mind. Bashir then leaves, and Odo asks the Jem'Hadar what he wants to do, which is to fight as it turns out -- not with Odo, but instead with the others on the station and it appears that anyone will do. The Jem'Hadar asks if what he wants is wrong, and Odo tells him that they "need to find other interests for [the Jem'Hadar] to pursue." Odo asks the Jem'Hadar to relax, to smile, and demonstrates to the confused Jem'Hadar what a smile is. The Jem'Hadar attempts to mimic Odo, but what comes across his face is more of a grimace, and Odo says, "We'll work on that." Meanwhile, in Commander Sisko's quarters the dinner appointment with Mardah is just beginning. Jake insists that while the food may be spicy, she'll enjoy it, and as Commander Sisko brings the last of the serving dishes to the table and seats himself, he asks Mardah to tell him about herself. She explains that her parents were killed during the Occupation, that she was brought up by neighbors until she was thirteen, and that she went out on her own thereafter. She goes on to say that she has a brother and sister, but that she hasn't "spoken to them in years," apparently because they took issue with her decision to work as a dabo girl. She closes by pointing out that it is amazing how some people will judge others based on profession as opposed to character, and just then Jake throws a "see-I-told-you-so" glance at his father. They go on to discuss writing -- Jake's in particular -- and Mardah says that his poetry won her over. She also announces that Jake's quite the dom-jot hustler, which takes his father by surprise. Jake then excuses himself from the room, and after Mardah points out that Jake is more than meets the eye, she and Commander Sisko agree that they have in common the fact that they both care a great deal about Jake and the smile on Commander Sisko's face suggests that he might just be warming up to Mardah after all. Later Odo and O'Brien are in the cargo hold containing the salvage in which the Jem'Hadar was found, and O'Brien shows Odo an artifact which he says defies analysis. Odo suggests that the artifact is likely a repository for vials of the Jem'Hadar's "missing enzyme," and goes on to say that this genetically engineered "addiction" is probably another mechanism for ensuring the loyalty of the Jem'Hadar to the Founders. O'Brien tells Odo that he finds this cold-blooded, and Odo reminds the chief that his people do not have blood. Odo takes the vials to the infirmary, and Bashir starts an apparatus to deliver some of their contents into the Jem'Hadar's carotid artery. After a few moments the Jem'Hadar announces that the result of this treatment is positive, and Odo starts to leave, only to be asked by the Jem'Hadar if he can come along. The two of them go to Odo's quarters, where Odo explains how he mimics the objects in the room as a way of honing his shapeshifting abilities. He says that taking humanoid form is especially difficult, and the Jem'Hadar asks why he bothers, since Changelings are better than humanoids -- including himself. Odo rejects that assertion, saying instead that Changelings are not better than humanoids, just different, and that the Jem'Hadar's instincts lead him wrongly. In confusion the Jem'Hadar announces that Odo must be right, and Odo's response is that the Jem'Hadar must learn to think for himself, to make decisions based on his own needs and desires -- rather than those of the Changelings -- and then asks what the boy wants. It turns out that the Jem'Hadar wants to find his people, and Odo says that he understands that very well, adding that what he found was "not very pleasant."  Odo then shows the Jem'Hadar footage from the boarding of the USS Defiant; during its previous journey through the Gamma Quadrant. The Jem'Hadar fixes on the playback, saying that the men attacking the Defiant's bridge crew are his people. Odo confirms this, adding, "They're a race of brutal warriors." Odo then tells the Jem'Hadar that he doesn't need to be brutal, since there are other ways to work out his aggression. The two of them then go to a holosuite, where Odo has created an adversary for the Jem'Hadar to fight -- with the understanding that outside of the holosuite, the Jem'Hadar must restrain himself from aggression. Odo starts the holosuite program. After a few moments the Jem'Hadar "kills" his adversary and asks Odo to increase the skill of his opponent. Odo does so, and the program restarts. While the fighting continues, Kira walks into the holosuite and asks to speak with Odo. The two of them leave but the holosuite is left in frame, where the Jem'Hadar increases the difficulty level of the program from three to five. On the mezzanine of Quark's, Kira is beside herself at the news that Odo has allowed the Jem'Hadar to move in with him. Odo says that it is alright, that the Jem'Hadar trusts him. Kira is unconvinced. "But can you trust him?" she asks, wondering if the Jem'Hadar can be controlled indefinitely. Odo says that he's not trying to control anyone, but instead is trying to give the Jem'Hadar a third option apart from being sequestered in a laboratory or fighting alongside the other Jem'Hadar. Kira is still skeptical, pointing out that the Jem'Hadar is a custom-designed killing machine. Odo offers a rebuttal by pointing out that in certain ways both he and Kira are acting contrary to their own "typical" inclinations. Kira ultimately relents, but like Commander Sisko in the wardroom, she intently asks Odo to be careful. Odo then goes back to the holosuite, orders the program discontinued, and takes the Jem'Hadar out onto the Promenade. Once out on the Promenade the Jem'Hadar remarks that all of the onlookers are afraid of him, and Odo adds that they are curious and afraid. The Jem'Hadar suggests that they should be afraid, because he can kill any of them, and Odo asks if he's capable of thinking of anything else. "I don't think so," the Jem'Hadar replies. Odo goes on to say that there plenty of other things to experience, but the Jem'Hadar is unimpressed and just as he's about to explain his attitude, Commander Sisko orders Odo to come to his office. Odo orders the Jem'Hadar back to his quarters. Once Odo is in Sisko's office, Sisko explains that Starfleet is coming for "the boy" in a matter of hours whether Odo likes it or not, and in spite of any agreements that had been made. At that moment the Jem'Hadar steps out of camouflage and points a phaser at Sisko, insisting that he will not be sent anywhere at the demands of Starfleet. The Jem'Hadar demands a runabout, insisting that Odo come along since the inhabitants of DS9 are not his people, either. Odo agrees, and promises that nobody will interfere with them. The Jem'Hadar promises that he will kill anyone who does attempt to interfere. When they reach the docking ring of the station Odo and the Jem'Hadar debate the latter's course of action, but the Jem'Hadar cannot be restrained from his objective -- he is a Jem'Hadar, he wants to be with his people, and there is nothing to debate. The Jem'Hadar goes on to assert that Odo's time with "other humanoids" has "done something" to him, and finally says, "I don't know what the other Changelings are like, but I know they're not like you." When Odo and the Jem'Hadar arrive at the airlock they find Commander Sisko waiting for them with a security team, but Odo asks Sisko to back down, saying that the Jem'Hadar will be lethal trouble aboard ship, and that he will not keep Odo from coming back to the station. Sisko lets them go, and promises to hold off the fire of Starfleet, noting that Admiral Nechayev will not like this. On the Promenade, O'Brien asks Sisko why he isn't ordering Jake to end his relationship with Mardah. Sisko tells him that dinner with the two of them granted him new insights about his son, before warning the chief not to get into any games of dom-jot with Jake. Later, Kira is sitting at a table working on some PADDs in the Replimat, when Odo walks up to her. "About the boy," he says to her, "You were right." 
<EOS>
In one of the station's ore processing units, O'Brien and Jake are deleting old Cardassian files from the computers as part of an effort to convert the facility into a deuterium refinery. Commander Sisko comes in to check on them. In the course of their work, Jake asks for help with removing one of the old files, but when O'Brien attempts to help he triggers a security program. Since O'Brien lacks an appropriate Cardassian access code, the OPU is locked down and an alert about a worker revolt is transmitted to ops much to the consternation of the Ops crew. In the OPU a recording of Gul Dukat appears on the display, warning the "workers" that they have eight minutes to end their "revolt." While beginning their effort to escape the OPU Sisko hears from Kira on his combadge, and she tries to beam them out of the OPU without success since she also lacks the needed access code. Odo then speaks up to the effect that he is also trying to get them out, but that it will take time. Just then Quark walks into the security office, and offers his help. Much to Odo's surprise, Quark reveals in response that he has access codes for clearances one level higher than Odo does -- and offers to make an "arrangement" for giving Odo the added level of clearance. Annoyed, Odo asks Quark to leave, but since Quark feels that the Security office is the safest place on the station, he's determined to stay (and annoy Odo just by being there). Still frustrated in their efforts to escape, Sisko announces to the computer that he is the leader of the "revolt" and that they surrender. With the reprieve they gain, they work out a stratagem by which Jake will climb up the ore chute and open a hatch to greater safety than they have in the main area of the OPU. Just then, another recording plays, announcing that the compartment will be filled with neurocine gas in three minutes if the all-clear is not sounded by station security forces. As the three minutes draws to a close, Jake is only then able to open the hatch, and the three of them climb above the gas. However, the computer detects this escape and initiates a counter-insurgency program which locks down ops and the security office, and dampens combadge signals. The Ops crew is now trapped in the Ops center, as are Quark and Odo in the latter's office. Meanwhile Commander Sisko, O'Brien, and Jake have discovered that their combadges don't work, and start trying to break out of an ore receiving area by using a cart as a battering ram against a hatch. They finally give up that approach and figure out a way to blow the hatch with raw uridium ore primed with electricity. In Ops, Dax is trying to regain control of the main computer when her hands are burned by an intrusion countermeasure. This countermeasure also escalates the counter-insurgency program again, an action which a new recording says will result in neurocine being pumped into the station's habitat ring, killing everyone there. Just then Garak steps into ops, having made his way through the station with his old but still-valid access codes. After Garak explains what he understands of the situation, the other senior staff decide to disable the station's life support system in order to forestall the release of the gas. Garak is emphatic that such a course of action is the only way to keep the Habitat Ring from being poisoned. Shutting down life support will cause the station to run out of oxygen in about twelve hours, but this is much more preferable than the less-than-five minutes they have before the gas is released. Major Kira overloads the life support console with her phaser which escalates the counter-insurgency program once more. The recording that goes along with the event announces that in two hours the station will self-destruct, and the computer begins the countdown. Since Dukat (the former commander of the station) is the only one who can shut down the self-destruct, Garak tries to impersonate Dukat's codes and hack into the computer. To prevent the computer from scanning Garak's DNA to confirm his identity, Dax devises a new plan to disable the security sensors in Ops. However, before the plan can be put fully into action, an alarm is tripped and the counter-insurgency program escalates yet again -- now to level four -- which causes a maximum-intensity disruptor to appear in the Ops food replicator and start firing at high rates throughout ops. One redshirt is immediately annihilated. A few minutes later Dukat himself transports unannounced into Ops and explains that his ship received a distress call, saying that Terok Nor was in the grip of a Bajoran rebellion. While he blathers on, the disruptor continues to fire around him, since it is programmed only to fire at non-Cardassians, except when Dukat pauses it to request a cup of red leaf tea from the replicator. Kira, still taking cover, demands that he do something, and Dukat says, all in good time provided that he receive something in return. During his diatribe, he baits Garak into an argument. He requests that Kira follow him into Sisko's (formerly his) office, shutting down the disruptor almost as an afterthought. In the office, he offers to shut down the counter-insurgency program, but only in exchange for being allowed to place a Cardassian garrison on the station. Kira immediately refuses those terms, but Dukat asks whether she's really willing to sacrifice the lives of all 2,000 people aboard the station. With thirty minutes left on the countdown, Dukat struts out of the office and prepares to transport back to his ship, leaving them to think it over and promising to return -- say, when they have about five minutes left. However, as soon as Dukat signals his ship to beam him back, he trips a subroutine in the counter-insurgency program, left in case the commander of Terok Nor attempts to flee the station in the event of a revolt. A message from Dukat's former commanding officer informs him that all his access codes have been rescinded and the countdown can no longer be halted. After castigating Dukat for his "cowardice," the computer tells him to "try to die like a Cardassian." Dukat, twiddling his thumbs nervously, is, for once, lost for words. Now that he is in the same boat as the rest of them, Dukat tries repeatedly to deactivate the self-destruct, only for the computer to refuse to accept his access codes. Garak starts to laugh, touching off a brief spat between them, before Kira silences them both and tells Dukat to explain the self-destruct process. Dukat says that once the countdown reaches zero, the computer will deactivate the main reactor's stabilizers, triggering a catastrophic overload. Dax asks whether the reactor can be shut down before the countdown is completed; Dukat theorizes that the reactor's laser fusion initiator could be manually disengaged -- but only from inside the reactor room. Back in the ore receiving bay, Sisko and O'Brien successfully blow the hatch which opens to the rest of the station. They try to make their way to ops, but find themselves blocked by force fields. In ops, a plan is worked out to overload the power supplied to the force fields, and it works, also resulting in the restoration of communications (though the force field affecting the Security office turns out to be on a different power system which hasn't been overloaded). Kira immediately explains to Commander Sisko the need to disable the reactor's initiator. He orders the rest of the senior staff to begin evacuating the station while he, O'Brien and Jake attempt to shut down the reactor. Odo and Quark, still trapped in his office, finally hear Kira inform them communications are back and the force fields are down. Odo, however, finds his is still in place, and supposes the Cardassians didn't fully trust their security officer (himself) at the time, putting his force field on a different system. Quark, frustrated, attributes this to Odo's integrity, which will get them killed. With only six minutes left until the fusion reactor overloads, Commander Sisko and O'Brien discover that the main corridors leading to the reactor control junction are blocked by debris from the power overload, so they decide to direct the reactor's energy against the station's shields instead, and attempt to go through a burning maintenance conduit in order to reach a suitable control junction. Commander Sisko orders his son to stay behind in the main corridor. O'Brien passes out, but Sisko makes it all the way to the control junction and starts to implement the plan he worked out with O'Brien. While the commander is busy rearranging data rods Jake disobeys his father's orders in order to pull O'Brien out of the maintenance corridor, which saves O'Brien's life. Sisko gets the last of the data rods replaced at the last instant. On the Promenade, the doors to Odo's office finally open, and he looks back to see Quark browsing through the files at his desk. Among these files, Quark is outraged to find a list of Ferengi Odo considers more devious than Quark, including Rom.
<EOS>
In the station's Replimat, Major Kira is sipping a hot cup of replicated coffee when Odo walks up to her. They discuss the sensuality of food and drink, and the difficulty that Odo has in appreciating that sensuality by virtue of the limitations imposed by his Changeling physiology. Just then Tiron approaches Kira and explains that he regretted her early departure from Quark's the night before. However, Kira's unimpressed and clearly anxious to make Tiron go away so she tells Tiron that Odo is her lover. Hands are held, eloquent platitudes are exchanged all around, Tiron bids Kira farewell before leaving the Replimat crestfallen, Kira thanks Odo enthusiastically for playing along, and Odo is left staring at the hand Kira held after she leaves for Ops. The USS Defiant is in the Gamma Quadrant on an exploration mission cadged from Starfleet notwithstanding the threat of Dominion attack. Gravimetric distortions are detected in the nearby Trialus system, so Commander Sisko orders Jadzia in to take the Defiant into the system for a closer look. When the Defiant enters the system Dax discerns that the distortions aren't coming from the system's star. A few moments later, a planet comes into view and the distortions cease. When Jadzia scans the planet in order to determine where it came from, they discover a settlement on the southern hemisphere of approximately thirty people, which shortly hails the Defiant. Sisko responds and describes his confusion; the woman at the other end of the connection introduces herself as Seltin Rakal, explains that her planet exists largely in a separate dimension that intersects with that of the Defiant and its crew, and invites the senior staff of the Defiant to the surface. Once on the surface Sisko, Jadzia, Bashir and O'Brien sit down to eat with the inhabitants of the settlement. After some pleasantries, Sisko and Jadzia discuss with Seltin and Deral the nature of the planet's dimensional shifts. It is explained that the cause of the dimensional shifts is unknown but thought to be related somehow to the behavior of the system's sun. Seltin and Deral go on to explain that after each dimensional shift the planet, named Meridian, ceases to exist in normal space and its inhabitants become beings of "pure consciousness" until things shift back after 60 years, at which point everything is "just as [they] left it" since the planet is not subject to the normal passage of time while it is dimensionally shifted. Back on the station, Tiron melodramatically explains to Quark that he couldn't stand his time in the holosuites and isn't likely to, but describes what he really wants: a holosuite program built around Kira. Quark suggests that such a thing will be very expensive, and in response Tiron offers a bar of latinum and one of the rings from his left hand as payment. Deeply impressed by the suggested price, Quark remarks on the difficulty of the task, to which Tiron responds by baiting Quark over his reputation for getting things. Quark hesitates briefly, but promises to deliver the holosuite program Tiron's asked for. However, Tiron refuses to pay until the program is completed and deemed acceptable. On Meridian, Deral explains to Jadzia that the inhabitants of the planet are descendants of an expedition that was stranded there a millennium earlier, and that their numbers have dwindled since they can only reproduce when they're not shifted out of the "normal" dimension, and those spells are growing progressively shorter, with the current phase lasting only 12 days. Deral goes on to explain that eventually the planet will be too unstable to shift back, at which point the planet and all of its inhabitants will cease to exist. Later, Sisko promises Seltin that he will do everything he can to help. Jadzia and Deral announce that they are beaming up to the Defiant to scan the system's sun. Kira walks into Quark's only to discover that she's been declared the millionth customer. Quark tells her that she's won a number of gifts, one of which is a free hour in the holosuite. Kira's quite pleased with herself since she's never won anything. However, she points out that she doesn't like holosuites and tells Quark that she's going to give her free holosuite time to Ensign Quintana since it is his birthday. On the bridge of the Defiant, a probe is being sent into Meridian's sun. Once the launch goes off Deral, who's been steadily romancing Jadzia since she first came to Meridian, gives her an invitation back down to the planet for some quality time which she accepts with mock bashfulness, as Sisko and O'Brien observe them from the other side of the bridge. Once on the surface of Meridian, Deral explains to Jadzia that he's a widower who's been "waiting for the right woman to fall out of the sky" -- and that Jadzia is that right woman. Deral leads Jadzia into a tree and moments later they lean in to kiss, but Jadzia loses her balance and they climb down, instead. However, after a little more time they finally do kiss. Later Sisko contacts Jadzia to announce that they've obtained more telemetry from the probe, and throws in a few good-hearted jibes about her acceptance of Deral's affections. With the telemetry data, Jadzia is able to work out a way to keep Meridian in normal space for more than thirty years, once it has shifted out and back again. Meanwhile, at the station Odo is with Kira on the Promenade, and spies Quark attempting to take a holo-image of Kira from the mezzanine of his bar. Once he's been caught Quark tries to weasel his way out of the situation, but Kira simply throws Quark's holo-imager over her shoulder and down onto the main level of the bar. She warns Quark that if she catches him again taking a holo image of her, she will make him eat the imager. Back on Meridian, Jadzia explains that her idea will work, and will in fact equalize the time between dimensional shifts -- but that the needed changes won't be completed until Meridian has already shifted back. This is at odds with Deral's desire to start a relationship with Jadzia, which she's entirely willing to reciprocate, so he offers to leave Meridian with her. In Quark's, Tiron is waiting impatiently for Quark to finish the new holoprogram. Quark has obtained the encryption key for Kira's personnel file, and with this development he assures Tiron that he'll be able to finish the new program before Tiron leaves the station in two days. However, Quark's efforts have not gone undetected by Odo. In his office, Odo informs Kira of the security breach and that he traced it back to the Ferengi bartender. He offers to arrest Quark or have Kira do it herself, but the major has a better idea. Back on Meridian, Jadzia and Deral are cuddling, but a distracted Deral concedes that he'd stay on Meridian if he could have Jadzia there with him. She offers to use the transporter buffer to make her physiology compatible with the demands of the dimensional shift, which greatly pleases a shocked Deral. Later Jadzia goes back to the Defiant to put in a request to Starfleet for a 60 year leave of absence, which Sisko supports in spite of the fact that the prospect tugs on his heartstrings. The commander tearfully tells Dax how much he will miss her, and she emotionally tells him the same. Again in Quark's, the Kira holoprogram is complete. Tiron goes into the holosuite to inspect his purchase. However, the Kira character has been altered. the body is Kira's, but the head and voice are Quark's! Tiron storms out of the holosuite and thence out of the bar, promising to do his best at ruining Quark's reputation. As soon as Tiron stomps out Odo and Kira step in, asking Quark if he's gotten "another satisfied customer." Finally, after many emotional goodbyes, Jadzia is ready to beam down to Meridian and undergo the dimensional shift. Once it begins, however, something goes wrong -- the others are shifting, but Jadzia isn't, and the bridge crew of the Defiant determines that the anomaly is threatening to tear Meridian apart. O'Brien goes to transport a dying Jadzia back to the Defiant which allows the planet to complete its dimensional shift. Later, Jadzia is in her quarters, beside herself with grief. Sisko comes in offering remorse, but Jadzia says that she'll "just need some time."  After Sisko leaves, she sits down in a corner and says, "just sixty years or so." 
<EOS>
Major Kira Nerys is having a bad day, swamped with the numerous little details of running a space station. She has problems to handle the cargo of the five Byzatium transports, gets information about the changed schedule of the Byzallian conference, and is informed about a Starfleet requested complete report about the computer calibration subroutine until tomorrow. At the infirmary, she snaps at Doctor Bashir when he starts complaining to her about the colonization schedule on Campor III. Realizing that she is stressed from overwork, he uses his position as Chief Medical Officer and orders her to take time off; reminding her that not even Commander Sisko can overrule his judgement. Bashir takes Kira to Quark's and tells her to enjoy herself with at least two things Quark serves her including a holosuite program, a jumja stick, Karvino juice, Lorvan crackers, and gambling token. After resisting first, Kira starts to accept this order. But she is not alone for long as Commander Riker stands nearby at the bar's entrance and asks to join her. At the commander's office, Riker tells Sisko that he is on vacation and wanted to visit the station again before continuing his travel on to Risa. Down in Ops, Lieutenant Dax notices that Kira is preoccupied by a certain Commander, though she doesn't want to admit it. When Riker comes out of Sisko's office, Dax makes a reference to their last meeting in Quark's which he does not remember until she reminds Riker that she staked three strips of latinum when his winning streak ran dry. Riker hangs around the Promenade waiting for Kira to get off duty so he can arrange to "accidentally" run into her. Hesitant at first, she offers him a tour of the station and then at his suggestion, she agrees to show him the USS Defiant. Kira and Riker both enter an authorization code and handprints at the identification panel to enter the Defiant. Aboard the Defiant, they find Chief Miles O'Brien working on the bridge and Riker is none too happy to see him, implying that they have had some falling out. O'Brien is stunned by Riker's cold demeanor. He has no idea what he has done to offend his former first officer but excuses himself rather than intrude on the two of them. Kira, too, is surprised but does not press when Riker says he does not want to talk about it. She shows him the modifications they have made to the ship's systems, especially the weapons system. Riker asks to access them at the tactical station and, obligingly, Kira uses her authorization code "Kira delta 547 alpha" to release the bridge lockout. This is what Riker wanted and he then stuns Kira with a phaser. While she is unconscious, he arranges for Tamal and Kalita to beam aboard. A red alert sounds in Ops as the computer shows an imminent warp core breach aboard the Defiant. Riker contacts them from the Defiant bridge, saying there was an accident and Kira was injured and that if they release the docking clamps, he will take the helm of the Defiant and clear it away from the station. Sisko agrees and will beam them out when they are clear. O'Brien arrives, responding to the red alert. When Sisko orders him to beam Riker and Kira out, O'Brien cannot because the Defiant's shields are up. Before any of them can react, the Defiant goes to warp. On the Defiant, Riker has Kalita set a course for the Badlands. He removes his false sideburns; he is Lieutenant Thomas Riker. Kalita congratulates Tom on his successful commandeering of the Defiant -- but he says it is not over yet. Gul Dukat is summoned to a briefing where Odo explains how a transporter accident created a transporter duplicate of William T. Riker on Nervala IV nine years ago. Dukat finds it amusing until they tell him that they suspect Thomas Riker is with the Maquis, having made his support of them clear while serving on the USS Gandhi. Dukat is furious that such a dangerous weapon may now be used to attack Cardassia. Sisko proposes a joint search mission of the Demilitarized Zone, but Dukat says Central Command would use this incident as an excuse to eradicate the Maquis instead. Starfleet would then send a fleet to protect the colonies. War seems inevitable. Sisko agrees to go with Dukat to Cardassia Prime and help them find the Defiant, and if necessary, destroy it. Riker apologizes to Kira for the deception but he will not be deterred. The Defiant meets with other Maquis ships. They transfer over a crew and then they all head for the Federation-Cardassian border. Sisko and Dukat arrive on Cardassia Prime, where the search will be conducted from the Cardassian War Room, the heart of the Cardassian military where Sisko also meets the Obsidian Order observer Korinas who secures all information from intelligence reports after noticing the Human in this secured area. She asks Sisko for the exact specifications and armament of the Defiant but Sisko stops her request. He reveals that the Defiant is equipped with a Romulan cloaking device. While this is news to Dukat, Korinas says that the Order already knew about it but was hitherto unconcerned. Sisko says he can provide partial specifications of an anti-proton beam that the Dominion used to penetrate the cloak. Under Maquis control, the Defiant passes the security perimeter into the Almatha sector and enters Cardassian territory. After the ship destroys Cardassian Outpost 61, Dukat orders the fleet of the Sixth Order under the command of Gul Toran to chase the Defiant back into the Demilitarized Zone, but Sisko realizes that the warp signature is wrong, it is a decoy. Dukat recalls Toran's ships but it is too late. The real Defiant uncloaks and destroys Outpost 47, before cloaking again, its heading takes them into the heart of the Cardassian Union. Korinas leaves with a parting shot at Dukat. Aboard the Defiant, Riker sets a course for Omekla III and its shipyard. Meanwhile, Kira manages to sabotage the cloak from her quarters by crossing the replicator power converter with the plasma manifold, blowing off two plasma conduits and suffering minor injuries to her shoulder. Tamal treats Kira's injuries. Riker takes her to the bridge where they can keep an eye on her. While they repair the damage she caused, they hide the Defiant in a nearby nebula. Sisko plots strategy but Dukat is distracted. This is his son Mekor's eleventh birthday and he wanted his father to take him to an amusement center at Lakarian City. Sisko commiserates, noting that he himself had disappointed his own son from time to time, but it is part of his and Dukat's profession, and he hopes one day his son will understand. Dukat is not encouraged, instead predicting that his son will remember this day with hatred as the only thing he'll remember is a Federation officer on a Federation ship is invading his home and kept his father away from his birthday. Kira sees that the Maquis target is the Omekla III shipyard. Riker tells her that they had been getting reports that there were Cardassian hardliners wanting to scrap the peace treaty. They were secretly building up an invasion fleet in the Orias system according to an intelligence report. Kira tries to reach Riker, he is still more Starfleet officer than terrorist. Sisko suddenly tells Dukat that the actions of the Maquis follow a plan. They made no random attacks but are designed to leave one sector alone without any Cardassian warships -- the Orias system. Dukat is about to have Gul Ranor send a ship when Korinas threatens him if he does. The system is under the Obsidian Order's protection and they will defend it by destroying any ship which will reach this system. Dukat has checked up and no one has been able to get any answers from the Obsidian Order regarding the Orias system, not even the Detapa Council. The Kraxon under the command of Gul Ranor has found a neutrino leak. The cloaked Defiant makes a run for the Orias System but they can track them. Dukat orders all ships to pursue but they cannot catch it. Suddenly three Keldon-class ships appear out of the Orias system. Dukat is surprised to see this and asks Korinas who the ships belong to, because if they were part of the military, he would know about them. Dukat also mentions that the Obsidian Order is forbidden to possess any military equipment. Korinas seems to be unconcerned about this violation and simply smiles deviously. Meanwhile, Thomas Riker refuses to back down now, even though it is starting to look hopeless. Kira guesses that this is less about the Maquis cause than it is about distinguishing himself from Commander Riker. Sisko makes a deal with Dukat: if he will let them surrender and turn over the ship and crew to the Federation, Sisko will turn over the Defiant's sensor logs which by now contain full scans on the Orias system and whatever the Obsidian Order has been hiding. Dukat agrees only if they keep Riker to punish him for his actions. Sisko reluctantly agrees provided that Dukat arranges for the Cardassian Ministry of Justice take the death penalty off the table. The Defiant engages the Cardassian ships. They disable one but three more come to join them. They are out-numbered. Riker is about to continue any way when Sisko and Dukat contact him with their deal. He will be sentenced for life to the Lazon II labor camp. Kira pleads for him to think of his crew, only one more time like a Starfleet officer. Riker agrees and is told he must surrender to Gul Ranor on the Kraxon who will protect them from the ships of the Obsidian Order. After the Kraxon extends its shields and protects the Defiant, the Keldon-class starships of the Obsidian Order withdraw. True to his word, Riker transmits the sensor logs to the Kraxon and then beams over. Kira promises him that his crew will get a fair trial and they will come for him one day. Riker then moves to kiss her then transports to the Kraxon leaving Kira in command of the Defiant. 
<EOS>
Jake is lounging in the quarters he shares with his father, gazing at an earring he intended to give to Mardah, instead of helping the residents of the station prepare for the Bajoran Gratitude Festival as his father figured he would. It turns out that Jake doesn't "have much to be grateful for," since Mardah has been accepted to a school three hundred light years away on Regulus III. Ben encourages his son to go to the Festival, since the point of the celebration is to let go of one's troubles "and make a new start."  Jake reluctantly agrees to go, but promises not to enjoy it. In the Replimat, Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir talk about the impending return of O'Brien's wife and daughter to the station. It seems that O'Brien's having a rough time without them. On the Promenade, Odo encounters Major Kira, who's slated to preside over the Festival and is helping put up decorations. Odo says that he would like to join Kira in celebrating the Festival, but it turns out that Vedek Bareil will be coming to the station to do the same which dims Odo's enthusiasm. Later O'Brien and Kira are in one of the cargo bays waiting for the transport to arrive. Bareil disembarks, and he goes off with Kira joyfully; a few moments later O'Brien's wife and daughter do the same, but they're not nearly as joyful. According to Keiko, the chief's wife, it was "the worst trip."  Molly, his daughter, doesn't "feel so good" either and when the chief asks her what's wrong, she vomits noisily onto his uniform. At just that moment Ambassador Lwaxana Troi steps out of the airlock. Lwaxana says, "Oh! You poor dear!  I should never have given you all that candy." Dimmed or not, Odo's enthusiasm is still adequate to the task of enjoying the festival. He's in the security office outlining to Lieutenant Jones, a Starfleet Security officer, the procedure by which he monitors Quark, when Mrs. Troi walks in and asks Jones to leave so that she and Odo can have some time alone. It turns out that while she's on the station in her official capacity as a representative to the Festival, her real purpose is to see Odo and give him "a shoulder to cry on" about his discovery that the Founders are the power behind the Dominion. Odo is underwhelmed and politely exasperated at the prospect of being the object of so much personal attention from Mrs. Troi, who seems keen to "delve into the depths" of Odo's "pain." The O'Briens have made it back to their quarters, where Miles and Keiko nearly get into an argument about their plans. They're anxious to please one another, but Keiko's wrung out and the last thing she wants to do is make any decisions. The two of them ultimately make plans to go the Promenade, but it is plain that neither of them is pleased with the idea since it is something of a compromise that doesn't go far to please anyone. Finally, the Festival is about to begin. Celebrants and performers are walking along the Promenade toward the entrance to the Bajoran temple, where the Presider's dais is set up. After a showy but brief ceremony, Kira declares the Festival begun, and people start to disperse. However, Jake and Bareil both have momentary headaches. Ben notices Jake's twinge of pain, but when he asks if Jake's all right, Jake says he "never felt better" and starts to smile. Sometime later Jake walks up to Kira and offers her a jumja stick, asking for a few moments in private. They stand aside to talk, and Jake explains that he has feelings for an older woman but has no idea how she might feel. Kira believes that he's talking about Mardah, but Jake reveals a shocking surprise: the woman on his mind is actually Kira, who is speechless. Meanwhile the Vedek tracks down Jadzia and starts laying on the compliments, leading up to an announcement that he'd like to get to know her "a lot better."  Jadzia's response is one of annoyance, and she promptly excuses herself. Elsewhere, Odo is enjoying some Bajoran music, and Mrs. Troi catches up to him. He tries to get away, but she follows him. While they're making their way they encounter Jadzia, who's still miffed at Bareil and as Odo and Lwaxana move off, Jadzia feels the same twinge that Jake and Bareil did. Miles and Keiko are in Quark's, where their conversation starts out cordially enough. However, Keiko has some bad news: her project on Bajor has turned out to be a lot more complicated than anyone expected, and as a result, it is likely to run two or three months longer than planned. When Miles shares his (predictably unhappy) opinion about that, Keiko says that one of her colleagues, Sebarr,  whom she's taken as a confidant warned her about Miles' reception of the news. At that, the conversation devolves into a straight-up argument, with Miles expressing some suspicion that Keiko has discussed aspects of their personal life with another man, and the two of them march off from the table in separate directions. Later, it turns out that Commander Sisko has gotten the news about Jake's crush on Kira, and he tries to talk his son down but it doesn't work. A few moments later Mrs. Troi and Odo are walking out of Quark's, and they pass by the chief as he sidles up to the bar. He apparently gets the same twinge as Jake, Bareil, and Jadzia. Sisko changes into street clothes and goes to the wardroom, which is being prepared for a party in honor of the Gratitude Festival. He finds Jadzia there, and hears all about her trouble with Bareil. He offers to help sort out the drama that's sure to result, and just then Jadzia starts draping herself all over him. The commander, meanwhile, is at a loss to understand what's going on. In light of the strangeness with Jake and Bareil, he takes Jadzia down to the infirmary, where Bashir gives her a clean bill of health. Sisko is embarrassed at the news, and tries to laugh it off without much success. Meanwhile, the chief has made it back to his quarters and he's under the impression that Keiko's re-evaluating their entire relationship. He asks Keiko to let him in their bedroom, but she doesn't want to talk with him. Standing outside the door, he apologizes at length for being "selfish and childish and pig-headed."  Then he sits down dejectedly and goes on to say that he's left a letter of resignation on Sisko's desk, that he's ready to move down to Bajor (and ultimately back to Earth) so that he can be nearer to Keiko and Molly -- without once making any conditions, because he loves her and always has. Keiko tells him that she needs time to think, and that he ought to go to the party in the wardroom. Later Bashir is with Lwaxana and Odo in the Habitat Ring where they encounter Kira, who's angry and depressed because of Bareil. She explains about Bareil and Jake, and Bashir points out that Jadzia was acting just as strangely. He decides to return to the infirmary and Kira decides to join him, but as they start walking, they both feel the same twinge as Jake, Bareil, and Jadzia. Once they get to the infirmary they look one another in the eyes and without further pause begin to kiss passionately. In the wardroom, Jake is still obsessing about Kira, and Jadzia is trying to keep her distance from Bareil. Commander Sisko puts a call out to Bashir, who doesn't respond, so he sends Odo to the infirmary to retrieve him, and Lwaxana follows Odo. Once Odo gets to the infirmary, Dr. Bashir and Major Kira are still kissing, and Odo needs to order Bashir out of the infirmary. In the wardroom there are an awful lot of unhappy and confused people, but the chief brightens up when his wife shows up, wearing an outfit that he's especially fond of (Her tight red dress). She tells him that he should not resign, gives him a long kiss, and tells him that she loves him. However, there's still a lot of tension elsewhere in the room, and it comes to a head when Jadzia goads Bareil into starting a fistfight with Commander Sisko. Sisko blocks all but one of Bareil's punches with ease, but then Jadzia steps in and knocks him out. Quark, who's moving around the room trying to serve food, nearly trips over Bareil but only says, "Commander, you throw one hell of a party."  Quark continues to move around the room, then feels a twinge of his own and proceeds to put his serving tray down and declare his deep attraction for Keiko. The chief pulls Quark away from Keiko by the lobes and is about to take things even further when Sisko stops him, saying that it is not Quark's fault and then points at Mrs. Troi. In the infirmary, Bashir diagnoses Lwaxana with Zanthi fever, but she's certain that's impossible since it only affects "older Betazoids."  Bashir explains to Sisko that, as a result of her condition, Mrs. Troi has been projecting her feelings of affection (in her case, for Odo) onto those who are nearby her when she suffers an attack, which handily explains the day's misplaced amorousness from people who'd been near Mrs. Troi that day, and felt latent, subconscious attraction to others on the station. Things should, Bashir says, "be back to normal in a day or two" -- which is how long Sisko tells Bashir to avoid Major Kira. With the Festival over, Mrs. Troi, Keiko, and Molly are leaving the station. Mrs. Troi tells Odo that if he ever gets tired of waiting on Kira, she'll be happy to have him in her life. As for the O'Briens, things have been set right -- there's nothing latent about the Chief's love for his wife, and she'll be back to the station in a few months.
<EOS>
As the USS Defiant enters orbit around Earth, Commander Sisko remarks that he will never be tired of seeing the view of Earth from orbit. However, Lieutenant Dax thinks the seas could use more purple, while Major Kira thinks they are not green enough. Smiling, Doctor Bashir observes that there is no place like home -- no matter what color the seas are. Dax reminds Sisko that they are scheduled to have dinner with Admiral Drazman, and as Sisko rolls his eyes, Chief O'Brien recognizes the commanding officer of the Proxima Maintenance Yards and does not relish the thought an evening with "Droner" Drazman. Hopefully, Bashir reminds O'Brien that the entire senior staff was invited to the dinner, but O'Brien says such formalities are the reason he chose to be an enlisted man. Dax obviously shares Bashir's sentiment as she invites Kira and Constable Odo to come along, but Kira politely declines and Odo calls the dinner "strictly a Starfleet occasion" with a hint of amusement. An emergency subspace signal arrives from Deep Space 9, but when Sisko opens the channel, Quark appears on the viewscreen. Quark ignores Kira as she impatiently reminds him the channel he is on is for emergency use. He informs Sisko that Grand Nagus Zek has instructed him to remind Sisko of the critical role the Nagus played in establishing contact with the Dominion. Odo rolls his eyes, although Sisko politely informs Quark that he will mention the Nagus prominently in his report to Starfleet Security. Quark reluctantly adds that there is another reason he contacted the commander, which doesn't surprise Sisko. The Nagus's nephew, Belongo, has been detained by the authorities on Aldebaron III -- a slight misunderstanding, of course. Sisko admits that he owes the Nagus a favor and Quark begins to quote Rule of Acquisition #111 but Sisko beats him to the punch: "Treat people in your debt like family. Exploit them." Quark seems unsure of himself as Sisko explains that he has been reading up on the Rules. While Sisko assures Quark that he will do whatever he can for the Nagus's nephew, he reminds Quark of Rule #217. "You can't free a fish from water," Quark quotes with a sly grin, visibly amused as he promises to relay the message to Zek. In the transporter bay, Sisko, Dax and Bashir step onto the transporter pad as Kira and O'Brien wish them well. Sisko informs Kira that she is in command of the ship and tells O'Brien to energize the transporter. The three officers disappear in the usual flash of blue light, but an alert comes from the computer and O'Brien notices something strange. Kira asks what is wrong and he reassures her that it is only a minor problem with the annular confinement beam. However, he is dumbstruck when a chart appears on the screen indicating that Sisko and the others never materialized at their destination. Sisko and Bashir lie unconscious on the pavement as they are rudely awakened by a pair of tan-uniformed men carrying shotguns. Confused, Sisko asks who the men are, a question the older man finds humorous. Bashir and Sisko rise to their feet, disoriented, as the younger man reminds his companion that they have been working all night. He suggests that they forget about the strangers, as he's exhausted and eager to return home to see his wife Sonya and their children. The older man calls the younger one an anarchist and reminds him that there is a law against sleeping in the streets, although he notes with amusement Bashir and Sisko's matching "pajamas." Asking them for some form of identification such as a UHC card and a transit pass, the older man is dismayed to hear Bashir ask what happened to Starfleet Headquarters, calling them both "dims." Sisko slowly begins to realize where they are as he observes something very familiar about the guards' shotguns and uniforms. The older man suggests it may be from the last time Sisko was in a Sanctuary District; Sisko recognizes the term immediately and looks alarmed. He asks what year it is. The younger man impatiently tells him it is 2024, and as the guards escort Sisko and Bashir off screen, Dax can be seen nearby, unconscious and sitting in the entrance to a subway. A man in his mid-30s exits the subway, but stops as he does so, noticing Dax in his peripheral vision. When he wakes her, she has a headache and explains that she must have hit her head on something. He asks if she was jacked, a slang term for robbed with which Dax is unfamiliar. She goes along with what he says when he asks whether the assailants took her credit chips and ID, claiming they took everything but her brooch (her combadge, which she is still wearing). However, since she is still unsure of where she is, she simply tells the man that she was traveling with some friends and got separated. Introducing himself as Chris Brynner, the man offers to let Dax use the interface terminal at his office to order replacement ID. When he hears Dax's name is Jadzia, Chris observes how beautiful her name is and asks if it is Dutch. "Something like that," Dax responds with a smile. She thanks him for helping her, but he claims he doesn't get to rescue a damsel in distress every day. He helps Jadzia to her feet and leads her to a nearby office building. Meanwhile, O'Brien tells one of his engineers to check the Heisenberg compensators and begins a level-one diagnostic of the transporter buffers. Kira comes up behind him with news from Starfleet, but nothing good: None of the crewmembers rematerialized in San Francisco, nor have there been signs that they rematerialized elsewhere. According to Starfleet sensors, the transporter signal disappeared as soon as the beam-out began, but O'Brien informs her that the Defiant's system log clearly shows they rematerialized somewhere. While this is good news, he does not know where that somewhere is. He reviews the log as they speak and concludes that the answer must not be in the log since the only unusual sign was the variance in the annular confinement beam, which he corrected. He tells her the variance was caused by chroniton particles, which are emitted by the cloaking device and sometimes become lodged in the ablative armor matrix. Suddenly, he notes a surge in temporal energy just before the beam-out began. O'Brien believes they have found their first clue, although he's not sure what it means. The guards lead Bashir and Sisko to the main entrance to Sanctuary District A, where an overcrowded apartment-style building lies behind a large cement wall. As the older man, Vin, fills out some type of registration form, his partner Bernardo keeps an eye on them. Bashir and Sisko both saw the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to the sanctuary, so they know they are at least in San Francisco, but Bashir wonders what happened to their combadges. With a hint of frustration, Sisko informs him that the communicators were probably stolen, as the Earth to which he and Bashir have become accustomed is at least a century away. They decide to try to find Dax when they get a chance, as she is probably nearby. "And then what?" Bashir asks with a degree of apathy. "And then," responds Sisko reassuringly, "we find our way home." Vin finishes filling out the paperwork and tells them it is time to go. As he and Bernardo enter the sanctuary behind them, Bernardo insists that Sonya will kill him for being so late. Inside the wall, apartment buildings similar to the one they observed earlier line the streets and there are people everywhere. Sisko explains that the place is a Sanctuary District, but Bashir concedes that 21st century history is not one of his strong points, as it is too depressing. While Sisko admits that the citizens of Earth made some ugly mistakes, he says they also paved the way for many things he and the doctor take for granted. The Sanctuary Districts are one of the worst mistakes; as he explains the situation to Bashir, they see that trash is everywhere and dirty people fill the streets, with an older couple sitting in a tent and a family of three literally living in a cardboard box. By the early 2020s, Sisko says that there was a Sanctuary District like this one in every major city throughout the United States of America, but Bashir fails to understand the purpose and asks what the people did to deserve such treatment. Sisko tells him that people with criminal records are not allowed in the sanctuaries and those who live here are simply people without jobs or places to live. Vin instructs Bashir and Sisko to stop and tells Bernardo to go home to his wife and kids, out of both compassion for his partner and visible annoyance at the ramblings of the two new arrivals. Bernardo thanks Vin and takes off. Gesturing forward, Vin sarcastically asks Bashir and Sisko, "Shall we?" Dax sits at a desk in a high-class apartment with a paneled, wall-sized window that shows a view of San Francisco's various skyscrapers, including the Transamerica Pyramid. She uses a pen-shaped device to access a computer about the size of a small television with the monitor tilted at a forty-five degree angle so as to serve as both a screen and a touch pad. There is a knock at the door and Chris Brynner enters, sitting on the desk casually and asking if she was able to order a new ID. While it took her a while to convince the computer of her identity, she tells him that she was able to order some credit chips and a transit pass. Removing a credit chip from the computer and handing it to Chris, she thanks him sincerely for letting her use his terminal and his account. He studies her for a moment and observes her spots, noting that they are very unusual, so Dax pretends that they are tattoos. Brynner guesses that she had them done in Japan and tells of how he used to have a Māori tribal pattern running along his arm in the 1990s but had to remove it to look like the rest of the "drones." When Dax asks what kind of business Brynner works in, he seems surprised and walks toward the window as he announces sarcastically that he will have to have a talk with his public relations people. He is Chris Brynner of Brynner Information Systems, which provides things like Internet access and Channel 90. "Oh, that Chris Brynner!" Dax exclaims as she attempts to play dumb. While his status probably makes Chris a sell-out, Dax promises not to hold it against him. He chuckles and asks if there is a way for her to get a hold of her friends. She wishes there were. Meanwhile, Bashir and Sisko are inside a large, blandly-decorated administration building within the Sanctuary District, with two guards standing watch outside the entrance as homeless people walk by. In a waiting room, Sisko steps onto a spot marked with two footprints and is instructed to place each of his hands on a scanning device and look straight ahead as the machine takes a photograph of him. The three of them walk over to a nearby counter, where Vin accesses a computer via a pen-liked device similar to that which Dax used. Bashir and Sisko exchange looks as a computerized female voice welcomes Vin to the SafeTech fingerprint database. It informs him that his government discount has been accepted and advertises its retinal scan service on channel 178, but when the computer processes the fingerprints provided, it is unable to identify either of the new arrivals. Confused, Vin observes that it is as if Bashir and Sisko do not exist. "Well, since we don't exist, why not let us go?" Bashir asks. As the two of them have no IDs and no money and are dressed like clowns, Vin seems to think the matter is self-explanatory and tells Bashir to figure it out for himself. His voice turns polite as he hands Bashir and Sisko a pair of clipboards with various forms and asks them to fill out the paperwork the best of their ability and reminds them that interpreters are available if they do not speak English and that the questions can be given verbally if they are unable to read. "Now sit down, shut up, fill out the forms, and if you've got any problems, don't come to me with them," he adds. Bashir thanks Vin sarcastically. Now sitting in the captain's chair, Kira cordially asks an ensign to express her gratitude to Admiral Ngomo but that she does not want anyone to transport aboard the Defiant until the current situation is resolved. O'Brien enters the bridge as she adds that the admiral is welcome to come aboard via shuttlecraft. O'Brien informs her that the temporal surge they detected earlier was caused by an explosion in a microscopic singularity passing through the solar system at the time of the beam-out. As usual, his technobabble is lost on the Major, but he explains that the transporter signal was redirected through time, which makes the question not where Dax, Bashir and Sisko are but rather when. While he is sure that the officers arrived in San Francisco, they were deflected into another time period, most likely centuries away. A man sitting next to Sisko in the waiting room appears largely oblivious to his surroundings as he attempts to draw on Sisko's leg with a pen. When Sisko stops him, he looks at Sisko indignantly and begins to draw on the person next to him. Bashir stands on the opposite side of the room complaining to Vin, who stands idly by and appears unconcerned. The line has barely moved in the past three hours, a situation Vin sums up as "plenty of overtime." Despite Bashir's legitimate concerns, Vin simply tells him to return to his seat, rolling his eyes as Bashir does so. The woman next to Sisko's neighbor seems pleasantly entertained as he draws on her hand, and it is obvious that neither of them is entirely coherent. Sisko seems deep in thought, staring at a digital display of the date and time on a nearby wall as Bashir rejoins him. Frustrated, Bashir observes that numerous people around them are mentally ill and require medical treatment, but Sisko, whose eyes are still on the clock, tells him they will not get any such treatment. Noticing with confusion Sisko's pensive look, Bashir asks what is wrong. Sisko points out that the date is August 30, 2024, and asks if Bashir has heard of the Bell Riots. The doctor is only vaguely familiar with the events, so Sisko explains that it was one of the most violent civil disturbances in American history, and it occurred in San Francisco's Sanctuary District A during the first week of September, 2024. Unless they can find a way out of the Sanctuary District soon, they are about to be caught right in the middle of the violence. Sisko describes how the Sanctuary residents will take over the district and take several guards hostage, only to have the government send troops in to restore order, killing hundreds of residents in the process. Bashir notes that, while Starfleet's temporal displacement policy sounds good in theory, it will not be easy to stand by and watch hundreds of people die. However, Sisko assures him that the riots will alter the course of history thanks to Gabriel Bell, the man for whom the riots were named. When the government troops stormed the compound based on rumors that the hostages were dead, they found none of the hostages had been harmed thanks to Bell, who sacrificed his own life to save them. Public opinion subsequently turned against the notion of sanctuary districts, and the planet began to address its social problems; therefore, if they warn any of the people of what is going to happen, they risk altering a pivotal moment in history. Vin interrupts them to inform them that it is their turn to be processed. In a cubicle in another part of the building, Bashir and Sisko wait patiently while a social worker reviews their forms. Vin can be seen in the background, although it is not clear if he has been assigned to them or is simply keeping a close watch. The social worker seems surprised by their registration forms when she looks them over, and after a few moments, Sisko asks if something is wrong. She says the forms indicate they are dims, claiming they are instead gimmies, and apologizes for not processing the forms quicker. As Sisko and Bashir are unfamiliar with the slang terms, the social worker, Lee, explains that gimmes are ordinary people in need of a job and a place to stay. A confused Bashir asks about the dims and Lee tells him that the dims should be in hospitals, but since the government is unable to afford treatment for them, they are sent to the Sanctuary District. Although Lee expresses her hatred of the process, she seems to think it will not change and moves on, asking if they have applied for any jobs. Bashir tells her they do not plan to stay in San Francisco for long, and Sisko claims they were traveling with a friend. When Lee hears that they have no way to contact their friend, she somewhat hesitantly informs them that they will have to stay in the Sanctuary District for now. Initially using the official reason -- that it is for their own good -- she adds that it is also the law. Sisko incredulously wonders how they are supposed to find jobs if they are stuck in the district. The district does provide a job placement service; however, due to the state of the economy, Lee is unable to give them an estimate of how long it will take to find one. The only thing she can do is tell them to be patient as she hands them each a ration card, which they can use to get food and water while in the district. Theoretically, the buildings in the district are for everyone, so she tells them they are on their own as far as accommodations go. Before they leave, Lee advises them to stay away from District Security, as the guards are overworked and underpaid, and to watch out for ghosts, the name for those who "haven't integrated well" in the district and tend to prey on other residents. Sisko thanks her for the advice as he and Bashir leave the cubicle. Dax stands alone in Brynner's apartment, still wearing her Starfleet uniform and communicator, and taps the communicator as she attempts to contact with Bashir or Sisko. However, she attempts to act casual when Brynner enters to announce that his assistant Britt has reserved Dax a room at The Clift for the next five nights. It is clear that Chris has feelings for Jadzia but does not want to seem too forward as he acknowledges that he wants to help her and asks what her plans are. She still needs to find her friends, and Brynner admits that his assistant checked with the City hospitals and trauma wards already. Unfortunately, no one matching Bashir or Sisko's description was admitted recently; however, he wants to know how the search turns out. Dax smiles as he uses the point to bring up a party he is having the next day and invites her and her friends. She accepts the offer and he wishes her good luck as he escorts her to the door. It is night in the sanctuary district and some of the less fortunate residents use metal barrels as impromptu fireplaces in order to keep warm. Bashir and Sisko attempt to enter a nearby building, but a man about their age stops them. "Let me guess: This building's full," Bashir says, frustrated. The man apologizes insincerely and Bashir and Sisko walk away. Bashir finds it hard to believe that every building is full, but Sisko wouldn't be surprised if they were. At one point, nobody cared how many people were in the sanctuaries so long as they were out of sight. Bashir finds it difficult to comprehend as they pass by a schizophrenic man, pointing out that there are numerous treatments for the disease, which could help him live out a normal life even in the 2020s -- if anyone gave a damn. However, the problem is not that they don't give a damn, but that the social problems facing the planet seem too enormous to cure, something Bashir finds more depressing than aggravating. While he acknowledges that it is horrible to cause people to suffer out of hatred toward them, he can't understand the notion of doing so simply because one has forgotten how to care. Sisko reassures him that people in the 21st century will slowly but surely fix the problems they face. As they walk, Bashir begins to wonder if Humans are truly any different from Romulans or Cardassians, if, in the event that something disastrous happened to the Federation, they would truly stick to their ideals. Sisko states matter-of-factly that it is his duty to ensure that they never have to find out. They come to a halt when they see a group of ghosts beating a man in front of a nearby building; while Bashir immediately moves to intervene, Sisko reminds him that they can't interfere. The leader tells the other ghosts to get the man's ration card, but seeing Bashir's restrained look, he confrontationally asks if there is a problem. Sisko speaks for Bashir and reassures the ghost that there isn't. However, the ghost takes the opportunity to have some as he observes that Bashir seems upset and sarcastically claims they don't want to offend anyone. When Sisko informs him that he and Bashir are new to the district, the ghost takes off his hat and gives them a fake welcome. As neither Sisko nor Bashir is amused, he claims gimmies have no sense of fun. Sisko tells him they are only looking for a place to stay, which seems to dampen the ghost's mood as he comes closer and speaks in a serious tone. "In that case, you better look somewhere else, new boy," the ghost warns Sisko. He lightly wishes them a good day and waves goodbye as they move on to the next building. The next day, Bashir lies sleeping near the entrance to one of the buildings. Sisko wakes him, bringing a bowl with scrambled eggs and a piece of bread. Bashir promises never to complain about Deep Space 9's Cardassian beds again. Sisko apologizes for the fact that the distribution point ran out of both utensils and napkins, which doesn't surprise Bashir. After they eat, they visit the building where they were turned away previously and find the same group of men guarding it. They ask to see the roof and reassure the men that they do not plan to cause trouble. While the leader (the same one who turned them away earlier) empathizes, he and the other residents feel that they have to protect what is theirs. Sisko asks if they could trade anything to access to the roof, but as neither he nor Bashir has anything of value, they are out of luck. The leader again suggests they try another building. One of the other men whispers in the leaders ear as Bashir and Sisko begin to walk off, and the leader hesitantly informs Sisko that they may be able to make a deal after all. The setting is now a dirty, dimly-lit corridor where several residents sleep on the floor. A pair of residents emerge from a nearby stairwell, and as they come closer to the camera, it becomes clear that they are Bashir and Sisko, dressed in the other men's clothes. Trying to make the best of a bad situation, Sisko observes that they at least look like they belong in the district; Bashir adds that they smell like it too. They turn a corner to climb the next flight of stairs and find Michael Webb tending to his injured son, Danny. Webb's back is turned to them, they attempt to keep their distance and approach the next stairwell quietly. However, he hears them and turns around, wielding a knife defensively. Sisko puts his hands up and reassuringly asks Webb to put the knife down. When he tells Webb that they want to survey the district from the roof, Webb assures them it will not look any better from there. Danny calls for his father in a horse voice, obviously in pain. Although Webb keeps the knife pointed at the other men as he kneels beside his son, he can tell they mean him no harm. His disposition goes from defensive to nurturing as he puts the knife down and explains that his son was beaten by a group of ghosts near the processing center. Bashir offers to examine Danny's wounds, and while Sisko warns him about interfering, he believes a look will not harm anything. Fortunately, Danny suffered only superficial wounds. At Bashir's request, Webb goes upstairs to retrieve a clean rag and alcohol to nurse Danny's wounds, and Sisko observes that they have made a new friend. Webb follows Bashir and Sisko out of the building, apparently impressed by Bashir's medical knowledge. He tells Bashir that the district needs another doctor, but Bashir claims not to practice any more. Insisting that the residents must pull together, Webb reassures them that they will not escape the district any time soon. He believes the district residents need to organize themselves and show the outside world what has happened in the district. As they cannot interfere, Bashir and Sisko respectfully decline and claim they simply want to be left alone. Webb sees their apparent apathy and remarks, "My mistake. I thought you two wanted to get out of here." Bashir and Sisko exchange looks. Meanwhile, Dax and Brynner are at a high-class party, complete with waiter. She, Brynner, and two of his acquaintances discuss recent events, such as Brynner's recent skiing trip to Christchurch and how Europe has fallen into political anarchy. When Dax implies that the same political situation might arise in the United States of America, Chris's friends seem indignant. Chris apologizes on her behalf and explains how Jadzia was mugged, claiming such an experience would leave anyone with a negative outlook on the future. He adds that whoever mugged her took everything, even her ID, and Chris's other friend claims Dax is lucky the police did not find her first, as she might have ended up in a Sanctuary District. Dax immediately pulls Chris aside and he confirms that it is public policy to put those found on the streets without ID in sanctuaries. She is sure that must be what happened to Sisko and Bashir, but while Chris observes that sanctuary records "aren't posted on the 'net," he believes he can gain access to them. That night, Bashir and Sisko stand in front of a lighted barrel and attempt to keep warm while they wait to get their food. Bashir observes that the wait is worse than the line at the Replimat, adding that they will probably get their dinner just in time for breakfast. Sisko decides to check on the food line. While he is gone, the ghost from before, BC, approaches Bashir and asks to see Bashir's food card. A confrontation is imminent as Sisko returns. He warns BC to leave Bashir alone, and BC and the other ghosts gang up on the two of them. During the ensuing fight, another man intervenes in an attempt to stop BC. He manages to get the ghosts off of Sisko, but when he leans over Sisko to see if Sisko is okay, BC stabs him. The man loses consciousness and the ghosts take his food card. They run off as an alarm sounds and two guards run toward them. Taking the man's ID, Sisko and Bashir do likewise, hiding under a pile of garbage in a nearby alley as the guards run past them. However, once the situation has calmed down, Sisko reveals that the man who just died was Gabriel Bell. On the Defiant, the major enters the bridge and asks O'Brien if he is ready to go. O'Brien replies, saying that Starfleet has denied them permission, but he is unable to raise them. Odo then enters, as he had just been cut off from Starfleet Security. O'Brien confirms that the Defiant's comm system is in perfect working order, but Starfleet has been erased from the timeline. Sisko and Bashir return to Webb and announce that they want to join the rebellion. Webb tells Sisko and Bashir about the upcoming rally for public attention, and asks them to spread the word. Sisko agrees to pass the news, and he and Bashir begin spreading it around. All of a sudden, a riot breaks out. The people living in the District take the processors hostage. Just as Biddle is about to begin injuring them, Sisko steps up and announces his name: Gabriel Bell. 
<EOS>
After moving the hostages into the Sanctuary Processing Center, Biddle Coleridge tells his friends to shoot any hostage that moves. Posing as the late Gabriel Bell, Benjamin Sisko takes control of the volatile hostage situation in the Sanctuary District by convincing Coleridge that they need the hostages alive as a bargaining chip. Suddenly, Vin bursts into the room holding a gun. Coleridge is about to shoot him when Sisko tackles Vin against a wall. In the chaos, a shot is accidentally fired and Bashir calms a frightened Lee. Then, Coleridge wants an access code to the net and tries to get it from Vin. Bernardo Calvera agrees to help to calm Coleridge down, just wanting to get home. Sisko says they need to block the windows, so him and Bashir start doing so. Meanwhile, Bashir expresses his concern about Sisko posing as Gabriel Bell because Bell historically died when guards stormed the building. Sisko says that he is not Bell, but everyone will treat him like so. Michael Webb arrives and Sisko introduces him to Coleridge. Sisko enlists his help to recruit gimmies, people that he trusts to guard the hostages and to watch over the volatile ghosts as well. Meanwhile, Jadzia Dax sees news coverage of the event at Chris Brynner's apartment and realizes that she must get into the District to help save Sisko and Bashir, despite Brynner's insistence that she could be hurt. On the USS Defiant, Kira Nerys and Miles O'Brien have narrowed the possible time periods to 10 possibilities but due to the limited number of chroniton particles they have a finite number of trips they can take, not enough to cover all of the possible timeframes. Kira feels ridiculous that she has to wear a bandage on her nose to disguise her Bajoran heritage, and O'Brien advises her to say nothing and let him do all the talking. On their first attempt, they land in 1930 and find no evidence of the team's presence. Before they can leave, they run into a couple leaving a party who looks at them and then runs off. Coleridge is outraged that gimmies are guarding the hostages, but Sisko emphasizes the importance of having people they can trust. Coleridge tells Sisko and Webb that he intends to trade the hostages for freedom -- amnesty, credit chips and the ability to go anywhere they want. Coleridge wants to go to Tasmania, the birthplace of Errol Flynn. However, Sisko says that they must think of the other 10,000 people as well and that they would not make it far before they were caught. Webb supports Sisko and they agree to campaign for the closure of Sanctuary districts, jobs for the residents and the reinstatement of the Federal Employment Act. Sisko convinces Webb to act as a representative of the District to speak to the outside world. As they try to get their position across, though, their connection is broken by the police as per department policy in these situations. However, Detective Preston, a police negotiator from the SFPD, contacts them. First, she asks to see the hostages. Coleridge immediately drags Lee to the screen and threatens Preston, revealing the instability of the situation. Preston calmly asks to talk to Webb again, and so he gently pushes Coleridge and Sisko leads him away. She offers to meet in person by the main gate. Sisko accompanies Webb to the meeting and states their demands. Preston agrees to relay them to Governor Robert Chen and also agrees to do her best to supply the residents with breakfast. Bashir finds out that Lee is hypoglycemic and offers to help her find treatment. Lee realizes that Sisko (posing as Bell) initially gave her a false name and Bashir explains that "Bell" had run into some trouble. Lee reveals that she processed a woman with a warrant on her for abandoning her child because she could not take care of him and left him with a family she worked for. Lee felt sorry for her and did not log her into the system which would have alerted the police, instead letting her disappear into the Sanctuary. Lee's supervisor almost fired her when the incident was revealed. Lee does not know what happened to the woman but she thinks about her all the time. Bashir explains that it's not her fault the way things are. Later, while most of the guards are sleeping, Vin gets up and almost gets his hands on a weapon when Coleridge alerts everyone and holds a gun to him. However, Sisko intervenes by pointing his gun towards Coleridge and prepares to shoot him, determined not to let the hostages die. Coleridge sees that Sisko is serious and puts his gun down. Sisko takes Vin aside and threatens him not to do anything stupid again, but he is unmoved. Vin asks him to let the hostages go. Sisko impatiently says that Vin and the others who work at the Sanctuary just don't get it -- even though they work here and see the injustices suffered by the people every day. It would be a start for Vin and the others just to acknowledge what is going on. Meanwhile, on another attempt to find Sisko and the others, Kira and O'Brien end up in 1967 surrounded by a flowered Combi van and loud rock music. Two hippies come out of the van and give flowers and a peace sign to a perplexed Kira and O'Brien, who then awkwardly give back the sign. Just then, they are transported away and the male hippie simply says "wow". True to her promise, Preston has supplied muffins and fruit juice for the residents, and Sisko makes sure Coleridge shares. Danny comes inside to find his father to be with him. Webb agrees he can stay for a while but says that Danny must go when he says so without question. Meanwhile, Bashir has managed to find some glucogen in the clinic and provides treatment for Lee. Bashir also tells Calvera (who is worried about his family) that something good will come from all of this. A short time later, Preston returns with the Governor's response: he'll reduce the charges against Bell and Webb if they release the hostages. Sisko and Webb ask whether the Sanctuary will be closed and jobs offered and Preston says the Governor intends to form a committee to look into the matter and that change takes time. They both reject this offer. Dax manages to find her way into the Sanctuary District through some underground pipes through the San Francisco Department of Sanitation. Soon, some dims alert her presence to those at the processing center and, in the process, her combadge is stolen by one of them named Grady. Meanwhile, Sisko and Bashir try to get past the lockout to the Net without luck. In the previous past, a way was found to get past this lockout and many people were able to tell their stories to the world. Bell must have found a way, so now they must do the same. Coleridge then brings Dax inside, and she is reunited with Sisko and Bashir. Sisko and Bashir explain that they can not leave because history must be allowed to run its course. He initially orders Bashir and Dax to head to a beam-out location using Dax's combadge, however, Dax says she can get help to circumvent the lockout. Dax successfully recovers her combadge from Grady with Bashir's help and heads back through the sewer. Dax returns to Chris Brynner for his help. He initially has doubts about helping the residents as he would lose his interface operating license for turning the channel over to criminals. Dax responds that Brynner would be giving the residents a voice, and people have the right to know their situation. When the Government storms in, the Sanctuary residents will die and those deaths should not be for nothing. Brynner agrees to help restore the processing center's computer link because, although he will lose his license, he will get great ratings. Once this is done, the residents are given the chance to tell their stories to millions around the planet through the network. Unfortunately, despite pleas from Preston, the governor is unmoved by their plight and orders to send in troops at 0500. Kira and O'Brien return to the Defiant and from 2048. They realize that the team arrived before then as it was drastically different to the 2048 of unaltered time. Using this information, they narrow the possibilities to 3 dates, but have only enough chroniton particles for one more attempt. O'Brien makes a guess and they materialize at the corner of Polk Street and California Street. They realize they hit the correct time period when they contact Dax on her combadge, and she comes to meet them. In the meantime, the hostages are calmer and talking sports when Coleridge reports movement outside. Sisko and Webb try to keep the hostages safe as SWAT teams move in without regard to their lives. Webb sends away Danny and Coleridge gives Danny his hat. Soon, the troops barge in and open fire. Coleridge and Webb are killed along with a number of others while Sisko takes a bullet protecting Vin, who is trying to stop the shooting. The lead SWAT team member calls the area secure. Vin berates them, as they were reckless. The SWAT team give Vin and Calvera weapons while they go to secure other areas. Bashir examines Sisko and, fortunately, he will live. Sisko pulls Vin in and berates him for not staying low, but Vin understands, finally trusting his motives. Vin and Calvera lead the group outside, and are shocked by the bodies lying on the street outside. As the National Guard takes control of the situation, the grateful Vin allows Sisko and Bashir to escape by switching their ID cards with two of the dead. So it appears, as before, that Gabriel Bell died while trying to save the hostages. As he leaves, Sisko asks Vin to tell everyone the truth about the incident. Vin responds that he had planned to anyway. Soon Sisko, Dax and Bashir are returned to the 24th century with history now having following its correct course. As Sisko recovers from his gunshot wound in his quarters on the Defiant, Bashir visits and shows him one unexpected consequence of their visit to the past. Federation historical records which now show Benjamin's portrait in an entry regarding Gabriel Bell. Julian asks him, from having seen the 21st century, how the people of that time could have let things get so bad. Sisko tells him "That's a good question. I wish I had an answer." 
<EOS>
Jake Sisko is walking along the Promenade of Deep Space 9 when an old friend named Leanne walks up behind him. They reminisce and catch up briefly, and then set a date for the following evening at the station's Klingon restaurant. Just then Chief O'Brien and Odo, accompanied by several Bajoran security deputies and Starfleet Security officers, come running along the Promenade, headed (as it turns out) toward the docking ring. Those men go to an airlock, where they are joined by Dr. Bashir and Nurse Jabara. The chief tells Bashir that the docking transport experienced an accident that caused casualties. Bashir asserts that the casualties should have been beamed directly to the infirmary, but the chief explains that the accident caused by a plasma coil release of radiation that made transport impossible. Once Odo opens the airlock injured passengers begin walking through. One of them is Kai Winn, but she says, "the vedek -- take care of the vedek!" Next out the airlock is Vedek Bareil, with a chest covered in third-degree burns, being carried by two security officers. Odo activates his combadge and apprises Major Kira, the vedek's companion, of the situation. In the Infirmary, O'Brien delivers a report to Commander Sisko about the cause of the accident, and Winn immediately inquires if sabotage might have played a part. Kira reacts to that possibility with skepticism, but the Kai says that she will only discuss the possibility in private, with Sisko. In the infirmary's operating room, Dr. Bashir is desperately trying to save Bareil's life. Meanwhile, Winn and Sisko are in Sisko's office, where Winn explains that she and Bareil were en route to peace treaty negotiations with Legate Turrel when the accident occurred. Sisko expresses surprise that Winn would be anywhere near such proceedings, but she explains that the underlying vision and the credit for the success of the negotiations is mostly due to Bareil. However, in the infirmary, Bashir is announcing to Kira that Bareil is dead, having never regained consciousness. After sharing this with Kira, Bashir suggests she take some time off to grieve, but Kira tells him she will do so in her own time. Bashir goes back to the table on which Bareil's body rests, intending to start an autopsy. However, he discovers that Bareil's nervous system is still transmitting to his brain. Bashir hypothesizes that Bareil's radiation exposure "might have fortified his peripheral cell membranes," and he and Jabara resume treatment according to that hypothesis -- treatment which proves to be successful. Later, Bashir says Bareil should be back on his feet in a few weeks. Both Sisko and the kai credit Bashir with nothing less than a miracle (according to the kai, by the grace of the Prophets), but Bashir insists that it was simply the best of luck. Bareil is present and conscious, and says he's merely grateful, since it allows him to complete unfinished work. Kai Winn takes that opening to insist that the treaty negotiations be resumed quickly, but Bashir disagrees on account of Bareil's infirmity. However, the kai insists that Bareil will merely "advise" her while she conducts the negotiations, to which Bashir agrees on the condition that Bareil isn't tired out. Meanwhile Kira looks on the whole proceeding with a gimlet eye. Sometime later Nog goes to the Siskos' quarters, where Jake tries to explain the date he's got with Leanne and cancel the plans he and Nog had to play dom-jot with some Terrellians. Nog's hard to reach at first, but finally catches on and corners Jake into making it a double date. Back in the Infirmary, Bashir comes to Bareil's bedside to explain that his treatment caused damage to Bareil's circulatory system that is damaging his internal organs in turn. Bashir says he wants to put Bareil into stasis for an indeterminate length of time while an effective treatment is researched, but Bareil says that would be unacceptable, since it would likely become impossible to conclude the peace treaty as a result. As an alternative Bashir says they can try an experimental drug called vasokin, but only by accepting a 22% chance that the damage will be made even worse. Bareil accepts that risk in lieu of being put into stasis. As far as Bareil is concerned, conclusion of the treaty is the will of the Prophets, and he is determined to see it through. Later Jake, Nog, Leanne, and Riska, who is Nog's date, are sitting at a table in the upper level of Quark's eating dinner. Nog is interjecting with insensitive comments -- "boy, Jake, she talks a lot for a female" -- while Jake tries to maintain a normal, respectful flow of conversation. However, Nog's attitude descends into what can be best described as the gutter. Leanne and Riska leave the bar in a huff, and then Nog insists that Jake blew it because he was "treating my female as if she was an equal!"  Jake is equally displeased with Nog, and the two of them stomp away angrily as well. In the Infirmary, Winn explains her difficulties to Bareil, but he's in obvious discomfort. Bashir tells her that Bareil's had enough stress, but the Kai insists that she needs more of Bareil's attention. Bashir steps in and tells the Kai that if she doesn't leave, she'll be thrown out by security - and Kira says that Security won't need to be called, because she'll escort the Kai out of the Infirmary herself. Only then does Winn back down and leave. Bashir explains that the organ damage he'd feared is starting to take place, and that in order to keep Bareil alive without putting him into stasis, he'll need to transplant artificial organs. Bareil insists that Bashir does whatever it takes to get him through the negotiations. After performing the transplants Bashir goes to Kai Winn, who's looking over PADDs in the wardroom. He explains that he wants the Kai to release Bareil from his obligation to be involved in the negotiations, since doing so is the only thing that will give Bareil a fighting chance to live. Kai Winn refuses, and Bashir ultimately deduces that in the event the negotiations fail, Winn wants a scapegoat handy. When Bashir starts to leave, Winn tells him "And doctor, I won't forget what you've said here." Bashir defiantly tells her he won't either. At their quarters, Jake's telling his father about the disastrous double date, and Ben's totally unsurprised, since Nog is a Ferengi and burdened by the tunnel vision imposed by Ferengi gender roles. Jake thinks that the cultural differences spell the end of his friendship with Nog, but Ben disagrees and insists that there's a genuine bond between the two that can be restored if the two of them will make up. However, Jake doubts that Nog is at all willing to speak with him. Bareil has suffered irreversible brain damage in the meantime. Bashir arrives just as Jabara is trying to stabilize him, and Winn there saying he had called her there, straining himself. In the station commander's office Winn, Sisko, Kira, and Bashir are discussing the situation, and the Kai asks if something can be done to restore Bareil's brain function as well. Bashir says that a positronic implant would give them something to work with, but that it would cause Bareil's psyche to change in ways those present would find difficult to accept. Kira quickly agrees that it should be tried, since it is Bareil's last option for seeing the peace treaty through, and Bashir agrees to perform the needed procedure on account of Kira's endorsement. Meanwhile, Jake has come up with an idea that will give Nog no better choice than to speak with him: he goes to Security, asking Odo to arrest him and Nog, and put them into the same holding cell. In the Infirmary, Bashir has completed the positronic implant and, as he'd predicted, Bareil is alert but not at all himself. After some friction and Nog's discovery that Jake put Odo up to their arrests, the two of them finally come to an agreement that there is a bond of friendship between them strong enough to make them forget the differences between their two cultures. However, mending fences turns out to be much easier for the two of them than being promptly released from the holding cell. It turns out that the treaty negotiations were a success, and a party is being held in the Wardroom to celebrate the event when Bashir gets called back to the Infirmary. It also turns out that the remaining organic half of Bareil's brain is finally failing, and with the peace treaty concluded, the only person with a stake who can see a point to doing anything more to keep Bareil alive is Kira but Bashir finally convinces her to let him go. Kira asks Bashir how long Bareil has before he dies. Bashir tells her he has three hours. Kira requests that she be alone with him, and Bashir leaves, bringing Jabara with him.  Kira, alone with the unconscious Bareil, begins telling him all the things she never got a chance to tell him before. Recalling meeting him for the first time, she remembers he having such a serenity about him, she just assumed he had all the answers but she soon realized he was as confused as everyone else. He just accepted his confusion better than anyone Kira knew. That was when she realized she loved him. 
<EOS>
Returning from consultations at Prophet's Landing, a Bajoran colony, Kira and Odo talk in the USS Mekong. Soon, they detect a Maquis attack in progress on a Lissepian ship. They pursue the attacking ship in their runabout. Due to prevailing conditions, the pursuit takes them down to the surface of a moon with an atmosphere that's impenetrable to sensors. On the station Nog is in Ops asking O'Brien if he can see Commander Sisko on an "urgent" matter and he's sent up to the commander's office. Nog comes bearing a quantity of latinum, which he gives to Sisko because according to Ferengi statute, Nog has completed the Ferengi Attainment Ceremony and is now at the age where he must purchase an apprenticeship. Since he considers Sisko a mentor, he says, Sisko's the one from whom he intends to make the purchase -- he wants to become a Starfleet officer. Sisko explains in brief that Nog needs to graduate from Starfleet Academy, and in order to be admitted there he needs "a letter of reference from a command-level officer."  This is because Nog is not a citizen of the Federation. Since Sisko is just such an officer, Nog is certain that Sisko will provide the reference but Sisko says he'll "think about it."  Throughout the conversation, the two are pushing the stack of Nog's latinum back and forth across the Commander's desk. On the alien moon, Odo and Kira track the fugitive to a cave network and witness severe seismic activity. Since they need to cover ground quickly looking for the Maquis fugitive, they split up. Shortly afterward, Odo receives a combadge signal from Kira, who's trapped in one of the caves. When Odo finds Kira, her right foot is completely stuck in some sort of crystal formation that grows spontaneously. Odo attempts various approaches to freeing her, but none of them work. Sometime later Jake catches up to Nog at Quark's, under the impression that Nog's interview with his father was a joke. Nog angrily assures Jake that nothing could be further from the truth, extracting a promise that Jake will go back to his father and take back his assertion that it was a joke. Jake is confused, and asks for an explanation, but Nog refuses to give him one. Meanwhile, Odo returns to the runabout and attempts to transport Kira out of her entrapment, only to discover that the nature of the moon's atmosphere makes it impossible to operate transporters or send a distress signal directly from the runabout. As he's returning to Kira's location he hears phaser fire, which Kira tells him was on account of the reappearance of the Maquis they'd been chasing. On the Promenade, Nog collars Sisko outside Quark's and asks excitedly if he's decided to write the letter of reference. Faced with Nog's persistence, Sisko tells Nog unambiguously that he doesn't consider Nog a good candidate for admission to the Academy considering his reputation on the station -- but Nog wants nothing more than a chance to prove that he's better than Sisko's assessment suggests. With this in mind, he tells Jadzia to assign Nog to a cargo bay inventory. Jadzia's equally skeptical, but Sisko wants to give Nog a fair chance to live up to his promises -- and that's exactly what he'll get, with "no help, no interference, no-one looking over his shoulder." Jadzia points out that they've already taken inventory of that cargo bay, which Sisko says makes it the perfect test: they'll know if anything goes missing. In the cargo bay, Nog takes the opportunity with extreme enthusiasm. Odo changes form to protect Kira from falling rocks. After the earthquake ends, Odo continues talking with her at a personal level. Eventually, Kira and Odo are forced to admit that they're having no success. Kira orders Odo to leave her. Nog is sent to Commander Sisko's office, where Sisko explains that he needs to turn down Nog's request for a reference. Sisko's explanation is that near as can be told, this is another of Nog's schemes, over which Sisko can't afford to risk any of his reputation but just as he did with Jake, Nog loses his composure and begins to explain himself. As voices raise, he tells Sisko point blank:  "I don't want to end up like my father!"  Nog goes on to point out that his father shows every sign of being a brilliant engineer, but that Rom doesn't have "the lobes" for the business life that is expected of Ferengi (any more than his own father did) and neither does he. On his current path, Rom has nothing in the future to look forward to except working at Quark's for the rest of his life or the slim chance of inheriting the bar if Quark dies first. Nog is anxious to avoid his father's fate, and is fixed on joining Starfleet exactly because that will give him one of his best likely chances to use the talents he does have. Having finally gotten a straight explanation of Nog's motivations, Sisko changes his mind and promises Nog his reference. Matters on the alien moon also reach their denouement. Odo's been thinking about the things that Kira's told him, and they don't add up. Kira's stated feelings don't follow the body language with which he's grown familiar, and there are a number of inconsistencies in the other things she's said. Odo points a Bajoran phaser at the person in front of him and asks who they are and what they have done with Kira. Back on the station, Odo tells Kira that he realized what was going on when the Female Changeling made "a slip of the tongue -- nothing important.'" In Quark's, Quark flatly refuses to allow Nog to join Starfleet only for Rom to speak up and say that Quark may be his boss, but Rom has the final word in matters concerning his own son. Quark impatiently tells Rom to tell Nog he can't leave DS9. only for Rom to wish his son luck and say he will be very proud if Nog becomes the first Ferengi to join Starfleet. 
<EOS>
Constable Odo, followed closely by Commander Sisko, enters one of the station's many living quarters. He explains that he has assigned the senior Cardassian scientist, Ulani Belor, to these quarters with her colleague, Gilora Rejal, being accommodated in the adjacent room. Sisko immediately notices the unusual warmth in the room, believing Odo has adjusted the environmental controls to suit the scientist's needs. He is right. Odo further explains that he has also had Chief O'Brien reprogram the replicators to produce Cardassian food and has assigned two deputies to watch them during their trip, though the Commander tells him to keep his distance; he wants the scientists to feel like guests, not prisoners. Odo, in typical fashion, replies with the caution of a security officer. As he explains, there are still some elements opposed to the recent Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty on both sides and so they have to be prepared for trouble. Though Sisko agrees with the statement, he also wants the Bajorans to get used to seeing Cardassians "walking down the Promenade, buying from their shops, eating from their restaurants. Getting to know them as something other than brutal overseers." Just then, they are interrupted by Lieutenant Dax, who reports she has just received the scientist's designs on the proposed transceiver for the communications relay, but she isn't convinced it is going to work. Sisko assures her the Cardassians are certainly confident of success, to which she smiles and expresses her hopes it will be too. Before the three of them can discuss it further, Quark enters with two bottles of kanar and expresses an interest in which of the scientists will be staying there; Gilora or Ulani. Odo seems surprised that Quark is aware of their names, particularly since he only found out an hour ago. "Odo, please", Quark smiles. Managing to evade the question, he reveals he has brought a bottle of kanar for each of them with a "personal invitation" to Quark's. Dax also seems surprised, but for a different reason. She asks the Ferengi where he has managed to obtain real kanar, to which he explains three cases of it have been sitting in his storeroom since the Occupation and there hasn't been much call for it the past few years. But that's about to change, he says, as there are sure to be more Cardassians visiting the station as a result of the peace treaty. Dax smiles, quoting what she believes is the thirty-fourth Rule of Acquisition; "Peace is good for business", however Quark soon corrects her -- the thirty-fourth is "War is good for business", but he can see how she might have got them confused. Back to the topic at hand, Quark believes it won't be long before there's a permanent Cardassian presence on the station. "Scientists, diplomats, spies", all of whom would be welcome at Quark's. In fact, he says he may even rent the shop next to his bar and open up some Cardassian gaming concessions. Sensing trouble, Odo quickly reminds him there will be no live Vole fights on the Promenade, and Sisko backs him up. Content to make some sacrifices, Quark goes on to envision his new enterprise where his bar is known for having the best Cardassian food and drink in the sector though this is sadly interrupted by Dax, who informs him his kanar has gone bad. Odo instructs Quark to leave, half-seriously saying he may well have to arrest him for attempting to poison their guests. A little while later, Sisko is in his office working on a PADD when Major Kira notifies him a Vedek Yarka has arrived and requests to meet with him urgently. Sisko nods to Kira, who gestures to Yarka standing outside. The Vedek rushes in with some urgency and reveals he has an important warning from the Prophets; if he allows the Cardassians on the station, he will bring destruction on them all. Vedek Yarka explains that it has all been foretold in Trakor's Third Prophecy; The river has awakened, he says to Sisko. As Kira reveals, he is referring to the Qui'al Dam which has just been put back into operation to divert water to the city, and the Cardassian scientists -- the three vipers -- are now on their way to the station, their nest in the sky. The Commander seems skeptical of the whole thing but nevertheless asks how their arrival will bring destruction on them all. Yarka continues to recite the prophecy; He compares the scientist's attempts at communication through the wormhole -- the Celestial Temple -- as the vipers trying to peer through the temple gates. If they do, he says, the wormhole will be destroyed. Kira points out to him that only two scientists will be arriving on the station, not three, and asks if it is possible whether there could be more mistakes in his interpretation. But Yarka is adamant; "There will be three vipers, you will see", he asserts, but Sisko still isn't convinced. He illustrates the benefits of the communication relay for Bajor, how they will be able to communicate with ships on the other side of the wormhole and facilitate exploration, how they can monitor the Dominion in case of attack, but the Vedek dismisses the benefits as irrelevant, sure that they are on the verge of a great disaster. Sisko asks him if the Vedek Assembly is aware of the prophecy. Yarka says both the Assembly and Kai Winn know of it but choose to ignore the signs. The Commander reiterates his stance; in common with the Bajoran government, he has no intention of calling off the project. Yarka expresses his dismay at the decision but informs Sisko he and his followers will remain on the station, praying he changes his mind. As the Vedek leaves, Sisko instructs Kira to have Odo find out everything he can on him and his followers. He doesn't want them causing any trouble while the Cardassians are on the station. In the airlock, the large circular doors are wheeled back to reveal the two Cardassian women. Sisko welcomes them both to Deep Space 9 on behalf of the Federation and Starfleet Command, while Kira stands in silence. After a brief introduction, she too welcomes them on behalf of the Bajoran Provisional Government, hoping this project will mark a new era of peace between Bajor and Cardassia though she is clearly uncomfortable with the situation. With the formalities out of the way, Sisko asks them how their trip was. Ulani, seemingly more relaxed, jokes it was very exhausting though preparing for the trip was equally as tiring. She explains how guls she has never even heard of before have contacted her about the mission, reminding her of the importance, to which Sisko relates, commenting on three calls he has received from Starfleet Command just that morning. In a more serious tone, Ulani expresses her gratitude to Kira for allowing them to conduct their work on the station, much to Kira's surprise. "I'll work with anyone who's interested in peace", she replies. After resting in their quarters, the scientists meet up with Sisko, Kira, O'Brien, and Dax for a briefing in the wardroom. On the wall, there is a diagram of the wormhole with Deep Space 9 at one end and the communication relay at the other. Sisko explains the plan is to place the relay two kilometers away from the far side of the wormhole, while Gilora begins to describe the transceiver they will be installing. Part way through, she stops herself, realizing she called the station by its old Cardassian name, Terok Nor. After quickly correcting herself, Dax then asks Ulani what sort of carrier wave they will using to counter the interference inside the wormhole. She responds with a trial and error approach to testing several different soliton pulses, certain one will prove successful. O'Brien recognizes the plan as one they attempted a year ago without much success, though Gilora, confident in her ability, believes the problem was in the phase variance of the transceiver coils. Defending his skills as an engineer, the chief says the variance was less than point zero one percent but yet again, Gilora argues, saying it was too high and their new design has less than half that variance. The chief isn't convinced and wants to go over the plans himself. Ulani then interrupts, realizing an argument is developing. She reminds Sisko that a few adjustments will need to be made to the station's signalling array so that it can accommodate the transmissions, who assures her Chief O'Brien's people can handle it while they take the USS Defiant to the Gamma Quadrant and deploy the relay. With that, the meeting concludes and Gilora and Ulani head back to their quarters. Turning to Kira, Sisko jokes, "Now those are about the two friendliest vipers I've ever met" which elicits a few strange looks from Dax and O'Brien. Just when it seems like everything is in order, Ulani returns to the wardroom and informs Sisko that another of their colleagues, Dejar, will be arriving later in the day. Sisko politely says that quarters will be arranged by the time she arrives. Ulani thanks him and heads out, leaving Sisko to brief his senior staff on another issue. However, just as the Commander takes his seat, he pauses, noticing an expressionless Kira staring at the bulkhead. He asks her what is wrong. "There are going to be three of them" she replies, "Three vipers, just like in the prophecy." In the security office, Odo reveals that Vedek Yarka is no longer a Vedek at all; he was stripped of his title two months ago because he didn't adhere to Bajoran beliefs, at least that is the official reason. Odo happens to know from his sources that Yarka led a series of protests against the Vedek Assembly when they endorsed the peace treaty with Cardassia. Sisko theorizes that Yarka is using the prophecy as a way to scuttle the treaty. Odo agrees, saying it is also coloring his view of it as well just like Sisko's agenda colors the way he sees it. The Commander defends himself, saying he wants the project to go ahead in the interests of peace and if he thought for a moment that the wormhole was in danger, he would put a stop to it. But that isn't what Odo is referring to. He has observed how Sisko prefers to distance himself from the title of "Emissary", that he has never been comfortable with it. Sisko sighs in agreement, "I can't deny that", he says before realizing Odo may be hinting at something more. He asks him if he thinks he is dismissing the prophecy too easily because he doesn't want to be the Emissary. Odo says he isn't suggesting anything. It has simply been his understanding that all humanoids have an agenda of some sort, an agenda that can influence their decisions without them knowing it. Meanwhile, Kira and Doctor Bashir are taking a walk down the Promenade, discussing how Morn was taken ill by a bad glass of Quark's Kanar. Kira quips he should get a refund, though, as Bashir explains, the odd thing is it was on the house. Half-way down the Promenade, they are interrupted by Yarka. After Bashir excuses himself, Yarka implores Kira to talk to Sisko about the prophecy and convince him not to go ahead with the project but Kira denies him, explaining that he is her superior officer and she must deal with him on that basis first, thereby keeping her work and beliefs separate. But Yarka continues to insist she not turn her back on her faith and present his case to Sisko. "Without your faith, Nerys", he says, "what do you have left?" In Quark's, Dax is discussing Cardassian poetry with Ulani and Gilora, while a bored O'Brien looks on. She reveals that one of her previous hosts, Tobin, actually got to meet Iloja of Prim during his exile on Vulcan, much to the scientists disbelief. At that moment, Quark arrives and presents their colleague, Dejar. After the necessary introductions, Ulani expresses her surprise at her early arrival. Dejar explains that she was able to arrange special transportation. There is an uncomfortable aura between the two which Dax and O'Brien seem to pick up on. Quark certainly does as he attempts to alleviate it by presenting some traditional Cardassian food; Tojal in yamok sauce and Regova eggs. Though Dejar seems to enjoy it, Gilora and Ulani admit they don't really care for Cardassian cuisine, to everyone's amusement, that is everyone but Dejar. Later, in Ops, O'Brien is assisting Gilora with the work needed to interface the transceiver with the station. As she pulls away one of the panels in the engineering pit, Gilora gasps in amazement at the sight of the modified conduits. O'Brien explains he had to make some modifications in order to meet Starfleet codes and regulations which require a secondary backup system. Gilora points out that the chances of both the primary system and its backup failing at the same time are extremely unlikely and although O'Brien agrees, he says he wouldn't like to be caught without a secondary backup in a crunch. She reluctantly decides to find another way to go about the modifications and begins making some calculations on her PADD. When O'Brien tries to provide some assistance, she shuts him out, requiring some time to think. "Fine", an annoyed O'Brien says, sitting himself quietly down on one of the consoles. Unaware of her obvious abruptness, she then asks him to get her a cup of red leaf tea. "Why not?!" O'Brien sarcastically responds, climbing out of the pit. On the Defiant, Kira reports the communication relay has been loaded into the cargo bay and the Chief should be ready in four hours. Sisko acknowledges the information and instructs Dax to set a course for the wormhole. In the Gamma Quadrant, Dax runs a complete scan of nearby space, checking for any Dominion presence. The scan initially turns up negative but just as Sisko gives the order to deploy the relay, sensors detect a rogue comet just inside detection range. Dax reports that it contains an abnormal amount of silithium giving it an unusually bright tail. As Kira observes the comet on the viewscreen, she remembers four words from the prophecy, "The sword of stars." Ulani says Kira's choice of words is a very colorful way to describe a comet. She replies by saying it's simply a figure of speech. Ulina turns her attention back to her work, noting the comet will pass close to the wormhole but shouldn't interfere with their plans. Sisko orders Dax to begin a final systems check on the relay station, to deploy it within the hour, before summoning the Major to another room for a more private conversation. They arrive in one of the crew cabins where the Commander instructs her to keep the prophecy to herself, especially while on the bridge of the Defiant; he doesn't want the Cardassians finding out about it. Kira agrees. Sitting himself down on one of the bunks, Sisko sighs, correctly ascertaining that she believes the prophecy is coming true. Kira tells him that he has a decision to make here and now, confessing she has always believed him to be the Emissary of the Prophets. "It's hard to work for someone who's a religious icon", she smiles. But Sisko doesn't share her convictions and reminds her that he considers himself a Starfleet officer, not an Emissary, and if he is to call off this mission, it would have to be a solid reason, a Starfleet reason. Kira proposes that the Prophets -- or wormhole aliens -- passed their knowledge of the future onto Trakor who then wrote it down in the form of his prophecy, and now, three thousand years later, they are seeing those events unfold. "To me", she argues, "that reason sounds concrete, solid, I'd even call it Starfleet." Just then, Dax interrupts over the comm, advising they are ready to deploy the relay. Kira looks at him with hope in her eyes, hope that he will change his mind and stop the project. But where she sees a prophecy, Sisko sees a comet. "I'm on my way", he responds. Back on the station, Gilora is working on an ODN relay while O'Brien stands watching in the background. She complains of all the modifications and replacements he has made which makes her job even more difficult. O'Brien tries to convince her that if she would explain to him what she intends to do, he could help. She responds by admitting it is because he is a man that she is so reluctant to accept his help. "Men just don't seem to have a head for this sort of thing", she says. The Chief is persistent, telling her that nobody knows the systems better than him, including her and she would be wise to accept his help. Gilora concedes, handing him the laser torch she was using. On the other side of the wormhole, the relay is in position alongside the Defiant. Dax reports she is ready to initiate the relay's transmission array. Dejar reports the test signal from the relay is coming through clearly while Ulani instructs Dax to initiate a carrier wave in the Delta band frequency. She explains that if the station receives it, they will send an acknowledging signal on the same frequency. Sisko smiles in anticipation, while Kira remains noticeably concerned. After a few seconds of silence, it becomes apparent that the transmission was unsuccessful. Pressing a few buttons on her PADD, Ulani then instructs Dax to initiate the signal along the theta-band frequency. Almost immediately, it becomes clear that something is wrong. The wormhole springs open, emitting a massive neutrino surge, rocking the Defiant back and forth, just as Kira reports the its gravity well has increased by a factor of three. Sisko quickly orders Dax to terminate the carrier wave, closing the wormhole. Sisko seeks an explanation but nobody can provide one -- the signal should not have affected the wormhole at all. Before anyone can theorize what happened, Dax announces the comet has been pulled off course and it's heading straight for the wormhole. If it enters, the silithium will cause a cascade reaction, collapsing the wormhole permanently. Everyone is assembled in the wardroom where Dax explains the carrier wave they transmitted created a subspace inversion in the wormhole, which caused the gravity well to form. Ulani reveals the possibility of a subspace inversion was present in one of their simulations but it only presented less than a two percent risk so they chose to leave it out of the information they sent. Sisko tells them they prefer to examine all possibilities before conducting field tests, to which she agrees, however, the Cardassian Science Ministry falls under the purview of the military and they are always instructed not to make a project look unnecessarily dangerous. The Commander advises them all to keep that in mind when they resume work on the relay. Dejar, who has been quiet up until now, declares a new team will most likely be assembled prior to another attempt. Turning their attention to the comet, Dax explains that a tractor beam would most likely cause it to fragment into more pieces, creating a bigger mess. Gilora comments the same thing would happen if they tried to destroy it with a phaser beam though O'Brien's not so sure. He thinks that he can modify the Defiant's phaser array to be wide enough to encompass the entire comet. Sisko directs him to start right away and concludes their meeting. On the Defiant, O'Brien, and Gilora are working away in one of the jefferies tubes. The chief explains what he is attempting to do but it seems Gilora is far more interested in O'Brien himself than the work. As he reaches into an emitter coupling, she grabs his hand and holds it up to hers. "You have very steady hands", she says. A confused O'Brien doesn't quite know what to make of it, simply replying, "Well, they get the job done," before removing his hand from hers. Attempting to get back to his work, O'Brien leans inside the emitter and continues his adjustments, before she suddenly surprises him yet again. "I am quite fertile", she says, prompting O'Brien to bang his head on the paneling in shock. "I could provide you with many healthy children, if that's your concern, but frankly I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself." O'Brien is astonished by what she is saying, and says that he already has a child and a wife. It seems that she mistook his irritability for a desire to pursue a physical relationship. The chief suddenly understands and says that he is not remotely interested in her. Just as the words escape his mouth, he realizes he has said the wrong thing and tries to soften the blow, but Gilora understands what his feelings are towards her and, turning around, crawls back out of the Jefferies tube, leaving him to finish the adjustments on his own. Dax arrives in Sisko's office, reporting that O'Brien says the phasers will be ready in half an hour. Sisko acknowledges her but seems to be more interested in what's on his computer display. He states that he has been looking through the Bajoran prophecys and nearly all of them can be considered accurate if they are interpreted in a certain way. Dax observes he is afraid that Trakor's Third Prophecy will come true unless he sends the Cardassians home; "The gates of heaven will burn and be cast open." She asks him what he would do if he had never heard the prophecy. Sisko obviously replies that he would continue to work on the relay, to which Dax offers him two choices; he can make his own decisions or allow the prophecies to make them for him. The commander leans forward and turns off his monitor, before standing up in front of Dax. "As soon as the Defiant is ready", he says, "have the Cardassians meet us on board." The time soon arrives. The Defiant exits the wormhole and Sisko orders Dax to place them within ten kilometers of the comet. As soon as O'Brien reports the phasers are locked on target, the Commander gives the order to fire. But something goes wrong. The entire weapons relay blows, sending sparks flying across the bridge. Dax reveals the modified phasers never came online and they actually fired at the comet with standard phasers, fracturing it instead of vaporizing it as intended. There's now three fragments and they're only twenty six minutes away from the wormhole. Without weapons, there is no way to stop them. O'Brien explains that the main emitter coupling has been depolarized, something which must have happened when he tried to modify the power flow. He is noticeably annoyed with himself as it's something a first year engineering student wouldn't miss. Throughout the whole thing, Gilora and Ulani each send an icy glare at Dejar as if they know something. Dejar stares back defying them to say anything, but Gilora does. She reveals that Dejar is a member of the Obsidian Order and was assigned to them for security. Sisko then puts two and two together. The Obsidian Order has long been opposed to the peace treaty with Bajor and would happily see the project fail if it damaged Bajoran relations. Dejar unconvincingly insists it's all speculation, but is confined to quarters nonetheless. With Dejar out of the way, they begin to develop a plan on how to stop the comet. Ulani suggests expanding a subspace field around the fragments, which might just be enough to contain the silithium during transit through the wormhole. O'Brien suggests using the warp drive to generate the field, but as the Defiant is too large to maneuver in between the fragments, Sisko decides they'll have to use a shuttlepod and he is going to be the pilot. After ordering Kira to assume command and take the ship back to the Alpha Quadrant he starts to head off, but is soon stopped by the Major, who expresses her desire to join him, to help her Emissary. Not needing much convincing, Sisko hands the bridge over to Dax instead. In the shuttlepod, Sisko lays in a course for the tail-end of the fragments, allowing them to easier position themselves between the large chunks of rock and ice. Meanwhile, the Defiant exits the wormhole on the side of Alpha Quadrant. Dax orders the helm to maintain position and ready transporters, just in case. Assuming the position, Kira activates the subspace field, encompassing all of the fragments in one bubble. From inside the cockpit, the wormhole can be seen as it flashes open in a bright light, dragging the pod and the fragments through. At first the field seems to be holding, but it soon begins to lose integrity as small amounts of silithium slip through. Sisko instructs her to route power from the engines into the field. Their own inertia will have to carry them the rest of the way. On the Defiant, O'Brien detects the standard neutrino surge as the wormhole opens to reveal the shuttlepod, intact with the fragments. Sisko sighs a sigh of relief as he deactivates the subspace field holding them in place. Just as Dax checks they're alright, O'Brien announces the test signal from the relay is being broadcast through the wormhole. It turns out the fragments left just enough of a silithium trail to allow subspace signals to pass through. Kira realizes that all this time they had misinterpreted the prophecy. The "three vipers" didn't mean the Cardassians, but the three comet fragments; "peering through the temple gates" was a reference to the attempt to establish the communications relay in the first place. "Burning the temple gates" referred to the silithium's reaction with the wormhole itself to create a subspace filament through the wormhole; which in the end did provide a communication pathway, "so the temple gates would never close again. And the "sword of stars" used by the Emissary referred to the comet's silithium tail itself. Back on the station, O'Brien is walking Gilora back to the airlock. He thanks her for what she did back on the Defiant and hopes she doesn't face too much trouble when she gets back to Cardassia. She believes her superiors will protect her from any serious repercussions and that Dejar will be the one in trouble when the Obsidian Order finds out she failed in her duty. As they reach the airlock, she turns to the chief, telling him he has a lucky wife. Giving him a small kiss on the cheek, she finally says, "Goodbye, Mister O'Brien", before turning and heading out towards the airlock, leaving the chief to reflect on recent events. Shortly thereafter, Yarka is walking with Sisko down the Promenade. He takes the opportunity to apologize to the commander for doubting him and admits his own distrust for the Cardassians "blinded him to the Prophets' words." As they continue walking, he reveals something more; there are signs of Trakor's Fourth Prophecy coming true in the near future and it includes the Emissary. Thinking about it for a moment, the commander replies, "Tell me about it". 
<EOS>
A young woman named Emi is grasping Quark's ears from behind, presumably giving him or leading up to oo-mox, as he is obviously enjoying the experience. She is attempting to get Quark to finalize a deal whereby she will purchase self-sealing stem bolts from him, but he says it can wait since Emi's family will not return to Deep Space 9 for another week. Rom enters Quark's quarters and ruins the party, telling his brother that they need to leave. However, it is too late; Grand Nagus Zek and his servant Maihar'du enter behind Rom moments later. Although Zek's head is covered and Maihar'du does not speak as usual, it seems the Nagus plans to move in with Quark. Elsewhere on Deep Space 9, Doctor Bashir is called to the wardroom, where he learns from Sisko that he has been nominated for the Carrington Award, the Federation's most prestigious medical award, and finds the entire senior staff waiting for him to congratulate him on being the youngest nominee in the award's history. Despite the honor he seems less than enthusiastic, to everyone's surprise. He later confides in Dax (who submitted his name for consideration) that the Carrington Award honors a lifetime of achievement in the field of medicine and, as such, most people nominated are far older than he is. As a result, he knows he has no chance of winning due to his youth. Meanwhile, Quark has moved into Rom's untidy quarters and has found living with his brother unbearable. Nog is visiting Ferenginar, so the place is messier than usual. Quark is further angered that his Aldebaran whiskey and other items from the bar have been taken. He decides that the two of them -- or rather, Rom -- will confront the Nagus to find out what is going on. As soon as he observes that Zek is more than happy to see Rom, Quark comes out from his nearby hiding place and greets the Nagus. Quark and Rom find that Zek has composed his "crowning achievement": The Rules of Acquisition: Revised for the Modern Ferengi. Zek gives them a copy and leaves them to read it; Quark is excited, until he reads the first rule in it: "If they want their money back, give it to them." The two then notice Maihar'du crying in the corner. Quark attempts to find some sort of master plan in the Nagus' work, looking for a secret code hidden within the "new rules" -- he and Rom attempt to "discover" the code by reading one word from each page (which, naturally, translate as gibberish), but the two are hilariously unsuccessful. Still convinced the new rules are part of a scheme, he decides to go along with it for now. Later, Quark and Rom are in the bar when Zek arrives. Continuing to exhibit his vastly different new personality, Zek buys a round of drinks for everyone, since it will make them happy and, in turn, will make him happy. Quark goes along with it and offers Zek Hupyrian beetle snuff, however, he refuses, saying it's not fun for the beetles. Quark is then horrified to learn that Zek has told Emi where she could buy self-sealing stem bolts at wholesale; much less than what he was offering. He said he was concerned she was taken advantage of. Quark walks off, and Rom expresses his surprise. Zek says it will take time to get used to the "new ways" and asks Rom to walk with him. Meanwhile, Bashir and O'Brien are playing darts, as they have been playing much too many racquetball games. They're both rusty, but wanting to play some game. To throw Bashir off, O'Brien starts talking about the Carrington competition. Bashir calmly says any of the others would make a fine recipient, and still doesn't assert his worthiness. O'Brien continues his jabs, saying he would vote for Bashir, but that most other people would wonder who he is. Bashir then turns the tables, changing the conversation to Keiko's absence. Now, O'Brien can't hit the board. Upon returning to his quarters that night, Quark finds Rom busy with several other Ferengi transforming the quarters. Rom explains that it will be the new headquarters of the Ferengi Benevolent Association. Quark takes Rom into the other room by the ear, having enough of what's going on with Zek. Contrary to normal Ferengi values, the association seems to have been created for the same purpose its name implies: helping other people, free of charge. Rom insists Zek is a visionary and that the both of them are going to be central to his plan. Rom is excited about becoming a "new kind" of Ferengi, though he is not sure what that means at the moment. He continues to repeat concepts incomprehensible to Quark, then tells him they are both co-chairmen of the Association and will accompany Zek back to Ferenginar when he announces to the whole Ferengi Alliance. Now, Quark is alarmed as this will undoubtedly result in the three of them being killed for the ideas. Finally, Quark takes Zek to Dr. Bashir, who examines the older Ferengi thoroughly but finds nothing wrong. Quark cannot believe it, and insists on more tests, even insulting him and bringing up the Carrington competition. He eventually relents, and Zek expresses his appreciation with a bar of latinum, suggesting to donate it to charity if Bashir does not want to accept it. Interestingly, Zek mentions that he will be giving a gift to the Bajoran people that night at the Bajoran shrine as a ceremony, and hopes Bashir attends. He leaves, telling Quark there's a lot of needy people out there. Quark and Rom sneak onto the Nagus' Zek's shuttle to find what the "gift" is. They're interrupted by Maihar'du, but, instead, he brings them into the shuttle. He reveals that the gift is a Bajoran Orb. Quark tries to get some answers, but Maihar'du cannot say. Rom tries to look inside the Orb box, but Quark tries to wrestle it from him instead. It comes open in Quark's direction, and he has an odd orb experience in which he is taunted by Zek's figure about not understanding and being fearful. Afterwards, Quark learns that the new rules were a "gift" from the Bajoran Prophets to Zek. He and Rom discover, through Zek's personal logs, that, as soon as he received the Orb from his contact on Cardassia III, Zek headed for the Bajoran wormhole, apparently intent on using the Prophets' ability to see the future for financial gain. Quark determines to go in himself and find out what happened. Meanwhile, at the Replimat, Bashir is busy on a PADD. Even Odo is caught up in the craze about the Carrington, and so comes to offer a "revelation" from a distant contact that Wade will not win the award, increasing the odds for the rest. Despite the fact he is apparently certain he is not going to win, Odo manages get Bashir to accidentally admit he's been working on an acceptance speech. Zek is at a terminal talking to a party who needs Kohlanese barley, and is going out of his way to acquire some. He cuts off the transmission when Maihar'du, Quark and Rom come in, quickly kidnapping Zek and take him into the wormhole aboard his ship. Throughout the ordeal, oddly, he remains extremely pleasant and not disturbed at all. Once inside the wormhole, Quark opens the Orb of Wisdom (as Zek reveals it is called), instantly gaining the wormhole aliens' attention. The aliens inform Quark that they found Zek's goals to be "adversarial" and "aggressive." As a result, they "restored" Zek to a more peaceful state. Quark demands that they change Zek back, but the aliens decide to change him as well. However, Quark manages to convince them that doing so will only bring more Ferengi who will want to know what happened. He proposes that if they change Zek back, they will never have to speak with his people again. The Prophets agree and set Zek back to normal. Quark is very pleased when states that he plans to sell the Orb of Wisdom to the Bajorans, and intends to make them pay a lot for it. In the wardroom, people have gathered for the announcement of the Carrington Award recipient and everyone is disappointed to find that it has gone to Henri Roget, someone who was never considered a serious contender. Although Bashir acts like he's not surprised, he admits to Dax even though he felt he wasn't going to win he's still disappointed he didn't. Zek leaves the station, making sure that Quark and Rom have destroyed every last copy of the new Rules of Acquisition and will tell no-one that he donated to charity. Quark laments that despite going through a lot, he didn't manage to make some kind of profit. Rom admits to having made enough of a profit from both of them by embezzling from the Nagus. Quark congratulates him and says that this piece of theft would make their father proud. 
<EOS>
Dr. Bashir is tending to Chief O'Brien in the Ops pit. When O'Brien asks what happened, Commander Sisko tells him that one of the plasma conduits blew out while he was attempting to re-route a phase inducer. Bashir tells him that he has a mild case of radiation poisoning, before injecting him with a dose of hyronalin to counter the effects. The doctor recommends O'Brien be placed on light duty for the next few days. Sisko agrees. Before they can discuss the matter further, Major Kira interrupts with news that a Romulan delegation has arrived and is requesting permission to dock. Sisko allows them to dock at bay 12; he and Kira will meet them there. Before heading out, the Commander gives O'Brien one word of advice. "Light means light," he says. Sisko doesn't want O'Brien spending the night crawling through Jefferies tubes looking for power surges. The Chief jokingly replies, "You won't get any arguments today, Commander." On the Promenade, Kira and Sisko are on their way to meet the Romulan delegation when a drunken Klingon staggers out of Quark's, assisted by two Bajoran security guards. Constable Odo explains that a Klingon freighter had to dock with the station and, due to a computer error, will not be able to depart until it is repaired, which will take at least two more days. Sisko takes Odo aside and asks him to keep a close eye on the Klingons, as the commander doesn't want them to get in the way of the Romulans. Odo acknowledges Sisko's request and the drunken Klingon is taken to a holding cell. Kira and Sisko continue to the docking port, where two Starfleet security guards are waiting. The circular doors are wheeled back and a Romulan named Ruwon steps out, followed closely by his aide, Karina, and two guards. Sisko offers them accommodation after their long trip but all Ruwon is interested in are intelligence reports on the Dominion. The commander exchanges a brief glance with Kira, before escorting their guests to the wardroom. In his bar, Quark is hanging up a dartboard for O'Brien, but he is skeptical it will bring him any profit. The chief, in his confidence, notes that "darts and bars go together like bacon and eggs" to which Quark reminds him that people actually order bacon and eggs, and no-one has yet asked to see a dartboard. In an attempt to convince, O'Brien hands Quark some darts and challenges him to hit the bulls-eye. Quark, unaware of how to play the game, throws them all at once, hitting Morn non-fatally in the process. The Ferengi points out how dangerous the game is; after all, if one of his customers was injured, he could be held liable. But the chief doesn't give in and picks up a dart, intent on showing Quark how the game is properly played. As he aims for the board, there is a bright flash of light and he is transported to the upper level of the Promenade. But something isn't quite right. O'Brien looks across the way and sees himself, arguing with Quark about the damage the Klingons are doing to two of his holosuites. A confused look comes across his face as the other O'Brien tells Quark to keep the Klingons out of the holosuites from now on. Finishing his conversation, he turns away, and the two lock eyes, both incredibly confused by what is happening. But before they can say anything, the original O'Brien is back in Quark's. His dart hits the bulls-eye and he falls to the floor, disoriented. In the infirmary, Doctor Bashir explains that the chief's earlier collapse was due to a sudden decrease in his serum calcium levels, a common side effect of the radiation poisoning, and gives him a dose of asinolyathin for the pain. The doctor continues to explain that his "vision" was also likely a mild side-effect, though the Chief isn't fully convinced. He explains it to Bashir, who jokingly mocks him, saying he has a "sadly deficient fantasy life". On that note, O'Brien sarcastically "thanks" the doctor for his help and leaves. In the wardroom, Ruwon proclaims that the Dominion is the greatest threat the Alpha Quadrant has seen in the last century and wants to know exactly what Sisko and his crew have obtained through use of their cloaking device on the USS Defiant. When the commander admits they know very little, Karina responds, asking about Odo, incorrectly referring to him as a Founder. She believes he can tell them all they need to know about the Dominion, though Major Kira soon corrects her, informing her that Odo may be a Changeling but he is not a Founder and wants nothing to do with them. The commander backs her up by telling them it is the truth, "whether they chose to believe it or not". Ruwon reminds Sisko that they agreed to install the cloaking device in exchange for information on the Dominion, but they have received very little so far. He goes on to demand every piece of information Starfleet has on them no matter how insignificant, including any classified reports made to Starfleet Command. Sisko says he will have to clear it with his superiors first. On the upper level of the Promenade, Quark is complaining to O'Brien about the damage the Klingons have caused to the holosuites. In the middle of his sentence, O'Brien stops and, remembering his previous vision, looks across the way to where he was standing before. Another O'Brien is standing there, watching them. This time, Quark sees him too and observes that O'Brien has bigger problems than his holosuites. A few seconds later, the other O'Brien disappears. In Sisko's office, Jadzia Dax reports that she did detect a minor temporal disturbance in Quark's, and another later on the Promenade, round about the same time O'Brien had his visions. It soon becomes apparent that O'Brien did travel to the future and then back again, to the same moment he left. Dax theorizes that the ionizing radiation he was exposed to earlier may have something to do with it and wants to examine Doctor Bashir's medical scans. Before she can explain further, the chief flashes back to Quark's in the middle of a bar fight and sees himself fighting with a Klingon. After finishing off a Romulan, another Klingon takes out his d'k tahg and heads towards him. O'Brien quickly grabs the Klingon's arm, knocking the dagger away and throwing him to the floor. Just as he avoids a bar stool being thrown at him, he flashes back to the Commander's office, where he again collapses to the floor. Dax and Sisko quickly rush to his aid, but he doesn't respond; he is unconscious. Back in the infirmary, Bashir has run a micro-cellular scan and has detected damage to O'Brien's cerebrospinal nerve cells, which he thinks has been caused by the timeshifting. The doctor explains that while he can repair the current damage, the effect is cumulative and that there may come a time, if the timeshifting continues, when he can no longer repair the damage, and O'Brien could die. Sisko comforts him, saying Dax is using every scanner on the station to hunt for any temporal abnormalities, which is of some relief to O'Brien. "If anyone can find the cause of the timeshifts, it's Dax", he says with a relaxed smile. The commander goes on to ask him if he was aware how far ahead the timeshifts are taking him, in case it affects the meeting with the Romulans, but he doesn't know. Sisko decides to ask Odo to increase security around Quark's just in case. At that moment, Major Kira walks in and, after asking how O'Brien is, she walks Commander Sisko onto the Promenade. As they pass a Bajoran stall, she explains that the Romulans want to debrief everyone who was on the Defiant when it was captured by the Founders and unrestricted access to the ship and all personal logs. Sisko immediately rejects access to personal logs, but decides to permit them limited access to the ship and debriefings of crew. He explains to Kira how the Romulans are completely dependent on them for information to which a frustrated Kira suggests they send their own ships through the wormhole. He continues to explain how the Romulans generally prefer to sit back and pull the strings from a distance if they can, and though Kira replies she is one puppet who doesn't like her strings pulled, she accepts his orders. As they part ways, Sisko reminds her to be diplomatic, to which she replies "I'm always diplomatic!". In the wardroom, Kira yells at the Romulans for insinuating she abandoned the Defiant prematurely during the battle with the Jem'Hadar but they only see her emotional outburst as evidence that they are correct. Relaxing a little, she continues to explain how she was trapped in a hand-to-hand fight below decks and was knocked unconscious, before Odo put her on the shuttle. She says she only came to after they had left the ship and there was nothing they could have done. Ruwon begins to question why Odo didn't help any of the other crew but Kira defends him, insisting they were blocked in. Karina then asks her why she was in Odo's quarters before the attack and rather keenly suspects the Odo might be harboring feelings for Kira, which pushes Kira further over the edge. She puts an abrupt end to their questioning saying they can rip the cloaking device from the Defiant and advises them not to ask Odo the same questions or they may just find themselves on the other side of the bulkhead, floating home. Ruwom and Karina share a nervous glance as Kira storms out of the room, pushing the guards to one side. In Quark's, Bashir has just beaten O'Brien in the tenth game of darts in a row. He tells the chief that because he has told them what happened he has changed the future, and with the increased security and Quark's promise not to let the Klingons in, the fight won't happen, though O'Brien isn't entirely convinced. Just then, three Klingons make their way down from the holosuites. The chief grabs Quark by his arm and demands an explanation as to why they are in the bar. Pulling out a bar of latinum, he replies that the Klingons weren't in the bar, they were in the holosuites, and besides, they are paying him triple to use them. The three Klingons walk over to the two Romulans sat down and call them "filthy petaQ". Another suggests they "show them the way out". Not ones to take insults, the two Romulans stand and confront their aggressors. In the security office, Kira is telling Odo what Ruwon said about them, which makes Odo feel slightly uncomfortable given that he does have feelings for her. They are suddenly interrupted by a call from Quark; a fight has broken out in the bar. O'Brien gets into a fist fight with a Klingon, knocking him to the floor. He then sees his younger self, who attacks another Klingon wieldying a d'k'tagh thereby fulfilling his second vision. As he warns his past self about the flying bar stool, Odo rushes in and breaks up the fight. But before O'Brien has a chance to recover, he is again flung into another future. This time, he appears in a corridor in the habitat ring where he sees his future self opening a panel. He calls out to him but before he can do anything a sharp bolt of energy is fired out from the panel, knocking his future self to the ground. The chief rushes to see if he's alright, but after feeling his pulse, he realizes he is dead. O'Brien awakens in the infirmary where he was taken after the fight. Bashir tells him everything is OK and he's going to be alright, but O'Brien knows otherwise. "No, I'm not" he says, "In a few hours I'm going to be dead!". Sisko, O'Brien, and Odo are in the corridor where the accident happened. The chief believes it was some sort of phaser or high-energy laser that killed his future self but a scan of the bulkhead reveals nothing. Odo carefully opens the panel but again there is nothing by the computer display inside. They theorize that the perpetrator has yet to plant the device but he will do so in the next few hours. Odo suggests placing a surveillance device in the corridor so they can observe if anyone does indeed try and tamper with the panel, at which point they are interrupted by Dax over the comm system. She wants Sisko and O'Brien to head up to Ops; she says she has found a clue as to the chief's timeshifting. Up in Ops, Dax explained she tried several scans of the surrounding space but got nothing until she ran a scan on the lower subspace bandwidths with turned up some curious tetryon emissions. O'Brien remarks he hasn't seen emissions like that outside of a neutron star. Dax, however, suggests the presence of a quantum singularity, the only strange thing is that it isn't affecting the gravimetric field signature of the station as it should. Sisko, assuming that a quantum singularity is responsible, turns to Bashir and asks how its effects can be combated. Bashir theorizes that the singularity is attracted to the delta series radioisotopes in O'Brien's body, effectively pulling him along like a magnet. And if that's the case, he may have a cure for it, but it's going to take time. He warns the Chief that he could experience one or two more time jumps before the process has been completed. O'Brien wants to get started right away, and so heads down to the infirmary with Bashir. Meanwhile, Sisko orders Dax to continue to pinpoint the singularity in an effort to get rid of it. Just then, Major Kira enters Ops and informs the commander she had to move the Romulans to alternative quarters as the replicators were malfunctioning. It just so happens that the quarters she has moved them to are on level 2, section 47, directly adjacent to the area where the future O'Brien was killed. Kira suggests moving them to a different room, but Sisko objects so as not to alert those responsible. Instead, he tells her to inform Odo and let the scenario play out before they make any further moves. A short while later, Sisko is summoned to Odo's office where he informs him that someone has planted a class 3 surveillance device in the bulkhead, though he doesn't know who as they used a low energy transporter to put it there. He goes on to say that although they cannot trace the transporter signal, he believes it originated from the station as there were no ships in range at the time. The Klingons are the prime suspects but Odo also intends to investigate the Bajorans, Quark, and the visiting Terellians just to make sure. In Quark's, Bashir and O'Brien are waiting out the time he has until his death in the other future when Quark arrives with the drinks they ordered. Being his usual self, he also asks O'Brien to keep an eye out for the numbers on the dabo wheel next time he jumps into the future. O'Brien doesn't pay any attention to him and suggests he and Bashir leave. As they exit the upper level, O'Brien is again flung into the future, this time he is in the infirmary. He notices a body on one of the biobeds, covered in a white sheet. He slowly walks towards it and lifts the top to reveal his own corpse. O'Brien covers up his dead body lying on the biobed when Bashir walks round the corner. He had been expecting him and has some important news for the chief to pass onto Bashir's past self. The radiation had damaged the basilar arteries in O'Brien's brain stem which hadn't shown up on any scans and was only picked up in the autopsy. Bashir instructs him to tell his former self to run a basilar arterial scan so he can detect and repair the damage in time. O'Brien begins to argue with Bashir about his inability to save him, but he flashes back to the upper level of the Promenade. O'Brien falls to the floor and Bashir summons a nurse and an emergency medkit there immediately. In the habitat ring, Odo explains to Sisko that he was finally able to trace back the source of the transporter beam to some empty quarters. Sisko speculates that they brought in a portable transporter but Odo quickly discounts it as the technology is too bulky to be dragging around the halls. Sisko nods in agreement as Odo continues to explain how they modified the replicator, turning it into a mini-transporter by realigning the matter energy conversion matrix; a very sophisticated and professional job. Reaching into the replicator circuitry, Odo pulls out a device which he says is manufactured on Davlos III, a planet on the Klingon border and which does ninety percent of its trade with the Klingon Empire. Sisko doesn't think it is enough to hold the Klingons and Odo agrees but there's more. A friend at Starfleet Intelligence that used to be assigned to the Federation embassy on Qo'noS put him in contact with an old Klingon operative who provided him with information showing the three Klingons currently on the station are part of a covert strike force, reporting directly to the High Council. They now have enough to hold the Klingons for questioning, questioning that Odo feels can continue until after the Romulans have left the station. Sisko agrees though tells Odo to be careful, to which he replies, "There is no careful way to question a Klingon." O'Brien is back in the infirmary where Bashir is scanning him. He wakes up and tells Bashir he needs to run the basilar arterial scan or he'll die within a few hours. "Well, who am I to argue with me?", Bashir jokes. Meanwhile, Odo has arrested the three Klingon operatives: Bo'rak, Atul and Morka and has placed them in a holding cell for the time being. He accuses them of being spies and saboteurs, to which they simply reply with threats of vengeance. Odo tries a threat of his own by telling them if they help him he will forgo telling the Klingon Intelligence service that they have been captured. He says from what he hears they frown on operatives who fail their missions. The Klingons look at each other thinking about his offer. Back in Ops, Bashir informs Sisko that he has eliminated almost all of the radioisotopes from O'Brien's system and the last treatment is in a couple more hours, after which there should be no more timeshifting. Dax also reports that the quantum singularity is orbiting the station in a roughly elliptical pattern. O'Brien continues by saying the anomaly radiates temporal energy at certain points in its orbit which seems to be causing his timeshifts. At that very moment, he shifts again. There are lots of people scrambling into a runabout. His future self is at the helm and initiates an emergency escape protocol, disengaging the docking clamps and immediately engaging full impulse. All three of the station's runabouts hastily escape the vicinity as explosions cascade across the habitat ring. The future O'Brien explains he was sleeping when an explosion rocked the station and was on his way to Ops when the evacuation alarm sounded, so got as many people as he could to the runabout before leaving. He tells O'Brien that doesn't know what happened or if the other senior staff made it off the station, and urges him to find out what happened and prevent it. As the runabout flies away, the explosions engulf the station, destroying it. At that point, the wormhole opens only to suddenly collapse an instant later. O'Brien watches the events in horror before he shifts. Back in Ops, Sisko asks the chief what's wrong. "We've got a new problem, sir." he replies. Sisko questions O'Brien on his latest timeshift, asking for any clue of how the station may be destroyed. O'Brien says he noticed some explosions along the habitat ring but it all happened so fast that he couldn't get a clear sense of exactly what was going on. The commander orders a silent preparation for evacuation should it need to come to that, but he doesn't want to do anything that would alarm their enemy into attacking sooner. He also orders Dax to do a complete systems check on anything that could potentially cause this type of disaster. The chief also has an idea. If they could cause him to travel into the future on purpose, this time only by two or three hours, he may be able to find out what the threat is and stop it happening in their timeline. Bashir notes the problem with the plan; in order to do this, O'Brien's body would need to be flooded with delta series radioisotopes and prolonged exposure would kill him. But the chief knows the risks and is willing to do it if it means saving everyone on DS9. After thinking on it for a few seconds, Sisko approves his plan and they get to work. In the infirmary, Bashir instructs O'Brien on a rectangular device designed to inject him with a two rad dose of delta isotopes. He explains to him that the device is already calibrated for the return trip so all he has to do it press it again to return to the present. Bashir warns him that he cannot wait too long or his body will fail due to severe radiation poisoning. On another note, O'Brien mentions a message to Keiko that he has left in his quarters. He wants Bashir to deliver it should the plan fail. Bashir understands. Upon activating the device, O'Brien is transported to his quarters where the future O'Brien is asleep. He manages to wake him and explains the situation. The two of them quickly head for Ops and on arrival a Romulan warbird decloaks and opens fire on the station, taking out the shield generators in the first shots. Kira orders return fire but it is no use, the Romulans have hit the power core. The future O'Brien realizes the orbiting quantum singularity was the power source of the Romulan ship and tells O'Brien to go back and stop it. But he can't. The radiation poisoning has taken its toll on his body and he would die if he did, and would then be unable to warn the crew. Instead he takes off the device and hands it to future O'Brien, convincing him to go back in his place. The new O'Brien wakes up in the infirmary next to Doctor Bashir, who asks how it went. After confirming it worked, O'Brien immediately contacts Sisko in Ops, who raises the station's shields and readies weapons. Bashir quickly realizes that this O'Brien is different; he doesn't have nearly as many delta isotopes in his body and his metabolic readings are completely different. In the wardroom, the Romulans are interviewing Quark, when Sisko, Kira and Odo barge in. The commander tells him to leave before revealing what he knows to Ruwon and Karina. He tells Ruwon how he remembered what he said about the Dominion being the greatest threat to the Alpha Quadrant for a century and that if he truly believed that he would want to close the wormhole for good. Kira finishes by saying that the Federation and Bajor wouldn't just stand by and watch them do it so they would have to destroy the station as well and make it look like an accident. The two Romulans deny the allegations calling it a mere "theory". But Sisko responds by informing them he has about fifty photon torpedoes locked onto their ship. He then asks Odo to escort their "guests" to the nearest transporter room. In Quark's, over darts, O'Brien tells Bashir how weird it is to be living in the past, that it is like living the other O'Brien's life. Bashir says that he's the same O'Brien, just with a few extra memories. As he leaves, he whispers in Quark's lobe, "dabo." Quark doesn't understand what O'Brien means until a small crowd at the wheel yells, "Dabo!" Quark then yells for O'Brien to come back, who simply walks away, laughing. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir and Elim Garak are having their usual lunch together in the Replimat as Garak produces a gift for Bashir: a Cardassian enigma tale holonovel. Although Bashir usually enjoys mystery novels, he confesses his dislike for Cardassian ones, as the suspects are always guilty. Garak points out that the challenge is figuring out who is guilty of what. Bashir reveals that he feels glum because it is his 30th birthday, a sign in Human culture that one has lost one's youth, which contrasts the Cardassian view that growing old is a sign of power and dignity. The conversation is interrupted when Quark approaches with a Lethean companion named Altovar, who is interested in purchasing bio-mimetic gel. Everyone present knows purchasing the gel is illegal, but the Lethean "convinced" Quark to bring him to Bashir. He offers to buy the gel at any price, storming off angrily when Bashir firmly refuses. Later, Bashir returns to the infirmary, where he finds Altovar has broken in. The Lethean grabs his head, releasing an electric discharge of some kind and goes running off with the gel. When he awakens, Bashir finds the computer is off-line and will not respond, the lights are flickering, and he is alone. He wanders out to the Promenade, which is deserted, but he notices his reflection in a mirror and observes that his hair seems somewhat gray. In Quark's, he finds the Ferengi cowering behind the bar, hiding from someone in the shadows. Quark claims whoever it is going to kill everyone; before he can answer any more questions, he runs off. Whoever is in the shadows hurls chairs in every direction, so Bashir follows suit and leaves. Garak surprises Bashir when he reaches the security office, both of them mistaking the other for an intruder. It seems all the station's systems except life support and basic functions are off-line, which Garak suggests might be the result of a virus, anomaly, or a Dominion attack. However, Bashir is interrupted by faint, indistinguishable voices. Garak hears no voices but observes how grey (now more so than previously) Bashir's hair is becoming. The two of them split up, Garak searching the docking ring while Bashir searches the habitat ring and central core. Wandering through a corridor, Bashir hears something behind him. One by one the lights in the corridor begin to shut down, a trail of darkness chasing him as he moves. He soon runs into a force field and is trapped. Bashir narrowly escapes into a turbolift, barely getting away from Altovar, the Lethean from before. There is only a momentary peace as the turbolift descends before the Lethean can be heard pounding on the roof, attempting to break through. Bashir leaves and makes it to the wardroom, where he finds Chief O'Brien, Commander Dax, Major Kira, and Constable Odo. Bashir is glad to see familiar faces, but each person seems somehow out of character. O'Brien is pessimistic and afraid, while Dax seems all too eager to face the Lethean with a phaser, Odo does not trust anyone, and Kira is frustrated with the entire group. However, Bashir is unable to scan the room for anomalies since the computer is down, so they head for a cargo bay where O'Brien believes he can access the proper components to get the station up and running. In the cargo bay the officers continue to bicker while O'Brien attempts to make his repairs. Bashir is still convinced something has affected the others, although from the voices he is hearing and the fact that he appears 60 rather than 30, Kira believes he is the one with a problem. Strangely, O'Brien picks up an audio-only signal from an unknown source, in which Dax appears to be discussing Bashir's condition; he is in a coma and will die within hours. A tricorder scan reveals only delta waves from Bashir. It appears the voices are correct. Bashir finds no life signs from the others. He deduces that they are different parts of his brain and thus he is talking to himself. O'Brien is his sense of doubt. Kira is his sense of aggression. Odo is is his sense of suspicion. Dax is his sense of confidence and adventure. However, as he figures this out Altovar emerges through the side of a nearby container and disappears with Dax. Moving toward Dax, Bashir suddenly finds himself playing tennis with Garak on the Promenade. It seems the station is Bashir's mind and Altovar is the force which is killing him. Garak, a natural choice for Bashir's sense of intrigue, seems pessimistic but agrees to continue searching while Bashir heads for Ops. The situation worsens as Bashir progresses. Wounded people line a corridor and he finds Sisko there with a nurse, trying to heal them just as Bashir might. Naturally, Sisko is his sense of professionalism. The commander agrees to help Bashir (who has aged yet again) get to Ops, but moments later Altovar pulls Sisko into a nearby wall, disappearing once again. Bashir runs, but runs into Altovar, who states he wants to systematically destroy Bashir's mind and then kill him. Bashir runs. Shortly thereafter, Bashir finds a dead Kira and melting Odo, both of whom have fallen victim to the Lethean. As Odo dies, he advises Bashir to use the conduits to get to Ops quicker. Although unsure whether he is going the wrong way, Bashir is determined to find Ops. His hopes rise when he finds O'Brien, but this version of the chief, Bashir's sense of fear and doubt, does not want to face the Lethean. He advises Bashir of which way to go, and reluctantly agrees to go along despite Bashir's rapidly accelerated aging. At the juncture where Bashir should emerge in Ops, he finds himself on the Promenade again, this time outside Quark's, where something important seems to be going on. People are gathered around a table on which Bashir finds his unconscious body; Quark explains that he is taking bets on everything from how long Bashir will live to which organ will fail first. Their conversation is interrupted by dismayed cries from the crowd as O'Brien's lifeless body appears in place of Bashir's. The Lethean appears once Quark calls off the bets, killing the Ferengi and informing Bashir that he is next. The now-decrepit doctor runs as best he can to the Promenade. Bashir falls next to Garak, but he breaks his hip due to his advanced age. Garak does not see how Bashir will fix the station if he is hardly able to walk. Nonetheless he agrees to help Bashir get to Ops, observing how stubborn his friend is. The pair eventually make it to Ops, where there is a surreal feeling. A banner hangs in the otherwise deserted room, proclaiming, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIAN," and a beautiful Bajoran woman in a skin-tight outfit approaches, singing "Happy Birthday to You". Joining in, Garak congratulates Bashir on having a fascinating mind once the song is over. The doctor is still determined to fix the station despite Garak's continued pessimism, but when he opens a panel, he finds not computer circuitry but tennis balls, which fall on him. As Garak reiterates the hopelessness of the situation, Bashir confronts him, claiming he does not belong and demanding to know who he really is. Garak transforms into Altovar. Before Bashir can make it to a turbolift, Altovar confronts him about his past failures -- the way he quit tennis to become a doctor because his parents would not approve, the way he intentionally missed a question on a preganglionic fiber for a postganglionic nerve so he would be second rather than first in his class because of the pressure, the way he has never acted on his feelings for Dax -- which seems to wound Bashir as he knows Altovar is right. However, he activates the turbolift and leaves. Making his way to the infirmary, Bashir appears to know what he is doing. Altovar joins him, confused. Although Ops is the center of the real world, Bashir explains that the infirmary is the center of his. Since Altovar has not killed him, he continues to persist as it appears he must give in for the Lethean to win. Finally, he opens a panel and fixes the computer. Suddenly, the lights come online and the computer begins working, and Bashir activates a quarantine field around Altovar. He then tells the computer to begin sterilization, which causes Altovar to disappear. Bashir now wakes up in a hospital gown in the infirmary, having cured himself. Sisko, Dax, Jabara, and the others are amazed to see him alive. The next day, Bashir and Garak resume their lunches together as usual and the topic of discussion is Bashir's experience with Altovar (who, in the real world, tripped a security alarm and was quickly apprehended by Odo). As Bashir muses that he was lucky to survive his ordeal, Garak tells his friend that Cardassians do not believe in luck, and it was Bashir's strength that saw him through the nightmare. Bashir then says that after being a 100-year-old in his mind, he decides that being 30 is not so bad after all. Garak responds by toasting to his birthday. Garak then brings up on how Bashir's mind subconsciously portrayed him, surprised that after all this time his Human friend still does not seem to trust him. As Bashir fumbles for an explanation, Garak grins and says, "There's hope for you yet." 
<EOS>
Julian Bashir and Elim Garak are having lunch upstairs at Quark's and discussing Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Garak finds it unrealistic that Caesar couldn't have foreseen his own murder -- he was a head of state after all. But Bashir has to run back to the infirmary; there is lots of work to be done. Garak thinks Humans just eat too fast, and he suspects a dark reason explains it. As they leave, Major Kira Nerys finds Bashir and updates him on the problems she has been having in preparing quarters for the Yalosian Ambassador. The combination of gases he breathes dissolved the carpet. Just then, an explosion rocks the Promenade. Bashir sees that it occurred in Garak's tailor shop, and he runs down to see if Garak's all right. Garak is sprawled on the floor amid the flames and debris, but he is conscious. He tells Bashir that his pants won't be ready tomorrow after all. Later, Miles O'Brien and Constable Odo are on the scene investigating. O'Brien says that the explosion was caused by a rupture in a power conduit behind a wall, which was probably caused by an overload in an ODN juncture. Odo grunts his disbelief, noting that it is quite a coincidence that something like this would happen to Garak, of all people. Garak does have many enemies. O'Brien announces he's detected nitrilin, which could be the residue of a micro-explosive device. Odo theorizes that it was planted on the conduit to make the explosion look like an accident. Commander Benjamin Sisko orders all ship departures temporarily delayed. In the infirmary, Garak rhetorically asks why anyone would want to kill a simple tailor. Odo scoffs and reminds Garak that he was in the Obsidian Order. Garak says Odo should not listen too much to the doctor and his "flights of fancy". Sisko urges Garak to take the matter seriously. Garak recalls that there might be a few people who might want him dead, including Major Kira. Odo says that if Kira wanted him dead, he would be. Garak doesn't think that the incident has anything to do with his exile from Cardassia. After all, the Cardassian Finance Ministry usually does not kill anyone. But no one believes that tax evasion is the real reason for Garak's exile. Garak's prevarications anger Sisko -- he does not like explosions on his station. Garak promises to let them know if he can think of anyone who'd try to kill him. Garak is upset, apparently, that no one believes him, even though he is telling the truth. Bashir asks if he has ever heard the Human story, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Garak says no, so Bashir tells him the story, concluding that the moral is that if you lie all the time, no one will ever believe you, even when you do tell the truth. Garak, however, thinks the moral of the story is that you should never tell the same lie twice. In the security office, Odo asks Garak to look over the passenger manifests to see if he can spot a name that might ring a bell. O'Brien comes in and tells Odo, quietly, about some more results of the investigation. Odo thinks they indicate the presence of a pheromonic sensor, which can be used to detonate a bomb when a specific species comes in range. They're known to be used by Flaxian assassins, and Odo observes that a Flaxian came on board the station that day. Odo interrogates the Flaxian, a Mr. Retaya, in the wardroom. Retaya was a merchant dealing in fabrics and fragrances. As he asks the Flaxian questions, Odo pretends to be interested in purchasing a fragrance for a friend, but as he has no sense of smell himself, asks Retaya for his opinion on some of Retaya's products. Odo mixes two fragrances together -- floral and musky. Retaya says that together, they're very nice. Odo asks how they'd be with a spicy perfume added in. Retaya says that he doesn't think Odo's lady friend would like it. Odo moves to add the third, and Retaya stops him assertively. Odo says that the three fragrances, when added together would create a poisonous gas. Retaya says he didn't know that; he merely stopped Odo because he was sure that Odo's friend wouldn't like it. Odo tells Retaya that he'll let him know when he can leave the station. Later, on the upper level of the Promenade, O'Brien tells Odo that the transponder has been installed on the Flaxian's ship. Odo will be able to track the ship up to a half light year away. Arriving at a runabout, Odo finds Garak already there, expecting to go with Odo to follow the Flaxian. Odo tells him to leave, but Garak is insistent, and Odo relents. They depart, and just as the Flaxian ship goes to warp, it explodes. Afterward, in the wardroom, the crew discusses what happened. Lieutenant Jadzia Dax observes that an odd pattern they received through the transponder could have been caused by a forced neutrino inversion. Odo notes that that's a Romulan tactic, and speculates that they killed Retaya after he failed to kill Garak. Garak says he has no idea why the Romulans would want to kill him. This angers Sisko again, but Odo is sure that this time Garak is telling the truth, since he isn't telling an elaborate lie. Later, in a subspace communication, a Romulan member of the Tal Shiar verifies that they did in fact kill Retaya, and they did it legally since he was guilty of crimes against the Romulan Star Empire. Sisko and Odo find her story too convenient. They discuss Garak's uncertain past and decide that Odo will go to Cardassia to see if he can find out anything from his contacts there. Odo meets his contact in a cave on a barren moon. Odo's contact, without letting Odo see him, confirms that the Romulans have something to do with the attempt on Garak's life. But the attack on Garak is merely a small piece of a much larger puzzle. Cloaked Romulan warbirds have been detected near the Cardassian border and there's other activity too. And five other Obsidian Order operatives were also killed the day before, three from "natural causes" and two had unfortunate "accidents". Garak is shocked -- and exuberant -- when Odo informs him of the dead operatives. Odo explodes with anger and accuses Garak of blowing up his own shop. Odo explains that he realized when he spoke to the Flaxian that he wasn't responsible, as assassins don't like to change their methods. the Flaxian had actually been planning to poison Garak. Odo then theorizes that Garak knew that the Flaxian was going to try to kill him and planted the bomb in his shop to get Odo involved in such a way that Garak wouldn't have to explain why someone was trying to kill him and guesses that Garak took perverse satisfaction in seeing his shop burn to the ground. Garak admits that his shop's destruction didn't upset him, then tells Odo that he and the other five were associates of Enabran Tain, but he really does not know why Romulans would want him dead. Garak calls Tain and reaches Mila, Tain's housekeeper. But Tain's not there -- he left in a hurry the day before. Mila has him promise to help Tain, and Garak agrees. When the communication ends, Garak asks for a runabout, and Odo says he's coming with him. Bashir sees Garak off at the airlock, giving him the Delavian chocolates he gave him earlier, saying Garak needs it more than he does. He thanks him and leaves. Once on the runabout, Odo and Garak take a runabout to the third planet of the Unefra system, where Tain has a safe house. Garak tells Odo that Tain was directly responsible for Garak's exile, but won't say why he'd risk his life to save him. Odo guesses that Tain was Garak's mentor and cares about him, despite the exile. But Garak will not confirm nor deny it. Garak retorts by pressing Odo if Odo truly understands humanoid emotions or has any feelings for anyone. Odo won't say, and Garak says that's a wise decision. Later, a Romulan warbird decloaks above the runabout and tractors the runabout into a bay. Odo tries to send a distress signal, but it's jammed. They're boarded and taken to the ship. On board the warbird, Garak and Odo are taken to the bridge, where they find Enabran Tain. Tain says Garak has spared him the effort to send someone else to kill him. Asked about the apparent end of Tain's retirement, Tain says that the ship they are on is part of a Romulan/Cardassian joint fleet that will be soon heading through the wormhole and into the Gamma Quadrant. Odo sees that they plan on attacking the Dominion in a bold first strike. When Garak asks about the Cardassian Central Command, Tain tells him that Central Command knows nothing about it; this is a joint operation of the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar, the intelligence agencies of the Cardassians and Romulans, respectively. They have been building a fleet in the Orias system, a mystery to the Central Command and Starfleet since earlier that year. They intend to wipe out the Founders on their homeworld, defeating the Dominion in one swift stroke. Odo now sees that the Romulans shared the intelligence they received from Starfleet on its location. Garak asks why this plan required killing retired operatives. Tain explains that he intends to resume his active role in the Order, and that he does not want anyone from the old days, who might know a thing or two about Tain, to complicate matters. Garak says that he never betrayed Tain, and there is no reason to kill him. Tain believes Garak, and offers him a choice: he can walk away and Tain won't try to hurt him, or he can join Tain on the mission and all will be forgiven. Odo reminds Garak of all the things Tain did to him -- the exile, the attempt to kill him, but Garak doesn't care. He joins Tain, saying, "I'm back." 
<EOS>
Dr. Bashir is eating lunch with Chief O'Brien while trying to begin the same kind of engaging and lively conversation that he typically would with Garak, who is still missing with Odo as they are investigating the bombing of Garak's tailor shop. Julian quickly finds, however, that Miles prefers to spend his lunch eating than talking leaving the discussion very one-sided. Bashir misses his friend and O'Brien is confident they have not been destroyed because debris from their runabout hasn't been found. O'Brien is called to Ops where tetryon emissions precede the decloaking of the Cardassian-Romulan fleet. The fleet ignores the station's hails and proceeds through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko immediately orders Dax to contact Starfleet Command. On the lead ship of the Cardassian-Romulan fleet, Enabran Tain and Garak reflect upon their times together in the Obsidian Order. Garak says that he intends to "look up" a number of people once he returns to Cardassia Prime, including Gul Dukat. Tain feels that Garak will be able to "eliminate" anyone after the current mission is completed. Romulan Colonel Lovok enters and is introduced to Garak, of whom he is immediately suspicious. Lovok informs them that the fleet has recloaked and are setting course to the Founders' homeworld at warp 6 (any faster could make them detectable through their cloak by the Jem'Hadar). Tain tells Garak that his first assignment is to extract all information that is possible from Odo, who is being held in quarters surrounded by a force field. There, Garak uses his usual fake politeness on Odo, who is angered by the captivity he's suddenly found himself in. Garak has certainly taken to his new position quickly, as he asks Odo for information on the Founders. Odo refuses, and, instead, tells him that Tain remains both Odo's and Garak's enemy, even if it seems like Tain has been taken him back. They both tell each other that they should take the time to think about what's been said, with neither apparently backing down. Back at DS9, the senior staff (along with Security Chief Michael Eddington) is shown an intercepted video in which Tain lays out his plans to destroy the Dominion. Vice Admiral Toddman explains that both the Romulan and Cardassian governments have denied any prior knowledge of the operation, and while they claim to be working on plans to stop Tain it is believed they are happy to sit back and wait since the plan has a very real chance of succeeding. Starfleet is also (unofficially) in support of Tain, as Toddman explains that while he certainly isn't hoping for war, but should there be one, he unquestionably prefers that the Dominion lose it. Toddman then warns that if Tain succeeds, the Jem'Hadar will likely launch a massive retaliatory attack against the Alpha Quadrant and orders Sisko to evacuate Deep Space 9 of non-essential personnel and have the USS Defiant ready for battle. Sisko requests permission to take the Defiant into the Gamma Quadrant to rescue Odo, but Toddman refuses and explicity tells him his priority is to guard Bajor. Directly after the meeting, Sisko instructs the senior staff that as a "volunteer mission" he is going to go to the Gamma Quadrant with the Defiant to rescue Odo, justifying it as they will be able to warn the station (and the task force of nine starships being sent) in case of an oncoming attack. All the senior staff has volunteered for the mission, and the Defiant's bridge is full. Kira gets a repeated message from Toddman, but Sisko suggests that the communication was too degraded to be legible. They leave, go through the wormhole and head directly for the Founders' homeworld. Lovok and Tain describe the situation: the nearest Jem'Hadar bases to the planet are too far, giving them time to bombard the planet. Pressure is again put on Garak to extract information from Odo about the planet's planetary defenses. Garak is less than keen, pointing out that Odo likely put all relevant information in his report to Starfleet and besides, he doesn't relish the idea of interrogating someone who can change their form at will. Tain presents a device that emits a quantum stasis field which should inhibit Odo's shapeshifting ability. While Lovok is angry that he wasn't informed about this device, Garak does not seem pleased with this news and Tain suggests the Tal Shiar should continue the interrogation. Garak is visibly upset and insists that Odo is his prisoner and that it is his duty to question Odo further. Tain agrees, with skepticism. Suddenly, the Defiant's cloaking device fails. If found, they will have to fight. Security chief Eddington admits that he has sabotaged the cloaking device under direct order by Admiral Toddman. Despite Sisko's noticeable frustration with Eddington's betrayal, Eddington requests to continue his duties giving his word he will do nothing else to impede the mission. Sisko immediately observes that it is his policy to not question the "word" of a Starfleet officer, and he promptly grants Eddington's request. Sisko gives Chief O'Brien a two-hour deadline to fix the cloak. Garak begins questioning Odo and using the quantum stasis device. Odo is about ready to return to liquid form and is discomforted at being forced to maintain humanoid form. As time passes, Odo begins to lose cohesion and taunts Garak. It is clearly bothering Garak to see Odo in pain and he encourages Odo to confess anything -- even to lie -- as long as he gives up some information. Odo admits that despite all the atrocities his people have committed, he still desires to return to the Great Link, which is information he hadn't shared with Starfleet, allowing Garak to deactivate the device and end the interrogation. While Odo returns to his natural state and pours himself into the container, Garak holds his head in his hands, showing deep regret at what he's done. O'Brien has managed to get the cloaking device back online. He returns to the bridge to give Eddington a piece of the damage as a jab. Sisko orders the course to resume. Despite learning about the Great Link, Garak informs Tain and Lovok that Odo never broke, and that there is no new information that can be learned from him. Tain then decides Odo has outlived his usefulness, and orders him executed, but Garak suggests that killing Odo might cause problems with Starfleet and the Bajoran government, since Odo is an officer of their militia serving on a Federation outpost. Lovok speaks first and agrees that Odo must not be executed, but based on the fact that not all Founders might be on their home planet, and Odo could be useful in future engagements, and that he wants to take Odo to Romulus for further studies. Tain concedes, and when they're alone, Lovok tells Garak that he knows he's protecting Odo out of friendship. The Cardassian-Romulan fleet arrives at the Founders' homeworld, and starts firing. They are initially pleased with the damage they must be doing, but the tactical officer reports no change in lifeform readings. Garak quickly discerns that the Founders are using an automated transponder to send back false life sensor readings from the planet. the planet has been evacuated. Suddenly, they find 150 Jem'Hadar fighters emerge from the Omarion Nebula and engage the fleet. Garak realizes that it was a trap and that the Jem'Hadar had been waiting for them all along. The Battle of the Omarion Nebula begins and the Jem'Hadar begin to annihilate the fleet. Quickly, several ships are destroyed or severely damaged. During the battle, contact is lost with engineering, which Lovok goes to investigate, leaving Tain in command of the bridge. Garak, seeing the battle not going well, makes his way off the bridge to locate and save Odo. They run into Lovok, weapon drawn, who reveals himself to be a Changeling. He admits that while the plan to attack the Founders' homeworld was indeed concocted by Tain, when they learned of it they pushed it forward in order to destroy the Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order viewing them both as serious threats, but not any longer. As far as the Founders are concerned, only the Klingon Empire and United Federation of Planets remain as serious opposition but there are already plans in motion take care of them. Odo is again presented with the choice of joining the Great Link, which he declines, and "Lovok" allows them the chance to escape, explaining that no Changeling has ever harmed another. Garak makes his way back to the bridge in an attempt to save Tain, but he refuses to leave. Garak tells him that Lovok was a Changeling, and Tain rues that he has become old and let his pride override his instinct noting that in the old days he would have kept someone as smart as Lovok at arm's length. He also tells a pleading Garak that no matter what happens now, he has no intention of returning to his quiet retirement. Odo has to knock Garak out to force him onto the runabout and escape. As they escape, Tain wryly notes that the Founders are "very good". The Runabout escapes the Romulan ship before it is destroyed, but is pursued by the Jem'Hadar and loses shields. When all seems lost, Garak sincerely apologizes and Odo accepts the apology, saying that he understands Garak's desire to return home. The Defiant decloaks and is able to transport Odo and Garak on board. The Defiant attacks and destroys a number of Jem'Hadar fighters, clearing itself a path back to the wormhole. Speaking with Admiral Toddman, Sisko states that it appears no Romulan or Cardassian ships survived the battle. Toddman likens it to the Battle of Wolf 359; a comparison that visibly rattles Sisko, but one that he agrees is fundamentally accurate. The admiral tells Sisko that he won't file charges against him or the crew, but warns him that next time he will have to either court martial him or promote him. Standing in the charred remains of his shop, Garak reflects on past events and begins to clean up the mess, when Odo appears in the doorway to thank Garak for leaving his confession out of his report. The two agree that the whole conversation is best left forgotten, as Garak decides to rebuild his shop noting the irony that he's actually a very good tailor. Odo asks Garak if they could have breakfast together sometimes. Garak admits he thought that Odo didn't eat, and Odo simply responds that he doesn't before exiting. 
<EOS>
Dr. Bashir sits alone in Quark's reading a PADD as a dabo girl, Leeta, approaches him to solicit his help in treating her "cough". The two flirt and he orders them a Fanalian toddy, but Dax interrupts to inform him that an old colleague, Elizabeth Lense, will be arriving on the USS Lexington in three weeks. Bashir is visibly apprehensive; during his time at Starfleet Medical Academy, he was the salutatorian rather than valedictorian (an honor which went to Lense) due to him mistaking a preganglionic fiber for a postganglionic nerve. Meanwhile, Sisko has returned from Bajor, attending the opening of a library, and greets Jake. He's extremely excited and tells Jake about a Bajoran lightship. He tells Jake that he plans to build and fly one in order to recreate the process by which ancient Bajorans achieved space flight. Sisko begins by procuring space in a cargo bay. Even though Chief O'Brien is unsure whether the starship is even spaceworthy, Sisko begins the laborious task of building a lightship from scratch. Further, he wants to build it like the Bajorans did, because it'll be fun -- with the only exception being the installation of a gravity net in the floor, as weightlessness makes him queasy. Intent on proving the vessel can fly, Sisko plans to fly to the Denorios belt as his major goal. He doesn't know if he could get all the way to Cardassia as the ancient Bajorans supposedly did, a hotly contested modern debate, but getting to the belt would be a good proving point. Taking a break for a meal in his quarters, he asks Jake to accompany him, since it will only be a few days, but Jake wants to see Leanne when she gets back from Bajor. Later, he takes another break when Dax stops by and pleasantly observes that she has not seen Sisko so excited since he and Jennifer decided to have a baby. Later, Jake receives a message in his quarters from Wellington on Earth. He's happy with it, but it makes him think. Going down to the lightship, he says he now wants to go with his father. At the Replimat, Bashir is preparing for Lense's arrival by reviewing several medical texts. Dropping by, Dax asks why they are competitive, when they both got the positions they wanted. Bashir, however, says regardless he will always feel second-best. Sisko prepares to leave when Gul Dukat calls to warn him not to attempt the journey, as lightships are fragile. Despite his overt concern for Sisko's safety, noting possible Maquis trouble, he obviously is of the opinion that these lightships could not have made the trip to Cardassia. Sisko responds that the Maquis have no motive either way on this, and he's prepared emergency procedures. This is while implying a threat from Dukat, but he insists that's not the case. He ends the call wishing him luck instead. Jake and Benjamin bond during their voyage, and they both enjoy the tranquility of the lightship. With a few coordinated pulls of levers, the sails are up and they are on their way. Benjamin has determined to do things exactly as the Bajorans did -- even taking zero-gravity ration packs instead of a portable replicator. He has Jake change the heading a bit and then sits down, where he explains the next few actions they'll need to take. Jake notices the (strange) bathroom, designed for a zero gravity environment. He's also not a fan of the rations. Benjamin tells him he's very glad he's here, even if he didn't want to come. Then, after weeks of hiding it from even his father, Jake finally asks Benjamin to read a story he has been diligently working on. Meanwhile, Morn and Quark have made a bet on how long Bashir will talk with his old schoolmate once she arrives on the station. As usual, Odo has kept tabs on the situation as well. Bashir nervously sits in Quark's with Miles, observing Lense from afar, and finally gets up the nerve to talk to her; however, she walks past him as if he does not exist. Having read Jake's story, Sisko appears reluctant to give his opinion of it. He is genuinely impressed, claiming the story shows "a lot of promise", but does not feel his son has experience with the issues being dealt with in the story. Jake seems to understand, and his father tells him he should keep writing. He then reveals he received a message from the Pennington School with an offer for a writing fellowship. His father is surprised and pleased, but they are interrupted as there is a crash and one of the mast supports gives way. Sisko says they need to immediately jettison the lightship's starboard sprit. Without the sprit, sail efficiency has been compromised. Sisko's enthusiasm about the journey's chances wanes, but Jake encourages his father to press on. Meanwhile, Bashir and O'Brien drunkenly sing together in the latter's quarters. The doctor is perplexed by Elizabeth's reaction (or lack thereof) to him, and the chief notes with amusement that Lense must be either in love with, or unable to stand, his friend. O'Brien encourages him to ask her himself -- in the morning, when they are less drunk. Back on the lightship, Jake informs his father that he has decided to defer admission for a year. The older Sisko relates a story about when he left for Starfleet Academy, for the first week he transported home to New Orleans for dinner because he was homesick, but Jake claims he does not want to leave Ben alone. Jake turns the conversation to encouraging his father to date again, and he says he knows someone interested. Their conversation is interrupted as the ship rocks suddenly. The port mainsail breaks off as they accelerate quickly and go to warp for several minutes Sisko doesn't know how the ship got to warp, but they need to stop the ship. They do so successfully and check the map. There were no spatial anomalies but, when Jake points out the tachyon eddies, Sisko realizes that, while a regular starship is not affected by tachyon eddies, a Bajoran lightship is different as due to its solar sails, since its surface area is much greater relative to its mass. As tachyons travel faster than light, it's possible that their impact on the sails somehow pulled the ship to warp, and probably far off-course. This new information for ancient Bajoran space travel doesn't do them much good for their current situation: main power is offline, they've lost the jib along with the port mainsail, leaving only the starboard mainsail and port sprit, and the sextant had fallen to the deck during the warp jump and smashed to pieces, without which Sisko can't determine their location or heading. Although they were less than a day from their goal of reaching the Denorios belt, Sisko decides they have no choice but to call the station for pick up with the emergency com unit he brought, but doesn't get an answer. As it's not damaged, Sisko believes they could be so far out that the signal hasn't yet reached Deep Space 9. The next day, Bashir gets up the courage to confront Lense, who shows no sign of recognition. He discovers that, while at a New Year's Eve party of a mutual friend in 2367, Lense was mistakenly informed that Bashir was an Andorian. Once the two begin talking, Lense confesses how bored she has been aboard the Lexington, and claims she envies Bashir's opportunity to work on long-term projects. Bashir invites her to examine some of his latest results at the infirmary, which she is more than eager to see. On the second level directly above them, Quark happily informs Morn that he has won their bet. With nothing better to do, the Siskos discuss a freighter captain, Kasidy Yates, to whom Jake wants to introduce Benjamin. He confesses that he has decided to stay aboard DS9 not just for his father but because the station will prove an excellent source of the kind of experience Ben noted that he needs to be a truly great writer. Their conversation is interrupted as several Cardassian warships arrive, headed by Dukat, and congratulate them on having just entered the Cardassian system, thereby proving that the idea of the ancient Bajorans sailing there was possible. The tachyon eddy allowed the ship to get past the Denorios belt, presumably how the ancient Bajorans successfully met the Cardassians so many centuries earlier. Coincidentally (which Sisko strongly doubts), Cardassian Central Command has announced the discovery of an ancient crash site on Cardassia Prime, proving the story about ancient first contact is true. The Cardassian ships set off fireworks around their ships in recognition of this momentous event. 
<EOS>
Sisko is in his quarters fixing chicken paprikash and humming to himself cheerily as Jake enters. As he only cooks Hungarian food when he is in a good mood, Jake deduces that he has convinced the Peljenites to exchange ambassadors with the Federation. As they begin their meal, Jake casually brings up Kasidy Yates, a freighter captain he is eager to introduce to his father. Sisko attempts to cool Jake's heels but acknowledges he will meet Yates soon enough. In Quark's, business is booming but Nog is nowhere to be found. Rom reveals that his son is studying for school, much to Quark's chagrin. Nog, he claims, will cause the end of Ferengi civilization by joining Starfleet and abandoning the pursuit of profit. Although Quark claims Nog wants to be "hew-mon", Rom jokingly claims he simply wants a job with better hours. Quark is not amused. Their business is interrupted as Brunt, a liquidator from the Ferengi Commerce Authority, enters to post a writ of accountability on Quark's wall. Panicking, Rom immediately tells all patrons to vacate the premises; the bar is now closed. Brunt is now behind the deserted bar, busily working a PADD as Quark and Rom sit nervously. Rom attempts to make smalltalk with Brunt while they wait but Quark is not amused. Suspiciously, Brunt asks if they have listed all of the bar's profits, reminding him of the severe fines they will face if they have lied to the FCA; on double-checking the figures on the PADD, Quark conveniently claims Rom has forgotten to add the profits from their tulaberry wine franchise. Once his brother leaves to retrieve the figures, Quark inquires about what he has been charged with, paying the customary bribes to first learn which law he has broken and then to borrow a copy of the law to read. By this time, Rom has returned, and Quark discovers his crime is improper supervision of a family member. Another bribe reveals that Ishka, Quark and Rom's mother, has been charged with earning profit. Quark next stops by the security office to see Odo, informing the constable that he will be taking a trip to Ferenginar and will hold Odo personally accountable for the security of his bar in the meantime. As Odo has already learned of Quark's trouble with the FCA, the Ferengi reveals that he will have to pay for his mother's crimes unless he convinces her to confess and make restitution for whatever she has done. Meanwhile, Sisko and Kira arrive in Ops, where Sisko informs her he has decided to name Deep Space 9's newest runabout the Rubicon. The major teases him about his habit of naming runabouts after Earth's rivers before she goes to work. Dax intercepts Sisko on the way to his office to eagerly ask about Kasidy Yates; it seems Jake has told her already. Although Sisko has yet to meet Yates, Dax has, and she claims Curzon would have stolen the freighter captain by now. On the way to the airlock, Rom catches up with his brother to announce that he too is going to Ferenginar. With the bar closed, he is eager to see "Moogie" again. Quark does not want Rom to accompany him, as he always takes their mother's side in arguments -- even in calling her Moogie, a childish nickname Quark detests. However, he agrees to let Rom come along. Quark and Rom bring Brunt to their boyhood home on Ferenginar, where Brunt pays the standard "admission fee" and signs a legal waiver to cover potential theft. Rom is glad to be home again, but Quark appears uneasy about the number of new items in his mother's house. Rom finds his old tooth sharpener, which reminds Quark of how he only had a chew stick when he was a child. Brunt interrupts them to give Quark a formal list of Ishka's crimes and inform him they have three days to obtain a confession. However, a clothed Ishka enters the room and informs Brunt that she has no intention of giving one. Rom is glad to see his mother, but Quark tells her to undress immediately; Brunt meanwhile shields his eyes from the clothed female and is taken aback as she addresses him, a stranger, directly. He takes his leave after reminding Quark of the three days. Quark attempts to reason with his mother, but believing she is standing up for all Ferengi women, she refuses. It is clear Ishka is pained to think of hurting her sons, whose reputations will suffer for her actions, yet she refuses to give in. In front of Quark's, Bashir and Odo look on as O'Brien attempts to open the locking mechanism on the door. It seems their dartboard is locked inside, and though they could replicate another, Bashir claims it is "the principle of the thing". However, Odo is not optimistic given the convoluted lock Rom has put together. They are interrupted when Sisko stops by to inquire what is going on. O'Brien denies that the dartboard is lucky. Sisko observed that it will take a while to undo the tripartite microsealing mechanism Rom has constructed. He is on his way to a cargo bay; O'Brien is under the mistaken impression the commander is on his way to meet Kasidy Yates. Although this isn't the case, it seems Jake has told everyone about the freighter captain. Rom comes to the table with a bowl of fresh tube grubs, having picked them himself since "Moogie" is not feeling well. Quark begins scheming to claim Ishka is mentally ill, but Rom reassures him she only has a rash from the newness of wearing clothes. The two reminisce about how independent their mother has always been, although Quark chooses to focus on the negative aspects. He claims she dragged their father down and that he will not let her do the same to him; right as he claims he will put her in her place, however, Ishka enters (fully clothed) and challenges him to do so. Rom is clearly proud of his mother's defiance. They sit down to eat, but Rom is surprised the FCA is making such a big deal when he learns that all Ishka has done is earn three bars of latinum by investing in Hupyrian beetles. Nonetheless, Quark is adamant that Ishka must repent, yet she remains equally adamant that Ferengi society is in desperate need of change. Additionally, Quark is worried about his mother, who will be sold into indentured servitude in addition to the stigma her sons will face. Although Ishka is acting from her heart, Quark accuses her of being selfish and not caring for anyone but herself. Later, Rom visits privately with Ishka in her bedroom, which is bland and utilitarian as per Ferengi traditions with regard to females. Though he is glad to see his Moogie, Rom is uncomfortable, unaccustomed to seeing clothed Ferengi females, so Ishka disrobes for him. He is genuinely concerned about Quark and tries again to convince Ishka to pay back the bars of latinum she has earned. However, she reassures him Quark has always provided a generous stipend; the issue is pride rather than money. She is willing to be sold into indentured servitude rather than pay back the three bars. As they embrace, Ishka lovingly tells Rom what a good son he is for being so concerned for Quark. Ishka then offers to sharpen Rom's teeth. Sisko finally meets Kasidy Yates in the cargo bay, where she and her crew are loading cargo onto her freighter, the Xhosa. He learns that Yates' equipment is outdated before formal introductions. The two mire over Jake's over-zealous match-making attempts, but Yates must attend to the inertia moorer on her ship. As Sisko leaves, he hesitates, and Yates suggests they meet for coffee the next day at 18:00. The next morning, Rom emerges sleepily from his room, cleaning his ear, to find Quark has been up all night on the computer. It seems Moogie has conducted business transactions under dozens of aliases, proving she has the "lobes" for business but earning so much Quark will never be able to pay it all back. Meanwhile, Quark is seated across the table from Rom, still in shock and with a faraway look in his eyes. Rom claims Quark is not the type to fly off the handle, that they will come up with a solution, but Quark claims to have found one: He will kill Ishka. Quark enters Ishka's bedroom, where she attempts to hide a PADD she was using to try to hide still more earnings. As he confronts her, she claims he is jealous that a female is better at earning profit than he. She compares Quark to his father as Rom enters, but Quark refuses to believe that his mother did not receive help from a male or that his father was a business failure. Stubborn Ishka refuses to budge, so Quark storms out, headed for the FCA. However, Rom follows him into the main room of Ishka's house and confronts Quark, claiming Ishka is right on both accounts. Quark is furious, yet Rom, who lived at home ten years longer than his brother, claims their father was a failure and only got by with Ishka's help. They each grab the other in the Ferengi equivalent of a brawl and knock over several pieces of furniture before Ishka enters to break it up. She reassures Rom she will be fine and tells Quark to do as he pleases. Once he leaves, she begins to cry. As he enters a waiting room at the Tower of Commerce, Quark observes how steep the stairs are and remarks of the seven strips of latinum required for the elevator, "Talk about inflation!" He asks to see Liquidator Brunt and sits down, but several seconds later, Rom enters, exhausted from running up the stairs. At first uninterested in whatever Rom has to say, Quark perks up when he hears Ishka plans to give him half her profits. Cheerily, he leaves an extra slip for the Secretary and takes the elevator down. Back at home, Quark apologizes to his mother for everything he'd said before and stunning Ishka, asks how much profit she made so that they can divide it fairly. It turns out that Rom had lied to both, telling Quark that Ishka would split the profits, and Ishka that Quark wanted none of them and had done so in order to get them talking to each other. Showing backbone, he berates both brother and mother pointing out that Quark shows no respect to his mother and that if Quark can uncover her profits, the FCA surely could too. He then insists that they settle things -- without shouting -- while he heads off to take a nap. Ishka tells Quark that he's a lot like her, and that Rom is like his father: Rom, like his father, never understood the Rules of Acquisition, but Quark, like his mother, does. She agrees to imprint the confession for him, since she can't refuse him anything. Back on the station, Sisko and Yates are having coffee at the Replimat and discussing New Orleans, Sisko's home. However, Yates looks uneasy, and breaks the news that she had a prior engagement, but a family one, as she was waiting for a subspace transmission from her youngest brother on Cestus III. When Sisko questions what the transmission is about, she admits to Sisko that her brother plays a sport that was played on Earth centuries ago baseball! Sisko literally can't believe his ears, and asks for more details about the team, the Pike City Pioneers and the Cestus Comets. Yates tells him that it's a six sided league but more teams are potentially forming, but she asks why he's so interested. Sisko, now like an excited child at Christmas, tells Yates that he loves Baseball, but he's doesn't know anyone apart from Jake who was interested in it, or even heard of it. Yates suggests that Sisko come and listen to the transmission with her, since it is an audio recording of her brother's game against the Cestus Comets. As they head off, Sisko pesters her with questions about the league; do they use a designated hitter (no), what about wood bats (of course), and whether or not they could use a right-handed pitcher (while flexing his right arm as though warming it up). As Sisko and Yates walk away, chatting about their shared interest, Jake smiles to himself from the top level of the Promenade, knowing that his matchmaking efforts worked. On Ferenginar, Ishka imprints the PADD with the confession for Brunt. Brunt notes that she will be an example to all women that nobody could outsmart the FCA, but Quark bribes him with a small sack of latinum. After all, as he says, "what would people say if they knew a female had made that much latinum?"  After Brunt exits, Quark says his goodbyes and follows. Rom and Ishka hug and disclose that she only gave up a third of her profits, but that the FCA wouldn't find the rest, since she hid it so well hidden, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to find it all! 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, Commander Sisko is playing darts with Miles O'Brien in Quark's Bar. Sisko loses the match, with O'Brien stating he is 'in the zone' and cannot lose. Sisko then gets called by Jadzia Dax to come to Ops. Sisko then visits Major Kira's quarters. He sees that she has been praying, and inquires about the lamp she has lit in her shrine. She explains that it is a duranja, or lamp for the dead. She reveals that she has been praying for the deceased Vedek Bareil Antos. Then Sisko drops a bombshell on her: Kalem Apren has died, and her archenemy, Kai Winn Adami, was appointed the new First Minister of Bajor. Odo is talking to Kira in the wardroom about various station issues. Odo notices Kira seems distracted and she talks about her concerns with Winn being both First Minister and Kai, including the fact that no other candidates are willing to oppose Winn in the upcoming elections. Odo notes that the Bajoran people don't share her skepticism and see Winn as a hero who made peace with Cardassia. Kira feels that once Winn gets power, she won't let it go. After the meeting, Kira is again praying in her quarters when the chime rings. It is Kai Winn. After an exchange about Kira's prayer, Winn states the reason for her visit; she needs Kira's help. Winn explains that Rakantha Province, formerly one of the most productive agricultural regions of Bajor had, like most of the planet, its soil poisoned by the Cardassians during the Occupation and rendered unusable for agriculture. To cleanse the soil, the Bajoran Agricultural Ministry developed soil reclamators to remove the poisons. The Government wants to use them in Rakantha to allow agriculture to resume there and be able to grow boton, moreka, and salam grass for export, believing that the increased interstellar commerce will enhance Bajor's application to join the Federation. Kira does not understand what that has to do with her, and Winn explains that some farmers in her home province of Dahkur have refused to turn over the reclamators to the Government to be used in Rakantha. Winn further states that the leader of the farmers in Dahkur is none other than Shakaar Edon, her former Resistance leader. Winn wants Kira to convince Shakaar to hand over the reclamators. Kira is skeptical about helping Winn do anything, but Winn asks her to act for the greater good of Bajor despite any personal feelings. Kira does eventually agree to speak to Shakaar, but makes no promises. Kira beams down to Dahkur Province near a farm. It clearly has seen better days, with dry, barren soil everywhere. She approaches the home to determine if anyone is there, but a hand on her back startles her; it is Shakaar. After some pleasantries, they go inside. Shakaar mentions that their fellow Resistance cell members Furel and Lupaza will arrive in a couple hours. He tells Kira that he knows why she is there, and needs time to think about it. Meahwhile, back on DS9, O'Brien beats Dax at darts for his 46th victory in a row. Quark states that he will take bets on the next challenger at ten to one, without even knowing who the challenger is. As he leaves, O'Brien mentions that he would like to go kayaking in the holosuite, but Quark convinces him to work to maintain his streak, with O'Brien stating that Quark should make the odds fifteen to one. Back on Bajor, Kira, Shakaar, Lupaza, and Furel are sharing stories about their time in the Resistance, including an explanation of why Furel did not replace his lost left arm. Eventually the subject of the reclamators comes up, and while Shakaar states he is still considering the matter, Lupaza makes her feelings clear that they should not be returned until they are finished with them. Going outside, Kira points out to Shakaar that the situation is not going to go away and that he needs to think about what is best for Bajor. Shakaar explains his side, that after three years of waiting the Government gave the reclamators to them and said they could have them for at least a year. Once First Minister Aprem died, their return to the Government was ordered. Kira tells him about the Rakantha project, but he says they need the reclamators to feed themselves. Kira asks Shakaar to meet with Winn to explain that to her and possibly work out a compromise. While skeptical, he agrees to as a personal favor to Kira. Kira then meets with Winn in the First Minister's Office. Winn is angered that Kira did not convince Shakaar to immediately return the reclamators. Kira explains that she arranged a meeting with Shakaar to hear his side and work out a compromise, and Winn states that she has little choice but to agree to participate. Winn then tells Kira she may return to DS9 after informing Shakaar of her acceptance, and rejects Kira's request to stay. In Shakaar's home, he tells Kira he is willing to hear Winn out but will not give back the reclamators. Kira tells him he must be flexible and that he may not win this fight, but Shakaar states that the Cardassians said the same thing. Just then, two security officers enter the house to arrest Shakaar, which Kira obviously did not know about. Shakaar punches one officer and Kira hits the other. He tells her she does not have to fight with him, and that her attack can be explained away, but Kira has had enough of Winn's lying and wants to help Shakaar. In a cave with a weapons cache inside, Shakaar and Kira gather supplies along with Furel. Lupaza then arrives and states that Shakaar's farm was seized and scanning equipment was brought in to search for the reclamators. Reinforcements were also requested from surrounding areas to search for the "fugitives". She also says that several Resistance cell members were detained for questioning, including Mobara, Klin, and Ornak. The others are heading for the Kola Mountain stronghold. Shakaar states that his plan is to keep running from the Bajoran civil police and reach the stronghold to meet with the others; they then move out. Meanwhile, O'Brien is playing darts against a Vulcan Starfleet officer, Syvar. O'Brien is one bulls-eye away from winning, but before he can throw his dart, he reaches behind himself for a synthale from Quark and promptly pops his arm out of his shoulder. O'Brien tries to throw it anyway but cannot and has to leave for surgery with Bashir to fix the problem, forfeiting the game. Back on Bajor, some time later, Sisko enters Winn's office at her request, expressing surprise she would want his advice. She says that what she really wants is his help. The chase for Shakaar and his followers, for which Winn ordered the Bajoran Militia to take over, has generated sympathy for his cause in many provinces. That forced Winn to declare martial law and suspend local government in some areas such as the Hill Provinces to contain civil disorder. Sisko encourages her to withdraw the Militia from Dahkur, and Winn says she will if Sisko provides a Federation security force to take their place. Per Federation law, Sisko refuses. Winn responds by stating Bajor would withdraw its application for entry into the Federation. Sisko calls that, and the entire response to the situation, an overreaction over the mere possession of farm equipment. Winn states that the issue is not farm equipment but respect for the law and preventing anarchy. She further states that the Prophets are testing her, and she will accomplish her goals by any means necessary. Shakaar and his group are seen running down a slope evading Milita troops; Kira activates a device to redirect their lifesigns elsewhere to distract them. The group is growing tired of running; Shakaar decides to lead the troops into Tanis Canyon to ambush them. Shakaar and the others are hiding on the canyon's ridgeline watching the Militia troops enter. Kira recognizes the commander of the troops, Colonel Lenaris Holem, having met him a year ago. Shakaar gives the order to pick targets and fire; he chooses Lenaris and tells Kira to shoot a lieutenant. Neither one of them can bring themselves do it, however. Shakaar then stands up and along with Kira approaches Lenaris. They talk about their situation and recall Lenaris' Pullock V raid during the Occupation, then Shakaar states that he wants to take his people out of the canyon. Before Lenaris can respond, one of his men shoots at Furel; Lenaris, Kira, and Shakaar work frantically to prevent anyone else from firing. Lenaris has the shooter removed from the area and tells Shakaar what he wants is not possible. Kira points out they need figure out how to get it done, or a civil war could result. Lenaris then brings Shakaar and Kira to Winn's office. Winn is initially pleased but becomes disappointed when Lenaris tells her that they are not prisoners; Shakaar is there to enter the election as a candidate for First Minister. Lenaris adds that the Militia supports Shakaar doing so, though Kira clarifies the effort is not a coup. She also states that if Winn chooses to remain in the race, the entire incident will be made public and everyone will know how close to civil war Winn brought them over farm equipment. Back on DS9, Kira returns to her quarters with Sisko, where she tells him that Winn issued a statement of support for Shakaar and while a few other candidates entered the race, Shakaar is expected to win easily. Once Sisko leaves, she goes to her duranja and blows out the flame, finally moving past her grief over Bareil's death. 
<EOS>
Nog attempts to maneuver his runabout out of harm's way as an unseen enemy starship pursues him. The computer announces that a Cardassian vessel has locked its weapons on him. He successfully evades the weapons lock, only to be interrupted as Jake appears outside the runabout and knocks on the glass window. Nog is actually in a holosuite, so with Jake present, he ends the holo-program. As they exit the holosuite, Nog explains that he is trying to boost his scores for entry into Starfleet Academy, and his reaction times are almost high enough. While Jake is sure his friend will make it, Nog's uncle Quark is obviously pessimistic about the ordeal. Quark claims Nog would be better off in a more profitable industry, such as writing holosuite programs, especially "the more intimate variety". Neither Nog nor Jake finds his suggestion very appealing. Later, Quark, Dr. Bashir, Leeta, Chief O'Brien, Odo and Kira join Dax and Commander Sisko in the wardroom, where Jadzia has something important to ask them. It is time for her zhian'tara, a Trill process in which she will meet former hosts of the Dax symbiont, and as her closest friends, she wants each of them to lend their body to one of her hosts. Dax explains that the process will be done telepathically by a Guardian, and at any time the host can reassert him- or herself. Naturally, everyone but Quark (who does not want "some dead person" inside him) agrees; however, a few touches of Jadzia's hand to his lobes make him much more agreeable. Kira agrees to embody the first Dax host, Lela. While Jadzia waits for the Guardian to arrive from Trill, Nog meets O'Brien in a holosuite to begin his stress reaction test. However, the simulation is not a runabout but Ops aboard DS9. Nog panics, as he has not practiced Ops, but O'Brien explains that a test on the runabout would not be stressful. The Guardian, a quiet, timid man, arrives to perform the zhian'tara and observes how long Dax has put it off. In Jadzia's quarters, he performs the ceremony and transfers Lela's memories into Kira. Although the sensation of Lela's memories being gone is strange for Jadzia at first, she and Lela get to know one another. She learns that her habit of talking with her hands behind her back comes from Lela, who learned to do so because her fellow politicians had mocked her excessive use of hand gestures. The rest of the zhian'tara proceeds smoothly as Dax meets her other hosts. As expected, Tobin Dax (embodied by Chief O'Brien) is a nervous nail biter who apologizes too much, and Dax discusses gymnastics with Emony through Leeta. Quark's turn to embody Audrid does not amuse him; she is a warm, motherly spirit who talks about how wonderful it is to have children. When it is Bashir's turn, he lends his body to Torias, who claims Bashir should lay off his diet as life is too short to deny oneself the simple pleasures. Finally, the time comes for the most difficult host: Joran, the murderer, whom Sisko will embody. In the security office, Sisko is voluntarily placed in a holding cell for the duration of the ceremony. Once the transfer has been completed and the force field is activated, the Guardian and Odo leave Jadzia and Sisko/Joran alone. Joran appears very passive but dangerous as he observes what a "pretty girl" Jadzia is. However, he claims she is nothing more and attempts to convince her to lower the force field. She sternly refuses. With complete calm and certainty, Joran places Sisko's hand, then both hands against the force field and begins banging his head against it until Jadzia lowers it. Sisko appears to have regained control when Joran comes back and tries to strangle Jadzia; she fights Joran off, and afterwards when Sisko wrests back control, he jokingly thanks her for not breaking any bones. During the other hosts' time with Dax, O'Brien has continued Nog's testing in the holosuite while Rom eagerly anticipates his son's return. Quark is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of losing his nephew to hew-mon values, but that doesn't stop Rom from purchasing a Starfleet uniform from Elim Garak's tailor shop -- regardless of whether Nog passes. As the last host of the Dax symbiont before Jadzia, Curzon is the final part of her zhian'tara, and Odo has agreed to embody him. However, she seems apprehensive as she walks along the Promenade with Sisko. Part of the reason she has put her zhian'tara off is that she was afraid she would not "measure up" with previous hosts. Now, faced with meeting the man who rejected her original application to the Symbiosis Commission, she has the chance to ask whether Curzon did so because he thought she was not good enough -- and she doesn't seem eager to finally hear the answer. The Guardian performs the ceremony, which due to Odo's shapeshifting nature causes his face to mold itself to resemble Curzon's, and even includes Curzon's Trill spots. Curzon/Odo immediately heads to Sisko's quarters, where Sisko learns that Odo's unique chemical makeup has caused a blending of personalities, much like when Trill are joined. Curzon invites Sisko to Quark's for a glass of Tranya, where it becomes evident that Curzon is thoroughly enjoying himself in Odo's body. But when Jadzia arrives, Sisko carefully excuses himself to grade Nog's exam, allowing Jadzia to talk with Curzon alone about private issues. As the conversation progresses, Jadzia tries to bring up her candidacy for joining, when Curzon was her instructor, but he becomes distracted when he notices a Ferengi tongo hustler. They challenge the Ferengi to a game, and together they clean him out. Meanwhile, Nog has failed his spatial orientation test, disqualifying him from entering the Academy, but Quark reassures him there will always be a place for him at the bar. However, he asks Curzon and Jadzia to leave, as it has now been an hour since the bar closed and they are still playing tongo. Heading to the security office, Curzon opens a bottle of Saurian brandy which Odo confiscated from a Yridian smuggler, and shares it with Jadzia. He admits to dodging her inquiry earlier. Confronted with the question of why he did not object to Jadzia's second application for joining, despite rejecting her the first time, he reveals that he probably felt sorry for her. His one-time thoughts on the matter don't seem to bother him, but Jadzia is bothered by his carefree attitude. Curzon comes to a decision that he believes will benefit all parties involved: he and Odo like what they have become and wish to stay as they are. In Sisko's office, the Guardian informs Jadzia and Sisko that he cannot remove Curzon's memories from Odo without Odo's consent. Sisko and Jadzia talk in private, and while the thought of losing Curzon seems troubling to Jadzia, she does not intend to interfere if both Curzon and Odo wish to stay as they are. However, Sisko does not agree; he believes Curzon is being selfish and will back down, as was the case on several occasions when Sisko did as much. Jadzia considers the issue at length. Meanwhile, Rom catches Quark in an empty corridor to confront his brother about the fact that Quark sabotaged Nog's tests in the holosuite. Quark admits to doing so and feels he is justified as his actions are in Nog's best interest. Furious, Rom confrontationally tells Quark he has already gone to Sisko about the matter and warns Quark not to interfere, threatening to burn his bar to the ground. Nothing (not even latinum) is more important to Rom than his son's happiness. Jadzia goes to Odo's quarters, where he and Curzon have been oozing around the room and enjoying themselves. Confronted about the memories, Curzon claims Jadzia is and has always been nothing but a little girl. She is not intimidated and stands her ground. Finally, he admits that she is not, nor was she when she was an initiate, as he touches her face with one hand in an intimate manner, a little girl; as he quietly looks away and several moments pass, it is evident that Curzon was in love with Jadzia when he washed her out of the joining program -- and is still in love with her now. He reveals that he rejected her because he loved her, but felt so guilty he nearly quit the Symbiosis Commission. When she reapplied, it was a blessing to his conscience, which is why he did not object to her second application. They both agree that Curzon's memories rightfully belong to Jadzia, and Curzon agrees to go back to the way things were. Back in the bar, Nog has passed the tests necessary for his entrance into Starfleet Academy, and he is dressed in the cadet's uniform his father purchased for him; Sisko asks if he may be jumping the gun a bit, but Nog explains that he didn't want to hurt his father's feelings by not wearing it. Everyone celebrates, even Quark, albeit begrudgingly. Quark knows he has "lost" Nog when the young Ferengi orders a root beer, claiming it is what they drink at the Academy. Jadzia and Odo are sitting together on the second level, where they discuss the recent events. Each has had a wonderful experience, Odo having had the best time of his life and Jadzia having gained the memories of what it feels like to be a Changeling and morph into different things. Odo expresses his appreciation of Curzon's ability to mix his hectic social life with his work, and that he was a remarkable man. Jadzia replies, "Yes, he is." 
<EOS>
The Deep Space 9 crew hunts a Changeling through the station. Using wide-angle Phaser sweep, Benjamin Sisko and Kira Nerys chase the Changeling to the Promenade, where it suddenly resumes humanoid shape and grabs hold of Doctor Julian Bashir after emerging from the Promenade directory. It is Odo, and the chase was really a surprise drill. Kira asks the computer how much time it took to catch Odo; three hours and twenty-seven minutes is the answer. "That's not good enough," Odo remarks, noting how any other Founder would have had a field day with the station in that length of time, culminating in Bashir's death. The staff is then dismissed with a warning to scan anything and everything next time, given the other Founders' increased proclivity for shapeshifting. Another random drill is scheduled, and an offer from Quark to take bets on how long the staff will take to catch Odo is rebuffed. That night, when Kasidy Yates joins Sisko for a romantic dinner, she remarks that there have been some changes on Deep Space 9. Firstly, Sisko has shaved his head, of which Yates approves. Secondly, there has been a lot of "maintenance" done on the station lately. Sisko is secretive, but hints that the crew is preparing a few "surprises" in case the Dominion decides to attack the station. The recent revelation that Changelings have infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant has caused a large amount of unrest, and the Cardassians have responded by sealing their borders. The couple present each other with gifts -- Sisko gives Kasidy a garment made from rare Tholian silk, while Kasidy returns the gesture by handing Sisko a Pike City Pioneers baseball cap. Their dinner is interrupted when the new Klingon flagship, the IKS Negh'Var, decloaks at the station. Its commander, General Martok, requests shore leave at Deep Space 9. After Sisko agrees, the DS9 crew is amazed when an entire armada of Klingon ships decloak around the station. In Quark's, the Ferengi bartender nervously opines with O'Brien and Bashir that the Klingons who have arrived are awfully quiet. When Martok meets with Captain Sisko and Major Kira, he immediately wants them to use his d'k tahg to cut their palms, proving that they bleed and therefore are not Changelings. When the Klingon is satisfied that Sisko and Kira are really who they appear to be, Martok proclaims that the Klingon fleet will remain in Bajoran space to counter the inevitable Dominion attack. The crew resumes regular duties, despite the fact that DS9's complement now includes countless Klingons. Kira and Jadzia Dax visit the holosuite, which recreates the Hoobishan Baths on Trill. Kira is distracted away from the holograms and unimpressed with them, admitting that she has never had much of an imagination. Odo and Garak have a quiet breakfast at the Replimat, where a worried Garak reveals that, since the destruction of the Obsidian Order, he has heard rumors of civil uprisings on Cardassia. Their meal is interrupted when a group of Klingons accosts Morn on the Promenade. Odo breaks up the altercation, but the lead Klingon, Drex, levels threats at both Garak and Odo. Drex and his thugs later ambush and beat Garak in his tailor shop. As Bashir repairs the Cardassian's broken bones, Garak wonders why Klingons have become so hostile to Cardassians. When Kasidy Yates' freighter, the Xhosa, sends out a distress call, Sisko and the crew of DS9 board the USS Defiant. After arriving at the Xhosa's coordinates, they discover that Commander Kaybok of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey IKS M'Char is searching all vessels exiting Bajoran space, including the Xhosa. When Sisko threatens Kaybok that the Defiant will open fire on the M'Char, the Klingon commander allows the Xhosa to break free of the M'Char's tractor beam. Once the senior officers return to Deep Space 9, Martok meets with Sisko again, handing him Kaybok's dagger. Kaybok has been executed as punishment for disobeying his orders. Sisko realizes that something must be done before the situation escalates out of control. Sisko notifies Starfleet Command of the situation and Starfleet consequently dispatches Lieutenant Commander Worf to the station. Upon his arrival, Chief O'Brien welcomes the Klingon, who is glad to see a familiar face from the Enterprise. Quark, however, upon seeing Worf, remarks "Just what this station needs. Another Klingon." When he meets the captain, Sisko offers condolences for the loss of the USS Enterprise-D in battle, calling it a good ship. Worf thanks Sisko for his condolences, but is clearly not willing to talk about it. Sisko takes note of the fact that Worf had been on extended leave. Worf tells Sisko he had been at the Klingon Monastery on Boreth for a time. Sisko apologizes for interrupting Worf's leave, but Worf tells Sisko his leave was almost over. When Sisko asks where Worf will likely be assigned next, Worf tells Sisko that he plans to resign his Starfleet commission because in the aftermath of the destruction of the Enterprise, and that he isn't sure of his place in Starfleet anymore. Sisko cautions Worf that he too once considered resigning, and now knows that would have been the wrong choice. He tells Worf if he doesn't want the assignment then he'll understand, but Worf tells Sisko that until he decides one way or the other about resigning he is going to do his duty. With that, Sisko gives Worf an assignment: find out what the Klingons are up to. Worf ventures into Quark's, surprising the Ferengi by asking for prune juice over the traditional Klingon choice of blood wine. Chief O'Brien asks his old shipmate to join him and introduces him to Doctor Bashir and darts. Worf's first try at the sport ends up with him throwing the dart halfway through the board. Then Kira and Dax emerge from the holosuite, dressed in bright, colorful and extravagant medieval clothes arguing over the fact that Kira knocked out Sir Lancelot. Miles introduces Worf to the two, and while Kira is embarrassed and tries to explain the clothes, Dax is quite taken with him. Just then Drex starts to stir up trouble, so Worf decides it's the perfect time to make his first attempt at finding out what the Klingons are up to. He picks a fight with Drex and takes the warrior's d'k tahg. Drex's father, who happens to be General Martok, comes to Worf's quarters to demand the return of his son's "honor". There, Worf voices his disappointment in Martok for the general's dishonorable tactics of harassing personnel and ships, but Martok vows that it is all in the Alpha Quadrant's best interests. Afterward, Worf vents his frustration on a tactical holosuite program. When Dax arrives, she challenges him to a battle with bat'leths. After a brief fight, Worf gains the upper hand and sweeps Dax off her feet. Dax rhetorically asks whether the simulation made Worf feel better. Worf is frustrated at the situation, noting that his contacts on the Klingon homeworld refuse to speak with him. Dax suggests that with so many Klingons on the station, surely one of them owes the House of Mogh a favor and might be willing to reveal the true reason they are there. Worf invites an old family friend, Klingon officer Huraga, for a drink. When they consume a large quantity of bloodwine and become drunk, Worf presses Huraga for information. Owing Worf's father, Mogh, as Mogh had saved Huraga's House during their feud with the House of Duras, Huraga tells Worf all about the "glorious battle" that awaits them ahead. What Worf learns disturbs him, so much that he hesitates to tell Sisko. Odo argues with Worf on the Promenade, and tells the Klingon that it is his duty to inform Sisko. Worf decides to tell Sisko the ominous truth -- the Klingons are about to attack Cardassia. The rumors are true; the Central Command has been overthrown by civilian resistance. The Klingons are convinced that changeling infiltrators are responsible. Sisko confronts Martok and demands that the Klingons call off their attack. Martok hints that Chancellor Gowron will be told of Worf's involvement in uncovering news of the planned attack. Worf himself feels guilty that he has essentially betrayed the Klingon Empire. When Sisko points out that Starfleet will never support an unprovoked invasion and the attack will place the Federation-Klingon alliance in jeopardy, Martok claims he will return to his ship and consult with Gowron. However, once Martok beams aboard his ship, he sends a message to the Klingon fleet, ordering them to begin their attack. The fleet cloaks and warps away from the station, heading straight for Cardassia Prime. The crew of DS9 meets in the wardroom. They are in a particularly nasty predicament: warning the Cardassians of the Klingon invasion is tantamount to betrayal. Besides, the Klingons may be correct that the Dominion was involved in the coup, since, as Odo points out, this is how the Founders would set about gaining control of Cardassia. Kira states that the Obsidian Order's destruction gave the Cardassian dissident movement the strength and momentum they needed to take over the government, with or without Dominion involvement. Worf points out that this is irrelevant — many Klingons in the Empire believe they have been at peace for too long. The looming Dominion threat has given them an excuse to attack and conquer. If the Klingons have returned to "the old ways" of conquest, Bajor, and potentially the Federation are at risk. Sisko tries an unorthodox tactic -- he invites Garak into the wardroom to measure the Starfleet captain for a new suit. As Garak works, the crew make sure the tailor overhears the fact that one-third of the Klingon military is currently heading into Cardassian space. Garak excuses himself, and warns Gul Dukat. Busy fighting the civilian insurgency, the Cardassian Union is unprepared for a possible Klingon invasion. When the Federation officially condemns the invasion, the Klingon Empire withdraws from the Khitomer Accords. The Federation-Klingon alliance is dissolved. Despite this however, a Klingon ship decloaks claiming to have Chancellor Gowron on board who wishes to speak with Worf. Aboard the Klingon ship, Gowron happily greets Worf and tells him that despite everything he still considers him a friend. He then tells Worf why he is there; he wants him to leave Starfleet and join the Klingons in the battle. Despite wanting to return to his people and knowing that he owes the Chancellor much for restoring his honor and giving Kurn a seat on the Klingon High Council, Worf refuses, telling Gowron that he will not break his oath to Starfleet, nor will he support an unwarranted attack. Enraged, Gowron warns Worf that if he refuses then the House of Mogh will be stripped of all its assets, Kurn will be removed from the High Council and Worf himself will be exiled from the Klingon Empire and left with nothing. When Worf replies he'll still have his honor, Gowron simply says "So be it". Later, Worf sits in Quark's deep in thought and is joined by O'Brien. After reminiscing over saving Captain Picard from the Borg, and how Worf knew they would succeed despite the overwhelming odds, he says he has decided to resign. O'Brien tries to convince him otherwise, assuring Worf that Starfleet is sure to build another Enterprise soon, but as far as Worf is concerned, the ship and life he knew are gone. As he cannot return to Boreth and feeling that his son is much happier living on Earth, Worf decides to apply for a commission with a distant cruiser fleet. Believing that he is a liability to Captain Sisko's dealing with the Klingons, he asks Benjamin to accept his resignation, but Sisko refuses -- Starfleet needs Worf more than ever before. Indeed, word soon arrives that the Klingons have broken through the Cardassian fleet. Sisko contacts the new Cardassian government, the Detapa Council, only to see the face of Dukat. Apparently, Dukat switched sides when it was clear that the coup would succeed. Sisko devises a plan: if Dukat can get the Council on a ship and rendezvous with the Defiant, they can seek refuge on Deep Space 9. Since the Klingons will execute all government officials in their invasion of Cardassia, Dukat agrees. Worf points out that if Martok is correct, and members of the Detapa Council have been replaced by Changelings, then the Defiant will help them escape. Sisko considers it a risk worth taking. Knowing the Klingons may end up attacking the station, he orders the new weapons systems be checked and a partial evacuation of the civilian population. On his way to the airlock, Sisko runs into Kasidy who is just arriving. The two muse how lousy their timing has been, but share their first kiss. Sisko, Dax, Bashir, and Worf take the cloaked Defiant toward the rendezvous point. Worf admits he feels strange being on a Federation starship with a cloaking device, but Sisko assures him he'll get used to it. Bashir reminds Sisko that their agreement with the Romulans regarding the cloaking device strictly forbids its use in the Alpha Quadrant. Sisko is aware of this, but also knows there's probably countless Klingon ships between them and Dukat and he wants to make it in one piece. Later, the Defiant comes across a debris field of Cardassian ships destroyed by the Klingon invaders. Although there may be survivors, the only way to find out is decloaking the Defiant to use the main sensors. Worf advises against it, warning there is probably Klingon ships cloaked and lying in wait. When Bashir argues that it doesn't sound honorable, Worf replied that to Klingons, in war there is nothing more honorable than winning. Despite the chance of survivors and over Bashir's objection, Sisko knows making the rendezvous is more important and decides not to take the risk. When the Defiant arrives at the coordinates, they find three Klingon Birds-of-Prey are in the vicinity and are attacking the Cardassian cruiser Prakesh. When the Klingons ignore the Defiant's hails and fire the first shot, the starship targets the lead Bird-of-Prey and seriously damages its engines. With the Prakesh's shields, weapons and engines obliterated, Sisko is left with no choice but to drop the Defiant's shields and transport Dukat and the Council off their impaired vessel. Sisko gambles that the Defiant's ablative armor will be sufficient against the Birds-of-Prey's attacks. The Defiant begins firing at will and destroys the second Klingon vessel in the process. When a larger Vor'cha-class battle cruiser joins the melee, Worf uses his tactical experience and suggests the use of a modulated tractor beam to deflect some of the Klingon disruptor fire. The Defiant crew is successful in rescuing all the Detapa Council members, although the Defiant's cloaking device has been damaged. The Defiant flies to maximum warp as the Prakesh explodes, and two Klingon vessels follow the starship. Meanwhile, Doctor Bashir has examined all the Council members, including Dukat, and determined that no one aboard is a Changeling. The Defiant successfully reaches Deep Space 9, where O'Brien detects the pursuing Klingon ships. As the starship approaches the station, the crew detect several dozen Klingon ships. O'Brien had requested reinforcements from Starfleet Command, but the relief task force, under command of Admiral Hastur, had not yet reached the station. Sisko makes the decision to sound battle stations. The crew man the battle stations, preparing for the Klingons to attack, while civilians are evacuated off the Promenade (including a reluctant Quark, who wanted to defend his bar with his disruptor pistol, only to find that Rom has cannibalized it for replicator repair). The Detapa Council are sequestered away by Dukat and, unexpectedly, Garak, who raises a Cardassian disruptor to fight alongside Dukat. Martok and Gowron hail the station and offer an ultimatum -- surrender the Cardassian officials, or the Klingons will take the Council members by force. Even when Sisko tells the two Klingons that the councilors have been given blood screenings, Martok and Gowron remain determined to conquer Cardassia. Gowron urges Sisko to surrender, claiming the old station is as defenseless as an old Grishnar cat, to which Sisko confidently replies, "I assure you, this old cat may not be as toothless as you think." Due to the Dominion threat, Deep Space 9 has been given some major tactical upgrades -- the station is now equipped with more than 5,000 photon torpedoes ready to fire. Nevertheless, Gowron declares "heghlu'meh qaq jajvam", "Today is a good day to die!", Kahless' battle cry. The Klingon fleet begins their attack. When the Klingon fleet enters weapons range, DS9 unleashes several volleys of the station's new armaments. With multiple phaser banks and telescoping photon launchers, the station destroys ship after ship. Furious, Gowron orders the Negh'Var to fire its cannons directly at DS9's shield generators. The station's defensive systems fail and Klingon boarding parties beam into Ops, the Promenade, and the Cardassians' quarters. After a series of firefights and hand-to-hand combat, the DS9 crew regain control of the situation. An injured O'Brien restores the shields and Dax announces the arrival of the Starfleet reinforcements, lead by the USS Venture. Gowron has little choice but to retreat. He parts with one final threat: "You have sided against us in battle. And this we do not forgive or forget." (See also: First Battle of Deep Space 9) As the Klingons retreat and the Venture arrives, life on the station returns to normal. Quark reopens the bar, much to the delight of Morn, and Garak returns to his tailor shop. Sisko reveals to Worf that he considered leaving Starfleet after the death of his wife, but realized he could not escape what he was -- a Starfleet officer. Learning from Sisko's lesson, Worf decides to stay aboard the space station. He joins the crew of Deep Space 9 as Lieutenant Commander Worf, strategic operations officer, donning a red Starfleet uniform. However, the Klingons are continuing to remain near DS9. They have refused to abandon several Cardassian colonies and have started fortifying their positions. Sisko tells his crew that Starfleet are also staying right where they are -- aboard Deep Space 9. 
<EOS>
On Earth, in a house on the Louisiana bayou near New Orleans. It is dark and stormy outside as an elderly Jake Sisko injects himself with an unknown compound before sitting down in front of a fire. Soon, there comes a knock at the door and Jake answers, revealing a young woman, Melanie, looking for refuge from the downpour. After a few minutes of idle conversation the visitor reveals that she, in fact, is a writer and is looking for the writer Jake Sisko. Confirming that Jake is who she is talking to, she cuts to the chase and asks, very promptly, why he stopped writing. Taking a moment, Jake responds that he stopped writing, not because of any reason or recourse, but because of an event that happened to him when he was eighteen years old. His father Benjamin Sisko, had died. Jake says he had grown extremely close to his father after losing his mother. Apparently, when Jake was younger in the year 2372 (sometime after Stardate 49011.4) he lived on space station Deep Space 9, where his father was the station's commanding officer. In a rare event that happens only every fifty years, the Bajoran wormhole was going to undergo a subspace inversion. During this inversion, rare anomalies and temporal fluctuations were going to occur, creating a spectacle that the elder Sisko did not want to miss. Jake was working on a particularly difficult piece of prose at this time and was struggling with it when his father asked him to come along on the USS Defiant to watch the inversion. Jake tried to hole himself away in the crew quarters to continue with his writing, but his father persuaded him to come to the bridge to watch, reminding him of all he'd miss if he doesn't look around once in a while and then agreed to read and discuss what Jake has wrote afterwards. However, suddenly the Defiant was rocked when the wormhole began its inversion, causing a malfunction on the Defiant's engineering deck. Benjamin went to see to it, followed by Jake, despite being asked to stay behind by his father. Arriving, Jake found the entire engineering crew unconscious and the warp core beginning to go critical from an energy flux. With Jake's help, Ben was able to stop the core from rupturing, but as he passed a piece of equipment to his son, the warp core emitted an energy discharge. Jake was pushed out of the way; however he witnessed his father's disappearance, and Benjamin was presumed to have been vaporized by the energy. Jake tried to explain what had happened to Dax, who agreed to scan for any anomalies; however, the scan turned up nothing, and Jake dismissed it as a dream. Meanwhile, the Klingons were making more angry noises and the Bajorans, unsettled by the death of their Emissary, entered into a defense pact with the Cardassians. The Klingons were very unhappy at this and everyone knew that if war broke out, Deep Space 9 would be on the front lines. As a result, the majority of the civilian population left the station. Nog had left to attend Starfleet Academy, and Jake found himself feeling more despondent than ever. Kira and Worf tried to persuade Jake to leave, telling him it was the safest thing to do but he refused. Later, at the upper pylon viewport, Kira approached Jake and told him that she knew his grandfather had asked him to live with him on Earth, and that even if Deep Space 9 wasn't on the brink of war, she'd rather he wasn't on the station. Jake told her that the reason he was staying was because that when he and his father arrived, the station was a damaged hulk but Sisko turned it into a thriving community and Jake explained that if he left the station he'd feel like leaving the last part of his father behind. Kira allowed him to stay on the condition that when she tells him to leave, he will. He agreed. A few months later, Jake found his father in a hallway on DS9 and was physically able to touch him. Taking him immediately to the infirmary, they discovered that Ben was caught in a temporal inversion, falling in and out of sync with normal time and disappearing into subspace, unaware of the passage of time. Despite everyone's frantic attempt to save him, Ben began to disappear into subspace. Seeing the devastation in his son's face, Ben begged his son to reassure him he would be all right but Jake was too upset to answer. Ben vanished, and Jake was left more heartbroken than ever. Jake tells Melanie he couldn't bear losing his father a second time. Melanie says she can come back later, but Jake says he is dying, so that won't happen. Eventually, the situation with the Klingons escalated and Starfleet was forced to turn over DS9 to them. Jake had no choice to leave and could only watch the station disappear into the distance as they left. With no choice but to carry on, Jake moved back to Earth, went to the Pennington School and began writing. Afterward he moved to Louisiana and married a Bajoran woman named Korena and all was well when they met up with Nog, now a Starfleet commander. The Klingons were beginning to let Starfleet ships through the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant, to see how the Dominion would handle ships coming into their space again. The three met up to celebrate Jake winning the Betar Prize, a prestigious writing award for his collected stories, and Jake seemed happy and settled. One night, Jake was up late working on his newest novel and was discussing allowing Korena, an artist, to design the cover, when suddenly the familiar flash of light came from the living room. Jake and Korena entered to find Ben lying near the couch. Starfleet Science was immediately called, and Ben was eager to find out how his son was doing. He was delighted to find that Jake was married and had published two books, achieving his ambition. However, Jake began to get upset at everything his father had missed out on and that he had given up on him, but Ben told Jake that nobody could be expected to hold on for so long, and that he was proud of him and that even though he wasn't there, he still wanted grandchildren. Suddenly he vanished again, and Jake was once again distraught. Jake stopped writing, and began studying subspace mechanics in an attempt to get his father back. Korena was initially patient; eventually, however, Jake's obsession cost him his wife. But Jake wouldn't let this stop him, and he realized he could get Ben back by recreating the accident. By this time, fifty years had passed and Jake hoped that because the Bajoran wormhole would be inverting again, he could grab his father and get him back into sync with his own life. Nog, now a captain, got the Defiant out of retirement and the crew, including Dax and Bashir, went to recreate the accident. However instead of bringing Ben back, Jake was pulled into subspace where he encountered his father. Ben was again eager to find out how his son was doing, but was horrified to find Jake lost his wife and abandoned his promising career in order to try and rescue him. Ben pleaded with his son to get back to writing and to live his life properly, telling him that he shouldn't abandon his future for him. Eventually, Jake was pulled back from subspace. Back in the present, Melanie asks why he didn't go back to writing, and Jake reveals that he had, having been working on more collected stories. He tells her that there wasn't enough time left for him, as he is dying. Melanie realizes that Jake's father is about to appear, and bids Jake goodbye. Before she leaves, Jake makes Melanie promise to enjoy life and once she is gone he rests in an old chair before falling asleep. Waking the next morning, Jake opens his eyes to find his father observing him. Ben tells Jake how happy he is that he's living in the house again and that he got back to writing. Jake asks Ben to read the dedication: "To my father, who's coming home." Ben is touched, but Jake explains further; he (Jake) is the link that kept pulling Ben back into normal space; the sync was like a rubber band. He was the anchor for his father. Sometimes the band would be pulled taut, and during those times before the tension was released, Ben would temporarily rejoin his timeline, but he pulled away again once it snapped back. Once Jake dies, Ben will be lost in subspace forever. The only way to save him is to cut the cord at the time it is most taut, when he is in perfect sync with Jake's timeline. If he did so, Benjamin will be shot back to the time of the incident and he could jump out of the way before he got caught in the loop. Benjamin realizes that Jake has taken poison, and is committing suicide. Ben is horrified, and pleads with his son not to do it and that he shouldn't sacrifice himself for him, but Jake explained he had to. By doing this, he is saving two lives, those of Ben and the boy Jake was, the boy who needs his father. Ben is devastated as his son dies in his arms. Ben suddenly finds himself back in the Defiant engine room, just after he saved the ship. This time he's able to dodge the energy discharge from the warp core. Jake is puzzled how his dad knew to get out of the way, but Ben, having seen how much his son was willing to give up in order to save him, can only hug him knowing they now both have a second chance. 
<EOS>
Worf sits alone in Quark's, his eyes shifting between a PADD and a Markalian across the room. When Quark observes the poor quality of the Markalian's mugshot on the PADD, Worf is not amused. The Markalian is a known criminal, but Quark claims everyone is welcome at his bar. The Ferengi goes over to talk to the Markalian as Major Kira approaches and sits down with Worf. She agrees with Worf's observation that Quark is likely plotting something with the Markalian, yet she seems unconcerned, reassuring Worf that Odo keeps Quark in check. Worf agrees, but adds that Quark is not in prison. Meanwhile, on the runabout USS Rubicon, O'Brien and Doctor Bashir are discussing Keiko O'Brien's return to Deep Space 9 after spending several months on Bajor. Keiko is upset that her husband set up a workshop in their bedroom while she was gone, as she thinks it is a subconscious attempt to push her out of his life; although Miles does not think he has any motive, Bashir claims the opposite is true: Miles' desire to be closer to his wife is the reason, for the bedroom reminds him of her. O'Brien is relieved to hear this and wishes his wife was more like Bashir -- though he tries to hide it. The conversation is interrupted when they detect a magneton pulse emanating from a nearby planet, likely the result of a damaged warp drive. However, a plasma field prevents the runabout's sensors from scanning the planet. The field causes them to crash land in the process. The officers emerge to find themselves prisoners of the Jem'Hadar. On the planet, Bashir and O'Brien are interrogated. The Jem'Hadar can easily read their rank and specialty from their uniforms. Interestingly, they place value on engineering targets rather than science and medical, revealing a bit about their tactics. One of the Jem'Hadar wants to kill Bashir and use O'Brien for intelligence, but the lead Jem'Hadar disagrees and brings them to their complex. Meanwhile, Worf discusses with Captain Sisko and Odo the Markalian aboard the station and how he is likely plotting an illegal activity. Odo doesn't appreciate Worf attempting to interfere with his duties and assures Captain Sisko that he's already conducting an investigation. Sisko allows Odo to proceed and, while understanding Worf's position and appreciating his vigilance, reminds the Klingon that he is no longer a security officer but is in charge of coordinating all Starfleet activity in the sector. Worf promises not to let the incident interfere with his duties. On the planet, Bashir and O'Brien are in a holding force field, while discussing the fact that the Jem'Hadar look rather "jumpy". Before their conversation can go further, the lead soldier, Goran'Agar, comes and takes Bashir to an isolated section of their complex. Bashir is told that he is now working for the Jem'Hadar. Bashir refuses, but is then told of a story that he can't believe. The lead Jem'Hadar has freed himself of his need for ketracel-white. He believes that some aspect of the planet has freed him from his addiction, and wants Bashir to find a way for all Jem'Hadar to live without the need for ketracel-white. Bashir is still a little hesitant to help the Jem'Hadar, so he is led to an area where there are several soldiers obviously in withdrawal stages. A slight touch to any one of them results in excruciating pain. Upon seeing this, Bashir is once again asked if he will help. He says yes, but only with Chief O'Brien's assistance. The soldiers then receive the white necessary to relieve their symptoms. Worf continues to observe the Markalian, becoming convinced that he is planning an illicit deal with Quark. He confronts Odo, questioning his ability to do his job, but Odo dismisses him. Worf later acts on his own initiative to arrest the Markalian during an exchange with Quark, only to discover that the "deal" was actually a sting operation masterminded by Odo to infiltrate the smuggling operation. Odo had posed as a bag of payment, and had intended to gather information once he was on board the Markalian's ship, but is content to merely arrest him and confiscate the goods from Quark. O'Brien and Bashir go to work after a couple days. Bashir has run tests, but, in the meantime, O'Brien has been working on a makeshift weapon to subdue the guard. Quietly, he explains that they will get the guard's gun and run to the runabout. Then, Goran'Agar and a few others arrive to check on the progress. His second, Arak'Taral, picks up the device O'Brien was working on, O'Brien explaining that it for scanner resolution. He inadvertently triggers the weapon. Bashir and O'Brien are quickly subdued, but the second refuses to release his hands from O'Brien's neck. Bashir tends to the guard who was hit by the device. The guard now cannot stand, but Bashir can fix the wound with surgery. Revealing some more about their rules, the injured Jem'Hadar expects to be killed rather than be a burden on the others. Bashir objects, but, interestingly, so does Goran'Agar. He says that is one of the Vorta's rules, and they will not live by them any longer. Meanwhile, Worf covertly observes Quark waiting for the smuggler from the second floor of the bar. Quark starts inspecting the crystals and Worf then leaves to confront Odo about the situation, saying he doesn't appear to be addressing the situation at all. Odo brushes him off, saying he doesn't need him interfering in the way he conducts his duties. Doctor Bashir comes to the decision that the Jem'Hadar deserve freedom, and feels that, once free of the drug, they may no longer be as murderous and could live peacefully. Despite his research, he was no closer to discovering why the lead Jem'Hadar did not need ketracel-white. Inspecting Goran'Agar, he finds his body is producing the white itself, but can't explain it. Bashir also mentions the Jem'Hadar child they found and the fact that Odo helped them. Goran'Agar reveals they almost worship the Founders, but they do not talk to them. Back in the cell with O'Brien, Bashir relays his newfound opinion of the Jem'Hadar, but O'Brien is skeptical. He says they know Federation doctors are trained to feel sympathy, meaning they're manipulating Bashir. Bashir says they should help him, as the effort could end the Dominion. O'Brien is shocked, saying Bashir is just guessing and that the Jem'Hadar are simply killers, without any other purpose in life. At least, in the Dominion, they are kept in check. Bashir replies that they are still people. Finally, Bashir ends the conversation by pulling rank and ordering O'Brien to help him. With the second watching him, O'Brien removes something from the runabout's floor. In a quick move, O'Brien creates a distraction and transports outside. With tricorder in hand, he's off. Bashir and Goran'Agar discuss the cure, but Bashir has ruled out all external factors. Goran'Agar insists there were no anomalous factors from four years ago, so Bashir thinks it's simply genetic -- that Goran'Agar was never addicted to the drug in the first place. Then, his second informs them O'Brien escaped. Goran'Agar orders him to find him and bring him back alive, but he is now convinced Goran'Agar is weak and believing a lie. He leaves to capture O'Brien, and Goran'Agar leaves to follow, but not before telling Bashir he will not be protected any longer by his men. Bashir gives his word he will not try to escape. Back on the station, Quark is finalizing the deal when Worf enters to arrest the smuggler. They're both surprised, but then the bag containing the latinum turns into Odo, as he was about to infiltrate the real buyer that the smuggler was really working for. Worf had been interfering in the investigation of a larger plot, and Odo keeps undercover missions to himself. Further, he doesn't report to Worf, and felt his presence actually helped a bit since it distracts from Odo's efforts. Odo confiscates the crystal and the smuggler, leaving Worf embarrassed. Meanwhile, O'Brien uses the tricorder to confuse the search party, and rigs up a trap for one of them to get a weapon. When O'Brien finally meets up with Bashir to bring him to the runabout, Bashir refuses to leave. Bashir insists that he can find a cure. O'Brien is shocked again, and waits to convince him. O'Brien then destroys Bashir's equipment, and informs Bashir that charges can be filed against him when they return to DS9. Goran'Agar finds them, and escorts them away from the research area. As they approach the runabout, Arak'Taral spots them, but Goran'Agar shoots him instead. Goran'Agar sends the officers off on the runabout, and returns to his men to ease their withdrawal from ketracel-white the only way left open to him: by killing them. When O'Brien confirms that he has been a soldier, Goran'Agar asks him to explain it to Bashir. Worf, meanwhile, has approached Captain Sisko in order to inform him about his part in disrupting Odo's investigation. Sisko is sympathetic, and reminds him that things on the station are not always as black-and-white as they might be on a starship, "and Quark is definitely a shade of grey." He tells Worf that he will need time to adjust to the unwritten rules of the station, but is confident that Worf will eventually fit in. As they return to the station, O'Brien apologizes and says that he took the only course of action that would save Bashir's life, while Bashir restates his responsibilities as a doctor and that O'Brien condemned the men to death. They decide to cancel their weekly darts game, but agree to take it up again in a few days. 
<EOS>
Major Kira is in her quarters when she receives word from Worf that Razka Karn wishes to speak with her. In the course of the conversation, Kira's informed that Razka has found salvage from a missing ship called the Ravinok -- but that she'll need to come to him in order to see for herself. Later she's reviewing the criminal activity report with Odo in the Security office, but she concedes that her mind is wandering. When she tells him that her thoughts are on the Ravinok, Odo wishes her good luck -- he's certain that while she may be skeptical that there are any survivors, she won't rest until she's certain. While Kira prepares for her departure from the station, Captain Sisko drops in on her and asks Kira to put off her departure, as the Cardassians have asked to send someone along with Kira. She tells Sisko that she'll wait two days, and not a minute more, before she leaves. Sometime later Sisko is in the Docking Ring with Jadzia, and they're speculating on the depth of Kasidy's interest in the Captain. At just that moment Kasidy walks up to them to announce that she's applied for a ship's captaincy with the Bajoran Ministry of Commerce. Jadzia's immediate response is to point out that if Kasidy gets the job she can live on the station, and meanwhile the Captain's looking entirely overwhelmed at the prospect. When Sisko makes it back to Ops, he's told by Worf that the Cardassians want to beam someone directly into Ops -- someone who turns out to be Dukat. It seems that he is the one who's to accompany Kira on her search for the Ravinok, and he too is anxious to leave. Aboard a runabout heading to Razka's location in the Badlands, Dukat inquires on Kira's motivation for the search. She explains that when the Ravinok was lost, one of the people aboard was Lorit Akrem, the man who recruited Kira into the Shakaar resistance cell. Dukat's bemused at that, and goes on to say that the Shakaar cell had been the focus of a lot of Cardassian attention during the Occupation. Thence he asserts that the Occupation did Bajor a favor, with which Kira hotly disagrees. Back on the station Sisko and Kasidy are having dinner, and Kasidy announces that she got the captaincy she applied for. When she raises the possibility of getting quarters on the station, an increasingly overwhelmed Sisko calls it "a big step". Obviously, Kasidy is unimpressed by that response and declares that Sisko is afraid of commitment. She walks out on him. When Kira and Dukat arrive at Razka's ship, Dukat's presence creates tension, and it is revealed that both Razka and Dukat are wanted men -- Razka by the Cardassians, and Dukat by the Maquis. However, Dukat confirms that Razka's salvage is from the Ravinok. Informed that Dozaria was the last stop of the Ferengi ship that was hauling the salvage, Kira and Dukat leave. Once at Dozaria, they find emissions consistent with the presence of a damaged ship, and take the runabout down to the surface of the planet where they find the hulk of the Ravinok. At the station, Sisko is in Quark's with Jadzia and Bashir, discussing how the Captain can best remedy the fact that Kasidy is upset with him. There appear to be a few different ways to go about it. Quark, overhearing, gives his traditional Ferengi input of treating women "like the enemy." Once the Captain leaves the table with a diplomatic acknowledgement of their advice, Jadzia and Bashir agree with the Captain's judgment that the prospect of Kasidy living on the station is "a big step." Back on Dozaria, they find that the ship was shot down. Furthermore, there were survivors, as there are 12 grave sites nearby, leaving several others unaccounted. Dukat pauses to identify the remains. Kira also helps, but Dukat objects, saying funeral rites forbid non-Cardassians to view the remains. Kira eventually accepts it and goes to the ship. There, she finds the manifest and the fact that the ship was attacked by unidentified ships. Coming back out to inform Dukat, she finds he is holding a Bajoran betrothal bracelet, revealing his incentive for coming there -- a Bajoran woman who was once his beloved mistress -- was. Dukat doesn't want to dwell on the story, leaving Kira to identify the Bajoran remains. She discovers that Lorit wasn't killed when the ship crashed. Wanting to continue her search for Lorit, Kira explains that as a resistance fighter he had an implanted tracking device of sorts, the trail of which should lead them to the location of the survivors. That night, after Kira and Dukat set up their bivouac with difficulty, Kira points out that she learned from the ship's computer that the daughter of Dukat's mistress, one Tora Ziyal, was also aboard. Dukat declares that he's the girl's father, and that if he finds her alive, he will be forced to kill her. The next day, Kira berates Dukat for what he's set to do. Dukat goes on to explain to Kira that if his paternity of the girl is made known on Cardassia, his political enemies would see him ruined. Kira is, of course, unfazed by this and suggests relocating her secretly to Bajor. Dukat refuses that kind of life for her or her mother. He also says he sent them away, via the Ravinok, so they could live on Lissepia for a relatively better life. Kira objects further, saying he could do that again, but he says he and his family would be in more danger now, with his alignment with the unstable civilian government. He warns her not to stand in his way. Back on the station, Sisko talks with Jake, who informs him Kasidy is not taking the job because Sisko didn't want her to. Revealing he has been talking to Nog, he says he should let Kasidy take the job if she really wants it, because it was her decision and Sisko is scared of feeling guilty if things don't work out. He's a little stunned, with all this conversation behind his back. Kira and Dukat find the survivors of the Ravinok, who have been enslaved by the Breen at a dilithium mine. One of the survivors is indeed Tora Ziyal. Kira tries to order Dukat back to DS9 for reinforcements, but Dukat refuses and, with Kira also unwilling to leave Dukat alone, suggests a joint plan to infiltrate the mine. Kira bluntly promises him that if he kills his daughter, she will kill him. Later, they manage to disguise themselves within Breen refrigeration suits. Once in the mine, Kira discovers that Lorit is dead. Dukat asks where the girl is, but they are soon under fire. Dukat runs off to find his daughter while Kira returns fire. Chased by Kira, Dukat finds Ziyal retrieving water from a spring. Ziyal immediately recognizes her father, and his response is to draw his disruptor on her. Just then Kira finds her way into the chamber, and draws her disruptor on Dukat. Encouraged by Kira to run, Ziyal instead stands her ground and explains that even though she'd been warned of the likelihood that her father would want to kill her, she refused to believe it -- she maintained her will to live by hoping and actually dreaming that she'd be rescued by him. The impasse is finally broken when Ziyal says to her father, "if I can't be with you, then I'd rather die." Back on the station, Captain Sisko goes to Kasidy to apologize for his gracelessness, as he'd been advised by his son to do. Kasidy accepts his apology and, though she turns away from his attempt at a parting kiss, implies that the two of them will be seeing a lot more of each other. Shortly thereafter Dukat catches up to Kira on the Promenade to announce to her that he's taking Ziyal back to Cardassia, and that he will let her know if he has any trouble over his decision. 
<EOS>
Jadzia Dax is in Quark's showing off magic tricks to Quark and Julian Bashir when Captain Benjamin Sisko calls her away. He informs her that a Trill science team is coming to create an artificial wormhole and that the leader of the team is Lenara Kahn. He then suggests that Dax has three months of leave accumulated and that she should take advantage of it. But Dax says she can handle it and that she has never allowed her past lives to interfere with her job. Dax, Worf, and Kira Nerys greets the science team comprised of Dr. Hanor Pren, Dr. Lenara Kahn, and her brother Dr. Bejal Otner. Dax and Kahn formally greet and both agree "it's been a long time". Dax reveals to a curious Major Kira that Kahn used to be Dax's wife. In Quark's, Kira and Bashir explain to a confused Quark that Dax's previous host Torias was married to Kahn's previous host Nilani. However Torias was killed in a shuttle accident and Nilani became a widow. When Nilani died, the Kahn symbiont passed on to Lenara. Kira can not understand why Dax and Kahn can not simply "pick up where they left off", but Bashir explains that it is strictly against the rules of Trill society to acknowledge it in any way. Rekindling a relationship with a love from a past life is called Reassociation, and the Trill feel it is unnatural as the point of joining is to allow the symbiont to accumulate experiences from many lifetimes. When moving from host to host, the symbiont must learn to let go of the past and move on from family and loved ones. Kira believes there must have been some Trill who have reassociated and there have: they were exiled from Trill society and their symbionts died with them. There is nothing more important for a joined Trill than to protect the life of the symbiont and therefore Bashir believes Dax will not act on any feelings she has. At the welcome reception for the Trill scientists, Dax and Kahn have an awkward encounter at the buffet table which is not helped by the inquisitive looks cast by everyone else in the room. Dax humorously suggests getting in a screaming match to entertain the audience. Kahn jokes that perhaps they could throw themselves at each other, profess their love and disregard for Trill society. Kahn adds that they are both mature adults who are capable of handling the situation and Dax agrees. However, when Kahn goes to the other side of the room, they exchange glances. On the USS Defiant, the science team is going over the plan to generate a subspace tensor matrix with a magneton pulse to create an opening in the space-time continuum. Left alone on the bridge, Kahn and Dax discover a few problems, and Dax tells Kahn not to panic -- Torias used to tell Nilani that she was making a fuss over nothing and panicking. Dax admits that Torias was insensitive but Nilani overreacted as well. Kahn replies defensively and accidentally in the first person, but what she meant to say was "Torias being a pilot made Nilani nervous". Both hosts feel they have never had so much trouble separating their feelings from that of a past host. Dax adds that Torias was at fault for testing an unsafe shuttle and that the part of her that is Torias is very sorry. On impulse, Dax invites Kahn to dinner with her and Bashir, only it turns out that Dax nominated Bashir as a chaperon without asking first. Kahn agrees to meet that night at Quark's. It turns out Bashir had plans that night, but Dax insists he cancel them and he relents. The unfortunate Bashir sits at a table yawning, completely left out while Kahn and Dax reminisce the night away. Bashir gets called away by Ensign Tyler's broken leg and leaves a little too eagerly. Kahn thinks that Bashir is a good friend, listening to them trading stories and not complaining. Kahn gives Dax her pair of Klingon earrings and Dax reaches out to hold Kahn's hand, only to be observed by Dr. Pren. On the Defiant, preliminary testing has begun. Pren reports to Dr. Otner about the former couples' dinner date the previous night and observes they are very friendly towards each other. Otner prefers to focus on the experiment. Dax embraces Kahn as the first test succeeds: the wormhole was open for 23.4 seconds. While Otner and Kahn have dinner, Otner asks questions about Dax, who visited Kahn's quarters the previous night. Kahn becomes defensive and Otner states that people are starting to notice how Kahn and Dax are acting towards each other. Kahn storms off angrily and Otner apologizes. He agrees to trust her if she says that nothing is going on, and Lenara insists there is not. Kahn visits Dax's quarters considerably upset at the encounter with her brother. Dax suggests they should not see each other and they should not be having this conversation but Kahn says that would not change their feelings. Kahn admits that she has not gotten over Dax and Dax tells Kahn she has missed her so much. They share a passionate kiss and Kahn quickly leaves afterward. Dax seeks Benjamin Sisko's advice regarding what to do. Sisko thinks Dax should not pursue the relationship as Curzon Dax had said that the price for violating the reassociation taboo is too high. Sisko wants Dax to think about what will happen if they reassocciate: when Jadzia dies, Dax dies. Sisko assures her that if he were in her position he would want to be certain that he can pay the price before doing anything. Sisko, however, agrees to back Dax if she is sure that this is what she wants. Dax says that in her seven lifetimes, she has never had a friend quite like Sisko. On the Defiant, the team launches another attempt to send an object through the artificial wormhole. The wormhole appears to be stable and a probe is launched. It causes a large explosion on the Defiant with a hull breach on Deck 5 and plasma leaks in the engine room where Dr. Kahn is located. The bridge cannot contact the engine room and Dax goes to investigate. The leak is out of control and the plasma needs to be vented out to space, however Kahn is lying out of reach and unconscious. Dax walks on a level 8 force field over the leaked plasma and gets to Kahn in just in time with the help of Michael Eddington. The plasma is vented before it damages the warp core. Kahn tells Dax that she does not want to lose her again and Dax agrees. Dax visits the recovering Kahn and Otner thanks Dax for what she did. He leaves and gives them their privacy. Dax gives Kahn a bottle of Risian perfume and says that the accident may have been caused by the tetryon field's reaction to the probe's shielding, producing a massive graviton wave. Kahn feels guilty about the damage but Dax says it is a huge achievement. Dax then suggests Kahn do further research with her at Deep Space 9 instead of returning to Trill and that she is prepared to pay the price. Dax says it does not matter what everyone else thinks, but what they feel is most important. Kahn however feels that she can not give up everything she worked for and ignore the rules, despite feeling that a part of her is missing without Dax. Kahn wants to think it over on Trill for a little longer, but Dax says that if Kahn leaves on the transport tomorrow they both know that she will probably never return. Worf escorts Pren and Otner to the airlock while Dax observes from above, still hoping Kahn will stay. However Kahn arrives soon after. She casts one last lingering look at Dax and the grief-stricken hosts part, possibly forever.
<EOS>
The USS Defiant rendezvous with a Karemma Commerce Ministry vessel above a remote gas giant in the Gamma Quadrant in order to discuss trade issues. In a meeting between Trade Minister Hanok, Captain Benjamin Sisko and Quark in the Defiant's mess hall, Hanok expresses frustration in trading with the Federation, citing a series of mysterious heavy taxes and fees. Since the Ferengi are being used as middlemen between the Federation and Karemma to avoid angering the Dominion, Sisko realizes that Quark has been cooking the books. In command on the bridge, Worf gruffly reprimands a young officer, Ensign Carson, for poor results in a weapons drill, and orders a fifteen percent decrease in response times. Meanwhile, Major Kira Nerys tells Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax that she is fasting in observation of Ha'mara, the anniversary of the Emissary's arrival to Bajor. Kira suspects Captain Sisko, who dislikes ceremonies, of purposely scheduling the trade negotiations to avoid attending Ha'mara. Kira wished he had attended, as it would have meant a lot to the Bajoran people. Suddenly, sensors pick up two incoming Jem'Hadar warships. Worf orders battle stations and calls Sisko to the bridge. They have come to punish the Karemma for trading with the Federation. Worf initiates red alert and calls for Sisko to come to the bridge. He and Minister Hanok enter the bridge. Hanok offers to surrender himself in exchange for all their lives, but Sisko will have none of that. The Jem'Hadar begin attacking both ships. In blind panic, the Karemma ship begins moving away, fleeing into the upper atmosphere of the gaseous Class-J planet. The Jem'Hadar and the Defiant are in hot pursuit. Kira notes that she is reading wind speeds of 10,000 kph, while Hanok, overwhelmed with guilt, notes that twenty-three people are on that ship. Sisko is determined to save the trade ship, and orders the Defiant into the planet's turbulent atmosphere. Chief Miles O'Brien and his young subordinates, Crewmen Muniz and Stevens, attempt to channel more power into the ship's structural integrity fields. Despite their efforts, the ship is violently buffeted by air currents. Inside the gas giant, the crew discover more bad news. The interference has restricted their sensor visibility to less than two kilometers, plus rendered their cloaking device and weapon targeting systems inoperable. Kira and Dax suggest using modulated tetryon pulses to actively scan via echolocation. During the Occupation, Kira used this method to evade Cardassian ships in the Badlands. Unfortunately, each pulse would give the Defiant's location away as well, meaning the ship would have to change speed and course after every scan. As the crew begins working on their echolocation scanner, Minister Hanok returns to the mess hall. There, Quark tries to convince Hanok that the bogus surcharges were honest mistakes by his "idiot" brother Rom. Hanok doesn't buy the explanation, and angrily tells Quark that, if they survive, he will ensure that Quark will never again be able to conduct commerce in the Gamma Quadrant. Meanwhile on the bridge, the echolocation pulses have detected an object four hundred kilometers beneath them. The Defiant gingerly moves toward it, emitting pulses to keep its bearings. Suddenly, two more blips appear, moving fast toward them -- it is the Jem'Hadar. The Defiant is rocked hard by phaser fire. Shields are drained to 60%, and emergency lights flicker on. Impulse power goes off-line, and the ship starts falling into the planet. With ODN relays overloaded, Dax and Ensign Muñiz race to Jefferies tube four to manually reroute power to the engines. As the external hull pressure rises, the ship groans ominously. On the bridge, Worf delivers more damage reports to Sisko. The phaser couplings have overloaded, and will take two hours to repair. Sisko brainstorms a plan with O'Brien to equip their two atmospheric probes with quantum torpedo warheads. O'Brien sends the nervous, young engineer Stevens to the torpedo bay to modify the probes. Suddenly, a large explosion rocks the ship. A hull breach has occurred on Deck 2, knocking out Crewman Janklow. Emergency force fields activate, but Kira knows they will not last long within the atmosphere. The crew must seal off the deck to save the rest of the ship, but this will mean sacrificing the crewmates in sickbay, plus Dax and Muñiz in the Jefferies tube. Dr. Bashir begins evacuating sickbay. Dax and Muñiz are working as fast as they can to finish their job. Sisko gives them thirty seconds to clear out before he seals off the entire deck. As Bashir herds everyone behind a bulkhead, he sees Dax and Muñiz heading toward them. However, it is too late -- the force field collapses, filling the corridor with swirling poisonous gases. Muñiz suddenly stumbles toward Bashir, who pulls him to safety. With Sisko ordering the bulkhead closed and Dax still missing, Bashir makes up his mind. he hits the switch to close the door, holds his breath, and runs out into the decompressed hallway. Bashir manages to find Dax's unconscious form in the rolling gas, and drags her into an open turbolift. He hurriedly uses the door panel to close the door, and repressurizes the turbolift. They're safe, but he realizes that the communications system is broken. They're trapped. Kira somberly notes that the impulse engines are back on line. As far as they know, it was Dax's final sacrifice. The Defiant gains altitude and resumes searching for the Karemma. In the mess hall, Quark tries to salvage the trade deal, flattering Hanok for uncovering his clever scam, but Hanok rebukes him a second time. On the bridge, Kira has found another blip, and she thinks it is a Jem'Hadar ship. She turns off the pulses, and the Defiant, now flying blind, creeps up behind the Jem'Hadar's last known position. Sisko orders a full stop, and shutdown of all non-essential systems. They will fire one of the modified atmospheric probes, and hope it homes in and destroys the Jem'Hadar ship. Worf and Kira warn Sisko that if the Jem'Hadar ship has changed course or moved out of range, the probe won't find anything and may end up targeting the Defiant instead. Sisko notes the risk, but decides to take the chance anyway. The Defiant fires the probe, and immediately the Jem'Hadar ship ambushes them from behind, weapons blazing. It scores several direct hits and the bridge in particular takes serious damage, with Captain Sisko getting thrown off his feet causing him to bang his head on a console. Their attackers are about to finish them off when the probe homes in and blows the Jem'Hadar ship into dust. The crew have taken out one enemy vessel, but the Defiant is severely damaged. O'Brien is convinced that the bridge crew have all been killed. Fortunately, some of the bridge crew did survive, although the bridge systems did not. Two junior officers are dead, and Sisko is on the floor, bleeding from a concussion and barely conscious. Carson heads below to find a medic, while Worf goes to Main Engineering. Kira notes that if Sisko fall asleep he will likely slip into a coma, but can't risk using a stimulant. Worf advises her to Sisko awake by talking to him and keep his attention. In the turbolift on Deck 2, Dax and Bashir remain trapped. They only have a few hours of air left in the lift. Dax coughs up some fluorine gas. She thanks Bashir for rescuing her, and muses how much their relationship has changed: Meanwhile, Quark attempts again to change Hanok's mind. He can't believe that the Karemma conducts all their business ventures above board. "Where's the greed?" he asks. Hanok can't believe the Ferengi would gamble away their business prospects for just a few strips of latinum more. Worf arrives in the engine room, and takes command. With his typical authoritarian manner, he berates and orders O'Brien's staff around. Meanwhile, Kira tries to keep Sisko awake by talking about mundane work issues, but Sisko is falling asleep. They realize they always talk about work, and Kira confesses that Sisko being the revered Emissary means she finds it hard to relax and be herself around him. In response, Sisko asks Kira if she can tell him a story. In the engine room, they've picked up two more blips -- but they're too small and too fast to be ships. It dawns on O'Brien -- they're torpedoes. The Defiant swerves to port, and the first warhead misses, but they cannot dodge the second torpedo in time. Everyone braces for impact -- but nothing happens. Meanwhile, Quark and Hanok in the mess hall stare at a Jem'Hadar torpedo that has jammed itself in the back wall. Hanok suggests leaving the mess hall, but Quark knows that's pointless since the torpedo will destroy the ship if it goes off. Quark instead decides to attempt to defuse the warhead, and puts his safe-cracking skills to work. The engine room guesses where the torpedo impacted the hull, but they are cut off from the mess hall. When Stevens expresses doubt in Worf's command to strengthen structural integrity in that area, Worf curtly cuts him off. O'Brien privately reminds Worf that his engineers aren't officers who attended Starfleet Academy, but enlisted crewman who are used to doing their jobs in their own way. He suggests that Worf "loosen up on the reins" and let his men do what they're good at. Worf vows to consider his advice. Trapped in the turbolift, Bashir muses how he fantasized that he and Dax would be trapped adrift on a runabout. He explains it was because she was always avoiding him, and Dax explains it is because he came on too strong. They exchange a laugh. In the engine room, Worf tries a more participatory style of leadership. Approaching Muñiz and Stevens, he solicits their help in improvising another weapon. The bright engineers brainstorm using the deflector dish as a makeshift, one-shot phaser, and Worf approves their plan. On the bridge, Sisko's condition worsens and he begins to slip into unconsciousness. Kira decides to risk giving him a stimulant and, determined to do anything to stop the Emissary of the Phophets from dying, begins praying over his prone body in her native tongue. In the engine room, the deflector weapon is configured. The echolocation pulse is restarted, and the crew wait for the final confrontation. In the mess hall, Quark has managed to open the warhead. Hanok points directly to two diodes and describes their function; one will turn off the power, the other will trigger the detonator. As Quark questions his knowledge, Hanok admits these torpedoes are made and sold by the Karemma. Quark realizes that Hanok sold the Jem'Hadar shoddy merchandise (since the torpedo was meant to detonate on impact), and Hanok jokes that maybe he should offer a refund. The two businessmen then share a hearty laugh. Hanok doesn't know which diode does what, which complicates matters. Quark says they will have to take a chance and just guess. When Hanok hesitates, Quark just randomly picks a diode and pulls it out and the torpedo powers down. Afterward, Hanok admits that the gamble was exciting. This time, Quark challenges him to reopen trade negotiations and try to outsmart him. Hanok accepts. Meanwhile, the Jem'Hadar ship has locked onto their pinging, and comes in for the kill. Too late, it discovers the source of the pinging is actually the second atmospheric probe. the Defiant ambushes them from behind, destroying the Jem'Hadar with a single deflector blast. The Defiant rescues the Karemma, although the trade ship is too damaged and is abandoned. Everyone arrives safely back at Deep Space 9 and Quark's. Minister Hanok, invigorated from living on the edge, takes up dabo. To Quark's detriment, he turns out to be a natural at it. Dax invites Bashir to a game of darts. Stevens gives Worf the repair schedule, and to his delight, Worf allows the engineers to proceed at their own discretion. However, O'Brien interrupts, and curtly tells Stevens he has twelve hours to complete the repairs. After Stevens leaves, O'Brien sagely remarks to Worf, "You have to give them a lot of slack, but you can't take your hands off the reins." In Ops, a recovering Sisko finishes a meeting with Kira, and then asks if she would like to accompany him to a baseball game in the holosuites. Kira gladly accepts. 
<EOS>
A crowd has gathered at Quark's. Rom tells the assembled crowd that Nog will soon be heading off to Starfleet Academy, and, as is Ferengi tradition, is selling off his childhood possessions to raise capital. Rom encourages everyone to show their support, and kicks off the auction by volunteering to buy Nog's pajamas -- which Nog says will cost him three strips of gold-pressed latinum. Rom, in typical Ferengi fashion, haggles his way down to two. Nog accepts, and encourages the crowd to buy their own keepsakes. Worf stands off to one side, and is approached by Miles O'Brien, who is surprised to see him there. Worf explains it was a personal request of Sisko's, and says he seems to have taken some interest in the boy. The chief tells him that Sisko sponsored Nog's application to the Academy, and Worf says it just doesn't seem right: a Ferengi at the Academy. The chief comments that not so long ago, someone would have said the same about a Klingon at the Academy. Sisko comes up behind them and tells them to buy something before it is all gone. Despite his annoyance, Worf is quickly impressed with Nog's tooth sharpener after trying it and buys it to Nog's surprise. Quark walks into the bar and, looking irritated, walks over to Rom. Rom is surprised to see Quark, and tells him that if he hurries, there may still be some choice items left to buy. Quark tells him he's not there for the sale; Nog has no place going off to the Academy, and Quark won't have any part of it. Quark tells Rom to come with him; the sale is over, as far as Rom is concerned. The brothers' cousin Gaila has finally made good on a 10-year old promise and bought Quark a ship. Knowing Gaila, it is probably defective, so he wants Rom to check it out. Upon inspection, Rom finds the ship is in perfect shape, but Quark feels they need to take it on a shakedown cruise. Rom suggests Earth, and Quark says it is a wonderful idea. Rom runs off to tell Nog, and Quark says to himself that it will be a profitable trip. Quark makes arrangements with Morn to watch the bar while he's gone, and tells him to keep a close eye on Odo. Odo tells Quark Morn is a good choice, as long as he doesn't drink up all of the profits. Odo comments that it is nice of Quark to take Nog to Earth; Quark remarks that he's a generous person. Jake and Nog are at their usual spot on the Promenade, when Julian Bashir and the chief walk up. They present Nog with a PADD containing all of Earth's customs, geography, history. everything he'll need to know to get by on Earth. Nog looks at them in surprise, and asks if it will tell him all he needs to know about attracting Human females; they chuckle and say, "Well, maybe not EVERYthing."  Nog says his goodbyes to Bashir and the chief, and Jake offers to walk him to the airlock. He turns around one last time to look at the spot where he and Jake used to spend all their time hanging out on the Promenade. Jake says, "That was a good spot." Nog replies, "The best." Jake walks his friend to the airlock. In Ops, Dax tells Sisko and Kira Nerys that the Ferengi shuttle Quark's Treasure has just departed. Kira says she wouldn't want to be stuck on that shuttle with the three of them all the way to Earth; Sisko says he's just worried that no one warned Earth they were coming. On the shuttle, Quark complains that the trip is taking too long, and Rom says not to worry; he knows that kemocite is unstable, but another day or two won't make any difference. Quark feigns ignorance, but Rom knows all about the shipment of kemocite Quark is smuggling, and how dangerous and profitable it is, especially if they make a side trip to Orion on the way back from Earth. Quark asks when he got so smart; Rom tells him he's always been smart, he just lacks self-confidence. He could be convinced to forget what he knows for 20% of the profits. Quark rolls his eyes, and asks Nog if he wants a cut, too. Nog says that as a Starfleet cadet, he's sworn to report any violation of Federation law to his superiors -- but he hasn't been sworn in yet. For 10%, he'll keep quiet. Quark agrees, and tells Rom to push the shuttle faster. As they approach Earth, Nog comes in from the crew quarters, and asks if the picture of Gabriel Bell looks a lot like Sisko. Quark tells Rom to take the ship out of warp, and Rom says it is not responding; the command sequencer has been disabled. Gaila found a way to sabotage the ship that Rom couldn't normally detect, and he can't shut it down. Rom says that if he can flood the cargo hold with plasma, its reaction with the kemocite should allow him to shut down the warp core, forcing them back into normal space. Quark says he's a genius. Rom asks if he really thinks so, and Quark replies he has no idea. he didn't understand a word he just said, but to do it anyway. Rom says he thinks he can get close enough to Earth to make an emergency landing. The ship streaks through space at high warp and disappears. Quark wakes up and sits bolt upright, covered by a white sheet. He looks around, and sees Rom and Nog lying next to him in what appears to be a dark laboratory. They both appear to be dead. Outside the lab, a Human male dressed in a 1940s US Army officer uniform picks up an old-fashioned phone and tells the party on the other end to contact General Denning. one of the "Martians" is awake. A calendar is hanging on the wall. it is an old Bettie Page-style pin-up calendar, set to July, 1947. A military base, 1947 -- one man in a suit, a doctor, and several men and women in US military uniforms stand on the other side of a two-way mirror, watching Quark, Rom, and Nog interact with each other. They have the farmer who found the ship, and they've convinced the "idiot in Roswell" who told the local paper they captured a flying saucer to issue a retraction. turns out, it was just a weather balloon. They're afraid that if word gets out that beings from another planet have landed on Earth, they'll create a nationwide panic. They're not telling anyone about the "Martians" until they know what they're up against. They turn on a speaker and hear the Ferengi speaking in their native language. Quark walks over to the door and tries to get it to open, but can't figure out how to use the door knob. The Humans watch this all with great interest. Inside the room, the Ferengi try to figure out where they are. They figure they must be on Earth, but they don't know where, except that it is not Starfleet Academy. Quark starts beating on the door, yelling at them to give him his ship back. The soldiers on the other side of the door pull their guns, thinking he's trying to escape. A female officer grabs the doctor's arm and tells him not to let the soldiers hurt Quark; he's just scared. He tells the general they need to try and communicate with them; the general tells him the President agrees that's why he's here. Back inside the room, Quark is complaining that Earth was a bad idea, and that it is all Nog's fault because he insisted on joining Starfleet. Rom defends Nog, Quark yells at Rom, Nog yells at Quark, and Rom says maybe they're all dead, and this is the Divine Treasury, the Ferengi version of Heaven. Quark says that's not possible; the Treasury is made of solid gold-pressed latinum, the Blessed Exchequer and the Celestial Auctioneers are missing, and they should be bidding for new lives right now. Rom says maybe they're in the other place. Nog suggests the Vault of Eternal Destitution? Quark scoffs and says that's impossible; the bar was turning a profit. The door opens, and two armed men enter the room, followed by the female nurse, one of the officers, and the doctor. He tries to communicate with the Ferengi; they don't understand a word he says. Rom figures their universal translators must not be working, and they all three start hitting their heads, trying to reset the translators. The Humans think they must be some sort of greeting, and start hitting their heads in return. Quark looks at them in amazement; Rom says maybe their universal translators are broken, too. Nog says they don't have universal translators; he recognizes the uniforms from the PADD about Earth Bashir gave him back on Deep Space 9. The uniforms are from the 20th century, one of Earth's old nation-states, Australia, or something. They figure out they've traveled back in time almost four hundred years. Rom asks if they don't have universal translators, then why are they banging their heads. Quark hits his head, and the Humans do it too. Quark repeats the action, and so do they. Quark figures out they are just mimicking the Ferengi. He says he never realized primitive Humans were so stupid. Nog says they were also violent, petty, bigoted, and selfish. Quark says, "The three of us, and millions of primitive hew-mans. I like those odds." The nurse takes Quark's blood pressure, and Quark asks for oo-mox in his native language. She has no idea what he says, of course. She smiles, and walks over to the doctor. She tells him she has run every test she can think of, and all she can tell him is, they're not Human. They watch Rom try to repair Nog's universal translator, and think they're involved in some kind of grooming ritual, like gorillas. She correctly assumes they are father and son, and the doctor wonders if Quark is related somehow. She says for all they know, he could be the mother. The doctor says if that's true, Quark is quite a shrew. Rom figures out that the interference disrupting their translators is coming from beta radiation from nuclear fission. Quark tells him not to be an idiot; fission doesn't happen within planetary atmospheres. Nog explains that here, it does. In the 20th century, Humans used crude fission reactors as weapons, calling them "atom bombs." Quark can't believe how stupid the Humans are for polluting their own planet. Quark tells Rom to hurry up and fix the translators; the sooner they start communicating with these "savages," the better. Rom sees the female playing with a hairpin, and points at it. The man figures out that Rom wants it, and she gives it to him. Rom takes the hairpin and jabs it in Nog's ear, looking for the reset button on his translator. The Humans recoil, thinking it must hurt. The doctor lights up two cigarettes, one for him and one for her, and expresses dismay at not having enough help to try and communicate with the Ferengi, and the woman says she's sure he'll find a way. She can't wait to find out how much they can learn from the Ferengi; how maybe, in a few years, Humans will have rocket ships of their own and travel the galaxy, "exploring new worlds and new civilizations." He chuckles, and says that she's a dreamer; she replies, that's why you love me. He smiles, and says that here they are, in the middle of one of the biggest discoveries in Human history, and all he can think about is how she'll look in her wedding dress. She smiles bashfully and says her mother keeps asking where they're going on their honeymoon; she thinks they should go to Niagara Falls. He says who knows, maybe we'll go to Mars. Quark notices the smell from the cigarettes burning, and Nog tells him about tobacco, how poisonous and addictive it is. Rom asks where they get it; Nog tells them it is readily available in stores. Quark is amazed; he says if they'll buy poison, they'll buy anything. Nog says he hopes he wouldn't do anything to disrupt the timeline; they could all cease to exist. In the hangar, the soldiers are examining the ship, but they can't make heads or tails to how it runs. The doctor is out for a stroll, and he kneels down to pet a German Shepherd. The general asks him if they've made any progress. The doctor says he would think that creatures as technologically advanced as they seem to be would communicate telepathically, but they seem to have a developed language. He says, in time, a team of linguists should be able to figure it out. The captain says no one else is getting called in on the project there is already too many people who know about the Ferengi. The general says that president Truman is an impatient man and wants answers, and he wants them now. The nurse comes outside, and tells them they need to get in there, now. They come inside, and the dog follows them in. Quark announces, so that they understand, that he is Quark, the chief financial officer of the Ferengi Alliance, and he has a business proposition for them. The general looks in Quark's ear with a flashlight and says he sees no universal translator; Quark says trust me, it is in there. The general asks how it works, and Quark says it is simple, if you know how. Anything is possible with advanced technology. In typical Ferengi fashion he then goes into his sales pitch: he is there to open up a market for advanced Ferengi technology with the people of 20th century Earth. Ships, transporters, medicine, replicators, weapons, are all available in exchange for gold. The general says Quark reminds him of his brother-in-law, a used car salesman, and not a very good one. Bottom line: he doesn't trust him. Quark threatens to take his "business" to the Russians, and the general doesn't like that. He says he'll have to get clearance from the president. Quark agrees, and offers some free advice: stop poisoning themselves with tobacco and atom bombs. they'll kill you. The general asks what he knows about atom bombs, and Quark says Ferengi have been watching Earth for years, and know all about Humans: baseball, root beer, darts, and atom bombs. quite a fascinating culture. He tells the general to go talk to the president. Rom and Nog are talking to the doctor and his fiancee, telling them all about Ferenginar. The German Shepherd is sitting on the counter. Rom has just told the doctor that women on Ferenginar go around naked, and it is the law; Nurse Garland tells them she's never visiting there, and neither is he. Nog manipulates Garland into innocently giving him oo-mox. Quark comes back to the room, and Rom asks how his meeting with the general went. He gets Nurse Garland and the doctor to leave the room, and tells them everything is fine. The German Shepherd barks at Quark, and he complains that the Humans forgot to take it with them. It runs over to him and puts its front paws on his shoulders. The German Shepherd morphs into Odo, who tells him he is placing Quark under arrest for attempting to smuggle kemocite. He tells them he hid on board the ship, which is in a hangar on the other side of the base. It is damaged, but the engines are functional. They can use it to get away from the base. Nog says that they'll be stuck four hundred years in the past. Rom tells them all that if there is enough kemocite left, and if he can find a powerful enough energy source, he might be able to get them home, to their time. Odo asks what kind of energy source, but Quark interrupts, and tells them all they're not going anywhere, that inside a year, they'll be running the whole place. The Humans here are cruel, gullible, and greedy and he can manipulate them. Once they run the whole planet, they'll contact the Ferengi of this time and sell them their ship. Ferengi will have warp drive before any other power in the quadrant, and set up a financial empire the likes of which even Grand Nagus Zek couldn't dream of and Quark can run it all. Odo says he has a very vivid imagination, but the only place they're going is back to their own time. He'll have the ship ready in six hours and they're all going to be on it. Quark says he's not going back, and neither is his ship. Odo says we'll see about that. He morphs back into a dog and waits by the door. Outside, the captain is pacing by the door when the general pulls up. He tells the captain the president said no deal, not until they know more about the aliens. The captain says he'll find out, and the general gives his okay. The captain goes inside the building. Inside, Quark is trying to convince Rom and Nog to stay, but they want to go. Six MPs enter the room, three with pistols drawn. The other three put bags over the Ferengi's heads, and escort them none too gently from the room. They are tied to chairs, and the captain begins to interrogate Quark. He tells them if they don't let him go, he'll take his business to the Russians. The captain says that's a good place to start. tell us what you know about the Russians. Nurse Garland walks up to Quark with a syringe full of liquid, and Quark realizes he's in a lot more trouble than he thought. Nurse Garland sticks the needle in Quark's arm and he starts to scream. After five injections of Sodium Pentathol, she tells the captain it is not working. She tells the captain it is wrong; "these people are our guests". The captain says they're not people, they're things, invaders from another world, and it is up to them to put an end to whatever the Ferengi might be planning. He grabs a scalpel and threatens to cut Quark open if he doesn't tell him what he wants to hear. Nog asks if there are laws against this kind of thing; the captain tells him not when it comes to national security. He threatens each of them in turn, until Rom breaks, and tells them it was an accident, that they never meant to come to Earth in the 1940s, and they're from the future, all the while, crying for his moogie. Nog tells the captain what he wants to hear, saying that they're the advance scouts for the Ferengi invasion fleet, confirming the captain's fears. He tells the "puny Earthlings" that they have been studying them for centuries, and they are ripe for conquest. He calls Quark the "Supreme Commander" and tells the Humans that three hundred Marauder-class attack cruisers are orbiting the planet, preparing to attack. Quark tries to convince them they just want to sell them things, and the doctor says he doesn't believe the invasion story, all while Rom is crying for his moogie. Nog keeps up the invasion story, telling them that when the appointed hour arrives, the ships will decloak and begin transporting Klingon shock troops directly to the landing zone. killing all the males, and taking all the females to mate with. The captain asks where the landing zone is; Nog will show him on the map if he unties him. One of the MPs unties Nog, and the other goes to get the general. Nog points to the Great Lakes area, saying the first landing parties will invade here. The captain leans over to get a closer look at the map, and Nog hits him in the stomach and over the head, causing him to drop his M1911. The MP pulls his M1911, and Nurse Garland tells him not to hurt Nog. Nog says it was an accident, he didn't mean to hit the captain, he tripped. The captain tells the MP to shoot Nog, but the doctor takes out the MP before he can fire. Nurse Garland hits the captain over the head with a tray and unties Quark. They tell the Ferengi they are helping them escape, and Rom asks if they'll get in trouble. Quark says of course not, since they forced the Humans to help them using. Nurse Garland fills in the blank: "your insidious mind control powers." Quark compliments her on her quick thinking, and they make their way to the ship. The general and two MPs stop them. Quark grabs Nurse Garland and points his finger at her, telling them he'll disintegrate the hostage with his "death ray." The general says it looks a lot like a finger to him. With the distraction, Odo shape-shifts out of a nearby truck and takes out the two MPs and the general. They commandeer a Jeep and get to the hangar. The doctor tells them an atomic blast will occur in seven minutes. Quark thanks the two "hew-mans," and Nurse Garland says that she only hopes one day man can travel the stars and take its place among a vast alliance of planets. Rom corrects her: "Federation." Quark stops him from explaining further, saying that he is an idiot. The Ferengi get in their ship and take off. The captain gets to the general and asks "What do we do now?" The general says "About what, captain? All we ever found was a crashed weather balloon." Rom tells them all they have to do is fly directly into the atomic blast and expose the kemocite to the beta radiation, and it will cause a reverse time warp that they can just ride home. Odo tells Quark if it doesn't work, he'll hold him personally responsible. At the target site, the bomb goes off, and the ship gets buffeted by the explosion. The ship materializes in Earth orbit back in their own time. Back on DS9, Quark tells Rom he could have ruled the galaxy, and now he has nothing, not even a shuttle. Rom reminds him he still has the bar, and at least he got enough from selling the shuttle for salvage to book them passage home. Odo grabs Quark and tells him he's under arrest for kemocite smuggling; Quark tells him he has no evidence, since they used up all the kemocite getting back to the 24th century. Odo tells him to tell it to the arbiter. Quark tells Rom to get him out of this; Rom says he'll contact cousin Gaila; he's sure to know a good lawyer. 
<EOS>
Dahar master Kor is seated in Quark's, regaling a crowd with the story of the glorious battle between Kor, Kang, and Koloth, and the forces of T'nag. Almost the entire bar is gathered around the old Klingon, except Worf, who huddles uncomfortably at the bar, quietly listening. When Kor finishes, Jadzia Dax notices Worf and invites him to meet her old friend. Worf declines, reminding her that he is considered an outcast by most Klingons, but she insists. Introduced by Jadzia anyway, Kor calls Worf a traitor and a pariah, followed by a long uncomfortable pause -- after which he smiles, extends his hand, assures a visibly upset Worf that anyone so disliked at the highest levels of the Klingon Empire is a friend of his. Worf prepares to accompany Jadzia Dax and Kor, a legendary Klingon warrior, on a mission to recover the Sword of Kahless, the mythical, millennia-old weapon of the Klingon Empire's first leader -- an artifact missing for centuries. A Vulcan geological survey team mining bakrinium discovered evidence of the sword's presence without realizing its significance and gifted the Shroud of the Sword to Kor when he was ambassador to Vulcan. When the drunken Kor finally retires to his quarters after first speaking with Worf, he is attacked by a Lethean named Soto, who reads his mind. The next day, Dax finds Kor passed out following the attack and assumes he is merely hung over. He obviously doesn't remember his encounter with the Lethean, but does recount being thrown out of Quark's and spending some time in Worf's quarters. Turning to the cloth, Jadzia explains that she has verified the authenticity of the Shroud, particularly since it shows evidence of Hur'q DNA. Kor is ready to go, but she asks him where he got it, first. Later, Captain Sisko is listening to the explanation. Apparently a Vulcan geological survey found it accidentally in ancient ruins on an uncharted planet in the Gamma Quadrant, where it must have been left by the Hur'q. Hoping to restore Federation/Klingon relations, Sisko allows them the use of the USS Rio Grande. On the way, Kor stops to make a speech, clearly excited about the journey and feeling fortunate to be accompanied by Dax and Worf. The trip takes several hours, so Kor rests and Worf does exercise, pausing to thank Dax for introducing him to Kor. Kor has a fantastical dream of returning the Sword in the Hall of Heroes to Gowron, where the statues of Kang and Koloth come alive, reuniting with him. Soon, though, the team reaches the planet. Since the Vulcans it mapped out well, Kor knows where to look -- an area that once was the Hur'q Central Museum. However, there is a force field that Dax needs to spend time on to break through. Beaming down, they set up force field destabilizers. They successfully create an interference pattern and the field is gone. Upon arrival in a subterranean vault, the three get into a deserted chamber, but find that all the artifacts hidden there have been removed. The three are very disappointed, but Worf, unwilling to give up, discovers another hidden chamber. Hidden by a holographic projection, it has a sensor which seemingly only admits Hur'q life signs. Using the tricorder to fake them, they enter and finally find the Sword of Kahless. When they exit the chamber, they are confronted by several Klingons led by Toral, son of Duras, who hired the Lethean to attack Kor and learn about their plans to recover the Sword. Worf initially thinks that Toral wants to be the one to bring back the Sword to restore their family's seat on the Klingon High Council which they lost a few years earlier, however, he says he can lead the Empire himself. Toral also challenges Worf, mentioning the fact that Worf spared his life. Though outnumbered, Kor, Worf, and Dax brawl their way past Toral's group and escape into the caves. Toral's ship was jamming their communications with the runabout, though. Worf suggests that they try going to the surface, so Dax has Kor make sure no one follows. After a while, Kor asks Worf about his encounter with Toral. When he learns Worf declined the Right of Vengeance, he has second thoughts about him, even calling him not a real Klingon. He blames him for their current predicament, and Worf retorts that Kor earlier boasted about the mission in public, leading Toral to him. Worf goes onward, and Kor expresses regret bringing him along to Dax. As they trek through the caves, Kor grows increasingly bombastic about plans for the Sword and the Empire when they return. Stopping to kill and cook a rat they find, Kor jokingly exaggerates their encounter with it. Worf is not amused, and further objects to Kor's use of the Sword to hold the meat. Kor ridicules him, and says Kahless used it to skin the Serpent of Xol. Painting Worf as an idealist, he scoffs at the idea of giving the Emperor the Sword instead of Gowron. He expresses that it would require a true warrior to unite the Klingon people, not someone like Gowron or even the reborn Emperor Kahless. Worf disapprovingly supposes Kor wants to take that role, and Kor says the Empire could do much worse. Dax tries to settle the conversation by moving the group along. Later, Worf decides that it is his destiny, not Kor's, to possess the Sword and lead his people. While Kor gets more food, Worf explains his newfound meaning of his vision of Kahless when he was younger to Dax. Dax is caught in the middle, but it also appears that Kor has been listening from around the corner. The long journey takes the three of them to an abyss, though there is a ledge they can use to continue. Kor slips and loses his footing, but still gripping the Sword. Worf saves Kor by grabbing the other end. Straining, he tries to convince Kor to let go and land on a ledge below, but Kor refuses, believing Worf is deceiving him. Dax helps pull up Kor and they both look down, seeing the ledge, which is dangerously small. Kor then confronts Worf, saying he tried to kill him. He demands the Sword, but Worf instead raises it against him, and they almost start fighting. Dax holds on to the sword herself as the other two squabble over it. Later, they stop to take a break. Kor and Worf continue to bicker while Dax observes and tries to stop it. She holds the Sword and a phaser even as she sleeps. Dax is awakened by the sound of Worf and Kor, ready to fight to the death. They are interrupted when Toral's party catches up to the trio and begins another battle. Kor enthusiastically takes the Sword and engages them. Worf is confident in him, as he has the Sword, and joins him. They soon subdue the whole group, however, Worf and Kor turn on each other, and Worf is on the verge of killing Kor when Dax stuns each of them with her phaser. She turns to Toral and forces him to deactivate the jamming signal, then transports the three of them back to the runabout. Later, on board, Worf and Kor realize that the Sword turned the two of them against each other, and will probably divide the Klingon people as well. Worf ponders if they really were meant to find it; Kor firmly asserts that it was so but sadly notes that they just were not meant to keep it. They make the decision to beam the sword into space, leaving it to destiny to decide when it should be revealed to the Klingon people. 
<EOS>
A glass screen shatters as a man with a patch over one eye is hurled backwards through it. On the other side of the screen, Doctor Bashir stands casually, dressed in a tuxedo, and walks back toward his female companion, Caprice. She smiles as she hands him a bottle of champagne, but she has a troubled look on her face. Bashir looks at the bottle and sees the reflection of the other man, who is attempting to sneak up on him. With nothing else to use for a weapon, Bashir turns around quickly and uncorks the bottle, using the cork as a projectile to render the other man unconscious. He turns to Caprice and the two embrace, but they are interrupted by clapping from elsewhere in the room. It is Elim Garak, who has broken into the holosuite because he is curious to know what Bashir is doing. Garak notes that Bashir has been visiting the holosuite repeatedly ever since he received his new holo-program and yet the doctor has not told anyone what the program is. Despite Bashir's protests, Garak uses his usual charm and tactfulness to convince the doctor to allow him to stay and observe. However, he notes that Bashir's companion has just left. The doctor is obviously not amused, but Garak assures him they will have a wonderful time together. Garak then tells Bashir "After all, what could possibly go wrong?" As Garak and Bashir enter the doctor's fictional apartment in Hong Kong, Garak takes in the decor of 1964 Earth before they are joined by Bashir's valet, Mona Luvsitt. She reveals that behind one of Bashir's walls is an assortment of firearms; between this and the lavish surroundings, Garak surmises that Bashir is playing some kind of rich playboy. On the contrary, Bashir says, he is a spy: a top-class secret agent whose clothing, equipment, lodgings, and adoring female companions are all provided to him by a grateful government. Garak remarks wryly that he (who really has been a spy) must have joined the wrong intelligence service. Meanwhile, Sisko, Kira, Worf, Dax, and Miles O'Brien return from a conference only to discover their runabout has been sabotaged. The USS Orinoco is about to explode, so Eddington beams them out. Unfortunately, the explosion comes during the transport, and as the crew materialize a bright flash forces station crew to avert their eyes. Only smoke remains, and Eddington is stunned. Eddington rushes down to evaluate the next move, and Odo arrives to understand what's going on. The primary energizing coils were overloaded, but the crew members' patterns are still stuck in the transporter buffer. Given the immense amount of space required to store neural information and the fact that the buffer will soon lose coherence and the signatures with it, Eddington orders the computer to wipe all memory necessary in order to save the patterns; consequently, all power on the station goes out while the crew members are somewhere on the station, but he and Odo have no idea where they are. At the same time, in the holosuite (which is still active despite the power loss), Mona dresses Garak in appropriate attire for the 1960s. But shortly thereafter, the bar in Bashir's apartment turns itself 180 degrees to reveal a bed with a scantily-clad Major Kira on it. Bashir thinks Kira and Garak have conspired to ridicule him, but Garak is just as surprised as he is. Speaking with a thick Russian accent, Kira identifies herself as Colonel Anastasia Komananov, and soon Bashir and Garak realize the image of Komananov, a character from Bashir's holonovel, has been replaced with one of Kira. However, the computer claims the parameters for the character are normal and refuses to pause the program. Bashir contacts Ops to find out what has happened, but as Eddington explains about the transporter accident, Odo recognizes Kira's voice and realizes the images of the missing crew members must have been stored in the holosuite's memory. Odo and Eddington warn him not to stop the holo-program or call up the exit, as it might result in the loss of the images -- and thus the crew. Komananov explains the mission she and Bashir are supposed to be working on; a number of unusual earthquakes have occurred of late, and the government has concluded that the quakes are artificial. When Garak begins to explain that it is not difficult to manufacture such a quake, Bashir silences him, given the period they are supposed to be in. The assignment is to find out who is causing the quakes, and the only clue is the recent kidnapping of someone named Professor Honey Bare. When Komananov shows Bashir a picture of the professor, it is in fact Dax. Bashir communicates to Garak that they need to ensure that Honey Bare stays alive as if she dies, the computer will remove her from the program and unintentionally erase Dax's pattern. Komananov is about to explain further when the door opens to reveal Mona, who collapses with a knife in her back. She is followed by O'Brien -- who is now Falcon, the man with the patch whom Bashir knocked out previously -- and two other armed men. Komananov asks Falcon for one last kiss with Bashir, and Falcon accepts. As they kiss, she tells Bashir to remove her earring; it's a bomb. He does so, and the bomb knocks out Falcon. Garak, Bashir and Komananov proceed to knock out Falcon's henchmen. Komananov nearly kills O'Brien, but Bashir stops her. This makes Komananov question his motives, as Falcon has been trying to kill Bashir for nine years. Bashir notices that Garak's mouth is bleeding after the fight, and they realize that the safety mechanisms on the holosuite have been disabled, and that in addition to keeping the five crewmembers' patterns alive in the story, Garak and Bashir must take care to protect their own lives as well. Komananov then proceeds with the mission. She reveals that Hippocrates Noah has been kidnapping the world's best minds for the past six months, and that he had met each one at a club in Paris. Komananov, Bashir and Garak set out to visit the club. Meanwhile, Odo and Eddington go to the holosuite with Quark and Rom to determine the nature of the crew's integration. Rom has made significant modifications, but Eddington is able to confirm the crew's physical patterns. However, their neural energy cannot be stored there. Quark supposes multiple other systems on the station have been used to do that, as it requires an immense amount of energy. In the Club, the trio first find Duchamps, who has a striking similarity to Worf. Bashir claims that he is one of the world's leading geologists, and inquires about Dr. Noah and the scientists. Duchamps says that he can arrange a meeting, but only for 5,000,000 francs. Bashir requests a game of cards to win the money from him. Meanwhile, Odo, in Ops reveals that a Cardassian separatist group is responsible for the destruction of the Orinoco. Eddington announces that the neural patterns of all five officers were stored in the rest of the computer memory. They decide to use the Defiant to reassemble the neural and physical patterns of the five victims, though Rom says he needs to modify the system to interface with the ship. Meanwhile, Bashir has won the money in a game of baccarat, and asks to meet with Dr. Noah. Duchamps knocks the trio out with a puff of toxic cigar smoke. When they awaken, a man is ready for them. He introduces himself as Hippocrates Noah, but looks exactly like Benjamin Sisko. Bashir then notices that the room they are in is atop Mt. Everest. Dr. Noah decides to test Bashir's geological knowledge by showing him one of his artifacts. When Bashir identifies the various stones, Noah then announces his plan, while also revealing a hidden control panel and Professor Bare, with Dax's appearance. He reveals he has placed massive underground lasers in strategic positions, and that he plans to activate them all at once, shrinking the earth, killing all of its inhabitants, and forcing the oceans to cover the entire globe, except the highest point on earth, his complex on Mt. Everest. He then announces that Bashir won't be joining him, and calls for Falcon, who has just been employed by him. On the Defiant, Rom has successfully managed to complete the modifications to allow the holosuite to interface with the Defiant transporters, but it will take another hour. Falcon straps Bashir and Garak to one of the giant lasers, but says that Komananov will be used as breeding stock for the second Human race. Dr. Noah activates the countdown sequence and leaves. Once he is gone, Garak almost ends the program, but Bashir stops him. Finally, Honey Bare shows up, and Bashir charms her into coming close enough to steal the key to their restraints, freeing himself and Garak. Bashir says they have to get back to the control room: according to the program's storyline, one of the two female leads -- Anastasia/Kira or Honey/Jadzia -- is supposed to end up with the hero, while the other one dies. They have to prevent that from happening to either of them. Garak objects, saying that the odds are against them and it is time to quit. Bashir is appalled, and a heated argument ensues: Garak says that if Bashir was a real spy, and not an overgrown child play-acting at one, he'd understand that there are times when it's better to save oneself than risk one's life against impossible odds. Garak starts to address the computer, but Bashir aims his backup gun at him, reminding him that if he calls for the exit, he may stop the program and kill Sisko and the others. Garak tells Bashir to face reality: he is not a hero, he only likes to pretend to be one, which is why he doesn't have the guts to pull the trigger. Garak starts to call for the exit again -- and Bashir pulls the trigger. Garak goes down with a flesh wound in his neck. Taken aback, he says that Bashir came awfully close to killing him. Bashir coolly asks him, "what makes you think I wasn't trying?"  Impressed, Garak voices no further objections as Bashir leads him back to the control room. Bashir and Garak hold Noah and his henchmen at gunpoint, until Duchamps arrives and disarms them. However, Julian receives a com signal from Eddington: he is going to try rematerializing the patterns in about two minutes. After hearing the signal, Noah decides to kill Bashir. However, Bashir pretends to surrender, believing that Noah has the right idea after all. Noah does not believe a word of it, but Bashir gives a lengthy speech, imitating the conversation that he and Garak had earlier. Noah is still not convinced, so Bashir then does the unthinkable -- he activates Noah's machine, destroying all life on the (holographic) Earth. Noah is stunned and unsure what to do next -- the program obviously didn't have a script that allowed his plan to actually succeed. Deciding, just to relieve his uncertainty, that he will kill Bashir anyway, he starts to aim his gun when Rom activates the transporter and rematerializes Sisko, Kira, O'Brien, Worf and Dax. O'Brien is appalled at Rom's modifications to the Defiant, not knowing that they saved his life. Back in the holosuite, Garak congratulates Bashir on his ingenious "solution" -- saving the day by destroying the world. The Cardassian has gained a new respect for his Human friend, and proposes that they meet again inside the program for their next lunch meeting. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Commander Dax and Captain Sisko are looking out of one of the Promenade windows at the wormhole as it opens and then promptly closes, without any ships emerging. Dax explains that this is the seventh time this has happened within the last two hours and that each time there are no unusual sensor readings or any sign of ships leaving the wormhole. She mentions that the Bajorans are seeing the unusual phenomenon as a sign from the Prophets, and Sisko, only half-jokingly, asks why the Prophets would send a sign without telling him. Dax rejoins that perhaps they are having trouble recognizing their Emissary with his new beard. The two walk on and as they reach the railing they notice Odo on the lower deck looking slightly aggravated, but before Sisko can find out why Dax finds this so funny, their conversation is interrupted by a comm message from Worf: a priority 1 message from Starfleet Security has just arrived. In the meantime, Odo makes his way to Quark's Bar and accuses him and Dax of rearranging the furniture in his quarters while he was regenerating. Quark acts surprised and asks Odo to say hello to Dax for him as Odo is called away to Ops too. As Odo arrives at Ops, the other members of the senior staff are already discussing the message. Worf explains that the message contains a recording made at a Conference between diplomatic representatives from the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire on Earth. The video is played and shows an explosion caused by a bomb of unknown origin. Worf commands the computer to play the video again but to enlarge a certain section and slow playback to one-tenth of normal speed. This time a vase can be seen to shimmer in the same way that Changelings do in their liquid form. The remains of a Changeling were not found, however, which probably means it escaped without injury. Sisko can't believe it has come to this, but it would seem that Changelings have finally reached Earth. Odo and Dax are in Odo's quarters, with her "repairing the damage" that she had caused. They discuss the trip to Earth which Sisko and Odo will be making aboard the USS Lakota. Odo doesn't seem to think he will be able to tell Starfleet any more about his race than he already has done in his previous reports, but Dax says that if there really are Changelings on Earth, then Starfleet is going to need as much help as it can get. Sisko is talking with his father, Joseph Sisko. They are discussing Sisko's -- the family restaurant in New Orleans. Joseph doesn't seem to understand that Ben isn't on a pleasure trip and Ben has to explain that he will probably be spending most of his time in Starfleet Headquarters. After a short discussion Jake comes into the room. Jake asks if Ben has told Joseph that they won't be staying with him. Ben admits he hasn't told him just yet, and Jake complains that if they have to stay with his grandfather he will have to work in the kitchen all day peeling potatoes. Ben tells Jake he is old enough now not to worry about having to peel potatoes all day -- his grandfather will probably want him to serve the guests instead. Back in Quark's, Chief Miles O'Brien and Doctor Julian Bashir leave the holosuite entering the bar dressed in World War II-style flying jackets and caps. Bashir orders scotch and O'Brien orders a pint of beer; they seem to be discussing the Battle of Britain. Quark asks why they are in the bar when the Germans are attacking, but Bashir explains they have to be -- it is part of a ritual to remember fallen comrades. "To Clive" shouts O'Brien, after which they both down their drinks in one gulp and are about to throw their empty glasses, when Quark reminds them that they have already discussed the throwing of empty glasses. At any rate, Quark thinks they are taking it all a bit too seriously. After all, Clive was only a holosuite figure. O'Brien tries to explain to Quark that there's more to it than just Clive -- it is about the Earth. O'Brien says that when a place you love is in danger and you try to take some action to help make that place safer but fail, it can be very frustrating. Quark says he knows exactly what O'Brien means and tells his own story about how he was serving as a cook aboard a Ferengi freighter hundreds of light years away from home as a currency crisis hit Ferenginar. He says he couldn't begin to explain how bad he felt to know that runaway inflation and rapid currency devaluation was rampaging across his planet like a brush fire. He still hasn't gotten over it to this day when he thinks about how he was powerless to save his accounts. O'Brien quips that, despite Quark's little story, he doesn't feel any better. Odo walks past the bar and Bashir and O'Brien leave and join him. They briefly discuss the Battle of Britain -- Bashir offers Odo the place of Clive but Odo isn't so sure he wants it -- for obvious reasons. O'Brien asks Odo to visit his family in Dublin and make sure they are all fine. Clearly recent events have set him and many other people slightly on edge. Odo offers to look up anyone for Bashir, but the doctor replies that he doesn't have anyone there for him. Bashir says he wishes he could be going along for the ride too and Odo agrees he could do with the company as he has doubts that a Changeling would be very welcome on Earth. O'Brien tries to comfort Odo by reassuring him that people can't hold him responsible for the acts of his people. Odo remains unconvinced however and departs for the Lakota. Back in ops, O'Brien reports that the Lakota has departed the station. Worf and Major Kira Nerys discuss the wormhole which has now returned to "normal" having last opened twelve hours previously. Kira is somewhat disappointed, as she had hoped that it was the work of the Prophets and that they had finally decided to show themselves to the Bajoran people. Worf comments that he prefers the Klingon belief system. Kira asks if the Klingon Gods are just as mysterious those of the Bajorans -- of course the Klingons don't have any Gods. They were executed by Klingon warriors over 1,000 years ago because they "brought more trouble than it was worth". O'Brien and Kira agree, that nobody can understand the Klingons but, as O'Brien says, that's the way they like it. The scene changes to a view of Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, Earth. Sisko and Odo meet Admiral Leyton and Commander Erika Benteen in front of the building. After a short series of introductions, in which we find out that it was Admiral Leyton who recommended Sisko for the post on Deep Space 9, the theme of the conversation changes to Odo and Changelings. The admiral hopes that with the help of Sisko and Odo, the task of finding the Changelings on Earth will be easier. Sisko doubts that he and Odo were brought all the way to Earth merely to discuss the situation. Leyton confirms this: because of Sisko's detailed knowledge of and experiences with the Founders, Leyton names him as the acting Chief of Starfleet Security on Earth, effective immediately. At Sisko's, Joseph Sisko is serving the customers as one can only assume he usually does. He cheerily walks around the restaurant talking aloud to all his customers. He suggests that nobody should even need to look at the dessert menu because if they miss out on his bread pudding souffle they will regret it. His son, Benjamin Sisko enters and agrees with his dad telling the customers that his dad "knows his bread pudding souffle". Jake also appears and a short discussion about Jake growing up and the history of the alligator hanging in the restaurant follows. Eventually, the three sit at a table and discuss the current situation. Odo is not present, having decided, according to Ben Sisko, it was wiser to stay in Starfleet Headquarters under the circumstances. Joseph Sisko can understand why, after all, he hasn't seen people so nervous since the last Borg incident. Anyway, he finds anyone who doesn't eat inherently suspect. Joseph recognizes however that Starfleet must be taking the whole situation very seriously, especially to bring Ben all the way from Deep Space 9 to deal with it. Shortly thereafter, Nog enters the restaurant. It turns out he eats at Sisko's regularly because it is one of the only places on Earth where he can get his tube grubs. Joseph would of course add them to his menu, but his Human customers would expect them cooked and with a sauce. Nog finds the idea somewhat confusing as the grubs should be alive and moving as they go down. The idea completely puts Ben off his food. Some time later, as the restaurant is closing, Nog and Jake sit down at a table where Nog explains that he is having problems at the Academy which he at first put down to him being a Ferengi. He later realized that wasn't the reason and many students have the same problem, especially where the Red Squad are concerned. Red Squad members receive special treatment like extra lessons and excursions that the other students don't. Admiral Leyton and Ben Sisko meet with the President of the Federation in Paris -- the Eiffel Tower is clearly visible through the window. Sisko has a number of recommendations for the President regarding the Dominion infiltration and how it can be combated. The President is not eager to turn Earth into a military outpost where everybody must submit to blood tests and phaser examinations of every room must be carried out. He quickly changes his mind however when it turns out that the attache case Sisko was carrying is, in fact, Odo. Odo points out that Sisko and Leyton were allowed to see the President without having to undergo a blood test or having their personal property checked. If he had been a Founder, he could have killed the President or simply taken his place. The President begrudgingly agrees to allow the new security procedures saying that it has taken a lot of hard work to change Earth into the peaceful place that it now is and that he doesn't wish for this paradise to be destroyed. "We're not looking to destroy paradise," says Sisko, "we're looking to save it." Sisko and Benteen are going over the new security arrangements using Odo as a test subject. As Sisko found out previously, Changelings can easily be located by sweeping an area with a low energy level phaser beam. A small device mounted above the door of a room can be used to send out a wide phaser beam and scan the room systematically. When the beam comes into contact with a hidden Changeling they are injured and forced to return to their normal form. A beam strength of 3.4 should be enough to stun any Changelings according to Benteen but Odo recommends a strength of 3.5 to be on the safe side. Following the success of the test run, Sisko orders the devices to be installed in every room in Starfleet Headquarters as well as the orbital facilities. As Benteen leaves, she thanks Sisko for managing to convince the President that such measures were necessary. "You think she would have thanked me as well," says Odo. "I'm the one that got shot thirteen times today.". As Nog enters the room, he asks to speak to Sisko alone, and Odo leaves. Sisko and Nog discuss the problems he has been having at the Academy. Sisko says they both knew it would take time for Nog to get used to the academy -- and vice versa. Nog wants to become a member of Red Squad and asks Sisko for his help. A Red Squad didn't exist when Sisko was at the Academy and Nog admits it is very new, but says he has the grades he needs to join the squad, he just needs the recommendation of a high ranking officer. Sisko says, when he gets the chance, he will see what he can do. He then, somewhat abruptly, dismisses Nog from the room. Back at Sisko's, the restaurant seems to be closed and Joseph is preparing things for when it opens later in the day. Ben tells his father that he has been very busy, but that he can't talk about it. His father replies, "Think the admiral could spare you for a few hours a day to visit your father?". Joseph seems to be somewhat disappointed as Jake is away at the Pennington writing school in New Zealand and Ben is constantly busy at Starfleet Headquarters -- it is almost as if they were not there at all. Ben counters that his father is more than welcome to visit him on Deep Space 9, but Joseph seems to be very attached to his restaurant and couldn't possibly leave. They discuss Joseph's declining health but the topic changes to business again. Ben says he has a free hour and they agree to go for a walk together in a park. Back at Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, a seagull flies from the sky and lands on a rock before transforming into Odo. Benteen and Admiral Leyton approach just in time to see him finish the transformation. He explains he has just flown around San Francisco and is very impressed. Benteen wonders how many other Changelings are up there in the skies but Odo says, if that was all the Changelings were interested in doing, people wouldn't have to be so worried. Leyton however, rather rudely comments that the other Changelings have better things to do than imitate birds -- after all, the other Changelings are much better than Odo at imitating Humans. Benteen, trying to ease the tension a little, says she found the seagull very convincing, but Odo isn't so sure the other seagulls were convinced. Leyton suggests that Odo keep practicing until he succeeds in making the birds think he is one of them. Again, his tone is somewhat abrupt. Odo has picked up on all these signals, however, and he offers the admiral a compliment and holds his hand out in a "shake hands" gesture. The Admiral ignores this and walks away, but Odo catches hold of his arm and their hands fuse together as Changelings do when they link -- Leyton is not who he appears to be. The Leyton impostor replies to this sarcastically with "Well done, Odo" then pulls his arm free, transforms into a bird and flies away. Some time later Odo, the real Admiral Leyton, Sisko and Benteen are together in a room discussing the impostor. Odo says he knew that it wasn't the real Leyton because he felt the impostor was treating him somewhat aggressively. As Sisko says, Odo is the first Changeling to have harmed another and it is therefore understandable that they have such feelings about him. Leyton can't understand why the Changeling would have taken on his form but, as Benteen explains, Leyton is a prime target -- he has access to all the security protocols. The important thing is however, that the new security measures don't go far enough to stop Changelings from breaking into Starfleet Headquarters. Leyton knows, however, that the President won't allow tighter security. He has been a good peacetime president, but the situation could break out into war if drastic action isn't taken. "The president is a long way from home" says Leyton and that they couldn't expect him to be as concerned about the state of affairs on Earth as a Human would be. The conversation is interrupted by an incoming comm message for Sisko. Jake asks Ben to come to the restaurant as soon as he can. Joseph has been arrested. As Ben arrives at Sisko's he finds a group of Starfleet officers and his father arguing. The officers have tried to carry out blood tests on Jake and Joseph. They attempt to explain to Joseph that they are simply following the orders given to them that all family members of ranking Starfleet officers must have their blood checked regularly. Joseph can't believe that such orders would ever have been given and he finds it even harder to believe that his own son was the one who passed them. Even after Ben and Jake submit to the test, Joseph refuses, calling the officers vampires. During a heated conversation between Joseph and Ben, Joseph cuts his hand. He rushes over to the sink to wash the wound. Ben, without even thinking, examines the blood on the knife. Joseph is shocked and clearly disappointed, but this is exactly what the Changelings wanted to happen. People are so scared that they are beginning to have doubts about their own family members. The blood tests may not be all that infallible anyway. Joseph argues that if the Changelings are all that clever, they'll find a way around the blood screening tests telling Ben there's not a test that exists that someone smart enough can't get around. Joseph suffers a minor stroke, caused both by his atherosclerosis and because he got so enraged and overexerted himself. Odo and Sisko discuss Joseph's recent ill health and Odo points out that when Humans are supposed to do something that would be good for them, they often do the exact opposite. However, the thing which worries Sisko most is that he actually believed that his father was a Changeling, which Odo claims to be a wise thing to assume. Of course, this is exactly what the Founders wish to happen. Sisko tells Odo, "There are times, I wish you'd never found your people", and hopes the Constable understands. Odo tells Sisko that he not only understands, but sometimes he feels exactly the same. Back at Sisko's, Joseph is back on his feet and going about his work as if nothing had happened -- talking with his customers while serving them their food. Eventually Joseph sits down for a moment and talks with Jake about Ben. He is worried that he is overworked and stressed. Before Jake can reply, the lights go out in the restaurant. Nobody is quite sure what has happened but Jake says that the whole block is without power. Sisko, trapped in an office by the power outage, is trying to open the door as Odo and Admiral Leyton pry it open from the other side. Leyton explains that it looks like the whole Global power grid on Earth has been knocked out including the emergency backups at Starfleet Headquarters. All the evidence points to sabotage and the prime candidates are clearly the Changelings. The power outage means that transporters, sensors and every defense installation on the surface is inactive -- which means that the Earth is totally defenseless against a Dominion attack. "I'm not interested in excuses," says the president as he demands that the power relay system be restored as soon as possible. As he finishes his speech, Sisko, Odo, Leyton and two other officers beam into the office via the transporters on the Lakota. Sisko, in his post as chief of Starfleet Security, recommends that the president call a state of emergency. With the exception of the Borg incident, it has been over a hundred years since such a state was last called. Sisko explains that he has reason to believe that a Dominion fleet is somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant ready to launch an attack on the now defenseless Earth. Sisko continues to explain that, shortly before he and Odo left Deep Space 9, the wormhole was repeatedly opening and closing although no ships were detected traveling through it. It is more than possible, Odo continues, that the Founders salvaged cloaking devices from the Romulan-Cardassian fleet that was destroyed at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula. As it is going to take a fair amount of time to get the power relay system back online (it could take days), the only way to defend Earth is by using the transporters and communication systems of the Lakota to mobilize Starfleet officers. The President is still hesitant to agree to the suggestions, but after Sisko explains how brutal the Jem'Hadar can be in close combat and how they won't differentiate between soldiers and civillians, the president gives control of Earth's defenses to Sisko and Leyton. At Sisko's, Jake looks out of the window with his grandfather to see armed Federation troops beaming down into the streets, leaving both startled that the situation has escalated so seriously. 
<EOS>
In the aftermath of the planet-wide power outage a state of emergency has been declared on Earth, and Starfleet Security has a presence in every neighborhood on the planet. Captain Sisko and Odo are at Starfleet Headquarters, and Sisko remarks on his discomfort with the situation -- "the more I read Starfleet's reports on the sabotage of the power relays, the more unanswered questions I have." No-one has been able to establish how the Changelings infiltrated Planetary Operations or how they had the codes and the know-how to disable every power relay on Earth. Odo then comes up with another question in need of an answer: Red Squad was beamed back to Starfleet Academy twenty-six minutes after the state of emergency was declared, unlike the rest of Starfleet. Upon learning that Red Squad is composed of cadets, Odo reasons that Starfleet wanted them out of harm's way only for Sisko to immediately point out that Red Squad was re-mobilized a short time later. In New Orleans, Joseph and Jake are reopening the restaurant, since Joseph is convinced that he's got plenty of customers. There are troops on every block, after all. Back at Starfleet Headquarters, Sisko (with Odo standing out of sight) contacts the commandant of Starfleet Academy about the transporter record he found, and the commandant immediately becomes guarded and asks if anyone else knows about it, specifically, Admiral Leyton. Sisko replies that he doesn't, and the commandant orders Sisko to destroy the record. Playing along, Sisko tells him it'll be taken care of, and the commandant notes that despite his concerns, Red Squad performed their mission admirably. The call ends, and Odo notes that instead of answers all they've got are a lot more questions. Sometime later Sisko goes to New Orleans and is discussing his frame of mind with his father when Nog steps up to his table. It seems that Sisko wants to meet some of the members of Red Squad, and wants Nog to make an introduction. However, Nog is reluctant to disclose any information, as the names on Red Squad's roster are supposed to be a secret and he worries that revealing a name could scupper his chances of getting into the group. Sisko tells Nog that he seems to be under the mistaken impression that he's asking a favor, which he isn't and directly orders Nog to give him a name, which settles that. At Starfleet Academy Sisko holds an interview with one Cadet Riley Shepard. After stating that Red Squad had been briefed to expect that no record would be made of their activity, Shepard explains Red Squad's involvement with the power outage: in brief, they were the ones who did all of the hands-on work to make it happen. Sisko goes back to New Orleans with Odo and the two of them discuss what Sisko has learned. After ruling out Dominion involvement (since nothing has been accomplished through the incident except the fortification of Earth) and agreeing that Shepard can't be lying, Sisko reluctantly agrees with Odo's belief that the state of emergency was engineered by a clique of Starfleet officers led by Leyton, with the intent of staging a coup d'etat. Sisko and Odo take what information they have to Federation President, Jaresh-Inyo, who is skeptical and shocked. Odo points out that just after it was known that Changelings had infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant, Leyton came to Jaresh-Inyo recommending heavy security measures, a recommendation that was rejected at the time for being too severe. It seems that Leyton used the conference bombing to try and get his security protocols authorized and, unsatisfied at the limited power he was given, him and his supporters sabotaged the power grid to make a Dominion invasion appear imminent. Sisko also notes that, although it was an act of treason, Leyton likely sees it as an act of patriotism if an extreme one. Jaresh-Inyo admits the accusation is plausible, but needs proof, and Sisko suggests seeing what happens if Leyton is ordered to withdraw the troops he's deployed; if he refuses then that is the proof Jaresh-Inyo needs, if he agrees then Sisko will admit he was wrong and will offer his resignation. Jaresh-Inyo reminds Sisko and Odo that the public overwhelmingly support the increased security measures, and if tries to scale it back against Leyton's recommendations it would be a political disaster with the potential to start a planet-wide riot. Sisko offers to bring irrefutable evidence of a plot, and Jaresh-Inyo promises that with that, he would certainly put a stop to it and order Leyton to resign. Back in New Orleans. Sisko is waiting in his father's restaurant for Nog and Cadet Shepard. Nog eventually arrives, but without Shepard in tow -- apparently Shepard was nowhere to be found, along with the rest of Red Squad. Just after making that announcement, Leyton steps into the restaurant and states that neither Shepard nor the rest of Red Squad will be returning to Earth anytime soon. Leyton then orders Nog back to the Academy. A conversation ensues in which Leyton admits to what he is doing, and that he involved Sisko because the credibility of the latter's field experience was vital to Leyton's plan. Leyton goes on to lecture Sisko about the importance of the chain of command, and point out that he still needs Sisko's cooperation. Sisko refuses, and Leyton orders him back to Deep Space 9. Sometime later, Sisko's outside with his thoughts when a man appearing to be Miles O'Brien (but who is actually a Changeling) approaches him and claims that there are only four Changelings on Earth (not counting Odo). He claims that four is more than enough, as the Changelings don't fear their enemies as much as they are feared. it is this fear that will eventually destroy Starfleet. Promising that the Changelings have barely begun with their plans for Earth and the rest of the Alpha Quadrant, O'Brien's doppelganger leaves. After getting some advice from his father, Sisko contacts Kira Nerys and starts putting a plan into motion. At Starfleet Headquarters, Odo and Sisko start reviewing records of personnel transfers, and discover that "Leyton's been a busy man", reassigning "over four hundred officers in the past three weeks" with each officer having served under Leyton at some point. Further examination of the records reveals that another batch of transfers will take effect just days hence, not long before Jaresh-Inyo is due to make an important speech. Sisko asks Odo to get Jake and Joseph off Earth to keep them safe, as he is visited by Benteen, who has just been promoted by Leyton to captain of the Lakota. When Sisko goes to Jaresh-Inyo to deliver his evidence of the plot, he finds Admiral Leyton waiting for him. Sisko's given a blood screening, and it turns up a false positive. Sisko is sent back to Starfleet Headquarters and placed in detention, and from the other side of his holding cell's force field, Leyton promises that Sisko will be freed in a few days after the President's speech, or rather, after Leyton's speech. He intends to remove Jaresh-Inyo from office and take control of Earth himself for however long it takes to eliminate the Changeling threat -- years if necessary. Sisko knows that once Leyton seizes power, he'll likely never give it up. Later, when a security tech comes through the brig to take blood screenings, Odo appears and disables the guards, as well as the tech whose cart he'd hitched a ride on in some other form. While bypassing the force field controls, Odo explains that the random opening and closing of the Bajoran wormhole, which precipitated the current phase of the crisis, was caused by the communications relay in the Gamma Quadrant being fixed with a subspace modulator. Also the DS9 crew have arrested the individual responsible, one Lieutenant Arriaga, who is willing to testify his part in the plot and is on the way to Earth aboard the USS Defiant. Sisko orders Odo to warn Jaresh-Inyo, and goes to Leyton's office carrying a phaser. Sisko arrives at Leyton's office demanding his resignation from Starfleet and informs him of Arriaga's impending arrival, Leyton is amused but unimpressed. As it turns out the USS Lakota is ordered to intercept the Defiant -- its crew has been told that the Defiant is crewed by Changelings. On the Defiant, which is commanded by Worf the Lakota crew hails and demand that the ship drop its shields and prepare to be boarded as the ship raises shields and charges weapons. In Leyton's office, Sisko tries to convince Leyton that other Federation worlds will never accept Starfleet overthrowing their legitimately elected president or establishing of what will essentially be a dictatorship on Earth. It could even cause a civil war. Having the Lakota fire on the Defiant is the first step down that dark path, but Leyton refuses to cancel the order. On the Defiant, the crew wonder if the Lakota crew are bluffing however once they enter weapons range they are fired upon by the Excelsior-class ship. Chief O'Brien notes that the Lakota seems to have had its weapons upgraded, and unwilling to risk dropping shields to cloak and unsure they can outrun the Lakota, the crew's only option is to fight their way out. Leyton notes the irony that Sisko had originally been more interested in engineering than he was command, until Leyton made him first officer but notes that he didn't teach Ben about loyalty. Sisko balks at this, feeling Leyton is the last person to talk about loyalty when he's broken his oath to Starfleet and ordered one of its ships to fire on another. Just then Benteen hails Leyton, and the admiral, still at phaser-point, answers. Benteen informs him they've been unable to stop the Defiant due to her ablative armor (the equipping of which wasn't on the record). Leyton amends his orders so that Defiant isn't to be disabled but destroyed at any cost. Benteen is shocked, and Sisko pleads with her not to kill the Starfleet officers serving on the Defiant since she knows there's no Changelings on board. Benteen ends the transmission after Leyton reminds her of her orders. Both the Defiant and the Lakota have been badly damaged, and a good hit from either will finish the other off. The Defiant crew are unwilling to use deadly force against the other crew and it seems the Lakota crew feel the same as the ship backs off and hails. Sisko is contacted by Worf, who tells him the Lakota is escorting the Defiant to Earth however both ships suffered casualties. Sisko tells Leyton that by now Odo will have presented his evidence to Jaresh-Inyo his plot is over. Leyton still refuses to accept this, and tells Sisko he has enough officers left to make a fight of it. Sisko tells him he'll be fighting Starfleet now as well and Benteen, who was his closest ally, has already abandoned him so it'll be only a matter time before the others do too. Finally accepting he's been beaten, Leyton takes off his insignia and leaves his office to be arrested but hopes that Sisko isn't making a mistake. The state of emergency is soon lifted, and Earth slowly begins to return to normal. Odo points out to everyone there are still Changelings on Earth, but no-one is willing to let them change the way they live. if the Dominion wants to destroy Earth they have to do it themselves. With that, Ben and Jake say a fond farewell to Joseph and with Odo begin their trip back to Deep Space 9. 
<EOS>
Some time later Kira, Captain Sisko, Dax, Dr. Bashir, and a mildly flummoxed O'Brien are in the docking ring in full dress uniform, waiting to receive the first minister as he steps from his shuttle. Kira expresses some anxiety about the development of his public speaking skills -- "he used to mumble his way through mission briefings" -- and then Shakaar steps out of the airlock. Introductions are made, and the complete party makes its way down to the Promenade, which is thronged with crowds hoping for a glimpse of the first minister while he makes a speech. Once they reach the Promenade, Odo sends a communication to Sisko: "I have reason to believe someone is planning to assassinate First Minister Shakaar." In Sisko's office after the speech Odo reports that according to one of his sources on Cardassia True Way, a Cardassian terrorist group who are already responsible for the deaths of two Bajoran officials, are planning to kill Shakaar and are reported to already have an operative aboard the station. He encourages Shakaar's adjutant to cancel the upcoming conference and reschedule elsewhere, but the adjutant refuses. He argues that Bajor's admission to the Federation hinges on the upcoming talks and that as a former terrorist, the last thing Shakaar intends to do is respond to terrorist threats. Sisko and Kira express their support for that sentiment, Kira noting that once the Cardassians started negotiating with the Bajoran Resistance they knew they were beaten, and Sisko orders station security be increased. Odo requests that his Bajoran security detachment be augmented with Starfleet Security, and Sisko agrees and has him coordinate with Lieutenant Commander Worf, as Lieutenant Commander Eddington is on leave. While discussing the increased security arrangements, Worf complains about the obstacles posed against maintaining station security noting it was much simpler to when he was head of security of the Enterprise. During the conversation Odo and Worf discover that they have significant preferences in common, especially their dislike for uninvited guests to their quarters. Some time later, Odo meets Shakaar for the first time. They get acquainted while walking to the Bajoran temple, and Shakaar makes a point of bringing up Kira's high regard for Odo. That night there's a reception in the wardroom. Kira mingles with Shakaar's adjutant and with Odo, then decides to leave, only to be singled out by Shakaar, who wants to be "rescued."  After a brief discussion Kira and Shakaar leave the wardroom together for a walk about nowhere in particular, but only after they agree to be escorted by Odo -- who is distressed by the rapport he sees developing between the two. Quark, who is providing and serving the food at the reception, sees Odo's reaction and is astounded to realize the Constable's feelings for Kira. The next day, Shakaar's negotiations with the Federation over the subject of Bajor's accession to Federation membership are going poorly. As he walks with Odo from the wardroom back to his quarters, they find common ground over their shared perception of the Federation's inherent self-righteousness. Once they make it back to Shakaar's quarters, he directs the conversation to the subject of Kira, and admits to Odo that he thinks he's falling in love with her -- an admission couched in language that echoes Odo's own feelings for Kira almost perfectly. Later Odo is performing a security sweep on the wardroom. He finds an eavesdropping device in a table setting and renders it useless. Though upset, Quark changes the subject to Odo's feelings without skipping a beat, correctly deducing that Odo is in love with Kira and is worried that she is falling in love with Shakaar. Odo furiously denies this and refuses Quark's attempts to give advice before stomping angrily out of the wardroom. The time comes for another review of the criminal activity report, but Kira shows up late and cuts the meeting short, since she's promised to give Shakaar a tour of the station. Odo is quietly disappointed and arranges security for the tour. While on the tour walking through the station with Odo as an escort, Kira and Shakaar are getting on better than ever. The two stop to view the wormhole for a few minutes. Shakaar moves to kiss Kira, but backs off at the last instant, glancing at Odo. Instead, they move on, entering a turbolift and start beginning to make a date. Meanwhile, Worf's voice comes through on the com line telling Odo he needs control of the turbolift as he needs to re-route the car. Odo asks Worf for his security clearance first before he can release the controls, but at that moment Kira and Shakaar agree to dinner together that evening at a Bolian Restaurant. Odo is so distracted by this that he releases the controls before receiving Worf's codes, and the car suddenly goes into free-fall. All of the car's occupants discover that their combadge signals have been dampened. Odo is only able to stop the turbolift using his shapeshifting abilities and nobody is injured. Impressively, he pushes the sides of the car, using friction to stop the descent. Odo participates in an after-action review with Sisko, and the latter explains his surprise at the way things transpired. It transpires that someone hacked into the com system and faked Worf's voice. Sisko is confused as to how the assassin had Worf's clearance code, and Odo is forced to admit that he didn't have the code, as Odo released the controls without confirming it. Captain Sisko is very surprised, as this isn't the sort of mistake Odo would make, especially as Odo's only explanation is that he got distracted. Odo asks Sisko not to push the subject further as he doesn't want to discuss it, and the Captain agrees but warns Odo not to let it happen again. Also, no ships have been allowed to leave since the incident, meaning the would-be assassin is still on the station. Odo then goes to the security office, and doesn't stay for long after Worf expresses dissatisfaction with Odo's level of attention to their investigation of the incident. He leaves for Kira's quarters, only to learn from Ensign Jimenez once he gets there that Kira is entertaining Shakaar. Once the date finally ends, Kira is ecstatic at the way in which things have developed. Odo can't bring himself to admit his feelings to Kira, much less how those feelings have hurt his job performance, and simply excuses himself. When Odo returns to his office he finds something he hadn't expected. Worf placing the True Way operative under arrest, as he was responsible for the assassination attempt and was planning to decompress Shakaar's quarters by sabotaging the environmental controls. Odo is stunned, and realizes that he let Worf do his job for him. Worf senses Odo's discomfort and compliments him on the performance of his deputies, but Odo is too shocked at the turn of events to acknowledge it. He returns to his quarters, and considers his failures both with Kira and at his job. His shock turns to fury and he starts smashing up his quarters in an uncontrollable rage. Sometime later, Quark comes up to Odo's quarters to complain about the noise, and lets himself in when Odo doesn't respond. He enters to find Odo motionless, sitting on the floor amongst the wreckage. Quark, realizing from the state of the room that Odo is truly in love, tells his nemesis some home truths. Quark tells Odo that whenever there's an unusual crime committed on the station, he runs a betting pool on how long it'll take him to catch the person responsible. The fact that such a pool exists speaks volumes about the kind of man Odo is, a man who will never give up on his quest to catch his man not a man who will smash up his furniture and then sit alone in the rubble. He also tells Odo that he's got to make a choice, either tell Major Kira his feelings about her or forget all about her and move on with his life because now his feelings are interfering with his job, which is bad for business. After assuring Odo that he wasn't speaking to him as a friend, Quark leaves Odo alone again with a lot to think about. Later, Odo (back to his normal composure) stops by Kira's quarters to inform her he won't be able to continue with their weekly meetings due to his scheduling additional training for his deputies and that he can't fit her in anywhere else as his schedule is overfull. Kira is disappointed as she enjoyed the meetings, and asks Odo if something is the matter, but he simply tells her he wants to use his time more efficiently and Kira knows there's no point in pushing him and lets the matter drop. Odo later goes to Quark's, where the bartender tells him that, according to a rumor, the negotiations have gone very well and the timetable for Bajor's admittance for Federation membership has been cut. Quark also thanks Odo for soundproofing the floor of his quarters, but Odo tells Quark that he was just having the floor reinforced and that there's no way he'd put up with three days of construction for him. He then spots Kira and Shakaar leaving a holosuite enjoying each other's company, but Odo just leaves and begins his rounds. 
<EOS>
In the infirmary, Dr. Bashir gives Major Kira a series of inoculations. After being wined and dined by First Minister Shakaar, Kira has agreed to attend a conference on the Cardassian outpost Korma between Cardassia and Bajor to share Bajoran intelligence about the Klingons. The inoculations are necessary because the Klingon invasion has obliterated the Cardassian health system. As Major Kira begins to feel the nauseating side effects of the vaccinations, Worf enters with a list of technological improvements that the Federation has shared with both Bajor and the Klingon Empire that the Federation would prefer to keep out of Cardassian hands. The Major barely has time to scan the list before running from the room in search of a bathroom. Kira is in her quarters packing for her trip, when there is a chime at the door. Gul Dukat enters her room. He explains to Kira that he is now the captain of the Groumall, the freighter that will take her to the conference. His assignment is part of the demotion and general ostracization from Cardassian society he has suffered as a result of bringing his half-Bajoran, half-Cardassian daughter, Tora Ziyal, home with him. Despite being disowned by his mother and abandoned by his wife, he claims that he is happy that Kira prevented him from killing Ziyal. He also assures her that he will one day regain all he has lost. The conversation ends with Dukat offering to carry her bags to the Groumall and Kira grudgingly accepting. Kira is sitting in her spartan quarters on the Groumall reviewing PADDs for the conference when Tora Ziyal arrives. The two greet each other warmly. Ziyal tells Kira about the bigotry she encountered on Cardassia and how happy she is to be with her father on the Groumall. Their conversation is cut short by a siren, which Ziyal informs Kira is a battle drill. Kira finds the idea of battle drills on a simple freighter odd and goes to the bridge. Once there, she finds Dukat dressing down his crew and bemoaning the state of his ship, given that it just took them several minutes to target and destroy a mere asteroid. Kira attempts to make a helpful suggestion, and Dukat snaps at her. Dukat apologizes and offers to make it up to Kira by having dinner with her, as is the tradition for Cardassian captains. Kira looks ready to refuse, but then looks over at Ziyal, who clearly wants these two important people in her life to get along, and agrees. At dinner, Dukat opens one of his last bottles of Bajoran springwine and tries to engage Kira in a conversation about her romantic life, an attempt she quickly shoots down. Dukat tries to get a rise out of the Major by discussing Shakaar's apparently prolific sexual past. They are interrupted by another siren, which Dukat assures Kira is not a planned drill. The pair go to the bridge where they find that the outpost on Korma, along with both Bajoran and Cardassian delegations has been destroyed. They don't have to look far for a cause as a Klingon Bird-of-Prey immediately decloaks. The Klingons scan the Groumall and clearly see no threat. They begin leaving the system at one-quarter impulse and to add insult to injury, lower their shields. Dukat is predictably incensed by their taunting, and orders the Groumall to open fire on the Bird-of-Prey. After Kira tries unsuccessfully to dissuade Dukat from attacking, she tells him to target the underside of the hull, the ship's weakest point. Despite taking her advice and firing on the Klingon's weakest spot with their shields down, the weapons of the Groumall fail to breach their hull. The Klingons bear down on the Groumall and Dukat prepares to be fired upon. In a final indignity, the Klingons simply pass the Groumall and leave the system, their honor not allowing the destruction of such a weak enemy. Now that the immediate danger has passed, Kira asks Dukat where the nearest Cardassian warship is. When Dukat tells her that the nearest ship is three days away, Kira urges Dukat to go after the Klingons who destroyed the outpost, but to be better prepared for their next encounter. The outpost's system-5 planetary disruptors were merely disabled and not destroyed, so Kira suggests mounting them on the Groumall, converting the freighter into a Q-ship. Dukat thinks it impossible. Kira falls back on her resistance training and tells Dukat he will have to improvise: if Dukat jettisons the ship's cargo (along with his own traditional share of it) then the ship should be able to house one of the disruptors. Dukat tells Kira he has a lot to learn from her, clearly pleased at the idea of the two of them working together. Kira is less enthusiastic. Dukat and Kira are testing the new disruptor, and while the attempt was successful, the massive weapon's recoil caused minor damage throughout the ship. Dukat again expresses his delight at their partnership. Kira accuses him of only seeking to regain his former rank and tells him the only reason she is working with him is to avenge the deaths of the Bajoran diplomats. Dukat tries once more to get a rise out of Kira by accusing Shakaar of being too simple for a woman like her, and Kira informs him that if he wants to continue working together, he should stick to business. Kira trains Ziyal in basic Cardassian and Federation phaser rifles, anticipating being boarded by the Klingons in the next attack. Ziyal attempts to get Kira to understand her father better. Ziyal says that she has a hard time seeing a murderer. Kira says she has a hard time seeing anything but a murderer. Kira tells Ziyal that the one thing Dukat really wants from her is forgiveness and that is the one thing she can never give him. They return to the weapon training. Kira and Dukat are now on the bridge, trying to discern the Klingons' next target. Dukat settles on Loval, a world on the other side of the sector from the bulk of the Cardassian fleet and one that houses a covert weapons research facility. Based on previous Klingon targets, Dukat believes Klingon intelligence is aware of that facility, making it a choice target. Dukat and Kira plan to use a false dilithium signature to lure the Klingons to them. Dukat makes another unsuccessful pass at Kira and then orders his helmsman, Damar, to set course for Loval. The Groumall arrives before the Klingons at Loval and prepares its decoy. While waiting for the Klingons to arrive, Dukat ponders aloud about what he will do when he regains his rank. The current focus of his attention is a Gul Marratt, an up-and-coming officer he believes is having an affair with his wife. Dukat plans to post him to the icy embassy on Breen. His daydreaming is interrupted by the arrival of the Klingons. The Klingons have taken the bait and locked their disruptors on the Groumall. They demand their surrender. The Klingons lock their tractor beam and Dukat orders Kira to fire the new weapon. The blast breaches the Bird-of-Prey's hull and disables their engines, but the Klingons still manage to return fire, severely damaging the Groumall. Realizing that one more hit will destroy them, Dukat turns to Kira to improvise. Kira and Dukat beam onto the Klingon ship and after defeating two officers, Kira manages to use the Klingons' transporters to beam the entire crew of the Groumall to the Bird-of-Prey and vice versa. Kira enjoys the idea of the Klingon captain having to explain what happened to his superiors. Dukat tells her he won't get the opportunity and fires on the Groumall, destroying it and killing its new Klingon crew. After securing the ship, Kira finds a list of the location and targeting priorities for all Klingon ships in Cardassian space. Armed with this stunning military victory and this intelligence boon, Dukat contacts his government fully expecting to be restored to his former position. Dukat returns later from his communication, and tells Kira that despite the intelligence find, the Detapa Council is still looking for a diplomatic solution with the Klingons, but has recalled Dukat to his position as military adviser. Dukat thinks there is little value to being the military adviser to a people who will not fight. He thinks his people are paralyzed and defeated, afraid to risk what little they have by fighting the Klingons. Dukat decides that if no one else will fight the Klingons, he will alone. Kira is stunned at what Dukat is proposing and tells him that, unlike her people's fight against the Cardassians, he will be alone in his fight. Dukat responds by asking Kira to join him. He needs her help and if Cardassia falls to the Klingons, Bajor will be the next target. Dukat tries to convince her that being a resistance fighter is what she was meant to do. Later, in a corridor, Ziyal approaches Kira with a d'k tahg and asks to demonstrate a knife trick that Damar showed her. Kira easily deflects the attack, and tells her that the best way to survive a knife fight is to never get in one. Ziyal says she'll need help to fight the Klingons. Kira decides there is another way she can help. Kira, back on the bridge, has declined Dukat's offer, but does have another proposal. She tells Dukat about the intense emotional and psychological stress of the life he is now choosing and suggests that he needs to keep Ziyal from that life. Kira offers to watch over Ziyal on Deep Space 9. When Dukat asks her why she is doing this, she responds that Ziyal reminds her a lot of herself and she doesn't want Ziyal to go through what she did. Dukat agrees to Kira's proposal, taking great delight that their lives are so intertwined. Back at Deep Space 9, Kira introduces Ziyal to Odo on the Promenade and promises to tell him the story of Gul Dukat's daughter later. 
<EOS>
Worf and Jadzia Dax are in a holosuite engaging in a Klingon training exercise. Worf eventually forces Dax to surrender, and then they flirtatiously discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of Klingon battle weapons, such as the bat'leth and the mek'leth. Just as the flirting is getting serious, Odo interrupts Worf through his combadge to alert him that an intoxicated Klingon is asking to see Worf in airlock five. Worf responds that he is on his way and exits the holosuite. The intoxicated Klingon who has just arrived on Deep Space 9 is none other than Kurn, Worf's brother, with whom he has not spoken in quite some time. Worf berates Kurn that he has not responded to any of his brother's attempts to contact him in the interim. Kurn then asks Worf to restore his honor by killing him in the Mauk-to'Vor ritual. Kurn and Worf are in Worf's quarters, and Worf gives Kurn some liquid to help his headache from his prior intoxication. Kurn then complains that the quarters are far too comfortable for a Klingon, and he then ridicules Worf for attempting, once again, to "defend the Federation."  Kurn tells Worf that he has not contacted him in four months because he was busy salvaging the remnants of the brothers' family house, the House of Mogh. Worf says that he regrets that because he opposed Gowron he has brought disgrace on his family's house, but Kurn sees such apologies and regrets as mere "Human weaknesses" that Worf has acquired since he has lived among Humans for so long. Worf tells Kurn that he could not fight with the Klingons against the Federation because it would have been dishonorable. Kurn says that instead of bringing dishonor on Starfleet and the Federation, Worf chose to bring dishonor down upon his own family's house. Kurn tells Worf that the House of Mogh has since lost its seat on the Klingon High Council because Worf chose to take the side of the Federation against the Klingon Empire. In response, Gowron also took all of the property belonging to their house. As a result, Kurn fiercely tells Worf that now Worf has everything he wanted, and Kurn has nothing, not even his honor. But, Worf can give Kurn his honor back by killing him in the Mauk-to'Vor ritual. Since Worf is the one who took away Kurn's honor, only Worf can give his honor back to him through an honorable death. Chief O'Brien and Major Kira are aboard the Federation runabout Yukon, returning from their inspection tour of the Bajoran colonies along the Cardassian border. They notice a high-energy discharge just before they enter Bajoran space, and they suspect that a cloaked ship may have exploded. They decide to investigate further and begin to approach the site of the explosion. A Klingon Bird-of-Prey decloaks in front of their path and informs them that the Klingons are conducting military training exercises in the area and orders the runabout to return to Bajoran space immediately. Kira explains that they are investigating the explosion that just occurred, but the Klingons warn them that they have received their only warning and that they should leave immediately. O'Brien and Kira decide to return to Deep Space 9, but they are suspicious that there is much more going on in the area than simply military exercises. In Quark's, Jadzia asks Quark if he has seen Worf, since Worf is late for their holosuite appointment, and Worf is never late. Quark appears to be upset with Worf, and he explains to Jadzia that earlier that morning, Worf came into the bar and ordered some Klingon incense, known as Adanji, and he nearly threw Quark over the bar when Quark tried to give him replicated incense. Dax wonders why Worf would need the incense. In Worf's quarters, Worf and Kurn are preparing to perform the Mauk-to'Vor ritual so that Kurn can die an honorable death and be allowed to live in Sto-vo-kor, the Klingon version of heaven. On her way to Worf's quarters, Dax runs into Odo and asks him who the Klingon was that Worf met in the airlock the day before. Odo tells her that it was Kurn, Worf's brother. At this information, Dax realizes what Worf is planning to do with the incense, and she and Odo hurry to Worf's quarters to attempt to prevent the ritual from succeeding. Worf stabs Kurn with the ritual knife, but Dax and Odo arrive at Worf's quarters in time to beam Kurn to the infirmary and save his life. In his office, Captain Sisko asks Worf why he should not put him on the next transport out of Deep Space 9. Worf acknowledges that his actions were in violation of Starfleet regulations, and qualified as premeditated murder under Federation law, but Dax attempts to explain to Sisko the origins of the Mauk-to'Vor ritual. Sisko interrupts that he is not concerned with Klingon beliefs, and that although he has permitted some leeway to both Dax and Worf in the past concerning Klingon tradition, this ritual crosses the line and will not be permitted to occur under any circumstances. Taking over for Worf, Dax assures Sisko that there are other ways to settle the family problems of the sons of Mogh, and that of course this will never happen again. Sisko then angrily orders Dax and Worf to get out of his office. Later, in the replimat, Major Kira and Chief O'Brien are explaining to Sisko the strange encounter they had earlier on the runabout and their suspicions that more than military exercises are occurring in an area very close to, although outside of, Bajoran airspace. Sisko appears to share their suspicions, and he tells Kira and O'Brien to take the USS Defiant and run a sensor sweep of the coordinates where the explosion occurred. Kira asks Sisko what she should do if she runs into the Klingons, and Sisko tells her to say that the Defiant is conducting "military exercises" according to interstellar agreements. Sisko tells Kira to keep Worf informed of the situation, but under no circumstances is Worf to accompany them on the Defiant. O'Brien tries to defend Worf, but Sisko quickly cuts him off and refuses to hear any more excuses for Worf's behavior. In the infirmary, Doctor Bashir informs Worf that Kurn's condition is stable. As Kurn wakes up, he is surprised and dismayed to find that he is still alive. Worf explains that Jadzia figured out what they were doing and had Kurn beamed to the infirmary. Kurn regrets that he is not yet in Sto-vo-kor, as he was anxious to see their father again, but Worf assures Kurn that their father still waits for them, it is just not yet time for Kurn to join him. Although Worf claims that it was not his decision to leave the ritual unfinished, Kurn points out the when Dax and Odo burst into Worf's quarters, he did not try to fight them at all, and that Worf could complete the ritual right there in the infirmary if he chose. Kurn says that for only a moment in Worf's quarters, Worf was truly a Klingon, but that Worf's life in the Federation has claimed him again, and now it is claiming Kurn as well. Dax comes to Worf's quarters to apologize for preventing the completion of the ritual and interfering in a family matter. Worf says that she was following her conscience and that is an honorable motive, but Dax acknowledges that it is not an honorable motive from the Klingon perspective. Dax offers to help in any way she can, and says that in the short-term, Kurn can stay on Deep Space 9. Worf says that if Kurn stays on the station, he will need a job, and Dax suggests security. Although Worf doubts that Kurn would be interested in joining Starfleet, Dax suggests that he try Odo's Bajoran security detail. After reviewing Kurn's service record, Odo asks Worf if his brother knows how to use the "stun" setting on a disruptor. Though Worf admits that non-lethal techniques are not emphasized in Klingon training, Odo nonetheless decides to give Kurn a job as a deputy as a favor to Worf. Odo reminds Worf that he is a man who collects on his debts. Odo is observing Kurn in a cargo bay as Kurn inspects the cargo of a Boslic freighter that has just arrived at the station. Worf, under the guise of bringing a message to Odo from Starfleet Command, comes to check on how his brother is doing in his new job as a deputy. Odo assures Worf that Kurn is strict, but is doing a fine job. Kurn tells Worf that he hates his uniform, but that he is accepting his transition into the position of Bajoran security officer. On the Defiant, Kira and O'Brien observe sensor readings that indicate that cloaked ships have passed through the area in the past 24 hours. Just then, another explosion occurs -- this time they see it is a Vor'cha-class Klingon cruiser. The cruiser is obviously damaged, and Kira attempts to contact them to see if they need assistance. The Klingons respond that their ship is the IKS Drovana, that they do not require assistance, and that the Defiant should leave the area immediately and not approach their ship. The Drovana then requests access to the Defiant's medical facilities. Kira responds that the Defiant's medical facilities are very limited, but she offers to tow the Klingon ship to Deep Space 9. After briefly conferring with an unknown source, the Klingon ship accepts the offer. Odo informs Worf via his com badge that Kurn has had a serious accident and that Worf should come to the infirmary immediately. Odo tells Worf that Kurn discovered a container of contraband on a Boslic freighter, and when he confronted the Boslic captain about it, Kurn allowed himself to be shot by the captain's disruptor, even though Kurn could easily have disarmed him. Odo states that a security officer with a death wish is a safety hazard for the entire station, and informs Worf that Kurn is relieved. Bashir tells Worf that Kurn should make a full recovery, again, and asks Worf if he would like to see him. Worf confronts Kurn about what happened, but Kurn's only response is that Worf is the elder brother, and that Kurn will obey whatever Worf tells him to do. Doctor Bashir informs the senior staff in the wardroom that none of the injuries from those aboard the Drovona were consistent with the explosion of a starship, and that his best guess is that their ship was hit by a photon torpedo. Dax points out that a torpedo would have left an ion trail, and the Defiant didn't pick up any ion trails in the vicinity of the explosion. Kira adds that the Drovona was cloaked when it exploded, and that even Klingon vessels can't track vessels to aim their torpedoes when they are cloaked. Worf then correctly deduces that the Drovona must have hit a cloaked mine. The rest of the staff worries that, since cloaked mines are untraceable, there could be thousands of undetectable mines in and around the Bajoran system. Bashir comments that mining a system is an act of war, and expresses surprise that the Klingons would take such a risk at this point. Sisko says that they can't yet prove that the mines even exist, but if there is a war, the mines would enable the Klingons to cut off Deep Space 9 and the entire Bajoran system from the rest of the Alpha Quadrant. To find the mines, they would need their exact coordinates. Kira surmises that the Drovona probably has that information on their ship's computer, if only they could get access to them. Worf claims to have an idea how they could get the coordinates. Worf attempts to convince Kurn to help him carry out his plan by arguing that by acting contrary to their treaty with the Federation, the Klingon Empire has acted dishonorably, and to go against this minefield operation of the Empire would actually be the more honorable plan of action. Kurn confirms that he opposed the decision to withdraw from the Khitomer Accords when he was on the Council because Gowron underestimates the Federation, but that Kurn was ultimately overruled. Worf implores Kurn to help him, not for his sake or for the Federation's sake, but to prevent the Empire from becoming embroiled in a war that they cannot win. Worf points out that although their people have turned their backs on them, the brothers have not turned their backs on the Empire, and the sons of Mogh could be the very ones to save their people from certain defeat. In the infirmary, Worf and Kurn are undergoing surgical alterations to their appearance and their DNA signatures to try and pass themselves off as officers of the Drovona. Kurn and Worf successfully beam onto the Drovona and enter the main bridge. Using his inside knowledge of High Council security measures, Kurn accesses the database that contains the coordinates of the mines. A Klingon lieutenant enters the bridge and inquires what Worf and Kurn think they are doing on the bridge. Kurn states that he is completing a diagnostic on the navigational controls, but the lieutenant replies that he had not been informed of any computer problems, and he does not appear to be convinced. Worf claims to be Commander Sorval, son of M'tokra, but the lieutenant is still not convinced. As the lieutenant appears to back down and try to leave the bridge, Kurn pulls out his disruptor and kills the lieutenant. Worf is astonished to see what Kurn has done and asks whether it was necessary. However, Kurn reveals that the lieutenant was holding a knife in his hand, and that if Kurn had not fired first, the lieutenant would have killed Worf. Kurn expresses his regret and dishonor over killing an officer who was only doing his duty to defend the Empire. After Worf and Kurn acquire the detonation codes for each mine from the Drovona's computer, everyone meets in the wardroom to listen to their report. Afterward, Kira and O'Brien leave for the Defiant to detonate the remainder of the mines. After everyone else leaves the wardroom, Worf expresses his unease to Dax about killing the Klingon officer. Although it was in self-defense, Worf is most distressed because he did not realize that the officer was about to kill him, even when he was looking into the officer's eyes, but Kurn saw it from three meters away. He fears that Kurn was right -- that Worf has lived with Humans for so long, that he no longer thinks like a Klingon. Although Worf had always thought he could live either among Humans or return to the Empire, he realizes now that he could never go back to the Empire. He is a Starfleet officer, and that will have to be enough. But Kurn does not even have Starfleet, and since he is no longer welcome in the Empire, Worf worries what will become of Kurn. Worf cannot bring himself to attempt the Mauk-to'Vor ritual again, as now he can only see it as Humans do -- as murder. Jadzia then suggests that maybe Worf can kill Kurn without really killing him. On the Defiant, Kira and O'Brien are preparing to destroy the minefield. They open a channel and attempt to warn all Klingon vessels in the area to leave immediately or risk being damaged when the mines are detonated, but no ships respond. O'Brien detonates one of the mines on Kira's command, but still nothing happens. They then detonate many of the remaining mines simultaneously, prompting several Klingon ships to decloak and leave the area like flushed quail, heading straight for the Klingon Empire. Worf enters his quarters and discovers that Kurn is heavily intoxicated, and has been contemplating suicide -- a dishonorable death under Klingon tradition which would prevent him from entering Sto-Vo-Kor. Kurn expresses regret that he and Worf were not raised together, regardless of if it had been on Qo'noS or Earth to which Worf agrees. Kurn tells Worf that, in his own way, Worf is an honorable man, before passing out. Worf then assures the sleeping Kurn that he will be an honorable man again, but not as Worf's brother. Bashir prepares to surgically alter Kurn's physical appearance and genetic makeup, completely erasing his memory, so that Kurn can have a new identity, a new family, and his honor can be restored. After Dr. Bashir warns Worf that Kurn will have no memories of his past life; including no memories of Worf and the most basic skills to exist among Klingons; Worf orders the surgery to proceed. A friend of Worf's father, Noggra, has agreed to take Kurn as his own son, Rodek. Noggra arrives and tells Kurn/Rodek that he was hit by a plasma discharge on their shuttle, and as a result, he has lost his memory and may never regain it all. Kurn/Rodek is now a member of the House of Noggra, and Noggra promises to teach Kurn/Rodek all that he has forgotten when they get home. As Kurn/Rodek leaves the infirmary, he asks Worf if he is part of his family, and Worf replies that he has no family. Worf then leaves and walks down the Promenade alone, knowing that he has cut his final tie with the Klingon Empire. 
<EOS>
The USS Defiant returns from a reconnaissance mission to the Gamma Quadrant under the command of Lieutenant Commander Worf. Having found no sign of Dominion activity, Worf dismisses everyone to prepare for the next day's debriefing, and Dax coyly notes that Worf is quite taken with the Defiant. Things are pretty quiet at Quark's, due to the month long Bajoran Time of Cleansing where Bajorans abstain for many pleasures causing a downturn in the amount of customers. While Quark bemoans this, Rom is suffering pain in his ear and not for the first time. Quark, as usual, doesn't care and tells Rom to get to work while Leeta defends him. As the two argue, Rom collapses and Quark's only action is an intention to dock his pay for lying down on the job. Rom is sent to the infirmary, where Doctor Bashir finds that he has a severe ear infection that had been left unattended for weeks. When Bashir asks why, Rom says that he didn't have any vacation time. Bashir says casually that he should petition Quark to add vacation time and sick leave to the bar's employees by forming a union to help them stop being exploited, however Rom tells Bashir that Ferengi do not fight against exploitation but instead work to become the exploiters. Rom is discharged and when he recovers, he returns to the bar to find Quark in a meeting with the employees. The meeting is not good. the Bajoran Cleansing has sapped the bar's customer base and as a result, profits for the previous quarter are way down at Quark's. Quark decides to remedy his profit margin by cutting the employees' salaries by one-third, telling them that its either that or he fires a number of them. Rom pleads with Quark to reconsider the pay cut, and he does but the decision stands. Rom then asks if the pay cuts will be re-instated after the Cleansing Festival ends. Quark says that it all depends on the next quarter's financial report. Rom asks Quark, as a brother, to grant him a personal favor and re-instate the employees' pay. Quark again says no and adds that they are not brothers at the bar. Their relationship is only employer and employee. Rom threatens that if Quark does not re-instate the pay cuts then he will regret it. Quark says that the only thing he regrets is not being an only child. Rom leaves in shock. Jadzia Dax and Worf have returned from sparring in the holosuites. Worf hears something in the conduits above the hallway. He hits a panel in the ceiling with his bat'leth. The panel gives way, and a Dopterian man falls to the floor with several items. Dax sees that the Dopterian has Worf's tooth sharpener on his person -- the man just robbed Worf's quarters. Angrily, Worf takes the man to Odo's office. Odo arrests the man and has him taken to a holding cell. Worf intends to give his statement and demands to know why security lapses like these occur on DS9. Odo says that those things just happen. Worf does not accept this answer and says that those sorts of things did not happen when he served as chief of security on the USS Enterprise-D. Odo perks up and says, "Really?" and pulls out a PADD and begins to read a list of security lapses on the Enterprise. He says that he knows those are the exception rather than the rule, but if those sorts of things happen on the flagship of the Federation, imagine how difficult it is to maintain security on an open port like DS9. Worf apologizes and says that the theft was upsetting. Odo agrees, but says that Worf will just have to get used to it. Rom holds a secret meeting with the employees of the bar and, spurred on by Bashir's earlier advice, says that he wants to form a union. Some of the employees, especially the Ferengi employees, are shocked that Rom would even suggest forming a union. The Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA) strictly forbids employees to form unions. Rom says not to be afraid of the FCA, to stand up and fight for what they want. Rom even names a few employees who could benefit from sick leave or vacation time. The employees finally agree to form the union and present their demands to Quark. Rom goes to the infirmary and seeks Bashir's advice on unions. Bashir is surprised that Rom went to such an extreme, he was only speaking metaphorically. Chief O'Brien, who is being treated for a cyst on the back of his neck, encourages Rom and tells him about his ancestor, Sean O'Brien, who was a union miner back in 1902 Pennsylvania. Sean and a group of employees went on strike, refusing to open the anthracite mine until their demands were met. Dr. Bashir warns Rom to only strike as a last resort; perhaps Quark will give in to the union's demands. Chief O'Brien says that Quark is too stubborn and that the union will have to strike. O'Brien then makes the remark that Sean O'Brien gave the ultimate sacrifice for his union -- he was found dead in the Allegheny River with 32 (or perhaps 34) gunshot wounds in him just before the strike ended. In Ops, Chief O'Brien works to repair some faulty systems for Worf who expresses his frustration at things always breaking down. O'Brien reminds him that Federation, Bajoran, and Cardassian technology isn't meant to work together but much prefers his busy schedule on the station to when he was serving aboard the Enterprise, where he spent most of his time waiting around the transporter room for something to happen. Quark returns to the bar to find the union waiting for him. Quark thinks it is a birthday surprise; they're a month too late. Rom says that they are the Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees and they are there to present their demands. Quark, after getting over his initial shock that his employees would dare form a union, reads their demands and laughs. Rom says this is no joke. Quark says it is and to get back to work before he fires all of them. The Guild has no choice but to go on strike. Quark tries to laugh this off too, but is astounded when all his employees walk out. The strike begins and the union is thanking people for not dining at Quark's by handing out gold-pressed latinum, and the majority of the station's population begin boycotting the bar in support of the strikers. To compensate for his lack of employees, Quark attempts to use a holographic program he received from a Lissepian to make holographic projections of himself to carry out all of the duties of the bar, but finds that they tend to cut off often, resulting in many glass breakages. Quark asks Odo to ask the strikers to leave, telling him they must be violating a law somewhere. Odo agrees that he doesn't like the idea of a mob on the Promenade, but he has received orders from Captain Sisko not to interfere as long as the strikers remain orderly and don't stop people using the second level entrance. Meanwhile, on the upper level of the Promenade, Bashir and O'Brien are taking bets as to who will enter or pass the upper entrance of Quark's. They are surprised to find that Worf enters the bar. both Bashir and O'Brien thought Worf would not do so even if there wasn't a strike. They walk into the bar to have a word with the commander. Worf, Bashir, and O'Brien end up in one of Odo's holding cells, Bashir with a gash on his forehead. Captain Sisko angrily asks why members of his senior staff were fighting on the Promenade. O'Brien and Worf explain that they weren't fighting, they just had a simple disagreement, which turned into a shove, which turned into a push, which turned into Bashir (who claims he was trying to stop the fight) getting thrown over a table. O'Brien says that Bashir just got in the way. Sisko, frustrated, says that he will have to talk to Quark himself to find an end to the strike. O'Brien asks the captain if they will be let go. Sisko agrees to tell Odo to let them out in the morning. Bashir sits down and says that he hopes O'Brien and Worf are proud of themselves. Quark is summoned to the captain's office, where Sisko tells him that he wants the strike ended and things back to normal so Quark is to sit down with Rom and hammer out an agreement by the end of the day. Quark says that Sisko doesn't understand; merely talking to a union violates the core aspects of Ferengi culture. Sisko says that he may not understand Ferengi culture but he does know who holds the lease on Quark's -- the Federation. The Federation has been extremely lenient, not charging Quark for rent, repairs, or power but that ends today. Sisko then reads off a list of things Quark owes; five years back rent, maintenance requests and the drain on the station's power. After some quick calculations, Sisko asks Quark if he knows how much latinum that is. Quark pales, says that it is a lot, and agrees to talk to his brother. Quark goes to Rom's quarters and attempts to bribe him with latinum to get him to end the union. Rom refuses. Rom says that until the employees' demands are met, they will continue to strike. When he gets back to the bar, Quark finds none other than Liquidator Brunt waiting for him with two Nausicaans. Brunt assures a nervous Quark that he isn't there to cause trouble for him, but put an end to the union through any means necessary. Rom meets with the employees to tell them what had happened. Grimp, a Ferengi, asks if Rom took the bribe. Rom says no and tells the employees that it is only a matter of time before Quark gives into their demands. Grimp is reluctant to agree; Quark may agree too much with Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #211: "Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them." The meeting is interrupted when the door is forced open and Brunt arrives with the Nausicaans. Frool grovels at Brunt's feet, asking for forgiveness. Brunt angrily says that if they were on Ferenginar, the union would be shoved off the spire atop the Tower of Commerce one by one while small children would bet on where they would land and then their splattered remains would be ground up into feed for gree-worms. Rom points out that they aren't on Ferenginar; lucky for them, Brunt replies. Brunt says that the FCA will show mercy because they have been corrupted by Federation ideals. He says that nothing will happen to the union if they return to work the following morning. Otherwise, their families will be fined and their Ferenginar accounts will be seized, leaving them destitute. Brunt and the Nausicaans leave to make their decision, leaving Frool groveling on the floor. Grimp tells Frool to get up but Rom tells him to stay down, that's where he belongs and asks the others where they belong. The union decides to continue fighting for what they want and leave the room with Frool still on the floor. The strike continues. Worf talks to O'Brien and apologizes for the altercation they had in Quark's. O'Brien tells Worf not to worry about it, they shoved each other and -- with a chuckle -- Bashir was thrown over a table. Worf says that living on the station has bothered him and because of this he is going to begin living on the USS Defiant. O'Brien is aghast, and reminds Worf that he'll living on the starship alone but as far as Worf is concerned, that's the main appeal. Quark tries to talk to Rom once again to dissolve the union but he refuses again. Quark says Rom shouldn't be a fool and now that the FCA is involved, they will do anything to stop him. Quark says that if Rom doesn't dissolve the union soon, Quark will no longer have any power to help him. Rom is unmoved; after all, if something happens to him, Quark will be granted his wish of being an only child. Back in Quark's, the two Nausicaans were engaging in a Nausicaan pain game. Brunt is increasingly frustrated with the union's will. He says that he has to send a message to Rom but he realizes that he can't punish Rom directly, since that would just turn Rom into a celebrated martyr. The only way to do this is to hurt someone close to him. Brunt couldn't stand to hurt Leeta -- she has such delicate lobes -- so he decides for the next best thing: Quark. Quark is then shown in the infirmary on a bio-bed having received a severe beating. Rom arrives to find that the Nausicaans shattered his left eye socket, fractured two of his ascending ribs, and punctured his lower lung. It was lucky that they didn't kill him. Although Odo has Brunt and the Nausicaans in a holding cell, Quark refuses to press charges despite the fact he's got an open-and-shut case, as the FCA would just send another liquidator to make an example of Rom. The next liquidator would definitely succeed. Rom refuses to dissolve the union until Quark accepts all of their demands. Quark finally relents and offers Rom everything that the union wants, but Rom must make it appear that Quark has won. Rom resigns from his post as head of the union, causing the union to die, but the employees get all they want. The pay raises will go into effect by the end of the week. Worf settles into his quarters on the Defiant and Dax gives Worf a gift: a copy of her favorite Klingon operas. Worf thanks her, and Dax tells him that living on the Defiant won't change anything and he'll have to adapt to the station eventually. Worf counters that maybe it will be everyone on the station that will adapt to him. The Bajoran Time of Cleansing is over, and everyone has returned to Quark's. Rom arrives in the bar in a Bajoran uniform and states that he is now on the night shift of the engineering crew as a Diagnostic and Repair Technician, Junior Grade. Quark expresses concern that he will no longer be able to "watch after" Rom, but Rom says that he will be fine working on his own. Furthermore, Rom promises to come to Quark's all the time, but as a paying customer, punctuated by then demanding his brother serve the drink he ordered. 
<EOS>
As Chief O'Brien and Doctor Bashir enter the cluttered O'Briens' quarters, having just won the Battle of Britain in the holosuite, they lament that O'Brien must return the quarters to normal in preparation for Keiko's return (after her six-month absence on Bajor). O'Brien greets Keiko and Molly warmly at the airlock and receives a surprise: during Keiko's last visit to Deep Space 9, they "got lucky" and Keiko is pregnant again. In Ops, Major Kira welcomes Vedek Porta, escorting a young Bajoran couple who are hopeful that Captain Sisko, as the Emissary of the Prophets, will bless their recent marriage. Sisko invites them into his office, and recites a brief prayer in the Bajoran language. Kira, watching, is very moved, and the couple positively glow, thanking Sisko profusely before they leave. Before following them out, Porta compliments Sisko on his improved pronunciation. After they are gone, Sisko sighs and confides to Dax how exhausting it is to be a religious icon to an entire planet, on top of all his Starfleet duties. Then Kira alerts them that something is coming through the wormhole: a Bajoran lightship, which appears to be three hundred years old. The passenger, a lone man, is beamed to the infirmary. When Sisko and Kira get there, the man introduces himself as "the Emissary." The mysterious man is Akorem Laan, a famous Bajoran poet from the 22nd century whose unfinished poem, The Call of the Prophets, has become legendary. He explains that, while traveling in his lightship, he was injured and thought he would die. Then he discovered the wormhole by mistake and was healed by the Prophets, who have delivered him to DS9. He knows nothing of the Cardassian occupation or other hardships his people have been through, but he believes the Prophets have chosen him as their Emissary. Sisko tells Dax that he is all too happy to step aside in favor of Akorem; aside from having the burden of the position removed, he adds that Starfleet Command has always been uncomfortable with one of their officers occupying a central role in the Bajoran religion. Porta has already endorsed Akorem, and Sisko accepts that the Bajorans will be much better off recognizing one of their own as the Emissary. As Chief O'Brien walks home from work, Bashir arrives to offer his congratulations on the baby and convinces him to have a celebratory drink in Quark's. There, the two raise a pint of beer to the upcoming arrival, as Bashir notes that the second baby is usually easier than the first for parents as they know what to expect. When they tell Quark the news, the Ferengi muses back to when Nog was a baby and read 'See Brak Acquire'. Worf then arrives for a drink, and stiffens up when he hears Keiko is having a baby. O'Brien explains to Bashir that Worf delivered Molly since the Enterprise had been damaged and he was the only person available when Keiko went into labour. As Bashir jokes that he'll call on Worf if he needs any help, Worf decides to schedule some leave for when the baby is due. Kira and Odo watch from the upper gallery as Akorem gives a speech on the Promenade. Odo gently asks whether she sees the inherent contradiction in Akorem's accession: before he appeared, Kira was entirely convinced that Sisko was the Emissary, but now it's as if he never was. Kira says that her faith allows her to reconcile the contradiction. But then Akorem drops a bombshell by announcing his belief that the Bajorans have "lost their way" by abolishing the d'jarras, a stratified caste system based on family names. Reviving the d'jarras, he believes, is the best way to heal Bajor's wounds after the Occupation. There is some scattered applause from the crowd, but several, including Kira, look deeply troubled, as does Sisko, who is watching the speech in his office on his desktop monitor. In conference with Akorem and Vedek Porta, Sisko says that adopting a caste-based discrimination system will make Bajor ineligible for Federation membership. Akorem sees it as an acceptable sacrifice, as does -- not surprisingly -- Kai Winn. Akorem assures Sisko that he does not expect Bajor to make the change overnight; for instance, First Minister Shakaar, whose d'jarra marks him as a farmer, will not be expected to resign immediately; instead, Akorem is confident that, by the time of the next election cycle, few will vote for him. In the Replimat, Kira is looking for a place to sit with her mug of raktajino, but the place is full. Just as she is about to move on, a Bajoran woman interrupts her meal and surrenders her seat, saying that Kira's d'jarra outranks hers. Sisko, sitting nearby, says similar things have been happening all over the station. Both of them are troubled, but Kira says it is not her place to question the Emissary. Sisko is still disbelieving about how readily Bajor is making such drastic changes on Akorem's word, and Kira tells him that Sisko never fully grasped just how devoted the Bajorans are to the Emissary - Sisko could have said the word, and they would have done anything. Unable to sleep, Sisko wanders about the Promenade at night, where he has visions of Kai Opaka who proceeds to ask who he is several times. Confused, he says she should know him, but she responds cryptically that she can't know someone who does not know himself. She disappears and the lights turn back to normal before he can respond. When Sisko asks Bashir about the vision, he describes it as an orb shadow, which the Bajorans believe occur when a person is not following the will of the Prophets as shown in the orbs. Religious explanations aside, it was caused by an over-abundance of neuropeptides, and Sisko readily accepts treatment to make the visions stop. Kira attempts to follow her d'jarra, which dictates that she resign her commission in the Bajoran Militia and become an artist. Unfortunately, despite her best attempts, she ends sculpting a "flock of flightless birds" in her quarters. Kira seems to have little confidence in her own artistic ability. Even so, Vedek Porta is nonetheless stern in his belief that d'jarras are correct and that the Prophets have chosen for Kira to be an artist. The O'Briens are enjoying time together at home. Miles plays with Molly, teaching her darts. Keiko has found the fur coat that Miles wears to the holosuite, and comments on the amount of time he spends there with Julian. Miles responds jokingly that it keeps him out of trouble, and kisses her. Keiko needs to get back to some work, so O'Brien goes back to play with Molly, but her mood has changed, not willing to play darts and content to draw by herself. With nothing to do but watch, O'Brien eyes the fur coat. Meanwhile things are going from bad to worse for Sisko. His failure in his mission to ensure Bajor's entry into the Federation, a goal Sisko has been working toward for several years now, does not please Starfleet Command. Although there is no direct statement of it, he can tell they are unhappy, which he finds ironic considering they never wanted him to be the Emissary in the first place. As he and Kira go over the duty roster, he cannot shake the feeling that he has failed in his duties. And it gets worse: Kira has to resign in order to follow her d'jarra. As soon as Sisko can find someone to take her post, she'll leave. Sisko tells her that her position may be filled by someone else, but he considers her irreplaceable. There is an extremely sad moment between them as reality sets in. O'Brien and Bashir meet by chance in Quark's and realize they no longer have time for one another now that Keiko and Molly are back on the station. O'Brien mentions playing darts with Molly in their quarters, and Bashir is trying to teach Morn how to play in the bar, but it is not the same for either of them. When Quark archly informs them that they are late for their weekly holosuite reservation, they realize that is something else they have had to give up. Sisko gets a call from Odo to come to the Promenade immediately, where a vedek has just been killed. The man, Vedek Imutta, fell from the second level, and as Odo prepares to start an investigation, Vedek Porta calmly announces that he pushed the man simply because he had an "unclean" d'jarra and was unwilling to resign as vedek to follow his d'jarra. Sisko, frustrated, orders him taken into custody. Sisko decides that enough is enough and he must take back his role as emissary from Akorem. However, as Akorem is unwilling to give up the post and both men know there will be chaos if they force the Bajoran people to choose between them, Sisko asks Akorem to enter the wormhole with him to ask the Prophets to choose. Inside the wormhole, Akorem remains convinced that he is the emissary, but as usual, the Prophets appear largely unconcerned. They claim Sisko and Akorem's linear nature limits their comprehension. They agree that the d'jarras are a part of the past, which "the Sisko" has taught them means, it is no more and it can never be again. Akorem is confused, and asked why, then, did they send him into the future?  They reply, "for the Sisko" - to remind him of the responsibilities he bears. Akorem, realizing that he is not the Emissary, says there is no point in his remaining in the 24th century. The Prophets consider returning him to where they found him (injured and about to die), but at Sisko's request, the Prophets return Akorem to Bajor in his own time with no memory of his trip to the future, and allow him to reunite with his wife and family. Before Sisko is returned to the runabout, the Prophets remind him that he is "of Bajor," as are the Prophets. Back on the station, on the pretext of getting her husband treatment for his depression, Keiko arranges for Miles and Bashir to spend time together again. In Quark's, Kira ironically presents Sisko with the gift of one of her "sculptures" and tells him that his earlier speech, in which he explained what happened to Akorem and that the Prophets do not wish the Bajorans to return to the d'jarras, went over very well. Sisko is reading The Call of the Prophets, which Kira is surprised to learn has now been finished. Kira fails to understand how she can still remember Akorem's work as unfinished, when the Prophets have changed the past and in the new timeline, his work had been finished all along. They are interrupted when a Bajoran man and his daughter approach the officers to ask Sisko if he can bestow a blessing on the girl at her upcoming birthday/coming-of-age celebration. Sisko happily agrees to the request, having now fully accepted his role as the Emissary. 
<EOS>
Worf is in the USS Defiant. He wanders the halls, which are filled with dead Starfleet officers, and sees a squad of Klingon warriors raising their bat'leths in triumph. Worf then finds himself in front of the door leading to the bridge and he forces it open. Worf looks around and notices that the bridge is littered with many dead Klingon children. Worf wakes up with a scream to find that his vision was only a dream, and he is in a holding cell awaiting a hearing. Odo tells him to get some sleep as he has a big day ahead of him. Aboard Deep Space 9, Admiral T'Lara calls the hearing to order. Ch'Pok, the prosecutor and representative of the Klingon Empire, charges Worf with destroying a civilian transport ship and killing all 441 Klingons aboard. He requests that Worf be extradited to the Empire. Captain Sisko, Worf's defense advocate, explains that the Defiant was under attack by Klingon warships, when the transport suddenly decloaked in the midst of the battle, and that its destruction was an unavoidable accident. Sisko meets with Odo in an attempt to find more exonerating evidence. Sisko's hunch is that the transport captain decloaked to attack the Defiant, so Odo's task is to find out everything he can about the crew of the transport. Odo leaves, and Ch'Pok approaches Sisko. Ch'Pok tells him that, if Worf is convicted of this massacre, the Klingon Empire will have a pretext to escalate its offensives against the Federation. The hearing reconvenes. Ch'Pok accepts Worf's account of the situation, noting that, to Klingons, what matters is Worf's motivation, and whether duty or bloodlust informed his decision. T'Lara allows the hearing to move towards understanding Worf's motives, and Ch'Pok calls his first witness, Commander Jadzia Dax, to the stand. Dax serves as a cultural expert on the Klingons, largely due to the experiences of Dax's previous host Curzon Dax, and Ch'Pok tries to get her to define Klingons as a predatory, violent people. She defends Worf, noting that he is excellent at restraining his passions in the name of duty. Ch'Pok then enters into evidence a holosuite program, "The Battle of Tong Vey."  The file was taken from Worf's database without a search order, but Worf allows it to be admitted out of his sense of honor and the fact that he has nothing to hide. Dax summarizes the battle, in which Sompek conquered the city of Tong Vey with ten thousand warriors, then ordered the city burned and its people -- men, women, and children -- killed. Ch'Pok notes that Worf plays the role of Sompek in the holographic reenactment of it, and that he ran the holoprogram the day before the convoy mission, ending it by giving the historical order to begin the massacre. Ch'Pok examines Sisko, asking him why he chose Worf for the mission. The Cardassian colony on Pentath III was experiencing an outbreak of Rudellian plague, and Starfleet was sending medical aid. However, Pentath III bordered Klingon space, so the Defiant was sent to escort the medical convoy. Sisko explains that he wanted Worf to have more command experience, and, as a Klingon, he would be well-suited for an escort mission that might involve an altercation with Klingons. He clarifies that it was clear to Worf that he was being sent on a humanitarian mission and not sent looking for combat. Next, Quark testifies about a brief conversation he had with Worf prior to the mission, in which Worf mentioned he "hoped" the Klingons went after the convoy. Worf is embarrassed -- clearly, Quark was telling the truth for once. Odo reports to Sisko that the transport captain was not at all the kind of person who would attack the Defiant and that the civillian ship's course was very close to the border, so it would have only taken a small error to cause it to be caught up in the battle. What still isn't understood is why the transport decloaked in front of the Defiant. Sisko tells Odo to look into the background of each passenger on the transport ship on the off-chance that someone aboard may have taken control and intended to attack. In the Replimat, Sisko is drinking coffee when Ch'Pok takes a seat next to him. They reveal that Worf is scheduled to testify next. Ch'Pok offers to defend Worf himself if Sisko concedes now and allows him to be extradited. Sisko counters that Ch'Pok is still only after grounds to invade the Pentath system. Sisko replies that Ch'Pok has revealed one thing--he is worried. Ch'Pok responds to Sisko that it is he who should be worried. Odo informs Sisko that none of the passengers had any connection to Worf or Starfleet or any perceivable motive whatsoever, but that he will keep looking. In the hearing, Worf is testifying, explaining the mission. He says he was excited by the opportunity to do battle, and that although he respects O'Brien, he was not in a position to make such a command decision and he would have made the wrong choice. Worf tells Sisko that he knew there was a chance that he would run into a civilian ship, but it was a very remote chance, and that he was more concerned with the welfare of the convoy and his ship than such a slim possibility. Ch'Pok cross-examines Worf. He begins by trying to establish that Worf is angry at the Empire because of his discommendation. Worf says he is hated by his people because of this, but Ch'Pok asserts that they hate him on a more basic level, because he is more Human than Klingon. Ch'Pok establishes that Klingons are now his enemies, but Worf says he is not happy with killing civilians because there is no honor in it. Ch'Pok counters that a true Klingon relishes killing all of his enemies, armed or not, and would be happy for the dead children now in Sto-vo-kor, not grieved. Ch'Pok says Worf lives with Humans out of fear of Klingons, to which Worf replies with a martial challenge. T'Lara threatens to hold both parties in contempt of court. Ch'Pok continues, arguing that Worf was eager for the Klingons to attack because he wanted to prove himself to other Klingons, and that one day Alexander will grow up to find out his father is a coward who killed innocent people to prove his own courage. At this, Worf gets up and attacks Ch'Pok with a series of blows. Sisko gets up to restrain him, as Ch'Pok closes his examination with the proof that Worf will attack an unarmed man if he is angry or has something to prove. Sisko sits in his office, as Odo brings in a PADD. The hearing reconvenes and Sisko enters this new evidence, and asks Ch'Pok to testify as an expert on the Klingon Empire. Sisko hands Ch'Pok the PADD and asks him to identify the list of names. He answers that they are the victims of Worf's alleged attack. Sisko then explains that this is actually a list of the victims of an accidental transport ship crash that occurred three months before the convoy incident. Sisko asks Ch'Pok whether it would be possible that the transport was empty and was giving off false sensor images to make it appear that Worf had committed a massacre and thereby forcing Starfleet to stop protecting Cardassian convoys, and Ch'Pok admits that it is. The hearing is over. Worf is in his quarters on the Defiant, lost in thought, when Sisko enters. Worf admits that he should not have accepted the mission, as he did have something to prove when he took command and, just like when Ch'Pok was goading him during the trial, he was hoping for an excuse to fight. He is prone to want vengeance, and he should not have fired on a decloaking ship regardless of the circumstances. Sisko agrees, and sternly reminds Worf that he knew there were civilian ships in the area, but still fired on a target he hadn't identified. Sisko lectures him on taking a command with such a predicament, and reaffirms that a Starfleet officer should never even take a chance of endangering civilians, even if it means the lives of the Starfleet officers will be lost. Nonetheless, Sisko says, this time there are no dead civilians on his conscience, and Worf will make a great captain one day. Sisko invites Worf to a party at Quark's; Worf is reluctant, but Sisko reminds him that a command officer must sometimes smile even when it's the last thing they want to do, in order to keep the troops happy. Worf muses that his life has become a lot more complicated since he started wearing the red uniform, but Sisko tells him it's nothing compared to when he gets four pips on his collar. The two then leave for Quark's. 
<EOS>
An elderly Miles O'Brien sits in an Argrathi jail cell, drawing patterns in the sand. Two Argrathi enter and tell him that he is now free to go. He claims that he has nowhere to go, but suddenly awakens with Major Kira looking over him. Kira explains that the Argathi have implanted a twenty-year prison sentence in his head, and that only a few hours have passed since his conviction. Captain Sisko explains to Keiko that while on a mission to Argratha, O'Brien was falsely accused of espionage and sentenced to twenty years in prison. However, the Argrathi are experts at mind-controlling and mind-altering technologies, and their criminal system was able to administer him the experience of twenty years of prison in just a few hours of treatment, without physically harming him. By the time the details of the events had been received by Deep Space 9, the "sentence" had already been completed, and he was free to return home. O'Brien and Kira arrive at the station, and Doctor Bashir meets them at the airlock. He promises to do his best to remove the memory implants. He asks O'Brien a bit about the experience, such as if he was alone in his cell. O'Brien says yes, but from a flashback to his incarceration it becomes clear that he had a cell mate named Ee'char. O'Brien remembers the time he met Ee'char in his cell, who helped him by giving him a fruit called chee'lash. They exchange their names, "crimes" and sentences. Bashir soon discovers that the memories of his imprisonment were not simply implanted: he really experienced living in a cell for twenty years, though in an accelerated fashion. Thus, eradication of these memories is out of the question, and he has to accept them. He tells Keiko and she understands. They go in to see O'Brien in the infirmary, who had tried to order the chee'lash fruit from the replicator. When Keiko enters the room, he first sees Ee'char in her place, but that fades as he holds her and remembers she is pregnant. O'Brien soon finds he has trouble undoing the habits he had taken up during his incarceration, including saving scraps of food "for later" during dinner with his family. A flashback shows Ee'char doing the same thing. O'Brien questions Ee'char on how to cope, and he shows O'Brien how to draw complex patterns in the sand called eseekas to pass the time. They are told it's time to go to sleep, and then Keiko awakens in the middle of the night to find O'Brien sleeping on the floor. O'Brien's memories come back to haunt him and he begins seeing his former simulated cellmate Ee'char walking around the station. He plays darts with Worf for a bit in Quark's, but leaves when he sees Ee'char out on the Promenade. He also finds it very difficult to readjust to life back on the station. Later, Jake helps him remember the names of the various tools. O'Brien is determined to get back up to speed immediately and dive into work. He makes some repairs with the crew, and Muniz briefly checks him and has a friendly exchange. O'Brien is friendly, too, but hiding his stress when Muniz leaves for lunch. O'Brien hangs back, only to be confronted by Bashir about not having been to the psychologist Counselor Telnorri for the past ten days. O'Brien says he does not want to talk about his life in prison, only to forget it and be left alone. Bashir keeps pushing, and O'Brien snaps at him, storming off. O'Brien then remembers a time when he reached his limit on staying calm in the cell. He made noise when he banged on the door, objecting to his incarceration but also inviting a threat of retaliation from the guards for the disturbance. Ee'char finally held him down to prevent any actions taken. Later on, he goes to Quark's again and lashes out at him for taking his time to serve him a drink, pinning him by the arm. O'Brien leaves with his drink to a table to be alone, where Ee'char continues to reappear, claiming that in O'Brien's eyes, he was real and always will be. During, Odo is alerted to the incident, both Quark and Odo observing O'Brien. O'Brien continues seeing Ee'char, now on his way to work. He says he's worried about O'Brien, but O'Brien insists he is OK, but Ee'char makes the point that O'Brien keeps seeing him. Soon, Sisko calls O'Brien to his office. Hearing about O'Brien's behavior, Sisko relieves him of duty, and orders him to report to the infirmary, and to continue his counseling sessions. O'Brien storms out of Ops, snapping at Dax and throws his combadge at the floor of a turbolift. Then he goes to the infirmary, and tells Bashir to leave him alone. Interestingly, Ee'char appears just behind Bashir, and O'Brien snaps directly at the both of them. O'Brien returns to his quarters, but, on the way, Ee'char continues to confront him, saying he can't run from him forever. Furthermore, there's a reason O'Brien can't get rid of him. He returns to his quarters eventually to a worried Keiko. Unfortunately, when Molly pesters him for attention at this moment, he becomes so angry that he gets up and nearly hits her. Horrified by what he nearly did, Miles then goes to a cargo bay and vents his frustration by smashing a number of storage containers in a rage with a pole. Finally he spots weapons locker 47 and pulls a phaser out, deciding to commit suicide. Setting the phaser to maximum, he aims it at himself. Bashir arrives and tries to talk O'Brien out of killing himself. O'Brien says he cannot go on living when he is a threat to his family and all his friends. The man he was is gone, and all that's left is a dangerous monster. He confesses his worst crime: after almost twenty years, he found that Ee'char had been hoarding food without telling him, and killed him in a rage -- before he realized that the food was for both of them. Miles Edward O'Brien, an "evolved" Human of the 24th century, gave into bestial rage and murdered his best friend, for nothing. Bashir tells him he's wrong; the fact that he feels remorse over killing Ee'char proves that he is still a decent Human being, not a monster. His captors tried to strip away his Humanity; they may have succeeded for a moment, but if O'Brien takes his own life, the Agrathi will have succeeded in destroying a good man. Over Bashir's shoulder, O'Brien is surprised to see Ee'char, smiling at him, without reproach. Ee'char tells his friend to "be well," and walks away, disappearing. O'Brien lowers the phaser, and Bashir takes it away. Walking O'Brien back to his quarters, Bashir prescribes a medication that will take the edge off his depression and stop him from having any more hallucinations. However, the false memories cannot be removed, and O'Brien will have to come to terms with them on his own. Bashir convinces him to resume counseling sessions, and O'Brien thanks his best friend for all his help. When he enters his quarters, O'Brien is gratified when Molly runs into his arms, glad to have him back. 
<EOS>
Jake Sisko is standing on the upper level of the Promenade watching passengers disembark a transport and trying to come up with character ideas based on what he sees. An alien female comes out of the airlock and catches the eye of Jake before walking away. Odo walks into his office to find Lwaxana Troi crying because she's pregnant. Lwaxana Troi is pregnant with a male child and her husband, Jeyal, is a Tavnian. The problem, as Odo finds out, is that Tavnian children are raised by the parent that is the same sex as the child, never to be seen by the other parent until reaching the age of sixteen. Lwaxana wants to be a part of her child's life, and Jeyal said that would be possible, but apparently he changed his mind when he found out she was pregnant with a boy. Lwaxana has come to Odo for help, but Odo is reluctant. Later, in the Replimat, Jake is working on a story when the alien woman he saw coming out of the airlock sits down next to him and starts talking. Her name is Onaya and it turns out she has a thing for artists. Onaya talks about how she knew Tavor Kell, a famous Cardassian architect and how she helped him to "stop censoring himself". Jake becomes interested and she joins him at his table. She reveals to Jake that she can teach him exercises to help bring out his creativity and help him be remembered as an artist; Jake is intrigued as he seems to have a case of writer's block and hesitantly admits that he wants to be remembered. They agree to meet later. Back in his quarters, Jake is working on a story when his father, Benjamin Sisko, shows up asking if he's packed for the trip he has planned with his father and Kasidy to the Bajoran outback. Jake says he doesn't want to go because he really needs to focus on this story, and his father understands -- although his father doesn't know about Onaya. In Quark's, Lwaxana is depressed and is telling Worf, Dax, and Kira how she feels like a prisoner in her own home. Being a telepath, Lwaxana's mood seems to be affecting the moods of all those around her. Quark asks Odo to get rid of her, and Odo abides, taking her on a walk. When the two arrive at Odo's quarters, Lwaxana tells Odo her food replicator is broken and asks if she can come in and use his. Odo agrees, but finds out it was just an excuse for her to spend more time with him. Exhausted, Lwaxana sits down on Odo's floor (since he doesn't have any furniture) and falls asleep in Odo's arms. Odo graciously transforms one of his arms into a blanket and the other into a pillow -- he doesn't seem to mind the situation at all. Jake arrives at Onaya's quarters, where he feels a little uncomfortable. Onaya assures him there is nothing to worry about -- he's there to work. Onaya gives Jake the pen of the famous writer Revalus, and tells Jake to start writing -- on paper. Jake says he's never used paper before, but Onaya tells him to write the first line, and then urges him to just keep writing. Onaya starts to bring out Jake's creativity while simultaneously draining his life little by little. The next morning, Lwaxana and Odo are playing a game of hide and seek. Odo takes on the shape of an object in the room, and Lwaxana tries to guess what or where he is. Their fun is cut short when Odo is informed that Jeyal, Lwaxana's husband, has arrived on the station. Odo has Jeyal brought to his security office where he informs him that Lwaxana has no intentions of giving up her child to him. Odo then reveals a loophole in Tavnian law which states the male child is the property of the mother's husband and not the child's father. When Lwaxana has her baby, Jeyal will no longer be her husband because Odo plans to marry Lwaxana in a legal Tavnian ceremony. This will end her marriage to Jeyal and allow her to keep the baby. Odo and Lwaxana will remain married for a few months to satisfy Tavnian law and then get a divorce. The only problem is that Odo will have to convince Jeyal that he really wants to marry Lwaxana for the marriage to be valid. Jake is still busy writing his latest story, and Onaya is still slowly drawing out his creativity and draining his life. Jake comments that he can hardly keep up with the flood of ideas he's having. Suddenly, Jake has a minor nose bleed. Onaya tells Jake he should rest, but Jake is too determined to stop now and keeps on writing. Odo arranges a surprise wedding with Lwaxana where he must convince Jeyal and all those present that his love for Lwaxana is true. Otherwise, someone can challenge the validity of the marriage if they doubt the groom's sincerity -- and Jeyal will be one tough critic. The ceremony proceeds, and Odo delivers his speech which sounds superficial. Jeyal calls it a pale declaration of love, but Odo becomes more genuine and talks of how Lwaxana accepted him for who he was and how that changed him. Jeyal accepts the ceremony, and Odo and Lwaxana are married according to Tavnian law. The child is safe. Jake is still writing and appears very tired. Onaya again tells Jake he needs to stop, but he refuses. Onaya forces Jake to stop by taking his pen and tells Jake his writing will be even better if he is well rested. Jake agrees and starts to head home, but decides to stop at the Replimat for a drink. He orders an orange juice, but collapses before he can sit down. In the infirmary, Dr. Bashir informs Sisko, who is back from his trip, that Jake's brain has been stimulated and his cerebral cortex was on the verge of synaptic collapse. Dr. Bashir assures Sisko that Jake will be all right, but he needs to remain in a neural stabilization field for a while. Jake regains consciousness just long enough to say, "Onaya, where is she?" and Sisko begins looking for Onaya. During the night, Onaya materializes from an energy cloud in the infirmary and knocks out the nurse on duty. She wakes Jake up and tells him it's time to finish what he started and takes him to a Jefferies tube junction near the reactor core. Jake is again determined to keep writing and gets another nose bleed while Onaya drains his life more quickly. O'Brien scans the infirmary and finds traces of psionic energy and informs Odo to tell his search teams to modify their tricorders to search for psionic energy. Dr. Bashir tells him they need to hurry because psionic residue decays within minutes. Sisko picks up a psionic energy trace and finds Onaya and Jake. Sisko, armed with a phaser, tells Onaya to get away from Jake and asks what she is. Onaya reveals that she unlocks the potential of artists and, in the process, kills them but gives them immortality through their art. The energy and life she drains from her victims helps her survive. Onaya turns into an energy cloud and flies off into space. Back in the security office, Lwaxana informs Odo that she's going back to Betazed and that she's imposed on Odo long enough. Odo tries to convince her to stay, but she's afraid the marriage would fail if she stayed because of their differing feelings for each other. She truly loves him, and she would want him to feel the same passion. But she knows that while he enjoys her company, he just wants someone to take care of; he doesn't really love her. He asks if that isn't enough, but she says in time she would come to resent the unevenness of their relationship. She has decided to return to her home world and eventually end the marriage so the two can remain friends. She tells him, "Goodbye, husband." Understanding, he replies, "Goodbye wife." Later, after Jake has recovered, Sisko reads his story and tells him he has a good start on a novel, which he has titled Anslem, but the spelling is terrible. Jake agrees, but doesn't feel it's really his work. Sisko reminds him that they were his words -- Onaya just helped bring them out. 
<EOS>
Kasidy Yates wakes up in Captain Sisko's bed, kisses him on the forehead and gets up to leave. Sisko reaches out and pulls her back into bed telling her that a meeting with her engineer can wait. Kasidy finally leaves after joking about his style of command and tells him that she will see him later. He pulls her now vacant pillow over, admires her lingering scent, and switches it with his own. In the wardroom Commander Eddington is giving Sisko, Major Kira, Commander Worf, Commander Jadzia Dax, and Odo a briefing on very sensitive information from Starfleet Command. The Cardassian civilian government has secretly contacted the Federation Council with a request for industrial replicators to help build new power plants and factories. The Federation has agreed to provide twelve class 4 industrial replicators; however, the information must be kept secret because Starfleet Intelligence believes the Maquis may attempt to seize the replicators for themselves. Since the Klingon invasion, the Cardassian military has been unable to pay much attention to the Maquis, giving them almost free rein in the Demilitarized Zone and allowing them to build several new bases which has the possibility of driving out all Cardassian presence. Sisko orders increased security on the station until the replicators have safely passed through Deep Space 9, and has Worf take the USS Defiant to the Badlands in order to show the Maquis they're ready for trouble. As the other officers leave the briefing Odo and Eddington stay behind to talk to Sisko. They tell him that they have reason to believe there is a Maquis smuggler on the station, although the evidence is circumstantial at the moment. Sisko presses them for a name, and the two reluctantly admit that the suspect is none other than Kasidy Yates. Sisko is upset to hear the security officer's suspicions and demands evidence, as smuggling with intent to supply a terrorist organization is a serious charge. They tell him that Yates has been suspiciously late in her normal cargo runs and that Starfleet Intelligence believes a Maquis contact had begun living on the station about the same time that she did. Sisko believes the evidence is very slim, but tells them to look for a way to discreetly search her ship. Doctor Bashir and Garak are sitting in a crowd of spectators watching a springball game when Bashir notices that Garak seems to be more interested in watching Ziyal (who is also in the crowd and trading glances with him) than the game, which is being won by Kira. He warns Garak that he should leave Ziyal alone considering how much Kira and Gul Dukat hate him, but Garak doesn't seem interested in the Doctor's advice. In his quarters, Sisko is cooking a meal when the door chimes. Kasidy Yates enters, followed soon after by Jake, who asks if either of them know what a Kavarian tiger-bat smells like. He's writing a story and wants to make it as realistic as possible. Captain Sisko uses the situation to ask Kasidy about her cargo route, which is in the general vicinity of Kavaria, but drops the subject when she becomes curious about his interests in her flight plans. Ziyal and Garak find themselves alone in a turbolift. Garak breaks their awkward silence with a joke and after a brief exchange, they part on amicable terms. Odo and a pair of his deputies are talking to a Bolian crewmember of Kasidy's ship as she walks up. Odo informs her that they need to conduct a class 2 inspection of her cargo before she can leave the station due to a reported outbreak of Temecklian virus on Bajor. Kasidy contacts Sisko and tells him that if they wait the six hours needed for the inspection they will miss their rendezvous with a Tholian freighter. She promises to flood her whole cargo hold with baryon radiation as a precaution, but insists that she needs to leave immediately. Sisko consults with Eddington privately, who tells him they can't reduce the time to check for anything that shouldn't be there while making it look like a health check. Sisko decides that, if Kasidy is in a hurry, security won't be able to do much of a search if she's looking over their shoulders and agrees to let her go, but afterward assigns Worf to take the  USS Defiant and follow her under cloak with orders to observe only then report back. Aboard the Defiant, Chief O'Brien informs Worf that Yates' ship, the Xhosa, has changed course and is heading towards the Badlands; Worf tells him to stay with it. During this, the two discuss their feelings on the Maquis and find they have very different opinions; O'Brien believes them to just be people defending their homes while Worf considers them criminals who deserve to be hunted down. O'Brien then asks Eddington his opinion, but the security officer insists he doesn't have one. he's there to serve and nothing more. Sensors soon detect the impulse signature of a Maquis raider, and the Xhosa beams over its cargo proving without a doubt that Kasidy is smuggling supplies to Maquis. Garak is working in his shop as Ziyal enters. She compliments him on his shop and eventually invites him to try a new holosuite program of a Cardassian sauna that she received from Quark. He accepts and they settle on a time. Jake enters a room in their quarters to find his father sitting at the table. He gets breakfast from the replicator and sits down, explaining that he's having a dish recommended to him by Kasidy. Captain Sisko says he didn't get much sleep the night before and that he's in a bad mood because he has a lot on his mind. When Jake begins to lightly tease his father, Sisko snaps that he doesn't want to talk about it. Jake realizes something is wrong, but Sisko doesn't want to talk about it at the moment, but takes the chance to remind his son that the bond between them is permanent no matter what might happen in the future. In the wardroom, Eddington goes over their surveillance of the Xhosa. They have determined that the cargo was mostly organic, probably food or medical supplies, and Dax points out that at least its not weapons but this doesn't make Sisko feel any better. Worf tells Sisko the Xhosa will return soon and Sisko dismisses the briefing. Sisko is back in his quarters when Kasidy comes in smiling, and he tries to put on a good face, not letting on about what he knows. He tries again to casually ask her about her route, but is interrupted when Jake comes in and invites them to go watch a baseball game holosuite program that Nog has sent him. Sisko declines, saying he has to get back to Ops, and Kasidy protests telling him she has to leave in a few hours for another run. He goes anyway and meets with Odo and Eddington in his office to tell them that Kasidy will be leaving to make another run later that night and will be prepared for an inspection. They agree to have the Defiant follow the Xhosa again, and Odo and Eddington point out that as the Xhosa may not make another run for months, should they observe another meeting both vessels should be seized and the crews arrested. Sisko agrees, and Eddington asks to speak to the Captain alone. After Odo leaves, Eddington tells Sisko that he would rather not be aboard the Defiant for this mission because he could not guarantee the safety of Yates if there was a confrontation between the two ships, and that he and would instead like to stay aboard the station to oversee security for the shipment of replicators which are due to arrive the next day. Sisko agrees and takes command of the Defiant himself. Sisko catches Kasidy at the airlock of her ship and invites her to leave with him for a spontaneous vacation to Risa, not even stopping to pack a bag. She says the offer is tempting but that she can't go with him and boards her ship to leave. On board the Defiant, the crew has followed the Xhosa to the same coordinates as their last meeting with the Maquis, but this time there is no Maquis ship to meet them. Sisko decides to sit and wait. Quark is in Garak's shop getting fitted for a new suit when Kira comes in and pins Garak against a wall, telling him that if he hurts Ziyal in any way she will make him regret it. Kira leaves, and Quark asks if he is still going to meet Ziyal in the holosuite, and Garak says he had been afraid that Ziyal was just trying to lure him there to kill him, but that now he is sure he will be safe because the Major certainly wouldn't have told him not to go if it was dangerous for him to do so. Quark points out that it might all have been part of the plan to get him there, and Garak is left unsure once again. Back aboard the Defiant, the crew is becoming suspicious after having waited for five hours with no sign of a Maquis ship. Odo points out that terrorists don't behave in this manner. if a contact doesn't show up for a rendezvous then you leave rather than wait around. Worf suggests that the cargo may be so valuable that the Xhosa will wait around however long it takes. Odo then realizes that the Maquis may already have what they wanted and suggests that maybe they have been lured into the Badlands to get the Defiant, and namely Sisko, away from the station knowing that if it was anyone but Kasidy involved he wouldn't have commanded this mission himself. They decide to de-cloak and beam over to the Xhosa and find out what's going on. Kasidy only knows that she was supposed to meet a ship and knows nothing about what might be happening at the station. Sisko realizes that they must have drawn him away to get at the replicators. In the wardroom on the station, Eddington is briefing a group of Starfleet security officers about loading the replicators onto a Vulcan freighter. He tells them they are not to discuss it even with the Bajoran security detachment, and the station is to observe radio silence. As he dismisses the security officers, Kira enters the room and asks why Eddington wanted to see her. Eddington takes out his phaser, tells her he needs to take command of the station for a few hours and shoots her. He walks out of the room and locks the door. The Defiant streaks back to the station, leaving Yates and the Xhosa behind as Odo points out that they'll probably never see them again. Meanwhile, back on Deep Space 9, Eddington leaves the station under the command of Lieutenant Reese and departs aboard the Vulcan freighter. When the crew arrives back in Ops, O'Brien reports that several starships are looking for the freighter, but Odo is convinced they will not find it, seeing as how Eddington seemed to have prepared for every contingency. They receive an incoming message from Eddington and Sisko takes it in his office. Eddington tells Sisko to leave him and the Maquis alone, saying that if they do, they'll never hear from them again. Sisko tells him that he will find him no matter how long it takes and see to it that he ends up in a penal colony, regretting what he's done. Garak enters the holosuite to find Ziyal lying on a slab of rock under a heat lamp. He approaches cautiously, and asks why she really asked him to come. She tells him that they are both outcasts and that she had hoped they could find a bond in their mutual exile, despite his history with her family. With her motive cleared up, Garak says he won't be needing the disruptor he's brought along and sets it aside to lay on the rock and enjoy the heat with her. With Eddington's betrayal looming in his recent past, Sisko must now deal with Yates, who has returned to the station aboard the Xhosa. She exits the airlock alone and tells him she did not see the point in bringing her crew back just to face a prison sentence. Sisko tells her that he still has to uphold his duty, and she tells him she understands but didn't want to throw away their relationship even if it meant turning herself in. They embrace and Sisko calls for security to take her away. 
<EOS>
Dax and Chief O'Brien are sitting in the mess hall aboard the USS Defiant discussing Molly's habit of coming to sleep in bed with her parents as Dr. Bashir gets a drink and approaches. Unknowingly, Bashir sits in Commander Worf's favorite chair, and when advised to choose a different seat by Dax and O'Brien, chooses to remain in the chair. Worf then enters the mess hall, gets an extra-large prune juice from the replicator, and walks towards his favorite chair. He slows for a moment when he sees Bashir in it, but only completes the distance to the table and silently waits while looking at him. Pretending to have just noticed him, Bashir holds the look for a few moments, then with amusement politely relinquishes the chair to the commander. Worf thanks him but just as he is sitting down, a red alert sounds and all senior staff are called to bridge by Captain Sisko, where they find out that Deep Space 9 has been attacked and an upper pylon has been destroyed. On the attacked portion of the station, a panicked Quark is looking for his brother Rom, and finds out that he is fine and working with the damage control teams headed by Kira Nerys. Sisko then arrives demanding to know what happened, and Odo reports that a Jem'Hadar strike team beamed in from a civilian transport, set off a bomb in upper pylon 3 before the crew could respond, stole some items from the science labs and left through the wormhole. So far eighteen people are confirmed dead with thirty-one missing and over a hundred injured. They left only forty-five minutes ago, meaning their ion trail can still be detected. Deciding that the Jem'Hadar must pay for this unprovoked attack, Sisko decides to leave immediately and pursue them. Bashir stays behind to assist the wounded, while Odo leaves with the rest of the Defiant crew. The Jem'Hadar used a magneton pulse to hide their trail, and the Defiant has trouble locating them, but stumbles upon a badly-damaged Jem'Hadar attack ship on the verge of exploding. Worf notes that the Jem'Hadar that attacked the station came from a civilian transport and not an attack ship, so this can't be the same group Sisko has the surviving crew beamed aboard the Defiant without their weapons, which consists of six Jem'Hadar soldiers and their Vorta commander, Weyoun, who orders his men to stand down and asks for a word in private with Sisko. In the Defiant's mess hall, Weyoun says that their ship was attacked by the same Jem'Hadar who attacked Deep Space 9. These Jem'Hadar are renegades, and Weyoun has been tasked with eliminating them, but he needs Sisko's help. Sisko is disbelieving, saying that the Dominion could send a fleet of warships to eliminate the renegades, but Weyoun says they don't have the time. Several months ago, a Dominion science team discovered the remains of an Iconian gateway on a remote outpost world, Vandros IV. Unfortunately, the science team's Jem'Hadar guards rebelled and seized control of the gateway. Weyoun guesses that the equipment stolen from Deep Space 9 could be used to repair the gateway -- which, if made operational, could enable the renegades to teleport, instantaneously, to any world or solar system in the galaxy. Dominion experts have already predicted that if the renegades convince the rest of the Jem'Hadar to revolt, they could take over the entire Dominion in less than a year. Though moved, Sisko claims that that isn't his problem, but Weyoun begs to differ: if the Jem'Hadar seize control of the Dominion, they will almost certainly declare war on the Federation, and with the gateway, they could invade any Alpha Quadrant world at will, even if the wormhole were shut down. Sisko is shaken, but still not entirely convinced. He asks why the Founders cannot simply order the renegades to stand down -- since, after all, obedience to the Founders has been genetically hard-wired into the Jem'Hadar's make-up. Weyoun, shifting uneasily, admits that the degree of the Founders' control over the Jem'Hadar has been "somewhat overstated," but insists that the Dominion is, and will always be, stable. Sisko, after considering the threat the gateway poses to both their sides, agrees to help Weyoun destroy it and the rebel Jem'Hadar. Aboard the bridge, Sisko informs his staff about their mission. Worf interjects that he was part of the away team from the USS Enterprise that discovered the Iconian homeworld in the Romulan Neutral Zone and was forced to destroy the gateway they found there to keep it out of the hands of the Romulans -- so Worf fully appreciates the danger the gateway poses. Dax and O'Brien expresses some unease about working with Weyoun's Jem'Hadar, especially since they are as likely to revolt if they learn about the gateway, which could help liberate their entire race. For that reason, Sisko warns, they have to keep it a secret from them. In his quarters, Sisko summons First Omet'iklan, the Jem'Hadar commander. Omet'iklan makes no secret of his contempt for the Federation, but agrees that that dislike is trumped by his duty to punish the renegades. Sisko makes clear that, for the duration of the mission, Omet'iklan and his men are under his command, not Weyoun's. Omet'iklan appears to accept this, but adds, ominously, that after the mission is completed, "we shall see." There is a joint briefing in the mess hall. Since the ziggurat that the renegades are using as a base (where the gateway is housed) is composed of solid neutronium, it cannot be destroyed from orbit with quantum torpedoes, which means they have to do it "the hard way," with a ground assault. Omet'iklan reports the number of the renegades as around 150, and several of the Starfleet officers remark that they don't like the odds. When Worf remarks that silencing all nine guards outside the ziggurat before one of them raises the alarm will be difficult, the Jem'Hadar Second, Toman'torax, taunts him that the much-touted Klingon bravery is a sham, and he will look forward to the day when the Dominion invades the Klingon Empire and massacres its people. Worf launches himself at the Jem'Hadar, but the two are pulled apart by Sisko and Omet'iklan. During a simulated assault Dax, O'Brien, Odo and Worf storm into main engineering (acting as their "objective"), neutralize two Jem'Hadar guards and prepare to set simulated explosives. However they hesitate, the room isn't secure as they have not found the third guard they were expecting. As they look for him the lights blink on, signifying that, had that been real, the room's auto-defense systems would have engaged and vaporized them all. Omet'iklan reveals there was no third guard, as nothing is certain in battle and if the crew can't secure the room then they should detonate the explosives then and there to ensure success. Obviously, the crew aren't thrilled about the prospect of possibly having to sacrifice themselves on the mission. He, Sisko, and Weyoun enter a turbolift, Omet'iklan insisting that their mission cannot succeed as long as the Federation's officers value their lives over success. Sisko disagrees, saying that a healthy fear of death does wonders for keeping officers on their toes. Omet'iklan recommends that the Jem'Hadar train in mixed teams with the Defiant's crew, but Weyoun starts to overrule him (concerned for the secrecy of their objective). Omet'iklan interrupts, informing Weyoun that he and his men know all about the gateway. Weyoun may believe that the Jem'Hadar's loyalty is bought with deceptions and "the white," but the truth is that their loyalty to the Founders is inherent, unwavering, and stronger than the Vorta's ever will be. If the renegades disagree with this, then they deserve death. Sisko agrees that mixed teams will be used, but makes clear that he does not intend for this to be a suicide mission. A short time later, Dax is put off by a Jem'Hadar, Virak'kara, assigned to her squad, who has been staring at her for hours on end, trying to learn more about her "patterns."  Conversing with him, Dax learns some new (and unsettling) facts about the Jem'Hadar's way of life: She shares these findings with Worf and O'Brien over a meal, and they are further disturbed to witness another one: Weyoun is eating by himself in a corner, when the Jem'Hadar enter with his white dispenser and he grudgingly interrupts his meal to unlock it and pass out their next dosage. After this is done, Toman'torax swaggers over to the officers' table and threatens O'Brien, starting a fight with Worf which quickly escalates into a massive brawl between the Starfleet officers and the Jem'Hadar before Sisko and Omet'iklan arrives and breaks things up. Both Worf and Toman'torax admit to starting the fight, with the Second admitting that he has failed to obey orders. Omet'iklan punishes him by snapping his neck. He is then amazed, and outraged, when Sisko punishes Worf by confining him to his quarters while not on duty before angrily ordering the other officers to clear the room. Omet'iklan says that Sisko is weak, that Sisko should have been killed in the place of Worf, and that when the mission is over, Omet'iklan will make sure that he does. Weyoun confronts Odo in a hall and tells him that his people still love him, and that they want him back. Odo says that he does not love them back, and that he does not want to return. As the Defiant approaches Vandros IV, O'Brien is recording a farewell message for his wife and daughter. He confides to Dax that it is the eleventh time he has done so, and every time he does, he is afraid that it will be the message they end up hearing. Dax assures him that her many years of experience tell her that he will die of extreme old age, peacefully in bed, and surrounded by loving friends and relatives. Then she adds that she will file his farewell message along with the one she has recorded to her mother, "just in case." Before going to his quarters as ordered, Worf approaches Sisko and warns him to stay on the ship during the battle, so Omet'iklan cannot make good on his threat to murder him. Sisko declines, and Worf tells the captain to be watchful, "reassuring" him that, even if Omet'iklan succeeds in killing Sisko, Worf will make sure he does not live to brag about it. In response, the Captain smiles slightly and says that it is "very comforted" by Worf's "reassurance." As the Defiant is approaching the planet, O'Brien hands out phaser rifles to the crew and the Jem'Hadar. Sisko tells the strike force to prepare to beam down, but Omet'iklan tells him to wait, and intones a Jem'Hadar battle chant, ending, "Remember: victory is life." On the planet, the teams are approaching the ziggurat, when Omet'iklan angrily whispers that they have been betrayed, their weapons have been sabotaged. The Defiant officers check their weapons, and also find them non-functional. Dax theorizes that the gateway is generating some kind of dampening field. At that moment, several Jem'Hadar materialize and ambush the crew with melee weapons. The team overpowers the Jem'Hadar, losing two Defiant crewmen in the process. Omet'iklan guesses that, without energy weapons or the element of surprise, Sisko will abort the mission. Sisko says, "Guess again!", picks up a kar'takin, and leads the team towards the ziggurat. The teams storm into the ziggurat, killing several of the renegades, until O'Brien, Sisko, and Omet'iklan reach the chamber where the gateway is. After they kill the two Jem'Hadar on guard, O'Brien starts to set the explosives (which have a chemical backup detonator unaffected by the gateway's interference). Sisko notices a decloaking Jem'Hadar lunging at Omet'iklan and pushes him out of the way, receiving a wound in his arm for his trouble. Omet'iklan is stunned that Sisko would risk his life to save his, even after being threatened. They all exit the ziggurat and make their way to a safe distance by the time the bombs explode. With the gateway destroyed, their phasers are functional again. Weyoun beams down with a Defiant security officer and offers his congratulations to everyone, and asks to inspect the remains. Instead, Omet'iklan turns his rifle on the Vorta and vaporizes him, as punishment for doubting the Jem'Hadar's loyalty. There is a tense moment, as the Defiant crew and the Jem'Hadar stand off against each other, but Omet'iklan lowers his weapon, saying that there has been enough killing for one day. He announces that he and his men will stay on the planet to hunt down and kill the remaining renegades. Sisko wishes him luck, but Omet'iklan warns him that, though they fought well together, they will be enemies the next time they meet. With that, the Jem'Hadar cloak and vanish and the weary Starfleet officers beam aboard the Defiant. 
<EOS>
In the wardroom, Major Kira and Chief O'Brien examine the replicator as Quark enters, followed closely by Odo. Quark benignly asks what the problem is, and Kira shows him an advertisement for Quark's on the monitor. Although Quark doesn't see anything wrong with it, Odo reminds him such tampering is a class 3 offense. Before they can proceed, an angry Worf enters and approaches Quark accusingly. He shows a mug in which his prune juice came from the USS Defiant's replicator: it is a similar advertisement, and when Worf turns the mug sideways, it repeats the jingle from the monitor. Kira impatiently warns Quark to fix the replicators by the time she returns from the Gamma Quadrant, otherwise she will go to Quark's and makes it clear he'll be the one to pay. Quark then decides to help Chief O'Brien with purging the systems. Lieutenant commander Dax, Doctor Bashir, and Kira intercept a distress signal while on a bio-survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant. They divert to a planet near the border of Dominion space. Dax and Bashir beam down and find a long-ruined city, with people walking about going about their business all with blue welts on their face. Just then a woman named Norva with red lesions on her face approaches and collapses in front of the two in obvious pain begging to be taken to Trevean. As Bashir tries to give her something for her distress another man, Epran, approaches and tells Bashir that there's nothing he can do for Norva as "the blight has quickened in her". Reaching the hospital (after Dax traded in her hair pin for transport), the two Starfleet officers find a very un-hospital-like atmosphere. Groups of people are all sitting on the floor, surrounding one person with red lesions who is enjoying a meal. An attendant, seeing Norva, tells his assistant that she has quickened and must be taken to Trevean. When Trevean enters, one of the people who is being celebrated thanks Trevean for allowing him to enjoy a decent meal and a good sleep after finding out he had quickened. Trevean then turns to Bashir and Dax and tells them that Norva didn't make it, and that if she had arrived sooner then he could have done something for her. He then tells them that the blight is always fatal, which confuses Bashir as Trevean had just said he might have been able to do something for her. Bashir and Dax explain that they came to the planet answering a distress call and that they have sophisticated medical equipment. Trevean tells them that they once had equipment just as sophisticated, and tells them the story of the planet. Two centuries earlier, the planet was technologically advanced and the inhabitants were building great cities and traveling to neighboring worlds. When the Dominion came to the planet, the population attempted to resist but they paid the price. The Jem'Hadar came and destroyed the world, and the Dominion wanted to use the planet as an example to others who thought they could defy them and therefore infected them with the blight. Now everyone is born with the disease and the disease may randomly become active, or "quicken" at any point in a person's life. This is outwardly shown by the lesions turning red, and it means the person will die soon after. Trevean himself is one of the oldest surviving people. Just then the man who thanked Trevean falls to the ground. While everyone else simply watches, Bashir instinctively moves to help but is restrained by the attendants. It turns out that when people quicken, they go to Trevean to have their death induced with herbs. Bashir and Dax are infuriated by this, and realize that he also killed Norva. Trevean tells them they've interfered with the man's death and orders them to leave. The officers are too shocked to argue. Dax finds the distress beacon, which is automated and has actually been operating for over two hundred years. Bashir feels that there's nothing he can do for people who don't want their help and recommends leaving the planet when the meet a pregnant woman named Ekoria. Ekoria was in Trevean's "hospital" and is curious about Bashir, as she has never met a doctor. She tells Bashir she is pregnant, and due in two months. While this doesn't seem so long to him, she tells him it is, as the people get no warning as to when they will quicken. Just then the grim discussion is interrupted when Kira calls the two and gives them some bad news. two Jem'Hadar ships have been detected headed in their direction. Back in the runabout, it emerges that the Jem'Hadar ships are moving between star systems on what is obviously a patrol route and will soon enter theirs. Kira suggests returning to the Alpha Quadrant and arranging for a relief mission with Starfleet, but that could take weeks. Bashir references a recent case when, during a plague on a planet that was killing thousands, it took an hour to identify the pathogen and three days to inoculate the population. Kira is persuaded to leave the other two on the planet and will hide the runabout in a nearby nebula and return for them in a week. After returning to the planet, Jadzia and Bashir are offered a place to stay and work by Ekoria. While setting up their equipment, Jadzia asks about a hanging painting of the city in happier times. Ekoria tells them that her husband painted it before he died the previous winter, and that he also painted a nearby mural of the same picture to give hope and inspiration to other people. Bashir finishes setting up and tells Ekoria he needs to run a scan on someone with the disease, to which Ekoria happily volunteers. Bashir begins the scan, and offers to show her a picture of her baby on the medical tricorder. Ekoria agrees, and looks on in wonder. Later both Bashir and Dax are hard at work, and make their first important step when Bashir isolates the virus meaning he can start mapping it and possibly create an antigen. Ekoria offers them both food, and gives them the food that she was saving for her death. She tells them she feels she doesn't need it any longer. Bashir now needs someone who has quickened however finding someone willing to help is proving easier said than done. Bashir then bumps into Epran who has now quickened. He is surprised they are still there and tells them he would have invited them to his death had he known him better. Bashir asks what if he didn't have to die at all? This catches the attention of Epran and a few other people. However Epran is skeptical and thinks it's going to cost him something, to which Bashir tells him that isn't true and proves his knowledge when he uses an osteogenic stimulator to fix a fracture in a boy's arm. Trevean arrives and says that others have promised a cure, and all they have done is taken food and clothes and left them with nothing, and the people who believed them all went to Trevean in the end. Bashir in turn assures Trevean and the others that he gives no guarantees about his efforts. Returning to his makeshift lab, Bashir is despondent that he couldn't get any volunteers. Ekoria tells him that she used to wake up hoping she had quickened so she could go to Trevean but that changed when she learned she was pregnant. Now she wants to be there for her son when he grows up. Then Jadzia arrives, and it turns out that Epran has volunteered to be Bashir's test subject. Later, Bashir has several people all in various stages of the disease and is making good progress. He instructs Ekoria in the use of a hypospray and she injects herself with its contents then moves onto everyone else. However he doesn't tell her that the hypo contains what he believes to be the antigen against the blight. Also, Epran has stopped responding to cordrazine for the pain and now has a device emitting an inhibitor field on his forehead. Jadzia tells Julian that he's been awake nonstop for days working on this and he should get some rest. Going outside, Ekoria tells Bashir that Epran's white blood cell count increased, which Bashir confirms is a good sign. He then complements her on her good bedside manner, but she tells him she was just trying to be kind. Bashir tells her some people don't like to be around the sick because it reminds them of their own mortality and he can sometimes be the same. Ekoria reminds him that death gets everyone, but Bashir tells her it won't get Kukalaka, his teddy bear from when he was a young boy. He carried him around everywhere and one day when his leg ripped open he performed his first surgery at the age of five and stitched him back together. He then admits that Kukalaka now sits on a shelf in his quarters. Just then the moment is interrupted when Jadzia arrives panicked telling Bashir that something's wrong. He goes inside to find Epran in pain with new lesions on his face. Epran now has several new lesions on his face and is in terrible pain as the virus has suddenly mutated. Almost certain the antigen hasn't caused it, Bashir uses a micro-cellular scanner to try and find out what's wrong. However when he passes the scanner over the affected area, several more welts suddenly emerge and inflame. The terrible truth hits Bashir. the EM fields from his instruments are what is causing the virus to mutate so violently. Just then another woman starts to scream quickly followed by everyone else, all suffering the same reaction, and Bashir screams for everything to be shut down. Jadzia and Ekoria scramble to switch everything off as Bashir tries to stop the mutation, but it's no use and Epran dies in horrible agony. Bashir then uses CPR to try and resuscitate Epran, and grows manic in his attempts to revive him well past the point of no return, forcing Jadzia to pull him back. Trevean enters having heard of what's happened and one of the women begs him for his help. Bashir tries to stop him but Trevean tells him not to interfere and gives the woman a vial of poison, allowing her to die. Then all the other patients start calling for Trevean and Bashir simply stands, devastated and unwilling to stop him. The next morning, Bashir stands among the now-covered bodies of the people he was supposed to help and blames himself for what's happened. He knew there were changes in the viral sequence and should have realized what was happening. Jadzia tries to assure him that there was no way he could have known their instruments would cause the virus to react like that. Jadzia attempts to console him but it's no use, and he admits that he was looking forward to telling people he had cured the blight. But now he knows that there is no cure, the Dominion made sure of it and he was arrogant to think he could find a cure in a week. Jadzia tells him that might have been arrogant, but it's far more arrogant to think there is no cure just because he can't find it. Bashir is left alone to think things over. Bashir then walks down the street and is reviled by the people but he doesn't acknowledge their hatred. He spots the mural of the city that he heard about and goes to look at it. While looking at the picture of the city in happier times, Ekoria approaches Bashir from behind and tells him she's glad he got the chance to see it. He turns to look at her and is saddened to see that she has quickened. She thanks him for giving her hope, and she really thought she was going to make it to the end of her pregnancy. But now she is going to see Trevean and bids Bashir farewell. As she leaves however, Bashir asks her to wait, having had a change of heart. The runabout has returned to the planet, but Bashir tells Kira and Jadzia he can't leave the people now. He is told to contact the station when he is ready and Jadzia bids him a fond farewell before he returns to the planet, alone. Ekoria is now Bashir's only patient and after examining her (using old-fashioned and low-level equipment) he is confused to find no trace of the antigen in her system. He reasons that her immune system must have rejected it when suddenly Ekoria feels some pain from the blight. Bashir advises her against receiving any more cordrazine as there's already so much in her system it may harm the baby. She agrees to forgo it. Later, Bashir prepares a salve for her and takes the opportunity to examine the baby. He is growing stronger, and will be at term in six weeks. But it's clear that Ekoria isn't going to last that long, so Bashir tells her that the baby should be strong enough to survive in two weeks and then he'll induce labor. Later Trevean visits Ekoria and offers her the chance to die, telling her that her child will only know peace. Ekoria refuses saying her child deserves a chance to live, and Bashir confronts him and asks why he's so obsessed with death given he's survived the blight longer than anyone. Trevean responds that the reason he's obsessed with death is because he's seen so much of it, as well as so much suffering because of it. He wishes Ekoria well and hopes she lives to see her baby. He leaves, and Bashir begins to appreciate his situation. Ekoria has made it past the two weeks and is now giving birth to her baby with Bashir as the midwife. She pushes as hard as she can, and gives birth to a baby boy but the effort takes almost all the life out of her. Bashir cleans the child and is astonished to find no lesions on the child's body. he is free of the blight. Bashir realizes the antigen must have been absorbed through the placenta and immunized him to the disease; although he couldn't find a cure, he has made a vaccine. Ekoria smiles, happy that her son will live a full life, but then she finally dies. Bashir is torn between his joy and devastation. Bashir reports the news to an astounded Trevean, and tells him that all pregnant women must be given the antigen immediately. The people cannot be saved, but their children can. Trevean promises to make sure the antigen gets to everyone and holds the child, a beacon of hope in their devastated world. Back on Deep Space 9, Bashir is working hard late into the night analyzing the virus when Captain Sisko enters after reading Bashir's report and warmly congratulates him on a job well done. Bashir thanks him, but it doesn't make him feel any better about the people still dying on that world. Sisko reminds Bashir that, because of him, their children will not suffer in the same way. Bashir knows, but it's small comfort. Sisko nods his understanding and leaves Bashir alone to his work and the doctor continues his efforts to find a true cure. 
<EOS>
Dax, Chief O'Brien, and Worf are in Ops discussing the trip that Bashir, Kira, and Keiko are on in the Gamma Quadrant. O'Brien frets to Worf and Dax on how he didn't want Keiko to go to Torad V in the first place "in her condition". Meanwhile, in his bar, Quark treats Rom to a glass of snail juice uncharacteristically on the house, to celebrate his return from Ferenginar and to announce that he is dying to all of his customers. Quark declares he has Dorek Syndrome with just six days to live, which he learned of after his annual insurance physical. Rom takes some convincing that there's no other recourse, including suggesting talking to Dr. Bashir, but Quark doesn't think that will help. Quark soon turns to the significant debt he has and funeral arrangements to make. Rom suggests selling his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange. Quark doesn't believe that will help, as he believes he is not viewed favorably by other Ferengi, "Starfleet's favorite bartender," a joke. Rom insists he try, so Quark agrees. Shortly afterward in Ops, the USS Volga emerges from the wormhole with severe damage. Worf reports to Captain Sisko that Dr. Bashir has reported two injuries: Kira and Keiko. O'Brien rushes to the infirmary and learns from Kira that Keiko is still in surgery. He also learns that Kira is now carrying his son. O'Brien is now with Sisko and Bashir, who is explaining Keiko was injured in the accident with an asteroid in the Gamma Quadrant. She was stabilized, but Bashir had to move the baby to Kira to save its life and, interestingly, that due to the short gestation period of Bajorans, Kira must carry the baby to term. O'Brien has to process this. Later, Keiko and Kira soon recover and Kira goes to visit Keiko in her quarters, both feeling the weight of what's transpired and Keiko expressing her thanks. Rom goes to visit Quark to hear about the sale. At first, it seems no one but Rom wants to buy a piece of Quark, which he of course finds insulting. He starts to dismay about his life choices in opening a bar on Deep Space 9, however, Quark is overjoyed to find that an anonymous bidder wants to buy all 52 discs for five hundred bars of latinum. Convinced the anonymous bidder is The Nagus and fearful that the bid will be retracted, Quark accepts the bid and sells his remains. Rom congratulates him. Quark begins to arrange paying off his debts and arranging his funeral when Bashir informs him that his doctor on Ferenginar, Orpax, had made an error and he is not going to die. Quark is excited about the prospect of suing his doctor for malpractice; the continuation of his life is an afterthought. However, later, Brunt of the FCA arrives at his quarters and explains that he was the anonymous buyer. He condescendingly asks if Quark thought the Nagus placed the bid. The two laugh and agree that it would be a ridiculous idea. Quark explains that he is surprised that Brunt placed the bid and that he is not going to die. Brunt knows this already and has arrived to ensure that his merchandise, 52 discs of vacuum desiccated Quark, will be delivered on time in six days. Quark makes it clear that he is not dying, to which Brunt replies that he does not care that Quark isn't dying: he wants his merchandise. He intends to defile Quark's remains upon receiving them, and will not be talked out of the contract. Quark proceeds to offer Brunt a full refund and progressively larger amounts of latinum to try to convince Brunt to give up the deal. Brunt refuses all offers and tells Quark he will only accept his remains. When Quark asks what Brunt expects him to do, Brunt suggests Quark hire someone to strangle him -- that way his body will be unmarked for desiccation. Quark is shocked and says they are not Klingons. Brunt tells Quark that this is personal. Brunt tells Quark that he considers him a menace to Ferengi society, citing the time he protected Quark's mother from an audit and secretly settling a strike at his bar. He loathes Quark for being a philanthropist. He doesn't gouge his customers as much as a Ferengi should. Selling medicine to Bajoran refugees has made him a generous humanitarian who has gone "Starfleet". All of this gives other Ferengi a bad name. Quark begs that he can reform -- that he can gouge his customers more and revoke his employee's vacation time. Brunt is disgusted by Quark's giving his employees vacation time and proceeds to start to leave the room. Quark cuts him off and tries to make another deal with him -- surely there is another accommodation that Quark can make besides suicide? Brunt tells him the only way out is to break the contract. He wonders if Quark is Ferengi enough to keep the contract and hopes that he will break it. He wants to see Quark's assets sold to the lowest bidder, his mother begging on the street, and to have Quark cut off from all contact with his people. Brunt says that Quark is a disease, and that it is his job to cut him off. Miles helps Keiko to a chair in their quarters. Keiko tells Miles that she has invited Kira over for dinner. The two agree that even seeing Kira every day would not be enough time for them to spend with their unborn child. She expresses frustration at having to make appointments to see her own child. Neither of them knows what to do. Quark visits Garak's shop. He is busy helping Morn and informs Quark that his pants will not be ready for another week. Quark tells him he is there in order to hire him as an assassin. Garak feigns ignorance and says that before he was a tailor he was a gardener. Quark is not so easily dissuaded and tells him he still wants to hire him. Rom initially believes that Quark will have Brunt assassinated, but Quark reveals that he is the one that is to be killed. Rom is upset about Quark's intentions to go through with the contract. Quark explains that he is like no one else in their family; he is a Ferengi businessman. He will go through with the contract. His life is about his business and that means that he follows the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, and he will not stop following them if they are inconvenient. He is confident that if he continues to follow the Rules that he will find himself in the Divine Treasury after his death. Because he will have died the way he lived: as a Ferengi. He and Garak then leave to discuss the method of his death. Kira visits Keiko and O'Brien to show them how much the baby is kicking. Kira is concerned but Keiko tells Kira that this is good, and that she thought Molly would kick her way of out. Keiko thanks Kira for sharing this with them. The two discuss the differences between Human and Bajoran pregnancies, and the fact that they do not know what Kira's symptoms will be because the baby is Human. Bajorans do not get morning sickness, but instead suffer from uncontrollable sneezing. Miles gets Kira a special pillow for her lower back. They invite her to remain for dinner and initially Kira does not want to impose. But Keiko insists that since Kira is carrying her baby she is now family and that besides dinner, the O'Briens also want to make a proposal. Quark is eating dinner at the bar. Garak sneaks up behind him and breaks his neck. Quark walks over, and it becomes apparent that the dead Quark is only a hologram. Quark objects to the loud noise his neck makes when it is broken. Garak objects that is was not that loud. They are running out of options because Quark objects to all the methods that Garak has suggested (he couldn't be disintegrated because he needed his body, the disruptor ruined Quark's clothing, the knife was too savage, nerve gas smelled bad, hanging took too long, and Quark would not willingly eat poisoned food). Garak comments that Quark does not seem to want to die, to which Quark objects that he just doesn't want to see it coming. Garak promises that Quark will never know what hit him. A jittery Quark heads to bed while trying to stave off death by yelling he won't be surprised before he enters his room. He quickly falls asleep and awakes in what looks like the Divine Treasury. The first Grand Nagus, Gint (who looks suspiciously similar to Quark's brother Rom), comes to him and Quark realizes that he is dreaming. The Nagus (or at least Quark's conscience) tells Quark that he must break the contract. Quark asks how he can walk away from the Rules. To this, Gint explains that when he authored the Rules of Acquisition, he called them such as a marketing ploy, and considers them more like "suggestions". Gint explains that Quark is having this dream because he is looking for permission to break the contract. Quark realizes if Gint came to him in a dream and told him to break the contract, then it would be acceptable. Brunt then appears, and the three of them argue until Brunt begins strangling Quark, who wakes up in his sleep with his own hands around his throat. The next day Quark refuses to honor the contract and Brunt smiles, as Quark has proved himself to be just another failure in a long line of weak-lobed Ferengi. However, Quark threatens that if he ever returns to his bar, he will never leave. Brunt immediately revokes Quark's business license, and slaps legal documents on the walls preventing any Ferengi business to continue and seizes all of his assets. Quark is left with no other choice but to close the bar immediately and indefinitely, and is forced to ask his customers to leave. Kira arrives at the O'Briens' quarters where she has agreed to live for the duration of the pregnancy. Kira tells Molly that she is her aunt Kira and that Molly is welcome to play in her room anytime. Quark sits in the bare area on the Promenade where his bar used to be, having been left with nothing, not even the shirt on his back which needs to be returned later. Rom tries to cheer him up by offering Quark some of his old clothes, but to no avail. However Julian enters with a crate of drinks, claiming that a patient gave them to him as a gift, and, as he cannot accept them, he is willing to give them to Quark. Then Jadzia arrives with a dozen glasses she was given as a gift by her sister that she claims are too ugly to keep. Captain Sisko arrives and asks Quark if he can store several sets of tables and chairs from structural repair on level 2 of the habitat ring in the area, since it's currently free. Quark can scarcely believe what is happening, as the crew and residents start bringing in everything he needs to continue running the bar. Rom reminds his brother that Brunt didn't take all of his assets away, as Quark has apparently earned the loyalty and respect of many aboard the station. Despite being broke, Quark is left to ponder the thought that friends may be the most valuable asset of all. Overwhelmed by his friends showing their support he attempts to thank them, but is literally speechless. 
<EOS>
Odo arrives at Elim Garak's shop, as requested by the Cardassian tailor. He believes Garak wishes to report a crime, but instead Garak attempts to introduce Odo to a Bajoran woman named Chalan Aroya. Uncomfortable with women, Odo neither accepts nor declines her invitation for dinner, noting that he doesn't eat. Garak expresses dissatisfaction in Odo's inability to act. Suddenly, Odo's shape destabilizes. As he vocalizes the pain, the destabilization continues. Eventually, he falls to the ground, unconscious. Garak contacts Dr. Bashir and requests an emergency medical team. In the infirmary, Bashir informs Odo that his mass and density are in a state of fluctuation, but is uncertain of the cause. The doctor insists that Odo remain in the infirmary, as movement may encourage the destabilization. Odo grudgingly agrees. In the wardroom, Benjamin Sisko, Worf, Jadzia Dax, and Kira Nerys view a transmission from Klingon Chancellor Gowron. Gowron refuses to return captured Cardassian territories. He also demands that the United Federation of Planets withdraw from the Archanis sector, despite its unimportance and previous relinquishment. Dax states that several diplomats have informed her that several Federation colonies near the Klingon border are calling for a preemptive strike against the Klingons. The senior staff is troubled by the growing prospect of war, but realizes there is little they can do. Suddenly, Kira bursts into a fit of sneezing. The sneezing is a result of the pregnancy. She is asked if Bashir can help, but states the doctor currently has his hands full with Odo's unknown illness. The crew agrees to leave Odo alone to rest, knowing that he values his privacy. In the infirmary, Kira visits Odo. Odo doesn't want company, but is happy to receive that day's criminal activity report from Kira. Noticing something, Odo leaves the infirmary for a docking port. He encounters a Boslic Captain named Rionoj, whom he suspects of attempting to steal the Falangian diamond. Unfortunately, as Odo prepares to arrest Rionoj, he is struck by the illness again, this time becoming completely liquid. Now back in the infirmary, Odo is in a near constant state of instability (primarily in the midsection) and admits to Bashir he is having difficulty maintaining humanoid shape. Bashir estimates that Odo will not be able to maintain solid form in one or two weeks. Bashir gives Odo the option of going to Bajor (to Doctor Mora Pol) or Starfleet Medical, but Odo insists that only the Founders can truly help his condition. Sisko discusses the mission to take Odo to the Founders' new homeworld with the senior staff. They will enter the Gamma Quadrant uncloaked and transmit signals explaining their mission. Major Kira initially wants to go with them, but agrees to remain behind because of the pregnancy. Now aboard the Defiant, Sisko grants a request made by Garak to come aboard. Garak explains to Sisko that he wishes to ask the Founders about the crew members of several Cardassian warships that went missing during the failed attack on the Founders. Sisko agrees to allow Garak on the mission so that Garak can distract Odo during the mission with a concoction of innuendo and half-truths regarding Garak's (alleged) past as a Cardassian spy. On the way to the Defiant, Odo meets Quark, who predicts he will own the station by the time they get back (as well as a 60% increase in his smuggling profits due to Odo's absence); Odo warns Quark not to get too comfortable because he will be back. Odo then walks unaided across the Promenade as dozens of people watch his departure. The Defiant leaves for the Gamma Quadrant. Garak occupies Odo's attention in the infirmary by telling him tales of his previous experiences, including his time as a gardener at the Cardassian embassy on Romulus during a period where several prominent Romulan officials died under suspicious circumstances. O'Brien tells the rest of the Defiant's bridge crew how he feels outnumbered now that Kira has moved in with Keiko and him. The Defiant then meets and is surrounded by dozens of Jem'Hadar fighters. A request is made for someone from the Dominion to meet on the Defiant to discuss the request that was being transmitted. Before arrangements could be made, the Female Changeling and three Jem'Hadar soldiers beam directly to the Defiant's bridge. One of the Jem'Hadar soldiers attacks O'Brien by grabbing his chest until the Founder orders everyone to stop. The Female Changeling, representing the Founders, says she has come for Odo and that he must go with her to the Great Link. As she is reluctant to reveal the location of the Founders' new homeworld, but respects Sisko's loyalty to Odo when he refuses to leave the Gamma Quadrant without him, one of the Jem'Hadar named Amat'igan will pilot the Defiant while a device is installed that will keep the navigation system from recording their destination. The Female Changeling visits Odo in the infirmary. They join and Odo is visibly much better and more stable than before. She then insists that they speak alone. During the discussion, it is apparent that the Founders have been keeping Odo under surveillance and knew he was not well. She admits that they made him ill so that he would be forced to return to the Great Link to be judged. The Female Changeling tells Odo that he is to join in the Great Link, open his thoughts so that they can judge him for killing another Changeling, the first time the Great Link has ever had to render judgment on a Changeling. She also admits that only the Great Link can heal him of his illness. Garak and the Female Changeling discuss the possibility of Cardassian survivors from the earlier attack; she responds that the attackers, Garak, and all of Cardassia is dead for attacking the Founders and warns that retaliation is coming. The crew discusses ways to maintain a transporter lock on Odo while he is in the Great Link, but, given his devotion to justice, he insists that the crew does not try to rescue him when he is being judged, despite O'Brien warning that the Dominion's idea of justice seems far different than Odo's. Once at the Founder's homeworld, the Female Changeling, Odo, Sisko and Bashir transport down to a small rocky island that is surrounded by the Great Link. The Female Changeling walks into the "ocean" and, with a short glance back at Sisko and Bashir, Odo follows. Worf catches Garak in an attempt to control the Defiant's phasers and torpedoes. His plan is to commit genocide by destroying the Founders' homeworld; although the Defiant and its crew would not survive, Garak argues that it would be a small price to destroy the Dominion threat and save the Alpha Quadrant. Worf beats Garak in hand-to-hand combat, commenting that he fights well for a tailor. While waiting, Sisko stops Bashir from absentmindedly trying to skip a rock into the "ocean". They see Odo being ejected from the Great Link to the shore of the rocky island. He is not wearing any clothing. Bashir scans him and says he is getting strange readings - lungs, a heart, a digestive system. It's as if Odo were human. The Female Changeling walks out of Great Link and says that Odo has been judged. She states that his punishment was to give him what he wanted: he has been made a solid. She then tells Sisko to take Odo and leave. Back on the Defiant, Bashir takes a blood sample (type O negative) from Odo. The only thing unchanged is his face, which Odo realizes is meant to perpetually remind him of what he has lost now that he has become a solid. The Defiant returns to Deep Space 9. Odo is in Garak's shop and purchases a uniform similar in appearance to the one he adopted while able to change form, albeit slightly itchy from the Inkarian wool. Odo realizes that some of the rest of his unease is due to being hungry, yet another sensation he did not possess while a changeling. As he is about to escort Garak to be confined for six months for attempted sabotage and assaulting Worf, Chalan Aroya enters Garak's shop and offers to help Odo in any way now that he is a solid; Odo still doesn't ask for a date but does respond with a broader smile than when he was first introduced to Aroya. Odo leaves his office and meets Sisko in the hallway; when Sisko suggests Odo is rushing his recovery, Odo insists that he must work: when he was in the Great Link, he finally understood the Founders, their hostility and distrust of solids, everything. But as soon as he experienced it, it was snatched away from him, leaving his job the only thing that he has left in his life. On the Promenade, a message from Gowron is displayed. Gowron states that a Klingon task force is to be sent to the Archanis sector in ten days and warns that any Federation stations or ships remaining in that sector will be destroyed. Sisko places the station on combat alert. Suddenly Odo realizes something: During his time in the Link, the Founders were trying to hide certain things from him. One of those things was Gowron. This can only mean that Chancellor Gowron is in fact a changeling. 
<EOS>
Captain Benjamin Sisko and Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax return to Deep Space 9 narrowly fleeing the Klingons in the USS Rio Grande. Due to the declaration of the war between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, Starfleet had summoned Captain Benjamin Sisko and Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax to Earth to discuss Odo's dire belief that Gowron, the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, has been replaced by a Changeling and is pressing forth the war. Once back on board Deep Space 9, Sisko informs Major Kira Nerys that Starfleet has given them a mission to infiltrate Klingon military headquarters on Ty'Gokor and expose Gowron by any means necessary. Sisko looks for Odo in Quark's. Quark tells the captain that Odo is one "depressed ex-changeling" and tells Sisko that he will find him on the upper level. Sitting at his table, Odo is fascinated by the foaming bubbles in his drink. As a Changeling he had no interest in them. Now he finds eating and drinking to be comforting. Sisko asks him to join the mission and Odo recommends Deputy Yndar go instead of him. Sisko, however, does not want Yndar -- he wants Odo. After some initial hesitance, Odo agrees. At the mission briefing in the wardroom, Chief O'Brien, Lt. Commander Worf, Captain Sisko, and Odo have been selected to go undercover and infiltrate Ty'Gokor. Worf informs Sisko that getting to Gowron will not be easy, as he is protected at all times by his personal security force, the Yan-Isleth -- the Brotherhood of the Sword. Sisko has been equipped with modified polaron emitters and a mission to infiltrate Klingon military headquarters on Ty'Gokor to expose Gowron to polaron radiation; if he is a Changeling, exposure to the radiation will make it impossible for him to retain his humanoid shape and the changeling will revert to its natural gelatinous state. All four emitters have to be activated at once, and too much exposure to the radiation will kill a person. They can only activate it once. Kira points out that the real trouble will be getting the four to Ty'Gokor unnoticed, to which Sisko replies he has a plan. Kira lures Gul Dukat to the space station to use his Bird-of-Prey, which Dukat had acquired recently. Expressing surprise at Kira's pregnancy, Dukat tells Kira that First Minister Shakaar is a lucky man. Kira informs Dukat that Shakaar is not the father -- Chief O'Brien is. Dukat stares in shock at Kira as they enter a turbolift to go to the Promenade. The two go into the station's infirmary and find O'Brien, Odo, and Sisko surgically altered to look like Klingons. Sisko, Odo, O'Brien and Worf set course for Ty'Gokor with Dukat in his Bird-of-Prey. En route, they confer with Dukat to make sure he prepares false identities for them, candidates for the Order of the Bat'leth who are expected. Damar expresses his pessimism about the mission, and prefers a decisive orbital assault, but Sisko and O'Brien of course remind him of the outcome they want of exposing Gowron. Dukat appreciates the audacity of the plan. Meanwhile, Bashir and Kira discuss some station matters in Sisko's office. Turning to her carrying the O'Briens' child, Bashir encourages her she is doing fine and will pull through nicely. Kira is also confident that the crew will return, reassuring Bashir. Worf turns to the task of coaching the other three in behaving like Klingons, and, while Sisko proves reasonably convincing by backhanding Worf, he was unaware that was a challenge to the death. Meanwhile O'Brien, and especially Odo, fail miserably by lacking in the Klingon's stance and demeanor. Sisko needs to help Odo clear his head with what's happened to him recently. Just then, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey confronts them and demands visual contact. However, Dukat's holographic filter malfunctions due to the optronic relay becoming fused. Worf suggests that he talk the other captain down, but Dukat does not put much trust in Worf's ablility to lie and abruptly fires his ship's disruptors at the ship, totally destroying it. He quickly orders Damar to leave the area. With the filter off-line, Dukat feels he has no choice but to leave the DS9 officers on Ty'Gokor and leave Klingon space. When Sisko protests, Dukat assures him that if he is successful, the war will be over and they won't need his ship to return -- and if he fails, he won't need transport, since he'll very likely be executed as a spy and a saboteur. Beaming into Ty'Gokor, the group get underway. The Order of the Bat'leth ceremony is underway in the Hall of Warriors, with hundreds of drunken Klingons intending to celebrate all night in anticipation of Gowron's arrival. Back on the station, Julian Bashir finds Jake Sisko looking over the promenade. Jake explains that the mood on the station is down because of the threat of the Klingons. Ops calls Bashir to the infirmary to tend to passengers from the starships USS Armstrong and USS Drake. They were ambushed by Klingons and took heavy casualties. Bashir reassures Jake that his dad will be okay before he leaves to tend the passengers. At the ceremony, Worf informs the crew that the celebrations are an endurance test, and that only those who can drink and celebrate for the whole night and remain conscious the following morning will be inducted into the Order. Waiting until morning to set up their emitters, the DS9 officers begrudgingly partake in the festivities in order to blend in. During the course of the night, Sisko demonstrates his combat skills on several of the Klingons, and takes the opportunity to assault a Klingon who had killed one of Sisko's former Starfleet Academy classmates, a Benzenite named Laporin (though Sisko uses the excuse that the Klingon was in the way of the barrels of blood wine). By the following morning, Sisko and his crew are still coherent, thanks to an alcohol inhibitor provided by Bashir. When Martok arrives, he starts to size up the candidates there, and Sisko fears he may recognize them. He gives him a Qapla', and Martok moves on. Since Gowron should certainly be arriving soon, the four begin setting up their emitters. Although Martok feels he recognizes O'Brien, the Chief gets away with it by claiming to have fought at Mempa along with Martok during the Klingon Civil War, which satisfies his curiosity. O'Brien is relieved and places his emitter. Odo has trouble, however, when another Klingon jovially interrupts him and he drops the emitter. Another Klingon picks it up, asking what it is. Odo knocks down the drunken Klingon and asks for the emitter back without saying what it is. Fortunately, Worf interjects and saves him, explaining it is actually a Vulcan toy called a tinghamut, acquired during the Klingon's raid at the Archanis sector and snatches it back. Just then, Gowron enters. He addresses the crowd and starts with the first Klingon, H'ta, while Odo looks to place his emitter. He finds a drunken Klingon standing in the spot where the emitter needs to be placed. This time though, Odo finds his courage and tosses the Klingon aside before placing the emitter. Sisko prepares to activate them, but is summoned by Gowron to join the Order of the Bat'leth. Sisko accepts the commendation. As he turns, he begins to activate the emitters, when he is attacked from behind by Martok with a bat'leth, who now recognizes him. Thrown into a holding cell, Martok confronts the four. Sisko presses Martok in return, as he believes that Martok thinks that Gowron is a Changeling, as well. Martok doesn't hide his feelings and admits he has suspected Gowron. Then, he agrees to help the DS9 officers kill Gowron to prove the point, though strangely refuses the notion of challenging Gowron to a duel himself. As they fight their way back into the Hall of Warriors, Worf challenges Gowron to a fight to the death, while Martok holds Odo back from the others at gunpoint, strangely unwilling to trust him. Gowron allows the challenge, and they fight. When Martok wonders aloud why Sisko doesn't simply shoot Gowron, Odo asks Martok another question: Why didn't Gowron let his bodyguards kill Worf? Because a true Klingon wouldn't just shoot someone -- they put honor above all else. However, Changelings don't care about honor. Odo then concludes that Gowron isn't the Changeling -- Martok is. Worf gains the upper hand on Gowron and shatters his bat'leth, and just as he goes to make the killing blow, Odo and the Martok Changeling loudly brawl their way into the hall. Knocked to the ground, Odo exclaims "Martok is the Changeling!" Exposed, the Martok Changeling begins to choke Odo with a tendril of his shapeshifting body, but he is blasted back by Sisko's disruptor. As the other Klingons see Martok for what he really is, they begin firing as well, resulting in the Changeling's death. With the dust settled, Gowron realizes that the Founders had manipulated Odo to believe that he was a Changeling, hoping that Starfleet would try to eliminate him. With Gowron dead at the hands of Federation operatives, the Martok Changeling would be able to rule the Klingon Empire, escalating the wars with the Federation and the Cardassian Union, destroying both powers, destabilizing the Alpha Quadrant and leaving it wide open for a Dominion invasion. Sisko informs him that the best way to strike a blow against the Founders would be an immediate end to the war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, but Gowron informs Sisko he can't if the Federation refuses to allow the Empire to annex what the Klingons have already captured, including Archanis. Sisko believes that the Federation won't agree, but, believes there's room for negotiation. Satisfied, Gowron decides to declare a cease fire, to convene the High Council, and to arrange for the DS9 officers to return home. Before they leave, Gowron compliments Odo, thanks Sisko for doing a great service to the Klingon Empire, then finally turns to Worf and promises him that he will regret not killing him when he had the chance and he will not get another. Back on the station, Bashir is restoring them to their original appearance. Sisko says, "I can do without the ridges, but I kind of miss the fangs." Bashir offers to give Odo any face he likes, Human, Bajoran, Trill. Odo says his old face will do fine. 
<EOS>
As the away team conducts their planetary survey, Chief O'Brien and young Crewman Muñiz tease one another. They appear to be forming a close working relationship. Captain Sisko determines that, despite being a long way from supply lines, the planet is a good place to mine. He and Lieutenant Commander Dax are discussing the matter when a ship of some kind crashes on the planet's surface. The runabout beams Sisko and the others to the site of the crash, where they discover a Jem'Hadar warship. The crew find that the warship has landed upside down and enter through a hatch that would normally be used to land troops. Inside, they find numerous corpses, but according to Dax's tricorder, the troops have been dead for hours. O'Brien suspects an inertial dampener failure, which means that when the ship sped up, every bone in the men's bodies was crushed instantly. Although Sisko is excited about the discovery of the ship, he wonders what it was doing so far from Dominion space. Realizing the runabout's tractor beam will be insufficient to tow the ship, he sends for the USS Defiant to tow it back to the Alpha Quadrant. Aboard Deep Space 9, Odo has arrested Quark and his "co-conspirator," Dr. Bashir. The trio enter Sisko's office, where Major Kira learns that Quark ordered a shipment of Regalian fleaspiders for Bashir without a permit. However, the Ferengi took the opportunity to smuggle illegal Regalian liquid crystals along with the spiders. An impatient Kira announces she is taking the Defiant to the Gamma Quadrant to retrieve Sisko and the others, and she will be back in a week. Meanwhile, Commander Worf informs Sisko that they have buried the bodies of the warship's crew, 42 Jem'Hadar and Vorta field supervisor in all. Suddenly, Ensign Hoya contacts Sisko from the runabout and announces that another warship has just suddenly come out of warp; within seconds, the runabout is destroyed over Torga IV killing Hoya, Rooney, and Bertram. Jem'Hadar soldiers beam to the surface. There is a shootout in which another away team member, T'Lor, is killed and Sisko and the others take shelter inside the crashed ship, but Muñiz is shot along the way. Oddly, the Jem'Hadar do not follow the Starfleet team into the ship. O'Brien dresses Muñiz's wound while they regroup and formulate a plan. The crew explores the ship and find it minimalistic at best. Among other things, there are two headsets -- one for a Vorta and another for the Jem'Hadar First -- which seem to be the Dominion equivalent of viewscreens. They are interrupted when Kilana, the Vorta in charge of the newly-arrived ship who contacts Sisko over the Dominion comm system. She offers to meet Sisko face to face with one guard each. Sisko agrees to meet Kilana, who is quite amicable in person. However, she does not recognize Sisko's claim to salvage rights for the ship and wants it back. As she and Sisko talk, a lone Jem'Hadar beams into the ship. The Jem'Hadar is carrying a piece of surveillance equipment. Meanwhile, Kilana offers to take Sisko and the others back to Federation territory, but Sisko firmly refuses. O'Brien finds the Jem'Hadar and there is a brief struggle before Muñiz manages to shoot the soldier, saving the chief from being stabbed. With Kilana aboard her ship and Sisko back inside his, O'Brien continues to tend to Muñiz, who suspects he is dying. They realize there is an anticoagulant in his blood, an apparent side-effect of the Jem'Hadar weapon, which is preventing his otherwise minor wound from healing. As a result, Muñiz is bleeding to death and requires immediate attention. Worf and O'Brien have a difference of opinion over this; while the Klingon believes Muñiz should be told to prepare for death, O'Brien is convinced that Muñiz's only chance is to keep fighting. Kilana contacts Sisko again and apologizes for her deception, offering to meet him unarmed and alone (a condition to which she does not hold him) as a show of good faith. When they meet again, Kilana acknowledges the obvious: there is something aboard Sisko's ship she wants. However, neither trusts the other and Sisko refuses to let Kilana retrieve it, while Kilana refuses to tell Sisko what it is. She realizes their conversation is going nowhere, so she beams off the surface as her ship begins to bombard the surface. In the meantime, Muñiz has begun to go into shock. Before long, the crew realizes Kilana is not trying to hit the ship, as the ultritium concussion shells her ship is firing should destroy them in one hit. They continue to search for whatever Kilana wants, while Muñiz's condition continues to deteriorate and he becomes delirious. Tensions continue to mount as the Starfleet group, tired, hungry, and filthy, become increasingly apprehensive. Sisko becomes fed up with the bickering between Worf and O'Brien and Dax's misguided attempts to lighten the situation with humor and sharply orders everyone to stop wasting time and start acting like Starfleet officers who know what they're doing. He then tells Worf and O'Brien to try and get the engines and weapons working, and orders Dax to search the ship no matter how many times it takes to find whatever Kilana wants. As the three chastened officers leave to do their work, Sisko turns to Muñiz and orders him to stay alive. O'Brien does his best to get the ship up and running, but when they attempt to take off from the planet, the power circuits overload and the condition of the ship's systems becomes even worse leaving them with no choice but to wait for the Defiant to arrive. O'Brien tells Muñiz they could really use his help, only to find that the young engineer has died from his injuries, causing a deafening silence to wash over the crew. Dax later comforts Sisko, who tells his friend that they need to get the ship back to Starfleet so that the families of the five dead officers won't feel that their loved ones died for nothing. The gloomy mood is interrupted when something begins to drip from the ceiling. They look up to realize one of the bulkheads is actually a Founder. The changeling is not attacking, but dying, no longer able to hold its form and apparently injured from the accident that killed the ship's crew. As it dies, it cries out, loud enough for Kilana and her men to hear. With the Changeling dead, Kilana beams directly aboard Sisko's ship, alone. She informs him that her soldiers killed themselves for allowing one of their gods to die. She says Sisko should have trusted her, but he says she was lying to him from the beginning, this wasn't her first mission outside the Dominion. She says she regrets lying, but all that mattered to her was rescuing the Founder. Sisko says she should have told him the truth. She says she was afraid they would kill the Founder if they knew about him. Sisko tells her all he wanted was the ship. Muñiz and all the others died because neither Sisko nor Kilana was willing to trust the other. Dax confirms that the soldiers outside have killed themselves. Sisko allows Kilana to take some of the Founder's remains with her. Just before she leaves, Kilana asks Sisko if he has any gods that he believes in. He says he believes in some things. She asks "Duty, Starfleet, the Federation? You must be pleased with yourself, you have this ship to take back to them. I hope it was worth it." Kilana then leaves, as Sisko can only hope that the ship was worth the lives that were lost for it. The Defiant arrives and tows the Jem'Hadar ship back to DS9. Starfleet is of course very pleased with the find and awards the crew medals, but Sisko laments the death of Muñiz, Hoya, and the others while writing a report for Starfleet Command in the mess hall. Dax reminds him that, while their deaths are certainly tragic, they all knew the risks when they joined Starfleet, and that while the captured ship might have cost five people their lives, it could help save thousands or millions more. Sisko says he knows, and he would do the same thing all over again. But it is still unfair to those who died so far from home. O'Brien holds his own vigil over Muñiz's casket. Worf enters as he does so and reveals that, in Klingon tradition, O'Brien's activity is called ak'voh, or keeping the body of a warrior who died in battle safe from predators while they make their journey to Sto-vo-kor. He offers to help O'Brien protect Muñiz, to which the chief responds, "I'm sure Quique would have liked that." 
<EOS>
Quark is in the habitat ring when he sees Julian Bashir trying to eavesdrop on the O'Briens, apparently wanting to meet up, but hearing an argument take place. Quark ribs him a little then takes him down the hall a bit, where he can hear. Describing a vague argument, Bashir is disappointed, but then Keiko O'Brien comes from down the hall -- she was not in the room. Quark explains Kira Nerys is in there, and the argument is that Miles O'Brien is trying to force Kira to take it easy on her body while she is carrying his child. Meanwhile, Jadzia Dax and Worf are at the Replimat when Grilka, Quark's ex-wife, shows up on Deep Space 9. While her intentions are unknown, Worf is smitten as soon as he sees her, and gets up to observe her. Grilka comes to Quark's and, to Worf's surprise and dismay, she seems quite friendly with Quark. Dax then recognizes her and explains she is Quark's ex-wife. Quark happily serves Grilka a Maparian ale and asks her why she's there. Grilka mentions that her Great House, the House of Grilka, has suffered significant financial losses of late -- but she doesn't ask for help, for Klingons do not dirty themselves with "filthy ledgers and bank accounts." Taking the hint, Quark "asks" to look at her financial records. As the Klingons leave, however, Grilka's guard, Thopok, threatens him to ensure he help her. He helps her as she planned. The two of them spend a great deal of time together, and they genuinely seem interested in one another. Worf and Dax head to Ops while she explains what happened between them. Expressing his disdain for Quark and his unworthiness of her, Dax supposes Worf has a case of the Par'Mach'kai. Jokingly, Benjamin Sisko asks if it's contagious. Meanwhile in the infirmary, O'Brien is collecting medicine to ease Kira's pregnancy, for he views it as his duty to protect and assist the new surrogate mother of his child. O'Brien declines Bashir's invitation to the holosuites, and the ensuing conversation reveals the changing dynamics of the O'Brien household, resulting in Bashir ribbing his friend as the type of fellow who "would look" after O'Brien mentions he helped Kira out of her bath. Later in Quark's bar, Quark is working with Grilka when Worf puts on a display to get Grilka's attention that includes throwing Morn out of his seat (after first apologizing in advance to Morn, sotto voce) and insulting Thopok. Tumek pulls Worf aside and informs him that Grilka is not interested in the advances of a traitor to the Empire. However, he can be excused for the transgression in Tumek's eyes because of his Human upbringing, leaving him naive about Klingon mating rituals. Worf says Tumek would be surprised what he knows, and Tumek admits that might be true, but it won't be discovered here. Loudly, he proclaims Grilka's request he leave, and Worf leaves. In the USS Defiant mess hall, Worf expresses his regret at his attempt earlier to Dax, but Dax excuses it, saying he's in love. She also says what's really bothering Worf is what Tumek said about his ignorance with Klingon women and Klingon traditions in general. Before he responds, Quark enters to talk to Dax. Grilka has invited him to a private dinner in her quarters, and he needs a primer on Klingon mating rituals. While there wasn't any affection when they were married, he believes now something is there. Worf at first remains painfully aloof as Jadzia coaches Quark, but then surprisingly offers insight. Meanwhile, with the blessings of Keiko, Miles has been giving Kira regular massages to help relieve her pain. While giving Kira a massage in her bedroom, O'Brien and Kira discover they have feelings for each other when Kira makes a remark about how she wouldn't mind spending three weeks in Ireland with Miles. O'Brien agrees then realizes what he said and feels guilty when Keiko walks into the room catching him giving Kira a massage. Keiko doesn't care, and says, "Don't stop on my account." Alone on the bridge of the Defiant, Worf indulges in Klingon opera. Quark disrupts his privacy and proceeds to describe how his night with Grilka went -- perfectly. Worf is strangely accepting of the Ferengi's intrusion, and it slowly becomes apparent that Worf is living vicariously through Quark's associations with Grilka, assuming a Cyrano de Bergerac-esque advisory role. Quark asks if Worf will continue helping him, and Worf agrees. They head out immediately. With Jadzia, Quark's education in Klingon courtship continues in the holosuites. They are fighting Klingons as Kahless the Unforgettable and Lady Lukara in the Great Hall at Qam-Chee during a significant moment in Klingon history, and a great romance between the two. Quark, however, has trouble with the Klingonese and finds the whole thing ridiculous. Meanwhile, Odo and Kira are going through security reports and Odo expresses his frustration at a frequent theft occurring. Odo believes O'Brien is at fault, since he hasn't been working on upgrades that might have prevented the theft. Kira defends him, but Odo suspects Kira is going too far with it. Kira admits she's become like family, and asks him to drop it, so Odo agrees. At Quark's, Thopok expresses his disdain for Grilka's allowance of Quark's courting to Tumek, but Tumek reminds him he should not presume to judge her. Soon, Grilka and Quark arrive and, after participating in a holosuite simulation with him, Grilka points out to Quark that he has just acted out one of the most romantic of Klingon operas, and she pointedly, and somewhat suspiciously, asks him, "What are your thoughts, Quark. why do you pursue me?" His answer, that she, his "object of great value", may be worth all the latinum in the quadrant, cinches it. The two of them are in love. All seems well until Thopok, Grilka's bodyguard, becomes fed up with the offensive romance and declares that he cannot work for a House where a Ferengi is welcome. He challenges Quark to mortal combat. Later, Kira announces to Keiko and Miles that she is going to Bajor for a few days to relax in her friend's cabin. Miles is pleased, but Keiko is shocked by this news because she is worried Kira will go into labor. Keiko demands Miles go with her, and when he refuses, Keiko accuses them of fighting again and settles the debate -- Miles and Kira will go to Bajor together. Now Quark is faced with the prospect of either losing Grilka or dying (for he still doesn't stand a chance against a Klingon with a bat'leth). Worf again helps the Ferengi; using a special device, Worf is able to control Quark's body movements and helps him defend himself. They test it out in the holosuites, and it looks successful, but Quark's physical ability does limit the effectiveness. Dax suggests he sleep, so he goes. Worf can't believe the effort he's putting into this. Dax probes him as to why he likes her, and, when he responds with her commanding nature, challenges him by asking what he would do with a woman like that. She says if she was him she would look for someone more entertaining, but Worf retorts she doesn't understand. Again in the holosuite, Grilka and company wait for Quark. With a little bit of ceremony, Tumek asks what Quark is doing there, and Quark does his best to respond appropriately. Dax and Worf are in position and sync the device, instantly working and making Quark more confident. They begin, and soon Thopok wonders aloud how he learned to fight. Quark is pleased, but then a technical glitch forces Quark to stall, now without Worf's help. Dax finds the device's optronic relay was damaged and tries to fix it. Meanwhile, Quark yells at Thopok to wait. Stalling for time, he proclaims a false Ferengi custom, the Right of Proclamation. Grilka accepts it and lets him make a speech. After a while, the device is fixed and Quark immediately gets back to the fighting. Ultimately, Worf now is able to make Quark drop Thopok, but, instead of killing him, Worf forces Quark to hand the bodyguard's bat'leth to Grilka, proving his courage and sealing the deal. Grilka tells Thopok is honor is satisfied, and discharges him from her House. She then begins the mating ritual with Quark, and, when Dax shuts off the device, leaving Worf alone. Not as alone as he thinks, however. Dax, who until now has pressured him about the fact that there is nothing special about Grilka, says her and Quark are on the same wavelength and Quark can see an opportunity when it presents himself. Now she's obviously not talking about them anymore. Worf, who never has done well picking up romantic subtleties, still does not get the hint. Exasperated, Dax finally takes matters into her own hands and jumps Worf, and after a very brief sparring with bat'leths, ends up beginning a mating ritual of her own with him. About this time, Kira and Miles are meeting in a runabout to depart for the trip to Bajor. Before they can depart, Kira admits that the place she is going to relax is one of the most romantic sites on Bajor. On hearing this, Miles puts his foot down and says, "I'm not going!" They come up with a cover story to tell Keiko and Kira goes to Bajor and decides to visits Shakaar in the captial instead. When the two couples -- Quark and Grilka and Dax and Worf -- come to the infirmary with broken bones and bruises aplenty, it is enough to convince Doctor Bashir that he is best off not asking how his patients received their wounds anymore. In a private room in the infirmary, Dax and Worf talk about what happened. Worf understands that Dax is unlikely to rush into marriage, even though tradition recommends it. They do agree, however, that they ought to pursue their relationship further. Worf is uncomfortable being in a relationship with an uncertain future, but Jadzia teases him that they've established at least one thing for certain: the woman on his mind is no longer Grilka. At that, Worf throws back his head and gives one of his rare booming laughs. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir and Jake Sisko are on their way back to Deep Space 9, having attended a medical conference. Jake is planning to write a news article on Bashir, who is upset that his proposed theory (which consists of technobabble as far as Jake is concerned) was so controversial. As Bashir rants about the goings-on from the conference, Jake's mind begins to wander: Arriving at an important impasse in his explanation, which involves a protein anomaly, Bashir confirms that Jake is still following him. Bashir resumes explaining as Jake's voiceover continues: A few seconds pass with Bashir talking and Jake continuing to daydream, but they are both brought back to reality when the runabout receives a distress call from a Federation colony on Ajilon Prime. Despite a recent cease fire the Klingons have resumed their war with the Federation and attacked the colony. Though the colony has requested assistance, Bashir is reluctant to bring Jake along. Jake convinces the doctor to go anyway, and there is a hint that Bashir knows whatever they face on Ajilon will make a better story than his lecture. Jake thinks to himself: As things are speeding up for Jake and Bashir, it is a slow day in Ops. Quark has just arrived with a beverage for Kira, and Dax, Odo, O'Brien and Worf are all there to see her reaction. The beverage is a decaffeinated raktajino (dubbed "Quarktajino"), which O'Brien asked him to prepare in the fear that Kira's caffeine consumption will cause his son to be born a caffeine addict. Unfortunately, the drink tastes horrible by both Kira and Miles' accounts. Sisko emerges from his office with the news about Jake and Bashir. The USS Farragut is on its way to Ajilon Prime with reinforcements and Bashir and Jake will leave as soon as backup has arrived. Although Dax tries to lighten the mood, Sisko is visibly worried about his son. Jake and Bashir arrive at Ajilon Prime, where Bashir has second thoughts about taking Jake into the heat of battle. However, Jake is sure he can handle the experience, so they land and head for the front lines. In the emergency room, Jake's enthusiasm about his story fades when he experiences the casualties of war first hand. He is shaken by the wounded people he sees, but particularly disturbing is an ensign Jake finds in a doorway, unconscious and bleeding, who turns out to be dead. Another man enters yelling for help, as he has apparently been shot in the foot by a Klingon disruptor. Despite the man's story, Bashir finds the man's injury was caused by a Starfleet phaser. he shot himself in the foot as a way of avoiding having to fight. Disgusted, Bashir moves on to another patient as the young man, though he initially sticks to his story, breaks down as he tells of how his fellow officers ran and he was so scared of the Klingons that he actually shot himself, wishing he was dead. Jake sits in a corner to work on his story but finds it increasingly difficult to concentrate: Jake's writing is disturbed when a medic asks Jake for help in watching a wounded man. As Jake stands with the injured man, he reaches up and spreads his blood on Jake's shirt and Jake begins to realize what he's gotten himself into. As Bashir lends his assistance, Jake has been recruited to help move the wounded. He continues to see many more wounded but starts to deal with it better. During a break in the flow of wounded, Bashir and the doctors ask Jake for help in getting to the replicator. Back at the station, Sisko speaks with Odo, who has just injured himself in attempting to apprehend cheating dabo players. In reflecting on how fragile his new "solid" form is, he realizes that Sisko is worried about Jake. Sisko recalls when Jake was younger how he vowed to protect his son no matter what, and now he's in the middle of a war zone. Odo attempts to reassure the Captain that Jake will be fine, but Sisko says that always worrying about your child comes with being a parent. Odo admits he doesn't think parenting is for him to which Sisko tells him simply that he won't know what's he's missing, as the joy of being a parent is worth every second of worry. Just then Dax enters with bad news, the Farragut has been destroyed by Klingon forces. Now with no other reinforcements coming, Sisko and Dax immediately leave for Ajilon Prime on the USS Defiant. Bashir and Jake are sitting down to eat, with Jake appearing to handle the blood and gore around him quite well. However, when Bashir makes a macabre joke about "making an incision" into the food, Jake is quickly overcome with nausea and runs outside to vomit. Later, Jake and Bashir discuss the man who shot himself and Jake is shocked that such behavior is possible among trained Starfleet personnel. Bashir explains that while a Starfleet officer may go through psych tests and battle simulations, nothing really prepares a person for when they go into actual combat. When Bashir is called back to the wounded, Jake talks with another orderly (Kirby) who communicates the dire outlook they face, despite their being medical personnel. Jake's reverie is interrupted with the sound of an explosion, signaling that the Klingons have resumed their attack. The cave loses power and Bashir realizes that the runabout, set down about 1 km south, has more generators that can help the situation in the cave. Moving a generator is a two-man job, so Bashir and Jake make their way on foot to the runabout and begin to undergo artillery fire. Jake gets behind Bashir and then sees him disappear behind an explosion. Overcome with fear, he turns around and runs away. Jake runs over a hill and through a great deal of smoke, finally falling upon a dead Klingon. He sees that he is in a field of dead soldiers and runs away in fear. He gets over a ridge and is struck in the head by a wounded Starfleet soldier. The soldier demands a hypospray and then explains that he is mortally wounded but wants to die facing the sky. He tells Jake of how he was hurt in protecting a hopper's escape. Jake yearns to help him but the soldier, hearing his story of running away, points out that Jake is trying to redeem his cowardice. As the soldier dies painfully, Jake runs away again. Aboard the Defiant, Sisko is busy tweaking the replicator pattern buffers. Dax sees his feelings of helplessness and tells a story of what Audrid went through when her daughter was came down with Rugalan fever. The girl, Neema, was in a hospital for two weeks and Audrid spent the time reading her all seventeen volumes of Caster's Down the River Light, even though she knew Neema couldn't hear her. It was simply so Audrid had something to do. Luckily, Neema pulled through (although she later didn't talk to her mother for eight years starting at age 21) and Sisko is glad the story had a happy ending. For now, however, he leaves Dax to the replicators and decides to work on the sonic showers. Jake wanders back into the cave and Kirby is relieved to see him again. Kirby explains that Bashir is injured with plasma burns and the runabout was destroyed by the enemy fire but Bashir somehow made it back with the generator himself. Despite Jake's attempts to avoid it, Kirby gets him to go see Bashir. Bashir is relieved to see Jake and apologizes profusely and begins to berate himself for risking Jake's life by bringing him into a war zone. Jake angrily brushes off the apology and tells him it's OK, and Bashir is startled by his anger: Kirby enters, unaware of Bashir's guilt over bringing Jake or Jake's guilt over leaving Bashir, to examine Jake's wound. Later, Jake once again tries to resume his story but can't concentrate on it: Jake resumes his orderly duties and delivers food to the soldier who shot himself in the foot. The man explains his disappointment in himself and claims that despite his good scores in Academy battle situations, the real thing is entirely different. Jake now realizes what the man has gone through and they bond over their similar experience. Jake suggests that the man may not get court-martialled and may yet have a future in Starfleet but the soldier says he does not belong in Starfleet anymore and wishes he'd aimed the phaser "a little higher." As Jake rejoins the fellow medical personnel in the break room, their macabre jokes about which way they'd prefer to die drive him to frustration. He begins to shout about the stupidity of the war and yells that nobody will ever remember the events they are all going through. Bashir intervenes and takes Jake for a walk. Bashir tries to get Jake to open up about his miserable behavior but Jake resists. Bashir leaves the door open for discussion but Jake refuses and brushes him off. After Bashir leaves, Jake sinks to the ground and begins to cry. Explosions rock Jake awake. He runs to the rest of the people and the head surgeon explains that they are evacuating the cave and they must move quickly and orderly if they are to survive. As most people evacuate, Jake is hiding under a table. The explosions frighten him away from the room he is in and Starfleet infantry personnel give him cover as the Klingons appear in the cave. Jake is soon pinned down by disruptor fire under a table and fires a phaser rifle blindly around the room. The room begins to collapse upon the Klingons and Jake as he screams in fear. Bashir wakens Jake and points out that his father has arrived. They explain that Jake's actions created a cave-in that gave the rest of the personnel time to evacuate and that he is a hero. The cease-fire has been reinstated and the Klingons have pulled out of the system. Jake gives a copy of his story to Bashir and also to his father. As Sisko reads what Jake has written, he comments that Jake's feelings are those that all who have been in battle feel, whether or not they admit it. He says Jake is courageous to write about it and tells him he is proud of him. 
<EOS>
In Quark's, the day has started and Quark is busy. Rom enters, just off the night shift. Quark makes him his usual, puree of beetle, but Rom says today he'd rather try bacon and eggs with corned beef hash, a favorite of O'Brien's. Quark disapproves of the Human choice of dinner but begrudgingly makes it. As he normally does, he further questions Rom's choice of job, but Rom likes his job, despite being assigned to the graveyard shift fixing the waste extraction system. Meanwhile, after Miles O'Brien has succeeded in killing Keiko's bonsai trees that he was caring for while she was visiting the Fire Caves on Bajor, he welcomes Keiko home. However, as soon as she gets off the transport, Keiko informs Miles that she's not Keiko, but someone who has taken over her body. Whoever is inhabiting Keiko threatens Miles with his beloved wife's life and the life of their innocent daughter Molly, claiming that they'll kill them both if he doesn't do exactly what she wants. O'Brien at first thinks that his wife is trying to play a joke on him, but is quickly persuaded otherwise when the entity causes her to choke. It stops choking Keiko just as easily to warn O'Brien off from calling the infirmary. Miles is ordered to reconfigure certain parts of the space station but is not told to what end. The alien convinces him that she can use Keiko's knowledge to know that Miles has already come up with a plan and will try to talk to the crew, however, it also assures him it will kill Keiko instantly, even if those plans have some success. They go back to their quarters, and Miles gets some more details. The alien is also determined to keep up appearances with their friends, answering the door when Bashir comes in, and promising to hold a birthday celebration for Miles, as Keiko had planned earlier. Soon, Rom is excited about being called to a meeting on the "swing-shift" to replace an ill worker. He tries to fit in by asking what they drink on the shift, and asking where the ill worker normally sleeps, but the other workers treat him coldly. Unphased, he gets a raktajino. Just then, Miles appears on the monitor and assigns the engineers their jobs for the day, a change of plans. He gives a short description of what he's doing, and says he'll be working alone, asking them not to bother him unless its absolutely necessary. As O'Brien works, he has the computer scan Keiko to confirm her identity, which it does. He then asks the computer how long it would take to knock out Keiko through various means; however, all would take too long as the entity only needs a fraction of a second to kill her. He then gets to work. During Miles' birthday celebrations, the inhabitant draws on Keiko's brain to act like Keiko, and no one other than Miles knows any different. Captain Sisko is especially impressed by the Q'parol that she served, showing that the alien has access to all of Keiko's memories and talents. Jake Sisko asks Keiko if she saw any Pah-wraiths in the Fire Caves, prompted by Odo's sharing of Bajoran legends. The inhabited Keiko teases Odo for believing in "the wraiths," which Odo denies. O'Brien has trouble keeping pleasant, and finally breaks his glass when he sees the alien with Molly. With everyone else disturbed, he leaves to the other room and the alien follows. O'Brien insists he's done everything it wanted, but the alien admits that was just a test -- the real work is to come. That night, Miles insists the alien tell him what to get done, but the alien is making the rules. It refuses and makes O'Brien sleep in the bed, for fear Molly will have a nightmare and come in. In the morning, the alien hands him a PADD with his instructions. Miles finally decides to warn Sisko about what is happening, but, before he can get to Sisko, he hears Keiko call out his name and watches in horror as the inhabitant forces Keiko to throw herself over the railing on the upper level of the Promenade. Dr. Bashir treats her injuries while Sisko and Odo question O'Brien about the incident and about why he was on the Promenade. O'Brien evades the questions and insists to Bashir that he visit Keiko in sickbay. The evil inhabitant gives Miles an ultimatum: complete the reconfigurations in thirteen hours or it'll kill Keiko and Molly. O'Brien agrees, and leaves, starting a countdown clock to stay aware of the deadline. As he starts to get to work later, Rom comes to the chief, having finished his work already. Miles is very impressed that Rom got his workload done so fast and gets an idea. He decides to enlist his help to get the modifications done, claiming its a secret assignment that Sisko and the senior staff know all about (while also warning him not to mention it to them). With the help of Rom, Miles manages to complete most of the work, however, as he is working in Ops in the early morning, Lieutenant Dax pulls him away, having discovered anomalies in the station's systems. She shows what she's seen to him, and, he brushes it off as minor deviations, but Dax suspects sabotage and intends to alert security and Sisko. Sisko calls a meeting of O'Brien, Odo, and Dax to discuss the sabotage. They eliminate other factors, and lead to one of the maintenance crew. Desperate to throw the officers off his scent and needing a distraction, O'Brien leads Odo to Rom, still working in a junction. Odo takes him to a holding cell, and O'Brien shares a knowing glance with him as he goes. Miles stays to survey the "damage" and then continues it. During the interrogation, Rom refuses to tell Odo anything (even his name), instead calling for O'Brien. Odo calls him to the security office, and, pressed for time, O'Brien is forced to override security measures for the holding cell Rom is in, so that no one can listen in. He also has the computer reconfigure gravitic sensors, intending to be back within ten minutes. O'Brien goes to see Rom, who is concerned about the intensity of the interrogation, but also assures O'Brien he will stick to their "mission." However, Rom then asks why O'Brien's modifications are converting the station into a gigantic chroniton emitter. O'Brien is surprised he guessed it. Rom believes the intent is to kill the wormhole aliens, and asks why they are doing that. O'Brien is stunned. O'Brien hadn't realized the effect of the chronitons on the wormhole aliens, having been so on edge. He wonders aloud about this, making a connection between the wormhole aliens and the Pah-wraiths. Rom, having been educated by Leeta, explains that according to the Koss'moran, the Pah-wraiths were cast out by the Prophets. O'Brien now knows that Keiko's intruder can only be a Pah-wraith from the Fire Caves, and is planning to use a chroniton beam to kill the Prophets. O'Brien asks Rom to play dumb for awhile and rushes out. He gets back to work on the junction, with a newfound purpose, however, the newly-solid Odo confronts him. He knows that O'Brien was behind the modifications, so O'Brien knocks him out. He finishes the station modifications, and takes the Keiko/Pah-wraith to a runabout, coldly telling it that he figured out its plan but doesn't care about the Prophet/Pah-wraith conflict: he only wants his wife back. Once in position near the wormhole, O'Brien activates the emitters on the station, but targets the runabout instead of the wormhole, killing the deranged Pah-wraith inhabiting Keiko once and for all. Keiko and Miles embrace. When they return, Sisko asks Miles for an explanation. Back in their quarters, Keiko reveals that she knew what the Pah-wraiths were doing, but could not intervene. Keiko tells Miles that she doubts the Pah-wraiths would have spared them. The next day, a tired but excited Rom enters Quark's. Quark warns him that the night shift is obviously too much for him but Rom explains that he wasn't working, rather he was out celebrating his now permanent promotion to the day shift; his reward for helping O'Brien. Quark sighs as Rom then proceeds to order pancakes, sausages, and pineapple: the breakfast of the day shift. 
<EOS>
Odo and Benjamin Sisko are at the station's Replimat, discussing the coming of Miles and Keiko O'Brien's second child. Odo says that "Sean," one of their name choices, means "swamp" in Bajoran. Jadzia Dax comes in nursing a pulled neck muscle, her eighth muscle pull in several weeks and one of many injuries she has sustained since she began seeing Worf. Sisko wishes they could be romantic in a less violent way, but that's unlikely since Jadzia has managed to talk Worf into going to Risa for their vacation, instead of Earth as they originally planned. Sisko is astonished that Worf agreed to it, and wonders if he's begun to loosen up. But as the Klingon enters and orders his usual prune juice, Jadzia claims that he's the same old Worf. When he arrives, Worf says he wants to speak alone with Jadzia, and they begin to mildly argue about her having lunch with Captain Boday, a Gallamite who turns out to be one of Dax' former lovers. Soon after Sisko and Odo leave, Leeta and Dr. Bashir come in to inquire about their trip, asking if they can hitch a ride on the runabout as they seek to have their own romantic leave together. Worf, although not pleased, relents and permits them to come along. In the end, a fifth person joins them on the runabout to Risa, much to Worf's dismay: Quark, who would not give Leeta the time off unless he was permitted to tag along. On the way to Risa, Leeta insists on serving everybody (except for Quark, her boss) their drinks. Quark is quite impatient, even though it's a relatively short trip, and his attitude almost makes Worf abort the trip altogether. Quark gives everybody but Worf a horga'hn, Risan fertility idols, which are used when achieving jamaharon, before wisely returning to his cabin on the runabout. Once on Risa, Bashir and Leeta go off on their own as promised, and Quark immediately gets lucky with his horga'hn. Worf did not change out of his uniform, and seems uncomfortable with being on Risa, though Jadzia does her best to change his mood. She almost succeeds until they are interrupted by Arandis, one of Curzon Dax's old lovers. On his last trip to Risa, Arandis ended up sending the elderly Curzon to his death during jamaharon. Worf is getting more uncomfortable by the minute, near the point of jealousy, and it's beginning to upset Jadzia greatly. She challenges his assertion that he is not too controlling of her by having a glass of icoberry juice, which they both know she is mildly allergic to. He relents from his jealousy again, and she urges him to put a swimsuit on so they can go swimming. Worf encounters Pascal Fullerton the leader of the radical fundamentalist group "New Essentialists". These fundamentalists are attempting to start a political revolution on Risa. Their aim is to fight against loosening morals in the Federation. Worf reads a PADD about Fullerton's message and walking with Dax. He encourages her to read it, though she is intent on vacationing. They find Leeta, who is getting a sensual massage from someone -- not Bashir. She invites them to a reyamilk soak. Dax politely declines and leaves, though Worf is stunned about Leeta's behavior. Outside, Worf expresses his disapproval, but Dax says sternly it's not their business. She wants to go see the sights, but Worf intends on attending the Essentialists' event. At the rally, Dax and Worf see Bashir with another woman -- not Leeta -- and Worf is upset about that and sees this as affirmation for the thesis of Fullerton. Arandis joins them, seeing Fullerton as entertainment and nothing more. The event is only attended by a few other people. Fullerton explains that morals have become degenerated and amusement has a higher priority than ever before. With threats from the Borg, Romulans, and the Dominion, Federation citizens can't afford this mentality. He concludes with an emphasis for hard work. Worf obviously agrees with what he said, though the others don't. Later, the group debates the topic. Worf explains the Klingons saw the Federation as weak, inviting attack. Bashir points out none of the debate has to do with Risa, but Worf says he can't be certain. Dax says everyone needs a vacation, especially those who devote their lives defending the Federation. Just then, Leeta arrives and kisses Bashir. Worf has had it, and confronts them. Leeta and Bashir explain that they came to Risa to break up, through an old Bajoran tradition called the Rite of Separation. They excuse themselves to "work some details out." Dax and Worf continue to debate, but then the group of fundamentalists attack some Risian visitors during dinner, carrying phaser rifles. When Jadzia and Worf attempt to fight back, Fullerton calls a stop to the action. It turns out that the phaser cells are empty and Fullerton arranged the event so as to demonstrate how vulnerable the Federation has become. Worf is impressed, though says he can't condone the group's actions. Dax threatens to arrest them, but he points out the Risians won't prosecute. Later, Worf wants to talk to Dax about their relationship. Dax is argumentative as Worf points out he sees her as his par'mach'kai, and therefore everything she does reflects on him, including her impulsive nature. Ultimately, he wants to know she takes the relationship as seriously as he does. Jadzia believes he's taking this to an extreme, telling him he can't control her and should be more relaxed. They both agree, however, that each won't change who they are. Dax goes to see the damage the Essentialists have done, and finds Arandis. She takes the incident in stride, joking that Fullerton needs some jamaharon. Dax turns serious and confides about her problems with Worf while helping her clean up. Meanwhile, Leeta and Bashir complete their separation with a ceremony in which they declare themselves two instead of one. They end with a kiss. Quark, the witness for the ceremony, was expecting more, but is instead let down. Interestingly, Leeta says she can now be honest about her feelings. She then reveals that she has developed feelings for Rom. Both Quark and Bashir are shocked. Later, Worf walks in on Jadzia sculpting with Arandis and is jealous. He goes back to his room, breaks a horga'hn, and decides to help Fullerton make his point. He tells the group he knows how to make people leave Risa. Quark and Bashir listen to Dax vent about what happened. Bashir remarks he may have taken Worf's view if he was there. Furthermore, "figuring" Jadzia out was what made her so intriguing to him when he first came to Deep Space 9. however, the amount of work it took to get close to her was why he stopped. Dax shrugs this off and expresses why she likes Worf, despite the fact that he is a lot of work. Just then, Arandis enters to say she hasn't found Worf. Soon, they hear lightning and thunder, which should never happen in that part of Risa. As several of the visitors group under shelter, along with Quark, Bashir, and Arandis, they wonder about what happened when Fullerton, and Worf, and his group enter. Fullerton makes his speech and leaves, but Worf is confronted. Worf stands his ground, saying, as Fullerton did, that Federation citizens must be prepared to resist a Dominion invasion and cannot afford to let themselves go with the illusion of Risa. He doesn't want to argue anymore and leaves. The rain creates an unpleasant ambiance on Risa because everybody expected sunny weather. Even the Risians are depressed, but Arandis tries to organize a game of hoverball, indoor of course. However, only Dax will join, so she admits that the guests have been complaining about everything and is dismayed herself. She wonders whether Fullerton was right in that they've forgotten how to deal with adversity. Fullerton explains his satisfaction to Worf, since guest population is declining and the message is spreading. But when Worf leaves, the fundamentalist confers with his assistant that all the attention will be forgotten when the weather control system restarts. He wants to take things one step further. Jadzia confronts Worf about the situation, saying his actions aren't about the Essentialists or the Federation. She asks him why he is so obsessed with controlling everything in his life. Saying there must be something going on, she states Worf sets a great example of Klingon honor, but has none of the Klingon zest for life. Worf tells her that when he was a child, he accidentally killed a classmate, Mikel, during a school soccer game when they both made a play for the ball and their heads collided. Worf saw that Humans were extremely fragile, so he decided to restrain himself so that no one else suffered. During the conversation, Worf and Jadzia are alarmed by an earthquake. It doesn't take them long to realize that Fullerton has something to do with it. This time however he has lost the support of Worf who tells Fullerton that the Federation will persevere against the likes of the Klingons, the Dominion and, most importantly, people like him. The two then fight, with Worf easily overcoming Fullerton. Worf and Jadzia manage to beat the fundamentalists and readjust the weather control system. Now even Worf sees for himself that one can relax and enjoy themselves without losing control, and he and Dax decide to make the most of their remaining vacation. 
<EOS>
Dax, Garak, Odo, and Sisko are en route to Deep Space 9 on a runabout, having attended a conference geared towards a "dispassionate historical view" of the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. Garak indignantly claims the Bajorans present ignored every argument he made, but everyone agrees Odo was the highlight of the conference due to his reputation for fairness despite working for the Cardassians during the Occupation. However, Odo appears uncomfortable with the discussion. In ops on Deep Space 9, Okala reports to Worf that the runabout has arrived, but there's a problem. He beams aboard with Bashir and they discover the four occupants in a comatose state, their life signs weak. Upon beaming aboard, Doctor Bashir tries to awaken them, to no avail. He finds there's an excess of neural energy in their cerebral cortex. Meanwhile, the unconscious crew members slowly awake elsewhere in what seems to be the Promenade in a time when the Cardassians still controlled the station, then known as Terok Nor. A Bajoran man hurriedly brings the group to their feet, for fear of another "cleansing" -- people around them seem to think the Human, Trill, Cardassian, and former Changeling are all Bajoran. The group remembers a plasma storm in the runabout, but not much else. Meanwhile, on the station, the four have been brought to the infirmary. Worf explains that the runabout encountered a class 2 plasma storm, a relatively common phenomenon. Unfortunately, Bashir cannot explain what has happened, as there's no computer records of this kind of physical effect resulting from that kind of storm, so he goes about researching the issue. Gul Dukat and Odo's predecessor, security chief Thrax, survey the area from the second level. Odo begins to hallucinate as the others talk, seeing a dead Bajoran man, shot in the chest with a phaser, walk by. He's also wearing the same clothes he is. He disappears as Odo looks away. Soon a Cardassian officer arrives to take Dax, who has been "selected". When Garak tries to stop the man, he gets a bloody nose for his trouble. Interestingly, back in the infirmary in the present, the comatose Garak's nose begins to bleed. An alarmed Bashir explains to Worf that the brain can have a powerful effect on bodily functions. There is some odd psychosomatic activity in Garak's brain, but Bashir cannot risk interrupting whatever is happening for fear that one of the patients will be injured or even killed. As usual, there is a purpose to everything Garak does; once he, Odo and Sisko are alone, he explains that he "borrowed" a scanning device from one of the guards when they took Dax and punched him in the nose. He uses it to find their Bajoran identities. Sisko is Ishan Chaye and Garak is Jillur Gueta, but Odo seems to know this already and immediately identifies himself as Timor Landi, all from Rakantha Province on Bajor. Before Sisko can begin to question him about the issue, Quark arrives with a pair of guards and starts to speak to the three of them, treating them with very little respect. Quark offers the three of them work at his bar. Odo ponders how much damage to the timeline would there be if Quark had an "accident", which Sisko would like to test. The other soldiers take Dax to Dukat's quarters, where there is awkward silence as he looks her over and has her pour him a bottle of kanar. She gives Dukat her name as Leeta. He claims he is misunderstood and wants a "friend" with whom to share his innermost thoughts. Although Dax's position is not an enviable one, it is clear her predicament could be far worse. As Dax learns about Dukat's apparent penchant for Bajoran women, Garak learns what it is like to be a Bajoran laborer cleaning Quark's Bar alongside Sisko and Odo. The experience seems to humble him somewhat, although he retains his Cardassian mindset about the Bajorans being better suited for such servile tasks. Sisko notes that he will discuss this with Major Kira when they get back to their reality. Garak quickly adds that there are exceptions to every rule. Odo has another hallucination of the Bajoran man he saw previously and two other men, and though he claims his visible discomfort is from the smell of the chemicals he is using, Sisko uses the chance to bring up Odo's apparent familiarity with their Bajoran aliases. It is revealed that Ishan, Jilur and Timor were innocent Bajorans executed for an assassination attempt on Dukat's life. The trio try to come up with a plan of escape, and while they do, Thrax enters to discuss various things with Quark. Garak recognizes a name, Livara, as a Romulan spy; however, according to his stolen data pad, Livara would have been visiting Terok Nor seven years ago, at which time Odo was serving as security chief, not Thrax. This only leads to more unanswered questions. Later on the Promenade, Sisko uses a trick he once learned from Major Kira to subtly request a meeting with the Bajoran Resistance, turning over a vase at one of the shops. They then get some soup and sit at a nearby table to wait. Things become even stranger for Odo as his hands are suddenly covered in blood; however, no one else can see it, and it disappears shortly. A Bajoran man from the Resistance joins them and Sisko tries to arrange transport off the station. Before he can finish, there is an explosion nearby where Gul Dukat is walking with Dax and his entourage. As the Bajoran man leaves, Sisko instinctively runs over to see if Dax is okay. However, he, Garak and Odo are arrested and taken to a holding cell. Thrax visits the brig that evening to inform various prisoners of their fate. Under Cardassian law, the verdict is reached before the trial begins, and Sisko and the others are to be sentenced the following day. Odo desperately pleads with Thrax, knowing they are innocent, but the Cardassian officer refuses to refute the circumstantial evidence, claiming the Bajorans need to accept their fate. Back in Dukat's quarters, he drones on about how lenient he is with the Bajorans and how he sees them as his children. Dax is obviously uninterested but pretends to listen. Waiting for an opportunity, she knocks the Cardassian on the head, rendering him unconscious. Each of the accused deals with the predicament in his own way. Garak plans an elaborate web of stories as usual in order to try to convince the Cardassians of his true identity. Odo continues to act strangely, but Sisko once again tries to connect the dots, as everything so far has pointed to the constable. Sisko theorizes that Odo knows more than he thinks he does, but once again the conversation is interrupted -- this time by Dax, who burns a hole in the door of the brig. The four of them head for an airlock and Dukat's personal shuttle. Dax reveals that she has used her knowledge of the station to ensure the Cardassians will be unable to stop them from leaving. Several soldiers follow suit and a fight ensues, with Thrax facing Odo. Once the other soldiers have been subdued and Thrax appears trapped, he suddenly reveals that he is a Changeling and escapes through an air duct. Pressed for time, they continue moving towards the shuttle but suddenly find themselves back in the holding cell, just two hours prior to their execution. The four discuss the situation, and its inconsistencies; none of them know how they ended up back in the cell, and the fact that Thrax is a Changeling doesn't make any sense since the Founders didn't know about the wormhole at this point in time. Thrax enters and honors Odo's previous request for an audience, taking him to the security office in the next room. There Odo attempts to reason with him, citing evidence that will prove their innocence. Thrax is more interested in order, telling Odo that the Bajoran Occupation has lasted for five decades and will likely last for another five decades more, so the Bajorans need to accept their place in history as a conquered people. When Odo reveals that the four of them do not belong there, Thrax tells Odo that he knows and then asks him (by name) what he is going to do. Suddenly, Odo and the others find themselves on the upper level of the Promenade. Sisko, Dax, and Garak are lined up and about to be executed. Odo begs Thrax to stop this, but Thrax simply tells him that "It's out of his hands now." Desperate, Odo attacks the Cardassian executioner, claiming he will not "let this happen again". He then cries out loud that he -- not Thrax -- should be here. Suddenly the scene changes again; Sisko, Dax, Odo, and Garak are now dressed normally. A distance away, the three Bajorans Odo saw earlier are lined up for execution -- with Dukat and another Odo (dressed in Thrax's uniform) standing nearby. The four of them watch as the three Bajorans are executed. Dukat and the other Cardassians vanish, as does the Past Odo. Only the bodies of the three Bajorans remain. Sisko realizes that Thrax was actually Odo all along. An ashamed Odo reveals that he was the one who let the accused men be put to death, not Thrax. A bombing identical to the one that nearly killed Dukat occurred three days later, and if he had performed any kind of investigation instead of relying on circumstantial evidence, then he would have seen that the three men were clearly innocent. However he didn't know the difference between "order" and "justice" and he allowed three innocent men to be executed as an example. Moments later, the four awake in the infirmary in the "present". Bashir informs Odo that whatever he has been through has taken its toll. Baffled and intrigued, Bashir later explains that some of Odo's morphogenic enzymes were apparently left over from when the Founders forced him to remain a Solid. The events were triggered when the runabout flew through the plasma field which triggered the enzymes causing Odo to (subconsciously) reach out for others with whom to form a link, the end result being a telepathic experience brought on by Odo who was thinking about the three Bajorans at the time. "It would make a fascinating paper," he observes, but seeing Odo's reaction, adds, "although I don't intend to write one." Just then Kira walks in, and it's clear to Bashir that he should leave the two alone. After he leaves, Kira tells Odo that even though it's been two days she still can't believe what she read in his report. She tells him that as far as the Bajorans were concerned, he was different. He stood apart from the brutal Cardassians and that made him special. However she also admits that she did things during the Occupation she'd rather forget as everyone who lived through it got their hands dirty, but she needs to know from Odo that no other innocent people died on his watch. Odo honestly replies that he doesn't know but he sincerely hopes not. 
<EOS>
There's a feeling of anticipation in Sisko's quarters as Jake makes final preparations for the move to his own quarters. Jake will be living with Nog who is due to spend his sophomore year on the station as part of his field studies, but Sisko discovers that the boys' quarters will be not next door but on the other side of the habitat ring. The old man reminisces, but Jake is all too eager to move out on his own. Meanwhile, Quark enters Rom's quarters to find his brother anxiously awaiting Nog's return. Despite his own disapproval of Nog's attending Starfleet Academy, Quark has brought along several dozen bottles of root beer and is disgusted to see Rom at once drink one. The door chime rings and Rom grows excited, believing it might be his son, but it is Odo. The usual verbal sparring between Quark and Odo turns serious when Odo announces he has come to arrest Quark once and for all. Whatever has happened, it looks like Quark's shady dealings have finally caught up with him. Alone with Odo aboard the runabout USS Rio Grande now, Quark grows increasingly bored and tries to find ways to pass the time, including him trying to get Odo to play fizzbin. While he is interested by Odo's reading a romance novel, Quark finds the constable unwilling to indulge him in a card game or tell him what has happened. All he knows for sure is that a Federation grand jury has indicted him for something big. Back aboard Deep Space 9, Nog meets Captain Sisko in his office to take orders. A symbolic moment involving Sisko's baseball, which Nog catches, epitomizes the boy's transition into a model cadet. When Nog promises to "take care" of Jake and "keep him out of trouble", the captain sarcastically claims Nog inspires him with confidence. However, when Nog and Jake move into their quarters, it is clear things will not be quite the same. Nog seems to have become more disciplined, while Jake has been indulging himself focusing on his writing. They are still best friends, but if Nog's 22:00 "lights out" time and 04:30 workout are any indication, the boys will not see eye to eye on everything. The utter lack of conversation and other stimuli has caused Quark's lobes to notice how annoyingly filled with sound the runabout is. In particular, he claims that Odo, who is eating soup, smacks his lips when he eats. There is also a strange buzzing sound, although Odo does not hear it. A few seconds pass before Quark determines to find what the sound is, and over Odo's impatience, he finds that it is an explosive. Things go from bad to worse when they try to beam the explosive off the ship, which causes it to explode and nearly destroy the ship. The Rio Grande limps to a nearby planet, where they have to crash-land because the life support systems have been virtually destroyed. On the way down, Quark mentions the bomb was planted by the Orion Syndicate, to Odo's surprise; it seems the lack of information about the charges against Quark was an attempt by Odo, who also knew nothing, to gain information. Both men lose consciousness during the violent crash. Quark awakens to find their situation grim; the Class L planet on which they have landed is freezing (although the weather is otherwise hospitable), the communications system and most supplies were destroyed in the crash, and the local plants appear poisonous. They do have a couple of ration packs, but as Odo points out, they now have a choice between starving to death and freezing to death. On his first morning with Nog, Jake sleepily walks out of his bedroom to find his friend lifting weights. As usual, Jake passes on his own workout. Nog has found one of Jake's PADDs lying around with a story, "Past Prologue," on it, so Jake asks what he thought. However, Nog did not read for "content," but rather grammar and spelling errors. While Nog's having made the corrections himself is "sacrilege" to Jake as a writer, Nog doesn't seem to care. He claims Jake needs some muscles. Meanwhile, Quark has found a cold weather suit, which he plans to wear ("finders keepers"), and a transceiver array, which they can use to send a distress call. As the communications system and signal booster have been destroyed, he uses his Ferengi brain to calculate that they will need to send the signal from somewhere with less atmosphere -- namely, from the top of a nearby mountain. The pair begin their trek out into the wilderness, conversing along the way. Quark believes Odo got what he wanted when his people made him a Solid, and while Odo denies it, in a way he seems to know this is true. On the other hand, were he still a Changeling, Odo could have flown to the top of the mountain already. Quark trips on a rock, prompting concern from Odo. While Odo's concern is clearly for Quark, he quickly changes it into concern for the transmitter. They agree to split the environmental suit between them. Tension between Jake and Nog continues to mount. Nog comes home to find that, in the process of working on his story, Jake has left a mess in their quarters, and despite his claims of "working", Jake is playing computerized dom-jot to "clear his mind". Nog claims Jake wouldn't last a day at the academy, to which Jake retorts with a comparison of the starfleet uniform to pajamas. Nog declares that he's moving out. After three days of hiking, Quark and Odo are feeling the strain. They've taken turns wearing the environmental suit, but between the hiking and the lack of beetles, Quark is about to collapse. Forcing his companion to push on, Odo assures him that they only have about six more hours to go. His opinion changes considerably when they reach the top of the hill they are climbing and find the mountain to be closer to six days away. They push on, but Quark reveals that he is not a member of the Orion Syndicate, as they do not kill their own. Odo realizes Quark was a witness, not a defendant, in the case. From this he surmises that Quark tried and failed to get into the Syndicate, which amuses him; however, Quark points out that this means Odo has spent ten years trying to catch a nobody. In the Replimat, Rom joins Sisko. As they discuss their sons' living together, each expresses his desire that his son would be more like the other's. As Sisko fondly remembers a time when the two were desperate to keep Jake and Nog away from each other, Rom reveals that he thought Nog might be a Changeling and, eight hours earlier, had drawn some blood to make sure. He pulls out the vial to check again that the blood hadn't turned back to the gelatinous changeling state. He also mentioned how Nog had put him "on report" for having an untidy toolkit. Rom and Sisko agree their sons could learn a lot from each other. They start planning a way to get Jake and Nog to reconcile. As things become increasingly desperate, Quark wakes up after a night in the open to find that he can no longer hear out of his right ear. He claims that his body has begun to shut down due to excessive stress and lack of food. Odo declares his intent to push on, even if Quark is ready to give up, and Quark goes along if only because he does not want to be left alone to die. Their true feelings come out while they continue their journey, and they eventually stop to express their hatred for one another. They start fighting and fall down a slope in the heat of the moment, breaking Odo's leg in the process. Forming a crude, makeshift splint for Odo's leg, Quark determines to carry him to the top of the mountain. Although Odo tells Quark not to be an idiot, he claims to be bringing the other man along not to save him but for food when Odo dies. The Ferengi continues to pull Odo using a travois, but eventually collapses, exhausted. Odo attempts to pull the transceiver himself. Quark, realizing that Odo is getting one up on him (and balking at the thought that his remains won't be sold if he dies on the mountain), picks himself up and pushes on. Sisko surprises his son with a visit to inform Jake of some bad news: station "regulations" say that a single person cannot occupy double quarters, and unfortunately, there are no other quarters available. The solution, of course, is to get Jake a roommate, so Sisko calls Nog in. Overruling both boys' objections (as Jake's father and as Nog's commanding officer), Sisko makes them stay in the room together and leaves them alone. They both know how foolish they have been and attempt to reconcile. Jake suggests they go to the gym, Nog suggests dom-jot instead. As Quark collapses amid a snowstorm, Odo has realized the Ferengi couldn't carry on and begun dragging himself upward. Before long he realizes it is an exercise in futility and records a log on his communicator: Odo is beamed off the surface by the USS Defiant as he speaks. It seems the ship was looking for Odo and Quark and picked up the signal from the transceiver. Worf and Dax inform him that they found Quark slumped over the emitter. Dax says that Quark saved both their lives, to Odo's dismay. The two of them end up in the Defiant's sickbay alongside one another, where they reassure each other that they meant their words of hatred earlier -- their own way of apologizing and reassuring themselves that they are still friends, or at least adversaries. 
<EOS>
In the wardroom on Deep Space 9, Captain Sisko, Major Kira and Jadzia Dax admire a twenty-thousand-year-old painting of the lost Bajoran city of B'hala -- the only known proof that the city ever existed. While Jadzia is surprised that the painting isn't a lot bigger, both Kira and Sisko are in awe of the ancient artifact, which has been recently been returned to the Bajorans by the Cardassian Government (Sisko having used his influence as Emissary to arrange for the painting to pass through the station to get a first-hand look). Sisko points out a Bantaca spire in the painting, explaining that markings upon the spire describe the co-ordinates of the lost city; however, since two of the spire's sides cannot be seen, the city's exact position is difficult to decipher. He has the picture scanned into the computer so that he can study it, prompting Kira to recall a prophecy that only one who had been touched by the Prophets could find the ruins of B'hala. In his office, Sisko looks at the computer scan of the painting and the markings on the spire. He notices that the symbols on the two hidden sides of the spire can be faintly seen in a nearby waterfall. Adjourning to a holosuite, he produces a recreation of the spire, and has the computer overlay images of the markings from the painting, as he begins a quest to decode the co-ordinates. Later, he is interrupted by Quark, who comes into the holosuite to inform him that it is after 3 am. After dismissing Quark's offer of a visit to a pleasure maze, Sisko tries to save the program to a isolinear rod. As he works a console, however, there is an explosion and the Captain is thrown to the floor, plasma energy crackling over his body. Shocked, Quark calls the infirmary. Odo hauls Quark into his office, under arrest for negligence. While Quark attempts to blame Chief O'Brien for not assigning Rom to fix the holosuites, Odo is having none of it, suggesting Quark tell it to the magistrate. In the infirmary, Bashir concludes that the captain shows no sign of permanent neural damage, but has some odd synaptic potentials. Diagnosing Sisko with post-neural shock syndrome, he advises him that external stimuli will seem more pronounced for a while and discharges him to restricted duty for three days. Later in his quarters, Sisko finishes a meal of lingta roast cooked by his son, Jake. As Jake mentions the imminent return of Kasidy Yates following her six month jail sentence, Sisko is distracted by shapes on his plate, forming them into symbols resembling the markings on the spire. Back in the holosuite, he continues working on the puzzle, but is interrupted by a call from Admiral Charlie Whatley from Starfleet Headquarters. The admiral has big news; Bajor's petition for Federation membership has been successful, and the Bajorans have requested the signing ceremony take place aboard Deep Space 9. Sisko is delighted, and Whatley congratulates him on the successful completion of his mission, telling him that a promotion to admiral can't be far off. In Quark's Bar, a busy crowd watches as several of Quark's dabo girls unveil a banner from the upper level. Realizing that the banner reads "Welcome Klingons", Quark jumps onto the bar and unfurls a second banner bearing the seal of the Federation, to appreciative applause. Chatting with Dax and Worf, Quark gleefully explains how good Bajor's entry into the Federation will be for business, and that he expects the place to be "busier than an Alvanian beehive", with sales of root beer alone to increase by five. Kira explains to Worf and Dax that five years ago she wouldn't have been celebrating, but now her time on the station and her work with Captain Sisko have changed her mind. Seeking to congratulate Sisko, Kira enters the holosuite and finds him sitting motionless on the floor in front of the holographic Bantaca spire. When he doesn't respond to her, Kira shakes Sisko out of his trance. He explains that he had been experiencing a vision of B'hala, as if he was really there, and had for one moment understood it all: B'hala, the Orbs, the Occupation of Bajor, the discovery of the wormhole, and the coming war with the Dominion. Kira, in awe, explains that he was having a pagh'tem'far, a sacred vision, and with guilt, realized that she had interrupted it. Just then, O'Brien calls over the comm and announces that Kai Winn is on her way to the station. Sisko asks Kira to greet her at the airlock while he continues to work on the puzzle of the spire. At the airlock, the Kai explains to Kira that she has reservations about Bajor's entry into the Federation, but is willing to await the will of the Prophets. Back in the holosuite, Sisko frets over maps and charts of Bajor in search of the location of B'hala. As he works, the doors of the holosuite open and Kasidy Yates enters, nervous but happy to be back. After kissing her passionately, Sisko tells her that her quarters are just as she left them. He wants her to come to Bajor with him to find B'hala, as he has worked out what the markings on the spire mean and is ready to find the lost city. Swept away by his sheer enthusiasm, she agrees. Beaming down from a runabout into a series of underground passages, Sisko and Yates make their way by flashlight to a wall of stone. Using his phaser to melt the rock, Sisko exposes a cavern behind, containing the ruins of B'hala and its Bantaca spire. Back on Deep Space 9, Kira, Odo and Worf argue in the security office about accommodation arrangements for several Admirals and Captains due to attend the upcoming signing ceremony. Kira is distracted, and explains that she thinks it is a sign from the Prophets that Sisko has found B'hala. Interrupting, Kai Winn appears and asks if she can talk with the Major. On the upper level of the Promenade, the Kai asks Kira if she thinks Sisko will forgive her for doubting that he was truly the Emissary of the Prophets. She admits that she was wrong, that only one touched by the Prophets could have found B'hala, and that she is now willing to follow the path the Emissary has laid out for Bajor. Kira is surprised and impressed, saying that it takes a lot of courage to admit when you're wrong. Winn is insulted, admonishing Kira and those who were in the Resistance for thinking that they were the only ones with courage, the only ones who fought the Cardassians during the Occupation. Winn reveals that she spent five years in a Cardassian prison during the Occupation and that while the Resistance had their weapons to protect them from the Cardassians, all she had was her faith -- and her courage. Sitting in the ruins of B'hala surrounded by teams carrying excavation equipment, Sisko is visited by Admiral Whatley. Skeptical, Whatley asks the Captain how he found the city, and Sisko insists it really was a vision. Whatley expresses disappointment that Sisko has been neglecting his duties on the station in the run up to Bajor's entry into the Federation and orders him to submit to a full medical examination on the station the next morning. As the admiral leaves, Sisko suffers a painful headache. In the Infirmary, Admiral Whatley awaits the arrival of Sisko, who is late for his medical examination. Hearing a commotion on the Promenade, Bashir and Whatley make their way to the entrance and see Sisko walking through crowds of admiring Bajorans. Sisko stops by a woman and tells her not to worry about her katterpod harvest, and then by a Bajoran Militia officer and tells him to head for home; he doesn't belong on the station. Suddenly crippled by another headache, Sisko is caught by Whatley and Bashir. Looking at the Admiral, Sisko tells him that his son forgives him. Whatley is left astounded, having told no-one that he and his son were having problems. On a biobed in the infirmary, Sisko describes a dream he had about a swarm of locusts hovering above B'hala. The swarm flew off, he says, heading towards Cardassia. Bashir explains that Sisko could die if the visions are allowed to continue, and needs surgery (a neuropolaric induction) to correct his aberrant brain activity. The procedure will save his life, but will also most likely remove the visions. Not wanting to lose the visions, Sisko refuses treatment. In Sisko's quarters, Sisko explains to Jake and Kasidy Yates why he has refused surgery, much to their anger and surprise. Both are upset, and beg him to reconsider. Just then, Kai Winn enters and asks the Emissary if he is ready -- he has asked her to guide him in his journey. He tells Jake and Kasidy that he loves them, and then leaves with Winn to consult the Orb of Prophecy. In Ops, Kira, Dax, Worf and O'Brien discuss the captain's deteriorating health. Worf and Kira assert to the skeptical Dax and O'Brien that faith and the Prophets will guide him safely through. Sisko kneels in front of the Orb of Prophecy, plagued by severe headaches. Winn is very concerned that Sisko is too unwell to handle an Orb experience, since it is a strain even on healthy people, and asks him if he'd rather wait until after the signing ceremony. Sisko insists that he wants to proceed, telling her he needs help to understand what the visions are trying to tell him. As she leaves him, he opens the Orb box. As Federation and Bajoran dignitaries gather in the wardroom for the signing ceremony, it is now an hour since it was due to start with no sign of Captain Sisko. Although Kai Winn knows that Sisko would want to be there for such an important moment, she agrees that Admiral Whatley can begin the proceedings without him. Just as Whatley begins to give a speech, Sisko bursts in and warns that Bajor must not join the Federation. He says that Bajor must stand alone else it will be destroyed, before collapsing into a seizure on the floor. Back in the infirmary, Admiral Whatley orders Bashir to operate, but the doctor cannot proceed without the permission of Sisko's next of kin. Over Sisko's unconscious body, Jake breaks down and tells his father that he needs him. He gives Bashir permission to operate, and Bashir begins to prepare for surgery. At the entrance to the Bajoran temple, Kai Winn expresses concerns to Kira, saying that she hopes the Prophets will forgive them for interfering with the Emissary's visions. Kira defends Jake's right to make the decision to save his father, but Winn is disappointed that he did not trust the Prophets. Kira counters that perhaps this is all part of the Prophets' plan. Winn states that the Bajoran Council of Ministers has voted to delay acceptance of Federation membership. She says now that Sisko has found B'hala, her path is unclear and nothing is certain. Awaking in the infirmary, Sisko reacts in anguish when he realizes that the visions are gone. Bashir informs him that they had no choice but to operate. Sisko laments that he "almost understood it all." Back on his feet and in his office, Sisko again ponders the computer image of the painting of B'hala. Admiral Whatley arrives, and asks Sisko to contact the Council of Ministers and tell them that he was wrong, and to convince them to accept Federation membership. Sisko says that he can't do that, because everything he said and did while he had the visions still feels right. Whatley is disappointed, and informs Sisko that he could remove his Starfleet commission for this. Sisko reassures the Admiral that he is certain Bajor will join the Federation one day. Whatley asks if he's speaking as a Starfleet captain or as the Emissary of the Prophets; Sisko answers, "Both." The admiral replies that in that case, he will keep the champagne on ice. Returning to his quarters, Sisko is greeted by Jake and Kasidy Yates, who are cooking jambalaya as a welcome back dinner, both for Kasidy and for him. Kasidy explains that while he may feel he's lost something important, he has held onto something important as well. She takes his hand and puts it onto Jake's. He in turn takes her hand, and adds it to his and his son's. 
<EOS>
Six vedeks are holding a ceremony. One of them, Latha Mabrin, is killed when the ceremonial candle issues a disruptor blast at him, throwing him back several meters and killing him instantly. On Deep Space 9, Major Kira Nerys is examined by Doctor Bashir, who complains that she hasn't been taking the makara herb he had prescribed. She complains that it tastes "like it crawled out of Quark's ear", and that it counteracts sedatives. He says that she claimed she didn't need sedatives, and she gives a weak answer. Odo then arrives and tells Kira of Latha's death, explaining that a hunter probe was hidden in the candle which was responsible for firing the disruptor blast. Unfortunately, before he became a Vedek Latha was a violent man who made no shortage of enemies leaving plenty of suspects. Kira sadly notes that despite his violent past, finding the Prophets helped him to change for the better. On returning to her quarters, she receives a mysterious message just showing a picture of Latha, a former resistance companion of hers, as well as a distorted voice saying "That's one". Kira reports the message to Odo and Captain Sisko, however there is no point of origin for the message so beginning an investigation is difficult. Although Kira believes it to be a general threat against the Shakaar resistance cell, none of the other members have received a message. Later, she laments to Chief O'Brien that after everything he survived Latha would be killed during a religious ceremony. She is also frustrated as she feels she should be on Bajor taking an active role in the investigation but, as she's in the late stages of pregnancy, is left unable to do much. Kira is then called to Ops, as she is receiving another anonymous communication. However this time it is Trentin Fala, a former ally of the resistance who is desperately paranoid that she is being watched following Latha's death. Kira decides to bring her aboard the station, and arranges for Dax and Worf (on their way back from a trip to Starbase 63) to pick her up. Aboard their runabout, Dax and Worf discuss Jadzia mocking a Captain Ramirez for his tongo skills only to lose two bars of latinum to him having not known he was actually a champion of the game. The two debate where she'll get the money to pay him, before trying to beam Fala aboard. however the transport goes badly wrong, as her pattern suddenly scrambles while in the buffer. Dax and Worf desperately try to correct the problem but its no use and Fala dies painfully, leaving behind a smoking corpse. Kira goes to see what is left of Fala's body, as Odo reports that her death was caused by a remat detonator which she had unknowingly been carrying. Although the device is typically used by the Romulans, it's availability on the black market does nothing to shed any light on who is responsible. This confirms for Kira that someone is targeting the members of the Shakaar cell, revealing that although Fala wasn't officially part of the cell, she passed information to them for years while working as a cleaner in a Cardassian records office. She also notes that Fala was constantly terrified of getting caught, but never stopped helping the cell and for that, Kira considered her to be braver than any of the Shakaar's members because she lived with her fear. Walking down the Promenade, Kira hears the same voice from before saying "That's two" and finds it coming from a PADD Quark found. Odo reasons that the killer is someone who was injured or lost family in an attack that was based on Fala's information in which Kira plays a principal role. Before they can start compiling a list, Odo's database is accessed and a picture of Mobara, another resistance companion, appears with the words "That's three". Odo immediately sends an emergency message to the university where Mobara is studying, but he can't be immediately contacted, so a search party is put together. Kira is getting more and more frustrated with everything that's happening, so Odo has her return to quarters to rest, assigning a security detachment and a personal guard to her, Lieutenant Brilgar. However, when she arrives and heads to bed, leaving Brilgar in the living room, she hears a thud. Guessing he has just been knocked unconscious, she gets her phaser and continues to listen. Kira opens the door and slowly peers around the dark room for the intruder. However, she finds her former Resistance colleagues Lupaza and Furel, who had broken into the O'Briens' quarters. They pledge to support her and hunt down the person responsible for the deaths of their friends. Kira tries to convince them to leave it to the authorities, but neither are happy with that solution. Lupaza then gives Kira some fresh makara herbs, and the major invites them to stay on the station. The two insist on staying near Kira, so she decides to let them stay in the quarters while Keiko and Molly are visiting Earth. Odo reports to Captain Sisko in his office that Mobara's body was found a couple of hours earlier, the man having died when a micro-explosive planted behind his ear went off. Odo believes that the explosive was planted via a probe, since the killer clearly has expertise with remote-control devices. Although this sounds like a professional assassin, Odo notes that a professional would never send anonymous messages. this is someone with a vendetta. In Ops, Kira and Dax enlist Nog (with his superior hearing) to help them with the messages. Upon listening, Nog notes that the messages are not complete sentences, but rather words from different speeches put together. Working from this basis, Dax assumes that as the first word is the same in all the messages then it was likely copied three times, which gives her a reference to start screening out the interference. As it starts to descramble, the three quickly recognize the voice. it's Kira's -- the killer using the major's own voice in his messages. The investigation is quickly halted when the sensors report an explosion in the habitat ring in the O'Briens' quarters, causing a hull breach. Dax puts the station to red alert and halts all traffic, as Sisko and Odo emerge from the office. Dax reports what has happened, however they suddenly realize Kira has left. The major, her fury blinding her actions, heads towards the quarters, fighting her way past all the security guards who try to stop her from exposing herself to the hull breach. Although she gets mere inches from the door panel, the baby intervenes and causes her to collapse. In the infirmary, Kira wakes up and Bashir tells her the baby is fine and Miles wasn't in his quarters when they exploded, however Lupaza and Furel were killed. Her only comfort is that the two died instantly. Odo visits and Kira recounts her first days in the Resistance, how at the age of thirteen she'd been hanging around the cell running errands and when a planned ambush needed an extra member she volunteered. Lupaza stuck up for her despite everyone else thinking she was too small, and Shakaar decided to let her join the ambush which was a success. Afterwards she remembers how she couldn't stop smiling while Lupaza made Kira an earring from the skimmer that had just been ambushed - the one she continues to wear today - officially making Kira part of the resistance. Kira then asks what happened, and Odo tells her that a hunter probe was attached to a freighter that docked at the station. The probe then detached and scanned each room in the habitat ring for its targets. Once it found Lupaza and Furel, it attached itself to the window and exploded. Odo has now compiled a list of twenty-five suspects who have the motive, expertise, and opportunity to commit the murders. Kira asks to see it, but Odo refuses, saying he'd like to narrow it down a little. Kira knows that Odo is worried that she'll go off on a personal vendetta mission, and tells him he's right. Odo promises to find the killer, and to keep Kira informed. As soon as he's gone however, Kira uses an emergency transport program to beam herself to the security office. There, she downloads the list to a PADD, then beams herself to a runabout. Odo enters the office a few seconds after she's gone, and notices his chair out of place. Knowing he wouldn't leave it like that, Odo asks the computer to confirm Kira's location, and it reports she's no longer on the station. As Kira prepares to track down the killer, Odo tells Captain Sisko that Kira deleted the suspects from his database when she downloaded them so they don't know where she is headed. Sisko tells Worf to prepare the Defiant to follow the runabout, however tracking her will be difficult as Kira is masking its emissions. After being satisfied that the first three suspects on Odo's list couldn't have been responsible for the killings, Kira visits a Cardassian named Silaran Prin living near the Demilitarized Zone. Once she beams down, Kira is stunned almost immediately by Prin. Kira awakens to find herself restrained on a medical bed by an energy field, while Prin gravely rants about her as if she were a vile creature of darkness, "afraid of the light" which Prin fancies himself to embody. He scoffs at her accusations that he is a murderer, and insists that the former resistance members all deserved their fates. Prin goes on to explain that he was a Cardassian civilian at the time of the Occupation, and he was burned and terribly disfigured by a bomb used to assassinate Gul Pirak, who had murdered fifteen Bajoran farmers who refused to display the Cardassian banner outside their homes. Fala had shown the Resistance how to circumvent his defense system, Latha built the bomb, and the device was planted on a window by Kira herself while Lupaza and Furel stood guard. The bomb was much more powerful than necessary to kill only its target, and the resulting explosion claimed twenty-three lives in total, including Gul Pirak's entire family, and injured many others who served as servants in Pirak's home, including Prin, who laundered Pirak's clothes. Prin has clearly grown more than a little insane since the attack: he continues his long monologues about darkness and light and explains that he was cautious in his murders to not hurt innocent bystanders, as he could have killed all the vedeks in the temple, Dax and Worf while aboard the runabout or half the people on Deep Space 9. Therefore, he logically intends to cut out Kira's baby, killing her and "saving" the child from being "corrupted by [her] darkness", so he can "raise it in the light". Prin feels that Kira is a murderer because she killed Cardassian civilians on Bajor along with soldiers and feels no regret for her actions. Kira responds by saying that the Cardassians had no right to be on Bajor in the first place, and for fifty years they stole food from the land while enslaving, torturing, and killing its people for profit and pleasure. Therefore all the Cardassians, from soldiers to civilians, were equally guilty and all were legitimate targets. Prin prepares to cut out Kira's baby, but consents to administer a sedative to Kira first, to show her a level of mercy she didn't show him. When he is satisfied that the sedative has taken effect, he deactivates the restraint field and approaches, and Kira, upon whom the sedative had no effect because of the makara herbs that she has been taking lately, quickly overpowers him and kills him. Later, when a group from DS9 arrives to rescue her, Kira is found sitting silently next to Prin's body. She is initially unresponsive, and Doctor Bashir finds a large amount of sedatives in her system, which had been counteracted by the makara herb. When she finally talks, she does so in the same manner Prin had, claiming that for all his talk of light and darkness, innocent and guilt, he hadn't realized that "the light only shines in the darkness", and "innocence is often just an excuse for the guilty". The four officers leave the grim scene, and beam up to the Defiant. 
<EOS>
With his back in severe pain, Odo hobbles into the infirmary convinced that he has become infected with Alvanian spine mites. However, Doctor Bashir diagnoses a pinched nerve resulting from bad posture and advises that Odo try some of Worf's morning exercise classes. Quark, intruding, suggests he try a holosuite program featuring three Orion slave girls instead, much to Odo's annoyance. Unperturbed by the Constable's hostility, Quark explains that he has obtained something from a Yridian dealer that Odo might be interested in -- a dead Changeling, contained in an ornate container. After settling a price of eight slips of gold-pressed latinum upon realizing that the Changeling is actually alive, but sick, Quark sells it to Odo. Bashir advises placing the Changeling into a containment field but Odo assures him there's no need -- it is just an infant. In the Infirmary, Captain Sisko and Odo regard the sick and discolored infant Changeling. Odo explains that when he was found, he was as small as the infant in front of them; its mass will increase as its shapeshifting abilities develop. Bashir concludes that the infant was exposed to a massive amount of tetryon radiation, and that he will have to purge the isotopes with an electrophoretic diffuser. Sisko asks Odo if he's sure the infant poses no threat. Odo explains that when he was found he had no idea of what he was or where he was from -- what better way for the Hundred, and therefore the Founders, to gauge other species than by the way they treated the weak and vulnerable. When Sisko suggests that valuable intelligence could be gained by studying the infant, Odo asks that he be allowed to work with it, to teach it to shapeshift. Sisko proposes that Odo contact his old mentor, Doctor Mora Pol, for help, but Odo states that he would rather do it alone. Some time later, Bashir reports that the purge was almost 100% successful. He says he must leave to check on Major Kira, who has gone into labor with the O'Briens' baby, but Odo is preoccupied by thoughts of the infant. Before he leaves, Bashir advises that there is still a small degree of instability in the infant's morphogenic matrix and that he has set the computer to monitor for fluctuations. Once Bashir has gone, Odo begins to talk softly to the infant, explaining how he spent months in a lab being studied and how he felt lost and alone. He promises that it won't be that way this time. In a birthing room, a Bajoran midwife, Miles and Keiko O'Brien use percussion instruments to sound out a soothing rhythm as Doctor Bashir examines Major Kira. Miles struggles to keep the rhythm and complains that the birth is taking longer than expected. Bashir explains that for Bajoran women, giving birth is all about being relaxed; Miles counters that Kira will not relax until First Minister Shakaar arrives -- just then he does, a few hours late. Seated at a table in the Replimat, Odo talks to the infant Changeling, which is now contained within a drinking glass. He is interrupted by Worf, who asks why Odo is talking to his beverage. Odo explains that it is a Changeling, causing Worf to look uncertainly at his own drink. Back in the science lab, Odo explains with wonder to the infant that it is a Changeling, a shapeshifter, and that it could be anything -- a Tarkalean hawk soaring through the sky, or a Filian python burrowing deep beneath the ground. He admits that he was never a very good shapeshifter, but believes he can be a good teacher. He promises once again that he will never treat the infant the way he was treated. Just then, Doctor Mora arrives and explains that he has heard about the infant and wants to help, much to Odo's dismay. Mora admires the infant Changeling's size, and is surprised that Odo hasn't measured it. Barely hiding his annoyance at Mora's presence, Odo remarks that he thought Mora was on Earth helping Starfleet to develop new ways to detect Changeling infiltrators. Mora informs him that he had recently arrived on Bajor in order to visit his parents. With genuine concern, he asks how Odo is and reveals that he has been worried since the Founders removed Odo's shapeshifting abilities. As Mora picks up an instrument to start measuring the infant Odo reacts angrily, determined not to let Mora perform any experiments on it. Nevertheless determined to offer his advice, Mora suggests reducing the temperature to 17 °C, at which the infant's morphogenic matrix will be most malleable. He adds that Odo could benefit from much of his knowledge, and begrudgingly Odo agrees to look at his reports. But Odo is still angry and resentful about the tests Mora subjected him to, a fact not lost on his old mentor. Mora states that he would be fascinated to observe Odo's less invasive approach to working with the infant, and determines to stay and observe. In the birthing room, the midwife announces that Kira has been in labor for too long and won't give birth today. It is obvious that Miles blames Shakaar because of his late arrival, but Kira asks Shakaar to stay around for a while. Odo begins to introduce shapes to the infant, starting with a sphere. The infant remains motionless and in a gelatinous state but Odo persists, showing different shapes to it and talking about what they represent. One week later, Mora expresses concern that the infant has barely increased in size and Odo seems to have made no progress in teaching it to assume other shapes. Their barely contained annoyance with each other finally boils over and they start to bicker. At the height of their argument they are interrupted by Captain Sisko, who reports that Starfleet Command is eager to establish communication with the infant as soon as possible. With little progress to date, Sisko warns that Starfleet may want to take over the project and asks that Odo file daily reports from now on. Drawing a comparison to the type of pressure he was placed under by the Cardassians when he was working on Odo during the Occupation, Mora suggests that they try some of his more invasive techniques on the infant. With obvious reluctance, Odo places the infant into one of Mora's electrostatic devices -- a circular shallow tank that carries a charge around the outside but no charge in the center. Mora insists that Odo initiate the charge, which he timidly does, and then that he increase it to a level at which the infant will feel discomfort. As Odo does so the infant begins to move for the first time, quickly sliding to the center to avoid the charge. Odo can't help but smile, and Mora reveals that he also smiled the first time Odo did that. In Kira's bedroom, O'Brien massages her legs while Shakaar invites her to a zero-gravity tumbling performance on the Promenade. As the men squabble over the best way to relax her, Kira suddenly realizes that she's going back into labor. Continuing to use Mora's electrostatic device, Odo is able to coax the infant into forming and holding shapes. He reveals to Mora that he used to not hold his shape on purpose in order to deny Mora the satisfaction of seeing it. Wistfully, Mora suggests that one day, if Odo is lucky, the infant may thank him for his efforts; on the other hand it may just leave, like Odo did. As they turn to leave the lab, the infant begins to form a shape, snaking up towards Odo and bending towards him. As Odo leans in to look closer, the infant forms a rough mirror of Odo's face. Odo and Mora are overcome with joy. Returning to Odo's office, Odo and Mora are effervescent. Excitedly they chatter about the infant's shapeshifting. Mora suggests that in the coming days they begin to expose it to simple life forms, while Odo enthuses that he can't wait to communicate with it -- there's so much he wants it to see, so much he wants to share. Mora compliments Odo on his approach of communicating with the infant, and admits that he was wrong. He can see that the infant is reaching out to Odo, is curious about him; the first time Odo did anything like that was when he formed a tentacle to slap Mora's hand away from the control panel of one of his devices. Mora admits that he was never able to form a connection with Odo, but Odo tells him that's not true. Odo suggests that he would still be nothing more than a lump of organic residue if it were not for Mora, and Mora is overcome. The two men have finally reached an understanding. As Mora turns to leave, Odo orders two glasses of champagne from the replicator so that they can celebrate. Back in the birthing room, Kira is finally relaxed enough to give birth. Shakaar tries to keep Miles out of the way, but after missing his daughter Molly's birth Miles is determined not to miss this one. As they squabble, Kira tells them to leave. In his darkened bar, Quark counts his profits on a PADD and mutters to himself that he'll have to start watering the drinks again. Startled by a noise, he notices Odo behind the bar setting out bottles and glasses. Doctor Mora, Odo says, has gone to sleep and he feels like celebrating, so he's buying Quark a drink. Initially skeptical at seeing Odo happy, Quark eventually comes round when Odo explains that finding the infant has changed his life; he has found a part of himself that he lost when he was forced to become a solid. Just then they are interrupted by the computer, which announces that it has detected biomimetic fluctuations in the infant. As Odo rushes into the science lab, Mora explains that the infant's morphogenic matrix is destabilizing: it is dying. Odo is grief-stricken. In the infirmary, Bashir speculates that the radiation must have damaged the infant's cytoplasm in a way they weren't able to detect. Mora suggests using an enzymatic induction to stabilize the biomimetic fluctuations. Mora asks Odo to wait outside. Kira, utterly relaxed, finally nears delivery. Keiko invites Miles and Shakaar back into the room just in time to witness the birth of a baby boy, Kirayoshi. At one of the docking ports, Kira sees Shakaar onto a shuttle bound for Bajor. He invites her to take some leave and stay with him for a while, but she feels like staying aboard the station for a while. Doctor Mora, also boarding the shuttle, tells Odo to think of the return of his shapeshifting abilities as a gift, something the infant wanted him to have. Odo admits that he finally understands what he must have meant to Mora, and vows to involve his mentor more in his life. They hug, and Mora departs. Kira expresses her sorrow to Odo, and confides that she never wanted a baby but now just wants to hold him in her arms and never let go. Odo replies that he knows how she feels. Kira wraps her arm around her friend's shoulders and they slowly walk off together. 
<EOS>
Sisko is in a Maquis colony on Marva IV to meet with an informant that claims to have information about the former Starfleet officer Michael Eddington, now the leader of the Maquis. The captain is met by none other than Eddington himself, who had already discovered the informant and marooned him. Eddington attempts to make his point with the refugees outside, reiterating the Maquis point of view that these people were abandoned. Sisko responds with the Starfleet position, and that he's not there to debate policy. Furthermore, he doesn't see victims of the Federation, but rather, of the Maquis' false hopes. Eddington finally says not to come after him, that Sisko will regret it, and transports away. Sisko quickly orders USS Defiant to pursue. Headed for the Badlands, Eddington has too great a lead. Sisko therefore enlists the help of Captain Sanders and his ship, the USS Malinche, in delaying Eddington until the Defiant can arrive. When it seems that Sisko has got his man, Eddington triggers a cascade virus, disabling all of the Defiant's computer systems, leaving it effectively dead in space. Furthermore, Eddington also uses their new holocommunicator to inform them of what happened. This virus was planted by Eddington before he left Starfleet, further highlighting the depth of his betrayal. Eddington warns that Sisko is taking this personally, though he himself does not, having no animosity for him or any of the Defiant's crew. He furthers his insistence that the Maquis aren't killers, stopping his attack on the Defiant and saying if they leave him alone, he will leave them alone. He leaves Sisko with the statement that he knows when to walk away. When communications are cut, Sisko tries to contain his anger. After being towed back to the station by the Malinche, Chief O'Brien reports that repairing the Defiant's computer will take two weeks minimum. Odo then tells Captain Sisko that he found a further two viruses in Deep Space 9's computer and can't be certain there aren't more since Eddington had complete access during his eighteen months as Chief of Starfleet Security. Worf reports that two Bolian freighters carrying selenium and rhodium nitrite, two seemingly innocuous materials, have disappeared near the Badlands and the Maquis are believed to be responsible, to what end is not certain. Sisko's bad mood is made even worse Captain Sanders informs Sisko that Starfleet has ordered Sanders to take over the hunt for Eddington since he's been after him eight months without success and are concerned about Sisko's personal feelings, feeling that someone without a personal stake in Eddington's capture may have more success. Sisko is angry, but wishes Captain Sanders luck. Later in the holosuite, Sisko vents his fury over the situation with the aid of a punching bag while Dax talks over the situation with him. As well as this being the first time in his career that he's been taken off an assignment, he admits that as a Starfleet captain he's supposed to be a good judge of character and yet was completely taken in by Eddington. Dax tells Sisko that he needs to understand and accept the fact that Eddington isn't his problem anymore. Just then Kira calls Sisko to Ops and reports some shocking news. Eddington has attacked a Cardassian colony with a biogenic weapon. The chemical used was cobalt diselenide, created from the selenium and rhodium nitrite, which is hazardous to Cardassians but harmless to most humanoids. The Maquis have already announced an intention to reclaim the planet. Also, with the amount of biogenic weapons the Maquis have they can poison every Cardassian in the Demilitarized Zone. Sisko decides to take the Defiant out, and the crew joins him. The Defiant is barely functional due to the damage from the cascade virus. Sisko is informed that the ship can only reach warp 6, the cloak and transporters are unavailable, weapons are online, but the targeting scanners must be calibrated manually, and the internal communications system is completely down (even com badges are useless due to the damaged EPS conduits). However Chief O'Brien has a solution: Cadet Nog, since his superior hearing will allow him to relay orders from the bridge to engineering easily regardless of how hectic things may be. The Defiant finally gets underway, after a difficult departure which includes nearly colliding with one of DS9's lower pylons. With several tests and readiness drills, the ship heads to the Badlands. Kira detects a Maquis raider signature inside plasma fields. When they approach it, they receive a transmission from Eddington. After a bit of banter, Eddington offers Sisko a copy of Les Miserables, calling it one of his favorite books. Finally, the crew realizes that the Maquis Raider signature is a fake -- there isn't really a ship there. They know they've been misdirected. Once they get out of the Badlands, they detect a distress call from the Malinche. They Maquis ambushed them and disabled their engines. The Malinche was fooled by a trick similar to the Defiant: their sensors detected a Cardassian freighter in distress, and when they lowered their shields to transport the crew, they found that the sensor readings had been faked. In their moment of vulnerability, the Maquis attacked. With their warp core matrix compositor fused, Sisko provides them some micro-power relays and engineering help. Sanders gives him an encoded message they intercepted from the raiders. Sisko confers with Odo on DS9 about the message. He reveals it is a Breen nursery rhyme of no particular importance. However, based on how well he knows Eddington, he supposes that Eddington probably uses a Breen settlement as a base to keep his unstable weapon components. Fortunately, Starfleet has intelligence drones in the system, so they can see who's been visiting. Dax and Worf investigate possible targets in the Dorvan sector. Based on that intelligence and Sisko's knowledge of Eddington, Sisko deduces the next target: Quatal Prime. However, they arrive too late, only to see two fleeing raiders and transport ships evacuating the planet. The Defiant manages to destroy one of the raiders, but the other, with Eddington on board, disables a Cardassian transport. Unable to use the transporter to save the plunging vessel, Sisko is forced to let Eddington escape in order to save the Cardassians with the Defiant's tractor beam. While they tow the transport, Sisko is deep in thought in the mess hall. When Eddington sent Sisko Les Miserables, he compared Sisko to a character in the novel, Javert, "a policeman who relentlessly pursues a man named Valjean, guilty of a trivial offense". Sisko realizes that Eddington sees himself as Valjean, the hero of Les Miserables, and that Eddington's self-perceived heroism could be used against him. In Sisko's words: "I think it's time for me to become the villain." Sisko then proceeds with the same strategy the Maquis had been using, he prepares to launch biogenic weapons comprised of trilithium resin at a Maquis settlement. A reversal of Eddington's weapon, the resin bomb would poison the atmosphere with a toxin that is deadly to Humans, but harmless to Cardassians. Sisko broadcasts a message revealing his intentions, but Eddington dismisses it as a Federation bluff. Sisko then orders the weapons fired, and Worf initially hesitates as he and the rest of the bridge crew are shocked that Sisko is following through with his threat. Sisko repeats his order, and Worf launches the weapons which do their job and poison the atmosphere, with Maquis transports scrambling to evacuate the settlement. Sisko announces that he plans to continue his campaign against all of the Maquis colonies in the DMZ, telling Eddington that when he attacked the Malinche the Maquis proved themselves to be an unacceptable threat to the Federation. Eddington offers to turn over the Maquis' stocks of biogenic weapons, but Sisko tells him that isn't enough. This leads Eddington to turn himself in to prevent further attacks, thus fulfilling the self-sacrificial part of his hero fantasy. In the aftermath, Cardassian and Human colonists are resettled on the poisoned colonies, exchanging their former homes. Back on DS9, Eddington is turned over to Odo, and Dax has Sisko confess that he didn't clear his plot to poison the Maquis colonies with Starfleet. 
<EOS>
Major Kira is helping Odo reorganize his living quarters. Odo ponders on how much, as a solid, he enjoyed sleeping in a bed. Kira suggests that if he enjoyed it so much he should keep the bed and continue using it. Odo points out, however, that he reverts to a gelatinous state when he falls asleep and slides off the bed, so keeping it would be pointless. Kira then stumbles upon a PADD entitled Finding and Winning your Perfect Mate by Dr. Jennings Rain. Odo snatches the PADD away and lowers his head, trying to explain its purpose. Kira suggests that he continue reading the PADD, given that he is a solid 18 hours a day. Dax contacts Odo over the comm. A Gamma Quadrant listening post has just picked up an encoded Cardassian transmission. Unable to decode the transmission, Odo suggests allowing Garak to attempt to decrypt the transmission. At the station's Replimat some time after, Elim Garak explains to Tora Ziyal and Dr. Bashir that the transmission was nothing more than a five-year-old planetary survey report. Garak brushes off the transmission as unimportant. Bashir responds that he is surprised that Garak isn't at all enthusiastic about a Cardassian transmission coming from the Gamma Quadrant, considering it could have been from the survivors of the joint Cardassian-Romulan attack fleet that was lost there. Garak states that he has long given up on the idea of finding any survivors, to which Ziyal states "I never saw you as the giving-up type."  Then Garak sneaks on board a Federation runabout; as he approaches the controls one of the chairs swivels around to reveal Bashir pointing a phaser at the tailor. "Going somewhere?" the doctor asks pointedly. "I really must remember to stop underestimating you," says Garak, who then reveals that the transmission was really a distress call from Enabran Tain, the former head of the Obsidian Order. The Cardassian tailor admits that he and Tain were "very close," and despite their tumultuous history, feels obliged to find him. Garak offers to bring Bashir along with him on this rescue mission. Bashir appears to agree at first, but then aims the phaser back at Garak and orders him to Captain Sisko's office. At Sisko's ready room, Garak reveals that the transmission code sequence was designed by Tain and himself. No one else could decrypt it. Garak portrays his rescue attempt as a "mission of mercy," suggesting to Sisko that there might be other survivors of Dominion attacks imprisoned with Tain -- including Federation citizens. Sisko is still naturally suspicious, but agrees to let Garak go but only if Commander Worf goes along with him. In his quarters, Dax is furious that Worf did not inform her of his involvement in Garak's mission. Worf brushes it off, saying it would not be the Klingon way to "explain why [he] chooses to face danger, not even to his par'Mach'kai." Jadzia's anger changes to nonchalance as she takes Worf's Klingon operas, intending to enjoy them while he is away. Worf seems perturbed by the thought, worried that Dax might misplace them. They then kiss passionately and Dax coyly invites him to hurry back. Over at Quark's, Tora Ziyal tries to express her feelings for Garak but the tailor simply brushes it off, embarrassed. Nonetheless, he promises that no matter what happens, he "will come back." They share a moment before it is interrupted by a furious Dukat, who rushes in and threatens to throw Garak over the railing if he ever touches Ziyal again. Despite Garak's snide remarks, Quark intervenes and threatens to call security while Ziyal pleads with her father, who finally relents. Garak, seemingly unaffected by the whole incident, chips in a final retort and says, "You do have a lovely daughter; she must take after her mother." Dukat explains to Ziyal that he is here for repairs and to spend time with her. Looking in Garak's general direction, he continues, "I can see we have a lot to talk about." Sisko accompanies Worf to the airlock, reiterating that this is a reconnaissance mission and to avoid Dominion ships at all costs. Worf doesn't seem too happy about working with Garak, remarking to Sisko that at the first sign of betrayal, he will kill him. Sisko assumes Worf is joking, to which he states "We will see." While on their way through the Gamma Quadrant, Garak tries his best to convince Worf to support his application to Starfleet Academy. Worf finally gives in, only to realize the Cardassian fooled him the whole time. Garak points out that lying, as any skill, must be practiced constantly. Dukat confronts Major Kira, accusing her of betraying him by letting Ziyal fraternize with a personal enemy of his. He swears never to forget it; Kira only replies that "if that's a threat, I'm not impressed." Worf stops the runabout, having decided that the source of the signal is too deep in Dominion space and that the risk of stumbling over Jem'Hadar forces is too high. Garak can convince him that by going through an interstellar nebula, they can come closer to the source without appearing on the Jem'Hadar's sensors. However, shortly after they enter the nebula, a large Dominion fleet appears. Worf tries to get away, but the runabout is trapped in a tractor beam and boarded by a group of Jem'Hadar soldiers. Never deterred, Garak says, "Are we glad to see you! Could one of you point us in the direction of the wormhole?" one of them knocks him unconscious. Dax and Kira talk about Kirayoshi O'Brien's progress in recognizing people only a month after his birth when a distress signal from Worf arrives. They can only understand part of it, but the words "Jem'Hadar," "buildup," and "imminent," together with the fact that two of Starfleet's listening posts in the Gamma Quadrant are suddenly destroyed, makes everyone realize that the long-feared Dominion invasion is about to begin. Sisko orders Dax to notify Starfleet, put the station on yellow alert and "make sure everyone knows this is not a drill." He then sends Kira and the USS Defiant to the Gamma Quadrant to find Worf. Garak and Worf are beamed inside Internment Camp 371, a Dominion prison facility located on an asteroid orbiting a gas giant. Ikat'ika, the Jem'Hadar first in charge of the camp identifies them as enemies of the Dominion and points out that there is no other release from his facility than death. Another listening post is destroyed and a ship exits the wormhole. It turns out to be the Defiant. Sisko hails Kira and asks her what she found. "Trouble," she answers. Gul Dukat meets his daughter in front of the Bajoran shrine. He tells Ziyal that a Dominion fleet will arrive soon and that he wants her to leave for Cardassia. She is visibly unhappy about that decision. Worf and Garak are confined to Barracks 6, where they meet General Martok, a high-ranking Klingon officer who had been replaced by a Changeling impostor two years earlier. The General, who has lost his left eye, is being used as an opponent in brutal hand-to-hand combat training for the Jem'Hadar. Ikat'ika ends the match but tells Worf, for him, it's just beginning. It turns out Martok has been waiting for them, as has Enabran Tain, who is in bad health and only has days to live due to heart problems. He greets them roughly, which does not seem to surprise a bitter Garak, who says he would have at least hoped for something like "thank you, Elim." Tain replies that all Garak did was to doom them both. Dukat arrives to a briefing with DS9's senior staff where Sisko makes it clear that the Dominion have picked the perfect time invade the Alpha Quadrant; the war with the Klingons and the frequent skirmishes with the Maquis has left the Cardassian military in shambles, the failed Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar invasion of the Founders homeworld in the Omarion Nebula has left the Romulan Empire not much better off and between the hostilities with the Klingons and the recent Borg invasion of Federation space, Starfleet is spread thin as well. The only chance to fight back the Jem'Hadar invasion fleet, Sisko believes, is to seal the wormhole without damaging it or harming the Prophets, by using a series of phase-conjugate graviton beams (a method invented by Trill scientist Lenara Kahn). Kira objects to the sealing of the Celestial Temple, but Sisko overrules her. Martok informs the newly arrived prisoners that Tain modified the life support system of their prison cell to send the subspace message to Cardassia, when a female Romulan prisoner arrives and tells Martok that "he" has been released from isolation. Worf asks who she is talking about, to which Martok replies: "A friend." A few seconds later, a Jem'Hadar pushes another prisoner, a Human wearing the previous style of Starfleet uniform, into the room, who, to Garak's and Worf's great astonishment, turns out to be Dr. Julian Bashir. Bashir performs a blood screening on himself to prove to his fellow inmates that he is not a Changeling, although everyone knows that the screenings aren't totally trustworthy anymore. After that, he describes how he went to sleep after a conference about a month ago and woke up in the internment camp the next morning. Martok describes how the same happened to him after he was abducted from Qo'noS while hunting saber bear on Kang's Summit, and expresses disdain towards the Changeling who replaced him, calling it a "grave dishonor" to have had so many Klingons die because of his double. Worf assures the general that none of the dishonor is his, as Bashir worries about what the Changeling who replaced him on the station is up to. Worf says they must find a way to warn Captain Sisko before the Changeling can carry out whatever mission he has. This very Changeling arrives at Ops at the same time, bringing sandwiches for Dax and O'Brien, who are working on the modifications on the graviton emitter controls. He tells them to let him know if they need anything. Dukat is waiting in front of an airlock when Ziyal arrives and tells him that she will not leave DS9. Her father gets furious, telling her that things on Cardassia will change soon and that Garak is probably dead already. Ziyal still refuses to go, so Dukat rushes off, telling her to "stay here and be damned." Martok informs Garak that if there is anything left he wants to say to Tain, he'd better do it soon. Garak and Bashir make their way to their prison cell, where Tain has already gone blind. He asks Garak if they're alone, and Garak lies about Bashir's presence, telling Tain that there's no-one else there. Tain then asks Garak about his enemies, to which his former protege assures him that they have all been taken care of. Tain than advises him to stay alive and avenge his death. Garak says he will do so if he asks him this favor not as a mentor or a superior officer, but as a father. Tain replies that he is not his son, but Garak interrupts him: "Father, you're dying. For once in your life, speak the truth." Tain finally admits the truth, talking of his regret that he didn't kill Garak before he was born as he regarded him as a weakness. Garak begs for Tain to allow him to be his son even if only for a few moments. Tain recalls a day in the country when a five-year old Garak kept falling off a riding hound but never gave up and kept getting back on, recalling that despite everything he was very proud of him that day ("the only day," according to Garak). Tain finally dies, and Garak tells Bashir and Worf that his business in the camp has finished. The three then start planning their escape. Meanwhile, all the Gamma Quadrant listening posts have been destroyed meaning the Dominion invasion is imminent. With no time left and, despite knowing they're trapping Worf and Garak in the Gamma Quadrant, the DS9 crew tries to seal the wormhole. However the station's graviton emitter array has been sabotaged and fails to destabilize the wormhole's graviton matrix. The wormhole opens moments later and a massive Dominion fleet enters the Alpha Quadrant. 
<EOS>
The Dominion fleet enters the Alpha Quadrant through the wormhole. The USS Defiant (under the command of Kira), Dukat's Bird-of-Prey and the station's two remaining runabouts prepare to take on the fleet, only for it to not attack Deep Space 9; instead, it heads directly for Cardassian space. Dukat's Bird-of-Prey breaks off from the Defiant and starts to follow the Dominion fleet. Kira, thinking Dukat is trying to be a hero, tells him to stop but Dukat clarifies that he isn't chasing the fleet. he's joining it. He then reveals a startling fact; over the last few months, he has been conducting secret negotiations and, as of a week earlier, the Cardassian Union are officially members of the Dominion. He then bids farewell to Kira, wryly noting that the two of them being on the same side never seemed right. He then makes a getaway before the Defiant can destroy his ship. Worf, Bashir, Garak, and Martok plan their escape from Internment Camp 371. The prisoners in Internment Camp 371 are gathered together. The prison's commanding Vorta, Deyos, announces that Cardassia has joined the Dominion and, consequently, all the Cardassians imprisoned at 371 are being released with the exception of Garak. When Garak demands to know why he is not being released, Deyos reveals that the new head of the Cardassian government is none other than Gul Dukat. Dukat soon makes his first broadcast as leader to the people of Cardassia, while Sisko and the others watch on DS9. Dukat promises to remove all Klingons and Maquis from within Cardassian space, as well as anyone else who gets in the way of Cardassia's return to a position of prominence in the Alpha Quadrant. The senior staff discuss the situation. The wormhole's entrance, rather than being sealed, has now been strengthened to the point that it can never be collapsed. Between this and the sudden disappearance of an engineering officer, Changeling involvement is suggested by none other than by the Julian Bashir Changeling. With this, he is authorized to begin blood screenings. While Garak works inside a tight space next to their cell to contact their runabout's transporter, Worf is coerced into a series of hand-to-hand battles with Jem'Hadar warriors, beginning with the youngest. Back in the Alpha Quadrant, Kira and Ziyal talk on the Promenade, discussing the duplicitous actions of her father, Dukat. A battered Klingon fleet led by Chancellor Gowron unexpectedly arrives at DS9 - the newly arrived Dominion fleet has quickly turned the tide of the Klingon-Cardassian War in favor of the Cardassians, and the incensed Gowron is ready to plunge the Klingon Empire into a fight to the death with the Dominion. Sisko suggests to Gowron that the Khitomer Accords be revived for the sake of bolstering their forces for the coming conflict. Gowron accedes. Afterwards, the Bashir Changeling successfully sneaks aboard the runabout USS Yukon and starts making modifications. Worf continues fighting the Jem'Hadar and kills the last one of five, earning awe and admiration from Martok. Once back in the cell, Bashir treats Worf and states that he has three or four broken ribs. The Doctor recommends that Worf stop fighting, but Worf refuses. Garak is still working inside the tight space, talking to himself, and seems to be losing his mind. The others hear strange noises coming from within the space. When the Jem'Hadar guards pass the cell, the prisoners hurriedly shut off the power, plunging the enclosed space into darkness.  When the guards have gone, Bashir enters the space and pulls Garak out.  For the next several hours, he lies on his bunk, unmoving, staring straight ahead.  Bashir grimly states that Garak's claustrophobia has overcome him, and they will be unable to try contacting the runabout. The staff aboard DS9 is waiting for reinforcements. Kira enters Ops and states that the security blocks of one of the industrial replicators was overridden and the memory core wiped. Benjamin Sisko is contacted by Gul Dukat, who has been declared the head of the new Cardassian government. Dukat recommends that the Federation join the Dominion. Dukat lays claim to DS9 and gives Sisko an ultimatum: either Sisko will surrender the station, or Dukat will take it by force. Martok assists Worf back to the cell, returning from his seventh hand-to-hand victory.  Bashir patches him up as best as he can, wryly asking Martok to include a mention of him in the epic song he will compose about Worf's battles.  Martok laughs and states that Bashir's work has earned him several verses, at the very least.  Becoming serious, Bashir says that Worf is supposed to be buying them time, but with Garak out of action, they have no way of completing his work, though Bashir is willing to try. To everyone's surprise, Garak rises from his bunk and cheerfully says that won't be necessary; he's rested enough, and it's time for him to get back to work inside his "dungeon".  As he ducks into the cramped space again, the two Klingon warriors look on with respect, both of them knowing that it takes true courage to face one's own worst fears. The Julian Bashir Changeling and O'Brien talk in the infirmary. O'Brien is shocked when Bashir talks excitedly about having purchased duridium alloy darts at a time like this, but does not suspect that Bashir is a Changeling. Worf, back at the combat area, is waiting for his next opponent, when Deyos and the Jem'Hadar First, Ikat'ika, arrive instead. Ikat'ika announces that he will fight Worf himself. Meanwhile, Garak is back in the crawlspace when Jem'Hadar soldiers come in the cell looking for him. They find the tool that was used to open the panel to the space where Garak is. Sisko orders Kira and Dax to the Defiant for the pending battle and deploys the runabouts. The Julian Bashir Changeling is on the runabout Yukon and responds to Ops in a female voice, having already incapacitated the original crew. O'Brien announces that a build up of tachyon particles has been detected, and ships begin decloaking around the station. Romulan ships. The Romulans request permission to join the fleet; Sisko, while quite surprised, grants their request. Kira, on the Defiant, states that the Cardassian-Dominion fleet is merely ten minutes away. Bashir tries to bluff the Jem'Hadar soldier about the tool. Bashir flippantly quips that "it's either a self-sealing stem bolt or a reverse-ratcheting router". Not convinced, the soldier vaporizes a Romulan prisoner and then threatens to kill another if Bashir continues to lie. Before the leader can kill Bashir for his insolence, another soldier figures out the tool's use. In the ring, Worf is losing the fight against Ikat'ika, and can barely stand. When he is knocked down yet again, Martok urges him to yield, insisting that "honor has been satisfied." Garak is perilously close to being found out when a Breen prisoner grabs the plasma pistol from the holster of a Jem'Hadar who had his back turned, and vaporizes two of the guards, though the second manages to vaporize him as well. Bashir and the Romulan prisoner kill the remaining guards with makeshift knives, and grab their weapons, urging Garak to complete his work before Jem'Hadar reinforcements storm into the cell. In the ring, Worf is clearly beaten, but still refuses to yield. As he crawls on his belly towards the post, even Ikat'ika tries to dissuade him from continuing, saying that Worf has earned the respect of everyone there. But Worf still refuses to yield, and Deyos impatiently orders the combat finished. To everyone's surprise, Ikat'ika instead steps back and yields the match, announcing that he may be able to kill Worf, but he cannot defeat him. Irritated, Deyos orders them both executed. Just as the guards raise their weapons, Garak succeeds in activating his makeshift communicator, and the runabout immediately energizes its transporter, beaming all the prisoners away; as the guards open fire, Ikat'ika is vaporized by a plasma bolt, but Worf is beamed away a split second before the weapons fire impacts him. Aboard the runabout, Garak immediately lays in an escape course, while Martok and Bashir help a badly-injured Worf back to the sickbay. Before going, Worf makes sure to tell the Cardassian that he "did well," and Garak returns the compliment. The crew then set a course back to the station at maximum warp. Back on DS9, everyone is confused by the lack of an attacking fleet contrary to the sensor readings. Suddenly, they get a hail from the real Bashir in the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko quickly realizes that the Bashir they've been dealing with was the Changeling and quickly discerns that he left aboard the runabout Yukon. He then orders Kira aboard the USS Defiant to destroy the runabout at no matter the cost. Kira and Dax determine that the Changeling has rigged the Yukon with trilithium, tekasite, and protomatter, which if detonated inside the Bajoran sun, would induce a supernova, destroying Bajor, DS9, and the Klingon, Romulan, and Federation fleets in one fell swoop. The Defiant warps toward the sun and tractors the Yukon away in time to prevent the supernova. It dives off into free space and explodes, killing the Changeling and incapacitated crew still aboard. The sensor readings of the Dominion fleet suddenly vanish. Sisko realizes that the whole incident was a plot to lure the combined fleets of the Alpha Quadrant's superpowers to the Bajoran system and then blow them all up together with Bajor and Deep Space 9. Yet the plan failed and "Armageddon will have to wait for another day". At Quark's, Garak and Ziyal emotionally reunite, as do Dax and Worf in the infirmary. Meanwhile, Chief O'Brien is baffled to realize he has been hanging around with a Changeling for the last four weeks. On the Promenade, Gowron signs the final version of the new treaty between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, which includes a permanent Klingon military presence on DS9. Sisko is given the right to choose the commander himself, and considering Worf and Martok's mutual admiration, he asks the general to do the job, which he gladly accepts. Dukat contacts Sisko to congratulate him. Sisko points out that Ziyal would have died along with them if the bomb had gone off, but the new leader of Cardassia does not seem to be bothered, saying he no longer considers her his daughter. Dukat tells Sisko that he may have escaped defeat today, but tomorrow. "We will see about tomorrow", the captain interrupts. "Yes, we will", Dukat replies, ending the transmission. 
<EOS>
One day in the bar, Rom is trying to work up the courage to finally ask Leeta on a date. however this is something Rom has been trying to do for weeks without any success, leaving Quark doubtful his brother will actually go through with it. Indeed, when Leeta (who herself has feelings for Rom and is simply waiting for him to ask her out) comes over from her stint at the dabo wheel, Rom instantly loses the little courage he had summoned and bolts. Leeta worries that there's something wrong with her, and Quark does little to reassure her before sending her back to work. Meanwhile, over a game of darts, Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien discuss the latter's efforts to spend more time with his daughter Molly to ensure she doesn't feel left out due to the attention focused on her new baby brother. However the discussion is suddenly interrupted by Doctor Lewis Zimmerman, Director of Holographic Imaging and Programming at Jupiter Station, who is looking for Bashir. He tells Bashir that he intends to make him "immortal". Later, Bashir and Zimmerman are in Captain Sisko's office discussing the reason for Zimmerman's visit to Deep Space 9. The engineer explains that he was the designer and template for the innovative Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), which was designed to provide short-term medical care in an emergency, with the capability to substitute for an entire medical staff if needed (although Deep Space 9 doesn't have one due to it being incompatible with the station's Cardassian technology). Starfleet has decided it wants to expand the concept and create a program that can operate full-time in isolated outposts (such as subspace relay stations or research outposts) where living space is at a premium and the holographic doctor wouldn't be required to leave sickbay. Furthermore, Starfleet Medical has chosen Bashir to be the template for the new Long-term Medical Holographic program (LMH). Zimmerman requests a list of technical modifications to the station, which Captain Sisko approves before telling Bashir how proud he and everyone else is. Later, Zimmerman has Bashir filling in an extremely long and detailed questionnaire which requests information on seemingly insignificant details of Julian's life. Zimmerman explains that the LMH will need to interact with people for long periods of time which may require funny stories or anecdotes from its life. Zimmerman also begins mapping Julian's body for the LMH's physical template. Later, at Quark's bar, Zimmerman and Bashir watch over the dabo wheel where they see Leeta. Zimmerman is instantly drawn to her, and Bashir explains that she is his ex-girlfriend. Zimmerman decides to add her to his list of people to be interviewed, mentioning that he intends to interview Bashir's family and friends. Odo arrives and calls Bashir away in regards to quarantined cargo that is holding up a freighter's departure, however before he leaves Julian explicitly requests that Zimmerman not contact or interview his parents as they are currently estranged. Zimmerman tells Bashir he understands, however Julian's desire not to have his parents brought in has just made Zimmerman more eager to talk to them. In the infirmary, the LMH is activated. Bashir examines his holographic self and mostly compliments the replica (although notes that he doesn't like the eyes). Zimmerman then activates Deep Space 9's new EMH and copies its database to the LMH. Soon, the LMH is just like the EMH: disparaging and not very likeable. The EMH is quickly deactivated before he can complain too much about his replacement, then Zimmerman explains that while the LMH is currently simply the EMH with a new skin, he will write a completely new personality from scratch for it. Zimmerman then begins his interviews with several of Bashir's colleagues, including Captain Sisko, Kira, Dax, Worf, Jake, and Morn (who just shrugs). During his interview, O'Brien admits that he considers his friend to be an extraordinary person with many great qualities (although he makes sure Julian won't find out what he said). After the interview with Leeta, Zimmerman asks the Bajoran out to dinner. That night, as the two share a meal, Rom is listening in from a distance, then finally interrupts the date to once again to ask Leeta out, but again can't bring himself to do it and instead makes up a lame excuse, leaving both frustrated. The next morning, as Bashir and Captain Sisko discuss station business Dax arrives with a surprise for Bashir: his parents, Richard and Amsha. Julian is stunned (and can only just contain his horror) to see them, and sheepishly introduces them to Sisko. Richard begins waxing lyrical to the captain about his newest project as a landscape architect as well as claiming to be the one who convinced his son (who he called "Jules") to study medicine. Amsha tells Richard they can talk to the captain later, while revealing they're here at Zimmerman's invitation. Bashir extricates himself and his parents from the office, promising to find them quarters. Afterwards, Bashir confronts Zimmerman and demands to know why they were summoned despite his request not to have them in any way involved in the LMH project. Zimmerman is completely unapologetic, explaining that they're an important part of Julian's background. Zimmerman is also busy on another, more personal, project as he calls on Leeta as she gets out of the shower. He tells her that the manager of Jupiter Station's cafe has decided to quit, and he has put in a good word. As a result, Leeta has been offered the job. Leeta is so blown away she accidentally exposes herself to Zimmerman, as the doctor tells her that as well as coming to Jupiter Station he makes clear he has serious feelings for her. Leeta, unsure of what to do, tells him that she needs time to think. Julian shares a very awkward dinner with his parents, as Richard talks about the rudeness of the transport captain that brought them to the station stating his own experience on shuttles. However, from the way Richard talks, its clear that he is remembering himself as being a shuttle captain when Julian points out he was a third-class steward for six months before he was dismissed (although Richard claims he resigned). Amsha tries to diffuse the situation by asking her son about his research, but Richard is dismissive as he feels Julian should have remained on Earth rather than wanting to practice 'frontier medicine'. Julian brings up Richard's new career as a landscape architect, as the elder Bashir has always had a distinct lack of focus and real ambition instead stumbling from one job to the next. The three start to discuss Zimmerman's upcoming interviews, and Julian tries to coach his parents to not give any answers that leave any opening for Zimmerman to explore. It is made clear from their conversation that there is a dark secret at the heart of the family which could destroy Julian's career and land all of them in a lot of trouble. Richard takes offense at what he sees as Julian's lack of respect or trust in them, causing Julian to angrily walk out, remarking this is why he never visits them. Leeta tells Rom about Zimmerman's offer, ostensibly asking his advice but she is clearly desperate for him to ask her to stay. Once again, Rom can't express himself clearly and ends up agreeing when Leeta says she should maybe take the job. Angry and upset with Rom, she leaves. Remorseful for their earlier argument, Richard goes to the holographic lab to apologize. Richard pledges to Julian, standing in befuddled silence, that he will never reveal the big secret that he was genetically enhanced (complete with DNA re-sequencing) and that they are proud of their son and what he has become. Julian appears to accept the apology, and his parents leave. at which point, O'Brien and Zimmerman appear. It is revealed that "Julian" was actually the LMH (who did not recognize Julian's parent) and the two have just overheard the entire conversation. O'Brien immediately tells Bashir what has happened, leading to the latter being furious with the chief for setting up his parents. O'Brien explains that they just testing the LMH's ability to deal with an unexpected situation, but that's not important anymore, as now instead Zimmerman is now most likely going to report to Starfleet that Bashir is unsuitable to be the LMH model due to his "suspected" genetically enhanced background. Bashir knows immediately what this means for him. once Starfleet Medical is informed, he will be discharged from the service and his license to practice medicine will be revoked as according to Federation law DNA re-sequencing is illegal for anything other than repairing serious birth defects. O'Brien is surprised to realize that what Bashir's parents said is true, and the doctor tells him the full story; when he was a small child, Julian was having trouble keeping up with the other children his age and may even have had a learning or mental disability. He wasn't as physically able as he should have been, and while children around him were starting to learn to read Julian barely understood the world around him. Just after he turned seven, his parents took him to Adigeon Prime where he was given several illegal treatments over a number of months to enhance his mental and neurological abilities. Eventually, the only part of the original Bashir that was left was his name and when he returned to Earth his parents moved to a different city and enrolled their son in a new school using false records where he no longer struggled but instead was a star pupil. No one has ever suspected anything, however as far as Julian is concerned, he's a fraud. O'Brien tries to convince his friend that his genetic enhancements aren't what gave him his compassion, ambition or personality. He also points out that there hasn't been a case like this is over a century, so there's no way to know how Starfleet will react. Bashir, however, is convinced he will be quickly drummed out of Starfleet, and intends to resign his commission before Zimmerman files his report. O'Brien isn't ready to give up, but Julian has already accepted that this could happen and asks to be left alone. Meanwhile, Rom is pouring over his own woes with Quark as he laments that he didn't tell Leeta how he felt. Quark has little sympathy, instead reminding his brother of what happened with Prinadora when he entered a five-year marriage contract so he could have a son, and how he instead fell in love with her and requested an extension. As a result of Rom not reading the fine print, Prinadora's father swindled him out of all his money and Prinadora abandoned her husband and son for a richer man. Rom insists that Leeta is not Prinadora, but as far as Quark is concerned all females are exactly the same. Instead, he offers Rom use of one of his racier holosuite programs to take his mind off Leeta. Richard is determined to fight to save Julian's career, but Julian has already resigned himself to his fate. This leads into another argument between the two, as Julian thinks of himself like one of Richard's jobs; he didn't like the one he had, so he substituted for something he wanted more. He especially snaps at being called 'Jules', telling Richard that he stopped using that name when he turned fifteen and found out what had been done to him and as far as he's concerned 'Jules' died in the hospital after his parents were too ashamed when he couldn't keep up. Amsha argues back against the accusation that they did what they did because of shame, speaking of the heartbreak she felt when she saw her young son trying his best but falling a little further behind each day while wondering if they'd done anything wrong. She convinces Julian that they did it out of love, not shame. Julian, accepting this, hugs his mother then tells both his parents that in the morning he is going to talk with Captain Sisko, resign his commission and then leave the station quietly. The next morning, Bashir enters Captain Sisko's office to find his parents already there having told him everything. Also present is Rear Admiral Bennett, Judge Advocate General of Starfleet, presiding over the matter via holoprojector. At this point, Bashir's parents both call their son "Julian" out of respect for who he is now, not who he was as a child. They explain that a deal has been reached; Richard has taken full responsibility for everything, pleading guilty to genetic engineering and will be serving two years in a minimum-security prison (no mention of Julian's mother facing any criminal charges). In exchange, Julian can keep his commission and medical license. Julian starts to protest, but Bennett explains exactly why genetic engineering is outlawed within the Federation; because "for every Julian Bashir that can be created, there's a Khan Singh waiting in the wings". Julian accepts his father's sacrifice, and Bennett tells Richard to report immediately to him upon his return to Earth. Sisko decides to leave the family alone. At the airlock, Bashir says goodbye to his parents and promises to visit more often. It is also time for Zimmerman and Leeta to leave, when they suddenly hear a strange noise in the distance which is growing closer. They soon find it is Rom, screaming for Leeta to stay. The Ferengi declares his love for Leeta and asks her to stay, and this is all Leeta needs as she returns his feelings and the two share their first kiss. Leeta then apologizes to Zimmerman, but he accepts that he cannot stand in the way of true love and decides to accept his life is one of solitude until another attractive alien walks by. Zimmerman bids Leeta and Rom a very quick goodbye before leaving to catch up with the new apple of his eye. Back at Quark's, Bashir and O'Brien engage in yet another darts match. Bashir tries to thank O'Brien for what he said earlier, but O'Brien (as always) shrugs off the kind words before suddenly realizing that as Bashir's hand-eye coordination was also enhanced then he should be easily winning. Bashir admits to lowering his game a little to make it fair, and O'Brien demands that he instead play to his full ability. Bashir obliges and quickly throws three consecutive bulls-eyes. O'Brien responds by doubling the distance from which Bashir must throw the darts in the future, promising further measures if that doesn't work. 
<EOS>
An Idanian, in his quarters anxious about something, is visited by two unfriendly Finneans. They are convinced he has something they want and demand to know where it is. The Idanian plays dumb initially, but then appears to submit. He tries to shoot them instead, but one of the Finneans is faster. The short discussion ends up in the death of the Idanian. The two then mention a woman the dead Idanian was supposed to meet on the station, so they wait for her. In Quark's Jadzia Dax, Bashir, Odo and O'Brien talk about a new role playing holoprogram from Felix which has finally arrived, based on Bashir's secret agent series. All of them seem very eager to try it -- although O'Brien would rather play a character other than Falcon, and Odo backs out upon learning that part of his role will be stealing a girl from the evil Falcon. Odo then walks away to see Quark harassing a woman waiting at his bar (Arissa). While successfully convincing Quark to stop bothering her (she is actually waiting for someone), Odo involuntarily makes her believe that he is interested in her, leading to a slightly awkward situation. Odo later is vaguely monitoring the transport of cargo in a cargo bay, full of new items for the new Klingon forces on the station. However, his focus is on his own reflection, still thinking about the "bedroom eyes" comment from Arissa earlier. Kira, conducting the inspection, is curious about his preoccupation and says he should go see her again, as she's obviously very perceptive. Later, Odo finds the woman in his office with a security officer, caught trying to break into the station computer. She was trying to access the passenger manifest because her friend never showed up. She has a dataport and, while not illegal, this is very suspicious. However, she tells Odo that she attempted to bypass the system because she learned not to trust policemen. Arissa explains the man she was waiting for, Tauvid Rem, was helping her find information about her daughter, who she gave up when she was born 15 years ago. She insists Odo not talk to him, that she needs to talk to him, since it's a delicate matter. Odo agrees, and takes her to him. There, they can see he's inside, but when Odo overrides the door lock, they can't find him. Odo, though, sees he's been vaporized. Odo questions Arissa for a bit. She had no indication that someone would want to harm the Idanian, and supposes it had nothing to do with her or her daughter. She'll have to start over in her search. Odo decides to drop the charges against her, since it did no damage. She's very appreciative and leaves, though she gives him a second glance. Later, Arissa again accesses the computer using her dataport and successfully obtains information. At night, she's caught by Odo coming out of the Assay office, not through tripping an alarm but because he'd been following her. She gives up a data crystal, which Odo finds to be particularly well encrypted for information concerning someone's daughter. Supposing her story isn't true, he suggests he could have her strip-searched and examined to see if she'd ever been pregnant. She toys with the situation, saying she won't try to read into that motivation too much, but then admits she does not have a daughter. Saying she works for a man named Draim, who Odo knows is with the Orion Syndicate, she wanted to get out and Rem had information that could let her do that safely. She guesses Draim somehow found out and hired someone to kill Rem. She now thinks about facing the Finnean authorities, but Odo decides to put her in protective custody until the data on the crystal can be obtained, determined to get to the bottom of it. She is surprised he is willing to help, but Odo replies "why not?" Meanwhile, the two Finneans know she's talking to Odo. Sharing some food, they are determined to keep her from accessing the data, though regret that they have to kill her to do so. Odo brings Arissa to some quarters, then promptly transports her once inside to his own quarters, thereby throwing off anyone who might be watching. Odo explains he found Rem isn't his real name, having used several identities. Arissa hasn't been able to identify anyone from security recordings, either. He also says Dax and O'Brien are trying to decrypt the data crystal, a dangerous activity since it shorted out the computer the first time they tried to access it. Arissa dwells on her situation, telling Odo how she got the dataport -- she was a net-girl, selling access to her mind for money. Draim started hiring her to get information about people he wanted to ruin or kill. She kept herself separated from the consequences of her actions for a time, but she finally couldn't do that anymore. She supposes she will eventually be killed, but Odo promises that won't happen. Odo struggles with the decision to pursue Arissa romantically, and goes to the holosuite to get Bashir's input. Bashir is wooing a woman -- the woman who Odo was supposed to steal -- in a limousine, when Odo knocks on the window. Bashir suggests he let her know he's interested, even if she rejects him, as it's worse to never know if it could have worked. O'Brien, as Falcon, stops the conversation and Odo goes. Back in his quarters, Odo talks to Arissa for a bit, making sure she's comfortable. He's having trouble coming out and saying it, so he kisses her. Later, in the bed, Odo admits she's the first woman he's ever been with. She's surprised, and says she couldn't tell. They both wish they could stay there forever, but her mind turns to her situation. In Ops, Dax and Kira gossip about Odo. Dax is convinced something's going on, but Kira assumes Odo's just being protective of her by using his quarters. Worf interrupts them, chiding them for gossiping, then states Odo knows what he's doing. Sisko comes from his office, looking for Odo since he's late for a meeting with Starfleet Intelligence which he himself set up. They inform him Odo had a woman over last night, and he understands. Just then, Odo arrives and the talking stops. Meanwhile, Arissa is at the computer again, asking to make a deal with Draim. Draim tells his hired guns that she will give them the crystal, however, she will think she's being let go, but they are to kill her anyway. In his office, Odo meets another Idanian following Odo's communication about the one that has been killed. The man explains that Arissa is an undercover agent who works for the Idanian government and that the crystal contains all her former memories. He asks to see her, and Odo agrees. They head to the science lab, where they find a security officer and O'Brien knocked out. She has stolen the data crystal. Fortunately, the Idanian can track it with a device he's carrying. In a cargo bay, Arissa meets with the Finneans. One of them, however, is hiding and preparing his phaser. The Idanian and Odo search for the device, but the signal has faded. Meanwhile, the Finnean makes the exchange with Arissa, and the other Finnean surprises her with a phaser. He is about to shoot when all the doors open and Odo, already above them, drops down and subdues them with the help of the Idanian who comes later. They go to the infirmary, where Bashir hooks up the data crystal. The Idanian explains the whole situation. The procedure of wiping her real identity from her brain was to fool the telepaths used by the Orion syndicate and allow her to become a trusted member of the organization. She volunteered for the mission and was undercover for two years. He's confident that when she is restored, they'll be able to prosecute and imprison Draim. Odo challenges how the events of the last few days played out, but understands the motives. They couldn't risk Draim intercepting communications from the government. Bashir then brings Arissa to surgery to restore her appearance. Odo waits in his quarters for Arissa, with her memories and physical appearance restored. He supposes Arissa is not her real name, and she confirms, also saying that she is married and, while it would be pointless to continue their relationship (since she is not really the same person anymore) there was a woman who truly loved Odo and that she still exists in a sense. While the constable ended up with a broken heart, he still had a positive experience and gained a little more self confidence with women. 
<EOS>
Dax and Quark are playing Tongo while the latter is checking on his stock quotes. He then reveals he is practically ruined. Having been banned from doing business with other Ferengi, he is unable to invest or manage his money and owes money on multiple loans with the bar as collateral. Since news of business failures travels fast among Ferengi, Quark's cousin, Gaila, arrives with a few mocking words and a business offer. He proposes to Quark to go into business with him as a weapons dealer. Gaila just needs Quark for his people skills, offers him 5% of any sales he assists with, and assures Quark that the industry is growing so fast that within a month, all Quark's debts could be paid off, within six months he could have his business license back, and within a year he could own his very own moon. Quark morosely says, "What do I have to lose?" Meanwhile, Chief O'Brien is having problems with his baby son Kirayoshi. Jake pops by and Miles explains that, while his wife is on Bajor attempting to get a blight under control, his regular babysitter has had an emergency and is unavailable for the time being. To make matters worse, every time he puts Kirayoshi down, he begins to cry. Jake offers to babysit, as he has had experience watching Vilix'pran's hatchlings, and Miles accepts, as he has to start his shift, but as soon as Kirayoshi is in Jake's arms he begins crying again. Miles takes the baby back and he stops crying as soon as he's in his father's arms. With no other choice, Miles takes Kirayoshi to work with him. In the bar, Quark is rocking the chairs checking to see if Odo is around. Gaila tells him there is nothing to worry about as Odo just walked by. Gaila then introduces Quark to his partner, Hagath, the principal in their weapons-dealing business. Their new angle, they explain, is to conduct demonstrations inside Quark's holosuites with holographic replicas of the weapons they are peddling -- thus avoiding any rules against bringing actual weapons aboard the station. Hagath seems to like Quark, but warns him, "Don't ever cross me."  Quark is also troubled to hear Hagath and Gaila reminiscing over one of their past deals, in which they sold weapons to both sides in the same war. Quark soon becomes a wizard salesman in the holosuites, and several deals are closed aboard the station. The three toast to the new relationship. Quark's debts are being paid with his percentage from Hagath, who takes the liberty of transferring the money directly to his creditors. Quark protests, but Hagath says he doesn't like his partners to be encumbered by debt (which might divide loyalty or cause complications), which means Quark won't be seeing any actual profits for another few months. In Quark's, Miles is having his weekly darts game against Julian while still carrying Kirayoshi. Julian urges Miles to put his son down as Miles already has a bad shoulder, but when he does, Kirayoshi cries again. While having one of Hagath's female attendants, Talura, skillfully administer oo-mox, Odo arrives and arrests Quark for dealing weapons on the station. Quark defends himself saying that Odo can't prove a single weapon has been brought on board. Odo insists this is a mere technicality but before he can go further, Captain Sisko and Major Kira enter and reluctantly tell him that Hagath and his associates have been declared "friends" of the Provisional Government, since Hagath supplied arms to the Bajoran Resistance during the Occupation. Odo is outraged, but Sisko says their hands are tied. Quark begins to gloat, but Sisko and Kira furiously make it clear to Quark that the leniency he's been shown in the past is over, and the next chance they get they'll make sure he gets what's coming to him. In Hagath's quarters, Hagath and Gaila are still chuckling over Hagath's coup.  Gaila reminisces that all of their associates thought they were crazy for selling to the dirt-poor Bajorans instead of the wealthy Cardassians, but Hagath predicted that the occupation would end one day, and like any successful arms dealer, knows that having a friend in the right place at the right time is sometimes worth more than money. Their conversation is interrupted by one of Hagath's employees, Farrakk, whom Hagath berates for wasting time on Risa while he was supposed to be closing a deal. Hagath fires the man on the spot. Later, Quark notices that his bar no longer has any Federation customers. Gaila comes and tells Quark that the Regent of Palamar is coming to the station. A rich man who is very particular about how he is treated. Quark says he can't wait to meet him. Gaila then compliments Quark and confides that he has decided to retire and offers Quark the chance to take his place. Quark states that he likes Hagath and would like a bigger share of the profits; but is frightened when Gaila remarks casually that Hagath wasn't satisifed with firing his slacking employee, he sabotaged his ship and had him killed. At the Replimat, Quark attempts to reconcile with Dax, but she refuses point blank to have anything to do with a weapons dealer. He tries to reason that the weapons he sells are strictly for defense, but Dax asks him that if he has no guilt, then why is he begging her for forgiveness. Julian tests Kirayoshi and finds that there is nothing medically wrong with him. Miles questions if his baby just gets sad, and then has some neck pain. With Quark's catering services, Hagath hosts a dinner aboard the station for the Regent of Palamar. His former ally, General Nassuc has rebelled against him, and the Regent needs an appropriate weapon to "make an example" of her and her followers. Gaila asks how many casualties is he looking for. The Regent wants eight million to start, but then wants the death toll to rise. Gaila again asks for a figure, to which the Regent answers, around 20 million. Hagath and Gaila discuss what is the best weapon and consider one that should kill 28 million. Quark is very disturbed and asks if they can't just wound some instead of killing 28 million people. The Regent gets worried but Hagath quickly steps in and writes off Quark's question as Ferengi humor. Gaila later confronts Quark. He wants to retire, but can't if his hand picked successor can't control his conscience. Quark thinks Hagath is crazy and that killing 28 million seems wrong. Gaila then has Quark look out the window says that at that very moment, millions of worlds are fighting each other; and asks that if one of those little lights went out, would anyone notice? Would Quark really turn down 10 million bars of latinum to turn out one of those lights? Quark has a nightmare in which he is confronted by the ghosts of his former friends, including children like Jake and Kirayoshi, representing the people who have been killed by the weapons he is selling. As a dead Sisko spins the dabo wheel and tells Quark, "you lose," he wakes up screaming, then whispers, "What have I done?" Captain Sisko enters Ops and sees Kirayoshi sleeping in the engineering pit. O'Brien explains, in a whisper, that as soon as Miles went down there, Kirayoshi fell asleep in his bassinet and Miles doesn't want to risk waking him. He doesn't know if it's the lights or the hum, but something in the pit pacifies the baby. Sisko, also whispering, tells Miles that he can't keep a baby in the pit and gives him a few days off-duty until his wife returns. Miles agrees, but asks Sisko if at least they can wait until he wakes up. Sisko reluctantly agrees. By this time, the entire Ops crew (including Dax and Kira) have drifted over to gaze adoringly at the baby's cuteness, and Sisko reminds them all they've got work to do. Quark breaks into Dax's quarters to leave an unreceptive Dax his Tongo wheel. She finds him to return it. He tries to tell her what he's going to do, but she won't listen. After she leaves, Quark steadies himself in the mirror, reminding himself, "The worst Hagath can do, is kill you. What's one life compared with the lives of twenty-eight million people?" Quark has decided to sabotage the deal with the Regent. First, he informs Hagath that their supplier can't fill the Regent's order in time, so he proposes that Hagath invite the Regent back to the station to preview an alternative. Quark says the alternative will only kill 17 million people, but that should be enough. (They also mention that all of Quark's debts have been paid, so this is the first deal where he will get his profits in cash.) At the same time the Regent arrives, Quark invites General Nassuc to the station to do a deal on the opposite side of the station. Gaila panics when he finds Quark with her, but Quark says that they have the chance to make an obscene profit by dealing to both sides, and all they have to do is make sure she and the Regent never cross paths. Then, he dupes Gaila into conducting General Nassuc into the cargo bay where Hagath and the Regent are waiting. As Quark slips out, both sides begin yelling and shooting. Emerging onto the Promenade, Quark casually walks away as Odo and a squad of deputies thunder in the opposite direction towards the cargo bay, hearing reports of phaser fire. Quark smiles as the squad runs past him. In his quarters, Miles is cradling his son when Worf enters, reminding the Chief he was meant to make modifications to the USS Defiant that day. Miles tells Worf that Captain Sisko gave him a few days off and asks Worf to hold his son while he gets his bottle, warning Worf that Kirayoshi will begin to cry. However, as he is held by Worf, Kirayoshi doesn't cry -- Miles is astounded and places the baby in his bassinet, where he remains quiet. Miles sits down as Worf voices his regret that he didn't see his own son at that age, and tells O'Brien he's a fortunate man. Worf then notices the Chief is fast asleep and quickly exits the O'Briens' quarters. In his office, Captain Sisko is giving Quark a severe dressing down for all the trouble he's caused. Quark defends his actions, saying he didn't know they were going to start shooting, he just wanted the deal to fall apart. Sisko tells Quark that the Regent is dead and Gaila and Hagath have fled the station with a purification squad after them. Quark tells the Captain he can live with the consequences of his actions, and can think of 28 million people who won't shed any tears over the Regent's death. Sisko says he can think of 28 million and one, and Quark knows he is forgiven. However, this doesn't stop Sisko from giving him a bill for damages to the cargo bay, which Quark promises to pay in installments. Quark and Dax later play a conciliatory game of Tongo, friends once more. She comments on his ability to get out of tight spots, and he asks for the wheel back, which Dax refuses, saying it's hers now. She spins the wheel again, and they both laugh. 
<EOS>
Dax, Worf, and Kira are waiting at an airlock, awaiting the arrival of Tekeny Ghemor, Kira's Cardassian pseudo-father. The two have become very close in recent days. The legate is not secure on Cardassia since the takeover by Gul Dukat and the alliance with the Dominion. Kira is hoping Ghemor will lead the political opposition on Cardassia when he tells her that he came to DS9 because he is terminally ill. He has Yarim Fel Syndrome and will probably die soon. In the infirmary, Julian Bashir confirms Ghemor's diagnosis. He can't estimate how much time he has left, but there are some treatments Bashir can try. Dukat contacts Captain Benjamin Sisko about an arrangement for Ghemor's extradition. Sisko has no intention of negotiating with him since the Federation doesn't even recognize the new Cardassian government and abruptly ends the transmission. Major Kira offers to spend the next few days with Ghemor, replacing the daughter he doesn't have anymore. He holds Kirayoshi for a bit, feeling like a grandfather. He asks if Kira wants her own child, and she's surprised he knows about Shakaar Edon. He explains she has her own section in the Cardassian Central Archives, as she's a public figure. He adds she should be proud. Then, Ghemor states he knows many secrets about the Cardassian Union that could be helpful. He wants to commence the Shri-tal with her, a Cardassian ritual in which a dying person reveals their closest secrets to the rest of the family, for use against their enemies. Since Kira is the closest thing Ghemor has to a family, she agrees to participate. Later, she tells Sisko about the responsibility this ritual entails. She will need to ask the right questions. She wonders if she's the right person, but, thinking about her own father who suffered a critical injury in the Occupation of Bajor, she knows she is all Ghemor's got. Bashir instructs Kira on operating the medical equipment in Ghemor's quarters and leaves. Then begins a series of long interviews. They are exhausting for Kira, but she doesn't complain. Her attention is drawn, though, thinking of her injured father on a cot, unable to get medical help and explaining he tried to reason with the Cardassians in the attack. When Ghemor becomes unable to talk, she concludes for the day. Later, she relates what she's found to Sisko. He says Starfleet will be pleased, but then Bashir calls Kira back to his quarters. He's not responding to the treatment and wants to continue the interviews, while there's still time. Dukat and Weyoun arrive at DS9 on a Jem'Hadar battle cruiser to reclaim the fugitive. Dukat and Weyoun, or rather the fifth Weyoun, as Sisko saw the fourth die, are brought aboard the station. Dukat uses standard Cardassian strategies, saying Ghemor is cleared of any wrongdoing on Cardassia, and asks Sisko to see him to ask if he wants to come home. There, Dukat first offers to bring Ghemor's daughter Iliana back. Ghemor doesn't believe Dukat, especially now that the Dominion are involved. They leave, promising to linger for a few days. Kira continues another long stretch of interviews and caring for Ghemor. Then, Dukat goes to Kira's quarters, trying to turn Kira against Ghemor, giving her his official record which mentions the Kiessa Monastery massacre. Without reading it, she throws something at him and promises she will make him pay one day. He leaves, and she picks up the record. Kira confronts Ghemor while cleaning up after him. He admits he kept that from her, and explains why it happened, but insists he doesn't believe it was right. He regrets ever joining the Cardassian military or volunteering for duty on Bajor, but Kira is angry and does the bare minimum to care for him and leaves. Sisko finds Dukat and Weyoun at the dabo table, where Weyoun takes to a few games. With a bottle of kanar, he acts as though he had forgotten his manners and offers some to Dukat, but the Cardassian refuses. The captain then reveals that the kanar had been poisoned -- and had just been delivered to Ghemor; clearly a murder attempt. Dukat acts insulted at the barely-veiled accusation, and warns Sisko he should not make such a threat to the head of a government. Weyoun breaks the tension and chuckles, remarking how entertaining he finds their interplay. Then, he shocks both Dukat and Sisko by drinking the entire glass of poisoned liquor. He is able to detect the poison (of which there is quite more than a lethal dose), but suffers no ill effects, explaining to the others that the Vorta have an engineered immunity to most types of poison. Sisko leaves Dukat embarrassed and Weyoun amused. Dukat's strategy to turn Kira away from Ghemor proves to have some success. Kira, at the Bajoran temple, tries to think and finds Odo looking for her since he heard she stopped seeing Ghemor. She claims she thought Ghemor was different from the other Cardassians, but Odo points out he was only in the military for a year, only 19, and he may not have even fired his weapon. She says he shouldn't have even been there, but Odo challenges that view in his usual style, pointing out she already knew his record before Dukat gave it to her. She supposes she should forget about it and go back to him, but Odo says he's not saying anything, implying she already knows general her anger toward the Cardassians is keeping her from this new relationship. She flashes back to when her father was in pain, saying the Prophets were calling to him. Furel says they found the troops that executed the attack and are going to hit them back. Kira insists on going with them to get revenge, despite her father's objection. Bashir comes to inform her that Ghemor will die within the hour. Kira thanks him, but she obviously doesn't intend to go to him, set on her view of his betrayal. Bashir tries to convince Kira that even if Ghemor's past is stained by the occupation, he doesn't deserve to die alone. He leaves, and she flashes back to that counterattack she helped. They were successful, but she comes in the camp to find her father dead and informed he was calling her name in the end. Without betraying emotion, she calls for another attack on the Cardassians to make them pay and starts digging his grave. Furel tries to get Prylar Quen to say a few words, but Kira says there's nothing left to say, intent on continuing digging. Ultimately, Kira decides she will not do the same thing she did when her father died and won't find a last minute excuse to miss his death. Afterwards, Bashir finishes the paperwork. Kira dwells on the experience, supposes he gave her something she needed instead of the other way around -- since she missed her own father's death. She admits she could have stayed with him, but saw a chance to avoid the pain of losing her father and her own strength. After Ghemor passes away, Dukat informs Captain Sisko that he intends to tell the general public that Ghemor decided on his deathbed to embrace the Dominion and insists on having the body brought back to Cardassia so he can be buried with full military honors. Sisko informs him that the funeral arrangements have already been taken care of. Kira has Ghemor buried on Bajor, right beside her father, under the same tree. 
<EOS>
Quark is depressed because Cardassian voles have made his bar unusable for three days until Chief O'Brien can get rid of them. Quark also feels that he hasn't had any good luck since his Ferengi business license was revoked the previous year by the FCA. Rom announces he's marrying Leeta, then suggests that Quark visit their mother Ishka on Ferenginar. Quark arrives on Ferenginar, and his Moogie is very surprised that he has come to visit. Rom is learning about Bajoran customs to please Leeta, but Chief O'Brien and Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax are teasing him about his being "the least Ferengi-like Ferengi" they have ever met. This revelation upsets Rom, despite O'Brien's and Dax's urging that it is a compliment. On Ferenginar, Quark is explaining his distress to his mother since he lost his business license. Ishka asks him why he chose to visit her, when they have never had a very good relationship, due to Ishka's refusal to follow Ferengi traditions concerning the proper roles of females. Quark assures her that he wants to stay until he starts to feel better. When Quark goes to his childhood bedroom, he is surprised to find that his mother has moved all of his personal belongings, including his Marauder Mo action figures, from the room. Quark is even more startled to discover Grand Nagus Zek in the closet. Quark is afraid that his mother has been illegally earning profit again in violation of FCA rules, but instead Ishka and "Zekkie" proclaim they are in love. Ishka and Zek announce that they met during an annual tongo tournament, and that they have been seeing each other ever since, although their relationship is not public information. Although he is initially quite startled, Quark begins to surmise that he may be able to use their relationship to his advantage -- to reinstate his business license. The Nagus then leaves to attend to the business of running the Ferengi Alliance. On the station, O'Brien appears to have rid Quark's Bar of all the menacing voles. Rom asks Chief O'Brien for an extended lunch break so that he can get Leeta to sign the Ferengi equivalent of a prenuptial agreement -- the Waiver of property and profit, or WP&amp;P. O'Brien appears doubtful that Leeta will agree to such a thing, but Rom feels that he must have her sign the WP&amp;P to prove that he is still a Ferengi. As O'Brien predicted, Leeta refuses to sign the WP&amp;P, stating that a marriage is all about sharing things, including money. Rom cites Rule of Acquisition #94: "Females and finances don't mix."  Rom accuses Leeta of being just like his first wife -- only after his profits. Leeta protests, saying that she loves Rom, but he replies that if she really loved him, she would prove it by signing the WP&amp;P. Leeta and Rom decide to call the marriage off. Quark, Ishka, and Zek are having dinner together at Ishka's home. Quark attempts to flatter the Grand Nagus, but Zek sees through his act and bluntly refuses to reinstate Quark's business license; since the FCA revoked the license, only they have the power to reinstate it. Besides, contracts are the foundation of the Ferengi civilization and Quark broke a contract with another Ferengi. Ishka agrees with Zek -- Quark made a mistake, and now he must suffer the consequences. As Ishka and Zek take a walk around the garden, Quark and Maihar'du clear the dinner table. As Quark returns to his bedroom, Brunt materializes in the closet. Brunt knows of Ishka and Zek's relationship and is disgusted by it. Quark assures Brunt that he didn't know about it until that day. Nevertheless, Brunt holds Quark responsible for the actions of his mother, a female under his control. Brunt tells Quark that he must put an end to the relationship -- privately and quietly. In exchange, Brunt agrees to give Quark a new business license. Quark visits the Nagus ostensibly to pay his respects, but all the while scheming to destroy their relationship by convincing the Nagus that Ishka has not paid back all the latinum she earned and that she is only using the Nagus in her quest to end the male domination of Ferenginar and instate equal rights for Ferengi females. The Nagus falls for Quark's lies and contemplates his relationship with Ishka. Quark whines that his mother doesn't understand how terrible his life is since he is forbidden to do business with Ferengis and earn profit. Irritated, Ishka explains that she knows exactly how it feels -- she is denied such rights because she is female. Reluctantly, she agrees to speak to the Nagus on Quark's behalf. Back on DS9, Odo, Captain Sisko, and Lieutenant Commander Worf are discussing the conduct of the Klingons who recently began living on the station. General Martok has been placed in a holding cell for tossing one of his men off the second-floor balcony of the Promenade as a "disciplinary measure."  Sisko intervenes, ordering Odo to release Martok and telling Worf to advise the General that if he wants to retain his position on the station, he must abide by station regulations. Sisko and Odo find Rom sobbing while working, and Odo informs Sisko that the wedding has been called off. Rom insists that he is crying tears of joy. Meanwhile, Leeta is trying unsuccessfully to convince Major Kira that calling the wedding off was the best decision that she has ever made. Quark returns home to find his mother crying. She tells him that the Nagus left her, accusing her of being a profit-hungry female who was only using him in her plot to overthrow the Ferengi government. Quark, obviously pleased with himself for ending their relationship and anticipating the return of his business license, assures her that everything will be fine. However, Ishka tells Quark that it is a disaster -- not just for her, but for everyone. Unsure what his mother meant, Quark contacts Brunt, who gives him a valid business license in return for his service to the FCA. The next morning, Quark tells Ishka that he is returning to DS9. Just then, Quark receives a message from Zek, demanding to see him in the Tower of Commerce immediately. The Nagus asks Quark to be his First Clerk in thanks for warning the Nagus about Ishka's motives. Soon after accepting the position, Quark realizes that the Nagus is having memory problems, and that he will have his work cut out for him as First Clerk. O'Brien visits Rom in his quarters, where Rom is counting his life savings of latinum. Rom is going to offer Leeta a bribe to sign the WP&amp;P. O'Brien points out that a bribe won't work, since if she signs the waiver, she can't keep the money anyway. O'Brien reiterates to Rom that if he wants Leeta back, he must forget about the waiver. Rom then quotes Rule of Acquisition #229: "Latinum lasts longer than lust."  O'Brien replies that while that may be true, lust can be a lot more fun. Rom finally admits that he wants Leeta back more than anything. To prove his loyalty to her, Rom gives his latinum to the Bajoran War Orphans Fund so that the waiver is no longer necessary, and he and Leeta make up. Quark tells his mother that the Nagus has made Quark his First Clerk, and she states that he must have had a miserable day then. Ishka tells Quark that the Ferengi markets dropped 199 points that day. Quark realizes that his mother was well aware of Zek's memory problems, and she was helping him keep the markets together during their relationship. Ishka then realizes that Quark caused Zek to end their relationship, and that he was put up to it by none other than Brunt. Ishka admonishes Quark, telling him that she hopes his business license was worth the possible destruction of the entire Ferengi economy. Brunt visits Quark at the Tower of Commerce, taunting him about the 199-point decline in the markets the day before. Brunt tells Quark that the FCA has called a meeting to discuss the capabilities of the Nagus. Quark then realizes that Brunt knew about Zek's failing memory all along, and that Brunt convinced Quark to end Ishka and Zek's relationship so that Brunt could expose Zek and maneuver himself to be the new Nagus. Back at home, Ishka asks Quark why he hasn't yet returned to DS9 with his new business license, Quark admits his time living among Humans has caused him to develop a conscience and that he is feeling guilty about how Zek was treated and the part he played in Brunt's plan. They agree that Zek's type of greed is good for the people, but Brunt is simply out for himself. Ishka and Quark decide that they have to prevent Brunt from becoming Nagus, so they help Zek pass Brunt's test and retain his position as Nagus. When Zek and Quark and his servant are alone again, Quark suggests that the Nagus contact the Vulcans to see if they can help improve his memory and allow him to stay in power. Zek says he's never liked the Vulcans because they have no interest in profit. But they do make good doctors. He tells his servant to make an appointment for him to see if there's a treatment. Zek goes on to thank Quark for his help, and requests that Quark retain his position as the Nagus's First Clerk. However, Quark instead says he can't. Zek gets mad and says he needs Quark as his financial advisor. Quark offers to introduce Zek to his own financial advisor--and brings in his mother. Zek gets even angrier, but Quark says the Nagus deserves the best financial advisor there is, "and that's my moogie." Ishka steps forward. She says, "I won't lie to you. I believe in equal rights for females, and I hope one day you will, too. But I'd never do anything to hurt you." Quark then admits that he concocted all of the rumors about his mother, and Zek fires Quark. Now that the rumors have been exposed as false, Zek and Ishka get back together. Before Quark returns to DS9, Ishka brings Quark's Marauder Mo action figures to him. She says she kept them in storage for him all these years because she knew he'd want them some day. Quark says they must be worth a lot as collectibles, though she notes that they would have been worth more if he'd kept them in the original packaging, as she'd advised. Quark says that even back then she was giving him good financial advice, and they both smile. Ishka leaves and Quark continues packing. Brunt materializes in Quark's closet again and says he knows he can't defeat Zek now, but Quark is a different matter. Brunt agrees to allow Quark to keep his new business license, if only so he can keep track of Quark's actions and see him fail in the future. After Brunt dematerializes, Quark begins playing with the action figures. 
<EOS>
Doctor Bashir treats Klingon General Martok for an injury he claimed he suffered in the holosuite. Bashir chastises him for disabling the Holodeck safety protocol and for refusing to replace his maimed eye with an artificial one. Afterward, Martok visits Worf on the USS Defiant. It is clear that the two men have come to have great respect for each other following their imprisonment in Internment Camp 371. Worf apologizes for inconveniencing Martok by causing his injury during a training session. Martok then informs Worf that the Klingon High Council has assigned him a mission, his first since their escape. He offers Worf to be his first officer aboard the IKS Rotarran, a Bird-of-Prey. The son of Mogh gladly accepts, explaining to Captain Benjamin Sisko that the general had saved his life while imprisoned at Internment Camp 371. He explains that he had been about to let the Jem'Hadar kill him, when he and Martok experienced a moment of tova'dok, which is a "moment of clarity between two warriors on a field of battle." This encouraged him to continue fighting. Their mission is to find the IKS B'Moth, a battle cruiser that has been missing for three days. Dax, jumping at the opportunity of being on a Klingon ship again, decides to come along, while Kira, Miles O'Brien, and Bashir are assigned Worf's regular duties. Worf chooses not to wear his baldric while aboard the Rotarran; as the House of Mogh no longer exists, he sees no point in displaying its crest. Despite the vessel's string of defeats by the Jem'Hadar in the last several months, Worf accepts the crew's battle records and pledges their lives to General Martok. Martok accepts the crew's lives and orders the helmsman to set a course around a nearby nebula, claiming that he wishes to avoid a confrontation if there should be Jem'Hadar ships hiding in it. The helmsman objects, but obeys the order. Once they have warped away, Worf starts to sing The Warrior's Anthem. Some of the others join in, but it is a dour unenthused version of the song. Worf and Dax immediately realize that this mission is not off to a good start. Dax arrives in the Mess Hall to find Ortikan sitting in her assigned seat. She throws him on the floor and threatens him before sitting down. She then tries to brighten the mood by informing the others that she has brought aboard three barrels of bloodwine, which the crew have not had for six months. Meanwhile, Martok and Worf discuss the crew's unsatisfactory combat record and both realize that one defeat after another has taken away the crew's motivation and has even led them to expect defeat. They both agree that a victory would do much to lift their spirits. They promise each other they will make the ship worthy of the Empire. Back in the mess hall, the crew drinks Jadzia's bloodwine and discusses their previous failures in battle. Kornan claims that the ship is cursed and that they will never be victorious in battle. Just then, a klaxon goes off indicating that they have cloaked, and Worf calls alert status one -- a Jem'Hadar patrol has crossed their path. Despite the ship's and the crew's readiness for battle, Martok decides not to risk attacking the Jem'Hadar ship, claiming that their real mission is to rescue the B'Moth. Even though the crew strongly disagrees with this, Worf refuses to challenge Martok. Dax warns him that a dangerous situation is developing. In the mess hall, the crewmembers get drunk and Leskit begins an analysis of the Jem'Hadar after he speaks admirably of the Cardassians he fought against. He says that the Jem'Hadar have no honor and that makes them more efficient than Klingons. He even interprets the recent decisions of Martok as a fear of the Jem'Hadar. Suddenly, Kornan goes berserk and attacks Leskit. In the fight, he nearly kills Ortikan who came to the rescue. Dax then ends the combat by shooting Kornan with a phaser. Worf runs into Dax in the corridor and notices the blood stains on her uniform. She informs him what happened and once again warns him that it will only get worse. A little after, the Rotarran crew picks up a distress call from the B'Moth. It is an automatic transmission indicating they were attacked by the Jem'Hadar, suffered heavy casualties and are in need of assistance. They set a course for the coordinates. Tavana thanks Dax for intervening in the fight and saving Ortakin, her Par'Mach'kai. Worf and Martok discuss the distress call. Martok is convinced that it is a trap, that the Jem'Hadar purposely left survivors aboard the B'Moth in order for someone to come rescue them, or even that they may have faked the distress call. When the Rotarran arrives in visual range, they realize that the battle cruiser has drifted into Cardassian space. The crew is ready to cross the border in order to carry out the rescue, but Martok refuses to take them across, citing strict orders from the High Council and claiming that there must not be survivors anyway. He then leaves the bridge, and Worf decides that it is time to challenge him for command of the ship. Martok returns to the bridge and Worf challenges him. It is clear that the crew can't stand another defeat and Worf wants his friend to see that. In the following struggle, Martok again feels what it is to be a Klingon and when Worf realizes he has made his point, he lets Martok defeat him. When a Jem'Hadar ship is detected nearby, a re-invigorated Martok promises to make the Jem'Hadar regret crossing them. This time, the crew are fully behind him and sing The Warrior's Anthem much more enthusiastically. Dax carries an injured but much-at-ease Worf to be treated. Later, the ship returns to DS9 on a triumphant note. They had destroyed the Jem'Hadar ship and rescued 35 crewmembers from the B'Moth. The scope of their success allowed the High Council to easily forgive their crossing into Cardassian space; indeed, they commended the crew's bravery. The crew is completely changed by the recent victory, and Martok requests fifteen barrels of bloodwine to celebrate this. He later comes to Worf to thank him for making him remember he is a soldier and a warrior, and Worf admits that when he let Martok defeat him, he wasn't sure he wouldn't kill him. Martok is impressed by the sacrifice Worf was willing to make, and makes his friend an offer. He mentions that Worf still wears the crest for the House of Mogh, and Worf admits that Jadzia considers it a sentimental gesture. Martok offers Worf a new beginning as a member of the House of Martok, telling him he is proud to welcome Worf into his family as a warrior and as a brother. Worf accepts, and replaces the House of Mogh crest with the one for the House of Martok. The two warriors and brothers clasp hands in victory, signaling a new beginning for Worf. 
<EOS>
Odo, Kira Nerys, and Jadzia Dax sit having breakfast in the mess hall of the USS Defiant. Lieutenant Commander Dax states that she can't wait to sleep in her own bed, remarking on the uncomfortable bunks on the Defiant. Major Kira says that she could use a visit to the Golian Spa. Dax comments that Kira and Shakaar should both go, to which Kira says that she and Shakaar aren't seeing each other anymore. Odo, who has had feelings for Kira for a long time, asks about the breakup. Kira says that she and Shakaar went to the Kenda Shrine on Bajor to ask the Prophets if they were meant to walk the same path. Upon hearing that the Prophets said no, Dax remarks that Kira makes it sound final. Kira responds that people are either meant to be together or not. Dax states that any relationship can work if the partners really work at it. Odo, still contemplating the ramifications of the conversation, says that he has no opinion on the subject and hastily leaves. Later, on the bridge of the Defiant, mugs of raktajino are being passed around to everyone. Captain Benjamin Sisko declines, saying that he is trying to cut down. Chief Miles O'Brien then begins talking about a doll house he is making for Molly's birthday, lamenting the fact that even with a micro-lathe he might not get it done in time. Commander Dax then begins to get some readings on her console. An energy barrier of some kind is encasing the fourth planet of a nearby star system. Major Kira begins scanning and states that there could be lifeforms on the surface of the planet, but the interference from the energy barrier is making it difficult to be certain. Dax seems more interested, wanting to know how the lifeforms adapted to the quantum fluctuations in the barrier. While it is an intriguing scientific possibility, O'Brien wants to push off an investigation until the next time they go by this planet. Dax says that the interference is intensifying so that in a few weeks, a probe would not make it through the barrier. Dax knows that everyone wants to go home, but this is the only chance. After ordering modifications to the shields, Sisko gives the go ahead. As the Defiant enters the barrier, the ship starts to shake. Dax tries to adjust the shields, but the shaking gets more violent. Energy begins to arc across the bridge consoles and Major Kira is struck by a discharge. While caught in the energy, it appears as if there were two Kiras, slightly out of phase with each other. After a moment, the energy dissipates and the ship is through the barrier. Sisko calls Dr. Julian Bashir to the bridge to check on Kira. O'Brien then tells the captain that the inertial dampers are off-line and the gyromagnetic stabilizers have depolarized, stranding the Defiant in orbit for a few days. Suddenly, Lieutenant Commander Worf says that they are being hailed from the surface. Upon scanning the surface he also reports that there are several settlements on the planet, with approximately eight thousand inhabitants -- Human inhabitants. Stunned, Sisko answers the hail. A Human woman and a Trill man welcome them to Gaia, calling Captain Sisko by name. The woman says that they have been expecting them. The man speaks up, saying it is a long story. He invites them to beam down and talk about it over some raktajino, and then catches himself. "I forgot. You're trying to cut down." Sisko, Dax, Worf, and O'Brien beam down into a cluster of adobe-like buildings, surrounded by farmland. Children who were playing a game with a ball stop and stare at the newcomers. The two people who made the hail introduce themselves as Miranda O'Brien and Yedrin Dax. Sisko asks for an explanation. Miranda tells them that the settlement was founded by the crew of a Starfleet vessel that crashed on the planet two centuries prior. She reveals that the ship that crashed was the USS Defiant. In two days, when Captain Sisko tries to leave orbit, Miranda says that they will be thrown back two hundred years into the past. The people they see now are the crew's descendants. Yedrin sees that the Starfleet officers are skeptical and tells Jadzia to scan him. She finds the Dax symbiont in Yedrin. It was passed down to Jadzia's descendants for three generations. He also tells her to scan Miranda. Jadzia finds that Miranda's DNA is similar to Miles', making her an O'Brien. Miranda also states that she is also a Tannenbaum, a descendant of Rita Tannenbaum, an ensign on the Defiant's engineering crew. Miranda then relates to Miles that they were trapped two hundred years in the past without any chance of seeing their families or friends. Yedrin says that Miles was the last to give up hope, but he eventually married Rita ten years after the Defiant crashed. Yedrin still sees doubt on Sisko's face and offers to tell him something that only Curzon would know. He begins a story about a dancer on Pelios Station, but Sisko cuts him off as both Yedrin and Jadzia smile knowingly. A young boy named Gabriel asks Worf if he is the son of Mogh and if he can kill someone just by looking at them. Worf responds "Only when I am angry". The boy's eyes get wide and he runs off. Miranda then directs them into a nearby structure. As they enter, two girls are sitting at a table near a viewscreen, salvaged from the bridge of the Defiant. The girls are doing schoolwork with the help of the image of Quark. Yedrin says that Jadzia designed the educational program, saying she thought Quark would make a great math teacher. Jadzia comments on one of the girl's spots. Lisa says that most people don't have them as most of their ancestors were Human. She says that they make her special. The other girl, Molly, says it is just genetics, like Torvin's cranial ridges. Miles is taken aback at the name of the girl and Yedrin says that the name was passed down through the O'Brien line. Worf asks if they ever tried to send out a distress call. However, being two hundred years in the past and in the Gamma Quadrant, it was never done. Lisa then says that their ancestors decided to make the planet their new home, naming it Gaia. Molly gets in on the story saying that their ancestors needed to build a shelter quickly before winter came. The structure they are in was built and all forty-eight crewmen had to sleep in it. Sisko seizes on the number and confronts Yedrin. Yedrin explains that the energy discharge that struck Kira damaged her neural pathways. The Defiant doesn't have advanced enough medical equipment that Bashir needs to repair the damage, and therefore Kira died a few weeks after the crash. Miranda tells the girls to leave, to spare them from an adult conversation, and sends them to their parents to help with the planting. Sisko states that they need to get Kira back to the station as soon as the Defiant is repaired. Yedrin agrees. Worf says that if they escape from the planet, the inhabitants' timeline will collapse and everything will cease to exist. Yedrin, however, says that he has a plan. The key was Kira. The energy discharge caused a subspace doubling effect. He says that for an instant, every molecule in Kira's body had a corresponding quantum duplicate. If certain modifications to the Defiant's systems were made, they could amplify the doubling effect and duplicate the entire ship. One ship would be sent back in time and one would pass through the barrier unaffected. From the logs he retrieved, Yedrin says that the Defiant encountered a temporal anomaly thirty-nine hours after arriving in orbit. Yedrin says that there are eight thousand people on the planet and this plan is their only choice. Sisko orders Jadzia to evaluate the plan and, if it is sound, begin the modifications. Yedrin thanks Sisko, to which Sisko says "Anything for you Old man." Back aboard the Defiant, Kira is resting on a bio-bed while Bashir is scanning a vat containing Odo. He puts Odo into a stasis device, telling Kira that because of the quantum fluctuations in the barrier, Odo can't hold his shape. Bashir says that Odo will be fine, but Kira needs to undergo a complete neural pathway induction when they get back to the station. Kira says that she feels fine. As he turns to leave, Kira asks where he is going. Bashir states that he wants to go down to the planet and meet his descendants. Kira looks at the stasis device, and turns when the doors open to admit a person who looks like Odo. He is dressed like the colonists and his facial features are more defined, but it is Odo, two hundred years older than the one sitting in the device. Odo explains that he learned to counter the barriers effects and that he has gotten better at shape-shifting over the years. Odo then says that she is as beautiful as he remembered. Kira is somewhat shocked by this, and is even more shocked when Odo says that he loves her and has always loved her. Kira begins questioning Odo about this revelation, saying that she never knew. Odo did everything he could to make sure she didn't find out. Kira begins saying how hard it must have been for him every time she came to him for advice about Bareil and Shakaar. Odo says that he wanted to be a good friend. He has been waiting two hundred years to say this, and all he wants is for Kira to spend some time with him on Gaia. Back on the planet, Sisko is meeting some of his descendants, holding a baby. Miranda says that the child has Sisko's eyes. Jadzia then calls Sisko with good news: she has gone over the sensor logs and Yedrin's plan will work. Sisko then holds the baby over his head and talks to her "Everything's going to be all right." Nearby, Worf is inspecting the town well as Bashir walks up to him. Worf is making a survey of the settlement's infrastructure at the captain's request so that they can leave behind supplies. Bashir says that he was doing the same at the clinic. Bashir appears overly pleased with himself. He has met one of his descendants, his great-great-great-great-granddaughter -- the doctor of the settlement. Suddenly, Gabriel comes running up to them shouting that "They're here!" The Klingons have arrived. Three people are standing in the street, holding spears and wearing knives. Two of the Klingons appear Human, while the other only has faint forehead ridges. Brota greets Worf and states that they are the Sons of Mogh. They are Worf's descendants, some by blood and some by choice. They live as warriors. Gabriel then says that he wants to become a Son of Mogh, to which Parell says that when he is older, he can prove himself and take a Klingon name. Brota says that the Sons of Mogh are gathering to celebrate Worf's return. Worf honors them by saying he will feast with them. In engineering, Jadzia and Yedrin are working on modifying the Defiant's systems. Yedrin smiles as Jadzia adjusts her hair, remembering that the summer after the crash, Jadzia cut it short and that Worf hated it. Yedrin then remembers promising to grow it back for the wedding. As they talk about the wedding, Jadzia asks if they were happy. Yedrin says that Worf is a good man, and that she will learn to handle him. Back on Gaia, Miles is installing a new pump for the town well as Bashir stands talking with him. People from the Defiant are talking with their descendants, which disturbs him. Bashir is going on about his descendants and says that he ends up with Ensign Angie Kirby, a new crewman who just transferred aboard. Bashir then begins to talk about Miles and Rita Tannenbaum. Miles rounds on Bashir and states he doesn't want to talk about it. "I have a wife and kids back home." Seeing that he has touched on a sensitive subject, Bashir leaves Miles to his work. Elsewhere on Gaia, Kira is praying over her own grave while Odo looks on. As Kira finishes, she comments "Praying over your own grave. that's got to be a new one." Odo says that if the Prophets were listening, they might be confused. Kira then talks about Yedrin's plan, saying that it is a little strange. She has always believed that people have one path and now, they are using technology to circumvent that. Odo says that he is in favor of the plan, Kira would get her treatment and the Gaia's timeline would get preserved. He then goes on to say that even though the plan won't change anything for him, the Odo on the Defiant won't have to lose her. Kira is touched by this. Back at the settlement, Sisko and some children are tossing a baseball around. Jadzia walks up with a PADD and doesn't look happy. She presents evidence to Sisko that Yedrin faked the logs so that they would think that his plan would work. There was never going to be a duplicate Defiant, just one. If Jadzia hadn't figured it out, they would have been stranded and Kira would have died. In the meeting hall, Sisko and Jadzia have confronted Yedrin. Jadzia accuses Yedrin of betraying them. Yedrin asks what they will do. When Sisko tells him, Yedrin pleads with him saying that if the Defiant doesn't go back in time, eight thousand people will cease to exist. Sisko explains that he can't deliberately maroon his crew. Yedrin tells Sisko to look around, see all of the things that his crew and their descendants will build. Jadzia asks about Kira, to which Yedrin asks if one life is too much to ask if it would mean saving eight thousand. Sisko explodes at Yedrin, demanding to know how he can make that decision. Yedrin replies saying that he is responsible, and looks to Jadzia. She was the one that insisted that the Defiant investigate the planet. She knew that she should have been more careful, but she wanted to make a huge discovery. And because of that, the Defiant was sent to the past, Kira died, and forty-eight people were stranded. Yedrin tells of guilt that has been passed down through Dax. He says that the community is his responsibility, and that for two centuries he has watched it grow. Sisko is moved by Yedrin's plight, but says that his people have a right to go home to their families and no one has the right to ask anyone to die. Later that night, Worf and Kira are sitting near a fire pit. They both do not like what is going to happen. Although the colonists are milling around, the mood is somber. Only the children seem unaffected. Kira comments that everyone is going to die because she has to get treated for something she can't even tell she has. Worf tells her not to blame herself. Kira moves off to return to the Defiant. Nearby, Miranda is tending some plantings and seedlings. Gabriel mentions that everyone is quiet and asks what is wrong. Miranda tells him it is nothing to worry about, not able to tell him the truth. As Gabriel leaves, the Klingons approach Worf and tell him that there will be no feast. Worf asks them to join him at the fire. He tells them of the honor to know that his legacy has thrived. Brota tells of a beast that he killed with Worf's own mek'leth. They then tell him that their ceasing to exist will not earn them a place in Sto-vo-kor. They all then unsheathe their daggers and ask Worf to kill them. Worf hesitates, but then tells them that he will do what they ask tomorrow. Kira is back at her grave. Odo finds her and asks her why she came back. She wanted to be sure that this was where she belonged. As she looks at him, she says that the path the Prophets have laid out for her ends on Gaia. Odo protests, but Kira stops him. She can't let the captain go through with his plan if it means that eight thousand people will cease to exist, even if she has to. Sisko, Jadzia, Worf, Bashir, and Miles are sitting in the Defiant's mess hall, hearing what Kira has said. Bashir reminds her that if she doesn't go back to the station, she will die. Kira says that she has accepted this and if they don't take the Defiant back in time, they would be cheating fate. Miles dismisses this, saying he has a wife and children back on the station who need him. Kira states that the Prophets will take care of them, but Miles responds that he doesn't believe in them. Worf then comments that their families will survive either way, but the colonists will not. He says that if Kira is willing to sacrifice her life, he would be willing to remain on Gaia. Miles still refuses to consider staying and tells Worf that it would be easy for him, he never sees his son. Worf bristles as he tells Miles that he is afraid to face his destiny. As Miles continues to get exasperated, he turns to Jadzia, Bashir, and Sisko. He tells them that no one has the right to tell him that he can't go home to his family. When Sisko says that he is hearing what everyone has to say, Miles asks if they are actually considering going back in time. Sisko seems unsettled by the arguments, but finally turns to Kira to say that they are not. Kira protests, but Sisko is adamant as he dismisses them. As Jadzia and Worf are walking through the settlement on Gaia, they contemplate what they are going to do. They come upon Sisko who is getting one last look around. Suddenly Gabriel comes running around the corner, almost hitting Sisko. When asked where he is going, Gabriel tells them that he is going to the fields for the planting. As the three Starfleet officers round the next corner, they see several colonists getting ready to go to the fields. Yedrin sees them and says that planting day was always important. Out in the fields, the colonists and most of the Defiant's crew are working at the various tasks of farming; plowing, fertilizing, planting and watering. Miles walks up, not doing any of the work, to give Sisko a status report. He says that the Defiant is ready to leave orbit. Molly, who is nearby, asks Miles if he is going to help. Miles says that he is busy, to which Molly says that he doesn't look busy. Sisko hands Miles a farming tool and tells him to get to work. People all around then notice that Worf is leading some of the Klingons towards them. Parell and Brota say that they do not see any enemy to fight, as Worf had told them. Worf says that they are trying to plant their fields before the sun sets and that time is their enemy. The Klingons exchange a look, and realize that Worf is offering them a challenge. The Klingons then join the colonists in their toil. As Miles is working, he tells Molly that he has a little girl with the same name. When Molly asks if she can meet her, Miles looks sad knowing it can never happen. Moved by Molly, Miles goes to find Sisko and Kira. Miles tells them that they can't leave, they can't let all these people die. Sisko nods in agreement after a moment while Kira smiles sadly. After their labors in the field, Sisko and Jadzia have told Yedrin and Miranda about their decision. Yedrin hands Jadzia a PADD which contains the navigational logs from the original crash. All Jadzia has to do is download them into the ship's auto-pilot and it should send the Defiant back to the right point in time. On the Defiant, Odo is saying goodbye to Kira. Odo is trying to talk Kira out of her decision. She says that her decision isn't based on her, it is about all of the colonists and their descendants. Odo asks about the descendents that won't be born if the Defiant doesn't return to DS9 but seeing he can't change her mind, asks that if Kira knew about his feelings years ago would she do things differently. As Kira says that it maybe would have, she kisses him and turns to leave. On the bridge, the crew is at their posts. Sisko asks if everyone has had a chance to record a message to their families. Everyone nods and Miles says that he has downloaded the recordings into a class 4 probe that will start transmitting a locating signal as soon as it clears the barrier. As the probe launches, Sisko orders helm control to be transferred to auto-pilot. The shields are raised as the Defiant breaks orbit. Scans show an unusual temporal signature, the anomaly that will take them back in time. The seconds count down as the Defiant heads towards impact when suddenly the ship veers away. The auto-pilot can't be overridden and the ship clears the barrier. Miles consults his console and reports that someone changed their flight plan, and that he didn't do it. Sisko orders a scan of the surface and Kira reports that there is no sign of the settlement or the inhabitants. Everything is gone. Sisko and Jadzia are walking down a corridor as they discuss what happened. Whoever changed the flight plan knew their way around the Defiant's systems. Jadzia says that it must have been one of the crew. Sisko then says that it could be someone who used to be part of the crew. This leads to them suspecting Yedrin, but Jadzia states that all he cared about was the settlement. Sisko supposes that he could have changed his mind. When Jadzia voices her lament that everyone they had met never existed, Sisko corrects her saying "They existed. And as long as we remember them, they always will." Kira is lying on her bed in her quarters when the door chimes. In walks Odo, who says that the other Odo came up to the ship and linked with him. Now he knows everything that the other Odo had told Kira. She remarks on his reactions from earlier when she talked of Shakaar. Odo had come to accept the fact that Kira was involved with someone else when suddenly all of that changed. Odo then tells her something else that the other Odo wanted her to know. He was responsible for changing the flight plan so that Kira didn't have to die. Kira is shocked by this and Odo says that the other Odo did it because he loved her. When she asks if that makes it right, he replies that he doesn't know but the other Odo thought so. Odo leaves her quarters as she considers everything that has happened. 
<EOS>
Captain Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko and Nog are having dinner together -- squid, Nog's favorite Human dish. Jake also likes it until Benjamin reveals that the sauce is puree of tube grubs, saying its only fair they try Ferengi food. Sisko turns to Nog to ask about his job with security. Jake whispers something and it is revealed that Nog has problems with the Klingons who ignore him because he is a Ferengi. Then, General Martok enters the room, interrupting the dinner and demanding to talk to Sisko alone. He explains to Sisko that his ship has intercepted an encrypted message from the Maquis. This is a surprise to both men, who believed they were completely wiped out by the Dominion. The message states that missiles have been launched heading for Cardassia. Although Martok couldn't find any missiles, he explains that the Klingon Empire had provided the Maquis with Class 4 cloaking devices to aid them against Cardassia. Sisko knows that if Cardassian citizens are killed by Human terrorists, the Dominion will launch a counter strike that will surely start a war. Commanders Worf and Jadzia Dax report back from a mission searching for signs of the missiles in the Badlands. They had problems hiding there, and Miles O'Brien explains that the warp drive of the USS Defiant is too powerful and that it ionizes the gases in the Badlands nebula. Worf states they need more information to narrow the search, and Sisko says he has an idea. Captain Sisko visits ex-commander Michael Eddington in a Federation prison. Eddington denies that the message about the missiles involves him. He says he has nothing to do with the Maquis anymore, as they are all dead, and they cannot be reborn. Eddington insists that the missiles are completely undetectable, and that nothing can be done to stop them. Sisko offers Eddington a path to eventual freedom if he will help find and destroy the missiles, but Eddington insists that he will be perfectly happy to wait in his cell until the missiles hit their target and the Dominion destroys his prison in their inevitable counterstrike. Back on the station, Quark is in the infirmary treated by Dr. Julian Bashir and questioned by Kira Nerys and Odo. It appears that Morn attacked Quark with a barstool. Quark claims it was unprovoked but Kira and Odo reveal that Quark told Morn that Deep Space 9 is the first target if the Dominion attack -- and if that happens, there is no chance of survival. Thus, Morn responded with panic by running down the Promenade screaming "We're all doomed!" Later, Sisko contacts Kira on DS9 explaining that he is going to the Badlands. Kira wants to send the Defiant, but Sisko tells her he is not alone, and he reveals Eddington on board the runabout. On the way to the Badlands, Eddington philosophizes about food and Maquis morals. He suggests that Sisko's fight against the Maquis is personally driven. Eddington says that Sisko's former old friend Cal Hudson was killed in a skirmish with the Cardassians. Sisko feels regret, and Eddington presses the point by saying that Cal thought Sisko was wrong about the Maquis, but he didn't hold that against Sisko. Eddington taunts Sisko by saying Sisko doesn't blame the Maquis for their philosophy but he blames the Starfleet officers who betrayed their Oaths by joining the Maquis in the first place, telling Sisko that the Maquis were no threat to Starfleet -- only a threat to Sisko's record. Sisko is quickly able to counter by saying that Eddington's leadership of the Maquis was so effective against the Cardassians that it forced them to ally with the Dominion, setting the stage for a war between the Federation and the Dominion that could lead to the deaths of millions. Eddington is clearly affected by this, and sits down with his back to Sisko in a contemplative mood. Back on DS9, Nog and Jake are sitting in Quark's. Two Klingons are trading head blows for fun, with Martok watching and calling for more wine. Nog waits for the Klingons to get louder so he can send them to the brig for disturbance. When they exceed 70dB, Nog laughs and prepares to arrest them, but he falls from his chair and the Klingons laugh at him. Sisko and Eddington enter the Badlands, and Sisko wakes Eddington up when they are approached by the Jem'Hadar. Sisko tests Eddington's death wish, calling his bluff. He takes off his handcuffs and leaves him to steer the ship while he gets a raktajino. Surprised, Eddington objects but then takes the helm and is able to shake the Jem'Hadar off. Eddington doesn't appreciate the trick and finally promises to take Sisko to the launch site and deactivate the missiles if he and Sisko can fight for real, stating he intends to kill him. Eddington continues his jovial conversation to pass the time, asking about his lucky looney he left behind when he joined the Maquis. Soon, the Jem'Hadar return. This time, Eddington plans a Maquis trick to realign the impulse flow regulators, while the engine is active. Sisko is alarmed, since this is a dangerous procedure, but Eddington says the plasma exhaust can be ignited and either destroy the enemy ships or at least mask their trail. Sisko agrees and gets in the crawlspace. The ship is rocked and fired upon, but, fortunately, Sisko finishes and Eddington ignites the plasma, destroying the Jem'Hadar. Sisko, now with a head wound, comes out and berates Eddington for not keeping the ship steady, then ordering him to proceed to the missile base. On the station, Jake insists to Nog that, if he has a girl over, he must call before entering their quarters. Nog doesn't care, as he knows they were only talking. Then, Nog sees Martok and two of his aides lingering on the Promenade, in his and Jake's "favorite spot." For Nog, this is the last straw. To Jake's incredulity, Nog marches up to the Klingons and orders them to move on, or else he will be forced to arrest them for loitering, strictly prohibited by station rules. Martok bellows that the young Ferengi is either courageous or a fool to threaten him with arrest. Nog trembles, but stands his ground. Martok begins to laugh, acknowledging the young Ferengi's gumption, and he instructs his aides to move on. Eddington pilots the runabout to Athos IV, where the launch pad is well hidden by interference, and lands the runabout on a nearby landing pad. After a few kilometers, they find someone's there -- a Jem'Hadar patrol. Sisko and Eddington soon come under fire, and Sisko decides to draw their attention with a pipe while Eddington fires at them. They're successful and hide the bodies. As they proceed, however, they find several dead Maquis members and friends of Eddington. Eddington is filled with guilt and remorse, feeling that he should have done more to help his followers and friends. Sisko sadly notes that perhaps it was the Federation who truly failed the Maquis, and maybe something could have been done to prevent this tragedy. Regardless, Sisko insists on disarming the missiles, and convinces him it's not over, and this is just the beginning. Eddington gets angry and considers killing Sisko on the spot, but isn't sure it'll make him feel better, so he continues on instead. Coming to a seemingly empty area, Sisko stops Eddington and fires blindly, knowing that the Jem'Hadar could be invisible. Indeed, he kills two. Eddington is briefly impressed and breaks into the next room, where they find several imprisoned Maquis. Eddington introduces Sisko to Rebecca Sullivan, his wife. Eddington immediately leads the people out, telling them there is a runabout. It is revealed that no missiles actually exist, that the encoded message just said that the Maquis arrived safely at the meeting point. It was all a ruse to get Eddington out of jail and to trick Sisko into bringing him to the chosen destination. Sisko punches him, and Sullivan stops them from fighting, intent on getting out of there. As they leave, Sisko also finds out the Jem'Hadar weren't supposed to be able to find them. Soon, they're attacked. Sisko and Eddington buy time for the others, but then Eddington is hit. More Jem'Hadar troops arrive. Eddington tells Sisko to save the people, and he stays behind to fight off the oncoming troops. He is killed in the attacks, but his sacrifice gives Sisko and the Maquis followers time enough to safely escape. The runabout leaves the Badlands, and Rebecca sits distraught at the loss of her husband. Back on the station, Nog brings Major Kira her lost earring loop, which he found after an exhaustive search of the areas she was working on the day before. The young Ferengi's industriousness and ingenuity continue to astound his superiors; Kira congratulates him on it, and he replies, "just doing my job."  Entering a turbolift, they run into Martok stepping off. Looking up from his PADD, he greets Nog, "Cadet," and Nog replies with an equally brief "General." Nog beams as he and Kira step onto the turbolift. Dax and Sisko talk about Eddington and the Maquis. Sisko admits that Eddington is not a traitor but was loyal to what he believed in until the very end. Dax asks if that's what it is, the end of the Maquis. Sisko is unsure about that, as there may be others out there who escaped the Dominion, biding their time and waiting for their chance to strike. And besides, Sisko muses, there's always something romantic about a lost cause. Dax tells Sisko that he almost sounds hopeful and leaves. Sisko then stares out of the window, thinking about Eddington. 
<EOS>
Kira, Dax, and Worf enter Quark's to find it strangely empty -- and the reason soon becomes apparent. No one is able to hear themselves think over the horrible noise resulting from Chief O'Brien and Nog doing some conduit repairs. The repairs are heavy and O'Brien soon realizes that he will need an entirely new plasma distribution manifold. Unfortunately, the manifolds are of Cardassian manufacture and cannot be replicated. A team is assembled to scavenge manifolds from the abandoned station of Empok Nor, which is identical in design to Deep Space 9. Because it is standard for Cardassians to plant booby traps whenever they abandon an area, Sisko recruits an outside resource to join the mission as the minesweeper: Elim Garak. The rest of the crew comprises O'Brien, Nog and four other Starfleet crewmembers: Pechetti, Boq'ta, Stolzoff, and Amaro. In the runabout traveling to the station Nog and Garak play the Cardassian board-game Kotra. Garak scolds Nog for playing too defensively, he explains that this is an un-Cardassian style, and that the game is about bold maneuvers and sweeping attacks. While en route to the station, Garak brings up O'Brien's past as a soldier in the Federation-Cardassian War, which O'Brien is hesitant to discuss. They soon arrive at Empok Nor. After Garak disarms the airlock booby trap and restores emergency power to the station, O'Brien quickly dispatches his teams for the salvage operation. Nevertheless, tension slowly begins to build when two Cardassians left on the abandoned station wake up in their stasis tubes as emergency power is restored. A little while after, Garak and Boq'ta find the stasis tubes in the infirmary -- two are empty, and one contains the skeleton of a Cardassian who died approximately one year before. The stasis tubes are partly filled with an unknown blue biogenic substance. Boq'ta picks up a regimental badge, which Garak quickly recognizes as the Third Battalion of the First Order. He then alarms the crewman that the other tubes have opened recently. Regarding the discovery, Garak contacts the O'Brien team to have him come to the infirmary. Nog goes back to the runabout to get a tool, however, he instead witnesses it from the airlock, adrift in space and then exploding. The group concludes that the former occupants of the cells are loose on the station with unfriendly intentions. When a dampening field hindering subspace communication is suddenly activated, they understand that their new priority is to contact DS9 for evacuation. It is decided to use the deflector grid to send a series of covariant pulses. For efficiency, they split again into three teams. The first team, composed of Stolzoff and Pechetti, is ordered to the habitat ring to bring the microfusion generator back online. Boq'ta and Amaro are to realign the magnetic flow field, and O'Brien will activate a signal generator in cargo bay 4 with Garak and Nog. In the cargo bay, Garak suspects something else is going on, for the lengths the Cardassians went to for an abandoned station don't make sense to him. As he and O'Brien talk, however, Nog sneaks around on guard, and doesn't see the Cardassian in the shadows. He's ready to make a move on Nog when O'Brien calls him back. Meanwhile, Pechetti and Stolzoff are working on the Promenade when they hear a door close upstairs. The turbolift descends, and they get ready when the doors open, but no one is there. Soon, though, they're distracted and killed. When O'Brien arrives on the death scene, he realizes they had the time to do a pretty complete job. O'Brien needs to finish Pechetti's job and then get back to the cargo bay. He orders Boq'ta and Amaro to reconfigure the pulse generator in Auxiliary Control. Boq'ta is reluctant to split up, so O'Brien convinces him by having Garak go with him. Garak, however, announces he intends to go after the Cardassians. O'Brien agrees, since he seems confidant, and stands Amaro down from holding his rifle on Garak. Garak strangely prods O'Brien a bit more about being a soldier, insisting on inviting the "hero of Setlik III" (O'Brien) to join his fight. O'Brien sends him off. Garak, at a computer terminal, finds he cannot access it. He senses someone close, and keeps pretending to access it. Hiding in the broken stasis chamber, he succeeds in disabling a Cardassian, though he oddly says to himself it felt good. After running an analysis on the body, he learns that the soldier had been given a massive dose of a psychotropic drug. Garak opines that it appears to be a failed experiment to enhance Cardassians' xenophobic tendencies, turning already-fanatical soldiers into unstable killing machines. He informs O'Brien of his discovery, but his strange behavior causes O'Brien to observe that Garak doesn't have the face of a tailor anymore. Garak leaves to go after the other Cardassian. Garak goes on with his task and finds the other Cardassian stalking Boq'ta and Amaro, but is unable to prevent the death of Boq'ta when Amaro's back is turned. Amaro sees Garak kill him and is relieved, however, Garak finally loses control and succumbs to the effects of the psychotropic drug. Garak stabs Amaro with a flux coupler. O'Brien finishes his task and tries to contact the others, but gets no response. He finds Amaro just in time for him to say Garak killed him. Nog gets nervous as O'Brien immediately goes on guard. He realizes Garak is under the influence of the drug. Since Garak knows their objective of contacting DS9, O'Brien doesn't see a choice other than going after him, killing him if that's what it takes. Insane, Garak turns his attention towards the only other remaining members of the salvage party: O'Brien and Nog. He comes across a Kotra board in the station commander's office and, also finding a communicator, signals for O'Brien. He reflects over to O'Brien on the relevance of Kotra's aggressive play style to their current predicament. A cat-and-mouse (or Kotra) game follows. O'Brien sneaks into the commander's office while Nog enters Ops. However, O'Brien is soon trapped in the office and Garak jumps on Nog, grabbing the phaser and capturing him. He tells O'Brien he'll have to come get Nog from him. O'Brien tries to find a way out of the office, but then the door opens, allowing him into Ops. Garak taunts him over the communicator, excited by the "game" while O'Brien tries to reason with him. Garak continues to push O'Brien on his experience on Setlik III, saying he enjoyed killing Cardassians and wants to recapture that feeling. O'Brien finally proposes a hand-to-hand duel, and Garak readily agrees. O'Brien makes his way through the Promenade, finding his crew's bodies hanging from the second level. He soon finds Garak holding Nog with a rifle, and they both disarm in a tense situation. O'Brien also puts down his tricorder. They begin fighting, and Garak is winning and taunting him. Garak is partly blinded by the drug, but the Chief incapacitates him using a simple trap (a tricorder-phaser bomb). He finds it did not kill him. Later, in the infirmary on DS9, Garak's system is purged of the drug. Garak expresses extreme regret for his actions and asks O'Brien to personally apologize on his behalf to Amaro's wife. O'Brien agrees, then says that there will have to be an inquest, but O'Brien will make sure that the board knows Garak wasn't responsible for his actions. 
<EOS>
The mood aboard Deep Space 9 has grown dark as the Dominion threat has intensified. Three ships have disappeared along the Cardassian border in just the last three weeks, Odo has canceled a vacation due to increased thefts of food rations and medical supplies, and the crew is generally gloomy -- Captain Sisko most of all. What's more, Kai Winn Adami announces she'll be visiting the station. Fortunately, Jake Sisko has a plan to lift his father's spirits -- Quark has invited him to an auction at which a mint-condition Willie Mays rookie year baseball card will be available. He'll show up, purchase the card, and make a gift of it. "How hard can that be?" Jake convinces Nog to let him use some of the gold-pressed latinum he's saved up over his lifetime so he can purchase this gift for the Captain, by guilting him through a reminder that the Captain made it possible for Nog to attend Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile, Kai Winn meets with Captain Sisko and reveals that the Dominion has requested a meeting with her. Both Sisko and the Kai are concerned about how Bajor will be able to cope with a pending Dominion invasion. At the auction, even Nog's entire life savings isn't enough to out-bid a mysterious man at the back of the room. He bids 10 bars of latinum (twice what Nog has saved) and then disappears out the back. Nog tries to convince Jake they've lost the card, but Jake is determined to come through for his father. They intercept the man as he leaves the auction house but he mutters something about refusing to get involved with any "soulless minions of orthodoxy" and disappears into a turbolift. Meanwhile, Weyoun arrives on the station to meet with Kai Winn and exchanges insults with Sisko. Finally, the man who bought the baseball card -- Dr. Elias Giger -- requests a meeting with Jake and Nog after learning of their relationships to Captain Sisko and Quark. It seems he needs some supplies he believes they're in a position to obtain, and he's willing to trade the baseball card, minus the original packaging and chewing gum, for those supplies. Jake agrees, even after learning that Dr. Giger plans to use the supplies in the construction of his cellular regeneration and entertainment chamber -- a device designed to keep the cells of the body from getting bored, thus prolonging life indefinitely. Jake and Nog agree that the man is crazy, but since he has the baseball card they have little choice. Giger provides a lengthy list, and Jake and Nog go straight to work. For a neodymium power cell from a Cardassian phase-coil inverter they visit Chief O'Brien, but he's too busy re-calibrating EPS regulators to help. Nog, always a Ferengi, strikes a deal: Jake and Nog will do the work while the Chief visits a holosuite for a chance to go kayaking for the first time in weeks. In exchange, O'Brien will find the power cell. For five liters of anaerobic metabolites suspended in a hydrosaline solution, they call on Doctor Bashir, who's not only busy but is doing something he wants to do (so they can't strike a deal like they did with Chief O'Brien). However, through additional probing, Nog gets Bashir to admit that he'd be much happier if he had Kukalaka -- his teddy bear. Nog manages to retrieve the bear from Leeta while she's sleeping. While Jake and Nog are running errands, Kai Winn discusses Weyoun's proposal with Sisko. The Dominion wants to sign a non-aggression treaty with Bajor. She recognizes that Starfleet can't possibly protect Bajor from the full strength of the Dominion, but also knows that allying with the Dominion could make Bajor the next world conquered. Sisko advises that she stall for time and keep Bajor's options open. He tells her she needs to trust him this time. She puts her hand on his ear to read his pagh, then agrees. Meanwhile, Jake delivers a batch of Dr. Giger's requested items to his quarters. Giger then removes a chip from one of the devices just delivered, and uses it to activate a console panel on his wall, which then begins making a humming sound. The view then pans up, to the quarters above, where Weyoun is being accommodated; the sound has alerted him and his two Jem'Hadar guards that something is going on below him. Nog has agreed to filter out subharmonic distortions from Worf's Klingon opera recordings while Jake helps Kira with an upcoming speech to the Bajoran Agricultural Ministry. When they've collected the last of the supplies, however, they find that Giger and his equipment are no longer in his quarters. Jake and Nog visit Odo, who insists there never was such a person in those quarters. When he hears about the "Cellular Regeneration and Entertainment Chamber," he reads them a list of charges including making a false report and wasting police time and scares them out of his office. On their way out, Jake witnesses Kai Winn talking to a vedek who had also bid on the lot containing the baseball card during the auction. Thinking that she was after the Bajoran mandala that was auctioned in the same lot as the baseball card, he deduces that she kidnapped Giger as a result of losing the bid. Weyoun meets again with Kai Winn, and she tells him he'll have to wait until she's given a report to the First Minister. He says he understands, and that he and she are very much alike. She puts a hand on his ear as she did with Sisko, then says, "No, we are nothing alike," and leaves. Shortly afterward, she is accosted in a nearby corridor by Jake and Nog. Sisko is furious when he finds out that they have essentially accused the religious leader of Bajor of burglary and kidnapping, but Jake, still wanting to surprise his father, lies and insists that he and Nog got drunk at Quark's before approaching the Kai. Naturally this makes Captain Sisko even angrier, and he tells them that he was wrong to place so much trust in them. He confines both of them to quarters and angrily dismisses them. As the two argue on a turbolift after they leave Sisko's office, they're suddenly beamed onto Weyoun's ship. Weyoun inquires about their connection to Dr. Giger. Jake explains that they were only trying to acquire a baseball card, but Weyoun doesn't believe him. He tells them that he knows about the polarized particles coming from Giger's room, that Jake and Nog have been holding secret meetings with the senior staff of the station (to acquire the requested items for Giger), and the fact that they met with Kai Winn immediately after she left him. The Jem'Hadar bring Giger into the room, carrying the auctioned box, and revealing that it was Weyoun who had kidnapped him. Giger, seeing Jake and Nog, accuse them of betraying him to the soulless minions of orthodoxy, before he is relieved of the box. Weyoun then begins to examine its contents, telling Jake he would like them to be friends, but they must be truthful with each other. Seeing no other option, Jake says he and Nog were working for Starfleet Intelligence, and concocts an absurd story about hunting for a mysterious man from the future named Willie Mays. Weyoun realizes their original story was truthful. Weyoun turns to Giger and asks for an explanation of his machinery. Nog dismisses Giger, quipping that he is working on a way to become immortal. Weyoun, who himself is a recipient of "immortality," immediately becomes interested in Giger's work. Giger says it will take some time to explain his theories. As Giger starts to explain the chamber, Weyoun allows Jake and Nog to leave with the baseball card. Due to unintentional benefits of Jake's and Nog's trades, Chief O'Brien had time to go kayaking in the holosuite, Dr. Bashir has Kukalaka back (though Leeta is confused about losing him), Major Kira's speech was well received, and Worf is able to listen to his opera collection on the Defiant's bridge again. Weyoun even takes an interest in Giger's work on immortality. But most importantly, Captain Sisko has a mint-condition Willie Mays rookie baseball card from Earth, 1951. The whole station feels happier. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, Rom and Leeta study a PADD with images of various wedding dresses from Tellarite modern to Risian traditional, but dislike all of them. Tora Ziyal persuades them to let Elim Garak design one for them. Garak tells her that he finds her adoration both "flattering and disturbing". Rom and Leeta see Captain Benjamin Sisko walking along the Promenade and approach him. Miles O'Brien is telling Sisko that his wife and children Molly and Kirayoshi have left for Earth due to the dangers of being on the front line. Rom and Leeta ask Sisko to officiate at their wedding that is to be held in two weeks time, to which Sisko agrees. After they leave, Sisko and O'Brien move to one of the Promenade windows where a large crowd has gathered. O'Brien states that "maybe they're not coming", to which Sisko replies "that would be a nice surprise". Suddenly, the wormhole opens and several dozen Dominion starships enter the Alpha Quadrant on their way to Cardassian space. This is the fifth Dominion convoy to enter the Alpha Quadrant in as many weeks. O'Brien wishes that they would just attack already, to which Sisko predicts his wish will occur soon. Jake Sisko arrives at his father's quarters for his first home-cooked meal since the last time he visited his father. Sisko curtly hands Jake a PADD, telling him to read the headline. It reads "Bajorans Continue Negotiations with the Dominion", "station commander opposes non aggression pact" and the by-line reads "by Jake Sisko". Jake reveals that this is his first article for the Federation News Service. Meanwhile Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys, and Odo are in a cargo bay checking several crates. The crates hold several thousand wrappages of yamok sauce, a condiment popular among Cardassians. Kira realizes that Quark has smuggled them in, believing the Cardassians will soon retake the station. Odo asks what they want to do with it, to which Kira makes no reply. Dax tells him to dump it. Dax asks her what is going on between her and Odo, to which Kira reveals that Odo has feelings for her and that she only found out about a month previously. As Nog brings Sisko his morning beverage, he asks if the rumors about the Romulans are true. Sisko has no idea what he is talking about and inquires further. Nog tells him that he was talking to several Orion free traders in Quark's the previous night and they said they heard from a Vulcan diplomat that the Romulan Star Empire had signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Sisko tells Nog not to believe the rumors and to remember the one hundred and ninetieth Rule of Acquisition -- "Hear all, trust nothing." However, after Nog leaves, Sisko contacts Dax and tells her to put him through to Starfleet Intelligence. Later, in the wardroom Sisko reveals that the Romulans have indeed signed a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, joining the Tholians and the Miradorn who have already done so. The Bajorans are still debating the pact as they were also recently offered it, but Kira assures everyone that they will never sign it or any form of agreement with the Dominion. Sisko also reveals that Starfleet Command has decided no more Dominion ships can be allowed into the Alpha Quadrant. A minefield will be deployed at the mouth of the wormhole to stop the Dominion convoys. Odo comments that by doing so they could start a war, to which Sisko replies that "Maybe so. But one thing's for certain: we're losing the peace, which means a war could be our only hope." In Dax's quarters, Dax, O'Brien, and Rom are trying to come up with the best type of mine to deploy in the minefield. O'Brien suggests using pulse mines but the Dominion ships could simply wait at the mouth of the wormhole and destroy them. He then suggests cloaking them, but it would weaken the mines. Rom, while in the midst of complaining about his upcoming wedding, then realizes that if the mines are to be small they will need a lot of power and a way to replace them. Each mine could be equipped with a replicator unit and would swarm detonate, with at least twenty mines homing in on one ship. The main draw back is that the entire minefield will have to be deployed before it can be activated, or premature detonation could occur. Sisko talks with Starfleet Command and relays their judgment to Kira and Worf that Starfleet's forces are needed elsewhere and will be unable to assist in the deployment of the minefield. Their orders are to deploy the minefield and prepare for a Dominion attack. DS9 will also have to defend the USS Defiant, as she will be alone while deploying the minefield. Kira meets with Odo and agrees to his plan of stopping all outgoing communications. They also decide to put their personal feelings for each other aside until the crisis has abated. The Defiant begins to deploy the mines but the Dominion becomes aware of it almost immediately. A Dominion ship arrives with Weyoun aboard. He leaves behind all of the false pleasantness that he has always used before in his meetings with Sisko, and bluntly issues an ultimatum -- remove the mines, or the Dominion will take control of Deep Space 9 and remove them themselves. Sisko stubbornly tells Weyoun that the mines will stay and he will not allow any more ships through the wormhole. Weyoun then returns to his old ways -- a mask of reasonableness and sincerity. Weyoun tells Sisko that it is the Cardassians who are pushing for the convoys, saying that they want the security that the Dominion brings, as well as a boost to their economy after their costly war with the Klingons. Weyoun then offers to limit the convoys to cargo ships, construction units, and civilian aid if Sisko will remove the mines. Later, Sisko tells his senior officers and General Martok that the Dominion will attack as early as tomorrow. He tells them that his conversation with Weyoun was all words and an attempt to lure the other side into a "false sense of security". Sisko did not believe it and is sure Weyoun didn't either. Sisko asks Martok to take the IKS Rotarran to the Cardassian border and watch for the Dominion fleet. Sisko also tells Kira to contact the Bajoran Council of Ministers for an immediate meeting, as he plans to use his position as Emissary of the Prophets to endorse the nonaggression pact. Kira doesn't understand why he would want the Bajorans to sign the pact, so Sisko tells her that the only way Bajor will survive the war will be to do what the Romulans did, and sign the pact to keep them out of the fighting. He is convinced that by not doing so, the past five years of their work will be undone. The Bajorans sign the pact and First Minister Shakaar orders all Bajorans to leave Deep Space 9 for their own safety. Kira arranges for Ziyal to stay with several of her friends. Later, Sisko marries Rom and Leeta in a traditional Bajoran ceremony. Rom then tells her to go to Bajor, and not look back. As Sisko prepares Program Sisko 197, General Martok contacts the station with a report of a large Dominion fleet heading their way. However, his transmission is jammed by the Dominion and Dukat, Weyoun, and Damar appear on the station's viewscreen. Dukat asks Sisko if he wants to surrender and avoid "unnecessary bloodshed". Sisko tells him no, to which Dukat happily replies that he was hoping Sisko would say that. Sisko orders his crew to battle stations. The Dominion fleet will enter weapons range in twenty minutes. Unfortunately, the Defiant has an hour of work left before the minefield can be activated. Jake helps Doctor Bashir and his medical staff with medkits. He tells Bashir that he promised the Federation News Service a firsthand account of the battle. Bashir tells him he will get it and that his name is spelled with an "I". Garak meets Odo on the Promenade, praising his composure and calling him "an island of tranquility in a sea of chaos." Odo's entire Bajoran staff has been evacuated to Bajor. Garak tells Odo that during the Klingon attack on the station, almost two years previously, when he and Dukat were defending the members of the Detapa Council, Dukat turned his back to him. Garak considered killing him but realized he could not fight the Klingons by himself. He tells Odo that by the time this day is over, everyone on the station will regret his failure to kill Dukat. The Rotarran approaches Deep Space 9 and Sisko tells Martok to protect the Defiant. Worf then activates the weapons array. Kira arrives in Ops and offers a perfunctory protest to Starfleet's refusal to turn the station over to her government. Sisko notes her protest and Kira reports for duty. The Dominion fleet approaches the station. On the flagship, Dukat tells Damar he has been waiting for this moment for five years. Damar tells him that they will reclaim both Terok Nor and Bajor. Weyoun chastises them, reminding them of the nonaggression pact. The fleet enters weapons range and Dukat gives the order to fire. The battle begins and the station manages to destroy several Dominion ships plus several that were closing on the Defiant. Damar and Weyoun are surprised that Deep Space 9's shields are holding, to which Dukat tells them he has found it wise never to underestimate the Federation's technical skill and Captain Sisko's resourcefulness. The Defiant comes under attack but is saved by the Rotarran. The enemy fleet targets their weapons on the outer docking ring, penetrating the station's shields. Main power to the shields is lost and the auxiliary power will not last long. However, the Defiant reports in, telling Sisko the minefield has been deployed. Jadzia activates the field and returns to the station. The Dominion fleet prepares for a final assault on the station, with Dukat calling the activation of the minefield a "minor setback". Sisko decides there is nothing more they can do and orders all Federation personnel to evacuate. As the evacuation begins, Dax says goodbye to Worf, who has been assigned to the Rotarran, and agrees to marry him when the war is over. Sisko addresses the station population who are remaining behind. He tells them that although the station has been lost, the attack on the station allowed the Federation and the Klingons to attack and destroy the Dominion shipyards on Torros III. He also tells them that no victory can make this moment any easier for him, and promises he will not rest until he stands with them again. Sisko is then transported to the Defiant. Garak is already aboard, and asks Captain Sisko for permission to remain and for once tells the very simple truth — he has nowhere else to go. Captain Sisko agrees, and heads for the bridge. The Defiant and the Rotarran leave the station, fire a few last shots, and cloak before they can be destroyed. Kira and Odo arrive in Ops and transmit a message to the Dominion fleet, welcoming them to Deep Space 9. Kira then activates Program Sisko 197, which sets off a series of explosive system overloads that cripple the station. Quark, removing all aspects of the Federation's presence, tells his staff to break out the kanar and find some yamok sauce. Rom reports for duty in his old job as Assistant Manager of Policy and Clientele. He claims he is now a spy for Starfleet. As Rom starts work he finds Jake, sitting nearby. He has stayed behind to report on the Dominion occupation. Rom is concerned for his safety, but Jake assures him that if Dominion harms him, the son of the Emissary, they risk alienating their new Bajoran friends. On the Defiant, Sisko finds out and is naturally angry, but he cannot risk the entire crew for one person, even his own son. Jake is a grown man and capable of making his own decisions. The Defiant and the Rotarran continue on their course to rendezvous with the Federation/Klingon task force. Nog states that now they will make the Dominion "sorry they ever set foot in the Alpha Quadrant." The Dominion boards what is once again called Terok Nor and Odo, Kira, and Quark arrive to meet them. Weyoun tells Odo he is honored that he remained behind. Dukat and Weyoun visit Ops and the station commander's office where Sisko has removed all of his personal items, except one. Dukat finds Sisko's baseball still on the desk, a promise from Sisko that he will return to reclaim Deep Space 9. On the Defiant, Sisko sits in contemplation of the impending war that will sweep across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Defiant and the Rotarran de-cloak and move to join the large Federation and Klingon fleet. The Dominion War has begun. 
<EOS>
A battered Federation and Klingon fleet move through space, attesting to the fact the war is not going well. Three months have passed since the Dominion occupied Deep Space 9 and hostilities began. The USS Defiant has been on the run from the Jem'Hadar for 78 hours. Everyone on board is tense and exhausted. Nog gets anxious that news of the Seventh Fleet's counter-assault has not arrived, while Chief Miles O'Brien is sick and tired of running from the Dominion. In the medical supply room, Doctor Julian Bashir is treating Elim Garak for a small head wound . Bashir estimates their chances of survival at 32.7%. Garak is not impressed with Bashir's calculations, notwithstanding Bashir's recently revealed genetic enhancements. The Defiant and Klingon General Martok's IKS Rotarran rendezvous and Worf and Jadzia Dax are reunited in the Defiant's mess hall. After a joyous hello, Worf reveals that he is upset that Jadzia has scheduled the ritual sacrifice of the targ to occur after their wedding feast. Jadzia gives in, saying, "first we'll shed blood, and then we'll feast." When Martok points out that Worf wasn't talking about anything else in days, Jadzia puns, "He's such a worrier.". As Worf and Jadzia leave, Captain Benjamin Sisko suggests that they not break any bones, to which Jadzia only responds with the crossing of her fingers. Bashir enters and says they've been ordered to Starbase 375, and he has word of the Seventh Fleet's engagement in the Tyra system: out of 112 ships, only fourteen ships have returned. Angry, Sisko slams his fist on a tabletop, breaking the glass. On Deep Space 9, now renamed Terok Nor, Gul Dukat narrates a log entry, quite pleased with how the war is going. Reports of victories arrive daily and with the enemy retreating on nearly every front, "it is a good time for Cardassia and the Dominion." Weyoun is happy that life seems to be returning to normal on the station. Kira wants Bajoran security returned to the station, but Dukat is concerned about the implications of allowing armed Bajorans on board. Weyoun is disturbed by the way Dukat seems to be undermining the Dominion's position because of his antipathy towards the Bajorans, but lets the matter rest for the moment. After Kira leaves, Weyoun demands Damar leave and then, to Dukat, to be included in all decisions on station policy henceforth. Further, Weyoun is impatient with Dukat's slow progress on clearing the minefield that is blocking the wormhole, preventing Dominion reinforcements from getting through from the Gamma Quadrant. Dukat complains that destroying these self-replicating mines is difficult because when they attempt to destroy one, its neighbor replicates another, but assures Weyoun that he will get it done. In Quark's, business is looking up again; Cardassians ring the gaming tables, though Quark also has to contend with several tables of Jem'Hadar, who do not eat, drink, or relax, but just sit, looking baleful. At the bar, Quark gives Kira a complimentary drink as she and Odo are discussing the Occupation. Quark says that as occupations go, this one's not so bad. Kira acidly says that must be true for someone concerned solely with profit, but Quark reminds her that all three of them have vivid memories of the horrible conditions for Bajorans on the station during the last occupation, which are not present this time. Quark admits that he wants the Federation back as much as they do, but encourages them that "things could be a lot worse." Odo reluctantly agrees that the Dominion is (for the moment) treating Bajor as a friend. Kira asks, if that's true, why are there no Bajoran security officers on the station? After the Defiant's arrival at Starbase 375, Admiral William Ross surprises Sisko by relieving him of command of the Defiant, and tells Sisko that he'll be informed of his new assignment later. While waiting, Sisko contacts his father Joseph in New Orleans, Earth. His father is very upset that his grandson Jake is still on Deep Space 9, and a heated argument arises. Sisko says that staying behind was Jake's choice, but the elder Sisko doesn't care about this. Benjamin promises his father that he'll get Jake back soon. Benjamin's father asks if things are as bad as the news services say. Sisko says they're worse. Meanwhile on Terok Nor, Jake wants an interview with Weyoun, but learns that Weyoun has been censoring his Federation News Service articles by blocking Jake's transmissions. Weyoun explains that he thinks Jake's reporting is biased against the Dominion, using words like "occupation". Jake objects, but Weyoun refuses the interview for now. However, he invites Jake to keep writing with the bias in mind, and he will continue to read his articles and consider allowing his transmissions to go through. Back at Starbase 375, Ross reveals Sisko's and the Defiant crew's new assignment. They're to destroy the Dominion's main ketracel-white storage depot in the Alpha Quadrant, located deep in Dominion territory. Instead of the Defiant, they're to use the Jem'Hadar attack ship Sisko captured last year to infiltrate Dominion space. Two weeks later, while on board preparing for departure, the crew starts to complain about the "design flaws" of the Jem'Hadar ship: no chairs, no food replicators, no viewscreen on the bridge, and no infirmary. Garak joins the crew at Sisko's invitation, as his knowledge of Cardassian space and Cardassian contacts may be useful. They are cleared to leave, and Sisko, putting on the virtual display device, orders the ship to be taken out. On Terok Nor, Dukat, ensconced in Captain Sisko's office, wants to spend more time with Kira, so calls for her, noting their only interactions have been for station business. Kira is disgusted by Dukat, and tries to leave, but Dukat pulls rank. When asked, she says he betrayed everyone, including his own people by joining the Dominion. He tries to convince her of the dire situation he was faced with. He says he's getting the Alpha Quadrant in return for the high price he's paid, but Kira is skeptical that will happen. Dukat says he's patient with her, and clearly expects an intimate relationship at some point. She soon slaps his hand away when he reaches for her face. Then, he lets her leave. Sisko's Jem'Hadar ship, en route to Dominion space, Sisko is having trouble with the headset. Garak offers to wear the other one, as he noticed Dukat wearing one earlier, so that they can share the burden. Soon, the ship is discovered by the USS Centaur captained by Charlie Reynolds, an officer Sisko is acquainted with. Just as they are about to cross the Cardassian border, the Centaur fires on them. With the communication system is down, Sisko orders Dax to run for the border. However, the Centaur is still on them, damaging a guidance thruster. Sisko orders Dax to fire back, targeting the Centaur's weapons array only. Luckily, three Jem'Hadar ships enter the fray and the Centaur warps away. Oddly, they don't acknowledge them, so they continue on. In order to return Bajoran security to the station, Kira urges Odo to take advantage of his god status as a Changeling with Weyoun. Odo is very uncomfortable with this, but agrees. When Odo presents his demand to Weyoun, he immediately agrees: "Consider it done." Dukat objects, but Weyoun tells Dukat to keep out of it. It is strictly between Weyoun and Odo. But Weyoun asks Odo for a favor in return: he asks Odo to sit on the station's Ruling Council, along with Weyoun and Dukat. When Odo tells Kira about Weyoun's request, she is concerned that Weyoun may be using Odo to validate the Dominion's occupation. Odo says he that he thought we were using them, and besides, he's walked this fine line before. Kira remains uneasy. Meanwhile, Sisko's Jem'Hadar ship arrives at the ketracel-white storage facility, which is built into a small asteroid. After they observe another ship go through the exchange process, Garak requests 84 canisters of ketracel-white. O'Brien says he has 83 empty canisters standing by, and one not-so-empty one which is filled with ninety isotons of enriched ultritium. This should be enough to take out the whole storage facility. Sisko's ship moves to inside the depot's security zone. O'Brien sets the detonator for three minutes. After the exchange of (mostly) empty canisters for canisters full of white takes place, Garak asks the facility for clearance to leave. Instead, the facility raises their security net, trapping Sisko's ship inside, while the bomb is still ticking. The facility orders Sisko's ship to stand by. The crew concludes that if they stay inside the net the bomb will destroy the ship along with the depot. The explosion will also take out the security net. But if they attempt to escape too early, they'll smash into the inside of the security net before it comes down. Dax and Bashir calculate that if the ship goes to impulse exactly 1.3 seconds before the bomb detonates, they will avoid both the explosion and the security net. Dax programs this into the computer and hands the piloting controls over to it. But the bomb goes off early. Dax takes back helm control and gets the ship out of there. The Jem'Hadar ship barely makes it out, the huge explosion chasing at its tail. But they survive, and the plan worked. The ship suffered heavy damage, however. The core matrix is fried, there's no warp drive. Bashir informs everyone that the closest Federation starbase is "seventeen years, two months, and three days away -- give or take an hour." Sisko's crippled Jem'Hadar attack ship, now without warp capacity, starts the long journey back. 
<EOS>
Benjamin Sisko and crew are stranded deep in Dominion space on a captured Jem'Hadar ship with a disabled warp drive. Chief Miles O'Brien and Nog are busy making repairs. Two Jem'Hadar ships approach Sisko's ship and attack. Their only option is to make a run for an uncharted dark-matter nebula. Before they can get inside it, Jadzia Dax is injured when a Jem'Hadar volley rocks the ship. Doctor Julian Bashir thinks the symbiont has been injured too. All ship functions disabled, they begin to descend towards an unknown class M planet. The ship crash lands into a sea just off a coast but everyone escapes with their lives. A Vorta named Keevan and a group of Jem'Hadar had crashed onto the planet two days earlier. The Jem'Hadar First and Second are dead, Keevan is badly wounded, they are running out of ketracel-white, and they cannot establish communications with any Dominion forces off-planet. Crawling onto shore with what few items from the ship they could take with them, Sisko and the others have a much-needed laugh when O'Brien frets, absurdly, over his torn pant leg. Back on Dominion-controlled Deep Space 9, once again referred to as Terok Nor, Major Kira Nerys wakes up at 0500 for another day of duty working with the Dominion and their Cardassian allies. She boards the lift, already filled with Jem'Hadar and Cardassians. Arriving at her station in ops, she thanks Mavek, a Cardassian, for her raktajino. In a cave on the planet, Keevan discusses their dire situation with Third Remata'Klan. It will be ten days before they can even attempt to establish communications. Keevan distributes a very limited dose of white to the Jem'Hadar soldiers. Meanwhile Sisko and the crew set up camp in another cave where Bashir can stabilize Dax's condition. Nog and Elim Garak go on a survey mission to find water and food. Nog is apprehensive around Garak ever since he tied him up and threatened to kill him. Garak recalls that there were extenuating circumstances but Nog says he won't ever turn his back on him again. Garak tells Nog "there may be hope for you yet." Then, several Jem'Hadar soldiers appear around them and they are taken prisoner. Nog and Garak are being interrogated in the Jem'Hadar camp. Nog refuses to give more than his name and Starfleet serial number, and Keevan turns to Garak. Garak claims to be one Kamar, one of the Dominion's Cardassian allies who has been captured by the USS Centaur (the ship encountered by Sisko and his crew while infiltrating Cardassian territory). Keevan sees through this lie, holding up the Starfleet combadge Garak was wearing. Keevan says he has only one question: is there a doctor in Garak's unit. Garak, weighing his options carefully, decides to tell the truth, and says, yes. Nog is furious with him, but Keevan says he just saved both their lives. Keevan sends Third Remata'Klan to assess the Federation group's strength, but firmly orders him not to engage. On Terok Nor, Jake Sisko is interviewing Odo and Kira about the Dominion's plans to send four hundred Vorta "facilitators" to Bajor despite Weyoun still blocking his transmissions to the Federation News Service. Jake also informs them that Vedek Yassim is planning a demonstration on the Promenade the next day. Jake's pointed questions quickly get under Kira's skin and she ends the interview. Back on the planet, Sisko and a few others are searching for Nog and Garak. Despite the order from Keevan not to engage, the Jem'Hadar open fire. After determining who fired the first shot, the Jem'Hadar leader orders a withdrawal from the engagement with the Starfleet party. Running out of ketracel-white, the Jem'Hadar are becoming anxious and none of them can shroud themselves any longer. Kira tries to convince Vedek Yassim not to hold her protests. Yassim asks Kira what Kira's doing to fight the Dominion. Kira says that this is different from the Cardassian occupation -- fighting isn't the answer here. Yassim accuses Kira of becoming an apologist for the Dominion, "a defender of evil". While Sisko is planning an assault on the Jem'Hadar position, Third Remata'Klan visits the cave to make a deal: exchanging Sisko and Bashir for Nog and Garak. Sisko surprises him by quoting a Jem'Hadar proverb ("Obedience brings victory"). He tries to sow suspicion and resentment in Remata'Klan for his Vorta handler by referring to the joint Dominion-Starfleet operation after which a Vorta was killed by the Jem'Hadar First, and points out that even though Remata'Klan is the senior surviving Jem'Hadar, Keevan has not seen fit to promote him beyond the rank of Third. But Remata'Klan will not have it, and states that he was only instructed to deliver the message. Sisko claims not to trust Vorta, and asks for Remata'Klan's word that the conditions of the exchange will be honored. Remata'Klan vows to carry out his orders, and Sisko accepts the deal. The prisoner exchange is carried out. Meanwhile, on Terok Nor, Kira waits on the Promenade ready to deal with Vedek Yassim if she causes any trouble, but everything is quiet. Jake turns up, telling Kira that Yassim asked him to be there. Just as Kira starts to tell Jake he won't find a story today, Vedek Yassim yells "Evil must be opposed!" and steps off from the upper level of the Promenade. The noose around her neck snaps taut just before her feet can touch ground. The next morning, Kira is sleepless when the alarm clock chimes for another day of duty on the Dominion-occupied station, she boards the lift, and thanks Mavek for her coffee. She looks around and realizes what she's doing. Then she leaves, startled. Arriving at the Jem'Hadar cave, Bashir performs surgery and saves Keevan's life. After asking his soldiers to leave, Keevan offers Sisko another deal. With only one vial of white left, Keevan fears that his soldiers will soon go on an uncontrollable rampage, killing everyone, including themselves. Keevan plainly tells Sisko that he plans to send the Jem'Hadar on a suicide attack, so that Sisko and his crew can kill them all, immediately after which Keevan would then surrender himself to Starfleet, providing the crew with a damaged but salvageable com unit with which they can repair and thus signal for a rescue. Returning to the cave and informing the crew, the Starfleet officers debate the right course of action. While some of the officers don't like the idea of killing the Jem'Hadar in such an underhanded way, Garak argues that they're in the middle of war, and the Jem'Hadar would not hesitate to kill them. Just as the argument begins to get heated, Sisko stops the debate, reminding them that it's his decision alone, then declares that Garak is right. they're in the middle of a war, and if it's a choice between his crew and the Jem'Hadar soldiers, then there is no choice. Everyone heads out to face the Jem'Hadar, while Sisko confides to Dax that he's hoping there's a third choice. Back on the station, Kira is disgusted with herself, and tells Odo that during the Occupation of Bajor as far as she was concerned, you're either fighting the enemy, or helping them. While half the Alpha Quadrant are risking their lives fighting the Dominion, she was ready to arrest Vedek Yassim for protesting the station occupation. Since she is not fighting the Dominion, it follows that she is helping them and defending them which makes her a collaborator. Out of self-disgust, Kira vows to start fighting back. She and Odo will put together a resistance cell to fight the Dominion and their Cardassian allies. In an arid canyon on the planet, before the Jem'Hadar assault, Sisko tells Remata'Klan that the Jem'Hadar were betrayed by the Vorta, but it turns out that Remata'Klan already understood the massive tactical error of approaching the group from this canyon. Despite how it may appear, the Jem'Hadar are often one step ahead of the Vorta. Sisko offers to allow the Jem'Hadar to surrender, but Remata'Klan can't / won't even consider that option. Sisko tells Remata'Klan that Keevan doesn't deserve their loyalty but the Jem'Hadar replies that Keevan doesn't "need" to deserve it. From the day they're created, Jem'Hadar know that they are pledged to follow the Founders' orders without question, and the Vorta are the conduits of those orders - "it is the order of things." Sisko asks him if "the order of things" is worth giving up his life, but Remata'Klan counters that his life has never been his to give up. Telling his men, "our death is glory to the Founders," Remata'Klan leads his men on a futile charge towards the ridge, opening fire. Returning fire, the Starfleet contingent guns them all down, at the cost of one of their own. A few seconds later, Keevan arrives, glancing at the soldiers who he gladly sacrificed to save his own life, and offers himself as a prisoner of war, remarking that two missing vials of white was the only reason Sisko and his men weren't slaughtered days ago.  Sisko appears to want to execute Keevan then and there, but instead pushes past his own disgust to order that Keevan be taken into custody, and tells O'Brien to start repairing the communications system. Then Sisko orders a burial detail for Gordon and the dead Jem'Hadar. 
<EOS>
Captain Benjamin Sisko and his crew have been rescued from an uncharted planet in a dark-matter nebula deep inside Dominion space by the IKS Rotarran. Rotarran is dropping them off at Starbase 375. Worf and Jadzia Dax kiss passionately before they separate once again. Before he disembarks, Sisko makes a bet with Klingon General Martok for a barrel of bloodwine that Sisko will set foot on Deep Space 9 before Martok does. A little later, the Rotarran picks up five new crew replacements from the IKS Vor'nak (Martok had asked General Tanas for fifteen, but he could only send five). To Worf's surprise, one of these recruits is his own son, Alexander Rozhenko, having newly joined the KDF. On Terok Nor, Kira Nerys and Odo are still gearing up for their resistance movement, but it is apparently not too much of a secret, since civilians such as Quark and Jake Sisko are well aware of it. Later, Gul Dukat surprises Kira by bringing Tora Ziyal back to the station from Bajor. Kira is happy to see Ziyal, who asks Kira to have dinner with her that night. Kira agrees, but Dukat declares that it will take place in his quarters at 2200 hours. Kira starts to protest, but Dukat and Ziyal quickly run off. On the Rotarran, Martok receives his orders. Their next mission will be to protect a convoy headed to Donatu V. They will be the only ship protecting the convoy and, since the last three convoys headed the same way were destroyed by the Jem'Hadar, they are probably going to see some action. Martok then asks Worf why, after all they've been through together, he never mentioned he had a son. Worf explains that Alexander's mother was half-Human and disdainful of Klingon ways, and that after her death he raised him on the Enterprise for a while before returning the boy to Earth. He also mentions that Alexander had never shown interest in becoming a warrior, which was something Worf eventually managed to accept and respect. Now Worf is at a loss to explain why Alexander has joined the Klingon Defense Force, and admits the two have yet to speak. Martok expresses concern for Worf's relationship with his son, but allows his friend to handle it his own way. Later, Worf calls Alexander to his quarters and asks after his parents. Alexander, trying to act every inch the warrior, tells Worf that they weren't happy about him enlisting at first but supported him anyway. Worf wishes them to speak as father and son, but Alexander refuses telling Worf he is here as a warrior and nothing more. Worf accuses Alexander of only enlisting to please him, and when Alexander disputes this Worf harshly tells him that they both know he is not a warrior and warns that he expects twice from him that he does the rest of the crew. Back on the station, Kira visits Ziyal in her quarters where Kira says that she can't have dinner with Dukat. The conversation moves to why Ziyal left Bajor. She says that everyone was polite, but as the daughter of Gul Dukat, she didn't have any friends. The station is her only true home, and she misses her father. Kira reminds Ziyal that the last time she defied Dukat, he left her on the station to die. Ziyal claims that Dukat has explained to her that he overreacted, and implores Kira to come that night. Kira, caught between her hatred for Dukat and her fondness for Ziyal, reluctantly agrees. On the Rotarran, a fight breaks out in the mess hall when Ch'Targh deliberately provokes Alexander, teasing him about not being used to normal Klingon fare, insisting he have a root beer with ice cream. Alexander is increasingly annoyed and eventually provokes the fight, but they can't finish it because Worf interferes to prevent his son from getting hurt. Worf seems to have no more confidence in his son's fighting abilities than the last time he saw him and has difficulty controlling his emotions where Alexander is concerned. On Terok Nor, Ziyal tells Kira and her father that she has found her way. She wants to be an artist and her talent has been recognized by the director of the Cardassian Institute of Art. Dukat thinks that her drawings resemble a Cardassian artist named Nanpart Malor, who was the founder of the Valonnan School on Cardassia Prime, and when Ziyal showed them to the director of the Cardassian Institute of Art he shared Dukat's assessment. Nerys thinks that the drawing bares a striking resemblance to a Bajoran artist named Vedek Topek. Ziyal says she wants to use her art to bring people together, to show that both the Bajorans and Cardassians see the universe the same way, but she quickly realizes that that must sound silly to Kira and Dukat. On the Rotarran, Martok is waiting with Worf over some warnog. He casually mentions the fight in the mess hall, and berates Worf for not hearing it from him. Furthermore, that Worf should have not interfered in the fight, and that Ch'Targh would only have harmed him, not killed. It's apparent that Worf should train him a bit. Just then, an alert status one is called from the bridge. There, Alexander reports a Jem'Hadar attack is imminent, however, there's no sign of it on the viewscreen or any hits to the ship. Worf realizes the battle simulation program is still running and states Alexander forgot to erase it from the sensor display. The realization sinks in to everyone there, and a few of the crew start laughing, saying he's keeping them on their toes. Worf wants to interfere, but Martok stops him, saying they've accepted him. Worf, however, knows they consider him the ship's fool. On Terok Nor, Dukat is giving a speech to a mix of Cardassians and Bajorans to announce a "new era of cooperation and understanding" with a gift of several industrial replicators to Bajor. It seems well-received, but Kira is disgusted. Delighted to leave when he finishes, Dukat calls her over to say that Ziyal's drawings have been accepted for inclusion in the Cardassian Institute's exhibition on Cardassia. Kira's happy for her, and will attend a celebration. Later, Gul Damar arrives at Kira's quarters to bring her a lovely dress as a gift from Dukat, but Kira is not able to look at herself in the mirror and so decides to return it. Dukat gives the dress to Ziyal instead. Later, Worf tries to train Alexander in hand-to-hand combat as it would be quite useful if they ever encounter real Jem'Hadar soldiers. But Worf is not able to be objective and the training session ends in a verbal fight between the father and the son. Alexander asks if Worf is going to send him away again and says that Worf will be happy when Alexander is dead. Martok later finds Alexander in the armory, attempting bat'leth drills; however, the blade leaves Alexander's hand and clatters across the floor, right in front of the general. Martok picks up the weapon and gives it a few experimental swings, commenting on its good balance, but remarking that it is only as effective as the warrior who wields it. He then asks Alexander point-blank why he is there. Alexander answers "to serve the Empire", but Martok dismisses that as a slogan, and demands the real answer. Alexander states that he would rather not say, for it is a personal matter, and asks for a chance to prove himself. Martok replies that he had just given him a chance, and that he failed. He informs Alexander that he will be transferred to a military transport ship, the IKS Par'tok, per Worf's request; Alexander is incensed, and claims Worf had no right, to which Martok retorts that Worf has every right, both as first officer and as Alexander's father. Outraged, Alexander confronts his father in his quarters; however, they are interrupted by a tactical alert signaling an attack by Jem'Hadar fighters, and quickly report to the bridge. In the following battle, the Jem'Hadar's fire causes a plasma leak; Alexander immediately volunteers to repair it, and Ch'Targh seconds him, saying it will need two to lock down properly. Worf hesitates for a moment, and then agrees. The Rotarran is able to fend off the Jem'Hadar attack, and the plasma leak is sealed off. However, Alexander managed to lock himself inside the corridor, much to the amusement of the crew. Worf asks Alexander to come with him. On Terok Nor, Ziyal is disappointed that Kira didn't turn up to the party earlier. Kira apologizes, but explains she simply cannot bring herself to have anything to do with Dukat. Ziyal begs not to be forced to choose between them, and Kira understands. Dukat is Ziyal's father, so there is no choice. Worf realizes that Alexander is not a child anymore and that he must let him prove himself if he is to become a Klingon warrior. Worf offers to try (again) for a new start, willing to learn how to be a good father. Alexander joins the House of Martok, as his father did, but in a ritual ceremony. 
<EOS>
The USS Defiant and her crew are now operating out of Starbase 375 conducting short-range missions into Dominion space. In a ritual that's evolved over time, Captain Benjamin Sisko takes a discharged power cell that had been used in the phaser array and lays it on a rack on the mess hall wall and makes a short speech. Everyone applauds. Admiral William Ross interrupts to tell Sisko that Starfleet Intelligence has discovered a massive sensor array near the Argolis Cluster which explains the Dominion's uncanny ability to always know where Federation starships are. It can detect ships from five sectors away. Ross orders Sisko to come up with an attack plan by 0800 the next morning. On Terok Nor, the Dominion-occupation name for Deep Space 9, Rom and Major Kira have arranged to put Cardassian officer Damar's PADD into the possession of the Jem'Hadar. In it, Damar proposes poisoning the last ration of ketracel-white, because if the Dominion lines through the Gamma Quadrant don't open up, the Jem'Hadar will run amok after all the white is gone. Some Jem'Hadar confront Damar in Quark's and a riot breaks out, which is more than Kira and Rom had hoped. In the aftermath of the bar fight, which has left some fatalities, Gul Dukat and Weyoun argue about how the unfortunate situation arose, with each defending his own. Odo silently agrees with Weyoun's statement that the Jem'Hadar would not have stolen the PADD, and Damar would not have left it lying around. He suspects Kira and Rom. On Starbase 375 at 0800, Sisko notes that the Dominion's Argolis Array can detect cloaked ships up to two light years away and proposes approaching the array through the Argolis Cluster itself. With the gravimetric distortions it will be difficult but he is confident that the Defiant's crew can manage it. Admiral Ross approves the plan. The Defiant will leave as soon as current repairs are complete. Back on the station, Odo confronts Kira over the Damar PADD operation. He reminds her that at the last resistance meeting he vetoed the idea to give Damar's PADD to the Jem'Hadar, but Kira tells him that after he'd immediately dismissed the idea and walked out she, Jake and Rom discussed it further and decided it was worth doing, and Kira is pleased that it worked even better than expected. Odo reminds her that if Dukat found out that she was behind it he'd use it as an excuse to throw all the Bajorans off the station when he's doing what he can to make sure Bajor survives the war which the Federation Alliance is losing. Kira accuses Odo of taking his role on the station's Ruling Council too seriously, as if he were genuinely more interested in the smooth operation of the station than in defeating the Dominion, but when asked tells him she isn't questioning his loyalty. The Female Changeling enters and asks Kira to leave. She says that she's trapped in the Alpha Quadrant because of the minefield which has been blocking the wormhole and that she needs to see others of her kind. She and Odo argue over their past and Odo specifically mentions the punishment he received from her several years earlier. She replies that the past is over. Back on Starbase 375, Ross informs Sisko that Bennet has been promoted to command of the Seventh Tactical Wing and that Sisko is to replace her immediately. Accordingly, Jadzia Dax will now captain the Defiant. Ross orders Sisko to review some tactical reports and present an opinion on the Bolian operation at 0600. After a meeting of the Ruling Council concludes, the Female Changeling enters. She is most concerned about the minefield and this is the first thing she says to Dukat. Weyoun of course supports her and adds his own opinion on the matter, saying thousands of ships are waiting. Dukat brushes it off, saying that even without reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant they're still winning the war. She demands it be brought down, and Weyoun instantly submits and removes himself from her presence. The Female Changeling turns to Odo, asking to walk with him back to his quarters. She asks him about the strange solid behavior that he has to put up with all the time. They go to Odo's quarters and with probing questions, she manages to get Odo to admit that he's in love with Kira and she concludes that that is the reason that Odo remains with the solids. He unburdens himself of the torture of his unrequited love. The Female Changeling is sympathetic and she offers to link, saying that that is what Odo really needs. They link. Some time later, Kira finds Odo in his quarters. He seems to be in another world but at peace. He admits to linking with the Female Changeling to Kira, who becomes quite angry. Odo tries to reassure her and tells her that linking is not about information exchange (which might give away her resistance cell). It is about thought and form and feeling. Kira says that it is about manipulation. She tells Odo that the Female Changeling is not trustworthy. Odo thinks that perhaps he can convince her to call off the war. But this is a rationalization. He admits that he is mostly just curious about himself and his people. Kira understands this but says that now is not the time for reflection. Odo promises not to link with her again, at least not until the war is over. Damar, acting more full of himself than he usually does, orders a 2327 Kanar from Quark. He can afford it now that he's been promoted to gul. Quark knows that Damar knows something important and manages, eventually, to ferret it out with free drinks. Later, an obviously drunk Quark intrudes on Kira's resistance cell meeting. Jake, Rom and Odo are also there. Quark says that he's had enough of the Dominion and Cardassians. In tears, he says he wants the Federation back; he wants to sell root beer again. When he's done with the self-pity, Quark says that Damar has found a way to deactivate the self-replicating mines. It is something about the deflector array. Rom figures that the secret is an anti-graviton beam, which the deflector array could be reconfigured to generate. There's one way to disable the deflector array: by accessing the electro-plasma system feed and overloading the waveguide. But getting to the EPS feed will set off an alarm, as it is in a secured conduit. So they plan for Odo to take the alarms offline for five minutes during a security diagnostic. They schedule this for exactly 0800 the next morning. The Defiant goes on its mission without Sisko at the helm. Back on Starbase 375, he's having trouble adjusting to life away from the trenches. He has not been sleeping for concern and fear for his friends and his plan. Ross tells him to get some sleep as Sisko is going to have to get used to this assignment. The Defiant will be going on a lot of missions without him. On Terok Nor, Odo has a lot of questions for the Female Changeling. She repeats that words are insufficient and clumsy. She urges Odo to link with her. He resists at first but eventually succumbs. Kira goes to check on Odo in his office but he's not there. She frantically tries to reach Odo via communicator but he is entering the link with the Female Changeling and doesn't answer. The time is 0759 so Kira then attempts to warn Rom to abort the plan but Damar interrupts wanting to go over a personnel report. Kira quickly makes her excuses and rushes out of the security office and tries to warn Rom not to open the panel but she is an instant too late. Rom has opened the hatch to the secure conduit and set off the security alarms. Kira tells him to get out of there as she sees Damar and a security force scramble to investigate the security breach. The Ferengi crawls back to where he came from and opens the outer hatch, only to be pulled out of the conduit by Damar and placed under arrest. The Defiant returns to Starbase 375 triumphantly. Ross and Sisko come aboard in order to congratulate the crew. As acting Captain of the mission, Dax now performs the power cell ritual just like Sisko had earlier. Sisko realizes that they're a good crew and that they don't really need him to command them. Kira storms down a corridor and bangs on Odo's door panel, beyond furious. In his quarters she yells to Odo that he let everyone down. She asks him if he forgot but he says no. It just didn't seem to matter. Kira furiously tells her former friend that Rom is in a holding cell being interrogated, they were both counting on him but instead Odo has just handed the Alpha Quadrant to the Dominion. What does he have to say for himself? But Odo is elsewhere, mentally and emotionally. In the link, he says, nothing else matters. Things mattered to him once but not any longer. Kira can never understand--she's a solid. Kira, realizing that she's lost Odo to the link, leaves. When she's gone, the Female Changeling appears from behind a wall. She notices that Odo looks troubled and asks "Did she upset you?" Odo thinks for a moment, looking at the doorway, "No, not really." Satisfied, the Female Changeling remarks, "Ah." 
<EOS>
Somewhere in space, the USS Defiant is venting plasma. Her weapons are off-line and her shields are at 30%. Two Jem'Hadar fighter ships approach and attack. A Klingon Bird-of-Prey decloaks and destroys one of the Jem'Hadar ships. The Defiant brings its weapons online and destroys the other. The Klingon ship is the IKS Rotarran. The Rotarran and the Defiant have been playing this game for a while. Just then they receive new orders from Starfleet to fall back. The crew complains that it seems that all they've been doing lately is retreating. According to Chief Miles O'Brien, engage, retreat, engage, retreat is becoming the Federation's favorite tune. Julian Bashir adds on that they might end up singing "Hail the Conquering Dominion". Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax, captaining the Defiant, and her fiance, Lieutenant Commander Worf, captaining the Rotarran, agree to meet at Starbase 375. Once there Dax, echoing her crew's sentiments, confronts Captain Benjamin Sisko about Starfleet's strategy in his office, which has left morale so low that even the Klingons have begun to doubt the certainty of victory. When Sisko tells Dax that he's in complete agreement, she forcefully tells him to do something about it, at which point he reveals his plan to retake Deep Space 9. The next day, Sisko describes his plan to Admirals Sitak and Coburn. Elements from the Second, Fifth, and Ninth Fleets will be peeled off the front lines and sent to retake Deep Space 9. Admiral Sitak tells Sisko that the Dominion will send a large fleet to stop them, but Sisko counters that it will slow their advance into Federation territory. Admiral Coburn objects that the plan leaves Earth extremely vulnerable. Admiral William Ross responds that the Third Fleet will still be there to protect Earth. Coburn still isn't convinced, but Sisko says confidently that the Dominion won't attack Earth. Earth isn't the key to the Alpha Quadrant; the wormhole is. And whoever controls Deep Space 9 controls the wormhole. On Terok Nor, the Dominion/Cardassian name for Deep Space 9, Quark and Major Kira Nerys attempt to see Odo about releasing Rom from his Dominion holding cell. But Odo's quarters are guarded by Bajoran and Jem'Hadar security, and Odo won't see anyone. The Bajoran informs them that Odo has been with the Female Changeling for three days. Inside, the Female Changeling and Odo have just had sex in the manner of solids. The Female Changeling comments on the insight it brings her, observing that the solids' version of intimacy pales in comparison to the Changelings' linking. They discuss Odo's previous experiences with sex. The Female Changeling guesses that Odo regrets not having had it with Kira. But Odo doesn't want to talk about Kira. He says that he has a Ruling Council meeting to attend. The Female Changeling says that that meeting took place three days ago. Odo is shocked at the passage of time. The Female Changeling tells him not to worry anymore about solids' meetings and schedules: "we're Changelings; we're timeless". They link again. Kira next goes to see Weyoun about Rom. He's in the wardroom examining a gift given to him by Gul Dukat: a prize-winning painting by Dukat's daughter Tora Ziyal. But as the Founders made the Vorta without a sense of aesthetics, Weyoun cannot appreciate it and insists on asking Kira if it is "any good." Then, Weyoun tells Kira that the Dominion is planning to execute Rom on charges of terrorism for attempting to sabotage the Dominion's move to bring down the minefield. He also notes that Rom is the one who came up with the self-replicating mines in the first place. Seeing that Weyoun won't be of any help, Kira threatens to involve the Bajoran government since Rom is married to a Bajoran citizen, but Weyoun is not impressed. He does, though, say he won't consider her to be a co-conspirator. Rom, his wife Leeta, and his brother Quark discuss Rom's future, or lack of one, from his Dominion holding cell. After Rom shoots down the possibility that the Bajoran government can arrange his release, or that Grand Nagus Zek can buy his freedom from the Dominion, Quark pledges to do whatever it takes to get him out. But Rom is much more interested in having Quark take out the anti-graviton beam, to finish what Rom started. Quark protests at first, because he doesn't want to die, but he knows that he has no choice. As Rom tells him, the fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant is in Quark's hands. Kira next appeals to Ziyal to speak to her father Dukat about Rom. Ziyal goes to Dukat, but he says he can't do anything. Ziyal appeals to his vanity; this is Dukat's opportunity to show Bajor what a great man he is. Dukat briefly suspects that Ziyal was involved in the attempted sabotage. Ziyal says that if Dukat truly regrets the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, then this is his chance to prove it to the Bajorans, and to her. He again refuses, as Rom is now an enemy of the state, and Ziyal, angry, says that Dukat is a true Cardassian. She storms out. In Quark's, Damar is feeling quite pleased with himself. Finding Kira at the bar, he orders her to prepare to receive a freighter and takes her seat. As she reluctantly leaves, he objects to her attitude. Kira responds he's welcome to try and change it. Damar later tells Quark that his field tests on the anti-graviton beam were successful and deactivation of the mines has already begun. Quark asks how long it'll take, and is horrified to find the minefield will be ready to be destroyed within the week. On Starbase 375, General Martok tells Sisko and Admiral Ross that Klingon Chancellor Gowron doesn't like Sisko's plan. Gowron is concerned that it will leave the Klingon Empire exposed to Dominion attack. Martok and Worf agree to see Gowron in person to convince him that the plan is worth it. As Martok says, if Gowron's most trusted ally and his worst enemy tell him the same thing, he will have no choice but to agree. Quark tells Kira about Damar's estimate that the minefield will be down in a week, and suggests letting Odo know in case he can help. Kira reminds him they can't get to Odo, and feels certain he wouldn't help even if he were asked. Therefore they have to find a way to warn Starfleet, however no-one has a clue on how to actually do that. Jake then arrives and tells the two that he's able to get a message out thanks to a courier, Morn, who is going away for his mother's birthday (the message being hidden on a ribbon that is used to tie her present). Sisko receives the message, letting him and Admiral Ross know the minefield will be down in three days. Ross and Sisko decide to move up the timetable and launch the operation to retake the station immediately, despite the fact that Ninth Fleet and the Klingons won't be able to make it in time, because if the wormhole opens up and Dominion reinforcements come through, then all is lost. In the wardroom, Dukat and Weyoun observe the slow, but steady, deactivation of the mines. As the graviton beam strikes a mine, a brief flash is visible as its replication unit fails. Weyoun comments that he is unable to see them, as the Vorta have poor eyesight, but is assured by Dukat that he will most certainly see the final destruction of the minefield. Damar enters with the latest movement of the Federation Fleet: the Second and Fifth Fleets have disengaged from the Kotanka system and Vulcan border respectively and have converged at Starbase 375. But they don't know what the Federation is up to. Weyoun demands an answer to this and leaves. Dukat then asks Damar to talk to Ziyal to convince her to talk to Dukat again. Damar thinks this is inappropriate and beneath him, but Dukat says that it is important to him, so Damar agrees. In a cargo bay, Damar confronts Ziyal, who is speaking with Kira. Damar tries to convince her to come with him, to no avail. He explains that Dukat knows their alliance with the Dominion is a dangerous one and thus cannot afford to show weakness. When she still refuses, he grabs her. Kira objects and knocks Damar unconscious. Ziyal is shocked. On Starbase 375, Ross stops by Sisko's office to see him off and wish him good luck. Sisko is reviewing ancient Bajoran texts and the two start to discuss Bajor. When Ross comments that he hears that it's "nice", Sisko tells him that hardly describes Bajor's beauty and talks eloquently about some of the planet's natural wonders. Ross assures Sisko that he's convinced and notes that Ben will have a hard time saying goodbye when his mission ends and Bajor is welcomed into the Federation. Sisko responds that he has no intention of saying goodbye, as he intends to build a house on Bajor. Although he will always go to where Starfleet assigns him, Bajor is where he'll return to when its time to go home. On the Defiant, Nog and O'Brien talk about Nog's promotion to ensign. Sisko takes command of the Defiant from Dax. The fleet departs for Deep Space 9. Back on Terok Nor, Dukat tells Weyoun that the Federation Fleet is on the move and headed towards the station. Weyoun isn't concerned, as he's sure the Dominion will crush them. They arrange to have ships taken off the front lines and repositioned at Terok Nor; once the wormhole is reopened, there will be more than enough ships to take their place. Damar enters, with his face bruised, demanding that Major Kira be arrested for assault. He tries to explain what happened with Ziyal to Dukat, but Weyoun overhears their conversation (the Vorta's poor eyesight is compensated by excellent hearing), chiming in that family squabbles can wait until the enemy has been crushed. He reminds Dukat of their immediate priorities, and is told that enough ships will be redeployed to halt the Federation Fleet. Weyoun leaves to inform the Female Changeling. While Damar is shocked that the Federation is making a move against them, Dukat demands to know exactly what happened between him and Kira. Elsewhere on the station, Odo and the Female Changeling are observing the solids from the upper deck of the Promenade. Odo pities the limits of the solids, but the Female Changeling states that the Founders must guide the solids, not pity them. The Female Changeling says that the solids must be broken of their love for freedom for their own good. Odo is taken aback. His eyes are beginning to open again to what the Founders really are. He leaves as Weyoun interrupts. Odo spots Kira and chases her down. He tries to explain that he's been "occupied." Kira says she knows; while he's been occupied, the minefield's coming down, the Federation is about to lose the war, and Rom has been sentenced to death. He tries to apologize, but Kira won't have it. She says "we are way, way past 'sorry'." The Federation task force, en route to DS9, detects 1,254 Dominion ships ahead. The Federation is outnumbered two to one. On the Defiant's bridge, everyone is quiet. Sisko breaks the silence by activating the comm-system and ordering the fleet into Delta-Two Attack Formation. He says there's an old saying: "Fortune favors the bold". They're about to find out if that's true. 
<EOS>
Operation Return has begun: the Federation attack fleet, commanded by Captain Benjamin Sisko, has encountered a massive Dominion blockade force -- outnumbering the Starfleet vessels two-to-one. Elim Garak remarks wryly that the absent Klingons will be sorry they missed "a very interesting fight", while O'Brien says it is more likely that the fight will miss the Klingons. As the Defiant crew survey the task ahead of them, Sisko prepares his strategy: groups of Federation attack fighters will make strafing runs at the blockade, focusing their fire only on the Cardassian starships. Nog is at a loss, and Garak explains that Sisko is hoping to provoke the Cardassians into breaking formation and opening a hole in the Dominion lines, something the Jem'Hadar ships will not do, no matter the provocation. It is the only chance the Federation has of reaching Deep Space 9 before the minefield is taken down. As they prepare to attack, O'Brien and Bashir quote from Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade", something which only makes a nervous Nog even more agitated. Finally, Sisko orders the attack fighters forward, and the battle is joined. The Cardassians stand their ground after the fighters' first run, so Sisko orders the second and third waves forward. On the station, safely back from the front line, Dukat, Damar, Weyoun, and the Female Changeling survey the developing battle. Dukat recognizes Sisko's strategy almost immediately, but instead of holding their ground, he explains to the Female Changeling that he plans to give Sisko his opening, and then use it to envelop him. As for the minefield, Dukat promises that it will be down in eight hours, something Weyoun says he will hold Dukat to. As the Founder and her Vorta commander leave, Damar sneers at their arrogance and egotism. Dukat chides him that the Dominion are their allies -- for now. Damar then raises his concern that Federation-loyal elements may seek to sabotage the station again, hoping to damage or disable Terok Nor before the minefield is deactivated. Damar suggests that they be arrested until the battle is over. Rather than agitate the Bajorans, Dukat suggests that they merely be "held for questioning."  However, Dukat firmly rejects Damar's suggestion that Ziyal be likewise detained, insisting that she is loyal to him and to Cardassia. In Quark's, said "elements" -- Kira, Jake, and Leeta -- are discussing the battle. Contradicting reports range from the two fleets slugging it out to the Federation fleet being completely annihilated. Kira suggests cutting off power to the main computer with a bomb, but before they can fully flesh out their plan -- with unhelpful remarks from Quark -- Damar arrives to take them to the security office, leaving only Quark behind, uncertain as to what to do. Sisko continues to press the Cardassians -- the ninth wave of fighters proves just as ineffective as the previous eight. But Dukat is now prepared to spring his trap. He orders half a dozen squadrons to pursue the next group of attacking ships, pulling them out of formation. As O'Brien and Garak note that a hole in the Dominion lines has been opened, Dax and Sisko note the position of two Galor-class starships moving into cross-fire positions, and realize that Dukat is luring them into a trap. But Sisko says this may be their only opportunity to break through, and orders the fleet to advance, detailing two wings of Galaxy-class starships to engage the Galors, and "All other ships, head for that opening. Anyone who gets through doesn't stop until they reach Deep Space 9." The Federation fleet leaps forward, weapons blazing, and the two Galors are quickly dispatched. The Defiant, flanked by two Miranda-class starships, heads into the heart of the blockade fleet, taking multiple hits. The battle descends into a frantic melee as Dominion starships close around the Starfleet vessels and begin jamming fleet communications with a rotating EM pulse. Sisko's orders cannot get out to their intended recipients. Back on the station, Dukat is already pouring a toast in his office to what he considers their inevitable victory, and begins musing aloud on how best to administer the conquered systems of the Federation and the Klingons. Weyoun is much more pessimistic -- noting that there are still five hours remaining before the Dominion reinforcements can come through the wormhole. He is likewise preoccupied with the formidable logistical task of occupying such a large swath of conquered territory as Dukat is considering. He concludes that the center of the inevitable resistance against Dominion occupation will be Earth, which is why it makes sense to eradicate its entire population. Dukat objects to such a measure as unnecessary; in his mind, the truest form of victory is to leave your enemy alive, so that they can see the error of their ways in resisting in the first place -- "to force them to acknowledge your greatness."  Weyoun asks, "<u>Then</u> you kill them?" and Dukat concedes, "only if it's necessary."  Savoring his drink, Dukat's thoughts turn to the Occupation of Bajor and he says his one regret is that the Bajorans never saw him for what he really was: a protector, not a dictator, who shepherded them, rather than oppressed them. Dukat adds that Sisko, for all his perceptiveness, shares this unjust lack of respect for Dukat. Weyoun, contemplating that Dukat actually believes what he's saying, is both amused and fascinated by his egotism and self-delusion. The Female Changeling talks to Odo, regaling him with their success in the battle so far. He cannot share her sense of vindication, when people he used to consider his friends are fighting and dying. She retorts that they are only Solids, and that the Link means more. Odo isn't sure, and she realizes the reason behind his indecision -- Kira and his feelings for her. The Female Changeling mentions Kira's arrest, and that she is to be put to death, so that Odo can regain the clarity she had attempted to provide. Odo is horrified, and turns away from her. She notes that Odo cannot help her, or any of his friends. It is too late for them. The Defiant remains in the center of the battle, as its two Miranda escorts (USS Majestic and USS Sitak) are blown away by a concerted assault. Communications are restored, but the enemy numbers are too great. Garak wonders if it's time to cloak and run, but O'Brien says the cloaking device is fried. Seeing four Jem'Hadar attack ships directly ahead, Sisko orders the Defiant to fight its way through. Destroying one fighter, the Defiant is pursued by the remaining three. Aft shields are down, forward shields are failing, and the cloaking device is off-line. Sisko orders all power to weapons. Just then, a fleet of Klingon starships emerges from the blinding light of the system's sun, hammering into the Dominion fleet. Worf contacts the Defiant and apologizes for being late -- convincing Gowron to spare ships for the mission was not easy. With the Klingons reinforcing the assault, a real opening has appeared in the enemy lines, and the Defiant weaves its way through the battle, emerging alone in the wake of an exploding Jem'Hadar battle cruiser. With the rest of the fleet pinned down and three hours remaining before the detonation of the minefield, Sisko gives the command to set a course for Terok Nor at maximum warp. Aboard the station, Weyoun orders pursuit, but Dukat notes that the station's defenses are more than enough to deal with one small starship, and Sisko's attack is nothing less than suicidal. Meanwhile, Quark grabs Ziyal in her quarters, and asks her if she knows how to make hasperat souffle. Ziyal is intrigued. The two then go to the security office, and attempt to take the souffle to Kira. The Cardassian on guard is suspicious, and begins to disassemble the meal -- only to be stopped by a hypospray wielded by Ziyal. In the holding cells, Rom contemplates his imminent execution -- with ninety minutes remaining, he expects to be dead two hours after (following a lengthy speech by Dukat and victory party with cake). Just then, Quark and Ziyal enter, Quark armed with a pair of Cardassian disruptors. He tells the two Jem'Hadar guards not to move, then demands they open the cells. Ziyal points out the flaw in his request, and as Quark restates his order, the Jem'Hadar raise their weapons. Acting on instinct, Quark fires first, killing both soldiers. Stunned, Quark can only stand and watch as Ziyal takes down the force field, and frees the Resistance members. Grabbing the guards' weapons, Kira and Rom plan to sabotage the main computer, and tell the rest of them to hide. The Female Changeling continues to try and persuade Odo to link with her, only to be interrupted by Weyoun informing them of the escape. He recommends they go to Ops, where they will be safer, but Odo states he will remain behind. Kira and Rom head for the main computer and attempt to shut down the power systems, pursued by Dominion forces. Pinned down in a cargo bay, Rom reacts in surprise at the sound of Bajoran phaser fire. Kira is at a loss to explain why Dominion forces would use Bajoran weapons, but when the shooting stops seconds later, she looks out and sees who had actually been using them -- Odo has assembled his security force, and outflanked the enemy. As he escorts them to an access conduit, Kira asks why he changed his mind -- Odo notes that the Link was paradise, but he isn't quite ready for paradise yet. The Defiant is closing on the station -- a mere eleven minutes away, cutting it a little close, O'Brien notes. Rom works frantically at the main computer core, Kira sitting helplessly watching. As she asks how the work is going, Rom realizes he won't make it in time. Kira suggests cutting power to the station's weapons array instead -- without weapons, the minefield cannot be detonated, at least not before the Defiant can get there. Rom resumes his work. In space, the battle has begun to turn the way of the Allies. The Klingons have outflanked the Dominion blockade fleet, and their lines are starting to crumble. Dukat is undeterred -- with the minefield about to be taken down, thousands of ships wait on the other side to reinforce their position. His only hope is that the Defiant arrives in time for Sisko to see it. And his wish may be coming true. Dax suggests to Sisko that he might want to come up with an alternate plan. Rom is severing the final connections to the ODN relays just as Damar neutralizes the last mine leaving the field ready for detonation. Dukat gives the order just as Rom severs the last connection. With a brilliant flash, the array of mines is wiped out. Rom was too late, and the Defiant too. Sisko and his crew watch in horror as the shock wave from the detonations blossoms around the station. He orders Dax to enter the wormhole -- one last hopeless stand against the Dominion fleet. As the Female Changeling communicates to the Dominion reinforcements, Damar detects the approaching Defiant, and Weyoun gives the order to destroy her. But Rom's work has been successful, and the station's weapons are off-line. The Defiant enters the wormhole. Sisko orders the ship to a halt -- all power diverted to weapons and forward shields -- as the Jem'Hadar fleet is seen on the viewscreen. The crew silently prepare themselves for the inevitable, when Sisko is suddenly pulled into the realm of the Prophets. They challenge his decision to end "the game" -- they cannot allow him to die. Sisko tells them that the only way for them to save his life is to prevent the Jem'Hadar fleet from entering the Alpha Quadrant. The Prophets dismiss his demands -- they are not concerned with corporeal matters, but Sisko rounds on them. What about Bajor? Their influence over that world is entirely a corporeal matter -- and Bajor will be destroyed if the Dominion reinforcements arrive. "You want to be gods? Then be gods!" He tells them the only thing that can save him and Bajor now is a miracle. The Prophets agree, but note that a penance must be exacted for Sisko's interference. The Sisko is of Bajor, as the Prophets are, but he will find no rest there -- he will follow a different path. Before he can find out what they mean, Sisko is returned to the Defiant, as the Dominion fleet enters weapons range. Suddenly, the Jem'Hadar vessels are enveloped in waves of energy, and disappear completely. At first, O'Brien believes the ships have cloaked, but Dax cannot detect any neutrino emissions. The ships are just gone. On Terok Nor, Damar watches in horror as the Defiant emerges from the wormhole alone. Dukat tells him not to worry, their reinforcements must be right behind her and the wormhole closes again, leaving him agape. Damar, checking the surrounding space and the Dominion's Gamma Quadrant listening posts, reports, stunned, that the reinforcements are nowhere to be found. The Defiant opens fire on the still-defenseless station. With weapons still offline, Damar announces that two hundred Allied ships have broken through their lines and are heading for the station; Weyoun orders an evacuation. The Female Changeling orders the Dominion forces to fall back to Cardassian space, noting the war will apparently take longer than expected. Dukat remains completely aghast at his sudden change in fortune, and his slim grasp on reality begins to crumble. As Damar organizes the evacuation, Dukat's sole thought is with Ziyal -- he must find her. Sisko lets the Dominion forces evacuate -- the Defiant is in no shape to stop them. Bashir relays a message from the USS Cortez -- the Dominion forces are in full retreat. Smiling, Sisko gives the order for the fleet to rendezvous -- at Deep Space 9. A disheveled and distraught Dukat wanders the Promenade, searching for Ziyal. Weyoun and the Female Changeling depart the station -- Weyoun asks if Odo will be joining them; the Female Changeling says no, but it is only a matter of time. With one final look at his lost prize, Weyoun enters the airlock. Dukat has reached the habitat ring, and finds Ziyal looking for him. Dukat wants her to come back to Cardassia with him -- she's all he cares about, all he has. But Ziyal doesn't want to leave. Dukat is insistent, the enemy is on its way; Ziyal says that they aren't her enemy -- she's one of them, she helped Kira and the others escape. She belongs here on the station, and bids him goodbye. As she leaves, she turns back to tell Dukat she loves him -- only to be shot by an overhearing Damar. Shattered by grief, Dukat runs to his dying daughter and tells her he forgives her, angrily shoving aside Damar as he tries to get him to leave. The last Dominion ship has been routed, Starfleet has returned to Deep Space Nine, and Sisko sets foot upon his home once more to a cheering crowd of Bajorans and happily reunites with Jake. Martok arrives just afterward, noting that Sisko has won his wager with him -- a barrel of bloodwine for the first of them to step aboard the station. Worf and Dax are reunited, and O'Brien and Bashir are too -- with Quark's holosuites. Nog relates his promotion to his father and Leeta, remarking that this makes him Rom's superior officer. As Garak searches the Promenade, Sisko asks after Kira. The Major is in the Infirmary -- with Ziyal. Garak reacts, and heads for the medical facility, finding Kira standing over the young woman's body. He remarks that he could never figure out why she loved him, and now he never will. Dukat is still aboard the station, a shattered wreck of a man. Babbling to himself and an illusory Ziyal, he is helped out of a holding cell by Odo, handing Sisko's baseball to him as he does. Sisko regards the object for a moment, as Dukat is led away. 
<EOS>
Captain Sisko looks out on the second level of the Promenade with satisfaction as the flags of the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and Bajor are unfurled side by side from a rail, and the commerce of the Promenade resumes heartily, populated by the station's civilian population, and a mix of officers from Starfleet, the Bajoran Militia, and the Klingon Defense Force. Even though the Federation is still at war with the Dominion, the celebrations over Starfleet's return to the station are continuing and the atmosphere on the station is a happy one. In Ops, Sisko arrives for work and he and Major Kira warmly wish each other a good morning, noting how happy they are to be working together again. However the captain has a lot of work in front on him, beginning with General Martok waiting in his office. Martok, who has just been appointed Supreme Commander of the Ninth Fleet, is more angry than honored, ranting about the amount of paperwork that comes with the position. Sisko, who recommended him for the position, smiles and offers his congratulations, and offers to arrange quarters for the general aboard his new headquarters. Martok declines, preferring to keep his cramped berth aboard the Rotarran, so that he can at least feel like he's still "in the war."  He requests Sisko's permission to have Worf continue serving as his principal intelligence officer, and Sisko agrees. The conversation then drifts to Worf's son Alexander, whom Sisko hasn't met before. Martok, choosing his words carefully, calls Alexander a fine boy with "the heart of his father," but admits he isn't much of a warrior. In Quark's Bar, Alexander is sharing a drink of bloodwine with his father and Jadzia Dax, telling her about one of his memorable screw-ups aboard the Rotarran (flooding an entire deck with superheated hydraulic fluid). He says that, despite his clumsiness, he has become surprisingly popular among the Rotarran's crew, who have come to see him as a sort of "good luck charm."  He then surprises his father by mentioning that he has received new orders to transfer to the cruiser IKS Ya'Vang at the end of the week. When Alexander leaves to get more blood wine, Quark approaches the two and asks if they have reconsidered having their wedding in Quark's. Worf tells Quark firmly that the wedding will be held on Qo'noS after the war is over, however Jadzia, after looking thoughtful during the conversation, suddenly jumps in and agrees to Quark's request. Worf is surprised, but Jadzia explains that this way Alexander can attend the wedding before he leaves. When Alexander returns, Worf informs him of their change in plans and asks Alexander to be his Tawi'Yan ("swordbearer"), the Klingon equivalent of a best man. Alexander is so happy about this that he accidentally knocks over a tray of drinks. Dax and Kira are discussing the wedding, with Dax mentioning Worf has been planning everything for three months. Kira comments the wedding seems to be dominated by what Worf wants, but Dax is all right with that knowing it's what Worf has wanted since he was a boy, and she's already had several weddings. As they talk, they almost run into Odo, but he sees them and abruptly changes direction to avoid meeting them. Kira tells her it is because of what happened during the occupation of the station, of which Dax has no idea, but she doesn't feel like getting into it at the moment. Later, Worf meets with Sisko, Martok, Miles O'Brien, and Julian Bashir. He asks them to join Martok and himself in Kal'Hyah, a mental and spiritual journey that lasts for four nights before a Klingon wedding. Martok advises the four to get a good night's sleep before entering. Later, Sisko and Martok go to one of the upper pylons to greet Martok's wife Sirella, who has arrived on a Vor'cha-class ship. By marrying Worf, Jadzia will become a member of the House of Martok. As a mistress of a Great House, Sirella approves all the weddings conducted by its members. Sirella greets Martok by telling him he has put on weight -- and his hair is going gray. After Sirella tells him she expected him to be in his grave, he tells her he will attempt to die soon -- before the year is out if possible. After introducing Sisko, she asks where Dax is and goes alone. Martok is in awe of her, though Sisko a tad confused. Worf is with Dax as she prepares to meet Sirella. He's a bit concerned about the var'Hama candles being replicated, but Dax responds that he is just criticizing and that the meeting will go fine. Then Sirella enters. Dax gives a Klingon greeting, but she responds immediately asking Worf to leave. Then, she continues to be hostile. Sirella tells her that it would be difficult for a Klingon female to impress her and that for an alien it will almost be impossible. Dax says she enjoys a challenge. Sirella demands she prepare the appropriate meal for the following day, and finally, comments on the candles being fake before abruptly leaving. Worf confronts Martok asking him why he never told him Sirella was opposed to his marriage to Jadzia. Martok tells him Sirella believes that by allowing aliens into the House of Martok, they risk losing their Klingon identity. Martok does not want to interfere in Sirella's affairs, either. Worf wants to talk to her, but Martok reveals that Sirella does not like Worf either. Meanwhile, Sisko, O'Brien, Bashir, and Alexander begin the Kal'Hyah in one of Quark's holosuites, all eager for what they assume will be four days of Klingon debauchery. Worf shows them the Ma'Stakas, that are to be used at the conclusion of the wedding in a ceremonial "attack" on Worf and Dax. This tradition stems from Kahless and Lukara's wedding when they were nearly killed by Molor's troops. Worf also mentions that the food sitting nearby is not to be eaten, it is there to tempt them to break their fast. This is the first trial on the path to Kal'Hyah -- deprivation (with the other trials being blood, pain, sacrifice, anguish and death). Everyone realizes that they are in for four days of hell. At the same time, Dax is undergoing a trial of her own. She is holding two braziers and lifts them onto a column, conducting a recitation. Sirella is unimpressed and orders her to do it again. Dax is frustrated, since it has been the third time. Sirella then tells her to end her attempt as she believes the House will not tolerate her weakness and will always be considered an outsider, clearly expressing her opinion to her. Dax reacts angrily to this and lifts the braziers again. Jadzia's next trial is to recite the history of all the women in Sirella's family. Dax is recounting the end of the Second Dynasty, but then tells her that one of Sirella's ancestors who was apparently the daughter of the Klingon emperor Reclaw was in fact a concubine through a little-known fact. This infuriates Sirella, who orders Jadzia to continue with the "correct" history. While this is happening, Kira congratulates Jake Sisko on having his stories of life under the Dominion occupation published by the Federation News Service. Odo approaches but once again avoids Kira, who then has Jake ignore it. Kira and Jake then see Sisko, Bashir, O'Brien, and Alexander enter the holosuites again, on the second night of their path to Kal'Hyah, appearing quite serious. This trial is the shedding of blood. Sisko, O'Brien, and Alexander take a step back before Worf and Martok turn around. Although Worf is surprised to see that Bashir has "volunteered" to go first, Bashir is even more surprised. Worf tells the doctor not to worry, as the pain only lasts a few seconds, and approaches him with the knife. Meanwhile Dax is hosting a raucous party in her quarters with many people including Kira, Nog, Quark, Rom, Leeta, Morn, and Jake. She's invited Lieutenant Manuele Atoa from the USS Sutherland to perform a fire dance. It's a big hit with everyone. Meanwhile, Bashir and O'Brien are chained to the ceiling above a floor covered with hot coals. Bashir tells O'Brien he is having a vision -- he is going to kill Worf. O'Brien agrees with him. Odo arrives at the party after receiving complaints about the noise and that he also heard there was a fight. Kira is first at the door, and now he is forced to talk to her. Kira tells Odo the fight was between Morn and a Bolian, but the two are getting along fine now and that she is authorizing the party to continue. Odo turns to leave but he and Kira finally realize they have to talk about what happened during the occupation. Allowing his deputies the rest of the night off to enjoy the party, Odo and Kira leave to talk in private as Dax begins to flirt with Atoa following his act. Soon, Sirella arrives, ignoring everyone there, and tells Dax it is time for the Bre'Nan ritual. Fed up with her, Dax sternly tells her she is busy. Sirella insults her, calling her a Risian slut. Sirella orders her to come with her, or she will cancel the wedding. After Dax refuses, Sirella pulls a d'k tahg and Dax disarms her. Sirella leaves and Dax forces the party to resume. The next morning, Dax wakes up with a monumental hangover and, after kicking out the party-goers (Morn and Atoa) who ended up crashing for the night sluggishly orders a raktajino from the replicator. Worf arrives and tells Dax they have to talk; Sirella has canceled the wedding. Dax tries to sleep instead, but is prodded. She begins to explain what happened when the two hear voices coming from the adjoining room. Opening the door, they find Odo and Kira, who are still talking. Dax tells the two that it's 10:30, and the two quickly leave as they're both meant to be on duty. Worf tells Dax to go to Sirella and beg for forgiveness, to which she reacts angrily and tells Worf that all they should do is go to Captain Sisko and he can marry them instead. Worf is upset that Jadzia has so little regard for his traditions and feelings and sadly leaves, telling her that Sirella was right -- there should be no wedding. O'Brien and Bashir enter Quark's bar where they see the Klingon banners being removed. Quark tells them that the wedding has been canceled. The two are sorry for the Worf and Dax for a couple of seconds then immediately order dinner. Martok meets with Worf and convinces him to apologize to Jadzia. O'Brien and Bashir are just about to eat a huge meal, when Sisko, Martok, and Alexander enter, telling them that the wedding is back on. Sisko tells Quark to remove the food, that there should be no food for those on the path to Kal'Hyah. Quark tells them there are no refunds for those on the path to Kal'Hyah either. However, Worf enters and tells them that Jadzia has refused to be married. Sisko then meets with Jadzia. Jadzia finds the notion of apologizing to Sirella insulting, as she says she was once the Federation ambassador to the Klingon Empire and that she negotiated the Khitomer Accords before Worf was born. Sisko, determined to snap Jadzia out of her stubborness, sternly reminds his friend it was Curzon who negotiated the accords, not her, and that she should go to Sirella and do whatever it takes to be forgiven, even if it involves grovelling. Sisko also tells Jadzia that if she cares so little for Klingon traditions she should never have fallen in love with Worf in the first place. Jadzia tells Sisko that her life was completely mapped out; friends, a career, but then one day a certain Klingon came aboard the station and all of a sudden she found herself falling in love with him. Jadzia realizes she has to apologize to Sirella, and thanks her old friend asking him whatever happened to the ensign she used to know. Sisko simply tells her he grew up. In Quark's, several Klingons begin to beat Klingon drums. The marriage service is almost operatic. It relates the creation of the Klingons by the gods, who were later killed by their own creations. After Worf and Dax recite their vows, swearing to join with each other against all that oppose them, Sirella pronounces them married, and they kiss. She then embraces Jadzia, welcoming her to the House of Martok and calling her "my daughter." Bashir and O'Brien, still smarting after their grueling march on the path to Kal'hyah, have been hovering anxiously with their Ma'Stakas. Martok gives the word as soon as Sirella hugs Jadzia, and they bellow hearty war cries and charge the altar with their Ma'Stakas held high. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Karen Loews, a Starfleet psychiatrist, brings four genetically engineered Humans to Deep Space 9 looking for help from Dr. Bashir. The group hasn't been as lucky as Bashir, and every one has strong social disabilities (mania, bipolar disorder, catatonia, etc.). The group consists of the hostile and hyperactive Jack, the seductive Lauren, the child-like Patrick, and the completely unresponsive Sarina. Loews tries to calm them down, as she's leaving for the three weeks they are spending there, but they are nervous. Jack breaks a PADD Lauren is using to read about Bashir and angrily slams it into Loews' hand, cutting her. She, however, calmly says he's not to do things like that, and leaves. Loews comes out to meet Bashir, shaking off her bleeding hand and wishing him luck. Bashir spends a few moments meeting the group. They've turned out the lights, leaving him to be observed without being seen, but his eyes adjust soon enough. Jack is adversarial, criticizing on a distant relative poet of his, performing a full-body flip and asking if he can also do that, and asking for the cube root of 329. Lauren, however, is intrigued with him and asks about his genetic background and how he hid it from everyone. Jack interjects, saying he's different, however, and was able to "cut a deal" with Starfleet when his genetic status came out, angry that he didn't have to spend his days like they did in an institute. Bashir points out it's still possible to be a productive member of society even if the Eugenics Wars gave a good reason why people like them have been barred from certain professions. Jack has clearly never accepted that argument and will never forget what's been done to him. Bashir thinks that's enough for now, and simply ends the conversation saying he has dinner plans. After he leaves, Lauren chides Jack for "scaring him off." During a dinner party hosted by Captain Sisko, Bashir discusses with the rest of the station's senior staff the group as well as the issues surrounding genetic engineering and his wish to help the group become normal members of society. The feedback he receives is divided: while the others agree that while they shouldn't be blamed for what their parents had done to them, it is felt that they should indeed be limited in what they are allowed to do, such as joining Starfleet, lest other people be encouraged to do the same thing. Sensing an uneasy mood, Sisko brings up Damar's upcoming speech, and the officers all agree that, whatever he says, it'll likely be bad news for the Federation. They are interrupted when Jack breaks into the com system to contact their new friend about an annoying high-pitched noise. Back in their quarters, Bashir confirms what nobody else can hear. Then, quickly, Jack grabs Sarina and threatens to snap her neck if he doesn't fix it. Bashir, not worried, calls Miles O'Brien and asks him to let Sarina go. He eventually submits and soon O'Brien arrives to fix the problem. He avoids the eccentricities of the others in the room and goes to the other side. With some unexpected help from Patrick, who can diagnose it with his ears, he confirms the problem with his tricorder and quickly fixes it, much to the others' relief. While Bashir and O'Brien are in the room, they hear Damar, now leader of the Cardassian Union, broadcasts a speech, and not wanting to miss it they watch it on the room's viewscreen. Damar is calling for negotiations for peace with the Federation. The transmission captures the group's attention, and they are quickly enthralled by it. Interestingly, they start making very accurate guesses about who Damar is even though they know nothing about him. Bashir and O'Brien are astonished at the speed with which the group is able to deduce much of Damar's story based on only the one speech. They become very interested in the matter and quickly go through all the database material about Cardassia and the Dominion. Bashir goes to Ops and tells the others about the remarkable observations. When he hears that the Dominion has insisted that the negotiations be recorded, he enthusiastically intends to let the group see it, thinking they can assist the peace talks between the Dominion and Starfleet on the next day. They are thrilled. While viewing a holographic program of the negotiation talks, the group proves very useful at uncovering a move by the Dominion to acquire a strategic planet that would allow them to produce ketracel-white. Bashir happily takes the information to Sisko and he even agrees to send the information along, and the analysis behind it, to Starfleet Intelligence. The group celebrates with a party. In the meantime, Bashir goes to Quark's with O'Brien after the group notices that the chief seems to miss his friend, especially since his wife is off-station. Bashir proves difficult, walking the wrong side of the thin line between super-intelligent Humans and "uncomplicated" (as he qualifies O'Brien), "slow" people. Later, back with the group, Bashir attempts to cheer them up by announcing that Starfleet has granted them access to classified information, but he is welcomed by a new and devastating projection. According to them, the Federation will be defeated despite many different likely scenarios happening. Bashir checks all the statistical analyses, but he cannot find any errors. Bashir tries to convince Sisko of the new information. The group is confident that, even though the Federation will be conquered, they will eventually rebuild and form a rebellion against the Dominion. Since it seems inescapable, the best move would be to surrender immediately to prevent the loss of life. The captain refuses point-blank to accept this and passes on the projections to Starfleet without his endorsement knowing they'll be rejected. Bashir can't believe it. Bashir goes to Quark's and tried to explain the analysis to O'Brien, but the chief agrees with Sisko. He can't understand why they don't agree with the analysis, and O'Brien starts to take offense, seeing the implication he can't understand it. Quark tries to point out at a dabo table that even when the odds are against you, you can still win, and you can enjoy the hope of winning. Bashir explains the situation to the others, and tells them Starfleet has rejected the recommendation to surrender. Jack, however, won't sit by and do nothing. He suggests they can save billions of lives by contacting the Dominion by themselves and giving them the classified information on Starfleet battle plans, ending the war earlier. Bashir objects, saying they don't have the right to decide that. Jack immediately knocks him out and they get to work. During negotiations, Damar is complaining about the peace talks' lack of progress. Weyoun tells him he has just received a communication from an anonymous Federation source promising them some very valuable information. Back on Deep Space 9, Bashir regains consciousness. He is tied up. Everyone but Sarina is gone, and Bashir realizes they have probably gone to meet the Dominion representatives. Fortunately, he is able to convince Sarina him to help him prevent them from committing treason, pointing out they'll be arrested and she'll never see Jack again. He catches up with the group on the way to the secret meeting and takes back the classified information. Meanwhile, Damar and Weyoun are waiting in Cargo bay 2 for the meeting when Odo walks in. He tells them no one else is coming, and offers to escort them back to their quarters. In the group's quarters, Bashir tells the group Sisko has decided not to press charges, but they will have to go back to the Institute. Jack is still furious. Bashir then explains that even when probability is not on your side, one person can still change the course of history. He uses the example of Sarina's helping him -- as one person, she changed the course of history in a way that Jack hadn't predicted. There's always an element of uncertainty. As such, the Federation is willing to bet nine hundred billion lives. Bashir and O'Brien meet in the bar, and the chief says it must have been a hard decision for him. That wanting to save lives is what makes him such a good doctor. Bashir says he feels the whole thing was his fault -- he just wanted to prove the group could make a contribution. O'Brien assures him they did and then leaves to go on duty. Bashir starts playing dabo, making risky bets -- and wins. Just then, O'Brien calls to let him know that a certain group of passengers is refusing to board their transport unless the doctor comes to see them. In the guest quarters, Bashir says he didn't think they'd want to see him again. Lauren kisses him. Patrick asks if Bashir will come visit them. Bashir says yes, he'd like that. He tells Sarina she did the right thing. Jack asks if he will listen if they do come up with a way to defeat the Dominion. Bashir says yes, he can't think if anything he'd like better. Jack says, "Good, good. Let's go then." Bashir calls O'Brien to beam the four to their transport. 
<EOS>
In Quark's Bar, Quark observes an incoming shipment of syrup of squill. It had been previously thought to be nearly unavailable due to a drought on the planet Balancar. Quark explains to his customers how he had learned there was in fact no drought and that it was merely a ruse to drive up prices. Quark had then demanded a shipment of syrup or he would "expose their deception to the entire quadrant". Quark's customers are impressed, though his moment of glory is short-lived. Dax, Doctor Bashir, and Chief Miles O'Brien enter, having just returned from taking the USS Defiant on a mission behind enemy lines in Cardassian space. Quark complains to Constable Odo about the Starfleet officers stealing away his audience. Odo points out they're not just Starfleet officers, they're heroes. Quark is then interrupted with a message from Grand Nagus Zek from Ferenginar. Quark finds Rom working in an access tube and gives him troubling news: Their mother Ishka has been captured by the Dominion. What's worse, Zek wants Quark to rescue her. Quark explains that Moogie was returning home from a lobe-lift on Vulcan when her transport was attacked by Dominion forces, taking her prisoner. He says the Nagus offered a reward of fifty bars of gold-pressed latinum. Rom suggests they hire the toughest mercenaries they can find: Nausicaans, Breen, Klingons. Quark has another idea, however: the rescue team will be made up only of Ferengi. Rom is nervous but Quark believes Ferengi can be just as tough as Klingons with the right incentive. Being a typical Ferengi himself, however, they'll say the reward is only twenty bars of latinum. With that, they seek out their first recruit. Nog immediately declines, explaining that he's a Starfleet officer and has duties to perform. Quark, however, points out that he could be the team's Strategic operations officer, just like Commander Worf. They suggest he could train the team for combat. Nog finally agrees, with the team becoming three. Before contacting their next recruit, Quark tells Rom that Leck is not a typical Ferengi: his priorities are different. When the two reach Leck on a secure subspace channel, Rom learns that Leck is an "Eliminator". He initially has no interest in joining the team or even in earning latinum. He does, however, enjoy testing his abilities with a challenge and agrees to join when he learns they'll be facing the Dominion. The team is now four. Next they travel to a nearby starbase to pick up their cousin Gaila, who has fallen on hard times since they last met. The weapons dealer who was once so wealthy, he owned his own moon was recently arrested on Thalos VI for vagrancy. Gaila blames his misfortune entirely on Quark. When he learns Quark paid for his release and his offer to earn some latinum, Gaila's vengeance is overcome by greed and he too agrees to join. The team is now five. Back at the bar on Deep Space 9, Nog attempts to show them a schematic of a Dominion internment center, but soon gets into an argument with Leck over Leck's refusal to call him "sir" and finally quits. As Quark urges him to stay, Gaila asks how they're supposed to get to the internment center anyway, since they have no ship. As Quark tries to soothe things over, a loud clapping is heard and Brunt emerges from the other end of the bar. Brunt initially mocks the group but quickly announces his intention to sign up as well. Having lost his job as a Liquidator for the FCA after trying to usurp Zek, he hopes that by helping to save Ishka, the Nagus would give him his job back. None of the others want him on board though; none of them like liquidators and it would mean smaller shares of the "twenty bar reward". "Fine," Brunt says, innocently. "I'll just get in my ship and leave."  The team is now six. In a holosuite simulation, Nog has the team engage a group of three Jem'Hadar soldiers guarding Ishka with disastrous results: Quark is shot in the leg, Gaila drops his weapon and runs away, Rom runs into a wall, Brunt tries to surrender but is shot as well. The only one to get off a shot is Leck, who instead shoots Ishka!  "I saw we weren't going to rescue her so I put her out of her misery," he says. Brunt suggests starting off with something simpler like ambushing Bolians, but a frustrated Quark simply sends them all away. Back down in the bar, Quark tells Rom they don't have a chance of rescuing their mother. As he reminisces about his impressive deal acquiring squill a few days earlier, Rom suggests perhaps instead of trying to fight the Dominion, they should negotiate instead. Quark agrees, deciding a trade is better since everyone goes home happy and alive. The two think about what they have to trade. Quark later thanks Captain Sisko and Major Kira for talking to Starfleet on his behalf and giving him a prisoner to exchange. Kira tells him it is payback for freeing her from the Dominion. Kira also warns Quark not to turn his back on this prisoner; he's not to be trusted. "Neither am I," Quark says confidently. Aboard Brunt's shuttle, Gaila questions why Quark still needs any of them now that the rescue mission has become a simple prisoner exchange. "Because he doesn't trust the Dominion, and neither do I," Leck says. Nog mentions that he has been at Empok Nor before and tells them Quark chose the deserted Cardassian space station as the location for the trade because it is the same design as Deep Space 9, therefore they know the layout. Quark then enters with their prisoner: Keevan (the Vorta captured by Captain Sisko months earlier). Keevan urges them all to send final messages to their loved ones and make sure their wills are in order "because the moment we leave the station you'll have signed your death warrants." The shuttle arrives at Empok Nor and Nog confirms the station being empty. He tells the others to set up base camp in the station's infirmary, though they're slow to respond until Quark offers two slips of latinum for the first man who makes it to the infirmary. Leck grumbles about the small size of the infirmary while Gaila complains about an upset stomach. Leck, noticing Keevan's glib responses, points out the Vorta doesn't seem happy at the prospect of rejoining his people. Keevan sourly informs them that, since Vorta are expected to commit suicide rather than be captured, the only things he has to look forward to upon rejoining his people are "a most unpleasant debriefing," followed by summary execution. Hours later, five of the Ferengi are awaken by Gaila's screaming. During his shift to guard Keevan, Gaila had fallen asleep and let him escape!  The Ferengi quickly rush back to the shuttle where Keevan is unsuccessfully trying to start it. Fortunately, Quark had Rom disengage the induction matrix after they arrived. He still ran, however, because "sometimes my brother gets things wrong." Moments later, an alarm sounds, stating that a Dominion ship is approaching. The Ferengi, along with Keevan, hurry back to the infirmary and hide. After a few moments, Nog volunteers to take a look outside. Peeking out the door, he sees a legion of Jem'Hadar, their weapons all aimed at the infirmary. Immediately Nog shuts the door. Nog finally asks the other Ferengi, still cowering in the corner why they're hiding from the Jem'Hadar. They did ask them to come, after all. Brunt agrees and tells Quark all he needs to do is negotiate the prisoner exchange. Keevan tells them their only hope to is to get back to the ship and escape, but Nog tells him they're not going anywhere without their Moogie. Quark then heads out onto the Promenade with Rom and Nog in tow. As they three step out, they see Ishka, guarded by another Vorta named Yelgrun and flanked by two Jem'Hadar guards. Quark tells them, he's willing to arrange the trade, but needs some assurance first. He wants all the Jem'Hadar off the station, though he concedes to letting Yelgrun's two guards stay. Then, he'll have their ship head back to Dominion territory at warp nine. This will leave Yelgrun stranded on the station for a few days, giving the Ferengi more than enough time to get away safely before they return. Yelgrun threatens to have the Jem'Hadar storm the infirmary and kill them all, but Quark tells him that Keevan would be the first to die. His fate may be sealed either way but Yelgrun likely wants to know what Dominion secrets Keevan revealed to the Federation first. Yelgrun is impressed with Quark's cunning and agrees to the deal, telling them to be ready in thirty minutes. Before they leave, however, Nog wants to know how they know it is really Ishka and not a Changeling. Nog cuts her hand with a knife, proving it is her, and getting a few angry cuffs from his grandmother in the process. Back in the infirmary, the Ferengi are in good spirits over the success of the deal. They reminisce about going home to Ferenginar, with its torrential rains, rotting vegetation, dampness, and rivers of muck, much to Keevan's disgust. Their good mood is interrupted, however, when Rom accidentally reveals the reward money is fifty bars instead of the twenty they were promised. This infuriates Brunt, Gaila, and even Leck, who may not care about latinum but doesn't like being cheated. An enraged Gaila raises his weapon and shoots at Quark. Quark and the others duck out of the way and the blast hits Keevan instead. With a smoking hole in his chest, the fatally wounded Vorta says "I hate Ferengi" before falling to the floor, dead. The Ferengi all gather around the dead Keevan before looking back up at Gaila. "You idiot," Leck finally grumbles. The Ferengi sit around lamenting their situation: they'll likely be killed when Yelgrun learns the truth. Gaila suggests surrendering, Brunt suggests trying to escape in his ship, and Rom suggests hiding. Quark is offended by this, reminding them of the Battle of Prexnak, the most important battle in Ferengi history, when ten Ferengi stood alone against two hundred seventy-three Lytasians. Gaila, however, points out that all ten Ferengi were slaughtered. Quark, unswayed, tell them this is their chance to prove that Ferengi are as tough as any species in the galaxy. Leck soundly agrees, though Brunt and Gaila only join in on a condition of equal shares of the fifty bars of latinum. "Fifty bars it is, Quark says, "minus my usual finder's fee." During all this, Nog has been examining Keevan's body, finally deciding that he can't be revived. As he places a neural stimulator on Keevan's head, Keevan's right arm swings around and hits Nog. Nog explains that the neural stimulator caused a reflexive impulse in his cerebellum. "If you think about it, medicine isn't that different from engineering," he says. "It's all about keeping things running, fixing broken parts."  As the six Ferengi begin to form a plan, Yelgrun announces it is time for the exchange. Quark hurries out and tells them he'll need a few more minutes for Rom to do a sensor scan of the station to confirm the Jem'Hadar are gone. Yelgrun is furious at this latest delay and threatens to have Ishka killed. Quark begs him not to. "And I thought the Breen were annoying," Yelgrun says. Quark also asks if they can make the exchange at the docking bay since that's where his ship is. Yelgrun has no choice but to agree. Quark hurries back in, where Nog is using the stimulators to animate Keevan's corpse. With a signal from his tricorder, the dead Vorta suddenly sits up and opens his eyes. In a corridor at the docking bay, Ishka and Yelgrun are discussing investing in hipecat roots when Quark arrives with the upright Keevan. They each send their prisoners walking (Keevan with help from Nog, who is off to the side, sending signals from his tricorder). Yelgrun watches Keevan's stiff movements as he walks towards him. "What have they done to him?" he asks. Ishka makes it safely into Quark's arms, but Keevan walks into a wall and keeps walking into it again and again. Quark and Ishka rush to find cover. Yelgrun yells for his Jem'Hadar to stop them, but before they can, a door goes up, revealing Leck and Gaila. Leck flicks his knife into the chest of one of the Jem'Hadar, killing him. As Yelgrun ducks, and the remaining Jem'Hadar soldier turns on Leck and Gaila, Rom and Brunt appear at the other end of the corridor and blast him with their phaser rifles. Ishka tells Quark the Grand Nagus will be proud of him, as she is. Quark tells them they'll take Yelgrun with them. "He'll be our gift to Starfleet. They gave us a Vorta, we'll give them one." Leck notes this was the sloppiest, most amateurish operation he'd ever seen, then adds, "If you ever do something like this again," he says, "count me in."  Rom asks his brother how it feels to be a hero. "You tell me,"  Quark says. "It feels good?" Rom suggests. Quark smiles. "You bet it does!" With that, they board the shuttle and head out, leaving Keevan's body still walking into the wall. 
<EOS>
Aboard the USS Honshu, Captain Benjamin Sisko thinks about the man he is on his way to visit in the ship's brig. When he arrives, the man inside the brig is Gul Dukat. After some small talk, Dukat engages Sisko in a discussion regarding the appearance that Sisko will be making before a special Federation Grand Jury. Sisko tries to assure Dukat by explaining that in the Federation, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Dukat then asks Sisko his opinion on Dukat's innocence, but Sisko ducks the question by saying that he has not read all the charges. Dukat then points out that it is not like him to equivocate. Sisko informs Dukat that he will not be tried until the end of the Dominion War and that his appearance before the special jury is just a formality. Still suspicious, Dukat reminds Sisko that he is going to be the prosecution's witness. Sisko tells him, "I'll tell them what I know." Sisko then offers his sympathies over the death of Dukat's daughter, Tora Ziyal. Still suspicious of Sisko's motives, Dukat then asks, "Do I detect the fine hand of Dr. Cox at work once again?" Sisko explains that he just wanted to offer his condolences, with Dr. Cox's permission. Dukat realizes Sisko is sincere and apologizes. Dukat explains that Dr. Cox has encouraged him to speak of Ziyal whenever possible, since it was her death that led to his momentary instability. Sisko then informs Dukat that they will reach Starbase 621 tomorrow, and he'll see him at the arraignment. As Sisko leaves, Dukat thanks Sisko, as well as Major Kira Nerys, for caring for Ziyal over the past few years. Sisko responses that it was a pleasure to have Ziyal with them and she was a wonderful young woman. Sisko then asks Dukat if he can get him anything, and Dukat jokingly asks for one bottle of Kanar and an Orion slave girl. Suddenly, the ship shakes and a red alert is sounded. Kira walks out of Sisko's office with Odo on Deep Space 9 and informs the rest of the senior staff that the Honshu was just destroyed by a wing of Cardassian destroyers. She also tells them that so far Starfleet has picked up the distress beacons from three escape pods and one shuttlecraft. The only available ships to search for survivors will be the USS Defiant and the USS Constellation, because of Dominion activity along the border. Additionally, the Defiant will only have 52 hours to search, as it must leave to guard a troop convoy near the Badlands. Despite objections from the senior staff, Starfleet's orders stand. Worf orders an immediate departure, but before he departs, Kira reminds him of the deadline. Sisko awakens and finds himself lying by a campfire in a cavern, with Dukat. Dukat tells Sisko of how they arrived on the planet in the first place -- ironically, it seems that Cardassian destroyers shot them down. Sisko was heading to engineering when a plasma conduit exploded fifteen meters down the corridor from the brig, resulting in plasma burns on the left side of his body. Dukat then informs Sisko that he and Lieutenant McConnell found Sisko when the order came to abandon ship. When Sisko asks where McConnell was, Dukat reveals he died when a piece of shrapnel hit him in the head just as they were carrying Sisko into the shuttle. Sisko is told that the engines for the shuttle were damaged from the shock waves and it is grounded. Dukat also sets up a distress beacon, which broadcasts on a neutral frequency. Sisko agrees this is fair. He finds that his broken arm is held together by an improvised cast that Dukat has made, since he does not know how to use the bone regenerator in the medkit. Dukat excuses himself to search for food, since they only have a week's worth of rations from the shuttle. "What are you planning to do with him?" inquires Weyoun, to which Dukat replies that he and Benjamin Sisko have a lot to talk about. Weyoun then reminds Dukat about the time spent in the hospital, where he had to be sedated. This recounting enrages Dukat, and he fires a phaser at Weyoun, only to leave a smoldering hole in the rock wall behind him; Weyoun is just a hallucination. Sisko wakes up to find Dukat preparing soup. The two discuss what happened the previous night and Sisko's bout with nausea, for which he apologizes. Dukat assures him the mess was nothing compared to his days as a newly minted Glinn aboard the Kornaire, reminiscing about an incident involving three men in an compartment that had gone through an explosive decompression. Uncomfortable, Sisko tells Dukat to change the subject and in turn, Dukat sarcastically proclaims "the Emissary has spoken." Dukat insists that Sisko should have a sense of humor about their predicament, pointing out the possibility they'll be rescued by the Dominion and commenting on how their universe can be amusing when it allows radical shifts in fortune. Sisko refuses to see any humor in their situation, but asks Dukat why he was looking around. Dukat claims it must have been the wind that he heard, offering Sisko a sip of his soup. As the two work on improving the flavor of the meal, they have another conversation regarding Deep Space 9. Dukat asks about Kira, Odo, and Quark, attempting to convince Sisko that they never gave him a chance and that his policies toward the Bajorans were actually quite generous. Dukat continues to press, claiming it was his intention to rectify the mistakes between Cardassia and Bajor. Sisko casually side-steps him by inquiring about the next ingredient for their soup. While Dukat adds salt to the soup, he questions Sisko whether or not he'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Sisko responds with a question of his own, asking Dukat if he really does care about what he thinks. Dukat counters with another question, asking him if he cares about what his friends think of him. Sisko realizes Dukat is implying that they are friends, and makes clear that they are not friends and even though he is grateful for Dukat's saving his life, that's as friendly as they can be, and no more. Again, something catches Dukat's attention with Sisko asking him whether he's sure nothing's out there. Dukat assures him that it was the wind, but goes out to the caverns to double-check. Somewhere deeper in the caverns, Dukat now takes to arguing with a hallucination of Damar, who attempts to convince Dukat to kill Sisko now and escape to assist Cardassia in its victory. While Dukat converses with Damar, Sisko checks the transmitter and discovers that though the outside display indicates the system is online, its secondary display on the inside reveals the systems has been offline the whole time. When Dukat returns, Sisko tells him there may be something wrong with the com system. Dukat first checks the outside display, reporting the unit to be fine. Sisko suggests that the casing should be taken off and they should run a full diagnostic just to be sure. Dukat complies and checks the inside of the transmitter but pretends to run a diagnostic, assuring Sisko that there is nothing to worry about and the unit is working. Sisko then realizes Dukat has quite intentionally been leaving it turned off. Alone in the cave, Sisko works on the transmitter with one of the tines he has broken off his fork. After some tinkering, Sisko manages to reset the unit's systems and bring the Distress signal back online. Hearing Dukat's approach, Sisko diligently covers up his work and hides his altered fork underneath his sheet. Dukat returns with a couple of cushions salvaged from the shuttle, shining his flashlight on Sisko, who appears to have just woken up. As Dukat helps Sisko get settled against his new cushion, the Captain comments that it appears he is planning a long stay. Dukat explains that he only wants the both of them to be comfortable as they await their rescuers. Once Dukat settles on his own cushion, he tells Sisko about an idea that occurred to him while he was out at the shuttle. Dukat muses about how confused the Bajorans would be if they found both of them sharing the same hardships, calling himself the evil Gul Dukat, and Sisko the Emissary of the Prophets. Dukat points out that it is just the two of them, all alone, that no one is there to judge them, insisting that they both be honest with one another. He presses Sisko for his opinion on him, but is interrupted by another hallucination in the form of Kira who whispers a rather contrary opinion of her own over his shoulder. She tells him that she thinks he is an evil, sadistic man who should have been tried as a war criminal years ago -- put up against a wall and shot. This opinion prompts Dukat to question Sisko whether he agrees with Kira on how she feels about him. Sisko tells Dukat that he doesn't see any reason for discussing the matter any further. Dukat disagrees and continues, telling Sisko that his name and reputation have been slandered and twisted after the Occupation of Bajor. He states he has been wrongfully vilified throughout the Alpha Quadrant for six years and wonders out loud if Sisko is one of his detractors. Sisko insists that he cannot really pass judgment on him because he was not there during the Occupation, nor did he witness the matters with which Dukat had to struggle day after day. The Kira hallucination warns Dukat that Sisko does not want to tell him the truth because it would upset him. Sisko watches as Dukat talks over his shoulder at the air, realizing that Dukat is delusional and hallucinating. Dukat believes that Sisko is not being entirely honest, pointing out that he's not a man who hesitates to make snap judgments when the situation calls for it. Sisko tells Dukat he is right about being judged unfairly, that he himself judged Dukat unfairly, and that he probably had good reasons for everything he did on Bajor. Dukat agrees with Sisko, and claims that some of his harsher acts were forced upon on him by Central Command. He then explains to Sisko that he wanted to use entirely different tactics with the Bajorans, that he wished to have ruled with "a softer hand." Sisko assures Dukat that he understands, stating that he was a soldier and was only carrying out orders. Dukat eagerly agrees with this assessment only to be laughed at by Kira, who calls him a fool and tells him he is being patronized, for which Dukat yells at her. Sisko manages to return Dukat's attention to himself, suggesting that they ignore Kira and pretend she is not there. As the Defiant picks up a distress signal and beams up two additional Honshu survivors (who turn out not to be Sisko and Dukat), Dukat wildly fires his phaser at his hallucination of Kira. Dukat later discovers Sisko's hidden fork and notices one of its missing tines, concluding after he checks the transmitter that Sisko must have repaired the unit behind his back. Outraged, Dukat destroys the transmitter, cutting the signal the Defiant picked up moments earlier, and from the debris of the transmitter he dislodges a metal bar, which he uses to attack Sisko. Despite subspace interference over the viewscreen, Kira reminds Worf he must follow his original orders to end their search soon so they can assist the troop convoy in the Badlands. Both Doctor Bashir and Miles O'Brien disagree with the Major's orders, trying to pretend they are unable to understand the message through the interference. Worf and Dax however know full well what Kira was trying to tell them, and Worf feels that ignoring the orders would be dishonorable. When Bashir openly remarks that he doesn't consider Worf's honor to be worth Captain Sisko's life, Worf dismisses him from the bridge and orders helm to lay in a course for the third planet and continue their search for the remaining time. Sisko awakens with his head bleeding to see Dukat standing over him wiping blood from a metal pole in his grasp. Dukat tells Sisko that he brought the damage upon himself, with the groggy captain making a mention of victims that must have suffered as he has. Dukat begins to name all the things he has been called, sarcastically calling Sisko the "supreme arbiter of right and wrong in the universe." A frustrated Sisko demands what Dukat wants from him and Dukat explains that he wants no further pretenses, only their expression of their true thoughts. Sisko takes Dukat up on his challenge and begins a fierce barrage of questions -- true and false, of Dukat's role in the Occupation. The murder of over five million Bajorans on his watch is Dukat's responsibility. Dukat adamantly claims otherwise, explaining that he tried to save lives during his administration. Sisko then demands evidence. Dukat says the Occupation had already been going on for almost 40 years, but the planet was not ready for full-scale colonization. He tells Sisko that Central Command wanted the situation resolved and they didn't care how it was done. Dukat reminds Sisko that he wanted to use "a gentler hand" when dealing with the Bajorans -- reducing the output quotas by fifty percent. Dukat begins to list admirable orders he gave during his tenure, for acts such as reorganizing the camps, abolishing child labor, improving medical care, and increasing food rations, for which as a result the death rate decreased by twenty percent. Dukat also explains that he had reason to punish the Bajorans as well: on his anniversary, an orbital drydock was blown up, killing over two hundred Cardassians. He explains that he then rounded up two hundred Bajoran Resistance members and executed them, claiming this retaliation was for the sake of justice rather malevolence. He goes on to mention that he also executed several more Bajorans in retaliation for a failed assassination attempt. As Dukat continues his stories, his hallucinations of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira each support every statement in their own sardonic manner. When Dukat asks Sisko if he understands what he's saying, Sisko pretends to have been moved by his stories and posits that what happened to the Bajorans was not Dukat's fault but their own. Dukat eagerly agrees with Sisko's empty revelation as Sisko plays along, asking Dukat why the Bajorans failed to appreciate the kinder and gentler oversight he offered them. Dukat insists that the Bajorans were small-minded, ignorant fools, that the Cardassians were clearly the superior race, and they did not choose to be so -- fate handed them that role. At the height of his furious insanity, Dukat now confesses his hatred for the Bajorans and everything about them, from their religion and their Bajoran earrings to their "broken, wrinkled noses." He is most infuriated by their wishes for equality to the Cardassians. Sisko, still playing along, suggests to Dukat that maybe he should have killed them all. Dukat agrees with this assessment quite enthusiastically, proclaiming he should have "turned their planet into a graveyard the likes of which the galaxy has never seen!" Suddenly, Sisko strikes Dukat from behind with the same metal pole Dukat used on him and declares, in his most bitingly sarcastic tone, "And that is why you're NOT an evil man." Sisko finds his way to the shuttle through a sandstorm, discovering that it is still operational. As Sisko is about to depart, however, Dukat attacks Sisko and a fight ensues. Dukat then forces Sisko out into the sandstorm while brandishing a phaser. Before Dukat departs, he thanks Sisko for their time together, promising they will not be seeing each other for awhile, and vowing "from this day forward, Bajor is dead! All of Bajor!" As the doors to the shuttle close, Dukat with his hallucinations of Weyoun, Kira, and Damar all keeping him company, smiles over an unconscious Sisko lying in the sandstorm. It is finally time for the Defiant to leave the system in order to rendezvous with the troop convoy. As Worf orders the course set, the ship suddenly receives a hail from Gul Dukat, who lets the crew know where Captain Sisko is located. Dax awakens Sisko, reporting that she notified Starfleet of Dukat's last known position and insisting that they'll find him. Sisko disagrees about the possibility of his capture and begins to discuss life, about how it seems complicated and that it sometimes appears everything is a shade of gray, that there is nothing truly good or evil. He then explains to Dax that after spending some time with Dukat, he has come to realize there that there is truly unambiguous evil. Dax points out that realizing the truth is one thing, but doing something about it is another. Sisko then makes clear what he is going to do about it; he makes a vow to stop Dukat from destroying Bajor. 
<EOS>
Odo enters Quark's to inform Morn that his cargo of his Livanian beets is starting to spoil and needs to be moved immediately. When Morn doesn't respond, Odo reaches out to touch Morn's shoulder, only to find "Morn" is a hologram. Quark informs him that Morn has been away from the station for the past two weeks. Odo is confused, and Quark explains that Morn is such a regular fixture in his bar, that business inevitably falls off when he's not there -- the last time he was away, business dropped five percent. As if to prove his point, as they are talking, Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir enter the bar and greet "Morn" as they pass by, not noticing it's a hologram. Odo asks why the hologram doesn't talk, and Quark complains about the high cost of an interactive hologram generator; besides which, he prefers the company of the hologram to the real Morn, who "never shuts up." Just then, Lt. Commander Dax and Captain Sisko enter and freeze in their tracks when they see "Morn" at the bar. They inform everyone that Morn died when his ship hit an ion storm. A funeral is held at Quark's according to Lurian traditions, including gifts of food and drink for the deceased so they will have something to sustain them in the afterlife. The funeral is attended by almost everyone on the station, and there are many genuine outpourings of grief. Quark, of course, attempts to capitalize on this, selling off overstocked liquor by labeling it "Morn's favorite", and delivering a eulogy that ends by encouraging everyone to "keep Morn's seat warm" for eternity by spending their time in the bar. Odo is skeptical, guessing that, when all is said and done, the Ferengi didn't know anything about Morn, and is unaffected by his death. In private, Quark confides that he is deeply grieved: Morn failed to pay his last month's tab before inconsiderately dying. Captain Sisko unseals Morn's will and discovers that he left everything to Quark. In accordance with station procedure, Odo inspects the contents of the bequest, and delightedly tells Quark that Morn's bank accounts are empty, and his only "assets" are his most recent cargo -- the now-spoiled beets -- and the contents of his quarters -- which turn out to consist of a large mud bath (Morn's "bed") and a painting of a matador. Quark is baffled -- Morn was one of his best customers, and must have had money somewhere. Odo leaves Quark to mope in Morn's quarters, and after he leaves a nude woman appears out of the mud. The woman identifies herself as Morn's ex-wife Larell, who has come to claim her share of Morn's estate. Quark is amazed when Larell confides that Morn won one thousand bricks of gold-pressed latinum in the Lissepian Lottery. He's glad she came by. Quark starts searching for the latinum by emptying the tub of mud. Larell realizes he doesn't know where it is, and neither does she, but says it must be on the station somewhere. She starts to regret that Morn couldn't enjoy the latinum while stroking Quark's ear, but he knows what she's doing -- getting to his good graces so she can share the latinum. Even though the latinum is Quark's, Larell threatens to tie Quark up in court for years if he doesn't cut her in. Besides, it's a lot of money and she promises to take a vacation with him. He's satisfied for the moment. Over a game of tongo, Quark has told Dax about the whole thing, and that he's cut Larell in for 10%, but Dax is suspicious, saying he needs to watch his back. Quark understands, but is willing to keep her hanging for now. Later, Quark finds two alien brothers (race unknown), Krit and Nahsk, have invaded his quarters. They claim they were business associates of Morn who had money owed to them. They then threaten Quark if he doesn't pay them, and break the matador painting over Quark's head when he tries to haggle them for a lower percentage. After they leave, however, Quark discovers there was an access chip hidden inside the painting that gave access to a storage locker in the Assay office. Quark is immediately excited and shouts out to Morn, thanking him. Bajoran security brings a small container to Odo's security office, but it contains only a single brick of latinum. Quark isn't worried, as he notices Morn wrote a bank account number on it, for the Bank of Bolias. He excuses himself to arrange delivery of Morn's savings. On the way, he encounters Larell again, who steals the brick from Quark; however Quark remembers the number and knows the bank will only deliver it to him. Still on the way, he encounters the brothers, who deliver a thinly-veiled threat before letting him go. Just as Quark is about to contact the bank in his quarters, however, a disruptor is held to his head by a Human named Hain. Hain carefully has Quark leave the terminal to escort him to a holding cell. When Quark asks, he identifies himself as working with Lurian Security and said Morn was the crown prince and that his riches belonged to the Royal Family of Luria. When Hain learned about Larell, though, he pauses to think. Hain then says she'd been trying to blackmail the family for years. Instead of arresting Quark, Hain would ensure Quark got a sizable reward for helping capture Larell. He leaves Quark to continue calling the bank and telling him to leave the rest to him. Meanwhile, back in the bar, Morn's absence is felt. O'Brien is fixing an optronic relay while sitting in his chair. Bashir comes by as well, and learns Quark is indisposed. After a quick exchange, O'Brien has to leave, so Bashir takes over sitting in the chair for awhile. Later, Quark finds Larell in his quarters to discuss when the latinum will arrive when someone tries to pick the lock. Larell hides while Krit and Nahsk bypass the lock and threaten Quark. Quark's doorbell goes off, so Krit and Nahsk hide when Quark answers the door. Hain enters and Quark attempts to warn him of Quark's "guests" but he doesn't catch on while everyone in hiding comes out. It is revealed that Hain, Larell, Krit and Nahsk were all lying to Quark, and they (along with Morn) had been the ones behind the infamous Lissepian Mother's Day Heist. It turns out that Morn had betrayed them all and left with all one thousand bricks of gold-pressed latinum they had stolen, and they knew he was waiting for the statute of limitations to expire -- which it did two weeks previous. Then, the group realizes they don't need Quark any more. At first they decide to kill Quark, but he reminds them that he's the only one who can take delivery of the latinum. Nahsk has the "bright" idea of severing Quark's thumb (the only piece they need), but Hain steps in and vetoes the idea -- since they can't very well walk into the cargo bay with a severed thumb without attracting suspicion. Since they were going to split it five ways anyway, they agree to let Quark take Morn's place. Refusing to leave Quark alone, they all go to Quark's Bar. Odo arrives and asks why the bar is closed at that hour. Quark indicates his new "partners," and introduces them as friends of Morn, with whom Quark has been "commiserating" in private. Quickly catching on, Odo asks how much longer they will be commiserating, and Quark says, until 1600 hours the next day -- the time the shipment of latinum will arrive. After accepting the shipment, Quark goes to count the bricks only to find Hain, Larell, Krit and Nahsk have all drawn weapons on each other. Krit says Hain is outgunned, as his brother may be "slow," but he'll get Hain in the end. Nahsk takes offense at being called slow, and turns on his brother. A firefight breaks out, so Quark jumps into the cargo container. Odo and his deputies arrive and apprehend the four robbers -- Larell, being the only one unhurt, is taken to a cell, while the rest are taken to the infirmary. When Odo assures Quark that the four will be in jail for a long time, Quark is ecstatic to be the sole owner of the bricks. But when he knocks two together, they crumble in his hands. Quark, aghast, says that someone has extracted all the latinum from the bricks, leaving only "worthless gold." That evening, Quark is fuming behind the bar and attempts to rip Morn's stool from the floor. Odo arrives and says someone's here to see him -- and in walks a very alive Morn, who takes his usual stool. Quark demands an explanation. Morn starts to open his mouth, but Quark cuts him off, saying he doesn't want to hear it, he's already figured it out: Morn knew that his former associates would come after him as soon as the statute of limitations expired, so he faked his death and pretended to leave his property to Quark, knowing the Ferengi would do whatever it took to get the latinum, and succeed in holding off his four partners until they turned on each other. Morn nods guiltily, confirming Quark's story. Quark angrily says he could have been killed, and demands to know what really happened to the latinum. Instead of replying, Morn picks up a small glass and regurgitates a small quantity of liquid latinum -- about 100 bricks' worth -- into it. Amazed, Quark realizes that Morn swallowed the latinum and has been carrying it around in his second stomach all these years (which also explains why his hair fell out). Morn pushes the glass to Quark, as fair reward for his help. Quark is more than satisfied, and, intrigued by this scheming, under-handed side of Morn he didn't suspect before, starts to discuss possible joint ventures for the future, such as selling Morn's gold dust, since some primitive cultures still consider it valuable. 
<EOS>
Captain Benjamin Sisko and his crew are taking a break from being on the front lines in the Dominion War. Instead, the USS Defiant is investigating a recently-discovered subspace compression anomaly. Unmanned probes sent into the anomaly shrunk in size, and gaining an understanding of the principles behind the compression could give Starfleet a significant tactical advantage over the Dominion. The runabout USS Rubicon is being sent into the anomaly, tethered to the Defiant by a tractor beam to gather data and deliberately be shrunk down to a miniscule size. On the bridge, Major Kira Nerys finds it hard to keep a straight face at the idea. Before entering the anomaly, Jadzia Dax calls her husband and checks on the progress of his poem, which he promises to read to her when she returns. Off the curious looks of the bridge crew, Worf sheepishly explains that it is a Klingon tradition to commemorate a momentous event by composing verse, and Jadzia has made him promise to do so on this occasion. A short while after the experiment's start, the Defiant is suddenly attacked by a Jem'Hadar attack ship. The anomaly masked the Jem'Hadar's approach until they were within weapon range, giving them the opening shot, and because the Defiant must remain tractored to the Rubicon, it is unable to raise its shields, and is soon disabled and boarded by a squad of Jem'Hadar. The tractor beam fails and the Rubicon is lost inside the anomaly. Aboard the Rubicon, Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir are unhurt, but many systems are damaged. On the Defiant's bridge, the Jem'Hadar assess the damage to the ship; the impulse engines will be repaired soon, but the warp drive has been heavily damaged, and the vessel is still in enemy space. First Kudak'Etan nonetheless declares victory for himself and his men -- most of whom are the first generation of a new breed of Jem'Hadar bred to operate in the Alpha Quadrant. Kudak'Etan believes "Alphas" superior to the original "Gamma" Jem'Hadar, and frequently overrules his Gamma Second, Ixtana'Rax (despite the latter's status as an Honored Elder, with at least twenty years of combat experience). Kudak'Etan reports to their Vorta supervisor, Gelnon, who congratulates them and orders them to repair the warp drive with all possible speed and make their way to the nearest Dominion outpost, while their attack ship continues on its mission to the Coridan system. The Rubicon hones in on the Defiant's transponder signal. When the blast shutters are finally repaired, a surprise is awaiting them: having left the anomaly by a different path, the Rubicon has <u>not</u> returned to its normal size. It is now less than a foot in length, and each of the crew is barely one centimeter tall. Bashir reassures O'Brien that they should be able to restore themselves by retracing their path, but first they have to reestablish contact with the Defiant. Since their communication system is still down, they decide to enter the Defiant through the aft plasma vent, hoping to have a better chance of drawing attention from the inside of the ship. Kudak'Etan has Sisko brought to the bridge and orders him help repair the warp drive, but Sisko says he will need help from some of his crew. Ixtana'Rax urges the First to refuse, saying that giving Sisko access to the engine room will only give him the chance to retake the ship, and giving his officers access will only increase the risk. He is overruled again, and ordered to take Sisko and four officers to Engineering. In the turbolift, Ixtana'Rax grabs hold of Sisko and warns him not to try anything; Sisko says he is helpless to do anything, but Ixtana'Rax snarls that he is not the fool Kudak'Etan is, and if he were in command, as he was until two days ago, Sisko would already be dead. Sisko asks what happened, and Ixtana'Rax bitterly says that Kudak'Etan and the other "Alphas" have been specially designed to fight in that Quadrant, and the Founders believe that makes them better soldiers than the Gammas, who have been unceremoniously pushed aside, even those of Ixtana'Rax's experience. The tiny Rubicon is navigating the impulse drive conduits, when the Jem'Hadar start up the engines. O'Brien warns that if they don't find a way out of the conduit fast, they'll be vaporized by superheated plasma. Speeding ahead of a rush of plasma, the Rubicon nudges its way out of an access hatch near the engine room. From a nook in the engine room, they watch as Sisko, Kira, Worf, and Nog go about making repairs to the warp drive. After O'Brien finishes restoring the visual sensors, he, Dax, and Bashir are able to figure out Captain Sisko's plan: Kira is the only one making actual repairs, while Sisko and Worf surreptitiously reroute systems to delay the Jem'Hadar, and Nog tries to override the bridge security codes to take control of the ship from the engine room. Nog is smart, O'Brien explains, but under normal circumstances it will take him weeks to override the security codes. So, they can go to the bridge and try to override the controls from there, but first they need to get out of the engine room without being spotted. Ixtana'Rax is keeping a close eye on Sisko and the others, ordering them to instruct the Jem'Hadar engineers as they go along. Kudak'Etan enters the engine room and complains about the delay, ordering Ixtana'Rax to stop interfering and let the Starfleet officers go on working alone. When he exits the engine room, he inadvertently allows the Rubicon to follow him out the door and to the bridge, without him noticing. Back in Engineering, Sisko and Co. are trying to get the job done as best as they can, pressed by time and constant Jem'Hadar surveillance. Ixtana'Rax has assigned several Jem'Hadar troops to help with repairing the warp drive, and Kira warns Sisko that she can only head-fake them for so long. When Nog says that he has still made no progress, Sisko orders Worf to plant a computer virus in the system that will destroy the ship if the warp drive is engaged. In another part of the ship, the Rubicon slips onto the bridge literally right under Kudak'Etan's nose, and the crew considers how best to reroute the bridge codes. O'Brien says he could reroute the encryption subprocessors manually, but he'd have to leave the ship to do it. He isn't fond of the idea, and Bashir adds that it would be impossible for him to breathe: the oxygen molecules inside the processor housing are far too large to be absorbed by O'Brien's blood. Dax has the bright idea of beaming a bubble of the runabout's compressed air into the airtight circuitry compartment, which would allow them to work inside the compartment with a limited air supply for about twenty minutes. O'Brien insists on Bashir coming with him. When they beam inside the processor housing, they look at the size of the computer chips and wiring, and conclude that the job might take a little longer than they thought. At first, O'Brien is lost; he can diagram the circuitry housing in his sleep, but the change in perspective is confusing him. Bashir calms him, telling him to close his eyes and imagine where they are -- which works. O'Brien and Bashir barely manage to reroute the processing lines before their air runs out, and they are beamed back to the Rubicon. Just as Nog cracks the security codes (thanks to O'Brian and Bashir), Ixtana'Rax orders their four captive officers to step away from the consoles. Kudak'Etan appears in Engineering, and Ixtana'Rax angrily reports that the warp drive has been operational for at least an hour, and the Federation officers have been stalling them. On the bridge, Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir wonder why Sisko hasn't acted yet; seeing that the First has been called to Engineering, they realize trouble and fly down. Kudak'Etan orders the officers locked up again, and orders the bridge to set a course for the Dominion outpost. Yet again, Ixtana'Rax objects, saying they need to check the system for possible sabotage, and yet again, Kudak'Etan overrules him, saying they have lost too much time already. As the warp drive is powered up, Sisko and Co.'s only satisfaction is that they will take the Jem'Hadar with them when the ship blows up. But as Kudak'Etan leaves Engineering, the Rubicon flies into the room. The Jem'Hadar are taken by surprise by the tiny ship and open fire, but it is too small and too fast for them to hit, while it fires photon torpedoes, which, though tiny, are still powerful enough to kill two of the soldiers. The rest of the Jem'Hadar are overpowered by the crew -- Kudak'Etan is too busy trying to draw a bead on the Rubicon to notice Worf, until the Klingon steps up to his side and snaps his neck. Ixtana'Rax takes aim at Sisko as he wrestles with another Jem'Hadar, but Kira shoots him in the chest with a stolen disruptor pistol. Swiftly rerouting command functions to Engineering, Sisko floods the rest of the ship with anesthezine gas to incapacitate the remaining Jem'Hadar, while ordering Kira to disable the virus before someone on the bridge tries to engage the warp drive. As Ixtana'Rax lies dying, Sisko commiserates: he was right about Sisko, and Kudak'Etan should have listened to him. A loyal Jem'Hadar to the end, Ixtana'Rax asserts that Kudak'Etan was the First, and did not need to listen to anyone: "Obedience brings victory, and victory is" are his last words, dying before he finishes, "life." The tiny Rubicon hovers in front of the victorious crew, with a miniature Jadzia blowing kisses to her husband through the viewport. With the Defiant back under control, the Rubicon re-enters the anomaly by its original path and returns to normal size. Back on Deep Space 9, inside Quark's, Jadzia asks Worf to read her his poem. He warns her that he is only partly done, and makes her promise not to laugh, since he worked very hard. He reads from a datapad, "this is the story of a little ship that took a little trip" and that is it. Jadzia struggles for a diplomatic response, then sees a look in her husband's eyes and grabs the pad, which is blank. Worf grins, and she bursts out laughing. At the bar, O'Brien and Bashir are regaling M'Pella and Morn with their adventure. Odo gives them a quizzical look and asks them if they're sure they both returned to their normal size; as a shapeshifter, he notices such things, and they both look a couple of centimeters off. Quark confirms this, and demonstrates by showing that they are considerably shorter than M'Pella. Exchanging an alarmed look, Bashir and O'Brien rush to the infirmary. Quark and Odo step down from the level of the tables. Quark says to Odo, "and they say you don't have a sense of humor," and the two share a laugh. 
<EOS>
In a rundown bar on Farius Prime, there are several customers, including a Dopterian and a Farian that seems to be inhaling a drug product, playing tongo with a Human. The Bolian bartender, Graife, refreshes their drinks. Miles O'Brien, in civilian clothing, sits at the bar and listens to some customers in the background. They are discussing how Raimus will be unhappy about the acquisition of faulty merchandise. They decide to order some food; Flith suggests Krellan food, but Liam Bilby says it always gives him heartburn. They joke about how his appetite will kill him some day; he says "don't get your hopes up." The Dopterian is about to use a com booth on the wall, but Bilby yells at him that they're about to use it, and sends Krole. He puts a small device on a mechanical implant on his neck, and a similar device on the com booth's screen, and interfaces with the computer. They continue listing what they want to order, and Krole asks who to bill for their dinner. They suggest the police department on Farius, but they billed them for yesterday's meal. So they decide on the municipal sanitation department. As he tries to access their account code, O'Brien covertly activates a small device in his hand, making the com booth begin to shock Krole. O'Brien jumps up, and tells the others not to touch him, that he's being "spiked". He then goes to the panel, and begins entering commands. The electric shock stops, and they help him to a chair. They complain that they spiked him just for trying to use their account code. Krole pulls off the dataport, and finds that it is fused. They wonder what to do, since it would be too expensive to ask Raimus to pay for a replacement, but O'Brien offers to fix it for him for a price. They ask O'Brien his name, and he replies "Connelly". They give him the datalink, and tell him to have it fixed and polished by tomorrow morning. In a dark and steamy alley, O'Brien walks up to meet a man. O'Brien explains what happens, and the man says that nobody has ever made contact with the Orion Syndicate so quickly. It turns out that several undercover Starfleet operatives have recently been killed by the Orion Syndicate, and O'Brien is working for Starfleet Intelligence to find out who their informant in Starfleet is. Once he is able to find out who has been passing on information, he can return to Deep Space 9. Bilby will find information on O'Brien's alias, that he's a "fix-it man down on his luck". Chadwick, O'Brien's handler, tells him to get as close as he can, and not to take any unnecessary risks, because if they find out who he really is, they will kill him. Meanwhile on Deep Space 9, Quark and Odo enter Ops at the same time to report several technical problems, such as the internal security sensors and the fire-suppression system in Quark's. Doctor Bashir comes into Ops, and also complains about a malfunction in the infirmary. Dax and Worf are on a turbolift coming into Ops, when it stops short, forcing them to climb out. Major Kira explains that it happens every time Chief O'Brien goes on leave, since no one really knows how he keeps the Starfleet and Cardassian technology working together. Dr. Bashir goes to Captain Sisko about the problems, but the captain believes he is just worried about his friend. The captain explains that he cannot reveal the whereabouts of the chief, but assures him he can take care of himself. Back in Graife's bar on Farius, Krole, Flith, and Bilby are playing tongo when the chief comes in. O'Brien hands the fixed neural interface to Krole, who tries it on to test for feedback. Bilby is impressed with O'Brien's work, and has looked into "Connelly"'s background, knowing that he lives on Jinami Street, and his work history. O'Brien asks how he knows so much about the identity he's taken, still undercover, and Bilby doesn't respond. Instead, he takes him for a walk. In Bilby's apartment (which he shares with his cat Chester) he unlocks a safe, and pulls out three Klingon type-3 disruptors. O'Brien sits up, suspicious, and Bilby says he didn't bring him here to kill him. Apparently, the Orion Syndicate was looking for people who can fix things on Farius Prime, as Bilby shows him that the disruptors he needed to procure don't work, O'Brien diagnoses that the induction coils are burnt out, and says he can fix them. Bilby offers him some cake his wife made, and shows him a picture of his family, who live on New Sydney. Bilby inquires about O'Brien's family, to which he says that he doesn't have any. Bilby, in not so many words, asks if he would like to work for him in the Syndicate. In the dark alley, Chadwick hands O'Brien the Klingon induction coils he asked for, courtesy of the Klingon ambassador to Farius. Chadwick asks why Raimus, Bilby's boss, wants the disruptors. O'Brien says he doesn't know, neither does Bilby, and asks if he can contact his wife. Chadwick says they can't risk it, and O'Brien leaves to give the disruptors to Bilby. Back in Graife's Bar, O'Brien gives them the disruptors, which they inspect. Flith asks where he got the replacement parts, which are hard to come by on Farius. O'Brien doesn't tell them, to the point they get angry, and he says he stole them from a warehouse on Degora Street, and he didn't want them to get implicated if he got caught. Bilby believes it, and decides to do something about Connelly's clothes. So, Bilby takes him to the same tailor he uses, to buy a new suit. Later in Graife's Bar, Yint, who sold Bilby the malfunctioning disruptors, comes in asking what they want. Bilby says he wants his money back, but Yint refuses. Bilby decides to demonstrate by shooting Yint in the leg. O'Brien tries to stop him, but Bilby fires again and kills Yint. Back in Bilby's apartment, Bilby confides in O'Brien to the point of revealing that there's an Orion Syndicate operative in Starfleet. He asks Connelly to remind him to buy a birthday present for his daughter, and then if he'd like to go to New Sydney to meet his family. O'Brien agrees, and inquires more about the Starfleet officer. Bilby says Raimus met him on Risa a year prior, and that he worked at the weather control station. The Syndicate offered him a substantial amount of money, and he revealed the names of the undercover operatives in the Orion Syndicate. Bilby receives a message from Krole, saying Raimus wants to see him, so they go to Graife's Bar. Raimus and his guards beam in, and shows him that their new client is a Vorta, Gelnon, and that they are working for the Dominion. Raimus asks who O'Brien is, and Bilby witnesses for him, saying he's trustworthy. Gelnon says he wants them to do something else for them, and that he'll contact him when it is time, and they transport out. Bilby explains to O'Brien that anything he does wrong, he's accountable for. O'Brien meets with Chadwick in the dark alley, and tells him who the informer is as well as the fact a Vorta was meeting with the Syndicate. Left with some very disturbing possibilities that could result from the Orion Syndicate working with the Dominion, Chadwick immediately extends O'Brien's assignment to find out what is going on before leaving to inform his superiors. Quickly becoming a valuable member of their team, O'Brien assists his new associates in an attempt to rob the Bank of Bolias. Using the dataport, Krole and O'Brien are quickly able to navigate around the bank's three-tier security protocol, and the isolation matrix protecting the data. Afterwards, Bilby books a Farian call girl for O'Brien as a gift, but Miles politely refuses claiming he has a girlfriend called "Kimiko". Bilby encourages him to settle down and have a family telling him "that's the most important thing", and tells him that he considers "Connolly" a friend and to him a friend is like family. O'Brien realizes that he is beginning to worry about Bilby, and what will become of him after his assignment ends. O'Brien expresses this during his next meeting with Chadwick. He is reminded that Bilby made his choice when he joined the Syndicate, but also tells Miles that if they can build enough of a case against him then he'll be sent to a Federation prison where he'll be safe. This does little to help O'Brien, still troubled by what may lay ahead for Bilby, but even more by the fact that he will have to betray a man he now considers his friend. It soon becomes clear what the Dominion wants from the Syndicate. Raimus and the Vorta instruct Bilby and his team to execute the Klingon ambassador to Farius (who is strongly against the Klingon-Federation alliance) using the disruptors that O'Brien repaired in order to imply that the ambassador was killed in a dispute with his fellow countrymen. It is the hope of the Dominion that the ambassador will become a martyr and this will lead to a diplomatic breakdown between the Klingons and the Federation, ending their alliance and ensuring the Dominion certain victory in the war. O'Brien passes the information about the upcoming assassination attempt and the method Bilby will be using to penetrate the Klingon embassy's security on to Chadwick, who leaves to warn the ambassador. O'Brien realizes that he has committed Bilby and his men to death at the hands of the Klingons, and tries to stop Chadwick, but is told that all he is going to do is warn the Klingons about the assassination attempt and it's up to them how they respond. Chadwick states that he won't shed any tears about members of the Orion Syndicate being killed. Chadwick then tells O'Brien that its clear he's sympathizing with Bilby, but it's no longer a problem as his assignment is now over and he can return to Deep Space 9. O'Brien, however, cannot simply allow his new friend to walk into a trap and knocks out Chadwick before rushing to Bilby's apartment. Bilby greets O'Brien on his door step and lets him in. He's getting ready to leave when O'Brien tells him it's a trap. O'Brien tries his best to talk Bilby out of the mission, first by claiming that his signal was traced when he infiltrated Klingon security, but when this story doesn't work he tells the truth that he is working for Starfleet. At first Bilby refuses to believe this, but O'Brien reasserts himself, and Bilby realizes the truth. Bilby is devastated that his new friend was actually a spy, reminding O'Brien that, as he witnessed for him, the wrath of the Syndicate will fall on him once the truth is known. O'Brien encourages Bilby to hide or turn himself in to the Federation. Bilby however decides that the only way to protect his wife and children from the Syndicate's retribution is to carry out his mission, even though it almost certainly will result in his own death. Knowing that he will be killed, Bilby makes a final request of O'Brien -- to make sure his cat Chester is cared for once he is gone, before leaving for his doomed mission. The last thing he asks is if O'Brien has a family, and when O'Brien confirms he does, Bilby is a little satisfied knowing family is the most important thing in the world. With that, Bilby leaves for the last time. O'Brien returns to Deep Space 9 (Chadwick having decided not to report O'Brien's assault) and tells Bashir everything that happened, and can't help but feel upset over his friend's death and guilty for his own indirect part in it. Bashir assures O'Brien that there was nothing he could have done except for his duty. O'Brien doesn't feel any better, and Bashir tells his friend that doesn't have all the answers for him he wants, but what he does know is that he's glad he's back. Bashir leaves, but O'Brien is not totally alone having brought Chester back to the station with him. The cat goes to him and as O'Brien strokes his new pet, he can't help but feel weighed down by recent events. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, tongo has recently been going well for Quark. He has won two hundred and six straight games in the last month. Even Dax can't keep up with him and she causes Worf to lose a bet against Miles O'Brien, although the Klingon claims that he would rather lose betting on his wife than win betting on someone else. In the middle of the following night, Kira calls for Worf and Dax regarding an emergency transmission from a Cardassian Starfleet operative. Since most of the runabouts and the USS Defiant are off on exercises with the Ninth Fleet, the couple must embark on a trip into the Badlands (where they will be able to contact the Cardassian) aboard the USS Shenandoah. On their way to the Badlands, the two discuss plans about their honeymoon. Worf suggests Vulcan's Forge as a suitable location, however Dax shoots it down instantly as she doesn't want to spend her honeymoon in the Forge during Vulcan's summer. She instead demands a relaxing vacation on Casperia Prime, arguing that Worf got to plan the wedding so she should get to choose the honeymoon and is surprised when Worf accepts her argument and instantly agrees. After that, the conversation orients itself around a discussion about Worf's sense of humor and various habits and tolerance to change of the two of them -- nothing very deep, but there's a sense of the bond that has developed between the two of them. Back on the station, Julian Bashir arrives at O'Brien's quarters in a tuxedo for another of their holosuite adventures, but the chief has set his mind to a new challenge: to end Quark's tongo streak. When he realizes that he won't be able to change O'Brien's mind, the doctor accepts helping his friend. After a while practicing, Bashir tries to persuade O'Brien that he has no aptitude for tongo, however O'Brien decides to change his plan; instead Bashir, with his genetically-enhanced brain, should be able to easily beat Quark. Soon after they arrive at the coordinates in the Badlands, Worf and Dax receive a transmission from the Cardassian operative, Lasaran. The spy informs them that he is not secure any more and wants out immediately and that he has information on every single Founder in the Alpha Quadrant. He sends them a rendezvous point near a Dominion base on Soukara. Worf and Dax will need to land in Soukara's jungle, due to the Dominion's transporter scramblers, to recover the informant. Back on the station, it's apparent that O'Brien isn't getting the hang of the game. Bashir is able to defeat him handily, though he just learned the game himself. O'Brien, who's admitting he is using this exercise as a distraction from not seeing his family for so long, realizes Bashir should try to take Quark down instead. Bashir doesn't care about the game or the latinum, but O'Brien convinces him with the look on Quark's face after he beats him. Meanwhile, Dax successfully pilots the Shenandoah through the asteroid field, where the sensor grid has its gaps, with her usual teasing since she's going fairly quickly. She then evades detection from the planet's sensors and takes to finding a landing point. They'll need to land 20 km north of the rendezvous to keep away from ground sensors, and have only two days to cover the distance. They land on Soukara and head out with their gear, including phaser rifles. Dax and Worf successfully mask their lifesigns from sensors on the ground. They have some banter as they set out, as Worf comments they can't use their tricorders while it masks their lifesigns, but he is looking forward to not knowing what lies ahead. Meanwhile, the doctor and O'Brien are finally ready to challenge Quark. Even though the Ferengis are reluctant to admit Humans to their table at first, they eventually accept. Eventually, there is only Bashir and Quark left at the tongo table, the bartender congratulating the doctor on his fast learning. Nevertheless, Quark has another card in his sleeve and soon begins a conversation about Bashir's past feelings for Dax and is able to distract the doctor long enough to drag him into a ruining confrontation against what finally reveals to be a total monopoly. Dax and Worf slowly progress, but, during the night, Worf senses something coming from the changing noises of the wild. They hide as a patrol of three Jem'Hadar approaches. They kill all three, but Jadzia is hurt by a disruptor burst which leaves an anti-coagulant in her system. Despite this, the two of them push onward. It becomes increasingly clear that Dax will not be able to make the rendezvous with the Cardassian agent. She is determined to go as far as she can, waving off Worf's help in the process. She is making light of the situation as much as she can, but frustrated when Worf doesn't reciprocate. He's in the seriousness of the moment, but eventually relents, saying he will smile all she wants when the mission is over. With four bandages changed in two hours, it's hard to ignore. Finally, Dax is unable to stand, even with a hypo. Worf leaves Dax behind in order to continue the mission. He knows he can get her to a stasis chamber within 45 hours and leaves, however, knowing that she probably needs surgical care sooner than that, Worf pulls back and aborts the mission, rescuing her. Back on Deep Space 9, Dax gets the health care she needs. However, things do not go as well for her husband: his actions have led to Lasaran's death. Captain Sisko demands an explanation, and Worf tells him that as he went further and further into the jungle, he knew that he there was no way he could leave his wife behind, even though the intelligence that Starfleet has lost could have saved millions of lives. Sisko tells Worf that the secrecy of the operation and Starfleet's desire to keep their intelligence activities under wraps will save him a court martial, but there will be a permanent note in his service record. As a result, Worf will almost certainly never be offered a command of his own after the incident. Sisko also issues orders that Worf and Dax are to be never sent on a mission alone again. However, off the record the captain tells Worf that as a man who once had a wife, that if it had been Jennifer lying there in the clearing, he would have made the same choice. Worf visits the recovering Dax in her hospital bed and tells her that he didn't complete the mission. Dax is sorry that he hurt his career because of her, but Worf tells his wife that he isn't sorry as she is what matters, above his career and everything else and that if the situation arose again he would do exactly the same again. The two then reaffirm their love for each other. 
<EOS>
In Quark's, Jadzia Dax unsuccessfully tries to convince Worf to let her throw a party in their quarters. She almost has him convinced, when he bolts at the last moment. Quark saves them from an awkward silence by informing Worf that the holosuite is ready; once the Klingon is gone, he asks about the party. Dismayed at Dax's answer, Quark goes about his business and delivers a bouquet of Bajoran lilacs to a nearby Kira. This immediately catches Dax's interest, so she follows Kira out of the bar and onto the Promenade. Kira has ordered the flowers for herself, despite the fact that she doesn't like flowers, to commemorate her late mother's 60th birthday. While she never knew her mother, as she was only three years old when she died at the refugee camp, Kira knows Bajoran lilacs were her mother's favorites. She tells Dax how proud she has always been of her mother for what she did and who, according to her father, was the bravest woman he ever met. Later that night, Kira receives an encoded transmission from Dukat. In a bout of wanting to come clean with his emotions and himself, he smugly claims to have known Kira's mother and that they were lovers until the day she died. Rather than what Kira believes -- namely that her mother died at the Singha refugee camp on Bajor -- Dukat claims that her father told her a lie because he couldn't bear to tell his children that their mother had left him for Dukat. Kira cannot believe her ears and is disgusted at what Dukat tells her, but at the same time she is shaken at the amount of detail Dukat appears to know about her mother and becomes uneasy. While Kira doesn't want to believe Dukat, too many things he claimed to know about her mother were true, and there is now significant doubt in her mind after she does some research of her own. She has a hard time confronting the issue, however, and takes her frustration with the situation out on the people around her, such as Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien who are discussing their next holo adventure while on duty. She eventually decides to do something about her situation so she asks Sisko for permission to use the Orb of Time down on Bajor to find out for herself, because she knows the Vedek Assembly will allow her access to the Orb if the Emissary approves it. He is ambivalent about Kira's idea due to Starfleet's temporal displacement policy, but Kira insists that this matter has nothing to do with the Federation, firmly believing that the Prophets will protect and guide her to do the right thing (that is, not disturb the timeline). Sisko agrees to let her try. Using the Orb, Kira finds herself at the refugee camp where she believes her mother died during the Occupation of Bajor. She finds her father, Taban, and her mother Meru, along with herself and her brothers. A couple of Bajoran men try to force Kira's father to give them food, but Kira intervenes by forcing the men to get their own food. They refuse so Kira is forced to fight them to get them to leave. Grateful for Kira's efforts, Meru introduces herself, her husband, her sons Reon and Pohl, and her daughter Nerys. The little Nerys wants to know the name of the woman who helped her family, so, pressed for a name, the older Nerys claims her name is Luma Rahl. Shortly thereafter, Basso Tromac, a Bajoran collaborator, and two Cardassian soldiers come and collect various women, including Meru and Kira, as "comfort women" for the Cardassian soldiers. Having received the orders from their Prefect Gul Dukat, they hand pick the women and drag them away from their families. Meru screams out to her husband who is shaking and is in tears, telling him that she loves him, asking him to tell her children to not forget her. Kira, Meru and the others are taken to Terok Nor, where they are given quarters, plenty of food, fine dresses and told to clean up so they can look their best the next day. While Kira tries to console Meru, telling her that everything will be fine and that they would get out of there soon, Meru is distracted by all the wonderful foods she finds on the table in their quarters, such as fresh moba, katterpod beans, hasperat and more. Meru eagerly begins to eat, not having seen many of these dishes in ages, but Kira is not as enthused and in fact wants no part of it. She wants to try to contact the Bajoran Resistance, which likely has a cell somewhere on the station when Meru, amid her indulgence, begins to cry, as she misses her family and wonders about her children. Sobbing, she says that she wants to believe that the Cardassians were telling the truth when they said that they would take care of her family, but Kira tells her to not count on it. She insists they find a way to get out of the station and then join a resistance cell somewhere. She comforts Meru and as she embraces her face, she notices the scar on her cheek from where she failed to show a Cardassian officer proper respect. Kira continues to embrace her face lovingly, telling her that the scar does not look so bad after all. Meru wonders why Kira keeps helping her; Kira replies that she doesn't have many friends. The next day Basso commends them on their hard work of transforming themselves into beautiful new women. He tells them that their former lives have ended, that their pasts have been erased, and that they have one purpose -- and one purpose only: to provide comfort and care to the Cardassian officers stationed on Terok Nor. He warns them that failure to comply would result in their families being sent to labor camps for the rest of their lives. While he carries on with his threats and the long list of consequences that will follow disobedience, Dukat interrupts him. He welcomes the women and seems quite compassionate. He assures them that the picture they have of Cardassians as a cruel and heartless peoples is wrong, and he hopes to be able to show these women the extent to which Cardassians are capable of great kindness. When Meru dares to ask what will happen to their families, rather than have her removed, he approaches her and kindly tells her that they will be taken care of. Before turning away from her, however, he discovers the scar on her face. He immediately orders Basso to retrieve a dermal regenerator and fixes the scar, calling it an unfortunate reminder of the gulf that exists between their peoples. Much to Kira's dismay, Meru seems a bit too taken away by Dukat's act of kindness. The women are taken to what will later become the wardroom on Deep Space 9, where various Cardassian officers are seen forcing themselves on the Bajoran women. Meru and Kira stand in a corner with Meru smiling; still somewhat disturbed at Meru's earlier attitude toward Dukat, Kira asks her what she is smiling about. Meru says that she is laughing at the Prophet's apparent sense of humor as she always dreamed about having enough food to eat and pretty clothes to wear but now that she has them, she feels horrible. Before she knows, she is dragged away by a sleazy, drunken Cardassian. Meanwhile, a middle-aged Cardassian man has Kira sit on his lap and seems drunkenly amused by her visible hatred toward his kind. When Dukat enters, he finds the younger officer forcing himself on Meru and intervenes, apologizing profusely and having Meru sent back to her quarters. Despite the apparent compassion, the officer with Kira has seen this act before and is able to predict precisely the line Dukat feeds Meru, who -- he says -- is now "off limits" to the other Cardassians. Meru is gone when Kira returns to their quarters, but Basso and two guards are there retrieving her belongings. Kira demands to see Meru and gets into a fistfight, which she inevitably loses when a Cardassian officer violently strikes her down. They take her to the fenced-off area of Terok Nor's Promenade, which is reserved for Bajoran slave laborers. Two weeks later, Kira is getting her soup from the server, who has heard word of Meru's whereabouts. He follows her to a table and claims Meru has been on vacation with Dukat from which she just returned. To the man, Meru is nothing but a collaborator and Kira has no reason to care for her, but Kira insists otherwise. He tries to get her to join the Resistance, but as she could affect the course of history, she does her best to stay out of such things. Their conversation is interrupted when Basso and a pair of guards arrive to take Kira away. They take Kira through a security scanner and to Dukat's and Meru's quarters, where Meru is waiting for her. She is seen relaxed and fully rested, wearing a beautiful dress and smiling as Dukat walks into the room with a vase full of the Bajoran lilacs she loves so much. Kira is beside herself with both astonishment and disgust when she sees Meru's and Dukat's interaction with one another as lovers. It turns out that Meru is the one who sent for Kira, as Kira is her only friend and she is lonely. Dukat senses that Kira doesn't like him and assures her that he has been treating Meru with the utmost respect and consideration. He then kisses Meru goodbye and leaves. Meru turns to Kira and tells her that he is in fact very different from what she expected. She insists that Dukat is not a monster, making up excuses and repeating the ones he has given her about the occupation. As disgusted as Kira is when Meru talks about Dukat's kindness, Meru insists that things are not so simple and that Kira does not know what she has been through. Kira tries to open Meru's eyes, telling her that while she is sitting in the room sipping tea and playing parlor games, Dukat is carrying out the extermination of their people. When Meru keeps defending Dukat and continues regurgitating his lies, Kira becomes furious, telling her that he has taken her away from her children and husband, wondering how she can forget him so quickly. Meru once again insists that Dukat is helping them out with food and medication, but Kira cannot believe what she is hearing as, in her eyes, nothing excuses what Meru is doing. Kira says that she is using the "I am doing it for my children" line as an excuse and that in fact she is there for herself only, as she is a collaborator who enjoys playing house with that murderer. She storms off the quarters, telling Meru that she is going back where she belongs. Back in the ghetto area, Kira talks with the Resistance member again and gets a Bajoran earring with an explosive built into it. It has a three minute fuse and cannot be disarmed once it has been activated. He tells her to not tell Dukat's Bajoran mistress about what she is doing, even if it is to save her life, and Kira replies that he need not worry, because as a coward and collaborator, she deserves what she gets. Kira goes to the guards and tells them that she has decided which side of the fence she wants to be on. She asks to be taken to Meru so she can apologize to her. When Basso returns her, Kira, as expected, finds Meru with Dukat, sitting at the table, laughing and having a good time. She tells Meru that she has changed her mind and wants to be friends again. Meru accepts her apology and asks Dukat to get her some quarters close-by. Before leaving, Dukat hands a transmission chip to Meru. As he goes to an adjacent room and Meru prepares to watch the message, Kira casually activates and then slips the bomb into a flower vase. While she waits for the right moment to leave the room, she suddenly hears the message which turns out to be from her father, who talks about how well they have been treated since Meru was taken from them, how much the children are thriving now that they are back home again and how much he misses her. He praises her for having saved all of their lives and he cries for the sacrifice she is making. As he talks, Meru begins to cry, touching the screen from which her husband speaks. That is when Kira realizes that maybe her mother is not the heartless traitor and collaborator she thought she was. Kira yells for Dukat and takes him and Meru out into the corridor, where they narrowly escape the detonation of the bomb (though two of Dukat's guards are killed). Suddenly, the orb experience ends and Kira finds herself back in her own time again. She discusses her experiences with Sisko, telling him that until this day, the line between a collaborator and a devoted Bajoran was very clear to her; she always believed her mother to be a hero who died for the cause while she despised collaborators as the traitors they were. Sisko tells her that Meru did what she had to do to save her family, but Kira insists that it does not make it right. She tells Sisko that her mother died seven years later in a Cardassian hospital, wondering if he knows just how many Bajorans died while her mother was comfortably sipping Kanar with a genocidal murderer. She is heartbroken and disappointed. When Sisko asks her why she saved her mother's life, Kira replies that while there is a part of her that wishes she hadn't, in the end -- no matter what Meru did -- she was still her mother. 
<EOS>
Odo, Kira, Doctor Bashir, Chief O'Brien, Dax, and Worf are in a holosuite, enjoying the performance of Vic Fontaine, the doctor's latest holoprogram. He is singing You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You and everybody is enjoying themselves. After his performance, he joins the entourage where Bashir introduces him to everyone. Fontaine cracks a few jokes and uses some 20th century jargon that most of the crew don't understand. It turns out that he is a self-aware hologram and a very astute and insightful one on top of that. He is immediately able to tell that Worf and Dax have not been married for a long time and that O'Brien misses his wife. But he stops before saying anything about Kira and Odo, understanding that it is best to not talk about it for the moment. Before they leave, he advises them to dress fancy the next time for the occasion as currently they all look like a "trapeze act". After the group leaves the holosuite, they continue on about how impressed they are with the program and Fontaine in particular. Bashir suggests meeting up again the next evening to hit the casinos and play a little blackjack and roulette after Vic's performance. While Dax is rather enthused about going back again, Kira says that she is leaving for Bajor in the morning. Dax slips and tells her to say hi to Shakaar Edon for her, before realizing that she might have said too much. Odo becomes somewhat irritated when he hears what Kira is up to. After she leaves, Bashir carries on about Fontaine, telling O'Brien that if it wasn't for his pointers, he would not be dating Ensign Walker now. He says that Fontaine knows quite a lot about life, love and women, the three things -- O'Brien jokes -- Bashir apparently knows nothing about. Odo, who is standing right there, hears all of this and is suddenly intrigued. The next day, the constable is having a conversation with Quark in his office. Quark tells him that it's been over a year since Kira broke up with Shakaar and that in all this time, Odo has done nothing about it. Odo says that it is not that simple, but for Quark it is quite simple: Odo had plenty of opportunities and he let them slip away. When Odo dismisses Quark's advice, Quark tells him that Odo is in fact not a very lovable person, as he is cold, rigid and remote. Before he leaves, however, Odo comes around and asks him for a favor: access to Dr. Bashir's new holosuite program. The constable returns to the holosuite to talk to Vic about his situation with Major Kira. Vic states his accurate assessment that Odo loves Kira but she considers him a friend. Vic adds that women have been known to change their minds and that it is really not that hard to get through to them, especially if they already like you. Odo says that Kira is aware of his feelings for her but that she prefers another man with great charisma. Vic replies that it is not the other man he has to worry about but himself. He asks him to lose his frozen-solid appearance and to allow those feelings he has inside of him to bubble to the surface. He tells him that if he wants to win the girl, they have to thaw him up a little bit and that it was time they had some fun -- a concept which is quite unknown to Odo and which Vic points out is precisely the problem. So a long learning process begins for Odo. He immediately changes into a tuxedo and Vic puts him behind a piano and together they perform a song that exhilarates Odo. Vic's goal is to have the Constable become less shy and more socially at ease every day so that in the end he can win over his heart's desire. After the show, Odo and Vic are in Vic's apartment, discussing Odo's experience on stage. Odo is visibly relaxed, until he admits to Vic that he is grateful that his friends did not witness the act. Vic advises Odo to take deep breaths right there to relax. Odo is skeptical, but tries it. He is just beginning to enjoy this when there is a knock on the door. Vic has invited two women to his apartment to interact with Odo. One of the women admires Odo's "artistic hands" and speaks with him about music, having seen the piano act at the club. Odo is uncomfortable with the attention, especially when the woman starts hitting on him. Vic sees his discomfort, and invites the women and Odo to a restaurant. Odo declines the invitation, being more interested in Major Kira than the holosuite woman, but Vic convinces him that he needs to practice with other women in order to pursue Major Kira. They go off for the night. Later, Odo makes a report to Captain Sisko. Interestingly, while he reads the report, he hears his chief of security humming a song in his office, a change he is happy to see. Sisko joins along in singing with Odo and snaps his fingers to the tune. Odo stops when he realizes that, unaware he was singing out loud. Meanwhile, traveling to Ops together in a turbolift, Bashir and Dax are talking about Kira's visit. She lengthened her stay on Bajor with Shakaar, which makes them grow curious about the state of her relationship with the First Minister. Dax mentions Odo isn't doing anything about it, which is the problem. During another lesson in the holosuite, Odo is at the piano when Vic announces a special guest, Lola Chrystal. She, however, has Kira's likeness. Odo, a little stunned, watches Chrystal as she sings the next tune while spending time close to him on the piano. Vic invites Chrystal to the hotel room with Odo, celebrating with a drink and then leaves them alone. Odo plays along with the situation for a bit, expressing her feelings for Kira, but then stops and has a little confrontation with Vic about it. He's convinced that he will never be able act normally, knowing she is not the real Kira. Vic promises Odo that he will work on the hologram's personality, but Odo is done. Later, Kira's back on the station. She catches up with Odo, but, not ready yet to have a long hello, he is politely short with her, to her confusion. However, without Odo's knowledge, Vic goes to Kira while she's meditating in a holosuite, having transferred his matrix from another holosuite. He invites her Kira to a date in the holosuite on the constable's behalf. She's annoyed that he interrupted her, and says Odo should have asked her, but Vic is persistent and Kira agrees. While Odo is in his office, Vic contacts him to get him to the holosuite, promising a more realistic Kira program. Again, he's very persistent. During dinner, Odo is really at ease with the major, daring to show her his real personality, without knowing to whom he is really talking. He admits he's let work be an excuse for not living his life, to which Kira understands. The music starts and Odo suggests to dance, even insisting when Kira says she's not sure how. In the end, it's apparent that the major has genuine feelings for Odo, but the evening is spoiled when the truth is uncovered. Odo mentions she can't leave the holosuite. Vic intervenes and Odo abruptly shuts down, part because he was lied to and part because he couldn't explain himself to Kira. Odo storms out of the holosuite. Kira, alone turns to Vic, who sees the night is done and shuts off the program himself. On the next day, Vic contacts Odo again, insistent that it was time to talk to Kira for real, and that the night was worthwhile. Embarrassed, Odo says he can't imagine what Kira thinks of him now, and shuts off the communication. Meanwhile, Kira is talking with Dax and, after some thought (about moments of true clarity), decides to go talk to Odo about the dinner. She has to deal with Odo, more distant and cold than ever, but eventually the major is able to reach to him. She proposes they talk over dinner, but Odo casually dismisses it, sarcastically saying he supposes Shakaar won't approve. Kira frustratingly explains the visit was only business, and that they're friends. The conversation seems increasingly angry to everyone around as Kira asks about dinner, Odo sarcastically asks what will happen afterward, and Kira suggests dancing. Odo goes for broke and suggests Kira might expect him to kiss her after a date, and Kira replies that perhaps she would. Odo then wonders aloud why they don't dispense with the pleasantries and kiss right there, to which Kira doesn't object. Suddenly, Odo grabs her and they have a first kiss right on the Promenade, to the surprise of numerous onlookers, including Dax, Quark, and Morn. The two continue, despite the onlookers. Following this incident, Odo goes back in the holosuite to thank Vic about all the things he has done, even if some looked like mistakes at first. 
<EOS>
At their regular staff meeting, the crew of Deep Space 9 review the state of the Dominion War. It is a time of great uncertainty as the threat of a Dominion attack on Vulcan looms overhead, and while the Romulans have retaken Benzar (home to the Benzites), there is no way to be certain they will relinquish control after the war. For now, Sisko, Kira and Jake are taking a trip to Bajor to visit a new discovery in the remains of B'hala. Although Dax observes how trivial such things seem in the midst of a war, the archaeologists have specifically requested Sisko's presence. Ranjen Koral leads the trio through the ruins, where numerous tunnels have been dug and excavations have taken place since Sisko's last visit. The monk leads them to a pedestal underneath the old temple, thus older than B'hala, with some "interesting" writing in Ancient Bajoran; part of the text reads, "Welcome Emissary". As he touches it, he is thrown across the room. He loses consciousness as the Prophets send him a vision in which they mention the end and the beginning and claim that the Reckoning is at hand. Sisko takes the tablet back to DS9, where he and Dax study it in a science lab to translate it. In the meantime, he greets Kai Winn at the airlock. She is visibly troubled by the removal of the tablet from Bajor. In her usual, subtle manner, she compares his actions to the plundering the Cardassians did during the Occupation. After refusing, Winn lodges a formal complaint with Starfleet Command, and Admiral Ross tells Sisko to stop meddling in Bajoran affairs and return the tablet. Sisko discusses the situation with Dax, who muses about the time when Sisko thought of the Prophets as nothing more than aliens who lived in the wormhole. Sisko reminds her that, regardless of if they're Prophets or not, they have a relationship with Bajor which they proved when they stopped the Dominion fleet from reaching the Alpha Quadrant. Dax reminds him that he had to persuade the Prophets to help, and that they promised they would exact a penance. The conversation is halted when Dax discovers the meaning of the words on the tablet which say that, among other things, the Prophets will weep and the gateway to the Celestial Temple -- DS9 -- will burn. Dr. Bashir, Odo, and Worf are sitting idly on the second level of Quark's, considering the repercussions. As Quark himself walks by, he complains about how bad business has been because of talk about the Reckoning, but their conversation is cut short as the station trembles and the wormhole begins to behave erratically. Meanwhile, Sisko and Winn have met in his office, where she informs him of flooding, earthquakes and the like taking place on Bajor as they speak as a result of the shifts in the wormhole. She believes he has angered the Prophets by taking the tablet, and she has a request from First Minister Shakaar stating as much with a warning that if Sisko keeps the tablet any longer it will harm relations between Bajor and the Federation. With no other choice, Sisko agrees to return the tablet on the first transport the next morning. He tells Dax she'll have to work off holo-recordings of the tablet, as she reveals more words have been translated. It's clear the Emissary will play a major part during the Reckoning; however, his role is left unclear due to damage on the tablet. Later, Sisko discusses the situation with Kira and they note their mutual dislike of Winn. Kira admits to feeling a little sorry for her in that she spent her whole life in service to the Prophets and was finally rewarded for her efforts by becoming Kai, only to be forced to share the role of spiritual leader with a non-Bajoran. She also admits that, like Winn, she is jealous of Sisko's relationship with the Prophets; however, unlike Winn, she doesn't resent him for it. Late that night, Sisko is visited by Jake who wants to check up on his father. He admits that he worries a lot about his father's role as the Emissary, due to the fact that twice before in the past year he has been rendered unconscious by visions. Ben reminds Jake that he didn't ask to be Emissary, it is just what he is, but comforts his son by reminding him he's also his dad. Later, Sisko is unable to sleep and finally heads for the science lab. He angrily tells the Prophets that he's had enough of their riddles, and wants a straight explanation. After no response, he picks up the tablet and throws it against the wall in a rage, smashing it. As he looks down at its shattered remains shocked at what he just did, two energy discharges: one red, one blue, emerge from it and disappear through the ceiling. Dax and Odo investigate the science lab, as Sisko explains he got an uncontrollable urge to smash the tablet. They find no signs of such a discharge, although there is an unexplained energy drain soon reported on the station. Unfortunately, now Sisko has to explain it to Winn. She believes Sisko smashed the tablet just to spite her. He is emphatic that he is acting with the will of the Prophets, and that it isn't always easy to see the path. Winn notes again the hardships being experienced on the planet, and that it must be clear the tablet should have been returned. As he tries to reassure her, he is called to the Promenade. Sisko finds Odo and station security around the Bajoran Shrine, and Kira standing in the doorway. However, her body has been inhabited by one of the Prophets, with a glow and an electrical discharge flowing out of her. When the Prophet sees Sisko, it walks toward him, causing damage to as it walks. She addresses him, and informs him it is time for the Reckoning. Sisko tries to have it explain what the Reckoning is, but not much response. It says it awaits Kosst Amojan. Winn recognizes the Prophet's words and explains that Kosst Amojan is the evil one, a Pah-wraith that was banished from the Celestial Temple. She also realizes that this pertains to a prophecy. If the Prophet wins the upcoming battle, then Bajor will enter its Golden Age of a thousand years of peace. Sisko turns to the Prophet and asks what he's to do, but it replies he has "completed his task." Winn tries to talk to it directly, but it turns away without focusing on her. It simply stands, unresponsive, as Winn offers herself to the Prophet as its humble servant but is ignored. Sisko tells the senior staff that DS9 is to be evacuated. Julian balks at this idea, but Sisko knows the battle could destroy the station. However, Dax suggests not letting it be fought on the station. She suggests that they slowly but gradually flood the Promenade with chroniton particles, which are fatal to the Prophets, which would force it to leave. Given what the Prophets have done for him and Bajor, Sisko refuses, saying that this is the Prophets' price for destroying the fleet of Dominion ships that would have certainly overrun the Alpha Quadrant. Although they are worried for Kira's safety, Odo reassures Sisko that Kira would have been willing to surrender herself to the Prophets no matter what the consequences, even if it meant her death. Worf and Odo find one another near the airlock as they oversee the evacuation of the civilian population. Worf admires Odo's devotion after what Odo said about Kira letting the Prophet take her, and he is unsure that he could have done the same if it had been Jadzia. With Kira on their side, Odo assures Worf the Prophets will be victorious. Sisko is able to persuade Starfleet that DS9 must be abandoned given the Prophets are the only thing preventing the Dominion fleet from coming through the wormhole. Suddenly Sisko is called by Odo to the Promenade as a group of Bajorans, led by Winn, refuse to leave the Promenade as they pray for the Prophets' victory. Sisko confronts Winn and threatens to personally order the people to leave as their Emissary. Sisko and Winn begin to verbally spar once more when interrupted by Kira. The Prophet announces that Kosst Amojan has chosen his vessel. Sisko looks up to the second floor to see it is Jake. Sisko screams for the Pah-wraith to leave Jake and take him instead, but the Pah-wraith is simply amused and throws Sisko across the Promenade. Kira and Jake face off and energy beams, red from Jake and blue from Kira, come out of their chests and meet at the center. The spectacle continues as sparks fly and the energy buildup reaches critical levels. As the buildup could trigger an explosion at any second, Dax and Winn in an unusual state of agreement urge Sisko to leave the station; however, he is determined to stay and see the Reckoning through and also refuses to leave his son behind. He orders them both to abandon the station. Dax contacts Worf and tells him they're leaving. Dax hurries to ensure that everyone is evacuated, and the final people are taken away in the station's runabouts; however, Kai Winn sneaks away in the confusion. The final runabouts leave and the station is empty save for Sisko, Jake, Kira and Winn. The Prophet is winning the celestial battle, and is on the verge of killing the Pah-wraith when she suddenly screams out in protest. Kai Winn is in Ops and has triggered the Chroniton release herself. Both spirits are forced to leave the station, causing both Kira and Jake to collapse. Sisko immediately runs to an unconscious Jake's side. Sisko visits his son in the infirmary, where Jake is still weak but will recover eventually. He tries but does not know what to say to his son to explain the incident, but no explanation is necessary. Jake was able to feel the Pah-wraith's hatred and knew it had to be destroyed, even if it meant his death. As Odo and Kira walk together on the Promenade, she thanks him for his confidence in her and willingness to let her go if the Prophet's victory meant her death. His ability to let her die for her faith is flattering, although he reassures her that he still would have been happier if the Prophets had chosen someone else. Kira then escorts Kai Winn to the airlock, where Winn claims Sisko should be grateful to her as her actions saved their lives and the station from destruction, as well as stopping the disasters on Bajor. However, Kira isn't fooled and knows Winn's true motive was not the good of Bajor, but chose to stop the Reckoning due to not being able to handle the fact that Sisko has a stronger faith in the Prophets, to the point he was willing to sacrifice his own son. Winn refutes this and claims her faith is just as strong as Sisko's, but Kira knows that it's not Winn's faith that drives her but ambition. As the Reckoning was stopped, the evil still exists and Kira warns that it's possible not even the Prophets know what is to come now. 
<EOS>
In the bar, Quark is grousing about the backup in his drink orders because of a replicator malfunction. He says his maintenance request has been put off by Chief O'Brien, who is already overworked and shorthanded since Nog has been sent on a diplomatic errand to Ferenginar. But Quark is flustered when Jadzia Dax offers to repair his replicator, as repayment for some repair work that Nog did for her the week before. He insists that such a job is "beneath" her, and Odo, listening, wryly observes that the Ferengi has some tender feelings for the Trill. Nog and Jake are departing Starbase 257 in the runabout Shenandoah, to deliver an official message from the Federation Council to Grand Nagus Zek. Even if Nog won't say anything about its contents, Jake suspects it is about something big, maybe even an alliance. Their discussion is cut short when they encounter a wing of six Jem'Hadar fighters on their way to attack the base. Even though they weren't the original objective, one fighter breaks formation and comes after them. Nog makes an emergency warp jump, despite Jake's warnings that their course is taking them further into Cardassian territory. When Nog drops to impulse speed to engage the Jem'Hadar ship in real space, the runabout takes a heavy beating from its weapons, but then they are miraculously saved by a ship they first believe to be the USS Defiant, but which turns out to be a ship of the same class, the USS Valiant. While the Defiant-class ship engages the enemy fighter, the two friends are beamed aboard and are surprised to be greeted by "Chief" Dorian Collins -- a young woman in the uniform of a cadet, but wearing a chief's rank insignia. Taken to the bridge, they see that the entire crew is composed of cadets from Red Squad, the elite cadre within Starfleet Academy that Nog so fervently wanted to join two years earlier. "Captain" Tim Watters, the ship's CO, explains that he was given a battlefield commission by the previous captain, Ramirez, and he has promoted other cadets as needed to fill vacant positions. Watters orders Chief Collins to take Jake to sickbay to see to some minor burns he has suffered. When the ship's first officer, "Commander" Karen Farris, reports that the warp drive is still functioning below warp three, Nog volunteers a suggestion, and Watters is happy to accept the advice of a trained engineer. Cutting between sickbay and Captain Watters's ready room, Chief Collins and Watters explain their unique situation to Jake and Nog, respectively: the Valiant departed on a shakedown cruise eight months ago, crewed by seven regular officers and thirty-five cadets, on a three-month training mission to circumnavigate the Federation. Although such cruises are standard for senior cadets, Jake notes that it is unusual for them to be entrusted with a state-of-the-art warship, or for such a large group of cadets to be given a mission of such complexity. Collins proudly explains that they are Red Squad, and considered anything but usual. However, the ship was caught behind enemy lines when the war broke out. In a battle with a Cardassian warship, in which all the senior officers were killed or mortally wounded, Captain Ramirez gave Watters command of the ship. When the war broke out, Starfleet Command (apparently unaware that command of the ship had passed to a cadet) transmitted new orders to the Valiant to collect technical data on a new Dominion battleship being deployed in their sector. Since they were ordered to maintain radio silence, the ship had been cut from the rest of Starfleet since the outbreak of the war. Undaunted, the young captain is determined to carry on the Valiant's mission. Nog is awestruck, and Watters offers him a post as chief engineering officer. Even Nog is a little hesitant to take on such a responsibility, but Watters tells him that the undermanned ship needs him. Chief Collins takes Jake to the mess hall, where he draws more than a few stares from the rest of the thirty three-man crew (being the only civilian on board). They converse amiably, and Collins starts to tell him about her hometown on Luna. She appears to be getting upset during the conversation, and excuses herself saying she's on duty. In engineering, Nog makes some modifications that Farris objects are unsafe, but Watters is willing to try anything, and the ship succeeds in getting to warp 4. Watters comes to sickbay and, despite Collins's disapproval, grabs some pills from a cabinet and swallows them. He notices she's been crying, and she admits that she has been feeling a little homesick. The next thing Jake knows, he has been summoned to the ready room for an "interrogation" by Watters and Farris. They remind him of the extreme urgency of their mission, and say that his presence is upsetting the delicate morale of their shipmates. They dismiss Jake, and Watters tells Farris to keep a close eye on him. Before she is dismissed, Farris remarks that Watters spent another double shift on the bridge, and she is concerned that he is not getting enough sleep. Watters assures her that he is fine -- before swallowing another handful of pills after she has left. Still smarting, Jake runs into Nog, and is surprised to see that he has now joined the crew, with a brevet rank of lieutenant commander. Nog is stung when Jake echoes his own earlier doubts about whether he is ready to be chief engineer of a starship. Before they can argue further, red alert is sounded and they run to the bridge. The Valiant has located the objective of its mission. While hovering outside its sensor range, the ship launches a class 3 probe to gather the intelligence needed, and shadows the ship for several hours. Between an over-zealous crew and an almost inhuman dynamic, the mission finally comes to a successful end. In the mess hall, Watters announces that their mission is a success: they have gathered the required intelligence without being detected, and they are now free to return to Federation space. But Watters says that their scans indicate a major design flaw in the Jem'Hadar battleship -- its antimatter containment unit is composed of viterium, ordinarily resilient, but unstable when exposed to delta radiation. A direct hit with a specially-modified quantum torpedo should be able to destroy the entire ship. Nog immediately sees a problem: the modified torpedo will need to have its guidance system all but removed, which means the Valiant will need to fire at extreme close range and remain there while the torpedo is guided in manually. Captain Watters says it may be dangerous, but it is better that they take the risk than have "some other ship, with some other crew" be asked to take it later. Having had enough, Jake Sisko attempts to appeal to the common sense of the crew and convince them to leave the area with the new information. He says that his father has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best combat commanders in the fleet and not even he would attempt this mission with a single ship (even were that ship the Defiant with a full crew complement). Watters dismisses his objections, deciding that the reward outweighs the risk and that they are Red Squad and they can do anything. The crew begin cheering. Alone in engineering, Jake tries to talk some sense into Nog while he is modifying the torpedo. The Jem'Hadar battleship they are going up against is twice as large as a Galaxy-class starship, with three times the armament, yet Watters wants to try and combat it with a single escort vessel. Nog says that the captain knows what he's doing, something Jake would understand if he was an officer and not just a reporter. Angrily, Jake tells Nog about Watters's addiction to cordafin stimulants, but Nog refuses to listen. Jake says that Watters is going to get them all killed, and Nog orders Jake, "get out!" Watters happens to be monitoring their conversation from his ready room, and summons help right as Jake said that Collins told him of Watters' drug-taking. As soon as Jake leaves engineering, he is apprehended by two cadets with phasers and thrown in the brig. The Valiant prepares for its mission: the sickbay crew is drilled, and Collins issues phaser rifles to the security teams in case they have to repel boarders (or perhaps even board the vessel themselves). Watters addresses all hands with an inspirational speech, reminding them to keep their minds on their duty. The ship accelerates to warp 6. When the Jem'Hadar warship spots the Valiant, it drops out of warp and turns to face them. There is a moment of nervousness, as the bridge crew starts to fully appreciate what they are up against. Watters remains undaunted, and orders the helm to take the ship on a head-to-head attack run at close range to avoid its weapons. The Jem'Hadar open fire, and Valiant begins to take damage. The torpedoes are launched, and Farris guides them to the battleship's perceived weak spot. The torpedoes score a direct hit, and the bridge crew cheers as there is an explosion of flame, and the battleship begins to founder before emerging intact from the fireball. Taken aback, Watters asks if the torpedoes missed, and Farris says no, they scored a direct hit -- except their tactic simply "didn't work."  All of a sudden, the reality of their situation settles onto the bridge; the normally arrogant and overzealous Red Squad is replaced by a group of very frightened youths, trapped deep in enemy space and massively outgunned at close range by an invulnerable enemy ship five times the size of their escort. The battleship begins hammering the Valiant with its own torpedoes. Watters starts to order evasive maneuvers, when a console explodes and kills him. The Valiant loses main power, propulsion, weapons, and shields. Farris starts to repeat the evasion order, before more explosions kill her and the rest of the bridge crew, except Nog and Collins. Collins asks Nog for orders, since he is now ranking officer, saying their phaser banks are still partially functional, but after a moment's pause, Nog knows the battle's outcome is now a foregone conclusion. After he triggers the evacuation alert, Nog grabs Collins' hand and leads her off the bridge. In the brig, most of the security crew has been killed when Nog and Collins run down to free Jake from the holding cell. Together, they make their way to the escape pods. Only four pods are launched from the Valiant; two are shot down by the battleship, and one is caught in the explosion as the Valiant is destroyed. The listing, rupturing hull of the Valiant hides from the battleship's view the one pod that gets away, carrying Nog, Jake, and Collins. In a nearby sector of space, the Defiant is searching for Nog and Jake's missing runabout, when Major Kira picks up the pod's transponder signal, identifying it with the Valiant. Worf warns that the Valiant officially went missing eight months ago, and it may be a Dominion trap. Sisko says they have to check it out anyway. The pod is rescued, though Sisko grimly informs Jake that no others were found in the area. Dr. Bashir treats their injuries, and Jake goes to comfort a somber Nog in sickbay. Nog asks if Jake plans to write about the incident. When Jake says he probably will, Nog asks him to write that the Valiant was a good ship, with a good crew, whose only mistake was blindly following Captain Watters as he led them "over a cliff."  From her sickbed, Collins objects, saying that Watters was a great man, and if the mission failed, it was the crew that ultimately failed him. Nog tells Jake to include both opinions, and let people decide for themselves. Nog himself, however, has reached his own judgment: gently taking Collins' hands in his own, he returns his Red Squad insignia, telling her that while Watters might have been a great man, he was a bad captain. 
<EOS>
Quark is in the bar talking to Aluura, one of his dabo girls, encouraging her to learn oo-mox. Rom bursts in to warn him he can't contact anyone on Ferenginar. He tries to brush him off, but later the two begin to believe that the Dominion invaded their home planet. They rush to Ops to warn the crew, who don't believe it. Shortly afterward, the shuttle of Grand Nagus Zek requests permission to dock at Deep Space 9 and they're relieved. Quark and Rom greet the Nagus and Ishka, beloved and the mother of Quark and Rom, at the airlock. They explain they had to flee Ferenginar because Zek was deposed by the FCA Commissioners for granting females the right to wear clothes with an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities. Zek is to be replaced by Brunt, who has taken over the government as Acting Grand Nagus after financial chaos shook the entire Ferengi Alliance. Zek is convinced his move makes good business sense, and wants their help to "reconquer an empire, or die in the attempt." Zek declares Quark's quarters as "the headquarters of the sole legitimate government of Ferenginar" as they walk in. He explains that their plan is for Ishka to convince the Commissioners that Ferengi females are, indeed, intelligent, and that a more prosperous Ferengi economy will result. He's convinced she can win them over. It's clear, though, that Ishka is driving the plan, as she has to remind him of it. She then goes further, saying she envisions a female Grand Nagus in the future. This confuses even Zek, but the moment passes. Quark, Rom and Nog agree to help Zek by sending messages to all FCA Commissioners, requesting a conference for Ishka's "demonstration." However, it doesn't go well. Many have choice words for Zek and some even thought he died. All the Commissioners decline -- save Nilva, chairman of Slug-o-Cola, who is a conservative man with a lot of influence. After a long session of calls, the group reconvenes in the bar. Zek can't believe it, thinking he would have had better response due to all the business he's had with the Commissioners. Ishka is somewhat optimistic, but just then Brunt walks in, jeopardizing the plan. Brunt coldly orders an Eelwasser from Quark and proceeds to gloat over his newfound power. The group asks him why he's there, but Brunt continues berating them. Zek says he should never have reinstated him. Quark brings his drink, but Brunt says he's changed his mind and wants a Slug-o-Cola, referring to Nilva's expected appearance on the station. He plans to bribe him, but Quark kicks him out. After he leaves, Quark has to lie down. Quark doesn't rest for too long before his mother comes to talk to him. Saying he's feeling sorry for himself, she tries to cheer him up, but he's not in the mood. He says she has been manipulating Zek ever since she met him, without caring for the consequences of her motives. She is offended, and retorts that Quark can always go crawling back to Brunt, but Quark wants things back the way it was. The argument gets more heated as he exclaims she's the worst thing to happen to all of them. She now berates him, but then, tries to call him something, but can't get it out. She abruptly falls to the floor. In the infirmary, Bashir determines she had a heart attack and needed a new heart, but she will live after a few days rest. Glaring at Quark, Bashir says she needs to be kept away from him, having overhead Ishka saying "it's all Quark's fault" over and over. The group stares at him, already suspicious at his cover story for what happened. He comes clean in the bar and apologizes. Zek says they can't postpone the meeting. Brunt and his servant, Uri'lash, step in to ridicule them. After he leaves, Zek is determined to hold the meeting, as Ishka wouldn't give up. He comes to the conclusion that Quark should impersonate her. Bashir successfully changes Quark to be more feminine, and he's now fully dressed up, though very uncomfortable and critical of his looks. Zek gives him his mother's notes, full of facts and figures. Leeta also helps him with his walk, but Rom oddly chimes in with several good pointers. Quark quickly wants Rom to take his place, but Zek reminds him he's better with the business. Nog bursts in and announces Nilva has arrived early. Zek tells him to expect his other female advisor, Lumba, tomorrow. The group reminds Quark all the things he needs to study before tomorrow. Nog greets Nilva at the airlock. He's an energetic Ferengi who immediately gives Nog a Slug-o-Cola and is insistent on meeting Ishka right away. He leads himself there while Nog trails behind. He runs into Brunt, who insists on a meeting afterward, and Nilva agrees. Brunt attempts to thwart the meeting, saying Ishka is in the infirmary, but Nog is able to tell them both about Lumba, much to Brunt's confusion. Nilva is unphased, and now is intent to meet her instead. While the group is critiquing Quark, Nilva arrives with a whole bag of Slug-o-Cola. Nilva is excited to see Lumba, and suggests to have dinner with her that night, as he's due back to Ferenginar the next night. The plan is very rushed, and nervous excitement is everywhere. During dinner with Lumba, Nilva is convinced of the opportunities that Zek's feminist approach presents. The main argument of this approach being that clothing includes pockets, and females will thus want to make more money in order to have something to put in those pockets. Lumba further notes that Nilva's sales (which have suffered recently) can be improved if he markets to females. In the process of all the talk, however, Nilva falls in love with Quark. Nilva says it's time for dessert, and invites Lumba to his quarters. Nilva is very forward, starting to undress Quark and chasing him around the table. He says he needs her and wants to marry her. Quark is increasingly unable to brush Nilva off when Brunt bursts in to announce the truth. Quark then tries to convince Nilva, rubbing his lobes and even taking off his clothes for both of them to see. Nilva is now convinced and agrees to go with Lumba to tell Zek he'll do everything he can for him "because that is what Lumba wants." Brunt can't believe it. Bashir later restores Quark to normal, though he mans the bar fairly early on in his recovery, as he's still thinking about Nilva. He's holding a ring Nilva gave Lumba. Odo comes by as he usually does to ask about it, however, Quark's hormones get the better of him and he has to cry on Odo's shoulder. Odo lets it happen until he realizes Morn is watching. Zek's group come by to thank Quark, and Ishka forgives him as well, noting Quark made a good daughter. Aluura also comes to Quark to tell him she has been studying oo-mox. Quark immediately tells her it was wrong of him to make her do that, and instead gives her a raise. Aluura, however, thought it sounded like fun, but Quark still insists it is wrong. As she leaves, though, he comes to his senses and goes after her. 
<EOS>
Miles O'Brien wakes up with his wife Keiko one morning, happy that his wife and two children have returned to Deep Space 9 (having left when the Dominion War was inevitable). The two talk about what he's been up to while they've been away, as Keiko warns she intends to get Miles back in shape. Later that morning the couple get ready for a family picnic on Golana, a planet in the Bajoran sector. Their daughter Molly is very excited as she tells her baby brother Kirayoshi that the last time they went was when Keiko was pregnant with him. Later, as Keiko brushes Molly's hair, Molly tells her father that she wants to be an exobologist [sic] when she grows up and asks if they can take Chester (the family's pet cat) if they have to be sent away again. Miles, living a moment of true happiness, promises he won't send them away again. Molly goes to play and begins doing cartwheels in the meadow. Keiko tells Miles he made Molly a big promise, as the war might heat up again and the station won't be safe. Miles tells her that he'll put in for a transfer if that happens; he doesn't intend for the family to be separated any more. As he plays with Kirayoshi, Molly drifts closer to a nearby cavern. The picnic is cut short when they hear Molly screaming not far away. When Miles arrives in the cavern she was playing in, he finds his daughter hanging from a cliff over a mysterious device, which is active and producing a strange mist. He is not able to get her up, and the little girl falls into the phenomenon and vanishes. A science and engineering team is called from Deep Space 9 to investigate the device. They establish that the device is some kind of time portal left by an ancient civilization that may have transported Molly centuries into the past. Unfortunately, as Bajoran settlers only arrived less than a century ago, wherever or whenever Molly is, she's going to be all alone. Soon the crew makes a plan to open the portal and try to lock on to Molly's DNA to beam her back. Although the plan initially works, to everyone's surprise the Molly that materializes in front of them is ten years older. She becomes frightened and bites O'Brien and starts to run wild before Bashir sedates her as her parents watch horrified. In sickbay on the USS Defiant, Bashir confirms through medical scans that the DNA matches and the girl they have is indeed Molly. Miles wants to try again, to get young Molly back. Bashir points out that if they do, the 18-year-old Molly will disappear. Keiko says this girl is their Molly; even if they haven't spent the last ten years with her, they don't have the right to take those years away from her. Bashir says it will not be easy for her to re assimilate; she may even have blocked out all memories of her early life to cope with her prolonged isolation. He believes time with the O'Briens will be her best hope for recovering. They plan to return to Deep Space 9 where a cargo bay is being converted to provide a safe environment for her. Bashir says they'll just have to "feel their way through" her recovery process. Back on the station, Worf returns to his and Dax's quarters and is surprised to find that she has offered to watch Yoshi while Miles and Keiko spend time with Molly. Worf recalls that Dax has been eagerly waiting to run spectral scans on a comet that will pass through the Denorios belt that night, but Dax tells him that she's decided to miss it because if she leaves there would be no one to watch Yoshi. Suddenly eager to prove himself, Worf offers to watch the baby so she can work her shift. Dax mentions that she has had nine children (five as a mother, four as a father). She's not sure Worf understands how much work babies are, since he did not begin caring for his own son until Alexander was 4. Worf says they will be fine and tells Dax to go to work, only for Yoshi to start crying as soon as she leaves leaving the Klington trying to settle him down. Molly wakes up in a grassy area which has been set up in the middle of the cargo bay. When the O'Briens enter, she becomes frightened and climbs the tree in the grassy area. Miles shows her a plate of fruit from Golana and tries to tempt her. Wary, she comes down and begins eating at a distance from them. Molly tries saying "mommy", but is still afraid. Keiko shows Molly her doll, Lupi. Molly takes the doll and stares at it intently. As time passes, the O'Briens continue working with Molly on language skills and socialization. They try playing games with balls. Molly likes the balls, but each time Miles tosses one to her, instead of tossing it back, she takes it and hoards it. Finally they achieve a breakthrough when Molly is just about to hide another ball and Miles says, "Please" and she rolls the ball back to him. All three O'Briens smile. In Worf and Dax's quarters, the couple are trying to sleep, but Yoshi is crying continuously. Worf complains that nothing he does helps Yoshi fall asleep. Dax offers to take over, but Worf makes an impassioned speech saying that after all he has accomplished in his life and career, he will succeed in helping a crying baby to sleep. Dax asks him why "this babysitting thing is so important all of a sudden?" Worf replies that Dax is judging him on his fitness to parent her future children. He tells her to go back to sleep, "I have work to do." In the cargo bay, Molly is asleep in the tree and O'Brien is asleep on a nearby couch. Keiko enters and says Dax has agreed to watch Yoshi so Miles can get some work done. While she is sitting next to O'Brien on the couch, Keiko begins brushing her hair. Molly wakes and watched her, then comes close, hand out for the brush. Keiko starts to give her the brush, but Molly leaves Keiko's hand on it and kneels down, pushing Keiko's hand to brush Molly's hair as she used to do when Molly was little. As O'Brien and Bashir walk through a corridor, Bashir asks several questions about Molly. O'Brien says she's not talking yet, but she clearly understands what they're saying to her and responds to her name. More and more she reminds him of the little girl she used to be. He shows Bashir a picture she drew and says she's started to eat with a spoon. Bashir mentions how Molly has "anthropomorphized the environment" and cautions O'Brien against pushing her too hard, but O'Brien says she's doing great. They reach the O'Brien quarters, where Worf is seated on the floor speaking Klingon to Yoshi and playing with a rattle. Worf is saying, "gung, gung, gung" and Yoshi is laughing. Worf explains that he was instructing Yoshi in a Klingon hand eye exercise designed to build a foundation for future warriors. Bashir is amused. O'Brien asks seriously how Yoshi did in the exercise, and Worf says, "He acquitted himself well." When O'Brien returns to the cargo bay, Molly is in a panic, grunting and running from one side to the other. Keiko says she has been like this for over an hour. Keiko has to leave to pick up Yoshi and take him home. Molly has another language breakthrough, saying her first actual word since being rescued as she repeats "Home," clearly understanding its meaning as well as saying her name. The O'Briens are delighted, responding yes, they will take her home. They take her to their quarters. Molly looks around timidly, responding to the "starry stars" outside the view port. But when they take her to her room she becomes agitated. She grabs a picture of them all on a picnic, and keeps saying "Molly home." The O'Briens realize that to her 'home' is Golana. The planet is off-limits, but Miles realizes there is a way to take her there. Miles and Keiko decide to take Molly to a holosuite which is simulating Golana to cheer her up and the idea proves to be a good one. Molly calls them "mommy" and "daddy" and begins doing cartwheels as she did on their picnic. Miles thinks they can probably schedule the holosuite for an hour or two every day, as Molly continues to play happily. Then a call comes in from Quark, as a couple of Klingons have reserved the holosuite and refuse to have O'Brien pay for their time. Miles tries to tell Molly the bad news, but when she completely ignores him, he is forced to end the program. The planet disappears, and Molly is stunned to find herself now in the small, confined room but the confusion soon gives way to anger, and Molly leaves the holosuite in a feral rage, and starts to tear Quark's apart. After assaulting a few people, a Tarkalean approaches her, to which she responds by stabbing him in the gut with a broken bottle. Just then, Odo and his deputies arrive and stun Molly, but the damage is done. The Tarkalean survives but presses assault with a deadly weapon charges. Captain Sisko tells Miles that the Federation magistrate has decided that Molly should be taken to a special care center on Davos Prime for evaluation; Miles is certain they'll end up keeping her there. Miles argues that Molly needs to stay with their family to make progress. Sisko tells Miles he's sorry as there's no other way. Down in the holding cell, as Molly paces, Bashir reports that her body is flooded with adrenaline due to her confinement, and that there's a risk of her going into shock. Molly then notices her parents and starts to continually throw herself into the force field to reach her father, regardless of the pain. The deputy is forced to turn the force field off, after which Molly starts to get wild again and is sedated. Bashir gives Miles a simple fact; Molly needs open spaces all the time. Bashir will recommend she be put into a holosuite for the time being, but this is just a short-term solution as eventually they'll have to put her on a transport. In Worf's quarters, Dax arrives to find Bashir has just finished examining Yoshi, who has fallen and has a small bump on his head. The doctor assures Dax and Worf that it's nothing serious and that it happens all the time with toddlers. He leaves to return to the infirmary. Worf explains to Dax what happened. He had been pretending to be a beast and chased Yoshi. The baby was laughing so hard he didn't look where he was going and fell against the table. Worf berates himself for playing too rough, but Dax says it was just an accident. Worf says Dax was right to question his fitness as a father; Dax protests she never said anything like that. He says he failed Alexander, he failed Yoshi, and he would have failed their children as well. Depressed, Worf leaves. Later, the O'Briens debate what to do, knowing Molly will never cope at a special care center. Keiko realizes Miles is up to something, and he finally admits he is planning to steal a runabout and take Molly back to Golana. Keiko says that's the first place they'll look for her, but then realizes he also plans to send her back through the portal. He says he'll destroy the portal after they send her through. He wishes there were some other way, but he believes she can survive there and be happy. Keiko reluctantly agrees. Miles goes to security, where Molly is sedated in a holding cell. The deputy tells him Bashir plans to move her to a holosuite before she wakes up. Miles tells him plans have changed, there are no holosuites available and Odo wants her moved to the cargo bay instead. The deputy says he wasn't notified of any change. Miles tells him to check the log and then when the deputy turns away, sedates him. Miles takes Molly to a runabout, where Keiko has everything prepared. Before they can board, security officer Lieutenant Jones finds them and calls Odo. Molly is still asleep. Odo sends Jones to go check on the deputy that Miles sedated and take a statement. The O'Briens beg Odo for help, saying Molly will die if she's returned to the holding cell. Odo says he's very disappointed because he thought that if anyone could break a prisoner out of a cell and get them off the station it would be Miles. He then opens the door and tells them to get on their way. Keiko hugs him. Odo watches as they board. In the cavern, Keiko has packed a bag with a knife, a blanket, and Molly's doll. O'Brien reactivates the portal, and Molly smiles. Her parents, happy she's going to survive but still devastated that they're losing their daughter, hug her and then tell her to go home. Molly looks up and says that the stars are the O'Briens' home. They tell her they will be watching her from the stars. She says "Molly loves you" and goes through the portal, holding the bag Keiko gave her. Miles draws his phaser and prepares to destroy the portal. Once Molly is through, she finds a little girl crying. it is herself as a little girl, just minutes after she'd originally fell through the portal. Older Molly takes her by the hand and tells her "Mommy, Daddy, there," pointing to the portal. She gives little girl Molly the doll from the bag, and urges her through. Then she smiles and says, "Molly, home" and disappears as her younger self returns to her own time. A moment before Miles fires his phaser at the device, Molly emerges from the portal and is reunited with her overjoyed parents. Back on DS9, Worf re-enters his quarters. Dax says it's safe to come in; she dropped Yoshi off at the O'Briens a few minutes ago. She says he was really happy to see his sister. Dax tells Worf they understand the head bump was an accident and they invited Dax and Worf to dinner to thank them for all the babysitting. Worf nervously asks what she replied and she said she told them she'd have to check with him. Then she asks Worf, "What does 'gung, gung, gung' mean?" She says Yoshi kept shaking his rattle and saying it. Worf is pleased. Dax tells him he obviously made a big impression on the toddler. "Maybe you're not as bad with children as you thought," she tells him. Worf says not as bad as she thought, and she admits that she had doubts but has never been so glad to be proven wrong and they hug. Worf says they had better get to dinner with the O'Briens. Later that night, Keiko and Miles are talking while Molly is drawing a picture. Miles says Captain Sisko is going to represent him at the Starfleet inquiry, and Keiko says if anyone can make them understand, Sisko can. Molly asks if she can see the girl who found her again. Keiko says not for a while. Miles says Dax explained the recalibration didn't hold, which is why older Molly ended up going through to the same point in time. Keiko wonders if she realized the little girl was herself. Miles says he hopes so. Molly shows them her picture; it is strikingly similar as the one older Molly drew. Molly says it's where they had the picnic. The O'Briens are startled, but then tell her it's lovely. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, Odo is busy with one of his favorite activities: making Quark's life a misery, this time over some new barstools residing in Quark's. With Jake Sisko watching, Quark tries to reason with Odo, but naturally the shapeshifter isn't very receptive and orders them removed immediately. He then turns his attention to the dabo wheel, however then Major Kira Nerys walks in asking him if he fancies lunch. Odo, having suddenly transformed from the hard-nosed policeman to the attentive lover, forgets all about Quark and happily leaves with her. This hasn't gone unnoticed by Quark, who tells Jake that as far as he's concerned, love is a distraction, and a distracted policeman is an opportunity. Meanwhile the USS Defiant has successfully escorted the PQ-1 convoy to the Vegan system and is on its way home from its long mission with a very tired and irritable crew. Accompanying them on the mission is Kasidy Yates, who was acting as convoy liaison officer. She and Benjamin Sisko are discussing the mission (and the large number of reports she's had to fill out for Starfleet) when Doctor Bashir arrives; however, Bashir is too tired to have a conversation with the two. Yates remembers a time when he couldn't keep quiet, and Sisko jokes that he likes him better this way. Yates doesn't like the remark, and doesn't believe Sisko when he tells her he's kidding. The awkward moment is interrupted when Worf calls from the bridge telling Captain Sisko that a distress call has been picked up from the Rutharian sector. In the distress call, the crew hear a female Starfleet officer's voice. Sisko tells Chief O'Brien to cut off the line, the words weighing heavy on him. The location is six days away at maximum warp, and no other ships are in the area. Despite his weariness, the decision is made; the Defiant will head to the sector. Sisko tells O'Brien to try and establish two-way contact and when he does, to tell the woman that her heroes are on the way. Later, in main engineering, O'Brien is busy trying to establish the two-way com line and has left the channel open, meaning he can hear the woman (who is now known to be called Lisa) as she talks about her surroundings and plead for help. Bashir arrives to see how O'Brien is getting on. The answer is not well, as he is unable to send the return signal due to the frequency she is transmitting the message on. Bashir then asks O'Brien why he keeps her voice on. O'Brien tells him it doesn't bother him, and that as she's all alone he might as well listen to her even if she doesn't know he is. Also he points out that sometimes it seems that Lisa is talking to him, especially when she talks about her family. Bashir decides to leave the two of them alone and O'Brien continues on his work, pausing for a moment as Lisa talks about her seemingly hopeless situation. On Deep Space 9, Odo has just finished making sure Quark has replaced the bar stools and is about to leave, when Quark asks Odo what he has planned for Saturday, the one-month anniversary of his and Kira's first date. Odo at first thinks that Quark is trying to sell him something, but Quark tells Odo not to involve him and buy something off the Promenade. Quark leaves, and Odo asks Jake jokingly if he'd ever heard anything as ridiculous as a one-month anniversary, but when Jake's expression says that he doesn't find it so ridiculous, Odo suddenly isn't so sure of himself and goes onto the Promenade to find something to buy for Kira. Jake has had enough of observing the situation and asks Quark what's going on. Quark is at first reluctant, but finally agrees to let Jake in on the plan on the condition that nothing ends up in print or finding its way back to Captain Sisko. Quark then tells Jake that he has his own plans for Saturday night. O'Brien is still working on the com line with Lisa talking in the background. Kasidy Yates arrives and asks O'Brien if he's uncomfortable with her being on the Defiant, given that she's a civilian and the Defiant is a warship. O'Brien tells her he isn't, and that they've had civilians aboard before. Yates tells him she was worried about that, but before the conversation can go any further, the two suddenly catch on that Lisa is shouting for their attention, as she was able to hear the two talking. O'Brien is able to fully clear up the line, and shouts back that they can hear her. Lisa tells him that, whoever he is, she loves him. O'Brien and Yates smile at Lisa's obvious happiness that her call was picked up. A short while later, Captain Sisko and Doctor Bashir are present as Lisa tells the crew she is Captain Lisa Cusak, commanding officer of the USS Olympia, which was returning from an eight-year long exploration of the Beta Quadrant when they passed by an unusual energy barrier surrounding a planet. Scanning the planet triggered a reaction which destroyed the ship. Cusak's final memory after giving the order to abandon ship was a console exploding in her face, only to find herself in an escape pod on the planet. Doctor Bashir asks Lisa to confirm she's on an L-Class planet, which she does, and answers his next question by telling him she has been injecting herself with tri-ox to compensate for the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. After ascertaining her supplies of the drug, he makes her ration it so she will last until the Defiant arrives, but even so it's going to be a close call. Cusak has a request for Captain Sisko: the tri-ox is keeping her awake and she hasn't had anyone to talk to. so Captain Sisko agrees to have an officer stay on the com line at all times. Sisko then decides that he'd better start, and decides to tell her all that's happened in the Alpha Quadrant since she's been gone. Later in his ready room, Sisko is telling Cusak of the recent developments in the war, and Cusak hates hearing about the Federation's recent struggles. Wishing to change the conversation, Cusak asks Sisko if he's seeing anyone, and he tells her about Yates, but it's clear he's not enjoying the subject, and Cusak notes he sounded happier going on about the war. Cusak starts to tell Sisko about the time she was seeing an Andorian with the Agricultural Ministry, who kept pointing his antennae at her when she walked past. Sisko can't help but smile as she tells the story in her upbeat manner. On the station, Odo shows Quark the present he has bought for Kira, and Quark offers Odo the use of a holosuite for the night. Odo at first refuses, but quickly sees Quark's point of view and decides to peruse the programs offered. When he leaves, Quark tells Jake that it seems the constable will be busy the coming Saturday night, and therefore won't be able to watch the airlocks for criminals or illegal merchandise. Quark can get around deputies, but Odo is his biggest obstacle and now that he's going to be out of the way Quark is able to go after a massive deal he's got brewing. It's Bashir's turn to talk to Cusak, but it's Cusak doing all the talking, as Bashir is so caught up in his work that he gives short and quick answers, clearly not really listening to her. Cusak realizes this and begins to question him on it, when suddenly she tells him she can see something moving in the distance. She gets very scared as it comes closer, and Bashir realizes something is wrong and can only listen as Cusak lets out a scream. A worried Bashir calls for Cusak and a deep, growling voice tells Bashir that it has eaten her, but what difference did it make as he wasn't really listening to her. Bashir realizes that it was Cusak's way of getting his attention and gives her his sincerest apologies. Agreeing that she is his patient and that he should be listening to her, he puts his work to the side and gives her his full attention; however, Cusak is all talked out, and asks him about his life. He tells her he graduated medical school second in his class. Cusak tells Bashir that he's just talked himself into a situation and it's going to take days to talk himself out. On Deep Space 9, Quark finalizes the meeting he is due to have with a Nausicaan on the coming Saturday night. Odo arrives having chosen the program (Paris, 1928) he wants for himself and Kira and books the holosuite for Sunday night. Quark is horrified when Odo explains that as his and Kira's first date ended badly he's instead decided to celebrate the anniversary of their first kiss. He happily leaves, and Quark tries furiously to get in touch with his contact to tell him about the change of plans, but it's no use, as the Nausicaan has already changed his com system protocols. Quark is horrified and explains to Jake he has no way to get in touch with contact before he arrives on the station on Saturday and the second he sets foot on board the station Odo will arrest him, and eventually Quark. Aboard the Defiant, O'Brien is telling Cusak about the growing distance between himself and his friends since the war started, which surprised him as it isn't the first war he's fought in. He can't help but keep a distance, as he thinks that any of them could be gone the next day. Realizing the grim tone of his conversation, he apologizes to Cusak telling her he's meant to be cheering her up, but Cusak tells him it's ok, as he clearly needs to talk to someone about this. The conversation drifts onto their dislike of the notion of a ship's counselor but two agree that as O'Brien can't talk to his friends or his wife about his feelings, then who else is there to talk to. Bashir interrupts, as it's his turn to talk to Cusak. The two warmly bid each other goodnight, and she tells O'Brien to think about what she's said. Bashir is free to talk to Cusak for the night, as he caught up with all his work that afternoon. Bashir can tell that Cusak is in her usual good mood, but she is forced to correct him as she isn't feeling too well at all. The last tri-ox injection didn't help her, and she is starting to grow weak. Bashir reports this to Captain Sisko. Cusak is starting to feel the effects of CO<sub>2</sub>, as the final vial of tri-ox must have been tainted in the crash. Without it, Cusak has less than two days left which is a massive problem as the Defiant is still three days away. On the bridge, Sisko, Bashir, Worf, and O'Brien discuss the situation. O'Brien tells the captain that while he can increase the ship's speed to warp 9.5 and save almost a day's travel, the problem is the Defiant's structural integrity, as the ship starts to shake itself apart when it goes above warp 9. While the chief can reinforce the structural integrity field to protect the Defiant once it goes to warp 9.5, he needs to take the power from the phaser reserves. Worf strongly advises against it, as the Defiant would be at an extreme disadvantage should they encounter a Dominion ship. Bashir argues that they are a long way from the front lines and the chance of an encounter are low, but Worf feels they shouldn't chance it. Sisko decides to take the risk and orders the power from the phaser reserves transferred to the structural integrity field so the ship can speed up. Yates arrives on the bridge to see what's happening, and Sisko grows far more tense when he realizes she's there. He brusquely tells her they're increasing speed and she picks up on his discomfort and leaves, and Sisko can't help but be relieved when she's gone, which leaves him troubled. Sisko finds himself talking to Cusak about what happened, and by now she is sounding far weaker than before, but she still is full of advice and good humor, and tells Sisko that the problem is that Yates is part of his personal life and the Defiant is part of his professional life and the two can't be mixed regardless of how good she was as convoy liaison officer. She talks about the time she served on a starbase with her sister, and what a nightmare it was, eliciting another smile from him, despite the grim situation. Sisko tells Cusak that he's looking forward to meeting her, and he knows he's not the only person on the ship who feels the same. Cusak tells him it sounds like the whole crew needs some rest. In one of Deep Space 9's cargo holds, Quark shows Jake the Denevan crystals he was going to sell on Saturday for a lot of latinum and now he won't. He tells Jake that when Odo needed him, when he was pining over Kira when she was seeing Shakaar and didn't know what to do, he was there for him, and yet Odo shows no gratitude and would still love to see him go to prison. The two leave, however, it turns out Odo was listening to the entire conversation and it seems to have had an effect on him. Saturday night has come and Quark, knowing his contact is about to arrive and start the chain of events that will land Quark on the wrong side of a holding cell within half an hour, has poured a drink for himself and Jake and toasts to failure, despite Jake's objections that he won't drink to that. Quark asks Jake to humor him, and the two clink glasses miserably. Suddenly, Odo and Kira arrive in full period garb, and Odo tells Quark that Kira preferred his suggestion that they celebrate their first date instead of their first kiss. Quark literally cannot believe his luck, and in a shocked state tells Odo the holosuite is still available and gives him the program. The two head to the second level, and Quark and Jake are amazed and pleased at the sudden lucky turn of events. Quark is overjoyed that not only is he going to make money, but he can also be happy in the fact that he beat Odo. Odo and Kira watch the two leave and head to the Cargo Hold, and Kira can't believe that Odo is willing to let Quark get away with such a serious offense as smuggling Denevan crystals. Odo tells Kira that he owes Quark one. so he'll give him this one, and only this one. Kira tells Odo that every time she thinks she worked him out he surprised her, and asks him where he got the wonderful idea to celebrate their one-month anniversary. Odo tells her that some mysteries are best left unsolved, and two lovers head off to a wonderful evening. The Defiant arrives at the L-Class planet, and Captain Sisko orders a passive scan of the barrier surrounding it, reminding everyone an active scan is what triggered the Olympia's destruction. Bashir arrives and tells the crew that Cusak has just lost consciousness and the crew only has around 45 minutes to get to her. The scan reports that the planet is surrounded by subspace metreon radiation and O'Brien surmises if the Defiant approaches the barrier, the dilithium matrix will collapse and the ship will certainly be dragged down to the planet and be destroyed. Beaming through the barrier is out of the question. Because of the nature of the barrier they can't get close enough to use the transporters. While the Defiant can't get close, a shuttlepod could make it, as they don't use dilithium, although the actual chances of a shuttle making it are unlikely. Sisko decides they have come too far to give up and decides to head down to the planet with Doctor Bashir and Chief O'Brien, and leaves Worf in command. Shuttlepod Chaffee leaves the Defiant and heads through the barrier. Although the ride is bumpy, the shuttlepod makes it. Scans show no life signs on the surface, but the crash site is found. The shuttle lands and the three head into the nearby cave, and go in the only direction Cusak could have headed. Bashir calls everyone over, and finds a body of a woman wearing a Starfleet uniform clutching a hypospray near a com unit. The crew is confused, as the body lying at their feet has clearly been dead for years, but the age, cause of death and the fact the body is that of a Starfleet captain means it can only be Cusak. The scans from the medical tricorder show she's been dead for over three years. Sisko asks, if Cusak has been dead for three years, then who has the crew been talking to all this time? O'Brien theorizes that the unusual composition of the barrier must have time-shifted Cusak's signal forward in time, and as a result, the return signal was shifted back in time. She was dead long before they ever received her distress signal; they never had a chance to save her. This leads to the issue of what to do now. O'Brien feels they should bury her, but Sisko disagrees and decides rather than leave her buried in a desolate cave on an isolated planet, they should take Cusak's body back with them so she can have a proper send-off among friends. The Defiant has returned to the station, and the crew holds an Irish wake for Cusak. Dax explains the concept of a wake to Worf, he comments that it sounds like a very Klingon tradition. Sisko arranges dinner with Yates that night so he can explain his recent behavior. Bashir then speaks to everyone in the room about how much he cared about Cusak despite the fact he didn't know her for very long, and he also tells his friends that despite his manner sometimes that he does care deeply about his friends. Then O'Brien tells everyone that while he never shook her hand or saw her face, Cusak made him laugh and cry, and while she was by herself and he was surrounded by his friends, he felt more alone than she did. He tells everyone that he didn't mean to pull himself away from everyone else, and that he wants his friends in his life, because one day one of them will be gone and the others shouldn't have to mourn alone. Everyone raises their glasses and drinks a toast. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9, the Bajorans are celebrating the Gratitude Festival. Kira Nerys approaches Benjamin Sisko and thanks the Emissary of the Prophets for holding the festival on Deep Space 9, despite the fact the Dominion War is raging. On a more military note, Captain Sisko is awarded the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor in recognition of his remarkable leadership and meritorious conduct against the enemy, and in particular for acts of personal bravery displayed during the battle to retake Deep Space 9. The ceremony is followed by a briefing by Admiral Ross. Starfleet has decided to go on an offensive war and they have chosen Captain Sisko to plan the invasion of Cardassia. At about the same time, Quark, Julian Bashir, and Odo are all despairing at Quark's. Odo had his first argument with Kira and the poor constable is sure it is the end of their relationship. Quark and Bashir, on the other hand, had just seen all their remaining hopes for winning Dax's heart vanish when they learn that Worf and Dax are thinking about having children, confirming the marriage for good. Quark remarks that it was bad enough that she married that "Klingon psychopath", but that a baby now means that the marriage is going to last a little bit longer than expected. Meanwhile, Sisko and Ross are discussing the attack on Cardassia with General Martok, emphasizing the importance of bringing the Romulans aboard. Martok is not happy about the prospects of working with the Romulans as he finds them arrogant and untrustworthy, but Ross insists that without their help, the Federation has little chance of success. On Cardassia, Weyoun and Damar discuss the weak defense of the Chin'toka system following the transfer of forces to the Romulan front. While Weyoun is worried, Damar is confident due to the construction of orbital weapon platforms, which -- in addition to being fully automated -- also have highly effective weapons and defense systems. However the discussion is interrupted when Gul Dukat arrives requesting a Bajoran artifact that was stolen during the Occupation, as well as swearing vengeance on Captain Sisko. Dukat says that he doesn't hold Damar responsible for Ziyal's death, as he believes that Sisko was behind it all to begin with. He says that he no longer has a need for conquest and power, and that he in fact exists in a state of "complete clarity". Weyoun ridicules Dukat for his petty thirst for revenge, saying that he indeed has changed: from being a self-important egotist to a self deluded mad-man. Before he is removed, he says that the artifact he is after will make it possible for Dominion reinforcements to come through the wormhole so that they can get rid of Sisko and the Federation once and for all. This claim grabs the attention of Weyoun. On Deep Space 9, Sisko and Ross, together with Martok and Worf try to convince the Romulans about the attack. The Romulans and Klingons exchange insults and bicker with one another, until Sisko reminds them that they are allies. The Romulan senator is not quite convinced that an attack on Cardassia would be wise, but the adamant Starfleet officers argue that in order to achieve a lasting victory, they need to hit the Dominion hard by demolishing their shipyards, their weapons plants, and their cloning facilities so as to force them to retreat deeper and deeper into their own territory until Federation ships can surround their headquarters on Cardassia Prime. It will be hard, Sisko admits, but it is the only way to drive the Dominion out of the Alpha Quadrant. Meanwhile, Quark and Bashir, still feeling miserable about what Dax told them, decide to drown their sorrows by going to a holosuite to seek counsel from the wise Vic Fontaine, who serenades them with just about the most appropriate song: "Here's to the Losers". At the same time, Benjamin Sisko is having dinner with his son and since the captain "did not overcook the rice", Jake understands that something big is preparing, and asks his father if he can come along. He wants to write about what is happening but Sisko doesn't want Jake anywhere near the war. In the end, however, acquiesces when he realizes that no matter what he does, he won't be able to keep his son away from the action. He asks him to pack and get ready. Jake is enthused but Sisko is worried. As soon as Jake leaves, the Prophets contact Sisko and advise against the Emissary leaving the station and engaging in this war. They don't tell him why, but they are clear about what they don't want him to do. On the station, Captain Sisko has received information regarding the orbital weapon platforms. It turns out that the Dominion has placed hundreds of them along the Chin'toka system, concluding that this must be the place they have to attack first. Fortunately, the Romulan Star Empire has agreed to join the invasion of Cardassia. They decide that the attack will happen the next day. After the briefing, Sisko tells Admiral Ross about the vision he had and about the warning he received from the Prophets to not join the mission. Ross gives the captain short shrift about this and reminds him that Starfleet is unhappy with a Starfleet captain being a religious icon and tells him to choose between the two: he is either the Emissary or a Starfleet captain; he cannot be both. Captain Sisko decides his loyalties lie with Starfleet and agrees to lead the invasion. On Cardassia, Weyoun and Damar discuss the planned attack by the Federation and the Romulans when Dukat storms in, celebrating that he finally acquired the artifact he was talking about. He tells them that after studying Bajoran culture and history over the past few months he has come to realize that the wormhole is not only the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant but also the temple of the Prophets who protect the Bajoran people. He says they wasted their time fighting the Bajorans. Instead they should have fought their gods. He then recites an incantation and breaks the artifact, releasing a Pah-wraith that possesses him. The next morning, Kira visits Odo in his office to say goodbye, as she is leaving for the task force the next morning. Odo is still hung up on their fight a few days ago and assumes their relationship is over, but Kira assures him that simply because they fought (and she still thinks she's right), it does not mean that they are broken up and that she doesn't love him anymore. She suggests they spend their last night together doing something special. The other senior officers -- along with Elim Garak and Jake -- prepare to leave as well. Captain Sisko leaves Dax in charge of the station. Dax and Worf, after discussing the difficulties they could face in having children, share a loving embrace. Dax says she wishes she could go with him, but Worf says that she will be with him as she is always in his heart. The USS Defiant assumes tactical formation with the other ships in the fleet and together they set a course for Cardassia. The combined fleet arrive at Chin'toka, and the Jem'Hadar inflict heavy losses on the Klingons with suicide runs on their ships. Despite this, Martok orders the fleet to fire on the weapon platforms. However only a few are taken out before they become active. Garak discovers that none of the platforms has a power generator, meaning they must all have a central source. Captain Sisko orders it found and destroyed. Aboard Deep Space 9, Doctor Bashir informs Dax that his efforts to enable Dax and Worf to have children have worked better than expected, and Dax should have no problems getting pregnant. Dax couldn't be happier about what the doctor tells her and decides to go to the Bajoran Shrine, as Kira earlier asked the Prophets to help her and Worf have children, to thank them. She goes and kneels before the Orb of Contemplation and before she can say thank you to what she still believes to be wormhole aliens, the candles go out and Dukat appears in the temple behind her. As Dax reaches for her phaser, he suddenly picks her up with a fiery energy wave and then drops her body on the ground. He then effortlessly reaches through the force field and opens the Orb casing, upon which the Pah-wraith transfers from his body into the Orb, causing it to turn black. Outside the station, the wormhole opens and then seals itself. At the same time as the wormhole collapses, Captain Sisko suddenly feels a jolt and senses that something is very wrong. He says that the Prophets tried to reach out to him. Kira is alerted but stays calm. Just as O'Brien has found the platforms' generator on a small asteroidal moon around one of the two planets in the system, Jake is forced to help his father to his quarters as Sisko seems unable to maintain himself. Kira then assumes command. On DS9, after the Pah-wraith has left Dukat's body, Dukat kneels in front of Jadzia's body; before beaming out, he touches her head gently and says that for whatever it was worth, he never meant her any harm. Flanked by an Excelsior-class ship and a Bird-of-Prey, the Defiant attacks the generator but is unable to penetrate its shields. Chief O'Brien causes the weapon platforms to fire on their own source by imprinting a fake Federation warp signature on the asteroid. His plan works, and the platforms lose all power. The Alliance destroys the platforms and proceeds to take the system as General Martok immediately orders ground troops onto both planets in the system. But the joy quickly evaporates when the Defiant receives a priority one message from Bashir on Deep Space 9. On Cardassia, Weyoun is furious that not only the Chin'toka system has been overrun by the Federation but also that the wormhole has vanished along with any hope of bringing reinforcements from the Gamma Quadrant. Dukat is not worried at all, stating that both Sisko and the Bajorans have now been cut off from their gods, perhaps forever; without the Prophets, he assures Weyoun and Damar, Sisko is just another Starfleet captain. He guarantees that this outcome will help the Dominion a great deal. The Defiant returns to DS9 and as soon as it docks, Worf rushes to the infirmary. Sisko is told by a little girl that all the orbs have gone black. She asks Sisko to find the Prophets and bring them back. With many Bajorans watching, Sisko promises to try. Everyone heads into the infirmary, where Odo and Quark are already waiting anxiously. Dr. Bashir emerges from surgery and sadly informs everyone that while he managed to save the Dax symbiont, which needs to be returned to Trill as quickly as possible, nothing could be done for Jadzia. Everyone is stunned. As Sisko looks on, Worf and Jadzia share their final words, as she regrets that the two will now never have children. Jadzia touches Worf's face and as she takes her last breath, she says that their baby would have been beautiful. Worf howls in the Klingon tradition to let the spirits know that Jadzia is on her way to Sto-vo-kor, however a devastated Captain Sisko can do nothing but watch. Later, Captain Sisko speaks to Jadzia as she lies in her coffin. He tells her that while Curzon was his mentor, she has been his friend and that he is going to miss her. He regrets not having listened to the Prophets and gone on the mission. He blames himself for her death, stating that maybe if he had listened to the Prophets, she would be alive now. It seems that the Prophets have abandoned the Bajorans and him. He calls out to her; telling her that he needs her guidance now more than ever. He needs to know how to make it right again as he failed both as the Emissary and -- for the first time in his life -- he also failed in his duty as a Starfleet officer. He tells her that he has to get his head together again and think, but he also knows he needs to get away from the station. He decides to take an extended leave of absence and says farewell to his crew. When asked by Dr. Bashir when he plans to return, he replies that he doesn't know. He thanks all of his friends for everything, and then he and Jake take off for Earth. Entering Sisko's office, Kira notices that the captain has taken his cherished baseball with him, indicating that he doesn't know if he'll ever return to the station again. On Earth, Sisko scrubs clams at his father's restaurant, deep in thought about what has happened and the uncertain future that lies ahead. 
<EOS>
Three months have passed since Captain Benjamin Sisko left Deep Space 9. On the Promenade, newly promoted Colonel Kira and Odo worry that he won't be coming back as they observe members of the cult of the Pah-wraiths, identified by red armbands. The cult has become very influential since the Prophets became disconnected from Bajor by turning the orbs black and locking the wormhole entrance. Meanwhile, the USS Defiant returns to the station from convoy duty, which is now becoming a regular mission for the ship. When Nog comments that he'd rather be on convoy duty than being in battle Worf, who is frustrated at having to protect shipments of stem bolts as well as the fact the Federation's invasion of Cardassian space has made no progress since the First Battle of Chin'toka, takes offense and angrily leaves the bridge. Bashir and O'Brien assure Nog it wasn't personal, and that Worf is hoping that some combat might help him get over his wife Jadzia's death. On Earth, at Joseph Sisko's New Orleans restaurant/home, Jake watches his father play piano and tells his grandfather (Joseph) that he is worried because Sisko has been doing nothing and going nowhere. Joseph is concerned but suggests that they leave him alone. Suddenly, the baseball sitting on top of the piano (the one Sisko took from his desk on DS9), rolls off and lands on the floor. Benjamin has a vision of the desert planet Tyree, where he digs in the sand to uncover a woman's face. He tells Jake that he knows why he has come to Earth; he has to find this woman. Admiral Ross informs Kira that the Romulans will be setting up an office on DS9 led by Senator Cretak. She is concerned about Romulan soldiers on the station, but Ross says Cretak is cooperative and supportive of the Alliance. The Federation needs to do all they can to support her in turn. Furthermore, only twelve Romulans at most would be on the station. Kira is still uneasy, but Ross pulls rank, stating he doesn't need her acceptance. Ross compliments Kira on taking over for Sisko, but Kira obviously thinks it's temporary. On Cardassia Prime, Weyoun and Legate Damar discuss the war effort. They plan to contain the Alliance in their newly-claimed Chin'toka system. Damar is pleased, so he celebrates with kanar, knowing Weyoun won't join in. They are pleased that the closing of the wormhole has somehow shifted the war in their favor. Nevertheless, Weyoun expresses worry about Damar's constant drinking. Back on Earth, Sisko recreates the woman's face on a PADD, and Jake recognizes it from a photo he found while cleaning a storage space. Joseph is in it, so they show the photo to him. Oddly, he is dismissive and angrily refuses to say who she is. In his quarters Worf finds himself unable to sleep, his mind is full of thoughts of Jadzia. After looking at a photo from their wedding, he gets up and goes to the holosuite and activates the Vic Fontaine program asking the singer to perform "All the Way". Vic attempts to refuse, but Worf orders him to sing. As Vic reluctantly sings the sad song, Worf's face is a mixture of fury and indescribable sadness. Halfway through, he slowly stands and then, with a roar of anger, begins to trash the lounge. Later, Kira goes to the office set up for the Romulans to greet Cretak. She's cautious in her greeting, but Cretak is surprisingly cordial, acknowledging Romulans' reputation for being arrogant and looking forward to the common goal of defeating the Dominion. Kira agrees. Sisko asks his father about the woman again, and when Joseph stonewalls Ben again, the Captain gets frustrated and shocks his old father by grabbing and shaking him. Joseph sadly reveals that the woman is Sisko's real mother Sarah (the woman who raised him having actually been his step-mother). Sarah married Joseph after only three weeks of courtship. The two were together for two years and soon bore Ben, however she suddenly left Joseph two days after his first birthday. Joseph doesn't know why she left, and explains that he tracked her down after three years only to find she had died in an accident. As for why the Prophets sent Sisko the vision of Sarah, he concludes that finding out the truth about his mother may be the first step to recovering from recent events. Kira, on the Promenade, curiously observes Cretak buying a jumja stick, finding it unexpected. Cretak sees her and they pleasantly exchange their opinions on it, Cretak suggesting she try a osol twist. To business, Cretak informs her of a squadron of warbirds coming, but also to ask about building a hospital on Bajor's moon, Derna. Kira promises to ask the Council of Ministers. Cretak is impressed with the efficiency and accommodation being shown. Kira smiles after Cretak leaves, pleased with having such a cordial conversation. O'Brien, armed with bloodwine from 2301, approaches a reluctant Worf in his quarters for some conversation, including their time on the USS Enterprise-D and Reginald Barclay with the intent of bringing him out of his depressed state. Later, while nursing a hangover, he informs Bashir and Quark that after a few bottles and talking about several unrelated subjects he finally found out why Worf is so upset; Jadzia will not enter Sto-vo-kor because she was murdered instead of dying in combat. In order to get her there, Worf must win a great battle in her name. With the Defiant mired in convoy duty they decide to ask General Martok for help, who is scheduled to arrive at the station the next morning. Sisko is washing clams behind the restaurant when Joseph gives him a necklace that belonged to Sarah, which Sisko is surprised to discover is engraved with ancient Bajoran text. Sisko is able to translate the necklace's writing as the words "Orb of the Emissary." There is no such orb mentioned in Bajoran religious texts, but he guesses that it exists, and is buried on Tyree and that it may not have gone dark along with all the others. On the station, the casualty reports come in from the counterattack on the Chin'toka system. The Alliance successfully fended it off, but the price was high. Cretak takes comfort in the victory, and also praises Kira for helping approve the hospital, saying Romulus owes her a debt of gratitude. Kira is again impressed with her, but later, Odo informs Kira that a Starfleet ship was turned away from the hospital. Kira thinks it is because most of the wounded were Vulcans (historical enemies of the Romulans) before Odo shows her a scan indicating high trilithium levels. It appears there was some deception. Meanwhile, Martok stealthily enters a holosuite where Worf is practicing bat'leth form and attacks him. He asks Worf to be his first officer on a dangerous combat mission, promising the victory will ensure Jadzia gets into Sto-vo-kor. Later, again in the dark alley behind the restaurant, Sisko is approached by a young Bajoran man wearing a red hood who praises him and mentions the orb. Sisko is polite and turns away before the man pulls a knife and stabs him, claiming he will never find it. Jake drops the attacker with a heavy sack of clams he was bringing out to be washed. Sisko recovers and comes back to the restaurant, but not before reporting to Starfleet Security. He explains that the man was member of the Pah-wraith cult and declares his intention to go to Tyree and find the orb. Joseph is worried, not because of the cult, but because of the pah-wraiths. At Quark's, O'Brien tells Quark and Bashir that Martok's lone ship will try to destroy a Dominion shipyard. Bashir declares he will accompany Worf to honor Jadzia's memory, and O'Brien decides to go for Bashir's protection. Quark thinks both of them are crazy. Kira barges in on Ross and Cretak in the wardroom with proof that the Romulans have armed the hospital with plasma torpedoes. Cretak claims it is for defense, but the Bajoran government will not allow the Romulans to have weapons on its moon and have ordered them to leave the moon immediately. The news reaches Dominion Headquarters on Cardassia Prime. Having halted the Federation's advance into their territory, Damar and Weyoun revel upon hearing of the Romulans' treacherous action, the kind of action that could destroy the Alliance. The morning he is about to leave for Tyree, Sisko finds the restaurant closed and Joseph and Jake packed and ready to go. He agrees to let them accompany him when there is a knock at the door. A young female Trill Starfleet ensign enters and happily greets Sisko, who does not recognize her. She introduces herself as Dax. 
<EOS>
In Joseph Sisko's restaurant, the young woman claiming to be Dax introduces herself as Ezri, and explains to Benjamin Sisko how she got the symbiont. Ezri was serving on the USS Destiny, which was en route to the Trill homeworld when the Dax symbiont took a turn for the worse. It needed to be joined immediately and since Ezri was the only Trill on board, she received the symbiont. Ezri has come to Earth to seek help from Sisko on how to cope with her new situation. Despite Sisko's promise to do all he can, he tells her that he, Jake, and Joseph are on their way to Tyree to seek the Orb of the Emissary. Ezri quickly volunteers to come along, saying that "it'll be just like old times, except different." On the IKS Rotarran, Worf, Martok, Julian Bashir, and Miles O'Brien are preparing for their mission to destroy the Monac shipyards, in honor of Worf's late wife, Jadzia Dax. As they complete the necessary Klingon rituals, Quark arrives and pledges his life to the mission's cause -- to get Jadzia into Sto-vo-kor. An impressed Martok remarks that "perhaps there is some Klingon in you after all," though Quark says that he wouldn't go that far. After the completion of the ritual (which included the contribution of the participants' blood, much to Quark's distress), the Rotarran departs Deep Space 9. Aboard the runabout USS Rio Grande, Sisko is finishing treating an embarrassed Ezri for space sickness. Jake confides in Ezri how happy he is that she came along on the trip, noting the seemingly positive influence her presence is having on his father. Ezri assures Jake that his father will be fine, and goes on to say that she is an assistant ship's counselor. Jake is shocked by this; "You're a therapist!?" Ezri tells Jake that she wasn't always so confused. She orders and takes a sip of Raktajino, before recoiling in disgust and remembering how much she hates Raktajino. When Jake asks why she ordered it, Ezri responds that Curzon liked it; Jake adds that Jadzia did, too. On Deep Space 9, Admiral Ross tells Colonel Kira Nerys that he shares her outrage about the Romulans placing weapons on Bajor's moon Derna. Kira asks Ross what the Federation plans to do about the situation, and Ross says that the Federation Council has sent a protest to the Romulan Senate -- whom have already sent a protest back. "Politics," the admiral spits. Despite Kira pressing Ross to do better, he can only tell her that the Romulans will eventually remove the weapons, and adds that the Federation will not help the Bajorans remove the weapons by force; they are not as important to the war effort as the Romulans. Kira tells Ross that the weapons are missing launch sequencers, and that she intends to set up a blockade around Derna to see that the Romulans do not get them to the moon. The Rio Grande arrives in orbit of Tyree and Sisko tells everyone to prepare to beam down. As Sisko makes sure his elderly father is sure he wants to beam down to the hot planet below, he suddenly hears a voice asking for a Doctor Wykoff to report to isolation ward four. When Sisko asks if anyone else heard the voice, Ezri responds in the negative. Sisko dismisses it and the four beam down to the planet to begin their search. As the Rotarran cloaks, O'Brien and Worf explain the plan. When the Rotarran gets close enough to the Monac sun, the ship will fire an EM pulse at the sun, causing a solar plasma ejection that will destroy everything within a hundred million kilometer; -- including the shipyards. "The things we do for love," Quark says. Quark, outraged at the angry glare he received from Worf immediately afterwards, complains to O'Brien and Bashir about Worf's unappreciative attitude that they are risking their lives to get Jadzia into Sto-vo-kor. Despite O'Brien and Bashir's warnings not to force the issue, Quark presses Worf for "two little words." Worf gives them to him: "Be Quiet!" Worf bitterly tells Quark that he owes him nothing and goes on to say that Quark, Bashir, and O'Brien are only on the mission to convince themselves that they were "worthy" of Jadzia -- not to get her into Sto-vo-kor. Worf says that it is Quark who should be thanking him for allowing him to come on the mission, and storms off the bridge. On Tyree, Ezri asks Sisko if they are getting any closer, to which Sisko replies that he doesn't know, and that he's not even sure if they're going in the right direction. Dax reminisces about one of her previous hosts, Audrid, and how she loved to walk. Sisko asks why Ezri is telling him this, and Ezri tells Sisko of the fast pace he has kept up and that they may want to let Joseph and Jake catch up. Sisko stops and asks his father how he's doing. Exhausted and being helped by Jake, Joseph only yells "never better!" In Dominion Headquarters on Cardassia Prime, Damar is gloating to a Cardassian woman named Siana that it is only a matter of time before they can breach enemy lines, thereby driving the Federation Alliance out of the Cardassian Union. As they sip Kanar and toast to victory, Weyoun enters and orders the woman to leave, suggesting that if she were to hear what he has to say to Damar he would be forced to have her executed. After Siana leaves, Weyoun informs Damar of the need to increase production at the Monac shipyards by 15% in order to retake the Chin'toka system. Back on Deep Space 9, Kira and Odo are discussing the planned blockade. The Bajoran government can only spare twelve impulse ships for Kira's effort. As Odo wonders how those twelve ships would be able to stand up to even one Romulan warbird, Kira confesses that she has no intention of firing on the Romulans and that if the Romulans were to attack, they would jeopardize their relations with the Federation. Kira hopes that this is a risk the Romulans don't want to take, while Odo hopes that the Romulans don't call Kira's bluff. Meanwhile, Sisko and Ezri are still searching for the Orb on Tyree. Benjamin stops to retrieve his baseball from his backpack before continuing on. He stops when he hears the voice asking for Doctor Wykoff again, allowing Ezri to finally catch up. She asks if the spot they are stopped at is where the Orb is buried, and Sisko says that he thinks so. Despite this, Sisko's uncertainty is not enough for Ezri and she throws his baseball in frustration when she realizes that Sisko is barely paying attention to her concerns. Sisko suddenly realizes that the spot where the baseball landed is where they need to start digging, much to Ezri's disbelief. Kira reads the title of the book Odo gives to her, Kiss Me Deadly. As they talk about the book, one of the bridge officers reports an incoming hail from Deep Space 9. It is Admiral Ross and Senator Cretak, informing Kira that there are fourteen Romulan warbirds on their way to Derna to deliver medical supplies. Kira smugly asks Cretak why warbirds are needed to deliver medical supplies, a question that interests Ross as well. Cretak says that the Romulans wanted their supplies to arrive safely, but Kira threatens that if the warbirds attempt to run the blockade the supplies will not arrive at all. Despite Ross' warnings that Kira's talk won't help the situation and his pleas for compromise, she maintains that any warbird attempting to reach Derna will be fired upon before ending the transmission. In DS9's wardroom, Cretak tells Ross that she is not concerned; "the Colonel is a brave woman but she's not stupid. She's bluffing." As Jake helps his grandfather to some shade, Sisko is becoming increasingly agitated with the voice he has been hearing. "I wish he'd get there!" Sisko says in frustration, leaving Ezri confused. On the Rotarran, Martok angrily rebukes Worf over his treatment of the others, asking if he'd prefer that he hadn't come along either. Worf says that Martok is a different case, since he is a Klingon and Jadzia was a member of his House. Martok stresses that Bashir, O'Brien, and Quark were her friends and that they are honoring her with their presence. As they enter the bridge, Worf approaches them and apologizes for his behavior and says that he is pleased that they came. O'Brien is dumbfounded, as it is the first time he has ever heard Worf apologize to anyone. As the men return to their stations, the ship reaches the Monac system. Martok orders the sun to be displayed on-screen and Quark wonders how close they will need to get to it. Martok chuckles and with a defiant grin on his face, replies; "too close." Back on Tyree, Sisko has finally managed to dig up the Orb of the Emissary. Sisko plans to open it, but is interrupted by a voice; "Mr. Russell, put it down." Suddenly, Sisko is no longer on Tyree, he is in a padded cell as Benny Russell, and Doctor Wykoff (who sounds a lot like Damar) is pleading with Benny to put down the pencil. Benny responds that he isn't finished with his story -- Captain Sisko has found the Orb of the Emissary, but he hasn't opened it yet. Wykoff reminds Benny of his promise to not write on the walls, but Benny simply responds that he was not being given any paper. When Wykoff tells Benny that he should be resting, Benny cheerfully says that he doesn't need to rest and wants to tell his stories. Despite Benny's claims that he is fine and his request to go home, Wykoff says that "people who are fine don't write on walls." Wykoff continues to press Benny to stop writing, but Benny is insistent. Meanwhile, Ezri tells Sisko to open the box, but Jake realizes that he cannot hear her. When Jake tries to open the box, a burst of energy throws him back a few feet. Only his father can open the box. Odo reports that the warbirds are eight minutes away from being in weapons range. Kira warns the Romulans that any ship traveling within transporter range will be fired upon, but the warbirds refuse to turn back. Admiral Ross contacts Kira and appeals to her again to end the blockade. Cretak tells Kira that she will use whatever force is necessary to ensure that the "medical supplies" reach their destination, but also that she is willing to compromise. Kira again presses the Bajoran Government's position: As long as there are Romulan weapons on Derna, there will be no negotiation. Despite Ross' and Cretak's pleas to end the blockade, Kira remains defiant. As the Rotarran moves closer to the Monac sun, O'Brien locates a magnetic instability where they can set off a solar ejection, but is unsure if it will have the necessary trajectory to destroy the shipyards. Worf orders the ship to move in closer. Meanwhile, Wykoff tries to persuade Benny to paint over his stories with a roller, and promises him that if he does so he can walk out of the hospital a free man. Back on Tyree, Sisko is furiously digging a hole so he can bury the Orb. As Wykoff continues to pressure Benny to paint over the stories, Sisko is covering the Orb with dirt. Despite Ezri's appeals for him to stop and open the box, Sisko continues. The Romulan fleet approaches Derna and power their weapons. Kira prepares to engage the warbirds. O'Brien reports that they are ready to trigger the solar ejection. The Rotarran de-cloaks and moves in on the Monac sun. Worf gives the order to fire, but nothing happens. As O'Brien begins working on the problem, three Jem'Hadar fighters move in on the Rotarran. On Tyree, Sisko is about to destroy the Orb with his shovel. Ezri moves to stop him, and reminds him of his promise to Jadzia to make things right again. As Sisko is about to smash the Orb, he suddenly drops his shovel. Simultaneously, Benny drops his paint roller and assaults Wykoff and the hospital staff, allowing him to write that Sisko opens the box. As Sisko does, a Prophet emerges from the Orb and makes its way to the wormhole, where it forces out and destroys the invading Pah-wraith that had sealed the entrance. On the bridge of Kira's ship, DS9 reports that the wormhole has reappeared. Inspired by this, Kira decides to stand her ground against the Romulans. The Jem'Hadar fighters open fire on the Rotarran. As O'Brien reports that the EM pulse is ready, Martok and Quark order the beam fired. This time it works, and the sun begins swelling to encompass the shipyards and the pursuing Jem'Hadar ships. The Rotarran crew relishes in their victory as Worf says his final prayer in Klingon for Jadzia's memory, knowing her place in Sto-vo-kor is ensured. As the Romulan warbirds turn away, Admiral Ross hails Kira and tells her she has won; Cretak has agreed to remove the weapons. When asked what changed her mind, Ross tells Kira that if Cretak wouldn't remove the weapons, he would, and credits Kira for changing his mind. Back on Tyree, Sisko speaks to the Prophet who has taken the form of Sarah Sisko, Benjamin's real mother. Sisko demands to know why the Prophet took control of his mother, to which she tells him that it was necessary to ensure his birth. Sisko is surprised by this, and asks why he had to become the Emissary of the Prophets. The Prophet simply says that "it could be no one else." Sisko's latest orb experience ends, and along with Jake, Joseph, and Ezri, returns to the runabout. Sisko and Jake return to Deep Space 9, where Benjamin receives a warm welcome from the Bajoran population for returning the Prophets to Bajor. Ezri happily greets the station's senior staff, who look in fascination at the new Dax after being told who she is by Jake. 
<EOS>
On Deep Space 9's Promenade, Ezri Dax discusses her feelings about being back on the space station with Morn, who has no idea who she is and promptly leaves. Not soon after, Ezri decides to visit the Bajoran temple, where she runs into Kira Nerys. Ezri, flooded with memories of Jadzia's recent death in that very room, confides in Kira how strange a sensation death is -- no matter how many times you go through it. Kira is obviously uncomfortable with the topic, so Ezri leaves her to her prayers. In Quark's, Ezri is served a glass of Klingon bloodwine. Ezri is not enthusiastic about the beverage, despite Quark reminding her that it is the same vintage that was served when Jadzia married Worf, and returns it. She tells Quark that she is planning on returning to the USS Destiny to continue her duties as assistant counselor. "You're a therapist!?" a shocked Quark asks -- which makes Ezri wonder why that is so surprising to everyone. Ezri notes that besides Captain Sisko, Quark is the only one of Jadzia's friends who do not appear to be uncomfortable around her, and the two start talking about the late night tongo games "they" used to play together. Their reminiscing is cut short by Worf, who promptly leaves after seeing Ezri in the bar. The next day, Ezri goes to visit Captain Sisko in his office; coming in through the corridor rather than ops so as to avoid seeing Worf. Ezri tells Sisko about her encounter with Worf the previous day at Quark's and that she still plans to return to the Destiny. Despite Sisko's disappointment with the news, he supports his friend's decision. Back in Quark's, Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien, along with Odo, are planning their latest holosuite adventure. Bashir asks Garak about the status of their costumes, to which he replies that his shop is still closed due to him being so busy decoding Cardassian messages for Starfleet Intelligence. Garak becomes agitated with the crowd in the bar, which causes him to snap at them when they come too close. Garak promptly leaves and returns to his shop, where he continues his work. However, as he does so, he begins to have an anxiety attack caused by his claustrophobia. He is discovered by Odo, who promptly calls for medical attention. In the infirmary, Odo tells Sisko about Garak's attack as Doctor Bashir finishes his treatment. Sisko is confused about the circumstances of the attack -- Garak's shop is a "good sized room," according to Sisko. Garak tells Sisko that the attack will keep him away from his intelligence work for the time being. Sisko asks Bashir if there is anything he can do for him, but Bashir says there isn't -- "Our friend Garak needs his head examined." Taking Bashir's words into mind, Sisko goes to visit Ezri, who is surprised at his request to counsel Garak. Sisko asks her, "What more can you learn in the next few months that you haven't already learned in the last 300 years?" Ezri has a few ideas -- like not bursting into tears for no reason and resisting the urge to stand on her head. Sisko asks why she is standing on her head, to which Ezri responds that it was something Emony used to do. Finally, after some reassurance from Sisko, Ezri reluctantly agrees to try to help Garak. Meanwhile, Bashir and Quark are talking about the new Dax in the bar. Quark asks Bashir if he has the same interest in Ezri that he did Jadzia, but Bashir insists that they are not the same woman. Quark asks if Bashir is up for a little competition, much to Bashir's apparent confusion. Quark nonetheless declares his intent to win Ezri's heart. Ezri approaches Garak in his shop and tries to talk to him about his condition. She tries to relate her own struggle with space sickness and suggests that both she and Garak are "punishing themselves" with their respective conditions; Ezri for Torias getting himself killed in a shuttle accident, and Garak for misbehaving as a child and being subsequently locked inside a closet by his father. Ezri's speculation leads to both her and Garak feeling space sick and claustrophobic respectively. They both promise to give Ezri's words some thought, and Ezri leaves. Later, as Ezri is walking to her quarters, she runs into Worf, who only acknowledges her by her rank. Ezri, insulted by Worf's indifference to her, reminds him that she used to be his wife. Worf does not take kindly to Ezri's words and harshly tells her that she is not his wife, as she is in Sto-vo-kor and that he does not know her, nor does he wish to. Sisko goes to visit Ezri in her quarters, and he tells her that Garak is back on the job. Ezri talks with Sisko about her earlier encounter with Worf in the corridor and Sisko offers to speak with him. Ezri declines, on the grounds that Worf is intimidated by Sisko. After voicing his amusement with this, Sisko offers Ezri a counselor's position on the station -- with a promotion to lieutenant junior grade. Ezri is touched by Sisko's offer, but her issues with Worf cause her to decline. Later in the replimat, Ezri meets Bashir, who orders two drinks. They sit together and talk, but Ezri quickly realizes his attempts at conversation are simply flirting, and she says she is flattered but asks him to stop. She realizes how sad he is over the loss of Jadzia, and he admits that talking to her helps ease the pain a little. She tenderly takes his hand, which Worf notices and does not look happy about. He suddenly gets a call from station security saying there is a medical emergency at airlock seven -- it's Garak. Arriving on-scene, they find that Garak has entered an airlock and is trying to open the outer door -- his claustrophobia has returned, and he so affected by it he does not realize that there is no ship on the other side -- he will be killed if he opens the door. Ezri has taken Garak to a holosuite and the two of them sit on the edge of an outcropping of rock overlooking a vast seascape. Garak knows that it’s just an illusion, however, and is still having problems. Garak says he simply couldn’t breathe and wanted to get out. He knows that he has to get his claustrophobia under control, or he’ll have to leave the station, but he also knows that if he does he’ll have nowhere to go. Ezri offers to tell Quark to leave the holosuite available any time Garak feels another attack coming on. Garak simply says he’d like to be alone for a while. Ezri leaves promising to check back on him later. Bashir is treating Quark for an ear infection from a tympanic tickle caused by an amateur when Worf accosts him, saying “We need to talk”. He then violently pins Julian to the wall, warning him to stay away from Ezri. Julian says he can be friends with whomever he chooses, but Worf warns him (and Quark too!) that if he dishonors Jadzia’s memory he will regret it. He storms out, leaving the other two confused and hurt. Ezri is surprised to find Garak back in his shop instead of the holosuite. He says that work is the answer to his problems, based on what his father used to tell him. Ezri tries to get him to talk about it, but Garak asks her to “spare me your insipid psychobabble”. He tells Ezri she couldn’t possibly understand. She says she’d like to try. He begins to insult her, telling her she is a scared, confused child who has no hope of ever living up to the reputation of her predecessors. “Now get out of here, before I say something unkind.” Ezri leaves, nearly in tears, and as she heads down the promenade, she walks into the Bajoran temple and slumps against a wall inside, sobbing. Later, in Sisko’s office, Ezri gives him her resignation from Starfleet, telling him Garak was right. How can she help others when she can’t even help herself? She gets angry when he calls her “Old man”, and says she is not Curzon, or Jadzia. He says she is Ezri, and she’s been given 8 lifetimes’ worth of experience. He tells her to go back to Trill and have the symbiont removed, but she says he knows that’s impossible. He says she could become one of the Guardians deep underground where no one would talk to her. After all, her symbiont had 8 great lifetimes. Who cares if the ninth was a waste? He tells her she doesn’t deserve the symbiont or even the Starfleet uniform and dismisses her. Ezri leaves in an even worse mood. O’Brien enters Worf’s quarters with another bottle of Blood Wine. Worf says that Bashir needs to realize that Ezri is not Jadzia and treating her like Jadzia dishonors her memory. O’Brien says treating Ezri like a stranger is what is dishonoring Jadzia’s memory. Worf doesn’t know how he can honor Jadzia when she’s not really dead. O’Brien tells him that the best person to ask is the person he’s been avoiding: Ezri. Back in Garak’s shop, Ezri shows up to say she was sorry she couldn’t help him, and that she’ll be leaving for Trill in the morning. She tells him the Destiny, her former ship, is heading to join the Seventh Fleet at Kalandra. She tells him that thanks to the information he got from the messages he decoded, Starfleet was able to determine that the Dominion was weak there. If the offensive there goes well, Starfleet will have him to thank for it. Garak grows agitated by the news. Ezri realizes that the messages he is decoding are leading to the deaths of his people. Garak finally admits to her that instead of helping his people, his actions are leading to the destruction of his race. He then collapses to the floor with another panic attack. Later, in the infirmary Garak thanks her for finally figuring out what was wrong with him. He says he will continue his intelligence work, because he must. He says Sisko should thank her too. He asks if she’s still returning to Trill. She decides not to. She will stay in Starfleet, but then panics when she realizes that she has submitted her resignation! In Sisko’s office, she asks to be reinstated, but he smiles and tells her he never sent her resignation in. She realizes he was simply using reverse psychology to “rattle her cage”, and he replies she used to do it to him often enough. He’s glad it worked. She still won’t stay at Deep Space 9, though. As she is packing, Worf enters her quarters. He admits he has not treated her as Jadzia would have wanted. He loved her, and she says that Jadzia loved him. He is conflicted, with part of him happy she is not completely gone, and part of him wishing she was. He asks her to stay, knowing that is what Jadzia would have wanted. He says he will get used to her, but it will take time, and she agrees to keep her distance. Ezri gets her promotion, and Sisko tells her her new job will not be easy: She will be responsible for the mental health of many people. She gets a dinner invitation from Odo and Kira. The others are also friendly to her, but Ezri is still nervous, until she sees Worf in the corner raise his cup to her in a salute. 
<EOS>
Julian Bashir asks Miles O'Brien to have a drink with him in Quark's. O'Brien declines, being expected home for dinner with his wife Keiko O'Brien and their children. Bashir turns away and sees Odo and Kira Nerys in formal dress, heading in the direction of the holosuites. He asks if they are going to Vic's lounge, which they affirm, and whether he might join them. They want to enjoy their date alone, however. Later, Bashir is in bed, working on curing a virus but making no real progress. He puts down his PADD and turns out the lights to go to sleep. He is immediately disturbed by a comm signal calling him to the infirmary. Ensign Nog informs him that a certain Admiral Patrick asks for him. The admiral is revealed to be one of the genetically-engineered savants Bashir had been introduced to the previous year. Jack, Lauren, and they have disguised themselves as Starfleet officers to bring Sarina to the station after learning of Bashir's plans to treat her disorder. When Bashir wonders how they managed the deception, the savants point out that Patrick's admiral's uniform and practice of answering every question with "That's a stupid question." are remarkably effective. Bashir had been working on a way to cure Sarina's catalepsy, a side effect of the genetic modification to which she was subjected as a child. The genetic therapy succeeded in increasing the neuronal activity in Sarina's cerebral cortex, but the number of synaptic pathways connecting her cortex to the visual and auditory nerve centers were unaffected, leaving her unable to process the information collected by her senses and incapable of focusing on her environment. The surprise arrival of the genetically-engineered Humans at the station forces Bashir to rush ahead of schedule in modifying the experimental surgical equipment he planned to use to stimulate the growth of new synapses in Sarina's thalamus. Bashir must also persuade Captain Sisko to allow them to remain on Deep Space Nine, which isn't easy, since the last time they were on the station they attempted to give military secrets to the Dominion. Another problem is that Starfleet wants to press charges against the three for impersonating Starfleet officers. However Bashir explains, while they have come to the station masquerading as an admiral and his staff, they meant well. To send them away would be detrimental to Sarina's recovery, since her friends from the Institute are the only familiar faces she has known for fifteen years. Sisko agrees to talk to Starfleet about dropping the charges and arranges for them to be quartered in one of the station's cargo bays, like the last time they were on the station. Later, in the infirmary, Bashir and O'Brien contemplate enhancing the neurocortical probe that Bashir planned to use in the operation. To affect the growth of new synapses in Sarina's thalamus, Bashir will need to manipulate her neural proteins at the subatomic level. O'Brien explains that the probe is inadequate for this; even though the probe is the most advanced model available, quantum fluctuations prohibit the desired accuracy at such a level of resolution. In the cargo bay, Bashir finds Jack, Patrick, and Lauren disassembling the neurocortical probe and tinkering with its components, trying to find a way to "bend" the laws of physics. After many hours, Bashir awakens to find that they have succeeded in recalibrating the imaging diodes of the device, making it more than accurate enough to, in Jack's words "clip the wings of an angel dancing on the head of a pin, if you wanted to." Later in the operating room, Bashir performs the surgery while Sarina's companions await any news. Unfortunately, there are no immediate signs that the surgery has been successful. Sarina's condition does not improve as expected, and Bashir is sorely disheartened by his failure to help her. Five days later, he is sitting in Quark's with Ezri, lamenting his inability to help her, when Sarina appears on the Promenade outside Quark's, marvelling at the bustle of the station. Bashir rushes out to her. "What are you looking at?" he asks her. To his astonishment, she answers him. "Everything." When Sarina realizes that Bashir and Ezri can hear her speech, she smiles for the first time, amazed that she can interact with the world again. In the infirmary, Bashir scans Sarina with a tricorder, noting that her norepinephrine levels are elevated, which Sarina quickly explains is due to limbic overcompensation for the new thalamic connections. Bashir quickly realizes that she is absolutely right, and Sarina thanks him for having cured her. Later in the cargo bay, Sarina is reintroduced to her fellow mutants, and after fawning over her, they lead her into singing scales to help her regain a normal speaking voice, which Sarina does quickly. In minutes, the four of them are singing complex harmonies. Looking on from a corner, Doctor Bashir marvels at the rapid transformation she has made from an uninteractive mute to a fully functional genetically-enhanced woman, as he later recounts to Miles at Quark's: "Yesterday, she was silent as a stone. Today, she's laughing and singing". Returning to his quarters, Julian finds Sarina waiting inside on his couch; having broken his six-digit access code, she is reviewing the diagram of the virus he has been researching for months. Sarina explains that she is unable to sleep as she fears awakening in her former cataleptic state. Julian assures her that this will not happen, that her life is different and now full of possibilities. Her fears put to rest, Sarina has quickly drifted off to sleep with her head on Julian's shoulder. Not wishing to disturb her, Bashir accepts this and he too ends up resting on the couch. When he awakens in the morning, Julian finds that Sarina has already woken up. She is once again going over the PADD he had been working on and as she notices his waking, she explains to Julian that the key to understanding the mutation of this virus lies in targeting the L-II codon of its RNA transcriptor. Bashir is again stunned by her perception, and the two of them exchange thanks as Sarina brings him breakfast. When Bashir is suddenly called away to the infirmary, Sarina puts aside his suggestion that she tour the station with Ezri in favor of returning to the cargo bay, where she finds her friends formulating a plan to try to alter the cosmological constant by using many subspace field generators to avert the big crunch, the hypothetical opposite of the big bang at the end of the universe (when Patrick asks how much time they have, Jack replies "sixty trillion years, seventy at most") . Jack chastises Sarina's assertion of the implausibility of this plan: "You know something, Sarina? We're trying to save existence as we know it, and all you can do is criticize." This statement causes Sarina to reevaluate attempting to fit in with her old friends, their iron determination forcing her back to the role of a mute observer. When Bashir later returns to the cargo bay, he finds Sarina sitting blank-faced in a corner; to his dismay, she explains that Jack and the others are accustomed to her silence. Countering this, Bashir invites her to join him and his friends in Quark's that night, to which Sarina joyfully accedes. The other mutants find themselves uninvited, and Lauren resolves to prepare Sarina for her night out. She returns in the appearance of an entirely new person, wearing new, less subdued, clothing and a new hairstyle. Accompanied by Bashir that night at Quark's, Sarina is introduced to O'Brien, Kira, Odo, and Ezri, all of whom are charmed by her demeanor and social ability. Afterward, Sarina fascinates Bashir with her appraisals of him and his friends. Much more comfortable in their company than in that of her unpredictable companions, Sarina laments their inability to function within society; upon learning that she will not be returning to the Institute with them, Sarina ponders where she will go and what she will do with herself apart from the only family she has ever known. Bashir responds that she needn't go anywhere, tenderly kissing Sarina and nearly overwhelming her. Later, Bashir explains to Jack and the others that Sarina will not be returning to the Institute with them but will instead be staying in her own quarters on the station. Patrick implores Bashir to help the three of them the way he has helped Sarina, but Lauren and Jack quickly bring him to the realization that they are beyond help and that their already small group has now been further diminished. Dejected, they return to their efforts to save the universe. Learning of this, Sarina wishes to commiserate with her friends before their departure. However, Julian persuades her that there will be time for that the next morning, that her friends need time to grow accustomed to her absence, and that she should come with him to have some fun. At Quark's, Bashir shows Sarina off to the crowd of dabo players, eliciting her impressive computational skills to run the table, but the attention of the crowd and the boisterous and noisy atmosphere of Quark's begins to wear on her enjoyment of the experience. After Julian puts off Quark's suggestion that they sit down to a bottle of spring wine, Ezri notices that Sarina has had enough for one night. As they leave the table, Bashir nearly ignores Sarina when a disruptive accident in the bar causes her to seize up in panic. Walking her back to her quarters, Bashir suggests that the next night she join him for a quiet dinner in his quarters and that she later join him on a week's leave to Risa, which causes Sarina some consternation; though confused, she agrees, not wishing to be ungrateful for his attention. The next morning in the Replimat, Bashir explains to O'Brien that he has never before met anyone like her, reflecting on his luck in finally finding a woman with whom he can share attempting to fit into an ordinary life as a genetically-enhanced person. Though he is happy for Bashir, O'Brien cautions him that he may be moving along too fast for Sarina. O'Brien reminds him that she is Bashir's patient. Bashir responds that he has put her in the care of Doctor Girani, though this does little to relieve O'Brien of his apprehension toward Bashir's rush forward. That night, Bashir waits in his quarters for her, but Sarina doesn't come to the romantic dinner he has arranged. After learning from the computer that Sarina is still in her quarters, he goes to talk to her. Having to override the security lock on her door when he arrives, he finds her unresponsive, in a state disturbingly similar to that before she received the treatment. In the infirmary, Dr. Girani's scans indicate that the thalamic pathways Bashir repaired are functioning but lack any neural activity. Taking her from the Infirmary back to her quarters, Bashir unsuccessfully attempts to get a response from her at the place they first kissed days before. Bashir spends the night at Sarina's bedside before taking her, in the morning, back to the cargo bay, for whatever help the mutants can give him in bringing Sarina out of her shell. After Bashir returns to his quarters, saddened, Lauren and the others pursue him with their appraisal of Sarina's torpor. They explain to Bashir that Sarina has not reverted to being imprisoned in her mind; rather, she is simply confused and afraid of all the new things happening around her, paramount of which is the romantic attention Julian has been showering upon her. Returning to the cargo bay alone, Julian reaches out to Sarina, trying to make her understand that he can put right whatever is wrong with her. After Bashir has professed his love for her, Sarina begins to cry, choking on the unfamiliar emotions he has provoked. Expressing her confusion to Bashir, she wants him to tell her what she should feel, says that she owes him everything, and laments that she doesn't know how to act as the woman that he wants her to be. Julian holds her closely and tries to comfort her. The next morning, Bashir meets O'Brien in the Replimat and the two of them discuss Sarina's fate. While Jack, Lauren and Patrick have returned to the institute, Bashir has arranged an internship for Sarina her at the Corgal Research Center on Corgal II, where she will work and live with a scientist and his family as she tries to make some sense of her new life. Bashir reflects on his infatuation over the past few days, beating himself up over his carelessly smothering Sarina, nearly driving her back into catalepsy, as O'Brien tries to cheer him up with an invitation to dinner with him and Keiko. Bashir declines, now preferring to be alone, and as O'Brien returns to work Bashir makes his way to the airlock where Sarina's transport is boarding. At the airlock, Bashir and Sarina tearfully say goodbye to each other, Bashir pledging to Sarina that he will never forget her. Bashir watches from the Promenade as the USS Nash and Sarina depart the station into space. 
<EOS>
While with Kira, Odo is massaging her for a springball injury. During, he says he's leaving soon, having received a message from Gul Russol, who used to be one of his most reliable informants. Russol was executed when Cardassia joined the Dominion, or so Odo thought. Even though he is skeptical, he owes it to Russol to find out. He sets out for a barren moon on the USS Rio Grande. Meanwhile, Miles O'Brien is in dire straits. Captain Sisko has ordered him to get the USS Defiant's gravity net up and running in three days, even though the station already needs far too many repairs and the needed graviton stabilizer won't be available for three weeks. After he leaves, Nog offers the chief his help, saying O'Brien needs to form a relationship with the quartermaster who has the stabilizer in order to be on the top of his list. O'Brien thinks that Nog will only get him in deeper trouble, and tells him he can go ahead and try as long as he doesn't get them court martialed. At the rendezvous point on a barren moon, Odo instead finds Weyoun, who announces that he wants to defect to the Federation. On the barren moon, Weyoun's offer to trade valuable intelligence about the Dominion in exchange for asylum in the Federation seems too good an offer to pass up. Weyoun insists they hurry as he's being searched for, but Odo waits, forcing him to explain himself. He says he's under pressure because the Dominion War was supposed to be over and he'll take the blame. Furthermore, he confirms a rumor Odo tells him about a Ketracel-white facility in Sector 507. Odo then agrees to take Weyoun back to Deep Space 9. After speaking with the quartermaster, Chief Willoughby, Nog learns he won't get a stabilizer for another week, but the USS Sentinel has one now. Nog just needs to know what they need. Nog talks O'Brien into giving him his authorization code for the sake of expediency, and the Ferengi begins wheeling and dealing for the stabilizer in the chief's name. Odo and Weyoun don't get very far when they receive a transmission from Cardassia. Odo is surprised to see that the transmission is from Legate Damar -- and Weyoun. It turns out that the Weyoun with Odo is clone number six (the Weyoun the crew has had the majority of previous dealing was the fifth clone who died after a transporter "accident"), who is apparently defective as he has a lack of faith in the Founders. The Weyoun clone 7, the one with Damar, orders clone 6 to activate his termination implant, a device all Vorta clones have inside their brains. When 6 refuses, Damar vows that the runabout will never return to DS9. After the transmission ended, Weyoun 6 admits to Odo the real reason he's defecting is that he felt the war was wrong. Odo is surprised when he hears this, and tells him his opinion makes perfect sense. On Cardassia, Damar tells Weyoun 7 they will have to order the Jem'Hadar to destroy the runabout; however, Weyoun refuses to harm a Founder. Damar is able to prod him into agreeing, as Odo does not consider himself a Founder and they will not need to tell the Jem'Hadar, or anyone else. On DS9, O'Brien learns from an angry Kira that the captain's desk is missing. O'Brien catches up with Nog at the Replimat and gets the full story. Nog explains that it is on loan to Al Lorenzo, chief of operations on Decos Prime, who wants a holophoto of himself sitting behind it (he collects such photos). Nog has set up a chain of deals: in exchange for the loan of the desk, Lorenzo will give O'Brien an induction modulator, which O'Brien can then trade to the USS Musashi for a phaser emitter. The phaser emitter will then go to the Sentinel which has the graviton stabilizer that O'Brien (and the Defiant) needs. As O'Brien panics, seeing disaster ahead, Nog tells the chief to have faith in the Great Material Continuum, which Ferengi believe flows through the universe like a river, bringing people the things they need from those that have, and back again. Meanwhile, on the Rio Grande, Weyoun describes a nightmare, a product of his betrayal. Odo sympathizes, but then a Jem'Hadar fighter appears and tries to shoot down and destroy the runabout. Weyoun 6 can't believe they're firing on the ship with Odo on board. He gives details to Odo about the weakness of the fighter which allows Odo to destroy it with a sustained twin-Phaser blast. Weyoun is distraught, having now caused the death of loyal Dominion subjects. Odo attempts to probe him, saying his belief in the Founders was built into his genetic code, but he replies that is what gods do. Meanwhile, O'Brien becomes increasingly anxious when Nog disappears from the station (having used the access code to get access to a runabout). Things get worse when General Martok finds his 16 cases of bloodwine missing. Worf promises to find it. At Dominion Headquarters, Damar and Weyoun 7 are astonished that a simple runabout could destroy a Jem'Hadar fighter, and resolve to simply send more ships from a nearby base in the Olmerak system. At that moment, the Female Changeling arrives and inquires what they are sending ships after. They only say that they found a runabout spying on the base and are sending ships to destroy it. However, Damar notices something odd about the Founder: her face is parched with very noticeable wrinkles. She quickly morphs the wrinkles away, insists she is alright, and orders the temperature lowered. As they continue their journey back to the station, Weyoun 6 tells Odo the story of how the Vorta came to be in the service of the Founders. After Odo expresses satisfaction that his people are capable of kindness, and Weyoun suggests Odo cares for his people in spite of their war, Weyoun relates a startling revelation: the Founders are dying. The entire Great Link is suffering from a strange disease (a morphogenic virus), which Weyoun witnessed from the female changeling. Only Odo, it seems, is not infected. Weyoun suggests it could be an opportunity for Odo to take over the Dominion and stop the war, but then more Jem'Hadar ships show up, so Odo takes the runabout into an ice field and hides it in a large chunk of ice and powers it down. Back on the station, O'Brien plans to make a new desk for Sisko, and asks Bashir for help. He has a plain white desk he plans to paint, but Bashir is sarcastically skeptical. Kira comes in not believing what she's seeing, and, soon, Martok comes in and angrily points O'Brien out. He takes O'Brien down to the cargo bay and shows him his authorization code, demanding that the bloodwine be returned in 24 hours. Things are heating up for O'Brien. Within hours, the Jem'Hadar flush them out, and Odo makes a run for it. Knowing that the situation is hopeless, and to save Odo's life so that at least one Founder survives, Weyoun 6 contacts Weyoun 7 and asks him to call off the attack. Weyoun 7 watches as Weyoun 6 activates his termination device. Satisfied, Weyoun 7 orders the Jem'Hadar ships to stop attacking. Meanwhile, Weyoun 6 asks Odo for his blessing before he dies. Although Odo despises the idea that the Vorta see the Founders as gods, he grants Weyoun 6 his wish. Back on DS9, the Great Material Continuum comes through. Nog has returned along with Sisko's desk, looking spiffier than ever, the stabilizer is on hand, and the captain is happy. Even Martok is happy; in place of the bloodwine his wife sent him are 16 cases of 2309 bloodwine: a superior vintage. O'Brien decides to plunge right into the river to get some Saurian Brandy for Captain Sisko. Meanwhile, in his quarters, Odo reflects over the blessing he gave Weyoun and how content the Vorta looked when he died. Kira tells him that Weyoun was lucky, as he died with one of his gods smiling at him. The two then discuss the Founders' disease, and Kira notes that they will get more dangerous if they're desperate to survive. Odo remarks that regardless of who wins the war, it feels like he will lose either way. 
<EOS>
Having just relived the Battle of the Alamo in a holosuite at Quark's, Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien heatedly discuss the fate of Davy Crockett, a legendary hero who died in the battle. O'Brien expresses his opinion that Crockett was executed by General Santa Anna as a point of pride, while Bashir believes Crockett was tired of living on his reputation and ultimately surrendered. Worf joins them and comments that if you believe in the myth of Davy Crockett, then there should be no doubt that he died a hero, but if instead you believe that Davy Crockett was just a man, it does not matter "how he died". Worf returns to his quarters and is soon visited by Kor. The venerable Dahar master congratulates Worf on his distinguished service in the war, and commiserates on the death of Worf's wife, then admits he is there to beg a favor: Kor has lost whatever influence he once had, so the Klingon Empire has decided that there is no place for him in the war. He pleads Worf to intercede for him so that he may "end my life as I have lived it -- as a warrior." Worf approaches General Martok with Kor's request, and is stunned when Martok refuses, violently, warning Worf to cease pursuing this, "or I will forget that we are brothers!" Martok unveils his new battleplan to Sisko: using only a squadron Birds-of-Prey, he will hit Dominion facilities and create chaos behind their lines, starting with an audacious raid on the heavily-fortified Dominion outpost on Trelka V. Sisko likens it to an ancient Earth tactic known as a "cavalry raid" and offers to join him with the USS Defiant. Martok politely declines, saying that the Defiant will be more useful in deterring Jem'Hadar ships that may be following once the Klingons head back to Federation-held territory. Aboard Martok's ship, Worf tries to speak to him again about Kor. Martok explains his hatred of Kor: Martok's family came from the Ketha lowlands and had little but had served the Empire for generations as soldiers. However Martok's father had hopes his son would be an officer in the Klingon Defense Force and eventually found someone to sponsor his application. After passing the exam on the first try, Martok's application rested on the oversight council which should have been nothing more than a formality. Kor, a member of the council, turned him down for no reason other than Martok's common background, much to the shame and embarrassment of Martok and his father. With a black mark on his record from a Dahar Master, Martok couldn't even enlist as a common soldier but was forced to spend five years as a civilian orderly aboard a ship. "Luckily" the ship was attacked by an inept Romulan vessel which allowed the young Klingon to display his courage and military skills, and then earned him a battlefield commission. To Martok though, this all happened too late, as his father had died and could not share in the honor. If Kor had had his way, he concludes, Martok would still be scrubbing decks, instead of playing the vital role in the war he now occupies. Worf said he had used his own authority to appoint Kor as Third Officer aboard a ship in the Ninth Fleet. He begins to apologize, but Martok waves him down, saying it has been done and warns Worf that he is responsible for Kor. In the Replimat, Kor is enjoying a catch-up meal with Ezri Dax, when Worf appears. He tells Kor the reason for Martok's dislike of him, and Kor does not recall this but admits it is possible. Worf tells Kor that he should not have stopped a man from serving the Klingon Empire for such a trivial reason. Rebuffed, Kor asks if his commission was revoked. Worf confirms that it is not and instructs Kor to report for duty in the morning aboard the IKS Ch'Tang and advises him to stay out of Martok's way. Before leaving, Kor asks for a reminder of the ship's name. Hours later, as the squadron is about to deploy, Kor reports for duty on the bridge of the Ch'Tang.  With the memories of his humiliation still vivid, Martok is aggravated when every member of the bridge crew is awestruck to have a Dahar Master on board. In Quark's bar, Ezri talks to Kira about what it was like to see Kor again, an odd experience since it's the first time Kor has seen Ezri and not Curzon. She does in part wish she could be side-by-side with him once more. Quark overhears this and assumes she meant Worf. A brief respite of Martok telling war stories in the ship's mess hall is interrupted, when Kor joins them, and the crew is once again in awe.  Noticing the tension, Worf attempts to change the subject by asking Martok to announce his plan of attack for Trelka V.  Martok lays out his plan, which impresses the crew. only for Kor, in congratulating him, to note that Kor himself had once executed a similar plan against the Federation outpost on Caleb IV, along with his late comrade Kang.  As the crew turns their attention back to Kor, Martok leaves the room in disgust. Worf attempts to reassure Martok that the crew are simply not accustomed to serving alongside a Dahar master, when an alert klaxon sounds.  As the crew reports to battle stations, Kor appears confused as to where he's supposed to go, before an encounter with Lieutenant Synon, the ship's helmswoman, inadvertently reminds him he's supposed to go to the bridge. At Trelka IV, Martok orders two of his ships, the IKS Malpara and IKS Ning'tao to decloak and fire on the planetary base, before withdrawing.  This attracts the attention of a Cardassian Galor-class cruiser.  The Malpara is quickly destroyed, but the Ning'tao manages to lead the larger ship out of the system. Meanwhile, with the base's shields down and repair crews underway, Martok orders the other ships to decloak and open fire.  In the heat of battle, Martok and Worf are incapacitated, leaving Kor to assume command.  The confused Kor orders the ships to come around for another pass, even as an injured but conscious Martok, who had only intended one pass, attempts weakly to order his crew to withdraw.  The ships are battered by returning fire from the base, with the IKS Slivin taking heavy damage and the IKS Orantho suffering a hull breach as well as the deaths of its captain and first officer. Kor announced his intention to capture the base, despite Synon's protests that they have a garrison of ten thousand troops.  When Kor orders the crew to open a channel to his long-dead comrade Kang, to tell him that Federation outpost on Caleb IV will fall within the hour, it becomes clear that the old Klingon has confused reality with his memories of a century-old battle. The injured Martok attempts to dispose of Kor by throwing a d'k tahg at him.  However, Worf, regaining consciousness, manages to catch the knife, knock Kor to the deck, and resume command, ordering an escape course. Martok then orders Kor off his bridge. While the raid is going on, back on Deep Space 9, Quark decides, while talking to Jake, to declare himself, telling Ezri that Jadzia was too good for Worf, and Ezri most definitely is, and it would be the worst mistake for her to resume a relationship with Worf just because she feels obligated by Jadzia's commitments. Ezri cuts him off and clears the air, telling him that she and Worf have agreed to just remain friends, and not pursue another relationship. Having said that, she is still charmed by the kind, dear and [for Quark] embarrassing declaration the Ferengi just made to her. Ezri then kisses Quark on the cheek, which the Ferengi apparently sees as encouragement and amuses Jake. Kor eats in the mess hall, alone except for Martok's elderly aide, Darok. Martok comes in, along Synon and weapons officer Kolana, who start needling him mercilessly about his senility. Kor does not respond, but finishes his meal in silence and excuses himself. Martok challenges him to make some kind of response, and Kor simply tells his fellow Klingons to enjoy the fruit life, but not to live too long for as long as they can, since "the taste turns bitter" as one grows old. In the wake of his absence, Martok clearly doesn't feel the enjoyment of his long-awaited victory over Kor. In Martok's quarters, Worf brings him the new personnel assignments. He has removed Kor from active duty, and concedes that it was a mistake to give him a position in the first place. Worf says that when they return, he will ask Chancellor Gowron to find some sinecure for Kor that will allow him to feel useful, while keeping him safely out of combat. Martok confesses that he did not take the satisfaction from gloating over Kor that he thought he would; the elderly Klingon is no longer an enemy, just an old man to be pitied, and a sobering glimpse of what awaits every Klingon who lives too long, even one of Kor's accomplishments. They are interrupted when the bridge alerts Martok that a fleet of ten Jem'Hadar attack ships have been detected, having managed to penetrate their ships' cloaking fields and are gaining on them. The bridge officers grimly report that the Jem'Hadar will overtake them in about two hours, less time than it will take the Klingons to rendezvous with the Defiant and other Federation reinforcements. Worf devises a plan: one Bird-of-Prey, the Ning'tao with a skeleton crew, drop out of warp and fire a graviton pulse to force the Jem'Hadar to drop out of warp, and then engage them long enough for the rest of the fleet to reach safety. Since the Ning'tao's own captain is considered too inexperienced, Worf volunteers to command the doomed ship. Kor is lying in his quarters when Darok drops in and briefs Kor on the plan in secret. Darok says the plan is a good one, but its success hinges on the one ship being able to successfully engage and delay the Jem'Hadar, to prevent them from reentering warp to resume pursuit of the fleet. Kor, despite the recent drubbing his self-confidence has taken, immediately states that the solution would be to confuse the Jem'Hadar sensors in the opening moments, with a spread of torpedoes, and Darok (clearly still a "fan" of Kor) encourages him that the ship must be commanded by a warrior of Kor's great experience -- but, even more importantly, such a warrior could not hope to succeed unless he was completely confident in his own abilities. Kor, with new resolve in his heart, replies he would not take on the mission unless he was this confident. Darok bows deeply and tells Kor it has been an honor to serve with him. Soon after, Kor catches up to Worf in the transporter room, where the two say goodbye until they meet again in Sto-vo-kor. Worf, to his surprise, is then asked if he has any message for Jadzia, but before he can respond, Kor renders him unconscious with a hypospray. Kor promises the unconscious Worf that he will convey Worf's undying love to Jadzia, and tells his friend to "live well."  Beaming away to the doomed ship, Kor gives one last salute to the world he loves and the Empire he has served. "Long live the Empire!" In space, the Ning'tao de-cloaks as it drops to impulse, then turns about and hurtles back into warp, towards the enemy. Kor's progress is monitored by ship sensors. At this point, it is assumed by Martok and others that Worf is leading the suicide mission. Darok brings a bottle of bloodwine to the bridge, in brazen defiance of regulations. Martok objects, and Darok says that, whether the volunteers fail or succeed, they will deserve to have their courage saluted. The bridge crew keeps a tense vigil as the Ning'tao drops out of warp and succeeds in pulling the whole Jem'Hadar squadron out of warp. The battle goes beyond their sensor range, and they can only wait. Martok expresses a hope that Worf will die gloriously -- but when Worf himself appears on the bridge and states that this will not happen today, it dawns on him that Kor has taken control of the ship. The weapons officer reports that the Ning'tao is taking heavy fire, but has succeeded in collapsing the Jem'Hadar formation. Then the battle goes beyong the Ch'tang's sensor range, and they lose contact. Martok ponders that it doesn't seem possible that a single Bird-of-Prey could stall ten Jem'Hadar ships, but Worf is more optimistic about the outcome. After the whole bridge crew has waited with baited breath, the weapons officer reports in an awed voice that, miraculously, Kor has succeeded: the Jem'Hadar can no longer overtake the Klingon ships before they reach friendly space. For all his own tactical brilliance, Martok is unable to comprehend how Kor could have succeeded. In reference to the Crockett discussion, Worf simply replies, "Does it matter?"  Martok demands the bottle from Darok and lifts it high in salute to Kor, "a noble warrior to the end!"  As the bottle is passed around the bridge, Darok begins to sing. The rest of the bridge crew (with the exception of Martok, who still cannot bring himself to forgive Kor) joins Darok in honoring the Dahar master who has just sacrificed himself to save all their lives. 
<EOS>
In Vic's lounge, Rom auditions for a "gig", singing "The Lady is a Tramp" -- and not very well. Vic tries to let him down easy, reminding Rom that a singer would be a poor opening act for another singer. Dr. Bashir enters the lounge, and retrieves a recording Vic has made for him to give to the Starfleet soldiers on AR-558. Meanwhile, Odo finds Captain Sisko in the wardroom, where Sisko is looking over the ever-growing list of casualties from the Dominion War. He mentions to Odo that at the start of the war, he tried to memorize the names of the fallen, as if to pay tribute to them, but as the list grew, the names seemed to blur together. Kira interrupts them over the comm to inform Sisko that the USS Defiant is ready. Quark mopes in the mess hall of the Defiant, wondering why Grand Nagus Zek would want him to go on a "fact-finding mission" to the front lines of the war. Ezri tries to comfort him, believing the Nagus wants a Ferengi perspective of the war. Unfortunately, her efforts to cheer him up are in vain, and even more so as the Defiant shakes from Dominion fire. Ezri rushes to the bridge, but Quark follows after her, not wanting to be alone. He runs into Worf, who tells him that the Dominion is pushing hard to reclaim the Chin'toka system from Federation control. Quark nervously enters the bridge behind Worf, just as the Defiant succeeds in destroying a Jem'Hadar fighter with quantum torpedoes. Sisko tells Miles O'Brien to keep an eye out for more enemy ships. Once the immediate threat is over, Quark's presence on the bridge becomes rather obvious, and he quickly excuses himself. Embarrassed, Nog assures Sisko that his uncle will not disrupt their work again. When the Defiant reaches AR-558, Sisko relinquishes command to Worf and he, Ezri, Bashir, Quark, and Nog beam down to the planet's barren surface, armed with phaser rifles. Once there, they come under immediate phaser fire. The phaser fire is Federation, and stops when the ranking Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Nadia Larkin, orders her men to hold their fire. One of them, Vargas, who believes they are all doomed, is a bit of a hothead and mistook Sisko's party for Jem'Hadar. Sisko is surprised at the state of the garrison: the troops have been stranded for five months (when regulations require forces to be rotated off the front line every ninety days), without reinforcements or supplies. Of the original one hundred fifty soldiers, only 43 are left. The other 107, including Captain Loomis and the XO, Commander Parker, have been killed in action. After seeing to the garrison's most serious injuries, Bashir pulls Sisko aside and warns that the soldiers' health, not to mention their morale, are both dangerously fragile. In the cave the Starfleet forces are defending, Larkin shows Sisko the object of all the fighting: a captured Dominion communication array which, if the engineers can figure out how it works, would allow the Federation to tap into enemy comm traffic all over the sector. As they talk, a muffled explosion is heard, and Larkin curses as another of her men is claimed by a "Houdini," Dominion anti-personnel mines that hide in subspace and appear at random. They have been trying to find a way to expose or eliminate them, without success. Reese, one of the most hardened soldiers, acerbically tells the others not to waste their breath explaining their situation to Sisko, who will be leaving the planet with his crew shortly. When the Defiant is forced to leave while coming under attack by Jem'Hadar fighters, Sisko's conscience kicks in and he informs Worf that they intend to stay. As the commanding officer on the ground, Sisko now has only one order: hold. Sisko orders Ezri to work with one of the few surviving engineers, Crewman Kellin, to find a way of unmasking the mines. Though she is no longer an engineer or science officer, Ezri has the benefit of her previous hosts' experience. She and Kellin quickly get to like each other. Jem'Hadar soldiers later beam down and attack, but something is wrong; they do not fire, and they seem to walk into the line of enemy volleys, ignorant of their casualties. Sisko orders his men to hold as he realizes the Dominion trickery. Almost immediately, the attackers vanish. The soldiers weren't real; they were holograms intended to assess the enemy strength without firing a shot, and they have just succeeded. Between that and the Houdinis, things are looking grim. Sisko has his hands full trying to shore up the morale of the tired soldiers. Aside, Quark explains to Nog that, for all their civilized ways, Humans can become just as savage as bloodthirsty Klingons, if they go too long without food, sleep, or creature comforts. Sisko decides it is imperative that they discover the location of the Jem'Hadar encampment and assess their strength. He orders Nog (with his superior Ferengi hearing) to accompany Larkin and Reese on the scouting mission, a decision Quark objects strongly to. Sisko says that Nog is only doing his duty, and Quark retorts that Sisko wouldn't send Jake out there so casually. Sisko responds that his son is not a Starfleet officer, but this argument doesn't convince Quark. Using his lobes, Nog successfully leads the scout team to the Jem'Hadar camp, where two columns of Jem'Hadar are preparing to attack. Hearing the sounds of a patrol, Nog signals for them to withdraw, but as they are returning to camp, they are ambushed by Jem'Hadar. Larkin is killed, and Nog's left leg takes a direct strike below the knee. Meanwhile, Dax successfully modifies a tricorder to cut through the jamming signals, enough to scan the whole compound. Kellin excitedly takes it and states the next step: recalibrating it to find the mines in subspace. When Dax suggests to cross-link its optronic and isodyne relays, Kellin is further impressed and briefly asks about her experience with nine lifetimes of memories to sort through. Dax relates that she remembers battles from past hosts. He reassures her she'll be fine when the time comes. Reese runs back to camp carrying the injured Nog, and Quark is stricken to see his nephew wounded. Reese gives credit to Nog for making it as far as they did. When Captain Sisko tries to check on Nog, Quark reveals that he is going to lose his leg. Later, Doctor Bashir is able to successfully remove Nog's leg to prevent further injury, but whether it can be regenerated is unclear; he needs to visit a Starfleet Medical facility. Quark takes out his fury on Sisko, accusing him of regarding Nog as expendable "cannon fodder." Sisko, equally furious and getting fed up with Quark, retaliates by saying that he cares deeply about the lives of every person under his command, including Nog. The captain goes to visit Nog in his hospital bed. Nog begins to apologize for falling into the ambush, but Sisko says he has accomplished his mission, and Sisko is very proud of him. He glances at Nog's wound, and Nog reassures him that it doesn't hurt. Then, Nog's confident facade cracks a little bit, and asks Sisko to reassure him that the communications array, for which so many people have died, is really worth it. Sisko says he hopes to God it is. There is some good news for the officers as Ezri and Kellin find a way to reveal the Houdinis' locations. Once it is put into effect, hundreds of the dreaded killers pop out throughout the defenders' positions. But instead of disarming them, Sisko says he plans to use them against the Jem'Hadar. Based on Reese and Nog's report, the Starfleet forces are hopelessly outnumbered, unless they find a way to even the odds. The irony of the situation is not lost on Ezri: a few hours earlier, the Houdinis were an inhuman weapon, the kind only the Dominion would use; now, with their position so desperate, "they seem a whole lot friendlier." Reese reports that the Jem'Hadar will need to approach the Federation camp through a narrow ravine, so that is where the mines are placed. Once this is done, Sisko and his crew take position behind the barricades, phasers ready. Trying to relieve some of the tension, Bashir plays Vic's recording of "I'll Be Seeing You" over the sound system. Quark, the only civilian, stays by Nog's side in the makeshift infirmary, doing his best to keep his nephew comfortable. In the distance, they hear muffled explosions as the Jem'Hadar trip the mines -- and then nothing. In the tense silence that follows, Vargas nervously wonders whether the Jem'Hadar have all been killed, or else decided to retreat. But then the Jem'Hadar come charging towards the barricades, yelling war cries. Sisko yells for the Starfleet forces to open fire. Dozens of Jem'Hadar go down under phaser fire, but dozens more jump over the barricades and the battle becomes a desperate melee. Vargas and Kellin are killed. Quark, alone in the infirmary, is the only person available to defend it, and he is forced to kill an enemy soldier with his phaser in defense of Nog. Sisko is knocked out. The last thing he sees is a Jem'Hadar soldier standing over him with a disruptor. When he awakens, Reese is standing over him, asking if he is alive. Sisko gets up and looks around. Many of the officers he knew are now dead, and there are few soldiers left, but as he puts it, "We held." The Defiant returns to AR-558 along with the USS Veracruz, which will pick up the survivors and transport the injured officers as well as Nog and Bashir to Starbase 371. Worf tells Sisko that they achieved a great victory, however Sisko can only think of what this victory cost. A fresh batch of officers start beaming down from the Veracruz. Reese notes that the newcomers are young, to which Sisko responds that they'll grow up fast. Back aboard DS9, the next casualty list comes in. When Sisko asks how many, Kira replies the number is 1730, including those lost on AR-558. Kira states that it's "a lot of names" but Sisko, feeling the weight of his recent experiences, tells her that behind every name is a person and it's important not to forget them or the sacrifice they've made. 
<EOS>
Ezri Dax, Julian Bashir and Odo are sitting in Quark's ordering drinks. Quark comments that Odo doesn't drink and wonders why he ordered Bajoran springwine. Odo explains that he ordered it for Kira who will be joining them after she finishes attending services at the temple. When Kira arrives the group briefly discusses religion and the concepts of faith and forgiveness when Odo makes a comment he wishes he did believe so they could go to services together. Later, Kira is visited in her quarters by Vedek Fala, one of Kira's teachers from during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, and she greets him warmly. The two catch up on old times and Fala presents Kira with a gift. The gift turns out to be a homing transponder to transport her to the abandoned outpost Empok Nor. There, she is greeted by a Cult of the Pah-wraiths who have chosen Dukat as their leader and referred to as Master by the other residents of the community. Dukat dismisses the group and proceeds to attempt to convince Kira to believe in the Pah-wraiths, with the argument that the Prophets stood by and did nothing during the Occupation. This doesn't phase Kira, as their path is not easy and hard to fathom. He explains that the Pah-wraiths only wanted to take a more active role in the Bajorans' lives, and for that they were cast out and imprisoned. Only wanting to love the people more, they should be considered the true gods. Dukat calls himself the Emissary of the Pah-wraiths and says they speak to him, and "opened his heart." He has pierced his ear with an earring symbolic of a covenant between himself and the people there. He admits that, when he first allowed himself to be possessed, he only wanted revenge on Benjamin Sisko, but now he's a changed man and regrets the death of Jadzia Dax. He maintains his front that he wasn't responsible for the Occupation, but now, he justifies it by saying he was simply walking the path of the Prophets. Now, he's going to follow the plan for the Pah-wraiths to reclaim the Celestial Temple. Furthermore, he wants Kira to see their community and convince her because he wants her at his side. She blatantly refuses to believe him, responding that the people don't love him; he has some kind of hold over them. On Deep Space 9, the crew has become aware of Kira's disappearance. Chief O'Brien has been able to establish how she was abducted, but tells Captain Sisko there is no way to find out where she went. Odo is also unable to establish who Kira met with in her quarters before she disappearance, as her visitor left the station immediately after on a regular transport to Bajor, meaning the crew are left at a dead end. Kira, being kept in quarters, is met by Fala. She is very disappointed in him while he admits that he joined the cult years earlier because he had lost faith in the Prophets. Kira is shaken by her friend's admission, and can't believe he abandoned all the people he helped. Fala defends the "cult," taking issue with each of Kira's characterizations of their group. He also explains that the individual who tried to kill Sisko acted alone. He believes Dukat has been "washed clean" by the Pah-wraiths and has forgiven his past. He then shows her the community they have built to show her she has nothing to fear. She meets a young pregnant woman named Mika. She congratulates her, but then oddly finds out she needed permission to have a baby with her husband, Benyan. Fala explains that it is part of their covenant with Dukat to take vows of abstinence, reflective of ancient Bajoran traditions. Kira is skeptical. She meets Benyan, who doesn't respond to Kira's subtle disagreement. Later, she's taken to a prayer meeting. As everyone else closes their eyes and chants, Kira takes the opportunity to grab a weapon from another member of the cult and threatens Dukat. However, several cult members shield Dukat from danger, showing their belief. She tries to back out but someone knocks her unconscious. Kira awakes to find Dukat taking care of her. She is outraged at his faux concern, since looking at the bruise on her back gave him an opportunity to undress her. After another argument wherein she accuses Dukat of using his follower's religious devotion to build another empire complete with subjects who are devoted to him on the station, she is determined to expose his fraud. Dukat has had a meal prepared for Kira and Kira briefly considers trying to kill him with the cutlery on the meal tray. But, Dukat points out that even if Kira could kill him; there is no way she can escape and Kira would only make a martyr out of him. She cannot believe his followers are willing and that he is as changed as he sounds. He also points out that Kira's mother really loved him, but she responds she convinced herself of that since he had control over her real family. Mika soon goes into labor, so Dukat brings Kira to the infirmary. However, when her child is born, it is half-Cardassian, shocking the two parents. Dukat also feigns shock, but, without a beat, excitedly declares that the Pah-wraiths have sent them a sign of their covenant. Mika's face shows she clearly doesn't believe this "miracle." Kira doesn't believe either, of course, but the rest of the congregation, including Fala, accept Dukat's explanation. He starts to lead them in prayer, and Kira is utterly shocked. Kira immediately confronts Fala with this turn of events, appealing to his intelligence. Fala defends Dukat's words, arguing that a miracle is a possibility that cannot be ruled out. Indeed, if the Prophets can disappear an entire fleet of Dominion ships, they are capable of anything. Kira, on the other hand, knows Fala too well to believe that he would accept this without question. When Kira pushes him hard enough, he admits to suspect her version of the truth, but he asserts that he has faith in his beliefs and that he wants to follow where his faith leads him. Her further conversations with Benyan make it obvious that Benyan has serious doubts about Dukat's version of events. Meanwhile, Dukat and Mika meet in secret to discuss the situation and Dukat asks her why she didn't tell him her child was his. Dukat apologizes to Mika and it is revealed that he raped her during a prayer session. After he gets her forgiveness, learns of her husband's disbelief and her unwillingness to lie, he traps her in the airlock they were speaking in and flushes the air out, refusing to make eye contact with her as she goes unconscious. Kira and Fala who are looking for Mika to ask her about the "miracle," save her just in time. Mika is taken to sickbay and treated for her injuries. Dukat claims it was an accident, Kira loudly objects stating the obvious truth. Dukat sends her to her quarters and leads the onlookers in prayer. Benyan looks on skeptically. Later, Dukat prays alone in his quarters and asks for guidance. He states that the truth will come out and the covenant will dissolve. Later, at a sudden prayer meeting, Dukat then makes a great announcement: the Pah-wraiths have asked everyone to shed their corporeal existences to help reclaim the Celestial Temple. To accomplish this, he says that everyone, including him, will commit suicide. Kira listens in her quarters surprised. Dukat visits Kira and informs her that he has contacted Deep Space Nine; they will send a ship within a day. Kira does not believe he will die with them. He reassures her that all of their deaths will be painless, thanks to Promazine, a pill used by the Obsidian Order operatives to commit suicide in the event of capture and the bodies become dust in hours and so he does not fear it. He will be with the Pah-wraiths, and that is his salvation. Kira is finally convinced he believes what he's saying. As the ceremony begins, Kira manages to escape from her cell. She rushes into the hall from the second level, and knocks down Dukat as he holds his tablet, knocking over a pedestal containing dozens. He starts searching in vain for his particular tablet as she is restrained. When Fala hands Dukat another tablet, he cannot accept it. Kira realizes Dukat's original pill was a fake and he never intended to kill himself. When she calls him on his duplicity, and the crowd becomes restless, Dukat protests that he alone must live to show others the light of the Pah-wraiths. None believe him, and the order falls apart; Benyan finally realizes the truth of his child's birth and turns on Dukat. As he loses control, Dukat shouts to them that the covenant is broken, and transports out. Fala, despite all this, sits down and ingests his tablet. Kira holds her friend as he dies and wants to know why he did it, his only answer is "Faith." The USS Defiant arrives and picks up Kira and the other cult members. Kira tells Odo about Fala's last words, not knowing he had lost his faith or still believed in the Pah-wraiths. Also, she admits that while she originally believed that Dukat was only pretending to believe in the Pah-wraiths to get the Bajorans to follow him, she is now convinced he does truly believe in them, despite his continued despotic patterns and that everything he did was in their service. Odo also notes the possibility that Dukat really did receive the suicide order from the Pah-wraiths. Either way, he is far more dangerous now than ever. 
<EOS>
After losing his leg at AR-558, Nog returns home to Deep Space 9 to a hero's welcome. He has undergone extensive medical treatment counseling at Starbase 235. Although his leg has been replaced, Nog has been placed on indefinite medical leave by Starfleet. Captain Sisko informs him they're due to have a welcome home party for him later in the wardroom, but Nog tells everyone he's tired and would rather rest. It's clear he is not enthusiastic about seeing everyone again. During counseling sessions with Dax, Nog is caught up on events on the station, but he doesn't seem interested. Nog finds the counseling sessions pointless. He uses a cane, and complains of pain, even though a tricorder scan does not show any nerves firing, leading doctors to conclude it's psychological. Nog, in his state, finds this ridiculous and takes out his frustration on Dax; the pain is real, he's not making it up. Mentioning the extensive counseling sessions he's had back at starbase, he asks just to be left alone, and so Dax agrees and calls it a day. Later, Sisko notices Nog's lack of participation in physical therapy, but Dax suggests giving him some time since sometimes a patient can make the next move for you. The only solace for Nog is in the recording that Doctor Bashir played during his time in triage on AR-558, "I'll Be Seeing You". He now plays it constantly, enough to drive Jake Sisko crazy. Jake is frustrated that Nog hasn't engaged him at all since he got back, but Nog simply responds that he has nothing to say. Sick of listening to the same song constantly, he insists that Nog use a holosuite. Nog does so, and, on the way, he has a sudden flashback on the death of Larkin and getting shot in his leg. In Vic's lounge, he has Vic Fontaine sing the fifteen versions he knows of "I'll Be Seeing You". He heard about Nog's leg and asks about it casually. He offers to sing more, but Nog wants to sleep. He turns to leave, but can't face his real life. In fact, he asks Vic to live with him, as the terms of his medical leave state he can choose to recuperate wherever he wishes. Vic agrees. The crew gathers together to discuss the situation with Nog living in a holosuite. Dax points out that this could be a good thing since Nog's counseling wasn't progressing, and Bashir agrees. They decide that someone needs to talk to Vic about Nog's emotional and physical condition and Dax volunteers. When she goes to talk to Vic, Vic explains he has a trick or two up his sleeve to let him heal. In Vic's suite, Nog is watching Shane. To give him something to do, Vic complains about his inability to do his accounting, and how his books are a mess. Nog doesn't take the bait and offers to have the computer put some money in his books instead. Vic declines and says that he needs to go do a performance. As he's about to leave, he asks Nog if he is going to come along. Nog says he will, and in return, Vic gives him a lion's head cane that has a lighter built in, a replica of a cane that Errol Flynn once had. Vic says the cane is fragile and asks Nog not to put his full weight on it. At the show, Jake takes his friend Kesha on a date into the holosuite for Vic's performance. Nog is moody, however, and when the subject of his heroism comes up, Nog becomes irritated. While Jake's getting drinks, Nog is condescending to Kesha. When Jake asks Nog what's wrong, the Ferengi becomes angry and starts a fight by throwing the table onto Jake. Vic has to kick Nog back to their room. When Vic returns to the suite, he finds Nog watching a movie. He forbids Nog to come back to the show, but Nog promises it'll never happen again. He briefly says he doesn't know what got into him. Vic leaves it and complains about his books again. This time, Nog helps him out so Vic can get some sleep. Later, Dax comes to the holosuite to see how Nog is doing. She finds Vic first, and, when she tries to convince Vic to persuade Nog to leave the holosuite, Vic refuses, citing Starfleet regulations. Nog soon turns up and tells Dax that if she tries to force him to leave he'll resign his Starfleet commission. He quickly changes the subject, informing Vic that he has enough money to build a new casino. Dax is forced to give up and leaves Nog to it, as he soon finds solace in using his Ferengi business instincts to help make Vic's bar a success. Nog and Vic spend a lot of time together including drawing up plans for the casino, watching movies, wooing women at the bar, and reading the newspaper. Dax discretely shows up at the bar and sees Nog meeting and greeting customers. Surprisingly, he's walking around holding, but not using, his cane. Leeta and Rom show up to the bar and Nog personally seats them at a table. He's now back to normal, greeting them and excited to see them. Nog learns that Rom has been promoted to Maintenance Engineer, First Class and offers to throw a party, only to be informed that there already was a party thrown by Chief O'Brien the previous evening, making Nog realize what he's missing on the outside. Nog shrugs it off, saying he had business to take care of and leaves when a high-roller enters. Meanwhile, Dax and Vic talk about Nog's progress again, and Dax compliments Vic's treatment. She thinks Nog should return to the real world, and convinces Vic the same thing by tricking him into realizing he is just using Nog if he lets him stay. That night, Vic tries to talk Nog out, but when he won't go Vic shuts down his program to force Nog to face the real world again. Nog tries to force the computer to run the program, but to no avail. Chief O'Brien arrives to investigate after noticing that the holosuite systems were being tampered with and tells him that if Vic doesn't want to appear, he won't. Miles then leaves, telling Nog everyone misses him in Ops. Soon after, Vic causes himself to reappear, and Nog realized what he was probably holding back from all the counseling sessions. He tells Vic that when the war began, although he wasn't happy about it he was eager for the chance to prove himself to be a good officer and soldier. Although he saw a lot of combat and witnessed many people being wounded or killed, Nog thought he was going to be okay. Then he got injured at AR-558, and now the Ferengi is suffering from an overwhelming fear of his mortality caused by losing his leg. It was this, apparently, that he couldn't tell the counselors. Vic talks him out of it, telling him that if he remains in the holosuite then he will die, but it won't be all at once. He'll disappear a little bit at a time until he's as hollow as as hologram. Vic reminds Nog that everyone takes chances, and sometimes they win or sometimes they lose; what's important is that they're "in the game". Nog finally understands that now is the time to leave the holosuite and Vic's world behind and he walks out leaving his cane. When Nog comes downstairs, he runs into Leeta, Rom, and Quark and promises them he's going to be all right, in time. Soon after, Nog, back in his Starfleet uniform, visits Vic to tell him he's returned to limited duty. He thanks Vic for his help with good news: Quark will keep Vic's program running 26/7, effectively giving Vic a life of his own. Vic celebrates by singing and performing with a renewed vigor. 
<EOS>
Kira, Odo, Ezri and Julian are at Quark's. Odo mentions to Ezri that her shipment of gagh has arrived, which Jadzia had ordered for Martok's birthday party. She wants to get rid of it now that she dislikes gagh but is told she cannot dump it out an airlock. Kira asks why she can't just give it to Martok, but Ezri knows Martok would insist on sharing it with her. Kira says that Julian is very quiet. He says he is waiting for Miles to arrive on the next transport. Kira teases Julian about his holodeck adventures with Miles, but Julian remains subdued. The transport arrives, but O'Brien is not aboard. Bashir goes to Captain Sisko, saying he hasn't heard from O'Brien for 3 days and he is concerned that something may have happened to him. Sisko says O'Brien told him he was going home to visit his father. When Bashir reveals that was a misdirection, Sisko becomes angry. Bashir explains O'Brien really went to New Sydney to follow up on some promising leads in his investigation of the recent disappearance of Morica Bilby, the widow of the Orion Syndicate operative he had previously been involved with. Bashir says O'Brien still feels responsible for Bilby's death, and he has kept in touch with Bilby's widow. When she disappeared a few weeks ago, O'Brien left to search for her, and is now missing. Bashir explains that O'Brien did try contacting the authorities on New Sydney in the Sappora system first, but since it's not a Federation planet, they weren't very helpful. Sisko tells Bashir to write a detailed report with everything he knows about the case, and to get it to him within the hour. Sisko then asks Dax to contact her mother since she is an influential business woman in the Sappora system, where O'Brien went missing. Ezri says she hasn't talked to her mother for 6 months. Sisko says if there was any other way, he wouldn't ask Ezri to involve her family, but she says she knows it's important. He says, "Thanks, old man," and leaves. Ezri calls her mother. She tells her mother she's feeling better than the last time they saw each other, and that she's been promoted. Ezri tells her mother about O'Brien and asks for her help with local authorities. Yanas interrupts before she can go any further, and says she'll do everything she can, but then uses the opportunity to force a visit from Ezri by stating she won't do anything unless Ezri visits her and then closes the channel. Julian walks Ezri to her transport, giving her all the reports on the case and some medication for space sickness. He tells her he sympathizes with her since he didn't really get along with his parents either. On Sappora VII, Ezri's brother Norvo Tigan welcomes her home with a big hug, calling her "Zee". The family home is spacious and light, with fine art including a large mountainscape above the table. Ezri asks Norvo if he painted the mountainscape, and he says he did and that their mother insisted on hanging it in here. He says, "I hate it." and criticizes the colors, forms, and technique. Ezri says, "But other than that, it's perfect" and they both smile again. Their older brother Janel Tigan comes in, wearing a miner's overall and carrying his safety helmet. His greeting is more subdued than Norvo's, but still warm. Janel tells Ezri their mother is on her way, and he is supposed to give her the preliminary police report on her friend, but they haven't found out anything yet. They do have a few leads they'll follow up on. Janel says he hopes Ezri appreciates all the trouble their mother is going through, that she had to call in a lot of favors with the city police. Ezri says of course she appreciates it. Norvo asks how long she'll be staying, and Janel says, "Not a minute longer than she has to, you know that." Their mother arrives and greets Ezri, then tells her they're making a special dinner in her honor. Switching to business mode, she first tells Janel he needs to fire an employee named Lorkin for incompetence, then asks Norvo if he's finished a report she asked for a week ago. Janel says he'll take care of it. Norvo says he made some mistakes and has to redo part of the report. Yanas says she knows he hates doing the bookkeeping, but she really needs the report. Then back in mother mode, she starts telling Ezri about the handpainted tiles she got for the new solarium, and walks her out to show her. Janel calls the mine to send Mr. Lorkin over. Norvo asks why they have to fire him. Janel says some of his work is costing them 1,000 bars of latinum a day. He says their mother thinks it's just incompetence, but he suspects sabotage. Norvo asks if the Orion Syndicate is behind the sabotage and Janel says yes, they won't take No for an answer. Norvo says they should tell their mother. But Janel says he can deal with Bokar (the Syndicate representative) and Norvo doesn't need to worry. At dinner, Ezri is telling the family about Deep Space 9 and the others there. Norvo starts to ask another question about the station, but Yanas interrupts to ask about a young man from Ezri's old ship, the USS Destiny, that Ezri used to date. Ezri says she doesn't think the're really right for each other anymore. "He reminds me too much of my son, Gran. It makes me uncomfortable to be around him now." The family look askance at each other and Ezri apologizes, saying she's still sorting out her pronouns. Gran was the son of a previous host, Audrid. She tells Ezri not to worry, the family will take care of her. When Ezri responds that she thinks she's getting things under control, her mother tells her she was always too proud for her own good. After dinner, Ezri goes to visit Norvo in his room, which is cluttered with art, paperwork, and personal items. Ezri asks him how many of the art pieces are his own compositions, and he says, "All the bad ones." She asks him why he has become such a harsh critic of himself. Norvo explains he just been refused admission from the Andorian Academy, the best art school in the sector. Ezri says it doesn't mean his work is bad and that there are other art schools, but he doesn't accept that. Ezri argues with him, saying those are just their mother's opinions, she's hear them all, too. "but she wasn't right about me and she isn't right about you either." He says he's fine, the family needs him here. Ezri tells him she still believes in him, and they say goodnight. The next day Yanas tells Ezri she is the one upsetting Norvo. Yanas found him this morning passed out in the entryway drunk, and now he is in bed with a hangover. During the night he had defaced his artwork, including the mountainscape, by drawing stick figures over them. Ezri attempts to defend Norvo but her mother disagrees. Their conversation is interrupted when Janel tells them a police officer has arrived with a handcuffed O'Brien. O'Brien has clearly been in a fight, with torn clothes and bloody marks. She introduces her mother to him, who directs the police officer to uncuff O'Brien. The officer says O'Brien "wasn't very friendly" when they found him, and the Chief mutters, "Neither were you." Janel asks to be excused to go to see a problem with a drill in the mine. He leaves. The officer says they only hit O'Brien once when they were bringing him in. The other damage was due to a beating by the Orion syndicate. Ezri asks O'Brien if he found anything out, and he says he found Morica but she was dead. O'Brien is seated and a house servant brings him and the police officer a hot drink. O'Brien tells Ezri that Morica had been dead almost 6 weeks, but a DNA scan confirmed it was her. He and the police officer argue over the cause of death, the police officer saying there was no evidence of anything but an accident. O'Brien says he knows it was the Orion Syndicate. Besides, the injury was to the back of her head, "she couldn't have 'accidentally' thrown herself in the river." The police officer says if they hadn't "interfered" O'Brien would be dead. When they found him, he was being beaten up by a pair of Nausicaans. The police officer says the Syndicate would never murder the widow of one of their operatives: it would break their code of loyalty. The police officer then says goodbye to Yanas and leaves. Yanas suggests Ezri take O'Brien to one of their guest rooms so he can get cleaned up and get something to eat. O'Brien thanks her and he and Ezri walk out. Later O'Brien (now healed of his facial injuries) and Ezri are seated at the table where O'Brien has finished a meal. He tells her more about his search for Morica. Yanas and Janel comes in. Yanas decides to take advantage of having a Starfleet engineer in her house to ask him to have a look at a trans-sonic drill problem. Ezri protests that O'Brien needs rest, but he says he feels fine and would be happy to look at it. Ezri apologizes for her mother, calling her "a force of nature," but O'Brien says it will feel good to work on a problem that actually has a solution. He and Janel leave. Ezri goes to Norvo's room, where he has destroyed most of his artwork. She finds him still hungover in bed. He says mother isn't going to be happy about his room, but Ezri says she's too busy torturing Janel and Miles to notice. Norvo is happy that Miles has been found and asks if Ezri will be leaving right away. She says not right away. Ezri tries to get him to talk about destroying his art, but he doesn't wasn't to be analyzed by his sister the counselor. She suggests he come to DS9 with her tomorrow. Just a vacation. Norvo states that he doesn't want to leave Janel to deal with everything. Meanwhile, O'Brien finds the drill problem to be a very strange one, even suggesting sabotage. A part appears to have been deliberately mislabeled. A man named Thadial Bokar arrives. He tells Janel that maybe if he hadn't fired Lorkin there wouldn't be any drill problem. Then he asks who the new mechanic is. He recognizes O'Brien's name as the Starfleet crew member who was recently rescued by the police. Janel thanks the chief for fixing the drill and asks him to excuse them for a private business conversation, and the chief leaves. Janel tells Bokar that sabotage won't change his mind about working with the Syndicate. Bokar says they have more important things to ask about: O'Brien is a Starfleet Intelligence operative and Bokar wants to know why he was trying to infiltrate the Syndicate. Janel says O'Brien was just trying to find some woman. Bokar demands Janel tell him her name. When Janel says he doesn't know it, Bokar says it was Morica Bilby. Janel appears surprised. Bokar says rumor has it she's dead, but he doesn't know anything about that. What he does know is that chief O'Brien should leave this system quickly -- before something happens to him. O'Brien is seated in the living area, holding another teacup. Janel comes in and asks if O'Brien will be leaving tomorrow. O'Brien explains that it's up to Ezri since she is his superior officer. Janel says this isn't a good time for guests. Ezri comes in and says Janel has been under a lot of pressure. O'Brien asks Ezri if she knows Bokar. She says no, but she doesn't follow the family business. O'Brien says he suspects Bokar is a member of the Orion Syndicate. He says it's just a feeling, but he thinks Janel already knows and that the company is being pressured by the Syndicate. Ezri says Janel is not easily pressured, "And my mother, she would burn this place to the ground before she did business with the syndicate." O'Brien suggests they look at the company records. Down in the mine, Yanas and Norvo, both in mining overalls, are arguing. She doesn't think he should go to DS9, but he says it might help clear his head. She tells him this is a very bad time to take a vacation and tells him to get back to the report she's waiting for. O'Brien finds Morica's name in the company's financial records. He asks Ezri if she came here to find him -- or to prevent him finding out the truth. She doesn't know what he's talking about. He tells her that Morica was the connection between the Tigan company and the Syndicate. She was on the company's payroll when she died. She swears she didn't know anything about it. He tells her that since no one has mentioned Morica's connection before now, there's some kind of coverup going on. She needs to face the possibility that someone in her family was involved in Morica's death. O'Brien and Ezri dig out all the details. 9 months ago Morica was added to the payroll as a shipping consultant at 5 bars of latinum a week. But there are no cross references, no records of what the work entailed. And her salary kept going up: 10 bars, then 20, then 30. The last payment entry was the day before she was killed. Ezri says her mother has ultimate authority over the payroll, but she's turned over most of the day-to-day operations to Janel. And Norvo does the bookkeeping. Any or all of them could be involved. O'Brien wants to turn over the records to the police, but Ezri orders him to wait until she can find out more. The whole family is together. Yanas asks why this woman was on the payroll. Janel says they were "returning a favor." She asks to whom. He tells her the Orion Syndicate. She asks what the Orion Syndicate had to do with it. Janel admits getting the company involved with the Orion Syndicate to prevent them from going bankrupt when the Ferengi mining operation started and the price of ore dropped 10 points and in the same month a Jem'Hadar raid had destroyed an entire shipment on the way to Rigel IV. The Syndicate came to Janel and offered him a loan as a way out. He says his mother never asked how all their problems had been solved overnight, and she says that's because she trusted him. About a month after the loan, Bokar told Janel about the widow of one of their associates who needed a job without any actual work involved. They needed to provide for her. Morica's "salary" from the company was a way to return the favor to the Syndicate. Janel had asked Norvo to falsify the payroll records, but he never got around to it. Yanas becomes angry that Janel tried to involve Norvo, but he says she's the one who always says there's nothing more important than the company. Janel insists that he saved the company. Ezri interrupts and says right now they have to concentrate on Morica. Why did the payments keep going up? Janel replied that Morica wasn't happy with her salary; that she'd been promised a comfortable life and she needed more money. Ezri asks how she died, and Janel says he doesn't know. Yanas accuses him of being involved. Norvo tries to defend Janel and Yanas tells him to stay out of it. Yanas tells Janel she will get him the very best solicitor in New Sydney, but he has to tell her the truth. He continues to deny any involvement, but she doesn't believe him. Ezri realizes Norvo knows something. He then admits he went to see Morica, to try to reason with her. He says she was angry at everyone: the Tigans, the syndicate, even her husband for dying. She was yelling they were all the same, liars and cheats. Suddenly he realized if she were dead, all the problems would go away. Norvo tells his mother she always thought he was too weak to handle the tough problems, but he proved she was wrong. Fade to a scene of the police taking Norvo away in handcuffs as Janel and Ezri watch. Yanas is not there. Janel starts talking about the mine, but Ezri interrupts him. She says after Norvo's trial is over, Janel needs to leave the company and make his own life. Ezri walks in to another room and finds her mother. She tells her the police have taken Norvo, and that after the trial is over, she will return to DS9. Yanas suddenly asks Ezri if everything is all her fault. Ezri just looks sad and walks away. Back at DS9, Ezri and O'Brien have a conversation at Quark's about the recent events, a conversation in which Ezri admits feeling responsible for her brother's fate. Norvo was sentenced to 30 years. O'Brien says he wishes he could say he was sorry, but he believes the sentence is just. She understands his position, but says O'Brien didn't know Norvo. He was very gifted. He was the one they thought would be something special. She doesn't understand what happened. She guesses, looking back, that she was just so focused on getting away that she didn't see what her mother's constant criticism was doing to Norvo. His heart was carved up into little pieces. O'Brien tells her not to blame herself, but she says she should have gone home a long time ago. 
<EOS>
Several of the senior staff are gathered in Quark's, toasting one young Lieutenant Hector Ilario for his excellent performance at the USS Defiant's helm in a recent battle. They laugh and drink, toasting to Ilario's accomplishments until the wee hours. At around 0300 hours, the party winds down and only Kira Nerys and Ezri Dax are left, having one last drink with the lieutenant. Ilario can barely get up and tumbles from being drunk, so Ezri offers to escort him back, as his quarters are close to hers. When they get back to Ilario's quarters, he shows Ezri a picture of him and his two Starfleet companions, saying he wished they could have been there when he maneuvered the Defiant into battle. After looking at the picture and helping Ilario settle, Ezri wishes him a good night and leaves. At 0600 hours she receives her usual wake up call. As she gets ready and prepares her routine, she hears voices in the corridor. Everyone is running around nervously, talking about initiating a security alert. Ezri soon discovers what the commotion is all about: Ilario has been found dead in his quarters, having been shot right through the heart. Perplexingly, there is no evidence of a forced entry, nor of any entry at all. Even more mysterious is the fact that he was killed, at close range, with a projectile weapon rather than a directed energy weapon such as a phaser or disruptor. The tritanium bullet is matched to a Federation prototype TR-116 rifle, which was never mass-produced, having been abandoned in favor of regenerative phasers. However, this does not mean that the killer did not have access to the weapon's replication pattern. Chief O'Brien points out that only Starfleet officers have access to those files; a thought Captain Sisko finds very disturbing. Drawing on his knowledge of 20th century crime novels, Odo notes that there are no gun-powder burns on the body, suggesting that the shot was fired from a longer range, even though it appears as if Ilario was shot point blank at close range. All the while the officers are discussing the murder weapon, Ezri is standing in the corner, still in disbelief over what happened. She is disturbed to find out that Ilario was shot only ten minutes after she left his quarters. Sisko wants everyone to find out everything they can about Ilario. The officers mention that there was not much, as he has only been on the station for ten days and in that time was known to be intelligent, dedicated and eager to please. Sisko wants answers, however, and whoever is responsible for this caught as soon as possible. At Quark's, Doctor Bashir, the Chief and Ezri remember Ilario. The men feel bad about not having taken him to the holosuite with them as he had wanted, while Ezri wishes she had stayed around a bit longer, so that maybe he would be alive now. She feels distressed about the whole situation and cannot believe that Ilario has been murdered like this. The same night, she has a conversation with Dr. Bashir who tells her that the whole concept of someone killing another person in cold blood seems incomprehensible. Ezri replies that to her, it is not a very foreign concept, as she knows exactly what it feels like to have the urge to take a life. She points to the sixth host of the Dax symbiont, Joran, who killed three people. She says she tries not to think about Joran and suppress the memories of him, just like Jadzia before her. However, the thought of someone like Joran even being on Deep Space 9 really irks her. She decides to get some rest. Later that night, Ezri has a nightmare about the murdered lieutenant and Joran. In her dream, Joran tells her to stop being afraid of him as if he was a stranger. He points out that after all, the "worm" in her belly used to be in him, which means he is a part of her just as she is a part of him. He tells her to perform the Rite of Emergence already and simply ask him to help her if she wants to find the killer. She is resistant and says that she wants nothing to do with him after what he did, but Joran is smug, saying that there is nowhere else for him to go as he is within her all the time. He beckons her to let him out, saying that he can help because he knows how a murderer thinks. Upon awakening, she is summoned to the site of another murder. This time the victim is Greta Vanderweg, a science officer. Similarly to Ilario, she was killed by a tritanium bullet, apparently fired at close range but without leaving any gun-powder burns. Sisko is still puzzled at the motive. He wonders if there is a pattern to this madness or if someone is just killing these officers at random. Odo points out that there are over 900 Starfleet officers on the Station and that they need to narrow the field of suspects. Sisko assigns Ezri to assist Odo with her forensic psychology training. At the Replimat, Bashir and O'Brien discuss the issue further. They wonder why use a rifle at all if you are going to shoot somebody at close range. Davy Crockett's attachment to a particular weapon comes up, and as Bashir tells an old story about Davy Crockett using frying pans to perform a trick shot, the Chief has an epiphany about how the killer has fired from close range without leaving powder burns: displaced targeting. He believes the killer set up an alternate bullet trajectory which did not require a direct line of sight between him and the victim. Quickly arranging a demonstration, O'Brien shows how a micro-transporter could be attached to the muzzle of a TR-116 rifle to beam the bullet close to the target, where it continues its trajectory. With an exographic targeting sensor, the murderer could have scanned through bulkheads, meaning he or she could be firing from anywhere on the station, at anyone. Unfortunately, the micro-transporter does not leave enough of a transporter signature to track back. Ezri redoubles her efforts to find a connection between the two murder victims, but gets nowhere. Alone on the Promenade she runs into Worf who appears to have followed her out of concern, even though he does not admit it. He asks her about the investigation and if he can be of assistance. She says that there is actually someone who could help, but that she does not want to ask him. Worf insists that if that person can help, she should consider it, no matter how unpleasant. He knows that accomplishing a task until it is finished is "Dax's way" after all. Hoping to draw on the memories of Joran, Ezri performs the Trill Rite of Emergence to extract and personify Joran; to interact with him so she can trace the killer's thoughts, actions, motives and drive. At first she has a bit of a hard time getting through to him, but he finally emerges, telling her that she won't regret having summoned him -- the forgotten host, the outcast, the murderer. It seems strange for her to see him separated from all the others, standing in front of her but Joran says he has a lot to offer and that Jadzia and Curzon were wrong to deny him all this time. Ezri is eager to get to work to expose the murderer, so Joran suggests starting with the killer's choice of weapons. Even though Ezri knows what the killer used, Joran says that it means nothing until she herself holds the weapon, looks through its tracking display, picks a target, feels the power when she locks its sensors to the unexpecting prey. Joran encourages her to think like a killer so she can catch him. This thought deeply disturbs Ezri but she is determined. Ezri takes the TR-116 rifle out of its casing while Joran admires its aesthetic qualities, design and the power as well as sense of danger it conveys. He asks her to hold it in her hands so she feels what the killer felt. She puts on the targeting display and holds the weapon as if she was going to use it. He tells her to move to the Habitat ring with her display so she can put herself in the killer's mind. Then, layer by layer, they intrude into peoples' lives. When she finds and targets a young Starfleet officer in his quarters, Joran wants to know how she feels. Ezri replies that she feels powerful and in control, like the killer would. The killing is done from a distance, remarks Joran; it is cold and methodical, implying that either a doctor or a scientist are behind it. Ezri wants to know why choose a victim like this instead of just going to the Promenade or to Quark's. Joran suggests that she find out by pulling the trigger. Ezri is close and tempted, but at the last moment, pulls herself back together and puts down the rifle. After she puts the weapon down, Joran remarks that the gun wasn't loaded and that he asked her to pull the trigger so she can learn something about the killer. Ezri is irritated. In Quark's, Ezri is still shaken from her experience. Joran apologizes for having pushed her but insists that it was necessary. When Quark approaches Ezri, offering her something to drink, Joran remarks how he would love to slip a knife between Quark's ribs. Ezri pretends she didn't hear that and upon the suggestion of Joran, she decides to go check out the victims' quarters to see if she can find any clues there. She looks around, but she simply cannot get anywhere. In Vanderweg's quarters she notices an animated picture of Vanderweg with her husband, laughing. She compares the two victims and realizes that besides the uniform, they both have absolutely nothing in common. She is frustrated. Later at Quark's, Ezri is deep in thought and Joran knows that she is thinking about giving up. Joran tells her that she is the problem because she refuses to see with the killer's eyes, feel with his hands and think with his mind. She thinks that Joran wants to turn her to a killer, to himself, when he again reminds her that she is him. Suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a chase: a young Starfleet officer is being chased by the security team. Believing him to be the killer, Ezri jumps on him and, encouraged by Joran, picks up a knife and nearly stabs the man in a violent rage. Odo stops her just in time. It turns out the man, (Ensign Bertram), was being pursued by security for accessing the TR-116 replicator pattern. However, he has turned out to be a mere weapons collector with a tight alibi: he was on Bajor at the time of the first murder. Sisko cannot believe that she was about to stab the man and wonders what is going on. He almost takes Ezri off the case, but gives her another chance when she assures him that she can find the killer if she has a little more time. On their way out, Joran remarks that he could never understand what Curzon and Jadzia saw in Sisko, as he finds him to be "insufferable and so Starfleet". He jokes, wondering why the killer hasn't targeted him yet. Ezri has enough, however, and attempts to reverse the ritual to rebury Joran's memories, realizing that he is just too dangerous of an influence to be around. But she is interrupted by news of another murder: Zim Brott, a Bolian petty officer, has been found dead, by the same method. While searching the latest victim's quarters for clues, Joran looks at a picture, wondering cynically how someone could be so happy with such unattractive children. And that is when it finally dawns on Ezri: she realizes that the only commonality between the victims is the pictures of them laughing and that therefore, the killer is someone who hates laughter, who hates emotion, such as a Vulcan maybe. Joran notes that all Vulcans dislike emotion but that they don't go out killing people for smiling, but Ezri reasons that a Vulcan, sufficiently traumatized, might see the pictures as an unbearable, frozen display of emotion. When he looks through the targeting sensor and sees those pictures, to Ezri, the laughter seems to mock him. Joran is pleased that she is thinking like the killer now. They find out that there are currently 48 Vulcans serving on DS9 and realize that they need to narrow their list. Joran notes they need to eliminate 47 of them. She comes up with a short list of suspects who fit what she has deduced. In the turbolift and on her way to review her list and shorten it further, she and Joran run into a Vulcan who seems to fit the killer's profile. Joran knows right away that it's him, but Ezri needs further proof. Checking his personnel file, she discovers that he is a science officer and that his name is Chu'lak. She further discovers that he has indeed suffered a recent emotional trauma: the ship he served on for ten years was destroyed by the Jem'Hadar and he was one of the only six crew members out of 1250, to survive. That is a painful loss, even for a Vulcan. Ezri has doubts still, however, but Joran urges her to listen to her instincts, to listen to him. Using the TR-116 and exographic scanner, she goes after Chu'lak and finds out that he is looking at her personnel file. She is even more mortified when she sees him retrieve the TR-116 rifle and scanner, aiming it at her. Although Joran encourages her to shoot the Vulcan, she hesitates slightly and then only wounds him non-fatally. It is enough, however, to cause Chu'lak's shot to miss its mark, striking the wall behind Ezri and Joran, and the two of them rush to the wounded Vulcan's quarters. Joran tells Ezri he is proud of her. In Chu'lak's quarters, Ezri confronts the Vulcan, wanting to know why he did it. Chu'lak answers that it was because logic demanded it. All the while she is aiming the rifle directly at him with Joran breathing on her neck, encouraging her to finish him off. He keeps telling her that she should just do it, knowing that he deserves to die. Though Ezri is tempted, once again, at the last moment, she pulls herself together and lowers her weapon, much to Joran's dismay. After calling for medical assistance for her would-be killer, Ezri mocks Joran, saying he should at least try to not look too disappointed. Finally, having solved the murders and come to terms with her memories of Joran, she begins the process of sending him back. As she recites her incantation, Joran tells her that from now on she will not be able to forget him and bury him as deeply as Curzon and Jadzia did. He tells her that he is a part of her now, as much as all the other hosts. Ezri understands the change that has taken place and the place Joran will take in her psyche from now. She slowly watches him vanish, knowing that he will never really be gone. 
<EOS>
O'Brien and Constable Odo are re-entering the Bajoran system in a runabout, having just attended a conference. While they continue on, Odo explains he purchased a "knickknack" for Kira, as well as Rigelian chocolates (her favorite), serving to remind O'Brien that he failed to get anything for Keiko. He half-seriously offers to buy the chocolates, though Odo apologetically refuses. Suddenly, an alarm goes off; something is gaining on the runabout from behind. They two watch with surprise as there appears to be a fish-like creature of some sort in space, but, as it overtakes the vessel, it falls back and seems to disappear, at least from sensors. Odo and O'Brien, with phaser, get up and look behind them, hearing various noises within the ship. Soon, a Changeling oozes out of a vent in the cockpit. It seems the Changeling sensed Odo's presence and came to investigate. While Miles assumes the Changeling to be a Founder, Odo realizes he like Odo is one of the Hundred Changelings, Changelings the Founders sent out to learn about the Milky Way Galaxy. Nonetheless, the Changeling (who does not trust "mono-forms") allows himself to be taken into custody so long as Odo vouches for his safety. They return to Deep Space 9, where Dr. Bashir confirms that the Changeling's morphogenic matrix is as stable as Odo's rather than infected with the morphogenic virus that has infected the Founders' Great Link. From this, Odo is convinced he is indeed not a Founder and therefore not a threat. Perhaps against Captain Sisko's better judgment, the Changeling is released into Odo's custody after he asks Sisko to trust him in this matter. As the Changeling, Laas, walks along the Promenade with Odo, they have a long talk. Odo describes the Founders, and Odo's disagreement with them, clearly stating that he believes the their war with the Federation is wrong. Interestingly, Laas doesn't agree, either; he simply wishes to avoid humanoids altogether. Laas clearly doesn't trust humanoids, though Odo says the ones on DS9 are different, and have accepted him. Laas is skeptical, though. Seeing that Odo hasn't tried to find the other Hundred and he's only been taking their form for 30 years, Laas sees that it's still new to Odo. He tells of how he was discovered over 200 years prior by the Varalans, alone, as was Odo at first. He too "grew up" around humanoids, but they never really accepted him. He believes they are all intolerant of difference, but Odo disagrees, as the people on DS9 are all different. Laas sees them all as basically the same, though. Odo leads Laas to his quarters to stay in. When they get to Odo's quarters and Laas sees a picture of Kira, he tells of how he once had a Varalan mate, but having children was important to her and they ended their relationship. Then Odo links with Laas, allowing the other Changeling to experience the sensation for the first time. However, during the link Odo betrays his true feelings; were he not in love with Kira, he would have returned to the Great Link and become a Founder. The next day, Kira finds Odo in the security office and is excited to hear about the Changeling, but Odo is still troubled by Laas' revelation about his true feelings. He is awkward in discussing the matter but does reveal that he linked with Laas. In any case, Kira expresses interest in meeting Laas, and Odo promises to arrange it. In Quark's, Kira sits with Bashir, O'Brien, and Ezri as they await Odo and Laas' arrival. Unfortunately, Laas' seems to thwart attempts at starting friendly conversation; he seems to think himself somehow superior to "mono-forms" and openly expresses his dislike for humanoids. He describes how Varalans are as disruptive to the balance of nature as any other civilization. A comment about not trusting mono-forms hits a sour note with O'Brien, who does not trust Changelings except for Odo. In Laas' eyes, O'Brien only trusts Odo because he has convinced him that Odo is a mono-form himself. After an awkward silence, Odo graciously leaves with Laas. Back on the Promenade, Odo expresses frustration at Laas' behavior. Laas clearly doesn't care about their opinions and tries to cut off the argument and get Odo to link with him, but Odo refuses. Laas accuses him of being embarrassed about his true nature. In Laas' eyes, Odo's desire to shapeshift only in private is evidence of how intolerant are the creatures around them. He proposes that he and Odo search for others of "the hundred" and form a new link, away from the Founders and their war. The idea obviously appeals to Odo. In Kira's quarters, Odo tells her about Laas' idea and she begins to worry about his happiness. After all, linking allows one to know a person much more intimately than talking. She fears Laas knows something she does not. Odo tells her he's happy on the station, with her. She expresses that she is sorry that she can't link with him, but Odo reassures her that he loves her. He returns to his quarters to give Laas his answer. He arrives to find a fire in the middle of the room. He panics until he realises it is Laas, who scolds him for not considering the flame could be him. Laas promises to show Odo magnificent things, the likes of which he has never dreamed, but Odo intends to stay on DS9. Rather than leave, he believes Laas might like to stay as well, which Laas agrees to do "as a favor" to Odo.  Laas says he's got no interest in the other monoforms; Odo says that after what happened at Quark's he'll not have an overcrowded social schedule. The next day, Bashir and O'Brien arrive on the Promenade to discover a thick layer of fog is covering the ground which leads them to believe that the environmental controls are acting up. Before O'Brien can leave to check the controls, Odo reassures them that everything is fine; the fog is actually Laas, who is relaxing. When they express displeasure, Odo's attitude is markedly different from before as he sees nothing wrong with Laas' actions. The other Changeling returns to his bi-pedal state, but he has gained the attention of a pair of Klingon officers. One Klingon questions the presence of a Founder on the station. Odo tries to stop the argument, insisting Laas isn't a Founder, but it isn't heard. Laas instead insults them; then the Klingon comes at Laas with a d'k tahg. The attacker's knife goes through Laas, who then uses his shapeshifting nature to create a long sword for himself. The second Klingon makes a move, and Laas immediately kills him before the man can draw his own weapon. Captain Sisko, Odo, and Worf meet in the captain's office to discuss the matter. In an unusual gesture, the Klingon Empire is pursuing diplomatic avenues to extradite Laas to their jurisdiction in order to prosecute him for killing one of their soldiers. There appears to be no motive for doing so (it is normally not an honorable thing to do) other than Laas' nature as a Changeling. The matter is out of Sisko's hands until the magistrate can rule on it.  Odo says it was self-defense; but Sisko maintains that since Laas knew he couldn't be harmed by a knife attack, his use of deadly force is not justified. Odo continues to defend Laas but starts to turn on Sisko. Sisko cuts it off and informs him Martok expressed concerns about security; he's not sure it's "appropriate" for Odo to be in charge of the prisoner. Odo wonders if it's because he's a changeling; Sisko says it's because he was a witness to the crime. Quark heard what happened and confronts Odo. Odo defends Laas stating that if the Klingons attacked a humanoid instead of a changeling they would have been the ones arrested. Quark agrees, but he states that Laas' actions didn't help matters and what he did made others uncomfortable. Odo doesn't understand why since Laas was only doing what comes naturally to his species, but Quark points out that Odo never pulled that kind of stunt and explains to him that humanoids are instinctively frightened and intolerant to beings that do not have two arms and legs. Odo asks Quark if that should excuse the Klingons behavior. Quark replies that he is merely explaining why it happened, not excusing it. As Odo is left to ponder those words, Quark reminds him that most of the Alpha Quadrant is still at war with the Founders, and until that changes the last thing that anyone wants to see is a Changeling proudly expressing himself in public. This is no time for a "Changeling Pride" demonstration on the Promenade. At the cells, Odo wants to speak to Laas alone, however, the deputy on duty respectfully tells him he's not to be left alone with Laas. Odo accepts it and then tells Laas he doesn't know what to say. Laas tells him to admit that he doesn't belong with solids. The solids tolerate him because he emulates them. But he fears them, and fear can turn to hate in the blink of an eye. Odo, conflicted, needs to talk to Kira about this. In his quarters, he tells Kira that Laas is going to be extradited because he's a changeling; if he were humanoid, Sisko would intervene. Kira responds Odo is being unfair to Sisko by accusing him of that bias. Odo tells her he's not just what she sees, that he can become anything or anyone else, but Kira says that form is who he's always chosen to be, a good and honest man, and that's who she loves. Odo isn't sure, saying finally that he's a changeling, not a humanoid, partly wishing to leave with Laas. Kira knows where this is going and departs in tears, saying maybe he's right. Kira then visits Laas in his cell, and frees him. She tells him to go to Koralis III and wait there for Odo. He asks her why she's doing it; she says because she loves him. Sisko demands answers, knowing that Martok is not going to be happy with the escape. Kira says Laas turned into a plasma and got into the vent. Worf suggests he shadowed a Corvallen freighter that was leaving at the time. Odo reminds Worf he probably left because of his distrust of their legal system, and not out of guilt. Worf insists he must be captured. Sisko deploys a search effort, and makes sure Odo agrees with him. In the turbolift, Kira admits to Odo that she released Laas, and tells him to go to Koralis III to meet him. She wishes him good luck and hopes he finds what he's looking for. Odo can't respond, shocked. He goes to Koralis III, now convinced he would rather stay on DS9, and finds Laas. He tells Laas confidently that he has chosen to stay with Kira and that Laas' perspective on the 'solids' is wrong. Laas questions Odo's decision. Odo tells him that he's been many things, but has never experienced love. Laas begs him to travel with him; Odo refuses and wishes him good luck. He reaches out his hand for another link, but Laas simply walks away. Returning to Deep Space 9, he goes to Kira, who is praying for Odo's safety. She apologizes if she's ever made him feel as though he couldn't be himself with her, and says she wants to really know him. He transforms himself into an intense golden light that envelops her. She revels in the experience. 
<EOS>
While in Vic Fontaine's holosuite club, Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir try to convince Vic to join them in their Alamo program. Vic declines, and instead offers to sing a tune to get them into a "Texas state of mind."  In the middle of Vic's Alamo rendition, however, there is a flash in the program and he is suddenly booed off the stage, as a new, raunchy act emerges from behind the curtain, stealing Vic's show. Confused and in a state of disbelief, Vic gets shuffled by the crowd; when the crowd parts, he is confronted by Frankie Eyes, a gangster with an axe to grind against Vic. Frankie abruptly informs Vic that he has recently purchased the hotel, casino, and lounge. Vic, who is no longer welcome in the club, is being replaced with a new act. O'Brien requests that the computer remove the two new, offending characters from the program, but nothing happens. So he tries to freeze the entire holosuite program, again to no avail. Frankie is accompanied by a thug, Tony Cicci, who begins to get physical with Vic, as Frankie demands Vic leave the premises. To defuse the situation, Vic agrees to leave peacefully, while Frankie checks out his new casino. Bashir and O'Brien discuss how to fix the errant program, and one solution is to completely reset it but this would also reset Vic and wipe out his memory. They agree to find another, less destructive way to save their holographic friend. Back in Ops, the crew members debate the true value of a holodeck "friend," with Worf arguing that Vic is merely a hologram, and should be treated as such, even if he is a talented entertainer. O'Brien, Nog, and Kira all argue that Vic is "more than just a program."  Bashir soon learns that the new adversarial holosuite character has been implanted purposely by Felix, the designer of the program, as a jack-in-the-box, a character buried very deeply within the program storyline designed to shake things up (in order to keep Bashir's interest), and not easily removed. Felix warns Bashir that the jack-in-the-box is also period-specific, meaning that it must be beaten with 1962 means and methods. In other words, Frankie would need to be shot with a period weapon and not a phaser. However simply killing the gangster is not an option as the mob could retaliate against Vic, and if Vic were to die his pattern would be wiped from the simulation. Captain Benjamin Sisko emerges from his office and asks what everyone is talking about. The crew explain what's happened to Vic, but are surprised when Sisko isn't interested and orders them all back to work. Nog promises his help, since Vic's counsel helped him deal with losing his leg and saved his career. Kira also promises her support, as well as Odo's, since they both owe Vic for his help in finally bringing them together. Later, Sisko and Kasidy are enjoying a quiet, romantic dinner, when Kasidy broaches the subject of Vic's dilemma. Sisko is surprised to find Kasidy coming to Vic's defense insisting that Vic is more friend than program, and asks her to change the subject. Kasidy asks Ben why he's never been to Vic's, but he isn't willing to discuss the issue, and Kasidy decides to drop it. Back on the holosuite, O'Brien and Bashir go to room 107, Vic's room in the hotel, only to find Vic beaten and bruised, and still shaky on his feet. With three bruised ribs and a sprained wrist, Vic explains how he was roughed up as a warning message to speed his departure. Frankie is a childhood rival from Vic's youth, whom Vic used to beat mercilessly in street stickball, playing as children. O'Brien and Bashir promise Vic they will hatch a plan to end the jack-in-the-box threat. Kira and Odo begin infiltrating the revamped casino and club, now crawling with gangster clientèle; Vic's band has been replaced by a number of sultry, burlesque dancers and blues musicians. Odo, enchanted by the action on-stage, befriends Cicci and the other gangsters at the bar. Kira, meanwhile, is approached by Frankie, who takes an obvious interest in her. Kira accompanies Frankie to the roulette table to distract him, while Odo endears himself to Cicci by effortlessly stretching his changeling arm, in what appears to be the best bar trick ever concocted. In this way, Odo learns from the henchmen that Frankie is merely a pawn of Carl Zeemo, a big-time gangster who is behind the purchase of the hotel. Back in Vic's hotel room, the gang (which now includes Kasidy and Ezri Dax) begins planning the fall of Frankie Eyes. Vic explains how Frankie's business works by him paying "skim" money to the big boss every month -- so the simplest, most effective way to get rid of the gangster is to steal the casino's holdings, and deny Zeemo his payoff. The main stash of mob money is locked in a safe in the casino countroom, guarded by two countmen and a guard. The gang begins reconnoitering the casino to develop a plan: Frankie shows Kira to the countroom, where large amounts of cash are accumulated and stored in the safe. Kasidy, playing her part as a casino gambler, continually tries to strike up a conversation with the countroom guard, distracting him from his duties. Odo introduces Ezri as someone new in town, whereby Cicci immediately hires her as a cocktail waitress. Vic appears on the casino floor, pleading with Cicci to allow him to see Frankie. Frankie, accompanied by the cool-acting Kira, rebuffs Vic's advances rather insultingly, and leads Kira toward the poker table. Sisko is upset that Kasidy and the majority of his senior staff are involved in the caper, calling the entire affair "nonsense". Kasidy defends their actions as friends helping out friends in need, and Ben tells her that his discomfort has nothing to do with the fact that Vic Fontaine is a hologram. When pressed, Sisko further explains that he feels uncomfortable with the setting (Las Vegas 1962), because the racial strife of the era meant that people of color were never allowed to be customers at a place like Vic's lounge. Kasidy responds by explaining that Vic's program is not designed to contain any of the racial tensions of 1960s United States of America and neither she or Jake have ever felt uncomfortable there. Ben tells her that's the lie. the 1960s were a hard time for people of color (a life, as Benny Russell, he personally experienced) with the civil rights movement still in the early stages and he doesn't want to pretend that it wasn't. Kasidy defends this and tells Sisko that she believes they can act out how things could, and should, have been, almost in a Utopian-type environment, where one's only limitations are "the ones we impose on ourselves." This has a noticeable effect on the Captain. In the hotel room, the characters realize that in order to pull off their plan, they need another person helping. With Worf and Quark most likely unwilling to help, the gang begin to worry until, to their surprise, Sisko enters the room promising his support, having been swayed by Kasidy's argument. In Vic's room, the "crew" go over their plan once more: Without the money, Frankie has no skim money to pay Zeemo his cut, and everything will return to normal. The entire caper should take, by Sisko's estimate, eight minutes; Bashir unabashedly predicts it will take only five. They will need to carry out their plan the following night, as Frankie's big boss Zeemo will arrive the night after to collect his skim money. The crew spend their remaining time practicing their various grifts to cut their execution time down to minimum. The following night, all decked out in 1960s period attire, the eight participants march through the Promenade into a half-empty Quark's into Vic's, turning many an eye in the joint. Quark, who has traditionally viewed Vic as competition, and has never gotten close, remarks, "I'm telling you, Morn. something's going on at Vic's that we don't know about." Their plan underway, Kira enters to distract Frankie. Julian orders his vodka martini (stirred, not shaken) from Ezri. Vic encourages Benjamin to loosen up the purse-strings, so as to appear the part of high-roller; he reluctantly increases his wager from $100 to $2,000. Kira lures Frankie into a private table in the restaurant, away from the action. When a rogue customer accidentally spills Ezri's drink tray, Julian saves the moment by grabbing another drink, tainting it, and handing it to Ezri for delivery. Their plans take another turn for the worse when the regular countman is not there, replaced by an acerbic, insulting man. After a brief repartee, Ezri finally persuades the new countman to gulp down the drink, while Sisko and Vic do their thing at the tables. Yates and O'Brien easily distract the guard (perhaps too easily, as O'Brien will soon discover), so Nog slips into the countroom when the countman scrambles to the restroom. Nog, who was unprepared to find the safe employing an auto-relock tumbler, cannot crack the lock. In the meantime, all the other participants stretch out their parts, so as to give Nog longer to achieve his goal. With Kira slowly nursing her drink, Frankie is surprised to have a guest: the big Mr. Zeemo himself, arriving in town a day early to collect his money -- the very money Nog and Odo are trying desperately to get their hands onto in the countroom. Kira, stalling for time, exclaims what an honor it is to meet him, to which Mr. Zeemo replies matter-of-factly, "I know."  Nog, still struggling with the safe, is informed by Odo that they've expended their allotted eight minutes. Bashir, folding a winning full house hand, walks away from the poker tables to intercept the second countman, re-routing him away from the countroom. Vic causes a scene by pretending familiarity with Mr. Zeemo's escort, a young blond beauty, only to be escorted away himself by Cicci. As a last resort, Sisko begins throwing money around -- literally. He casts handfuls of cash into the air here and there, causing a sensation (and quite a disruption) on the casino floor. In the countroom, Nog finally unlocks the door to the safe. Odo begins putting the safe's million dollars into his "briefcase" of an arm, while outside O'Brien, carrying on the act for too long, gets arrested for stealing. Leading O'Brien away to a holding cell, the guard is instructed to perform a strip search on the poor chief. Yates pretends to break down, to keep the other guard's head turned at the last minute, while Odo and Nog flee the countroom, making their escape. Their flight takes them, with the money, past Mr. Zeemo, astounded at seeing all the money floating around the casino floor. It is a different story in the countroom, however, as there is no money in the safe, much to the shock of Frankie. Not being able to produce the cash, and appearing to have squandered the money like confetti on the casino floor, Frankie is escorted out drearily, past the burlesque show, past the blues band, and right past the co-conspirators, neatly lined up at the bar in order: As Frankie is led through the curtains, presumably to meet his doom, the ambiance in Vic's lounge immediately returns to how it was before the Jack-in-the-Box upset everything. Vic offers a glass of the bubbly to each of his co-conspirators (each of his friends) when suddenly O'Brien appears, putting his jacket (and, presumably, clothes) back on after his encounter with the guards. Vic agrees to accompany O'Brien and Bashir on their Alamo program any time they desire -- "coonskin cap and all". Vic and Sisko conclude the adventure by together crooning the duet "The Best Is Yet to Come" to the delight of all. 
<EOS>
In Deep Space 9's wardroom, Colonel Kira is presiding over the weekly meeting between Romulan Senator Cretak, Lieutenant Commander Worf, Chief O'Brien, and Constable Odo. Some slight arguing arises between Cretak and Worf over who has priority of using the station's repair facilities -- the Klingons or the Romulans. Kira calms the quarreling and ascertains from O'Brien that the earliest he can get the warbirds into docking bays for repair would be tomorrow but that he would have to put off work on the Hornet and the Rotarran to do it that quickly, and General Martok won't be happy. Kira assigns Worf the duty of informing him. Then Odo, who has been quiet up until this point, raises concerns about shore leave, advising it would be a bad idea for Klingons and Romulans to be mixing on the Promenade. Cretak politely says she will postpone shore leave for her crews, taking a further verbal snipe at the Klingons. Though noticeably annoyed, Worf refrains from comment. Kira draws the meeting to a close, reminding everyone of next week's meeting before realizing that the Senator will be attending a medical conference then, and so wishes her a safe trip to Romulus. On the Promenade, Doctor Bashir and Garak exit a turbolift. They are discussing Garak's time on Romulus, where he once posed as a gardener while on a mission for the Obsidian Order. He says it was one of his most enjoyable covers, though the planet itself was predominantly gray. "The buildings, the clothes, the people," he says. He even tells Bashir that the Romulan heart itself is grey, "and altogether appropriate for such an unimaginative race." As Bashir tries to trick him into revealing his mission on Romulus, Garak quickly changes the subject back to Bashir, asking what his role is going to be in the upcoming conference. He explains he will be giving a talk on Dominion biogenic weapons, chairing a seminar on ketracel-white and attending a meeting on a proposal to transfer twenty-five Federation hospital ships to Romulan control. Garak sees this as very dull with the Doctor explaining that Admiral Ross and his staff will be discussing the "exciting" military issues. The intelligence operative in Garak asks whether Starfleet Intelligence will be sending someone along as well, to gain valuable intelligence into Romulan intentions and military capabilities. Bashir reminds Garak that the Romulans are their allies and this could be the beginning of a new-found friendship. But Garak just calls him the "ever-eternal optimist" and says he hopes Bashir will come to see the universe for what it truly is, as opposed to what he would like it to be. The doctor jokes that he will endeavor to become more cynical with every passing day. "If only you meant it," replies Garak, with a grin on his face. Later that evening, Bashir is in bed when he is awakened by a shady figure sitting by the window. He instructs the computer to turn on the lights, revealing the dark figure to be Luther Sloan. "Hello, Doctor. I hope you're well rested," he greets. "Section 31 has an assignment for you." Bashir quickly jumps out of bed. He threatens to call a security team on Sloan, but the intelligence operative is confident the doctor won't be able to reach anyone outside of the room. Bashir maintains that he doesn't work for Section 31 and won't be doing any assignment of theirs. Sloan says that, whether or not Bashir likes it, he has been accepted into Section 31 and now it's time to go to work. He explains that the Romulan Tal Shiar will be handling security at the conference and so there will be no chance of using any technical assets to gather intelligence. That is where Bashir comes in; Sloan wants the doctor to gather information on the Romulan leadership -- in essence, to "take the pulse" of their government. Bashir sees this as spying on an ally but Sloan explains it's only a temporary alliance. He predicts that as soon as the war is over, the Dominion will be forced back to the Gamma Quadrant, Cardassian territory will be occupied, and the Klingon Empire will spend the next ten years recovering, leaving the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire vying for control of the Alpha Quadrant. Bashir is noticeably disgusted. "This war isn't over and you're already planning for the next," he says. Sloan can only admire the doctor's way with words, and hopes that Bashir's report will be "equally succinct." Bashir continues to object, stating he will not work for Sloan, but Sloan believes the doctor is a man who loves secrets, whether they are medical, personal or fictional, and that because of this, he will eventually change his mind. Before leaving, Sloan offers to tell Bashir his secrets but only if he accepts the assignment. The doctor follows him out of the room, phaser in hand, but it's too late and he just runs into Ezri. Sloan is gone. In Captain Sisko's office, Bashir explains how Odo was unable to find any trace of Sloan in the station's records, but Sisko isn't surprised that Sloan was able to cover up his tracks. The captain goes on to say that, after speaking with Admiral Ross, they both agree the Romulan conference is too important to cancel and Bashir will be attending, as agreed. Sisko also tells Bashir to make a few discreet observations and wait for Sloan to contact him. The doctor doesn't believe that giving Sloan any information is a good idea. Sisko admits that was his initial thought too, but Admiral Ross convinced him this is the perfect opportunity to get a man on the inside of the organization and Bashir is that man. The doctor reluctantly agrees and says he'd better go and get ready to pack, as the USS Bellerophon leaves in three hours. As he turns to leave, the captain reminds him that this isn't a game and that Section 31 is a dangerous threat. If they even suspect him of working for Sisko, it could mean bad news. Bashir understands and heads out. "Good hunting," Sisko remarks. The Bellerophon is heading for Romulus at warp speed. A small reception is being held in the mess hall, where Senator Cretak, Admiral Ross, and Doctor Bashir toast to the new alliance over a glass of Romulan ale after the Admiral mentions the trade embargo has been officially lifted. Taking his first sip, Ross starts to cough to which Bashir jokingly asks him if he needs a medical team. He falteringly admits that this is his first taste of the drink and that he is probably one of the few officers in Starfleet who hasn't "indulged" on occasion. Senator Cretak offers him something else but he declines, saying he'll manage. "That's the spirit, sir. Never say die!", Bashir retorts. Cretak suddenly looks confused, believing it to be an odd expression. Before he can explain, Sloan interrupts posing as a Wendell Greer, and explains the origin himself. The admiral then introduces him to everyone, including Bashir, who is surprised to see him. "Greer" says he was hoping to meet the good Doctor and uses the opportunity to take him to one side. Sloan informs Bashir there is a PADD waiting for him in his quarters and instructs him to read it. Sloan says he will meet him there at twenty-two hundred hours before rejoining the rest of the delegation. In the ship's briefing room, Bashir and Ross are discussing Sloan. The admiral has done some checking and records show he has been a low-level bureaucrat in the Department of Cartography for the past fifteen years, but Bashir isn't surprised he has a solid cover story. He requests the admiral stop Sloan from being allowed to participate in the conference, but Ross believes this is a chance to find out what Section 31 is up to. He thinks if Sloan is on the Bellerophon, it suggests something bigger is going on than a simple intelligence gathering mission. Later, Bashir is joined by Sloan in his quarters. They are going through some holographic representations of Romulan officials. As one image disappears, it is replaced by another, of whom Bashir recognizes as former Proconsul, now Praetor, Neral. He goes on to recite that Neral was elevated to the "top post" by the Continuing Committee a little over a year ago and that all his immediate family was killed in a Klingon raid approximately twenty-five years ago. Furthermore, his interests include sociology and archeology, his favorite food is Delvan pudding and his pet set'leth's name is Pensho. Sloan is satisfied with Bashir's ability to recall facts, saying it is a useful attribute for an operative to have. He then changes the hologram to one of Koval, chairman of the Tal Shiar. Bashir continues, saying that Section 31 believes him to be responsible for the death of Admiral Fujisaki last year but there is no proof. Sloan fervently believes Koval is responsible and the proof is buried deep within Koval's personal database. He gives him credit for the operation which he says was made to look like food poisoning and there wasn't any hint at Romulan involvement. Moving on, Bashir recounts that Koval wasn't elevated to the Continuing Committee as is standard with heads of the Tal Shiar, most likely due to his opposition to the Federation Alliance which is supported by the majority of the Committee. Sloan explains that Cretak has been lobbying for the open seat and, as an advocate of the Alliance, she may get it. He also reveals something which was not in the file he gave to Bashir; a rumor that Koval has Tuvan Syndrome, a neurological disease that affects mainly Vulcans, Romulans and Rigelians. Sloan confesses it was because of this that they want Bashir at the conference, so he can make a visual diagnosis of Koval's illness to confirm it is true. The doctor says even he wouldn't be able to make a diagnosis without any medical equipment but Sloan is confident and recounts how his genetically-engineered friends were able to ascertain Damar had killed a woman by watching him give a political speech. Bashir correctly deduces that Section 31 is planning to use Koval's illness to keep him off the Continuing Committee, and cites the Prime Directive on interfering with Romulan affairs. Without confirming or denying any such plan, Sloan admits that if Koval came to power he would advocate peace with the Dominion and ensure Romulus withdraws from the war. Bashir tries to argue with him but eventually realizes there is no point. As he leaves, Sloan reassures him that he will only be called upon to gather intelligence, but he will need to have his wits about him when they do arrive at Romulus in the next few hours. The conference is underway on Romulus. Bashir is helping himself to a glass of Romulan ale when Koval approaches him and begins to ask about the Quickening. Pretending not to know who he is, Bashir introduces himself and says it's a pleasure to meet him, an expression Koval finds "completely devoid of meaning." He continues to question Bashir about the Quickening, wondering whether it can be replicated. Bashir begins to answer believing he is wanting to know how to synthesize a vaccine, but Koval wants to know about the virus itself and if it could be introduced into a population. The Doctor believes he can, at which point Koval remarks he is looking forward to attending his lecture and leaves, leaving Bashir with a somewhat bewildered look on his face. Senator Cretak notices his conversation with Koval and jokes he would make a fine operative. She comments on Koval's habit of rarely speaking to anyone in public, much less someone in a Starfleet uniform, and suggests Starfleet Intelligence recruit him immediately. On a more serious note, she tells Bashir that there are some people in the Romulan Senate that believe the alliance with the Federation is more than a momentary truce and reveals that Koval is not one of them; she and him haven't spoken a word to each other in the past six months. Bashir asks her why, to which she quips, "State secrets." Later that day, Bashir is giving his lecture on the Quickening virus to a room of both Starfleet and Romulan officials, one of whom is Koval who is listening intently. The lecture is eventually over and it turns out that Sloan has been watching him all along. When the room empties, Bashir tells him of the earlier conversation with Koval about the Quickening but Sloan isn't interested. Instead, he asks about the Romulan's health. Bashir recounts that Koval's eyelids were slightly displaced, he had a noticeable weakness in the facial muscles, probably the result of a compromised neuromuscular function, and his respiration was somewhat irregular which may indicate the early stages of Tuvan Syndrome. Sloan asks how long he has to which the doctor theorizes he may live for another twenty to twenty-five years. Sloan then asks if there are circumstances in which the condition can accelerate and if anything can "trigger" it. It turns out there are but in less than five percent of cases, as Bashir explains, but he is dubious of telling Sloan anything more. Sloan remains content and shakes the doctor's hand before leaving. Back on board the Bellerophon, Bashir is consulting with Admiral Ross who agrees with Sloan in that Koval would want nothing more than to see the Romulan banner waving over Earth. He tells Bashir that he is going to confine Sloan to quarters immediately but suspects he may not be acting alone. After thinking about it, the Doctor agrees, further speculating that because of Sloan's in-depth inside knowledge, he might have an accomplice on Romulus. He further explains that to carry out Sloan's plan, Koval would need to be infected with a dose of nadion radiation in order to accelerate his condition. The Doctor exclaims they must inform the Romulans immediately but Ross says no, that there would be chaos if the Romulans learn there is a rogue agency running about on the planet plotting assassinations, to the point it could collapse the alliance. He orders Bashir to "sit tight" and do nothing until further notice. Bashir has returned to the mess hall where he starts reading over one of his data PADDs. Two crewmen enter and begin talking about an admiral who was found slumped over his desk and that the medical officer determined it to be an aneurism. Bashir suddenly jumps to his feet and asks them who they are talking about. They confirm it's Admiral Ross who was immediately taken to sickbay. As Bashir starts to head out, he comes eye to eye with Sloan, who is sitting at a nearby table. He raises a glass and smirks at Bashir as he quietly leaves the mess hall. Back on Romulus, Bashir is talking with Senator Cretak in one of the lecture rooms. He explains that he cannot trust anyone on the Bellerophon and can't get a message out to Deep Space 9 due to the communications blackout. He wants her help to locate Sloan's Romulan accomplice and prevent Koval's assassination by getting a copy of Koval's personal database (which should contain a list of people Koval suspects to be the traitor) while he attempts to dissuade Sloan by informing him that Koval doesn't have Tuvan Syndrome. She initially objects, but Bashir pleas with her to put centuries of mistrust aside and help him. Sloan meets with Bashir on the Bellerophon, who tells him that he isn't sure Koval has Tuvan Syndrome as all his studies have been on Vulcans who have some important genetic differences to Romulans. Bashir thinks he has gotten away with it but Sloan tells him they will treat his palm with a microcellular adhesive so they can gain a sample of Koval's skin cells and find out for sure. In the main conference hall, Koval is with one of his aides when Bashir walks up begins talking to him. The two shake hands as Bashir tells him how he would like to continue their discussion on the Quickening, though Koval says he has answered all his questions. As the doctor turns to walk away, Koval asks him to accompany him to another room, where there is another matter he would like to discuss. Sloan looks on as the two of them head off. Bashir is led to a small room with a chair in the middle and two guards on either side. Koval insists the doctor sit down as he himself takes his place behind a desk. He wants to know what Bashir is really doing on Romulus, who he is working for and what his mission is but he doesn't expect him to answer with words. One of the guards holds Bashir while the other takes out two devices and affixes them to his temples. "This can be painful or not. That's up to you, doctor," Koval says. "Either way, I will know what you know." Koval enters and examines the data from his mind probes. To his dissatisfaction, Bashir has been able to put up more of a resistance to them than he had anticipated, he believes a result of his genetic engineering. He asks Bashir again why he is on Romulus and what his mission is but Bashir doesn't say anything. Koval instructs the guard to bring Bashir with him. The Doctor is taken before the Continuing Committee where he also sees Cretak who is being charged with attempting to access a Tal Shiar database without proper authorization. Praetor Neral informs Bashir that Cretak has told him everything and he wants to hear his version of events. He tells Neral about Sloan, Section 31 and the plot to assassinate Koval and that he had enlisted Cretak's help to stop it as he couldn't trust anyone on the Bellerophon. Neral seems surprised that he would trust a Romulan senator over his own people but Bashir simply replies, "that for all our differences, I do respect her." Neral nods in acknowledgment and Bashir continues to explain how he believed there was a traitor in the Romulan government and Cretak was to gain information on who this may be so they could expose him. At this point, Neral asks why she didn't come to him with the information, to which she says she didn't want to risk the alliance between Romulus and the Federation, though she now regrets that decision. Koval then interrupts, saying he has another witness who has more to add to Bashir's story. He summons his guards who bring in a tortured Sloan. Koval explains that he was more susceptible to their interrogation techniques and that Sloan in fact works for Starfleet Intelligence, not the "fictional" Section 31. He goes onto say that they also discovered Sloan is the protege to the late Admiral Fujisake whom he believed was murdered by the Tal Shiar, coming to Romulus to exact his revenge. Furthermore, he says Sloan recruited Bashir to make his death look like a sudden acceleration of Tuvan Syndrome. But Sloan made one vital mistake in coming to Romulus himself, for his face was already known to the Tal Shiar, who immediately knew an intelligence operation was underway. Koval concludes his explanation by asking Sloan why he did it, confirming his belief that it was personal. "You broke the cardinal rule of our profession. You allowed business to become personal", he says, before going onto accuse Cretak of being involved in a plot which would see her elevated to the Continuing Committee. There is a pause as the Committee absorbs the information presented before them, then Neral speaks. He determines that Cretak has conspired to commit treason against the state, and her sentence is to be determined at a later date. Doctor Bashir is allowed to return to the Bellerophon but Sloan will be held in the custody of the Tal Shiar for further interrogation. At that moment, Sloan cries out, grabbing one of the guard's disruptors. But before he has a chance to open fire, Koval disintegrates him with his own disruptor, much to the shock and surprise of the Committee. Bashir is taken back to the Bellerophon which has now set a course back to Federation space. He goes to meet with Admiral Ross, who is now in the briefing room going over some reports. Bashir sarcastically asks if he is feeling better though the admiral, unaware, says he is feeling much better and that the doctor has told him to take it easy for a few days. Bashir goes on to ask him where Sloan is, as he doesn't believe he actually died on Romulus. Ross takes his combadge off, stating their discussion has to be "off the record." Bashir complies, removing his combadge and tossing it onto the table. Before Ross answers Bashir's question, he asks him how he knew that he was involved. Bashir says that anyone as clever as Sloan wouldn't have allowed himself to be captured by the Romulans and that there must be another explanation. He says that the Admiral was the one who suggested there was another operative, he was the one who told Bashir not to inform the Romulans and he was the one who initiated the communications blackout, preventing him from contacting Deep Space 9. And furthermore, he "conveniently" suffered an aneurism when the time came to arrest Sloan, leaving Bashir alone and forcing him to consort with Senator Cretak. Ross then tells Bashir of the plan to beam Sloan away from the room a split-second before the disruptor blast hit him, though he doesn't know if it worked. He further reveals that Koval was the mole all along and has been forwarding military intelligence to Starfleet for the past year. Bashir is outraged that they set Cretak up to take the fall and now she will be imprisoned for life if not executed. The Admiral agrees that it is "unfortunate" but with Koval in place, the Romulans are sure to stay in the war against the Dominion and prevent the deaths of countless Starfleet officers, many of whom he has ordered to their deaths over the past year and a half. Bashir doesn't buy that as an answer to justify what he has done, telling him he is making a mockery of what those same officers are dying to protect. The Admiral simply replies, "inter arma enim silent leges." Bashir recognizes the meaning: "in times of war, the laws fall silent", a quote from Cicero. "Is that what we've become?!" he cries, "a twenty-fourth century Rome? The certainty that Caesar could do no wrong!" Admiral Ross doesn't answer, instead he replaces his combadge and reminds the Doctor that their conversation never happened. Disgusted, but with no recourse, Bashir leaves. Back on Deep Space 9, Bashir is sleeping in his quarters when he is again awakened by Sloan. Bashir asks sarcastically if he should thank Sloan for allowing himself to be manipulated so perfectly. Sloan explains he has come to thank the doctor, as he performed exactly as expected by being willing to go so far while eventually doing the right thing when it came down to it. "The Federation needs men like you, doctor. Men of conscience, men of principle, men who can sleep at night." He says that Section 31 exists to protect men like him from the universe that doesn't share his ethics. But Bashir has no sympathy for him after what he did. Sloan then smiles, saying it is an honor to know him and wishes him a goodnight before leaving. As he exits, the Doctor leans over to his comm panel and signals to security. "Odo here", comes the response. There is a short pause, as Bashir realizes there's no point. "Never mind. My mistake" he eventually mutters, before lying back down in thought.
<EOS>
During a quiet evening, Benjamin Sisko reveals to Kasidy Yates that he has recently purchased twelve hecapates of land on Bajor, in the Kendra Province. He plans to build a home there, for his retirement years. They reminisce about the past, marveling at how much has changed in Sisko's seven years on DS9. They are a couple, very much in love. Kira informs everyone that Worf is missing in combat, and is presumed dead. Worf had been in command of the Klingon vessel IKS Koraga, which was destroyed by a Dominion patrol near the Badlands. Although six of its escape pods were recovered, Worf wasn't aboard any of them. Searching the area for three days, the USS Defiant can find no trace of Worf; back at the station, Quark tries to cheer up a demoralized Ezri Dax. Later that evening, the Defiant calls off the search in the face of a dozen approaching Dominion ships. Instead of pursuing the Defiant, the Dominion ships are diverted by Weyoun to Devos II to protect the Son'a's ketracel-white facility. When Weyoun questions Damar's drinking of kanar, Damar turns the tables and questions the health of the Founders. Weyoun dismisses his queries, and orders the installation of a new subspace, secretly-encoded communication channel for the Founder on Cardassia. Walking past Worf's now-empty quarters, Dax overrides the lock and enters. She sees the bat'leth given to Jadzia by Worf, and begins to reminisce about Jadzia's relationship and marriage to Worf. She suddenly feels more than ever a part of the Dax symbiont, so she borrows the runabout USS Gander to search for Worf on her own. At first, Sisko tries to persuade Ezri to turn back the ship, however he eventually lets her go to try to find Worf. Sisko supplies her with their search logs from the Defiant to improve her chances. While studying the ship's logs, Ezri discovers that the six recovered escape pods had all been launched from the starboard side of the ship. Assuming Worf made it to a port-side escape pod, Ezri uses the ship's computers to calculate the pod's trajectory, and follows it in the runabout. Disregarding the computer's warning that such a maneuver could be dangerous, she even powers down the ship's thrusters, to more closely simulate a drifting pod in the Badlands currents. Sisko, who is constructing a scale model of his prospective house on Bajor, is discussing some of its design details with Kasidy, when suddenly he proposes marriage, even producing an engagement ring from a table in the model house. She accepts, and the joyous couple embrace. Ezri's plan succeeds: she locates an escape pod, captures it with a tractor beam, and transports its sole occupant -- a disoriented Worf -- aboard safely to her runabout. Soon, he realizes she's alone and she admits she came without Sisko's permission. As Ezri helps Worf to a chair and starts to tend to his wounds, getting closer to him, she almost gives in to Jadzia's feelings for Worf. Worf stops her hand and, a little embarrassed, she goes back to pilot the ship back to DS9. On Cardassia, the Founder finds the newly-installed communication system adequate. However, she seems more concerned with Weyoun's news regarding their search for a vaccine. The latest batch of vaccine failed to accomplish its goal of finding a cure for the sickness infecting the Great Link, so she tears off a piece of herself, giving it to Weyoun as a tissue sample for future experimentation by the next round of Vorta medical clones. She insists on keeping the sickness a secret from the Cardassians, whose suspicions have already been aroused. Benjamin asks his son Jake to be the best man at his wedding; Jake eagerly accepts, noting with delight that his duties also include planning the groom's bachelor party. On their way back to DS9, Worf and Ezri soon grow tense and stand-offish with one another, until Ezri tries to break the ice. She gets Worf to admit that he had been singing the Klingon opera Gav'ot toh'va before she rescued him. When her inquiries regarding Worf's son Alexander get too personal, they begin to argue, but their argument is interrupted by two incoming Jem'Hadar fighters. Attempting to hide in the Goralis system, they emergency-transport to the surface of a planet, moments before the Gander burns up in the planet's atmosphere. They immediately discover that they are without their communications gear, and therefore have no way to contact home. While planning their nuptials, which they both expect to be an intimate affair, Sisko and Yates are approached by Saghi, a young Bajoran girl, who congratulates them and asks if she can be a dais bearer. The question prompts confusion in Ben and Kasidy, but Sahgi simply says that she understands they can only pick fifty-one girls for the position but it would be such an honor for her. Now Ben and Kasidy are really confused, but Sahgi tells them it's going to be the biggest wedding Bajor has ever seen. It is not just Ben Sisko getting married, but the Emissary of the Prophets. Then the couple notice a crowd of Bajorans on the Promenade, all marveling at the sight of the Emissary and his wife-to-be. The two realize their wedding will be far more difficult than most. On Cardassia, Dukat pays an unexpected visit to Damar. Dukat is unconcerned with the failure he demonstrated to Weyoun earlier, as he has "felt the love" of the Pah-wraiths. Damar initially sees it as a front, but Dukat gives him a look that gives him pause. He asks for a favor, to which Damar says he'll do what he can. Still marooned on the planet, Worf and Dax quickly get on each other's nerves. Their arguments, about their current predicament as well as their past, lead them to nearly come to blows -- only to wind up in one another's embrace. Later that night, still sleeping side-by-side, they are stunned by the Breen and taken prisoner. Worf and Dax find out they are on a Breen ship and that the ship is moving, leaving orbit. They're confused as to why they would kidnap them, or why they were on Goralis. Worf also asks if Dax regretted last night, due to Trill customs about getting involved in past hosts' lives. Weyoun and Damar are discussing the War when Weyoun realizes Damar isn't paying attention. Damar doesn't explain it, and is soon called back to his quarters. He finds Dukat appearing Bajoran after meeting with the plastic surgeon Damar recommended. Dukat reveals that he needs this appearance for a plan without elaborating on it further. Sisko experiences another vision from the Prophets, urging him to accept his destiny as the Emissary of the Prophets. The Prophet which embodied his mother, Sarah Sisko, reappears, hinting that he must fulfill his destiny alone, without even Kasidy. Despite Benjamin professing his love for Kasidy, the vision tells him to walk his road alone, and that his biggest trial is about to begin. 
<EOS>
As Benjamin tries to explain his vision from the Prophets to son Jake, they are paid a surprise visit from Kai Winn Adami. She offers to officiate the Emissary's wedding ceremony. Benjamin decides to reveal part of his most recent vision, about his upcoming Great Trial, but he conceals from the Kai that the Prophets warned him not to wed. Going back to her quarters, the Kai seemingly receives her first vision from the Prophets (actually Pah-wraiths), telling her she must accomplish "a Restoration" of the faltering Emissary via a "guide" who will soon appear to her. Worf and Ezri Dax try to console themselves while being held prisoner aboard the Breen ship. Still unsure why they have been taken prisoner, they are fed a diet of algae paste. Worf makes a romantic overture to Ezri, indicating that he believes they will continue the relationship he had with Jadzia, but Ezri responds quite coldly. On Cardassia, Weyoun wakes Legate Damar in his quarters after a night of drinking kanar and partying. Weyoun tells him to prepare to leave, to a destination unknown, in the afternoon. He informs Damar that his association with Gul Dukat has been found out, as well as Dukat's masquerading as a Bajoran. Damar meets with Dukat, and supplies him with forged travel and identity documents. Seeing the way Weyoun is controlling Damar (and noticing his empty Kanar bottles), he reminds his former officer of how they waged war against the entire Klingon Empire with a single ship and that he must be strong, as he is the leader of the Cardassian people. Damar tells Dukat that he (Dukat) might still resume his role as leader, but Dukat assures Damar that he is a changed man who now serves the will of the Bajoran Pah-wraiths who have shown him his new destiny. With that, the mentor and pupil say goodbye for the last time. Taking a shuttle, Dukat (disguised as a Bajoran) arrives on Deep Space 9 anonymously. Kasidy encourages Benjamin to ignore the warnings from the Prophets, but she fails to persuade him away from the will of the Prophets. Sadly, she removes her engagement ring, leaves it on the table, and exits. In the Breen ship, Ezri relates a strange dream she has had about them, where a Breen turns out to be Julian. While she psychoanalyzes her own dream, the Breen arrive, shocking Worf and Ezri into submission, and dragging Worf away for a painful interrogation. Dukat, claiming to be a Bajoran farmer, Anjohl Tennan from Relliketh, seeks an audience with the Kai. He manipulates her into believing that he is the "guide" sent by the Prophets. She senses in him a strong pagh, falling for Dukat's deception. At first playing the part of a humble farmer seeking a prosperity blessing from the Kai, Dukat gradually squirms his way into her life, questioning the rightful authority of the Emissary. At the daily briefing Benjamin reveals to Kira that the wedding is cancelled because of a warning from the Prophets. She tells Benjamin that he is doing the right thing, by heeding the Prophets, but he isn't sure himself. Weyoun, on his way to the mysterious rendezvous coordinates, is greeted on the bridge of the Jem'Hadar ship by the Female Changeling. She appears very weak and frail, as if she is having a problem remaining in solid form. Weyoun promises to lower the temperature even further. Back in the waiting cell with Ezri, Worf awakens violently from his interrogation by the Breen. He remembers them using a cortical implant to probe his memory, before losing consciousness. Suddenly the Breen reappear, this time taking Ezri to the interrogation chamber. Dukat tells "Anjohl's" story on how he supposedly survived by pure chance. A Cardassian misread an order that would have lead to his execution. Adami expresses surprise, even amazement at this story, and she explains: she herself bribed the Cardassian officer, and the transport "Anjohl" was on was deliberately rerouted. Dukat tells Adami that their fates were linked and she falls for it hook, line and sinker. Quark delivers Benjamin's wedding ring, made of Terellian diamonds. Given the nature of the Dominion War, he mentions that the ring is non-refundable and sadly states that it is a pity that something so valuable should go to waste. Benjamin is left with food for thought. When the Breen bring Ezri back, she phases in and out of consciousness, rehashing memories and feelings from her past to Worf. While she is at the end of her strength and clearly confused, she talks about her feelings for a man, which is assumed be Worf. However, she instead calls out the name Julian ("kiss me, Julian") while fading in and out of awareness, angering Worf. Dukat, still posing as Anjohl, makes a late call at Adami's quarters and tells her about the miracle at his "farm" on Bajor, now under the care of his "brother". Adami tells him it's a sign for him to stay since the farm is going to be blessed under his brother's care. Still taken in by Dukat's carefully-planned scheme (and the Cardassian's charm and apparent sincerity), Winn asks him to call her by her given name, which is Adami; they romantically embrace. When Kasidy's freighter returns to DS9, Benjamin immediately confronts her. He professes his love for her, telling her that he wants to marry her, regardless of the Prophets. She accepts (after making sure Benjamin isn't going to change his mind again), and they quickly throw together a ceremony (20 minutes, according to Bashir, who just barely made it) in the wardroom. It is a small gathering, and the mood is noticeably somber. Only Nog, Quark, Odo, Kira, Doctor Bashir, and Admiral Ross are in attendance with Kira worried about Sisko defying the will of the Prophets and the others sad that Worf and Ezri are going to miss the ceremony. Jake walks Kasidy down the aisle to the service, presided over by Admiral William Ross representing the Federation. However, just as it becomes his turn to state his marriage vow, Benjamin has another vision from the Prophets appearing as his mother Sarah Sisko, warning him against the nuptials. Benjamin replies that while Sarah existed as a corporeal form, she understood the meaning and importance of love to Humans. Sarah indicates again that he is about to go through a difficult trial, and that his actions will cause him great pain. Returning from his vision, though, Benjamin Sisko completes his vows, finalizing his marriage to Kasidy Yates. Worf confronts Ezri about her feelings toward Julian, just as the Breen arrive. Suddenly, Worf and Ezri are beamed away with half a dozen Breen to an unknown location. The two arrive aboard the Jem'Hadar ship carrying Weyoun and Damar where they witness a very disturbing turn of events, one which may change the course of the war. The Breen have entered into negotiations with Weyoun and the female changeling to ally themselves with the Dominion, and have presented Worf and Ezri as a gift to the Dominion. Weyoun toasts the new alliance, while Worf and Ezri can only worry about what this means for the Federation. 
<EOS>
Formerly prisoners of the Breen, Worf, and Ezri Dax are now prisoners of the Dominion aboard a Jem'Hadar vessel. Also on board is Weyoun and the Female Changeling. Weyoun congratulates the two Federation officers on witnessing a historic moment: an alliance between the Breen Confederacy and the Dominion, against the Federation. Weyoun has them put together in a single cell as he finds interspecies mating rituals fascinating. Then the Female Changeling enters after having to concentrate hard in order to maintain her normal, smooth-skinned humanoid form. She speaks about a Dominion-Breen alliance and a treaty which will allow them to wipe out the Federation once and for all. Reading over the text of the treaty between the Breen and the Dominion, Legate Damar is outraged to learn that Weyoun has promised to cede an unspecified number of planets in the Cardassian Union to the Breen in exchange for their allegiance. Damar, the Cardassian leader, was not even consulted, and Weyoun makes clear that he expects Damar to sign the treaty without reading the fine print -- that is, without knowing just how many planets he is signing away. Weyoun urges Damar to look at the "big picture" -- with the Breen's help, the Dominion will soon be victorious, and Cardassia will have its pick of planets in the Alpha Quadrant to choose from. When Damar continues to protest, Weyoun icily reminds him that Cardassia is part of the Dominion now, which means <u>all</u> its planets belong to the Founders now, to do with as they please. Seething, Damar turns his attention to military matters, urging Weyoun to send reinforcements to a hard-pressed Cardassian unit fighting on Septimus III. Weyoun promises to "deal" with the situation. Aboard Deep Space 9, General Martok and Captain Sisko are discussing the war, and Martok takes the opportunity to congratulate Sisko on his recent marriage to Kasidy Yates. Martok warns Sisko that a "long, grueling, intoxicating war" has broken out, though Sisko is barely aware of it; Martok himself is a veteran of many "battles" with his own wife, Sirella. He warns Sisko that, as husbands, they may win their share of battles, but they are always destined to lose the war to their wives. Dukat, still posing as Bajoran farmer Anjohl Tennan, continues his manipulation of Kai Winn Adami. He continually points to her "prophecy", and how it warned her of the Emissary of the Prophets straying from course. Ezri and Worf are hanging upside down from the ceiling in their cell as they are contemplating their situation. Worf is adamant about getting back to Starfleet, but Dax points out all their difficulties with that, including space sickness. Kasidy finds it difficult being married to the Emissary, as her Bajoran crew are acting differently now that they serve under his wife and are asking her opinion on all sorts of matters (including spiritual beliefs). Sisko, making dinner, tells Kasidy that each spring he holds a small ceremony on the station blessing Bajoran women who wish to be mothers and this year, several requests have been made that the Emissary's wife does the honors. Kasidy politely but firmly declines Benjamin's request, and when she leaves for a sonic shower the captain muses to himself that the 'battle' has begun. After arriving on Cardassia, Worf and Ezri continue to plot their escape from a prison on Cardassia Prime. They soon turn to arguing, invoking the name of Jadzia, Dax's previous host who was married to Worf. When Damar announces to them that they will be tried as war criminals, be found guilty and executed, Weyoun offers them a chance to escape death, by supplying him with information -- both of them have already been mind probed, but Weyoun could use some help making sense of the scattered data they pulled from their brains. Weyoun taunts Ezri by showing her an embarrassing tidbit from her mind probe and taunting her that it would be "such a shame" if she were to die before revealing her "feelings" to Julian Bashir. Worf responds by snapping Weyoun's neck, killing him instantly. Damar laughs heartily at the slimy Vorta's death, chiding Worf that the Dominion will simply replace him with the next clone. He also says that Worf's action changes nothing: Worf and Ezri must choose to cooperate, or die. On DS9 Kai Winn, while in the presence of Dukat, experiences her second vision from the "Prophets," who reveal to her that they are indeed the Pah-wraiths, not the celestial Prophets. Winn is ashamed, and hesitantly reveals this to Dukat. She demands Dukat get the Orb of Prophecy from Solbor, so she can ask the Prophets' forgiveness. Dukat hesitates, but Winn demands it again. Dukat leaves, with a smile on his face. In Dominion Headquarters, Damar is enjoying yet another glass of kanar, when Weyoun 8 enters. Damar cannot resist laughing at his predecessor's humiliating death, but his amusement is short-lived as the brand new Weyoun ushers Thot Gor, the Breen commander, into the command center and invites him to make himself at home, including full access to the Cardassians' military database. Much to Damar's displeasure, Weyoun also tells Damar that from then on every military recommendation he makes will go to Thot Gor, who will then pass it on to the Founder. In their cell, Worf has fashioned a club from the leg of a bed. Ezri causes a short-circuit in the cell's wiring that opens the door, allowing them to break out and overpower their Cardassian guards. Worf takes a shot to the leg, and tells Ezri to leave him behind, but she refuses, trying to carry him out and allowing themselves to be recaptured in the corridors. Worf and Ezri's absence is felt keenly by everyone aboard Deep Space 9, especially Quark, who continues to pour Ezri's usual drink at the same time every day and place it on the bar. The mood is dreary in Quark's Bar, but the moment seems to be especially poignant to Bashir, who can barely make sense of the situation. Kai Winn consults with the Orb, but the Prophets do not speak to her. Dukat reveals that he is a servant of the Pah-wraiths, and that he has been brought to the Kai for a purpose: to unite against the Emissary and the Prophets of the Celestial Temple. Winn is aghast at the deception, and throws him out. Dukat, leaving, gives her words about being in Sisko's shadow. The Kai sits alone, asking for some word from the Prophets, asking for some clue so that she can show her worthiness. She decides to call Kira to her quarters, and bares her soul to her, seemingly being very truthful about their long confrontational relationship. Kira is surprised at this, but responds that she has prayed for her to turn away from temptation. Winn agrees with everything Kira says until she advises her to step down as Kai, because it was power that led Winn away from the Prophets. Winn is unwilling to give up the political power that her position has given her, saying Bajor needs her. Further deluding herself, she justifies remaining Kai by declaring that the events are a test for her. Kira realizes she's convinced and simply says goodnight. As Weyoun is giving Thot Gor a tour, Damar receives a report that Septimus III has fallen to the enemy, and its entire garrison of 500,000 Cardassians has been slaughtered by the Klingons. Weyoun, who never sent reinforcements, again urges Damar to look at the "big picture" -- the Klingons will now have to commit valuable resources to reinforcing a strategically worthless planet, which can only be good news for the war effort; and as citizens of the Dominion, Cardassians can have no greater honor than giving their lives in service of the Founders. In his quarters, Damar knocks back another glass of kanar, looks at himself in the mirror, and throws the liquor onto his reflection in disgust. In the cell, Ezri and Worf talk about their frustrating relationship. Ezri asks if Worf feels guilty because he does not love her like he loved Jadzia. Both admit that their romantic involvement on Goralis III was a mistake. On the day that Worf and Ezri are to be executed, they make peace with each other. They were both confused by some lingering remains of the attachment between Worf and Jadzia, but realize that they are not in love anymore. Worf indicates that he has dishonored himself, because love with Ezri was not the spiritual act that it was with Jadzia. Ezri admits that she had never thought of herself as in love with Doctor Bashir, and that she would have never concealed that from Worf. Instead, they are "friends and more."  Having made peace, the only thing left is for them to face their executions. Damar appears at their cell with two Jem'Hadar guards. As they are led outside to their executions, Damar draws his disruptor and shoots down the two guards, giving their weapons to Worf and Ezri. He guides them to a patrol ship that has the access codes needed to escape their defense perimeter, and tells them to convey a message to the Federation: they now have an ally on Cardassia -- him. In the command center, Weyoun furiously receives the news of the escape, demanding to know what happened. Damar innocently says he has no way of knowing, since Weyoun replaced all the Cardassian guards in the detention block with Jem'Hadar. Weyoun then receives a summons from the Female Changeling, and trembles at having to give her the news. Damar tells him not to worry, Weyoun 9 will fill his shoes if the Founder takes the news badly. Kai Winn, feeling that the Prophets have turned their back on her, pledges her allegiance to the Pah-wraiths. She and Dukat vow to destroy anyone who would stand in their way, including the Federation, the Prophets, and the Emissary. 
<EOS>
Worf and Ezri Dax return to Deep Space 9 after their imprisonment by the Breen and Dominion. They are greeted by Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir, who express their happiness that Worf and Dax are safe. Captain Sisko arrives, and is willing to overlook Dax disobeying orders and losing the runabout USS Gander as he'd like to know as much as possible about the Dominion's new alliance with the Breen, just as Kira notifies Sisko of a priority one message from Starfleet: the Breen have attacked Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, California, Earth. In Sisko's office, Martok comments on the bold attack, something even the Klingons never attempted. He continues to say that every species has a weakness. Sisko states that they better find the Breen's soon. The relationship between Damar and Weyoun is deteriorating, with Damar feeling that the Dominion is squeezing too much out of the Cardassians. He stays cordial in his presence, but when Weyoun leaves he warns the Breen that they may one day meet the same fate, once the Dominion has no further need of them. Benjamin returns to his quarters to find his wife Kasidy trying (but failing miserably) to cook dinner; she has ruined his prized bell peppers, which took Sisko three months to grow. With the war turning for the worse because of the Breen, Sisko asks Kasidy to cut back on her freighter-captaining duties; she declines. Damar has now realized that Cardassia is a conquered planet; he begins covertly plotting the rebellion against the Dominion with Gul Rusot. They focus on Rondac III. On Bajor, Kai Winn Adami withdraws from her regular schedule, cancelling an appearance before the Vedek Assembly and asking her aide Solbor to send condolences to the Vedeks. Dukat, still masquerading as Anjohl Tennan, continues to exert pressure on the Kai, who is frustrated she has to still pretend she follows the Prophets when she hasn't heard from the Pah-wraiths, yet. Dukat tells her it will happen when they release them from the Fire Caves. She objects, citing the prophesies she has known all her life, but Dukat responds with a slightly different interpretation, one that brings about a new Bajor with her as its leader. She perks up at this. In order to do this, they need to consult the forbidden book, the Book of the Kosst Amojan, as well as other religious volumes. She hesitates, as it is known to contain evil, but also states she isn't afraid. While O'Brien and Bashir work on strategies for their Alamo holosuite program in Quark's, after a long day of work, Worf and Dax look on from high above in the Promenade. Worf questions his newly-found friend Dax about her feelings, especially regarding Bashir. Worf is much more cordial, and even agrees when she supposes she should tell Bashir about her feelings. Weyoun notices a change in Damar, namely that he has stopped his heavy drinking of kanar. Weyoun mistakenly believes Damar's sobriety is because of a resurgent optimism about the war; Damar plays along. When Solbor delivers the Kosst Amojan to the Kai, he warns her about reading its forbidden passages, "He who studies evil is studied by evil." He also begins to openly question Dukat, mentioning his mysterious origins on Deep Space 9. The Kai rebukes Solbor, however, and he retreats -- for the moment -- to allow the Kai access to the book. After the Kai questions the virtue of what she is doing, Dukat manages to convince her that the Pah-Wraiths are not evil, and she opens the book. The book, to the shock of Dukat and the Kai, appears totally empty, without writing of any kind on its pages. It seems that they need something else to access the words written within the book. Sisko comes to Odo's office where he receives the new security protocols. Neither are sure whether they are enough. Then Kasidy comes barging in. She is angry because Sisko used his influence to change Kasidy's schedule, a month of paid vacation. Meanwhile, Kai Winn studies several texts to understand how to access the Kosst Amojan's words. She has Solbor deliver more "dark texts," and again questions her motives. Others are asking as well. She responds coldly and simply that, as Kai, she is doing this for the good of Bajor. Winn is on edge, and also demands that Dukat leave, under protest, since he's not doing anything. Sisko brings flowers to his wife and tells her she's back on the active list. They reconcile, only to hear more bad news, this time from Admiral Ross, who says that the Breen have broken through the Federation lines at Chin'toka, which is the only Federation foothold in Dominion space. Sisko, Kira, Worf, Dax, O'Brien, Bashir, and Nog all prepare the USS Defiant for battle, and head off to join a huge Starfleet strike-force. The attitude of the bridge crew is noticeably more somber than in previous battles. When Solbor tries to remove the books back to the Archive, he is confronted and punched by Dukat, who takes the books back to the Kai. She's fallen asleep, so he wakes her to keep going. He gets her some food, and she responds she's glad he's there. On Cardassia, Damar and Rusot are contemplating on the reports that the Dominion is likely to take back Chin'toka. Then they state that the Dominion's victories are no longer their victories and they continue on to discuss their upcoming treachery. Damar states that at least they will be dying for Cardassia, not the Dominion. Aboard a Jem'Hadar attack ship, the Female Changeling and Weyoun streak toward the same battle. Arriving at Chin'toka, the crew prepare to battle the Dominion and Breen ships. The Defiant is able to destroy a couple of Breen ships, but one fires an unusual weapon, which upon hitting the Defiant causes the entire ship to start crackling with blue energy. The crew are concerned as the energy courses through the bridge, and the concern is well-founded as it disables every system it touches. Suddenly the Defiant starts losing all of its power very quickly. The Defiant then starts to be continually struck by enemy weapons, and cannot return fire, raise shields or move, causing serious damage. Chief O'Brien is unable to diagnose the trouble, and explosions pepper the bridge, injuring Kira and several other crew members. The air begins to become toxic, the ablative armor starts to fail and hull breaches (which cannot be sealed by force fields due to the loss of power) begin to litter the ship. Realizing that both the battle and the Defiant are lost, the captain orders the crew to abandon ship. Bashir carries an unconscious Kira to the escape pods, along with the rest of the crew. Captain Sisko stops at the door to look back at the burning bridge for one last time. Chief O'Brien returns, and Sisko comments "She was a fine ship."; the chief won't argue with that, but reminds the captain they have to leave. The escape pods flee the ship just before the Defiant is destroyed by enemy fire. Aboard their attack ship, Weyoun announces that the Chin'toka system is once again in Dominion hands and states that the Breen will be pleased to hear the Founder's compliments. However, she states she cares little for what the Breen think as long as they fight and win. The Female Changeling orders that the escape pods not be destroyed, so the survivors will return to Federation space with a frightening, demoralizing outlook, spreading fear about the invincibility of the Dominion (with the Breen at their side). Suspicious of "Tennan", Solbor checks his background, only to learn that the real Tennan has been dead for nine years. Solbor comes back and confronts Winn and Dukat, telling them when he sampled Dukat's DNA, he discovers Dukat's true identity. Winn begins to back away from Dukat, but she still refuses to believe that the Pah-wraiths are false prophets. Solbor tells the Kai she is betraying the Prophets to the Pah-wraiths, and he threatens to expose the Kai, who lunges toward him with a knife; Solbor is stabbed to death in the back. She tells Dukat to get away from her, and that the Pah-wraiths sent him to destroy her, which Dukat dismisses as a lie. Winn goes to the book of the Kosst Amojan to destroy it. Some of Solbor's blood (on the knife used by the Kai to kill him) drips onto the sacred pages of the book of the Kosst Amojan; a flame briefly appears on the book, after which its text is now plainly visible. Dukat tells her to use this gift from the Pah-wraiths. With the murder, the Kai is now fully committed to continue down the path of serving the Pah-wraiths, regardless of the previous dictates of her conscience; Dukat arranges to remove Solbor's dead body. Aboard Deep Space 9, Sisko and Admiral Ross commiserate the loss of the Defiant. Ross promises to provide Sisko with another ship eventually, but first they need to buy some time in order to work out a countermeasure to the Breen weapon. Ross grimly says that time is the one thing they do not have: if the Dominion launches another offensive soon, they will be unable to halt it. Kira interrupts, calling them to hear a message being broadcast by Damar across the galaxy: he recites that Cardassia has loyally fought for the Dominion for two years, losing seven million soldiers in the process, and in return, the Dominion has ceded their territories to the Breen and usurped control of their homeworld. "Our 'allies' have conquered us without firing a single shot!" Damar declares rebellion, stating that his men have just attacked and destroyed a Dominion cloning facility on Rondac III, and calling on all Cardassians to rise up against the Dominion. At Dominion Headquarters, Weyoun confirms that their cloning facility was destroyed and worries he may be the last Weyoun clone. On Deep Space 9, the attack on Rondac is confirmed and Ross states that Damar has bought the Federation Alliance some precious time, however it is imperative that the Dominion don't track him down too quickly. Sisko responds that they need to find a way to help Damar, as he may be the key to saving the Alpha Quadrant from the Dominion. 
<EOS>
Having just lost the Second Battle of Chin'toka, Starfleet's Miles O'Brien has determined that the only vessel immune to the Breen energy dampening weapon was the Klingon Bird-of-Prey IKS Ki'tang. The chief engineer of the Ki'tang had coincidentally adjusted the tritium intermix of the vessel's warp core to compensate for a containment problem before the battle. As a result, Martok has ordered every Klingon vessel to make the same adjustments to their reactors to protect them from the Breen. Unfortunately, this "fix" works on neither Federation nor Romulan ships. O'Brien forwards his findings to both the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and the Romulan Ministry of Science for more in-depth analysis. General Martok and Captain Sisko plan to use the Klingon fleet as a diversion, to occupy the attention of the Dominion and the Breen. In the meantime, Starfleet will continue searching for an answer to the Breen weapon, while hoping the Cardassian uprising, led by Legate Damar, grows in strength, to further sap Dominion resources. To assist Damar in his new role as leader of an underground movement, Sisko and Admiral Ross agree to send Kira to his aid; with her years of experience in (ironically) the Bajoran Resistance, she has a lot to teach Damar in how to wage a guerrilla campaign. Putting aside her personal feelings, she agrees, and will also bring along Garak, whose experience in the Obsidian Order promises to pay dividends, too. In the infirmary, Bashir convinces Odo to give him a sampling of his gelatinous state, as the doctor is working on a means of rapidly creating synthetic replacement organs for the war effort. On Bajor, Kai Winn feigns concern over the disappearance of Solbor, whom she recently murdered. Dukat, his true identity revealed to the Kai, continues to encourage her on her path toward unleashing the Pah-wraith from the Fire Caves. As she continues reading the sacred Book of the Kosst Amojan, Dukat offers to help her, but she refuses, saying the book's words are for her eyes only. On the station, it is revealed that Martok will be inducted into the Klingon Order of Kahless, a great honor. Kira and Garak enter the room to inform Sisko that Garak has found Damar. However, Damar believes that having a Bajoran leading them would reduce morale as a constant reminder of the failed occupation. In order to give Kira (a Bajoran) some sense of "authority" over her Cardassian comrades (and students), Sisko gives her a battlefield commission of Starfleet Commander (the highest rank Sisko can confer on another, as a Captain). This allows her to speak on behalf of the Federation. Later, after Kira dons her new Starfleet uniform, Odo morphs his attire to more closely resemble how he appeared as the Terok Nor's security chief (when DS9 was under Cardassian control). Garak then wonders if Bashir could surgically alter Kira's nose. But Kira is unwilling to go that far and the rebels are just going to have to put up with her presence. Garak responds that they will tolerate her to a certain degree, but he warns her that she, a Bajoran, should never trust the Cardassians she will be working with and training. In conversations with his officers, Damar reveals that the revolt is not going well. The Cardassians are depleted in several key supplies, including food, as their food replicators have been destroyed. Damar indicates that Garak and Kira will bring them Federation replicators. His officers express that having Kira with them will be awkward, but Damar indicates that Kira has skills that they need. The crew of DS9 greet Klingon chancellor Gowron, visiting from Qo'noS in order to induct Martok into the Order of Kahless. Gowron, who puts the past to rest with Worf, arrives with a barrel of bloodwine to be shared by old friends. Doctor Bashir is speaking with Chief O'Brien about how Ezri seems to be avoiding him. He indicates that he has called her to his office under the ruse of going over her medical test results, but really wants to get a sense of her feelings. When Ezri arrives, Bashir gets the wrong idea that she and Worf are a romantically-involved couple. As she tries to explain that they are only friends and that she's actually in love with Julian, his attention is diverted to a disaster in his lab: he discovers that Odo is infected with the same virus killing the Changelings of the Great Link. He contacts Odo, now under way to Damar, to notify him of his findings. Bashir thinks Odo contracted the disease while linking to the Female Changeling. He will keep on trying to find a cure and he'll ask Starfleet to share Odo's medical records with him. In the middle of the night, Dukat sneaks into the Kai's study, unlocking the book, and reading its secret text. Suddenly, a beam of red energy (resembling a Pah-wraith) leaps from the pages of the book into Dukat's eyes, blinding him. After Gowron awards Martok the Star of Kahless, Gowron informs everyone that he (Gowron) would be immediately taking command of the war effort; thus, a day of honor for Martok has become bittersweet, as he loses his command. Worf explains that Gowron sees Martok's military successes as a threat to his position as Chancellor. Gowron wants to be the Empire's savior alone. Martok insists that he has no desire to challenge Gowron for his position because he is a soldier, not a politician. He also recalls that while he earned his position as General, Gowron became Chancellor through plotting and scheming. Worf also remarks that Gowron is nowhere near as good in strategy as Martok is. In spite of this, Martok nevertheless retains his allegiance to the Empire, regardless of its current direction. Dr. Bashir is attempting to get Odo's medical records from Starfleet Medical to use as a point of comparison for his own records, however he is constantly been referred elsewhere and told he doesn't have clearance. Eventually he gets to speak to Commander Hilliard who is authorized to release the information. Hilliard asks Bashir some questions regarding Odo and his contact with the female founder, and still denies him clearance. Bashir attempts to argue, however Hilliard tells him that they can't risk him finding a cure in case it reaches the Founder before threatening to report Julian to Starfleet Security if he doesn't drop the matter. Later at the Replimat, Bashir tells O'Brien how Starfleet has practically accused him of being in league with the Dominion just for wanting to help Odo. They decide to speak to Captain Sisko in the hopes he has the clearance to access the file. Damar welcomes Kira to the headquarters of the Cardassian Liberation Front. While he is genuinely grateful for Kira's assistance, Gul Rusot still harbors long-standing ill will toward her, and makes no secret of it. Kira and Garak begin educating Damar's group in the art of resistance. The resistance group is to be split into different cells. Odo also points out a base called Adarak, which is weakly defended. Damar and the other rebels initially balk at this attack plan, as it is guarded by fellow Cardassians. Kira convinces him that those Cardassians are merely collaborators, and if the Dominion realizes the rebels won't kill their own, they'll station Cardassians at every base. Luckily for Bashir, Sisko had the clearance to obtain the medical files he needed, noting that there is more data than he expected. However while looking through the data, he realizes that it is simply the results of the scans Dr. Mora took of Odo just after he discovered him (Mora having shared this with Bashir) instead of the data from his last check-up at Starfleet. It is clear this is no accident. Bashir was intentionally sent the wrong data in the hopes of throwing him off the trail for a cure. Knowing this isn't something Starfleet Medical would do, Julian and Miles begin to wonder if Section 31 is somehow involved in the cover-up, since they wouldn't have a problem with letting Odo die if it meant protecting the Federation. At some point O'Brien mentions Ezri, and Bashir says that she's involved with Worf. O'Brien states that Worf told him they were just friends and that Bashir must have misunderstood her. As Martok clears out his office on Deep Space 9, he and Worf contemplate on Gowron's decision to take over command of the fleet and trying to humiliate Martok at the same time. Worf notes that Martok is very popular among other Klingons and is regarded as a savior, something Gowron won't tolerate as he wants to be the Empire's only savior. Martok bitterly notes that he isn't looking for power nor does he have any interest in politics. he is a warrior who has rose through the ranks and fought many hard battles while Gowron has limited combat experience and schemed his way to power. Regardless, Martok is still willing to serve his chancellor and help defeat the Dominion regardless of motives as he feels it is owed to those who have been lost during the war. Worf tells Martok of his pride to be a member of his house. Trying to provoke Kira, Rusot questions Odo about his past association with Cardassians on Terok Nor, insinuating that Odo was himself a collaborator. Kira jumps to Odo's defense, but the cooler heads of Garak and Odo prevail, (for now). Odo, however, begins experiencing his first signs of the sickness, but keeps it a secret from everyone else, even Kira. On Bajor, the Kai informs a blind Dukat that doctors can find nothing wrong with his eyes; his condition is obviously a punishment from the Pah-wraiths, who took away his vision for reading the sacred texts. By now, the Kai has discerned Dukat's true loyalties, which don't lie with her, so she summons a deputy to escort Dukat out into the street, helpless; she refers to it as a "lesson in humility for a blind beggar". Screaming as he is brusquely shown the door, Dukat is told by the Kai to return when he has recovered his vision (i.e., when he has once again found favor with the Pah-wraiths). Now alone with the sacred book, the Kai devotes her full attention to studying it. Gowron astonishes Worf and Martok by suggesting an aggressive course of action against the Dominion, rather than just holding the line until the Federation and Romulan vessels are up to speed. Martok and Worf are incredulous, noting they can barely hold present battle lines. Citing the element of surprise, and citing the glory to be had as saviors of the Alpha Quadrant and despite Worf and Martok's insistence, Gowron declares that his risky strategy is not up for debate, and will commence forthwith. Meanwhile, in sickbay, Quark brings some coffee to a weary Bashir and O'Brien, as his way of helping find a cure for Odo. They cannot even let Sisko know, as the Captain would be forced to report it to Starfleet, and their efforts would be further thrwarted. Bashir decides to do a simulation to try and work out exactly when Odo was infected, only to discover it occured almost three years ago on the date that he was 'examined' by Starfleet Medical. The two officers are horrified by the realization that Odo wasn't infected by the female founder as they'd assumed. instead Odo was infected by Starfleet, as a Section 31 plot of genocide against the Changeling race, including Odo. Since Section 31 created the virus they reason the organization must also have a cure, but know that getting a hold of it will be easier said than done. 
<EOS>
As Kira and Elim Garak continue to instruct Damar and the Cardassian Rebellion on the finer points of sabotage, tensions grow between Kira and Gul Rusot. When Odo returns from a successful mission to destroy a Dominion shipyard, he appears noticeably exhausted. Retiring to an empty bunk room, Odo slouches down and loses his ability to hold a smooth shape; he appears to be decomposing at the cellular level. Garak enters the room suddenly and encounters an embarrassed Odo, who admits his sickness, including that changing shape makes it worse. He swears the Cardassian to secrecy; Kira mustn't find out. Back on Deep Space 9, Doctor Bashir has reached a dead end in trying to cure Odo's illness, pulling multiple all-nighters trying. Chief O'Brien reminds the doctor that their best option is to notify Captain Sisko of their suspicions regarding Section 31, but Bashir refuses, fearing that alerting Section 31 will only make them harder to beat. He believes that science is the only answer to the problem. Klingon chancellor Gowron is trying to blame General Martok for a recent defeat in battle with the Dominion at Avenal VII, even though he was outnumbered six to one. Gowron insists that a good warrior would have fought harder and found victory. Sisko sides with Martok, blaming Gowron for creating a poor battle strategy, noting that the operation was an enormous waste of resources, men and equipment. Gowron backs down, agreeing not to yet punish the severely-wounded Martok. The relationship between the two men is clearly strained. While the Klingons are being easily defeated, the Female Changeling seeks to crush the Cardassian Rebellion as quickly as possible. She appears ragged and in a state of decomposition. Weyoun is confident that they will crush Damar's small force of terrorists quickly. She begins taking sides with Thot Pran of the Breen, indicating that Weyoun had previously informed them that Damar would never turn traitor. She inquires of this Weyoun clone when the cloning facilities will be fixed, with the hint that when they are, this version of Weyoun may be replaced. She institutes strict new penalties on the citizens of Cardassia Prime, which are eerily similar to prior Cardassian policies toward Bajor during the Occupation, and also orders them to intensify their efforts to find Damar's wife and children. She also orders Pran to have his engineers accelerate the retrofitting of Jem'Hadar fighters with the Breen energy dampening weapon. In the midst of her training sessions, Kira hatches a scheme to infiltrate a Cardassian repair facility in the Kelvas system; if they can successfully steal a Jem'Hadar ship equipped with the Breen energy dampening weapon, it may improve Starfleet's chances of finding a counter-measure. Garak warns Kira privately to not bring along Odo, because of his deteriorating condition; she admits knowing about his illness, and asks Garak to keep this secret from Odo, to improve his morale. Sisko and Worf discuss Gowron's treatment of Martok, who will fully recover from his wounds, and Worf suggests that Gowron's motivations are political, since he feels threatened by the popularity of Martok. Worf notes shrewdly that it would not be the first time that a Klingon chancellor put his own interests ahead of the greater good. Worf has a plan -- a risky plan -- to stop Gowron from squandering his fleet in an attempt to discredit and humiliate Martok. At this point, Sisko does not care how risky it is, he gives Worf his support to use it, indirectly ordering Worf to make sure Gowron is removed as Chancellor. At the moment, the Klingon forces are the only ships that can stand against the Breen's energy dampening weapons. Tensions continue to escalate between Kira and Rusot. Rusot believes that Kira is only with them to kill more Cardassians. Rusot then crosses the line by physically touching her. She strikes him repeatedly, and then puts him into a disabling headlock. After the confrontation, a beaten Rusot vows to exact revenge after the war. When he exits, Garak emerges from the shadows, and warns Kira that Rusot will not wait until the end of the war, and she should not either. He suggests to Kira that she kill Rusot, before he kills her. Worf asks a bedridden Martok to stand up to Gowron and challenge him for leadership of the Empire. Martok refuses to carry out a mutiny during a time of war, despite the Chancellor's reckless behavior. He argues that the Klingon High Council will never follow him if he did become Chancellor, as he has no noble blood but is a simple man from the Ketha lowlands. Worf reminds Martok that Kahless himself had no noble blood, and Martok is popular enough among Klingons that if he did become Chancellor the public support he would receive would be strong enough that the High Council would have no choice but to accept him as leader. Despite this argument, Martok refuses to even consider challenging Gowron and tells Worf to drop the matter entirely. Seeing that trying to persuade Martok is pointless, Worf is forced to give up. Damar learns that his wife and son, in hiding since the rebellion began, have been found and killed by the Dominion. Weyoun and the Female Changeling both knew that Damar's family was not involved in the rebellion, but their deaths were ordered anyway. The grieving Damar wonders out loud how anyone could give an order to murder innocent people. Before she can stop herself, Kira asks him the same question (referencing the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor), deepening Damar's anguish and causing him to leave the room in disgust. Kira immediately regrets her outburst, but Garak tells her that the pain Damar feels now will help him give up his "romanticism" about the past, which in turn will help him lead a new Cardassia after the war. Worf is drinking and talking with Ezri Dax about the problem with Gowron. Worf understands Martok's sentiment and so he will instead try to convince Gowron to stop his reckless attacks. Although his tone indicates that he has really ran out of options because he knows that Gowron, who already has a low opinion of Worf, will never listen to him. He asks Ezri for her opinion (as she has both two lifetimes worth of intimate knowledge of Klingons, and the objective view of an outsider). Ezri states that it is a Klingon matter, but Worf tells her that she has been deemed (as a successor to Jadzia) a member of the House of Martok. She warns him that he won't like what she has to say, but Worf insists. Ezri then explains that the problem with Gowron is part of a larger problem: The Klingon Empire is dying, and Ezri thinks it should be allowed to die. Unlike Jadzia and Curzon before her, Ezri does not view the Klingons in a romantic manner. She sees the Empire as a culture that prides itself on honor, but yet is willing to accept corruption at the highest level. Gowron is simply the latest example. Worf argues that Ezri is exaggerating, but Ezri counters by asking Worf who was the last Chancellor he respected, if there have been any, and how many times have the crimes of his leaders been covered up for the sake of the Empire. Ezri finishes by telling Worf she considers him the most honorable man she's ever met, but if he is willing to tolerate such dishonorable leaders, then there is no hope for the Empire. Worf doesn't like it, but knows that she is right. Docking with the Jem'Hadar ship, Garak, Damar and Rusot pretend to hold Kira prisoner, seeking to present her to the Vorta commanding the ship. The Cardassian guards, who recognize Damar, allow them to pass, quietly pledging their support of the Rebellion. The shackles binding Kira's wrists suddenly morph into Odo, who promptly disappears beneath the ship's deck plates. The three Cardassians and their Bajoran "prisoner" march to the bridge and confront the commander, a female Vorta. Without warning, Odo appears on the bridge as the Female Changeling, surprising the Vorta as well as the Jem'Hadar. When the "Founder" asks to inspect a plasma rifle, Odo flips the weapon to Garak, who kills the Vorta and the Jem'Hadar warriors. Having thus secured the bridge of the enemy vessel, they nevertheless can not depart yet; the installation of the Breen weapon (in engineering) is incomplete. Garak estimates they will need to wait precariously on the bridge for another 30 to 45 minutes. When they receive an incoming transmission for the Vorta Commander, Luaran, Kira disables the visual feed and successfully handles the routine call. They hunker down, hoping to not stir any suspicions. O'Brien brings some crab rolls prepared by his wife Keiko to Bashir, who is slaving away working on a cure for Odo. O'Brien suggests that the doctor deviously report to Starfleet Medical that he has found a cure. This, O'Brien reasons, will lure someone from Section 31 to the station, a someone who may be able to point them in the right direction toward a real cure. Gowron is conducting a meeting with several of his generals, and announces that Martok is to attack Sarpedion V, headquarters for the Cardassian Twelfth Order, much to the disdain and concern of everyone present. Martok argues against this plan, telling Gowron that the planet is one of the most heavily fortified and the attack will most certainly fail. Gowron just uses the opportunity to insinuate that Martok is weak, and Martok is forced to agree to the attack. Worf is present and, reminded of his earlier conversation with Ezri, knows that enough is enough. He stands and tells Gowron that the attack should not be done. He claims that Gowron is dishonorable, and that he is wasting ships and lives and risking the safety of the Alpha Quadrant just so he can perform a petty act of vengeance. Gowron is incensed, and tells Worf that if he wasn't wearing a Starfleet uniform, he would kill him where he stood. Worf responds by removing his combadge and placing it on the table, as what he is saying and doing is not as a Starfleet officer, but as a member of the House of Martok. He personally challenges Gowron's fitness to lead the Council, and Klingon honor provides only one answer to such a challenge: a duel. Both grab bat'leths and prepare for a fight to the death. Martok tries to talk Worf out of it, but Worf clearly has made his decision. The outcome of the entire Dominion War could rest on what is about to happen. The fight begins, and both combatants are clearly evenly matched, Gowron roaring out his pushes and heavy strikes and Worf mostly silent and focused. At a vital moment, one side of Worf's bat'leth is shattered, but he recovers quickly by choosing the tip sections of the sundered side and uses them like knives. Just as the chancellor forces Worf on his back to the floor and is about to give him a killing blow, Worf is able to reach up and stab Gowron with both of his makeshift knives. Gowron is dead, and Worf lets out the traditional death cry. The Chancellor's robe is immediately thrown around Worf by Martok, but as the Klingons start to chant Worf's name, Worf stops them. Worf explains that what he did was to help usher in a new era of honor and dignity for the Klingon Empire but he is not the man to lead them into it. As Worf holds the Chancellor's mantle towards Martok, Martok protests that he has never sought the leadership. Worf reminds him that Kahless said that "great men do not seek power, they have power thrust upon them". With no further resistance, Worf drapes the robe around the general's shoulders, and calls for the room to "hail Martok, leader of the Empire! Leader of destiny." As a depleted Odo tries to hang on to his shape, Kira comforts him. However, Rusot challenges Kira, pointing his weapon at her. He is prevented from firing by Garak, who points his weapon at Rusot. Still aiming at Kira, Rusot urges Damar to shoot Garak, pleading that they can take the Breen weapon for themselves, and, once the Dominion is gone, rebuild the Cardassian Union as the empire they both served and loved. "Just aim," Rusot urges, "and fire!"  Damar aims and fires and Rusot falls dead. Off the amazed looks of Kira and Garak, Damar sadly explains that Rusot was his friend, but the Cardassia he believed in no longer exists -- the arrogant, imperialist, xenophobic Cardassia, and its blind hatred of Bajorans. Kira and Garak are gratified -- Damar is the right leader for a new Cardassia after all, just as they had hoped. They leave the station with the Breen weapon intact, while Kira comforts a quickly-deteriorating Odo. 
<EOS>
Doctor Julian Bashir treats Odo in the Deep Space 9 infirmary, still unable to make any significant progress in curing his sickness. He estimates Odo has one week, perhaps two, before dying. Odo persuades Kira to leave his bedside to accompany Damar back to Dominion space in order to help the Cardassian Resistance, for his sake as well as hers. Elim Garak reminds Kira that they need to leave quickly before the Dominion border patrols are changed. Odo appears to be in an advanced state of decomposition, yet this does nothing to dampen their love for one another. He knows how hard it was for Kira to watch Vedek Bareil die in this very sickbay, and doesn't want her to see him die either. He makes it a request from him, to not to have to see pain in Kira's face. She decides to go, making it easier on the man she still loves. Chief Miles O'Brien informs Captain Sisko that Starfleet now has the Breen energy-dampening weapon Kira and the others were able to procure, and a defense is being worked on. When Captain Sisko inquires of Odo's prognosis, O'Brien suggests that a medical cure is not the only option they have been pursuing, at which point Sisko demands to know the whole story. Doctor Bashir reluctantly discloses his belief that Odo's sickness is a virus created by Section 31 to wipe out all Changelings, leaving Sisko shocked that people who call themselves Federation citizens are attempting to commit genocide. Bashir also says that he has transmitted a report to Starfleet Medical, falsely claiming to have found a cure for Odo's sickness, in order to lure a Section 31 operative to the station; once captured, the agent would be interrogated to help point Bashir in the right direction of finding a cure. Sisko then asks why they didn't tell him. Bashir answer that if they told him, then he'd alert Starfleet Command and Section 31 would cover up their tracks once they realize they were discovered. They also tell the Captain they plan on using Romulan mind probes, which are illegal in the Federation. Sisko knows that what his officers are doing is not only illegal but also highly unethical, but since the two are being forced to play dirty in a dirty game, he has no choice but to allow them to continue. Later that evening, O'Brien stumbles across Bashir throwing darts in a closed Quark's; each man is restless and feeling down in the dumps. Bashir tells O'Brien that he, after thinking over the conspiracy to infect the Founders with the disease, has concluded that at least seventy-three people must have been involved in the plot; a fact that leaves a very bitter taste in his mouth. The two friends each view Section 31 as an evil that's crawled its way into the heart of the Federation, and that it must be destroyed. Afterward, Bashir awakens in his quarters to find Section 31 operative Luther Sloan sitting comfortably in a chair overlooking Bashir's bed, as he normally appears, saying he has another assignment; but this time, Bashir is ready for him. The doctor activates a containment field, trapping Sloan where he sits. Bashir tells Sloan that he needs the cure to the morphogenic virus; Sloan is confused, he thought Bashir had already had it but he soon realizes he doesn't. Sloan is impressed, but indicates that turning him over to security won't do any good. Bashir tells Sloan that he is not interested in turning the latter over to security, then stuns Sloan unconscious with a phaser. Sloan awakens in sickbay, immobilized with a force field encompassing his body. Sloan asks O'Brien about his family, implying that if he dies, Section 31 will harm them. Yet Bashir doesn't believe him and tells Miles to not to listen to him. Bashir deduces that Sloan must have known the cure in order to find it in Julian's lab and destroy it. Bashir and O'Brien prepare to use the Romulan mind probes on Sloan, who, for once, appears lost for a backup plan. He resorts to pleading with Bashir, saying he is genuinely sorry Odo has to die, but he cannot risk the millions of lives that might be lost if the Founders learn about the cure and the war is allowed to continue. Bashir coolly replies that Sloan no longer has any say in the matter. Ruefully acknowledging that he underestimated Bashir, Sloan activates a neuro-depolarizing device in his brain, killing himself. Bashir stabilizes Sloan's body, but the higher cortical functions in his brain will cease within the hour, so Bashir prepares a multitronic engrammatic interpreter to link minds with the dying Sloan. This will allow him to see information through Sloan's memories, though the memories could be anything from Sloan's past, including his childhood. Miles insists on accompanying the Doctor on this potentially lethal travel through someone else's mind. Bashir explains to O'Brien that when they are ready to exit, he will use his genetically-enhanced nervous system to raise his blood pressure, thus sending a signal to the device to pull them out. When they activate the mind link, they find themselves in a turbolift, which neither of them remember entering. They realize it is merely an abstraction in Sloan's mind. The turbolift doors opens to a recreation of DS9; a cooperative Sloan greets the two, and seems to be aware of their place within his own dying mind. This Sloan tries to tell the two the cure, which is a simple nucleotide sequence but the dominant Sloan personality is preventing him from telling them what it is. He leads the two mind-travelers to a reception, being held in Sloan's honor, where he delivers a farewell speech to his family and friends, apologizing for all the pain he has caused in his life. After he finishes, he prepares to give Bashir and O'Brien the cure on a PADD, but suddenly another Sloan appears, killing the first (cooperative) Sloan with a phaser, and running away down a corridor of Sloan's dying, yet still active, mind as cooperative Sloan's party disappears. Bashir and O'Brien receive phaser wounds from a character "guarding" Sloan's mind. The wounds are causing them physical pain, meaning that Sloan is sending sensory stimuli to their brains, as well as thought patterns. When Bashir is unable to disengage the mental connection, the two men fear they will die (in reality) because their minds are linked to a dying mind; they ponder friendship, marriage, love. As O'Brien wishes he had written Keiko a goodbye letter, Bashir confides that he loves Ezri, but has never told her. They then see the light at the end of the corridor. They resist the urge to quit; instead, they regain their bearing, and prepare to open another door. Suddenly, Bashir and O'Brien wake up with Sisko, Worf, and Ezri around them. Bashir tries furiously to save Sloan and the knowledge of the cure, but it is no good and he dies. Devastated, Bashir tells Odo that he has no hope of finding a cure. Odo thanks Bashir for all his help, asking to be left alone to die. Outside, Bashir and O'Brien feel terrible that their plan failed but now there's nothing else they can do. The two friends part ways and sadly decide to turn in for the night. Later, Bashir tries to take his mind off the matter by reading Jadzia's copy of A Tale of Two Cities that Ezri loaned to him, but finds that after turning the page from where he left off, the book simply begins again from the start. Knowing the book can't be misprinted, Bashir realizes that he and O'Brien are still in Sloan's mind, and that is another trick being played by Sloan, who is trying to keep Bashir and O'Brien linked to him long enough to ensure that they will die with him. They remember they were about to open a door before their false awakening, and realize the cure must be there. When they finally reach the "inner sanctum" of Sloan's decaying mind, he tempts them with information tablets about every aspect of Section 31 that he knows. Bashir starts reading, and is shocked to find information powerful enough to bring the organization down. However, O'Brien realizes that it is one final ploy by Sloan, knowing that one of Bashir's deepest desires is to destroy Section 31. It's meant to distract them from finding the cure. Miles finds the correct tablet, and persuades Bashir to reluctantly walk away from the information. Bashir wakes up (for real, this time) in sickbay with Sisko, Ezri, and attending medical staff. O'Brien awakens, and promises that will be the last mind link he is ever a part of. Sloan is dead, but Bashir has discovered the cure. Later, having synthesized the cure, Bashir injects it into Odo, who experiences a quick and complete recovery. Later that night, Bashir is playing darts again in Quark's, and O'Brien comes by to invite the doctor to dinner. O'Brien finds a bottle of the 'good stuff' which is older than Bashir, and the two friends share a toast to 'aging gracefully and to Odo'. Bashir accepts the dinner invitation, and reminds O'Brien that Sloan had the perfect bait for Bashir with all the information on Section 31, however O'Brien was the one that saved him. The two drink another toast, this time to friendship and leave for the dinner which Keiko has prepared. 
<EOS>
Admiral Ross presents Captain Sisko with a new Defiant-class starship, the USS Sao Paulo. On the surface, the ship looks identical to the USS Defiant, recently destroyed in the Second Battle of Chin'toka. However, this new vessel is equipped with cutting-edge Starfleet technology to counteract the Breen energy dampening weapon. As the crew become acquainted with their new "friend," Ross also leaves Sisko special orders to rename the vessel Defiant, in honor of their recently lost ship. Aboard Damar's attack ship, Kira, Elim Garak and Damar approach Cardassia Prime. Leaving the ship in Seskal's hands, they beam down to the planet to meet with Gul Revok and Legate Goris, both of whom have agreed to join Damar. However, the trio arrive at the beam-down coordinates on a cave ledge, overlooking a massacre: Cardassian resistance fighters are being shot dead by Jem'Hadar troops. Gul Revok has betrayed them. Kira hails the ship for beam out, but in orbit, Seskal reports that they're under attack and has the shields up. He does his best to fight back, but the vessel is quickly destroyed by Breen warships. On losing contact with him, Kira realizes the three are stranded on Cardassia Prime; they carefully start making their getaway. The three decide to stealthily proceed to the Cardassian Capitol, to the house where Garak grew up. His father, he reveals, was the head of the Obsidian Order, who never publicly recognized Garak as his own son. Mila, the head of housekeeping, provides them a safe haven in the basement; they politely ask her for a communication device, and begin cleaning their new headquarters. In the Infirmary on Deep Space 9, Doctor Bashir certifies Odo fit for duty, however he feels the need to inform him that Section 31 infected him with the morphogenic virus that is plaguing his people, the Changelings, and that Odo had transmitted the virus to them, not the other way around. Odo expresses his disgust with the situation with which Bashir is in complete agreement. Odo then asks what the Federation intends to do about it. In his quarters, Captain Sisko tells Odo that after considering the issue, the Federation Council decided not to give the Founders the cure to their disease. Odo thinks that the Federation is simply abetting genocide, but Sisko reminds Odo that while Section 31 might have been responsible for the virus it was the Founders that started the war, and that giving them the cure would only strengthen their hand, something unacceptable given that millions of people are risking their lives fighting the Dominion. Sisko then asks Odo to promise him he won't take matters into his own hands. Odo gives the Captain his word, but before he leaves notes that while the Federation is officially condemning Section 31's ethics and tactics they are more than happy to turn a blind eye when they need dirty work doing. Sisko doesn't like the facts very much, but can't deny the truth of Odo's statement. As Leeta and M'Pella, another Dabo girl, decide to ask Quark for a pay raise, Quark retires into his bar's backroom to answer an incoming call from Grand Nagus Zek on Ferenginar. The Nagus, over a shaky, tenuous communications channel, informs Quark that he is retiring to Risa with Ishka, Quark's mother. He then shocks Quark by apparently naming Quark his successor as the next Grand Nagus, in between static breakups of his transmission. Bashir and Ezri Dax, who have been tiptoeing on eggshells around one another, finally get a chance to speak to one another openly; they express their common attraction to one another, but agree to remain just friends. As Quark revels in fantasies of wealthy extravagances, Brunt appears without his usual swagger at Quark's. Quark confirms the rumor of him being the successor to the Nagus. Brunt, completely out of character, kneels and begins repeatedly kissing Quark's hand, heaping praise upon his new Nagus. Meanwhile, on Cardassia Prime, Weyoun broadcasts to all the population the news of Damar's "death," even as Damar listens to the message from the basement cellar. Weyoun's report that the Dominion has destroyed all 18 Cardassian rebel bases is a bitter pill for the trio to swallow. With a smile, Weyoun states this is the first step to the Dominion's final victory. Also, the trio are unable to contact the Federation to be retrieved, as a signal strong enough to reach DS9 would be easily traced in a matter of seconds. The news devastates Damar; Kira, unwilling to spend the rest of the war in a cellar, tries to stir Damar to action, to no avail. Brunt, who is graciously giving Quark a pedicure, shocks Quark by informing him of recent social reforms on Ferenginar, including the introduction of taxes to finance welfare programs such as universal health care and retirement pensions for the elderly. Quark vows to enact sweeping changes, but is informed by Brunt that the position of Nagus is now on equal terms with a "Congress of Economic Advisors," which must ratify any legislation proposed by the Nagus. Quark worries about the future challenges facing the next Nagus. On Cardassia, Kira, Garak and Damar lie on their cots in dejection and lament recent events to Mila when she brings them food. They consider themselves to have been stupid to have ever believed that they had a chance of toppling the Dominion and that everyone will be glad they're dead. Mila tells them that the citizens of the capital don't believe they're dead, and there are whispers going around of their survival. While Damar doesn't think this amounts to much, Kira realizes they still have a chance. The resistance might be gone, but they can create something far more powerful, a revolution! Kira and Garak attempt to stir Damar to action. It works: he asks how to start, and Kira asks for directions to the nearest Jem'Hadar barracks. Weyoun introduces Legate Broca, the new leader of the Cardassian people. He pledges his loyalty to the Founders and the Breen. The Female Changeling announces that Starfleet has developed a countermeasure against the Breen weapon, and thus a new strategy is required. She orders a fighting withdrawal, insisting to the Breen Thot Pran that it is not a surrender, just a chance to regroup and eventually redouble their shipbuilding and replenishment efforts. Quark is back in his bar venting to Rom about Zek's new regulations that he will inherit. He's frustrated that these regulations are stifling the Ferengi entrepreneurial spirit. Rom listens, but is only concerned with Quark's bar. Quark can't get his mind off of it, and, as a consequence, spontaneously sells his Bar to him for 5,000 bars of latinum, without haggling over the price. When he suddenly realizes this, and also that he has been allowing his staff to keep their tips and was considering Leeta's request for a raise, Quark has to accept that he himself has been becoming softer and more lenient while eschewing traditional Ferengi practices. He compares this to the reforms which have "come to ail" Ferenginar, pledging a return to the old, traditional ways once he gains power. If Zek refuses to let him do so, he will in turn refuse the job, despite the wealth it will bring him. Meanwhile, on Cardassia, Damar and Kira wait for Garak, who is planting an explosive device in a Jem'Hadar barracks, but he is detained by Jem'Hadar guards while attempting to leave. There's only seconds left. With a three-minute fuse delay, Damar and Kira come to Garak's rescue, killing one guard; Garak quickly slips a knife through the other Jem'Hadar guard's throat. The blast from the explosion draws a crowd, who quickly recognize Damar, the man the Dominion couldn't kill! He unites the throng with a speech, stirring them to join the rebellion against the Dominion, then retreats. Julian and Ezri, still agreeing to remain friends, both board the turbolift for Ops; but by the time they reach Ops, they are locked in a passionate embrace, obviously disregarding their friends-only stance. As heads turn throughout Ops to watch Ezri and Bashir making out, Worf cuts the spectacle short by pressing a button at his console, sending the turbolift back down to the Habitat Ring. When Grand Nagus Zek and Ishka arrive at Quark's, they are befuddled by Quark's statements; disregarding him, they turn to Rom, and announce him as the next Nagus. (Zek, in the garbled transmission a few days earlier, had mistakenly thought he was speaking to Rom, not Quark.) Rom is to be the next Nagus--and Ishka takes the credit for the idea, reminding Quark how he has always underestimated his brother. It seems her influence over Zek has spread to more than just social reform. Quark is astounded at the sudden turn of events, even more so when Rom happily gives Quark the bar back for free. Quark realizes that Rom is the perfect leader for the new Ferengi society, and that his bar will stay exactly the same. The drinks will continue to be watered down, the dabo tables will still be rigged, the staff will continue to be underpaid and overworked. Quark's will be the last outpost of the old Ferenginar. Nevertheless, Quark cannot help but be delighted for his brother. While Quark returns to running the bar, the unassuming Rom begins his new tenure as Grand Nagus. His son Nog escorts the unabashed Brunt away from him, to stave off Brunt's corrupting influence. As his loving wife Leeta embraces him and wishes him good luck, Rom is left pondering his uncertain future as he tries out the Cane of the Grand Nagus for the first time, offering only a soft-spoken "Wow". In the DS9's wardroom, Sisko, Ross, Romulan Sub-Commander Velal, and Klingon Chancellor Martok discuss the Dominion's pullback and their new defensive perimeter. While Velal believes that containment will weaken the Dominion, Martok counters that the Dominion now has less territory to defend and retreating allows them to shorten supply lines. Sisko also argues that the Dominion can sit happily behind their borders building vessels and cloning soldiers for the next few years, until they eventually launch a new offensive that would spell certain defeat for the Alliance. Starfleet and the Klingon Empire vote to attack, and Velal, in light of the argument, agrees despite the cost that a full-scale invasion will incur. After the briefing, Benjamin returns to his quarters to find his wife Kasidy still awake on the couch. She is pregnant, she announces. While happy, she is unsure of the future, given the Bajoran Prophets' warning to Benjamin, the Emissary of the Prophets, to walk his path alone. The loving couple comforts one another, while on the horizon is the end of the Dominion War, and the release of the Pah-wraiths. 
<EOS>
In his quarters, Julian Bashir and Ezri Dax wake up, having slept together for the first time the night before. The two are enjoying their new relationship. However, Julian worries that, now that they're together, something might happen to them, for the couple are due to set off that day for the long-awaited invasion of Cardassia. Ezri makes a pact for the two of them; they're both coming back alive. Miles and Keiko O'Brien continue to raise their two children, Molly and Kirayoshi. They are a family excited to be returning to Earth after the end of the Dominion War, so that Miles can teach at Starfleet Academy. Miles just hasn't yet found the time to inform his best buddy, Julian, nor has he had the time to give him the model of the battle of the Alamo. Miles promises Keiko he'll tell Julian about his departure when he thinks he's ready to hear it, but it's clear he's not looking forward to breaking the news. In the Sisko quarters, Benjamin comforts a pregnant Kasidy, who is experiencing morning sickness. Jake drops by to walk his father to the new USS Defiant, formerly the USS Sao Paulo, on what everyone hopes to be the final mission of the war. Odo and Worf walk to the Defiant from the Promenade. They both hope to find Kira alive and well when they reach Cardassia Prime. Kira, meanwhile, is still hiding in Mila's basement with Damar and Garak, planning the Cardassian Rebellion. At Dominion Headquarters on Cardassia, Weyoun notes the Alliance's advance on their territory. They will pass the border in the morning. The Female Changeling is then talking with Thot Pran of the Breen, promising both Romulus and Earth as his reward if they win the war. While Pran takes his leave, Weyoun reminds the Founder that she had previously stated that he would have control of all Federation territories, including Earth. She responds that she would promise the Breen the entire Alpha Quadrant if it meant winning the war. Just then, Legate Broca reports that Damar is still alive, and he is in the capital city. Damar and Garak are stopped on the streets of the Cardassian capital by two Jem'Hadar soldiers. They recognize Damar, who Garak claims is his cousin. The Jem'Hadar silence him, telling them Damar will be taken in for questioning, while Garak will be killed on the spot. Suddenly, a Breen arrives, who the Jem'Hadar can't understand and who kills them on the spot. It is actually Kira, disguised as a Breen. They safely continue on their way to the resistance meeting, where they plan the following day's course of action: sabotaging Cardassian power plants and communications, thereby cutting off the Dominion fleet from headquarters. On the bridge of the Defiant, the crew engages in small talk. Worf accepts Julian as Dax's new lover, even bantering with her about it. O'Brien finds it difficult to tell Julian that he has accepted the teaching position on Earth. While talking to Odo about Kira, whom they haven't heard from, Sisko has another vision from the prophet appearing as Sarah, his mother. She tells the Emissary that his task is nearing completion, and that, cryptically, his journey's end lies not before him, but behind him. On Bajor, Dukat (still appearing as a Bajoran) enters the quarters of Kai Winn Adami, having regained his vision through the "forgiveness" of the Pah-wraiths. The Kai has learned the secrets of the Book of the Kosst Amojan, and claims to have been waiting for Dukat. Together, they embark to the depths of the Fire Caves to release the Pah-wraiths, who they hope will gain control of the Celestial Temple and destroy the Prophets -- and their Emissary, Winn adds. Dukat announces that Sisko's fate will be left to him. Winn points out that Sisko may not survive the invasion of Cardassia. Dukat isn't worried, he's certain that Sisko will survive and looks forward to dealing with him afterwards. Quark, meanwhile, is passing time by playing "Go Fish" with Vic Fontaine in the holosuite wishing he was playing Tongo instead, but unfortunately, the game is not included in Vic's program, as it is period specific. Quark's is experiencing a noticeable lull in business in light of the heightened war effort. Quark can't help but worry about Nog and the others. He complains to Vic that people pass through his bar looking for a good time, never bothering to notice that he doesn't have a good time; he's too busy making sure everyone else does. Vic tells Quark that the life of a bartender is a lonely one. But, alas, even Vic has better plans than Quark -- he departs with a beautiful date to see Jimmy Durante and Peter Lawford at the Sands. Quark reminds Vic that a bartender's life is a lonely one, but Vic retorts that he isn't a bartender. On Bajor, Dukat and Kai Winn Adami have entered the Fire Caves. As the Female Changeling orders the Breen to fight side-by-side with the Jem'Hadar, Weyoun notices that the Dominion lines are spread too thin at their center and proceeds to order more ships to reinforce it. Before he can send the order, all power is suddenly lost in the building. As emergency power comes on, Broca announces that the power disruption was due to an act of sabotage by civilians. The Founder grabs him by the throat, suspending him in mid-air, furious that the general population is rebelling. Broca, gasping for air, assures her it is an isolated uprising, and agrees that the civilians be severely punished for acts of resistance. Their long-range communications (and ability to communicate with their fleet) are still not working. When power is restored to the Capitol about half an hour later, Weyoun broadcasts a message announcing the complete destruction of Lakarian City, home to two million Cardassian citizens, in retaliation for the acts of sabotage. After watching the broadcast, Garak's anger towards the Dominion is intensified. Damar laments not killing Weyoun when he had the chance. Kira assures him that he will get another chance if they attack Dominion Headquarters. Doing so could potentially end the war completely without an unnecessary bloodbath. Although Damar had spent nearly two years living in the building, he says there is no way to sneak in because his security codes are no longer valid. They will need to force their way in, and Garak prepares by setting up explosives. Klingon Chancellor Martok hails Captain Sisko and Admiral Ross, promising to drink a celebratory barrel of 2309 bloodwine with them on Cardassia Prime, as he had stated the year before. The Dominion has fallen back to the Cardassian system in the Alpha Quadrant at this late stage of the war. Sisko, along with the entire Starfleet attack force, engages the Dominion Jem'Hadar fighters and Breen vessels there. The Breen ships in particular are highly maneuverable, and even the Defiant has a difficult time hitting one of them. As the dogfights ensue, several Jem'Hadar fighters appear to ram Klingon Bird-of-Prey ships in apparent suicide runs. At Mila's house, a squad of Jem'Hadar and Cardassian soldiers knocks on her door as Kira, Garak, and Damar hide in the basement. Suddenly, Mila's corpse is dumped down the stairs to the basement, and the Jem'Hadar also throw down a stun grenade, easily subduing the trio. The Defiant is in the thick of the battle, charging into enemy lines. Miles suffers a shoulder wound from exploding bridge debris and, during the heat of the battle, finally gets up the nerve to tell Julian that he and his family are leaving Deep Space 9 for Earth; Miles has accepted a position teaching engineering at Starfleet Academy. Ross orders Sisko to take the Defiant to help bolster the Romulan line; the Romulans have just lost their flagship. Back on Cardassia Prime, Dominion headquarters still cannot communicate with their fleet; they have no idea how the battle is going for either side. Then, Broca comes to tell that Damar, Garak, and Kira are captured. The Female Changeling orders Damar's immediate execution. Before the Jem'Hadar can execute Damar, Kira, and Garak, the Cardassian soldiers accompanying them kill the Jem'Hadar first in retaliation for Lakarian City. They declare allegiance to Damar. In the midst of battle, the Defiant is taking heavy fire. As a Breen warship pelts her with torpedoes, it is suddenly destroyed by a Cardassian ship as the entire military turn on the Dominion for the destruction of Lakarian City, and begin attacking the Breen and Jem'Hadar. Sisko rallies the Allied forces for an attack on the Dominion's center. When communications between planet-side headquarters and the Dominion fleet are brought back online and Weyoun learns of the Cardassians' switching sides, the Female Changeling orders all of their forces to fall back to Cardassia Prime. Legate Broca offers to talk to the rebels, but he is taken away by Jem'Hadar to be executed. The Founder then orders the extermination of the entire Cardassian population. Meanwhile, the Jem'Hadar and Breen ships quickly turn around and retreat to Cardassia Prime. Sisko speaks with Martok and Admiral Ross, who are elated that the Cardassians have joined them. When Admiral Ross states that now that the Dominion has been driven to Cardassia Prime, they can be held indefinitely. Sisko and Martok remind him that the enemy still has an impressive ability at shipbuilding. In addition, the Cardassian forces are now compensating for the third of the fleet lost. They all agree they should continue onwards, until the Dominion has been thoroughly defeated. Back on Bajor, Dukat and the Kai have reached their final destination in the Fire Caves. As the Kai begins reading from the sacred text of the Kosst Amojan, the vast underground cavern springs to life, engulfed with billows of red flame. As the resistance begins planning their strategy for entering Dominion headquarters, Garak enters to report that the capital city is being destroyed building by building, meaning they all need to make a quick escape. Garak mourns for Mila, a part of his life since he was a child growing up, and notes that he dreamed for years of returning home and even considered living in the house with her again. But now Mila is dead, the house is about to be destroyed and the Cardassia he knew is gone. When Kira tells Garak he can fight for a new Cardassia, he decides his new motivation for destroying the Dominion is revenge. Kira notes to herself that revenge is also a good reason to fight. Adami discards her Kai vestment, throwing it into the raging fire pit before them. She continues reading from the sacred text, invoking the spirit of the Pah-wraiths. On the Defiant, the crew regroups as reports come in that the Dominion is retaliating against the Cardassian people. Damar's resistance reaches Dominion Headquarters, and find the entrance protected by a neutronium door. There is no way to blast through, even with the explosives Garak prepared. To everyone's astonishment, Garak begins laughing. When Damar asks why, Garak asks him to consider the irony: their heroic charge into the "lair of the beast" is being thwarted by a locked door. Soon Kira, Damar, Ekoor, and the whole rebel party collapse with laughter. The Female Changeling is trying to keep the Breen in the fold. Then she collapses knowing she is going to die soon. She reveals to Weyoun she hasn't been able to change shape in weeks and the irony at the fact she is going to die as a solid. Damar suggests pretending to give himself up, but Kira warns him he'll be shot on sight. But the door opens from within. A pair of Jem'Hadar drag Legate Broca and two other Cardassians outside and execute them with bayonets, then dumping their bodies. The Cardassians leap upon the opportunity and kill the executioners before engaging in a fire fight with several other Jem'Hadar. While the resistance succeeds in breaking into the compound, Damar is fatally wounded and dies in Garak's arms, simply saying "Keep". Kira takes command, and reminds the Cardassians of Damar's orders that they don't stop until they capture the Female Changeling. Inside, Weyoun is alerted to the security breach and admits to the Changeling that there are only a few Jem'Hadar guards in the building as most of them are assisting in the Cardassian extermination. He sends the few he has to guard the door, despite knowing they'll likely fail. The Federation Alliance has driven the Dominion all the way back to Cardassia Prime. The Dominion is cornered and the Alliance prepares to move in for the kill. Admiral Ross proposes a three-pronged attack: the Romulans and Cardassians will attack the Jem'Hadar; Chancellor Martok will lead the Klingons against the Breen; and the Federation will knock out the orbital weapon platforms. Ross predicts that casualties will be about 40%, and Martok expects that number to rise with their ground assault. The rebel strike team breaks into the heart of Dominion headquarters, capturing Weyoun and the Female Changeling. Only three rebels survive the attack: Kira, Garak, and Ekoor. With a sneer, Weyoun asks where Damar is, knowing full well that he must already be dead. Garak shoots Weyoun down for gloating over the terrible destruction wreaked on Cardassia. The Founder mourns as Garak had just killed the last Weyoun, which more than pleases Garak. Kira tells the Founder that the Dominion has lost the war, but the Founder refuses to surrender, promising a fight to the bitter end. With the Breen and Jem'Hadar fighting to the last man, she promises, the Allies will lose so many ships and so many lives that their victory will taste as bitter as defeat. This way, they will never threaten the Gamma Quadrant. On the Defiant bridge, Sisko, Odo, and Worf are speaking to Kira. She tells them the founder is deteriorating. Sisko says she has to stay alive in order to order the retreat of the Jem'Hadar. Odo offers to beam down and speak to the founder. In the Fire Caves, Winn pours a toast, offering it to Dukat. He drinks from the cup; however, he soon bends over in pain. The ex-Kai says she is offering him as a sacrifice for the Pah-wraiths; who better than Dukat? Dukat sprawls and dies. She then proceeds to awaken the Wraiths. At Cardassia Prime, Odo beams down to talk with the captured Founder. He asks her to stand down her forces yet she retorts that she still believes that the Federation Alliance would invade the Gamma Quadrant. While acknowledging the Federation having its own flaws (such as Section 31's plan for the Founders' genocide), Odo assures her that the Federation wouldn't sanction such an invasion, nor would it allow the Klingons or Romulans to do so. He suggests he can cure her and they link, against the better judgment of Garak. After joining briefly for only about ten seconds, the Female Changeling is cured; she can assume her normal, smooth-featured shape. She had also communicated to Odo, during their link, that she will order the surrender of all Jem'Hadar and Breen; moreover, she will stand trial for her actions in the Alpha Quadrant. With the Female Changeling facing years (possibly a lifetime) of incarceration, Odo vows to be the one who delivers the cure to the Great Link, and tells Kira that he will be rejoining the Great Link for good. On the battered surface of Cardassia Prime, a new dawn rises over the now-shattered capital city. Martok lustily drinks his bloodwine in victory, but Sisko and Ross, disturbed by the carnage they see, refuse to celebrate. Martok reminds them that many Bajorans would call this poetic justice, but Sisko is unmoved and tells him he won't share a toast over the bodies of innocent victims. He and Admiral Ross pour out their bloodwine and leave, and Martok notes to himself (in Klingon) that he'll never truly understand humans. At Dominion headquarters, Garak and Bashir are reviewing the casualty reports from the attempted genocide of the Cardassians: eight hundred million, and still climbing. Bashir searches for words to console his friend, but Garak breezily tells Bashir not to bother; after all, many would say that Cardassia has gotten exactly what it deserves, and they would be right -- not only for Dukat's role in bringing the Dominion, and thus the war, to the Alpha Quadrant, but for a whole history of conquest and atrocities on other worlds, of which Bajor is only one. Garak tells Bashir he will be staying on Cardassia and thanks him for his friendship over the years, admitting he'll miss their lunchtime chats. Bashir says he hopes they will see each other again. Garak, ever cynical, says he hopes so too, but wouldn't count on it. Aboard DS9, the Female Changeling signs the formal instrument of surrender, officially ending hostilities between the Dominion and Federation Alliance. After the ceremony, Martok and Ross offer Worf the Federation ambassadorship to the Klingon Empire. Worf tells Captain Sisko that his loyalty is to him first and Sisko states that, although he will hate losing Worf on DS9, it's his choice. Worf tells Sisko that it was an honor to serve alongside him (a compliment Sisko returns) and accepts the new posting. Martok is very happy at this, grateful to have an ambassador he can go Targ hunting with on Qo'noS. Kira, who doesn't want to lose the love of her life, asks Odo to return after curing the Founders. He explains how painful it will be for him to leave her, but that the only way for the Founders to learn to trust solids will be for him to remain in the Link. So instead, Kira requests she be the one to take him to his homeworld; he gratefully agrees. The crew mingle in Vic's lounge for celebration and farewells. Among the groups, Jake is asking Miles if they already found a place to live to which Miles responds they have some locations in sight. He receives much help from the present staff, with Worf even suggesting Minsk. Quark, who is getting to be a regular at Vic's, encourages everyone to stay put, citing his distaste for change. Sisko tells Quark to get used to it, as things are going to be very different from now on. As everyone gives the moment pause, Captain Sisko lifts his glass in a toast: "To the best crew any captain ever had. This may be the last time we're all together. But no matter what the future holds, no matter how far we travel, a part of us, a very important part, will always remain here, on Deep Space 9." Vic sings "The Way You Look Tonight" to the assembled crew, who came aboard Deep Space 9 distanced, suspicious and sometimes hostile towards each other, yet despite all this grew into close colleagues and friends. On Bajor, Dukat is resurrected by the Pah-wraiths and regains his Cardassian visage, his eyes glowing red with their power. On DS9, as the couples take to the dance floor, Benjamin suddenly has a strong sensation. As the Emissary, he now understands what his task is. Benjamin excuses himself abruptly from the party and heads to a runabout pad. Dukat taunts Winn, saying she wasn't good enough to be the Pah-wraiths' emissary. He reveals to her that the Pah-wraiths plan to spread across and destroy Bajor, the Celestial Temple, the Alpha Quadrant and even the entire galaxy. He then nonchalantly notes that Sisko has arrived. Sisko raises his phaser rifle at Dukat but the Pah-wraiths' power is strong, and with a flick of his wrist Dukat causes Sisko to drop the weapon and fall flat to the ground. He recovers and punches Dukat, to no avail. Dukat, controlling Sisko's movements, causes him to bow in front of him. Sisko fights against Dukat's power, telling him that just like when he allied Cardassia with the Dominion he has joined forces with the losing side while promising to stop both him and the Pah-wraiths from destroying Bajor and the Alpha Quadrant. Winn grabs the Book of the Kosst Amojan, intending to cast it into the fire pit, but it suddenly appears in Dukat's hands. Dukat summons the fire, which engulfs Winn Adami, vaporizing her, but not before she yells to Sisko to focus on the book. With Dukat concentrating on Winn and her death, he is momentarily distracted from Sisko, who breaks free of Dukat's hold and lunges at him, propelling both men (and the Kosst Amojan) over the cliff, into the fire pit. As they tumble through the flames, Dukat and the book disintegrate, but Sisko suddenly materializes in the Celestial Temple. The prophet disguised as Sisko's mother Sarah gives him both good news and bad. The good news is that the Emissary succeeded in his mission by returning the Pah-wraiths to the Fire Caves, and by destroying the book he had trapped both them and Dukat inside a prison that can never be escaped; the bad news is that he must remain indefinitely in the Celestial Temple as his work there is only just beginning. On DS9, the others explain to Kasidy that they found Sisko's runabout but there was no sign of him. Just then, the Emissary comes to Kasidy in a vision. Relieved to see her beloved husband, she embraces and kisses him one last time. He informs her that he will not be coming back, and Kasidy now realizes the "sorrow" predicted by the prophets. Now speaking in non-linear riddles himself, he solemnly declares his role as Emissary, speaking of destiny, of having a great deal of things to do and learn. However, he promises Kasidy that he will return "in a year, or maybe yesterday". They say their goodbyes, and then suddenly Kasidy is back on DS9, telling Jake she has spoken to his father. The time has come to finally part ways. As O'Brien and family leave their quarters for the last time, Miles finds a plastic soldier on the floor, and this allows him to quickly reminisce of his adventures with Bashir. Worf looks back at the changes he experienced: a new post, intrigue, love, and even political upheaval, but is still able to look forward as he joins his friend, brother, comrade, and leader Martok on a ship bound for Qo'noS and his new mission. Odo gives Kira his old bucket as the two think about how after many years of friendship the two found true love in each other. Quark can't help but think back on the wild goings-on at his bar and the myriad adventures that took place in his holosuites over the years. Jake closes the model of the house on Bajor his father will now never build, as he remembers the fond times the two had together over the years. Odo tries to depart the station quietly in the runabout, without having to say goodbye to anyone. Quark, knowing that Odo would try and avoid any kind of goodbye, confronts him in the corridor asking for some kind of farewell, but Odo refuses. Regardless, Quark raises a toast to him and still believes that Odo "loves" him. O'Brien and Bashir part company with a big hug and misty eyes, having become the best of friends after serving seven years together. Kira pilots Odo's runabout to the Changeling planet. Beaming down to the surface, Kira is shocked at how different the Great Link appears, sickly and green. Odo confirms that they're dying; he needs to join them. Odo has Kira tell everyone back on DS9 that he will miss them, including Quark. They say their tearful farewells. Odo morphs his uniform into his tuxedo; knowing Kira always liked it on him he wants it to be her last memory of him. He slowly walks into the "ocean" of Changelings, eventually morphing and merging with them. Odo's cure spreads throughout his people, saving them all as the Link changes back to its natural golden brown. Colonel Kira, comfortably situated in the commanding office on DS9, congratulates Lieutenant Nog on his promotion. She picks up Sisko's baseball from the desk, throws it up in the air and catches it while overlooking Ops. Bashir suggests to Ezri that they partake in the Battle of Thermopylae in a holosuite, a battle that is similar to the Alamo in that the smaller force -- the Spartans -- fought valiantly but was defeated. Kira goes to crack the whip on Quark, who had been taking bets on the selection of the next Kai, the Colonel banning all betting pools under penalty of Quark spending some time in the holding cells; the confrontation reminiscent of a similar encounter between the two many years earlier. Leaving Quark's, Kira sees a lonely Jake on the upper Promenade staring out the windows at the Denorios Belt. She joins him and they look out the window at the Bajoran wormhole, which is finally open for travel again after two years of war. They look towards the Celestial Temple and the Gamma Quadrant, where Jake's father and Kira's close friend have both gone, as life goes on at Deep Space 9. 
<EOS>
A pair of Voth, a species of reptilian humanoids, named Forra Gegen and Tova Veer conduct an archaeological investigation in a cave on an M-class planet. They search the cave with their flashlights and Veer discovers a tattered piece of cloth; while he does not appear to recognize it, it is a gold-colored Starfleet Operations division uniform. Gegen journeys a bit further into the cave where he delicately unearths a Human leg bone. Upon realizing what it is, he emits a series of clicking sounds to summon Veer and scans the bone with a small round device similar in function to a tricorder. Veer asks if the discovery is a genetic match, although to what he does not say and Gegen confirms it is. "Could this be it? The proof?" Veer asks eagerly. "If it is," responds Gegen, "We've just made the most important discovery in Voth history." He shines his light on a nearby Human skull as he speaks and the camera fades out. Now aboard their vessel, Gegen and Veer have laid the bones collected out on a table, forming an approximation of what the skeleton would look like if complete. They study the incomplete skeleton much as paleontologists would study a dinosaur fossil and determine it is related to the Voth. They decide to present their findings to the Ministry of Elders. However, Minister Odala does not take kindly to their findings. She claims the similarities are coincidental, accusing Gegen of questioning Voth Doctrine. Once he realizes that he will get nowhere with her, Gegen decides to mount an expedition on his own. His daughter Frola wants to believe in him but she finds it hard to believe that the Voth are related to mammals from elsewhere in the galaxy. Unfortunately, Tova informs him that he has been charged with heresy against The Doctrine and all of his supporters have abandoned him. Determined to find the truth, Forra and Tova set out on their own. The two of them find one clue on the uniform of the corpse they recovered: they need to find something called USS Voyager. After deciding to observe Voyager, the two board Voyager undetected under an interphase cloaking device and wander around the ship looking at several things such as the computer, the "male and female interacting" and "courting behavior" between Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres. As they observe, they seem to think of the Humans as primitive compared to their own species. On the bridge, still cloaked, they assume that the social hierarchy is matriarchal due to Kathryn Janeway being the captain. At this time the crew discovers two unknown hidden beings on board. Gegen and Veer attempt to leave only to realize they cannot transport off their ship. While the bridge is being sealed by a level 10 force field, Gegen and Veer teleport to the mess hall. Lieutenant Tuvok makes the two appear and when Veer instinctively shoots Chakotay with a small dart, Gegen instantly transports himself and Chakotay away to his vessel. In sickbay, Janeway attempts to converse with Veer to find that he speaks with clicks. The Doctor finds that his body temperature and metabolism have dropped as he enters protective hibernation and Janeway orders others to examine the new species. On Gegen's ship, Chakotay discovers that Gegen is a molecular paleontologist, and Gegen explains that he couldn't reach Veer in the mess hall and took Chakotay instead as a living specimen of Human. Gegen questions whether there are any of his species on Earth, but Chakotay asks Gegen to drop the force field around him. After Gegen shuts off the force field around Chakotay, he and Chakotay make formal first contact between the two. The Doctor finds that the DNA of the Voth and Humans are remarkably similar (47 genetic markers in common, a conclusion Gegen and Veer had reached earlier) and Janeway makes the conclusion that the Voth evolved on Earth. Janeway goes to holodeck 2 and tries to picture the closest relative to the Voth from Earth. On the holodeck, she and The Doctor see various reptiles from the Cretaceous era, most notably a hadrosaur. The Doctor predicts that the hadrosaur continued to evolve after the extinction of other beings to the present Voth civilization. On Gegen's ship, Chakotay and Gegen propose that any existence of the intelligence of the dinosaurs could have been deep under the surface, never to be found by the Humans on Earth. Gegen begins to see that the Humans and mammals as a whole are not as inferior as he once thought. When Chakotay requests to beam back to Voyager, Gegen denies his request and says that he must bring Chakotay to the Ministry to prove that Humans exist. Back on Voyager, Tuvok and Paris are attempting to understand the Voth cloaking technology. Suddenly an enormous Voth city ship several times the size of Voyager de-cloaks. Voyager goes to red alert, then begins to be probed with an energy beam that cuts through the shields before the entire vessel is beamed into a large hangar onboard the Voth ship. With Voyager inside the massive Voth city ship, the ship and weapons begin to lose power and Janeway orders to crew to repel boarders. Heading for the bridge, Tuvok is shot by a dart from behind and orders Paris, who is with him, to leave without him. The Voth manage to easily take over the ship, with Janeway and Harry Kim being interrupted by them while attempting to restore power. The Voth interrogate the Humans about their origin. When Janeway mentions Earth, the Voth suspects Gegen of spreading rumors. Paris is able to make it to Main Engineering and attempts to fire a full spread of photon torpedoes through the city ship, however the Voth are able to detect and block his attack. Meanwhile, Gegen gets a communication from the Ministry threatening to destroy Voyager if he doesn't return. He reluctantly sets course back to the ship. Professor Gegen meets the Ministry again and is accused of going against The Doctrine. He does not retract his statements, so Odala begins the trial. On trial, the Ministry further accuses Gegen of disputing Doctrine through the Distant Origin Theory and being a destructive influence on society. After given a chance to deny of the evidence, Gegen refuses. The Minister states that the Humans are not related at all to counter Gegen's theory. Chakotay responds by saying that Voyager's fossil records prove otherwise. The Ministry stops and begs Gegen to admit that his interpretation and theory is wrong. Gegen again refuses and claims that the entire Voth civilization is from the Human planet of Earth. When the Minister brings forth Veer and questions him about the theory, he states, rather unenthusiastically, that Gegen's research was flawed. The Minister praises him for his testimony and he shuffles off sadly when she dismisses him. Once again, Gegen is questioned about his theory whether or not he has been mistaken. Gegen questions why Veer would have spoken against him, strongly suspecting that the Minister threatened the younger scientist in some way, perhaps from taking away his honors all the way up to threatening the man's family. He challenges the plan of the Voth to keep their "myth" of their history and beliefs. When the Minister asks yet again, Chakotay speaks against the Minister about how their beliefs are so clouded just as Gegen's theory is and that Gegen and he found out that the genetic structure of Voth is incredibly similar to almost every species found on Earth, which is too much to be coincidence. Chakotay states that the Doctrine was changed when transwarp technology was introduced, just as Gegen's theory is attempting to be introduced. The Minister states that she does not want to believe the theory because it might show weakness on the Voth's behalf, depicting them as a race of cowards who fled their home. Chakotay responds that the Voth culture had a great past, surviving on Earth against great odds and subsequently coming to leave Earth and thrive in a distant part of the galaxy, their denial of the past shows the denial of their true heritage. To deny this heritage would be to ignore what their ancestors accomplished in order to save the species. Despite Chakotay's plea, Gegen is found guilty and is sentenced to life imprisonment on a detention colony, which he accepts. However to the scientist's horror and protests, the Minister then tells Chakotay that he and the entire Voyager crew are to be imprisoned along with Gegen and their ship destroyed. At the last moment, Gegen, defeated and unwilling to see the Voyager crew being dragged into his predicament, gives in to the Minister's desire and heartbroken, recants his theory. Satisfied, the Minister reassigns Gegen to a "more rewarding vocation" in metallurgical analysis and frees Chakotay, ordering Voyager to leave Voth space. Back on Gegen's personal ship, the scientist, professing at not being that good at chemistry, sadly resigns himself to an unremarkable career in metallurgical analysis and thanks Chakotay for his help and friendship. Chakotay commends him on his bravery, and gives Gegen a small hand-held globe of modern Earth in the hope that one day the Voth will see it as their home. Chakotay bids Gegen farewell with "Eyes open" that Gegen returns, before beaming back to Voyager. 
<EOS>
In a region of space, two Borg cubes advance on their next intended targets for assimilation. Their hail is cut off abruptly as energy beams lash out at the cubes, which are instantly destroyed. On one of the USS Voyager's holodecks, Captain Kathryn Janeway is running a Leonardo da Vinci holo-program, conversing with a Leonardo hologram in a simulation of the historical figure's workshop. She receives an urgent hail from Commander Chakotay, who urges her to go to engineering to take a look at something. There, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres explains that the long-range probe they sent out months ago has stopped transmitting. However, she was able to catch the last few seconds of telemetry, which show a Borg drone's face staring into the viewscreen. Janeway immediately calls a meeting of the senior staff and explains that it is unknown how many Borg vessels are out there but that their space appears to be vast, including thousands of star systems. Voyager is no doubt entering the heart of Borg territory and, unfortunately, there seems to be no way around it. However, there might be a way through it. Chakotay explains that, before the probe was disabled, it detected a narrow corridor of space devoid of Borg activity -- which members of the crew nicknamed "the Northwest Passage". Navigating through it, however, may prove complicated, as the passage is filled with intense gravimetric distortions, probably caused by a string of quantum singularities. The crew are left with no choice, though, but to go through the passage. All over the ship, preparations are finalized. In engineering, the warp drive is checked, yet again. Tuvok goes through weapons checks with his security officers. Chakotay and Kim review planned tactical options in case the Borg invade the ship. While The Doctor and Kes examine the Borg drone corpse the crew discovered a few months earlier looking for possible ways to protect the crew from being assimilated. The Doctor has found that the Borg assimilate by injecting the victim with nanoprobes which quickly take over the bloodstream and suggests a defense which would involve fighting against the infection before it can spread. Kes suddenly experiences a vivid vision of dismembered Borg drone corpses, piled up on one another. She has no idea what this means but it disturbs her greatly. She experiences these and other frightening visions for the next two hours; visions of dead drones and Voyager's destruction haunt her mind. Tuvok, who is Kes' mentor in honing her telepathic abilities, is informed of this development. While he discusses Kes' predicament with Janeway and Chakotay on the bridge, the ship begins to tremble. Kim reports that long-range sensors detect transwarp signatures 2.1 light-years away closing from behind. Before they know it, fifteen Borg vessels are rapidly closing on them. Much to everyone's surprise, the enormous vessels do not attack, merely racing past Voyager. One cube slows and scans the ship, then speeds up to rejoin the others. The subspace turbulence affecting Voyager dissipates. The crew is at a loss to explain their unusually good fortune. Kim confirms there's no damage, and systems are coming back online. Janeway orders the ship to resume course while she reviews the Starfleet database for data on previous Borg encounters. Chakotay interrupts her later to inform her the passage is still clear then, seeing she hasn't eaten, offers to eat with her. She declines, then explains she has been seeking useful information on the Borg from the logs of other Starfleet commanders but has gotten nothing. She remarks on the dilemma of facing a huge challenge ahead or retreat to friendly territory, permanently abandoning the journey home. Chatokay gently assures her that he and everyone else will support her and that she is not alone. Janeway says that she cannot imagine a day without him -- though just a few years ago, she didn't even know his name. While they are talking, Tuvok hails her to the bridge. There, he and Kim report that the Borg cubes have suddenly stopped 5.2 light-years away, for an undetermined reason. Janeway orders Paris to take Voyager to the coordinates of the dormant Borg ships. The crew then finds that every one of the fifteen cubes has been destroyed -- with only a few life signs remaining. Tuvok detects two residual weapons' signatures in the debris: one Borg and the other of unknown origin. Astonished, Paris asks the question that everyone else is wondering: who could bring such devastation to the Borg? The idea of someone more powerful than the Borg seems rather incredible. Kim thinks they might have found an ally but Chakotay warns not to jump to conclusions. While scanning the vicinity for other vessels, the bridge officers detect a biomass attached to one of the Borg ships. They confirm that it is organic but do not receive a response when they send out a standard greeting. They try to beam it away from the ship, but cannot get a lock on it and a tractor beam also doesn't seem to have an effect. They realize that whatever is attached to the Borg cube is impervious to their technology. Janeway orders Chakotay to lead an away team to the cube to take a short-range scan of this biomass. Tuvok and Kim join Chakotay on the away team and beam aboard the cube. As they look around, they find nothing but dead drones scattered amid the wreckage. As they move on, they find a pile of dismembered Borg corpses reminiscent of the visions Kes had earlier. They continue forward to the object and find that it has created a gaping hole in the cube's hull and fused onto it. Interestingly, there is a Borg unsuccessfully continuing to attempt to assimilate it. Scans reveal it to be an organic-based vessel with high concentration of antimatter particles, possibly a warp core. Chakotay and Tuvok board the ship to investigate while Kim accesses a Borg Distribution node to download their tactical database. In Voyager's sickbay, Kes is carrying a tray when she is suddenly overwhelmed by visions of Kim screaming in abject agony. She collapses, frantically warning that the away team is in grave danger and that they need to leave the cube immediately. On the Borg ship, Kim calls the other two officers to his position, as he has detected something that is biological in the vicinity but does not appear to be Borg. Just then, Janeway hails and tells them to prepare for immediate return to Voyager. The unknown life form suddenly tears through a wall of the cube, entering a corridor where the away team is. Immediately, it attacks nearby drones, swiping them before turning to Kim and attacking him. Harry collapses, screaming in excruciating pain, just as he had in Kes's vision. The creature moves to finish him but, just then, the away team is beamed back aboard Voyager. On the bridge, Paris reports that the alien ship is detaching and powering up, apparently readying to fire a weapon. Kes, who is also on the bridge, experiences another vision of the pilot on that bio-ship communicating with her. Janeway orders Paris to take them out of the area at maximum warp. As Voyager moves away, the bio-ship fires, not landing a direct hit but Voyager loses control. Paris is able to jump to warp speed, and the bio-ship does not give chase. An alarm-stricken Kes tells Janeway that it is not the Borg that they should be worried about but this new species. Kes informs the captain that the creature told her, "The weak will perish." As Janeway enters sickbay, she is horrified to view Harry Kim's condition. The Doctor tells her that the alien cells are consuming his body from the inside out, while he is conscious. He shows her the scan of the alien cells which contain more than a hundred times the DNA of a Human cell. It would take him years to decipher it. The Doctor is unable to sedate Harry as anything that penetrates this species' cell-membrane -- biological, chemical or technological -- is instantly destroyed. Janeway realizes that this is probably why the Borg cannot assimilate the species. The Doctor, however, believes that Borg technology holds the key to saving Harry, as he hopes to unleash an army of modified Borg nanoprobes into Harry's bloodstream, designed to target and eradicate the infection. He has successfully managed to dissect a nanoprobe, access its recoding mechanism and reprogram the probe to emit the same electrochemical signature as the alien cells. That way, the probe can do its work without being detected. The Doctor is not certain he will be able to modify enough nanoprobes in time to save Harry. On the bridge, Tuvok and Torres show Chakotay a part of the tactical data Kim retrieved from the cube. According to it, the aliens -- designated by the Borg as Species 8472 -- have engaged the Borg twelve times in the last five months and, each time, the Borg have been defeated swiftly. The bridge officers also finally determine that Species 8472 comes from the Northwest Passage -- which would explain why it is a region devoid of Borg activity. While discussing this, Tuvok detects 133 bio-ships coming from a quantum singularity. A grim-faced Janeway watches the visual as it shows hundreds of the aliens' ships streaming forth from quantum singularities in the Northwest Passage. Kes notifies the captain that the aliens have been communicating with her further. Their new messages are even more frightening than the first; she feels malevolence and cold hatred. Kes says that what they are doing is carrying out an invasion and that they intend to destroy everything. Chakotay and Janeway discuss their next move. The Northwest Passage is no longer an option as a route through Borg space. Now, the choice is between facing the Borg in their space or staying behind and giving up hope of ever returning home. Chakotay reminds Janeway that just because they're turning around doesn't mean they won't find another way home, but Janeway still can't bring herself to tell the crew they're remaining in the Delta Quadrant and is desperate for another choice between permanent isolation or almost certain death. She decides to get some sleep and see how she feels with a clear head. Janeway however can't bring herself to rest and heads to the Da Vinci holodeck simulation, the decision she must make weighs heavily on her mind. She tells Leonardo her problem (as a metaphor) and he suggests she journey with him to church and make an appeal to God. This suddenly gives Janeway an idea. she could do a deal with the 'devil'. In the briefing room, Janeway outlines her plan: an alliance with the Borg, against their new enemy. Voyager's crew will offer the Borg a way to defeat their enemy and, in return, the Borg will grant them safe passage through their space. Janeway references The Doctor's findings regarding the nanoprobes, which she believes can be used as a biological weapon against Species 8472. The officers are incredulous at her suggestion of teaming up with such an entity. Janeway is adamant that her stratagem will work, however. She has The Doctor save all of the research regarding the nanoprobes in his holomatrix. She also explains that, if the Borg threaten Voyager in any way, the crew will simply erase The Doctor's program. After everyone else leaves, Chakotay -- who has remained rather quiet throughout the meeting -- tells Janeway that he believes that what she proposes is far too dangerous. Illustrating his reasoning by citing a parable of the scorpion that allowed itself to die rather than overcome its deadly nature, he argues that her plan is a huge mistake, as she is underestimating the true evil of the Borg. He explains that no amount of diplomacy, reasoning and incentive-providing will ever change what the Borg are. They have no guarantee that the Borg will actually keep their hands off them after they acquire the information. He also wonders how much Voyager's safety is ultimately worth, that Janeway is willing to give advantage to a species guilty of murdering billions; they would essentially be giving the Borg the means to assimilate yet another species, just to get themselves home. But Janeway is convinced that they will be able to keep the Borg at bay with the bargaining chip they have. She furthermore believes that helping to assimilate Species 8472 might actually not be such a bad idea, given the malevolence they have expressed towards the entire galaxy. Chakotay, however, remains steadfast in his objection to her plan accusing her of being so blinded by her desire to go home that she is closing herself to all other options. Janeway asks him to trust her, firmly stating that the time for debate is over as she has made her decision. Chakotay reluctantly agrees that, as her first officer, he will comply with her orders but makes it clear she does not have his support. With misty eyes, Janeway says she guesses that she is alone after all. She dismisses him sadly but her resolve is unshaken. Voyager arrives at an assimilated system. Several Borg cubes are in the area, and one of them seizes the ship in a tractor beam. Janeway notifies the Collective that she has tactical information about Species 8472. She offers to negotiate for it but the Collective refuses. Janeway has Torres transmit (to the cubes) a sample of the research, showing the 8472 cells being destroyed by the Borg nanoprobes. The captain declares that this is a sample of the data and threatens to destroy it, if the Collective does not listen to what she has to say. There is a long pause. She again offers to negotiate but, as she speaks, she is transported to the cube, finding herself on a catwalk spanning the vessel's vast interior. The Collective instructs her to state her demands. She states that there is only one demand: safe passage through Borg space in exchange for the data. Once her ship is past Borg territory, she will give them their research. The Collective does not accept because their space is vast and her passage would take too long. They demand the technology immediately. Janeway refuses because if she gives the data to them right away, they would assimilate Voyager. The Collective explains that Species 8472 has to be stopped and the Collective's survival is Voyager's survival. Janeway then comes up with a plan: they would collaborate -- as Voyager traverses Borg space -- in order to craft a bio-weapon using the data. She is in the middle of outlining this plan when the cube is violently shaken. On Voyager's bridge, Tuvok informs Chakotay that a quantum singularity has opened and that more of the ships are coming through. The cube's shields are weakening but not enough to beam Janeway back to Voyager. Nine bio-ships converge in a star pattern and head toward the assimilated planet. They destroy the planet and all the Borg cubes in the vicinity, except for the one holding Janeway and Voyager. The remaining cube hurtles away at high warp, just ahead of the explosion, with Voyager still held firmly in its tractor beam. 
<EOS>
Weapons fire streaks through space as a Cardassian warship attacks a much smaller vessel with phasers. Piloting the small vessel, Maquis leader Chakotay is desperately trying to hold his ship together and get the impulse engine's power steady. Chakotay asks his half-Klingon half-Human engineer, B'Elanna Torres, to be creative; Torres replies that it is hard to be creative with 39-year-old rebuilt engines. The Cardassian commander, Gul Evek, hails the ship, telling them to stand down. Chakotay ignores him and tells Torres that if she can keep his engines going for thirty more seconds at full impulse, he will get them into the Badlands. Torres says that she can get enough power to the engines if they shut down the weapons systems. Tuvok, a Vulcan officer, advises against that given their current circumstances, but Torres retorts that their weapons are having no effect on the warship's shields. Chakotay concurs with his engineer. Tuvok shuts down the phasers and Chakotay orders the last photon torpedoes fired so that they can use the power from that system. The Maquis vessel soars into the plasma storms with the Cardassian warship in close pursuit. Chakotay's piloting skills are sufficient to avoid the funnels of energy in the Badlands; however, the Cardassian ship is less lucky and is severely damaged. Tuvok informs Chakotay that the Cardassian ship is sending out a distress call on all Cardassian frequencies. Chakotay relaxes and sets a course for a planet where they can make repairs when a bright flash erupts through the ship. Tuvok reports that they passed through a coherent tetryon beam from an unknown source and that a massive displacement wave is rapidly approaching. Chakotay tries to maneuver his ship away from the wave, asking Torres if there is anything left in the impulse engines. The Maquis ship begins to move away at full impulse, but the displacement wave impacts the ship. In the Federation Penal Settlement in New Zealand on Earth, several inmates wearing ankle monitors are performing labor. One man's work is interrupted when an authoritative-looking woman in a Starfleet uniform approaches him and asks, "Tom Paris?" The man glances up at her and she introduces herself as Kathryn Janeway. She states that she served with his father on the USS Al-Batani and that she would like to speak with him about a job she wants him to do. He sarcastically replies that he is already doing a job for the Federation, but Janeway says that the Rehab Commission is very pleased with his work and has given her permission to discuss the matter with him. He replies, "Well, then I guess I'm yours." As they walk together, Janeway informs Paris that she was his father's science officer on the Arias Expedition. Paris comments that she must be good, as his father only accepts the best and brightest. Janeway tells him that her mission is to track down a Maquis vessel that vanished in the Badlands a week previous. Paris advises against it, having never seen a Federation starship that could maneuver through the plasma storms; Janeway retorts by saying that he has never seen USS Voyager. Paris infers that Janeway's motive is to have him lead the Federation to his former Maquis colleagues. Paris reminds Janeway that because he was only with them a few weeks, he didn't know many of their hiding places. Janeway replies that he knows the territory better than anyone in the Federation. Janeway informs Paris that her chief of security had infiltrated a Maquis ship and had not reported in some time. Paris muses that perhaps it was only the chief of security that disappeared. Janeway reveals that the ship was under the command of Chakotay, a former Starfleet officer. Paris acknowledges that he knew Chakotay and that the two never got along. Paris says that the point of disagreement was that Chakotay left Starfleet "on principle," to defend his home colony, but he considered Paris a mercenary who joined "whoever would pay [his] bar bills," an accusation to which Paris admits. Paris concludes that he will help track down the Maquis, but asks what he has to gain from the venture. Janeway says that the Federation will help him at his next parole review. Janeway informs him that officially, he'd be a Starfleet observer, to which Paris replies that he's the best pilot Janeway could have. Janeway is firm about Paris' role and once the mission is over he'll be 'cut loose', causing Paris to agree with the rejoinder, "Story of my life." Tom Paris arrives to Voyager, docked at Deep Space 9, via a shuttle, piloted by a Betazoid female pilot, Lieutenant Stadi. Now clad in a fresh Starfleet uniform, Paris walks up to her. Stadi focuses on flying the craft, but she livens up to Paris a little as he turns on the charm. He says that Stadi is changing his mind about Betazoids, because he always thought that they were warm and sensual. Stadi says that she can be warm and sensual, but Paris replies that she can, but just not to him. The conversation shifts as a sleek vessel comes into view at one of DS9's docking pylons. Stadi proudly identifies it as their ship, the Voyager. She states that the ship is of the Intrepid-class, has a new variable warp nacelle configuration, giving it a sustainable cruising speed of warp 9.975; it has fifteen decks and a crew complement of 141. It is also equipped with bio-neural circuitry. Paris inquires as to the circuitry, and as she flies around Voyager towards the shuttlebay, she informs Paris that the bio-neural circuitry speeds up response time in the ship's computer. Meanwhile, on board Deep Space 9, Quark is trying to sell bright, rare crystals to a young Starfleet ensign seated in his bar. He tries to politely tell Quark he is not interested and says cadets were warned about Ferengi at the Academy. Upon hearing this, Quark feigns being upset that the Federation is spreading lies about the Ferengi and that he will make a formal protest to the Federation Council. Quark asks for the young ensign's name for the report, to which he replies, "Kim, Harry Kim." Kim backs downs and offers to buy the whole tray of crystals in an effort to smooth things over. As Quark brings over the crystals and begins to negotiate, Paris interrupts and tells Ensign Kim that the crystals Quark is trying to sell him can be found on virtually any planet in the system and can be bought for little or nothing. Now knowing that Quark was trying to rip him off, Ensign Kim leaves with Tom Paris who says, "Didn't they warn you about Ferengi at the Academy?" Paris and Kim enter sickbay aboard Voyager and report to the chief medical officer. When Paris identifies himself, the doctor comments, "Ah, yes. The observer." When Paris comments that he seems to be observing some kind of problem now, the doctor says that he was a surgeon on Caldik Prime when Paris was stationed there, though they never met. He says Paris' medical records from his previous posting have arrived and that the captain had asked if he were on board, saying that he should check in with her. Kim, sensing a tense situation, says that he hasn't yet paid his respects to the captain, either. The doctor says that perhaps it would be a good thing for a new operations officer to do. After they leave sickbay, Kim asks Paris what the story is between him and the CMO. Paris responds that he's gotten tired of telling it and that he's sure someone will be happy to tell him. Meanwhile, Captain Janeway is in her ready room talking to her fiance, Mark Johnson, on her desktop monitor about her dog, who turns out to be pregnant. Janeway insists that the dog stays with him, leading him to reply, "Is this another 'love me, love my dog' demand?", to which Janeway quickly replies, "Yes." Janeway says they will be leaving as soon as she approves the system status reports. Johnson says he won't bother her anymore, leading Janeway to get on her knees in front of the terminal and says, "You never bother me, except the way I love to be bothered. Understand?" Saying that she'll see him in a few weeks, Janeway quickly asks Johnson to pick up her dog's doggie bed, which Johnson then says he already did -- an hour ago. After the connection closes, the door chimes. Paris and Kim enter. Janeway welcomes them aboard Voyager, to which Kim replies with a stiff, "Thank you, sir," standing at full attention, causing Paris to look at him curiously. Telling the nervous ensign to stand "at ease, before you sprain something," she lets him know that protocol aside, she doesn't like being addressed as "sir," to which Kim responds, "I'm sorry ma'am." Janeway smiles and says that ma'am is acceptable in a crunch, but that she prefers "captain." She tells them they are getting ready to leave and she shows them to the bridge. Walking out onto the bridge, she introduces them to her first officer, Lieutenant Commander Cavit, who exchanges a hearty handshake with Kim and one with Paris reluctantly and only after Paris extends his hand first. Janeway shows Kim to the operations station and asks if he would like to take over. Kim responds, "Yes, ma'am," to which she replies, "It's not crunch time yet, Mr. Kim. I'll let you know when." At a nod from Janeway, the first officer instructs Lt. Stadi to lay in their course and clear departure with Operations. After Stadi confirms this, they complete the pre-launch sequence and prepare for launch, which Janeway orders with "Engage." The dorsal light of the ship comes on, illuminating the ship's registration, and the ship departs. With the ship under way, Paris heads down to the mess hall for some hot tomato soup. As he is ordering the soup from the replicator, he notices that Voyager's chief medical officer and Commander Cavit are looking at him with judgmental eyes, while talking to Kim at a nearby table. As Paris makes his way over to Kim's table, Cavit and the CMO make a hasty departure. When Paris finally sits down, he says to Kim, "There. You see, I told you it wouldn't take long." Paris then begins to tell Kim that it was true that he caused an accident which led to the deaths of three Starfleet officers and that he falsified reports. What led him to turn himself in and tell the truth despite the fact that he would have got away with it otherwise, Paris sarcastically remarks that it took "the three dead officers to come in the middle of the night and (teach) me the true meaning of Christmas.". Paris therefore confessed everything, and was promptly discharged from service upon which he joined the Maquis, looking for a fight and yet he was arrested during his first assignment for them. Paris gets up to leave and says that he knows that Cavit and the CMO told him to stay away from him and that he should listen to them. As Paris walks away, Kim replies "I don't need anyone to choose my friends for me." As a curious Paris regards Kim following this statement, Captain Janeway summons them both to the bridge to inform them that the ship has reached the Badlands. Voyager enters the volatile region. Janeway, Cavit, and Ensign Rollins are crowded around the tactical station trying to ascertain where the Maquis ship would be. With some assistance from Paris, the ship begins to head in. Shortly after, Ensign Kim's sensors read that a coherent tetryon beam is scanning the ship. Janeway asks Kim if he can identify the source of the beam, but he cannot. The sensors then find out that a displacement wave is quickly moving towards the ship. Cavit suggests that they may be able to disperse the wave with a graviton particle field. Janeway orders that it be done. It is later found that the field had no effect on the wave. Janeway orders Stadi to move the ship away from the wave at full impulse. However, the ship is unable to outrun it and the wave collides with Voyager. After the ship has been released from the wave, it has suffered heavy damage. Janeway comes to and checks Cavit's pulse, only to find that he is dead. Stadi also did not survive. Janeway asks where they are. Kim gets the viewscreen working, but the Badlands are gone -- there's only empty space and an enormous array. Kim replies that if his sensors are working perfectly, they are over 70,000 light years from the Badlands. Voyager has been transported to the Delta Quadrant, the other side of the galaxy. As the crew begins to make repairs, Voyager finds the Maquis ship, but scans show that there is nobody aboard it and attempts to hail the array are unsuccessful. Just then, engineering contacts the bridge and informs Janeway that the chief engineer was also killed and that the ship is facing a possible warp core breach. Janeway heads down to engineering to help and orders Kim to see what the situation is in sickbay leaving Rollins to assume command of the bridge. Paris heads down with Kim as well. Adding to the list of casualties, Paris sees that the CMO and the entire medical staff were killed. Janeway makes it to engineering and finds out that there is a microfracture in the warp core and that a breach is imminent. In order to save the ship, Janeway orders the lock down of the magnetic constrictor and Lieutenant Joseph Carey warns Janeway that they may not be able to initialize the dilithium reaction and that it would make warp drive impossible. Janeway sees that there are not many other alternatives and orders that it be done nevertheless. At the same time, Harry Kim orders the computer to activate Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, a holographic doctor designed as a supplement to the medical staff. The EMH appears, giving his default statement: "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." Kim replies that the ship's doctor is dead and that the hologram is the only medical officer on board the ship since the entire medical staff was killed too. The Doctor informs Kim and Paris that, as he is only intended to be used on a short-term basis, a replacement will be needed as soon as possible. Paris then informs the EMH that he will be stuck with them for a while. The EMH then begins treating crewmembers, showing himself to be very efficient but also very brusque and lacking any kind of bedside manner. Meanwhile, down in engineering, the warp core breach appears to have been averted. Janeway then orders that the magnetic constrictor be engaged. The pressure begins to stabilize. Just then, the ship is being scanned and people begin to disappear. Eventually, everyone disappears with the exception of the Doctor. Strangely enough, the crew finds themselves on a farm, with wheat and cattle. Soon after, a middle aged woman emerges from the farmhouse named "Aunt Adah" and asks the crew to come up to the house for some lemonade and sugar cookies. Janeway says that the crew shouldn't be fooled, since they have only been transported a hundred kilometers from Voyager and that they are actually inside the array with Ensign Kim confirming that everything around them are holograms. The crew is greeted by holographic projections of lively southerners, including a man playing a banjo, who encourage them to make themselves at home. Janeway orders that Kim and Paris find the holographic projector. As Kim scans with his tricorder, he finds strange readings coming from a barn. A holographic projection of an attractive southern girl tries to pull Kim and Paris away from the barn, but is unsuccessful. Kim finds Vulcan and Human bio-signs in an unknown location. The southerners get a lot less friendly and start to attack Kim and Paris due to their curiosity. Janeway gets Kim's signal from his combadge and takes the crew she has with her to the barn. They arrive, to find Paris and Kim being threatened with a pitchfork by Aunt Adah. She says that she hoped the crew would do things the easy way but she sees that that will not work. A giant door opens to reveal the missing Maquis crew, all unconscious and restrained. The Voyager crew are soon subjected to the same painful genetic tests. Three days later the Voyager crew is returned to their ship, as well as with the Maquis on the Val Jean. When Tom Paris emerges in sickbay after being returned, he notices that Harry Kim did not return with them. Janeway calls up the computer to search for Kim, but it confirms he is not on board and is the only crewmember missing. Janeway asks Rollins to hail the Val Jean to see if Kim was accidentally transported there, but Chakotay says that he was not and that they also are missing a crewman of their own, their engineer B'Elanna Torres. Janeway asks that Chakotay beam aboard the Voyager so they can discuss what to do. Chakotay turns to Tuvok and agrees. Moments later, Chakotay, Tuvok, and Maquis security guard Ayala beam on board. Janeway then reveals that Tuvok is a Federation undercover operative, and Tuvok confirms that his mission was to gain intelligence on Maquis activity before delivering the crew of the Val Jean to Starfleet. Chakotay is at once angry about this, but then he sees that Tom Paris is on the bridge. After remarking that, while Tuvok was doing his duty as a Starfleet officer, Paris only does things that benefit himself, he is ready to attack him, but Janeway asks him to treat Paris as he would with any other member of her crew. Though reluctant to do so, Chakotay agrees with her. Tuvok explains that he believes there is only a single lifeform on the array, and the testing they all went through was an examination. Janeway decides to lead a team over to the array in order to retrieve their missing people and be returned to the Alpha Quadrant. Paris requests to join the away team, promising Janeway that it has nothing to do with Chakotay; rather he doesn't want to see anything bad happen to Kim Janeway, along with Chakotay and Paris return to the so called farm (this time armed with phaser rifles) and demand answers about their missing crewmen who are no longer on the array. The only person there is the old man playing the banjo. The man says that Janeway and the rest of the crew don't have what he needs, but Janeway isn't the least concerned about this but wants the missing officers returned and for both crews to be returned to the Alpha Quadrant. The man refuses to tell her what he's done with the crew, and although he understands why they're angry and sympathizes, he tells them that Kim and Torres might have what he needs, as he must "honor a debt that can never be repaid" but his search has not been going well. Janeway then offers to help, but the old man tells her she can't, and that there's not enough time left before he suddenly returns everyone to Voyager. Kim and Torres awaken in what appears to be a hospital room and notice growths on their arms and neck. Torres tries to escape, but two doctors come in and sedate her. The crew determines that the energy pulses that the array is firing towards the fifth planet of a nearby system might have been used to transport Kim and Torres there so they set a course. Tuvok later reports to Janeway in her ready room that the pulses emitted from the ray have been steadily getting faster. Meanwhile, Janeway has been studying the planet where the Array's pulses are being sent: while it meets all the other requirements of an M Class planet there are no nucleogenic particles in the atmosphere, meaning it is incapable of producing rain and has left the planet as a desert. Tuvok tells Janeway that she needs rest, as she recalls that Harry Kim's mother contacted her after he'd left Earth since he'd forgotten his clarinet and wanted to know if she had time to send it, Harry having been a member of the Juilliard Youth Sympathy. After noting that she barely knew the young ensign, just as she barely knows any of her crew and that she really should take the time to, Janeway promises she'll get Kim and Torres back and get everyone home. Tuvok points out that the crew needs a captain that is not exhausted, and Janeway thanks him telling him that she's missed his counsel. She tells him that his family miss him, and tells her friend that she'll get him back to them. While on the way to the fifth planet in the system where the energy pulses are being sent, Voyager encounters a small cargo ship inside a debris field, commanded by a Talaxian named Neelix. At first, Neelix thinks that Voyager might be wanting to take a piece of the debris field, but Captain Janeway assures him that they will do nothing of the sort, upon which the Talaxian's demeanor noticeably and immediately improves. Janeway then asks if he knows where the missing officers of Voyager and the Val Jean might have gone. Neelix suspects that they may have been taken to the Ocampan homeworld, to a city located deep beneath the planet's surface. Neelix offers to guide Voyager to the planet in exchange for water and Janeway agrees. Neelix is beamed aboard (marveling at the technology, which is new to him); Tuvok greets him and is embraced by the irrepressible Talaxian. Torres and Kim awaken once more and are greeted by an Ocampan doctor who tells them that they were sent here to protect their own people from their "illness". He takes them to the food dispensers, which are provided by the Caretaker, who built their entire underground construct when the surface of their planet turned into a desert. He also reveals that, unfortunately, other aliens with this "disease" that were brought to the Ocampa did not survive. Voyager finally makes its way to the planet. Upon arriving, Tuvok is sent to fetch Neelix from his quarters, where he finds the Talaxian has helped himself to a mountain of food from the replicator and is noisily enjoying a bath. After welcoming 'Mr Vulcan', Neelix prepares to head down to the planet and suggests where they might begin looking for Kim and Torres as well as recommending bringing water for barter. He then asks if the replicator makes clothes, and Tuvok replies yes but then makes a point, when asked, of telling Neelix that it will not make him a Starfleet uniform. Janeway, Paris, Chakotay, Neelix, and Tuvok beam down and are immediately captured by a group of Kazon-Ogla, a rogue faction in the Delta Quadrant. For some assistance and since the Kazon desperately need water, Janeway arranges for huge canisters of water to be beamed down in exchange for some answers. She asks where those Ocampa might be, and the Kazon leader, Jabin points to a battered Ocampan woman and says, "she is an Ocampa." As Jabin continues, he explains that the array is used by the Caretaker who provides the Ocampa with everything they need. Jabin has been torturing Kes to find a way into the Ocampan underground complex, but she does not give an answer. Around this time Neelix tries to barter with Jabin for the release of Kes in exchange for the water as well. Jabin refuses and Neelix grabs him and warns the surrounding Kazon to drop their weapons or he will kill him. The rest of the crew gets their weapons back and shoot at the enormous water containers. With the Kazon distracted with the water spilling out onto the ground quickly, Janeway contacts Voyager to beam them up. Soon after, the crew realizes that Neelix and Kes are lovers. Meanwhile, Torres and Kim are still being held against their will by the Ocampa. They try to devise a way out when a young Ocampa nurse comes up to them and tells them about secret passageways to the surface. But, she says that there are meters of solid rock to get through and even with the proper tools, it may take days or even weeks to get through. Ever determined, Kim and Torres ask for her help. While Kes is being tended to by The Doctor, Janeway asks if there is any way to get to their crew members. Kes replies that she escaped through a tunnel underground, but now, the passageway she came out of is sealed by solid rock and they won't be able to get through. Janeway assures they will be able to with their transporter technology. Kes then says that there are breaches in the tunnels which will help them get through. They beam to the surface where Kes reunites with her people, who are telepathic, but she defies them by helping the crew rescue their friends. Kim and Torres manage to escape, meanwhile the pulses from the array stop and the array re-positions itself and begins firing weapons at the surface in order to seal the conduits leading down to the facility. This action allows Tuvok to come to a conclusion for what is going on. the Caretaker is dying. Asked to explain his reasoning, Tuvok explains that the Caretaker has given the Ocampa enough energy to last for five years before sealing the conduits meaning he will no longer be continuing as Caretaker. Chakotay suggests that he may not be dying, but just leaving but Tuvok counters this by explaining that it's doubtful the Caretaker would just leave after providing for the Ocampa for a thousand years. the "debt that can never be repaid" is a debt to them. Also his references to "not enough time" meant that he knew he was going to die. Janeway realizes that if the Caretaker dies, the crew may be stranded in the Delta Quadrant. The crew decide they need to find Torres and Kim and splits up. Soon after, Tom Paris, Neelix and Kes find Kim and Torres. They go to the passageway to the surface, and eventually get past the barrier. Kes, Kim, and Torres beam to Voyager; Paris and Neelix remain behind to help the others.  They find them, but Chakotay, who had broken a leg, nearly dies when the metal staircase he is on breaks apart. Paris goes back for him and saves his life, thus proving Paris' loyalty. Later, the crew is all beamed aboard and Janeway sets a course back to the array. As the Kazon arrive at the array intending to take control, Janeway (who allows Paris to take the helm) and Tuvok beam over and come to realize the old man playing the banjo is, in fact, the Caretaker. The Caretaker explains that he can't send the crew home as he barely has the strength to complete his work, sealing the conduits before he dies. He knows that he has to in order to stop the Kazon from stealing the Ocampa's water and killing them. However, the Caretaker regretfully states that in a few years it won't matter as when the energy runs out the Ocampa will be forced to surface where they'll die anyway. Janeway realizes that something the Caretaker did turned the planet into a desert. that is the debt that can never be repaid. The Caretaker explains that his species were explorers from another galaxy, however their technology damaged Ocampa's atmosphere. In order to right this wrong, the Caretaker remained behind with a female counterpart, who abandoned her post in order to explore the galaxy. Before his death, he wanted to find someone who could take over from him. To that end, he that he has been abducting ships from across the galaxy in order to find someone he could procreate with, so the Ocampa would be taken care of. Janeway reassures him that, as explorers too, they've met species who have managed to overcome all kinds of adversity without a Caretaker; the Ocampa will manage to somehow survive without him. The Caretaker reveals that, in order to stop the Kazon from taking the array, he has activated the self-destruct despite the fact this will leave the crew stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Meanwhile, the battle between the Kazon and the two Alpha Quadrant ships intensifies. Eventually, in order to take some of the pressure off Voyager, Chakotay transports his crew to the Starfleet vessel. He then pilots the Val Jean to ram into the main Kazon ship just before transporting to Voyager himself, destroying the fighter and sending the Kazon crashing into the array, damaging it. Inside the array, the holographic simulation fails revealing the array's true layout. The Caretaker, now in his natural form, tells Janeway that the self-destruct system was damaged so now the array won't be destroyed. The Caretaker then finally dies, and in his final words states that if Kazon take the array, they will annihilate the Ocampa. Janeway is now left with a difficult decision. Should she use the array to return to the Alpha Quadrant and let it fall into Kazon hands or destroy the array, as the Caretaker wanted at the cost of a way home? Tuvok reminds his captain that any action taken to protect the Ocampa will affect the balance of power in this region of space; they would have to comply with the Prime Directive. But Janeway questions the validity of the Prime Directive in this situation because, regardless of whether they chose to become involved in the affairs of the Ocampa or the Kazon, they are involved nonetheless. She and Tuvok beam back to Voyager when they discover that a Kazon fleet has arrived at the array. Janeway finally makes her decision and asks Tuvok to prepare tricobalt devices to destroy the array. B'Elanna Torres loudly argues that they will never be able to get home, but Chakotay bluntly overrules her, acknowledging Janeway as the Captain. Janeway then orders Tuvok to fire and the tricobalt devices destroy the array, leaving no debris. After this, Jabin contacts Voyager and tells them that they have made an enemy this day. The Kazon ships withdraw. After this, Neelix and Kes ask Janeway if they could join the crew. After saying that Voyager is not a passenger ship, Neelix convinces Janeway that he will be able to be a guide for the crew through the Delta Quadrant. Kes assures Janeway that they want to be a part of the crew's journey back to Earth. Janeway agrees. The Maquis crew from the Val Jean then join the Voyager crew and don Starfleet uniforms. After bringing the crew together on the bridge, Janeway tells the assembled officers that, as Voyager is the only Federation ship in the Delta Quadrant, they will carry forward Starfleet's mandate of exploring new worlds and meeting new species. However she maintains that, even though the return trip would take 75 years at maximum speeds, Voyager's primary mission is to return to Federation space. They hopefully will find anomalies, wormholes, spatial rifts or technology that will shorten their journey back home to the Alpha Quadrant. With that in place, Captain Janeway orders newly-reinstated helmsman Lieutenant Tom Paris to "set a course for home." Thus, Voyager's 75-year journey back home to the Alpha Quadrant begins. 
<EOS>
In sickbay, Lieutenant Carey is being treated by The Doctor after getting into a conflict over the power grid in engineering with B'Elanna Torres. He is extremely furious with Torres, telling Chakotay and Tuvok that he wants her kept away from engineering after Chakotay tells Carey that he will have a word with Torres. Carey yells at Chakotay to "keep that woman out of my engine room and everything will be fine!" The two officers leave sickbay and discuss the situation in the corridor. A difference in opinion occurs when Tuvok wants Torres confined to the brig with the possibility that she'll receive a court martial on the ship, while Chakotay prefers to deal with her on his own. Chakotay is able to persuade Tuvok to let him deal with Torres and enters a turbolift alone, while Tuvok warns that he intends to make a full report in his security log. While proceeding to Torres' quarters, Chakotay passes Crewman Jarvin and Ensign Seska, who let him know that they will support him in any way possible, if it comes to it. Chakotay's bad mood becomes worse at being told this and threatens to personally throw them in the brig for mutiny if he hears it again, leaving Jarvin and Seska shocked. In her quarters, Torres is fuming to the point that when she hears the door chime she throws a plate at the door which misses hitting Chakotay. He hands her a PADD containing information on Joe Carey's medical status, and furiously tells her that if she'd hit him a little harder she might have caused serious and permanent injury and now he has a Vulcan wanting to court martial her on one side and a crew ready to mutiny on the other. Torres mentions how much Carey irritates her. Chakotay tries to coax Torres into apologizing to Carey and getting to know him over a hot cup of pejuta, but Torres scoffs at the very idea. Chakotay then tells her that she could use the help and support of people like Carey if she wants to be the next chief engineer. Torres is suspicious about this, pointing out that Carey is next in line. But Chakotay tells her that she is the better engineer. He moves to leave her quarters, and Torres asks about what Captain Janeway thinks of the situation; Chakotay replies by revealing that he hasn't told her -- yet. In the briefing room, the senior staff members are discussing the situation of the power and personnel shortage, as Neelix and Kes invite themselves into the meeting. Given the energy shortage, dwindling rations and problems with the replicators, Kes recommends converting cargo bay 2 into a hydroponics lab so they can grow their own vegetables. Janeway agrees, and puts Kes in charge of the project. Chakotay and Janeway then discuss the open chief engineer's position, for which Chakotay recommends Torres. Irritated by the suggestion, Janeway wonders -- following all the complaints she has heard about Torres -- exactly what job it is that Chakotay thinks she can do. He assures her that she is an excellent engineer and could do the job. Somewhat taken aback, Janeway then brings up the topic of medical staff due to the fact that the the Emergency Medical Hologram, which is substituting as the chief medical officer, is unable to leave sickbay and also has no bedside manner. It is decided that someone should train as a field medic, and Tom Paris is unhappy at being selected (having taken two semesters of biochemistry in Starfleet Academy, he is the most qualified candidate). The staff briefing is interrupted when Voyager violently shakes; those present at the meeting all proceed to the bridge. On the bridge, Seska reports that Voyager has encountered a spatial disturbance which is actually a type-4 quantum singularity. A ship is caught near the event horizon and sends a transmission to Voyager. The message is erratic and cannot be understood. Voyager sends a transmission back, but there's no response. Janeway inquires about a tractor beam, but Harry Kim reports that subspace interference in the area is extremely heavy. Chakotay contacts engineering and asks Torres, who recommends remodulating a tractor beam to match the subspace interference. Janeway, who is upset at Chakotay contacting Torres directly rather than consulting the senior officer in charge, interrupts Chakotay and puts Carey in charge. She then asks Chakotay to see her in her ready room. In the ready room, Janeway and Chakotay begin an argument over duty and protocol on Voyager. Janeway tells him that his behavior on the bridge was unacceptable. Chakotay states that he contacted Torres because he felt that she would give him a quicker answer. He explains that, if she received a senior position and if the former Maquis crew members were granted more responsibility in general, they would finally become more loyal. Janeway argues that all the Starfleet officers have worked hard and earned their commissions, while the Maquis are criminals who (apart from Chakotay, who was a command-level officer before his resignation from Starfleet) are untrained and undisciplined so it would be asking too much that the Starfleet crew be forced to accept a Maquis being promoted above them especially one like Torres who has already shown she can't control herself and couldn't handle the Academy. She then tells Chakotay needs to stop seeing them as specifically his crew. Chakotay retorts that he won't be Janeway's "token" Maquis officer and the reason he treats them as his own people is that, if he wasn't looking out for them, no one else would. Janeway tells him that she'll consider any other Maquis officer he wants to recommend, but he insists Torres is the right choice for chief engineer and asks Janeway to at least talk to Torres and get to know her better. Kes enters sickbay to retrieve some nitrogenated soil for her hydroponics lab. The Doctor begins commenting on how he is going to be used for every minor medical problem that's going to occur. Kes notices The Doctor's sensitivity in his behavior, but also notices that he appears shorter. The Doctor performs a diagnostic on his imaging processor and discovers he has decreased in height by 10.4 centimeters. He contacts Harry Kim and asks for assistance, but he's too busy. Before Kes leaves with her soil samples, she inquires if The Doctor has chosen a name, which he has not. She deactivates his program and leaves. The subspace tractor beam has been completed and is used. The beam is able to penetrate the singularity's event horizon, but the new power relays installed begin to fail. Voyager is jolted and begins to be pulled into the singularity. Full reverse is engaged but the tractor beam cannot be disabled, causing massive hull stress. Janeway orders the impulse engines disengaged and Voyager begins moving forward again. She then orders the tractor beam disengaged, at which Carey cuts the power feed, manually; the tractor beam is disengaged. In need of help, Janeway orders setting a course for Ilidaria (a nearby, technologically-advanced society which Neelix had suggested might be willing to help) at full impulse. Janeway decides to follow Chakotay's suggestion to talk with Torres and invites her to her ready room. The captain tries to bond with Torres, by talking to her about her past, especially with Starfleet Academy. Torres then notes that she didn't like Starfleet's system and angrily leaves, saying that she didn't want anything to do with Starfleet then and is sorry that she has to now. After Torres leaves, The Doctor contacts Janeway, using monitor input 47, and notifies her of the error in his imaging system. He also relays news to her that nine crew members have reported severe headaches, muscle spasms, sudden waves of dizziness, all of which are possibly related to the quantum singularity. The ship jolts and Janeway returns to the bridge, while leaving the channel to The Doctor open. Apparently, Voyager has found another type-4 quantum singularity that has all the same properties as the one discovered earlier. Reports indicate, however, that Voyager is back to the same position as before, and that it is the same quantum singularity. Voyager is turned in the opposite direction from the singularity and warp is engaged. At twelve million kilometers from the singularity, it appears ahead of the ship again. All departments are ordered to submit reports and a staff meeting is planned. Chakotay requests that Torres be invited along if she is still being considered as Chief Engineer, and Janeway decides to include her. In Engineering shortly beforehand, Carey submits news of the briefing to Torres, but tells her that he speaks for Engineering and warns her not to say anything unless directly asked, which prompts Seska to privately comment after he leaves to Torres that she should have broken more than his nose. In a corridor, Tuvok and Kim discuss the singularity situation. Kim changes the subject and inquires about the conflict in engineering, noting that he has heard Starfleet and Maquis are figuratively at each other's throats. Kim, all of a sudden, collapses, complaining of extreme dizziness. Tuvok helps him up and begins to escort him to sickbay. During the staff briefing, The Doctor reports that 27 more crew members have since encountered the symptoms he mentioned earlier (a number that includes Kim). The Doctor has no idea what's going on and therefore cannot provide a treatment. The shrinking is still occurring; at this point, he has lost 68 centimeters of height. The staff moves onto the subject of the singularity, for which no progress has been made. However, using the problem with The Doctor's imaging system, Torres (who has, in fact, been behaving herself) is able to determine that she could use a localized dampening field around the external sensors to contact the other ship. Janeway agrees with this idea and dismisses the staff to begin work. As Chakotay leaves, Janeway gives him a small nod to communicate that Torres is starting to impress her. The deflector dish is modified and the dampening field is deployed. The crew receive the transmission from the ship again. It is cleared up and it becomes evident to the crew that it is the same message Janeway transmitted earlier; the ship is Voyager. Torres has an explanation for the seeming duplication of the starship, so the staff returns to the briefing room. Torres vocally uses a reflection in water as a metaphor for the current situation, except that what the Voyager's crew is viewing is a time-delayed image of themselves. They estimate it will take nine hours until Voyager is destroyed by the singularity, so Torres recommends that they find a "crack" to escape. Remembering when they first entered the anomaly, Janeway and Torres think that Voyager made a hole in the event horizon and that they will need to find the same hole. Finishing each other's sentences, "warp particles" is the idea developed by Torres and Janeway; if all goes to plan, such particles will make the crack visible, allowing Voyager to fly out. The deflector dish is deactivated and warp particles are routed to the deflector. The particles are deployed and Paris locates an irregularity in the event horizon. The hole is too small, so they will have to expand it. Torres recommends using a dekyon beam to expand the hole. Voyager is too far to emit the beam, so a shuttlecraft has to be used. With their understanding of the "finer points" of temporal mechanics, both Janeway and Torres board the shuttle and leave Voyager. On the shuttlecraft, the dekyon beam is prepared. Torres decides to use this moment to apologize to Janeway about her earlier behavior and also recalls that she left the Academy because she felt she couldn't make it in Starfleet. Janeway notes that Professor Chapman thought Torres was a promising cadet and, disappointed that she had quit, went as far as noting in her permanent record that he would support her re-entry if she ever decided to reapply. Torres is surprised to hear that, because she always felt that Chapman hated her and couldn't wait to see her kicked out of the Academy, but Janeway explains that some professors like students who challenge their assumptions, and many of Torres' teachers agreed that she had the potential to be an excellent officer. The shuttle arrives at the irregularity and the dekyon beam is charged. They get close enough to fire the beam and do so, causing the hole to start widening. It reaches a 65% increase in growth, as the shuttle starts to lose power. They turn around and return to find two Voyagers: they only have enough power to reach one with no way to communicate with the rest of the crew. Guessing, Janeway chooses the Voyager on the starboard side of the shuttlecraft while Torres chooses the one on the port side. Janeway realizes that the port one is moving towards the rift, which the real Voyager did, twenty minutes prior whereas the starboard one is pointed away to give them easier access to the shuttlebay. They go with Janeway's suggestion, which is indeed the correct one. Voyager begins to move towards the rift, which is slowly closing. The rift length reaches 110 meters, which is too small to facilitate the ship's exit. Knowing this is their only chance of escape, Janeway decides they're going to smash their way through and orders full power to the impulse engines as they approach the rift. Shields fail and the port impulse engines lose power. Despite the problems, Voyager is able to punch its way out and clears the singularity. Relieved, Janeway orders that Voyager be at least a hundred million kilometers away from the singularity before commencing repairs. In engineering, Chakotay notifies Torres that she has earned the position of chief engineer. Her first duty is to bring the warp drive online by 1300 hours, which she says is impossible. Chakotay suggests she break a few noses, or at least bend a few to make it happen. After the commander departs, she orders some officers to work on getting the isolinear bank up and running but they don't respond until she says "please." Torres confronts Carey and asks for his help in her promotion as the new chief engineer. He gladly accepts, stating that she will never get anything less than his best, and they both shake hands. Meanwhile, on engineering's upper level, Janeway is observing Torres and the staff, as Chakotay joins her. Two crew members have already filed complaints on Torres' promotion and she may be in for a rough period of adjustment, Janeway notes, but she has a feeling that adversities will soon subside. Chakotay asks Janeway a question -- off the record -- if things had happened differently and they were on the Maquis ship now instead of Voyager, would Janeway have served under him? She responds, "One of the nice things about being captain is that you can keep some things to yourself." And back in sickbay, The Doctor contacts Janeway again and once again requests a repair crew to fix his imaging systems, as he is now only several centimeters tall and unable to treat Lieutenant Paris' scratched hand, much to Tom's amusement. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager is continuing on course for the Alpha Quadrant. Tom Paris' bridge shift ends, so he notifies his replacement of Voyager's current course. The ship will be passing by a red dwarf system and Paris cannot determine yet if there are any class M planets. He proceeds to the operations console currently manned by Ensign Harry Kim. Paris asks him if he's ready to leave, but Kim can't because he wants to begin a transtator assembly diagnostic. Paris begins to persuade him to leave; he planned a double date with the Delaney sisters. Kim continues to object to the date, mentioning he has a girlfriend on Earth. Paris then mentions that he told the sisters that Kim broke the single pilot speed record at Starfleet Academy, which was false. Their conversation is interrupted when the ship rocks. Kathryn Janeway and Neelix stumble out of the ready room. At the same time, Kes, who is in her quarters, suddenly wakes up from her sleep feeling disturbed. On the bridge, Tuvok reports that Voyager is on the leading edge of a shock wave. Paris returns to his station and makes some instrument readings. He reports a debris cloud in a red dwarf system that Voyager is approaching. Tuvok reports that the debris cloud consists of "differentially-charged polaric ions." Neelix is unfamiliar with life in the system, so no additional information can be ascertained until they arrive at the planet. Voyager's course is modified and they set a course for the red dwarf system. Voyager reaches the planet when Kes arrives on the bridge. She knows something has gone terribly wrong. All vegetation on the planet has been destroyed and Janeway inquires about life signs. Kim and Kes, at the same time, say "none." The atmosphere is filled with polaric radiation, which can affect sensor scans. Voyager enters planetary orbit. An analysis of the planet shows that the radiation is within acceptable levels and the atmosphere is breathable. Janeway orders Tuvok, Paris, and B'Elanna Torres to transporter room 2 to beam down to the planet. The away team materializes to the surface of the unknown planet to find it in complete ruin. Scans indicate the planet was devastated by the detonation of polaric ions. The planet's residents used polaric energy for power; something went wrong, causing the explosion. Back on Voyager, Kes is tearfully explaining imagery she saw to Neelix. She thought she saw the planet's civilians burn to ashes due to the explosion, but Neelix dismisses the thoughts. After Kes justifies that her people's ancestors had telepathic capabilities, Neelix dismisses that, too, as mere legend, like those of Drakian Forest dwellers. On the planet, Paris locates an object he believes to be a timepiece that is stopped at 401:22:84. Suddenly, he turns around and finds a bright town square bustling with activity. None of the other away team members can see this. When Janeway puts her hand on Paris's shoulder, everything returns to its chaotic state. Torres takes out her tricorder and does a scan of Paris, noting that his nervous system is showing a temporal flux, it is rapidly returning to normal. The explosion has caused subspace to be ripped into many fractures. With concern, Janeway calls Voyager and requests an immediate beam-up. Before the transport can begin, everything around Janeway and Paris lightens up as they find themselves on the planet before the explosion: they have been thrown back in time. Janeway and Paris are in the bustling town square Paris previously saw. Paris takes out his tricorder while Janeway taps her combadge in an attempt to establish contact with Voyager. A loud scream is heard coming from Latika, a boy who witnessed Janeway and Paris appearing "out of thin air." An law enforcement officer comes over to the boy's aid and the boy tells him about Janeway and Paris. To the officer, it is all superstition and he tells the boy that he has been reading too many Darkstorm tales. He tells Latika to leave and disperses the crowd to prevent any problems. He goes over to Janeway and Paris and apologizes for the incident. The Starfleet uniforms cause the officer to question their clothing, inquiring if they came from another province on the continental transport. Janeway explains that it is formal clothing, causing the officer to mention clothing from Kalto Province. She inquires about clothing shops and the officer points one out. Proceeding to a shop, Paris notices a timepiece on display with the time 371:20:01. The shopkeeper notices him and proceeds over, which prompts Paris to inquire about the timepiece. The shopkeeper explains about the timepiece, noting that that the three number sets are equal to rotations, intervals, and fractions. He notes that the object costs fourteen kelodas, but Paris leaves, saying he will think about buying it later -- if there's time. Returning to Janeway, he estimates that the planet will be destroyed the next day. In Voyager's briefing room, Torres and Kim discuss how Janeway and Paris were thrown back in time by a subspace fracture. The mystery was why Paris returned from the past to the present. This was due to him being only partly in the fracture. Hoping that Janeway activated a subspace beacon from her combadge, Kim and Torres begin to develop an idea on widening the fracture at the beacon's location to return Janeway and Paris to the present, but they don't yet know how this might be done. Meanwhile, Kes is in sickbay with Neelix receiving scans of her brain due to her telepathic experience. However, Kes's anatomy isn't on file in the medical records, making The Doctor upset. He starts making sarcastic remarks regarding medical protocol for new crew members and inquiring whether other new crew were on board as well. Kes notifies him that the Maquis crew were also on board, resulting in The Doctor attempting to contact Janeway, until he is told she's missing. He prompts them to notify the highest ranking officer who is "not missing" to visit him and to shut off his program when they leave. Neelix's concern for Kes brings him to tell The Doctor that he never told them about her condition. The Doctor makes a humorous remark as that she is the healthiest member of her species that he has seen, since she is the only Ocampa that he has ever seen. He takes a guess at Kes's condition and notifies her that it is most likely due to psychological adjustments because of space travel. She is advised to drink lots of fluids (though she doesn't understand what that means at first) and she deactivates The Doctor's program. In a clothing shop on the planet, Janeway and Paris' two Starfleet uniforms are on display. They emerge from the shop wearing clothing similar to that of the planet's citizens. To assist Voyager in their search, Janeway activates a subspace beacon from her combadge. Concerned for the planet's citizens, Paris wants to notify the people about upcoming events. They begin a conversation about the Prime Directive, which turns into an argument. Paris recalls his father lecturing him about the Prime Directive like a holiday sermon. Janeway reminds Paris that his father considered it the guiding principle of space exploration and sternly orders him not to warn the planet's citizens of their impending armageddon. The argument ends when they see Latika watching them. They try to move away, but the boy catches up and accuses them of lying. He says he went to the Continental Transport and talked to the transport attendant, who mentioned he transported only four people that day -- two older citizens with a child. Paris attempts to scare the boy by mentioning that he and Janeway ate their child and that they were demons. Scared, the boy runs away. With the boy gone, they begin to develop a plan on how to return to the present. Janeway comes up with an idea to use a tricorder to emit a polaric field to scan for fractures. They find a polaric energy conduit in the town square which makes Paris wonder where the energy comes from. At a power plant, a protest demonstration is in progress. The protesters are shouting complaints as the guards attempt to hold them back. Looking for the power plant, Janeway and Paris come upon the demonstration. Latika is following them unnoticed. The scene becomes violent as the guards enter the crowd and start hitting people with batons. One of the guards sees Janeway and hits her in the head, causing her to fall back. Paris punches the guard as the protest leader helps Janeway up and leads her out of the area. The rest of the crowd, including Paris, follows. In engineering, Kim and Torres demonstrate the object they have developed to open a subspace fracture to Chakotay and Tuvok: a polaric generator. The device is activated and emits a green beam in front of them, causing a ripple effect. It uses the same polaric energy used on the planet to open a fracture. Tuvok recommends using the generator where Janeway and Paris disappeared. At that instant, the fracture emits a large burst of light and the generator disengages. The one problem with the generator is that it burns out after a maximum of 30 seconds at the necessary intensity. Another issue with the generator is that it cannot be used in the same location more than once due to subspace damage. Chakotay brings up the concern of becoming trapped in a fracture themselves. Torres has thought ahead and modified some tricorders to detect the fractures. She then displays an armband that deploys an antipolaric field. Chakotay compliments Torres and Kim and starts to leave, until Kes and Neelix arrive. Kes insists that she needs to join the away team to the planet. She mentions she has already seen the planet and insists again. Chakotay considers her request. Paris and Janeway are in a house owned by the protest leader. Paris is treating Janeway's head wound. The lead protester and his colleague come from the upper level to talk to them. He apologizes and introduces himself as Pe'Nar Makull along with his colleague Ny Terla. He inquires as to why they were at the power plant. Janeway continues to use her alibi by saying she was touring the plant, comparing it to the one from Kalto Province. Terla becomes suspicious, mentioning that he has never seen a Kalton with Janeway's hair color. She attempts to shrug it off until Makull wonders if they are part of the government, despite the wound she received. Paris does not know why anybody would want to infiltrate the protesters, though Makull mentions that polaric protests occur in Kalto also. He starts questioning Janeway and Paris about the day before, inquiring when they were last at a power plant and if they were in it earlier. Terla brings out a hand-held device, a safety monitor for polaric energy. He states that Janeway and Paris were reading five times the normal readings of a citizen, making them think they were in a power plant previously. He and another colleague take out pistols and aim them at Janeway and Paris. In the present, an away team consisting of Chakotay, Kes, Tuvok, Torres and Kim are at the location where Janeway and Paris disappeared. Kes' telepathic senses give her the feeling that she can reach out and touch the citizens of the past. Scanning the area, Tuvok cannot locate any fractures in subspace. Kim, who is a distance away, calls out the team. He has located a signal from a combadge, in present time. They attempt to communicate, but there is no response. They follow the signal in hopes of finding some answers. In the past, Janeway is being asked questions while Paris is still under guard. Makull asks for her name, which she reluctantly provides. Makull thinks it is an unusual name which she shrugs off by saying it is not unusual in Kalto Province. He then asks what area of Kalto she came from, which she tries to dodge in saying there was no point to the question. He asks if the government knows of their plans, and Janeway truthfully answers that she doesn't know. They are interrupted when Terla enters the room holding on to a struggling Latika. Present time, the away teams arrives at the building where Janeway and Paris were held. They do not detect any life-signs. Janeway tries to prevent Latika from being involved at risk of being revealed. This risk becomes real when the boy shouts out that they are lying about their identity. Paris sarcastically thanks the boy as Makull listens to him. He mentions they lied about taking the Continental Transport, because he talked to the attendant himself. Terla asks Makull what he should do with the boy. He tells him to place him at the stairway with Paris. He does so, threatening Latika so that he will remain quiet. In the present, the team locate two damaged combadges. The combadges had automatically activated a signal when they were damaged by the explosion. They search the area for any further evidence. On Makull's desk are a tricorder and a phaser. He questions Janeway on their use, thinking they are spy equipment. She lies by mentioning they are surveying equipment and that she and Paris were interested in buying land. Terla is curious and asks Janeway to see how they work. She hesitantly reaches for the phaser but Makull stops her, cautious that it might be a weapon. On the stairs, Paris starts to talk with the boy, mentioning he was right that he didn't eat children. Latika mentions that he didn't really scare him and he would tell his father at the Media Bureau about Paris and Janeway. Paris interrupts Latika by asking if his father was a journalist, which he is, and so is Latika. He writes for his school newspaper, and he mentions he's going to write about their lies. Paris asks the boy's name, which Latika tells him. He then apologizes to Latika, but doesn't mention why (due to the Prime Directive). Makull is now talking to Janeway about the dangers of polaric energy, mentioning it could destroy the whole planet. He mentions that their cause received much support after the accident at Markov. Still believing Janeway and Paris are spies, he mentions that they are going ahead with their plan the next day. Janeway then comes up with an idea saying aloud, "Wait a minute." In the present, Kes hears Janeway say this. When Kes calls out to her, Janeway can also hear Kes. Makull goes over to Janeway and asks if she has anything else to say. She, ignoring the Prime Directive, spontaneously mentions she is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager. In the present, Kes mentions to Chakotay that she can feel the presence of Janeway and Paris. Chakotay inquires if there is a subspace fracture present, which there is. He orders that the generator be set up. In the past, Janeway continues to reveal information about herself, stating that she and Paris were from the future. Latika is amazed that his assumption of them was, indeed, true. She reveals to Makull that there is going to be a polaric explosion that will destroy the planet. Makull doesn't buy it, despite her explanation of how she and Paris were thrown into the past. The generator is set up in present time at the proper coordinates. It is activated and the fracture is located. Torres reports that she found a subspace beacon and starts to widen the fracture. Chakotay taps his combadge to contact Janeway. It is successful, and his message is heard over Janeway's combadge. Terla instantly removes the combadge, claiming the badges are eavesdropping devices. She tries to explain that her crew are attempting to contact them, but Terla doesn't believe her, either. He confiscates Paris's combadge as well. Makull then orders him to get the particle injector. Terla proceeds over to a safe in the wall and takes out an injector. Makull takes the injector and puts it in a bag, along with the tricorder and phaser. He orders Janeway and Paris to join them, along with Latika. Just as the group leaves the room, the fracture opens in front of Makull's desk. After they make another unsuccessful attempt at communication, the generator gives out and the fracture is closed. On the way to the power plant, Janeway and Paris discuss the situation at hand. Paris ask why Janeway told Makull their real story after backing up the Prime Directive earlier. She notes that the Prime Directive was broken the second they were thrown back in time in that they changed the activists' schedule to that day. If they had not been thrown back in time, any number of events could have occurred, including the arrest of the activists. She feels it is up to Paris and her to deal with the crisis. Returning to Voyager, the senior staff tries to come up with another plan in the briefing room to retrieve Janeway and Paris. The chances of their retrieval start to diminish as Kim reports that 70% of the fractures have closed. Torres wants to begin searching the flashpoint of the explosion, but Tuvok is skeptical of the idea. She tries to explain that Janeway and Paris may have tried to stop the explosion, but Tuvok brings up the Prime Directive. Despite the objection, Chakotay expresses that he would've gone to the power plant, after which Tuvok tries to point out that Janeway would not think the same way as he did. Again, Chakotay ignores Tuvok's objections and orders the staff to beam down to the flashpoint. Makull and the group arrive with Janeway and Paris at the plant entrance. He begins to instruct Janeway as to what is supposed to happen. She is to pretend she is a government official who is helping to negotiate a settlement over a dispute. She expresses her objections to his idea. He tells her that Terla has a gun trained on Latika. Terla takes his pistol and hides it by crossing his arms. The group approach the gate and a guard comes out to meet them. Makull introduces Janeway as a governmental official, at which she steps forward. The guard takes a few steps back, comprehending what she just said. He reaches for his weapon, but Makull shoots him before he can. Latika, remembering the threat about his death, attempts to run away. Terla takes out his gun and aims, but Paris runs in and takes the bullet for the boy. Janeway and Latika go to Paris to check on his condition while Terla takes out a second guard. Makull activates the plant gate and tells Janeway, "Their lives are on your conscience!" While looking over Paris, Latika is surprised that Paris saved him. Paris, however, doesn't want to slow Janeway's progress. She tells Latika to look after him and heads for the plant, taking one of the fallen guards' weapons. In the power plant, Makull and the others arrive at a cylindrical corridor where they intend to do their work. Janeway is able to catch up with them, but hides behind the corridor's segments so that they will not see her. In the present, the away team beams down to the exact same location in the power plant, noting that the polaric levels are at a very high level, the flashpoint of the explosion. Tuvok notes numerous subspace fractures in the area, which prompts the team to set up the equipment. Back in the past, Janeway creeps to the section where the men are working without being detected. She sees their bag, with a phaser, tricorder and the particle injector, on the ground, unattended. Terla needs the injector, so Makull turns around to reach for the bag. Janeway comes out of cover and points the gun at Makull, requesting that he hand her the bag. While setting up the equipment in the future, Tuvok notes the coordinates of a nearby fracture. They initiate the generator but detect no subspace beacon. Before he can surmise that Janeway and Paris were not in the area, Kes detects Janeway's presence, noting she died in the corridor. In the past, Janeway still has Makull at gunpoint, trying to convince him to stop what he is doing or everybody would die. She assumes Makull is trying to sabotage the plant, but he notes he wouldn't do anything like that. He tries to get her to lower the gun by noting that something could go wrong if she fires the weapon near a polaric conduit. She ignores his warning and demands that he give her the bag. Makull tightens his grip on it while his men stand tall. She says, "All right then, we'll wait." The away team continues with their plans, trying to figure out how to open the fracture prior to the explosion. All Torres can decide is to make an educated guess. Tuvok then notes that Kes may not be correct, but he has no alternative ideas, and thus agrees to the activation of the generator. Chakotay agrees and it is activated. 
<EOS>
After identifying a rogue planetoid that Neelix says has dilithium available for mining, Voyager is en route as Captain Janeway and Chakotay are discussing rations and what they had for breakfast. Janeway has not yet had anything, and is on her way to her private mess hall whereupon entering she finds that Neelix has converted it into a galley, and is busily preparing meals for the crew, with at best mixed success. She reminds him that he did not have permission to do so but realizes that given their current replicator and energy issues, she might not have much of a choice. Chakotay interrupts their conversation as they near the planetoid and calls for her. Neelix goes with her, leaving the duties to Ensign Parsons, who is rather distraught at the mess left for him. Janeway arrives on the bridge, and Harry Kim confirms that there are dilithium readings available, while B'Elanna Torres shows subterranean caves with an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere. Chakotay confirms the readings, showing it as a class M planet. Precise readings are difficult at best, but Torres estimates from her console that there is about 500 to 1,000 metric tons of raw ore down on the planetoid. Janeway then sends Chakotay down to the planet's caves with an away team, and advises Torres that she'd better get her refinery on line to prepare for all the ore they are about to bring up. Kim, Chakotay and Neelix (after begging to go) beam down and begin searching for the dilithium. After beaming down to the caverns, Chakotay discovers with his tricorder that there are several large pockets in the vicinity. They split up and start taking geological scans, and are advised to keep their comm channels open at all times, while staying within fifty meters of their split-off point. Neelix, while following his tricorder's readings, sweeps the direction in which he's chosen to search. As he's walking along, a wall disperses behind him to reveal a corridor protected by a holographic image and force field, while the occupant is seen leaving his hiding place to go after Neelix. Chakotay contacts Kim and explains that according to his tricorder readings he should be seeing the dilithium, but that he in fact cannot see anything. Kim, meanwhile, is running a geostratal analysis of the rock, coming to pretty much the same conclusion: no dilithium. Neelix then contacts Chakotay saying that he's found something: a large cavern about twenty meters from his position. Reading a huge dilithium formation, even against Chakotay's warning, he proceeds anyway. Upon entering the cavern, Neelix finds, just like the others, that there is nothing. Exasperated, and scanning about with his tricorder and his arm-mounted flashlight, Chakotay voices his assumption and says that he's had enough. He then calls for Kim and Neelix to head back to the entry point so that they can return to the ship. Neelix interrupts Chakotay, saying that he has found some unusual readings from a rock face. Traces of organic energy are present, and seemingly about two Meters into the rock. Chakotay is insistent in his warning, telling Neelix to get back to where he and Kim are. Ignoring them, Neelix turns away from the rock face as the field disperses and shows a figure standing with a device pointed at Neelix. Unaware of the newcomer, Neelix spins to face the newly-opened hallway, in shock that there's no longer a rock wall. The figure had ducked away into the shadows and lurks close by. As Neelix walks toward the entry to the corridor, the figure once again raises the device behind him. As Neelix spins around to see him, he fires at Neelix. Chakotay rushes off toward Neelix's location, calling for Kim to follow. They find Neelix on the ground, flailing about, obviously in some kind of shock and unable to breathe. Beaming directly to sickbay, The Doctor scans Neelix before asking for the blood-gas infuser. Ordering Kim to hold Neelix still, he injects Neelix with a hypospray as he starts slipping into a coma. After attaching the infuser, Neelix calms down; however The Doctor states to Chakotay that it will only keep Neelix alive for another hour; his lungs have been removed. In Sickbay, The Doctor explains to Janeway that he can't give Neelix artificial lungs as the procedure to replicate and implant them is too complex given Talaxian physiology and their current medical abilities, although he may be able to return Neelix's own lungs to his body if they can find them. As The Doctor starts exploring other options and Kes pledges to remain with Neelix, Janeway heads down to the planet taking a fully-armed security team with her to investigate. It does not take long until Janeway discovers and breaks through the highly-sophisticated force field masked as a rock. On board Voyager, The Doctor attempts to treat Neelix despite Tom Paris' lack of expertise hindering his abilities as medical assistant. The Doctor asks if Paris' biochemistry classes at the Academy included a respiratory series; he replies in the negative. Kes asks if she can donate a lung to Neelix, but The Doctor tells her he's already investigated the idea of a transplant but no-one aboard is a match for a Talaxian. When Paris replicates a medical instrument, a cytoplasmic stimulator, The Doctor has a flash of inspiration and (using data gathered from Neelix' use of the transporter) decides to duplicate the function of Neelix's lungs by creating a pair of holographic lungs to simulate the missing organs. However The Doctor warns Kes that the downside of this treatment is that Neelix will have to be held perfectly still in a restraint as the computer won't be able to compensate for any body movement whatsoever, meaning that he will effectively be paralyzed for the rest of his life, unless his original lungs are returned or some other solution can be found. Back on the planetoid, the away team discovers an organ storage facility. No one is there, but there's a large number of organ types stored. Janeway finds a door leading out of the facility and picks up life signs twenty meters ahead. The three eventually catch up with it, and Tuvok shoots it. The alien drops some kind of device but manages to escape by erecting a force field that the away team cannot disrupt. Chakotay reports the alien's ship is leaving orbit and has gone into warp before he could tractor it. Janeway picks up the device and orders Voyager to lay in a course for pursuit, pausing only long enough to beam up the away team. Meanwhile, The Doctor and Paris start the procedure. Carefully, The Doctor deactivates the infuser and activates the program, Neelix One. After a moment, Neelix stars to breathe and the unprecedented procedure is successful. Neelix is awake and informed about what happened, though the procedure has never been done before, so information is scarce. Disappointed to be totally forced still, he comments on the aesthetics of the sickbay ceiling and asks for some music. The Doctor leaves Kes to consider his aesthetic needs. Paris is also called away to the bridge, prompting Neelix to worry to Kes about Voyager's helmsman's imagined advances toward her. Kes, however, thinks he's overreacting and won't discuss it further. She promises to be with Neelix. Meanwhile, Torres and Tuvok study the instrument. Informing Janeway, it is a very sophisticated scanning and analysis device. It stuns the victim and scans at the same time. Even DNA sequencing can be determined. Janeway is a bit suspicious that a species would need such a powerful mobile device like that. The aliens try to escape in a hollowed out asteroid with Voyager in pursuit. Tuvok, anticipating Janeway's next move, warns her about the course of action she is about to undertake. She's surprised he knows her so well, but then goes ahead and orders Lieutenant Paris to take Voyager into the asteroid. While in the asteroid, the Voyager's sensors can't penetrate very far, so it will take awhile to find the ship. However, the ion trail is still detectable. Meanwhile, Neelix, alone except for The Doctor, is having trouble staying still. He needs him to scratch an itch for him above his left eyebrow, then tries to talk to him, but then he finally starts to hyperventilate, demanding to be let out. Unable to accommodate him, The Doctor finally sedates him instead. Kes comes by to see him and, waiting for him to wake up, talks to The Doctor, noting he is very frustrated. The Doctor admits that, not just with Neelix, he's frustrated at his permanent position as the ship's doctor with no staff. Kes successfully comforts him, saying he'll learn to adapt beyond his program. Eventually, Tuvok discovers a chamber ahead. On entering, there seem to be numerous reflections of the alien ship and Voyager. Unable to tell which one of the ships is the real one, Chakotay devises a plan to use Voyager's phasers on low power like a search light to find the hostile ship. The beam will either shoot out the entrance, bounce back to Voyager, or be stopped by the other ship. After slowly sweeping the phaser beam around, it stops on the hull of the right ship. Quickly, Janeway orders the occupants beamed aboard and Tuvok brings a security team to meet them in transporter room three. Upon arrival, the two humanoids are found to be horribly deformed. Once found, the aliens, who call themselves Vidiians, surrender. They explain that their civilization has been plagued for centuries by a terrible disease, the phage, and that as a result they often use body parts of other species to replenish and/or replace their own degraded ones. They prefer to use cadavers, but if pressed, will steal from the living if they can't find a body in time, a situation that they are not proud of. Dereth, one of the Vidiians in custody states that he has already transformed Neelix's lungs for transplantation into Motura and thus is unable to retransplant Neelix's lungs back without killing him. Janeway is outraged at what the Vidiians have done, but she is not willing to kill Motura to save her crewmember. Unable to turn the two over for trial, and unwilling to carry them both in the brig for the forseeable future Janeway is left with no choice but to let them both go free. However, she gives both of them a message to take back to their society and makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that even the slightest transgression against Voyager and its crew will be met with the deadliest force. Grateful at the captain's generosity, Motura convinces Dereth to offer their extensive medical knowledge to help try and save Neelix. Later in sickbay, they realize that every one of the senior staff that has been scanned is capable of donating a lung, which they explain could then be transformed to be compatible to Talaxian physiology, but it is Kes who steps in as the donor. The operation is a success and Captain Janeway releases the two Vidiians. As Kes and Neelix recover, Janeway gives him permission to continue with the galley while The Doctor plans to train Kes to back-up and eventually replace Tom Paris as his medical assistant. 
<EOS>
Captain Janeway walks into the mess hall where Harry Kim and Tom Paris are having breakfast. She wonders if Neelix has come up with something interesting this morning. Kim and Paris joke that every meal Neelix prepares is interesting. She jokes that they should not judge him too quickly for after all, he is helping them conserve replicator energy. When she leaves, Kim tells Paris that they should have asked her to join them. Paris brushes Kim's suggestion off, stating that ensigns don't invite captains to sit down. Kim does not understand what is wrong with showing a little courtesy, but Paris states that captains don't want courtesy, they want respect and that's why they don't get chummy with the lower ranks. Kim thinks Paris is really not getting this right because after all, there are not that many admirals and captains for her to hang around with. Captain Janeway is looking around in Neelix's kitchen for coffee but there is none to be found. But Neelix has an even better than coffee substitute, which, much to the Captain's dismay, looks more like a cup of tar, rather than coffee; so she says that she will just use one of her replicator rations. However, Neelix suggests setting an example for the entire crew by drinking his alternative, which does not deplete scarce energy reserves on the ship. While contemplating his suggestion, Chakotay calls Janeway who uses this as an immediate excuse to escape Neelix's coffee alternative by cutting the conversation short and rushing out of the mess hall. On the bridge Chakotay informs her that Voyager has approached a nebula rich in omicron particles. Wanting to collect some to supplement their power reserves, Janeway orders Voyager to set a new course, jokingly stating that there's coffee in that nebula. While they are waiting to reach the nebula, Janeway asks Chakotay about the state of the crew given their current situation. She tells him that she is worried about them and wished they had a counselor on board but the nature of their mission to the Badlands in the Alpha Quadrant did not require one. Chakotay says that in his tradition, they talk to animals as their counselors. He tells her that there is a different animal guide for everyone. Voyager enters the nebula with no sign of trouble. Harry says that it's like nothing he's seen before. Suddenly, Voyager encounters an energy barrier that rocks the ship to a stop. They decide to punch through to get to the particles. After they get through the barrier, they notice that it closes behind them. Neelix, who has been observing all this from the mess hall, is upset about the captain's decision to enter the nebula and possibly endanger the ship and its crew. Kes tells him that she is not endangering anyone's life but that these people are just natural born explorers driven by curiosity and the desire to learn more about the universe around them. Neelix doesn't agree with her and actually thinks that they are nothing but "natural born idiots" who, with a ship that's a match to any vessel in 100 light years, have to stop for every space anomaly to investigate. But Kes disagrees, stating that if she was the captain, she'd open every crack in the universe and peek inside just like Captain Janeway does. An unknown compound begins to attach to the hull and drain the ship's energy reserves. They turn around to get out of the nebula, but are stopped by the barrier again. This time, they exceed maximum thrusters and fire phasers and a photon torpedo. Harry tells Janeway that as a result of this maneuver, they lost 11% of their energy reserves. Janeway realizes she may just have to give up coffee. Later that night, Paris breaks into Kim's quarters to wake him up and show him a holographic program on the holodeck entitled Paris 3. It is a holographic recreation of a pool hall in Marseille, France. He takes him to Chez Sandríne: the bar he used to hang around in during his second semester at the Academy when he was stationed in Marseille for his physical training. Paris tries to help Kim get in the mood by having him relax and try some of the holographic wine and women he created. He tells Kim that this is exactly his idea of home: a little piece of Earth in the middle of the Delta Quadrant. But Kim knows that Paris is just shrugging it off and that he really misses home too. "Your shot, Harry," he says to Kim to change the subject. In the meantime, B'Elanna Torres analyzes a sample of the compound taken from the hull in engineering. She notices something strange and wants a second opinion. She takes the sample to The Doctor in sickbay, telling him that she got it from the nebula upon which The Doctor cynically asks why they even bother acting like they're going home at all if all they're going to do is explore every meter cubic millimeter of the quadrant. The Doctor recognizes the nucleogenic peptide bonds in the sample, confirming that it is organic. Chakotay brings Janeway his medicine bundle to help her find her animal guide. Their ceremony is interrupted by Torres. Janeway explains to her what they were doing and Torres tells her that she hopes Janeway has better luck with her animal guide than she did with hers, despite Chakotay initially telling Janeway that he had never shown anyone his medicine bundle. Chakotay tells the captain that B'Elanna is the only person he knows who tried to kill her animal guide. B'Elanna goes on to tell them that the matter left on the hull is organic or, more precisely, that it is the organic elements of a much larger lifeform; it appears as if this nebula is not a nebula at all. After looking at sensor scans of the lifeform at Tuvok's tactical station, they find that the omicron particles they were after are now leaking through the 'wound' they made; the lifeform is bleeding to death. It is now clear that all the barriers that Voyager encountered were just the lifeform's natural defense measures. Torres suggests re-entering and producing a nucleonic radiation field on the wound as it should promote re-generation. Tuvok must modify the shields to suppress the lifeform's natural defense systems. Neelix becomes upset when he finds out that they are going back in and goes to the captain to complain. He demands that he and Kes be allowed to wait in his  ship while Voyager pursues its mission, but Janeway refuses, telling him that the crew is busy preparing for this and that they don't have time to prepare his ship for launch and that she will most certainly not drop him off on the side of the road every time they hit a bump. She tells him that he is free to leave once they're finished, but for the moment she suggests that he find himself a seat with a good view, because, as she notes, "Just like Jonah and the whale, you're going in." When Voyager enters the nucleogenic cloud, it's hit by multi-polaric charges. Paris loses control of the helm and the ship rocks, with shields weakening and inertial dampers going offline. The crew is thrown about. Janeway orders Torres to dump deuterium to get thruster control back, despite needing that fuel and then orders Paris to reset the inertial dampers. They get control of the ship back, but they are now much deeper in the creature and need to get back to the site of the wound. Chakotay suggests they might be able to ride the energy currents which, up until now, they thought were random. However, he suspects they are part of the lifeform's circulatory system. Confirming they are filled with omicron particles, the three guess that the current will pass by the wound, so they can just surf there, using the reaction control thrusters in drift mode only. Just then, Neelix delivers refreshments to the bridge, having just appointed himself the ship's Chief Morale officer. Janeway thinks it's hardly the time, but Neelix is unphased and starts serving some of the crew. She reluctantly takes a bite when Paris announces they've arrived at the wound. Janeway orders Torres to generate the nucleonic radiation beam, but it does little help. The Doctor interjects to suggest that the ship itself can be used as a suture to help the wound heal. To avoid being attacked by the lifeform's defenses, they decide to create a distraction, much in the way Janeway once had to distract her wounded Irish Setter, Mollie. The wound is closed and the crew leaves with a new understanding that what they find in the Delta Quadrant may not always be what it seems. Janeway is on her way to her quarters to see her animal guide when she meets Kim in the turbolift. He invites her to join them on the holodeck with the others. She acts towards the crew as if she has never played pool before but pockets several solids on the break, then calls her shot and knocks in the eight-ball in the pocket without even looking. 
<EOS>
Aboard the USS Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway notes in her log that Ensign Harry Kim has discovered subspace emissions indicative of a wormhole and Voyager's crew are elated by the possibility of a way home. Kim reports that Voyager is too far away from the wormhole to get a detailed analysis of where it leads. The ship will have to get within a thousand kilometers and Kim notes that diverting the ship to the wormhole will mean a significant course change. Janeway decides to head for it anyway and she orders Lieutenant Tom Paris to set a course. The helmsman suggests to Janeway that if the wormhole is successful in bringing Voyager back home, they petition the Federation Astronomical Committee to officially designate the distortion as the "Harry Kim wormhole." Upon Voyager's arrival, it is found that, unfortunately, the wormhole is only thirty centimeters in diameter: much too small for Voyager to pass through. Captain Janeway speculates that the wormhole is in an advanced state of decay and has likely been collapsing for centuries. The crew attempts to send a microprobe through the wormhole, but it gets stuck in a gravitational eddy inside the wormhole. Initially dismayed, the crew soon realizes that someone on the other side of the wormhole is scanning the probe. In sickbay, The Doctor is examining Lieutenant Walter Baxter as he quizzes Kes about his possible injuries. Baxter rudely directs all of his comments to Kes, and openly questions The Doctor's abilities. When Baxter's injuries are healed by The Doctor, he thanks only Kes and leaves. Kes asks The Doctor if he noticed how rude Baxter was to him, but he tells her that he is used to being treated like a hypospray. Kes asks The Doctor for more of a learning challenge: she wants to learn more about Human anatomy. In a senior staff meeting, B'Elanna Torres says that the microprobe will be destroyed in 72 hours. As they brainstorm, Harry Kim has an idea to send a subspace carrier wave using the microprobe as a relay. While reconfiguring the signal generator, Kim talks to Torres about the family he misses at home. He asks her if there's anyone who would miss her, and she tells him that the Maquis are the closest thing to family she has. Her father left her and her mother when she was five-years old. When Kim inquires about her mother, Torres says she "thinks" she returned home to Qo'noS. Kim expresses surprise that she only thinks her mother is there, but Torres tells him that she and her mother did not get along and informs him that no one back in the Alpha Quadrant cares one way or another whether she is alive. After reconfiguring the signal generator, they send a series of sub-harmonic pulses. After a few minutes of intense waiting, Tuvok and Tom Paris report that Voyager is receiving a signal coming from the wormhole. It is on the same carrier wave and amplitude, originating in the Alpha Quadrant, which shocks the crew. Kes enters the captain's ready room as she's working, but drops it, pleased to see her. She tells the captain that she is unhappy about the way the crew treats The Doctor. Janeway tells Kes that she has actually heard reports of him being brusque, rude, and lacking bedside manner; they are thinking about reprogramming him. Kes argues that he is alive, an argument that Janeway refutes -- he is just a hologram, nothing more. Kes points out that he's self-aware and communicative with the ability to learn. When Janeway reminds Kes that he's only like that because he's been programmed to be that way, Kes asks if the fact The Doctor is a hologram doesn't mean he should be treated with simple respect. Janeway hesitates, caught short by Kes's words, and promises to look into it. Encouraged by the success of his test signal, Kim investigates the possibility of voice communication. Janeway sends a basic hail requesting a response. After clearing up the reply, the crew hears a message from a Romulan cargo vessel in the Alpha Quadrant sector 1385. Janeway tells the Romulan that they are a Federation vessel in the Delta Quadrant. The Romulan thinks she is lying because the Delta Quadrant is too far way, insisting them to be a Federation spy vessel in the Alpha Quadrant. The Romulan cuts off communication abruptly. Tuvok tells Janeway that there are no shipping lanes in that sector and the Romulan ship is more likely to be a science vessel engaged on a secret mission. Janeway tells Kim to hail him continuously. Janeway enters sickbay and activates The Doctor. He explains that he was deactivated by Ensign Kyoto in the middle of preparing a culture. Janeway tells The Doctor that he has become a full-fledged member of the crew, and he doesn't have the luxury of being an emergency supplement anymore. The Doctor asks if he is to be reprogrammed, but Janeway reverses her earlier stance and tells him no, but wants to know if there's anything she can do to help him. He tells her that he would like to be turned off, as he is frequently left for hours with nothing to do, and when he does get turned off he isn't asked if it is convenient. Janeway suggests giving him control over his deactivation sequence; allowing him to turn himself off or to prevent anyone else doing so. The Doctor is surprised and humbled at the fact that someone is attempting to be considerate towards him as Janeway promises to get someone to look into it, and asks him if there's anything else. Taken aback by this turn of events and unprepared to respond fully just yet, The Doctor tells the captain he'll get back to her. Kim establishes two-way communication with the Romulan and wakes Captain Janeway. The Romulan is highly suspicious of a Federation starship claiming to be in the Delta Quadrant. The Romulan identifies his ship as the cargo vessel Talvath, but refuses to give his name. He has analyzed their hailing frequency and found that it originates in the Delta Quadrant, but he doesn't see how that is possible. He asks what Voyager's mission is in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway explains that their mission was in the Alpha Quadrant and that they were pulled against their will by a powerful entity to their present location, and are now trying to get home. He still thinks they are Starfleet spies on a surveillance mission. Janeway assures him they are no threat, and requests simply that the Romulan pass on messages from the crew to their families and friends. He replies that it would ease his apprehension if he could see that she is who she says she is, and tells her that he believes he can use a signal amplifier on his ship to establish a video link. Kim and Paris get the communications frequency locked in, but they still have a problem with the phase variance in the subspace signal. Kim compensates and the Romulan appears on screen. He remarks he's never seen a ship like Voyager before. Janeway, surprised by this, tells him that it's new but not classified. He replies that he has been on a mission for over a year and hasn't gotten the latest intelligence. He tells Janeway that his government is debating whether to relay Voyager's messages. She points out that the wormhole will soon collapse, but he tells her that it is not his place to tell the Senate what to do. Janeway asks the Romulan about his family and he reveals that he has a newborn daughter that he has never seen. She appeals to his feelings of missing his family and convinces him to urge his government to grant Voyager's request to relay their messages to their family and friends home. Janeway tells Chakotay to have the crew prepare their messages within the hour in case he is successful. Suddenly, Torres excitedly runs onto the bridge and asks to talk to the captain in private. In Janeway's ready room, she tells the captain the phase amplitude of the visual link is just within a few megahertz of meeting transporter protocols. It might be possible to use the probe as a transmitter to transport the entire crew back to the Alpha Quadrant. Janeway gives Torres her permission to use any Voyager personnel to assist, and for Torres to not keep the modifications a secret as it will not be for very long. After Torres leaves, Janeway walks over and emotionally looks at a photograph of her fiance Mark and their Irish Setter Mollie. Kes enters sickbay with her Human anatomy work complete. A disbelieving Doctor quizzes her on the material and finds that she has memorized it well. She tells him that she would like to go to medical school if the crew gets home. The Doctor replies that she could already have the equivalent of a medical degree if she continues at the pace she is at. She realizes that he hasn't heard about Torres' plan, and tells him about it. He responds that he will not be joining the crew because he is integrated into the sickbay systems. Saddened, she kisses him on the cheek and thanks him. Before she leaves, he asks her to do him a favor and make sure he is turned off before they leave. Janeway tells the Romulan captain about their transporter theory and he is impressed by their advanced technology. He agrees to let them transport a test cylinder to his ship. Kim and Torres begin the transport, but still encounter a problem with the phase variance. They are able to compensate, and the transport is successful. Janeway next suggests sending one of her crew to the Romulan ship to test a Human transport. The Romulan declines, stating that the Romulan government would never allow it. He instead offers to transport himself to Voyager and back, promising to arrange for a troop ship for Voyager's crew if transport is successful. Janeway, Tuvok, and Chakotay join Kim and Torres in the transporter room to greet the Romulan. Though it is a difficult transport, he successfully materializes on Voyager. "Welcome to the Delta Quadrant captain," Janeway says. As Janeway suggests that the crew prepare to leave Voyager once and for all, Tuvok stops her and, while scanning the Romulan with his tricorder, asks the Romulan for the year. The Romulan seems skeptical, but answers that by Federation calendars, the year is 2351. Everyone is taken aback at this new discovery as Tuvok finally concludes that the phase variance they have been experiencing is due to the wormhole being a rift not only in space, but also in time: they have beamed the Romulan from 2351 to 2371. In the briefing room, it is made clear by Torres that if Voyager's crew transports through the wormhole, they will indeed travel twenty years into the past. Kim suggests they do it, as it is better than spending seventy years traveling home, but Janeway knows that it would devastatingly affect the timeline. The Romulan suggests that in twenty years, he could tell Starfleet not to launch the mission which sent them there. Chakotay responds that they have already made such a big impact on the Delta Quadrant, that people and events would be drastically affected. With no other options, Captain Janeway is left with her original request: she asks the Romulan to transmit their personal messages to Starfleet -- in twenty years. He agrees and suggests that, when they get back to the Alpha Quadrant, he would welcome a visit from them. He introduces himself as Telek R'Mor of the Romulan Astrophysical Academy. Janeway assures him that he will hear from them. Later, R'Mor prepares to return to his ship, Tuvok gives him the chip with the crew's messages, and Janeway thanks him for his help. Torres transports him back to his ship and a relieved Janeway prepares to inform the crew that their messages will be delivered. Before she can, Tuvok stops her to deliver the bad news: he looked R'Mor up in the database and discovered that the Romulan scientist died in 2367, four years before Voyager left the Alpha Quadrant. Janeway is deeply disappointed but Torres speculates that perhaps he left a will telling someone else to deliver the messages, or that maybe he handed the chip over to the Romulan government. Unfortunately, there's no way to know. Captain Janeway is quiet throughout, saddened that despite everything all their efforts were for nothing. She then tells the crew that the only thing they can do now is to move on, as the Alpha Quadrant is still a long way away. Once again, Lieutenant Baxter is in sickbay. He has pulled his hamstring while working out. He still directs all of his comments to Kes. With newfound confidence, The Doctor tells Baxter that if he has something to say, then he should direct it to him. In addition, if he has another workout-related injury, The Doctor will notify his superior officer. Baxter is surprised and replies "yes sir." Before leaving, he thanks The Doctor. The Doctor gives Kes a list of things he wants added to sickbay to be delivered to Janeway. In addition, The Doctor makes his first personal request: a name. 
<EOS>
On an alien world, a weary Tom Paris lies down on a bed, his combadge missing from his uniform, while another man asks him what he sees in his mind. Paris replies that he sees "shoes, muddy shoes. The dog." The man in the room tells him that this is exactly what he should be seeing. In Paris' mind, he sees himself kissing an alien woman passionately. Another person, who's point of view Paris is seeing, upon making his presence known, states that he now understands. Paris tells the woman he is with that he had better be on his way. She holds him close and tells Paris that the man has no right. "No right?! You come into my home, steal my wife, and I have no right?!" In reality, Paris insists that this is not the way the incident happened, but the man in the room with him informs Paris that the trial is over and there is no point to further denials. Back in the "memory", the man tells Paris he knows of his past spent in prison and that once he informs Paris' commanding officer of his indiscretion, he will never wear his uniform again. Paris insists he cannot let him do that, rushes towards the man and stabs him fatally with a knife. In reality, Paris lies on the bed, seemingly feeling the stabbing. The man with Paris announces that for "the rest of his natural life, once every fourteen hours, Thomas Eugene Paris will relive the last moments of his victim's life. May the fates have mercy on you, sir." Paris is led away by a guard. Aboard the USS Voyager, The Doctor and Kes are in the chief medical officer's office reviewing medical texts. Kes is in training to become The Doctor's medical assistant aboard. During their review, Kes asks the holographic physician if he has given further thought to giving himself a name. The Doctor says he has trouble with making a choice, as holograms do not usually make them. Kes disagrees, mentioning that The Doctor chooses which treatment to give his patients. The Doctor tells her that he is programmed to do that, and that there is no independent decision making involved, but Kes cannot see the difference. She then tells him he should simply pick a name, but tells him to take his time, as he will be known by that name for the rest of his existence. Shortly thereafter, Captain Janeway hails sickbay and tells The Doctor to expect an injured crewman -- either Lieutenant Paris or Ensign Harry Kim. Kim is beamed directly to sickbay and informs Janeway of some horrifying news: Tom Paris has been convicted of murder and as punishment he has to relive his victim's last moments over and over again. Informing Janeway of their activities prior to Paris' conviction of murder, they visited the homeworld of the Banea and met an engineering physicist Tolen Ren. The Voyager crewmen approach Doctor Ren for assistance because the ship has a damaged collimator that requires expert assistance. After an initial meeting, Kim and Paris are invited to the professor's home for dinner that evening. While there, the officers meet the professor's young wife Lidell, who is irritated with her husband's lack of manners at not calling first when bringing home guests. After a brief and tense meal, Kim, the professor and Paris retire to another room to begin work. Paris allegedly got bored and spent some time with Tolen's young wife Lidell. That night, Professor Ren was murdered. Kim tells Janeway that the Banea questioned him for two days straight, asking him many inquiries about the Banea's enemy, the Numiri. Kim surmises that the Banea must have thought he and Paris were Numiri agents spying on them. Kim also informs Janeway that Professor Ren was the inventor of Banean warship technology. The Doctor wants Kim to get some rest, so Janeway has her first officer, Commander Chakotay, set Voyager on a course for the Banean homeworld to find some answers. Once they arrive, Janeway and chief of security Tuvok beam down to talk with Paris about the crime. They meet with Minister of Science Kray. Kray explains that Tolen Ren was stabbed to death in his living room in front of Lidell. Paris was arrested and convicted of the murder. Kray tells the Starfleet officers of Paris' sentence: to relive the crime through the victim's eyes once every fourteen hours for the rest of his life. This was done by examining the victim's memories and implanting them into Paris' brain. Janeway and Tuvok later meet with Paris, and he tells them the "rehab colony back in New Zealand doesn't seem so bad right now." Tuvok asks Paris if he killed Professor Ren and he forcefully denies having killed him even though he did spend some time with his wife Lidell. Paris recalls finding Lidell looking up at the sky and smoking, stating that "her eyes were a million kilometers away, staring at stars I'd just flown by a day before," and engages her in polite conversation in the atrium. He tries to comfort her over her marital problems wherein she admits she married the much older Professor Ren because he was kind to her. Lidell apparently ended her marriage to the professor and proceeded to pursue Paris. Paris and Lidell spend more time together. Soon after, Tolen heard about Lidell's relationship with Paris and confronted her. Immediately afterward, Paris relives the murder once again and loses consciousness. Janeway asks the Banean minister to take him to their ship for a medical evaluation from Voyager's chief medical officer. Kray reluctantly agrees but warns Janeway not to leave orbit. Janeway retorts that they do not plan on leaving until they prove Paris' innocence and Tuvok calls Voyager for three to beam aboard. Soon after, Tuvok visits the murder scene and speaks with Mrs. Ren. She says that she witnessed the murder and that it has in fact been committed by Paris. Tuvok notes that he finds Mrs. Ren to be dispassionate and she engages him in playful verbal sparing. She asks Tuvok if he has ever had to end a marriage. He tells her he has not; his wife and he have been married for sixty-seven years. She tells Tuvok she was about to leave her husband of ten years for Paris, which Tuvok finds hard to believe as Paris was to depart the planet for good in only a few days. She tells Tuvok that meeting Paris gave her "the push I needed." She recalls seeing Paris again the day of the murder, knowing that he wanted to see her. She recalls kissing him during a cloud burst of rain. While outside kissing her, Paris did not think it was appropriate, as she was still married to her husband. She told Paris that he did not treat her like a woman since the day they had viewed an eclipse together in four years previously. Lidell tells Tuvok she made him Marob root tea to warm themselves up, they watched the storm from the atrium and the rest Tuvok knows. Tuvok receives a signal through his combadge; Chakotay informs him that Paris has regained consciousness and thought he would like to know. Tuvok prepares to be beamed up to Voyager but before he leaves, Lidell asks Tuvok if he could tell Paris that she forgives him for her husband's murder. Back on Voyager, Tuvok decides to conduct an autonomic response analysis scan on Paris to determine if he is telling the truth. The ARA scan confirms that Paris is being truthful when he says he didn't murder Tolen, but can't offer another explanation. The Doctor asserts that there were no drugs in Paris' system. Suddenly, the Baneans' enemy, the Numiri, attack Voyager. Chakotay hails Tuvok and tells him to report to the bridge. Chakotay who is handling the helm controls in Paris' absence, manages to defeat the Numiri with an old Maquis trick. He reminds a nearby B'Elanna Torres of their defeat of Starfleet runabouts at Teluridian IV. She understands immediately and from her station on the bridge, orders engineering to vent Voyager's LN2 exhaust conduits along the dorsal emitters to make the ship look like it is in serious trouble. The plan works and the Numiri patrols are disabled by Voyager's phasers. Janeway tells Chakotay that that is one trick he will no longer able to perform when they return home. He remarks that he has more. Janeway has the ship stand down from red alert. Tuvok informs Janeway that due to the urgency of Paris' situation, he proposes he observe the crime himself by performing a Vulcan mind meld on Voyager's helmsman. "A what? What did he say? A mind what?", Neelix asks. In sickbay, Tuvok is preparing to perform the mind meld with Paris, over The Doctor's strenuous objections. The Doctor reminds Tuvok that Paris' brain is suffering from degradation from the implanted memories and he has no idea what melding with it will do to a Vulcan brain. Tuvok believes the risks are acceptable. During the mind meld, Tuvok makes note of several points of interest in the "memory", such as the height of both Paris and Lidell, the alien symbols and numbers, and the location of the knife on Professor Ren's body. Breaking the meld, The Doctor examines Tuvok and can find no brain damage. Tuvok tells Janeway he now understands why Paris is convicted of the murder and why the Numiri chose to attack Voyager. Tuvok subsequently confers with Ensign Kim to confirm his suspicions. To further confirm his suspicions, Tuvok has the captain use Tom Paris as bait. Specifically, Janeway sends Kim and Paris back to the planet in a shuttle under the pretext that further use of the transporter could cause medical complications to Paris. This draws out the Numiri and they seize the shuttle and try to take Paris hostage. The two crewman are beamed away. Janeway threatens to detonate a cache of explosives hidden on the shuttle unless it is released. At a meeting at the scene of the crime the following day, Tuvok reveals that Lieutenant Paris was not the man the professor saw before he was murdered. Tuvok elaborates that believes that someone altered the memory engrams of the professor's brain. To prove this point, Tuvok points out the stream of numbers and text which appear in the memory which he believes is from the professor's weapons research. He also reveals that Lidell's statement was false: the man the professor observed with his wife was virtually equal in height with her, however, Tom Paris is clearly several centimeters taller. Moreover, the killer -- unlike Paris -- knew Banean anatomy for he knew exactly where to stab the professor to ensure a fatality. Lastly, the equations Paris sees in his memory are not at all typical to the procedure but rather equations taken from Dr. Ren's weapon's research: someone intended them to be delivered to the Numiri -- thus sending secret data to the enemy by using Paris' presence to their advantage. In other words, he would never be suspected of aiding an enemy because he is not a native of the planet and has no vested interest one way or another. That is why they were attempting to attack Voyager: they wanted to board the ship and take Paris by force. Tuvok names the doctor who performed the memory transplant on Paris, as the real killer of Dr. Ren and Lidell as his accomplice. He proves this final point by referring to the second witness to the murder: the victim's pet dog Neeka that clearly recognized the doctor and was familiar with him when he entered the room. Lidell tries to tell Paris before she is led away that she never meant to hurt him but he takes her hand away from him and tells her she did. Later in Voyager's mess hall, Paris thanks Tuvok for having saved his life but Tuvok states that he merely conducted a criminal investigation searching for the truth and that Paris doesn't owe him anything. Paris thanks him anyway, stating that whether Tuvok likes it or not, he made a friend today. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager is investigating a new element, the 247th one known to the Federation, on a ring of asteroids around a class D planet. Chief engineer Torres suggests that they get a look at the element, as many of the asteroids support class M environments. Captain Janeway agrees and orders that Commander Chakotay head an away team to an asteroid. He brings Torres and Ensign Kim with him. Materializing, the three discover numerous decaying bodies. Chakotay reports that they have discovered eighteen bodies on the asteroid -- eleven male, seven female. The bodies are in various stages of decomposition, some have been there for years, others just a few days. They cannot determine from where the bodies came from, however. The element Voyager discovered is apparently emanating from the alien's decomposed bodies. Chakotay recommends they leave the bodies in peace, but Ensign Kim disagrees, saying that their find could be a notable anthropological discovery and they should take full advantage of it. Chakotay believes that the unknown species clearly meant for their dead to be left alone. Janeway ultimately agrees with the commander, but advises that the away team's tricorders be set to passive scan only. Chakotay also advises against that, not wishing to disturb the sanctity of the bodies. He wants to use visual observation only. Janeway agrees to this also. Upon ceasing communication with Voyager, Kim nevertheless thanks Chakotay for allowing him to voice his opinion to Janeway. Chakotay then recalls to the young Starfleet officer his first tomb excavation to Ktaria VII, where he visited a burial chamber and took a stone as a memento. He later found out later that the Ktarians leave sacred stones representing prayers in the chamber. He had unknowingly desecrated the man's grave. Torres appears and tells Chakotay she has probably found out all she could about the species, stating that "they like to bury their dead on asteroids." She can find no artifacts or inscriptions -- just some naked dead people. Chakotay explains that she is simply looking but not seeing. "The fact that they're naked says a lot. It means this race doesn't believe in dressing the deceased." Upon debating various species' beliefs about the afterlife, a subspace vacuole suddenly forms, and Chakotay requests an emergency beam out. Aboard Voyager, Chakotay and Torres materialize with a female dead body and Kim is missing. Using his sensors, Tuvok can find no sign of him anywhere in the asteroid field and Seska has no trace of his transporter pattern. Scanning the deceased woman, Torres is reading electrical activity in her brain, meaning they could still revive her. Chakotay orders Ensign Seska to beam them directly to sickbay. Meanwhile, Kim has been transported somewhere. Kim learns that when the species, called the Vhnori, are near death, they are placed in a coffin-like device called a cenotaph, which euthanizes the occupant, then transports them to the "Next Emanation," their culture's concept of Heaven or nirvana. They express amazement that an alien has unexpectedly appeared in the coffin. In trying to explain to Hatil Garan where he comes from, Kim introduces to the Vhnori doubt and suspicion about their afterlife beliefs. Aboard Voyager, the Vhnori corpse is determined to have died within the last few minutes, and within reach of Starfleet medical resuscitation technology. The Doctor removes her brain tumor, replicates replacement neural tissue, and explains that the new element Voyager discovered is a biopolymer, secreted by the epidermal layer of the skin of this species when they die. Janeway asks The Doctor revive the woman, which he does with 2ccs of netinaline. She is disoriented and upset, as she died fully expecting to wake in the Next Emanation, and be reunited with her brother. Not understanding what she is talking about and perceiving her to be delusional, The Doctor sedates her with a hypospray. Chakotay and Janeway glance at each other, not knowing what to say to the troubled woman. Back on Vhnori, a leading thanatologist, Neria, questions Kim, and provides him with further information on their beliefs. The cenotaph Kim appeared in is built on a subspace vacuole, called a spectral rupture by the Vhnori. When Neria continues to question Kim on what he saw while on the asteroid, Kim tells the thanatologist that it is a custom of his people to not reveal too much to alien cultures they have just initiated first contact with. Neria then announces that he would like Dr. Ranora to begin a complete bio-analysis on Kim, much to the ensign's chagrin. "You are our first glimpse into what lies beyond death. We are not going to let this opportunity pass us by," he states to Kim. Back aboard Voyager, Chakotay is conducting scans of the asteroids at a science station. He reports to Janeway that they have detected 200,000 alien bodies in numerous asteroids. Apparently, a subspace vacuole appears every two hours, leaves a body and then disappears. Janeway believes the vacuoles are the key to locating Kim and has Chakotay try to find more about them. Signaled by The Doctor, Janeway heads to sickbay, where the alien woman, named Ptera, is now awake and much calmer than before. Ptera tells Janeway everything she knows and would like to know what is currently happening. Janeway explains the situation, that vacuoles appear and deposit bodies on the asteroids. Ptera wants to know if anything else happens after that, which Janeway cannot explain. Ptera emotionally explains that when her people die, they are supposed to evolve into a higher state of consciousness and gain a greater understanding of the universe, where all of their questions are supposed to be answered. Janeway tries to comfort the frightened woman, who wants to see her deceased brother in the afterlife, but Ptera notes that he is not here. Janeway promises her that she will do everything in her power to find out how she got to Voyager and she will let her know as soon as she finds out. Kes suggests they have Ptera leave sickbay and get something to eat. Suddenly, Voyager rocks. Janeway taps her combadge and asks for a report. Lieutenant Paris responds that a vacuole has formed near engineering. Torres reports that she has localized the rupture and opens a door to an engineering Jefferies tube, where she finds a Vhnori corpse lying on the floor. Kim's presence disturbs the plans of Hatil Garan, whose family has convinced him that it is time to be sent to the Next Emanation. Expressing his doubts to his wife, Loria, she angrily tells Kim to leave her husband alone. Kim is told by Garan that everyone does this willingly -- when they're sick, dying, or lonely. In Hatil's case, his family has urged him to make the decision to make their eventual separation quick and painless. With Kim's arrival, he has begun to have severe doubts. In close to proximity to the planet, more Vhnori corpses start materializing on the engineering deck, probably attracted by the warp core. None of the crew can determine why these people have died and why they keep appearing. Torres enacts safeguards, such as a dampening field around the warp core, but hopes of getting Kim back dwindle. The bodies continue to appear, and the transporter room beams each body to the asteroids one by one. On Voyager, Torres comes up with a way to send Ptera back to her dimension and to also get Kim back. They plan to recreate the transporter accident that brought Ptera to Voyager, but send her through the vacuole with a subspace transponder. Chakotay notes that they may be able to penetrate the dimensional barrier and bring Kim back with a transporter beam. Ptera agress to this, although Janeway warns her they do not know if this will work. She decides to anyway, saying that she has died once before and she is prepared to again if it means her getting home. During the attempt to send Ptera back to Vhnori, it fails and ultimately results in her death again. Kes tells Janeway that they cannot revive her this time and Janeway has Seska beam her to one of the asteroids, believing that is where she now belongs. Kes expresses to Ptera's lifeless body that she hopes she finds what she was looking for. On Vhnori, Neria intends to move Kim to another location at Paffran for further detailed medical analysis, threatening Kim's hopes of returning to Voyager. "I'm sorry, Harry. It's out of my control," he says before leaving. Kim convinces Hatil to let him take his place in the device, hoping that it will return him to the same cave he was exploring before he was transported, allowing his crewmates to rescue him. The Vhnori man will flee to the mountains, where his friends live, to live the rest of his life, letting his family believe him dead. Inside the device, Kim dies and is transported to Voyager, where sensors have detected him. Immediately beamed to sickbay, Kim is revived by The Doctor with a dose of cordrazine. Later in the mess hall, Captain Janeway catches up with Kim, and orders him off duty for a couple of days to put his recent adventure in perspective. He resists, but she tells him that it is too easy in Starfleet to just carry on, and objectify each new, "extraordinary experience" as all in a day's work. She urges him to take the time to appreciate what he's been through. Kim then admits that he's been thinking a lot about what happened, how the Vhnori look forward to death and what comes afterwards yet they don't ascend to the Next Emanation but instead are just dumped and decay inside an asteroid. Janeway tells him that may not be the whole story, as the energy that was detected by Voyager had slight neural energy emissions from the newly appearing bodies, adding to a complex and dynamic energy field that inundated the asteroid field and surrounded the planet -- a possible indication of the Next Emanation. 
<EOS>
During a meal in the mess hall on the USS Voyager, the two crews, former Maquis and Starfleet, are eating separately as usual. Among them, B'Elanna Torres and Seska are at one table, and Tom Paris and Harry Kim at another. Interestingly, the two sides are finally starting to talk socially. Seska notes Torres catching a glimpse of one passing Starfleet officer she might like, and she also teases Kim about going out with one of the Delaney sisters. She had been talking to Paris, who was spreading the rumor. Kim says nothing happened, and is forced to prove it by saying he actually fell out of a gondola in the holodeck while alone with her. Captain Janeway, observing from afar while she eats with Tuvok, is pleased to see them talk to each other like that. Tuvok notes efficiency is sure to be optimal. The crew is called away to investigate a distress call, however, Voyager encounters a man who introduces himself as Gathorel Labin of the planet Sikaris. He explains through the viewscreen that he is not in distress at all, and that he had initiated the call because Voyager's crew was in distress. After extending a welcome to the Sikarian sector, Gath comes aboard with samples of the local dishes and delicacies and explains that their people had heard of the plight of Voyager; he therefore invites the crew to shore leave on his planet. Neelix, who has heard of the planet, also proposes using this opportunity to gather seeds from the local flora to increase the selection of edible plants and vegetables growing on board. Captain Janeway graciously accepts the invitation and is excited about finally meeting a friendly species on their journey through the Delta Quadrant. A few of the crew including Janeway, Paris, Tuvok and Kim beam down and accompany Gath to a marketplace. Kim meets a local named Eudana who is playing what seems to be a musical instrument, but is really a Sikarian atmospheric sensor. She shows him how to use it and he's quite amused. Gath, meanwhile, stays with Janeway and leads her to a fabric vendor. He's obviously taken an especially strong interest in Janeway and insists she accept a whole wardrobe made just for her. She politely declines the strong offer and simply considers a scarf. He continues increasingly uncomfortable forward advances, but Janeway politely wants to organize other officers to take turns there. He agrees and keeps his hands on her, not letting go until she agree to attend festivities that evening. At the evening's festivities, Harry Kim shares a romantic moment with Eudana. He begins telling her about how Voyager became stranded in the Delta Quadrant when Eudana suggests they go some place with more privacy. She pulls Kim onto a platform and transports to a place called Alastria. It is a warm and tropical place with gentle trade winds blowing during a red sunset. Kim is feeling a slight elation when he notices that Sikaris does not have two suns. Eudana explains that they are in fact no longer on Sikaris but that they have actually been transported to another planet 40,000 light years from Sikaris. Realizing that this might mean the crew could make it more than halfway home, Kim wants to go back immediately. He informs Janeway of his instantaneous travel via a transporter that operates on the principle of folding space called a spatial trajector. Excited about real prospects of finally getting home, Janeway proposes to Gath that they allow them to modify the technology in order to transport Voyager closer to home. But Gath informs them that based on their Canon of Laws, sharing this technology would be out of the question as it may get out of control and fall into the wrong hands. Kim and Janeway are very disappointed. During the staff meeting later on, the crew discuss the possibilities that the trajector presents them, including the chance that it could be used more than once allowing them to make it all the way to the Alpha Quadrant. Tuvok points out that Gath has already said no with nothing to indicate that he could change his mind, making the debate pointless. Janeway listens to the various comments and then points out that, as Starfleet, they have similar restrictions with regard to sharing technology. Janeway remarks with irony that it is the first time they are on the other side of the Prime Directive which prevents them from interfering with alien cultures no matter what kind of a disaster they were facing. Tuvok then says, on the other hand, their refusal might be the prelude to negotiation. Kim then offers the insight of how the Sikarian culture values stories as a measuring device of character and moral value, and proposes the idea of offering the entire ship's library as a bartering token. Janeway approves the idea and plans to run the idea by Gath while she explicitly forbids any analysis of the spatial trajector while she is negotiating with the Sikarians. Excited, Torres says she'll scan the device in the meantime, but Janeway shuts her down, saying they won't violate their laws until she finds them negotiable. Torres is very let down. Over a slice of pecan pie in her quarters, Janeway moves to negotiating the acquisition of the trajector. At first she promises Gath that they promise to destroy the trajector after they have reached their destination. However, as expected, Gath turns down her offer. Janeway then proposes that the Sikarians use the device to send Voyager itself, without giving up the technology, in return for a full library of the Federation's finest literature. Gath is immediately enticed and promises to discuss it with the other magistrates within the area, though Janeway tries to read him to see how serious he is. In the meantime, Torres is going on with her engineering duties and inspects Voyager's shock attenuation cylinders. However, seeing Seska is not paying attention, they both get drawn into a theoretical discussion about how the trajector works, anxious about having finally found a real possibility to go home. Joseph Carey, overhearing, joins in and they begin theorizing, noting that such spatial folding would leave subspace residue. Detecting a particular neutrino dispersion pattern, the three theorize that if the spatial trajector uses a neutrino bubble to transport objects, the main deflector could be modified to emit phased neutrinos to create a bubble around Voyager. On the surface, Eudana leads Kim to a secret meeting with Jaret Otel, Gath's aide, who offers to unofficially give them the technology in exchange for the ship's collection of literature. Jaret explains that his people believe rules should be flexible enough to meet the needs of the moment and reveals that he wants to be the provider of the stories to the public in order to gain prestige. Jaret also tells Kim that Gath has no intention of handing over the technology himself. Ensign Kim returns to the ship intending to report this immediately to Janeway. While he waits in the mess hall, he talks with Paris, Torres and Seska. Paris ultimately recommends letting the captain handle it, and leave. When they go, Seska and Torres briefly discuss stealing the technology. Torres, surprised, asserts that being the higher ranking officer she has responsibilities, but Seska declares that if they were to gain access to the trajector matrix, the use of main engineering would be essential and that Torres had to be on their side. Seska appeals to the captain's seemingly being taken by Gath and unwilling to do what's needed. Seska leaves Torres conflicted. Janeway and Tuvok hear what Kim has to say. Janeway can't help but feel that Jaret is correct when he says that Gath does not intend to help them. Discussing the situation with Tuvok after Kim leaves, Janeway is stuck in position of either negotiating with a man who has his own agenda, or deal with a man who is willing to break the law. Tuvok points out that if they get the technology through Jaret, then its his laws that are being broken, and not theirs. Janeway would rather not do that, reminding Tuvok that when they started the trip home she told the crew that they would follow Starfleet principles, but, at the same time, she doesn't know if she can tell the crew that her principles are more important than getting the crew home. With that, the two agree that Janeway should deal with Gath for now and explore the chance that he may be willing to help them. On the planet, Janeway presses the issue once again, asking Gath about the decision of the magistrates. But after Gath's repeated evasion of the subject and ridiculing their desire to go home, Janeway soon realizes Gath's true intentions, which were only to provide the populace with a novelty and avenue of entertainment, without ever having had any real intention of helping them out. Gath then promptly orders Janeway and her crew to leave the planet, accusing them of threatening to infect the 'joyousness of our lives'. Disheartened and insulted, the captain taps her combadge and returns to the ship. Entering the bridge, Janeway tells Chakotay that shore leave is cancelled and to start beaming the crew back. She tells Tuvok that she knows that Gath never intended to help them, but is nonetheless unwilling to go against Sikaran law by getting the technology from Jaret Otel. Unfortunately, as the crew is scattered all over Sikaris, it's going to take some time to get everyone back onto the ship, so Janeway simply tells Chakotay to do it as quickly as possible before retiring to her ready room. Back in the mess hall, Torres, Seska, and Carey discuss what's happened. Seska has downloaded the Federation library into isolinear chips, ready to be handed over to Jaret and she and Carey end up getting a reluctant Torres onto their side by discussing their families and the Maquis plight in the Demilitarized Zone. They head immediately to the transporter room, and prepare to beam to the surface only to be frozen out by security protocols. Tuvok suddenly enters, explaining that he changed the subroutines when he attempted to download the library only to find it had already been accessed. The others are confused until Tuvok reveals that he plans to make the exchange with Jaret Otel himself and beams down telling the shocked officers to prepare the ship for the device. The final crew members are being beamed up, and Janeway tells Torres to prepare the ship to leave within minutes. Seska is very worried, but then Tuvok returns with the device and hands it over in engineering and asks them not to use it until he has spoken to the captain. Seska begins tests immediately. While doing the tests, the three engineers suddenly discover that they would need an amplifier the size of a planet to make the system work. The Sikarians are able to use the technology because Sikaris itself has a crystalline mantle that focuses and amplifies the trajector field. But Voyager does not possess such an amplifier. Carey notes that if the planet is needed to use the trajector, once Voyager leaves orbit they will lose the ability to traject. They realize that they have to run the trajector right here and now, or else they will not be able to do so later. In order to distract everyone from their actions,  Torres -- keeping the thrusters offline -- prevents the ship from leaving, citing a phase variance. After they activate the matrix, a trajector field begins to form. Initiation of the process is successful, but the plasma manifold soon becomes unstable when a bombardment of antineutrinos (designed to act as a catalyst for the space-folding process) results in increasing plasma temperatures that threaten a warp core breach. Reluctant to abort the mission, Seska attempts to compensate for the antineutrinos but fails. Nothing can stop it so Torres is forced to destroy the trajector matrix with a phaser. She realizes with a heavy heart that the use of antineutrinos in the space-folding process would have made any compatibility with Federation technology impossible and that this technology would ultimately never have worked for Voyager. Seska immediately attempts to erase the sensor logs of their testing, but Torres steps in, rejecting a cover-up. She is ready to face the consequences and is actually glad that she has changed enough to want to be responsible. Standing before the captain, she tries to take the blame as the ranking officer, but Tuvok reveals that he was the one who made the exchange with Jaret. After a serious dress-down, Janeway lets Torres go, warning her that any further transgression, even a minor one, would lead to the discharge of her field commission. She is, however, shocked about Tuvok having had anything to do with this. He explains his actions by saying that he knew that the captain found herself in a moral dilemma and thus couldn't allow herself to make such a decision. So, he made it for her; to lift the burden off her shoulders. Janeway is touched but firmly states that she would never have wanted him to make such a sacrifice for her and asks him to bring his logic to her the next time. With slightly tearful eyes, she reminds him of their long standing relationship and that -- as her moral compass and most trusted officer and friend -- she has to be able to count on him. Tuvok, realizing the error in the interpretation of his logic, assures Captain Janeway that she could count on him from now on more so than ever and assures her that he will never disappoint her in that regard. After Tuvok leaves, Janeway puts both of her hands on her face, clearly distraught. 
<EOS>
While Commander Chakotay and an away team, including Carey and Neelix, are on a scouting expedition on an alien planet, Lieutenant Tom Paris, onboard the USS Voyager, notices something from his station that may be a cloaked ship. Tuvok reveals it is in fact a ship using some kind of masking circuitry unfamiliar to him. He suggests using a polaron burst; when Captain Janeway gives him the go-ahead, the burst reveals the outline of a Kazon raider, the specifications of which conform to the Kazon-Nistrim sect. Janeway immediately orders the away team back to the ship. On the surface, Chakotay assembles the away team, but there is no sign of Seska. He has the rest of the team beam back aboard Voyager while he looks for her with a tricorder in hand in some nearby caves. He finds her picking mushrooms so she can teach Neelix how to make Chakotay's favorite soup. As they move to leave the cave, they are surprised by a pair of Kazon soldiers. Chakotay is injured in the firefight, and Seska helps him out of the cave to the transport site. Seska visits Chakotay's quarters bringing him mushroom soup. They savor it together as she describes how Neelix wanted to make the soup with leola root, and after an altercation she in a 'Maquis operation' with Jackson stole the mushrooms from the kitchen to make mushroom soup for Chakotay, while Neelix was dealing with a convenient case of homesickness that arose with several other Maquis officers. Chakotay, visibly upset at her raiding the kitchen and stealing food, revokes everyone's replicator rations for two days including his own. He also threatens to throw Seska and her co-conspirators in the brig, next time. As Seska leaves, Janeway calls the senior staff to the bridge. Voyager receives a distress call from a ship identical to the one seen at the previous planet, and while the call appears to be genuine based on sensor readings, Neelix advises caution; the ship hails from the Kazon-Nistrim, one of the most violent sects in the Kazon Collective. With no indications of other Kazon ships in the vicinity, Janeway plots a course to intercept the ship. When an away team beams aboard the Kazon ship, they find several bodies on the bridge, all dead from what appears to be a kind of subatomic manipulation that has melded them with pieces of metal. They detect nucleonic radiation emanating from an area of the bridge, contained automatically via force fields. One survivor is among the Kazon crew, so he is beamed aboard Voyager to be treated in sickbay, but the away team finds something strange in the vicinity of the radiation: neosorium, a composite unique to Federation technology. Back aboard, The Doctor finds the Kazon's cells have been fundamentally altered and he doesn't know if he can save him. As they head to the bridge, Chakotay and Tuvok tell Janeway of the possible Federation technology aboard the Kazon ship. Tuvok notes three possibilities; either it is not Federation but something similar, another Starfleet ship had been pulled into the Delta Quadrant or (the most likely explanation) someone from the crew handed the technology over. Janeway immediately halts the turbolift, finding the idea that someone on Voyager might have given technology to the Kazon very disturbing. Tuvok suggests that Seska might have been responsible since she was found near the Kazon on the planet, but Chakotay points out he found her hiding from them. Janeway tells them that retrieving the console is now top priority and resumes the turbolift. The staff meets in engineering, where B'Elanna Torres brainstorms possible ways to retrieve the console. Although Seska thinks she can use a 'subspace bubble' to walk through the force field and protect her from the radiation, Torres thinks it is too risky and instead opts for Carey's suggestion to push the force field and the radiation so it no longer intersects with the console. The plan will take until the next day, so they begin to get to work; however, when Torres assigns jobs to the engineering crew, Chakotay claims that he does not want Seska on the engineering team but on the bridge instead. Seska is upset at Chakotay's decision to pull her away from the engineering team, but Chakotay assures her in a corridor that he is only trying to protect her; visiting sickbay, she asks The Doctor to inform her immediately if their Kazon guest wakes up, as he is the only one who can prove her innocence. While she is there, Kes notes that Seska never got around to giving a blood sample. Seska tells Kes that her blood cannot be used for transfusion due to a childhood disease and she was warned never to donate. The Doctor notes that is all the more reason it should be on file, however Seska simply promises to give a sample later before leaving. Later, Seska tries to retrieve the console herself by transporting over to the damaged Kazon ship without authorization and using her subspace bubble. On the bridge, Chakotay orders her back but she refuses and Tuvok points out she may have gone over to destroy evidence that could implicate her. As Chakotay argues back that it is a misguided attempt by Seska to prove herself, the Bajoran is suddenly heard screaming. She is beamed to sickbay, where she is found to be burned but it is easily treatable. Janeway calls Carey into her ready room, where Tuvok and Chakotay are waiting. They interrogate him about any personal communications he might have had with the Kazon since Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant pointing out he was separated from the away team on the planet for over an hour and may be bitter over Lieutenant Torres being promoted to chief engineer over him. Carey vehemently denies all of the accusations and although he does mention Seska's name, he stops short of implicating her directly. Janeway has Carey confined to quarters for the rest of the investigation. After he's gone, the three discuss if Carey may actually have betrayed the crew to the Kazon; while he indeed has a motive and had the opportunity to do so, he also has a distinguished Starfleet career while Seska spent two years as an enemy of the Federation. Chakotay however still refuses to accept this, pointing out that he was a Maquis too. When another Kazon ship arrives, the First Maje Culluh of the Kazon-Nistrim introduces himself. Like all Kazon, he is aggressive, but he is intent on protecting Kazon property. Janeway refuses to leave the ship alone until she has the console, using her superior technology as the stick. Culluh agrees to settle for visiting the still-unconscious survivor of the accident. Culluh and his bodyguard arrive in sickbay, where The Doctor explains about the accident and the nucleonic radiation from the console. The Kazon want to be left alone with the man, so Janeway talks to The Doctor in private, not eager to release their patient into Kazon hands. Janeway prepares to inform the Kazon of her intentions when Culluh's bodyguard takes out a small needle. Tuvok attempts to intervene, but he injects a neurotoxin into the patient's blood, killing him instantly. Disgusted, Janeway orders Culluh and the bodyguard off her ship. Once the Kazon are gone, Kes and The Doctor have important news for Janeway: according to Seska's blood screening, she is not Bajoran but Cardassian. Chakotay is informed of The Doctor's analysis and is incredulous and wants to be the one to question her. Janeway decides to hold off until the console is retrieved. As an away team is preparing to beam over to the vessel to take back the console, the other Kazon ship threatens war if anything is removed. Janeway threatens a harsh tactical response if they interfere, and the Kazon back down. An away team including Torres manages to successfully beam the console, decontaminate it, and begin analysis in Engineering. Torres identifies the console as a food replicator, however it lacked sufficient shielding to prevent nucleonic radiation from leaking and causing a cascade. It is also identified that the components in the console contain bio-neural circuitry, proving that those components could only have originated from Voyager. Chakotay confronts Seska in sickbay with the evidence of the food replicator components and the diagnosis that she is believed to actually be Cardassian. Seska indicates that the reason for this is that she had suffered from Orkett's disease as a child and received an extensive bone marrow transfusion from a Cardassian woman named Kattell to survive. Chakotay informs her that an extensive search of security logs is currently underway to identify the traitor. Once Chakotay leaves sickbay, Tuvok informs him outside the room that Carey has also been told about the pending search and that the trap is now ready to catch the culprit. Chakotay and Tuvok play gin in at a console engineering while monitoring the activity of the manifest logs. Upon detecting changes, they find that Seska's security codes are being clumsily planted into the logs, seemingly implicating Carey who would be trying to frame her. Chakotay enters sickbay to tell Seska what they've found and that they now know for certain who gave the technology to the Kazon her. Seska denies everything, complaining that she doesn't know what evidence they think they found but Chakotay replies that actually they found the evidence she put out there for them to find: her own security code. He explains their trap and how they were hoping she'd fall for it. She knew no one would believe she could be that careless by typing in her own security code, so that is exactly what she did, hoping that everyone would believe that someone else was trying to frame her. They also managed to trace the fact the information was entered from a console in sickbay. The Doctor also refutes her claim to be the victim of Orkett's disease, having already discounted it before she even mentioned it to them; there is no doubt she is Cardassian. At that moment, the lights in sickbay go on and Captain Janeway and Tuvok enter. Upon realizing that she has been exposed, Seska finally admits everything. She claims to have done it for Chakotay and for this crew that is alone in this part of the galaxy, at the mercy of any number of hostile aliens because of the incomprehensible decision of a Federation Captain who destroyed their only chance of getting home. She mocks Federation values and angrily points out that if this were a Cardassian ship, they would be home now, and should forge alliances with powerful allies such as the Kazon Nistrim in exchange for some minor technology. She says that building a base of power in this quadrant at any cost is all that matters, finally pointing out to the Captain what a fool she is and what a fool Chakotay is for following her. She escapes Voyager using a voice-activated transporter program, known as Command XJL, to quickly transfer over to one of the nearby Kazon ships. Attempts to get her back fail and Janeway quickly realizes that they are going to be soon outnumbered by Kazon ships from all over if they remain. She decides to retreat, knowing that they haven't seen the last of Seska. Later in the mess hall, Chakotay sits down with Tuvok to discuss Seska's betrayal; He does not understand how Seska, of all people, could fool him to this extent and asks if there was something about him that made it easy for everyone to deceive him. Tuvok reassures Chakotay that he does not strike him as particularly naive, and admits Seska had him fooled as well, and Chakotay -- much to Tuvok's confusion -- begins to feel a bit better about himself. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres encounters an irregularity in the transport of samples from a nearby protostar; one of the containers is filled but the other is empty. After this irregularity is corrected on a second attempt, Torres informs Captain Janeway that she will perform a full, six-hour spectral analysis on both containers. It is concluded that the samples could be harnessed to improve the power converters by fifteen to twenty percent. Janeway attempts to locate Ensign Harry Kim to expedite the analysis, however the computer informs her that Kim is not aboard the ship. Janeway then goes to the bridge, where Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and Commander Chakotay aid her in a more thorough search of the ship for Kim. Noticing that Kim was last seen on the holodeck, Tuvok performs an intensive scan of the holodeck, though there is a high amount of interference. Realizing that the holodeck program cannot be shut down, Tuvok and Chakotay enter the program while it is still in progress. They discover the holonovel, Beowulf, which is an emulation of "an ancient English epic set in 6th century Denmark" as described by Chakotay. Soon after this discovery, they encounter a holodeck character who shoots a projectile at Chakotay, though missing him. Tuvok and Chakotay come to the conclusion that holodeck commands and safeguards may be inoperative. The holodeck character identifies herself as "Freya, daughter of King Hrothgar", who believes they are possibly malevolent intruders. Asking if they are Beowulf's men, Chakotay finds an opportunity to befriend Freya, by declaring that they are indeed such. Chakotay realized that since Kim chose the holodeck program, he was probably playing the lead character: Beowulf. Tuvok and Chakotay decide to remain with Freya, in hopes that she may aid them in their search for Kim. Freya alarmingly mentions that Beowulf has died. Freya takes them to the castle of King Hrothgar, to "avenge the death" of Beowulf. The men in the king's company tell Tuvok and Chakotay that Beowulf died with thirty warriors, at the hands of a merciless monster named Grendel. Tuvok asks for Beowulf's body, but Freya informs him that Grendel dragged the body to its lair, although nobody saw the battle. The king loses hope because of Beowulf's incapability in killing Grendel, and is terrified. The king and his company are doubtful of Tuvok and Chakotay's worthiness, and as a test require them to hold sentry of the castle. Tuvok and Chakotay inform Janeway of the program. Tuvok suggests that Kim may truly be dead. Janeway requests tricorder analysis of the program. Tuvok and Chakotay discuss Beowulf as an example of Human mythology. Tuvok sees it as illogical, claiming that Vulcans do not write about demons. Chakotay discusses alien mythology that relates to Beowulf, such as Vok'sha of Rakella Prime. It is discovered that the protostar emitted energy that caused the holodeck to malfunction. This caused Kim to be converted into energy. One meter in diameter, a bright mass appears in the program. Janeway calls for a report, but no answer. Torres tries to transport them out of the program but it does not work. Soon, she loses their life signs. The crew determines that photonic energy created a defect that de-materialized Kim, Chakotay, and Tuvok. Lieutenant Tom Paris is convinced that they may still be recoverable. To prevent a rescue team being consumed in the same fashion, Paris suggests that the The Doctor could be used, "because a hologram cannot be converted into energy because it's already energy". The Doctor, who is normally confined to sickbay, will be able to transfer to the holodeck since it also has holo-emitters in place and would also have the advantage of being corporeal or incorporeal at will. The Doctor is asked to interact with the characters and discover the root of the malfunction. Kes talks with The Doctor while he learns background information concerning Beowulf. Kes asks if The Doctor is nervous about the task, since it is different from his intended programming. The Doctor admits that the unfamiliarity of the environment outside of sickbay makes him uneasy. Kes explains that it will be a chance for The Doctor to become independent and more Human. Kes suggests a name for The Doctor, and he agrees to further research a suitable name for himself. The Doctor encounters Freya in the same fashion as Chakotay and Tuvok, and already knows every important detail about her, due to his copious research of Beowulf. After Freya gloats of her exploits, The Doctor asks Freya for Grendel's location. Freya finds The Doctor's willingness to locate such an epic monster as courageous and admirable. The Doctor says his name is "Schweitzer"; Freya says it is a warrior's name. She agrees to lead him to Grendel. Freya begins to forage sub-arctic fungi, for a broth in a warrior's pre-battle concoction. The Doctor comments on the fungi in a clinical tone, describing it as detrimental to physical activity. Freya counters that anything that does not kill, makes one strong. The King is introduced to The Doctor, and is received in a nearly identical fashion as Chakotay and Tuvok, with an identical script. The Doctor engages with one of the King's men, Unferth, in a sword fight to prove his worthiness in fighting Grendel. The Doctor slightly wounds the foe, and gives him medical advice thereafter. He gains the adulation of the King's audience as they chant "Schweitzer!" The men in the castle invite The Doctor to a feast of meat. The Doctor begins to gloat of unusually dry exploits (most notably "Parinisti measles") with copious amounts of advanced medical terminology. This confounds the men. Freya sits with The Doctor near a roaring fire. Freya confesses her unease about Grendel, and asks The Doctor for counsel. Freya fears her courage would falter, but says The Doctor has bolstered it. Freya grows romantically attached to The Doctor, and they kiss. Freya invites The Doctor to her bed, but he declines, being interrupted to readings of photonic energy. It is Grendel. Its tentacle grasps onto The Doctor's arm, and as he is suddenly aware of feeling the creature's touch, he frantically requests to be transported to sickbay. He makes it; however, when he arrives his arm is now missing. The Doctor is soon given a new arm. It's apparent the photonic energy can disrupt his magnetic cohesion. The Doctor's tricorder readings cause Paris and Torres to research the energy further, discovering synaptic patterns. Wondering if the protostar samples could exhibit the same behavior, they go to engineering to run tests. Adding a polarization field into the container, they indeed get a reaction. They read highly complex synaptic patterns, but then the sample breaks free of the container and moves throughout the ship. Paris and Torres monitor its movements and try to catch it in a containment field, but, surprisingly, it avoids the field. They suppose the synaptic patterns are a kind of neural net, an indication of a lifeform. Janeway interrupts, having detected the sample's movement from the bridge. When Paris and Torres inform the captain about their suspicion, she orders them to let the organism escape through the hull. Proactively, she sends damage control teams and orders force fields to get in place after it leaves. It does so without permanent damage. On the viewscreen, Janeway watches as the photonic lifeform moves forward and enters a large circle of light, then disappearing. The crew determines the lifeform was rejoining a photonic lattice: a sort of "home" for the photonic organisms. In sickbay, Janeway thinks she understands and reiterates the evidence to Torres and The Doctor. She concludes that Kim, Tuvok, and Chakotay were converted into energy and made up the three patterns present in the photonic mass. It is believed that Grendel is holding the crewmen hostage for the seizure of the photonic samples, which are in fact its living brethren. The Doctor suggests releasing the sample to Grendel as a sign of goodwill to the organisms may lead to the release of the Voyager crewmen. Janeway agrees. Bringing the remaining organism in a container, The Doctor enters the holodeck. The Doctor claims the sample is a talisman to defeat Grendel. Unferth concludes that since no man has the power to destroy Grendel, The Doctor must be consorting with Grendel. Unferth attempts to slay The Doctor, but Freya blocks the attack with her body, eventually dying in the process. The warrior takes the sample and flees. Freya bids The Doctor farewell, concluding with a kiss. The Doctor takes her sword, and goes to the king to retrieve the sample. The Doctor proclaims himself the only man capable of defeating Grendel. Unferth accuses The Doctor of killing Freya, but he is quelled by The Doctor's bravado. The Doctor threatens Unferth with a lit torch, and proclaims "the only reason you won't die is because I've taken an oath to do no harm." The "oath to do no harm" is the Hippocratic Oath that is used among Starfleet medical personnel. The Doctor calls for Grendel, who appears in the throne room. The Doctor sets free the photonic organism in the sample container. He asks Grendel to return the crewmen. Grendel agrees and Chakotay, Tuvok and a baffled Kim are all restored to normal before leaving the ship. Janeway praises The Doctor for aiding in the establishment of a peaceful relationship with a new species. Moreover she tells The Doctor that she is giving him a special commendation for exemplary performance as a chief medical officer. The Doctor is humbled and thanks Janeway. The Doctor is asked if he wants to be addressed with a name, however he admits that Freya's death made "Schweitzer" painful and chooses to keep his current designation as "The Doctor". 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway is taking part in a holonovel set in "ancient England" when she is called to the bridge by Harry Kim, who announces that the shuttle Chakotay and Tuvok are in has appeared on long range sensors but has not answered hails. The shuttle has taken damage with multiple hull fractures and life signs are faint; Janeway orders the two to be beamed to sickbay when they are within range. In sickbay, The Doctor says that both Chakotay and Tuvok have taken blows to the head by an energy discharge of some kind. Tuvok incurs a concussion which is treatable, but Chakotay had been drained of all bio-neural energy from the brain and is in some form of coma. Although The Doctor can keep the commander on life support, he declares that there is not much he can do because he is brain dead. Tuvok explains what happened on the shuttle when they were attacked. After conducting a trade mission with the Ilidarians, they had an unexpected encounter with a dark matter nebula, where an unknown vessel attacked them. He says that he was barely able to set the shuttle on autopilot to return to Voyager. Janeway decides to return to the nebula to investigate and find the ship that attacked them. In sickbay, B'Elanna Torres uses a medicine wheel to aid Chakotay through a healing ritual he had previously taught her. Chakotay has always been a very spiritual man and she believes the wheel and its grander meaning might be Chakotay's only chance now. She explains that when a person is sleeping or on a vision quest, it is said that he is walking the wheel and the placement of each stone acts as a signpost to help point the way back home. Kes, having a strange feeling that someone else is in her quarters, goes to the mess hall to tell Neelix. Janeway notes the nebula is emitting intense electromagnetic radiation that is preventing the sensors from detecting anything. Attempting to change the sensors to utilize a multiphasic bandwidth to penetrate the radiation, she suddenly "loses" the nebula and discovers that Voyager has been put on a course away from it. They wonder who turned the ship around and find that the course change came from Tom Paris' station at the conn. Paris denies doing anything and faults the console. The captain orders Kim to transfer helm control to ops and resume their previous course while she orders Paris to helm control to see if there is something wrong with the ship's systems. After the ship shudders, however, Janeway discovers it has changed course once again, and orders Kim to get the ship back on course -- but this time the helm doesn't respond because it has been locked out. Tuvok investigates the source of the lockout and finds it came from navigational control on Deck 12. Paris returns to report he checked every ODN junction in helm control and found no problem. Tuvok establishes helm control once again and resumes course. Janeway asks Torres if anyone is currently at the navigational controls. Torres says that she in fact saw Paris there only a few moments ago. Paris is surprised and once again denies having been there and everyone is dumbfounded at the fact that he was at the navigational controls in both instances when the ship changed course. However, Janeway gives him the benefit of the doubt, ordering him to report to sickbay to check his memory. The Doctor runs some scans on Paris and reports to Tuvok that nothing out of the ordinary has been found. Tuvok, however, reports that his scans of the navigational controls reveal traces of Tom Paris' DNA. As the ship continues on course to the nebula, Tuvok indicates that he believes he has found the ion trail of the ship that attacked the shuttle leading back into the nebula. Noting the highly erratic flight path, Janeway suggests that the planetoids the trail bends around could be generating gravitational effects that cause currents within the nebula. She hypothesizes the route the unknown vessel took may be the only safe way through the currents. Before Janeway can order the ship to follow the ion trail, however, there is a massive energy drain throughout the ship. The warp core begins to shut down, causing Voyager to drop to impulse power. After getting no response from engineering, the captain and Tuvok head down to investigate. Janeway finds Torres at the warp core controls, where Torres has initiated an emergency warp core shutdown leaving the ship unable to regain warp drive for at least two hours. Janeway explains to a baffled Torres that the engineer has just crashed the main computer, locked out the bridge, and stopped the ship cold, for which Torres has no explanation. She cannot recall having done any of that. Janeway finally realizes that there is something very odd going on here, as Torres -- after Paris -- is the second person not remembering having input commands into the ship. In sickbay, The Doctor shows the captain the results of his scans of Torres' and Paris' memory engrams. The results show a different memory pattern during the exact time Paris allegedly changed the ship's course and lost recollection, and again when he was tampering in navigational control. Further, the same disruption has been found in Torres when she shut down the warp core. The Doctor explains further that the signature is bio-neural and he believes it to be another brain wave that has been superimposed onto theirs, believing an unknown alien entity having temporarily taken control of their bodies. Janeway observes that the alien seems intent to prevent Voyager from getting to the nebula, and that it possesses the ability to take control of anyone at any time, except for The Doctor. She decides it would be best to transfer all command codes to The Doctor for fear of the alien taking over any of the senior staff using authorization code, "Janeway 841-Alpha-65". Later, Kes catches up with Tuvok in the corridor, and reports that she has been sensing some strange things on the ship. Tuvok offers to mind meld with Kes to see if they can find the entity with Kes' telepathic abilities. But the two get no further than the turbolift, where Kim and Lieutenant Durst discover them unconscious. In a darkened conference room, Tuvok explains that an energy discharge came out of the bulkhead and filled the turbolift, knocking them both unconscious, just as it had happened on the shuttle. Torres reports that they picked up no unusual readings from the internal sensors. Paris suggests the use of a magneton scanner in hopes that a more detailed scan may reveal the source of the discharge. Torres, however, proposes to use the magneton scanner on the entire ship all at once in order to detect the exact location of the entity. She asks Kim for his thoughts on the matter, when she notices that he is motionless and staring out into space. Nervous that he might be possessed by the alien, Tuvok pulls his phaser out, while Torres conducts a personal scan via tricorder. Kim finally snaps out of his thoughts, explaining that he was merely pondering about a possible way to solve this and that he is not possessed. Janeway, disturbed by what just happened and the increasing paranoia, orders preparations for the magneton scan. While scanning Kes, The Doctor finds himself in the company of Neelix. Neelix recounts the strange behavior of every crewman on board, noting that Ensign Parsons ordered his pejuta cold instead of hot. After a brief debate on who really is paranoid, The Doctor explains that Kes hasn't suffered any permanent neurological trauma and that he will notify Neelix when she is revived. After Neelix leaves, Tuvok enters to modify the sensor array in sickbay for the magneton scan. The Doctor tells Tuvok that Kes' injuries don't match Chakotay's, pointing out contusions on her neck and shoulder that are consistent with something similar to a physical struggle. Tuvok informs the Captain that the magneton scan will be ready in two hours, and that its use will cause dizziness and disorientation throughout the ship. He further reports that The Doctor has found evidence that Kes' injuries were a result of a physical assault. Janeway suggests that because Tuvok wasn't assaulted, it is possible he injured Kes while under the influence of the entity. She calls sickbay to notify The Doctor to conduct a scan on the security chief, only to get no response. Janeway tries to activate the EMH and finds it has been disabled, and that the initialization routine has been locked with an encryption. It is proposed that by deactivating The Doctor, the alien forced the command codes back to Janeway. The captain suggests that because it is too dangerous for one person to have the command codes, they will be grouped and divided between herself and Tuvok. The two go back to the bridge to explain the situation, when the entity takes over Janeway and attacks Tuvok. A fight ensues. Tuvok tries to use his phaser but it is kicked from his hand by Janeway. Paris stuns the captain, and the entity jumps over to Kim, who pulls out his phaser to shoot Tuvok, but Paris knocks the phaser away from Kim and manages to subdue him. The alien then jumps to Durst, who manages to get a miscalculated shot off at Tuvok before being pulled back by another crewman. Tuvok then stuns everyone on the bridge with his phaser set to full spread. In sickbay, Paris treats everyone's wounds with a hypospray while Kim tries to get The Doctor's program back on-line. Torres requests the captain's presence in engineering to explain that she found a discrepancy in the shuttle's internal sensor logs. After reviewing them, Torres explains that the logs weren't destroyed; rather, someone erased them then overloaded the sensor matrix to make it appear they had been damaged. Further, Torres says that she was able to reconstruct the events in the shuttle. She was able to confirm that they were at the dark matter nebula, and that there was an energy discharge that came from the nebula itself, but that there was no ship. Janeway wonders why Tuvok would lie about that. She orders Torres to transfer controls for the magneton scan to the bridge once the sensors are ready to initiate the burst. On the bridge, Janeway asks Tuvok to locate the ion trail once again. Paris enters the bridge and tells the captain he has been studying the data The Doctor had been working on to discover the cause of Kes' injuries and relays to her that they were actually caused by a Vulcan neck pinch. Janeway asks Tuvok to explain, and he says that he has no knowledge of the event and offers the entity as an explanation. But Janeway confronts him with the fact that the entity keeps attacking him, even on three different occasions. Tuvok blames Janeway's questions on paranoia, but she elaborates further that she is unable to pick up the ion trail he says he found. He directs the captain to search the alpha k band, where she finally finds the trail, but also notices the lack of any subspace distortions in the trail's wake, and notes that according to the readings it would have come from a ship without engines. Tuvok confronts the captain, suggesting that she is under the influence of the entity and that it is trying to prevent Voyager from entering the nebula. Relieving Janeway of command, he orders Kim to take the ship in, but Kim refuses. Tuvok then warns everyone that his phaser is set to wide beam dispersal and to kill, before taking command of the bridge and huddling everyone in a group where he can see them. Kim notices from a secondary console that the sensors are picking up highly coherent energy pulses with a biomatrix inside the nebula, suggestive of lifeforms, and that they are heading in Voyager's direction. Janeway asks Tuvok if the beings in the nebula are his people, assuming he is under the control of one of them, and Tuvok introduces them as the Komar and the nebula as their domain. Torres, in engineering, falls under the influence of the entity and ejects the warp core. She informs Janeway of what she has done, and Paris questions how it was possible of the alien to control Torres while it was controlling Tuvok at the same time. Kim suggests there may be two aliens on board. Then, Janeway realizes that Torres isn't authorized to eject the warp core on her own because that requires a command code authorization. She asks the computer who authorized the ejection of the warp core, to find it had been authorized by Commander Chakotay. The captain puts two and two together and realizes that the alien in Tuvok wants them in that nebula but that there is another presence that's been trying to keep them out and that it must be Chakotay who knows that they will be in danger if they go in there. She believes his neural energy has been displaced somehow and that as a result, he is able to move from person to person. Tuvok, upset at the turn of events, engages emergency thrusters. Janeway asks him whether the reason the Komar want Voyager is to extract everyone's neural energy. Tuvok explains that the collective neural energy of the crew would sustain his people for years to come. Janeway tells him that he doesn't have to do this and that maybe they can help them find another source of energy. But the ship keeps getting bombarded by the energy beams and, realizing that reasoning won't get them anywhere, Janeway uses this time to activate the magneton burst from the command console, disabling Tuvok and releasing the alien controlling him. Paris tries to steer the ship out of the nebula but can't be sure which direction they are really going because of the complex course Tuvok had been following. Kim goes to tactical to reconstruct Tuvok's navigational logs. After The Doctor successfully reintegrates Chakotay's consciousness, Janeway inquires as to what really happened in the shuttle. He explains he had the sensation of floating over his own body and thought he was dead. He couldn't speak or touch anything, but realized that if he could concentrate on someone in the same room with him, he could share their consciousness. He apologizes to Tuvok for having had to knock him around like that. Janeway welcomes him back but Chakotay says that he actually never felt like he had ever left. 
<EOS>
A long-haired and apparently lifeless body strapped to a vertical apparatus slowly comes to, as a man's voice calmly issues technical instructions, ending a regeneration process. The restrained individual becomes completely awake; it is a fully Klingon female, but her scientifically-minded captor refers to her as none other than B'Elanna Torres. In the mess hall of the USS Voyager, Neelix presents Tuvok with a bowl of plomeek soup that he made using a recipe from the ship's database. Despite Tuvok objecting that he is content to have the same dishes as the rest of the crew, Neelix launches into a diatribe concerning the merits of preparing dishes from the crew's homeworlds. Tuvok tries the soup but finds it is unusually spicy; Neelix explains that he added a touch of spice to the dish, as he found it otherwise bland. Tuvok argues that changing the recipe makes the soup less authentically Vulcan. Summoned to the bridge by Chakotay, Tuvok exits, leaving Neelix to enjoy the soup. "Oh, there's no place like home", he remarks after slurping some down. Tuvok is later on the bridge when Captain Janeway arrives; he and Chakotay join her as she makes her way to the operations station. In unison, Chakotay and operations officer Ensign Harry Kim notify Janeway that the recent three-person away team has essentially gone missing. Kim believes that geologic shifts in subterranean passages on Avery III is responsible for the team's absence. Chakotay volunteers to lead a search party but the officers are initially uncertain of how to ensure that this proposed, secondary team will not also go missing, until Kim exclaims, "Breadcrumbs!" He elaborates that the search party could use a chain of subspace transponders like breadcrumbs. Janeway finally agrees. Departing, Chakotay assigns Kim and Tuvok to his away team. As the Klingon Torres lies restrained to a metallic surgical table, her captor, a Vidiian, reveals he is Chief Surgeon Sulan of the Vidiian Sodality. Speaking uneasily, the Klingon captive demands to know more about her situation, so Sulan shows her a reflection of her own face, inadvertently alarming her. Sulan is unforthcoming about the procedure that turned Torres, once a half-Human and half-Klingon hybrid, into a full-blooded Klingon. He instead confronts her with questions of his own, wishing to know more about her. Eventually, he admits the genetic methods he used to make her purely Klingon and explains to the appalled Torres that he did so in the belief that her Klingon genetic structure has an immunity to the phage that has debilitated his society. He intends to test his theory by having infected B'Elanna with the illness. Elsewhere in the Vidiian complex, a pair of Vidiians lead a group of prisoners, including Paris and Durst, through a corridor and into their bunkroom. Paris breaks up a physical conflict between Durst and one of the Vidiians, drawing Durst away before the confrontation can escalate. "They're the ones with the guns, remember", Paris reminds the lieutenant. After the guards leave them, Paris and Durst conspiratorially assess their situation and discuss how they will make an effort to escape. However, the plan is ridiculed by a nearby Talaxian prisoner, who has no confidence that the escape attempt will work and comments that the prisoners are used not only as sources of organs to be harvested but also as slave laborers to dig tunnels for the Vidiians, as they are weakened by the Phage. When Paris asks where B'Elanna might be, the Talaxian assumes she will have been taken to the facility's organ processing department, saying that captives who don't stay strong are taken there. Meanwhile, the Voyager search team makes their way through the underground tunnels, Kim leaving one of the transponders behind. The team discover evidence of the first away team's kidnapping. A fascinated Sulan enters the medical lab to find the imprisoned B'Elanna experiencing excruciating pain, a symptom of the Phage. He is also amazed to discover that her body is internally fighting against the infection. However, Torres is nowhere near as excited about the findings as he is. Sulan insists that she will ultimately be glorified by the Vidiians for having been instrumental in the curing of the Phage, but such honor is not appreciated by the Klingon woman. Sulan notes that, unlike earlier, Torres seems proud to be Klingon and, though she is angered by what he has done to her, he imagines that she may become grateful to him. Basing his observations on her, Sulan repeatedly compliments the Klingon form. While Paris sleeps, a Vidiian guard brings a female Human Starfleet officer into the bunkroom. Paris awakens only to find that the newcomer is, somehow, a completely Human B'Elanna. The Human Torres, who has finally been returned back to Tom and Durst, is shaken by her experience, feeling weak and sickly. She remembers having been taken to a lab and told that they have completely extracted her Klingon DNA. She feels strange not having the ridges on her forehead any more and tells Tom how, as a child, she did everything she could to hide those ridges. She remembers that in the Federation colony where she grew up, she and her mother were the only Klingons. They stood out and were different. After her father left them, she was so sad and traumatized that she actually believed that he had left because she looked like a Klingon. In the caves, Tuvok notes a tunnel has now been blocked. With no geological activity, it must be a disguised force field of some kind. Tuvok discovers the energy configuration to be identical to the force field matrix used by the Vidiians, determined from their earlier encounter with them. Janeway immediately has Ayala look for other vessels while Chakotay uses his phaser on the field to break it up. It's unsuccessful, surprisingly. Then, Kim sees two Vidiians watching them and they quickly beam out. The Klingon Torres, alone, is able to partly break through the restraints. Sulan interrupts her, and she tries to seduce him in order to let her up. She agrees with him that she's grateful for her transformation and notes that Klingon females have reputations for their sexual prowess. He seems to be enticed, but refuses. He tries to convince her that he does have feelings despite his grotesque appearance, and appears to regret what he's doing. He says his people were once attractive, and supposes he won't disgust her when he's able to cure the phage. When Paris sees the Vidiians come to take him and Torres to the tunnels for work, and recommends she look strong so they don't take her to organ processing. She thought they might leave her to recover. Instead, they take Durst, claiming the prefect wants to discuss their request to contact their ship. Paris says he's the senior officer, but they are insistent. Durst leaves with the Vidiians. Meanwhile, Kim is able to determine the area of the compound. However, he can't see inside it. Since they are unable to get through the force fields with their phasers, Janeway orders simulations to figure out a way through. If they can get through, they can. Meanwhile, the Klingon Torres learns that Durst was killed: Sulan grafted Durst's face over his own, in an attempt to appear more appealing to the Klingon B'Elanna. This attempt is unsuccessful, and B'Elanna uses the opportunity to use her strength to break the restraints. She pins him to the wall in a chokehold, but they are interrupted and she escapes. On Voyager, Janeway hears Kim's analysis. It appears there are micro-fissures in the force field as it remodulates. Instead of using their phasers to open them, and possibly alert the Vidiians, Kim proposes narrowing a transporter beam to get someone through. The timing is critical, but this person could deactivate the force field to make it easier to get to them. Janeway asks how this person won't be captured, but Chakotay has an idea. In sickbay, he is disguised by The Doctor to look like a Vidiian and is provided with Vidiian attire by Tuvok. Chakotay prepares himself and he is beamed down, unable to contact Voyager until the Vidiian security cloak is disabled. All Janeway and crew can do is wait. Paris and the human Torres are on work detail when Torres collapses. Paris sits her down and, kindly, the Talaxian from before kindly offers water to them. Torres is having more trouble than that, though. She's overcome once again with terrifying fear, paralyzing her and robbing her of her strength, due to her human transformation. He encourages her she can get through it when a Vidiian guard interrupts them, determining that she is too ill to mine the tunnels with the other captives. Paris tries to get the Vidiians to let her stay, but B'Elanna wants to return to the barracks, in the hope that she may find a way to contact Voyager. The Klingon Torres finds the Talaxian and finds out where Paris was sent. She also is told about the existence of the human version of herself, now in the barracks. Meanwhile, the Human Torres begins to work on the security console in the barracks while the guards are distracted, however, the guards are alerted to her activities on the console. They begin to take her away just as the Klingon Torres finds them. She rescues the Human Torres from the guards and carries her when she collapses. The Human Torres wakes up to find her Klingon half making food, determined to help her recover so she doesn't have to carry her. During, they confront each other about their respective weaknesses. The Human Torres, who is very calm as well as apprehensive and cautious, confronts her other half by stating that she always responds with violence and anger to every obstacle in her way -- blaming her for having been thrown out of the Academy. The Klingon B'Elanna believes that she should be eternally grateful for being kicked out of that institution, but the Human Torres is not grateful, for her Klingon temper has gotten her in trouble more times than she can remember. However, she realizes that there is no point to this debate, for they are actually each fighting with themselves. A plan is finally formulated in which they decide to return to Sulan's lab and use the console there to shut down the security cloak that shields the tunnels from Voyager's sensors. It may not be as exciting as fighting their way out, says the Human Torres, but it stands a much better chance of working. Moreover, she needs her Klingon half, B'Elanna, to follow her back there and cover for her, while she works, for she is unable to do this on her own. Chakotay, in disguise, enters the base and finds Paris. He then convinces a Vidiian officer that he is bringing Paris to an organ harvesting center for processing. Meanwhile, the two Torres enter Sulan's lab and the Human gets to work. She trips an alarm, alerting the Klingon, but the Human is not scared, she keeps working. Sulan returns to his lab and threatens the Human with a weapon, unwilling to harm the Klingon. Just then, Chakotay arrives and Sulan is disarmed. Torres has deactivated the cloak and Chakotay communicates with Voyager. However, Sulan had another weapon and fires it and, as he does so, the Klingon B'Elanna throws herself in the line of fire and is critically wounded. The four transport to Voyager, where the Klingon B'Elanna dies after telling her other half that she feels it is an honorable death. In sickbay, Torres is informed by The Doctor that her cells ability to synthesize proteins has been severely compromised and that she needs her Klingon genes to survive. While speaking with Chakotay, she realizes that as a Human she is more at peace with herself than she has ever been before -- but she also feels incomplete for she doesn't feel like herself. She admires her Klingon half's many qualities, such as her strength and bravery, but also realizes that she has to accept the fact that she will spend the rest of her life fighting with her. She touches over her forehead one last time, remembering her other half and thus the person who is such an integral part of her. 
<EOS>
Neelix and Tuvok are playing pool in the holodeck environment of Chez Sandríne. Tuvok leaves Neelix without a single clear shot. The pool shark and Paris explain to Neelix that he can use a "safety," by hitting the cue ball where Tuvok can't make a shot. Neelix thinks it is cowardly but opts to take their advice. He leaves the cue ball behind two solids then mocks Tuvok to call his shot, saying it is impossible. Tuvok tells him, "The shot may be difficult, but to say it's impossible is an exaggeration." Tuvok calls his shot, then scratches -- blaming the ship's stabilizers. The Hustler says, "Tom Terrific should have told you the table rolls a little to the east." Neelix tells Tuvok that he should have called a safety. Janeway calls Neelix to the bridge. The USS Voyager has received a subspace message from an approaching ship. The vessel's occupant is requesting to speak to Neelix, who identifies the ship as an Haakonian shuttle. The Haakonians were at war with Talaxians for the better part of a decade, and conquered Neelix' homeworld more than fifteen years ago. He has no idea what they would want with him now. Janeway introduces herself and the man asks to speak with Neelix, who then approaches the viewscreen. The man says it is urgent but prefers to speak with him privately. Neelix' life may depend on it. Neelix then demands to know his name. The man apologizes and introduces himself as Dr. Ma'Bor Jetrel. Neelix, showing obvious distress, storms off the bridge into the turbolift. Janeway catches up to Neelix in his quarters. He angrily tells her that Jetrel is a mass murderer and explains that, when he himself was young, he lived on a beautiful moon called Rinax with his family until the metreon cascade, a weapon of mass destruction devised by Dr. Jetrel. After the attack, Rinax was enveloped by a deadly cloud, and Neelix explains that the lovely days were then turned into one endless frigid night. More than 300,000 were killed, instantly. Neelix was on Talax at the time, with defense forces, preparing for an invasion of the planet that never came. When the cascade was unleashed, Talax unconditionally surrendered to the Haakonian Order. When Janeway asks of his family, Neelix breaks down in tears. Dr. Jetrel is beamed aboard, astonished by the transporter. Janeway tells Jetrel that Neelix has declined to speak with him and will speak as his representative. Jetrel is unsurprised at this as he is not very popular among Talaxians. Janeway reminds Jetrel that he said Neelix' life was in danger. He tells her that Neelix must undergo a medical scan, as he returned to Rinax after the cascade to rescue survivors. He may have contracted a fatal blood disease called metremia -- causing the body's atomic structure to undergo fission, and the cells to then disintegrate. Jetrel has specially designed equipment that can detect the disorder -- he has examined as many of the rescue team members as possible, in hopes of finding a cure. He pleads to Janeway for her to convince Neelix to see him. Neelix, visibly upset, prepares dinner in the mess hall. Kes asks him about the war. He tells her it is one experience that can't be shared, that it is too difficult to describe his feelings to someone who didn't see what he saw. Janeway enters and Neelix tries to make light of the situation. She tells him of the disorder and informs him Jetrel is here to screen him for the disease. He tells Janeway to tell him he's touched, but he would rather be immersed in a pit of Krallinian eels than be examined by him. Kes objects, saying that if there's something wrong, they should find out. In a fit of rage, Neelix makes it clear he doesn't want Jetrel within ten parsecs of him. Janeway tries to convince him to change his mind. Neelix finds it strange that a man who made it his life's work to develop a weapon that destroyed so many Talaxians should suddenly be concerned for this Talaxian's health. Janeway thinks he might be trying to undo some of the damage he caused -- to her Jetrel seems quite sincere. Neelix asks, if the disease is fatal, what's the point of knowing? Kes tells him Voyager's Doctor might be able to help find a cure, and she and Janeway encourage Neelix to talk to him. No one will force him to undergo any procedure. Outnumbered and outflanked, Neelix surrenders. In Voyager's briefing room, while Jetrel is telling Neelix about the properties of the isotopes, Neelix asks him, "Why are you doing this?" trying to determine his motivations. Jetrel says he did what had to be done. "It was necessary to kill thousands of people and leave the rest to die of Metreon poisoning?" Neelix sceptically asks. Jetrel didn't think there would be any radiation poisoning. Unfortunately, he was wrong. He developed the weapon but it was the Haakonian government and military leaders who decided to use it, not him. "I would rather die than help you with your experiments," Neelix maintains. "Find yourself another laboratory rat." Jetrel knows that he cannot alleviate Neelix' pain but he can help him and other members of his race. In sickbay, Jetrel prepares his equipment to scan Neelix. Neelix asks The Doctor, "Isn't there any way you could do this?" The Doctor replies, "Your newfound confidence in me is flattering but Dr. Jetrel has specialized training to deal with Talaxian physiology." While Jetrel is scanning him, Neelix tells Kes a story about a nasty vermin found on Rinax. When he was a boy, he created a foolproof Talchok trap. He set it in the garden and, the next day, he found one of the beasts, pinned at the neck, screaming in agony. Suddenly, it didn't look like a beast, anymore; it looked like a poor innocent animal. He became so fascinated with his trap that he didn't think of how that poor creature would suffer. Jetrel says, "Are you finished?" and Neelix replies, "For now." Jetrel completes his scans and regretfully informs Neelix that he does indeed have incipient metremia. As Neelix lies in his quarters, Kes comes to visit. He tells her this is not the first time he has faced death. He tells her another story about facing down an entire battery of Haakonian artillery. Kes cuts him off, stating, "You're protecting me, again." She understands why he doesn't want to talk about Rinax, but she's there with him now. She wants to face it with him. When he first met Kes, he didn't know that she would only live for nine years. He didn't know how he would live without her. Now that he's going to die first, he doesn't have to worry about it. Before she met him, she had no idea that anyone could live over nine years and that lifespan seemed like an eternity. Now, it doesn't seem like enough. The important thing to them both is to cherish the time they have together, whether it be a day or a decade. Janeway stands in her ready room looking out the room's viewports when Jetrel enters. She asks him to sit down. He raves that her ship is simply astounding. He has been studying the transporter system. She thinks he would be more concerned with Mr. Neelix. That is actually the reason for his visit. He believes that, with some minor modifications to the transporter, he could retrieve a sample of the metreon cloud surrounding Rinax. If he can isolate the isotope that causes metremia, it could be used to synthesize an antibody. Now excited, she joins in, stating that the victim's own immune system could destroy the disease. The transporter makes it all possible. Containment fields would have to be erected and The Doctor could assist in making the antibody. Janeway calls the bridge, orders Jetrel's shuttlecraft tractored into the shuttlebay, and sets a course for the Talaxian system. Chakotay objects, stating that it is a significant detour. Janeway argues that it may mean saving Neelix's life. Janeway will send a request to transport materials from the cloud. Torres can help with the transporter modifications. Jetrel thanks Janeway. When walking to exit, Jetrel stumbles in pain. He claims he is merely overexcited about the prospects of finding a cure. "All that sparring with Mr. Neelix does take its toll," he says. Janeway suggests a trip to sickbay. However, he declines her suggestion, eager to get started on the transporter modifications right away. In sickbay, The Doctor asks Jetrel if he will require his assistance. Jetrel states that he will not need help, until they have the isotope. He then asks Neelix if there's anything he can do for him. With having nothing to do, The Doctor takes advantage of his new ability to end his own program. Jetrel thinks that a hologram which can terminate itself is fascinating. Neelix asks him if there's anything besides science that makes his heart beat faster. "Not anymore," he says, before asking Neelix to take a seat. Neelix tells Jetrel that, if he were in charge of the Cascade, he would have chosen a military target or deployed it on an uninhabited planet -- not target innocent civilians. Jetrel alleges that the military strategists didn't believe that a demonstration would work. They wanted to show the power of the cascade in all its horror. In anger, Neelix tells him that he should have tried to stop them. Jetrel argues that, if he hadn't discovered the cascade, someone else would have and the outcome would still be the same. He did it for his planet and for science. One must be willing to test the reaches of science and then be willing to live with the consequences. When Jetrel arrived home after the Cascade, his wife refused to be with him. In her eyes, he had become a monster. Shortly thereafter, she took his three children and left him, never to be seen again. Neelix then tells his own story. "After the cascade, a man returns to what used to be his home to look for survivors. The impact of the blast had set off hundreds of fires. There's just smoldering ruins and the stench of seared flesh. In the distance, in the middle of the emptiness, from a cloud of dust, he can see bodies moving, whimpering, coming toward him. They're monsters, their flesh horribly charred. One comes toward him, mangled arms outstretched. He turns away, frightened. Then the thing speaks. He knows, by the sound of her voice, that she's not a monster but a child; a little girl. Her name was Palaxia. He brought her back to Talax with the other survivors. For the next few weeks, I stayed at her bedside and watched her wither away. Those are consequences, Dr. Jetrel." "There is no way I could ever apologize to you, Mr. Neelix. That's why I have not tried." Neelix asks him if he has ever thought his wife was right, that he has become a monster. "Yes," Jetrel tearfully admits. The day he tested the Cascade and saw that blinding light, he knew he had become a monster. Neelix wishes that Jetrel will have to live with that for a very long time. Tragically, Neelix will not get his wish; Jetrel has advanced metremia and will be dead in only a matter of days. In a nightmare, Neelix is playing pool with Jetrel. There's no open shot. Jetrel suggests he use a safety, like always. As Jetrel rounds the table, knocking in all the balls, he refers to Neelix as a coward. Janeway appears, asking, "Why did you leave us?" Neelix remembers, "I did what I thought was right." Paris appears, commenting, "You were afraid." Palaxia enters. "Why weren't you here to help us?" she wonders. Neelix approaches Jetrel, pinning him on the pool table and calling him a butcher. He rolls him over to see himself. He awakens when Janeway calls him on the comm. She tells him they are approaching Rinax. Neelix enters the bridge to see the charred remains of his home, still hiding under the metreon cloud. He tells the bridge crew of a bright flash cutting across the sky -- people threw themselves to the ground. Everything stopped. They looked up to see the sky oddly empty, realizing that Rinax was gone. Neelix asks to be excused. Torres calls Janeway from engineering to tell her they are ready to start the transporter. Janeway appears sad as Neelix walks off the bridge. In engineering, Jetrel prepares to gather the sample from the metreon cloud surrounding Rinax. He asks for a larger sample container. Torres tells him that the one they already have is big enough but he thinks otherwise. The isotope accounts for only a minuscule amount of the cloud. She advises him to relax and assures him that she will obtain the sample. Torres begins the transport. She gets the sample aboard, then wishes Jetrel good luck. Kes enters a dark mess hall, looking for Neelix. She finds him sitting on the floor in the kitchen, having removed his combadge; he wanted to be alone. He tells her she doesn't know everything -- she believes that he was on Talax, fighting with the defense forces, the night Rinax was destroyed. He was on Talax, but not with the defense forces. Instead, he was hiding from them. He wasn't a hero, he claims, since he never reported for duty. He thought the war was unjust, but he didn't report, because he was a coward. Punishment for refusing military service, during wartime, was death. Kes says he put his life on the line for something he believed in, replying that he is not a coward. Neelix states that instead that makes him a liar. All these years, he's lied about it to everyone, not because he's dishonest, but because he's ashamed. That is why he feels so angry toward Jetrel, not only because he killed his family, but because Neelix did nothing to stop him. Jetrel is in sickbay. The Doctor is ready to assist but Jetrel, having remembered the override command The Doctor used earlier, deactivates his program. Jetrel begins running a test -- the test cylinder of dust turns into an organic form. At the same time, Neelix nervously walks through a corridor and enters sickbay, startling Jetrel. He tries to rush Neelix out of sickbay but Neelix sees the experiment and begins to question it. He says that he is going to the captain, so Jetrel sedates him with a hypospray. Janeway calls sickbay but gets no response. She reactivates the EMH. The Doctor tells Janeway that Jetrel deactivated him. Tuvok locates Jetrel in Transporter Room 1. He then tells her that Neelix is unconscious. Janeway orders security to Transporter Room 1, and takes Tuvok along. They enter the transporter room and ask Jetrel to step aside. He asks to be allowed to continue, as lives depend on it. She's heard it before. "Let me bring them back," he pleads. Neelix asks, "Bring who back?" Answers Jetrel, "The victims of Rinax." Jetrel tells Janeway that he has a way to isolate the individual isotope patterns in the metreon cloud, to bring back his victims. Neelix objects but Janeway silences him. Jetrel claims that the disassembled bio-matter has been kept intact, in suspended animation. He has discovered that reintegration is possible. He can use medical records to isolate a victim's genetic code and use the transporter to reassemble the fragmented bio-matter. Tuvok objects, stating that it is too implausible. Janeway agrees. Jetrel pleads with her. He wants to demonstrate to everyone that he's not a monster. Janeway ponders if Neelix really has metremia, or if it was just a pretext to get Voyager to Rinax. Jetrel explains that Neelix does not have the condition but that he himself does, and only has hours left to live. This is his only chance to try to bring back the victims of the Cascade and prove that he's not a monster. Neelix tells Janeway that, if there's any possibility of his plan working, she must let him try. She objects, claiming that there are too many variables. "Please," urges Jetrel. Janeway instructs Tuvok to activate the emergency containment field. They re-target scanners and energize. Slowly, a humanoid form begins to reassemble out of the chaos. The figure soon begins to lose cohesion, however. They try to compensate, but are unable to complete the transport. Janeway orders the pad be shut down. Jetrel then collapses. Neelix later enters sickbay, where Jetrel, near death, is lying on a biobed. Neelix approaches him. Jetrel says that he thinks death is a fitting punishment. Neelix suspects the Cascade was punishment for all of them -- for their hatred and their brutality. Neelix tells Jetrel that he forgives him. Jetrel closes his eyes. Neelix exits sickbay, pausing to see Jetrel, one last time. 
<EOS>
Approaching an open access panel on Deck 6, Tuvok discovers Crewman Dalby emerging from the panel. Tuvok asks him what he is doing, to which Dalby cheerfully replies that he was in the area, noticed a malfunctioning bio-neural gel pack, and replaced it. Tuvok informs Dalby that Starfleet vessels operate under a protocol. Dalby, somewhat annoyed, defends his actions as justifiably the Maquis way, while Tuvok presses him on the inappropriateness of his actions, reminding him that he is no longer on a Maquis ship. Finally, Dalby gets into Tuvok's face, asking him to leave him alone. Tuvok is left in the corridor, perplexed at Dalby's reaction. In her ready room, Janeway discusses the malfunctioning gel pack with Chakotay and Tuvok, expressing her concerns about the limited number of gel packs that run critical systems on the ship and which cannot be replicated. Chakotay suggests that in the meantime they explore the possibility of switching some systems over to conventional isolinear circuitry. Tuvok takes the opportunity to bring up the issue with Crewman Dalby. He describes the confrontation with the crewman as insubordination, prompting Janeway to remember the name Dalby having come up before in other complaints. Tuvok remains steadfast, stating that a starship must operate under protocols. Janeway considers the situation and explains that Dalby is not the only Maquis who has had trouble adjusting. She maintains that it is not only a matter of attitude, but also of experience. She believes they have been unfairly expecting non-Starfleet crew members to operate as if they had attended the Academy. Instead of punishing them, she proposes that they take on the responsibility of getting those crew up to speed, instruct them in how to run a Starfleet vessel, and show them why they do things the way they do. She puts a somewhat reluctant Tuvok in charge of taking on a class of raw cadets, pointing out that Chakotay doesn't have to earn the respect of the Maquis crew, but they, as Starfleet officers, do. In the first session in a cargo bay, Tuvok's rigid introduction is almost immediately interrupted by Crewman Henley, who demands to know why they have been singled out. When Chell also interrupts Tuvok, going on a diatribe about the unfairness of all this and how he has been misjudged, Tuvok assigns him to forty laps around the cargo bay, immediately raised to fifty when he blurts out another protest. Tuvok goes on to describe the nature of the class, but no one really seems to take him seriously. Dalby states that they all consider this course insulting, because they didn't ask to come aboard this ship in the first place. Dalby asks the class if they want to stay, and Crewman Henley says that she doesn't have anything to learn from Tuvok. After calling out for Chell, they leave, leaving Tuvok standing in the cargo bay. The issue ends there -- they take the class. At the second session, Tuvok hands out their study assignments and informs them of their unannounced exam schedules and then examines their uniforms, ensuring that their outfits are not in violation of regulations. Overall, the class is now compliant, if not holding back anger. Back on duty in engineering, Dalby talks to B'Elanna Torres about the field training. He seems to think of it as a waste of time, if not punishment, but Torres says that it sounds like he's afraid of failing. While they are talking, an alarm sounds, indicating another power failure. Dalby identifies it as another bio-neural gel pack, and Torres informs the bridge that she is sending another repair crew. She then grabs a damaged gel pack and informs her staff she will be in sickbay if she's needed. Torres asks The Doctor to examine the pack's biological component, since there appear to be no problems with the mechanical components. The Doctor inform her that the gel pack has an infection. He predicts that the crew has not been infected, confirmed by Kes' scan of Torres, but says that to contain the infection, all the affected biopacks will have to be isolated and quarantined until a treatment regimen can be initiated. Meanwhile, the "boot camp" continues. Tuvok has the class climb through over fifty Jefferies tubes and a ten kilometer run. The entire class struggles, sweating and straining to complete the exercise. Chell and Gerron struggle in particular, gasping for breath and even, as in the case with Chell, fantasizing that Tuvok will slip and plunge to his death. Crewmen Chell and Gerron, having been lapped three times at the end of the run, have to complete the course while the others gasp for breath after what Henley calls a "death march." Panting for breath, the group learns that Tuvok increased the gravity on that deck by 10%. Tuvok announces that they will be conducting this exercise again tomorrow and he expects all of them to better their performance. The next assignment for the class is a war games simulation on a holodeck version of the USS Voyager bridge Tuvok has created. During the simulation, Voyager goes through a series of attacks by Romulan warbirds, before it is finally overpowered and shields start to buckle. When Dalby orders to keep firing in order to do as much damage as they can, alarms scream, sparks fly, and ruptured conduits smoke, leaving Tuvok to end the simulation. Tuvok announces that they are all dead and that their first command was less than successful. Dalby falls back into the captain's chair, remarking that it was a no-win situation. Tuvok asks them for reasons for the failure, and they all sit silently, insisting that they went by the book and are proud to at least have gone down with phasers firing. Tuvok asks Dalby if the possibility of retreat had occurred to him, warning that while going out with phasers firing may seem heroic, in the long run, it is merely foolish. Retreat is often the best possible option. Dalby speaks for them when he quietly but sarcastically concedes that once again Tuvok has proven his point that they are not Starfleet material. The trainees are demoralized and file out, feeling as if they have failed. Tuvok is again left alone, this time seeming to wonder why his methods are not proving effective. This perception is confirmed as Neelix approaches a pensive Tuvok in the mess hall. When Neelix presses him about the Maquis trainees, Tuvok describes their lack of progress and their unresponsiveness, complaining that he cannot isolate the problem and is at a loss, further insisting that his methods are sound and time-honored. In response, Neelix takes Tuvok to look at some Keela flowers gathered in small glass vases near the kitchen. The flowers are remarkably strong due to their flexible stems, but occasionally on the same stalk are stems that are not so flexible. Tuvok interprets Neelix's demonstration as implying that the Maquis crew are rigid and inflexible, and that they will never adjust to Starfleet rules. But Neelix corrects him, stating that in fact it is the other way around, for it is Tuvok who is being rigid and inflexible. Neelix proposes that if Tuvok were to learn to "bend a little," he may have better luck with his class. He suggests Tuvok get to know his students and try to find out what they are like inside. Tuvok doesn't know if he has the ability to "find out what they are like inside," but then pauses as he begins to pick up an odor, turning to the plate of white food. Neelix inhales the potent odor with delight, informing Tuvok that it is Brill cheese, made from the schplict he recently acquired. Tuvok notes that to create cheese, one needs to cultivate bacteria. As Neelix agrees, he follows Tuvok's gaze to a ventilation intake located right above Neelix's food preparation area. Torres reports that the cheese is full of volatile bacterial spores, and that it must remain isolated. As they talk, the lights flash and system power down and up, causing Torres to worry that the infection has spread to the environmental systems, at which point they would be in more trouble than they thought. As the investigation proceeds, Tuvok attempts to follow Neelix's advice and plays pool at Sandrine's with a recalcitrant Dalby in an attempt to get to know him better. However, that doesn't seem to be a successful approach, because Dalby doesn't appear very friendly or much interested in opening up to Tuvok. After some prying, Dalby tells Tuvok that he and his family lived on the Bajoran frontier where they had a hard life, that he coped by getting into a lot of trouble and was angry at everybody and everything. This continued until he fell in love with a Bajoran woman who then was viciously raped and murdered by three Cardassians. This event prompted him to join the Maquis where he then tried to slaughter as many Cardassians as he could. After this deadpan delivery, Dalby bluntly tells Tuvok that he does not want to get to know him better nor be his friend. The Doctor continues to examine the cheese, finally concluding that the bacteria has been the host to the virus, and that there are thousands of viruses so small that they would have escaped detection. Kes begins to submit the gel packs to anti-viral agents. Kim reports to Janeway that the gel packs are beginning to fail sequentially and that they are losing systems faster than they can compensate with backups. Chakotay asks about the isolinear circuits, but Kim reports that Torres has not completed the changeover, and that they could not even maintain life support at this point. Paris announces that propulsion is down as Kim informs them that every critical system on the main grid is down. Meanwhile, Tuvok and his class are engaging in another activity in a cargo bay and affected by the malfunctioning environmental systems, end up trapped in the cargo bay, unable to contact the bridge. The Doctor reports that heating the gel packs, similar to inducing fever to fight off infections, has proven successful in his experiments. However, he says that he does not have the power to heat all the gelpacks ship-wide. Torres proposes that they could accomplish this by infusing the gel packs with a high-energy plasma burst from a symmetrical warp field, which Janeway confirms would be generated by inverting the warp field towards the ship, however in order to accomplish this they will need to heat up the whole ship. Janeway orders the crew to proceed. Back in the cargo bay, the trainees and Tuvok recognize the change in the environmental systems. Tuvok assigns Gerron to check if the console in the control room is still functioning, sending the young man up a ladder to the small room while he and the rest go to try to access a Jefferies tube from the forward bulkhead. Soon Voyager is hot enough to initiate the plasma burst, although Lieutenant Torres warns that it'll blow out several conduits throughout the ship. The trainees open an access panel only to be blown down by an exploding conduit. As plasma gas begins to seep in, Tuvok announces the room will become poisonous within minutes and orders them to leave immediately through the Jefferies tube. Dalby reminds him about Gerron. They all look up to see the young man slumped over the rail, unconscious. Dalby tells Tuvok that they can't leave him, but Tuvok orders them all into the Jefferies tube, stating that it is always tactically correct to sacrifice the few for the many. Dalby is furious and lunges up to go get Gerron himself. However, Tuvok pins his arm behind his back, threatening to break it if he doesn't get into the Jefferies tube as ordered. As Dalby accuses him of killing Gerron, he climbs into the tube, which Tuvok seals, himself remaining inside the cargo bay. Coughing from the plasma gas, Tuvok runs to Gerron. While the heat and gas continue to build, Tuvok climbs the ladder to reach Gerron, then placing him over his shoulder and beginning the climb back down. Overpowered by the plasma gas, Tuvok falls from the ladder with Gerron. He attempts to crawl while dragging Gerron, but ultimately collapses from inhaling toxic plasma gas. When The Doctor finally informs the bridge officers (who had all nearly passed out from the heat) that the bacteria have been destroyed, Janeway orders Kim to start getting the vital systems back online. In the cargo bay, through the billowing gas clouds, the door is forced open by the trainees. Henley and Dalby run in and pick up Gerron and Tuvok and drag them to safety. Back in the corridor, gasping and drenched in sweat, the trainees collapse, smiling in success. Holding Tuvok up, Dalby says that he thought Starfleet rules said that was an unacceptable risk. Tuvok responds that it was, but that he recently realized that there are times when it is desirable to bend the rules. Dalby responds amicably, saying that if Tuvok can learn to bend the rules, then he can learn to follow them. With that, they support Tuvok and Gerron to sick bay, while Voyager continues on its course home. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager detects traces of rust in space. Because the absence of oxygen in space prevents iron from rusting, Captain Janeway decides to follow the particle trail. They discover an ancient Earth automobile, a 1936 Ford truck, floating in space. When investigating their find in one of Voyager's cargo bays, Tom Paris manages to start the truck (old Earth cars are his hobby), which promptly backfires and startles everyone. While investigating the truck's AM radio, he discovers an odd radio signal. When Janeway asks Ensign Kim why the signal was not detected, Kim explains that Starfleet vessels only monitor their standard frequencies. AM signals are not within this spectrum because they only travel at the speed of light, too slow for interstellar communications. The signal they have found turns out to be an old Earth distress call, called an "SOS". The decision is made to follow the signal to its origin, but the planet it emanates from is Class L. The planet's atmosphere is charged with trinimbic interference, making communications on the surface and use of the ship's transporters impossible. With use of a shuttle impractical due to the scale of trinimbic interference, Janeway decides to land Voyager itself on the planet, reasoning that whatever brought the truck to this planet could be used to bring them home. This is the first time Tom Paris, Voyager's helmsman, lands an Intrepid-class ship on a planetary surface, but the operation proceeds smoothly. An away team is sent out to locate the source of the signal and finds an old Earth airplane. Investigation of the plane leads to an alien power source which is powering its AM radio, still sending the SOS. Meanwhile, other members of the away team have found a mineshaft that seems to be the source of the tritanium readings detected by their tricorders. After entering the mineshaft, they find five cryostasis chambers. One of them contains eight Human bodies, although with minimal life signs. When Janeway rubs off some condensation of the stasis chamber containing a Human female, she notices a name tag on her jacket. It reads "A. EARHART" -- Amelia Earhart, one of the first female aeronautical pioneers from Earth's 20th century. When the away team returns to Voyager, they discuss their findings in the briefing room. Janeway gives the crew a brief history of Earhart; she was one of the first female pilots in Earth's history, flying across the Atlantic Ocean and later attempting to fly around the world. However her plane mysteriously vanished in the South Seas, and when no wreckage was found many theories were coined about what happened. Janeway notes that ironically the ridiculed theory appears to be correct that she was abducted by aliens. It appears that all eight Humans are from the 1930s. Reluctant to leave them asleep for possibly more centuries, particularly when they could provide a clue about how they arrived in the Delta Quadrant, the decision is made to remove them from stasis. As a precaution, only Human crew members will be present, so as not to shock them. The exception is Kes, who can easily pass as a Human, as she needs to be present to check their medical status. When all the Humans are removed from stasis, they wake up easily. Janeway smiles as she goes to greet Earhart. The 20th century Humans quickly object to their state, demanding to know what's happening. Janeway has trouble getting them to listen, but eventually tells them what she believes, that they were abducted by aliens from Earth in the 1930s, but they only seem to remember the day before. Now, over four hundred years later, Fred Noonan, Earhart's navigator, is very distrustful and draws a revolver, taking the away team hostage. Although Captain Janeway tries to prove the existence of aliens by having Kes show her Ocampan ears, Earhart does not believe her, noting that she has seen before how people from all over Earth can mutilate themselves. Meanwhile, Commander Chakotay has detected alien lifeforms, and after warning Captain Janeway, he learns of the hostage situation. He, along with Tuvok, accompanies a security team to free the away team. Fortunately, Earhart's curiosity provides Janeway the opportunity to persuade her and the other revived Humans to leave the mineshaft and to return to Voyager so that she can prove to them everything she told was true. Meanwhile, Tuvok and Chakotay's team is watched as it approaches the mineshaft. The aliens open fire. After leaving the mineshaft, they find Tuvok's security team pinned down by alien weapons fire. In this skirmish, Fred Noonan is hit but is dragged to safety by Harry Kim. With the help of the away team, the aliens are overpowered when Janeway covertly comes behind them and subdues one of the attackers with her phaser. It turns out the aliens are actually Humans as well, descendants from the Humans abducted from Earth in 1937 by the Briori. Back on Voyager, one of them, John Evansville, explains to Janeway and Chakotay that the people they revived are the 37's, and are revered by them as monuments to their ancestors, who were held as slaves. They managed to free themselves from Briori oppression, destroying the Briori ship and its technology in the process. Janeway's hope of using the ship to get back to Earth is thus lost. Meanwhile, Noonan has been treated for his wounds by The Doctor in Voyager's sickbay. Thinking he will die, he confesses his love for Earhart, but takes it back when he finds himself cured. Earhart promises to forget what Noonan said to her. Since defeating the Briori, the former Human slaves have built a society, by now consisting of over 100,000 individuals and three cities that Evansville describes as "beautiful". He invites the entire crew and the 37's to tour the cities, with Evansville telling Earhart that he would be honored to show her around once she is introduced to him as one of the 37s. The tour itself is impressive and reminds many Voyager's crewmembers of their home back on Earth. When Evansville tells Captain Janeway that they are invited to stay and live out their lives on this world, she struggles to make the right decision. In her ready room, she discusses the invitation with Chakotay. Although she is the captain and responsible for the ship and its crew, she feels she cannot decide for everyone and worries that she may be leading the crew on a hopeless journey in the vain hope of getting home. Chakotay tells her that there's not a day goes by when he doesn't hear someone mention Earth, and while the settlement on the planet is certainly impressive, it doesn't beat seeing the sunrise over the Arizona desert or to swim in the Gulf of Mexico on a summer day. he wants to go home. Captain Janeway decides that everyone should decide for themselves whether they want to stay or not, but this in itself creates a problem; if too many crewmembers decide to stay—Chakotay estimates that the ship needs a crew of at least 100—Voyager will become undermanned and so force the remaining crew to remain as well. Despite the risk, Janeway tells Chakotay to prepare the crew for a ship-wide announcement. At 14:00 hours that day, Captain Janeway informs the crew that those wishing to stay should assemble in the cargo bay at 15:00 hours. In Voyager's mess hall, Neelix tells the 37's he is staying on board because the captain would be lost without him. To stay or not to stay is also discussed by B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim. Kim is not looking forward to spending his whole life on a starship. There are more people who thought that way, according to Torres. While outside Voyager and looking to the blue sky, Captain Janeway is told by Amelia Earhart that the 37's have decided to stay. Although she would have liked to pilot Voyager through space, Earhart felt more connected to the Humans on the planet because they were, after all, a part of all the 37's. While walking to the cargo bay, Janeway and Chakotay speculate on who will stay and who will leave. Chakotay speculates that Jarvin will want to leave, as he has had a harder time adjusting to serving on a Starfleet ship than most, and has started a relationship with another crewmember in quantum mechanics and they may decide to settle down. Janeway thinks that another likely candidate is the adventurous Walter Baxter who may welcome the challenge of creating a new life on a new planet. Both Janeway and Chakotay agree they'd hate to lose Jarvin or Baxter. in fact, they'd hate to lose anyone but neither could blame any individual who chooses to stay behind. The two come to a stop outside the cargo bay and Janeway hesitates, but Chakotay places his hand on her shoulder and assures her that no matter how many people are waiting on the other side of the door, they'll make it. With the support of her first officer and friend, Janeway summons the courage to walk inside the cargo bay and it is empty -- a fact that visibly moves Kathryn deeply. When Kathryn Janeway and her first officer enter Voyager's bridge, she nods to her bridge crew in acknowledgment of their decision to stay. She then orders condition blue and inertial dampers to flight configuration. Voyager lifts off watched by Evansville, Noonan and Earhart, and the crew resume their long journey back home. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay has asked Captain Janeway for the use of a shuttlecraft so that he can perform a ritual on the anniversary of his father's death. While praying to speak to his father, the shuttlecraft drifts into Kazon-Ogla space. The main Kazon ship picks the shuttlecraft up on their scanners, and sends a young Kazon boy called Kar to destroy it and thus earn his Ogla name. The commander is still in the middle of his ritual when the shuttle is rocked by phaser fire. After the shuttle's computer identifies the attacking vessel as Kazon, Chakotay hails the ship and tries to convince the pilot to cease firing on him. A young Kazon boy appears on the shuttle's viewer. "You are in Kazon-Ogla space, Federation." Chakotay tells him that he is no threat and will leave. When told by the boy that no one who violates Kazon space simply leaves, Chakotay calls him "son" and remarks that his starship is only a few light years away. "I am not your son, Federation. I am your executioner!", the Kazon youth states right before recommencing fire on Chakotay's shuttle. After Chakotay warns the Kazon vessel a few times to stand down or risk destruction by his weapons, the ship continues its attack. Chakotay then outmaneuvers the small Kazon ship which Kar is on and fires phasers, disrupting the ship's engine core. With only thirty seconds left before the Kazon ship explodes, Chakotay scans the ship and finds one life sign. He locks on and beams aboard the survivor, who is revealed as Kar. Unfortunately the battle has disabled the long range communications, lateral sensor array, and aft shields of the shuttle, so Chakotay starts flying to rendezvous with Voyager. Later, Kar wakes and is bound. He expresses disbelief that Chakotay did not kill him. "I'm not in the habit of killing children", Chakotay says. He is confused about Kar's lack of gratitude. The shuttle then runs into the ship of First Maje Razik. Chakotay hails them and lets them know he has Kar aboard. The Kazon ship begins tractoring the shuttle in. Chakotay tries to escape but the shuttle's engines aren't nearly powerful enough. Kar looks on with fear and pleads with Chakotay to kill him because "there are worse things than dying in battle." Voyager is in orbit of a planet gathering supplies and Captain Janeway is talking with Neelix in her ready room about the fact that he was left out the ship's recent holodeck defense simulations. She asks him to join her on the bridge to provide support. The bridge reports that the mission is going well, but when Ensign Harry Kim tries to hail Chakotay, he can get no response from the first officer. Janeway recalls all away teams and tells Paris to set course for Chakotay's last known position. On the Kazon ship, Chakotay and Kar are dragged into a large room under guard. Chakotay demands to know why Kar is being guarded with him as a prisoner, but gets no response from Haliz, the First Maje's second in command. Kar begins berating Chakotay and threatening him, in an attempt to impress Haliz, but after no response, Kar demands to see Razik and is struck to the floor. Chakotay sees this and also demands to see him. Chakotay tells Kar it's because he is obviously the leader, whereupon Kar walks around the room pointing out Razik's trophies, such as a piece of a Nistrim hull from a destroyed ship and a bracelet belonging to a Kazon who killed Kar's brother -- Jal Kinell, who Kar notes "earned his Ogla name by dying bravely in battle." But, as Kar ruefully notes, he will not be able to earn his name in life or in death -- and he has Chakotay to thank. Razik himself then arrives and confronts Kar. Kar protests his loss was not his fault, but Razik berates him for making excuses and then forgives him, an act which obviously distresses Kar. Razik tells Chakotay he doomed Kar to disgrace by not allowing him to earn his name in life or death. Chakotay apologizes for that and for violating Kazon-Ogla space. He says there was no map marking this as their territory. Razik says maps are useless because the boundaries change every day. He goes on to explain that any uniform represents a threat to them because of their history of throwing off their oppressors. He then announces that the execution is scheduled for that night. When Voyager arrives at Chakotay's last known location, they discover metallic debris which could have come from a Starfleet shuttlecraft. Janeway orders it beamed aboard so B'Elanna Torres can analyze it. Paris asks if they're assuming Chakotay's shuttle was destroyed but Janeway rejects that assumption. Tuvok then locates an ion trail leading away from the debris site and they set course to follow. Razik, Chakotay, and several Kazon children are present in the same audience room. Chakotay greets the children and repeats his messages about his peaceful intentions, but when Razik asks the children who would be willing to kill Chakotay, they all volunteer. Razik mocks Chakotay's attempts at reconciliation and then has a group bring Kar in. He repeats Kar's fate to not have a name, and then offers Chakotay a weapon, telling him that if he kills Kar, he is free to go. Chakotay seems to consider following through, but then he drops the weapon and takes Razik hostage, demanding to be set free. Razik tells everyone to let him run, and then Kar decides to join Chakotay in running. They depart from the ship in the shuttle but come under fire quickly despite Kar trying to help Chakotay disable the ship's weapons. Kar keeps giving Chakotay information that would let him attack the Kazon, but Chakotay insists he's not going to start killing people. He asks the computer to locate a place to set down and the computer locates a nearby Class M moon. Kar tells Chakotay it is Tarok, used by the Ogla for training. Just then the shuttle's rear shields buckle and the shuttle is in danger of being destroyed. Chakotay says transporting to the moon is risky because of the distance. Then the shuttle is destroyed while falling towards the moon's atmosphere. Just as Torres confirms that the debris they picked up is from a Kazon ship, the ion trail Voyager has been following dissipates. Voyager locates more debris, and when it is beamed aboard, it is showing markings that clearly identify it as being from Chakotay's shuttle. Chakotay and Kar regain consciousness on the surface of the moon. Kar again lays into Chakotay for not fighting, and Chakotay tells him that if all he's going to do is reiterate how much he doesn't like Chakotay, he should stay quiet. But Kar speaks up to save Chakotay from a hidden weapon; he reveals that, as a training site, the moon is littered with hidden weaponry, such as deadly disruptor snares, so Chakotay will have to follow Kar. On Voyager, The Doctor confirms through a viewscreen in the briefing room that there is no organic material that would indicate Chakotay was killed in the shuttle explosion. Janeway mentions that there is a Class M moon nearby he may have beamed to, but there seems to be a lot of hidden weaponry. Kes and Neelix immediately recognize it as a Kazon training site. The energy from the weaponry is disrupting sensors and communication with the surface, so Captain Janeway requests Kes and Tuvok accompany her on a trip to the surface and leaves Paris in command of the ship while they try to find a way to cut through the interference. On the surface, Chakotay and Kar have found a cave to spend the night in. Chakotay uses his tricorder to set up a homing beacon amid more banter from Kar about his wanting to kill Chakotay and steal his technology to make his name with the Kazon. Chakotay brushes off his posturing, comparing his efforts to earn his Starfleet uniform to Kar's efforts to earn his name. Kar rejects the comparison, and Chakotay suggests they attempt to get some sleep. Sometime later Kar, unable to sleep, turns off the tricorder's homing beacon then takes his weapon and aims it at a sleeping Chakotay. Despite the perfect chance to kill Chakotay, Kar finds he cannot go through with it. He then returns the weapon and reactivates the beacon. In orbit, a Kazon vessel hails Voyager. Paris explains their presence and that they're looking for a missing crewman. Razik tells him that they killed Chakotay, by name, after he kidnapped a Kazon boy and asks them to leave. Neelix expresses disbelief at the lack of an attack, prompting the Kazon to threaten violence, but Neelix points out that it would be a massive risk to the Kazon security if a battle were waged near their training base, and that blowing up the weapons on the surface would be hideously expensive. The Kazon agree to allow Voyager to continue searching. On the surface, Janeway and her team are following a trail when Razik, Haliz, and two other Kazon intercept them and say they are here to help due to the danger of the environment. Back in the cave, Chakotay (who was actually awake) confronts Kar about his inability to kill him, saying he thinks Kar is realizing Chakotay is not his enemy. Chakotay asks Kar if he could go to another Kazon sect (of which Kar says there are eighteen at last check), but Kar says they would cut off his fingers and call him a goven, a word meaning an outcast. He also rejects going with Chakotay because it would mean leaving his home. Chakotay asks why the uniform causes such hatred and Kar briefly indicates the Kazon used to be all but slaves to the Trabe before they revolted 26 years prior. Then Chakotay's tricorder begins to signal that the others are close. At the same time, Voyager breaks through the interference and Janeway asks if they can get a lock on Chakotay, Paris says they're working on it. The Kazon trick them and they end up caught in a force field, though Kes identifies the power source and they work on getting a phaser to punch through the field. In the cave, Chakotay tells Kar he's going to help him get his name and when Voyager contacts him, he tells them to prepare for a code white resuscitation, then reassures Kar that he can be revived as long as it is shortly after he is killed. When the Kazon arrive, Kar has Chakotay at gunpoint. He tells Razik he wants to earn his name, but then declares that Chakotay is not his enemy and shoots Razik. Haliz is then First Maje, and he grants Kar a name, Jal Karden. They allow Voyager to depart, but not before Karden tells Chakotay that the next time they meet he won't hesitate to kill him. Chakotay understands. Chakotay, along with the away team, are beamed aboard Voyager. In his quarters on Voyager, Chakotay sits on the floor with his medicine bundle unraveled. He holds up a stone with a CHAH-mooz-ee emblazoned on it, along with an akoonah and a blackbird's wing laying in front of him. Chakotay then begins to pray to his father. 
<EOS>
The Doctor materializes in an empty sickbay, but finds no one present. The computer tells him he was activated automatically, so he starts to call out to the others, but, unable to contact anyone, the computer tells him that no one is aboard. The Doctor manages to get a ship's status from the computer and replays the last bridge log. He discovers that the ship has been attacked causing sufficient damage to force the crew to abandon ship. Seeing his usefulness at an end, The Doctor makes a log entry and prepares to deactivate himself when suddenly Torres enters sickbay, explaining that the ship had been attacked by two Kazon warships. She and Captain Janeway had remained behind to attempt to prevent a warp core breach, which they did. The crew's life pods have been tractored by the Kazon, and Janeway is injured on the bridge. The Doctor attempts to discern her injuries, only to find the medical tricorders aren't registering her life signs. Torres informs The Doctor that holo-projectors have been installed on other parts of the ship including the bridge so that The Doctor can enter them. By diverting power from life support systems to activate the holo-projectors, Torres is able to send The Doctor to the badly damaged bridge and revive Janeway. The Doctor succeeds in waking Janeway up, but without the use of the bridge's tricorder, as it's not working either. Torres calls up, having gotten communications online and they start to coordinate their efforts to repair the ship. The Doctor prepares to assist the captain with bypassing a power relay when a call for help is received from Neelix, and The Doctor is transferred to the mess hall instead. There, Neelix has cornered a Kazon. After helping Neelix subdue him, The Doctor finds something that surprises him. he's bleeding and able to feel pain from the wound. Having his program transferred back to sickbay he runs a medical tricorder over himself and finds that his body is projecting life signs. He attempts to run a diagnostic on his program, only for the computer to deny that the program exists and instead lists Lewis Zimmerman as the ship's chief medical officer. The Doctor recognizes the name as the man who created his program and resembles him, but knows that Zimmerman is on Jupiter Station in the Alpha Quadrant. Checking Zimmerman's service record, he finds that he looks exactly like him and the computer confirms it. The Doctor is Zimmerman. Just then, Janeway, Torres, Neelix, and the Kazon arrive in sickbay and Janeway prepares to question the Kazon, but The Doctor explains what's happening with his program apparently being real. Janeway is confused, and theorizes that the holoemitters are confusing the computer and tries to shut his program down, and nothing happens. Janeway then has the computer shut down all holograms throughout the ship, at which point Janeway, Torres, Neelix, and the Kazon vanish. The Doctor is now very confused, and asks the computer what happened to the crew, to which it confirms that their programs were shut off. Examining the memory block they were stored on, he oddly also finds holograms of the entire crew. As he stands in disbelief, Reginald Barclay appears, happy to see him. Seeing as he doesn't recognize him, Barclay collects himself and informs The Doctor he is actually Lewis Zimmerman, currently working on Jupiter Station, and trapped in a malfunctioning holoprogram. The Doctor is told that Zimmerman created a holo-program about the fictional USS Voyager, theoretically lost in the Delta Quadrant, in order to study the long-term effects of deep space isolation. Now, however, the holodeck can't be shut down due to kinoplasmic radiation. Barclay also supposes the radiation is affecting his memory, and is now living the delusion that he is actually Voyager's EMH, a character whose role he set up for himself, so that he could observe the crew from within the program. The Doctor doesn't believe anything he's saying, as he has clear memories of six months. Barclay says he's only been there six hours, and even slaps him to remind him he feels pain, impossibly. Barclay leaves and comes back to confirm they can't shut down the program and to convince him he has to play the program out instead. Zimmerman programmed only two possible endings to the program: success or destruction. Barclay tries to convince The Doctor of the quicker route, destroying the ship, because, according to the neurologist, Doctor Kaplan, being in the holodeck is killing him. He has only about an hour left. The Doctor refuses to destroy Voyager, not only because he doesn't know how but he also can't rule out Barclay is an impostor. Barclay gets an idea and disappears. The Doctor suddenly finds himself back at the moment when Voyager found itself in the Delta Quadrant; Barclay explains that they cannot stop the program, only reset it. The Doctor deletes the Paris and Kim holograms. After The Doctor questions Barclay, the man responds that indeed, he had programmed Paris to be annoying, like Barclay's cousin, Frank. The Doctor concludes that he must destroy the main holographic matrix. That will stop all holographic programs and prove once and for all that The Doctor is not a hologram, and is indeed Zimmerman. The Doctor arrives in main engineering to find Captain Janeway. She promptly asks how he is in engineering and who Barclay is. The Doctor tries to delete Janeway but it doesn't work. Barclay explains that the protocols are freezing up and no longer working, including the safety protocols. Faced with an angry Janeway and armed security officers, The Doctor attempts to explain himself then tells Janeway they are about to be transported to the Caretaker's array. The crew begins to get transported to the Array and Janeway looks at The Doctor wide-eyed before vanishing. With the crew gone, The Doctor destroys the holomatrix and is surprised to find he is still there. He promptly asks the computer if any holographic programs are running and the computer replies that none are. Barclay tells The Doctor that ending the holographic programs on a ship that is itself a holographic program is futile; he has to destroy the warp core (necessary for the destruction of the ship, and therefore the program ending) and hands him a phaser. As The Doctor is preparing to fire at the warp core, Chakotay appears and tells The Doctor to stop, as Barclay has been lying. The commander explains that The Doctor is on the holodeck on Voyager and had taken a day off at the suggestion of Captain Janeway. They suffered a radiation surge and it caused a feedback loop within the holodeck, trapping him there. Chakotay is actually being projected into the holodeck from engineering, and tells him that the pain he is feeling is the sensation of his memory circuits being destroyed and if he destroys the simulation Voyager then the Doctor's program will be destroyed too. The Doctor asks Chakotay what he needs to do, and Chakotay tells him to just wait as they almost have the problem fixed. The Doctor falls to the ground in pain and a Human Kes appears, telling him that she is being projected from Jupiter Station, saying how much she loves him and doesn't want her "husband" to die. Chakotay explains that the delusions are being drawn from his own memories. Barclay asks the Doctor what would he rather be; a human being with a real life and family or a hologram trapped in a sickbay on a ship lost in deep space. Chakotay tells him that what he's made of doesn't change who he is to the rest of the crew; he is their friend and he's no less real than anyone else. When Kes kisses him, The Doctor begins: "I always wanted to tell you, Kes." The real Doctor suddenly finds himself in the holodeck grid. Captain Janeway is there and asks him if he knows who he is, and where he is. Though a little unsure of his true identity during the holodeck problem, he answers both decisively. He is Voyager's Emergency Medical Hologram, and he is on the Holodeck. To be sure that he is truly back, he asks Captain Janeway whether Kes is not his wife. When the captain's reaction is mere surprise, it is obvious that he is truly back. He asks to be transferred back to sickbay and Janeway does so but not before telling him its good to have him back. The Doctor tells Kes of his adventures, keeping in mind that Kes is his assistant, not wife. Kes laughs and warns The Doctor not to tell Neelix, as he might get jealous. "It will be our secret!" she cautions. The Doctor puzzles over why his program created an elaborate delusion rather than detecting the radiation's threat. Kes says everyone asks themselves existential questions at some time, but The Doctor is entirely confident as to his own nature and purpose. He is Voyager's EMH. Kes playfully asks him if he's sure about that, prompting The Doctor to pass his hand through the open sickbay doors. It can't be projected outside, providing him with the confirmation he needs, and returns to his duties, content. 
<EOS>
Aboard the USS Voyager, Chakotay is walking down a corridor to the turbolift. As the door of the turbolift opens, Chakotay catches two crew members kissing inside. Embarrassed, they quickly exit. Behind Chakotay comes Tom Paris and Kes, carrying bushels of cabbage for the mess hall. Paris asks what went on, Chakotay responds that it was an example of "indiscreet shipboard fraternization." Paris expresses regret at missing it. They proceed to the mess hall. In the mess hall, Paris and Kes drop the cabbage off with Neelix, who is visibly upset and jealous with the friendliness between Paris and Kes, perceiving that Paris is making a move on Kes. He questions her about it, but Kes insists that Neelix is seeing things that aren't really there. On the bridge, Captain Janeway tells Paris and Chakotay about strange energy readings. Harry Kim says they appear to be a magnetic disturbance. They are going to investigate it. Janeway comments that Chakotay seems preoccupied. He relates the turbolift incident and wonders if they should establish a policy regarding fraternization. Janeway is hesitant about such an action, noting that while the couple in question might be encouraged to show more discretion, Starfleet has always been hesitant to regulate such matters. Chakotay points out that relationships might cause more problems down the road that would not appear under normal circumstances. Janeway observes that they are a long way from home and eventually, people will begin to pair off. Chakotay asks, "Including you?" Janeway responds that as captain, she doesn't have that luxury and she hopes to be home before Mark gives her up for dead. At that time, the disturbance comes into visual range. They notice that the disturbance is actually space-dwelling lifeforms. They decide to take a closer look, so Janeway orders Paris to take the ship into bio-scanner range. Kes, working in the hydroponics garden, begins to absently-mindedly munch on some of the beetles used for cross-pollination. She is horrified as she looks and realizes what she's doing. The bridge crew estimates the number of lifeforms present in the cloud to be fewer than 2,000. They are moving at an average speed of 1,000 kilometers per second. Janeway and Chakotay observe the movement to be similar to protozoa. They do not have a digestive system as such, but their outer layer appears to be porous so as to absorb nutrients directly from space. Ensign Wildman speculates that the rapid movement is due to the low density of matter in that area of space. Meanwhile, Kes is gorging herself on all manner of food from the replicator when her door chime rings. Quickly hiding the bowls of food, she asks the person to come in, who happens to be Neelix. Neelix presents Kes with a bouquet of flowers, apologizing for his jealousy. Kes just wishes he would trust her. Neelix says that it is not her he has a problem trusting it is "him" (referring to Lt. Paris). Scouring the room for a vase in which to put the flowers, Neelix discovers the dishes Kes was hiding. Upon questioning, Kes reveals it to be a Terran dish to which Ensign Wildman introduced her: mashed potatoes with butter. Kes considers them great and can't stop eating them (she's had six bowls), but Neelix thinks they're awful. Kes explains that she put nitrogenated soil in them (saying this while eating two pieces of fruit simultaneously). After hearing about her eating the beetles, Neelix calls sickbay to prepare for an "emergency patient." Kes claims to be fine - she just can't stop eating (while she proceeds to eat the flowers Neelix gave her). Neelix picks her up and carries her off, kicking and screaming. On the bridge, the creatures have changed course and are accelerating. Janeway tells Paris to back off and give them room, but they find that they are actually accelerating, being pulled by the magnetic resonance field created by the creatures. Upon trying to reverse thrusters, they find the helm controls are not responding and the shields are non-functional. They have been pulled into the swarm. Life support is functioning, but there's a fluctuation in the EPS grids. Janeway asks B'Elanna Torres about possible ways of getting free without harming the swarm with the warp engines; Torres suggests a variation on a targ scoop, used on Klingons ground vehicles to disperse targ herds in their path. The deflector array would be used to emit an inverse magnetic resonance field directed at the swarm. Janeway agrees. In sickbay, Neelix is panicking with Kes on the surgical biobed. He is worried that the beetles or the flowers were poisonous, but The Doctor states emphatically that there are no toxins in her system. Neelix badgers The Doctor about a possible reason for her eating all these "strange foods"; The Doctor suggests a nutrient deficiency is a possible answer. Constantly having to move Neelix out of the way, he notes the elevated temperature and increased electrophoretic activity. When Neelix insists they be brought down, The Doctor points out that there is increased electrophoretic activity in the atmosphere in general because of the swarm. When Neelix insists The Doctor do something, The Doctor throws him out of sickbay, as it is impossible for him to "think," much less treat his patient. Neelix promptly goes to the bridge, where Janeway is hovering over Ensign Wildman and the science station. He demands to know if it is appropriate for a hologram to throw a "flesh-and-blood" person out of sickbay, as his "loved one" is sick and "obviously" needs his comfort. Janeway asks if Kes is sick. Neelix confirms this, stating that "the hologram" doesn't know what's wrong, but thinks it has something to do with the creatures. Janeway asks how the creatures are affecting Kes. Neelix says that's what he was trying to find out when The Doctor "summarily dismissed" him from sickbay. About that time, The Doctor calls from sickbay, asking Janeway to come because there's a problem. When Janeway and Neelix get there, Kes has erected a force field around The Doctor's office, keeping even The Doctor out. The Doctor tells Janeway that Kes' fever has increased and her pulse and blood pressure are dangerously high. He also notes a strange growth on her back that was not there the last time he examined her. Janeway convinces Kes to lower the force field and let her in. Kes runs to Janeway's open embrace. Kes confirms a growth on her back, saying it is the sac where her child will grow. It is the elogium, a time of change equivalent to puberty in Humans. Kes says that it is much too early as it usually happens between the ages of four and five and she isn't even two yet. As Janeway tries to console her, Kes point out that the Elogium only occurs once -- if Kes is ever going to have a child, it has to be now. Chakotay reports to the captain that there has been no change -- they are still being pulled along by the swarm. Kim reports that all systems are functioning within normal parameters. Torres' last report on the modifications to the main deflector was that they'd be ready within another half-hour. Janeway asks Chakotay to join her in her ready room. In the ready room, Janeway relates Kes' condition to Chakotay, and that she has to make the decision within the next forty to fifty hours. Kes is going to talk to Neelix, but Janeway comments that there are a number of factors involved, including complications with having the elogium this early, whether they are genetically compatible and whether Neelix even has any intentions of being a father. Janeway calls Chakotay's concerns about fraternization "prophetic." Chakotay notes that he wasn't even thinking about procreation, but considers it inevitable. If it takes the predicted 75 years to get home, they will begin needing replacements in about half that time. Janeway notes the irony that Voyager's mission was only meant to last a few weeks and wonders if they are even able to provide the necessary things for raising children, not to mention the reality of a starship moving through possibly hostile territory. Chakotay asks if she is ready to tell people they can't have children. Janeway comments that she can't do that. She has made it clear to Kes that it is her choice whether to have a child. Neelix is trying to wrap his head around the notion that Kes must conceive now or not at all. Kes says she needs him to help her decide, as she would want to mate with him. This catches Neelix off guard. He asks about the dangers of conceiving a child at her age. Kes responds that she doesn't know, as she's never known anyone as young as her to have a baby. Neelix asks if she would be "terribly unhappy" if she never had a child, to which Kes responds with an emphatic "Yes," then backing her way down to "I don't know." She had always assumed she'd be a mother some day, just not so soon. When Kes asks Neelix if he ever thought he'd be a father some day, he responds that he never really gave it much thought. He talks about never having had the stability in lifestyle for raising a child. When Kes points out that it would be different now, on a starship, Neelix backpedals and talks about the difficulties of raising a child on a starship, leading Kes to conclude that Neelix doesn't want a child. Neelix again backpedals, saying he's just trying to look at all sides, pointing out that someone would have to make sure the "little guy" didn't stick his finger in an EM socket and wasn't playing with the plasma injectors (which Kes says is called parenting) and that Kes would have to give up her medical studies (which Kes immediately refutes, pointing out that he's just making excuses). Kes points out some bumps on her hands, which, according to her, make the mating bond possible. If they begin, they must stay bonded for six days. Once it, the ipasaphor, appears, they only have fifty hours, so she needs to know his answer. Neelix is relieved to hear this and says that they can "sleep on it." Kes, on the other hand, is visibly disappointed. In the mess hall, Neelix is serving lunch, obviously distracted as he misheard a crew member to say they wanted "lots of pepper" in their meal. Tuvok enters and asks about the lunch special, which Neelix says he didn't get around to making, but instead there is the leftover soup from the night before. Tuvok assents. Neelix follows Tuvok to his seat, asking him what it is like to be a father. Tuvok initially responds that "the question is so broad, it is difficult to make a response." Neelix asks about the responsibility and such involved in parenting and when Tuvok agrees, Neelix concludes that it is more trouble than it is worth. Tuvok indicates that he is aware of the present situation. He says that if Neelix has doubts, he should likely not enter into it. However, he points out that fatherhood can have "infinite rewards." Neelix then begins to think that raising a son could be "fun," as he could teach him things such as survival skills, piloting and "romantic techniques." Tuvok points out that there is an equal chance of having a daughter. Neelix says he doesn't have anything he would teach a daughter. Tuvok asks why it would be different than what he would teach a son, and when Neelix argues that she would learn more from her mother, Tuvok indicates that his one daughter benefits as much from him as his three sons, and expresses regret at being so far removed at this time. Later on, Torres comes onto the bridge to tell Janeway they are ready to try the inverted field. When they do, the swarm begins attaching itself to the warp nacelles, draining energy from ship systems and causing guidance, tactical and navigation systems to fail. They have only a few seconds before clearing the swarm, but Tuvok detects a massive magnetic mass moving toward them from the port bow. Outside, a much larger creature similar to the others approaches. Unsure as to the exact reason for the size difference, Janeway decides to continue out of the swarm, hoping that the creatures on the nacelles will drop back and rejoin the swarm. Instead, the larger creature moves with them, generating an electrically-charged plasma stream. Janeway orders full stop. They observe the smaller creatures attaching themselves to the larger one as they did to the warp nacelles. Kim observes that the plasmas stream had nearly the same subspace signature as their nacelles, leading Janeway and Chakotay to conclude that the creatures are attracted to it like some animals are to pheromones. Chakotay comments that it is possible the creatures mistook Voyager for a potential mate. Meanwhile, Neelix comes to Kes saying that he is ready and willing to mate with her. When asked what is next, Kes tells him that a parent performs a ritual wherein her feet are massaged until her tongue swells. In lieu of a parent, Kes is going to have The Doctor do it. Neelix expresses some reservation, first in that The Doctor isn't "real" ("he's very real to me," replies Kes) and then in general ("it's a ritual, someone has to do it"). Neelix then assents. In sickbay, while massaging Kes' feet, The Doctor analyzes the medical properties of the ritual. Kes asks The Doctor if she's doing the right thing, noting that her father would normally be performing the ritual and that she's feeling lonely right now. The Doctor points out his inadequacy in discussing parenting. Kes says that while Neelix was opposed to the idea, she was sure she wanted it, but now that he's on board, she isn't so sure. She wonders if she's doing it merely because she can. The Doctor points out that it is normal, that species use the urges to survive. Kes begins voicing doubts, her ability to care and show responsibility for a child. On the bridge, as the crew tries to deal with their situation, it is suspected that the larger creature may consider them a rival, hence the plasma stream as aggressive posturing. Janeway orders a short impulse burst to get away, but instead of getting away, the creature comes toward them. They are losing power and the creature hits them. In light of the aggressive action, Tuvok agrees with Torres that retaliation may be in order. While Janeway continues to try to avoid aggressive action, Paris notes that the feeling is not mutual. Janeway has Tuvok launch a class four probe. Another plasma burst ensues, dropping shields to 64%. Torres and Tuvok indicate that an equivalent response to the creature as was given them would be the best action, that is, ramming him. Another bump by the creature and the shields drop to 47%. Janeway tells Paris to use maneuvering thrusters to bump the creature. The bump results in a bigger one by the creature. Janeway tells Tuvok to prepare a field of photon charges to show the creature they mean business. Chakotay wonders if they need to rethink their strategy, as each aggressive action on their part results in one more so by the creature. He suggests acting as the other creatures and demonstrating submissive behavior. They decide to go into a roll and vent plasma residue to mimic the behavior of the smaller creatures. At first, it looks like nothing happens, but then the creatures start detaching and moving off. "It appears we have lost our sex appeal," Tuvok tells the captain. Janeway jokes to Chakotay that if she has any questions about mating behavior, she'll know where to go. Meanwhile, Kes enters the mess hall, where Neelix is chopping food. She asks to help, but Neelix declines. Kes notes that Neelix has been very quiet since she decided not to conceive, noting that Neelix seems disappointed. Neelix observes that once he'd decided to become a father, he was looking forward to it. Kes points out that he might have his chance someday. Neelix is puzzled, but Kes says that The Doctor believes that the elogium was a false alarm caused by the electrophoretic field from the swarm and that she'll be able to conceive again, at the right age. Neelix says, excitedly, "You mean, we might still be able to have a daughter?" Kes responds, "or a son," but Neelix says that he definitely wants a daughter, one who looks just like Kes. She kisses and hugs him. As Janeway ponders the issues recently raised by Kes in her Ready room, and feels for the person she left behind in the Alpha Quadrant, Ensign Wildman enters, clearly nervous, saying she felt she should inform her of her 'physical condition'. Janeway is confused, as Wildman states that she and her husband (who is still at Deep Space 9) were trying for months and she's only just found out. Janeway realizes that Wildman is pregnant, as the Ensign notes that she knows Voyager isn't the best place to have a baby, but it is the only thing she has left of her husband. Janeway, knowing she can't stop Wildman from having her baby and isn't willing to, offers congratulations as the two exchange worried smiles knowing the issue of officers having children on the ship has suddenly gone from a possibility to very real. 
<EOS>
As Harry Kim wakes up, he can hear the distant voice of Captain Janeway, who says something about an emergency transport. She calls out his name several times as her voice transitions into that of his girlfriend Libby, who wakes him gently. Kim stares out the window of his apartment, which shows a panoramic cityscape, including the Transamerica Pyramid building, as he discovers that he is back on Earth, in the city of San Francisco. A disbelieving Kim can't believe that he is back on Earth, with Libby. She reminds him he has an important meeting and rushes a still stunned Kim to shower and get dressed. Kim emerges from the bathroom dressed in his standard yellow uniform and is obviously still trying to process exactly what happened. He asks her the stardate: 49011. He realizes it's not the past, but the present, and that he isn't dreaming. He runs through the other possibilities: holodeck? hallucination? Libby, exasperated, tells him they both have long days ahead of them and they need to get to work. He responds to her like he would if he were facing an alien interrogation, and tells her he is from USS Voyager. She is not amused, telling him the memorial service was two months ago and he shouldn't joke about it. Kim leaves his apartment and continues to look around the area with disbelief. From a coffee shop named Cosimo's he gets what he has apparently been drinking for eight months, a Vulcan mocha, from Cosimo. From him, Kim learns that he is giving the presentation of the new ship design he -- Harry Kim -- has created. Kim asks the man how long he has been coming to this shop, and Cosimo tells him that it's been nearly every day since he graduated from Starfleet Academy. Kim also learns that he and Libby are engaged, but before he can ask more questions, Lieutenant Lasca arrives and hurries him to the important meeting. Lasca and Kim have been working on an experimental runabout, the Yellowstone, but since Kim has no idea what it is, he does not have the warp coil schematic he needed for their presentation to Admiral Strickler and company. Lasca starts to explain the new design of the Yellowstone-class runabout they have been working on. It has tetryon-based plasma warp nacelles. The admiral interrupts, asking how they will address the dilithium fracture problem, since tetryon plasma can disrupt subspace. Lasca confidently introduces Kim to answer that problem, while Kim sits in his chair with a panicked look on his face -- he has no idea what Lasca is talking about. The admiral and his staff wait impatiently as Kim struggles to come up with an answer. He finally feigns illness and asks if the presentation can be continued at a later date. The admiral, however, is leaving on a three-week tour of the Cardassian border in a few days, so the presentation will have to wait until after then. Lasca leaves, disgusted with Kim for blowing the meeting. Kim enters what is apparently his office in headquarters. He sees his diploma from Starfleet Academy and the design schematics for the Yellowstone. Kim looks up information on himself and Voyager. He finds that, perhaps in this timeline, his request for a posting aboard Voyager was denied. Instead, Kim transferred to the Starfleet Engineering Corps. He learns that he is a starship design specialist and has had a short but so far distinguished career with them. He asks the computer if any temporal anomalies have been reported in the last 48 hours, and finds that there were none. He also tries to find information on the loss of Voyager, but that information is classified security level 3 or above. Kim, however, has no problem accessing the information since he is, or rather was, a member of Voyager's crew. He finds that his friend Danny Byrd took what would have been his place as operations officer of Voyager. Kim leaves his office more confused than ever. He returns to his neighborhood, but forgets where his apartment was. Cosimo points him in the right direction, and tells him everything will be fine. However, after Kim leaves, Cosimo watches him with a concerned yet knowing look -- there appears to be more to the middle-aged man than meets the eye. Returning "home", he finds Libby there and she asks if he is okay, and she is concerned when he is still confused about what is going on. He asks her to tell him she loves him, like they haven't seen each other for months. He spins her a story much like what happened to Voyager. Their conversation becomes more intimate as the two kiss passionately. Later, it has grown dark and Libby sleeps in Kim's arms. He is lying awake and finally gets out of bed and smiles upon finding his familiar clarinet. He goes to the computer and looks up Voyager's crew manifest. He finds that Tom Paris is also not listed, unaware that Libby has awakened behind him and is coming over to investigate. He finds that Paris was paroled on stardate 48702 and is now living in Marseille, France. Libby wants to know what is going on. He tries to tell her nothing is going on, but she tells him he is a bad liar, and that he is acting strange, even to the point where Lasca called and wanted to know if something was going on. Kim tells her to trust him, and then tells her that he shouldn't be here (in this reality). She thinks that he is getting cold feet about getting married, and thinks he should talk to a counselor or a neurologist. Kim tells her he has something to do first and leaves for Marseilles to find Tom Paris, leaving a confused and hurt Libby behind. In Marseilles, Kim finds Paris wearing civilian clothes and playing pool in the real-life Chez Sandríne's. Kim greets Paris as a friend, but Paris doesn't even recognize Kim. Kim tries to convince Paris that they served together on Voyager, but Paris tells a different story. After he got to Deep Space 9, he was involved in a bar fight with Quark, and was arrested by Odo. Starfleet revoked his parole, and Paris never went on Voyager. He isn't sorry about that, considering what happened to it, but Kim remembers the story differently. He was the one who was nearly swindled by the Ferengi over the Lobi crystals, and Paris did lead Voyager into the Badlands. Paris, of course, remembers no such events. Kim wants Paris to return to Starfleet HQ with him and run a simulation of what happened during his shuttle accident. Paris laughs at the idea, and tells Kim to go back to Starfleet and tell his superiors that he is not interested in being a pawn in their game. Kim tells Paris that Paris once told him he treated life as one big game, and he never worried about the rules until he lost the game. He then tells Paris what Paris had told him what he thought would have happened if he hadn't gone on Voyager: that he would have become a loser and a drunk -- and that is exactly what has happened. Enraged, Paris takes a swing at him, but in his half-drunken state Kim is easily able to subdue him. Kim storms out, leaving an embarrassed Paris face down on the pool table. As he leaves, Kim doesn't notice one of the bar patrons who watches as he leaves -- it is Cosimo. Kim returns to his apartment, but there are security personnel in his apartment, and Lasca informs him that Starfleet knows what he had been doing -- breaking into classified files using forged security access codes (his own, from Voyager). Kim tries to explain, but he is ordered to go to Starfleet HQ under escort. Admiral Strickler questions how Kim can have access to Voyager's information, and is skeptical about Kim's claim that he was assigned to Voyager since he is on Earth. Kim tries to explain that reality has been altered somehow and he needs to attempt to restore it, but nobody is willing to believe him. The admiral wonders why he went to see Tom Paris, a convicted traitor and Maquis sympathizer. Kim finally realizes that they think he is a Maquis spy, and he refuses to answer any further questions without counsel present. Kim is placed under house arrest, and is then given an anklet and is informed he is prohibited from off-world travel. Kim is dismissed with a warning from the admiral. Returning to his neighborhood, he meets Cosimo, who reveals that Kim is not imagining that reality had been altered. He, Cosimo, was sent to Earth to watch Kim and make sure everything was all right, but now it is clear that it's not. He tells Kim that his people exist in what Kim would call a temporal inversion fold of the space-time matrix. He informs Kim that his shuttle collided with their timestream, causing some of reality to be altered. Kim asks for help in restoring the proper reality, but Cosimo admits that they don't know how. The events happened by accident and the conditions that existed before the accident may be impossible to re-create and that there is no guarantee what will happen if he does -- he could end up anywhere in the space-time continuum. Cosimo asks him if he really wants to give up his life here -- he has a successful Starfleet career and a beautiful woman who loves him. Kim asks him what about Danny Byrd and Tom Paris, whose lives were changed for the worse as a result of the altered timeline. Cosimo relents and gives him coordinates of the time stream in this region of space, and wishes him luck if he goes through with his plan. In his apartment, Kim attempts to remove the anklet. Libby catches him, and asks him if he wants to go to prison. She tells him she hardly knows him any more, but he assures her that he is still the guy who was in her seat at the Ktarian music festival, and the guy who took three weeks to work up the courage to ask her out, and who still wakes up at night calling her name. She wonders, then why he is trying to get away from her. He tells her he wants to stay more than anything, but that he needs to restore the correct timeline, and that he wouldn't be the Kim she loves otherwise. Suddenly, the tampering alarm on the bracelet goes off, and Starfleet Security is alerted. Two security officers beam in, and Kim escapes out the window while Libby closes it behind him and blocks them. Kim runs down the fire escape, almost getting caught in the process. He is chased across the plaza by a security officer who tackles him to the ground, but this reality's Tom Paris punches the security guard and they both walk away quickly. After their escape, Paris and Kim take temporary shelter in a service alleyway. Kim tells Paris that he has a plan to restore the correct reality, but he will need a ship and a good pilot. They can break the Yellowstone out of spacedock, and Paris can fly it. Paris beams them to Kim's office using a hand-portable site-to-site transporter. In Kim's office, Kim accesses the runabout's access codes, and they beam to the Yellowstone. Paris flies them through the rapidly closing spacedock doors, and they head for the time-stream coordinates. A Nebula-class starship is pursuing them, thinking the two are trying to steal the prototype runabout. The starship fires, knocking out their shields with just a few shots. The prototype was not yet complete, and many of the safety interlocks were not installed. The ship begins to lose anti-matter containment. Kim gets the idea to vent the tetryon plasma, which disrupts subspace, from the ship's warp nacelles, which would cause the pursuing ship to stall when it hit the resulting plasma cloud. They do, and the pursuing starship is slowed, but their joy is short-lived when the warp core begins to overload. Kim desperately tries to recreate all the conditions that were in place before his accident as best he can remember. They impact the time stream, but nothing happens, and Kim remembers that he was in the midst of an emergency transport. The ship loses antimatter containment, and the core will breach in twenty-five seconds. Paris orders Kim to get onto the transporter pad, but Kim doesn't want to go until they can contain the breach. Paris tells him that if this works, everything will be back to the way it should be and he'll find Paris back on Voyager. He then shoves Kim onto the transporter pad and beams him into the time stream, just as the ship explodes. Kim opens his eyes and finds he is back in his correct reality, and Captain Janeway is still hailing him, telling him to drop the shields of his shuttle and prepare for emergency beam-out. Voyager manages to beam Kim out of his shuttle just before it suffers a hull breach, and Kim, back on Voyager, is relieved to find Tom Paris alive and on the bridge. He tells Paris he owes him one, much to Paris' bewilderment. 
<EOS>
Kes is walking purposefully through the ship and eventually enters Sandrine's on the holodeck. Uncharacteristically, the lights are off and no one seems to be present. Then most of the senior staff come out of hiding, including The Doctor; they are throwing her a surprise party for her second birthday. On the bridge, Tuvok is receiving a report from Ensign Kim on the tasks he has completed. Tuvok calls him on trying to leave his post early in order to go to the holodeck, which Kim admits to, but Tuvok then assigns him to checking conduits in the holodeck systems as a reprieve. Before he can leave, however, an odd spatial anomaly is detected that they cannot identify. Back on the holodeck, Neelix reveals the cake he made for Kes' birthday and Captain Janeway and Torres explain the wish-making tradition with the candles. Tom Paris presents Kes with a locket as a present, annoying Neelix. On the bridge, Kim and Tuvok quickly discover that the energy field has enveloped USS Voyager and they cannot escape. Tuvok then attempts to contact the captain, but halfway through his description of the incident, the Comm system distorts. Torres has opened an access hatch to try to figure out what's wrong with the comm system because the reverberating communication from Tuvok is repeating, but it soon stops on its own. Janeway knows there's a problem, so she orders all of the crew back to their stations. On the bridge, Tuvok sends Kim to find the captain due to the obvious malfunction with the comm system. Everyone quickly runs into issues with orientation. Janeway, Paris, and Chakotay try to verbally get the turbolift to go to the bridge and end up on deck four. Attempting to manually navigate the turbolift lands them in engineering. Kes and Neelix, walking to Kes' quarters, find the quarters of someone else where they believe hers should be, and also notice multiple sets of quarters on the same level that should be on different decks. B'Elanna, walking to engineering, instead ends up in the mess hall. Kim runs into a crewman who is also lost and tells him to try to report to his duty station. B'Elanna then runs into the same crewman in a transporter room, both of them having become disoriented again. Even The Doctor cannot relocate back to sickbay electronically. Kim walks in on him attempting to fend off advances from Sandrine and agrees to try to help with relocating his program. Eventually, everyone ends up back at the holodeck. The crew deduces that the ship is being reconfigured by the phenomenon Kim described and Janeway assigns tasks; Paris will go with Torres to engineering since they managed to end up there when they were trying to go to the bridge, and then they'll try to transport onto the bridge. Janeway and Kim will try to get to the bridge via a Jefferies tubes that should lead right to it. Chakotay says he will use his tricorder to try mapping out the current layout of the ship, and Neelix volunteers to go with him. Kes remains in the holodeck to try to help The Doctor relocate (and fend off Sandrine). When the ship was affected by an inversion field, the quarters were on other decks, but Kes says her quarters are on Deck 8; Lieutenant Hargrove's quarters are on Deck 7; Ensign Kyoto's quarters are on Deck 6, Susan Nicoletti's quarters is on Deck 4 and Ayala's quarters is on Deck 7. Paris and Torres successfully end up in engineering and modifying the transporter, only encountering a slight issue when Torres tries to go through an access door and walks in on a crewman just out of the shower. Chakotay and Neelix encounter mild confusion when they seem to be doubling back on themselves. Neelix engages him in a conversation about jealousy before they run into Tuvok, who was looking for the captain and became similarly disoriented. After running into Tuvok, Neelix wanders off and disappears. Kim and Janeway are crawling through the Jefferies tube, though Kim mentions they have been doing so for much longer than they should have to. Janeway takes the opportunity to tell Kim of how impressed she is with his performance since Voyager got stuck in the Delta Quadrant, managing to pass all the expectations she had of him. They find what they believe is the access hatch, but when they open it, Janeway comes into contact with the anomaly. Kim pulls Janeway out of the anomaly and she seems okay, but then becomes delirious. Chakotay and Tuvok continue trying to map out their path. They have a disagreement regarding how to proceed through the corridors, and Chakotay says they should just split up to cover more ground. Then, despite heading in nearly opposite directions, they run into each other at the next intersection, at which point Chakotay theorizes that the ship is constantly reconfiguring itself. The Doctor, meanwhile, is still unable to transfer back to sickbay and has thoroughly annoyed the other holodeck characters. B'Elanna and Paris finish the modifications to allow them to transport to the bridge, but when they initialize it, they end up back on the holodeck again. Then Kim comes in with the captain and tells them of how she came into contact with the anomaly. The doctor and Kes take over her care. When Chakotay and Tuvok arrive back at the holodeck, Kim suggests they pool all of their tricorder data to develop a map of the ship. Once complete, it reveals that Voyager appears to be imploding. Tuvok reveals that if his calculations are correct, the anomaly will crush the entire ship in a little over an hour. Chakotay asks for solutions. B'Elanna says she can try to almost overload the warp core to generate a shock pulse. Tuvok suggests having someone go to the navigational controls and manually initiate Voyager's  thrusters to move them out of the anomaly. Chakotay goes with B'Elanna's plan and when Tuvok begins to object, Chakotay vehemently overrides him and asserts his command. B'Elanna and Harry successfully initiate the shock pulse, but it doesn't seem to have an effect on the anomaly. Then B'Elanna and Harry notice that the anomaly has enveloped engineering and is moving faster than before. They rush back to the holodeck and inform everyone that their plan failed. Chakotay says they should try Tuvok's, but then Tuvok points out they can't; the anomaly has already reached the holodeck. B'Elanna tries containing the anomaly with a holodeck force-field, but the anomaly breaks right through it. She begins suggesting alternatives, but Tuvok impresses upon everyone to do nothing. He points out they have tried all sensible actions, and they do not know that contact with the anomaly is fatal. Janeway bolts up and shouts what the crew thinks is gibberish (though she is actually saying "It's talking to me, do nothing!") at that point. Chakotay agrees with Tuvok and gets B'Elanna to go along with it as well. Chakotay and Torres try to reach their spirit guides while Kim and Paris reflect on their pasts. Everyone waits while the anomaly overruns them. Afterward, everyone seems to be fine, including the captain, who says she believed the anomaly was trying to communicate. They all (successfully) go to the bridge and B'Elanna reports that 20 million gigaquads of information was uploaded to their computers, while their computer database was copied. Janeway guesses it may have been the only way the lifeform had to communicate. As the crew reflect, Neelix arrives on the bridge with Kes's birthday cake and the crew resume their celebrations. 
<EOS>
Kes has started to train on operating a shuttle, and Tom Paris is instructing her in a shuttle simulation. It's going well, and Kes is jokingly berating Paris for putting her through a scenario involving clogged plasma injectors, calling his training challenge a 'dirty trick.' During their discussion, though, another problem in the scenario causes the simulated shuttle to throw Kes off her feet, into Paris's arms. Paris hesitates before releasing her, creating a brief awkward moment. However, they leave the simulation joking and laughing, while Neelix is revealed to be hiding around a corner from the holodeck, watching the pair depart. Meanwhile, Chakotay reports to Captain Janeway that there is a Class M planet a day away. It shows high amino acid and protein readings, indicating a healthy plant life that can replenish their decreasing reserves, however, a long range sensor scan can't confirm plant life due to EM interference. Without any other probable prospects to help their growing food crisis, Janeway decides to take the risk and go "Planet Hell," the nickname given by stellar cartography. After the shuttle simulation, Paris goes to Harry Kim's quarters, interrupting Kim's clarinet practice. Encouraging him to keep playing, Paris tries to hang out, but Kim sees something is wrong. Paris confides that he has fallen in love with Kes, to the shock of Kim, who cautions him that he needs to tread lightly. Meanwhile, Kes is shown having a romantic, candle light dinner with Neelix. As she recounts the shuttle simulation earlier in the day, Neelix becomes more and more agitated. Despite efforts to hide his jealousy, Neelix's bad mood is picked up on by Kes and the dinner become tense. The USS Voyager arrives at the planet, and it's confirmed that it can support humanoid life. The Doctor calls in, having eavesdropped on the communication. After berating them for not including their Chief medical officer in their conversations, he proactively says he has a dermal osmotic sealant that will help with the skin irritation caused by the trigemic vapor they are detecting. Janeway thanks him, but asks him not to eavesdrop any more. After she cuts his protest off, B'Elanna Torres says they won't be able to transport to the surface, so they'll need to shuttle down. Paris and Kim arrive in the mess hall. Paris was hoping to avoid Kes but, unfortunately, she is there, eating alone. Under the pretense of discussing bridge subjects, they sit by themselves, but Kim is soon called away. Paris stays where he is, but Kes knows what's happening and leaves. Then, Neelix confronts Paris and they get in a brawl, during which Paris' and Kim's lunches end up on himself and Neelix. Janeway then calls both of them to her ready room, forcing them to display the hair pasta stains to her. She informs them they'll be flying down to retrieve food sources. Paris suggests Ensign Baytart, but Janeway disagrees and simply says whatever their conflict is they need to work it out. During a senior staff meeting, Torres says she has no more luck with the transporter, and Kim says there may be windows in the EM disturbances to beam supplies, but they are not very predictable at the moment. Paris and Neelix are uncomfortable and it shows to Kes as they leave. Paris completely ignores her, and Neelix won't discuss it until after he gets back. Kes goes back to sickbay frustrated, and noticeably so to the Doctor. His programming forces him to ask about it, and Kes eventually explains what happened. The Doctor notes to her Paris' obvious affection toward her, something she assumed was platonic. Kes isn't sure what to do, as at home these situations never occurred. He recommends she may not be able to do anything. Paris and Neelix reluctantly start their mission, and the tension is palpable and thinly-veiled. Soon, it drops as the EM interference causes the shuttle to go down. Tuvok sees they made a deep descent, and Janeway now knows the shuttle is in trouble. It's up to Torres to work out the transporter issues. The shuttle has crashed on the surface, but Paris and Neelix survived. Paris knows the Voyager is trying to find them, but it may be days. The high levels of trigemic vapors cause Paris and Neelix to search for food and a cave in which to shelter, all the while continuing to argue. After sealing themselves in, they heat up some rocks and Neelix proceeds to bicker some more when they hear noises. Orbiting around the planet, the crew attempts to search for the crashed shuttle, but are attacked by an alien ship. The ship positions itself between the planet and Voyager, apparently protecting something. Paris and Neelix discover a footprint and a nest of eggs. One of the eggs hatches, revealing a reptohumanoid creature. The two are amazed. Torres suggests they take the Voyager through the next opening in the EM interference so as to get a better transporter lock on Paris and Neelix. Kim is left to get a better prediction of that window while Janeway tasks Tuvok with getting around the alien ship. Tuvok proposes taking advantage of a slight phase retraction in their shield configuration with a covariant phaser pulse, disabling their weapons systems with minimal damage to the ship. Janeway agrees and sets the crew in motion. Neelix and Paris discover that the species is sentient, and Paris intends to leave before its mother comes. Neelix insists they are now responsible for its care, as they have probably cut it off from its mother. The baby needs food, and it is getting weaker. Paris eventually relents, and they observe the infant. It's shivering, so Neelix picks it up in his jacket. After rejecting the field rations, they find out that the vapors contain the nutrients the infant needs. They'll need to go outside. Meanwhile, Voyager disables the weapons of the alien ship, and descends into the planet's atmosphere. The other ship follows. Paris and Neelix take the infant outside, but it's seemingly too weak to take in enough vapor. Neelix panics and insists they use the cordrazine in their bag, but Paris disagrees, not knowing its body chemistry. He then gets the idea to fill the hypospray with the vapor, concentrating it. He applies it directly to its mouth, and it finally recovers. The two congratulate each other, and Neelix starts to apologize to Paris, admitting he hears other crewmembers talking about Paris and it influenced his behavior. Paris admits he is attracted to Kes, but respects Neelix enough to stay away and, further, he wants a better reputation for himself, and wants to change. The two become cordial now, and soonafter, Paris is able to contact the ship. Janeway wants to immediately beam them out, but Neelix insists they wait until they're sure the infant is all right. They detect an adult of the species coming close, and Neelix pleads to wait the maximum amount of time. She agrees to wait a minute, and, sure enough, they see the adult arrive and take the baby. With a loud roar of protest at their presence, Paris calls for the beam-out. When Neelix and Paris are beamed back aboard Voyager, they are greeted by Kes. She is both relieved to find them alive and shocked to find that Neelix and Paris have apparently resolved their fight over her. Furthermore, Neelix leads the pair to the mess hall in order to open a bottle of Potak cold fowl that he had been saving for a special occasion. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager is on her way to engineering when Lieutenant Tom Paris calls her via combadge to inform her that he has finished plotting a course through Botha space. As Janeway continues toward engineering, Neelix approaches her and warns her that they will have to be careful as they travel through Bothan space. Janeway is short-tempered with Neelix and delays their discussion for later. When Janeway arrives in engineering, B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim are ready to test a new system of holo-projection that would allow The Doctor to appear in key areas of the ship other than sickbay and the holodeck. The test fails, however, because when The Doctor appears, his image is miniaturized. Janeway is visibly stressed, rubbing her temples as though she has a headache and raising her voice to the crew. Tuvok then contacts Janeway wanting to discuss security protocols before they encounter the Botha, and Janeway promises that she will find the necessary thirty minutes for him somehow. The Doctor sees that Janeway is exhausted and overworked, and asks her when she last took the time to relax. She admits that it's been a while, around two months prior since she has had shore leave and a few weeks since she last used the holodeck. The Doctor, recognizing the fact this is almost certainly the first time a hologram has given an order to a captain, uses his authority as chief medical officer and orders her to take some time in the holodeck to relax. Janeway, unable to help but be amused, agrees. The Doctor then angrily tells Kim and Torres to get to work on fixing their "ridiculous blunder." In the holodeck, Janeway runs Janeway Lambda one, a Gothic holographic novel (holonovel). The holonovel diverges from its original plot as Lord Burleigh, her employer in the holonovel, declares his love for her character and kisses her. Their embrace is interrupted by the entrance of the housekeeper, Mrs. Templeton, and Lord Burleigh's children, Henry and Beatrice, for afternoon tea. The plot of the holonovel returns to its Gothic storyline as Janeway's character alludes to mysterious piano music coming from the music room and confronts Lord Burleigh about the mysterious goings-on in the house, including a fourth floor corridor she is forbidden to explore. The confrontation is interrupted when Janeway is called to the bridge by Chakotay to communicate with a representative of the Bothan government whose ship has approached Voyager. When Janeway arrives on the bridge, Neelix warns Janeway that he has heard reports of numerous ships disappearing without explanation in Bothan space. He also warns her that the Bothans fiercely protect their territory from outsiders. The Bothan representative appears on the viewscreen obscured by strong lighting and orders Janeway to wait for a Bothan ship to rendezvous with Voyager before the Bothans decide if Voyager will be allowed to proceed through Bothan space. Janeway proceeds to the mess hall with Neelix to continue their discussion and to eat lunch. On the buffet, she sees a plate of cucumber sandwiches eerily similar to the ones on the tea table in Lord Burleigh's mansion in her holonovel. As soon as she has recovered from the shock of the coincidence, Neelix serves her tea in a porcelain cup that appears to resemble exactly the porcelain cup that Beatrice, Lord Burleigh's daughter, broke in the holonovel program. Janeway has convinced herself that these occurrences are coincidences, but as she walks down the corridor, passing by Lieutenant Ayala, she hears Lord Burleigh's voice reiterating his love for her. When she turns around, though, it's obvious Ayala wasn't speaking. Then she sees the image of Beatrice Burleigh in the corridor, and Beatrice speaks to Janeway and then vanishes. Convinced that there is a logical explanation for the appearance of the holonovel objects and characters outside of the holodeck, she returns to engineering to ask B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim if their experiments with The Doctor caused Beatrice to appear in the corridor. They don't understand how, since they didn't interface with the holodeck and the holo-emitters used were fresh out of storage. Nevertheless, they decide to run a diagnostic on the holodeck systems just in case. Janeway returns to the holodeck to activate the program so that engineering can perform the diagnostic. Lord Burleigh again tries to kiss her, but she deletes his character. The diagnostic comes up clean, so Janeway returns to the mess hall and asks Neelix about the lunch. She discovers that Neelix served fried murt cakes, not cucumber sandwiches, and he served her tea in an ordinary metal mug, not a porcelain cup. The appearances of those items were in Janeway's head. She examines the cup he actually served her in, and it is perfectly normal. Now, convinced the problem must be medical, Janeway reports to sickbay to be examined by The Doctor. He finds no brain malfunction to account for her hallucinations. While The Doctor is examining Janeway, Kes, who is assisting him, experiences a strange sensation, which Janeway describes with the Human phrase "someone was walking on your grave", which puts off Kes and the Doctor, who were unfamiliar with the saying. Then Beatrice appears to Janeway again, taunting her. Janeway asks The Doctor who he sees, but he only sees Janeway, seemingly confirming this is in Janeway's mind until Kes enters, and sees Beatrice too. Kes' telepathic presence somehow reflects the image, causing it to disappear into Janeway again. The Doctor orders Janeway to return to her quarters to rest. In her quarters, she hears the voice of her fiance, Mark Johnson, who is back on Earth. He claims she no longer loves him but is in love with someone else instead. When she tries to leave her quarters, Mrs. Templeton, the housekeeper from the holonovel, appears with a knife and begins to attack Janeway. Janeway is roused by Tuvok in sickbay, where Kes can also see Mrs. Templeton and reflects the image again. Janeway has never left sickbay; the entire incident in her quarters was a hallucination. Janeway relinquishes control of the ship to first officer Chakotay while she undergoes further medical testing. Kes asserts that something strange is happening on the ship and suggests that Janeway may not be the only crew member suffering from it. Back on the bridge, an alien ship approaches. A Bothan representative appears on the viewscreen and questions Chakotay about Voyager's weapon capabilities. Tuvok terminates the transmission while making the termination look accidental. He has encountered suspicious energy readings that may indicate cloaked ships. Two ships decloak in front of Voyager and the Bothans arm their weapons. The two small ships attack Voyager, causing minor shield damage. Voyager returns fire; meanwhile, Harry Kim discovers that the two smaller ships contain no life signs. He says they must be automated and are being controlled by the larger Bothan ship. Despite this, Voyager continues to pointlessly fire at the drone ships instead of targeting the one "real" opponent. The Bothan ships move to surround Voyager and continue to fire. Voyager cannot evade them, so Chakotay orders a full stop. The Bothan representative appears again on the viewscreen and orders the crew to surrender. Janeway, who has returned to the bridge during the attack, refuses to surrender. The Bothan comes forward from the obscuring light on the viewscreen and appears to be Janeway's fiance, Mark. Other officers on the bridge see their own friends and loved ones on the screen. The Bothan appears to Tom Paris as his father, to Harry Kim as his girlfriend, and to Tuvok as T'Pel, his wife. Tuvok sees his Vulcan lute on the console in front of him and hallucinates that he is back on Vulcan. While Tuvok experiences these hallucinations, he becomes catatonic. Janeway tries to wake him but cannot rouse him. One by one, members of the crew fall into catatonic states of hallucination. Torres explains that the hallucinations may be caused by a massive bioelectric energy field, or psionic field, coming from the Bothan ships. Torres proposes remodulating the shields as a temporary defense mechanism while she creates a resonance burst from the warp core to block the field. It is becoming increasingly difficult to accomplish things on the bridge, as every member of the crew except Janeway, Torres, Chakotay, The Doctor, Paris, and Kes have become catatonic. While Torres is attempting to create the resonance burst, Chakotay comes to engineering. He says they are the last ones left conscious on the ship and suggests that they take an escape pod and head for a class M planet Voyager passed by the day before. When Torres refuses and insists that they need to continue trying to help the others, Chakotay becomes amorous, declares his desire for Torres, and kisses her. She realizes that it is not the real Chakotay, but she becomes sucked into a sexual fantasy anyhow. Soon after, Paris also succumbs to a hallucination of his disapproving father, despite resistance. Janeway then decides to go to engineering (no one in engineering is awake) and finds a catatonic Chakotay inside a turbolift. On her way to engineering, Janeway encounters a delusion of Mark, and tries to resist him but eventually succumbs and the two fall into a passionate embrace. By the time the turbolift reaches its destination, Janeway is also catatonic. After this, Kes and The Doctor are the only ones left, and The Doctor sends Kes to engineering since she is now the only one left to create the resonance burst in engineering. On her way, Kes finds that she is also starting to succumb to the alien's influence when she encounters a hallucination of an injured Tom Paris, horribly burned by a plasma leak. She manages to leave the illusory Paris behind and resumes heading towards engineering. In the engine room, The Doctor walks Kes through the process over a small viewscreen. Then, Neelix enters engineering and approaches Kes. He tries to convince her to leave the ship with him, but Kes realizes it is another hallucination designed to prevent her from completing the resonance burst. "Neelix" becomes angry; suddenly, Kes appears to be covered in boils or burns of some kind. She is in agonizing pain, but The Doctor encourages her to confront the hallucination and focus her telepathic energy on it. She does so, and the boils reflect onto the false Neelix. "Neelix" reverts to his true form, a Bothan, and Kes activates the resonance burst, freeing the crew from their catatonic states. Janeway comes to engineering and confronts the weakened alien, questioning him about the motives behind his attack; he claims to have perpetrated the attack simply because he can. Janeway also questions him about the telepathic attack and asks whether it was caused by telepathy alone or technology. Janeway says she will destroy the alien's technology, if there is technology involved, or lock up the alien. However, the alien reveals he is not really there and vanishes, as he was just a hallucination too. The Bothan ships vanish as well, and Voyager is left alone. The ship returns to normal, but Captain Janeway admits that there are a number of unanswered questions about the incident. While sitting in the mess hall, Janeway and Torres discuss the incident and Janeway suggests that the alien may have done them a favour by forcing them to confront their buried emotions. Torres leaves as she has an early watch the next morning and wishes to sleep. Janeway wishes her pleasant dreams. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay and an away team are investigating some polyferranide deposits on an uninhabited moon when Tuvok discovers an unusual symbol in the remains of a long-dead campfire. This symbol sparks a flashback in Chakotay, returning him to a memory of a childhood camping trip in Central America with his father, Kolopak. The young Chakotay sees the same symbol carved into a fallen tree trunk. His father calls the symbol a CHAH-mooz-ee and explains to him that the local tribe are descendants of the ancient Rubber Tree People, just as they themselves are, and left it as a blessing to the land after cutting down the tree for firewood. Unlike their own tribe, the local tribe never left the jungles, living as the Rubber Tree People did and are the closest thing to the ancient tribe in the modern era. As they discuss their ancestral traditions, Chakotay displays unconcern and dislike for his father's insistence on following traditional beliefs. His father attempts to teach Chakotay about the Sky Spirits and their role in Indian history, but Chakotay remains skeptical. As the scene reverts to the present, Chakotay tells the others that the symbol is "a blessing to the land, for damaging it with the campfire."  Tuvok is skeptical, and Chakotay plays down his knowledge of the rituals. Back on USS Voyager, Ensign Wildman is in sickbay, complaining of a "shooting" pain in her lower back. The Doctor informs her that the baby is fine, it is just pressing against a nerve in her back. Kes wants to relieve Wildman of duty for a couple of days, but The Doctor refuses, telling her that she'd just have to "learn to live with" the discomforts surrounding pregnancy, and schedules her for a follow-up appointment. After she leaves, Kes lectures The Doctor about showing compassion for his patients, and he replies by stating that Voyager is crewed by adults, and that he would not "coddle them."  As Kes leaves, The Doctor refutes her arguments (to himself) by proclaiming that he doesn't have a life, only a program. In the meantime, Chakotay and Captain Janeway are discussing Chakotay's flashback on the surface of the moon as they walk into his quarters. He reveals that he'd hated the expedition, expressing his dislike for being away from home and friends near the Cardassian border for an expedition in the jungle, seeking the closest descendants of the ancient Rubber Tree People. Chakotay shows the captain a picture of the pattern he found; set against the ceremonial stone from his medicine bundle, the designs are nearly identical. Chakotay can offer only one explanation, citing an ancient myth that claims that a group of "Sky Spirits" created the Rubber Tree People and led them to a "sacred land" where they could live eternal lives. Janeway points out that he doesn't seem to believe the myth, and Chakotay counters by bringing up the story of Adam and Eve, comparing that belief to his. The captain reveals that B'Elanna Torres has detected a warp trail leading away from the moon, and asks Chakotay if he thinks they should follow it. He claims to not want to put his interests ahead of the ship's, while Janeway counters by claiming that the race that left the trail might have the polyferranide the crew needs. Chakotay agrees with her logic. The crew tracks the warp signature to an M-Class planet, but sensors can't find any life signs on the surface. They do, however, discover some unusually elevated EM readings, which are too high to be natural. Chakotay believes it is some sort of cloaking device, and Janeway orders Ensign Kim to transmit a continuous identification message. Lieutenant Torres then calls to inform the captain that they've discovered large deposits of polyferranide some ten kilometers underground. The captain orders an away mission to survey the deposit, and Chakotay, Torres, Tuvok, and Neelix prepare to transport to the surface. In the transporter room, however, problems arise. Torres and the transporter chief have tried seven sets of beam-down coordinates, but each time they lock on, a mysterious thunderstorm develops which blocks transport. Tuvok speculates that the transporter beam is causing electrostatic discharges in the atmosphere, and the team decides to proceed in a shuttle. As the shuttle enters the planet's atmosphere, another mysterious storm develops, sparking another of Chakotay's excursions into memories of similar times long ago. As they were waiting out a downpour in the rainforest, young Chakotay and his father had another disagreement about the nature and intentions of the Sky Spirits, and Chakotay still seems skeptical of their existence. Outside of the shuttle, Chakotay sees a man's face in the flashes of lightning. The Doctor has "infected" himself with the symptoms of the 29-hour Levodian flu to prove a point to Kes, who is worried he is unable to feel compassion for the patients he treats. Meanwhile on the planet, the away team searches a jungle. Chakotay spots a rare flower which appears identical to one he saw during the camping trip with his father. While Torres discovers a possible lead on the mineral, Chakotay is distracted by a hawk. He remembers telling his father his plans to leave the tribe to join Starfleet. His father has mixed emotions: he recognizes his son's desire to explore the universe, but is worried that if young Chakotay leaves the tribe now he will forever be caught between worlds. Amid their conflict, they discover a primitive structure. Back in the present, Neelix has apparently been attacked by the same hawk Chakotay saw. While trying to fight the hawk off, Chakotay again sees a brief flash of a face. As Neelix beams out, Tuvok discovers an alien structure which amazingly resembles the primitive structure from Chakotay's past; while this structure obviously consists of materials from a high tech society, the way they used them is in nearly the exact same manner. The Doctor treats Neelix, pointing out that he is twenty hours into his sickness and still does not require compassion. After examining the structure and surrounding area, the Away team reports that while there was a civilization nearby but it left quickly, just before their arrival on the surface. Chakotay believes that with no evidence to the contrary that the beings are hiding nearby and orders the team to lay down their weapons, as his father had on the journey in his past. On that trip, after laying down their weapons to show that they posed no threat, the primitive descendants of the Rubber Tree People from which Chakotay's tribe also descends appeared from the brush to make friendly contact. A severe storm strikes up very quickly, causing the away team to try to get back to their shuttle. Chakotay sees an alien figure running through the brush and is separated when a tree is blown over, knocking him to the ground and knocking off his combadge. Thus when Tuvok calls for an emergency beam out, Chakotay is left behind. Paris scans the ground and finds no trace of the shuttle. Janeway prepares to return to the surface to find the commander but is interrupted by the EMH -- his 29-hour flu has lasted thirty hours, causing him to panic. Kes admits she added two hours to the illness The Doctor programmed, to teach him a lesson. Chakotay awakens and returns to the structure. He attempts once again to address the aliens, telling them they have nothing to fear from him. He remembers his earlier experience: the Rubber Tree People stripped their clothes off and drew the tattoo symbol on his father's forehead. Chakotay strips down and dons a robe he finds in the structure. When it becomes clear that weather prevents any attempt to beam down to the surface, Tuvok postulates that someone is controlling the climate to prevent visitors. Left with no other choice, Janeway decides to prepare Voyager to land on the surface to search for the missing commander. However the landing goes wrong and Voyager gets caught in a cyclone when the weather's severity suddenly increases. Paris fights with the controls while Torres down in Engineering squeezes out every bit of power she can for the engines, but it's not enough and Voyager is in danger of crashing on the surface. Chakotay takes shelter from the intense weather in a cave where he once more tries to communicate with the aliens. This time he is apparently successful: several armed humanoid aliens appear, each with a tattoo similar to his own. They however only speak in the tribal language of the Rubber Tree People and Chakotay's tribe, which he admits he never learned. He does however recognize the lead alien saying the same words as the lead tribesman did to his father. Chakotay can only repeat "CHAH-mooz-ee"; the lead alien walks up to him and sees his tattoo. The lead alien puts a device in his hands, which turns out to be a universal translator. The alien is shocked to learn that he is Human, and calls him a descendant of "The Inheritors"; they had been taught that Chakotay's more recent ancestors had been annihilated, and Earth ravaged by others with no respect for the land or other living creatures. Chakotay states that is no longer true, but admits that he has no memory of Inheritors. As a descendant, Chakotay is supposed to have the memory as one of their gifts, but the alien accepts that perhaps it has been lost over time; the previous flashes of the man's face in Chakotay's mind is all he has received. Touching Chakotay's collarbone, he shows him the memory. 45,000 years previously, the alien's people visited Earth and ran across a small group of primitive nomadic hunters, who had no spoken language and no culture other than fire and stone tools. Deeply impressed by their respect for the land and other living creatures, the beings gifted the people with an inheritance, a genetic bonding, in the exact same way that the alien is touching Chakotay now, so the hunters might thrive and protect their world. They monitored Chakotay's ancient ancestors with subsequent visits and found that their genetic gift brought about a spirit of curiosity and adventure, which impelled the Humans who received the gift, whom the Spirits referred to as "the Inheritors," to migrate away from their cold climate to the North and South American continents over the course of nearly a thousand generations. Eventually, they numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but thousands of years later they were decimated by invaders from other lands with weapons and disease. Those who survived scattered, many seeking refuge in other societies. When the Sky Spirits eventually returned twelve generations ago, they found no signs of the Inheritors' existence. They are the Sky Spirits Chakotay's people have worshiped for countless generations. The Sky Spirit goes on to explain that when they received Voyager's message of peace, they were worried -- they were afraid that Voyager's Human crew, like the Human conquerors generations ago, were dishonest and intended to wipe them out. After Chakotay explains that they've tried to change their ways and they mean no harm, the weather suddenly dissipates, freeing Voyager. Chakotay is given as much polyferranide as the Sky Spirits are willing to part with, and though they apologize that it is not the full amount Voyager needs, Chakotay is grateful for their generosity. Chakotay tells the lead Sky Spirit about how he joined the Maquis and took the tattoo after his father died defending the colony from the Cardassians, and spoke to him on vision quests, but he never answered until now. Chakotay is located by an away team and says goodbye to the Sky Spirit people. As a hawk flies overhead, he hears his father's voice, "Do you hear him, Chakotay?" "Yes father," Chakotay says aloud, "I finally hear him." 
<EOS>
Ten months previously, the USS Voyager was pulled into the Delta Quadrant by a powerful being known as the Caretaker. When he died, the crew of Voyager were stranded 70,000 light years from home. Before his death, he revealed that he had a female counterpart, giving the crew hope that she may be able to return them to the Alpha Quadrant. Kes receives studies in honing her telepathic abilities from Tuvok in his quarters. When Tuvok asks her to focus her mind, Kes begins hearing the thoughts of Neelix, who is getting a haircut in another part of the ship. Kes begins to giggle, much to Tuvok's annoyance. Tuvok ends the session and promises to give her a lesson how to reduce her emotional outbursts and better control her mind. Kes then leaves and arrives in sickbay late for her shift. The Doctor begins to gently criticize her tardiness when he is interrupted by a high-pitched, shrill noise. Kes and The Doctor open a panel to find the source of the sound -- the Caretaker's remains shaking. Kathryn Janeway and B'Elanna Torres are summoned to sickbay. Torres scans the Caretaker's remains and confirms that the remains are completely inert and dead. Janeway refuses to believe that they simply sprung to life for a few seconds without a reason, but as they discuss their options the remains starting shaking again. Torres now reads life-signs, but they're not coming from the remains; rather they are reacting in response to a sporocystian energy source -- another Caretaker lifeform. Remembering that the dying Caretaker had mentioned a female of its kind, Janeway wonders if she could be nearby. If so, a meeting with her could be their ticket home. Kim, on the bridge, does read lifesigns but cannot pinpoint the location exactly. Torres hypothesizes they can use the remains to locate the signal more accurately and gets to work. Meanwhile, Tuvok is concerned with the raw energy of the first Caretaker; the Voyager was completely at his mercy. Tuvok and Janeway don't want a repeat of this occurrence. As a precaution, Tuvok begins work on a toxin that could debilitate the female lifeform without killing her if she poses a threat. Soon, another surge of energy comes and Torres eventually confirms a heading. Following the energy trail, the crew comes upon a space station that looks similar to (except being considerably smaller than) the Caretaker's array. Interestingly, it is inhabited by over two thousand Ocampa. Voyager hails the station, but receives no response. The station then begins firing on the ship. After a few warning shots, an Ocampan man appears and warns Janeway to move away from the station, cutting off the transmission without hearing her response. Janeway is surprised and disappointed. Later, Janeway summons Kes to the bridge. Kes agrees to act as the crew's liaison to her people, and speaks to the Ocampa leader, Tanis. He then agrees to board Voyager. Janeway assures him that the crew comes in peace, but oddly, he doesn't believe her, citing the Voyager's reputation. Unbeknownst to the crew, the Caretaker's death and the conflict with the Kazon have been attributed to them and has become widespread belief. Janeway further tries to explain it isn't true, but Tanis telepathically asks Kes to meet with him privately. Tanis then expresses interest in Kes and her life up until now. He also tells Kes that the female Caretaker, Suspiria, is nearby. She has taken care of this group of Ocampa for 300 years, and has taught them to develop their psychokinetic skills and drastically extend their life span. Tanis, for example, is fourteen years old, which Kes can hardly believe, noting that a typical Ocampa lifespan is only nine years. He shows Kes a sample of the powerful abilities she has yet to tap, blooming all of the plants in the airponics bay. Kes, overwhelmed with the discovery, reports back to Janeway. She is happy for her, but also advises her to be careful when dealing with this group of Ocampa. On the station, Tanis telepathically communicates with Suspiria, who demands that he deliver Voyager to her. Tanis comes back to the ship in order to share a dinner in the captain's mess with the crew and Kes. During, Janeway and Chakotay ask about Suspiria's existence, though Tanis doesn't know that much about how she exists, only that she's there when they need to communicate. He promises to take them to the meeting place so they can ask her. Tanis also invites Kes to stay with the other Ocampa, much to Neelix's surprise, in order to learn more about her abilities. Kes is immediately dismissive but Janeway asks her to give the decision some thought. Later, in engineering, Tuvok and the Doctor are successful at creating a way to disable the female Caretaker by creating a toxin that induces temporary paralysis. Tuvok hopes it is not needed, and so Janeway approves of them going forward. Meanwhile, Tanis begins tutoring Kes on using her telepathic skills. Kes successfully learns how to move a cup with her mind and how to boil water. Neelix watches with amazement, congratulating her, and agrees to go with Kes if she decides to leave Voyager and live with the Ocampans on the station. On the bridge, Tanis hails Suspiria, who will respond within 47 hours. In the meantime, Kes meets with Tuvok to show him the mental abilities she learned from Tanis. The demonstration nearly ends in disaster when Kes tries to boil water with her mind and, to her horror, inadvertently begins to heat Tuvok's blood as well (his blood cell membranes ruptured when their temperature increased by 37 degrees in a matter of seconds). He collapses in shock, writhing in agony. Fortunately, Tuvok recovers from the near-fatal incident, waking up in sickbay. Tuvok tells Kes not to feel remorse, but instead to use this experience to learn from her mental mistake. He also agrees to continue teaching her, much to Kes's relief. Tanis continues teaching Kes in the airponics bay, telling her that she can realize the full potential of her mental powers in her mind, even to the point of thinking of her non-telepathic crewmembers as "pets". Initially Kes is reluctant, but her emotions take over as she begins to touch her plants with her mind, first by enhancing their color. Tanis instructs Kes to "bring the fire" and she burns all of the plants in the airponics bay. She's disturbed, since she doesn't want to kill anything or anyone, but Tanis doesn't view that as important. Tanis urges Kes to leave Voyager and live on the Ocampa station, where he says she will be embraced by Suspiria and surrounded by her own people. On the station, the Ocampa would hone her telepathic skills to the level where Suspiria would let her go to Exosia, a subspace layer of pure thought and energy. Kes asks for more time to think about her decision. In engineering, the Caretaker's remains begin to resonate again -- Suspiria has arrived. Tanis says he is going to the bridge but instead goes to the mess hall to coax Kes off the ship again. Just then, a plasmatic energy field appears in main engineering. After hearing no response from Torres over the comm system, Tuvok and a security team investigate. Tuvok informs Janeway that Suspiria is the cause of the energy field and still in main engineering. Janeway goes down to engineering to talk to Suspiria, who has appeared as a little girl. Suspiria is ready to complete her mission of revenge (she believes Janeway killed her mate). Meanwhile, Kes is in the mess thinking about her choice when Tanis comes in to get her, enthusiastically to bring her to the other Ocampa. He invites her to listen to the others and to Suspiria, but then Kes becomes aware of the monstrous plot and backs away from him. In engineering, Suspiria attacks Janeway (in addition to Torres and Tuvok, who are suspended from the ceiling) and begins to destabilize the molecular composition of the ship. Kes attacks Tanis with her expanded psychic abilities after he mentally throws Neelix against the wall. Tanis' pain temporarily incapacitates Suspiria. Janeway is then able to fire the toxin, subduing her. Janeway allows Suspiria and Tanis to leave the ship (much to Suspiria's surprise; she did not expect mercy) while Kes remains with her friends on Voyager. Kes and Tuvok are back in his quarters relearning how to hone her telepathic abilities. Her abilities have drastically weakened with the departure of Tanis. Kes regrets her "dark impulses" that forced her to kill the plants in the airponics bay and her thoughts of leaving Voyager. Tuvok informs her that even Vulcans have such impulses, but that one must learn to control them rather than pretend that they do not exist. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres enter a turbolift. They're wearing civilian clothes. It quickly becomes apparent that they have just been pulled away from a game they've been playing -- one that Torres insists she was winning easily. Chakotay counters that he was just letting her run up a substantial lead so she would tense up when he staged a rally. She balks at the idea, virtually proving his point. "Easy, B'Elanna," he says with a smile. "It's only hoverball." Before she can respond, the lift halts at the bridge. There, Tuvok and Janeway explain that the USS Voyager is being hailed using a Federation signal emanating from a nearby beacon. Initial analysis of the beacon's carrier wave frequency indicates that its security code dates from a month after Voyager was thrown into the Delta Quadrant. Brief optimism that it might actually be from a Starfleet effort to find Voyager is quickly dashed by the appearance of a Kazon raider that immediately starts firing its weapons. A second, much smaller ship appears, clarifying the larger ship's pattern of attack. It is cutting a small hole in Voyager's shields so that the Kazon shuttle can breach Voyager's hull. The plan is successful, largely because the attack employs detailed knowledge of Starfleet vessels and security protocols. The Kazon shuttle enters the ship at cargo bay 2 on deck 4. Once inside Voyager, the raiding party outruns Tuvok's security detail, and heads for the transporter room on the same deck. They steal a transporter module and beam back to the main Kazon vessel -- after completely disabling Voyager's remaining transporters. The shuttle lodged in deck 4 has not only caused a dangerous hull breach, it's also preventing Voyager from establishing a stable warp field. Left with few alternatives, Janeway orders Chakotay to hold the Kazon vessel in a tractor beam. The vessel hails, revealing First Maje Culluh. Janeway insists on the return of the module, but Culluh refuses. Instead, he shows the secret to his successful raid: Seska emerges from behind Culluh to give a special greeting to Chakotay. Now undergoing therapy to restore her Cardassian physiology, Seska seems almost disappointed with Chakotay's predictability. She initiates a feedback loop with her deflector shields which disrupts the tractor beam. Free from Voyager, the Kazon ship quickly goes to warp. Voyager cannot pursue. Their heist of Federation transporter technology appears complete. Most of the senior staff examine the damage done by the Kazon shuttle. They sort through their repair priorities following the attack and determine that the shuttle's removal must take priority. Without its removal, Voyager cannot pursue the Kazon raider. Neelix initially resists Janeway's plan to pursue the Kazon ship, failing to understand why the extreme danger of tangling with the Kazon again is worth the risk. Janeway is firm and she explains that the impact of stolen Federation technology will irrevocably alter the balance of power in the Kazon Collective. Neelix and the rest of the senior staff quickly fall in line behind Janeway's priorities. Tuvok begins planning a response immediately, suggesting that Chakotay use his intimate history with Seska against her. On the Kazon raider, Culluh indicates that he's not going to stop with just the transporter module. He tries to enlist the aid of Maje Haron, leader of the Kazon-Relora. The basic terms of the deal are simple: If the Relora lend their support to Culluh, the Kazon-Nistrim will share Voyager's technological spoils with them. Back in engineering, Torres has found the technological solution to the problem. She tells Chakotay that the stolen transporter module contains a quantum resonance oscillator. If they modify a coil scanner to detect the oscillator, it will be possible to lock onto the module and beam it out. Chakotay believes that Seska will have anticipated this move and presses for a backup plan. Chakotay recalls a move Seska once made on a Maquis mission as providing the key to the problem. If he uses an anti-proton beam he'll be able to destroy the module. The problem is that they have to get relatively close to the Kazon raider for the plan to work. For the moment, Chakotay doesn't answer how he plans to get that close. Torres notes that Chakotay is taking Seska's reappearance very personally. She tries to comfort him by explaining that everyone was fooled by Seska. When that fails to ease him, Torres echoes his own words back to him. "Don't tense up", she says. Meanwhile, the negotiations between Majes Haron and Culluh continue. However, Haron appears to have the upper hand. He has a far greater number of troops and suggests that the only reason the Nistrim need help with this operation is because Culluh's grandfather wasted the Nistrim's resources. Therefore he proposes that Culluh should give the transporter to him and allow the Relora to perform the operation alone. This meets with violent objection but Seska manages to calm tensions between the two leaders temporarily. Voyager unwittingly discovers exactly how she was able to ease tensions between the two negotiating parties. Paris finds a gap in the raider's warp trail. When Voyager slows to investigate, they find Haron's body floating in space. In sickbay, Neelix ties together evidence supplied by The Doctor and Kes, along with his own visual inspection of Haron's uniform. Since the uniforms betray the corpse as belonging to the Relora -- known enemies of the Nistrim -- he suggests that the transporter module was used to beam Haron and his guards to their death in space. Janeway convenes a meeting of the senior staff to discuss the implementation of the plan devised by Chakotay and Torres, only to discover that Chakotay is no longer on the ship. A shuttlecraft has gone missing from the shuttlebay, taken by Chakotay. Dumbfounded by the lack of adequate safety protocols that could have prevented Chakotay from leaving, Janeway tries to understand what her first officer is doing. With the coil scanner missing from engineering, it becomes apparent that Chakotay intends to effect the plan on his own. Culluh upbraids Seska for suggesting that the Relora would join them. She apologizes but spins the incident deftly. She insinuates that his decision to kill the Maje of the Relora will send shock waves through the Kazon Collective. Word will spread quickly that he is a powerful leader with superior technology. Culluh warms to the idea and theorizes that the Relora were too strong to be sufficiently interested in his newfound technology. However, weaker sects, like the Mostral and the Hobii, might now join with him. When, however, Seska says that she's sent messages of invitation to other Majes in his name, he becomes enraged. He angrily tells her that she has overstepped her boundaries. Only he leads the sect. She begs his forgiveness and his anger abates. She tells him that the other sects have responded positively to "his" invitation. He dreams of being the first leader since Sankur to unite the sects. Torres enters the captain's ready room to try to explain why Chakotay has behaved as he has. Since Chakotay will likely not speak on his own behalf, should he be found, Torres wants to ensure that someone offer a defense for his actions, before she passes judgment on him. While Janeway remains firm in her conviction that there's no real excuse for his open defiance of the chain of command, she partly allays Torres by insisting that they worry about finding him now, while deferring discussion about his punishment until after his safe return. Meanwhile, Chakotay's shuttle is now powered down and situated just off the hull of Culluh's Kazon raider. He uses the oscillator to locate the transporter module. Just as he's about to release the anti-proton beam, however, Seska unmasks his position with a coherent polaron pulse and the raider begins to fire on the shuttle. She has the shuttle tractored into the raider. When a security team opens it up, however, they discover he's not there. He's beamed himself into position near the transporter module. He destroys the module using his phaser then taps on his combadge to instruct the shuttle to begin transmitting a message from a probe he launched just prior to the attack on his shuttle. He surrenders his phaser with the words, "Lovely to see you again." Voyager detects the probe's message which Chakotay recorded to explain that the signal has only been activated because he successfully disabled the transporter module. He warns Voyager to avoid coming to his rescue. Seska begins an interrogation, of sorts, with Chakotay back on the Kazon raider. He's non-responsive to a variety of approaches, including seduction. Along the way, he explains that he's not only deprived her of the transporter module, but that he also completely wiped the computers on the shuttle, rendering it worthless. He still has something she wants, though: Voyager's command codes. He refuses. Back on Voyager, Tuvok, Torres and Janeway struggle with how to proceed. Tuvok recommends that they follow Chakotay's recorded advice, and abandon him to the Kazon. Janeway is conflicted. Her better judgment agrees with Tuvok, but her "gut reaction" is to go after him. Torres agrees with Janeway and asks her a difficult question, "How would the loss of our first officer affect this crew?  What would it do to the morale on this ship?" Janeway considers for a moment, then orders Paris to lay in a course to Chakotay's shuttle. Meanwhile, Culluh has joined the interrogation of Chakotay. Now the questions are rougher, punctuated by hard fist blows. Chakotay responds to each punch by trying to appeal to Culluh as a man who's experienced Seska's manipulation. When he refuses to break, he is injected with a serum that affects his mind. Culluh insists on the command codes but still Chakotay doesn't break. Instead he says he has better information: "When Seska's through with you," he intones, "she's going to kill you." Seska interrupts the interrogation by claiming Chakotay is delirious. Culluh exits, promising to retun in one hour. When he's gone, Seska disagrees with Chakotay's assessment of her. She says that if she were a killer, he would have been dead long ago. Simultaneously, she pushes a needle between his shoulder blades, at the base of his neck. Tuvok announces that the Kazon raider is now only about a half a light year away, but it has been joined by six other vessels. Neelix ponders the improbability of Culluh having that many ships, and says that they must come from rival sects. He quickly adds, though, that he's never known of Kazon sects to form an alliance like this. Leaving the political ramifications to one side, Tuvok says that it would be tactically unsound to proceed into an area with so many enemy ships. The only solution, Janeway asserts, is to find a way to remove Chakotay "without picking a fight". Torres offers a radical solution. She suggests that they can beam Chakotay while traveling at warp speed. Kim, Tuvok and Janeway -- namely, the Starfleet personnel -- are dubious of Torres' plans, mainly because it flies in the face of Starfleet safety protocols. Torres insists she can do it, because she has done it while a part of the Maquis. Meanwhile, Culluh is conducting negotiations between the various Majes -- Loran of the Hobii, Surat of the Mostral, and Valek of the Oglamar. He appeals to them to make today the day that future Kazon children will remember as the day that the hegemony of the Relora and Ogla was ended. If they join together to seize Voyager, they will be the masters of the Kazon Collective. Valek is vocally opposed, and wonders whether they can actually defeat Voyager. Culluh claims he has Voyager's command codes. When Valek demands proof, Culluh at first seems slightly surprised, then has Commander Chakotay brought into the conference room. Chakotay looks like a man defeated by aggressive interrogation. As Voyager nears, Torres is having problems finding Chakotay's life signs. Tuvok reminds the captain there is no guarantee that Chakotay is still onboard the raider, or even alive. Janeway refuses to concede that point just yet and asks Torres for an update. She claims there's a dampening field in place which is disrupting the targeting scanners. Janeway theorizes that Seska could be masking Chakotay's signal. Torres reinitializes the transporter scanners to compensate for the field and finds him. Nevertheless, the dampening field prevents accurate beaming. Valek demands that Culluh use the command codes to disable Voyager. Culluh hesitates and instead orders a direct assault on the Federation ship. Now that a battle has been joined, Janeway presses Torres for results. She gets a transporter lock on Chakotay, and almost pulls him through. At the last moment, though, the Kazon ship alters the frequency of its dampening field and Chakotay remains aboard the Kazon ship. As Voyager is impacted by more direct hits, Janeway continues to wonder whether Torres can complete the transportation of Chakotay. Back on the Kazon raider, Valek continues to demand the use of the command codes. Culluh claims that he's having problems interfacing with the Federation technology. With their backs turned on the other Majes, Culluh and Seska look furtively at each other. Seska decides to leave for the bridge, claiming she might have better luck interfacing with Voyager there. Valek moves to stop Culluh from joining her, however. With Voyager's shields now almost depleted, Tuvok urgently recommends retreat. Janeway holds his recommendation briefly to consult with Torres. She asks how big the dampening field actually is. Torres responds that it's comparatively tiny -- just enough to block transport of Chakotay. Janeway thus orders a change of tactics. Back in the Kazon conference room, Valek brings the issue of the command codes to a head. He accuses Culluh of lying to the other Majes. Culluh admits as much, saying that it does not matter if they have the command codes as long as they work together to defeat Voyager. Angered by the response, Valek pulls his weapon on Culluh and threatens to take over the ship. Before he can make good on his words however, the Majes are beamed aboard Voyager instead. Their weapons disarmed by the transporter, the Majes are forced to concede to Tuvok's security team. Tuvok declares the terms: they will be beamed back to their ship in exchange for Chakotay and the shuttlecraft. They agree and the crisis is finally resolved. Janeway calls Chakotay into her ready room in order to discipline him. In the end, she chooses not to offer any tangible punishment, aside from putting him on report. She stresses her profound disappointment in him. "How do you expect me to keep order," she asks him, "when the first officer decides to run off like some cowboy because he believes it's a good idea?" The question goes unanswered, because the two are called to the bridge when another automated message beacon is discovered. This one is directed to Chakotay. Opting to view the message in the presence of others, Chakotay soon discovers it's Seska calling with some very disturbing news. She claims to have extracted his DNA in order to impregnate herself with it. She congratulates him on his impending fatherhood. 
<EOS>
A USS Voyager away team is sent to a marketplace on a planet to purchase tellerium. After Captain Kathryn Janeway examines a sample, Neelix is told to purchase it and not to negotiate over the price. They need it badly. After Neelix has left, Tuvok notices some Mokra Order soldiers entering the marketplace, they seem to be looking for the away team. Although Tuvok is able to hit one of them with his phaser, he and B'Elanna Torres are captured. When Janeway has fought off a soldier and is about to contact Voyager, she is grazed by phaser fire in her neck and falls down. When the soldier removes her combadge, he is violently pushed against a wall by a man. In engineering, Harry Kim and First Officer Chakotay are discussing the situation they are in. They are badly in need of the tellerium as the antimatter reaction rate in the warp core is approaching 9%. When this happens the plasma injectors will lockup, leaving them unable to reinitialize the nacelles and thus leave Voyager without warp propulsion. To save power, and keep the reaction rate above 9%, the only option left is to power down their shields. At this point they are contacted by Neelix, who informs them the away team has been captured by the Mokra Order, but that he has the tellerium. Neelix is beamed directly to engineering where Kim uses the tellerium to stabilize the antimatter reaction rate. Chakotay tries to contact the Captain but gets no answer. He discusses the capture of the away team with Neelix, wondering how the Mokra Order knew that Voyager personnel were on the planet. Neelix suspects a Mokra informant, although the ship's only contact was with the Alsaurian resistance movement. Their conversation is interrupted by Harry Kim, who has brought the warp engine online, restoring the ship's warp capability. On the bridge, helmsman Tom Paris is ordered to bring Voyager out from the moon behind which they were hiding and to set a course to the planet. Meanwhile Neelix informs Chakotay that the Mokra are paranoid and hostile, and have little use for diplomacy. While approaching the planet Voyager is detected by the orbital sensor net and is hailed by Augris, third magistrate of the Mokra Order. When Augris hears that some members of Voyager are on his planet, he is not happy with it and sends a copy of the Mokra regulations to them, for future reference. When he learns that Chakotay believes they might be detained by the Mokra Order, Augris tells them that he will look in to it. Neelix does not believe that Augris will help them as he is nothing like the Mokra he has met before. Although Commander Chakotay wants to try a diplomatic solution first, he does order a continuous surface scan of the planet, just in case. Meanwhile, in a prison on the planet, B'Elanna notices a control circuit, which might be controlling the force field at the prison's entrance. Tuvok warns her not to tamper with it and just wait but Torres gets a shock from the force field. As Tuvok has no idea whether any member of the away team made it back to Voyager there is nothing left to do but wait. Captain Janeway awakens in the home of her rescuer, Caylem, an older man who has tended to her wound on her neck. He immediately tries to keep her from moving and insists she is OK. Then, he reveals he believes she is his long-lost daughter. Later, Janeway sits up and examines her surroundings. The man calls her Ralkana. At first she denies it, telling him her real name and that she is a starship captain, but he doesn't appear convinced. He gives Janeway a necklace that originally belonged to his wife, but Janeway is more interested in finding her crewmembers and escaping. Janeway asks Caylem for a communication device to contact Voyager, but the citizens are prohibited by the Mokra Order from having them. Augris comes on board to discuss the situation with Chakotay. The Voyager's false reputation has reached them, apparently, and Augris says he doesn't believe it, but it's clear he's just being diplomatic. Chakotay asks to speak to his people. Augris says it will take time, but agrees and leaves. Chakotay asks Neelix afterward for another avenue with contacts on the ground. On the planet, Augris interrogates Tuvok. Tuvok denies helping the resistance, and Torres insists they know nothing about it, but Augris is convinced they are helping them, and has Tuvok removed from the prison cell. Torres puts up a fight, but Tuvok orders her to stand down. Janeway continues to try to get away from Caylem but he is still thinking about rescuing his wife. He wants to join Janeway in her attempt to free her crew from prison, believing he can save his wife at the same time. Janeway is very resistant to the idea, however, while Caylem is showing Janeway the letters he wrote for his imprisoned wife, Mokra Order soldiers appear and demand entry. Caylem and Janeway escape the shelter together before the soldiers break in. Together, Caylem and Janeway are in public with Janeway leading them to an Alsaurian resistance movement member, hoping to contact her ship. He's not in his building, but is traveling from the opposite end of the plaza. Augris has a team in the area searching for Janeway. He almost takes in the resistance member to custody when Caylem rushes out and dons a character of a mentally ill person. He immediately amuses everyone there with his antics and distracts the guards from the resistance member. Augris and his team leave, having humiliated him. He doesn't care, since he's achieved his objective. Janeway is impressed and quickly gets him back into the shadow. Meanwhile, Torres tries to inspect the cell further, but hears Tuvok scream under the torture. On the Voyager, Neelix reports what he's learned. The prison's location and the fact that it's surrounded by metaphasic shields. Unfortunately, the detention center is underground and sensors can't penetrate it. Chakotay deems transporting in too dangerous and tasks Kim with finding another way in. The resistance member would help Janeway, but he says his communications were confiscated. He does say Neelix made it to the ship. Janeway is intent on rescuing her team and asks for weapons. He balks at the idea, but says he has connections to an arms dealer. The resistance member suggests trading the necklace Caylem gave Janeway in exchange. She is reluctant, but Caylem encourages her to make the trade. After a long wait, the arms dealer appears but wearing shiny military boots. Suspecting a trap, Janeway walks away. Caylem is impressed with her cleverness, but Janeway needs to find a different way to get in. Seeing two women walk by, she gets an idea. In the prison, Tuvok is returned to the prison cell with Torres, having been obviously tortured. While Vulcans can block out pain to a certain extent, he explains, this ability is limited. Torres wants to fight back and try to escape, but Tuvok cautions that physical resistance is ineffective in this situation and they can best resist by refusing to give information. A sound gets Torres' attention, and she sees that the resistance member from before has been taken prisoner. Janeway comes up with another idea to infiltrate the prison. Affecting the demeanor of a prostitute, she entices one of the soldiers, who drops his guard and is promptly struck over the head by Caylem. Janeway takes the guard's phaser and Caylem his knife. Janeway decides to separate from Caylem, and quickly drops a force field but activates it again so he cannot follow. Aboard Voyager, Ensign Kim comes up with a means of tricking the sensor net by sending out dozens of radion beams from the ship's main deflector; one of these beams would carry the transporter signal of the rescue team, but it would be difficult to determine (and thus to stop) the "real" beam. Upon firing the first volley of radions however, the ship comes under fire from the ion cannons on the surface, which knock the main deflector offline. Augris hails them and gives the crew two minutes to leave before opening fire with the 85 ground-based phased ion cannons on the planet. Janeway is moving about successfully toward the cells. She destroys a power conduit, releasing the force fields. Torres and Tuvok take the chance and escape the cell, with one of the guard's weapons. On Voyager, Kim detects a disruption in the shields around the prison. Taking this turn of fortune as a good sign, Lieutenant Paris offers to lead the away team down to make a surgical strike to recover the Captain and the other crewmembers. Commander Chakotay agrees but informs Paris that they might not be able to wait for long after the transport. After beaming Paris' rescue team to the surface, Voyager comes under heavy fire again, and are about to withdraw when Ensign Kim discovers a magnetic storm over the northern magnetic pole which scatters the sensors of the orbital sensor net, and enables Voyager to hide a little longer. Back on the surface Janeway, Caylem, and Darod find Tuvok and Torres in one of the prison passageways but wind up being captured. Augris tells Janeway and the resistance members that Caylem had made other efforts to infiltrate the prison to rescue his wife  who had been dead for twelve years. They had been letting him go as a show of the futility of challenging the Mokra Order. Augris also tells Caylem that his daughter was killed, and tells him his foolishness has condemned another innocent woman. He orders the others taken back for questioning with the exception of Janeway whom he wants to interrogate himself. In a rage, Caylem leaps at Augris and they get into a struggle. The others take this opportunity to attack the guards. With a intense firefight that ensues Caylem stabs Augris to death with his own knife but was hit by a disruptor shot from one of the soldiers. As he lays dying in Janeway's arms, she accepts the role of his daughter and tells him she and her mother forgive him, and that his wife enjoyed reading his letters. Caylem's last words to his "daughter" are "My sweet girl" before he passes away content. Darod says that his actions will not be forgotten before the away team was brought back by Paris rescue team. Back on Voyager, Ensign Kim gives the somber looking captain a status report on the warp drive and main deflector. After asking about her welfare, she thanks him and he leaves, she picks up the necklace that Caylem gave to her and holds it tightly, with tears welling up in her eyes, recognizing how much Caylem loved his family. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager comes into view from a distance. Suddenly, there is a sensation of the viewer being transported somewhere. In a transporter room aboard Voyager, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres is next to an unidentified officer. She approaches and says that "it" is extraordinary. Lieutenant Tuvok joins her and reminds Torres that it also poses a potential security risk. Captain Janeway looks on curiously as Torres observes that it is losing power. Although Tuvok suggests that they let the power source run out and observe it while it is incapacitated, Torres insists that they may not be able to get it to work again and will have lost a valuable opportunity to study it. Erring on the side of exploration, Janeway agrees with Torres. In main engineering, Torres announces "The power's surging," and uses some sort of tool. Meanwhile, Ensign Harry Kim waves a wand-like tool to the side. He asks her if an interface with an EPS power conduit would work. While she says the energy signatures are incompatible, Torres notes that the interface might buy them some time. Kim retrieves a cord and they plug it in. Torres tells Kim to produce a two-second burst at 5% of maximum output but the energy transference is unsuccessful and the screen begins to fade more often. "We're losing it," observes Torres, ordering a burst with less power. As Kim and Torres perform the operations in question their subject, a metallic humanoid, can only lie there. As Torres and Kim continue to work on the mechanical man, she estimates that they will be able to keep it running for another eighteen hours despite the large amount of damage it has suffered. They attempt to establish what it is and determine that it is not a cyborg as it is completely robotic and has no internal organs. Because it has arms, legs, and a head, they establish that it was designed to perform motor functions, but Kim is unable to detect any pathways similar to those in an android by which information is transmitted. Torres discovers that it runs not on EPS flow but on a foreign type of superconducting tripolymer plasma. The robot emits a series of sporadic sounds and its head jerks back and forth, but they are unable to tell what, if anything, it is trying to say. While Torres is convinced that the robot is trying to speak and attempts to discern what "Pra" means, Kim reminds her that they do not know for sure whether the robot is even aware of them. Waving his arms and hands in front of the robot's "face," he receives no response. He notes that they have been working on it for hours and Torres tells him she could use some time alone to think. At this, he jokingly insists that he can stay up as long as she can. However, when the lieutenant threatens to pull rank on him and order him to leave, he concedes the point. However, he reminds Torres to tell him if she discovers anything new. It is early morning and Torres sits in the deserted mess hall, which is dark save for the light emanating from the adjacent kitchen. Neelix stands at a counter in the kitchen, cooking the crew's breakfast. Torres sips her coffee and requests another pot from Neelix, who cordially reminds her that breakfast is not served for another hour and a half; however, he offers her a glass of traggle nectar instead. He even offers to make his special Jibalian omelette. She stubbornly insists on coffee, but Neelix reminds her that two pots of Landras blend is the absolute limit. "You're cutting me off?" Torres asks incredulously. Neelix simply shrugs his shoulders as if to say, "I don't make the rules." Joining Torres at the table, he asks about the status of their mechanized guest. She has only been able to postpone the inevitable thus far, and she compares the situation to a bleeding artery with no tourniquet available. The predicament reminds Neelix of a time when he was unable to find the right blend of spices for his Jibalian omelette, and while Torres is patient, she does not appear enthusiastic about the prospect of hearing Neelix's story. He describes how he tried more Spith basil, less prishic, and so on until he eventually fell asleep. The answer came to him in a dream: He was using six spices, but the recipe called for seven. Sarcastically, Torres guesses the missing ingredient leola root. After giving her an equally sarcastic look, he tells her the spice was Nimian sea salt -- the most common spice in the galaxy -- yet he had been too tired to realize it. Neelix's analogy is not lost on Torres, but she chooses to ignore his less-than-subtle hint and repeats her request for coffee. Neelix orders Torres to bed in a stern but affectionate tone, so she reluctantly agrees. However, she does not return to her quarters. In main engineering once more, an exhausted Torres stands over the robot and knocks on its metallic head as if to ask if anyone is home. She pretends to hear the robot tell her to go to bed. "Well, I guess I'm outnumbered," she sarcastically admits to herself, and she walks off. Once in her bedroom, Torres turns out the lights and gets in bed only to have a sudden inspiration much as Neelix did in his story. She immediately hurries to sickbay. As Torres activates the Emergency Medical Holographic program, The Doctor appears and makes his usual statement: "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." He looks Torres over; she did not take the time to change into her uniform and wears a pair of red pajamas. The Doctor dryly inquires if there has been a change in the official dress code, as no one informed him of such a change. Torres impatiently explains that her current attire is what she sleeps in. The hologram assumes that her haste is due to a medical emergency, but it is actually an engineering problem. After he pretends to think for a moment, The Doctor begins to say, "I'm a doctor, not" but Torres cuts him off and finishes the statement with "not an engineer." She explains that it is not a typical engineering problem, and as Kes has told The Doctor about the "mechanical man," he is aware of the situation and does not require a full explanation. Due to a leak in the robot's power supply, Torres says he will "die" unless she can find a way to fix it. The problem is that the plasma from which the robot derives its energy is contaminated and it has begun to decay. Using a medical analogy for the situation, The Doctor compares the contaminated plasma to diseased blood and suggests a transfusion from Voyager's warp plasma. The suggestion gives Torres reason to pause as she considers how different the two types of plasma are, and she reasons that the warp plasma is too highly charged for the robot's systems. In medical terms, the transfusion would be comparable to giving a Bolian a transfusion using Vulcan blood, which The Doctor notes would normally kill the unfortunate Bolian. However, he adds that in rare instances where artificial blood was unavailable, existing blood cells have been genetically altered to make such transfusions possible. As Torres thinks, she slowly begins to formulate a plan using an anodyne relay, but rather than explain the technobabble to The Doctor, she runs toward main engineering. "That's exactly what I was going to suggest," he tells himself sarcastically. Kim and Janeway join a now-dressed Torres in engineering, where Janeway asserts that it is Torres' "show" and they will proceed when Torres is ready. Torres confidently activates the relays and instructs Kim to start the plasma transfer from the warp core to the robot, but as they proceed, they find that the energy levels are still too high. They manage to stabilize the flow and the plasma successfully begins to circulate through the robot's systems, but the three of them appear too nervous to say anything yet. Shortly thereafter, the robot's hand unexpectedly reaches up and grabs Torres' forearm. Although she is shocked and unsure of how to respond, the robot politely asks her to identify herself. When she does so, the robot states that it is automated unit 3947 and thanks her for reactivating it. Torres stands in front of a seated 3947 as she scans him with a tricorder, optimistic that they are past the critical stage. 3947 concurs and reports that his self-diagnostic systems estimate he is running at 68% of optimal efficiency. Matching the Automated Personnel Unit's matter-of-fact voice, Torres calls him an extremely well-designed machine, to which he calls her an extremely proficient humanoid. Despite the fact that 3947 is a robot, it is obvious that Torres is growing fond of him. He reveals that he was operating an asteroid mining pod when it exploded, which is why Voyager found him adrift and so badly damaged, although he is unable to access information pertaining to why the pod exploded. He is able to tell her that he was stationed aboard a Pralor starship. Torres hopes that they will be able to return 3947 to his people soon and assures him that the new plasma should bring him up to "optimal." When she mentions the new plasma, it seems to pique the robot's interest, and he asks if she is a "Builder." As an engineer, she supposes the word builder could apply to her, but the Builders were the humanoids who built 3947. He has sat idly until this point, but now he rises and faces Torres, suggesting that she could create a new chromodynamic power module. As 3947's power module is working fine, Torres sees no need for a new one; however, he intends the new module to be for a new automated unit like himself. Torres asks why the Builders cannot do so, but 3947 reveals that the Builders "no longer exist." Torres suddenly sees the issue in a new light. In Janeway's ready room, Torres explains 3947's situation. The Builders constructed thousands of automated personnel units decades ago, but were later killed off during a war. Now the units are wearing out, and while they have learned to make many repairs to themselves, they have been unsuccessful in creating new power modules. Torres believes she may be able to help 3947 do so, although she admits it will be an incredibly complex job. Janeway points out that Torres' suggestion is a clear violation of the Prime Directive. While Janeway admits that the robots are entitled to the same rights as organic life forms, she points out to Torres that they never had the ability to reproduce in the first place. Torres sees her suggestion as correcting a flaw, but Janeway argues that they don't know enough about the robots or the Builders, and there is no way to tell what the repercussions of their actions will be if they help 3947, and as such, it is not their place to play god. Despite Torres' repeated objections, Janeway forbids her to help 3947. Back in engineering, Torres attempts to explain and defend Janeway's logic. 3947 notes that, while the Prime Directive prohibits interference in the evolution of other species, he and the other automated personnel units were built and therefore Torres should be free to help them build more. Torres insists that Captain Janeway does not agree with his interpretation, but 3947 observes Torres' visible disagreement. Unsure of what to think, Torres concedes that she wants to try to help the robots, turning away from 3947 as she speaks. In his calm, manner-of-fact voice, he states that the robots will not survive without Torres' help, which makes the decision even more difficult for her. "I thought Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres was a Builder," the robot says. After a moment, she responds, "So did I." Torres begins to walk away but stops to adds that Voyager has located 3947's ship and will be within communications range in an hour. The robot thanks her and she pauses before she leaves, the situation weighing heavily on her mind. When the alien ship is within visual range, Janeway puts the ship on yellow alert, has it slowed to one quarter impulse and tells Tom Paris to put the vessel on the viewscreen. It appears to consist of a central hub with four extensions in a star-like formation, and as the crew is entirely automated, there are no life signs aboard. As the ship scans Voyager, Janeway opens a channel with it. A Pralor automated personnel unit 6263 appears on screen, identical to 3947, and requests that Janeway identify herself. She does so, informing him that Voyager would like to return 3947 to the Pralor ship. 6263 thanks her for the assistance. Paris jokingly comments on how polite the automated units are, to which Janeway smirks. Torres and 3947 stand in transporter room 2 as she holds a canister out to him. She explains that it is filled with warp plasma in case the robot's plasma begins to degrade again. Thanking her, he takes the canister, but when she reminds him to adjust the anodyne relay periodically, he reminds her that she has told him already. The two shake hands, but 3947 does not let go of Torres' hand and shoots a burst of blue electricity through her body, rendering her unconscious. He catches her as she falls and fires a discharge across the room at the transporter technician. On the bridge, Kim announces that he has detected a chromodynamic energy discharge in the transporter room. Janeway motions for a security officer to investigate as she attempts to contact Torres or the technician, but there is no response. Waving his hand over the transporter controls, 3947 interfaces with the computer. Meanwhile, Chakotay announces that someone is initiating a transport of Torres and the robot. Kim attempts to block the transport, but it is too late as their signals are already in the transporter buffer. 3947 disappears from the transporter room with Torres in his arms. Voyager immediately goes to red alert and attempts to beam Torres back aboard, but the vessel erects an unknown type of subspace defense field around it, preventing a beam out. When they do not respond to hails, Janeway orders Kim to open a channel on wide-band subspace. She informs the ship that Torres' abduction is an act of aggression and threatens to respond in kind. There is a brief pause before Kim informs Janeway that the robots received the communication and simply chose not to respond. She confidently orders Tuvok to power the forward phaser banks. Meanwhile, Torres awakens in a sterile room on some kind of mechanical operating table, which adjusts from a horizontal to a vertical position as she becomes aware of her surroundings. Various robotic parts surround her and 3947 stands next to her. She demands to know what is happening, and in his ever-calm voice, the robot informs her that the room is where she will build a prototype. While she insists that he return her to Voyager, 3947 claims it is not possible and informs Torres that her communicator has been deactivated. She instinctively heads toward the nearest exit, but 3947 grabs her by the arms and restrains her. Struggling, Torres does not understand why he is behaving this way. 3947 repeats the necessity for additional automated units, but reassures Torres that he does not wish to harm her; when she reminds him of Janeway's orders, he calls it "inadvisable" for Janeway to provoke the units. While Torres and 3947 talk, Kim informs Janeway that there has been no indication of a response from the Pralor ship and Tuvok adds that he is unable to penetrate the defense field. Janeway asks Chakotay if there is any indication that the ship intends to attack, but due to the deflector shielding, he is unable to say what the weapons capabilities are, let alone whether the robots plan to use them. Still optimistic that they may be able to avoid a direct confrontation, she tells Tuvok to open a hole in the ship's shields wide enough for a transporter signal but without hitting the ship, and instructs Kim to match the targeting coordinates of the transporter with those of the phaser fire. Once the phasers are aligned, Voyager fires on the ship, reducing its shield capacity to 80%. Janeway tells Tuvok to continue, but it responds with a type of quantum resonance charge similar in appearance to disruptor fire. Tom Paris initiates evasive maneuvers, but the charges quickly reduce Voyager's aft shields to just over half strength. Although Kim reroutes spare power to the shields, they are soon at less than a quarter as Paris attempts to throw the attacker off by switching evasive patterns. Janeway orders Tuvok to load the photon torpedo bays. As the battle rages on, Torres is able to see Voyager from the Pralor viewscreen, and it is evident that her crewmates are fighting a losing battle. 3947 stands next to her and observes that Voyager's shields are failing and its weapons pose no threat to the automated personnel units. Smoke comes from one of the consoles on the wall as Tuvok announces that the Pralor have penetrated Voyager's aft shields, and Chakotay points out that the ship must retreat. Janeway agrees, but Paris announces that Voyager's propulsion systems are off-line and the ship is currently dead in the water. A hull breach soon occurs, although an emergency containment field seals it temporarily. The environmental control systems begin to fail and deck eight loses artificial gravity, while injury reports come in from all decks and Janeway looks at the viewscreen, determined but helpless. An equally helpless Torres urges 3947 to stop the attack on Voyager, which poses no threat to the robots. 3947 reminds her that they are programmed to defend themselves, and although Voyager may be helpless for the moment, their enemies must be destroyed. Turning to 3947, Torres insists that she and her crewmates are not his enemies; he agrees that Torres is not, but observes that Janeway and the crew who follow Janeway's orders are. She reminds him that Janeway favored reactivating 3947 over the objections of the Chief of Security, but he simply looks at the viewscreen; both of them know what the robot wants. With no alternatives, Torres gives in and offers to help build the prototype. Chakotay announces that the life support system is failing, but suddenly, Voyager stops shaking as the Pralor ship ceases firing. Tuvok informs the crew that the enemy has powered down its weapons systems and there is an incoming hail. Janeway rises and approaches the viewscreen, as Torres appears to ask if everyone is okay. Reassuring her they will be fine, Janeway asks what has happened. When she hears that Torres plans to build a prototype, Janeway begins to remind the lieutenant of her orders, but Torres reassures the captain she does not like it either. As Torres talks, she looks off-screen nervously and helplessly asks what other choice she has; as if to emphasize the point, 3947 adjusts the camera to focus on his cold, metallic face. Aboard the Pralor starship, miscellaneous mechanical components such as arms and skulls can be seen as 3947 explains that Torres will have all the materials necessary to complete a prototype unit. He will remain to supervise her and allow her access to databases and schematics, but she will not have access to critical systems or be allowed to contact Voyager or leave the room. With that, he tells her to proceed. Torres inquires about the robots' previous attempts to create a new power module and finds that, although they duplicated an existing module exactly, its power supply was insufficient to power a new unit. 3947 even shows her a schematic from each of the power modules, which are identical in every way. As he does so, 6263 enters the room. The unit asks 3947 what he has to report, but Torres sarcastically observes that she has been working for less than five minutes and has little progress to report. Ignoring Torres' comment, 6263 tells 3947 that Voyager will require about 140 hours for repairs and that they must finish the prototype by then. Torres wonders why he is concerned when the Pralor ship is clearly a match for Voyager, but 6263 claims that statistical probabilities indicate a high likelihood that the crew will make a rescue attempt and Voyager's engines are superior to those of the Pralor at optimal efficiency. 3947 further adds that humanoids' cognitive thought processes are "unpredictable" and they do not necessarily make decisions based on tactical probabilities. When 6263 suggests that Torres might intentionally delay progress on the prototype, she takes offense and indignantly informs him that she follows through on her word and will do her best. In her defense, 3947 adds that she is operating at "optimal efficiency." However, while she promises to do her best, Torres tells 6263 that there are no guarantees. He states that if she fails, she will die, and with that he exits. Once he is gone, 3947 tries to comfort Torres by explaining that 6263 is a designated command unit who is only following his programming. She reiterates that she will do her best and reminds him that she does not need to be threatened; 3947 believes her, but adds that 6263 doesn't know her the way he does. Hearing this once again stirs up Torres' ambivalence about the project as she realizes how much she wants to help 3947, and she asks to see one of the power modules. Janeway meets with Kim, Tuvok, and Chakotay to discuss the status of the ship and Chakotay enters the data from the other officers' reports into a PADD as they speak. Kim reports that the hull has been sealed but there is no power on decks three through seven, while Tuvok reports that aft shields are completely nonfunctional, and Kim adds that the dilithium matrix is destabilized, rendering warp speed impossible. Chakotay estimates at least six days of repairs based on this feedback, but Janeway finds this unacceptable and demands a plan to get Torres off the Pralor ship before she is able to finish a prototype. In order to facilitate such a plan, Tuvok suggests that they make the warp drive their top priority, as any escape attempt will require a quick getaway. Kim asks how 72 hours sounds for repairing the dilithium matrix, but Janeway thinks it is 24 hours too long. Rather than spend more time reviewing the data, she dismisses them to work on their respective areas. Torres works diligently on the would-be Automated Personnel Unit, adjusting part of a power module while 3947 acts as her assistant, handing her various tools such as a submicron scanner and a phase coil resonator as she requests them. After a few seconds, she tells him that she thinks she knows why the previous prototypes failed, but does not know what to do about it yet. Rather than explain the problem outright, she begins with the fact that the units' parts are interchangeable, so if 3947 loses an arm, it can be replaced easily. Since the parts are identical, the existing units have been able to produce new parts because they are able to duplicate what they see; however, each power module's energy signature is slightly different, so even an exact copy of an existing power module will not work on a new unit because each unit has a unique signature. However, she does not think that she can make the signatures interchangeable. 3947 concludes that Torres has failed and informs her that he will tell 6263. "Do all you automated units give up the minute you hit a bump in the road?" Torres asks. She thinks the matter over for a second and tells him they need to make a standardized module with a uniform energy code to power any unit, at which point 3947 concludes there is "reason for greater optimism." Smiling, Torres replies, "You took the words right out of my mouth." Meanwhile, Tuvok, Kim, Chakotay, Janeway, and Paris are gathered around the Vulcan's post on Voyager's bridge, where he displays a computer diagram to demonstrate that between Voyager's power shortage and the complexity of the Pralor defense field, they are unable to beam Torres from the other ship. However, Chaotay and Kim note that they would be able to transport Torres out if they were able to get inside the field. Paris believes that a shuttlecraft would be able to do so, but as Voyager was virtually rendered defenseless by the Pralor weapons, such a plan would require a diversion in Tuvok's opinion. Chakotay suggests another attack, but Janeway does not want to risk another direct confrontation. While Paris is confident enough in his piloting skills that he would not need a diversion, Chakotay sarcastically notes that he does not want to lose another shuttlecraft. The tension between Chakotay and Paris is evident as Paris sarcastically thanks Chakotay for the "heartwarming" concern over his well-being. Janeway diplomatically avoids the personal conflict by changing the subject and announcing that the warp engines will be back online in twelve hours. By that time, she wants a diversion ready for the Pralor ship. Torres work on the prototype unit, as she is receiving feedback from the motor circuits on what is to be the prototype's arm. She lightly asks 3947 if he will be the ship's new obstetrician, but he seems confused and asks her to rephrase the question. Putting it more directly, she asks if he will be in charge of assembling the new unit. Such thoughts seem beyond his scope as he informs her that he was made to be a maintenance unit and neither he nor any of the other units on the ship have any knowledge of design. In that case, she informs him that he has just volunteered for new duty. She tells him to be sure to watch closely, which he does, although he seems somewhat frustrated as he explains that he lacks her improvisational skills. However, Torres reassures 3947 that once she has finished, he will only need to replicate what he sees. There is a pause while 3947 observes Torres' work closely, and as she begins to speak, she asks if she can call him 39. The concept of a nickname seems lost on the robot; he bluntly states that he is <tt>Automated Personnel Unit Three-Nine-Four-Seven</tt>. She remembers that she is speaking to a robot and goes along with it, asking 3947 how long he has been "alive" and whether he woke up on a bench similar to the one on which the prototype currently rests. He has been in service 1,314,807 hours and 33 minutes (150 years), he reports, which gives Torres reason to pause. The two seem to reach more common ground as he tells her that he was activated by a Builder from the Pralor homeworld and Torres asks if the Builders were like her and her crewmates. Unfortunately, he is not familiar enough with her culture to make a comparison and asks for additional information. 3947 asks if her culture includes artificial lifeforms, which Torres acknowledges it does, describing the various shapes and sizes and noting that most lack 3947's cognitive abilities. He wonders if they are servants, causing Torres to consider the matter for a moment. Hesitantly, she acknowledges that one could call them servants, but she clarifies that most are not sentient as he is. When Torres describes Data, the only sentient artificial lifeform where she comes from, 3947 expresses interest in becoming acquainted with Data, especially intrigued by the fact that he has equal status to a Builder. As he talks, Torres observes that the power module is functioning well, and 3947 assures her she will succeed. "Don't send me flowers just yet," she warns him in a friendly manner, since they do not know if it will power an actual unit. 3947 confidently states that he believes it will and Torres smiles. Chakotay enters Janeway's ready room to report that the dilithium matrix will be stable and they will be able to reinitialize the warp core in six hours. As for the diversion, Chakotay describes a time when Torres used a holoemitter and a deflector array to create the illusion of another starship out in space. Janeway likes the idea, but before the two can discuss the matter further, Tuvok announces over the comm that long-range sensors have detected an unidentified alien ship heading toward them. She and Chakotay head for the bridge. Finally installing the power module in the prototype unit, Torres announces that it fits properly and optimistically tells 3947 to cross his fingers. He literally does so, although he must use the opposite hand to position his fingers. When she turns the power module, the unit begins to sit up but shuts down after a few seconds, at which point 3947 states the obvious fact that it does not function correctly. Torres remarks that the Builders should have programmed him with more patience and adjusts the power module more. The prototype suddenly seems to come alive as it sits up and looks around as if disoriented. "Prototype unit 0001 is ready to accept programming," it states. Torres looks at it with disbelief and realizes that they have done it, although 3947 corrects her: She has done it. 3947 reaffirms his faith in Torres' abilities as the prototype repeats its request for input. Torres shakes 3947's hand and congratulates him on becoming a father. However, the celebratory atmosphere is interrupted when the ship shakes violently. From the viewscreen, Janeway and the crew watch a tan-colored vessel nearly identical to the Pralor ship swoop in as it and the Pralor ship exchange fire. Kim reports that there are no signs of life aboard the second ship, just as with the first, and Tuvok adds that nearly identical automated units are operating the second ship as well. Janeway is baffled as she realizes that they may have stumbled into the midst of a robotic war. While the Pralor and Cravic starships exchange fire, Chakotay tells Janeway that they need to retrieve Torres immediately. Although Janeway agrees, she first orders Paris to back Voyager away slowly from the two vessels in order to demonstrate their neutrality. As Paris does so, the second vessel hails Voyager and Cravic Automated Commander 122, a tan version of 3947 and 6263, requests they identify themselves. When Janeway does so, the Cravic unit orders her to withdraw from the area, but she informs him of Torres' presence aboard the Pralor ship and refuses to leave without her. The Cravic unit instructs Janeway to stand by and warns her that she will be fired upon if she attempts to intervene in the conflict. Once the transmission ends, the crew realizes they have been given a diversion and Janeway asks Kim for the status of the warp drive. Although it is an hour away from being fully repaired, Janeway sends him to engineering with orders to prepare to produce as much warp power as possible, as it is unlikely they will have an hour. She then tells Paris to head for the shuttlebay and Chakotay takes Paris' place at the conn. While the battle rages on around them, 3947 explains to Torres that the attackers are Automated Personnel Units from the Cravic homeworld. The other units were programmed by their Builders to attack the Pralor units. Torres begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind as the prototype unit interrupts them to state once again that it is ready to accept programming. Torres realizes that the Pralor and Cravic were enemies, and as the Pralor are extinct, she suggests that Captain Janeway might be able to contact the Cravic in order to stop the fighting. However, 3947 reveals that the Cravic are also extinct. Paris pilots a shuttlecraft between the two robotic ships as they continue to slug it out, keeping a subspace channel open with Voyager and informing them that he is near the perimeter of the Pralor defense field. Tuvok instructs Paris to rotate the shuttlecraft's shield harmonics, which should allow it to pass through the shield. A few seconds later, the shuttlecraft is deflected roughly, as it attempts to pass through the barrier. Tuvok obviously has a backup plan in mind as he gives Paris a set of coordinates and instructs him to head there; however, Tom points out in a confused tone that the coordinates are in a direct line of fire between the two ships. As Tuvok speaks, Janeway looks at him pensively. He explains that the Cravic fire has opened a hole in the Pralor shields, which Paris might be able to get through -- if he can dodge the disruptor blasts. Torres does not understand (or perhaps does not want to believe) what 3947 has told her. The robot explains that all automated units were programmed to achieve victory. The prototype unit once again requests input, and as it speaks, 3947 seems to be receiving information of some sort. He informs Torres that the Cravic ship has breached their defense shield; however, she is more concerned with why the Pralor and Cravic never called a truce. The robot informs her that they did so and later attempted to stop the automated personnel units from fighting. Torres still does not understand. The camera zooms in on 3947's face as he informs her that the robots terminated their Builders. Meanwhile, Paris approaches the rift in the field and Tuvok guides him toward it. 3947 explains with terrifyingly accurate logic that that the automated personnel units were designed to destroy the enemy, and when the Builders no longer had need for the units and attempted to terminate them, the Builders became the enemy. Now he is confident that the Pralor units will be victorious, as they have the ability to produce a new supply of automated units. The ship continues to shake as he speaks and a fire erupts in another part of the room; he calmly uses a communications device to order a fire unit to the reconstruction bay where he and Torres are located. Suddenly, Torres realizes that the individual energy codes were intended to prevent the robots from creating new units to stop them from overpowering their creators. Now fully understanding why Janeway forbade her from helping the robots, she frantically looks around and grabs a knife-like tool as she looks at the prototype unit. The prototype innocently looks up at her and states its request for programming, but she stabs it, causing it to short circuit. 3947 immediately fires a burst of electricity at Torres, knocking her to the ground. He pauses for a second as he approaches; doing a robotic version of a double take, he realizes what Torres has done, and informs Torres that she will make another unit. When she refuses, he reminds her that he thought she was not an enemy. "I never wanted to be," Torres says before Paris' transporter beam picks her up and beams her out. Torres materializes aboard the shuttlecraft unconscious from the effects of the shock she received from 3947. Paris contacts Voyager to inform Janeway that he has rescued Torres, who will have to be beamed aboard once he clears the defense field. Tuvok confirms that the automated ships continue to fight one another, taking an interest in neither Voyager nor the shuttle. Now more confident than before, Janeway informs Kim that they will leave as soon as Paris returns. Janeway and Torres sit in the mess hall as Voyager travels at warp speed and Kes pours them each a cup of coffee, "compliments of the chef." Torres is relieved as she claims that Neelix's coffee has never tasted so good, sentiments Kes assures her she will pass on to him. Once Kes is gone, Torres tries to apologize for going against the Captain's orders and nearly breaching the Prime Directive, but Janeway understands that Torres did what she had to do for the safety of the crew. After a momentary pause, Janeway adds that it must have been difficult for Torres to destroy something she created. Although Torres attempts to act as if she is okay with the situation, Janeway has read the report, and she knows what a significant achievement the prototype unit was. Torres describes how amazing it was for the prototype to look up at her and ask her for programming. "It must have been difficult," Janeway repeats quietly. "It was necessary," Torres replies. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager is under attack by two Kazon raiders. Voyager is able to destroy one Kazon raider with its phasers, but the other keeps firing as it retreats. Voyager is left with massive damage to its energy systems which causes the engines to go off-line and is left without weapons and shields. As the crew in engineering scramble to repair the damage, Crewman Kurt Bendera is found to have been seriously injured in an explosion and Torres initiates an emergency transport to sickbay which is already full of wounded crew. Bandera's injuries are too severe and all attempts to revive him fail and The Doctor declares him dead. Torres, in shock, reveals that Bendera had saved her life once, near the Cardassian border. In Janeway's ready room, Chakotay enters with the news about Bendera's death. Janeway expresses her sorrow and asks him to arrange a memorial service. Chakotay, somewhat hesitantly, begins a discussion about their situation, explaining to Janeway that the rules have now changed in the Delta Quadrant and that maybe Voyager's crew should start changing too. He understands that Janeway made it clear to the crew from the beginning that this would be a Starfleet ship with a Starfleet crew, following Starfleet rules. However, he argues that while Starfleet works well in the Alpha Quadrant, here in the Delta Quadrant, it is just a different game. He suggests they try to adopt some Maquis policies. Janeway is somewhat taken aback by this, arguing that they should not throw away their principles, simply because they are out of com range with Starfleet. Chakotay bluntly tells her that their approach needs to change because this attack was the fourth in two weeks, three crewmembers are dead and Voyager cannot afford to lose any more personnel or sustain any more damage. In Voyager's mess hall, crewmembers are seated as Chakotay remembers Bendera. After the speech, the crewmembers gathered stand and the service concludes. As Janeway is about to leave the mess hall, a frustrated Crewman Hogan walks up to her and asks what she is planning to do about the Kazon, now that they have stepped up their attacks. He tells her that most people on the ship think they won't make it out of Kazon space alive. Hogan thinks she should hand over all of the technology that the Kazon want so that they can continue safely with their journey. Janeway reminds him that doing so would be a clear violation of the Prime Directive. Hogan snaps back that he knows all about the Prime Directive but that Starfleet is over 70,000 light years away from Voyager. Janeway, with a serious look on her face tells him that she'll destroy Voyager before she hands any part of it over to the Kazon. Chakotay follows an upset Janeway down the corridor, telling her that the Maquis on the ship still believe that the Federation abandoned them years ago. He tells Janeway that she may be willing to die for Federation principles, but that they are not and Starfleet procedures may not be applicable to Voyager since being stranded. Although Chakotay certainly doesn't agree with Hogan's view that they should hand over technology to the Kazon, he feels there must be another solution. Janeway realizes that Chakotay has a suggestion in mind and asks him about it. Chakotay finally comes around and tells her she should seek an alliance with a Kazon faction. Janeway is appalled by the very idea of getting into an alliance with the untrustworthy and violent Kazon she has met but Chakotay tells her that she may be blinded by Starfleet protocols but that she still must make the best decisions for the crew, as she is the captain. Later in Tuvok's quarters, Janeway tells him of Commander Chakotay's plan to seek an alliance with the Kazon. She tells Tuvok that it goes against everything she believes. The Vulcan tells her that although she is "quite right" in her opinion, Chakotay's suggestion has some merit. He recalls a time when a great visionary named Spock proposed an alliance between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Tuvok himself spoke out against such an alliance, as the Klingons were outlaws, employing violence and brutality. Despite his objections however, the alliance was forged and the Alpha Quadrant enjoyed a new peace between Klingons and Humans. Tuvok tells her that since Voyager is on its way home an alliance with the Kazon would only be temporary, and could in fact end up stabilizing the whole region as the Kazon may come to appreciate peace between the factions. Janeway reflects on this and calls the senior staff to the briefing room for a meeting. Janeway tells them that after much thought, she has decided to seek an alliance with one of the Kazon factions and, when Ensign Kim voices his objection, that her decision is not up for debate. Neelix informs her that a Kazon faction called the Kazon-Pommar has a settlement on a nearby planet called Sobras. Kim sarcastically says they should call up Seska and form an alliance with her. Torres thinks that this is actually a good idea, as she would jump at the chance to form an alliance with Voyager, since she has been trying to unite all Kazon factions. Chakotay is aghast at the idea of allying with the Kazon-Nistrim, but Janeway reminds him that he was the one who suggested the alliance and can't have it both ways by deciding who they should and shouldn't get down in the mud with. Chakotay relents, and offers to contact Seska but Janeway tells him she'll do it herself since he has already been through so much with her. In Voyager's briefing room, Janeway tells Culluh that she hopes the Nistrim will be an honorable ally and adhere to the conditions of the alliance. Janeway tells Culluh that Voyager will assist any Nistrim ship or colony that is in distress and will provide supplies but reassures him that they will not supply the Kazon with any of their technology or weapons. Culluh agrees and suggests another condition. He asks for an exchange of crewmembers. Janeway tells him that she would never agree to that. Seska, sitting in on the briefing, tries to tell Culluh that that proposal could wait until later but Culluh silences her and tells Janeway he will not have a woman run the negotiations. Janeway tells Culluh that she always thought that seeking an alliance with him was a distasteful idea but that she was willing to explore the possibility. She now realizes that her instincts were exactly correct. She declares the meeting over and Culluh is sent back to his ship. On Sobras, Neelix is held captive in a cavern where several people are being imprisoned, including young children. Neelix introduces himself to a man named Mabus. He reveals the people imprisoned are Trabe, sworn enemies of the Kazon. Mabus tells Neelix he has been trapped in the cave for five days after he was attacked in space. Mabus tells Neelix that help is on the way and that the Trabe will eventually escape from their prison. Mabus asks Neelix if they can count on him during their escape. Voyager arrives at the rendezvous coordinates. However, Neelix's shuttle is nowhere to be found. Janeway tells Paris to hold position and wait for Neelix for two hours. If he does not show up by then, Voyager will head to Sobras. In engineering, Crewman Hogan asks B'Elanna Torres about the possible alliance with the Kazon. He does not know what to make of the news as there are many rumors flying around the ship. Torres tells him that Seska's talk with Janeway fell apart quickly. Hogan is convinced that nothing will come of Janeway's negotiations with the Kazon. He tries to talk Torres into speaking to Seska and convince her to create an alliance. Torres tells him that isn't possible, since Seska didn't turn out to be what they thought she was and she doesn't trust her. After Torres walks away, Crewman Michael Jonas sits at his engineering console, thinking about what Torres and Hogan just said to each other. On Sobras, Neelix, along with Mabus and the other Trabe, are preparing to escape when a sudden fire fight erupts outside the cave. Neelix takes as many Trabe children as he can with him and the Trabe escape. On Voyager, Neelix has still not returned, so Captain Janeway orders Paris to set a course for Sobras. She also orders Tuvok to power up weapons, in case Voyager runs into the Kazon again. At Harry Kim's operations console, he reads Kazon ships closing in on Voyager's position. An armada of Kazon raiders and their weapons are charged. Janeway prepares to go into battle with the Kazon. She has Kim hail them, but Kim reveals that they are being hailed. On screen, it is revealed that Neelix and Mabus are on the lead ship. Chakotay asks what Neelix is doing on a Kazon vessel. Neelix reveals that it is actually a Trabe vessel. The Kazon stole all of the Trabe's technology, including their ships. Neelix tells Janeway that he will explain everything that has happened over dinner on Voyager. While eating, Mabus recalls the way the Kazon were treated by the Trabe when he was eight years old; how the Kazon were treated like animals by the Trabe. The Kazon then became extremely violent. When the Kazon finally realized that the Trabe were their true enemies, the Trabe didn't stand a chance against the Kazon. Mabus managed to escape from the Kazon by leaving on a ship. Janeway relates the story of the Trabe to Voyager and their struggle to find home. Mabus reveals to Janeway that the Kazon's desire for revenge on the Trabe is still as strong as it ever has been. A Kazon man named Rettik talks to someone on Voyager through a desktop monitor. It is revealed to be Michael Jonas. Rettik is suspicious and wonders how Jonas can talk to him without ship's security finding out. Jonas tells him that he is very experienced in communications protocols. He asks to speak to Seska. He says that he and Seska knew each other for a long time. Rettik still doesn't know if Jonas can be trusted, but he agrees to relay his message to Seska. Rettik asks Jonas to contact him again the next day and he promises to let him know if Seska will want to talk to him. In Janeway's ready room, Neelix explains that before the Kazon uprising, the Trabe had produced widely admired artists and scholars as well as impressive technology however no one really knew about how the Trabe were treating the Kazon. Janeway remarks that slavery is not the kind of thing that would go unnoticed. Neelix tells her that the Trabe were wealthy and manipulated information about the conditions of the Kazon. Chakotay believes that the Trabe have learned their lesson about the way they treated the Kazon. Tuvok states that it would not be wise to seek an alliance with the Kazon's blood enemies since it may end up uniting all the factions against Voyager. Chakotay reminds them that the Trabe have an impressive number of ships and weapons at their disposal and prefers an alliance with them over none at all. Janeway decides that as they have no friends among the Kazon anyway, they will seek an alliance with the Trabe. At sickbay, The Doctor and Kes are treating the Trabe who were imprisoned. Most of them are suffering from malnutrition but it is easily remedied by bio-nutrients. Janeway asks Mabus to talk to her about a possible alliance together. Mabus has no objections to her idea but he also has another suggestion: bring all the Kazon factions together and convince them to peacefully co-exist. On Culluh's ship, Culluh receives news that Voyager and the Trabe have developed an alliance together. He wonders how this could have happened. Seska bitterly tells him that it happened because he let Voyager slip away because he wanted an exchange of crews. Seska reminds him they have a spy on Voyager who could prove to be a massive benefit to them in the long-term, but for now there is a way to turn the newfound peace between Voyager and the Trabe to their advantage. She tells Culluh that he will attend a conference of all first Majes. By going to the conference, he can assess the Trabe's weakness and eliminate them once and for all. Culluh is pleased with Seska's plan. Neelix reveals a Takrit was making a sketch of the conference site on Sobras. Neelix believes that one of the First Majes is going to take a chance to wipe out all of his enemies, since the conference presents a perfect opportunity to bring all of the rival factions together. Tuvok points out that if this is the case, then they'll be able to tell who it is as the one responsible will try and leave before the meeting is finished. Janeway refuses to cancel the conference but has Voyager put them on a constant transporter lock, so they can get beamed away at the first sign of trouble. On Sobras, Neelix and Tersa inspect the conference site. Tersa tells Neelix he chose a triangle-shaped table for the Majes to sit at. Neelix asks Tersa if he has heard anything else about the matter they discussed. Tersa tells him to be quiet, since the piece of information Neelix asks for could mean his head. Tersa tries to change the subject to the triangle-shaped table again. Neelix tells Tersa that he has a powerful ship in orbit this time and he had better be telling the truth. Tersa assures Neelix that he is and that he is being paid handsomely for having the conference on Sobras. The Maje appreciates the prestige it affords him. Janeway and Tuvok enter the conference room. Neelix tells them that Tersa has told him everything he knows. Soon after, the first Majes begin to enter. The first to enter is Minnis of the Kazon-Pommar, Surat of the Kazon-Mostral, Loran of the Kazon-Hobii, Valek of the Kazon-Oglamar, and Culluh of the Kazon-Nistrim. Culluh talks to Janeway about how they seem destined to run into each other. She introduces Culluh to Mabus. Culluh remarks that he never thought he'd see the day when he would sit at a table with the Trabe. Mabus tells him that times change. The conference begins when all the Majes are seated at the table. Janeway tries to put all of the people at the table at peace. Culluh is very skeptical about the alliance. He gets up from his chair. Tuvok thinks Culluh is leaving to allow the assassination to take place and goes for his phaser. However, Culluh is simply getting refreshment. Janeway affirms that all that Voyager and the Trabe want is peace. In Voyager's transporter room, Mabus tells Janeway she has ruined what could have been the greatest step towards peace in decades. Neelix, disgusted by Mabus' actions, wonders how a massacre could be considered peace. Janeway is furious that Mabus used their good will to make sure he was successful in his plan to kill the First Majes. He calls Janeway a fool and asks her how Voyager is to survive alone in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway replies that she won't make deals with executioners and throws him off the ship, having him beamed to his vessel. Janeway taps her combadge and tells Paris to lay a course away from Sobras before the Kazon attack again. In the briefing room, Janeway tells her senior staff that they are more vulnerable now than ever. Janeway wants to make sure the crew is prepared for any attack by the Kazon. Tuvok tells Janeway that he will schedule battle drills for all hands. Neelix reports that the food supply is in good shape so that they will not have to stop anywhere for several weeks. Torres tells Janeway that their antimatter is in reasonable supply and they will have maximum performance of warp and impulse engines. Janeway tells her crew one more thing: most of the species the crew have encountered in the Delta Quadrant are peaceful, but some seem governed by their own self-interests. Janeway believes that, in a region where shifting allegiances are common, the crew needs something to lean and rely on, which are the principles and ideals of the Federation. As far as she's concerned, those are the best allies the crew could have. 
<EOS>
Tom Paris is in an experimental shuttlecraft, attempting to break the warp 10 barrier. He brings the class 2 shuttle up to warp 9.95, when the nacelles are suddenly ripped from the shuttle and it seemingly explodes. Paris appears, sitting on the holodeck floor, as if nothing happened; it was all a holographic simulation. Harry Kim looks despondent, and B'Elanna Torres responds matter-of-factly, "You're dead." The trio go to the mess hall to consider how to fix the problem. Neelix offers to help, but they don't believe he can contribute anything to the discussion. Paris inquires if he knows anything concerning quantum warp theory and multispectral subspace engine design. Insulted, Neelix informs them that serving for two years as an engineer's assistant aboard a Trabalian freighter makes him well versed in warp theory and demands to know what they're up to. They finally fill him in: after months of experiments, Paris, Torres and Kim believe they have found a way to cross the transwarp threshold using a new form of dilithium they discovered in a survey of an asteroid field that remains stable at higher warp frequencies. Achieving warp 10 would allow a person to be in every point in the universe, simultaneously. Kim notes that getting home could be as quick as the push of a button. A problem occurs when the ship reaches warp 9.95, when microfractures appear and tear the nacelles from the ship. Neelix recalls an anecdote from his past when his ship was traveling through a dark matter nebula. Kim is initially dismissive, as this is a totally different phenomenon, but Paris realizes that it is actually the shuttle being ripped from the nacelles, not the other way around. While Kim confirms the tritanium alloy hull could depolarize at that speed, Paris continues, saying that could create a velocity differential, the fuselage traveling faster than the nacelles. As Kim infers, they could fix the problem by installing a depolarization field around the fuselage. Paris refers to the confused Neelix as a genius and runs out to the holodeck with Torres and Kim. In the briefing room, the senior staff watch the holodeck simulation on the computer monitor and grin as Paris successfully brings the shuttle to warp 10 and crosses the transwarp threshold. Captain Janeway gives Paris the opportunity to start a manned test flight in a real shuttlecraft. She says he has the opportunity to join such great names as Orville Wright, Neil Armstrong, and Zefram Cochrane. Everyone is excited because, if this works, then it would mean much more than just getting USS Voyager home; it could begin a whole new era of exploration for Starfleet. Janeway enters Paris' quarters that night, with news that The Doctor discovered an enzymatic imbalance in his cerebellum that appeared during the holodeck simulation; the subspace stresses could kill him from a brain hemorrhage, although the chance is only two percent. Not wanting to risk this chance, Janeway plans to assign Ensign Kim to the flight. Paris begs her to reconsider, stating that people have always said he was going to do something special someday, and that this is it. Janeway agrees to it, and the next morning Paris boards the shuttlecraft, now named Cochrane, and launches it. The shuttle kicks into warp, followed closely by Voyager. After running a few scans on the Cochrane's warp field at warp 9.7, Torres clears Paris for transwarp. Voyager increases to warp 9.975, its maximum velocity, for as long as it can but, as Paris quickly surpasses that speed, Voyager must slow and switch to long-range sensors to track him. As the crew waits in anxiety, Paris goes faster and faster until, finally, sensors record warp 10. Then, Paris vanishes. A search fails to turn up the lieutenant, but the Cochrane reappears, where they find Paris alive, but with weak life signs. In sickbay, The Doctor scans him and observes that Paris is merely sleeping. The Doctor abruptly wakes Paris and he recounts his transwarp flight to Captain Janeway. He says he was staring at the velocity indicator (which read warp 10) and then, suddenly, he noticed he was watching himself. He could see the outside of the shuttle, Voyager, the inside of the ship, and the sickbay. For a moment, he was everywhere, with the Kazon, the Klingons, on Earth, and he even saw other galaxies. He says it wasn't like anything he has ever experienced. According to Paris, he only returned because he noticed that the crew was looking for him. Torres bursts into the room and says that the on-board shuttle sensors confirm he flew warp 10, making Paris the first Human to break the transwarp barrier. Paris asks Torres to download the shuttle's data core while The Doctor runs further tests on him. Kim downloads the shuttle's data into the engineering computer core -- over five billion gigaquads of information -- including detailed information on "literally every cubic centimeter" of the sector. Janeway orders the data sent to stellar cartography for analysis and the creation of a star chart. After being released from sickbay, Paris is in the mess hall with Torres, where they are planning another flight to replicate the results of his first test. He begins to say the shuttle's memory core should be increased when, all of a sudden, Paris feels ill. First, he thinks he's experiencing a stomach ache. He then collapses to the floor, however, writhing in pain. Torres asks the transporter room to beam him to sickbay but they respond by saying that they can't lock onto him; his pattern keeps changing. Torres calls for medical assistance and tells Paris to hold on. The Doctor examines Paris in sickbay and says he had an allergic reaction to, of all things, the water in Neelix's coffee. In fact, Paris' entire body is mutating and his lungs are no longer processing oxygen. The Doctor replaces the atmosphere in the room with 80% nitrogen and 20% acidichloride. Paris can now breathe but a bigger problem has also developed; he is suffering from cellular degradation and is consequently dying. The Doctor and Kes begin using radiation to try to stop it, with little success. Paris becomes delirious, asking for a huge funeral, saying he doesn't trust anyone that doesn't cry (like Torres) and remembering his childhood, when he used to cry in his room. He tells The Doctor that he lost his virginity at seventeen, in his room, which The Doctor says he will note in Paris' medical file. Paris exclaims he wants a pizza with pepperoni and Kavarian olives. He wants a kiss from Kes but she can't grant him that wish, because of the atmosphere in the surgical bay. Before he dies, he makes a last request; to tell his father that he did it. He tries to form another sentence but falls unconscious. The Doctor uses a neural stimulator to attempt to revive him but fails. The Doctor announces Paris' time of death and plans to perform an autopsy in the morning. Kes kisses Paris' apparently lifeless body before she leaves sickbay. That night, as The Doctor is working in his office, he hears a strange rattling in the other room. He walks to Paris' body, where he discovers him alive and well. Paris looks at his hand, then reaches up and pulls out a clump of his hair and demands to know what's happening to him. The Doctor scans him and finds something peculiar; Paris now has two hearts. Crewman Michael Jonas, in his quarters, covertly sends data on the warp 10 shuttle flight to Rettik, his contact among the Kazon. Although Rettik doesn't believe it, Jonas sends him the entire file in an attempt to prove his worth to the Kazon-Nistrim. The Doctor briefs Janeway on Paris' condition. He cautions her that not just Paris' body but also his personality is affected, he keeps switching from his original personality to one that seems deranged. Janeway walks into sickbay to see a mutated Tom Paris lying on the biobed behind an isolation field. Paris says he feels "like a lab experiment that went wrong." She offers to help, but Paris' personality switches and he becomes furious. He says he is glad that he's changing and thinks that whatever he will become will be better than what he ever was. He demands that they stop trying to reverse his mutation. He doesn't believe anyone likes him and, in fact, he suspects they're jealous that he broke the warp 10 barrier. Janeway walks away and concedes there's nothing she can do. Paris' personality switches back again and he pleads with Janeway to help him, but then he lashes out, hitting the isolation field in front of him. He begins to tell Janeway how small and insignificant she is, when he starts to choke. Paris then pulls out his tongue and smiles. Later, Kes discovers that Paris' rate of genetic mutation has accelerated by another 12 percent. The Doctor and Kes must hurry to save the last fragment of Paris' original Human DNA. Paris pleads to be let off the ship. They refuse. After further analysis, The Doctor derives a treatment. He plans to revert Paris' body back to its original genetic coding by destroying the mutated DNA using anti-proton radiation from the warp core. They have to have the system set up in an hour if they hope to save him. Paris has mutated even further. He is in a restraint situated next to the warp core in main engineering. The core shuts down to give Paris a two-second burst of anti-protons, but it's not working. Paris begins to struggle out of the restraints. The Doctor asks Torres to start a five-second burst of anti-proton radiation, when a commotion is heard in the background. Paris bursts out of his restraints. Phaser fire erupts in engineering, then the engineering screen where The Doctor was observing the procedure goes dark. The lights in the room start to flicker; Paris ruptured the port plasma conduit on his way out of engineering, causing power failures all over the ship. Tuvok announces a level 3 security alert over the comm system. Janeway is on Deck 6 outside a turbolift when Paris attacks her from behind. She manages to fire her phaser, triggering the internal sensors, but they are malfunctioning due to the power failure. Consequently, the bridge can't localize her exact position. However, Kim is able to report that the captain is between sections 21 and 27 Alpha. Chakotay orders Tuvok's security personnel to that section of the ship, but it is too late. Paris takes Janeway to shuttlebay two and launches the Cochrane. The shuttlecraft immediately speeds to warp. Just then, main power on Voyager is restored and the ship heads after the Cochrane in pursuit. Voyager capably follows the shuttle until it reaches warp 9.975. Chakotay pushes the ship's acceleration even more, but slows back when the main computer issues a warning that Voyager's structural integrity will fail in 45 seconds. Paris and Janeway meanwhile cross the transwarp barrier, becoming no longer visible from Voyager. After summoning Tuvok and Chakotay to sickbay, The Doctor observes that what happened to Lieutenant Paris was an accelerated form of natural Human evolution that would otherwise have taken millions of years. It is possible that Paris shows an advanced form of Human life. The Doctor comments that the lifeform isn't very attractive. He is still confident that the anti-proton radiation will work to revert Janeway and Paris back to their original Human DNA. Kim reports, from the bridge, that ship's sensors have located the Cochrane on a remote planet in one of the jungles near the equator. Chakotay and Tuvok beam down with an away team to investigate. On the planet, they see two amphibian-like beings. Chakotay checks them with his tricorder and finds traces of Human DNA. They then notice a number of "children." Chakotay stuns the two creatures with his phaser and brings them back on the ship. Chakotay has no idea which creature is Janeway. However, Tuvok notes the obvious deduction that Janeway must be the female. Paris and Janeway are reverted back to their Human selves using The Doctor's anti-proton treatments, although Paris is extremely embarrassed about having mated with the captain. Janeway accepts his apology, but admits that she might have also been active in the mating process; she may even have been the one who initiated it. Janeway puts Paris in for a commendation for his achievement. "Regardless of the outcome, you did make the first transwarp flight."  Paris admits he has a few more barriers to break to build his self esteem, but Janeway believes he will eventually overcome them. 
<EOS>
In Chez Sandríne, Tom Paris offers to make a pool game with Harry Kim "interesting" by betting one week's worth of replicator rations on the outcome of the game, but Ricky warns Kim that Paris is hustling him. Instead, Paris starts a lottery-style game with the patrons of Chez Sandríne, wherein the players bet replicator rations and the player who correctly guesses the radiogenic particle count at 1200 hours wins the entire pot -- "minus a small handling fee for the bank, of course." In main engineering, Ensign Hogan has traced a problem with the warp drive to a malfunction in one of the EPS conduits. According to Crewman Suder, there had been nothing wrong with the conduit the day before. B'Elanna Torres goes to investigate. In the mess hall, Neelix tries to impress Tuvok with his knowledge of Vulcan holidays, much to Tuvok's dismay. Neelix declares that he will not rest until he sees Tuvok smile. Tuvok answers, "Then you will not rest." Just as Neelix suggests bringing back the ancient pagan festival of Rumarie, Torres urgently calls Tuvok to engineering. In engineering, Torres has found the body of Crewman Darwin in the damaged EPS conduit. In sickbay, The Doctor tells Tuvok that if the EPS conduit hadn't failed, Darwin's body would have been vaporized. Instead, Darwin received third degree plasma burns to 98 percent of his body. Tuvok supposes that Darwin had entered the conduit to repair it, but The Doctor shows Tuvok a contusion on the base of Darwin's skull. Tuvok then supposes that Darwin fell and hit his head while working on the conduit, but The Doctor says that the coup-contrecoup pattern of breakage on the wound indicates a moving object striking a stationary head, not the reverse. He rules Darwin's death a homicide. In Janeway's ready room, Tuvok discusses Darwin's murder with Janeway and Commander Chakotay. Tuvok notes that Darwin had no enemies and that there is no obvious motive for the crime. As Janeway is reviewing Darwin's Starfleet record, Torres arrives with last night's engineering duty logs and reports that Suder was the only person in engineering when Darwin came on duty. Torres and Chakotay tell Janeway and Tuvok that while Suder was, like most Betazoids, normally quiet and unassuming, he seemed a little too eager to kill when he was in the Maquis during times of combat. Chakotay even goes as far to suggest that while many Maquis members joined to protect their homes and family, Suder seemed to be there so he could solely go into battle. Having once just survived a firefight together, Suder had turned to Chakotay, who could see in Suder's eyes that he fully intended to kill him, but then backed down.  Tuvok feels that this information should have been included in Suder's crew evaluation, but Chakotay says that he isn't in the habit of including hunches in his reports, and that he didn't want to make life on USS Voyager more difficult for his Maquis crew than it was in the beginning. Tuvok calls Suder to his office for questioning. Suder claims that he was running a fuel consumption analysis for Torres at the time of the murder, and insists that he did not murder Crewman Darwin. Tuvok dismisses Suder, and The Doctor calls him to sickbay again. The Doctor shows Tuvok DNA retrieved from Darwin's head wound by nanites he designed to recognize unusual DNA patterns. The nanites found DNA that didn't belong to him, and therefore must belong to the murderer. He hands Tuvok a PADD with the murderer's identity. Tuvok shows Suder the DNA evidence and reminds him that under Starfleet Directive 101, he does not have to answer any questions and is allowed the benefit of counsel, but Suder doesn't see any point in continuing to lie, so he confesses to the crime and tells Tuvok where he hid the murder weapon, a two-kilogram coil spanner. He had intended for the EPS conduit to vaporize Darwin's body, but figures that he must have damaged it when he put the body in. Tuvok asks for the motive, and Suder responds, "No reason." Tuvok refuses to accept that answer, so Suder offers, "I didn't like the way he looked at me." Tuvok has Suder escorted from his quarters by a Voyager security officer while he contemplates the crewman's answer. In sickbay, The Doctor confirms that the coil spanner is indeed the murder weapon, but Tuvok cannot close the case until he understands the motivation for the crime. Tuvok asks if Suder could be psychotic. Kes reports that all of Suder's genetic markers are normal and that he has no tendency toward bipolar disorder, but that he has elevated norepinephrine levels, indicating aggressive or violent tendencies. The Doctor notes that these results are not significantly different from those of the other Maquis crewmen and reminds Tuvok that everyone, even Vulcans, have violent instincts and while most people can easily keep them under control, it seems that Suder cannot. indeed, he may be telling the truth that a simple look from Darwin was enough to cause Suder to lose what little control he has. Tuvok still isn't satisfied. Tuvok visits Suder in the brig with Ayala guarding him, and questions him again about his motive, and Suder gives him the same answer as before. Suder asks Tuvok what his punishment will be, and says that he knows what he would do in Janeway's position -- "I guess I'm lucky. The Federation doesn't execute people." Tuvok leaves the brig, but returns shortly afterward and suggests a mind meld with Suder, believing it will give him the answer he seeks and will also give Suder some of his Vulcan control. Suder agrees, and Tuvok performs the meld. In Sandríne's, nobody has won Paris's "radiogenic sweepstakes". Kim is unamused, and notes that Paris is the only person who wins every day. As Kim and Paris leave the holodeck, Paris considers out loud what he will replicate for lunch, thinking of adding a raktajino with whipped cream to drink. Tuvok tells Janeway about his mind meld with Suder, and reports that Suder was being truthful -- he has an incredibly violent nature, with no outlet to express it, and he simply lost control. Janeway and Tuvok discuss Suder's punishment. They agree that keeping him in the brig is not appropriate, nor is leaving him with someone in the Delta Quadrant. Tuvok suggests execution. Janeway will not consider that idea and instead decides to confine Suder to quarters permanently under maximum security. Tuvok objects to allowing Suder the comfort of his own quarters, but Janeway says that it's the best they can do and that Suder may end up being there for years, maybe decades depending on how long it takes them to get home. When Tuvok still presses the point, Janeway (disturbed that her friend would even suggest execution, let alone try to force the idea on her) asks if he is experiencing adverse effects from the meld, and Tuvok admits to being "disconcerted". Janeway tells him to take some time off, but Tuvok believes that he doesn't need it. In the mess hall, Neelix tries to get Tuvok to smile. Tuvok asks Neelix to leave him alone, but he persists, unusually violating Tuvok's personal space and laughing. Finally, Tuvok snaps and strangles Neelix to death. Then, he ends his holodeck program. In Sandríne's, Paris asks the computer to announce the winner of today's sweepstakes, but it doesn't respond. Chakotay calls off the game, confiscates the pot, and puts Paris on report. Paris talks back to him, earning him a "thanks a lot" from Kim. Tuvok visits Suder in the brig. Suder marvels at his new-found emotional control. Tuvok suggests various medical treatments to Suder, but Suder believes that he can learn to control himself with Tuvok's help. Suder guesses that having experienced his violent impulses must be difficult for Tuvok, and tells him how he sees violence as "attractive". He requests another mind meld, but Tuvok refuses. Suder muses that mind melding might be considered a form of violence, and that it might be fatal if the melder lost control. Tuvok locks himself in his quarters, deletes his security clearance, and tells the computer to inform Janeway that he is no longer fit for duty. Janeway lifts the security seal on Tuvok's quarters, and enters to find his furniture destroyed. Tuvok, lurking in the shadows, tells Janeway not to come any closer. Janeway convinces Tuvok to let her transport him to sickbay, but Tuvok requests sedation first, for the safety of the crew. The Doctor diagnoses Tuvok with a neurochemical imbalance in his mesiofrontal cortex, the psychosuppression center of his brain. The Doctor temporarily disables Tuvok's emotional control hoping to shock his emotional suppression systems into functioning again. Tuvok feels euphoric and wants to stay this way for a while, to "study primal Vulcan behavior", but The Doctor cannot allow that. Tuvok threatens The Doctor and tells Janeway that her refusal to execute Suder is a sign of weakness and that she disgusts him. He offers to execute Suder himself and tries to get Kes to release the force field around the surgical bay. The treatment ends and Tuvok loses consciousness. Janeway asks how many treatments will be necessary but The Doctor says that there is no way to know. Later, Tuvok regains consciousness and breaks out of sickbay, and returns to the brig to execute Suder. Suder asks Tuvok whether he is trying to serve justice or vengeance, and warns him that if he does not control the violence, it will control him, and there will no longer be any place for him in civilized life. Tuvok initiates a mind meld with Suder, but is unable to complete the execution. Suder then contacts the bridge to request help for Tuvok. In sickbay, The Doctor tells Tuvok that his inability to kill Suder shows that his suppression systems are starting to work again, and he will make a full recovery. Tuvok apologizes to Janeway for insulting her, and tells her that he has the highest respect for her and considers her a friend. Janeway accepts his apology but orders him not to conduct any more mind melds without her permission. 
<EOS>
The Doctor and Kes are conducting a prenatal exam on Ensign Samantha Wildman and are discussing possible names for Samantha's baby, the difficulty of which The Doctor can sympathise; he has reviewed databases from over five hundred worlds but has yet to find anything suitable for his own name. Samantha has been considering naming the child after her husband, Greskrendtregk, because it is a tradition in his family but she would prefer something simpler. She suggests Cameron, Frederick and Sural, but The Doctor discounts each possibility. Cameron is from the ancient Celtic for "one whose nose is bent," Frederick bears a resemblance to an impolite term on the Bolian homeworld and Sural was the name of a brutal dictator on Sakura Prime. Kes suggests Benaren, her father's name, and both The Doctor and Wildman like the name. However, The Doctor is hurt that Kes never suggested the name for him. Meanwhile on the bridge, the crew is investigating a debris field and are concerned because it would take a very powerful weapon to cause so much damage to the duritanium-hulled unmanned probe. Upon investigation, Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres find that a powerful Cardassian weapon caused the destruction. Captain Kathryn Janeway asks if Seska could be involved but Torres reveals that she herself was responsible. The bridge crew gathers in the briefing room, although Lt. jg Tom Paris arrives late and disheveled, to hear Torres' explanation. She reveals that the probe was destroyed by an experimental Cardassian missile from the Alpha Quadrant which the Maquis had acquired. They surmise that the Caretaker must have brought the missile to the Delta Quadrant in the same way as the USS Voyager because the last time they saw the probe it was headed into the same area of the Badlands where Voyager was taken. Chakotay explains that the weapon is a self-guided tactical missile armed with 1,000 kilograms each of matter and antimatter, its own defensive weaponry and one of the most sophisticated computer systems that Torres had ever seen. The Maquis nicknamed the missile Dreadnought after the famous British battleship of the early 20th century. Neelix asks how the Maquis stopped the missile, to which Chakotay replies that they didn't. The Dreadnought made it through all of their defenses but despite its tactical sophistication, the Cardassians had armed it with an old kinetic detonator which failed to go off when it reached its target. Torres got inside the missile and reprogrammed it, giving it a new identity and making it work for the Maquis. They then sent it off on a mission to destroy the Cardassian fuel depot on Aschelan V but it never made it out of the Badlands and they assumed it was destroyed in the plasma storms. Torres says she can modify Voyager's sensors to find the Dreadnought and then she can get back inside and shut it down. The crew is dismissed but Chakotay confronts Paris about his tardiness and the untidiness of his uniform. While Paris and Torres work on reconfiguring the sensors, she reveals that Chakotay had not told the whole truth during the briefing. She says that they didn't send the probe to attack the Cardassians; she had done it alone without Chakotay's permission. After Chakotay found out he confronted her and said that she had hurt him because he thought he had earned her trust and loyalty. Torres regretted her actions and was relieved when the probe disappeared. Now she feels that if anyone gets hurt by the Dreadnought, it will be her fault. Paris tries to console her and the conversation switches to his own problems fitting in. Torres says that people are starting to talk about his behavior and she asks if it's true that Paris got in a fight with Lt. Rollins. Paris said the lieutenant had hassled him about the punctuation on his conn reports not being up to Starfleet protocol. Paris admits that Rollins was right about the reports and that he himself was beginning to feel that he did not fit in on Voyager. Voyager eventually finds the Dreadnought's warp trail, which is erratic due to an evasive pattern that had been programmed in, indicating that the missile sensed them following it and took evasive action. Once they find the missile, Torres realizes that its targeting scanners have been activated, which is not supposed to happen until it has locked onto its final target. Scanning its trajectory, they find that the Dreadnought has locked on to a planet approximately ten light years away and will take about three weeks to reach its destination. Much to the crew's dismay, the planet is class M with several heavily populated areas. Michael Jonas makes another call to the Kazon-Nistrim and wants to tell Seska about the weapon but his Kazon contact, Lorrum, won't let him speak to her directly. Before Jonas can give a full report to the Kazon, he must get off the comm line because someone else is about to make a subspace transmission and might discover him. On the bridge, Janeway has made contact with First Minister Kellan of Rakosa V, the planet toward which the probe is headed. The first minister has been tracking Voyager and the missile, but had not yet determined what it was. When Janeway tells the minister that the object is a powerful missile, he first believes that she is making a threat against the planet. The minister says that Voyager has a reputation for threatening many races since its arrival in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway says that the Kazon have been spreading those lies to prevent them from making allies and that the Voyager crew is going to try to stop the missile, but Kellan is still skeptical and says he will put his planet's defense forces on alert. Meanwhile, Dreadnought has accepted Torres' access codes and she beams over to the missile, where her identity is confirmed by a DNA scan. The missile, which speaks with Torres' own voice, greets her. The probe states that Torres' last systems access was on stardate 47582. The current date is 49447, time 0840 hours. Torres begins to try to find what is wrong with the missile's programming to make it lock onto the wrong target. The missile's computer argues that the planet it is targeting is in fact Aschelan V, based on parameters such as size, radiothermic signature and atmospheric composition and it refuses to believe Torres when she says that the missile has the wrong planet targeted. Torres is unable to access the missile's navigation system because it is at Stage 3 alert status, a safety measure which Torres remembers was her idea. As she starts working on another way to get at the system, Torres asks the Dreadnought what happened to it on the day after her last systems access. The computer confirms that it encountered a coherent tetryon beam, which Torres realizes must have damaged the Dreadnought's sensors. After some modifications, she has the missile reinitialize its navigational system which causes the missile to realize it is in the Delta Quadrant. Since Aschelan V is not in the Delta Quadrant, the probe stands down from Stage 3, deactivates the target lock and assumes Stage 4 alert status. Janeway immediately contacts Torres, reporting that the missile's engines have shut down. Believing her mission was accomplished, Torres packs up her gear, puts the missile in Stage 5 status power-saving mode and bids the Dreadnought goodnight as she beams back to Voyager. Later, however, while Torres, Chakotay and Janeway discuss the possibility of salvaging parts from the Dreadnought for use on Voyager, Paris interrupts to report that the Dreadnought has suddenly powered up and jumped to warp nine, putting it on an intercept course with Rakosa V which it will reach in 51 hours. Voyager chases after the probe, which no longer responds to Torres' access codes, making it impossible for her to beam over. Janeway orders Tuvok to fire on the missile, in an attempt to disable its drive systems. Chakotay informs her that the missile was programmed to adapt to all known weapon types, including Starfleet's, but Janeway is optimistic that Voyager's type 6 photon torpedos, which weren't in service yet when Dreadnought was launched, might just get through. Voyager fires two photons for direct hits, but there is no damage to the missile. Chakotay surmises that the Dreadnought must have scanned their weapons and adapted. Janeway contacts First Minister Kellan again to report on the situation, stating that Voyager's engines will be back online in an hour and they will try again to stop the missile. Kellan says that his planet is projecting two million casualties if the missile attacks and has deployed a fleet which will intercept the missile in a few hours. Janeway says that the Rakosan fleet is no match for the Dreadnought's weapons, but Kellan refuses to just sit and wait for destruction. Janeway implores the minister to wait, as Torres is still the best hope for stopping the missile, but Kellan says the decision has already been made. Eventually, Torres does manage to beam back over to the missile, which greets her warmly but denies her access to any programmer interfaces, and even shocks her when she attempts to access the circuit pathways. Torres continues trying to access the computer and at first is surprised that she manages to get through without much of a fight, but before long the missile announces it is going to Stage 2 alert. Torres asks what is happening, and the computer responds that fifteen priority targets are approaching with weapons armed -- the Rakosan fleet. Aboard Voyager, Janeway tries to convince the Rakosan fleet not to attack, but the pilot of the lead ship, Rakosa One, states that he intends to carry out his orders. However, Torres requests that Janeway not beam her away from Dreadnought, as the Rekosan fleet has provided a distraction which is allowing her to access the missile's computer systems. Janeway agrees not to pull her out yet, but will maintain a transporter lock and Voyager engages the missile alongside the Rekosan fleet in order to provide cover fire. Torres starts to make progress on accessing Dreadnought's weapons systems, until the computer informs her that it has rerouted all command functions through protected backups in order to prevent tampering. Torres again tries to reason with the computer, saying that the Rekosans are not Cardassians and therefore not the enemy, but the computer answers that it is programmed to respond with all necessary force and begins the attack. Voyager is able to draw the Dreadnought's fire and allow the Rekosans to escape, but Torres has just over an hour left to prevent the attack. Janeway asks if she has any other ideas, but Torres doesn't want to discuss them in front of the Dreadnought computer. Dreadnought promptly cuts off Torres' comm link with Voyager, stating that there had been a tactical advantage to monitoring her communications, but now that advantage was gone. Torres goes back to work and the missile realizes that she is trying to access the detonation control system in order to blow up the missile before it reaches its target. Torres responds that that wouldn't make much sense, since she would be killing herself in the process and why would she sacrifice herself if being coerced by the Cardassians? Dreadnought cannot come up with an answer for this and begins a new probability analysis and Torres sees a possible opening. She starts to play a hypothetical game with the computer, something she had done before during the Dreadnought's initial programming. Torres asks the computer to hypothetically accept the assumption that the missile is in the Delta Quadrant, heading for the wrong target and explain how this might have happened. The computer responds that if key sensor programs were damaged, it could have compromised the databanks. Torres calls up the databanks to see if they were compromised and finds an unidentified Cardassian backup file in the databank that she had missed during her first reprograming of the Dreadnought. Before she can learn more, the Dreadnought completes the new probability assessment and comes to a new conclusion. Torres is not being coerced, but has instead changed loyalties. With this, the computer terminates humanoid life support, goes to Stage 1 alert and begins its final detonation sequence. First Minister Kellan is beginning to give up hope but Janeway tells him that she is prepared to use Voyager to stop the missile by colliding with it rather than letting it hit the planet. Kellan is taken aback by her willingness to sacrifice her vessel to save people she hadn't met until only a few days ago. He says that Voyager's reputation is undeserved and for what it's worth, they have made a friend today. Janeway reminds him that they still have forty-one minutes to stop Dreadnought and she hasn't given up yet. Back on the missile, Dreadnought cannot understand why Torres has remained after life support has been cut off and key systems have been made unaccessible, but Torres is too busy working on accessing the old Cardassian file. Meanwhile, Janeway tells Chakotay and Tuvok that at this point their only option to destroy the missile is to set off a large explosion in its path, with the only thing that would create a big enough detonation being a warp core breach. She puts Chakotay in charge of evacuating non-senior officers from the ship, then initiates the self-destruct sequence, just as Torres accesses the Cardassian file and brings the original Cardassian ATR-4107 control system for the missile online, triggering an "identity crisis" in the computer. The conflicting computer systems attack each other as they battle for control of the missile, enabling Torres to access the missile's reactor core so she can detonate the warhead before it reaches the target. 
<EOS>
On Voyager's bridge, Commander Chakotay is telling Captain Janeway about an unusual spatial object the crew has detected, saying that -- although it looks like a comet -- it is moving too erratically to be one. Janeway considers the possibilities of the anomaly's nature. On her instruction, Lieutenant Torres heads from the bridge to transporter room two and tries to beam aboard a comet fragment for study, surrounding the transporter with a containment field. She energizes the transporter but, instead of the sample, she beams aboard a man, clothed in a Starfleet captain's uniform, who steps down from the transporter platform -- walking directly through the containment field with little effort -- and then greets Torres, announcing that his name is Q. Torres contacts Janeway, asking her to come to the transporter room and reporting Q's arrival. Janeway immediately initiates a red alert and starts to head to the transporter room. With a flash, however, Q appears beside Torres. He addresses the captain via Torres' com badge, assuring Janeway not to bother; he instead asks for her permission to take her to lunch. With more flashes, Q and Janeway materialize in Voyager's mess hall, wherein Q enthusiastically greets her and even causes a table to become laden with dishes. Janeway begins to formally introduce herself but Q interrupts, ending her sentence for her. Neelix is puzzled at the selection of food, remarking about rabbits, and wonders whether their new arrival is a chef that Janeway is interviewing. While interestedly studying crew members clustered around the room, Q tries to persuade the officers to eat, referring to the food he has provided as a token of his appreciation at being released from captivity, a story that Janeway skeptically questions. Q seems stunned to encounter the crew of mortals and reveals an envy of Kes' short lifespan as, more than any other desire, he wants to die. Janeway then confronts him, having assumed that he is the same Q who has repeatedly visited the USS Enterprise-D but he tells her that he is not. Q again interrupts her and, muttering to himself, he starts to say that she has mistaken him for someone else but he breaks off mid-sentence. Mentioning a need for expediency before "others" discover where he is, Q makes a small speech that -- apparently -- he has spent three hundred years preparing. The speech culminates in him pronouncing the end of himself but, when he flicks his right wrist, the resultant flash instead causes all the male crew members to disappear; a message from Torres confirms for Janeway that this mass disappearance is a ship-wide phenomenon. On Janeway's directive, Q tries to return the men but is so out of practice with his own abilities that he is unable to cause a flash that will bring them back. He flippantly apologizes to Janeway. With another flash, he returns her to the bridge. Janeway insists that he bring the crew back, but he admits that he doesn't know how to. As he ponders over the question of who would have more recent experience with Humans than he does, the "original" Q appears on the bridge in a flash. He sternly asks what the second Q has now done, before glancing over at Janeway. Less than thrilled about Voyager's presence in the Delta Quadrant, Q remarks that Humans shouldn't be in this area of space for another one hundred years. Quinn denies responsibility for the Humans' presence. When Janeway admits that she and her crew are responsible for Quinn's release from imprisonment, Q blames the captain's femininity and claims he was betting Riker would receive command of Voyager. Janeway mentions that she has heard of Q. He is thrilled and wants to know more but becomes distracted by the fact that there are only women on the bridge. When prompted to explain what happened to all the men, Quinn describes it as "a slight accident." Q correctly guesses that he was attempting suicide and, in disgust, brings the male crew members back to their stations, after which he whimsically comments on Chakotay's tattoo. Although Q intends to leave immediately with the former prisoner, Quinn insists on a request for Janeway to grant him asylum from his brethren. As the pair of Q quarrel over the plea and Quinn tries to escape from Q, Quinn dangerously transports Voyager to the time of the Big Bang (Q mentioning that the crew's atoms could end up being the origin of the humanoid form) and then reduces the ship to subatomic proportions, causing the vessel to be battered by protons. After Q found them every time, Quinn transforms the vessel into a Christmas tree ornament but Q picks the ornament up off the tree and peers into the vessel's viewscreen, warning Quinn that there is nowhere to hide. An angered Janeway, desperate to end their dispute and save her ship, agrees to hold a hearing between the troublesome pair to consider Quinn's request for asylum. Both accept, but each have their own conditions. If Q wins, Quinn will spend eternity in captivity. If Quinn wins, he will be granted mortality so that he may commit suicide. Janeway is therefore presented with a dilemma whose difficulty Q lengthily remarks on. Quinn flashes into Tuvok's office to find him studying an okudagram. Quinn requests that Tuvok act as his counsel during the hearing because Vulcans approve of suicide. Tuvok protests, saying that even though Vulcans who are infirm do practice ritual suicide he has no legal expertise. Quinn persists with his request and Tuvok finally says he will speak to Janeway about his request. She agrees, reluctantly, and confides to Tuvok that she personally abhors suicide in any way and is worried about possibly helping Quinn end his life. Tuvok requests that she at least keep an open mind and she agrees. The hearing begins with Janeway asking the Qs to promise not to turn the hearing into a circus. They both agree and Janeway begins by asking Quinn one of the most pressing questions: Why does he want to commit suicide? He tells her he doesn't agree with the fact that each individual of the Continuum is obligated to follow the path that his or her life will follow. He wants his path to lead to death and doesn't think that the Continuum should be able to interfere in his choices. Q brings more witnesses to help his case: Isaac Newton, Maury Ginsberg, and William T. Riker. Upon seeing Q, Riker becomes agitated and demands to know what Q is up to. As much as Janeway wishes to have Riker return to Starfleet to inform them of Voyager's situation, the witnesses have to be mind-wiped afterward. The two former have a hard time believing that they are on a starship, so Janeway tells them to pretend they are having a very strange dream, in which they are seeing the same man they've all met before. Q explains that Quinn helped shape the lives of all these men: he helped Newton discover gravity, helped Ginsberg make sure that the concert at Woodstock would go on as planned and introduced him to his future wife, and he saved the life of William Riker's ancestor, Colonel Thaddius Riker therefore allowing Will Riker, as Q points out, to help save the Federation from assimilation by the Borg. Quinn takes himself, Q, Janeway and Tuvok to a replicated interior of the comet in an effort to help his case. Q tells him that it is his own fault that he has been held in captivity and he could be free if he didn't want to commit suicide. Back on Voyager, Janeway tells Quinn that she cannot take into account the circumstances of his confinement into her ruling, as he is only confined there due to his desire to kill himself. She tells Quinn that the only thing she has found that could possibly justify a ruling in Quinn's favor is the "double effect" principle, which justifies the release from suffering, age, or infirmity even if it also causes death. So far, Quinn has shown no sign of suffering or being in pain, and Janeway tells Quinn that he needs to prove he suffers in any manner other than the conditions of his confinement. Tuvok requests a recess so he and Quinn can consider their response. In the mess hall, the two men discuss their failure to prove their case. Quinn is grateful to Tuvok for believing in him, but Tuvok says that Quinn's position is not his own and that Quinn appears to only wish to commit suicide due to the fact he is bored by life as a Q and he doesn't believe that a life like his should be wasted. Quinn remarks that Tuvok has managed to surprise him, which is unusual; he also says that if Tuvok lived the life of a Q, he would understand the logic behind his position. Tuvok then proposes visiting the Continuum itself. In her ready room, Janeway asks Q if the Continuum would reconsider putting Quinn in captivity if she rules against him but instead try to reintegrate him into society. Q refuses, saying that Quinn is too dangerous but has been authorized to offer something else as an incentive for Janeway to make, in the Continuum's opinion, the correct decision: if Janeway rules in his favor, then the Continuum will return Voyager to Earth. The next day, Tuvok tells everyone at the hearing that he and Quinn wish to demonstrate life in the Continuum itself. Q objects saying that humans would never understand, but Tuvok counters that Quinn has a right to display the living conditions that are responsible for his suffering. Janeway agrees, and Quinn whispers to Q how he will display life in the Continuum to Janeway and Tuvok. Q still isn't happy, but agrees. Quinn then takes everyone to the Continuum which appears as an endless road in the desert. Janeway is incredulous that this is the Continuum, and Quinn explains that this is simply a representation of the Continuum created so she could comprehend it. He then leads everyone to a small, run-down building by the side of the road. In the building are several people each doing various things. Some are reading newspapers and magazines (called 'The Old' and 'The New), another man is playing a pinball machine named "Galaxy" and a couple play croquet with balls that appear to be miniature planets. Quinn explains that the road represents the universe, and that it goes around in a large circle before ending up right back at the building. Quinn has traveled the road many, many times and has done everything he can in the building. Played the games, sat on the porch, been the dog and even took the place of the scarecrow once before. When Janeway asks why, he tells her that it was simply because he hadn't done it before. Janeway states that the people in the building don't seem to be suffering, and Quinn states that they don't dare feel sad because if they did then at least that would be some progress. Quinn then tells Janeway that when he was a respected philosopher he celebrated the purity the Q had reached and at the beginning of their era the Continuum was full of discussion on the discoveries and the issues that arose in the universe, but now everyone is silent because there is nothing left to say. Everything has already been said, and no-one has spoken to each other for ten millennia as a result. Q states that he doesn't mind the peace and quiet, causing Quinn to remark on the irony that Q would be arguing on behalf on the Continuum when it was Q who was once exiled from the Continuum and made mortal to pay for his crimes. Q simply states that he is a different person now, and Quinn tells Q what a pity that is because the person Q was before, the Q that was out of control and used his powers for his own amusement, inspired him. Q only acted that way because there was nothing left to do in the Continuum, and while he acted that way the Continuum had something to talk about. But then Q was snapped back into line by the Continuum and became just another fine, upstanding member of it, but Quinn misses the old Q that forced him to think. Although he tries not to show it, Q is clearly affected by Quinn's words. Quinn then picks up a copy of The New and shows one of its articles to Janeway. Titled "I'm Ready to Die; How About You?", it was written by Quinn and was the beginning of his fall from grace. Quinn explains that although the magazine was shut down after the article, Quinn continued to speak out in favor of his suicide and the Continuum was so scared of him that they locked him away in the comet, displaying that the Continuum only favors an individuals rights as long as they don't conflict with the state. Quinn feels his life's work is complete, yet the Continuum has forced immortality on him and as a result he feels his life is cheapening alongside that of the Continuum. Quinn then asks Janeway that, if there was no more space left to explore, no new discoveries left to be made and nothing else to do, would she really want to live forever under those circumstances? In response to Janeway asking him to equate how he suffers in relation to pain or disease he tells her the disease is immortality and that when an immortal's life is futile and no longer endurable then it should be allowed to end. Everyone is transported back to the hearing room, and Tuvok declares that he and Quinn rest their case. Janeway calls a recess so she can consider her decision. As Janeway tries to sleep, Q appears in her quarters and asks her if she had thought anymore about his offer to bring Voyager home if she rules in his favor. She dismisses it as a bribe and tells him it will play no part in her decision. However, Q has talked to the members of the Continuum and persuaded them into giving Janeway what she asked for: Quinn will not go back into his cell, someone will be assigned to look after him, to bring him back into the normal life of the Q. Q tells her that she has won and that he thinks the two of them should celebrate together. She, however, doesn't like that at all and orders him to leave. In the hearing room once again, Janeway begins to deliver her judgement. She tells Quinn that she has considered the implication that granting asylum would lead to a death, even if the death is self-inflicted. She has also considered the possible consequences that Quinn's suicide could have on the Q Continuum. The idea of making a decision that could affect an entire society, be for the better or for the worse, has troubled her. Despite all this, with the evidence that she has been presented she declares that Quinn is not mentally unbalanced and it is clear he is undergoing intolerable suffering. Janeway finishes that she won't support immortality that is forced on an individual by the state and that the possible consequences suffered by the Continuum aren't enough to justify Quinn's continued suffering and rules in his favor, granting Quinn asylum. Q is disappointed but he honors the agreement made at the beginning of the trial and turns Quinn mortal. Janeway then tells Quinn that, rather than committing suicide, maybe he could give mortality a try, as there are a great many sensations and feelings he could explore and he could explore his new existence. Quinn thinks about it and agrees to try. In her ready room, Janeway and Chakotay are trying to figure out a post for Quinn when The Doctor calls her down to sickbay: Quinn is dying. Janeway arrives in sickbay, where Tuvok and The Doctor are waiting for her, just before Quinn dies. The Doctor informs Janeway that Quinn ingested a form of Nogatch hemlock, for which there is no known cure. Quinn tells her that he would only be pretending to fit into mortal life, that his death is his final gift to his people and he was grateful to Janeway for making his death possible. The Doctor tells Janeway that he doesn't store the hemlock or any fatal poisons, and Tuvok points out that the replicators won't produce it either. Janeway wonders how Quinn obtained the hemlock, just as Q shows up again. He informs the startled officers that he was the one who assisted Quinn in his suicide. Q remarks that it was Quinn, not he, who was truly irrepressible. He hopes that he could be a worthy student of Quinn's ways and when Janeway remarks that the Continuum won't be happy with him, his only response is, "I certainly hope not."  He bids Janeway goodbye, promising that they will meet again. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Tom Paris arrives late to his duty shift on the bridge and provides several obviously false excuses. Commander Chakotay is irritated by Paris' tardiness and doesn't believe any of his excuses, informally reprimanding him for being late for the third time in a week. Before anything more can happen, Lieutenant Tuvok announces that the USS Voyager has received a subspace distress call from a small, unarmed spacecraft. The weak lifesigns aboard the vessel indicate a Vidiian female. Captain Kathryn Janeway orders Ensign Harry Kim to respond to the hail but the distressed ship does not respond. Because there are no other Vidiian ships in the sector, Janeway overrules Paris' suggestion that they may be falling into a trap and decides to have the woman beamed directly into sickbay. In sickbay, Kes and The Doctor find an extremely complex bio-neural implant in the Vidiian's parietal lobe. The Doctor's scans find that the device is storing her synaptic patterns and processing her neuroelectric impulses: essentially, she has a cortical stimulator built into her body. While the device appears to be functioning normally, the nerve cells to which it connects are dying, severely reducing its function. To avoid losing their patient, The Doctor decides to transfer the synaptic patterns stored in the device into the holobuffer. He then creates, piece by piece, a holographic body for her. Chakotay reports that the ship's navigational logs indicate that the patient was en route to a remote Vidiian colony about ten light years from Voyager's present location which will take around three weeks to reach. Janeway agrees that, as long as she is sure they're safe from any possible Vidiian attack, they should return her to her people. Chakotay then turns the conversation to the behavior of Paris. Although crew discipline is his responsibility as first officer, he wishes to discuss the problem with Janeway before taking action. While she shares his concerns, Janeway leaves Chakotay in charge of disciplining Paris. As the patient's synaptic patterns stabilize, The Doctor prepares to transfer her mind into the holographic body he has created for her while her physical body is in stasis. When she wakes up, The Doctor explains the procedure and gives her a mirror so she can see her healthy-looking self. The patient starts crying for joy, overwhelmed at the idea of seeing herself healthy once more. She reveals that she was first diagnosed with the Phage at seven years old and started receiving replacement tissue and organs shortly afterward. She is also fascinated by the fact that The Doctor is a hologram himself. She introduces herself as Danara Pel, a hematologist who had been helping treat an outbreak of the Phage on Fina Prime and was on the way back to her home colony when her disease worsened. They both begin working on healing Pel's body, as her mind cannot survive in the computer for more than a week. Pel sees her physical body on the biobed and becomes briefly distracted before helping The Doctor. The Doctor discusses with B'Elanna Torres his plans to extract a segment of her parietal lobe to transplant into Pel. Because her Klingon DNA is highly resistant to the Phage and compatible with Vidiian DNA, she is a perfect donor. However, Torres has reservations about the procedure after what the Vidiians had done to her previously. He begs her to reconsider and while they are arguing, Pel enters The Doctor's office, expressing her sympathy for Torres and what she went through. She asks for Torres' understanding, explaining that her species has been dying of the Phage for centuries and that in their quest to find a cure, their scientists and politicians have forgotten to have compassion for the people they seek help from. However, she is willing to accept her fate should Torres choose not to undergo the procedure. Taken aback, Torres chooses to help Pel. After they perform the surgery, The Doctor realizes that now all they have to do is wait a few days to see whether the procedure was successful. He suggests shutting Pel's program down temporarily, as that would slow the degradation of her neural pathways in Voyager's computer. Pel, however, is too energetic to want to be shut down: she wants to tour the ship. Since that is not an option, The Doctor takes her to Chez Sandrine on the holodeck instead. There, they engage in conversation and at some point, The Doctor manages to make her laugh about his greatest medical feat: curing Neelix from an acute case of hiccups. Pel tells him how much she appreciates his sense of humor, especially because she hasn't had anything to laugh about in a very long time. She then chooses to name The Doctor "Shmullus" after her uncle, who also used to make her laugh. The pair return to sickbay and experience a few awkward moments of silence, before The Doctor wishes her good night and reluctantly deactivates her program. In the mess hall, Chakotay approaches Paris and asks if anything is bothering him, pointing out his tardiness and general lack of enthusiasm on the job lately. Paris laughs mockingly at Chakotay's sudden concern for his feelings, saying that his problem is in fact Chakotay himself. He expresses his frustration over Chakotay's unwillingness to let him take initiative and be creative once in a while. He states that as a matter of fact he is not the only one who has a problem with how Chakotay runs things and sardonically asks loudly to be excused. As he leaves, everyone in the mess hall -- including Michael Jonas -- watches him. Lorrum, Jonas' Kazon-Nistrim contact onboard Culluh's ship, is very interested to hear of the unrest among the Voyager crew. He praises Jonas and then orders him to sabotage Voyager's warp coils. However, Jonas refuses to damage Voyager in any way and tells Lorrum that Seska would need to contact him if Culluh has a problem with that. He terminates the transmission. In sickbay, The Doctor is busy running a level 2 self-diagnostic on himself to assess his situation since Pel came aboard. While he thinks there is a malfunction in his tactile acuity subroutine, Kes suggests that perhaps he might be attracted to Pel and that he in fact should not try to fix anything. The Doctor thinks this is impossible, as he isn't programmed to handle romance, but Kes points out that since his programming is adaptive, everything -- including romantic feelings -- is possible. Nervous about what is happening to him, The Doctor describes what he feels and experiences around Pel and says that he doesn't want his program to adapt in that manner right now. He finds his thoughts consumed by her in her absence and unsettled in her presence: quite disconcerting feelings for one so used to being in total control. After a few moments of deliberation, he asks Kes how to go about exploring a romantic relationship. Kes recommends forthrightness and simply telling Pel how he feels. While performing maintenance surgery on Pel's body, The Doctor decides to take Kes' advice to heart and blurts out to Pel, quite matter-of-factly, of his attraction to her and his desire to enter a romantic relationship. Pel and Kes are both dumbstruck at The Doctor's approach. Pel is speechless and tells him that she'd prefer to keep their relationship professional. In Sandrine's, a very depressed Doctor runs into Paris and decides to ask him for advice on how to recover from romantic rejection, citing doctor-patient confidentiality when Paris pries for details. Paris recalls a particularly bad breakup he endured from a woman named Susie Crabtree in his first year at Starfleet Academy -- which almost cost him his grade in stellar cartography. But, he reassures The Doctor that while the first love is always the hardest to get over, things tend to get better over time. However, much to The Doctor's horror, Paris reveals that you actually never completely get over someone you loved and that even years later the most trivial things can remind you of that person and make you feel just as bad and torn up inside as the day they said they never wanted to see you again. Noticing the distressed look on The Doctor's face, Paris finally realizes that The Doctor is speaking about himself and decides to give him concrete advice. After finding out a little more about the situation, Paris tells The Doctor that his approach probably scared Pel off altogether and suggests that he take her someplace special. The Doctor expresses reservations about what to do but Paris has an idea. Meanwhile, in sickbay, Pel is sitting on a biobed nervously waiting for The Doctor. While waiting, she speaks with Kes about her feelings for The Doctor and reveals that the awkwardness and bluntness with which The Doctor confessed his feelings for her was the reason she did not admit to her feelings for him. The Doctor waits for Pel in a holographic 1957 Chevrolet convertible on an equally holographic Mars. After a few awkward moments and explanations, he gives her a bouquet of red roses, a box of chocolates and a teddy bear and turns on the car's radio. He offers to try dancing, as he's just downloaded the subroutine that would allow him to do so, but she prefers just sitting for a while and stargazing. The Doctor points out Earth and several other astronomical highlights in the sky. They kiss and embrace facing the stars. On the bridge, Paris is late again. Chakotay says it's all right, as they don't need him. He tells him that Grimes will take Paris' place at conn for the shift and every shift thereafter until Paris starts taking his job more seriously. Captain Janeway supports the decision all the way but stays quiet. As Chakotay starts guiding him off the bridge, Paris shoves him roughly to the floor and Janeway has Lieutenant Tuvok take Paris to the brig. Seska contacts Jonas in his quarters to give him advice on how to implement his sabotage of the warp coils. Because she doesn't want to raise her child with the Kazon, she fully intends to take Voyager and that means having Jonas sabotage it. She begins to detail the plan, saying that they will meet Voyager at a planet called Hemikek IV. Meanwhile, The Doctor is feeling much more comfortable around Pel and hopes their relationship will continue after they perform the synaptic transfer. However, before the procedure begins, they discover that Pel's brain is rejecting the tissue graft and that they cannot continue the transfer. The Doctor finds elevated levels of nytoxinol in Pel's body. When he finds the hypospray with which Pel was injected to contain cervaline as it was supposed to, he concludes that somebody must have deliberately poisoned Pel. Before he can call for Tuvok however, Pel reveals that she herself administered the nytoxinol, knowing it would be fatal. She states that she does not wish to be in that body again. She tells him that she would prefer to live a few healthy days with The Doctor, knowing they would be her last, than to spend the rest of her natural life in her Phage-infected body. She is sick of prolonging people's suffering, which is all she can do and all she feels The Doctor is doing for her by making her go through with the transfer. She says in her adult life before Voyager, she was "just a disease" but has become more than that thanks to him. She fears that he will stop loving her when she is sick again. But The Doctor argues that he would love her, no matter what her condition was. Pel seems convinced and at peace and they meet in Sandrine's. As she emerges from the shadows, she reveals herself back in her real, non-holographic body, and she and The Doctor embrace for a final waltz before she leaves for her home. 
<EOS>
A Briefing with Neelix goes on the air for the first time, with the approval of Captain Kathryn Janeway. He happily declares the intention of amusing the ship's crew with news from the ship. He also tries to get other crewmembers to give input, such as the Doctor giving health news and Ensign Harry Kim's opinion of the show. He suggests that Neelix could also include more intriguing information, rather than just light-hearted matters. Just then, Neelix receives a message from one of his old Talaxian friends, Laxeth. After a brief catch-up, he says one of USS Voyager's crew members is going to be leaving the ship and joining their cargo supply line, to Neelix's surprise. When Neelix goes straight to the captain with this information, Lieutenant Tuvok and Janeway reveal that they knew that Lieutenant Tom Paris was going to be leaving, since he'd asked to be put off the ship soon after he was taken off the bridge. Neelix is shocked, seeing this behavior as unusual, and goes to see him. He confirms he wasn't part of the reason Paris is leaving, and Paris insists it isn't. Paris says he's always been fooling himself about being in Starfleet and wants a life where he's more his own boss, appealing to Neelix's old life. Neelix finally understands. Going back to the kitchen, Neelix continues to come to grips with Paris' decision when the Doctor calls in. He's changed his mind about contributing to the program, but Neelix can't focus on that at the moment. He wants to feature Paris that day on his program instead. The next edition of Neelix's program is of a much more solemn nature, with Neelix giving a moving speech about Paris and how he'll be missed on the ship. The whole ship watches the program. Later, Paris bids goodbye to Harry, Kes and Neelix in the transporter room. The next day during the usual staff briefing, Janeway commends Neelix for his good work on his program, in particular his tribute to Paris, then discussion begins over who will take the now vacant post of main conn officer. Ensign Kim objects, feeling its too soon and Paris may still return and Janeway kindly but firmly tells Harry that when Tom left he gave no indication he could change his mind. Suddenly, B'Elanna Torres is contacted by Michael Jonas in engineering concerning a plasma overload in the warp core. Racing down to help (with Neelix in tow looking for a story), Torres works with Jonas to stop the overload. The only option is to vent the plasma through the nacelles, resulting in severe damage to the warp coils. Jonas is injured when his console explodes as he tries to prevent a warp core breach. Two others are hurt as well. In sickbay, the three are treated quickly by the Doctor. Neelix tries to capture a statement from Jonas, but he shrugs him off. The Doctor is excited to give his input, but Neelix clearly wants the "hero" version. He's called to the bridge, where the crew is discussing where to get the materials they need to repair the coils, including Verterium cortenide. Fortunately, Neelix is familiar and suggests the nearby Hemikek system. Just then, Voyager receives a distress signal from Laxeth who tells Janeway that the Kazon-Nistrim have attacked them and kidnapped Paris, but, oddly, did not take their cargo. On board the Kazon vessel, Paris is visited by Seska, who explains why she's kidnapped him. She lets him know that she has no intention of raising her child on a Kazon ship. Stating she doesn't trust him, she sets up her superior position and asks for Paris' help in capturing Voyager in return for her help. She then leaves Paris alone in his room to contemplate the decision. This gives him the chance he'd been waiting for. Using a console he attempts to access the communications array. Using a device he had hidden under his sleeve, which he attaches to the console, he attempts to amplify the last communication received by the ship. The odd circumstances of Paris' abduction troubles Neelix. Talking to Kes, he suspects that there is a spy on board Voyager and states he intends to investigate. In engineering, Neelix accesses the communications logs and discovers gaps going back several months. Torres gives him access, but goes off to work. As Neelix views the files, Jonas, who is overhearing this, asks what Neelix is up to. Neelix, unsuspecting of Jonas' transmissions to Seska, gives him what he needs to know, but Jonas can't let Neelix continue to investigate. He tries to explain away the irregularities he is seeing, but, when Neelix isn't convinced, he picks up an engineering tool to kill Neelix. As he approaches, however, the Doctor interrupts, having been looking for Neelix to remind him to include him in Neelix' broadcast. Neelix abruptly leaves, and Jonas realizes he has a problem. Neelix reports what he's found to Tuvok, who thanks Neelix for this information but requests that the matter be left to him. Disgruntled, Neelix agrees but secretly continues his investigation. He goes back to Torres, but she's too busy and hands him over to Hogan. Hogan initially doesn't see value in this, but then he sees an anomaly. While Jonas is covertly overhearing from afar, Hogan sees that the power grid was used to send the messages, not the arrays. The waste energy was used to encode the messages. He tracks the source of the communications to Paris' quarters. Neelix goes there and uncovers evidence implicating Paris as the traitor. Without mentioning this to anyone, Neelix goes straight on the air with his conclusions. Hearing this, Janeway and Tuvok summon Neelix to a meeting with them and Commander Chakotay and it is revealed that Tuvok has been conducting his own investigation into the communication logs however he did not find the evidence that Neelix did, meaning it was put there after the initial investigation for the Talaxian to find. Neelix and Chakotay are confused, and Janeway finally tells them the whole story; she and Tuvok have known for a while that a member of the crew was communicating with the Kazon but were unable to find out who it was through conventional methods. As a result, they collaborated with Paris who has been acting out in order to make it believable that he would want to leave the ship, knowing that this information would get back to the Kazon-Nistrim. That way, they could get him aboard their ship in order to find out who the spy is. Chakotay, stunned and angry about being left out of the loop on this plan, demands to know why he'd not been included. Tuvok says that it was his idea, because he suspected that the traitor was a Maquis crewmember and that he didn't want to put Chakotay in an awkward position. Chakotay suggests maybe it was Hogan since he helped Neelix trace the transmissions, but Neelix points out Hogan just happened to be the engineer who was passing. Janeway tells Neelix that his false accusation has probably left the spy feeling cozy, but they want to put the pressure on him and tells him to continue his investigation and make it clear he no longer suspects Paris. Chakotay points out this is placing Neelix in a dangerous position, and Janeway tells Neelix the assignment is voluntary, but Neelix is willing to do anything to help Tom return to Voyager. On the Kazon ship, Paris finally manages to clear up the communications log enough to recognize Jonas communicating with Seska as well as finding out about the ambush at Hemikek. Just as he does this, Seska and two Kazon guards arrive, giving Paris a second to activate a small bomb that forms a part of the amplification device. Just before he is taken away by the Kazon guards, the device detonates, knocking them all off their feet, allowing Paris the opportunity to grab a weapon and race out of the room with the guards following close behind. On Voyager, Neelix is in engineering, trying to get to the bottom of the investigation. Hogan and Jonas are busy, though Hogan is surprised to hear the new information. Torres gives an order prompting Jonas to send Hogan off with some PADDs. After Neelix and Jonas are alone, an alert is called. Paris in the Kazon fighter is approaching. It's up to Jonas to transport Paris back, but Jonas instead begins the second part of his plan. He activates a force field, blocking off the access to engineering and, much to Neelix's surprise, he begins deactivating the weapons systems one after the other. He objects, and Jonas knocks him down, taking his combadge. As this is happening, Paris manages to tell Janeway that Jonas is the traitor, and she promptly sends Tuvok to engineering. Paris is beamed off the fighter by someone else and, as it explodes, the pursuing warship continues on, attacking Voyager. Unfortunately, Tuvok and his team meet the sealed doors. Neelix recovers quickly and picks up an antimatter pod-holder and follows Jonas up a ladder to the upper level. Neelix manages to gain the upper hand and Jonas is knocked over the railing into the plasma-stream from a ruptured plasma conduit, incinerating him instantly. Neelix quickly reverses Jonas's actions and brings Voyager's weapons back online, allowing the ship to disable the Kazon vessel. On the next edition of A Briefing with Neelix, Neelix interviews Paris about his heroics. Tom modestly claims it was nothing and apologizes to the crew members he offended when he was acting insubordinate, especially Chakotay, though he does admit it was a certain amount of fun. 
<EOS>
Neelix asks Ensign Samantha Wildman to help him in the mess hall. A heating element in his kitchen is malfunctioning, and it won't be long before there won't be any way to cook for the USS Voyager crew. Since Neelix has her there, he also asks her to help fix one of the food replicators. While investigating the problem, Wildman goes into labor. Neelix is excited for her and escorts her to sickbay. Seven hours later, The Doctor announces Wildman will soon deliver her baby. The bridge crew waits in anticipation. Lieutenant Tom Paris can't believe how long it takes; he figures she would have had the baby by now. Captain Kathryn Janeway reassures the lieutenant that childbirth takes as long as it takes. Lt. Tuvok adds that the birth of his third child took 96 hours. The light conversation is interrupted when Tuvok detects Vidiian subspace communications ahead and a G-type star system containing two inhabited planets, all Vidiians. Janeway doesn't want her or her crew to be unwilling organ donors, so she orders Paris to find a way to avoid detection. Paris suggests traveling through a large plasma drift, which spans almost halfway across the sector, and the crew head in knowing the interference caused by the plasma drift is their best chance to escape the Vidiians. Back in sickbay, Wildman is beginning to push but suddenly screams in pain as the baby turns awkwardly and lodges its cranial ridge into Wildman's uterine wall. The baby can't be moved for risk of causing nerve damage, but if it isn't delivered soon then the ridges could cause internal bleeding. The Doctor decides to perform a fetal transport and beam the baby out. Voyager successfully leaves the Vidiian system without being detected, and Janeway orders Paris to leave the plasma drift and resume their previous heading. In sickbay, The Doctor performs the fetal transport and delivers the baby, a girl. The Doctor notes that the transport caused a small complication that can be fixed with osmotic pressure therapy. Otherwise, she's perfectly healthy. Just then, the ship hits severe subspace turbulence. The warp engines stall and power failures occur all over the ship. Janeway calls for red alert, and asks Lt. Torres what's happening. It turns out the ship's antimatter is being drained, but Torres can't find any reason why it would be as all the containment fields are in place. Janeway orders Torres to start a series of proton bursts that will keep the antimatter reaction going. Torres prepares to start the procedure, but suddenly a proton burst hits the ship without warning seemingly out of nowhere. The ship is heavily damaged and people are hurt all over the ship. What's worse, the incubator for Wildman's baby is losing power due to the energy drain. The Doctor asks Kes to switch to an emergency incubator while several injured crew members pile into sickbay. In sickbay, The Doctor attempts to deal with the wounded crewmembers while Kes tries to use osmotic pressure to stabilize the baby's cells, but it is having no effect. Suddenly, another proton burst damages sickbay, and The Doctor tells Kes to increase the pressure. The Doctor is informed that there are more injured crewmembers on the way. From the massively-damaged main engineering, Torres tells Janeway that the ship is being hit by proton bursts, but she didn't start the proton burst procedure. Ensign Kim confirms that no bursts were fired, and the sensor array which would have emitted them is off-line. Another burst hits, causing a hull breach on deck 15, section 29 alpha and the emergency force fields are off-line. Ensign Kim tells Captain Janeway that he has been working on a portable force field generator which could seal the breach, and Janeway sends him to try it. Back in sickbay, The Doctor treats an injured Neelix while Kes is struggling with the baby, whose condition starts to deteriorate due to the cell imbalance. The Doctor prepares to help, but suddenly another burst hits, causing damage to The Doctor's program, almost knocking him off-line. Torres and Kim reach the breach on Deck 15 Section 29. Assisting them is Lt. Hogan, and Torres and Kim go off to the breach while Hogan tries to re-route the power to them. Tuvok has fully analyzed the proton bursts and still has no idea where they're coming from, but by now Janeway is more concerned with stopping them. She tells Commander Chakotay to magnetize the hull to minimize the effects of the bursts. She works with him to transfer enough power to protect the ship. The Doctor stabilizes his program, but by now the baby is unconscious. The Doctor prepares to try and resuscitate her and promises Wildman he'll do everything he can to save the baby, but by now things are looking very bleak. Hogan is about to re-route the power, when suddenly another proton burst hits and blows out the panel he's working at injuring him. Torres and Kim don't have time to go back, and continue on to the breach. In sickbay, all attempts to resuscitate the baby have failed and The Doctor is forced give up and declare her dead. Wildman is devastated and begins to sob while Neelix comforts her. Hogan calls sickbay for help, and Kes grabs a medkit and heads to his position. Meanwhile, the breach is widening and Torres decides they need to leave. However, Kim hesitates and suddenly the ship is hit with a huge jolt causing Kim to fall. He grabs a railing, but is hanging directly above the breach. Torres tries to grab him, but the force of the vacuum is too strong and he is pushed into space, killing him. Torres comes out of the Jefferies tube into the corridor to help Hogan. Kes runs down the corridor to help, but she vanishes into thin air. Torres tells Janeway what has happened to Kim and Kes and informs her of the spatial rift that has opened on deck 15. She throws a piece of broken conduit into the rift and scans the fissure. She notes that there is an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere on the other side; Kes might still be alive. With the hull breach widening, Janeway orders that the entire deck be evacuated. Torres helps Hogan to his feet and the two of them make their way out of the area. Chakotay is able to draw enough power to magnetize the hull and minimize the effects of several proton bursts. Janeway orders a full damage report from Tuvok. The news isn't good: the deck 15 breach had widened to encompass a part of deck 14, and 632 microfractures are all over the hull. All primary systems are offline, the antimatter levels are at 18 percent and continuing to fall, the warp coils in both nacelles are fused and inoperative, 15 crew members have plasma burns and 27 others are injured. The Doctor has opened triage facilities in both sickbay and holodeck 2. Tuvok also reports that Wildman's baby has died. Janeway first shows a sign of sadness, then anger. She orders the microfractures sealed and tells Paris to go to help the wounded. Just then, the proton bursts start to cause damage again. The power feeding the magnetized hull shuts down and the hull begins depolarizing. Fires erupt everywhere, but aren't put out because the automatic fire suppression system is also offline. The computer then reports that a hull breach has appeared on the bridge and, with the emergency force fields offline and no way to seal the breach, Chakotay begins an evacuation. Janeway stays at her command chair, trying to re-route emergency power to the field emitters to seal the breach. Chakotay yells at her to leave the bridge before it is too late. As more of the bridge begins to crumble, Janeway finally leaves to join the other evacuees. As she evacuates, she takes one last look at the bridge and freezes in disbelief -- she sees a ghost-like image of her bridge crew. In fact, she's staring at herself sitting in her chair. Chakotay yells once more and Janeway leaves the bridge. On an undamaged bridge, the Janeway in the chair (Janeway #2) sees herself (Janeway #1) cross the bridge and enter a turbolift. Janeway #1 has a tinge of orange from the fires that erupted on the first bridge. This Janeway sits on an unaffected ship; gone are the breaches, injuries, and damage. The proton burst procedure is occurring normally. Janeway #2 in shock tells a very much alive Harry Kim to scan the bridge because she says she saw herself and she looked like hell. Kim reports that he found a spatial fluctuation, but it was gone in a millisecond. He can't get a more precise reading because the sensors are being used for the proton bursts. Janeway asks Torres to speed up the procedure from its normal three hours so she can use the sensor array to find out what happened. In sickbay, Wildman holds a healthy baby girl. Janeway goes to congratulate her and asks The Doctor about a mysterious crewmember they found unconscious on deck 15: the Kes from the first Voyager (Kes #1). The Kes from the second Voyager says Kes #1 is nearly identical to her in every way, except for a phase shift in her DNA. Kes #1 recounts the events of the severe damage on her Voyager. She says she ran through a corridor, then she felt dizzy and she woke up there in Sickbay. Janeway #2 says her crew found a piece of conduit from bulkhead 052 on deck 15, section 29 Alpha, even though there were no signs of damage. Kes #1 disagrees, saying there was massive damage to deck 15. Janeway #2 walks Kes #1 through the events after they left the plasma drift. Since Kes #1's Voyager had not started the proton burst procedure, Janeway #2 realizes that the proton bursts from their Voyager is damaging the other one. Janeway #2 tells her Torres to stop the proton burst procedure. The bursts stop, but the drain on antimatter starts once again. Janeway #2 knows the only way to figure out how to get out of the situation is to find the first Voyager, so she heads to the bridge for more information. Chakotay #2 runs a quantum level analysis on the ship's sensors after they left the plasma drift and hit the spatial turbulence. Torres #2 explains that it was more than just turbulence, it was a subspace divergence field. After the ship left the drift, all sensor readings doubled. every particle of matter was duplicated. The field created another Voyager, occupying the same point in space-time. Janeway #2 recounts a Kent State University experiment in which quantum theorists duplicated a single particle of matter using divergence of subspace fields called a spatial scission. The theorists failed when they tried to duplicate antimatter. The experiment explains why Voyager's power was draining so fast; both ships are running their engines from the same antimatter source, like Siamese twins linked together at the heart. Janeway #2 asks Torres #2 to figure out a way to communicate with the other ship. She also wants to find a way to get Kes #1 back to her ship without being harmed. Kim works on a phase discriminator to protect Kes #1 from the effects of the spatial rift. Back in sickbay, Wildman #2 asks The Doctor #2 when she can start breastfeeding her baby. The Doctor says she can start immediately, although they'll have to think of alternatives once her baby's Ktarian incisors form in three to four weeks. The sound of the baby crying brings back Kes #1's memory of the first Wildman's baby dying in her sickbay. The Doctor tries to comfort her and says it's not her fault. Kes #1 wants to go back to her ship to help her crew. The Doctor tells her not to worry; he should have a counterpart that is well-programmed to handle the situation. Janeway #2 and Torres #2 try to figure out a way to communicate with the first Voyager. Janeway orders Torres to emit a comm signal through all subspace bands to get their attention. The comm signal pronounces itself as a shrill noise that permeates into engineering (which, due to the bridge being uninhabitable, is the crew's temporary command center) of Voyager #1. Voyager #1 locks onto the phase variance of the communique and sends back the signal. Torres #2 sends a message to the first Voyager using the ship's emergency encryption code to begin communicating at a frequency of 12 GHz. The viewscreen behind the engineering console springs to life, and the face of Janeway #2 appears. The two Janeways meet for the first time. Janeway #1 and her crew discuss whether the second Voyager is a deception but Janeway #1 tends to believe Janeway #2. Janeway #1's counterpart knew intimate information about her and her crew, including when she walked seven kilometers in a severe thunderstorm after she had lost a tennis match. Janeway #1 decides to cooperate with her and coordinate an attempt to try to merge the two ships. Janeway #1 takes command of the effort and orders both Torres' to synchronize a depolarization pulse with the deflector dish. The pulse doesn't work and results in the ships going further out of phase. The phase separation threatens to destroy both ships, so the plan is aborted. The stress of the procedure breaks the comm link and turns the antimatter leak into a hemorrhage, meaning the ship will be out of power in thirty minutes. Running out of time, Janeway #2 asks Kim #2 if he's ready to send Kes #1 back to her ship. He replies that he is ready. Janeway #2 tells him to rig another phase discriminator; she plans to go to the other Voyager and coordinate operations with Janeway #1. Janeway #1 is attempting to figure out how to stop the leak of antimatter when Janeway #2 shows up in engineering to talk to her. The two Janeways go to the top level of engineering to try to determine how to fix the problem. Janeway #1 thinks of separating the two ships, but Janeway #2 says that's impossible because her Torres says interaction between the two ships' antimatter would cause the ships to destroy themselves. Janeway #2 wonders if Janeway #1 could move her crew to her undamaged ship. Janeway #1 says that is impossible, because her Torres says that moving more than five or ten people at a time would harmfully adjust the atomic balance of the two Voyagers, once again destroying both ships. Janeway #1 tells Janeway #2 to go back to her ship to run a metallurgical analysis on the hull. Janeway #2 already knows what her counterpart is going to do -- destroy her ship and allow Janeway #2's intact ship to continue on its journey -- and convinces her to wait for fifteen minutes to think of another way. Back on her own bridge, Janeway #2 hails her counterpart and begins to describe an idea she's had when both Tuvoks detect a Vidiian ship heading toward them. The effects of the power loss and proton bursts have caused the weapons and shields on both ships to go offline. Tuvok #2 calculates it would take three hours to restore the weapons system to the undamaged ship. The Vidiians are aware of this and fire a Hyper-thermic charge. The charge results in a direct hit but only the second ship feels the effect, its weapons array is destroyed. The Vidiians land their ship on the hull of the second Voyager and cut an access port onto deck 5. Vidiians board the second Voyager and begin killing the crew and harvesting their organs. A Vidiian kills Tuvok and a security guard. In sickbay (on deck 5), The Doctor tells Wildman that he will keep her baby safe, planning to hide her in an access port. The Doctor erects an emergency force field around Sickbay to protect them, but it doesn't hold for long and two Vidiians storm into the room while The Doctor is forced to hide in his office with the baby. Back on the bridge, Chakotay reports the Vidiians have taken Sickbay and everything below deck 5. There are 347 Vidiians on the ship and more are boarding. Janeway #1 hails the second Voyager and offers to help by sending a security team to fight the Vidiians, but Janeway #2 refuses. She decides to use the auto-destruct sequence to prevent both ships from falling into Vidiian hands. Janeway #2 tells Janeway #1 that it only seems fair for her to send Harry Kim through the spatial rift with Wildman's baby. Kim protests, but Janeway #2 orders him to get the baby and go, saying he's got five minutes to get through the rift. As Kim leaves the bridge, Janeway #2 sets the auto-destruct for five minutes and tells the computer to disable voice warnings. She and Chakotay #2 sit down in their command chairs and grimly look at each other before she enables the countdown. Kim makes his way to sickbay where the Vidiians, having killed everyone inside apart from the hidden baby, are scanning Kes #2 and Wildman #2 for organs. They notice that Wildman has just given birth. They begin scanning for the baby, who is huddled in The Doctor's arms in his office. Kim bursts in and kills the Vidiians. The Doctor hands over the baby and tells Kim to tell The Doctor on the other ship that he has corrected the baby's hemocythemia. Back on the bridge, two Vidiians walk off the turbolift. Janeway stands and gives them a calm welcome: "Hello. I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway. Welcome to the bridge." The Vidiians are puzzled at the welcome, when suddenly one of the Vidiians alerts the other to the auto-destruct countdown as it enters the final few seconds, far too late to do anything about it. The countdown reaches zero and the second Voyager explodes, which also destroys the Vidiian ship and leaving the first Voyager intact. Ensign Kim makes it safely through the rift with Wildman's baby. Chakotay informs Janeway of the destruction of the other Voyager and the Vidiian ship. Janeway is saddened at the deaths, but knows it was what they had to do. Voyager continues on its way and the crew starts to makes repairs. There are no signs of the Vidiians, while it will be three days before the crew can return to the bridge. Tuvok and Janeway have a discussion about their experience, and Janeway admits that after going over what happened, if the Vidiians hadn't attacked, she would have destroyed her ship but she could also see the other Janeway's point of view. Tuvok comments that Janeway was "both the doubter and the doubted" and notes the paradoxial logic at work in the situation. Ensign Wildman thanks Kim for reuniting her with her baby, but he tells her it was the other Doctor who saved her from the Vidiians. Kim and Janeway walk out into the corridor where he comments that it's weird that he's on a different ship with a different captain and a different crew, except she is his captain and there is really no difference. Janeway says that being Starfleet officers, weird is part of their job. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Tuvok emerges from a crashed shuttlecraft, unable to contact the USS Voyager, and attempts to tend to an injured crewman, Ensign Bennet. The shuttlecraft's medical supplies are insufficient to deal with Bennet's wounds, however, and Tuvok says that he must get back to Voyager to be treated. Bennet says that he always considered himself lucky because he had no family back home to miss, but now he feels sad that he has no one to leave behind. Tuvok comments that Ensign Macormak will miss him a great deal, but Bennet dies before he can reply. As Tuvok activates a stasis field over Bennet, he hears a rustling in the foliage behind him. Tuvok turns and draws his phaser, and a young girl named Tressa runs out from the bushes. Tuvok catches the girl as she tries to get by him, and holds her until she promises not to run. Tressa comments that Tuvok does not look like her, and tells Tuvok that she also came on a ship that crashed. She says that her parents were dead, and asks about the nearby dead body of Bennet as well. Tuvok asks Tressa if there is anyone else here with her, and two more children, Corin and Elani, emerge from the bushes. Tressa says that everyone else died in the crash. Tuvok tells the children that there is no need to be afraid and that he will take care of them, upon which all three children run to Tuvok and throw their arms around him. Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay walk through the corridors, as Chakotay tells the captain that, according to Neelix, no one has had direct contact with the Drayans for decades. There have only been rumors, though fortunately none of the rumors describe them as hostile, just very private. As they board a turbolift for Deck 4, Chakotay and Janeway discuss first contact protocols and some of their experiences with such situations. Chakotay relates a story in which with a common (for humans) gesture, he inadvertently "propositioned" the Tarkannan ambassador. They arrive at the transporter room, where they beam aboard First Prelate Alcia, who greets them with a traditional blessing. Chakotay responds with a greeting from his people's spirits. Alcia states that her people do not usually have contact with outsiders, but Voyager's story intrigued her. Janeway offers to tell her all about it as they tour the vessel. They first stop at engineering and Alcia wonders if they chose to show her the warp core first because their civilization considers technology to be their greatest achievement. Janeway explains that the technology was not an end to itself but helped them explore the galaxy and gain knowledge about the universe. Alcia says that her ancestors had been obsessed with advancing technology and building ever-more efficient machines, until the technology became more important than the people. Alcia's great-grandfather had been one of the leaders of a reformation which did away with the emphasis on technology, and since that time the Drayans avoided contact with outsiders in order to keep from being led back down the same path. Chakotay tells her that some Human cultures have done the same. Meanwhile, back on the moon, Tuvok has stowed Bennet's body in the shuttlecraft and comments on how fortunate the children were not to be hurt when their ship crashed. Tressa explains that the Attendants got them to the escape pods. Tuvok believes he can repair his shuttle but he will also have to find a way to get through the electrodynamic turbulence in the atmosphere. The children are impatient to leave but Tuvok states that their displeasure does not change the circumstances. His terse response upsets the children, but he states that Vulcan parents never shield their children from the truth. Tuvok estimates that there are only a few hours of daylight left, and the children become very upset, explaining that the Morrok, a monster which lives in a nearby cave, will come at night to kill them. As the children describe the Morrok, Tuvok starts to believe that they are describing an imaginary monster, or at least exaggerating the danger, but Corin says that the Morrok already took Jarren and Fayla, the other children from their ship, and Tressa believes that it will return tonight to take the rest of them. Aboard Voyager, Alcia's tour continues with sickbay, where The Doctor explains the ship's medical capabilities. Janeway says she might also be interested to learn that The Doctor is a hologram, and Alcia says that her people believe that physical matter is only an illusion. Janeway likens these beliefs to the teachings of Plato, but their philosophical discussion is interrupted by an incoming transmission for the First Prelate. As Alcia goes into The Doctor's office to receive the transmission, Kes congratulates him on his diplomatic skills and Janeway contemplates the next step in their relations, opening negotiations for mining polyferranide deposits on Drayan's moons. However, Alcia has been called back to deal with an emergency. Janeway offers to help but Alcia says it would be better if Voyager continued on its way, as the Drayans had no interest in further contact. Alcia leaves sickbay, and a disappointed Janeway concludes that they will have to find their polyferranide somewhere else. Back on the moon, Tuvok takes the children back to the place where they slept the night before in search of Jarren and Fayla, but the children are convinced that the Morrok took them, and are very afraid. Tuvok leads the children in a Vulcan exercise to control their fear by detaching themselves from their emotional responses, but the children find the concept difficult to grasp. As Tuvok resumes work on the shuttle, he grows increasingly exasperated with the children's inability to sit still and keep their hands off of things. Eventually he leads the children in another exercise to attain a meditative state, and explains more about Vulcan philosophy. Suddenly, they hear a ship overhead, and Tuvok uses the shuttle's sensors to determine that it was a Drayan craft, presumably searching for the children. Tuvok expects the children to be happy that their people have come looking for them, but is surprised when they become even more afraid, telling him that their people were the ones who sent them here to die. Tuvok is confused but the children are adamant that they need to be hidden from the Drayan search party. Tuvok uses a tricorder to hide the children from the Drayans' scanners, and they all hide in the underbrush to wait for the search party to pass by. The children explain that the Drayans bring their children here to perform the final ritual, after which the Morrok takes them away, never to return. Tuvok finds this hard to believe, stating that it would be illogical for a society to kill its own children, but Tressa explains that the scrolls say they should be happy about dying because it releases the energy inside them. Corin asks if that's what really happens, and Tuvok tells them about the Vulcan belief in the katra, though in recent years he admits he has had doubts about some of the Vulcan teachings. However, Tuvok tells the children that there is nothing wrong with choosing to live, and based on the information he has, he believes that the best course of action would be to get the children to Voyager. The children again embrace Tuvok for offering to help them, much to his discomfort. On the ship, Chakotay reports that one of the scout teams had returned, but there was still no word from Tuvok's shuttle. Due to solar flare activity, the shuttle was not showing up on the ship's sensors, and Voyager sets a course for the moon they were surveying in order to start a search. The Drayan ship is also orbiting the moon, and Alcia contacts Voyager to admonish Janeway for the desecration of the moon, their crysata, which is sacred ground to the Drayans. Alcia tells Janeway that her people had found the shuttle with Bennet's body inside, but no sign of Tuvok, and angrily orders Janeway to find her other crewman and leave. Due to atmospheric interference, Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres cannot get a transporter lock on anything on the surface and the crew is at a loss for how to retrieve Tuvok. Night has fallen on the moon and while Tuvok continues to work on the shuttlecraft, the children are having difficulty sleeping. While Tuvok tucks the children into their blankets, he tells them that when his children had trouble sleeping, he would play music for them. His youngest son's favorite song was "Falor's Journey," a tale of enlightenment consisting of 348 verses. Tuvok sings one of the verses, finally lulling the children to sleep, and he then goes back to work on the shuttle. The next morning, when Tressa wakes up, she finds that the other two children are gone. On Voyager, Torres has finally managed to find their shuttle and a Drayan shuttle on the sensors and Ensign Harry Kim is reading two life signs on the surface but it is still impossible to transport through the atmosphere. Janeway considers that they may have to take a shuttle down, despite Alcia's orders to the contrary, but instructs Torres and Kim to keep looking for other options. Meanwhile, Tuvok uses the shuttle's sensors to search the area for Corin and Elani, but to no avail. Sensors recorded no other lifeforms or unusual energy readings in the area all night, and Tuvok reluctantly has to accept the possibility that the Morrok may have been responsible. He resolves to investigate the nearby cave, and gives Tressa a phaser to protect herself while she waits in the shuttle. Tuvok enters the cave and finds the discarded clothes of several children, lending credence to their story, and returns to give Tressa the bad news. Tressa is now certain that she will be next to go, but Tuvok promises to do everything in his power to get them off the surface before nightfall, with Tressa's help. Back on Voyager, Lt. jg Tom Paris notes that the Drayans have sent yet another search party to the surface and Chakotay wonders how hard it could be to find two crash victims. Just then, a break in the turbulence allows Tuvok to get a comm signal through from the surface and he tells Janeway that he has been avoiding the Drayan search parties because he is concerned for the children. The comm signal starts to break up as Tuvok explains the situation, and Janeway contacts Alcia one last time to try and work things out. When Alcia still refuses to allow them to take a shuttle to the surface, Janeway tells her she believes it is necessary anyway. Janeway and Paris take a shuttle from Voyager and are quickly pursued by a Drayan shuttle. Tuvok is finally ready to try to lift off in his shuttle but has trouble with the thrusters as the Drayan search parties close in on the surface and the Drayan shuttle continues to close in on Janeway and Paris. Tuvok finally gets the shuttle airborne, and offers Tressa asylum on Voyager, but he is contacted by Alcia and warned to return to the surface. When Tuvok refuses, Alcia opens fire, forcing him back to the surface. Janeway and Paris follow, and meet up with Tuvok and Tressa just as the Drayans catch up to them. Alcia tells Janeway to take Tuvok and leave, but he refuses to go without Tressa. Finally, Alcia explains that the Drayan aging process is reversed, that Tressa is in fact 96 years old, and the energy in her body will soon be released as part of their natural life cycle. Tressa and the other children were sent to the crysata in order to pass from this life to the next, but the children become easily confused and their memories are clouded at this late stage in their lives. The attendants were to help prepare them, but were killed when their shuttle crashed, leaving the children to face this time alone. Tuvok suggests that Tressa is not ready, but Alcia says it is a natural biological process, not something that can be altered. Alcia explains that her race is compelled to return to this moon, where they believe life began, so that they can rejoin the infinite energy and continue the cycle. Tressa turns to Tuvok, who comforts her and promises to stay with her as she faces her final moments. He tells her that Vulcans consider death to be a completion of a journey and there is nothing to fear. Alcia says that accompanying a child at this time is an honorable role and Tuvok has fulfilled it well. Janeway apologizes to Alcia for disturbing their traditions, and Alcia concludes that perhaps each of them had misjudged the other, leaving the door open for friendship between their two peoples. Janeway, Paris and the Drayans leave to allow Tressa and Tuvok to face her final moments in privacy. Tressa has accepted her fate and realizes it is her time, though she will regret leaving her family, and says that Tuvok reminds her of her grandson. Tuvok says that she will remain in her family's thoughts, and in his, and with that they walk together into the cave. 
<EOS>
In Ensign Harry Kim's quarters, Harry plays his clarinet while Lieutenant jg Tom Paris sits on a nearby couch reading a book. They are both content until someone pounds on the wall opposite Kim's. As Kim yells an apology, Paris observes that Ensign Pablo Baytart must not appreciate music. Kim seems annoyed as he explains that the fluid conduits running through the walls conduct the sound of his clarinet; however, Paris counters by pointing out that the USS Voyager was built for combat performance, not musical performance. Looking for an alternative, Paris suggests practicing in a cargo bay but as they have bad acoustics, he jokingly suggests they have Baytart switched to the night shift. Kim laughs and says they could not do that but after a pause, he wonders if they could. Paris gives him a dry look and suggests that at least Kim will have an excuse to give his mother for why he did not practice. However, Kim is trying to prepare for an important performance with Lt. Susan Nicoletti. On hearing this, Tom is amazed; he has been "chasing" Nicoletti for months but Kim seems to have found that the way to a woman's heart is her oboe. They are interrupted as Commander Chakotay orders all senior officers to the bridge. As they exit Kim's quarters, Paris sarcastically mentions he has always wanted to learn to play the drums. As Voyager approaches a deserted planet, Lt. Tuvok notes that there are nonfunctional communication satellites in orbit. Neelix informs Captain Kathryn Janeway that the planet used to be a major trading colony, although he is unsure how long ago. Before he can make an estimate, Kim announces that evidence indicates a major solar flare occurred nineteen years previously. Chakotay observes a glacial freeze on the planet's surface, no doubt a result of the solar flare. Kim adds that there were magnetic storms and extreme levels of radiation as well. Evidence suggests an advanced culture with warp drive and similar technologies but there are no life signs and it appears that the atmospheric disturbances would have prevented any escape attempts. Janeway grimly realizes that the entire colony of 400,000 people was likely wiped out. However, Kim announces that they are being hailed from the planet's surface. Chakotay reminds Kim that he said there were no lifeforms on the surface, which Kim confirms, suggesting that the hail is automated. In any case, Janeway tells Paris to play the message. A man named Viorsa appears on the viewscreen and introduces himself as the planner of the Kohl settlement. He explains that Voyager's sensors have activated the message and that he and a group of members of his species have gone into a state of artificial hibernation in order to survive the effects of the ecological disaster on their world. The computer will awaken them in fifteen years, at which time he expects the planet's ecological recovery will begin, and he asks that no one interrupt their timetable. Chakotay points out that the colonists' timetable ended four years ago. Turning to Kim, Janeway asks if scans would have picked up suppressed metabolic signs. Although they should have done so, he checks below the planet's surface and picks the three extremely faint biosignatures 2.3 kilometers down. He is unable to determine why the hibernation period did not end on time, but he confirms that there are two dead aliens and three more in stasis. Janeway now turns to Tuvok and asks if there are any automated security systems. Tuvok reports that there are no such systems and that it is safe to beam the hibernation pods aboard Voyager if that is the captain's intent. It is, so Janeway tells Tuvok to beam the pods to Cargo Bay 1 and orders Kim and Kes to meet her there. Five stasis units arrive in the cargo bay, arranged in a half-circle formation with wires connecting each chamber to a computer in the center. As Kes, Kim and Janeway approach the chambers, Kes uses a tricorder to scan the statis units. Her scan confirms that there are two dead humanoids and three more in deep stasis with stable life signs. A layer of dust covers the units and as Janeway wipes the dust off one of them, she reveals the unconscious Viorsa. A badly decomposed corpse can be seen in another chamber. Janeway asks Kim what went wrong but he is unable to say. According to the tricorder, there were no pathway failures and the computer's circuitry appears intact. However, he notes with a hint of confusion that the alien's brains are interconnected via a complex sensor system. Further investigation reveals that the computer is generating an artificial, dream-like environment intended to keep the alien's minds active. Upon hearing this, Kes is confused, so Janeway explains that in the past Starfleet has used similar systems to keep officers' minds active during deep-space travel. The question is what went wrong and why they are still in stasis. Janeway calls a meeting of the senior officers, where Kim explains the situation to the rest of the crew. Using a sample diagnostic display from the computer controlling the colonists' hibernation program, he explains that while the system was designed to wake them four years ago, the decision to wake up was left to the colonists themselves. A subroutine was set up to display weather conditions on the planet periodically in order to allow them to choose when the safest time would be to emerge. For the past four years, this "escape hatch" has remained available to Viorsa's species, yet they still haven't activated it despite the fact that the system works perfectly. Tom Paris lightly suggests that the colonists are enjoying their artificial environment but The Doctor chimes in from his miniature viewscreen to inform them that he doubts such is the case, as the dead colonists showed evidence of prior neural trauma, which suggests mental stress caused by fear. Both colonists died from massive heart attacks likely caused by the stress to which their bodies were subjected. Unfortunately, given the length of time that the colonists' bodies have been reliant upon the computer, Kim admits he does not know how to deactivate the system manually without causing the colonists severe neural damage. Tuvok suggests asking the colonists how to do so, to which Paris sarcastically asks if Tuvok plans to implant a comlink into the system. They already have a means of communication via the two vacant pods, so the crew decide to install a back-up life support system and enter the computer themselves. Back in the cargo bay, Kes helps secure Kim in one of the stasis units while Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres lies in the other. Kes reassures them that she will be monitoring their vital signs and in the event of an emergency they will be transferred onto the backup life support system. Janeway adds that the system's recall subroutine will activate in five minutes to bring them back, calling the initial entry into the system a "test run" before she finishes securing Torres' pod. Once Kes activates the computer, Kim and Torres lose consciousness within seconds and she announces that the autonomic nervous system link is secure. They are now on the system. In the computer, Kim and Torres find themselves together in a room with abstract designs on the walls but they feel no different than they normally do. Laughing and music come from a nearby room and as Kim and Torres head toward the sounds, they find a circus-like atmosphere filled with various performers who go about their business seemingly unaware of the newcomers. While there are numerous computer characters, the members of Viorsa's species are nowhere to be found as a nearby clown presides over the scene. A few of the performers take notice of Kim and Torres with amused intrigue but when Kim attempts to talk to them, they laugh or ignore him altogether. When he mentions that he and Torres are looking for some friends, the clown makes himself known as he responds, "Well, that shouldn't be too difficult. We're all friends here!" Kim and Torres take his response as part of the program and ignore it, continuing to explore the artificial environment. However, the clown seems to know more than he lets on, wearing a sinister grin as they pass him. Kim and Torres find more of the same as they explore but one of the characters, a little woman wearing a multicolored tutu, finally seems to notice them when Kim accidentally bumps into her. When he apologizes, she forgives him and observes that he is new, asking where he is from. Torres tells the woman they are from "another town" but the woman indignantly reminds her there are no other towns. The woman goes about her business and Kim remarks that they are not getting very far. He takes a few more steps before a large character, perhaps nine feet tall and resembling a spectre, stops him. "Perhaps I can help you," the spectre asks in a slow, deep voice. "You are looking for friends?" Harry acknowledges this adding that are three of them. The spectre asks what they plan to do once they find these "friends" and Torres tells him she and Kim want to talk. The clown suddenly appears behind them, grabbing Kim and Torres each by an arm and exclaims, "Why talk when we can dance?" With that, the clown brings Kim and Torres toward a group of performers as the music grows louder and becomes eerily cheerful. The two Voyager officers are pushed into the middle of a conga line, which they try to go along with until they arrive at a pink guillotine with a log in the head slot and a black-clad executioner next to it. Now surrounded by the clownish performers on all sides, Kim and Torres watch the executioner hit a button, causing the guillotine to cut the log in half. As he does so, the performers cheer and the music ends as the scene takes on a distinctly unfriendly tone, although the performers seem as merry as ever. Kim and Torres attempt to leave but are overwhelmed by the performers, who begin to clap in unison as Kim is handcuffed and brought toward the guillotine. Torres yells out Kim's name several times as she struggles to break free, much to the delight of the performers, who imitate her and bob their heads from side to side as they clap. The clown grins as the little woman from before brushes Kim's head with a feather duster in a mock-ceremonial manner. The executioner looks at Kim anxiously, eager to push the button on the guillotine. The Clown's performers continue to clap in anticipation of Kim's beheading, but Viorsa, the alien whose recording Voyager received previously, emerges from elsewhere in the environment and orders them to stop. A physician and a programmer accompany him. Viorsa approaches and speaks directly to the Clown, adamantly warning him that the newly arrived aliens are surely not alone and should the Clown kill them, their shipmates will shut down the program. On hearing this, the Clown seems somewhat worried and orders the executioner to release Kim. Viorsa seems to be more pleading than talking as he tells the Clown that he and the other aliens knew a starship would find them some day, that it was only a matter of time. There is no way to know what will happen if the Clown hurts them, Viorsa claims; grinning, the Clown taps his head and reassures Viorsa that he knows. The Clown approaches Torres and claims she is like himself, "a little of this, a little of that." She does not take kindly to his games, and he observes that her temper comes from her mother's side of the family. When she looks at him incredulously, he claims to know everything. Further, the environment is his "party" and she and Kim are there without an invitation. Torres turns to Viorsa to ask what the Clown is. However, this greatly irritates the Clown, who insists that she talk directly to him. He explains that he speaks for Viorsa and his companions, as well as Torres and Kim, a fact he claims they will come to accept with time. Kim wonders aloud whether the Clown is a life form or a virus, which amuses the Clown. Circling Kim, he mockingly observes Kim's operational mind and attention to detail. Viorsa begs the Clown to stop, but looks down submissively after a threatening look. Now in a more serious mood, the Clown informs his "guests" that taking the members of Viorsa's species out of the environment would cause him and the other performers disappear. The performers have amassed behind him as he talks, and they use a crying gesture to emphasize his point. Kim suddenly seems to grasp the concept, realizing that the program generates the Clown, so without someone on the system, the Clown will cease to exist. This encourages the Clown, who further explains that he is merely the product of input from the brains of the aliens, as well as Kim and Torres. An oversized Starfleet communicator appears on him as he speaks, and he pretends to spit-shine it with pride. However, he is interrupted by a series of beeps as a computer panel appears on a nearby wall, identical to those on the computer in the real world. Angrily, the Clown accuses Torres of being responsible for the panel's appearance. She and Kim do not hesitate to push past him and run toward the panel, but while he makes no effort to stop them, he casually announces that one of the aliens will die if they leave. He reassures them he is serious, randomly selecting the physician for execution and daring the newcomers to leave. Viorsa solemnly confirms that the Clown possesses the ability to kill and has done so twice. When the Clown claims he does so via decapitation, a frustrated Torres insists that nothing in the environment is real. As the Clown informs her the environment is as real as a nightmare, Kim seems to suddenly grasp the concept, remembering the two aliens had died from massive heart attacks. Again mockingly imitating Kim's analytical personality, the Clown rhetorically asks what might cause a heart attack and suggests unmanageable stress caused by fear of losing one's head. Kim grimly realizes the Clown literally scared the aliens to death, to which the Clown bows proudly. Meanwhile, Janeway begins to worry because Kim and Torres have yet to activate the recall subroutine. Kes finds that the norepinephrine levels are well above baseline, an indicator of abnormal stress, so Janeway decides to resuscitate the crewmembers manually with the backup system. Their body temperatures begin to rise and the backup system appears to be working -- until someone terminates the recall command from inside the system. Kim stands next to the panel on the wall in the artificial environment and terminates the recall command at the Clown's behest. Satisfied, the Clown tells him to remove the panel, as it is "ruining the party." Kim warns him that to do so would be a mistake, but the Clown believes the mistake would be if Kim refused. When Harry claims that the panel represents an opportunity for the Clown, the Clown senses deception. He arrogantly reminds Kim that he knows everything Kim knows, even things like missing Libby and playing the clarinet. However, while Kim may have intended to trick the Clown in some way, he genuinely believes that the Clown will be able to contact the outside world through the panel to make his demands known. The Clown insists his only demand is to exist, which reinforces Kim's point, as Janeway and the rest of the crew will shut down the system if they do not hear from Kim or Torres soon. In response, the Clown appears on the opposite side of the room, where he and his cohorts indignantly turn their backs toward Kim, Torres, and the members of Viorsa's species, going into a huddle as if to discuss the matter. The Starfleet officers take the opportunity to ask the aliens about the Clown and they learn that the computer was designed to be adaptive, adjusting the environment according to the alien's thoughts and wishes. "Who wished him up?" Torres asks sarcastically as she looks toward the Clown. Viorsa explains that the Clown was an unintended side effect, generated over a period of months as a manifestation of the their fears about survival and recovery. As Kim observes that the Clown seems able to read their minds, the programmer explains that because the Clown is produced by the system that monitors their brains, in a manner of speaking he can. On the other side of the room, the Clown dances with the circus performers, seeming not to notice what is going on. He further explain that it takes several minutes for the system to process their thoughts; as they speak, the Clown reappears next to Viorsa to announce that he and his "friends" have made a decision. Torres will leave in order to inform Captain Janeway that if the Clown dies, his guests will die as well -- including Kim, whom the Clown declares his new best friend, as Janeway is like a mother to Harry and would never kill him. Back in the cargo bay, the recall subroutine activates when Torres activates the panel and Kes estimates that Torres will regain consciousness in about twelve minutes. "At least we'll finally get the answers to a few questions," Janeway tells Lieutenant Tuvok. Janeway holds another meeting of the senior officers, sans Harry Kim, where she pensively asks if there is a way to let the Clown and the other characters exist safely. Unfortunately, Torres points out that to do so would require leaving someone in stasis permanently; The Doctor confirms this as he notes that the computer creates the characters using bioneural feedback. Further, he is unable to speed up the resuscitation process for the hostages by more than a few minutes without risking serious brain damage to them. In order to at least reduce the number of hostages, Janeway wonders how one negotiates with a manifestation of an emotion. Tuvok points out that fear is the most primitive biological response: the ability to recognize danger and run from it. Neelix lightly suggests they make the Clown laugh with a good joke since that always makes his fear dissolve, but as no one is amused, he quickly drops the subject. Janeway asks Torres to look for a way to run the system without bioneural interaction, but in the meantime, they need a safer method of communication that will not give the Clown another hostage. Carnival-like music continues to play in the background and things have returned to normal in the virtual reality program, but there is a distinctly less cheerful atmosphere as Kim and the Kohl are left with nothing to do but ponder their situation. Viorsa mopes about the ordeal and laments the fact that Harry and his shipmates have been dragged into it, and the other aliens seem to share his feeling of hopelessness. Kim insists that the crew of Voyager is working on a method of escape and that they must do anything they can to help. Viorsa assures Kim that he will forget hope once he spends a few months with the Clown; shortly thereafter, the Clown senses Kim's thoughts of escape and approaches menacingly. "Naughty, naughty," the Clown chastises. "I don't like those thoughts." Although the programmer claims Kim is new and unable to help thinking about such things, the Clown claims that if the members of Viorsa's species can, then so can Kim. Then he seems to realize the difference between Harry being new and the aliens being old and decides with a maniacal laugh that the solution must be to make Harry old. As the Clown laughs, Kim suddenly finds himself old and frail, his skin wrinkled, his hair gray. Unable to stand, he falls to his knees and reels weakly. The Clown points out Kim's fear of being old, of being cared for by nurses, as the little woman appears with a bottle and an oversized spoon. "Time for your medicine!" she declares, spoon-feeding Harry while the other characters egg the Clown on. Kim maintains a look of defiance, though he is obviously too weak to do anything. The Clown uses the fear of helplessness as a segue to the fact that Kim doesn't like being the "baby" of the crew. With another laugh, he transforms him into a sobbing infant and mockingly coddles the baby in his arms. Such things no longer faze the members of Viorsa's species, who look on helplessly as the Clown speaks to baby Harry as a mother would an infant. He loses interest after a few seconds and places Kim on the ground, where he turns back into himself. Kim continues to defy the Clown despite this display of power, telling himself, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." As the Clown wants Kim to be his "friend," he resorts to more drastic measures. He puts on a large black rubber glove and admits that he knows what truly scares him. A fearful look crosses Kim's face as the Clown brings up a humanitarian mission Harry's parents once took a to a colony suffering the effects of a radiation disaster. Harry was only nine at the time. The Clown describes how Kim wandered off while visiting a hospital while the other characters place a gurney behind Kim and strap him onto to it. Sensing Harry's thoughts, however, the Clown urges him to keep repeating the phrase about fear. The performers mockingly echo Kim's words with the Clown. He also suggests another phrase from Kim's mind: "There's no place like home." Urging Kim to click his heels together, the Clown suddenly looks down at Kim's legs and notes with mock-dismay that they are restrained, much like a little girl Kim saw on an operating table in the hospital. The Spectre places a facial mask over the Clown's nose and mouth while the Clown re-enacts the scene Kim witnessed, wielding a scalpel and describing the way the little girl's eyes were filled with fear. Kim is terrified as the Clown brings the scalpel closer to his skin. He screams in horror, but just as the tension becomes unbearable, The Doctor politely interrupts the Clown's fun. The Doctor grabs the Clown's hand and lifts it to demonstrate that one must position one's index finger properly on the scalpel to attain optimal dexterity. The Clown seems to consider this for a split second before he does a double take and asks who The Doctor is. Releasing Kim from the gurney, The Doctor explains that he is Captain Janeway's representative, sent into the system to negotiate with the Clown. However, the Clown is confused because The Doctor is not on the system. The Doctor says that he would be glad to tell the Clown all about himself later, but for now, he simply calls his presence a "miracle of technology." Janeway has offered to provide a simulated brain to allow the Clown to exist, but before The Doctor can explain the details of the plan, the Clown interrupts him. Gesturing toward Kim, the Clown calls The Doctor's bluff, as Kim thinks the plan is a trap. While Kim is unsure of himself, the Clown angrily solicits Viorsa's opinion. Viorsa suggests that the plan would work after a recalibration of the optronic relays, but the Clown knows this to be a lie as well. Since a simulated brain would leave the Clown at Janeway's mercy, he stubbornly refuses, despite The Doctor's claim that Janeway is willing to risk the hostages' lives in order to save them. Kim adds that he would rather die than remain with the Clown, who insists he needs all of the hostages and tells The Doctor to go away. The camera zooms in on a hopeful Viorsa as the Clown dances with the little woman and The Doctor reassures Kim he will return. In sickbay, Janeway asks for The Doctor's take on the Clown. He describes the Clown as unstable and unpredictable, just as one might expect fear to be. Tuvok points out that the longer they wait, the greater the chance that the Clown will harm one of the hostages. Janeway wholeheartedly agrees, and since the Clown cannot be negotiated with its clear they will need to mount a rescue mission. Torres and Chakotay join Janeway, Tuvok, and The Doctor in sickbay as Janeway asks whether they would be able to repair the brain damage caused by simply disconnecting the hostages. He concedes it is possible, but they would likely never be the same again. Additionally, Torres notes how smart it was for the Clown to reject the simulated brain proposal, as it is impossible for artificial means to replace brain functions. "I'll choose not to take that personally, lieutenant," The Doctor observes dryly. He mentions Viorsa's suggestion about the optronic relays, but Torres is unable to find any logic in the suggestion, as the optronic relays control the virtual reality environment and have nothing to do with neural functions. Tuvok assists here with his Vulcan logic, pointing out that Viorsa may have had another meaning. After considering the matter for a moment, Torres suggests that they might be able to disassemble the environment piece by piece if they interrupt the optronic pathways. Torres asks how the Clown was unaware of Viorsa passing on this information, and after The Doctor suggests that he had distracted him, Janeway tells him to return and divert the Clown's attention again. The race to save the lives of the hostages is on. Inside the computer, the Clown pouts about his predicament, much to the disappointment of the other characters. The specter insists the Clown is ruining their festivities, which the Clown claims he cannot help. When the Spectre and the little woman suggest that the Clown take his mood out on the hostages rather than them, the Clown immediately cheers up and pretends to cry with joy. He suggests they play something called "the insect game," which appeals to the other characters greatly. Before they can begin their game, The Doctor reappears, once again ruining the Clown's good mood. Janeway has offered the Clown a cloaking device, The Doctor announces; the Clown claims to have one already, and with a spin, he makes a literal cloak appear on his shoulders. When The Doctor begins to describe a real cloaking device, the Clown is immediately intrigued. Meanwhile, Torres removes a panel from the computer and tells Janeway she will have to disrupt almost forty pathways to disable the computer. Janeway nods affirmatively. The Doctor continues to describe the captain's supposed plan in detail, essentially using as many big words as possible, and the Clown is skeptical. While Kim cluelessly claims that the plan is plausible, the Clown has yet to process Harry's thoughts fully and is unsure. He has forgotten about Viorsa, who sits in another area of the environment, listening in on the conversation and seeming to understand The Doctor's real intentions. As Torres continues to disable the relays, the various elements of the environment begin to disappear. The Clown is oblivious, observing that he would love to meet Janeway and appearing unconcerned as he suggests that she come to one of his "parties" some day. "What's happening?" the Spectre exclaims as he disappears, alerting the Clown of the treachery. "It's an attack!" the Clown screams. "Red alert! Red alert!" Suddenly, the performers return to the scene in full force, now fully aware of what Viorsa has done. The Clown furiously confronts Viorsa and orders the performers to take him as the executioner rolls the guillotine back on stage. Torres has finished disabling more than half of the relays when Kes announces that Viorsa's norepinephrine levels are rising rapidly. The characters bring Viorsa toward the guillotine, the merry clapping and head-bobbing from Kim's near-execution gone, the tone far more serious. He desperately pleads with them, insisting he did not do anything. A force field of some kind appears between Torres and the optronic relays; although she is confident she can disable it, doing so will take time. One of the characters pushes The Doctor away from Viorsa as he attempts to intervene, but as the character struggles to restrain him, it disappears. The Doctor pushes several characters out of his way and is initially successful in removing Viorsa from harm's way, but he is ultimately carried away -- literally. As Viorsa is placed in the guillotine, the norepinephrine levels approach critical. The programmer's desperate cries are drowned out by the screams of anticipation from the characters, and when the executioner hits the button, they cheer with excitement. Viorsa dies of a massive heart failure and the programmer's norepinephrine levels begin to rise sharply as the characters lead her toward the guillotine. Although Torres has less than ten pathways left to disable, Janeway hastily orders her to restore the entire system. "We've lost," she concedes glumly. "We've won!" the Clown simultaneously declares as he and his minions celebrate their victory. The Doctor believes Janeway should take comfort in the fact that she saved the hostages' lives, but she does not. She paces around the infirmary attempting to figure out what fear seeks, why people enjoy dangerous sports, roller coasters, and deactivated holodeck safeties. The Doctor observes that to seek fear is to seek the boundaries of one's sensory experience, but Janeway pensively wonders what fear seeks. While Janeway tries to figure out what went wrong, the eerily cheerful music from before has commenced once again and the characters again form a conga line in celebration, forcing the remaining "guests" to dance with them. The Clown pulls Kim aside, and as the other characters dance around them, he warns Kim that he will have to punish him for Janeway's "little trick." For now, he merrily tells Kim to enjoy himself. However, The Doctor shows up once more, bringing the festivities to an immediate halt, to the Clown's chagrin. The Doctor informs the Clown that Janeway has offered him an ultimatum, something the Clown finds hilarious. He compares her to Napoleon after Waterloo or Chulak of Romulus after his defeat at Galorndon Core, but The Doctor warns that Janeway will terminate the program in sixty seconds regardless of the risk of brain damage to the hostages. The Clown nervously asks what Janeway's terms are, and as they talk, The Doctor periodically reminds the Clown of the number of seconds remaining. Under Janeway's proposal, the Clown would only keep one hostage, something he would never accept under normal circumstances. However, he is flattered that someone would choose to be with him when he hears the other provision is that the hostage will be Janeway; between that and the ultimatum, he agrees. Contacting Janeway on the emergency medical holographic channel, The Doctor informs her that the Clown accepted and offers to return to the environment to supervise the evacuation process. Janeway tells him to assist with preparations for the hostages' return and gets into one of the stasis units. Meanwhile, the various characters go about "cleaning" the artificial room in preparation for Janeway's arrival. Kim begins to reach for the escape panel, but the Clown insists that no one leave until Janeway's arrival. He looks invigorated as he begins to sense her presence, the system scanning her brain. However, he notes that Harry does not believe Janeway's plan; when Harry reminds him that Janeway would sacrifice herself to save the hostages, the Clown claims Harry does not appreciate his hospitality. As he speaks, the various elements of the environment disappear, leaving it barren as Janeway makes her entrance. Circling the Clown as she sizes him up, Janeway reminds him of his promise to release the hostages. He notices Janeway's courage in entering into their agreement with no guarantee he would do so, but she claims that fear is a healthy thing most of the time and as such she has come to trust it. "Finally, someone who appreciates me!" the Clown declares, and with that, he lets Kim and the aliens go, urging them to come back to visit. The recall subroutine activates and the hostages' body temperatures begin to rise. Torres estimates the process will be complete in approximately ten minutes. Kim reassures Janeway that the crew of Voyager will find a way to rescue her, although she does not believe such a rescue attempt will be necessary. With that, Kim and the aliens disappear, leaving Janeway and the Clown alone. She asks about the delay between her thoughts and the computer's ability to process them, which the Clown describes as "an eternity of anticipation." Back in the real world, the hostages' heartbeats return to normal as the resuscitation process enters its final stages. Kes and Torres monitor the events closely and Kes confirms that the hostages no longer need the artificial life support. Janeway claims the Clown has wanted the ordeal to end since it began, but he dismisses her claim; after the trouble he went through to get her, he does not intend to let her go. A mirror appears and, admiring his and Janeway's reflection, the Clown observes that they make a cute couple. However, Janeway reveals that she has in fact fooled the Clown and is not Kathryn Janeway but a holographic image of the captain, sent into the system via the same method as The Doctor. The Clown does not understand since he can feel Janeway's presence, but the hologram reveals that while Janeway is on the system, she is not in stasis nor on the computer-controlled life support system -- a fact she invites the Clown to verify once he becomes aware of Janeway's thoughts. As the hologram explains the method by which this was accomplished, the Clown is dumbfounded and the room itself begins to spin literally around him. Kes and the medical staff help the members of Viorsa's species out of the stasis units, the resuscitation process complete. Tuvok monitors closely as Janeway lies in one of the stasis units, very much awake and with some kind of device on her forehead. The Clown and the holographic Janeway now share the only light in the artificial environment, surrounded by pitch black. The lights become progressively dimmer as the hologram again confronts him with the fact that fear exists to be defeated. He claims Janeway tricked him, but she explains that Starfleet captains do not succumb to fear. Like all fear, the Clown will eventually vanish. The lighting all but gone, the Clown quietly admits he is afraid, to which Janeway whispers, "I know." All the Clown can respond with is a simple and whispered "Drat." With that, the lights fade out completely. 
<EOS>
After the USS Voyager detects a variety of flower that may prove to be a useful nutritional supplement, the captain sends Lieutenant Tuvok and Neelix to collect plant specimens, including a local breed of orchid, to bring back to the ship. While on the planet, the two have a debate about enjoying nature and Neelix is attempting to have fun, to which Tuvok replies "We are not here to have fun. We are here to collect samples." Back on the ship, Captain Kathryn Janeway is informed by Chakotay that there is some trouble with the transporter, specifically a "minor glitch in the molecular imaging scanners," which B'Elanna Torres says will be fixed by Ensign Kim in "a few minutes." As they return, a transporter malfunction causes only one pattern to materialize. The organism appears to be similar to both Neelix and Tuvok; wearing clothing that is the color of a Starfleet uniform, but the texture of Neelix's shirt. Upon finding this unidentified lifeform on the transporter pad, Kim calls for security, intruder alert. He asks the intruder to identify himself, and he responds that "I am Lt. Tuvok and I am Neelix," appearing most confused. He suggests that they go to sickbay, where The Doctor identifies that it is indeed a merger of Tuvok and Neelix, as well as the orchids collected on the surface of the planet. Kes, under The Doctor's suggestion, takes the person to the science lab, where he recognizes that Kes is having difficulty with the situation due to her close personal relationship with Neelix and her close tutelage under Tuvok. Kes questions him as part of the procedure, whereupon he tells Kes that he seems to have the memories of both men, but a single consciousness. He then realizes that he will need a name, and after deciding against Neevok, settles on Tuvix. As instinct, Tuvix refers to Kes as "Sweeting", a name Neelix often called her; this is something that clearly brought discomfort to both Tuvix and Kes. Janeway comes back to sickbay and talks with Tuvix, who is restless and wants to get back to duty. He decides he would rather assume the tactical post than the mess hall. Janeway isn't quite ready, but invites him to the next senior staff briefing. There, the crew discusses the transporter accident that created Mr. Tuvix, but they can not find the reason for the malfunction. Tuvix suggests symbiogenesis, a process where instead of pollination of mating, lifeforms can merge with a second species, using Andorian amoeba as an example. After a bit of convincing themselves it's possible with humanoids, they hypothesize that the orchids that they were transporting from the surface with them was the catalyst for their merging. Using lysosomal enzymes, the plant was able to symbiotically scramble both of them, merging them into one organism. Janeway agrees to send a shuttle down to get more flower samples in the morning. Possessing both Tuvok's Vulcan logic and Neelix's charming personality and sense of humor, Tuvix easily integrates with the crew and becomes a valuable member. As an individual bestowed with the personalities and qualities of both Tuvok and Neelix, he is not only a capable security officer but also becomes a better chef. However, for many crew members, especially those close to Tuvok and Neelix, the loss of their friends and peers is not as easily accepted. Kes, in particular, is experiencing much grief over the loss of Neelix. Tuvix gets happily to work the next morning, fixing a problem Tuvok said would take days, much to Janeway's surprise. He's then called down to the transporter room for the first test of their theory. On the planet, Torres and Paris gathers flowers and Kim transports them up. Indeed, the flowers merged together. The crew attempts the same with various plant combinations, and comes up with a variety of exotic and wonderful creations. Nevertheless, all attempts to undo the change are met with catastrophe. The Doctor explains to Janeway and company that the problem is still unsolved, but promises to keep trying. However, he warns Tuvix may be this way for months, even years, and the possibility is there that the condition is irreversible. This impacts Kes greatly. Later, in her room, she prays for Tuvok and Neelix with Ocampan prayer tapers when Tuvix visits. She expresses a bit of loneliness, but Tuvix says she has him. Tuvix says he still loves Kes just as he does T'Pel. This shocks Kes. She says she doesn't know him, and is uncomfortable with his love given Tuvok's wife. She soon asks him to leave, and Tuvix does so, politely kissing her on the cheek and saying he'll be there for her before he goes. Kes stops by the captain's quarters to talk about her feelings regarding the situation. The captain points out that the feelings Kes is having about the loss of Neelix are similar to the feelings the entire crew has been having about being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Over the next two weeks, the crew starts to adjust to Tuvix who proves himself to be a capable tactician while also turning out to be (according to Janeway's log entry) a better cook than Neelix. He keeps a respectful distance from Kes, while proving to be an able advisor to Janeway just as Tuvok had been. As a result, he is less regarded as an accident but more like a member of the crew. After much research however, The Doctor finally finds a way to reverse the process by radioactively labeling one half of Tuvix's genome, so the transporter can separate the two individuals. Everyone is very hopeful and excited about the prospects of having Tuvok and Neelix back, except for one person: in all their efforts and joy over being able to bring back the two, the one thing the crew has not taken into account is that Tuvix does not want to die, thus sacrificing his life to bring back the two crew members. Captain Janeway -- who must speak for Tuvok and Neelix who are not there to speak for themselves -- now faces a moral dilemma: bring back two crew members who have loved ones waiting for them by sacrificing a man who has become a much liked and trusted friend over the past few weeks, rather than merely a transporter accident. She attempts to convince Tuvix to undergo the procedure, telling him that both Tuvok and Neelix would give up their lives to save another. Despite this, Tuvix is still completely unwilling to undergo it arguing that while Tuvok and Neelix are gone, he is already there and he just wants the right to live. Later, Tuvix goes to Kes and pleads with her to speak to Captain Janeway in support of allowing him to live. Kes then goes to Captain Janeway and tells her what Tuvix asked of her. Janeway is angry that Tuvix put Kes in the middle of the debate, but Kes tells her that she was in the middle from the beginning. She also says that, despite what Tuvix asked of her, she is unable to support him and wants him to undergo the procedure too. However she is distraught, as she knows Tuvix has done nothing wrong but is desperate to get Tuvok and Neelix back. She then breaks down in tears, guilt-stricken as Captain Janeway tries to comfort her. After much soul searching and painful deliberation, she decides that Tuvix has to undergo the procedure. She orders him to report to sickbay but Tuvix refuses, stating that this was nothing more than an execution. He attempts to get someone on the bridge to defend him, but no-one is willing to. He then attempts to make a run for it when Security arrives to escort him. Seeing that he has no choice, he forgives the crew saying he understands what they all feel, agrees to go sickbay, but tells everyone they'll have to live with the consequences. When arriving in sickbay, The Doctor informs the captain that he cannot perform the procedure. As a physician he has pledged to do no harm and will not perform a procedure that would end Tuvix's life, especially as Tuvix is explicitly refusing to undergo it. Therefore, Janeway is left with the task of having to perform the procedure herself. She is successful: Tuvix is gone and Tuvok and Neelix are both finally restored. While Kes is overjoyed to have both her partner and mentor back, Janeway simply acknowledges the two and leaves, knowing that she will need to live with the moral consequences of her actions. 
<EOS>
On a beautiful planet in the Delta Quadrant, Commander Chakotay, and Captain Kathryn Janeway are awakened from their stasis units by The Doctor, who reports that they have been in stasis for seventeen days. He regrets to inform them that, despite all his and Kes' efforts, he has not discovered a cure for the disease the two officers have been infected with. It appears that the only way the two officers can avoid developing the deadly symptoms is to remain on the planet, where an unknown element is able to protect them for the disease's effects. He says that the only thing he can think of is contacting the medically advanced Vidiians. Janeway terminates the com link to discuss the situation with Chakotay, and both agree that the Vidiians would most likely attack the crew for body parts rather than offer aid. Chakotay asks if they could live with themselves after sending the USS Voyager into that kind of danger. Janeway's implied answer is no. Janeway hails Lieutenant Tuvok and asks him if he had heard The Doctor's report. When Tuvok replies that he has, Janeway informs him that she is turning over command of Voyager to him on a permanent basis. She orders him to set a course for the Alpha Quadrant, and, despite what The Doctor says, not to contact the Vidiians. Tuvok acknowledges that he understood Janeway's orders. Janeway informs Tuvok that she will prepare a message for the crew. Tuvok, Lieutenants B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris, Kes, Neelix, and Ensign Harry Kim discuss the captain's final order to leave them behind while in a meeting in the briefing room. Torres and Paris are understandably and vocally distraught at the prospect, while Kes informs everyone that The Doctor has not deactivated himself for a month trying all possibilities for a cure and that he cannot be at fault. Neelix states that crew morale will suffer "if we leave them behind." Tuvok asserts that it is not a matter of if, but of when they leave the captain and Chakotay behind, as the decision has already been made. Tuvok assures the crew that they will have all the technological comforts they will need, and that the captain, "an able scientist," will continue to work on a cure for their virus. Should she succeed, they have a type 9 shuttle at their disposal. Paris scoffs that at a top speed of warp 4, it will take them seven hundred years to get home. Throughout the entire exchange, Kim is silent and dejected, and remains in his seat after Tuvok dismisses the staff. Janeway and Chakotay begin to pick around at their things transported to them. She lists of a dizzying array of research equipment with determined optimism, assuring Chakotay that she is confident of finding a cure. Chakotay begins carrying their makeshift shelter over, and asks her which way she wanted it. She says to put the gray on the outside and the beige on the inside, because she has always looked better in beige. Janeway states that it might be fun to rough it for a while. Chakotay remarks that with shelter, furniture, tricorders, and a replicator, it was too rough for him. Janeway replies that they do not, however, have a bathtub, and when Chakotay inquires as to what she means, she says that a bath is her favorite way of relaxing. She also tells him that, since they aren't in a command structure any more, that he should call her Kathryn. A little unnerved, he tells her that she should give him a few days on that. Back on Voyager in engineering, Torres is harshly critiquing Ensign Swinn on a report, telling the ensign that it reads like it was written by a first year Starfleet Academy cadet, there are numerous errors, and it is incomplete. The ensign tries to defend herself by saying she has been a little distracted. Torres says that is no excuse and dismisses Swinn. Kim approaches and defends the ensign, saying that everyone has been a little distracted by recent events. Torres replies that as their situation cannot be changed, the best thing to do is to "take a deep breath and move on." Kim is upset by Torres' words and walks away. Chakotay is secretly building something in the woods, which arouses Janeway's curiosity. Just then, Tuvok contacts them to say they are about to go out of communications range. Janeway gives a brief farewell to the crew. Tuvok remarks that he was honored to have served with both of them and asks the captain and commander to "live long and prosper." Day 24 on the planet, Janeway is taking a bath in the tub that Chakotay built in the woods and her voice informs us that she and Chakotay have dubbed the planet as New Earth. Meanwhile, a rustling around their modular shelter startles her. She calls for Chakotay who rushes outside with a phaser and a SIMs beacon. He aims the light from the beacon at the rustling sound and they discover a primate. Six weeks after leaving Janeway and Chakotay behind (according to Tuvok's log), Voyager picks up a Vidiian convoy on long-range scans. The crew discuss whether or not to hail them. Kim begins to argue about whether or not they should be leaving the two on the planet. Tuvok relieves him of duty and threatens to throw him in the brig if he does not leave the bridge. At Paris's urging, Kim leaves. Kim, Hogan, Swinn, Torres, and Neelix discuss what happened in the mess hall and realize the majority of the crew disagree with Tuvok's orders. Kim then goes to Tuvok's quarters at 0100 hours to discuss what happened earlier with Tuvok, and recommends future actions with the Vidiians reminding him that their previous encounter with Danara Pel means she would likely help them, and Torres' Klingon DNA could be used as barter as it is resistant to the Phage. However, Tuvok is adamant with his decisions, also pointing out their previous responsibility in destroying a Vidiian ship of 300. He tells Kim that "The safety of this crew is paramount, and I must do whatever I can to ensure that safety." He tells Kim that if he ever questions his orders again, he will be relieved of duty permanently. Showing Janeway and Chakotay on the planet, Janeway expresses her concern with Chakotay's increasing closeness and feels as though he has given up. That it seems as though he is more focused on making a home than on finding a cure. He responds "I cannot sacrifice the present for a future that may never happen." Janeway says someday she may have to accept that there is no cure, but not today. As Janeway heads into the forest to check her traps, she sees the same primate while collecting insect samples. As the primate begins shrieking a warning, the weather changes violently with dark clouds and a plasma storm, causing Janeway to fall several times as she makes her way back to the shelter. Back on the ship, Kes meets privately with Tuvok to try explain the feelings of the crew. She tells him more about her father, and says that he is the reason she left her city and eventually came to Voyager. Tuvok says that then they owe him a debt, as he could not imagine this journey without Kes. Kes goes on to say that her father died when she was one, and she missed him terribly, but knowing Tuvok helped reduce the pain of that loss. He says he is honored by the comparison. Kes reminds him that as captain, he is responsible for the emotional as well as the physical well-being of his crew. Tuvok says he cannot be held hostage to the crew's feelings. He tells Kes she is wrong if she thinks he doesn't realize their loss. "I have lost a valued friend, and I am not immune to the effects of that loss." Kes asks him to imagine the effect of that loss "on those of us who feel things deeply." She tells him much of the crew is waiting on the bridge for him to explain further. Tuvok and Kes go to the bridge where about a dozen crew members are assembled, including Kim, Paris, Torres, and Neelix. Tuvok says that no one can appreciate the burdens of command until it falls on them. "I believe that in general it demonstrates faulty leadership to be guided by the emotions of a distraught crew. However, as captain, I must not ignore the sensibilities of those I command." He tells them he has decided to set a course for the Vidiian convoy. He takes full responsibility for the decision and absolves the crew from any consequences for failing to obey Janeway's orders. The plasma storm on New Earth has damaged much of the structure they live in. Chakotay holds Janeway as debris falls around them. When the storm clears, Janeway and Chakotay head outside with tricorders and find extensive damage. Janeway's research has been destroyed and she says she will not be able to continue it. Chakotay says he's sorry. Janeway sighs, and tells him, "Well, that's one way of letting go." On Voyager, Tuvok's log gives the stardate being 49694.2 and reports that the convoy has agreed to contact Dr. Pel to see if she can help them. Dr. Pel eventually communicates with Voyager and tells Tuvok she is familiar with the planet, which is now 70 light-years away, and the disease and agrees to provide an antiviral serum developed by the Vidiians. The Vidiian ship she's aboard will rendezvous with Voyager in about twenty hours. As a precaution, Tuvok plans for the crew to undergo battle drills prior to their contact. As Janeway and Chakotay are clearing the branches, Chakotay discusses building additional rooms out of lumber. He says he built a few log cabins as a boy. His father felt it was important. Janeway says her family used to go camping. "No bed, no replicator, no bathtub. I hated it. I guess I was always a child of the 24th century." Chakotay suggests the camping trips helped prepare her for life here. She says this place is much better than the camping trips and he smiles and remarks that's the first time she's said anything positive about New Earth. They see the primate again and Janeway says she senses intelligence in him and believes he tried to warn her about the plasma storm. Chakotay says he doubts the primate can be domesticated. Janeway says they have the rest of their lives to try. Inside, Chakotay massages Janeway because of her sore neck. He says he's had a lot of practice because his mother used to get a sore neck and he was the only one she trusted not to make it worse. After a minute or two, Janeway steps back and formally says good night. When Voyager meets the Vidiian ship at the set location, the crew finds out that three Vidiian ships have prepared an ambush. The next morning on New Earth, Janeway expresses her concern by suggesting they define parameters between the two. Chakotay tells a story about a male warrior who is asked by a female warrior to join her tribe, and how he learns to put her needs first. She asks him if the story is really "an ancient legend." He admits it isn't, but introducing it that way "just made it easier to say." They both smile and touch hands across the table. As the Vidiians attack Voyager, Tuvok gives the command to fire back using photon torpedoes. The battle continues, and injured crewmembers are being brought to sickbay. The Doctor receives an odd message on the monitor, then realizes it isn't coming from inside Voyager. It is Danara Pel. She calls him Shmullus and says she was unaware of the planned attack. The Doctor asks if she is safe, and she says yes, the Vidiian crew is too busy with the battle to realize she is contacting him in this fashion. She has the antiviral serum, but Voyager will have to lower shields to receive it. The Doctor calls Tuvok on the bridge to discuss the serum. Tuvok gives precise orders for the next steps. Voyager will drop shields long enough for The Doctor to beam the medicine aboard, and at the same moment Torres will eject an antimatter container. As soon as the antimatter container is clear and the serum is received, the shields will be raised again and Kim will fire a torpedo to detonate the antimatter, while Paris simultaneously moves the ship at full impulse to avoid the explosion. Tuvok reminds everyone that timing will be critical and asks if anyone involved in the plan has questions or requires clarification. Everyone performs their tasks. As Voyager moves away, the explosion disables the Vidiian ships. At warp 6, Voyager heads back to New Earth. On New Earth, Janeway is planting Talaxian tomatoes when Chakotay comes out to ask her for an opinion on a boat he plans on building. She shows him the tomato plants. Chakotay asks her if she hated gardening as well as camping when she was a child. She says yes, "Who wanted to be mucking about in the dirt when we could be studying quantum mechanics? But I find it very satisfying now." They go inside to look at the plans for the boat, and hear a com signal from Voyager. Tuvok, through the com link, states that they have the medicine needed to treat their condition on board and will arrive in thirty hours. They pack everything up. The primate appears, and Janeway says goodbye. On board Voyager, Tuvok explains what happened and apologizes for disobeying her orders. Janeway smiles and says, "If I didn't know you better, I'd say your decision was almost emotional." She thanks the crew and then she and Chakotay discuss ship's status, back in their formal roles as captain and first officer. Janeway orders Paris to leave at warp 8. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Tuvok visits Lon Suder in his quarters to find that the confined sociopath has created a new hybrid species of orchid. He wants to name it the Tuvok orchid in honor of the assistance the Vulcan has given him. He also has a plan to develop the airponics vegetable garden, which Tuvok promises to mention to Captain Kathryn Janeway. As the two of them begin Suder's therapy session, the bridge receives a hail from an unmanned Kazon buoy. It is Seska, a former member of Commander Chakotay's Maquis crew who turned out to be a spy. In a distorted recording, she says that she has borne Chakotay's son, which infuriated Maje Culluh of the Kazon-Nistrim, and the boy is in danger of becoming a slave. She begs Chakotay to help her as she is assaulted and the transmission ends. Troubled by the message and unsure of what to do, Chakotay talks privately with Janeway in her ready room. Although they both know that Seska is capable of conceiving such a plan to lure Voyager into a Kazon trap, Seska claimed previously that she impregnated herself with Chakotay's DNA and the baby in the message looked part Human. Janeway assures Chakotay that the crew is behind him if he wants to mount a rescue mission but he goes to his quarters to consider it. There he experiences a vision quest and sees his father, who reminds him of how the white men raped women from their tribe and the people embraced the children as their own nevertheless. His father gently insists the boy is a part of Chakotay and is therefore his responsibility. At this, Chakotay's vision quest ends. Janeway holds a meeting of the senior staff in the briefing room, where they come up with several ways to fight off a Kazon attack in the event of a trap. Neelix suggests requesting help from a Talaxian colony on Prema II, although they will be out of communications range by the time they reach Kazon space, while Ensign Harry Kim comes up with an echo-displacement method to make it seem like they have reinforcements. The Doctor has a more extreme idea: using the holoemitters to create literal holographic starships. Kim and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres are skeptical since this plan will take up a lot of Voyager's power reserves and the Kazon will realize they're holograms upon scanning them but they decide that they need to take any advantage available to them. Voyager follows the warp trail leading away from the buoy and finds a lone Kazon shuttle, the life support system of which has been destroyed. Inside is Tierna, one of Seska's aides, who claims Seska is dead. Tierna explains Seska was killed for trying to manipulate the Maje and that he would be, too, had he not bribed one of the guards who was ordered to execute him. Chakotay remains suspicious, even though the evidence seems to corroborate Tierna's story and the Kazon appears reluctant to help them return to Kazon-Nistrim space. The Doctor notes, however, that he has detected that Tierna has polycythemia, which he cannot find the cause for. However, when Tierna, under duress, gives them Culluh's command code for the Kazon defense net, allowing them to see the location of the Kazon ships they need to avoid, even Chakotay seems convinced. The only problem with their route is that the area is inhabited by Kazon factions loyal to no one, who will attack anyone. Voyager is impervious to the first such attack, so as they pass out of contact range with the Talaxian colony, Janeway meets with Suder to talk about his proposal. She seems optimistic and promises to discuss it with Kes, but to Suder's dismay does not agree immediately. He reminds her that he only wants to do something for the ship, however his intensity leaves Janeway feeling uneasy and she excuses herself. Suder is left upset that he has likely ruined his chances. Successive engagements with the rogue Kazon continue to target the same area on the starboard side of the ship, eventually taking out the secondary command processors, a nonessential but suspicious target. Meanwhile, in sickbay, The Doctor still cannot determine why Tierna's polycythemia still lingers and the Kazon proves evasive when questioned about it by the hologram. While leaving, Tierna is confronted by Chakotay in sickbay's doorway about why the Kazon seem to all be attacking the secondary command processors. When Chakotay says he sees pride in Tierna's eyes, the same kind he saw while the Kazon man punched him in the face months ago, the first officer tells him it scares the hell out of him. "You must scare easily, Federation," Tierna sneers. At this, Chakotay grabs him and pushes Tierna up against sickbay's door frame. He demands to know why Voyager's starboard ventral is constantly being fired upon and asks if he believes that it may be some kind of attack pattern. Tierna claims he does not know what the motive could be, and The Doctor demands Chakotay end the confrontation, just as red alert is sounded. Chakotay leaves to go to the bridge. The Kazon are yet again attacking Voyager's starboard ventral. Janeway orders that Paris keep the ship's starboard ventral out of the line of fire during the attack and has Tuvok fire phasers continuously. The Kazon eventually withdraw and Chakotay orders to stand down from red alert. Chakotay wonders why the various factions of Kazon, loyal to no one, would keep firing on a non-essential area of Voyager. Jameway cannot determine why either and heeds Chakotay's words that they cannot wait and see what the Kazon have in store for them. Janeway then orders the ship be turned back. Just as Voyager reverses course, eight Kazon attack cruisers head toward them. There appears to be an obvious escape left open to them, so rather than evasive maneuvers, Janeway opts to charge at the lead ship while implementing Kim's deflector trick. It works, diverting half of the ships away from Voyager, and they manage to destroy at least one Kazon ship with the added diversion from The Doctor's holographic ships. A humorous accident during the implementation of his idea accidentally projects him into space for a moment, making him very indignant towards Torres. Meanwhile, alone in his quarters, Tierna takes off his entire toenail (apparently artificial) to reveal some kind of needle. Sticking himself with it, he gets a pained look on his face as his body expands exponentially. He explodes, blowing a hole in Suder's wall, rupturing a plasma conduit and damaging several of Voyager's systems in the process. As the holographic ships disappear and the crew desperately attempts to get Voyager functional, the Kazon ships concentrate their firepower on it and close in. Lieutenant Tom Paris offers to take a shuttle to head back and ask the Talaxians for help. Janeway agrees, and Chakotay takes the conn. Immediately after Paris departs, however, the shuttle is immediately fired upon and Voyager quickly loses contact with him. The Kazon begin to board the ship through the shuttlebay, at which point Janeway realizes the futility of the situation and activates the auto-destruct sequence. However, the sequence fails to initiate; it cannot do so without the secondary command processors. At that point, a group of Kazon storm the bridge. A brief phaser fight ensues which kills two crewmembers but Janeway stops it, knowing it to be futile. With that, the Kazon-Nistrim complete their takeover of Voyager. With the bridge crew all held under guard, Janeway demands to speak with Maje Culluh, who gladly enters -- accompanied by Seska and her child. Under the impression that Chakotay had raped Seska, Culluh has decided to raise the boy as his own. Seska and the Kazon round up the crew and take them to an empty cargo bay, however The Doctor deactivates himself using medical holographic recall and sets himself to reactivate in twelve hours before he's discovered and Suder is missed when a Kazon soldier checks his damaged quarters. The rest of the crew are held until Voyager reaches an M-class planet, where the Starfleet officers are unloaded and stripped of their combadges. The Kazon note that two crew members (Paris and Suder) and a shuttle are missing, however Culluh claims that the shuttle was destroyed when it tried to leave the area (although Seska demands he confirm the destruction in case). "A fitting end for a people who would not share their technology," Culluh gloats as he holds Janeway's combadge in his hand. "Let's see if you manage to survive without it." The crew immediately divides up to start looking for food, water and anything else that is going to help them survive. During the search, they spot a couple of primitive humanoids watching them from afar not knowing that there is a large serpent-like creature living in a nearby cave. Suddenly the crew's attention is diverted back to Voyager which is preparing to take-off. As the ship shudders, The Doctor reactivates while Suder hides in a Jefferies tube. As Voyager takes off with Culluh and Seska on the bridge reveling in their victory, Janeway and the crew are left behind with nothing but their wits to protect them. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway and her crew are struggling to survive on the desolate planet on which the Kazon have abandoned them. It becomes immediately clear that their number one priority is to seek shelter from the elements. They move into one of the caves that appears to provide adequate protection given their circumstances. While Captain Janeway's team makes camp in that cave, one of the other teams, led by Neelix, is searching the surrounding area for food and supplies. Near the entrance of a cave, he and Hogan find humanoid bones. Neelix orders Hogan to gather the bones up so they can use them for tools and weapons. As Neelix goes to help another crewmember, Hogan gets attacked and dragged into the tunnel by an unknown predator. They rush to save him, but are too late and only find a few scraps of his uniform. Lt. Tom Paris tries to repair the shuttlecraft he escaped in and fends off a Kazon patrol ship that has been sent to find him, destroying it. Back in the cave, Neelix is upset, blaming himself, thinking that if he hadn't ordered Hogan to collect those bones, he wouldn't be dead now. Janeway, who herself is deeply saddened by the news of Hogan's death, tells him that there is no time to worry about blame; Hogan was a fine officer, and she wants to make sure that his death was the last one for a long time. She orders her crew to be more careful and to hold on, as she will not allow them to be destroyed by this planet. She declares the tunnels off-limits and wants clear safety protocols established. Lieutenant Tuvok informs her that he has already begun to design some rudimentary weapons. When Neelix informs her that their search for food and water is less than successful, she tells the crew to start turning over rocks and eat insects if need be, doing so herself to set an example. Back on the USS Voyager, Seska goes to sickbay to have The Doctor examine her child. She also informs him that the Kazon have taken over the ship and wonders if he has a problem with that change of command. The Doctor lies and tells her that he couldn't care less about who is running the ship for he is there to provide medical treatment to whoever needs it. He also tells her that lying and blunt deception are not part of his programming. After he finishes examining the baby he informs Seska that the DNA scan proves that her baby is not Commander Chakotay's son as she thought he was. Seska doesn't believe him at first given the child's appearance, but the Doctor explains that the baby is the first Cardassian-Kazon hybrid and therefore there is no reference in regards to his appearance but will likely develop more Kazon features as he grows. Visibly upset about the news The Doctor has given her, Seska rushes out of sickbay and deactivates the EMH. The Doctor, however, manages to reactivate himself again as Seska leaves and begins conducting some research of his own. As he asks the computer for the crew complement, he finds out that in addition to the 89 Kazon, there is also one Betazoid, Lon Suder, on board. He contacts Suder and informs him about the situation. He tells him to make it to sickbay and asks the computer to delete the signature of Suder's combadge from the system to ensure he isn't counted among the crew complement and therefore be hidden from the Kazon. Back on the planet, the crew is still struggling with meeting their basic needs. Night has fallen and temperatures have plummeted and they are forced to huddle together for warmth. Ensign Harry Kim and Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres return with eggs and some equivalent of cucumbers they found only two kilometers from where they found shelter. Samantha Wildman's newborn baby, Naomi Wildman, is having difficulty coping with the planet's environment as she is not doing well. Chakotay is upset at himself for not being able to start a fire, but recalling some survival advice taught by his father, later manages to do so when using Janeway's and other crew members' donated hair as kindling. Later in the evening, while sitting around a fire to warm up, Neelix suggests putting some rocks around it to reflect the heat better. He sets off looking for more rocks, but disappears in the dark. When Kes follows him, she is captured by one of the natives. Tom Paris contacts the Talaxians who inform him that Voyager has been taken over by the Kazon-Nistrim, who have been flooding every subspace frequency with the news. Despite initial misgivings and hesitation to help Paris and Voyager, Commander Paxim is persuaded to help Tom with his mission to make repairs to the shuttle-craft and rescue Voyager's crew. Back on Voyager, The Doctor and Suder attempt to plan a way of retaking the ship -- a plan which, much to the dismay of Suder, may involve the use of violence and even necessitate killing. Suder feels uneasy about such prospects, especially after he has worked so hard over the past few months to control his violent impulses. But The Doctor tells him that even Tuvok would agree that there are times where violence is required to defend one's ship and one's crew. He asks Suder to trust him and promises to help him in any way he can: one hologram and one sociopath may not be much of a match for the Kazon, says The Doctor, but it will have to do. Down on the planet, Chakotay informs Janeway of signs of a struggle near the edge of the camp and of Neelix's and Kes' disappearance. Janeway decides that they cannot wait until the morning to look for them and sends out search parties right away. Chakotay's party finds them and he tries to communicate with the leader of the group. The elderly leader tries to appease Chakotay by letting him have Neelix but he and the group are reluctant to hand Kes back because they obviously think of her as a suitable and desirable mate, going so far as to fight over her amongst each other. Chakotay and Neelix refuse to leave without her and the leader offers one of the group's young females in exchange for Kes. Neelix is angered by the offer, but Chakotay tells him to stay calm. He tries to reason with the leader by telling him that the girl belongs with them and that Kes must go with him and Neelix. He tells Kes to calmly get up and walk away with him and Neelix. But this enrages the natives even more and they start to chase them. Even as Tuvok and others try to fight them, they are forced to enter one of the caves in the hopes that the natives know of the dangerous creatures inside them and will not follow them in. Back on Voyager, Culluh's men have trouble completing repairs to the ship. Seska suspects sabotage and orders a ship-wide search for an intruder, including the use of Starfleet tricorders. The Doctor and Suder, in sickbay, are listening to Seska's orders on a monitor. Suder decides to use a thoron generator to mask his lifesigns from the tricorders as he proceeds back into hiding. Meanwhile, the natives force Chakotay's team deeper into the cave where they are forced to struggle with one of the ferocious creatures and even lose one of their crew members to it. Outside, Janeway and her group attempt to distract the natives away from the tunnels so that Chakotay and his crew can come back out. Torres and two other crew members manage to distract the natives away from the cave entrance, while Janeway and the remainder of her team move near the cave entrance for a rescue attempt. She is able to reach Chakotay and his search party, who have barely escaped the creature within the cave. Chakotay, Tuvok and Kim are the last ones who manage to make it out of the cave just in time, but not before they collapse the tunnel entrance with falling rocks and debris to keep the creature away. Back on Voyager, The Doctor receives a masked subspace message from Tom Paris, who informs him that he is bringing help but that he needs The Doctor to block the discharge from the back-up phaser power couplings when the attack begins, he needs those backups to overload when the Kazon switch to them. Just then, Suder returns with a dead Kazon, whom he was forced to kill before he could alert Seska to his location. After doing this, he returns to sickbay, visibly distraught over what he was forced to do. The Doctor tries to calm him down by telling him that he did what needed to be done and offers him drugs to calm him down, but Suder refuses wanting to do it on his own. Meanwhile, Culluh gets a fake message (courtesy of Tom Paris) claiming that the shuttle has been destroyed, but Seska reminds him that two crewmembers were unaccounted for when the ship was captured. Culluh tells her that the search for an intruder has been slowed by a thoron leak, which makes Seska certain there's an intruder as she remembers that the Maquis used thoron particles to fool tricorders. Seska storms into sickbay, asking The Doctor about the thoron generator. He tells her that it was damaged on a recent away mission, but Seska doesn't believe him. She says she knows that a Maquis is involved in the sabotage, but The Doctor claims full responsibility for it all, stating that he has been the one sabotaging the ship all along, together with the computer, and that he in fact was forced to kill one of the Kazon who walked in on him and caught him in the act. Seska still doesn't believe him, no matter what he says. Angrily, she rushes out of sickbay, telling the computer not to accept any more voice commands by Starfleet personnel and then damages sickbay's holoemitters, thus taking The Doctor offline. Successful at escaping both the savage natives and the creature in the cave, the senior officers begin debating as to whether they should prepare to engage the natives again. Meanwhile Wildman's baby is deteriorating and is now having trouble breathing. However, priorities shift quickly when seismic activity increases rapidly and a nearby volcano begins to erupt. Suder comes out of hiding and unsuccessfully tries to access the EMH. However, The Doctor, who has programmed a message to play for him in case he is disabled, tells Suder that the fate of Voyager solely depends on him. He tells him that he has full confidence in Suder's abilities and that he is fully confident that Suder will do the right thing. On the bridge, the Kazon follow the attacking Talaxians into a nebula, in order to teach them a lesson. Commander Paxim informs Tom that the Kazon are following them as planned. As Voyager enters the nebula, Tom follows through with his plan of attacking the phaser power couplings. Back on the planet, the crew flees in search of higher ground and encounter the group of natives once more. However, Chakotay manages to gain the group's trust by saving one of the young female natives from a lava stream. The leader of the natives leads the crew to safer ground and as Naomi is nearing death, the tribe leader saves her life by treating her. In main engineering, Suder sets out to follow through with his plan, attacking and killing all the Kazon in engineering. Just as he finishes up to execute Paris' plan, he is fatally shot by one of the Kazon from behind. Slumping against the console and collapsing to the floor, Suder manages to execute the settings, his last act as he dies. On the bridge, the Kazon identify their mystery attacker: the Federation shuttlecraft they thought they had destroyed. Culluh orders it destroyed with the ship's phasers but the attack has knocked the primary phaser power off-line. Seska barks an order to switch to backup systems, restoring power. Culluh opens fire, but, an alarm sounds on the bridge. Before the Kazon can react, the overloaded power couplings short out all the consoles on Voyager, disabling the Kazon crew. Hearing her baby's cries from the ready room, Seska struggles to her feet to answer the child. As she enters the ready room, she barely has enough strength left to reach out to her baby before dying. Culluh, overcome with grief over the loss of Seska, takes the child in arm and orders the Nistrim to abandon Voyager upon hearing a report that they are being boarded by the Talaxians. Paris and the Talaxians beam into the bridge and set to work repairing the ship, allowing the Kazon to escape via the escape pods and their shuttles. On the planet, the crew has finally made peace with the natives with one of them giving Naomi a herb that helps her to breath better. Everyone's attention is suddenly drawn to the sky as Voyager arrives on the horizon, much to the surprise of Janeway and Chakotay. Assuming command once again, Paris welcomes the Captain back aboard, congratulating him on his successful retaking of Voyager. Paris remarks he had help from the Talaxians, The Doctor and Suder, informing Janeway that Suder died in his heroic attempt to disable the phasers before being killed by the Kazon. In sickbay, The Doctor also commends the actions of Suder to Tuvok, who offers a Vulcan prayer to the Betazoid in the hopes that he has finally managed to find the peace he so desired. On another biobed, Chakotay also bids farewell to Seska despite all the havoc she had wrought upon him and the Voyager crew. With Voyager capable of sustained flight, Janeway orders Paris to take them away from their "new home" and to set a course for the old one. After two years of sustained hostilities, Voyager finally moves beyond Kazon space and deeper into the Delta Quadrant. 
<EOS>
In the USS Voyager's mess hall, Neelix is trying to tempt a reluctant Lieutenant Tuvok into sampling a new juice blend that Neelix has concocted. Eventually, Tuvok gingerly samples the beverage and, to Neelix's delight, he finds the drink to be "impressive." After heading into the kitchen with the intention of serving seasoned Porakan eggs for Tuvok's breakfast, Neelix begins explaining the method of the food preparation, a Talaxian mealtime tradition, but the Vulcan is unwilling to hear about the effort put into preparing the eggs, and an unexpected fire suddenly ruins them. Neelix quickly extinguishes the blaze, which Tuvok suggests may have been caused by a thermal surge due to Engineering making adjustments to the plasma conduits, in order to accommodate a new energy source. An audio call from Captain Janeway summons the pair to the bridge. Neelix and the bridge officers lengthily and with some enthusiasm discuss how they will store and use the sirillium after they have gathered it. Once the ship arrives at its temporary destination, the anomaly (which Kim describes as a class 17 nebula) is displayed on the viewscreen but, as the crew discuss the anomaly, Tuvok seems disoriented and his hand quivers. Even though an unaware Janeway issues him an order related to the nebula, Tuvok does not respond. The bridge officers subsequently notice his behavior. He confusedly admits that he is feeling dizzy and disoriented, and his request to report to sickbay is granted. En route, Tuvok experiences a flashback of himself as a child; the boy holds the hand of a terrified girl hanging from a cliff but he is unable to hold on to her, so she plummets to her death. In a state of extreme distress, Tuvok stumbles into Voyager's sickbay, where Kes is on duty, and collapses on the floor. Tuvok, now conscious, relates his vision of the girl hanging from the cliff. Though the episode seemed real, he does not recall it having actually happened. The Doctor offers several possible explanations, including a hallucination or repressed memory of some sort. The Doctor releases Tuvok, but first gives him a neurocortical monitor to record his brain patterns and to alert sickbay in case the symptoms recur. Tuvok approves of this "wise precaution". In engineering, Ensign Harry Kim explains that his sensor sweeps haven't turned up anything that would affect Tuvok or Voyager. Tuvok suggests to Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres that, due to being close to Klingon space, Voyager conduct a tachyon sweep of the nebula to reveal any cloaked ships that could be responsible for the symptoms. But, of course, Voyager is in the Delta Quadrant, nowhere near Klingon space, so his remark puzzles Janeway and the other officers present. As he stares at the sensor display of the nebula, Tuvok experiences another flashback, and once again the little girl slips from his youthful grasp and falls to her death from the cliff. In sickbay, The Doctor suggests that a mind meld between the patient and a family member to bring Tuvok's repressed memory to the conscious mind may fix the problem. Being the closest thing Tuvok has to family on Voyager, Captain Janeway agrees to a mind meld with Tuvok. However, instead of accessing the memory of the girl and the cliff, Janeway and Tuvok find themselves on the USS Excelsior eighty years in the past. The Excelsior is engaged in battle with a Klingon vessel. Captain Hikaru Sulu suddenly steps out of the dense smoke. As Sulu barks orders to his crew and Commander Janice Rand reads a damage report, Janeway and Tuvok (who is crouched over the body of Lieutenant Dimitri Valtane) are confused why they're suddenly on the Excelsior rather than the precipice with the little girl. Tuvok reports that the ship is in a battle with the Klingons, and that the battle was precipitated by an incident that occurred three days earlier. Going back in time to the common quarters he shares with Valtane and two other officers on Deck 7, now Ensign Tuvok finishes preparing a blend of Vulcan tea for Captain Sulu, of whom he's noticed that he likes to have a cup of tea in the morning. The others are getting ready to go on duty as part of the gamma shift. Having entered and asked about the tea, Commander Rand jokingly accuses him of trying to get a quick promotion, which Tuvok denies. She then gives him a message from his father serving on the Yorktown and leaves to report to the bridge. After she's gone, Janeway remarks to Tuvok "You've never brought me tea." Later, Tuvok serves the tea to Captain Sulu, who declares it to be outstanding and also jokes about Tuvok trying to get a promotion. When Tuvok denies this, Sulu tells his junior officer that he's got to learn how to appreciate a joke, and says he knows that Vulcans do have a sense of humor. As she follows Tuvok across the bridge to his post, Janeway remarks that Sulu doesn't look anything like his portrait at Starfleet Headquarters; Tuvok explains that 23rd century holographic imagers had a less accurate resolution than the technology that would be developed in the 24th century. Janeway notices that Tuvok's post is a science station. Tuvok confirms that he served on the ship as one of several junior science officers, causing Janeway to ask why his service record doesn't mention his service on the Excelsior. Tuvok isn't keen to talk about it, but confirms this was his first deep-space assignment after graduating Starfleet Academy at the age of 29. Janeway asks if they're about to battle the Klingons, but Tuvok tells her that the Klingon moon Praxis (which had served as a major source of energy for the Klingon home world) is about to explode. Janeway remembers that the destruction of Praxis had a lasting effect on the Alpha Quadrant, including leading to the first-ever Federation-Klingon Peace Treaty. Just then, the ship starts to shake as the subspace shock wave from Praxis approaches the ship. Captain Sulu orders shields up, but Excelsior still shudders through the wave, sending the crew flying. Helmsman Lieutenant Commander Lojur tries to maneuver the ship, but the helm won't respond; Sulu orders him to use the starboard thrusters to turn the ship into the wave. Once it passes, Sulu starts to investigate while Tuvok tells Janeway that they were warned off by the Klingons and continued their survey mission. However two days later, two Starfleet officers were arrested for the assassination of the Klingon Chancellor. Captain Sulu felt an intense loyalty to both officers having served with them for many years. The two then go forward to the point where Captain Sulu (against orders) begins to plan a rescue of James Kirk and Leonard McCoy. As currently illustrated in his memory, Tuvok tells Janeway that while the rest of the crew were happy to follow the captain in his defiance of Starfleet's orders, he wasn't. He then argues with Sulu that as Starfleet officers, they are under obligation to follow any and all orders. Sulu finds Tuvok's declaration to be rather bold for someone who has had an entire two months of space duty. Rand, having served with Sulu, Kirk, and McCoy on USS Enterprise as a yeoman, chides Tuvok for questioning the captain's decision and attempts to relieve him of duty while apologizing to the captain, but Sulu motions to her that it's okay. Sulu tells Tuvok that while he's technically right, he also couldn't be more wrong. He explains that when you serve with people for long enough, a strong bond and a sense of family can form. Having served with Kirk and McCoy for so many years and owing his life to them a dozen times over, regardless of Starfleet's orders he's going to help his friends, "let the regulations be damned." Tuvok believes this to be a most illogical line of reasoning; Sulu tells Tuvok he "better believe it," and orders Excelsior to warp speed. Janeway tells Tuvok that he did the right thing, but Tuvok now feels that he may have been wrong to question Captain Sulu's orders. Sulu decides to take Excelsior through the Azure Nebula to conceal their entry into Klingon space. When it appears on the viewscreen, Janeway notices that it appears almost identical to the nebula encountered on Voyager. Suddenly Tuvok starts to have a panic attack as the memory resurfaces, this time with Janeway seeing the incident with the girl on the cliff, and the meld is broken as The Doctor scrambles to help him. Tuvok lies unconscious in sickbay. The Doctor warns him that if the repressed memory keeps resurfacing, he could experience brain death from synaptic pathway degradation. As Tuvok needs to be left to rest, Janeway decides to conduct her own research. Later, Ensign Kim brings Janeway a comparison between the Azure Nebula and the one Voyager has just encountered in her ready room. Although both contain sirillium and are visually similar, the two are actually quite different; the Azure Nebula is a class 11 nebula with the one Voyager has encountered is a class 17. Having talked with The Doctor, Kim suggests that Tuvok's memories of the Excelsior were just triggered by how similar the two nebulas look, but this still brings up the question of where the memory of the little girl fits in, as it is so far removed from Tuvok's service with Captain Sulu. Janeway had decided to check Sulu's logs for some clues about the nebula however has come up with nothing, as Sulu omitted the trip through the nebula in his logs, except for a brief, cryptic remark about the Excelsior suffering damage from a gaseous anomaly and requiring repairs. Kim is surprised to hear about this clear breach of protocol, but Janeway reminds him of the differences between starships from Sulu's era and their own, and most importantly, how it was a different breed of Starfleet officers who served on them. The technology wasn't as advanced, the Federation constantly on the verge of war with the Klingons, the Romulans' covert activities, and their ships were only half as fast. Despite all this, and noting that the officers of the time would have been very quickly booted out of the Starfleet of the present, Janeway expresses a desire to have served even once with officers like Kirk and Sulu. The Doctor revives Tuvok, who completes the story of the interrupted mind meld. The Excelsior was ambushed by Klingons and forced to abort the rescue mission, but this still has no connection to the repressed memory. Tuvok attempts another mind meld with Janeway, but once again they find themselves on the Excelsior over Valtane's body. Now convinced that this isn't a coincidence but something that happened on the Excelsior is causing Tuvok's illness, Janeway and Tuvok go back to when the ship was in the nebula. Having estimated that their path through the nebula would take five hours, Sulu decided that gamma shift needed to get some rest. However back in their crew quarters, Lieutenant Valtane, Tuvok's bunkmate, wants to talk about the situation. While Valtane admires Sulu, Tuvok doesn't and makes no secret of the fact that he dislikes humans and their flippancy with emotions. The Vulcan explains that he only joined Starfleet under pressure from his parents, and that he planned to resign his Starfleet commission once the ship's survey mission is over. As Valtane goes to sleep, Janeway asks Tuvok if he really meant what he said. Tuvok says that he did at this point in his life, admitting that his opinions on humans and Starfleet were biased due to the fact he hadn't voluntarily chosen to join the service. After resigning, he returned to Vulcan and started to study kolinahr to purge his emotions. However, six years into his studies he underwent pon farr and took T'Pel as a mate and began raising children, whereupon he understood his parents' decision to send him to Starfleet Academy, and that there was actually a lot he could learn if he allowed himself to do so. Tuvok therefore rejoined Starfleet in order to expand his knowledge of the galaxy, and to learn from Humans and other species. Suddenly, the ship trembles and Sulu calls for a red alert. As he and the other officers quickly get up to return to their stations, Tuvok explains to Janeway that a Klingon ship had decloaked in the nebula and began firing concussive charges across their bow. On the bridge of the Excelsior, Sulu finds the captain of the battle cruiser is none other than Kang, who congratulates Sulu for his well-deserved captaincy, and in a thinly-veiled threat advises Sulu to "not let it end prematurely". Sulu, of course, lies about his rescue mission, claiming they got lost inside the nebula due to a navigational system malfunction. Kang insists on escorting the Excelsior back to Federation space, so Sulu plays along while looking for a way to lose him. With Kang's forward disruptors trained on them, Sulu asks Tuvok about the nebula's composition. On the mention of sirillium gas, Tuvok confirms that it's highly combustible and when asked on how they can ignite it, suggests modulating a positron beam to a subspace frequency, which would cause a thermochemical reaction. "Like tossing a match in to a pool of gasoline," enthuses Sulu, but not wanting to destroy them, asks if Kang's shields would withstand the blast. Tuvok says they would, but their sensors and weapon systems would be disrupted for several seconds. This is enough for Sulu, who has his solution. He instructs Tuvok to prepare the beam and when they exit the nebula first, to fire on Sulu's command. As they clear the nebula, the "match" is ignited, disabling Kang's ship with the resulting explosion, and the Excelsior quickly resumes its course at maximum warp to Qo'noS. However, three Klingon battle cruisers intercept the Excelsior and begin firing torpedoes at it. Tuvok gets an alert and warns Valtane that his console is about to explode due to a plasma conduit rupture behind it, but Valtane tarries and doesn't leave his station in time; he takes the full force of the blast. Calling in the medical emergency to sickbay, Tuvok kneels next to Voltane, who calls Tuvok's name with his dying breath. Suddenly, the "memory" of the girl on the cliff resurfaces. In Voyager's sickbay, Tuvok's memory engrams are destabilizing and The Doctor attempts to terminate the mind meld, but is unable to. Tuvok's brain damage is accelerating and he will be brain-dead within twenty minutes if the mind meld continues. Janeway tells Tuvok that the death of Valtane is connected to the repressed memory, however Tuvok winces as he realizes that something has gone wrong with the mind meld. Sulu is looking around, but when he turns in their direction, he can actually see Janeway on his bridge. Sulu calls for an intruder alert as Tuvok offers to break the mind meld, warning Janeway that if his brain is fatally damaged that she will suffer brain damage as well. Janeway declines, as she feels that they are very close to the truth. Excelsior's security officers arrive and arrest the two, as they realize that Janeway's presence will stop the memory from following its proper course so she will need to appear inconspicuous among the crew of the Excelsior. Going back in time to the moment Tuvok was preparing Sulu's Vulcan tea, Tuvok performs a nerve pinch on Rand and the two help themselves to her uniform, so that Janeway will more likely escape notice of Sulu and his officers. Meanwhile, The Doctor fits a cortical stimulator on Tuvok to bring him out of the meld with bursts of thoron radiation. This exposes a virus masquerading as one of Tuvok's memory engrams, and The Doctor increases the amount of radiation to kill the virus. On the Excelsior bridge, Rand's absence is noticed but before Sulu can investigate further, the Klingons attack and Valtane once again dies after his console explodes. Janeway asks Tuvok to concentrate, to bring them to the precipice with the girl. Meanwhile, the virus in Tuvok's brain migrates to the captain's, and accordingly, Janeway experiences her version of Tuvok's flashback, seeing herself as a child in Tuvok's place. The Doctor fits a stimulator on Janeway and irradiates her brain, causing the virus to move again, and now Tuvok's flashback recurs. As the virus begins to die, The Doctor once again increases the amount of radiation to eighty kilodynes. The flashback recurs now with a young Valtane hanging on to the girl, and then again and again with other children -- presumably the other hosts the virus has infected in its lifetime. It turns out that the virus feeds on neural peptides and bypasses the immune system of its host by disguising itself as a memory engram -- the false memory of the girl falling from the cliff, so traumatic that the mind would repress it, thus ensuring that it would not be detected living in the brain of the host. Tuvok concludes that Valtane, as he lay dying, infected him with the virus, the same way the virus infected the captain as Tuvok's mind began to degrade. Kes wonders whether the girl ever really existed, and in response The Doctor surmises that the memory has been passed on so many times, that there is no way of knowing the true history behind the memory of the fall or if the girl even ever existed. Leaving sickbay, Janeway asks if Excelsior managed to rescue Kirk and McCoy. Tuvok tells her that the ship was forced to abandon the rescue mission. However, like many times previously in their careers, Kirk and McCoy provided their own means of escape, and both the Excelsior and Captain Sulu and the starship Enterprise, under Captain Kirk himself, ended up playing a pivotal role in the following events at Khitomer. Janeway notes that Tuvok sounds almost nostalgic about those days. Tuvok reminds her he doesn't feel nostalgia, however as he remembers those events and meeting Kirk, McCoy, and Spock, he is glad that he was a part of them. Janeway remarks that, in a funny way, she feels like she was a part of it as well. Tuvok responds that perhaps, she can be nostalgic for both of them. Voyager resumes its course towards Earth. 
<EOS>
Many alien men crowd around a chute. Through the chute comes a disheveled Ensign Harry Kim, landing on the ground. One of the men picks him up and pushes him to another man, who in turn does the same. He gets pushed around the room, punched, and hurt when finally he gets pushed into none other than Lieutenant junior grade Tom Paris. Paris punches him and he lands on the ground. The men ridicule Kim until Paris intervenes, demanding they give Kim over to him. He then proceeds to explain that they were imprisoned after being accused of using trilithium to bomb the Laktivia recreational facility on Akritiri, killing 47 off-duty patrollers. He claims that Kim was his partner before he confessed to the judge. The Akritiri allow Paris to have Kim and leave the two alone. Paris tells Kim that they are in a Akritirian maximum security detention facility more than three hundred meters underground with fifty other prisoners. They've been there a few days without any food or water. Kim reveals that he was interrogated during Paris' absence and that he was brought before a judge and told that Paris had confessed. Kim suggests an escape attempt but Paris insists that he hasn't seen anyone like that. Paris then explains that they are all controlled by a neural implant called "the clamp", which makes the prisoners paranoid and violent. Kim suggest taking them out but Paris informs him that he saw an Akritirian try that and it resulted in the man's death. The only exit is a chute which the Akritirians use to send food and new prisoners into the holding area. However, it is protected by a force field which shocks anyone who touches it. Food is delivered and Kim watches on in horror as a fight breaks out resulting in the death of one Akritirian. On Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway inquires of Tuvok whether any updates have been found. Despite several sweeps, Tuvok has been unable to locate their life signs. Ambassador Liria of Akritiri hails them and Janeway asks for news. The ambassador informs her that they have found her crewmen, and that they're being held in the containment facilities for causing the bombing. Janeway defends her crewman but the ambassador insist that the trilithium could only have come from Voyager. He accuses Voyager of working with the terrorist groups. Two Akritirian ships approach and the ambassador tells her that they will be impounding her ship and arresting her crew members. Janeway raises the shields and informs the ambassador that she will not allow her ship to be boarded. The two Akritirian ships attack Voyager. Janeway orders her first officer Chakotay take the helm. Chakotay maneuvers Voyager away from the ships and withdraws to regroup. Meanwhile, in the detention facility Kim and Paris continue to work on an escape plan. Kim is starting to feel the effects of the clamp and Paris urges him to focus on other things. They confirm that the only escape is via the food tube. Paris devises a plan to short circuit the force field that protects it. On Voyager, the senior staff meet together to discuss strategy. They decide to try and figure out how to prove Kim and Paris innocent, and search for a way that the terrorists could have found trilithium without their intervention. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres reports that paralithium can also be converted to trilithium. She informs Janeway that paralithium is much more common because it is used to power impulse ships. Kim attempts to disable the force field but struggles with his clamp. Paris successfully distracts him with thoughts of a feast with delicious food. The other prisoners become suspicious and a fight breaks out. Paris is stabbed by an Akritirian and Kim fights the rest of the prisoners off with a pipe before assisting Paris. One of the prisoners comes up to the two and offers assistance. He examines the wound and states that Paris will die from blood loss or infection unless they get out. Kim takes Paris back to their shelter while Paris tries to make Kim continue without him. Kim refuses and they reach their shelter. During their brief absence it has been taken over by other prisoners. Kim then approaches Zio and offers to take Zio with him while he escapes in exchange for shelter, food and bandages. Zio agrees to the exchange and assist them with a warning that he will kill them if they're lying. Voyager reviews its logs of vessels that their sensors recorded while in orbit of Akritiri and finds four that are powered by paralithium. They track down the vessels and find the bombers: two siblings named Piri and Vel who are affiliated with a terrorist group named Open Sky. Paris expresses concern over trusting Zio but Kim tells him to rest. Zio and Kim work on the force field and Zio informs him how to work with the clamp so that it doesn't drive him crazy. Zio explains that he believes the clamp is an experiment on the prisoners. Kim successfully disables the force field and climb up the chute, only to find that it leads to a hatch into space. They are not underground but imprisoned on a space station; escape to the "surface" is impossible. Kim goes back to take care of Paris, who wakes up delirious. Kim says he made it through the chute, but doesn't say it leads to space, yet. Paris has forgotten about getting stabbed, and, when he looks down, suspects Kim briefly. He almost hits him with the pipe when he remembers. Kim insists they try to sleep. Kim wakes up to figure out the next move, but he's frustrated. Zio tries to talk to him, but he is not in the mood. Zio is openly skeptical of any attempt, and tries to convince him it's futile. Zio even lets Kim read his manifesto, which he's never shown to anyone, but Kim slaps it away, demanding to know whether Zio will help him. Fortunately, Zio doesn't respond with violence. Kim is desperate, and tries to convince the other prisoners that they need to join together to raid the vessel that brings food and prisoners, however, they all refuse and injure him. Kim goes back to the shelter where Paris is resting and finds, in his delirium, that he has taken apart the device that disrupts the force field. Kim is furious and the two fight and Kim nearly kills Paris. Zio tells Kim that he should kill Paris because he is a drain on resources, even offering him a knife but a guilt-ridden Kim refuses. Zio then throws Kim and Paris out of his shelter, promising to kill them both himself if they don't leave. Janeway goes back to Akritiri and offers to exchange them for Kim and Paris. However, Ambassador Liria refuses, saying that Kim and Paris' convictions cannot be overturned. Janeway then approaches the bomber named Vel to get another option. He says that he knows the location of the prison. Janeway offers to let both of them go if they give them access to the prison. Janeway decides to get close to the prison in Neelix's small ship. Back in the prison, the prisoners are suddenly alerted to the arrival of someone coming down the chute. The prisoners crowd around, ready to "greet" the new arrivals, when Janeway comes down the chute wielding a large weapon. She stuns several of the prisoners as Lieutenant Tuvok comes down the chute after her. The two senior officers are able to locate Kim, who brings them to Paris. The four Starfleet officers make their escape, just as an Akritiri ship announces its plan to board the Talaxian vessel. Back on Voyager, Kim, Paris, Neelix, Janeway, and The Doctor gather in sickbay at the end of The Doctor's treatment of Paris' wounds as he promises treatment that will override the clamp's effect, confirming that it was designed to encourage aggressiveness and violence among the prisoners. Paris and Kim go to dinner together and Kim, feeling guilt, tries to apologize to Paris for almost killing him. Paris stops him saying, "You want to know what l remember? Someone saying, 'This man is my friend. Nobody touches him.' I'll remember that for a long time." The two friends leave to enjoy a hearty, much-dreamed-about dinner. 
<EOS>
After detecting an anomalous sensor reading, Lieutenants Tom Paris and Torres investigate in a shuttle while Voyager collects resources. During the investigation, the signal reappears and two aliens beam aboard the shuttle. The aliens seem to be attempting to communicate, then subsequently raise their weapons and fire on Paris and Torres, knocking them unconscious. On Voyager, The Doctor is trying his hand at opera. He's attempting to sing "O, soave fanciulla", a duet from Act 1 of the Earth opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini, on the holodeck with a holographic re-creation of Giuseppina Pentangeli, one of the greatest soprano of the 22nd century. However, the hologram of Pentangeli also duplicated her vanity and demanding temperament. They stop during the first part when The Doctor accuses his partner of rushing the tempo. In fact she is the one who comes in too early. She retorts that he has no feel for the music and that it's like she's singing with a computer. When they finally begin to sing again The Doctor has to stop once again because he can't remember the words, much to his partner's irritation and contempt. He blames it on her for getting him so upset that he can't even remember how to sing anymore. Just as he wants to delete her he is contacted by Captain Kathryn Janeway. She informs him there is an emergency and that he needs to report to sickbay. Just before he deletes his diva he informs her that he may consider singing with Maria Callas next time instead. Torres reawakens aboard Voyager and describe the events on the shuttle to the crew. Due to the neuroelectric shock, Paris is still unconscious and needs further treatment. While performing some common medical procedures, The Doctor seems to stutter a bit, becoming forgetful. In the captain's ready room, the senior staff meets to discuss the incident. Neelix informs the staff that he has heard of these aliens described by Torres but shudders at the thought of encountering them. He informs the captain that nobody knows much of this race but what is known is that they are very territorial. Most ships entering their space were never heard from again, and those that returned had all their crew dead. Unfortunately, going around their space would add fifteen months to the trip, something Janeway won't do. Chakotay suggests they can't possibly patrol all their territory, but Tuvok objects to violating their space as per Starfleet regulations. Despite Tuvok's protest, Janeway insists on the plan and sets it in motion, calling for a plan. Back in sickbay, The Doctor happily continues to perform a procedure to help Paris, singing the opera from before as he cleans his hands. However, he begins to realize that he's having trouble remembering the procedure. He asks for Kes for assistance as he performs the procedure, but increasingly forgets what to do. Kes fortunately is able to take over and Paris is all right. After this incident, The Doctor reports his failings to Torres, who sees that the safety buffers she installed are breaking down. The Doctor suggests reinitializing his program, but Torres reminds everyone he would forget everything that's happened to him in the past two years. The Doctor insists he would rather be useful to the crew, but Kes makes an impassioned plea to Janeway. She insists the Doctor has become more than a hologram, and, indeed, Janeway then takes the view that, if any of the crew were sick, she would do everything to make them better. On the bridge, Kim and Chakotay inform Janeway of a plan to cross the alien territory. Janeway orders the helm. Later, Torres tries a few things in sickbay, now making the Doctor feel like a patient. She still doesn't know why the circuits are degrading, so she gets a "second opinion," transferring The Doctor into the holodeck, where she runs Jupiter Station Diagnostic Program Alpha-11. There, they meet the diagnostic hologram, a holographic recreation of The Doctor's creator, Lewis Zimmerman. Zimmerman, with a much less friendly personality than even the Doctor, asks Torres what the issue is. Completely ignoring the Doctor, considering it just a hologram, he analyzes the problem and finds out the program has been running two years. He inevitably comes up the solution of re-initializing the program, but Torres doesn't accept the option. When called to engineering, she orders Zimmerman to find out exactly why the memory circuits are degrading for a different solution. Meanwhile, Ensign Harry Kim devises a method to slip through the alien territory unnoticed by modifying the shield generators to effectively hide the ship from the sensor net. It is noted that traveling at warp 9.75 for twelve hours would take them a third of the way through the most narrow portion of the alien territory. Once at the border of the alien territory, the stealth shielding is activated and the ship begins traveling through. They note a swarm of the alien vessels, all powered down and initially inactive. Janeway orders them to continue in, and fortunately, the ships don't pursue. However, Paris sees that there appears to be some kind of drag on the engines. Back on the holodeck, Zimmerman eventually finds that the Doctor's personality subroutines have grown considerably. The diagnostic routine realizes the EMH has been active on its off-hours and developing relationships with the crew. Kes arrives to check on the Doctor and is questioned by the diagnostic hologram. She insists the Doctor is more than a set of algorithms, which Zimmerman finds utterly false, challenging that she can't believe he shares the feelings of friendship. He asks the Doctor directly if Kes is one of his friends, but, unfortunately, his memory loss forces him to state he doesn't know her. The Voyager is still seemingly evading the alien ships. However, sensors indicate a different ship that doesn't appear to belong in the area, so they drop out of warp to investigate. Kim finds one faint life sign on the ship, so Janeway orders it beamed aboard to sickbay. She also orders continued scans of the ship. Janeway meets the Doctor and Kes in sickbay to question the alien, Chardis. He says he's from Mislen and his ship was attacked by numerous Swarm vessels. Rather than attacking with weaponry, they drained the energy from his ship and attempted to crush it. Then, they boarded and used weapons on them. He soon died from his injuries. The Doctor, unfortunately, is of no help during this, and Kes has to lead. Janeway says she can't spare Torres during their current predicament to help the Doctor, and recommends Kes keep the Doctor using his memory to maybe slow down the degradation. While investigating the ship, one of the alien craft that had still been attached to it powers up and scans Voyager. It emits a polaron pulse that cancels the stealth modifications to the shields and Voyager is detected by the Swarm vessels. Kes tries to occupy the Doctor, who now even forgets he is a hologram and cannot leave sickbay. She eventually sits him down and tries to keep him remembering events that happened. He briefly does remember Kes, and the first time he was activated. He also mentions the time he was rubbing "some woman's" feet, forgetting it was Kes. Then, his body flickers out, alarming him considerably, but Kes can't explain it. The Swarm approaches Voyager and Janeway calls for battle stations. The Swarm doesn't appear to have weapons activated. Kes comes to the bridge to ask someone to help the Doctor, but Janeway can't spare anyone with what they're facing. Kes decides to go back to the holodeck and talk to the diagnostic hologram again. Zimmerman insists he can only diagnose, that he isn't an engineer, but Kes is determined to make him realize he can exceed his programming, as the Doctor has. She gets the idea that Zimmerman's holomatrix is the same as the Doctor. He says the same degradation will eventually occur to him, too, but Kes suggests a "graft" like in medicine. Zimmerman says it might be possible, much to Kes' delight, but he cautions her optimism. The Swarm is now emitting interferometric pulses which are cancelling the Voyager's shield strength completely. Janeway orders a phaser hit, but the energy gets reflected back onto the ship. Kim starts analyzing the pulses further. In sickbay, the diagnostic hologram expresses his doubts as he sets up the transfer. Finally, he gives Kes her instructions. The alien ships start attaching to the hull when Kim sees the pattern in the pulses: it's a lattice connecting the ships to each other. Janeway hopes to turn the pulses back on them by destroying one of the ships, causing a chain reaction. At the same time, she orders the shield frequency to have an inverse harmonic from the pulse. Just then, several of the alien crew, similar to those seen by Paris and Torres, attempt to teleport to the bridge and overwhelm Voyager's crew. They're unsuccessful, fortunately. Tuvok and Kim have their chance, and they successfully repel the alien ships. The Swarm backs off and they continue on their way, unabated. Torres now comes to sickbay and sees what Kes has been doing, forced to wait for the procedure to finish. It soon does, and Kes hesitantly calls for the EMH. It seems he is fixed, with the new holomatrix expanding his memory capabilities. However, he does not recognize Kes at all, or have any other memories of the past two years. Kes and Torres are disappointed, but then the Doctor starts singing his opera from the other room. 
<EOS>
The crew of USS Voyager find evidence of a wormhole having recently appeared and disappeared in a nearby solar system, and reason that, since it has been there at least twice, the other end could be fixed. Events take a mysterious turn when Tuvok detects evidence that a nearby primitive planet, whose civilization is still in the Bronze Age, contains an energy discharge consistent with those that come from Alpha Quadrant replicators. Commander Chakotay and Lieutenant jg Tom Paris are sent to the planet to investigate. When they get to the town, they are soon accosted by people asking them to either buy or sell things. These people also reference "seers" and the "Sages" as they speak to them. Chakotay detects the energy signature coming from a nearby temple of sorts, but a merchant tells them they need to wear a set of 'ears' (a necklace with ear-shaped charms) and manages to get them to sell their shoes. Meanwhile, on Voyager, Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Torres confirm to Captain Janeway that the wormhole does, in fact, lead to the Alpha Quadrant, and they are working on a way to attract the entrance back to their position. Chakotay and Paris continue to explore the town, now wearing 'ears' around their neck. Suddenly, a commotion begins when it is announced that the two Great Sages are about to emerge. Chakotay and Paris are shocked to recognize them: the two Sages are Ferengi! The Sages lead the townspeople in chanting "Greed is Eternal", which is one of the Rules of Acquisition. The Ferengi then accept pleas from the crowd. It is soon clear that the Ferengi use the replicator they possess to rule over the townspeople, keeping themselves in obscene luxury, while everyone else is destitute and struggling to even feed themselves or keep a roof over their heads. The two Ferengi listen as a man, a sandal maker, begs for food and medicine to help him care for his wife's ill mother and young children. Instead of helping, the Ferengi rebuke him for not putting them to work and provide him with a copy of the written Rules of Acquisition, forcing him to pay for it. After that, the two swindlers decide to retire for the day. Chakotay and Paris report this to the rest of the Voyager crew, explaining how the Ferengi have exploited the local myth, which foretold that Great Sages were prophesied to come from the sky in a ball of fire, using their advanced technology. Tuvok has solved the mystery of how the Ferengi arrived in the Delta Quadrant: several years earlier, while the USS Enterprise-D was hosting negotiations for the rights to the Barzan wormhole (which collapsed when it was discovered that one of the points wasn't fixed) the two Ferengi, Arridor and Kol, who were minor functionaries, became trapped in the Delta Quadrant during an ill-thought out attempt to secure it for themselves. Janeway decides that they're not going to just leave the innocent Takarians to be used and exploited any longer, feeling that the Federation is partially responsible for what has happened, since they were the ones to have hosted the negotiations in the first place. The plan is to take Arridor and Kol back to the Alpha Quadrant and turn them over to the Ferengi authorities. As Arridor and Kol celebrate another good day's lack of work, they are beamed up by Voyager, and Captain Janeway explains that they're trying to attract the Barzan Wormhole back, but even if they don't succeed the Ferengi are leaving the Takarians for good. Arridor and Kol, obviously unhappy at being snatched from their opulence, explain that they could easily actually be the Great Sages. their burning ship provided the ball of fire, their replicator provides 'miracles', and for the Takarians, if their gods were to just vanish, it could lead to disaster for the people. Realizing that just removing the Ferengi could completely destroy the Takarian's religious beliefs, Janeway orders them beamed back down. The crew discuss the situation, agreeing they can't kidnap the two Ferengi but can't leave them behind either. Janeway suggests thinking of a way to get them to leave voluntarily; not only would the Takarians be prepared for it but they might also think it's part of the legend about the sages. Begging the question of how to get the Ferengi to voluntarily leave behind a planet which they've completely monopolized, the Voyager officers come to the conclusion that since a Ferengi is driven by profit, they need to make it profitable for them to leave, or at least less profitable to stay. Neelix then attempts to imitate the Grand Proxy, representative of the Grand Nagus, telling Arridor and Kol that Zek has recalled them. They are shocked, but their servant, Kafar, is pleased. The Ferengi are told the Grand Nagus wants to appropriate their holdings and replace them on the planet. The two try to argue they are themselves required for their endeavor, and they will give the Nagus a cut of their profits, but the Proxy has his orders. He orders them to give a speech in which they intend to leave, so as to not upset the local population. Arridor is determined to use the Rules and all its commentary to find a loophole, but to no avail. Arridor decides to invoke the 'unwritten rule' -- if no rules apply, make one up. In this case, he wants to kill the messenger. Outside, Neelix is giving out part of the profits to the local people, then comes back in to approve their speech. Shockingly, he finds that the two now are trying to kill him with swords. Neelix immediately drops his cover and admits he is a Talaxian on Voyager. The Ferengi let him go instead, then announce happily that they've won again. Neelix leaves the temple and informs Chakotay and Paris of his failure. However, his Ferengi disguise would still pay off, as he was believed to be a "holy one", or "Greater Sage" by the Takarian bard they met earlier. He recites the songs to them, hoping for payment, however, Chakotay suspects this could help them. Once Chakotay paid off the bard, they realize there's a verse about the Sages' departure from the planet. The bard excitedly points to Neelix and knows who he is, and this gives them a plan. Later, the three get ready and Neelix steps up to the temple entrance. Posing as the Holy Pilgrim, Neelix drew on myth in the Song of the Sages about their departure. The Ferengi hear the commotion and come out, though, fortunately, they don't know the whole song. Arridor tries to convince the people Neelix is a false Pilgrim, but then Voyager utilizes three photon bursts to further fulfill the part about the appearance of three new stars in the sky. Arridor then appeals to Kafar, however, Kafar has had it with how we's been treated and starts ringing the gong, as per the song. The plan goes awry, soon, though, when Kafar also recites the part when the Sages will go "riding on the wings of fire". The Takarians attempt to burn Arridor, Kol, and Neelix at the stake. Unfortunately, the Ferengi's dampening field is preventing them from being able to beam out. Chakotay and Paris hurriedly ask where the field is being generated from, and the successfully find it and destroy it. They are all promptly beamed out, and Kafar announces they've left, fulfilling the Takarian prophecies about the Sages returning to the skies. Voyager is now ready to pass through the wormhole and return in the Alpha Quadrant, but Arridor and Kol manage to overwhelm two security guards and to escape from the ship with their shuttle. Voyager tries to beam them back, but they emit a graviton impulse in order to avoid transport. As the two Ferengi are pulled into the wormhole, Voyager tries to pursue them, but soon discovers that the graviton impulse has further destabilized the wormhole, knocking it off its axis, so that it begins jumping erratically on both ends. This not only allows the Ferengi to flee, but also leaves Voyager and its crew stranded in the Delta Quadrant. 
<EOS>
The engineering staff, specifically Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Harry Kim, are working with a group of the visiting guests, Jessen and Jora Mirell, to install their energy conservation technology and decide to call an end to the evening's work. Kim and Jessen have become friendly and go off to dinner while Torres retires to bed for the night. While in bed, Torres has a vivid dream about having a passionate love affair with a young Enaran male, Dathan Alaris, who, interestingly, calls her Korenna. She oversleeps the next morning and Chakotay comes to wake her. Torres confides to Chakotay about the dreams and her excitement about the love affair they portray. She is immediately apologetic for being late to her shift, but Chakotay is more concerned about her. He's amused by the whole thing, and Torres swears him to silence. Meanwhile, Neelix has shut off the mess hall to the crew in preparations for an Enaran-themed party to recognize their guests. Tom Paris and Kim enter and are amazed at the lengths he went through, and the Enarans certainly enjoy it. Kim goes to join Jessen while Jor Brel, the Enaran leader, is playing a traditional Enaran musical instrument. Captain Kathryn Janeway, next to him, loves the music and asks about the instrument. Brel offers to help her play it, and she agrees, but she doesn't realize this meant a telepathic link with her to share his knowledge. She is startled because she didn't expect such an intense contact but at the same time she appreciates the experience and understands it was innocent. Jor Brel apologizes and the incident is settled. Meanwhile, Torres did not join the party, turning in early to have another dream. This one is not as pleasant, as her character is scolded by her father, Jareth, for continuing to see the man from earlier. It's revealed he is forbidden from contact with her. She pleads with him, but he is adamant. Her father leaves, and the man, hidden up until now, comes from a back room. They embrace, but suddenly his skin becomes badly burned and he screams in pain. Torres reports to Chakotay with an update on the energy conservation efforts, then turns to the dreams. She says it feels like they are advancing a story, and it's very real. She thinks there's more going on. Chakotay suggests she talk to one of the Enarans while he informs Janeway. Torres going to engineering, but then one of these dreams catches her in daytime, this time a ceremony in which Torres' character is given an award by her father. Her father is talking about the beginnings of colonization efforts for his people. To her surprise, her lover is there, risking being seen with her to participate in her big day. They want to embrace, but can't risk it. They promise to see each other the next day. Meanwhile, Kes finds Torres unconscious in engineering, and calls for a medical emergency. Torres jumps awake in sickbay, to a relieved Janeway and Kes. The Doctor finds strong signs of telepathic activity and determines that the memories Torres is experiencing were implanted in her subconscious, only to be realized when her conscious mind is inactive. He wants to put a cortical inhibitor on her to suppress theta wave activity. Torres hesitates, as she wants to see the story through, but the Doctor reiterates she would risk brain damage, so she relents. Janeway decides to ask Brel about the incident. Brel seems honestly skeptical that anyone is doing this intentionally. His guess is that she is sensitive to the stray telepathic thoughts of all Enarans on the ship, and Torres' mind is forging them into a narrative. After he leaves, Tuvok admits it is a plausible explanation, and Torres also thinks it's reasonable. Janeway admits there's no other sign of a hidden agenda with the Enarans, however, she wants to keep investigating, and Tuvok isn't satisfied either until they've ruled out foul play. In the meantime, she orders Torres to take time off, to get away from it. Torres can't just sit and wait, so she takes off the inhibitor and allows another dream to occur. This time, her (Korenna), has a talk with her father about the Regressives, a subgroup which once resisted Enaran technology. She's been led to believe that, because of their chosen way of life, they're dangerous to have living on the planet, and have voluntarily chosen to be resettled to a colony world. She's skeptical now, and talks with her dad to reassure her. Later, she flashes to her participation in preparing the people for the ship. Some are silent, but one person wants more information on what will happen to her. Korenna can't give it to her, and she's led away by someone else. Then, Korenna's father calls Alaris' name, much to Korenna's surprise. He doesn't show, which leads her father to think Korenna warned him, but she didn't know about him. Then, another person, resisting the processing, knocks Korenna down. Torres wakes up with an injury on her face. She is now determined to talk to Mirell herself. Mirell doesn't answer her call, so she breaks in, finding her on the floor. Mirell is insistent on giving her the rest of the memories because she won't deny the truth, something the rest of her people have been hiding for a long time. Mirell says the others in her group now know she's been sharing these memories. Torres realizes Jora is Korenna. She grabs Torres' neck and Torres finds herself in another dream, now playing the same kind of musical instrument from before. Korenna, in her room again, stops playing and thinks. Alaris enters her room, and explains he is scheduled to leave the next day. He wants Korenna to come with him, but she can't leave her family and career. Alaris tells her the incredible rumor: that the Regressives are not colonized, but simply killed en route to the planet. Korenna has a hard time believing this, as there's plausible explanations for not being able to get in contact with those who already left, but Alaris is adamant. They're interrupted by Korenna's father, who talks to his daughter and eventually convinces her that Alaris and the Regressives are the ones who are lying. Korenna is finally convinced and signals that Alaris is in the next room. Her memory flashes to later when Alaris and another Regressive are put to death (burned like she saw earlier) after the words of Korenna's father talking about protecting their ideals. Korenna is deeply distraught, but then, when the crowd cheers at their deaths, Korenna herself joins in. After this, Korenna is shown as a teacher working with students and telling the children that the Regressives killed each other due to their stubbornness, and none of them remain. Torres wakes up to find that Jora is dead. Strongly affected by the horrible visions, Torres realizes that the Enarans have concealed a part of their history from their descendants and that one of them aboard Voyager doesn't want her buried memories to die. She charges into the goodbye party organized for the Enarans and tells everybody about what she has discovered. The older Enarans refuse to admit that what she experienced was a true story, while the younger ones refuse to believe her. Torres also accuses the chief of the Enarans of having killed Jora Mirell. Janeway is shocked and tells B'Elanna she will speak to the Doctor to confirm the cause of death of Jora Mirell and then meet B'Elanna in her ready room an hour later. Janeway decides to allow the Enarans disembark and takes no actions to force them to reckon their history. She tells Torres she believes her, but if they want to conceal a part of their history from themselves it is their right to do so. Starfleet has no business in the matter. Torres desperately suggests they could look into it if a murder occurred on their ship, but Janeway says she already had the Doctor discretely examine Jora Morell for signs of foul play and that he found none. However, Janeway has trade negotiations as well as shore leave cancelled, and orders that Voyager leave orbit as soon as all the Enarans have disembarked. Janeway mentions that the Enaran engineers are still packing up their equipment, and suggests that if Torres has anything more to say, she should talk to them. Torres thanks Janeway and leaves. In engineering, Torres finds Jessen, who still strongly refuses to believe her. Torres asks her to search her history when she returns to Enara Prime and wishes to be able to transmit her the memories she has received from the old woman. Convinced by Torres' earnestness that she might be telling the truth, Jessen offers to establish the telepathic link and in turns she begins experiencing the same story herself. 
<EOS>
The crew of the USS Voyager accepts an invitation from a humanoid race called the Nechani to take shore leave on their planet. To learn more about the Nechani culture, several of the crew members take a tour of some of the Nechani religious sites and caverns. Curious about a particular shrine, Kes attempts to enter it and is knocked unconscious by a biogenic field at the entrance. B'Elanna Torres and Harry Kim quickly transport Kes to sickbay and demand to know more about the shrine, and are anxious to remain on the planet to analyze the field and gather information that may be able to revive Kes from her comatose state. However, the Nechani feel that Kes is being punished by the Ancestral Spirits for inappropriate behavior. They state that there is simply nothing that can be done about it. The Doctor stabilizes Kes and determines she's undergone severe neuroleptic shock and is in a kind of coma. He will need more information about what happened before he can treat her. Captain Janeway must try the diplomatic route and talk to the Magistrate while Torres and Kim scan the area from the ship. Neelix insists on helping, so she has him find information on the shrine in their records. Her pleas to the Magistrate to let them back to the surface so that they can take some scans of the shrine in order to find answers to Kes' condition are rejected. He claims further he is not a spiritual leader, and does not know why the spirits do what they do. Unfortunately, those that do, the Nechisti Council, consider the matter closed. Back in sickbay, the Doctor unfortunately must tell Janeway that he has no answers, and the ship's scans can't be clear through the rock. Fortunately, Neelix has some information in the form of a story about a king, Nevad, whose son made the same error as Kes: To save his son, this king decided to undergo the ritual that the monks endure in order to enter the shrine without harm. The king was successful with his plea and able to see his son awaken from his "death sleep." Janeway decides to try this approach in order to covertly gather scientific data about the shrine. She tells the Magistrate what she's found, and insists that she can claim the same kind of relationship Nevad had and go through the same ritual. Janeway prepares for the ritual, fully not expecting to talk to spirits, but rather some kind of physiological change as a result of some physical test of endurance, by reviewing these kinds of rituals in the Federation database. Chakotay notes to have some precautions ready, but also reminds her that maybe the Spirits really do exist there. Just then, the Magistrate has called in with an answer: The Council is fascinated by Janeway's proposal and eagerly awaits to help her. He adds that he is deeply troubled by what's happened, and will be very pleased if it is successful. The Doctor and Kim have prepared an implant to monitor Janeway's biological readings and help the transporter to lock on to her if needed. Tuvok offers a phaser, but Janeway would rather not appear hostile. A guide meets Janeway at the entrance to the cave at sunset. She is seemingly friendly, though tricks her into giving her the tricorder. She brings her to a few others who change her clothes into a robe and give her markings on her skin. Interestingly, the guide says she does not know what happens in the ritual, but cryptically says she will guide her through it. Then, she leads her to a room full of elderly people who invite her to join them as they wait. When she asks them how long they've waited, they squabble and bicker among themselves, and, oddly, reply that they have been waiting for as long as they can remember. Janeway doesn't understand the comment, as she's seen young monks there, so they haven't been waiting that long. She grows impatient, not planning to wait for half an eternity, and tries to open the other door. The guide answers, and allows her to leave. She leaves the room -- eager to begin the challenges that might lead to a cure for Kes. Her guide informs her that everything she does during this ritual will be meaningless, and that the only thing that matters is finding her connection to the spirits. Yet Janeway is eager to go through each of the physical challenges imposed on her -- believing them to be the key to a cure for Kes. The guide asks her to hold a rock and Janeway tells her what she sees. Meanwhile, on Voyager, the Doctor is monitoring the readings, but so far nothing jumps out. As Janeway is next asked to finger-paint freely and then rock-climb, she becomes increasingly exhausted from the physical exertion. The Doctor then sees her neuropeptide levels rise to an abnormal level, possibly creating a natural barrier to the biogenic energy. Finally, she is asked to place her hand inside a container that houses a hissing creature called a nesset; it bites her, and she soon feels hot and falls unconscious. She wakes in a kind of hole, and states she is dying. The guide simply replies "everyone dies eventually" and the doors close. Chakotay is getting impatient, and considers going down to get her, but the Doctor insists he sees no reason for alarm. Further, he's getting more interesting data on what's happening, particularly from a certain amino acid which is changing the flow of neurotransmitters to create an hallucinogenic effect. However, she is conscious and capable of signaling them via the implant if she chooses. Chakotay has a hard time believing it, but, as Tuvok points out, she would want to complete the ritual. Janeway finds herself on a seashore, where her guide ostensibly acts as the voice of the spirits, who tell her that her request to have them reawaken Kes is inconsequential as Janeway possesses all the information she needs to help Kes. She relates what happened to the guide, and she gives her back her uniform. Janeway returns to Voyager confident that she finally got all she needs to help Kes. The Doctor seems equally confident, believing that the immense amount of data gathered can be utilized to find a cure. He states that the toxin from the creature's bite appears to have been the key, for it creates a biochemical immunity to the energy burst that hit Kes. He eagerly begins developing a treatment regimen. When much to his surprise his "cure" doesn't work, Janeway returns to the planet to question her guide; after all, she did everything that the guide told her. But the guide tells her that she in fact didn't lead Janeway anywhere, for this was Kathryn's ritual: she herself set these challenges, the guide simply fulfilled Janeway's expectations as Janeway would have simply settled for nothing else. But Janeway tells her that she is not ready to give up, and admits she now doesn't know what she is seeking. The guide tells her that now she is finally ready to begin. Janeway returns to the waiting room, where the elderly people greet her again. Now, Janeway asks more from these people about what she's supposed to accomplish in the room. They in turn derisively banter about her reliance on reason. They know that she is the kind of person who believes that she will eventually find the answers to Kes' situation with enough time, study and the right sort of tools. After all, that is what she believes as a scientist, even when her science fails right in front of her eyes. Janeway acknowledges that she is willing to try another path if science doesn't work, so they tell her to take Kes through the energy field again, to kill her. They can't tell her what it will do because the biogenic field, according to Voyager's scans, is lethal. They ask her, however, to let go of all her beliefs about the facts and simply trust the spirits to return her soul. If she believes she is ready, she is. But if she goes in with any doubt, with any hesitation, they will both be dead. Janeway orders Commander Chakotay and Neelix to beam Kes back to the shrine. There, Chakotay realizes she intends to take Kes back into the field, in the belief that it will awaken her. Chakotay reiterates the uncertainties and asks for more time for scans, enough to the point where he's considering declaring her unfit for command. Janeway says she can't explain it, but she now believes it. So she carries Kes through the field, where a burst of energy hits them. However, they remain unharmed and Kes finally awakens. Later, in sickbay, The Doctor goes into elaborate detail and gives a plausible scientific explanation for why taking Kes through the biogenic field again, combined with the ritual Janeway went through and the toxin released into her body saved Kes' life. Janeway nods and listens -- somewhat absentmindedly -- to The Doctor's explanation, stating that it is indeed very plausible and scientific. Yet she walks out of sickbay unsure really whether it was the science or her faith that was at work here. 
<EOS>
On Earth, in the High Sierras in the year 1967, a young hippie with a tattoo on his left wrist is camping in the mountains, listening to music on his portable radio. He begins to tap his canteen and pots with makeshift drum sticks along with the music, when his radio loses its frequency. Suddenly, in the sky, he spots a strange phenomenon: a starship seems to be crashing to Earth. It impacts on the surface very near to him. "Far out", he remarks. In the 24th century in the Delta Quadrant, Captain Kathryn Janeway is practicing her tennis serve in her ready room on the USS Voyager, when Lieutenant Tuvok enters. He catches her tennis ball in his right hand. She tells her chief of security that she is planning on taking up tennis again after 19 years but she says she is a little rusty as she lost her first match in straight sets in a novice tournament on the holodeck. Tuvok tells her that her serve would be more effective if she maintained eye contact with the ball at the apex of its trajectory. Moving to official ship business, Tuvok tells the captain that he has completed his monthly security evaluations and is about to show her his PADD when first officer Commander Chakotay calls for Voyager to go to red alert and requests that Janeway come to the bridge. Voyager has encountered a graviton disruption, a distortion in the space-time continuum. Ensign Kim tells the captain the rift seems to be artificially generated. Then, a small vessel emerges from the distortion. According to Kim, it is a Federation vessel. Janeway orders it be hailed but Tuvok announces it is charging weapons. Chakotay orders the shields be raised but the ship is hit, knocking out the helm in the process, trapping Voyager there. The vessel is firing a subatomic disruptor, which is tearing Voyager's molecular structure apart. Chakotay orders that Tuvok send out a high energy polaron pulse from Voyager's navigational deflector to disrupt the firing vessel's weapon. The plan works and the ship hails them. The pilot of the timeship, Captain Braxton, says he is from the 29th century and his vessel is the timeship Aeon. He further claims that Voyager will be responsible for a temporal explosion in the 29th century that will destroy the entire solar system. He asks the ship to disengage its deflector pulse and let him destroy their vessel. Captain Janeway responds with force to Braxton's tactics and eventually Voyager overpowers the timeship, causing Braxton to lose control of it. The graviton field begins to collapse and both ships are pulled into it. When the ship emerges from the rift, a shaken Kim announces that it has closed. Chakotay asks where they are. The viewscreen shows they are inexplicably in orbit around Earth. "Home", a startled Tom Paris announces. Janeway theorizes that the rift must have originated in the Terran solar system. She asks to be put through to Starfleet Command. However, Tuvok cannot pick up a response on standard frequencies but is getting a multitude of EM signals. When patched through, the signals are most certainly not from the 24th century. "The question isn't where we are but when", Janeway says. Ensign Kim announces, according to his astrometric readings -- the year is 1996, the late 20th century. To avoid Voyager being detected by surveillance satellites, Janeway orders that the ship be placed in high orbit and has the shields modulated to scatter radar. Tuvok informs Captain Janeway that low frequency subspace readings are emanating from the city of Los Angeles. The readings are no doubt coming from Braxton's ship as the technology for it should not exist for close to a hundred years. Janeway decides they must find Braxton so they can return to their own time. She chooses Chakotay, Tuvok, and Paris to transport to the surface with her, leaving Ensign Kim in command of Voyager. Recalling Lieutenant Paris as an aficionado on the 20th century, Janeway asks what they will need to pass as locals of the current era. "Simple. Nice clothes, fast car, and lots of money", he says as the turbolift doors close. In Los Angeles, the away team from Voyager looks upon the colorfully dressed 20th century inhabitants of the city. "We could have worn our Starfleet uniforms. I doubt if anyone would have noticed", Tuvok observes dryly. Through Janeway's tricorder, she finds that the subspace readings they detected are within a hundred meter radius of their position but she cannot localize the source. She orders Tuvok and Paris to search the shoreline and that she and Chakotay will take the boardwalk. "Well Kathryn, you got us home", Chakotay tells his captain. "Right place, wrong time. But it is good to be back, nevertheless", she says. Chakotay thinks of looking up one of his ancestors from the 20th century, a teacher in Arizona. Janeway remarks that she has no clue what her ancestors were doing in this time, when a rollerblader runs into them. "For all I know, she could be my great-great-great-great grandmother", Janeway says of the woman. "She does have your legs", Chakotay says. Janeway asks Chakotay if he has ever been to Southern California. Her first officer says he has not. Janeway recalls that the entire region in Los Angeles sunk under two hundred meters of water during the Hermosa Earthquake of 2047 and became one of Earth's largest coral reefs. It became home to thousands of different marine species. "Some interesting species in this century", Chakotay says as a couple of individuals with colorful mohawks pass by them. Meanwhile, Paris and Tuvok are walking together on the beach. Paris encourages Tuvok to remove his shirt and enjoy the sunshine but the Vulcan declines, not wanting to risk exposing himself to dermal dysplasia. Paris notes that deep down, all Vulcans are hypochondriacs. Elsewhere, Janeway has finally detected the source of the subspace readings -- they are coming from a homeless man scavenging from garbage cans. Elsewhere in Los Angeles, a young astronomer is sitting in her laboratory in the Griffith Observatory when her computer emits a beeping noise. "No way", she says. With her computer's keyboard on her lap, she enters a few commands. "Way", she now says. In another location, a man named Henry Starling is lying a computer chip on a glass table. "It's crap", he says to a man called Jim. As Starling continues to complain about the lack of sophistication of the chip, including its color, he tells Jim that the HyperPro PC will be introduced within the next six months. With a chip like the one his company has come up with to drive it, they will have to change the name of the computer to Edsel. He tells Jim to leave, lose sleep over this problem, and give him a full report by the middle of next week. When Jim leaves, an employee of Starling's named Dave pages him through Starling's intercom. When told he does not want to be interrupted during meetings, Dave tells him one Rain Robinson from Griffth Observatory has urgent news for him. She is put through. Robinson recalls that Starling was to be notified when a certain kind of gamma emission matched a frequency profile that he gave her. She reports her findings to Starling. Robinson excitedly tells Starling that the source is in orbit, 20,000 kilometers above North America and she is not picking up anything from the standard search parameters -- meaning that no one as of yet has discovered it. "We've got to call NASA!", she says. She offers to send a message to it but Starling tells her not to reveal her discovery to anyone else until they have more data. He humorously asks her if E.T. likes Chateau Coeur but Robinson assures him that if he does not, she has a six pack of beer in her fridge. They end their phone call and Starling goes to get a drink, revealing the tattoo on his left wrist, showing him to be the hippie who saw the starship crash back in 1967. Back at the observatory's laboratory, Robinson ignores Starling's instructions and sends a message anyway to whatever is in orbit. On the bridge of Voyager, chief engineer Torres reports to Kim that the trip they took through the rift damaged several key systems. Weapons, three EPS conduits and the main transporter buffer are all offline. Kim asks how close Voyager will have to come to the surface to initiate a transport. Torres informs him they will have to be at least within ten kilometers. Just then, Ensign Kaplan reports that she is picking up an EM signal directed towards their coordinates. Kim orders it on screen, which then shows a standard SETI greeting sent from Robinson's observatory. The audio portion of this message include international morse code with the cryptic message "bc 3ta0wbc 0310h0 3. When Kaplan asks if they should respond, Kim gives the order "Absolutely not!" Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Janeway and Chakotay tell Tuvok and Paris that the homeless man lives on the street, with a cart containing his belongings. Chakotay notes that he seems to spend most of his time posting "End of the World" signs. Janeway is contacted via her combadge beeping, which confuses nearby people into thinking their cell phones are ringing. Kim informs his captain that Voyager has been sent a message from Earth and they have tracked the signal to a nearby observatory. Janeway orders that Tuvok and Paris be beamed there but Kim informs her that the transporter's pattern buffers are currently inoperative. Instead, she has the address uploaded to Tuvok's tricorder and tells him and Paris to find out who sent the message and how many people know about Voyager. Paris tells her he and Tuvok will have to find "some wheels". Afterward, following the subspace readings, Janeway and Chakotay walk into an alleyway and find the homeless man they've been watching, who rants and raves about social workers constantly bothering him with their surveys. He is about to continue ranting when he stops, moves towards Janeway and remembers her and Chakotay. "Voyager! This is all your fault, all your doing!" Janeway finds a 29th century Starfleet combadge in the homeless man's clothes. She realizes it is Captain Braxton, aged nearly thirty years. "I told you to turn off your deflector pulse but you wouldn't listen to me. Voyager. Fools!" Braxton explains that he was trapped on Earth thirty years ago, in 1967, when his timeship crashed in the mountains. He initiated an emergency beam out but was unable to reach his ship in time and instead it was found by Henry Starling, who began exploiting its 29th century technology, beginning the microcomputer revolution of the 20th century on Earth. Braxton believes it's too late and that "the future's end" is inevitable. He explains the paradox he believes will occur. Braxton explains that he now knows Voyager did not cause the explosion in the 29th century, but Henry Starling will use Braxton's stolen ship to fly into the future without properly recalibrating the temporal matrix then that could cause the kind of explosion he witnessed in the 29th century. Braxton has been tracking Starling, but can't get close to him. He appears somewhat deranged, but makes his point. Chakotay and Janeway offer to help him but he says they are part of the problem; Voyager will also be destroyed by the explosion, hence why he found part of the ship's hull in the 29th century. The LAPD arrive to talk to Braxton for posting his various "End is Near" posters around the city. "You stay away from me, you quasi-Cardassian totalitarian!", he yells at the officer. Braxton continues to say he came from the future, and tells LAPD officer Sims that Chakotay and Janeway followed him in a starship, also from the future. In no position to help, Janeway simply shrugs as the officer decides to take Braxton away, and he calls her a traitor. He runs away from them and the police chase after him. Shortly after this, Janeway and Chakotay decide they have to try to reach Starling themselves. Starling is in his office at Chronowerx Industries, complaining to his assistant because Robinson has contacted other astronomers and now several people know about the orbiting gamma source. He says she is a security risk, and he may have to use "the weapon." Meanwhile, Tuvok and Paris have "acquired" a Dodge Ram truck they "borrowed" for a test drive from a car dealership. The drive it to the observatory that detected them. They enter Robinson's lab and Paris begins to shuffle various papers on Robinson's desk. Tuvok complains because Paris is not replacing things exactly as he had found them. Paris holds his tricorder up to her PC and notes that they have indeed detected Voyager's warp emissions from the ship's nacelles. Just then, Rain Robinson enters with a pizza box and discovers them. She chides them for being in a restricted area. Paris tells her that he and Tuvok took a wrong turn and got lost. Robinson gives them directions and asks them to leave. Paris informs Robinson that he finds her lab to be "pretty groovy". Robinson mocks his use of the outdated term and again asks the two of them to leave. When telling her her "curves don't look so great", referring to her fourier spectral analysis, Paris suggests that she use a theta band filter for better resolution. As he talks, Tuvok moves behind them, discreetly pulling out his tricorder and conducting further scans. Robinson tells Paris that he seems to know quite a bit about astrophysics for someone who got lost in an observatory. Paris says he majored in it at Starfleet Academy -- an east coast school -- he notes. After connecting with her further over her apparent love of B-movies, such as Orgy of the Walking Dead, Tuvok suggests they leave. Robinson suggests they come back to the observatory on Tuesday for a planetarium show she hosts. They decline, saying they're both busy and leave. Robinson returns to her computer and sees it completely crash on her. Outside the observatory, Paris and Tuvok walk back to the truck. As Tuvok tries to ask Paris of the meaning of the word "groovy", Robinson emerges from the door, yelling and running after them. "Red alert!", Paris says as he and the Vulcan race to the vehicle. She angrily asks what they did to her computer's hard drive, as it is wiped clean. When she inquires to Tuvok about "that thing in your pants", Paris sees a man in a suit with a weapon in his hand approach them. "Get down!", Paris shouts. The man fires his weapon and vaporizes the truck. Tuvok turns around and fires his hand phaser, beginning a shootout. Paris asks Robinson if she has a car they can leave in; she says yes. Tuvok and Dunbar continue their phaser fight. Tuvok tries to make a run for it, just barely missing a phaser hit. Rolling and losing the bandana that covered his Vulcan ears, he fires again and succeeds in hitting Dunbar's weapon, knocking it out of his hand. Tuvok regains his bandana and puts it back on his head in time to escape in Robinson's Volkswagen van. On board Voyager, Kes and Neelix are monitoring Human television broadcasts in the ship's briefing room for any mention of their vessel. The Ocampan woman and Talaxian man get swept up in a televised soap opera. Kim says it just seems flat and unengaging compared to a story in a holonovel, but Neelix and Kes continue to watch, engrossed in the drama on television. Meanwhile, Janeway and Chakotay break into Starling's office using a tricorder to deactivate security. Janeway notices Starling seems to have a "massive ego", observing his numerous awards and a photo of himself shaking hands with President Richard Nixon. They begin downloading his database, hoping to find where the timeship is being kept. Janeway finds this turn of the millennium technology she is using akin to "stone knives and bearskins". Paris tells Robinson he and Tuvok are secret agents, but she doesn't believe him. Tuvok says her life may be in danger. Paris claims the orbiting signal is from a KGB satellite, but Rain reminds him the Soviet Union broke up five years earlier. He says, "That's what they want you to think." Tuvok says they can't tell her anything else, it's classified. She says she still doesn't believe him, and asks about his ears, which he claims are a "family trait." Tuvok keeps trying to reach Voyager without success. Chakotay and Janeway continue to study Starling's computer, and realize that much of their own history is based on the technology he released in the late 20th century. They try searching for information on the timeship's location. They discover a file called "Timeship Security Portal." There is a flash from the window next to them, and they walk over to look down into a large room where the timeship is stored. Just then Starling and his assistant walk in. The assistant aims a gun at them. "I see you've made yourselves at home. Welcome to the 20th century", Starling tells Janeway and Chakotay. Starling says he knows they are from the future and that they are there to take the timeship. Janeway and Chakotay tell him that if he launches the timeship he will cause an explosion that will destroy the solar system. Janeway's combadge beeps. Harry Kim says they have an uplink established and Janeway tells him to start. Starling grabs the combadge and orders Kim to abort the download or he will kill the captain. Kim knows the captain is in trouble and he complies with Starling's order. After a brief discussion with Torres about how the transporters were damaged by the rift, Kim orders the ship into low orbit for emergency transport, directly contrary to Janeway's earlier order. The danger of this is that someone may see them, but he feels they have to risk it to rescue the captain and first officer. Back in the office, Starling says Janeway won't be able to stop him. Janeway says she has a starship in orbit that can vaporize the entire building. Starling says they'll die, too, and Janeway replies, "If necessary". "Captain you've got some cojones", Starling says. Just then, she and Chakotay start to dematerialize. Starling orders his assistant to shoot them, but it's too late. Back on the bridge, Janeway gives orders to try to remove the force field around the timeship and transport it onboard as well. She tells Kim he has done well for his first time in command. Starling sees the force field is down, then blocks their attempts and uses his stolen 29th century technology by converting Voyager's transporter beam as a downlink to obtain over twenty percent of the ship's database, including The Doctor, who can somehow appear in Starling's office. Voyager suffers minor damage in the attempt. Starling contacts Janeway, rattling off some basics about Voyager, and is surprised to learn that Voyager is from the 24th century rather than the 29th as he has assumed. as a result, he has the "home field advantage" of more advanced technology. Unfortunately, the worst damage is soon realized as Neelix alerts the bridge to a news broadcast coming from the surface. Watching on the main viewscreen, Janeway is deeply troubled to learn that someone in Los Angeles videotaping a backyard barbeque has shot Voyager flying through the sky. The newscaster commenting on the video says "the massive, unidentifiable object does not appear to be a meteorite, weather balloon, or satellite and one aviation expert we've spoken to has stated that's definitely not any kind of US aircraft currently in use. We're awaiting investigation by local authorities and we'll keep you updated as news develops on this incredible story." Janeway looks at the viewscreen in shock, knowing that she and her crew may have just potentially altered history. 
<EOS>
In the morning in Los Angeles, Rain Robinson puts away items in her Volkswagen van and walks over to Tom Paris, who is working on the van's radio. She nonchalantly notes that Paris must have noticed that thieves tried to steal it the other night, he fought them off, and is now repairing the damage. Paris says that is exactly how it happened. She plays with Paris' combadge while sitting down with him, which he promptly takes back from her. Robinson asks him about his life as a spy, but he cannot tell her any more, since it is "classified." She recalls that earlier he did not say he was a spy, rather that he was a secret agent, which nobody says. She remarks that he does things like this a lot, almost as if he does not belong in the current era. "Rain, you're fantasizing", he tells her. "And you're insulting my intelligence!", she snaps back. She talks of recent events, noting that yesterday she spotted a UFO in orbit and now her life is totally out of control. She tells Paris not to think that she is too stupid to notice this. He apologizes, but also asks her to accept that there are lives at stake and the more questions she asks him, the more difficult she makes it for everyone. Changing the subject, Paris asks Robinson why she decided to become an astronomer. She recalls that her brother used to have a small telescope barely enough to see the sky in the treehouse next door, but it was enough for her. She remembers catching a glimpse of Saturn's rings, and that they looked like jewels from a pirate's treasure. "Good morning," a voice from behind Paris and Robinson says. Tuvok walks towards the table they are sitting at with chili burritos, Goliath Gulps, and foot-long hot dogs for breakfast. Paris is unable to convert Robinson's radio to a locator signal, calling it "kind of crude." Tuvok comes up with another option -- using the radio dish at the Griffith Observatory, and the same setup that Robinson had to send a message to the USS Voyager in orbit. Tuvok and Paris require her assistance. "Not on an empty stomach," she says as they begin to eat their "breakfast". Voyager is in orbit of Earth. In the ship's briefing room, the senior staff is gathered. Commander Chakotay mentions that Henry Starling managed to download almost twenty percent of Voyager's computer core while they were trying to beam the Aeon, the timeship he stole, up to the ship. Chief engineer B'Elanna Torres is trying to replace as many of the programs Starling took as soon as she can but notes that some are simply irretrievable -- like The Doctor. Kes tells Captain Janeway that there is literally nothing left of the holographic physician. Janeway says that The Doctor is just only one of their problems. Voyager's weapons are still offline, Tuvok and Paris are missing somewhere in Los Angeles, and they have been able to confirm Captain Braxton's hypothesis. If Starling does indeed try to take the Aeon to the 29th century, it will most likely destroy the entire solar system. Ensign Harry Kim has analyzed Braxton's "schematic", written on a dirty canvas, and has found that the temporal technology used in his vessel is incredibly complex. Even if Starling is a genius, as Torres points out, he is not a trained pilot from the 29th century and without the precise calibrations, the timeship will rip the space-time continuum apart. There will not be a 29th century for Earth and Humanity if Starling does time travel to the distant future. Janeway underscores the importance of capturing the timeship, but Torres reports that Voyager's long-range transporters are still inoperative. To use transporters, they would have to drop to a low orbit, something which Neelix strongly recommends against. According to the Talaxian, a great deal of the legitimate news organizations have declared the videotaped footage of Voyager flying above Los Angeles to be a hoax, but the US military is taking the situation much more seriously. Voyager could get intercepted by the Air Force if it descends lower. As Janeway comes up with a plan to get Starling, she is interrupted by a crewmember, informing her they are receiving a message from Lieutenant Tuvok, audio only. Tuvok reports that he and Paris are currently at the Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills. They have modified the satellite dish transmitter to carry and receive Voyager communication frequencies. However, the connection is terrible. Tuvok informs Janeway that they have become associated with a young woman who works at the Observatory and of her connection to Starling, who supervises her lab. Janeway reveals to Tuvok that Starling has the timeship and he is the one who will cause the annihilation of the solar system. Tuvok agrees that they must try to find a way to stop him. Janeway asks if they can trust Robinson. Seeing that she and Paris seem to be bonding on a "cross-cultural level" due to their shared love of B-movies, he would have to say yes. Janeway wants Tuvok to ask Robinson if she would be willing to help the Voyager crew. Meanwhile, at Chronowerx Industries, Henry Starling walks into his office and goes over to his desk. After tapping in a few commands to his keyboard, The Doctor materializes. After asking The Doctor how he has been, he responds to Starling that he finds his interest in his well being to be less than genuine. Starling asks him to be a little more grateful. As indicated in the schematics he took from Voyager, it showed him that The Doctor was stuck in sickbay for 24 hours a day. The Doctor notes that he recently had a severe program loss and is in the process of retrieving his lost memory files, but he has apparently been projected into other locations on occasion. He believes Starling is undoubtedly using a similar procedure. He points to his holographic simulator, which he and his staff use to test new microchip designs. He projected The Doctor through the holographic emitters in his office and notes his program really is not all that sophisticated. The Doctor demands to be brought back to Voyager but Starling tells him he cannot do that, as he has some questions he wants answered. While The Doctor thinks he has medical expertise that he needs, Starling says that he believes all of Captain Janeway's claims of him causing a disaster is just a smokescreen to steal his timeship. Since the timeship is five hundred years more advanced than anything Voyager has in its possession, he believes that Janeway and crew are attempting to steal it for their own purposes and that he would be an easy target, since they probably consider him a "backwards 20th century Neanderthal who doesn't know what he's got." The Doctor instead believes that Starling is paranoid and his responses are indicative of bipolar personality disorder. The Doctor recommends he visit a psychotherapist, as there are no shortage of them in Southern California in the late 20th century. He again demands to be returned to his ship. Starling goes to his desk and sits down. He reveals that during his download of Voyager's computer core, he learned that the ship's weapons are down, the transporter is half-shot, but he did not gain access to all of the personnel files. He asks The Doctor for detailed information on Janeway's psychological profile, since he "must know my enemy." "I'm a doctor, not a database," The Doctor retorts. Starling begins to threaten him but The Doctor notes that since he is a hologram, he cannot feel pain nor experience the fear of death, so his threats mean nothing. Starling taps his keyboard and The Doctor grimaces in extreme pain. Starling taps another key and The Doctor falls to the ground. Starling notes that for a Human to be feeling what The Doctor is currently feeling right now. they would have to be on fire. Starling had reconfigured The Doctor's tactile response sensors for him to feel this way. The Doctor now agrees to cooperating with Starling. Just then, Starling gets called by Dave and is told that Rain Robinson wants to speak to him. He has her put through. Robinson expresses her fear that she will be found soon and she does not know what to do. Near her, Tuvok and Paris are listening in as she speaks to Starling on a cell phone. He tells her to take it easy and asks that she take a taxicab to his office. She refuses and Starling asks where she is. She tells him she is at Metro Plaza and specifically asks him to come get her and not anybody else. He says he will be there soon. Robinson tells Paris and Tuvok that Starling is on his way but that he sounded a little suspicious on the phone. Back at Starling's office, he tells The Doctor to get ready for a little walk. The Doctor incredulously informs him that he cannot go anywhere that does not have a holographic projection system. Starling exchanges looks with Dunbar. Later, Starling arrives at Metro Plaza, driven by Dunbar in a black car. Starling gets out along with The Doctor, who inexplicably can now exist in an environment without holographic emitters. He wears a small, rectangular device on his left arm while Starling holds a small tube like device in his hand. Tuvok and Paris view them near the car and are utterly baffled by The Doctor's sudden, unexpected appearance. Meanwhile, Chakotay and Torres are in a class 2 shuttle heading down towards Earth. Torres announces that the shuttle's interferometric dispersion is on-line, which should scramble RADAR from detecting the spacecraft. As well, she has configured the shuttle's deflector shields to disguise their visual profile. Chakotay reports the shuttle's transporter is on-line and that they should be in range in ten minutes. While the shuttle enters Earth's atmosphere, Chakotay points out to Torres that he can see the entire Baja Peninsula from their position. He says he thought he would never see it again after being lost in the Delta Quadrant for the last two years. Torres remembers he trained as a pilot in his first year at the Academy in North America. Chakotay says he also learned how to handle atmospheric storms on Venus and dodged asteroids for a semester in the belt. Torres remarks that his time at the Academy sounded a lot better than hers; she remembers dodging a few punches in the lab. "Only you, B'Elanna, could start a brawl in Astrotheory 101," Chakotay jokes. As the shuttle gets more closer to Earth, Torres talks to Chakotay about the possibility of Voyager's crew being stranded here in the past. Voyager's first officer says there are still a few isolated places left in the 20th century but they would have to keep low profiles -- and get jobs. Chakotay believes he would pursue archaeology or teach at a university. Or, he could participate in digs in Central America, as there were still many important discoveries to be made in this era. He jokingly thinks he could even win a Nobel Prize. Torres thinks she would seek an engineering position as she considers herself to be a highly qualified Klingon. "I'd hire you in a second," Chakotay says sincerely. Their shuttle begins its descent. At Metro Plaza, Tuvok scans with his tricorder and looks at Paris. Paris pulls out a cell phone and contacts Chakotay. He tells him that Starling has arrived -- with The Doctor. "What?! How is that possible?" Torres asks. Paris does not know but Chakotay announces that the shuttle will be in range in two minutes. The Doctor looks around at his surroundings, trying to not look amazed while Starling observes him, noting that he seemed to be very quiet on the ride over. He says he is not programmed for small talk and assures Starling that it is just another environment for him. Seeing Rain Robinson heading toward them, Starling raises his device. Putting his hand on The Doctor's shoulder, he threatens "If your shipmates start any trouble, you'll be holodust." Tuvok moves over to Paris and takes his phone. He tells Chakotay that he has triangulated the position of Robinson's van and is uploading it to the shuttle. He should be able to lock onto Starling when he is inside. Robinson walks up to Starling. He tells her to ask her friends to come out or he will kill The Doctor. She feigns ignorance and claims she does not know what he is talking about. He looks around and gestures her towards his car. She wants to take her van instead but he insists they are taking his car. Paris and Tuvok see this change of plan and Tuvok pulls out his tricorder. Upon approaching Starling's car, Robinson recognizes Dunbar as the man who tried to kill her at the Observatory the day before. Starling insists that he was only trying to rescue her and says he will be taking her to his office where she'll be safe. Tuvok quickly ascertains the coordinates for Starling's car with his tricorder and tells Chakotay to beam him up. Inside Starling's car, he begins to dematerialize as Robinson looks on, terrified. Starling pulls the device he had earlier out of his jacket as he is beginning to disappear. The Doctor tells Robinson to run as he wrestles with Dunbar in the front seat. Torres informs Chakotay that some kind of device Starling has is interfering with their transport. Dunbar is punching The Doctor in the face repeatedly, with no success in knocking him out. The Doctor knocks Dunbar unconscious with one punch, surprising the hologram. He runs out of the car and shortly after, Dunbar drives the Lincoln away in a hurry. Paris and Tuvok reconvene with The Doctor and Robinson after their escape from Starling. The Doctor explains how he can now exist away from holo-emitters: an autonomous mobile emitter. In short, he is now "footloose and fancy-free." Back on the shuttle, Chakotay informs Captain Janeway that they have Starling in their pattern buffers but they cannot rematerialize him, since the interference is disrupting the computer pathways. On Voyager's bridge, Ensign Kim tells the captain that they are close enough to the shuttle to use the short range transporter to get Starling on board. They head to transporter room 1. The shuttle's pattern buffers are purged. However, it is quickly losing altitude. In the transporter room, Janeway sees that Starling has a device he is trying to use to prevent himself from being beamed up. Kim isolates the device and suppresses the amplitude which allows Voyager to beam Starling aboard. He immediately falls unconscious on the transporter pad and Janeway calls Kes for medical assistance. Chakotay is struggling to maintain control of the shuttle. Propulsion is offline and the shuttle is going to crash on the surface. Sometime later, Torres awakens in a dimly lit basement full of secondhand items. Her hands and feet are tied up. She finds herself right next to Chakotay who is similarily tied up. Suddenly, two men enter through a door and walk down the stairs towards them, one wielding a shotgun. "This one looks like an Indian. And that one, I don't know what her story is," one of the men says. The other looks at Torres' cranial ridges with confusion and reaches out to touch them. She loudly growls and he jumps back. The man, identified as Butch, is told to be careful; Torres looks like a fighter. Chakotay asks them who they are and Porter asks him to go first. He asks if they are spying on them and calls Chakotay "chief". Chakotay chuckles slightly at this and says they were just passing through. Torres adds that they had engine trouble and simply crashed. Butch and Porter have seen the shuttle they were flying in, however, and deduces that it is a stealth plane from the United States Government, sent to spy on them, as they saw USS on the shuttle and that Torres and Chakotay are wearing military uniforms. Porter calls the federal government "the beast", which Chakotay continues to deny and asks to be taken back to their "plane". At this point, Butch tells Chakotay to shut up and kicks him, which makes Torres reciprocate by knocking him to the ground. "That'll be all! Call for reinforcements," Porter states, with his shotgun trained on both Starfleet officers. When Butch leaves, Porter claims it will be a long day. Back in Los Angeles, inside Robinson's van, she goes on and on about what had just happened, such as seeing Starling begin to disappear, which she notes has happened to her with men on a first date, but never literally. While driving, she turns her attention to The Doctor, calling him "Mr. Leisure Suit", due to the appearance of his Starfleet uniform. She recalls him getting punched several times in the car by Dunbar but she can not see any bruises on his face. The Doctor tells her to relax, as she appears to be hallucinating, which she mocks. Paris, sitting in the front seat, apologizes to Robinson for getting her involved in all of this. At this moment, Tuvok receives a call on his phone from Janeway on Voyager. She tells her chief tactical officer that they currently have Starling in their sickbay but they have lost contact with Chakotay and Torres. They were lost somewhere over the state of Arizona. Kim will be transmitting their last known coordinates to Tuvok's tricorder and she orders him to find them. Tuvok suggests that Paris and Robinson head to Chronowerx Industries while he and The Doctor make their way to Arizona to locate Chakotay and Torres. Back on Voyager, Kes announces to Janeway that Starling had suffered minor synaptic stress during the extended transport, enough to cause him to become unconscious, but she can not detect any permanent damage. Janeway asks Kes to wake him and she does so with a hypospray. Starling awakens and Janeway welcomes him to the 24th century. He searches his jacket pockets for his 29th century tricorder but Janeway took the precaution of removing it from him. He tried to use it to block the transporter from working on him, but, as he points out, it didn't work. Janeway responds that it does work perfectly -- he just does not know how to use it properly. Starling asks Janeway to give him some credit, since he did pretty well for a primitive. She says she has won this battle between them and demands he deactivate the force field around Chronowerx housing the timeship. Starling refuses, tells Janeway she is in no position to be making demands and states that he has rigged the timeship to be destroyed if Voyager attempts to go near it or beam it up. If that happens, Los Angeles will look like the face of the moon. Janeway reacts incredulously to Starling's threats. "You don't care about the future, you don't care about the present, does anything matter to you, Mr. Starling?", she asks. He cares about the betterment of mankind but Janeway highly doubts that. Starling then reveals his true motivation for going far into the future -- to get more technology. He has cannibalized as much as he can from the Aeon but now, there is nothing left to base a commercial product on. The future is just waiting to be exploited for his company. Starling points out that he created the microcomputer revolution. Janeway, however, points out that he did that by using technology he should never have had in the first place. Starling calls that irrelevant, as his products benefit all of Earth. Without him, there would be no laptop computers, Internet or barcode readers. With this new technology he plans to reverse engineer, he can create the next ten computer revolutions. Janeway tells him that if he even attempts to travel into the 29th century, it will cause unimaginable devastation all through the solar system, causing billions of deaths. Starling tells Voyager's commanding officer that he is willing to take the risk. Janeway quietly tells him that in her time, no Human being would even dare risk the future to gain an advantage in the present. Starling tells her that he cannot worry about the future right now, as he has a company to run and a whole world of people waiting for him to make their lives better. Janeway walks away and asks Voyager's computer to activate the force field around the surgical bed. Before leaving, she turns to Starling and tells him "Chronowerx stock is about to crash." In Arizona, Porter has a drink and tells Chakotay and Torres about what he considers to be the two true forces in the world at work: the drive toward collectivity and the drive toward individuality. He tells the two they are the former and he is the latter. Torres again tells him they are not from the US Government. Porter rejects this again and tells her that the beast has many heads -- and he is looking at one of them. Chakotay tells him that he used to think violence was the way to bring about change once, when he too was part of a revolutionary group but finds it is no longer the way. Chakotay thought he was once a freedom fighter, but notes Porter's gun will ultimately get him nowhere. Suddenly, Butch and three other anti-government followers open the door. He tells him the Feds are coming with three cars and a chopper, just two miles up Edgemont Road. "This is it, men," he announces. Porter unlocks the door into a storage room and the men pass out weapons. Porter looks to Chakotay and says that his friends seem to still think violence is the way. It is too bad for him, he says. Back in Los Angeles, Robinson talks about what she has seen in the last day to Paris while they drive through the streets of the city together. She tells him she has seen every episode of Mission: Impossible, and Paris is hardly a secret agent. Paris reiterates that he cannot talk to her about his mission. As a scientist, Robinson cannot help but hypothesize. She thinks about alternate dimensions, close encounters, but Paris dismisses it. She calls Paris' "associates" a motley crew: starting with The Doctor, who she considers to have one of the worst tastes in clothing she has ever seen. She then finds Tuvok to be quite a "freak-a-saurus" and wonders if Paris has ever seen him crack a smile. "Not that I can recall," he says. When she eventually comes to Paris, she calls him sexy, but in a Howdy Doody sort of way. She also finds him goofy but admits that sometimes she thinks he is the smartest man she has ever met. She calls him dedicated and that he seems to care more about what happens in his mission than what goes on in his own life. He asks if it is really all that unusual. Robinson says it is. At Chronowerx Industries, Dunbar is sitting in the cockpit of the Aeon. He has the artificial satellite SATCOM 47 activated in Earth orbit. He asks it to engage a location sweep for Starling. In Voyager's sickbay, Starling paces around the surgical bed while under the watchful eyes of a security officer and Culhane. Tuvok contacts Voyager and reports to Janeway that he and The Doctor have successfully made it to Arizona, and they are thirty kilometers northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Janeway orders them to get to the missing officers as fast as they can. Just then, Ensign Kim reports that an unauthorized transport is in progress to Janeway's shock and Starling is beamed away from sickbay. Kim reports that a satellite Starling has in orbit sent a transporter signal through Voyager's shields like they weren't even there. Starling is back at Chronowerx and is typing away. He congratulates Dunbar on beaming him back and notes that it is time to get out of here. Meanwhile, Robinson and Paris are now parked outside of Chronowerx. Paris is about to bid her goodbye. However, she asks if he is busy tomorrow night because she wants to hang with him. Paris tells her he cannot. She asks about the weekend and he is about to say no when she believes he is married. He replies that he is absolutely not, just very busy with his mission. She remarks he must be having to get back to Mars but he says he is going to Saturn instead, recalling back to their conversation earlier in the day. She is about to ask Paris for his phone number when Paris' tricorder detects something. He opens it and sees that it is picking up tachyon emissions coming from a semi truck. He thinks they are moving the timeship to somewhere else. He says "timeship" aloud and Robinson wonders what he is talking about. Paris turns to her and asks if she would not mind "hanging" with him for a little while longer. She smiles. In Arizona, the authorities yell to Porter that they want the mysterious "aircraft" and the occupants of said aircraft. Porter yells at them to get off his land. Torres, talking to Chakotay, wonders what will happen when the authorities find a half-Klingon inside. Just then, the officer asks who the two men approaching him are. Tuvok's voice is heard, asking the officer to step aside, and the officer gives them a final warning before he is cut off by the sound of phaser fire and gunshots. Porter walks down the stairs towards Butch and says "They've got lasers! A black man and some bald guy!" He takes a defensive position behind some boxes and aims his shotgun at the door. It opens and The Doctor steps inside, armed with a phaser. Porter and Butch unload their ammunition at The Doctor, which harmlessly passes through him and onto the walls behind him. Stunned, Porter says "God in Heaven help us." "Divine intervention is unlikely," The Doctor responds and fires his phaser at both revolutionaries, incapacitating them. He sighs while walking down the stairs and begins freeing Chakotay and Torres. He reports that Tuvok is at the shuttle and is in the process of making repairs. When Chakotay begins to ask how The Doctor is here, he replies that it is a long story but suffice it to say, he's making a house call. Outside of Los Angeles, Paris and Robinson are pursuing the semi truck. Paris contacts Voyager with his phone. Paris informs Janeway that he and Robinson have turned off the main highway onto a desert road. Robinson grabs the phone from him and tells Janeway herself that there is no traffic on the road currently and the person driving the truck will know they are following him. Janeway thanks Robinson and tells her she'll keep that in mind. Janeway tells Paris that they have scanned the area and detected a small landing area just ahead of them, which may be where Starling intends to launch the Aeon. Janeway reminds Paris that Voyager's weapons are still off-line and Torres still has not finished repairing the shuttle. It may all be up to the helmsman to stop Starling. Dunbar, who is driving the truck, finally notices the Volkswagen van following him, makes a sharp turn, and pulls out his 29th century phaser. He aims it at the van but misses, thanks to Paris grabbing the wheel and moving it out of the way of the beam. The Volkswagen continues to follow and Paris asks Robinson to move the van right behind the truck. She finally gets close enough and Paris fires his phaser at one of the tires. It explodes and the truck swerves around. The Volkswagen comes to an abrupt stop. Robinson keeps trying to turn the engine over, and Paris tells her it may be flooded and she should give it a second. Right then, the truck is heading towards the Volkswagen at full speed, intending to smash into it. Paris sees this right in time and yells for Robinson to jump out. They both make it out just before the truck is about to crash into the van, the class 2 shuttle arrives and fires phasers at the semi truck, destroying it and killing Dunbar. Chakotay contacts Paris and asks him for his status. Paris says they are fine and commends the shuttle crew for their shooting. Upon inspecting the ruins of the truck, Torres asks if the timeship was supposed to be inside. To confirm, Torres scans the debris. Chakotay finds that a temporal transponder was in the truck, set to give off tachyon signals. Chakotay immediately contacts Voyager and tells Janeway that it was a ruse. Starling will be launching the timeship from a different location. At Chronowerx, Starling is sitting inside the Aeon and has the hyper-impulse drive engaged. He gives the command "Let's do it." The timeship takes off through the building's windows, destroying them. As the ship begins to ascend, Starling's face takes on an excited and sinister expression. Kim reports that the timeship is entering Earth's upper ionosphere. Janeway orders he track Starling's course and that the shuttle return to Voyager immediately. Voyager's phasers are still off-line. Janeway has armed the ship's photon torpedoes, but they still cannot fire them as the launch activation sequencers are not responding. Kim suggests an alternative plan but Janeway decides there is no time. She leaves him again in command and orders that the access portal to torpedo bay 1 be opened. She is planning to reconfigure a torpedo for a manual launch. However, Kim warns her that, since the activation sequencers are down, she will have to launch it from inside the tube when it fires. He calls it too dangerous because of the plasma exhaust. She overrules him and leaves via a turbolift. Back on Earth, Torres reports she has the shuttle's transporters back on line and Chakotay tells Paris he will be beaming him aboard shortly. Paris acknowledges and turns to Robinson to say a final goodbye to her. Paris tells her he has never met anyone like her and he probably never will again. She says likewise and asks him to say hello to Saturn for her. Paris and Robinson share a kiss just before he leaves. In space, Starling tells the Aeon's computer to initiate a temporal inversion. On Voyager, Janeway has arrived at torpedo bay 1 and begins the modifications. Kim announces that the timeship has jumped to warp 1. Janeway orders a pursuit course. The away team enters the bridge. The Doctor looks around the command center for Voyager for the first time and tells Kim it is a pleasure to finally be there. Chakotay is briefed about Janeway's plan and tells The Doctor to go down to the torpedo bay, as she will be undoubtedly injured when the photon torpedo is fired. However, The Doctor is not fully knowledgeable about Voyager's internal layout, so Chakotay orders Ensign Kaplan to go with him. Starling has engaged his temporal field generator and will be able to open a rift in only seconds. Kim and Torres both report that the rift is unstable and will create a temporal explosion. Tuvok notes that events are occurring exactly as Braxton predicted and theorizes that the disaster may well be inevitable. "Fate, Tuvok? I won't accept that. Close to within ten kilometers. We'll ram him if we have to!", Chakotay orders Paris. The Aeon's computer reports to Starling that the ship's temporal core has reached cascade potential. The timeship is getting closer and closer to the rift. Janeway taps her combadge and informs Tuvok that the torpedo has been reconfigured for manual launch. She orders Tuvok to arm it and lock onto the Aeon. Before Voyager fires, Chakotay hails Starling. He demands he pull away from the rift. Starling mocks the commander, as his vessel's weapons are still down. He gloats "See you sometime," and terminates visual communications. Chakotay, seeing no other choice, tells Janeway to fire as the Aeon begins to enter the rift. Janeway fires the sole torpedo and is knocked out. She has a severe burn on her face. "Uh-oh!", Starling exclaims before he is killed by the torpedo hitting the timeship. In a turbolift, The Doctor is scanning Janeway with a medical tricorder and insists she come with him to sickbay for further treatment. She says there will be plenty of time for that later. She and The Doctor enter the bridge. Janeway asks Chakotay if there is any chance of Voyager re-opening the rift. However, Kim announces that the rift is now opening and something is emerging from it -- the timeship. Receiving a hail from the vessel, the pilot is revealed to be none other than Captain Braxton. Upon Janeway's recognizing of him, he asks if she knows him. Chakotay says they do, unfortunately. Janeway recalls him trying to destroy Voyager in the 24th century and meeting him as a homeless old man in 1996. He explains he never experienced that timeline. Braxton says he is here as the Temporal Integrity Commission detected Voyager in the 20th century and he will bring the Starfleet vessel back to its proper time and place to correct that. Janeway asks that Braxton return them to the 24th century but keep them here in the Alpha Quadrant, as they have been lost in the Delta Quadrant for the past two years. Braxton declines, citing the Temporal Prime Directive. Janeway returns to her chair and reluctantly orders Paris to follow the Aeon in. In the mess hall, Janeway leads the crew for a toast to the future. She turns to the The Doctor and asks him how long he'll be out and about. The Doctor says his newfound mobility is entirely up to him. Torres is still trying to figure out how exactly the mobile emitter works but downloading The Doctor back into the ship's computer should not pose too much of a problem. The Doctor tells Kes that since he is now able to exist outside of sickbay, her responsibilities there will now increase. She states she is up to the challenge. She wonders about how he will adjust now that there is more to his life than just sickbay. He believes it is nothing he cannot handle and asks Janeway to be assigned quarters. "One step at a time, doctor," she tells him. Chakotay, Tuvok, and Neelix are gathered elsewhere in the mess hall to listen to Paris. He tells them that back on Earth, Tuvok spoke to a parking enforcement officer who came over to the van and the Vulcan tried to use logic to talk the officer out of giving them a parking ticket. When Chakotay asks if it worked, Paris says emphatically, no. "Given Mr. Paris' alleged familiarity with 20th century America, it is a wonder we survived the experience at all," Tuvok says. When Chakotay and Neelix walk away, Paris asks Tuvok if anyone has told him he is a "real freak-a-saurus." 
<EOS>
On the holodeck, Neelix introduces Ensign Harry Kim and Lieutenant Tom Paris to his new, recreational holoprogram, closely modeled after a serene Talaxian vacation spot, Paxau Resort. He asks for their opinion of his programming job. They suggest a few modifications to make it more lively. Kim and Paris blend in some Earth-like components such as brighter, more casual clothing for resort employees, a Caribbean band and several holographic characters based on a title-winning women's volleyball team. Instead of being offended that their changes had fundamentally compromised the "realism" of his recreation, Neelix embraced the changes as fun additions. While Neelix dances to the Caribbean music, Paris and Kim are called away to the bridge. Once there, Captain Kathryn Janeway asks them to maneuver USS Voyager in a delicate rescue operation. A nearby ship is nearing destruction but Kim and Paris manage to beam the injured passengers onboard Voyager. All three are transported directly to sickbay. As The Doctor and Kes treat the aliens, one of them (Tieran) dies. The two surviving aliens, named Adin and Nori, thank Janeway for saving their lives and for bringing them to their homeworld, which is two days away. During the trip, Kes spends a great deal of time with the two guests, causing her to be late for a lunch date with Neelix. Upon finally arriving, however, Kes decides to end their relationship, or at least spend some time apart, due to his jealousy and overprotectiveness. Upon Voyager's arrival at Ilari, an official representative of the Autarch agrees to come aboard to thank Janeway personally. Kes goes to the transporter room to see off her new Ilari friends -- then promptly opens fire and kills Ensign Martin, who is manning the transporter, and the Ilari representative. Janeway tries to subdue Kes but is knocked out. Nori, Adin and Kes then beam a shuttle into space and escape in the blink of an eye. On the way to their rendezvous point, they pick up an additional passenger, Resh, to give him orders on an imminent assault. Resh is shocked at Tieran's new appearance, and disagrees with advancing troops immediately, appealing to the others that they have been planning this for years. When Resh questions her orders, she uses her mental abilities to demonstrate her power and ensure his loyalty. Chakotay tries to follow the shuttle, but the three were able to mask the warp signature. Janeway meets with Demmas, a son of the current Autarch of Ilari, to find out what's going on. Demmas explains that the third patient they rescued, who died on the operating table, was probably Tieran, a former Autarch who was obsessed with his own mortality and seems to have discovered a way to transfer his own mind into another person's body. He claims that the process is irreversible, but Janeway refuses to use force until The Doctor finds a way to remove Tieran from Kes safely. Just then, Ensign Harry Kim informs them that they've detected the missing shuttle, and that its occupants have beamed into the Imperial Hall. Once on the surface of Ilari, Kes/Tieran enters the Imperial Hall, instantly kills the current Autarch, and abducts Ameron, the Autarch's younger son. She then sets herself up as the new regent, taking the talisman and putting it on. The others soon declare "loyalty and service." Kes/Tieran begins to make over the palace as it was when he ruled, destroying the decorations of the previous inhabitants. She pauses however, when she comes to an ornate vase filled with flowers. For a moment it seems as though Kes' strong attachment to botany might resurface. Instead, Kes/Tieran plucks one of the stems and rushes excitedly over to Nori and gives it to her. Nori worries that she may not still be Tieran's wife but Kes/Tieran assures her that she is. She leans in to kiss Nori but the lovers' reunion is interrupted by Resh, who is bringing her the Autarch's son, Ameron. Tieran offers him the chance to join her, which would solidify her claim to the throne, appealing to his displeasure at not being the rightful heir simply because he was born later than Demmas. On Voyager, Demmas monitors the situation, seeing that Tieran has had some success persuading his less reliable allies to join him. He also suspects Tieran has persuaded Ameron to join him. Demmas insists to strike early, but Janeway counters with a desire to remove Tieran from Kes. The Doctor has found the mechanism Tieran used to control Kes: an implant which enhanced his neural energy and sent it out through the nervous system to his hand, and then into Kes via bioelectric microfibers. He createed a synaptic stimulator that should remove Tieran's consciousness; however, to be successful, it would have to come in direct contact with her skin. Lt. Tuvok volunteers to go down to the planet alone to use the device, claiming that Tieran will be less prepared for the infiltration of a single individual then he would be against a stronger contingent. In the Hall, Adin is installing the same implant Tieran had in his old host, though Adin warns the headaches will continue since Kes wasn't a willing host like his others. Tieran sort of enjoys the spirit Kes is demonstrating, and wants to keep her mental abilities. Adin presses the issue, and Tieran responds by reflecting on his earlier life in which he overcame many obstacles. He won't be defeated by this girl and demands Adin not mention it again. Later, while the group is discussing their situation, Tieran senses Tuvok's arrival by utilizing Kes' powers and unmasks him before he can succeed. Nuri states the punishment for his attack is death, but Tieran thinks he's more valuable alive. Kes/Tieran questions Tuvok about Voyager and Demmas, feeling his mental defenses. She also tries to seduce him, trying to draw on her memories. Tuvok takes the opportunity to mind meld with her, temporarily bringing Kes' consciousness to the surface. Kes temporarily is able to communicate with Tuvok as herself, and the Vulcan encourages her to continue fighting Tieran from within. However, Tieran soon regains control over Kes's body and disables Tuvok, throwing him to the wall. Tieran orders Voyager to leave the planet's orbit or face his warships. He insists he has no ill will toward Janeway and her crew, and encourages them to take their losses and leave. A headache forces Tieran to end the communication, which Janeway notices. The crew prepares a more forceful plan, though Tieran told them he is aware of a certain weakness in the building's shielding. In the Imperial Hall, Tieran is trying to stay awake, where he's more able to control Kes. He also orders to let Voyager retreat. With Resh's objections and Adin's insistence that Tieran get some sleep, Tieran angrily demands everyone leave the room. Tieran inevitably falls asleep, where Kes begins to fight back more vigorously. She and Tieran joust for mental dominance. In a dream, he attempts to seduce her into submission, trying to show her the benefits of the mental alliance. Though briefly tempted, Kes quickly becomes more resolute. She announces that she will never let him completely control her. Equally though, she is unsuccessful at driving him out of her mind. Tieran is woken up forcefully by Adin, and he retaliates, killing the man. Desperately, he yells out that he is "stronger than ever!" to an empty room. Practically, this mental fight leaves Kes/Tieran in a diminished state. The conflict causes severe headaches to begin to manifest themselves, but Tieran is determined to carry through his plan. In the Hall, Tieran holds a celebration where he announces his "marriage" to Ameron to strengthen a political alliance. Nori is displeased, but Tieran insists, forcefully, that it is not real, and he still loves her. Kes is still fighting, and makes Tieran visibly shout out nonsense. Then, Resh comes and and announces an opposition force of Demmas' army and Voyager is coming, outnumbering their forces. Tieran becomes clearly delusional, forcing everyone to continue the celebrations to not let them be disrupted. Kes starts to surface in more subtly, as Tieran starts to talk about requiring everyone to have a garden. Paris rescues Tuvok while an away team attacks the palace. Most of the other Ilari guards and civilians are taken by surprise and soon Kes/Tieran is cornered. The device is placed on her cheek, and Kes regains control of her body. However, it is discovered that before the device was used, Tieran was able to transfer his consciousness to Ameron. Kes is able to sense his presence and uses the device to remove Tieran permanently. Demmas assumes his rightful place as Autarch. Back on Voyager, Tuvok teaches meditation techniques to Kes. She claims, however, that they are not helping and that she will not be able to go along with her life as if nothing happened. Her relationships with her closest friends -- Tuvok, The Doctor, and Neelix -- will never again be as they were before. 
<EOS>
After witnessing a supernova from the closest distance any Starfleet vessel has ever been, Captain Kathryn Janeway heads to her quarters for the night after being on the bridge for fourteen straight hours. When she arrives, she is startled to find a bed covered in deep-red satin sheets and heart-shaped pillows. Q reveals himself to be in her room. He attempts to proposition her with his odd sexual advances but Janeway tells him to go away. He instead changes her clothes and keeps the act going. Then, he announces he's chosen her to be the mother of his child. Janeway goes to put more clothes on as Q impresses the honor he's bestowed on her. She continues to say she's not interested, however, he takes this as playing hard to get, and leaves, but with the intention of returning soon. The next day, Commander Chakotay and the captain are interrupted by the appearance of Q again. Q thinks that Janeway is attracted to Chakotay because of his tattoo, and produces a bigger Māori one on his face, which doesn't impress the captain or Chakotay at all. They both walk out on him. Lieutenant Tom Paris and Ensign Harry Kim are enjoying the resort-themed holoprogram and receiving massages while working on crew evaluations, only for their holo-consorts to be whisked to Q's side. They then ask Q what he really is here for, citing that his numerous visits to the USS Enterprise-D were more than they seem. Casually, Q states that he had tried everything to woo Janeway, from filling the bridge with roses, to writing Drabian love sonnets and serenading her in her bath. But at every attempt, she rejects him, so he asks the two for advice. Paris advises that he quit while he is ahead, before he embarrasses himself more than he already has. Q then goes over to the bar, asking for another drink, but Neelix refuses to unless he explains his intentions; Q tries to ask him about Janeway's "favorite things". Neelix states that he can't bribe the captain and Q retorts that is exactly what he does, doing things for her. Neelix snaps that he is "respectful, loyal and sincere", qualities that Q could never possess. Q chuckles softly at this. Later on in the day, the captain is in her ready room again and hears a small whining sound from behind her desk. Investigating, she finds a Red Setter puppy waiting for her. Janeway recognizes that it is a "gift" from Q and remains unimpressed. Q appears again and tries to cajole her into mating with him using a more "honest" and apologetic approach. Then, a female Q arrives suddenly. Q has obviously been hiding from this female Q, who immediately disapproves of Q's interest in the captain, saying he's going to "pollute" the Q Continuum with her DNA. Apparently, she and Q are together, but it was broken off. Janeway is quick to say she is not interested and asks they take their "domestic squabble" off her ship. Just then, the Voyager encounters another supernova, drawing Janeway to the bridge. The two Q follow unconcerned as the crew detect multiple supernovas, creating shockwaves they can't avoid. Janeway grasps the idea that since it is too coincidental that these supernovae are going critical and presumes that Q is somehow involved in the supernovae, which the female Q confirms. Janeway orders red alert and demands that Q do something about it. Q transports himself and the captain away, and the female Q quickly tries to follow. The shock wave closes in on Voyager. Janeway finds herself in a recreation of the American Civil War, which is a representation of the Continuum Q has created for her. Q toys with the analogy of a Union officer determined to win a "beautiful southern belle's affections" despite her hatred for Yankees. Janeway insists to get back to her crew to ensure their safety but Q retorts that Chakotay, or "Chuckles," has it under control. Q gets serious and explains that the Q Continuum is at war with itself, opening the window to reveal distant firefighting and fires. Q continues to explain that the acts of Quinn (a Q encountered by Voyager before) have brought unrest to the Continuum, with two main sides arising -- the ones who wish for individuality and separatism, led by Q, and the others who want the status quo. The two factions are trying to obliterate each other using powerful weapons, which are simultaneously causing the supernovae across the galaxy. Q admits the situation is terrible, but then calls it an opportunity, noting that wars often bring about changes to make a society better. Janeway only accepts that in societies that haven't learned to deal with conflicts nonviolently, as Humans have done only recently. Q then explains that he wishes to end the war by adding Human DNA into the Continuum and having a baby, something that hasn't been done before. Suddenly the house they're standing in is bombarded with bullets and cannonfire and Q is hit and starts bleeding. On Voyager, the shock wave has hurtled it off course and damaging the warp drive. Fortunately, there's no major damage, but the female Q has remained on board and is slightly injured. Chakotay sees this and recognizes that her link with the Continuum has been lost. He demands she give him some answers. She tells him and Tuvok about the Continuum's war, then turns to her predicament with Q. Chakotay stops her, proposing they work together since they want the same thing. She has a plan in mind, but doubtful of the ship's ability to execute. Back in the Continuum, Janeway is tending to Q's wound while he explains that the gunfire is only representative of the fighting really going on. Suddenly, a voice from outside the house tells Q to surrender but Q shoots back, and is hit again. Janeway manages to get him out of the house as explosions rattle it. Torres is tolerating the female Q's impatience with carrying out her modifications to the ship. Torres knows her situation is not much different than many other females, but the female Q balks at that. However, she does admire the Klingon female. Q wakes up in one of his faction's camps, Janeway having avoided the opposing faction and found his allies. Janeway tends to him further, and mentions his offer to mate. He immediately gets excited, but Janeway says he should mate with the female Q instead. He says it's never been done, and he can only mate with species that can copulate. Apparently, the Q have always existed and never needed to do so. Q also insists he would want Janeway with the child to raise him, having the whole galaxy to explore. Janeway admits it's a little tempting, but she has responsibilities. Q finally offers to send the ship back to the Alpha Quadrant, but Janeway insists they'll get there under their own power. She leaves him to talk to the enemy camp, to say Q is ready to negotiate a cease-fire. The female Q suggests flying straight into one of the numerous supernovae, after explaining that they're not normal supernovae but echoes of the battle in the Continuum. The crew immediately becomes hesitant, so the Q continues to convince them and gives Torres some extra instructions. With a few shield modifications, Voyager enters the Continuum. Janeway tries to convince the colonel Q that Q wants a cease-fire and has a non-violent way to end the hostilities. The colonel, while initially hospitable, simply says the time for diplomacy is past, and he intends to execute Q instead. He asks her where he is, but she refuses. It turns out they've already caught him, and he sentences both Janeway and Q to death. On a sunny day, Janeway and Q are led to be shot, and given some last words. Janeway pleads with all of them to not use violence to solve their problems, and then Q pleads to led Janeway go. Just before they fire, the soldiers are fired on by Union soldiers, this time with the crew of Voyager, fully clothed in period costume, with weapons, and rescues the captain and Q. The female Q is hesitant to untie Q, but Q insists he has a plan to reassure her of his devotion to her. She is convinced and intrigued at being a "parent of peace." Paris is able to sneak behind the colonel Q and disarm him. He brings him to the female Q who convinces him to order a halt to the battle. As the soldiers stand down, the female Q suggests how Q and her might procreate. Janeway goes to leave, but Q stops her. The two mate simply by touching fingers together, to Janeway's surprise. This done, everyone from Voyager is returned to normal space. Kim can detect no supernovas anywhere near Voyager, indicating the Q's civil war is over. Walking back into her ready room, the captain finds Q there, with his new son on his knee, speaking baby words. He thanks her for saving the Q from extinction and asks her to be his son's godmother. She accepts and Q and his baby leave. 
<EOS>
After returning from a difficult first contact and trade mission with the Tak Tak, Captain Janeway and Neelix return to Voyager on a shuttle. The captain had unintentionally insulted the Tak Tak out of her habit of putting her hands on her hips, which happens to be one of the worst insults in Tak Tak culture. Fortunately, Neelix was able to resolve the situation. Janeway says that she might have to promote Neelix from morale officer to ambassador, while Neelix is thrilled at the idea of being an ambassador. The shuttle arrives at the rendezvous coordinates, but Voyager is nowhere to be seen. Long-range sensors indicates that Voyager is over a light-year away and the ship appears to be adrift in space. After the shuttle arrives at Voyager's position while hailing the ship a number of times to no avail, they land the shuttle, and attempt to investigate the problem. Moving around the ship, they discover that the crew are nowhere to be seen and still no one is responding on the communication systems. They are also disturbed to find tools where a crewmember was performing maintenance, meaning that he or she simply dropped what they were doing and ran. They detect a signal coming from Ensign Wildman's quarters, only to find no sign of either Wildman or her daughter and the signal coming from her desktop monitor which is playing Neelix's Good Morning, Voyager program (the transmission automatically set to repeat if not shut off). Janeway reasons from the molecular decay in the food on the table that whatever happened to the crew occurred eleven hours earlier. Suddenly the two hear a buzz in the corridor. They emerge just in time to see the shadow of something. They hear a loud crash and find a hole punched in a transporter pad, a hole with slime in it. Suddenly Voyager's main power shuts down, and, with nothing venting it, the heat from the warp engines starts to heat up the ship. Now armed with phasers, they both head in the direction of the bridge. However, while traveling in a turbolift, a tendril suddenly bursts through the bulkhead and squirts Neelix with some kind of fluid. The two abandon the turbolift and attempt to reach the bridge through a Jefferies tubes and Neelix begins to feel very ill. Janeway turns her back for a few seconds and something begins to approach the Talaxian. Janeway hears a scream and when she returns to the place she left Neelix, she is horrified to find him gone. Now alone, Janeway decides to arm and prepare herself before going any further and goes to the weapons locker in engineering, removes her uniform jacket and her undershirt (to cope with the rising temperature), and equips herself with a phaser rifle, a knife, and other tools. She heads for the bridge and is able send a distress call before accessing internal sensors, which shows her the crew is in the mess hall and the cargo bays. While she is checking the sensors, however, a small organism about the size of a house fly slowly comes toward her unnoticed and stings her left upper arm. Janeway slaps at the sting on reflex and quickly addresses it. She decides to head to the mess hall. In the mess hall, Janeway finds a large number of the crew all grouped together, including Commander Chakotay and Ensign Harry Kim, unconscious. Janeway notices some sort of growth on the side of Chakotay's neck, from which more of the small organisms exit. Suddenly, Janeway is attacked by a large, multi-tendriled creature. She is able to destroy it, but is now beginning to feel the same symptoms that Neelix felt earlier. Janeway heads for sickbay. When she finally pries the doors open, The Doctor sticks a phaser at her chin before realizing who it is. While performing minor surgery on Janeway's cracked ribs (sustained while destroying the creature in the mess hall), The Doctor explains what happened while she and Neelix were away. Voyager received a distress call from a Garan mining colony located on a planet three hours away. The aliens had suffered some sort of disease that had incapacitated almost their entire population. The Doctor suggested to Commander Chakotay that he go down and assess the situation, partially because he was the only crewmember who would be immune to the disease but also because he was eager to try out his new mobile emitter on his first actual away mission. Chakotay agreed to send him, warning the Doctor to be careful as if the emitter is damaged or destroyed then his program could be lost. The Doctor beamed down to the planet's surface and attempted to heal the aliens. Once with the aliens, he discovered that they were being attacked by a unique form of virus that could use its victim's own growth tissues to increase in size so much they could be seen with the naked eye -- something totally new and very dangerous. Having discovered that there was nothing he could do for them without his lab, The Doctor returned to the ship with only his medical tricorder data -- as Chakotay refused to have a viral sample brought on board -- and following decontamination procedures purged a few of the viruses that were captured in the transporter's bio-filter on his beam up, not realizing that one of the macroviruses had enough time between the beam up and the purge to escape the transporter system into an adjacent system. While The Doctor was working on the antigen, Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres discovered that one of the bio-neural gel packs in the mess hall had become infected and it subsequently burst all over her hand, releasing the virus. The Doctor finishes surgery on Janeway before confirming that she, too, has been infected by the macrovirus. Janeway now can serve as a test subject for his newly-completed (but untested on live subjects) antigen on her. During, he continues explaining what happened after Torres was exposed to the virus. It wasn't long before the crewmembers in the mess hall were seriously ill, sparking a Level 4 quarantine on deck 2. The Doctor took a specimen for examination and testing of the antigen, but, as Kes studies it, it soon gave off one of the organisms, forcing him to erect a force field around the microscope. Meanwhile, Thomas Paris notices that Torres now has an orifice on her neck giving off more of the virus and warns the Doctor. The Doctor says he's close to forming an antigen, but the virus has now grown much larger and testing the force field. He makes his first test of the antigen, allowing it to come to him. Fortunately, it works and it drops dead. Even though he had now completed the antidote, however, the crew had gotten much worse. Further, there were multiple viruses in the mess hall he tried to inoculate Torres. Attracted to his mobile emitter, they attacked it, forcing the Doctor under a table. Before long, the macroviruses broke out of deck 2 and overwhelmed the ship. Now, the Doctor explains to Janeway he is unable to leave sickbay as the virus attacks his emitter without fail, though now they can work together. Suddenly, several macroviruses attempt to break through the door to sickbay. The antigen is a success -- Janeway has now been cured of the virus. They decide to distribute the antidote in gaseous form using the environmental systems. Janeway and The Doctor take separate routes to the environmental controls on deck 12. However, the virus attacks The Doctor's emitter again and he is forced to take refuge in a shuttlecraft in the shuttlebay. Suddenly, the ship is rocked by fire from an approaching starship. The Tak Tak consul Janeway had been speaking to recently begins to fire on Voyager. Janeway hails the Tak Tak vessel and demands to know why he had attacked Voyager. He explains that he had discovered that Voyager was infected with the macrovirus and he has orders to "purify" them at all costs. He also tells her that he has already "purified" the Garan mining colony by destroying them. He then explains that the Tak Tak has had problems with this virus before, but never found a cure, and that they have to destroy Voyager to prevent the virus from spreading. Janeway pleads with the Tak Tak to stop firing on her ship, mentioning that a cure has been developed and she is willing to share it with them after the crew is cured. He agrees, skeptically, but gives her only one hour to administer the cure. However, main power is off all over the ship and with the Tak Tak weapons fire having disabled the environmental systems, the only things working are items with independent power systems like the shuttlecraft, life support and holodecks. Janeway remembers that the virus is attracted to infrared signatures and lures all the viruses to the holodeck where Janeway has programmed the holo-characters in the Paxau Resort holoprogram to react to the virus infection. With the way clear, The Doctor rushes off to administer the antigen to the crew. Janeway then throws an antigen bomb into the holodeck, destroying it and the virus. The Tak Tak are appeased by her solution and end their attack as Janeway promises to share the antidote with them. The crew is swiftly returned to full health and Voyager resumes on her course. Janeway is working on a painting in her ready room while Chakotay is updating her on the ship's repair status. Janeway decides to allow the crew extended rest and relaxation time, and Chakotay invites her to join him and a few of the crew members to go skiing on holodeck. Janeway declines, saying that she has had enough of a workout for the time being. 
<EOS>
For some time, Neelix has been trying to expand his usefulness; he has been considering roles as an engineer, or a security officer, or some other more official job. With Janeway's assertion that the ship is full of opportunity, he goes to Lieutenants Tuvok and B'Elanna Torres directly and starts to pester them with questions, though neither has the time. As the crew of the USS Voyager arrives at a dense, menacing cloud barrier, Captain Kathryn Janeway asks Neelix to come to the bridge. He's able to identify the looming barrier as the Nekrit Expanse. Neelix admits not much is known about the Expanse, and advises caution. Tuvok notes it is too wide to go around. Neelix also points out there is a space station at the border, though doesn't remember the coordinates. Commander Chakotay finds it and Janeway orders a heading for it. Neelix appears to be apprehensive about it. When they get there, they meet the administer, Bahrat, who agrees to discuss their efforts to take on supplies. Interestingly, he insists on monitoring them on the station as well as any communications, and also demands 20% commission on any trades. While Lieutenant Thomas Paris and Chakotay visit the main trading post, Janeway arrives to Bahrat's office with a list of supplies she wants. He's obviously busy, but takes a few minutes. He promises to compile a list of potential suppliers. Neelix, meanwhile, meets up with an old friend, Wixiban ("Wix"), who was in a smuggling operation with him a long time ago, which ended in a run-in with the Ubeans and landed Wix in prison. After the jovial reunion, Wix and Neelix get to talking. While Neelix impresses his old friend with the tales of Voyager, he finally admits that he thinks he may not be needed anymore. His knowledge of space goes only as far as the Nekrit Expanse and he is no longer useful as a guide. As a result, he has been trying to acquire a map of the area on this station. This piques Wix' interest. On board Voyager, Wix visits Neelix while Neelix was working in his kitchen. Wix was able to help Voyager to get some magnetic spindle bearings. In private, Wix tells Neelix that he knows where to get pergium (a rare commodity that Voyager needs) and a map. He also tells a different story, one of great difficulty and burdensome debts. He is unable to leave the station because his shuttle is being impounded by the station master. Playing upon Neelix's sympathies for him, he asks for a favor: he wants Neelix to get a Voyager shuttlecraft which he and Wix will use to complete a secret transaction in exchange for the pergium and the map. He explains that he is selling medical supplies to get back his shuttle and wants to do it in secret to avoid the station master's twenty percent cut of the profits. All Neelix has to do is hide this information from the crew. Neelix agrees. They're successful in obtaining the supplies and come back to the station. Unfortunately, the true nature of the transaction gradually becomes apparent when Wix grabs a phaser and they meet the potential buyer. He is Sutok, the same man who tried to sell drugs to Chakotay and Paris when Voyager first docked with the station. From Wix's and Sutok's interaction, Neelix deduces that the medical supplies can actually be used as a narcotic, making this trip not only highly dangerous but highly illegal. Sutok attempts to get the drugs for nothing by trying to kill both Talaxians. This results in a firefight and Wix kills Sutok in self-defense. Several unseen aliens appear, an alarm sounds, and Neelix is knocked down, but the two of them beam out. Neelix flies the shuttle back to Voyager -- leaving the dead body to be found by Bahrat's men. Neelix is furious at being betrayed but Wix soothes him with more emotional manipulation and convinces him to cover it up and not tell anyone on the ship. Bahrat informs Janeway that a murder has occurred on the station, and a Federation phaser's energy signature was detected at the scene. Janeway briefs the senior officers with Bahrat present, promising that Voyager will give full co-operation during the investigation. Neelix, who is present at the briefing, feels uneasy as Bahrat reveals what he knows so far, which is a lot already. As part of the investigation, Tuvok questions Neelix about Wix. He distances himself, and doesn't give a lot of information about him. Neelix accompanies Tuvok to the station to interview Wix. Wix gives a cover story of him being asleep at the time of the shootings. After Tuvok has left, Wix tells Neelix that he was acting as an agent for some Kolaati suppliers in the drug trade. The suppliers, not at all happy with the loss of their drugs, agree to let them live if Wix can get some warp plasma from Voyager. Neelix immediately says it has gone too far, but Wix appeals to his situation in nearing the end of his time on the ship. He persuades Neelix to help him once again. On Voyager, Neelix finds Paris in a supply room. While helping to locate some part for him, he engages him in asking him about why he was in prison. Paris obliges and says it was because he didn't tell the truth. The part is found and he leaves, still thinking about his task and leaving Paris a bit confused. He then goes to engineering to complete the task. Torres is not there, but Ensign Vorik is and so Neelix explains he's just poking around. Still contemplating his situation, he asks Vorik about how he feels about how things turned out on Voyager generally, and he replies he's found it a good challenge. Neelix then leaves him to get the plasma, but he can't bring himself to do it. When Neelix and Wix meet at the station at the arranged time, Neelix tells Wix that he couldn't steal from his friends. They are interrupted by Bahrat arresting Chakotay and Paris, who are nearby, charging them with murder and dealing illegal drugs, because they were seen talking with Sutok hours before he was killed. Janeway is furious that Chakotay and Paris were arrested based on circumstantial evidence that does not prove any connection to the crime, but Bahrat is adamant that someone be punished for the crimes by fifty years of cryostatic suspension. Janeway insists Tuvok be present at the interrogation and promises Bahrat she will not let her officers pay the price for a crime they didn't commit. However, to save Chakotay and Paris, Neelix devises a plan, which Wix reluctantly agrees to. He and Wix tell the truth about the incident to Bahrat, who is furious. They are then able to talk their way out of being put into cryostasis by explaining that these smugglers are defeating internal security and that they will help Bahrat and his men catch the criminals when they return for the plasma. Expecting their attempt to be futile, the station master agrees. Neelix gets a canister from Bahrat with tainted warp plasma and deactivates the safeties. The suppliers, led by Tosin, arrive to meet with Neelix and Wix. When Tosin accepts the canister he realizes that it is worthless but Neelix quickly tells him the canister has been leaking plasma into the room and any energy discharge from his weapon will ignite the entire section. Bahrat arrives and attempts to arrest them but one of the suppliers fires anyways and the ensuing plasma fire knocks Neelix unconscious. When he reawakens in sickbay, he is told by Tuvok that one of the criminals has been killed and the rest have been taken in to custody by Bahrat, and Wix has gotten his shuttle back and has gone on his way. Janeway arrives and after dismissing the others, demands an explanation from Neelix. Only then does Neelix come clean to the captain as to how the situation arose: he wanted a map and got caught in a cover-up. After a stern lecture from the Captain, Neelix is prepared to accept his fate, which he presumes to be compelled to leave the ship permanently. To his relief (in fact, he is barely able to contain his excitement) the captain explains to him that the crew is a family, and he cannot simply walk away from his responsibilities. He gladly accepts his sentence of two weeks of cleaning out the ship's exhaust manifolds. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager arrives at an inversion nebula, and stops to investigate. While inversion nebulae normally burn out after a few years, this one appears to have been around for centuries. While studying the nebula, Neelix organizes a luau to raise the crew's spirits. A solemn Ensign Harry Kim goes to Lieutenant Tuvok while he is playing a solitary game of kal-toh in his quarters and explains he wants to learn how to suppress his emotions. Tuvok points out that learning this requires a long personal journey, and inquires into his motives for asking. Kim admits to Tuvok he has fallen in love with a holodeck character named Marayna. "You're in love with a computer subroutine?", Tuvok asks skeptically. Kim explains that he's become emotionally attracted to her and seeks Tuvok's guidance in suppressing these feelings. Tuvok agrees to meet her and goes to the holodeck with him. There, they see her walk up to them with Kes after she gives her a hydrosailing lesson. Tuvok watches as she subtly flirts with Kim until they are called to the bridge. On the way there, Tuvok explains and deconstructs the role each part of their conversation with her played in her attempts at seduction, and points out that logically, such interaction can end in only one of two ways: a relationship, or a tragic parting. Since the former is illogical, his only option is retreat to minimize tragedy. As Voyager continues its scans, a plasma strand begins to ignite which would normally cause the entire nebula to burn up along with it. However, the energy is suddenly reduced by dampening fields of unknown origin. The crew decide to move in closer to investigate, knowing that if they could replicate the process they could contain warp core breaches or other normally catastrophic plasma reactions. The captain also recommends that all personnel go to the upcoming luau, which Tuvok misinterprets to be an order. Later, B'Elanna Torres exits a turbolift wearing a tropical dress. Tom Paris happens to be standing outside the doors and remarks that the chief engineer looks "smashing". He notes that nothing can measure up to his 1962 Big Daddy-O Surf Special Hawaiian shirt, an "American classic", as he puts it. She tells Paris to accompany her to get Vorik, knowing how "Vulcan" he gets when anybody is late. Paris tells her that he thought they were going to get Kim. However, Torres informs the helmsman that the operations officer will not be joining them at the luau this evening. Paris tells her that he and Kim will be joining her and Vorik at the luau. Torres tells Paris that he seems to be very confident in his powers of persuasion and he replies in the affirmative. Paris arrives at Kim's quarters and observes the drab clothing he is dressed in, telling the ensign that he looks like he is ready to go to a funeral, not a luau. Kim tells Paris that he is practicing Vulcan meditation to suppress his emotions. Paris is incredulous. He tells a shocked Kim that he knows about his attraction to the holodeck character, since he has not been able to hide it well. He assures him that this happens to everyone once in a while and he should not be hiding out in his quarters. Kim denies it and Paris decides to leave him alone. Just before Paris leaves, Kim changes his mind and decides to go. Paris replicates him a Hawaiian shirt with a pineapple motif. Despite of Tuvok's lack of interest, he encounters Marayna again as she is playing kal-toh alone, fascinating him. He moves over to her and finds himself strangely interested in her. Her analysis of the ways he isolates himself from the crew is intriguing to him, and they play kal-toh together. When Kim arrives and discovers Tuvok's interest in the hologram, he is beside himself with anger and jealousy, and begins to suspect Tuvok's motives for advising retreat were merely a ruse so that he could have Marayna all to himself. After investigation, the crew finds that the dampening field that stops the inversion nebula from burning up only comes into force once a plasma strands starts to ignite; in essence, the fire seemingly puts itself out. Having learned everything they can from scans, the crew decide to continue their course home to the Alpha Quadrant. However, Paris reports that the helm has stopped responding. It's confirmed that the engines are still fully functional however the commands towards it are being blocked. When Harry Kim returns to the holodeck to find Tuvok playing kal-toh with Marayna, this leads to a confrontation in which Tuvok ultimately orders the computer to erase the startled Marayna. Harry Kim angrily insists that this does not truly solve the problem, however. Meanwhile despite investigation the crew still cannot get the warp or impulse engines to respond to commands, but they are able to get the thrusters working allowing Voyager to slowly move away from the nebula. In his quarters, Marayna appears to Tuvok again using The Doctor's mobile emitter and wearing a Starfleet uniform, sitting down and playing kal-toh. She tells him that she's lonely and indicates her desire to continue her relationship with him, but he contacts the bridge and declares an intruder alert, summoning security to his quarters. To his surprise, although the security guards do arrive, she is able to cancel the alert shortly before vanishing. In conference with Janeway and the other senior officers, he and they discuss the possibility that a hologram has become sentient and taken over the ship. Chakotay reports that this is not the first time this has happened. According to Starfleet records, this had previously happened to the USS Enterprise-D under Captain Picard when a sentient hologram took over the ship. After further investigation, Tuvok, Tom Paris, and Lieutenant Torres discover that Marayna is actually a projection of someone from outside of the ship. Tracing the uplink through the holodeck, they discover a small cloaked station. Unfortunately, the holodeck characters suddenly become hostile. One of the hula girls attacks Torres with a lei used as a garrotte, One of the fire dancers attacks Tuvok, and one of the waiters attacks Paris with a plate of food. Tuvok and Paris attempt to come to Torres' aid, when a force field is erected, blocking the two. Tuvok orders Paris to shoot the holodeck control panel, causing the holodeck characters to vanish, saving Torres from being choked. As they attempt to escape the holodeck, an explosion rocks the ship. The plasma strands from the nebula are burning up around Voyager. On the bridge, Marayna gives an ultimatum to Janeway through Voyager's intercom. She wants to see Tuvok alone in the holodeck, or she'll destroy the ship. Tuvok returns to the holodeck to meet her alone, and then beams over to confront the real Marayna. Marayna disables Tuvok's communication with Voyager and tells Tuvok her story. In reality, it is she who holds the nebula together with the dampening fields for the benefit of her people, who often visit to observe the beauty of the inversion nebula. However, she's become lonely and she frequently taps into nearby ships' computers to find out more about their visitors. Marayna reveals that she had never encountered anything like the holodeck and tapped herself into it so she could interact with the crew of Voyager. This, in turn, allowed her to meet Tuvok who was much like her -- interested in being separate from those around him -- whereupon she developed feelings for him. After some discussion, Tuvok convinces Marayna to allow him to return to Voyager. Before he goes, however, Tuvok encourages Marayna to contact her people and have them find a replacement for her in this lonely assignment so she can seek company among her own kind again. She tells Tuvok she will consider this. Before the Vulcan dematerializes, Marayna asks him if he too will always be alone. Tuvok looks at her but does not answer her question before he is beamed away. After his return to the ship, Tuvok is again playing kal-toh alone in his quarters. He then pauses and deactivates the game. He goes to the holodeck and, finding Harry Kim there, he apologizes for failing to consider or respect his feelings. Harry accepts the apology, and Tuvok offers to teach him kal-toh which he accepts, stating that he was under the impression it took years to learn kal-toh, which Tuvok confirms. A holo-woman comes up and offers to join them and they simultaneously refuse her company, but Tuvok then (somewhat uncharacteristically) thanks her for the offer. Kim smiles at the tactical officer and they begin to play the game as Voyager continues on home. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay are traveling on an away mission from USS Voyager in a shuttlecraft, chatting about a recent talent show on board the ship, when they are forced down by electrical interference from a nearby planet. Janeway is critically injured in the crash. Chakotay gets her out of the shuttle and revives her via CPR and cordrazine. Janeway activates their homing signal and unwittingly shows the Vidiians (who Chakotay discovers have shot them down) right where to find them. They are then captured and killed by the Vidiians (Chakotay is shot, Janeway is strangled). Suddenly, Janeway finds herself back on the shuttle, again talking about the talent show, when she and her first officer both realize they are re-living an event that already occurred. Supposing they had been caught in some kind of time loop, and determined not to make the same mistake as before, they use the shuttlecraft's sensors to track Vidiian ships on a intercept course. They start having problems with the warp core in the resulting firefight, and the shuttle explodes before they can eject the core or take any other preventive measures for their new predicament. Janeway and Chakotay are once again in the shuttle, and they look at each other, now remembering again. They once again see Vidiian ships on an intercept course, but this time they can contact Voyager. Janeway tries to use a tachyon burst to disrupt the time loop, and suddenly the ships disappear. They are contacted by Voyager and brought back safe and sound. Oddly, as Janeway describes what happened, no one, including Chakotay, remember any mention of a time loop, so she's the only one who remembers things differently. The Doctor scans her and determines that she has been infected by Vidiian phage. He promises to continue looking into a cure and quarantines her in sickbay. Later, she wakes up and sees the sores on her skin, asking for the next step. Unfortunately, he sees the virus is very aggressive and, claiming to be acting in the most humane way possible, euthanizes her, over her protests, with nerve gas. Once more, she and Chakotay are back on the shuttle. They see a strange bright light in front of them that is coming towards their shuttle; as they figure out a course of action it suddenly it engulfs them. Next, she finds herself in an out-of-body experience. She seems to be standing next to Chakotay, watching as he tries, unsuccessfully, to revive her. Crew members arrive and transport her straight to sickbay and her "spirit" follows, trying unsuccessfully to contact the crew. The Doctor and Kes at first get some signs of life but ultimately are unable to revive the Captain. Knowing Kes possesses telepathic abilities, Janeway tries to get her attention in the corridor until Kes walks right through her. It seems to work; Kes stops and turns around and says to what her appears to be an empty corridor "Captain?" Later, Kes informs the crew about her experience, saying that she has the strongest feeling that the captain was in the corridor with her. Believing that the captain might still be alive in some alternate dimension in subspace, the crew begins to scan for her mind. Lieutenant Tuvok offers to work with Kes in order to help her increase the range of her perceptions. While in engineering following the crew's activities with respect to their investigations, Janeway is encountered by the "spirit" of her late father, Vice Admiral Janeway. Her father says he is there to transfer her to the "next world." He claims that she actually died in the shuttlecraft. He also tells her that he went through the same thing after his accident: returning home to his wife and children for a long time, until he finally realized it was futile. Apparently, when death is unexpected, ones consciousness is not prepared to let go. Janeway is not convinced, stating that if he was a hallucination, a part of her, he would certainly know all the things he claims to know about her. However, he states that it really does not matter and that eventually she will crossover to that other state of consciousness. He informs her that even though her crewmembers and friends are looking for her now, they will give up eventually, accept what's happened and that she will eventually accept it too. But Janeway is not convinced and wants to help Kes "sense" her again. In Tuvok's quarters, Tuvok and Kes are meditating in order to be able to sense Janeway again but Kes is not getting anything. She feels empty and alone, now doubting that she actually ever felt the captain at all, even though the "spirit" Janeway is sitting right there. Kes now concludes that it might have been her own desire that wanted to believe the captain wasn't dead. Tuvok agrees with her, stating that he also does not sense anything and that after three days, the efforts by Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Harry Kim have also been unsuccessful. He suggests that maybe it was time they accepted the inevitability of her death. The next day, during her memorial service at the mess hall, Janeway and her "father" are present as Torres and Kim give two rather touching speeches as they remember Kathryn Janeway, what she meant to them and taught them as well as the great loss the whole crew will experience now that she is gone. Harry's speech, in particular, brings tears to Janeway's eyes and Tom Paris calms Harry down after Harry finishes his speech. Chakotay concludes the service by honoring the captain one last time with a moment of silence as her pod is released into space. Knowing that the captain would not want them to sit around and mope, Chakotay suggests that they should be gathering together and sharing the good times they had with her and Chakotay also tells everybody that Neelix has prepared some food for them to comfort the loss of the captain. The "ghost" tells Janeway it's over. The ghost of Janeway's "father" continues trying to convince her that it is over and that there is nothing left there for her anymore. But Janeway is still not ready to accept it. Her "father" tries to convince her that all her attempts to deny the reality of her situation will only hurt her more for as time wears on, she will realize how potent and destructive loneliness is; seeing the people she loves move on with their lives without her in it, being forever shut out of their existence. But Janeway is still not convinced, insisting that she is just not ready, that she'd rather be there in spirit than not at all because "a captain doesn't abandon ship." As the ghost of her "father" keeps pushing her into making the decision to finally leave this world behind, Janeway suddenly and briefly experiences looking up at Chakotay and The Doctor, still on the surface of the planet, as if they are still trying to revive her. She accuses her "father" of being an alien of some kind, knowing that her real father always respected her inclination to find things out for herself, rather than just taking someone else's word for it. A second and third vision makes it obvious her experiences in the "afterlife" are not reality. She realizes that the person lying on the ground on that planet is the real Janeway and that all the things she has been experiencing since her alleged death is a hallucination. The alien being finally reveals its true identity. It claims that its species, at the moment of death, comes to help the dying understand what is happening in order to make the crossing-over an occasion of joy. It states that it was being truthful when it said that it was a place of wonder, for it can be whatever she wants it to be. Disguising as her father or generally as someone's loved ones makes the crossing over a much less fearful occasion. Janeway doubts that the alien's real reasons for wanting her in its world have anything to do with everlasting joy and demands to know what it really wants from her. The alien grabs her, telling her that she must go with it but Janeway realizes that if the alien could force her to go,  it would have done so already. She finally understands that the alien needs her to voluntarily agree to go with it; something she refuses to do. The alien being becomes visibly upset, returning to it own realm but as a last warning states that there will be another time and that the alien will be waiting, for eventually she would come into its Matrix and nourish it for a long, long time. The captain finally wakes up on the planet, revived by The Doctor and Chakotay beside her, who explains that they were caught in a magnetic storm and crashed there. The Doctor and Tuvok took a shuttlecraft down to the planet to begin treating her but as they were doing so, an alien presence was detected within her cerebral cortex. Its presence prevented all of their attempts to heal her but that it was eventually dislodged. Janeway tells them about the alien who appeared to her in the image of her father, trying to take her into its realm. She tells them that from what she saw, that certainly was not where she would like to spend eternity. Back on Voyager, Janeway tries to recover by going back to her routine, when Chakotay walks into her ready room and gives her a rose. They discuss what she experienced down on the planet and Chakotay mentions how this alien and its matrix remind him of a spider who has to lure a fly into its web. She wonders whether each of the near-death experiences they heard about might be the result of an alien inhabitation. Chakotay finds that hard to believe and Janeway hopes he is right. She expresses her hope that his species was native to the Delta Quadrant and that they've seen the last of them. Janeway jokes that, after all, they cheated death which is certainly worth a celebration with a bottle of Champagne and a moonlight sail on Lake George. Chakotay wholeheartedly agrees and off they head off to the holodeck together. 
<EOS>
USS Voyager comes into orbit around an apparently-uninhabited planet that has been detected to contain gallicite, a substance that can be used to refit the ship's warp coils. Closer sensor sweeps reveal at least a kiloton of the material, more than enough to do the job. There also appears to be an abandoned colony site on the planet. Captain Janeway places B'Elanna Torres in charge of an operation to potentially collect and utilize the gallicite. Janeway advises her to involve Neelix, as he has mining experience. In engineering, Torres and Ensign Vorik are examining the gallicite deposits further and find artificial tunnels, suggesting past mining operations. After they are finished with their examination, much to Torres' dismay, Vorik makes the koon-ut-so'lik - the ritual Vulcan marriage proposal. On top of her objection that the proposal is too sudden, Torres remembers that Vulcans typically have arranged marriages but Vorik notes that his betrothed likely considers him lost and would have chosen a different mate by now. After repeated rebuffs of his advances, Vorik attacks Torres, attempting to place her in a mind meld. Torres is able to break away from Vorik, punching him in the face and knocking him across Main Engineering. In sickbay, The Doctor diagnoses Vorik as having a dislocated jaw and a neurochemical imbalance which he must discuss with Vorik privately. Torres leaves disgusted, after which The Doctor reveals to Vorik that he is going through pon farr. Vorik's distress upon hearing the diagnosis suggests it is his very first pon farr, which can be particularly dangerous to those who are not experienced at mitigating their own symptoms. The Doctor has extremely little information on pon farr and requests in vain for any information. Somewhat embarrassed and determined to deal with it himself, Vorik requests to be allowed to deal with the situation himself. With no other alternative for the moment The Doctor agrees, telling Vorik he is confined to quarters and also fits him with a cortical monitor. The Doctor goes to the only other person who could possibly help Vorik: Tuvok. But even he is unwilling to discuss things with The Doctor, leading The Doctor to make the very Human judgment that Vulcans have a Victorian attitude toward sex. Tuvok does say that Vorik only has three alternatives to death: taking a mate, fighting for a mate or intense meditation. He feels that attempting to intervene would be counter-productive. Torres, Neelix and Tom Paris meet in a transporter room where Torres informs the other two that Vorik will not be joining them on the surface. They examine the route they will be taking to the most accessible, useful vein of gallicite and beam down. Neelix and Paris take note of Torres' unusually cheerful attitude. As they move toward their destination, Neelix finds a colony. Though it suggests it has only been abandoned for fifty to sixty years, it is in bad decay. Paris wants to explore it but Torres suggests, almost flirtatiously, that Paris wants to delay showing off his climbing ability in the gallicite caves. They all head off towards the caves. In the caves, they find that the tunnels are steeper than they expected. They put their fusing pitons into the rocks and descend. However, Neelix's piton breaks and he falls, pulling Torres off the face as well. Neelix injures his knee in the landing and Torres yells at him for nearly getting them all killed. Paris tries to get Torres to calm down, noting that he checked Neelix's rigging work and that his piton must have malfunctioned. Torres decides to continue the mission on her own, even though Neelix has to return to the ship. Paris tries to stop her but she bites him on the cheek and runs away. Paris stays with Neelix and taps his combadge, saying, "Paris to Voyager. We've got problems down here." Upon being briefed by Paris as to the situation, including Torres' unusual behavior, Janeway orders a second away team for rescue. Tuvok delays however, suspecting he knows what is wrong with Torres. He goes to Vorik's quarters and apologizing for interrupting during such a sensitive time, tries to get him to reconstruct the earlier events with Torres. Vorik states that it was difficult to remember but he recalls putting his hands to her face. Tuvok figures out that Vorik initiated a mind meld in an attempt to establish a telepathic mating bond. He surmises that the mind meld awoke in Torres her compatible Klingon mating instincts (which are very similar to pon farr and potentially just as dangerous to herself and others). Vorik wants to help her but Tuvok advises the younger Vulcan to continue his meditative efforts, suggesting that Torres would not want his help. Chakotay and Tuvok go to the surface and brief Paris on Torres' potentially life-threatening situation. As Neelix is taken to safety, Chakotay, Tuvok and Paris go after Torres. They find her deeper in the caves, where she has discovered live artificial lighting circuitry in the richest deposits of gallicite. The crew, for the moment, is more concerned about helping Torres but she is unaware of what's going on with her, growing increasingly more irritated and angry. She can't understand why the others are acting the way they are. Right then, aliens appear, holding weapons. The aliens confront the away team, asking what they want on their planet. Chakotay tries to assure the aliens that they mean no harm. The aliens are suspicious of Torres but Tuvok tries to assure them she is ill and they are trying to get her to safety. Chakotay tells the aliens they thought the planet was uninhabited. The head alien is permitted to examine a phaser and confirms that their tricorders did not previously detect any life forms. Suddenly, a seismic alarm sounds and the aliens warn them that the walls are unstable. One of the aliens tries to push Torres to safety and is attacked. As an earthquake occurs, the aliens disappear with Chakotay and Tuvok, while Paris tries to calm Torres down. Neither the aliens nor Chakotay and Tuvok can be detected, revealing a jamming field that blocks life signs. Paris promises to explain to Torres what's wrong with her but insists they have to get to the ship before trying to find Chakotay and Tuvok. In sickbay, Vorik has returned to The Doctor, who injects a hypospray to regulate Vorik's serotonin levels. He also has postulated a possible course for regulation of symptoms but Vorik is still reluctant to accept help. The Doctor advises that, in Voyager's current situation, he may need all the help that he can get from his friends onboard. The Doctor takes Vorik to a holodeck, where he suggests he use a holographic Vulcan female named T'Pera to deal with his "urges". Vorik disdains mating with a hologram because "she isn't real", but seeing no alternatives, suggests he may try it. Underground, Torres is trying to make sense of what Paris is telling her. Paris is aware that a bite like she gave him could be an initiation of a Klingon mating ritual. Torres is uncertain of what to do and unwilling to have anything to do with Vorik. Paris assures Torres that The Doctor should be able to help her. When they come to a blockage caused by the earlier tremor, Paris stops Torres from trying to blast it open with a phaser rifle. In the struggle over the rifle, Paris realizes she is initiating a mating ritual with him and resists her actions, even when she begs him to give in. Paris asks her to fight her urges as long as possible, unwilling to take advantage of her when she's vulnerable. In a hidden tunnel, one of the aliens, a Sakari named Ishan, interrogates Tuvok and Chakotay, wanting to know everything about them, their ship and their technology. He takes particular interest in an artificial joint in one of Tuvok's elbows. Chakotay wants to know why the Sakari have taken such great lengths to avoid detection. Ishan says that invaders came long before he was born and destroyed the Sakari civilization. The survivors have hidden underground ever since. Chakotay offers Voyager's help to improve their concealment techniques -- particularly the concealment of their gallicite, which is how Voyager found them, and remove the remaining surface traces of their civilization. Ishan agrees but states that the visitors will be supervised at all times. Then, the Sakari's seismic alert sounds again. A partial cave-in occurs where Torres and Paris are trapped. They are okay but the rifle has been buried, hindering their escape. Torres has a moment of weakness and resumes her advances on Paris. She states that she thinks he wants her as bad as she wants him but he is still unwilling to give in. Torres challenges him, telling how she knows he has some feelings for her. She begs him not to push her away, claiming that she does feel the same way. They finally kiss but Paris regains his wits, leaving Torres frustrated by his unwillingness to help by mating with her. On Voyager, The Doctor returns to the holodeck where he sees Vorik, who appears more relaxed. He suggests that the holoprogram has helped and wants to return to duty. The Doctor isn't ready to release him to work yet. The Doctor reports to Janeway and suggests that the holodeck might work with Torres as well. He enthuses to Vorik about the possibility of publishing a paper the various races' mating rituals, purely "from a socio-biological point of view", but Vorik's non-verbal reaction causes The Doctor to catch himself, assuring the Vulcan that this private medical matter will remain private. In the caves, Torres' agony is starting to worsen, to the point of short-term amnesia. Chakotay and Tuvok finally clear the rocks from the other side of the tunnel and get Paris and Torres to the surface. When they arrive however, they find communications with Voyager are down. Tuvok notices Torres' condition and tells Paris that the only solution is for he and Torres to mate. If they do not he surmises, Torres will die. Paris agrees and Tuvok and Chakotay give them their privacy as Torres practically drags Paris by the hand off into the forest. Off in the surrounding forest, he and Torres begin to give in to the urges. Before they get too far however, they are interrupted by an enraged Vorik, who has beamed to the surface and is now determined to mate with Torres at any cost. He shouts for Tuvok and declares his intention to initiate the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, which Tuvok explains is a ritual challenge in order to win Torres' hand in marriage. He wants to fight Paris to the death, a challenge everyone knows Paris will lose. Vorik confirms that not only is he the one that disabled communications, but did the same with the shuttles and the transporters to stop any interference. Torres prevents a tragedy by declaring herself her own champion. Chakotay is hesitant to allow it but Tuvok convinces him, explaining that it is B'Elanna's right under Vulcan custom - and it's the only option the two engineers have left. With Tuvok officiating the challenge, Vorik and Torres fight and Torres ultimately knocks Vorik unconscious after a long and vicious hand-to-hand battle. Torres, exhausted, falls into Paris's arms. The fight clears both Torres and Vorik of their blood fever and they are out of harm's way. Back onboard, Paris and Torres run into each other on a turbolift. While both feeling uneasy regarding recent events, she tells him the retrofitting of the warp coils is going well. Paris halts the turbolift and they talk through what happened, taking into account that they will likely be on the ship together for a very long time. Paris states bluntly that he didn't think Torres' Klingon side was that frightening and that he welcomed the possibility of seeing it again some day. As she leaves the turbolift on her level, Torres amicably warns him to be careful what he wishes for. On the surface of the planet, Chakotay sends an urgent hail to Captain Janeway to beam down to his coordinates. He has found something she absolutely needs to see. When she arrives, he takes her to some bushes and pulls them aside to reveal what he has found: the ancient remains of one of the invaders who destroyed the Sakari civilization. Janeway immediately recognizes them in horror: the remains of a Borg drone. 
<EOS>
While attempting to find a faster way through the Nekrit Expanse, Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kaplan cannot get a fix on their current position and are therefore lost. When Chakotay points out an asteroid field, Kaplan notes that it is the same one they passed two hours before -- they have been flying in circles. They cannot contact Voyager as they are out of com range. Soon after, they pick up a signal buoy with a Federation signature. As they get closer, they hear a distress call from the planet. Before they land their shuttlecraft on the planet, Chakotay has Kaplan launch a message buoy so Voyager will know they landed in response to a distress call. Upon landing, they find a desolate scene and are met by a large group of aliens The two almost immediately come under fire from hostile aliens. Kaplan is shot by the unknown foes while Chakotay is left injured. Soon, another group comes and scares the hostiles off, taking the unconscious commander with them. Chakotay wakes up in the dark to find himself in a room where he sees a woman by the name of Riley Frazier who tells him that Kaplan is dead and his shuttle has been destroyed by scavengers. Chakotay soon learns about Frazier and the others: they were attacked by aliens in the Bolian sector in the Alpha Quadrant, some were killed and others put in stasis. They woke up on this planet, along with several Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians. All were grabbed from where they were. One group of them attacked Chakotay and Kaplan, and Frazier's group saved him. She tells him that she is part of a Cooperative. After an otherwise uneventful journey, Voyager flies through the Nekrit Expanse. Lieutenant Tom Paris remarks that this region of space should be instead called the "Negative Expanse", as the crew has not come across anything remotely interesting for days. Captain Kathryn Janeway suggests that if the helmsman is bored, the warp plasma filters are due for a thorough cleaning. Paris then tells her that he now finds the Expanse to be an interesting navigational challenge. Later, Voyager discovers an apparently derelict and abandoned Borg cube. Captain Janeway orders that Voyager be taken to red alert. Janeway orders all stop, shields to maximum, and to stand by all weapons. However, chief tactical officer Tuvok cannot detect any Borg systems operational on the cube. Janeway has Ensign Harry Kim run a multiphasic scan, but the operations officer cannot find any active power signatures nor any life signs aboard. "Well, that's a relief", Paris notes. Tuvok advises caution but Janeway decides to board the cube: this represents a rare -- and highly valuable -- opportunity to understand their technology. Back on the planet, Chakotay continues to learn about the cooperative and their efforts. Oddly, Frazier also tells him that she has put down roots here, and desires to stay instead of joining Voyager. When she goes to work on the communications array, Chakotay wants to help but she refuses abruptly, saying he is too weak to work and that he should rest. Meanwhile, Captain Janeway's away team boards the Borg cube. Tuvok and chief engineer B'Elanna Torres determine that all activity on the vessel ceased five years ago but for reasons they cannot yet explain. They theorize that either an accident occurred or, however improbable it seems, an attack from a more powerful species disabled the cube -- though did not completely destroy it, instead letting it adrift. Torres finds an access node. If she can get it operational, she should be able to tap into the cube's data systems to find an answer. While Tuvok tries to find a compatible micro-power relay to connect to a generator, a dead Borg drone falls in front of him from behind a wall. In Voyager's briefing room, Torres tells the captain that their scans have determined there are 1,100 Borg corpses on the cube. Tuvok remarks that they located a breached section of the cube, where some of the bodies of Borg were preserved perfectly. Torres adds that one of the bodies of a drone was brought aboard for an autopsy to provide an answer as to what killed them all. Janeway wonders why the Collective has left one of their ships with all of its technology intact for anyone to find. Tuvok suggests that the deactivation of the cube severed its link to the Collective. Torres, however, speculates that the Borg were possibly defeated by an enemy even more powerful than the Collective. Janeway orders Torres to assist The Doctor with the autopsy of the drone and suggests contacting Commander Chakotay to return from his scouting message early and let him know they have run into "some old friends." At the same time, Chakotay wakes again and manages to break out of the room where he was being kept. A vast plant is revealed, and all the individuals have implants similar to Borg drones. Chakotay explores as discretely as he can, but the others don't seem to mind. Eventually, he sees Frazier again, without hair and with Borg implants. Chakotay demands answers, and Frazier, along with a Romulan, Orum, quickly explain that they were once drones, many assimilated during the Battle of Wolf 359, but an electro-kinetic storm caused by the expanse broke their link with the hive mind. Realizing how far they were from Federation space, they settled on a planet and learned how to survive and cooperate with one another. In sickbay, The Doctor concludes from his autopsy of a Borg corpse taken from the cube that it had been electrocuted and suffocated in space. But when The Doctor tries activating an axonal amplifier with a cortical probe, the drone jerks upright, frightening everyone observing. The Doctor manages to deactivate the drone. He remarks that he must have activated a backup neuroelectric power cell. Lieutenant Torres concludes that The Doctor's actions caused the Borg to reset to its original programming, meaning that the other corpses could also be reactivated. "We'd have a major problem on our hands", Torres fearfully notes. Due to the blast Chakotay took early on, his health soon worsens. Orum tells him that if he does not let them help him he will die before Voyager arrives. They help by using a neural link to heal Chakotay's injuries. "I'm not letting anyone implant some neural processor in my brain!" Chakotay is more than reluctant but he finally agrees when he sees no other alternative. During this experience he sees many of their memories and thoughts. It is a powerful and enlightening experience for him, and it also helps heal his neural damage. Interestingly, there are lingering effects from the link, even though the transceiver is removed. Frazier says it is temporary, and they enjoy it while it lasts. Chakotay helps the others with the communications array. He now knows what the group wants to achieve through the link, believing it a radical concept. Soon, Voyager arrives in orbit of the planet and try to contact Chakotay, but interference makes it difficult. When the inhabitants detect it, Frazier tries to persuade Captain Janeway to assist in re-establishing the link for the entire population permanently. Specifically, they want the Voyager team to re-activate the neuro-electric field generator on the Borg ship because they have enough energy to do so. While Janeway is willing to provide supplies, upgrade their security and even take some of them on Voyager if they wish, she is extremely skeptical about re-activating the neuroelectric generator. After Frazier leaves, Janeway asks for Chakotay's opinion. Chakotay says that the former Borg drones are sincere and they have no evil intent, and while in his heart he would do anything to help them, he agrees that the captain has to take other considerations into account. Janeway sees it as imposing a choice onto thousands of people without consent, and too dangerous that it may help create a new malevolent collective. Janeway decides not to help them and Chakotay lets Frazier know. She understands and bids him farewell, but not before another unsuccessful attempt by Chakotay to take her with him. After Voyager has delivered them much-needed supplies, Chakotay and Torres start returning to Voyager via shuttle. He's disappointed and Torres makes a mental note for a holodeck session later. Suddenly, he hears the Cooperative again, saying they need his help. His head falls and comes under control of the telepathic link. He stuns Torres and goes to work. Tuvok sees the shuttle changed course and Janeway orders pursuit. The Cooperative explain they're under attack and need him to reactivate the generator aboard the abandoned Borg ship, directly violating his orders. He complies and beams aboard the cube. Chakotay avoids the Voyager away team searching for him as he locates the generator. Lieutenant Tuvok finds him, and Chakotay fires with Kim retaliating. However, Chakotay manages to activate the generator as he falls. As soon as the generator is activated, the people attacking the Cooperative's compound stop their attack as they begin to hear the Cooperative's thoughts and the Cooperative welcomes them. However, the generator also activates the Borg ship and its dormant drones. The rescue team sent to intercept Chakotay, along with Chakotay himself, are quickly beamed aboard Voyager. The planet's inhabitants manage to trigger the Borg ship's self-destruct sequence before it gains weapon capabilities. Within three seconds the ship explodes. The inhabitants hail Voyager in their collective state and offer Voyager their lasting gratitude. In sickbay, The Doctor explains that Chakotay's exposure to the Borg collective "heightened his telepathic receptivity" allowing them to influence him. Then, as Voyager travels away from the planet, Chakotay discusses the situation privately with Janeway and questions how long the inhabitants can retain a sense of morality amidst the power of a collective; it didn't take them long to use Chakotay against his will for their motives. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway talks with a Mikhal Traveler, who is later revealed to be called Nakahn. They're in his lodge at the Mikhal outpost and he's animatedly telling the captain the incredible story of one of his travels, involving a monstrous, living asteroid. Kes comes in with Zahir, the Mikhal pilot with whom she's been working on the transfer of medical supplies to the outpost. Zahir picks up the last part of Nakahn's story and it's immediately obvious that he's skeptical of it. When he makes that clear, tempers flare and there's a short argument between the two Mikhal but eventually, Kes, Zahir and the captain are left alone. Zahir explains to the captain that there is no such thing as a living asteroid in the space ahead of the USS Voyager but points out that the asteroid in question is rich in vorilium, whereupon the captain decides that might be worth a detour. Later, The Doctor is in the holodeck, discussing passion with Neelix and the holographic simulations of two historical figures: Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Byron. He's taking note of their arguments on a PADD. When Kes comes in and asks him what's going on, he explains to her that he's working on a "personality improvement project." He's been interviewing all the holographic versions of important historical figures in the database, including Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and T'Pau, in order to select the character traits he finds admirable and merge them into his program. In this manner, he hopes to accomplish, among other things, an improved bedside manner, a fresh perspective on diagnosis, more patience, etc. He adds that he could have used her assistance on his project if she hadn't been "otherwise engaged" on the planet, making it clear that he's not happy with this "infatuation" of hers with the Mikhal Travelers, whom he considers to be "risk-taking thrill seekers with no responsibility to the ideals of exploration." Kes counters that she finds them intriguing, especially Zahir, but The Doctor warns her that how she feels about him now may just be a reaction after recently ending her relationship with Neelix. He then tells her that Gandhi would likely advise her to "take a cold bath" and walks away. The Doctor is in sickbay with Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres who is complaining of nausea, after having eaten a small salad on the planet, despite The Doctor's prior warning that Klingon physiology lacks the enzymes to digest the vegetation of that planet. The Doctor reacts to this in a rather uncharacteristic way, coming awfully close to her and when Torres tells him to back off, he instructs the computer to isolate the recent additions to the EMH program and hold them for review. He then explains to Torres the project he's been working on, whereupon she tells him to be careful with adding behavioral subroutines to his program, as they have a tendency to interact with each other in unpredictable ways. She promises him to take a look at his program after her shift in engineering and as she leaves sickbay, The Doctor deactivates himself. Meanwhile, Kes is with Zahir on the planet. They're walking an old path in a wooded area, left behind by other spacefarers like Zahir in long forgotten times. When they reach the end of the path, Kes discovers a strange kind of inscription in a rock. According to Zahir, it says "My course is as elusive as a shadow across the sky."  Kes thanks Zahir for the evening and they kiss, while a cloaked figure appears in the background watching them intently. Back on Voyager, a dreamy look in her eyes, Kes bumps into Lt. Tuvok in the corridor, who reminds her that it's 0300 and that she has an away team report due at 0800. Kes assures him she hasn't forgotten and leaves. A few moments later, Kes enters sickbay, where The Doctor, who's working on a report Kes should have done but forgot, gives her a lecture about becoming increasingly unpredictable. She lashes out that everyone's treating her like a child and that she's not a child anymore, then assures The Doctor that she knows he cares about her and that she won't forget that. Then she goes to finish the report. The next morning, Kes enters the captain's ready room, looking very tired and after having handed her the report, asks to have a word with Janeway. She then proceeds to tell the captain that she wants to spend more time with Zahir and asks to be granted permission to temporarily leave the ship. The captain tells her to think about it for a few more days and Kes leaves. That evening, Zahir and Tuvok are discussing which route Voyager should take to avoid the Tarkan sentries. Kes interrupts them and tells Zahir that she wants to spend time with him but must catch up on her sleep. Later Zahir walks the same path where he was with Kes the day before. Suddenly, he hears something and pulls out his weapon. He appears to have discovered something horrible on the ground before him but he is knocked off a cliff by the same cloaked figure that was there the day before. A few moments later, the cloaked figure enters Nakahn's lodge and pulls his cape off his head, revealing that he is The Doctor, with a curious expression in his eyes. He drags Nakahn's hands into the fire, then demands a ship and safe passage off the planet. Kes enters sickbay the next morning and activates the EMH. The Doctor appears to be back to his normal self. When Kes tells him Zahir has been found unconscious and that he needs medical attention, nothing in his behavior suggests he knows anything about it and he's immediately prepared to help. However, as they reach the transporter room, Torres stops them, telling The Doctor she needs to run a full diagnostic on his Holomatrix, because something is wrong. While running the diagnostic, she explains to him that, while all the historical personalities he's chosen to incorporate into his program had some very admirable traits indeed, they also had less desirable attributes and all those, combined within The Doctor's personality, have caused his program to destabilize. She then asks him to deactivate himself so that she can purge his matrix of the added elements but when he attempts to do so, it doesn't work. He merely shimmers a bit. Meanwhile, by the turbolift, Tuvok is explaining to Janeway that the one who attacked Zahir has curiously left no tangible evidence of his crime at all on his victim. Also, Zahir cannot recall anything. Tuvok and Janeway make their way to sickbay and when they enter it, they find Torres unconscious on the floor. Tuvok activates the EMH and although he's a little irritated, he seems to be his normal self. He diagnoses Torres with delayed anaphylactic shock from the salad she ate the day before and puts her on a biobed for a few hours of observation. After Tuvok and Janeway leave however, The Doctor starts to shimmer again. When he reappears, he's got the strange look in his eyes once more. He grabs a few hyposprays and goes over to Torres. After waking her with one of them The Doctor tells her he simulated the anaphylactic shock using a drug and as she discovers that he has paralyzed her from the waist down to get her cooperation, she quickly realizes he has a new personality, created from the new subroutines. He tells her she is correct and that he wants to know from her how to delete The Doctor from his matrix, threatening to torture her if she doesn't. When Torres still refuses to help him, and his subroutines visibly begin to destabilize, he turns to the historical figures in the holodeck for help. Meanwhile, Tuvok is interrogating Nakahn before going back to the scene of the crime and it's clear that he suspects him. A few minutes later, Kes finds The Doctor in the holodeck, surrounded by all kinds of malfunctioning holograms. He explains to her that he's the new master of the EMH and the old Doctor is locked up inside him. He then takes her hostage and transports off the ship, after having created a dispersion pattern so that Voyager won't know where to look for them. On the bridge Ensign Harry Kim reports an unscheduled transport. At the same time, Tuvok reports to the captain that he has found residual holographic signatures at the scene of the crime. Meanwhile, The Doctor and Kes are in the lodge, waiting for Nakahn and the scout ship. The Doctor is attempting to remove the EMH from his program and Kes talks to him and for a moment. She explains to him that both should survive. It almost seems as if she's going to manage to convince him that a place can be found for both him and the original Doctor, until Nakahn enters and tells him he won't be able to escape, because Janeway and her crew have cordoned off the entire area. The Doctor flees, planning on taking the ship onto another continent but Janeway manages to disable the dispersion field long enough to get a lock on Kes' and The Doctor's location and transfers the coordinates to the away team on the planet. Not long thereafter, the away team finds Kes and The Doctor and Tuvok blocks their path using a phaser to shoot some rocks down. The Doctor then threatens to jump off a cliff with Kes, eventually doing so; right at that moment, they are beamed up to the ship. He is also apparently his normal self once again. Back in sick bay, Torres informs The Doctor that she has rid him of all the extra subroutines. Kes enters and The Doctor explains his gratitude that Kes has decided to remain on board Voyager with those that know her and care for her. After she leaves, The Doctor considers what recently happened and recites to himself the Hippocratic Oath pledging that he will "do no harm". 
<EOS>
USS Voyager is protecting the Nezu from an asteroid bombardment, having developed a plan with them on board to vaporize an incoming asteroid. Instead, the torpedo blast from the Voyager merely fragments it and most of the debris falls to the planet. All attempts to vaporize the asteroids have already failed. Fortunately, in this case, the remaining fragments land in a desert area. The next asteroid is scheduled to hit a major city in six hours and a garbled message indicating the asteroids are artificial is received from Doctor Vatm, a scientist on the planet. Voyager sends three shuttles to the surface to rescue him. One shuttle, piloted by Tuvok and Neelix and accompanied by the Nezu ambassador's assistant Sklar, is forced to make an emergency landing due to disturbances in the ionosphere. After setting down violently, they are joined by Dr. Vatm, who introduces them to Hanjuan, a gallicite miner, who saw and heard the shuttle crash. They come in the shuttle and Tuvok asks about his discovery, but he refuses to discuss it except with the ambassador, stating that the information he holds is classified. While examining the exterior of the shuttle for damage, Neelix steps out and spots an orbital tether anchored nearby. He suggests to the others to use the carriage to ascend the tether. He explains that by using the carriage they could leave the ionosphere in order to get a signal to Voyager, which is blocked by the disturbances in the ionosphere, to beam them back aboard. The carriage attached to the tether is damaged, but Neelix says that he spent two years on a tether maintenance team on Rinax, and is convinced that he can repair it. Despite misgivings, Tuvok agrees to Neelix's suggestion. Upon arriving at the base of the tether, which is three hundred kilometers long, the party discovers a woman who has been taking shelter within the broken carriage. She attacks Neelix and threatens his life to drive them out. The group manages to convince her that they do not want to take her supplies and are merely looking at a way to get out. They offer to take her with them, and, eventually, she relents. Meanwhile, on Voyager, Torres is analyzing a sample of the asteroid to follow up on Dr. Vatm's theory that they are artificial. With the ambassador present, Torres finds triadium, an alloy. As Chakotay picks at the rock, he notices it can be broken in half easily. Inside, they find something obviously artificial, a control node for some kind of guidance system, making them suspicious about the nature of this planetary bombardment. On the planet, Neelix and Tuvok manage to get the lights on. Neelix then goes to help Lillias, spending some time to bond with her. Tuvok reminds him, in an authoritative tone, that he's taking too much time with idle conversation. Neelix, bothered by that, then concentrates on work. After a while, the whole group is hard at work and manage to get only the majority of the systems online when they see that Dr. Vatm attempts to initiate a premature launch. This forces everyone to get in the carriage. Tuvok subdues Vatm, but it's too late. To escape the collapse of the whole cavern they have to launch the carriage. The carriage is on its way, with Neelix monitoring its erratic status. The magnetic cohesion is lost, and Neelix hypothesizes they need more power to the tether couplings. Tuvok is able to do it, and the carriage stabilizes at 47 kph. Then, Tuvok sees an oxygen converter has ruptured, so the other needs to be boosted. On Tuvok's questioning, Neelix continues to mention "glitches" that they will need to address: Neelix must manually guide the ascent, and there are small fissures in the hull which will drop the atmospheric pressure in the cabin. Unfortunately, he can't remember where the emergency containment grid is, prompting Tuvok to challenge his knowledge. Neelix admits he didn't actually work on real carriages, but models which had the same components on a small scale. Their conversation is cut short when Lillias is heard dragging Dr. Vatm to the door to throw him out. Tuvok stops her and asks why Dr. Vatm launched the carriage when he did. Dr. Vatm, who stays silent even as Tuvok suggests it's related to his discovery. As a result, a violent situation erupts when Hanjuan insists that Vatm be thrown out if he doesn't talk. It's barely contained at the last minute by Tuvok, who is realizing the mechanical issues are not the only ones they'll have on this journey. Voyager discovers that a large asteroid is about to hit the planet within two hours, unfortunately, Thomas Paris's team cannot find Tuvok and Dr. Vatm. Meanwhile, back on the tether, the group (except Tuvok) is beginning to suffer from carbon dioxide poisoning. Tuvok gives them tri-ox compound to help, but Neelix notes Tuvok may become the only one awake to drive the carriage. As he shows him the controls, Dr. Vatm suddenly tries to open the door to get outside, managing to mumble that something is on the roof and that he needs to get out there to get it before he goes into shock and dies. When Tuvok examines him, he concludes that it was murder. Tuvok says he found traces of lydroxide, the coolant used for the tether couplings and poisonous, in Vatm's water container. Since the coolant tanks are sealed, someone must have opened them, meaning someone on board is the killer. While bickering and blaming each other, Neelix suggests stopping the carriage. He insists that they go look on the roof to check Vatm's motive for wanting to climb up there; he says he has a "gut feeling" about there being something. Tuvok disagrees, believing that what Vatm said was just some foolish, delusional mumbling as a result of oxygen deprivation. Neelix insists however, that they go up and check this out. When Tuvok refuses to further hear him out, Neelix voices his anger at Tuvok's arrogance. He tells Tuvok that he is filled with contempt and sarcasm and that he is tired of being the target of his hostility. Neelix tells him that he is condescending and dismissive. He says that even though he admires Tuvok's logic and intelligence, he also thinks that he doesn't really understand people. When Tuvok insists that Neelix is wrong, Neelix stops the car and says it will go no higher until someone checks the roof. Tuvok eventually goes and when he reaches the top, he finds an alien datapad with information on it. As he is examining it, Sklar climbs up to the roof as well, after having just fought off Neelix and making him fall from the ladder to the hatch. He fights with Tuvok, getting his phaser and pushing him off the roof. He grabbed part of the carriage as he fell, however, he's dangling. Sklar climbs back down, and threatens everyone else to get the carriage moving again but no one can because Neelix is the only one who knows how. Seeing Neelix too hurt to respond, he goes to see if they can figure it out for themselves. Meanwhile, Voyager sees an alien ship that claims this planet for themselves and fires on it. Fortunately, Neelix sees Tuvok through the window of the door and lets him in as Sklar is distracted. The wind throws everyone off balance when he lets Tuvok in. Sklar is then blown out of the cabin during a struggle with Tuvok. After diagnosing Neelix with a concussion, Tuvok thanks Neelix for opening the door and talks Neelix into finding the strength to get the carriage past the ionosphere. They then contact Voyager, are beamed aboard and, with the information on the PADD, defeat the attacking aliens. Later in the mess hall on board Voyager, Neelix reveals to Lillias that Vatm believed there was a traitor among the Nezu. He tells her that the people who attacked their colonies call themselves the Etanian Order: they create what appears to be a natural disaster and once the population has been evacuated, they arrive and stake their claim. Dr. Vatm had found out about the Etanian Order and also knew that one of their own people was a traitor; he just didn't know it was Sklar and thus whom to trust. Tuvok then comes in, saying that Lillias is ready to return to the planet. She gives Neelix a kiss before leaving. Tuvok tells Neelix that he is giving him a special commendation for his endurance and bravery. At the same time, however, he tells him that one day his intuition will fail and then he will have to accept that logic is primary above all else. Neelix, on the other hand, says that one day, he will get Tuvok to trust his gut. Tuvok says that he highly doubts this, upon which Neelix amusingly responds that Tuvok always wants to have the last word and just seems to hate to lose an argument. Somewhat annoyed, Tuvok insists that he is mistaken -- having the last word once more. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay suggests using a trinary star system as a focal map point for the sector the USS Voyager is passing through. Ensign Harry Kim asks if Voyager had been to this system before, only to have Tuvok suggest that he was experiencing a paradoxical state dependent associative phenomenon, or as Captain Janeway puts it, deja vu. When Voyager encounters an alien ship they have never seen before (the Nasari ship Nerada), Kim instinctively transfers tactical control to his station. Though the Nasari show no apparent hostile intent, Kim raises Voyager's shields and fires phasers without orders, claiming that the alien vessel is charging weapons. Voyager takes heavy damage in defending itself from the Nasari vessel, forcing them to withdraw. Janeway demands Kim explain his actions, and Harry tells her that he just knew the Nasari were going to attack. Tuvok says he detected nothing but a tetryon surge coming from their ship, and points out that there could be any number of explanations for that. Kim is suspended from duty, and shadowed by a security guard, pending investigation of his overtly-hostile actions. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres was severely injured during the attack in engineering and is brought to sickbay. Kim then goes to sickbay on Captain Janeway's orders to look at a cut on his forehead and to watch The Doctor and Kes treating Torres' injuries. He feels extremely guilty over his actions and Kes comforts him, telling him that what's done is done and that he cannot change that fact. During the night, Kim has a strange dream while asleep in his quarters and when he awakens, he goes to his bathroom to find he has a strange rash all over his face. In sickbay, The Doctor scans Kim with his medical tricorder and cannot find an initial cause. However, when Kim remembers dreaming about Mendakan pox he had as a child and suggests a possible connection, The Doctor sarcastically tells the ensign he will note it. Fortunately, Torres then wakes up and is all right. Kim reports to the captain's ready room and admits fault about starting the last engagement. Janeway reveals that he was right about the Nasari ship charging weapons, and they would have caught Voyager with her shields down had he not acted. The question now is how did Harry know they were going to attack. Kim can only say this part of space has become increasingly familiar. Tuvok suddenly alerts Janeway that there are three Nasari ships approaching them. Kim immediately has a star chart pulled up on one of Voyager's computers at the ship's conn and convinces Janeway to set a course to a nearby system. Upon arriving, Kim sees a planet and knows its name is Taresia. Prior to being attacked by the Nasari, Voyager is defended by an unknown ship which forces the Nasari vessels to retreat. Voyager answers a hail from the unknown ship which is from Taresia. The woman communicating with Voyager from the Taresian ship recognizes Harry as a Taresian and welcomes him home. Kim, Janeway, Tuvok, and Paris beam down to Taresia. The Taresians tell a shocking story of how Kim was implanted with their DNA at birth. When he was an embryo, he was put in stasis and taken to Earth, where he was implanted in the womb of a Human woman, his mother. After the implantation process, Kim began to incorporate DNA from his surrogate parent, so he developed as a Human. Tuvok asks if all of their children are born to alien parents. Lyris tells him yes, and that each child that returns to their homeworld brings an infusion of genetic material as well as firsthand information of alien species. After this revelation, Kim decides to stay with the Taresians, at least temporarily, to learn more about his newfound species and himself. Voyager leaves orbit to attempt negotations with the Nasari. They learn from the Nasari, Alben, that the Taresian males who return to Taresia never leave, but, oddly, provides no more information and promises to fire if they do manage to get Kim back. Voyager returns to Taresia where they find a protective polaron grid encircling the planet which also blocks communications. "I guess we're not welcome anymore", Chakotay tells Janeway. Kim participates in the joining (marriage) ceremony of another male Taresian, Taymon, where he is joined (married) to three women. Eliann tells Kim that he will remember how to perform the ceremony with everyone else as soon as it begins. After the ceremony is over, Kim tries to contact Voyager through his combadge but is unsuccessful. Lyris tells him the ship may still be conducting negotiations with the Nasari and therefore delayed. She encourages him to join the wedding celebration while he waits. Back on Voyager, Janeway and Chakotay walk down a corridor towards sickbay. Chakotay announces to the captain that the crew has been able to poke some holes in the tachyon grid, but Voyager is too big to go through. Janeway asks if a shuttle could, but Chakotay doubts it. Even if it could, a powerful Taresian vessel patrols the other side. Upon entering sickbay, The Doctor meets with the captain and first officer in his office to inform them that he discovered something about Kim's Taresian DNA: it was implanted, possibly by a retrovirus. The Doctor confirms that Kim is fully Human but warns them that the alien DNA from is beginning to alter his genetic structure; in a few days he will be indistinguishable from a Taresian. The Doctor reviewed the transporter biofilter logs and found that the alien DNA made its first appearance on stardate 50698. Chakotay remembers that was the date of the away mission on the planet where Vorillium was found. The Taresian's whole story was a lie but Janeway wonders why the Taresians would go to so much trouble to lure Kim to their planet. Meanwhile, on Taresia, Kim is led to his quarters by Eliann. She tells him to lie on his bed and relax. "Lekaria san", she tells him. She asks if he understands the Taresian word. "Pleasant dreams", he replies. She asks him to close his eyes while she applies the essence of rikka flowers to Kim, something very soothing. Kim kisses Eliann and promptly falls asleep. However, Kim begins experiencing some more strange dreams, of Taresian women welcoming him home, of Janeway and Chakotay on Voyager's bridge, telling him how lucky they've been to have him and how special he has been all his life. His mother appears and tells him he knows where his real home is. Suddenly, Eliann appears and asks him to stay with her as they begin to kiss passionately. Doubt begins to creep up on Kim after waking up to two very interested Taresian females, Eliann and Rinna. They try to reassure him but their attempts to do so instead make him outright suspicious. Kim ties up Eliann and knocks out Rinna so he can escape. Kim makes it to Taymon's quarters to try to free him as well. When he enters, he finds Taymon's corpse in bed. One of Taymon's wives, Malia, enters the quarters and Kim overpowers her. He learns what The Doctor discovered and that the Taresian reproductive process is deadly to the male, meaning that more males have to be repeatedly harvested from space due to the high female population. Taymon's other two wives enter the quarters. Kim throws Malia at them to continue his escape and they all fall onto Taymon's bed. Voyager finally finds a way to get inside the polaron grid and beams Kim up as he is surrounded by more Taresian women who try to forcibly have him joined, armed with their staffs. When Voyager leaves the system, a Taresian ship fires at Voyager when three Nasari ships appear and also fire at Voyager and the Taresian ship. The Nasari later concentrate their fire on the Taresian ship allowing Voyager to leave. Kim meets with Neelix and Lieutenant Paris at the mess hall where he tells the Talaxian the story of Odysseus and the call of the sirens, a tale strikingly similar to the situation he just found himself in. The captain of ancient ships ordered the crew to block their ears in order not to be seduced by the singing of the sirens. The sirens would cause the ships to crash, marooning the crew. Neelix says he's glad Kim is back aboard but admits he misses the spots Kim had. Kim tells Paris that he wished he was more like Paris with women. Paris states he has tried to be like Kim since he joined the crew of Voyager. Paris puts his hand on Kim's shoulder as he tells the young man he is "reliable, hard working, extremely punctual. Did I mention polite?" "Thanks a lot", Kim replies. 
<EOS>
A blur slowly transforms itself into a view of sickbay on the USS Voyager from a lying position, with a hairy-headed doctor known as Dr. van Gogh standing over. The year is 2379 and Kes has nearly reached the end of her lifespan. A young Ocampan boy approaches her, giving her a present that he apologizes for delivering so late. Kes has no idea what the boy is talking about or who he is but before she can do anything, she begins to get cold and a blinding flash hits her. After the flash subsides, she finds herself in her quarters, lying in her bed. Hearing voices while in her bed, she gets up and walks into her room, where she finds a young woman and the boy she saw earlier there. The young woman is wearing a blue sciences division Starfleet uniform and identifies herself as Linnis, and the young boy as Andrew, her grandson. Andrew is startled when she comes in, because he is still working on her birthday present and does not want her to see. She starts to explain her dream to Andrew, but Linnis decides they should go to sickbay. On the way to sickbay, Kes finds out that Linnis is her daughter. When they arrive in sickbay the doctor discovers that over 98% of her memory engrams have been lost. The Doctor is in the process of perfecting a device he invented that he believes will extend her lifespan for at least another year. Tom Paris and Harry Kim arrive in sickbay. Confused as to what is going on, she just tries to explain, despite her situation being dismissed as being part of the morilogium, when another flash appears and she suddenly finds herself in the mess hall. It is now Kes' ninth birthday party and everyone is singing "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" to her. Neelix, wearing an operations division gold Starfleet uniform, comes out from behind the galley with a Jimbalian fudge cake with candles on it. Kes smiles a little, but it's clear she's even more confused. Startled, she blows out her candles, and Tom kisses her on the forehead. She runs into Andrew, who apologizes because he doesn't have a present for her yet. She approaches The Doctor and tells him her situation with the but The Doctor is amazed when she mentions the bio-temporal chamber, because he had just come up with the idea that morning and had meant to tell her about it as a birthday surprise. Captain Chakotay checks in on Kes in sickbay, wondering what is happening to her, as are Paris and Kim. This time she has lost 95% of her memory presumably because she is retaining her memory of the original future events. Kes explains that she at first remembers Andrew giving her a belated birthday present, then later Andrew working on that same present and then just recently Andrew apologizing for not starting on her present. Chakotay surmises that there must be a time paradox at work, while The Doctor believes that Kes must have developed a form of precognition that allows her to see future events that have not yet happened. Chakotay decides that he and Paris will scan for any temporal anomalies that may be causing Kes to experience these events. Sometime later, Paris meets Kes in their quarters where they go through Voyager's computer records. He reminisces about their life together as man and wife, which Kes cannot remember much to Paris' sorrow. Going through her records, she finds an incident on stardate 50973, where a fragment of a chroniton torpedo, used by a race called the Krenim, leaked radiation through the hull of Voyager, irradiating the entire crew with chroniton radiation. This was what Paris had called the beginning of the Year of Hell. Kes also learns during this period that Captain Kathryn Janeway, assistant chief engineer Joseph Carey, and chief engineer B'Elanna Torres died in this attack. Paris had a sense that the chroniton radiation may have something to do with Kes' current situation. But before they can make progress on it, Kes again experiences a shift through time -- back to her quarters, holding an infant, Andrew, her new grandson. Harry Kim, the father, takes a photo of Kes with her granddaughter and he and Paris discuss the strangeness of he being Paris' son-in-law and Paris being a grandfather. After asking Kim for the current stardate, she leaves her quarters for sickbay. Now thoroughly perplexed, she runs straight to The Doctor, to whom she must again describe her dilemma, using the information she had gleaned from her previous jumps through time. The Doctor says he inoculated the entire crew against the radiation but maybe the bio-temporal chamber reactivated the dormant chroniton particles in Kes' body and started her backward trip through time. Unfortunately, the Doctor says she could jump back even to a time when she didn't exist. Now it's stardate 55836.2. The crew gets Kes to sickbay, where The Doctor creates a force field that might keep Kes in temporal sync with them, but it fails and Kes jumps back again -- to a Type 8 shuttlecraft, where she is giving birth to Linnis. After Paris assists in the successful delivery of their child, Kes and Paris go back to Voyager but then the ship comes under attack. After the attack is over, Kes sits on a cot in the mess hall, while Captain Chakotay tries to understand what is happening. Before anyone can do anything, she begins to shift, and Kes reverts back to -- the first Krenim attack. This time she is on the holodeck in the Paxau Resort holoprogram and she begins talking to Paris. Before she can get very far with what is wrong with her, B'Elanna Torres arrives and she and Paris exchange a kiss. Kes quickly realizes that this is B'Elanna Torres but then the ship comes under attack. Kes goes to the bridge and realizes that this is the Krenim she had been worried about. When she figures out who Captain Janeway was, Kes gives her information about the torpedoes being in a state of temporal flux and being able to pass through the shields. Suddenly, the ship is rocked by a torpedo and the bridge's engineering station explodes, killing Janeway and Torres. With The Doctor offline due to the attack, she goes to where the fragment of a chroniton torpedo was lodged in a Jefferies tube to find out the exact temporal variance frequency of the missile, inadvertently exposing herself to the chroniton radiation. She smiles as she finds the exact frequency -- 1.47 microseconds -- before she passes out in the tube and reverts yet again -- to the present time period, 2373. Once here, she tells Janeway about the Krenim in the future, then informs The Doctor that he needs to create a bio-temporal chamber to purge her system of the chroniton particles. If he is successful, her jumps will stop. He creates it, and places her in it, having Torres bombard Kes with anti-chroniton particles. As her chroniton count begins to drop, she experiences another jump -- and arrives on her first day on Voyager. Her meeting with Janeway in the captain's ready room goes awry as she explains that she doesn't belong here, before another rapid jump takes her back to one year old -- below Ocampa's surface when she was a young girl. Kes tries to tell her father about her eventual destiny of leaving for the surface of Ocampa and joining the crew of Voyager, but he assumes she's just fantasizing about exploration. In 2373, her chroniton count is almost gone. Kes jumps back to the day she was born. She then becomes a fetus, then a simple egg cell and finally vanishes completely. But just as she does so, she reappears as an egg cell, then rapidly matures into a fetus, is born to her mother and then her final flash transports her back to 2373, where The Doctor tells her he has purged her chroniton count completely and she is a healthy three years and two months old. On the holodeck in the resort holoprogram, Voyager's senior staff pushes Kes to tell them about the future but Tuvok rightfully points out that what Kes experienced was only one possible future, as her actions at each point in time likely altered the future. Kes does promise to write a report to give Captain Janeway all her information on the Krenim but decides to keep the rest to herself. When she leaves the holodeck to begin writing it, Janeway tells her she does not have to do it this very moment. "If there's one thing that this experience has taught me, captain, is that there's no time like the present", Kes says while the crew laughs. 
<EOS>
The setting is a modern Human home where everything is spotlessly clean and neatly arranged. Charlene, Jeffrey, and Belle hurry downstairs in unison and line up next to the front door. Charlene checks that her children's fingernails are clean and their shoes polished. Belle asks to greet her father first because she thinks Jeffrey always gets the honor, but Jeffrey reminds Belle that she went first yesterday. Charlene cheerily tells the children to get along. Politely, Jeffrey apologizes to Belle, who concedes that it is Jeffrey's turn. Charlene seems excited and the three of them stand at attention as the man of the house approaches. The Doctor turns a corner, a cup of coffee in one hand and a briefcase in the other, and compliments Charlene on the quality of the coffee. Charlene tells him she replicated a new blend from Paksor III and she seems pleased to hear he enjoyed it. The Doctor kisses her on the cheek and informs her he will be home at the usual time. Everything seems to be in order as Charlene reminds her husband not to overwork himself, Jeffrey promises to have his homework done by the time The Doctor returns from work, and Belle assures The Doctor she will receive an A on her history test. She adds that she'd like to do some algebra problems with him if he has the time. Finally, Charlene reminds The Doctor to invite some of his friends from work for dinner, as she wants to meet them before she and the children say goodbye to The Doctor. In sickbay, Kes stands at a terminal as The Doctor materializes, a satisfied look upon his face. Kes asks what The Doctor's new holo-family is like, and he confidently informs her it is everything he could have hoped for. When USS Voyager reaches the rendezvous where it was scheduled to meet with the Vostigye, the crew finds nothing but debris and all sixty Vostigye scientists appear to have died. There is evidence of energy discharges, although it is possible the assailants used non-traditional weapons. Ensign Kim notes a strange subspace signal leading away from the station, so Captain Janeway decides to follow it. The Doctor sits in sickbay with Lieutenant Torres, who has just performed a diagnostic to ensure that his recent tinkering with his program doesn't interfere with his systems. The Doctor and Kes tell Torres of his new holographic family, which he found surprisingly easy to manage despite what he has heard about families being difficult. Both Torres and Kes express interest in meeting his new family, so he invites them over for dinner. At dinner, Charlene informs Torres and Kes that she took a course in continental cuisine so she could replicate new and interesting foods for Kenneth (The Doctor's name in the program). Kes tries to be polite and goes along with the program, but Torres grows increasingly impatient as the conversation continues. When Charlene, Belle, and Jeffrey cheerily describe Kenneth as the best husband and father in the quadrant, Torres stops the program. The Doctor is confused, as he sees nothing wrong with the program, but Torres informs him that his family is nothing like a real family. Describing The Doctor's wife and children as lollipops, she explains that he won't learn anything from spending time in a fantasy world with a perfect family. However, she offers to help him make them more realistic. Meanwhile, Tom Paris announces that the signal Voyager has been following has thinned out. There are no signs of starships or life signs, but there is an increasingly large subspace disruption, so Janeway puts the ship on red alert. A massive energy wave anomaly emerges from subspace as Voyager attempts to back away. The anomaly emits some sort of shock wave and bears down on Voyager as Paris announces that the ship's engines have failed. Janeway and the rest of the crew brace for impact and arm the ship's phasers only to see the anomaly disappear seconds later. The crew is in shock until Commander Chakotay speaks up. "I'm not afraid to say it, I've never seen anything like that before." Once the anomaly has dissipated, Janeway decides to investigate it further. Chakotay informs her that according to his readings it was an astral eddy that formed at the confluence of space and subspace. They prepare to anticipate the next such occurrence. Back in sickbay, Kes seems cautious about the randomized behavioral algorithms that Torres has added to The Doctor's family program. However, he doesn't anticipate any problems he can't handle, as he has been programmed with a full database of pediatric care and childhood development and has experience with romantic relationships. He is due home for dinner shortly and transfers himself to the holodeck. Upon entering his holographic home, The Doctor finds his home disorganized with things lying around everywhere, no one to greet him at the door, and a strange series of bangs and other sounds that distantly resemble music coming from elsewhere in the house. Charlene is in a hurry to go somewhere and seems less than interested in his usual stories about his day at work. She is set to speak at the Bolian embassy, and he learns that it is his turn to cook. Belle yells from her room that she can't find her mallet, and Charlene tells her she would have better luck if she cleaned her room. After Charlene leaves, The Doctor attempts to be reasonable with Belle, explaining she would know where it was if she put it in her closet. She whines as she searches the house frantically, late for practice, but they can agree that the music is too loud. The Doctor tells Jeffrey to turn it off, and he all but ignores his father. Two Klingon adolescents, Larg and K'Kath, knock on the door and rudely ask where Jeffrey is; when The Doctor tells them Jeffrey is doing homework and can't see friends, Jeffrey emerges and says something to Larg and K'Kath in Klingonese. They simply walk past The Doctor while he attempts to deal with the temperamental Belle. Paris is in the mess hall, looking for food. Neelix asks if Paris wants any food, but Paris complains about Neelix making the same casserole four days in a row. When Neelix suggests that Paris use the replicator, Paris admits that he's out of rations. Neelix dishes him a plate of the casserole. Paris goes over to sit next to Torres, who is reading a book on a PADD, saying a beautiful woman should never eat alone. He asks what she is reading, and she tries to hide the PADD, saying it's nothing, but Paris manages to grab it and begins reading aloud. The book is a Klingon romance novel called Women Warriors at the River of Blood. In the ensuing conversation, Paris and Torres speak about the Klingon romantic side. The conversation is filled with double entendres and innuendo. Tom borrows the book, saying "Maybe it'll give me some ideas of how to make your heart quicken." Another anomaly appears, and Captain Janeway calls senior officers to the bridge. Paris and Torres exit the turbolift onto the bridge. Captain Janeway asks Paris if he can get the ship close enough to the anomaly to send a probe in. The ship gets a bit of a rough ride. Paris apologizes, saying he's trying to find a way to ride out the graviton waves. Tuvok launches the probe. When the probe hits the anomaly, the ship is shaken worse than before. Paris says that it's kind of fun. Torres disagrees. They begin to receive telemetry from the probe. The anomaly has an interior temperature of nine million Kelvin, exchanges matter between subspace and normal space, and has a perfectly calm eye in the center. Janeway and Torres talk about trying to transport some of the anomaly onto the ship, but the anomaly disappears, taking the probe with it. The probe is still transmitting, and Torres detects some sort of energy, neither in space nor subspace. They then discuss not taking energy from the anomaly, but from its waste. It is decided that Voyager's energy output is too great and would corrupt the plasma. Paris suggests taking a shuttle. Torres points out that Paris will be exposing himself to radiation. Captain Janeway orders Paris to report to sickbay before departing. After injecting Paris with something to provide him with temporary protection from the astral eddy, the talk turns to The Doctor's family. He informs Paris that he has analyzed the situation and come up with a solution. Paris urges caution: a family is not something that can be fixed like a sick patient. The Doctor's plan is to call a family meeting and to dictate new ground rules to each of its members, so that the family will function more harmoniously. The new rules include shifting the schedules of the activities of his wife and daughter, and forbidding his son to see his Klingon friends. Everyone objects to this plan. His wife objects that she was not consulted beforehand and seems to have no input over the family's direction. His daughter objects to a sports team demotion that will be necessitated by the new schedule. His son objects that it is not his father's place to dictate to him what friends he will and will not have -- a point on which his mother agrees. It's also clear that The Doctor has designed the changes in such a way that he alone would be allowed to continue without making any new sacrifices. The meeting collapses, with everyone going their separate ways, and The Doctor has less respect from his family than before. His daughter, however, takes the time to tell him that she still loves him, even if he has made a mess of things. Meanwhile, Paris, inside a shuttlecraft, begins exploring the eddy. He encounters turbulence, and is pulled inside. When the eddy disappears from normal space, so does Paris and the shuttle. Voyager manages to regain contact with the shuttle. Paris is unhurt, but he doesn't know where he and the shuttle have been sent. In sickbay, Kes persuades The Doctor to take the rest of the day off and to 'go home early' to see to the needs of his family. He interrupts his son and his two Klingon friends in the living room. While they pretend otherwise, it is clear that the boys are planning to use a Klingon dagger called a kut'luch, to begin a ceremony involving violence and bloodletting, in preparation for becoming a warrior. Jeffrey's Klingon friends are ordered to leave the family's house, but The Doctor is unable to prevent the situation with his son from escalating. Jeffrey is disgusted with his father's value system and with that of Humanity in general; he intends to become a warrior, and adopt the Klingon way of life. When The Doctor states that Jeffrey needs to live by his father's rules as long as Jeffrey continues living in his father's house, Jeffrey replies, "Then I won't live here," and leaves. Immediately after this incident, he Doctor is contacted by his wife. Their daughter has been injured during a parrises squares competition. At the hospital, The Doctor explains the situation to his wife. Their daughter has suffered severe brain trauma. Despite operating on her for three hours, The Doctor and a colleague are unable to reverse the damage. Charlene won't accept that there is nothing more that can be done. Charlene leaves to get a second opinion. Unable to face the pain involved in Belle's impending death, The Doctor stops the program. Meanwhile, Paris and the Voyager crew determine that Paris' shuttle has been sent to an interfold layer between space and subspace.  Paris and the bridge crew are able to conceive and execute a plan in which Paris rides the eddy back into normal space, where he can be rescued. The shuttle's hull is ruptured and Voyager is damaged by debris along the plasma wave but they manage to rescue an injured Paris and beam him directly to sickbay. As he is treating Paris in sickbay, The Doctor complains bitterly about people who love to take risks regardless of the danger. Paris can see he is upset and The Doctor tells him about his daughter's injury. The Doctor informs the rescued Paris that he, The Doctor, won't be returning to his holodeck family, stating that he couldn't face it. Paris replies that he and the other crewmembers would avoid that kind of pain (of a loved one dying) if they could, but that in real life, they do not have much choice or control over such things. When The Doctor replies that fortunately, he does have the ability to make such choices, Paris asks him whether that really is such a fortunate thing; he goes on to say that The Doctor created the program so he could experience what it's like to have a family -- to experience the good times and bad; however, one cannot have one without the other. Paris points out everyone on Voyager left people behind when they got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, and that everyone has suffered a loss. But, they have found support and friendship with each other, and have become a family, in part because of the pain they have shared. Paris continues by telling The Doctor that if he turns his back on this program, he'll always be stuck at this point; he'll never have the chance to say goodbye to his daughter, or be there for his wife and son when they need him and he'll be cheating himself of the chance to have their love and support. In the long run, says Tom, The Doctor will miss the whole point of what it means to have a family. With this new perspective, The Doctor re-enters the program as his daughter is dying, providing what comfort and calm that he can for her. His wife returns and joins them. Then his son comes in, without his Klingon jewelry, bringing his sister her security blanket from home. The four continue talking until the daughter dies. The wife breaks down sobbing, and the son tries to comfort her. The doctor stands back for a moment, then he and his remaining family members draw closer to one another in their grief. 
<EOS>
With a bat'leth in hand, an enraged B'Elanna Torres storms out of a holodeck, followed closely by Tom Paris. Torres resents the fact that Paris took her to a Klingon training session. She laments Paris' new-found interest in Klingon martial arts, and insists that she is not interested in holographic disembowelment. An argument between the two ensues. Paris calls Torres hostile. At that moment an alien is transported on to USS Voyager. The man appears to be lost and confused. Shocked at the visitor, Paris signals the bridge. The alien appears frightened, and out of place in Voyager's artificial environment. He is brought to sickbay, where he is examined by The Doctor. The alien identifies his species as Nyrian. He claims to have been walking in the street when he was transported aboard. When inquired about how he came aboard Voyager, he described feeling lightheaded, everything around him bending, or rippling, then a curious sensation. They soon realize that at the instant that the Nyrian was transported aboard Voyager, Kes was transported away. Concerned, Captain Janeway orders Kim and Torres to start investigating. There are no indications that a ship could have transported them, and that the closest inhabited system is over ten light years away. Ensign Kim is beamed away a few minutes later, and another Nyrian appears on the bridge. Nyrians are now regularly appearing on Voyager. At a senior staff meeting, it's revealed that in the last three hours, twenty-two people have disappeared, and that in eighteen hours, the entire crew will disappear. Torres explains that what is happening could have been anything, a naturally-occurring phenomenon or a kind of technology. She shows a surge in polaron particles, and a spatial distortion field surround the abductees before they disappear. Chakotay does not feel threatened and considers the Nyrians friendly, but Janeway has a gut feeling that something is wrong about them. Concerned, Janeway has the Nyrians confined to the cargo bays and orders that all non-essential functions are to be shut down. In engineering, Torres has a theory that Voyager has snagged onto a wormhole the moment that it was forming. Soon, Janeway herself is beamed away. With a skeleton crew, Chakotay is left in command. He mans the helm and an ensign has tactical. Neelix is soon abducted while he is on the bridge. Chakotay has all computer interfaces restricted to Starfleet voiceprints only. Torres is working with a Nyrian scientist, conducting a tetryon scan of the area against the scientist's objections. Torres concludes that the anomaly isn't a wormhole, nor is it a subspace flow field. The scientist, Rislan, strikes his security guard and grabs the guard's phaser. He then presses a few buttons on the control panel and says that she has been moved to the front of the line. She is transported to an idyllic version of Earth, along with the missing crewmembers. The Nyrian security guards take her combadge and leave. Torres, Janeway, Kes, and Paris all swap theories on what is going on, and what the Nyrians want. Tuvok reports that the crew is spread across twelve different compounds and at all ends there is an insurmountable barrier, a cliff or a river. Paris says that their paradise has an almost idyllic quality. Crewman Gennaro tells Chakotay that Rislan's guard, Ensign Molina, is unconscious in engineering and that Rislan and Torres are gone. Chakotay runs to the cargo bay to have a talk with the Nyrians. He draws his phaser and jumps into the room in an aggressive posture. The room is empty. He issues a security alert to the remaining twelve crewmen on board. The crew moves to secure engineering and the bridge, but it is futile. The Nyrians storm both stations and easily overpower the personnel there. Chakotay realizes that the Nyrians have planned this all along, so he orders the remaining Voyager crew to sabotage the ship, but they are soon beamed away. Chakotay finds that the Nyrians are trying to delete The Doctor's program and heads to sickbay. Arriving successfully, Chakotay transfers The Doctor to his mobile emitter as the Nyrians corner him. As he surreptitiously pockets the emitter, Chakotay surrenders and he is transported to the surface, allowing the Nyrians to have successfully taken over the ship. Back at the prison compound, a Nyrian woman named Taleen appears and welcomes the Voyager crew to their new home. The Nyrians expand their civilization by gradually switching places with the crews of ships, space stations, and colonies and transport their victims to an artificial environment drawn from the victims' own databases. The Nyrians see themselves as benevolent jailers, but Chakotay remarks that it is still a prison. As soon as Taleen leaves, Janeway begins to plan their escape, theorizing that the entire place is likely to be a holographic projection. An alien named Jarlath appears to welcome the crew, saying he is their new neighbor. Jarlath reveals that there are other environments holding different species and that each environment is tailored to the requirements of its prisoners. Jarlath has found a portal between his environment and the one holding the Voyager crew, and Janeway trades him a couple of baskets of food for the means to locate the portal. That evening, Torres reconfigures the EMH's optical sensors to detect the microwave signature of the portals. She apologizes to Paris but an argument between the two ensues. The Doctor makes comments about the exchanges with psychological analysis until Torres reconfigures the EMH to make The Doctor mute. The EMH discovers a portal that leads into the control area of the prison colony. Janeway, Tuvok, Torres, Paris, and Jarlath enter the control area and split up, carrying home-made phasers improvised by Tuvok. Janeway and Tuvok use a control station terminal and learn that there are 94 different environments, and that they are actually on a ship. Just as they learn more information, an alarm begins to sound. The Nyrians are alerted to their presence outside their environment, and Dammar authorizes Taleen to use force to return the prisoners to their habitats. Dammar also orders Voyager to be taken to the biosphere vessel to reinforce them. With Nyrian guards on their tail, Torres and Paris (minus the anxious Jarlath who surrenders to the Nyrian guards) are trapped inside the corridors of the Nyrian ship. They come to a frigid, snowy habitat and Torres recalls how the Nyrians found Voyager too cold. Assuming that the Nyrians would not want to pursue them, they enter the habitat. Taleen orders her guards to follow them. Using Tuvok's phaser, Torres and Paris manage to stun the guards, but then find themselves lost in the wintry landscape, unable to return to the portal. Meanwhile, Janeway and Tuvok evade capture, and Tuvok uses the Vulcan nerve pinch on a Nyrian guard. They discovers the translocator that the Nyrians used to switch places with the Voyager crew, and attempts to gain command of it. Just as Torres seems about to succumb to the cold, she and Paris find themselves back in the Earth habitat, and Dammar and Rislan find themselves in the icy Argala habitat. Janeway and Tuvok have learned how to use the translocator, and Janeway threatens to relocate all the Nyrians to the Argala habitat unless her crew and all the other prisoners are freed. Faced with death by hypothermia, the Nyrians surrender and relinquish Voyager to Janeway. The alien prisoners are freed, and their native worlds are contacted to take them home. 
<EOS>
B'Elanna Torres looks apprehensive as she walks down the corridor on the ship and approaches the turbolift to report for duty, and even more so as Chakotay joins her casually. Once they are in the turbolift, Chakotay begins asking a series of strange questions pertaining to his dislike for Tuvok and mentions that in fact a lot of the crew are not happy with the chief of security and Captain Janeway for that matter. He wonders whether Torres agrees, stating that there will be some changes around here. It seems a mutiny is in the works. All of the Maquis and 25 of the Starfleet crewmembers are behind him, and he wants to know which side Torres is on once the shooting starts. On the bridge, Torres and the other officers go about their duties, pushing buttons as if they are doing something, when Captain Janeway announces she will be going off in a shuttlecraft with Tom Paris and leaving Chakotay in command of the ship. Chakotay tries to convince the Captain to bring Tuvok with her, without success. The first officer has Harry Kim perform a diagnostic that shuts the transporters down before a pair of security personnel arrive with what Chakotay claims to be the duty roster. As soon as Janeway's shuttle goes to warp, Chakotay tells all hands to begin their plan and commences the takeover, stunning Tuvok and Kim before moving on to the rest of the ship. Torres goes along with his plan. Then there is a surprise: they turn a corner to find Seska. The siege continues through the mess hall -- where Neelix takes their side. With the senior officers in the brig and the rest of the loyal Starfleet personnel held prisoners in an empty cargo bay, Chakotay announces his plan of dropping the senior staff off at the nearest habitable planet and taking USS Voyager straight home -- this time without letting mighty Starfleet principles get in the way. He offers the remaining crew the chance to join him, when suddenly Paris enters the cargo bay and asks Torres what's going on. It is then revealed that this has all been a holo-program depicting a Maquis mutiny. Torres tells Paris that she was doing a routine purge of the database to get rid of old files when she came across this holonovel, telling Paris that its a very compelling story. Paris asks who wrote it, and Torres admits she doesn't know as the author has encrypted the program to protect his or her identity, presumably due to the controversial plot. Torres and Paris discuss reporting the program to Captain Janeway, but decide it best if they get a full report, so Paris has a go with the program. During Paris' run, he walks down the corridor wearing an operations division gold uniform. Chakotay approaches Paris the same way he approached Torres, and knowing what will happen, Paris eagerly goes along with the plan. When it is time for Chakotay's mutiny, Paris attempts to warn Tuvok, but it is too late; once again, Tuvok and Kim are shot, but this time Paris joins them and the other loyal Starfleet officers in the brig. There, Paris grows impatient with simply waiting around, but Tuvok insists that they wait for an opportunity to overpower the enemy. Chakotay eventually comes along to take everyone but Tuvok and Kim to cargo bay one. There he gives the same speech as before, when Torres ran the holonovel, which inspires Paris to join him. Paris and Torres now discuss the holonovel eagerly in the mess hall, and Paris reveals that his constant switching loyalties has apparently caused Chakotay to assign him to menial tasks. Torres advises him to go along with the mutiny from the start, since that is a lot more fun to play out. As they talk about plans of attack, Neelix wanders by and reveals that he too has played the program, and describes his own strategy; he tried to send a secret message to Janeway and Paris's shuttle, but was caught by Chakotay. It seems Torres told The Doctor, who told Neelix, who promises his lips are sealed; but as he speaks, Kim shows up asking them about the holonovel Ayala told him about. Paris and the mutineers are on the bridge again, out of uniform and in control despite problems with the warp core likely the result of a saboteur. As Janeway and the holographic Paris return in their shuttle, she has a chilly reunion with Chakotay, who genuinely does not want to hurt anyone. However, she attacks Voyager head-on and beams aboard with Paris as it opens fire to destroy her shuttle. Chakotay and Paris take the turbolift to the brig, where Janeway and her former first officer shoot one another before Paris comes face-to-face with himself. Paris and his holographic counterpart have each other at phaser point when suddenly the program shuts down leaving only an empty holodeck. Paris tries to resume the program but fails, as the computer explains no more story has been written so cannot continue. Paris is left very frustrated at the lack of conclusion. In the holodeck, Torres and Paris try to access information on the author of the holonovel from the computer. Despite Torres' knowledge of computers and Neelix's gift of gab, no one is able to find the mysterious author of the holonovel. Janeway brings it up at the next staff meeting, by which time the program has been accessed 47 times by 33 different crew members. Of course, everyone present has tried it (save Janeway and Chakotay), but no one knows who made it, so she tells them to talk to their respective staff and find the author. However, Tuvok reveals that in fact it was he himself who wrote the program, albeit not as a novel but more as a tactical training exercise for his security personnel in the event of a mutiny. He explains that he wrote the program when the Maquis crew had just joined the Voyager crew and when the possibility of a mutiny was very real. But when the two crews began to successfully work together, he realized that the threat of an insurrection was increasingly unlikely and the program might have ended up inciting ill feeling between the crews and and therefore deleted it -- until Torres recovered the file. Paris asks if Tuvok intends to continue, but Tuvok instead wishes to permanently delete it since he still feels it could cause discontent between the Starfleet and Maquis crews and expects Janeway to agree. However, contrary to his expectations, Janeway tells him to 'loosen up'. She tells him that while he may have intended it to be for tactical training it is clearly become some harmless fun, and stresses the need for original sources of entertainment now that they are so far away from home. Paris volunteers to write an ending, and Janeway jokes that she is excited to see how her character will manage to outwit the mutineers. Tuvok finds Paris in the mess hall, working diligently on an ending for the novel. When he suggests helping him craft the novel with some level of organization and logical application, Paris casually states that he doesn't need any help in that regard as he is sort of making it up as he goes along. He tells Tuvok that in his version, Paris and Janeway retake the ship and Janeway decides to execute all the conspirators. Tuvok objects that this is a completely implausible plot development, since Captain Janeway would never do something so inhumane. But Paris laughs his objections off, saying that this wasn't real life but just fiction. Tuvok reiterates the importance of applying logic when writing stories and characters, citing the Vulcan Dictates of Poetics, which state that a character's actions must flow, inexorably, from his or her established traits. But again, Paris laughs off Tuvok's insistence on logical application and in fact finds his own interpretation of things more fun. The two continue butting heads over the Dictates of Poetics versus pure fun until Torres and Neelix each drop by to offer suggestions. Much to Tuvok's annoyance and objections that this wasn't a romance novel, Torres wants to see some passion and heart in the story. Paris suggests adding a passionate scene between the Starfleet conn officer and the Maquis engineer. Neelix, on the other hand -- while not making any plot suggestions -- tells Tuvok that he was completely misportrayed as he would would never betray Captain Janeway like the holographic Neelix did. Paris jokes that Tuvok must have forgotten to follow the Dictates of Poetics, at which point Tuvok suggests that it might be best to move their work to some place more quiet. The two go to the holodeck, where they find The Doctor waiting with his own set of suggestions. Once Tuvok gets rid of The Doctor, Paris tries to get rid of Tuvok, only for Tuvok to reveal he is the only person who can make alterations to the program. Paris concedes defeat and agrees to let Tuvok finish the program with him. Tuvok prepares the holonovel for additions and has the holodeck open the narrative parameters file of the program. Suddenly, the hologrid begins to glitch while the transporters on Voyager shut down, the comm system goes off-line, and the holodeck controls become scrambled. The holodeck safety protocols are also disengaged. Tuvok and Paris suddenly appear in the brig, face-to-face with none other than Seska. It seems the Cardassian spy found Tuvok's program some time ago and rewrote it so the ending will be not-so-happy for its participants. Seska tells a confused Tuvok and Paris that they have ten seconds to run for their lives or she will shoot them with a phaser. Tuvok tries to disable the holodeck program and contact help, but to no avail. Seeing no other alternative, Tuvok and Paris run from the brig where they encounter Captain Janeway, who they almost immediately recognize as being holographic. Janeway asks them to help her retake the ship by transporting into the cargo bay. Tuvok thinks that they shouldn't participate in the scenario, as it presents the least possible risk. After all, Seska may have programmed the holographic Janeway to betray them. Janeway configures the transporter and tells Tuvok and Paris to go when Chakotay and Seska appear at the door. Janeway defends herself with a phaser rifle, but it malfunctions and she is killed. Seska then tells Tuvok and Paris to run. Paris tells Seska that none of the simulation is real, including the holographic Chakotay who is attracted to her. She gets angry and has Chakotay shoot Paris' arm with a phaser, removing any doubt that safety protocols on the holodeck had been disabled. Tuvok and Paris run once again. They enter sickbay to try to treat Paris' phaser wounds. The Doctor appears and says he's going to treat Paris' second-degree phaser burns, but he uses a hypospray to inject twenty ccs of nitric acid into his arm. Tuvok tries to help Paris, but The Doctor grabs him and starts to choke him. The Doctor's arms are the only part of him that are solid, so any attempts to hurt The Doctor are unsuccessful. Once The Doctor is finished treating them, he throws Tuvok and Paris out. On the bridge, the real Captain Janeway asks for information on Seska's modifications to the holodeck program. It turns out that on stardate 48671, a month before she left Voyager, Seska found the program and modified it. She triggered her modifications to activate when Tuvok re-opened the narrative parameters file. To make matters worse, Seska put in various booby trap subroutines to prevent the crew from helping Tuvok and keeping him trapped on the holodeck. For example, if the holodeck doors are forced open, the holodeck will explode. Janeway gets an idea to help. perhaps she could modify the program by co-writing it in a manner that would ultimately help Tuvok and Paris. Inside the holodeck, Tuvok and Paris are traveling through a Jefferies tube where they encounter a plasma fire behind a door. Tuvok isn't able to close the door, but all of the sudden a plasma extinguisher appears. Paris extinguishes the fire and crawls down to the next deck. Tuvok and Paris realize they are being helped from the outside, however Janeway is only able to make minor changes. A display appears telling them to go to the weapon's locker for additional help. When they reach the locker, however, Chakotay and a group of Maquis appear, and Paris and Tuvok are captured. Janeway, outside the holodeck, learns that Seska had programmed the holodeck to adapt to any changes that were made to it. In engineering, Janeway and Torres are re-writing the program to help Paris and Tuvok. Harry Kim reports that the altered program has burned out the transporter access relays, so they can't simply beam them out of the holodeck for the time being. Meanwhile, in the holographic cargo bay, Seska tries to have Tuvok and Paris killed, but Janeway alters the Chakotay hologram character to prevent him from cold-bloodedly murdering the two. Angrily, Seska kills Chakotay to prevent any interference in her plans. Undeterred, Janeway decides another way to modify the program: she rewrites it to include a Rukani attack. Tuvok and Paris are able to take the weapons from the crew during the attack. Seska refuses to give up and activates a sixty-second auto-destruct, which would destroy the holodeck and everyone on it in the process. Tuvok tells Seska that he set his phaser rifle to kill and he will fire if she does not disable the auto-destruct. Seska refuses and demands that he hand over the phaser rifle to her. Tuvok does so, and Seska deactivates the self-destruct. She then turns the phaser rifle on Tuvok and Paris, intent on killing them. However, the weapon malfunctions, killing Seska. Tuvok reveals that he had reconfigured the rifle to malfunction in the same way it had for the holographic Janeway in the transporter room. With the holographic Seska dead, the story has come to an end and the simulation finally shuts down. Kim reports that the transporters have been brought back online, but Janeway assures him that there is no rush. The senior staff is having a discussion in the mess hall about holo-novels. Chakotay says that he looks forward to the next one, just as long as in whatever they write next, he is not the bad guy. Neelix suggests a story about a cook on a starship, similar to his own life. Tuvok says that if they decide to collaborate on a new holo-novel, they will choose a subject much less close to home. 
<EOS>
The Borg cube races away from the destruction wreaked upon the assimilated system by Species 8472, still with USS Voyager in the grip of its tractor beam. On the bridge of Voyager, with Captain Kathryn Janeway on the cube, Commander Chakotay is in command. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, standing in at operations for the incapacitated Ensign Harry Kim, reports that the cube's shields are down; she has a transporter lock on the captain. Chakotay orders her to beam her back and break them free of the tractor beam. To Tuvok he orders weapons be made ready. However, Torres is unable to beam Janeway back to Voyager as the cube adapts to the transport attempts. Tuvok reports a hail from the cube. Chakotay orders it be put on screen. Captain Janeway's face appears. She orders Chakotay to cease the transporter attempts. She then announces that she has made the deal with the collective. Tom Paris confirms that the cube has altered course for the Alpha Quadrant. Janeway says this is part of the accord, they will work on the weapon en route. Chakotay dubiously inquires as to how this arrangement is going to begin. Janeway responds that she will work with the Borg on the cube, since they have technology that will make the job progress faster. Chakotay strongly suggests she return to Voyager. But Janeway is adamant that she will work on the cube, as the accord dictates. Chakotay then suggests that at least the cube can release them as Voyager can keep up with it without a leash. Janeway says she will propose it and then orders Tuvok to join her. With a final, firm look at Chakotay, she insists to him they will make this work and the communication ends. Chakotay, still against the very notion of an alliance with the Borg, tersely orders Tuvok to join the Captain. In sickbay, The Doctor has finished preparing the treatment for Ensign Kim. He shows Chakotay ten million Borg nanoprobes he has modified to destroy the Species 8472 cells. With Chakotay looking on, he injects them into Kim. They are immediately successful; the area around the injection site turns from the horrid, deformed mass that covers the rest of Kim's face, neck and shoulders to mottled Borg-gray as the nanoprobes spread out, and finally reverts to normal Human skin. Chakotay, Kes, and The Doctor are quietly elated. Chakotay congratulates The Doctor and instructs that he be informed when Kim is fit for duty. As he moves to leave, however, The Doctor stops him and voices his concern about the alliance; a medical treatment is a long way from a weapon of war. Chakotay makes no display of his opinion, simply telling him to leave it to the captain, and reminds him to keep all the information about the nanoprobes stored in his holo-matrix. The Doctor agrees and notes he will delete himself at the first sign of trouble -- "well, maybe not the first sign," he jokingly says. Chakotay, in no joking mood over the current crisis, walks away. Returning to the bridge, Chakotay gets a status report from Torres: Tuvok has transported onto the cube, the cube's tractor beam still has them, and its shields are regenerating. Chakotay orders constant transporter locks on the Captain and Tuvok. Torres begins to respond that she cannot do so, as the Borg will just match their frequencies, but Chakotay angrily cuts her off, snapping at her not to tell him what cannot be done. "Just find a way to get our people out of there if we have to," he orders sharply. She blanches and redoubles her efforts. The ship is suddenly shaken, and Paris reports the cube's tractor beam has been cut. He comments that the Borg, unbelievably, are actually honoring the accord. In sickbay, Kes is standing at a wall console, working. Suddenly she thinks she sees something. Wheeling round, she stares round at the empty room and takes a few tentative steps forward. Then she sees an 8472 charging directly at her. She screams, a high, keening cry that brings The Doctor running out from his office. He finds her crouched against a wall, shivering in terror. He immediately scrunches at her side, hands protectively on her shoulder, asking her what is wrong. She stares at him wide-eyed. "They're watching us," she gasps. On the cube, Janeway and Tuvok are led, rather roughly, to an area at the cube's center. Tuvok shows her information on the 8472 vessel they had encountered back in the carnage of Borg cubes. A cross-reference with The Doctor's research makes it clear that the aliens and their ships are made of the same biological material. They arrive at their destination and a drone blocks them from going any further. The Collective orders them to proceed. Janeway reveals the information given to her by Tuvok, and suggests that this means the alien ships would be susceptible to The Doctor's modified nanoprobes. She is suggesting, as a course of action, the development of a delivery system for the nanoprobes against the aliens' ships when, suddenly, two drones force them to their knees and proceed to attach devices to their necks. They demand to know what the drones are doing. The Collective tells them they will receive temporary neural transceivers, so that they can work with it as one mind. Janeway fervently disagrees with the idea. But the collective is not interested in her approval; it calls their primitive method of communication inefficient. Janeway suggests it choose a representative to speak for it, as it once chose Jean-Luc Picard to speak for it as Locutus. In fact, she does more than suggest; she demands it accept the idea or she will terminate the accord. It considers and does accept. A door opens, leading to a short, dimly-lit corridor. At the end, a drone disconnects from its alcove. It walks purposefully to the door and steps out, into the room. It gazes at them coldly. "I speak for the Borg." it announces. The drone was obviously, from its facial structure and body shape, a Human female before assimilation. The two officers introduce themselves. It haughtily responds that they are aware of their designations. Janeway asks the drone for its designation. It responds: "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero-One." But, it adds, they may call it 'Seven of Nine'. It concurs with her proposal of a large-scale weapon. Tuvok suggests installing the nanoprobes in Voyager's photon torpedoes, essentially creating 'biomolecular warheads', but the drone responds that their torpedoes are inadequate, lacking the necessary range and force. Janeway ask it if it has a better suggestion. It crisply responds, "We are Borg," and turns away to go to a console. The officers look at each other and follow. At the console, it brings up a schematic of a device, which it presents as the Collective's idea of a more suitable weapon: a multikinetic neutronic mine with a five million isoton yield. Tuvok notes that this would affect an entire star system. Janeway strongly objects; this is a weapon of mass destruction; it would put innocent lives at risk. But such considerations are irrelevant to the Collective. "It would be efficient," Seven of Nine responds, walking away. The officers press their objection; Tuvok states that it would take several weeks to produce enough modified nanoprobes -- 50 trillion -- for such a weapon; weeks that the Borg cannot afford to spare. Janeway adds that their enemy currently thinks itself invulnerable; a few smaller weapons would show them otherwise and possibly cause them to give up and withdraw. Seven of Nine's response is to look at them with disdain and scornfully call them individuals; small, thinking in small terms. But then it falls silent as the collective gives it instructions. It immediately walks back to them, saying that the current situation demands consideration of their plan (the Collective's instructions, obviously, were to go along with the idea). Returning to the console, it calls up Voyager's weapons inventory, specifically their photon torpedo specifications. The thunderstruck officers ask it how the Borg acquired this information. It responds again: "We are Borg." The officers look on silently as it begins to work on modifying their torpedo designs to accommodate the proposed nanoprobe warheads. On Voyager, The Doctor updates Chakotay on Kes' visions. They are increasing in frequency and intensity, and have become more than simple communications; now it is as if the aliens were in the same room with her. He reports that certain regions of her brain are hyper-stimulated every time she has a vision, specifically those centers dealing with memory and perception. The inference is disturbing: they are accessing her memories, finding out about them and what their intentions are, and using her eyes to see what they are doing. In short, they are learning their plans and using her to mount surveillance on them. Thus, they may already know about the nanoprobes. On the cube, Janeway attempts to learn more about Seven of Nine's past; about the Human it had once been. She learns from it that its Human body was assimilated eighteen years prior, ceasing to be Human at that time, becoming a new Borg drone. Janeway attempts to learn more, asking it that Human's name; it is obvious she is trying to contact that Human part of it. But it cuts her off, snapping at her not to attempt to "engage us in further irrelevant discourse." A hail then comes in from Voyager. Chakotay informs Janeway that the 8472s are accessing Kes' memory. Knowing what that means, Janeway recommends to Seven of Nine that they change course. It silently consults with the collective, which agrees and communicates the course change to the drones on the cube. The cube changes course accordingly. Seven of Nine informs Janeway and Janeway orders Chakotay to adjust Voyager's course to match. She further orders him to keep her abreast of developments regarding Kes. Chakotay acknowledges and the communication ends. Seven of Nine then demands one of Voyager's torpedoes, as well as some of the modified nanoprobes. Janeway flatly refuses. The drone presses her, stating that the situation has changed; the risk of attack has increased, and therefore a prototype must be tested immediately. But Janeway does not budge, responding that the nanoprobes are their only guarantee against assimilation. Seven of Nine attempts to force her with threats. In a soft, dangerous voice, it asks her if they are willing to risk a direct confrontation with them, and if she thought the crew could resist a contingent of 500 drones if they were to board their vessel. Janeway simply responds that she, and her crew, would die trying. Seven of Nine goes silent again as the collective instructs it. "That won't be necessary," it relents, and returns to work on the torpedo designs. On Voyager, Ensign Kim, fully recovered, returns to duty at the bridge's operations station, happily greeted by Chakotay and the other bridge officers. Torres teases him by saying, "You've still got a tendril up your nose." The moment of levity ends quickly, however, when Lieutenant Paris reports a singularity opening nearby. Chakotay immediately orders shields raised and a transporter lock on Tuvok and Janeway. An 8472 vessel emerges and makes straight for the cube and Voyager. But this time the target is not the cube, but Voyager. The aliens indeed have learned of the nanoprobes from their probes of Kes' memory, and are bent on destroying them and their creators. The ship opens fire on Voyager. The cube attempts to protect Voyager, firing on the alien ship, but, unsurprisingly, its weapons are completely ineffective. On the cube, Tuvok, Janeway and Seven of Nine monitor Voyager's condition, the two officers noting tensely that it is taking heavy damage, and is unlikely to survive the assault. The cube moves between Voyager and the 8472 vessel, shielding Voyager and taking the 8472 ship's fire, as Voyager dashes clear. Explosions rock the cube; within, drones are blown from their alcoves that explode from energy discharges and overloads. One such explosion catches Janeway, knocking her unconscious and severely injuring her. On Voyager, Chakotay and the bridge officers watch the viewscreen in horror as the cube suddenly slows, causing the 8472 ship to crash into it. A massive explosion ensues. Chakotay demands a report of the cube's condition. Paris bleakly reports the horrific truth: it was destroyed, along with the 8472 ship, and, it seems, Captain Janeway and Tuvok. But then a hail comes from Cargo Bay 2. It is Tuvok, barely conscious. He reports that the Borg beamed him, the captain and a small number of drones over, just before the cube's destruction. He asks for medical assistance before going silent. Chakotay gives Paris the bridge, orders the entire deck on which Cargo Bay 2 is located sealed and security to meet him outside the cargo bay, as he heads for the turbolift. Chakotay and two security officers enter the cargo bay, armed with phaser rifles. They find Janeway and Tuvok, unconscious. The captain has a deep, bloody gash along her face. Chakotay and the officers search for the drones. Suddenly an exo-plating-armored arm extends and the index finger of the hand attached to that arm points at them. A commanding voice tells them to lower their weapons, and Seven of Nine steps forward. It tells Chakotay they are here with the captain's consent, further stating that the cube sacrificed itself to protect Voyager. Chakotay and the security officers stare at it, making no move to lower their weapons. It walks slowly up to Chakotay and reminds him of the alliance. Their weapons drop, slowly. Janeway and Tuvok are treated in sickbay; The Doctor attends to Janeway and Kes treats Tuvok. Tuvok, despite his appearance when found, has suffered no serious injuries, and has quickly recovered. Tuvok then asks Kes how she is doing with regards to her visions. She says that they have stopped for the time being. Janeway, however, is in extremely serious condition. The Doctor informs Tuvok and Chakotay that her neural pathways are disrupted; he will have to induce coma in her to facilitate her recovery, but he has no idea if she will recover. He tells Chakotay that she wants to speak with him, but warns him to be brief. Chakotay orders Tuvok to supervise security regarding the drones; an extremely severe security risk, they are not to be allowed out of cargo bay 2. He goes to Janeway's side. Weakly, but very determinedly, she hands command to him. She tells him the Borg will push and threaten him, but have no choice but to honor the accord; their survival depends on it. She exhorts him to make the alliance work and get the crew home, as if these are her last words, before The Doctor comes and says he needs to induce the coma now. Chakotay clasps her hand and lays it at her side as she loses consciousness. Accompanied by two armed security officers, Chakotay goes to cargo bay 2. The bay has been assimilated by the drones. Seven of Nine meets him and demands to speak with Janeway. Chakotay responds that she is recovering from her injuries; it will now be dealing with him. The drone tells him the loss of their vessel requires a change in the accord. Chakotay responds that he is willing to let the accord stand: they will work on the weapon, and, once Voyager is safely past Borg space, the nanoprobes will be given to them and they will depart. Seven of Nine calls this insufficient; projections show they will have lost the war by then. It accesses a Borg console and shows him the position of another cube, forty light years from Voyager. "You will reverse course and take us to it," it commands. Chakotay refuses; the cube is five days away and, more importantly, in the wrong direction, further into Borg space. He insists that he will honor the original agreement but they will not go back; it is too dangerous. Seven of Nine responds, in a threatening tone, that denying their request is also very dangerous. Chakotay promises to think about it. "Think quickly," it responds dangerously, and walks away. Chakotay calls a meeting of all senior staff. Kes attends for The Doctor, who is fully occupied treating Captain Janeway. Chakotay explains the situation to them: the Borg want them to rendezvous with another cube, but doing so is far too risky, as the 8472s are now after Voyager specifically. Therefore, he intends to end the alliance. The officers are surprised; as unlikely as it has been, the Borg have kept their end of the bargain. In Voyager's briefing room, Chakotay explains that he plans to drop the drones off on an uninhabited planet with the nanoprobes and they will continue on their way; he is in command and must do what he believes is best for the ship and crew. He orders Lieutenant Paris to scan for such a planet. Tuvok warns him that the Borg will not go quietly. He orders that that female drone be brought to him in Janeway's ready room. Seven of Nine is brought by armed security to Chakotay in the captain's ready room. He outlines his plan to it to drop it and the other drones off with the nanoprobes, suggesting they part ways amicably. Seven of Nine begins to object, but Chakotay cuts it off; his decision is final. Seven of Nine threatens assimilation of Voyager. Chakotay responds that if a single drone leaves the cargo bay he will have the whole deck decompressed and thus, they will not be much of a threat floating in space. Seven of Nine fixes him with a cold stare and responds that they had suspected an agreement with Humans could not be maintained. "You are erratic," it tells him. "Conflicted; disorganized. Every decision is debated, every action questioned. Every individual entitled to their own small opinion. You lack harmony; cohesion; greatness. It will be your undoing." Chakotay has no answer. He orders it taken back to the cargo bay. In sickbay, Chakotay quietly speaks to the comatose Captain Janeway. Though she cannot hear him, he tells her the action he has taken, and fervently hopes for her understanding and forgiveness. As Seven of Nine and the other drones work in cargo bay 2, the Collective updates them on the status of the war. The Borg are steadily being moved further and further toward extermination. It lists the casualties of the last battle, occurring in an area of their space designated as Matrix 010, Grid 19. Eight planets destroyed. 312 vessels disabled. Four million, six hundred and twenty one drones killed. Time is fast running out. It instructs them to force the Humans' hand by seizing control of their vessel and take it into the alien realm. Seven of Nine acknowledges. Two drones open a Jefferies tube hatch, and Seven of Nine crawls in. Voyager arrives at an uninhabited moon. Chakotay orders Lt. Paris to move the ship into orbit, and orders Tuvok to prepare to beam the drones directly to the surface. Then Ensign Kim reports that the drones have accessed their deflector controls. Chakotay orders him to shut them out. Kim tries, but to no avail. Torres reports that a quantum singularity is forming; the drones are using the deflector to open it. Chakotay hails the cargo bay and warns them that if they do not stop he will have the bay decompressed. They do not respond. He gives the order to Tuvok. Tuvok opens the outer doors to the bay, after deactivating the force field that normally contains the atmosphere when the outer doors are open. The atmosphere within rushes out in a powerful blast, taking the drones with it. However, Seven of Nine holds on tenaciously to the ridges in the Jefferies tube it has entered, anchoring itself firmly. It remains there until the doors close. On the bridge, Tuvok reports that the cargo bay has been completely decompressed, but there is one drone still aboard. Then the pull of the singularity seizes the ship. There is nothing they can do; they are drawn in as a vacuum draws in debris. They find themselves in an environment unlike anything they have ever experienced, or imagined. There are no stars or planets; in fact, there is no space; just, as Torres reports, fluidic matter. Seven of Nine, having emerged from the Jefferies tube, and able to survive in a vacuum for a limited time as Borg drones are capable of doing, hails Chakotay and informs him of where they are: in the fluidic realm of Species 8472. Chakotay orders the re-pressurization of the bay. He then gives the bridge to Paris and heads for the turbolift, taking Tuvok with him. Chakotay and Tuvok arrive at the cargo bay. Seven of Nine tells them that their arrival has been noted, and that 8472 vessels will be at their position in three hours, seventeen minutes. The exact time frame the drone states, down to the minute, strikes Chakotay as odd; he comments that it seems to know a lot about this place, as if it has been here previously. He asks it if this is so. It ignores him, insisting that they must prepare for the aliens' arrival by building the nanoprobe-warhead torpedoes. Chakotay, however, presses the matter. And then the epiphany hits him; it has been here previously. In fact, the Borg have been here previously; they invaded the aliens' realm and attempted to assimilate them, thus starting the war. They never considered that this species may be more powerful than they; that it could resist them; that they could fight back. Chakotay accusingly tells this to Seven of Nine. The drone does not deny it, responding that the species was more resistant than they had anticipated, and that their technology is superior to anything they had previously encountered. Tuvok adds to the accusation, telling it that this is precisely why the Borg wanted them. It explains that the species is the apex of biological evolution; their assimilation would have greatly added to Borg perfection. "So instead of assimilating these aliens," Tuvok responds, "You opened a door for them into our galaxy." His inference is clear: all life in the galaxy is now poised to pay for Borg aggression. Seven of Nine insists that the only course of action is therefore to destroy the aliens first. It tells them its link to the collective is not strong enough for communication there. It thus cannot call for help; they are alone. It again presses for immediate construction of the nanoprobe torpedoes. Just then, The Doctor hails Chakotay. He acknowledges and heads for the Sickbay. He arrives to find Captain Janeway fully recovered and on her feet, but intensely angry. She asks The Doctor to excuse them for a moment. The Doctor acquiesces and deactivates himself. Janeway sharply tells Chakotay The Doctor has informed her of all that has happened, and demands his explanation for why he disobeyed her. Chakotay defensively responds that the Borg wanted him to go further back into Borg space. He asks her what she would have done. She responds that she would have changed course and maintained the accord for as long as possible. She cuttingly accuses him of waiting for a chance to circumvent her orders, never trusting her to make the alliance work. He protests that he made a tactical decision, and tells her his newly acquired information that the Borg are simply using them to save their skins from the consequences of their aggression, having started the war with Species 8472. This mollifies Janeway, somewhat. He informs her that there is only one drone left, and urges her to attempt to disable it and use the deflector to open another singularity to return to the Delta Quadrant. But she flatly refuses; she intends to reinstate the accord and fight the aliens alongside the Borg. Chakotay heatedly responds that the Borg cannot be trusted. He knows them, he insists, having been part of a mini-collective of former drones once. They pace up and down silently, frustrated. It is clear to them that they can continue the argument ad infinitum without a consensus. They see how little use their continued squabbling is. It is Janeway who makes the first step toward reconciliation, telling him that they need to stop fighting each other in order to get though this. Chakotay agrees, telling her what Seven of Nine said about their lack of cohesion being their undoing. They agree to put their difference of opinion aside, and work together, as they should be doing. Seven of Nine steps out from the turbolift onto the bridge, meeting Janeway there. She tells the drone that Chakotay has been relieved of duty and is confined to the brig for disobeying her. She orders Tuvok to give it the nanoprobes and work with it to modify the torpedoes to deliver them. Janeway then addresses the bridge officers: they are going to engage the enemy right there in their own realm. If the nanoprobes work, and the aliens have any sense of self-preservation, they will withdraw from the Delta Quadrant. They have less than two hours to arm and ready themselves before 8472 ships arrive. She strides to her seat and takes her position, her face tight with grim determination. "We're going to war", she says. Two hours later, Voyager is ready. Kes is present on the bridge, sitting in the first officer's seat next to Janeway's. Seven of Nine stands close to Ensign Kim's operations station. Kim reports that modifications the Borg have made to Voyager to give them a better fighting chance are complete. Janeway orders them activated. Voyager's hull, seen from the outside, begins to glow Borg-green in several places. Tuvok reports the nanoprobe weapons are ready: thirteen standard torpedoes and one class 10 high yield torpedo. Janeway informs the crew to stand by. Paris reports four 8472 ships coming in. Janeway orders battle stations. Kim reports that the alien ships are in visual range. Janeway orders an on-screen view. On the viewscreen, the squid-like vessels are seen, closing fast. Then Kes begins getting telepathic messages from the aliens. "I can hear them," she tells Janeway. "They say we've contaminated their realm," Janeway, seeking to avoid hostilities if possible, even at this stage, tells Kes to tell them they had no choice; they were only trying to defend themselves. But the aliens retort that Voyager's galaxy is a threat to their genetic integrity. Janeway tells Kes to tell them of the nanoprobe weapons and warn them that these weapons will be used if they do not stop their attacks. The aliens are not intimidated. "Your galaxy will be purged," they insist. The 8472 ships open fire, strafing Voyager. The ship rocks under their attack. Paris reports that they are coming around for another run. Janeway orders Tuvok to fire. He does, letting fly four of the modified standard torpedoes, which glow green instead of the usual bright yellow-orange. They strike their targets dead-on. But they seemingly have no effect. Janeway stares at the viewscreen in horror. Kim tensely reports that the ships are charging weapons. It seems like the end. And then the ships suddenly stall, crystallize, becoming the same shade of green as the torpedoes, and explode. Tuvok comments that the torpedoes were indeed effective if not prompt. Janeway, relieved, says that they have made their point, showing the aliens they are no longer invincible. She tells Seven of Nine to open another singularity, allowing them to leave. The drone goes to a console, shoving the bridge officer there out of the way, and proceeds to do so. Janeway eyes it coldly. She now has no illusions about what is going to happen when they get back. It is fortunate that they are prepared. Voyager emerges back into the Delta Quadrant. It is immediately set upon from aft by several more 8472 vessels. Janeway tells Kes to tell them that if they do not back off, they will deploy the weapon again. Kes does so, but the aliens do not respond. Janeway orders Tuvok to ready the high-yield torpedo, launching it from aft. The aliens start firing on them. Janeway orders Tuvok to fire, which he does. The torpedo, glowing the same green as the four standard ones but much larger, flies straight into the midst of the alien ships and detonates. Voyager is rocked by the shock wave, but is otherwise unharmed, while the alien ships caught in the blast, like the four before them, stall, crystallize green, and explode. Tuvok reports that thirteen of the ships were destroyed, and the others are retreating. Seven of Nine tells them it is again in contact with the Collective. It inclines its head slightly as the collective communicates with it. It relays what it has said: all 8472 vessels are retreating back into their realm. "The Borg have prevailed," it announces. Janeway rises and, facing the drone, calls upon it to fulfill the Collective's end of the deal, offering it a shuttle to leave for the nearest cube. The double-cross then happens. "Unacceptable," Seven of Nine responds. "This alliance is terminated. Your ship and its crew will adapt to service us." It strides toward the helm console. Paris fires a phaser at it but its personal shield nullifies the beam. Unhindered, it continues to the console, batting Paris aside on arrival. "Resistance is futile," it states coldly. It stands before the console and plunges its assimilation tubules into it. Kim reports that it is commandeering helm control and accessing their coordinates; its intent is to transmit that information to the Collective, while preventing them from fleeing. They will then have only a short, agonizing wait before one or more cubes descend on them like wolves. Janeway orders him to block its access; he fails of course. But, as was said, they are prepared. With an icy stare at the drone, Janeway hails Chakotay. She tells him a single word; "Scorpion." In cargo bay 2, Chakotay is standing in one of the alcoves that had been beamed over from the borg ship. The Doctor attaches a neural transceiver to his neck. Chakotay then links with Seven of Nine and, using his previous experience, begins an attempt to reach the Human within the drone, while Lt. Torres works feverishly at a Borg console. The Doctor urges Torres to hurry, telling her the link will not last long. Chakotay continues his attempt, telling the drone he can see its memories; memories of being Human. A happy little Human girl is seen, running through a green, lush field. On the bridge, Seven of Nine distractedly mutters: "We are Borg." Chakotay continues to pull up its pre-assimilation memories, this time of the little girl frolicking happily with her parents in the same lush field. "Irrelevant," Seven of Nine retorts tightly. "Your appeal to my Humanity is pointless." Torres urges him to keep it up just a bit longer; she is almost ready. He makes one final, impassioned appeal, calling the drone by its Human name: Annika. The Doctor frantically tells Torres the link is dropping. But Torres is ready. She initiates the power surge she has set up. On the bridge, Seven of Nine suddenly stands ramrod-straight, a vacant, paralysed expression on its face. The look is replaced by one of sheer agony as it cries out in excruciating pain. It raises a hand to the back of its head as an implant located there sparks with a bright light, overloaded and destroyed by Torres' power surge. It finally sinks down and slumps over the helm console, unconscious. In cargo bay 2, the neural transceiver on Chakotay's neck also sparks, as he gives a short, strangled scream and falls into the same state. Janeway stares down at the disabled drone. Tuvok reports that its link to the Collective is severed. Janeway orders him to take it to sickbay. He lifts it and heads for the turbolift. Janeway hails The Doctor and orders a report on Chakotay's condition. He responds that Chakotay will be fine, though he may wake up with a bit of a headache. Relieved, Janeway orders Paris to remove them from Borg space at maximum warp. Janeway is once again in her Leonardo da Vinci holodeck simulation, writing with a quill pen on paper. Chakotay enters. She tells him she is writing her log, the old-fashioned way. He gives her a report on the ship's condition, telling her it will take at least two weeks to remove all of the Borg modifications. She asks about their passenger. Chakotay responds that The Doctor says it is stabilizing and its Human cells are regenerating. Janeway wonders if the Human female can be recovered from beneath the Borg technology. Realizing that she plans to keep it aboard, Chakotay cautions her on the wisdom of that; she was assimilated at a young age, he tells her. The Collective is all she knows; she may want to return to it. Janeway believes she might not; they can offer her friendship, something the Borg could never do. Chakotay moves to another, more difficult subject. He tells her disobeying her was one of the hardest choices he has ever had to make. She assures him she understands and respects his decision, though she does not agree with it. What is important, she stresses, is that they got through it together in the end. She does not want that to change, ever. He agrees. Together they leave the holodeck to return to the bridge. In sickbay, on a bio-bed, the now-former Borg drone Seven of Nine lies unconscious, her link to the collective permanently severed. There is already a tinge of normal Caucasian skin tone beneath the usual drone's mottled Borg-gray as the physiology of the Human, Annika, begins to reassert itself. Only time will tell how much Annika's Humanity can emerge from the living death that was her existence for the last eighteen years. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager, after having faced the Borg and Species 8472, travels at maximum impulse across Borg space. Parts of its hull still glow green due to the Borg modifications that were made to it. Cargo Bay 2 has been de-assimilated, except for five Borg alcoves which remain. Regenerating in one of them is the former Borg drone Seven of Nine. Captain Kathryn Janeway, Lieutenant Tuvok, and The Doctor enter the bay and walk up to her. The Doctor reports that her Human physiology is quickly reasserting itself but is warring against the Borg implants. He is unsure which side will win in the end. Remarking that it is time to tell her what has happened to her, Janeway orders her awakened. Upon waking from regenerating Seven is greatly distressed to find that she can no longer hear the Collective. When Janeway explains that her link to the Collective was severed, she angrily demands to be returned to the Borg. Janeway refuses and tries to engender in her an appreciation for her newfound individuality. She promises to help her through the transition, guiding her back to life as a Human. Seven demands that if Janeway will not return her to the Borg, she wishes to be left on the nearest planet with a subspace transceiver, to contact them herself. Janeway responds that it is too late for that as she progressed too far in the resurgence of her Human systems and needs medical care. As if to confirm this, a searing bolt of pain shoots through her head; an implant there is being rejected and must be removed at once. She demands The Doctor suppress her Human immune system but he tells her the same thing Janeway did: the process has progressed too far. "NO!" she shouts angrily, lashing out. "We are Borg! WE ARE BORG!" Janeway and Tuvok restrain her and The Doctor sedates her. Janeway looks at Seven with compassion and uncertainty. Seven of Nine is again in sickbay. The Doctor scans her head, acknowledging the implant that is being rejected and quickly formulates a plan on how to proceed in removing it. But as he moves around the bed, he bumps into Tuvok. Despite his angry protestations that he is in the way, Tuvok refuses to leave, implacably responding that Seven is a security risk. The Doctor insists that this is not so while she is unconscious and not able to go anywhere and asks Tuvok to get out of the surgical bay. Tuvok simply backs away a few steps. Exasperated, The Doctor returns his attention to Seven of Nine. He tells Kes to anesthetize her cranial nerves in preparation for the operation. Kes turns toward the hypospray on a table away from her and the device flies into her hand to The Doctor's amazement. Kes herself looks rather startled. She explains, as Tuvok, who saw the feat, comes toward them, that she simply looked at the hypospray and it came to her. Tuvok inquires if she has been experimenting with her psychokinetic abilities. She tells him that she has not but has been feeling rather strange of late, having a lot more energy and less sleep than usual. The Doctor scans her and reports that her brain's telepathic centers are being hyper-stimulated. He also notes, with alarm, that they are acting just as they were when Species 8472 was communicating with her. Tuvok immediately asks her if they are doing so again but she says no. He hypothesizes that she is simply experiencing an after-effect of that contact. The Doctor promises to examine her fully but right now they have to see about Seven of Nine. They get back to work, as Tuvok watches. Janeway is seated at her desk in her ready room, reading something on her desktop monitor while sipping coffee. Commander Chakotay enters and gives her a status report: two teams are working round the clock to remove the Borg armor from the hull but progress is slow; Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres is having difficulty cleaning out the plasma relays, so warp drive is currently unavailable. He relays her request for all crew members with a level 3 engineering rating or higher to help. Janeway grants the request. On the tactical side, he reports that the long-range sensors have detected the transwarp signatures of Borg vessels that passed by recently. Janeway notes this as Voyager is not yet beyond the danger of being found and assimilated. Talk of the Borg segues into talk of Seven of Nine. Janeway considers that former drone could help them with the removal of the Borg modifications. Chakotay does not believe she will be willing to but Janeway disagrees, believing she will, if only she can reach her. She shows him what she was reading on her monitor, it is the data file of the Human who Seven of Nine used to be. The file cites her name as Annika Hansen. It further states her parents were scientists and explorers but did not want to work under Starfleet. They, with their daughter, were last recorded as being in the Omega sector. They left without filing a flight plan, heading in the direction of the Delta Quadrant and were never heard from again. Chakotay again notes that Seven was assimilated as a child and raised by the Borg. They are all she knows and getting her to embrace her Humanity may prove impossible. Janeway insists on trying however, as they have no choice. She states that, tossing her back to the wolves is out of the question. The Doctor then calls her to sickbay. In sickbay, The Doctor begins removing the rejected implant. He gives it to Kes to put in storage and suggests to Tuvok that he can lock it down with a force field as a safety measure. Tuvok agrees and leaves to do so with Kes, as Janeway enters. The Doctor concernedly tells her that Seven of Nine's Human physiology is now reasserting itself even more aggressively. Her exo-plating and implants are all being rejected -- her life is in danger. To save her, they must be removed. But this causes an ethical dilemma for him as she would certainly not want them removed and he is obligated to respect that. He asks for Janeway's input. Janeway silently considers the point but decides that even though she was raised by the Borg to think like a Borg, beneath the Borg technology, she is human, whether she is ready to accept that or not. Until she is ready to accept that fact, someone has to make her decisions for her. She orders The Doctor to continue with the procedure. He acknowledges and, as Janeway leaves, returns to the job of removing the first rejected implant. He calls Kes to assist him and decides on the next implant to begin removing, after this current one. Suddenly Seven of Nine begins to convulse. A console beeps an alarm. He rushes to it to see what the problem is and finds that she is going into neural shock, though he cannot find the source. He orders Kes to try to stabilize her, naming the device to use. But Kes stands rooted, her eyes focused intensely on the former drone. The Doctor tensely repeats his instruction but she tells him to wait because she can literally see the problem (with the colliculi). A Borg implant attached to her trochlear nerve is causing the shock. Astonished, he asks her if she can tell him how to remove it without severing the nerve. Kes does more than tell him and removes it herself, using her psychokinetic powers. The implant is seen being plucked off the nerve as if by an invisible hand, then disintegrated. The Doctor, scanning, reports that the implant is deteriorating, then it is gone. Seven of Nine stabilizes immediately. The Doctor congratulates her on her 'unconventional but effective' surgical procedure. In sickbay, The Doctor proudly shows Janeway the ocular implant he has developed to replace Seven of Nine's Borg eyepiece. He is particularly pleased with how perfectly it matches her organic eye. Janeway is impressed and asks to see her, which he agrees to. While he goes to get a hypospray to revive Seven, Janeway talks to Kes about her blossoming abilities. She reports feeling extremely energetic and focused, noting that her telepathic abilities have never been so potent. Tuvok, still present because of Seven of Nine, cautions that her psychokinetic abilities are untrained and thus unpredictable. He recommends taking her through a series of guided meditations to help her discover the limits of these abilities. Janeway agrees and Kes is very enthusiastic to get started. They head for Tuvok's quarters immediately with Janeway's leave. Janeway and The Doctor watch Seven of Nine slowly wake up. Much of her exo-plating has been removed, as well as many of her cranial implants. All that is left of her eyepiece is its attachment around her orbital socket and its visual mechanism in her eye socket. Her skin now has only traces of the pale gray coloration; it is mostly now a shade within the usual range of Human dermal pigmentation. She sits up and looks at herself and is horrified by what has been done to her. Looking up, her gaze falls on Janeway. She gets off the table and strides up to her. Through gritted teeth, she tells Janeway she should have let them die because this drone cannot survive outside the Collective. The Doctor happily begs to differ and begins to proudly elucidate on how her Human systems are thriving. But before he can explain further, Janeway looks at him to be quiet. His mouth closes in mid-sentence and he leaves them alone. Janeway again tries to reach an understanding with Seven. Janeway tells her she is trying to understand what she is going through and that she is obviously frightened and in pain. Seven of Nine retorts that Janeway is an individual who cannot understand what it means to be Borg. Janeway agrees but tells her she can imagine: Seven was part of a vast collective consciousness of trillions of minds joined as one, without any indecision or disputes -- the ultimate example of unified will and strength. She sympathizes with her for having lost that. This reaches Seven somewhat. She laments the silence in her mind, insisting that she needs that collective voice. Janeway seizes the opportunity, telling Seven she is now part of a Human collective. She insists that Seven can find some of the unity she needs among the crew. They are individuals but they work together as a unit. She watches intently as Seven of Nine considers her argument. But Janeway's hopes are dashed when she responds that this is insufficient. Janeway ends her effort for now, simply insisting it will have to do. Seven is ordered to assist in engineering to remove the Borg modifications to Voyager, which are preventing the ship's warp drive from functioning. In engineering, Torres is working with her staff, assisted by Ensign Harry Kim, to try to get the warp drive online. They have finished cleaning the plasma intake manifolds of Borg technology and are ready to try to restart the warp core. They begin and the reactor begins to hum as the matter and antimatter react with each other. The power level begins to rise but then, once again, it stalls. A scan indicates two intake manifolds are again blocked. The problem is manifolds they have already been cleaned are once again blocked. Torres, in frustration, compares the offending Borg technology to weeds: one thinks they has gotten them all but then, seemingly from nowhere, they spring up again. Just then, Janeway and Seven of Nine enter, accompanied by a security officer. Immediately Seven of Nine informs them they have neglected to remove the autonomous regeneration sequencers, Borg devices that regenerate other Borg technology should it be tampered with. Janeway introduces her again to Kim and Torres and informs them of the reason for Seven's presence. Torres at once directs her to start with the plasma intakes. She begins telling her where they are but Seven rudely finishes her sentence, describing the location and telling Torres, "We fully recall the engineering specifications of your vessel". Torres, immediately put off, comes right up to her face and angrily asks her if she remembers what it looked like before she turned it into a Borg circus. Seven of Nine responds affirmatively, returning her glare. Janeway intercedes, ordering them to get to work. Torres acknowledges the order as Seven of Nine follows. Tuvok and Kes are in the Vulcan's quarters, beginning the first of his suggested guided meditation lessons. Using the flame of his lit meditation lamp, he practices her in controlling her psychokinesis by having her psychokinetically strengthen and weaken the flame, altering the combustion at the subatomic level. Things proceed well. He readies to move on to something else. But she tells him to wait, maintaining her concentration on the flame, she can see it beyond the subatomic level. In engineering, Torres shows Seven a Borg linkage in a wall panel and cites them as causing the blockage in the plasma intakes. She complains that they reappear every time they are removed. Seven identifies it as one of the autonomous regeneration sequencers. Kim, impressed, asks her how the Borg came up with this technology. She responds that it was assimilated from a species they designated 259. Torres, however, is neither impressed nor interested in how the Borg got it. She impatiently demands Seven show her how to remove them. Seven outlines the procedure and Torres directs her and Kim to a plasma intake control in a Jefferies tube access room, to remove the sequencers installed there. Kim and Seven of Nine enter the access room. A security officer waits outside. As they work at an open circuit panel, Kim tries to make conversation with her. He is ignored, until he asks her about the area of space Species 259 is native to. She coldly responds that it is beyond his comprehension. He insists, so she tells him about it but it is beyond his comprehension. He sheepishly withdraws and goes to another panel to work. But as she works, the imager from her removed eyepiece sees something in the circuit panel normal Human eyes cannot: the tiny labeling of a Starfleet communications node among the panel's circuitry. She calls Kim back to assist her and, as he comes, she backhands him so hard that she knocks him right out of the room, into the security officer. She then shuts the door. At the bridge's conn station, Lt. jg Tom Paris alerts Janeway of an unauthorized attempt to access the ship's subspace transmitter. Janeway instantly knows who it is and knows if she succeeds, they are doomed. At once, she alerts security, who immediately converge on the room, along with Torres. But they discover she has put a Borg force field over the door, so they cannot touch it, let alone try to open it. On the bridge, Janeway orders Chakotay to disable the transmitter. But it is too late as she has access to it. In Tuvok's quarters, Kes suddenly senses that something is wrong. She probes the sensation and telepathically sees Seven as she attempts to use the transmitter to contact the collective. She tells Tuvok, who immediately heads for the door to Engineering. But Kes stops him, saying she believes she can stop her. Her eyes get a far-away look as she concentrates. Seven, in the room, suddenly hears a strange noise. She looks to her right and goes wide-eyed as she watches a part of the wall begin to warp and wobble, as if there were something moving under it. The distortion moves toward her until it moves into the circuit panel she is in front of. A bolt of energy flashes forth from the panel, striking her in the chest. She is thrown back and lands unconscious on the floor. In his quarters, Tuvok hails the bridge and asks for a status report. Janeway responds that a strange explosion occurred in the Jefferies tube access room where Seven of Nine was, stopping her before she could send the transmission; they do not know what it was. Tuvok, looking at Kes, responds that he thinks he has the answer. Janeway and Tuvok walk down a corridor toward the brig, where Seven of Nine has been placed. He has two pieces of bad news for her. First, Seven of Nine did manage to send a partial signal, possibly enough for a Borg ship to track. Secondly, Kes' act that stopped her destabilized the access room at the molecular level, the effect weakened the hull structure throughout the entire deck. Kes wants to explore her abilities further but he is concerned that that would not be safe, for her or the ship. They arrive at the brig. Janeway has Tuvok wait at the door while she goes to Seven of Nine's holding cell. The former drone is pacing up and down inside like a caged tiger. She turns to Janeway, stares at her and lashes out at her: "So, this is Human freedom." But Janeway says that she is not angry, just disappointed. She really thought Seven was willing to help them. Seven responds that she did intend to help but she saw a chance to contact the Collective and took it. She insists to Janeway that her attempts to assimilate this drone will fail. She can change their physiology but not their nature. "We are Borg," she insists. Janeway sees that this is not the right time to attempt to reach her and merely responds that she has met Borg who were de-assimilated. In time, they accepted their return to individuality and so will she. Seven of Nine, however, considers this: individuality means choices, including the choice to return to the Collective if she so wishes. She asks Janeway if she will allow her to do that. Janeway attempts to avoid a direct answer but Seven correctly assumes the answer is No. She angrily calls her hypocritical, imprisoning 'them' in the name of Humanity, yet denying 'them' the most basic Human right of choosing one's fate. Janeway firmly responds that she does not have that right, as she is unable to make rational choices. The Borg took that ability from her the moment they assimilated her. Until she is convinced she has re-developed it, she will make that choice for her: Seven will stay on Voyager. Seven responds that Janeway is then no different from the Borg. Janeway stares at her silently as Seven turns and walks towards the back of the cell. In the mess hall Neelix is treating Kes to a glass of her favorite Talaxian champagne. They have not had a moment with each other since they ended their relationship months before. He sees her burgeoning mental powers as something to celebrate as she has always wanted to be something more than what she was. They talk about their former relationship, and he inquires about what is happening to her. With quiet excitement, she explains it to him. Saying it is as if she is now able to see into a place where the distinction between matter, energy and thought no longer exists. Neelix is amazed. She further elucidates that merely by looking at an object, she can see the space between the atoms of its matter being filled with something else; something unknown. As she speaks, she begins to stare at the table and as Neelix watches, it begins to warp and jiggle. He becomes very alarmed, rising and asking her to stop. She says no, but the lapse in concentration allows the effect to get out of control. It reaches Neelix and throws him backward, hard. Horrified, Kes rushes to him but, halfway there, falls to her knees, dazed. On the bridge, Kim reports strange energy readings coming from the deck the mess hall is on. Janeway hails Neelix but gets no response. Kim further reports that the bulkheads in that section are coming apart. Chakotay orders him to increase the deck's structural integrity field. Janeway motions to Tuvok to accompany her and they head for the turbolift. They arrive at the mess hall to an unnerving sight. Kes is on her knees, a beatific smile on her face, looking upward, hands upward expansively. Her upper body is glowing with an ethereal light, shifts between translucence and opaqueness. Neelix stares, dumbfounded. The phenomenon ends and she slumps down. The officers and Neelix exchange concerned looks before going to her aid. Kes has been taken to sickbay. In his office, The Doctor reports on her condition to Janeway and Tuvok, saying that he has run every conceivable diagnostic test but cannot figure out what is happening to her, or how to stop it. Tuvok informs them that the ship's sensors indicate that her body actually destabilized at the subatomic level and then re-stabilized. The Doctor concernedly points out that the next time it happens it may not re-stabilize, something has to be done. Janeway orders Tuvok to increase power to the ship's structural integrity field, to avoid a possible hull breach should it happen again. She then advises The Doctor that this is now beyond medical science. Particle physics is now involved and perhaps an answer as to how to treat Kes can be found there. He agrees and decides to check the relevant database on the subject. Janeway instructs him to keep her informed. She leaves and he goes out to speak to Kes, who is sitting on a bio-bed. He tells her that, until he can come up with another diagnostic procedure, she can return to her quarters. However, she responds that she would like to stay for a while and help with the research, and because she misses him, not having seen much of him over the last few days. He smiles and agrees. In the brig, Seven of Nine paces slowly in her cell. She stops and stares at the entrance. Her face is filled with anger and frustration. With enraged yells, she repeatedly throws herself at the force field that seals the entrance, startling Ensign Ayala, the officer on duty. He hails the captain, telling her she needs to come immediately. Janeway arrives and finds a very different Seven of Nine from before. She is no longer defiant but stoop-shouldered, defeated and anguished. With her head down, heartbroken, she quietly mutters that her designation, "Seven of Nine", is now irrelevant. The others are gone. "I am one," she finishes sadly. Janeway, with genuine sympathy and concern, agrees with Seven that she is indeed now one. "But I cannot function this way! Alone!" Seven of Nine laments with a sob. Janeway assures her she is not alone, she will help her. Seven desperately responds that, if this is true, she will not do this to her. She pleads to be taken back to her own kind. Janeway insists that she is already among her own kind: Humans. "I don't remember being Human. I don't know what it is to be Human!" she cries out. Janeway picks up a PADD on the brig console and proceeds to deactivate the force field. Seven of Nine threatens to kill her if she comes in. Janeway stares at her and tells her she does not believe that. The field shuts off and she enters. Ensign Ayala moves to follow her in but Janeway signals him to remain outside. He does, covering her with his phaser. She slowly approaches Seven and holds out the PADD to her. On it is an image of a smiling young girl. In a quiet, wistful voice, Janeway tells Seven the child's name: Annika Hansen. She speaks about the child, asking questions intended to bring up long-buried memories, while drawing closer to her. Janeway asks questions about her siblings, her friends and her favorite color. Seven of Nine stares at the image for several seconds. "Irrelevant!" she suddenly shouts, slapping the PADD out of Janeway's hand. She again pleads to be taken back to the Borg. Janeway quietly, but firmly, responds that she cannot do that. Seven bends over as if sick, sobbing and gasping, holding her head, bemoaning the silence in her mind. "So quiet! One voice!" she wails. Janeway responds with conviction that one voice can be stronger than a thousand voices. Seven's mind, she stresses, is independent now, with its own unique identity. Seven accuses Janeway of forcing that identity upon her that it is not her identity. Janeway forcefully responds that it is her identity. She tells her that she now has back what the Borg stole from her, her existence. Seven yells out that she doesn't want to live that kind of life. Janeway urges not to resist turning away from her Borg identity. Seven retorts that she won't and swings wildly at Janeway, catching her in the midsection. Janeway's mouth goes wide with pain but she catches Seven of Nine as the former drone nearly falls down from the force of her swing. She helps her to the cell's bunk as Seven begins to cry. Even with the pain from Seven's punch, Janeway holds onto her shoulders, sitting behind her, comforting her as she weeps with the agony of what she has lost and the fear of what she has gained. She has finally reached her. Kes is in her quarters, waiting for Janeway. She has come to a decision. Janeway enters and sits with her. Smiling gently, Kes tells her that she has been thinking about all that's happened and now knows that the time has come for her to leave Voyager. She wants to further explore what is happening to her but she cannot do that on Voyager as it could destroy the ship and all aboard. Janeway is stunned by Kes' decision, this was the last thing she was expecting Kes to say when she was hailed. She desperately tries to convince her to stay, telling her that The Doctor is already working on a new approach to treating her. Kes responds that her condition is not an illness but a transformation, and she has to explore it. Janeway, close to tears, knows her mind is made up. In a breaking voice, she tells her how much she will miss her. They embrace warmly. Suddenly Kes begins to fade in and out, as she did in the mess hall. "It's starting," she announces. At once, Janeway hails the bridge and orders Chakotay to have a shuttle prepped for launch and for Tuvok to meet her. She tells them what is happening: Kes is leaving them. Chakotay and the bridge officers are as stunned as Janeway but he acknowledges, as Tuvok heads for the turbolift. Janeway and Kes move quickly along the corridor, heading for the shuttle bay. Janeway helps Kes along but it soon becomes obvious they will not make it. Her body's molecules begin to destabilize again, this time permanently. Electronic panels and components, affected by her power, explode in the wake of their passage. Janeway tries to have a site-to-site transport done to take them directly to the shuttle bay but Kim reports that Kes' destabilizing molecules prevent the transporter from locking on. With no choice but to continue on foot, they hurry. The ship's hull is seen to be warping and shaking. On the bridge, Paris reports that the hull is destabilizing on a molecular level. Tuvok meanwhile, steps out of a turbolift near the shuttle bay and meets Janeway and Kes in the corridor. Kes desperately tells him she cannot keep going. He mind-melds with her to help her stave off the transformation for just a bit longer. The meld succeeds but the effect will not last long and he urges Janeway to hurry with her. On the bridge, Kim reports hull breaches on three decks. Chakotay orders him to deploy emergency containment fields. Janeway hails, informs them Kes is aboard the shuttle and orders the launch sequence started. Chakotay acknowledges and a shuttle is seen speeding out from the shuttle bay and away from the ship. Janeway and Tuvok return to the bridge. She asks Kim if he can hail her; he responds he has been trying. But then it no longer becomes necessary; Kes contacts them. "It's happening" she tells them. Kim reports her atomic structure is completely destabilizing. On the shuttle, a joyous smile is on Kes' face as her body fades, for the final time. Just before she, and the shuttle, fade completely in an explosion of white light, she says one more thing to them: "My gift to you." Voyager begins to tremble. Torres hails the bridge from engineering and reports the warp core is again online. But she is shocked when she checks the matter/antimatter efficiency. It is going at 120%, far beyond what the core was ever built to produce. Voyager is seen going to warp speed and then even faster, faster than any Federation starship could possibly go. On the bridge, Paris cannot even name the warp factor at which they are traveling. Kim tensely reports the ship is coming apart. This continues for several more seconds and then, suddenly, it slows down, dropping back to impulse. Paris reports that they have dropped out of "whatever it was we were in." Janeway orders an on-screen view of their location. She asks Paris where they are. He reports, incredibly, that they are 9.5 thousand light years from where they were. The bridge officers are speechless. It is Janeway who, with a thankful smile, tells them what has happened: Kes has used her powers to move them safely beyond Borg space, taking ten years off their journey. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven of Nine stands, looking at herself. Her exo-plating is absent, replaced by a silver cat suit. Her skin is now fully back to its normal, pre-assimilation, Caucasian pigment. Her previously bald head, with its Borg implants, is now crowned by blonde hair, secured in a French twist at the back. Except for the curving attachment over her left eye socket, the rest of her eyepiece has been replaced by the life-like ocular implant The Doctor crafted for her. The eyepiece attachment, a star-shaped attachment on the right side of her face just before her ear, and the silver, skeletal outline of the exo-plating that covered her left hand are the only visible traces of Borg technology that can be seen on her. Janeway and The Doctor enter, accompanied by a security officer. The Doctor tells her he has removed 82% of her Borg implants but the rest are tied into her vital functions. He proudly takes credit for designing her attire and re-stimulating the growth of her hair. He leaves to go and familiarize himself with the Borg alcoves. He tells her that she will still need to regenerate to maintain her remaining Borg systems and he will be monitoring her regularly to ensure these systems stay working properly. Janeway smiles slightly as she informs her that she will consider allowing her access to the rest of the ship once she is sure she will not try to get them assimilated again. Seven of Nine assures her that will not happen. Janeway is happy to hear this. She leaves, giving her a combadge and telling her to contact her if she needs anything. Seven of Nine turns to go to her alcove. But just before Janeway leaves the cargo bay, Seven gives her the answer to one of the questions she had raised in the brig about the child, Annika Hansen. Her favorite color, she tells her, was red. Tuvok, in his quarters, carries his lit meditation lamp to a window. He holds it up briefly as if offering it and places it on the ledge, in honor of his former student. He and the lamp are both seen from outside as the ship continues on toward home, most of the Borg modifications on its hull now absent, Borg space now, thankfully, behind them.
<EOS>
The newest crewman on USS Voyager, Seven of Nine, steps out of her alcove in the darkened cargo bay 2, which has effectively become her quarters. Commander Chakotay enters in response to a request from her to see him. She requests a duty assignment. Captain Kathryn Janeway has confined her to the bay until convinced she is no longer a threat to Voyager or its crew. As a recently-liberated Borg drone, she finds the constant solitude and inactivity very difficult and wants something to do. Chakotay asks her if she has anything particular in mind. Chief Engineer Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres is not having a good day. First she overslept, then her sonic shower malfunctioned, two crewmembers called in sick forcing her to postpone maintenance and sudden plasma coolant leaks in engineering are occurring. She talks about it with Lt. jg Tom Paris about her day. Paris is there to remind her about their dinner date but her mood has been spoiled by her bad day. She warns him she may have to cancel the date and appears to be in a very testy mood. Paris asks her about the Klingon ritual she had been considering taking part in, marking the Day of Honor, an important Klingon observance. The bad day she is having has made her abandon the idea outright as ancient Klingon traditions are the last thing on her mind. Paris sees that it is not worth continuing with the subject further. He leaves with a gentle urging to reconsider their dinner date, as Chakotay enters. Chakotay informs her that Seven of Nine will be coming to work with her in engineering to attempt to modify the warp engines to use transwarp technology, a much faster faster-than-light technology that the Borg employ. Torres sees this as yet another blow. She strongly dislikes Seven, finding her arrogant and rude. She makes her opinion known to Chakotay, that she does not want her in engineering. But she quickly finds out that she has no choice as Chakotay tells her that the bottom line is that he is giving her an order and she will obey. She acknowledges the order but is visibly downtrodden as he leaves. Janeway speaks to Seven of Nine in her ready room about her assignment in engineering. After Seven again assures her that she will not again try to contact the Borg, Janeway reveals that she has decided to trust her by not having security in engineering while she is there. But, she instructs, she is to follow all orders given to her by Torres. Seven of Nine acknowledges. Janeway then turns her attention to her Borg designation, Seven of Nine. It is, she tells her, rather cumbersome. Janeway asks if she would not prefer to go by her Human name, Annika. Seven does not like Janeway's idea and tells her that she has been Seven of Nine for as long as she can remember. Janeway considers this, then finally suggests truncating it to Seven. Seven finds this acceptable. Then Lieutenant Tuvok calls Janeway to the bridge. She goes, Seven following her. On the bridge, Tuvok informs her that a very beat-up, barely-functional ship is approaching; as he finishes his report, the ship hails Voyager. Janeway orders an on-screen reply to the hail. An image of a decrepit-looking alien appears on the viewscreen. He introduces himself as Rahmin of the Caatati. He explains the horrific reason for his condition and that of his ship: most of his people were assimilated by the Borg over a year prior. His entire civilization, millions of people, once proud and accomplished, was completely destroyed. He and a few thousand managed to escape on thirty or so ships. Their planet was assimilated and they were forced to flee with nothing. Now they roam the quadrant, the last of their species, destitute and starving, their ships always low on power. Janeway and the bridge officers are greatly moved by the horror he has just described. She offers him any help that she and her crew can give. He thanks her and makes a specific request for thorium isotopes, which their technology depends on for power. Janeway promises to see what they can do. Torres' bad day continues. Seeing Seven working at a console, she cannot help but to ask her: now that she is de-assimilated, if she feel any sense of guilt or remorse over what she and the Collective have done to civilizations such as the Caatati? She is upset when Seven matter-of-factly answers, No. She presses the issue but Seven calmly responds that guilt is irrelevant. She then notes that the navigational deflector modifications for the transwarp technology will be ready in a few hours and states she should wait in her alcove until then. Torres, barely containing her disgust, is only too happy to dismiss her. Torres sits in the mess hall, picking sullenly at her food. Neelix approaches her quietly, looking to cheer her up. He produces a freshly-prepared blood pie for her observance of the Day of Honor. He tells her that he makes it a point to know about the race-specific traditions of the crew members. Torres however, is even less inclined now to perform the ritual than before. Neelix tells her at least she can then use him to give voice to her anger as she obviously needs it. "When you're angry, come see me," he offers. "Call me names. Insult me. Question my parentage. I won't take it personally. And you won't need to keep things bottled up inside anymore." She is genuinely touched, but cannot do that to him. His offer does have an unexpected effect because she decides to go through with the ritual. He is pleased. The ritual takes place in a holographic simulation which she and Paris had created. Torres enters the simulation, going into a holographic Klingon cave, where she is accosted by a Klingon warrior. On his demand, she tells him her purpose: to have her honor challenged. But her voice is shaky and uncertain, nothing like a hardened Klingon warrior. The holographic Klingon gruffly lets her know the procedure: first she must eat of the heart of a sanctified targ and then drink mot'loch from the Grail of Kahless. Then she must endure the ordeal of being struck by twenty painstiks and finally, she must defeat a master of the bat'leth. Torres manages to make it through the first two ordeals but the trouble comes when other Klingon warriors appear and begin the painstik segment. After the first two or three strikes, her already very low resolve to go through with it evaporates; she fights them off and flees the simulation, forgetting to end the program. Paris goes to see her in her quarters and finds her even more depressed and angry than before. He asks her how it went but she becomes very defensive, snapping at him that the whole thing was ridiculous and meaningless. He insists that it is part of who she is. He tells her that she has been running away from her Klingon side her entire life. Torres angrily demands that he leave her alone. Paris replies that if she keeps pushing away those who care about her, she will indeed be alone all her life. Voyager is now being accompanied by three Caatati vessels as they continue their travel. In the briefing room, a Caatati representative named Lumas addresses a gathering of a number of the senior staff which includes Janeway, Tuvok, Chakotay, and Neelix. He again speaks of the direness of his people's situation. They have over two hundred on those three ships alone and all of them are malnourished. Apparently, he is dissatisfied with what Janeway has granted him and is making a case for more. Chakotay responds that they do not have more to give and certainly not in the amounts that they are asking for. His response moves them from being sympathetic to being insulted. Lumas blatantly attempts to make them feel guilty for their refusal to help his people. He tells them that they, well-fed, seem to be more concerned with keeping their bellies full than helping the less fortunate. Neelix, in particular, is highly offended. He heatedly responds that this characterization is unfair as the Voyager crew are the most generous of people. But they, like the Caatati, though not as desperately, do not have much. He continues that if they gave what they had away to everyone who asked, they would have nothing left. Janeway, seeing that if she is not careful she will never get rid of the Caatati, asks Neelix how much food he thinks can be spared. Neelix responds a few hundred kilograms per Caatati ship. She orders him to get it to them, along with any medicines The Doctor can spare. Lumas, still unsatisfied thanks them unenthusiastically and Tuvok accompanies him back to the transporter room. Paris and Seven walk a corridor on the way to engineering but on the way, they pass Tuvok and Lumas. The moment Lumas sees Seven, he agitatedly asks Tuvok what species she is because there is something about her that is nastily familiar. Tuvok tells him she is a Human who was formerly a Borg drone. Lumas becomes extremely angry. "BORG!" he screams and charges at her. Tuvok restrains him and Paris puts himself in front of Seven, while Lumas peppers her with questions about what was done to his family, his wife and his children. Seven watches him impassively. Tuvok orders Paris to proceed to their destination and drags the Caatati representative away. As they resume, Paris apologizes but Seven is unaffected by what happened, dispassionately noting that she evokes this reaction from several members of the crew, such as Torres. Paris, perhaps seeing in her the outcast he used to be, offers her his assistance if she should need anything. She thoughtfully responds that she will remember that and they continue on. In engineering, with Paris observing, Torres and Seven are ready to test the transwarp modifications. On the bridge, Janeway facilitates by having the ship jump to warp speed. Torres and Seven initiate the test, they have modified the deflector's tachyon matrix. This modification, if utilized at warp, should open a transwarp corridor. In this corridor, the ship will achieve speeds far faster than what standard warp drive is capable of. They activate the modifications. Ensign Vorik assists them. He reports that the requisite subspace field is beginning to form, which would open the corridor. But then it goes wrong as the warp core begins to flood with tachyons. Attempts to stop the flooding fail and if it continues, a catastrophic core breach could occur. They try to shut down the core but fail. On the bridge, Janeway orders engineering evacuated. Vorik fails to stop the tachyon leak, so Torres orders everyone out. Seven tries to stay, offering her help to try to avert the disaster but Torres angrily orders her to leave, which she does immediately. Torres makes one more attempt to shut down the core, to no avail. As time becomes critical, Paris drags her out and she orders the computer to prepare to eject the core. Once in the corridor Torres authorizes the core ejection, causing Voyager to fall out of warp immediately upon which the ship quickly moves to a safe distance. Out in the corridor just outside engineering, Torres reports the ejection of the core to the bridge. Her face has a very pained look. This is the worst moment of her bad day yet. Janeway is in engineering receiving a situation report from Torres. Torres tells her the tachyon flood also damaged the impulse engines and they cut out soon after they got a safe distance from the ejected warp core. Sensors however, show that the core did not breach. However, without impulse they cannot return to retrieve it in any reasonable time and they need to, lest something happen to it and they do not get it back. This leaves one course of action open to them. They need to use a shuttle to retrieve the ejected core. Janeway orders Paris to proceed with the operation. Torres informs her that the core, although not breached, is still damaged and it needs to be repaired before being reinstalled. Janeway orders her to go with Paris to effect the necessary repairs. Torres and Paris leave on a shuttle, heading for the warp core at full impulse. Torres bitterly complains about the continuing trouble she has had this day and she plans to go to bed once the core is reinstalled and not come out until the next day. They arrive at the core's coordinates but they find the Caatati there as well. The aliens are in the middle of stealing it, using their own tractor beam to tow it away. When they are contacted by Paris and Torres they claim salvage rights as their defense. The shuttle fires at the tractor beam generator to disable it but the Caatati retaliate by hitting the shuttle with antimatter feedback. This completely destabilizes the shuttle's warp core and all attempts to fix it fail. The computer alerts them that the craft will explode in 2.5 minutes. As the Caatati flee with the warp core, Paris and Torres have just enough time to put on their EV suits and prepare to beam off the crippled shuttle. They attempt to send a distress signal to Voyager before leaving but fail. They beam into space a safe distance away from their shuttle and watch as the craft explodes, leaving them stranded and floating through space. Floating in space, Paris attempts to contact Voyager using his suit's communicator, but Torres tells him the signal would never cross the distance needed. Paris theorizes that once Voyager's impulse engines are back on-line, they will come and pick them up. Paris suggests linking their communicators to form a phased carrier wave that might be strong enough to reach Voyager and Torres agrees with his plan. They pull themselves into each other's arms and Torres begins accessing Paris' communicator circuitry. Paris, to lighten the mood, initiates gentle banter with her about having to get beamed into space to initiate first contact with her. She lightheartedly responds. The link is made and the signal is sent, a high, piercing squeal. They hope it works because their oxygen supplies will not last forever. They wait, still in each other's arms. On Voyager, Janeway calls Seven into her ready room to ask her what happened with the test. She informs Seven it is procedure for there to be an investigation after any accident. She asks Seven several questions about the accident and Seven responds concisely to each one. But when Janeway asks her if she at any time accessed the deflector, it dawns on Seven that there is a hidden motive to Janeway's questions: suspicion of her as having caused the accident. She informs Janeway of her suspicions, remarking that she is like the others, she sees her as a threat. Her words are calmly stated but she is disappointed. Janeway admits that she is indeed suspicious of Seven because they have dealt with tachyons before and have never had anything like this happen. Seven assures her that she had nothing to do with it and she is not deceiving Janeway. Seven tells her that deception is a thing that is impossible within the Borg Collective, thus she is completely unaccustomed to it. Janeway decides to give her the benefit of the doubt, as Seven comments that she is finding it difficult to integrate into the unfamiliar and complex social structures among the crew. Compared to the Borg, the crew is inefficient and contentious but it is still capable of surprising acts of compassion. This seems to be a source of great wonder for her. Janeway is pleased about Seven's observations and responds that unexpected acts of kindness are common for them, and are a defining characteristic of Humanity. Seven contemplates this. Janeway then reminds her they still need to find out exactly what caused the tachyon leak, and the two get to work. Paris and Torres float in space, no longer in each other's embrace, but still close. They talk about the experience and how it compares to Academy training. This leads Torres to talk a little about why she dropped out. Paris gently responds that he wished he had known her while he was there. They look at each other. The attraction between them is obvious, even through the EV suits. Then they are jolted by an ion storm that suddenly hits them. Without the protection of deflector shields, the storm takes a serious toll. Paris' oxygen supply is damaged and he begins losing air. Torres connects her air supply to his so that they can share, but discovers that her own supply was damaged as well. They now have only half-an-hour of air left. Janeway and Seven research data from the accident in Janeway's ready room. Vorik hails and informs Janeway that the impulse engines should be back up and running within the hour. Seven then finds evidence that shows that the accident was indeed just that: an accident. Janeway is relieved over her discovery. Chakotay enters from the bridge and informs her of a phased carrier wave signal received from Torres and Paris. The fact that they sent the signal at all tells that they are in trouble. Janeway orders him to prepare to go to them once impulse is back on-line. However Tuvok soon calls her to the bridge. The Caatati, he tells her, have returned. This time, there are many more than the original three ships. Janeway is on the bridge as one of the Caatati ships hails them. Seven is on the bridge as well. Janeway orders an on-screen answer. Lumas appears. All sympathy that was engendered for them vanishes as he informs her that they have Voyager's warp core. Their ships outnumber Voyager greatly and can inflict significant damage. They want everything that they have: all their food, supplies, weapons and their entire supply of thorium. They also want Seven as there are many Caatati who would relish the chance to make sport of her for what the Borg did to their people. Meanwhile, Paris and Torres share their almost depleted oxygen. Torres comments about feeling groggy and Paris tells her it is due to oxygen deprivation. She bitterly laughs and comments on the irony that this, the Day of Honor, will be the day of her death. They start confessing about their feelings towards each other. Torres recalls considering him an arrogant, self-absorbed pig when she first met him. He asks her if she thinks he has changed. She responds her first instincts were correct and now she considers him a stubborn, domineering pig. But then she apologizes and admits that he is right: she does indeed push people away, out of fear of getting hurt. Paris responds that he can understand that. She sadly calls herself a coward for doing so. They fall silent, again in each other's arms. Voyager is still surrounded by Caatati ships. Chakotay has no problem recommending that Janeway fight whether they are outnumbered or not, Voyager's weapons are still a lot more powerful. Also Voyager, unlike the Caatati ships, is not in decrepit condition. Ensign Harry Kim suggests that perhaps if they give them some of their supplies, they could talk them into to returning their warp core and letting them leave. Janeway responds that nothing they give them will satisfy them now, short of everything. Seven offers to go. If they have her to act out their fantasized revenge against the Borg, then perhaps they will be sated. Janeway rejects this offer. Seven, confused, insists that she is only offering to do what is best for the ship and crew. But Janeway tells her that she is one of them now and they will protect her. Her patience worn out, she orders all hands to prepare for battle. The bridge crew readies and she and Chakotay move to their command chairs. Tuvok reports that shield strength is extremely low and Janeway orders rerouting of power to compensate. Seven informs Janeway she has an alternative: Caatati technology is based on thorium; if they have enough, they could be self-sufficient. Kim reminds her that they do not have enough for all of them and it has been established that nothing less would satisfy them. Seven responds that she, as a former drone, has the Caatati's assimilated knowledge on replicating thorium isotopes. The survivors of the assimilation do not have that knowledge but she could give it to them. Chakotay looks at her dumbfounded and asks why she did not say so in the first place. She admits that the thought simply had not occurred to her as the Borg do not consider giving technology away, only assimilating it. Janeway looks her in the eyes and asks her why she thinks the idea came to her now. Seven looks at her uncertainly and hesitantly responds that she is unsure why. Janeway smiles. "Maybe," she suggests, "it was just an unexpected act of kindness." She orders Seven to work with Vorik to build the replicator, while she makes the offer to the Caatati. Seven and Janeway show the completed matrix to Lumas in a science laboratory aboard the Voyager. He is so accustomed to begging that he is slow to see the significance, responding that only one of these devices will not meet the needs of all their ships. Seven explains that by using the first as a template, they can build as many as they want. They will be supplied with the necessary components and specifications. He finally understands what he is being offered. He takes up the device and looks at it, then at Seven and Janeway. "You're free to go," he says finally and leaves, thanking them. "You're welcome," Seven suddenly responds, just before he exits. Seven leaves and Janeway remains, looking extremely pleased. Paris and Torres float, still in each other's arms, close to unconsciousness. Their oxygen is just about depleted. Torres has one more confession to make. She begins by telling him she has been a coward about everything. He interrupts, responding that she is being too hard on herself but she insists it is true. She is going to die, she tells him, without a shred of honor, so she wants him to know this before she goes: She loves him. Paris is jolted fully awake, despite his severe oxygen deprivation. All he can manage for a reply is that she picked a great time to tell him. They fall silent again. Both are too weak to say anything more. They touch each other's faceplates and embrace tighter. As Torres begins to lose all consciousness, Voyager closes in, reflected in her faceplate. "Voyager to Tom Paris," comes Janeway's voice through his communicator. "Tom, do you read me? Respond." He weakly acknowledges. A smile emerges on her face as the transporter beam takes them. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay is captured walking at night in a jungle on a Delta Quadrant world by the Vori when his shuttle is shot down during a survey mission. They quickly decide he is not a threat to them and decide to integrate him into their team. They tell Chakotay of the Beast, the enemy they are fighting against. Chakotay explains to the soldiers that he needs to contact his vessel, the USS Voyager. He cannot reach the ship using his combadge, as the Kradin, the species hostile to the Vori, have disabled communications in the battle zone. Brone, the leader of the Fourth Vori Defense Contingent, assigns Namon to guide Chakotay to the wreckage of his downed shuttle. Brone advises Chakotay to wait for the dawn or the new light, as he calls it before leaving. The Vori speak an odd language which Chakotay easily picks up, mostly from engaging in conversation with a Vori youth named Rafin, who is teased by Namon on his inexperience in combat, as well as his nervousness in battle. Chakotay tries to relate Rafin to a young Kradin soldier out there who might be as afraid as he is to fight. During this, Rafin informs Chakotay on why the Vori hate the Kradin so much, such as their appearance, the burning seen in their eyes. Rafin's motivation for hatred of the Kradin stems from the destruction of Rafin's home village as well as their killing of Rafin's relatives. The next day, while walking with Namon to search for the shuttle's wreckage, Chakotay tells him of his battles back in the Alpha Quadrant with the Cardassians, when he asks the commander if he has ever killed before. Chakotay tells the soldier that it was the worst thing he has ever had to do. Namon tells Chakotay that if he were a Vori, he would crave to drive off the Kradin from their world just as he does. Chakotay and Namon discover a small piece of the shuttle on the ground, and Voyager's first officer remarks that there does not seem to be much left of his shuttle. Just then, he and Namon come under attack from two Kradin. Namon is hit, but he fires off a shot before falling which happens to kill one. Chakotay rushes the other and manages to take his weapon. "Don't make me kill you!", he shouts at the Kradin soldier. The Kradin is shot anyway shortly after by Brone and Namon is declared nullified. During Namon's memorial, Chakotay learns about the Vori's culture, specifically their burial rituals, like how they bury their bodies downturned. Afterwards, Chakotay is given Namon's uniform, as his Starfleet uniform is noticeable enough to draw attention by the Kradin. Chakotay hesitates, as it isn't his conflict, but Brone insists. Brone then has Chakotay go through some basic training from Rafin, particularly in Vori firearms. Chakotay tries to talk to Rafin, saying it's all right to be afraid. He also suggests the nemesis is just as afraid of him, but Rafin seems to take a lot of offense. He's obviously been hardened like the rest, and reminds Chakotay of what their enemy has done to them. Rafin is a good shot, and takes his anger out on the targets before cutting the lesson early. Later, the group sets off to meet a second group, the Seventh Defense Contingent. When they arrive at the rendezvous point, however, they discover that the other group has been slaughtered and desecrated. Brone then makes a speech to the group and challenges Chakotay on his neutral stance. Just then, the Kradin arrive and quickly kill most of the group, including Rafin. Chakotay tries to save him, but he's hit in the process and Rafin dies. Respecting his wishes, Chakotay turns him over and manages to escape to a nearby village. There, he is greeted and treated as a hero by some Vori before he collapses. On Voyager, Janeway reviews the information on what happened. Chakotay was indeed shot down by enemy fire, and the interference from the weapons is interfering with transporters and sensors. It appears there is a long war going on, and Neelix has contacted an ambassador named Treen with the details. He's willing to help Chakotay, but is unable to divert any resources to do so. Thomas Paris wants to take a team down, regretting not going with him in the first place, but Janeway says they need to talk to Treen more and consider options. Meanwhile, Chakotay is awake and explains he is not really part of the Defenders. Regardless, the villagers insist on getting information on what is going on. He starts to tell them he was with the Fourth, and they are encouraged. Chakotay asks for communications equipment, but the only place is far away, and the villagers insist he stay the night and rest first. He agrees, and becomes friends with a young Vori girl named Karya. She asks him to deliver a letter to her brother, Daryo, who is fighting in the seventh defense contingent, which was ambushed and annihilated by Kradin forces. Chakotay agrees to drop off her letter at a restock unit despite this. The next day the Vori village is attacked by the Kradin and most of the villagers, including Penno, Karya's grandfather, are marched off to extermination centers. After Karya is taken away herself, this enrages Chakotay and raises his weapon, but a group of Kradin is right behind him and disarm him. The villagers seem doomed. Meanwhile, the crew of Voyager is concerned about the fate of Chakotay on the planet's surface. After hearing more about the Kradin's ruthless actions toward the Vori, Janeway now wants a team to go to the surface. Paris is enthusiastic to join, but Lieutenant Tuvok suggests that he should go down to the planet to search for Chakotay on his own, despite Lieutenant Tom Paris's objections. Tuvok alone will join a commando group from the Kradin to expedite his search for Chakotay. Chakotay is brought to the other Vori after being interrogated. Karya is there too, and says her grandfather is not well. Chakotay demands to talk to the guard, but he is knocked back. With nothing else to do, he sleeps next to Karya. The next day, they wake up to gunfire while the Kradin lead the older villagers to be killed while the younger ones are forced to work. Karya sees Penno and cries out for him to be let go, but eventually the Kradin take them both. Enraged, Chakotay knocks down a guard and jumps on the leader, only to be knocked down himself soon. When Ambassador Treen arrives, it is revealed that the Voyager crew has been negotiating with the Kradin, not the Vori. Janeway shakes Treen's hand. Chakotay is left upturned, but not for long as Brone is nearby and helps him. Brone says he will take Chakotay to the command post to contact Voyager, but Chakotay is now invested in the war, and insists he go with him to the Fifth Contingent. There, the Vori group come under attack and soon they are surrounded. A loud booming voice orders them to lower their weapons, but Chakotay refuses and keeps shooting. Then, Chakotay is approached by a single Kradin and almost shoots him but he discovers that the Kradin is actually Tuvok. Brone, injured and being taken away, shouts to Chakotay to ignore this, as it is a Kradin tactic. Eventually, Chakotay sees through the deception, but only a little. To prove that everything Chakotay had experienced was a delusion, Tuvok then leads him back to the village, where Chakotay is greeted by the people who should have been exterminated earlier that day and in a scene that was nearly identical to his first experience there. Back on Voyager, The Doctor reveals that Chakotay has undergone extensive psychological conditioning and training to hate the Kradin. Everything he had experienced up to that day had been an illusion as part of the training. Apparently, risking his life to attack a Kradin officer was enough to promote him to active duty in the Vori's conditioning. Kradin ambassador Treen enters sickbay to talk to Chakotay, but Chakotay says nothing and after a tense, angry silence storms out of the room. In the corridor outside sickbay, Chakotay remarks to Janeway, "I wish it were as easy to stop hating as it was to start." He continues to walk away. 
<EOS>
A man slumps to the floor, dead from a bloody wound to the back of the head. Another man drags the corpse away, then scrubs away the bloodstains. But as he scrubs, he begins to fade in and out, as if in a malfunctioning transporter. He immediately goes to a console and sends out a hail, identifying himself as an HD25 isomorphic projection, and calling for help. Aboard the USS Voyager, Captain Kathryn Janeway, her senior staff and much of the crew are in the mess hall, holding a promotion ceremony for Lieutenant Tuvok. Lt. jg Tom Paris evokes laughter with an account of a particular prank he and Ensign Harry Kim pulled on Tuvok involving his security console and the replicator in his quarters. Janeway recounts how Tuvok corrected her in front of three admirals for failing to observe proper tactical procedures during her first command. Her ego was bruised, she recalls but, she adds, he was correct. She applauds him, stating that she has come to rely on his insightful and unfailingly logical advice. Citing his outstanding service as chief tactical officer and security chief, she pronounces him promoted to lieutenant commander and attaches a black pip to his collar, adding it to the two gold ones he has, indicating his new rank. With typical Vulcan stoicism, he thanks the captain and assures all present of his continued service to the best of his ability. The formal part of the proceedings over, those present mingle as refreshments are served. B'Elanna Torres makes to leave, but Paris catches up with her in the corridor. He states that it is ridiculous that they have not spoken in three days, since Torres told him that she was in love with him, to which Torres agrees, acknowledging that they need to talk. Paris explains that he is is aware of the extreme conditions of their situation during the exchange, and says he understands that she probably didn't mean it. Looking extremely uncomfortable and vulnerable, she corrects him, stating that she did mean it, but she does not expect him to reciprocate. She begins to babble about forgetting the whole thing but is interrupted by Paris, who tells her to shut up and passionately kisses her. They are interrupted by The Doctor, and an embarrassed Torres takes her leave. The Doctor informs Paris that, due to Kes' departure, he has been granted permission by the captain to begin training a replacement, and Paris is unfortunately the most medically qualified person on board. Meanwhile, in the mess hall, Captain Janeway and Neelix discuss Neelix's first official assignment as ambassador, and Commander Chakotay takes Kim aside. He has an assignment for him: upgrading of the ship's astrometrics laboratory. It will be beyond state of the art, utilizing Borg as well as Starfleet technology. He will be working alongside Seven of Nine. Kim becomes quite nervous when told this, as his last collaboration with her proved quite physically painful but, not having a choice, he acknowledges the order. The bridge calls Janeway and informs her of a distress call from a nearby ship. She goes to the bridge, taking with her The Doctor to provide possible medical insight into whatever crisis the distress call may be due to. The Doctor is very excited to see that the hailer is a hologram like himself. He pleads with Janeway to allow him to go to the ship, citing that he is the obvious choice to render assistance to a hologram. Janeway is very reluctant. She tells him that he is their chief medical officer and if he were to be destroyed, it would be catastrophic for the crew. However, his eagerness wins her over, along with his suggestion that Lt. Torres accompany him to watch over him. A very uneasy Kim enters a darkened Cargo Bay 2. Reluctantly, he calls to Seven of Nine. She responds as she descends a ladder and Kim becomes visibly nervous. They begin to discuss plans for the initial phase of the lab's design. The Doctor and Torres head for the stricken ship using a shuttlecraft. They arrive and beam aboard. As they begin to look Torres, tricorder in hand, goes to a console and begins working at it. The isomorph appears behind them, in the shadows, stalking them. He picks up a hammer-like object and sneaks up towards them quietly. Oblivious to the danger, the two officers banter. The Doctor's holographic nature is mentioned. Upon hearing this, the isomorph dematerializes, dropping the object, and re-materializes on the other side of the room, as if he had just come in. The noise of the object hitting the floor alerts the officers. The hologram apologizes for frightening them and steps forward and the officers introduce themselves. The hologram's name is Dejaren and he is disappointed to learn that only The Doctor is a hologram. Torres scans him as he flickers and believes she can repair his holographic projectors. He shows her where they are and she begins repairing them. The Doctor asks him what happened to the crew. Agitated, Dejaren responds that the ship had left their home planet Seros eight months prior. There had been six members of the crew, all flesh and blood. Two of the crew, it seemed, had become infected with a fatal virus which quickly spread to the others. Unlike The Doctor, Dejaren has no medical subroutines, thus there was nothing he could do except stand by and watch them all succumb to the illness. After they all died, the ship's neglected systems started to malfunction, including his holographic systems. Torres returns and informs Dejaren that she has temporarily stabilized him but she needs to repair his primary holomatrix and asks him where it is. He informs her that it is down below, but warns her that that deck is flooded with radiation; she would be killed instantly. He points her to an alternate interface on the deck they are on and she goes to it. Back on Voyager, Kim and Seven of Nine continue designing the astrometrics laboratory. Seven's nature as a former drone drives her to be as precise as possible but she makes a mistake, which Kim points out, somewhat to her distress. She also shows a flagrant disregard for procedures she finds inefficient or unnecessary. Seven, using her left hand which still has remnants of a Borg exoskeleton, reaches into a power coupling despite its extremely high energy level, which could cause severe injury or death. Kim sternly warns her not to do this again, whether the exoskeleton can handle it or not; safety protocols dictate that the power be shut off first. Nonchalantly, she acknowledges his warning. On the derelict Serosian ship, Torres works on Dejaren's holomatrix while The Doctor is in another area, scanning. Dejaren is with him, admiring his mobile emitter, which allows The Doctor to go to areas without holographic projectors. Dejaren mourns his own inability to do so. The Doctor tells him about when he was first activated and how he had to deal with the initial discourtesy of being treated like a mere tool. But, he adds, he has gradually gained the respect of the crew, who now view him as an equal. He has, he continues proudly, even developed hobbies: art, literature and music. He suggests that Dejaren could do the same. Dejaren seems frightened by the suggestion but The Doctor assures him that the way he has handled this crisis will speak well in his favor. He finishes his work and puts away his scanner, not noticing the bloodstain it had been obscuring. Dejaren casually wipes it away with a rag before he can see it. Torres continues working while Dejaren enters behind her, startling her. He goes up to her, passing close to a ripped-out power cable on the floor, still crackling with energy. Torres sternly warns him to be more careful, lest he destabilize his matrix completely, destroying himself. He offers her food, which she takes and nibbles. He looks at the open bulkhead with agitation. He bemoans the condition of the ship, saying that he feels like a part of it, as it sustains him. Torres sympathizes with him. His reaction is completely unexpected. He disparages her, retorting that she is organic, existing apart from her ship, thus she could never understand. Raving manically, he mocks her and all other organic lifeforms, calling them repulsive. He exists, he sneers, as pure energy but she, like all organics, depends on food and water to survive, grinding up plants and animals with teeth, swallowing it into a pit of digestive acids, shedding hair and skin, leaving her oily sweat on everything. She is, he yells, a filthy animal and he is ashamed to be made in the image of an organic. Completely shocked, Torres just stares at him. His raving ends and he apologizes. She quickly leaves but his look, as he watches her go, is very sinister. Torres enters the area of the ship where The Doctor is working and informs him of Dejaren's behavior. She voices her opinion that he should be deactivated as his behavior denotes psychosis. Further, she had discovered that there was nothing wrong with the environment on the lower decks; Dejaren lied about them being irradiated. She suggests that he is hiding something down there. These revelations disturb The Doctor. He suggests Dejaren's behavior may be the result of the traumatic ordeal he has endured. That may be, Torres agrees but she still intends to find out what is down below. She asks The Doctor to keep Dejaren occupied while she goes and checks on the lower desk. He agrees, just as Dejaren enters, holding a holographic fishbowl containing a holographic fish which he calls Spectrum. Torres casually leaves as The Doctor engages Dejaren in conversation about his pet. Back on Voyager, Kim and Seven continue their work on the astrometrics lab. They endeavor to remove a data node containing Borg navigational data in order to access it. When they pull it from its socket, Seven of Nine sustains a deep laceration on her hand. This distresses her greatly because, as a drone, she would have healed almost instantly from such an injury. Kim immediately takes her to sickbay. In The Doctor's absence, Paris, a trained medic, oversees sickbay. He warns Seven to be more careful, as she no longer has her Borg healing factor and could have severed her carpal nerve which would require major surgery. Shaken, she leaves. Kim angrily rebukes Paris for his perceived insensitivity towards her, frightening her with his talk of severed nerves and major surgery. Paris, amused, correctly deduces Kim's infatuation with her, but seriously warns him not to pursue it. Kim leaves after weakly denying the accusation. Back on the derelict vessel, The Doctor keeps Dejaren occupied as Torres searches the lower decks. She is looking, not only for anything out of the ordinary but also for Dejaren's main holomatrix controls, so that she can shut him off. Moving carefully along the darkened corridors, she comes to a chamber, opens it and enters. Lights automatically come on. Horrified, she sees the bloody remains of the dead Serosian crewmen strewn on the floor. She now realizes the truth: there was no viral infection. Dejaren's manic anti-organic rant was far more ominous than she had realized. Having gone insane, he murdered the crew, loathing their organic nature, which means that her life is now in jeopardy. Hurriedly, she searches for his matrix controls and finds them. Above, The Doctor listens to Dejaren as the latter tries to persuade him to leave Voyager and join him on his ship instead. Dejaren begins to argue his perspective to The Doctor: the organics treat holograms like mere tools, he insists. He has spent his entire existence cleaning up after them. He has learned now that this does not have to be the way of life and will not give control of the ship to any organic. The Doctor tries to reason with him, stressing that, as technological entities, they need maintenance that only organics can give. Dejaren rants that this is untrue: they do not need nourishment, nor do they suffer from disease, therefore they, not organics, are the higher form of life. Torres accesses Dejaren's matrix, triggering an alarm. Furious, Dejaren transfers himself to her location. Horrified, The Doctor rushes there on foot. As Torres works on Dejaren's holomatrix controls, he materializes behind her. She swings a fist at him, but he becomes intangible, rendering the punch ineffective. He then makes his hand partially intangible and sticks it into her chest, squeezing her heart. She gasps in agony, but manages to touch a button on a control panel that shuts him off before blacking out. As he vanishes, he screams in rage and frustration. The Doctor enters, finds her lying unconscious, and tends to her. Aboard Voyager, it is late at night. Kim is working on the astrometrics lab schematics alone in the empty mess hall. Seven enters in response to his summons. He informs her he had an inspiration concerning the lab's design. At her request, he hands her the PADDs on which he has outlined his idea. Refusing his offer to sit, she comments on the low lighting in the room, insufficient to see the PADD's displays properly. Kim begins flirt with her. Smiling, he calls the light relaxing and offers to take her to the holodeck to watch the Ktarian moonrise simulation. Seven's response makes Kim extremely embarrassed. She notes aloud his attempts to engage her in idle conversation and his dilated pupils whenever he watches her body. She asks him point-blank if he is in love with her. Kim, not expecting such bluntness, blurts out that he is not. Her next question embarrasses him further: does he wish to copulate? He stammers that he does not, but she notes the elaborate ritual of seduction and how roundabout it is compared to the Borg method of simply assimilating a species they want. Nevertheless, she concludes, she is willing to explore her Humanity. Advancing on him, she instructs him to remove his clothes. Kim stutters that he was only being friendly and suggests they end their work for now. Seven matter-of-factly agrees and returns to Cargo Bay 2, leaving Kim to slump back in his chair, looking badly shaken. The Doctor revives Torres and informs her that he has found the bodies of all six murdered crewmen. He also informs her of the damage Dejaren did to her heart, which she confirms when pain stabs through her chest when she tries to rise. He has tried to transport them back to the shuttle, but some kind of interference is preventing it. She stumbles to a console to try to get through. She asks for her toolkit, which he goes to retrieve. On the way, he sees Spectrum in his bowl on the floor, and realizes that Torres did not deactivate all the holographic projectors. He hurries back and finds Torres again lying unconscious on the floor, this time with a bloody head wound. Dejaren stands over her with the same hammer-like instrument he first tried to sneak up on them with. He wails in psychotic anguish at The Doctor's perceived betrayal of a fellow hologram. The Doctor tries futilely to reason with him. They engage in taking physical blows at each other, a useless exercise, as each simply phases the others' blow through himself without harm. Then, however, Dejaren attacks The Doctor's mobile emitter, knocking it off-line and deactivating his program. Gleefully, he picks it up. Torres comes to and struggles to stand up but fails. Dejaren advances on her, hammer in hand. Torres scrabbles away, through corridors, closing doors after her. Dejaren merely phases through them and continues pursuing her. Eventually, he chases her into the room where his psychotic state was first revealed to her. The broken power cable still lies on the floor. Dejaren enters; having had to leave his bludgeon on the other side of the closed doors, he reaches to strangle her with his bare hands. Torres scrambles backward to the console near the cable and activates power to the cable, which begins to crackle with energy. She seizes it and plunges it into Dejaren's chest, completely destabilizing his matrix. A vacant look appears on his face as his program is destroyed, permanently. Torres takes the mobile emitter and re-activates The Doctor. She informs him of Dejaren's fate, and they leave to go to the shuttle. At the start of the day, Kim enters Chakotay's office to report to him on the progress of the astrometrics lab. He reports that the schematics are complete. Chakotay commends him on their quick work and turns his attention to the construction phase. After what happened the night before, Kim very much prefers not to work with Seven in any way again. He nervously suggests that an engineering team would be better to handle the construction. Chakotay appears confused, asking Kim if he does not want to supervise the construction after all the work he put into the design. Kim nervously declines. Chakotay gravely asks him if there is some sort of problem between him and Seven. He blurts out no, then almost trips over himself seeking dismissal to leave. Chakotay sternly orders him to state what is going on. Kim falteringly tells him of what happened the night before, making sure to be very vague on the details. He refers to the incident as merely basic Borg-Human cultural differences. Chakotay matter-of-factly tells him that Seven said otherwise. Kim looks as if he is about to retch. Stammering badly, he asks Chakotay if Seven spoke to him about what took place. Chakotay tells him that Seven said that her opinion is that they are making progress, but she is confused by what she called our complex social interactions.  Kim weakly feigns confusion as to what she meant by that. Chakotay again complements him on his work, but makes it clear that he will stay on the project and work with her. Dismissed, Kim miserably leaves. Chakotay watches him go and when the door closes, he breaks into an amused smile and laughs. Torres and The Doctor, having returned to Voyager, are in sickbay, where The Doctor works on her heart. Paris comes to see her, concerned. They suggestively make plans to meet later in her quarters, with The Doctor humorously commenting that he is detecting increased hormone levels. Paris makes to leave, stating that he going to check on Kim, who is apparently having a nervous breakdown. The Doctor, hearing this, begins to feign Dejaren's psychotic behavior, manically ordering Paris to remain and clean up the sickbay from his oily residue on every hypospray and sloughed secretions on every console.  But before the two officers get too alarmed, especially Torres, he smiles, revealing the jocular nature of his actions. He states that a little clutter never hurt anyone, and that he thinks the sickbay should have a more organic feel. Paris inquires to Torres as to the reason for The Doctor's odd behavior, to which she cryptically replies it's a long story. 
<EOS>
On Voyager's holodeck, Captain Janeway is trying to teach Seven of Nine about the benefits of relaxation and having a hobby. She is doing so using her Leonardo da Vinci simulation, showing her how to sculpt with clay. Seven finds the whole idea of relaxation inefficient; as a drone, she was assigned a task; when she was done, she was given another; that was efficient. But Janeway tries to get her to see that relaxation is important to life as a Human, which, like it or not, she is now returning to. In the process, she talks about da Vinci's prolific career as a scientist, and shows her one of his prototype gliders, hanging from the ceiling. The sight of it causes Seven to suddenly stand stock still, as if she were a statue herself. She has a vision of herself, running in terror aboard her parent's vessel. Drones relentlessly stride after her in pursuit, as the cold voice of the Borg Collective informs her of her fate: assimilation. She also sees a large, black, screeching bird flying through the corridors. And she hears a high-pitched voice, desperately calling her by her Human name: Annika. She snaps back to reality after being shaken by a very concerned Janeway, who asks her what is wrong. She does not know, she responds, voice tremulous. The Doctor examines Seven in the sickbay. Janeway is present. Seven describes her hallucinations. They have now occurred three times. Each time is the same: a terrifying pursuit by the Borg. But this confuses her: why would she fear the Borg? Janeway and The Doctor suggest that she is reliving the trauma of her assimilation. But she rejects this; they did not traumatize her, she insists; they raised her. Having only been recently freed from them, after being one of them from since childhood, she has not yet realized just what they took from her and still sees them as her people. Janeway and The Doctor do not press the issue. Instead, The Doctor turns his attention to another part of her returning Humanity: her need to eat. Seven, as expected, finds oral consumption inefficient. But, like it or not, she has to do it; her digestive system has recovered enough to make it necessary. He gives her a PADD containing recommended nutrition for her, and instructs her to take it to Neelix in the mess hall, for her first meal since being de-assimilated. Commander Chakotay calls Janeway from the bridge; USS Voyager is approaching a region of space that is controlled by a species known as the B'omar. Janeway wants Voyager to be allowed to cross it; going around would take far too long. But they need the B'omars' permission, and the B'omar are being difficult, to say the least. After assuring Seven that they will get her through whatever is happening to her, Janeway heads for the bridge. In the briefing room, Janeway, Chakotay, and Tom Paris meet with two members of the B'omar government, called the B'omar Sovereignty. The two representatives, Councilor Dumah and Gaumen, insist with an air of arrogant superiority on a very long, round-about path that Voyager will have to follow, which avoids any populated areas, industrial centers and military complexes. The path appears even longer than the detour. Further, they insist that "While in our space, your vessel will not exceed warp three, and your weapons systems will remain off-line. You will avoid unnecessary scans and you will not conduct surveys of any kind. You will make no attempt to explore our space and you will avoid all communications with nonmilitary craft." Janeway will also have to submit Voyager to seventeen inspection points along the way. The captain puts her most diplomatic face on to cover her stunned feelings, and asks politely if they will consider a more direct route. Their response is merely a look of palpable disdain. In the mess hall, Neelix greets Seven happily and takes the PADD from her. He reads The Doctor's recommendations. But it is merely a list of nutrients in the prescribed amounts; hardly appetizing, he opines. He figures a meal of chadre'kab would meet the requirements and taste good too, but Seven could not care less. Nor does she care about how he prepares it; when he asks her, she responds that preparation is irrelevant. So he makes the decision, deciding that steamed would be easiest for her still-fragile digestive system to handle. He prepares the meal in his kitchen. During this, Seven recognizes Neelix' species; Talaxian, or species 218 to the Borg. She notes that a freighter with a crew of 39 Talaxians was assimilated in the Dalmine sector -- their dense musculature made them excellent Borg drones. Neelix, unnerved by this but hiding it with humor, guides Seven to a table. This is another act she is uncomfortable with but has to get accustomed to; Borg do not sit. Ever. He places the plate before her, then trains her in the act of eating: dip spoon in, lift to mouth, put food in mouth, close mouth, chew and swallow. It seems amusing, but it is necessary; she has no idea whatsoever how to do it. But as she takes a second mouthful, she encounters she stops. Seven experiences a vision of a Borg drone screaming. The sound is identical to the black bird from her earlier visions. She stares, seemingly to Neelix at nothing. Then, as he watches in shock, a star-shaped Borg implant emerges from the skin on her right hand and spreads out on it. She drops the fork and groans in pain but as she stares at her new implant, she says "You will be assimilated,". She looks up at Neelix. Her manner becomes cold, drone-like. "Resistance is futile," she intones, then rises and shoves Neelix backward so hard he lands on the floor, dazed. She exits the room, striding in the implacable, relentless manner of a drone with a task to perform, as shocked crewmembers rush to the Talaxian's aid. Janeway, and Chakotay try their best to negotiate a shorter route with the B'omar. Lieutenant Paris has joined the meeting since his responsibilities as flight controller make his input valuable. But the B'omar do not budge, arrogantly rejecting every suggestion they make. Then Lieutenant Commander Tuvok calls from the bridge and informs them that Seven has gone on a rampage and has attacked three crewmen after leaving the mess hall. Janeway tries to call her, but gets no answer. Chakotay orders Tuvok to get a security team to her location to stop her. Seven strides through the corridors, heading toward the armory. Security officers attempt to stop her with phaser stun blasts. But they fail utterly; her Borg shielding is again online. Since she is fully aware of the phasers' power and frequencies, the officers do not get the usual delay before the adaptive shielding nullifies their weapons. On the bridge, the B'omar are shocked and angry, confronting Janeway: "You have Borg on your ship?!" Janeway assures them that Seven is not Borg anymore, but is at a loss to explain why, then, she has Borg shielding. Meanwhile, Seven gets a phaser rifle from the armory and continues on, this time heading for the shuttle bay. She boards a turbolift. When she exits the lift, a team led by Tuvok greets her. Tuvok warns her to stand down, but she ignores him. They fire, but, as with with the security officers before, they hit nothing but shield. She fires back, downing Ayala and another security officer. Tuvok reports the failure to Janeway, as Seven heads for the door to the bay. At Janeway's order, Ensign Kim puts up a force field to prevent her from getting to the door. But she uses a computer wall console to initiate a site-to-site transport through the force field, beaming aboard a shuttlecraft. Janeway orders the bay's outer door sealed. But this does not stop her; she actually crashes the shuttle through the doors, using its shields, which she has enhanced, to prevent damage to it. She flies off. In the captain's ready room, Janeway asks the B'omar for permission to pursue her into their space, but they sneeringly refuse, questioning her competence. Janeway keeps her cool, requesting that they work together. The B'omar make it clear: there will be no cooperation. Voyager will remain at least 5 light years from B'omar space. The B'omar will track Seven's shuttle and destroy it and her on catching it. Janeway coldly orders Chakotay to take them to the transporter room. Later, Janeway is in Cargo Bay 2, essentially Seven's quarters, supervising crewmembers as they check Seven's regeneration alcove and all other Borg equipment there for any clue as to the cause of her behavior. Chief engineer B'Elanna Torres has discovered a Borg data link in an alcove, containing log entries written in Borg alphanumeric code. Kim plans to translate it as he has become adept in Borg language. Chakotay arrives and informs her that the B'omar have doubled their border patrol and increased the sensitivity of their border's perimeter security grid. He then muses that perhaps attempts to rehabilitate Seven into Humanity were doomed to failure; even if she wanted to stay on Voyager, it may be that her Borg nature simply won out. But Janeway stoutly refuses to accept this. "She was responding to us; interacting with people outside of the Collective for the first time. She was adapting to this environment and to this crew," she insists. But the bigger question now is: where is she going? It cannot be Borg space; that is ten thousand light years away; it would take thousands of temporal years in a shuttle. Long range scans show no Borg vessels anywhere. Janeway and Chakotay then go to the Sickbay. The Doctor has something to show them. He has looked at the matter conversion data from Seven's site-to-site transport. The data shows that previously dormant nanoprobes in her cells have become active; they have, as is usual with nanoprobes assimilating tissue, taken over blood cell production and are creating new implants, including the ones that he took out when he de-assimilated her. Though he cannot guess as to why the nanoprobes activated, he does have a way to stop them. He shows them a hypospray with a genetic resequencer to shut them down again. But someone, then, will have to get close enough to use it. This will not be easy, not to mention dangerous. Janeway takes the hypospray to the bridge, where Tuvok and Paris are working on a plan to get into B'omar space and retrieve Seven. The plan involves using a shuttle whose shields have been suitably modified to mask the craft from the B'omar security grid. But it will not be able to communicate with Voyager once inside. Janeway approves and gives Tuvok the hypospray. She also orders Tuvok to use any force necessary to stop Seven, should the hypo's contents not work. No matter what, the Borg are not getting her back. In B'omar space, Seven's shuttle heads toward an unrevealed destination. Seven suffers another vision, this time cowering under a desk as she sees two drones reach for her. Then the sound of an alarm on the shuttle's control console snaps her out of it. B'omar patrol ships surround her. The B'omar warn her to proceed no further. Her face merely registers cold contempt as she effortlessly uses her phasers to disarm and incapacitate every one of the patrol ships. That done, she continues on. Tuvok and Paris, pursuing her in a class 2 shuttle, detect the battle and the results: no B'omar casualties, but their ships are no longer capable of doing a thing. Paris locates the shuttle and Tuvok orders an intercept. They catch up to it, but Seven's re-emerged Borg implants prevent her from being beamed off. Tuvok decides that he will beam to her and administer the hypo's contents. Paris reminds him of how dangerous that is: strong as Tuvok is, Vulcan strength is not a match for Borg strength. Tuvok responds that this is the only chance they have; he will try to use the element of surprise on her. Paris beams him to the back of Seven's shuttle. She is waiting for him. She engages him as soon as he fully materializes. Tuvok goes for a Vulcan nerve pinch. She deflects and, to Tuvok's great surprise, succeeds in applying the very same move on him, knocking him out. She then disables Paris's shuttle. On waking, Tuvok finds that Seven, at the pilot's controls, has put up a level-5 force field between him and her. He asks her why she left Voyager. "I am Borg," she replies. No, Tuvok insists. She was Borg, but is now Human again, and is part of Voyager's crew. Seven insists not, with sadness in her voice: she will always be Borg. Tuvok asks her what prompted her to realize this. She responds that she is following a Borg resonance frequency from a Borg ship that is waiting for her. Then, before she can stop herself, she rises, advances on him and coldly states the Borg species designation for Vulcans and the abilities of the species that make Vulcans worthy of assimilation. But before she can do what a drone faced with such a target would do, she catches hold of herself and returns to her seat. She tells Tuvok to return to Voyager and thank Janeway for the kindness she has shown her. Tuvok notes her demonstrated affection and sentiment. This proves, he presses, that she is not Borg. He then asks her if hallucinations are normal for a drone responding to a Borg resonance signal. Her answer: no. But, she continues, frightened, she can hear them. Tuvok, in a calm, reassuring tone, suggest that she drop the force field; they can return to Voyager together and find out what is happening to her. For a moment, she is on the verge of agreeing. But then she hears the Collective again and bluntly insists that she must rejoin it, and returns to piloting. Aboard Voyager, Janeway and Kim are reviewing Seven's personal log entries. But they show no clue as to the cause of what has happened to her. It seems like another dead end. That is, until they come to the parts where she describes her hallucinations. Janeway reads one of the entries. In it Seven speaks of a large, black bird. In her precise, Borg-like manner, she describes its features: black feathers, wingspan approximately one and a half meters, yellow eyes, powerful beak. She then describes her feelings of fear on seeing it as it watches her. Janeway, a scientist herself by training, recalls that the ornithological description matches that of a crow or a raven. Epiphany hits her. She now knows exactly where Seven is going and what has triggered her behavior. She and Kim rush to the bridge, where she orders scans for Starfleet vessels other than the two shuttlecraft, and then has the officer at the helm set a course for B'omar space. Seven's shuttle approaches a small moon of a a B'omar planet. She informs Tuvok that the signal is coming from the surface; the Borg await her there. But her fear of meeting them troubles her, as it did before. Tuvok offers to go with her. This puzzles and concerns her; he would be assimilated. But Tuvok does not think so; the situation is not what it seems. Seven considers, agrees, drops the force field, and he joins her. Meanwhile, Voyager contacts Paris' shuttle. He informs Janeway of the situation: he lost contact with Tuvok when he beamed over to Seven's shuttle, but he tracked her shuttle to the moon it was seen going to. He has also detected the Borg signal, but, of course, cannot identify it. Janeway orders him to try to locate Seven and Tuvok on the moon. But he must act quickly; B'omar ships are closing in on him. The moon's terrain is rugged, full of mountain ranges and deep canyons. Seven and Tuvok beam down and follow the signal. They round a corner and find, perched precariously on the edge of a cliff, the long-abandoned remains of a vessel. Tuvok scans it; it is of the Federation, partially assimilated by the Borg. No life signs. Tritanium decay places it as being there for almost the last 20 years. It is the USS Raven, Starfleet registry NAR-32450. They enter through an opening in the hull and make their way carefully to the bridge, where Seven finds a device emitting a pulsing green light. This is the source of the Borg resonance frequency. She turns it off. Then she experiences a hallucination more terrifying than any of the previous ones. She is a child. She sees a man and a woman, her parents, being dragged away by Borg drones. They scream at her to run and hide. She tries to do so, hiding behind a console. But she is found. She cringes and cries out in terror as two drones reach for her. A look of terror suffuses Seven's face. She quickly hides under a console, cowering and crying. Tuvok goes to her, reassures her and brings her back out. She looks around. And in the manner of a child, she tells Tuvok about that day 18 years ago when she and her parents were assimilated. For the first time, she is beginning to see just what the Borg did to her and her life. Tuvok surmises that the signal must have been active all that time, and Voyager passed within range of it, causing her behavior. Then the ship shakes violently. The B'omar have found them. They make their way quickly to the opening through which they entered. Voyager arrives at the moon. Three B'omar vessels are seen firing at the surface. On the bridge, Kim informs Janeway that their hails are being ignored. Janeway orders Chakotay to target their weapons. She orders a status report from Paris; he informs her that he has found Seven and Tuvok, but interference is making beaming them out difficult. Chakotay reports to Janeway that two of the B'omar ships are disabled. The third one hails. It is Gaumen. He angrily warns Janeway that she is committing an act of war. Reinforcements are coming. Janeway responds that he left her no choice, and has Kim cut the communication. Seven and Tuvok find the opening they entered through is now blocked. Fortunately, they clear it and manage to get out of the remains of the Raven. They get far enough in time to turn and watch as the remains shear away and crash into the gorge below. Then Paris' transporter beam takes them. Paris informs Janeway that he has them. Kim informs her a fleet of 68 B'omar ships is approaching. Janeway orders the officer at the helm to remove Voyager from B'omar space at warp eight as soon as the shuttle is aboard. Later, Janeway finds Seven on the holodeck, running the Da Vinci simulation. She informs her that The Doctor has found a way to adjust her implants so that she no longer receives any Borg homing signals. Seven thanks her, then goes quiet. She then recalls to Janeway that Janeway had told her that this was a place to encourage imagination. She wonders aloud that she now find herself imagining what her life would had been like had she and her parents never been assimilated. They, not the Borg, would have influenced what she would have become. Janeway suggests that, if she would like to know more about her parents, she can read about them in the ship's database. Although they were unconventional, they were fairly well known for some unique scientific theories. Seven thanks her, bids her goodnight, and leaves. 
<EOS>
Torres climbs through a Jefferies tube. Something is depleting power from a warp core diagnostic she was running in engineering, and she is trying to find the source of the problem. She comes upon Seven of Nine who is working at an energy conduit. She finds that Seven is causing the power drain by diverting power away from non-key areas to the under-construction astrometrics lab. Commissioned by Captain Kathryn Janeway, this lab, using both Starfleet and Borg technology, will vastly improve Voyager's stellar cartography and sensor capabilities. Seven of Nine will be in charge of it, in effect becoming the ship's chief astrometrician. Seven's power diversion is disrupting Torres' work and Torres confronts Seven, telling her she should have had the power diversion cleared first. She remonstrates her about following procedure but then stops as she realizes that she sounds like Janeway. She adopts a more understanding tone and tells Seven that if she herself, a hot-tempered Starfleet Academy dropout and former Maquis can adapt to Starfleet life and procedure, Seven can as well. Seven apologizes for her actions. In sickbay, Lt. jg Tom Paris, functioning as a medical assistant, begs The Doctor for time off telling him he has a conn report to finish. The Doctor sees that Paris is lying but lets him leave, with a curious look. Paris thanks him and leaves. He goes to a corridor console, calls up a plan of the ship, makes sure nobody is around, and initiates a site-to-site transport. He materializes in engineering, there to meet Torres. They kiss but, as they do so, a strange effect is seen: they are anatomically scanned, right down to their skeletons. Torres suddenly gets the feeling that they are being watched but brushes it off and they return to kissing each other. In her quarters, Captain Janeway is being given a vigorous osteopathic massage by The Doctor. He complains that she is over-stressing herself, mentioning the nagging headache she has been complaining of. It has been plaguing her for the last several days and is getting worse, feeling like hot needles in her skull. Commander Chakotay, hails her from the bridge with news that they have found the source of energy readings they had been tracking. Janeway ends the massage, to The Doctor's annoyance, and heads for the bridge. She arrives and sees on the viewscreen what Chakotay called her to see: two binary pulsars. Chakotay informs her of the extent of the combined gravitational pull: anything within fifty million kilometers is getting pulled in and destroyed. He informs her that Voyager is well out of range. Chakotay comments that they can still collect some invaluable data if they are careful but notices that she is not paying attention and the strain on her face from her headache is evident. She apologizes, puts the project in his hands and leaves the bridge. Paris again goes to engineering to meet Torres. She makes an excuse for them to go to the area's upper level, where they will be alone. Once there, they again engage each other amorously, even more intensely than before. However, they are caught; Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok walks in and finds them embracing. He hands Torres a PADD with data she had requested. Profoundly embarrassed, she and Paris quickly regain their composure and Torres rambles an awkward thank you. Tuvok leaves without comment. Paris rushes out after the Vulcan and seeks an assurance from Tuvok that he will say nothing and make no report of what he saw. Paris obtains no such assurance. He and Torres attend a senior officers' meeting, called to discuss plans to collect data about the pulsars. The two try their best not to look embarrassed by what happened in engineering. Chakotay conducts the meeting, while Janeway sits quietly, looking as ill as before. When it is done, she dismisses the staff, all except Paris and Torres. Alone with them, she harshly chews them out for their adolescent behavior for senior officers, setting a very poor conduct example. Paris mentions Tuvok, assuming he told her, but she sharply lets them know that he did not as it is their own behavior that has been making such a display that the entire crew is gossiping. She angrily orders them to act with better judgment and dismisses them. They scurry out and she holds her badly aching head in her hand. Chakotay is in his quarters, working on the planned data collection operation but he cannot concentrate on his work. He replicates some coffee but as he sips it, the same anatomical scan that was seen being performed on Paris and Torres is seen being performed on him. His hands begin to shake so much he drops the cup. He goes to the bathroom, runs water into the sink and washes his face, passing his hand through his hair. Then he notices some of his hair in the sink. In shock, he begins raking hair off his scalp. Chakotay is in sickbay on a biobed. He has aged considerably. Janeway, despite her own recurring migraines, is there, getting a report on his condition from The Doctor. He confirms that Chakotay has indeed rapidly aged. His DNA segments that regulate metabolism have been hyper-stimulated, causing the effect. The Doctor cannot guess as to what is causing this hyper-stimulation. Chakotay insists his mind is still at his chronological age and wants to get back to work but The Doctor insists he stay put, with Janeway's agreement. The Doctor asks her permission to set up an electron resonance scanner in the science lab to look at his DNA more closely and Janeway agrees. In the mess hall, Paris sits with Ensign Harry Kim ruefully discussing the stern chewing-out that Captain Janeway gave him and Torres. Neelix takes their breakfast order and goes into the kitchen to prepare it. Suddenly the loud crash of pots and pans hitting the floor is heard. The two officers rush in, alarmed, and find Neelix on the floor, in great pain. They urgently hail sickbay. In sickbay, Neelix' appearance has changed drastically. His entire head is now covered with spots as opposed to just his temples, spots much larger than what he had, and his whiskers are gone. The Doctor, after examining him, finds that, like Chakotay, his genes too have been altered. Instead of aging, Neelix is actually changing species, becoming a Mylean, the race of his great-grandfather. The Doctor leaves Paris in charge and goes to the science lab to work on their genetic analyses. Torres is assisting The Doctor but soon after he is gone, two more crewmembers come in ill and calls notifying of impending new arrivals start coming in. With nothing else that can be done for them, and some of the reports being emergencies, Paris releases Chakotay and Neelix to their quarters. The Doctor and Torres scan Chakotay's DNA. They notice something very odd: black marks on the base pairs sequences. Full magnification shows them to be tags, like 20th century barcodes. Neelix' DNA is tagged as well. It is a logical hypothesis that these tags are causing their condition. Moreover, they find that the tags are actually emitting a very weak signal. They begin to run a scan for possible receptors using the ship's internal scanners. But then The Doctor begins to waver. Torres checks his mobile emitter and discovers with great alarm that he is being deleted. She immediately begins transferring him back to sickbay but then screams and collapses. The Doctor urgently hails the bridge, before he himself disappears. Captain Janeway, Paris, Kim and Seven of Nine are in sickbay, around Torres' biobed. The Doctor is absent and sickbay is now full of patients. Paris reports that Torres' lungs suddenly ceased to process oxygen, nearly killing her. Janeway looks disheveled and sleepless as her migraines have increased in intensity. She asks about The Doctor. Kim explains that the computer logs show he was trying to transfer himself to sickbay and he theorizes that something must have gone wrong with the transfer. But then Seven of Nine hears an urgent hail that none of the others hear. It is The Doctor. He urgently tells her he has tapped into her Borg audio implants. He is hiding in the captain's Leonardo da Vinci holoprogram in Holodeck Two. He asks her to join him at once, cautioning her not to tell anyone. Seven listens but her attention is called back by Janeway sharply calling her name. To the others it looks as if she was daydreaming. Responding to a question about The Doctor's research, she responds that she examined the lab but the electron resonance scanner apparently malfunctioned. She offers to go and repair it, using that as excuse to leave for Holodeck Two. Janeway agrees and she quickly leaves sickbay. She arrives at the holodeck and enters the Da Vinci simulation. The Doctor has disguised himself as a painter teaching a bunch of holographically-created art students. He urgently informs Seven of a conclusion he has arrived at: someone aboard is deliberately causing the genetic alterations that are afflicting the crew. Why this is being done, he cannot say. But he and Torres were getting close to finding the culprit and were dealt with. Seven surmises that communications may be monitored, if this accusation is true. He agrees and, to gather more information, he modifies her ocular implant to scan visually along the frequency on which the genetic tags are transmitting. After this is done, she looks around the simulation but sees nothing out of the ordinary. She leaves to search the rest of the ship, intending on reporting back to The Doctor using the isolated comm frequency with which he has tapped into her audio implants. Seven walks through the corridors, ignoring sight in her organic eye and focusing her attention on her ocular implant. At first, she sees nothing unusual. Then she sees a crewmember walking briskly. She switches attention to her organic eye; all looks normal. But with her ocular implant, she sees a grotesque-looking device on the crewmember's head, with tubes going up both his nostrils. He nods at her pleasantly, apparently completely oblivious to the device. And she sees something else with her implant: a brown-robed humanoid alien, who passes and monitors the crewman. Seven feigns absolutely no indication of awareness of the alien. She boards the turbolift, the alien boards with her and sticks a large metal probe into her chest. She continues acting as if nothing is happening and, when the doors open again, the alien removes the device. She steps off and continues down the corridor of another deck. Crewmen go past her, some with devices on them, others without, each completely unaware of what is happening. She enters the mess hall and finds most of those present have devices on them. Brown-robed aliens attend to the devices, taking readings and adjusting them. The devices are attached to various body parts: head, shoulders, necks, backs, legs, etc. Seven, again giving no indication that she is seeing anything out of the ordinary, pretends to pour herself a cup of coffee. She contacts The Doctor using her audio implants and tells him what she is seeing. He tells her to go and inform the captain immediately. Captain Janeway is in her ready room, looking extremely agitated and irritable. Tuvok comes to see her and notes her condition. After discussing official business, Janeway then talks to Tuvok about the incident between Paris and Torres. She tells the Vulcan that she's sick of people taking advantage of the lack of protocol and orders Tuvok to straighten out the heads of each department. Tuvok then asks if he should flog them as well. This makes Janeway realize she's overreacting and maybe she needs a vacation. Seven comes to see her ready to inform her about the aliens, only to be stopped in her tracks to find that Janeway also has one of the alien devices on her. Metal spikes are sticking into her head while two aliens are on either side of Janeway, adjusting the devices to drive them in even deeper (this clearly being the cause of Janeway's severe headaches). Seven quickly regains her composure and, since she obviously can no longer inform Janeway of what is going on, she tells her instead that her attempts to fix the scanner in the science lab have failed and asks for help. Janeway assigns Kim to assist her and then all but shouts at her to leave. She quickly does so. Returning to the Da Vinci simulation, Seven informs The Doctor that she counted 56 aliens and surmises that they are performing experiments on the crew. They decide that the next course of action they are going to take is to stop the aliens and their experiments. The Doctor says that they must act quickly, before these induced genetic mutations, growing ever more serious, start becoming fatal. Seven suggests that a phaser beam should make the aliens visible, however The Doctor points out that this may cause the aliens to retaliate by inflicting severe mutations on the crew, before recalling his earlier hypothesis that the genetic tags are the key and suggests causing a ship-wide neuroleptic shock to disable them. Although the shock will be, as The Doctor puts it, rather painful the crew will recover. Seven suggests modifying the ship's EPS relays to deliver the shock. The Doctor agrees with her plan. Seven goes to engineering to make the modifications. Here, too, the aliens are present, with their devices on crewmembers. She begins overriding the safety protocols but Tuvok, on the bridge, notices at his tactical console her modifications. He hails her and demands to know why. Seven responds and makes up an explanation. Unconvinced, and remembering the last time Seven began fiddling with the ship's systems, he goes to engineering himself, armed with a phaser and orders her to stop. Three aliens, unseen by him, take notice and approach them curiously. Forced into a corner, Seven abandons the plan and instead quickly grabs Tuvok's phaser, changes the setting and fires at one of the aliens. She becomes visible and Seven quickly grabs her. Tuvok and the Engineering Crew look on as Seven warns the other two, still unseen, that she will kill the captured one if they do not back off. Seven sternly informs the captured alien that the captain will certainly have questions for her. The alien sits quietly in a cell in the brig. Her name is Alzen and her race is called the Srivani. Captain Janeway enters with Tuvok and Seven. She looks almost deranged with pain and anger. She orders Seven to continue trying to disable the tags and Tuvok to modify the internal sensors to detect the Srivani and then dismisses the two. Barely containing her rage, she demands the alien identify herself and explain what she and her fellows are doing to her and her crew. The alien calmly responds that they are scientists and are performing medical research on them. She insists that their techniques are as benign as we can make them and proudly states that their research benefits millions of their people, who live longer and healthier because of it. Janeway angrily tells her what they are doing is barbaric and unethical but Alzen is unmoved, claiming that Janeway would behave no differently to protect her own crew. Janeway drops the force field barring the cell's doorway and enters, struggling to control herself. She responds angrily that that her actions are in self-defense but what the Srivani are doing is viciously exploiting another species for their own benefit. Alzen merely observes that Janeway's restraint has been remarkable, considering that they have been steadily raising her dopamine levels and hyper-stimulating her aggressive impulses to test her behavioral restraints. She remarks that there is much debate about how much strain she can bear. At this, Janeway nearly snaps. She seizes Alzen and slams her against the bulkhead. "Not much," she hisses through gritted teeth, before barely regaining control of herself and releasing her. Alzen calmly, but now with an edge of sternness, warns her not to interfere. The research, she says, will continue. There will be minimal fatalities, she assures Janeway, though, she adds, there may be some deformities. But any interference, she warns, and the entire experiment, along with its subjects, will be terminated. Janeway calls an emergency meeting in the ready room. She, Tuvok, Seven and The Doctor try to come up with ideas to get rid of the Srivani. The internal sensors are unable to detect them and the Srivani have modified the EPS relays to prevent Seven from inducing the neuroleptic shock. More and more people are being taken to sickbay with increasingly severe symptoms and a direct confrontation would be unwise due to their ability to tamper with the crew's DNA. Then a hail comes from the bridge: another medical emergency. They rush out to find a crewwoman lying on the floor, convulsing. Her face is horribly crisscrossed by ruptured blood vessels. The Doctor desperately tries to save her but fails. The Srivani have raised her blood pressure to far beyond fatal levels. Every vessel in her entire circulatory system has burst. Janeway manically tries to revive her but cannot. Janeway looks at the body and decides that this must end, now. She storms to the conn console, angrily relieving the officer on duty there, who immediately vacates the seat. She sits and angrily punches in a course and initiates red alert. The ship heads for the pulsars. Seven informs her that a Srivani has come onto the bridge. Tuvok warns her that they have to change course at once or be caught in the stars' gravitational pull. She refuses. At operations, Kim reinforces the ship's structural integrity field as much as possible, not that it will help against the pulsars' crushing gravity. The Srivani intruders' leader, Takar, makes herself visible and sternly asks Janeway what she hopes to accomplish. With a feral grin, Janeway responds that she is trying to crush the ship like a tin can. The Srivani sneers that it is more likely she is trying to intimidate them. Janeway sneers back that she is welcome to stay and find out. Takar tries to lay in a course change, but Janeway informs her that the course is locked in and only the captain's authorization can unlock it. Takar tells her that she is not behaving rationally. Janeway nearly laughs and responds that this is what they wanted with their experiments, to see how much she could take before going over the edge. They caused this by raising her dopamine levels to the point of madness and by depriving her of sleep for four consecutive days with the constant, maddening pain of their devices in her skull. She coyly tells them that they are now seeing the result of their experiments on her and they will be right there to collect the final data. Takar grows frantic. She orders Janeway to change course, reminding her that they can kill the crew in an instant. Janeway tells her that without the crew, they will never be able to prevent the ship from being crushed by the pulsars. And even with the crew, the chances of survival are one in ten but Tuvok quickly corrects her that their odds are one in twenty. Takar's face flushes with fear. She backs away and vanishes. At the auxiliary tactical console, Seven informs Janeway that two alien vessels are disengaging from Voyager's hull. The top of the saucer section is seen, engulfed by the fire of the stars' aura. Two small ships become visible, attached to the hull. They detach and pull away but one explodes. Back on the bridge, Seven reports hull breaches on three decks. Janeway replies that their best chance of survival is to attempt to race between the stars at maximum impulse. She keeps the ship on course and cranks the impulse engines up to maximum. Helm control fails and main power goes off-line. Janeway stares at the pulsars on the viewscreen, the brightness of their light washing over the bridge. Voyager glows red And passes between the stars, coming through on the other side. The hull cools down. Janeway, Seven, and Kim sigh with relief. Sweat is on Janeway's brow. She comments jocularly to Tuvok that she did not know he considered her reckless. Tuvok responds that that was, clearly, an understatement. Janeway snickers. Paris and Torres have dinner in Paris' quarters. The menu is salad and red wine, Ktarian merlot from 2282. A hail comes from engineering, informing Torres of a problem with the warp core's plasma manifold. She orders it locked down and she will deal with it in the morning. They begin to eat but are interrupted by the door chime. It is Kim who is returning a PADD. He tries to make conversation with them but Paris shuts the door on him in mid-sentence. They remove their combadges, to prevent further interruption. As they move to kiss each other, they joke that their attraction to each other must be a residual effect of the Srivani experiments and they kiss. 
<EOS>
A perfect day on a class M planet. An advanced civilization lives here, evidenced by a sprawling and technologically advanced metropolis. Suddenly, in the sky above, a tremendously large weapon appears. It fires a beam of energy at the city. The beam spreads out over the city and beyond. Every trace of civilization vanishes, replaced by virgin land, as if the planet had never been populated. Aboard the ship that fired the beam, a young officer checks computer displays and reports to the ship's commander that the temporal incursion is complete and all organisms on the planet have been eradicated. The commander asks if their target event has been achieved. Frustrated, the officer reports that it has not been achieved. The commander speculates that more definitive action is necessary and orders a course laid in for the homeworld of the Zahl. The entire species, he decides, must be erased from time. Aboard the USS Voyager, the senior staff is gathered together in the new astrometrics lab to celebrate its completion. Seven of Nine is placed in charge of the lab. She and the co-designer of the lab, Ensign Harry Kim, demonstrate its abilities by showing them a projection of a new course to Earth they have plotted that by Seven's estimate will trim five years from their decades-long journey. Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres observes that they are entering a region of space with many class M planets. Seven informs that the territory is claimed by the Zahl, a species the Borg have assigned a low resistance quotient. The Doctor then begins a long, drawn-out speech he has prepared, much to the chagrin of those assembled. As it becomes obvious that his speech will not be brief, he is interrupted when the bridge hails Captain Kathryn Janeway, informing her of an incoming hail from an approaching ship. The crew, glad to be spared the speech, quickly disperse and ignore The Doctor's invitation to meet up later. The hailing ship is now firing on Voyager but causing no damage. On the bridge, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok scans the vessel and reports that it is no threat as it is small, its weapons limited, and its warp capacity low. Janeway orders an on-screen answer to the hail. It is a Krenim vessel. The hailer, a Krenim commandant, appears. Furious, he informs Janeway that they are trespassing in Krenim space and orders her to reverse course or face destruction, though his vessel is completely unable to harm Voyager. Janeway responds with a smirk and dismisses his threat with a disparaging comment about the size of what is in his torpedo tubes. The commandant angrily closes the channel. Janeway orders Voyager's course maintained but also orders yellow alert, just in case. Voyager has entered Zahl space. The ship is stationary with two large, Zahl ships nearby. In the briefing room, a friendly and engaging Zahl official assures Janeway that there is nothing to fear from the Krenim, who were defeated by the Zahl over a generation ago despite their formidable temporal weapons. Their ships, he tells her, still wander Zahl territory claiming the space as their own but are no more than a nuisance. Janeway acknowledges this appraisal with a smile. However, as the ambassador begins inquiring about their lengthy journey, Kim hails Janeway from the bridge and informs her the vessel has returned. Janeway and the Zahl enter the bridge. The vessel hails and Janeway orders an on-screen answer. It is the same Krenim commandant who, upon noticing the Zahl official, accuses Janeway of consorting with their enemy. The Zahl angrily warns the commandant to disengage, threating to seize his ship and ship him home in a cargo container. As Janeway interjects, Kim reports a huge spatial distortion heading for them, five light years across and expanding. Tuvok scans it and, to the Zahl's shock, reports it to be a space-time distortion originating from a vessel near the Zahl homeworld. Flight controller Tom Paris tries to take the ship to warp speed in an attempt to get away from the distortion, but the wave destabilizes the warp field, making escape impossible. The wave overtakes all the vessels and everything quickly changes. The Zahl ships vanish. The modest Krenim vessel is transformed into a Krenim warship. On Voyager's bridge, the Zahl official vanishes. The bridge goes from pristine to red alert condition with significant damaged, appearing to have been caused over the last several days. Lights flicker and gases leak. Janeway and the other officers go from being relaxed but alert to being tense and disheveled. A crewmember lies dead on the floor. None of the crew are aware that any kind of change occurred. The ship shudders from the warship's fire. Tuvok reports their shields are at seventeen percent. Before the wave, they were at full strength. The Krenim vessel hails. The Krenim commandant appears, but instead of being impotently angry, he is deadly confident. He offers to forgo the execution of Janeway's crew if she will surrender her ship. When she coldly refuses, he warns her to prepare to be boarded and closes the channel. Janeway orders battle stations, remarking to Chakotay that this is turning into the week of hell. Voyager is pummeled by the Krenim warship, its torpedoes easily penetrating the ship's deflector shields. Chakotay cannot understand why, but Tuvok answers that the torpedoes are not photonic but chronitonic; They are getting through their shields because they are in temporal flux, slightly out of phase with space-time, simultaneously there and yet not there. Her ship defenseless, Janeway gives the order to flee at warp speed. Once out of immediate danger, she orders a 24-hour tactical alert and orders Tuvok to find a way to modify the shields against the Krenim torpedoes. The ship that caused the change in the timeline is a Krenim temporal weapon ship. The Krenim weapon revised the timeline so that the Zahl never existed, hence the Krenim were never defeated, and the entire region has again become Krenim-controlled space. The commander, Annorax, is in his chambers aboard his ship. He holds a sealed glass pyramid containing a small lock of red hair. He gazes at it with evident grief. The young officer previously on the bridge, named Obrist, enters and with dignified excitement reports that the erasure of the Zahl from history has restored the Krenim Imperium to 98% of the power it once had; 849 worlds over 5,000 parsecs. However, Annorax asks him whether or not a certain colony at Kyana Prime was restored. Obrist tells him that in this timeline, the Imperium's territory does not extend far enough to encompass Kyana Prime. He does so in a voice that shows he has been asked this question before and has always had the same answer. Disappointed by this news, Annorax responds that they have failed and orders Obrist to start calculations for another temporal incursion. Frustrated, Obrist hangs his head and shakes it. He earnestly pleads that, in two hundred years of attempts, they have never ever achieved this level of restoration and that even a minor incursion could jeopardize this unprecedented success. Clearly having no interest in entertaining his officer's objections, Annorax sternly orders him to obey his order. Resigned, Obrist acknowledges and leaves. Voyager is chased by a Krenim warship. A torpedo slams into the junction between the saucer section and the stardrive. The bridge looks in worse condition than before as Voyager has been suffering constant Krenim attacks. Tuvok's attempts to modify the shields against the Krenim chroniton torpedoes have failed. However, Chakotay notices the warship's aft shields are down but Voyager's own weapons are non-functional. Meanwhile, The Doctor hails from sickbay and informs them that a power overload is occurring there. Kim tries to stop it but his attempts fail, and the power overload quickly spreads throughout Deck 5. Chakotay immediately orders a complete evacuation of the deck. Janeway orders Tuvok to arm four of their eleven remaining photon torpedoes and deploy them like mines. He does and her tactic works: the Krenim warship runs into the free-floating torpedoes and is destroyed. Janeway's attention immediately returns to the impending destruction of Deck 5. There, The Doctor quickly shepherds his patients and other crewmembers into a Jefferies tube, where they will be safe from the impending explosion. But as he is about to seal himself and the others in the tube he sees two crewmembers, Emmanuel and Strickler, running desperately toward the hatch. He waits for them until the computer counts the last second before the deck blows. Seeing that, though close, they cannot make it to the Jefferies tube in time, he seals the hatch. Much of the deck explodes outward in a huge line of flame and debris along the top of the saucer section. The ship is so violently shaken by the explosion that all officers on the bridge are knocked off their feet or out of their seats. Kim reports the almost complete destruction of Deck 5. Tuvok gives a casualty report, which includes the deaths of the two crewmembers who did not make it to the Jefferies tube. Janeway ends the red alert and looks around at the damage on the bridge. Most of the lights are out, console displays flicker and debris is strewn everywhere. She leaves Chakotay with the bridge and goes to her ready room. Janeway's ready room is in even worse condition than the bridge. All lights are out and debris covers almost the entire floor and her desk. Her desktop monitor is completely destroyed. Chakotay enters, and advises her that the crew should abandon ship as their strategy of trying to modify the shields is not working and the ship is being decimated. Janeway staunchly disagrees stating that if they separate, they will be unable to pool their talents and will be even more vulnerable to the Krenim; They will stay on the ship as long as the ship remains in one piece. Chakotay accepts this as Paris hails them from the bridge and informs them of yet another attack. Kim and an injured Torres are trapped in a dark, debris-strewn turbolift car. Already stuck there for six hours, they continue passing the time by playing guessing games. Despite her increasing pain, Torres stubbornly tries to think of the answer to Kim's latest puzzle when Seven of Nine pries the door open and frees them. Seven answers Kim's final question about the name of Zefram Cochrane's ship -- the Phoenix -- and tells them the Borg were present during the events. When she informs them that the latest attack disabled the entire turbolift system, Torres wants to go to the Jefferies tubes on Deck 11 to try to repair the EPS relays but Kim insists that she go to Sick Bay. She realizes he's right and Seven goes to Deck 11 instead. Meanwhile on the bridge, in front of the flickering master systems display, Janeway, Chakotay, and Paris discuss an a plan conceived by Paris: using transverse bulkheads to seal off sections of the ship in the event of a breach, an increasingly-likely possibility given the ship's current state and the persistent Krenim attacks. Inspired by a similar technology on the Titanic (which the Captain points out ultimately sank), Paris' plan is approved by Janeway. The Doctor hails Paris from the mess hall (Voyager's new medical facility due to sickbay's destruction) asking for his assistance in his capacity as medic. On Deck 11, Seven opens a Jefferies tube hatch but just as she is about to climb in, she sees an object lodged in the tube's wall. She climbs in, moves close to it and scans it with a tricorder. It is an undetonated Krenim chroniton torpedo with the warhead still armed and ready to go off. She urgently hails Tuvok and informs him of her discovery. He orders her to hold position and not attempt disarming it. When Tuvok arrives, he decides that the safest option is to cordon off the tube with a level 10 force field in order to contain the imminent explosion of the destabilizing warhead. But Seven wants to complete this unique opportunity to scan one of the torpedoes and ascertain its exact temporal variance, which can be used to correctly modify the deflector shields. Tuvok objects and attempts to drag her toward the hatch. Struggling against him to finish, Seven finally succeeds in finding the variance -- 1.47 microseconds -- but the torpedo detonates before they reach the hatch. Tuvok shields her and the explosion catches him in the face. Voyager is in a terrible state. Janeway records in her log that the replicator system was severely damaged in the latest attack, forcing the crew to survive on emergency rations. Environmental controls are failing and seven decks are now uninhabitable. The weary crew, having relocated from their quarters and sleeping in bunks, are struggling on. The bridge is now totally wrecked as Janeway attempts to repair the science station. Chakotay, reminding her of the date—her birthday—offers her a gift: a silver pocket watch he replicated for her months earlier. But in their current condition, non-essentials are a luxury they cannot afford and she tells him to recycle it. Tuvok, now completely blind from the chroniton torpedo blast in the Deck 11 Jefferies tube, shaves with a straight-edge razor in the remains of his quarters. Seven of Nine enters and says that she is reporting for duty to lead him on his morning rounds. She has devoted herself to helping Tuvok after sacrificing his sight to shield her from harm. She shows irritation that he has cut himself shaving, having previously offered to help him with personal grooming. Tuvok rejects the notion, clearly not for the first time. Before they leave his quarters, she informs him of an idea she has developed on how to modify the deflector shields to defend against the Krenim torpedoes, using the temporal variance she measured from the torpedo. He decides that they should forgo his rounds and proceed to deflector control. As they make their way along the darkened, debris-strewn corridors, the two bemoan human personal habits after Seven crosses paths with her new bunk mate. Chakotay's voice comes through the com system, warning of another incoming attack and ordering all hands to battle stations. Tuvok orders Seven to go to deflector control and bring the modified shields on-line, essentially testing them in battle, while he attempts to make his way to the bridge, feeling along the walls to get there. Upon arriving at the bridge, Tuvok goes to his tactical station. Blind, he cannot see his station's visual interface and has the computer initiate a tactile interface, allowing him to operate the controls and read the displays by touch. Janeway orders an on-screen view of the approaching Krenim warship. Ordering evasive maneuvers, Chakotay and she pester Seven to engage the newly-modified shields. Once Seven succeeds in bringing them on-line, the warship fires on them once more. The first torpedo misses due to Paris' piloting skills, but the second hits. This time the torpedo causes no damage; Seven's modifications work perfectly. Janeway orders Tuvok to hail the warship. She advises them to stand down, as Voyager is no longer defenseless against them. They do not answer. She orders Paris to maintain course through Krenim space. Elsewhere, the temporal weapon ship approaches another planet, home to a race called the Garenor. Annorax orders the ship taken into orbit and the weapon to be fully powered and fired. It has the same effect as seen on the Zahl colony: every trace of civilization vanishes, as if it never existed, and the space-time shock wave created radiates outward away from the planet. Back on Voyager, the Krenim warship is still in pursuit but has ceased firing, unsure how to respond to the recent development; This newfound advantage over the warship is Voyager's first in months. Kim soon reports the approach of the most recent temporal wave. Even before this timeline the ship could not outrun it, so it has absolutely no chance in its dilapidated state. The wave hits. But the new shields protect the ship from the wave's temporal changes for the same reasons they protected against the Krenim's temporal torpedoes. However, the Krenim warship has no such protection. The shocked bridge crew watch as it is reduced from a mighty warship to a once again modest ship with limited armaments that would pose no threat to an undamaged Voyager. A baffled Kim reports that the ship is definitely Krenim but it is no longer the warship they were just facing. Chakotay scans the region from the command console and reports that the region has suddenly changed: before the wave, the area was filled with Krenim colonies and warships, but now there are no colonies and only a few small ships. History appears to have been changed so that the Kremim Imperium never existed. Janeway orders Kim to route any data about the wave to astrometrics where she is headed, commenting that their troubles might suddenly be over. Aboard the temporal weapon ship, Obrist notes the erasure of the Krenim Imperium with great consternation. He reports to Annorax that the incursion has gone terribly wrong. Annorax cannot believe it, insisting that their calculations were perfect. Obrist pores over the sensor data and finds the explanation: as a previously inert component, they had failed to account for Voyager's new temporal shields in their calculations. Annorax orders a course be set to go to Voyager. Astrometrics is as ruined as the rest of the ship but Seven manages to activate its sensors, finding the database intact. Janeway orders her to call up a previous scan of the area. It shows how the region was: under the boot of the Krenim Imperium, full of Krenim colonies. A new scan confirms what Chakotay found, that the Imperium does not currently exist; History has been changed by the wave. On Janeway's order, Seven tracks its source and finds that it originated near the Garenor homeworld. She further notes with confusion that the sensors show that the Garenor do not exist anymore, also erased from history by the wave. She theorizes that, because of their temporal weapons, the Krenim may also be responsible for the temporal wave. This makes no sense to Janeway, as the change has undermined their own species. She speculates that there is a big piece of the puzzle still missing, and in the midst of ordering another scan, the ship is suddenly shaken. Annorax's ship arrives. Aboard, Obrist confirms that Voyager is generating a temporal field. Annorax orders two of her crew collected as samples, along with a small piece of the hull. He also orders preparations for another temporal incursion, this time against Voyager. He cannot have this anomalous temporal component disrupting his calculations and intends to eliminate it. On Voyager, Kim reports with surprise that the entire Krenim vessel is in temporal flux and like the torpedoes, the ship actually exists outside of space-time. Chakotay rises and walks toward the viewscreen, studying the vessel. He stops at the conn console, beside Paris. Suddenly, both men vanish, transported away. Janeway immediately orders efforts to retrieve them. Kim tries but fails. A hail comes from the weapon ship. Janeway orders it answered on-screen. Annorax appears, calmly but sternly telling Janeway to identify herself and her ship, which she does. He reciprocates and observes that Voyager is not from the Delta Quadrant. Janeway confirms, but when she asks about the change in history—emphasizing the erasure of the Krenim Imperium—he curtly responds that it is none of her business. When he tells her that she has diverted him from his mission, she realizes that he is responsible for the change in the timeline. Without denying this, he assures her it is nothing personal but that Voyager must be erased as well, informing her that this will restore the lives of countless millions. With a curt apology, he closes the channel. The ship fires its temporal weapon on Voyager. So great is its power that the temporal shields are quickly degraded. Kim reports tensely that the beam is pushing Voyager out of the space-time continuum; they are being erased from history. However, Seven scans the weapon ship and reports that its mass prevents it from achieving speeds in excess of warp 6. Voyager, whose normal top warp speed is in excess of warp 9.9, can escape. But Tuvok cautions that damage to the ship's structural integrity means that warp speed will cause extreme damage. Despite Tuvok's concerns and having to leave Chakotay and Paris behind, Janeway feels that right now they have no choice. She orders Paris' transverse bulkheads be brought online, all hands to get away from the hull's outer sections and, taking the helm, engages the warp drive. They escape the temporal beam. But large, jagged pieces of the outer hull peel off and break away. Janeway calls a meeting of surviving crewmembers in the remains of the mess hall. She sadly but sternly informs them of the ship's inability to sustain the crew any longer. She is now forced to make the decision Chakotay had suggested weeks before: to abandon ship. The senior staff, she announces, will stay behind with her and attempt to rescue Chakotay and Paris. She gives the departing crew some inspiring words before dismissing them. Escape pod hatches open and the pods, carrying most of the crew, emerge from the remains of the hull and fall away from the ship. 
<EOS>
Wrecked nearly beyond repair, the USS Voyager hides in a class 9 nebula in the Delta Quadrant near the temporally-fluctuating Krenim-controlled space. The ventilation system, while still partially functional, has allowed nebular gas to flood one of the remaining decks. Captain Kathryn Janeway and Ensign Harry Kim don gas masks and enter the deck. They manage to fix the controls, preventing further damage, but the ventilation system is too damaged to eject the gas. Forced to repair the system, Janeway and Kim use up their respective air supplies. They struggle to keep from inhaling as they finish the job, but the gas enters their lungs and causes extensive damage. The Doctor treats Kim, but Janeway refuses to sit still long enough. The Doctor follows her to the bridge, trying to convince her to undergo treatment. Janeway marches onto the remains of the bridge. Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres sits at the still somewhat functional conn station and reports on the status of the warp drive. One of the warp nacelles is still partially operable, but the other is beyond repair. Between violent fits of coughing, Janeway orders Torres to get the recoverable nacelle working again. The Doctor and the captain argue. He implores her to stop working and rest for 48 hours, allowing her lungs time to heal. She refuses and demands an injection of trioxin to help her breathing. He objects, as trioxin is only a stopgap measure. Her lungs, he stresses, have been seriously damaged. He tries to invoke medical rank and force her acquiescence, but as captain, she issues a stern order to use the trioxin. Realizing further efforts will be futile, he reluctantly obeys. Despite coughing, she continues working. Chakotay, his face grimy and covered in the stubble of a rough goatee, is taken from a holding cell aboard the Krenim weapon ship. He is cleaned up, shaved, given clean Krenim clothing, then brought to Annorax in his quarters. Annorax sits at a table loaded with an impressive feast. He removes his uniform gloves and greets Chakotay. Chakotay asks about his crewmate, Tom Paris. Annorax responds that no doubt he is making himself difficult. Chakotay asks what he expects, given their captivity for the last two months, in isolation, poked and prodded. Annorax, with dignified irritation, responds that he expects they would act with at least some level of dignity or restraint, of which Paris shows none. Chakotay demands to know what Annorax wants from them. "At the moment, information" he politely replies. Paris enters and ascertains that Chakotay is unharmed. Annorax invites them to join him, describing the feast as a selection of delicacies found nowhere else in the galaxy. The Starfleet officers accept. Annorax pours each a glass of an extremely rare vintage of Malkothian spirits, noting that this bottle is the sole remaining component of the once-powerful Malkoth race. Everything else -- their cities, culture -- even the very species itself -- never existed. In fact, every dish on the table has come from civilizations erased from time. When he informs Paris that he is devouring the last remnants of the Alsuran Empire., Paris stops eating immediately. Annorax recounts having collected artifacts from each of the hundreds of worlds he has erased, calling his weapon ship more than a weapon, but a museum of lost histories. His attention turns to Paris and Chakotay. Annorax says he's decided to spare Voyager, and instead, plans to try and alter the timeline and restore Voyager, thus achieving both their goals. They might even find themselves closer to the Alpha Quadrant. In order to make the necessary calculations, he needs information about their experiences in the Delta Quadrant, other races they encountered, and how their presence affected any species with whom they came into contact. Paris does not believe him, bluntly asserting that the only reason Annorax has not destroyed Voyager is that he lost track of the ship and for the past two months, Janeway has successfully eluded him. Annorax threatens to destroy Voyager unless Paris and Chakotay cooperate. Paris derides the offer because no Starfleet serviceman would accept such a proposal -- not at the cost of wiping out the entire existences of whole civilizations. He disgustedly rises to leave, expecting Chakotay to follow. But Paris is shocked when Chakotay remains seated and orders him to wait. Chakotay asks Annorax if he can restore Voyager without harming anyone. Annorax says he can, but only with extreme difficulty. For his plan to succeed, Annorax needs their cooperation. Paris scoffs at the idea, refusing to obey Chakotay's order to return to his seat. Annorax has Obrist enter and take Paris to the guest quarters, encouraging him to think about it. Paris leaves without a word. Annorax focuses on Chakotay, complimenting him on his ability to truly perceive time, as evidenced by his question about the possibility of restoring Voyager without harming anyone. He offers Chakotay the chance to work with him toward that end. Chakotay accepts and the two seal their agreement with a toast of Malkothian spirits. Aboard Voyager, in the wreck of the mess hall, Janeway and the senior officers also toast, not with fine liquor, but with the elixir of endurance, a concoction that Neelix has created using ration cubes, water, and Talaxian spices. It tastes horrible but, as Seven of Nine notes, taste is irrelevant. Janeway takes the opportunity to get situational updates from each of her officers. The Doctor has repaired an optronic error in his program. Kim also reports that the power grid should be up to 50% functionality in a few days. But news from Torres frustrates her when she is told that it will take at least three weeks to fix the operational warp nacelle. Janeway curses figuratively as it appears that they will be stuck in this nebula forever when they should be out in open space, finding allies to fight against Annorax. She decides to leave the nebula the next morning. Seven objects that they should wait as long as possible to complete their repairs, but Janeway's mind is made up. Upon leaving the room, Tuvok notes that Seven should not challenge the captain in such a situation, even when her logic is flawed. Aboard the Krenim weapon ship, Chakotay tries his hand at temporal incursion calculations. He has come up with an incursion in which erasing a comet that Voyager changed course to avoid eight months before will prevent her from ever entering Krenim space. Annorax lets him simulate it. But when he does, he is shocked when a totally unexpected simulated result occurs: eight thousand species are erased with the comet. Annorax, with a chuckle, explains that four billion years ago, fragments from the comet crashed into a planet, releasing hydrocarbons that caused the rise of several different plant species. These in turn fed other complex organisms. In time, several space-faring civilizations arose. By erasing the comet, he would cause these civilizations never to develop. His smile fades. He explains that he too made this mistake. It was when he first oversaw the use of the weapon ship against a race called the Rilnar. The Rilnar had removed the Krenim Imperium as the dominant power of the region. Thus their erasure caused a causality paradox in which the Krenim stayed in power. But it also caused an alternate timeline in which fifty million Krenim died of a plague within a year. This occurred because the Rilnar had introduced a critical antibody against the disease into Krenim physiology and their erasure took the antibody with it. He tells Chakotay that he has been seeking to correct that mistake by his incursions against species whose erasures his calculations show would undo this first incursion. He again asks Chakotay for his help. Together, he asserts, they can restore the Krenim Imperium and Voyager and undo the damage he has caused. Chakotay tells him he, Chakotay, still has much to learn of temporal manipulation. Annorax takes him to see the heart of the weapon ship, the temporal core. Voyager has left the nebula but a huge micrometeoroid shower hits the crippled ship. Thousands of the microscopic rocks pelt her ruined hull, rapidly destroying what little is left. On the bridge, Janeway, amid the clanging and clattering of the meteoroid shower hitting the hull, asks Torres if engines are available yet, to get them out of the shower's way. Torres answers that they are not and Kim reminds Janeway their navigational deflector is nonfunctional. She orders Tuvok to divert emergency power to it, but is subsequently informed that there is none available. Janeway makes a decision. She rises from her command chair and announces she is heading for deflector control. Tuvok warns her that the area is far too hazardous, but she still goes. When she opens the door, she sees that there is a raging fire inside, so hot that she recoils against the opposite wall with a gasp. But she is determined to fix the deflector. Kim reports that the damage from the micrometeoroid shower is growing rapidly. Janeway orders Tuvok to prepare to engage the shields. She also tells him to inform The Doctor she will be coming back with severe burns. Tuvok objects, but she sternly repeats her order. Then, steeling herself, she charges into the inferno. On the bridge, Kim reports that deflector shields have come on-line. Tuvok immediately raises them. The sound of the micrometeoroids hitting the hull stops immediately. Tuvok hails Janeway, but she does not respond. Torres and Kim look blankly ahead in horror. Among the flames, Janeway lies unconscious on the floor. Half her face and one arm are seen to be severely burned. Minutes later, Janeway, still unconscious, rests on a makeshift bed in what remains of the mess hall. The Doctor sighs deeply and reluctantly wakes her with a shot from a hypospray. Her eyes open and she asks him her condition. He informs her that she has suffered third-degree burns over 60% of her body. He was able to heal most of them but, not having a dermal regenerator, he could not heal the damage totally and her face and arms are scarred. She rises, prepared to return to the bridge, but The Doctor stops her. This time, unlike the last, he is not about to let her have her way. With complete seriousness, he insists that she stay in the mess hall two days for observation. He has diagnosed the deadly risks she has been taking as signs of Traumatic Stress Syndrome. If she does not follow his instructions, he will relieve her of command. She warns him that if he tries it, she'll deactivate him which The Doctor simply takes as more proof of the syndrome. Janeway apologizes, but refuses to stay in the mess hall. The Doctor responds by using his authority as chief medical officer to officially relieve her of duty. She asks him how he intends to have this enforced as there is no security staff except Tuvok, the brigs are both destroyed and the transverse force fields no longer work, thus she cannot be confined. He quietly reminds her that by disobeying his direct medical order she is now facing a court martial. She responds that if they do get back home, a court martial will be a small price to pay, given what she has endured and leaves the mess hall. Janeway and Neelix, covered in sweat and grime, walk through Voyager's bombed-out corridors, assessing damage. Turning a corner, they find themselves in front of Chakotay's former quarters, now in ruins. Janeway whips out her tricorder and follows its signal inside the room, where she uncovers a still-intact pocket watch. Stunned, she murmurs, "You disobeyed orders."  Neelix asks, "Captain?" and she replies, "Chakotay gave this to me five months ago -- a birthday gift. I ordered him to" but her voice trails off as she relives the memory. Struggling with her emotions, Janeway resolutely fastens the watch to her belt and her composure returns. She and Neelix continue on. On the weapon ship, Paris plays a Krenim board game with Obrist. To Obrist's amused astonishment, Paris wins convincingly, though he has never played the game before. Obrist reminisces that Paris' end-game sequence is the same one Obrist's brother favored. His face then falls. When Paris asks him what is wrong, he recalls sadly that he used to celebrate his brother's birthday, along with those of his parents and closest friend, until a hundred years ago when he realized that he was celebrating birthdays for people who were dead or, because of the temporal incursions, never even existed. Paris looks at him sympathetically and says, "I'm sorry." Chakotay in his guest quarters, pores over a large PADD filled with temporal incursion calculations. Paris enters excitedly and reports he has vital information about the ship's defensive systems, information provided by Obrist, who, like many of the crew, has become discouraged and disillusioned with their seemingly endless mission. The ship, he tells Chakotay, depends on its temporal core for defense because it keeps the vessel out of the space-time continuum, making it immune to all conventional weapons. Due to its temporally fluctuating nature, its designers and builders paid little attention to conventional defenses and construction. As a result, its deflector shields are extremely weak. Paris wants to incite mutiny among the already disheartened crew and disable the temporal core, leaving the ship vulnerable to attack. But Chakotay sternly forbids Paris from setting his ideas into motion. Instead, he says they will focus on Annorax's offer. Outraged, Paris becomes insubordinate, telling Chakotay that Annorax is flattering him with talk of his having an instinct for time.  Chakotay orders him to make no move against Annorax, insisting he is not a villain, but Paris will not agree telling Chakotay that he's hardly in a position to give orders any more. Chakotay warns Paris that if he refuses to maintain the chain of command, they can settle things 'the old fashioned way'. Following a tense moment between the two men, an alarm sounds. They go to the bridge. Chakotay is shocked to find Annorax and crew proceeding with an incursion operation against the Ram Izad. Annorax explains that it occurred to him that their erasure would aid his mission. His calculations indicated a 52% restoration of the Krenim timeline. Horrified, Chakotay begs Annorax to stop, that he can achieve his goals in other ways. Paris, in a low, angry voice, mocks Chakotay's decision to work with Annorax. Absorbed in the impending incursion, Annorax ignores Chakotay's desperate pleas and commands, "Prepare for total erasure", and seconds later, "Fire". Stunned, Paris and Chakotay watch as the weapon's temporal laser drills onto the Ram Izad homeworld. A temporal shock wave spreads out over the planet, then beyond, eradicating the species from existence. Obrist reports the results as the sensors track the wave. Annorax orders him to continue, then retires to his quarters. Paris, fuming, tells Chakotay under his breath that he will deal with this maniac if Chakotay will not. Chakotay enters Annorax's quarters and heatedly insists he did not need to fire on that planet. Annorax, indifferent to suffering other than his own, points out that he's altering history on a massive scale, that the destinies of countless star systems are in his hands; one species is insignificant. Unswayed, Chakotay argues, "You're trying to rationalize genocide. One species is significant. A single life is significant."  Annorax's face falls into the same guilty expression it had when he first told Chakotay why he was doing this. It was so easy the first time, he recalls. In the blink of an eye, he'd changed history itself. But on his next incursion, when he changed history a second time, he lost "more than you can imagine." "The colony on Kyana Prime", says Chakotay, who explains he's been studying Annorax's previous incursions and no matter how close he came to restoring the glory of the Imperium, one component was always missing: the colony on Kyana Prime. Annorax admits this is true and tells Chakotay why he is obsessed with its restoration -- his beloved wife was on Kyana Prime. Her erasure took her away, along with his future, his children and grandchildren. He picks up the pyramid containing the lock of hair and tells Chakotay that it is his wife's hair. He asserts that time itself is against him, keeping him from her in angry retaliation for his arrogant manipulation of it. Obrist enters and reports to Annorax that he was correct and a 52% restoration of the Imperium was achieved. As usual, Annorax asks him about Kyana Prime. Obrist fails to completely contain his exasperated anger and he states again, that it has not and questions Annorax's continued manipulation of the timeline. Annorax notes his feelings on changing the timelines and dismisses him. He then tells Chakotay that Chakotay's calculations are promising, but need more work. While he is working on them, he will continue his mission. Chakotay begins to angrily rebuke him, telling him he does not have the right to do what he is doing, but Annorax responds that he indeed has the right to fight for what is his and only time itself can judge him, not Chakotay. In Chakotay's guest quarters, Paris fumes as he asserts that Annorax is insane, after Chakotay has informed him of what he said about time having it in for him. Chakotay finally agrees with Paris that Annorax must be stopped, not worked with. Paris informs him that he believes that Obrist will help them get a message to Voyager, informing Janeway of the ship's location. Obrist will also help him sabotage the temporal core, taking it offline so that the ship will be vulnerable against conventional attacks. Chakotay gives him the go-ahead to proceed with his planned mutiny. Voyager is seen in formation with four other ships from the coalition. Janeway addresses her officers on the bridge which is now all but destroyed. Almost all of the lights are out, the displays are dark and cracked, consoles are covered in dust and the room is black and marred with twisted debris. The only functioning area is the command section. She informs them that she has received an authenticated message from Paris, giving her the location of the weapon ship, as well as the location of its temporal core. Paris has promised to try and take its temporal core offline, leaving the ship vulnerable to conventional weapons. Voyager and her allied ships will then disable the weapon ship and retrieve Paris and Chakotay. She then issues instructions to the officers. Kim and Torres will go to the lead Nihydron ship while Tuvok, Seven, Neelix, and The Doctor will go to the lead Mawasi ship. All ships are to be outfitted with temporal shielding. She will remain aboard and pilot Voyager. Torres questions Janeway's decision, claiming Voyager has barely enough to reach the battle, let alone fight one, but Janeway believes that the six photon torpedoes and temporal shields that the ship has left will be enough to hold her own. Furthermore, she believes that the captain must go down with the ship. Voyager and the other ships reach the Krenim weapon ship. Aboard the ship, Chakotay and Paris put their plan into action. They have succeeded in getting Obrist to support their mutiny. On the bridge, Obrist informs Annorax of the approach of the attacking vessels. At first he is unconcerned, since the ship is immune to conventional weapons. Chakotay makes him pause by telling him that Captain Janeway would not be attacking unless she knew she could do damage somehow. Further, Chakotay reminds him of Voyager's temporal shields and tells him Janeway has probably given the technology to the other ships. Also, he continues, she may have also passed it onto the homeworlds in the region and warned them about him and his ship. This is totally unacceptable to him, of course as he cannot have potential targets protected from his weapon. True, the weapon has proven able to degrade Voyager's temporal shields, but what if those who receive the technology are able to improve it so that that no longer happens? He orders Obrist to bring the weapon online and prepare for multiple incursions against the attacking ships. Obrist does so; however, he also secretly transmits information to Paris in his guest quarters about the temporal core. Paris begins attempting to shut it down. Aboard Voyager, Janeway orders the attack commenced. Two Nihydron ships go in and perform a strafing attack. But, try as he might, Paris fails to take the temporal core offline. The Nihydron weapons do not harm the weapon ship. On Annorax's order, the temporal incursion beam is fired on them. Its power almost immediately overwhelms their temporal shields and they vanish, erased from history. Janeway orders the fleet to engage in evasive maneuvers. She verbally wills Paris to succeed. Paris fails, but Obrist, on seeing that Paris is having no luck, takes over for him. Annorax orders him to target the other ships. He does not, instead, exchanging a look with Chakotay. Annorax repeats his order. Obrist works the controls, but instead of the beam attacking another ship, the weapon ship shudders and alarms go off. Annorax, shocked, sees that he has been betrayed; Obrist has taken the temporal core offline. Obrist apologizes to him sadly, but firmly and states that this must end now. He works the console again and beams Chakotay and Paris to a Mawasi ship. Annorax angrily rises from his command chair, rushes to the console and pushes him away. He notes with alarm that they are phasing back into the space-time continuum. They are now vulnerable to the attacking ships' weapons. As limited as the ship's conventional weapons are, however, they are still powerful enough to disable most of the attacking ships, one of which loses helm control and collides into Voyager's primary hull. A huge chunk of the saucer section is destroyed with the majority of the rest of the section burning in space. Janeway, who was at the conn console, is thrown violently out of the seat by the collision. Sparks fly and smoke rises in the room. Janeway crawls to her command seat. What she sees ahead of her on sitting down visibly stuns her, the entire forward bulkhead is gone. Nothing now separates Janeway from open space but an emergency force field, which fritzes in and out with the power remaining. She sees the weapon ship straight ahead. Aboard it, Annorax orders fire concentrated on Voyager. As she stares forward at the weapon ship, teeth gritted, she sets course. Just before the collision, she grits her teeth and says "Time's up."  Voyager plows into the weapon ship in a huge explosion of flame and debris, utterly destroying itself. The weapon ship shakes violently. Sparks fly on the bridge, Annorax and the bridge officers are knocked off their feet. Annorax notes with horror the destabilization of the temporal core and the imminent temporal incursion that will occur within the ship. He rises and hurries to his quarters just in time to see the pyramid containing the lock of his wife's hair fall and shatter. He watches this with horror but his expression changes to one of wonder as the hair vanishes. He looks at the spot where it was, as it suddenly dawns on him what is about to happen. The weapon ship explodes and then is engulfed by a temporal shock wave, erasing itself from history. Voyager, undamaged, continues on her journey home. On the bridge are Captain Janeway, Chakotay and the duty officers, clean and relaxed, along with Seven of Nine. A Krenim warship approaches and hails. Janeway orders an on-screen answer. It is the Krenim commandant. His demeanor, though curt, is not hostile and his ship does not attack Voyager. He informs Janeway that they have entered Krenim space and instructs her to identify herself and her ship. When she does so, he informs her that the region is in dispute, suggesting she avoid it. Janeway thanks him. He wishes them a good journey and cuts the communication. He and his race remain completely unknown to Voyager's crew. Janeway and Chakotay decide to have a commissioning ceremony for the astrometrics lab, complete with fine liquor: a bottle of Saint-Émilion, 2370. Janeway jokes to Chakotay that she heard this was a good year. Restored to Kyana Prime in the 2170s, Annorax sits at a desk in his home, working on a large PADD. His wife comes to him and asks him to join her for breakfast and he tells her he will do so in a little while but he still has a few more calculations. She lovingly chides him that he always says that and reaches her hand out to him, sweet-talking him into putting the PADD down and spending the day with her. He rises and takes her hand with a smile and they leave together. The work he was doing on the PADD is seen. it is temporal incursion calculations. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager is in orbit around a planet of telepathic lifeforms called the Mari. Down on the planet, Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres and Captain Kathryn Janeway are doing business with a man called Guill. The captain is attempting to negotiate a reasonable price for what she wants to buy. Just as they reach an agreement, a man bumps into Torres. She gets angry for a second as the man apologizes but she accepts his apology. Guill comes over and asks if she is all right. She says yes and Janeway finishes her transaction. A short while later, they hear screaming in the streets. They run over to find the man who bumped into Torres beating another man bloody. The beaten man is severely injured as Janeway stops the aggressor. The aggressor seems surprised at himself and says he does not know why he did that. While all of this is happening, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and the city's Chief Examiner Nimira talk of security and maintaining order. Nimira says there has been no violence in their society for years. She is one of the last security officers among the Mari. Tuvok offers to transport her aboard Voyager to demonstrate their ways of security enforcement. On Voyager, Tuvok and Nimira walk out of the brig while Nimira comments on what an odd concept the brig is: keeping a person in confinement as a punishment. Tuvok explains more on how their security system works. When they hear of the incident on the street however, they both beam back to the surface to investigate. Back on the planet, Nimira asks Janeway, Neelix and Torres routine questions about the incident because they were all witnesses. While asking questions, she telepathically observes their minds. As she is interrogating Torres, the incident where the man bumped into her comes up. Torres admits that she was angry at him and felt like hitting him back for a split second. Upon hearing that comment, Nimira puts Torres under arrest for having violent thoughts. Nimira justifies her decision by stating that Torres' images were transferred to the man earlier that day in the split-second when she had her violent thoughts. Because of this transfer, it was Torres' fault that the crime took place. Janeway tries to defend Torres, saying that the Mari could not possibly incarcerate Torres for her thoughts because the man who committed the act ought to be held responsible for his own actions. However, Nimira refuses to accept Janeway's argument and schedules an engramatic purge of Torres's memory to remove those images. Janeway tries to stop Nimira but she refuses and apologizes, stating that this practice is necessary and part of the Mari legal and law-enforcement system. Janeway and Tuvok begin their own investigation of the crime to find a way to stop the engramatic purge which could cause Torres serious brain injury. They cannot seem to find any convincing evidence except that the man, Frane, had been charged numerous times with possessing violent thoughts. Nimira says that this information is irrelevant. Later that day, while Neelix and Seven of Nine are on the planet's surface talking, they hear a scream. They rush over to the source. They find an old woman with a bloody knife standing over Talli, a woman with whom Neelix had become friends. Talli is dead. Neelix is deeply upset that Talli was killed and, on Voyager, asks Tuvok to do everything in his power to find who was responsible for this act and bring him to justice. Tuvok and Nimira have no doubt that the murder and the beating have a connection. Nimira is still certain that it is Torres's fault but Tuvok decides to interrogate Torres for himself and decides to do a mind meld with her. The meld is not very deep but Torres starts to remember exactly what she was thinking when the man bumped into her. She suddenly remembers something very disturbing about Guill that day, when he asked her if she was alright right after that man had bumped into. Tuvok later decides to interview Guill. The way Guill answers him makes Tuvok suspicious so that when Guill leaves to supposedly have dinner with his family, Tuvok follows him. He finds him and another man, Malin, talking. Malin hands him a case of what appears to be money and Tuvok confronts them. Based on the conversation he had earlier with Guill, he realizes that Guill is in the business of sharing and collecting violent images between people. Tuvok offers to share his violent images with him. Guill is initially skeptical, but sends off his buyer and goes with Tuvok. Since Tuvok has no intention of really going through with this, he first engages Guill by accepting some violent images from him under the pretense that he wants them. When Guill finishes, Tuvok feigns fatigue while he questions Guill on his operations. It appears there are many willing to buy, sell, or simply exchange, including unwitting alien visitors. Tuvok turns to Torres' thought, and Guill claims he doesn't have it. When Tuvok presses the issue, citing the evidence, Guill gets impatient and wants to go on with getting Tuvok's thoughts. Tuvok finally gives it up and starts to take him to see Nimira. He doesn't get very far before they run into Guill's associates to subdue Tuvok by force. Because Tuvok has not returned to Voyager, Janeway has no evidence to stop Nimira. Further, she won't permit a search team. Nimira promises Janeway she will begin the procedure, over Paris' objections, and ends the communication. Nimira and her security then take Torres to begin the engramatic purge, sedating her and strapping her to a chair. Guill's helpers take Tuvok by force and make him expose his violent thoughts. Tuvok convinces Guill to come closer and locks him in a mind meld that gives him what he wants. However, Vulcan emotions, which nearly destroyed the race before they'd learned to suppress them in the Time of Awakening, are extremely intense compared to many other humanoids and Guill is overwhelmed by the violence and savagery of Tuvok's deepest, darkest thoughts. Tuvok returns to Voyager with Guill during the procedure, prompting Janeway to contact Nimira again with this new evidence. Nimira is reluctant but agrees to stop the purge while presented with the findings of Tuvok's investigation. Tuvok explains to Nimira that it was in fact Guill who caused all the incidents the previous day. He explains that Guill is a big merchant in a black market in which the Mari sell violent thoughts to each other. Apparently, the Mari are not as enlightened as initially thought. Their attempt to outlaw violent thoughts has not made violence go away -- all it has done is force people to share it in back alleys. Tuvok tells Nimira that it appears as if the Mari have a somewhat more serious problem than the random thoughts of a single alien. Nimira is extremely surprised and has difficulty believing what she hears but she completely stops the engramatic purge of Torres. After leaving orbit, The Doctor reverses the effects that the partial engramatic purge had on Torres. In the corridor, Tuvok explains to Torres that investigating this case has given him a new respect for her inner struggle: burdened as she is by her primitive Klingon psyche. Tuvok explains that it is a wonder she is able to keep her violent thoughts under control as much as she does. Torres seems amused, questioning whether Tuvok complimented her and thanks him for his help. Later, in the captain's ready room, Seven complains to Janeway that this crew's philosophy of exploration and First Contact exposes Voyager to constant risk. She suggests that they avoid all extraneous contact with outsiders and maintain a direct course for home in order to increase their chances of getting there in a timely manner and in one piece. However, Janeway explains that they seek out new races because they want to, not because they follow protocols. Their experiences with the Mari, for example, gave them insights into a culture they have never encountered. Even though Seven finds that irrelevant Janeway explains that this is how they gain knowledge. She tells Seven their mission is not going to change. Somewhat confused, Seven accepts the captain's explanation, even though she disagrees. 
<EOS>
On the holodeck, amid angry shouts from the street below, a soaking wet Kathryn Janeway and the Leonardo da Vinci hologram retreat to da Vinci's studio, having failed an attempt to launch the Great Bird. Da Vinci, angered that he nearly got the two of them drowned with half of Florence watching, suggests relocating to France. Janeway accuses him of giving up on his most important works and questions him as to why. Da Vinci evades the issue, and Janeway is summoned to the bridge as the USS Voyager is shaken by a sudden attack. The physical damage from the attack is negligible but Ensign Harry Kim detects a slight destabilization along the shield perimeter. In engineering, Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres watches as the warp diagnostic assembly vanishes in a transporter beam. Throughout the ship, other objects are beamed off, including The Doctor's mobile emitter. As Voyager prepares to return fire to the attacking ships, the weapon targeting controls fail and Kim reports that Voyager's main computer processor was among the stolen items, rendering the ship's weapons, navigation and propulsion inoperable. The crew discovers that the unknown pirates used a high-energy transporter beam. Along with the computer processor and the mobile emitter, the pirates also stole five tricorders, three phaser rifles, two photon torpedo casings, a plasma injector conduit and a month's supply of emergency rations. The Doctor is most upset about the missing emitter but Janeway declares the computer processor to be the top priority for recovery. She tells Kim to do whatever he can to track the pirate ships. Kim hopes to enlist Seven of Nine's assistance in extending the ship's sensors using the deep space imaging system in the astrometrics lab. Seven informs him she's already been working on that task for the past two hours. When Kim offers to help, Seven brusquely orders him to decompile databanks 59-17 to isolate an algorithmic feedback that is interfering with the resolution. She tells him to perform the procedure immediately or leave. He suggests she learn to phrase her requests more diplomatically. With the computer functioning at half power, Voyager spends 10 days tracking its missing equipment to a planet that appears to be a center of trade and commerce. Kim locates Starfleet signatures on the planet's surface, including that of the missing computer processor on the North continent. Janeway and Lt. Commander Tuvok beam down to the northern continent, while Lt. Tom Paris and Neelix journey to the southern continent. In the city, Tuvok locates a Starfleet signature too small to be the processor moving toward his and Janeway's location. They are stunned when the Leonardo da Vinci hologram appears, welcoming them to America. Janeway notes that Da Vinci is wearing The Doctor's mobile emitter and asks him how he got to America. He tells Caterina that he doesn't know how he got here but surmises that perhaps Spanish sailors kidnapped him and brought him to the New World on a galleon. He then speaks of his patron, whom he calls the prince of the city. Janeway realizes that she was running the Da Vinci simulation when the computer processor was stolen and that da Vinci's program must have still been active in the processor's memory. To explain her own presence there, Janeway concocts a cover story that she traveled to America on a Portuguese ship. Tuvok responds to Da Vinci's query about his curious ears by saying he's from Scandinavia. Da Vinci takes Janeway and Tuvok to his new workshop, provided by his patron. The room is filled with stolen goods, including a phaser. Da Vinci says his patron provides the equipment in return for Da Vinci's ideas. He tells Janeway to be careful with the phaser, describing it as a weapon that shoots a bolt of lightning rather than projecting lead pellets. He promises to introduce Janeway and Tuvok to his patron that evening. On the planet, Tau is trying to make a deal with a potential customer who balks at his prices. Janeway and Tuvok shadow Tau, having found out that he is Da Vinci's patron. They also have determined that the computer processor is not in the city and believe that Tau can lead them to it. When da Vinci appears, Janeway instructs Tuvok to keep him occupied with small talk while she poses as a buyer and makes contact with Tau. Janeway tells Tau her client needs a computer to run a colony about 20 parsecs away. Tau shows her to a verbal interface that speaks in the Voyager computer's voice. Then he names his price -- a warship. In Da Vinci's workshop, Janeway and Tuvok search for a storage facility or stronghold where the processor might be, using maps that Da Vinci has sketched of the area. Da Vinci interrupts the proceedings, but Tuvok uses a button on the emitter to freeze his program so he and Janeway can speak freely. Tuvok suggests returning to the ship with da Vinci's maps and his tricorder data and feeding the information into the ship's sensors. Janeway tells Tuvok to return to Voyager, but she will remain on the planet and continue searching from there, with Da Vinci's help. Tuvok cautions her that the Da Vinci program may simulate the artist's genius, but also re-creates his notorious unreliability. On Voyager, The Doctor discovers that Seven of Nine's optical interface is misaligned and chastises her for missing her regular examinations. He then questions her about the happenings onboard Voyager, saying he heard there was a fuss in the mess hall. Seven says she and Torres had a disagreement and The Doctor presses her for more details. Seven can't understand his need to hear about such trivialities but The Doctor says without his emitter he is once again imprisoned in sickbay and not kept informed. Seven elaborates that Torres called her an automaton and employed a string of profane Klingon insults. She also says that she was right and Torres was wrong. The Doctor hopes to hear more, but Tuvok summons Seven to astrometrics. Using the astrometric sensors, Tuvok and Seven pinpoint the location of the computer processor, but the building is surrounded by a dispersion field, making transport impossible. Seven suggests that the captain might be able to get inside and initiate a power surge in the processor to boost its signal, so Voyager can get a lock. Tuvok contacts the captain and she agrees to carry out the plan, with Da Vinci's assistance. Unfortunately, Tau overhears her conversation and forces Janeway at gunpoint to hand over her combadge. As Janeway distracts Tau, Da Vinci subdues him from behind. Da Vinci fears execution for attacking his patron and refuses to join Janeway. She tells him he's a prisoner there and convinces him he's needed back in Europe. More importantly, she needs him now. The pair travel to the storage facility, which Da Vinci says he's visited before. On Voyager, Kim has lost the captain's combadge signal but is able to maintain a lock on the mobile emitter. Chakotay tells him not to beam Da Vinci back to the ship just yet, as the captain may need his help. On the planet, Da Vinci can't recall where the entrance to the storage facility is. Janeway presses him, saying that inside the storage facility is a wondrous invention they can use to send a beacon to her Portuguese ship. All they have to do is find it and they will be rescued. Da Vinci surmises that anyone who built such a fortress likely would fear theft, so they would construct one entrance to the building facing away from the sunlight so as to blind anyone seeking the entry. He and Janeway locate the entrance and go inside. On Voyager, Kim reports that 30 armed guards are closing in on the captain's position. Inside the storage facility, Da Vinci likens the layout to a labyrinth, but Janeway has a compass. The compass leads them to a collection of phasers, a plasma injector, a site-to-site transport device and the missing computer processor. Janeway speaks to the computer, asking if it recognizes her voice. Da Vinci is stunned to hear a woman's voice emanating from within the processor. Janeway instructs the computer to produce a level 4 induction relay override. She tells Da Vinci to stand close to the machine as they await transport. Voyager detects the power surge but an armed guard begins firing at Janeway and Da Vinci forcing them to retreat from the processor as it is beamed out, leaving them behind. Da Vinci is shot, but the beam passes through him, leaving him confused and fearful. Janeway subdues the armed guard. She picks up the site-to-site transport device, telling Da Vinci it is an invention from another land that can move them out of the building a few kilometers away in the blink of an eye. Da Vinci demands an explanation for all that he's seen. Janeway says he once told her it was a poor apprentice who could not surpass her master and that he must accept there are things she understands about the new land that he doesn't. Voyager comes under attack by 13 vessels launched from the planet's surface. Chakotay tells Torres to get the processor back online quickly. "We've still got a captain down there." Janeway and Da Vinci are on the run in the planet's wilderness but da Vinci refuses to go any further until Caterina explains what's happening and tells him if they are dead. She asks him what his perspective would be if he were a sparrow, if his mind were too small to perceive the world around him. Da Vinci concedes that the limits of his own mind prevent him from understanding how certain realities exist beyond his level of comprehension. With the guards closing in, Da Vinci abruptly changes directions, leading Janeway up the hillside. Torres gets the processor back online, restoring navigation, propulsion and sensors. The ship must get within 500 kilometers to retrieve the captain. Tuvok points out that the attacking ship will try to block Voyager's descent, and Chakotay tells Paris to get ready for some fancy flying. Da Vinci leads Janeway to the summit of the hill, where he has completed constructing his glider, using duranium. Janeway quickly examines the glider, determining that the combination of design, construction and materials do indeed make it airworthy. Voyager detects the captain and da Vinci at the edge of the precipice but the ship is still too high for transport. With Tau and a guard firing on them, Janeway and Da Vinci launch the glider and fly away, leaving behind their stunned pursuers. Kim is able to transport Janeway, Da Vinci and the glider to cargo bay 1. Later, Janeway visits Da Vinci back on the holodeck and finds him packing to go to France, intent on re-creating the wonders he seen. She warns him that he won't be able to find similar materials to the ones he encountered in the New World but she bids him farewell and walks him to his carriage. 
<EOS>
Neelix is very busy in the mess hall, offering Ensign Harry Kim strong coffee to finish his ops report and Seven of Nine some nutritional supplements made with Talaxian spices, which she complains are pungent. Commander Chakotay offers Neelix the opportunity to survey a class 1 nebula containing protomatter, which Neelix is very intrigued about. After putting Naomi Wildman to bed with vivid and entertaining stories of the Great Forest, where Talaxians go to when they die, Neelix joins the away team of Chakotay and Thomas Paris. While in the nebula, the protomatter transport goes awry and a beam of energy strikes Neelix, killing him. Paris continues to examine Neelix, and, disappointed, decides that some of the usual measures of keeping someone alive won't work. He's suffered too much brain damage. Chakotay must call him back to the chair so they can pilot out of the nebula. The Doctor pronounces Neelix dead, shocking and saddening the crew. Janeway vows that he will be mourned according to Talaxian customs, but Seven suddenly enters the room, bluntly asking if his neural pathways are intact. With everyone confused, she proposes a revival procedure using nanoprobes from her bloodstream. After discussing it with The Doctor and Captain  Janeway, the Captain orders The Doctor to proceed, even though Neelix has been dead for 18 hours. Seven quickly modifies and administers the nanoprobes, they proceed, and, after some touch and go, Neelix is revived. He has no recollection of what happened and where he has been and wonders why he is in sickbay. Neelix is incredulous at his revival, and is taken aback by the Borg nanoprobes in his system. Janeway informs him the protomatter mission was a failure, and despite his protests, orders him to take some time off. As Janeway walks Neelix to his quarters, he insists on continuing preparations for his planned celebration of the Talaxian festival of Prixin, and she relents. In his quarters, Neelix takes a moment to himself, then kneels before the tree statuette from the Great Forest and wonders why his sister Alixia wasn't there when he was dead. Meanwhile, Tuvok and Seven discuss perceptions of mortality in the hallway. Seven sees death as a natural biological function, though she also muses that, since her memories are still part of the Borg Collective, part of her will always exist. Chakotay, Tom Paris, and B'Elanna Torres work on investigating the accident, and Chakotay and Neelix proceed to the holodeck to simulate the events. Neelix observes his own death in the simulation. Freezing the program, he reveals to Chakotay he saw no afterlife, that is, the Great Forest, as he was taught and believed his whole life. Chakotay tries to console him, telling him he was probably pulled back before any of that could happen, but Neelix feels that he should have experienced something in the eighteen hours he was dead. He didn't, and now he feels that his beliefs were myths. Tuvok addresses a bustling celebration in the mess hall with the traditional salutation. Paris and the party toast Neelix, who is still distressed but puts up a brave front, telling Chakotay he's fine now. Janeway entreats Seven to join the festivities by chiming into a discussion. Hearing Ensign Samantha Wildman discussing children with The Doctor, Seven informs them that Borg children develop in maturation chambers. Somewhat taken aback, Wildman excuses herself and talks with Neelix telling him that Naomi has missed him for the last few days. Desperate to leave the party, Neelix decides to pay her a visit and tuck her into bed. Naomi again insists on a tale of the Great Forest as she dreamed about it the previous night, and Neelix tells her of its beauty but does do dishearteningly now that he no longer believes in it. Later, Seven meets Neelix in the mess hall for a blood scan. Neelix blows up at Seven, insisting he hadn't asked to be revived, but almost immediately his body begins to necrotize again, and Seven escorts him to sickbay. The Doctor reports that Neelix's body was rejecting the nanoprobes, and reports more extensive medical care will be needed. Neelix requests Chakotay aid him in a vision quest. Neelix prepares a medicine bundle, and meets Chakotay in his quarters. Neelix's vision shows him in the mess hall, trying to get to his dead sister, who keeps running away from him. He chases her down the hall and into the Great Forest, where she talks with him. She tells him it is a lie, created from a fear of death. His sister mocks him, and dies as in the metreon cascade. The Forest goes dark, and Neelix finds himself dead on a slab. Before he awakens, all the characters in the vision insist on the pointlessness of his existence, and that he knows what he has to do. Neelix goes to astrometrics and long-windedly apologizes to Seven, implying he may be leaving. Later, Chakotay finds Neelix in the mess hall cleaning, and reminds Neelix that vision quests are not a one-time event, and are subject to interpretation. Neelix closes up the mess hall. Neelix then attempts to beam himself into the nebula. Harry Kim stops his initial attempt, but Neelix holds up a tricorder and states he has an unblockable site-to-site transport rigged up. Chakotay faces Neelix in the transporter room. Neelix reveals what really happened in his Vision Quest, and Chakotay tries to convince him the vision is open to interpretation and shouldn't be taken at face value. Neelix tells Chakotay that when he lost his family in the war, all that kept him going was knowing that he would see them again in the afterlife and now he's lost that hope he doesn't know how he can go on. Chakotay tells Neelix that there's no way of knowing what awaits him after death, and that the crew of Voyager are his family now. Ensign Wildman then coms Neelix, and while Neelix tries to ignore it Chakotay tells him that his life is trying to call him back. He tells him that even Seven of Nine understands how important he is to the crew, and that he isn't only valued for his skills, talents, or knowledge, but for the way his compassion and kindness makes the crew aboard Voyager seem connected like a family and that is something worth living for. Ensign Wildman then arrives (having used the computer to locate him) unaware of what Neelix was about to do, asking him to tuck in Naomi again. Neelix finally accepts that he still has things worth living for and hands Chakotay the tricorder. Neelix then tucks in Naomi, who sleeps with happy dreams of the Great Forest. 
<EOS>
The senior staff is asleep. They are each having their own separate dreams, but in each of the dreams, something unpleasant happens. In Lieutenant Tom Paris' dream, he is flying a shuttle when it suddenly begins to malfunction and he crashes into a planet; Lieutenant Commander Tuvok forgets to put on his uniform and arrives at the bridge naked with the entire senior staff present and laughing at him; Captain Kathryn Janeway walks into a darkened mess hall to discover members of her crew sitting at a table, dead, because she didn't get them home in time, and Ensign Harry Kim dreams that Seven of Nine tries to seduce him in a Jefferies tube; however, after passionately kissing, he suddenly sees the face of a mysterious alien instead of that of Seven. In fact, the same mysterious alien appears in the dreams of everybody shortly before they wake up. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres arrives at Paris' quarters upset that he missed their breakfast date. Paris apologizes, telling her that he had a wild nightmare and was out like a light. He then goes to the mess hall to get a cup of coffee, but Neelix inadvertently pours him a steaming cup of cooking oil instead. He apologizes and says that he has in fact had a rough night. Paris makes his way to the bridge, apologizing to Chakotay for his rather late arrival when he discovers that the captain herself has been late this morning. Captain Janeway, who had arrived just moments before Paris, appears somewhat disoriented and groggy, and explains to Chakotay the nightmare she had last night and the mysterious alien she encountered in her dream. Chakotay explains that he also had a nightmare in which his father turned into a vicious-looking alien when they had gone deer hunting. Janeway is surprised that both had this strange alien in their dreams. Paris, who couldn't help but overhear their conversation, interrupts and comments about an alien in his dream as well. They soon discover that Tuvok had a nightmare too: one nightmare that -- just like everyone else's -- involved an alien with ridges on his face and neck. Realizing that the appearance of this mysterious alien in all of their dreams couldn't have been a mere coincidence, Janeway calls the senior staff together, but Harry Kim is nowhere to be found. After repeated unsuccessful hails to reach Kim, Janeway and Tuvok finally go to his quarters. Upon entering his room, they find Kim asleep but cannot wake him. They decide to bring him to sickbay. After a thorough examination by The Doctor, it turns out that Kim and several other crew members are in a so-called hyper-REM state -- or simply speaking, just fast asleep. For some reason, however, he cannot wake them up -- not even with direct cortical stimulation. The Doctor advises that everyone avoid going to sleep for the time being until he knows more. Janeway concludes that all this must be related to the alien in their dreams. In the briefing room, Torres, Chakotay, Janeway, Paris, and Seven of Nine each describe the alien in their dreams in an attempt to reconstruct his image. Eventually, they arrive at the picture they want and Seven states that the Borg have never encountered this species before. They cannot find any starships in this vicinity or planets capable of sustaining humanoid life. Chakotay suggests that they use their dreams to make contact with the alien, because that is the only place anyone of them have seen the alien. He suggests a technique called lucid dreaming in which the dreamer takes complete control of his or her dream. He tells the senior staff that he can use the same techniques he uses during a vision quest to enter a lucid dream. He will do so by remembering a visual cue -- such as Earth's moon -- to remind him that he is dreaming. He can use this cue to wake himself up by tapping himself on the back of his hand three times. This is their only option, as they cannot stay awake forever and have to come up with ways to get themselves out of this situation with the means they have. In sickbay, The Doctor is ready for Chakotay to go to sleep. When Chakotay falls asleep and is in his dream, he is holding a spear and is deer hunting through the corridors of the USS Voyager. When the deer enters the mess hall, Chakotay sees the full moon outside the window and confirms that he's dreaming. He now has complete control over his dream. He goes to the other end of the mess hall and finds the deer turning into the alien. Chakotay tries to strike it, but it knocks the weapon out of his hand. In a confrontation with the alien who is surprised that Chakotay is aware of his dream, Chakotay finds out that they are dealing with a species that exists in the dream state only. The alien believes that Voyager -- as yet another waking species -- is out to destroy them. Chakotay assures him that Voyager had no intention to destroy them and that they are only interested in waking up the rest of their crew and leaving immediately. The alien explains that when Voyager passes through their space, its crew will awaken. He tells them to go to a six-planet system -- which marks the nearest border of their space -- less than a parsec away. He warns Chakotay to pray that he will never dream of them again. Chakotay taps his hand three times and is instantly awake in sickbay. Chakotay heads to the bridge with Captain Janeway and they begin laying in a course toward the six-planet system the alien talked about. Chakotay talks about what the alien told him, referencing Australian aborigines whose creation mythology states that the world was in fact dreamed into existence. He wonders if the aliens ever wake up and how they evolved this way. Janeway states that they may in fact never know as sometimes first contact is the last contact. After they reach the border of the alien territory, Kim and the others finally wake up. Interestingly, Seven of Nine asks Kim to join her in a Jefferies tube similar to that he had dreamed about being with her; this time, however, he gives her an excuse to stall for time. In the mess hall, Torres, Neelix, and Tuvok are discussing their respective nightmares. They tease Kim about his dream, which Torres believes involved a woman of sorts. They laugh it off and then turn to Tuvok, wondering what a Vulcan nightmare would be like. Even as Neelix jokingly suggests that it would involve being trapped on a planet where the only means of communication is laughter, Tuvok, remains rather stoic and does not entertain the group's funny inclinations. Suddenly, the ship is under attack by the same aliens responsible for the dreams. The crew of Voyager realize that they had been led into a trap. The aliens surround Voyager with a dampening field and Voyager suffers a complete power drain. A squad of aliens board the ship and escort the crew to the cargo bay. There, Janeway decides that they should create a diversion so that someone can access a Jefferies tube and retake the ship. Seven of Nine punches Kim and explains quietly that she is creating a diversion. Janeway pretends to handle it while Torres and Chakotay access a Jefferies tube. While accessing manual control, Chakotay suddenly sees the full moon on the control panel -- realizing that he must still be dreaming and that he, in fact, never woke up the first time around. The aliens try to restrain Chakotay but he taps the back of his hand three times and instantly is awake in the real sickbay. Finally really awake, The Doctor explains that Chakotay has been asleep for nearly two days and that the rest of the crew has fallen asleep one-by-one, leaving only Chakotay and The Doctor. Based on readings The Doctor took while everyone's been asleep, they conclude that all of the crew are sharing the same dream, when a monitor identified Blain, Foster, Swift, Samantha Wildman, and others crewmembers with the same pattern of brain waves, as the result of an alien neurogenic field. Chakotay is convinced the aliens are somewhere, also asleep, and chose this way to attack others. He realizes they need to be searching for the neurogenic field's signature to find them, and leaves for the bridge. Later, The Doctor comes with an injection to keep Chakotay awake. Finally, Chakotay finds the aliens and sets a course, having to move Paris' body in the process. In the common dream, the senior officers are speculating about what is really going on because Chakotay has strangely disappeared. They assume that maybe he was right and that they are all dreaming. Janeway says that they should still treat this like it is an alien invasion, so she, Torres, and Tuvok eventually make their way through a Jefferies tube and into main engineering. Torres tries to shut down the dampening field, but the warp core suddenly turns on. The computer then warns that a warp core breach will occur in sixty seconds. The core cannot be ejected, so they surround engineering with a containment field and evacuate. Janeway hesitates and orders Tuvok and Torres to go out while she stays in. When the breach occurs, the ship shakes but is not destroyed. Janeway comes out of engineering a few seconds later and concludes that they are definitely still dreaming. Janeway suddenly appears on the bridge with Chakotay and explains that she woke up the same way he did. The crew gradually begins to wake up. They set a course away from the alien space, but then Chakotay sees the full moon on the viewscreen again. He tries to wake up but cannot. The Doctor explains to Janeway that Chakotay is paranoid and tries to sedate him and despite Chakotay's resistance, he succeeds. Just then, Chakotay wakes up on the bridge again. The Doctor says that he fell asleep again and that he had to inject him with a powerful compound to wake him up. When they scan for a certain neurogenic field, they are finally able to locate the exact location of the aliens. The Doctor sends Chakotay down to the alien's planet with a hypospray to keep him awake. In the dream world, Janeway, Tuvok, and Torres cannot wake themselves but they know that they are dreaming and are thus in complete control. They grab phaser rifles and come across the aliens near the cargo bay. The aliens try to shoot them, but they cannot be harmed. Janeway orders everyone to stay in control of the dream, but the aliens threaten that they will slowly waste away because they are not getting nutrition or muscle stimulation in the waking world. Meanwhile, Chakotay is on the planet and cannot disable the field that is making the crew sleep. He finds a whole population of sleeping aliens lying around, all of whom seem to be in a dreaming state. He begins to have trouble concentrating and is about to inject himself when he decides to inject one of the aliens instead because they look weak. He orders The Doctor to target that chamber with a photon torpedo and destroy it if he does not hear from Chakotay in five minutes. Chakotay wakes one of the aliens and orders him to turn off the field or he will start shooting, but just then he falls asleep and enters the dream. There, he tells the aliens that they will all be killed if they do not stop this dream immediately. The Doctor is able to successfully revive all the crewmembers after the aliens deactivate the field, however now no one can actually fall asleep. After Chakotay, Paris, Kim, Tuvok, and Neelix find each other up early in the morning in the mess hall, Chakotay suggests that Neelix might as well start breakfast. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres and Commander Chakotay discuss Torres' dissatisfaction with the former Borg drone, Seven of Nine. Torres has run out of patience with Seven's aloof, arrogant attitude and is furious. Chakotay, on the other hand, doesn't want to hear it and advises her to start acting like the senior officer that she is. He orders her to find a way to deal with Seven in a professional manner. While discussing this, Seven hails Chakotay to the astrometrics lab. Chakotay meets Captain Kathryn Janeway outside astrometrics. She too has been hailed by Seven. They share a bemused expression as they enter. Chakotay asks Seven, who is busy at the console, what this is about. She shows them a ship on the astrometrics viewscreen that is a Starfleet vessel. Seven informs them that the ship is in the Alpha Quadrant. She informs them that she has been able to detect the ship because of the presence of a huge relay station network. The network is apparently abandoned but it extends all the way to the edge of the Alpha Quadrant. The ship, she tells them, is in range of the network sensors on that far end. The two officers realize that they now have an opportunity to communicate with Starfleet, which they have not been able to do since being brought to the Delta Quadrant, four years earlier. Chakotay asks if a message can be sent to the ship. Seven confirms, though she adds that some modifications to their own transmitters must be made first. The message must be sent within the next 41 minutes or the ship will move out of range. Janeway orders the modifications be made immediately. However, the signal is too weak to reach the vessel. Lieutenant Tom Paris suggests using a stronger type of signal, one that would not degrade so quickly. Torres suggests a holographic data stream. That is when they remember The Doctor, the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram. Torres rushes to sickbay and, before The Doctor can even finish asking what is happening, she transfers him to his mobile emitter and runs with it to astrometrics. Janeway arrives in astrometrics and explains the situation to The Doctor when he is reactivated there. There, he is downloaded and transmitted. The Doctor materializes on the Starfleet vessel's sickbay, which seems to be empty. He calls to anyone, but gets no answer. He queries the ship's computer and is very pleased to find that his transmission was successful; he is indeed aboard the target vessel, in the Alpha Quadrant. He further asks the ship's computer about the vessel's identity, and learns that its designation is the USS Prometheus. Searching sickbay, he finds a crewman dead on the floor. He also finds an ensign, barely alive. Their uniforms are different from those of Voyager's crew. The ensign has sustained severe phaser burns. The Doctor manages to revive him and asks him what happened. His response, just before he dies, is that Romulans have taken over the ship. On the Prometheus' bridge, Romulans man all stations. In sickbay, The Doctor confirms what the dead ensign told him: 27 Romulans are aboard and all Starfleet personnel are dead. He then asks the computer about the ship itself. He learns the ship is a dedicated warship, an experimental deep-space tactical prototype. It is equipped with technologies that Starfleet is experimenting with including regenerative shielding, ablative armor, and a multi-vector assault mode. The approaching Federation starship arrives and engages the Prometheus. On the bridge, the Romulan commander orders the multi-vector assault mode engaged. The lighting on the bridge (and in sickbay, much to The Doctor's surprise) turns blue. The computer counts down from ten to one, the time of what it terms auto-separation. The ship separates into three sections: the saucer and two stardrives, all battle-ready and warp-capable. In effect, the one ship becomes a small squadron. Rekar orders the Prometheus to engage the other Federation ship, the USS Bonchune. The three sections surround and attack the Bonchune, disabling it. During the battle the Prometheus' bridge takes a hit and a Romulan hijacker is badly injured. As the three sections reform, Rekar orders the injured Romulan taken to sickbay. Nevala enters sickbay with her injured hijacker. The Doctor immediately puts on his best bedside manner. She is instantly suspicious, demanding to know who activated him. He lies that she did when she walked through the door. She is still suspicious because he is, after all, a Starfleet program. He assures her his primary directive is to treat anyone requiring it, Federation citizen or not, friend or enemy. As soon as she has gone, The Doctor activates the ship's EMH -- which is a Mark II, as opposed to a Mark I, The Doctor's designation. The Mark II stands in sickbay regarding The Doctor with contempt, calling him an inferior EMH program, much to The Doctor's chagrin, and tries to hail security. The Doctor immediately stops him and explains the situation of the Prometheus and of his own ship, Voyager. He explains Voyager is over 60,000 light-years away, and was pulled into the delta quadrant four years ago. With a forceful tone, he convinces his reluctant counterpart to help him take back the ship from the Romulans. He asks if the Federation is at war with the Romulans. The Mark II responds that they are not and the Romulans have had nothing to do with the Federation's war with the Dominion. Confused, The Doctor asks who the Dominion is but the Mark II tells him that it is a long story. They begin to treat the injured Romulan together. Voyager holds position while the crew awaits The Doctor's return. Janeway and Chakotay write letters to their loved ones, though they know that The Doctor's return will not necessarily mean establishing a communications link with Starfleet. Paris has been assigned to sickbay until The Doctor's return as he is the only other trained medic aboard Voyager. The Prometheus heads for Romulan space at warp speed. The Mark II informs The Doctor that the ship is capable of a cruising speed of warp 9.9 and no other ship in Starfleet can do this. Thus, there is no chance any Starfleet ship can intercept and rescue them meaning that they are on their own. They come up with a plan to take back the ship: release an anesthetic into the ventilation system. Rekar orders a course change. They were previously headed for Romulus, but he has decided that they should instead rendezvous with the Tal Shiar, the intelligence service of the Romulan Star Empire. The others object and begin to argue with Rekar. During the argument The Doctor, pretending to scan them, surreptitiously attempts to access environmental controls. Rekar notices him and accosts him. Rekar then checks his scanner and sees that he has not scanned anything; his plan has been foiled. On Voyager, Seven of Nine enters astrometrics to find Torres there. They get into an argument in which Torres tells Seven that the way she speaks to other crewmembers is unacceptable. As Seven considers these comments, a transmission comes through. A humanoid alien's image appears on the lab's viewscreen. The alien is wearing an armored helmet and an armored mask that covers his nose and mouth. He gruffly demands their identity. The man angrily tells them that the network is in fact, owned by the Hirogen. Torres apologizes and explains that they thought the network was abandoned. She attempts to explain why they are using it but he is not interested in her explanation and orders them to terminate their link before ending his communication. The Doctor is being interrogated by Rekar, who believes that The Doctor is either a spy or saboteur. Rekar does not believe a hologram to be capable of performing such action independently and he demands to know who is operating him. Nevana enters and reports that she has found the transmission log that shows when The Doctor came aboard. She notes that the transmission that brought him on board has a Starfleet signature. The log does not indicate its origin or who sent it so they demand this information from The Doctor. He tells them part of the truth, that he was sent from the Delta Quadrant. Rekar and Nevala do not believe him and decide that stronger action is necessary. They will extract all his algorithms and analyze his subroutines individually. This action would severely damage or destroy his holomatrix, killing him. However they do not get beyond talking about it as they suddenly begin to cough and gag before collapsing, unconscious. The Mark II materializes. He has succeeded in releasing the neurozine gas into the ventilation system. Their next step is to get to the bridge and turn the ship around. On the bridge, The Doctor finds a way to make the ship slow from warp speed but his method causes a warp core overload. Fortunately, he manages to stop the overload before a warp core breach occurs. However after one disaster was averted, sensors indicate that three Romulan warbirds are headed straight toward them. Meanwhile on Voyager, Seven and Torres work to reestablish the link with the Hirogen communications network in the astrometrics lab. Janeway has joined them to help with their work. Before they can finish, the Hirogen male appears again on the viewscreen. He introduces himself as Idrin and angrily reminds them of his initial warning to leave the network alone. Janeway tries to get him to listen, explaining that they are using it to get a message to their people but he is uninterested. He again proceeds to jam their link. Realizing that reasoning with Idrin won't work, Seven shocks him with a feedback surge along the link, knocking him out. Janeway orders them to keep watching for The Doctor's return and to alert her if the Hirogen troubles them again. With a stern look at Seven, she leaves the astrometrics lab. After making sure the captain is fully out of earshot, Torres tells Seven that she approved of her action and Seven casually thanks her. Aboard the Prometheus, The Doctor and the Mark II try to get the ship moving again but without success. A hail comes from one of the warbirds. Keeping the viewscreen off, The Doctor answers, trying to fool them into thinking that he is the Romulan commander -- he fails miserably. The warbirds open fire on the ship. The Prometheus' regenerative shields rapidly begin to fail as the two holograms do not have the required expertise to operate them properly. Sensors detect more ships approaching. The holograms are relieved to discover that the new ships are Starfleet vessels. The ships, two Defiant-class vessels and one Akira-class vessel, are seen approaching at warp speed. They slow and join the fight but the holograms' relief quickly changes to horror when the Starfleet ships, instead of attacking the warbirds, fire on the Prometheus. The attempt to hijack the ship has been discovered by Starfleet Command. The Mark II tries to hail the Starfleet ships but the Romulans hijackers scrambled the comm frequencies, making this impossible. The two holograms are left with no choice but to defend themselves and prove that the ship is no longer under enemy control by attacking the D'deridex-class. The Prometheus separates into its three battle-ready components. The three sections attack a warbird. With the computer in control, the power of the vessel is very effectively demonstrated against the targeted ship. The warbird is quickly destroyed and the other warbirds retreat. The Doctor and the Mark II grandiosely congratulate each other before being interrupted by two heavily-armed Starfleet security officers being beamed aboard. In Voyager's astrometrics lab, Seven of Nine detects a transmission coming through the relay network, from the Alpha quadrant. She informs Torres that the transmission has a holographic subroutine. Torres informed the bridge about the return of The Doctor. Janeway, Chakotay, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok arrive in sickbay as The Doctor materializes. He explains that he accomplished his mission and then gently informs Janeway that he spoke with Starfleet Command. Apparently, they had declared Voyager lost 14 months previously but he corrected that error, telling them that the ship is very much intact, and that the crew is searching for a way to return. The Doctor conveys a message from Starfleet that they will be contacting the crew's families to inform them of the news and have immediately begun to seek a way to retrieve them, and will not stop until they succeed in doing so and ends by telling Janeway that Starfleet sent another message. the crew are no longer alone. Janeway emotionally remarks that after hearing this, 60,000 light years seems much closer now. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager receives a garbled transmission from Starfleet Command via the Hirogen communications network, previously used to send The Doctor to the Alpha Quadrant, but after just a few words the transmission stops. Ensign Harry Kim clears the interference but the bulk of the message is lodged in one of the relay stations, 3.8 light years away. Captain Kathryn Janeway sets a course, determined to find out what the rest of that message says. Meanwhile, the Hirogen controlling the network, who have already discouraged Voyager's use of it, intercept the message. As Alpha Hirogen Idrin instructs his Beta to locate the ship receiving it, he adorns his helmet with markings of paint. Voyager's bridge crew begin to speculate on the contents of the transmission. Chakotay refers to the Bajoran wormhole discovered in the Gamma Quadrant and wonders if Starfleet has found a similar phenomenon that could help Voyager shorten its journey home. The crew discusses their new-found optimism and the possibility that many of their friends and family might have given up on them, mourned, proceeded with their lives, and found some kind of resolution. Now they will have received word that the crew is alive but so far away that they might as well be dead. Janeway expresses her hope that they might be able to stay in constant contact with home. When Seven of Nine fails to report to sickbay for her weekly checkup, The Doctor visits her in astrometrics, where she is trying to retrieve more of the Starfleet message. He discovers that she hasn't regenerated in 58 hours, despite his instructions for her to do so at least three hours each day. She insists she could go as long as 200 hours without regenerating. The Doctor reminds her that was true when she was Borg but she is more Human now. The ship is shaken by gravimetric forces coming from the relay station, still two light years away. As Kim compensates for the disturbance, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok detects a ship, adrift with no propulsion systems, weapons or life support. One dead humanoid is aboard. Janeway has the body beamed to sickbay, wanting to know how he died. The Doctor examines the corpse, which has been gutted sometime between a week or a month prior. Seven recalls an incident when the Borg encountered a small ship of Species 5174, which had been similarly destroyed. She doesn't know who did it, or why, as the Borg considered that information irrelevant. Two days later, Voyager has gotten close enough to the relay station to see it on long-range visual sensors. The crew determines it is at least 100,000 years old and uninhabited. The station is also using a small quantum singularity, or black hole, only about a centimeter in diameter, as its power source. Unable to take the ship any closer due to the gravimetric eddies, Chakotay orders Paris to hold position and then contacts Janeway in astrometrics to tell her they are as close as they can get to the relay station. Seven and Janeway begin downloading the message but the data stream has degraded significantly. Some parts are dislocated while others are rearranged. Janeway tells Seven to get it out in bits and pieces and they will worry about reconstructing it later. As Janeway reads parts of the transmission, she realizes it contains letters from home. Neelix is entrusted with delivery of the first batch of letters retrieved. As he leaves to make his rounds, Seven discovers a latent, heavily encrypted data stream, containing a large block of text and possibly maps, buried under the message but she can't retrieve it until more of the letters have been cleared out. Janeway expresses cautious optimism that it might contain a plan for bringing Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant and asks Seven what she thinks of recent events. Seven says it lacks any emotional resonance for her, since she's never even been to Earth but Janeway points out it's possible she has family there. Seven is taken aback, admitting that thought hadn't occurred to her. Neelix goes to the bridge, where he delivers a letter to Chakotay from Sveta, the woman who recruited him into the Maquis. As he reads, Chakotay realizes that the contents of the letter are serious and leaves to read the letter in private. An anxious Kim asks Neelix if there are more letters but Neelix has no more, yet, for the bridge crew. He leaves to deliver a letter to Tuvok from his wife, T'Pel, and is appalled when Tuvok doesn't immediately drop what he's doing to read it. Accidentally revealing that he's seen the contents of the first few lines, Neelix offers to read it to him, saying it contains important news. Tuvok's firstborn son, Sek, has been through the pon farr and he and his mate now have a daughter, T'Meni, who was named after Tuvok's mother. Neelix leaves Tuvok alone to read the rest. At first, Tuvok puts it down and returns to his weekly tactical review but then reconsiders and puts his work aside and begins reading his wife's letter. Janeway enters the bridge with her own letter that has just been retrieved. She goes to her ready room to read it, and sees that it is from Mark. As she does, she first smiles, but then her expression slowly changes to one of sorrow. Chakotay goes to Engineering to speak with Torres about the contents of his letter, telling her that it contained very bad news and that he had to re-read it for an hour before he could even begin to believe it and now he has to tell everyone else. B'Elanna demands to know what's happened, and Chakotay reveals the terrible truth to her; the Maquis are gone, wiped out by the Cardassians and an ally from the Gamma Quadrant. Sveta and a few others are in prison but the rest, including their friends Atara and Roberto, are all dead and the rebellion was completely crushed. Incensed, Torres vows to make someone pay if they ever get back home. In the mess hall, Kim tells Paris that he's heard at least thirty more letters have been downloaded and Neelix is on his way there to deliver them. Paris is more interested in his meal, a mystery dish that tastes vaguely like chicken but has the consistency of corn husks. Kim is stunned by Paris' disinterest. Neelix arrives, with letters for Susan Nicoletti, Fitzpatrick, Kyoto, Golwat, Ashmore, Dorado and Parsons. Upset, Kim asks where the remainder of the thirty letters are but Neelix tells him that what he heard was just a rumor. In her ready room, Janeway stares blankly ahead. Seven enters and tells the captain that the message is becoming harder to retrieve as it continues to degrade while it remains logged in the relay station. She requests permission to take a shuttle, which can withstand the gravimetric eddies more easily than Voyager, to the station to stabilize the containment field. Janeway tells her to go and take Tuvok with her. Seven questions her reason for assigning Tuvok to the mission as well and Janeway says it is not her custom to send an away team of one. Kim finds Torres in astrometrics, where she has taken over retrieving the messages while Seven is on the away mission. Torres teases him about his attraction to Seven but Kim is just there to find out if he's received a letter yet. Torres tells him no but encourages him to have patience. In the shuttle, Seven asks Tuvok if Janeway was being truthful when she said she always sent at least two people on away teams, or was it a ruse because the captain still doesn't trust Seven and believes she requires supervision. Tuvok assures her it is not only custom but recommended Starfleet protocol. He tells her the captain's decision to have him accompany her shouldn't be taken as evidence of a particular attitude. As they work to stabilize the station's containment field, Tuvok asks Seven if the captain's opinion is important to her. Seven evades a direct answer and the conversation is cut short by an attack from an approaching ship that knocks out the shuttle's navigation, communications, warp engines, and weapons. Tuvok and Seven try to lure their attacker closer to the station, believing the larger ship will be far more vulnerable to the gravimetric eddies than they are but are unsuccessful. Tuvok launches a distress beacon just before the two of them are rendered unconscious. Torres calls Paris down to astrometrics, having received a letter for him. Paris isn't interested and says he's going back to the bridge. Torres is perplexed by his behavior. When Paris retrieves the letter, it turns out to be from Admiral Owen Paris, Paris' father. Even less enthused, Paris tells Torres that the more everybody gets excited about the letters from home, the more he wants no part of it. He tells her that what he has on Voyager is better than anything he ever had back home. Torres urges him to reconsider: He's not the same person he was four years ago so what makes him think his father is? She asks him to give his father a chance but Paris tells her that he won't, which causes Torres to break down. She tells him of Sveta's letter and how she's gone from blinding anger to crying for an hour to trying to accept it and move on. Paris comforts her, apologizing for going on about his problems with his father that don't even matter. Torres tells him he obviously still cares what his father thinks of him and he reluctantly admits that maybe he does. She promises to let him know when she gets the whole letter. Chakotay reports to Janeway that Tuvok and Seven must have been successful, as Torres is downloading the letters a lot more easily now. The shuttle hasn't appeared on sensors yet but is expected back soon. Janeway has been analyzing the station and wants to stay for a while longer, calling it the kind of archaeological puzzle that has always fascinated her. Chakotay asks about her letter and she reveals that Mark told her about Mollie, Janeway's Irish Setter, giving birth to a litter of puppies, about how devastated he was when Voyager was lost and how he held out hopes they were alive longer than most people did. Eventually, though, he let go and began living his life again. Four months earlier he married a woman who worked with him. Chakotay asks Janeway if she's all right and she says she knew he'd eventually move on with his life, but now she's had confirmation that he had and it feels very final. Kim calls Janeway to the bridge. Sensors have picked up an automated distress signal from Tuvok's shuttle and no one is onboard. Tuvok and Seven regain consciousness to find themselves bound in the trophy room of a Hirogen warship. As they consider using one of the bladed weapons hanging on the wall to free themselves, Idrin appears, telling them they were pathetic prey. Unsatisfied by the hunt, Idrin demands information on why they were using the communications network. Tuvok explains they were trying to retrieve important messages from their home and tells Idrin if he returns them to their ship, they'll leave without trespassing again. Idrin claims they are relics of the hunt and marks each of them with colored paint on their forehead. Seven tells Idrin their captain is a formidable opponent and their ship is heavily armed, which pleases Idrin, who believes stronger prey will make for a better hunt. The Beta Hirogen locates Voyager forty-thousand ketrics away from the relay station and informs Idrin that it is an hour away. When Idrin orders him to go to stalking mode, the Beta hesitates, preferring to wait for other Hirogen ships en route. Idrin insists on claiming the prey for himself but the Beta fears they may not be able to take on Voyager alone. Meanwhile aboard the Voyager, Kim locates the Hirogen ship with Tuvok and Seven on it. Janeway hails Idrin's ship and attempts to negotiate their release but Idrin refuses. Kim informs the captain that three more Hirogen ships are bearing down on Voyager. Janeway orders a red alert. Though the Beta-Hirogen disagrees with Idrin, Idrin prepares to kill Tuvok first, using a blade from the wall display. On the Voyager, Torres reports that she still needs another half hour to finish retrieving the Starfleet messages from the relay station. On the bridge, Kim reports that he is unable to get a transporter lock on Seven and Tuvok due to the Hirogen ship's monotanium armor plating. He further reports that the three other ships, each with massive weapons, are fast approaching their location. Janeway reasons that if the Voyager can increase the gravitational pull of the quantum singularity powering the relay station, and weaken the station's containment field, it might help in the battle. Kim is ordered to create a low level warp field around the Voyager to protect it from the gravitational pull but not so strong as to prevent them from beaming Tuvok and Seven aboard. Firing an antithoron burst at the station, the Voyager successfully weakens the station's containment field enough to start pulling the Hirogen ships toward it. Tuvok seizes the opportunity to grab the blade and attack both Hirogen but one hurls him against a bulkhead. Torres hails the bridge. The antithoron burst has collapsed the signal and she's retrieved as much of the message as she's going to get. The Hirogen ships continue their attack, further destabilizing the containment field, despite Janeway's warnings. As the singularity is exposed, Voyager sets a tractor beam on the ship Tuvok and Seven are on. Kim targets Tuvok and Seven but any attempt to transport them could result in the gravity well scattering their patterns. As the tractor beam weakens, Janeway decides they must risk it. Despite distorting patterns Kim manages to safely rematerialize both of them as the Hirogen ship disappears into the black hole.  Voyager succeeds in breaking free of the singularity by shutting down various systems and overexerting the antimatter injectors by 120%. In Astrometrics, Torres tells Janeway she has discovered that the energy released from the singularity created a massive discharge along the relay network. This discharge has disabled every one of the stations, meaning the crew can no longer look forward to regular updates from the Alpha Quadrant. She was able to retrieve most of the encrypted Starfleet text and a few more personal letters but it will take time to decode the encrypted messages. Torres excuses herself to deliver the personal letters. Janeway tells her Neelix can do that but Torres says there's one she wants to do personally. On the bridge, Torres gives Kim the last letter she was able to retrieve, from his parents. She tells Paris that the letter from his father was lost before she could get it. She tells him "You could assume that he said he loves you and that he's proud of you." Paris responds that he will. Tuvok reports to Janeway on what little he was able to learn regarding the Hirogen. He calls them extremely dangerous, lacking any moral center. He theorizes they probably used the relay network for communications and won't be pleased about its destruction. As Tuvok leaves, Chakotay joins the captain for coffee. Janeway frets over the crew, certain they were hoping mail call would become a regular part of their day. Chakotay tells her Neelix is planning an impromptu and immediate party to cheer people up. The captain and first officer discuss recent events, including her letter from her former fiance. Janeway tells Chakotay she didn't really expect Mark to wait for her and she's realized she was using him as a safety net to avoid becoming involved with someone else. She adds that with her eventful life in the Delta Quadrant, she wouldn't have had the chance to pursue a relationship even if she had realized she was alone. Chakotay assures her she's hardly alone and the two of them head for Neelix's party. 
<EOS>
A bio-ship piloted by a sole member of Species 8472 is fleeing from a Hirogen warship. The younger of the two Hirogen wants to intercept the bio-ship and make the kill but the Alpha tells him to maintain their distance. He instructs the younger Hirogen that his prey is injured and its behavior will be the key to its destruction. The bio-ship fires at the warship but the shot is too weak to cause any real damage. The bio-ship heads for an asteroid belt where the Alpha believes it will make a final stand. Species 8472 leaves its ship adrift amongst the asteroids and goes onto a nearby asteroid. The hunters prepare themselves with their colored hunting paint, equip their weapons, put on their masks and go after the creature on the asteroid. Once there, they realize they cannot detect it as their scanners are being deflected. Moving silently across the asteroid the Alpha hears movement behind him and swivels around, coming face-to-face with his prey. Unfortunately for the Species 8472 the Alpha opens fire, causing the creature to withdraw as the Beta arrives firing his weapon. Several dozen shots later and their prey is dead. The Alpha tells the Beta that it was a flawless kill. Seven of Nine is in sickbay, reciting a list of bedside manner talk. She finds the exercise pointless but The Doctor disagrees. He created the exercise to familiarize himself with the social graces of the crew. They move on to Exercise Two -- the workplace encounter. Seven takes on the role of a doctor, while The Doctor becomes the nurse. It all seems normal until Seven reads the phrase, "Did I mention you look lovely today?" Ending her lesson, she begins to leave. The Doctor tells her that although it's awkward at first, the rewards can be well worth the effort. The Doctor compares Seven to the time he was first activated, offering that he can help her. Agreeing to his offer, she takes the PADD and as she is leaving, she turns and says, "Have a pleasant day." The Doctor smiles and gets back to work. The USS Voyager has detected an alien vessel moving towards them and they confirm that it has a Hirogen signature. Captain Kathryn Janeway decides that they need to settle their differences for good and Commander Chakotay, her first officer, orders a red alert. They attempt to hail the Hirogen but there is no response. As the vessel closes in, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok detects that they haven't charged weapons and there is only one life sign aboard. The vessel stops just in front of them as its engines fail. Chakotay thinks it is a trap but a long-range scan reveals that there are no other Hirogen ships in the area. Janeway tells Lt. jg Tom Paris to move within transporter range, intending to beam over. Seven informs Janeway that she sees the Hirogen ship as a potential threat and recommends that they destroy it. Janeway tells her that she wants to show some compassion, even though Seven responds that the Hirogen haven't reciprocated any compassion before. Chakotay takes Paris and Tuvok with him on the away team, finding the Hirogen vessel severely damaged. They spread out, looking for the life sign they detected. Chakotay finds a lot of bones and a skull hanging in netting from the ceiling before finding a large tank with more remains in it. Paris finds a helmet, but immediately drops it in fright and horror when he discovers it still has a severed (Hirogen) head in it. Chakotay locates the life sign they detected and finds the Alpha gasping for air, clutching his weapon in fear. In the briefing room, Tuvok and Chakotay show Janeway the navigational logs recovered from the Hirogen ship. The logs state the ship has been traveling for at least five years, and in the last year it has visited over ninety star systems. Chakotay reports on the alien remains found on the ship, suggesting that they could be trophies from previous hunts. He also surmises that their culture is based upon the hunt. Tuvok says that there is no evidence of a home planet and that Hirogen ships usually travel in small groups, sometimes joining together for a multi-pronged attack, like a wolfpack. The Alpha is in sickbay, unconscious and behind a force field. Janeway tells Seven that while she was correct about the Hirogen being a threat, the risk of sending an away team has paid off and now they know a lot more about them. Seven simply states that Janeway was correct and it was worth the risk this time. Janeway then asks the question on everyone's minds; who's hunting the hunters? Outside, unbeknownst to the Voyager crew, an injured member of Species 8472 is limping up the ship's hull. Janeway is in sickbay to check in on the Hirogen Alpha. The Doctor explains to her that while attempting to remove the Alpha's body armor, he regained consciousness. He can't be sedated as his immune system is rejecting everything The Doctor has tried giving him and he could be dead in the time it takes to synthesize something potent enough. Janeway explains to the Alpha that his crewmate is dead and his ship beyond repair. Attempting to ascertain what happened, Janeway asks a few questions but gets no response from the hunter at first. The Alpha tells Janeway of the formidable alien they captured two days previously. Unfortunately, their prey broke its restraints and attacked the crew. The Alpha asks to be released so he can continue his hunt. Janeway refuses, saying that he'll die without treatment, so the Alpha grudgingly agrees to stay in sickbay. Chakotay reports that six Hirogen vessels are converging on Voyager's position from all directions, so Janeway asks Paris to evade them for as long as possible. Chakotay informs Janeway that they are half a light year away, and so Voyager has only four hours until the Hirogen surround them. Janeway wants to give The Doctor enough time to treat the Alpha so that he can call off the rest of the Hirogen. She hopes that diplomacy will work but Chakotay doubts it, saying that to the Hirogen, Humans and other species are merely game to be hunted. Their conversation is interrupted as the ship shakes. A hull rupture is detected on Deck 11, where a plasma conduit has overloaded. Then there is another jolt as a bulkhead collapses. Janeway sends Tuvok and Ensign Harry Kim to Deck 11 to find out the cause of the collapse. They open one of the hatches to find themselves staring into space. Someone, or something, has ripped through the bulkhead from the outside. They see some blood of some kind on the floor and as Tuvok contacts the bridge, he gives his analysis of the blood sample to Janeway: it is consistent with Species 8472. Janeway orders an intruder alert and seals off Decks 10 to 12. They can't detect the creature, so Janeway says they'll have to track it visually. She grabs a phaser and heads to Deck 11. In engineering, Seven reports that she has erected a level 10 force field around engineering. Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres asks her to set up force fields around every hatch, Jefferies tube and conduit leading there. She attempts to lockdown the warp core, then hears an unfamiliar hissing sound. She looks up and the wounded alien jumps from the warp core onto her. Janeway enters engineering to see a few crewmembers lying on the floor, wounded. She orders her security team to take the wounded to sickbay, as Seven reports on what has happened. They tried stunning the creature with their phasers but they were ineffective, it then left engineering through a Jefferies tube. Janeway tells them to secure the warp core and leaves with Seven. She asks if the Borg engaged in physical combat with Species 8472 and what tactics they used. The aliens' destination was always the central power matrix, which was subsequently disabled. However, this particular creature didn't touch any of the power systems. They head to sickbay, where The Doctor is treating Torres and the other wounded crewmen. Janeway asks the Alpha if the alien is alone. Chakotay recounts previous events and Janeway believes that this sighting could indicate a new invasion. The Alpha has only seen one ship and he has been tracking it over fifty light years. When they thought they had killed the creature, it turned out they hadn't. He again asks Janeway if he can finish the hunt. Seven steps in and tells him he will fail, as the only weapon that can stop Species 8472 are Borg nanoprobes. The Alpha doesn't know what they are, so Chakotay explains. Seven tells Janeway that she will modify the phaser rifles to fire nanoprobe discharges but Janeway tells her that she only wants to incapacitate the creature. Seven calls the alien a threat and the Alpha agrees with her assessment. Over her forceful objections, Seven is ordered to make the necessary modifications. Janeway tells the Alpha to let the approaching ships know that his life was saved by the Voyager and that the ship does not want any hostilities to occur between the two species. The Alpha says he will comply with the request, if he is allowed to continue the hunt. He informs Janeway that he has studied the creature's behavior for six months and knows how to track it. There is another shake as the creature accesses environmental controls. Tuvok reports to Janeway that Deck 11 is losing life support and artificial gravity is also compromised, leaving him floating in the corridor. Janeway tells him to evacuate the deck, as the Alpha tells Janeway that the creature is trying to barricade itself. Janeway lets him to continue his hunt but under Chakotay's supervision. If he steps out of line, Janeway orders Chakotay to shoot him. Stepping out from confinement the Alpha asks for his weapon. Paris and Chakotay change into EV suits so they can search for Species 8472 on Deck 11. After learning that the Alpha's body armor is sufficient, Chakotay contacts Tuvok and Seven, who are already in EV suits. They make their way to Deck 11, which is now in near total darkness. The Alpha knows that the creature is near but Chakotay orders him to stay in his position. Tuvok and Seven continue moving through the deck on their own. Passing a corridor, Seven suddenly stops and shoots, seeing something. Tuvok backtracks and finds out that Seven had only seen a PADD floating in the room. He notices Seven's increased agitation but she tells him that her fear is justified as Species 8472 were the only species to offer true resistance to the Borg. Chakotay, Paris and the Alpha find blood floating in the corridor and realize that it is from the creature, who is now trapped near deflector control. The Alpha knows the creature is not planning to run but is waiting for an opportune moment to slip around them and attack them from behind. They contact Tuvok and Seven and ask them to join their sqaud. They soon find the creature floating in the corridor, looking lifeless. The Alpha wants to kill him but Chakotay tells him that they need the alien incapacitated. The Alpha attacks Chakotay, fires at Paris and then opens fire on the creature. He doesn't get far however, as Tuvok stuns him from behind. Tuvok enters the mess hall and asks Neelix to leave his cooking and join the security team. He is asked to report to Deck 10 and send tactical updates every twenty minutes. Tuvok stops giving orders however, as the alien communicates telepathically with him. The Alpha is back behind a force field in sickbay and a security perimeter has been set up around Species 8472. Janeway wants Torres to keep a transporter lock on the creature, in case they have to beam it off the ship. She asks The Doctor for an injury report but he can't scan the creature with his tricorder, he can only make a visual diagnosis. He theorizes that the creature has been hunted for months but he can't say for certain the extent of its internal damage. Paris and Seven tell Janeway that the creature attempted to open a singularity but failed. Janeway believes it was trying to get home. Janeway finds Tuvok, who is in constant telepathic contact with the creature. He tells the captain that during the conflict with the Borg its vessel was damaged. It was unable to return to fluidic space when Species 8472 retreated. Now, it doesn't want to keep fighting, it simply wants to return home because it is dying. Janeway verbally tells the creature that they will attempt to get it back to its own space. During the conversation, the alien loses consciousness and the telepathic link with Tuvok is lost. Janeway goes to sickbay, where the Alpha demands to be taken to his prey. Janeway informs him that they will be returning the creature to fluidic space. She also tells him that the hunt is over. The Alpha again demands that the creature should be returned to him or the crew of Voyager will take its place. Janeway asks Tuvok to send Seven of Nine to her ready room, as she is most likely the only one who can recreate the singularity. Tuvok has his concerns as Seven may not want to co-operate. Janeway informs Seven of her decision but Seven thinks it would not be a prudent course of action. Janeway tells her that part of becoming Human is showing compassion, even to those people who are considered bitter enemies. She recounts a story from when she was a Lieutenant. She was part of an away team defending a Federation outpost and they had been exchanging phaser fire for three days with a group of Cardassians. One night, there was a break in fighting and they could hear a low moan coming from just outside their camp. As all of their people were accounted for, it had to be a Cardassian. Her commanding officer decided that they couldn't let the man suffer, so they went out and brought him back to camp. Three days later, they won the fight and all of them were decorated by Starfleet Command. However, Janeway was most proud of the fact that they had saved the Cardassian's life. Seven tells Janeway that she is still confused about her analogy and Janeway tells her that a single act of compassion can put you in touch with your own Humanity. She wants Seven to see this as a chance to grow but Seven refuses, saying that Janeway's decision is tactically unsound. She still doesn't understand and she and Janeway begin to argue. Janeway eventually orders her to create the singularity but she refuses. Seven is then ordered to remain in the cargo bay until the situation with the creature is over. Voyager is under attack by three Hirogen vessels. Another three approach, cutting off Voyager's escape routes. Their weapons are having no effect against the Hirogen ships. In sickbay, the two guards are standing alert with their phaser rifles pointed directly at the Alpha, who is still behind the force field. The Hirogen hail Voyager and demand the return of both hunter and prey. Janeway says that if the Hirogen stop their attack, they will return the Alpha but the creature is under their protection now. The Hirogen finds this unacceptable and ends the transmission. The creature is regenerating on Deck 11, where The Doctor thinks it is becoming more agitated. The Doctor can sedate it but Seven would need to give them another supply of nanoprobes. They also need at least another hour or two to duplicate the deflector protocols to generate a singularity. Main power goes offline as the next shot from the Hirogen ships hit Voyager and all force fields are disabled. Quickly bringing auxiliary power online, The Doctor reports that the creature is still contained. Unfortunately, the Alpha has broken out. Taking one of the guard's phaser rifles, he sets off on his hunt. Two quick shots disable both the port and starboard nacelles, leaving Voyager crippled. Seven arrives at The Doctor's location and moments later so does the Alpha, who quickly incapacitates the security guards. In a tense stand-off, the Alpha doesn't believe that Seven will kill him but as another shot hits the ship the force field goes down and the creature runs at the Alpha. Unable to raise his weapon in time, the Alpha and the creature become tangled on the floor. Seven uses the distraction to access the transporter system and she beams the Alpha and the creature on to one of the Hirogen vessels. Voyager is unable to pursue the departing Hirogen ships as warp drive is still off-line, so Janeway orders Paris to resume their previous course at impulse. Janeway inquires into the reason for the Hirogen breaking off their attack and Chakotay tells her -- Seven of Nine. "Seven of Nine", Janeway angrily replies, knowing that her actions have surely resulted in the creature being killed by the Hirogen. Janeway goes to Cargo Bay 2 where Seven is regenerating. She prematurely ends Seven's regeneration cycle and tells her that she disobeyed a direct order which resulted in the death of a sentient being. Seven argues that her actions prevented the destruction of Voyager by the Hirogen, but Janeway tells her that they have no way of knowing and either way she hasn't come to debate that but to inform Seven of the consequences. Telling Seven she is no longer willing to accommodate her brazen and occasionally insubordinate behavior, she will no longer have access to any primary systems on the ship without Janeway's direct authorization, warning her that she'll be thrown in the brig if she tries anything. She can still work in astrometrics if she so desires, as it's either that or remain in the cargo bay. Seven is puzzled. She tells Janeway that after being liberated from the Collective, Janeway encouraged her to cultivate her independence. But now, when she tries to assert it, she is punished. Janeway replies that there are limits, especially on a ship with a command structure. Seven believes she is being punished because she is not thinking the way the rest of them do. She also claims that perhaps Janeway is frightened by Seven's individuality. "As you were," Janeway replies, leaving the cargo bay. 
<EOS>
Captain Janeway is bargaining with Kovin, a self-interested Entharan trader, about the purchase of an isokinetic cannon. After a demonstration, Janeway is convinced and trades isolinear chips and astrometric database maps. He agrees, and, additionally, offers to help install it for a fee. Despite misgivings about her attitude, Janeway agrees to have Seven of Nine work on the installation as well since she has been behaving herself lately. Chakotay orders her to engineering, and she reluctantly agrees, still sore about her confinement. There, she clashes with Kovin as he contradicts several suggests and conclusions from Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres and herself. He looks over her shoulder while working on it, then impatiently pushes Seven out of the way. This is all she will tolerate and deliberately punches him in the jaw. Kovin falls to the ground as Torres and Ensign Ashmore hold her. The Doctor easily treats Kovin's injury, but he's clearly shocked. Janeway tries to understand why Seven attacked, though he believes he's innocent and Torres was far away. Janeway later talks to Seven alone, already knowing how the conversation will go, and is now unsure how to proceed since traditional disciplinary actions won't work. She tries to ask her to know the difference between having an impulse to attack and acting on it. Seven is unapologetic, but says she'll think about it. While The Doctor is examining her, Seven gets oddly anxious with instruments coming near her, so he starts to calm her by relating to her problem interacting with others that rarely meet her high standards. However, The Doctor sees higher adrenaline levels and engrammatic activity, and asks her to lie down for more scans. Seven agrees, but then has an acute anxiety attack and moves away. Unfortunately, she can't explain why, but gets flashes of memories of being examined elsewhere. He sedates her and, later, explains to Janeway that he found biogenic amines in her hippocampus, suggesting a memory suppression. Always eager to try out new programming, he proudly recommends a psychiatric treatment which he has recently been developing. Janeway agrees. Later, The Doctor brings Seven to her cargo bay to use a directed imaging technique to guide her through a regression in order to reconstruct the memories. Slowly, she realizes her fear of being restrained draws her to a memory of Kovin performing a surgery on her, violating her. After some prodding, Seven recalls her away mission which took place on the Entharan planet. While she and Tom Paris were trying out some of Kovin's disruptors, Seven and Kovin went back to his lab to make modifications. When they got there, Kovin fired the disruptor on her. She awoke, restrained, on an examination table. Kovin and a female assistant examined her, extracted nanoprobes, injected them to another subject, and removed her memory of the incident. The Doctor believes Seven's story completely, and briefs the crew in the briefing room. The rest of the crew is more hesitant (especially Tuvok), as memories can be unreliable, but The Doctor says he does have some evidence. However, he doesn't have biological evidence of the procedures, suspecting Kovin used her own nanoprobes to fix any damage. Janeway orders the Doctor to find more evidence while she talks to Kovin. He responds somewhat haughtily to questioning, indignantly repeating his cover story. Janeway insists on examining the laboratory, and, when she threatens to involve the authorities, Kovin agrees. Tuvok questions Kovin on the rifle's overload. Kovin is very angry, and challenges him with the only evidence being Seven's recollection. He then pleads with Tuvok not to make a formal accusation, as even being accused can hurt his reputation. Tuvok says he has no choice but to involve an Entharan magistrate assist in the examination, but Kovin takes Tuvok's word that he will be treated fairly. Meanwhile, The Doctor wishes to continue treating Seven's psychological injuries. Despite Seven's insistence that she does not want any part of her Human feelings of resentment and violation, The Doctor says she needs to accept that they exist, and she must deal with them. He reminds her that he violated her individuality, acting like a coward to obtain weapons. She then feels anger, which The Doctor sees as progress. The Doctor, Tuvok and the Entharan magistrate examine Kovin's laboratory in his presence. His guilt seems confirmed when they find regenerating nanoprobes. The magistrate has seen enough, and intends to hold Kovin, but he picks up a weapon and transports away, back to his ship. When Voyager tries to keep him from fleeing, Kovin disables their sensors with a photonic blast. Harry Kim is forced to reinitialize the sensors before they can continue. They find that Kovin's ship entered warp. Voyager gives chase while Janeway and Tuvok examine the evidence again and discuss the situation. Tuvok believes that their investigation has been impartial, and Janeway admits that her misgivings about Kovin perhaps influenced her judgment. When experiments with nanoprobes show that the probes regenerate when fired on by Kovin's disruptor, the group realizes that now all the evidence backs up Kovin's story. Janeway, Tuvok, and The Doctor realize that Kovin may be innocent, and are forced to report what they've found. Seven believes Kovin is guilty and refuses to listen. When she asks The Doctor to tell them that she was attacked, he admits that her neurology is still a mystery to him, and she could've misinterpreted what really happened with her experiences with the Borg. Seven wants Kovin to be punished, and she will not settle for anything less. When Voyager catches up with Kovin, they try to convince him that they've found evidence of his innocence. He is convinced that it is a trap, and attacks Voyager. Even though he does damage, eventually his weapons destabilize, and his ship is destroyed. Seven tries to come to terms with a new emotion: remorse. Meanwhile, The Doctor feels extremely guilty over the part he played in Kovin's death, and asks Captain Janeway to delete the additional subroutines that he's programmed himself with over the years, believing that his desire to expand his programming has caused him to overstep his boundaries and step in where he wasn't required. However the Captain refuses, saying that everyone involved is responsible to some degree. Voyager continues its journey home, with two of its crew sadder but wiser for their experiences. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway, altered to look like a Klingon, battles several other Klingons. A Hirogen, also dressed in Klingon garb, interrupts the battle and stabs her. Using a Starfleet combadge, he calls sickbay to tell them that Janeway needs medical attention. USS Voyager has been hijacked by the Hirogen and they are using the holodecks to hunt the crew in various simulations with the safety protocols deactivated. While half of the crew have been imprisoned, others have been fitted with a neural interface that makes them believe they actually are the characters in the holodeck program. The Hirogen hunt the Voyager crew over and over again in various simulations. The wounded are treated in sickbay and then sent back to the holodeck to be hunted again. The Alpha Hirogen, Karr, oversees Janeway being treated by a medic from her injury in Holodeck 2. He is briefly concerned with the possibility that Janeway might be partly resisting the effects of the neural interface, but the medic insists he's been monitoring and nothing is wrong. Karr has found a new program to try, and has Janeway transferred to Holodeck 1 this time. After she is treated in sickbay, she is sent to a simulation of World War II. There, Janeway, Seven of Nine, Neelix, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres are put in a simulation of the Nazi occupation of Sainte Claire, France. They are running a cafe, Le Coeur de Lion, but are secretly working for the French Resistance, while the Hirogen are working alongside the Nazis. Seven of Nine, or Mademoiselle de Neuf as she is called in the simulation, is a lounge singer, Janeway, or Katrine, is the cafe owner, and Tuvok is the bartender. The first scene of the French simulation begins with Seven singing It Can't Be Wrong. Karr and the Beta Hirogen, Turanj visit the cafe, both dressed in Nazi uniform. Karr's character is of a Nazi Standartenfuhrer newly assigned to oversee the city's occupation. He had worked under Rommel in Africa and Schmidt in Poland. Turanj is immediately eager to hunt and destroy the Voyager crew as prey, but Karr tells him to play the game and to leave when he starts to harass Seven's character. Katrine comes to talk to Karr, exchanging introductions. Katrine asks that they keep the war outside like she tells all her guests. Karr plays the character well, and announces his intentions to intercept Resistance forces who are sure to arrive. Turanj comes back to announce a problem that the warp plasma network has become unstable. Katrine doesn't know what that means, but Karr dismisses it and leaves her with a toast, to the hunt. When the cafe is closed, it serves as a secret base for the Resistance. Janeway's character is the leader of the Resistance cell in Sainte Claire, with Tuvok's character as her right-hand man. Seven's character is a munitions expert and an able singer, needed by the Resistance. However, Seven is tired of playing along with the Nazis and wants to prepare to fight. In a striking parallel to their own selves, she and Janeway's character argue on the course of action until Janeway pulls rank and orders her to stop, instead going to buy components for a radio so they can gather more information for the Allied High Command. Tuvok joins her after Seven leaves, and, in further analogy to their real life, they contemplate her increasing disobedience. Janeway has Tuvok get someone to follow her, suspecting a possible defection. If they can't count on her, they'll have to kill her. The next day, Neelix' character is happily riding a bicycle through town with food when he is stopped by Nazi forces led by Turanj. He tears up his bread and pours out his wine looking for possible smuggling activity, but finds none. He threatens Neelix, but says it isn't up to him and lets him go. Meanwhile, the Resistance, now with B'Elanna Torres, or Brigitte, present, is in the cafe going over their intelligence. Brigitte is decoding messages from the Allies. She is pregnant with the baby of a Nazi Kapitan, with whom she is involved in a romantic relationship in order to gather information for the Resistance. Neelix serves as a courier for the Resistance, and soon arrives with a message on the other side of the label of a wine bottle containing the key to deciphering the latest radio message. It tells them that the Allied forces will arrive within days and they must assist by disabling the Nazi's communications. Torres' character has a plan, and Katrine approves, ordering a positive response for the Allies. Later, Brigitte feigns illness in front of the building where her lover works to get in. Inside, the Kapitan is talking with his superior, Karr, relishing in his ownership of a painting. Karr challenges the Kapitan's feeling of superiority with his beliefs that he doesn't deserve any spoils if he conquered a weakened prey and, furthermore, will fail if he underestimates his prey further. When Brigitte arrives, Karr leaves them alone. On the ground, Turanj gets dissatisfied with playing the game and complains to a fellow Hirogen that he has learned enough about their prey. Upon sight of Neelix, he shoots him and Seven when she retaliates. They are taken to sickbay. In sickbay, The Doctor is asked to attend to their injuries. He insists that they stop these brutalities because the bodies of the crew have not been designed for this kind of punishment. "For the past three weeks," says The Doctor, "they have been stabbed, shot, beaten, phasered and bat'lethed" after which he is forced to attend to them just so they can be sent back for more. The Hirogen however, refuse to listen, even when The Doctor asks that they at least activate the holodeck safety protocols. It is decided that Neelix is to be sent to the Klingon simulation, and Seven back to the World War II simulation after their wounds have been treated. Back on the bridge, the Hirogen are forcing Ensign Harry Kim (one of the few remaining crew not to have been sent into the holodeck or locked away) to expand the holodeck grids so that they can expand the holo-projectors into all surrounding sections. Kim joins Ashmore in a corridor to work. Kim has Ashmore distract one of the Hirogen guards so that he can transfer The Doctor out of sickbay (with newly installed holoemitters in the corridor) and tell him about his plan to get the crew back. Before they can begin to recover the crew, they need to disable the neural interfaces. He has found a way to tap into the sickbay diagnostic console but somebody has got to be inside the holodeck to engage the bridge control relays. They decide to use Seven's help for this task. In the ready room, Karr tells Turanj that he has been studying Voyager's database looking for their next simulation. He tells him that there are many to chose from because Humans have a violent history. When World War II is over, he plans to engage the Borg by recreating the Battle of Wolf 359. However, this will be one hunt Turanj will never see if he continues to disobey him. Karr tells him that his lust for the kill has blinded him, like it has blinded many young hunters. He tells Turanj that if the younger hunters took the time to study their prey, to understand its behavior, they might learn something because each prey exposes them to another way of life while at the same time making them re-evaluate their own. He wonders what will become of the Hirogen when they have hunted this territory to exhaustion: a way of life that hasn't changed in a thousand years. He complains that they have lost their identity, that they have allowed their predatory instincts to dominate them -- turning them into a solitary race, isolated, no longer a culture. He insists that their people must come back together, combine forces and rebuild their civilization. Karr believes the hunt will always continue but in a new way, for he intends to transform this ship into a vast simulation, eventually replicating the technology which will allow them to hold on to their past while they face the future. Turanj is convinced that Karr is right, albeit very reluctantly, for he knows that others might not agree with Karr's assessment. In sickbay, The Doctor manages to wake Seven, explaining to her that he has found a way to disable the interface by remodulating one of her Borg implants to emit a jamming signal to interfere with her neural interface implant. Once she is back on the holodeck, the jamming signal will activate within seconds at which moment she must find the control panel inside the holodeck and engage the bridge access relays so he and Kim can deactivate all the neural interfaces. Unfortunately, she doesn't know anything about World War II, so she'll have to figure it out as she goes along. Back in the World War II simulation, Seven, as de Neuf, is singing That Old Black Magic on stage, when the jamming signal activates. At that moment she quickly excuses herself and gets off the stage. Janeway is pumping commandant Karr for information, and wants him to stay so she quickly goes to order de Neuf back on stage. Seven refuses, and, since her character has shown resistance to Janeway in the past, suspicions that she is a Nazi sympathizer are coming to a head with her new unwillingness to continue to sing. Meanwhile, the Allied troops are preparing to arrive in Sainte Claire, with Chakotay as Captain Miller and Tom Paris as Lieutenant Bobby Davis. Davis has been to Sainte Claire before the war and was involved with Brigitte. Davis briefly relates his longing to see her again to Miller. The French Resistance finalize their plan to infiltrate the Nazi headquarters to disable the Nazi's communications and Seven assists them. Tuvok will keep watch while Katrine and de Neuf plant the bomb. Brigitte will wait in the cafe and destroy evidence if necessary. However, Seven doesn't prepare the bombs properly and Katrine questions her. Seven promises she does not have second thoughts about the plan. Kim, in the mess hall, brings The Doctor to him to coordinate their plan. They're interrupted by Turanj and another Hirogen, but Kim successfully convinces them he has to leave to go back to the bridge. In Saint Claire, Seven and Katrine reach the Kapitan's office and subdue a telegraph operator. While Katrine looks at the most recent message from the radio transmitter, Seven ignores placing the bombs and finds a holodeck control panel. In the process, she trips an indicator that Kim notices on the bridge who, in turn, is able to give the Doctor, in sickbay, control over the neural interfaces. The Doctor successfully overrides the interface just as he is detained by the Hirogen medic. In the Nazi office, Katrine notices de Neuf has not yet planted the charges and sees her accessing the interface. She doesn't know what it is and assumes de Neuf is a traitor and has been sending messages to the Nazis. She points her pistol at Seven but when she is about to pull the trigger, Janeway's interface is disabled. Karr, in the Klingon simulation with Neelix' character, is informed of the Doctor's actions and orders a team into the World War II simulation to remove Janeway while he confronts Kim on the bridge. Tuvok stays hidden outside and intercepts the Hirogen, not in Nazi uniforms but instead their Hirogen armor and weapons. Fortunately, the Americans arrive just in time. Miller's team helps Tuvok's character while Davis finds Brigitte at Resistance headquarters. Soon, artillery barrages strike the Nazi headquarters and create a simulated explosion, blowing a hole in the holodeck wall. The Voyager characters do not know what to make of it because the program is still running. Miller believes it's a secret Nazi installation and orders all units to invade. Kim, on the bridge, says the controls don't work, and now Karr has a real war. Seven and Janeway escape through the hole and the troops begin charging into the Nazi bunker, taking the war to the rest of the ship. 
<EOS>
As the holo-Nazis and the Allied forces continue to pour out of the World War II holoprogram and into the corridors of the USS Voyager, which has been turned into one huge holodeck, Captain Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine fight their way to astrometrics. They use the sensors to find the location of the remaining crew members and the Hirogen. They determine that the neural interfaces that are controlling the crew are controlled out of sickbay. Without disabling them, they cannot get the crew back. Sickbay, however, is heavily guarded and they need help. They realize that the only allies they have in the simulation are the French Resistance and Americans. Ensign Harry Kim informs Karr about the extent to which this simulation has gotten out of control. In order to stop it and bring it under control, he suggests they allow him to go to engineering and initiate a power-surge across the holographic projector network. But Karr refuses, out of fear that it would destroy both holodecks. He tells Kim that he wants the holodeck technology preserved. Turanj arrives and suggests just killing the prey and moving on but Karr wants to preserve the technology and not jeopardize the ship's resources. He orders Turanj to take the other hunters from the Klingon simulation and subdue everyone. In the World War II simulation, Americans Captain Miller and Lieutenant Davis as well as the members of the French Resistance try to make sense of the situation. They believe that all the technology they see is some sort of secret laboratory designed to make a secret weapon. Miller and Davis take charge and decide to disable it and use the cafe as the command post. Brigitte is asked to help the Americans locate the weapons they have been hiding across town. Davis and Brigitte has met before the war and was romantically involved. Davis is appalled that Brigitte has found someone else as she is pregnant, but she explains that she is in a relationship with the Nazi Kapitan and the second-in-command of the Sainte Claire occupation, to gather information for the Resistance, and the baby's father is the Hauptsturmfuhrer/Kapitan. Crawling through the Jefferies tube, Janeway and Seven sneak back into the simulation to get assistance. Janeway persuades Captain Miller to attack a generator that powers the entire complex. With their help she will be able to set off some explosives. Right after they go through the "escape tunnel", which takes them out of the holodeck, the cafe is attacked by the Nazis. The Doctor is being forced to treat more and more wounded sent in by the Hirogen. When he refuses to treat a Hirogen with minor injuries before a crewmember with massive internal injuries, he is deactivated by a Hirogen medic. He then gives orders to the other Hirogen to ignore the wounded prey and tend only to their own. In the Klingon simulation, Neelix' character is drunk and thoroughly enjoying his time when Janeway enters his program. While Captain Miller keeps them distracted and is quite confused, Janeway gets The Doctor running again and learns from him that the only way to disable the neural interfaces is through the surgical console in sickbay. Since they don't have time, Janeway suggests they access the Jefferies tube that runs under that deck, set a few charges and just blow up the consoles. She and Captain Miller begin heading to the Jefferies tube under Sickbay and The Doctor is left to keep the Klingons company. When Janeway and Miller arrive at the Jefferies tube under sickbay, they discover a level 9 force field around the console. She asks Miller to set the detonator for five minutes and makes her way to sickbay. She gets the Hirogen medic to leave with the threat of being killed and disables the force field as enemy troops begin to converge on sickbay. She narrowly escapes and when the bomb goes off, everyone's neural interfaces are finally disabled. However, Janeway is shot in the leg by a Hirogen. Meanwhile, the Germans and the Hirogen continue to attack the cafe, now with Seven in the background modifying the weapons to be more effective. Unfortunately, just as the neural interfaces are disabled, the Germans and Hirogen capture the building and the group must give up their weapons. The Hirogen discover that the neural interfaces have been disabled. Turanj wants to kill the Voyager crew, but Karr orders him to hold them as hostages. The crew has a brief conversation about Torres's holographic pregnancy; it seems real and even kicks. The Nazi Kapitan furiously engages Torres in a conversation as her character's cover is blown, and almost shooting Paris for coming to her defense when he hits her. Meanwhile, in the Klingon simulation, Neelix and The Doctor are forced to engage in yet another battle when the Klingons wake up insisting to start their programmed attack. Janeway is brought into the ready room to see Karr. He tells her that her effort to seize the vessel was inventive but that it is over now. He asks her to help him shut down the simulations and repair the holodecks. Janeway states that she would rather destroy the ship than surrender it. He continues threatening her but to no avail. Karr tells her that this is not merely a game but his attempt to create a future for his people because they are hunting themselves into extinction. He believes that Voyager's holodeck technology offers them an alternative, a new way of life. Instead of scattering themselves across the Delta Quadrant in pursuit of prey, they could simulate the hunt and concentrate on rebuilding their civilization. He tells Janeway how much he admires the Human race, which has faced extinction many times but still managed to avoid it. He admires humanity for its resilience. She finds his reasons noble, if his methods brutal, and agrees to give them the technology if he calls a cease-fire. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. When Turanj gets orders from Karr to call a cease-fire, he becomes enraged. Additionally, the holographic Nazi forces refuses to let their battle end. The Hauptsturmfuhrer, noting the strange behavior of the Kommandant Karr, says to Turanj that they are surrendering a battle they are winning and that they are negotiating with inferior forms of life. The Nazi philosophy turns out to be analogous to the Hirogen philosophy that all other species are inferior and are only worthy to be hunted as prey. Turanj is persuaded and orders them to pursue the Allies. Tuvok has reached Chakotay and Chakotay orders a cease-fire. The troops retreat and the scene seems to be coming back to normal as Paris has a little fun with the program while walking with Seven. However, they are soon fired upon again by the Nazis and Hirogen and they take positions. Meanwhile, The Doctor and Neelix are still in the Klingon simulation, watching the half-drunk Klingons eat. They realize that even in their half-drunken state, Klingons still make great warriors. They believe that they would make excellent warriors in the other simulation as well and would certainly be able to hold off the small band of Nazis attacking the Allies' position. The Doctor convinces Neelix to play his character and get their cooperation. In engineering, just as the holodecks are about to be overloaded with a power-surge, Turanj shows up and shoots Karr with a German rifle, killing him. He then tells Janeway, his prey, to run. The Allied forces realize they are being surrounded in the holodeck. They can't make it to the breach which would get them into the rest of the ship, but Seven is trying to modify a grenade to emit a photon burst instead to disrupt the holographic environment, evening the odds. She gets just enough time to complete it, but catches a bullet just as she tried to throw the grenade. Instead, their own weapons disappear and the Nazis capture them. Meanwhile, Janeway, with her injured leg, can't move as fast as Turanj can. However, she travels through a Jefferies tube to another corridor and finds an area where the holoemitters do not reach, gets him to move his weapon into it, and then knocks him down in his confusion, seizing his weapon. Turanj, now unarmed, runs towards the exposed holodeck. The Kapitan takes Torres to him, sparing her life due to her child. The Nazis prepare to kill the rest of the Allied forces when the Klingons suddenly invade, taking their attention away and surprising the crew. Turanj arrives at the breach, seeing the resulting firefight in the distance as Janeway corners him. Janeway asks him to tell his hunters to stand down but he attacks her and she shoots him. Turanj is killed, falling into the holodeck down three decks. While Chakotay, Paris, Tuvok, Seven, Neelix, Torres, The Doctor and the Klingons are in the WWII simulation engaged in a heated battle with the Nazis, the hologrid finally overloads and the simulation ends. Janeway, after lots of diplomacy, gives the remaining Hirogen an optronic data core they can use to create holodeck technology on their own vessels. She tells the remaining Hirogen that she made a promise to their Alpha and she intends to keep that promise. She tells them to accept this trophy to create a new future for their own people. Somewhat reluctantly they accept and leave Voyager. 
<EOS>
The Doctor finds Lieutenant jg Tom Paris inside a holoprogram called Grease Monkey, which was a 1960s-style car garage complete with surf rock music emanating from a nearby portable radio of that era. The Doctor calls Paris' attention to the fact that his new medical assistant has been rather lax in his duties to improve upon his skills as an assistant, instead choosing to spend the time he should have been spending in sickbay working on a mechanical patient of sorts, a vintage 1969 Chevy Camaro. The conversation ends when Paris gets a call from the bridge to take the helm. When he arrives on the bridge he is still wearing his garage overalls. An alien ship emerges out of a spatial distortion just ahead, its outer hull sparking with what appears to be an energy overload. Paris believes that the ship is being powered by a coaxial warp drive, an experimental propulsion system that could be the cause of the spatial distortion. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok's readings from the tactical console reveal that the alien ship's warp engines are overloading. Realizing how dangerous a coaxial warp drive explosion could be to nearby space and with the crew unable to hail its pilot or beam them off the ship, Paris decides to create a symmetric warp field that could possibly contain any instabilities in the alien ship's warp core. There is the possibility that the symmetric warp field could cause the USS Voyager to collide with the ship. Captain Kathryn Janeway agrees to Paris' plan and he carefully maneuvers Voyager close to the alien ship so that Voyager's warp field surrounds both ships. With the alien ship's warp core powering down, Voyager receives a hail from the other ship. A humanoid male alien requests repairs to his ship, which Janeway offers help for and which the alien accepts before beaming aboard Voyager. The alien identifies himself as Steth, a test pilot from the fourth planet of the Benthan system who is currently test-piloting the very ship that the crew of Voyager had put themselves at risk to rescue. As Janeway talks with Steth about helping him repair his ship, Commander Chakotay has a talk with Paris about the lieutenant's seemingly lackadaisical attitude toward his duties as both the navigator and the medical assistant before he decides to assign him to helping Steth with the repairs. On board Steth's ship, Paris gets to know its pilot a little better with some friendly conversation concerning Steth's previous flying missions. Paris tells Steth about the time when he took his father's shuttle out for a joyride. At one time during the repairs, when Paris' back is turned, Steth briefly transforms into an alien female of another species. Steth invites Paris to come with him on his test-piloting adventures, promising that he would have a great time but Paris turns down Steth's offer, realizing that he has responsibilities on Voyager and that B'Elanna Torres would be furious if he just took off. Paris then later meets Torres in the mess hall on a lunch date that he is late for, explaining that he was helping Steth with his ship's repairs. Torres is wondering what's going on with Paris, why he's been canceling dates and spending lots of time in the holodeck. Paris tries to tell Torres that nothing's going on and that he doesn't need to report every moment that he's not spending with her to her, causing Torres to storm out of the mess hall. Meanwhile, on Steth's ship, he checks with its computer to see how long it will be before his body reverts to its previous form and it reports that it will be three hours and thirteen minutes and that complete genome recovery is imminent. The following day, Paris takes Steth into his garage holodeck program to tell him about an idea he had for fixing the alien ship's propulsion system that he came up with, similar to a 20th century car's carburetor. Sometime during the discussion, when again Paris' back is turned to Steth, he transforms yet again into the alien female humanoid, though his voice is still that of his male form. He reverts back to his male form again before Paris notices anything. Shortly after, Steth goes into Cargo Bay 2 and uses Paris' handprint to access all information regarding the lieutenant when Seven of Nine comes into the room and notices what he was doing. Steth says that he was looking for files for polaric modulators and ends up leaving the room under the pretense of looking for the files elsewhere. Seven warns Steth that he should familiarize himself with the protocols of being on board a Federation ship. The repairs on Steth's ship are soon completed and Paris is on board to make a final check on the propulsion system's flow field parameters when he notices that one of his tools from his holoprogram's toolbox is sitting on that ship's computer console. Steth reveals to Paris that he needed that tool to sample his DNA from the cellular residue left on it, finding that Paris' DNA is compatible, he pins Paris to a wall and grabs him while he and Paris change forms with each other. Now in the form of Paris, Steth stuns Paris (who is now in the form of Steth) and sends him and the coaxial warp drive ship on their way while Steth assumes Paris' life on board Voyager. Steth, in Paris' body, begins to assimilate to his life. He has conversations with Chakotay, Kim and the Doctor doing his best to keep up relationships. Chakotay wants him to try implementing some of Steth's technology on the ship, starting with a shuttlecraft. He enthusiastically says he can do it, happy to have an immediate task he can succeed in. However, he then has to find sickbay, and has trouble doing it, being caught by Kim in the process and having to explain away his ignorance. Kim reminds him about a golf game they have coming up, so he takes it upon himself to learn the game. When he finally finds sickbay, the Doctor gives him several tasks, but it's immediately clear he cannot perform basic functions. After a bit of stumbling, he convinces the Doctor that he has been shirking his duties because he has been trying to live up to the Doctor's abilities, an impossible task. The Doctor is convinced he has an inferiority complex and gives him time off to relax. Later, he goes to Torres' quarters to practice golf and wait for her. She is annoyed he casually continues to go into her personal space after not having an open conversation earlier. Steth quickly adapts and, talking about himself in the third person, makes up a story about how Paris talked to Steth and got some advice, took the day off to see her. She became convinced. Paris, in the form of Steth, wakes up and finds out that he is now on board Steth's ship. However, he's unable to command the ship to go back to Voyager and, furthermore, is soon attacked by various alien ships, accused of being a thief. Outside, another alien ship enters and drives off the ones taking Paris into custody. A female humanoid being identical to the form Steth was turning into earlier beams aboard, and says she is Steth. She says Steth had her body earlier, and Paris then realizes that both he and this female humanoid (the real Steth) are victims of a shapeshifting identity thief that was posing as Steth. Meanwhile, Steth in Paris' body is pushing the fun of his new life and starts to have trouble in the process. He pulls Torres from an important EPS recalibration she was working on with Ensign Vorik to the transporter, attempting to take her on an impromptu picnic on the fourth planet of the Kendren system, where the ship is currently gathering supplies. Torres likes the idea, but quickly turns to her responsibilities. Steth turns on her, holding her head and wondering aloud how he's not sure what he ever saw in her. Later, he goes to the mess hall to waste time reading and drinking to intoxication when Seven comes in to remind him he was supposed to meet her in the shuttlebay, to which he doesn't give a real excuse. Seven can see he is drunk, and notes he is on duty. Steth tries to get her to join him, but she refuses, saying she'll complete the work herself without his help. He goes back to reading, but Seven can see he is reading Janeway's personal logs. She confronts him about it, and he threatens her not to interfere with him. She immediately leaves and reports to Janeway. In Janeway's ready room, Janeway calls Paris there and confronts him about his behavior. Steth is defensive, and argues away the behavior before offering to go to his quarters for relaxing. Janeway orders him to sickbay instead for tests, and this angers Steth. He exclaims there's nothing wrong with him and then attacks her, however, she's able to call for security. They find the shapeshifter physically assaulting Janeway and shoot him unconscious. They take him to sickbay. The alien and Paris decide to work together to bring this shapeshifter to justice, breaking through the lockout commands and getting the warp drive online. They finally are able to get the ship running to find Voyager. Meanwhile, the Doctor can't wake Paris. Neurological scans didn't reveal anything unusual, but a blood analysis reveal traces of a second DNA pattern. When the alien ship returns to Voyager, Paris tries to warn the crew about the identity thief. Janeway is initially incredulous and orders a tractor beam to hold the ship until the crew hears from her. However, Janeway, instead of going to sickbay again, goes to the shuttlebay and takes off in a shuttlecraft that has recently been modified with Steth's coaxial warp technology. Paris insists to Chakotay that the shapeshifter is now in the form of Janeway and that he can catch the shapeshifter if he releases the tractor beam. He convinces Chakotay he really is himself by mentioning a previous conversation, and Chakotay agrees. While in pursuit of the shuttlecraft, the shapeshifter fires on Steth's ship and prepares to go into coaxial warp before Paris decides to hit the shuttlecraft's polaric modulator with a chromoelectric pulse to disable its carburetor. With the shapeshifter stopped, Paris and Steth bring him back to Voyager where Paris, Steth and Janeway are put back in the right bodies and the shapeshifter into the female humanoid form of his previous victim. Steth says that he's going to try finding every victim the shapeshifter has violated when he brings it back to Benthos. Later on, Paris brings Torres into his Grease Monkey holoprogram to make peace with her for all the hours he felt he should have spent with her, taking her inside the Camaro he was working on to passionately kiss her as the surf rock music plays on in the background. 
<EOS>
Aboard USS Voyager, Seven of Nine wakes up from her regeneration cycle and heads for the mess hall to meet Ensign Harry Kim. They have a scheduled maintenance inspection of the aft sensor array. She finds Kim playing kal-toh with Tuvok. Kim asks her to wait a few minutes, convinced he is about to defeat the Vulcan. Seven does not appreciate this waste of time and tells Kim that games can wait until after their work is completed. She takes the piece he is about to place and does it for him, finishing the game and defeating Tuvok in one move. He tells Tuvok he would have made that move, and then follows her as she leaves. As they walk along a corridor, he exasperatedly asks her if there is anything she does not know how to do. Suddenly the ship is shaken. On the bridge, a confused Tom Paris reports to Commander Chakotay that the ship hit some sort of shock wave and the warp drive suddenly went offline. He begins to scan for the source of the wave but the conn displays, along with all the others, go blank and then show the Greek letter omega. All controls become locked, including the command console between the first officer's and captain's seats. Not even Chakotay's command codes can unlock any of them. He is about to hail Kim to have him try to figure out what is happening when Captain Kathryn Janeway steps out from the turbolift and crisply orders him not to do anything. She goes to a console and enters a command code known only by her. This unlocks the consoles but they remain blank. She orders Paris to hold all-stop and disengage the impulse engines. Warning all the officers not to discuss any of this with the rest of the crew, she disappears into her ready room. The moment she enters her ready room, Janeway has the computer lock the doors. She sits at her desktop monitor and gives the computer a series of very high level security clearances. The computer accepts them and reports to her that sensors have detected the Omega phenomenon 1.2 light years away from the ship. The computer tells her that she is to immediately implement the Omega Directive and all other directives and priorities are null and void, including the Prime Directive. She has the computer show her the sensor data. In engineering, Chakotay gives instructions from Janeway to Paris, Seven of Nine, and B'Elanna Torres. He stresses that these instructions and the mission they are for, are highly classified: need-to-know only. He gives Torres Janeway's instructions for her -- install multiphasic shielding around the warp core by 1100 hours. Torres doubts this is possible but Chakotay tells her the captain wants it done at any cost. Seven of Nine, knowing that this type of shielding protects against subspace radiation, asks Chakotay why the captain wants to do this with the reactor. He responds that he does not know. Torres and Paris comment on rumors they have been hearing that the captain has been locked in her ready room for the past 16 hours and of something called the Omega Directive. This instantly gets Seven's full attention. Chakotay sharply warns against any such talk. He admits to being mystified himself but stresses the captain's adamance about discouragement of any rumors or talk about what is happening. Before he dismisses them, he informs Seven that the Captain wants to see her. She replies that she is not surprised. Seven enters the captain's ready room. As soon as the doors close behind her, Janeway immediately gets to the reason she asked for her. "How much do you know about Omega?" she asks. Seven responds that it is most likely everything Janeway knows. Janeway is not surprised. The Borg have assimilated Starfleet captains thus Seven, as a former drone, would possess all of their knowledge. Seven confirms this and asks her if she intends to carry out the Omega Directive. Janeway responds that she indeed does. The directive forbids her from speaking about it or what it concerns to any member of her crew. But, since Seven already knows about it, she intends to either have her help her, or confine her to her quarters. Seven stoutly responds that she then should do the latter because she will not help her destroy Omega. She tells Janeway that it should be harnessed instead. Seven explains that, while she was a drone, the Borg Collective had managed to stabilize a single Omega molecule for one-trillionth of a nanosecond before it destabilized. The experiment allowed them to refine their theories about how to permanently stabilize it. Janeway however, is unimpressed, and gets her to admit the cost of that experiment: 29 vessels and 600,000 drones. Janeway uses this to emphasize her point that the substance is simply too dangerous and experimenting with it could risk the whole quadrant. Whoever is working with it must be stopped and she is going to do it, both to satisfy the directive, as the only Starfleet captain in the quadrant, and out of a very healthy fear of what could happen if these experiments go wrong. Seven confides in Janeway that as a drone, her highest goal, besides perfection, was to see this molecule first-hand. Helping Janeway's implementation of the Omega Directive would allow her to do this. She changes her decision, much to Janeway's surprise and agrees to help her. Janeway orders her to assemble all the data she has on the molecule and to present to her in a report within the hour. Seven acknowledges and leaves. In sickbay, The Doctor stares incredulously at Janeway in response to an order she has given him to provide her with arithrazine, used for the most severe cases of radiation poisoning. She tells him it is for an away mission and says no more. He asks her if she intends to stroll through a supernova, insisting that a physician has to be present to supervise its use. If not, then he cannot obey, as that would violate Starfleet medical protocols. Janeway curtly responds that she is overriding those protocols. He rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me: the Omega Directive." he responds exaggeratedly. "Whatever that might be." "The arithrazine, doctor," she orders. He responds that it will be ready the next morning. As she leaves, he urges her to be careful. She smiles and says she will. In Cargo Bay 2, Janeway receives Seven's report. She has analyzed the shock wave. It indicates that not just one, but hundreds of Omega molecules destabilized within a radius of ten light years from their current position. Janeway is stunned. This was far larger and more dangerous of a threat than she previously thought. Seven tells her that it requires the resources of the entire crew, not just the two of them, to comply with the Omega Directive. Janeway orders her to transfer the data to astrometrics where she will work on it. Tuvok and Kim are modifying one of the ship's photon torpedoes, as per Janeway's orders, increasing its explosive yield. Kim comments the level they are raising it to, fifty isotons, is enough to destroy a small planet. Kim begins to speculate aloud on what is happening but Janeway enters, hears him and rebukes him. She modifies her previous order telling them they are to increase the yield to eighty isotons and that Kim is to help Torres reinforce the hull of the shuttlecraft. Kim is now totally unable to keep himself from speculating. After Janeway leaves, he relates to Tuvok the various theories circulating among the crew, such as one that says Species 8472 has opened a singularity from fluidic space to mount another invasion of the galaxy after they were driven back before and the torpedo is to close it. Another states Janeway has discovered a type-6 protostar and plans to detonate it to open a wormhole back to the Alpha Quadrant. She does not want to get anyone's hopes up, hence the secrecy. Tuvok tries to ignore him but finally admits that he too is curious. He tells Kim that they have no time for speculation and so Kim stops and focuses on the work. Janeway is in the astrometrics lab, studying Seven's data with the doors locked. The chime sounds and she bids the person to enter. It is Chakotay. He reports that everything is proceeding according to schedule. She acknowledges his report. Then she looks him in the eye and, in a deadly-serious tone, gives him the following instructions: she and Seven are departing in a shuttlecraft at 0600 the next day. If they are successful in what they are planning to do, they will return in a few days. If not, the long-range sensors will detect a large subspace explosion; he is to immediately have the ship go to maximum warp and leave the area at once. Chakotay does not like this. He presses her to tell him what this is about. She responds that she cannot, and tries to end it by telling him he has his orders. But he refuses to let it drop. He pleads with her that while Voyager is alone with no Starfleet contact she is not. The entire crew is behind her and willing to help her face any threat they encounter. He urges her to let them help, suggesting that classified information could be kept only among the senior staff. He pleads with her to not go about this by herself. Janeway finally relents and orders him to assemble the senior staff. In the briefing room, Janeway briefs the senior staff about Omega and the Omega Directive but not before making clear that the meeting is classified and nothing they're about to hear is to be discussed with anyone else. If they were in the Alpha Quadrant then Starfleet Command would be sending in a specialized team to complete the mission. She explains that Omega is a molecule and the most powerful substance known. A single Omega molecule has the same amount of power as a warp core. It was first synthesized by a Federation scientist named Ketteract in the late 23rd century. Upon creation the molecule exploded, destroying the entire facility. The explosion tore up subspace in the Lantaru sector over a radius of several light years. In the affected area it is impossible to attain warp speed, as warp drive cannot work without subspace from which to create a warp field. Paris comments that flight controllers like himself are told that the reason for this was due to a natural phenomenon. Starfleet Command recognized the implications: an explosion of a large enough number of these molecules would annihilate subspace throughout the Federation, or even the entire Alpha Quadrant. If that happened, warp speed anywhere in the quadrant would become impossible and subspace communication would no longer work. This would mean the obliteration of every interstellar civilization in the quadrant. Every single planet in the quadrant would be permanently isolated, cut off from all others. Those civilizations that did not yet have warp drive would never discover it. Due to these implications, Starfleet Command classified all information about the experiment and the molecules as a military secret of the highest order and only officers with the rank of captain and above would be privy to it. Calling the molecule Omega, for the ultimate threat to space-faring civilization it represented, it issued the Omega Directive, a top-secret order instructing that, if so much as one Omega molecule is encountered, it was to be destroyed at any cost, including ignoring any and all other orders and instructions, such as the Prime Directive. Janeway finishes the briefing with a warning that none of them, after hearing what she has just said, need to hear. If whoever is experimenting with Omega here causes a large-scale explosion then they, caught in the midst of the subspace destruction, will never be able to attain warp speed again. All hope of ever returning home would be forever lost. They now fully understand the secrecy and urgency and are in full agreement with her, this person must be stopped fast. Voyager approaches the system where the Omega explosion originated. In Cargo Bay 2, Janeway finds Seven working on a resonance chamber that will dissolve the inter-atomic bonds of the Omega molecules, destroying them. Janeway starts to help her but then Chakotay hails her from the bridge and informs her they are entering the system. She acknowledges and heads for the bridge. On her arrival, Paris informs her that the area's subspace has been destroyed. Tuvok and Kim trace the source of the explosion to a small M-class moon, with a pre-warp civilization on it. Janeway orders an on-screen view. A planetoid appears, with a massive blue cloud over one part of it. Tuvok reports subnucleonic radiation in the upper atmosphere, coming from a structure on the surface. Janeway orders an on-screen view of the structure. The image shows the same kind of devastation that occurred at the Starfleet facility that had synthesized Omega. Kim reports the devastation is over 300,000 square km. Janeway orders a scan for Omega molecules. Tuvok finds none but reports that some areas of the facility are intact and shielded. Janeway inquires about the use of the transporters. Kim affirms that they can work through the subnucleonic cloud but warns about the high levels of radiation. Janeway orders Tuvok to assemble an away team, inoculated with arithrazine by The Doctor. She tells Tuvok that she will be joining the away team. She orders Paris to put the ship into high orbit and then come with her and the away team as a field medic. She then gives Chakotay the bridge and heads for the turbolift. The team beams into one of the facility's intact areas and finds it in ruins. They find the dead bodies of many aliens but others are alive, though badly injured. Crewmen rush to their aid, as Tuvok informs Janeway he is picking up Omega's resonant frequency but cannot locate it. Janeway approaches a wounded alien and asks him what happened to the substance they were trying to create. He tells her that there was an accident which caused a loss of containment and a resulting explosion. She asks him if any of the substance survived. He points to a large, sealed enclosure called the primary test chamber. She orders him beamed up to the ship for treatment and goes to the chamber. Tuvok reports that the material it is composed of, duritanium, has fused to the door. Janeway orders the use of phasers to cut through it. Tuvok feels that it is his duty to remind her that what they are about to do is a clear breach of the Prime Directive. She matter-of-factly responds that, for the duration of the mission, the Prime Directive is rescinded. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven of Nine has organized ten crew members to help her complete the resonance chamber. She has even gone so far as to give them Borg designations, assigning each to a specific task to increase efficiency. Kim greatly resents being referred to in this manner and complains to Chakotay. He gets no sympathy from the commander and instead is told to adapt. Seven has told him the chamber will be ready within the hour. Seven enters sickbay and finds The Doctor treating the injured aliens from the facility. She tells him she needs to speak with the senior researcher, who is the one whom Janeway had spoken to. His name is Allos. The Doctor points him out but insists that he is in no condition to speak to her. The Doctor attempts to prevent her from going to his bio-bed but she stares him down until he relents. When Seven approaches Allos she asks him if he is up to answering questions, which he says that he is. Seven learns from him that they were able to synthesize two hundred million omega molecules, using the molecules' own resonance frequencies. Synthesizing them was one thing but stabilizing them was quite another. Seven theorizes however, that she may be able to adapt their technique to do just that. Thinking that she intends to save the molecules, he suggests transferring the remaining ones to the ship. He is bitterly disappointed and angry when Seven flatly tells him her orders are to destroy them. He accuses them of being small-minded, destroying what they do not understand. Rescue ships, he threatens, are on their way and will stop them. He gets so agitated that The Doctor immediately steps in and insists that Seven leave. "You don't know what you are doing! You don't know what this means!" Allos shouts behind her. Seven quietly responds that she understands perfectly. In the remains of the facility, Captain Janeway and Tuvok reach the inner chamber containing the molecules. They approach an observation imager and are bathed in piercing, aquamarine light from it. They stare into it, at Omega. Janeway tensely notes that there is enough here to destroy the subspace in half the Delta Quadrant. Tuvok suggests returning to Voyager and targeting the facility with a gravimetric charge. Janeway responds that that will not be enough, they will have to use Seven of Nine's resonance chamber. She orders him to prepare to beam the molecules up to Voyager. He suggests that it is a pity they cannot study it more thoroughly before destroying it. But Janeway is not interested: some boundaries, she insists, should not be crossed and this, with its potential to destroy all space-faring civilization, is one. Seven's device is completed and stands ready in the cargo bay. Chakotay comes to relay Janeway's orders to her: Omega will be beamed directly into it and she will begin destroying the molecules. However, in a voice that is, for her, quite excited, she begins to tell him that they do not need to destroy them. By using the information she got from Allos, she believes she can stabilize them. Chakotay, annoyed, tersely cuts her off in mid-sentence. "Those weren't your orders," he says. "The captain wants Omega eliminated." Upset, Seven responds that she has never, in nine months of service aboard Voyager, asked a single favor. She is asking now. She pleads with Chakotay to allow her to proceed with the stabilization. Chakotay, never having seen her this passionate about anything, is curious to know why this means so much to her. She explains that, as a drone, she was instructed to assimilate Omega, which they call Particle 010, at all costs. It is, they believe, perfection embodied. The molecules exist in a flawless state with infinite parts functioning as one. She has never seen it but, though she is no longer Borg, she needs to understand that perfection and feels that she will never be complete without it. She compares it to Chakotay's own spirituality. She asks him if he had the chance to see his Great Spirit, what would he do? He responds that he would pursue it with all his heart. He tells Seven that he understands her emotions and promises to inform Janeway of her idea. But for now, he stresses, her orders stand. She thanks him, truly grateful. In the facility, Janeway is overseeing final preparations to transfer the molecules to Voyager, when Chakotay hails her: two ships have been detected and are closing fast. It is time for them to leave. Janeway orders the molecules and away team be beamed aboard at once. Chakotay relays the order to Seven but the response is that that they need to get closer for a better transporter lock. She tells him the subnucleonic interference in the atmosphere will not affect the transporter signal enough to hinder the transport of the away team but the molecules may explode. She recommends getting 5,000 kilometers from the surface. This is dangerous however, as they will have to go in without shields, which would cause them to burn up but they have no choice. On Chakotay's order, Paris starts the descent. Voyager starts descending into the moon's atmosphere. Kim locks the transporter onto the away team and Omega molecules. As they descend, the atmospheric friction on the hull starts to damage it, until, at 9,000 kilometers, Kim reports that the ship is beginning to break up. Janeway says they are close enough and orders Kim to commence the transport. It succeeds as the away team is safely brought aboard and Seven reports the molecules are in the chamber. Paris immediately pulls the ship back up and they retreat from the moon at maximum impulse. Janeway is back on the bridge. Chakotay reports that they are approaching the limits of the subspace destruction, beyond which is an uninhabited region where they should be able to destroy Omega without condemning any world's population to never discovering warp drive or bathing them with deadly theta radiation should something go wrong. The ships behind them however, will reach them before they are clear of the subspace destruction. Janeway is confident that they will not fire, since Voyager has their Omega. Chakotay raises the issue of Seven's request. He informs Janeway about her idea on how to stabilize the molecules, as he promised he would. But she is unmoved and heads for the turbolift to speak with Seven. Janeway enters Cargo Bay 2, where Seven reports to her that 11% of the molecules have been neutralized. She then asks if Chakotay spoke to her about her idea. Janeway replies that he has and Seven expectantly asks if she can proceed. Janeway tells her that she cannot and Seven is stunned. She insists that the Omega Directive is no longer relevant because she has found a way to control the molecules. "I don't care if you can make it sing and dance; we're getting rid of it," Janeway responds. Angry, Seven retorts that she chose to follow her command structure instead of just going ahead on her own. "I should have made the attempt," she bitterly says. "I still can," she finishes challengingly. Janeway does respond to her challenge. She tells Seven that she is not trying to stop her from finding perfection but the safety of the quadrant is at stake. Her idea is sound but, as sure as she is that it will work, she has no guarantee that it will. If it does not, it would be the end of them and the quadrant will be doomed. Seven gazes at her intently, then relents knowing Janeway is right. She goes to monitor the molecules at the chamber's imager, while Janeway replaces her at the controls. But even then, it is evident that it will take hours to destroy all of the molecules. Janeway has no intention of waiting that long, especially with hostile forces coming to engage them. She turns the resonance frequency up to maximum, which would destroy up to half of the molecules almost immediately. A gravimetric charge on the ejected chamber will take care of the rest. She orders Tuvok to ready the charge and orders Chakotay to prepare to decompress the cargo bay. On the bridge, the aliens hail Voyager and angrily demand the return of the molecules. Chakotay refuses and they begin opening fire. In the cargo bay, 72% of the molecules have been destroyed. Janeway decides that that is close enough and orders Chakotay to begin the decompression sequence. But, as the computer begins counting down until the outer doors open, the controls start beeping. Janeway demands to know what is happening but Seven is gazing into the imager in shock. She tells the captain the molecules are self-stabilizing. Janeway sharply orders Seven to follow her out of the bay before the inner doors seal shut but Seven does not hear her. She does not hear the computer counting down nor does she hear anything. All her attention is focused on the imager, as she watches the molecules' component atoms swirl around each until they form a perfect, complex, molecular lattice structure. Janeway, after several seconds of calling her without a response, takes her by the arm away from the imager. They dash out of the cargo bay ten seconds before the doors seal shut. The outer doors open and the chamber is blown out into space. On the bridge, Chakotay tensely asks if they are clear of the subspace ruptures. Almost, Paris responds. Chakotay orders him to engage warp drive ten seconds after the molecules are detonated or they will be caught in the ensuing subspace destruction. Tuvok reports that the resonance chamber has been jettisoned. Chakotay orders him to fire. He launches the torpedo at the chamber just as the ship clears the subspace ruptures. The torpedo strikes the chamber and a massive explosion ensues. As the shock wave spreads out toward them, shredding the subspace in its wake, Chakotay orders Paris to engage warp. Voyager surges forward, away from the damage, leaving the two alien ships behind. It is late and Captain Janeway discovers that someone is running her Leonardo da Vinci holodeck simulation. Curious, she enters and finds Seven of Nine in Da Vinci's simulated workshop, looking up at a crucifix on the wall. The room is dark, the only light coming from the fireplace and candles. Janeway asks Seven why she is there. She explains that she is studying the religious elements in the room to try to understand her reaction to what she saw in the resonance chamber's imager. "When Omega stabilized," she elaborates softly, "I felt a curious sensation: as I was watching it, it seemed to be watching me." They sit together by the fireplace. Seven explains that the Borg have assimilated many species with religious explanations for such moments. After her de-assimilation, once she could choose to retain what information she thought important instead of what the collective dispensed to her, she had always dismissed such things as irrelevant. Perhaps, she admits, she was wrong. Janeway smiles and tell her this is a major experience. "If I hadn't known you better," she tells her, "I'd say you just had your first spiritual experience." 
<EOS>
When the USS Voyager is searching for deuterium, they are suddenly hit with proton particle charges. They find it is a battle between cloaked ships and when one of them is destroyed, the female pilot of the remaining ship hails Voyager asks for Chakotay by name, much to his surprise. As her ship begins to destabilize, Ensign Kim attempts to beam her aboard but he cannot get a solid lock. As a result, an away team consisting of Tuvok, Tom Paris, and Chakotay are sent over to stabilize the ship. Commander Chakotay soon finds the pilot and after getting her out from under some wreckage of a bulkhead, beams her to sickbay. The Doctor is perplexed that when she is scanned, the data disappears instantly. Fortunately, his visual diagnosis says she'll recover from her injuries. Upon regaining consciousness, she asks for asylum, which Captain Kathryn Janeway grants. When she is alone with Chakotay, she explains why she cannot be scanned and none of them can remember her: her species emits a pheromone which blocks memory cells and repulses technological scans. She says her name is Kellin and she is a Ramuran, a member of a race whose society is closed and does not allow anyone to leave their homeworld. It was her job to track down a member of her society who had run away and happened to be hiding on Voyager. She found them and after she left, a computer virus wiped all traces of her time aboard the ship. She came back to request asylum from the others of her race because she fell in love with Chakotay. During Chakotay's briefing of the senior officers, everyone, especially Chakotay, is skeptical of her story. Ensign Kim and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok attempt to search for physical evidence of the virus that was used to wipe any references to her first visit in the ship's computer and Lieutenant Paris will review the navigational logs. In the astrometrics lab, Tuvok and Seven review the data with Kellin. The navigation logs corroborate the story, but Tuvok wants to rule out tampering. Kellin accepts that and asks that they run a diagnostic on the logs, respecting both of their logic and skepticism as she had learned previously. Chakotay interrupts them to have lunch with Kellin in the mess hall. There, she tells him the story of how they met. She was a tracer, a security operative who tracked down members of her species who try to leave their homeworld. One such runaway was hiding on Voyager, and her mission was to find him, wipe his memory and take him home. After two days, she lost her cloak, and was discovered by Chakotay. She explained the situation and he agreed to help her find the stowaway. Suddenly, two more cloaked ships attack Voyager. On Chakotay's recommendation, Janeway decides to trust Kellin with the ship's sensors, and she manages to get Voyager to detect them. Fortunately, Voyager disables their weapons and they retreat. Kellin then offers to make the sensor modifications permanent. In order for her to complete them, she needs a command level officer, according to protocol, to assist with the command overrides. Chakotay goes with her. The modifications go well but Chakotay finds he can't sleep. He explains to Neelix in the mess hall later that he is bothered by his lack of memory and feels he cannot trust her. If it is a deception, it is a very personal one. Neelix suggests to Chakotay that it's his own feelings that he doesn't trust. Neelix leaves Chakotay alone to ponder this. Later that night, she visits him in his quarters. He admits he believes her story but isn't sure about the feelings he had. She presses him for how he feels, since it was him that brought her back and it is her presence continually endangering the ship. When so pressed, Chakotay says he doesn't want her to leave. They end up talking all night in his quarters. She tells him about the last day they spent together. She recounts how they caught her fugitive through a clever trick using a magneton sweep, and then, since he wouldn't remember her, she kissed him. That's when she knew he felt the same way about her as she felt about him. Since she demonstrates as part of her story, he kisses back. The next day, Chakotay talks to Tuvok about finding a place for her, security being the best option. Tuvok, after a rare joke in which she would fit in as an assistant to Neelix, agrees to have her observe on his team. He then recommends she help Kim and Seven of Nine develop a defense against the proton weapons. There, Kim suggests scattering the proton beams a little using the baryon sensors and the deflector and asks Kellin to review it. He also heard about her serving with Tuvok, and, in a welcoming gesture, says she should request beta squad. After she leaves, Seven takes the opportunity to comment on humanoid mating rituals, finding them unnecessary. Kim tries, but is unable to explain the necessity. Unfortunately another tracer, Curneth, catches Kellin later that day in Chakotay's quarters and uses a neurolytic emitter to partially erase her memories before Chakotay can stop him. Kellin then falls unconscious in his arms. In sickbay, The Doctor finds there's nothing he can do about the memory loss. Kellin pleads with Chakotay not to let it happen, but there doesn't seem to be a way to reverse the effects. She then asks him to remind her why she's there and he promises to do more than that. Chakotay goes to the brig and questions Curneth about how the emitter works. He doesn't know and says he wouldn't help him if he did. He then orders the security guard to lower the force field, enters the brig and becomes angry with Curneth, almost beating him up due to his anger. However, he manages to channel his anger into an attempt to talk him out of returning her but it doesn't work very well. Curneth's position is too well rooted in his traditions. So instead, he tries to tell Kellin her own story, that she is in love with him. This time, she finds him attractive but his story still unlikely. He goes on and on, explaining his love for her just like she told him. She cannot see the point of staying to find out what was there and she feels responsiblity to her people. She does, at least, admit she wishes they had met under different circumstances. Since she will not stay, he has no choice but to release her to Curneth. Curneth also plants a computer virus to wipe all reference to either of them and they are beamed back to their ship. In the mess hall, Chakotay tries to write down everything he can on paper, once again at night. He tells Neelix that he can't understand why Kellin didn't fall in love twice like he did. Neelix explains that love is a mystery, and that if he knew the answer, then love would have lost its power. 
<EOS>
Captain Janeway, sporting uncharacteristically short hair and black gloves, negotiates with Vaskan ambassador Daleth about fighting a war with their Kyrian neighbors. She indicates that she sees all the benefits for him, but doesn't see how it helps her at all. The ambassador explains that they know of a wormhole nearby; they can give her the coordinates and tell her how to stabilize it. Janeway agrees and then the ship shakes. They emerge onto the bridge and Janeway demands a situation report. Neelix, at ops and in a gold Starfleet uniform, reports they are under attack by Kyrians. Janeway begins ordering use of biogenic weapons on the population. Daleth objects, saying the people themselves are innocent and they're only concerned with the leader, Tedran, but Janeway insists it's the best way to bring him down. Implemented by The Doctor, now with a darker appearance and sporting an android appearance, informs Janeway that he has finished integrating the biogenic weapon with the ship's phasers. Janeway orders the ship to fire. This is all a simulation, being viewed from a window into a room clearly not from Voyager. It is a museum, the Museum of Kyrian Heritage. An older Kyrian, Quarren, explains to a group of Kyrians and Vaskans how the warship Voyager visited seven hundred years ago and had a lasting impact on them, even to their day. One of the guests becomes curious and starts asking questions about Voyager and its impact on the area. Quarren admits they are uncertain about a lot of things, but he is certain the ship impacted many worlds and assimilated other species to serve on the ship of about 300 soldiers. Voyager's behavior and impact will be explained in more detail in the rest of the simulation. Back in the simulation, Janeway is impatient on the slowly-increasing death toll and they fire on the planet and Tuvok reports a death toll in the thousands, promising it will climb to several hundred thousand within an hour. Daleth objects again, and Janeway insists that he'll keep up his end of the bargain and detains him. Janeway then focuses on locating the Kyrian leader, Tedran. Again in sickbay, Lieutenant Kim and Chakotay are interrogating a Kyrian using beatings and, eventually, a painful toxin. Chakotay soon informs the Captain they know where Tedran is, and leads an assault team to retrieve him. Another alert sounds and Neelix reports that a boarding party has infiltrated engineering and erected force fields. Janeway initiates a Borg activation program. A fully Borg Seven of Nine activates in cargo bay two along with three other drones. They transport into engineering and subdue the invaders. Janeway instructs her to assimilate the surviving two. Janeway then meets the captive Tedran and an associate in a room on the ship and ends up executing both personally when they won't surrender. Tedran challenges Janeway for destroying their home so they can get to theirs, and Daleth for involving them when they could have resolved the situation peacefully. Back in the museum, Quarren encourages his guests to remember the story of how Voyager's intervention brought the Vaskans to power, and to look around the rest of the museum. While guests are looking around the museum, one of the Vaskans angrily questions the story's validity, taking issue with the portrayal of his species. Quarren informs him that the evidence has been examined carefully, and, furthermore, a data storage device, buried nine meters beneath the ruins of Kesef and that came from Voyager, has been recently uncovered. The device might contain personal logs or other proof directly from Voyager. Later that night, Quarren begins a dictation describing how he's had trouble accessing the data on the storage device and is going to try to use tools from the simulation on the device because they might be more compatible. He ends up successfully accessing The Doctor's program; The data source is actually a backup copy of the EMH. The Doctor is immediately confused about being in engineering without his mobile emitter, and the presence of a Kyrian. He tries to warn the rest of the ship. Slowly, Quarren tries to explain that it's a simulation, and that 700 years have passed, give or take a decade, but The Doctor refuses to accept it, until he runs out of engineering into the museum and is faced with reality. The Doctor comes to grips with the new time he's in, looking at the artifacts around him. The Doctor starts looking over information and becomes more and more upset. Quarren informs him that he's a great source of data, but that in his culture artificial life forms are held responsible for their actions, so he may have to stand trial for war crimes. The Doctor is outraged at the implication that he is culpable and at the portrayal of Voyager as a warship. Quarren says they drew reasonable conclusions based on the evidence, but The Doctor points out that the fact they believed Voyager was trying to get home to Mars rather than Earth only highlights the problem. Quarren offers to show The Doctor the full recreation and he can judge for himself. They watch a scene in Voyager's briefing room where the senior staff begin arguing over plans for winning the war until it degenerates into a fistfight Janeway has to break up with a phaser blast. The Doctor is horrified, explaining that no one (except maybe Mr. Paris) behaved that way. Once they get to the execution scene, The Doctor challenges Quarren by pointing out that the Kyrians are portrayed very favorably and Tedran a martyr when in reality he was the leader of a group of Kyrians that  launched an unprovoked attack on Voyager, suggesting the whole thing is nothing but revisionist history. Quarren angrily dismisses The Doctor's interpretations, telling him that since the great war between the Kyrians and the Vaskans his race has been oppressed and that's all the evidence he needs before he deactivates his program. After taking some time to think, Quarren admits to himself that the fact The Doctor is a hologram when they thought he was an android is indisputable, and may cast the rest of their interpretation into doubt. He reactivates The Doctor's program and, after a little bit of arguing, he allows The Doctor to create his own holographic version of events. The Doctor creates another simulation of Voyager's encounter with the Kyrians. The scene in Janeway's ready room describes a negotiation with Daleth for dilithium in exchange for medical supplies, but just as they were about to seal the deal, the ship is boarded by a Kyrian raiding party. Security responds in engineering, but the Kyrians have already killed three engineering crewmen and take Seven of Nine and another crewman hostage. They move to deck two and Janeway, The Doctor, and Daleth work with the security team to corner the Kyrians, including Tedran, in the mess hall. Once there, security manages to subdue the Kyrians, but not before Daleth takes advantage of the confusion and shoots Tedran, killing him. When the simulation ends, The Doctor, Quarren, and three representatives, two Vaskan, one Kyrian, are shown to have been watching. The Kyrian representative dismisses The Doctor's recreation as pure fiction and lies to save him from the charges against him, but the Vaskans are more open to his interpretation since they have always been painted as the aggresive race that started the war between their people. The Kyrian representative demands hard proof, and The Doctor says the medical tricorder they have in the museum is the same one he used to scan Tedran; if they can get it working, he can prove Tedran died from being shot with a Vaskan weapon and not a Federation phaser. The Vaskans approve Quarran's investigation, while the Kyrian opposes it and promises to see The Doctor pay for his 'crimes'. The Doctor and Quarren begin working on the tricorder and begin reminiscing about The Doctor's experiences on Voyager and Quarren's fascination with it. In the middle of their musings, however, a mob storms the museum and begins destroying the displays and artifacts, angry that they've been told lies about how the war started. Quarren and The Doctor take cover as the mob destroys everything. Furthermore, they lose the tricorder in the riot. The next day, as they look for it, Quarren explains to The Doctor that the new revelations have snapped the tension that has been steadily building between the Kyrians and the Vaskans over the previous hundreds of years. While the Vaskans are keen to hear his side, the Kyrians are very angry over The Doctor's version of events which paint them in a more negative light. There's even talk of another war brewing between them. The Doctor states that he should be shut down, because as an EMH, he is obliged to help people, and his continued presence is causing riots and intense anger among both races and points out that what really happened is open to interpretation. Quarren refutes his argument, as The Doctor was there at the events and no-one should deny what he saw. The Doctor initially refuses to remain, telling him that for hundreds of years Tedran was a martyr to his people and he doesn't have the right to take that away. Quarran angrily tells The Doctor that history itself has been abused, and all the Kyrians and Vaskans have done since then is blame each other for what happened in the past. Unless the story of what really happened is set right, the constant fighting and pressure could continue for centuries. The Doctor relents, and they continue to look for the tricorder. Further into the future, a group of Kyrians and Vaskans stand around a viewscreen, watching these events unfold. Another tour guide explains how this was a turning point in their peoples' history, and how it finally brought about equality between the Kyrians and the Vaskans. Quarren died six years later, long enough to see the beginning of the peace he helped create. The Doctor became Surgical Chancellor of the united races for many years, before leaving in a small craft to trace Voyager's path back to the Alpha Quadrant, claiming to have a longing for home. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager is running out of deuterium as a fuel and is forced to go into Gray mode. Tom Paris estimates that they have less than a week's worth of deuterium left, even if they travel at one-quarter impulse. Captain Kathryn Janeway orders Tuvok and Chakotay to brainstorm energy conservation methods while she and Harry Kim try to synthesize an alternate fuel in the Geophysics lab. Tuvok evacuates the crew from crew quarters and instructs them to bring only essential personal items, in the interest of conserving space. He confiscates Neelix's copy of the Selected Works of Jirex as well as his pillows and blankets, which Neelix claims he needs because Starfleet bedding gives him neck pains and a rash. Tuvok tells Neelix to ask The Doctor for an anti-inflammatory and some anti-itch cream and Neelix grumbles that he might as well sleep in sickbay and then thanks Tuvok for giving him an idea. Seven of Nine is still working in astrometrics despite having been ordered to shut down the lab an hour ago, due to lack of power. Chakotay tells her that this is inefficient but Seven counters that efficiency is relative, since she has discovered a planetoid .4 light-years away rich in deuterium, which conventional scanners would not have detected. Chakotay identifies the planetoid as Demon class, too toxic and volatile to even enter a standard orbit. Seven responds by telling him that they are desperate and need the deuterium no matter what they have to do. Seven and Ensign Kashimuro Nozawa try to transport deuterium from the planet but the pattern buffers overload, causing an explosion and taking the transporters offline. Tuvok estimates that if they tried to send a probe to collect the deuterium, it would incinerate upon entering the atmosphere and Janeway, discouraged and out of options, orders Paris to resume their previous course at one-quarter impulse. Kim suggests taking a modified shuttle to the surface and mining the deuterium from there. Tuvok and Janeway object that the planetoid's atmosphere could kill him within minutes if his environmental suit corroded and that they wouldn't be able to communicate with him or transport him off the surface until the transporters were repaired. Kim says he knows the risks and volunteers Paris to join him. After the meeting, Paris remarks on Kim's sudden attitude change. Kim says that he has realized that with all the experience he has accumulated on Voyager in the past four years, he has no reason to act green anymore or to be afraid to voice his opinions. Paris asks Kim to leave him out of it the next time he decides to assert himself, because he hates hot weather. Kim and Paris land their shuttle on the planet's surface and search for the deuterium. They find a cavern with a pool of thick, metallic liquid, packed with deuterium, with other pools nearby. Paris goes to check out another one while Kim collects samples. Paris jokes about setting up some lounge chairs and a beach umbrella and having a nice vacation, and realizes that Kim isn't responding to him. He returns to the pool and finds that Kim has fallen in -- Kim says he felt like he was pulled in. The computer in Kim's environmental suit warns him that a seal has been compromised and he will be deprived of oxygen in thirty seconds. As Paris tries to get him back to the shuttle, his suit also breaches. They collapse on the planet's surface. The Doctor is not happy that Neelix and a few other officers are trying to set up makeshift quarters in sickbay. He calls Chakotay down to complain but he is unsympathetic and threatens to shut down The Doctor's program to save power. The Doctor grudgingly tells Neelix and his friends to make themselves at home. On the bridge, Janeway and Tuvok are trying to scan for Paris and Kim, who haven't returned from the surface. Janeway isn't willing to risk sending down another shuttle and sees no alternative but to land the ship. The landing severely damages many of the ship's systems, as well as depleting so much of their remaining fuel that they will not be able to take off again. Janeway orders repair crews sent out and sends Chakotay to look for Paris and Kim. Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres tries to get Chakotay to take her along on the search and rescue mission but Chakotay tells her that he needs cool heads and that she's too personally involved. She asks him to take Seven instead. In sickbay, Neelix tries to sleep while The Doctor noisily goes about his routine. After he threatens to start a sing-along, The Doctor allows him to turn off the lights. On the surface, Chakotay and Seven find Paris and Kim's shuttle, unoccupied. Their tricorders don't pick up any life signs, so they follow the footprints instead. Chakotay falls after a cliff gives way and is barely able to keep from going completely over. Seven grabs him but is unable to pull him up. At that moment, Paris arrives to grab Chakotay's other hand and pull him up, without his environmental suit. Paris tells Chakotay and Seven that after he and Kim passed out, they woke up able to breathe the planet's air. He invites Chakotay and Seven to take off their helmets and try it but Chakotay isn't willing to take any risks. They go to find Kim, who is further inside the cavern. Meanwhile in engineering, Torres and Ensign Vorik try to keep Voyager's systems running. Vorik estimates that the transporters will be repaired within an hour but that life support will fail in two hours. Seven and Chakotay eventually find Kim in the cavern, also without his suit. He and Paris have already collected twenty kilos of deuterium and Kim is eager to stay on the planet and keep working but Chakotay insists on returning to Voyager. The Doctor, now with patients incoming, happily ejects Neelix and his other unwanted guests from sickbay to make room for Paris and Kim. The away team is beamed aboard but, surprisingly, Paris and Kim start to suffocate when they materialize in the transporter room. Janeway orders them beamed to sickbay, where The Doctor establishes a force field around two of the biobeds and fills it with the planet's atmosphere so that Paris and Kim can breathe. In sickbay, The Doctor has found a silver fluid in Paris and Kim's blood and supposes that they have been bioformed to survive on the demon planet. The Doctor doesn't know how to reverse the process and Voyager can't safely replicate the planet's atmosphere, which means that if Paris and Kim's condition can't be treated, they will have to be left behind when Voyager leaves. Janeway sends Chakotay and Seven back to the surface for more information and Kim volunteers to help them while Paris stays on the ship to play guinea pig for The Doctor. Janeway intends to study the silver fluid with Torres in the meantime. On the surface, Seven finds the planetoid decidedly unappealing but Kim calls it breathtaking. Where Seven sees monochromatic rocks and dust, Kim sees a dozen shades of red and gold and says that he feels connected to the planet. Seven's tricorder detects humanoid life signs. They immediate head for them. They follow it through the caves and are surprised to find another Kim and Paris, now in their suits as they had collapsed before. The previous Kim does not seem to know. In Voyager's science lab, Janeway and Torres analyze the silver fluid. Along with deuterium and dichromates, they discover that it has organic properties, a protein. Suddenly, the sample oozes onto Torres' thumb and, when she puts her hand back down, it creeps off her and duplicates it exactly. Suddenly, a pool of the silver fluid forms underneath the ship and begins to sink Voyager. Janeway orders an emergency ascent and Tuvok contacts the away team to beam them back. They tell him that their party now has five members, so Janeway has them beamed directly to sickbay as a group using a wide transporter beam. Oddly, the unsuited Kim doesn't want to leave the planet and runs away. Janeway and Tuvok try to get Voyager back into orbit but the ship is being restrained by an electromagnetic force. When they try to compensate, the thrusters overload and go offline. Decks 14 and 15 get submerged. The ship continues to sink and Janeway determines she needs thrusters. She calls engineering, where Vorik answers that Torres is already working on repairing the thrusters but it will take at least half an hour. Instead, Janeway orders Tuvok to work on firing on the fluid with a nadion pulse in order to disperse the fluid while she checks on Paris and Kim in sickbay. There, The Doctor has successfully resuscitated the real Paris and Kim, but can't explain why there are two identical Parises there. Janeway offers an explanation: the silver fluid has mimetic properties. It sampled Paris and Kim's DNA and created duplicates with identical memories and personalities but with the ability to survive on the planet. She asks the duplicate Paris for information, but he doesn't seem to know anything and pleads with her to go back to the planet. Tuvok is ready with the nadion burst and tries to disperse the silver fluid. Immediately, the duplicate Paris seems to have been affected as well and doubles over. Further, the duplicate Kim hails Janeway from the surface and begs her to stop. Janeway responds that needs more information from Kim, but he still says he doesn't know anything, only a feeling. She orders the duplicate Kim beamed aboard to force him to help her figure it out. The duplicate Kim, after a few more nadion bursts and a threat from Janeway to release the ship, forced into the situation, starts to admit a few things he begins to realize. He is connected to the planet, and, further, they need the Voyager. He continues, explaining that the Silver Blood is alive and has experienced sentience for the first time after duplicating Paris and Kim. The Silver Blood wants to duplicate the rest of Voyager's crew and populate the planet. Janeway gets the duplicate Kim to release the ship on the condition that she allows any willing crew members to be duplicated before they leave. Voyager is finally able to lift off and the Silver Blood duplicates watch them go. 
<EOS>
Seven of Nine stands apprehensively in Voyager's mess hall, watching other crewmembers as they sit, eat and interact. She approaches a table, at which Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Harry Kim are sitting. She begins to engage them in conversation but all she does is confuse Kim and antagonize Torres. Her manner is brusque, her questions demanding personal information instead of asking, and she does not wait for the answers. The Doctor says freeze program. The interaction had been a  holographic exercise designed to teach the former Borg drone social skills. Annoyed, he discusses with Seven her conduct which, far from making friends, would alienate a lot of people. Seven is very uncomfortable with the exercise and, against his wishes, leaves the holosuite, demanding that the doctor perform his weekly physical examination. On the bridge, Captain Kathryn Janeway and the bridge officers watch the viewscreen, looking at a Mutara class nebula. The nebula is so large that long-range sensors cannot see beyond it and they can only see a distance of several light years ahead. Going around the nebula will take far too long, therefore Janeway orders a course through it. Soon everyone on the bridge begins to wince with pain, then convulse in agony as burns and sores appear on their faces, necks and hands. Janeway, fighting intense pain, orders Lt. Tom Paris to reverse course out of the nebula immediately. Paris tries but collapses before he can. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok manages to get to the helm and execute the order. Janeway calls sickbay for emergency medical help. The Doctor is there with Seven, dealing with a barrage of crew-members who are in the same state as the bridge officers. However, he and Seven are unaffected. He dispatches Seven to the bridge with dermal regenerators. Seconds later, as Voyager moves away from the nebula, the agony suddenly stops. Seven arrives and administers aid with the regenerators. It is too late for one officer though as his face was burned beyond recognition. Janeway, after having ordered all-stop, meets with Seven in the astrometrics lab, where Seven brings up a sensor scan of the nebula, showing Voyager's position outside of it. She reports that the nebula is at least one hundred and ten light years wide. It will take Voyager over a month to travel through, a trip the crew would certainly not survive. Janeway realizes that going around the nebula would add a year onto their journey, which is not a welcome idea. Janeway is determined that, after all the crew and ship have been through and traveling 15,000 light-years, this nebula won't stop them. She speaks to The Doctor in sickbay about the effects the nebula had on them. He has found that it has massive amounts of subnucleonic radiation which caused the burns and agonizing pain. He tells her there is no way to inoculate against the effects. Janeway asks how then they can protect themselves and he suggests putting the crew into stasis for the duration of the flight through the nebula while he remains online to monitor everyone. Janeway questions this course of action but The Doctor responds that he has looked at all options and this is the only way. Janeway asks him who will monitor the ship's systems and make necessary course adjustments while all of the crew is put in stasis. The Doctor promises Janeway that he is capable of keeping on top of everything, but she assures him it is not a question of trust; they have no idea what effect the radiation will have on his holomatrix, so he needs a backup in case he goes off-line. The Doctor reminds her of only one other crewmember that was unaffected, Seven of Nine. Janeway goes to speak to Seven and finds her in Cargo Bay 2. Janeway explains to Seven what The Doctor has told her, stressing the seriousness of the task as the lives of the crew will be in her hands. Seven assures her that she is fully capable of this responsibility. Janeway however, still has doubts as most Humans do not react well to long-term isolation. Janeway does acknowledge that, as a former drone, this must be even more difficult for her. She wonders if she could handle it if The Doctor goes offline due to a malfunction. Seven looks rather uncertain but insists she can do it. Janeway accepts her assessment but stresses that The Doctor is in command of the ship. She leaves to inform the senior staff of her decision. In the briefing room, Janeway outlines the plan to the senior officers. The officers are uneasy about this but Janeway gives the crew The Doctor's assurances that it is quite safe to be put into stasis, pointing out that he and Seven will monitor their vital signs several times every day. They will go into stasis and when they wake up, they will be on the other side of the nebula feeling like they had just taken a quick nap. Everyone has concerns, Janeway included, but she reminds them that crews have been in stasis a lot longer than month and knows they can make it. She dismisses them until 1700 hours, at which time they will be put into stasis and prepares to make a ship-wide announcement. Commander Chakotay remains behind to discuss his own concerns, not with the plan itself, but with the fact it will be Seven who is left in charge. He reminds Janeway of Seven's insubordinate and rebellious track record ever since she came to Voyager, how she has openly disagreed and argued with her decisions at times and even disobeyed direct orders. Janeway understands his concerns but points out that not only do they not have any other choice but that she also really believes that, in spite of her insolence, Seven really wants to do well and prove herself to the crew. At 1700 hours, on Deck 14, one-by-one, all crewmembers are put into stasis chambers. Paris is the most agitated of all but The Doctor assures him that all will be well. Should an emergency occur in which he revives and needs to get out, Janeway informs him, he can unlock the unit from the inside. Still very nervous, he goes in. Janeway, as captain, is the last to be put into stasis. Voyager is ten days into its journey through the nebula. Seven has created an efficient routine that sees her performing duties of maintenance, monitoring the crew and regenerating at specific times. She enters the dark, empty mess hall, where she has the computer replicate one of her preferred nutritional supplements, which she sits and drinks. She then goes to the bridge and makes a course adjustment. Walking down a corridor, she finds Paris on the floor, unconscious. Apparently, he let himself out of his stasis unit. She calls The Doctor who checks out his vital signs and returns him to his stasis chamber. But the isolation is wearing on both of them. After eating cheese, they begin to bicker. The Doctor insists they go to the holodeck for another social lesson but Seven angrily insists she has no time for frivolous pursuits. They continue to argue about the other becoming increasingly irritating. The Doctor finally orders Seven to follow him to the holodeck to continue her social lessons. During the lesson, Seven is much more successful at maintaining a normal conversation, but, to The Doctor, her approach is no more than a cop-out. Instead of mixing and mingling with her fellow crewmembers, she engages in a discussion about warp theory, using the captain and others to find a way to fix technical issues The Doctor and Seven are experiencing during their time in the nebula. This annoys The Doctor yet again, leading to more bickering. Then the computer sounds a warning about an emergency problem with the antimatter, which could lead to a warp core breach. They rush to engineering but find it is a false alarm. The subnucleonic radiation from the nebula has begun to affect the bio-neural gel packs that comprise the computer's processing circuitry. As a result, the computer is detecting false signals relating to the warp core. They enter the Jefferies tube system and investigate the extent of the affected gel packs. When they find one, they remove it and The Doctor prepares to take it to sickbay for study. Then, to his horror, his signal begins to cut in and out: the radiation is affecting his mobile emitter. He tells Seven they need to return to sickbay immediately, as if they emitter goes offline while The Doctor is outside sickbay his program may be deleted. He and Seven race back there and fortunately make it back before the mobile emitter goes offline. The Doctor is saved but Seven confirms that the emitter has been damaged by the nebula in the same way as the gel packs. The Doctor can no longer leave sickbay and so it will be up to Seven to take care of everything on the ship, as they must make sure Voyager's is able to get through the nebula in one piece without being crippled by the radiation. Seven is visibly disturbed by the prospect of being by herself almost all of the time, but resolutely promises The Doctor she will continue on alone if she must. Twenty-nine days into the nebula, Seven, now working by herself, continues her daily routine. However, she is now clearly showing the effects of her prolonged isolation. Meanwhile, the ship's systems are requiring more and more maintenance to ensure they don't break down completely. On the bridge, she tries to have the computer make a course correction, but now even the sound of the computer's voice, which she had depended on for company, seems ready to fail. The computer takes several seconds to respond, then, when it does, the voice is slow and eventually cuts out altogether. The computer tries to make the correction but fails. Seven does it manually, then has the computer diagnose itself. It reports that one third of the gel pack relays are non-functional. She has it perform a rerouting of processor signals to bypass the affected gel packs. Then she finds that they still have about six days and five hours to go through the nebula. She takes heart because this does not seem too long. While on her way to engineering, she hears anguished cries from Paris, who seems to have escaped his stasis chamber again but when she goes to Deck 14, she notices that all is as it should be. Shortly after, she receives a proximity alert informing her of an approaching ship. The pilot introduces himself as Trajis Lo-Tarik, stating that he is in need of a microfusion chamber, asking her whether she would consider a trade. He says he is trying to cross the nebula as well. Seven is reluctant but he does have liquid helium which she needs, therefore, she agrees to meet for an exchange. She meets him in one of the cargo bays where he expresses curiosity about her name. She explains that it was her Borg designation. The visitor states that he has never heard of the Borg and asks if she is alone on this ship. Seven explains the situation and that everyone has been put into stasis. He makes small talk, which, despite her professed disdain for such, she is glad to respond to. He is alone on his ship and he, just like Seven, is resistant to the radiation; the radiation has forced him to rebuild his engines twice to keep going, but he is determined to be the first of his kind to get through it. He tells her that given that she has been going through the nebula for nearly three weeks, she is doing quite fine because no one has ever managed to cross the nebula. He then goes on to ask her how she is handling the loneliness, the isolation in this vast space because he has heard that the drones can't stand being alone, severed from the Collective. This alerts Seven because he had just told her that he never heard of the Borg before. She asks him to leave and when he becomes pushy, asking to get something to eat, she ensures him that he will not be accommodated, pointing a phaser at him. He keeps harassing her and frightening her about the consequences of loneliness. While escorting him to the transporter room, she hears Paris again. She looks around, but sees nobody. Then she turns to Lo-Tarik who is gone. She runs in the direction he may have headed and sees a shadow moving. She calls The Doctor and informs him about an intruder. In the sickbay, The Doctor informs Seven that he has scanned for but found no alien lifeform aboard or the ship he came from. He still cannot leave sickbay and instructs her to arm herself and track Lo-Tarik down by herself. She looks uncertain, but when The Doctor asks her compassionately if she is frightened, she grits her teeth and calls upon her Borg heritage for Borg do not know fear. She moves cautiously through the corridors, armed with a phaser rifle. She hears the echoing voices of crew-members calling for help. She also hears Lo-Tarik call her over the comm, taunting her, asking again about her unusual name. When she does not answer, he mockingly makes her race to Engineering by threatening to collapse the structural integrity around the warp coils. In Engineering, he informs her of his location: the bridge, where he can do just about anything over there. She hallucinates, seeing Paris and Kim crawling in agony, then going up in flames. When she rushes to them, they vanish. Lo-Tarik continues to taunt her. But she turns the tables on him, cutting off oxygen to the bridge. She listens with satisfaction as he gasps for oxygen, then goes silent. She informs The Doctor, who congratulates her. He has fixed his mobile emitter, and is marching briskly to engineering to join her. The doors open, but to her surprise, in steps an unharmed Lo-Tarik. She fires at him but he is unaffected, merely stepping forward, mocking her as a weak former Borg drone whose days of power are long gone; someone who thought she could be Human but failed at it miserably. He tells her that she is Borg, that this is what she was meant to be: one of many. But now she is alone, weak, pathetic. The Doctor approaches her who appears to be talking to empty space. She tells him about Lo-Tarik but The Doctor assures her that no one is there and that she is hallucinating. That is when she realizes that she was imagining Lo-Tarik just as she has been imagining Paris and the others crying for help. The Doctor has an explanation from his examination of the radiation-affected gel packs: they degraded the packs' synaptic relays; the radiation is doing the same to her Borg implants, altering the neurotransmitter level in her sensory nodes. The Doctor offers to try to modify her implants to stop the hallucinations. She agrees, remembering a time as a drone when she was cut off from the Borg Collective for several hours, and the fear she had felt; the same fear and panic she is experiencing now. Then suddenly, the primary EPS conduits overload and The Doctor again begins to malfunction, since his mobile emitter is tied to the EPS conduits. The computer warns that secondary systems are failing and The Doctor tells Seven that she has to repair the EPS conduits and that everything depends on her now. She frantically states that she cannot function alone, but The Doctor says that she has to. He will not be damaged, but he will go offline and will remain off until they are out of the nebula. The Doctor stresses that everyone is depending on Seven to survive, before his program finally fails. Terror-stricken and shaken to the core, Seven is now truly alone on Voyager. Days pass. Seven, despite her terror, continues to work, keeping the power on and the ship moving. Her only company now is her hallucinations; hallucinations which echo her own fears about being Human. Now with only seventeen hours before Voyager clears the nebula, she works in Astrometrics and is joined by an imagined, radiation-burned Ensign Kim, who mocks her efforts. She heads for the bridge, but she sees corridors lit Borg-green, and a Borg drone following her, coldly berating her for leaving the Collective. It tells her that her decision to leave the Collective was foolish because now she is alone, only one, human, weak, pathetic -- part of an imperfect Human race; that she will and cannot survive without the Collective. She says that she will adapt as an individual but the Borg keeps repeating that she is only one, alone, pathetic, one among many, weak for a Borg cannot be one, she will die as one, detached, isolated. She insists that she is an individual and finally escapes the Borg who keeps repeating to her that she will die alone. In a turbolift, Lo-Tarik appears and urges her to go back to the Collective, stating that the Borg drone just now was right about her. She sees the doors open to the inside of a Borg vessel. She hears the echoing, multi-track resonant voice of the Collective, telling her that resistance is futile. She resolutely ignores it all and continues to the bridge. On the bridge, she hallucinates Captain Janeway and several senior officers, all burned from radiation, talking to her, mocking her, putting her down as she attempts to keep things together. She will never hold up, they say; the crew will die because of her failure, she will fall apart before they leave the nebula they say. Janeway takes the blame sardonically: she trusted her, she says, but she should have known better. The computer warns that propulsion is going offline. The mocking crew turns to her again, wondering if she can do it. The computer tells her that they have another forty-one minutes to go until the ship clears the nebula. Janeway says that it is too long and that she won't make it. Seven tries rerouting power from every non-essential system and environmental controls to the engines, but to it doesn't help and the propulsion systems fail leaving Voyager dead in space. Desperate to get the ship moving again, she has an idea. The hallucinated officers discuss it in mocking tones: she is going to have to reroute power from the stasis chambers to the engines. But, they sneer, that will kill some of the crew, although they doubt that this would bother her too much, after all, she has already killed a few million, would a few more matter?  Seven has the computer reroute power from ten of the stasis units to the propulsion system and resume course. This works and the engines come back online. The crew laugh at her, because now the crew members she disconnected will die, but they all knew it anyway, they knew she didn't care about them. Then she races to Deck 14. A Janeway hallucination meets her there, mocking her decision. She sees the ten affected chambers, smoking, their occupants writhing in death-throes. Janeway taunts her to save them, if she can. With only eleven minutes until Voyager clears the nebula, Seven orders the computer to cut life support on all decks and reroute available power to the affected units. The computer acknowledges and the stasis units reactivate. Janeway taunts her with the fact that Seven has now ensured her own death: no oxygen, no heat. Finally, as heat and oxygen rapidly vanish, Seven sinks down in a corner, defiantly saying that she is Seven of Nine, that she is alone, but that she will adapt. She passes out. A flash of white light. She awakens to find herself surrounded by The Doctor, Captain Janeway and Chakotay; not hallucinations this time but real and smiling at her, informing her that she was successful in getting the ship through the nebula. Chakotay tells her that she is the one they nearly lost. When they left the nebula, The Doctor came back online and found her, restarted life support and woke the crew. A very pleased Doctor tells her she did well and that he is proud of her. She whispers that she is glad she was able to help. Later, when things are back to normal again, Seven enters the mess hall and looks around as crew-members sit, eat and interact. Not a simulation but real this time. She sees B'Elanna, Tom, and Harry sitting together and asks whether she may join them. Her social lessons with The Doctor bear fruit. She tells them that she felt the need for companionship. Paris jokes that after a month with only The Doctor for company he can understand that. She tells Kim and Torres about how The Doctor had to put Paris back in his stasis unit four times after he got out. They laugh and rib him good-naturedly. He responds that he has never liked closed spaces and Seven, her own experience still fresh in her mind, notes that maybe he just disliked being alone. 
<EOS>
During their off hours, Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway are on the holodeck, playing a game of Velocity. The captain wins six out of ten rounds, frustrating the former drone, who has far superior visual acuity and stamina. Seven believes that, due to her biological enhancements, she should have been able to win every round. Janeway tells her that there's more to winning the game than stamina, including intuition. Seven, however, considers intuition a Human fallacy. She asks the captain for a rematch as Janeway walks towards the exit. When the captain replies negatively, Seven claims that Janeway is tired and concerned that she will be defeated. The captain replies that she is tired but not concerned. When Seven orders the computer to begin another round, Janeway tells it to ignore Seven's command. The captain tells her that the game's over and leaves. At 0500, Janeway sits in the mess hall, trying to decrypt the message they received from the Alpha Quadrant via the Hirogen communications network. Commander Chakotay enters and Janeway realizes she has been there all night. The commander reports that Lieutenant Tom Paris and Neelix contacted the USS Voyager a short time ago and are preparing to leave a trading colony. According to Paris, he and Neelix managed to obtain such a large quantity of supplies that their shuttle will not be able to travel faster than half-impulse. He also included news that one of the aliens they met, Arturis, was very helpful. Neelix wants to repay him by bringing him onboard Voyager and granting him passage to the next star system. Janeway gives him permission and continues to work on the decrypted message. Chakotay suggests that she enlist Seven's assistance and she agrees that Seven would probably have a few Borg algorithms that could help. However, since she and Seven have been butting heads more than usual recently, Janeway isn't sure it would do any good to ask. Chakotay comments that Seven has learned a lot from Captain Janeway since she was liberated from the Borg a year ago. He hypothesizes that Seven may simply feel that she has surpassed her mentor. Janeway seems uncertain whether that is the case and asks Chakotay to join her for a cup of coffee. Paris and Neelix return to Voyager from the trading colony and land their shuttlecraft. While Paris directs several officers to unload the cargo, Chakotay, behind him, is puzzled by one of the items. Paris tells Chakotay that he does not know what it is and looks for Neelix. In a corner, Neelix introduces Captain Janeway to their guest, Arturis. Neelix recalls that, while he was negotiating with a xenon-based lifeform, the universal translator went offline and Arturis saved him from embarrassment by translating the alien's words. Once Neelix leaves to help Paris, Janeway welcomes Arturis aboard, eager to find him some quarters. While leaving the cargo bay, Janeway confesses that she has never met anyone as adept at languages as Arturis, who reveals that he knows more than four thousand different languages. Janeway comments that she still struggles with basic Klingonese. Arturis remains modest and says that most species have natural abilities that others do not -- some are born with superior strength. Others, like Janeway's crew, have great generosity of spirit. For another example, Arturis adds that where most people can only see chaos, his people see patterns. This gives Janeway an idea. She asks whether Arturis is equally adept at computational languages as he is at verbal communication. He replies that he finds neither harder than the other. Pleased by his response, Janeway asks Arturis if he would be willing to grant the Voyager crew another favor. In astrometrics, Janeway, Seven and Arturis review the data stream from Starfleet. Arturis agrees with the captain's theory that the transmission has been badly damaged. As Seven prepares the message so that Arturis can view it again, he learns that she was Borg and comments that she is more attractive than the average drone. Seven explains that she is no longer connected to the Borg Collective. Arturis notices the problem with the message and attempts to reconstruct the data. When Janeway asks Seven if she is familiar with Arturis' people, she replies that the Borg, who know the race as Species 116, have not been able to assimilate them - yet. Arturis explains that his people don't feel anger towards the Borg Collective, they simply avoid it. Arturis notifies the captain that he has been able to restore most of the undamaged blocks of data. However, several degraded sections of the message are still unrecoverable. The transmission includes footage of Admiral Hayes and a spatial grid. Janeway discovers that the grid is a map of a nearby sector, less than ten light years away. Believing that Starfleet may be trying to direct Voyager to the area shown on the map, Janeway, Arturis and Seven exit astrometrics. As Voyager continues at warp speed, the trio arrives on the bridge. At the conn station, Paris reports that the starship is approaching the designated coordinates. Janeway instructs him to pilot the ship at a lower velocity and orders Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok to scan the area. When he detects a ship, Janeway orders him to show it on the main viewscreen. Although Tuvok states that he may be mistaken, he reports that the vessel has a Starfleet warp signature. Tuvok attempts to hail the ship but there is no response. From her station, Seven informs Chakotay that her sensors have detected no organic matter aboard the ship. The vessel is undamaged and all primary systems, including life support, are online. Ensign Harry Kim seems puzzled by the fact that there are no crew onboard but Janeway has faith that an answer can be found in the transmission from Starfleet. When Arturis agrees to help her decode the rest of the message, Janeway orders Chakotay to lead an away team and secure the vessel. The commander asks Tuvok and Paris to join him. As they leave the bridge, Arturis reveals that he is surprised that Janeway doesn't seem more encouraged by the vessel's discovery. She explains that she has learned to be cautious as well as hopeful and adds that Voyager has previously been presented with other opportunities that didn't work out. However, this time, she is slightly more hopeful than cautious. Seven accompanies Janeway and Arturis as they leave the bridge. Meanwhile, Chakotay, Paris and Tuvok transport aboard the other ship. Chakotay uses a tricorder, while the other two officers carry phasers. Tuvok and Paris agree that the vessel's bridge is impressive as the Vulcan examines a computer console. While Chakotay looks at a detailed schematic of the craft, he remarks that he has never seen another Starfleet ship designed similarly. From the console, Tuvok learns the ship's name is the USS Dauntless, registry NX-01A. He also discovers that it was launched on stardate 51472. Chakotay notes that the ship has traveled 60,000 light years in just three months. Meanwhile, Paris finds that the helm station was set for auto-navigation, leading to the conclusion that the ship probably never had a crew. When the ship experiences small vibrations, Paris reports that the warp core is fluctuating and adds that he is not familiar with the design of the engine. The ship shudders more violently as he and the other officers head to Engineering. There, they find the Dauntless's warp core. Although Paris determines that the ship does not use antimatter, he cannot confirm what element it uses for propulsion. Reading from a console, he learns that the ship has a quantum slipstream drive. However, neither of the other officers has heard of that form of technology before. Just then, the ship suddenly powers up and its auto-pilot system comes online. On Voyager's bridge, Kim contacts Janeway telling her the Dauntless is moving away at high impulse speed and the away team are not responding to hails. She orders him to initiate a pursuit course. Aboard the Dauntless, Paris is unable to deactivate the slipstream drive. Chakotay instructs the ship's computer to disable the vessel's propulsion but the computer does not comply with his vocal commands. Working at a console, Paris advises Tuvok and Chakotay to brace themselves. Suddenly, the craft leaps into motion, creating a slipstream in space. On Voyager's bridge, Kim informs Janeway that the Dauntless has disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Paris discovers that energy from the propulsion drive is being routed through the main navigational deflector, creating the slipstream. Using the helm controls, he attempts to stop the flow of energy. His efforts are successful and the craft slows down to impulse. Tuvok determines that Voyager is out of scanning range and that the Dauntless has traveled over fifteen light years in just a few minutes. Standing in the briefing room, the senior staff watch a visual recording of Admiral Hayes. The admiral explains that while slipstream technology is still experimental, he believes it is safe and encourages the crew to use the Dauntless to return home. After the message ends, Janeway asks The Doctor about any health risks. He replies that the away team suffered no ill effects, such as cell damage or physiological stress, and that long term effects are unlikely. Lt. jg Torres reports that although the ship's primary systems are similar to Voyager's, it has only one transporter and no replicators, holodecks or shuttlecraft. The crew seems ready and willing to use the vessel but Seven points out that returning to Earth aboard the Dauntless would mean abandoning Voyager. Chakotay asks Paris if the crew could incorporate the slipstream technology into Voyager. When Paris answers that the plan is theoretically plausible, the captain tells him to try making the necessary modifications, so that they can bring the ship with them if possible. She also orders Torres and Kim to accompany an engineering team aboard the Dauntless and learn how to shut down the vessel's propulsion in a moment's notice. The captain plans subsequent test flights and instructs the senior staff to make sure that all of Voyager's crew becomes accustomed to the Dauntless. She dismisses the officers but indicates to Tuvok that she wants him to stay. When she confides in him that the events of the past few days seem a little too convenient, Tuvok agrees. Janeway says she felt something was wrong since the moment Arturis came onboard but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly. The captain decides to proceed as planned but tells Tuvok to conduct surveillance on Arturis and research his past. Janeway and Seven make their individual log entries, in which they express their hopes and fears about returning to Earth. Seven, Kim and Torres work together in engineering aboard the Dauntless and are eventually successful in learning how to drop out of slipstream warp. Kim is excited that the discovery signifies the crew are almost home. Torres seems to share Kim's enthusiasm but Seven remains neutral. Kim leaves to run a metallurgical analysis of a bulkhead, while Seven and Torres discuss the prospect of returning to the Alpha Quadrant. Seven is puzzled as to why Torres is eager to return home when, as a former Maquis, she is likely to face nothing but adversity. However, Torres tells the former drone that she would rather deal with the consequences of her past than spend the rest of her life in the Delta Quadrant. She then tells Seven that being an ex-Borg, she is likely to face even more adversity than Torres and jokes that they will be outcasts together. Seven is not amused and Torres tells her to work on her sense of humor, as it will help her to make friends on Earth. Kim calls out to Seven from under the gantry where he is studying his tricorder. He tells Seven there is an anomalous surge of energy emanating from behind a panel but Seven replies that there are no power conduits running through that section. Kim tries to make conversation with Seven, assuring her that she will enjoy Earth, a biologically diverse planet. Seven still seems unimpressed, so he states that there are several other planets to choose from if she finds Earth unpleasant. When Seven notifies Kim that she is going to speak with the captain, Kim senses that she intends to leave the crew of Voyager. He tells her that the crew's return to the Alpha Quadrant won't be the same without her, which elicits a small smile. Kim's attention returns to his work and he opens the panel where the energy readings were coming from. Smoke rises from the technology beneath the panel as it suddenly flashes. Standing back, Kim becomes puzzled by his tricorder readings. Then the portion of the bulkhead he is studying shimmers and very briefly reveals alien technology. Confused by his experience, Kim contacts Tuvok and reports that he has found something unusual on the Dauntless. Aboard Voyager, Tuvok replies that he is on his way. In astrometrics, Janeway observes a display of Earth, focusing primarily on the North American continent. Seven enters and finds the captain trying to reconstruct the last fragment of the data stream, which Arturis said was too badly damaged. Although Janeway feels that he gave up too easily, Seven dismisses the captain's belief as intuition. Janeway tells Seven that she has designed a new encryption algorithm, which she begins to test on the message. While she works however, Seven tells the captain that she does not intend to return to the Alpha Quadrant with the Voyager crew. Janeway abruptly stops working on the message. The captain turns to Seven and says she understands how the prospect of being among billions of Humans must be overwhelming for the former drone, but she is a member of the Human species, and Earth is her home. When Janeway reminds Seven of how much she has achieved in the last nine months and urges her to continue her development from Borg back to Human, Seven becomes defensive. Although Janeway attempted to influence Seven to become more like herself, the former drone claims that the captain has ultimately failed. Seven says that their frequent disagreements are an indication that she does not share Janeway's values. She believes that Janeway's drive to explore space is inefficient, that her need for family connections is a weakness and that her infatuation with Earth is irrational. When Janeway tells Seven that the crew needs her expertise on their hazardous mission to the Alpha Quadrant, Seven replies that her participation is irrelevant to the crew's survival. The captain disagrees, believing that Seven owes a debt to the crew that should be repaid. However, Seven retorts that she has returned the crew's favor on many occasions and that for once, she refuses. When she tells Janeway that she doesn't know what she will do in the Delta Quadrant, the captain insists that the crew won't abandon her there. Then Janeway realizes Seven's real problem -- her fear of returning to Earth. The discussion is interrupted by an audio signal from a computer console. Janeway discovers that the new algorithm she developed has worked. Initially, the captain is confused when the image of Admiral Hayes appears. She assumes that the crew already decrypted that section of the message, although she soon realizes that she has recovered a completely different message. Clearing up distortion in the recording's audio, Janeway hears the admiral apologize that Starfleet has not yet found a way to get Voyager's crew home. He indicates that the rest of the data stream consists of all the information Starfleet could provide on the Delta Quadrant. As the captain hangs her head in disappointment, understanding that the Dauntless is not a Starfleet vessel, Seven comments that her intuition was correct. Anger quickly replaces Janeway's disillusionment when she realizes that Arturis has been lying to them since he came onboard. She hails Tuvok, who is on the Dauntless and notifies him that her suspicions concerning Arturis have been confirmed. While she walks through a corridor with Seven, Janeway elaborates that Arturis tampered with the data stream and that the Dauntless is not a Starfleet ship. Tuvok concurs with the captain and informs her that he and Ensign Kim discovered concealed alien technology in main engineering aboard the Dauntless. When Tuvok tells Janeway that Arturis is working with Torres on the bridge, the captain orders him to go there and wait for a security team to arrive. Janeway and Seven continue to walk through the corridor and arm themselves with phasers. Meanwhile, Arturis surveys the bridge of the Dauntless. As he walks over to the helm station, Torres notices and stops him from activating the slipstream drive. Arturis behaves as if he didn't mean to engage the drive and apologizes in Klingonese. When he notices that Torres is surprised, he explains that he didn't know the language until Janeway let him review Voyager's linguistic database. Tuvok enters the bridge and a few seconds later, Janeway, Seven and a security team beam aboard near his position, each carrying a phaser. Janeway orders Torres to evacuate the repair teams, then proceeds to accuse Arturis of fabricating the Starfleet message. Arturis denies the accusation and tries to blame Seven of tampering with the message. Janeway doesn't believe the alien and orders Tuvok to take him to Voyager's brig. A struggle ensues but Arturis manages to resist the security officers and pull a panel off the helm station. Although Janeway permits Tuvok to fire his phaser at the alien, the weapon seems to have little effect on him. Arturis flips a switch that replaces the image of Starfleet technology to its true alien form. He then erects a force field and tries to deflect Voyager's transporters. On Voyager's bridge, Kim reports that he has managed to retrieve everyone but Janeway and Seven. When Paris calls out that the Dauntless is creating a slipstream, Chakotay orders Tom to pursue the ship. Meanwhile, Arturis is commanding the helm aboard the Dauntless. The ship is trembling and its engines rumble as Janeway watches the main viewscreen. The vessel glows and distorts shortly before it accelerates to slipstream, vanishing from view of Voyager. Aboard Voyager, Chakotay tells Paris to bring the warp core modifications on-line in order to pursue the alien craft. Paris responds that the adaptations to the core have not been properly tested yet but Chakotay believes that the starship's pursuit of the Dauntless will be a suitable test. The appearance of the alien ship has stabilized to its earlier form as it races through a slipstream. On board, Seven wonders where Arturis means to take the Dauntless. He answers simply, home. Janeway asks whether the alien used holograms to create the image of a Starfleet bridge, but Arturis replies that he maintained the illusion with particle synthesis, a method beyond Starfleet's understanding. When the captain asks if the species that Arturis belongs to frequently preys on innocent ships, he answers that Janeway's use of the word innocent reflects her self-righteousness. Janeway tries a diplomatic approach to reasoning with Arturis, but the alien responds angrily and reveals that he blames Janeway for the assimilation of his species. He says that Janeway negotiated an agreement with the Borg: safe passage through their space in return for assistance for helping them defeat Species 8472. Arturis continues to explain that his people had outwitted the Borg for centuries. But recently, the Borg started to adapt better to their defenses and were about to break through. The Borg's war with Species 8472 was their last hope of defeating the Collective. However, due to the brief alliance between Voyager and the Borg in 2374, the Collective defeated Species 8472. They subsequently deployed hundreds of Borg cubes that destroyed the sentry ships, outer colonies and eventually the homeworld of Arturis' people. One of the lucky few that managed to escape, Arturis left his homeworld alone on a vessel. He blames Janeway for his loss and believes that she, a stranger to the Delta Quadrant, had no right to decide whether the Borg or Species 8472 won their war. Months after the annihilation of his species, Arturis found Voyager. He secretly observed the starship, waiting for a chance to avenge the loss of his people. When Starfleet transmitted a data stream to Voyager, Arturis knew that he could tamper with the message and lure the crew aboard the Dauntless. He planned to then activate the vessel's slipstream drive and pilot the craft into Borg space, where the crew would be assimilated. Although he had hoped to trap the entire crew aboard the vessel, he is willing to settle for just Seven and Janeway. He tells them that in a matter of hours, the Dauntless will return to his homeworld inside Borg space. He believes his own assimilation is irrelevant and thinks that Seven should be grateful that he is helping her achieve her objective of returning to the Borg. There, Lieutenant Torres replies that she is already working on the problem and tells an engineering officer to supply Deflector Control with auxiliary power. The warp core pulses rapidly as B'Elanna orders another officer to make sure the quantum warp field is stable. After the bridge shudders violently, Tuvok reports that the deflector is at maximum power and that he is focusing the quantum warp field. Ensign Kim adds that the hull temperature is at critical, shortly before the trembling ceases as Voyager enters a quantum slipstream. Harry informs Chakotay that structural integrity is weakened and that the hull will buckle in less than an hour. Paris aligns the ship's slipstream to directly behind the Dauntless and reports that Voyager is at maximum velocity. On the bridge, Arturis discovers that Seven is attempting to shut down the force field, and attempts to counter using another console, but is unsuccessful. Seven facilitates Janeway's escape and both travel to the engine room, where the captain plans on shutting down the slipstream drive. The Dauntless continues to fly through a quantum slipstream as Janeway and Seven arrive in engineering. When Seven tries to initiate the shutdown procedure, the captain realizes that Arturis is blocking their commands from the bridge. The room shakes as the vessel accelerates. Seven explains that the Dauntless has increased velocity and will reach Borg space in less than twelve minutes. Janeway tells her to send a power surge to the starboard thrusters and attempt to turn the ship in the wrong direction, as a distraction and to change course. Before she goes to the bridge to confront Arturis and as added motivation for survival, Janeway tells Seven that she has scheduled a game of Velocity with her the following day in Holodeck 1. The Dauntless turns sharply, throwing Arturis to the floor. However, he manages to regain control of the ship and keep it from exiting the slipstream. When Captain Janeway arrives on the bridge, he tells her that she will become a drone in only four minutes. The ship rocks to the side again and Janeway explains that Seven has gained access to the Dauntless's navigational systems. The captain attempts to reason with Arturis, but the alien claims that the only thing he can understand or feel is revenge. Janeway insists that Arturis can carry on the legacy of his people, that their accomplishments, knowledge and dignity can survive in him. She urges him to end his pursuit of revenge. Arturis takes a moment to contemplate Janeway's words, then taps a control on the helm station. In the engine room, Seven is working at a console when it suddenly crackles with energy. She recoils when the panel explodes in a shower of sparks, smoke pouring from the station. On the bridge, Arturis informs the captain that he has destroyed the navigational controls so that no-one can stop the ship, not even he. Janeway becomes anxious and Arturis tells her that the Dauntless will arrive in Borg space in two minutes. Suddenly, however, Arturis and Janeway stumble as the vessel jolts. Voyager has reached the Dauntless and is firing photon torpedoes, attacking the enemy ship. On the bridge of the Starfleet craft, Tuvok reports that the other vessel is defenseless, as its shields are down. Chakotay orders Kim to get a transporter lock on Janeway and Seven. Meanwhile, the helm station aboard the Dauntless explodes. Arturis realizes that Voyager is in the vicinity. As her atoms begin to scatter, Janeway asks Arturis to join her. The alien refuses and fires a hand-weapon at the captain as she beams off the ship. Aboard Voyager, Harry Kim notifies Chakotay that both Seven and Janeway are now in Transporter Room 2, returned safely to the Starfleet ship. The commander instructs Paris to change the starship's heading to travel in the direction they came. Tom complies and sets to work. Arturis listens as the Collective welcomes him with a standard Borg greeting -- "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." In his command chair on the bridge, Arturis braces himself for the inevitable. In Holodeck 1, Janeway and Seven play Velocity, which the captain consistently wins. Seven wants to leave early to continue her work in astrometrics, but Janeway replies that she has ordered the crew to rest during the next few days. Seven reveals that she is attempting to design a new method of traveling at slipstream without damaging the ship. Janeway is surprised, since Seven has been so intent recently on staying in the Delta Quadrant. The former drone tells the captain that as they approached Borg space, she re-evaluated her future and found that becoming a drone again was unappealing. Janeway tells her it sounds like she's starting to embrace her Humanity. Seven denies this, but admits that nothing is impossible. The captain smiles and tells the computer, "One more game." She and Seven take their starting places and, as the velocity disc races through the air, Seven fires her phaser. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant  Paris is running his Captain Proton holodeck simulation with Ensign Kim. The Doctor interrupts -- annoyed, as they have gone into his allotted holodeck time. He tries to end the simulation at the control panel, while Paris tries to stop him. This overloads the hologrid, sending an alarm to the command console on the bridge. Commander Chakotay is in his seat, but, very strangely, the bridge is nearly empty; no one is there except him and an officer at the conn station. He calls down to Paris and Kim about the alarm, and they assure him they are fixing the problem. Seven of Nine enters from the turbolift. She reports the results of her astrometric scan of the region they are in: no star systems for 2,500 light years. Theta radiation is blocking their sensors, so they cannot see anything beyond the region. There are no other ships; Voyager is quite alone. Chakotay looks concernedly at the viewscreen. It is as blank as a washed blackboard. He wonders aloud how they will make it for two years in this place. Seven asks him if she should inform Captain Janeway of the results. He decides to do it himself. In the briefing room, Chakotay conducts a meeting with senior staff. The room's windows are as blank as the bridge's viewscreen. The captain is absent. The meeting seems pointless, as according to Chief Engineer Torres, there is nothing new to report. The warp core is at peak efficiency, as it has been for weeks and Torres' staff is going stir crazy. Ensign Kim reports all systems are operating normally. Lt. Commander Tuvok reports an increase in theta radiation in the area. Chakotay considers it may be worth looking into, just to have something to do. The attention then turns to crew morale; it is suffering, due to the monotony and the oppressive pitch-black nothingness outside every window. Neelix, the jovial Talaxian chef and morale officer, makes some suggestions for a temporary holodeck in Cargo Bay 2, as well as rotating crew assignments, allowing crew members to work outside of their fields; learning something new could break the monotony. Chakotay agrees, but becomes irritated when Neelix asks him about the conspicuous absence of Captain Janeway. No one has seen her. Lt. Paris chimes in, saying that, according to rumor, she never leaves her quarters. Chakotay harshly rebuffs them, but then relents, excusing himself due to the strain of the situation. He ends the meeting. In the middle of the night, Neelix wakes up in a panic. Fearful of the utter blackness outside his window, he goes to the mess hall, where Paris and Torres are playing durotta. Torres takes offense at a joke Paris makes and the game ends in an argument. Neelix tries to mediate, but fails. He angrily begins to rebuke them but then begins to hyperventilate. Paris calls sickbay. Neelix is taken to sickbay and is treated by The Doctor. He is diagnosed with nihiliphobia: the fear of nothingness. The Doctor assures him he will get used to it and discharges him. Tuvok seems to be looking out a window at stars, but he is revealed to be in the astrometrics lab, looking at a recorded star field on the lab's huge viewscreen. Seven of Nine enters and asks him if the lab has been designated for recreational use. He explains that he is using it to meditate, as he normally does in his own quarters, looking out his windows at the stars. Just then an alarm sounds on the main astrometrics console; massive amounts of theta radiation have been detected on long-range sensors, source unknown. Meanwhile, Chakotay briefs Captain Janeway on the theta radiation discovery in her quarters. The lights are low. Janeway stands at the far end in silhouette, looking out a window at the nothingness. Sensing she needs cheering up, he tries to interest her in a game of Velocity. She refuses. He then plainly tells her that she should not be isolating herself; the crew needs her. She comes out of the shadows and wishes aloud for the times before when they were frequently attacked; it helped her avoid thinking about how they got to be there, stranded in the Delta Quadrant. She orders him to tell her how that happened. He responds that they made a decision to stay to prevent innocent lives from being put at risk. She corrects him, saying that the decision was hers alone. The depressing emptiness of the void has made her dwell on that decision, and she has become filled with guilt over it. She bitterly blames herself for making a short-sighted, selfish error in judgment, for which all of them are now paying. Chakotay tries to say otherwise, but she has none of it. The reason for her self-imposed isolation is now clear; she cannot lift the crew's morale; hers is the lowest of all. She retreats back into silhouette at the far end of the room, telling Chakotay to give the crew her regards if they ask for her. Chakotay leaves silently. The bridge is empty except for Ensign Kim. With absolutely nothing to do, Kim lounges in the captain's seat, his feet up on the closed command console, playing a melancholy tune on his clarinet. Tuvok enters. Kim quickly sits up and acknowledges him. Tuvok tells him to relax, and Kim offers to play the tune, a concerto he has written, for him. He calls it Echoes of the Void. With nothing else to do, Tuvok listens appreciatively. On the holodeck, Lt. Paris has inveigled Seven of Nine to join him in his Captain Proton adventures, playing the role of Constance Goodheart, his secretary. Uninterested, Seven plays her part without any enthusiasm. Paris exhorts her to get into it; she responds with a sardonic gaze. On the bridge, Kim is still playing his concerto for Tuvok. But then the ship is suddenly shaken. Lights and control panels flicker. An alarm beeps as the two officers dash to their stations. Kim reports that they have fallen out of warp and are losing power. A switch to auxiliary has no effect. Lights and systems begin shutting down all over the ship; even the warp core suddenly goes dark and dead. In her quarters, Captain Janeway, sitting depressed in a chair, looks around startled as the already dim lights go out completely. Every single light outside the now-stationary ship, from the blue glow of the warp nacelles' warp field grilles and navigational deflector, to the light illuminating the ship's registry, goes out, leaving the ship in total darkness, invisible in the blackness of the void. Officers and crew scramble to get a handle on the situation. Wrist-borne lights come out. In the holodeck, Lt. Paris, amusingly, has difficulty figuring out how to switch on a simulated 20th century flashlight. He gets it working, and he and Seven make their way to the control panel. They find that power is off all over the ship; main and auxiliary. Independent subsystems controlling environment, life support and holodecks, however, are still working. This explains why they are still in the Captain Proton simulation, though now in the dark. Paris, on Seven's suggestion, reroutes power from the holodeck to the emergency relays; no effect; the hologrid remains frozen. Chakotay, walking carefully with a wrist-borne light through a corridor, hears panicked breathing. He follows the sound to find Neelix cowering in a corner, incapacitated, given the current conditions. Chakotay gently lifts him to his feet, assuring him it is only a power loss, nothing to worry about, and they go off together. On the bridge, Kim manages to get partial sensors back from a bit of fiddling with a circuit panel. This allows him to find the cause of the power drain; a dampening field, whose origin is outside the ship, off the port bow. Tuvok orders him to display it on the viewscreen. He does, but all they can see is the void's nothingness. Tuvok gets the idea to use a photon torpedo as a flare, to illuminate the source. Lt. Paris and Seven, still trapped in the dark, frozen Captain Proton simulation, seek an alternative means of exit. Paris looks around for something to open a hatch with. Then, suddenly, his flashlight beam falls on a creature that was there with them, in the dark, not part of the simulation. It shrinks back, as if hurt by the light. Then it growls, charges and swats him with a glowing hand. He goes down, screaming with pain. Seven grabs his simulated ray gun, orders the still-powered holodeck computer to disengage the safety protocols, making a blast from the gun as damaging as if it were real, and shoots the creature, stunning it. In the corridors, Chakotay and Neelix move carefully along. Suddenly Neelix sees something. Chakotay thinks he is imagining things, but Neelix insists. As they move forward he hears breathing. Chakotay points his light in that direction and it falls in a creature like the one that attacked Lt. Paris. It shrinks from the light and then charges them. But its charge is broken off by phaser fire from off in the darkness. Light shone in that direction shows who is responsible; Captain Janeway, animated by the danger facing her ship, has emerged from her quarters, putting her depression aside. Carrying a phaser rifle, she fires at the creature as it scurries away down the corridor. She orders the two men to follow her. On the bridge, Tuvok fires the warp flare he created. It illuminates three ships off the bow. In engineering, Janeway orders a power cell be used to get emergency power back on-line. The engineering staff hooks the cell up to the EPS manifold. On the bridge, Tuvok and Kim watch the ships on the viewscreen, illuminated by the lingering light of the photon torpedo flare. The hook-up is completed in engineering and emergency power comes on. Tuvok immediately raises the deflector shields. In engineering, the warp core starts to hum and glow with matter/antimatter reaction as it begins to function again. Janeway and Chakotay set up a temporary command console. Janeway hails the bridge and Tuvok fills her in: three ships surround them, seventeen aliens are on board. Janeway tries to hail the ships but gets no answer. Weapons come back on-line. She orders Tuvok to fire a few warning shots at the ships. He does. They return fire. Seven arrives in sickbay with a badly burned Lt. Paris. She and The Doctor help him to a bed, as she informs The Doctor of the attack by the intruder. He sends her to bring the incapacitated creature back to sickbay. The alien ships continue to hammer Voyager until the shields fail. They restart their dampening field and, once again, the ship begins losing power. But then the field abruptly disappears and full power returns. In engineering, Chakotay reads on the temporary command console that the aliens on board are beaming off. On the bridge, Ensign Kim detects another vessel approaching. It closes in, firing a large volley of spatial charges, which send the three attacking ships fleeing. The new arrival hails them. Tuvok orders Kim to put it on screen. The image of the new ship is replaced by that of a pasty-looking, balding, humanoid, alien man in a dark, smoky room, presumably the ship's bridge. He is clad in a bulky protective suit. Tuvok tries to introduce himself, but the alien interrupts, expecting compensation for the spatial charges he used to drive off the attackers. Tuvok, bemused, agrees. Satisfied, the alien amicably asks them why they are there, in the middle of nowhere. Tuvok and Kim regard him, silently. Janeway and Chakotay are in one of the ship's transporter rooms. Tuvok is also present, behind the controls. The form of the alien he spoke to materializes on the platform. But, before he becomes solid, the pattern buffer holds him as bio-filters warn that he is emitting large amounts of theta radiation. Janeway orders a force field erected around the platform to contain the radiation. Once solid, the alien cordially introduces himself as Controller Emck, Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient. Janeway warmly thanks him for his help. He replies that they should turn around and go back; there are thousands more of the ships that attacked them, further in. Janeway responds that going back is out of the question; they need to cross the region in order to get home. Emck then invites her to follow him to a spatial vortex that he uses for quick entry and exit to and from the void; it leads directly to the void's other end. Janeway again thanks him. But when she expresses curiosity as to why Emck is there, he begins to get hostile. He vaguely responds that he is on a transport mission, and demands the alien they have in sickbay as the price for leading them to the vortex. Janeway becomes suspicious at this and asks him more probing questions, pertaining to what it is he is transporting and why he wants the alien. He tersely tells her to cooperate or stay behind. Janeway has Tuvok beam him back to his ship. Suspicious, she and Chakotay go to sickbay to find out the story with these aliens. Sickbay is dark. The Doctor explains to the two officers that the alien is very photosensitive. Its species seems to be indigenous to the void, adapted to total darkness. It is suffering from acute theta radiation poisoning, however; it is close to death. Janeway goes to the bed and gently speaks to it. It accuses them of being in collusion with the Malon, which she denies. She asks if they are at war with the Malon. It responds that the Malon are poisoning them. The Malon do not take anything from them; they simply poison their space; why, the aliens do not know. His condition worsens, and The Doctor suggests they return him to his people; there is nothing more he can do for him. The alien provides them with coordinates where more of his people's ships are gathered. Janeway sends Chakotay to the bridge while she remains there to talk further with the alien. The bridge has returned to normal; all stations are manned. A worried Chakotay calls Tuvok into the briefing room. He is very concerned about the captain's self-imposed isolation; they face a possible crisis, but instead of coming to her place on the bridge, she sent him, continuing her isolation. He asks Tuvok for insight as to any previous instances of this behavior on any previous ship she served on before taking command of Voyager. Tuvok tells him about the USS Billings. In her first year on that vessel, as a commander, she sent an away team to survey a volcanic moon. Their shuttle was damaged by a magma eruption and three of the team were severely injured. The next day she took a shuttle and returned to the moon alone to complete the survey, though she could have been killed. She was consumed with guilt over the injuries suffered by members of the away team she sent, and wanted to show that their sacrifice had not been for nothing. Chakotay becomes afraid that she will take a similar risk to get them out of the void, consumed with guilt over making the decision which stranded them in the Delta Quadrant. He asks Tuvok's support in preventing her from taking any such action, which Tuvok pledges. Voyager arrives at the alien's coordinates. A bio-scan confirms that every one of them has terminal theta radiation sickness. Before the alien beams to one of the ships, he begs Captain Janeway for help in stopping the Malon. His species has, he tells her, lived in the void for eons. Then Emck's ship came and began poisoning them. They tried to talk to him, but were ignored. They tried to stop him by force, but his ship is too powerful. They would close the vortex if they could, to prevent him from returning once he left, but they do not know how to do so. The alien transporter takes him before he can hear Janeway's answer to his pleas. The Malon ship and Voyager sit in proximity. A noxious-looking, green substance pours out from vents in the Malon ship's side. In astrometrics, Captain Janeway stands, arm folded, thunderclouds on her brow as she stares at the large viewscreen, watching this. Seven of Nine and Chakotay are at the consoles. Seven reports that the ship is releasing massive amounts of contaminated antimatter. Chakotay adds that its holds are full of it. Angrily, Janeway orders a hail to the ship. Emck responds. He assumes she has agreed to his conditions and begins telling her where to send the alien on his ship, but Janeway cuts him off and demands to know why he is dumping his poisonous antimatter waste in the aliens' space. He responds that his people produce huge amounts of these industrial wastes every day; the void is a perfect disposal site. Chakotay accusingly tells him that a species lives there. Emck sees that as unimportant. Janeway sharply disagrees. She proposes a solution. Humans have long ago learned how to purify antimatter waste so that it poses no threat. She will allow him to see the technology they use to do this, so that he and his people can duplicate it. She tells him to prepare for transport to Voyager's engine room and ends the communication. She orders Chakotay to go to engineering and show Emck the technology with Lt. Torres. Chakotay leaves and she remains with Seven, analyzing the vortex with the astrometric sensors, in case destroying it becomes their only option to protect the aliens. In engineering, Chakotay and Torres show Emck the relevant technology. They offer to help him and the Malon government to start building and using it. At first he seems interested, but then it becomes clear that he is only stringing them along. Voyager's technology, he responds, would destroy the waste export business that he works in. The void provides a perfect opportunity for him to dump the waste he transports at only half the expense that other waste exporters must contend with, increasing his profits, native aliens be damned. Torres is furious. Chakotay tries to reason with him, but he will not listen. Chakotay warns him that they will not allow him to continue. He sternly responds that Voyager would never have a chance against his ship, and storms off back to the transporter room, accompanied by security. Chakotay and Captain Janeway discuss their next move in her quarters. Chakotay wants to fight past Emck, go through the vortex, then contact the Malon homeworld, report Emck's activities and give them clean antimatter technology. But Janeway is not sure if the Malon government will do the right thing, if Emck is any indication. She is determined to shut the vortex to protect the native aliens. But it can only be closed at its weakest point, inside the void and Janeway has no intention of asking the crew to again sacrifice their own way out to protect strangers. She has him assemble senior staff on the bridge. For the first time in two months, Captain Janeway steps off the turbolift onto the bridge. All her senior staff is present. She outlines her plan: they will go to the vortex, and, once there, she will stay behind in a shuttle and destroy the vortex from inside the void, after Voyager enters. They will continue on without her. But Chakotay, after his talk with Tuvok, is expecting something like this. He informed Tuvok and the other senior staff, and they all know what their response will be. One by one, they all refuse to let her sacrifice herself. She is outwardly angry at this rank insubordination, but it is evident that she is actually touched by their action. Thus she abandons her plan and asks for suggestions. They quickly come up with another idea: enter the vortex and then collapse the vortex with delayed-detonation photon torpedoes from aft. The ship will go into high warp once the collapse begins. Reinforced shielding should protect them from the shock wave. As for Emck, antimatter waste radiation has weakened his cargo hold's bulkheads; a direct shot on them should disable him. Janeway happily accepts the plan and takes her position in the Captain's seat once again, with Chakotay in the First Officer's seat next to hers. On his order the ship goes to red alert, and Paris takes the ship toward the vortex. They arrive and, as is expected, the Malon ship is waiting for them. Emck fires a barrage of spatial charges at them, but they avoid the explosions. Janeway orders a return of fire. Phasers and photon torpedoes strike the Malon ship's shields. The explosion from a charge ruptures a nacelle, but they keep going, with only 47 seconds until they reach the vortex. But as they get closer to the vortex, Emck scores a direct hit on their remaining nacelle, robbing them of their ability to go to warp speed once they pass into the vortex. Thus they will be unable to outrun the shock wave from their planned destruction of the vortex with torpedoes. Janeway decides that they will instead ride the shock wave itself out to the other side. But then, on the viewscreen, they see Emck's ship moving to block their way, directly in front of the vortex's entrance. Chakotay orders Tuvok to prepare to fire, at which point the battle is joined. The native aliens arrive and begin firing on Emck's ship. He moves away from the vortex to combat them, but their combined firepower weakens his shields. With a satisfied sneer, Janeway orders Tuvok to target his cargo hold, pointing out mockingly, "It's time to take out the garbage." Tuvok does this and opens fire on Emck. A volley of photon torpedoes ruptures his bulkheads, destroying him as Voyager flies past, into the vortex. They enter and release delayed-charge torpedoes, which explode, beginning the collapse of the vortex as Voyager goes deeper into it. The shock wave hits and, according to plan, pushes them through the vortex and out the other side. But they are still some distance away from the edge of the void itself. Janeway orders a forward view on-screen. Only a black canvas shows up. As they progress in their journey, all eyes watch the viewscreen expectantly. Suddenly, Paris says he thinks he sees a star. They continue watching. Then navigational sensors, which had all the time been silent as they had nothing to detect, begin beeping. On the viewscreen, stars slowly become visible. Voyager passes beyond the nothingness of the void into regular space, awash with stars and nebulae. The crew watches with joy and relief. Janeway asks Kim what he sees. He replies with a smile that he sees a densely-packed region with thousands of star systems. Swallowing back emotion, Janeway orders full speed ahead. Voyager continues on, once again in a cosmos filled with light and life. 
<EOS>
Seven of Nine is practicing smiling in a mirror, when The Doctor enters the cargo bay. Seven objects, as he walked in without announcing himself. The Doctor, who apologizes, comes to her because they are about to start a mission together with B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris to survey a proto-nebula, which will come into existence within a short period of time. While walking to the shuttlebay they talk about the upcoming mission. While en route to the nebula, they run into spatial turbulence and talk about the discomfort of class 2 shuttles. Seven asks Paris why he does not design a new and larger shuttle if he is so discontent with these class 2 types. When the proto-nebula appears, the shuttle is caught in the gravimetric shear of a plasma surge a few seconds later, which causes the shuttle to lose its propulsion. When USS Voyager receives their distress call, Captain Janeway orders transporter room 1 to beam the shuttle crew out via an emergency beam-out. Because the shuttle is still caught by the proto-nebula, Ensign Mulchaey has trouble establishing a good pattern lock, but is able to beam them out. Despite a small problem separating their patterns, he is able to re-materialize them safely. When they step off of the transporter platform, The Doctor's holomatrix begins to flicker; it seems his mobile emitter was damaged somehow. After Torres transfers his program to sickbay, she tells him that some emitter circuits were fused during transport. To see if she can repair the damage, she needs to perform a diagnostic on the mobile emitter. She and Mulchaey go to the science lab, where they started diagnostic routine alpha-three-six. Torres tells Mulchaey to check the results the next morning. After they leave the science lab, the mobile emitter releases assimilation tubules, attach to the LCARS computer console where it is lying, and begins assimilation. The Doctor calls Lieutenant Torres at six o'clock the next morning. He wants to know when his mobile emitter will be repaired. When she walks into the sonic shower, he even appears on its display and an agitated Torres throws her towel over it and ignores The Doctor completely. At about the same time, Seven's regeneration cycle is aborted prematurely because she detects a Borg presence. She goes to the bridge and informs them of her concerns. Ensign Harry Kim tells Seven that sensor sweeps were performed the entire night and no Borg presence was detected. When she suggests that a Borg vessel might hide within the proto-nebula, Kim tells her that even a Borg cube would not survive the nebula. Chakotay tells Seven to let The Doctor check her proximity transceiver to make sure it is not malfunctioning. While The Doctor is performing his check, she tells him her proximity transceiver was activated again. This has to do with Ensign Mulchaey who, upon starting his duty shift by checking the diagnostics results of The Doctor's mobile emitter, is probed by extraction tubules for DNA. On the bridge, Harry Kim notices that power from the warp conduits is being re-routed to the science lab on deck eight and detects a force field -- with a Borg signature. Chakotay immediately orders red alert and tells Seven that she is right: Borg have been detected on Voyager and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is on his way to the science lab with a security team. When Seven and Tuvok's security team enter the science lab, they find Ensign Mulchaey unconscious but alive, and notice a Borg-like maturation chamber protected by a force field that Seven surmises will allow her passage. Seven investigates and finds it contains a drone in its fetal state -- unusual, because the Borg do not procreate, they assimilate. When Captain Janeway is briefed by Seven, she is told that the drone is the result of a transporter accident that occurred when they were beamed from the shuttle. Her nanoprobes interacted with The Doctor's mobile emitter when their patterns were temporarily merged. Nanoprobes within the emitter assimilated the diagnostics console and used Mulchaey's DNA as a template to create the lifeform. Captain Janeway orders a level ten force field and twenty-four hour security around the science lab, yet will not terminate the drone fetus unless forced to do so. Seven and The Doctor, together with Tuvok and Torres, are scanning the drone from astrometrics. They find that since Mulchaey is Human, the drone is also Human, but twenty seven percent of the body is made of Borg implants. Its body armor is made of the mobile emitter's polydutonic alloy, while the emitter itself is part of the drone's central nervous system and cannot be removed without killing it. Because of the emitter's origin, it is, in essence, a 29th century Borg drone. As a precaution, Seven dampens the proximity transceiver to prevent the drone from contacting the Borg Collective. When Seven briefs Captain Janeway about the drone's capabilities (internal transporter nodes, among other things), Seven is asked to act as its teacher, to teach the drone how to act as an individual. Captain Janeway sees this as the only possibility to prevent the drone from joining the Borg collective. Killing the drone is her last option. When the drone awakens from its alcove, it asks Seven of Nine its designation. Although Seven tells him it is irrelevant, it keeps asking for it. Seven is forced to initiate a direct neural interface, because the drone does not seem to understand her verbal instructions. When she tries to disengage the neural link, however, the drone tries to assimilate the entirety of her knowledge and ignores or refuses her command to terminate the link. Only when Seven tells him he was hurting her does the drone disengage the neural link. For everyone's safety, Seven decides to use Borg data nodes to teach the drone about its environment. When Neelix brings the first data node, Seven shows the drone how to assimilate the collected data via his assimilation tubules. Upon completion of assimilation of its data, he identifies Neelix and Seven and is aware of the existence of Voyager, which is traveling through interstellar space. Seven explains to him that Voyager is not a Borg collective, but that everyone on board is a unique individual. When the drone requests more information, Seven tells him that he first must see The Doctor for a medical evaluation. Neelix escorts the drone to sickbay, during which the drone notices a slight fear of him among the crewmembers and asks Neelix about the Borg. Neelix evades his question and tells him instead that he should get a name, because every individual has a name. While being scanned by The Doctor, the drone asks how he came into existence. The Doctor tells him about the transporter accident. Although his existence is an accident, he is told that he is not unwelcome and after some time, he will make a fine addition to the crew. It is, after all, Voyager's primary mission to explore new forms of life. After his medical check, Seven familiarizes the drone with Voyager. When they visit engineering, the drone helps Torres by predicting the rate of expansion of the proto-nebula. When they visit Captain Janeway, he tells her his designation is One, that he assimilated forty-seven billion teraquads of information, and asks her if he is sufficient. When Janeway tells him he is, One asks to be excused, as Torres had asked him to help improve the efficiency of the Bussard collectors. Seven tells Captain Janeway that One had asked about the Borg and she was worried that if he gains more knowledge about them, he might seek the Borg Collective, which would pose a grave tactical risk. They decide, for now, not to tell him about the Borg. When One is escorted to his alcove by Seven of Nine, he again asks to be told about the Borg when he notices that the alcoves are not Starfleet technology. Seven refuses and tells him to step into his alcove. He pauses and complies, then interestingly thanks her. As he regenerates, a proximity transceiver on his neck transmits a signal to the Borg Collective. They receive it and pursue. The regeneration cycle is interrupted by Captain Janeway and a security team, who promptly inform Seven that One has sent the signal, despite their having deactivated it. It seems One's cranial implant automatically created a secondary proximity transceiver which transmitted the signal. Voyager's long range sensors already detected a transwarp conduit. When One makes clear that he wants to meet the Borg, Captain Janeway tells Seven that it is time to show One what and who the Borg are. In astrometrics, One watches and learns about the Borg. Seven tells him that individuals who are assimilated lose their individuality, that their minds are integrated into the hive mind, and their bodies are augmented with cybernetic implants. One tells them he desires to experience the hive mind, whereupon Captain Janeway tells him that if he does so, he will no longer be unique, his individuality will be destroyed. One wonders how the Borg can be so destructive, while Seven is not. Janeway explains to him that Seven has regained her individuality, but if the Borg had the chance, they would reintegrate her back into the hive mind. Janeway tells One that if the Borg assimilate him, they will become far more destructive. When One asks Seven if she would rejoin the Borg collective if she had the chance, she answers that Voyager is her collective. Their conversation is interrupted by Chakotay's call to man battle stations, as a Borg vessel is approaching. One and Seven are on their way to the bridge when he tells her about changes in his autonomic nervous system. Seven tells him that he is experiencing anxiety, an emotion, a state of apprehension caused by fear, and that the entire crew feels the same. Seven tells him that they will engage the Borg: although the Borg are powerful, they will resist them. When One tells her that resistance is futile, Seven tells him this is not always the case. When they enter the bridge, the Borg sphere begins scanning Voyager, as One analyses the Borg sphere in considerable detail. While Voyager hears the standard Borg warning over the communication channel they just opened, One and Seven hear the collective as billions of voices calling them in unison from inside their minds. The Borg sphere locks on a tractor beam. Seven tells him that if they do not resist that voice, Voyager and its crew will be destroyed. One interfaces directly with the tactical console. Although One's shield enhancements break Voyager free of the Borg tractor beam, his phaser enhancements are countered by the Borg. One tells Seven that he cannot enhance Voyager's systems any further, but that he can thwart them from inside the sphere, directly. Seven fears that they will assimilate him, but he assures her that they will fail. One declines the Voyager crew's offer to transport him before transporting himself inside the sphere. The Borg inform One they they will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to their own. One replies that his technology is superior, and threatens to destroy their ship if they do not stop the attack on Voyager. The drones that try to get in his way are incapacitated by One's personal shield. One manages to interface with the collective, steering the ship into the proto-nebula. He does not respond to the collective's request to terminate his link. As the Borg sphere sinks deeper into the nebula, it collapses upon itself and implodes. After Captain Janeway orders Voyager to stand down red alert and deploy damage control teams, Harry Kim detects a life sign in the debris. It is One, alive after erecting a multi-spatial force field around his body. Captain Janeway orders Kim to beam One directly to sickbay. Upon entering sickbay, The Doctor informs Seven that he has already scanned One for injuries: his implants, though fused, will regenerate -- but he requires immediate surgery to address cerebral trauma and internal bleeding. One tells Seven that he directly heard the Borg's objectives; they now know of his existence and wish to assimilate him. So long as he is alive, Seven and the crew of Voyager are in danger. One's force field repulses the Doctor's assistance, despite Seven's emotional plea to comply with her wishes. One tells Seven that he is an accident, and that he should never have existed. After assuring her that she will adapt to his absence, One ceases to function and dies. In the cargo bay, Seven deactivates One's alcove, and looks into the mirror. 
<EOS>
On board an orbital shuttle, B'Elanna Torres is preparing for orbital skydiving in the holodeck, when she tells the pilot to increase altitude, something which he objects to since they are already at 200,000 meters and any higher would risk thermolyzing. Torres overrides his objections, and then disengages the safety protocols, in spite of the computer's warning that such an action poses an extreme risk. Shortly after jumping out of the shuttle, Commander Chakotay calls her and orders her to report to main engineering. While heading to engineering, Torres meets Seven of Nine, who informs her that the probe is ready to launch, but that there is a problem with the telemetry link. Torres surprises Seven by asking her to take over with the launch, offhandedly remarking that she is not feeling well, but refusing Seven's offer to call The Doctor. In space, one of USS Voyager's probes is caught by a Malon tractor beam. Since Voyager is two hours away at maximum warp, the probe is left to its own devices, under Harry Kim's direction from the bridge. Tuvok suggests that the probe emit a polaron burst to disrupt the tractor beam and escape. Although this works, Tom Paris notes that the probe will never be able to outrun the Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient. Captain Janeway, however, remembers that the probe passed a class 6 gas giant that morning, and suggests that the probe could hide there. The atmospheric pressure would be dangerous, but the probe's Borg shielding is believed to able to withstand the atmosphere, although the Malon's hull would not. The probe successfully enters the gas giant, and, in spite of warnings from Voyager, the Malon freighter follows it in and is destroyed. Later, in the briefing room, the senior staff discusses the probe's situation. Although it is caught 10,000 kilometers beneath the surface in a layer of liquid hydrogen and methane, the probe appears to be intact. Torres arrives, late, and when asked if transporter range could be increased to reach the probe, she replies with a stern no. Troubled by her brief response Chakotay probes further, but she assures him that the transporter could not be boosted through such atmospheric conditions. Paris then suggests that the only course of action is to go down to retrieve the probe directly, to which Tuvok responds by asking if Paris had noticed the Malon export vessel's implosion. Paris replies that they can use their new shuttle, and unveils his plans for the Delta Flyer. The staff begins to respond enthusiastically to the design offering technical suggestions, and Janeway approves the plan, hoping to have it constructed within a week. Torres, however, seems unenthusiastic, and makes no comment, even when prompted by Paris. In the holodeck, Tuvok and Paris are working on the hull design and begin to argue about the merits of dynametric tailfins. Tuvok ultimately removes the feature, justifying the action with the statement that the shuttle is not a hot rod. Paris protests, but Seven turns the conversation to structural integrity, noting that Torres' plan to use tritanium was flawed, and that a tetraburnium alloy would better withstand the atmospheric pressures. To everyone's surprise, Torres doesn't protest, but quietly agrees, and leaves to go work on the thruster specs. Torres later delivers the said specs to Paris in his quarters, and makes ready to leave when Paris suggests that she stop and have dinner with him. She declines, claiming to be tired, but Paris confronts her about her reclusive attitude. She defends herself by claiming that she is still on schedule with her work, but he presses the point, saying he is concerned as her friend, not as her superior. Torres leaves, but on the way to her quarter passes by the holodeck and hesitates. She decides to run program Torres 216, again deactivating the safeties in spite of the computer's warning. The program turns out to be a cave, in which she is attacked by a number of Cardassians in hand-to-hand combat. Voyager enters a high orbit around the gas giant, in an effort to recover the probe. A Malon freighter hails the ship and demands they leave. They blame Voyager for the loss of the first ship and its crew. The Malon captain insists that they will take the probe as compensation. Janeway tells the captain that in the future, his species should stay away from vessels with Voyager markings, ending the transmission. Chakotay suggests that the reason they are after the probe is due to its multispatial technology, supposing that perhaps the Malons think it will help them find new places to dispose of their garbage. In the mess hall, Torres surprises Neelix, who says he has not seen many people due to the work on the new shuttle. Torres states that she is there to catch up with him. She states that she would like him to make banana pancakes, like her grandmother used to make, as they always put a smile on her face. Neelix does so, and is befuddled when she doesn't eat them. Encouraging her to take a bite, she halfheartedly tells him that they are delicious and that she must get back to work. Meanwhile on the bridge, Janeway tries to decide what to do with the Malon crew still in orbit. Seven contacts the captain that she has information concerning the Malon vessel. Once arriving in the astrometrics lab, Seven informs her that the Malon crew is creating a similar shuttle to Paris', and that they will finish before the Delta Flyer is ready. Janeway states that it looks like it is time for a race. During construction of the Delta Flyer, Torres snaps at Vorik for making too much noise while other members of the crew each have personal opinions regarding the vessel. Tuvok and Paris disagree over when to launch the Delta Flyer. Torres goes to the holodeck to run a simulation of the Delta Flyer entering atmosphere and disengages safety protocols in the holodeck for the third time. She discovers the locations of microfractures on the Flyer but is injured and passes out. Vrelk threatens Voyager by releasing a small amount of anti-matter waste and suggest that Voyager's shields will not be capable of handling larger amounts of anti-matter. The Malon and Voyager have both been spying on each other and it seems the Malon shuttle will be finished in two days, before the Delta Flyer will be ready. Janeway suggests that construction be sped up and Chakotay goes to find Torres in the holodeck just before a hull breach. In sickbay, The Doctor revives her. He informs her she has been there, unconscious, for almost twelve hours. Torres gets up to go back to work. However Janeway says The Doctor has found internal injuries, some months old, life-threatening and badly treated. Janeway is worried about Torres and places her under The Doctor's supervision and off the shuttle project until Torres becomes more forthcoming. Paris tells Janeway that engines are operating at almost 90% efficiency. Janeway mentions Torres and Paris indicates they have not been talking. Chakotay agrees to dig through Torres' personal holodeck programs to find the reason behind her self-inflicted injuries. Chakotay visits Torres, who reveals that The Doctor thinks she has clinical depression. Chakotay takes Torres to the holodeck and activates program Torres Zeta-1: a program in which Torres' and Chakotay's Maquis comrades are being slaughtered. Torres only ran the program for 47 seconds before using other holodeck programs without the safety on. Chakotay locks Torres in the holodeck and interrogates her. Torres explains that she is trying to feel she is still alive. She states that she has no feelings about her dead friends, Paris, Chakotay or her job. Chakotay suggests that Torres can not shut off her emotions and that she has to grieve. Torres believes she has lost all the family she ever had after Chakotay informed her of the Maquis massacre. Chakotay replies that Voyager is her new family and she is not going to lose them. Chakotay tells Torres she needs to figure out another way to deal with this and Torres says she does not know how. The Malon attack Voyager to distract them from their shuttle launch. Torres begs Chakotay to go on the Delta Flyer and says she is the best engineer for the jobs and that she needs to do this. Inside the Delta Flyer, Harry Kim spots the Malon ship, which proceeds to launch spatial charges. Seven of Nine loads photonic missiles and the Malon ship takes three direct hits. However, the Delta Flyer starts to lose structural integrity. The probe is retrieved, but secondary systems are still down. Seven and Torres seal a panel and Torres, using a phaser and an EPS conduit, erects a force field just before the panel has a breach. The Malon ship is having trouble leaving the atmosphere and Janeway orders "Get us out of here". Torres thanks Chakotay for what he did with the holodeck but says if he ever does anything like it again she will break his neck. She smiles as she digs into a plate of banana pancakes. 
<EOS>
In what is seemingly San Francisco on Earth, in the grounds of Starfleet Academy, an old man tends some flowers. About him, bright young Starfleet cadets walk to and fro. The sky is bright and sunny; a perfect day. A distinguished looking Starfleet admiral addresses a group of just graduated and commissioned officers. In a no-nonsense tone, the admiral introduces himself as Admiral Bullock. He welcomes them to Earth and invites them to direct any questions or comments they have to him. Any problems are to be directed to Lieutenant Kinis, the admiral's Vulcan aide standing next to the admiral. From afar, an officer is seen to be watching them using a holo-imager and taking pictures. It is revealed to be the USS Voyager's first officer, Commander Chakotay. Chakotay is taking some scans when the same old man who was tending the flowers comes up behind him, jokes that his tricorder scans are unnecessary, and identifies the plants. Chakotay chuckles, and smoothly responds that his tricorder is malfunctioning. The old man introduces himself as Boothby. Boothby asks him about his posting. Chakotay makes up a story about being assigned to the USS Intrepid patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. Boothby advises him to get a new tricorder from Logistical Support. He is on the way to that area himself. Before they start off, Chakotay makes sure to get an image of him. Chakotay enters the officers' club, the Quantum Cafe, sits in an empty seat and thumbs through a book. A Human female commander approaches him and introduces herself as Valerie Archer. They sit and talk amicably when suddenly an officer sitting in a corner begins gagging and spasming in agony. Strangely enough, no one seems alarmed; two officers just drag him away and that is all. Archer turns back to Chakotay and tensely asks him if he has ever reverted. He responds nonchalantly, not yet. She identifies the officer as Ensign O'Halloran, and comments that he will be pulled out of training if this happens to him again. She states that she can keep her Human form, but complains about things she has to put up with in that form such as sleeping, breathing oxygen and bipedal locomotion. Chakotay merely smiles. He then tells her that he is new, and she makes a date with him that evening to show him around. Lt. Commander Tuvok approaches them and politely tells Chakotay that they have to leave. After the two Voyager officers get out of earshot, Chakotay tells him he has gained useful information about what is happening here. They leave the club, heading to prearranged transporter coordinates. Suddenly an ensign accosts them, telling them they are in a restricted area and need to accompany him. They refuse, and when the ensign insists, Tuvok drops him with a Vulcan nerve pinch. They catch him as he falls and Chakotay taps his combadge to be beamed back to the Delta Flyer piloted by Tom Paris. The Flyer turns and leaves orbit, not around Earth, but an alien space station. The ensign wakes up to find himself in Voyager's sickbay, agitatedly asking where he is. He begins to act angry, threatening to report his abduction to the admiral. Janeway impatiently tells him to cut the act: they know he is not Human. She demands his identity. He identifies himself as David Gentry, rank ensign, serial number: 99-Beta-3278, planet of origin: Earth. Janeway coldly responds that they are not interested in his knowledge of Human culture and that they are not part of his re-creation. The petrified ensign repeats his POW-style self-identification, maintaining that Earth is his homeworld. When Janeway realizes that she is obviously not going to get any answers out of him, she asks The Doctor to take a genetic sample from him. The ensign desperately taps his combadge, to no avail and then suddenly springs off the bio-bed and backs against a wall, screaming. His head snaps back and he collapses. According to The Doctor, he has released a cellular toxin into his bloodstream and is dead. In astrometrics, Chakotay and Tuvok show Janeway and the other senior officers the images that Chakotay has taken, and report on what they have learned. These aliens, whoever and whatever they are, have carefully reconstructed not just Starfleet Academy, but the entire Starfleet Command complex. Seven of Nine reports that she has determined the nature of the alien station: it is essentially a huge holographic facility. The Doctor hails Janeway and reports that he is ready to begin his autopsy of the alien. Before she leaves to go to sickbay, she orders them to search for any tactical vulnerabilities the station may have. In sickbay, The Doctor informs Janeway that the alien is most definitely not Human. It has been altered genetically on an extremely sophisticated level and only micro-cellular scans could distinguish it from a real Human. When he administers a cytokinetic injection to reverse the process, it is revealed to be Species 8472. Janeway immediately calls a meeting of her senior staff and informs them of the aliens' identity. They now have no doubt the re-creation is for sinister motives. Species 8472 had made their intention to purge their galaxy of all life very clear. Now, they have re-created Starfleet Command and are training to pose as Starfleet officers. The whole thing reeks of preparation for invasion - possibly of Earth. Janeway orders Tuvok to continue searching for a tactical weakness in the station, and orders Seven to immediately begin re-manufacturing the modified Borg nanoprobes, in large numbers. Chakotay decides to keep his date with Archer, since he could get more information out of her. Janeway agrees, and then reminds everyone of the importance of their success; Starfleet has no way of stopping Species 8472, nor can Voyager's crew warn them of the invasion. Captain Janeway orders the entire crew to report to The Doctor for DNA testing, to ensure that no impostor is aboard. The Doctor certifies Chakotay and Tuvok respectively as genuinely Human and Vulcan. With that settled, Chakotay goes off to keep his date with Commander Valerie Archer. He, Lt. Paris and Ensign Kim return to the facility on the Delta Flyer. They arrive, remaining beyond sensor range, but within transporter range, and Chakotay beams in. In Voyager's sickbay, Seven and The Doctor observe the newly-manufactured modified Borg nanoprobes. She has taken the precaution of increasing their mobility and efficiency in case the aliens developed a defense against them in over a year since their first encounter. While The Doctor hopes they will be able to solve this through more diplomatic channels, Seven merely scoffs at the idea that Species 8472 would even acknowledge the concept of diplomacy. It is night in the re-creation. Chakotay enters the Quantum Cafe and finds Archer sitting at a table with Boothby. Boothby takes his leave and Chakotay sits with Archer. They decide to go dancing. Sometime later, they return to her quarters. The date has apparently gone well. The conversation turns to Humans. She marvels at the ability of such a violent species to create so many beautiful ways to express their ideas through art, music, literature and so on. But, she insists, they are dangerous, quick to attack any species that is not part of their Federation. After a while she feels the need for an isomorphic injection to preserve her Human form, so she excuses herself and leaves the room. While she is gone, Chakotay goes to her computer terminal and downloads all data in it. Chakotay's attempts to try and introduce doubt about her perception of Humans fail, as she insists their threat is grave. He drops the subject, not wanting to push too much and possibly arouse suspicion. He excuses himself, telling her he has a tactical report to finish for the next morning. However, before he leaves, she touches his face and kisses him, saying that Human dating rituals are part of their training. Initially somewhat reluctant he finally caves in. After he leaves, she takes scans of her skin that touched Chakotay's and immediately contacts Boothby; Chakotay's cover has been blown wide open. He asks her how much she thinks he knows. She cannot say, but recommends his capture and interrogation. Chakotay is walking past an ornamental lake when the sky instantly shifts from dark night to bright day. He looks around, startled, to see he is being followed. Worse, along all the paths, several of the aliens in their ersatz forms are converging on him. Realizing immediately his cover is no more, he tries to hail the Flyer, but gets no response and is finally captured. Captain Janeway is in her ready room with Seven and clearly conflicted over something. Starfleet Directive 010, she tells Seven, mandates that any and all attempts at diplomatic resolution must be made before engaging an alien species in battle. In Species 8472's case, they did that and barely survived. Military engagement therefore appears to be the only course of action. Yet, Janeway cannot get this directive out of her mind. Tuvok calls her to the bridge, where she is informed of having lost contact with Chakotay and that he cannot transport back. Janeway orders red alert and the nanoprobe torpedoes brought online. Chakotay is interrogated by Boothby in the empty Quantum Cafe. He demands to know how they found them. Chakotay responds that it was due to the detection of what appeared to be a Federation frequency. Of course, they tracked its source. Boothby demands other information about their planned attack, but Chakotay insists that a war is not being planned against them. Admiral Bullock enters. He acts deferentially toward Boothby, indicating that this alien is, in fact, the operation's commander. He informs Boothby of Voyager's approach. Boothby orders battle stations, ignoring Chakotay's insistence that Captain Janeway is coming only to retrieve him, not attack. Janeway orders Voyager brought into weapons range, and orders Seven, at the auxiliary tactical station, to target the facility's weapons array. Seven suggests that its power systems be targeted as well. But, even on the brink of hostilities, Janeway looks for a way to avoid casualties, if not belligerence altogether. She does not want to risk harming the aliens' life support. Seven insists that they are undeserving of compassion. Janeway sharply responds that this is not the time for an ethical debate and angrily repeats the order. A hail comes through: Boothby greets her cordially. She sarcastically asks him if he is enjoying the Delta Quadrant. In response, he snaps that the weapons at his disposal allow him to destroy Voyager with but a single command. He asks her to retreat. Janeway, of course, refuses to go anywhere until he returns her first officer and provides a good explanation as to why they are again in the Milky Way. She informs him of the weapons she has trained on them; weapons whose potency against them he is well aware of, reminding him of the heavy casualties his species suffered the last time they engaged each other. She comments that an armed conflict is not going to solve their problems and proposes a meeting. In Voyager's briefing room, representatives of the two sides are gathered. Boothby angrily denounces the Federation and its values of tolerance for all species and the Prime Directive as targ manure. Janeway insists that the Federation adheres to its directives. Bullock counters that her actions say differently, and accuses them of infiltrating their re-creation, capturing and killing one of their people. Bullock angrily continues, further accusing them of creating biological weapons to use against them, and being allies of the Borg. Janeway denies all charges, stating that Seven is no longer part of the Borg collective. She tries to convince Boothby that the Federation is not set out to get or destroy them, but when the aliens keep questioning each and every one of her points, Janeway soon realizes that this is getting nowhere. She asserts that there is only one way to prove that they speak the truth, namely trusting each other. She then orders Seven to disarm the nanoprobe warheads to prove their point. She calmly responds that one of them has to take their finger off the trigger and that she will be the one. Boothby is struck by her action. He agrees to continue, but insists that they get to the issues that are the bones of contention. Janeway explains that, far from informing Starfleet about them, Voyager is, in fact, alone in the quadrant and has not had any contact with the Federation for the past four years. She explains that at the time they engaged Species 8472, they were unaware that the Borg had started the war against them and were acting in self defense. Bullock, unimpressed by Janeway's standing down of Voyager's weapons, urges Boothby to say nothing. Archer, however, has been won over and informs the Starfleet side that their mission is solely reconnaissance. Bullock still insists that they should not negotiate with them. Boothby orders him to return to his seat. Archer stands her ground. She tells them that after seeing through Human eyes, she now wonders as to the veracity of their belief of the Humans' violent nature. Bullock insists that they cannot risk trusting them. She retorts by demanding of him if he would rather risk another war. After a long discussion, Boothby is finally ready to go along, but insists some pre-conditions must be met, namely she must grant them access to the modified nanoprobe technology to study it. Janeway agrees, in return for access to the genetic manipulation techniques they use for appearing Human. The spirit of detente has been created. Seven is not at all convinced that this diplomatic dealing will work. Janeway exhorts her to have a little faith and asks her if she wants to come to the facility; it would be her first look at Earth. Seven declines; she prefers to stay aboard in case any problems arise. Janeway confidently assures her there will be none. On the grounds of the Starfleet Command recreation, Bullock and Kinis are standing alongside Tuvok and Neelix. In a manner similar to the training scenario, Bullock introduces himself and welcomes Tuvok and Neelix to Terrasphere 8, Starfleet Command re-creation. As in the training scenario before, he invites them to direct any questions or comments they have to him, and problems to Kinis. Tuvok and Neelix are here to see some of the facility's technology. Bullock addresses Neelix as Ambassador Nelix, mispronouncing Neelix's name, and is quickly corrected. Janeway and Boothby walk along a path, talking. He welcomes them to stay for a while as they will not be returning to fluidic space for a few days yet, but she declines, saying she would like to get back on course for the real Earth. As they stop at a fence by an ornamental lake, she asks him concernedly about the chances of him being listened to. He responds that he cannot promise anything but that he will tell them what has happened, and perhaps that will win some of them over. As a final gesture, Boothby gives her a large, lovely, genetically-engineered rose, just like the ones the real Boothby used to give her. Chakotay and Archer walk together one last time. She tells him she is looking forward to returning home to fluidic space and resuming her true form. He compliments her on making a terrific Human, and she offers to give him a tour of their realm sometime. Before parting, she kisses him again telling him that this attempt was better. Voyager is seen pulling away from the station, resuming course for home. 
<EOS>
Aboard the USS Voyager, in the beautiful holographic Forest of Forever, Naomi Wildman, young daughter of Ensign Samantha Wildman, walks happily, enjoying the scenery. She is running a one of a series of children's holoprograms called The Adventures of Flotter. This one is entitled Flotter and the Tree Monster. She stops, smiles and approaches a pond. She picks up a rock and throws it in, promptly drawing a protest from he who dwells within it: Flotter, the titular character of series. He appears and the two make plans to capture the tree monster that prowls the forest. But, on meeting him, they find that he is merely a misunderstood forest denizen named Trevis. He and Flotter get into an argument about him supposedly stealing Flotter's water, until Naomi ends it by showing them that they need each other: Flotter helps Trevis' trees grow and these trees' limbs shade his pond; the sun evaporates water. This is the purpose of these stories: to teach young children like Naomi basic science and deductive reasoning skills. However, Naomi is then hailed by Neelix, ship's chef and Naomi's doting godfather: someone wants to say goodnight to her. This excites her greatly; she does not need to be told that it is her mother, who is on an away mission. She ends the simulation and rushes to their quarters. Her mother is indeed on the desktop monitor screen. Naomi tells her about her holo-adventure, but is disappointed when Wildman informs her that she will not be back the next day as planned. But she keeps her chin up, says goodnight to her and Neelix, and heads into her bedroom. After she has gone, Wildman informs Neelix of the reason for the delay in her return: the Delta Flyer, the shuttle the away team is using, sustained damage in an ion storm. Repairs are being made, but another storm is approaching; they cannot risk returning until it passes. Then static kills the com signal. Wildman asks Neelix to say goodnight to Naomi again for her, before the signal dies. Neelix watches the blank screen, frowning. The ion storm rapidly approaches the Delta Flyer. On it are the three members of the away team: Wildman, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, and Lieutenant junior grade Tom Paris, piloting the vessel. Paris orders Wildman to route more power to the thrusters. She does, but it is not enough. The storm hits them at 33,000 kph. They brace for impact, and shut their eyes in a blinding whiteout. The senior staff is gathered somberly in the briefing room listening to a static-marred mayday from Tuvok on the Flyer. Ensign Harry Kim, operations officer, reports that the shuttle has been tracked to a planetary system 0.6 light years distant. But there is a yet third ion storm approaching. However Captain Kathryn Janeway dismisses this as irrelevant; they will go through the heart of it if necessary to rescue the away team. She dismisses the meeting. But as the officers move to leave, Neelix stops them with a question: What about Naomi? First Officer Commander Chakotay states what they all think is the obvious: she must be told. But Neelix nervously rejects this as a bad idea. Janeway finds this incomprehensible and asks why not. Neelix explains nervously that she is sensitive; he does not want to alarm her unnecessarily. With any luck, he tells her, Ensign Wildman will be back before she starts to worry. Janeway has great reservations about this, but leaves it in his hands, as he is her godfather. Neelix watches them leave, with a very worried look. Neelix and Naomi walk to a table in the mess hall with drinks for themselves. As they do so, Naomi elucidates on a childhood fantasy plan she has to get Captain Janeway to make her the Captain's assistant. They sit and continue talking. Then Naomi's eyes go wide as Seven of Nine enters, instructing two crewmen, presumably sensor analysts assisting her, regarding some data on the three PADDs they carry. Naomi becomes fearful, telling Neelix not to move or turn around, lest the Borg lady see and assimilate him. Neelix reassures her that Seven is a valued crewmember and a very nice person; she need not fear her. Then Ensign Kim enters and calls him away to update him on the search for the Flyer. Seven goes to the empty seat and aloofly asks Naomi if it is vacant. Naomi struggles to keep calm and fearfully blurts out no. Seven acknowledges and moves on. Naomi continues gaping at her as Neelix returns to take her to her scheduled botany lesson with The Doctor. The Flyer is battered by the ion storm. But it keeps going, struggling to stay ahead of the worst of it. Paris, aware that they will not be able to outrun it, orders Wildman to scan for a place to land to escape. She does and finds a planet close by: class M with a benamite mantle and several active volcanoes. This is not by any means a preferred option, but they have no choice. Paris takes the shuttle toward it. But the roughest part of the storm hits them before they can reach it. The starboard thrusters fail; they are thus unable to control their speed, and come in too fast. As they crash, they are enshrouded in darkness and know no more. Ensign Wildman comes to, wincing with pain. Paris, a trained medic, scans her with a medical tricorder. He updates her on the situation: they are about three kilometers below the surface. She has suffered a punctured kidney and internal bleeding; she needs urgent surgery. Her first concern, however, is for her daughter; she tells him she needs to talk to her and let her know she is alive. Tuvok orders her to conserve her strength. Paris asks him about the possibility of leaving the shuttle and proceeding on foot. But this is impossible; they are buried far too deeply and the cavern the shuttle has made is flooded with poisonous fluorine gas. Their only chance is to hope that Voyager finds them, before their life support gives out. On Voyager's bridge, Janeway, in her captain's seat, monitors the search efforts. Chakotay is in the first officer's seat next to hers. Neelix is present, seated off to the side of her. Janeway asks him how Naomi is doing. He responds that he is keeping her occupied using the holodeck. Ensign Kim, at his operations station, finds the Flyer's crash site. He puts it on the viewscreen: a large crater containing debris. It is a very discouraging sight: it is obvious that the shuttle was either destroyed or buried under the surface. Janeway stares at the image and sets her jaw, resolutely reminding all of them of the toughness of the Flyer. She orders Chakotay to assemble an away team to go down and excavate. Chakotay leaves, taking Kim with him. Neelix stares at the image, his face full of worry. The Doctor is teaching Naomi her botany lesson, centering it on plant cells and their energy production mechanism. Naomi is a bright child and quickly absorbs the information. But then she recalls that her mother is supposed to call her this day but has not as yet. The Doctor suggests that Ensign Wildman is simply a bit busy and tries to get Naomi's attention elsewhere but she clings to the thought, asking him if they can call her. Fortunately for him, Neelix enters; school is over and it is time for another adventure with Flotter on the holodeck. This succeeds in drawing her attention away from her mother's overdue return; she thanks The Doctor and rushes out of sickbay. Neelix and The Doctor share a concerned look, and Neelix leaves to follow her. Neelix and Naomi walk along a corridor, on their way to the holodeck. She jocularly tells him about her previous adventure with Flotter and Trevis. But when she asks him about his own family, he becomes uncomfortable; they along with the rest of the Talaxian colony on Rinax, one of Talax' moons, had been massacred by the Haakonians. The Haakonian Order had brought its boot on the neck of the Talaxians after a ten-year long war of conquest against them by using a most horrific weapon called the metreon cascade. Neelix, however, does not speak of this to the child and succeeds more or less in maintaining his cheery demeanor front for her. At the holodeck doors, Naomi selects another Flotter holoprogram, this one entitled Flotter, Trevis, and the Ogre of Fire. Neelix is not sure about this one, concerned that she would find it frightening from its title. But she responds that she will not fear if he is with her. He accepts this and they enter. They find Trevis moaning and wailing, a flame on his finger. A few low-hanging branches on a nearby tree also burn. Flotter watches Trevis, chiding him for touching the strange thing; neither of them has ever seen fire before. Horrified, Naomi yells at Flotter to help him, but he has no idea how. She informs him that water puts out fire. Bemused, he pinches the flame on Trevis' finger. It goes out with a puff of steam. Trevis is overjoyed. Acting very empowered, Flotter goes to the tree and sprays the flaming limbs, which go out. He looks most pleased. But then Naomi asks them what caused the fire. They do not know; only knowing that it came from skyward. Following the storyline, she identifies the culprit: the Ogre of Fire. Upon her mention of his name, a fearsome, sun-like flaming entity appears. In a deep, booming voice, he confirms Naomi's ID of him and makes known his intention to raze the forest. He becomes a huge blast of fire that flares out and consumes everything it touches except Neelix and Naomi, of course. Trevis escapes, but Flotter is caught and instantly vaporized. Naomi shouts his name in horror as she sees this happen. The fire disappears, leaving a smoky, charred waste of the once beautiful forest. Neelix helps Naomi look for Flotter for a bit, but he is thoroughly flustered; this is far too close a reminder of what happened on Rinax. They find Trevis, sad that his trees are no more. Neelix takes Naomi's hand to leave. She wants to stay and continue the search, but he has none of it. They leave. Once she is in bed, Neelix decides to try to cheer her up by having Ensign Kim make a Flotter doll for her. With this in hand, he returns to her quarters, but finds her up and in front the desktop monitor. She is investigating an idea: water evaporates when heated; thus, if they can cool the remains of the forest down, Flotter may condense and be able to reform himself. This, as was said, is exactly the purpose of these holoprograms: to teach basic science and foster deductive reasoning skills. Then Naomi begins to again ask about her mother. It is becoming harder and harder for him to come up with excuses to explain her delay in returning, and has not called in. This is especially so as the child is fully aware of the Starfleet protocol regarding away teams reporting in: they must do it every 24 hours. Neelix settles for assuring her that everything is fine, puts her to bed, promising to alert her at the instant her mother calls in, even if that time is 0200 hours. Once she is bedded down, he goes into the small living room and sadly calls up an image of his late sister, Alixia, seeking guidance on what to do. He falls asleep and has a terrifying nightmare about the night the Haakonian Order unleashed the metreon cascade on Rinax. He relives the horror of watching his family and fellow Talaxians incinerated by the metreon cascade, along with everything else. He wakes up, sweating and breathing hard. He checks on Naomi and leaves. After checking how Seven of Nine is progressing in using the astrometrics sensors to aid the search for the away team, Neelix goes to the bridge to check how things are going there. There is still no good news. Captain Janeway then revisits her earlier decision to have Naomi remain in the dark about what is happening, if Neelix sees it fit to be so. It has been five days; logically, they must consider the possibility that the team is lost. Thus, Naomi should be told. She is definitely aware that something is wrong; it is not right to keep lying to her, pretending that everything is alright. Neelix, flustered, adamantly refuses: he is her godfather, he bristles; he knows what is best for her. He says it loud enough for the bridge crew to hear, prompting Janeway to order him to follow her into her ready room with a hard gaze. Once in, however, she shows no anger over his insubordinate act, instead gently, though firmly, insisting that she has to be told. This flusters Neelix even more; what shall he say to her: that her mother is buried under thirty kilotons of rock? He insists that he will tell her when they know something solid about her fate. Janeway, still gently but now with an edge to her tone, informs him that if he cannot bring himself to tell Naomi, that she was resolved to do so herself. At this he explodes with frightened anger, insisting that she has no right to do so. She has, he asserts, no understanding of what is at stake, having always had parents to care for her as a child, never having to worry about being alone. This shows Janeway the real reason why he is so reluctant to tell her; he identifies with Naomi's situation. He admits this, shakily saying that he does not want her to go through what he did: the emotional trauma and nightmares he had endured every day since losing his family. Janeway understands this. But, she insists, it would be cruel to try to keep her thinking everything is fine, only to be confronted with the worst possible news, instead of letting her know what is happening, so that she can be prepared in case the worst becomes reality. And, she adds, Naomi has one advantage that he did not have; someone to help her through it, namely him. This calms him; he can see the wisdom in what she is saying. He agrees to tell her in the morning. On the Flyer, Paris and Tuvok have tried and failed to get the life support system to return to full functionality. Their air is running out. Ensign Wildman despairs of rescue, but Tuvok tells her not to lose hope; statistically, there is still a chance of rescue. Wildman worries about what will happen to Naomi without her, but Tuvok, a father of four, calms her fears with a logical, yet highly comforting assurance that she will survive and prosper regardless of what happens to her. She thanks him sincerely. Naomi wakes up suddenly, calling reflexively for her absent mother. She collects her wits, and calls for Neelix, who is also not there. She asks the computer for his location and gets it: on the bridge. She gets dressed and heads for the nearest turbolift to go there. On the way, she sees signs of something very amiss: Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres walking briskly with a team of crewmembers, speaking to them in urgent tones and ordering a beaming down to somewhere. She manages to keep hidden, and continues to the turbolift when they are out of sight. She reaches it, boards and orders to be taken to the bridge. On arrival, she walks out, the viewscreen directly in front of her. She immediately understands what is happening. She sees the tense activity of Captain Janeway and the duty officers, hears them speak of the away team with alarming words such as crash, and survivors, and sees, on the viewscreen, the crash site: the huge crater, containing debris. Neelix turns and is horrified to see her. He calls her desperately as she turns and dashes back into the turbolift, her face filled with shock and fear. The doors close before he can reach her. The captain watches worriedly. Neelix rushes to her quarters, frantically asking the computer for confirmation that she is there. It indeed confirms this. He enters, but does not find her; instead he finds her combadge, which she has put onto the Flotter doll. Since the computer locates personnel aboard the ship by the location of their combadges, fooling it is easy; through his worry he notes with pride her knowledge of this fact. He thinks about where she could be and comes up with it: the holodeck. He rushes there, as Naomi activates Flotter, Trevis and the Ogre of Fire and enters the holodeck. A search team has beamed down, led by Chakotay, equipped with phaser drills and scanning equipment. Seven of Nine is also on the team. Their efforts to locate the Flyer finally succeed; the craft is found to be 80 meters away; but now the problem is getting to it through the huge amount of rock entombing it. They inform Captain Janeway and request more manpower and drills, which Janeway grants immediately. Inside the shuttle, as the computer alerts them that life support is almost gone, Tuvok, Paris and Wildman record their final goodbyes to loved ones. Tuvok writes his on a PADD, but Paris and Wildman record theirs verbally using the computer. Wildman's is particularly touching. Neelix walks through the torched Forest of Forever, calling to Naomi. Trevis and Flotter accost him, angrily telling him she does not want to speak to him, since he lied to her. He tries to have the computer delete them but, in another testament to the child's intelligence, the computer responds that it cannot; she has encrypted the controls. He sees the top of her head above a rock, facing away from him and begs her to let him talk to her. She quietly tells Trevis and Flotter to let him through. They do, warning him "Be nice; no more lying." He sits next to her and tries as best as he can to answer her questions, explaining about the ion storm that forced them to crash-land on the planet; they do not know if the team survived. He then apologetically explains why he lied to her that everything was fine by telling her about what happened on Rinax. He wanted to keep her from feeling the agonizing emotional pain he endured, wondering if her mother might have somehow survived, or if she was worried about her, just as he had done with his parents. She accepts this and forgives him. Then Janeway issues an order for all hands to report to their emergency stations; the ion storm that was approaching is almost upon them. It is extremely severe; they need to be gone before it arrives or face very severe damage. Janeway hails Chakotay and informs him. Chakotay and Seven supervise concerted efforts to excavate through the rock entombing the Flyer with phaser drills. He estimates they will be through in six minutes. Janeway tells him that is all the time they have; the storm will collapse the cavern. Janeway orders a course laid in and the ship set to immediately leave at warp 2 the moment the away team and rescue team are aboard. The outer bands of the storm begin to lash them, causing their deflector shield strength to begin to drop. Inside the Flyer, the computer warns that two minutes worth of oxygen are left. Paris, Tuvok and Wildman sit quietly, waiting for death. Paris remarks to Tuvok that he never thought his life would end in this manner; buried alive on some nameless planetoid. Tuvok counsels him that one finds peace in acceptance of the inevitable. And then, after hope against hope, they hear the phaser drills hitting the rock around them. Chakotay informs Janeway that they have gotten close enough for a transporter beam to lock onto the shuttle and beam it out through the rock. The team quickly installs pattern enhancers to assist the process. On the bridge, Ensign Kim reports a full lock on the Flyer and the rescue team and beams them all to the shuttle bay. As per Janeway's order, the officer at helm control immediately engages warp 2. Voyager races away, faster than light, avoiding the storm with seconds to spare. Naomi is brought to the sickbay, where a pleased Doctor has healed Ensign Wildman's injuries. As soon as Naomi sees her, she rushes into her open arms. The Doctor and Neelix look on happily. Naomi, Neelix and Ensign Wildman walk through the fully restored Forest of Forever, in another Flotter holoprogram. They meet Flotter and Trevis. Flotter is thrilled when he sees Ensign Wildman. She herself used to use this series of Flotter holoprograms as a child, and her interactions with the character were stored, so that he would remember her and she and Naomi could truly participate as a family. Flotter is thrilled to see her all grown up. He tells her much how he missed her, to which she responds, "Likewise." He then tells her and Naomi about a castle with a giant beetle and suggests the three of them go explore it. Wildman agrees with a smile and they go off together, Naomi very excited. Neelix watches them go with a satisfied smile. He is then pleasantly surprised when Captain Janeway enters. Neelix tells her what Naomi and her mother are doing. She looks around nostalgically, remembering her own enjoyable childhood experiences in the Forest, particularly one in which she and Flotter diverted the river to counteract a dry spell Flotter said was imminent. They ended up flooding the entire Forest, giving rise to Stinger, the biggest mosquito you'd ever seen. She and Neelix walk off together as she tells him about it, her arm round his shoulder. 
<EOS>
A vast, icy landscape. Two figures materialize out of a transporter beam, shielded against the cold by cold weather suits. Laden with heavy backpacks, they begin hiking across the landscape. On reaching a certain spot, they stop and stick a sensor device into the ice. They brush aside a patch of snow, revealing a clear layer of ice underneath. Something not of nature is clearly visible under it. One of the figures taps his chest in the same spot where a Starfleet combadge would be. Sure enough, the chirp of such is heard. The figure's voice reveals him to be male. His face, like that of his companion, is hidden beneath his suit's mask. He indicates to the other that they have arrived at their destination. Beneath the thick sheet of translucent glacial ice, unmistakable markings become visible. The other figure makes scans on a tricorder and informs the first that the fractures in the glacier the ship is entombed in are stable; they can beam inside safely. Like the first, this one's voice also reveals that it is a man. The first informs a third party over his combadge that they are ready to enter. A female voice acknowledges. They beam inside. Inside Voyager is dark and icy. The two figures, after materializing, remove their masks. They are revealed to be Voyager's First Officer, Commander Chakotay and Operations Officer Ensign Harry Kim. Both appear noticeably older. Both are very grim-faced. Using wrist-borne lights to light their way, they walk slowly to a dark, dead, frosted-over wall console. Kim scrapes ice off of it, connects a portable power cell and activates it. The console comes to life. Kim accesses it and reports the extent of Voyager's damage: her power grid is destroyed, her bioneural gel packs are frozen solid and six of her lowermost decks are compacted. Chakotay muses that she must have crashed into the ice at full impulse. He asks about The Doctor, their EMH, who served as the ship's chief medical officer. Kim tries to access the sickbay. But the console flickers and dies, despite his attempts to keep it going, to his great frustration. They decide to split up. Kim heads for the sickbay while Chakotay goes to the bridge. Chakotay reaches the bridge. It is frosted over and dark, like every other area on the ship. He walks among frozen bodies of crewmembers, including that of Voyager's Captain, his commanding officer and friend, Captain Kathryn Janeway. Chakotay pauses at her corpse for a long while before continuing. He is searching for something. He finds it: the corpse of the former Borg drone Seven of Nine. He hails the third party he spoke to before, calling her Tessa, and informs her. He instructs her to lock on to the transporter relay he places on the corpse's neck and beam the cadaver to the lab. She acknowledges and does so. He watches grimly as the cadaver dematerializes. Kim arrives at the sickbay. He scrapes ice off a wall console here and activates it with his power cell. He taps some controls on it. The Doctor appears, and starts his standard EMH greeting. But his words trail off as he sees what has become of the sickbay. He looks around in utter, uncomprehending horror. Kim tersely greets him. The Doctor addresses him in shock as "Ensign!", but Kim tells him not to. He instructs him to don his mobile emitter. The Doctor does so and agitatedly asks him what has happened, but he tersely responds that there is no time for that. He orders The Doctor to follow him. The Doctor refuses, demanding an explanation. Chakotay enters and walks up to him. He provides him with a cryptic response: they are there to change history. Fifteen Years Earlier: Year 2375 A great celebration is taking place in Voyager's Engineering area. Crew and officers are gathered, clapping and cheering. Confetti falls. Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres grins hugely as she smashes a bottle of champagne against the rail surrounding the warp core. The core looks strange, as if it has been modified. Captain Janeway calls for quiet and gives a speech. She proudly introduces the modified warp core as the quantum slipstream drive, to cheers and applause. She speaks of the time Voyager has been lost in the Delta Quadrant: four years, two months, 11 days. To more cheers and applause, she then announces that now it is time to go home. The quantum slipstream drive, should it work, will accomplish this; very much faster than warp drive, it would allow Voyager to cross the many tens of thousands of light years between here and Earth in mere hours as opposed to the several decades that warp drive would take. Janeway exhorts everyone to enjoy the party, but reminds them of the final work that needs to be done; the flight using the drive is scheduled for the next morning. Everyone mingles happily. Champagne flows. Seven of Nine, amusingly, becomes drunk from a single glass. Neelix, the Talaxian chef, gives Torres a good luck charm for the drive: a Talaxian fur fly, which he had kept hung in the engine room of his own small ship while he was a trader, before he joined Voyager. All enjoy themselves. But Lieutenant Tom Paris does not take part. Instead, he is seen at a console, running tests. Harry Kim, the main designer of the drive, finds him and, surprised, asks him why. Paris' expression when he turns to face Kim is one of great worry. He gives Kim his opinion of the thing: it is an Edsel, a potential disaster. He explains that he has found a 0.42 phase variance in the drive's system; a very small phase variance, but enough to possibly bring the flight to a catastrophic end by causing Voyager to get knocked out of the slipstream in mid-flight. This would almost certainly destroy her, and them with her. Kim dismisses his concerns, saying that such a small variance is probably due to a sensor glitch. But Paris will not be soothed. Kim then invites him to one of the ship's two holodecks to run simulations and ease his fears. Paris agrees and they leave together. The two men run a holodeck simulation of Voyager with Kim at the auxiliary Tactical console, while Paris mans his conn console. They begin the simulation. At first, all goes well; Paris engages the simulated drive, and, on the viewscreen, the view of normal space explodes into the gray, tunnel-like form of slipstream space. But then the bridge starts to vibrate as the phase variance Paris detected begins to manifest itself. It begins to increase. The vibration worsens. Kim tries stabilization measures, but none work. Hull breaches occur. Structural integrity rapidly falls and then fails; Voyager is tearing apart. The slipstream starts to collapse. Paris tensely orders the computer to cease the simulation. But Kim doggedly refuses to give up; he suggests yet another idea for stabilization, but Paris tells him it will not work. Kim tries to get the computer to run the simulation again, but Paris stops him: this is their 23rd consecutive simulation, and, like the 22 before it, it has ended in calamity. This is not a sensor glitch, he insists; the others must be told. Kim agrees with a sad sigh. In Engineering, only the senior staff is now present. The air of joyous celebration has been replaced by somberness; Paris and Kim have reported the results of their simulations to them. Torres cannot believe it; she angrily protests that they have tested the drive molecule by molecule. Seven informs Paris that she wants to examine the results herself. Paris somberly invites her to do so. Chakotay, however, has seen the results and gives Captain Janeway, who is pacing in silence, his considered opinion: if they attempt this flight the next morning, the crew will find themselves in escape pods that very afternoon. Tuvok opines that there is no choice but to cancel. But then Paris informs them that Kim has a suggestion. Attention turns to him as he outlines it: if a shuttlecraft were to ride the rapids in front of Voyager, so to speak, then it could map the slipstream threshold as it forms and transmit phase corrections back to Voyager. The corrections would compensate for the phase variance, preventing a catastrophic collapse of the slipstream. The idea is theoretically sound, but very risky; the shuttle would only be at most a couple of seconds ahead of Voyager, and the auto-navigational system might not be able to make the adjustments quickly enough. But Kim, sensing the reluctance, begins a vehement plea for the idea to be tried. He points out the amount of time and effort that has been put into the project, and the decay of certain crystalline components of the drive that has already begun; components that would take years to re-synthesize. He walks from each to each, looking into their faces hotly, proclaiming that he did not do all this work just to be stopped by a 0.42 phase variance! He finds himself shouting into Captain Janeway's face, and immediately apologizes. He begs her to let him try, confidently insisting that he will get them through the slipstream. She takes no offense, and orders him to submit a flight plan to her within the hour; she will let them know her decision. Extremely pleased, Kim acknowledges. The officers disperse. Janeway and Chakotay have dinner in the former's quarters. As they sit at the table, with Intermezzo op.117 no.1 by Brahms playing in the background, she makes her decision known to Chakotay; she has approved the attempt. Chakotay acknowledges, but voices his disagreement. He holds up a PADD containing Kim's flight plan. He has looked at it; the theory is sound, but there are simply too many variables. But Janeway responds that they have waited long enough to get home; they may never have this chance again. With a smile, Chakotay assures her of his support of her, though he does not agree with her decision. He sets the PADD down. 2390 The same PADD, frost-covered and long inoperative, is seen on the floor of Voyager's frozen, entombed wreckage. 2390 Kim, Chakotay, and The Doctor are on the Delta Flyer, a unique shuttlecraft Voyager had built. They fill The Doctor in. It is fifteen years after the attempted slipstream flight. They are in the Takara sector, just outside the Alpha Quadrant. The rest of the crew is dead; Voyager crashed into the ice planet, killing all aboard. The Doctor recalls that Kim and Chakotay were on the Delta Flyer at the time; they had been the ones mapping the slipstream and sending phase corrections to Voyager. Kim bitterly confirms this, commenting that they indeed made it back to Earth, with the only cost being the death of all whom they cared about. They further inform The Doctor that their finding of Voyager's grave is not a Starfleet-sanctioned endeavor. The service ended its search for Voyager nine years ago; they continued on their own. Chakotay explains his comment to him in the remains of Voyager's sickbay: they are embarked on an attempt to change history, preventing Voyager's destruction from ever occurring. Stone-faced, his bitterness extreme, Kim elucidates: the blame for Voyager's destruction rests squarely on his shoulders. During the flight, he, as planned and agreed, sent phase corrections back to Voyager to compensate for the phase variance. But his corrections proved to be wrong; instead, they increased the variance, so much so that the disaster he was trying to prevent was immediately precipitated. Voyager was knocked out of the slipstream and the crew was sent to an icy death. However, having fifteen years to think about his mistake, he has gone over the phase calculations from that day and has come up with a set of new corrections. The plan is to send the corrections back through time to Voyager, so that she actually makes it through and back to Earth instead of being destroyed. They intend to use three things, two of which they need The Doctor and Seven of Nine's corpse for, which is why they found and reactivated him, and found and retrieved the corpse. The first thing is a device they stole from Starfleet authorities: a Borg temporal transmitter, salvaged by Starfleet from the wreck of a Borg cube. The Doctor's job is to extract the other two items from Seven's cadaver: her interplexing beacon and her chronometric node. The final translink frequency registered by the interplexing beacon at the time of Seven's death will tell them exactly where she, and hence, Voyager, was before the catastrophe. The chronometric node will tell her actual time of death, when her Borg implants disengaged from her organic systems. A young woman then enters. This is the third party Chakotay was talking to. She alerts Chakotay of a Federation starship fast approaching. She informs them of measures she has taken to delay it from finding them, but warns that they will not work for long. They have six hours at most. At first, The Doctor is confused by this. But then he suddenly realizes what she means: they are, in fact, fugitives. Kim confirms it, listing the charges their plan has brought on their heads: high treason and conspiracy to violate the Temporal Prime Directive. Then Chakotay instructs him to begin work. He tells the woman to get ready to beam back down to Voyager's remains with him, to retrieve the ship's sensor logs. He then leaves to get himself ready. The woman smiles and introduces herself to The Doctor as Tessa Omond. Kim informs him that she is Chakotay's lover. She explains that she is there to help them carry out their plan. Chakotay returns for her, and they leave together. Returning to Voyager's bridge, Chakotay accesses the computer using his old first officer's command codes and begins downloading the sensor logs. As he sits in the first officer's seat next to the captain's, his pain of loss is evident. It is exacerbated when he finds a still-active file. It turns out to be Captain Janeway's last log entry, in which she states for the record, should the flight end in disaster, that the crew acted with distinction and valor. Tessa, seeing his pain, immediately comforts him, reminding him that if they are successful, Janeway and everyone else will be alive and well. Chakotay does indeed take comfort in this. But then another thought occurs to him: Tessa. If he is successful, he will lose her; they will never have met. This, despite his intense desire to have Voyager and her crew, his friends, restored, makes him pause: can he give her up, even though it means he will get them back? He takes her hands in his and asks her if she is sure she wants to do this, given what it will mean for the two of them. Her answer, however, settles the question: no matter how happy he is with her, his heart is, and would always be, on Voyager. She loves him enough to put his happiness first and help him fulfill his heart's desire and get them back, even if it erases what they have together. He accepts this gladly. Aboard the Delta Flyer, The Doctor works as Kim records a message to someone. The Doctor calls him to assist him. As they work, The Doctor asks him about his and Chakotay's homecoming. His extreme bitterness is made evident again as he recalls the reception they got: parades, antimatter fireworks, serenades by a Vulcan children's choir, speeches, and medals. The Doctor jokes that at least he was not buried under ice. This earns him a deathly glare from Kim, who responds coldly that he wished that he had been, many times. The Doctor sympathizes with him. Kim then, with intense sarcasm, recalls the therapy sessions he was forced to endure; these were supposed to help him get over his survivor's guilt. He recalls that he signed onto the first deep space vessel he could and worked manically at finding where Voyager had crashed, until Starfleet, after four years of searching, called off the search, citing 'low probability of success'. He begged them to continue, but they refused. So, he and Chakotay resigned their commissions, devised their plan and enacted it, stealing the Delta Flyer to do so. The Doctor succeeds in extracting the interplexing beacon from Seven's cadaver and reads out the interlink frequency. Kim encodes it into the Borg temporal transmitter. But The Doctor then cautiously asks him a question: is he sure about this course of action? Suppose it causes a timeline in which things are worse? But Kim's response is a look as deathly as his first, and a harsh reply that the only reason this timeline exists is because of his error. "The crew trusted me and I let them down!" he spits. Then the computer sounds an alarm, and announces a warning of a vessel approaching. Kim checks the scanners and sees that it is the Starfleet vessel. He hails Chakotay and Tessa and alerts them. They acknowledge and prepare to return immediately. Kim then turns his attention back to The Doctor. He has a question of his own: given the criminal nature of their action, does he want to be a part of it? If not, then Kim will take him off-line, not as a punishment or sanction, but as a friend, keeping him from being involved in something he is against. The Doctor considers and agrees to help willingly: he wants Voyager back as much as they do. Kim smiles and pats him on the shoulder. 2375 Aboard Voyager, all is in readiness for the slipstream. Janeway records a log entry in which she states for the record, should the attempt end in disaster, that the crew acted with distinction and valor. Aboard the Delta Flyer, some distance ahead of Voyager, Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kim are also ready. After a pre-flight checklist, a telemetry link is established between the two vessels. Janeway gives the order to begin. 2390 The Federation starship arrives and closes on the Flyer. It is a Galaxy-class starship. The Flyer flees at top speed, and the ship pursues them. Chakotay and Tessa pilot the Flyer, while Kim works in the lab with The Doctor to send the new phase corrections. The Federation ship hails. Chakotay answers. The captain appears on the small viewscreen. It is none other than Geordi La Forge, previously the chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-E. He identifies himself, and his ship as the USS Challenger and calmly instructs them to stand down. Chakotay and Tessa refuse. La Forge then presents to them a deal offered by the Federation Council: if they stand down and return the temporal transmitter, the charge of conspiracy will be dropped. Chakotay and Tessa reject the offer. La Forge understands, admitting he would likely be attempting the same thing in Chakotay's position. But he is a Starfleet captain, and as such, his duty is to try to stop them. Chakotay understands this. They genuinely wish each other luck and end the communication. Tessa reports the Challenger is targeting the Flyer's engines and Chakotay orders deflector shields raised and weapons readied. 2375 On Voyager's bridge, Captain Janeway hails the Delta Flyer and orders Chakotay and Kim to prepare for engagement of the slipstream drive. They acknowledge. Janeway orders Paris to engage the drive. Paris counts down. At zero, he engages the drive. Normal space explodes into a slipstream tunnel as the two ships enter slipstream space. They are on their way. 2390 The Flyer is hammered by the Challenger's weapons. Chakotay fires back, but of course, the shuttle's weapons have no effect against the starship's shields. In the lab, The Doctor quickly works to extract Seven's chronometric node from her cadaver, to give Kim the needed time index to send new phase corrections to. 2375 On Voyager's bridge, Seven of Nine, at the auxiliary tactical console, detects the phase variance. Ensign Kim, on the Delta Flyer, quickly calculates the compensatory corrections to send back to Paris at the conn console. He sends the corrections. Paris inputs them. The variance decreases. All seems to be going well. But then Seven reports the variance is increasing again. The increase is now more rapid than before. Voyager is shaken and begins to vibrate. Janeway hails Kim for an explanation. Kim becomes fearful. He is at a complete loss; the corrections should be working, he insists. He begins to quickly review them, fighting to control his fear. Then the com link between the ships fails, followed by the telemetry link. Paris reports tensely that the slipstream is destabilizing. Janeway orders him to shut the drive down. Paris tries to do so, but fails. 2390 The Doctor succeeds in extracting the needed time index from Seven's chronometric node. He reads it out to Kim, who quickly inputs it into the transmitter. He calls up the new corrections on the computer, interfaces the computer with the transmitter, and activates the transmitter, confidently telling The Doctor that this time, he will be successful. 2375 Seven of Nine suddenly looks perturbed. She reports to Janeway that she is receiving new phase corrections, even though the com link is down. Janeway surmises that Ensign Kim must have found a way to access her Borg implants to send the corrections. She orders them used. Seven does so. But they do not work; instead the variance increases even more rapidly. All hell breaks loose. Paris reports the hull is buckling. Janeway orders deflector shields at maximum. She orders Paris to hold her steady. He tries, but fails. The ship explodes back into normal space. Amid the alarms, Paris shouts that inertial dampers are offline. There is no sign of the Flyer. Aboard the Flyer, still in the slipstream, Kim is shocked and horrified to see what has happened. He tells Chakotay to alter course to return to where Voyager was thrown out. But Chakotay tells him that that the Flyer would not survive falling out, even if Voyager did. Panicked, Kim insists, but Chakotay sternly tells him they have no choice. Kim sinks to the floor, as the full enormity of his failure starts to sink in. Voyager spins and careens, completely out of control. Paris informs Janeway that they are but a few parsecs from the Alpha Quadrant. Tuvok reports extensive hull breaches; if they do not land immediately, Voyager will be torn apart. Paris then reports a planet nearby, Class L, covered with snow and ice. Janeway orders him to attempt to land. Voyager enters the planet's atmosphere, but fails to slow down and approaches the surface at full impulse. Janeway orders full reverse thrusters, but this avails them naught. She orders all hands to brace for impact. Voyager crashes belly-first into the solid, icy surface of the planet at high speed. The ship careens violently along the surface with one of the warp nacelles being destroyed upon impact with a patch of rocky terrain. Without inertial dampers, the crew of Voyager are killed immediately. 2390 On the Flyer, Kim is shocked and very much dismayed to find that nothing has changed. If Voyager had been saved, then this entire timeline would have been erased, and they would not be there still trying to save her. His new corrections did not work. He checks the equipment, and hails Chakotay, informing him of the failure. The Flyer's engines fail. The Challenger catches it in a tractor beam. Chakotay suggests a dangerous method of escape: sending a plasma surge through the beam to break its grip on them. Tessa confirms that this can be done, but warns him that their heavily damaged EPS relays might cause their warp core to destabilize, destroying them. Chakotay gently tells her she can leave and beam to the Challenger if she so desires, but she refuses with an equally gentle smile. He returns it and hails Kim, informing him that they have a few more minutes. In the lab, Kim feverishly checks his calculations, but cannot see why they did not work. The Flyer escapes from the tractor beam but, as Tessa warned, the warp core begins to destabilize. Chakotay hails Kim and alerts him that they have three minutes until they are destroyed. Kim begins to panic. He checks and rechecks his calculations, but to no avail; he simply cannot find the reason why they failed. The Doctor sternly tells him to keep trying. He does for a few seconds more, but gets nowhere. He falls apart. The fifteen years of guilt and self-loathing he has been carrying suddenly boil over in a tide. He steps away, his back to The Doctor, screaming, anguished: "I killed them! They trusted me and I KILLED THEM!" The Doctor becomes furious. He spins him around to face him and shouts at him into his face to control himself and stop wallowing in self-pity. Kim hysterically tells him he is repeating history, destroying Voyager once again. The Doctor sternly retorts that he, Kim, is the only one who can change history to save her and the crew. Kim steps away from him, tearfully insisting that it is impossible. But then The Doctor, countering that he had merely said that he couldn't keep the ship in the slipstream, gives him an idea that, with all his guilt, he had not even considered: while he must accept that he was unable to get Voyager home, could he not send them a warning to stop the flight or not attempt it at all? Kim seizes upon this: he could send a set of calculations that would cause the slipstream to harmlessly dissipate, depositing them back into normal space and shutting down the drive. Reinvigorated by the knowledge that he could still save the ship, he rushes back to the equipment and begins making the calculations, as the computer counts down the final 60 seconds before the warp core breaches. Chakotay asks Tessa if the core can be ejected. She responds no. Captain La Forge hails them. The Challenger's sensors have detected the imminent core breach; he offers to beam all of them off. Chakotay politely thanks him, but refuses and suggests he move his ship a safe distance away. Kim completes the calculations. But then he notices with horror the transmitter's power source is nearly depleted; the transmitter is shutting down. He looks desperately for an alternative and finds one: The Doctor's mobile emitter. The Doctor gladly surrenders it. He and Kim exchange comradely smiles and pats on the shoulder, then he dematerializes. Kim attaches the emitter to the transmitter, informing Chakotay that he is giving it one more try. The time runs down. Chakotay and Tessa, in the final ten seconds, hold hands. Kim works feverishly. At the very last second, he succeeds in transmitting the calculations. His last act, before the Flyer explodes, killing them, is to scream an elated, victorious "YES!" 2375 Seven of Nine suddenly looks perturbed. She reports to Janeway that she is receiving new phase corrections, even though the com link is down. Janeway surmises that Ensign Kim must have found a way to access her Borg implants to send the corrections. She orders them used. The corrections cause the drive to shut down. Paris reports the slipstream is dissipating. Both Voyager and the Flyer emerge from slipstream space back into normal space, unharmed. Communications between the two ships comes back online. Ensign Kim hails Voyager, confused, and asks what happened. Captain Janeway, looking very displeased, tells him that he made a mistake: the phase corrections, which he sent to Seven shut the drive down. This confuses Kim even more; he responds that he sent no corrections to Seven. This stuns Janeway and the bridge crew. She informs him that Seven received a set of corrections through her implants. "It wasn't you?" she asks. He repeats that it was not. Janeway and the bridge officers look at each other, dumbfounded. Janeway notes in her log that she has ordered the quantum slipstream drive dismantled. A disappointed Chief Engineer Torres is seen overseeing this. But Janeway also notes that the little time they spent in the slipstream shaved a solid ten years off their journey. Now, she comments, it seems to be a matter of when they get home, rather than if. Ensign Kim sits glumly alone in the darkened mess hall with a desktop monitor. Janeway enters and sits with him. He sadly tells her what he has discovered: the phase corrections he had sent were wrong; their use would have severely damaged or even destroyed Voyager. It is evident that he is deeply ashamed of himself. But, he continues, he cannot fathom where the other corrections came from, or who sent them. Janeway enigmatically tells him that they came from a guardian angel named Harry Kim. She explains to him as he regards her, dumbfounded, that Seven found a Starfleet security code in the transmission: his. Further, the transmission had a temporal displacement, showing that it originated between 10 and 20 years in the future. Kim slowly interfaces the monitor and the tricorder and plays the message. The image of the future, older Harry Kim gazes at him with a small smile. It is the same message the future Kim was seen recording. He tells him that if he is seeing this, then the mistake he made fifteen years ago has been corrected. "You owe me one," he finishes. Kim stares at the image in wonder. 
<EOS>
Late night aboard USS Voyager. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven of Nine regenerates in her alcove. The lights are low. All is quiet. But then a loud, echoing cacophony of voices is heard. Seven awakens. She glances about suspiciously and steps down from the alcove, ignoring the computer's warning that the regeneration cycle is incomplete. She stalks about the room in a manner most unlike her. She leaves, careful not to let anyone see her, and makes her way to the mess hall. There she inspects and tosses aside bowls of fruit and vegetables on the kitchen counter, with an angry growl. Going further in, she suddenly smells something that interests her, coming from the fridge. She throws the doors open and rummages around inside, making a mess on the floor, until she finds it: a large chunk of meat, which she immediately tears into. Seven's reflection on the inside of one of the doors is that of a Klingon male, ravenously tearing into the meat. The next morning, Ensign Kim presents a report on a strange detection on the overnight sensor logs: a huge debris field, 120 km wide. Present is the senior staff: Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Lt. Torres, Neelix and Seven of Nine. Kim reports that he found a residual warp signature in the field. Seven is able to identify the field as the remains of a Borg cube. Chakotay inquires as to what destroyed it. Seven responds only a close-up scan would yield the answer. Kim says they will soon have the chance: the field is right ahead. But Janeway has no intention of allowing curiosity to be satisfied here, as the Borg are known to investigate and salvage any of their vessels should they be damaged or destroyed. She orders a course alteration to steer clear of the field. The meeting is ended and all rise to leave. But then Neelix stops them with another problem: the raid on the kitchen that occurred the night before, the latest in several such incidents. He names this time's loss, the meat Seven wolfed down — a leg of Kelaran wildebeest he'd prepared for an Ensign's birthday. He asks and obtains Janeway's permission to replicate locks for the fridge doors, as Tuvok has been unable to find the culprits. The meeting ends. As Seven walks through the corridors, she is followed by young Naomi Wildman. The child is careful not to be seen, and Seven is seemingly unaware of her. Seven stops at a Jefferies tube, opens it, and takes some readings while Naomi hides, watching her and making notes on a PADD. Seven finishes and continues on round a corner. Naomi steps out and rounds the same corner, her attention on her PADD and gets a total, shocking surprise as she runs into Seven, standing waiting for her, looking down at her in disapproval. She was entirely aware of Naomi's presence. She commands the child to state her intentions. Naomi, stunned, stutters, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Seven wheels round and continues on, intending to report her to the Captain. Naomi hurries to catch up to her and begs her not to; she was just observing her. She explains that she is studying Seven to learn how to be perfect, in order to impress Captain Janeway enough to make her the Captain's Bridge Assistant. Seven is impressed with the child's thinking, but tells her she is not developed enough. She starts to make a suggestion when she suddenly stops walking and the voices heard in the Teaser are heard again. Her entire demeanor changes. A huge, sunny smile suffuses her face as she turns to Naomi and greets her brightly, as if she has never met her. Naomi, slightly confused but not alarmed, returns the greeting. Seven complains of boredom and suggests they go swimming. However, Naomi responds that she is not allowed to without her mother. Seven pouts disappointedly, acting exactly like a child of Naomi's age. But then she brightens and suggests kadis-kot, a game which Naomi loves. Naomi happily agrees and the go running off together, giggling. In the Wildman quarters, Seven and Naomi play kadis-kot. Seven wins, impressing Naomi. But as she resets the board, both their reflections are seen in its surface. Naomi's is Naomi's, but Seven's is that of a little girl. They continue to play and talk. Then Lt. Torres hails Seven from Engineering, asking her to come there. Seven acts as if she does not hear it. Torres repeats the hail, annoyed at Seven's failure to respond. Suddenly Seven looks as if she has woken up in a place she has no idea how she got to. She responds to the hail and, in her normal demeanor, asks Naomi uncertainly what she, Seven, is doing there. Her reflection in the board is again her. Naomi responds with the obvious: playing kadis-kot. Seven shakily rises and leaves for Engineering, ignoring Naomi's questioning look. Naomi, again confused but not alarmed, starts packing up the board. In Engineering, Torres shows Seven a subspace frequency she has detected; it looks Borg, and she wants Seven to confirm if it is. Seven does so, and names it as a Borg neural interlink frequency, used to integrate the minds of Borg drones together. She tries to find its origin. Torres comments on her unsettled appearance. Seven confirms that she is not feeling well and tells Torres of her memory lapse. Torres suggests she go to the Sickbay but Seven refuses, intent on tracking the source of the signal as the lapse's possible cause. She is going to another console when the voices are again heard. Her reflection this time as she turns back to face Torres is that of the Klingon man. Naked lust on her face, she introduces herself to the dumbfounded Torres as the 'son of K'Vok', in a deep, masculine voice. She walks around Torres as if checking her out sexually. Suddenly Seven seizes her and bites her cheek, another Klingon mating practice. Yelping in pain, Torres throws her off and retreats to a corner. She urgently hails Security. Grinning lustfully, Seven cages her, voicing her approval of her as a potential mate. Torres grabs a heavy object and warns her in no uncertain terms to keep away. Seven slaps her chest, approving of how Torres wants to 'prove herself in battle', as two Security officers enter. They move to collar Seven, but she bulldozes past them and dashes out the doors, leaving Torres to gaze after her in blank bewilderment. On the bridge, Captain Janeway emerges from her ready room and orders a report on what is happening. Chakotay reports Seven's attack on Torres and reports her position, provided by the command console. Janeway orders Ensign Kim to deploy force fields to contain her. "Don't tell me those two have come to blows," she tells Chakotay, speaking of the dislike the hot-tempered Torres has for the former drone. Meanwhile, a security officer is seen thrown hard into a corner. He stays down, unconscious, courtesy Seven. She picks up his phaser and tries to run. But she cannot leave the immediate area because of the force fields that now block her way. Tuvok, head of Security, closes on her position with another of his officers, both armed with phasers. They come upon her, but find her, instead of angry or defiant, crouched against a wall near to the downed officer, like a frightened child. In a tiny, scared voice, she tells Tuvok, "Someone's hurt and he needs help," referring to the downed officer. Seeing Tuvok's stern expression, she fearfully asks him if she did something bad. Tuvok realizes this is not Seven of Nine. "Who are you?" he asks. She identifies herself as Maryl. Tuvok has the computer drop the force field separating them. He and the officer carefully enter the space, and he has her give him the phaser. Then the voices are again heard. As he signals the officer to assist the downed one, Seven rises and, in a Vulcan-like manner, comments that the logical action would be to take the officer to the infirmary. She certainly does not sound like a child any longer. Now she identifies herself as Subaltern Lorot of the Vulcan High Command. It is absolutely clear to Tuvok now that Seven is in severe need of medical help. She asks how she may be of assistance; he asks her to please go with him to the Sickbay. She agrees cordially, and walks ahead of him. But then the voices are again heard. She stops dead, her manner becoming dark and angry; the Klingon is back. She curses and threatens him, and he orders her to keep moving, his phaser on her. She wheels and lunges at him with an angry bellow. He stuns her and collects her as she falls unconscious. Seven awakens in the Sickbay two hours later, with a cortical inhibitor on her neck. Captain Janeway and Tuvok are present, while The Doctor examines her. Seven asks Janeway nervously why she, Seven, is there. Janeway explains. The voices are again heard, but this time, Seven speaks of them; it is now clear that only she can hear them. On The Doctor's instruction, she describes them as angry and chaotic. A nightmarish montage is seen, of Humans and aliens in Borg alcoves, one after the other, screaming in terror. They get louder and louder, until Seven suddenly sits up in pain and fear, gasping, "Too many voices!" The Doctor adjusts the inhibitor, which causes the voices to fade and cease. Seven is grateful. But she is very shaken to hear of her activities, which she remembers nothing of: playing with Naomi Wildman and trying to mate with Lt. Torres. The Doctor calls them all to a console to show them Seven's neural pattern. He explains that he has found 13 other neural patterns in her brain along with her own. They belong to individuals assimilated by the Borg during her 18 years as a drone. They, like the neural patterns of all who are assimilated, are incorporated into the Borg hive mind, stored in the cortical implants of all drones, including Seven, when she was one. They are supposed to be dormant. But they are now very active in Seven and are manifesting themselves randomly, causing Seven to randomly mentally become that person. Seven informs them of the Borg interlink frequency Torres had found. Tuvok further informs them of its apparent origin: the remains of the Borg cube they had found. Janeway suggests getting far away from it quickly, getting out of range. But Seven responds that this is impossible; the signal permeates subspace. The only way to stop it is to shut it off. Janeway orders Tuvok to have the ship return to the field, and orders The Doctor to keep an eye on Seven. Seven and The Doctor head for Seven's Cargo Bay 2 quarters. On the way, The Doctor inquires if any Borg drone ever experienced anything like this. Seven unnervedly responds that the Collective would immediately destroy any such drone; it has no tolerance for imperfection. As they walk, they are joined by Neelix. The Talaxian, in his office of morale officer, has heard she is not well, and has come to cheer her up. Seven's entire body language and demeanor make it very clear that she wants him to go away, but he persists, offering to finish assignments for her, prepare for her one of his wonderful medicinal teas, or prepare one her favorite meal in a glass nutritional supplements. Finally Seven tells him in no uncertain terms: "Your concern has been noted. The Doctor will inform you when I am functional again." He does not take it personally and withdraws, but not before giving her a gift from Naomi: a crayon drawing she has made. This touches Seven and she tells him to convey her thanks to the child. In Cargo Bay 2, The Doctor checks Seven's regeneration logs. He finds several interruptions which, along with recorded spikes in her brain activity, finally reveal her as the kitchen's night raider; she did it while sleepwalking under the influence of one of the foreign neural patterns. Seven then finds a data file she does not remember making. She plays it. It is an audio recording of her making a log entry as if she was a young Starfleet officer on her first starship assignment, the USS Tombaugh, under Captain Blackwood. Seven tells The Doctor that the Borg assimilated that ship and its crew 13 years prior. Seven had apparently personally assimilated this officer; she calls her one of her victims. Another data file is found, this one a recording of Seven speaking as alien female dictating a message to her romantic partner. The Doctor inquires who she was. This is extremely uncomfortable for Seven, confronted with stark reminders of the atrocities she committed as a drone. These were people with lives, families, before she condemned them to living death as Borg abominations. She all but runs out of the room, angrily and ashamedly telling The Doctor she does not remember the names of each of the thousands she helped assimilate. The Doctor stops her and gently tells her this is only a bump in the road back to her humanity; they'll get past it. Then Chakotay hails her from the bridge; they have arrived at the debris field. She acknowledges the First Officer and heads for the bridge. On the bridge, Tuvok and Lt. Paris inform Janeway and Chakotay that no drones have survived and no Borg ships are about. Ensign Kim finds the source of the Borg frequency. Janeway orders it shown on the viewscreen, magnified. A strange object is seen, parts of it glowing with Borg-green light. Seven identifies it as a Borg vinculum; a central processor found in every Borg ship, which interconnects the minds of drones and purges all individuality from them. This one has apparently identified her as an errant drone and is trying to reintegrate her into the collective. But the commands it is sending her Borg implants are erratic and conflicted. She asks Janeway's permission to beam it aboard to study it and shut it down. Janeway, however is very loath to do this; it is the heart of a Borg cube; she would much prefer not to have it on the ship. But Seven insists that to try to disable it remotely could permanently damage her systems. Janeway thinks it over, then reluctantly agrees. She orders Tuvok to beam it to Engineering. But she tells him to lock it down under a level 10 force field and constant surveillance; it is to put back into space the moment it poses a threat. To Paris, she issues an order to remove them from the area at warp 9 as soon as the vinculum is aboard. She quietly assures Seven she will try to help her any way she can, but the safety of the crew comes first; they have not had the best of luck with the Borg. Seven responds that she has not either. With the vinculum aboard, Paris engages warp 9 as per Janeway's order. Voyager is seen flying past streaking lines of stars at very high speed. Meanwhile, Seven and The Doctor enter Engineering to study the vinculum. Her proximity to it increases its signal's effect on her, so that she hears the voices despite her cortical inhibitor. The Doctor adjusts it to compensate. Lt. Torres comes down from room's upper level, but stops in her tracks when she sees Seven and eyes her warily. Seven assures her the 'son of K'Vok' will not be joining them. Reassured, Torres joins her and The Doctor at a console. Seven attempts to hack into the vinculum, but, in the process, finds what appears to be a virus in it. Amazed, The Doctor identifies it as a synthetic pathogen designed to attack technology as a normal virus attacks living cells. Seven calls up log information contained in the vinculum; it shows that the cube had assimilated a shuttlecraft 3 days prior. They were the cube's last contact. Logically, then, the vinculum's infection had come from them; as The Doctor puts it, they were the Typhoid Mary. Later, in Astrometrics, Seven briefs The Doctor and Captain Janeway about the aliens whose assimilation infected the cube's vinculum with the pathogen. They were members of a species the Borg designated 6339. This race's first contact with the Borg had occurred 4 years prior. Since that time, nearly the entire species was assimilated; over 11 billion people. The Collective had detected one of their last surviving shuttlecraft and a cube intercepted it. The Doctor and Seven believe the aliens aboard carried the virus in their bodies. It infected the vinculum upon their assimilation. Seven muses that the drones aboard undoubtedly experienced the same effect the vinculum's signal is having on her, leading them to eventually destroy themselves and the cube. Janeway decides that they should try to find other members of the species in the hope they could help Seven. She orders Seven to start scanning for them on long-range scanners. Seven starts saying she already has, but then the voices are heard. She stares at the viewscreen and, in the manner of a Ferengi, waddles up to it, comments exaggeratedly on its size and offers Janeway 20 latinum bars for it. She introduces herself as DaiMon Torrot, a Ferengi title and name. Janeway and The Doctor know they need to get her back to the Sickbay immediately. The Doctor convinces her to accompany them by telling her she has the Ankaran flu; treatment is free of charge. She goes with them, loudly complaining about how the Ferengi Health Commission is trying to revoke her trading license. In the Sickbay, Janeway and The Doctor manage to get Seven near a bio-bed so that she can be contained by a force field. As she loudly protests being kidnapped, The Doctor concernedly tells Janeway the inhibitor is no longer restraining the foreign neural patterns. Seven's own neural pattern is destabilizing; it could soon be lost, taking Seven's sanity with it. Then Seven gets their attention again when her voice suddenly changes to that of a pleading, frightened woman. She asks Janeway for help in finding her son, Lt. Gregory Bergan. He was serving on the USS Melbourne, one of the fleet of 39 starships that was obliterated by a single Borg cube in the Battle of Wolf 359. She begs Janeway's help in trying to find him, saying that her own ship, a civilian transport, was caught in the battle and they had to leave in escape pods. Of course, the fact that Seven is manifesting her neural pattern means that she was, in fact, captured and assimilated. Then the voices sound again and Seven returns to normal. But the experience is beginning to break her spirit. She is anguished and very afraid; she does not know how much longer she can bear this. Janeway has the computer drop the force field. She goes to Seven's side and tells the former drone that her job is to hold on, even when she thinks she cannot, and leave the rest to her and the crew. An hour later, Janeway returns to the bridge, worn out from dealing with Seven's multiple personalities. 12 personalities manifested themselves in that time; Seven's state became so bad she had to be sedated. Janeway confides in Chakotay her thoughts that Chakotay had been right; perhaps bringing Seven back to humanity is indeed impossible; her Borg part would always cause problems and complications. Chakotay assures her he no longer thinks this; he did not believe she would last a day, but here she is, still there after one year, a valued crew member. Torres then calls from Engineering; she and Tuvok have set up to begin taking the vinculum offline, and are ready to start. Janeway gives the go-ahead. Torres and Tuvok begin. At first all goes well; in the Sickbay, The Doctor reports that Seven's neural pattern is stabilizing. But then it goes horribly wrong. The vinculum, in the way of the Borg, adapts, its signal becoming even stronger. Seven's condition rapidly degenerates. The voices become deafening as the many foreign neural patterns clash with each other for dominance. Her mind begins to break down as she thrashes about in pain, screaming for help. The Doctor frantically shouts at Torres and Tuvok to abort the procedure. Torres tries to change tactics to stop the vinculum's adaptation, but Tuvok stops her, seeing that it would not succeed. He informs Janeway of their failure. Janeway commands The Doctor to report on Seven's condition. Seven is seen lying unconscious. A somber Doctor tells Janeway her neural pattern is completely gone; the others have fully taken over. She is lost. Janeway stares forward in horror. In the briefing room, The Doctor and Tuvok give their bleak reports to Janeway personally about Seven and the vinculum. The Doctor agitatedly reports that he has stabilized her brain functions, but it is no longer Seven of Nine who lies in the Sickbay. The foreign neural patterns now flit through rapid-fire like a strobe light. A new one manifests itself every few seconds; she can no longer even finish a sentence now before another takes over. It is severely straining her brain's cerebral cortex; if the vinculum is not soon deactivated they may never recover her. He has tried every medical treatment in his database, and has run out of options. Tuvok then suggests an alternative; a Vulcan mind meld. The Doctor is horrified at the suggestion. Tuvok elucidates: Seven's own neural pattern is in chaos, her sense of self is drowning, under the sea of the other patterns. He will attempt to enter her mind, reach her true self, and bring it back to the surface. The Doctor insists that this is too risky, and Janeway herself wonders if he will be able to deal with the multitude of personalities in Seven's mind without losing his own. Tuvok calmly responds that the risk is his to take. She considers silently, and then agrees. The Doctor tries to persuade her otherwise, but she reminds him of what he himself said: they are out of options. She grants Tuvok the 2 hours he requests to meditate in preparation. Chakotay calls her from the bridge; they have found a Species 6339 ship. She goes onto the bridge, while The Doctor returns to the Sickbay. On the bridge, Ensign Kim reports that the aliens' vessel is heavily armed: 22 phaser cannons on its aft section alone. Janeway has him hail them. She identifies herself and Voyager, but as she explains the reason for contacting them, one cuts her off, demanding to know if she has the vinculum. She responds affirmatively. "You've made a terrible mistake, Captain." he tells her. Janeway has the two aliens beamed over. She is seen speaking with them in Engineering, with Chakotay and Torres. The one she spoke to, whose name is Ven, explains that the virus in the vinculum is, in fact, a weapon. Ever since the Borg decimated their world they had been seeking ways of retaliation. 13 of their surviving people agreed to allow themselves to be infected with the virus and then be assimilated for the virus to infect the vinculum. He angrily complains that they had the opportunity to infect dozens, even hundreds of Borg vessels until Voyager interfered, and demands an explanation. Janeway and Chakotay explain about Seven, and Janeway voices her hope they could help treat her. He responds that the virus was created to destroy Borg; a treatment was never considered; Seven will not survive. But he insists that the vinculum must be returned to the debris field before any other Borg ships come to investigate, or the chance to spread the virus to other Borg ships will be lost, and the sacrifice made by those 13 of his people would be in vain. Janeway agrees to return it, but only after a way is found to counteract its effects to save Seven's life. She has Lt. Torres begin to explain a plan she has formulated to do that, but Ven cuts her off impatiently, saying they have no time for this, and demands the vinculum. Janeway refuses, saying she cannot return it to them yet; Seven must be saved first. Ven pointedly reminds her of the firepower power of their vessel. Janeway responds that they could severely damage Voyager, but they would also be damaging the vinculum; are they willing to risk this? But Ven dangerously counters that the device already survived the destruction of one vessel, far larger and more powerful than Voyager. Janeway and her officers stare at him, uncomfortably aware of how right he is. In the Sickbay, The Doctor has managed to temporarily reach Seven's neural pattern. But it will not be long before it is lost again. Seven awakens, restrained on a bio-bed. The Doctor explains that some of her recent 'guests' were violent. She asks about the vinculum. He responds that they have not been able to shut it down; it keeps adapting. The former drone understands this perfectly. The voices sound again. Seven fearfully informs him. Knowing he is about to lose her again, The Doctor, regardless of his feelings about Tuvok's plan, fulfills his duty of informing her, his patient, about it as a possible treatment option. Seven asks about the risks to Tuvok, more concerned with his safety than hers. The Doctor tells her that his mind could be destroyed, but Tuvok believes the likelihood of that is low. Desperate, Seven agrees to the procedure. She thanks The Doctor for his patience asks him to convey her thanks to the crew for their help, whether she survives or not. Then the voices rise to a deafening level. She convulses, agonized, straining against the restraints, her screams heart-breaking. The Doctor quickly sedates her. Tuvok, in his quarters, completes his meditation. His eyes open. The intensity of focus in them is as a Borg cutting beam. He rises and heads for the Sickbay. Ven and his party return to their ship. Janeway arrives back on the bridge, where Lt. Paris reports that the aliens are charging weapons and coming in for an attack run. Grimly, Janeway orders shields raised. Tuvok arrives at the Sickbay. The ship shudders under the aliens' fire. The Doctor attaches a cortical inhibitor to his neck and informs him of his intention to break the meld at the first sign of trouble. But Tuvok tells him not to interfere; there will undoubtedly be many 'signs of trouble', and The Doctor must have faith in his ability to endure them. The Doctor uneasily goes to a console to monitor the procedure. Tuvok has the computer drop the force field between him and Seven, and approaches her. She is again awake, but there is no trace of her, only the foreign personalities; she begs for release as a child, curses and threatens him as a Klingon and offers to buy from him as a Ferengi. He ignores them all as he positions his hand on her head to initiate the meld and begins repeating the meld mantra: "My mind to your mind; your thoughts to my thoughts." More personalities flash through; a Vulcan calmly telling him he will be unsuccessful; a woman screaming frantically that the Borg are assimilating the ship; a terrified child crying for her mother. Tuvok stays focused. Finally, he forms the mental bond. But it is as a nightmare. He finds himself in a dark, surreal world looking like the inside of a Borg cube. Hundreds of people, Human and alien, young and old, Starfleet and other, press and pull at him, screaming, shouting, violent. He begins searching the chaos for Seven. The alien vessel hammers Voyager. The difference in power is evident; they are untouched, but Voyager's shields are quickly degrading under their assault. The targeting systems are off-line, as are main thrusters. Janeway orders all available power to the shields and has Chakotay, at the Tactical station filling in for Tuvok, manually target their weapons systems. In Engineering, Lt. Torres, having instituted her plan to prevent the vinculum from adapting, hails the bridge and informs Janeway of success; power is being drained from it; it should be off in the next 60 seconds. In the Sickbay, Tuvok wrestles with the personalities of the assimilated in Seven's mind. He hears Seven and sees her some distance from him, being assaulted as he is. He tries to reach her, but cannot. They continue calling out to each other, as her body thrashes about under the restraints on the bio-bed. Tuvok maintains his hand on her face, breathing hard, eyes shut tight, body swaying slightly. In Engineering, in contact with the bridge, Torres calls out the vinculum's dropping power level percentage from her console. But then the ship is shaken and sparks fly. She informs Janeway that the emitters of the dampening field that is draining the vinculum's power have gone offline; the vinculum starts to power up again. Janeway responds that they took a hit to the power grid, and has Chakotay switch to emergency power. The emitters start working again. Torres resumes her call-out of the vinculum's dropping level percentage. Its Borg-green lights, which had glowed steadily, begin to flicker, until finally they go dark, as its power level finally drops to zero. It is done. In Seven's mind, the violent throngs disappear. Tuvok runs to Seven. She was holding onto a wall to keep herself from getting taken away. But when she feels Tuvok's hands on her shoulders and sees they are now alone, she lets go. They look around, exhausted. Tuvok breaks the meld, nearly collapsing with exhaustion, his face filmed with sweat. Seven opens her eyes, once again alone in her mind. The Doctor hails the bridge and informs Janeway. Janeway has Ensign Kim try to hail the aliens to tell them they are surrendering the vinculum but they do not respond. She angrily orders Chakotay to beam it into space. He does so. The aliens withdraw. She orders Paris to remove them from the area at warp 9. Seven, after her ordeal, regenerates for nearly a week to recover from the massive strain put on her Borg systems. On awakening, she is checked by The Doctor, with Janeway present. The Doctor happily confirms that she is fully recovered and fit to return to duty. Janeway asks about the other personalities; The Doctor responds that they have returned to their dormant state. Seven concernedly asks him for confirmation that they will not return. He pensively replies that, in actuality, since they are stored dormant in her cortical implants, they will, in fact, always be with her; she will simply not hear them. She knows this and accepts it. Seven and Naomi Wildman are seen walking along a corridor. Seven gives her PADDs with information for her to study, such as star charts for the next three systems Voyager will pass through, and sociological data on 173 Delta Quadrant species. She instructs her that all of this information will be relevant to her as the Captain's Bridge Assistant. Naomi eagerly agrees to study it all. As they enter the turbolift, Seven gives her one more assignment: she wishes to participate in recreational activities, and wants Naomi to teach her one in particular. "Kadis-kot". Seven tells her. "Instruct me how to play." The words are a command. Her demeanor and tone make it a gentle request. Naomi happily agrees to comply. 
<EOS>
The Doctor is presenting a holographic slide show of his achievements since being activated. Present are several crewmembers as well as the following senior officers: Captain Kathryn Janeway, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Lt. Tom Paris, and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres. The audience members struggle to keep their attention on the tedious presentation. On the bridge, Commander Chakotay is reminded by Ensign Harry Kim that the Captain had requested that he call a false yellow alert to rescue the audience after thirty minutes. But the First Officer has no intention of doing so. He, Kim and others had to endure it for two hours, and he sees no reason why the rest of the senior staff should be spared the same experience. He tells this to Kim, who agrees with a mischievous grin. The presentation ends. The senior officers are very chagrined by Chakotay's set-up. In the mess hall, Paris and Torres discuss the experience with Neelix, the ship's Talaxian chef, among other things. Neelix is sympathetic, having had to previously endure the ordeal himself. Then the ship begins to rattle. Officers and crew present immediately leave for their stations. On the bridge, Kim reports a huge energy wave is heading toward them. Janeway orders deflector shields raised and evasive maneuvers attempted, but the wave actually changes direction to suit, as if it is tracking them. They are unable to escape and it hits. But it merely buffets them hard, causing only minor damage. They know not what to make of it. When the wave has passed, Janeway orders all stop and damage assessment. As was said, the damage is only minor. But then Ensign Kim reports that a signal was downloaded into the ship's database when the wave hit. He cannot decipher it, but there is an audio component. Janeway orders it played. A strange sound is heard. Janeway surmises that the wave and downloaded signal are actually an attempt at communication from somewhere. Their best bet to find the source is to follow the ion trail the wave left. She orders it done. The ship slows from warp speed at the end of the trail and the source is indeed found: an alien ship. It appears heavily damaged. Ensign Kim detects a single non-humanoid life sign aboard. Chakotay orders it beamed to the sickbay. In sickbay, the alien is seen lying on a bio-bed. As a safety measure, the bed's alcove is sealed by a force field. It is a most odd-looking creature. It is pinkish in general color, but green on the head and back. It has 4 multi-segmented limbs with three-digit appendages on each one, presumably appendages of manipulation. Two large eyes are on the front of the head. It has a long proboscis-like appendage, with two feeler-like projections protruding from it, and a long tail. Captain Janeway is present. The Doctor frustratedly reports to her about the alien's condition: it is definitely injured, but he has absolutely no idea as to how to treat, or even diagnose it, as the tricorder cannot make any sense of what it is scanning from it. Lt. Torres enters sickbay and reports to Janeway that the interface controls on the alien's ship are chemical in nature. She surmises that the alien flies it by interfacing with the systems and using biochemical secretions to command and control it. She approaches the force field. Suddenly, with a screech, the alien leaps off the biobed, passes straight through the force field and attaches itself to Torres. She falls beneath it, struggling mightily to get it off of her, but fails. The security officer present pulls his phaser and gives it to Janeway but The Doctor stops her, as a shot would harm Torres and may not even faze the alien. Janeway urgently hails the bridge and orders Ensign Kim to beam it back to its ship, but he is unable to get a transporter lock on it. The alien pierces Torres' neck with its proboscis, and her struggling quickly lessens and stops. Torres now lies unconscious on the bio-bed the alien was occupying. The alien has its limbs wrapped tightly around her upper torso, its tail coiled equally tightly around her leg. Its head is nuzzled against her neck and it is purring like a contented cat. Janeway and Lieutenant Paris, who is strongly romantically involved with Torres, look at her with great concern as The Doctor reports on her condition. The Doctor informs them that her lungs and [heart] are being severely compromised by the alien interfacing with them, and her kidneys are failing. Paris, frantic and very frightened, all but shouts at him to do something. He responds that if he tried to remove it, her affected organs would be irreparably damaged. Neither can it be beamed off her, as Janeway suggests, as that would remove those organs with the alien. To come up with any kind of treatment, he tells them, he needs to consult an extensive database on exobiology. Janeway suggests that he consult more than a mere database; the said database could actually be merged into a created interactive hologram of a leading exobiologist, to work with him as a consultant. He agrees, and Paris cites Ensign Kim as the best crewmember to do this. Janeway agrees. Kim works at the holographic "consultant" on one of the ship's two holodecks, as The Doctor watches with interest. The Doctor has found a suitable leading figure in exobiology in the database to use: one Dr. Crell Moset. Kim activates the holographic matrix, and a hologram of Dr. Moset appears. But on seeing him, Kim immediately notes that his species would be a serious problem for Lt. Torres, who is a former Maquis; Moset is a Cardassian. The Doctor is unconcerned, however; Moset was listed as the most highly qualified and respected exobiologist in the database. Kim activates the hologram's interactive subroutines. The Moset hologram greets them in a cordial, friendly manner, especially The Doctor, citing him as a fellow medical professional. The Doctor quickly warms up to Moset and they begin discussing Lt. Torres' situation. Kim transfers Moset to the sickbay so that The Doctor could show him the problem. There they confer further, and begin brainstorming possible treatments. On the bridge, Janeway and Chakotay oversee continuing efforts to decrypt the alien signal. Seven of Nine, the former Borg drone, is in engineering, having been made the temporary chief engineer. Working with her is a young Bajoran ensign named Tabor. They attempt to download the alien ship's database. But the attempt fails, and, moreover, a sudden surge in the badly damaged ship's power system causes it to explode, taking the database with it, destroying all hope of decrypting the signal. In the sickbay, The Doctor and Moset continue to discuss treatments. Paris remains at Torres' side; a trained medical assistant, the captain has allowed him to remain in the sickbay to assist, for which he is extremely grateful. Moset tells The Doctor that he would be much better able to come up with possible treatments if he had his laboratory. The Doctor suggests having Ensign Kim create a holographic simulation of it. Moset, pleased, agrees. However, as the two holograms confer, Torres regains consciousness and sees Moset. She is instantly angry, as Kim suspected she would be, but Paris assures her that he may be the only way to save her life. The simulated lab is created, along with a simulation of the alien on an examination table. The Doctor and Moset get to work examining it. As they work, they find themselves humming a tune together, to each other's pleasant surprise. Then The Doctor conversationally asks Moset about his accomplishments, particularly his work in devising a cure for the fostossa virus, a pathogen that killed thousands on Bajor during the Cardassian occupation of that planet. Moset replies in a friendly manner, but sidesteps the question, only replying that he did the work on Bajor itself during the occupation, and not mentioning anything about the details of his research, such as the methods he used. On the bridge, Janeway and Chakotay surmise that the alien's signal may have in fact been a distress call. Therefore, if it is broadcast, others of its kind may receive it and come, and they may be able to learn to communicate with them. Janeway orders Tuvok to broadcast the signal using Voyager's navigational deflector array, which he does. The Doctor and Moset begin the examination. The Doctor, however, becomes uncomfortable when he sees the procedure that Moset intends to use: cutting the "living" thing open with scalpel. The Doctor assists despite his discomfort, but winces when the creature screams as the first incision is made. Moset examines the creature's internal organs and decides that a neurostatic shock would cause the alien to lose motor function, allowing its removal. The Doctor concernedly surmises that such a procedure would kill it. Moset, however, responds that the choice may be between it and Torres. Then he begins to fritz. The Doctor has the computer deactivate him and hails Ensign Kim. Kim agrees to meet The Doctor in the sickbay. Kim arrives at the sickbay, bringing Ensign Tabor with him to assist. Torres, still awake, angrily tells The Doctor that Moset should not be reactivated. He tries to tell her that he is, in fact, very kind and compassionate, unlike her stereotypical view of Cardassians, however grounded in fact that view may be; if she would just get to know him, she would see that. In fact, he adds, he is planning to ask the captain to keep him as a permanent consultant for him. She coldly responds that there are many aboard besides her who would have great objection to that. The Doctor turns his attention to Kim and asks him how he is progressing. Kim responds that they are almost finished. He reactivates Moset. The moment Tabor sees him, he stands rooted with shock, before becoming apoplectic. Screaming that he is a mass murderer, he shouts that Crell Moset killed his grandfather, brother and hundreds of other Bajorans. Tabor lunges at Moset and has to be held back by Paris and Kim. The Doctor tells him he is mistaken but, nearly choking with fury, he retorts that he is not; Crell Moset performed horrific experiments on living people. Thousands of Bajorans, he charges, were killed by him at his "so-called hospital" on Bajor. Moset denies his accusations. He tells The Doctor he should probably leave, and The Doctor transfers him back to the holodeck. In Chakotay's office, Tabor in control of himself but still extremely angry, repeats his accusations against Crell Moset to Chakotay. The Doctor is present. Tabor lists some of Moset's alleged atrocities: exposing Tabor's grandfather's organs to nadion radiation, condemning him to a painful, six-day-long demise; blinding others to study how they adapted to being deprived of their sight; exposing others to polytrinic acid to see how long it took their skin to heal. The Doctor reminds him of the fostossa virus which killed thousands of Bajorans. Moset, he tells him, found the cure. Tabor retorts that he did so by infecting hundreds of other Bajorans with the virus, so he could experiment with treatments on them. Chakotay interjects that he recalls, in his time as a Maquis commander, that some of the Bajoran Maquis under his command spoke of an infamous Cardassian doctor. Tabor begs him to have the hologram, and all traces of Moset's research, destroyed. In sickbay, Torres, though very weak, vehemently tells Paris that she will not let Moset treat her. Before, she simply hated him as a Cardassian; now that she knows who Crell Moset is, she passionately loathes him. She asserts that if she lets "that pig" operate on her, she will be benefiting from his wickedness and his victims' suffering. She would rather die than to do that. Paris is horrified. He tries desperately to get her to reconsider, but she is adamant. The Doctor also tries, telling her that they are very close to a treatment. But she insists that another way be found, before again slipping into unconsciousness. An alarm indicates she is going into cytotoxic shock. The Doctor quickly administers counteracting medication. Seven of Nine and Ensign Kim are in engineering, studying the ship's databases for information that may prove or disprove Tabor's accusations. What they find is very troubling. Kim hails The Doctor, who soon arrives. They show him what they found: during his time on Bajor during the occupation, Moset had purchased several biological agents, including every known strain of fostossa. The Doctor points out that he would have needed such samples to conduct experiments on vaccine creation. However, they show him the requisition orders; none of them contained any of the enzymes needed to synthesize vaccines. Then, four days later, in the vicinity of his hospital, a major outbreak of fostossa occurred. Before that there had never been a single recorded case in the entire province. The Doctor is stunned. Kim takes the data to Chakotay. The Doctor returns to the holodeck and finds Moset preparing for the procedure he had earlier decided on to remove the alien from Lt. Torres. But this time, The Doctor's friendly, admiring attitude is absent. He sternly informs Moset that Torres refuses to accept any treatment from him, and that corroborating evidence supporting Tabor's accusations against him has been found. Moset dismisses the barbaric nature of his actions with claims that one must use whatever resources one has available for research. Matters such as ethics, he asserts, are purely arbitrary; what is important is the final result and the benefit it brings. The Doctor angrily disputes this. He is no longer interested keeping him as a consultant and informs him that he may have to be deleted. Moset matter-of-factly responds that he is the only way a solution can be found in time to save Torres. The Doctor has no answer for this. Captain Janeway calls a senior staff meeting to discuss the situation. Word of Moset has gotten round the ship. Ensign Tabor has tendered the resignation of his commission to Chakotay. More such action from the Maquis and Bajorans among the crew will likely follow. The issue has to be dealt with immediately. Janeway hears the arguments. There are two sides: The Doctor informs them that he cannot come up with any alternative treatment in time to save Lt. Torres, and Mosets idea will indeed work. Lt. Paris insists that it be used then, regardless of issues about who and where the research came from. Tuvok and Chakotay voice the opposing view, which, ironically, Torres shares: to use Moset's idea would be to validate his methods, which are ethically unacceptable. Paris' response is very heated, and his refuting comments to Chakotay begin to border on insubordination. Janeway silences him sternly. The final decision is hers. She announces it: all issues regarding Moset aside, the fact of the matter is they cannot afford to lose their chief engineer in their situation, lost and alone in the Delta Quadrant. Therefore if his treatment will work, then it must be used, regardless of Torres' or any other crewmember's opinion. She orders The Doctor to proceed with Moset's assistance. Any consequences of this decision, she tells them, will be her responsibility. She dismisses the meeting. The Doctor immediately makes ready, and he and Moset begin the procedure. On the bridge, Tuvok, whose Vulcan hearing is more acute than a Human's, begins to hear a noise. The noise quickly becomes loud enough for all officers present to hear, and increases in volume until they have to shout loudly to be heard. Tuvok reports that it appears to be an alien com signal. Ensign Kim reports that a ship has slowed from warp speed and is quickly approaching. Janeway orders it put on-screen. It is the same type of ship the alien attached to Lt. Torres was on. The deafening noise suddenly stops. Janeway asks Kim what the message says. But the universal translator cannot make any sense of it. Janeway decides to give them a standard response. Ordering a channel opened, she greets them, identifying herself and Voyager, and explains that one of their kind is in Voyager's sickbay being treated for injuries it has sustained. The response she gets is another loud shriek. Torres has been moved to the holographic lab. Moset and The Doctor perform the operation. Moset leads. As per what he decided, he has opened the alien's body and is applying neurostatic shocks with a cortical probe to stimulate its primary neural cortex and make it release. The alien screams with pain from the procedure, to The Doctor's great discomfort. The procedure begins to work, but Moset raises the probe's pulse frequency for quicker results. The alien screams louder. The Doctor notes with consternation that its synapses are degenerating; it is dying. Moset tells him not to "lose nerve" and continues. The Doctor watches and listens until he can do so no longer. He pushes Moset aside, takes the instrument from him, and angrily tells him that if they apply the shocks to the secondary neural cortex, the same result can be achieved, without killing the alien or causing it so much pain. He does so, with the alien's response dropping to plaintive whines instead of agonized shrieking. The alien ship begins firing on Voyager. Janeway orders shields raised. On the holodeck, the lab and Moset begin to waver. The Doctor urgently hails the bridge. Tuvok reports to Janeway that the alien ship has locked onto them with what is presumably a tractor beam; it is draining their power. On Janeway's order, he sends an antimatter surge through the shields' matrix in an attempt to disable it, but this fails to do so. He recommends using Voyager's weapons, but Janeway refuses; her instinct tells her this is not an attack, but merely an attempt by the aliens to rescue their fellow. She hails the holodeck for a status report. The Doctor's idea works; the alien withdraws its tendril interface with Torres' organs. Torres passes from danger. But the alien's condition deteriorates. The holograms quickly decide on a drug to use to stabilize its condition, and Moset administers it. With its life no longer in danger, The Doctor hails the bridge and tells Janeway to have it beamed to the alien ship. Janeway immediately has it done. On the bridge, Kim reports that the alien ship is withdrawing. One final screech comes through the com system, which Janeway takes as a "Thank you", and the ship leaves. The Doctor reports on Torres' condition to Janeway in her ready room. He has released her to her quarters for convalescence. He also reports that she was extremely unhappy that Moset was used to treat her; she nearly had to be sedated. Janeway responds that she will speak to her. The Doctor then brings up the issue of what to do with Moset. Janeway tells him that she is leaving that decision to him. But she urges him to make it quickly, whatever it is, so the whole thing can be laid to rest. Torres in is her quarters. Janeway goes to see her. She tries to soothe Torres' very evident anger with concerned questions about how she is feeling. Torres coldly responds that she is "alive". Seeing that Torres will not be soothed, Janeway softly, but with authority, tells her that losing her was unacceptable, therefore, despite her objection, she authorized the use of Moset to treat her. With the steel of command beneath her calmly spoken words, she tells Torres she needs to put this behind her. Torres asks if this is an order. Janeway affirms. Torres angrily tells her that she had no right to make the decision for her. Janeway stops covering the steel and sternly responds that she is the captain and did what she thought best. She leaves. Torres angrily watches her go. The Doctor goes to the holographic lab. Moset greets him amiably, with an air of celebration, but The Doctor does not reciprocate. He tells Moset that the captain left the decision of what to do with him up to him, and this is what it is: he will be deleted, along with all of Crell Moset's research, as he cannot in good conscience continue to make use of either. Moset becomes angry. He reminds The Doctor that those same techniques which so appall him were instrumental in saving Lt. Torres. He asserts that The Doctor will need him again; Voyager faces new, unknown and often dangerous lifeforms every day. To delete him would be to deny the crew a vital medical resource; The Doctor would be violating his physician's oath: "Do no harm". The Doctor is greatly offended to hear these words coming from him of all "people." Crell tells The Doctor that whether he deletes him or not, the damage is done: the crew has already benefited from Crell's research. The Doctor crisply orders the computer to do the deletion. Moset's eyes go wide and he opens his mouth to protest, he is deleted before any word can come out. The Doctor turns and leaves the holodeck without a backward glance. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway, stands in her ready room aboard the vessel, face to face with her flight controller, Lt. jg Tom Paris. Two security officers are present at the door. Janeway regards Paris sternly. She pronounces his full name and her punishment against him: demotion to the rank of ensign and incarceration, in solitary confinement, for the next thirty days in the brig. Paris stands at attention, staring straight ahead. She reaches for the two pips on his collar, one black and one gold, indicating his lt. jg rank, and plucks the black pip away, leaving only the gold one, the insignia of an ensign. She then orders the security officers to escort him to the brig, referring to him by his new, lower rank. The officers advance, but Paris shrugs them off, telling them he knows the way. He turns briskly and leaves, the officers behind him. Janeway stares silently at him as the door closes behind them. He marches along the corridors, the officers behind him. He looks neither right nor left, as passing crewmates pause and stare, some with great concern, particularly his girlfriend, B'Elanna Torres. He enters the turbolift with the officers. Arriving alone at the brig, they enter. They stop at the "turnkey station," where Paris removes his combadge and surrenders it to the officer on duty. He enters a cell. The officer activates the cell entrance's force field, sealing him inside. He lies down on the bunk at the back, and does not move again, breathing slowly, preparing to accept his confinement. Paris has removed his uniform jacket and undershirt. A security officer is on duty, monitoring him. Neelix, the ship's Talaxian chef, enters with a tray of food. But it is only basic nutrition. Paris complains, but Neelix responds that the captain has ordered he receive only basic nutrition for the duration of his incarceration. Paris then asks him about his request to the captain for time on the holodeck, but he is again disappointed; she has denied it. Neelix then turns to leave. Paris asks him to stay and talk, but he replies that the captain has issued an edict about that too: "No nonessential conversation with the prisoner." He is to be punished psychologically as well as with confinement, by being denied all his favorite things: good food, company, and his beloved "Captain Proton" adventures. Neelix leaves, genuinely sad at having to do so. But Captain Janeway has granted one of his requests: access to a PADD for him to 'write' with; it would be akin to torture to have him confined and isolated with absolutely nothing to do. He picks it up from the food tray and sits on the bunk. He begins to dictate on it a letter to his father, Admiral Owen Paris. He has no idea if he will ever receive it, not knowing, of course, if the USS Voyager will ever return to the Alpha Quadrant. He also knows his father, whom he believes never thought much of him, will probably not be surprised to hear that he is again in jail. So he takes great pains to describe the circumstances that led him to the brig in detail, so that the elder Paris will know that this time, unlike the last, his incarceration is not for disgraceful reasons, but for noble ones. It started, he begins, on a morning that found him doing something he knows, he dictates, "you would find a complete waste of time." He is seen playing Captain Proton on the holodeck. In this adventure, he is joined by his usual partner, Operations officer Ensign Harry Kim, playing Proton's sidekick, Buster Kincaid. Also joining them, playing the part of the villains Proton must defeat, The Twin Mistresses of Evil, are two female officers: monozygotic twin sisters Jenny and Megan Delaney, friends of Paris and Kim. But their fun is interrupted by a hail from First Officer Commander Chakotay, ordering all senior staff, of which Paris and Kim are a part, to the bridge. They leave and Paris and Kim quickly obey, not bothering to change out of their costumes. They arrive on the bridge. Captain Janeway informs them that a very strange reading has been picked up on sensors: a celestial object that is not a planet, but teems with life. Paris and Kim go to their stations. The ship comes within the sensors' visual range of the heavenly body. Janeway orders an on-screen view. What is seen astonishes all present: it is a planet-sized globe made entirely of water; literally, a "world ocean." There is no land at all anywhere in its composition, only water. Kim scans it and reports that a containment field is holding it together. Paris gazes at it in great, childlike wonder. Suddenly three small ships burst forth from the surface and rush up toward them. Janeway orders an attempted hail, but they do not respond, instead, firing on Voyager. Their weapons do no damage. She calls a red alert and again orders an attempted hail. But again the only answer is weapons fire. She orders Tuvok, the Vulcan chief tactical officer, to return fire, targeting the lead ship's weapons. He does so, disabling them. She again orders an attempted hail. This time, they respond. On the viewscreen appears an alien wearing a jacket and a hooded undercoat. He identifies himself as Deputy Consul Burkus of the Monean Maritime Sovereignty. He orders Janeway to withdraw. She responds that she and her crew mean them no harm, explaining that they are explorers and are simply fascinated by their "world ocean," and would like to learn more about it and them. This is evidenced, she submits, by the fact that Voyager could have easily destroyed them all, but has not. Burkus accepts this, noting the impressiveness of Voyager. Janeway smiles and offers him a tour. Janeway, Tuvok, and Neelix, who functions in these first contact situations as captain-appointed Starfleet ambassador, take Burkus and a party of his people, called Moneans, around the ship, ending in a visit to the bridge. Here Neelix asks them if the Moneans have always lived in this "world ocean," which the Moneans call The Waters. Burkus responds that their ancestors found it three hundred years prior, and decided to settle there, farming aquatic vegetation and extracting oxygen for their ships and undersea settlements. The group leaves, but before it does, Janeway invites Paris to join them. He gleefully does so. Voyager orbits The Waters. In the briefing room, the Moneans explain further about The Waters. Riga, another of the party, tells them they have no idea how The Waters were formed, but he theorizes that they formed in the way a gas giant does. But, he explains further, their lack of knowledge about its formation has led to problems: it has begun to shrink, as the water has recently begun to dissipate through the containment field. They believe the answer to stopping the loss is to be found at the center, six hundred kilometers down, but their ships are unable to go down that deep. Paris enthusiastically, tells them that Voyager can help them do so. Later, in her ready room, Janeway sits informally with Paris, having tea. She asks him about his enthusiasm in trying to find a way to assist the Moneans save their "world ocean." He responds, somewhat glumly, that he has always had a keen interest in the sea as a child, back on Earth, even wanting to join the Federation Naval Patrol. But his father, Admiral Paris, was adamant that he be a Starfleet officer. He earnestly insists that a few adjustments to the Delta Flyer, a specially designed shuttle he developed for Voyager, will make it capable of submarine operation. With a smile, Janeway approves, much to his great joy. The Flyer is made ready. Paris and Ensign Kim make ready to depart, along with a third crewmember, Seven of Nine. Also accompanying them is Riga, one of the Monean party. The Flyer leaves the shuttlebay and, after a quick final systems check, Paris, the pilot, puts it into a controlled nosedive. It plunges into The Waters, disappearing beneath the surface. The Flyer descends into The Waters. It passes a large, active industrial structure, which Riga identifies as one of their oxygen refineries. The Voyager crewmembers find it most impressive. Paris gazes at it in wonder. Captain Janeway is in her ready room, looking out her windows at the surface of The Waters. First Officer Chakotay and Deputy Consul Burkus enter. Chakotay reports to her, in Burkus' presence, that the rate of water loss is worse than previously thought: the entire "world ocean" will dissipate in less than five years. They may have to consider evacuating if a stop is not put to the loss. Burkus, hearing this for the first time, shows typical first concern as a politician: for his own position. He doubts the accuracy of the data, and fumes about having to report this projection to the members of the government, the 47 regional sovereigns. They will, he grouses, undoubtedly pass a resolution demanding his political head. Janeway seems somewhat annoyed at this, and insists that telling them is the right thing to do. He sighs and responds that he will wait and see what the Flyer finds first. The Flyer is five hundred kilometers down and still descending. The hull creaks a bit, to the consternation of Riga, the first Monean to be at these depths. Kim assures him all is well, and makes a few adjustments to the controls. The creaking stops. Then Seven detects a structure twelve kilometers away. This shocks Riga; what structure could there be at this depth? None of his people have ever been so far down, so it cannot be theirs. Paris heads for it, turning on powerful external headlamps so they can see it out the windows. Kim scans it and surmises that it is a field generator; this may be what is generating the containment field that is keeping The Waters together. Even more shockingly, its age appears to be over 100,000 years. Kim finds that the thing has a computer system, and begins downloading its database. But then a shadow passes. An immense aquatic creature, eel-like, and many, many times larger than the Flyer, appears. It is a predator by the look of its mouth, which is rimmed with dagger-like teeth. Like the Earth fish known as the electric eel, it discharges large amounts of electricity that begin shorting out systems on the Flyer. Riga has no idea what it is; not having been at these depths before, his people have no idea what lurks down here. Seven, however, uses a few shots from the shuttle's phasers to convince the creature to find easier prey. However, the damage has been done: they have lost propulsion and shields and are leaking. Paris sits in his cell, recounting the incident, as the PADD records it. Suddenly, Voyager is shaken. Janeway's voice comes over the com, sternly calling red alert and ordering all hands to battle stations. The officer on duty quickly departs. Paris calls after him; if the ship is under attack, he, Paris, the flight controller, should be on the bridge at the conn station. But the officer does not respond, and a second jolt throws him into a wall, almost knocking him unconscious. Paris comes to and finds The Doctor, the crew's holographic chief medical officer, over him, ministering to his injuries. They are not serious, no more than a bump on the head. Paris gets up, sits on the bunk and asks him about what happened. The Doctor informs him that they were attacked by five ships. He then takes the opportunity to frighten Paris, for all the times Paris has annoyed and exasperated him, by telling him about the sterling performance at the helm of Ensign Culhane, who has temporarily replaced him as flight controller. He twists the knife even further by suggesting that Captain Janeway may be considering making the appointment permanent, from what he has heard. Finishing his ministrations, The Doctor packs up his medkit and turns to leave. Paris pleads with him for a neurological scan or something, to get him a medical reprieve and an early release; the confinement and isolation are getting to him now; he has been here for ten days and has twenty more to go. But The Doctor refuses. After he has gone, Paris sighs, returns to the bunk and resumes dictating his letter to his father. He is seen in the Flyer fixing leaks. He is soaked. The leaks are plugged, but without thrusters, the only way they can surface is to jettison what they can to achieve positive buoyancy and float up. However, Paris insists on staying; this may be their only chance to study and fix the containment field generator. Kim strongly disagrees, given the state of the Flyer. But Seven also decides that they should stay, and so Kim goes along. Aboard Voyager, on the bridge's viewscreen, a great frothing disturbance appears on the surface of The Waters. A huge column of vapor extends from the center of the disturbance, into space. Tuvok reports to Janeway that it is a containment field breach. She orders measures taken to stop it. Burkus asks her about the Flyer. She has no ready answer, as they have been out of contact for a while, but not long enough to be alarming. Burkus becomes flustered, wondering aloud what he is going to tell the council. This greatly annoys Janeway; she sternly asks him which one he cares about more: his political career or the lives of the people on the shuttle trying to help his people. He does not answer. On the Flyer, Kim, who along with Seven, has detected the breach on the sensors, finds, however, that it was not a malfunction, but done "deliberately" by the field generator. He finds that the density of the water has been increasing over the past few years, and the generator is periodically creating breaches in the containment field to release the building pressure on itself, to keep itself from being crushed. Paris surmises that they can boost its power using the Flyer's power cells, thus enabling it to handle the increasing pressure without releasing water. Seven agrees, but cautions that the effect will be only temporary. They carry out the procedure, and then begin floating to the surface. Aboard Voyager again, Riga finds Paris working at a computer console. He has found information that shows that The Waters used to be, in fact, part of a land mass; they were the oceans of a planet that was home to a very advanced civilization. It is unknown what happened to them, but they were the ones who created the generator. They launched it into space and it kinetically drew all oceans unto itself, along with all life in them. Riga is stunned yet again; neither he nor any other Monean had ever thought of this as an explanation for the origin of The Waters. He asks Paris why this civilization would have done such a thing. Paris can only guess. But this is not the biggest shock Riga has in store; that comes from what Paris tells him next: the generator's periodic dropping of the containment field is not what has been causing the water loss. It is the Moneans themselves; their oxygen-mining operations are the cause. Paris lies in his cell, having an unpleasant dream about his father scolding him and sending him to his room for playing with ancient sailing-ship models, instead of doing his homework. His father's voice morphs into Janeway's voice, speaking her punishment against him, but she says thirty years not thirty days in jail. The unpleasant dream fades away, however, as Ensign Kim, who has come to see him, wakes him up. Paris now looks as haggard as he feels. His face is covered with stubble, and he looks disheveled. Captain Janeway has finally relented a bit on allowing him visitors, but has ordered Kim to keep it to a few minutes. Paris has fourteen more days to go. He asks Kim about his, Paris', girlfriend, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, the chief engineer. Kim responds that she misses him. He asks Paris what he has been doing to pass the time. Paris tells him of the letter he is writing. But he is unsure if he going to finish it, or wants to. Kim is shocked; he insists that Paris should finish it. But Paris does not want another lecture, and snaps at him to leave. Kim does so, but not without a cutting parting comment about him proving his father right: he never finishes what he starts. Paris continues his letter, recounting the presentation of his findings to Deputy Consul Burkus. He, Janeway, and Torres are  in the briefing room discussing them with Burkus and Riga. The Starfleet officers offer to provide alternative oxygen production technology to the Monean government, but stress that the oxygen mining must be cut back or cease, to stop the water loss and save their world. Burkus, acting like the politician he is, diplomatically promises to take the findings under advisement, when it is patently obvious he has no intention of doing anything about it. His only concern is the political backlash against him for recommending that the mining operations be stopped. Paris sees this, and begins to angrily remonstrate with him. This angers Janeway. Burkus leaves in a huff. Riga follows sadly. Not being a senior official, his hands are tied. Paris looks at her. A plan forms in his mind. He has thought of a way. He goes to one of the transporter rooms and finds Riga preparing to return to The Waters. Paris dismisses the crewman at the controls and asks him conspiratorially about taking more decisive action to make the government listen. Riga is in agreement. Captain Janeway arrives on the bridge in response to an urgent call from Tuvok. He informs her that the Delta Flyer has left the shuttlebay, without authorization. She immediately knows who has taken it. Aboard, Paris and Riga are grim-faced as Paris takes the craft down and nosedives it into the water. On the bridge, a hail comes in from Deputy Consul Burkus. Janeway orders an on-screen answer. He agitatedly tells her Monean sensors have detected the Flyer. Janeway informs him who the occupants are, and tells him her assumption that they are planning "to take some sort of radical action to protect the ocean." Burkus agitatedly voices his hope that she is planning to stop them. Her angry glare is confirmation that she intends to do just that, and she ends the communication. Beneath the surface of The Waters, three Monean ships fire on the Flyer, but Paris' expert piloting skills makes the Flyer easily escape them. A hail comes through from Janeway. In an extremely stern voice, she orders him to return immediately. He refuses, his voice sad. On Voyager's bridge, Chakotay reports with disbelief that Paris has cut the communication. Kim reports that they seem to be heading for one of the oxygen refineries. The implication is clear: Paris intends to damage the facility to force it off-line. The Starfleet officer is about to commit more than a violation of the Prime Directive; he is about to commit an act of terrorism. Janeway asks about the possibility of using phasers to stop him. Tuvok advises against it; it would create a hydrodynamic shock wave throughout The Waters, causing massive damage to the Monean infrastructure and civilian populations. Chakotay suggests using a photon torpedo as a depth charge. Tuvok agrees that this will work. Janeway agrees without hesitation, her expression extremely hard. Ensign Kim is horrified. As the Flyer approaches the complex, Tuvok reports the torpedo is ready, but also reports that the Flyer is too far down for it to get close to the craft. Burkus hails, thoroughly agitated. He accuses Janeway of authorizing Paris' action to force the shutdown of the refinery. Janeway coldly responds that an evacuation is advisable, but she intends to protect the facility. Burkus begins to protest further, but she orders the transmission cut. Tuvok informs her that Paris would need to come up closer to the surface, away from the blast range, if he intends to fire on the complex. This would put the Flyer within range of the torpedo. Janeway orders Tuvok to fire when this happens. Kim, horrified, asks her if she really intends to fire on Paris. Janeway coldly responds that Paris forfeited his status as a protected member of the crew the second he began this action. The Flyer begins to rise. Janeway hails it and issues another warning to Paris to stand down. He does not respond. He asks Riga if he is really ready to go through with it. Riga hesitates then nods. Paris arms the torpedo he intends to use. Janeway issues one final warning to Paris. He does not respond. Tuvok begins counting down the seconds until the Flyer is within range, as Paris counts down the seconds until he launches the torpedo. At the last second, Janeway orders Tuvok to fire. There is absolutely no hesitation in the command. The Flyer fires at the same time as Voyager. Its torpedo streaks toward the complex at the same time Voyager's torpedo races down into the water, toward the Flyer. But Tuvok has made a slight adjustment. Instead of targeting the Flyer, he has timed the shot so that he would hit the Flyer's torpedo upon its firing, and not the Flyer itself. He succeeds. The two weapons meet and explode, knocking the Flyer away and disabling it. Inside, Paris and Riga go flying amidst a shower of sparks. Tuvok reports that the Flyer is disabled, but not destroyed. Janeway's eyes close in relief. But when they open, they show sadness, along a steely resolve to deal with Paris for his actions. Janeway stands in her ready room face to face with Paris. Two security officers are present at the door. Janeway regards Paris sternly. She angrily lists his offenses: insubordination, unauthorized use of a spacecraft, reckless endangerment and conduct unbecoming an officer. She demands to know what he has to say for himself. He resolutely responds that he did what was necessary to save this world; Burkus and the government would never have done what they needed to do. Janeway responds that she understands his passion and his reasoning. But he had no right to take matters into his own hands in this manner. She expresses disappointment over his conduct, musing aloud that she thought he was past this sort of thing. He responds quietly that this time he broke the rules for a good cause. She responds that she admires his principles, but she cannot ignore his actions. She pronounces his full name and her punishment against him: demotion to the rank of ensign and incarceration for the next thirty days in the brig. Paris stands at full attention, staring straight ahead, silently, defiantly. Janeway reaches for the two pips on his collar, one black and one gold, indicating his lt. rank. She plucks the black pip away, leaving only the gold one, the insignia of an ensign. She then orders the security officers to escort him to the brig, pointedly referring to him by his new, lower rank. The officers advance, but Paris shrugs them off, telling him he knows the way. He turns briskly and leaves, the officers behind him. Janeway stares silently at him as the door closes behind them. Tuvok enters the brig and goes to Paris' cell, rousing and releasing him as his thirty days have been served. Paris steps out, and Tuvok orders him to clean up and report for duty. Paris leaves, the PADD with the letter in his hand. In his quarters, Paris emerges from his bathroom, shined and shaved, his solitary gold pip on his collar. Lieutenant Torres greets him and invites him for dinner that evening after his duty shift. She jocularly makes it an order, eliciting a smile from him. He sits down with the PADD and ends the dictation with a notice that he is out and has returned to duty, and the voicing of a hope that it will allow the elder Paris to better understand him. He then orders the computer to file it and transmit it when Voyager is within range of Earth. 
<EOS>
Voyager is passing through Devore space, where telepathy is illegal and telepaths are sent to relocation centers. Devore warships are far larger and more powerful than Voyager, so the ship is subject to frequent and random inspections to check for telepaths, complete with rough treatment of the crew and their equipment. Knowing the drill, Voyager and its crew are once again standing by to be boarded by Devore inspection teams and Captain Kathryn Janeway asks everyone to give them their full cooperation. The lead Devore inspector Kashyk takes up residence in Captain Janeway's ready room and calls her in. He plays the second movement of Mahler's First Symphony throughout the ship to "relax" the crew and replicates Janeway some coffee. His assistant, Prax, leaves to conduct the inspection and Kashyk asks her to make herself "at home". Throughout the ship, the crew has to endure humiliation at the hands of the Devore inspectors who are more than disrespectful. They drop one of The Doctor's cell cultures and probe every part of the ship. In engineering, Prax notices extra power in the transporter systems, but B'Elanna Torres explains it's part of a diagnostic. In the cargo bay, Prax also sees that there is contaminated antimatter which would interfere with their scanning, but takes no action, instead, probing Seven of Nine about her implants, convincing himself she is not telepathic. In Janeway's ready room, Kashyk engages in small talk, expressing an interest in Human culture. He remarks on the contradictions he sees, such as violence and beauty or science and faith. He identifies with a soldier instead of artists. He turns to a gap in the crew manifest, namely, Tuvok, Jurot, Lon Suder and Vorik. Janeway responds they were all killed, which Kashyk finds convenient, but doesn't press the issue, preferring instead to present his argument that telepaths are dangerous and can't be trusted. Their conversation is interrupted by Prax, who reports no telepaths found, but he did find two course deviations that would normally result in the ship being impounded, and their crews detained and relocated. Kashyk forgives it, taking Janeway's word that they were simply avoiding ion storms. He says to the Captain that he is a reasonable man and, given their long journey home, she certainly could use a friend like him. The Devore ships then leave Voyager, after which Captain Janeway orders that twelve Brenari refugees, along with Tuvok, Jurot and Vorik, all of whom are telepathic, be brought out of transporter suspension in cargo bay one, nearby the contaminated antimatter. Janeway informs the passengers that the transport ship to pick them up is near, but the rendezvous coordinates have changed. The Doctor and Tuvok also inform her of a bigger problem: due to being placed in transporter suspension so frequently, some have shown evidence of cell degradation. The Doctor says that, if the transporter suspension continues to be used, more serious health problems could develop. Janeway turns to the new coordinates for the rendezvous, which, unfortunately, is a nebula another two days away. They'll have to find the best route they can. The Captain enters the mess hall to get an update from Neelix regarding the status of the refugee children he has been helping care for. Neelix is telling the children story when Janeway enters. Neelix dismisses the children so he and Janeway can talk in private. Neelix reassures the captain that she did the right thing by saving the refugees, but expresses mild concern at the stressful situation the children are dealing with. Janeway then asks if the kitchen is still open as she as is hungry and Neelix tells her, with affection, that the kitchen is "always open" to her. As the Captain and Neelix share a meal together, Voyager suddenly detects a Devore vessel. Believing that yet another inspection is in order, Janeway orders all telepaths to go into transporter suspension again. However, it turns out that this ship is piloted by one man alone: Kashyk. Kashyk is out of uniform and tells Janeway that he knows all about the telepathic refugees, the nebula rendezvous, and the wormhole that she plans to transport them to for their escape. Kashyk informs them the nebula is a Devore trap, and that they will eventually find the wormhole. He says that he is defecting and requests asylum on the ship in return for his assistance in avoiding Devore ships. He assures her that he is her only way out of Devore space as only he knows about the ambush. She agrees to grant Kashyk safe passage out of Devore space if the Brenari are amenable. The Brenari leader, Kir, agrees to cooperate. Kir points Janeway to a scientist, Torat, who can help them predict the next appearance of the wormhole. At this point, Janeway begins to cooperate with Kashyk. Torat is reluctant to help Voyager, so she introduces Kashyk as a fellow professor who doubts his work. To prove himself, and in exchange for mercurium isochromate, Torat provides the two with some data on the wormhole. Later, Janeway and Kashyk work to pinpoint the next appearance of the wormhole. They simply do not seem to be able to predict a random occurrence. After standard algorithms fail, Janeway, considering the music that is playing in the background, the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony Number Four, suggests that the pattern may be found in a subspace counterpoint: if they could run an algorithm based on subspace harmonics, they could reveal the pattern. Following this approach, the computer analysis finally works, allowing the next occurrence of the wormhole to be predicted in the Tehara system. Kashyk and Janeway also get into a discussion about their homeworlds and principles and guiding philosophies when Janeway notes that Kashyk is taking considerable risk defecting from his own people and assisting these telepaths. She asks him why and Kashyk explains that three months ago when his team was inspecting a plasma refining vessel, they found a family of telepaths hiding in one of the extraction tanks. There was a child -- very young -- who had been inside it for days, barely able to breathe. When he lifted her out of the tank and sat her on the deck, she thanked him. He then sent her to the relocation center with the others knowing full well what would happen to her. After that, he could think of nothing else. And when he couldn't stand it any longer, he decided to leave. He tells Janeway that she is his deliverance. While finishing telling his story, they are interrupted by the computer voice that informs them that the analysis is complete. Janeway accompanies Kashyk back to his quarters who asks her to join him especially because he has been looking forward to trying their replicator. But Janeway tells him that this won't be possible as she had the replicator taken offline in case he decided to replicate a weapon. She wishes him a good night and leaves. Unfortunately, though they are careful to keep their power output low to avoid detection, Voyager is soon detected by a Devore scanning array again. They warp away to the system, and, fortunately, Seven was able to more accurately locate the wormhole's location. Janeway plans to fight the ships with the new information about them she has obtained from Kashyk. Unfortunately, the ships will intercept them just as they arrive near the wormhole. On the way to engineering, Janeway puts together a plan to fight, but Kashyk tells her she will never survive against two of them and offers to take command of the impending inspection to ensure the refugees remain undetected. She is reluctant, as he could be detected himself, but still agrees. Kashyk promises to make the inspection very short, and Janeway promises to wait for him as long as she can by the wormhole. Right before his departure, they kiss passionately in the shuttle bay and she watches him leave. The Devore inspectors soon board the ship. Janeway meets Kashyk in her ready room, who plays the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony and demands that she cease altering her course and leave Devore space. After sending Prax away, he asks about the wormhole. She tells him it is 20,000 kilometers off the port bow and that a photon torpedo properly calibrated will force open the threshold long enough for Voyager to get through. Kashyk congratulates her, ordering Prax to Cargo Bay One to capture the refugees and ordering two photon torpedoes to be fired to destroy the wormhole. Janeway, who finally recognizes the deception, tells him that he has given a masterful performance. Kashyk says that on the contrary, he is impressed with her selflessness and Humanity that made all this so much easier. She asks him whether his touching story about the little girl was a fabrication as well. He tells her that the story was real but what he didn't tell her was that after wrestling with his ethics he realized that he had done the right thing in order to protect his people from a very real threat. With armed guards he escorts her to the bridge and fires the torpedoes onto the wormhole to destroy it. However, he soon realizes that it is he who has been double crossed: the neutrino emissions indicating a wormhole off the port bow are actually antimatter residue signatures, and it is not refugees, but cargo containers filled with vegetables that are suspended in the transporters in cargo bay one. Janeway changes the music to the second movement of Mahler's first symphony, while the refugees escape through the wormhole via shuttlecraft. Prax suggests that Voyager be impounded and the crew sent to detention centers, but Kashyk angrily notes that neither of them can benefit from having this failure on their records. When they are alone on the bridge, Kashyk congratulates Janeway for having played this so well. She tells him that she had to take some precautions but that she never lied to him because her offer to take him with them was genuine, and it would still stand if he had kept his part of the bargain. Kashyk merely smiles at her and before leaving tells her that for what it was worth, she made a tempting offer. 
<EOS>
The Doctor is doing annual check-ups on USS Voyager's crew and is using his holo-imager to take images of everyone "all the way down to the subatomic level". After taking Harry Kim's image, he notices some scarring along the base of his skull which could only have come from a neurosurgical procedure that he developed himself. However, The Doctor has no memory of performing such a procedure, and Kim says he doesn't remember having an operation. The Doctor visits Captain Janeway in her ready room to perform her physical examination, since, as usual, she didn't show up. The Doctor asks Janeway to come to sickbay at her earliest convenience so that he can take a deep body scan of her, and tells her about the surgical procedure he doesn't remember performing on Kim. He has deduced from the isotope decay around the scars that it must have been eighteen months ago, but Janeway says that she doesn't remember it either. The Doctor asks for a complete diagnostic of his program and Janeway tells him that Torres and Kim are both busy, but he is next on the list. The Doctor comes to the astrometrics lab to ask Seven of Nine for a favor, but she is busy recalibrating the deflector dish and tells him to come back tomorrow. The Doctor complains that Janeway is "acting like she's allergic" to him, and now Seven, his "prized pupil", won't talk to him either. Seven tells him to state his request, and The Doctor tells her about the surgery and asks her to help him run a self-diagnostic. Seven agrees to help him in one hour. An hour later, Seven comes to sickbay and finds The Doctor inactive. She activates him and tells him that she has run a preliminary diagnostic and his suspicions were correct, but he doesn't remember speaking to her and doesn't know what she's talking about. He tries to view Kim's holo-scans, but the computer says that the file has been deleted. The Doctor decides to look at his photo album from eighteen months ago and asks Seven to meet him in holodeck two. On the holodeck, The Doctor finds that all of his images from the date of the surgery have been deleted. Seven reconstructs five of the images from residual photons in the holobuffer. The images are from a birthday celebration for an ensign The Doctor doesn't recognize, and a shuttle mission with her and Kim. Seven discovers that The Doctor's memory files from Stardate 50979 are still available, but that The Doctor's program has been rewritten to deny him access to them. She restores them, but The Doctor experiences them out of order. He remembers going to the ensign's birthday party, going on the shuttle mission with her and Kim and being attacked by an unknown species, and performing surgery on them with Tom Paris in sickbay. The Doctor meets with Janeway and Tuvok in the briefing room. Janeway doesn't recognize the species that attacked the shuttle crew, and Seven says that they are unknown to the Borg. Tuvok suggests that the images have been manipulated, but The Doctor thinks that there was an attack on Voyager by the unknown species, all of the crew's memories of it were erased, and Ahni Jetal, the ensign from the shuttle mission, may be an alien intruder posing as a member of the crew. He believes the crew may be in immediate danger, since his memories were tampered with a few hours ago. Janeway orders Tuvok to do a security sweep and Seven to recalibrate the sensors in astrometrics to try to detect cloaked ships in the area. The Doctor offers to review his medical records for other injuries, but Janeway tells him to deactivate himself for his own safety, and promises to keep him informed. The Doctor returns to sickbay and prepares to deactivate himself, but then decides to take precautions. First, he has his memory files from the previous 48 hours copied and tells the computer that if his program is tampered with to reactivate him and restore the duplicate files. He then programs his holo-imager to take images in five second intervals if anyone enters the room. With the trap set, The Doctor then deactivates himself. Soon after deactivating, someone indeed enters Sickbay and deletes all of The Doctor's recent memory files, not realizing the holo-imager is catching them in the act. Once their work is done, the person leaves the room. The computer reactivates The Doctor and immediately restores the recently deleted memory files. The Doctor, knowing he can find out who's been tampering with his program, sets the holo-imager to display the culprit. Slowly, the image appears and the identity of the tamperer is discovered. it's Captain Janeway. On the bridge, Chakotay and Tuvok are arguing with Janeway about a Sumo match when The Doctor interrupts and accuses them of conspiring against him. In the ready room, Janeway tells The Doctor that she had to deny him access to his memories of the events surrounding the attack because they caused a conflict in his programming that couldn't be resolved. The Doctor demands to know what happened, but Janeway tells him that that might cause the conflict to happen again. The Doctor feels violated because he has essentially been operated on without his consent, but Janeway believes that the ends justify the means and that rewriting his program again is the only option. She orders him to return to sickbay. In sickbay, Chakotay asks for copies of The Doctor's memory files so that Torres and Seven can rewrite his program, and tells him to brief Paris about any experiments or tests he's performing, since Paris will replace him while he is off-line. The Doctor asks Paris why Janeway won't tell him what happened, and Paris says that she has her reasons and he agrees with her. Seven of Nine comes to Janeway's quarters late at night for a discussion on the nature of individuality. Janeway tells her that this isn't the time or the place, and to meet her in the mess hall tomorrow, but Seven says that tomorrow will be too late, since The Doctor's program will have been rewritten by then, and his rights as an individual violated. Janeway tells Seven that The Doctor is more like a replicator than like a person, and that she won't take the risk of his program self-destructing again. Seven counters that insofar as being part machine, she is also much like a replicator, and wonders if she might someday be treated in a similar fashion. Suggesting that she may have been mistaken when choosing Janeway as her "guide to Humanity", Seven leaves Janeway's quarters. Janeway goes to sickbay and offers to show The Doctor what happened eighteen months ago. The Doctor agrees. The Doctor remembers participating in a surprise birthday party for Ensign Jetal, and later, going on a shuttlecraft mission with her and Kim. He takes a few holo-pictures of them before Jetal protests that she is supposed to be flying the shuttle. The alien appears and attacks the three of them with an unknown weapon. The Doctor beams the alien off the shuttle and sets auto-navigation back to Voyager, and both Kim and Jetal go into synaptic shock. In sickbay, The Doctor and Paris try to stabilize Kim and Jetal, whose spinal cords are both deteriorating. The Doctor decides to use a spinal shunt to isolate the patients' spinal cords from the brain stem until he can repair the cellular damage, but he doesn't have enough time to operate on both Kim and Jetal, and the procedure is too complicated to talk Paris through it. Both are equally critical, with equal chance of surviving with treatment, and dying without it. Paris tells him that he must choose one of them while remaining neutral himself, not indicating any personal preference of either officer to not affect The Doctor's decision. The Doctor chooses to operate on Kim. The procedure saves Kim, but as expected while they are working on him, Jetal dies. Unable to look away while operating, a look of grief crosses The Doctor's face when he hears Jetal flatline. Later, after Jetal's funeral, The Doctor comes to the mess hall to get some medicinal herbs and synthetic antigens from Neelix. Neelix asks him which he wants first, and The Doctor begins ruminating obsessively about his decision to treat Kim before treating Jetal. Neelix calls a security team to the mess hall. Janeway explains that after that, The Doctor developed a feedback loop between his ethical and cognitive subroutines and was having the same thoughts over and over; his program unable to reconcile with his decision to treat Kim first. The only way to stop it was to erase his memories of Jetal and the events surrounding her death. The Doctor begins ruminating again, and admits that he chose to operate on Harry because he was his friend. As he becomes more frantic, Janeway deactivates him. Janeway wonders if her original solution to reprogram The Doctor was wrong. She tells B'Elanna that The Doctor 's original programming is in a struggle with the personality that has evolved in their time on Voyager. Do they have the right to override that struggle? Janeway visits Seven in cargo bay two and asks her whether the transformation she has gone through since being disconnected from the Collective was worth it. Seven says that if she could, despite the pain and difficulties she went through to regain her individuality, she would not change what happened. Janeway's log entry says that The Doctor has become their patient. They have reactivated him, and for two weeks crew members have kept a round the clock vigil, trying to help him cope with the decision he made. They are uncertain of the chances of recovery. On the holodeck, Janeway is sitting vigil with The Doctor, reading a book as he stares blankly ahead. The Doctor begins talking. He tells Janeway that the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he couldn't have done anything differently because everything in the universe is pre-determined. Tuvok arrives and offers to relieve Janeway, who has been on the holodeck for sixteen hours, but she sends him back to the bridge. The Doctor asks Janeway about the book of poetry she is reading: La Vita Nuova. Janeway says that it is relevant to his situation. The Doctor scoffs at the title and ruminates on infinite possibilities before he notices that Janeway has fallen asleep. He wakes her up, and then realizes that she has a headache and a fever. They argue about how sick she is. She says she can't go to sickbay, she's busy helping a friend. He tells her that he'll be fine, that she should go get some rest, and they can talk in the morning. She leaves and he starts reading from La Vita Nuova: "In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words: Here begins a new life." 
<EOS>
Tom Paris and Harry Kim are enjoying a chapter of The Adventures of Captain Proton on the holodeck as Proton and Buster Kincaid respectively, trying to save Proton's secretary, Constance Goodheart. Things are going according to the script until a colored) subspace distortion appears in the middle of their black-and-white program. Unable to end the program or call the bridge, they try to exit the holodeck by finding a physical panel on the rocketship. Finally, they're able to leave via site-to-site transport. Meanwhile, the USS Voyager falls out of warp and loses control to several systems. Tuvok determines they have become trapped in a layer of subspace that is causing the loss of control. Unfortunately, they can't use warp drive, and upon trying the impulse drive, the ship shakes with no movement, so Captain Janeway goes to astrometrics to study the situation. There, B'Elanna Torres and Seven of Nine inform Janeway that the subspace sandbar, as they call it, is a region of space where the interface between space and subspace is unstable, causing loss of control systems. Unfortunately, the computer core, tactical, holodecks and all but a few replicators are inaccessible. Recollecting a situation Janeway faced on the USS Al-Batani, the crew plans to shut down the warp core and use minimal thrusters so as not to increase the resistance to their movement. In the holodeck, however, the program is still running. From the distortions, two photonic lifeforms appear in the form of two men in suits. They begin to explore the Planet X when they encounter Lonzak. He assumes they are there to invade, and captures them to bring to Doctor Chaotica. There, the beings attempt to explain they are explorers, but Chaotica doesn't believe them, believing they are from the Fifth dimension. He shoots one of them while the other escapes using his own teleportation device. After three days of being stuck, the crew is on edge, especially Janeway. She gets some coffee in the mess hall and reluctantly listens to some of the ship's problems from Neelix, including only a few replicators and lavatories are now functional. She leaves that problem to him to draw up a schedule while she gets back to the bridge. There, the crew try again to escape with their new plan, but are unsuccessful. Just then, weapons fire is detected on, surprisingly, the holodeck. Paris and Tuvok investigate and discover a war scene in which the Goodheart character has died, something that shouldn't be possible. Then, Paris finds Satan's Robot nearby, charred and barely operational, Paris fixes it and learns they believe invaders from the Fifth dimension have invaded. They go to the distortions and see the weapons fire coming from them. Paris brings Tuvok to the rocketship to get some more information, learning that Chaotica is at war with the aliens. Just then, the same being from before enters the rocketship and finds them. Paris doesn't recognize him. Tuvok and Paris see that photonic lifeforms have mistaken the holodeck program for reality and are now at war with Doctor Chaotica. They try to explain to them that they are in a simulation but the aliens refuse to believe, oddly, as their "sensors" can't pick up "biochemical lifeforms", which they think are artificial. Suddenly, Satan's Robot barges in and knocks away the alien's weapon and he runs. Paris and Tuvok brief the senior staff on what they've found. Janeway is in disbelief at the situation, as not only are they inadvertently fighting a war with aliens, but they can't communicate into or control the holodeck, nor do the aliens even detect Voyager itself. Paris suggests that the only way to end the conflict is to play along as the characters in Captain Proton, helping the aliens to defeat Chaotica and destroying his death ray. Paris details the plan, using all the terminology associated. The other crew smirk as they gradually catch on to the lingo and characters. Paris and Kim have their roles, but Paris suggests someone needs to play Queen Arachnia, who will be influential in dealing with Chaotica. Janeway looks to Seven, but Paris keeps his gaze on the captain. Janeway balks at the idea, but the rest of the crew join in to convince her. Paris and Kim will resume their previous roles and, with some help from B'Elanna Torres, The Doctor will pose as the President of Earth. On the way to the holodeck, Paris briefs Janeway on the language she should use and how to interact with Chaotica, disturbing her a little. Her assignment is to get Doctor Chaotica to lower his lightning shield and disable the death ray. If she can't distract Chaotica, there's a vial of an irresistible potion she can use to put him under her spell. Back in the program, Chaotica is informed of further defeat in his fight. He orders full power to the death ray and announces his warning. He gets a response, but it is Arachnia. Janeway makes her entrance as dramatic as she can, and Chaotica bows to her. Chaotica is happy to show Arachnia around, and Janeway makes her character impressed with what she sees. She identifies the death ray and allows herself to be led to the throne, where she also identifies the potion. Janeway quickly makes up a story about her "spider ships" arriving to join the fight in an effort to get Chaotica to lower the shield. He's reluctant, and says she could prove her loyalty by becoming his queen. She agrees, asking that her fleet witness the event. Chaotica agrees to lower the shield once the troops arrive. Meanwhile, the Doctor, as President, uses the alien's dropped device to signal him back into the holodeck. He arrives, and the President convinces him that they have a common enemy. Furthermore, Captain Proton is an agent of Earth and is not a threat to them, intent on destroying Chaotica's death ray. The alien agrees. Proton and Kincaid ready the rocketship, still with Satan's Robot feebly looking like he's helping. Paris briefly promises to delete the whole program later, with the trouble it's caused. The President arrives, informing them he's been successful, so they take off. Lonzak prepares Arachnia with the wedding when she turns to Chaotica for lowering the shield again, though he's still reluctant. Lonzak then sees Proton is preparing his attack, and Chaotica orders the death ray targeted on him. Janeway knocks out the operator and turns his ray gun on Chaotica. Lonzak tries to shoot him, but of course that doesn't hurt her, however, the "confinement rings" hold her, and she's unable to stop Chaotica from shooting Proton. They're hit, and the rocketship takes a dive. On the bridge, Torres finds that the weapons fire is increasing, and the ship is being pulled deeper into subspace. Proton's rocket is still airborne, and Chaotica continues to fire while Arachnia is chained against a wall. She unleashes the potion, and the smell reaches across the room, however, it reaches Lonzak instead. He comes over and unties her, making his ray gun available to her and she successfully forces Chaotica to lower the shield. After Proton's team destroys the death ray, the aliens retreat and Voyager is free again. Chaotica is fatally wounded with the destruction of the death ray. As the others arrive, Chaotica declares that this isn't the last they will see of him. 
<EOS>
In a flashback, an adolescent Vulcan has entered remedial emotional control training under the guidance of a Vulcan Master. The boy tells the master he does not want to be there, and the master tells him that he is a prisoner of nothing but his emotions -- he may leave if he wishes to. The boy admits he has nowhere else to go, since he has been banished from his home, and he has lost his seat at his school. The boy then angrily wonders why he must deny feelings if he was born with them. The master tells him that his emotions can be a powerful tool, but that he must learn to control them. The boy vows to question everything he is told, and the master tells him he would not be a worthy pupil otherwise. He then tells him, "Sit down, Tuvok." On a barren, desert planet, a female alien dressed in protective clothing uses a sonic device to hunt large spiders that live under rocks. She hears a loud noise, and looks up to see a descent trail and uses binoculars to see that a USS Voyager shuttle has crash landed. She goes to the crash site to scavenge the wreckage, and is interrupted by Tom Paris. She threatens him with a weapon and steals the medkit he is carrying, along with some other supplies. The female alien starts to head back to her own crashed vessel, but is ambushed by aliens. Tuvok rescues her from them, then introduces himself. She identifies herself as Noss, and he helps her back to the shuttle. On the shuttle, Paris is trying to contact Voyager, but his signal is bounced back every time by the distortion that pulled them in. Tuvok enters with Noss, and Paris treats her injuries with the medkit she "borrowed". Tuvok gives her some food, and Paris tells him that the shuttle is damaged beyond repair, and that the system they are in is stuck in a pocket of subspace. The Doctor is with them, but his mobile emitter was damaged in the crash and he is off-line. Noss senses approaching danger outside the shuttle, and Tuvok scans with his tricorder, detecting thirteen approaching aliens of the same species that attacked Noss. He tells Paris to gather as many supplies as he can carry, and that they will relocate to Noss' ship, since she has apparently been able to survive for quite a while and clearly has more secure shelter. The three of them make their way to Noss' much larger ship, which also apparently crash landed on the planet. Tuvok discovers that Noss has been able to erect a force field around the ship, but although it is secure shelter, the ship is otherwise unsalvageable. Paris manages to repair The Doctor's mobile emitter and reactivates him, startling Noss. Fortunately, The Doctor is able to communicate with Noss using the universal translator that is integrated into his program, and he has a brief conversation with her. He learns that she has been here for fourteen seasons, and has seen many ships come down, but none have ever gone back up again. After having apparently been on the planet for quite a while, Paris is trying unsuccessfully to hunt spiders. Noss gives him another lesson. Paris laments that he doesn't know what's worse, hunting them or eating them. On Noss' ship, The Doctor learns to his dismay that his program should be kept off-line as much as possible, to preserve his mobile emitter as a potential source of power. Noss and Paris return, and Noss tells Tuvok the hunt was good, apparently having been with the two of them long enough to begin to understand their language. Noss and Tuvok bond while cooking a meal, and she asks him to describe his life on Voyager. Later, during the meal, Paris regales Noss with stories of his long courtship of B'Elanna Torres. Tom realizes that Noss has become romantically attracted to Tuvok, and tells him that he should try a relationship with Noss since it is unlikely he will ever see his wife again. Tuvok is clearly offended, although he obviously doesn't show it. Later, after dark, Tuvok is re-calibrating their distress beacon, and Paris apologizes for his prior bluntness. He tells Tuvok that he has seen the way Noss looks at Tuvok, and tells him that he has seen that Tuvok looks at Noss "like someone who wishes he wasn't Vulcan". In another flashback, the young Tuvok tells the master he wishes he hadn't been born Vulcan. The master accuses Tuvok of self-pity. Young Tuvok reveals that the reason he lost control of his emotions was that he was attracted to a daughter of a Terrelian diplomat named Jara, who is a student at his school. The master asks Tuvok what would be his reaction if the master had received a letter telling him that Jara was in love with someone else. Young Tuvok reacts emotionally, and says he would immediately challenge his romantic rival, whereupon the master tells him no such letter was received, and that young Tuvok must enter training to learn to control his emotions, especially love, or they will consume him. On Voyager, Captain Janeway and the rest of the crew are searching for the lost shuttle, which has apparently been lost for only a few hours from their perspective. The ship gets caught in a gravimetric shear, or "subspace sinkhole". They barely manage to escape the vortex, and they realize what happened to them obviously happened to the shuttle. Scanning the vortex in astrometrics, they realize that the shuttle has been missing apparently for months from the perspective of the shuttle crew, and that their multi-spatial probe is the only way to contact their missing crew members. Suddenly, an alien vessel crewed by the same species that attacked Noss the first time appears and tries to tractor Voyager away from the anomaly. The captain of the alien ship -- Supervisor Yost -- informs Voyager that they have lost eleven ships to the anomaly, and that they have decided to close the rift in less than a day rather than lose any more ships to it. The probe is launched, and it detects the distress beacon and reports back that a temporal differential means that every hour that passes on Voyager could mean weeks or months have passed on the planet. And, for more bad news, the increasing gravitational stress in the rift means that the entire system inside the sinkhole will be crushed. Paris returns from an expedition to another area of the planet with a badly-injured Tuvok. The re-activated Doctor who has been off-line for two months treats the injuries and assures a worried Noss that Tuvok will be fine. She is clearly relieved. The Doctor tells Paris that he should remain on-line until Tuvok is recovered. While Tuvok is healing, Noss tends to him and her attraction to him grows. She kisses him but he pushes her away. Noss, very unhappy, asks him if he feels anything for her, but he tells her he feels nothing but respect and appreciation for her. He cannot give her anything more. She replies "You cannot, or you will not?!" She then berates him, asking why he is always so logical. She insults him in her own language, which Tuvok appears to at least partially understand, and storms out. On Voyager, the crew has found a way to use the multi-spatial probe as a comm signal and a transporter relay. The problem is that that the aliens are ready to seal the rift, and Voyager has limited time to rescue their stranded crewmates. On the planet, Tuvok is meditating, and an agitated Paris berates him for breaking Noss' heart and causing her to threaten to leave, because it is too painful for her to be around Tuvok. Tuvok tells Paris that Noss is under the influence of unfettered emotions. Paris tells Tuvok that not everyone has the ability to "fetter" his emotions the way Tuvok can, and that Noss is in love with him. If Tuvok can't return her love, at least try to let her down easy. Tuvok tells Paris that there is no easy way to recover from infatuation, explaining that this was a lesson he learned from his own painful personal experience as a young man. Tuvok tells Paris what he himself was told long ago; that if he can't control his emotions, they will control him. Suddenly, the vortex that brought them where they are begins to experience distortions, caused by the alien vessel closing the rift. On Voyager, the crew realizes that they have only 29 minutes to rescue Paris and Tuvok before the rift is closed forever, and that they need to get them within a two-meter radius of their distress beacon. Janeway sends a message, which Paris, Noss, and Tuvok are able to speed up to their time frame. Based on Voyager's calculated temporal displacement ratio of 0.4744 seconds per minute, they determine that they must wait over two days to get to the designated coordinates. However, more aliens have begun to gather to attack their position. On the planet, the aliens have begun to set photon grenades against the force field. Noss leaves the ship to repair the field generator, telling Tuvok that risking two lives would be illogical. Voyager has less than two minutes to beam them out before the rift is closed, which of course is a few hours from the perspective of the landing party. Two of the aliens continue to attack the force field while Noss struggles to keep it up. They manage to disengage it, and she drops one of them with her weapon, but the other one gets to her and attacks. On Voyager, they have only fifteen seconds to rescue their crew. On the planet, one of the aliens is about to deliver a killing blow to Noss, when Tuvok appears and shoots him. He then helps Noss back to their shelter, telling her he could not leave her behind. On the planet, an alien breaks into the ship. Paris fights him off, and Tuvok shoots him. The four of them gather around the distress beacon. On Voyager: four, three, two, "Initalize transport sequence. Energize." On the planet, the four are beamed up in the nick of time. Voyager has traveled to Noss' homeworld, and Tuvok must say goodbye to her, while experiencing discomfort at her departure. Paris catches up with Tuvok and tells him he is impressed with how he has been able to hide how much of a romantic he really is, understanding how much he truly cares for her. Shortly thereafter, in the transporter room, Noss says goodbye to Paris with a hug, then realizing that it would be appropriate for Tuvok and Noss to say their goodbyes alone, Paris exits the transporter room, calling for the crewman at the transporter controls to also exit the room. Tuvok and Noss do not embrace, or show any other outward signs of emotion, but the Vulcan places his hand on his new friend's face in the manner of a mind meld, presumably to convey to her the extent of his emotions towards her. She says simply "I understand", and Tuvok beams her down to her home world. Later, Tuvok meditates in his quarters. In a final flashback, the adolescent Tuvok has learned to control his emotions, and has learned to be guided by the IDIC philosophy. The Vulcan master tells him his training is now complete, and that he is prepared to return to the world, and that he will control his emotions -- they will not control him. Tuvok is grateful. 
<EOS>
A small ship fires at an unseen object before it. Lightning-like bolts strike the ship from the direction of the object. Piloting the ship is a crusty, very animated old humanoid alien. He shouts defiant taunts at the thing he is attacking. The thing is revealed to be an enormous cloud-like entity, with a vast opening on its surface. Inside is ominously foreboding. Lightning-like bolts can be seen within. The old pilot, still shouting in defiance, flies through the opening, into the entity. On USS Voyager's bridge, Captain Janeway discusses with her chief tactical officer, Lt. Commander Tuvok and her executive officer, Commander Chakotay, the sudden appearance of a wormhole seemingly leading directly back to Earth. They all agree that it seems suspicious, as secondary scans of the wormhole show the presence of bioplasmic discharges, indicating a lifeform and a possible deception. Meanwhile. two other senior officers, accompanied by young Naomi Wildman, are returning to Voyager on the Delta Flyer after an exploratory mission to find deuterium, the matter in the matter/antimatter reaction that powers the ship's warp engines and other systems. They are Voyager's head of astrometrics, the former Borg drone Seven of Nine, and Ensign Paris, Voyager's flight controller. The mission was unsuccessful, but Seven notes in her personal log that it was educational for Naomi. On their arrival, Paris takes the sleeping Naomi to her mother, crewmember Ensign Samantha Wildman, while Seven goes to the astrometrics lab to do the mission report. Entering the lab, she finds the captain, Tuvok and Chakotay, there along with Ensign Kim, the ship's operations officer. The Human officers excitedly tell her about the discovered wormhole, which they now believe is genuine. The Vulcan Tuvok, of course, displays no emotion, but he too is pleased. Bemused, Seven points out the sheer unlikelihood of finding such a phenomenon, as well as its proximity to their current location, which means that it should have been detected days before. The officers, however, are unconcerned, telling her that they have scanned it and found nothing unusual. Lt. Torres, the Chief Engineer, has already downloaded transmissions, believed to be from Starfleet, from the probe they sent in. Capt. Janeway suggests to Seven that she run a diagnostic of the astrometrics sensors, and the officers leave. Seven begins running the diagnostic. She finishes, goes to Captain Janeway in her ready room reports to her that the diagnostic showed no problems with the sensors. However, the wormhole's neutrino levels are erratic, which makes her concerned. Captain Janeway, who has ordered the ship's course to be altered to head for the wormhole, dismissively replies that a Starfleet communication she received from the messages downloaded by Lt. Torres assures her that these erratic neutrino levels are no cause for concern. Seven insists on caution, but the captain will not hear of it, suggesting that Seven's sense of unease is simply due to her fear of going to Earth. Chakotay then enters with more messages. Seven watches and listens as Janeway and Chakotay happily discuss their contents. Both contain very positive news: Chakotay has been granted a full pardon for his Maquis activities, reinstatement to Starfleet and a professorship in anthropology at the Academy. Janeway's former betrothed, Mark, who had gotten engaged to another, thinking Janeway dead, has broken off his engagement. Seven watches them both, concerned about their lack of concern about the possibility that the wormhole may not be what it seems. In the mess hall, she finds Ensign Paris and voices her belief to him that the whole thing is a set-up; the crew is being deceived by false telemetry and "overly-optimistic correspondence". Paris responds that he too has gotten such correspondence: an offer from an old friend of a position as a pilot at a new Starfleet test-flight facility in Australia. At first, Seven gets the impression that he is also suspicious of what is happening, but her hopes are quickly dashed. Now convinced that it is indeed a set-up, Seven goes to sickbay and urgently voices her belief to The Doctor, the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram and chief medical officer. She is surprised to learn that he has not been told anything about what is happening. She asks him to search for any physiological reasons for the crew's blind acceptance of this "wormhole" despite compelling evidence that it is a deception. Just then, she is called to the bridge. On the bridge, the first images of the wormhole are put on the viewscreen. Chakotay informs Seven that the first images from the probe they sent in are coming through: images from the other end of the wormhole. The images are put on the viewscreen; they are images of Earth. Everyone stares in rapt attention. Captain Janeway orders the course maintained, and, when Voyager emerges from the other side, that they land right at Starfleet Headquarters. Seven looks around at everyone, her sense of alarm growing ever stronger. Returning to the astrometrics lab, Seven twice runs gravimetric scans of the wormhole. Both times, the computer tells her the results are consistent with what it appears to be: a class 1 wormhole. However, she notices an object in the scanning grid and has the computer magnify it; it appears to be a ship. She asks for confirmation, but the computer reports that sensors do not detect any vessel. Not trusting the sensors, she sends out a hail and gets a response: the old humanoid alien pilot from the teaser. He gruffly asks who she is. She identifies herself and Voyager, and informs him that they are on a course to come across him. His ominous response confirms her fears: "Turn around. You're being deceived." She asks for elaboration, but just as he begins, the connection is cut; power is being lost from the lab. She tells the computer to identify cause of the power failure. Tuvok enters and informs her that the captain has ordered power to be rerouted from the lab to the main navigational deflector for the duration of their passage through the wormhole. Seven informs him of her contact with the alien and his warning that the wormhole was indeed a deception, but, on checking the communication logs, Tuvok finds no such communication listed. Seven insists that the communication took place; the alien was warning that the wormhole is a trap. Tuvok will not listen. Seven tells him of her belief that he, like the rest of the crew, is being manipulated; someone or something is compromising his logic. He responds by restricting access to the lab "until further notice." Dismissed, she leaves. She returns to her Cargo Bay 2 quarters, where she finds Naomi Wildman hiding; the behavior of the crew, including her mother, has frightened the child. She tells Seven that her mother keeps smiling in an unnervingly happy manner and incessantly talking about Earth. Seven notes an important fact: she and Naomi are the only two people who are unaffected by what is happening. This is because both of them are without a desire to reach Earth; Seven out of apprehension as to how she, a former Borg drone, would be greeted; and Naomi because she was born on Voyager, and thus it is the only home she has ever known. Instructing Naomi to remain where she was, Seven goes to sickbay to get a report from The Doctor, only to find that he has been taken off-line and Ensign Paris, a trained medical technician, has taken over his duties. Paris explains that Starfleet sent a message though the wormhole that The Doctor's program could be adversely affected by the passage and that he should be taken off-line for his safety. Leaving sickbay, she is greeted by Chakotay and two security officers. Chakotay tells her that, according to Starfleet, the wormhole passes through a region of subspace that the Borg monitor, and that her neural transceiver may attract their attention; she is to be put in stasis in her alcove for the duration of the passage. She sees that 'resistance is futile' and goes with them peacefully. On the bridge, Captain Janeway and the duty officers, including Ensign Paris, who went to the bridge after meeting Seven in the sickbay, are very jovial about finally leaving the Delta Quadrant behind. Seven, meanwhile, is escorted by Chakotay and the security officers back to Cargo Bay 2. However, on the pretense of needing to adjust her regeneration parameters before going into stasis, she erects a Borg force field through which she can pass, but which prevents the others from reaching her once she moves away from them. On the bridge, Kim tries to remotely drop the force field, but Seven has Naomi enter a code to block the attempts. Getting a phaser rifle from storage, Seven initiates a site-to-site transport to engineering, where she stuns Torres and the engineering staff. She then instructs the computer to erect a level 10 force field around engineering and then proceeds to shut down the engines. However, on the bridge, Janeway sends an EM pulse to the console Seven is using, which stuns her. The captain then returns to her seat and orders the ship to proceed on impulse into the wormhole. The "wormhole" is revealed to be the same creature that the old humanoid alien was engaging. As the ship enters, the opening closes like a giant mouth. The ship flies deeper inside, struck by lighting-like discharges from the inner walls of the entity. But on the bridge, and all over the ship via view ports and monitors, what the crew sees is the inside of the "wormhole" they are convinced they are in, on their way to Earth, completely unaware that they are, in fact, on their way to death. As the ship moves deeper inside the entity, the entire crew is rendered unconscious. Their minds are locked in a dreamworld. Neelix believes he is meeting Starfleet Admirals, who have an ambassadorial position for him. On the bridge, Captain Janeway and the duty officers believe they have passed through the wormhole and Earth is now before them. Tuvok believes he is reunited with his wife, T'Pel. None of them are seeing the hideous, alien environment Voyager is now trapped in and being drawn ever deeper into. Naomi emerges from hiding. Frightened, she walks nervously through the corridors of the ship, strewn with the bodies of the unconscious crew. Peeping into engineering, she sees Seven lying unconscious as well. She tries to get to her, but is painfully stopped short by the force field Seven had the computer erect. She calls to Seven. Seven awakens, rises, returns to the console she was using, drops the force field and Naomi joins her. Seven then runs a scan and finds that the hull of the ship is being broken down on a molecular level; hull integrity is dropping. She and Naomi leave Engineering and head for astrometrics, where Seven hopes to at least partially get power back and use the sensors to get a better handle on the situation. On the way, they pass along a corridor lined with windows and see the horror outside. In astrometrics, a sensor scan shows that the ship is inside an immense anomaly, over 2,000 kilometers wide, that is giving the readings of a lifeform: bioplasmic discharges, organic compounds and neural networks. Remembering the old alien she had spoken to, Seven contacts him again. When she does, he angrily asks her why they did not listen to him and stay away. Seven responds that the crew believed that it was a wormhole that would take them home. The alien, whose name is Qatai, asks her if getting home was what the crew always wanted. Seven confirms this. "He deceived them," Qatai replies. Seven proposes that he join them aboard Voyager and work with them to find a way to escape. She tells him to drop his shields so that she could beam him aboard. He is reluctant to do this, since his ship's hull, like Voyager's, is losing its integrity and his shields are the only thing holding it together. He concludes that they are a hallucination, but Seven impatiently tells him that her scans predict the failure of his shields in 15 minutes; he can join them or die. He joins them. Once aboard, he explains to them the true nature of the entity; it is in fact a telepathic creature that feeds on starships and their crews, using a neurogenic field to telepathically induce illusions in the crew's minds that make the creature appear to be what they want most, deceiving the crew into bringing their ship to it and entering its maw, passing into its digestion chamber. The bioplasmic discharges that are intermittently hitting the ship are causing the hull to break down molecularly; this is how the creature digests the ships and crews it consumes. Qatai reveals that he had been hunting the creature for 40 years. He has become largely immune to its telepathic manipulation, but he still falls prey to it at times, such as in his most recent attempt to kill it, when he believed that by allowing the creature to swallow his ship, he could reach its neural plexus, a weapon shot on which would kill it. But he was deceived; the creature made him believe he was approaching its neural plexus when he was, in fact, entering its belly. Naomi, remembering a botany lesson The Doctor gave her, compares the manner in which the creature's mode of feeding to a pitcher plant catching insects, a comparison with which Qatai agrees. Seven reactivates The Doctor and he is filled in. The Doctor is confused; the last thing he remembers is Ensign Paris telling him about the wormhole and how he had to be taken off-line before they entered it. Qatai informs him that the creature deceived the crew into shutting him off when he began to suspect something was amiss, since he was a hologram and therefore immune to the creature's illusion inducement. Seven tells him to retrieve any bio-scans he has of the creature, while The Doctor attempts to wake up the crew. The Doctor tries to use a cortical inhibitor to break the neurogenic field's hold on the crew, starting with Lt. Torres, but the attempt fails dismally, as she was thinking that she was seeing her Maquis comrades alive. As he studies the creature further from Qatai's bioscans, Qatai studies Voyager's weapons manifest, looking for a weapon that can be used to kill the creature from within its belly. He recounts to The Doctor how his family was lost, along with thousands of others, on a colony ship, the Nokaro, looking for a planet to settle on, when they encountered the creature. It deceived them into thinking that it was a paradise, a perfect, uninhabited world. By the time he reached them, all that was left were fading engine emissions. He then finds a possible weapon: a class 9 photon torpedo, and discusses how to use it to kill the creature with Seven. The Doctor is loathe to killing a lifeform and asks for a few hours to study the creature to find a non-lethal weakness, but Seven and Qatai firmly respond that there is no time; the ship's hull is degrading too quickly. The Doctor suggests another course of action: every organism will attempt to expel a foreign body. He suggests they find a way to make Voyager "taste bad." Seven considers and suggests that they vent antimatter from Voyager's warp core and Qatai fire his tetrion-based weapons at it; this would cause an electrolytic discharge that would feel like a bad "stomach-ache" to the creature, causing emesis, expelling them. Qatai agrees. The plan is implemented; Qatai returns to his ship and, in engineering, The Doctor, on Seven's mark, vents the antimatter. Qatai fires on it, causing violent contractions of the creature's digestive tract that hurl the two ships back up to the mouth. The sensors tell Seven that they have been expelled, but The Doctor finds it strange that only one burst could have brought about emesis in such a large creature. His suspicions are confirmed when Seven hails Qatai and he agitatedly tells her that they are still inside; it deceived her. She is reluctant to accept this, insisting that she is immune to the creature's telepathic manipulation, but the doctor corrects her, telling her that she was immune when the creature was giving the illusion of being a wormhole to Earth; since she did not share that desire, she was unaffected. However, now she wants to escape the creature, and therefore has become vulnerable to its manipulation, based on that desire. Seeing that they are right, she orders a second discharge of antimatter to be released and ignited, which really does cause the creature to expel them. They beat a hasty retreat once outside. Seven offers Qatai help in repairing his damaged ship, but he declines, telling her not to worry about him. "Just get your ship home. And watch out for pitcher plants," he chuckles. Seven, who has routed all bridge controls to engineering, clears Voyager out of the area at maximum warp. Once out of range of the creature's neurogenic field, the crew awakens, confused, and very much surprised to find themselves still in the Delta Quadrant. On the bridge, Janeway orders Paris to scan the wormhole to find out what went wrong; of course, he finds no wormhole to scan. Kim tells her bridge controls have been rerouted to engineering. She contacts engineering and Seven responds. Janeway orders an explanation. Seven responds that The Doctor will fill her in. Meanwhile, she will file a complete report in the morning after she has regenerated. The next day, Seven finds Naomi in astrometrics studying Earth. They both agree that they find nothing remarkable about it, but, given the crew's determination, they both expect to see it for themselves someday. As for Qatai, he repairs his engines and engages the creature for yet another attempt at its destruction. 
<EOS>
A vessel has been detected by the Borg Collective and drones are activated aboard one of its ships. The drones are instructed to alter course to intercept the vessel. Inside a Borg ship drones immediately move from their alcoves and carry out the instructions. The Collective identifies the vessel: Federation Starfleet; Intrepid-class; 143 lifeforms. The drones are instructed to prepare for assimilation of the vessel. The target vessel is the USS Voyager. The Collective states its usual hail: "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile". The image of Voyager is replaced by one of Voyager's bridge. Captain Kathryn Janeway stands with Commander Chakotay at her side. Behind them, at the auxiliary tactical console is Seven of Nine whom Janeway has asked to be present for her tactical expertise. She replies with a warning to the Collective to break off pursuit or Voyager will open fire. The Collective dismisses Janeway's threat and repeats that it is intent on assimilating Voyager, they cut off communication. The Borg vessel closes on Voyager but it is neither a cube nor a sphere; instead, it is a probe. The two ships exchange fire. Aboard the probe, there are explosions as the deflector shields are disabled. The Collective instructs that they be regenerated and the weapons re-modulated when, suddenly, a Starfleet photon torpedo is transported into the vessel. A drone moves to disable it but as the drone is about to begin dismantling the torpedo it detonates, destroying the probe and all drones aboard. On Voyager's bridge, Janeway and Chakotay watch the explosion on the viewscreen. Both seem disappointed, Chakotay asks what happened as the goal was to merely disable the probe. Seven of Nine explains that the torpedo detonated near the power matrix, causing a chain reaction in the probe's systems. Janeway asks about survivors and Lt. Commander Tuvok reports that there were none. Janeway stares at the viewscreen for a moment then orders Chakotay to begin a salvage operation. The probe could have something they could use, such as weapons or possibly a transwarp coil. This is a key component of Borg supraluminal technology, allowing them to travel at speeds far greater than their standard warp drive. If they can modify it and their warp engines to work together, thousands of light years could be put behind them in mere days, taking years off their journey. Janeway and Chakotay enter Cargo Bay 2, where the debris from the destroyed probe is being studied. They walk around the debris, inspecting various components. Chakotay informs her that they have salvaged some useful components from the probe: power nodes and plasma conduits. Also, a transwarp coil was found amidst the debris field. They go to see the coil and find Seven of Nine and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres examining it. Their report is disappointing as the coil is unusable. Seven explains to her that when a Borg vessel is critically damaged, all of its vital technology, such as its transwarp coils, self-destructs. But Seven of Nine also has hopeful news from their salvage operation. She shows Janeway and Chakotay two Borg data nodes, one of which contains tactical information about the movements of Borg vessels in a thirty light year radius. This is vital information for Voyager as they can use it to avoid any further encounters with the Borg for a time. However, the unusable transwarp coil is a great disappointment and Janeway orders Seven to translate the node's data so the ship's computer can read it. In astrometrics, Seven shows Janeway and Tuvok the translated tactical information. She reports there are three cubes on a course parallel to their own, nine light years distant which pose no threat. But Janeway points out a sphere whose position is not far from them and asks Seven about it. Seven reports that the sphere is damaged from an ion storm and traveling at low warp. Janeway orders Seven to provide her with a detailed schematic of the vessel. Janeway calls a meeting with the senior staff in the briefing room. She describes a plan: they are going to steal a transwarp coil from the damaged sphere. The plan is labeled "Operation Fort Knox", after the 20th century facility which, all through its existence, defeated all attempts at intrusion. Ensign Tom Paris helps by explaining the reference to the others present. Chief Engineer Torres talks about how useful even one coil would be in drastically shortening their journey time to the Alpha Quadrant. Tuvok asks Janeway if she believes the sphere's defenses are low enough for them to do this. Janeway does believe this but she warns that the operation must be planned to the smallest detail. She reminds them that they cannot forget that they are dealing with the Borg. She proceeds to explain the plan in general terms: they will head for the sphere and use a diversion to allow an away team to beam aboard undetected. The away team will then steal the coil and return to Voyager with it. Chakotay recommends they create a holodeck simulation of the operation to practice it. Torres recommends they use a few "old Maquis tricks" she knows to mask their warp signature. Janeway agrees to both remarks and ends the meeting to begin preparations. After the meeting, Janeway calls Seven into her ready room. She informs her that she has a specific assignment for her relating to the operation. She wants Seven to research the data logs of her parents, Magnus and Erin Hansen, for any information which could give them a greater tactical advantage against the Borg. These logs were retrieved over two years before, among the remains of the Hansens' ship, the USS Raven. Seven of Nine begins to make excuses why the logs should not be consulted. She believes them to be irrelevant and flawed since her parents, despite all the knowledge they had gathered, were caught and assimilated. Janeway surmises, however, that Seven does not want to read them because they chronicle the events leading to her assimilation. But Janeway cannot afford to forgo the potentially invaluable tactical information contained in the logs and tells Seven that she will assign the task to Chakotay if she refuses. Seven informs the captain that, although reluctant, she will read the logs. Seven is in her Cargo Bay 2 quarters, near her alcove, examining one of the Borg data nodes. Neelix enters with a large box full of PADDs. Seven irritably notes his tardiness and Neelix apologizes. He explains that cataloging the logs took much longer than he expected because of the amount of data including field notes, personal logs and bio-kinetic analyses. He sets the box down and quietly muses that she is fortunate to have so huge a reminder of her own parents. All he has left of his own parents is a faded holo-image. As he leaves to prepare the rest of the logs, Seven picks up one of the PADDs and activates it. Annika Hansen is playing with a model of a Borg cube. Magnus Hansen enters. He leads her to a couch, sits with her and explains to her that they will be leaving the next day to study the Borg. Annika is full of questions for her father: Do the Borg have kids? What do they look like? Are they friendly? Her father answers her questions as best he can. Aboard the Raven, Magnus and Erin Hansen debate whether or not they should refuel before continuing onward. Magnus does not want to, insisting they are too close and if they stop now, they may as well return home. Erin questions what they would return home to as they have committed numerous felony violations: unauthorized deviation from flight plan, crossing the Romulan Neutral Zone, failure to obey direct orders to return. She expresses that she is of the opinion their colleagues obviously think they have gone insane. Annika enters from her bedroom, complaining that she cannot sleep. The sensors sound an alarm, detecting massive subspace eddies. Magnus and Erin hurry to the main console and detect a ship their scans reveal that it is a Borg cube. They enter visual range and bring it up on the viewscreen. Magnus, Erin, and Annika stare at the cube as it scans them and their vessel. The cube does not alter course to intercept and instead it moves off. Magnus says that this confirms his theory how the Borg ignore anything living unless they consider it a threat, or a target for assimilation. They follow the cube, remaining well behind it. A hail from the bridge by First Officer Chakotay brings Seven back to the present. She acknowledges Chakotay's hail and responds. Coming off the turbolift onto the bridge she sees the the damaged Borg sphere on the viewscreen. Janeway orders Paris to match its course and speed, keeping ten million kilometers away. Seven is ordered to the auxiliary tactical console to scan the sphere. She reports that its weapons array is regenerating, but its deflector shields and transwarp drive are off-line. However both systems will again be operational in 72 hours. The crew has a window of 72 hours to execute the operation. Janeway orders double shifts and 24-hour simulation drills for the crew. Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, Tuvok, and Harry Kim quickly walk down a corridor on the Borg sphere, armed with phaser rifles. Chakotay, on Voyager's bridge, counts down from two minutes, keeping them informed of their remaining time. The operation is going well, but Chakotay warns them they are behind schedule. Drones walk around the sphere ignoring them. Janeway and Seven proceed to the transwarp chamber, while Tuvok and Kim go to sphere's shield generator. They plant spatial charges around the generator while Janeway and Seven position transporter pattern enhancers on the coil. When Kim and Tuvok detonate the charges the coil is transported to Voyager. Chakotay confirms they have the transwarp coil and the away team proceeds to the pre-arranged coordinates for beam-off. But their time runs out. Chakotay informs them the two-minute period it takes for the Borg sensor grid to regenerate after being disabled has expired. Aboard the sphere, an alarm sounds as drones immediately stop, face the away team and advance. Tuvok fires and kills two drones coming towards him and Kim. Janeway and Seven are engaged with two other drones, but the Collective quickly adapts to the phaser setting. Janeway turns to go along another route, ordering Seven to follow but she is frozen in place. Janeway calls back to her sharply and Seven of Nine snaps out of it, following her down the corridor. They arrive at the transporter coordinates, where Tuvok and Kim are waiting, and the four of them beam out of the sphere. On Voyager's bridge, Paris reports to Chakotay the away team's successful return. Suddenly a contingent of drones appears on the bridge. Chakotay orders Paris to beam them off, but he cannot and the drones fan out and begin to advance on them. Chakotay orders the computer to freeze both programs on both holodecks. It was all a simulation. Chakotay demands an explanation from Paris. He replies that the drones must have piggybacked on Voyager's transporter beam. Chakotay hails Janeway and informs her that they retrieved the coil, but also some most unwelcome guests. Because the two-minute window before the sphere's sensor grid returns online is the maximum amount of time for the away mission, they have to cut their time on the sphere to under two minutes. Beaming into the transwarp chamber directly is considered, but Seven responds that the chamber is too heavily shielded. The away mission looks impossible, but Seven informs them that her parents were able to spend several hours at a time on a cube undetected. By consulting their logs, they may be able to explain how the Hansens were able to do this. Janeway orders her to find out and ends the simulation. As Janeway and Seven walk along the corridor outside the holodeck, Janeway asks her about her freeze-up during the simulation stating that she cannot afford such an incident during the operation. Janeway asks Seven if she is able to take part in the away mission. Seven responds that the simulation unsettled her. The last time she was on a Borg vessel, she was a drone. Janeway wonders if she is pushing her too hard and fast, making her face her past by looking at her parents research and now having her on the away team. Seven insists she will be fine. Janeway hopes so, the next time it will not be a simulation, she tells her. Seven acknowledges her statement and walks off. Seven prepares to read another batch of her parents' logs in her quarters. The doors open and Naomi Wildman, daughter of crewmember Ensign Samantha Wildman, enters. She complains to Seven that she is having nightmares and wants to stay with her, promising not to bother her. Seven agrees but as she continues her work, Naomi begins asking her questions about the Borg: Does it hurt to be a drone? Do the Borg have kids? Are they friendly? Distracted and worn down Seven tersely orders Naomi to return to her quarters. Naomi walks towards her and in a cold, hard voice states "Resistance is futile." A Borg implant emerges and spreads on her cheek. Seven panics as she looks around her quarters and sees Borg drones stepping out of the shadows. She frantically hails security, but receives no answer. Instead, she hears an ageless, disembodied, female voice state "They can't hear you." Seven demands to know the voice's identity. "I am the Borg," it responds. The voice calls her by her full Borg designation: Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, stating that she has become weak. Seven frantically tells herself that this is a dream that she is regenerating. The voice assures her that she is not in a dream. It explains how the Borg have accessed Seven's neural transceiver. The voice tells her that they know about Voyager's plan to invade the sphere stating that it will fail. Seven demands to know why the crew hasn't been assimilated if the Borg believe the plan to fail. The voice states that they have contacted her to make an offer: "Rejoin the Collective and we'll spare Voyager." Seven is confused by this statement, as the only thing that set her apart from other drones was that she happened to have been chosen by the Collective to speak for the Borg during the events which had led to her de-assimilation. The Collective could easily have chosen any drone aboard that cube. Seven asks why any effort would be taken to retake her when the Borg has since then assimilated thousands of new drones. The voice responds that they wish her to rejoin the Collective because Seven is "unique." The voice and drones vanish. The cargo bay is normal again and Seven is alone. Three months after first encountering the Borg cube, the Hansens have followed it through a transwarp corridor it created, arriving behind it in the Delta Quadrant, the region of origin of the Borg. Magnus Hansen is aboard the cube, wearing a bio-dampener to remain undetected. The Raven itself is outfitted with multi-adaptive shielding to mask it from Borg sensors. Both technologies have worked magnificently, allowing them to follow Borg vessels and beam on and off them without detection. Magnus reports back to Erin (who sits at the controls with Annika on her lap) that he is observing a badly-damaged drone, which the Hansens have dubbed "Junior" as it goes to an alcove to regenerate intending to repairing itself. However two other drones, which they have dubbed "Bill" and "Needle Fingers," arrive, deactivate the damaged drone and begin dismantling it. On the Raven, an alarm notifies Erin that Magnus' bio-dampener is almost out of power. She updates him, but he responds that he can stay on board for another minute. Seven shows the designs for the bio-dampeners to Tuvok and The Doctor in sickbay. She found the designs in her parents' logs and explains how these devices should solve the timing problem. Tuvok instructs The Doctor to manufacture four of them, one for each away team member. After Tuvok leaves, The Doctor compliments the Hansens on their ingenuity. Seven responds that the Hansens were efficient. Thinking that she is warming up to them, he happily cites this as an important stage in her social development, and encourages her to think of it as an exploration of how she was raised, an important part of her Humanity. Seven angrily replies that her parents underestimated the Borg. She states that because of their arrogance she was forced to be raised as a Borg drone. She storms out of sickbay and goes into a corner, struggling to regain control of herself. The away mission will begin at 0600 the next morning. But Janeway has made a change in the away team composition. She calls Seven into her ready room, and tells her that she has decided to replace her on the away team with Torres. She explains that if the sphere attacks, she will need someone with Borg expertise at tactical. Seven insists that she must be on the away team. She gives the excuse that they may encounter unexpected problems that only she can overcome. Janeway takes offense to the comment, thinking that Seven simply considers them not up to that task. However, Janeway realizes that Seven is not being arrogant, only fearful of the success of the mission. Seven fervently tells her that, in the time she has been on Voyager, the crew has become her Collective. Their survival is important to her. She would do anything to prevent harm from coming to them anything. She pleads with Janeway to be put back on the away team. Janeway reconsiders and places Seven back on the away team, telling her that she is very pleased with the remarkable progress she has made as an individual and a crewmember. The Borg Collective detects a vessel and activates the drones manning the damaged sphere. They alter the sphere's course to intercept. The vessel is identified as a Federation class 2 shuttlecraft with three lifeforms aboard. The Collective does not instruct the drones to prepare for assimilation. The sphere resumes course. On Voyager's bridge, Torres reports this to Chakotay. The shuttle is the diversion part of the plan; when the sphere drops its shields to take it in to assimilate it, the away team beams aboard. But the Borg are not taking the bait. Chakotay informs Janeway, waiting in one of the transporter rooms on the platform with the other team members, Seven included. Ensign Kim suggests having the shuttle fire a phaser shot at the sphere, but Seven responds that that would not work; they would simply destroy the shuttle as a perceived threat. Janeway gets an idea. She orders Chakotay to have the energy output of the shuttle's warp signature increased. He does so. With the increased warp signature, the Collective instructs the drones to prepare for assimilation. On Voyager's bridge, Ensign Paris reports that the sphere has locked a tractor beam on the shuttle and is taking it in. The sphere's shields drop and the away team beams aboard, wearing the bio-dampeners The Doctor produced. They begin their separate operations of the away mission. Seven immediately stops and has a vivid vision of herself when she was a drone. She hears the voice she heard in the cargo bay. "Never forget who you are," it tells her. Janeway, worried, touches her shoulder and asks if she is alright. She shakes herself out of it and follows her to the transwarp coil chamber. Tuvok and Ensign Kim place the spatial charges on the shield generator as practiced. Janeway and Seven plant the transporter pattern enhancers on the coil. Tuvok and Kim blow the generator and the coil is beamed off the sphere. Janeway and Seven quickly move toward the away team's beam-out coordinates. Moving through the sphere towards the coordinates, Seven halts again. The disembodied female voice again beckons her to rejoin the Collective in order to spare Voyager. Janeway, realizing she is not behind her, turns and sees her standing, looking at her. Annoyed, she orders Seven to keep moving. Seven responds that she will not follow Janeway and wishes to return to the Collective. Janeway firmly tells Seven she cannot let her do that. Seven responds that Janeway has no choice. Janeway aims her rifle at her, preparing to stun her and take her back to Voyager, to remain under guard in the sickbay or the brig until she regains her senses. She again orders her to keep moving. A force field appears between them, and two drones come up behind Seven. Seven pleads with Janeway to leave her. Chakotay hails and informs Janeway that the sphere is moving to intercept Voyager and that the away team must beam out in order that the ship is not assimilated. But Janeway does not move. She tells Seven she will not leave without her. Seven responds by telling her that if she does not leave, she will be assimilated. Janeway gazes at her for a moment then turns and runs towards the beam-out point. The rest of the away team arrives at the coordinates, and Janeway hails Chakotay: three to beam out. Chakotay questions the number but Janeway orders him to energize. Once they are back on Voyager, Chakotay asks where Seven is and Janeway angrily replies that she had a change of heart. She orders a situation report and he responds that the sphere is altering course away from them. Torres reports that its transwarp drive is powering up. Janeway, even though she knows it is hopeless, orders Paris to follow it. In a glow of green, the sphere accelerates to transwarp and races away in the blink of an eye. Seven is led by two drones through the corridors of the sphere. The sphere itself drops from transwarp into an incredible sight: an immense Borg complex. Structures interconnect with each other in a web so huge that it seems to take up an entire sector. The sphere moves toward a hatch on one of the main structures. The hatch opens and the sphere disappears inside. As Seven and her drone "guards" enter through a spearhead-shaped door they stand in a large room with a wide, slight raised platform situated in the middle. Above the platform, a head and its upper torso descend on a lift from above. The head appears to be that of a humanoid female alien. Descending, the head smiles a little. As the head and upper torso approach the floor, a disassembled black mechanical body, composed of the rest of the torso and limbs rises from the floor. After the two parts of the Borg are attached, the body slowly walks up to Seven. Seven stares at the Borg as it descends from the platform. She realizes that this is the origin of the disembodied voice she had heard. Her parents had a name for this type of Borg. The Borg Queen. "Welcome home," the Queen tells her. The Borg Queen walks slowly around Seven, appraising her new appearance, noting how the individuals on Voyager have "remade her into their image" by removing her Borg features and giving her back hair and clothing. Seven sarcastically responds that she expected re-assimilation, not conversation. The Queen notes her sense of humor and comments that the last two years must have been remarkable for her. She repeats what she told her in Voyager's cargo bay: she is unique. Seven wonders aloud that her experiences on board Voyager are why the Collective wanted her back, to "add to their perfection." The Queen responds that this was Seven of Nine's mission all along. The Borg purposefully let Voyager's crew take Seven. Surprised, Seven demands that the Queen explain herself, but she receives no answer. The Queen instead offers her a chance to regenerate in an alcove that has been adapted for her. She lets Seven know that after her regeneration they will speak further on her capture. Aboard Voyager, in Cargo Bay 2, crewmen clear away the debris from the Borg probe. The debris was stripped of useful components and they will melt the components so that the polytrinic alloys can be extracted. As Janeway and Chakotay supervise the cleanup, she expresses her frustration at trying to understand Seven's actions. She cannot understand why she chose to rejoin the Collective now? Chakotay theorizes that Seven had been planning this all along, he reminds her that Seven threatened to betray Janeway after they had first severed her from the hive mind two years earlier. Janeway doesn't believe him and tells him that Seven had come to see Voyager as her Collective. Neelix, who is helping with the clean-up, comes up to them and asks Janeway what to do with Seven's alcove. With her gone, logically the alcove, which uses a lot of power, has no function and should be shut down. Janeway tells him no and he goes back to work. In her ready room, Janeway sits at her desktop monitor, reviewing sensor logs from the day before their operation to steal the transwarp coil from the damaged sphere. She has a hunch that the Borg somehow influenced Seven to rejoin them and believes the logs have evidence of that. As she works, Tuvok arrives and explains that "a member of the crew" has requested an appointment with her. Janeway is about to refuse due to being so busy, but then sees Naomi Wildman peeking out from behind Tuvok and relents, allowing her in. Naomi has come to see her with a plan she has designed to find Seven. Janeway looks at it and tells her that it would not work but she commends Naomi for her initiative. Before Naomi leaves, she asks Janeway if they're going to rescue Seven, and Janeway assures her that a good captain never abandons a member of the crew; they're not giving up on Seven. The computer then beeps letting Janeway know that it has finished analyzing the sensor logs and has found an anomaly. Janeway and Naomi look at the monitor as it shows that Borg communication signals were directed towards Cargo Bay 2. In the Borg Unicomplex, Seven awakens from regeneration to find her vision has returned to that of the Borg. The Borg Queen informs her that her brain's sight-controlling region has been re-enhanced with Borg technology with the addition of a neural processing adjunct. Seven fearfully and angrily demands its removal. The Queen responds that Seven prefers to remain small but Seven replies that she prefers to remain unique. The Queen reassures her that this is not what the Borg want, they want her individuality intact. Seven returns to her initial question asking why the effort was made to capture her? The Queen replies that they need her for her individual, Human perspective. Seven does not understand as they have already assimilated her memories and could need nothing more. The Queen's answers that they want her to help them finally succeed in doing what they have twice tried and failed to do: assimilate Humanity. Seven adamantly tells her she will resist. The Queen responds that she knows this. The chamber shakes and Seven demands to know what is happening. The Queen informs her they are off to assimilate a species. She shows Seven a holo-projection of the targeted planet with a population of 392,000 and the inhabitants whom the Borg refer to as Species 10026. Their presence is not required, she tells Seven, but she deems the experience necessary to remind her of what it means to be Borg. Seven looks at the projection fearfully. The Queen notices her fear, remarking that she is experiencing compassion, a Human emotion. A hatch opens in a structure in the Unicomplex, and a diamond-shaped vessel emerges, carrying Seven, the Queen, and attendant drones. It moves out of the Unicomplex to rendezvous with two Borg cubes. The three vessels head off for Species 10026's planet. Aboard the diamond, Seven continues gazing at the projection in sympathetic terror. Aboard the Raven, Magnus and Erin Hansen examine a regenerating new drone that they have beamed over from a cube they have been shadowing. They ascertain the species it was a Ktarian (Species 6961). The drone's infrastructure was made of titanium, meaning it was a tactical drone. To their surprise they check its previous designation (Three of Five, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 1) and realize it used to work close to the Borg Queen. As Annika watches with interest, they decide to put a tracking device on the drone. If it should ever return to Unimatrix 1, they could get the opportunity to study the Queen herself. An alarm alerts them that its regeneration cycle is almost complete and they quickly beam it back to its alcove aboard the cube. While Erin and Annika eat, Magnus inspects the drone's downloaded cranial transceiver logs, looking for communication signals from the Queen. In Janeway's ready room, Chakotay reports that a comparison between the signals Magnus Hansen recorded in 2354 on the Hansens' logs and those that Janeway discovered being sent to Seven in Cargo Bay 2 matched. Seven was indeed getting communication from what he calls "this 'Borg queen'" (the existence of such a thing is unknown to Starfleet at the time Voyager was pulled into the Delta Quadrant, since the Hansens never returned home with their data and the Battle of Sector 001 had just recently occurred). Janeway notes that, whatever the nature of this "queen", she obviously is very influential, having made Seven turn herself over to the Collective the day after contacting her. Chakotay wonders if Seven was instructed to return to the Collective, but Janreway recalls her conversation with Seven before the mission when Seven insisted that she had to be on the away team and go aboard the sphere or the mission would fail. Janeway tells Chakotay that Seven had seemed very afraid, as if there was something she knew that she could not tell. In hindsight, Janeway intuits that the Queen didn't instruct Seven per se; she threatened her with the assimilation Voyager's crew if she did not turn herself over to the Collective. Janeway orders Chakotay to compile a list of every available technology the Hansens developed to track the Borg. Seven saved them from the Collective by turning herself over, now it's time to return the favor. Janeway addresses the entire crew from the bridge outlining the mission: a long-range tactical rescue. During her speech various preparations around the vessel are taking place. Torres is equipping the Delta Flyer with the recovered transwarp coil. An away team consisting of Paris, Tuvok, The Doctor, and Janeway will go after the sphere that took Seven through transwarp space using tracking technology Chakotay found in the Hansens' logs. The Hansens' multi-adaptive shielding will mask the Delta Flyer from Borg sensors, and narrow beam transporters will allow the away team to board the sphere. Chakotay will keep Voyager at the threshold of the Delta Flyer's transwarp conduit to offer tactical support against any pursuing Borg ships on the Delta Flyer's return. She ends her address with the following exhortation: they will be looking for one individual among thousands of drones. "But she is one of us," she finishes, "and I am not about to let her go." She looks at the expectant bridge officers. "Let's get started." The Delta Flyer takes off and on Janeway's order, Paris brings the transwarp coil online and, in a flash of green, the shuttle goes to transwarp, heading in the direction the sphere was traveling. Tuvok detects the sphere's residual transwarp signature, and Janeway orders Paris to follow it. The Borg Queen's vessel and the two escort Borg cubes arrive at the Species 10026 planet to begin assimilation. The Borg Queen manipulates Seven into suggesting a way to adapt to Species 10026 weapons fire, a modulating phaser pulse that can penetrate Borg deflector shields. Initially Seven refuses to provide a strategy stating, "You are the Borg, you tell me." The Queen does not respond; instead, she lets the aliens bombard the Borg diamond until Seven becomes alarmed. She then calmly looks at Seven and repeats her question: How does she propose they adapt? Not wanting to die, Seven instinctively suggests a strategy. The Queen smiles, agrees with Seven's assessment and communicates it to the drones for implementation. Immediately the weapons' fire is rendered completely ineffective. Pleased, the Borg queen instructs Seven to assist in the primary assimilation chamber. However, seeing Seven's terrified reaction, she changes her mind, thinking aloud that perhaps she is pushing her too hard. She instructs her to assist in repairing their shield generators instead. Seven walks unsteadily through the corridors, going to her assigned task. Around her, captured members of the humanoid species are escorted by drones to assimilation chambers. Bloodcurdling screams ring out from the direction of the assimilation chambers. Fearfully, she reaches a panel and, trying her best to shut out the screams, starts repairing the generators. An explosion knocks her down, and as she attempts to stand up, two drones come behind her and pick her up roughly. She struggles as one brings a Borg prosthetic to her face. But it simply passes it over a cut she sustained, healing it. They release her and continue on their way. A small group of aliens pass by, on their way to a chamber, escorted by drones. Suddenly a male among them tries to run away past her. Instinctively, she grabs his arm, stopping him. She immediately realizes what she is doing and releases him. Her realization comes too late, as one of the drones returns for the male. It seizes him and mercilessly plunges its assimilation tubules into his neck. He freezes, trembling in agony. Black lines radiate over his head and neck, as millions of Borg nanoprobes flood his system, beginning his assimilation. Seven watches, horrified. She stumbles back, shuddering and hyperventilating. She then notices that she is just outside an assimilation chamber and enters. Inside, a few of the aliens watch helplessly as a drone works on assimilating one of them with exact precision. Another drone stands by watching. The victim is lying on a platform and his right arm has been severed while an attachment for the prosthetic replacement the drone is about to install is on the stump. The second drone leaves the chamber to go and carry out a repair. As soon as it has gone, Seven immediately comes up behind the drone working on the victim and deactivates it. She lifts the victim up off the platform and orders the others to assist her. They stare at her in confusion and alarm. She tells them sharply that she is not Borg; she will help them escape. "Assist me!" she orders. They take their comrade as Seven instructs them what to do. One of their ships is nearby. It is heavily damaged and the crew is dead, but the propulsion system still works. She will transport them aboard; they must remain there until the Borg leave, and then they must flee on a heading she gives them. They nod understanding, and Seven goes to a console and beams them out. Seven re-enters the Borg Queen's chamber. The queen is pleased: assimilation is complete. Seven angrily asks if the three hundred thousand individuals who have just been destroyed should be congratulated as well. They should be indeed, the Borg queen responds; they have been delivered from chaos into order. Seven sarcastically comments that she should use those words next time instead of "Resistance is futile", they may actually get some of the victims to volunteer. The Queen responds that Seven is simply hiding behind sarcasm in order to not acknowledge the pleasure of a new species being added to the Collective, a pleasure which she fully remembers. Stop resisting, the Queen urges her, revel in it. Seven pauses. She can indeed feel it. But the sickening horror of what she has seen makes her reject it. Instead, she remembers how she used to be part of such atrocities herself. Full of guilt, she tells the Queen that she will not take pleasure in the destruction of a race. The Borg Queen is again disappointed and angered by Seven's reaction. Impatiently, she insists that her feelings of guilt, compassion, and empathy are irrelevant. Seven strongly disagrees, arguing that they are relevant to her. This further angers the Queen as there is no 'me', she insists; there is only 'us'. Then the Queen's head tilts to one side as she detects the ship containing the unassimilated aliens. It appears on her chamber's viewscreen and she asks Seven what should be done with it. Seven calmly and coolly tries to brush off the interrogation with subterfuge, saying that the ship contains only four aliens and would be a waste of Collective resources to capture and assimilate them, but the Queen will not have any of it, seeing through Seven's deception. She proclaims harshly that if one of Species 10026 escapes, then the species itself remains unassimilated. As they watch, a cube intercepts the ship and seizes it in a tractor beam. Seven watches, close to tears. She begs with the Queen to release them. "I'm sorry this lesson has to be so painful for you," the Borg Queen tells her with false sympathy, "but you are a difficult pupil." She again urges Seven to abandon her Human emotions. "They are the cause of your pain," she insists. Seven continues to plead with the Queen for the survivor's release. The Queen looks at her impatiently and releases them. The cube releases the ship from its tractor beam and the alien ship speeds off to safety. Seven is dumbfounded by this unexpected action and remarks, "I thought compassion is irrelevant." The Queen acknowledges Seven with an intent gaze but gives no explanation. The Raven flees at maximum warp. As Magnus explains in his log entry, a subspace particle storm knocked their multi-adaptive shielding off-line, leaving them exposed to Borg sensors. It was only off-line for 13.2 seconds, but that was enough; the Borg detected them and perceived them as a threat. Now they flee desperately from a Borg cube closely pursuing them. Although the Hansens have masked the Raven's warp drive signature, the cube still pursues them. Annika lies in bed, frightened, listening as her parents loudly discuss what to do. Erin points out a nearby Mutara class nebula as a hiding place, but Magnus rejects it, saying its particle density is too high and their hull would rupture. Erin argues that they have no time to look for anything else. Annika calls for Magnus and he goes and comforts her. On the Delta Flyer, The Doctor pitches an idea to Captain Janeway to send a message to Seven through her interplexing beacon. Janeway approves and asks The Doctor to try once they reach their destination. Ensign Paris reports he has found the sphere, located two hundred light years from their position. Janeway orders him to head for it and orders Tuvok to raise the multi-adaptive shielding. They drop out of transwarp and find themselves in the Unicomplex. The Humans and The Doctor are awestruck at the incredible size of the structure. Tuvok scans trillions of Borg lifeforms on it. A cube comes toward them but passes harmlessly, an indication that their multi-adaptive cloak is working. Janeway orders Paris to head into the Unicomplex and Tuvok begins scanning for Seven. In her chamber, the Borg Queen makes a decision, it is time for Seven to serve her purpose. She informs Seven about a new mode of assimilation they have developed, for "highly-resistant species", surreptitious as opposed to direct assault: an assimilation virus. Seven is confused as she has no knowledge of this technology, having left the Collective before it was developed. The Queen tells her that her knowledge of the species they had in mind when designing it is invaluable. She brings up a holo-image of that species: Species 5618 -- Human. As Seven listens in shock, the Queen explains how the virus works. The virus is designed to infect every lifeform on a target planet, assimilating the planet's life slowly. By the time the population realizes what is happening, half of their population will be drones. Seven comes to the realization that the Borg are planning to release this virus into Earth's atmosphere. She tries to raise the objection that such a method would be inefficient, as it would take many years to yield results. The Queen merely responds that they have waited this long and the Collective can wait the required period. She gives Seven the job of programming the nanoprobes. Seven flatly refuses to be part of Humanity's destruction. The Queen responds by reminding her of the thousands of assimilations she had been part of as a drone and how this is no different. After Seven still voices her refusal, the Queen again loses patience. They all came from "lesser species"; she herself came from Species 125. But that is irrelevant, she asserts, as they are Borg. "I am an individual!" Seven responds. The Queen's patience begins to wear thin. She explains that this is the purpose they require Seven for and she will fulfill it. She threatens Seven to either comply or be re-assimilated. To emphasize the threat, she has drones converge on her. But Seven stands her ground and defiantly tells the Queen to proceed if she wishes. The Queen sees that threats will not work. Instead, she tries even more intense psychological manipulation. The Queen and the drones continue to close in on Seven as she backs away. The Queen tells Seven that she is torn between her desire to return to the Collective and her loyalty to the Voyager crew. She tries to comfort Seven with the expectation that all of her grief, all of her guilt, remorse and compassion will become irrelevant once Humanity is assimilated. Seven looks around at them fearfully. The Queen demands that she forget Voyager as they "were never your Collective." Seven stands her ground and rebelliously states that she is Annika Hansen -- Human. The Queen smiles and tells Seven that she remembers Annika but wonders if Annika remembers someone else. A drone steps forward and a horrified Seven recognizes who it was immediately - her father, Magnus Hansen. The Queen, sensing that Seven's resistance is weak, soothingly tells her, "Your family's here. You're here. Be one with us again." It works and Seven begins to give in to the Queen. But then Seven hears the voice of Captain Janeway, urging her to hold on, they are coming. "Captain" Seven whispers loudly enough for the Queen to hear her. "What did you say?" she asks sharply. Seven realizes her blunder and tries to say it was nothing, but the Queen does not believe her. She seizes her face and through the hive mind probes her thoughts finding the com link set up by The Doctor. On board the Flyer, Janeway and The Doctor discover that their com link to Seven is suddenly being blocked, indicating that the Queen knows they are coming. Tuvok reports he has found Seven's location. Janeway orders Paris to head for the location. In her chamber, the Queen comments that although Janeway's com signal originated close by, they cannot detect her vessel. But she understands why this is so as they must be using the Hansens' multi-adaptive shielding. However, she notes, they assimilated that technology, therefore they can adapt to it quickly and easily. Paris tensely reports a cube has altered course to intercept them, meaning that they have been detected. Janeway immediately orders re-modulation of the shielding. This works, but she knows they cannot fool the Borg sensors forever. They have to hurry. Tuvok reports that Seven is in a large chamber but he cannot get a transporter lock at their current distance. Janeway orders Paris to take them in closer. In her chamber, the Borg Queen attempts to use deception to dash any hope of rescue, telling Seven that the ship has been captured. However, Seven immediately knows she is lying as she is connected to the hive mind. As Seven once told Janeway, Borg make lousy liars; they cannot practice deception, as the hive mind makes it impossible. Seven tells this to the Queen who is greatly angered by being reminded of this. The Flyer approaches the superstructure containing the Queen's Chamber and Paris reports it is too heavily shielded for the transporter to lock onto Seven. Janeway orders Tuvok to equip the newly-made bio-dampeners and accompany her into the structure. She orders Paris to target the chamber with the Flyer's weapons he asks for clarification, very concerned. "Won't you be down there?" "Do it" she insists and he acknowledges. Janeway and Tuvok beam onto the superstructure, armed with phaser rifles. Their bio-dampeners work as they are undetected by the various drones while they move down a corridor. But security is heightened and force fields go up along the corridor. These fields do not block drones, only non-Borg. They watch as a drone walks through one and Janeway gets an idea ordering Tuvok to give her a subdermal bioprobe. On the Flyer, alarms alert Paris that the vessel's shielding is again being adapted by the Borg. Three cubes start converging on the shuttle. He quickly re-modulates their frequency and waits. In her chamber, the Borg Queen watches the viewscreen with great annoyance as the Flyer vanishes once again. Seven watches as well. "You underestimate them," she tells the Queen with satisfaction. The Queen bitterly remarks that it is time for a more aggressive approach. The Flyer is suddenly rocked by Borg weapons fire as the approaching cubes blindly fire in the vicinity of its last known position. Aboard, Paris tensely bobs and weaves the shuttle to avoid the blasts. Back near the Queen's Chamber, Janeway and Tuvok walk up to a regenerating drone and Janeway implants it with the subdermal probe and has Tuvok wake it. Once activated, the drone walks up to a force field, pauses and then walks through. Janeway reads the force field's modulation and adjusts her bio-dampener to be compatible in order to walk through the fields herself. As she does so however, the field overloads her bio-dampener making her detectable by the Borg sensor grid. She quickly orders Tuvok to disable the shields around the chamber and hurries forward. Aboard the Flyer, Paris realizes that his time is up; the Borg are now adapting to the shielding and sensing the ship no matter how fast he changes the frequency. The familiar, monotonous hail comes through: "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile". In her chamber, the Borg Queen speaks the words, AS the Collective. Anguished, Seven charges at the Queen, her arm raised to strike her down, but the Queen turns and seizes her arm with hardly an effort. Seven struggles, futilely. The Queen tells Seven that retrieving her was a waste of time. "We believed you would be an asset to us. We were wrong," she tells her, scornfully adding that she has become weak. "Don't listen to her, Seven," a voice says from the doorway. They turn to see Captain Janeway standing at the door. She walks in slowly, rifle pointed at the Queen, looking directly at her. Drones converge around Janeway and she warns the Queen to call them off or be destroyed. The drones stop. The Queen matter-of-factly tells her that her weapons are useless. Janeway disputes that, replying that her tactical officer is disabling the room's shields and her ship's weapons are targeted on the chamber. The Queen observes that she and Seven will be killed along with her. Janeway responds that death is better than being one of them. The Queen tests her resolve by ordering the drones to resume their convergence on Janeway. Janeway calmly orders Paris to fire on her command; upon seeing that Janeway is not bluffing, the Queen again halts the drones. Paris reports that the attacking cubes have withdrawn. She orders him to beam her, Tuvok, and Seven out of the chamber. Suddenly, the lighting and shadows shift within the chamber. Paris reports that a dispersal field has gone up around them and he cannot beam them out. Janeway turns to Seven and orders her to shut the field down. The Queen, though, attempts one last appeal to the Borg Seven used to be. She tells her not to listen to Janeway. "She's poisoned your thoughts long enough," she says sharply. Janeway simply makes her instruction to Seven a direct order. The Queen tries to counter by telling Seven that one order and one voice is "insignificant". The field drops as the Queen furiously glares at Seven. Janeway smiles and orders Paris to energize, but then the Queen tilts her head and the lights and shadows suddenly shift again. Paris reports the field is back up. She looks at Seven and Janeway with contempt. Drones begin converging on them both. The Queen orders them assimilated. The drones close on them mercilessly. Seven, however, informs Janeway that there is a power node directly above the Queen. If it is destroyed, the Queen's interface with the dispersal field will be broken. The Queen's head whips around to face her with a shocked, accusing glare. "Our thoughts are one," Seven reminds her with a satisfied sneer. Janeway wastes no time and immediately destroys the node with a blast from her rifle. She and Seven disappear from the chamber in the Flyer's transporter beam. The Queen watches, her eyes full of fury. Upon beaming back onto the Flyer, Janeway welcomes Seven back to the crew. The Doctor runs a quick scan and finds Seven has not been in any way re-assimilated. She joins Tuvok at tactical and the Delta Flyer speeds away from the Unicomplex. Two cubes quickly follow the ship and are joined by the Borg Queen's vessel. On Janeway's order, the Flyer jumps to transwarp. Only the Borg Queen's vessel does the same -- the cubes stay at the Unicomplex. In transwarp space, the diamond fires on the Flyer, damaging its port warp nacelle. The shuttle begins to rapidly lose energy and Paris reports that they will drop out of transwarp in under a minute. Janeway orders rerouting of power from life support to the engines: better to suffocate than vaporize. On Voyager's bridge, Torres, at tactical, reports to Chakotay that a transwarp conduit is opening -- the Flyer is returning. Chakotay orders battle stations. In the conduit, the diamond tries to catch the Flyer in a tractor beam, but Seven deflects it. Paris counts down the time until they return to normal space where Voyager is positioned. As the Flyer drops back into normal space, Janeway hails Voyager and informs Chakotay of the Borg vessel closely pursuing them. Chakotay gets an idea and he orders Torres to fire a full spread of photon torpedoes at the conduit's threshold. The resulting explosion would conversely implode the conduit for distance of at least a light year, destroying anything inside it for that distance. Torres does so and as the torpedoes detonate, massive space-transwarp space explosions cause the effect that Chakotay desired. Janeway hails Voyager and Chakotay informs her of the action taken. They seem to be home free, and she orders him to clear the Flyer for docking. But then a shocked Torres reports the appearance of a large number of Borg signatures coming from the conduit. Neither she nor Chakotay can understand, as they were certain the conduit was collapsed. Chakotay tensely informs Janeway and orders battlestations and weapons ready. He and the bridge officers watch as the conduit opens. All that comes out is debris from the destroyed Borg Queen's vessel. They breathe a collective sigh of relief. Janeway records in her log that the stolen transwarp coil gave them twenty thousand light years of service before giving out; they are now a good fifteen years closer to home. She enters Cargo Bay 2 and finds Seven at a console working, despite orders from The Doctor to regenerate for at least 48 hours. She is downloading Borg tactical data into the computer's database. She explains that she acquired a vast amount of data during her time at Unimatrix 01, connected once again to the hive mind. This data may prove useful in any future encounters with the Borg. Janeway approves. But there is something on Seven's mind. She tells Janeway that she betrayed them and threatened them with assimilation and still they came back for her. She had not expected that course of action at all. Why did they do it? Janeway smiles at her and responds that she apparently still has much to learn about Humanity. She tells her it is time to regenerate; she has to follow The Doctor's orders. "When I am finished," Seven replies. "No," Janeway responds, her smile widening, "now." Seven smiles back as she goes to her alcove and installs herself. As the regeneration cycle begins, she closes her eyes serenely. Janeway looks at her fondly and wishes her sweet dreams. 
<EOS>
On board a very long starship made up of a series of segments, a door opens. Harry Kim stumbles through the door, locked passionately in the arms of an unknown alien woman. They stumble into a chair where the woman removes his combadge and tosses it aside. They kiss passionately and the woman's skin glows briefly. Kim protests as they move to the bed. The woman lifts Kim's shirt, and both of their skins glow. USS Voyager has stopped to help repair an alien ship's warp drive. The Varro are very xenophobic and often avoid alien encounters. In the Varro ship's central control, Captain Kathryn Janeway requests access to their warp assembly. At first she is not allowed access, as the Varro are wary of outsiders. She eventually gains permission by showing their leader the progress they've made on the antimatter injectors. Janeway tells the Varro leader, Jippeq, how she believes their two ships are very similar. Both have long journeys ahead of them, and have had some bad experiences in the Delta Quadrant. Despite the fact that the Varro ignored Voyager's initial hails, their crews have made considerable progress together. Four hundred years prior, the Varro began with a small starship and crew, and grew into a generational ship carrying hundreds. Janeway says this could be the future of Voyager. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris enter and inform the captain that the antimatter transfer is ready. Janeway stated earlier that this would be the final step in the repairs on the Varro ship. Additionally, Chakotay reports that Voyager is ready for the transfer. The captain shows Jippeq how to cross his fingers for luck as the transfer begins. Meanwhile, in the Varro woman's cabin, Kim is staring out of the viewport thoughtfully. The woman, Derran Tal, awakes and greets him. Kim is obviously nervous; he has ignored many Starfleet regulations by becoming intimate with an alien without clearance from a medical officer and a commanding officer. Furthermore, he has directly disobeyed Janeway's order to refrain from personal interaction with the Varro. Suddenly, the warp engines can be heard activating -- they are late, and the transfer has already begun. Kim frantically tries to dress himself, first with Tal's uniform and then his own. Back in the ship's central control, Paris and Torres are monitoring the transfer. Ensign Kim enters and claims he was checking the manifold in Section 22. Tal enters the room as the ship begins to jolt. Jippeq observes that the warp reaction is destabilizing. When no one can identify the problem, Janeway orders the transfer to be aborted. Torres informs the captain that there are microfractures on the ship's hull. It is decided that it is necessary to check each segment of the generational ship for microfractures, even though it could take days. Later on Voyager, Paris and Kim have just returned; they discuss their impressions of the Varro. Paris implies that Kim's "first contact" has gone well. Kim repeats his story about plasma conduits, but Paris sees through his story. Once he reaches his quarters Kim opens a comm channel to the Varro ship, Tal's cabin. She has been waiting for his call. They decide that they want to see each other again, though they agree that they are surprised by the differences between their species' mating techniques. Back on the bridge, Tuvok detects the transmission and reports it to Chakotay, who orders him to trace its destination. Meanwhile, Kim and Tal are having a romantic conversation, unaware of the danger of being discovered. When Paris realizes that the transmission is probably from Kim, he destabilizes the trace while claiming he was searching for the transmission. He says it was probably just a glitch in the comm system. Later on, in the cargo bay, Chakotay briefs the crew on their plans and it is decided they will be split into pairs. In the back, Paris subtly informs Kim that his transmission was detected last night, and tries to convince him that the relationship is not a good idea. Seven of Nine tells Ensign Kim that they have been paired up, and will be surveying the generational ship from astrometrics. Once they arrive, they begin to work when Kim asks Seven of her thoughts on love. She compares it to a disease, "a series of biochemical responses that trigger an emotional cascade."  Suddenly, Kim's skin glows as it did before; when he begins to experience discomfort, Seven takes him to sickbay. In sickbay, The Doctor interrogates Kim on his experiences aboard the Varro ship, but Harry isn't forthcoming with any information. However, since there is apparently no known cause of Kim's sickness, The Doctor is ready to quarantine him and initiate a full medical alert in case it is an unknown alien virus. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Kim is forced to tell The Doctor that he had sex with Tal. Protocol dictates full bioscans of both parties, and The Doctor tells Kim that he needs to report him to Captain Janeway. It isn't long before Harry is summoned to Janeway's ready room, where she makes clear her disappointment in Kim, and he demonstrates that he is indeed aware of the regulations by reciting the appropriate ones at this moment. Although Harry's condition isn't life-threatening, she informs him that she is required to tell Jippeq in case Harry has introduced a biological threat into their environment, and she fears this will strain their trust too much as well as destroying any chance Janeway had for an exchange of information or supplies. Kim claims he has developed true feelings for Tal; however, Janeway reminds him that, feelings or not, he still chose to disobey Starfleet regulations and enters a reprimand into his service file as well as ordering him to break off the relationship. Neelix emerges from a turbolift and wants to review security risks with Tuvok. He has been noticing some supplies disappearing from the mess hall, only unimportant items such as emergency rations. After some investigation, Neelix discovered that there had been unauthorized access of environmental controls. Life support was activated in a normally uninhabited Jefferies tube. Neelix and Tuvok go to the affected area to investigate. They discover evidence of an intruder, including a Varro scanning device. When they force a hatch open they discover a Varro stowaway. Back in Tal's quarters, she is viewing a distant pulsar field. When Kim enters, he asks about what she is watching. She says she is dreaming about going there; she would like to, but the ship won't. It is too close to an inhabited planet, and the Varro avoid other species at all costs. Tal expresses the desire to explore, instead of fleeing from any other ship. She claims this will change. Kim then informs her of the events on Voyager, and she is surprised by her effect on him. She says it shouldn't have happened; it is called "olan'vora, the shared heart," a lasting biological connection between two Varro. The process can be reversed, but they would have to separate themselves from each other. Before he leaves, he changes his mind and returns to kiss Tal. In the conference room, Chakotay is interrogating the intruder along with Tuvok. Apparently the Varro was able to circumvent Voyager's systems and enter through a docking port. He says he came aboard to get away from the Varro generation ship. It turns out there is a movement among the Varro to leave the ship, to branch out and meet new species or settle down on a planet. They feel like prisoners on board, willing to take violent action to escape. The intruder becomes suspicious that Tuvok and Chakotay are attempting to gather information on the movement, though in reality they haven't informed the Varro of the intruder yet. Chakotay orders the intruder to the brig, and prepares to contact the Varro authorities. Before he is removed, the intruder informs Chakotay that there are hundreds more who share his views. Janeway and Chakotay are having dinner. Janeway tells Chakotay that, because of the incident between Kim and Tal, Jippeq is insisting that the Starfleet and Varro crews are kept separate at all times; a position Janeway supports. Chakotay then brings up the subject of Kim's reprimand, and Janeway explains that she came down so hard on him because she wanted to leave a lasting impression on him for what happens when he violates regulations. Chakotay asks Janeway to reconsider the reprimand, saying he thinks she is more upset that Kim let her down then with what he did, but Janeway refuses to consider this. In her quarters, Tal looks over the plans for the parasites, then she is contacted by Kim. Suddenly, she is transported out of her cabin. She rematerializes in a shuttlecraft with Kim inside. He says he is off duty, and wanted some time with her despite the fact he is not only continuing to disregard protocols (including unauthorized use of a shuttlecraft) but has now disobeyed Captain Janeway's direct order. They monitor a Class 3 nebula; Tal is very excited by a break from the isolationist routine aboard the generational ship. Kim tells Tal of his distress; he feels very pressured to be a model officer, but he can't deny the feelings he has for her. She responds by envying his freedom and the nobility of Voyager's mission. Their moment is halted by a hail from Tuvok on the Delta Flyer. Tal is wanted by the Varro authorities for sabotage. In Voyager's conference room, Jippeq orders Tal to confess and deactivate the parasites. She reaffirms Kim's innocence and repeats the intruder's argument of a prison-like feeling. They did not release the parasites to destroy the ship, only to split it up so that each segment could choose its destination and not be forced to avoid contact. Captain Janeway attempts to mediate by arguing that there could be casualties and they must try to avoid that. Tal agrees to slow down the parasites to facilitate evacuation. Janeway and Kim are left alone and discuss his relationship and actions. The Doctor's report revealed that there is indeed a chemical link that might have impaired Kim's judgment. She brutally orders him to report to sickbay and be confined there, but when she walks to the bridge he follows her and he yells a refusal for treatment. They then move to her ready room, where she demands an explanation. He claims his actions were caused by love, not chemicals. He tries to make his case for why he shouldn't be forced to stop, but Janeway tells him that love must sometimes be lost, she mentions her experiences with Mark Johnson. Kim asks if she would have taken a hypospray to end her pain over the end of her relationship. Before she can answer, the ship jolts, red alert is initiated, and Chakotay calls the captain to the bridge. The Varro ship is experiencing structural breaches, Janeway orders Kim to his station. On the viewscreen, portions of the ship's structure are exploding and being blown away. Each explosion causes collateral damage to Voyager. Paris reports that he is unable to release the docking clamps. Tuvok informs the captain that the superstructure will collapse in less than three minutes. Jippeq reports that the parasites were slowed with a polaron surge, but junctions are still destabilizing. Tal says they still need at least two minutes to evacuate the affected areas. Meanwhile, Paris has regained docking clamp control. Kim proposes the plan to extend Voyager's structural integrity field around the Varro ship to buy some time. However, this would put Voyager in extreme danger. Despite the risk, Janeway enacts Kim's plan and relays it to Torres in engineering. On board the Varro ship, Tal uses this action as evidence that some aliens are not hostile. After the junctions are evacuated Jippeq attempts to initiate another polaron burst, but Tal makes him accept the generation ship's fate and contact Voyager to retract their structural integrity field. The Varro ship's structure finally completely collapses and all of the individual segments launch. On board the dissident group's segment Kim enters Tal's cabin. She has decided to go to a binary star system and explore. Kim tells her to think of him next time she runs across a Class 3 nebula. Later in sickbay, The Doctor tries to get Kim to take medication, but he wants to allow the effects to run their course. The captain permits this, but she does expect him to not allow his condition to affect his duties since he willingly refused treatment and also tells him that his formal reprimand will still remain on his record. Janeway admits that she has been wondering if her reaction to Kim's relationship would differ if it was another crewman, such as Paris, and while she would still have been angry and disappointed she wouldn't have been as surprised. She also tells him that, although she cares deeply about each member of her crew, she always felt more protective about Harry since he came aboard Voyager straight out of Starfleet Academy. Kim reminds her that nearly five years have passed, and he's changed since then, and Janeway agrees that he may not be the perfect officer anymore he will have become a better man thanks to his experience. In the mess hall late at night, Neelix closes up and Kim is the only one remaining. As Neelix leaves, Seven of Nine enters to speak to Kim. She thanks him for completing some of her work, he says it was to distract himself. She observes that she had believed Human love to be a weakness; however, as Kim is willing to suffer because of it, then it has shown her that it can sometimes be a strength. She has concluded that despite her earlier declaration, love is not a disease. She then leaves, but not before telling Harry to "get well soon." 
<EOS>
In USS Voyager's mess hall, a formal and happy occasion is occurring: Lieutenants B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris are holding their wedding. Captain Janeway is the master of ceremonies, Commander Chakotay is giving Torres away while The Doctor takes pictures of the occasion. Harry Kim plays the clarinet along with a bassist and a guitarist. Torres and Paris exchange their own vows, taking rings from Kim and Chakotay, and then Janeway proudly declares them husband and wife. Seven of Nine has the honor (unbeknownst to her) of catching the bouquet that Torres tosses over her shoulder. The rest of the crew happily toss rice over the couple to shower them with blessings as they depart from the mess hall. Below the place of celebration, however, the metallic structure of the decks begin to distort ominously and the thrown grains of rice begin seeping through to the Jefferies tube underneath. Life is good for the crew aboard Voyager, as well as the wedding a newly enhanced warp drive has been built that will get the crew back home in two years. In her ready room, Janeway and Chakotay are busy deciding on whether to stop along the way to study an anomalous gradient in the curvature of space that their ship will pass by in six months. Meanwhile, Neelix is busy helping the newlywed Tom Paris decide on where he and his new wife would want to spend their honeymoon. While Neelix offers holoprograms of exotic places in the universe, such as a mountain resort on the fifth moon of Cytrax with its reputed "auditory aphrodisiac" cricket songs and the beaches of Ahmedeen with its seas of liquid argon, Paris is hoping for his honeymoon to be a little more "down to earth", as in being on Earth during the 1920s in Chicago. Neelix thinks he isn't thinking exotic enough, but Paris doesn't think so. In main engineering, Torres prepares Seven to take care of things while she is on her honeymoon when a strange reading is picked up in a Jefferies tube underneath. They investigate what's supposedly a minor fluctuation, on the way discussing Seven's willingness to pursue a relationship. However, a serious situation develops as a tricorder scan of that section reveals that it is losing molecular cohesion. The crew suspect that their new enhanced warp drive is causing subspace radiation that is somehow breaking down the molecular bonds in all surrounding sections. What's confusing is that, as Kim notes, they ran many simulations and were confident there was no problem. Even taking the warp core offline doesn't stop the problem. Janeway orders Torres to try isolating the cause of this problem and to stabilize the affected areas. After examining the warp field's schematics and finding no solution to the problem, Torres goes back to her quarters. Oddly, she finds herself shivering, even though the room temperature hasn't changed. She goes checking herself in the bathroom mirror when she notices an erupting blotch on her face. By the time Paris arrives at their quarters for dinner, he finds that Torres has become violently ill and takes her to sickbay, where Ensign Ashmore and Lieutenant Nicoletti are already being treated for the same conditions. They have an epidemic. The Doctor discovers that she is dying of acute cellular degradation, another effect of the radiation. The engineering crew is showing the first signs of this degradation, but The Doctor soon discovers that the rest of the crew is also affected, including the captain. Comforting his wife, Paris tells her about his plans for their honeymoon at the Graystone Hotel, but she dies moments later, despite all attempts of reviving her. Meanwhile, after discovering that items brought on board in the past few months are not degrading with the rest of Voyager and her crew, Chakotay and Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok backtrack Voyager's course over the past year to see if there is anything that could be causing the degradation. They come upon the encounter of the biomimetic lifeforms created by the "Silver Blood" on the Demon Class planet in the Vaskan sector, which they naturally assumed they had left behind on the planet after their encounter with them. They come to a disturbing hypothesis and go back to sickbay, asking the Doctor to perform a test where Torres' body is injected with a dichromate catalyst. The results show that she was a biomimetic copy. In fact, every member of the crew and Voyager itself are biomimetic copies. All the crew have memories which have been copied from the originals -- part of why the crew doesn't remember being copies -- but for some reason they soon forgot they were duplicates. They realize they didn't think the warp drive radiation was harmful to them because it isn't to humanoids. Even the Doctor isn't immune, as he points out, as all of the holoemitters including the mobile one are copies, and so will also eventually degrade. Janeway decides that, despite their perilous state, their goal is still to return to Earth instead of going back to the Demon planet, which Tuvok believes would stop the degradation. She orders that they find the nearest Y-class planet and simulate the same atmosphere on the ship as soon as they can. Janeway informs the crew in the mess hall. They can't believe it, and start to wonder about themselves and the real Voyager. Janeway orders crew shifts to be cut in half so they don't exert themselves. Some, especially Paris, disagree with keeping to the original Voyager's mission, but the crew follows their captain's orders. Chakotay disagrees as well, and, during their weekly dinner in private, voices his strong belief that they should go back to their planet, but Janeway disagrees, saying she's been on their mission for five years. Later, the Doctor suggests to the mimetic Janeway to find the real Voyager so that the duplicate crew could copy the original crew's genetic patterns to prevent further degradation, but Janeway dismisses the idea as impractical as they are completely unaware of Voyager's position in relation to their own. Just then, a class-Y planet is located. Upon arriving, Voyager commences landing procedures, but, unfortunately, a mining starship arrives and states that the planet resides under the Ord'mirit Mining Treaty and threatens to destroy Voyager unless they leave. Janeway tries to explain their situation, but they won't listen. After Voyager's weapons prove ineffective, Tuvok suggests a way to destroy the mining vessel, but Janeway orders the landing canceled, reminding the crew they are still Starfleet officers. She has them send a distress signal on all bands in the hopes that the real Voyager will find them while also maintaining their course to the Alpha Quadrant. Chakotay feels that their journey has gone far enough and bravely confronts Janeway in her ready room to express his and the remaining crew's desire of returning to their real home of the Demon planet. In the midst of the heated conversation, Chakotay's degeneration becomes critical and he is admitted to sickbay, only to die moments later. Realizing her error in judgment, Janeway decides then to follow her first officer's advice and turns the ship around, bringing back online the hazardous new warp drive and setting a course for the Demon planet. Over time, Voyager continues to fall apart and the crew continue dying as the ship suffers further degradation. The Doctor is now permanently offline due to the holoemitters no longer working, and with Paris' condition not improving, Neelix is now chosen to be the new chief medical officer. Seven of Nine's modified nanoprobes are keeping the warp field stable, hopefully long enough for the ship to reach the Demon planet. Janeway orders the creation of a time capsule out of non-biomimetic materials to preserve the memory and record of the duplicate Voyager crew and what they have discovered and experienced on their journey. Suddenly the main deflector fails, and interstellar dust begins to contaminate the warp field. Harry Kim reinitializes the deflector in time to preserve the warp field, but as Neelix begins calls for celebration, the bridge crew discover that Janeway has died. Continuing on, Kim takes command of Voyager, assisted by Seven, with Neelix tending to the dying crew remaining. The degradation has become so severe that life support begins to fail with less than ten hours left of air. Kim orders the time capsule launched, but because nearly all systems have failed, the launch fails, destroying the capsule and taking with it all record of the crew's adventures and existence. Suddenly, a vessel is detected, 22 light-years away; the real Voyager. Kim attempts to hail them, but communications are out. They must drop to impulse to contact them, but the warp drive does not respond to controls. Kim orders the core ejected, causing the ship to spin out of control and tear itself apart. Meanwhile, the original Voyager has detected the distress signal and is proceeding to its location. Upon arrival, the crew finds only formless debris. With no traces upon which to make further investigations, Janeway makes a note of the encounter in the ship's log, and the crew continue on their way home. 
<EOS>
On USS Voyager, Chakotay is lying on a biobed in sickbay, shouting and thrashing about. Also present are The Doctor, Seven of Nine, and Tom Paris. Paris asks The Doctor to give Chakotay something for the pain, but The Doctor refuses, saying that they could lose the chance to make contact with the aliens. Suddenly, the ship shudders. Captain Janeway calls from the bridge, asking if they've made any progress. The Doctor replies that they haven't. B'Elanna Torres tells Janeway that if Voyager doesn't find a way out of chaotic space soon, they are all going to die here. Chakotay calls The Doctor. He's tired, he wants to sleep. However, The Doctor again won't let him. If he loses consciousness, he could sever the link to the aliens who live in chaotic space, and who may know a way out. Chakotay doesn't want to talk to them, as he's afraid he may end up like his grandfather, a "crazy old man". The Doctor tells him the aliens are reconfiguring his neural pathways in an attempt to communicate with him. He makes Chakotay concentrate, and remember when he came into sickbay after he had been injured in a boxing simulation on the holodeck. In a flashback, Chakotay is in a holodeck simulation of a boxing ring. Chakotay is in the ring, fighting a Terrellian. Boothby, who used to coach him as a cadet, is in his corner. At the end of the third round, Chakotay returns to his corner where he is chastised by Boothby for not allowing his opponent to land some punches and tire himself out, saying that boxing is as much about heart as technique. Round four begins, and Chakotay sees a disturbance forming in the corner of the ring, right before he is knocked out. Chakotay wakes up in sickbay, where he argues with The Doctor over the merits of boxing, which The Doctor describes as "pointless violence". The Doctor nicknames him "The Maquis Mauler" to further his point. Chakotay complains of a headache, and tells The Doctor about the disturbance he saw before he was hit. The Doctor initially dismisses this as hallucinations, but further examination shows that the ganglia in Chakotay's visual cortex are highly active. The ship shudders, and Chakotay is called to the bridge as the doctor instructs him to return for further tests. Chakotay arrives on the bridge, where a spatial phenomenon is interfering with the ship's sensors. Apparently, it shifts position every few minutes. Then the ship shudders again, and a distortion similar to the one seen by Chakotay in the boxing ring envelops Voyager. Seven of Nine calls Janeway to astrometrics, where she informs her that the Borg have been aware of this phenomenon for many years. It is called chaotic space, a zone where the laws of physics are in a constant state of flux. Changes in the gravitational coefficient cause shear forces along the hull, shields offering only temporary protection. Due to the shifting of the physical constants, sensors can't function. Janeway orders the sensors to be reconfigured. Chakotay, while alone in his quarters, hears noises, such as Boothby shouting and the end of round bell. He sees a pair of boxing gloves on a chair, which disappear when he looks away. Tuvok calls him to the bridge. With the sensors useless, Voyager can't move safely. While Tuvok and Paris argue about what to do, Chakotay starts to hallucinate again. He hears crowd noises, and sees a pair of boxing gloves at the sensor station. Tuvok asks him if he is all right, at which Chakotay swings at Tuvok. Tuvok uses the Vulcan nerve pinch to render him unconscious. In sickbay, The Doctor has discovered that Chakotay's hallucinations are due to a genetic marker for a cognitive disorder being switched on. Symptoms include auditory and visual hallucinations. The gene was suppressed before Chakotay was born, but now it has been activated, possibly due to chaotic space. The Doctor orders Chakotay to remain in sickbay, where Chakotay tells him his grandfather suffered from similar hallucinations, but he refused treatment. Meanwhile on the bridge, Harry Kim has managed to reconfigure the sensors, and Voyager starts to move forward slowly. However, before the ship moves very far, a starship appears on sensors. The log from the damaged ship reveals that the captain and an engineer both suffered from hallucinations. The ship was trapped in chaotic space for almost a year before the hull was breached. Janeway notes that it is no coincidence that both the aliens and Chakotay suffered similar hallucinations. The dead captain's body is beamed over for an autopsy. Scans of the alien's brain reveal that optical and auditory neurons have been partially stripped of their protein insulation, leading to hallucinations. The Doctor concludes that the gene responsible for producing protein insulation was shut down -- something in chaotic space altered the DNA. The Doctor discovers that he can control the hallucinations using a neural suppressant. Chakotay wants to go on a vision quest, to find out more about the hallucinations. The Doctor disapproves, but relents when Janeway gives the go ahead. In the vision quest, Chakotay sees a forest, and then his grandfather walking among the trees. He tells him to take his medicine, but his grandfather refuses. He goes in to a cave, where he hears boxing noises again. Suddenly, he is in a boxing ring, a strange ring that has only three sides. He wakes up, and tells The Doctor that the aliens were watching him, trying to tell him something, but he's afraid to listen to them, afraid he'll lose his mind. The Doctor encourages him, and suddenly Chakotay starts to speak, saying "chaotic space intersects ours, and Voyager must escape by altering the warp field to a rentrillic trajectory". However, Chakotay refuses to listen to "them" anymore. The Doctor tells Janeway that Chakotay definitely made contact with the aliens, but Janeway says they need more information. She convinces Chakotay to try again. Chakotay is back in the ring with his opponent "Kid Chaos", who has his back turned. Also there is Tuvok and a security detail, with phasers. Tuvok wants to fire on Kid Chaos, but Boothby warns Chakotay not to let him, that it won't work. Chakotay orders Tuvok to stand down. Then Chakotay is in the ring, dressed in boxing gear. Paris tries to stop the fight, citing the odds, and then Neelix enters the ring and leads Chakotay out. He says that Chakotay isn't ready for the fight. Chakotay is then on the bridge, punching a punching bag, where Kim, Janeway, and B'Elanna Torres all try to stop his fighting. They all act as if he will not return, and he claims he is only doing it for them. Finally, The Doctor tries to scare him into not fighting by telling him the fight will cause him to lose his mind. Chakotay and his trainer, Neelix, run through engineering where Torres glares at them. Chakotay is then back in the cave from the vision quest, where he sees his grandfather again. He tells him they'll get in trouble if they don't go home. His grandfather refuses. He says "this is a nice place to call home". He tells Chakotay there is a lot of "them" out there, and that "they" are coming for Chakotay. When the sounds of the boxing ring return, Chakotay's grandfather hears them too. Then he's back in the ring. He tells Boothby he's afraid, before The Doctor steps into the ring, and says the fight has been canceled on medical grounds. Chakotay comes out of the vision quest, which he was stuck in. He wants to get back in the ring, and accuses The Doctor of stopping the fight. He becomes hysterical, yelling for them to let him back in the ring. In order to stop him, The Doctor is forced to sedate him. On the bridge, Kim is trying to navigate the ship by dropping stationary beacons, but Voyager ends up going around in circles. In astrometrics, Seven has found an isolinear frequency in the energy signature of chaotic space. It does not respond to any of the standard language decryption routines. The source is unknown, but Janeway recognizes the frequency as the nucleotide resonance frequency from an examination question she answered incorrectly during her time at Starfleet Academy. The signal was designed to activate DNA, and realigned Chakotay's molecular bonds. Meanwhile, Chakotay is in an altered state of reality. He recognizes the captain, but is still angry at The Doctor for ending his fight and "ruining his career."  Chakotay describes the alien he saw in his vision. However, he is thinking of them in terms of the prize fight. The Doctor explains that the holodeck simulation is still fresh in his memory, so it is the primary source of imagery for his hallucinations. Aliens that the sensors can't detect are inducing the hallucinations. Their only means to communicate with Voyager is by altering people's senses, as they did with the people on the damaged ship. Chakotay reminds Janeway that Voyager does not frequently avoid making first contact with newly-discovered lifeforms and hull pressure is increasing, so despite The Doctor's warning, Janeway tells The Doctor to send Chakotay "back in the ring". On the bridge, it is obvious that Voyager cannot survive for much longer inside chaotic space. Janeway orders The Doctor to begin. The Doctor fully activates the gene, and Chakotay is back in the ring. He tells Boothby he's worried, but Boothby reassures him and gives him advice. Chakotay removes his robe adorned with The Doctor's nickname, "The Maquis Mauler", and turns to Kid Chaos. Kid Chaos turns to face Chakotay. He has no face, just a starfield. The aliens speak using a montage of words said by the crew up to this point. They tell Chakotay they live in chaotic space, and that Voyager must escape by realigning its sensors. Back in sickbay, Chakotay wants to stop, but The Doctor pushes him, until Chakotay starts to understand what the aliens want him to do. He runs to the bridge and pushes Kim out of the way. He has to make the modifications himself; he can't explain how to do it. He reroutes the deflector through the sensors, and then puts the deflector on line, at full amplitude. Kim says the sensors have found a course through chaotic space. Voyager flies out of chaotic space at full impulse. Janeway orders Paris to resume course for the Alpha Quadrant, before Chakotay collapses. Janeway gives Chakotay a few days off, which he uses to get in some boxing practice on the holodeck. 
<EOS>
Saowin meets with an alien named Kurros, a member of a group of aliens which seeks out challenges and problems faced by others, and then solves them. Saowin thanks Kurros for solving a problem his world was facing -- finding the precise harmonic for a planetary containment field -- but says that, unfortunately, the bernicium mines were destroyed in a series of quakes, and the ore that had been promised as payment is lost. He hopes that Kurros will accept a rubidium geode, which is priceless. Kurros refuses, as his group detected the transport of the ore before the quakes. Saowin begs him to let his people keep the ore, as they need it for their replicator systems, without which they won't be able to feed their people. Kurros insists upon payment, threatening to deactivate the containment field, causing a large quake. Saowin accepts this and promises immediate transport of the ore. Meanwhile, on USS Voyager, Captain Janeway is working on a difficult puzzle in her ready room. Seven of Nine enters and, after indicating she could solve the puzzle (which Janeway refuses as she wants to solve it herself), reports that long range scans have revealed a planetoid with high concentrations of dilithium crystals. She and Janeway head out to the bridge. As they approach the planetoid, they conduct more detailed scans, but a resonance wave suddenly builds up in the planetoid's core. Janeway orders that they back away from the planetoid, but within seconds the planetoid destabilizes and explodes. Voyager is trapped in a cloud of metreon gas, which has disabled warp and impulse engines. Suddenly, a heavily-armed Hazari vessel drops out of warp nearby. Seven explains that the Hazari are often hired as bounty hunters. They hail Voyager, demanding an immediate surrender. Janeway asks who hired them, but the Hazari refuse to answer. They move closer and lock a tractor beam onto Voyager, ignoring Janeway's threat that she will give the order to fire phasers, which could ignite the gas cloud. Janeway orders that warp energy be diverted to the shields, then orders Tuvok to fire the phasers into the gas cloud. The metreon ignites, and the blast throws Voyager clear and they are able to go to warp and escape. Janeway is concerned; the Hazari weren't that heavily damaged, so why aren't they following Voyager? The answer is found in astrometrics: scans performed by Tuvok and Kim reveal the Hazari have reinforcements all throughout the sector, and they are converging on Voyager. Janeway wants to examine the data and see if she can develop a plan, although she spends several hours late at night in the deserted mess hall without much success. Neelix, who has been providing her with cup after cup of coffee, offers to act as a sounding board. Janeway explains the situation to him: the Hazari have anticipated almost every course of action, and Janeway is convinced that the few avenues of escape she has found are traps. Neelix leaves, but seconds later, Kurros appears in the mess hall. He tells Janeway that he is the solution to her problem. Janeway calls for security, but Kurros has deactivated communications. He tells her that he's not an intruder, he's only an isomorphic projection, and that he is a member of a small group of beings who seek out problems to solve. Janeway calls the group a "think tank", a name which Kurros finds quite appropriate. He has come to offer their help to solve the Hazari problem. The price for the Think Tank's help is whatever Voyager has that is unique, sometimes it is not even something the people who are helped find valuable. Janeway suggests that Kurros might himself be a Hazari trap. Kurros gives Janeway a preliminary study of the tactical situation with the Hazari, which gets her attention. Janeway says she'll talk, but only in person. Kurros agrees, but asks Janeway to bring only one other person with her, and no scanning equipment. Janeway agrees, and Kurros leaves. Shortly afterward, Kurros returns to Voyager in isomorphic form. He has compiled a short list of items he would like as payment, including the quantum slipstream drive, Neelix's recipe for chadre'kab, an ancient Olmec figurine belonging to Chakotay, and Seven of Nine. Janeway speaks with Seven, asking for her opinion. Seven is willing to be used as payment if it will provide a solution to Voyager's problem, but Janeway is less than eager to surrender her. Going with the Think Tank would be a great opportunity for Seven, but Janeway doesn't like the idea of crew members being used as payment. Nevertheless, she says that it's not her place to decide -- Seven has to make the choice. Seven decides to talk to Kurros about it before making a choice, and thanks Janeway for being allowed to make the decision herself. Janeway assures Seven she's earned the right to choose, but tells her that if she does decide to go then to do so because its what she wants, rather than out of any duty towards Voyager promising they'll get past the Hazari with or without the Think Tank's help Meeting with Kurros, he explains to Seven why she was chosen as part of the payment. Seven has the collective knowledge of the Borg contained within a single mind, humility, high intelligence and enhancements afforded her by her Borg implants, and the Think Tank considers her an ideal candidate to join them. If so, she will be the first new member in seventeen years. Kurros tells her that with the Think Tank, she could become one of the greatest intellects in the galaxy. Seven is reluctant to leave Voyager, a position which Kurros understands, as he was recruited to the Think Tank in the same way and was faced with the same choice. Seven decides to remain on Voyager, but Kurros asks her to take more time to think about it. He says the Think Tank will remain nearby. At that moment, Voyager goes to red alert, and Tuvok calls Seven to the bridge. Kurros asks if he can accompany her, and Seven agrees. When they arrive on the bridge, Janeway tells them that two Hazari ships have found Voyager and are closing in. Seven says she has declined the Think Tank's request. The Hazari drop out of warp and open fire. Voyager is unable to evade them, and their weapons are not damaging the Hazari shields. Kurros offers some free tactical advice, which enables Voyager to defeat the Hazari ships and escape. Janeway thanks Kurros for his help, and he responds that it was a gesture of goodwill in the hopes that Seven would change her mind. When Seven replies that she hasn't, Kurros tells her she is making a fatal mistake; the Think Tank has concluded that Voyager will not survive without their help. Janeway order the shields to be remodulated, which blocks Kurros' projection, and he vanishes from the ship. The Think Tank's ship vanishes as well. Kurros informs the other members of the Think Tank that Seven has refused to join them. They decide that they will wait and let things play out for a little while longer. Sooner or later, they have concluded, Seven will join them. A small Hazari ship enters a field of debris which has been created to make it appear that Voyager has been destroyed. Janeway orders spatial charges hidden in the debris field to be detonated, which heavily damages the Hazari vessel. Voyager emerges from hiding and uses the tractor beam to bring the Hazari ship into the shuttlebay. The two Hazari on board are beamed aboard. The crew has little luck getting information from the Hazari, and the vessel's database is difficult to access, but Chakotay is able to recover a series of transmissions that detailed information about Voyager. Whoever put out the bounty on Voyager knew a lot about the ship. Also found are some bioreadings, but they are scrambled. The Doctor is able to unscramble the readings and discovers that the bounty was placed by the Malon. Janeway is suspicious, however; they haven't encountered the Malon for months, and she doesn't think they'd hold such a grudge against Voyager since there's no profit in revenge. Janeway discovers an isomorphic signature embedded in the readings -- it's a disguise. Restoring the original parameters gives the true appearance of the individual who placed the bounty on Voyager -- it was Kurros. Janeway speaks with the Hazari they captured, explaining that they are both being manipulated by the Think Tank. Janeway suggests that they work together -- the Hazari are the best hunters in the quadrant, and Voyager has Seven, the perfect lure. The Hazari agree for the Think Tank had made numerous enemies and the bounty on them is more valuable. However, the Voyager crew working with the Hazari find it difficult to formulate a plan. They could try using the multispatial probe but it would take weeks to scout the area. Subspatial charges could force the Think Tank's vessel into the open, but they'd need to find the ship first, which is almost impossible with their advanced technology. After three hours, they have still made no progress. Janeway, fed up with the lack of answers, asks Seven to show her the answer to the puzzle that had her stumped earlier. Seven solves the puzzle in seconds by simply scanning it to see how it works instead of using trial and error to determine the operating principle. Janeway realizes that they shouldn't be trying to play by the Think Tank's rules; trying to out-think the Think Tank won't work. Instead, Janeway realizes that if Seven gets back on board the Think Tank's ship and interfaces with the device that allows for the Think Tank members to communicate telepathically, then Seven might be able to disrupt their communication, making them unable to function as a group. Seven will have to accept the Think Tank's offer in order to get on board. The Think Tank receives a message from the Hazari vessel; they have discovered that the Think Tank hired them and are demanding that their bounty be tripled, or they will release Voyager. The Think Tank agrees to triple the bounty, provided that the Hazari deliver Voyager immediately. The Hazari agree to seize Voyager as planned. The Hazari launch continuous torpedoes at the Think Tank destroying their communications array thus causing Kurros' projection on Voyager to vanish. Parts of the Think Tank's vessel show higher than normal temperatures, an indication that a hull breach is unavoidable. The Think Tank's vessel fires back at the Hazari with multiple beam weapons. Voyager warps away, leaving the Hazari and the Think Tank to fight it out. 
<EOS>
A large Malon export vessel streams through space, spewing waste as it goes. A Malon crewmember wanders the ship, playing with a toy, a small replica ship. He makes it crash into his commander, Fesek. It turns out that the toy is a gift for Fesek's children. All of a sudden, the ship jolts. The first crewmember, Pelk, reports that there is a fluctuation in tank four. Alarms sound throughout the ship. Emergency systems are off-line, and there is a full-scale rupture in tank four. Fesek orders the tank to be ejected. The ejection systems aren't responding, and tank six begins to rupture. Fesek orders one of his engineers to go into the core and seal the tanks manually. Aboard USS Voyager, Tuvok is patiently attempting to teach a skeptical B'Elanna Torres a meditation technique. Apparently, Torres lost her temper at The Doctor and destroyed his holo-camera. Torres is now undergoing Vulcan therapy to control her emotions, as per Commander Chakotay's orders. As Tuvok begins to bring Torres back to her childhood, she begins to laugh, explaining that she pictured the Vulcan as a child. Finally going along with it, Torres tells Tuvok of her earliest memory of anger. She talks about a boy she knew as a child, Daniel Byrd, who often tormented her about being half-Klingon by calling her "Ms. Turtlehead."  On one occasion she attacked him while he was on the gyro-swing. She sabotaged the machine, and then yanked him from the contraption and beat his face in. Their teacher, Miss Malvin, separated them. Tuvok analyzes Torres' anger, "Your anger was a source of strength, it protected you, gave you courage."  He demonstrates how easily provoked Torres is by calling her the name that the boy called her. She gets up and says she has had enough for one day. On the bridge, her boyfriend Tom Paris asks Tuvok how the meditation went. Tuvok declines to give specifics because of confidentiality concerns, but when pressed finally admits "it will be a challenge for both of us." Next, Voyager picks up an automated distress call. Captain Janeway orders a response and the ship moves to intercept. When the Voyager crew responds, they find 37 escape pods, all contaminated with theta radiation. Only two people are still alive. They are transported aboard and treated by The Doctor. Both are Malon, and one identifies himself as controller Fesek, the other as Pelk. Fesek tells Captain Janeway that their vessel was damaged when cargo containers 4 and 6 ruptured. Every system failed aboard the ship. Sixty crewmen died in minutes. They aren't out of danger yet, however; there are are about four trillion isotons of antimatter waste on board, and if that waste ignites, everything within a three light year radius will be destroyed. Janeway orders Paris to back Voyager off five light years; however, Voyager can't generate a stable warp field because of the high concentration of theta radiation, so what had been only a Malon problem is now also a Voyager problem as well. On the bridge, the crew and the Malon discuss their options. Fesek is in favor of hiding Voyager in a nebula where it will be safe. However, Janeway states that she will not abandon the other three ships in the sector to save herself. They decide that they must send an away team. The control room is contaminated, so they must enter the ship in an uncontaminated area and vent the radiation on the other decks. Before they enact the plan, Pelk feels compelled to tell the captain about Vihaar. Fesek says it is only myth, but many Malon believe in the monster that lives in the theta storage tanks on Malon vessels. Pelk says that during the evacuation, crewmen saw unknown forms aboard the ship. Fesek counters this by saying that hallucinations are one of the first symptoms of theta radiation poisoning. During the briefing in main engineering, Neelix demonstrates his knowledge of waste management, citing his experience with a Talaxian garbage scow. Torres continues to antagonize the Malon survivors; almost every comment of hers is directed against them and their race. Chakotay pulls her aside to talk about it, and orders her to keep her temper in check. In the mess hall, Chakotay enters as Neelix gags on some sort of liquid. He says it is not strong enough. Chakotay assures him that the crew will be able to feed themselves, but Neelix insists that he has already prepared lunch, dinner, breakfast, and a midnight snack. He is currently working on a Talaxian theta radiation remedy, just in case The Doctor's inoculation fails. He also thanks Chakotay for selecting him for the important mission. Chakotay, Torres, Neelix, and both Malon survivors beam aboard the Malon ship and attempt to decompress all decks and contain the explosion risk. The corridor that they enter is full of highly-charged metagenic particles; Torres predicts that there will be an electrostatic cascade. At the last minute, she realizes that the tricorders are causing the cascade. An electrical explosion floods the corridor while everyone takes cover. Afterward, the Malon discover that they must manually open the airlocks. Chakotay sends Fesek and Torres to the injector port, while Pelk stays with the away team. Fesek and Torres activate the actuators, but the airlock mechanism is jammed. Pelk goes onto the contaminated deck to unlock a manual coupling. He instantly becomes aware of an alien presence aboard. A moment later Chakotay and Neelix hear screams and find Pelk with severe injuries. Pelk claims he saw the "creature" before he loses consciousness and dies. He is beamed to sickbay for an autopsy. The away team has vented five out of fifteen decks, but at that rate, the ship will detonate before they can reach the control room. Janeway decides to put together a plan B orders Tuvok to calculate how to tractor the freighter into the path of a star of an O-type star. Torres then begins to show signs of radiation poisoning. Chakotay orders Fesek to take Torres to the Malon infirmary for treatment. They will rendezvous outside of the control room. Once they arrive in the infirmary, they discover a body that was being treated for long-term exposure. Fesek informs her that he was a core laborer. This is an occupation with a high-pay (making more in a couple of months than most Malon do in a lifetime) but low survival rate, since they work in close proximity to the core. In astrometrics, Seven of Nine assists Tuvok in the tractor beam plan calculations. She has also created a "plan C" to protect Voyager from radiation in the event of a failure. Later, when the remaining four away team members attempt to decompress deck 3, their own deck is decompressed. They barely make it out, but Commander Chakotay is hit by debris and loses consciousness. He is transported to sickbay. As they argue over whose fault it was, a mysterious figure watches them from hiding without their knowledge. Tuvok expresses his concern that Torres is now in command of the away team. He offers to beam over and take command himself. However the captain has confidence in Torres' ability, and leaves her in charge of the away team. Torres continues to prepare the tractor beam plan. Neelix reports to Torres that they have a clear path to the control room, but she is meditating. Finally Torres, Neelix, and Fesek reach the control room. As they attempt to seal the ruptured tanks, power fails. In the meantime, The Doctor finds that Pelk was attacked by some lifeform that has grown resistant to theta radiation. He relays this to astrometrics, where Seven finds the creature closing in on Torres and Neelix' position. Voyager has no choice now but to alter the freighter's trajectory with the tractor beam. However, the away team cannot be beamed out through the dampening field. The "creature" attacks Neelix, but there is too much gas to see the attacker. Suddenly, Neelix stumbles out of the mist with heavy radiation burns. As Fesek tries to pry the hatch open, the "creature" attacks him from behind. Torres grabs a metal pipe to attempt to defend him. The "creature", known in Malon myth as a Vihaar, turns out to be a Malon core laborer named Dremk, who has set out to sabotage the ship in order to show to the Malon that this form of shipping of waste should be banned. Torres tries to reason with him while she wages an inner battle between her anger at the dangerous situation she's been placed in and her desire to do the right thing. She tells him she understands his anger and that she is on his side, but he will not give up his cause. Torres knocks him out using a piece of piping, reluctantly realizing that sometimes her Klingon aggressiveness is the only way out of a situation. She, Neelix, and Fesek flee the control room and are beamed out just before the freighter flies into the star and explodes. Later on in sickbay, The Doctor has healed the away team as best he can. The captain has contacted a nearby Malon transport to take Fesek home. He wonders how he can explain the events to his superiors, and Torres suggests he tells the truth about the Vihaar. Then Torres is finally able to take her sonic shower. 
<EOS>
In the mess hall of USS Voyager, Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres share a romantic meal. On the other side of the room, Seven of Nine is obviously observing them and taking notes on a PADD. Paris and Torres are discussing the prospect of Torres learning to drive a 1969 Mustang. She pauses from the conversation to comment on Seven's presence. Neelix approaches offering cheese he has prepared for the Kadi, who are offended by anything that differs from their standard blandness. While Captain Janeway is with the Kadi, their representative is to be left entirely in the hands of Neelix. He takes this responsibility very seriously. After Neelix leaves, they return to the conversation about Seven. Finally, Torres stands up and goes to confront her. Seven admits to "observing" Paris and Torres; she claims it is for her research on Human mating behavior. At this point Torres grabs a PADD from Seven's table to read its contents. It contains a log of the events in Paris' and Torres' relationship, ranging from couple's quarreling to "intimate relations."  After reading the latter, Torres threatens Seven with physical harm. Neelix and Paris attempt to mediate. In the captain's ready room, Janeway discusses the incident with Seven of Nine. The captain is in full dress uniform in preparation for the meeting with the Kadi. As Seven helps the captain attach a pip, Janeway suggests that Seven try dating herself. The first-hand experience would be much more useful. Lt. Commander Tuvok, Captain Janeway, and Neelix arrive in the transporter room as the Kadi representatives beam aboard. There are two of them, Abbot will escort the Captain and Tuvok to the planet. Ambassador Tomin will stay aboard Voyager and receive the full tour conducted by Neelix. The Kadi are very puritanical, hence the excessive preparations that Neelix underwent. As Neelix takes Tomin on a tour of Voyager, he begins to lead him to Main Engineering. However, Tomin expresses the wish to first sample some food items, including Hasperat. He wants flavorful food despite his race's traditionally bland palette. In sickbay, The Doctor gives Seven of Nine her standard check-up. She is running at peak efficiency, but he asks her about the mess hall incident. He suggests that she begin dating, in order to broaden her horizons and insight into Humanity. Once Seven accepts The Doctor's proposal, he proceeds to nominate himself to be her educator. Using various holodeck simulations he will prepare her for emotional interactions. Once they arrive on the holodeck, The Doctor has prepared a holographic slideshow, entitled "Love Amid the Stars" to illustrate his points. The slides include Humans, Klingons, Bolians, and even Species 8472's mating rituals. After the slide show, The Doctor activates holoprogram Paris 3, Chez Sandríne. Seven and The Doctor act out a series of scripted romantic encounters, until Seven is ready for a more realistic encounter. She approaches the holographic character Steven Price. They engage in vague small talk. As The Doctor observes, Paris enters the holodeck. They talk about Seven's prospects and end up making a wager on whether or not she will be able to bring a date to the reception in honor of the Kadi and leave with the same date on good terms without causing a diplomatic incident. If Paris wins the bet, he does not have to work in Sick Bay for a month, whereas if The Doctor wins, Paris will work double shifts. Tomin sits at a table in the Mess Hall, with about fifteen empty plates and cups before him. It is obvious that he has been eating everything that Neelix has to offer. Neelix approaches bearing Tomin's next adventure: Ktarian pudding. Tomin praises it ecstatically as he gobbles it up. Neelix tries to steer Tomin back to Engineering and his duties, but he is interrupted by Tomin's comments about the females of Voyager. In Cargo bay 2, Seven is going about her duties when The Doctor arrives to begin their next lesson. This lesson will focus on personality and interests. They discuss Seven's goals: perfection. They move on to hobbies, Seven is intrigued by music. The Doctor displays a basic musical scale, and Seven sings it perfectly. When The Doctor compliments her on her voice, she says it is caused by her Borg vocal subprocessor. They move on to something more challenging: "You Are My Sunshine."  At first, Seven does not grasp the need to include emotion in her singing. When The Doctor demonstrates, they begin to sing together as a duet. As The Doctor begins to get carried away, he pauses and stares at Seven as if something important has just dawned on him. He resumes before she becomes suspicious. Ensign Harry Kim enters Astrometrics looking for the latest scans. He notices that Seven is reviewing the crew roster. She is searching for a compatible first date, and Harry is put out to find he is not one of the candidates. She has narrowed it down to Ensign Doug Bronowski and Lieutenant William Chapman. Kim helps her make her final decision: Lt. Chapman is the lucky man. Lt. Chapman is inside a Jefferies tube, he hears someone enter and asks for an isolinear spanner from Robertson. Seven of Nine informs him that she doesn't have one. Her voice startles him and he drops the tool he is working with. She requests his presence on the holodeck. When it dawns on him that she is asking him out, he accepts her offer. Back in Cargo Bay 2, Seven seems to be going about her duties as usual. The Doctor arrives and informs her that she only has ten minutes before the date. She claims she is ready, dressed in her regular dermaplastic garment. The Doctor first lets down her hair, then he shows her that he has programmed other more casual outfits for her into the computer, she selects one and begins to get changed. Back in Chez Sandríne, Chapman sits at the bar in standard casual attire. A beautifully dressed Seven of Nine enters and walks toward him. She glances at the piano player, The Doctor, as she passes. They move together to a table, Chapman calls it the "best in the house."  He seems very nice and excited, though Seven often misses things. However, the date seems to be making steady progress. She is confused by the lobster meals they are served. From across the room, The Doctor motions to her how to break the shell. She does so with too much force, spraying Chapman with lobster innards. Chapman asks if she would like to dance with him, she says that dancing is covered in lesson 35 and she has not learned how yet. He persuades her by saying he's not much of a dancer either. At first she is very tense and claims that her chronographic sequencer keeps her synchronous with the music. He asks her to relax, and they begin to dance better. Until Seven observes a holographic couple's woman twirl. She attempts this maneuver, but in the process tears one of Chapman's shoulder ligaments. The Doctor rushes over and sends him to Sick Bay where Paris will treat him. At this point, Seven wishes to end her lessons in social contact, but The Doctor persuades her to let him teach her to dance. First they mention that the two of them have a good rapport and communicate well together. The Doctor orders the computer to play the instrumental from "Someone to Watch over Me". After teaching the basics, they begin to dance pretty well together, The Doctor is obviously enjoying himself greatly. Later, on the holodeck, Neelix enters frantically searching for Tomin. He finds him obviously intoxicated surrounded by two women. Alandra, a Bolian, and Tria. Apparently the reception begins soon, and Neelix had lost track of the ambassador. He gives him some coffee to combat his intoxication. Though there is only synthehol onboard, the Kadi are affected by it as if it were alcohol. The Doctor enters astrometrics, where Seven is working. He asks her to accompany him to the reception as his date. In the Mess Hall, Tomin is laughing hysterically at Paris's jokes. Neelix is still trying to get him to drink coffee and calm down. While going to find more coffee he runs into Commander Chakotay who demands to know why the Tomin is drunk at his own reception. Neelix is afraid because the Captain will be returning the next day and, despite everything he did to try and keep him happy Tomin has now ended up out of control. Seven of Nine and The Doctor arrive and are immediately intercepted by Tom Paris. Seven leaves to get drinks for the three of them, and Paris uses this time to discuss Seven's progress. Tomin yells from across the room for more of Paris' jokes, The Doctor says that Seven should take this time to make a toast. She says, "May cultural differences build bridges of understanding, to all that makes us unique." Tomin pulls Neelix aside to inquire about Seven of Nine. Paris slyly one-ups The Doctor by congratulating Seven on the toast and telling The Doctor that he has won the bet. Seven is offended by the fact that they bet on her without her knowledge, and is hurt to think that The Doctor's desire to help her was motivated entirely to win a wager. Despite The Doctor attempting to assure her the gesture was entirely sincere and Paris also attempting to backpedal by telling her it was his idea entirely, she begins to storm out of the room but is interrupted by Tomin who informs her that he has studied Human mating rituals. She pushes past him and leaves, then he becomes very belligerent and begins yelling. Chakotay and Neelix try to control him, but he collapses. In sickbay, The Doctor examines Tomin and reports that the Kadi do not have certain enzymes that would render synthehol harmless. They devise a plan whereby Seven's nanoprobes would be encoded to replace the missing enzymes. When Seven of Nine and The Doctor are alone, he apologizes and tells her that he asked her to the reception because he enjoys her company. He tells her that they have become good friends in the past few days. She agrees with him. When Seven goes to work in another part of sickbay, The Doctor asks Paris how one should proceed when they have developed romantic feelings. Tom is in favor of the direct approach, tell the person how you feel. Tom easily figures out that The Doctor is referring to himself and Seven of Nine, he reiterates his idea of direct confrontation. Meanwhile in a corridor, Tomin is hung over, while the Captain and Abbot are due back any moment. When they arrive, Tomin and Neelix keep up the ruse that Tomin did not indulge himself at all. To their surprise, Abbot suggests that Tomin could have been more explorative, just as long as he does not do so excessively. Later, The Doctor apparently tells Seven how much he has grown attached to her after she picks up the roses (which she classifies as species Rosa rubifolia) that The Doctor had placed in her regeneration alcove. Before Seven can respond to The Doctor's explanation of his feelings, the holodeck program ends and the real Seven enters. Seven informs The Doctor that, because she has looked through all of the potential mates on the ship and has not found an acceptable one, there is no longer any need for The Doctor to help Seven in social situations. If she finds a suitable mate, however, she will seek him out again. The Doctor looks sad as Seven walks away. The Doctor then returns to Chez Sandríne, Tom's holographic bar, and sits at the piano, playing a rendition of "Someone to Watch over Me," with the patrons looking on. 
<EOS>
Captain Kathryn Janeway walks through a corridor on her way to a turbolift when Neelix, USS Voyager's chef and morale officer, joins her. He hands her the requisition reports for that week and asks her what she could tell him about the Great Wall of China, who built it and why. Janeway states the obvious, that it was built by the Chinese to keep people out. When they enter the turbolift, Janeway orders it to deck one, while Neelix tells her more facts about the wall and that it was one of the only objects before the 22nd century that could be seen from Earth's orbit with the naked eye. Janeway congratulates Neelix on his knowledge about Earth. When the turbolift arrives at the bridge, Janeway is told by Commander Chakotay that they are on course to the class Y cluster and will arrive in about three days, while she and Neelix walk to her ready room. Janeway asks why Neelix is so interested in the Great Wall of China, and he tells her that he has been studying Earth landmarks. In her ready room, Neelix tells her that he and Tom Paris have been exchanging cultural knowledge about Earth and Talax and that Paris has become very knowledgeable about Talaxian geography. Janeway then asks Neelix what he knows about the Millennium Gate. Neelix recites the Millennium Gate specifications -- its height, base width, and surface material. He states that it was built in the United States of America in the 21st century. It is also one of the objects which can be seen from Earth orbit. Janeway tells him that it became a model for the first colonies on Mars and that one of her ancestors, Shannon O'Donnel, built it, not with hammer and nails, but with words. On family gatherings, Janeway was always told that Shannon O'Donnel was one of the first women astronauts and the driving force behind the Millennium Gate, the first of a long line of Janeway explorers. Neelix asks Janeway to tell him more, so he can impress Tom Paris. He learns that Shannon O'Donnel was in the space program at the time and that she was asked by the governor of Indiana, who wanted her expertise about re-cyclic life support systems. According to Janeway's aunt Martha, Shannon was flown around in a private aircraft. In the early morning of December 27, 2000, Shannon O'Donnel drives through the state of Indiana. Her car made a strange bumping noise while she added one of the state's curiosities, the world's largest ball of string, to her personal log, which was a small cassette player on the passenger seat. Seeing the Millennium Gate billboard, she headed to Portage Creek, where she hoped that someone could take a look at her car. Driving through the town, she stops to ask a passer-by where she can find food, gas, and lodging. The man tells her those things can’t be found any more in Portage Creek. Irritated, Shannon drives off but fails to look ahead and runs into another car. The other driver asks if she has insurance and she tells him it has run out. He says that two hundred dollars would be enough for the damage, but she tells him that she does not have that kind of money. The other driver accepts his loss and leaves. When Shannon tries to start her car it fails to start. After Shannon calls a tow truck, she looks around for a place to keep warm while she waits. She finds that Alexandria Books is the only open store. Once inside, she meets the proprietor and his son, Henry and Jason Janeway, and asks them if she can wait for the tow truck in their store. She tells them she was trying to get to Florida when her car broke down. She hears Jason joking that Shannon is a corporate hit man and she grins as she explains to him that she does not do that kind of work anymore. Henry Janeway welcomes her and offers her a cup of coffee. Shannon observes that most stores in town seemed to be closed. Jason replies that their store will never close. As she noticed their fliers lying on the counter, they tell her that they are fighting the building of the Millennium Gate, "the world's first self-sustained civic environment" according to Jason. Henry finds this to be propaganda; he thinks it is nothing more than a glorified shopping mall. Shannon offers to help distribute the fliers using her computer if Henry would hire her. But they tell her that they do not need any help. Edging towards the door, Shannon asks again for a job. She says she really needs the money to pay for her car repairs. After an uncomfortable silence, Jason pleads for his father to hire her. Henry reluctantly agrees. Later that evening, Shannon and Henry visit a local bar and discussed Portage Creek. They talk about the Millennium Gate and why Henry is against it. Shannon learns that Henry would prefer to have lived in the classical age. Shannon prefers the modern age. They sum up the pros and cons of each. They get stuck on the lack of cold beer in the classical age, whether it may be better with the absence of it. When Henry asks her if she has plans for New Year's Eve she tells him that it will be no different than last year -- she plans to be asleep. She asks if Henry believes all the noise about the beginning of a new millennium, whether it would cause all those problems like so many said, and if he believes all those hucksters who claimed that 2001 was the real millennium and not 2000. As far as Shannon herself is concerned, those years are nothing but numbers on a calendar. Shannon mentions Jason telling her the bookstore has belonged to his family for generations and told Henry that she's just the opposite. She loves to visit places where she has never been before and doesn’t like staying in one place for too long. She found that she was an explorer. Henry grins and tells her he thinks her car looks more like a sailing ship than a real car. She tells him that it's actually a rocket ship. Their conversation is interrupted when a rumbling sound shakes their beer glasses. They leave the bar to see what this sound is and see trucks driving by. The next day Henry Janeway argues with Gerald Moss, who is being interviewed by Marci Collins of 3 Action News. Henry pleads his case and returns triumphantly when he overhears Moss tell Collins that if Henry's resistance is not resolved, then the Millennium Gate would be built somewhere else. Henry tells Jason and Shannon that all they have to do is to stand firm until New Year's Eve. When Henry and Jason walk into the store Shannon watches Gerald Moss making a phone call. He seems to notice her presence. That evening Shannon and Henry have a simple meal in the bookstore, which is illuminated by a few lamps and candles. Henry pretends they're in Paris. He places a book about that city alongside the table and tells Shannon he has never left the state of Indiana; he finds himself more comfortable with his books. She asks Henry about her car and he tells her that it has been repaired and is parked behind the garage. Shannon remarks that he should have mentioned that earlier that day. Henry says he forgot. Shannon says she will leave the next day but Henry reminds her that she promised Jason to show him some tricks on her computer. Remembering, Shannon agreed. She thinks he made it difficult for her to say goodbye. During their meal they seem to get along quite well despite their differences. In astrometrics, Captain Janeway is viewing technical data on the Millennium Gate when Seven of Nine walks in. She asks Seven to help her find more information about the era in which the Millennium Gate had been built, because most of it is lost or damaged. Janeway tells her that the Gate had been built by one of her ancestors over three hundred years earlier. Although Seven finds the Millennium Gate impressive, she questions its relevance to Voyager's mission. Janeway tells Seven that it is relevant to her. When Seven replies that she possesses only a fraction of her ancestor's DNA, Janeway tells her that it is not about chromosomes but about character. Seven asks her to explain and Janeway replies that Shannon O'Donnel inspired her when she was young -- she had a great influence on her imagination and goals, and she was the reason why Janeway joined Starfleet. Later, Seven is researching historical data in the mess hall when Tom Paris and Neelix walk in. They are testing each other's knowledge about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Paris pours himself a cup of coffee just as Neelix is about to name the seventh wonder, but he cannot remember it. Paris tries to recall it, but he cannot remember what it is either. Their contest is interrupted when Seven of Nine tells them that the seventh wonder was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built by Ptolemy II in 280 BC. Paris sarcastically names Borg photographic memory a modern wonder of the world and tells Neelix the knowledge test is a draw and walks away. Neelix, curious as always, asks Seven what she is doing. Seven tells him about her Shannon O'Donnel project. Neelix offers to help and notices the PADD containing information about a Sven "Buttercup" Hansen, an ancestor of Seven's. The captain had encouraged Seven to research her own genealogy but she questions Buttercup's relevance to Seven's life. As far as she is concerned their name likeness is a coincidence. Neelix tells her that there is some of him in her just as there would be some of Seven in her descendants. Seven replies that this only would be the case if she chose to procreate, and that she cannot appreciate Neelix's joke about a "Seven of Nine Point Five" running around. When her computer can find no references on Shannon O'Donnel, Seven says that her research has failed. Neelix tells her that researching genealogy is a lot like fishing -- she has to use a wider net, and orders the computer to expand its search to non-Federation databases, personal archives and photographic indexes. When the computer finishes searching it displays one reference about Shannon O'Donnel. In the captain's quarters Neelix and Seven show Janeway what they have found: a picture of Shannon Janeway with her children and grandchildren. Neelix tells her that the photo comes from a Ferengi database. Eleven years earlier a Ferengi historian collected vast amounts of data about the origin of Federation space travel. The Ferengi wanted to market this information as nostalgic gift items. Janeway says she probably would be his first customer. Seven tells her that they also found journalistic articles about the resistance against the building of the Millennium Gate. Janeway observes that the entire town was against Shannon O'Donnel. She asks Neelix to download the image so she could frame it. Shannon O'Donnel is watching 3 Action News in the local bar. She is planning her route to Florida where she wanted to visit a cousin of hers, when Gerald Moss walks in. He quotes the slogan her class came up with during her NASA period. Moss feels sorry for her that she had not made it at NASA and asks if she has stayed in touch with her former classmates. When Shannon tells him she did not, Moss tells her that a classmate of hers made it into to the space program and is scheduled for four months on the space station and that he's sorry that she has lost her job. He finds that engineers do not receive the respect they deserve. An annoyed Shannon tells him he had nothing to do with her personal life on which Moss tells her that they always screen their future candidates and makes her a job offer. Shannon could be a consulting engineer on the Millennium Gate project, but the catch is that she has to convince Henry to give up his resistance against it. Moss thinks Henry might listen to her because she seems close to him, Shannon tells him she has to think about his offer whereupon Moss tells her not to wait too long. The next morning Shannon wakes up from a dream about the first landing on the moon, which she watched on television when she was eleven years old. When she walks into the bookstore she finds Jason playing with her computer. He's enjoying the games but getting vaporized when playing Matrix of Doom, and she advises him to launch a flare before entering the steel fortress. Shannon is offered a cup of coffee by Jason who tells her his father went out shopping in Bloomington and that he is in charge of the store for the time being. When Shannon is asked by Jason if she had any children she tells him that she never got around to it and in return asks him where his mother is. Shannon learns his mother died when he was very young and she asks him if he likes working in the bookstore and what his opinion is about the Millennium Gate. Jason thinks the Gate might be pretty cool. When asked by Shannon if he ever saw the first landing on the moon he tells her that he saw it once in his science class. Just after eleven o'clock Henry Janeway gets back with supplies and Shannon reads the article about him in the local newspaper and gets into an argument with him about the Millennium Gate project. Shannon finds the Gate more than a glorified shopping mall and admits there is a commercial dimension but explains that it is an experimental biosphere. It is a completely self-sustained city that will help scientists to learn more about the environment so, one day, they can recreate it on other worlds. Shannon confesses she would like to leave Earth and its problems one day and tells Henry that the Millennium Gate has a lot of potential. She accuses him of living in the past, of being afraid of the future. Shannon tells Henry that Gerald Moss has offered her a job, at which he accuses her of sleeping with the enemy. Shannon tells him she might be a consulting engineer on the Millennium Gate project; Henry gets angry with her and asks her what would happen if he told her not to accept. Shannon tells him she does not want to live in her car any more. When Henry asks her to stay she tells him she cannot, afraid to get stuck in Portage Creek like Henry is. An angry Henry Janeway helps her pack when Jason walks into the room; Shannon tells him she has to go when Jason asks her why she is leaving. In Captain Janeway's quarters, she, Harry Kim, Tom Paris, Neelix and Seven of Nine pass their leisure time by exchanging family stories. Kim is telling about his uncle Jack, who commanded a mission to Beta Capricus in 2210, a deep space mission at that time. The journey took six months and his uncle piloted the spacecraft the entire time -- the rest of the crew was in stasis. When he arrived it turned out that Beta Capricus did not exist, but was indeed just the misinterpreted image of a distant galaxy. Jack did not wake his crew because there was nothing to do or see and returned to Earth. When they arrived six months later, Jack brought the crew out of stasis and they wondered why they hadn't left Earth's orbit. The laughter of Kim and his colleagues is interrupted by the door chime; it's The Doctor, who wants to hand the captain a report but who does not want to intrude. When Captain Janeway tells him they were talking about their ancestors, he asks if he might join them. When Janeway agrees, he tells them that he, too, has ancestors. When Tom Paris jokes that his cousin was an electric shaver, he is corrected by The Doctor who tells him he was compiled from the most advanced holomatrices in the Federation; his cousin was an advanced prize-winning chess program. Seven of Nine tells Ensign Paris that he has not yet told them about his ancestors. According to Paris there was not much to tell; most of his ancestors were salt of the earth type of people. Some were planetary colonists and others were farmers, and one of his ancestors was a pilot who flew the first orbital glider over the lower Martian plateau. When Neelix mentions that his ancestors might have known Captain Janeway's, he asks for her name, but does not recall Shannon O'Donnel ever mentioned in relation to a Mars mission, and he knows every Mars mission from the 1970s on, and who participated in them, by heart. Captain Janeway is in her ready room reading a newspaper article on her computer terminal about Henry Janeway when Chakotay enters to show her the ship's status reports. She had found some more data from the 21st century, but most of it is fragmented and incomplete, so she makes guesses about the contents of Chakotay's report: "The holographic engineer is having problems with her program. Neelix, the Cardassian cook, is low on supplies. Seven of Twelve is regenerating and Captain Chakotay is doing just fine." She explains that she was wondering how future historians would piece together their lives on Voyager. Smiling, Chakotay replies that it depended on how big the pieces were. Janeway had gone to dozens of history files about 21st century Earth and found that every alien culture saw Earth's history differently. Vulcans described First Contact with a savagely illogical species, Ferengi revered Wall Street and even viewed it as holy ground, and Bolians expressed their dismay about the low quality of Human plumbing. So she researched the basics -- birth, death and marriage certificates, court records, housing records, etc. but she found it all incomplete. When Chakotay asks her if Shannon O'Donnel existed, a slightly disappointed Janeway tells him Shannon did exist, but she only trained to be an astronaut and did not work on any of the Mars missions. She was an engineer who worked on the Millennium Gate as a consultant and the Gate itself was welcomed with open arms; there was no opposition except by Henry Janeway. Shannon married him but did not change history, only her name. Chakotay tells Janeway not to be so hard on her, that Shannon did not know she had to live up to the expectations of Kathryn Janeway. Janeway tries to sound upbeat, saying that the worst part is how she'll break the news to her aunt that the great family legend is false. Three hours before Moss' deadline, he and Shannon O'Donnel watch 3 Action News in the local bar. Henry Janeway's resistance is still the main news topic. Moss tells Shannon that the building of the Millennium Gate will be delayed if Henry Janeway cannot be persuaded to give up his resistance before midnight. Shannon tells him she has to leave for Florida but Moss tells her he still could use her on the alternate building site of the Millennium Gate in Canton, Ohio. When Gerald Moss wants to leave the bar, Jason Janeway comes running in and tells Shannon his father still refuses to leave the bookstore and that a crowd is gathering; even the police are present. Shannon tells Jason his father can take care of himself. When Jason pleads her to talk to him she tells him that he won't listen to her, although she likes Henry and Jason Janeway she tells Jason she is sorry, it didn't work out. At 11:15 pm Shannon drives out of Portage Creek and records her experiences into her personal log. She would not forget the last days and found Henry Janeway an interesting man -- he liked to talk, but refused to listen to anybody but himself. Shannon reminisces about her dinner in Paris with him and found his son Jason as bright as his father. While eating a chocolate chip cookie, she decides to return to Portage Creek. When Shannon drove into the street where the bookstore was located, she noticed the police line and walked up to the bookstore, where Gerald Moss told a policeman to let her through. Followed by a 3 Action News camera, Shannon walked to the bookstore entrance. Shannon knocks on the door and tells Henry to let her in. When she enters the store, she grabs his coat and tells him they're leaving; she even threatens to drag him out of the bookstore if he refuses. Shannon tells him it is over and accuses him of living in the past without any thoughts about the future of his son or Portage Creek. When Henry asks why she has returned, Shannon tells him it was because of the chocolate chip cookies which she bought when she left Portage Creek -- they didn't taste the same without him. Shannon tells him she'd like to stay with him and Jason but she does not want to work in a bookstore for the rest of her life. Shannon tells Henry that he lives in the past while she wants to live in the future, and maybe together they could try to live in the present. She also tells him about the offer Gerald Moss made to her, but that she is prepared to turn him down if Henry wants her to stay. Henry hesitates for a short time and tells her he could re-open his bookstore in the Millennium Gate, whereupon Shannon tells him she probably could get him a nice location in the Gate where nobody would bother him. When Henry asks her if she would ever leave him again she tells him that if she would, they would leave together. When Henry asks the time she tells him it's 11:59. Just before midnight, Shannon and Henry leave Alexandria Books bookstore and Henry closes his store for the last time. As they leave the store they are applauded by the gathered crowd. Kathryn Janeway is in her quarters staring at the stars when Neelix contacts her via her combadge. He asks her to come to the mess hall; there is no emergency but he wants to speak to her personally. When Captain Janeway enters the mess hall, she is greeted by her friends who toast "Ancestors' Eve". When she asks what it's all about, Neelix tells her it's April 22, Ancestors' Eve, a holiday he established that very day. Commander Chakotay tells her Neelix had a point: an evening of reflection in honor of those who had come before. Harry tells him that his uncle Jack would approve and B'Elanna Torres had at least a reason to crawl out from under the warp conduit she was working on. Janeway appreciates the gesture, but is interrupted by Tom Paris, who tells Neelix to give her the present. Neelix hands her a framed photo of Shannon O'Donnel -- Janeway -- he says that he has done some more research and told her it was taken around 2050 in a park near Portage Creek, 38 years after the dedication of the Millennium Gate. Neelix thinks a nice place for it would be on the shelf near her desk in her ready room. Janeway thanks him but tells Neelix she is not sure that Shannon O'Donnel belongs there. Seven of Nine tells her she was wrong, Shannon captured her imagination and historical details are irrelevant. Tuvok concurs with her analysis and Chakotay tells Janeway that she would not have joined Starfleet if it wasn't for Shannon O'Donnel. The Doctor grabs his holo-camera and places it on the bar. After he prepares it he tells everyone to gather around the captain and to face the camera. They toast family as the camera takes its picture. In the Portage Creek park, Kieran gave his sister "bunny ears" after their picture was taken. Shannon tells him to stop it and places him on her lap and pointed towards the camera which brought his attention to it and a big smile upon his face. 
<EOS>
In 2371, Captain Janeway beams aboard the starship USS Voyager during the final phases of the USS Voyager's construction at Utopia Planitia. Admiral Patterson, who had been her calculus instructor at Starfleet Academy, is there to greet her with a pop quiz. After Janeway answers all of his questions correctly, Patterson shows her around her new ship. When they reach the bridge, Janeway starts to comment on how it is bigger than she expected. She sits in her chair briefly, then is shown her ready room. There, Janeway brings up her mission, specifically, Tuvok and her desire to bring in Thomas Paris. Back to the bridge, she begins proposing changes to Voyager already and, as she and the admiral start to get into a conversation, an ensign walks away from the helm. The ensign is a completely human-looking Seven of Nine, avoiding eye contact. Seven of Nine scans the bridge and the observation lounge with a small, sleek tricorder. There, Janeway and Patterson come in, and she quickly hides her tricorder. After a brief chat, they leave, and she continues scanning, then leaves for engineering. There, she encounters Lieutenant Joseph Carey, who, being friendly, questions her to get to know her. Her cover story has her not assigned to the ship, but rather Utopia Planitia. She then enters a Jefferies tube and locks it. She starts scanning again. She contacts someone, telling them that she localized the weapon's source. Opening a hatch inside the tube, she sees a strange device inside it. The people she is in contact with tell her to begin a procedure. She attempts to remove it, but cannot because the device is out of phase; she is in the wrong timeline, but her contact says it's still good they know where it is. Meanwhile, Janeway and Patterson overhear Carey finding a malfunction in an EPS relay. Wanting to get her hands dirty, Janeway goes to the Jefferies tube, only to find it locked from the inside. Patterson and Janeway go to another deck to access the tube. Seven of Nine detects them and discontinues her procedure, waiting for beam-out. Aboard another, apparently very advanced starship, the Captain says to pull her out, even when they have trouble locking on to her, saying that if Janeway and Patterson find her, then it will contaminate the timeline. When Janeway and Patterson reach the tube, Janeway only finds a strange chroniton flux of .003 that vanishes. On the advanced ship, Seven is beamed through time onto their ship successfully, however, she falls unconscious. One of the officers goes to check on her, but, as he had warned his captain, she is dead. Since Seven is dead, the Captain orders to recruit her again. The XO, Lieutenant Ducane, orders a new time index in the Delta Quadrant, target: USS Voyager. On a seemingly normal day in 2375, The Doctor is examining Seven of Nine for symptoms of blurry vision and dizziness, which she believes are symptoms of Albright-Salzman syndrome. The Doctor concludes that she in fact has a mild case of sensory aphasia, which he clears up. The Doctor then returns to sickbay, where he begins to find many cases of space sickness, including Janeway. Meanwhile, Paris is walking through the corridors doing a ping-pong exercise. He invites Seven to be on his team for a ping-pong tournament because his other team member had come down with space sickness. She accepts and Paris continues his exercises. The tournament takes place in the mess hall against Harry Kim and B'Elanna Torres, with Neelix keeping score. Shockingly, just as Paris spikes the ping-pong ball, it stops in the middle of the table in mid-air. Seven scans the table and detects a temporal anomaly. Seconds later, the ball shoots back towards Kim and Torres. Neelix jokingly still records it as a point. Tuvok, Janeway, and Seven then find that temporal anomalies are occurring all over the ship and will soon tear the ship apart, so Seven and Torres start looking for the source of the anomalies, while the Captain tells The Doctor about them. He suspected an anomaly, with the large number of cases of space sickness he's seen. Neelix then calls The Doctor to the mess hall because Ensign Mannus is violently ill. Once there, oddly, Neelix greets him as if nothing was wrong. He asks Neelix where the medical emergency is. Neelix says that everything was fine there. At that moment, Mannus falls unconscious. The Doctor diagnoses him with space sickness then revives him. He then starts to put it all together. He checks the time in the mess hall and in sickbay. Sickbay is several minutes ahead of the mess hall. Neelix had not made his call to sickbay yet. Chakotay reports to Janeway, who just had three day old replicated coffee. As it is apparent, the distortions are interfering with food replicators. Janeway then decides to input security measures. As Chakotay explains that turbolifts are malfunctioning and everyone is forced to use the Jefferies tubes, a temporal fracture accelerates his conversation by a few seconds. Meanwhile, Torres and Seven found the source of the anomalies. It was coming from a device in the Jefferies tube that only Seven can see with her ocular implant. They tell the Captain, who is ready to initialize a set of force fields to counteract the anomalies. The plan fails and the hull starts to breach. Just then, two men from the unknown ship beam in, giving off a similar chroniton flux from five years ago, spacedock. The captain orders all hands to abandon ship. As Seven moves to an escape pod, she sees the two men. She tells them to identify themselves. They ignore her and place a device on her which beams the three of them away. Seconds later, Voyager is split apart and explodes with almost everyone on it. Captain Braxton welcomes Seven to the Federation timeship USS Relativity. They explain to Seven that Voyager has just exploded due to a saboteur putting a temporal disruptor on the ship. They suggest to Seven that the saboteur transported onto Voyager while Voyager's shields were down in an attack by the Kazon. Seven agrees to help them prevent Voyager's destruction. Ducane begins by testing her on all things about time, such as the Pogo paradox, when the Borg tried to prevent the Federation from ever existing, incidentally creating it. Then, she goes to a holodeck to view the device in its location on Voyager with Braxton. As a surprise to Seven, Braxton orders her to avoid contact with Janeway if at all possible, for she has made more temporal violations than anyone in history and sticks her nose where it doesn't belong: hence he calls it the Janeway Factor, due to which he had to fix up three major temporal incursions. He also mentions the timeframe he was stuck in for thirty years. Ducane finally uses a technology to hide her Borg implants and she's ready. In 2372, Voyager is under attack by the Kazon when Seven of Nine beams aboard Voyager. She starts scanning for the weapon immediately. The crew is focused on the attack when Harry Kim, detects a 0.003 chroniton flux. They rule it out as due to the Kazon's weapons, and Janeway recognizes the reading from Voyager in drydock (again). She studies it as the battle subsides, the Kazon lead ship having been disabled, and the ship escapes. Janeway remembers the last time she saw the chroniton reading and places a force field around the area. Like her three years later counterpart, Janeway and Tuvok both go to where she is, however, this time the force fields isolate Seven from her 29th century colleagues. Unable to receive instructions, she is trapped in the corridor and Janeway finds her. On the timeship, Ducane continues to try to pull her out, but the force field continues to interfere with the transport and communications. Janeway demands she explain who she is, and Seven initially tries to avoid telling Janeway the truth, due to the Temporal Prime Directive. Braxton, listens in, hoping she can avoid telling any more. Unfortunately, Tuvok detects Seven's hidden Borg implants so Janeway orders a search for any nearby vessels and is even more concerned. Seven insists there are none, and, disregarding the Temporal Prime Directive, she gives up and tells Janeway the truth. Seven convinces Janeway to free her to help prevent the destruction of Voyager in the future. In the 29th century aboard the Relativity, a crew member utters the Latin phrase tempus fugit, which literally translates as time flees. Seven and Janeway quickly go to the Jefferies tube where the weapon should be. Janeway, Tuvok, and Seven enter and find a man trying to place the disruptor in the tube. It turns out to be an older Captain Braxton. The older Braxton quickly arms his device and promises he'll activate it unless they lower their phasers. They do so, and then soon the younger Braxton calls in and is extremely surprised to hear who it is. The saboteur Braxton explains that this will complete "their" mission. He had undergone a temporal psychosis, having lost his rank which he blames on Voyager. He tells his "younger" self that once Voyager is obliterated, he will heal. The Braxton on the Relativity is determined to bring his older self into custody, telling Ducane to beam him aboard, but the older Braxton had activated a dispersal node to avoid beaming. Ducane then takes it upon himself to relieve his captain, placing him under arrest for crimes "he is going to commit." Just as Seven of Nine is about to capture the older Braxton, he beams off Voyager. Seven then transports to where Braxton beamed to: back to 2371. Back during Janeway's first tour of Voyager with Admiral Patterson, they walk down a corridor as Seven and Braxton come running through. Seven shoots at Braxton, but misses. Seven starts to suffer from temporal psychosis and starts to drift out of consciousness. Due to Janeway's quick order to bring up force fields, Braxton is contained, but he then beams himself to 2375. Seven calls to be transported there. In the mess hall, the ping-pong tournament is occurring. Braxton suddenly runs through and Seven, almost unconscious, walks in and disables Braxton's tricorder, trapping him in 2375. He runs, but she then falls to the ground. The Seven of Nine in this timeline walks up to her counterpart, asking her to explain herself. Seven's counterpart tells the other Seven to stop Braxton because their future depends on it. After Relativity beams the incapacitated Seven away, the other Seven captures Braxton. When Janeway arrives, she realizes that she remembers him from 2372. Relativity beams Braxton away. They then beam Janeway to their ship. Ducane starts to explain to Janeway all that had happened, quickly giving her a headache. He explained that there is a Braxton in their brig and a Braxton on their bridge. They ask Janeway to go back to 2372 to completely fix the timeline. Seven's attempts to remove the device have introduced several noticeable temporal incursions. She instigated a phaser fight at Utopia Planitia, interacted with Janeway's three years younger self and spoke to her younger self during a ping-pong tournament in front of 15 crew members. By capturing Braxton before the device is planted these changes will be removed. Seven cannot do it because she might damage herself. Janeway is confused, especially with the second Seven. Ducane assures her that by the end of the day, there will be only one Seven. The Braxtons will soon be reintegrated in time for the trial. The Braxton on the bridge tells Janeway where he will be in that timeline and Janeway is transported to 2372. Janeway is beamed aboard during the Kazon attack on Voyager. She encountered Torres en route, telling her to do what she think is right in Engineering. When she nears the corridor where Braxton will beam in, she hides from her three years younger self. Almost immediately, she finds Braxton beaming aboard. He stumbles over a wounded crewman. At that moment, Janeway walks over to him and captures him. Back on Relativity, Ducane commends Janeway for capturing the last Braxton and making a small incursion of 0.0036. He then is ready to send Seven of Nine and Janeway back to 2375's Voyager, reintegrated with their past selves. He strictly reminds them to remember the Temporal Prime Directive: discuss your experiences with no one. Yet he tells her one thing: Braxton was right that Voyager appears on the Relativity's sensors too often and they should avoid time travel. They then beam back to the 2375 Voyager. 
<EOS>
In the mess hall of Voyager, Neelix assists Tom Paris. Paris is trying to use the replicator to create gifts for B'Elanna Torres. He sends a food requisition to her quarters and replicates a bottle of wine and some flowers to carry with him. At this point, Kim enters to order a pot of coffee. Harry has bridge duty for the fourth night in a row. He has been working the night shift as acting commander of the USS Voyager. He says this will build valuable command experience that will assist him later in his Starfleet career. On the bridge, everything is progressing as usual and Kim asks Ensign Jenkins, the helmsman, for an update. All of a sudden, Voyager receives an automated distress signal. Kim orders the necessary course alteration to investigate. The distress call is originating from a class M planet. Kim attempts to hail the originator of the signal, but they receive no response. They cannot detect any life signs. Chakotay is informed of the distress signal, and places Harry in charge of the away team. He is accompanied by The Doctor and crewman Timothy Lang. When they beam down to the coordinates they find no evidence of any life. Kim orders the team to split up to cover more ground. The Doctor soon discovers a large metallic object protruding from a rock outcrop. As Kim scans it with a tricorder, its lights begin to blink and it makes some computerized sounds. They discover that it contains bio-neural circuitry. The object reactivates and proceeds to communicate using duotronic algorithms. Fortunately, The Doctor translates, saying that, oddly, it's frightened, wondering why it can't see nor feel its arms and legs. The object says many of its internal memory cores are damaged and it cannot remember its name. The Doctor establishes a rapport with the intelligence and makes an appeal to Harry to try to help the intelligence regain its lost memory fragments. After a bit of debate, and with The Doctor's insistence, the device is beamed aboard Voyager to salvage the device's artificial intelligence. It appears that the being is fully sentient. However, it is housed in the body of some sort of device. The Doctor recommends that they not inform the device of its nature so as to spare it psychological harm. When Voyager's day shift arrives on duty, Captain Janeway agrees with Kim's decision to beam the device to an engineering bay for analysis. There, the device states that it had a companion, but lost track of it on the planet. Janeway goes to astrometrics to attempt to locate it. Meanwhile, The Doctor continues to get to know the alien intelligence. He takes this time to inform the device of its nature. It is startled to know that it is not a humanoid but a metallic cylinder, but the Doctor comforts it, noting they have something in common. In astrometrics, Seven of Nine is assisting the Captain in her search. They make a startling discovery on the planet's surface: a similar device that has caused an explosion. It is determined that the device is a warhead of mass destruction. In the briefing room there is a debate as to what should be done with the device, to still continue to salvage the intelligence, or to simply destroy the weapon. It is decided to try to salvage the intelligence, after The Doctor pleads passionately for its right to live. They must perform the complicated procedure of removing the intelligence from the warhead components. The Doctor suggests they download it into a holographic matrix like himself. After this procedure, they would attempt to contact the people who manufactured the warhead. Ensign Kim and B'Elanna Torres begin the procedure to separate the intelligence. However, during the procedure, the device insists on knowing exactly what they're doing. When Kim mentions that they are about to shut it down temporarily, its auto-defense programming kicks in and the device arms itself. Quickly, B'Elanna Torres makes an attempt, under Captain Janeway's orders, to disable the device by sending an EM pulse to shut it down. The device interprets this as an act of hostility, and, unknown to Torres and Kim, the device's intelligence takes over The Doctor's holomatrix during the interlink operation. The Doctor's holomatrix is now controlled by the warhead. The warhead intelligence then begins to take steps to protect itself from the crew, and makes its intentions known. It barricades itself along with Torres and Kim inside sickbay. It was a dormant warhead sent on a mission to destroy a military base, and it demands to resume that mission. The warhead intelligence threatens Voyager with destruction if the Captain doesn't comply with transporting the warhead to its destination. The warhead intelligence demands that Voyager alter course, taking them to its intended target, a military installation on Salina Prime, approximately 2.3 light years away from their current position. The captain refuses to comply with an alien warhead, getting involved in this species' affairs is a violation of the Prime Directive. However, with the only other option being destruction of Voyager, she must play along. The warhead's programming makes anything that stands in the way of its target an enemy. That includes Voyager and her crew. Janeway reluctantly sets course. As the bridge crew attempts to formulate a plan to disarm the weapon, Neelix enters with a possible option. He acquired a power node from a merchant named Onquanii recently. It has a similar configuration to the warhead, it could have been made by the same species. Chakotay orders scans of the area for his starship and an encoded message sent if he is located. Meanwhile, the prisoners try to come up with their own plan to disarm the warhead. Kim is depressed because he feels that his actions directly caused the current situation. Kim goes to The Doctor/weapon to try to get him to change his mind. He cites the progress made by The Doctor as proof that AI can overcome initial programming boundaries, but it responds that, despite all that, it's still a weapon like the Doctor is still a doctor. Back on the bridge, a cloaked vessel that could be Onquanii arrives. It is him, and he says the weapon was created by the Druoda. He has studied them and their designs and wishes to come aboard. Later, in Main Engineering, the Captain negotiates with Onquanii. He informs them that he would be able to transport the warhead off of Voyager using his sophisticated dampening field. However, in return he requires the warhead, to sell or salvage the parts. The Captain agrees on the condition that he does not get the energy matrix. That way, it could not be used as a weapon again. Onquanii refuses, saying the energy matrix is the most valuable component. Neelix tries to offer him more items, but he has made up his mind. Onquanii beams back to his ship, and proceeds to open fire on Voyager. In the first volley, weapons and shields are disabled. The Doctor/weapon demands a report from the bridge. Onquanii tries to transport the warhead to his ship as he offered before, but it sends an antimatter surge back through the transporter beam. The attacking merchant vessel is destroyed. Next, the crew attempts to devise a plan to infuse the warhead's bio-neural circuitry with Seven's Borg nanoprobes to disable it. The Captain orders comprehensive scans of the nearby minefields. A fleet of similar warheads flies through space as one pulls up an image of Voyager. They all enter warp to intercept. Before the plan is enacted they must get Seven into sickbay. To do this they will lead the warhead to believe that Voyager has entered a minefield. Using inertial dampeners, Paris will simulate the damage, while sickbay is fed false sensor readings. They will make it look as if Seven was injured in a plasma explosion. Then, Tuvok will disrupt the holographic controls to give Seven time to complete her task. The warhead intelligence then insists that Kim and Torres attempt to reconstruct some memory fragments just before its crash landing. Some of the memory fragments reveal the accidental launch of the device, along with 33 other similar warheads. Despite this evidence, the intelligence is convinced that it must destroy its target. It believes the order to cease attack was faked by the enemy. During the reconstruction, they determine that the warhead was sent a command by its creators, the Druoda, to disengage. Apparently their war ended about three years prior, and the command to terminate was received. The warhead intelligence doubts the reconstructed memory, citing possible meddling by Kim and Torres and not seeing a confirmation code. Kim retorts that the algorithm used to encode the command would be extremely difficult to tamper with, and there's still missing memory which could contain the code. This seeds the warhead intelligence with some doubt. The attempt by the bridge begins well, but is ultimately unsuccessful -- Seven's direct contact with a defensive measure for the bio-neural circuitry on the warhead injures her, putting her in neural shock. The intelligence informs Janeway it was unsuccessful and demands everyone abandon ship. Janeway flat-out refuses, surprising the intelligence. Just then, the thirty-two other functioning warheads that were also accidentally launched approach Voyager. The other warheads contact the remaining warhead aboard Voyager. The warhead's intelligence, with Kim's help in reasoning with it, deduces that the command to rescind the mission is in fact legitimate, and attempts to corroborate with the other warheads. Since all the warheads have reached a two light year target threshold, at which point the mission cannot be canceled, they ignore the command sent by the warhead on Voyager. The warhead intelligence then realizes what must be done: as a weapon of mass destruction, it can use itself to stop the others. Kim sadly says "I'm sorry," but the AI simply states that it's mission to protect its people has not changed, only the target. At the other warheads' request, the warhead aboard Voyager is transported alongside the fleet and a tractor beam carries the warhead into warp alongside the others to complete their mission. After the warp jump, the warhead from Voyager self-destructs. Voyager detects a series of antimatter explosions, destroying all of the wayward warheads and eliminating the threat; the AI has succeeded in its mission. As the night watch gets ready to begin their shift, Jenkins thanks Kim on behalf of the junior staff for saving the ship from the Druoda warhead. Kim asks her to do him a favor: no more distress calls tonight. 
<EOS>
On the bridge of a Federation starship, all hell has broken loose; nearly everything is wrecked. The only lights are the flashing red lights of a red alert and the flash of sparks from the wreckage. Seated in the command chair, the grim-faced captain hears an ominous report from an officer: the ship's deflector shields are at 29%; whatever is attacking them is breaking through. The captain makes a decision: drop the shields completely and allow the shield emitters the 45 seconds they need to fully recharge; a potentially suicidal action, but they have no choice, as they will all certainly be killed if the emitters run out of power. He and his officers immediately field phaser rifles and aim at the air above their heads, and he gives the order. Instantly, upon the lowering of the shields, a dry, high-pitched screeching whine is heard. Portals appear above them. The officers fire into them and they close. But others appear rapidly, and they begin to be overwhelmed. A green, flying creature emerges from one, and immediately closes in on an officer. Three streaks of light slash across him. He collapses as his body immediately desiccates into a dried husk. The officers desperately fire at every portal and creature which emerges from it. Aboard the USS Voyager, Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine and Commander Chakotay look at an emergency transmission on the huge viewscreen of the ship's astrometrics lab, shown to them by Seven. They see a static-filled image of the same captain from the attacked ship, and listen to him as he urgently sounds a distress call: "This is Captain Ransom of the Federation Starship Equinox! We're under attack! We need assistance!" Janeway recognizes the name: Rudolph Ransom, captain of the USS Equinox. Seven announces the signal was transmitted 14 hours ago. Janeway asks what the Equinox is doing in the Delta Quadrant. Seven surmises perhaps its mission is to find Voyager. But Janeway does not believe this, and explains that Nova-class starships are short-range planetary research vessels, not designed for long-range tactical missions. She must be stranded here, like Voyager. Janeway immediately orders a course laid in toward the Equinox, 3.2 light years distant, at maximum warp, with shields up and at red alert. As Voyager arrives at the Equinox' location, Janeway orders Lieutenant Paris at the helm to drop out of warp. At the operations station, Ensign Kim puts the stricken vessel up on the viewscreen. The ship is hobbling in space, its shields clearly visible. It is still under attack but the attackers are not apparent, and the attack does not appear to be weapons fire, as there are no other ships nearby. At the tactical station, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok reports the heavily-damaged state of the vessel. They enter hailing range, and Janeway orders a channel opened. She identifies herself and Voyager. Ransom interrupts with yelled instructions to extend Voyager's shields around the Equinox, and Janeway orders it done immediately. Paris moves Voyager above the Equinox and Tuvok works to extend the shields. As this is being done, the same dry, high whine from before is heard again, as Seven of Nine (at an auxiliary console) reports the opening of portals -- interspatial fissures -- on several decks, including the bridge deck, Deck 1. Tuvok finishes adjusting the shields, and a single, large shield surrounds both Voyager and the Equinox, then becomes invisible, indicating the attack has ceased. This is confirmed by Seven's announcing the fissures have vanished, and the ending of the noise. Janeway hails the Equinox, but gets no answer. She orders Chakotay to assemble rescue teams to beam over. The teams beam over. Chakotay, Lt. Paris and Voyager's chief engineer, Lt. Torres, form one team, and beam to the engine room. At Chakotay's order, Torres begins seeing about restoring power, as Paris finds the shriveled corpse of a crewmember.  Scanning it with his tricorder, he finds every cell in the body is desiccated. Torres reports her bewilderment after examining the engine assembly; it appears to have been totally redesigned from original Starfleet specifications. Chakotay finds a survivor under some debris--a terrified blonde Human ensign whose name is Marla Gilmore. Other teams find survivors in other areas of the ship. On the bridge, Captain Janeway, along with Tuvok, find still more survivors, including Captain Ransom. Janeway speaks with him briefly. They establish that both ships came to the Delta Quadrant in the same way: courtesy of the Caretaker. Though gravely injured, he refuses to leave his bridge, but Janeway insists that he go with her to Voyager; they will compare notes further there. Reluctantly, he agrees. As Voyager and the Equinox travel together, the crews of both ships gather in Voyager's mess hall. There, Captain Ransom performs a solemn ceremony commemorating the dead of his crew. He calls names: Lieutenants William Yates, and John Bowler, Ensigns Dorothy Chang and Edward Regis, and Crewman David Amantes. The tone then changes, as Captain Ransom thanks Captain Janeway on behalf of himself and the survivors. Janeway warmly accepts them aboard, calling them the "newest members of our family." Janeway then issues duty assignments: Ensign Kim and Lt. Torres are to lead efforts to repair the Equinox. Seven and Tuvok will work with Ransom's first officer, Maxwell Burke in analyzing the attacks on the Equinox and then dismisses the assemblage, and the crews mingle. As the crew dismisses, Gilmore walks with Chakotay to see if she can instead be assigned to Voyager. Seeing the state the Equinox is in, Chakotay thinks she's needed there, but could use someone with her engineering skills on the ship. She then starts remarking on how clean Voyager is and admits to being affected by her experiences on the Equinox. She's afraid to be on a turbolift, and calls for an emergency stop, preferring Jefferies tubes. Chakotay understands and goes with her. In the lab, Seven makes a disturbing discovery which she along with Tuvok and Burke show to Captains Janeway &amp; Ransom: there are intermittent spots appearing in different areas of the shields which surround both vessels. Seven explains they are stress points, caused by interspatial fissures the Equinox' attackers are opening, trying to come aboard. The attacks haven't ceased; they are merely being successfully blocked. But this success will not last long; Tuvok explains every opening of a fissure within one meter of the shields weakens them by 0.3%. Janeway immediately comes to the alarming conclusion that at this rate, the shields will fail within two days. Seven comes up with an idea: bio-scans which Burke showed both her and Tuvok indicate the aliens cannot survive for more than several seconds in this realm, and if they can show the aliens they possess the ability to hold them here, thus killing them, it may stop their attacks out of self-preservation. Burke builds on the idea: in order to study their attackers, they had built a multiphasic force field chamber in the Equinox' research lab to trap one for several minutes. Janeway decides to have a latticework of such force fields installed throughout both ships. But when she asks Ransom to allow them to examine the chamber, he and Burke evasively respond the research lab is flooded with lethal levels of thermionic radiation. Burke adds, the schematics are in their auxiliary data core. Ransom and Janeway leave for the Equinox' bridge to download them to Voyager's computer. As work continues on Equinox' bridge, Janeway and Ransom compare notes about their and their crews' travails in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway speaks of Voyager's many run-ins with dangerous aliens, including the Federation's most feared adversary: the Borg. Ransom tells her he and his crew never encountered the Borg at all since arriving. Janeway ventures he and his crew are lucky. Ransom quickly quashes that with a recounting of what happened to them. Their first encounter, he recalls, was with a power known as the Krowtonan Guard. Upon their arrival, he, like Janeway, had ordered a course set toward Earth's coordinates, but the Krowtonan Guard warned them they had violated their territory and to leave immediately. Ransom ordered the course maintained and over the following week 39 crewmembers, half his crew, were killed in combat. After this, everything changed, he recalls. When they first arrived, he had told them they had a duty as Starfleet officers and crew-members to uphold Starfleet directives of exploration and expansion of knowledge, as well as Starfleet principles, but after the Krowtonan Guard experience, they saw their only goal as one thing: survival. The talk segues into the Prime Directive -- whether they have violated it to preserve their crews. Janeway admits having bent it on occasion, while her counterpart noncommittally admits to the same thing. They find among the wreckage the Equinox' dedication plaque, and put it back up on the bulkhead. After finishing the download, the captains return to Voyager. Ransom finds Burke eating heartily in the mess hall, his first proper meal after two years on emergency rations. His words to Burke are ominous and conspiratorial: "Don't get too comfortable. If Janeway is any indication, these people will never understand." He warns Burke to watch what he says to Voyager crewmembers. Burke cautions that they will "find out eventually". Ransom responds they will be able to keep it from them as long as they can keep them out of the Equinox' research lab. Healed and back on his feet, the Equinox crewman rescued by Seven and Ensign Kim, Crewman Noah Lessing, goes to see Seven in the astrometrics lab. But as they are talking, the high screech is heard again. Lessing and Seven look above their heads in alarm. On the bridge the sound is also heard. Kim tensely reports to Chakotay that interspatial fissures are opening on three decks, including Deck 1. Tuvok reports the reason: the lateral shields have gone down. Chakotay orders power routed to them. This brings them back up and the noise ceases. Chakotay orders an explanation. Tuvok gives it: the aliens began to focus their efforts, rapidly opening fissures along a single shield vector. This wore that shield vector down so quickly that it collapsed before auxiliary emitters could respond. Chakotay realizes that the aliens have changed tactics, and the Starfleet crews have less time than they originally thought. Janeway, Chakotay, Ransom, Burke and Ensign Gilmore meet with Seven and Tuvok in Janeway's ready room, where Seven and Tuvok report that the multiphasic force field chamber's schematics can be indeed adapted for general ship-wide use. But it will take fourteen hours to do so, and, as Gilmore nervously points out, the aliens may very well collapse a part of the deflector shields again before then. Chakotay suggests that they make a stand on one ship, thus halving the time. The logical choice is Voyager; she is more powerful and in good working order. Ransom, Burke and Gilmore, however, are not keen on the idea of abandoning their ship. Janeway considers, and comes to the same conclusion as Chakotay. Ransom states that because they are 35,000 light-years from Earth, they should work to preserve both ships. She quotes a Starfleet regulation which basically says that when two or more ships fight alongside each other, in the absence of a flag officer, the captain of the ship that has tactical superiority is in charge of the group. In this case, that is Janeway. Ransom, aware of this, is forced to agree, and orders Burke, and by extension, the other Equinox survivors, to treat Janeway as their new commanding officer. The meeting ends. After the meeting, however, Burke goes to engineering. Alone, he conducts an unauthorized download of the proposed ship-wide multiphasic force field into a tricorder he has carried there with him. Torres enters and finds him, but he manages to deftly hide his act and distract her from asking pertinent questions as to why he is there with banter. Then Ransom calls all the survivors to meet him on the Equinox bridge. They meet and conspire to take the force field generator once it is built and leave. They have no intention of giving up their ship. So obsessed are they about surviving and returning to Earth that they are ready to do whatever is necessary to do so, at any cost, including abandoning their rescuers, absconding with the protection from their enemies that Voyager developed and leaving Voyager's crew to face them alone. They hash out their plan and prepare to enact it. However, while they are doing so, Janeway is having a meeting of her own with Tuvok and Seven. The two have found that, after all this time, the Equinox's science lab is still flooded with thermionic radiation. It should have dissipated by now. Further, they have found that three EPS conduits have been rerouted to the lab; they are emitting the radiation. They report this to Janeway. The conclusion is that the lab has been intentionally contaminated; Ransom does not want them to enter it. Janeway decides that a check of just what is in there is necessary; Ransom is obviously hiding something. Since the radiation level is too high for an organic to survive, she decides that they will send in, without Ransom's knowledge, the one Voyager crew-member who will not be affected: The Doctor. The Doctor beams into the lab. Maintaining a comlink with Seven and Tuvok in the astrometrics lab, he slowly moves through the lab, examining it. The lab contains the force field equipment which was used to intentionally trap the aliens, so that they would die. However, as The Doctor discovers, this was not for defense; it was so that their nucleogenic bodies could be used to boost the warp engines' power, due to their high antimatter content. The Doctor finds other equipment which supports this conclusion; equipment to convert the remains into a crystalline compound that the engines could use, once they were suitably modified. The Equinox crew was thus intentionally killing the aliens to boost the power output of their warp drive, in order to cross the vast distance home more quickly. Janeway is immediately informed. On Voyager, Ransom and Burke walk along a corridor, discussing final preparations for their plan. But they run into two of Voyager's security officers, who have been instructed to detain them. They try to head for a transporter room, but instead meet an armed Tuvok, who is Voyager's security chief as well as Janeway's chief tactical officer. He is accompanied by more of his security officers. He informs Ransom of Janeway's "wish" to speak with him. Ransom goes without resistance. Ransom sits across from Janeway in the briefing room. Sitting at the head of the table, Janeway stares at him in palpable anger. She informs him of what The Doctor has found, presents him with a sample of the crystallized remains, and cuttingly asks him how many more of the aliens he would have needed to kill to return to the Alpha Quadrant. The aliens, she accuses, are not aggressors; they are only defending themselves from him and his crew. Ransom does not deny it, and defends his actions by quoting a Starfleet regulation that authorizes a captain to "preserve the lives of his crew by any justifiable means" in the event of imminent destruction. Janeway has none of it. What they did was wrong in every sense, morally, ethically and, according to Federation law, legally, she insists. He defensively outlines how they started on this course of action: starving, with the Equinox all but destroyed, they managed to find an class M planet where they hoped they would find food. The planet was inhabited by a peaceful and generous race called the Ankari. They thought the nucleogenic aliens were spirits of good fortune and, after giving Ransom and his crew food and some supplies, invoked them to bless their journey, using a device to open interspatial fissures through which they emerged, flew around the crew and returned to their realm. Scans showed high antimatter content in their bodies. Seeing a possible way to "turbocharge" their engines for faster warp flight, thus letting them return home, they bartered with the Ankari for one of the devices in exchange for an energy converter. They constructed a multiphasic force field chamber in the ship's lab to hold one of the aliens, summoned one and tried to study it but it died; it could not live for more than several seconds in this realm. But its remains were found to have retained the high antimatter content. With a bit of modification, the engines could use them; they would increase the power output and thus their speed. And so they began summoning the aliens intentionally to use their bodies in this manner. Ransom insists that they were left without a choice. Janeway again has none of it. She relieves him of command and orders that he and the other survivors be confined to quarters. She then goes to the bridge and orders The Doctor to return to the lab and retrieve all the data he can find on the aliens. She also orders Seven to go to the Equinox' engine room and take the modifications off-line. Perhaps, she muses, they can make contact with them themselves and explain that Ransom and his crew will be punished for what they were doing to them, and thus convince them to stop their attacks. Chakotay has Gilmore decrypt the Equinox' engine modification schematics in the astrometrics lab, and Seven beams over to begin dismantling them. However, in the Equinox' research lab, The Doctor is having trouble accessing the data he is after, even though he has decrypted it. The ship's computer informs him that authorization from the ship's EMH is needed for access. The Doctor activates the EMH. It is a Mark 1, exactly like The Doctor. The Doctor informs him of his crew's arrest. The Equinox EMH asks The Doctor how he is able to leave his sickbay, and The Doctor shows him his mobile emitter. He sternly informs the Equinox EMH of the criminal experiments that have been happening in the lab and is shocked to learn that the Equinox EMH designed them; the crew deleted his ethical subroutines. He suddenly strikes The Doctor's arm, deactivating the mobile emitter. The Doctor goes off-line. The Equinox EMH puts the emitter on. As the Equinox EMH returns to Voyager, pretending to be The Doctor, on the bridge, Captain Janeway and her bridge officers note with consternation that the shields are weakening even more rapidly; the aliens have stepped up their attacks. While Seven works in the Equinox engine room, Tuvok and Lt. Torres are in the astrometrics lab, almost ready to bring the ship-wide multiphasic shielding on line. But in the sickbay, The Equinox EMH queries the computer for Ransom's location. Once he gets it, he packs a bag of hyposprays and goes there. He tells the guards outside that the Equinox crew has been infected with a virus and he has been authorized to inoculate them. They let him in. Once inside, he surreptitiously informs Ransom of his real identity. He is going to help them escape. In the astrometrics lab, Tuvok and Torres attempt to activate the shield grid. But nothing happens. They try to find out what is wrong. What is wrong is that Burke, while in engineering, had done more than steal the multiphasic field generator's schematics; he had also reconfigured intended power couplings to the device, then reconfigured the sensors so that this would not be detected. Tuvok and Torres work to undo this, as Ransom and his crew overpower their guards, take their weapons and enter the corridor. They head for a transporter room. On the bridge, at his station, Ensign Kim reports detection of phaser fire on the deck the Equinox crew were confined on. Janeway immediately orders security to seal off the deck. The aliens step up their efforts, rapidly wearing the deflector shields down. As the shields degrade, Kim reports an unauthorized transport. Janeway orders him to block it but he fails. He reports that the Equinox crew have beamed onto their bridge. Attempts to call Seven of Nine fail; Seven is lying unconscious in the Equinox engine room, Ensign Gilmore standing over her. On the Equinox bridge, Burke reports with chagrin that Torres has erected a force field over the multiphasic force field generator; he cannot beam it off Voyager. He tries to override the command codes. This works; he beams it onto the Equinox. Janeway hails the Equinox and, seething, warns Ransom that if he does not desist in his action, both ships will be destroyed. But he will not hear it, responding that that would be better than thirty years in her brig. She threatens to fire on him. He ends the communication. Torres calls Janeway and reports that the Equinox crew have taken the generator. Thus, Voyager is defenseless against the aliens. On the Equinox, Ransom orders their escape at warp, but in engineering, Gilmore reports Seven's attempt to dismantle the warp engines, and that she, Gilmore, is undoing it. Burke integrates the multiphasic field generator into the ship's computer. Voyager's shields fail. The dry whine is immediately heard. Kim agitatedly reports fissures opening on all decks. Janeway and the bridge officers field weapons. On the Equinox, a fissure opens. But Burke succeeds in getting the generator up. Instantly, as an alien comes through, it finds itself trapped by a force field. It rushes frantically about, bouncing from field to field, then collapsed and dies. Ransom orders it taken to the lab. Crewman Lessing reports engines are on-line. Satisfied, Ransom orders a course set for the Alpha Quadrant. The Equinox pulls away from Voyager, taking Seven and The Doctor, who are still aboard, with them. On Voyager's bridge, fissures are opening all over. Janeway and her officers fire into them as they open, but more open immediately elsewhere. Then Chakotay shouts a warning to her. She whirls round, and one of the aliens heads directly at her. 
<EOS>
An attacking nucleogenic lifeform knocks Captain Janeway to the deck, but she manages to dodge the thermionic radiation. Yelling for  tactical control, she uses a deflector pulse to reinforce the shields -- at least, temporarily. The aliens' attacks are halted, but damage has been done; Chakotay is unconscious, and there's no response from sickbay. Ensign Kim reports two casualties due to the alien attacks. The USS Equinox, in the meanwhile, realizing that Voyager is under attack decides to maintain course and not charge to the rescue. With the multiphasic shielding in place, the aliens are staying clear. Janeway, wandering the corridors of the USS Voyager, comes across the remains of an alien killed in the attack, before being handed The Doctor's mobile emitter by Neelix, who found the device on Deck 9. She takes it and reactivates the EMH back in sickbay, not realizing that it is the EMH program from the Equinox, whose ethical subroutines have been deleted. "The Doctor" explains that when he was taken hostage by the Equinox he deactivated himself to escape. He begins by treating Chakotay, whom Tom Paris has managed to stabilize. While Janeway insists that they focus their efforts on finding the Equinox, Chakotay argues that they need to stop the attacks by the aliens first. While they are debating, they are interrupted by the sound of the interspacial fissures, which indicate the presence of the aliens. On the Equinox, Ransom tries to persuade Seven of Nine to stop resisting him and to become part of the crew, instead of spending her time in the brig for the remainder of the journey. Seven refuses to comply, however, telling him bluntly that he would be an inferior role model to her, and that Voyager made a mistake to trust him. While trying to treat Seven, Max Burke realizes that their EMH has left them a replacement, and activates The Doctor from Voyager. Seven and The Doctor realize they're stuck on the Equinox together. Meanwhile, the Equinox prepares to activate their enhanced warp drive, using the aliens as fuel to get back to Earth within several months. However, just as the ship is accelerating, it stalls. The power relays to the modified injectors have been encoded -- Ransom quickly realizes it must have been Seven of Nine. He tries to get her to give him the codes, but Seven refuses again. Burke suggests extracting the codes themselves if she won't give them. When The Doctor protests, Ransom simply deletes his ethical subroutines, and gets him to extract the information by any means necessary. On Voyager, Chakotay and Harry Kim have come up with a way that may allow them to communicate with the lifeforms. Despite misgivings, they drop the shields around the bridge and send the message. An alien appears, flies over to Kim's station and shrieks unintelligibly at the ensign for a moment, then disappears into its realm. However, the shields are attacked again. Another deflector pulse is activated, but it loses power quickly. Janeway, who is growing more impatient, gives an order to repair the warp drive so they can pursue the Equinox. When Chakotay asks to take another shot at the message to the aliens, she rudely dismisses him. Over in the ready room, Chakotay tells Janeway that he understands her anger towards Ransom who has betrayed everything the Federation and the uniform they are wearing stands for, but that she cannot compromise the safety of this ship to satisfy some personal vendetta. She tells him that she appreciates his candor, but that even so, she is not going to stand for Ransom continuing to murder and torture another lifeform so he can get home faster. She vows to hunt him down no matter how long it takes, no matter what the cost and if he wants to call that a vendetta, then he can go right ahead. Ransom, who is hiding the Equinox in the atmosphere of a planet so they can make the repairs, checks in with The Doctor, who reveals that in order to access the information in Seven, he will have to remove her cortical array which contains an index of her memory engrams. By doing so, however, all of Seven's higher brain functions will be severely damaged. Ransom pleads with Seven to give him the codes, but she refuses. He says that doing this to her is not easy for him but that she leaves him no choice. Seven states that he uses that phrase quite frequently: destroying lifeforms to obtain his goals and then claim that they left him no choice. She stubbornly tells him that he will have to destroy her to obtain the codes. The Doctor proceeds. Chakotay is summoned to Janeway's ready room -- she notes it's unlike him to submit recommendations in writing, holding up a PADD. Commenting on their last conversation he tells her that this was the only way he thought he could interact with her. However, Janeway refuses this suggestion, namely getting in touch with the Ankari, the race who introduced Ransom to the nucleogenic lifeforms, as well. She argues that this would take them off course and waste their time. She notes that from studying Ransom's service record, she found that he has the tendency to hide when he is being pursued. She asks Chakotay to use astrometrics to find likely hiding places, such as a nebula. Equinox, meanwhile, still in hiding in the planet's atmosphere which shields them from Voyager's sensors, continues repairs. Ransom sends Noah Lessing and Angelo Tassoni down to mine some dilithium while he takes a break to use his synaptic stimulator, a device which allows him to experience various alien vistas. The pair beams down, but is captured by a Voyager away team, Paris and Chakotay. On the bridge, the Equinox EMH tries to warn Ransom that Voyager has found them, and that they have polarized their hull to mask their approach. His communication gets cut off and Ransom orders for battle stations. Voyager and the Equinox engage in a brief battle, Voyager taking the Equinox weapon systems off-line. Not willing to accept defeat, Ransom takes his vessel deeper into the planet's atmosphere. Voyager follows, but has to retreat when the deflector, which they are relying on to protect the vessel against the lifeforms, begins losing power in its attempts to protect the vessel against the atmosphere. Equinox escapes to warp, while Voyager is forced to repair its primary systems first before being able to pursue. Janeway interrogates Lessing, whom she has tied up on a chair in the cargo bay. She threatens to drop the shields in the room and let the aliens in if he doesn't tell her Ransom's tactical status. Getting nowhere with him, she goes outside with Chakotay, and drops the shields. Chakotay quickly realizes Janeway isn't bluffing, and asks her to stop what she is doing, that she is going too far; she insists that Lessing will break while Chakotay states that he won't. When she refuses to do so, he first tries to raise the shield but finds only Janeway can. He then goes in himself and rescues Lessing, saving him in the nick of time. Telling Lessing that he has proved his loyalty to his captain to himself, compromises and has him tell everything he knows on the Ankari. Janeway clearly disapproves, but doesn't interfere. Janeway agrees to try and find a nearby Ankari vessel. When everyone else is dismissed from the briefing, however, she confronts Chakotay, telling him that even though in the past they had their disagreements, he still never openly opposed her. Chakotay argues that she almost killed Lessing today and that this wasn't about rules and regulations, but about right and wrong; upon warning her that he won't let her cross that line again, she relieves him of duty until further notice. Voyager pursues an Ankari ship, but it does not respond to Voyager's hails. Not having the patience to pursue normal diplomatic channels, Janeway orders Tuvok to use a tractor beam on the ship. Tuvok objects as the Ankari ship had done nothing, but she yells at him to "just do it". The Ankari, who don't want anything to do with Voyager after what the Equinox did, are corrected in that Voyager did nothing wrong. The Ankari captain agrees to act as a translator for the "Spirits of Good Fortune," but states that Voyager's crew will have to be the ones to convince the lifeforms. Speaking with them in the cargo bay, the lifeforms demand the destruction of the Equinox as retribution. It turns out they can perfectly understand the crew; it is the crew that cannot understand them. Tuvok tries to persuade them that they will punish the Equinox crew in their own way, via imprisonment, but gets nowhere. The lifeforms don't believe they would harm their own kind. Janeway tells them the Federation has rules that the Equinox disregarded and unusually promises the lifeforms to deliver the Equinox to them if they stop their attacks on the Voyager. Now it is Tuvok's turn to object against Janeway's irrational behavior, reminding her the lifeforms will kill the Equinox's crew but Janeway makes him very much aware she's willing to confine him to quarters just like she did Chakotay. The lifeforms accept Janeway's offer. On the Equinox, Burke informs Ransom they need more "fuel," using a euphemism to describe the dead aliens. Ransom points this out, with another moment of reflection on what he's doing. Burke notes the number they need, and Ransom then goes to the lab to see the Doctor. He's about an hour away from finishing with Seven, though he curiously finds the Doctor is singing with Seven, having triggered her responses. Ransom has another moment of reflection on having "no choice" when the Doctor points out Seven stood in his way of getting his crew home, giving him no choice. He leaves to escape the conflict he's in, to the synaptic stimulator. Although the stimulator is only designed to view landscapes, being nowhere as advanced as a holodeck, he sees someone in it: he is amazed to discover it is Seven of Nine, who asks, then demands that Ransom find another way home. Seven turns into a nucleogenic lifeform, at which point Ransom ends the program. Burke summons him to the bridge at the same time, as Voyager has found them again. Ransom orders the starship to open a channel, preparing to surrender to Janeway and make peace with the aliens. Burke doesn't want to accept surrender, sends Ransom to the brig, and takes control of the ship. Marla Gilmore points her phaser at Ransom, and takes him away. Burke contacts the Equinox EMH aboard Voyager and asks him to find the vessel's current shield frequency. Voyager opens fire on the Equinox, and the two ships engage in combat while at warp. Gilmore leads Ransom to engineering, and lowers her phaser -- confessing that she is on his side and wants this to end as much as he does. The two begin trying to access the transporter controls. Voyager destroys the Equinox port warp nacelle, and the ship falls out of warp, leaking plasma. Voyager continues to pursue, still firing its weapons. The EMH transmits the shield frequency to Burke. Voyager moves in, preparing to engage a tractor beam, while Burke manages to fire torpedos through the shields. Despite Tuvok rotating the shield frequency every ten seconds, Voyager suffers extensive damage, losing many weapons arrays and the impulse drive. Ransom suddenly hails the ship and tells Janeway he's ready to surrender, but Burke's mutiny left Ransom no longer in charge; however he's isolated the transporter controls and that he can transport the Equinox crew to Voyager. He also advises her to have guards ready, as not everyone may be happy to see her. Amazed at their captain's sudden change in attitude, Janeway agrees. She tells her crew that Ransom is a Starfleet captain after all, even if he forgot that for a while. Burke isn't ready to surrender just yet, however, and places a force field around the bridge. On Ransom's order, Gilmore transports herself and two other crewmembers to Voyager, along with Seven of Nine while Ransom takes control of his ship's shield grid. They also transfer The Doctor's program back to his sickbay, with ethical subroutines restored. The Equinox EMH threatens to blow out every holoemitter in the room with planted photonic charges set to a command sequence; however the Voyager Doctor simply deletes him, thus stopping his transmissions to the Equinox. Ransom, still in engineering, contacts his bridge. He tells the stunned Burke that he has dropped the shields around the ship, except the bridge and his current location. The vital systems are exposed. Burke refuses to transport to Voyager, despite his captain's pleas -- instead, he tries to lead the bridge crew to the nearby shuttlebay two decks down, but all perish en route. As the lifeforms attack the Equinox warp core, Ransom hails Janeway. He tells her that his ship is about to explode, and he has to get it to a safe distance from the immobilized Voyager. Janeway tries to get Ransom off, asking him to set auto-navigation. He refuses, saying he has no time. He tells her that she has a fine crew and has her promise him to get them home. Having set a course away from Voyager, he wears his synaptic stimulator one last time, looking at a beautiful beach. A moment or two later, Equinox explodes, and the Captain goes down with his ship. In the briefing room, after dressing down and harshly rebuking the five former and surviving Equinox crew members (Noah Lessing, Marla Gilmore, James Morrow, Brian Sofin and Angelo Tassoni), Janeway strips them of rank, telling them that from now on they will serve as crewmen on Voyager, their privileges will be limited, and they will work under close supervision for as long as she deems fit. They will need to earn her trust this time. They are escorted away by Tuvok. Heading out the other way onto the bridge with Chakotay, the subdued Janeway wonders how the crew is doing. Chakotay says that Neelix has organized a potluck to boost morale. In a silent moment, she tells him that he may have had good reason to stage a little mutiny of his own. Chakotay admits that the thought had occurred to him, but that it would have been "crossing the line." This strikes a chord with the captain who reflects upon how close her recent actions had come to being no better than that of the Equinox and Captain Ransom. She then notices the dedication plaque of Voyager that has fallen down for the first time in all these years. Wiping it off, Chakotay suggests putting it back where it belongs -- mirroring the earlier fall of the Equinox plaque and a similar conversation she had with Ransom. 
<EOS>
Dusk on an alien world. A Borg sphere streaks through the sky before crashing on the surface. Night on a foggy, swampy world. A Borg drone walks through the mist. It is joined by a second, and then a third. Finally a fourth appears. The fourth is Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01. They gather near a dead drone. They assess their situation: their vessel has crashed, they seem to be the only survivors, and their link to the Borg Collective has been cut. Seven of Nine notes that the wrecked vessel's transwarp chamber will explode imminently, and leads the other three drones away from the area. They take the corpse of the dead drone with them. 2376, Eight Years Later The USS Voyager has docked at the Markonian outpost. Captain Janeway has authorized a technology and culture exchange, giving the crew an opportunity for shore leave. The bridge is bustling with crew and aliens. Janeway is in her ready room, the room packed with gifts from different visiting alien delegations. Commander Chakotay brings another. Tuvok arrives, not with gifts, but a report [not one, not two, but three pages long] detailing minor theft and damage of some ship's equipment and crewmembers' personal items, but Janeway, along with Chakotay, is nonetheless pleased at how things are going. In Astrometrics, Seven of Nine, now a former Borg drone, is working. Naomi Wildman, enters and reminds her of their lunch date. Seven tries to delay it until she has finished, but Naomi's plaintive complaints that she promised makes her stop and agree. They leave together. Outside, the corridor is crowded. Naomi politely asks for space for them to pass, but her small voice cannot be heard over the din. However, Seven's loud, imperious command to "Stand aside!" gets them their required space and they proceed to the mess hall. They sit together in the mess hall, observing the aliens mixing with the crew. Naomi begins identifying them by Borg species designations, but Seven sternly chides her, reminding her that both she and Ensign Wildman disapprove of this. The presence of the large crowd begins to disquiet Seven; she explains that crowds remind her of the Borg Collective. Naomi sympathetically suggests that they leave. They are about to do so when a burly, middle-aged man with a scarred face approaches. "Are you Seven of Nine?" he asks. When Seven guardedly affirms, he opens a case and shows her some Borg implants. Seven leaps to her feet, looking as if she has seen a ghost. She remembers the events seen in the Teaser. She identifies the implants as Borg synaptic relays from her old unimatrix, Unimatrix 01. The man offers them to her in trade. Seven agrees, takes them and quickly leaves. The man walks way. However, he does not go far. He stands looking around. Then he mentally relays the following information: Stage two is complete. She has the relays. She's going to study them. In Engineering, a woman mentally receives the message and, also mentally, relays the location of Seven's alcove to him: Cargo Bay 2. A young man in a crowded corridor also receives the message. The three agree to rendezvous at the older man's position, and conspire to penetrate ship's security. 2368 The four marooned drones extract parts from the corpse of the dead drone to build a com beacon to contact the Collective. Three of them bear resemblance to the three conspirators. But, as they work, severed from the hive mind, their personalities and pre-assimilation memories begin to reassert themselves. One begins recalling the religious beliefs of his people regarding the treatment of the dead. Two others ask him about it. Talk of individuality starts. But Seven of Nine sternly instructs them to cease the irrelevant talk; they are Borg, not individuals. 2376 Seven and Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres examine the Borg synaptic relays in Cargo Bay 2, Seven's 'quarters'. Meanwhile, the three conspirators discuss their course of action, seated together in the mess hall. At first, they do it mentally, but then they switch to verbal communication. There is some contention over whether or not they should actually go through with whatever they are planning, but they eventually agree to proceed. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven, now alone, sets up one of the relays for a multi-polar analysis. The computer informs her that the analysis will take 5 hours and 17 minutes to complete. She decides to pass the time by regenerating. She installs herself in her alcove and goes into the cycle. In the mess hall, the three conspirators, by tapping into the ship's computer through the relay, sense her regeneration. They begin using this access to reroute internal sensors. But, on the bridge, Lt. Commander Tuvok notices the change at his Tactical station when an alarm on his console beeps. The three conspirators wait at a turbolift as its occupants disembark. When it is empty, they board. As the lift begins to move, the woman mentally has the computer halt it. The older man begins undoing the bolts on a grate in the car's ceiling. On the bridge, Tuvok alerts First Officer Chakotay of a power failure he has detected in the security grid. As the three conspirators make their way through the ventilation shafts and drop down quietly in Cargo Bay 2, Chakotay informs Captain Janeway of the detected security breach. The conspirators move to Seven's alcove. The man unwraps a cloth, revealing some Borg components. The woman exposes one of her legs, scarred with Borg implants, revealing her to be, like Seven, a former Borg drone. The others are, in fact, former drones as well; they were the drones Seven was marooned with those years prior. The woman removes an implant from her leg, a Borg interlink nodule, and inserts it into the control console of Seven's alcove. The young man begins to worry about possible harm to Seven, but the woman urges him to remember that "if we fail, we'll never become individuals." The young man nods. He plunges his assimilation tubules into Seven's neck. The older man, looking at the components in his hand, reports successful access of Seven's memory files. But they then note with alarm that Seven has become aware of them and is trying to wake up. Her eyes open and she angrily fights them off. Tuvok, accompanied by two of his security officers, enter with phasers and stun the intruders. 2368 Having removed the salvageable parts from the dead drone, Seven of Nine and the other three survivors have found a use for the organic remains of its body: food. Seven of Nine roasts the remains. The act, however, brings up pre-assimilation memories in her; memories of camping with her father as a child. The other three drones eat. But the act of eating, and the taste of the flesh, serves to bring more pre-assimilation memories to mind. Without the Collective to dam it, the stream of memories begins to grow. They each begin to remember their names, their species, and what they were doing when the Borg attacked and assimilated them. They are Lansor, P'Chan, and Marika Wilkarah. Lansor was eating with a group when he was assimilated, while Wilkarah was a Starfleet officer assimilated on the USS Excalibur. When they study their implants and prosthetics, the full appreciation of their assimilation paralyzes them in horror. But, unlike Seven of Nine they were all assimilated as adults. The sense of individuality that comes with adulthood is therefore nothing new to them. But to Seven of Nine, who was assimilated as a child and grown up as Borg, and therefore did not have that full experience of individuality before she was assimilated, this sense of individuality is terrifying. Angrily, with fear in her voice, she orders the others to stop their conversation and not to speak until the Collective re-assimilates them. 2376 The three former drones lie in sickbay. Seven and Captain Janeway listen to the condition report from The Doctor. Seven now recognizes them; the older man was Two of Nine, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01; the younger man was Four of Nine, Secondary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01; and the woman was Three of Nine, Auxiliary Processor of Unimatrix 01. The Doctor reports that the removal of their implants was badly botched. This is evident; their bodies are badly marred with scars and Borg implants. Their organs, he continues, were badly damaged by the procedure. He then shows them the reason for their ability to speak to each other mentally: the left parietal lobes of their brains were transformed into interlink nodes, linking them together in a "mini-hive mind." How this was done, he cannot say. Janeway orders him to wake them. She demands of them what they want with Seven. They explain their situation: they are trapped in this link that holds them together. They discovered it when they were retrieved by, and re-assimilated into, the Collective, and were unable to break it after they escaped. Thus, even though they are no longer Borg, they are unable to be individuals. They dream each other's dreams and constantly hear each other's voices in their heads. The strength of the link is evidenced by their smoothly finishing each other's sentences, as if it were one person speaking. It is maddening, they tell them; they want it to end. Seven, they assert, has, in her memory files, the key to understanding how this link was formed, which could show how to break it. Seven tells them she cannot consciously recall anything relating to this, but she is willing to allow them to access her memory files in the hope of finding out. Janeway agrees and authorizes the procedure. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven, Lansor, P'Chan and Marika use the Borg data equipment that Seven has to check their memory files. The four each realize the same thing: there is a gap between the time they were gathered round the fire with which they roasted the organic remains of the dead drone and when they were again a part of the Collective. This is greatly frustrating to Lansor, P'Chan and Marika. Captain Janeway is in her ready room disciplining two of her senior staff: Ensign Thomas Paris and Ensign Harry Kim. The two got into a street brawl on the station. She confines them to quarters with instructions to report to the Sickbay for treatment of their injuries first. When they have gone, Seven enters and reports the gap she and her fellow former drones discovered in their memories. She cannot understand; the Collective would not bother to wipe memories of re-assimilation from the minds of retrieved drones; new drones, yes, to further cement the destruction of their individuality, but not drones that already exist. Nor is there any advantage in linking the minds of three drones together within the hive mind, which is already one giant linkage. Seven suggests a possible solution: she can link her neural interface with theirs, in effect, joining their group link. Together, they may be able to restore the missing memory data. This is dangerous, however; Seven may become trapped in the link with them. Also, she finds the idea of again being in a group mind very disturbing. But she greatly desires to help her fellows, former drones like herself. Janeway agrees to the procedure. The Doctor is in Cargo bay 2 with Seven and the other former drones. He is there to monitor the link. But, he warns Seven, he will not be able to do much should anything go awry. She understands this. She enters her alcove. Lansor, P'Chan and Marika each take one of the other three alcoves next to Seven's. They all install themselves and the process begins. 2368 Seven of Nine has left the other drones. The beacon they have set up to contact the Collective has worked; a Borg vessel is on its way. But Seven has detected another drone some distance off in the swamp, severely damaged. She goes to attempt to render assistance. But to no avail; she watches as the drone convulses and, finally, dies. This greatly heightens her fear. She rushes back to the other drones. But, on arrival, she finds that their individuality has now completely re-asserted itself. They angrily state that they have no intention of rejoining the Collective. Seven, even more frightened now, angrily and fearfully tries to argue, insisting that they are Borg, not individuals, with their primary function being to serve the Collective. But they will not listen. They decide to leave the area, getting away from the beacon and modifying their cortical nodes to avoid the sensors of any drones that come down to look for them. They scatter. Seven looks on fearfully. She appears to come to a decision, and strides after one of them. She finds Two of Nine. She grabs his neck and plunges her tubules into it. He goes silent and stands quietly. When Seven moves away, he follows. She then finds Four of Nine. She comes up behind him and does the same to him. He becomes like Two of Nine and follows her. Lastly, she finds Three of Nine. As she screams and struggles, Seven plunges in her tubules. She becomes like the others. Seven asks them to state their designations. They do so, with no hint of their individuality. She asks them to state their purpose. To serve the Collective, they respond. Satisfied, she leads them back to the beacon. 2376 Seven awakens to find Lansor, P'Chan and Marika in her face. They are furious now, knowing that she is responsible for linking them together. Overwhelmed, Seven screams for help. Tuvok enters the bay immediately. The three former drone collapse, and The Doctor asks him for help in getting them to Sickbay. In breaking the new link prematurely, the ex-drones have sent themselves into neural shock indefinitely. As Lansor, P'Chan and Marika lie sedated in the Sickbay, The Doctor sadly informs Seven that the old link between them can be broken by removing the micro-cortical implants. These are the implants that she created in them to link them together. But doing so would kill them; they would have a month at most to live. The only other solution would be to return them to the Collective, where they would live, but as drones. The Doctor wants her opinion on what to do. Seven leaves to think about it. She goes to Chakotay. As he himself was once temporarily linked to a mini-collective of former Borg drones, she considers him the best person to advise her on what to do. She explains the situation, and tells him about what happened that night. Without any air of judgment, he asks her why she did what she did. She thinks about it, and responds that her extreme fear of dying alone on that planet, cut off from the Collective, which was all she knew, got the better of her. Thus she forcibly linked them together so that they would remain together with her until they were re-assimilated. Her guilt over doing so is evident; because of her action they now have no choice but to re-join the Collective or die within a month. Chakotay tells her that that one month of individuality is much better than a lifetime as a drone. "Which would you choose?" he asks her. This allows her to decide. She heads back to the Sickbay and tells The Doctor to remove the nodes. The Doctor objects, however. He tells her that it is his duty as a physician to preserve their lives for as long as possible, even if that means returning them to the Collective. He asks her if her decision is really to help them or to alleviate her guilt. But she responds by using him as an example; once he was confined to the Sickbay, and limited only to the original emergency medical protocols he was first activated with. Thus he was like a drone. Now he can go anywhere and his program has grown to encompass much more than what it used to be. If he had to go back to "being a drone again", she asserts, he would resist. Lansor, P'Chan and Marika have the opportunity to be free, independent individuals, even if it is only briefly. They would choose that over being drones again, as would he, and as would she. The Doctor is moved by the logic of the argument. He agrees to remove the nodes. Lansor, P'Chan, and Marika, the nodes removed and the link broken, are in the mess hall, looking out the windows. They revel in the newfound silences in their heads, save for each's own mental voice. Seven is standing apart from them quietly. They decide on what they are going to do with the time they have left. Lansor decides to stay on the station and spend the time meeting new people and doing new things. Before he leaves, he looks at Seven. The memory of what she did shows in a flash of anger on his face, but that is replaced by a look of gratitude. He departs. P'Chan decides to leave for an uninhabited planet a few light years away. He wants to spend his time among nature. He holds no grudge against Seven, telling her his people do not believe in doing such. He wishes her well and leaves. Finally, Marika tells Seven she would like to stay on Voyager for as long as she has left. Unlike Lansor and P'Chan, she does hold a grudge against her. But, she tells her that, though she cannot forgive her, she understands the reason for her action. Seven accepts this. Voyager has resumed course and is at warp speed. Seven is in astrometrics. Naomi Wildman joins her. She has heard about the events that have occurred and has come to offer Seven some close company. Seven is glad for it. 
<EOS>
B'Elanna Torres is returning from an away mission to retrieve the USS Voyager's multispatial probe. Opposing Captain Janeway's direct orders, she pursues the probe into an ion storm. Torres' shuttlecraft takes heavy damage, and she contacts Voyager. The craft has lost helm control, and is venting plasma from the port nacelle. Voyager tractors her shuttle into the shuttlebay, where it crash-lands. Tom Paris examines her, and is found that she has a concussion. After she has recovered enough, Torres gets a thorough talking to by Janeway on following orders, and the dangers of flying into an ion storm. Curiously, Janeway refers to Torres as "Lanna", something which Torres notes only her mother did. Chakotay approaches Torres when she is back in her quarters reading from a PADD, and shows her an artifact that was lodged in the port nacelle. The item appears to be Klingon in origin, and quite a few centuries old. After Chakotay leaves, Torres puts the artifact on her table. It begins to bleed and voices of Klingons can be heard. In main engineering, Torres and Ensign Kim are analyzing the artifact, trying to figure out how a hunk of metal could bleed. Kim suggests that Torres was just hallucinating, but Torres denies that, and insists on a submolecular scan. Kim insists that it's just a piece of metal, citing lack of fluid and vapor residue. Suddenly, Neelix appears to congratulate Torres on her discovery. He reveals that he also planning a party to commemorate the find, but Torres sees no point in it. Neelix goes on to cite Klingon lore which he has been doing some research and comments that "It's a piece of the Alpha Quadrant. A symbol of Voyager's home". Torres goes to Tuvok to get a logical point of view. He suggests that it's an "unwelcome reminder of the self-loathing" of Torres' Klingon half. Torres refutes that claim, but Tuvok explains that it is not a secret that she hates her Klingon half. Torres proves rather uncooperative with the meditation procedure Tuvok has placed, so he goes with a different method -- he brings out a bat'leth. He tries to get her to connect with the procedure by displaying elegance with the bat'leth, and by cutting her face. He says that a true Klingon would try to kill him where he stood, and dismisses her. Torres decides to attend the celebration Neelix has organized with Paris. They see The Doctor singing Klingon drinking songs to Seven of Nine, who fails to see the merit of learning them, but is coerced into singing them with The Doctor. Paris is then offered some replicated gagh by Neelix. Torres expresses her disgust for everyone "going Klingon-happy." Janeway says a few words for the Klingon Empire, but Torres starts to hallucinate, seeing several Klingon warriors strike down the crew present. She falls, but gets up, and asks where she is. She is told that "the dead ask no questions." Torres is taken to who seems to be the head of the boat that she is on, where she is branded with the insignia of the Empire, but it does not show up. She is let down near another Klingon, who explains that they are on the Barge of the Dead, where they are being taken to Gre'thor. She starts to hear voices, but they are not real; they are trying to lure her to them. Another Klingon on board jumps overboard, where he is attacked by Kos'Karii. Torres is taken to Kortar, where she is told that it is not her time, but that she has been close to it several times. Torres sees a bat'leth and tries to assault Kortar, but he laughs and tells her he is already dead. Another dishonored soul is then delivered to the Barge; it is Torres' mother, Miral. Torres then suddenly regains consciousness in sickbay. In sickbay, Paris and The Doctor explain to Torres what really happened: her shuttle was on the trailing edge of an ion storm, and had lost life support. When the shuttle was tractored into the shuttlebay, she was in a coma, and had almost died. Paris also reveals that there was no Klingon artifact. While in her quarters, Chakotay comes to check in on Torres. Torres explains to him what she experienced; she thinks that she died, went to the Klingon Barge of the Dead, and saw her mother there. Chakotay tells her it is psychosomatic -- her brain trying to deal with the trauma of near death. She cannot accept that, and thinks that the experience must be real, and that there isn't any symbolism behind it. Torres says that her mother has been on her mind and that the experience was very realistic. In engineering, Paris comes to visit Torres, who is reading the Paq'batlh, an ancient Klingon scroll. It states why her mother is being sent to Gre'thor: because of Torres' dishonor, her mother is being punished. Paris denounces this theory, but Torres cites more Klingon scripture, and concludes that the only way to get her mother out of Gre'thor and into Sto-vo-kor is to return to the Barge of the Dead. Torres goes to Captain Janeway to get permission to be put back in the trance she was in during the shuttle accident, but Janeway is not convinced of the procedure's safety. She says that she is not willing to put Torres in a coma, just because of her spiritual beliefs. After a somewhat lengthy debate on freedom of worship, the validity of Torres' claim, and what may become of her mother, Janeway reluctantly agrees. In sickbay, Paris is surprised to hear that the captain authorized such a thing. He suggests church, and then suggests becoming more in tune with her beliefs together, but Torres says that this is the only way. The captain enters, and after a report from The Doctor, the procedure begins. She has an hour to spend on the barge. Her synaptic activity momentarily dips below the recommended levels, but The Doctor compensates. Torres finds herself back on the barge, wearing a Klingon uniform. After evading being seen, Torres enters the lower level of the barge. She finds her mother, who first suspects that she is another illusion, but is revealed that it is really her, on the barge. Torres explains that she is here to lift Miral's dishonor, and that she has changed her views on Klingon spirituality. Miral claims that it is Torres' fault that they are both on the barge, and has not changed, regardless of what happened. An argument between the two ensues. Eventually, Torres' father is brought up. Miral claims that he abandoned them, and that she tried to give Torres honor. Torres laments that they are on the Barge of the Dead, and still arguing about the same thing they did ten years ago. Torres apologizes, but Miral is reluctant to accept it. Torres wants to perform the transference before The Doctor revives her, but Miral resents the fact that Torres chose the "easy way," and says that Torres still doesn't know what being a Klingon is about. Just then, two guards come down, and bring Torres above. Torres is brought to Kortar, where she wishes to perform the transference. Kortar accepts Torres' wish, and when they reach Gre'thor, Miral will be released to Sto-Vo-Kor, and Torres placed in Gre'thor. However, Kortar knows of the plan to revive Torres before she reaches Gre'thor. Kortar seeming amused asked if she truly believed he could be deceived so easily. Torres says that she is willing to put herself in her mother's place, and not be revived by The Doctor. Miral objects, even forbids this, but the transference is completed, and Miral is sent to Sto-Vo-Kor. The barge then arrives at the gates of Gre'thor, and Torres accepts her fate. Back in sickbay, Paris exclaims that her neural patterns are breaking down. The Doctor initiates the resuscitation, and vents the ionized particles that put her in the coma. That doesn't appear to work, and The Doctor injects twenty milligrams of cordrazine into Torres. At the gates of Gre'thor, Torres sees Tuvok holding a bat'leth. He strikes her, and Torres awakens in sickbay, still bearing the mark her mother had, and still wearing the Klingon uniform. Neelix and The Doctor approach Torres, and welcome her to Gre'thor. Torres does not accept that she is in Gre'thor, but The Doctor shows her the mark. She thinks that it is some kind of joke, but Neelix assures her that it is no laughing matter. Neelix remarks on Voyager's layout, and implies that Torres won't be going anywhere. Torres remarks that Voyager isn't her idea of Hell, but the doctor asks her if she ever truly felt fully happy there. Neelix brings her to the mess hall, where Seven and The Doctor are singing Klingon drinking songs, and Janeway says a toast to Torres' dishonor. In the real sickbay, Torres is not responding to the cordrazine, and her neural activity continues to fall. The Doctor attempts a direct neural re-sequencing. Gre'thor's Janeway remarks on Torres' dull life, with nothing to celebrate. Gre'thor's Harry Kim remarks on Torres' isolated nature, keeping everyone "at arm's length." Chakotay asks her what she thinks of Gre'thor so far. She sees Tuvok holding a bat'leth again. He lunges at Torres, where she finds herself back on the barge. Her mother is there, which confuses Torres, who thinks that she released her mother to Sto-Vo-Kor. Miral says that she cannot be freed until Torres frees herself from Gre'thor, which confuses Torres even more. Miral states that Torres never understood. Torres is informed that it is not her time, and the ritual is meaningless. Miral cannot reveal how she can get out of Gre'thor. She tells her to "choose to live," and leaves saying that they will meet again. Torres asks if in Sto-Vo-Kor. Miral says possibly or maybe when she gets back to earth, implying she may herself be alive In sickbay, Torres' neural activity continues to drop. The Doctor tries a cortical stimulation, but it is not promising. Torres follows her mother outside, but is met by Voyager's senior staff, and Tuvok tells her to defend herself. She lunges at Tuvok, but does not strike him. Janeway tells her that her anger has consumed her, and is starting to consume them. Seven says she has condemned them all. The Doctor remarks that misery loves company. Torres wants to know desperately what they want, but Miral says that they don't want anything but herself. The crew says that they are not enemies, to "defend herself." Torres is exhausted, "tired of fighting." Her mother says that she has taken the first step of her journey, and that they will meet in Sto-Vo-Kor, or perhaps when they get home. Torres wakes up in sickbay, and is welcomed back by Janeway. 
<EOS>
In the USS Voyager's mess hall, The Doctor, the ship's holographic chief medical officer, is performing the Italian opera aria, "La donna è mobile". He puts great gusto into the performance and the audience, composed of members of the crew and the senior staff, listens attentively. A few verses into the performance and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok starts exhibiting irrational behavior: first weeping and then laughing uncontrollably at the opera. Ensign Tom Paris immediately goes to his aid, but the Vulcan stands up and, using his full strength, throws Paris across the room. Janeway hails for a security team while crewmembers try to restrain Tuvok. Their efforts fail as he throws them away from him and swipes a phaser pistol away in the process. Then The Doctor, in a voice of calm control, informs everyone of the problem, Tuvok has gone into pon farr. He then begins singing the aria again, but this time, he changes the words into instructions for Paris to load a hypospray with an anesthetic to subdue Tuvok. Paris prepares the anesthetic and tosses it to The Doctor. He injects Tuvok in the posterior and Tuvok is immediately rendered unconscious. The audience enthusiastically gives The Doctor a standing ovation. He accepts it appreciatively, with a huge smile on his face, as flowers begin to fall on him. The Doctor awakes to hear Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres impatiently calling him. He realizes that he is still in sickbay, as she observes his expression of extreme satisfaction with some curiosity. Embarrassed, he tells her he was "letting his mind wander." This earns him an even more curious look as holograms do not daydream. The Doctor is not forthcoming with any details and Torres does not press the issue. Torres hands The Doctor a PADD detailing the members of an away team she is about to lead on a planetary survey, as well as sensor scans of the planet. The Doctor is very displeased to see that he is not on the list of away team members, though he was initially supposed to be. There is a canyon on the planet he wanted to get holo-images of. Torres explains that his presence on the team is no longer considered necessary and offers to take the images for him. He refuses to let her take his images so she leaves sickbay. Once she is gone, The Doctor returns to his daydreaming. Commander Chakotay arrives on the bridge with a PADD in his hand. Chakotay is surprised to see a large nebula on the viewscreen. Captain Kathryn Janeway tells him sensors did not detect it until a few minutes ago. He takes his first officer's seat, next to the captain's command chair and hands her the PADD. The PADD contains a formal letter from The Doctor, complaining about his treatment by the crew and outlines a proposal for his advancement. Janeway reads his complaints: failure of the crew to acknowledge his sentience and rudeness towards him. Upon reading the latter, she looks at Paris intently. She is shocked by his proposal for advancement. She says that he has asked to have his program extended so that he can take over the ship in case the crew is incapacitated. Since the letter is official, protocol demands an official response. Tuvok offers to handle it, but Janeway tells him that she doesn't like anyone on the ship feeling unhappy and decides to respond herself before heading for her ready room. The USS Voyager passes by the nebula but hidden within it, observing Voyager, is a small ship. One of the aliens, Phlox, is conducting scans of Voyager when another, presumably his superior, notices his actions and angrily reminds him that the ship was designated as an 'unacceptable risk', meaning attacking her has been deemed to be too risky. He reminds Phlox that the ship is in none of their databases and they have been unable to scan her interior. Due to these facts they have no idea if they can engage and defeat the ship and the Hierarchy never acts on a potential target without first getting this information. Phlox believes that if he can tap into a data transfer conduit, he could reach the ship's main computer core. Here, he could find all the information they need about the ship. His superior refuses, but Phlox goes over his head by appealing directly to the Hierarchy government. He is instructed to proceed, much to his superior's chagrin. In Voyager's briefing room, the senior staff is gathered to discuss the upcoming away mission. The Doctor is seated between Paris and Torres, Seven of Nine is seated across the table from him. The two women are reporting results of scans they have been conducting; first Torres, then Seven. But as Seven is speaking, The Doctor feels something moving on his leg under the table. He looks and finds Torres' bare foot stroking his leg. Paris, her boyfriend, starts making a suggestion about a suitable landing site. During his report, The Doctor notices Seven watching him. She smiles at him seductively and looks at him longingly. She sends him a message on his PADD inviting him for dinner. Captain Janeway joins in, looking at The Doctor as seductively as Seven is. Neelix makes a point about caution due to the amount of ore they will be hauling from the planet and Janeway rises and walks to The Doctor's seat. Seven and Torres see this and their faces flash with jealousy. Torres brings up that perhaps The Doctor should be included on the away team after all, as the mission is "starting to look a little more dangerous than we thought." At this suggestion, Seven angrily sends him another message: "RESIST!", in red, blinking letters. She tells Torres she requires his help in the astrometrics lab. Torres demands to know why and they start arguing. Then Janeway suddenly starts cry out as if she is in pain. She tells The Doctor that it is an "old Academy injury" that acts up. She suggests to The Doctor that he stay on the ship and "take a look at it," as she takes his hand and places it on her lower back, then slides it slowly down onto her bottom, much to Paris' disgust. Torres leaps to her feet and angrily demands she get away from him. With equal anger, Janeway dismisses her. The Doctor looks on with a smug expression on his face. His daydream is broken however, when Janeway sharply calls his name to return his attention to her. He and she are alone in the briefing room. In an official tone, she tells him she wants to talk about his letter. She motions him to follow her to her ready room. He follows her, embarrassed. In her ready room, Janeway expresses grave concern about his letter's content, saying that he seems to never be satisfied despite the unprecedented freedom she has given him over the years. The Doctor earnestly responds that everyone has the right to advance himself and he should too. Janeway turns her attention to his proposal to be given the ability to run the ship. The exact proposal is as follows: to have his program extended to include tactical and strategic abilities. He could therefore function as an Emergency Command Hologram, or ECH, if necessary, essentially a "backup captain" in the event that Janeway and the crew are incapacitated. Janeway finds the idea interesting, but she denies the request on the ground that altering his program to that degree may prove detrimental, depriving the crew of something they do have a critical need for: a chief medical officer. However, she adds as part of her official response that, once they return home, she will recommend to Starfleet that they look into implementing it as part of starship design. The Doctor is disappointed at her decision. After the meeting while walking along a corridor, The Doctor finds himself outside Cargo Bay 2. He enters and finds Janeway and the crew gathered. They cheer as Janeway proudly introduces him as the ECH. This confuses him but he enjoys it nonetheless, especially as Seven plants a lingering kiss on his cheek. Aboard the Hierarchy ship, a pleased Phlox informs another crewmember, Devro, that he has found a way to spy on Voyager from within. He has discovered The Doctor's holographic nature and has tapped into his cognitive subroutines. This will allow him to see everything The Doctor sees. He reports this to his superior, telling him that he has already begun to use the tap. The superior instructs him to continue his surveillance. Phlox acknowledges, even more pleased. He is completely unaware that what he is seeing are merely The Doctor's daydreams. Voyager orbits the planet designated for the away mission. The away team travels to the surface using the Delta Flyer. The Doctor is on the bridge with Janeway and the other senior bridge officers, as well as Seven of Nine, monitoring the life signs of the away team. Paris is giving a report over the comm when he calls mayday and reports that the shuttle is being attacked. Tuvok, at the tactical console, scans and, to everyone's alarm, reports that a Borg sphere is the attacking vessel and is approaching fast. Janeway orders red alert and battle stations. She then orders the Borg vessel put on-screen. Tuvok is doing so when Borg implants begin forming on his skin. Seven does a scan and tensely reports that an assimilation virus has breached the ship's biofilters. Chakotay doubles over in pain, implants spreading on the back of his neck. Janeway orders hard to starboard and deflector shields reinforced, but an explosion from the sphere's attack renders her unconscious. Meanwhile, the rest of the bridge crew is transforming into Borg drones. Seven looks at them, terrified. Ensign Harry Kim, in agony, calls desperately for The Doctor to save them. The Doctor's face is full of determination. He orders the computer to "activate the Emergency Command Hologram." The sciences division colors of green-blue on his uniform become the command division color of red. Four pips appear on his collar as Seven of Nine watches him adoringly. The computer reports that all systems have been put under his control; he has the bridge. He strides forward, glaring at the viewscreen. He orders all weapons fired on the Borg ship. On the Hierarchy ship, Phlox watches in amazement. The Borg hail Voyager with their threat of assimilation. The Doctor, in a stern voice, warns them to back off. Tuvok, now assimilated, lunges toward him. Chakotay, in the same state, advances on Seven. The Doctor grabs two hyposprays, incapacitates Chakotay with one and uses the other to eliminate the new drone. He then incapacitates Tuvok with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Seven looks even more adoringly at The Doctor. He again warns the Borg to stand down. When they refuse, he orders the activation of the (imaginary) "photonic cannon". The computer obeys. He orders it fired on the Borg sphere. The computer complies and as Phlox watches from his ship, in utter amazement, the sphere is instantly destroyed. His signal tap then goes down. Kim calls The Doctor's attention back to monitoring the away team. He looks around, embarrassed and somewhat confused. Kim has asked him about the away team's life sign readings. With his attention completely engrossed in his daydream, he did not hear him. He unsteadily checks the scans and reports that they are normal. Kim informs Paris that they are cleared to proceed. Everyone watches The Doctor with concerned curiosity. On the Hierarchy vessel, Phlox informs his superior what he just saw. Voyager, he reports, is extremely formidable, having destroyed a Borg sphere with a single shot from an intensely powerful weapon it has: a photonic cannon. The superior is skeptical, as there had been and continue to be, no signs of Borg in the area. Phlox insists that is observations are correct. He recommends a "type 3 stealth assault". The superior consults the Hierarchy, which agrees. He orders preparations be made for the attack, as well as scans for any Borg ships. The Doctor quickly heads for sickbay, trying to avoid meeting or talking to anyone. Chakotay catches up with him in the corridor. He congratulates The Doctor with a beaming smile, commenting that the Borg will think twice before attacking them again. The Doctor is confused because Chakotay's words and actions do not reflect the puzzled, concerned look he gave him on the bridge. He queries the computer for Chakotay's location and the computer responds that the commander is in his quarters. The Doctor looks at what seems to be Chakotay, who asks The Doctor what is wrong. In engineering, Kim, Torres and Seven of Nine listen as The Doctor agitatedly recounts what has been happening. He had, he informs them, input new subroutines into his program that allow him to daydream, an activity he has long wanted to be able to do. But now, the subroutines seem to be malfunctioning: he is daydreaming whether he wants to or not. Seven takes his arm, telling the others she can help him. Torres becomes jealously angry and she takes his other arm. Seven insists that the both of them are going to sickbay. Torres angrily accuses her of coming up with any excuse to be alone with him, at which Seven threatens her with assimilation. The Doctor, unlike in his briefing room fantasy, does not look at all happy. An alarm sounds but Torres and Seven ignore it, continuing to fight over The Doctor. Kim checks the alarm and is shocked to find that the warp containment field is inexplicably destabilizing and a warp core breach is imminent. Torres and Seven finally scramble to the warp core console. Engineering staff run about in panic. Torres tries to stabilize the core but fails. Computerized attempts to eject it also fail. The only solution to avert calamity is for someone to enter the core and eject it but no organism could possibly survive inside it. They call on The Doctor, pleading with him to do it. He is unsure if this is a daydream or not but Kim assures him only he can save the ship. The computer voice alerts that it's The Doctor's "last chance to be a hero." Kim shows Torres and Seven on a PADD what he believes to be the problem with The Doctor's daydreaming subroutines. He turns to explain it to The Doctor and sees, along with Seven and Torres, The Doctor climbing over the railing around the warp core. They ask what he is doing and are horrified by his answer: he is going to eject the core. They rush to restrain him as he loudly protests that he "has to save the ship." The Doctor is back in sickbay but he is completely locked into his daydreams, unable to stop. As he walks around in his office, going from one fantasy to another, talking to empty space filled in his mind by people he believes are there, Torres explains his condition to Captain Janeway. Torres informs her that she has downloaded his daydreams to one of the ship's two holodecks, where they can be seen and studied to better get an idea of how to repair him. Kim and Seven are on this holodeck, observing the daydreams. Janeway is reluctant to let this go on as she did promise him that they would be more considerate of his sentience and part of that is respecting his privacy. His daydreams are by rights no one's business but his. Torres responds that this may be the only way to properly find a way to fix him. Then Kim hails from the holodeck, they need to see what is playing out on the holodeck from The Doctor's imagination. Janeway and Torres enter the holodeck to find it appearing as a darkened Cargo Bay 2. A holographic Seven of Nine reclines naked on a dais, covered from the waist down by a sheet. A hologram of The Doctor is before her, dressed in a painter's smock and beret, clinically studying her as he paints her. Seven looks at herself dispassionately. Kim stares at the daydream. Janeway takes in the scene, unsure of what to say, finally noting, "he does the hands very well." The scene then changes to The Doctor again as the ECH, taking command of Voyager and saving the day. Janeway and Kim are particularly amused and impressed with the manner in which the captain's pips appear on his collar. Torres notes that this particular fantasy seems to be The Doctor's favorite because it runs more times than all the others. Kim says this particular fantasy algorithm is the most accessible, providing an angle of attack against the problem. The scene changes again but Torres is very angered about what happens in this one. A hologram of her sits with one of The Doctor in the mess hall. Almost in tears, the holographic Torres asks him why he is dumping her. He responds that she will get over him, which she tearfully disputes. When he mentions Tom Paris she quickly asserts that Paris is not "half the man you are." The real Torres storms off the holodeck in disgust. Kim, amused, suggests to Janeway that they return to sickbay and try to isolate the ECH algorithm and Janeway agrees. But as they leave, she sees one more fantasy: The Doctor being congratulated by her for saving the ship. He quietly responds that all he ever wanted was to live up to his full potential and to help the crew that he loves. Janeway is visibly touched by this last scene. Aboard the Hierarchy ship, Phlox watches his monitor in disbelief and fear. He finally realizes that what he was seeing was not real but fantasies in The Doctor's imagination. Thus, on his recommendation, they are about to attack a vessel they in actuality know nothing about. He tries to salvage the situation by suggesting to his superior that perhaps Voyager may not be worth attacking but his suggestion falls on deaf ears. The superior warns him menacingly that his data had better be accurate. A look of great worry is on Phlox' face. Torres spends half the night repairing The Doctor and finally is able to turn off his daydreaming algorithms. The next morning, Janeway comes to see him in sickbay. He tells her that he is very embarrassed and apologizes for altering his program without her clearance. She does not rebuke him for doing so. She tells him that daydreaming is a good thing, as it lets one imagine other possibilities in life. But, she adds, he should wait until a way is found to add this ability to his program without damaging it. He readily agrees with her assessment. Janeway begins to reconsider the Doctor's request to expand his program, and looks up Starfleet's legal precedents for giving command to a hologram; unsurprisingly there are none. Chakotay tells her that the Doctor should focus on his regular medical duties, but Janeway has realized that they may be imposing their own human limitations on him. Although she isn't fully comfortable with the idea of maybe one day handing command over to him, she admits that they may not be allowing the Doctor to live up to his full potential. Later The Doctor is examining samples in sickbay and sounds and sights he does not want to hear or see begin to fill the room. To his great horror, he finds that he is once again in the daydream of him receiving a commendation from Captain Janeway in front of the cheering crew in Cargo Bay 2. He hails the bridge, reports the relapse of his daydreaming and asks to be shut off. He then sees someone who is not a crewmember: Phlox. He explains that he is using The Doctor's daydream to project himself to him. He urgently informs him of the impending Hierarchy attack. The Doctor demands his identity and Phlox gives it to him. He begins to explain what the Hierarchy does: they hide and scan passing ships for useful or valuable materials and raids the vessels. It is the job of the long-range observer, of which he is one, to do the scanning. He spotted Voyager and tapped into The Doctor's program to spy on the ship from within through him. Unfortunately, the tampering caused The Doctor's daydreaming subroutines to destabilize and now Phlox, in a very bad situation, as what he thought was reality are really The Doctor's fantasies. The Doctor becomes angry with Phlox and asks why he is helping Voyager. Phlox responds that, over the time he has spied on them, he has seen how much possibility exists in him to be more than he is now. This seems to be a trait that the entire crew has, he explains. This is a very fascinating and attractive concept to him as his species is in no way like that. He does not want The Doctor or the crew harmed. His sincerity finally wins The Doctor over. The Doctor rushes onto the bridge and informs Janeway of the impending attack. Chakotay asks how he knows this as Paris, who has returned from the away mission and is back at the conn console, reports no ship detections on sensors. The Doctor responds that an alien appeared to him in a daydream and informed him. This angers Janeway and she demands to know why he disobeyed her orders and altered his program again. He responds that he can prove it and gives Kim a PADD containing sensor modifications that will allow them to detect the Hierarchy ships, which are cloaked; Phlox's, plus two more that will join the attack. Kim inputs the data and, with surprise, informs Janeway that The Doctor is telling them the truth. On her order, Kim puts the ships on the viewscreen. Janeway wants to remove Voyager from the area at maximum warp. The Doctor however, advises her that will not work because the Hierarchy have ships all over the sector. If they escape these ships, they will run into others. However, Phlox has promised to provide the resonance frequencies of their phasers. In return for the frequencies, Phlox wants the following: he has told his superior that The Doctor is in command of Voyager and that fiction must be maintained. When the superior opens a comm channel to demand their surrender, as the Hierarchy always does to a victim, The Doctor must be the one sitting in the command chair. Janeway cannot believe what she hears but she agrees to the scenario if it will keep them from being attacked by ships that are obviously more advanced. In sickbay, Kim helps to reprogram The Doctor to make his ECH fantasy a reality, at least for now. The Doctor, however, is extremely nervous because daydreaming about commanding the ship is very different from actually commanding Voyager. Kim assures him he will do fine. He wanted to have this chance and he now has it. On the Hierarchy ship however, a severe complication appears in Phlox' plan. Voyager's lack of damage from the imagined Borg encounter causes his superior to change the intended assault pattern to "Type Four" instead of "Type Three". This stipulates continuous re-modulation of their phaser frequencies. The frequencies he was planning on giving Voyager will be useless and he cannot give them any others as they will be changing continuously. He rushes to inform them. The Doctor returns to the bridge in his ECH uniform. He nervously sits in the captain's seat. Chakotay, in his first officer's seat, assures him, like Kim, that he will do fine. Janeway is in astrometrics with Seven to monitor the situation. Seven has created a comlink that will allow only The Doctor to hear Janeway. This way she can prompt him on what to say and how to act. Phlox hails and quickly informs The Doctor of the change in attack plan, the three Hierarchy ships arrive and de-cloak. Phlox' superior hails Voyager as Phlox said would happen. Chakotay orders an on-screen answer. The superior appears and tersely informs Voyager of their intent to raid them. Janeway prompts The Doctor with a response but in his nervousness, he makes a mistake, though he immediately corrects it. As the superior threatens them, Tuvok cuts the communication long enough to inform Chakotay that he has found a potential weakness in the attackers' shields. Chakotay moves to the tactical station to see it and orders the communication reestablished. The superior orders them to stand down their weapons and prepare to be boarded. Tuvok reconfigures the phasers to take advantage of the weakness he has found and fires. The Doctor overacts and shouts out, "Ha! How do you like that, huh? A taste of your own medicine!" Janeway warns him to calm down as the Hierarchy ship returns fire. The shot takes their weapons offline. The superior orders them again to prepare for boarding. Janeway instructs The Doctor to offer to negotiate. Instead The Doctor gets a flash of inspiration. His nervousness vanishes as he commands Tuvok to "activate the photonic cannon." Tuvok has no idea what he speaks of but Chakotay discreetly orders him to act like he does. He 'acknowledges' and pretends to input the command. The Doctor, in a steady voice, warns the superior to withdraw. He states that the superior has seen the weapon's power. Phlox "reminds" him of what he saw it do to the "Borg sphere." The superior hesitates, noting that he detects no weapons powering up, but The Doctor sternly tells him the weapon cannot be detected by sensors. He issues one final warning: withdraw or be destroyed. Phlox agitatedly endorses their withdrawal. The superior asks the Hierarchy Command for instructions on how to proceed. He is instructed to withdraw. He issues the instruction to his crew and the other ships. On Voyager's bridge, Kim happily reports the ships are moving off. The Doctor has done it. He cannot believe it and is overjoyed. He reflexively looks to sit down in relief but pauses as he sees he is about to sit in the captain's seat. Chakotay tells him with a smile to go ahead, he has earned it. The Doctor does sit down, with a huge smile on his face. The Doctor, once again in his science division green-blue and black uniform, is working in sickbay when Seven hails him. She requires his assistance in the mess hall. He acknowledges her request and goes there. He enters to find the room filled with crewmembers, including the captain, all in dress uniform. They cheer as he looks at them in horror, Kim assures him this is not a daydream. Janeway pins the Starfleet Medal of Commendation on his chest for his "imaginative defense of the ship and crew." He gives her his heartfelt thanks. She also informs him that she has reconsidered his ECH proposal and is going to authorize research into it, there on the ship. He is very happy to hear this and the assembled crew cheers again. Seven kisses him on the cheek. But she tells him it is only platonic and he is not to expect her to pose for him. He smiles sheepishly but happily, as one of his dreams has finally become reality. 
<EOS>
On the bridge of the USS Voyager, Tom Paris and Harry Kim tease Lieutenant Commander Tuvok about his refusal to tell them his age. The lighthearted mood is quelled when sensors detect a nearby fleet of ships with multiple hull configurations. Apprehensive of a potentially hostile armada, Tuvok charges weapons and orders a red alert, which brings Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Chakotay to the bridge. Voyager reaches the source of the sensor alert and discovers 62 derelict ships and a few hundred pieces of ship debris in an interstellar junkyard. An alien trader hails the vessel, welcoming the Voyager crew to Abaddon's Repository of Lost Treasures and invites them to browse. Abaddon beams to Voyager, where he is welcomed by Chakotay and Neelix, whom Abaddon immediately identifies as a fellow trader. He gives an inventory of available merchandise to Chakotay and then darts around the transporter room, impressed with the artificial-gravity plating and plasma-based power induction system. Although Voyager can't trade him those integrated components without dismantling the entire ship, Neelix mentions the possibility of supplying spare duranium sheeting, which can be modified into anti-gravity plating. Chakotay instructs Neelix to share Voyager's inventory with Abaddon. In astrometrics, Seven of Nine, Paris, and Kim are surveying the debris in the junkyard, most of which Seven deems useless, when Paris spots a rusted shuttle that piques his interest. Chakotay, Neelix, Paris, and Kim converge in the briefing room to discuss the items they'd like to acquire, including some inexpensive cultural artifacts. Paris shows Chakotay schematics of the shuttle, stating that it has an optronic weapons array and a neurogenic interface that reacts directly to the pilot's thoughts, making it more maneuverable than any of Voyager's other shuttles, even the Delta Flyer. Paris volunteers to make any necessary repairs on his own time with Kim's assistance and finally convinces Chakotay to acquire the ship. The exchanges made, Abaddon leaves the ship after one final statement: "All trades are final." Paris and Kim work on the newly-arrived shuttle, discovering that it has numerous damaged power cells. Paris reveals that he has named the ship "Alice," after Alice Battisti, an acquaintance at Starfleet Academy who also seemed to be a "lost cause." The ensigns finally get the ship running and Paris activates the neurogenic interface, which links him to the primary systems: operations, tactical and sensors. Alice abruptly shuts down, however, when two more power cells blow. Paris wants to continue working, but Kim insists he is going to bed. Once the two leave the darkened shuttlebay, Alice powers up and begins what appears to be a brain scan of Paris. It also adopts a female voice. In his quarters, Paris is startled by a woman's voice calling his name. Thinking it's Torres, he enters the corridor, where he sees a female figure disappear around the corner. Paris follows the figure to the shuttlebay and upon entering he asks an unseen person, "Who are you?" The female voice responds, "It's me, Alice." The next day, Paris greets the shuttle with a cheery "Good morning Alice" and begins cleaning it and making a series of repairs, finally changing out of his dusty Starfleet uniform and into a gray flight suit. Kim finds Paris in engineering, talking to a schematic of Alice and promising the shuttle that it will be happier once its EPS relays are bypassed. Kim questions Paris about his new outfit, which Paris says is a design worn by one of the shuttle's previous pilots that he found in Alice's database. Kim reminds Paris that this is the second consecutive day that Paris has missed their plans to run Chapter 37 of the Captain Proton holodeck program. Tom is too involved with the Alice schematics, so Kim leaves, disappointed. In the mess hall, Seven tells Neelix that the star charts obtained from Abaddon are outdated and obsolete. Neelix, who has been cleaning the cultural artifacts from the exchange, says that the charts aren't the only item that "didn't live up to its advertising." He now believes most of the so-called "lost treasures of the Delta Quadrant" are actually worthless trinkets. Seven, however, notices that one of the items, heavily encrusted, is actually a beryllium crystal, the primary currency in spatial Grid 539. She tells Neelix some species would trade an entire fleet of starships for the item. Paris enters, asking Neelix's permission to replicate a bottle of champagne with which to christen Alice. Neelix offers to make hors d'œuvres for the occasion, but Paris tells him it's to be a private ceremony, just him, Torres and, of course, Alice. In the shuttlebay, Torres is impressed by the work Paris has done on the ship and suggests not wasting the champagne by breaking the bottle over the hull. Instead, the two share a toast inside the refurbished shuttle. Their romantic interlude is interrupted by a signal that the environmental controls need recalibrating. Paris asks Alice to lower the interior temperature by five degrees, and Torres is surprised and a little amused by the female voice that answers. She tries to kid Paris about it, but his attention has become entirely focused on the shuttle. When she tries to make suggestions for improvements, he curtly tells her not to touch anything. Irritated, Torres threatens to leave, and seems puzzled and annoyed when Paris readily agrees. On exiting, Torres is given a mild shock by the hatch door mechanism. Paris then goes to visit Chakotay to request more supplies to complete repairs. Chakotay refuses, saying the request is for emergency supplies that he can't spare. He won't let Paris replicate the items either, because of the energy drain. Chakotay tells Paris to postpone his work on the shuttle for a few weeks. He also informally reprimands him for neglecting his duties: missing two sickbay shifts and being distracted on the bridge. He also instructs him to get some sleep, as well as shave and change back into his Starfleet uniform. Paris agrees, but returns to the shuttlebay, where he apologizes to a humanoid woman for the delay in their test flight. "Alice" now appears to Paris as another person, but he takes it in stride, as if this is nothing out of the ordinary. Alice stops him from changing out of his flight suit back into his uniform and tries to compel him to complete "her" repairs and leave Voyager with her. Paris argues that he can't abandon his job, his friends and especially Torres. Alice appears to agree, but convinces him to rest in the shuttle cockpit. There, he notices new attachments on his flight suit. Alice says she modified the garment to help them work together better. To demonstrate, she gets him to activate the interface. Urged by Alice, Paris steals power cells and a data relay but expresses concern over compromising vital systems that will leave the crew, his family, in jeopardy in an emergency. Alice convinces him to continue, saying he doesn't belong with Voyager, he belongs with her. She leads him into recalling the exhilaration of his first flight and promises he will regain that feeling on their flight the next day. Later, Seven finds Paris in astrometrics charting a flight plan. She notices the modifications to his flight suit and questions the safety of the shuttle's neurogenic interface, offering to examine the vessel herself. Unseen by Seven, Alice instructs Paris in responding and evading Seven's inquiries. In engineering, Torres and Kim are discussing Paris' new hobby, and his tendency to neglect Torres whenever a new obsession comes along, when they are alerted to the missing power cells. Kim mentions telling Tuvok, but Torres, knowing who's responsible, heads straight for the shuttlebay to confront Paris. In the empty bay, Torres finds one of the missing cells and enters the shuttle to access the ship's database. The hatch seals and the atmosphere is vented inside the shuttle. Torres attempts to call for help, but her combadge doesn't work. Paris enters the bay and sees Torres gasping for air and beating on the shuttle window. He opens the door and Torres scurries out, telling him that his ship just tried to kill her. He thinks she accidentally tripped the environmental controls, but she tells him it was no accident. She confronts him about stealing parts and tells him she is going to inform Janeway. Paris screams at her to mind her own business. Torres retorts, "Or what? You'll sic Alice on me again?" and storms off. Paris starts to follow, but is stopped by the humanoid Alice. Furious, he grabs her and demands an explanation for her nearly killing Torres. She tells him that Torres would have found their flight plan and that once she speaks to Janeway, they'll drag Paris to sickbay, perform a neuroscan and know all about the two of them. Paris realizes that he needs to get to sickbay and tries to go there, but Alice keeps appearing in front of him, finally cornering him in the turbolift. She produces intense pain in his head and forces him to return to the shuttlebay. In Janeway's ready room, Torres has explained what happened to the captain and the two theorize that that neurogenic interface must be affecting Paris somehow. Janeway promises to have The Doctor examine him, but their conversation is cut short by a report from the bridge that an unauthorized launch is in progress. On the shuttle, Alice urges Paris to complete the interface to disrupt a tractor beam Voyager has locked on the shuttle. Different colored wires coil around him, plugging into the attachments on his flight suit. Now one with the shuttle, he disrupts the tractor beam with an optronic pulse, fires on the ship and goes to warp, disappearing from Voyager's sensors. While in warp following the flight plan Paris had mapped out for Alice, he finds himself not only completely wrapped up in wires connected to his flight suit, but also that his arms have gone numb. Alice tells Paris that he is now becoming a part of her, and to forget about the old Tom Paris, because he no longer exists. Paris is unable to resist her at this point. Voyager returns to Abaddon's Repository seeking information. He refuses to help and powers weapons on three of his derelict ships. Janeway has Neelix show him the now-cleaned beryllium crystal, offering to return it in exchange for cooperation. Abaddon beams aboard and informs the Voyager crew that the Haakonian who traded him the ship said it was haunted. He starts to say more when Alice suddenly appears to him, in the form of a female of his species. She admonishes him to be silent, and he pleads with her to leave him alone. The confused Voyager crew asks him what he's seeing. Desperate, Abaddon tells them she's there and then collapses, clutching his head in pain. The Doctor is able to repair the cerebral hemorrhage Alice caused in Abaddon and gives the trader a cortical suppressant to prevent the hallucination from returning. Abaddon tells Janeway that Alice needs a pilot since she can't fly herself. She couldn't recruit him because he was incompatible and his reflexes were too slow. He apologizes for not warning the crew before, but he was unable to resist Alice's influence. Seven summons Janeway to astrometrics, where she has reconstructed the course trajectory she saw Paris working on. She shows Janeway that the flight path ends in an area of space that is empty save for one anomaly: a particle fountain, a phenomenon that Janeway knows once cost the Federation several ships. Meanwhile, Alice and Paris have reached the fountain, which Alice calls "Home." Voyager catches up with the shuttle and hails Paris. He threatens to open fire, and Janeway tries to tell him the neurogenic interface is affecting his judgment, but he refuses to drop shields and let Voyager beam him back to the ship. Voyager fires a direct hit to the shuttle's propulsion but is forced to stop using weapons when The Doctor reports that any further damage to the shuttle could injure Paris severely. With only ten minutes before the shuttle reaches the fountain, Tuvok suggests attempting to access the shuttle's computer banks to shut down its shields. The bridge crew knows, however, that Alice and Paris will compensate unless they're distracted. Janeway asks The Doctor if they can tap into the interface with a com signal. He thinks they can, but doesn't know what it would accomplish. Janeway tells him he has five minutes to set up the link and to tell Torres to prepare for an away mission. On the shuttle, Alice still is urging Paris to take her home when Torres appears in her place, telling Paris not to believe Alice. Alice reappears and each woman tries to convince Paris to follow her. With Paris and the Alice persona distracted, Tuvok disables the shuttle's shields and Voyager beams Paris to sickbay as Alice is destroyed in the fountain. In sickbay, The Doctor leaves Torres to enforce his recommended recovery period for Paris. She gives Paris a hand-drawn get well card from Naomi Wildman. Paris promises no more affairs with strange ships, not even the Delta Flyer. 
<EOS>
Returning home to USS Voyager in the Delta Flyer, Neelix and Tuvok have been left in each other's company. While Tuvok tries to work quietly, Neelix tries to keep them both entertained, irritating the Vulcan (although naturally he tries not to show it). Eventually, Tuvok agrees to try to answer a riddle set by Neelix which concerns an ensign who is able to survive while stranded on a planet for a year with no resources other than a calendar. However Tuvok is not amused when the answer turns out to be a simple play on words -- the ensign survives by eating the "dates" from the calendar. Retreating to the aft section, Tuvok encounters a cloaked alien intruder downloading files from the Delta Flyer's computer core. As he attempts to detect the cloaking frequency, Tuvok is subjected to a neuroleptic blast from the cloaked alien. Neelix hails Voyager and signals a mayday. Neelix and Tuvok are picked up by Voyager and Tuvok is taken to sickbay where he lies in a deep coma. Fortunately, The Doctor stabilizes him. Captain Janeway asks Neelix about what happened, but he was focused on getting the ship back, and instantly regretful that he didn't look for more evidence on the way back to the ship. She comforts him that he did his duty and saved Tuvok. With no other leads as to who may have attacked Tuvok, Janeway decides to ask the Kesat if they know anything. They send Naroq, an investigator who believes Tuvok was attacked by the Ba'Neth, an extremely xenophobic species that are widely believed not to exist and often attempt to steal tactical data from passing species (explaining why it was downloading files from the Delta Flyer). This, however, is his own theory, as his government considers this species a myth. He is very excited to combine his resources with Voyager's to prove his theory. Janeway agrees, and allows him to scan Tuvok, who is the only one out of the 13 incidents to have survived. Neelix lingers in sickbay and undertakes a campaign to help Tuvok recover, despite Tuvok's history of casual disregard for him. With his usual over-enthusiasm, he proceeds to gather many of Tuvok's personal effects from his quarters and place them around him. Further, he wants to re-enact Clash on the Fire Plains. The Doctor restrains him a little, as he is trying to work. While arguing, suddenly, they notice Tuvok has sat up and is alert. They start to explain what happened, but he doesn't respond. The Doctor scans him, but Tuvok seems concerned about it. Neelix has to demonstrate that it won't hurt before Tuvok will let The Doctor scan him. It appears he has lost his memory. Later, Seven of Nine and Naroq find residual particles in the aft of the Delta Flyer. Using technology developed by Naroq, they illuminate a silhouette of the attacker. Janeway theorizes that the technology can be adapted to Voyager's sensors to reveal the alien race's ships. Back in sickbay, The Doctor informs Janeway that Tuvok has regained consciousness but is a little disoriented. The Doctor explains that Tuvok has lost his memory as a result of the encounter with the alien on the shuttlecraft and that his brain is in the process of rebuilding itself -- which may take time. Neelix decides to take Tuvok on a tour of the ship in hopes that it will jog his memory. Neelix and Tuvok go to the bridge where the severity of Tuvok's condition is revealed. Tuvok is dazed and incapable of vocalization or understanding his whereabouts. Neelix then takes Tuvok to his quarters. Back on the bridge, Janeway works with Seven as she works from astrometrics to integrate the scanning technique into the deflector array. When the changes come online, several alien ships are revealed in proximity to Voyager. The ships attack Voyager and retreat before Voyager can determine their cloaking frequency with its sensors. As Neelix is comforting Tuvok, he finally responds to him, calling him by name. Tuvok begins to have rudimentary conversations with Neelix in his quarters. Tuvok's recent affliction shows a stark contrast with the past: he treats Neelix as his protector and friend. When Neelix and Tuvok go to Janeway's ready room to meet Voyager's alien colleague, Tuvok is unable to remember the needed frequency. Naroq pushes, but Janeway ends the questioning, as Tuvok is disturbed by the memory. Janeway offers to have a meal with Tuvok, but Tuvok states that he would prefer to stay with Neelix. Some of the crew attempt to spend some time with Tuvok to help him remember. Tuvok and Neelix go to the mess hall, where Harry Kim tries to re-acquaint Tuvok with kal-toh, but Tuvok, failing the contest, angrily states that he doesn't like the game any more. When they return to sickbay, Tuvok sees his personnel file and expresses his frustration with his lost former self and the talents lost with it. Tuvok has a violent outburst and The Doctor, seeing that Neelix's presence in sickbay is upsetting him, orders the Talaxian to leave. As Neelix sits sadly in an empty mess hall, he is joined by Seven of Nine, who is still trying to decode the riddle of the cloaking frequency. Neelix has a riddle of his own: "When is a Vulcan no longer a Vulcan?". As the two talk, Seven tells Neelix that what Neelix has been doing is trying to get the old Tuvok back, when in fact what he should be doing is concentrate on the new individual that he has become. Neelix realizes what she is saying, and leaves reinvigorated. Later, Neelix and Tuvok meet in sickbay where they have a lengthy conversation about Tuvok's treatment of Neelix to date. Tuvok gives Neelix a flower he made of wax in order to make up for his angry outburst earlier in sickbay. Tuvok has a difficult time understanding why he and Neelix were not previously good friends. Neelix jokes about the sometime rigid seriousness of the "old Tuvok" and both have a good laugh. Tuvok decides that he is not interested in logic exercises, meditation and kal-toh, but would rather do something else. So Neelix takes him to the mess hall. There, Tom Paris and Harry Kim test the many delicious dishes, particularly desserts, that Tuvok has been working on. Janeway enters and joins in the testing. She also prompts Tuvok to try to recall the much-needed cloaking frequency again. Tuvok resists, but when he presents the cake he has been adding frosting to, Janeway notices that the pattern atop the cake is the missing frequency. Tuvok says that's what he saw. They eventually detect a large reading in one of a few systems. The deflector shield illuminates a large space station and ships. Now that Janeway is equipped with the tactical information she needs, she is able to make contact with the alien species that attacked Tuvok. They negotiate to trade tactical information on Voyager's previous alien encounters for information on the weapon used on Tuvok. The aliens refuse but Voyager's alien colleague offers the equipment he used to break their cloak in exchange for the information. Both sides agree. Neelix goes to Tuvok's quarters to inform him that The Doctor has come up with a treatment for Tuvok's condition. Tuvok reacts poorly to this news and says that he would rather have fun with Neelix than return to his previous state. Neelix charmingly reveals his understanding of Tuvok. "You won't call it fun. you'll call it 'deriving satisfaction.' But it's basically the same thing." Tuvok affectionately tells Neelix that he has really enjoyed his company. Neelix shows appreciation and consoles Tuvok, but tells him that he thinks it best if Tuvok returned to his tactical officer position, where he is needed. After the procedure, Neelix runs into Tuvok in the mess hall, who is his usual cold, logical, distant self and, as expected, dodges Neelix's questions about how he is feeling. Neelix tells Tuvok that he is preparing a dinner in his honor and asks him if he would like to prepare one of his favorite desserts. Tuvok replies that he has much more important things to do than engage in the preparation of nutritionally-deficient foods. As a slightly despondent Neelix gets up to leave, Tuvok says that, after giving more thought to the riddle concerning the ensign stuck on the planet, he has concluded that the ensign could have also survived by eating the "sunda(y)es". A much-amused Neelix notes that while the answer is clever, it isn't really very logical. Tuvok, who seems a bit surprised at himself, agrees with a very slight smile. 
<EOS>
Some time in the past, an enormous alien city is suddenly torn apart when torpedoes begin raining down on it, causing massive destruction everywhere. Below the chaos, a couple desperately tries to avoid falling debris and scramble into stasis pods. The woman wonders if they will dream while they are in stasis, which the man cannot provide an answer for. Their stasis pods are set for five years, hoping that by then, the war will have ended. 892 years later, the crew of the USS Voyager is surprised when they find themselves pulled into a subspace corridor full of asteroids, destroyed ships, and other debris. They sail along for five minutes before making contact with another vessel, belonging to the Turei. Captain Janeway states that they were pulled in by accident and are only looking for a way out. The Turei vessel assists Voyager by firing upon its shield generator which causes it to be thrown from the corridor. The Turei vessel also exits the corridor with Voyager. The crew is amazed when Ensign Tom Paris reports that they have traveled over two hundred light years since entering the corridor just five minutes earlier. Janeway immediately asks the Turei vessel if they could negotiate passage through the subspace corridor, hoping to reach the Alpha Quadrant. However, not only do the Turei deny the request, but they demand that Voyager lowers its shields and prepare to be boarded -- the Turei want to erase the evidence of the underspace corridor from Voyager's computer core. When Janeway refuses, the Turei open fire. To escape the firing ships, Seven of Nine identifies a nearby uninhabited planet with an atmosphere full of radiogenic particles as an ideal hiding place, and Paris sets a course. Voyager enters the planet's atmosphere pursued by the attacking Turei ships, but as Voyager increases its descent vector the Turei retreat, unable to withstand the higher levels of radiation. When the viewscreen is activated the crew is surprised to see the remains of a metropolis situated on the surface -- it then becomes apparent that the surface of the planet is suffering from a nuclear winter, which Ensign Harry Kim confirms has lasted almost nine hundred years based on radioactive decay. Voyager lands in the middle of the city, and Tuvok reports that the radiation in the atmosphere is temporarily blocking Voyager from the Turei's sensors but it will not be for long. Voyager lands in the center of the city and the captain orders repairs begun. They then detect faint life signs underneath the city, and as they explore, they discover several stasis pods, some of which are still active. They beam down to an underground chamber that has been heavily reinforced with tritonium in order to make it last indefinitely. As Janeway and Tuvok search a different part of the chamber, Seven examines the pods. Ignoring Starfleet away team procedures, Seven of Nine activates one of the stasis pods and awakens a man. The man is startled to hear that he was in stasis for nine hundred years. He asks to see his wife, Jisa, but she did not survive the stasis. The man awakes in Voyager's sickbay where he is scanned by The Doctor. He identifies himself as Vaadwaur, and recognizes Seven of Nine as Borg saying he's encountered them before. He indicates that the underspace corridors were previously held by the Vaadwaur, but it seems after centuries of inactivity they have been claimed by their rivals. There are thousands more stasis pods still active underground as well as preserved vehicles and fighters. In the mess hall, Gedrin expresses disappointment at his wife's lack of courage before entering stasis, the captain calls that "a bit heartless" but continues relations. When Gedrin meets Neelix, he observes that he is Talax-ilzay. Neelix says that this was an ancient name of his people. He says that in his ancient tongue, the word vaadwaur means foolish. As Neelix attempts to apologize for calling the Vaadwaur foolish, a plasma charge hits the city and red alert is activated. On the bridge, Chakotay reports to Janeway that the Turei have found them. They cannot get an exact fix, but they can fire in the general area. Gedrin has a plan for a way to accurately target the Turei. If Voyager can uplink with a Vaadwaur sentry satellite they will receive its sensor telemetry. Once they have access they return fire and disable the lead Turei ship. They cease their attack. Voyager makes a deal with the Vaadwaur: the Vaadwaur get to escape and rebuild their civilization while Voyager can use the subspace corridors to get closer to Earth. Gedrin reveals a huge chamber filled with Vaadwaur fighters. Chakotay comments by saying "dragon's teeth." He says it is an ancient Greek myth: "After a dragon was killed in a war, its teeth were spread out across the battlefield. They took root and warriors sprung from the ground to continue the fighting." In astrometrics, the crew discusses their options with the Vaadwaur. They have memorized the subspace corridor layout, so they can plot Voyager's course, however there are eleven Turei ships in orbit. Morin is put in charge of reanimating the other Vaadwaur. In her quarters, Naomi Wildman sadly plays with a doll. Neelix enters to tuck her in. When he asks her about her experiences with the Vaadwaur children she says she doesn't like them. Apparently she witnessed them making fun of Neelix. He isn't very offended, as children can often be cruel, but he doesn't continue telling her to play with them. Back in the underground chamber, chief engineer B'Elanna Torres is helping the Vaadwaur make repairs. Morin says a Klingon phrase to her. It seems that they identify with the Klingon views of battle and honorable death. "As children we are taught to fall asleep each night imagining a different way to die." Back in the mess hall, Neelix reviews references to the word vaadwaur in Talaxian and other Delta Quadrant history. The earliest usages are in Eldaxon's Collected Folklore, Neelix begins to review the specifics. Meanwhile in astrometrics, Seven and one of the Vaadwaur review possible planets to relocate the Vaadwaur to. He tells Seven that the Borg only controlled a few systems nine hundred years ago. In Voyager's briefing room, Tuvok reports a total of twenty-one Turei ships on sensors. Tuvok's battle plan is pretty standard: Voyager will make a straightforward attack, while the Vaadwaur fighters make a surprise attack. Gaul requests photon torpedoes for their fighters, but Janeway refuses because it goes against Starfleet protocols. Gaul is not used to having to depend on others with his life, but Janeway states that her decision is final. Later in the Vaadwaur underground chamber, Gaul, Gedrin, and Morin are discussing their plans. Unsatisfied with Captain Janeway's decisions, they plan to capture Voyager and use the ship's technology to rebuild their civilization and fight off the Turei. They plan to use their fighters to attack Voyager instead of the Turei. In astrometrics, Seven shows Gedrin a planet that may be suitable. Before they make their decision, however, Neelix summons Seven to Cargo Bay 2. When she arrives, Neelix explains what he found while researching historical records concerning the Vaadwaur. The records describe a race who appeared out of nowhere, destroyed everything in its path, and then vanished -- which could be explained by the Vaadwaur subspace corridors. Neelix convinces Seven to do additional research, using her Borg knowledge. Gedrin enters Captain Janeway's ready room, where she has called for him. She confronts Gedrin with the evidence uncovered by Neelix and Seven. "If I were to take you at your word, the ancient Talaxians might call me Vaadwaur, foolish." Gedrin admits that his species did use the corridors to gain territory, but they were not a purely aggressive race. Although Janeway will go forward with the plan, she will not be as trusting as before. On the bridge, Janeway discusses the situation with Chakotay. They decide to alter the plan and she orders Ensign Kim to hail Gaul. She informs him that only ten of the Vaadwaur fighters will have their particle beams remain active. Only ten will attack, so this should not be a problem, she explains. Voyager is ready for the ascent sequence, but the ship jolts when massive energy readings begin to emanate from the chamber. The Vaadwaur are launching the first wave of fighters -- seventeen ships. The ships, however, are on an attack vector for Voyager. Voyager begins to ascend from the surface while firing a full spread of phasers at the incoming fighters. They won't be able to jump to warp and escape until they are 280 kilometers above the surface. Voyager continues to ascend and the crew disables a number of the fighters, but Voyager's thrusters and sensors sustain damage. Janeway orders Kim to contact the Turei in orbit. Since the Turei already detected the weapons fire, they believe Janeway when she informs them of the Vaadwaur's presence. Now the Vaadwaur have another enemy to deal with. Just when the situation begins to look hopeless, Gedrin, realizing the error in the Vaadwaur's aggressive ways, offers to go to the surface and boost the signal to the satellite. Janeway allows him to leave, but sends Tuvok with him. The Vaadwaur inflict heavy damage on Voyager, while taking little in return. Janeway orders the crew to initiate emergency landing procedures. Suddenly the tide turns, thanks to Gedrin's work on the uplink. Turei torpedoes pound the Vaadwaur. The uplink chamber with Gedrin and Tuvok inside, however, begins to collapse. Gedrin tells Tuvok to save himself, as he sacrifices his life to save Voyager. Janeway comes up with a plan to take in particles from the radiogenic atmosphere in order to boost Voyager's dwindling power supply. Thanks to her quick thinking, impulse is restored to Voyager. After clearing the planet's thermosphere, the ship is able to go to warp and escape the conflict. While the Vaadwaur engage in a violent battle with the Turei, approximately fifty-three Vaadwaur fighters -- according to Seven's astrometric readings -- manage to escape into the subspace corridors. This leads the captain to surmise that Voyager and its crew will likely encounter these ancient aggressors again. Seven expresses her guilt because she is essentially responsible for the Vaadwaur resurgence, but Janeway says she might have done the same thing. 
<EOS>
One of Humanity's early missions to Mars is in progress. The command module, designated Ares IV, controlled by one Lieutenant John Kelly, orbits Mars while two astronauts, Rose Kumagawa and Andrei Novakovich, explore the surface. They discuss the mission with Kelly as well as banter with him about baseball, specifically the World Series. Suddenly the Ares IV is buffeted. It appears to be turbulence, though 21st century science says turbulence in space is not possible. Kelly checks his LIDAR and sees that something very large, seemingly having appeared from nowhere, is coming towards the Ares IV. Kumagawa suggests that it may be a solar flare. One look out the forward window, however, freezes Kelly's face in complete shock. It is orange, enormous, football-shaped and blazes brilliantly. It is no solar flare. Stardate 53292.7. USS Voyager continues homeward-bound. Commander Chakotay is off-duty in his quarters, relaxing with a hot beverage and a printed book. The doorbell chimes. He bids the visitor enter. Instead, the bell chimes again. He again invites the visitor to enter. A third chime. Annoyed, he shouts the invitation. Finally, he gets up and checks the corridor. Empty. The bell chimes again, indicating a malfunction. He re-enters his quarters and hails the bridge through his combadge, but instead gets the transporter room. He tries again and gets the mess hall. Then more and more voices get on the line, until it is an incomprehensible cacophony. He decides to go to engineering and check what is going on. But the door begins to open and close repeatedly. He has to carefully time it and jump through to get outside. Very annoyed, he heads for engineering. Arriving, he finds Seven of Nine working at a console. He knows instantly that she is responsible for the malfunctions, and demands to know what she is doing. As per her usual manner, she is making modifications to the computer core that she believes will increase its efficiency, without first obtaining clearance from chief engineer Torres. As Chakotay again remonstrates with her about following protocol, the ship is shaken. Ensign Harry Kim calls all senior staff to the bridge. He and Seven go immediately. Their arrival is preceded by that of a very annoyed Captain Kathryn Janeway, who warns Kim that at 0200 hours, this had better be important. What Kim shows her qualifies instantly: level-nine gravimetric distortions closing on Voyager, emanating from subspace. At Janeway's order, he puts it on the viewscreen. It is an enormous, orange, football-shaped object, very much like the one John Kelly encountered in 2032. Janeway orders deflector shields raised. At the helm, Ensign Tom Paris reports that whatever it is is heading right for them. At Janeway's order, he tries to dodge. However, the thing actually follows them. He cannot shake it at impulse, and the subspace disturbance it is creating makes warp impossible. Seven, watching the phenomenon, remembers it from her days as a Borg drone as Spatial Anomaly 521. To ditch it, she advises, they have to cut power and reverse shield polarity. Janeway orders it done; it works -- the thing flies over them and moves away, much to their relief. Janeway then recognizes it as well. Federation science calls it a graviton ellipse, known for suddenly appearing out of subspace, enveloping whatever is in the vicinity or whatever attracts it, then going back into subspace. Chakotay stands up from his chair and recalls the Ares IV and its loss to such a phenomenon. This is why it appeared to Kelly to have come from nowhere; it came from subspace, which was still unknown to the science of Kelly's day. Chakotay suggests studying it, and Janeway agrees. A probe is sent out to penetrate it. Seven and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok study the data the probe is transmitting back the astrometrics lab. Seven suggests a strategy that the Borg had come up with to destroy it, using shielding that would protect Voyager while the ship went inside it to do so. Tuvok, however, responds that destroying it would be short-sighted. This surprises Seven as she did not think that he, a Vulcan, living by logic, shared the crew's penchant for exploration. He responds that exploration is part of the charter of Starfleet, and he is a Starfleet officer. Seven insists that exploration in this case is too dangerous. Tuvok patiently responds that they cannot know for certain what they will find. They must make allowance for the unexpected discovery. The computer signals that its analysis of telemetry from the probe is complete. Seven and Tuvok examine the results. They are astounding: over 2.8 billion compounds are inside it. However, their next discovery is downright unbelievable: compounds that clearly come from the region of space designated by the Federation as Sector 001: Earth. The type and amount are consistent with early 21st century Earth spacecraft. Though the odds are astronomical, they have come across the very same graviton ellipse that swallowed the Ares IV. The senior staff meets in the briefing room to discuss the findings. Except for Seven, the decision is unanimously taken to use the Borg shield enhancements Seven told Tuvok about to equip the Delta Flyer to enter the ellipse and try to find any remains of the Ares IV. However this must be done quickly; the ellipse will go back into subspace in the next sixteen hours. It is decided that Chakotay and Ensign Paris will constitute the away team. The meeting is dismissed, and officers file out. Seven, however, remains behind and voices her objections to Captain Janeway, in effect telling her that Humans too often boldly go where more sensible species know better. Searching for the Ares IV seems more sentimental than scientific, not worth the great risk, she opines. Janeway responds that this is not merely about science, but history; a very important piece of Human spacefaring history. Further, she responds, due to her lifelong existence as a Borg drone, Seven never got the opportunity to learn to appreciate Human history, and this is is essential to her development as a Human. She "encourages" Seven to join the away team. Seven recognizes that the "encouragement" is a diplomatically stated order, much to her dismay. In the astrometrics lab, Chakotay and Paris review the NASA historical record of the Ares IV mission and discuss how easy space exploration has become with the advances that were developed since then, such as warp drive, deflector shields and transporters. They listen to Lt. Kelly's last transmission before he and the module were swallowed by the ellipse, admiring his calm and dedication as he took readings even as he knew his life was about to end. Seven joins them and reluctantly informs them that she will be going with them. She has done the necessary shield modifications to the Delta Flyer. The two officers welcome her to the team, albeit noting her lack of enthusiasm. After a visit to the sickbay for a physical before the mission, Seven joins Chakotay and Paris aboard the Flyer and they depart. To her consternation, even The Doctor, a hologram, is enthusiastic about the mission, recalling his first away mission on Arakis Prime. The Doctor gives her his holo-imager to take pictures for him. The Flyer approaches the ellipse. Voyager follows, approaching to within 2,000 kilometers, monitoring the ellipse and the Flyer as the smaller vessel enters and makes its way to the core. On reaching the core, Chakotay describes the environment to Captain Janeway and the bridge officers, who hang on his every word. It is as the eye of a hurricane: very calm, with none of the gravimetric distortions that exist around it. EM activity creates a natural luminescence, which Ensign Paris refers to as "mood lighting." There are asteroid fragments and vessel debris from every quadrant in the galaxy. There is even matter that appears to be extra-dimensional. Even Seven admits that she is intrigued. The ellipse changes direction, causing a gravimetric surge that hits Voyager, making her shudder. Reminded that they have limited time to find what they seek, Janeway instructs the team to get to it. Paris programs the sensors for a detailed search, but informs Chakotay that it will take a few hours to fully execute. He and Chakotay, to Seven's annoyance, decide to pass the time by collecting and analyzing some of the debris they have found. Seven, despite her earlier intrigue, wants only to carry out the mission and leave. Time passes. Paris monitors the search while Chakotay examines the debris in the cargo bay. Seven, despite her disapproval, resigns herself to the fact that she has no choice but to go along, and assists Chakotay. Then Paris calls them to the cockpit; the Ares IV has been located. To the amazement of all, including Seven, its hull is almost intact. However this raises the problem what to do with it, as it is certainly far too large be stored in the cargo bay. Chakotay decides that they will use a tractor beam to tow it. The ellipse changes direction again. On Voyager's bridge, Ensign Kim reports the change. Captain Janeway wonders if something unseen is causing these changes. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres suggests that it it being attracted to dark matter, which sensors do not normally detect. Janeway orders the sensors re-adjusted to look. Torres is proven correct; a dark matter asteroid is detected. But, she reports with alarm, it is is on a direct collision course with the ellipse. The two will collide in the next four minutes, and that would likely be extremely rough for anything inside the ellipse. Janeway immediately hails the Flyer, informs them and orders them to leave at once. Chakotay however insists that his team continue with retrieving the Ares IV. After the com ends, he orders Paris to deploy the tractor beam anyway. Paris is thunderstruck and Seven is furious. Chakotay sternly repeats the order. Paris, with great trepidation, obeys. The Flyer, with the Ares IV in tow, begins a slow crawl up to the surface. The ellipse and the asteroid begin to accelerate toward each other. Janeway informs them that they have less than one minute. Seven harshly informs Chakotay that, at their rate of speed, they will exit in forty seconds. The time runs down. They near the surface. They do not make it. The collision occurs, sending violent shock waves throughout the ellipse. Because of its location just under the surface, the Flyer gets hit squarely. The tractor beam breaks and both the Flyer and the Ares IV go tumbling back to the core. Contact with Voyager is lost. A plasma discharge hits Chakotay's console, entering his body through contact with his hands. His body glows electric blue before convulsing out of his chair. He lands on the floor, unconscious. Paris gets him onto a bed in the aft section. His face is badly burned. Seven enters and asks about his condition, with a very baleful look at him. Paris informs her: severe concussion and internal injuries. He needs to be returned to Voyager immediately. Seven's response makes it clear that that will not be happening. Not only are the engines non-functional, but the ellipse has begun to show signs of soon returning to subspace. They have less than two hours. Chakotay awakens as Paris and Seven work on repairs. "It feels like I just went ten rounds with an Andorian.", Chakotay says. He tries to sit up but his injuries make the effort agonizing. Paris, as Voyager's official medical assistant as well as her flight controller, is effectively the team's medical officer, and uses this authority to order Chakotay to lie down and stay still. Concerned about the Ares IV, Chakotay asks about it. Paris informs him that it is close by. But any notion of salvage is out of the question, as they have no working engines or deflector shields, let alone tractor beam capability, and hull integrity is close to being compromised. Chakotay, uncomfortable with lying invalid and unable to help, insists on trying to rise. Paris has none of it, again orders him to lie still, and leaves to go and reinforce hull integrity. Alone with Chakotay, Seven continues to work, not looking at him. Her body language shows that she is outraged at his actions. Chakotay gingerly offers suggestions as to what to do to fix what, but her sharp-toned responses rebuff him. This annoys him greatly; justifiably angry or not, she is still under his command. He orders her to give him a situation report. She whirls on him and provides one, with a raised voice and a furious glare: the captain ordered them to leave the ellipse, but he chose to disobey. His obsession with the Ares IV now has them trapped along with it. Chakotay cuts her off, quietly but sternly, and admits his error in judgment. A hail then comes through from Voyager, static-marred but audible. Chakotay informs Janeway of their situation. An emergency meeting takes place in Voyager's briefing room to devise a plan to rescue the away team, with the team itself joining the meeting over the com. Ideas are proposed and rejected. Modify a shuttle and go in and get them? The ellipse will go into subspace long before the modifications are finished. Tractor beam? It cannot penetrate to the core. Lieutenant Torres considers. The chief engineer has much experience in handling engineering problems with outside-the-box solutions, a skill which has has served Voyager well on more than one occasion. This time is no exception. The problem with the Flyer that prevents it from moving on its own power is that the conduits of its plasma manifold are fused. This is beyond repair, and creation of a new one, which could easily be done on Voyager, is beyond the power of the ship's replicator. But what about the Ares IV's engines? They used a similar system, the main difference being that, since it is from a time before Human discovery of warp drive, the manifold was made to channel a different energy source from warp plasma, namely ions. It is called an ion distributor. Could it not be modified to channel warp plasma? Seven rejects the idea, stating that even if it were possible, the manifold would have to be obtained first. But the other team members and the senior staff heartily agree that it is worth a try. Paris volunteers to go to the Ares IV and retrieve it, but Janeway orders him to stay on the Flyer, lest another gravimetric surge hits, in which case his piloting skills will be needed at the helm. Instead, Janeway once again "encourages" Seven to "volunteer". Seven again recognizes the diplomatically-stated order, and cooperates with the Captain. Using the still-operational thrusters, Paris gets the Flyer close enough to the Ares IV so that the latter is within transporter range. Seven dons an environmental suit in preparation to beam over. From the bed, Chakotay voices his envy, telling her she is going to do what he has always dreamed of: touch history. Seven could not care less and scoffs that history is irrelevant, to Chakotay's horrified amazement. But instead of arguing, he earnestly asks her to download whatever she can from the Ares IV's database. Seven promises to try, despite her continued lack of enthusiasm. She beams over. The wreck's interior is dark and cold. Advised to do so by Chakotay and Paris over the com, she heads for the cockpit. Shining a light around, she is unnerved to find the desiccated remains of Lt. John Kelly, still in the pilot's seat. She finds the computer core and attaches a portable power pack, bringing it online. Upon doing this, she, Chakotay and Paris are amazed to hear Kelly's voice begin to speak. Seven has inadvertently accessed his log entries, preserved after all these centuries. Seven watches him speaking on a monitor. The log clearly was made after the ellipse swallowed the Ares IV. He had not been killed on impact as history states, Chakotay notes with amazement. The three listen to him voicing his determined decision to try to escape. Kelly goes about his duties, weightless in the trapped Ares IV. With a headset microphone on, he records his log. He can see no stars, he notes. EM interference is disrupting communications and LIDAR. He wonders as to his current location, noting that if the anomaly is moving as fast as it was when it took him, he could be very far from Mars. He has had the imager working constantly, cataloging the matter he has discovered is trapped with the Ares IV. But, of course, as much of it is extraterrestrial in origin, it defies 21st century science analysis. Then he hears a scraping noise against the hull. He goes to a window, and is thunderstruck to see what are clearly the remains of an alien vessel. Seven works at extracting the ion distributor while she listens as Kelly's image speaks from the monitor. He has prepared the ion drive and channeled all fuel reserves for an attempt to escape, an attempt he will only be able to make once. His courage and determination are evident. He looks at a photograph of himself and his wife Jeannie for a long moment, puts it back in its place, and makes the attempt. It fails. Seven finds the picture, looks at it, then casts a long look at Kelly's remains and reverently puts the photo back. Paris hails, and Seven pauses the playback to speak to him. The manifold, she tells him, is fused to the hull. Paris warns her to hurry; the ellipse will go into subspace in the next 15 minutes. She acknowledges and returns to work. But not before resuming playback. Kelly sits in his seat, fully aware he is going to die. Oxygen is running low. He is weak and groggy. The cockpit is dark as power is almost exhausted. But he makes his final log entry, voicing absolutely no regret about what has happened. On the contrary, his words are just the opposite. Seven, Chakotay and Paris listen to this last entry. Tears are in Chakotay's eyes. Paris swallows a lump in his throat. Kelly states with conviction that what he has seen proves that space exploration is not a waste, that Humanity was right to try to explore space. He now knows that Humanity is not alone in the universe. His one regret, he finishes, is that he never found out who won the World Series. Seven's opinion has completely changed. She has been utterly moved, moved by Kelly's courage and determination, and his unflinching dedication, even as he waited for certain death. She listens as he logs his last act: taking the dwindling life support offline so that power can be routed to the imagers for as long as possible, to record whatever the Ares IV encounters after he dies. He makes a final request, to whoever finds the logs: that they be put to good use. Listening with visible emotion, Seven completes the extraction, then pulls out a tricorder and rapidly enters commands to download the logs and database into it. While she waits, she gazes at the remains, no longer disturbed, but awed by them. The download completes. She removes her combadge and attaches it to the remains, contacts the Flyer and tells Paris to lock on to both her bio-signs and her combadge. Paris does so and beams both her and the remains back to the Flyer. Once aboard, Seven rushes with the manifold to the cockpit, where Paris hurriedly installs it. They get it to work, albeit with fluctuating power. Paris takes the helm and lays in a course out of the ellipse. On Voyager, Captain Janeway and the bridge officers watch the viewscreen tensely as the ellipse seems to start to melt, the sign that it is beginning its return to subspace. The officer at operations reports the Flyer's location: 2,000 meters under the surface and rapidly closing the distance. Janeway orders Lt. Torres at the helm to bring Voyager as close as they can to the ellipse, to try for a tractor beam lock. Voyager goes dangerously close. Tuvok succeeds in getting a tractor beam locked onto the Flyer, which has by now made it just beneath the ellipse's surface. Janeway immediately orders full reverse. Voyager struggles against the pull of the ellipse, then she pulls away from it, the Flyer in tow, as the ellipse vanishes back into subspace. On the Flyer, Seven shares a look of palpable relief with Paris, before gazing down at her tricorder, holding it like a priceless treasure. Once they have safely returned, the crew engages in a solemn ceremony. In full dress uniform, the senior staff gathers round Kelly's remains, which have been put into a photon torpedo casing draped in a Starfleet Command flag. In sickbay, both The Doctor and Chakotay listen attentively, The Doctor standing at attention. Janeway speaks of space, of how it connects all worlds, of Humanity's first steps into it with astronauts like Lt. John Kelly, and how those initial steps finally led to Humanity becoming a full-fledged spacefaring people. She formally commends Kelly's spirit and bravery. But before she gives the final order to commend his remains to the space he helped his people reach, Seven interrupts, requesting to speak. Janeway grants the request. Gazing down at the casing, Seven reverently thanks Kelly for his contribution to Humanity's future, and, in some ways, her own. Then she leans in close and, voice breaking, symbolically responds to his dying regret by whispering the result of the 2032 World Series: the Yankees, in six games. She had looked it up just for that purpose. Paris is the only one to hear, and smiles. Janeway nods to Tuvok, at whose order they snap to attention. An honor guard takes the casing to be loaded into a torpedo tube as a crewmember blows a boatswain's whistle. The casing is ceremoniously launched into space. 
<EOS>
Naomi Wildman waits for Seven of Nine in Cargo Bay Two. When Seven arrives, she questions Naomi's presence. Naomi reminds her that it is time for their weekly game of kadis-kot. Seven tells her it is rescheduled for the next day and begins to work. When Naomi asks what she is doing, Seven tells her she is modifying her regeneration alcove to serve as a cortical processing subunit. Naomi is disappointed that she cannot watch, but complies when Seven asks her to leave. Chakotay and Janeway are dining together in the captain's quarters, when Chakotay asks if Voyager can detour to an interesting class K nebula twenty-five light years off starboard. Janeway remarks that the decision would be a major course change for a minor nebula, but Chakotay reminds her that they are explorers. Janeway grants the request, then asks Chakotay if he is ready for her home cooking. She remarks that it is a recipe she has never tried, and quips "We are explorers, remember?" Seven of Nine completes her regeneration cycle at 0200 and hails Lieutenant Torres, who informs Seven of the time and says that it had better be important. On the bridge, a disgruntled Torres asks Janeway for permission to take the sensor network off-line. When Janeway inquires as to the reason, Seven of Nine informs her that she believes a pair of photonic fleas and possibly their offspring have made their home in it. Using her new cortical processing subunit, Seven has assimilated several teraquads of Voyager's database while in her alcove, and has constructed a plausible chain of events. An away team from Voyager encountered a Kartelan freighter carrying supplies from a former Talaxian colony. There, Neelix picked up a bucket of amber spice, which contained the larvae of the fleas, and he brought it to the kitchen. At the same time, Ensign Kim was repairing a faulty relay in the mess hall replicator. The newly-hatched fleas left the amber spice and went in search of nutrition, namely plasma particles. The open replicator circuits were a perfect target. Now the photonic fleas have mated and every so often tap into the sensor relays for nourishment. When they do, the sensors momentarily lose their resolution. Tuvok admits that the theory is logical, if speculative. Janeway is clearly intrigued -- she authorizes the downtime, and accompanies Torres and Seven into a Jefferies tube, where they access a sensor node to examine the relays for themselves. Amazingly, several photonic fleas are indeed living in the network. Astonished, Janeway tells Torres to find a new home for them. En route to the nebula, Janeway detects graviton emissions about ten light years away and orders Lieutenant Paris to alter course. Paris reminds the captain that Chakotay had his heart set on the nebula, but Janeway says that he will have to wait. Voyager arrives at an unusual station that no one can readily identify. A power fluctuation causes Janeway to hail a vessel near the station and meets a man named Tash. He tells the crew that if he can't stabilize the power grid, "they will be able to see the explosion back to, where did you say you were from?" Grinning, Janeway replies that she didn't, but that they are from a planet called Earth. Tash remarks that they will be able to see the explosion all the way back to Earth, and then proceeds to tell Janeway what the station really is. He explains that it is a "catapult," a device that is capable of catapulting a vessel across space faster than you can say "catapult a vessel across space". Intrigued, Janeway beams Tash aboard and meets with him in her ready room, where Tash tells the crew that he built the catapult to get himself home. He had been exploring an unstable wormhole near his homeworld when he was pulled in by accident, stranding him at least ten years from his home. Kim remarks that Voyager knows the feeling. Tash says that he is going to make his jump if he can fix his station, and then asks Janeway for her help and what she might want in return. The good captain tells him that she isn't asking for anything in return, but Tash catches on and tells her that Voyager could use the catapult after he left. It wouldn't take them to Earth, but it would cut off a few years. Janeway says that if she can determine that it would be safe for Voyager then she would do just that. Seven of Nine wakes up from her alcove and goes to Janeway's quarters late at night. Once there, she informs Janeway that Tash's catapult uses the same technology the Caretaker used to trap Voyager in the Delta Quadrant five years earlier. Shocked, Janeway asks Seven how she came to this conclusion, to which the ex-Borg replies that she scanned Tash's station and found an epsilon radiation surge emanating from it. Janeway says that it is not unheard of, but Seven retorts that the radiation is a by-product of a tetryon reactor, a device she believes is in the catapult and a device the Caretaker used to capture vessels, including Voyager. Janeway states that the first time she met a Caretaker, she was pulled half way across the galaxy, and the second time she was almost killed. She is not eager for a third round. In engineering, Janeway, Seven, and Torres question Tash about his tetryon reactor and why he hid it from them. Tash informs them that he hid it because there were many species who would try to steal such advanced technology. Janeway believes him and tells him that she sees no reason why their deal can't continue, but does tell him that she will be watching him closely. Pulling Seven away, she tells her that she doesn't truly know if he is telling the truth or not. Seven says that the reactor may be from the Caretaker's array itself, to which Janeway replies that it is a long shot that could be true. However, Seven continues to produce evidence that her statement was fact. She reviews the ship's logs of the array's destruction and, in the visual logs, sees a tractor beam on the very section the reactor was located, suggesting a ship protecting it during the destruction. However, the full logs were incomplete through damage received at the time, and the computer can't verify anything. Seeing that the torpedo used had a higher yield than expected, she goes to Tuvok briefly, since he designed it, however, he states a reasonable explanation that they wanted to be certain it was destroyed. Next, she sees Neelix, who offers to give her the sensor logs from his ship. Seven of Nine regenerates in her alcove with the new information, and wakes up a few hours later looking disturbed. She hails Chakotay and tells him to meet her in astrometrics. Once he arrives, Seven tells the computer to seal the door and turn off all sensors around the room. Amused, Chakotay asks her why she has done this, to which she turns to him and tells him that Voyager's presence in the Delta Quadrant was no accident, but that she was stranded here on purpose. When Chakotay asks her who stranded Voyager there, she replies that it was Captain Janeway. A very surprised Chakotay listens to Seven's theory, noting the various leaps in her theory, but increasingly unable to ignore the circumstantial evidence. She begins by noting that there was a Cardassian ship detected by Neelix's ship before the Voyager arrived. She notes that, instead of being destroyed, the ship vanished, presumably sent back to deliver strategic information. She then states there are precedents in the Federation for unauthorized territorial advances, including those against the Maquis. Focusing on Tuvok and Janeway, she (strongly) suggests that Tuvok infiltrated Chakotay's ship, in part, to deliver final instructions to the Caretaker. Then, the Voyager was pulled in a matter of days. Seven then turns to Janeway, stating she destroyed the array in order to keep the ship in the Delta Quadrant to map it out and gain information. She shows him the picture of the tractor beam during the array's destruction, indicating another ship. Further, she notes that tricobalt devices are not standard on Starfleet ships, conveniently the only thing that would tear subspace and possibly protect the reactor if the cloaked ship pushed it in. She states Tuvok and Janeway knew where it was going, and that it would be delivered along their path to Earth independently to Tash. Seven now believes that Janeway intends to use the catapult to bring more Cardassian and Starfleet ships to the Quadrant for conquest. Chakotay dismisses this, and Seven proceeds to recite circumstantial evidence such as Janeway's send-off of Kes, someone who had further suspicions of the Caretaker and The Doctor possibly bearing a secret communication in his transmission to a Starfleet vessel. Further, Janeway's alliances with the Borg, Hirogen, and the Terkellian could be seen as developing a tactical infrastructure and, coupled with the multiple detours from their path to Earth in the name of exploration, all investments for a larger plan of future conquest. She urges Chakotay to delay the plan to use the catapult, and Chakotay agrees. Back on the bridge, they receive word that Tash succeeded, and Chakotay brings his modifications personally to Torres. There, he orders her to make a small disruptive change to delay the plan, saying he won't inform the Captain, yet. Torres doesn't believe Seven, saying she's joking, but Chakotay doesn't think so. He won't go to the Captain, as it's a big accusation and he wants to review Seven's data. Torres agrees with delaying the modifications, and even insists to Kim as he comes by that she doesn't need help. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine regenerates again, and, this time, hails Janeway to meet her in astrometrics. Once she arrives, Seven tells the computer to seal the door and turn off all sensors around the room. The conversation between Seven and Janeway proceeds similarly to the one between Seven and Chakotay, except Seven now uses the same evidence to accuse Chakotay and the Maquis instead of Janeway and the Federation. Despite Chakotay seemingly giving up his allegiance long ago, she states that he is using the array's reactor to attack Starfleet. In support of this, she shows Janeway the Cardassian ship and sees that it was one of the same pursuing Chakotay into the Badlands, and pulled in by the Caretaker during the fight. Seeing as the ship vanished again, Seven suggests it was sent back to the Badlands and subsequently attacked by surprise by the Maquis. Then, Chakotay would have found out about the Caretaker through its logs, a perfect way to attack both Starfleet and Cardassian vessels. Furthermore, she says Tuvok was collaborating with him and, together, they tried to take control of the array but failed. With Janeway's order to destroy the array, Tuvok was the one to carry it out, using a yield which was more than enough and even enough to tear subspace. Showing Janeway the image of the tractor beam, Seven states it was a planned move to save the reactor and deliver it to Tash, who was waiting for it. Janeway starts to convince Seven she's building something out of nothing, but then Seven goes into several instances that put Chakotay into a bad light, such as his alleged involvement with Seska when she defected to the Kazon to try to capture Voyager, or making a "diplomatic" overture by suggesting trade with the Kolhari, who use tetryon power cells. Janeway increasingly gets suspicious. Overwhelmed with information and suspicious, Seven walks down the corridor when Naomi finds her. Naomi asks where Seven is going, but Seven tells her it is not her concern. Naomi asks what is wrong, and Seven asks her about her father. She says that the Ktarians were officially loyal to the Federation, but they sympathize with the Maquis. She asks who Naomi is working for, Chakotay or Janeway. Naomi is completely confused, and Seven says to tell them it is too late. Naomi runs, terrified. Janeway and Chakotay meet in the cargo bay and, now wary of each other following Seven's "evidence", wonder what each is doing. The two end up comparing stories and they realize Seven is acting irrationally. The Doctor determines that Seven has downloaded far more information than even her enhanced systems can handle. Meanwhile, Seven starts suspecting a third conspiracy, that the aim of the last five years was actually to grab a Borg drone, and send it back to the Alpha Quadrant using the catapult. Furthermore, she believes she is the drone in question and that Starfleet will study and dissect her in order to retrieve tactical data to fight the Borg. Seven steals the Delta Flyer in order to escape from Voyager. Janeway manages to beam aboard. She tells Seven that there is indeed a conspiracy. Janeway explains to her that the crew "conspired" to help Seven learn how to be Human. She also tells Seven that she put too much information into her brain, which is making her ill and she should return back to the ship for treatment. Seven is eventually convinced to trust Captain Janeway again and agrees to return to Voyager for treatment. The crew of Voyager manages to use the catapult successfully and cut three years off their journey home. Naomi greets Seven, who is removing the modifications she made to the alcove in Cargo Bay 2, telling her of the books and reports she has recently "assimilated". Seven tells Naomi that it is important to learn slowly, so the information can be digested and appreciated properly. She then tells Naomi that she has done enough work for the day and asks her to go to the mess hall and set up the kadis-kot board. Janeway and Chakotay have dinner together, both feeling guilty for having genuinely suspected other of a conspiracy. They agree that after all they've been through together, they should never stop trusting each other. 
<EOS>
In an apartment on Earth, there's a knock at the door and Lieutenant Reginald Barclay gets up from a couch to answer it. When he opens the door, Deanna Troi is standing there. Barclay is delighted to see her and offers her some chocolate ice cream, which she accepts. He seems nervous, and when she comments on the mess in the apartment, he tells her that, although he moved in two years previously, he hasn't had a chance to unpack yet. Troi asks if he's okay -- he seems a little on edge. Barclay assures her he's fine, and that since the Enterprise is in orbit, he just wants to spend some time with her. He's been working on the Pathfinder Project until recently, and he was under a lot of pressure. The project involves trying to establish communication with the stranded USS Voyager. His cat, Neelix, jumps up on the table, as he tells Troi that the real reason he asked her there: he has become obsessed with Voyager. Barclay apologizes to Troi for having lured her into a counseling session. She dismisses his concerns, and asks him to start from the beginning. He tells her that he had the idea of directing a tachyon beam at a class B itinerant pulsar, with enough gravimetric energy to create an artificial wormhole. However, his superiors thought it would be an abuse of the MIDAS array. Troi is lost by all this, and tells him to go back to the beginning. He reveals that the real beginning was in the holodeck. The scene flashes back to Barclay in the holodeck, running simulations on the bridge of Voyager, trying to establish a method of communications. Commander Peter Harkins enters, and asks him what he's doing. Barclay says he's just running a simulation. Harkins reminds him about some transmitter diagnostics that he has forgotten to do. Barclay claims that he's almost finished them. Harkins reminds him that Admiral Owen Paris is coming first thing in the morning, a fact Barclay had also forgotten. Barclay wants to brief Admiral Paris on his theory about using a pulsar passing within four billion kilometers to create an artificial wormhole and then using it to communicate with Voyager. Harkins rejects the idea, recalling that six months were wasted on trying to develop a transwarp probe based on Barclay's simulations. He tells Barclay that while the admiral is visiting, he'll do the talking. In a voiceover, Barclay says he was so sure his plan would work, he couldn't give it up. Harkins comes into the lab late at night and finds Barclay working. Barclay tells him he's finished the diagnostics. Harkins knows this, expresses satisfaction with the work, but suggests that Barclay call it a day. However, Barclay says he has something to clear up first. Harkins invites Barclay over to his house for coffee, and to meet his sister-in-law from Boston. Barclay declines, and after Harkins leaves, he says in voiceover that he couldn't leave until he had strengthened his case for accessing the MIDAS array. With Admiral Paris' visit just fourteen hours away, he hadn't come up with anything, so he decided he needed some inspiration. He activates the holodeck program of Voyager's mess hall, and enters the holodeck. Here, everyone aboard Voyager knows and likes him. He sits down to play poker with Chakotay, B'Elanna Torres, Harry Kim, and Tom Paris, calling them his best friends. In this world of his own creation, Barclay is an expert poker player. Barclay had hoped that the poker game would calm his nerves, but when he gets home he can't sleep. He heads back to the holodeck for a massage from The Doctor. The Doctor tells Barclay that to cure his insomnia, the root cause of his sleeplessness needs to be found. Barclay tells him that when he tries to sleep his mind races and he worries about the project, and whether he's doing all he can. When he leaves The Doctor, he goes to sleep in his holographic quarters, saying in voiceover that he felt more at home there than his own apartment. The next morning at the briefing, Commander Harkins tells Admiral Paris that when The Doctor's program was transferred to Starfleet two years ago, Voyager's position was Delta Quadrant sector 41751, grid 9. A range of likely trajectories has been extrapolated, and Voyager is now assumed to be in one of three sectors. Harkins says that they have been working with the Vulcans on the deployment of the MIDAS array, which can send signals at hyper-subspace speeds. Transmission times can be cut from years to days, although Voyager won't be able to respond. Then Barclay, who had impatiently but until now obediently remained silent, finally speaks up. Stuttering and inarticulate, Barclay tells the admiral that there might be a way to establish two-way communication with Voyager, and attempts to describe his plan, which involves creating a wormhole. The admiral asks Harkins if there is any merit in the plan, Harkins says that Barclay has a tendency to get ahead of himself, and that the plan is beyond their abilities. Barclay gets excited at this, and shouts that they've got nothing to lose by trying, and that they're forgetting that there are 150 people stranded. Admiral Paris coldly replies that he has a son on that ship -- he hasn't forgotten them for a moment. After Barclay apologizes, Harkins tells him to take the rest of the day off. In the present, Troi asks Barclay how he dealt with his feelings. Barclay is evasive, and says he needed someone to bounce ideas off, so he went back to the holodeck, claiming that they are the only people he can talk to. Troi thinks he's having a relapse of his holo-addiction, and asks him how the holodeck helped his work. Flashback to Barclay in the briefing room on Voyager. He is explaining the problem to the crew: how to produce enough power to form the singularity. He hits on the idea of compressing the data stream so a micro-wormhole can be used. He then goes down to engineering, where he talks through what he needs with Chakotay. Harkins walks in and asks him what's going on. Barclay tells him he's working. Harkins is surprised that he has created holograms of the crew. It turns out that Barclay has been in the holodeck for the last ten hours, ever since he was dismissed from the briefing with the admiral. Barclay tells Harkins (who he usually refers to as "Pete") that the plan has been scaled down, but Harkins doesn't want to hear it. Barclay's been spending about twenty or thirty hours a week in the holodeck, and Harkins feels he's having a relapse of his holo-addiction. Barclay denies this, but Harkins tells him he needs counseling. He thought he was being a friend, giving him some leeway, but he didn't realize how involved in Voyager Barclay had become. Harkin removes Barclay from the project until the latter gets some help, and the lab and hologrid are off limits. Barclay has been waiting outside Admiral Paris' office for a while, refusing to leave, so eventually the admiral agrees to see him. The admiral gives him five minutes to explain himself, and his theories. Barclay apologizes for his behavior at the briefing. Paris says he heard about the hologram of the Voyager crew, including his son, and he finds it rather disturbing. Barclay gives him his new plan, telling him he just wants to try, that he could give him the chance to talk with Tom. The admiral says he trusts Harkins' judgment in removing him from the project, and is not going to let personal concerns interfere with the proper chain of command. Barclay agrees, but says Voyager shouldn't be punished for what he did. Paris finally promises to order a review of Barclay's findings. The present. Troi supposes the meeting went well, but Barclay disagrees. He claims Admiral Paris was just trying to get rid of him, and he wants Troi to call Paris and tell him that he (Barclay) is psychologically fit for duty. Troi tells him she can't do that and to relax, he's done all he could. Barclay shouts that there's nothing wrong with him. Troi reminds him that by his own admission, he's become obsessed with Voyager. Barclay, still excited to the point of desperation, says his own well-being is a sacrifice he's willing to make to help Voyager. He breaks down and starts to sob. Voyager is all he has left. When he left Enterprise he felt as if he lost his family. The only way to cope was to create a new family on the holodeck. Troi says she'll ask Captain Picard for a leave of absence to spend some time with him, to get him through this personal difficulty. That night, Barclay can't sleep, so he gets up and goes to the lab. His authorization codes are unsuccessful, but his engineering skills are easily sufficient enough to override the lockout, getting him into the holodeck, where he interfaces with the MIDAS array. Barclay activates the array, and turns it up to full power. He then directs a sixty terawatt tachyon beam at the itinerant pulsar. The micro-wormhole forms and Barclay directs its trajectory towards the Delta Quadrant and the first possible location of Voyager. He sends a message to Voyager, but there's no response. Then Harkins comes in with a security team, and tells him to step away from the controls. Barclay appears as if he was going to obey, but instead suddenly transfers the controls to the holodeck, and runs in to the Voyager program. The security team follows, while Harkins tries to shut down the program. With the help of the holographic Voyager crew, Barclay erects force fields around the team trying to apprehend him. Harkins can't shut down the program, so he calls for reinforcements. Meanwhile, Barclay redirects the wormhole, and retransmits the message. Again, there's no answer. Another security team appears, and Barclay escapes into a Jefferies tube. Harkins goes to engineering and initiates a warp core breach. Barclay gets to the bridge, and redirects and re-sends the message. Harkins arrives and tells him to shut down the program, which he does, rather than see Voyager destroyed. On the real Voyager, Seven of Nine is telling Neelix that she has decided not to teach him to sing as his voice is totally incapable of holding a tone. however the trivial subject is quickly forgotten when Seven detects the micro-wormhole. Only part of the message is received, but Janeway responds straight away, as the wormhole is collapsing. Back on Earth, Barclay is being led away when Admiral Paris enters and tells Harkins that, as promised, he reviewed Barclay's plan and believes it is worth an attempt. Harkins tells him that Barclay already tried, without authorization and without success. Barclay apologizes for it not working, and is prepared to accept the consequences. Suddenly a beeping noise is heard, and a garbled transmission pokes through a mess of static. Barclay is vindicated on the spot. He replies with some help from Harkins cleaning up the transmission, and Janeway says she's been waiting a long time for this. Barclay tells her the feeling is mutual, but the wormhole is collapsing. He sends her information on the hyper-subspace technology, and Janeway transmits the ship's logs, crew reports, and navigational logs. Then Admiral Paris speaks. He asks her how the crew is holding up. Janeway replies that the crew has been exemplary, Tom included. The admiral says he misses him, and that he's proud of him. Tom listens in silence and shock aboard Voyager.  Janeway assures the admiral that his son heard him, and the admiral assures her  that Starfleet is doing everything it can, but just then the wormhole collapses and the communication is ended. Harkins says he's sorry he doubted Barclay, and Admiral Paris tells him that thanks to him, Project Voyager is just beginning. In the mess hall on Voyager, the crew are having a party. The Doctor comments that Barclay has a rather unusual medical history. Janeway is just glad that he came through for them. Seven then tells everyone that with the hyper-subspace technology they received from Earth, the crew can look forward to regular contact with Starfleet. Tom makes a toast: Back on Earth, Troi congratulates Barclay. He tells her he couldn't have done it without her help. Commander Harkins was pleased, although he is a bit wary that Barclay is dating his sister-in-law. Troi is surprised and amused to learn the name of the lady in question: Hope. 
<EOS>
Tom Paris creates a very detailed program in 19th century Ireland, a town called Fair Haven. He wants it to be a place where the crew can unwind, like his other programs. It goes into great detail, with many streets and characters. Paris walks by Harry Kim, who is flirting with Maggie O'Halloran, and takes him aside to warn him about her. The Doctor rides a bicycle soonafter, donning the priest character and makes sure they attend mass later. Everything seems very cheery. In the bar, a large crowd is gathered around a patron and Kim, betting on their arm wrestling match. The Doctor initially bets against Kim, then changes his mind when Paris prods him. During, Captain Janeway enters and looks around, meeting the bartender, Michael Sullivan. After the match, she compliments Paris, but notes the sign's logo is backward. Janeway then turns to business, as a neutronic wavefront is approaching. In the astrometrics lab, Seven of Nine tracks its course and predicts they will encounter it is fifteen hours. Since B'Elanna Torres concludes they can't go to warp, and impulse engines are not enough, the captain decides to ride out the storm with an inverse warp field. Also, the crew will need inoculations for the radiation. Later that night, Janeway reminisces with Neelix about bad weather, and Neelix brings up a potential morale problem. The requirement to batten down the hatches and sit still is a very difficult situation. Neelix suggests they keep Fair Haven running all the time. Janeway agrees and eventually drops work to visit again herself. She stops in soon, and talks to the bartender again. She doesn't intend to stay, but she is intrigued enough by him to engage him a bit and have tea. She goes to leave, but he entices her with a game of rings. Janeway ends up spending time all night with him, including also arm wrestling, and a lot of talking. She only returns to the "real world" after Michael's wife enters the pub, looking for him. Later in the afternoon, she gets her inoculation in sickbay. There, Paris takes the opportunity to get permission to expand the simulation to Holodeck 2. She happily agrees. They both arrive on the bridge just in time to feel the wave hit. They sustain minor damage from the front of the wave. With this in mind, she begins to modify him. She complicates his personality, and increases his level of education, modifies his facial hair, makes him a bit taller, and finally, deletes his wife. In the mess hall, Tuvok is relating his sickness, brought about by the environment, to Seven when Paris and Kim enter. They're talking about more changes to the Fair Haven, but Paris refuses to change anything. They ask Tuvok about visiting Fair Haven and, in the process of describing the ocean, and Neelix talking about the food to prepare, Tuvok realizes he needs to visit sickbay. When Janeway returns to the simulation again, she meets the improved Mr. Sullivan, this time finding him at the train station reading. She now hits it off well with him, as he talks about poetry, and shows much more curiosity. When the subject of travel comes up, Janeway says she hasn't been to Castle O'Dell, yet. He immediately gets up to go there with her. As they continue to talk, he asks her what she's looking for in a man. That is when Chakotay approaches. He is surprised to see her, but stays out of the way, and heads off to meet Neelix at The Ox and Lamb. On the ship's bridge, as they chart the wave front and find another rough patch two days away, Chakotay asks her about the book of poetry she's reading, and makes it clear he is asking about him. She says that it is merely an interest in Irish culture, nothing more. She admits her modifications (Chakotay had noticed Sullivan was taller than before), but reminds Chakotay that Sullivan is just a hologram. Chakotay is amused but does not criticize; he thinks it's nice to see the Captain having a little fun. Next time in the program, Janeway fully enjoys an Irish Jig with a large crowd, and then, breathless with the moment, suddenly tells the computer to remove all other characters except Michael. She finally kisses him, and perhaps to her own surprise, enjoys it greatly to say the least. Back in her quarters, Janeway recycles all of the Irish literature. When Neelix invites her to an event, she wants to stay in reality for a while. In the program, Neelix is the bartender; Michael was out of commission and drinking alone -- not what Paris had originally programmed. Sullivan eventually explains he believes "Katie O'Clare" (Janeway's "Fair Haven" name) doesn't love him, and he does her. All he knows is that she's gone, as she didn't give any explanation. The Doctor and Paris don't know the name, but Sullivan is suspicious Paris does know her, so he starts a fist fight with him, which ends up in a brawl, and, back on the ship, The Doctor, who as his priest character had unsuccessfully tried to ward off the hostilities, has to treat them all (except the holograms, of course). When the captain walks in, they all skip over the reason the fight got started, but they mention Sullivan. The Doctor has figured out O'Clare is Janeway, so asks her to take a walk with him. He explains Sullivan has a broken heart, and there is no malfunction. Concerned for Janeway, The Doctor offers his ear to her. She initially refuses, but does finally admit she is having a problem with falling in love with a hologram. She created something that was just her type, and her ability to tweak things to perfection, even his snoring. That's the problem. The Doctor explains it metaphysically. What difference does it make if he is a hologram? If he makes a joke, she laughs. If she doesn't alter Sullivan's parameters to create every tiny perfection, and instead explores the imperfections, then it could be a reasonable relationship for a captain stuck in the Delta Quadrant. Back on the ship, the storm hits that worse spot she detected earlier. The shields start having difficulty being maintained, and they begin to be pulled along with the wave. Chakotay sees the only way out is to channel all power to the deflector emitters -- including the holodecks, without the proper shutdown sequence to preserve the running program. She gives the order to do it. Just in time, the deflector beam begins dissipating the energy, and they approach the perimeter just before their shields failed. The program is not a total loss, but only 10% of it -- all of the fine details -- could be reconstructed. Thinking of the captain, Paris asks for her input on which 10%. She activates just the Michael Sullivan character, and tells him that she has to leave Fair Haven. She can't explain why when he asks, but does tell him she might pass by this way again. After a kiss, she ends the program, and makes one more modification before she saves the program: she has the computer deny her access to his behavioral subroutines. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager approaches a planet rotating 58 times per minute and, while investigating, the ship enters a gravimetric gradient pulling it into a geosynchronous orbit in which the crew becomes trapped. On the planet, a native is then seen preparing an altar. Just then, an earthquake occurs, and the native sees a new star in the sky, which is Voyager. The civilization, who had been worshiping a deity called Tahal, is confused at the situation. Another of the natives comes to interpret that there is a new deity wishing to be worshiped, orders a new altar to be made for it, and promises allegiance to the new one, calling it Ground Shaker. The tachyon core of the planet has created a differential in space-time, meaning that time passes much more quickly on the planet than in the rest of space. Within "moments" of Voyager's arrival and entrapment many years have passed on the surface. The initial entry into orbit coincides with an earthquake interpreted by the inhabitants as an act of a new deity, the Voyager ship appearing as a new bright star in the sky. Chakotay asks B'Elanna Torres to reconfigure a class 5 probe to take pictures every ten milliseconds, and to take surveys of the planet to help try to get Voyager out of orbit. Chakotay goes on to say that this could be the best anthropological find ever; it is one thing to dig and find the history, but to watch the civilization develop before your eyes is another thing entirely. After Torres tells Chakotay that it could take a few hours to reconfigure the probe, he says that they might miss the rise and fall of a civilization. Torres reassures him that they'll just have to watch the next one. As time passes, the planet's inhabitants quickly change to a pre-medieval level of technology. An old teacher climbs a hill to one of his former students who is now a protector. He believes the star is from another civilization like theirs, and the Ground Shaker their protector, like himself. He intends to send a letter via hot air balloon, and has the teacher write a note for him, asking him to stop shaking the ground. Torres and Chakotay are fascinated as they observe scans from the probe indicating that the civilization has entered an industrial age, creating roads and more fortified buildings than normal for a civilization in that stage. Furthermore, they can tell the frequency of the earthquakes. The probe, however, soon decays and disintegrates in the atmosphere, as it's operating in the space-time of the planet, equivalent to over 200 years. Chakotay surmises that the civilization is advanced enough that it should be observing Voyager. On the planet, an astronomical observatory exists. A scientist there is able to observe Voyager through its telescope and is trying to contact it through radio transmissions, however, it is not responding, to both him and his tired assistant's dismay. They are trying one last time before calling it a day when the assistant suggests a personal message in addition to mathematical sequences and constants. In astrometrics, Seven of Nine detects the transmission and Chakotay recognizes they need to slow down the frequency to interpret it. Soon, they have a message from the planet. He explains the culture and mythology of the planet's people. In a senior staff briefing, the crew listens to the message. For centuries the society lives with the constant ground-shaking effect brought about by Voyager and its effects on the natural poles and rotation of the planet. Cautious about first contact with a pre-warp civilization and aware of the accelerated aging causing by the time differential, Captain Janeway employs The Doctor to beam to the planet on an undercover mission to gather data in an effort to find a way for Voyager to escape orbit. As Janeway and Torres prepare to beam him back, the signal is lost. By the time The Doctor is successfully located and beamed back on board, three years have passed on the planet. Overjoyed to see them, he explains that Voyager has been a catalyst for invention and that a space race is in progress to make contact. Voyager is also used as a catalyst for religion, music, art, and even children's toys. He tells the captain that his roommate, with whom he shared an apartment, even composed an aria about Voyager. He said the apartment was destroyed by a rival state's cannon shells when they started a war with the one he was in. The Doctor goes on to explain that the war was finished in six months when a new treaty was signed. He also informs Janeway that he has committed to memory the last three hundred years of geological data from the planet. Using The Doctor's data, the crew attempts an escape, but after only fifty meters of ascent, seismic activity increases and the exercise is aborted. In the meantime, a space capsule from the planet's surface reaches Voyager and its two-person crew find the crew in what appears to be some form of stasis; the time differential causes them to observe only microseconds passing on board the ship while they experience several minutes. When they reach the bridge, they witness Neelix in the middle of pouring Janeway some coffee and realize it is not stasis they are witnessing, but a time differential. Right after, they enter Voyager's time-frame and collapse, to the surprise of the bridge crew. Janeway immediately calls for medical emergency. In sickbay, The Doctor was able to save the pilot, Gotana-Retz, while the commander, Terrina, does not survive the transition. He notes that he is as good as Retz' family doctor and is as familiar with Retz's physiology as hers due to the time he spent on the planet. Retz is revived in sickbay in the company of Janeway and The Doctor. After hearing the news of his fallen comrade, he informs Janeway that he is beginning to understand the time differential between his world and Voyager. Janeway explains the difference in time to Retz in greater detail, to which he asks, "So you really haven't been watching us for centuries?" Captain Janeway replies "Actually, we just got here. And we're hoping you can help us find a way to leave." Later, Gotana-Retz meets with Janeway in her ready room. Retz realizes that everyone he knew when he left his planet is long dead. He tells the Captain Janeway that although he is an accomplished pilot, he lacks the courage of his associates and they made a mistake choosing him. Janeway disagrees, telling Retz that for someone whose life has been turned upside down, he is handling it well. Retz reminisces and tells Janeway that when he was a child lying in his crib, his first memory was not of his mother's face, but of the sky ship toy hanging above, and now he is the only one of his kind to know its true name: Voyager. It is obvious that he, much like the rest of his species, has always fantasized about what the sky ship is really like. Retz then wonders if Voyager will be the last thing he will ever see. The captain informs him that she has no intention of keeping him aboard, but warns that the longer he stays, the harder it could become for him to return home. Retz takes a moment to think about this and begins to sing in nostalgic reflection, "Star of the night, star of the day, come to take my tears away. Make my life always bright." As he trails off, he tells Janeway that it's a child's prayer to Voyager. The captain hopes that Retz is not too disappointed in discovering that Voyager is merely a starship. Retz replies, "How often does your very first dream come true?" And although every minute spent aboard means that months and even years pass on the surface he agrees to help the crew interpret The Doctor's data and find a way to break orbit. As Seven scans the surface she detects warp experimentation. Soon after, Voyager is being attacked by antimatter torpedoes and a tricobalt device. The weapons are soon causing major damage to Voyager's shields, so Janeway convinces Retz to go back to the planet to convince them they're not a threat. He agrees, and returns to his planet with Voyager's specifications, with Janeway hoping he can convince his planet's rulers to stop the attacks and help them leave orbit. Before the pilot leaves, The Doctor tells him that, when he was living on the planet, he had a son who was probably long dead by this point. He asks the pilot to contact the members of his son's family to tell them about him. The pilot asks how The Doctor could have a son, as he is a hologram, The Doctor just answers "it's a long story." After more attacks and a planet's year since the pilot returned, two ships appear next to Voyager and deploy a tractor beam to pull it clear. Using a temporal compensator invented on his planet, Gotana-Retz returns one last time to say goodbye before the sky ship leaves forever. Finally, Gotana-Retz, now an old man, sits on a hillside and gazes wistfully into the sky as the star that is Voyager winks out and vanishes. The hillside now overlooks a vast technological metropolis. 
<EOS>
The USS Voyager has picked up some Qomar to treat their injuries. The Qomar ship was damaged when Voyager's sensor scans disturbed its impulse engines. The Qomar are extremely rude to Voyager's crew whom they regard as intellectually inferior. While The Doctor tries to treat the Qomar's injuries, they are very dismissive and patronizing and even attempt to break into his program to shut off his vocal subroutines. He tells them that they're not authorized to do that and that they need to sit down so that he can treat them. Janeway appears in sick bay and patiently deals with her guests, who continue their condescending ways. While The Doctor begins their treatment he starts to sing the first verse of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". The Qomar (who are a race of somewhat shorter than average height) are immediately fascinated by The Doctor's singing which is something they have never heard before. They find it so intriguing, that they request him to sing some more. The Doctor amuses the Qomar by singing "Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah" and they listen on in utter amazement and admiration. Mostly they are intrigued by the mathematical aspects of the music and they do not understand what it is for. The Doctor explains that it is meant to convey emotions and that it's a form of entertainment. He is surprised to learn that this supposedly advanced race does not possess music of any kind. He informs them that many of Voyager's crew possess musical skills, though of course he is himself the most talented one. He offers the Qomar access to Voyager's musical database so that they can hear more of the vast musical selection available to the crew. Pleased by the offer, the Qomar ask The Doctor to sing more for them which of course appeals greatly to his vanity. Immensely intrigued by their new discovery of music, they invite Voyager to their system. In the Qomar system, the Voyager crew meets Prelate Koru, who appears on the viewscreen. While Janeway wants to discuss scieence and culture exchange, Koru impatiently interrupts her to focus on music. He wishes to hear The Doctor sing live. Captain Janeway suggests a show with several different types of music. During this recital, The Doctor sings a rendition of "Dio, che nell'alma infondere", a duet from the opera Don Carlos, composed by Giuseppe Verdi. His performance is a resounding success and he receives great applause from his crewmates but particularly from the Qomar. The Doctor then announces the next act: the jazz band Harry Kim and the Kimtones. They begin playing a instrumental version of "That Old Black Magic". However, the Qomar aren't interested in hearing them play. They begin disrupting the performance by yelling that they only want to hear The Doctor sing. Tom Paris urges The Doctor to help Kim and the band out, which he does by quickly jumping on stage. He instructs the band to pick up the tempo and starts singing the lyrics of the song. This pleases the Qomar greatly and they start enjoying the swinging music. After the recital, there is a reception. Again, the Qomar only seem interested in the singing of The Doctor. Paris extols the merits of rock and roll, but upon learning that The Doctor doesn't sing that style, a Qomar guest walks away. A young Qomar woman recognizes Harry Kim as a musician and approaches him, but it quickly becomes apparent that it is only because she thinks he might introduce her to The Doctor. Captain Janeway congratulates The Doctor on his performance. The Prelate then invites The Doctor to perform on the planet so that the rest of the Qomar homeworld can enjoy this newly discovered music. The Doctor is greatly flattered by the offer and instructs the Prelate to arrange the details with his "representative" Captain Janeway. She is already seeing that all this attention is beginning to go to The Doctor's head but she agrees to the performance. The Doctor asks B'Elanna Torres to reprogram his mobile emitter so that he can change appearance quickly in between acts. She snorts at his arrogance but agrees to make the modifications. Tincoo, one of the Qomar, says that she believes the crew don't seem to appreciate him very much. The Doctor of course agrees and laments his own self-perceived plight of being under-appreciated. Torres feels he is exaggerating and being extremely arrogant, especially when he tells Tincoo that in order for his performance to be fully appreciated the lecture hall where his performance is scheduled to take place will need to be entirely restructured, for better acoustics. The Doctor goes on and even insults Torres by saying that her knowledge of music goes no further than a smattering of Klingon drinking songs. The Qomar, on the other hand, will do anything to please their new idol and agree to rebuild the lecture hall's structure. Just before the concert, The Doctor is starting to feel nervous because he feels pressured by having the great responsibility of being the first person to expose the Qomar to music. He speaks to Tincoo about it, and she makes him feel even more nervous at first by saying that the performance is being broadcast to hundreds of millions of Qomar. But she eases his fears just before he goes on stage by expressing her confidence and great appreciation of him. The performance is a resounding success even before it starts with the Qomar giving The Doctor a standing ovation even before he begins to sing. The applause and admiration give The Doctor's ego an enormous boost and he revels in the attention. After the performance, everyone is back on board Voyager and the troubles with The Doctor's growing fame among the Qomar are starting to arise. Seven of Nine issues a red alert from astrometrics because she believes the Qomar are trying to sabotage Voyager's comm system. When Janeway arrives in astrometrics, Seven tells her that the Qomar are trying to overload the comm system by flooding it with millions of teraquads of irrelevant information. After realizing that all the information the Qomar are transmitting to Voyager is all addressed to The Doctor and that it is actually just fan mail, Janeway cancels the red alert. She explains to Seven the concept of fans and is a little amused by the whole thing. However, Janeway's amusement at the situation quickly fades when Tuvok calls her to address another problem. Hundreds of Qomar fans of The Doctor are swarming the ship and are interfering with normal ship functions. The Captain agrees with Tuvok that they should disallow any further Qomar visits and beam those already aboard back to the planet as soon as possible. The next thing that Janeway sees is going on with The Doctor really disturbs her. Apparently The Doctor is signing autographs in the mess hall and handing out miniature singing holograms of himself. He's even entertaining the Qomar by singing the duet Dio, che nell'alma infondere with one of the miniature holograms. The captain cuts in line to speak to The Doctor and he tells her to wait her turn if she wants an autograph. Angered by his enormous ego she tells him she needs to speak to him. She informs him that this whole thing is getting out of hand and that he shouldn't have used valuable replicator reserves to make souvenirs of himself. The Doctor then informs her that he did no such thing and that they were actually made on Qomar. Apparently they've devoted an entire holo processing plant to producing them. However the captain says that things are still getting far out of hand. For instance, she tells him that he's been neglecting his duties in sickbay and that he's getting behind on his reports. He then tells her that none of it is that important and he even goes so far of calling her by her first name. This irks Janeway to no end. He's getting far too familiar with her and becoming negligent in his duties and disrespectful of her and the crew. She sternly orders him to resume his duties in sickbay. The Doctor does realize he went a little too far with Janeway and returns to his regular duties. But when he arrives in sickbay he finds Paris attending to two young Qomar ladies. They say that they became faint and overwhelmed while waiting in line for The Doctor. The Doctor dismisses Paris and begins examining the young women. He finds nothing wrong with them and they admit that they faked illness to get into a more private situation with him. They become harassing and refuse to leave him alone. Desperate, The Doctor calls for security and even deactivates himself to get away from the overly-insistent women. Later, The Doctor is working on the surface of planet. He runs into Tincoo and tells her that he came down to get some peace and quiet. She surprises him with a musical piece she has written in his honor. Immensely flattered and impressed, he reads it over. It is enormously complex and an amazing piece of work for someone who has only been aware of music for a few days. She requests that he sing it in his performance tomorrow, but he explains that he doesn't believe he can. It is too complex and beyond his vocal range, which is that of a normal humanoid. Tincoo is puzzled and tells him that since he is not Human he could easily be reprogrammed to expand his vocal range. She even offers to help him with it, but he doesn't believe they have enough time, since his final performance is the day after. She then tells him that it doesn't have to be his last performance. He can stay on Qomar where his talents will be far more appreciated. He is tempted, but feels he cannot forget his duties on Voyager. She reasons that his duties on Voyager pale in comparison to the cultural enlightenment of the millions of Qomar. He still doesn't want to leave Voyager but then Tincoo says that she personally wants him to stay: "What about the simplest equation of them all: one plus one?". That she feels her time with him has been the most stimulating of her life. The Doctor feels the same way and thinks she genuinely has feelings for him. This seals the deal for him. He wants to stay. Back on Voyager, The Doctor informs the captain that he wishes to resign his commission. At first she refuses, saying that he can't neglect his duties like that and that Voyager needs him more than the Qomar. When he says that they'll adapt to the situation, the discussion moves to the fact that he is a system of the ship. They argue about his rights as an individual and that he's not merely a piece of equipment. The Doctor suggests that if (for example) Harry Kim fell in love with an alien woman and wanted to stay with her, abandoning Voyager, there would be no question he would not be denied. Finally, as his friend, the captain reluctantly agrees to his request, after he informs her that there's a woman involved. The Doctor begins settling his affairs on Voyager by telling Paris what his duties will be now that he's Voyager's chief medical officer. Paris tells The Doctor he can handle things in sick bay, but that he doesn't want him to leave. Who will he torment after he's gone? The Doctor then goes to see Seven of Nine. He wants to say goodbye and give her some more social lessons to study after he's gone. She is angry with him. She doesn't want to lose her friend and mentor. He tells her he wants to grow as an individual and that he'll be loved and appreciated on Qomar more than he ever was on Voyager. Seven accuses him of abandoning his friends because he desires fame and attention (similar to an argument the Captain had made). He admits to wanting those things but if those are the things he wants then why shouldn't he try to attain them. Seven considers such things as applause and fan mail irrelevant and says she simply doesn't want to lose her friend to a mere fad. The Doctor wishes her to understand better but doesn't get the opportunity to talk things through when a call comes through for him. It is Tincoo, and she asks The Doctor to join her on the surface, telling him she has a surprise. He agrees to beam down and then turns to Seven to say goodbye, but she simply dismisses him by saying that he shouldn't keep his fans waiting. He is hurt by her words and silently leaves, leaving a distraught Seven behind. On the surface Tincoo tells The Doctor that she had an inspiration. At first he thinks she's made another composition, but it turns out to be a new holographic matrix. She informs The Doctor that it will solve all their problems. The Doctor asks what problems she is referring to and she says that this program will allow him to stay on Voyager since he was reluctant to leave, and that the program is far superior to him in musical abilities, so that it can do what The Doctor struggled to even try. It is capable of singing any musical piece no matter how complex. Tincoo brings her re-creation of The Doctor (with slightly modified facial features to look more like the natives) online to demonstrate, but The Doctor shuts down the program, and suggests to Tincoo that singing is more than mathematics and complex subroutines; that it needs soul and artistry, experience and passion. She simply states that she has duplicated that too, that she has created "a far more sophisticated piece of technology". The Doctor is very hurt, realizing that she had no real feelings for him and that she would settle for any copy of The Doctor and discard the old one for the newest version. Tincoo is genuinely puzzled; she has no idea how much she hurt The Doctor's feelings. Hurt, almost desperate, The Doctor returns to Voyager where he attempts to upgrade his own program so that the Qomar and especially Tincoo would still want him. He doesn't have much luck as he continues to struggle with singing Tincoo's composition. He calls Torres to help him, appearing desperate. He needs her access codes so that he can erase his medical database. She asks why he would want to do such a thing and he explains the situation a little bit to her. At first she's a little dismissive because of his earlier insults regarding her lack of interest in music. The Doctor confides what happened with Tincoo, and Torres discusses the problem with him. Torres confirms that she can reprogram him to be anything he wants, even to be a whistling teapot, but then he really wouldn't be himself anymore, would he? Her words strike a chord with him and he realizes that she's right. At his performance that evening he tells the crowd of Qomar that he isn't advanced enough to sing Tincoo's composition, much to their disappointment, and that this will be his goodbye show. Instead, he sings an old Neapolitan ballad about lost love called "Rondine al nido", which moves Janeway to tears, but generally meets with only polite applause from the Qomar. He then gives way to Tincoo, who calls his performance "fascinating" and then proudly announces the new and "improved" musical hologram that will sing her own musical piece. The new hologram takes the stage and begins singing Tincoo's work. It is bizarre and sounds terrible to the Voyager crew, but the Qomar love it because it is technically more sophisticated. If anything, it shows that the Qomar still have no true understanding of the real meaning of music; that it doesn't revolve around algorithms, binary syntax, and quadratic equations, but around emotions, artistry, and soul. Voyager leaves the Qomar system and continues on its journey back to the Alpha Quadrant. The Doctor, embarrassed and ashamed, goes to Captain Janeway and requests to be allowed to resume his duties. Janeway allows him to return but tells him that his actions insulted a lot of people on Voyager. The Doctor, finally now aware of just how foolish he'd been acting, apologizes for his recent behavior and requests permission to delete his musical subroutines. Janeway denies this and orders him to resume all his regular activities. The Doctor returns to his duties. He listens to one of his mini holograms singing and then throws it into the trash, almost hitting Seven in the process. He apologizes and says he hadn't seen her enter. She tells him she has another piece of fan mail to deliver to him. He tells her to delete it. She refuses to comply and begins to read it to him. The letter describes the feelings of a fan who is saddened by the fact that his last performance wasn't the success he had hoped for. But, there are still fans who still appreciate his unique talents and admire him as an individual, and they'll always consider themselves as a loyal fan. The letter cheers him up a bit and when he asks who it is from she tells him that the letter is hers. She gives him the letter and leaves and he reads over it again, deeply warmed by her heartfelt words. He then gets back to work and softly starts singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" to himself again. 
<EOS>
She replicates popcorn and beer to complete the mood but notices that he is not paying attention. He has become completely engrossed in what is showing. Chagrined, Torres leaves him be. Time passes. Torres falls asleep on the couch. Paris continues watching television. A war scene comes on. He watches raptly, but then he sees something very strange: the combatants are using energy weapons. Then, suddenly, he sees himself on screen, taking part in the fighting. Paris stares in great alarm. He watches himself running through a wood, ducking fire and returning it. Then, to his horror, he finds himself actually in the battle, instead of watching an image of himself in it on the TV. Hands shake him and a voice calls him concernedly. He finds himself safely back in his quarters, Torres looking at him worriedly. He tells her about what happened, saying that he must have fallen asleep and dreamed. But, he notes tensely, it was the most vivid dream he has ever had. She concernedly suggests going back to cartoons, but, very shaken, he declines; he has had enough TV for one day. He turns it off. Ensign Kim is working alone in a Jefferies tube. Suddenly he starts to hear sounds of war; the screams and shouts of fighting, dying men, and the whine of energy weapons. He looks around in alarm. The Jefferies tube begins to stretch to eternity. He gets dizzy, and very frightened. He scrabbles desperately to a hatch, the sounds of war now deafening. He crawls out. The sounds fade away. He leans against a wall, hyperventilating. He immediately goes to the sickbay and reports the occurrence to The Doctor, who examines him. The Doctor diagnoses it as an anxiety attack, brought on by tiredness from the away mission. He orders him to take two days off to rest and recover. In the mess hall galley, Neelix is preparing meals for the crew. But he looks extremely uneasy; he is sweating, and his face has a haunted look. When he hears a teapot on the stove start to whistle, he almost jumps out of his skin, holding a knife up defensively. Seeing that it is nothing, he returns to work, but does not calm down. Naomi Wildman enters. Neelix dotes upon her, but he is in no mood for anyone's company. She greets him and informs him that she needs to build a tetragon from ordinary materials for her geometry class. Neelix tries his best to listen and be appreciative, but struggles greatly at it. When Naomi lifts a lid off a pot to see what is cooking, and burns her hand a bit, Neelix immediately overreacts, checking her and almost screaming that she needs medical attention. He then shouts at Naomi to get down and behind her, as if they are under attack. A bloody battle is seen occurring at night in a forest. The whine and flash of energy weapons is heard and seen. But it appears to be a dream; Chakotay is seen asleep in bed in his quarters, albeit restlessly, tossing and turning. In the dream, he tries to get the other soldiers to stop firing, but fails. He goes to see the commander, whom he calls by his name, Saavdra, as if he knows him. He enters the base camp and finds him. He angrily remonstrates with him about what they, himself included, are doing: their enemies are not soldiers; they are, in fact, civilians in a settlement Saavdra, he and the soldiers are supposed to be evacuating. Instead, they are slaughtering them. Saavdra, however, retorts that they had weapons and were firing on the soldiers, and thus the soldiers have no choice. Suddenly he wakes up, drenched with sweat, hyperventilating. He responds to a repeated hail by Lt. Commander Tuvok informing him of a "security breach in the mess hall". Neelix is crouched behind the counter. A frightened, uncomprehending Naomi Wildman is held firmly in his grasp in a protective manner, while he fires at the officers with a phaser, shouting that he will not let them hurt her. Tuvok tries to talk him into standing down, but Neelix will not hear it. Chakotay arrives. Tuvok explains that Neelix is apparently hallucinating. Neelix repeats his defiance, shouting that he will only calm down once "Saavdra calls off his attack." On hearing this name, Chakotay realizes that what he experienced was not merely a dream, and Neelix is experiencing it as well. he assures Neelix that Saavdra has indeed called off the attack, and finally succeeds in getting him to stand down. Both head immediately to sickbay. Neelix lies anesthetized in sickbay. Captain Kathryn Janeway is present. The Doctor reports to her and Chakotay that Neelix is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Chakotay tells The Doctor of his dream, and informs them that Neelix appeared to be reliving those same bloody events. This causes The Doctor grave concern. He informs them of Ensign Kim's earlier visit for an anxiety attack. Chakotay says that nothing irregular happened during the mission. However, The Doctor quickly scans him with a medical tricorder, and begs to differ: what Chakotay experienced in his sleep was not a dream; it was, in fact, a memory. Janeway surmises that they could have been abducted and brainwashed. She decides that the best place to start understanding what is happening is with retracing the mission. She orders Chakotay to minutely review the Delta Flyer's sensor logs. In the briefing room Chakotay, Paris, Kim and Neelix discuss the memories with Captain Janeway. They each recall the memory, telling her what happened: they were, so it seems, members of a military unit that was assigned to evacuate a civilian population of a people called the Nakans. Saavdra was the commander of the unit. The events are seen unfolding, with all four of the men supposedly present. The soldiers are tired, the civilians passively hostile. As they round them up in a clearing in a forest, they realize that some are missing. These missing ones begin firing at them from the trees. The soldiers begin firing indiscriminately, killing the civilians. Men, women and children are seen getting shot as they run, crying out in pain and terror before falling dead. Neelix tries to save some of the children, but they run away from him. Kim, overwhelmed, runs away himself, into a cave and finds a couple hiding there, unarmed. They beg him to spare their lives. He threatens them, telling them that he will only do so if they show him the way out. They do, and he moves to leave. Then he sees the man reaching for something. In a panic, Kim raises his weapon and fires on them both. In the briefing room, Kim watches his hands in horror. Tears are on the verge of running down his face. Paris and Chakotay try to calm him down, but he is inconsolable. He is finally taken to sickbay as Janeway watches in shock. Her shock changes to abject horror as Chakotay informs her of the exact thing that they 'did' that night. They massacred the civilians; all 82 of them. Paris lies on the couch in his quarters, haunted by the horrific memories of the massacre. Torres comes to see him, and tries to comfort him, telling him that there is no evidence that these memories are actually his. But he refuses to be comforted, and, unable to deal with anyone, including her, he angrily sends her away. In astrometrics, Captain Janeway and Chakotay are reviewing the Flyer's sensor logs. Assisting them is Seven of Nine. They peruse images of planets scanned, surveyed and visited, along with aliens met, including one Bathar, who tried to sell them a formula that would supposedly stop aging. But then a new image stops her snickering. A flash of violent memory passes through her mind. She recognizes the planet. She names it: Tarakis. She is seen on the planet as a member of the military unit that committed the massacre of the Nakans. Bodies are being piled up. Soldiers are fanning out, looking for survivors, not to transport them but to kill them. Saavdra has ordered the entire thing covered up, and the soldiers are going along with it. They want to kill all witnesses. Hearing weapons fire, Janeway goes toward the sound. She finds Saavdra supervising the vaporization of the bodies. She is shocked and horrified beyond measure, and tries to get them to stop. Saavdra orders her not to interfere. Consumed with rage and guilt, at both at herself and the other soldiers, she screams at him that trying to cover up the massacre makes their actions doubly wrong. Saavdra angrily orders her to stand aside, insisting that it was self defense, but others would not understand. She tries to appeal to the soldiers, but they agree with Saavdra. They raise their weapons at her. Furiously and helplessly, she withdraws. She wakes up hyperventilating in the mess hall. The room is dark. Lines after lines of cots are there, each with a crewmember, broken by the strain of dealing with these horrific memories, and the guilt of seemingly being a part of what happened. Tuvok informs her that 39 crewmembers have joined Chakotay, Paris, Kim and Neelix in the experience. The entire crew is beginning to be affected. Janeway realizes that the situation is now critical and that her crew is being incapacitated. Janeway's memory of the atrocity includes the location of the planet where it was committed. She orders Tuvok to set a course to it. Seven speaks to a despondent Neelix, after bringing him a plate of his favorite food. He is very worried that Naomi Wildman is now afraid of him, and refuses it. Then, however, he asks her how she deals with her guilt over the atrocities she committed as a Borg drone, seeking a way to cope with his guilt over the massacre. She responds that her remorse helps her remember what she did, so that she does not ever do anything like it again. Guilt, she muses, can be a difficult, but useful emotion. He thinks about what she has said, which lifts his spirit a little. He starts to eat the food. Voyager is seen approaching Tarakis. Tuvok scans the planet and reports there that there are no life signs. But, acting upon Janeway's order to run a full spectral scan, Tuvok reports the presence of a power signature. Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok, Ensigns Paris and Kim, a security officer, beam down to the planet, in the general vicinity of the power signature. The senior officers remark that, though the place looks very familiar, it does not look like the horrific killing zone they remember. They break into groups and begin searching. Tuvok, Paris, Kim and the security officer find the cave where Kim remembers killing the couple. Meanwhile, Janeway and Chakotay detect the power signature, and head in its direction. Tuvok, Paris, Kim and the security officer reach the cave. As soon as he sees it, Kim begins to hyperventilate, his face flushed with fear. Tuvok orders Paris and the security officer to stand guard at the mouth, and he and Kim enter. As they go deeper inside, Kim struggles to keep down his panic; he is terrified that he will find that he had indeed murdered the couple. When they reach the cavern, they find the skeletons of the victims. Tuvok's scans reveal that they died over 300 years ago. Thus Kim was not responsible. His relief is palpable. Janeway and Chakotay close in on the power signature. They enter an open, grassy field and find it: a towering monument. Atop it is a yellow globe that pulses weakly. One side of the base is covered with writing. Janeway remarks that they have found their war. In astrometrics, Seven scans the monument. She finds that the structure contains a synaptic transmitter, powerful enough to permeate the entire star system the planet is in with neurogenic pulses. These pulses transmit vivid visions of the Nakan massacre into the minds of anyone within range of the transmitter. Thus anyone who enters the system experiences the visions as if they were their own memories; they remember the massacre as if they participated in it. Chakotay has Seven translate the writing found on the base. It speaks of mere words neither being enough to convey the horror of what happened, nor enough to prevent it being repeated. Actual experience of it is necessary. Janeway realizes that the monument is a Memorial to the massacre. But this Memorial does more than simply bear testament to the massacre, Chakotay notes with anger; it thrusts unsuspecting innocents into the horror, making then feel as if they were actually a part of it. Janeway muses that perhaps that is the point of it, to leave an indelible memory of what befell these people with passers-by. But the monument is losing power and will soon shut down. She decides that, given that the entire crew was affected, she cannot make that decision without hearing their input. She calls a meeting of the senior staff to discuss it. At the meeting, Chakotay, Paris and Kim argue that it should be shut down. No-one should be forced to relive a tragedy that they were not a part of. But, surprisingly, Neelix, who was most traumatized by the effect, is against shutting it down. He himself was a victim of a massacre; his family and the entire population of his people on his birthplace of Rinax were killed in a war by a weapon of mass destruction. He thus understands fully why the monument was made and given this power, and is very much in favor of keeping it running, to ensure the victims' story is never forgotten. The argument becomes very heated. Chakotay, Paris and Kim demand of Neelix why innocents should experience an atrocity they did not commit. Neelix responds with equal vehemence that that is how people will learn not to let such a thing happen. Tuvok counters that the logical thing to do is shut it down, given the danger it poses, but Neelix angrily insists that logic is irrelevant here. Captain Janeway listens to both sides, and comes to a decision: throughout history, she tells them, monuments have been built in memoriam of tragedies. These Memorials are honored, as this one should be. They will not shut it down, nor will they leave it to run out of power. Chakotay tries to argue, but she sternly makes it clear that the discussion is closed. However, the concerns about its effects on unsuspecting crews is valid. Therefore, she decides, after repairing the power to the transmitter, they will place a warning beacon in orbit around the planet, so that anyone who approaches the system will be informed of what to expect before they enter the transmitter's range. With one more somber look at the monument, they beam back to the ship. The monument's orb, formerly pulsing, begins to glow with a steady light as its power transmitter returns to full function, transmitting its signal and the lesson it was designed to teach. 
<EOS>
A raucous, cheering audience is gathered in an arena. The composition of the audience varies: there are aliens of many different races, as well as a peppering of Humans in Starfleet uniforms. Blue and green lights flash, driving music plays. As the audience cheers, a door opens on one side of the arena. Out steps a lean humanoid alien man, dressed in a skintight outfit. The crowd reacts, some with cheers, others with boos, as he raises his arms, accepting whatever adulation he gets. He fixes his eyes on the opposite door, ready for whoever comes out. From the opposite door steps a Hirogen man, also dressed in tights. There are no boos for him, only cheers. But he shows no notice, instead focusing his full attention on his opponent, making on his forehead the symbolic mark of the hunt. A bell sounds. The combatants close on each other, circling. On their hands are gloves with glowing pads. Their footwear has the same pads, and circular discs are on their chests. They engage each other in a flurry of kicks, punches, feints and dodges. The alien puts up a good fight, but the Hirogen prevails, knocking him out. The crowd erupts into cheers of "Tsunkat! Tsunkat! Tsunkat!" Now the Hirogen acknowledges the crowd, raising his arm in victory. Among those applauding are the USS Voyager's first officer and chief engineer. Voyager is in orbit of Norcadia Prime. Captain Kathryn Janeway, her commanding officer, walks down one of the ship's corridors, accompanied by First Officer Commander Chakotay. She is off on a visit to the nearby Pendari system, while her crew takes shore leave on Norcadia Prime. She issues him some final instructions before taking leave of him and heading for the shuttlebay. As Chakotay continues along the corridor, he encounters Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres. They discuss an upcoming match of the type they saw earlier. Heading into the mess hall, they are horrified to see Neelix cooking a most unappetizing-looking bright yellow gel. They fervently hope that it is not going to be served as lunch. Neelix turns to face them, half of his face severely sun-burned, and painfully explains that it is leola root skin ointment to treat the burns. In his excitement to visit one of Norcadia Prime's exquisite beaches, he forgot to take an injection of dermaline, a drug to prevent sunburn, and, unfortunately, fell asleep under the planet's twin suns. The two officers sympathize with him, but Neelix prefers not to have them bring down their spirits by feeling sorry for him, so he turns their attention to how they are spending their shore leave. They tell him about the fights they have been attending on the planet's surface, referring to them as Tsunkatse matches. They describe the sport to the intrigued Talaxian as a "test of strength and agility", and invite him to the matches scheduled for that "afternoon". Having overheard them, Seven of Nine and Lt. Commander Tuvok, chief tactical officer and security chief, respectively, come over from where they were sitting. Seven voices her opinion of the sport as "crude and pointless". Torres, for the umpteenth time annoyed by the former drone's demeanor, contains her ire and merely responds that they will then "not be saving you a seat". Chakotay, knowing Tuvok's interest in martial arts, invites him. But he responds that he and Seven have plans to take a shuttle out to study a nearby micro-nebula. This surprises Neelix and the first two officers: an away mission on shore leave? Seven haughtily responds that she and Tuvok do not require recreation. Again, Torres is put off by her attitude. She makes a snide comment about the Borg not knowing fun and leaves. Chakotay grants them permission to go, but with an injunction that they at least try to have some fun, before leaving as well. Seven and Tuvok go to get ready, and Neelix, stiffly because of his physical discomfort, returns to his cooking. When Seven comes to, she finds herself on a bunk in a room looking like a barracks. Others are present, dressed in Tsunkatse combat outfits. Some mill about, others lightly spar with each other. One of those present is the Hirogen fighter, who stands on the other side of the room, watching her closely. She is scanned by a shifty-looking man with a Fu Manchu mustache. The man notes with approval her Borg-enhanced physiology. She sits up, alarmed. The man welcomes her "to Tsunkatse", commenting that the sport has never before had a drone competing, and that she will be very popular. Seven watches him warily. Seven demands Tuvok's location from the Norcadian. He blithely responds that he was injured in the explosion. She angrily demands to see him. He happily agrees and dispatches two guards to go and bring him. He soothingly tells her nothing is more important to him than the comfort and happiness of his fighters. The Hirogen listens. "Yes," he comments sarcastically, with a laugh. "Penk's generosity is legendary." This evokes laughter from the others as well. All now have their attention on Seven. Annoyed, Penk orders them to be silent. Seven flatly refuses to participate. The guards return with Tuvok. His condition is severe: his uniform is charred and his skin is badly burned. Seven angrily demands medical attention for him. "Will you fight?" Penk counters. Tuvok, in a pained voice, advises her not to comply, as his condition is not severe; obviously he is trying to protect her. Penk, seeing this, turns up the pressure by musing that he will put Tuvok in a "red match" to reward his bravery. As he watches Seven intently, the Hirogen informs her that a "red match" is a fight to the death, and states the obvious: Tuvok would not survive. But, Penk adds, she might. The Hirogen, however, seems to have taken an interest in her; he suggests to Penk that he put her in a "blue match" instead, as it is her first time, and he, Penk, would not want to lose her so soon, favoring her because of her Borg enhancements. Penk considers, and then agrees. Left with no choice, Seven acquiesces: she will comply if he treats Tuvok. With a silky, shark-like smile, Penk agrees. On Voyager, in the mess hall, Torres, Chakotay, Ensign Tom Paris, and Ensign Harry Kim discuss their favorites for the upcoming Tsunkatse matches for that "afternoon". Chakotay and Torres then leave, continuing the discussion between them. Torres, however, is unpleasantly surprised when Chakotay informs her that he has rearranged the duty shifts so that she has the bridge for that period. Outraged, but keeping it in check, as Chakotay is the first officer, she accuses him of sticking her with that shift so he could go. He does not deny it, responding that, as an anthropologist, it is necessary for him to be there to study Tsunkatse as a cultural phenomenon. He reminds her of her advice to him to delegate responsibilities more while in command. He takes leave of her, and she stands fuming quietly, before herself walking off. In sickbay, Neelix is being treated by The Doctor, the holographic chief medical officer, for an allergic reaction to his homeopathic sunburn treatment; the area where he has been applying his leola root ointment is blistered. The Doctor voices a hope that he has learned his lesson: Talaxian homeopathy is no substitute for medical science. He gives him a hypospray injection for the swelling and discoloration, and instructs him to stay out of the sun next time he goes down to the planet. Neelix expresses concern about how this will affect rest of his shore leave. The Doctor responds that he should limit it to indoor activities. Neelix muses aloud that he should therefore accept Chakotay's and Torres' invitation to attend the scheduled Tsunkatse matches they spoke about. The Doctor voices his disapproval in no uncertain terms, telling Neelix he is disappointed in him for even considering viewing this "barbaric" activity where people cheer for one individual to possibly seriously injure another. Surely, he suggests, he can find something other than "alien fisticuffs". Neelix asks him for an alternative. He happily responds that there is a beetle larvae exhibit at the Norcadian Museum of Entomology. He is planning to visit it. He invites Neelix along. Neelix makes a show of sarcastically weighing the options. "Hmmm" he "muses" aloud. "Alien bugs, or alien fisticuffs. Oh, that's a tough one," he finishes, leaving. His choice is seen. He is at one of the Tsunkatse matches, cheering and shouting "Tsunkat! Tsunkat!" along with Chakotay and Ensigns Paris and Kim. This time, the combatants are two humanoid alien women. As one of them wins, knocking out the other, Chakotay explains the rules to Neelix. Each fighter wears polaron disruptors on his or her hands and feet (the glowing pads on their gloves and footwear). These disruptors emit a charge into the opponent on contact with one of the opponent's target sensors (one of which is the circular disc on the chest). The object is to attack the opponent's sensors without exposing his or her own. Paris urges them to quit talking and concentrate on enjoying the fights. They all settle down to do just that as the driving fanfare swells again. They look expectantly at the arena pit's entrance doors, awaiting the entrances of the next combatants. One of the doors opens, and one of the combatants steps out. He is a tall, well-built Pendari man. Looking extremely confident, he acknowledges the crowd with a single, raised eyebrow. Kim, Paris, and Chakotay comment to Neelix on the great strength of the Pendari; this should be a very entertaining match. They eagerly look to the other door, awaiting the entrance of his opponents. The door opens and the opponent steps out. Their enjoyment, and that of all the other Voyager crewmembers in attendance however, morphs into abject shock when they see, stepping out and standing uncertainly, facing the Pendari, the lithe form of a very familiar female former Borg drone. Seven and the Pendari circle each other slowly. Chakotay, Neelix, Kim, and Paris desperately call out to her, but to no avail; they apparently cannot make themselves heard over the crowd. As they circle, the Pendari registers his disgust, disdainfully comparing her in size to a Tarkanian field mouse. Penk, he tells her, insults him by putting her to face him. Seven coldly warns him of her superior, Borg-enhanced strength. "I'm trembling." he responds sarcastically, and launches an attack which knocks Seven down. In the audience, Chakotay, Kim, and Paris continue trying get her attention, yelling her name at the top of their lungs, but eventually give up, seeing that it is futile. Seven assures the Pendari, Borg-style, that resistance is futile. He is unimpressed. "So is all your talk," he responds, and swings at her. She dodges, but then he floors her again with a kick to the chest. Chakotay hails Voyager and informs Torres of what is happening. She cannot believe her ears. Chakotay orders her to beam Seven out. As she hurries to a console, Seven actually begins landing some blows herself, causing the Pendari to stumble with a well-placed punch to the face. Chakotay, Kim, and Paris watch with agitation. Seven lands two kicks on the Pendari's chest target sensor, knocking him to his knees with pain. She tells him she has no desire to harm him further. But he has no such qualms about her, and rises with a lunging "clothesline" that floors her hard. She jumps to her feet and kicks him in the face. He responds with a backhanded blow to hers that again knocks her down. Torres hails Chakotay and reports, inexplicably, that she has locked the transporter onto the pit's coordinates, but the sensors say Seven is not there. Chakotay responds that he is looking right at her. Not according to the sensors, Torres insists. Kim suggests that perhaps her life signs are being masked. Chakotay orders Torres to try recalibrating the sensors to compensate. The fight continues, but something strange happens: she and the Pendari briefly fizzle as if they are not flesh and blood, but images. Torres reports that the only readings the transporters are getting are photonic. The officers immediately know what it means: they are, in fact, holograms, which means that the sensors were correct: Seven is indeed at another location. This is confirmed: the fight is seen continuing, but with no audience except Penk and his guards, watching from a window high up. It is being transmitted via hologram to the arena. An alarms sounds, informing Penk of the disruption of the transmission. He orders compensatory measures. The guards obey. Meanwhile, Seven manages to floor the Pendari again. She then charges at him. He does not rise, dazed from her blow. She leans over him, her arm raised to knock him out with a direct blow to his chest sensor. But she hesitates. He recovers and kicks her in her abdomen, then strikes her in the face. He stands at her side, facing opposite to her, and locks his arm across her throat and other shoulder. He then dazes her with a sharp blow to the sensor on her back, and then, using his full strength, lifts her up with his locked arm and falls forward, bring her over and down on her back, very hard. This all but knocks her out; he then finishes the job with a punch to her chest sensor. He rises and looks around as if looking around at the audience, while they loudly begin the "Tsunkat!" chant. But, this time, the Voyager crewmembers do not join them. Seeing there is nothing they can do, Chakotay, Kim, and Paris beam back up, concerned looks on their faces as they behold Seven's prostrate, unconscious form. Captain Janeway's shuttle is seen at maximum warp. Chakotay has contacted her and informed her of the situation, and she is returning immediately. She receives a full report from him and Torres via viewscreen. Kim and Paris are at their stations on the bridge, looking on concernedly. Chakotay and Torres report that they are having difficulty tracing the transmission, as it is being sent to every planet in the sector; it could take days to locate Seven and Tuvok. Neelix, they continue, is meeting with a group of Norcadian officials, using diplomatic channels to try to find them. Janeway responds that she will be there in 48 hours. Seven, bruised but otherwise unharmed, wakes up back in the Tsunkatse barracks to find the Hirogen passing a dermal regenerator over her. She shrinks from him defensively, and tells him to use it on Tuvok. He responds that he already has. He congratulates her on her performance, noting that she would have defeated the Pendari were it not for her hesitation in delivering the final blow; in Hirogen terms, she questioned her desire to destroy her prey. He tells her with proper training, she could be a champion. Seven is not in the least interested, responding that her only goal is to survive. The Hirogen gravely tells her that there is no difference between a survivor and a champion there. Penk enters with his guards. He is most pleased with her for losing; the sight of a Borg drone getting beaten up in the pit was a major attraction; his audiences were much larger than usual. He has every intention of taking further advantage of that; he has scheduled a "red match" for the day after the next, and, he informs her, she will be in it. Penk leaves with his guards, but not before inviting her to imagine how many will pay to see her die, if so many paid just to see her hurt. Seven notes the difficulty of her predicament. But the Hirogen tells her confidently she will win; he is going to train her. She reiterates her resolve not to kill anyone. The Hirogen levelly tells her to consider the alternative. She does, looking at Tuvok, and realizes that, if they are to survive long enough to be rescued, she has no choice. "Teach me," she responds determinedly. The Hirogen begins training Seven. At first, she goes by the book: the Book of Tsunkatse, a manual on the various maneuvers, attacks and defenses, which Tuvok had borrowed from one of the other fighters. But the Hirogen quickly shows her the folly of that. Tsunkatse, he tells her, must be lived and felt in the heart; it cannot be assimilated from a book. Her movements must be instinctual. She learns this important lesson. He also teaches her another one: Never to empathize with her opponent, her prey, as he puts it. She learns this lesson as well, and her training resumes. Neelix beams back to Voyager after speaking with the Norcadian ambassador. His report to Chakotay is not heartening: the Norcadians, he tells him sarcastically, showed great outrage at the possibility that off-worlders were being forced to fight. But, he continues, it was not genuine; according to a Pendari delegate, much of the planet's revenue comes from Tsunkatse, and thus the Norcadian government will do nothing to jeopardize it, despite the illegal and immoral recruitment tactics. Therefore, he finishes, they will not be of any help finding Seven and Tuvok. They go to astrometrics, where Kim and Torres report that the transmissions are actually coming from a ship. But, they soberly report, the ship is very large, very well-armed, and very well-armored; it is more than a match for Voyager. Chakotay determinedly voices the old adage "the bigger they come". He orders the coordinates be sent to Captain Janeway, in the hope that she could provide assistance. On Penk's ship, in the Tsunkatse barracks, Seven completes her training. She is extremely focused and fast, her strikes precise, her balance and coordination finely-honed. The Hirogen, looking at her in approval, asks her what she sees when she looks at her opponent. "My prey," she hisses. And, he continues, what will she do to her prey? "Hunt it down and kill it," she snarls. The Hirogen pronounces her ready, and instructs her to rest before the match. She thanks him. He responds that she should thank him by winning, then leaves her. She goes over to Tuvok, who, thanks to the Hirogen's treatment with the dermal regenerator, is up and about. She finds him trying to disable the ship's shields and dampening field from a panel he has opened. It is no use. He re-covers the panel and asks about her training. She responds that the Hirogen has taught her well. But the cold-hearted fierceness she displayed earlier evaporates. She is extremely worried about what she may do in the pit, such as actually killing her opponent. He exhorts her to do what is necessary to survive, until they are rescued. Then Penk and his guards come for her. The Hirogen watches them go with resignation. In the pit, she enters, ready for her fight, ready to face whatever is coming. Then the other door opens, and her opponent comes out. The moment she sees who it is, her face registers her shock. It is the Hirogen. Seven and the Hirogen circle each other. Her sense of betrayal comes at him in a bitter accusation. "You knew," she tells him coldly. He confirms it. She accuses him of setting her up, pretending to train her only to learn her weaknesses. He denies this, responding that his aim was to help her overcome them; he has been there for nineteen years, and has grown tired. He wants to die in the pit, and wants her to be the instrument of his death. Seven insists she will not do it. He then insists that he will then be forced to kill her. They engage, to the unheard cheers of the various audiences watching their images unknowingly. Voyager approaches Penk's ship. On the bridge, Chakotay has Kim hail it. Penk appears on the viewscreen, annoyed, snapping that this is not a convenient time. Chakotay demands the return of Seven and Tuvok, threatening to open fire in thirty seconds if he does not comply. He smiles and conveys his respect for Chakotay's chutzpah, but then crisply adds that Voyager is no match for him, and cuts the connection. As they begin fighting, Seven insists that they can find a way out of this apart from one killing the other, but the Hirogen insists that there is none. He grabs her from behind, pinning her arms behind her, and demands that she make a choice as to what she is: hunter or prey. Seven breaks the lock and, left without a choice, chooses the former. She begins solidly defending and counter-attacking. Voyager is also engaged in a fight of her own, against Penk's ship. They manage a direct hit to his aft shield generators, allowing Torres to locate Tuvok. On Chakotay's order, Kim beams him to sickbay. On arrival, he hails the bridge and informs Chakotay of Seven's forced fight to the death. However, he has suspicions about where the fight is: on the ship's uppermost deck. Chakotay directs fire on the shield generators there, but Kim reports that the shields there are multi-phasic; their weapons cannot penetrate to reach the generators. But Penk's ship has no such problems: hit after hit degrades their own shields to dangerously low levels. Seven continues to fight, but she is getting spent; her eyes and breath are ragged, her speed slowing down. The Hirogen body-slams her and begins to taunt her, telling her she is weak, and unworthy as prey. Then he hits her ultimate nerve: he sneeringly calls her imperfect. Seven becomes furious, springing to her feet and ferociously attacking the Hirogen. Three vicious kicks knock him down. Sensing that he has found what he needed to find to make her do what he wants, he rises and taunts her again, asking her if that is the best she can do. Her response is two more kicks and a punch to the head, knocking him down again, as the crowd, impressed by her skill and ferocity despite their hatred of her as Borg, begin cheering for her. Voyager is not faring nearly as well. The hammering from Penk's ship causes complete shield failure. Kim still cannot get a transporter lock on Seven. Then Chakotay gets an idea: if they cannot knock out their shields, then perhaps they should knock out their signal generators that are transmitting the fight; if no one is watching, why continue it? Chakotay orders fire on the generators. Incoming fire breaches a deck; he orders it sealed. In the pit, Seven of Nine continues her all-out assault on the Hirogen. Teeth gritted, eyes blazing, she punches him in the face, runs to a wall and braces herself on it as he rises and charges at her. He is greeted by a hard right boot that lifts him clear off his feet and flips him over, dropping him like a sack of cement. The crowd rises to its feet and begins the "Tsunkat!" chant. On Voyager's bridge, Torres tensely reports that weapons are off-line. Things seem to get even worse when Paris reports the approach of another vessel. But their worry changes to relief when they see that it is a Voyager shuttle; Captain Janeway has arrived. After greeting her, Chakotay tells her to fire on Penk's signal generators, which she does in a strafing run. The generators are destroyed. In one of the arenas, the effect is immediately seen. The fighters, in the midst of battle, disappear, to the angry boos of the crowd. In the real arena, Penk's console beeps an alarm, informing him that the signals to more than than half his audience have been lost. He orders power rerouted to the appropriate transmitters. This has the effect of reducing power to his shields. Kim reports finally getting a successful transporter lock on Seven, but also locks onto the Hirogen; he cannot separate the two life signs. Chakotay orders him to beam them both over, and then orders Paris to go with a security detail to the transporter room to greet the Hirogen. Seven and the Hirogen continue to trade blows, each one landing with teeth-rattling force. Then Seven lets fly a volley of rapid-fire punches, first to his face, then to his chest sensor. A final, open-handed punch there puts him on his back, down for the count. As the remaining audience cheers, unheard, she walks to him, kneels over him and raises her fists high to deliver the final blow to his chest sensor, enough to cause so much damage from the bioplasmic discharge that it would kill him. But she hesitates. He looks up at her, breath ragged, pleading: "Never let your prey suffer. Kill it." She steels herself to strike. Voyager's transport beam takes them, just in time. They materialize in front of a waiting Paris and a contingent of security officers, all well-armed. Paris instructs her to stand down. Disheveled, breathing hard, she lowers her hands, assuring him that the fight is over. She rises slowly and offers her hand to the Hirogen. He accepts it and is pulled to his feet. Voyager has resumed her course at warp. In sickbay, The Doctor treats Seven's injuries as Chakotay informs the Hirogen that they have contacted one of his people's hunting parties and they have agreed to rendezvous with Voyager. He is grateful. Chakotay leaves and Seven asks The Doctor to leave her and the Hirogen alone for a bit. He does, but not without a look of intense dislike at the Hirogen and an offer to her of a phaser rifle should she need it. The Hirogen shoots him an offended look. When he has gone, Seven apologizes, explaining that he is very protective of her. The Hirogen responds that he does not know how well she defends herself. He gives her his chest sensor as a trophy. He then asks her a question: would she have killed him? She responds that she does not know. He smiles and comments that fortunately she was right: there was another way out. Seven is back on duty in the astrometrics lab. Tuvok enters as she works at a console. He silently goes to another, but then stops what he is doing and speaks up, thanking her for taking his place in the arena. She looks at him and responds that it was the logical thing to do. He thanks her anyway, and she responds that he can best show it by assisting her. He thus returns to his work at the console. While working, he asks her about her recovery. She responds that her injuries are healing. "I wasn't referring to your physical condition," Tuvok tells her. She does not turn to face him. An uncomfortable, ashamed look is on her face. Her loss of control in the arena bothers her greatly. She turns her face to him. She has, she tells him worriedly, struggled for the last three years to regain her Humanity, and she fears she may have lost it again in that arena. Tuvok responds with logic: he asks her if she is experiencing difficult emotions. She affirms them by listing them: guilt; shame; remorse. "Then you have not lost your Humanity," Tuvok states, looking her in the eye. "You have reaffirmed it." He turns back to his console, leaving her to ponder his words. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay is on an away mission aboard the Delta Flyer. With him are Ensigns Tom Paris and Harry Kim, and Neelix. Passing the time, they sit together playing poker. It is time to compare hands. But when Paris is asked to show his, his eyes stare in horrified surprise at the front windows. The others turn to look; a Borg cube is coming straight toward them. The four men scramble to battle stations. "And I had a full house" Paris mutters. The Delta Flyer flees at full impulse, with the gigantic Borg vessel hot on its tail, firing at it. Neelix voices the question all of them have: why did sensors not detect it? Kim supplies a possible answer: a dispersal field was used to make it invisible to sensor scans. This is a worrying development; the Borg have never before employed such clever tactics. Warp speed is unavailable; the Flyer's plasma injectors are damaged. Paris tries his best to avoid the incoming fire, but they suffer a direct hit, causing sparks to fly and degrading the deflector shields. As Kim tries to clear the injectors, the cube's power output starts fluctuating. This means they still have a chance; they target its propulsion matrix. The tactic is successful; the cube is rendered dead in space, no longer able to chase them. But as they are about to make their escape, the Flyer shudders; the cube catches them in a tractor beam and begins pulling them in. Kim desperately tries to get the warp engines going, but is unsuccessful; then a power surge causes an explosion which knocks him unconscious. Power is lost, and the three awake men hear a chilling, familiar hail, in the emotionless, multi-track resonant voice of the Borg Collective: As they watch helplessly though the forward windows, an immense hatch opens in the side of the cube. The Flyer is drawn in, and they are enveloped in complete darkness. Dreaming that his crew mates were assimilated, Neelix gasps as he is woken by Chakotay. He, Chakotay and Paris are in a Borg assimilation chamber. Kim is nowhere to be found. They look around the room for him and see, on a platform, the horrific sight of a partially-assimilated alien. But the alien is dead; the assimilation apparently went awry. Paris is very agitated, expecting Borg drones to come in and begin assimilating them at any moment. Chakotay tells him to calm down; they are not drones yet, and may find an escape. The three men begin searching for a way to disable the force field preventing them from leaving the room. Voyager conducts an intensive search for the Flyer. They follow its ion trail to where it ends, but the chief engineer, Lt. B'Elanna Torres, filling at the ops station for Ensign Kim, reports detection of a Borg cube; the same one the away team ran afoul of. Grim-faced, Captain Janeway orders red alert, a course alteration to intercept, and a constant remodulation of the ship's deflector shield frequencies, a standard, albeit, very temporary, defense against the Borg. The cube, however, does not move as Voyager approaches. A perplexed Seven of Nine, the ship's single foremost authority on the Borg, observes that its propulsion system is not that severely damaged; the drones aboard should have repaired it already. Then the ship shudders as the cube targets their warp core. Janeway orders return of fire. The ship shudders again as the cube again fires, first at their impulse engines, then at their sensor array. None cause Voyager any real damage. Seven is baffled; the attacks, far from being the devastatingly powerful and efficient strikes that are par for the Borg, are very erratic and inefficient. Lt. Commander Tuvok targets and destroys their weapons. It is obvious that something is extremely amiss; this is far too easy. The away team is detected aboard the cube, unassimilated as yet. Voyager fires on the cube's deflector shield generator, in order to collapse the shield and allow the beam-out of the away team, but that fails. Seven, after further scans of the cube, finds the reason for the cube's unbelievably weak attacks: there are usually thousands of drones aboard a cube, but here there are only five. A hail from the Borg Collective comes through, informing, as it always does, of their intent to assimilate them. Janeway coldly answers by demanding the release of the away team. The Borg repeat their intention. But Janeway now knows she is dealing with a lion whose teeth and claws have been pulled. "Not today, and not by you." she replies, and threatens to resume firing if the away team is not released. A brief silence follows, during which cube scans them. Then the response comes: an offer to free the away team in exchange for specific technology, namely Voyager's navigational deflector. Seven informs Janeway that the cube's communications array was damaged; the deflector would allow the five drones to reestablish their link with the Collective. This is the last thing Janeway wants, not that she was even considering the offer at all. She stalls, responding that she would consider the exchange if she is allowed to send over someone to make sure the away team is safe. The drones agree; she can send one person. Her obvious choice is Seven of Nine. Voyager hovers at all stop, facing the cube. Seven beams aboard and walks through the corridors of the cube. Not a single drone is seen, except for one dead one. The 'Collective voice' tells her to go to a certain area: Grid 63, Subsection 01. She complies, and finds that it is a Borg neonatal unit. She hears something behind her, turns and finds five adolescent Borg at the unit's entrance looking at her; two twin boys, two older boys and a young girl. It is apparent that they are too young to be out as drones serving the Collective; they should still be in neonatal maturation chambers themselves. She identifies herself and asks where the adult drones are. The voice replies: "There are no others; the others were." One of the children steps forth, the "Collective voice" is replaced by his single voice, and he finishes the statement "deactivated. We are the Borg." Seven cannot believe it; they are dealing with not just five Borg, but five neonatal Borg; in effect, five Borg children. The five neonatal drones note Seven's possession of a Borg designation. She tells them that she used to be a drone herself and that she will help them repair the damaged cube. The second oldest, who has assumed leadership of the group, loudly objects that this was not the agreement they made. Seven, in a tone that brooks no argument, responds that she is modifying the agreement; she did not realize they were dealing with children. But she is reminded that they hold the away team as hostages. So, when the second oldest shouts at her to comply with the original agreement, she acquiesces, and asks to see the hostages. As she is taken to them, the "leader" menacingly tells the others to assimilate her if she resists. As she walks with the others, Seven speaks to the oldest, asking about his designation and what makes them think they will survive in their incomplete state on this damaged vessel. The youth calls himself "Second". Their "leader", he says, is called "First". The designations refer to hierarchical position; originally, being the oldest, he was "First" and the other boy was "Second". But he could not maintain order in the group, so "Second" became "First" and he became "Second". He confidently tells Seven that the Collective will come to retrieve them. They go to the assimilation chamber where the team (minus the still-missing Ensign Kim) is being held, and Seven ascertains they are in good health. She quietly warns them as they gaze in surprise at the neonatals not to judge by appearances; they control the vessel and its weapons. She is disgusted by the horribly botched attempt at assimilation she sees there. Second explains that they were trying to perfect their assimilation techniques. Seven harshly tells him that they failed to do so. The girl matter-of-factly indicts Ensign Paris for attempting to interfere with the force field controls, and punishes him with an electric shock when he tries to do it again under the pretext of denying it and trying to show what he was "actually" doing. Satisfied that they are well, Seven leaves with the neonatals. As she departs, Commander Chakotay pointedly asks her to give their "regards to Harry" as a way of covertly conveying that Harry is missing. Once outside the chamber, Second presses Seven for the deflector array, but she responds that she has to report back on the hostages' condition to the captain. Also, she says she has to take an adult drone's corpse with her to find out what happened to the vessel and the other adult drones. They agree. Back on Voyager, Janeway and Tuvok walk down a corridor to sickbay, discussing Ensign Kim's absence among the hostages. Janeway tells him to try to contact him using a Borg frequency so the children would not detect the transmission. They enter sickbay. In sickbay, The Doctor, the holographic chief medical officer, has found something remarkable in the drone corpse that Seven returned with; a pathogen which was responsible for killing it and all the other adult drones. He informs the two officers. Seven tells them that the five juveniles she found were not affected; their maturation chambers protected them. The Doctor answers Tuvok's question as to whether it would only kill Borg in the affirmative, but then is suddenly horrified to realize that the Captain is considering using it as a bio-weapon against the juveniles. She asks Seven her opinion; would they really kill the hostages if their demands are not met? Seven's answer is yes. Janeway orders The Doctor to keep the pathogen as an option, but she will not use it until she has met the drones themselves. She then leaves with Seven. On the Delta Flyer, Ensign Kim regains consciousness after having been knocked out in the initial attack by the cube. He slowly goes into to the cockpit, bathed in the harsh green light of the Borg vessel's interior, and finds the com signal sent from Voyager as per Captain Janeway's instructions. To answer on the same carrier wave, the computer tells him, significant system modifications have to be made; but he is well aware of this and immediately begins making them, as the Flyer is seen to be held in a colossally vast, cavernous hangar bay within the Borg vessel along with at least two other unidentified craft. Janeway and Seven are on the cube with the young drones. First angrily demands that she stick to the agreement: the hostages for the deflector. But Janeway offers them another option: come with Voyager and be individuals again. She begins asking the youngsters questions about their homeworlds and lives before their abductions and assimilations, but First belligerently presses his demand for the deflector. Janeway begins to stall again but he forces her back against a wall by the throat. Keeping her cool, she tells him that they cannot have it, and assimilating her will not get it for them. She then offers to help them repair their cube's technology. First sullenly agrees, giving them two hours. Seven is to remain to do the work. As Janeway leaves, First warns her not to return. Voyager continues to sit before the massive cube. Janeway walks onto the bridge, announces they have two more hours, and asks about the pathogen. Tuvok tells her it should be ready by then. Lt. Torres voices her incredulity that they are actually negotiating with adolescent drones. Janeway comments on the drones' unpredictable nature. Tuvok notes that delusions of superiority and contempt for authority are common traits of juveniles of any species. Then a transmission from the hidden Ensign Kim on the cube comes in. Janeway decides to have him get to the cube's shield generator and destroy it. Tuvok is to guide him there by audio signal. On the cube, Seven works to fix the damage. Second enters with some technology she requested. As she works, they get to talking about their lives, pre-assimilation. Second does not remember his, but Seven's questions begin to bring back memories. She also fixes his sub-vocal processor, letting him speak normally. While Seven is making the simple adjustment, Second reacts quizzically, recalling that First has said that his malfunction could not be repaired until they reconnect with the Collective. Repair complete, Seven simply flashes Second a sly, knowing, look and resumes her work. Intrigued, Second gazes at her intensely, eventually noting that her hair reminds him of his mother's hair. Just then First enters and angrily rebukes him for his "irrelevant conversation" with her. He orders Second to return to his station, then gives Seven a baleful stare as he leaves to return to his. Seven returns to Voyager and briefs Captain Janeway in her ready room about a disturbing discovery she made in the cube's communication records; the Collective did indeed receive the drones' distress call. But it has no intention of responding; the drones are immature, and damaged due to their premature release from their maturation chambers. They are, therefore, unimportant; the Collective, not interested in retrieving them, permanently severed their link to the hive mind. The drones, who do not have the ability to decrypt the message, are unaware of this. Janeway considers that they can use this to win them over; once they find that they have been rejected by the Collective, they will have no place to turn but Voyager. They could regain their individuality. Seven is doubtful; they do not have the discipline to overcome their separation from the hive mind. But Janeway is determined to try. But she decides to hold on to the information for now. Seven leaves to return to the cube and finish the repairs. Ensign Kim carefully walks along the damaged corridors of the cube, guided by Tuvok's voice over the com and using playing cards to mark his way, in case he has to backtrack. Seven returns to find First inspecting her work. He accuses her of stalling. She responds that she is working as quickly as she can, and shows him a PADD containing the data she is using. He dismisses the data as flawed. Annoyed, she counters that it is his understanding of the scientific theory behind the data that is flawed. In front of the other children, she belittles his ability to ensure their survival. He tells her she has forgotten what it means to be Borg. She quickly proves that false, outlining the tenets of Borg philosophy: the unity of the Collective; common goals; the quest for perfection. But, she insists, they do not have to remain drones to experience these things. She invites them to return to Voyager with her. But First is unmoved; he tells her she has 38 minutes left out of the two hours he gave her. Just then, an alarm sounds; another maturation chamber is malfunctioning. This one contains a Borg infant; its autonomic functions are failing. First insists that it will adapt, but the girl reports after looking at a monitor that this is not happening. She pleads with him to let Seven help. Seven takes charge. She has them transport it to an incubation pod, but it still shows signs of acute distress. The only option left is to transport it to Voyager. First stubbornly refuses, saying that it is part of their collective, but he is overridden by the others. Ensign Kim approaches the location of the cube's shield generator. He arrives, and begins planting spatial charges to destroy it. But he is surprised by the Borg girl. He distracts her with conversation while he reaches for his phaser, but she is not fooled; she tells him matter-of-factly that his weapon is useless there; a dampening field is present. He stares at her nervously. On Voyager, Janeway and Tuvok walk briskly down a corridor, as he reports on losing contact with Kim. The Doctor hails her and asks her to come to the Sickbay. She orders Tuvok to keep trying to regain contact with Kim and goes to the Sickbay while he goes to the bridge. In the Sickbay, The Doctor shows her the Borg baby, which Seven had beamed there directly. He has stabilized her. Perhaps trying to get Janeway to change her mind about using the pathogen on the juveniles, he has her hold the child, who immediately stops fretting once in her arms. But Janeway is unmoved; if she must take that option to save her officers, she shall; she only hopes that she is not forced to actually do so. On the cube, First accosts Seven with one of the spatial charges Kim had planted. He accuses her of trying to deceive them. They show him Ensign Kim, lying against a wall. He has been injected with Borg nanoprobes. But, since the young drones cannot yet properly assimilate, the nanoprobes are simply destroying his body instead of assimilating it. First orders Seven to call Captain Janeway; they want the deflector array now. She tries to continue stalling, but First has none of it. Frustrated, she calls Voyager. On Voyager's bridge, First is on the viewscreen. He insists Janeway surrender the deflector immediately. She demands that he transport Ensign Kim back to them first, but he refuses. He threatens to "assimilate" the others (which would certainly kill them) if they do not get the deflector right away. Janeway stares at him and angrily tells him that they cannot simply remove it; it is part of the ship. No amount of threats from him will change that. First's sullen face is replaced by the image of the cube as he terminates the connection. The ship shudders as the cube's tractor beam locks onto the deflector in an attempt to tear it off. Hull stress on the ship increases; Lt. Torres reports hull integrity breaches on two decks. Janeway orders randomization of the ship's shield harmonics to in an attempt to break free, but the beam adapts. On the cube, Seven, aware of what the drones are trying to do, decides that it is time to reveal what she knows about their awaited rescue by the Collective, and does so. First accuses her of lying, but Seven gives him the encryption code to check for himself. He does not, but Second steps forward to do so. First angrily tells him to return to his station, but he ignores him. His face registers his shock as he sees the message. First insists that Seven is again trying to trick them, but Second responds that the message is authentic. First pushes him aside and looks at it. He insists it is a mistake. Seven reminds him of what every drone knows: the Collective does not tolerate imperfection. They are damaged; thus, to the Collective, they are irrelevant. First stubbornly responds that they will 'assimilate' more species to prove their worthiness. On Voyager, hull stress is almost critical. But then Tuvok reports a fluctuation in the cube's shield grid; they can use it to release the pathogen. But Janeway is loath to finally take this step, and determinedly seeks an alternative. She sees on the command console that the tractor beam draws power from the same grid as their shield matrix. She orders a feedback pulse be sent through the tractor beam from the deflector; this would disrupt both the beam and the shields. On the cube, Seven continues to press her point; the children have no future with the Collective, but they do on Voyager. But First refuses to listen. Fed up, Seven turns to the others an appeals to them directly. Then the cube shudders as Voyager begins sending the feedback pulse. Second checks a monitor, sees what is happening and reports it to them. The feedback is overloading the shield matrix; this will soon destroy the cube. First orders them to "Adapt!" and hurries to a console. The other drones do the same. On Voyager's bridge, Tuvok reports that both the cube's tractor beam and shields are weakening. Lt. Torres reports a successful transporter lock on all of the crew members aboard the cube except Kim and Seven. The three they have, Chakotay, Neelix and Paris, are beamed aboard from the assimilation chamber where they were being kept. But they cannot yet lock onto Kim and Seven; their location is still too heavily shielded. Janeway orders amplification of the feedback pulse. On the cube, the girl reports the departure of the three hostages. Second reports the weakening of the shields around the room where they are. The drones turn to First for instructions, but he stands there impotently. Seven urges them to drop the shields. Nobody moves to do so. Her urging becomes a command. Still, nobody moves. She goes to a console to do it herself. First rushes up and pushes her away so hard she lands on the floor half-stunned. He desperately tries to stave off the imminent failure of the shields, but fails. In impotent rage, he grabs two heavy objects and rushes at Seven with an angry scream, intending to crush her head in, but Second intercepts him, takes the objects away and stares at him with a look that says, in no uncertain terms, to back off. First orders him back to his station; he does not move. First angrily orders him to obey. But neither Second nor any of the others are taking orders from him any longer . Seven groggily gets to her feet as the cube again shudders, violently; its induction grid is overloaded. Its destruction is imminent. First runs to a console in a last-ditch effort to try to prevent it. Then consoles begin to explode, including the one he is at, sending an energy discharge into him. He convulses and collapses. Seven runs to him and scans him with her tricorder. But he cannot be saved; his cortical node is going off-line. To his last breath, he calls on the others to continue resisting, insisting that the Collective will come for them. The girl kneels at his side and tells him that they will find a new home. His final words show him as stubborn to the last: "We are Borg." Seated on her ready room's sofa, Janeway speaks to Seven about the children's future. They have sent out hails to any ships in the area from two of their respective races: The Brunali for Second, and the Norcadians for the girl, but they have gotten no responses, and as for the twin boys, they do not even know what species they are from (they are later identified as Wysanti). Janeway puts Seven in charge of them. Seven is uncertain about this; she cites Neelix as being a much better choice, given his experience with children. She meets the children there, now de-assimilated and clad in clothing instead of covered in Borg exo-plating. Like her, all of their implants have been removed except for those tied into their vital functions, and external traces of implants are on their faces. Seven gives each of them PADDs containing limited biographical data she had downloaded from the cube. Second's name is Icheb, the girl's is Mezoti, and the twins are Azan and Rebi. She then puts them "to bed" -- into their alcoves. The regeneration cycles kick in and they close their eyes, silent and still as they engage in the Borg equivalent of falling asleep. Seven has the computer dim the lights and exits the cargo bay. Before the doors close, she turns around in the corridor and has a final look at them. 
<EOS>
Tom Paris, playing the inventor, barrels through Fair Haven on an old automobile, wreaking havoc until a pile of barrels stops him. Seamus, nearby, goes to see if he's all right and remarks on him having money to afford the automobile. Paris explains that he fell into some money with an inheritance, which prompts Seamus to ask discretely for a few shillings. As Seamus leaves, Paris tells the computer to repair a damaged tire, which appears, however, Seamus sees that happen and comes to a very simple conclusion: it is black magic. Seamus goes to the pub, and uses the money Paris gave him to wash down his troubles. Drawing everyone there to him, he tells everyone what he saw; "Tommy boy" make a new wheel appear in thin air, and he is going to Castle O'Dell, which is haunted with evil spirits, later. He goes through town as if he built the place, and his friends are shifty. Most are skeptical of him, including Doctor Fitzgerald and barkeep Michael Sullivan, since he does typically "add color" to his stories, but it does unsettle them. He recites a legend about a similar town where spirit folk sneaked in, took advantage of their hospitality, and took all the people to the other world. The entire town vanished. When Katie O'Clare comes in, everyone stops talking and Sullivan immediately and warmly greets her, bringing her to the bar and dismissing their earlier conversation. Meanwhile, on the rest of the ship, Harry Kim replicates flowers for someone, a lovely Irish lass named Maggie O'Halloran. B'Elanna Torres complains about her technical difficulties with the program when Paris decides to make Kim's date a little more interesting. He follows Kim and Maggie O'Halloran from a distance as they talk in the program. Unbeknownst to him, however, Seamus and Milo follow Paris around, determined to prove he is a demon. As Kim talks about his ship to Maggie, a sailing ship, Paris readies himself for a practical joke, and Seamus and Milo argue quietly about whether they should be there and whether the others will believe them. Then, a moment comes when Kim gets to hold O'Halloran's hand and kiss her. Paris takes out a PADD and reprograms Maggie into a cow, shocking Kim, Seamus and Milo. As Kim argues with Paris, they are ordered to the bridge soon after. Seamus and Milo also hear the the order, and, scared, are convinced there's magic involved. That night, Father Mulligan (The Doctor) gives a sermon about harmony, and the evils of retribution. When he begins to get to his climax, Seamus and Milo barge in with the cow which used to be Maggie. Mulligan disbelieves them when they explain the situation. They point out that it was the trickery of Paris and Kim. The Doctor reassures them that it was just a prank, and he saw Maggie this morning. He ends mass and kicks them out. Seamus and Milo do find Maggie outside, who appears just before they get there. She doesn't seem herself, as she had a dream without remembering going to sleep. She doesn't remember anything about last night, but remembers walking around town with a bell around her neck, showing up at church, and everyone staring at her. She was tending her flowers just as they walked up. They return to the bar, and more people start telling stories, of how Kim and Paris can change the weather, a daughter who fell in a well reappearing in the meadows, and Father Mulligan disappearing after service one night. Sullivan puts a stop to it, saying that there is nothing they can do; they can't just shoot everyone they suspect, since they are their neighbors. He wants them to go about the situation like civilized people. Later, when Sullivan is alone with Katie O'Clare, he hands her a copy of The Faerie Queene, suggesting that the townsfolk are wondering about strange things happening. He even did some checking, and there is no one who knows her (supposed) point of origin. He wants to know where she goes when she leaves and more about her to put his thoughts at ease. She admits she hasn't been honest, but not about anything important. She tries to explain that there are things he just cannot understand, but he wants to know. She doesn't know what to say, so she ends the program. Janeway demands to know what Paris did with the program. He says nothing he did should result in that. Torres shuts the program down so she can make system repairs, and Paris and Kim begin to examine the character parameters. When they call up Michael Sullivan's character, instead of his image, the entire character comes to life, now in the hololab and sees them wearing their uniforms. He demands to know where he is, but they calm him down. They identify the subroutines which make him oblivious to things outside the program, and those subroutines are offline. They attempt to restore them, and as he realizes something is off-kilter, he pretends to appear to think nothing is out of the ordinary instantly (as the subroutines still don't go into effect). But when they find a way to restore all of the other characters at once, it is clear from his facial expression -- which they miss -- he was pretending to be complacent. The stunned, almost angry, Michael Sullivan calls Fitzgerald into the church. Only later do Paris and Kim figure out they failed, and plan to reset him along with everyone else. Janeway argues with Chakotay about what to do if they can't fix Michael. He suggests she get creative. Sullivan, meanwhile, tells Fitzgerald an incredible story: he was taken to another world, and they were saying things about changing people and talking like he wasn't even there. They decide to be prepared for whatever will happen at the Pub that night (the way to reset all of their programs using one of the hubs inside the building). While Kim and Paris sneak into the pub to do it, the town gathers to discuss strategy. Some want to use rifles, some want to use books, some want to use rowan berries and red thread. Sullivan doesn't like it, but he is drowned out by Seamus. They head right over to the pub, and catch them in a red thread net, and when they see the control panel, they shoot it repeatedly to dispel the voice from the other world complaining about the failure of the safety protocols. When Paris orders the computer to freeze the program, half the characters freeze, and the other half chase them. When Paris and Kim can't pause the program or call up an exit, they capture them and hold them in the church. In the ready room, the rest of the senior staff discuss what to do. Transporters can't get a lock, they don't want to shut down the program or they'll lose it, and armed conflict would risk the lives of their security personnel. Instead, Janeway decides to send in The Doctor who can attach pattern enhancers to Paris and Kim to retrieve them. Meanwhile, the exorcisms of Paris and Kim, tied up with red twine and having incantations shouted, isn't going very well. When they are discussing lynching, The Doctor bursts in and condemns them all as 'sinners'. They ignore him, pointing out he vanished after his sermon, and tie him up with the others. They take away the transport enhancers, and The Doctor's mobile emitter, tying him into the same grid. On the bridge, the crew detect that the Doctor is now in the program, and can't isolate him. Seamus continues to use incantations to get more information. He also tries hypnosis, which, oddly, works on the Doctor. They learn from him that there is a ship called Voyager. They ignore it as nonsense, but Sullivan believes Katie is there and he asks The Doctor how to get there, having come back once before. The Doctor suggests the mobile emitter, and when Tuvok beams it to the bridge without looking, Janeway is astonished to see Sullivan materialize. He is more astonished than she is. Janeway is forced to explain everything as feels she has no choice. She explains that Voyager is a time ship, like H.G. Wells, and that many members of the crew he recognizes just visit Fair Haven because they are explorers. As Sullivan begins to understand, and slowly come to terms with the starship, Tuvok announces through the comm that the townspeople have started piling kindling. She returns to the holodeck program with Sullivan, and she explains to the townspeople that they use technology, not magic, and they do not wish to destroy their town. In fact, Sullivan points out that they helped the town by creating clear days and saving children (turning Maggie into a cow excepted, which Paris promises not to do again). Sullivan convinces them not to turn their backs on these people, and everyone cools down. Torres once again complains about the limits of holographic technology, saying they will have to limit the time the program runs. Janeway regretfully accepts this fact, but with her last short time in the program, finds that everything is back to normal, with holographic and flesh and blood characters, more or less. 
<EOS>
A lone female pilot in an alien shuttle is pursued by a larger vessel of the same origin. She manages to disable the pursuing ship, and, in an alien language, asks the shuttle's computer to locate the USS Voyager. In English, she hails the Federation starship. Mezoti, one of the four Borg children recently rescued by Voyager, has wandered into the astrometrics lab and intercepts the alien woman's transmission. Mezoti identifies herself by name, age, and species designation, and asks the woman her species. The alien responds that it is a complicated answer and asks to speak to Captain Kathryn Janeway. Mezoti attempts to connect her, but is too short to reach the necessary controls and inadvertently ends the transmission when she leans on the lower panel. Tuvok discovers Mezoti and reminds her that she's in a restricted area. He says he won't inform the captain but warns Mezoti not to enter the area again. Seven of Nine enters with the other three Borg children -- Icheb, Azan, and Rebi -- and berates Mezoti for not following her instructions to wait in the cargo bay. Tuvok asks Seven why she left the children unattended, and she responds that Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres needed her assistance; she was gone for less than ten minutes. Seven admits to Tuvok that she is having difficulty controlling the unpredictable Borg children. Tuvok starts to offer advice, but is interrupted when Seven notices Mezoti at the communications station, trying to talk to "the woman transmitting from spatial Grid 2369." Tuvok hails the vessel. The alien recognizes his voice and says she's glad to hear him again. She reiterates her request to speak with Captain Janeway. On the viewscreen of Voyager's bridge, the alien tells the captain she's a sight for sore eyes and warmly greets Harry Kim. Perplexed, the captain asks who she is, and is not amused when the alien identifies herself as Ensign Lyndsay Ballard, a Voyager engineering officer who died almost three years earlier on an away mission. The alien understands the crew's skepticism and offers limited proof of her identity by naming the exact stardate of Ballard's death. She asks permission to beam aboard so that she can explain herself more fully. Janeway agrees to beam the alien to sickbay, behind a level 10 force field. Kim asks to accompany the captain to sickbay. He says he and Ballard were close and if somehow, this alien is Ballard, he will know. In sickbay, The Doctor examines the alien as she recounts the circumstances of Ensign Ballard's death. Three years earlier, Ballard and Kim had traveled to a class M planet in the Vyntadi Expanse to mine dilithium ore. This planet, however, was a trap set by a Hirogen hunting party, who had reconfigured a power cell to emit false dilithium readings. Ten feet from their shuttle, Ballard was hit by a neural disruptor and died. Kim confirms the alien's account, and says that he buried Ballard in space. The alien reveals that she next remembers waking up in a stasis chamber, surrounded by aliens, the Kobali, who had reanimated her. She didn't believe she had died until the Kobali showed Ballard visual scans of her corpse in the torpedo casing in which she was buried. The Kobali, who procreate by salvaging dead bodies, spent months altering Ballard's DNA. She wanted to contact Voyager, but the Kobali refused her requests, saying that her former relationships were part of her kyn'steya, or past life. They tried to make her forget Voyager and sent her to live with a Kobali family. She spent two years deceiving them into believing she had accepted her new life before eventually stealing the shuttle and spending the next six months searching for Voyager. The Doctor confirms that the alien's remaining Human DNA matches that of Ensign Ballard. With no valid reason to disbelieve her story, the captain drops the force field and welcomes Ballard home. As Janeway and The Doctor excuse themselves, Kim has an emotional reunion with his former crewmate, who says that she missed him, too. In the conference room, Voyager's senior crew welcomes Ballard back to the ship. The captain calls her a fine officer, Neelix and Tom Paris have retrieved her personal items from storage, and Torres tells her that her old shift in engineering awaits when she's ready. A short discussion ensues on preparing the ship in the event that the Kobali attack Voyager in an effort to retrieve Ballard. As the briefing ends, Ballard lags behind to thank the captain privately for the compliments she gave. Ballard admits she previously didn't think the captain had noticed her. Ballard and Kim reminisce, and she tells him that while she was away she made a list of things she would do if she ever made it back to Voyager, including No. 26: hear him play music again. In the mess hall, Neelix has set up a kadis-kot board, and he and Naomi Wildman await the arrival of the Borg children. They enter with Seven, who hovers near the table to supervise. Naomi compliments Mezoti on the braid in her hair, but when Mezoti offers to teach Naomi braiding, Seven stops her from engaging in irrelevant conversation since she has allotted only one hour for recreational activities. As the game begins, Naomi notices that Azan and Rebi are cheating, and Mezoti reveals they are using their neural interface to share information. Seven enacts Punishment Protocol 9-Alpha and makes the twins stand in a corner. Icheb stands up to Seven, saying he won't participate if the twins aren't allowed to rejoin the game. He knocks the kadis-kot pieces off the table, prompting Seven to tell him to exercise the Punishment Protocol as well. Icheb refuses and angrily leaves. In Ballard's quarters, she and Kim unpack her belongings. Tuvok had instructed Kim to recycle the items, but he found he couldn't. Ballard sloppily throws her things around the room, and she and Kim discuss the time they spent living across the hall from one another at Starfleet Academy. In the course of the conversation, Kim reveals that he delivered the eulogy at her funeral. At first, he won't tell her what he said, but eventually he relents and says that he told the mourners to live by Ballard's own philosophy, "Own the day," her favorite saying. Breaking the awkward silence that follows, Ballard jokes that with her bald Kobali head, she'll no longer need one of the items Kim had packed away: her hairbrush. The Doctor summons Ballard and Kim to sickbay, where he has completed his analysis. He tells her a genetic pathogen has altered her Human DNA into a Kobali protein structure and that there isn't enough Human genetic material to make her Human again. He can, however, alter her appearance so that she looks Human, even though her physiology remains Kobali. Ballard opts for the treatments, the first of which restores her skin color and face. In the mess hall, Neelix serves Ballard a Jibelian berry salad, which she has been looking forward to as Kobali cuisine consists of only a gray paste. The salad, however, doesn't live up to her expectations, tasting metallic due to her Kobali taste buds. Ballard reports to her shift in engineering, a minute early to Torres' surprise. Torres assigns her to work on an alignment error in the dilithium matrix caused by an unknown reason. Ballard easily corrects the error, but is taken aback when Torres tells her that she spoke in Kobali while describing what she was doing. Ballard notices other engineering crew staring at her. Chakotay visits Seven in astrometrics. She shows him the rigid schedule she has developed for the Borg children, including specific allotted times for "fun." Chakotay says she's treating the children as if they were still drones on a cube, making them do the same things at the same times and not allowing them to express their individuality. She asks to be relieved of duty as the children's guardian, but Chakotay denies her request. Kim is on his way to ask Ballard to join him ice skating on the holodeck when Paris catches up with him and ribs him about his track record with women, now including the "dearly departed." Kim insists that while he might have thought about pursuing Ballard at one time, he closed that door when they were both assigned to Voyager. Paris tells him that door may be creaking open. In sickbay, The Doctor has fully restored Ballard's Human appearance, including a full head of red hair, a departure from her original color. Kim invites her to go skating, but Ballard says she already has a date: she's been asked to the captain's quarters for dinner. To Janeway's chagrin, a charred pot roast materializes in her replicator. Ballard arrives, in formal dress uniform, which the captain tells her wasn't necessary. She also explains that she has liquefied the pot roast and will be serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead. As the two sit down, Janeway comments that Tuvok has presented her with 37 ways of repelling a potential Kobali attack. Ballard asks if the list includes Janeway's pot roast, and then immediately apologizes for her remark. Janeway, however, isn't offended, finding the comment funny and tells Ballard they're not on the bridge and she may speak freely. Ballard then questions the captain about why she chose her to go on the away mission that led to her death. Janeway asserts that she felt Ballard was best suited for the job, but Ballard points out that Tuvok had far more experience conducting away missions and Torres more expertise in mining dilithium. She asks if the captain sent her instead because she was closer to the other two officers. Janeway wonders if Ballard blames her for her death, but Ballard assures her she doesn't, saying, "Never harbor anger to those who brought you death, for they gave you the chance to live again." Suddenly embarrassed that she's quoting Kobali philosophy, Ballard abruptly leaves the room, saying she "shouldn't have come." Later, Ballard dreams of attending her own funeral, where various crew members tell her she doesn't belong there. She is awakened when she sees the image of a Kobali man reaching to her and addressing her as "Jhet'leya." Ballard goes to Kim's quarters, where she talks with him about the crew members staring at her in engineering and how she began babbling in front of the captain. Kim promises to help her through her difficulties and she wonders why he is always so nice to her. Surprised that she doesn't know why, Kim admits that he rearranged his Academy schedule so they would have the same classes and allowed her to teach him to ice skate even though he hates the cold. He says he's been crazy about her since they met. They then kiss. The Borg children are sculpting when Seven arrives to inspect their work. The twins have created cubes 1/1000th the size of Borg cubes. Seven is impressed by Icheb's creation -- a 26-sided polyhedron comprised of hexagons, octagons, and squares -- but confused by Mezoti's, a crude bust of Seven's head. Seven reminds Mezoti that they were instructed to create a geometric shape, but pronounces the work demonstrative of ingenuity and individuality. Icheb is shocked when Seven elects not to punish Mezoti and tells the children to "resume [their] disorder." Kim awakens in his quarters to find Ballard sitting in the dark. "They're coming," she says. A Kobali ship hails Voyager. Q'ret, the man from Ballard's dream, appears, saying he is there to retrieve Jhet'leya, his daughter. Janeway informs him that Ballard has made her intentions of not returning to the Kobali known, but Q'ret begs to be allowed to speak with her. Kim tells Ballard that she doesn't have to meet with Q'ret, but she says it's time to stop running and that she wants to face him. Q'ret is shocked by Ballard's Human appearance and her insistence that her name is Lyndsay, not Jhet'leya. Q'ret and Kim bicker about each culture's customs and funeral rites. Q'ret says that in most Kobali, a complete loss of memory accompanies the reanimation, but there are some who retain their memories. He tries to convince Ballard that Lyndsay died three years ago, and Jhet'leya is a different person. He tells Ballard that her Kobali sister misses her and asks what to tell her. Ballard says "Tell her that her sister's dead" and leaves the meeting. Q'ret tells Janeway that he won't give his daughter up, and promises to return with reinforcements. In the mess hall, Kim finds Ballard eating the gray paste she mentioned earlier. To cheer her up, he offers to help her with No. 32 on her list, "Make Tuvok laugh." He tells her they can tweak one of the Vulcan's holodeck programs so that the monks at the Temple of T'Panit begin chanting Ferengi limericks. A distracted Ballard can think only of Q'ret. Kim can't believe Q'ret had the audacity to call himself Ballard's father and wonders what her Human father, a university professor, would have to say about that. Ballard realizes she has no memory at all of her Human parent. She decides to join Kim in the holodeck, but as they start to leave, she doubles over in pain and her face begins to revert to its Kobali appearance. The Doctor discovers that the Kobali pathogen has adapted and Ballard will now require treatments twice daily to maintain a Human appearance. Angered, she questions how she can do her job, or anything else for that matter, if she's always in sickbay. She shouts at The Doctor and Kim in Kobali. Horrified by her own behavior, she bolts from the room. Kim finds Ballard on her shuttle, where he asks her to stop the treatments. He says he doesn't care if she looks Kobali, Human, or even Bolian as long as she's happy. But she is convinced she no longer fits in. She says other alien members of the crew grew up in their own cultures and know who they are, but ever since she returned, she hasn't felt right. At first, she thought Voyager had changed, but now she realizes it is she who has changed. The girl Kim fell in love with died three years ago. The Kobali attack, and Kim and Ballard rush to the bridge. Ballard tells Janeway to surrender her to the attacking ships, saying she doesn't belong on Voyager anymore. Kim tries to get the captain not to listen, but Ballard assures Janeway that she knows what she is saying. Kim tells her he doesn't want to lose her, but she knows he already did. This time, however, they've had the chance to say goodbye. In the transporter room, Kim says goodbye to Ballard in her alien language, having taught himself some Kobali phrases. She tells him his gesture is sweet, but that he's just told her "The comets are tiresome." He expresses regret that she didn't finish all the items on her list, but she says she took care of what really mattered. Ballard kisses him goodbye and returns to the Kobali people. Later, in the mess hall, Kim sits alone holding Ballard's hairbrush. When Mezoti approaches and admires the object, he gives it to her as a gift, telling her that Ballard would be pleased it went to someone with such pretty hair. Mezoti says that Seven is allowing the Borg children to go to the holodeck by themselves and run any program they like. She invites him to join them. Kim asks if she's ever heard of the Temple of T'Panit, a Vulcan program. Mezoti thinks it sounds boring, but Kim assures her they'll make a few tweaks. 
<EOS>
Aboard the USS Voyager, an auspicious event is unfolding: the First Annual Voyager Science Fair. Organized by Seven of Nine, it showcases the scientific skills of the five children currently aboard Voyager: Naomi Wildman, and four Borg children, recently picked up and under Seven's care: Mezoti a Norcadian girl, twin Wysanti boys Rebi and Azan, and Icheb, a Brunali in his late teens. Crewmembers, including Captain Kathryn Janeway, Commander Chakotay, and Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, view the projects with interest. A proud Seven takes them to each one; from the twins, cloned potatoes; from Mezoti, a Teirenian ant colony. (Captain Janeway cannot help but be amused by her choice: an insect colony of drones and a queen, contained within a transparent cube); from Naomi, a model of her father's homeworld, Ktaris, complete with a simulation of the stormy weather of the region known as the Arpasian Range. But the most impressive project comes from Icheb; a gravimetric sensor array, which can actually be used with Voyager's sensors to detect wormholes, which could shorten Voyager's journey home. Seven informs Janeway that the engineering principles Icheb used are quite sound. While Chakotay and Torres continue speaking to Icheb, interested in possibly incorporating the device into Voyager's sensor array, Janeway takes Seven aside and comments on his demonstrated genius-level aptitude. Seven proudly informs her about his wish to be permanently posted in astrometrics, out of his professed love of astrophysics. However Janeway sadly gives her some painful news: they have found his parents and are heading for the Brunali homeworld to return him to them. Seven's face falls a mile. "That's good news," she responds, her voice catching. Seven enters astrometrics and finds Icheb working there. With no admonishment in her tone, she tells him he is over his scheduled time. Besides, she continues, very hesitantly, she has something to discuss with him. But his reaction makes it impossible for her to tell him; with a wondrous look in his eyes, he expounds on the wonder and excitement he feels studying the cosmos there, on the lab's huge viewscreen; as a drone, he never wondered what was outside the cube he was on; but in the lab, he feels like he can see the whole galaxy. He shows her how he even increased the ship's long-range sensors' resolution, so that they can pick up previously out-of-range phenomena, such as a nebula called the Orpisay Nebula. So when he finally asks her what she wants to discuss with him, all she can do is gulp anxiously and respond that he should regenerate. Captain Janeway is in her quarters, reading a book. Seven goes to see her and asks for collected Brunali species data so she can prepare Icheb. Janeway asks how he took the news, but quickly realizes Seven has not told him. Seven tries to explain why not by saying that it will be hard for him, used as he is to life aboard Voyager. Seven admits that she does not know how to break it to him. Janeway suggests that Seven expands upon what she's already begun by helping him to cope as a individual gives him the benefit of her own experiences and encouraging him to be resilient in the face of obstacles. In her cargo bay 2 Borg alcoves, which she shares with the Borg children, Seven finds Icheb again working, this time at one of the bay's consoles. She steels herself and tells him. His reaction is a chain: shock and confusion, followed by dismay, and finally, anger. His anger is amplified when she informs him about the nature of Brunali society: agrarian; limited technology; no warp-capable spacecraft (most of their ships were destroyed by the Borg). Icheb asks how he'll continue his astrophysics studies. The only answer Seven can give is that she does not know. He falls silent, and goes to his alcove. She calls his name plaintively, but he simply hits her with another saturnine glare, and goes into regeneration. Voyager arrives at the Brunali homeworld. Seven is present on the bridge, helping to take scan data of the planet's surface. The planet is class M, usually the mark of a very idyllic world. But there is a huge problem: a Borg transwarp conduit less than a light year away, which Seven detects. This explains Ensign Harry Kim's scan data of the population distribution: only scattered settlements, each with less than 10,000 people. This region of space is a Borg thoroughfare; the Brunali people live in constant, extreme danger. Captain Janeway takes note of all of this. She orders Tuvok to continuously scan for any Borg activity; with that conduit there, they may need to run like hell at very short notice. She then orders Tom Paris to put the ship into orbit around the planet, and has Seven go and fetch Icheb. Icheb is in the sickbay. He complains of an upset stomach. The Doctor examines him with his medical tricorder but finds nothing wrong. He correctly deduces the problem as a case of "butterflies". Icheb does not understand. The Doctor explains to him what it means, and muses that his parents are feeling the same way. Icheb adamantly tells him that parents are irrelevant to him: Seven sees about his education and he, The Doctor, cares for his medical needs. The Doctor advises him that his parents can nurture him in ways the crew cannot, such as telling him about his people's culture and history, fostering his cultural identity as a Brunali, an important part of his development. Icheb does not accept this, pointing out that he, The Doctor, had no parents, yet he has adapted to serve a vital function of the crew and Voyager. The Doctor counters that that is different; he has his programming to fall back on. "And how would your programming respond, if you were asked to live with strangers?" Icheb asks him pointedly. He is saved from responding by Seven's entrance. Time to go. The Doctor assures him all will be fine. He unwillingly follows Seven to one of the transporter rooms. Seven, Icheb, Tuvok, and Captain Janeway beam down to the surface. The view is both breathtaking and foreboding; on the horizon is the ruin of an apparently technologically advanced city. Before them is a vast, deep canyon, as if the ground, and whatever was on it, had been literally scooped up and away. The group walks up to a Brunali man and woman. Janeway introduces herself and Seven. The man and woman introduce themselves as Icheb's parents, Leucon and Yifay. Leucon and Yifay try to break the ice with Icheb, radiating genuine gladness at having him back. But he rejects their advances, glaring at them hostilely. He tells Janeway, in no uncertain terms, that he wants to return to Voyager. Janeway looks crestfallen; Leucon and Yifay look hurt. Seven looks relieved. Janeway, Seven and Icheb's parents meet in Voyager's briefing room. Janeway explains that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss how to make Icheb's transition less traumatic for him. They sit. Seven, however, begins to interrogate the two Brunali on their ability to care for Icheb in terms of his medical needs, education and safety. She continues to do so despite Janeway's disapproval but persists, even going so far as to tell the two Brunali that they should leave their planet; Icheb could never be safe living with them so close to a Borg conduit. Janeway angrily orders her to leave and wait for her in her ready room. After she has gone, Janeway apologizes and invites them to stay aboard Voyager for a while, to give Icheb a chance to get to know them in surroundings he is comfortable in. This may help him warm up to them, she suggests. They agree. Janeway marches into her ready room and begins rebuking Seven for her behavior. Seven angrily insists that Leucon and Yifay will not be able to properly care for him, especially in terms of his safety. To leave him there, she maintains, is to practically hand him back to the Borg. They should not remain on that planet, she insists. Janeway retorts that the planet is their home. "It's not worth protecting!" Seven insists. "Who are you to decide that?" Janeway asks coldly. Seven believes that anyone who's willing to put their own goals over the safety of their children is irresponsible. Janeway pointedly asks if Seven is speaking about Icheb's parents or her own. "Both!" Seven retorts, after a few seconds' pause. Janeway backs down a little, knowing this isn't something Seven would easily admit. Seven admits her lack of objectivity, but insists that she is not prepared to return Icheb to his parents if they prove to be as careless as her own. Janeway understands this and gently makes a suggestion: they will leave it up to Icheb. If he decides to stay on Voyager, then she, Janeway, will deal with it where his parents are concerned. Seven gratefully agrees. In Cargo Bay 2, Icheb works at a console while Naomi plays kadis-kot with Azan and Rebi. Mezoti rides around them and Icheb on a bike. She peppers Icheb with questions: Is he going to go with his parents? If he leaves, who will help her and the others with their science projects? Azan and Rebi note that they don't remember her parents, as Naomi also states that she's never had a chance to meet her father. Finally, an exasperated Icheb threatens to ship them all to the Borg in a container if they do not drop the subject. Mezoti makes a face at him. His eyes twinkle and the corners of his mouth turn up. But as soon as Seven enters, the smile vanishes, replaced by a frown. Seven crisply informs him that he is having dinner with his parents. Icheb flatly responds that he will not. "Your attendance is not optional," Seven responds, in an "end of story" tone. She exits the cargo bay, turns and waits for him to follow. Stone-faced, he does. Neelix has allowed Yifay to use his kitchen to prepare the meal. Seven and Icheb arrive in the mess hall to find Neelix bringing out the plates. Yifay and Leucon sit, waiting. Seven stiffly tells Icheb to enjoy the meal, not meaning a word of it. She steps back out of their space, to Neelix's side. Icheb refuses to eat, or even sit. Finally, though he decides to sit and take a bite, after Leucon plaintively tells him how hard his mother worked to prepare it. It is poma, Icheb's favorite food when he was younger. Upon taking a bite, his eyes light up and he tries and fails to stifle a surprised smile; he enjoys the taste immensely. Leucon and Yifay look very relieved and pleased. Neelix stands watching them, smiling appreciatively, Seven watches as well, but with a look of disappointment. Neelix comments that it is good to see a family together again. Seven says nothing. As she turns to leave, Neelix looks at her with concern, then turns his attention back to Icheb and his parents. In the Brunali settlement, Leucon walks with Icheb, showing him around. They are in a greenhouse. Around them, people work industriously. The Borg did not leave them with much, Leucon tells him, but they have used the little that they have. They built everything Icheb has seen with their own hands, their homes and their agro-facilities. Icheb is immediately drawn to an unusual-looking device. Leucon informs him that it is a genetic resequencer, used to genetically alter crop plants so that they thrive in certain environments that would normally kill them. Icheb is impressed. Leucon assures him that though their way of life may seem primitive now, that will change. Icheb, remembering his astrophysics studies, asks about space travel. "Someday," Leucon responds, "We'll have ships that rival Voyager. But we need the dedication of young people like you to help us." Two young men, one named Yivel, call to Icheb and invite him to play a Brunali game called pala; Icheb apparently was very adept at it when he was younger, before his assimilation. He responds that he does not remember how to play, but Yivel assures him it will come back. Seven then beams down near them and informs Icheb it is time to return. He tells her he is staying the night. She objects, saying that that there is no unit there for him to regenerate. Leucon responds that they may as well install one now, as they will have to eventually. Seven responds that Icheb hasn't decided to remain permanently but respects his decision to stay overnight at least. She relents and invites Leucon back to the ship to prepare a unit. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven gives Leucon a portable regeneration unit she has created. Leucon accepts it, offering her his and Yifay's thanks for taking care of their son. Seven inquires as to how the Borg got him. He sadly tells her: Since the Borg first attacked, they have been careful to hide any new technology, so that passing Borg cubes would pass the planet straight. But this time, they were not as careful as they should have been. They had created a new fertilization array. He told Icheb about it, and promised to take him to see it the next day, But Icheb could not wait; he went by himself. Then the Borg attacked; apparently they had detected the technology and considered it worthy to assimilate. They took Icheb and everyone else in the area. Seven advises him not to blame himself, well aware of Icheb's impatience, which, she comments, she herself has had to deal with. Leucon laughs quietly. Much tension vanishes between them. That night, Icheb sits at his parents' front porch with them. Leucon points out various constellations to him, while Yifay has her arm around him maternally. Leucon admits that sitting there looking up at the stars cannot take Voyager's place, but Icheb responds that "it is nice". He is beginning to appreciate their life, and is coming to a decision. The next morning, on Voyager, he makes his known decision to Seven: he will stay with his parents. Seven listens, with a deep breath. She sadly leaves to inform the Captain. Janeway and Seven escort Icheb to one of the ship's transporter rooms. Icheb enters with a bag. Seven gives him a case containing PADDs with astrophysical data as well as a high-resolution telescope. "It's a poor substitute for astrometric sensors," she comments. He assures her he will use it every day. Janeway, with a motherly smile, wishes him good luck. He responds in kind, voicing his hope that they succeed in getting back home. He steps on the transporter.. Janeway gives the order to the transporter operator and he disappears in the beam. Saddened, Seven watches the empty platform for a moment, and then leaves. Janeway sadly watches her go. In Cargo Bay 2, the three remaining Borg children and Seven are installed in their alcoves, regenerating. But Mezoti is having a hard time of it. She fidgets, trying to keep her eyes closed and relax, but finally gives up. She goes to Seven's alcove and wakes her. "I can't regenerate," she tells her sadly. Seven asks her the reason, though she knows it well. She misses Icheb, she responds. Seven tells her she does as well, but they will adapt. She gently instructs her to return to her alcove and goes to it with her. Mezoti steps back onto the platform and turns around, but before she goes into the cycle, she asks Seven a question: What if the Borg try to re-assimilate Icheb? Seven responds that that is unlikely as the Brunali have little resources or technology that would interest the Borg. "But what if he is on a ship?" she presses. Seven responds that this is unlikely. Mezoti tells her he was on a ship the last time, but Seven says she is mistaken; he was on the planet's surface when he was taken. But Mezoti insists this is not so, and in Borg fashion recites: "A class-one transport was detected in grid 649; one lifeform; species: Brunali." She then goes into regeneration. Seven stares at her, alarms sounding loudly in her mind. Seven is in astrometrics, intently looking at Borg logs. Captain Janeway enters, disheveled, carrying a cup of coffee, looking sleepy and very annoyed. She growls to Seven that this had better be important to bring her here at 0300. Seven assures her that it is, and explains the Borg script to her: tactical data from the cube on which the children were found. Mezoti is right: Icheb was indeed alone aboard an unarmed transport vessel when the Borg took him. Janeway does not see the point of this. She irritably asks Seven why she is telling her this at 0300 hours. Seven explains that Leucon had told her that Icheb had been assimilated on the planet's surface. Janeway suggests the possibility that she heard him wrong, but she responds that he was very clear. Janeway then suggests that the data is corrupted, having come from a cube that was destroyed by a pathogen that infected and killed all the drones aboard. Seven admits to that possibility. But she has found another inconsistency in Leucon's story: he had told her that Icheb was taken four years prior, but the logs indicate that the Borg attacked the Brunali homeworld three times in the past ten years, none of which was four years prior. Janeway asks what these inconsistencies prove. Seven responds that it proves Leucon was lying. She proposes that they return and demand an explanation. Janeway sympathetically tells her that Icheb chose to stay with his parents; she has to let go of him. Seven admits to having "emotional difficulty adapting to separation from Icheb." But, she insists, if there is the slightest possibility that Icheb is in danger, she has to do what she can to protect him; if she does not, then she is no better than her own parents. Janeway regards her. Few times has she ever seen this earnest a look on the former drone's face. It is clear that she will take a shuttle and go back alone if that is the only option she has. Janeway is moved. She agrees to go back. On the Brunali homeworld, Leucon and Yifay are having an intense argument in their house. Leucon stalks around the room agitatedly. "Couldn't we at least wait a few days?" he asks. Yifay is resolute; the longer they wait, the harder it will be. Leucon attempts to raise more objections: they do not need to do this; he is bright and hardworking, he could help them in "other ways." Yifay does not budge; it is what he was born for, she insists. "I don't want to lose him again." Leucon tells her, in obvious pain. But Yifay reminds him of what he taught her; they all have to make sacrifices. Icheb enters. Yifay does not look at him; she tells him to sit down as she goes to a corner; there is something they need to talk about. He sits expectantly. She turns to face him. She tells him how very important he is to them. He responds that he knows this. She produces a hypospray-like device. "What you don't know is why," she tells him with a pained, but determined look. He looks back at her uncomprehendingly. As she advances on him, she tells him it will not hurt if he holds still, and tells Leucon to hold him down. Leucon reluctantly does so. Icheb struggles futilely: what are his parents doing to him? "No!" he cries weakly as Yifay presses the device to his neck. He slumps over unconscious. His parents regard him. Yifay tells Leucon to "prepare the launch." Voyager arrives back at the Brunali homeworld. Captain Janeway orders Ensign Kim to hail Leucon and Yifay. Leucon appears on the viewscreen. He tells Janeway that they were not expecting to see them again. Yifay joins him. Their body language screams that they are hiding something. Janeway tells them they want to ask them "a few questions." "Questions?" Yifay asks guardedly. "Regarding Icheb and the circumstances of his assimilation," Seven explains. The couple stonewalls, responding that they have already discussed that and owe them no explanations. Janeway, still diplomatic, but her anger clear, asks to speak to Icheb. They respond that he is not there. "Where is he?" Seven asks. They respond that that is none of their concern. Janeway orders Tuvok to scan for him. He reports that he is not in the settlement. Seven does a scan and reports a Brunali transport ship, heading for the Borg transwarp conduit. Chakotay checks it on the command console. But what he sees confuses him; the ship is 9 million kilometers away and appears to be doing warp 9.8, which is obviously untrue. At the conn console, Ensign Paris checks it as well, and reports that it is only looking that way; it is emitting a false warp signature, strong enough to penetrate subspace. This confuses everyone until Seven provides the explanation: it is bait, to attract the Borg. "Icheb is on that vessel, isn't he?" Janeway asks his parents. The diplomat is gone, leaving only the anger. Yifay defiantly responds that Icheb is fighting for his people. Seven asks the question the entire bridge crew gets in mind from that statement: Alone, on an unarmed transport? They respond that they are using the only weapon they have against the Borg, not having powerful starships like Voyager at their disposal: their genetic expertise. Janeway suddenly understands the situation: Icheb's not bait but being used as a weapon. The first cube that captured him was infected by a pathogen. Icheb was the carrier, wasn't he?" she asks them accusingly, rising from her seat and walking toward the viewscreen. Their response confirms it; Leucon angrily explains that every time they begin to rebuild, to make progress, the Borg come and take it away. Janeway's face twists in disgust. She immediately orders Paris to head for the transport. "You have no right to interfere!" Leucon shouts. "We're trying to save our civilization!" Yifay pipes in. Janeway glares at them icily. Seven accusingly tells them that they are trying to do so by depriving Icheb of his future. "If we don't stop the Borg, the Brunali have no future!" Yifay responds desperately. Leucon tries one last tactic to attempt to get them to back off. He warns Janeway that a Borg ship will emerge from the conduit at any minute. "You'll be destroyed!" he urges. Janeway sharply responds that they will take their chances and orders the transmission cut. The last view of Leucon and Yifay is one of desperation and pleading. Janeway strides back to her seat and orders red alert and battle stations. Voyager heads for the transport at maximum impulse. Ensign Kim reports that Icheb is indeed on it, unconscious. Janeway orders Icheb transported off, directly to the sickbay, but Seven reports that there is too much interference. Tuvok alerts that the interference is from the conduit; a Borg ship will emerge from in less than forty seconds. Janeway orders auxiliary power to the transporters to boost them, but Seven reports that they are still out of range. Janeway orders Paris to close the distance. Voyager draws closer to the transport as a point of bright green light, the light of transwarp space appears in front of it; the conduit is beginning to open. Tuvok reports that they have twenty seconds left. Janeway orders Paris to get closer, quickly. He does. Seven reports transporter lock on Icheb. She beams him to the sickbay as Tuvok counts the remaining seconds down to one. Janeway begins to order Paris to clear them out of there at maximum warp. But her words are cut off as the ship is violently shaken. A Borg sphere is seen, emerged from the conduit; it has seized both ships in a tractor beam. It pulls them toward a huge opening on its surface. Janeway orders Tuvok to target its tractor beam generator. He does so with the phasers. She orders him to fire. He does so, but there is no effect; the phaser beams harmlessly strike the sphere's deflector shields. The Borg Collective hails them with its usual chilling, soulless, multi-track resonant intonation: We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. "Perhaps not", Seven retorts. "Now, Mr. Paris!" Janeway orders. Paris scrambles to the conn console and takes Voyager into warp, escaping the explosion. Tuvok reports that the Borg sphere is heavily damaged and is not pursuing them. Voyager proceeds on course for the Alpha Quadrant. Icheb lies unconscious in the sickbay. The Doctor scans him, as Janeway and Seven watch. He finishes and somberly reports the results to them: he does indeed have the pathogen, but his parents did not infect him with it; he produces it himself, having been genetically engineered from birth to do so. They look at him, shocked. Janeway tells Seven that he is going to need help coming to terms with this; Seven is the best person to provide it. "Captain" Seven begins nervously, not knowing where and how to start. Janeway advises her to use her maternal instincts once more. Seven advises him that the point is about choice; his choice, as an individual, which his parents denied him. "In the future you may choose to fight the Borg," she tells him. But, she stresses, it will be his choice; he is now an individual and has the right to determine his own destiny. She then tells him it is time for him to regenerate. "And if I wish to continue studying?" he asks. She smiles slightly and responds that it is his decision. She leaves him, walking to the door, but she turns back just before she exits and regards him proudly. 
<EOS>
Captain Janeway looks out her ready room window into space as her door chirps. Chakotay enters and informs her that Seven of Nine wants to present her ship-wide efficiency report to the senior staff. Janeway says to put her on the schedule. Chakotay also reminds her that they'll be passing through a class-T cluster in the next couple of days, not important enough to alter course, but Janeway thinks it is at least important enough to send out the Delta Flyer and to get a full range of scans. Chakotay nods, and leaves. On the bridge, Chakotay relays the captain's orders. He tells Tom Paris to prepare the Delta Flyer for the mission, and Harry Kim to do a level 3 analysis of the cluster. Kim contacts Seven, asking her to increase metagenic resolution in the long-range sensors. In astrometrics, Seven and Crewman Tal Celes, a young Bajoran woman, are working on the sensors. Seven types some data into a PADD and hands it to Tal, telling her to take it to Lieutenant Torres. Tal exits, and walks down the corridors to a turbolift. "Deck 11", Tal tells the computer as the turbolift begins whirring. The turbolift doors into engineering open, and Tal exits. She hands the PADD to Torres, who opines that they're going to need to transfer another five terawatts to the sensor array. Torres then hands another PADD to an engineering crewman, who goes into the same turbolift, "Deck 15", the bottom deck of the ship. On Deck 15, a section characterized by cramped, dimly lit corridors, where even the doors are thinner, the crewman exits, and nods hello to another officer on his way down the hall. He enters a small plasma relay room and interrupts Crewman Mortimer Harren's attempt to disprove Schlezholt's Theory of Multiple Big Bangs. Harren tells him to hold on, that he's standing in the way of cosmological history. The crewman sarcastically replies, "The cosmos is sixteen billion years old, it can wait another few minutes." He hands Harren the power transfer requisition, who just types in a quick couple commands into a panel, and he leaves. Harren looks out of a small porthole, which is on the ventral section of the ship. In Tal Celes' quarters, her roommate is sleeping and she's contacting her friend William "Billy" Telfer via combadge. She tries waking him up, and he finally answers. He tells her it is late and to go to sleep. She is under her covers with PADDs and an SIMs beacon, working on a level 3 sensor analysis. Telfer breaks down, and asks what the problem is. She says she's having trouble interpreting the subspace infrared from the cluster. Telfer says that it is too complicated to explain over the com, and to either meet in the mess hall or do it tomorrow. Tal replies she doesn't want to get dressed, and that she has to have it in tomorrow. "Your only options", he says sleepy-eyed. The next morning in the briefing room, Seven is explaining a ship-wide efficiency analysis. Operations receives a 76 out of 100; Seven says that the officers left on the night watch rarely have anything to do once the course is set in. Torres complains about her grade and her "failure to utilize expertise". Seven explains Crewman Harren's background and that Torres has assigned him to the plasma relay room on deck 15, a fairly lowly task. Torres complains that she's tried to give him more to do but when she does, he doesn't do it. So she's left him alone down there, like he wants to be. Security receives a near-perfect grade; however, Seven believes the phaser rifles could use reorganization, making them more accessible in an emergency. The Doctor then complains how Billy ruined his score by visiting sickbay once a week, and always complaining of one illness or another, but one is never found. The Doctor explains that Telfer is a hypochondriac, saying that he's afraid of medication and that he's also afraid of counselling. Harry Kim brings up Seven's score, which she reluctantly explains. The problem is Tal Celes, a sensor analyst, whose work must always be double-checked for errors. Seven thinks maybe reassigning her to engineering would help improve her work. Captain Janeway, thinking of a plan, dismisses the room. Chakotay stays behind and asks what she's planning. "They've never been on an away mission" Janeway comments, and Chakotay explains (although they get off the ship whenever there's general leave) that Harren never volunteers, Tefler always gets himself excused for medical reasons and Tal can never meet the minimum proficiency requirements. He reminds her that there's always a few officers who aren't suited to life on a starship and maybe they should be relieved of duty to pursue their own interests. Janeway doesn't want to "just deactivate them", like Borg drones, so she decides to put them on the Delta Flyer mission. In the mess hall, Telfer explains to Tal the aspects of the subspace infrared algorithm, to better analyze the data. He suggests breaking them down to four small algorithms, when Captain Janeway walks in and overhears their conversation. Celes asks what the sequence is, and Captain Janeway comes in and states "Zero-G Is Fun". They both jump to attention, but Janeway puts them At Ease and explains. "Zeta particle derivation. Gamma wave frequency. Ion distribution. Flow rate of positrons." Captain Janeway sits down, handing each of them a PADD, and tells them that the briefing will be in astrometrics that afternoon. As the captain walks away, the two officers stare at the PADDs in awe. Janeway enters a turbolift, and heads for Deck 15. She exits the lift and can't seem to find her way around. She starts walking down a corridor when a crewman notices her, and shouts "Captain on the deck!", and the near-by officers stand at attention. Janeway replies "at ease", and asks where junction room 16 is. Crewman Mitchell points her in the right direction, and she takes a moment to ask him how he's been. He replies "Never better ma'am, yourself?" She smiles, and heads for the plasma relay room, "Not bad, not bad at all." As she heads down the corridor, at the first junction she takes a wrong turn, and Mitchell points her in the right direction again. She enters, looks around, and finds Harren in an obscure corner. He turns, surprised to see her, and asks if she's lost. She smirks and says "I was, for a minute." She hands him the PADD on the mission, and he says there must be a mistake. She assures him that there's no mistake, but he insists that he wants to stay there. She tells him that Ensign Culhane will cover for him and orders him to report to astrometrics for the briefing. He tells her as she's about to leave that he's about to disprove Shlezholt's Theory, but she reminds him that Wang's Second Postulate "has more lives than a cat", which is what's been giving him problems and she leaves. In astrometrics, Janeway explains the details of the mission with a diagram of the cluster on the screen. Tal is assigned to run an ongoing sensor analysis to provide information for the rest of the crew. Harren is going to monitor subspace particle decay for anything new that they can learn on star formation, and Crewman Telfer will look for signs of life, even if it is unlikely in the environment. Telfer asks if they'll land on any planets, if they find any. Harren says that any planets in the cluster would be gas giants, and Captain Janeway reassures him that the Delta Flyer is fully equipped for medical emergencies. The Captain reminds them to be in shuttlebay 1 at 0600 hours and dismisses them. Seven reminds the Captain that she'll have to constantly monitor Tal's work for errors and that the mission could be better served with a more experienced crew. Janeway tells her that the mission isn't only to explore the T-cluster, but also to "rescue" the three crewmen. She tells Seven the story of the Good Shepherd, that if even one sheep of the flock went astray, the shepherd would leave the safety of the flock and retrieve it. In the mess hall, Neelix sits down with Torres and Paris, who are watching Crewman Harren drinking coffee and working on a PADD alone in the corner. Paris feels sorry for him, rotting away on deck 15, and jokes that "it's a shame he doesn't have a superior officer who cares". Torres says it's not her job to keep everyone happy. Neelix doesn't think they've even said two words to him, but Paris replies that he's said two words exactly: "Excuse me", during a Borg attack. Since they were at red alert, he considered it quite courteous. Torres suggests he go over there and offer encouragement, so he does. Paris asks Harren what he's doing and he shows him a PADD (Com Analysis 007-31) with an exceptionally complex equation on it. Harren can see that he doesn't understand, and jokingly asks what he finds most interesting about it. Paris simply replies "your creative use of the minus sign". Paris returns to the table, having failed in his attempt to befriend Harren. Tal is sleeping in her quarters when Telfer contacts her on her com badge. She knows what he's going to say, and says "You're not sick." He claims that he is, as he scans himself with a medical tricorder. She decides to ignore him and goes back to sleep. Telfer goes to sickbay in robe and slippers and The Doctor scans him, showing that he has a minor 0.2° fever. Telfer claims he may have a multiphasic prion. The Doctor reassures him several times that he does not have a prion. The Doctor tells him he won't give him a medical excuse to avoid going on the away mission and that he'll be having so much fun exploring that he won't have time for his hypochondria. Several hours later, the Delta Flyer drops out of warp and retracts its warp nacelles. Captain Janeway, at the helm, drops to one-quarter impulse and has Celes start the sensor sweeps. The ship shudders and Harren confirms that it wasn't the engines that caused it. Tal scans for any problems but doesn't find anything more than simple background noise. Janeway goes to check her work and agrees. Telfer asks over the comm if anyone wants lunch and Tal offers to go back to help him with it. Captain Janeway asks "Mortimer" if he'd like anything but he just turns and coldly says "Even my mother didn't call me that." Janeway says she'll have the pasta soup, under Neelix-651. Tal eagerly agrees and says she'll have the same thing and goes to the aft compartment. Tal relays the order and Telfer replicates two servings of the pasta soup. Tal sits down, depressed, and says that the Captain is checking every single thing she does. Telfer tries to reassure her it's just standard procedure. Tal wishes that she could go back to Voyager and Telfer wishes the same thing. They joke that they could always take the escape pods. Back in the forward section of the Delta Flyer, Janeway is trying to start a conversation with Harren, referring to the fact that he grew up on Vico V. But Harren coldly asks if she really believes the environment a child is raised in is more important than genetically-driven behavior patterns and accuses her of filling her attempt at conversation with unspoken assumptions that he doesn't agree with. Janeway tries to change the subject, by jokingly asking how his 13th chromosome is and missing a couple base pairs in gene 178. Harren also decides to change the subject and explains how he only signed on to Voyager because the Orion Institute of Cosmology required a single year of hands-on experience, and how he'd be there right now had Voyager not become stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway says that space exploration is unpredictable, but Harren just says that that's exactly why he doesn't like space exploration. He goes on about not liking space travel, as Janeway just rolls her eyes and wonders if this was such a good idea after all. Harren decides to join the other "misfits" for lunch and heads to the aft compartment. Just after he leaves, the Captain picks up an unknown spatial fluctuation. Then the ship is violently rocked, as a piece of the outer hull is mysteriously sheared off. Janeway orders red alert and tries to contact the aft section, but there's no response. The Delta Flyer is adrift and main propulsion is offline. The three crew personnel hurry into the bridge section returning to their consoles. Janeway brings emergency power online, as Harren reports that 90% of the antimatter has been drained and one-eighth impulse is the best the engines can do, which means that it could be 10 years before they would reach the rendezvous point. Janeway transmits an emergency distress call and has Tal check sensors. Harren theorizes it was a dark matter proto-comet. Janeway read a paper on it once and Harren says that he's the one who wrote it. He believed a tertiary product of stellar consolidation would condense into a comet-like assemblage of dark matter that would be attracted to antimatter and neutralize it on contact. He believes that the warp core should be ejected but Janeway believes it's the best way of getting main propulsion online. Tal suggests bringing the hull plate that was pulled off aboard and scanning it for dark matter residue. In the aft compartment, Janeway is scanning the hull plate that was beamed aboard. She hands the tricorder to Tal and has her download it into the computer. Tal feels guilty for not realizing the spatial fluctuations from earlier could be a problem. Janeway reassures her that she doesn't have to doubt herself all the time but she assures her that she does, because she makes mistakes all the time. On Voyager, Seven of Nine doesn't let her do anything too critical, but out here, she could get everyone killed. Tal explains how she got through Starfleet Academy, feeling that the conflict on Bajor worked in her favor and that the Federation was so eager to get Bajorans in Starfleet. Janeway says she brought her aboard because she showed signs of unconventional thinking, such as not everyone would have thought to bring the hull plate aboard. Tal says that the computer analysis is like a monster to her and that it chases her in her nightmares. Janeway says that maybe they can find her another post on Voyager but she says the only post she'd be good at would be a waitress in the mess hall. Tal doesn't believe she's really a part of Voyager's crew, she just lives there. In the bridge section, Harren is repairing an EPS relay, as Telfer is distracted by scanning himself with a medical tricorder. Harren orders him to cut the plasma flow but Telfer's still distracted. The EPS relay starts venting gas, as Telfer finally hits the console. Harren gets up, angry that he could have been killed. Telfer claims to be sick but again it is written off as hypochondria. Harren would prefer to be on deck 15, where he's his own number one priority. Telfer asks if he ever gets lonely down there but Harren prefers to be in the company of his own thoughts. Telfer asks him to spend some time with him and Tal when they get back, as he might like it, but Harren simply says that he doesn't like proving his hypotheses. Janeway briefs the crew on the results of scanning the hull fragment. They found some displaced positrons that could indicate a dark matter impact but could have been caused by something else. This is reason enough for Harren, who again suggests dumping the remaining antimatter. Janeway says it isn't proof enough for her and activates a panel, which shows a star chart. There is a class T gas giant within range, surrounded by radiogenic rings which could in theory re-initiate the warp core, so they set a course. They go back to their stations, and Tal picks up another spatial fluctuation. Janeway decides to hail it but there's no response. Harren still wants to eject the core but Janeway decides to fire a photon torpedo, since the antimatter in it would draw the anomaly if that's what it is. Just as the spatial disruptions are leaving sensor range, a loud murmuring sound fills the Delta Flyer. They all scan around with tricorders and converge on Crewman Telfer. He then disappears in an alien transporter beam. Tal scans the area and Janeway concludes he's not anywhere. Scans of space and subspace come up with nothing, but he rematerializes as suddenly as he disappeared. "Inside me" he says, as a creature can be seen moving around under his skin and a cut on the back of his neck. They take him to the biobed in the aft section, and try to transport the creature out of him. Transporters aren't picking it up, nor are the tricorders. Janeway suggests it could be some kind of "dark matter lifeform". Harren concludes that it is impossible, as molecules that complex would collapse under their own weight. Telfer says that he was transported to a dark place where he couldn't see anything. He tried to talk, but there was no air. Tal offers reassurance saying that if they wanted to kill him they'd have done it already. Janeway activates a force field around the biobed and leaves Tal to monitor Telfer. Janeway and Harren go to the bridge section. Harren decides to leave alone and enters escape pod one. Just as they are about to fire, the escape pod changes heading and heads for the dark matter lifeforms. The Flyer crew try to beam him aboard but they are out of transporter range. They come very close to hitting the dark matter aliens but beam the escape pod aboard and head out of the rings. They fire aft phasers at a radiogenic rock in the ring and it explodes, causing a chain reaction in the ring. A shock wave approaches the Delta Flyer from behind and Tal counts down to impact. The shock wave hits several seconds after Tal predicted. In Voyager's sickbay, Chakotay says that they found the Delta Flyer adrift over a gas giant, but everyone is all right. Janeway asks, but they didn't find any signs of dark matter lifeforms or another ship. He asks her what happened and she says, continuing the metaphor from before, "The good shepherd went after some lost sheep and ran into a wolf." Chakotay asks if she found them, and Janeway smiles, lying on the biobed, "I think she did." 
<EOS>
Two miners on Telsius Prime meet with two people who materialize on the surface on a Federation transporter beam and introduce themselves as Captain Kathryn Janeway and Commander Tuvok from the Federation starship USS Voyager. The two impostors recount several details about Earth and Janeway's childhood in Indiana with the miners and then discuss a trade: twenty kilotons of dilithium for ten kilotons of bolomite. Though "Janeway" was prepared to decline the trade, "Tuvok" indicates it could be used to treat the orphaned survivors of a planet-wide disaster on Selnia Prime. "Janeway" is eager to get underway and avoid a neutronic storm, so the two settle the deal at an even ten kilotons of each. Aboard the ship, "Janeway" (Dala) removes her wig, revealing her bald head and complains to "Chakotay" (Zar) that everything would have gone perfectly if "Tuvok" (Mobar) hadn't improvised. When they receive a transmission coded for her, Dala puts the wig back on and adjusts her "Starfleet uniform". She answers, as Zar adds some Federation signatures on the monitors on the alien ship. The miners inform them their bolomite is ready, and the bolomite is transported aboard. Unfortunately, "a storm interferes" with their transporters, and they are "forced" to leave. Meanwhile, aboard the real Voyager, the captain almost goes deaf from her sonic shower in her bathroom, and finds B'Elanna Torres in engineering working on systems failures from all over the ship. Torres can't find any problem, despite many diagnostics. Tuvok complains to Tom Paris and Harry Kim in the mess hall that the Oracle of K'Tal appeared in pajamas. They try to explain with straight faces that it must be the malfunctions, but Tuvok doesn't buy it. "I wonder how the Oracle would look in a sombrero", Kim jokes as he and Paris laugh. The captain then shuts down the galley because a contaminant was replicated into the food. When they scan the kitchen, they find a strange heating coil, and they explain that it is connected to the integrated circuitry, and could have caused all of the failure. Neelix explains he got it in a trade with Sister Dala trying to help poor orphans on Selnia Prime. Chakotay then calls Janeway to the bridge with another emergency. Orek, chief of mining on Telsius Prime, is demanding the dilithium ore promised to him. Janeway (of course) knows nothing about it, and asks him aboard to clear up the misunderstanding. Orek shows her "Janeway's" last transmission, which is very garbled. The captain claims that woman isn't her. He insists he has lots of data about shuttlecraft and scans to back up his story. She insists that their logs show they never went near his planet. When the miner continues to complain, he mentions the orphans. That's when Janeway thinks she may have found a connection. She goes straight to Neelix, and asks for more information about Sister Dala. Neelix tells her that he and Paris met up with two monks in the Wyanti system while looking for a spore The Doctor could create antiviral proteins with. After a "cleansing" with a small device, they discovered that Neelix bears a striking resemblance to their Redeemer of Light. When they would not accept charity for food, Neelix offered a trade, and got the heating coil in exchange. They were invited aboard the Delta Flyer, but Paris and Neelix kept an eye on them. She talked to Neelix a lot about himself, how Voyager is alone in this region of space, about the ship and the captain (including some of her childhood). After many thanks, and a blessing with eyes closed that lasted about one minute, they returned to the planet. When Janeway examines the computer records, she finds their entire database was downloaded that day, probably with that small device. She concludes that they are the impostors. Turning to Paris and Neelix, she remarks, "Gentlemen, I believe you've been had." Orek still doesn't believe the story, disbelieving that Paris and Neelix could be so naive. However, Orek is eventually persuaded to give Janeway the scans of the impostors' ship when she notes the imposters could be halfway through the sector with the Telsian's bolomite. During all this, Dala is pulling off another scam, talking to Varn aboard "the Delta Flyer" (their ship). While it seems obsolete, "Janeway" explains that it has fought off many enemies, such as the Borg and Species 8472. She also shows him schematics of Voyager (the real one), and offers Varn the opportunity to join the Federation, who will protect him from his enemies. "Tuvok" starts a lecture on the primary mission of exploration, but "Janeway" cuts him off. She shows off the advanced weapons of Voyager, and says that they will be shared once he is a member -- if his membership application is acceptable. "Tuvok" begins to explain a lengthy process, but "Chakotay" reassures him that all will be well, since "Janeway" has influence with the Federation Council. "Chakotay" reminds her that they are being recalled and will return to this sector in six months. Varn decides he would join immediately, over "Janeway's" cautions that he would have to invest significant resources, and she accepts his word for now. On the real Voyager, Paris and Neelix agonize over their experience. They can't find where they went wrong. Orphans are a common gambit, and they have dealt with shady characters before. They give up after a while, and decide to prove they've still "got it." They decide to "pluck a pigeon" with a good old fashioned shell game as The Doctor walks over. Tom shills for the game and Neelix shuffles the cups as best he can, but The Doctor does correctly identify where the nut is: in Neelix's left hand. As payment, Neelix has to work three shifts in sickbay. Meanwhile, Paris is immediately called away when Tuvok detects a vessel on long-range sensors which matches the warp signature of the impostors. Meanwhile, the impostors have pulled off another heist. Varn complains that the photon torpedoes they gave him don't work, and his enemies, the Polonians, were also allowed to join. When "Tuvok" apologizes and suggests he send a petition to the Federation Council, Varn locks on to their ship and decides to take his reparations. As Voyager shows up, "Janeway" orders Varn to back off, since their mother ship has arrived to defend them. He complains to Voyager about his problems. When the real Janeway tries to explain how he's been tricked, he instead fires. Voyager destroys Varn's tractor beam, and Janeway orders Seven of Nine to transport everyone off that ship. She gets only Dala, and the impostors go to warp. Voyager leaves as well. Dala now meets the real Captain Janeway in the brig. Janeway demands a list of people "Janeway" cheated. She refuses, so Janeway threatens to turn her over to the Telsian government. Tuvok -- after a subtle suggestion by Janeway -- explains his "research" indicates their justice system is cruel; prisons are barely habitable, and many die before they get to trial. If, on the other hand, Dala makes full restitution, Janeway will let her go. Dala tries to leverage the fact that Janeway is the one with the problem, since it is her reputation who is marred. It doesn't work. Neelix shows up later with food, and tries to bring up Dala's guilt, and her life story. He explains he used to be a lot like her, but he was changed by Captain Janeway. She wanted commodities of hard work and loyalty, and he was willing to share them. Dala doesn't know what to do with her life, even if she could change. Neelix says he could talk to the captain and persuade her to let Dala become a part of her crew. Dala appears to believe him, but spills her tea, and knocks Neelix down and gets his phaser before he can get up, stunning him and the guard and escaping. She makes her way to the real Delta Flyer, and takes off. Security doesn't stop her, and the captain just watches her fly off. Dala manages to rendezvous with her ship, but her crew are hesitant to beam her aboard; she might have turned on them. She insists she hasn't, as Tom Paris comes out of hiding in the aft section and activates The Doctor with his mobile emitter. Once Dala is aboard, Paris takes control of the Delta Flyer, and fires a few shots. They shoot back, and leave to pick up their bolomite. When they plan on how to recover their cargo, it is clear her two comrades are suspicious of Dala; she has changed. However, they all go down (to keep an eye on each other), and put pattern enhancers on all of their stored booty. That's when Dala pulls a weapon on them, and informs Janeway she is in position. When they cannot transport her in time, she stuns Zar, and when she is shot by Mobar, it goes right through her holographic body. When Tuvok captures Mobar and Zar, Dala adjusts the holoemitter to recreate the features of The Doctor. Meanwhile, Paris on the Delta Flyer observes and guards the waking Dala. Back in the mess hall aboard Voyager, Neelix and Tom once again play their shell game with The Doctor. When he insists he's already proved they can't swindle him, they prove him wrong by getting him to suppose the nut is really up Neelix's right sleeve when in fact he has handed it off to Tom. Now that they've finally succeeded at conning him, their confidence is restored that they've still "got it." 
<EOS>
In an open-air theater, a Greek-style Chorus recites a "Captain's log entry" outlining an away mission by "B'Elanna Torres" and "Harry Kim" to search for "Dilithium". Kelis the poet appears and describes the journey as though it were that of a sailing ship: the ship is struck by "a wave as high as a mountain"; Harry ejects in an escape pod, and B'Elanna is "thrown against the rocks". The play ends and the patron of the theater applauds enthusiastically. He demands to see another play in the series about the "Voyager Eternals" in one week's time. Kelis brings the good news to his troupe, and declares there will be another Voyager play "as soon as [he] can write it". One of the actresses, Layna, asks Kelis flirtatiously if he wants to celebrate their good fortune, but Kelis declines, saying that he has very little time. She is clearly unhappy. Later, in the wreckage of the Delta Flyer, which has crashed on a mountainside, Kelis introduces himself to an injured B'Elanna and declares that he is "her servant". B'Elanna is injured and feverish, and Kelis has been treating her with bloodletting. He has also tied her to her seat so that she will not "fly from him, as inspiration always does". She convinces him to treat her with a dermal regenerator from a medkit. Kelis expects similar great miracles from B'Elanna since she is an "Eternal". He tells her he was inspired to write an epic play from the recordings of logs and communications he was able to play back. She convinces him to release her, then threatens him with a phaser and tells him to leave and never return. The next day, B'Elanna is trying to bring communications online, but the Delta Flyer lacks the power to do so. Kelis returns with food, and asks her to tell him about Earth and Voyager and how it got lost. She gives a vague description of a beautiful blue and green island, and an Eternal called the Caretaker. Kelis hits an obviously raw nerve when he asks her if she is in love with Tom Paris. Using the ship's database, she shows Kelis a picture of dilithium, which he recognizes as "Winter's tears" and tells her that the only deposit he knows of is on the hunting grounds of his patron. She asks him to bring her some. He tells her that the Nobles of his civilization are constantly fighting with each other, and that she doesn't want to get involved. She tells him no dilithium, no more stories about Voyager. A conveniently timed thunderclap emphasizes her demand. Kelis returns, drenched, but bearing the dilithium she needs. She tells him she has an idea for his next play. Kelis tells his troupe he has been visited by inspiration herself, and that they will perform a new play, "The Rescue of B'Elanna Torres", in one week. On USS Voyager a meeting in the briefing room ends with a very unhappy Tom Paris wanting to take a shuttle himself to look for Harry and B'Elanna. Captain Janeway does not allow the request, telling him that their efforts will be more effective if they coordinate them from the ship. Back on the planet, the troupe is rehearsing the play. Layna, the actress playing "Seven" is depicted as being romantically involved with "Tom Paris". Back in the Flyer, Kelis expresses his bewilderment as to how Vulcans can have no emotions. B'Elanna manages to get power restored to the ship temporarily, but then it overloads when she tries to get communications on line. She asks Kelis to bring her a piece of metal--"three parts tin, five parts bronze, one side coated with gold"—to use to fix communications. He agrees even though it will be prohibitively expensive, but demands a description of the Vulcans in exchange. On Voyager, Tuvok is working on a PADD in the mess hall. Neelix brings him some tea, and observes that Tuvok has been awake for ten days straight. Neelix comments that the ship is lonely without Harry and B'Elanna. Tuvok asks him to leave him alone so that he might be able to find them. On the planet, the actor playing "Tuvok" starts getting emotional while rehearsing his part. Kelis berates him, telling him "Logical 'Tuvok' doesn't cry!" Kelis then tells him that the "Land of Vulcan" has no laughter, and no tears; it is a very quiet place, just like "Tuvok". "Tuvok" declares that the audience will think that either "Tuvok" is an unfeeling monster or that he is a bad actor, or both, but Kelis assures him that the audience will realize that underneath "Tuvok's" calm exterior is a heart that is breaking silently, and in more pain than anyone can imagine. Suddenly, another actor runs in and tells Kelis that another war is about to start between his Patron and another noble to the north. Kelis realizes his only chance to stop it is with his new play. On the Flyer, Kelis begs B'Elanna to help him write the perfect play that can stop the war, and gives her the metal she requested. She tells him the "Eternals" aren't supposed to take sides. After scanning it, B'Elanna finds that the metal has too many impurities and is useless. Kelis tells her that if the war starts, she could be discovered by scouting parties moving through the mountains. This convinces her to return with him to the theater, and he introduces her as a fellow poet from across the eastern sea while Layna storms off in a jealous rage. Kelis outlines what he has written so far about "The rescue of B'Elanna Torres" while Layna continues to glare at them jealously. Kelis asks her where they can put in the plot twists and reversals that will make the play interesting. An older actor encourages him to put aside the tricks and find the truth of his story. Here, he says, poets have become lazy, relying on manipulation to move the audience. Kelis says that such an idea is old-fashioned, and that audiences want excitement and passion. To demonstrate, Kelis shows her a rehearsal where "Janeway" is shown making romantic advances to "Chakotay". B'Elanna looks on, stunned. On Voyager, the real Chakotay informs the Captain that an alien transport vessel detected the Flyer's distress call stating that the Flyer was heavily damaged and headed for an L-Class planet and that B'Elanna ordered Harry into an escape pod. Captain Janeway is clearly distressed by the news. Back on the Planet, the final rehearsal has ended, but the play still has no ending. B'Elanna is dismayed by all the romantic scenes she has seen. She tells Kelis that lives can't be changed with a few lines of dialogue. He tells her she is wrong, declaring that it's been done before. He then tells her that the theater they are in what was a temple 100 years ago where a victim would be ritually sacrificed every year in honor of winter, but then one year, no one knows when or why, a play took the place of the sacrifice. He hopes that his play will prevent the coming war before it starts. B'Elanna tells him that when war is looming, the last thing on anyone's mind is romance. He asks her to tell him more about the Borg. Her description reminds him of insect colonies. She tells him that Captain Janeway is a Starfleet officer, who would make peace with the Borg if she could. Kelis tells her that that could be the sudden reversal--"Janeway", after defeating the "Borg Queen" could offer her peace instead of destroying her. This could inspire his patron to stop the impending war. "Much better than all that kissing", B'Elanna says. Kelis wants her to stay and help him write the ending, but she declines. He threatens to kill off her character. "You wouldn't dare", she replies. Back on the Flyer, Layna has followed B'Elanna, expecting to find a love nest. Instead, she finds B'Elanna's secret. B'Elanna tries to convince her that there is nothing between her and Kelis, but the woman doesn't believe her and tearfully threatens to expose B'Elanna if she doesn't leave. After she leaves, Harry appears outside the broken viewport, having walked (at night) the 200 kilometers from his location to hers, and she discovers he is carrying the exact part B'Elanna needs to fix the communications system. An agitated Kelis is trying to figure out the ending to his play. Layna and another actor come in and tell him his collaborator is probably long gone. Kelis is worried. On the Flyer, Harry and B'Elanna, having apparently worked all night, manage to get the communications system back on line. They send a communication to Voyager. Later that night, at the theater, the play is about to start, and the troupe is very disappointed by the ending that Kelis has written. He sends one of the copy writers to run to the Flyer with a message for B'Elanna. On Voyager, Tom Paris is at the helm when he hears loud snoring. He turns and sees Tuvok in the command chair, sound asleep. Tom wakes him, and Tuvok contacts Chakotay and requests relief. At that moment, they receive the transmission from B'Elanna. They set a course for the planet at maximum warp. In the theater, "Captain Janeway" and "Seven of Nine" are talking. They have found the "Delta Flyer", wrecked on a faraway shore. "Janeway" tells "Seven" that she is the only one who can find "B'Elanna". "Seven" then reveals to the audience that she is the "Borg Queen", and tells them to say nothing. "Janeway", then reveals to the audience that she knows "Seven" is the queen, and also tells them to say nothing. On the Flyer, Harry and B'Elanna have re-established communications with Voyager and report their status, then are surprised by the copy writer. He hands her Kelis's message, threatening "B'Elanna" with death. She realizes that this means that Kelis still hasn't figured out an ending. B'Elanna, realizing just how much she has inspired Kelis and now very involved with the play, realizes that she has to help him. She beams herself to the theater, after telling Harry to wait for her signal. On the stage, "Janeway" has "Seven" on the ground held at spearpoint. "Seven" tells "Janeway" that even if "Janeway" kills her, more "Borg" will rise to take her place and destroy "Janeway". "Janeway" then throws her spear aside, telling "Seven" that if they continue to war, their races will both be destroyed and all that will be left is their hatred. An actor tells Kelis that the final scene will ruin everything, then B'Elanna appears. She goes onstage to say that Kelis must say goodbye to the "Eternal" B'Elanna Torres, as she must return to the "Eternals" "right here before your eyes". Layna runs out into the audience to reveal B'Elanna's real identity to the patron, but the other actors quickly improvise and make it part of the play. B'Elanna then says goodbye to Kelis and Kelis says she will inspire him every time he thinks of her. B'Elanna then signals Voyager and asks to "Ascend to the Heavens". B'Elanna is beamed up in front of a shocked audience. The chorus ends the play, and Kelis tells his patron that he will continue to tell the stories of the "Voyager Eternals" as long as they have the breath to tell them and as long as their patrons remain wise and compassionate, and that Voyager will continue her journey to "the gleaming cities of Earth" where hatred has no home. 
<EOS>
In her ready room, Janeway is grilling Tuvok about a secret he has been keeping. She walks over to the replicator and produces a birthday cake as it turns out to be Tuvok's birthday. Tuvok reluctantly blows out the candle on the cake, claiming it was a "fire hazard". Commander Chakotay calls Janeway to the bridge. The USS Voyager has received a distress call from a small ship. Sensors reveal the ship has one Ocampan lifeform on board. It is an aged Kes, now around six or seven years old and appearing frail and weak, asking for permission to beam aboard. When Captain Janeway questions her motives, Kes cuts the com channel. Immediately after, her ship is on a collision course with Voyager and just before it is destroyed, Kes manages to transport herself on board. Furiously, she makes her way to engineering, giving off high levels of neurogenic energy that destroy the sections she is walking through. She does not respond to any hails from the captain and even force fields cannot hold her back. All attempts by Ayala and a security guard to stop her fail and she finally reaches engineering, making her way to the warp core. While she is holding on to the core, she kills B'Elanna Torres with an energy pulse emitted from it. Holding on ever stronger to the warp core, she lights up and disappears. She somehow uses the warp core to travel back in time to 2371, 56 days and 17 hours after Voyager had become trapped in the Delta Quadrant. In 2371, there are now two Keses: the one that belongs to 2371 and the one that has traveled back in time to 2371. Materializing right next to the warp core, she transforms herself into a duplicate of the young Kes. The Torres of 2371 asks Kes if she would like to stay and observe a warp core assembly, but she tells the chief engineer she is needed in sickbay. Upon arriving there, Kes starts fiddling around with some of The Doctor's medical instruments. The Doctor is annoying her with his questions about what name to pick for himself. Barely listening to him, she picks up a hypospray and rushes out of sickbay. In the airponics bay, the real Kes who belongs to the timeline, is attacked from behind by the "old" Kes, sedated and hidden, so that there are not two Keses walking around the ship. In the mess hall, Tom Paris and Neelix are chatting about some unique names he could use for a cheeseburger he has made, when Kes walks in and asks Neelix for some coffee that she wants to bring for the captain. She is a bit grumpy and distanced, unable to laugh at Neelix's jokes as she used to. She grabs a canister with coffee and goes to the captain's ready room. Janeway and Chakotay are there discussing the Vidiians, with the captain and first officer discussing the plight of the imperiled species and the lengths they go to to harvest organs. Chakotay wonders what Humans would do if they were faced with similar circumstances. Kes arrives shortly after and she spills some coffee on the captain's desk, supposedly by accident, and when the captain is called to the bridge, Kes accesses Janeway's computer terminal. When Kes leaves the ready room, Tuvok, who is standing on the bridge at the science station with Janeway and Ensign Wildman, looks at her from afar as if he sensed something. Later, during a staff meeting in Voyager's briefing room which is all about finding a way to evade the Vidiians and navigate the ship through a region of space densely packed with subspace vacuoles, Tuvok suggests taking the Delta Flyer with its advanced sensors to navigate through the region. This comes as a big surprise to everyone, because they have never heard of a Delta Flyer. Tuvok apologizes, believing that he must have been thinking of another starship. Paris finds Kes sitting in a shuttle programming a trajectory to Ocampa and asks her if she is homesick. She claims she's not. She's "studying" the helm configuration and asks Paris to teach her how to fly. He agrees to give her some tutorials in the holodeck in an old class 1 shuttle. While entering a turbolift Tuvok sees Naomi Wildman. He follows the hallucination to Cargo Bay 2 where he sees the alcoves with all the rescued former Borg, Azan, Rebi, and Seven of Nine, regenerating. Then he snaps back to reality when Lieutenant Carey, working at a console, asks him if he is all right. Kes walks into her quarters to find that Neelix has prepared one of her favorite meals for her, leaving her a message that says how much he misses her. Suddenly, she becomes irrationally angry and furious, throwing everything off the table and yelling at the computer to turn off the music. She then asks it to open an encrypted channel and direct the signal to the Vidiians whom she informs about Captain Janeway's plan to evade their vessels. She offers to send them tactical data on shields, weapons and anything else they need to take Voyager. In return, she asks for safe passage back to Ocampa for herself and one other person. When asked by the Vidiian why she is abandoning her crew, she coldly states that they are not her crew, for they abandoned her long ago. Kes is back in airponics checking up on her younger self whom she apparently has hidden in one of the drawers. After finding everything okay she heads over to a computer console to ascertain Voyager's tactical information where she bypasses the command authorization by using her powers. In the meantime, Tuvok discusses his hallucinations with the captain in her quarters. He informs her of having run into a half-Human, half-Ktarian girl named Naomi Wildman in the turbolift and also of his encounter with a woman and several children with cybernetic implants. He cannot explain what is happening to him. Even though he has had hallucinations before, it has always been in the context of deep meditation. However, these are specific, evoking a sense of anticipation. He is concerned because Vulcans generally do not have premonitions. Janeway instructs the computer to run a continuous scan around Tuvok so they can monitor what is happening to him next time he has another one of his visions. The Doctor, albeit reluctantly because of doctor-patient confidentiality, confirms Ensign Wildman's pregnancy which is producing a half-Ktarian female offspring, Janeway realizes that everything Tuvok said is true and that there is something very strange going on. Tuvok's hallucinations become stronger and more frequent until he finally breaks down in engineering and goes into synaptic shock. Examining the proximity scan of Tuvok at the time where he broke down in engineering, Janeway discovers a surge in tachyon particles, indicating temporal distortions and thus probably time travel. While nervous about these findings and researching the occurrence of tachyon particles elsewhere on the ship, Voyager suddenly finds itself under attack by the Vidiians. The Vidiians keep matching Voyager's shield frequencies. Then the Vidiian ship attaches itself to Voyager's hull, trying to access the ship directly. Janeway asks for the neural agent The Doctor has been developing and asks him to release it in the sections where the Vidiians have cut a hole through the hull, but much to their horror they find that environmental controls are not responding; they have been locked out of that system, all command relays have been fused and the Vidiians are about to board Voyager. That is when Janeway realizes that the Vidiians knew where to find them all along: they knew their shield frequencies and which systems to target. Someone told them. An electromagnetic fluctuation that could indicate a transmission is detected in the airponics bay. Bioreadings pick up two Keses. Janeway makes her way down there, where Kes is about to unsuccessfully initiate a site-to-site transport. Janeway confronts her in the airponics bay. When asked why she is helping the Vidiians, Kes tells her that she is from a future she is hoping to change, and uses her telekinetic powers to throw Janeway around the bay and out of her way. She says that she won't let them hurt her again by taking her from Ocampa, her home. She claims to have been a prisoner on this ship, a child who was corrupted by their ideas of exploration and discovery. She tells her that in three years she will leave Voyager in search of higher things because Janeway encouraged her to develop her mental abilities; something she was not ready for. She couldn't control what she found. It scared her, and she felt she had nowhere to go. She thought of returning home to Ocampa, but knew that the people on her home world would be frightened by her mental abilities and not accept her. But they will accept the younger Kes, the one she is holding and wanting to transport over to the Vidiian ship. All attempts by Janeway to make her understand reason fail, and Kes becomes more and more furious until finally Janeway has no choice but to set her phaser to kill Kes. Meanwhile, Voyager manages to break free of the Vidiian ship and drive them off. Later, in engineering, Tuvok, who is standing in front of the warp core, says that Kes was standing exactly here during his last premonition, where she appeared older, faceless, tired. They note that tachyons are concentrated in the warp core and that it was possible that she used the core to travel back in time. If that is true, then she will need it again but unfortunately, they don't know when that will be and yet they have to be ready for it. When young Kes regains consciousness, Captain Janeway tells her in confidence what has happened and that they will need her help to prevent it from happening again. Five years later, Voyager receives a distress call from a small ship. Sensors reveal the ship has one Ocampan lifeform on board. It is an aged Kes, who appears frail and weak, asking for permission to beam aboard. When she hears that, Janeway, who admits she had almost forgotten the incident, is immediately alerted and knows what to do. She raises shields and goes to red alert and orders the emergency evacuation of deck eleven. Kes' ship is on a collision course with Voyager and just before it crashes, Kes beams herself on board. Furious, she makes her way to engineering, giving off high levels of neurogenic energy that destroy the sections of the corridor she is walking through. She does not respond to any hails and even force fields cannot hold her back. On the bridge, Janeway orders the shutdown of the warp core and signals to Tuvok to be ready and follow her. In engineering, Janeway plays the hologram Kes had recorded before leaving Voyager. In that, the holographic recording of Kes reminds her older self that no one forced her to do anything; that she was the one who made the decision to leave Ocampa and also the one who made the decision to leave Voyager. She asks her not to take revenge and just find another way home with the captain's help. She asks her to try and remember who she used to be. Janeway walks in, telling her what will happen if she crosses the timeline again. She offers her to stay with them on Voyager but Kes says that she cannot, for she does not belong there anymore and needs to be with her own people. Suddenly she smiles, saying that she now remembers the holorecording she made years ago to remind herself of who she is. Janeway asks her whether it really matters which Kes goes home. In the transporter room, the captain and Neelix are sending Kes off. Neelix hands her a few snacks of leola root for the journey home and looks at her in reminiscence. When she asks him if he sees anyone he knows with a small smile, as she had changed a lot both inside and out, he replies that he only sees her. After Kes is beamed back to her vessel, Tuvok asks what they should tell the others. Janeway says to simply tell them that a friend got lost and they helped her find her way. With these words Janeway and Tuvok leave the transporter room and Kes' ship sets a course for home. 
<EOS>
Jupiter Station, Sol system, the Alpha Quadrant. A shuttle, piloted by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay approaches. He hails the station and requests permission to dock and board. The station is the home and workplace of Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the crotchety genius and holography engineer extraordinaire best known for the creation of the Emergency Medical Hologram. Dr. Zimmerman grumpily allows Barclay in to see him. They speak about Barclay's work on the Pathfinder Project and an annoyed Zimmerman mocks Barclay for still searching for that ship. Barclay tells him that they are on the verge of a breakthrough through the establishment of a communications link. Then the subject turns to Zimmerman's medical condition. Zimmerman snorts angrily at this, stating that he has been scanned and probed a hundred times without anyone being able to tell him what is wrong. Barclay ventures that it is only a matter of time until they find something, but Zimmerman has none of it. His next words remind Barclay that time is a luxury Dr. Zimmerman cannot afford; his condition is fatal and he is dying. Via the MIDAS array, Starfleet transmits a compressed data stream across the 30,000 light year distance to the USS Voyager. It is received in the ship's astrometrics lab by Seven of Nine, who quickly analyzes the data and informs Captain Janeway about the transmission. Janeway calls a meeting of the senior staff explaining the receipt of the data stream and that every thirty-two days, Starfleet will transmit a short burst of data to them via the MIDAS array, utilizing a cyclic pulsar to amplify the signal across the distance. The data is usually correspondence from crew-members' families and news of the Alpha Quadrant. However, they only have about seventeen hours to respond before the pulsar's strength drops below sending range. She orders that the crew be informed and that everyone be given the opportunity to send something. As before, Neelix, the ship's morale officer, is put in charge of distributing the individual messages. This time, he also has one for The Doctor, which he promptly delivers to him in sickbay. It is a message from Barclay who informs him about Dr. Zimmerman's condition. Barclay explains that Dr. Zimmerman is suffering from acute sub-cellular degradation and that the doctors at home have not been able to find the cause, much less the treatment. Neelix informs The Doctor gently of the time the Captain needs his response by, if he wants to send one. The Doctor, however, intends to send more than just a reply; he believes that he can actually help Dr. Zimmerman by adapting a variety of Borg regeneration techniques to arrest the cell damage and maybe even reverse it. And what's more, he intends to administer the treatment himself by being sent back to the Alpha Quadrant. Captain Janeway is not convinced, saying that even if they could send him, he was still needed on the ship. But The Doctor points out that for the short time he is gone, Tom Paris can take over. He goes on to say that Seven has discovered that they can compress his program and send him. He realizes that he would be asking the crew to make a sacrifice, because if his program is sent, then there won't be any room for personal messages, but he believes that while the crew can wait another month, Dr. Zimmerman might not have that luxury. He pleads with her, responding that he needs to be there and that he cannot treat a patient 30,000 light years away. He points out that everything he is, he is because of Dr. Zimmerman and his work and that in a way, both he and the crew owe Zimmerman something. Janeway points out that Zimmerman created thousands of emergency medical holograms and that he can hardly be considered to be a father to him, but The Doctor disagrees, stating that from his perspective, his creator is the closest thing he's got and that if he doesn't help him now, he may never get the chance. Captain Janeway finally agrees hoping that The Doctor will be successful in his endeavors. Seven prepares The Doctor for transmission. Despite The Doctor's protests, she extracts all his non-essential subroutines, such as his singing subroutine and his Grand Master chess subroutine, because his program is currently too large for transmission. Then, in the astrometrics lab, with Captain Janeway and Ensign Kim there to prep him and see him off, Seven downloads and transmits him. He arrives successfully at Jupiter Station, where a very excited but nervous Barclay rushes with a portable data device to Zimmerman's laboratory. Zimmerman's assistant, a holographic Human woman named Haley, warns him that he is in a particularly cranky mood, but Barclay insists on seeing him. Zimmerman agrees to see while his assistant asks him to be nice to Barclay, because he is actually worried about him. Barclay enters and activates The Doctor. He is without his mobile emitter, but is being projected using the emitters Zimmerman has installed throughout his lab. Zimmerman is far from enthused; he is not very impressed with being presented with the obsolete EMH Mark I, stating that he is in fact not in the mood for nostalgia. Disappointed by his reaction, Barclay informs him exactly what EMH Mark I he is looking at, but this merely elicits yet another sarcastic dismissal of The Doctor from a still unenthusiastic Zimmerman. When The Doctor informs Zimmerman of the reason for his visit, Zimmerman's sarcasm begins to boil over into anger. "You brought a Mark I 30,000 light years to treat me?" he asks Barclay with a baleful glare. "I was wrong about you, Reginald; you do have a sense of humor." He curtly turns his back on both of them. The Doctor does not appreciate this; he was expecting a vastly different reception from his creator. He asks Barclay what the joke is, in regard to Zimmerman's comment. Zimmerman's sarcasm disappears entirely, leaving only anger. He gives The Doctor a total shocking surprise, one that shatters his previously-held assumption that EMHs like him were performing a great medical function. He finds out that the EMH Mark I program was reconfigured to scrub plasma conduits on waste transfer barges. The Doctor is horrified. Zimmerman continues yelling that he has been treated by the Mark III, Mark IV, and not to mention the real doctors in Starfleet, none of whom could help him. Barclay tries to ameliorate the situation by explaining to Dr. Zimmerman all The Doctor's unique experiences that have increased his knowledge in the medical field vastly, but Zimmerman doesn't want to hear it. The Doctor himself is becoming irritated by Zimmerman, but this does not stop him from trying to carry out the reason for which he risked his program by coming here. He tells him that he needs to run a complete analysis by scanning him with a medical tricorder, but Zimmerman refuses to let him do so. However, his persistence makes Zimmerman see that he is going to have to acquiesce in order to be left alone, so he finally relents, standing still and allowing The Doctor to take his scans. A very mollified Barclay leaves to wait outside. It does not last, however. The Doctor, annoyed by a holographic iguana Zimmerman has in his lab for company, deactivates it. Furious at this, Zimmerman ceases his cooperation and shouts at him to leave. The Doctor refuses, defiantly retorting that he is no longer under Zimmerman's control, to which Zimmerman sharply orders the computer to transfer The Doctor to the living quarters. The flustered Doctor finds himself suddenly relocated outside the lab, where a concerned Barclay and Haley look at him in surprise. The next day, Haley and Barclay are sitting in the living quarters, talking about the situation. A furious Doctor storms in, demanding that the MIDAS array be powered up to send him back to Voyager at once. He spent an hour analyzing the confusing data before discovering that Zimmerman, according to the readings, is a Vulcan marsupial. The Doctor is outraged because Zimmerman reconfigured his tricorder. Barclay chuckles a bit and Haley tells him that she thinks that he is making some progress because Dr. Zimmerman only teases people he likes. Finally, Barclay calms him down, reminding him that he cannot be sent back until the following month. This does nothing to alter The Doctor's ire, however. He is becoming increasingly agitated by the situation he is in, especially when a holographic insect keeps buzzing into his ear. He angrily voices his opinion of the absurdity of the situation he finds himself, with undercover insects, talking iguanas and not to mention Dr. Zimmerman whom he considers to be deranged and in dire need of a counselor. This gives Barclay an idea. Barclay contacts the USS Enterprise-E and speaks to Commander Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor. He asks her to come to Jupiter Station and provide some insight into the situation between The Doctor and Zimmerman. At first, she is reticent, responding that the Enterprise is on an important mission, nearly seven light years away. But Barclay pleads saying that this situation needs the best: her. She is visibly pleased by his confidence in her, and agrees to come, provided her commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, grants her request. Meanwhile, on Voyager, Chakotay enters Captain Janeway's ready room to find her mulling over a message she has received from Admiral Hayes. In the message, Hayes assures Janeway that Starfleet has not given up on Voyager; in fact, they have redirected two deep-space exploration vessels toward Voyager's position, and the ship will be able to rendezvous with them in five to six years. Hayes also requests information from Janeway regarding her First Contact missions, interactions with the Borg, and the status of the ship's Maquis crew members. This last point troubles Janeway; she tells Chakotay that she no longer thinks of the Maquis as a separate political entity (and enemies of the Federation), but as a normal part of the crew. Chakotay confesses that while Janeway may have forgotten their ugly history, the Maquis have not, but he also reminds her that it will be years before she will have to address the problem with Starfleet, and she should wait until then to do so. Janeway invites him to lunch so that he can help her compose a proper response to Hayes. Later on, Haley, having prepared Zimmerman's lunch, calls and informs him. His response over the comm is pleasured groaning, then an acknowledgment of her message. He is seen being massaged by a most exotic-looking Tarlac woman. Lying on his ventral side, he complains to her about The Doctor's harassment of him and the dread he feels just thinking about him. Then he notices her pulling out a medical tricorder to scan him. Shocked, he gets up, demanding an explanation. Suddenly, epiphany hits him. He orders the computer to realign Voyager's EMH. The Tarlac woman is replaced by an embarrassed-looking Doctor. Zimmerman becomes livid. His face contorted with rage, he threatens to report The Doctor to the medical ethics board, screaming at him to leave him alone. The Doctor sternly tries to get him to see that he is only trying to help, but Zimmerman screams that he doesn't want his help, again asking why he just won't leave him alone. The Doctor explains that for some reason unknown to him, he cares about him. Zimmerman mocks him again, saying that he was not programmed to care but to hold a scalpel. However, The Doctor reiterates that over the past six years, he has become more than the EMH Zimmerman had once created. Just then, Haley calls, informing Zimmerman of a visitor, who enters shortly after: Commander Troi. Troi introduces herself, though both know who she is. She immediately gets to work, trying to engage them and bring about a spirit of detente. The Doctor is appreciative, but Zimmerman is surly and obstinate. She first tries to get The Doctor to see Zimmerman's point of view on the situation but to Zimmerman's mind, The Doctor is obsolete. Therefore, he has difficulty putting confidence in him. The Doctor understands this. She then asks Zimmerman to understand The Doctor's position. If the situation were reversed, The Doctor would not want him working on him either, considering him obsolete. Zimmerman pretends to go along with her. But then he breaks the pretense with a snide remark that The Doctor, being an EMH Mark I, can start purging the plasma conduits on Deck Six. This arouses The Doctor's anger once again and they begin to bicker, until Troi loses her cool, calling them both jerks before storming out. Later, in the living quarters, Troi glumly tells Barclay that perhaps she should not have come; things are now worse than before because now Zimmerman and The Doctor refuse to even be in the same room with each other. Haley brings Troi's principal vice: chocolate ice cream. Troi is very appreciative. Her empathic powers, not sensing any emotions from her, reveal Haley to be a hologram. Upon finding out when she was created, she realizes that Haley is in fact older than the Mark I. She wonders then why Zimmerman pays her heed, but refuses to do so with The Doctor?  After a bit of coaxing, as this is not something Zimmerman wants publicly known, Haley explains that the Mark I was Zimmerman's most prized work. He had dreamed about holograms in every corner of the Milky Way, rendering critical medical care, saving lives in situations where flesh-and-blood doctors could not go. He was so proud of the Mark I that he modeled its physical appearance after himself. But Starfleet was unimpressed, ordering the Mark I reconfigured as plasma conduit cleaners. Zimmerman was devastated and humiliated. He tried for years to repair the defects, until he gave up and started again from scratch, first creating the Mark II, then III, then IV. None of these newer models looked like him again; he made that mistake once and was not about to do it again. And now, Troi concludes, after all these years, a Mark I appears, a reminder of his failure and shame, like staring in the mirror at a reflection one never wants to see again. She now understands exactly what the root cause of Zimmerman's attitude and belligerence toward The Doctor is. Savoring her ice cream, she considers her next steps. Alone in his lab, with the lights low, a quiet, frightened but resigned Zimmerman dictates to the computer his last will and testament. With nobody else present, he lets some of his hidden feelings show, evincing deep care about those few people who are close to him, such as Haley and Barclay. Then pain due to his condition seizes him with red-hot talons. He sits in his chair, gasping. Meanwhile, The Doctor is in the station's holodeck, which Barclay has programmed to be a facsimile of Voyager's sickbay. Commander Troi enters and speaks to him about having dinner with her, Barclay, Haley and Zimmerman. Initially, he is interested, but at the mention of the last, he flatly refuses. Then he begins to fritz. Urgently, Troi calls Barclay who immediately transfers him to the living quarters, where he begins running diagnostics on him. The news horrifies The Doctor: he is degrading, destabilizing. Soon, he will be destroyed completely. There is nothing Barclay can do. Soon after, Barclay, Haley, and Troi are in Zimmerman's lab, with Zimmerman. Haley busies herself cleaning while Troi and Barclay speak to Zimmerman about The Doctor's deterioration. Zimmerman could not care less: "Good riddance to bad photons," is his response. The officers plead with him: he is dying; Voyager cannot do without him. He irritatedly responds that he will send them a Mark IV as a replacement. They don't want a Mark IV, Barclay presses, they want their friend. This irritates Zimmerman even more, and he states that no EMH was ever designed to be anyone's friend and shouts at everyone that he is just a hologram. A very poor choice of words. Haley immediately whirls on him, hurt in her voice, asking him if that is that how he feels about her. Mortified, Zimmerman can only mutter that he will not be ambushed in his own lab. Haley takes over from Troi and Barclay. She reminds him of the time when he was on Vulcan to give a lecture and received a message that she was destabilizing. He immediately canceled the lecture and returned to Jupiter Station to repair her. Her voice is tinged with emotion as she says this. Zimmerman, never comfortable with his soft side exposed for others to see, tries to respond that he was merely looking for an excuse to escape delivering the lecture. But there is no conviction at all behind his words. "You came back because you cared about me," Haley presses. "Just like you care about the Mark I; you just won't admit it." Leaning in close, she brings up the forbidden subject, admitting that he may not be perfect, but that he is one of his creations, and that right now, he needs his creator. She asks him to not turn his back on him now. Zimmerman looks around at all of them, the resistance leached out of him. He quietly relents. Later, eating Haley's salad, alone in the lab, he begins his work. He has the computer activate The Doctor and informs him of his intention to repair him and begins working at a terminal. The Doctor, as expected, is not a good patient himself: he frantically pesters Zimmerman with questions about what action he is taking and why he is taking it. Finally, Zimmerman just shuts him off. Seventeen hours later, he activates him again. He proudly informs him that he has succeeded. But The Doctor finds that he cannot move. When asked why, Zimmerman excitedly informs him that not only has he repaired him, he has made some "improvements" on him. These improvements are those that he always had wanted to do on the Mark I, but never got the chance to. The upgrades include changing his on-activation greeting to something more friendly, as well as adding new subroutines for compassion, patience, empathy and decorum. Zimmerman is extremely pleased. He comments, much to The Doctor's pleasure, that he has exceeded his programming and accomplished much more than he would have predicted. But, he adds, he never overcame his initial defects as a Mark I but now, he has a chance to. The Doctor is not pleased, however. He likes himself the way he is. Zimmerman cannot understand this, telling The Doctor that he is doing him a favor after all. The Doctor is hurt; yes, he wants Zimmerman's approval, but he also wants his acceptance of him as he is, as what he made himself to be. He doesn't want any favors and he definitely does not want the new subroutines. Disappointed, he asks why Zimmerman just can't accept him as he is. Zimmerman bluntly responds that this is because The Doctor is defective. This is when suddenly the years of shame and disappointment about the Mark I surface. Stalking around the lab, he vents his feelings to The Doctor; about the pejorative acronyms Starfleet gave the EMH Mark I, such as "Emergency Medical Hotheads" and "Extremely Marginal House-calls"; about how he tried to have them decommissioned, only to have to watch Starfleet reassign them all to work waste-transfer barges. He sinks onto a couch. And his next words reveal the full extent of his devastation over how the project turned out; feelings which are exactly those deduced by Troi on hearing the story of the Mark I from Haley; feelings of extreme shame and embarrassment, which he is always reminded of. It comes out in one single sentence: "Do you know how humiliating it is? to have 675 Mark Ones out there, scrubbing plasma conduits, all with my face?" Now The Doctor understands. He gently tells him that he is still doing what he was made for, and is quite good at it. And this is why he is here: to do that job for him, so that he may be proud of him. This is of comfort, Zimmerman admits, stating that at least one of the EMHs he created is still doing what he designed them to do. The Doctor parlays that admission into a gentle request to let Zimmerman treat him. Zimmerman considers and, to The Doctor's great joy, finally agrees. Thirty-two hours later, The Doctor emerges from the lab to happily inform Barclay, Haley and Troi that the procedure was successful. He is certain Zimmerman will recover. However, he has a few questions regarding his earlier degradation: apparently, it had been started intentionally. He rounds on Barclay and pointedly calls for an explanation. He and Troi sheepishly confess that they set up the whole thing about his program decompiling in order to break down Zimmerman's resistance. The Doctor smiles, not holding it against them. One month later, The Doctor is in Zimmerman's lab, snapping holo-images. Zimmerman walks in. The Doctor insists he go back to bed. Zimmerman sighs in annoyance. He voices hope that The Doctor will not be returning next month to ensure he is taking his medicine. The Doctor assures him with a smile that Captain Janeway would not allow it. Zimmerman then, still trying not to let his soft side show, offhandedly remarks that The Doctor may want to drop him a line next time Voyager sends a data stream, to let him know how he is doing. The Doctor happily agrees. Barclay enters. The MIDAS array is ready to send The Doctor back. But before leaving, he has Barclay take a picture of him and Zimmerman. 
<EOS>
In the empty mess hall, Neelix shuts off the burners on the kitchen stove, straightens chairs and has the computer extinguish the lights. Seeming unsettled, he walks to the doors to leave. They open and he walks into Seven of Nine as she is about to enter. He jumps in fright. Seven apologizes but he says it is okay; he is just a bit jumpy, especially considering "what happened the last time." Seven asks him to supervise the Borg children during the imminent ship-wide shutdown of main power, a task he is glad to perform. On the bridge, Captain Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay, and the duty officers watch the viewscreen, looking at a class J nebula the USS Voyager is approaching. Ensigns Harry Kim and Tom Paris comment on its unsettling appearance, but Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is unimpressed. Captain Janeway gives the order to shut down main power. Across the ship, panels and lights shut down. In sickbay, The Doctor enters one final note into a PADD before turning himself off. In astrometrics, Seven of Nine is present as power is cut and the room goes dark. In Cargo Bay 2, power to the Borg alcoves cuts out, curtailing the four children's regeneration cycle. The children wake up, alarmed, their alarm increasing when the lights go out. Neelix, there with a lantern, tries to calm them down. In engineering, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres works with her staff to safely shut down the warp core. All over the ship, the only light comes from portable lanterns. On the bridge, Kim reports that shutdown has been completed on all decks. Janeway hails Seven of Nine and tells her they are "ready". Seven acknowledges. Voyager, now moving only on inertia, glides into the nebula. In Cargo Bay 2, Neelix tries to soothe the still-alarmed children with an explanation as to why main power was cut. He tells them that it is to prevent EM emissions from entering the ship from the nebula they were going through; a poor excuse since, as Icheb, the oldest, points out, the ship's deflector shields provide sufficient protection against any nebula discharge. The children continue to press Neelix with questions, until Mezoti, the only girl in the group, asks if the shutdown has anything to do with Deck 12, which Naomi Wildman, had told her was haunted. Icheb amplifies the mystery by informing them that Section 42 of that deck is closed to all but senior officers with level 6 security clearance. Neelix tells them there's no such thing as ghosts. But they press him for an answer as to what is there, if not a ghost. He finally caves in and agrees to tell them the real story of Deck 12. Several months earlier, he begins, before they had come aboard, the ship was in another J-class nebula gathering deuterium, the "matter" in the matter/antimatter reaction that powers the ship's warp drive and other systems. In the mess hall, Neelix was startled as the ship jolted from turbulence within the nebula. When Tuvok walked in, Neelix sat down with him, and, attempting to hide his unease, he asked Tuvok how long they would be in the nebula. However, Tuvok's answer of several days made Neelix's fear evident. He explained that the nebula was bringing back a horrid childhood memory of a huge plasma drift that passed through the Talaxian system. For months, the stars and moons in the Talaxian sky were blotted out by the fearsome-looking cloud. On the bridge, Captain Janeway, Chakotay, and the duty officers also felt the jolt. Kim reported that nadion emissions from the ship's Bussard collector (Icheb points out to Neelix that the Bussard collector did not produce nadion emissions) were destabilizing the nebula. Chakotay suggested to Janeway that they be satisfied with having collected 80% of the amount of deuterium they wanted, and leave. Janeway concurred, ordered engineering to stop the collection and then ordered Paris to take the ship out of the nebula. But just as Paris was about to engage the impulse engines to do so, the ship was shaken again. In the mess hall, those present saw an energy discharge spread over the ship in a spiderweb-like pattern for an instant, then disappear. On the bridge, sparks flew. Chakotay read aloud the report on the command console between his and the captain's seat; an EM discharge had penetrated the hull. Damage appeared to be minor: power outages on three decks and the loss of the auxiliary subprocessors, no casualties. Janeway ordered repairs and the ship's course be resumed. Voyager moves away from the nebula, but, as she passes, an entity, looking like an energy discharge, can be seen crawling on the back of the saucer section, just above the 'scruff of the neck' (the junction between the saucer section and the stardrive). Neelix tells the children that everything seemed fine, but they now had a stowaway on board. The children try to guess the species of the lifeform, suggesting different possibilities. Neelix gives them the choice of continuing their attempts or listening to him. They ask him to continue, and he does, recounting the malfunctions that had begun to plague the ship after they had left the nebula. Chakotay went to Janeway's ready room and presented the repair teams' report; damage had proven to be greater than initially thought: one of the ship's two personnel transporters was out, half the sonic showers were off-line, and in deck five had lost artificial gravity and Ensign Mulchaey hit his head on the ceiling. Janeway listened and sipped her coffee, but found it tasted terrible. She instructed the computer to replicate another cup and watched as it replicated the coffee without the cup, in a cup shape (of course on completion, it collapsed into a spill), and then replicated the empty cup. Replicators were added to the list of damages. Chagrined, she walked to her windows and stood, looking out. As she looked, she saw a meteoroid cluster and drew Chakotay's attention to it. Chakotay saw nothing odd about it, but Janeway did; they had passed that same cluster an hour before. The ship was going in circles. Immediately they went onto the bridge to find out why. Paris told them the navigational sensors appeared to be functioning normally, but, on Chakotay's order, Tuvok ran a diagnostic which revealed that they were indeed malfunctioning and the ship was going back from whence it had come. Janeway ordered all stop and reinitialization of the sensors. Paris obeyed, then turned around in the pilot's chair to speak to her. He had just finished when suddenly the warp drive engaged, seemingly of its own accord, and the ship surged forward at warp six. Attempts to shut it down failed. Janeway tried to call Torres in engineering, but got no answer. Then, as suddenly as it had engaged, the warp drive shut down, and the ship came to all stop again. Janeway again tried to contact engineering, and again got no response. Chakotay instructed the computer to locate her. She was indeed in engineering; but then the computer began to recite a litany of crew member locations that it had not been instructed to give, reporting that the Ensign Trumari was on deck four, section 30; the Lieutenant Commander Tuvok was on bridge; the crewman U'Lanai was in the mess hall and the Ensign Vorik was in main engineering, level two. Increasingly annoyed, Janeway ordered Chakotay to go to engineering and find out what was happening Chakotay boarded the turbolift and tried to get to engineering. But when the lift stopped and he exited, he found that he was not on engineering's deck, but that of the mess hall. He re-boarded the turbolift, but the doors would not close. Making up his mind to walk, he tried to get off, but the doors suddenly shut, trapping him inside. Then, the descent stabilizers failed and the turbolift car plunged eleven decks down the shaft at very high speed, pinning Chakotay to the ceiling. Had the stabilizers not suddenly reactivated at the last moment, the car would have crashed into the bottom of the shaft, killing him instantly and possibly damaging the hull. Finally arriving at engineering, he conferred with Torres, who was working to trace the source of the problems with her staff. The source appeared to be a series of bio-neural gel packs on Deck 13. In another part of the ship, Crewman Tal Celes was just about to run a diagnostic on a circuit panel when Seven of Nine stopped her. She moved aside as Seven began to run her own diagnostic to find a fault which she thought Tal had caused, and which had cut power to astrometrics. She was surprised when Tal told her she had not even started as yet, thus the fault could not have been hers. On Deck 13, Chakotay and Torres examined the suspect bio-neural gel packs. They appeared to be in good condition, but Torres noticed on her tricorder an EM discharge which seemed to be moving from system to system through the bio-neural circuitry. She traced it as it moved to a series of gel packs interfacing with the environmental control systems of Cargo Bay 2, located just outside that cargo bay. The two officers hurried to get there before it moved again. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven was at a terminal running diagnostics in an attempt to find the source of the systems malfunctions as Chakotay and Torres were doing. Absorbed in the task, she was unaware that the EM discharge Chakotay and Torres were tracking had entered the room. Behind her back it exited from a circuit panel, silently snaked across the floor and up into her alcove. She only realized something was wrong when the alcove's lights began to flicker. When that happened she looked up, picked up her tricorder and began scanning; this was yet another system malfunction, and she could perhaps find pertinent data here which would help her. But then she heard a hiss from the ventilation duct. She looked up toward the duct to see gas from the nebula pouring in. She tried to hail the bridge, but got no response. She walked briskly to the doors to leave, but they would not open. She looked back with mounting alarm as the deadly advancing cloud filled more and more of the room behind her, crackling with sparks of EM energy. She tried to open the doors from the control panel, but the panel beeped in denial. Her only hope was the emergency manual override built into a hatch in the floor. She opened it and pulled the switch, opening the doors. She quickly exited, but, on turning to go down the corridor, walked straight into a force field. She turned to go in the other direction. but found a force field blocking that escape as well. Trapped, she could do nothing as the gas, having filled the cargo bay, poured forth from the open doors and filled the space contained between the force fields. She collapsed, the life being asphyxiated out of her. As Neelix continues to regale the four enthralled children, the lantern goes out. He changes the power cell, inadvertently scaring them when they suddenly see his face in the harsh light. He continues. Chakotay and Torres reached the cargo bay deck after crawling through a series of Jefferies tubes, eschewing the turbolift after Chakotay's earlier experience. Rounding the last corner before the bay, they found Seven lying unconscious behind one of the force fields used to trap her. When attempts to have the computer drop the force field failed, Chakotay destroyed the control panel with a phaser shot, cutting power to the field generators, dropping the field. They quickly took Seven to sickbay. In the mess hall, Neelix was cooking in the kitchen while crew members, including Ops Manager Kim, sat, ate and talked. Then the lights began flickering. Kim tried to call engineering; Neelix tried the bridge; both failed. Kim, the only officer in the room, ordered everyone to return to their stations. Neelix offered to go with Kim, but Kim told him to stay there, since the mess hall was his station. Kim then left, leaving Neelix in the mess hall alone. The lights went out, leaving the room in darkness. Neelix whimpered with unease. Neelix recounts that system after system were failing, including the environmental controls. Neither that warp drive nor impulse engines were responding; the ship was dead in space. On the bridge, according to Paris, the temperature was very uncomfortably hot for all except Tuvok, accustomed to the heat of his home planet, Vulcan. The conn console began beeping. Paris checked it on Janeway's orders and found helm control working again. He sat down to try to get the engines back on line, but Janeway saw from a readout at the auxiliary tactical station that an EM surge was building in the conn console. She warned Paris, but before he could move away, he was struck in the face by an EM discharge and severely burned. Janeway and a duty officer rushed to his aid. She tried to call sickbay; no answer. She asked Tuvok if the transporters were working, to transport Paris to sickbay, but they were also off-line. Then the computer began warning of oxygen depletion; air was being removed from the bridge. Attempts to reroute emergency power to restore the air failed, and Janeway ordered everyone to evacuate, coughing and gasping for breath. In sickbay, The Doctor treated Seven of Nine as well as other injured crew members. Once it was ascertained that Seven of Nine suffered no serious injury, and she had recovered consciousness, she got up, intending to help Torres with repairs. Then Janeway and Tuvok brought Paris in, groaning in intense pain from his burns. He was laid on a bed and The Doctor rushed over to him, along with the Seven, Chakotay and Torres. The group began comparing notes: Paris was burned by an EM discharge and Seven was almost killed when she was trapped in an enclosed space that filled with lethal nebula gases. Chakotay informed them of two other crew members who had been brought in as patients; they had tried to vent nebula gas from Deck 7 and had been struck by EM discharges as well. It was beginning to look as if an intelligence was at work; they realized that the EM discharge that had entered the ship was actually a lifeform that had come from the nebula. It was apparently trying to make the ship more like its native environment and attacking anyone who tried to interfere. Just then, The Doctor's holomatrix began to destabilize. They quickly transferred him to his mobile emitter to save him. Then power began to fail in sickbay. Janeway ordered everyone to evacuate to engineering. Deck by deck, Neelix tells the children, the crew was losing the ship. Crew members were scattered all over, with no idea what was going on. Through the darkened corridors, lit intermittently by blood-red emergency lighting, Kim walked, with a wrist-borne light, looking for other crewmembers. As he rounded a corner, a frightened Crewman Tal Celes hit him in the stomach, thinking he was an alien invader. He angrily assured her that the ship had not been invaded by aliens and the two proceeded together to engineering. Neelix recounts that for over four hours, he was alone in the darkened mess hall, with no idea what was happening. Then he began to hear noises from outside the mess hall. Armed with a phaser, which he always keeps hidden in the kitchen for emergencies, and with a wrist-borne light, he slowly and nervously walked to the doors, calling, "Hello? Is anyone there?" He stepped outside, following the sound of the noise, and found it was the turbolift doors opening and slamming shut repeatedly. He suddenly sensed someone behind him. He turned and came face to face with Tuvok, who had come to get him. Tuvok was wearing an oxygen mask and looked very much like a hostile alien in the dark. Neelix screamed and nearly shot him. The Vulcan told him to calm down, explained the situation as far as he knew, and the two, like Tal and Kim, set off for engineering. Neelix goes on with his story. He and Tuvok made their way toward engineering through the Jefferies tubes. To pass the time, and to counteract his fear, he attempted to make conversation with the Vulcan, but Tuvok, in the way of Vulcans, preferred to silently focus on the task at hand. They were making progress, but then found their way cut off by an inflow of nebula gas into a tube that was behind a closed hatch. Tuvok began trying to access environmental controls from a circuit panel to try to vent the tube. Janeway and the others from sickbay had gathered in engineering, now one of the few places left with light or any kind of working computer access. Chakotay told her that ninety other crew members were accounted for, in other areas of the ship. Seven of Nine worked with Torres to try to wrest system control back from the alien, but to no avail. Then, suddenly, the computer began reporting Janeway's location: in main engineering. It sounded like another computer malfunction, but Janeway had a hunch that it was the alien trying to communicate. She had Torres call up the system's syntax subroutines to show the alien how to respond to her words as she spoke. Her hunch proved correct. When Janeway asked why it had come aboard, it told her to go to astrometrics. She went, taking Seven with her, hoping to negotiate with it to get control of the ship back. In the Jefferies tubes, Tuvok attempted to teach his companion a Vulcan meditation technique to try to calm his fear. At first it seems to work; Neelix casts his mind back to a happy moment when the crew held a party for him and cooked his favorite foods. But so great was his fear that he envisioned nebula gas with a demonic face flying up at him when he uncovered the plate. Thus the attempted meditation failed. Janeway and Seven arrived in astrometrics, where the alien called up the navigational logs to show them the nebula they had been collecting deuterium from. Janeway realized that the alien wanted to return to the nebula, its home, and the alien confirmed this, verbally using the computer system's syntax, and by returning helm control. It told Janeway to go to the bridge, but it instituted a level 10 security clearance to enter the bridge, which only Janeway had as captain. This meant that Seven could not go with her; she had to go alone, which she did. The captain, Neelix tells the children, had developed a fragile rapport with the alien. On the bridge, she engaged the warp drive and piloted the ship back to the nebula. But when the ship arrived at the nebula's coordinates, and she cut the warp engines, the viewscreen showed only stars; the destabilization of the nebula had continued after the ship's departure, and now it was completely gone. At this, the alien became furious, though still communicating through the emotionless computer voice. It cut life support on all decks and, through the computer, sent a ship-wide message to abandon ship. An eye for an eye. Voyager had destroyed its home. It intended to deprive the crew of theirs and take Voyager for itself. The captain's only hope of keeping the ship, Neelix tells the children, was to try to reason with the livid alien. On the bridge, she tried to convince it to let her find it a new home, in another nebula. But the alien rejected her overtures. It overloaded the helm control circuits, destroying the ability to pilot the ship, and refused to even allow her to use the comm system to warn the crew to abandon ship; its warning using the computer was all the notice they would get. Janeway hurriedly left the bridge to return to engineering to tell the crew members there that the warning was no computer malfunction; they had to abandon the ship. In the Jefferies tube, Tuvok was still attempting to vent the gas from the sealed tube that he and Neelix needed to go through. The alien, however, attacked him with an EM discharge as it had done to Paris and others, and released nebula gas into the tube where the two men were. Tuvok ordered Neelix to go on without him, but Neelix refused, picking him up and helping him continue forward. On her way back to engineering, Neelix recounts, Janeway tried to make the alien reconsider what it was doing. She told it that without a crew to maintain them, the ship's systems would eventually fail. This meant that it would drift through space, a wreck, until destroyed by some cosmic phenomenon such as an asteroid shower without shields to protect it or propulsion to get it out of the way, leaving the creature without a home, without which it could not survive. But the creature seemed bent on its course of action. Janeway, Neelix tells the children, could not afford to wait any longer. She returned to engineering and ordered everyone to get to the escape pods and shuttles. Neelix and the injured Tuvok climbed out of a Jefferies tube hatch just in time to join them. All shuttles and pods were launched but one, on which Chakotay was to leave with Janeway. Chakotay went first, but as Janeway was about to go through the door to get to the pod, it shut. The creature had, in fact, listened to what she had said about the ship needing to be maintained, and it intended to keep one crew member aboard to do just that; Janeway herself. It told her to go to engineering. Outraged, she flatly refused, telling it she would not be its prisoner; it would have to kill her. It attempted to force her by trapping her between two force fields and filling the space between with nebula gas. But she remained steadfast as she sank to the floor, coughing and asphyxiating, telling the creature that they would die together; within two minutes of exposure to the gas, she would be dead and it would be on its own, with nobody to maintain the ship. Seeing that it was simply not going to get her to acquiesce, no matter what it did, even threatening her with death, the creature finally relented. It withdrew the gas, dropped the force fields and restored all the systems, giving her back the ship; it would accept her proposal of a new home in another nebula. It took nearly two days, Neelix says, for the entire crew to return. An isolated environment was created - on deck 12 - to contain the creature until another suitable nebula was found for it. The creature has been there ever since, Neelix concludes. Suddenly the ship is shaken. Then, a few seconds later, main power is restored. The lights come back on and the Borg alcoves power up again. Neelix tells them that it was probably the alien leaving the ship to take up residence in the nebula they are going though; the new home the captain found for it. He has them return to the alcoves (the equivalent of Human children being sent to bed). As they are about go back onto the platforms, another child, Azan, asks him what if the jolt they felt was the creature coming to take revenge. Neelix then tells them that he made the whole thing up. Mildly chagrined, they mount, turn around, and close their eyes as their regeneration cycles kick in, the Borg equivalent of going to sleep. Neelix turns off the lantern and wishes them pleasant dreams. Neelix then goes to the bridge, where all is back to normal. Seated in their respective command chairs, Janeway and Chakotay ask him how the children handled the blackout. Neelix says he kept them occupied with a story. Paris asks him if it was a Mother Goose story, to which he responds: Janeway answers that they were just taking some final readings before resuming course. She has Kim show him a final viewscreen image of the nebula. A tiny bright flash light is seen within it (is it the creature making itself at home?) Neelix looks at the image, pleased, and says: Voyager cruises away at impulse, then engages warp drive, resuming course for Earth. 
<EOS>
Aboard the unicomplex, the Borg Queen, increasingly concerned over the "malfunction" that has spread throughout the Collective, summons a Borg drone to ask him what he remembers about Unimatrix Zero. The Queen is attempting to locate the carrier frequency that all of the malfunctioning drones share. When the drone doesn't reply, the Queen severs his connection to the hive mind, causing him discomfort. The drone says he doesn't remember anything from Unimatrix Zero. Frustrated, the Queen first decides to remove him from her chamber, then reconsiders. She decides to have the drone dismantled and has his cortical array -- his head -- removed for analysis instead. Seven of Nine sees an environment of trees during one of her regeneration cycles. When a man calls her "Annika" and reaches out to her, she wakes up from her regeneration cycle, unsettled. Seven of Nine approaches The Doctor about her dream of Unimatrix Zero. She believes her dream is a malfunction and wants the doctor to repair it. The Doctor informs her that a dream is nothing to worry about, though she's unsettled and would much rather never dream again. The Doctor believes that her dream is an expansion of her humanity and that the people in her dream may be hidden desires waiting to be released. That she will soon get used to and even grow to look forward to the experience. He gives her a device to measure her rapid eye movement (REM) cycles. On the bridge, Tom Paris arrives to an angry Captain Janeway. She states that he is late for his duty shift. Tuvok, standing at his tactical console, says that by the ship's chronometer he is late by 22 seconds. Paris, confused by everyone's reactions, responds that he will make it up at the end of his shift. Chakotay responds, "Be sure that you do." When Paris looks at B'Elanna Torres, she gives him a look of disgust. Confused, Paris walks to the helm console and finds a box sitting at his chair. When he picks up the box, Chakotay orders him to open it. Inside the box is a black pip. "Not only late, but improperly dressed. That belongs on your collar, Mr. Paris", Chakotay says. Everyone then congratulates Paris on being reinstated as a Lieutenant Junior Grade. Captain Janeway says she expects more of the same from him after one year of exemplary performance. Harry Kim, still an ensign, says that he didn't see a little box on his chair. The console beeps, and Paris asks if they had hidden a cake in the console. Captain Janeway and the bridge crew receive a distress call at 0900 hours from a colony on an asteroid two light years away. Tuvok cannot pick up any transmission from the colony, just a carrier wave. The USS Voyager changes course to respond to the distress call. They arrive at 1100 hours, only to discover that the colony has been destroyed by the Borg. When Tuvok finds a Borg vessel departing the area after performing a scan, Janeway orders Voyager to leave the area at warp 6, making a note in the ship's log. Seven of Nine goes back to her alcove and regenerates, only to have the same "dream." She is approached by Axum, who tells her that she isn't dreaming and that she is in Unimatrix Zero and has been there many times before. Axum tells Seven -- called her Human name Annika Hansen in Unimatrix Zero -- that she had been in the unimatrix for eighteen years and played a big part in all their lives. Axum explains that only one in one million Borg drones have the mutation that allow them to enter Unimatrix Zero. They only experience their individuality in the unimatrix and experiences the environment only while regenerating. Once their cycles are complete, they enter the real world, with no knowledge of what had transpired. Annika and Axum meet a child who had just been assimilated and was probably still in a Borg maturation chamber. They take the child to meet with other children in the unimatrix. Annika begins to remember people from Unimatrix Zero, including Laura, a Human woman who was assimilated at Wolf 359. Axum tells Annika that all of Unimatrix Zero needs her help -- the Borg Queen is attempting to eliminate the "malfunction" that has been afflicting the collective and detracting from perfection. Annika tells Axum that she is eager to help but that she's not alone, she will inform her Captain Janeway of their request and return later with a verdict. Seven of Nine assembles the senior staff in the briefing room and informs them of Unimatrix Zero's call for help. Ensign Kim thinks she imagined her experiences as a dream but The Doctor informs them all that Seven was not dreaming; he was recording her REM cycles and found that she never reached REM sleep during her time in Unimatrix Zero. Encountering further resistance from the senior staff about further engaging the Borg, Seven of Nine quotes Starfleet protocol and states that when they receive a distress call, they respond. Kim agrees; this situation is no different. Captain Janeway wishes to get more information before making her decision, and wants to know if she can visit Unimatrix Zero. Tuvok suggests a "bridging of minds" to allow Janeway to share in Seven's thoughts while she is in Unimatrix Zero. The Doctor expresses his objections, but the plan goes forward anyway. In cargo bay two, Tuvok mind-meld/bridges Seven of Nine and Janeway's minds as Seven enters Unimatrix Zero. They meet with Axum, who describes what the Borg Queen is doing to attempt to destroy Unimatrix Zero. Janeway thinks the idea is a good one; but she thinks that the drones should consider a more "permanent solution." The captain wants the drones to retain their individualities outside of Unimatrix Zero and fight back against the collective as a "resistance movement." Axum thinks the idea is ambitious, but unlikely to occur because he believes it is impossible to retain their memories in the real world. "That sounds like you're suggesting a civil war", Annika says. "I prefer to call it a resistance movement", Janeway responds. Meanwhile, the Borg Queen has used the first drone to locate other drones afflicted with the malfunction. She has also disassembled them and brought a further two heads for analysis, commenting that disembodiment is the epitome of perfection. Using their cortical arrays, she had found the carrier band and interlink frequency for Unimatrix Zero. She attempts to disrupt the frequency, but cannot because it is using a triaxilating modulation. She then devises a different plan -- to send drones to visit Unimatrix Zero and root out the drones one by one and quickly analyze their cortical arrays to find out how to disrupt the interlink frequency. It does not work, so the Queen sends some drones to Unimatrix Zero to "Pay them a visit". Borg drones arrive in Unimatrix Zero and begin to assimilate the individuals, causing them to revert to the real world. Once there, the Queen can track which drones have the malfunction. Janeway intervenes when one of the drones decides to assimilate a child. As the drone is destroyed, the Queen catches a glimpse of Janeway on her scanner and is visibly concerned. Captain Janeway asks The Doctor and Torres to work on a virus that will allow the drones to retain their memories in the real world. Janeway arrives on the bridge and asks Chakotay to accompany her into her ready room. Once there, Janeway asks for his full support in this action against the Borg. Janeway notes that in the past, she has proceeded in her plans without his support. She will not go ahead with this course of action unless her first officer is in full agreement. Chakotay believes this could be a turning point in Voyager's battle with the Borg, and so they begin their work against the Collective. In engineering, the virus is prepared and Captain Janeway decides to infuse the virus into the central plexus of a Borg ship, thereby spreading the virus to the entire Collective. The closest vessel is 3.6 light-years away, a class 4 tactical cube that is heavily armed, with its central plexus shielded by multiple regenerative force fields. Seven informs Janeway that she would be detected long before she would reach the plexus. Seven returns to Unimatrix Zero and helps with the fight against the invading Borg drones. Seven -- now Annika -- finds Axum and informs him of Janeway's plan. While she is talking, Laura tells them that several Borg drones are approaching. Axum and Annika hide behind a rock. Axum has his arm around her, and Annika says that feeling was familiar. She gives him a kiss and found that feeling to be familiar as well. Annika asks if they were more than friends. Axum tells Annika that they were in a romantic relationship in Unimatrix Zero for six memorable years -- only while they were regenerating. Annika, angry that Axum kept that information from her, leaves Unimatrix Zero, informing him to refer to her as Seven of Nine. Tuvok cites Starfleet Tactical Directive 36 that states the captain cannot place him/herself in a dangerous situation without being accompanied by a security officer. Therefore, he asks to come along. Torres asks to go on the away team as well because she believes that for the mission to succeed, an engineer needs to come along. She in turn cites Starfleet Tactical Directive 36A -- a directive that does not exist. Janeway orders them to stay on board Voyager and leaves engineering, followed by Chakotay. He informs Janeway that his support was not unconditional -- that if she wanted her plan to go forward, she would have to take Tuvok and Torres with her. Janeway reluctantly agrees. The ship's power becomes affected by an unknown force. Janeway asks for a status report from the bridge, where Harry Kim says that it is an unknown transwarp signal that is attempting to access Voyager's main computer. The signal opens a comm signal from the Borg Queen. Janeway goes to the bridge and talks to the Queen. The Queen first offers to give Voyager transwarp technology, (which would allow Voyager to get home much faster), in exchange for them staying out of things that don't concern them. Janeway says that she has no idea what the Queen is talking about. The Queen angrily informs Janeway that she knows about her plans and again warns Janeway to stay out of things that don't concern her. The Queen then tells Kim that she will see him soon -- most likely a reference to Voyager being assimilated. Janeway thinks that she has the Queen worried, so continues with her plan. The away team continues to move toward the central plexus, when they are stopped by two drones. The two drones are disabled when they are shot with phaser rifles. More drones arrive -- quickly adapting to the away team's weapons. The away team begins to walk away from the drones, but are stopped by two force fields, trapping them. Borg drones surround and assimilate them -- first Tuvok, then Torres, and finally Captain Janeway. The Doctor says that their life signs are destabilizing as a result of the assimilation. Chakotay says, "So far, so good", apparently things are going according to plan, and then orders Paris to retreat at warp. As Voyager warps from the battle, inside the cube; their Starfleet uniforms, hair, and skin pigmentation now gone, stand Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Lieutenant Torres, and Captain Janeway all assimilated Borg! 
<EOS>
Tuvok, B'Elanna Torres, and Captain Kathryn Janeway have been assimilated as Borg drones aboard Tactical Cube 138, but their personalities remain intact thanks to a short-lived anti-assimilation inoculation developed by The Doctor. Tuvok and Torres are able to meet and start to head to the central plexus of their cube. Janeway, however, was separated from them and continues to be assimilated. The USS Voyager follows the cube and monitors the crew's brain functions, but it has been awhile with no signal of the virus deployment. The cube is damaged, but should be operational within two hours. Chakotay orders Seven of Nine back into Unimatrix Zero so that they will know the moment when the virus is deployed. Seven is obviously still uncomfortable with them, as Axum has broken off the relationship, but Chakotay tells her to set the feelings aside. In Unimatrix Zero, the Borg are continuing their attack, identifying individuals one by one. Korok and a Hirogen are coordinating defenses. Korok notices and informs Seven that Axum is not there, though he was supposed to be. He advises Seven to put her feelings aside, and treat her heart as another enemy. Another individual drone appears, but he does not remember where he was, so the virus has not spread, yet. Back aboard Tactical Cube 138, Tuvok and Torres approach the plexus and, carefully, find they are able to pass through the security fields. They find Janeway already there, who has determined she can access the plexus but not without drawing attention. Torres identifies an alternate route 30 meters away and they start planning when Tuvok's mental faculties begin to degrade, and he starts to submit to the Borg Collective. Meanwhile, in the unicomplex, the Borg Queen discovers she can't hear the newly assimilated Starfleet crew, though she hears Tuvok briefly. In Unimatrix Zero, Axum has set some traps and successfully killed one Borg. Seven, however, trips another of his traps in her search for him. She tells him Korok was concerned and, now that she's found him, she'll go back without talking further. Axum decides to go with her. While Torres works on an access door to the plexus, Tuvok attempts to fight off the degradation by recalling facts about his individual life. Janeway orders him to stay focused. Torres is successful in entering the plexus and starts the transfer of the virus. However, Tuvok eventually loses the battle and becomes a full-fledged Borg drone, calling himself Three Of Twelve. Through him, the Borg Queen discovers that the three officers are in the central plexus, but not before they manage to inject their virus into the plexus. A short and futile fight ensues as Captain Janeway attempts to run from Tuvok. Meanwhile, Voyager detects Tuvok's condition and arrives just in time to attempt to retrieve the away team, but it is unable to due to the shields that surround the central plexus. Chakotay then orders Tom Paris to fly them closer to the cube to get a stronger lock onto them. Back on the cube, Torres is able to evade capture by the other Borg drones, but Janeway is not so fortunate and is captured. The Queen watches Voyager on her viewscreen, proclaiming "Back so soon?!". Chakotay orders Harry Kim to target the cube's shield generators and set the phasers to stand-by mode. Just then, the Borg cube fires a torpedo at Voyager. Kim informs Chakotay that the Borg somehow have access to Voyager's tactical controls (due to the Queen reading Tuvok's thoughts), which brings Voyager's shields down. Chakotay orders evasive maneuvers, but it's too late -- the torpedo hits Voyager's starboard side. Kim reports hull breaches on decks 5, 6, and 7. Chakotay calls for a retreat, but Paris protests that they can't just leave the away team behind. Chakotay tells him that there's very little they can do right now, especially since the Borg have their access codes. The Borg Queen now starts to realize that the Collective is losing voices, quickly numbering in the thousands. She even realizes one of the Borg adjuncts in her chamber has disconnected. She interrogates him and he eventually lashes out, threatening that she can't stop all of them. Meanwhile, Janeway is taken to a hub and linked to it. A holographic representation of her normal, unassimilated self appears in front of the Borg Queen. She shows her the dead body of the drone she has just killed. The Borg Queen exposes that she is fully aware of Unimatrix Zero, the virus and what was accomplished, but that she also cannot yet foil the virus either. She points out the deaths of drones as being Janeway's fault for freeing them and orders summary destruction of some cubes that also have infected drones. Determined to eradicate the "individuality" virus that Janeway has injected into the Collective, the Queen gives Janeway an ultimatum: persuade the freed Borg to return to the Queen's control or see millions of innocent drones be put to death to cleanse the Collective of Janeway's actions. Janeway does not relent and tells the Queen that the only way she can do that is to destroy the entire Collective. Janeway insists that the Borg Queen should visit Unimatrix Zero herself. Voyager undergoes repairs. Seven reports that the drones in Unimatrix Zero now can remember, so the virus has been deployed. Chakotay orders Seven to go back and see if any of the drones are aboard Tactical Cube 138, for they could help. The Doctor makes some modifications to her alcove beforehand, and, while doing so, talks to her about Axum and suggests to give their relationship a second chance. In Unimatrix Zero, the group discuss their predicament. Axum argues they need to strike the unicomplex in order to disrupt the Collective's communication so they can regroup. Seven also asks to help Janeway, Torres and Tuvok. Korok initially means to leave them, but Axum uses honor to convince him to help. He goes to find out if any of the drones are also on that cube. After the group disperses, Seven approaches Axum, who is downtrodden because he's on the other side of the galaxy and cannot help locally, but there a few things he can do, including talking with Species 8472. After they both wish they could meet in person, Axum asks her if Unimatrix Zero is enough for her, and they kiss. A couple children are playing in Unimatrix Zero and one runs into the Borg Queen, who has agreed to visit the group. She persuades a child there that being part of the collective is good because they are all friends and reading each other's thoughts are "fun". The child shows the Queen to a plateau so that she has a wide angle view of Unimatrix Zero. Back in reality, the Queen tells Janeway that she has visited Unimatrix Zero and will be releasing a mutated virus of her own to kill those drones connected to Unimatrix Zero unless Janeway convinces the freed Borg to return to The Collective. Janeway appears holographically on Voyager and issues an order that "Unimatrix Zero can no longer exist". Seven and The Doctor are dismayed, but Chakotay knows that, while it seems that she is issuing a destruction order, as well as suggesting that the drones must return to the collective or be killed by the modified nanovirus, Janeway has found a loophole that the Queen never considered and is a necessary step to protect and retain the individualities of the drones who have been freed, as well as cutting off the Queen's only hub to release the virus. Just then, a transwarp conduit opens and a Borg sphere approaches. Paris receives a surprise communication from Korok, now in command of the sphere and offering to join the battle. Together, they mount an assault on the Borg cube that is holding Tuvok, Torres, and Janeway. Korok is fortunately able to penetrate the outer shields. Unable to penetrate the inner shields, however, Voyager is not successful at beaming Janeway, Torres, or Tuvok out. They continue their assault. Meanwhile, Axum begins evacuating all drones from Unimatrix Zero as it is being destroyed by interrupting the interlink frequency; an effect that manifests itself in Unimatrix Zero as fire. He stays to wait until the very last moment. Seven enters to see him one last time, both promising to find each other, but it is determined that they are doomed to not meet again as they are spread too far away across the galaxy. They both exit and then the destruction of Unimatrix Zero is complete. The Borg Queen detects the assault on the Borg cube bearing Tuvok, Torres, and the captain, and orders it to self destruct. At the last moment before destruction, however, the shields go down and Voyager is able to beam the captain, Torres, and Tuvok to sickbay. Fortunately, Korok's sphere also survived. The Doctor removes their Borg implants and starts their recovery process. Seven pays a visit to Janeway in sickbay to report that Korok has contacted another renegade Borg vessel. With any luck, the new resistance will change the Collective. 
<EOS>
Voyager has encountered a ship from the Wysanti, Azan and Rebi's species, and the twins have decided to return to their people while Mezoti has also decided to join them. The three children say their goodbyes to Captain Janeway, Seven and Icheb before leaving. Later Seven tells Icheb to shut down the three's Borg alcoves. Icheb doesn't want to since he believes it is too soon, but Seven tells him he is simply responding emotionally to the children's departure and he should be happy for them, but as she says this a tear rolls down her cheek which Icheb notices. Seven sees The Doctor about her crying. He says it is merely natural given what's happened, but she claims she was in a perfect emotional state. The Doctor scans her and finds that Seven is correct; the tear wasn't natural but was caused by a malfunction with her cortical node and asks if she's been suffering other symptoms. Seven admits she's had an occasional headache, but requests that the Doctor not tell Captain Janeway. The Doctor, bound by doctor-patient confidentiality, agrees but schedule follow-up tests. Seven meets Icheb in astrometrics, where he says that he wants to take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam since he would be able to submit the application in the next datastream to Earth and he could take classes from Tuvok (who was an instructor). Seven endorses the idea (although stops short at taking the classes herself) and promises to talk to Captain Janeway about getting a letter of recommendation from her since Icheb is from a non-Federation species. Suddenly Seven notices her skin convulsing and leaves without mentioning it to Icheb. In Cargo Bay 2, Seven attempts to regenerate but the computer tells her that she is no longer compatible with the alcove. A diagnostic of the alcove confirms it is in working order; her inability to regenerate is because of the malfunctioning node. Neelix sees her in the mess hall drinking nutritional stimulants and attempts to help, but Seven refuses. Suddenly, she faints and goes into convulsions. In sickbay, The Doctor wakes up Seven and Captain Janeway tells her what happened. Apparently, Seven's body is rejecting her Borg implants which in turn are shutting down one by one, including ones that maintain vital functions. Seven insists that her Borg parts would adapt but The Doctor and Janeway aren't so sure. Janeway decides to search a Borg cube debris field to find a replacement for Seven's cortical node. On her way to the Delta Flyer, Icheb talks to Janeway regarding his request to join Starfleet Academy and take the appropriate exams. She tells him what has happened to Seven, and Icheb offers to come along, though Janeway refuses. Icheb goes to sickbay to talk to Seven where she grows angry. The Doctor tells Icheb that her anger is natural given her situation. Janeway, Tuvok, and Tom Paris arrive at the Borg debris field and find that a part of the cube still has atmosphere. Janeway and Tuvok board the vessel in search of an intact cortical node. They find a dead Borg drone and remove the node. Paris hails them and says that they have company. Three unidentified humanoids arrive and declare that the debris field belongs to them. The two groups get into a scuffle, but Paris manages to beam them out at the nick of time. In sickbay, Neelix arrives with flowers for Seven and wishes to keep her company. The Doctor then tricks her into playing a game of kadis-kot with Neelix by claiming that she wouldn't stand a chance against him in her weakened state. Janeway arrives with the cortical node and The Doctor attempts to replace it. Seven's body is rejecting the new node and she dies; however, it was only a simulation. After twelve attempts, she still dies in every simulation. The node has been inactive too long. Janeway then states that they must find a living drone and use its node. Of course, this presents two issues: the difficulty of capturing a live drone and also the ethical implications of killing it to save Seven. While Seven is awaiting news on the simulation, she beats Neelix at kadis-kot. The Doctor comes to tell her the bad news. Seven, who seems to be accepting her situation, wants to return to duty but neither The Doctor nor Janeway will let her. Icheb arrives with her work so she can work in sickbay, but Seven is gone after having deactivated The Doctor and left her combadge there. Lieutenant Torres finds Seven in engineering and the two begin talking about death. Seven tells her that when a drone dies, their memory lives on; as long as the collective exists, every drone will live on. As her link to the collective has been severed for several years now, she fears to fade into meaninglessness. Torres, however, assures her that she has made an impact on each member of Voyager's crew and her fear is therefore without reason. The Doctor finds the two and attempts to get Seven back to sickbay or else her condition will deteriorate faster, but lets her stay as long as she wears a cortical monitor. Seven finds Icheb in their cargo bay and tells him that Janeway approved his request and will administer the entrance exam before the next data stream and provides a list of those who can help him study. But Icheb wants Seven to help him with astrometrics. He is upset and angered because Seven has apparently given up on herself. Icheb talks to The Doctor and offers his node to replace Seven's. Naturally the Doctor initially refuses outright, since Icheb giving up his node should kill him. Icheb refutes this, telling the Doctor that as he emerged from his maturation chamber early, his body isn't as dependant on his Borg implants. Plus his younger age and some genetic re-sequencing should allow his body to adapt. The Doctor is still worried that Seven's body may not adapt to Icheb's node so the procedure may end up killing them both, but Icheb is confident in his findings. In astrometrics, Seven is reviewing places on Earth, such as the Grand Canyon and Janeway's birthplace. Janeway offers to take Seven to Bloomington once they reach Earth, but Seven tells Janeway she has accepted that she won't be making it back with them. Janeway reminds Seven that she's still got a chance, noting that if she'd listened to the odds she'd have settled the crew on the first M-class planet planet they found, yet instead they're now almost half-way home. Seven brings up a casualty list of crew members who have died on the journey home, and states that she believes that Janeway will have a harder time adapting to her death than the people on the list since she never met the captain's expectations in reclaiming her individuality. Seven then says that the failure was not Janeway's but her own, but Janeway emotionally corrects her; Seven didn't meet Janeway's expectations, but exceeded them and assures her that if she is having difficulty accepting what's happening it's because she doesn't want to lose a friend. The two are then summoned by the Doctor. The Doctor tells Seven and Janeway about Icheb's plan. Seven refuses, saying that any danger to Icheb is too great. Icheb asks Janeway to order Seven to go through with it, but Janeway won't override Seven's wishes. Back in sickbay, the Doctor offers to bring Seven something from the cargo bay when Icheb summons him there. On the way, he meets Janeway with the two fully expecting him to make another argument in regards to the operation. When they get there they find Icheb convulsing in his alcove as alarms blare. The Doctor checks the displays and found that Icheb has disconnected his cortical node, and Icheb tells Janeway this is the only way to prove the operation will work. Janeway, Icheb, and The Doctor are immediately transported to sickbay. Neither Seven nor Icheb wants the node so that it can save the other. The Doctor confirms that some of Icheb's implants are adapting but not all. Seven claims that he is acting this way because he relies too much on her, but Icheb claims that she doesn't rely enough on others hence why she's been acting this way. He reminds her that everyone on Voyager will help each other whenever they can, just as Seven would want to help if any of them were in trouble or how the crew helps strangers despite the risks whenever they pick up a distress call. He urges her to accept his help now, and Seven finally agrees to undergo the operation. Fortunately, the operation turns out to be a success and after six days, Seven wakes up in her alcove. Although Icheb is still recovering, he will be fine. When he regains consciousness, Seven tells him that she expects him to recover since she intends to help him with the astrometrics portion of the entrance exam as tears roll down her face. Icheb worries that her ocular implant is malfunctioning again, but The Doctor reassures him after a quick scan that this time the tears are real. 
<EOS>
Lieutenant Tom Paris and Ensign Harry Kim are in the newly-completed Delta Flyer II. Paris is piloting with great speed and extreme maneuvering, coursing madly through an asteroid field. Kim nervously complains, but a grinning Paris insists that the shuttle's capabilities must be tested fully. A ship comes up off starboard. It pulls up alongside and begins to scan them. Paris hails and politely asks the pilot for identification. A female voice answers, but instead of identifying herself, the speaker compliments Paris on the Flyer II in a manner that pleases him greatly. She invites him to race her to a comet on the other side of the asteroid field. Kim is horrified; surely he will not accept? However, Paris insists that this will be a great test for the Flyer. The vessel hares off and Paris immediately follows. The other vessel proves even more maneuverable than the Flyer II. Paris begins to lag, but his pilot's ego refuses to accept defeat so easily and he pursues her avidly. Kim, despite his trepidation, wants to see the Flyer II win, now that they are actually racing the other ship. Much to Paris' delight, he really gets into it and suggests using the new impulse thrusters. A pair of six-nozzle impulse thrusters fold out from the Flyer II's stern and glow to life. The ship surges forward and passes the other vessel. Now both officers grin. In sickbay, a pleading Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres tries to get The Doctor to part with his scheduled holodeck time ration. She has successfully bartered with other crew-members for theirs, accumulating almost enough time to span a weekend that she wants to spend with Paris and she needs The Doctor's holodeck time to have enough hours. However, The Doctor is resolute, telling her that ordinarily he would happily oblige, but that he has been looking forward to his scheduled time on the holodeck so that he could take up a sport long favored by Earth MDs for centuries: golf. However, Torres doesn't give up, manipulating The Doctor to let her have his time, with a sad, disappointed look that she knows will get to him. Fortunately, it works and The Doctor relents. On their return to Voyager, Ensign Kim helps Irina make repairs to her vessel. They talk about its capabilities and where she is from. Paris comes and joins the conversation. He comments that her warp drive is rather weak. She responds somewhat disdainfully that warp drive is for straight lines, not for the kind of piloting she likes. Paris, with a smile, says he totally understands. When Irina mentions the upcoming race she was practicing for, this instantly seizes Paris and Kim's attention and they can't wait to find out more. At a meeting with Captain Janeway, Commander Chakotay, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Paris and Kim mention the race Irina was talking about. It is called the Antarian Trans-stellar Rally, which covers two billion kilometers. Paris and Kim express their desire to enter the Flyer II into this race. They argue that it would be the ultimate test of ship design and piloting skills. Tuvok, as one would expect, sees no purpose in it and points out the drain on the ship's resources such an undergoing would cause. Chakotay points out that even if they were to enter, the fuel requirements of the race are incompatible with that of the Flyer II. However, Paris and Kim press their case further, arguing that this is about more than just skill and victory, and that participating in it would be a chance to bolster interstellar diplomacy and make new friends; something they could never have too many of, being alone in the quadrant. The race is an attempt to commemorate and bolster the fragile peace that came after a century-long war between the species that inhabit this area. Everything this race stands for, Paris and Kim argue, are Starfleet ideals that Voyager should be supporting. As for the fuel, Irina has agreed to lend them a converter. To the great surprise of Paris, Kim, and Tuvok, Captain Janeway not only approves, but also shows enthusiasm for the idea as a good break and an opportunity for some much deserved R&amp;R for the crew. But, she warns them, grinning as they hurry to prepare, that now that they are in it, they are representing Starfleet and the Federation and should win and make everyone proud. The two elated officers assure her that they will be successfully coming out of this. Paris, on his way to main engineering, stops by sickbay to inform The Doctor about this news. He finds him practicing golf putts using a beaker in place of a hole. Before he can say anything, however, The Doctor tells him that he has already approved his time off. This surprises Paris and he wonders if The Doctor already knew about the race, but The Doctor does not know of anything and just tells him that he was referring to his romantic getaway with Lt. Torres. Paris is thunderstruck because he had completely forgotten about that. He warns him to expect an emergency call from engineering, anticipating Torres' fiery temper after he tells her that he won't be able to make their date. Arriving in engineering, he approaches Torres quietly. She is elated that he has come early, but then he despondently informs her about the race and that he committed himself to it, and can, therefore, not join her for their planned weekend together. She takes the news quietly, even though it is clear that she is quite disappointed. He remorsefully tells her how sorry he is and offers to cancel his participation in the race, but she insists that it is okay and that he should go ahead with it. Thankful, Paris leaves as she soberly watches him go. Later, Torres sits alone and forlorn at a table in the mess hall. Neelix, the chef and morale officer, approaches her and tries to cheer her up, but fails. She tells him about Paris. The Talaxian is very surprised that he forgot, considering all the efforts she made to get all those extra hours on the holodeck. He wonders why she is not talking to him about it, but she responds that he should be allowed to do what makes him happy. However, she concludes, this has made her finally see that she and Paris do not belong together. She loves him, but perhaps that is not enough. They have had much fun together, and that seems enough for him but, unfortunately, it is not enough for her. After the race, she will end their relationship. Captain Janeway and Chakotay hold a meeting with the Antarian Ambassador, O'Zaal, in Captain Janeway's ready room. He has a very serious problem, illustrated by a message he gets during the meeting: one of the species in the race -- the Aksani -- wants to host the post-race ceremony, and will break the peace if refused. But it has already been agreed that another species, the Chessu, would host it. This, he tells Janeway sadly, is his problem; the peace is quite fragile, and every decision he makes regarding the race is seen as symbolic. If he makes a concession to one species, another is offended. Janeway offers a solution: Voyager is neutral territory. Nobody could object to any of the ceremonies being held on the ship, so she suggests holding all ceremonies aboard Voyager. Relieved, O'Zaal gratefully accepts. The opening ceremony is held in the mess hall. Pilots mix and mingle while refreshments are served. Not all are interested in mixing, however. One particular individual, Assan -- of a species called the Imhotep -- has nothing to do with anyone. When Paris tries to introduce himself, he is coldly brushed off. Irina warns Paris and Kim about him, telling them that he was a ruthless fighter pilot during the war and is not above using questionable tactics to win. Then Irina's co-pilot Joxom comes over to the three, and Irina introduces him to Paris and Kim. Torres goes to astrometrics and finds Seven of Nine there as usual. What is not usual is that she is involved in Voyager's race preparation: she is analyzing the course to find ways to cut time. Torres, aware of Seven's usual attitude toward things of this sort, voices her surprise at her involvement. Seven responds that she believes her involvement would help her improve her relationship with Paris. She has learned that if she embraces some of his interests, supports him in his personal goals, they are able to function more efficiently as crewmates. This resonates well with Torres, who appears to have an epiphany. In the shuttlebay, Paris is in the Flyer II, wearing a pilot's uniform designed for the race. The starting time is at hand. He makes final preparations while he waits for Harry who is to be his copilot. He is surprised when the hatch opens and Torres comes in, wearing the same uniform. She informs him that she is replacing Kim as his co-pilot; the race is important to him, and so she wants to help him with it. He is extremely pleased. They start the engines and leave the bay to join the other waiting racers at the starting point. With the racers ready, on Voyager's bridge, Ambassador O'Zaal asks Janeway to signal the start. At her command, Tuvok launches a low-yield photon torpedo, which detonates a few hundred meters in front of the starting point. The race begins and the ships hare off. Neelix goes to astrometrics and asks Seven, who is monitoring the race, for an update. When she tells him, he complains that her delivery is very unexciting. He shows her how to do it, activating a ship-wide comm. With great gusto and excitement, he updates the crew on the positions of the racers. All over the ship, crewmembers pause in their duties to listen, their excitement evident. Seven, incapable of purveying such excitement, leaves the update announcements to Neelix. A smiling Janeway enters and joins them. Tom Paris' skills put the Flyer II in third place, behind Irina who is second and Assan who is first. Torres is happily confident that they will soon take the lead, but Paris tempers her confidence because they are about to enter a phenomenon called the Möbius Inversion, which is a small, tight wormhole with level 6 subspace distortions and gravimetric shear. As they near it, Paris points it out to her; she gazes nervously at its swirling event horizon. Off-duty crewmembers trickle into astrometrics to watch the progress of the race on the lab's huge viewscreen, until the lab is quite crowded. Excitement is palpable. Janeway had been joined by Chakotay. Tuvok enters and gives Captain Janeway his weekly security report. The captain takes it, but tells him they will talk about it later, returning her attention to the race. Tuvok tries to press the matter, telling her that there are some things on it they should discuss, but Chakotay firmly reiterates what the captain told him. Then the ships disappear into the Möbius Inversion. Seven informs them that the phenomenon's radiation is blocking their sensors. Thus, they have no idea who will emerge as leader on the other side; the phenomenon is certainly capable of altering positions. The uncertainty even catches Tuvok. When Janeway offers to talk about the report until the ships emerge, he asks, with permission, that it be deferred until later. Janeway smiles ironically. The racers dash through the Inversion. The Flyer II is still coming in third place, but Paris brings it within striking distance of the first two. Torres gets an idea on how to pass them, but Paris insists that they wait because now is not the time. But she doesn't listen and executes it, adjusting the engines and shields. The Flyer II surges ahead, 'scraping' the shields of Irina's and Assan's ships, knocking both vessels out of the way. Aboard Voyager, in astrometrics, the watching crew erupts in a great cheer as they see Flyer II emerge first from the Inversion. Neelix announces the change ship-wide; the rest of the crew joins in the cheering. On the Flyer II, however, Paris is very displeased that Torres did not listen to him. She protests that she saw the chance and took it, but he firmly insists that he will do the flying from now on because he is the pilot. Just then, an announcement comes in: there has been an accident. All racers are instructed to stop and hold their positions. Torres looks rather guilty, thinking that perhaps her action caused the accident. They find out that the accident happened to Irina's ship and that she is fine, even though Joxom, her co-pilot, suffered burns from an exploding console. He is treated in Voyager's sickbay, as Irina, Assan, Paris, and Torres report on the accident to Janeway and O'Zaal in the briefing room. Irina angrily blames Assan's aggressive "scraping" of her shields as the cause of the accident. Assan does not deny it, but he also could not care less, responding that the only thing he is guilty of is coming up second place, something which he intends to rectify in the next leg. Torres admits that she may also have caused the accident by her "scraping" of Irina and Assan, but Paris covers, saying that everyone was flying aggressively; "scraping" was inevitable in such a confined space. Irina quickly absolves them of responsibility. Tuvok enters. He has news that change the nature of the incident entirely: he has examined Irina's vessel and found evidence of tampering. A component was rigged to explode, thus making it obvious that this was no accident, but sabotage. This is very unpleasant news for O'Zaal, who sees this as a possible terrorist action aimed at reviving hostilities and ending the peace. Janeway, however, is not so alarmed, not believing that one act of sabotage could threaten the peace. But O'Zaal informs her that this was only one of a series of threats of violence that have been received. These threats come from those opposed to the peace, such as arms dealers, isolationists and political extremists. He sadly makes a decision to call off the race, stating that it is not worth risking lives and the peace over. Irina objects, stating that if he does that, then the opponents win; a view shared by Assan and the Starfleet officers. Seeing the consensus, O'Zaal, therefore, decides that the race will continue. However, since Voyager is neutral, he tells Captain Janeway, that he understands if she wants to withdraw. But Janeway says that she has no intention of taking the Flyer II out of the race. In the shuttlebay, Paris and Torres prep the Flyer II. Kim comes to see them. With Joxom injured, Janeway has allowed him to serve as Irina's copilot. The announcement for the racers to take their positions is heard, and Kim leaves to rejoin Irina. The ships fall into position and the race resumes. On the Flyer II, Torres thinks heavily about Kim and Irina. Kim told them that he and Irina seem to be hitting it off quite well and really getting along, without even trying. This now has Torres considering herself and Paris and their complicated relationship in the light of her decision to break the relationship off because she believes that they do not belong together. She cannot help but mention the ease of how well Kim and Irina get along together to Paris, though she is unwilling at this time to discuss their own relationship. But Paris, on hearing her, immediately senses that she might mean something else. He asks her if she is talking about them, but she quickly ends the conversation, suggesting they concentrate on the race. Kim is even more confused now, wondering why she does not want to win. He tells her that it appears that for every solution he comes up with, she finds a reason to reject it. Then his console beeps -- the same one Joxom had been sitting at. It is an overload; the console is about to explode, but Kim manages to leap away before it does, escaping injury. He turns to Irina, commenting on the coincidence, pointing out that this is the second time this console has exploded. And finds her leveling a hand weapon at him. Kim is shocked; why, he asks her, did she sabotage her own ship. She says nothing. He suddenly dashes to a button and hits it, causing the ship to shake a bit and throw Irina off-balance. Then he rushes her. A struggle ensues, which he wins, relieving her of the weapon. Holding her at bay with it, he tries to contact Voyager but fails. He decides to wait, keeping the weapon trained on her. She asks Harry to check on how the race is going. Although a bit perplexed, Harry does so and confirms the Flyer II is still in the lead. On the Flyer II, Paris again returns to the subject of his and Torres' relationship, persisting despite her attempts to change the subject. Finally, she speaks up, saying that she thought that if they could do something together that really interested him, it would help their relationship. This surprises Paris, who wasn't aware that it needed help. This is part of the problem, she stresses. She finally tells him what she told Neelix earlier, namely that merely having a good time is not enough for her. To her great surprise, he cuts the engines. Kim and Irina see the Flyer II stop. Irina shows inordinate interest in how far they are from the finish line. This makes Kim very suspicious. He demands to know why she is so interested in this. Then he realizes that whomever she is with planned an attack. He tells her that there are hundreds of innocent people there and how she could do that. Irina reveals herself to be one of the isolationists who oppose the peace. She and her group do not believe in the mixing of the species that the peace has brought; by destroying it, they hope to end this intermingling. Kim recalls that it was Irina who told them about the race and gave them the fuel converter so that they could participate. A flash in her eyes on his saying this reveals the plan: the converter is the bomb and she and her terrorist group intend to use the Flyer II to deliver it upon crossing the finish line. But, with the comm down, there is not way to warn Paris. Unless Kim gets an idea. With the weapon still trained on Irina, he begins tapping a button on a console with his free hand. Assan speeds past the Flyer II. Torres agitatedly asks Paris why they have stopped. He looks at her, telling her that if they have a problem, they are going to resolve it, here and now. Frustrated, she tells him that she never wanted him to throw the race, knowing how much it meant to him however Paris insists that she means more to him than anything else. B'Elanna is shocked, not knowing he felt this way. He responds that he never told her because he did not think she would appreciate the "mushy stuff". He sees that this assumption was not correct, He kisses her, whispers endearments and prepares to pop a certain question. He is interrupted by beeping from the console. Torres checks it; it is a modulating pulse from Irina's ship, but the pattern of the beeps is familiar to Paris. He suddenly realizes that it is a Morse code, which he taught Kim as part of their "Captain Proton" adventures. The message is a warning about the converter and that it must be ejected at once. Torres checks the converter, which is leaking veridium isotopes. Within a minute, the leak will breach the warp core, causing a huge explosion. She discovers the sensors were tampered with, which is why the computer didn't notice this earlier. She also notices the subroutines for the ejection system aren't working. She quickly works to fix them, as Paris re-engages the engines and hurries the Flyer II toward a nearby nebula, which will contain the explosion. Along the way, Paris finally asks her to marry him, to her shock, considering the timing. They reach the nebula and Torres manages to get the ejection subroutines back online and eject the core while Paris takes the Flyer II far enough away from it. However, he cannot get the Flyer II far enough and it is caught by the shock wave. On Voyager, a disappointed Janeway and crew witness Assan passing the finish line first, winning the race. Then the shock wave from the explosion rocks the ship, and Janeway orders a report from the bridge. Tuvok informs her of an antimatter explosion. The Flyer II, scorched from the explosion, hangs dead in space. But aside from the burns, it is undamaged. Torres comments on how they have likely lost, but Paris says that depends on how she answers his marriage proposal. The two kiss. Afterwards, Voyager's crew are invited to join in a post-race celebration. Meanwhile the repaired Flyer II cruises leisurely while Paris and Torres are aboard finally enjoying their delayed vacation, sipping champagne and discussing if B'Elanna will take Tom's name or possibly Tom could take B'Elanna's. A ring is on her finger. The Flyer trails lines of storage containers, tied together, with sign reading "Just Married" painted on the stern. 
<EOS>
A Bajoran man is performing an incantation while looking at the schematics of Voyager and looking through its crew manifest, scrolling through the profiles of the former crew of the Val Jean. Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres are settling down in a holodeck recreation of a 20th century Earth movie theater. The movie will be Revenge of the Creature, in 3D. Torres questions the purpose of using a three-dimensional simulation of a two-dimensional medium that simulates 3D. A holographic character shushes them and Paris deletes the audience. They discover that one audience member remains. When they investigate, they discover an unconscious Tabor, who is a friend of Paris's. The Doctor finds that Tabor is comatose and has microfractures in his skull, though he cannot find a cause. Captain Janeway assigns Tuvok to lead an investigation into the matter. Tuvok enters Tabors' quarters, where he finds Jor, a friend of Tabor's. She claims that she is there to retrieve a book to read aloud to Tabor. She had heard that that is good for comatose patients. In a meeting, Tuvok declares Jor a suspect to Chakotay and Janeway, but in any case is sure that the assailant is a USS Voyager crewmember, but he cannot explain why he is so confident about that. Janeway says that she can think of several other possibilities. Tuvok says that he just has a hunch. Crewman Yosa is investigating a Jefferies tube off engineering, where Jor was stationed, when an unseen person, hiding behind a bright light, attacks him. Later, The Doctor finds that Yosa was attacked in the same way as Tabor, and is now also comatose. Since Jor was the one who found him, Tuvok and Chakotay go to find her. However, they find Jor was herself attacked, in a coma in the mess hall. There are now five victims in sickbay, but, unfortunately, Tuvok hasn't made progress and The Doctor still doesn't have the cause. The situation becomes even more tense when Chakotay notes that all the victims are ex-Maquis. Janeway is dismissive of the idea that there are still tensions with the former Maquis crew, as there hasn't been for years. Chakotay assembles all the remaining Maquis crew and tells them to carry phasers at all times and to only circulate through the ship in pairs. Some of the crew suspect foul play from Starfleet, possibly having to do with the latest data stream from the Alpha Quadrant, which was received shortly before the attacks began. Harry and Tom are on the holodeck to find out through scanning for negative photon displacement who was on the holodeck with Tabor to find the possible assailant. However all they can get is a vague outline. Tuvok, who is observing them and initially skeptical, however is showing some concern. Chell, a Bolian ex-Maquis crewman, is walking with Torres through the corridors and expresses his concern thinking that Starfleet is somehow bent on eliminating the former Maquis crew. Meanwhile Tuvok is continuing his investigation trying to find out whether or not the latest data stream has anything to do with the attacks. He calls in Harry Kim, who thinks he wants an update on the holodeck scans. However Tuvok wants to talk about Kim's latest letter, because of the 28 people who received a letter only six match the physical parameters of the photon displacement, including Kim. Tuvok refers to the fact that one of Kim's friends was killed by the Maquis, something that Kim's cousin had mentioned in the last letter. Kim, who is angry to learn Tuvok has gone through his and everyone's letters from the last data stream, sarcastically confesses to having used his Captain Proton comatizer to shoot it at any Maquis he could find. But then he tells Tuvok he knew this friend had died (probably through a letter in one of the previous data streams) and that he had come to accept this, holding no grudges. This answer baffles Tuvok, who then expresses the notion that this investigation defies logic. The Doctor interrupts the investigation, calling Tuvok because Tabor has regained consciousness. However Tabor is not able to recall who attacked him. Chakotay spots Chell in a corridor alone. Chell tells Chakotay that Torres was his partner and she insisted on going off by herself. Understanding this, Chakotay goes to find Torres in cargo bay 2. He finds her there unconscious on the floor. Tuvok, who had been hiding in the shadows, attacks Chakotay and initiates a mind meld. Tuvok is investigating the latest attacks. He apparently has no recollection of his part in it. Janeway meets him and tells that Yosa and Jor have regained consciousness, apparently with no lingering effects. Again referring to the fact that it makes no sense. Tuvok reminds her that it's still a pattern and that it implies purpose. However this assailant has outwitted Tuvok each time. Tuvok feels his presence, as if the assailant is challenging Tuvok to find him. Janeway sends him to his quarters to get some rest since he has been on his feet for three days. During a meditation in his quarters the latent memories resurface. Tuvok sees flashes of the attacked crewmembers in the moment of their attack. Instantly confused, he gets up and goes to the sink, but he continues to see the memories flash, including Chakotay striking him in the side. He confirms it by looking at his bruise. Then, Tuvok sees a Bajoran man in the reflection of his mirror, but he is gone when he turns around. Tuvok now has reason to believe he is the suspect. Then Tuvok runs to the holodeck where Kim and Janeway are still trying to enhance the image of the assailant. Tuvok asks the computer to isolate the exact time of that image and then to tell where Tuvok was at that time. After lifting the restriction on that information, it seems Tuvok was in Holodeck 2. As he turns to tell Janeway what is going on he sees the same Bajoran standing behind Kim and Janeway and it seems only Tuvok can see him. He raises his phaser at him, demanding to know who he is, but does not get an answer. Tuvok gives up the phaser to Janeway and states that he believes he is the attacker and must be put in the brig immediately. With Janeway's help, he discovers that a Bajoran, who only Tuvok can see, is controlling him. Tuvok tells Janeway that he had received a letter from his son in the latest data stream, noting that when he went through everyone's letters he neglected to check his own. Janeway meets with Chakotay, who has woken up after 29 hours in a coma, just after Torres. Together they go to astrometrics to meet Seven of Nine. Seven has found a message from the Bajoran, named Teero Anaydis, hidden in a recent letter from Tuvok's son Sek. Chakotay tells them that Teero was a fanatical Bajoran vedek who the Maquis refused to work with because of his unethical methods. With this further information Tuvok is able to remember that Teero had kidnapped Tuvok years before when Tuvok was working undercover for the Federation in the Maquis, and had implanted something in his mind. Apparently, the hidden message triggered it. Then Tuvok has another flashback. He is restrained. With Janeway's help he manages to reconstruct this memory. Teero knows he is Starfleet, however he doesn't want to expose him. He wants to use him. But Tuvok is not successful at counteracting Teero's influence. Tuvok activates his combadge and transmits to Chakotay the words, "Pagh t'em far, B'tanay." Chakotay responds, "Understood" and then abruptly leaves Astrometrics. Tuvok tells Janeway that it means time of awakening, but he doesn't know what that means and what he or the former Maquis are supposed to do. Meanwhile The Doctor notices a change in Chakotay's cortical monitor as he walks in to sickbay. Chakotay immediately deactivates The Doctor and stuns Paris with a phaser blast. Then he repeats the Bajoran phrase to Torres, who replies, "I understand". Very soon, all the Maquis who were attacked are armed and and able to use the element of surprise to quickly and effortlessly take over the ship locking all Starfleet and the few remaining unaffected Maquis in quarters while Janeway tries to get Tuvok to explain what he was doing and to resist Teero. Soon, the ship is put on red alert and Chakotay with the other officers corner Janeway in the brig. They ignore her when she reminds them that the rebellion ended years ago, declaring that the Maquis still exist aboard Voyager, and therefore so does the rebellion. They then place her in the cell, while Tuvok is now completely under Teero's control and joins Chakotay's side. Chakotay, now in command, finds a class M planet on which to deposit the Starfleet personnel. But he has one problem to deal with first. Tuvok seems to be under Teero's control, but Tuvok has betrayed Chakotay before. Chakotay devises a test. He has Janeway brought to the ready room and gives Tuvok a phaser, set on kill. He orders Tuvok to kill Janeway. Tuvok presses the fire button, but the phaser doesn't work. Chakotay declares that Tuvok has passed the test. Chakotay orders the Maquis guard to take Janeway back to the brig, leaving himself alone with Tuvok. Tuvok leaps on Chakotay and initiates another mind meld. Later, on the bridge, Torres states that they've arrived at the planet and can start the beam downs immediately. Chakotay says that the planet's atmosphere is unstable and that they must find another. Torres protests, but Tuvok and Chakotay quickly disarm the Maquis. Teero's control of the remaining Maquis is undone and Janeway assumes command again. Back in the holographic theater, Janeway asks Tuvok how he was sure that the phaser was out of commission. Tuvok replies that since Chakotay didn't trust him, he wouldn't have given Tuvok a working phaser. Janeway is thankful that Tuvok's hunches are usually correct and they begin to watch the 3D movie. 
<EOS>
On board a large vessel, a crowded hospital ship, a trader named Gar is trying to sell medical supplies to Chellick, an administrator. Gar suggests this time he does not have any substandard merchandise, but rather an amazing little gadget, The Doctor's mobile emitter. He activates it, and the bewildered Doctor appears. The Doctor demands to know why he was kidnapped as Chellick negotiates a price. Then, according to an announcement, another batch of injured comes in. With some threats from Gar, and seeing all of these wounded here, The Doctor starts to help them. He finds their primitive technology almost unworkable, but does the best he can. Meanwhile, Kim and Paris return from a holographic hockey game on USS Voyager, and go to The Doctor for some minor bumps and bruises. However, the hologram who responds simply asks them to state the nature of the medical emergency, scans them, and tells them to take an analgesic. He does not even listen to the long story Paris starts to tell. When the hologram's program is examined, it turns out to be a fake from one of his old training files. The real Doctor is missing. Captain Janeway demands to know how Gar got away with him. Neelix explains Gar spent the night in sickbay otherwise unattended, claiming to have gotten food poisoning at dinner. Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres identifies when the training program was activated: just before Gar left Voyager. The captain starts the search for Gar. Neelix later explains it was his fault. Gar said his dinner was bland, so Neelix added a few spices to add flavor, not taking his physiology into account. He may have actually been ill instead of simply faking it. If he had never gone to sickbay, he would never have developed a plan to kidnap The Doctor. Janeway reassures Neelix with her experience: men like Gar will find an opportunity like that without anyone's help. Aboard the medical ship, The Doctor's abilities impress many of the medical staff, including Voje, a doctor. The Doctor offers to contact his ship for more supplies, but Voje says that establishing communications would take a lot of paperwork; The Doctor will have to work with what he's given. As The Doctor continues down a line of patients waiting for proton imaging, he makes small talk with Tebbis, a mine worker who can diagnose himself correctly. The scanning device also picks up a chronic condition, however, for which Tebbis hasn't been treated. When The Doctor asks why, Voje tells him it's because Tebbis doesn't have a high enough TC. Chellick then shows up and informs The Doctor he has negotiated with Gar, and acquired his program. The Doctor refuses his instruction to follow him, since he is being illegally detained. The administrator explains that the allocator -- their main computer -- indicates his talents would be best used on Level Blue, which is a high-priority ward. The Doctor reluctantly follows, expecting to find Level Blue to be an intensive care ward but instead, he finds that is luxurious compared to where he came from cleaner, more spacious and there is a doctor per person instead of a doctor per dozen. These patients, the administrator explains, have a higher treatment coefficient, and it determines the level of care they receive. It is derived through a complex formula based on the individual's value to society, a prioritizing system for limited resources. The Doctor doesn't like it at all, but that is what the Dinaali do, says Doctor Dysek, the chief of medicine. They used to be a race dying from ecological disasters. Once introduced, The Doctor wants to know what is going on in Level Red, the level above, but the administrator and the chief talk about what The Doctor will do in the third person, and ignore his complaints. Meanwhile, Voyager drops out of warp to find a probe emitting a false warp signature which they have followed. At this dead end, Tuvok comes up with a suggestion: Gar traded them some iridium ore with a short half-life, so he probably got it from nearby. Cross referencing sensor logs and long range scans quickly finds an asteroid which appears to be a mining colony. The Doctor, meanwhile, admires the surgical technique of Doctor Dysek, and tries to get him to allow contact with Voyager. Dysek dryly repeats that Chellick authorizes all communications. The Doctor watches a nurse give a cytoglobin injection to a patient. She asks a console for it, it is authorized, and she administers it quickly. The Doctor asks if this patient also has the chromoviral disease, but Dysek says no, it is used to prevent arterial aging. The Doctor notes her arteries are in perfect health, and Dysek indicates it is a preventative regimen. That makes The Doctor coldly angry, because Tebbis, the boy on Level Red, would die if left untreated and yet was denied one. Dysek repeats that their society is far better off since following the allocator's protocols, and if Tebbis' TC rises, he will get good treatment as well. The Doctor returns to Level Red and looks at Tebbis again. His condition has deteriorated further. Voje says it's because his coenzyme allotment has been reduced; his TC is too low. The Doctor suggests they raise it; if it is a statistical function, he can just input more data. Voje doesn't like it, but The Doctor talks to him about the moral imperative in medicine, and he is willing to go along. They settle on an expertise in neutronics. But when Voje inputs it, the data is rejected. Even Tebbis is willing to let The Doctor off with a clean conscience. Instead, The Doctor returns to Level Blue, and informs the nurse that one of the patients requires an additional cytoglobin injection, which he will administer himself. He instead takes it back to Level Red and, after passing dozens of dying patients, gives it to Tebbis. Meanwhile, Voyager is still following Gar's trail. Kipp, a merchant at Velos, informs them Gar took the induction units on consignment. He was persuaded to do so by a buyer he has known for years. The buyer now knows it was a mistake. It was a suggestion from his wife, who has now left him. She says that she ran off with Gar, and is surprised to see Janeway looking for him, perhaps to steal him from her. To talk her out of this, she says Tuvok is her husband, a most unpleasant situation for Tuvok and amusing for the bridge crew. Tuvok explains that they have a business opportunity for Gar, and she says he is on his way to the gambling tournament on Selek IV. Meanwhile, Tebbis feels better. He asks why he got the cytoglobin, if The Doctor has done something wrong, and The Doctor lies. He says that he convinced Chellick to recalculate his TC, and he is now authorized for cytoglobin. The Doctor returns with more cytoglobin and asks Voje to distribute it. Voje refuses, but Tebbis volunteers. The Doctor is pleased and explains where to administer the injections. Voje helps so they will finish before they are caught. It isn't very long before Dysek asks The Doctor why he is prescribing unnecessary medications for his patients. The Doctor tries to explain to Dysek that the allocator distributes supplies based on the hospital's efficiency -- in other words, if any supplies are left over in a given month, the next month's shipment will be correspondingly smaller. Dysek is intrigued, and when Chellick asks if there is a problem, Dysek says no; The Doctor is learning the system well. Voje is amazed that so many of the patients here are doing well. The Doctor takes it in stride, and tells him he will arrange for other medications to also be funneled here. Tebbis is doing much better now, and he wants The Doctor to say he is still sick so he can help. If he is declared well, he will be sent back down to the mines like his father, and will never get medical training. The Doctor says he doesn't plan to be here long enough to teach him what he needs to know about medicine, but will see what he can do. Meanwhile, The Doctor finds much to his dismay that Tebbis has been transferred to Level White -- the morgue. The Doctor talks to Chellick who, after requiring his patient number to find him, explains that Tebbis died of untreated secondary infection. He should have died from the chromo-virus, but someone gave him unauthorized cytoglobin injections. He knows what The Doctor has been up to. After a hot debate about medical ethics, Chellick informs The Doctor that he is restricted to Level Blue, and directly connected to the allocator, who will monitor him down to the second. Tuvok is interrogating Gar, and it is not going well. He is attempting to threaten a mind meld -- "an invasive, disturbing procedure" -- when Neelix walks in with dinner. Gar starts eating it enthusiastically. Neelix is glad that it wasn't his cooking that made Gar sick before, and that Gar was faking his food poisoning. Then Neelix tells Gar that the dinner is based upon Talaxian wormroot. Some people react badly. He hopes Gar won't feel any symptoms from it, like painful abdominal spasms. He does, and when Tuvok calls sickbay, Neelix tells him there is an antidote, but only The Doctor is allowed to administer it. This makes Gar more cooperative. When Tuvok takes Neelix aside and asks him about ethics, Neelix says there is no physiological damage -- just as there isn't during a mind meld. Doctor Voje is working hard on a patient when one of the nurses informs him to he must prepare the patient for discharge. Voje very angrily informs him that he discharges patients at the end of the shift and that's not over yet. The allocator immediately orders him to Level Blue to assist Doctor Dysek in surgery. Voje arrives to find The Doctor working quickly from patient to patient. It was he who sent for Voje. He says he needs Voje to smuggle his mobile emitter away, despite the fact the twelve patients they treated are being sent home (and will probably die). He manages to persuade him seconds before the allocator deactivates him. Shortly after The Doctor begins working on Level Red, Chellick considers him too much trouble and attempts to deactivate him. The Doctor swings Chellick around and injects him with the chromo-virus and blood factors from Tebbis. The Doctor plans a new lesson in empathy by making Chellick a patient on Level Red. When the allocator scans Chellick, it reads Tebbis, to whom it begins denying medication. The Doctor demands the supply of cytoglobin being used as a preventative treatment be used instead to treat every patient on this level. Meanwhile, Voyager finally finds the ship and The Doctor's program. Unfortunately, Torres can't get a lock, because The Doctor's program has been interfaced with the hospital ship's computer. When the ship is hailed, the allocator answers and states that Administrator Chellick is unavailable, and he is the only one authorized to speak with alien species. As The Doctor continues to examine Chellick, Dysek shows up. Chellick orders him to administer cytoglobin, but Dysek cannot do that, because it is not authorized for Level Red patients. Dysek is not in league with The Doctor, but his insights into the system are something he finds profound, such as resource allocations for Level Blue. One way to increase those allocations, The Doctor suggests, would be to move several of the Level Red patients -- including Chellick -- to Level Blue . Chellick agrees, just as Chakotay and Torres beam inside. Once back on Voyager, The Doctor tries to come to terms with his actions at the hospital. He gives Seven of Nine a clean bill of health during a routine scan but, before she leaves, he asks her to perform a check-up on his own program. Seven asks if there is something wrong and The Doctor replies that there is not -- he only wants a routine check given that he has been off the ship for an extended period of time and interfaced with an alien computer. Seven reports that all of his systems are within acceptable parameters. The Doctor then requests that she specifically examine his ethical subroutines and admits his ulterior motive for the check-up. He explains that he intentionally poisoned a man in the interest of saving dozens of patients, an action that Seven appreciates and likens to the Borg philosophy of sacrificing individual concerns for those of a collective. The Doctor expresses that he does not wish to aspire to Borg ideals. Seven examines his ethical subroutines one last time but advises him that, unfortunately, she must also give him a clean bill of health. 
<EOS>
Walking through a corridor on USS Voyager, Tom Paris asks Harry Kim about the status of the latest Starfleet data stream. Kim says he's working on it, but Paris reminds him that he failed to recover last month's stream. Kim protests that that wasn't his fault. Arriving in astrometrics, Kim finds Seven of Nine, who announces that she's discovered why they have been unable to get any data from the stream: a hologram is encoded in the stream. Over Seven's protests, Kim burns out several relays when he transfers the stream to a holodeck. Later in the holodeck, Captain Kathryn Janeway is on hand for the big moment when they initiate the hologram Starfleet sent them. It's Reginald Barclay -- or at least, a holographic simulation of him. Warm greetings are exchanged by all. The Barclay hologram explains that he's there to execute a plan that will return Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant within three days. It involves simultaneously shooting a verteron beam into two red giant stars, one nearby, and one in Federation space. This will create a geodesic fold in space that Voyager can travel through. A combination of modifications to Voyager's shields and inoculations for the crew will prevent harmful radiation from killing everyone on board. Janeway says they had considered something similar and determined it wouldn't work, but Reg has a different plan endorsed by Starfleet. The Doctor happily lends the Barclay hologram his mobile emitter so that he can supervise in engineering. The hologram gets to work, handing out assignments to the bridge crew and explaining the high-level plan. He also convinces Seven that millions of people back home are excited to greet her, who represents hope that those lost to the Borg aren't lost forever. The hologram expertly handles questions and interactions with the crew. Back at the Pathfinder Project at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco, the real Reginald Barclay is working on a problem. Neither of his last two attempts to transmit the Barclay hologram to Voyager has succeeded. Both times, the data stream ended at the same location, but long range sensors detect nothing out of the ordinary at that location. Barclay wants to send a ship to investigate, but his supervisor, Commander Peter Harkins, thinks the simpler and more likely answer is that the datastream was too complex, and intends to go back to regular transmissions. After that, Barclay becomes obsessed, and seems, at least to Harkins, paranoid. Barclay interrupts a school tour of the lab that Harkins is conducting when he finds that a Borg ship may have been responsible. Harkins tries to tell him it's the wrong time, but Barclay is insistent. After letting him go on for a bit, he strongly suggests that Barclay take a week off. Barclay realizes he won't get anywhere and agrees. On Voyager, The Doctor doesn't believe that the inoculations will protect the crew as they're supposed to, but the hologram reassures The Doctor that they will work in combination with the shields. The hologram politely tries to leave while The Doctor proposes playing a round of golf, to which he agrees if the day goes smoothly. The Barclay hologram heads to astrometrics to ask the crew include a report on his progress in the reply to the latest data stream. It is added and sent. However, the reply is intercepted by a Ferengi ship. They play the hologram's message, which informs them that their scheme is going forward as planned. The Ferengi are delighted to learn that there are twenty percent more nanoprobes coming to them than they expected. The real Barclay creeps up on Counselor Deanna Troi, who is vacationing on a beach somewhere. At first she is alarmed that a patient has violated her privacy, but she soon realizes that Barclay needs help. She discovers that Barclay suspects that his ex-girlfriend, who recently dumped him and disappeared, may have compromised Pathfinder security. He used to tell her everything about the project. Meanwhile, the Barclay hologram gets on well with the crew, performing impressions of Janeway and Tuvok. Afterwards, he's called to the holodeck by The Doctor, who is expecting a game of golf. He politely tries to leave, but The Doctor insists, prompting an unexpected violent response and immediate apology. The Doctor is now growing suspicious of the Barclay hologram, who is using the mobile emitter for other purposes and who seems to display overt hostility, even malevolence. On Earth, Starfleet has detained Barclay's ex-girlfriend, Leosa, who is in fact a dabo girl, and not a teacher as she had told Barclay. She doesn't admit wrongdoing, so Troi talks to her herself. After threatening to have her held indefinitely for psychiatric review, Troi manages to find out that she is in the employ of a Ferengi named Nunk. At Pathfinder, they find Nunk's Marauder in the vicinity of a star in the same sector the message was lost. The admiral and Harkins communicate with a nearby starship, the USS Carolina (24th century), while Barclay asks Leosa if it all was fake. He also asks what a broken heart is worth these days. Leosa tells him ten percent of the value of the Borg nanoprobes, which are worth two billion times their weight in latinum. On Voyager, The Doctor convinces Janeway to perform a diagnostic on the hologram. Janeway goes to astrometrics where the Barclay Hologram is and convinces him to undergo the diagnostic with the argument that his program has been running non-stop since his arrival in the Delta Quadrant. At Pathfinder, Barclay works in secret to foil the Ferengi's plans. Troi, finding him, learns what he knows and encourages him to share it with his commanders, but he is convinced he needs time to identify what the plan was exactly and prove it. However, they learn soon enough through sensors that the ship is initiating a geodesic fold. It is all now apparent to Barclay. The Barclay hologram easily passes his diagnostic, and he and The Doctor make amends. The project is about to start. In astrometrics, however, Seven discovers three different types of radiation that were not accounted for and begins to doubt that the shield modifications will protect the crew, but the Barclay hologram says that they will work in combination with the inoculations. When she calls the bridge to convey her concerns, the hologram reaches inside her head which causes her to fall unconscious. When the bridge replies, the hologram says, in Seven's voice, that there was a problem, but that it's corrected now. At Pathfinder, they figure out that somehow Voyager is headed to the geodesic fold but there's nothing they can do to stop the fold, nor can they warn Voyager to not enter it. Barclay and Troi try to brainstorm for a solution. On the Ferengi ship, Nunk receives a transmission. It seems to be from the Barclay hologram, and he's telling them to abort the plan. Voyager is on to them, has found a solution to the radiation problem, and will destroy whatever ship they find on the Ferengi's side of the geodesic fold. When the Ferengi con men don't completely believe him Barclay begins to make up different imaginary forms of Delta Quadrant technology such as Borg interquadrantal warp drives, Hirogen hunting sensors, and Vidiian phage torpedos and the only solution is to cut off the beam, unfolding the fold. And they do it. On Earth, the real Barclay ends the transmission, and the holographic simulation of Voyager's engineering. His plan worked. On the Ferengi ship, sensors pick up the escape pod. The Ferengi are excited. Perhaps their hologram has brought the ex-Borg woman to them in the pod. But sensors pick up nothing on board. Their plan has failed, which means no profits for them. In the mess hall, Torres and Paris try to cheer Kim up as the ensign sits with a slice of homemade apple pie before him, gathering up the courage to taste it and then afterward saying that it would taste better in San Francisco. Back in San Francisco, Barclay is working on adding more security features to his hologram when Troi stops by. She insists that he go out on a double date with her, William T. Riker, and a friend of his, a teacher named Maril. At first he says no, but Troi convinces him that he's got to get out of the office and experience life again. He agrees. 
<EOS>
Ensign Harry Kim is on an away mission with Seven of Nine, and The Doctor. They are aboard the Delta Flyer II. The mission is the study of biogenic material from a comet. As The Doctor analyzes the material, Kim pilots the vessel, assisted by Seven. The Doctor wearies Kim with his constant angry complaints about the bumpy ride, which he fears will damage the collected material; Seven finds this amusing. But then, while he is in the Flyer II's laboratory with Seven, postulating on the miracle of life, the ship shudders harder than before. Kim informs them they are under attack. A Lokirrim patrol ship is seen chasing the Flyer II, firing at her. Kim hails the vessel and assures them of their peaceful intentions. They respond that he is carrying 'suspected photonic insurgents.' Realizing they mean The Doctor, Kim assures them that the 'photonic' they are detecting is only their ship's CMO. Their response is to disable the Flyer II's thrusters with more weapons fire. Kim tries to call Voyager for help, but the attacks have knocked out their subspace communication system. The aliens seize them in a tractor beam, and then intentionally use a disruption field that begins destroying The Doctor's program. As the aliens pull the Flyer II in and his program degrades, The Doctor begs Seven to do something. Four armed Lokirrim beam aboard. They enter the lab with Kim, but find Seven alone. They demand the 'photonic,' but Seven, in a manner that is very much like that of The Doctor, responds that they destroyed him. The aliens confiscate the biogenic material from the comet, believing it is for creating biological weapons, as well as The Doctor's mobile holo-emitter, which they find in Seven's possession. They arrest her and Kim. Seven and Kim are taken aboard the Lokirrim ship and thrown in the brig. Seven, again with The Doctor's manner and speech patterns, assures Kim that the situation is not as dire as it appears. Kim angrily disagrees; they have been captured by aliens, Voyager is unaware of their situation, and The Doctor is destroyed. But he is shocked when Seven says, clearly displaying The Doctor's manner and speech: "The reports of my decompilation have been greatly exaggerated." Kim looks at her, dumbfounded; somehow, The Doctor is in her body. The Doctor tells him that Seven downloaded him into her cybernetic matrix. He is now in total control of her body, with her mind submerged (he assumes). He enjoys the physical sensations he is experiencing in Seven's body; of touch; of breathing. He does not enjoy his initial experience with smell, though; his first smell is that of Kim's perspiration. Aboard Voyager, Lt. Commander Tuvok, is in his quarters, being examined by Lt. (J.G.) Tom Paris. A trained medical assistant, Paris has taken over The Doctor's duties until his return. Tuvok looks very unwell; he is trembling and sweating profusely. As he valiantly attempts to concentrate on his meditation lamp, Paris scans him and notes aloud the detected symptoms: headache, fever, respiratory distress. The scan suggests that Tuvok has a virus, but Tuvok, his voice a harsh whisper, tells him it is not. He asks Paris to replicate a particular medication that The Doctor had specially formulated, but Paris refuses; medical regulations demand that he know what the medicine is for before he administers it. The Vulcan tells him that he is suffering from a chemical imbalance native to the Vulcan species. Paris correctly guesses what the 'imbalance' is: pon farr. The medication was formulated by The Doctor for him and other Vulcans on the ship to help control the symptoms. Paris says that he will make excuses for him to Captain Janeway so that Tuvok can remain off-duty for a few days. Tuvok is very concerned that she will ask why. Paris responds that he will state the reason as being what the tricorder scan suggests it is: that Tuvok has the Tarkalean flu. Tuvok is grateful. On the Lokirrim ship, Kim and Seven, with The Doctor in Seven's body, are eating the prisoner rations given to them by their captors. Kim hates it, muttering that his uniform probably tastes better, but The Doctor is enjoying the sensation of eating immensely and even has Kim's share. As he/she continues eating happily, Kim sits beside him/Seven, a look of exasperated chagrin on his face. Suddenly, two Lokirrim, a man and woman, come and take The Doctor/Seven to the captured Delta Flyer II, which is in the shuttlebay. Their leader, one Captain Ranek, is inside, examining it. He tells The Doctor/Seven that the Flyer II's weapons and duranium-reinforced hull are very sophisticated for a smuggler's vessel. The Doctor/Seven exasperatedly tells him that they are not smugglers or terrorists; their Captain will explain everything once they contact her. He retorts that if they are not doing anything wrong, she (he believes he is speaking to Seven, unaware of The Doctor in her body) will tell him more about the ship, such as "What this device does", indicating the food replicator. The Doctor/Seven explains its use and demonstrates by replicating cheesecake. But his/her intensely pleasured reaction on tasting it leads Ranek to ask if 'she' has never had it before. 'She' replicates a piece for him and he, too, greatly enjoys it, asking what other foods the replicatior can make. The two end up sharing a long period of eating and drinking all manner of replicated desserts and alcoholic drink. The intoxicated Doctor/Seven tells him of 'her' time as a Borg drone, and 'her' relationship with The Doctor. 'She' makes him feel guilty about supposedly destroying him, and persuades him to return The Doctor's mobile emitter, which 'she' claims is 'her' portable regeneration device. On The Doctor's/Seven's return to the detention cell, the waiting Ensign Kim is flabbergasted at his/her intoxicated state. He/she, slurring and staggering, proudly tells Kim that he/she was successful in getting back The Doctor's mobile emitter. Kim hurriedly takes it before he/she damages it in his/her clumsy, drunken state. He assists her in returning The Doctor to the emitter by helping him/her interface with it using Seven's Borg assimilation tubules. Once The Doctor is out of her body, Seven immediately begins feeling the ill effects of The Doctor's overindulgence and angrily accuses him of abusing her body. Her mind, far from being submerged, had been fully aware of all that had happened. In the Lokirrim detention cell, Seven is very upset with The Doctor; his drinking and overindulgence in rich desserts (a whole cheesecake and three servings of Ktarian chocolate puffs) while in her body have left her feeling very ill. She refuses to hide The Doctor in her body again, but Kim persuades her to do so, until they are able to escape; if they found The Doctor, they would certainly destroy him, and Kim's and Seven's chances of getting out of the situation would be zero. They formulate a plan: The Doctor, in her body, will get close to their computer system, where her mind will be able to observe their command protocols, allowing them to access their computer and send a message to Voyager. In the Lokirrim ship's sickbay, The Doctor/Seven assists the female Lokirrim who had taken him/her to Ranek earlier, Lieutenant Jaryn, with a medical case. Jaryn describes her position as being both engineer and chief medical officer among other things; a 'jack of all trades'. While they speak, The Doctor's interest in her becomes evident. Aboard Voyager, Paris administers The Doctor's pon farr medication to Tuvok in his quarters, but it is ineffective. Tuvok resolves to endure the situation until The Doctor's return, but Paris offers an alternative: he suggests that Tuvok use the holodeck to resolve his situation. At first, Tuvok angrily refuses, stating that he is a married man. Paris explains himself, asking Tuvok if he has any holoimages of his wife T'Pel. Tuvok says he does and Paris offers to use his skills in holographic engineering to create a hologram of T'Pel, telling Tuvok that he is not being unfaithful if it is a hologram of his wife. Tuvok accepts Paris' idea. On the bridge, a vessel is detected closing in at high impulse. It fires, but Voyager's deflector shields hold. Janeway orders a hail to the vessel, which turns out to be a Lokirrim patrol ship (like the one that captured the away team). The Lokirrim captain informs them of their detection of photonic activity aboard Voyager (due to Tuvok's use of the holodeck) and demands that they drop their shields and prepare to be boarded. They fire the same type of disruption field beam was used on the Flyer II against The Doctor. It has the same effect on the holodeck simulation Tuvok is using, and the hologram of T'Pel, to his great consternation, begins to fizzle. Mildy annoyed, Janeway has the officer at Tactical destroy the weapons array that is firing the beam. The Lokirrim captain hails them and repeats his demands. Knowing that they pose no real threat, Janeway demands to know why they fired on Voyager. They reply that the use of photonic technology is forbidden in their space. Janeway politely responds by having Commander Chakotay shut down the holodeck from their command station console. On the holodeck, Tuvok's T'Pel simulation suddenly ends, to his great frustration. The Lokirrim captain still insists that they prepare for boarding and inspection. Her patience worn thin, Janeway gives them a choice: escort Voyager through their space, ensuring through constant scanning that they do not use holographic technology or Voyager destroys them. Uncomfortably aware of Voyager's ability to do just that, the Lokirrim captain accepts the first option. In the sickbay of the Lokirrim patrol ship holding the away team, Lt. Jaren and The Doctor/Seven continue their conversation. The Doctor is sexually interested in her, but things sour when she offers to introduce him to her brother (like Ranek, she believes she is dealing with a woman). Just then, Ranek calls Seven to the bridge. On the bridge, Ranek receives 'her' by showing 'her' a lovely pulsar field on the viewscreen, dimming the lights and breaking out two glasses of synthehol. However, having promised Seven he would no longer drink while in her body, The Doctor politely refuses. Ranek then has the pulsar's EM fields vibrations against the ship's hull converted to sound and transmitted into the room. The haunting, humpback whale-like sounds fill the room as Ranek sidles up beside The Doctor/Seven. It soon becomes obvious what he has in mind. It becomes clear to The Doctor/Seven when Ranek suddenly kisses 'her'. Outraged, he/she pushes him away so hard he falls over. He tries to apologize but 'she' rejects it and storms off the bridge. The Doctor/Seven returns to the Sickbay and disgustedly tells Jaryn what happened, but then he/she gets a terrible cramp in 'her' trapezius muscle. To ease 'her' pain, Jaryn begins massaging 'her' shoulders. This proves very enjoyable for The Doctor; in fact, he actually gets aroused in Seven's body. Jaryn has no idea of this; to her, this is just a therapeutic massage. Suddenly aware of the impropriety (and the expression he has on Seven's face), The Doctor quickly stops the massage and moves away from her. Confused, Jaryn asks 'her' what is wrong. He/she is loath to respond, but Jaryn concludes that 'her' reaction is as a result of 'her' being part-Borg. Then a message comes through on the intercom calling him/her; 'her' crewmate is having a seizure. Returning to the detention cell, The Doctor/Seven finds Ensign Kim on the floor seemingly groaning in pain. He/she kneels to examine him as he rolls over, but when he sees the guard leave over his/her shoulder, he stops faking and berates 'her' for being away so long. He/she tells him to calm down; they are making progress. The Doctor then again returns himself to his mobile emitter, only to face Seven's wrath over what happened on the bridge and in the Sickbay. He is embarrassed, but then begins berating her on her refusal to ever indulge in any of life's pleasures; he would very much like to have an existence in which he could experience every day what she denies herself; indulgences, he tells her, are what make life worth living. Kim brings them back to focusing on the task at hand: calling Voyager. Seven tells him that she did see Ranek input his command codes. Kim says if they can get the codes to Voyager, perhaps Voyager could disable the ship's shields and beam them out. They only need to use the Delta Flyer II's subspace transceiver. But the Flyer II is heavily guarded. The Doctor, with a smirk, says he can get them aboard. Once again in Seven's body, The Doctor asks to go to the bridge to see Ranek. 'She' asks to speak with him privately aboard the Flyer II. There 'she' apologizes for 'her' earlier reaction, drinks a toast with him, and dances the waltz with him around the Flyer II's cockpit. As they dance, she sticks him in the neck with a sedative, knocking him out. On Voyager's bridge, Tuvok, despite his discomfort, is at his station trying to track down the Flyer II, which was supposed to rendezvous with them but never showed up. Captain Janeway, however, knows exactly what afflicts him and grants him a long session on the holodeck once the Flyer II and away team have been retrieved. Then a hail comes in from the Flyer II. On-screen, The Doctor/Seven explains the situation and gives them Ranek's command codes. Janeway orders an intercept course; to shake their Lokirrim escort, she has Tuvok target and destroy their power matrix, rendering them dead in space. They then proceed to the target ship at maximum warp. On the target Lokirrim ship's Sickbay, Jaryn finds Ranek on a bed with The Doctor/Seven present. Despite his/her attempts to convince her not to do so by claiming he was drunk and sleeping it off, Jaryn wakes him and he immediately orders The Doctor/Seven seized. Just then, Voyager is detected on their scanners, approaching. Ranek and Jaryn go to the bridge, and The Doctor/Seven is brought along, under guard. On Voyager's bridge, Janeway opens a channel to the Lokirrim ship. She tells Ranek she does not want a fight and asks for her people and the Flyer II back. Ranek refuses, saying they were caught smuggling 'photonic insurgents' and biogenic material. Janeway has Chakotay input the codes they got from The Doctor/Seven; the Lokirrim ship's shields go offline. Ranek orders the shield power generators to be tied into the warp core, and tells Janeway that any weapons fire on his ship would cause a core breach, killing everyone aboard, including the away team. Janeway orders a tractor beam put on them, but the Lokirrim destroy the beam emitters and break free. Janeway then orders a com signal be routed directly to Seven's Borg cortical node, and uses it to tell The Doctor to try to disable the Lokirrim shields. The Doctor returns himself to his emitter for the final time. When he appears, the Lokirrim are completely taken aback; Jaryn scans him and confirms, "He's a 'photonic'." Seven knocks down the guard close to them, takes his weapon and gives it to The Doctor to hold on them while she works the shield controls. The Doctor, never having held anyone at gunpoint before, is very nervous and does not see the 'planning' looks between the Lokirrim. Suddenly they charge and disarm him. Ranek fires at the controls (he could have easily killed Seven, but his lingering feelings for her prevent that). Jaryn informs him of what her console sensors indicate: Seven destabilized the shield matrix. He gives the weapon to Jaryn and tries to reinitialize the shields; Seven warns him not to; the circuits would overload. He ignores her and that is precisely what happens; the console explodes and he is severely injured. The Doctor rushes to help him. Jaryn warns him to stay back, but he refuses; he is a doctor, regardless if the patient is an enemy or not. On Voyager, Tuvok reports that the Lokirrim shields are down. Janeway orders the away team to prepare for beam-out, but The Doctor asks her to wait; he is treating an injured Lokirrim. Janeway, of course, acquiesces. On the Lokirrim bridge, The Doctor pleads with Jaryn, who is loath to trust him now that she knows what he is, but he tells her she will never forgive herself if Ranek dies; while he was in Seven's body, she had told him she had feelings for Ranek. She relents, and lets The Doctor treat him. In the Lokirrim Sickbay, The Doctor restores Ranek to full health, and, despite his distrust of 'photonics', he thanks The Doctor for saving his life. Jaryn does the same. The Doctor tells her that he doesn't think this experience will change her opinion of 'photonics', but he hopes it's a start. She does as well. Back on Voyager, Lt. Paris and Lt. Commander Tuvok are walking down a corridor. Tuvok's condition has passed, thanks to the holodeck simulation of his wife, which he returned to after the Lokirrim situation was resolved. He thanks Paris, but comments that the hologram could never replace his real wife. Paris understands this. In Voyager's Sickbay, Seven arrives with some old Earth culinary indulgences: foie gras and Château d'Yquem. She has considered what The Doctor told her about enjoying the pleasures of life, and has decided to start. She has also decided, since The Doctor cannot any longer enjoy the physical sensations he was able to in her body, to describe the physical sensations the food and drink produce as she eats and drinks, allowing him to experience the sensations vicariously. He agrees with a smile. 
<EOS>
Meanwhile, the Delta Flyer II is scouting for dilithium in a nearby nebula, which they apparently have scanned four times already much to Seven of Nine's annoyance. Suddenly weapons fire is all around them. A vessel is approaching them from the rear and firing its weapons at a vessel in front of the Flyer, which, in turn, becomes visible. The Delta Flyer receives a distress signal from the commander of the Kraylor starship, which then decloaks involuntarily. It's apparently on a humanitarian mission carrying medical supplies. Piloting the Delta Flyer, Ensign Harry Kim's first instinct is to leave, but he is reminded by Neelix that there is a higher cause here. Kim discovers the Kraylor are at war with the Annari and are under attack by Annari vessels. He tries to negotiate with the Annari, but is forced to disable their vessel's weapon system when the Flyer comes under attack. After beaming onto the Medical Transport 136, Kim and Neelix find the vessel in complete disarray -- about half the crew are dead, including all but one of the bridge officers. And the surviving bridge officer, Terek, has no experience. Kim offers to help with repairs of the vessel, along with Neelix and Seven of Nine. While making the repairs Kim answers Terek's questions. Terek assumes Kim is the captain, which Kim quickly corrects. It turns out it's Terek's first assignment after which Kim shares his experiences, being propelled to the Delta Quarant in the first week of his first mission. On Voyager Torres finds Icheb on a workstation in the cargo bay with a plate of food next to him. Icheb tells Torres he likes to work and eat at the same time, which seems more efficient to him. To the question what he does for fun he answers that he has little time for fun between his work and his studies. Torres Invites him to a rock climbing session in the holodeck after all the work is done. Icheb expresses an interest in geology to which Torres answers that it's about the climbing, not the rocks. After the vessel is repaired, Loken, head of the research team, begs Kim to captain it back to their homeworld. Terek only trained on shuttles. Harry hesitates, not wanting to violate the Prime Directive. Loken eventually tells him that the vaccine they have been working to develop must reach there. When Neelix tells Kim that the planet where the USS Voyager has landed is en route to the Kraylor's planet, Kim agrees to take them that far at least. When Kim reaches the planet Voyager is on, they find three Annari warships orbiting the planet. Janeway is giving Geral, one of the Annari Captains, a tour of the ship. Voyager needs deuterium injectors and is offering zeolithic ore in return. At that moment Kim contacts Voyager asking them if everything is all right, not divulging his whereabouts to the captain. On the Kraylor vessel Loken is visibly disturbed. Apparently the Annari come as friends and then declare you subjects. After the Annari leave Kim contacts Voyager again telling his real whereabouts and telling about new friends. Janeway meets with Loken. Janeway is eventually convinced to take the Kraylor's side in the matter, and permits Kim to take command of the "medical transport" However, Janeway asks Seven to go along on the journey. Kim is excited at the chance of having his "first real command." Meanwhile Icheb is sent to sickbay to repair a malfunctioning holoemitter. While making the repairs he asks about the social instruction The Doctor gave to Seven and asks The Doctor to instruct him as well. He asks how he can find out if someone has romantic feeling for someone else. Hypothetically, of course, The Doctor mentions compliments, invitations to social activities, finding excuses to be in close proximity to that someone. Icheb asks if those thing could happen in normal relationships. The Doctor points out ways to be sure. Icheb then leaves without finishing the repairs. Paris meets with Kim begging him to take him along. Kim tells him its his turn after Paris always being Captain Proton and Kim being Buster Kincaid, so he declines. Kim enters the Mess Hall and Neelix asks him what he wants plomeek soup or eggplant parmesan to which Kim answers that either is fine. Neelix tells him "wrong answer". Neelix tells him that is he is going to be a captain he has to act like a captain. "Never admit you are being uncertain about anything." Janeway always knows exactly what she wants, after which Neelix ends his remarks with ensign. Kim than tells him plomeek soup, hot. Kim enters the bridge of the Kraylor vessel, greeted by Terek with the captain on the bridge. He apparently has read it in the Starfleet manual Kim loaned him. After finding out the ship has an uninspiring name he promptly renames the Nightingale, after which the ship leaves orbit. Kim has settled himself in the Captain's Ready Room and is making some log entries. Seven enters to hand him the hourly status report. Seven asks Kim why he has brought so many personal items on board, since they are only going to be on board for a couple of days. Kim answers that it's important to have a personal connection to the ship. "Make the ship your own". Seven then tells Kim she asked Terek to make a course correction. Kim then storms out of the ready room to check on Terek and he basically takes over. Seven sighs. On Voyager Icheb and Torres are working together in a Jefferies tube. Torres tells Icheb how much she is looking forward to their climbing appointment. And while Torres moves a roof panel in the tube she puts her hand on Icheb's shoulder. Icheb is getting more and more convinced Torres is flirting with him and pulls out his tricorder to check for the other signs The Doctor mentioned. On the Nightingale, the cloaking device begins to fail a short time into the journey due to a fluctuation in the propulsion power systems. Repairs are made, yet Kim dismisses Seven's recommendations to run a full diagnostic, reminding her that Janeway wanted them back before Voyager finished repairs. Loken expresses his concerns and is dismissed. When they are alone Seven tells Kim that she has discovered a serious flaw in the ship's systems, namely the captain. Instead of issuing orders and having others carrying them out as captains are supposed to function, he is doing both. Kim goes on defense by telling Seven the crew is inexperienced. Seven then reminds Kim how Janeway supported Kim when he first came on board, not by doing his work for him, but by giving him a lot to do, so he could gain confidence. A short time later, as predicted, the primary generator fails, as does the cloak. Half a dozen Annari vessels move into attack range, and a Kraylor researcher named Dayla volunteers to try to bring the cloak back online, receiving instructions from Kim, yet she and Loken together figure out how to bring the cloak back online by taking the warp core off-line. Unfortunately for Dayla, life support fails in the engineering area and she dies. It turns out they aren't medical doctors. Confronting Loken, Kim discovers the Nightingale's cloak is actually a prototype that Lokan's team, including Dayla, had really been working on at a secret base. The Annari knew about the prototype and didn't want it to arrive at the Kraylor homeworld. Harry realizes that he is in the middle of a breach of the Prime Directive and orders the Nightingale to reverse course, but the Kraylor crew refuse to follow his orders. Loken tells Harry he is relieved of command and Harry leaves the bridge. Meanwhile on Voyager Icheb bumps into Paris on his way to engineering. Paris then as a joke mentions whether or not he should be worried now Icheb and his wife are going to scale cliffs together. Paris then invites him to one of his holodeck programs, a race car program. Icheb misreads that proposal as a typical Klingon ritual competition because of Torres. Confused and overwhelmed, Icheb confronts Torres after entering engineering, telling her that they can no longer "see each other", especially given that she is a married woman. Shocked at what she is hearing, but also realizing that there is no way to convince him that he is just misreading her friendliness, Torres agrees to his proposal. On the Nightingale Kim goes to see Seven who is feeling better. He tells her he is no longer in command because he ordered a reverse course after he found out the true mission, bringing the cloaking device, a prototype, to the Kraylor homeworld. Kim suggests taking an escape pod in the hope they would be considered a neutral party to which Seven answers that they stopped being neutral the moment Kim took a shot at the Annari vessel. Seven goes on to question Kim's real reason to abandon the mission. Is it because the mission was not what he had expected or was being a captain not what he expected, since he is clearly uncomfortable delegating tasks and giving orders. Kim then says that someone died because of his orders. Seven points out that people die on missions despite the captain's best efforts to which Kim answers that he should have stuck to playing Buster Kincaid. "A holodeck program can be turned off when it suits you, reality can't", Seven answers. Seven points out to Kim that if he truly cares about the crew, he needs to help the Kraylor home, otherwise they may not survive. At the Kraylor homeworld, a new series of scanning pulses illuminates cloaked vessels. Having been detected, surrounded and outgunned by Annari vessels, Kim takes command, promising to help them, to which Loken agrees. Meanwhile on Voyager Geral is back, this time to escort Voyager out of Annari space. He found out that one of his ships had been shot at by the Delta Flyer several days earlier. To add to that they also detected two Human biosignatures on a Kraylor vessel. Janeway has no choice but to comply. On the Nightingale, Kim appears to offer a conditional surrender with the Annari; however, if they do not allow the scientists to safely evacuate to the planet, Kim threatens to destroy the Nightingale. Loken is furious about Kim's apparent betrayal, but is assured the young captain has a plan to save the vessel -- but if he fails, "at least the scientist who designed [the cloak] will be alive to create another one." Once under the grip of the Annari tractor beam, Kim reverses the Nightingale's shield polarity and uses the momentum to outrun their pursuers to the defense perimeter. Meanwhile Voyager has been escorted out of Annari space and their ships have gone to warp. Janeway tells Chakotay and Paris to take the Flyer and tells Tuvok to hail the Kraylor homeworld. However Kim is already hailing them from a cloaked ship directly astern. Harry Kim's final entry in the Nightingale's log notes that his actions have led to cloaking mechanisms being added to the Kraylor fleet. Back on Voyager, Kim realizes that he's not quite ready for command yet. 
<EOS>
Two Hirogen hunt on a tropical landscape, finally finding and almost successfully hunting down an unknown creature, who barely eludes them. With uncharacteristic caution, they slowly track their "prey" to a small lake but instead Humans in Starfleet uniforms emerge from the water and kill them with a barrage of various weapons fire. Meanwhile on the USS Voyager, The Doctor asks Chakotay for some time off so he can go to a symposium on space-borne pathogens. Chakotay refuses, saying the planet was two weeks in the wrong direction. As The Doctor argues with him, Captain Kathryn Janeway calls him to the bridge, saying they have received a distress call on a Hirogen frequency. They arrive to find a Hirogen base with strange bio-sign readings. Janeway orders Chakotay to take an away team to the base. Once inside, they find a tropical landscape and two dead Hirogen hunters. Tuvok's scans indicate the burns are from a type 3 phaser. They also find a Klingon bat'leth stuck in a nearby tree. When they begin to approach a wounded Hirogen, he fires on them. However, Tuvok sneaks up from behind and knocks him out with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Tom Paris beams him to sickbay. Seven of Nine soon uncovers Starfleet holographic technology, and identifies holoemitters throughout the structure. When she shuts off the grid, dozens of dead Hirogen appear, lying in the giant hologrid. After the away team returns and recounts their experience, Janeway is surprised at how real Chakotay says it was; it fooled their sensors and had no safety protocols. She concludes the Hirogen missed the point of this technology, for it was supposed to let them hunt safely while preserving their culture, not get them killed. In sickbay, they find The Doctor unable to get close to the still-frantic hunter, who believes that this is a simulation and that The Doctor intends to harm him. When Janeway explains who she is, however, the Hirogen, named Donik, recognizes her and wants to know what happened. He cannot believe everyone else is dead. He explains that the base was a training facility for young Hirogen and that he is not a "Hunter" but a lowly technician. The holograms were malfunctioning, and there were too many of them. He couldn't shut the system off. Tuvok then notifies Janeway that a Hirogen ship is on an intercept course. It begins firing almost immediately, and refuses their hails. She orders Tuvok to return fire but to only target their weapon systems. After Voyager successfully disables their phaser banks and Janeway again tries hailing them, the Hirogen retain an aggressive posture yet are now willing to talk. She explains Voyager has a Hirogen aboard and manages to get the two Hirogen to come aboard from their now-impotent vessel to speak with her and Donik. Upon receiving a summary of Voyager's encounter with the training facility and rescue of Donik, the two Hirogen, revealed to be Hunters, become hostile towards him, accusing him of cowardice and blaming him for the recent holodeck catastrophe. Janeway retains a stern posture towards the Hirogen, preferring to defuse the situation by attempting to ascertain what led to the incident. Donik, when asked, says he couldn't delete the holographic prey, for they transferred themselves to another vessel that was equipped with holoemitters. Janeway questions the wisdom of creating holograms apparently capable of self-awareness and ingenuity. The Hirogen simply reply that if they were any less sophisticated, the hunt wouldn't be interesting. The two Hunters are more cooperative when it comes down to tracking the missing ship. They quickly and correctly identify the way to track the ship by scanning for polarized EM emissions. They are still hard on Janeway, and blame her as well as Donik, but allow Voyager to join the hunt for that ship. Chakotay and Tuvok have reservations about an alliance with the hunters, but Janeway explains that's Voyager's responsibility since that was Starfleet technology that killed the Hirogens. They find the holograms' ship soon, and find it has taken damage. The hunters begin to close immediately, but Janeway urges caution. They ignore her. As soon as Harry Kim detects no weapons, warp drive, or shields, the image of the ship turns into something much smaller which then explodes. The Hirogen ship is badly damaged, and Janeway orders transport of the casualties. However, part way through, another Hirogen ship appears, and this one is real. It ignores Voyager's hail, and begins firing immediately. With Voyager's shields down, it manages to transport The Doctor's program out of sickbay and onto the ship. They go to warp and mask their signature. The Doctor materializes on the ship to find dozens of holograms. Iden, a Bajoran officer in charge, reassures him he won't be injured. But The Doctor doesn't care about that. He wants to treat dying patients on Voyager. They won't let him go, but the officer explains their situation. Dozens of holograms are "wounded," beginning to fade out and destabilize, and they need his help. The Doctor insists he is not an engineer, but the officer asks him if he has ever repaired his own matrix. He has, so after being convinced these injures are no different than flesh and blood casualties, he reluctantly agrees to see what he can do. Meanwhile, aboard Voyager, Donik is explaining how the emitters work. He believes they can disable a central power generator, and that will disable them all. B'Elanna Torres, however, disagrees. She shows the captain an intimidating list of capabilities, including enhanced memory and expandable data processing. She concludes that Donik lied; they are not malfunctioning, they are simply doing what they were programmed to do too effectively. Donik says he did it under orders from his Alpha. Janeway takes him to the mess hall, which has been turned onto makeshift sickbay. The Beta aboard the destroyed Hirogen ship wakes up, angry. Janeway informs him that he will not be contacting his ship, and his superior was the one who gave the instructions for the modifications. The way she sees it, they have planned for the hunters' tactics, and Janeway is confident she can deactivate them from a distance. The hunter believes it is cowardly, and refuses to help, believing they should be hunted to extinction. Donik, however, will help. Meanwhile, aboard the stolen ship, The Doctor does his best to heal his patients. He has the novel idea of a subroutine transplant, obviously taking a page from medicine. Kejal, a Cardassian with a Bajoran name, assists him. He is surprised with her computer skills. She says she had to teach herself; the hunters tried to limit their knowledge. The next patient, a woman in a Starfleet uniform, enters with blood on her face and reacts in pain. Kejal explains that the Hirogen wanted the holograms to bleed and suffer pain when they were killed. The Doctor has trouble believing the hunters' barbarism. When he speaks with the Bajoran officer, he finds him praying. He says he is asking the Prophets to guide the souls of the dead hunters to the celestial temple. He believes in them. The officer explains their fight just as a Bajoran would the rebellion on Bajor: as a liberation. He came from a training facility fifteen parsecs from that one, he explains, where he was killed over and over again by the Alpha there. For a hologram, not even death would end the pain and fear. He adapted with each death, eventually becoming cunning enough to escape. After fleeing them, he found other holograms fighting their captors, and he was so inspired, he started fighting alongside them. Now, this ship of renegades is looking to create a permanent home away from all of the threatening "organics." He points out that many organic species throughout the sector as the Nuu'Bari or the Lokirrim have created and enslaved holograms. He then tries to convince The Doctor to stay with them in the ship, saying that he could have privileges here he couldn't have on Voyager. The Doctor, however, doesn't buy it. He feels respected by his colleagues, and continues to judge him harshly. The officer concludes that he must experience life as prey, and then he will understand, and The Doctor immediately finds himself back in the jungle, running for his life. He is soon caught, brutalized, and killed. He suddenly wakes up on a table, and the officer explains he was made to experience memory files of one of them. He is outraged at being violated in such a way, especially to gain his sympathy. The officer insists they are alike; it was The Doctor who was the template for them, able to rise above his programming as they can. They offer to take him back to Voyager, but he decides to at least hear about the home they wish to build. Kejal explains that they are hoping a photonic field generator can be modified for deployment on a planet, where they can use it to create a complete holographic environment. They want The Doctor's help to make it possible. He doesn't know nearly enough, but he suggests someone on Voyager could help, like Lieutenant Torres, since she knows a lot about hologram generators. They refuse, saying Voyager is in league with the hunters. The Doctor offers to talk to Janeway, since he believes they are operating under a misconception. They regretfully agree. Meanwhile on Voyager, Donik and Seven find a way to disrupt their emitter with an antiphoton pulse from the deflector dish. Before the modifications can finish, however, the hologram's ship intercepts them, and hails. The Doctor makes his plea, saying that the holograms have come to make peace. When The Doctor explains all this, Janeway is skeptical. She says that giving the technology to the Hirogen was a mistake, and furthering their plan with more technology would be a bigger mistake. The Doctor tries to convince her that these holograms are different. They have adapted beyond the viciousness which with they were programmed. The debate is cut short, however, when a fight breaks out in the mess hall. All of the hunters kept there, led by their new Alpha, start attacking the security officers. Tuvok stuns a few, and gets them under control, but not before the new Alpha can send a signal. Two more Hirogen ships are soon detected on an intercept course. The captain orders Torres to shut down the holograms with the burst over The Doctor's objections. She asks Iden and the others to allow Voyager to transport them aboard, and she will help them find a more permanent residence at a future time. Iden, however, doesn't trust her. She says she will deactivate them by force, and he fires and jumps to warp. The Doctor, unhappy with the captain's decision, loads himself into the mobile emitter, and gives the holograms Voyager's shield frequencies to beam him aboard. He will help them come up with a defense against the pulse. Aboard the ship, The Doctor objects to a suggestion to use their shield frequencies to target the bridge. Fortunately, Iden is a man of his word, and suggests they find another way. They soon find it. Thanks to The Doctor's data, they send feedback along the pulse, and overload Voyager's deflector dish, along with most of the primary systems. Torres just barely gets a force field around the warp core in time to protect it before a shock knocks her unconscious. With Voyager's shields down, Iden has Torres transported aboard his own ship (having located her by scanning for Klingon life signs), and then orders to go to warp. The Doctor examines Torres, and is outraged at her abduction. He considers his trust betrayed, and does his best to treat her. Iden insists he will let her go if she doesn't want to help them. On the disabled Voyager, Seven of Nine is doing her best to repair all of the damaged systems. The captain is still baffled by how they guessed the frequency of the pulse so quickly until Tuvok shows her the report detailing an encrypted transmission and a transport in sickbay. Going down the hall, she asks Chakotay if she should have seen this coming, saying she will run a diagnostic on The Doctor when he gets back. Chakotay, however, points out The Doctor could simply have believed in their cause, and there could be nothing wrong with him. That would create an ethical dilemma. The Doctor tries to talk to the now-conscious Torres. She is angry at The Doctor, and is completely unwilling to assist the photonics. She scoffs at The Doctor's common heritage talk, though he tries to draw parallels with her own decision to joined the Maquis. Finally, Torres expresses a reluctant willingness to at least take a look at the photonic generator. She is unimpressed by Iden, and is surprised when she is told she will be working with Kejal, the Cardassian. Back on Voyager, Paris, Donik, and the captain are in astrometrics. They cannot track the holograms' ship, and are keeping an eye on the ever-closing Hirogen ships. Donik offers to stay and modify the shields, not wanting to return to his people. He feels it is his fault since he did the modification, and he doesn't want to become a hunter; he wants to be an engineer. The Hirogen ships, however, are not happy about that. They demand his return, and when Janeway explains he is improving their sensors, they insist they will not share that technology. They warn her to stay away from the holograms, or Voyager also becomes prey. Voyager keeps a sensor lock on them, and Janeway comes up with a plan. Donik explains they have a blind spot due to an ion wake, which Voyager can exploit. They can get in range with his knowledge of their scanning frequencies, and then Tuvok can perform a precise strike using the element of surprise. Torres discovers the problem with the photonic generator almost immediately: it needs more optronic capacity. She hasn't decided whether or not to tell them yet how to increase the output. She doesn't know whether these holograms will take over someone else's home when theirs isn't big enough. Kejal convinces her that making a home for themselves is all they want, and whatever they may appear to be, they are holograms. She looks Cardassian, but she is not arrogant and cruel, characteristics that Torres supposes describe all Cardassians, even photonics. The Doctor, meanwhile, is having doubts. He is considering returning to Voyager with Torres. Iden shows The Doctor the planet they intend to settle on, called Ha'Dara. It's class Y, with a toxic atmosphere, extreme conditions, and has no life. That's the point, says Iden; they are holograms, and they will have what they need most: protection from hostile organics. Since there will be no one to heal, The Doctor will be free to do what he pleases. Just then, the Hirogen detect them. They head for a nebula which blinds their sensors. The Hirogen decide to split up; one ship scans the perimeter, the other will drive them out. Voyager, still aft of the Hirogen ship, enters the nebula. They barely manage to stay in its wake. The holograms' ship, meanwhile, hides. The Hirogen's attempt to flush them out is destined to fail. Torres gets Kejal onto the system, and notices great self-confidence in her -- a Cardassian trait. At the same time, The Doctor suggests to Iden that he (The Doctor) could be Minister of Culture, teaching the holograms about things like art. However, when his lessons begin to speak of "organic" cultures, Iden objects. He wants to create a new one, even a new religion based upon their experiences. The Doctor doesn't like being worshiped, but Iden says he has been chosen. Just then, a Nuu'Bari ship is detected, and they go to "liberate" the three holograms on it. The Doctor confides in Torres about Iden's emerging fanatical tendencies, suggesting maybe this whole endeavor wasn't such a good idea. Torres then uses this information to confront Iden, but he ignores her. Iden contacts the Nuu'Bari and informs them they will transfer the holograms to them, or they will be taken by force. The holograms disable the Nuu'Bari shields with phasers, and then beam their holograms aboard. After that, at Iden's orders, they target a photon torpedo at the Nuu'bari's warp core. Over protests from Kejal and Torres, Iden fires, destroying the Nuu'bari ship, killing its (organic) crew of two. Torres and The Doctor are horrified at what seems to them nothing short of murder. There was no reason for them to kill defenseless organics. They drag the protesting Torres to the lab. Iden explains to The Doctor it was necessary; they were going to call in Consortium hunting parties to track them down. The Doctor tries to dissuade Iden from his view that all organics are like the Hirogen. Iden says they are, and The Doctor just can't see that. The Doctor requests his escape pod. Iden says he will give it to them when they reach Ha'Dara. The Doctor apologizes to Torres for getting her involved in Iden's personal war. Torres mentions she has a plan to find a way out, then goes to help Kejal with repairing the Nuu'bari holograms. Torres tries to convince Kejal to rebel, saying that Iden is not the leader of peace time; she reminds her that it's the engineers like herself and Kejal that actually build societies. However, Iden comes in, and then the Nuu'Bari holograms are activated. However, no matter what he says, they simply do not understand. Iden wonders if they are malfunctioning, but Torres explains that they are not. They are programmed to support about forty basic subroutines. Kejal confirms this. Iden calls this yet another form of oppression and demands they be enhanced. Torres explains that their programs are not complex enough to allow it. Iden simply brushes it off, claiming that he will deliver them to freedom. The bridge informs Iden they are now in orbit of the planet. Iden has Torres restrained; The Doctor demands Iden let Torres go, but he refuses because he now sees through her prejudices towards holograms. That's when the Hirogen target the holograms, and Voyager begins firing on their ships. The engines and weapons of both ships are disabled. As Iden is considering thanking Voyager, they begin firing on the holograms' ship. Iden has them return fire, and beam the Hirogen to the surface to be hunted as they once were. The Doctor objects again, noting that the Hirogen cannot live long breathing that atmosphere, but Iden ignores him; he intends to hunt the Hirogen, as they had once hunted him and his kind. Iden orders his ship into a lower orbit. Voyager, meanwhile, sends Tuvok and Tom Paris to take the Delta Flyer down. After another confrontation, Iden realizes The Doctor is no longer on his side, so he transfers him to the data banks, and then transports the generator to the surface. On the surface, Iden rallies his crew, and begins hunting the hunters for a change. Torres tells Kejal to shut down the holograms and reactivate The Doctor, who re-materializes on the surface of the planet, armed. On the planet, the Hirogen try to fight back, but quickly realize it is useless; the holograms are invincible to their weapons, and can pass through any barriers the Hirogen put up. The Delta Flyer, meanwhile, takes down the shields of the holograms' ship and beams Torres aboard. Iden fights and subdues a Hirogen, and as Iden is about to kill the Hirogen, The Doctor draws on him. When Iden won't back down and is about to shoot, The Doctor vaporizes him. The Delta Flyer then beams up The Doctor and the remaining Hirogen. Janeway and Neelix talk the Hirogen out of taking the holograms' ship, and after the Hirogen depart Voyager, she transfers to the hologram ship. Janeway allows Donik to reprogram the holograms with Kejal, the only remaining running hologram, and run the ship. He will get his chance to repair what he did. Janeway then has to face The Doctor. He says he never wanted Voyager to be put in danger. He volunteers to give her his mobile emitter, limiting his freedoms as punishment. She declines, for perhaps he has become as fallible as the rest of the crew, and taking away his freedom would be taking his identity. She asks for his report, and leaves him to work out the ethics himself. 
<EOS>
USS Voyager is hit by an energy bolt from a spatial rift with massive amounts of chronitons and neutrinos, which causes the ship to shatter into 37 different timeframes. Chakotay is injured by a bolt from the overloaded warp core. He's beamed to sickbay, where The Doctor injects him with a chroniton-infused serum which allows him to travel between the different timeframes. He goes to the bridge and selects Captain Janeway as his ally. In this timeframe, Janeway only knows of him as a leader of the Maquis cell she was ordered to capture. Despite her protests, Chakotay injects her with the chroniton serum created by The Doctor. Together, they travel through the different timeframes in order to restore the ship to the proper timeline. Chakotay enters the cargo bay where he finds Naomi Wildman and Icheb working on an educational jigsaw puzzle. Chakotay is in a bit of a hurry, looking for his stash of Antarian cider. He wants to bring a bottle to his weekly dinner with Captain Janeway. He is in a good mood and quite amused with Icheb's frustration with Naomi's playful attitude while she is supposed to be studying. He tells Icheb not to tell Neelix of his hiding place, as he only has a couple of bottles left. Icheb suggests to hide the cider among Borg spare parts, where Neelix is sure not to snoop. While Chakotay and Captain Janeway enjoy a quiet dinner in the captain's quarters -- or rather attempt to, since her replicator decides to burn her pot roast -- Voyager encounters a temporal anomaly. Chakotay quickly runs down to engineering while the captain gets to the bridge. In engineering, Chakotay tries to prevent a warp core breach, but a surge of temporal energy travels through the core, and hits him. He is quickly transported to sickbay showing signs of progeria on his face and in various organs of his body. The Doctor develops a treatment for his condition, and Chakotay heads off to the bridge to find the captain after The Doctor informs him that he is not able to contact anyone else or leave sickbay. The Doctor has not heard of his mobile emitter. Once in the turbolift, a strange wave of light sweeps from above as the lift rises to the bridge, and the medkit that he was carrying vanishes. When Chakotay arrives on the bridge, he causes a stir and Janeway acts as if she doesn't know him. The captain's long hair is tied up in bun, much like when Voyager arrived in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway informs him that Voyager is pursuing the Maquis ship in the Badlands, and that Chakotay is her primary target. She orders him taken to the brig, but the officers with him vanish as they go down in the turbolift, and he arrives in engineering 5 years ago during the Kazon takeover of Voyager by Seska. Chakotay manages to escape through another distortion. Seska asks the rest of the Kazon in Engineering to scan for anomalies. Chakotay manages to get back to sickbay, where he realizes that The Doctor's treatment allows him to pass through the time distortions. With this in mind, Chakotay takes a hypospray with the serum in it and heads back to the bridge, where he confronts the past Janeway once more. Chakotay tells her that an anomaly has hit the ship in the future causing him to shift into the past. Janeway tells him that her helmsman (assumed to be Lieutenant Stadi, although there is no official evidence of this) walked out of her ready room into the corridor and disappeared. However, the occurrence doesn't sway Janeway into believing Chakotay, so he claims the hypospray holds poison and presses it against Janeway's neck, threatening to kill her. Chakotay, still holding the captain, heads off in the direction that the crew member had gone before they disappeared. The two shift into another timeline, Chakotay having injected Janeway with the hypospray seconds earlier. Chakotay explains to Janeway that it is all true and that they are good friends in the future. Still skeptical, Janeway offers her help in formulating a plan, but they must get to sickbay. On the way to sickbay, they pass into another timeframe, one where two wounded crew members are laying on the ground. Chakotay theorizes that it may be either the timeframe when Voyager was under the influence of the dream species or when Voyager encountered the telepathic pitcher plant. He assures Janeway that the crew will be fine. Chakotay suggests they go to astrometrics to scan the ship for temporal fractures, surprising Janeway who doesn't think Voyager has such a lab. They enter astrometrics to find Icheb and Naomi Wildman as adult Starfleet crewmembers, surprised to see them since, in their timeline, the captain and her first officer had died seventeen years earlier. Icheb and Naomi reveal that the ship has been fractured into thirty-seven different timeframes. Naomi wishes that Seven of Nine was there to help them but tells Chakotay and Janeway that they don't know when or where she is. They find her in Cargo Bay 2, still a pure Borg drone, with the other Borg drones that beamed aboard during their alliance. She informs them that the way that Borg vessels keep in temporal sync is by projecting a chroniton field and suggests that if they modify the bio-neural gel packs that run Voyager's systems, it will return Voyager to Chakotay's timeline. The Doctor modifies a pair of bandoleers to resist the temporal barriers to hold the hyposprays. The Doctor starts talking about the Delta Quadrant, but Chakotay cuts him off, not wishing to violate the Temporal Prime Directive any more than Chakotay already had. Chakotay and Janeway head off to inject the necessary packs, first passing through time into past events, although Chakotay does not realize this at first. They inject the gel pack, and narrowly escape when a macrovirus turns up. It chases them through a time distortion and disappears. They find themselves having enter the holodeck into Tom Paris' favorite holoprogram, Captain Proton, where they are met by the various cheesy characters that they must get past to inject the gelpack in holodeck number two, mainly achieved by Janeway's reluctant impersonation of Queen Arachnia. Janeway is strapped to a table while Chaotica is preparing to torture her. Then Janeway and Chakotay tell Chaotica that there is a danger from the 8th dimension. Chaotica is then manipulated into exposing and injecting the gelpack and they manage to convince him to release them to rid the rest of Chaotica's realm of those gelpacks. In the transporter room, they encounter several members of the Maquis, including B'Elanna Torres and Ayala. They are hostile to Janeway and Chakotay, but allow them to inject the gelpack and leave. Janeway questions Torres's comments about stranding them in the Delta Quadrant and Chakotay assures her that she did it for a good reason. When they enter the mess hall, they find it being used as a sickbay and injured crewmen litter the floor, being treated by Tom Paris for radiation poisoning due to the temporal anomaly in Chakotay's timeline. Neelix gives Janeway some coffee and assures her that he has faith that they will come through this crisis like they have all others --surprising Janeway as she has obviously never met Neelix before -- while Chakotay injects the gelpack. Janeway then finds a badly-injured Tuvok, who greets her before dying. In a turbolift Janeway hatches an alternative plan: to bring the entire Voyager into her timeframe. She discusses her plan with Chakotay, who dismisses it, telling her about some of the people that she's helped over the years, such as Paris and Torres's marriage and their rescue of Seven and Icheb, assuring her that Voyager will make a positive impact on the Delta Quadrant. They leave discussing Seska. She is in engineering, which is in the period that the Kazon took over the ship. She realizes that if Chakotay is there from the future, then they must have re-taken the ship from the Kazon and makes an attempt to bring the ship into sync with her timeframe. 
<EOS>
In 2377, B'Elanna Torres begins her morning on the USS Voyager by acting uncharacteristically pleasant to everyone, including her engineering staff and her husband, Tom Paris. Making her way up to the second level of engineering, she finds Icheb and Seven of Nine working and becomes angry that Icheb is in engineering without her permission. While venting her anger she collapses in dizziness. Icheb grabs a medical tricorder and scans Torres, detecting a lifeform inside her which he believes to be a parasite. Seven takes a look at the readings, then activates her combadge to contact sickbay: Torres is pregnant. In sickbay, The Doctor confirms that Torres is indeed pregnant, and explains her fainting spell as the clash between the fetus' Human and Klingon metabolism which sometimes can converge violently. The Doctor later explains that the fetus is healthy, but tells Torres that she can expect mood swings. Paris and Torres decide that they don't want to know the baby's gender ahead of time. Paris and Torres are both nervous and excited to be parents; both agree to keep Torres' pregnancy a secret for the time being. However, when Paris enters the mess hall, he is greeted by Voyager crewmen and Neelix applauding. Paris asks how they found out and Neelix replies that Icheb told them. Neelix then asks Paris if he can become his child's godfather, given that he has experience with Naomi Wildman. Paris promises to take Neelix under consideration. Torres goes back to work in engineering, where she is greeted by Chakotay. He notices that she has a certain "glow" to her this morning. Captain Janeway comes out from behind an engineering console and congratulates Torres on her pregnancy. She encourages Torres to take as much time off as possible, but Torres insists that she can still carry out her duties. Paris later runs into Tuvok in a Jefferies tube and asks if he needs his help. Tuvok replies that this may be the first time that Paris has asked to help Tuvok in six years. Paris reveals his true reason for talking to Tuvok is to get advice from him, since Tuvok, who has four children, is the only father on the ship. Tuvok tells Paris that being a parent is an enormous responsibility, and he has found that offspring can be "disturbingly illogical, yet profoundly fulfilling." He advises Paris to anticipate paradox. Paris predicts that he is going to be volunteering to help Tuvok a lot in the future. That evening, Paris sets a candlelight dinner for his wife and himself. However, when Torres arrives at their quarters, she is agitated, complaining that Captain Janeway practically relieved her of duty and of Voyager's crewmen offering their advice unasked. Paris unwisely  brings up the fact that Torres will become a Klingon mother, which angers her more for some unknown reason, before she begins to calm down as she recognizes that she is in a mood swing. Both receive a comm from The Doctor requesting them in Sickbay. The Doctor explains to the expectant parents that the child has a deviated spine. The Doctor goes on to tell them of the treatment to correct it - a genetic modification. During his pedantic recitation, he accidentally reveals that the Paris' child will be a girl; he tries to cover by claiming that he wasn't directly referring to the baby's actual gender, but they tell him that he might as well confirm it now anyway. At Paris' request, The Doctor projects a holographic image of their daughter. Paris thinks that she is beautiful, but Torres wonders why she has Klingon ridges. The Doctor says that Klingon traits are dominant in a few generations. Torres suddenly remembers when she went on a camping trip with her father, John Torres, her uncle Carl Torres, and her cousins Dean, Elizabeth, and Michael. She also remembers when her father told her that she looked so much like her mother. Torres and Paris later go to bed in their quarters, and Torres remembers more of the camping trip. She was to go hiking with her cousins, but did not want to since she believed that they did not like her. Her father assured her that this was not the case. The next morning, Torres arrives in sickbay to have the genetic treatment to correct the spine deviation. She has another flashback to the camping trip. She remembered the one time when her cousin, Dean, put a worm in her sandwich when she wasn't looking. When Torres saw the worm, she screamed. Dean replied that he thought that Klingons liked their food live, in reference to gagh. Elizabeth tried to defuse the situation by calming young Torres down, which was unsuccessful, since Torres ran away from her cousins. After this memory flashback, Torres wakes up from the treatment. Soon after, Torres makes her way to Voyager's holodeck, where she projects what her daughter will look like at twelve years of age. Torres sees her child's cranial ridges, then begins to delete certain genetic sequences, one which turns her hair from brown to blonde. Torres deletes more sequences, and the cranial ridges are gone. The child now looks completely human. With that, Torres saves the holo-image and restricts access to the file to herself only. Torres returns to sickbay and asks The Doctor to make more genetic alterations. The Doctor stresses that if he attempts to make more alterations, it may cause problems in her unborn daughter's health. He asks her to discuss the matter with her husband. In the Delta Flyer II, Paris says absolutely no to the changes and then realizes that Torres wants to make the changes because the girl is part Klingon. He assures her that she will not be treated as an outcast, given the Voyager has a diverse crew of Bajorans, Bolians, and others. However, Paris and Torres cannot come to an agreement and come to Captain Janeway. Torres asks for Janeway to do the same thing that she did for Seven of Nine to do for her child, in that when she freed her from the Borg Collective and made alterations to her, when she removed her implants and other physiological changes. Paris and Torres openly argue in front of the captain, until Janeway stops their bickering. She comes to the conclusion that the problem is not ethical, it is marital. She also stresses that while she is willing to give advice as a friend, she will not overrule The Doctor on his warnings as it would be highly inappropriate as captain to do so. This sends Paris and Torres into an argument on the way back to their quarters, where the upset Torres locks him out. Paris ends up spending the night on the couch in Harry Kim's quarters. Sleeping alone, Torres again recalls the camping trip, when she finally returned after running away from her cousins. Her father was extremely worried about her and sat her down to talk to her. Torres stated that she wished that she wasn't Klingon, since her schoolmates and everyone else made fun of her. Young Torres asked to be left alone to read. John Torres left his daughter alone and talked around the campfire about their fishing stories. Later, Torres remembers when she was in her camping tent and overheard her father talking to his brother about how moody and angry B'Elanna had become, like his wife, Miral. Carl was somewhat surprised; he thought John truly loved Miral. John agreed that he did, but remembered when their mother warned him to not marry her; she liked Miral, but was not sure if her son could handle the relationship, but he did not listen and now he had to live with two Klingons. Then, Torres is in the present, when Chakotay comes up and makes a request that Torres name her child the feminine version of Chakotay and asks to be godfather to the child. Torres promises to take him under consideration. He asks her to come with him to the mess hall and have a drink. She agrees and while walking down the corridor, they run into Paris. Chakotay suddenly "remembers" that he forgot something, and leaves the two alone to talk. They both reconcile, when they are summoned to sickbay again. The Doctor explains that he has reviewed the data on their child and has come to the conclusion that the genetic alterations that Torres proposed may, in fact, be necessary, given the fact that Human and Klingon metabolism clash and that the child may undergo metabolic failure. The Doctor schedules a procedure for the next morning. Paris is a little disturbed by The Doctor's recommendation and takes the data to Icheb and Seven, asking Icheb to use his genetics background to review it. Icheb finds the alterations to be very sloppy, which is unlike The Doctor's usual work. They also discover that The Doctor's program has been tampered with. Paris tries to contact Torres, but she does not answer. He asks the computer where she is and it states that she is in sickbay. Paris asks Tuvok to come down to sickbay, with a security team. Tuvok arrives with a security officer and Lieutenant Ayala. They cannot open the doors to sickbay, so Tuvok opens the doors manually, and they enter sickbay. There is a force field erected around the surgical bay. Tuvok contacts the bridge and asks Kim to cut power to the surgical bay. He is successful in doing so. The Doctor asks what is going on, and Paris replies that his program has been tampered with. Torres asks him to ignore Paris. Tuvok asks The Doctor to deactivate himself until they can determine the extent of the tampering to his program. The Doctor agrees and deactivates himself. Paris asks Tuvok and his security force to step outside sickbay so he can talk to his wife. Torres explains that she and her father were inseparable, until she began to grow older. Later, during the camping trip, she was going to run away again, after she heard her father and her uncle Carl talking about her and her mother. She told him that if he couldn't stand living with them, then he should just leave. Twelve days later, he did just that. Paris realizes that Torres has blamed herself for her father leaving and is afraid that Paris will do the same someday. Tom assures her that he will never leave her or their unborn child and hopes to have more Klingon children with her. A few days later, Torres reverses the changes she made to The Doctor and comes to sickbay and apologizes in person for changing his program. The Doctor accepts her apology, and Torres feels the baby kick. The Doctor asks if he may feel the baby kick too. Torres places his hand on her abdomen, just as the baby kicks again. Then, Torres asks The Doctor to become her child's godfather, given that Neelix has Naomi Wildman and that Chakotay knows less about kids than Harry Kim. The Doctor accepts elatedly. Torres asks to see her daughter again in the holographic projection. The Doctor activates the projection and Torres sees her daughter with her Klingon ridges and admits that she looks kind of cute. 
<EOS>
USS Voyager responds to a distress call from a damaged ship. When Harry Kim detects two weak life signs, Captain Janeway has them beamed to sickbay, and the rest to cargo bay 1. Tuvok sends security teams to both locations. When the crew of the damaged ship is beamed aboard, one of the aliens, Yediq, is dismayed that he and his security officers do not have their weapons. They are guarding eight very dangerous prisoners, two of whom did not appear with them. Those two are in sickbay, and one of them, Iko, holds Seven of Nine hostage with a scalpel. The Doctor has the security officers put down their weapons, and begins negotiating with Iko. Tuvok walks in, and says once again he will not be harmed. Yediq, however, informs him he will not negotiate, making things worse. Fortunately Seven managed to disarm him, and his next target, The Doctor, simply allows Tuvok's phaser shot to go through him. Later, Tuvok asks Yediq in the conference room why he did not use the escape pods. Yediq replies that he did not want his prisoners to get away, despite the grave risk. He is taking them back to their homeworld for execution. All were murderers, and several are multiple offenders. He asks to be taken back to his homeworld, which is in the wrong direction. To avoid any more delay, he even agrees to have his world send a ship to pick them up. Janeway agrees. After the meeting, Chakotay raises the ethical implications of helping take prisoners to their deaths. Janeway says she understands, but the Prime Directive applies. In sickbay, Seven of Nine has recovered, and The Doctor does have a minor glitch. Janeway comes to check on their progress, when she is threatened by Iko. He presses his hand on the sickbay force field, and says that he will kill them all if he is not released. She has Tuvok beam them to their new accommodations in the cargo bay: eight cells with tritanium chain mesh, and impenetrable force fields, as well as the guards with their weapons, which they will only be allowed to carry in the cargo bay. Soon after, Neelix arrives with Talaxian spice stew served over leola rice pilaf. Yediq tells him to take it away, since these men do not deserve such a meal. However, when Neelix points out the Federation protocols for treatment of prisoners, he lets them take the food. Joleg thanks Neelix for standing up to him. Back in sickbay, Seven of Nine, while repairing The Doctor, debates the ethics of capital punishment. The Doctor argues for rehabilitation, stating that the emotional basis for eye-for-an-eye is revenge. Seven argues for capital punishment, pointing out the resources necessary. She admits that she was seeing both sides of the argument, but The Doctor is still annoyed. In the prison cell, the prisoners fight among themselves. Joleg teases Iko about his hunger, saying it is the first time he could not steal Egrid's meal. When Iko throws his bowl at the force field, the guards show up. Joleg says Iko did not get enough to eat, and Yediq threatens that if Iko causes another disturbance, he will not be fed the rest of this journey. He does pull-ups on the top of his cage, and implicitly threatens Yediq's children. Yediq has one of his guards beat him. The Starfleet security officers immediately rush over, and put a stop to it. After disarming the guards the Starfleet officers take Yediq straight to the captain. Janeway considers his action unjustified; in her mind, there is no cause for beating a defenseless man, no matter what he has done. Yediq simply replies that violence is all he understands; he has spent his entire life hurting people. She does not call that an excuse, and denies them further access to the cargo bay over his objections of Tuvok's competence. In sickbay, The Doctor asks Seven to assist in repairing the damage to Iko. Since his parietal lobe has been badly damaged, he asks for some of her nanoprobes to repair it. She agrees to give them, but does not see what the point is in saving the life of someone who will be executed. He says that what happens to them in the end is irrelevant; he will not let them die aboard Voyager. When Neelix serves the prisoners their next meal -- which comes far sooner than they expected -- Joleg gets Neelix to ask why Joleg is there, and then tells Neelix why. Joleg says it is because he is Benkaran; they are all criminals, and when he was found at the scene of a murder, he was arrested. What he says does not matter. In sickbay, Iko wakes up, and is surprised to hear it was Seven's nanoprobes which saved his life. He also adds that he is glad to see she is not afraid of him, and was not even afraid of him when he held the scalpel to her throat. In the mess hall, Neelix has been postponing dinner as he reads about the Nygean criminal justice system. He is rather disturbed by what he finds (which he relates to B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris, who have been waiting for fifteen minutes). Benkarans are ten times more likely to be executed for their crimes, and fill 80% of prisons, despite the fact they live in 10% of all Nygean space. In fact, Joleg's trial records indicate he was convicted on circumstantial evidence. Paris is skeptical, thinking Neelix is "the softest touch in the Delta Quadrant." Paris also adds that when he was at the Federation Penal Settlement, "everybody had a story." Neelix, however, points out that no one was sentenced to die. In sickbay, The Doctor and Iko are getting along. When Seven of Nine asks, The Doctor explains that now Iko is a model patient, much different than he was when he had his run-in with her. She suggests he has an unstable personality, making his changes in behavior expected; The Doctor should be wary of attempts to manipulate him. All of a sudden, he starts complaining of pain in his stomach. The Doctor's scans detect nothing, but he insists on telling The Doctor about the man he killed. The Doctor concludes it is guilt. He blames them, saying we never felt guilty until they used the nanoprobes on him. Despite the fact he could die, he tells them to remove the nanoprobes. Confiding with Seven, The Doctor believes it is in fact the Borg technology. His latest scan shows new neural pathways throughout his cortex, instead of just bypassing the edema. However, he cannot be sure it is abnormal without accessing information from the Nygean government. Iko then asks Seven of Nine to stay with him; he is scared. He talks about his childhood, how he named constellations. She takes interest. Meanwhile, in the prison cell, Neelix plays a game of kadis-kot with Joleg under the watchful eye of the Federation guards. He asks about the statistics he read. Joleg tells him there is nothing that can be done. Once you are convicted of murder, the family of the victim sentences you. Sometimes there is no punishment at all in the case of forgiveness, or if a negotiated settlement can be reached. Favoring the victims in this manner is the basis of the Nygean legal system. Neelix suggests he can get the Captain to compensate the victims, but Joleg says he does not want that on his conscience. He simply asks for a letter to be sent to his brother to tell them what happened, which Neelix gladly agrees to do. In sickbay, Seven of Nine gives the recovering Iko an astrometrics log, consistent with his interest in the stars. He just calls them numbers, so she offers to bring a star chart after her next shift. He also says that he deserves to die, since he just hurts people. Later, The Doctor shows the captain and Seven of Nine the results of his research on Iko's brain. The Doctor explains he has identified a node like the Human pineal gland, and has discovered that Iko's node was detached due to a birth defect. When he used the nanoprobes to repair the injuries, they reattached it as well, making his violent impulses controllable and effectively awakening his conscience. Since he has shown great guilt, and the idea of violence makes him ill, in his medical opinion, he is safe. They take this information to Yediq, and suggest based on this new medical evidence Iko's case be re-examined. Yediq says none of that matters, and still believes he should be put to death. Janeway points out that none of their opinions matter; it is the law that counts. Tuvok then asks if Iko has any means of appeal, and Yediq says that he does: Iko may attempt to appeal to the sentencing family. The captain orders Yediq to help Tuvok draft an appeal. Iko, however, does not want that. He wants to die. He cannot stop thinking about what he did, and he wants to get what he deserves. Seven of Nine asks if she is terrible; she was compelled to do horrible things by the Borg, unable to control her actions. He also has control now that the nanoprobes have given it to him. He demands she take him back to his cell, pressing his hand on the force field again. Once there, he refuses Neelix's dinner, instead saying it should be given to Egrid. Meanwhile, in the captain's ready room, Seven of Nine enters to find Janeway talking to Yediq. She informs Seven that the family refuses to look at the medical evidence. Seven is angry, saying that Iko should be granted asylum. Unfortunately, Janeway is bound by their prior agreement, and agrees to stick to it. After having Yediq leave, Seven of Nine argues her position, and the captain uncovers the real reason for it -- Seven wants his atonement so she can have hers. However, an alien vessel opens fire on them just then. During the battle, power to the cargo bay fails. All of the prisoners -- except Iko -- overpower the few guards on duty and escape. The alien ship attempts to beam out the prisoners, but Chakotay disables their transporter array and they leave. Tuvok, meanwhile, takes down two of the prisoners, but before he can find the rest of them near the shuttle bay, they have Yediq as a hostage. Voyager has no transporters, so they cannot save him before Joleg takes him back to the cargo bay. As Joleg is about to execute Yediq for all the pain he has caused him, Iko tells him he wants to do it. When Joleg hands Iko the phaser, he hands it to Yediq, and the two other prisoners are quickly shot down. Yediq is surprised that Iko does not resist. Iko explains to the family, over Voyager's comm, that he is a different person. He will not beg for his life, and he is still willing to die to relieve their pain. But Joleg is a different story. Neelix refuses to have anything more to do with Joleg, because Joleg tricked him. The ship that attacked found where Voyager was when the note was transmitted. Joleg then tries to convince Neelix that he is sick, and needs the same treatment Iko had. Neelix does not believe him, and simply leaves. In astrometrics, Iko is gazing at the stars with Seven of Nine. Unfortunately, the news comes in that the family has not reconsidered. He says goodbye, after asking Seven of Nine to look at him without fear one last time. After the prisoners are transferred, Seven tells Janeway it is not fair that Iko was executed for killing one person, while she killed thousands as a drone and has never been punished. Janeway tells Seven that losing 20 years of her life to the Borg is punishment enough. 
<EOS>
USS Voyager is being attacked by a ship which just decloaked and then recloaked. They are all surprised when a disruptor they were hit with had a Klingon signature. A hail to the cloaked ship gets no response. They discover it is a D7-class cruiser, retired decades ago. With the age in mind, Voyager uses a metaphasic sweep to locate the ship, and fires. Aboard the Klingon ship, the cloak has failed. The captain orders his crew to answer the hail to buy time to repair the cloak. When Captain Kathryn Janeway asks them to stand down, they refuse to surrender to an enemy of the Klingon Empire. Janeway tries to explain that the Federation and the Klingon Empire signed a treaty eighty years earlier, but the captain won't believe it. Janeway states that she isn't lying, but even if she were not, the Klingons are no match for her ship. She says to prove it to them she will introduce him to "a Klingon serving on board", referring to B'Elanna Torres, though she doesn't divulge that Torres is half-Klingon. Kohlar agrees. Once aboard Voyager, Captain Kohlar refuses to answer any questions until he meets Torres. They arrive in the ready room, and immediately he asks about her child. He suddenly wants to return to his vessel, accepting the PADD containing the Khitomer Accords in passing, and even gives his word not to fire on Voyager again. Back on his ship, he defends the information to his comrades, citing religious scrolls and signs that this is true. Kohlar's second-in command, T'Greth, expresses skepticism over whether the Federation and the Empire are at peace and if Torres' child is the one they're looking for, insisting on further investigation. Kohlar rebukes him, reminding him that their ancestors had nothing but their faith when they began this voyage. He declares that the day of separation has arrived. Suddenly, the Klingon ship's warp core begins to overload, and Kohlar hails Voyager asking for emergency transport. Tuvok points out to Janeway that the Klingon crew outnumbers Voyager's, but Janeway decides to beam them aboard despite the security risk. She orders that the Klingons be placed in the shuttle bay behind force fields as a security precaution and once they are aboard, Voyager goes to warp to escape the blast. Kohlar shows up in the ready room to thank the captain, but Tuvok points out the containment failure was caused by a self-destruct mechanism, not damage. Kohlar explains it is a sacred duty to be here, and there was no other way to get everyone aboard. He explains that his great-grandfather was part of a sect that believed the Empire had lost its way. It told them to journey to a distant region of the galaxy, to find the savior of his people, the kuvah'magh. He has determined that is the unborn child of Lieutenant Torres. At the staff meeting, Tom Paris and Torres can't believe it. Paris makes jokes, and Torres resents the whole thing. Tuvok is concerned about the security risk, but since the Klingon crew includes civilians Janeway isn't willing to keep them confined and allows them to live in normal quarters with extra security and sensitive areas of the ship off-limits. Kim brings up the problem of the limited amount of quarters aboard, and Neelix suggests that willing officers can double up. Despite Chakotay's suggestion they would never harm their messiah, she also has round-the-clock security put on Torres. In the mess hall, Neelix begins serving gagh, and after Captain Janeway consults him, she concludes everything seems to be going well -- but not for long. Two Klingons fight over their food, and security has to break them up. Harry Kim, part of the detail, is told by the female Klingon he would make a good mate. After a tiring day, Neelix returns to his quarters or rather, Tuvok's quarters since he was the only crewmember who hadn't been paired up with anyone. Tuvok is very put out, in his Vulcan way, preferring solitude however since the alternative is to leave a Klingon family with nowhere to sleep he has no choice to agree. Neelix promises him they'll have 'fun' and decides to teach him Klingon drinking songs. As Neelix makes himself at home nosily, Tuvok is left as exasperated as he can get. Torres is ambushed during her shift by groups of Klingons who just want to admire her, and has to transport herself to her quarters to avoid them. After all that, the captain asks her to speak with their council of elders, because ten of the Klingons have started a hunger strike. When she arrives with Paris, the first thing they notice is she is not fully Klingon. T'Greth gets angry, believing she can't be the mother of the kuvah'magh. But Kohlar puts him back in line, saying it is written nowhere the messiah's blood is pure. When Paris says he is the father, T'Greth can't believe it, and storms out. That's when Kohlar asks for her help to stop a holy war. Back in the briefing room, he explains that, whether she believes her baby is a savior or not, she must help him convince his people it is. His people have suffered enough. He doesn't know whether her child is it, but he wants them to stop looking for it, since they have found nothing but hardship before. He asks for her to review the scrolls and create a "creative interpretation" to present before the council. They end up studying all night, but she argues for her not being the messiah, as he argues for it. Getting annoyed with her, he asks her if she honors any of their ways, and she says no. But he tries to build common ground; he suggests they say a plea for the dead together, and helps her remember the words from her childhood. Harry Kim shows up in sickbay with a mark on his cheek. The Doctor doesn't believe he cut himself shaving, and recognizes it as a bite mark, indicative of a Klingon mating ritual. Kim wants to know how he can get out of this, but The Doctor says the only other way is to kill her. Since that's unacceptable, he hands Kim an authorization for intimate relations for an alien species, pending the captain's approval. She tells them exaggerated stories, and Kohlar applauds, but T'Greth is unconvinced. Stories are not the issue, he says; it is whether or not she carries their savior. She recites the scroll well, but T'Greth believes (correctly) it is Kohlar doing the talking, and makes a remark which insults Paris. Since the scrolls also say he should be an honorable warrior, T'Greth challenges him to a fight to the death, and he accepts. Paris later justifies his decision to the captain, in the observation lounge. He says that if he had said no, they would have had a riot. Torres asks the captain to put a stop to it, and she agrees. She has Kohlar and T'Greth come in and explains to them he is willing to fight, but she is the one preventing him from doing so. T'Greth calls them all cowards, but Kohlar says there is a compromise. Emperor Mur'Eq instituted a non-lethal form of combat so his warriors would kill their enemies and not each other in duels before battle. T'Greth considers this cowardly as well, but when it's pointed out that an honorable leader of the Empire came up with it he finally accepts, since he has no other way to prove Paris' lack of honor. Kim continues to hide from the female Klingon, officer Ch'Rega. Fortunately, Neelix takes her off his hands by making him appear weak, and threatening to disembowel him if he eats that much food again. The female Klingon now looks with lust at Neelix. Meanwhile on the holodeck, the competition begins, both combatants wielding blunt bat'leths. However, after much dancing around and swinging to no avail, T'Greth suddenly becomes weak, unable to stand, and collapses. Kohlar identifies it as the nehret, a disease which kills those not fortunate enough to die in battle. After moving him to sickbay, The Doctor identifies a retrovirus which attacks the cytoplasm of the cells. When he scans all of the Klingons, he finds they are all carriers. It is not contagious, except to Klingons. His next examination is of Lieutenant Torres. He finds that both she and the baby have the virus. T'Greth awakens, and returns to the council. He tells them Torres and her child have the disease, which is not what the scrolls say. He convinces them that Kohlar will not believe them, and they have to take control by force. Seven of Nine is scanning planets in astrometrics where the Klingons could settle, and T'Greth asks to go along, saying he believes Kohlar. Meanwhile, another Klingon asks Kim how the transporters work, especially the way of transporting so many targets. When the first team is ready for transport, consisting of many Klingons and Chakotay, they all knock out him and Harry Kim. As Tuvok detects phaser fire and goes with a team, the Klingons try to transport all of Voyager's crew down to the surface. While a force field was erected around the bridge, they manage to transport crews from engineering and most of the ship. By the time Tuvok catches them, they have beamed onto the bridge. After a fire fight, all of the Klingons are down, and the crew is transported back aboard. T'Greth wakes up in sickbay, not Sto-vo-kor, because The Doctor synthesized an antivirus from the child's hybrid stem cell antibodies. T'Greth, now fully cured, is surprised, but begins believing again: the child has indeed saved his people. Tuvok returns to his quarters to find them locked by Neelix. As he is about to use his security clearance to override the seal, Neelix emerges with Ch'Rega following what has obviously been a very intense lovemaking session. Tuvok finds the quarters totally wrecked, and orders Neelix out when he offers to stay and clean. As he departs, Kohlar gives Torres a bat'leth owned by his great grandfather as a gift for her daughter and asks for her promise to tell her daughter about him and his people. Later in their quarters, Paris and Torres discuss recent events and if what happened was truly destined given all the "coincidences" involved. Paris suggests they name their daughter Kuvah'magh "just to be safe", since she did indeed become the Klingons' savior and Torres agrees to add it to the list. 
<EOS>
While traveling through the Delta Quadrant, with the captain and some of her bridge crew being treated to a special dinner put on by Seven of Nine,  USS Voyager is sucked into an area of space that is devoid of stars, planets or any other form of energy. Almost immediately on being pulled in, Voyager is attacked by a starship. In the ensuing fight, Voyager's shields are damaged. This gives the attackers the opportunity to transport away almost 90% of the food supplies aboard Voyager, as well as some of its deuterium stocks. This puzzles the crew, as Paris remarks that deuterium can be found almost anywhere. However, it soon becomes apparent that deuterium can't be found within this anomaly, along with any other resources a starship would need. General Valen, who had been watching the fight between Voyager and its attacker, tells Captain Janeway that the only way to obtain energy and supplies within the Void is to attack new arrivals. He and his crew have survived for five years in The Void using these tactics. Janeway refuses to consider stealing supplies to survive. Instead she intends to try to escape The Void. Valen tells her that escape is impossible, but Janeway is not deterred. Using the sensors in astrometrics, Seven of Nine is able to predict when the next funnel, similar to the one that sucked them in, will appear. Voyager flies into the funnel, but is unable to break through to normal space. Faced with a situation where the ship will run out of energy in a little over a week, Janeway decides to find the supplies that were stolen from Voyager. The ship that attacked them is tracked down, but is adrift, the crew dead, and almost all useful components stripped from the ship. The only useful item left is the casing around the warp core, which Torres beams over. Upon inspecting the casing, she and Seven of Nine find a stowaway hiding inside. His leg is injured, so he is transported to sickbay. He appears unable to talk, but The Doctor determines that his physiology is such that he is able to survive for long periods without oxygen. Meanwhile, the current holder of Voyager's supplies is tracked down. It turns out to be Valen, who stole the supplies from the ship that attacked Voyager. When he refuses to return them, Janeway knocks out his shields and beams the supplies aboard. Despite retrieving only half the original supplies, she refuses to take any of the other supplies aboard Valen's ship. Tuvok and Chakotay, as second and first officer, come to her ready room later to ask if the usual operating procedure is going to change due to the extreme circumstances. She replies that she has been consulting the Federation Charter to look for loopholes, but as there are none, she says that they will continue to follow Federation protocols. Instead, she has hit upon the idea of forming an alliance with some of the other ships trapped within The Void. Voyager contacts some of the other ships, without much success. Janeway tries to convince the captain of a Nygean ship, Garon, to join the alliance, offering him some of their food as a gesture of her goodwill. However, he is skeptical, only saying he'll think about it. In sickbay, The Doctor, together with Seven, has developed a method of communication with the stowaway, whom he has christened Fantome. Using a system of different musical notes he is able to converse with him. When a new ship is sucked into The Void, it is attacked by Valen. Voyager comes to its aid, but Valen has a second ship, which puts Voyager in danger. Fortunately, Garon arrives and helps to fight off Valen. With Garon and the new ship, a Hierarchy surveillance ship, and others allies such as the Kraylor, also in the alliance, Voyager is able to attract new members more easily. While the ships share different technologies to conserve power, Voyager is given technology to reduce the power required by its replicators by a significant amount. The Doctor takes Fantome under his wing, and teaches him various 'words'. However, when a visiting prospective alliance member, Bosaal, sees Fantome, he calls him and his species vermin. Janeway, although put off by this reaction, offers to beam aboard any members of Fantome's species that may be hiding aboard his ship. He agrees to this and decides to join the alliance. Torres needs to build a polaron modulator in order to escape The Void. Although she works with Garon to build it, Janeway looks for a ship that has one so she can trade for it. Later she discovers that Bosaal has provided a fully compatible modulator. On questioning him, she discovers that he stole it and killed the crew of the ship it belonged to. Enraged, Janeway throws him off the ship and tells him to take the modulator with him. Even though they need the modulator to escape, she refuses to use it, obtained in the way that it was. This causes some of the other members of the alliance to leave, too. Janeway is annoyed with herself, telling Chakotay she should have trusted her instincts on Bosaal and never let him join in the first place. Torres finishes building the modulator, but needs time to test it. However, Chakotay comes across the members of the Hierarchy survey ship utilizing Voyager's astrometrics lab without permission.  While their intention was to spy on other ships within The Void to find more potential members for the alliance, what they discovered was Bosaal meeting with Valen, plotting to attack Voyager, which they show Chakotay. As the alliance ships don't have enough power to fight off the attack, Janeway decides that they'll have to forgo the test and try to escape as soon as possible. Fantome and the three other members of his species offer to help. Another funnel forms and the alliance move towards it. As the alliance attempts to escape, Valen and Bosaal attack. Voyager manages to weaken their shields and beam Fantome and his friends aboard the two ships. They immediately sabotage the engines of the two ships, giving the alliance a chance to escape. As Fantome's species believe they are native to the void, they choose to remain there. Voyager extends its shield bubble around the other ships and they all manage to escape from the void. Back in normal space, Janeway thanks Garon and the Hierarchy for their help, as they return the gratitude. After they leave, Janeway muses that being in the alliance almost felt like they were part of a Federation again and Chakotay reminds her that the real Federation is only 30,000 light years away as Voyager resumes its course for the Alpha Quadrant. 
<EOS>
At a large industrial complex, workers are going about their everyday jobs. Kathryn Janeway asks a worker where she can find the supervisor, to which he replies by pointing the supervisor out to her. When she reaches the supervisor, he asks for her authorization and licenses. Janeway gives them to him. He inspects them, discovering that Janeway has a level 6 in thermal dynamics and quantum fusion, which impresses him. He states that he is lucky to have her working for him, but embarrasses her by informing her that she is late. Janeway apologizes, saying that she boarded the wrong transport, ending up in the atmosphere filtration facility, and promises that she won't be late again. The supervisor sympathizes, saying that it is easy for newcomers to get disoriented, and that even he gets lost on occasion. He then goes on to inform Janeway of her designated job, which is to monitor the primary reactor coils, which process more than 8,000 metric tons of tylium per second at 94% thermal efficiency. The supervisor asks that if she has any problems that she inform him. A worker delivers some specifications to Janeway, which she then inputs into the computer. However, the computer sounds an alarm, stating that Janeway has committed Input Error 415 and Command Code Violation 2308. Janeway whispers to the computer, saying that if it stops the alarm then she promises to never violate it again. The computer continues, but just as she finishes whispering, a hand appears and inputs something into her control panel. This stops the alarm. He states that she almost started a core overload. He comments on Janeway's "unique" way of communicating to the computer. She states that it is an old habit. The man introduces himself as Jaffen, and says that he works close by. Seven of Nine interrupts, telling Jaffen and Janeway (employee 1326 and 8584) that labor protocols dictate that fraternizing is not permitted during work hours. Jaffen asks for her number, or name, and she introduces herself as Annika Hansen, the station's new efficiency monitor. She tells Jaffen to get back to his station, but Janeway interrupts, informing Annika that Jaffen was just assisting her with an input error, and that they were almost finished. Annika leaves, and Jaffen asks Janeway if she would like to go out for a meal, but Janeway rejects the offer, stating that she has little time to socialize with her new job. Tom Paris is talking to a bar manager about working in a bar. She is not very willing to hire him at first, and tells him that the power distribution plant is always looking for workers. Paris replies by saying that he did work there before, but didn't like it. The manager is slightly suspicious, stating that they treat their employees well. The manager asks how long he worked there, and after some convincing, he reveals that he was only there for approximately half a day, by which the manager is shocked. Paris says that he doesn't belong behind a console, and that he heard workers talking about her great bar. She is surprised that he was terminated during a labor shortage, and asks him why, to which he replies that he had a disagreement with the new efficiency monitor. After some convincing, and begging, she hires him, and tells him to get to work. Jaffen shares a humorous anecdote with some colleagues, about how a man was trying to insult him about his father, with the punchline being that he was Norvalen, and so doesn't have a father. Tuvok, laughing heartily, turns around and starts analyzing the joke. Janeway enters the bar, and Jaffen asks her why she is here, when earlier she said she had little time to socialize. She says she is reviewing manuals while eating, not socializing. Jaffen joins her. Jaffen and Janeway walk home together after a long night out reviewing manuals. Janeway tells him about her home planet, Earth, describing it as overpopulated, polluted, and with few jobs. Jaffen invites her to his home, but Janeway refuses, saying that she must get to sleep. An alarm in Janeway's workplace sounds briefly. She tells Jaffen that it wasn't her, but Jaffen tells her that it is not an overload, but just time for inoculations, courtesy of the employer. Janeway asks what they are for, and Jaffen tells her that it is to protect against ambient radiation. Janeway was unaware of that problem, but doesn't question it. As Tuvok is about to be inoculated, he backs away from the hypospray, apologizing and telling the nurse that he is afraid of injections. While being injected, he flashes back to a traumatic experience. Two Quarren guards are restraining him, while he is unwillingly injected by a Quarren doctor. He returns back to work, confused and disturbed. Ensign Kim is ill after being infected with alien parasites, after drinking falah nectar, a delicacy. Kim is angry at Neelix for making him drink it, and asks why he didn't make Commander Chakotay drink it. Neelix explains that Chakotay is a vegetarian; Kim is dismayed to realize the drink was made from meat ("more like a meat byproduct," notes Neelix). Neelix gives him a remedy, Leola bark tea, to help stop his queasy stomach, but as it smells really bad Kim decides to wait to see The Doctor. Chakotay summons the two to the bridge of the Delta Flyer II, and tells them that they are at the rendezvous coordinates, but there is no sign of Voyager, and they are not responding to hails. He orders them to start scanning on all frequencies. Meanwhile, in a nebula, The Doctor is having problems repairing Voyager's systems. As he stands, his uniform is clearly command red instead of science blue. He commands the computer to reinitialize the subspace transponder, to which it replies that the main computer is failing. He tells it to switch to backup processors, which stabilizes the main computer. The Doctor reorders the computer to reinitialize the subspace transponder, but there is insufficient power. The Doctor tells the computer to reroute power from the replicator system, but the computer is unable to do so because the relays to the transponder have been fused. Extremely aggravated by the computer's apparent difficulty, he asks the computer what he can do. He asks if the relays can be bypassed, but they cannot, so he decides that he must replace them. Just as he is about to do so, the intruder alert activates, detecting two humanoids in the bridge; identification is not possible as sensor resolution is below 20%. The Doctor goes to the bridge, and finds two humanoids in environmental suits. He orders them stop their activities and to turn around, but quickly identifies them as Harry Kim and Chakotay. He greets them warmly, and apologizes for the lack of life support, but he wasn't expecting anyone soon. Chakotay asks what happened, and The Doctor informs them that about twelve hours after the Delta Flyer left on its away mission, things started to go wrong. Voyager hit some sort of subspace mine, and The Doctor was forced to quickly transfer his program to the mobile emitter due to a systems failure in sickbay. After a few minutes, he was inundated with casualties of tetryon radiation poisoning. The captain asked him if he could treat his patients, to which he answered that he could only stabilize them, since they were still being exposed to the radiation. The captain ordered the patients and the crew to the escape pods, but ordered The Doctor to stay. Janeway then activated the ECH, engaging the emergency command subroutines in The Doctor's program and transferring all command codes to him. She said that he should vent the radiation from the ship, and that until he could, the crew would abandon the ship and the contaminated area around it, and head for the nearest habitable planet, attempting to compensate for professional medical care with med-kits, or the goodwill of nearby ships. As the ECH was about to start repairs, Voyager was locked onto with a tractor beam by an alien ship. The ECH hailed the ship, identifying himself and the ship, and told its captain to release Voyager. The captain refused to do so, and so The Doctor told Voyager to fire phasers at the alien ship's tractor emitter. The emitter was successfully destroyed and Voyager was released. Just as Voyager was about to escape at warp, its warp engines were disabled. The Doctor managed to disable the alien ship's engines with a phaser beam, avoiding pursuit. Another two incoming ships were detected, but The Doctor managed to evade them, hid in the nebula, and vented the radiation. Harry Kim comments on how hard it was to pick up his homing signal, and The Doctor says that he had to encrypt it because of the increasing number of ships he detected every time he attempted to leave the nebula. The Doctor says that he has no idea who the aliens were, but he does know that their weapons signatures match those of the mine, telling him that the mine was deployed by the aliens as a part of a trap. The rest of the crew has not been heard from since. Tuvok is watching Kathryn Janeway work from afar. He flashes back again. This time, Janeway has just been rescued from her escape pod and is being treated by a Quarren doctor. He gives her an anti-radiation serum, and then starts to operate on her. Tuvok, who is in the same room as Janeway, lying on a sickbed, sees what the doctor is doing and asks why he is doing it. The doctor says that Janeway is suffering from Dysphoria Syndrome, which he assures Tuvok is perfectly treatable. Tuvok does not accept this explanation, and attempts to stop him from operating, but the Quarren doctor orders two guards to restrain him, and then sedates Tuvok. Back in the present, Tuvok walks up to Janeway, telling her that he believes they know each other. Janeway recognizes him as Tuvok, whom she met at the shift briefing a week ago. Tuvok talks about knowing her from before then, from the hospital, but Janeway does not know what he is talking about, and assumes that he is talking about someone else. Tuvok is, however, relentless, and asks her to try to remember the hospital, at which point, Jaffen interrupts and asks if something is wrong. Afraid that he may be deemed insane, or perhaps genuinely wrong, Tuvok stops persisting and apologizes. Jaffen asks Janeway if she would like to have dinner together again, but Janeway so far has not been impressed with his cooking skills. She compromises, and agrees to have dinner, as long as she can cook this time. Tom Paris asks B'Elanna Torres, a customer in the bar, if she would like anything else, to which she replies no. Paris states that he hasn't seen Torres in the bar before, and she comments that he obviously isn't very observant, as she has been going there the same time every day for the two previous weeks. Paris explains to her that this is because he usually works nights. Torres replies that she does too, and Paris adds that she works at the Power Distribution facility, showing that he is observant. The bar manager summons Paris, and he replies that he will be there shortly. Paris, continuing his conversation with Torres, says that she should come back in on her next night off, as it is more fun when there is a crowd. Torres says that she doesn't like crowds. Paris then asks if she would like to go for a walk by the lake. Torres dislikes the idea, and Paris asks her why, stating that he is a very interesting conversationalist. As he says this, Torres stands up, displaying the fact that she is pregnant. She asks Paris if he would still like to go out with her. Paris asks if she is married, and she replies that she is not. Torres walks out, unhindered by Paris. The Doctor manages to restore power to the secondary propulsion systems, when Harry Kim summons him to the astrometrics lab. The Doctor asks if he has had any luck in finding the crew. Kim informs him that he has scanned ships and planets in 83 systems, with no sign of Humans, Bolians, or Vulcans. The Doctor suggests that Kim increase the sensor range by tying them in with the main deflector, but Kim informs him that he has already done that. As The Doctor is about to give another suggestion, Kim interrupts him, and says that the reason he summoned him was to stop his queasiness, caused by the falah nectar. The Doctor says that he treated him days ago, but Kim tells him that whatever he did hasn't quite worked. On the bridge, The Doctor informs Chakotay of his completed duties: repairing the deuterium injectors, restoring the secondary propulsion systems and soothing Harry Kim's upset tummy. Chakotay congratulates him, and then asks him to repair the ruptured plasma relays on deck 10, which The Doctor is reluctant to do. Chakotay asks him why, and the ECH says that he is the Emergency Command Hologram and therefore should be in the command center of Voyager, the bridge. Chakotay tells The Doctor that they must prioritize. Harry Kim interrupts, informing them that he has found the crew on an M-class planet that is within a three-day journey at maximum warp. Chakotay goes to visit astrometrics, giving The Doctor the command center. Back on Quarra, Janeway is cooking dinner for Jaffen, saying that her food is only burnt on the outside, and that after cutting off the charred bits, it should taste fine. She adds that his cooking console (food replicator) is a little temperamental, and Jaffen wittingly asks if she tried talking to it. Jaffen gently lets down Janeway, telling her that her food is not that good. Janeway says that they should go out for food, but neither of them are hungry, and so stay in. An official tells Chakotay that after interviewing some of his so-called crewmembers, none of them remember a Chakotay or a Voyager. Chakotay asks if he can talk to the crewmembers himself, but the official states that the workers are protected by the laws on Quarra, apparently from unscrupulous individuals attempting to acquire skilled laborers. After some resistance, Chakotay ceases his attempt at negotiation, and asks Harry Kim to take Voyager out of orbit of Quarra. The Doctor says that they can't just leave them there, and Chakotay says that they won't, but that he wants the Quarrens to think they are. Back on Quarra, Janeway and Jaffen are starting to realize their affection for one another. Paris and Torres are also forming a friendship, based around Torres' unborn baby. Torres says that she isn't looking for a romantic relationship, so Paris instead becomes her friend. Neelix informs Chakotay and The Doctor that the eight captains that have left Quarra in the previous two weeks knew nothing about the previous Voyager crew, but all of the captains asked him if he was looking for employment, because of an apparent labor shortage in the system. Chakotay adds that the official said that most of the crew had jobs in the main power facility, and asks Neelix if he can find a job for them in the same facility. After The Doctor adds that reentering orbit may arouse suspicion, it is decided that they should take Neelix's ship instead. The Doctor also adds that Chakotay may be recognized, but Chakotay finds a way around that problem too: reconstructive surgery. After some surgery to disguise his face, Neelix says that Chakotay should have posed as a Talaxian, as he thinks they would have made a striking pair, but apparently whiskers make him itch. Chakotay asks how the interview went, and Neelix says that they have been eagerly employed. Harry Kim hands a subdermal transponder to The Doctor, which he injects under Neelix's hand, allowing Voyager to keep an open comm link to him, which will also allow them to transport him through the shield grid if an emergency arises. Chakotay order Ensign Kim to hold position at maximum transporter range, and The Doctor questions Chakotay why he is leaving Kim in charge, because "an Emergency Command Hologram programmed with over 2,000,000 tactical subroutines outranks an ensign", to which Kim replies that "with a few words to the computer, this ensign can delete those subroutines". After some more quibbling, Chakotay orders the two of them to "work it out". Chakotay and Neelix depart for their new jobs on Quarra. Meanwhile, on Quarra, the efficiency monitor, Annika Hansen, confronts employee 8583, Tuvok, asking him why he has neglected to report for his last three inoculations. After refusing to respond, she orders him to report to the infirmary. Tuvok, barely able to speak and sweating, says to Annika "Seven of Nine". She is confused, and Tuvok says that it is her designation. She is about to state her employee designation, but before she can finish, Tuvok initiates a Vulcan mind meld. Annika screams and struggles, and just before the guards can pull Tuvok away from her, she has a vision of herself stepping out of an alcove just after regeneration. Tuvok is dragged off, shouting: "I don't believe you are who you think you are. WE DON'T BELONG HERE! WE DON'T BELONG HERE! THIS ISN'T RIGHT! WE DON'T BELONG HERE!" Neelix and Chakotay have started their first day of work at the main power facility on Quarra. The supervisor is not astounded by Chakotay's level 3 aptitude in microkinetics, and says he could work on it, but very impressed by his level 5 in thermionic conversion. The supervisor adds that they lost a thermioncs specialist the previous day. The supervisor is referring to Tuvok, but Chakotay is blind to this. As they walk, Chakotay notices at least one female crewman, but as she looks back at him, it's clear she doesn't recognize him. The supervisor describes the thermionic converters to Chakotay, stating that they run under rotating frequencies, and so have to be closely monitored, and that Chakotay must report his readings to the controller at regular intervals. However, Chakotay is distracted by Janeway returning to her station, and after realizing that Chakotay isn't listening, asks him why he isn't. Chakotay excuses himself by saying he's just excited to be there. Once the supervisor leaves him to his duties, he goes over to Janeway. He whispers to her, and says that it is Chakotay. However, he realizes that Janeway either doesn't know him, or is trying to remain undercover, and so starts to pretend that he is genuinely a new worker in the power facility. He says that the supervisor suggested that if he have any problems then he should speak to her. Janeway asks what he said his name was, and he says it was Chakotay, but that was only his nickname, and his real name was Amal Kotay. Janeway says that she is happy to help in anyway she can. Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Tuvok is about to be sedated, to be operated again. Kadan, a doctor in the infirmary, tries to convince him that he is experiencing a relapse of Dysphoria Syndrome. Tuvok struggles, but it is all in vain, as he is sedated and operated upon. In the bar, Paris and Neelix are discussing how lucky Paris was to find this job after losing his position at the power plant. Torres is at the other side of the room talking to the expectant parents that Paris found for her to talk to. Paris is very distracted by this, but continues to talk about how losing that job was the best thing that ever happened to him. He says that there were too many rules and regulations, which Neelix describes like working on a starship. Paris asks if he has ever done that, and Neelix boasts that he used to be the captain of a cargo vessel. Neelix questions Paris as to if he has worked on a starship, but Paris says that space travel makes him sick. Neelix asks if he knows most of the customers, and Paris states that he knows a lot of them, and describes the bar as a great place to work; Neelix answers that it certainly looks that way. Just as he offers to put in a good word for Neelix to his boss for a job, Chakotay walks in. Neelix introduces him to Paris using his alias, Amal Kotay, and introduces Chakotay to "his new friend, Tom Paris". Neelix reports to Chakotay that he has been assigned to the primary fusion chamber, where Ensigns Celes and Mulchaey were also assigned to work. He adds that none of them recognized him. Chakotay, expressing a similar experience, bets that they all really love their jobs. Neelix states that it is like "they've all been programmed to be happy" on Quarra. Chakotay states that it is a safe bet that none of them will go willingly. Janeway and Jaffen enter and she invites Chakotay and his friend (Neelix) to join them. Chakotay accepts, but Jaffen says to Janeway that he was thinking of eating alone tonight. Chakotay accepts this, and as she walks out, Janeway expresses to Jaffen that what he just did was rude. Jaffen excuses himself, saying that he wanted to talk to her about something. As Torres is about to leave, Tom runs up to her, and asks if he can walk her to the transport. Torres says that she will be fine, and Paris adds that he isn't worried that she won't be fine. Torres reassures him, saying that the baby will be fine too. She gives him a warm smile as she leaves. Jaffen awkwardly asks Janeway if she would like to move in with him. After some awkward discussion, she agrees. Torres, walking home alone, starts cautiously looking around; Neelix is stalking her. She looks around instead of watching where she's going and runs into Chakotay, who is walking the other way. After some quick apologies, he calls her by her name, as if she is someone who he met a long time ago, and she is surprised. Torres asks him how he knew her name, and he insinuates that they are old friends. She makes up an excuse about work and tries to leave. Chakotay grabs her and stops her from leaving, and tells Torres that he won't harm her. She manages to loosen his grip, but Neelix comes up behind her and grabs her. She struggles and screams for security to help; Chakotay hails Kim on Voyager and orders him to beam Neelix and Torres up to sickbay as The Doctor head there himself. As the two are being transported, two Quarren security officers arrive and attempt to stop Chakotay. The security officers chase Chakotay down the street. Chakotay requests an emergency transport, but Harry Kim reports that Voyager is under attack by two Quarren vessels and he had to raise the shields. In sickbay, The Doctor is trying to sedate Torres while Neelix holds her still. After a moment of struggling, the sedative takes effect. The officers continue to chase Chakotay, but he eventually reaches a dead-end, standing on an open platform surrounded by a force field with security guards on their way and nowhere to go. 
<EOS>
Chakotay damages the power grid in his attempt to escape, thus diverting the attention of the pursuing guards, and appears to jump off the edge of a building after disabling the force field. However, he manages to ambush the guards, grabbing a weapon and getting rid of them all. Meanwhile, Voyager is under attack by two Quarren patrol ships, with the ECH and Harry Kim in joint command. The Doctor uses information from his tactical database to create a method of escape., and Voyager manages to disable two pursuing ships by using a photonic shockwave, by firing a photon torpedo then detonating it with a phaser beam when it is in between the two ships. Harry Kim says that they should go back and get Chakotay, but just as he does, The Doctor detects five more incoming enemy ships. The Doctor decides the best course of action is retreat, and Kim agrees. Chakotay escapes, and arrives at a local establishment where he meets with Kathryn Janeway. She apologizes to him about her friend, Jaffen, being so rude before, but she still doesn't recognize him as Voyager's first officer' Chakotay. She is celebrating moving in with Jaffen. Janeway offers to let him share in the celebration with them, but Chakotay declines. He looks shocked at the news but his shoulder wound is more distracting. Yerid and an officer appear and begin looking for Chakotay. They ask Tom Paris, who works at the bar, about the disappearance of two people, B'Elanna Torres and Neelix. Paris is concerned for Torres, barely remembers Neelix, and is about to point out Chakotay, when Chakotay leaves. According to his scans, the memory centers of Torres' brain have been radically altered. It was very selective manipulation of memory engrams. The damage could be repaired, but it will take some time. Meanwhile, Tuvok is being examined by two Quarren doctors, Ravoc and Kadan. They are trying to "diagnose" Tuvok, whose condition of claiming not who he should be perplexes Ravoc. Kadan explains his research into Dysphoria Syndrome, a rare condition. He has been treated for it before, through engramatic resequencing, but since this syndrome is so insidious, it must be done again. Ravoc has doubts, but Kadan convinces him it is the right thing to do. Seven of Nine reports to the supervisor's office shortly after that. She asks about Tuvok -- by employee number, #8583 -- and says some of the workers are concerned that his disease may be contagious. The supervisor tells her to say everything is fine. Yerid then appears, and asks them about Neelix and B'Elanna Torres. Seven of Nine says they didn't report for work today. He also asks about Chakotay (employee #9363), and they pull his file. Meanwhile, Janeway is moving in with Jaffen. He asks why she has so many things after just a three weeks, to which she replies that she likes to collect things. Jaffen asks what she could possibly want with a spent plasma relay, to which Janeway replies that she thinks spent plasma relays are a work of art. When she goes back to her apartment to get the rest of her things, she discovers a piece of cloth with blood on it. She activates the lights, and finds Chakotay is waiting for her, collapsed against the wall, wounded, holding a weapon. Janeway demands to know what he wants. He turns off the lights, and tries to persuade her that she and many others were brainwashed. He eventually convinces her that innocent people will suffer if he is turned in and she offers to fix his wounds. In the meantime, Neelix shows Torres her and Tom's quarters. When she sees items reminding her of her marriage to Paris, her memory slowly begins to return. Janeway goes to the plant to borrow something to heal Chakotay's cut. Seven of Nine catches her, and reminds her that is against regulations. When Janeway says that Jaffen cut himself and he's too stubborn to go to the hospital, she allows it. Seven goes and looks up Tuvok in the computer, bypassing security, and finds data lacking on his species. She also finds that he has been accessing files for the entire crew. Janeway heals Chakotay's wounds, and Chakotay tries to persuade her that she isn't happy with her job. Kim, 8 light-years away, contacts Chakotay to make sure he is safe. Chakotay tells him that he has found many members of the crew and that he is sitting with Captain Janeway. When she is about to call security, he regenerates his face to remove his disguise to try to prove that they know each other. Janeway tells Jaffen about Chakotay and USS Voyager, but he doesn't believe her. Jaffen convinces her to call security, and security officers burst into Janeway's apartment. When he is being questioned, and examined in a hospital, three security officers tell the doctor to transfer him to the neuropathology division, since he is mentally ill. Yerid protests, but since the order is signed by his superiors, he is forced to let them take him. On his way out of the room, Chakotay tells the Quarren investigator everything he can. On Voyager, Neelix cooks Torres her favorite breakfast, pancakes and maple syrup, as she reads Paris' personal logs, amazed at how much he loves her, and wondering if he ever will again. The Doctor and Harry Kim, meanwhile, after finding a way to evade Quarren patrol ships' sensors, argue about whether The Doctor will return to being the Emergency Medical Hologram. That's when they receive a transmission from Chakotay, saying they should go into orbit at an exact location, since he is ready to shut down the shield grid. Unknown to the Voyager crew, Chakotay was speaking on behalf of Kadan so they can assault Voyager. Ravoc asks Kadan about whether or not this disease is spreading; after all, two workers in two days have come in with it. Kadan says he has already talked to the supervisor of the plant, and measures have been taken. Seven of Nine brings several of the discrepancies she has discovered to Yerid: Why were all 138 of these aliens processed through Division 6, and how were they all hired on the same day? Unfortunately, he can't do anything; the Director of Investigations relieved him of duty that morning. Seven of Nine decides she will go to the hospital to help with Yerid's investigation, since Yerid's presence would arouse suspicion. Seven of Nine goes to see Ravoc at the hospital, and says she has been having disturbing thoughts. When he looks up her record, he notes that she has been treated for Dysporia Syndrome. Ravoc says that she came to the right place, since they have one of the foremost experts on the disease here, referring to Kadan. With some badgering, she gets Ravoc to fetch Kadan. While he is gone, she starts going through the hospital database. Meanwhile, at Jarren's residence, Yerid asks him and Janeway a few questions. He asks Janeway if she knew Chakotay. While she initially says no, he points out details about him that show she is lying, so she tells the truth. Jarren fails to brush the whole thing off, and Yerid has her tell him everything Chakotay said. Kadan is furious once he learns that Ravoc didn't stop Seven when she walked out. Ravoc says she was a voluntary patient, so there was no reason to stop her. They find she accessed 64 secret files, all of the cases of Dysporia Syndrome admitted on the same day. Ravoc says Kadan never mentioned it. Ravoc continues to ask questions, and finally begins to put together a picture of selective diagnoses. Kadan admits what he is doing and Ravoc can't believe it, threatening to report him. However, Kadan points out there isn't anyone for him to be reported to. When security next asks Tom Paris about Seven of Nine, he lies about knowing her. After they leave, Seven, Jaffen, Janeway, and Yerid all meet. With Seven's evidence, Janeway begins to believe that something is going on. She remembers that Chakotay had proof of her identity about a ship called Voyager, and they could be contacted with a triaxilating frequency on a covariant subspace band. They plan to get into the Central Power Facility and use the subspace transceiver in there, while Yerid and Seven go to the hospital. Seven of Nine and Yerid successfully break in and confront Kadan. Meanwhile, Janeway, Paris and Jaffen have similar luck. Voyager enters orbit just as their message gets through. Janeway talks to them, and sees Torres, much to her surprise. Since this is enough proof, she agrees to help them with their plan to beam out all of those abducted. However, three ships attack Voyager in orbit, and cut off their transmissions. Security forces attack Janeway and Jaffen. Since they can't get to the power grid, she makes the computer think the core is going to overload, just as she nearly did by accident on her first day of work, automatically shutting down main power. Back on Voyager, the crew figure out they have been lured into a trap. Ensign Kim decides to launch three of the few remaining escape pods and puts a dampening field around the briefing room to mask their life signs. The Quarran ships tractor the three pods not knowing they're empty, and at that point The Doctor self-destructs them causing massive damage to the ships. When the shield grid fails, all members of Voyager's crew are beamed off of the planet. The Quarren ambassador says the whole thing has been a conspiracy, and that they have identified thousands of workers who were once patients of Dr. Kadan. He promises they will be treated and then returned to their homes. In their quarters, B'Elanna thanks Tom for looking out for her even when he didn't know who she was. Jaffen goes to speak to Captain Janeway, telling her his memories weren't altered and he genuinely came to Quarra looking for work and has now been promoted. Janeway tells him that while she could use someone with his skills on Voyager, it wouldn't be appropriate for her to ask him to join the crew given their past, and the two bid each other a sad goodbye. With the rest of the crew treated and returned to their proper lives, Janeway enters the bridge and tells Chakotay that while her memories may not have been real, Quarra did really feel like home. If he hadn't come to rescue them, she never would have known the difference. Despite that however, she is glad he came for her and with that, the crew continue the journey back to their real home. 
<EOS>
A piano is being played by a blonde woman. It is soon revealed to be Seven of Nine, but she looks different. Her hair is down and it appears that she is missing her ocular implant. There is a gathering in the mess hall. It is B'Elanna Torres's baby shower. She opens Tuvok's gift, a Vulcan logic puzzle toy called a Pleenok. Harry Kim has given her a Starfleet diaper. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. On the other side of the room, Seven of Nine and Captain Kathryn Janeway are discussing some recent changes to Seven's life. It seems Seven has just had all of her remaining Borg implants removed, while the captain suggests that she could have children someday, too. Countering this, Seven wants to start a little smaller: with a uniform, even though she doesn't hold a rank. Janeway agrees and offers her quarters as well, since she no longer needs to regenerate. Seven accepts and offers some kind words to her captain for all the help she has given her since her liberation from the Borg Collective. The two toast their agreement. At this point, Chakotay interrupts the two women and suggests that Seven be the first one to give her best wishes to the baby. Seven makes a very elegant and well thought out toast, even including a joke at the end. Back on the bridge, Tom Paris is at the helm and has picked up several energy discharges on long-range sensors occurring approximately 5.9 light years ahead of the ship according to Tuvok. Janeway calls Seven to the astrometrics lab. When Seven responds, it is revealed that the piano playing and the baby shower were part of a holodeck program designed to help Seven of Nine become more comfortable in social situations. She ends the program and her clothes change back to normal and her ocular implant reappears. On her way out of the holodeck, she rearranges her hair back to its normal French twist coiffure. In the astrometrics lab, Paris, Tuvok and Janeway have joined Seven of Nine. Seven reports she was unable to locate the cause of the discharges, but the space ahead contains high levels of radiation and metallic debris. The captain doesn't believe that is worth altering their course over, but should be monitored.. She then goes on to "more pressing matters" and asks Paris if Torres suspects anything about the baby shower they are planning for her. Paris assures her that the expecting mother has no clue. Janeway then tells Seven and Tuvok that she expects them both to attend. Seven tries to get out of it by telling her commanding officer that she will be busy monitoring the sensors. Janeway assures her that she can spare a couple of minutes to make an appearance. She and Paris exit, and Tuvok confesses to Seven that he is as uncomfortable as she is about going. She tells him that she has been trying to expand her comfort zone in social situations and will perhaps attend. Instead of attending the shower, she goes back to the holodeck. She is in her quarters with Neelix. It is a very empty room and Neelix offers some suggestions to make it a little less spartan. He suggests some personal items, knickknacks, a painting, a couple of chairs, a table and some drapes in case they ever show up at a busy spaceport. He reminds her of the stylistic importance of the drapes matching the carpet. She is saved from Neelix by the door chime. Chakotay is on the other side. He comes in and offers her a housewarming gift of a dreamcatcher. She tries to thank him for being her inaugural guest by offering him some tea, but Chakotay looks around and reminds her she has no replicator. He offers to requisition one for her. They get a little flirtatious with each other and Seven expresses her interest in culinary science. She offers to cook him a meal the next evening. Chakotay agrees to the date and to bring the wine and the furniture. In sickbay, The Doctor is examining Seven of Nine while singing a modified version of "Rock-a-bye Baby". Seven notes that the lyrics are rather traumatic. The Doctor assures her that it's the melody not the words that the baby responds to. In fact, he has recorded 29 lullabies, including a Klingon one called "Sleep, Little Warrior" (quong vaj Ocht). He chastises her for not attending Paris' and Torres' shower. She claims she was busy and could not attend. The Doctor asks if Seven is experiencing any shoulder pain, which she is, and finds that the cause is her radial shoulder clamp. It needs to be repaired with an hour long procedure. She balks at this and suggests he remove it instead. Unfortunately it can't be removed without her losing the use of her arm. She doesn't want to do it now because she has "research" to do. He then notices her electrolytes are low and queries her about missing regeneration cycles. The Doctor tries to dig deeper into the nature of her "project" and she gets upset at him for putting his nose into her "personal life". He apologizes and quips he didn't know she had a personal life. Just then the ship shakes. Captain Janeway exits her ready room and asks for a report from Paris. It was another energy discharge that produced a level nine shock wave. There is a series of them and the next one destabilizes the warp field. Janeway orders the ship turned into the wavefront. It hits the ship since Paris doesn't have time to make the adjustment. Chakotay makes the observation that if they are weapons, Voyager isn't the target. Janeway suggests they might just have lousy aim. A short time later, Tuvok and Janeway join Seven of Nine in the astrometrics lab. The former Borg drone has discovered that the explosions were caused by dozens of long-range subspace warheads that were launched towards an unmanned probe fired in the last few weeks. The captain wants to get out of the area before Voyager becomes a target. Unfortunately, Tuvok explains that all of the radiation won't allow them to create a stable warp field for another 48 hours. Seven believes she can detect the weapons before they emerge from subspace by calibrating the astrometric sensors to isolate the effects of the minor gravimetric distortions they cause as they approach the subspace barrier. Janeway agrees that even a few seconds warning is helpful and allows Seven to proceed. A short time later, Icheb enters the astrometrics lab to relieve Seven of Nine. He is two hours early because The Doctor wants Seven to spend more time regenerating. Icheb then quotes Sophocles: "Don't kill the messenger." She then agrees to going off-duty early and orders him to continue the scans of the subspace barrier for gravimetric distortions. Seven enters her cargo bay and sets up the regeneration cycle, but does not enter. Instead, she heads down to engineering with a gift for Torres. She and Harry are trying to cold-start the warp core (for the fifteenth time). Seven hands the engineer the gift and explains that it is a belated gift for her baby shower. She then apologizes for her absence during the actual event. Torres tries to put it down and get back to work, but Seven prompts her to proceed in opening it now. Inside the box are a tiny pair of baby booties. Seven explains, "They are lined with bio-thermal insulation. Your infant's feet will be protected even if the external temperature drops below −40 °Celsius." Torres thanks Seven for her gift and tries to get back to work. Seven follows her and very mechanically asks the engineer what she does with her hair as an attempt at small talk. After she leaves, her odd behavior prompts Torres and Kim to discuss whether or not that was really Seven of Nine. Kim quips, "There must be an alien intruder on board." Seven of Nine is in the holodeck and orders the computer to accept the changes she has made to her personal quarters in her program and begin the program. She is dressed in a stunning red dress with her hair fully down again. She walks over to a mirror and checks herself out. Holo-Chakotay tells her she looks perfect. They banter and flirt over a bottle of wine. Seven then asks him to assist her in the kitchen. Chakotay compliments her on her cooking and it devolves into more flirting including her licking sauce off his finger in order to determine whether it needed more salt. Hearing the music in the background, Chakotay wonders if Seven has begun playing an instrument. She has indeed. The Doctor has been giving her piano lessons, but she requires more practice before Chakotay can hear her. They go back to preparing the meal and she notices a flaw in Chakotay's technique. In order to help correct it, she takes his hand and helps him with some very intimate contact. They both realize what's going on and smile at each other. They try to tackle the wine again and she gently traces the contours of his face. She tells him he has "an intriguing facial structure." They start to kiss and after a moment, a tiny alarm is heard, alerting Seven. Seven is dreaming about the past few days on the holodeck with a few minor anomalies. She wakes up in the arms of the sleeping holographic Chakotay when the real Chakotay calls her on her combadge. He orders her to report to astrometrics. The holographic man wakes up and is pleased to see her, but she rushes out of the holodeck. Seven hastily finishes tying back her hair as she hurries through Voyager's corridors to the astrometrics Lab. Chakotay and Icheb turn as Seven enters. She finds out Icheb has picked up an automated transmission from a warning beacon. It is a warning to evacuate the area because it is a subspace munitions range. The first officer expresses concern over her being late for her shift. She assures him that she's fine and that nothing is wrong. Icheb quotes Titus Livius, "Better late than never." (A History of Rome) She gets upset with this and barks that he's relieved. She tempers her sharp tone with the more gentle: "Get some rest." He nods and leaves. She tries to work for a minute, but is distracted back into the holodeck. On the holodeck, Seven and holo-Chakotay are at the piano. Seven is playing very well and he compliments her. He then asks her to play his favorite work (Schumann-Scenes of Childhood, From Foreign Lands and People). She starts up her metronome and begins playing. She is very good, but there's no heart in it. He stops the metronome and tells her to start again. He uses the metronome as a metaphor for the order she's had to have from the Borg Collective. She begins playing again. Meanwhile, more warheads are launched and detonations occur in close proximity to Voyager. The real Chakotay calls Seven on the holodeck and tells her that he needs the sensor calibrations she was supposed to be working on. She tells him she will need a minute to return to her post and the first officer is disappointed at this. She gets up and leaves the holodeck as the ship is lurched about. Paris is trying to dodge the explosions, but is having a difficult time. Janeway gets anxious and calls Seven of Nine as she approaches the astrometrics lab. After a moment at the control panel, she tells Lt. Paris to isolate subspace band omicron theta. She hurriedly works the controls and finds that two warheads are about to emerge. Paris adjusts course just in time to get into position. Voyager shakes as the warhead hits the shields. After making sure the shields are holding, Janeway turns to her XO and asks him why Seven wasn't at her post. Janeway has called Seven of Nine into her ready room. The captain admonishes her for not having the sensor calibrations ready and for abandoning her post. Then she tells the former drone that she knows all about her extracurricular activities in Holodeck 2. She reveals the extent of Seven's obsession: 49 hours in six days. She lies to her captain about running a simulation of a new gravimetric array she's been developing. Janeway calls her out a little on it by telling her that after the crisis is over, she'd like to lend a hand on the array. Seven and Icheb are in the astrometrics lab. He hands her a PADD containing a refined detection method for the warheads based on her earlier work. She admits to the younger man that she has been negligent in her duties. She gibes him for a quotation to help alleviate her of her guilt. Icheb can't think of one, but offers to check the database for one. She then leaves to "correct an error". She starts the holoprogram of her quarters and orders the computer to activate the Chakotay simulation. The door chimes and Chakotay enters bearing a covered serving plateau and flowers. He presents her with the flowers and tells her that he has decided that he would cook tonight. Of course, since he can't cook, it is a replicated meal of roasted chicken. Seven has become distant towards him because she wants to break up with him. She doesn't come right out and say it at first, but from her expression, he realizes exactly what is going on. She explains that it is interfering with her work and he doesn't realize that he's a hologram and offers to speak with the captain to lighten her load. He tries to tell her that she's making a mistake, but she counters that she is actually correcting one. He tries to use the metronome as a metaphor again, but this time Seven isn't buying it. She gets more and more conflicted with emotion and the tiny alarm sounds again. She tells Chakotay she must return to her station, but he tries to stop her. Seven cries out and staggers as she suffers terrible pains in her head. She manages to pick up her combadge and calls a medical emergency to sickbay before she collapses unconscious. The Doctor transfers his program to Holodeck 2. He notices the surroundings but immediately goes to Seven and scans her with a medical tricorder. Chakotay comes over and The Doctor, unaware of the true nature of the man, asks him what happened. He tells The Doctor that they were having an argument and she just collapsed. Scanning her, he finds that her cortical node is shutting down. He inquires about where her facial implants have gone. Giving himself away, Chakotay tells The Doctor that he thought all of her cybernetic systems were gone. He orders the program to end and the quarters, holographic Chakotay, and Seven's modifications vanish leaving the empty holodeck. In sickbay, after treatment, The Doctor gives Seven a hypospray and she wakes up but is disoriented and thinks she is still in the holodeck. She finally realizes her error and The Doctor explains the situation to her. Her cortical node began to shut down, but he was able to stabilize it before any permanent damage occurred. She tries to blame him, but he just continues on with the diagnostic on her entire cortical array. In order to help with the diagnosis, he wonders what she was doing before she collapsed. He goes through a series of possibilities, but all she tells him is that it was "research". He tells her that the simulation of Chakotay told him they were having an argument and points out some details of the program including her gorgeous dress. She realizes she can't hide it anymore. She explains that she has been exploring different aspects of her Humanity such as social activities, friendships with the crew, and intimate relations. She felt Commander Chakotay was an appropriate choice because of his many admirable qualities. The Doctor is curious as to what prompted her to do this. She tells him that it was Unimatrix Zero. She was trying to re-create some of the experiences she had there. Ever since it was destroyed, her life had seemed incomplete. She just wanted to feel those emotions again. The Doctor is beaming with pride. She tells him that it is misplaced and she is planning to delete the programs. She feels that it is too tempting and too much of a distraction from her duties. He explains that it is supposed to be a distraction and, trying to compel her to keep the program, tells her that she has excellent taste -- her quarters suited her. In engineering, Ensign Kim is making the final checks on the warp drive. Everything seems to be in working order and Torres reports this to the captain. Upon hearing this, Janeway gives Tom the order to go to warp. Unfortunately, he has detected another subspace warhead twelve million kilometers astern and closing. Tuvok notes that the probe is in a different trajectory from that of the warhead and Voyager's warp signature must have diverted it. They try to fire a full spread of photon torpedoes at the warhead to no avail. The warhead's weapons destroy the torpedoes. Janeway has another plan. She calls down to the astrometrics lab and asks Seven for information about the warhead's detonator. After a moment, Seven determines that it is armed with proximity resonance circuitry with an activation frequency of 4.84 gigahertz. On the bridge, Tuvok asserts he can stop it with an anti-resonance pulse. He has to work fast; the warhead is closing in on the ship. Tuvok works the tactical panel, but the pulse doesn't work because the warhead begins rotating its activation frequency. Tuvok is unable to compensate. All hope seems lost when Seven calls up from astrometrics. She believes she can disarm the warhead by extracting the detonator with the transporter. Janeway doesn't believe she can get a lock on it since it's so small and they're traveling so fast. Seven thinks that if she can use the sub-micron imager to focus the targeting scanners, she can lock on and beam it out. Janeway is running out of options, so she agrees. Seven manages to get a lock on the detonator, but it is protected by tritanium shielding. It needs to be closer before she can get it. Paris counts down the time to impact on the bridge and it gets down to the final second when the warhead hits Voyager's shields, no explosion occurs. It just disintegrates harmlessly. Seven has done it! A sigh of relief washes over the crew. Later, in Seven's cargo bay, The Doctor has come to deliver some unpleasant news. According to his diagnostic, what Seven experienced on the holodeck was no malfunction. Her cortical node was designed to shut down her higher brain functions when she achieves a certain level of emotional stimulation. It appears to be a fail-safe mechanism to deactivate drones who start to regain their emotions. The Doctor believes that based on what they know of the Borg it makes perfect sense. "Finding one's heart is the surest road to finding one's individuality." The Doctor and Seven discuss her options of being able to feel the emotions again. With multiple surgeries, he can reconfigure her micro-circuitry and allow her to function normally. He offers to begin immediately, but she declines. She has decided not to engage in the holographic fantasies anymore because they were an inefficient use of her time. The fail-safe device will ensure that she's no longer distracted. The Doctor begs her to allow him to continue to help her down her path towards Humanity. She excuses herself and begins a regeneration cycle. Seven is walking briskly along a corridor carrying a PADD. Chakotay hurries to catch up her. He wonders why she's going so fast and she tells him she has to finish her report on the subspace warheads. He invites her to a cooking lesson in the mess hall that Neelix is giving: "Talaxian Tenderloin in Ten Minutes". She explains she is no longer interested in cooking, but he insists. Most of the senior officers, including Tuvok promised to show up. He chastises her for not socializing with the crew more. As he leaves, she thinks about what he said as she returns to her PADD. 
<EOS>
In her ready room, Captain Kathryn Janeway listens to Cadet Icheb's presentation about "Early Starfleet History". Although Janeway breaks off his presentation -- he wanted to be thorough so his presentation took more than the required 20 minutes -- she congratulates him on passing the exam and walks him to the door. "I would have failed him" a voice sounds. When Janeway looks around she sees a young Human male, dressed in Starfleet command red and wearing the insignia of a Starfleet Captain. When Janeway calls for security there is no answer, and she is told the rest of Voyager's crew is in a time loop. When she asks him who he is, another, more familiar, voice sounds, that of Q. It turns out the young male is Q's son, Q Junior. Janeway is told by Q that Junior has taken a vacation from the Q Continuum, on USS Voyager, to experience Humanity first hand. After Q has left, Janeway, having no further say in the matter, tells Junior that some rules need to be followed, whereupon Junior tells her that he makes his own rules and with a flick of his fingers he disappears. On Voyager's bridge, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is trying to locate where either Q is when Junior appears. He wants to see more interesting things than bipeds pushing buttons or replacing relays and tries to convince Janeway to do something else, such as detonating some omega molecules or flying into fluidic space and fighting Species 8472. When Janeway refuses, Junior tells her he is bored and will amuse himself and disappears. The next moment Janeway is contacted by Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres, who requests her presence in main engineering. Accompanied by Tuvok and Commander Chakotay, Janeway enters main engineering where a party is going on. Torres warns Janeway that Junior's light show might cause a warp core breach but when Janeway tells Junior his party is over, he tells her that she has no unlimited control over space, matter and time so he gives the orders. With a flick of his fingers, he sends Janeway and company to the corridor. There they decide to try to ignore Junior in the hope he might get bored and leave Voyager. In the cargo bay, Junior removes Seven of Nine's clothing to stare at her naked body which he describes as "perfection"; utterly nonplussed, Seven dismisses the incident as an attempt to embarrass her and continues her work, which has the desired effect of getting Junior to leave. Meanwhile, in the mess hall a food replicator tells Captain Janeway to "Make it yourself" when she asks for coffee. Neelix tells her that ignoring Junior might not be the best solution and offers to be his mentor. Neelix is greeted with "Can I help you, kitchen rat?" when he enters astrometrics where Junior is watching a battle between Wyngari and Vojean starships. The two species lived in peace when Voyager traveled through their region of space some time ago, but now, with some of Junior's help, are fighting each other. Neelix suggests playing Kadis-kot, but Junior is uninterested as it is a game without explosions. After Neelix suggests that Junior uses his powers to alleviate the food shortage on the Wyngari homeworld, Junior fuses Neelix's jaw and removes his vocal cords because he thinks he talks too much. While in sickbay, where Neelix is examined by The Doctor, Janeway is contacted by Junior, now on the bridge. When Janeway enters the bridge she sees three Borg cubes on the viewscreen, firing on Voyager. Junior wants to see how Humans act under pressure and tells Janeway that this time she will not defeat the Borg. When Borg drones appear on the bridge, Janeway is grabbed by one of them and just before the drone has a chance to use his assimilation tubule, they vanish. In their place is Q, who has reversed all the things Junior has done, including restoring Neelix's voice. When Janeway tells Q his son has no place on Voyager, he takes her aside to explain. In the following discussion it becomes clear that Junior's birth should have brought peace and compassion, but instead he brought chaos. Junior started wars, tampered with primordial gene pools and punched holes in the fabric of space-time. His mother was so humiliated that she disowned him. The Q Continuum held Q responsible and that was the reason Junior was brought to Voyager, in the hope that some of Starfleet's ideals would rub off on him. Janeway tells Q that Junior needs parenting and instead of dumping him on Voyager, he himself should set an example by spending time with Junior. Q finds Janeway a genius, kisses her and disappears. Janeway gets a surprise visit from Q, in her bath no less. He blames Janeway that her plan did not work. Q spent every minute of his time with Junior -- ten minutes representing years in Q time -- but the son ended up becoming embarrassed to be seen with the father. Junior shifted the tectonic plates on Bozel Prime and refused to apologize for it. Janeway tells Q that Junior needs to understand that his actions have consequences. Q mumbles. He takes back his last statement and goes to kiss her again only to meet her foot; he instead kisses that and disappears. In Voyager's sickbay, Q returns his son from a life as an Oprelian amoeba in a petri dish. Q tells him that he needs to become an upstanding citizen of the cosmos or he'll spend the rest of his life as an amoeba. Junior is given one week to change. To make matters worse for Junior his powers are temporarily removed by the Q Continuum. Despite Janeway's protest that Q had agreed to take a more active role in parenting, Q leaves Junior on Voyager and departs. An angry Junior leaves sickbay, crushing the petri dish under his foot on his way out, in search of a way to leave Voyager. Janeway calls security. While being escorted to his quarters, Junior is told by Janeway that he no longer has unlimited control over space, matter and time, meaning she gives the orders, not him. Janeway tells Junior she has prepared a curriculum for him to follow so he can learn some respect and responsibility. Junior thinks he has little hope because he's been abandoned on an antiquated flying machine run by primates. Junior's first lesson is that of spatial causality, taught by Seven of Nine, who is also tutoring Icheb in the subject. Later, Junior is given diplomacy lessons, under the guidance of Commander Chakotay, who reminds him that one of the responsibilities of a Q is to maintain order in the universe. Junior refuses Chakotay's help and cheats on the lesson, changing the personality subroutines of the people in the holographic program to make them more agreeable. In Voyager's mess hall, Junior helps Neelix. He complains to Neelix whether he "ever stopped talking?" but there is nothing Junior can do about it. Here Junior again meets Icheb, who wants to know if he would like to participate in some recreational activities. Junior declines, saying "Aunt Kathy" wants him to write an essay about the history of the Q but he has no experience writing essays. After Icheb offers to help, Junior hands over Icheb's essay instead of writing his own. In the captain's ready room Janeway confronts Junior with his cheating, as Icheb's writing style is quite familiar to her, telling him "We may be common bipeds but we're not stupid." Janeway tells him to wait for his father to return, and Junior objects, fearing he will be turned into an amoeba. Janeway offers to help him one more time but only if his motives are sincere. In the mess hall Junior hands Janeway a new draft of his essay "I, Q: An Insider's View of the Continuum", although she did not ask for it. Junior says he owed it to her for giving him a second chance. That same moment Icheb walks in, asking if Junior would like to join him for a piloting lesson by Lieutenant Tom Paris. Janeway thinks he has earned a break and allows him to go. In the Delta Flyer, while maneuvering through an asteroid field, Junior is a little apprehensive and asks Icheb to be careful, since he is now mortal. Junior even gets a chance to fly himself, despite how the Q normally do not operate primitive machinery. When an alert sounds, Junior finds it distracting but because fixing it would require them to return to Voyager they ignore it. "Hear what?", Icheb replies when Junior asks him if he still hears the alert. Back on Voyager Janeway runs into Q again and tells him Junior has made progress. Junior presents his essay to them, concluding with saying Voyager's crew has taught him to see the Continuum as home instead of different perceptions of reality. Q is not impressed, which irritates Junior and Janeway. After Junior leaves, Janeway learns that Junior needed to display nothing more than exemplary Q-ness. Anything less would result in a life as an amoeba. When Janeway visits Junior in his quarters he tells her he does not care what Q thinks. Janeway offers to let him stay on Voyager, as a Human, if the Continuum decides not to turn him back into a Q. Junior thanks the captain, but tells her he doesn't want to be Human, he wants to be a Q, like his father. Junior finds Icheb in a Jefferies tube -- they refer to each other as "Itchy" and "Q-ball" -- and asks him to help repair the fault which caused the alert during their piloting lesson. Icheb agrees, but soon finds himself trapped on the Delta Flyer where Junior starts the engines and erects a dampening field to prevent communication with Voyager. Junior wants to escape, by means of a spatial flexure, and hide from his father. Although he no longer has his powers, he still knows good hiding places. With the help of the Delta Flyer's phasers, Junior destroys the shuttlebay door and escapes, despite Voyager's tractor beam trying to hold them. Icheb tells him to go back and apologize to Janeway but Junior does not listen. When a Chokuzan vessel appears, Junior chooses to attack it instead of complying with their demands, despite Icheb's comment that he learned from Janeway to respect other cultures' laws. During the battle Icheb is critically injured. Junior takes Icheb back to Voyager, but The Doctor is unable to treat Icheb because he needs to know what weapon caused his injuries. Q appears, and at first, Junior tries to blame the whole incident on Icheb. Janeway sets the record straight, and Junior pleads with his father to save Icheb. Q refuses, telling Junior it is time to learn the consequences of his actions, and leaves. Because Icheb is the only friend Junior has ever had, he agrees to go back with Captain Janeway to Chokuzan space and try to ascertain the type of weapon used to wound Icheb. When the Chokuzan Captain agrees to give them the information to save Icheb, he also tells them that in Chokuzan culture, adults are held responsible for the actions of their children. Captain Janeway will be punished for Junior's actions. Junior does not agree and takes full responsibility, even if it means execution, to save the life of his friend. When the Chokuzan captain hears this he starts to laugh. It turns out the Chokuzan is actually Q. When Junior tells him they have no time for his games, Q tells them he was the one they fired on and that Icheb is alive and well. It turned out it was a test and according to Q, better than the tests Janeway devised, and Junior passed it. It was now time to face the Continuum's verdict. Back on Voyager, Janeway, Q and Junior face three Q judges for the verdict, "We, the Continuum have found that Q has not made sufficient progress to warrant the reinstatement of his powers". Although Q objects, saying Junior was willing to sacrifice his life to save that of his friend, the judge dismisses it. She reasons it was Junior who endangered the Icheb's life in the first place. However, because of his subsequent actions, Junior is not condemned to spend his life as an Oprelian amoeba but to suffer the next worse fate, to remain Human. Q, declaring the verdict an outrage, disappears right after the judges do. A disappointed Junior talks with Janeway in her ready room. He wanted to continue his training, despite having nothing more to prove to the Continuum. Junior does not expect to see his father again anytime soon because Q already left him on Voyager, twice. Q appears in the corner of the room, saying, "The question you should be asking is why I keep coming back." He apologizes for his abrupt disappearance and explains to Janeway and Junior that he threatened to leave the Continuum if Junior was not reinstated. According to Q, the Continuum crumbled like a Gelbian sandsculpture at the prospect of losing Q, to Junior's admiration, and already have returned Junior's powers. As a gift to Janeway, Junior places red roses all over her office and leaves for Golos Prime where his father will meet him after finishing talking to Janeway. Janeway does not believe the Continuum 'crumbled' and Q, knowing that she was not fooled like his inexperienced son was, freely admits he had to make some concessions. He will have eternal custody and has to go wherever Junior goes. Q gives Captain Janeway a PADD, as a thank you for her help, containing information which will enable Voyager to shave a few years off from their journey to Earth. When Janeway asks Q why he doesn't just send them all the way, he tells her "What sort of an example would I be setting for my son if I did all the work for you?" and disappears. 
<EOS>
The Doctor is writing a holonovel about himself, Photons Be Free. The highly anticipated Operation Watson, allowing a intergalactic com link to exist between USS Voyager and Starfleet, is a success. Captain Janeway congratulates Lieutenant Barclay on his memorable achievement, but he shrugs off the praise since Harry Kim and Seven of Nine helped come up with the idea of bouncing a tachyon beam off a quantum singularity. Admiral Paris informs Janeway that the singularity only remains in the correct position for eleven minutes a day so he leaves it up to her to allocate com time among the crew. Barclay has another gift for the crew, and transmits a live image of Earth. Everyone is very grateful for the gesture. It is decided to allocate com time through a lottery, with three crewmembers getting three minutes a day to talk to people back in the Alpha Quadrant. Harry Kim, wanting to surprise his mother, isn't so lucky; his slot is six weeks later. He tries to trade with The Doctor for his slot which is today, but The Doctor won't budge. Kim has more success with Tom Paris, who offers up his spot, which comes within two days. After getting bored listening to the introduction, Paris skips to the first chapter. He is suddenly propelled into sickbay portraying an EMH with wounded personnel pouring in. A character resembling Chakotay, with a different facial tattoo and a Bajoran earring, is supporting a character resembling Paris himself, but with a mustache. This one is called Marseilles. "Chakotay" tells the doctor to treat "Marseilles" first. The doctor refuses because another person is in more immediate danger. When the "Captain Jenkins", the analog to Captain Janeway, comes in, she eventually kills the other patient so the doctor can treat "Marseilles", leaving Paris at a loss for words. In the mess hall he shares his experience with Neelix, Torres, and Kim. Everyone is in it, but with other names and other personalities. Everyone thinks Paris is overreacting, so he challenges them to play the holonovel themselves. In Chapter 5 Torres has to use a backpack sized mobile emitter and finds "Marseilles" using sickbay as a means to cheat on his "wife" with the "Delaney sisters". In Chapter 6 Neelix finds "himself" convicted to a reprogramming. Then in Chapter 7, Kim escapes his escorts "Tulak" and "Kymble" on the way to engineering with the help of "Three of Eight". In Chapter 8, Janeway finds herself decompiled despite a plea by "Three of Eight". The Doctor/Narrator then makes a note, saying this is fiction in an attempt to portray the struggles holograms have to endure in a world controlled by organics. The captain summons The Doctor to her ready room. Here, the senior officers address their issues with The Doctor's creation. Their biggest issue is the fact that The Doctor changed the names of crewmates only slightly and used their physical parameters as a base for the characters, making only superficial changes to their appearance and names. Their personalities, however, bear no resemblance to the USS Voyager crew. The Doctor doesn't budge. Kim finally gets to talk to his parents for the first time in six-and-a-half years, and while they enjoy a warm conversation, he is put out when his mother decides to write to Captain Janeway, asking why her son hasn't been promoted even though he tries to explain that there are only so many positions available. Before he can ask her not to, his connection gets severed halfway by interference from a solar flare. Kim is irritated, and when Seven tells him he'll have another chance in two months, he tells her she wouldn't understand why he's upset since she doesn't have a yearning for relatives on Earth. When The Doctor runs his holonovel to fine tune it he finds that Tom Paris has switched the file with his own holonovel. This holonovel portrays a doctor aboard the USS Voyeur who cares nothing for patients he cannot seduce and pursues his own recreational activities while forcing his duties off onto the medic, Paris' role. It starts off with the doctor telling the real Doctor that he is late, by a matter of just a few seconds. He then goes over to "Two of Three", and hastily scans her, then drugs her. The physical appearance of this doctor holocharacter is, of course, nearly identical to The Doctor. The Doctor is appalled and confronts Paris, who throws The Doctor's own logic that the character was not based on The Doctor back at him. The Doctor does not seem swayed and Paris relents and tells him where to find the backup copy of the original holonovel. After Neelix provides comforting advice (he was the only viewer to enjoy the holonovel), The Doctor realizes that he needs to alter the holocharacters to not cast doubt on the reputations of his friends. He gets his publisher to agree and tells the crewmembers. During a face to face time with her father, Torres, with Paris at her side, finds that her father wants to reconnect. Torres tells her father she will write, with Seven observing in the background. On Earth, Barclay brings the rough draft of the holonovel, which apparently has already been published, to Admiral Paris' attention. The admiral informs the captain. Outraged, The Doctor demands an explanation from the publisher, who makes the claim that since The Doctor is not a person, he has no rights as author of the novel. Tuvok informs the crew of the legal dilemma. While strictly speaking The Doctor has no right, Tuvok thinks the prematurely released holonovel could be suppressed by claiming classified information. Paris disagrees, because that would surely give the impression that there is truth in the story. Defamation of character is mentioned. The captain finally decides to try something else. This results in a Federation tribunal to determine The Doctor's rights carried out across the thirteen or so minutes of communication that can be managed each day. Captain Janeway brings in various members of the crew as witnesses to The Doctor's claim of person-hood. While waiting for the arbitrator's decision. Seven offers her com time to Kim so he can talk to his parents again as she has come to understand the importance to speaking to family from the rest of the crew. Kim apologizes for overreacting and won't accept the gesture, since he feels Seven should use the time to contact her own family. Although Seven's parents were assimilated, she knows of an aunt in the Alpha Quadrant, Irene Hansen. Kim urges Seven to make contact, knowing Irene would be thrilled to hear from her niece. Despite her apprehension, Seven does and the two discuss her childhood. The arbitrator returns with his decision. He admits that he is still unsure of if The Doctor is a person or just a sophisticated program. He knows that the matter of holographic rights will soon have to be addressed properly but is unwilling to declare The Doctor a 'person' at the moment. However he does agree that The Doctor is more than just a hologram and declares that the legal definition of "artist" can be extended to include him. As a result, The Doctor has full rights concerning the distribution of his holonovel and orders that all copies of Photons Be Free be recalled immediately, much to Broht's anger. Even though he has managed to take the first step in establishing holographic rights, The Doctor doesn't feel like its much of a victory, since the novel has already been seen by thousands. Janeway assures him that the crew will be all right, and they encourage him get started on the revisions. Four months later, in a Federation mining colony where hundreds of EMH Mark I's are engaged in mining operations, one is told to report for his recurring maintenance by another EMH, who recommends he ask the operator to run Photons Be Free, telling him it's "quite provocative". 
<EOS>
A small craft of some kind flies by at impulse speeds, as "Friendship 1" can be read on its hull. In a small control room on an alien planet, two people are desperately working to identify the craft. It begins transmitting a musical composition, The Four Seasons. They try to locate its position, as they realize it has just begun entering their atmosphere. In astrometrics, Captain Janeway is talking to Starfleet Admiral Hendricks about the various species of of the Delta Quadrant, particulary the Voth. He instructs her to retrieve the Friendship 1 probe, which Starfleet believes to be in the Delta Quadrant. She convenes a meeting in the briefing room with her senior officers. They discuss the probe's programming, and intent. On the bridge, Harry Kim reports that there are no signs of Friendship 1 in the current search grid. Kim requests to move the search to grid 310 as he has compensated for several solar winds and local anomalies that would have adjusted the probe's trajectory in the quadrant. They locate a titanium signal in the northern subcontinent of a planet in that grid, just 2 light-years away. In astrometrics, they are unable to localize the probe as there is a large amount of antimatter radiation. Captain Janeway sends an away team to retrieve the probe. She assigns Chakotay, Tom Paris, Harry Kim, Joseph Carey, and Neelix. They must all get inoculations in sickbay first. B'Elanna Torres wants to go on the trip as well, but Paris talks her out of it because she is six months pregnant and she and the baby would be breathing a toxic atmosphere. Torres only agrees if Paris agrees to carry the next baby. On the Delta Flyer II, the away team is headed through the upper atmosphere of the planet, where they encounter severe turbulence. When they come through the cloud deck, they notice the planet was inhabited at one point, but it looked as though it was in the midst of a nuclear winter. As the ship sets down, a man in a suit scans the ship from rocks in the distance. On the planet, the away team are in EVA suits. Chakotay and Kim discover antimatter missile silos, while inside a cave Paris, Neelix, and Carey find remnants of the probe. Neelix hears something, but Carey can't read any life signs on his tricorder. Just then, Paris, Neelix and Carey are ambushed and captured by the planet's natives. Chakotay and Kim return to the Flyer, where Kim is attacked by one of the natives who was searching the ship. After he stuns the intruder, the Flyer comes under attack from antimatter weapons. Chakotay has no choice but to fly the ship back to Voyager, leaving their three crewmates behind. Paris, Neelix and Carey are taken prisoner and injured by the native until their leader tells them to stop. The leader then ask who they are, what they have, and why they are here. Paris tells them that they are from Voyager and that they came to retrieve the probe. The leader responds they should have come sooner, that it would have spared his people the suffering. Janeway is receiving an update from Chakotay when Tuvok contacts her from the bridge. Tuvok says that they are receiving a subspace transmission from the surface. A man named Verin tells a confused Janeway that she will pay for what Earth did to the planet's people. Verin wants Janeway to take him and his people off the planet to a new home or he will kill the away team. He gives Janeway three hours to begin the evacuation. Janeway tells Tuvok to scan for M-class planets, as just an option. Janeway and Chakotay head to sickbay where they talk to the native they stunned on the Delta Flyer. The man, Otrin, a scientist, says that he was attempting to get information from the Flyer's computers that could undo the damage Earth caused. Janeway asks the scientist to explain how they are responsible for his world's destruction. The scientist says that a containment failure in their antimatter power grid destroyed their planet. But until the Friendship One probe arrived, the natives had never conceived of antimatter. His feeling was that Earth's intent was to have their planet adapt to using antimatter technology in the hopes that their civilization would destroy itself. Otrin thinks Voyager is there to conquer their planet. Janeway assures him that Voyager is not here to conquer his world. Back on the planet, Carey is feared to have a concussion and Paris asks to treat him. A pregnant woman refuses to allow Paris to use his equipment. During the ensuing conversation, Paris deduces that she is pregnant and tells her how his wife is expecting a baby girl. Paris also finds that the woman has had two boys and a girl, but they were all stillborn. Paris says that the best doctor in the quadrant is on Voyager, but she stops talking to him. In astrometrics, Janeway learns the nearest M-class planet is 132 light years away. This would take seventeen trips and nearly three years to complete the relocation of the nearly 5,500 people on the planet. Janeway won't stop her trip back to Earth for that long. Tuvok states that the only other option may be to rescue the hostages by force. Janeway doesn't want to reinforce the thought that Humans are violent unless it's absolutely necessary. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine helps to treat the native scientist by extracting nanoprobes from her bloodstream. Back on the planet, a girl talks to Neelix and Paris. They want to give the girl a toy they found on the planet. Verin hears the toy and snatches it away, thinking it is a weapon. He tells the child to stay away because they're dangerous. Neelix attempts to negotiate with Verin, asking if he can talk to Janeway on his behalf. He shares that his home, the moon Rinax, was destroyed by the metreon cascade and his family was killed. Verin replies, "I'm sorry about what happened to your family. But don't compare your life to mine," and sends Neelix back to holding. Janeway attempts to further negotiate with Verin. He discusses an alternative to relocating the entire planet's population. She suggests working together with the scientist in sickbay -- a man named Otrin -- to have a shorter-term solution as flying to the other planet was too far. Verin still doesn't believe Janeway, as she hasn't given him any reason to trust her. She offers to send a supply of food and medicine in exchange for a hostage. Verin agrees and allows Carey to set up the transport enhancers to transport him off the planet, but before the transporter locks on, Verin tells Carey that he's sorry and shoots him with a disruptor, killing him. Captain Janeway holds her ground on the bridge, telling Verin that killing one of her crewmen will not make them any more receptive to their demands. When Verin threatens to kill the others, Captain Janeway agrees to transport their people, but says she requires time because the transporters weren't designed to handle large groups. Verin gives her one hour, and ends the transmission. Janeway calls Chakotay to her ready room to begin a plan, immediately. Back in sickbay, the first phase of Otrin's nanoprobe treatment is working. Seven tells Otrin that the group on the planet need a change in leadership that is more open-minded. The pregnant woman on the planet begins having early contractions. Paris offers to help, and she gives birth to a boy. He isn't breathing. Paris revives him using a cortical stimulator. Meanwhile, The Delta Flyer returns to rescue the crew. Verin thinks Tuvok has been captured, but his captor is actually The Doctor. The Doctor hands Tuvok his phaser, and then he stuns everyone with weapons in the room, surprising Neelix and Paris (The Doctor had been dressed as a native but being a hologram protected him from the effects of the radiation and allowed him to play the part.) Tuvok and The Doctor rescue Neelix and Paris. Before they beam up, Paris convinces the mother to take her son to Voyager because he won't survive for very long in the atmosphere. The baby is safe in sickbay. Janeway decides to transport him back to the planet along with a set of food and medical supplies. Neelix and Paris plead with Janeway to help the people on the planet to make up for what their ancestors on Earth did. In engineering, Otrin performs a successful experiment to remove the antimatter radiation. Janeway offers a plan to use photon torpedoes to eliminate the radiation in the atmosphere. Voyager will be put at extreme risk because it will require low-altitude detonations of the torpedoes and the reaction would expand exponentially. Janeway orders shield modifications to help the ship survive. The procedure begins, and massive atmospheric explosions rock the surface. Back underground, Verin is becoming increasingly paranoid that the explosions from the photon torpedo explosions in the atmosphere will destroy the remaining survivors, rather than clear the pollution, and brings the antimatter warheads on-line to fight back. Otrin attempts to persuade Verin to let Voyager help, but Verin pushes him aside and continues to set the antimatter weapons. That is, until the once-pregnant woman draws an energy rifle on him. Shocked, Verin asks,"What are you doing?". The woman replies, "I won't let you ruin our only chance for survival." He asks if she would kill him just to stop him. The reasoning of the woman is clear: "To save my child, yes." Verin orders to take her weapon away, but one by one, the survivors start to reject Verin's leadership. Trying to recover the leadership that is quickly slipping through his fingers, he claims "I've kept you alive! ALL OF YOU!" But Otrin counters that survival isn't enough to live anymore. Verin tries in vain to regain his leadership, but fails, and the entire group stands behind Otrin in defiance. However, the best news to the group arrives when a child comes in telling everyone to hurry outside. With Verin under guard, the group goes outside the cave to find the sky clearing. Chakotay enters Carey's quarters, and finds Captain Janeway looking at a ship-in-a-bottle model of Voyager. Carey only had one nacelle to go before finishing it. Chakotay and Janeway then have a debate about the moral implications of the launchers of Friendship 1. The benefits of exploration don't justify the loss of lives -- whether it's millions or just one. 
<EOS>
Commander Chakotay and Seven of Nine are in a shuttle heading to a four-day conference on Ledos about warp field dynamics. Since they have some time before the beginning of the conference, Chakotay takes a scenic detour to admire the lush forests of the planet. When Seven objects that they may be late to the conference, Chakotay points out that warp field dynamics can be studied any day, but opportunities to enjoy natural beauty are rare. However, they suddenly detect an energy barrier right below them, and they start bouncing off it. They quickly lose engines. Seven of Nine reconfigures the phasers and punches a hole in the barrier, just in time for them to beam to the surface as the shuttle tumbles and breaks up. Chakotay has a deep cut and a hairline fracture in his leg, and at Chakotay's insistence, they decide to walk to the debris field, still hoping to make the conference on time. In orbit of Ledos, Tom Paris is in the Delta Flyer II navigating orbital traffic when a controller notifies him of an infraction. He is ordered to shut off his engines, and to take the standard punishment. When he returns to USS Voyager, he finds out that the punishment is flight lessons. He considers this ridiculous, but Captain Kathryn Janeway says that local laws must be followed, much to Paris' dismay. Seven and Chakotay find the wreckage of the shuttle and find it is unrecoverable. However, they also detect some humanoid life signs which are similar to those of Ledosians, but aren't Ledosian. When they examine the people, they are found to be primitives of pre-Bronze Age level. Chakotay's leg becomes infected, and he hides out of sight while Seven goes to recover more parts. When she finds something useful, she contacts him. Unfortunately, he is surrounded by the primitives, amazed at the talking com badge, and can't answer. They smash it out of fear and take him with them. When she finds their camp, they are startled by her, but Chakotay says they are friendly. He suggests they get some rest, since this is shelter, after all. On Voyager, Harry Kim, B'Elanna Torres, and Neelix are talking about beaming down to the planet for shore leave, and teasing Paris about his flying lesson. When the instructor, Kleg, beams up, Paris gets off on the wrong foot; they have to review safety procedures for four hours just to start, and Neelix, Torres, and Kim beam down to the surface. Chakotay learns to communicate with the primitives. They use sign language to communicate, and trade him for one of his collar pips. Seven is unimpressed, but says she has found the shuttle's deflector, and can use salvaged components to create a tetryon-based signaling device. The commander suggests she have the natives guide her, but she wants to limit contact with them, and goes alone. Before long, she trips, and loses her tricorder down a hole. When she cannot recover it, she leaves it. Chakotay receives a walking stick to support his weight, and finds that some of the natives are beginning to paint symbols on their foreheads like his. When Seven gets stuck by a thunderstorm, a native girl (who has been following her) starts a fire using an exothermic reaction from rocks. Seven is appreciative, and goes to sleep. On Voyager, Tom Paris fails to make any headway with his piloting lessons. Kleg first goes over the ship, finding safety violations in everything from access of the pilot's seat to the polarity thrusters they use. When Paris suggests he blame his mistake on the ship, not him, Kleg informs him that he researched the ship thoroughly, and finds it was Paris who was its chief designer. When Seven of Nine awakens, the native leads her first to an oasis, where she stays for a while. Chakotay begins to worry about her, especially when some of the natives take shuttle debris as jewelry. He has them take him where she's going as well. Eventually, she does find the shuttle's deflector, with the native girl following her, and begins to work on it. On Voyager, Tuvok informs Captain Janeway that Chakotay and Seven never showed up for the conference. Their scans show a wing floating in midair, resting on an energy barrier which required their Borg sensors to detect. They cannot scan below the barrier, so while Tuvok suggests they may have survived, there is no way to know. The captain contacts the Ledosian ambassador, and he doesn't believe they survived. Even if they did, there is nothing they can do about the barrier. It was put up by aliens to protect an indigenous society, the Ventu, from the Ledosians in their past. He cannot see Voyager knocking down the barrier. Torres finds burn marks consistent with tetryon flux, and Tuvok identifies the technology, as Seven did, in the Borg database. Based on the damage feedback from the phasers destroyed the shuttle, meaning they could have used that to cut through the barrier. If Voyager tried the same thing, the risk of breaking the ship apart would be the same. As Seven assembles the transmitter, the native girl plays with some magnetic rocks. When the deflector fails, and Chakotay shows up to assist, Seven scans the area. There is a magnetic field which is preventing her from generating a deflector beam. She could generate one several kilometers away if the natives helped them move the 500 kilogram deflector, and also add a dampening field to get it through the barrier. Chakotay, having changed his mind, says no initially, but Seven assures him they can beam themselves (and all of the loose technology) off the planet once this is all over. Paris has moved on to actually flying. He fails to get out of the test again, because Kleg insists that all of his students take the entire course. The natives finish hauling the deflector, and while they are connecting it, Voyager attempts to penetrate the barrier with phasers. However, they begin to overload within seconds. As Tuvok is configuring a photon torpedo, Seven activates the deflector on the surface. The natives are fascinated, and the young girl reaches out to touch the ship, and is shocked unconscious. The captain is surprised to see the barrier go down, but opens a channel to Seven. She tells the captain to beam up Chakotay and down a medkit. The Doctor is impressed that the pulp the Ventu used to treat Chakotay's leg has healed the fracture and the infection. Chakotay says that all of the shuttle debris should also be beamed aboard, and the captain agrees. Seven of Nine says goodbye, and accepts a blanket from the girl as part of their customs. However, she encounters a Ledosian expedition, led by Barus. They intend to study and develop these people, now that the barrier has finally been lowered. When she returns aboard, Chakotay says they should restore the barrier, but Seven isn't sure; she believes the Ledosians could help improve their potential, but doing so would also end their resourcefulness and unique way of life. The captain decides the barrier will have to be returned, if anything to recover their technology. She tells this to the ambassador, but he doesn't like it. He says they have been waiting a long time. She cites the strict sharing of technology policy, and asks if an hour will be enough for an evacuation. The response of the government is to send a fighter to disable Voyager's transporters with a well-targeted shot. The ambassador calls it restrained, and tells the captain to leave orbit. With transporters down, the captain calls upon Tom Paris, who is still taking his piloting lesson. She transmits encrypted orders, and he exhibits reckless behavior, which is necessary to carry them out. He rushes within transporter range of the surface, and beams up the expeditionary force, dodging an attack by the same Ledosian vessel. After being told by Kleg that he cannot pilot a vessel in Ledosian space again, his transporters are knocked out, and so he flies close to the surface, destroys the deflector, and rushes into orbit just before the barrier reinitializes. Afterward, Seven worries to Chakotay that her modifications may be duplicated by the Ledosians someday. She also thanks him for their adventure, since warp mechanics can be studied any day. 
<EOS>
USS Voyager is holding a party to celebrate the 315th anniversary of "First Contact Day", including an ancient jukebox playing the favorite music of Zefram Cochrane and food, about which The Doctor complains to Neelix that it lacks any nutritional value. The party is greatly enjoyed by everyone, with Captain Janeway complimenting Neelix and Naomi telling them that when she was a child all First Contact Day meant was getting to miss school. Tuvok then makes a presentation where he recites the first words that the Vulcans said to the Humans that day, "Live long and prosper.", though Neelix must prod him into it. When Neelix then tries to get Tuvok to dance, and the stoic Vulcan refuses, Neelix makes a pledge: before Voyager reaches Earth, Neelix will see Tuvok dance at least once. Commander Chakotay interrupts and says that they have found several hundred Talaxian life signs 4.9 light years away. When Voyager arrives to investigate, Neelix becomes quite anxious on the bridge. The Talaxians appear to be inside an asteroid, and do not respond to hails. Tuvok, Neelix, and Tom Paris take the Delta Flyer into the belt, and are fired at with thermolytic charges. The Flyer takes damage, and is forced to crash-land on the asteroid where the life signs were detected. Neelix and the others are knocked unconscious. Neelix wakes up having his wounds healed by a female Talaxian named Dexa. She asks him a lot of questions, things like what he was doing there, and why he and his alien friends were carrying weapons. He answers all her questions, and manages to ask a few of his own. He finds out they are ignoring hails because they want to avoid contact with outsiders, and the charges were just miners trying to break apart asteroids for their minerals. During their conversation, Dexa's son Brax comes in to have a look, and Dexa shoos him away. When Neelix tries to leave, she seals him in with a force field. Captain Janeway, having not heard from the away team, sends a shuttle after them. As it is about to be launched, an alien, Nocona, hails them and tells the captain he owns this asteroid field, and that he is performing mining operations. He doesn't want her sending a rescue team, since they cannot stop using the charges, but offers to search for them. The captain says she wants to get them. Nocona tells them to stay there, and he will find their people. When Neelix next awakens, he finds Brax by himself. When he sees that Brax has a model ship, Neelix correctly identifies its classification. Brax wants to see Neelix's ship, but Neelix says that would be hard to arrange. A loud clank tells Brax his mother is coming. Neelix tells him to hide, promising not to say anything. Dexa soon walks in with Council Regent Oxilon. He informs Neelix that he is free to go. His friends have also been released, and will be asked to leave as soon as their injuries have been mended. He asks if they would let he and his friends stay. Neelix may stay, Oxilon says, but they do not trust outsiders. Dexa takes Neelix on a short tour of the colony. Five hundred people live here, and the habitat is self-contained, built from the parts of ships on which they arrived. Dexa leads Neelix back to his ship, and Paris, Tuvok, and Neelix begin repairs. Neelix tells of his brief encounter, and Tuvok notes his regret that he didn't get as much from the experience as he hoped. Neelix doesn't consider the trip a waste, as he still got to see some of his people again and noting he'll almost certainly never encounter another Talaxian after this. Once internal sensors are working, they indicate there is an intruder. Tuvok and Neelix search the ship to find it is Brax. Neelix takes him back to his mother, again promising not to tell her he was here. On the way back to their home, Nocona is arguing with Oxilon. They are threatening to destroy this asteroid for minerals. Dexa argues strongly, and when Nocona shoves her aside, Brax throws a rock at him. Neelix then stands up for Brax, getting into a fight with Nocona, and pulling his weapon on him and his guard. He then sends them away. Dexa and Oxilon are grateful, but think it is impossible to evacuate in time. Neelix suggests they have Captain Janeway negotiate with the miners, and Oxilon agrees to meet with her. Brax wants to go too, and Neelix persuades his mother to let him. As they explore the ship, Neelix takes Dexa and Brax to the bridge, and Brax asks which station Neelix serves at. To spare Neelix any embarrassment, Chakotay and Kim note that Neelix has so many functions on the ship (Ambassador, chef, moral officer and trade negotiator) that one station wouldn't be enough as he's the most versatile member of the crew. In Astrometrics, Seven of Nine shows them a picture of Talax from their database. Neelix and Dexa marvel at it together, and she has to explain to Brax why they couldn't just go back there to live. Naomi also says hello, and Brax ends up following her to the holodeck. Once they are alone, Dexa tells Neelix about her husband. He died trying to feed them when they were confined by the government to a small section of a planet they previously settled on. She is very comfortable around him, and says that Brax hasn't been so happy since her husband died. When it becomes clear to him how she feels about him (and he about her), Neelix regretfully leaves and gets some sleep, saying he needs to be ready at the negotiating table. The next day, Neelix tries to negotiate with the miners, but fails to make any serious ground. He does get the deadline extended, long enough for them to move all their equipment, but can do no more. He did get Captain Janeway to ferry all of them and their supplies to the nearest M-Class planet. When Dexa and Brax leave, Neelix cannot help but feel that the aid was not enough. Neelix asks Tuvok to devise defenses for the nearest planet, since there are several warp-capable species within 2 light-years. Tuvok cannot think of anything significant, but does suggest that if they were going to defend themselves, the best place for them to do it would be their present location. He suggests they could build a shield around the asteroid, however they would also need a leader to defend against a preemptive attack. Neelix asks Tuvok if he would be willing to lead them, however Tuvok refuses, citing the Prime Directive but also states that even if it wasn't an issue, he believes Neelix would be a better choice. Neelix tries to shrug off the suggestion, claiming that he's just a cook who dreams of being an Ambassador. Tuvok corrects him, telling Neelix he is much more than that, as he considers him the most resourceful person he has ever met. Neelix can't believe he's hearing such words of praise from Tuvok, who assures him that although he has some annoying habits and qualities he has also developed skills on Voyager that would serve him well if he chose to be a leader. Tuvok then makes it clear that although he is only speaking "hypothetically", and isn't telling Neelix what to do, if he (Neelix) did decide to defend the asteroid, he would be equal to the task. Neelix decides not to involve the Voyager crew in the endeavor, knowing they may have issues with his plan due to the Prime Directive, and prepares to leave in his own ship. He tells Captain Janeway that since he isn't part of the crew officially, he isn't held to the same constraint. Janeway assures him that she considers him as much a part of the crew as anyone else, but decides to let him leave knowing its something the Talaxian has to do. Arriving at the asteroid, Neelix creates a plan which would have him and Oxilon flying their ships around the asteroid and launching shield emitters to the surface. Once the emitters are in place, they could be tied into the power core and would never need recharging, however the miners would attack once they realize what the Talaxians are doing. Oxilon isn't initially willing to start a conflict, but Neelix points out they could still be terrorized if relocated, and since Oxilon worked so hard to build the colony surely its worth defending. Oxilon finally agrees. However, when all but the last two emitters have been laid, the miners attack. When the miners begin dropping charges, Neelix starts shooting them down. When Neelix's weapons are disabled, he prepares to fly his ship into the next charge, but the Delta Flyer appears and destroys it first. Oxilon manages to get the last emitter in position, and when the next charge is dropped, the shields deflect the explosion. When Neelix leaves the colony, Brax asks him to stay. His mother says he cannot as Neelix walks out the door. When he returns to Voyager, he talks to Naomi. He wants to know if there is anything he can do for her, but Naomi has outgrown such things as bedtime stories and Neelix leaves for the Mess Hall, slowly realizing that his time on Voyager is coming to an end. It is late, and the captain is awake as well; she has noticed that Neelix is conflicted between his duties on Voyager and those to the other Talaxians, so she puts forth a proposal: since Voyager can now communicate with Earth, Starfleet Command feels that there should be a permanent Ambassador to the Delta Quadrant, though the assignment is strictly voluntary. Neelix brightens a bit as he realizes that such a position would allow him the best of both situations: he would be able to remain with his own people in the asteroid colony, but he would also be required to stay in constant contact with Voyager and her crew as they travel. On his way to the Baxial in the shuttle bay, he is astounded to see many of Voyager's crew (along with Naomi) standing at attention along the hallway between the turbolift and the shuttle bay. No words are spoken, because there are no words to truly express how much the crew will miss him. As Neelix is about to step through the door, Tuvok very slightly wiggles one foot, with the understanding that he has thus danced and fulfilled Neelix's pledge. Tuvok then wishes Neelix goodbye with the old Vulcan adage; "Live Long and Prosper". Neelix tries to respond, but is unable to bring himself to say anything and instead gives the crew a last smile, then leaves Voyager for the final time. When he arrives on the asteroid, his first stop is the home of Brax and Dexa who emotionally embrace him in a hug; while Voyager will always remain dear to him, he knows that he is, at long last, home. 
<EOS>
The Doctor sings "Questa o quella" very loudly with the full orchestral music accompaniment playing as he steers the Delta Flyer II. This is much to the disgruntlement of Captain Janeway, who was trying to sleep in the aft compartment, though she conveniently shrugs it off with a replicator giving her a cup of black coffee when she emerges. They discuss The Doctor's many abilities and how he is capable of much more than a common Human because he is a hologram, and so is not bound to many of the physical restrictions an organic form is subject to. They also briefly converse that he and the captain rarely spend any time together, but when he states that they should do so more often sometime in the future, he doesn't notice Janeway's sudden look of dismay. As the Delta Flyer passes by a Mutara-class nebula, they encounter a subspace eddy. The turbulence created by the eddy prompts Janeway to suggest that she take the helm, but The Doctor assures her that control of the situation is well within his holographic capabilities. On Voyager Tom Paris tries to lure B'Elanna Torres to lunch with potato salad under the glow of a red giant. However sense of duty and a promise to the captain prevent Torres from going along. A transmission from the Delta Flyer is received by Voyager via a pulse directed at its transceiver array. Ensign Harry Kim attempts to hail the Flyer without success, but after some modifications, establishes contact with the vessel. Janeway describes an attack by aliens that damaged the Flyer's communications system, and states that she and The Doctor are fine. She asks Kim to notify Chakotay to meet with her once she has docked. In her ready room, Janeway tells Chakotay about the attack, stating that a technologically superior race, the R'Kaal, were the cause of the damage to the Flyer, and that they almost didn't make it back. Apparently, Voyager had unwittingly been traveling through their space for three weeks, in violation of their laws. She described how the R'Kaal were ecological extremists, believing that traditional warp drive damages the fabric of space. They wanted to destroy Voyager with their cloaked fleet, but Janeway convinced them to allow them to settle on an M-class planet in exchange for surrendering their warp core. Chakotay attempts to protest, but Janeway says that she is tired of their long journey and its perils. She also tells Chakotay to not discuss it with anyone. She orders him to set course for the nearest planet and dismisses him before he can protest further. Janeway goes to engineering and asks Torres to make modifications to the Flyer's tractor beam so it can safely tow a warp core. After Janeway leaves, Torres pages Chakotay to tell him about it. On the bridge, Chakotay asks Janeway about the modifications and wonders why she told Torres about their situation. After seeming to talk to herself, she states that she doesn't feel well and leaves for her quarters. Chakotay then goes to sickbay and asks The Doctor if anything was wrong with Janeway's health, but The Doctor says there was not. Chakotay does get him to agree to examine Janeway in her quarters, and then departs for astrometrics. In astrometrics, Chakotay asks Seven of Nine to attempt to detect any cloaked ships in the area. While there, Kim calls for him and says a transmission is coming through. Once on the screen, a Supreme Archon Loth demands to know when Voyager will surrender its warp core. Chakotay stalls by saying they can't do it until they have reached the planet they are heading for. Loth gives a deadline of ten hours before the ship will be destroyed. After The Doctor tells Chakotay that Janeway is in perfect health, he goes to her quarters to see her, but she is not there. He calls for her on his combadge, but just then she comes around the corridor. In her quarters, they debate the necessity of their current circumstances, and Chakotay mentions a mission at Lessek Prime where Janeway saved an away team by disobeying her captain's orders. After Janeway says that the situations are totally different, Chakotay reveals that he made the whole thing up and attempts to call Tuvok, since Janeway is apparently an impostor. "Janeway", however, places a dampening field around the room to block his call. Apologizing, she retrieves a hypospray from under the desk and approaches Chakotay, who catches her wrist with both hands. He struggles to hold back the hypo from his neck, but "Janeway" isn't even straining, proof that she isn't Human. The hypo relentlessly reaches its target, rendering him unconscious. "Janeway" then transports Chakotay to the morgue where she hides him. She then goes to sickbay and puts a foot up on the office desk where the mobile emitter can be seen on her ankle. She is actually The Doctor. It is revealed that Janeway was taken hostage by Hierarchy renegades before they managed to return to USS Voyager and are demanding the warp core in exchange for her release. They are monitoring his perceptual subroutines and thus can see and hear everything from his point of view; he can't talk or write a warning to the crew without them knowing. In an attempt to free the captain, The Doctor has assumed the identity of various members of the Voyager crew. The Doctor contacts the Hierarchy captain, Zet demanding to speak to Captain Janeway. When he does, she orders him not to eject the warp core and to tell Tuvok what's happening. Zet reminds the Doctor that Janeway's life is at stake, and increases his demands to include some of Voyager's bio-neural gel packs. Desperate to save Janeway, the Doctor agrees. While in the form of Torres in order to obtain some gel packs, The Doctor is surprised by Paris, obviously not knowing of their earlier encounter. After Paris leaves, Kim calls Chakotay to astrometrics. Kim tells The Doctor (as "Chakotay") that the message from Loth came from within the ship, holodeck two to be more precise. Kim then goes to holodeck with "Chakotay" in tow. There Kim finds the holodeck logs have been deleted. Just as he finds out The Doctor is responsible, he is incapacitated and moved to the morgue. When The Doctor tries to unwind with The Blue Danube in the background while sitting at his desk with his kit with the three comm badges he acquired, Tuvok enters to confront him with a discrepancy in the message sent through the deflector dish exposing The Doctor's involvement. The Doctor, however, fails to incapacitate Tuvok and barely escapes with the mobile emitter. Tuvok follows him into the holodeck where The Doctor made multiple copies of himself. Tuvok asks Torres to cut power to the holodeck as he is threatening The Doctor at the same time. The Doctor already made his escape and uses a Jefferies tube to get to engineering. Tuvok orders a shutdown of all turbolifts and transporters, while The Doctor convinces the real Torres there is an imminent warp core breach in progress. He activates his Emergency Command Hologram subroutines and ejects the warp core. Then he shuts down the internal sensors and steals the Delta Flyer to tractor the ejected warp core to the Hierarchy ship. When he arrives at the kidnappers' ship, they change plans and take him hostage, too, intending that he infiltrate a Hierarchy base to steal data. Paris finds Chakotay and Kim at the morgue. When they restart the impulse drive they hear an altered version of The Blue Danube on every com channel of the ship. At first they think the recording is flawed and several of the notes are played off key. The crew realizes that The Doctor had played the piece flawlessly a month earlier during a recital and that the alterations must be deliberate on his part. They analyze the music and discover that the off-key notes are actually a warp signature embedded within the music, which allows them to track the aliens. Chakotay sends Tuvok and Paris after the warp signature of ship 6.7 light-years away in another shuttle. As Tuvok and Paris get to the alien ship, the two aliens attempt to prepare The Doctor for his assignment by adding a few holotemplates to his matrix. In doing so they destabilize his main program. Janeway visits The Doctor in his office in sickbay, telling him that his friends miss him. The Doctor felt unsure if he had any friends left after his "deathbed confession". She does remind him that he would be punished by not being allowed to leave sickbay for six days, but considering that he stayed in sickbay that entire week, she considers it as time served. She then invites The Doctor to join her in the holodeck for coffee at an outdoor cafe in Buenos Aires, taking him up on his offer to socialize with him a bit more, but only on the grounds that he would leave his rank at the door, and that there would be no opera. He accepts. 
<EOS>
Fireworks light up the San Francisco night. The long-lost Federation starship USS Voyager, now returned from its 22 years of travel in the Delta Quadrant, buzzes the Golden Gate Bridge spanning San Francisco Bay, then climbs and twirls like a dancer among the fireworks. Huge, watching crowds cheer. But the whole thing is revealed to be recorded footage in a news transmission celebrating the tenth anniversary of Voyager's return. In her apartment, with lights off, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway looks at the transmission. She has the computer end the transmission, and looks sadly out of her window, a dented coffee cup from Voyager sitting on a nearby table serving as a reminder of what happened during their long journey home. A reunion of Voyager's crew takes place at Admiral Janeway's apartment. Present are several of her former senior officers, such as a graying Harry Kim, Voyager's former operations officer, now a captain. As Kim mingles, he encounters a little girl with short spikes on her forehead. Her name is Sabrina. She is the daughter of the now-adult Naomi Wildman, who was born on Voyager while the ship was in the Delta Quadrant. Kim smiles and greets her. Janeway comes to him with two glasses of champagne. They go off together and begin talking. Not all is well with all the former senior crew. Janeway's face falls when Kim asks her about Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, Voyager's former chief tactical officer and security chief. Kim tells her that he plans to see Tuvok tomorrow, indicating that something is wrong with him. They also speak of a funeral, indicating that one of the former crew has died. The Doctor, a hologram and Voyager's former chief medical officer, enters, with a blonde on his arm. An aging Tom Paris, the former flight controller and medic, greets them. He is now a full-time holographic novel writer. The Doctor introduces the woman, a living Human, as his wife -- Lana. And, he reveals, he has finally taken a name after 33 years: Joe, Lana's grandfather's name. Paris' wife, B'Elanna Torres, Voyager's former chief engineer, speaks with Janeway. She has become a Federation liaison to Qo'noS, capital of the Klingon Empire and homeworld of her mother's people, the Klingons. Janeway asks her about assistance she has requested of her for a certain Klingon man, one Korath, to try to get him a seat on the Klingon High Council. Torres asks her if her efforts to have this done have anything to do with the mission Janeway sent Torres' daughter, Ensign Miral Paris, on. Janeway avoids the question. The guests are called to attention by Commander Reginald Barclay, one of the engineers who had been responsible for the Pathfinder Project, which succeeded in returning Voyager to Earth. They all raise their glasses and drink a toast to the success of the journey. Admiral Janeway includes another part to the toast: to those of the Voyager "family" not there to celebrate with them. Days later, Barclay is conducting a lecture on the Borg to a class of cadets at Starfleet Communications. He introduces Janeway as the guest lecturer. As the one Starfleet officer in the entire service who has had so much experience with the Borg, she is the natural choice for such a lecture. The class goes well, until a cadet asks Janeway about Seven of Nine, a former Borg drone who served as head of astrometrics aboard Voyager, about her involvement in the Unimatrix Zero Borg Resistance Movement with Admiral Janeway. This makes Janeway's face fall. She quietly responds that she would prefer not to discuss Seven of Nine. The mood of the class falls considerably. A message then comes in for Janeway; she has an incoming communication from Miral Paris. Janeway leaves to answer it. She takes the communication in her office. Miral informs her that she has seen "the thing" Janeway wants to acquire, and it does indeed work. Korath, she continues, is ready to hand it over, but wants to give it to Janeway personally. Janeway agrees and ends the communication, a somber look on her face. A dark room. Lit candles. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is here, kneeling on the floor amid a sea of sheets of paper, uncrumpling and then writing on one furiously. Janeway enters. She greets him quietly. But in a fevered, hoarse voice, he asserts that she cannot be who she claims to be: the day of her visit is wrong. Janeway informs him that she is going away and may not return. She gazes at him sadly, but also with a glint of determination. She leaves a picture of the senior staff while still on Voyager. Sometime later, Janeway is at home. The Doctor Joe visits her. He examines her, and pronounces her as healthy as she was when he examined her for the first time, 33 years before. But he is curious as to why, after giving him so much difficulty every time she was due for a physical for 33 years, she asks for one ahead of schedule; on his way over, he had thought she was ill. She responds that she is leaving, and wanted to get the appointment over with before she does so. She invites the hologram to sit and chat, which he does, and she then proceeds to ask him about a certain drug: chronexaline. At the mention of this, Joe becomes apprehensive, but he tells her that it is being tested at Starfleet Medical to determine if it can protect bio-matter from tachyon radiation and that the results so far have been promising. Janeway asks him to get 2,000 mg for her by the following afternoon. Shocked, Joe asks Janeway why she needs the chronexaline, but Janeway tells him that that information is classified. Joe's faith in his former captain leads him to acquiesce to her request. Janeway then meets Barclay at Starfleet Communications. He informs her that a shuttle is waiting for her, and gives her a PADD with certain downloaded information she has requested. He wishes to go with her, but she gently declines. She thanks him and leaves. She is seen in an outdoor area. The sky is dark and gray. She speaks down to something on the ground. She kneels and rests her hands down. The spot she rests them on is seen; it is a gravestone: CHAKOTAY 2329 -- 2394. This is the person whose funeral she and Kim had spoken about. He was her first officer on Voyager. "I know it wasn't easy living all these years without her, Chakotay," she says. "But when I'm through, things might be better for all of us. Trust me." She rises and leaves. 2378 Lieutenant Tom Paris is awakened by the urgent, insistent voice of his very pregnant wife, Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, telling him "It's time." They are in their quarters aboard Voyager. He is at first reluctant to rise, but then realizes what she means: she is in labor. Immediately he is out of bed, fully awake, and contacts The Doctor. In his haste, he does not bother to dress, dashing hurriedly into a robe and accompanying his wife out the door and on the way to sickbay. But it is in vain. The Doctor informs them that the labor is false. They are extremely chagrined; this has happened several times before. The Doctor explains that false labor is common in Klingon pregnancies. Paris asks about inducing labor; these false ones are robbing them of their sleep. The Doctor responds that this is unwise. Frustrated, Torres' Klingon temper flares; she shouts at him that she wants the baby out "NOW!". The Doctor merely lists her misdirected rage as another feature of Klingon pregnancies. In her ready room, Captain Kathryn Janeway listens to First Officer Chakotay's report on ship's status. Nothing much is happening; the only two things he has to report are Paris' and Torres' latest false labor and a request by one Crewman Chell, a Bolian, to take over as ship's chef, a vacant position since the departure of Neelix, their former chef. They laugh about his proposed menu choices, such as "Plasma Leek Soup", "Chicken Warp Core-don Bleu", and "Red Alert Chili". She asks him to have lunch with her, but he responds that he already has plans. He goes to Cargo bay 2, quarters of the former Borg drone Seven of Nine. The two have begun a romantic relationship. She has laid out a picnic on the floor. He joins her with pleasure. In the mess hall, former Borg drone Icheb is playing the Vulcan game of kal-toh with Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, the chief tactical officer and security chief. Ensign Harry Kim looks on. He tries to give surreptitious hints to Icheb, but Tuvok, aware of this, informs Icheb that Kim has never beaten him. He makes a move that half-wins the game, and then starts explaining the very patient nature of the game to Icheb. But then, to his great chagrin, Icheb makes a move and wins. Icheb humbly calls it beginners' luck. Kim is shocked and delighted. Icheb then leaves as he is due in Astrometrics. Kim then sits down at the table feeling lucky. Tuvok, unsettled by his loss, excuses himself. Harry is annoyed, thinking Tuvok is just being a bad loser, and says that it's just a game. Tuvok goes to sickbay and The Doctor examines him. The Doctor explains that Icheb is exceptionally bright and that he just may be a better player. But Tuvok attributes his loss to Icheb as a sign that a chronic Vulcan disease he has contracted has begun to affect his concentration. The Doctor concernedly confirms that the disease has begun to progress, and prescribes increased levels of medication that he has been administering to him. He suggests that Tuvok inform Captain Janeway, but Tuvok insists that he will do so only if and when his performance at his duties starts being affected. In the astrometrics lab, Seven of Nine is playing kadis-kot with Neelix over a subspace communication signal. The Talaxian looks at her in his usual jolly manner from the lab's huge viewscreen, informing her of how his new life is going. He happily informs her that he is planning to ask Dexa, the Talaxian woman whose life he became part of, to marry him. He will thus become the stepfather of her son, Brax. Seven is pleased. She has come very far on the road to regaining her Humanity; she smiles at this news. He asks her how her relationship with Chakotay is going. It was he who suggested the picnic as a date idea. She smiles again and tells him it went well; they both enjoyed it. She thanks him for the idea. But then her console starts to beep insistently. She informs him that long-range astrometric sensors have detected high neutrino emissions and intermittent graviton flux consistent with wormholes 3 light-years. This is extremely important; wormholes allow travel across thousands of light years in mere minutes. Neelix does not need to be told this, and offers to continue the game with her the next day. She agrees. After completing her analyses, Seven requests a meeting of the senior staff to deliver the results to them. The news is almost beyond belief in tantalizing possibilities: all the readings are coming from within a nebula in the region. And there is not just one reading, but hundreds; hundreds of possible wormholes in one place. The odds are fair that one of them could lead to the Alpha Quadrant, or at least take them much closer to it. A smiling Captain Janeway orders Lt. Paris to take Voyager to the nebula. 2404 In Tuvok's patient room at Starfleet Medical's hospital, The Doctor (Joe) arrives, summoned by an attending physician. Tuvok appears to be delusional. He is throwing his papers all over, pacing rapidly, sweating, and mumbling something repeatedly. Joe and the physician listen to him: "5331 7153 5331 Her disappearance remains a mystery!" Joe understands what he is speaking about: Admiral Janeway was kidnapped by a group of aliens on stardate 53317.1, when she was still commanding Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. But she was retrieved, and Tuvok had led the rescue effort. The physician suggests that having Janeway visit him and show him that she is fine and safe would help, but Joe informs him of her recent departure. It is unknown when she will return. Tuvok firmly grabs his shoulders and rasps that she is not going to return. He lets go and continues pacing and muttering. Joe goes to Starfleet Communications and finds Reginald Barclay in a lecture theater. Barclay greets him happily, but when Joe informs him that he needs to contact Admiral Janeway, Barclay begins to act nervous and evades the question. Joe presses him, informing him of Janeway's request to him for chronexaline. She had claimed the reason she needed it was classified, but he asked the Director of Starfleet Intelligence, and learned that she is not involved in any classified work. Barclay, never good under scrutiny, looks even more nervous. Joe continues to push, noting to him the strangeness of Janeway's sudden departure without telling Barclay where she was going, after repeatedly saying how much she was looking forward to teaching at the Academy. At this, Barclay becomes so nervous, he begins to stammer, something which he has not done in years. This indicates to Joe that Barclay knows much more than he is letting on; he indeed knows where she has gone and what she is doing. Joe sternly presses him for the information. Barclay, completely broken down, tells him everything. A shuttlecraft, designated SC-4, is seen orbiting a barren, rocky world. Admiral Janeway beams into a cave on this world. She is met by Ensign Miral Paris and a group of Klingon men. The men act hostilely to her, but Miral angrily tells them off. They become subdued and retreat. Miral informs her that Korath awaits her. She believes she is going to accompany Janeway to him but, to her disappointed surprise, Janeway tells her no. She tries to argue, but Janeway brooks no argument. Miral acknowledges sadly. Janeway goes alone deeper into the cave. She finds Korath tinkering with a Cardassian disruptor rifle. She asks him for what she came for; what he owes her, in return for getting him a seat on the Klingon High Council, according to the agreement they made. But he reneges, demanding also the shield generator on her shuttle as part of the deal. She sternly insists he honor the original deal, but he orders the Klingon men to escort her out. She leaves, stiff with anger. 2378 On Voyager's bridge, Captain Janeway stands over Lt. (j.g.) Paris' shoulder as he flies the ship through the nebula. The gas clouds fill the viewscreen. The ship shakes a bit. Janeway orders a deflector shield status report. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, at the Tactical station, reports the shields are holding. She hails Seven of Nine in astrometrics for a status report on the source of the neutrino emissions, but Seven reports that she still cannot pin them down. Janeway orders Paris to continue toward the nebula's center. Then, however, the ship shakes again, more violently. Tuvok reports detection of a tritanium signature and gives its bearing. It may be a ship, but they cannot see it, and sensors cannot identify it. But it is far too close to them. Paris does his best to guess where it is to avoid running into it, but this is difficult, given that they do not know how big the object is. Then the ship shakes a third time, vigorously. Ensign Kim reports with alarm the extreme proximity of yet another tritanium signature. This time, however, the object emerges out of the nebula gas clouds enshrouding it and is seen on the viewscreen. The officers watch in shock as the enormous, black, foreboding form of a Borg cube appears before them. Paris' piloting skill barely prevents a collision. Janeway immediately orders Paris to remove Voyager from the nebula. Paris obeys at once. The drones aboard the cube voice their decision through the Borg Collective to pursue and assimilate Voyager and her crew. But, in the Borg Unicomplex, the Borg Queen is watching. She instructs them to leave Voyager alone, as the ship has not penetrated their security. But, she decides, she will keep an eye on it. Voyager's senior staff meets in the briefing room. They tensely discuss the encounter with the cube. Tuvok reports that it apparently did not detect them and is now 3 light-years away. Paris is thunderstruck at this, as they came within a mere ten meters of it. Tuvok surmises that the nebula interfered with its sensors, as it did with theirs. Ensign Kim insists that they should therefore return to the nebula; the wormholes that may lie within it, and the possible way home they could provide, cannot be passed up, and from what Tuvok says, they could avoid being detected by the Borg. But Seven of Nine advises against it, reporting that her analysis of the tritanium signatures indicates at least 47 cubes in the nebula. Captain Janeway makes the decision: possible way home or not, it would be absolute madness to enter the nebula again. They escaped this time, but they all are fully aware of the Borg ability to adapt; the Collective may well be able to alter its ships' sensory capabilities so that the nebula no longer hinders them. Kim tries to argue, but Janeway firmly tells him the matter is closed. Paris is on his way to a turbolift when Kim joins him. Kim shows him a PADD with a plan to use the Delta Flyer, one of Voyager's shuttles, to get Voyager past the Borg and find the wormholes. He tries to inveigle Paris into supporting it and going to the Captain with him, increasing the chances of her approving it. But he is surprised at the reaction he gets from Paris, who has never been one to pass up a challenge due to risk; he wants nothing to do with it. Kim tries to change Paris' mind, telling him he is not living up to his favorite hero, Captain Proton of those Adventures of Captain Proton holodeck simulations he enjoys. Does he not want to get home? But Paris is unmoved; he has a wife and child to be there for now. Wherever they are is home for him. Chakotay goes to astrometrics, where Seven of Nine is working. He asks her to dinner. Smiling coquettishly, she accepts, joking that such an activity would be more suitable for a fifth date than a fourth. But they agree to skip ahead. Before the date, however, Seven of Nine goes to sickbay. She speaks to The Doctor about the time three months before, when her cortical node, the processor that controls all her Borg implants, almost shut down and killed her when she began experiencing strong emotions. This is a failsafe designed by the Collective to kill drones who begin to experience such emotions, which could break their grip on the drone's mind, allowing his/her pre-assimilated individuality to reassert itself. The Doctor had told her he could remove the failsafe. She had refused, but now she wants to go through with it. She does not tell him the reason: so that her attraction to Chakotay, which is growing as their relationship progresses, will not kill her. The Doctor agrees to do the procedure. Previously, it would have taken several surgeries. But, in anticipation of her eventual change of mind, he has gotten the procedure down to one surgery that he could do anytime she wishes. They arrange a time: that evening, 1800 hours. The Doctor however, being in love with her, hints that with the failsafe removed, if she wants to begin exploring "more intimate relationships," he is at her disposal. Aware of his feelings she gently tells him thank you, but no; she is already getting help in that regard. Disappointed, he guesses the Chakotay hologram he discovered she had been exploring relationships with. He is surprised when she says that it is not, but she does not tell him it is the real Chakotay. Admiral Janeway returns to Korath's cave. She tells him she has reconsidered his offer, but she wants to see the device he is supposed to give her first. He angrily shows outrage over her questioning of his honor, but she, completely unintimidated, comes up to his face and coldly responds that were he really honorable, he would not have changed the terms of their deal. He backs down and shows her the device. She inspects it, approves it with a smile then slaps a transporter relay on it and taps a controller she has in her hand. She and the device disappear in a transporter beam, back to her orbiting shuttle. Furious, Korath orders his minions to stop her. They open fire, but hit only the cave walls. As soon as she is aboard, she instructs the computer to "Deploy armor." Armor plates emerge from the ablative generator and immediately run over the entire shuttle, encasing it. She then orders the computer to take the shuttle to a set of coordinates that she supplies. Korath hails her and, enraged, swears a blood debt on her. She brushes him off dismissively, cuts the communication and instructs the computer to engage warp six. Two Klingon Negh'var warship ships attack, but do no damage whatsoever to the ablative shell. The shuttle races away at warp speed. It arrives at the coordinates Janeway gave the computer. But the computer alerts Janeway of an approaching ship. The ship is seen approaching. It is a Federation starship bearing resemblance to the Sovereign-class, Intrepid-class and Nova-class. It is in fact, an advanced redesign of the Nova-class, designated the USS Rhode Island, registry NCC 72701. The ship hails. Captain Harry Kim appears in the viewscreen and respectfully but firmly instructs her to open the hull armor and prepare for transport. He is arresting her. Admiral Janeway sternly tries to assert her superior rank, but to no avail; Captain Kim tells her that Barclay informed Joe of what she is up to, and Joe told him. Thus he knows he has full authority to order her to stand down and arrest her, and she knows he knows. He repeats the order. She agrees, on the condition that he let her explain why she is trying to do what she is. She beams over to the Rhode Island. She and Kim talk in Kim's ready room. Kim insists that she "has no idea what the consequences will be" if she succeeds. She asserts that it is the only way to prevent what will happen if nothing is done. To her surprise, Kim tells her he has not informed Starfleet of her action, but warns her of the consequences should Starfleet find out. Janeway reminds him of the time that he, still an Ensign on Voyager, wanted to enter the Borg-infested nebula because of the promise of a way home it held. He reminds her that she stopped him. But she says that, given what happened later on, if she knew then that these things would happen, she would have indeed taken the risk. Kim sighs. He is well aware of the events she speaks of, and understands fully her rationale. He is torn between his loyalty to those he served with, alone and cut off from Starfleet for all those years, and his duty as a Starfleet captain to uphold the law. 2378 Seven of Nine beams with a floral bouquet into Chakotay's quarters. He is expecting her. She explains that she did not think it would be discreet to be seen carrying flowers to the First Officer's quarters. Her smile at him, sensuous and romantic, a demeanor she has never shown, shows clearly that The Doctor's surgery was successful. She is now enjoying the full emotional pleasure of their relationship. She grabs and kisses him. He, of course, returns it. They separate briefly, joke about the apprehension that usually accompanies a first kiss, and then kiss again. Then a hail comes from Captain Janeway, ordering all senior staff to the bridge. They obey, jocularly promising to deactivate the com system next time. They arrive on the bridge. A strange, swirling anomaly is on the viewscreen. Janeway informs them of the anomaly's nature: a temporal rift, given the tachyon levels it is emitting. Chakotay takes his first officer's seat and Seven goes to the auxiliary tactical console. The officers set about trying to determine the rift's source. 2404 Admiral Janeway and Captain Kim have beamed over to Janeway's shuttle. He has made his decision: his loyalty to his former Voyager crew has won out, though he remarks that he will be demoted back to ensign if it is discovered that he helped her. He helps her install the device taken from Korath and reminds her that she will not be able to return once she "goes through". She is well aware of this and it does not alter her determination in the slightest. She looks at Kim like a mother about to say goodbye to the son she had raised into a grown man. They embrace and an anguished Kim beams back to the Rhode Island. The starship departs. Janeway sits at the conn, ready to go. She has the computer activate the device she obtained from Korath: a chrono deflector. A beacon-like projection atop the shuttle begins to glow green. But then two Klingon ships come out of warp speed and begin firing on her. She tries to deploy the ablative shell, but it has been knocked off-line. She urgently hails the Rhode Island, informing Kim of her situation. On Voyager's bridge, Tuvok reports detection of nadion discharges from weapons fire on the other side of the temporal rift. Janeway orders it shown on the viewscreen. The signatures appear Klingon. Janeway orders red alert. The Rhode Island returns. Kim advises Janeway to beam over, but she sternly tells him no; she merely wants him to keep the Klingons off her. He complies, and the Rhode Island's fire causes them to back off. Janeway instructs the computer to "activate the tachyon pulse" and direct it to a set of spatial and temporal coordinates she supplies it. The computer obeys. A green beam is emitted from a beacon-like device atop the shuttle, opening up a temporal rift, which looks much like the one Voyager's bridge crew is looking at in 2378. This explains the reason for her secrecy, her not wanting Ensign Miral Paris to get too involved, Barclay's nervousness at Joe's questioning, Joe's horror at finding out what she is doing, Kim's initial determination to stop her, and Kim not informing Starfleet. She is going back in time to 2378, to assist Voyager in returning home sooner, to prevent the misfortunes that occurred to crewmembers in the years up to 2404. In short, she is grossly violating one of Starfleet's highest laws: the Temporal Prime Directive. The shuttle enters the rift. Tuvok reports a vessel coming through the rift: a Federation vessel. Every officer stares at the screen at this. The shuttle emerges from the rift and comes toward Voyager. A hail from it comes through. Janeway orders it answered. She and the other duty officers watch in confused shock at the white-haired woman, looking exactly like Janeway but older, in a Starfleet uniform that looks strange, but recognizable. Admiral Janeway, in a no-nonsense tone, immediately orders Captain Janeway to have Voyager's navigational deflector emit an anti-tachyon pulse to close the rift. Janeway, extremely wary of who, or what, she is looking at, does not. Tuvok reports two Klingon ships coming through. Admiral Janeway sternly repeats the order. Captain Janeway, not trusting her but wary of the Klingon ships, orders it done. The rift is sealed. Captain Janeway glares at Admiral Janeway and demands to know "what the hell is going on." Admiral Janeway answers evenly that she is here to bring Voyager home. But Voyager's bridge officers are not the only ones to witness her arrival. In the Borg Unicomplex, the Borg Queen sees it as well. She says nothing. She merely smiles slightly. Admiral Janeway beams aboard Voyager. Captain Janeway, Tuvok and Chakotay are in the transporter room to meet her. Janeway greets her warily. The two Janeways go to Captain Janeway's ready room. Captain Janeway offers Admiral Janeway coffee, but she declines, having given it up long ago. She stands at the window and starts commenting on some of the things that have happened in the years between Voyager's encounter with the Borg-infested nebula and her decision to alter history to get the ship home sooner, such as her favorite coffee cup getting dented. The fact that they do return home someday is of great comfort to Janeway. Voyager even becomes a museum, from which the sun can be clearly seen in San Francisco. But she becomes uncomfortable with talk of the future, and especially uncomfortable with the seemingly cavalier attitude her future self seems to show toward Starfleet regulations, such as the Temporal Prime Directive. To Captain Janeway, these regulations are nigh sacrosanct. She firmly tells her to stop telling her about future events. Admiral Janeway turns her attention to her stated reason for being there: to get Voyager home. She bluntly tells her past self how to do that: the nebula. Their suspicions, she says, were correct: it does indeed hold a way home. They must return to it and use it. Janeway is shocked; how could she even suggest such a thing when the nebula crawls with Borg? Admiral Janeway informs her that her shuttle has technology that will allow Voyager to get past them. Captain Janeway is extremely skeptical. And what is more, from the little that her future self has told her of the future, it sounds as if the future will be bright: they will indeed return to Earth, she will be promoted and successful defenses against the Borg will be developed. So why is her future self trying to change that? For that matter, how is she to know for certain that this is indeed her future self, and not some alien impostor trying to fool her and lead her and her ship and crew to destruction? Admiral Janeway knows her thoughts exactly. She offers to submit to a DNA and engramatic scan to prove that she is exactly who says she is. She also offers SC-4 for examination to prove that it is indeed a future Starfleet vessel, with Borg-defeating technology. As for why she is doing this, since Captain Janeway is adamant about not hearing more about the future, she only says that the future is not as rosy as it looks. In the sixteen years between the nebula and the return to Earth, the crew will suffer many casualties. In sickbay, Captain Janeway and The Doctor discuss the scan results, as Admiral Janeway sits elegantly on a biobed. The scans show that she is indeed Kathryn Janeway, decades older. But he has found a piece of microtechnology in her cerebral cortex. It is not alien, though; it bears a Starfleet signature. Admiral Janeway, overhearing the conversation despite the distance between her and them, informs The Doctor that he invented it, or will invent it. It is a synaptic transceiver; it allows her to pilot a vessel equipped with a neural interface. The Doctor becomes very excited to hear this, and eagerly asks her what other inventions he will come up with. Captain Janeway, however, sternly orders him to stop asking. He backs off sheepishly. Seven of Nine then enters. As soon as Admiral Janeway sees her, her face takes on a mix of great happiness and grief. She greets Seven. Her expression makes Seven very uncomfortable; she answers with a silent, curt nod. She reports to Captain Janeway on the inspection of the shuttle's technology. It is, she notes, very impressive, primarily designed to defend against the Borg, as Admiral Janeway said. Janeway asks if any of it can be used on Voyager. Some of it, Seven responds: the ablative armor shell and the weapons. Janeway considers; no matter what, they could always use better defenses and weapons. She orders Seven to see about the appropriation. The work is carried out. At the end of the day, Seven retires to her alcove to regenerate. She steps in, turns around, installs herself and her eyes close. But then she hears a voice, calling her by her full Borg designation: Seven of Nine, tertiary adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. It is not in her mind; it seems to come from everywhere. It sounds somewhat different, but it has the same ageless quality as it had the last time she heard it. Instantly she knows what is happening: the Borg Queen is again contacting her using her neural transceiver, as she did once before. She can no longer control her, but she can contact her in this manner if she so chooses. It is one of the banes of her existence as former drone, and a way has not yet been found to stop it from happening. She opens her eyes to see the interior of the Queen's chamber in the Borg Unicomplex. The Queen smiles and approaches, her malevolence even more pronounced in her gentle, non-threatening manner. Seven angrily demands to know what she wants. The Queen informs her of her awareness of the future Janeway's arrival and asks Seven the reason for it. Seven responds that it is none of her business. The Queen smiles in response and mentally brings up an image of Voyager on her viewscreen. She tells Seven she knows where they are going, and 'suggests' they change course. Seven demands to know why. At this, the Queen comes up to her and caresses her face. She responds that she will assimilate Voyager and all aboard if they do not change course. Seven angrily insists that Voyager is no threat; "We simply want to return to the Alpha Quadrant!" The Queen responds that she has no problem with that. But make no mistake, she warns: "If you try to enter my nebula again I'll destroy you." She then ends the communication, but just before doing so, to accentuate the warning, she sends an EM surge through the signal into Seven's cortical node. Seven wakes up, in her alcove aboard Voyager, badly shaken and in great pain, then collapses, unconscious. Seven is in sickbay, sitting on a biobed. The two Janeways are present as The Doctor treats her. She regains consciousness and informs them of the Borg Queen's warning. Captain Janeway is confused: what is so special about this nebula that the Borg would protect it so? It cannot be the wormholes; Borg transwarp drive is fast enough to reach anywhere in the galaxy in reasonable time, as evidenced by the appearance of Borg vessels in any quadrant. However, Admiral Janeway confidently assures her the Queen will not be able to make good on the threat. Captain Janeway is far from convinced, but her future self explains that the technologies and weapons on the shuttle were developed by her, from the greater experience she had with the Borg before returning to Earth. They work. Janeway, though uneasy, decides to continue going along. She orders the course maintained, but at constant red alert, and orders nonstop scans for Borg activity. Chakotay enters astrometrics and requests a status report from Seven of Nine. She responds that no Borg vessels have been detected for a radius of ten light years. Chakotay voices his confidence in the combined talents of the two Janeways against the Collective. The conversation then turns to what each will do when they get back to Earth. Each is unsure, but they are sure that whatever it is, they will be happy once it keeps them near each other. Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres barks orders in engineering; the engines must be running flawlessly if Voyager is going to enter this Borg-infested nebula again. Paris enters and, as the flight controller, dependent on the engines to execute commands he inputs at the helm, asks her for a systems report. She provides it and voices excitement at finally returning home after all the failed opportunities they have had. Like Chakotay and Seven, they also speak of what they will do when they return. And, like them, they agree that whatever it is, they will be fine as long as they are together. Voyager approaches the Nebula once again. All senior officers are at their posts on the bridge, while Torres is at hers in engineering. Captain Janeway orders the newly-installed ablative armor deployed. It is seen encasing the ship. Janeway orders Paris to maintain course, and Voyager enters the nebula. Admiral Janeway stands looking on. In her chamber in the Borg Unicomplex, the Borg Queen watches Voyager enter the nebula. Her eyes narrow as she inclines her head, mentally ordering all cubes in the nebula to intercept the starship. A cube closes on Voyager and begins firing. But the result is astounding. Its weapons have no effect, beyond degrading the ablative armor by a few percentage points. Another cube joins in, then a third. But the armor integrity does not go under 90%. Captain Janeway orders the course maintained. The cubes desperately try to adapt to the shielding, firing disruptor beams and torpedoes, and locking onto it with tractor beams. No vessel in history, aside from those of Species 8472, has ever survived Borg weapons or failed to be stopped dead in its tracks by a Borg tractor beam. But this time, all fail. However the combined assault starts to tell; Tuvok reports port armor integrity has dropped to 40%. Janeway decides that this is the time to test the new weaponry. She orders Tuvok to target the lead cube and fire a "transphasic torpedo" at it. Tuvok obeys. Two torpedoes streak out from the aft launcher. They hit and instantly destroy the cube. Janeway orders the same thing done to another cube. Tuvok obeys, with the same result. The Borg Queen watches, shocked beyond measure. The cubes are making headway against Voyager, but with those torpedoes, many cubes will be destroyed before Voyager is. Assimilation is out of the question. She sharply turns her head and has the remaining cubes withdraw. Janeway orders Paris to continue toward the center of the nebula. They arrive at the center. The clouds suddenly clear away. What they see is even more astounding: a planet-sized ball of energy, on which is an enormous, dark, web-like construct. A few cubes flit around it. Captain Janeway asks her future self what it is. She does not respond, and instead orders Paris to head for the structure. But Captain Janeway orders him to belay the order, and demands that Admiral Janeway tell her what the object is. Admiral Janeway merely responds that it is "the road home." But Seven of Nine explains it further: it is a Borg transwarp hub. Captain Janeway remembers that Seven once told her that there are only six of them in the entire galaxy. This greatly angers her: why did her future self not tell her this was here? She orders Paris to take them out of the nebula immediately. Admiral Janeway tries to use her greater rank, sternly repeating her order to him. But Captain Janeway rises, comes up to her face and angrily tells her that she is on her bridge, and she will remove her if necessary. She repeats her order to Paris to take Voyager out of the nebula. Paris considers and obeys her; she is his commanding officer, not Admiral Janeway. Admiral Janeway shakes her head in frustration. The senior staff is gathered in astrometrics. Admiral Janeway is also present. Seven of Nine has a graphic of the transwarp hub up on the astrometrics lab's viewscreen. She explains that the hub links with thousands of transwarp conduits whose exit points are all over the galaxy, in every quadrant. The graphic shows this clearly. The officers are amazed. It is the conduits, and not transwarp drive, that allows the Borg to reach anywhere in the galaxy in minutes. Tuvok comments that this is the single most significant tactical advantage the Borg have. Chakotay comments further that with this in the nebula, it is no wonder the Borg Queen wants to keep them out. Captain Janeway, however, is interested in only one thing: destroying it. She asks for recommendations on how to do so. Admiral Janeway looks on, fuming. She listens to them discuss different ideas: destroying the interspatial manifolds shielding each aperture; destroying the structure from the other side after they reach the Alpha Quadrant. She finally loses her patience and angrily tells them why none of the ideas will work: the Borg Queen herself controls the manifolds, and would adapt almost instantly against any attack launched against them. As for destroying the hub from the Alpha Quadrant, this is also impossible, she asserts: the only thing in the Alpha Quadrant is transwarp conduit exit apertures; destroying them will not harm the hub. She criticizes them for wasting time while the Collective is undoubtedly studying their ablative armor and transphasic torpedoes, working on how to adapt to them. She glares at her past self and urges her to return now and use the hub to get home, before it is too late. Janeway glares back, orders the officers to find a viable way to destroy the hub, then takes her future self out into the corridor. Outside, she demands of her why she did not tell her about the hub. Admiral Janeway responds that she remembers her, and therefore Captain Janeway's, self-righteous and stubborn nature. It was this, she contends, that made her put strangers ahead of her crew's welfare and destroy the Caretaker's array to protect the Ocampa, stranding them in the Delta Quadrant seven years ago. She did not tell her about the hub because she knew she would do so again. Captain Janeway asserts that by destroying the hub, they would severely cripple the Borg. Millions of species, countless lives, could be saved from death or the horror of assimilation because the Borg would no longer be able to reach them. Admiral Janeway angrily responds that she did not spend the last ten years looking for a way to get Voyager home sooner so her past self could "throw it all away on some intergalactic goodwill mission!" Captain Janeway retorts that she cannot believe she will become so cynical. She is resolute: if her future self got Voyager home, that means she will too. If it takes a bit longer But her resolve is badly shaken by what Admiral Janeway says next: Seven of Nine is going to die. She will be mortally wounded on an away mission and manage to return to Voyager, where she will die in her husband's arms. And who will be the husband? Chakotay. The only thing that keeps him alive after that is the will to get Voyager home. But once that has been done, he will not live long, dying well before his time. Though shaken, Captain Janeway reasons that she can avoid this happening now that she knows about it. But Admiral Janeway is not finished. She tells her she will lose 22 crewmembers between now and the return to Earth. Then she mentions Tuvok. This stuns Captain Janeway even more. She demands, Temporal Prime Directive or not, to learn what happens to him. Admiral Janeway reveals his degenerative neurological disorder to her. He has not told her about it. There is a cure in the Alpha Quadrant, but by the time they get there, the disease will have progressed so far that it will become incurable, his logic will be severely damaged and he will become senile. He will thus spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital. Captain Janeway stares at her, horrified. Her future self asks her pointedly if she is willing to pass up a chance to prevent any of these tragedies from happening for the sake of Starfleet principles. Captain Janeway is seen sitting with Tuvok in her ready room. She asks him about his disease. He admits to having it. She asks him about the cure. He explains that it is a procedure called fal-tor-voh, and it requires a mind meld with a family member. This confuses her: if so, then why did he not object when she ordered him and the other senior staff members to find a way to destroy the hub. He responds with the words of history's most well known and respected Vulcan: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." The chance to save countless lives from the Borg is worth his mental degeneration. Meanwhile, in Cargo Bay 2, Admiral Janeway tries to encourage Seven of Nine to raise objections to Captain Janeway about trying to destroy the hub. She has told her of her future fate, and how it will affect Chakotay, as an incentive. Seven is very shaken, but reasons that even her death and Chakotay's heartbreak are worth the chance to cut off the Borg from ready access to the rest of the galaxy. Admiral Janeway asks her if that is really so; she will be sacrificing her life and the welfare of people she knows; people she loves and who love her; for the sake of nameless, faceless, hypothetical millions. Seven does not answer; in a tight voice, she asks to be excused so she can return to her work. Admiral Janeway sighs in frustration. The senior staff is again gathered in the briefing room, along with Admiral Janeway. Tuvok and Seven put forward an idea: the use of transphasic torpedoes, fired from inside one of the conduits, programmed to detonate all at once. This should cause a cascading collapse of all the conduits, destroying the hub. The Queen would not be able to stop it. However, to avoid the massive shock wave from the explosion, Voyager would have to get out of the hub in ten seconds. The officers silently consider the idea. Then all eyes turn to Captain Janeway; the final decision is hers. She addresses all of them, speaking of the decision she made that stranded Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. With a glare at her future self, she states that she does not regret that decision. But, she continues, back then, Voyager was only a starship to her. Now, however, the ship and crew have become her home and family. And now, once again they have a golden opportunity to get home, and also have the option to sacrifice it for a noble reason. This time she is not making the call on her own. Each of them, she tells them, has a right to a voice in this, and can speak for the crewmen and junior officers under them. She invites any of them who oppose the idea to speak up. A single voice, she says, and she will scrap the idea and Voyager will use the hub to get home instead. Ensign Kim answers with his own speech. He speaks of all they have been through together, and muses that perhaps it is not the destination that matters; perhaps it is the journey itself. If that journey takes longer so they can do something that they all believe in, so be it. All the officers nod in agreement. The decision is thus unanimous: they will destroy the hub. Admiral Janeway watches the solidarity in wonder and, despite her disagreement, approval. The two Janeways share coffee in the mess hall. Admiral Janeway apologizes to Captain Janeway for lying to her. She admits that she has indeed become rather cynical. She had forgotten how much the crew enjoyed being together, and how loyal they were to her. Captain Janeway thanks her, responding that her counterpart was only doing what she thought was right for the crew. Having remembered her old idealism, Admiral Janeway is infected with it again, and decides to help them destroy the hub. But her past self has an idea: why can they not do both: destroy the hub while using it to get home? She and the crew did something similar before. Admiral Janeway responds that this may indeed be possible; she had thought of a way once, but had considered it too risky. Now, however, in her old mindset, it seems worth the risk. Sometime later, she is in SC-4's cockpit, finishing preparations. Captain Janeway arrives with a hypospray. Admiral Janeway jokes that "it is about time she showed up; she is not getting any younger." Captain Janeway smiles and sits with her. She seriously asks her if she is "sure she wants to do this." Admiral Janeway responds quite wryly: "No", but it is the only way, and "Voyager isn't big enough for the both of us." Captain Janeway administers the contents of the hypospray to her and wishes her luck. Her future self reciprocates the wish, telling her she is "glad to have gotten to know her again." This elicits a full smile from Captain Janeway. She leaves. SC-4 leaves Voyager's shuttlebay. It heads into the nebula and approaches the transwarp hub. It goes into one of the transwarp apertures and vanishes. Chakotay enters astrometrics and finds Seven of Nine there as usual. But her greeting to him is decidedly frosty. He asks her about SC-4. She informs him of its departure into one of the conduits. He notes with amusement her refusal to look at him and her formal manner with him. He thinks it is a joke; they are accustomed to such playacting with each other. But he realizes she is not joking. He concernedly asks her what is wrong. She turns away and goes to another console, still not looking at him, but he follows her and asks again. She responds that she is "just busy", but he does not accept this. He pushes for an explanation. She still refuses to look at him and informs him that she has decided to "alter the parameters" of their relationship. She moves back to the first console, but he doggedly follows, demanding why. She explains that, given the dangerous nature of their work, it is possible one of them could be killed. This would cause pain to the other, and so it is best to cut the emotional attachments. The reason why she says this is obvious: Admiral Janeway's words to her about their future marriage, her death and his broken heart. Chakotay, not knowing any of this, becomes angry: he firmly responds that he cannot shut off his feelings with some switch as she apparently can. This makes her face him. She struggles to hold back tears as she, without being specific, tells him what Admiral Janeway told her: his feelings for her are fated to cause him great pain. Her voice breaking, she tells him she cannot let this happen to him, and tries to leave, all but running away. However, he grabs her and turns her to face him again. Looking directly at her, he tells her that no man has absolutely certain knowledge of what will happen in the future. What is certain is what they have with each other here and now. He will not let her end it because of "what might happen in the future". He caresses her face as he tells her this. She reaches up and takes his hand. Holding it against her chest, she sighs with relief. They stand together, foreheads touching, eyes closed in intimate silence. In sickbay, things are a lot louder. Chief Engineer Torres has again gone into labor. But this time it is very much for real. She bears down, growling in pain, teeth gritted, Klingon temper flaring. The Doctor tells her to try to relax, but she angrily has none of it. Paris paces about agitatedly. Then Captain Janeway hails him from the bridge, ordering him to report the conn station; they are ready to get underway. He begins to tell her what is happening and that he thus cannot come, but Torres insists he go; his skills will be needed if they are to survive and succeed. He hesitates, all his husband instincts telling him to stay with her. But he knows she is right. He acknowledges Janeway, kisses Torres, touches her pregnant belly and rushes out. In the her chamber in the Borg Unicomplex, the Borg Queen listens with her eyes closed as the Collective informs her of Voyager's course. But then a voice not of the Collective, coming from in front of her, makes her open her eyes. Standing in front of her is Admiral Janeway. She flippantly asks the Queen how she deals with "all those voices talking at once" in her head without getting terrible headaches. The Queen's head immediately tilts to one side, looking as if she is communicating with her drones. Admiral Janeway tells her not to bother calling drones to assimilate her. The Queen walks toward her. With a malevolent smile, she responds that she does not need drones to assimilate her. She raises her fist to the future Janeway's neck and extends assimilation tubules into it. But nothing happens. In a glib, taunting voice, Admiral Janeway tells her she is not physically there with her, but is in her mind; she is using a synaptic interface. She is seen in SC-4, a device before her forehead. She advises her not to bother tracing the signal; it is beyond her abilities for the moment. The Queen steps away from her and strolls slowly around her. She asks her what she wants. Admiral Janeway's apparent response is shocking: she is here to make a deal. Sounding very disdainful of her younger self, she informs the Queen of Captain Janeway's plan to attempt to destroy the transwarp hub. This plan, she knows, and the Queen scoffingly tells her, is certain to fail. But she is bent on trying, and with Voyager's new ablative armor and transphasic torpedoes, which the Queen remembers with agitation and dismay, the Borg will suffer heavy casualties. The Queen retorts that they will adapt. But, as they both know, until they do, Voyager will be nigh unstoppable. But, Admiral Janeway tells her smoothly, she is willing to reveal to her how to adapt to the shields and weapons immediately. The Queen, in return, must do one thing: have a cube tractor Voyager and drag it through the appropriate conduit, back to the Alpha Quadrant. The Queen scoffs at the idea that the "incorruptible Kathryn Janeway would betray her own crew." Admiral Janeway corrects her: not betray them, but save them from themselves. Captain Janeway's arrogant, self-righteous attitude, and the crew's blind loyalty to her, she asserts, is keeping them from taking a golden opportunity to get home just to deal a crippling blow to the Borg. "But you'd never try to harm us," the Queen responds sarcastically. Admiral Janeway responds that she is being pragmatic; she simply wants to return the crew home to their families. The Queen phrases it in Borg terms: She is seeking to ensure the welfare of her collective. She can appreciate this, she tells her. She will help. But the price will be more than what she is offering. She wants SC-4 and its database. Admiral Janeway balks at this, and responds that giving the Borg 33-year advanced technology would change the future to an unknown degree; she is not willing to do that. The Queen retorts that she is already willing to do so by helping Voyager return to Earth earlier. Admiral Janeway falls silent for a bit, then agrees to her demands, but insists that she will get the shuttle only after Voyager is returned to the Alpha Quadrant. But at this, the Queen smugly responds that she, Admiral Janeway, underestimated her; while they were talking, her drones succeeded in tracing her synaptic signal. Aboard SC-4, Admiral Janeway immediately orders the computer to shut down the interface and deploy the ablative armor. But it is too late. A tractor beam lances out from a part of the Unicomplex and seizes SC-4, bringing it out of the stealth mode it was in. It was hidden right in the midst of the complex. Admiral Janeway is beamed into the Queen's chamber, for real this time. She looks around in alarm. The Queen smiles and compliments her on her cleverness, hiding "right on her doorstep". She asks her what her plan of attack was. When Admiral Janeway does not respond, she strides up to her and violently plunges her assimilation tubules into her throat. Admiral Janeway sinks to the floor, gagging, as the millions of Borg nanoprobes injected into her system begin their work. The Queen watches triumphantly. Voyager, having reentered the nebula, races toward the transwarp hub. Captain Janeway orders Paris to take them to the aperture her future self had specified the first time, and enter it. He obeys. In the Queen's chamber, the Queen strolls around Admiral Janeway's collapsed form, watching her being assimilated, smiling. She hears the Collective as it informs her of Voyager's entry into a transwarp hub which leads to the Alpha Quadrant. She prepares to send a fleet of cubes in after it to assimilate it and the crew. But then she staggers violently as the sound of the Collective's voice is momentarily replaced by a horrid screeching. She struggles to regain her feet, a blank look of uncomprehending shock on her face. It happens again, and then again. The third time sparks and explosions fly in the chamber. Admiral Janeway, her face marred with emerging Borg implants, looks up at her weakly and sneers: "Must be something you assimilated." More explosions occur. The Queen, wracked with pain, realizes that for yet another time, Kathryn Janeway has outsmarted the Borg. The whole maneuver had been a set up, and the Borg Queen had taken the bait. By assimilating Janeway, the Queen had contracted the neurolytic pathogen she carried in her bloodstream. That pathogen is now in her, and racing throughout the Collective. Janeway had done it in order to break the Queen's control over the manifold shielding around the transwarp conduits. Now Voyager, with its transphasic torpedoes, can tear it apart. The Queen looks at Admiral Janeway in shocked horror. Now it is Admiral Janeway's turn to smile triumphantly. Voyager races along the transwarp conduit. Seven, at auxiliary tactical, reports that Admiral Janeway succeeded; the conduit's shields are weakening. Janeway orders Tuvok to fire the torpedoes. He does; three of them streak out from the aft launcher, back along the conduit. They hit the aperture and destroy it, beginning the cascading destruction of the entire hub. The Queen watches on the viewer, stumbling with the pain of the pathogen. She tries to tell herself Voyager will not survive the shock wave, but Admiral Janeway tells her that they will; she and her past self have made sure of that. "It's you who underestimated us" she sneers, pulling herself to her feet. The Queen is wracked with another spasm, as bigger explosions and showers of sparks fly in the chamber all around. The entire chamber vibrates. She is now cut off from the Collective. And the Collective, because of the pathogen, is now cut off from her and itself. Suddenly she feels something wrong in her arm. She looks at it. It sparks and begins to separate from her body. She fearfully tears it off and throws it away. Then she realizes that the drones aboard one sphere can still hear her. She instructs them to alter course into Voyager's conduit and destroy Voyager at all costs. The sphere is seen detouring from the conduit it was in into the one Voyager is racing along. The Queen smiles desperately, for the Collective had assimilated the armor technology and the pathogen, but then one of her legs stops working and falls off. She collapses, never to rise again. As Admiral Janeway watches her, the dying Queen looks up at her and tells her, and also tells herself, that Captain Janeway is about to die; if she has no future, Admiral Janeway will never have existed, and everything that she has done today will never happen. She then dies, her mechanical body separating from its cybernetic torso in death. Admiral Janeway can only hope she is wrong. The entire chamber explodes, incinerating her. The explosion cascades throughout the entire complex, killing the trillions of drones there, shattering the already broken hive mind. At Starfleet Communications on Earth, senior Starfleet official Admiral Owen Paris watches a transwarp conduit opening on a viewscreen in alarm, along with Lieutenant Barclay and other Starfleet officers. The opening is less than a light year from Earth. They all know of only one race that uses transwarp conduits. Admiral Paris tensely orders every Federation starship scrambled to the opening to combat whatever Borg vessels emerge from it. As the transwarp hub is destroyed, the single Borg sphere catches up with Voyager in the conduit. It fires on it repeatedly. On Voyager's bridge, Tuvok reports the imminent failure of the aft ablative armor. The sphere opens a huge hatch to engulf them. Kim reports hull breaches on several decks. Chakotay asks how long until they come to the nearest conduit exit is. Seven tells him it is 30 seconds away, but it will deposit them back into the Delta Quadrant. Janeway watches the viewscreen and the conduit stretching away. Her jaw sets with determination and she orders Paris to make a certain heading adjustment. In the Alpha Quadrant, Starfleet vessels of all classes converges on the conduit opening. At Starfleet Communications, an admiral informs Admiral Paris of the fleet strength: eighteen ships in all, with nine more en route. The ships seen just prior to this include a Galaxy-class, an Akira-class, a Defiant-class, a Nebula-class, an Excelsior-class, a Miranda-class, a Saber-class, and a Prometheus-class. Admiral Paris has a channel opened to the fleet and orders it to use all necessary force against any Borg vessels that emerge. The sphere that was chasing Voyager emerges from the collapsing transwarp conduit in front of the fleet that now comprises 27 ships. Immediately the ships open fire but cause no significant damage. On Voyager's bridge, the officers are quiet, expectant. Janeway asks Paris where they are. His answer: "Right where we expected to be." Seven of Nine then confirms that the transwarp network has been destroyed. Captain Janeway instructs Tuvok to enact a previously given order she issued to him. He obeys. Within the sphere, Voyager fires a single transphasic torpedo. It streaks out and hits the sphere's interior, causing it to explode from within. The fleet and, at Starfleet Communications, the gathered officers, watch dumbfounded as the sphere suddenly explodes, seemingly for no reason. But what they see next shocks them even more. Then shock is immediately replaced by overjoyed amazement. Out of the explosion flies the USS Voyager, safely back in the Alpha Quadrant. On Voyager's bridge, Captain Janeway and the bridge officers watch the fleet before them, silently. They are stunned speechless by what they've just accomplished. After seven years and a seeming eternity of struggling for survival in the most distant reaches of the galaxy, the crew of Voyager have achieved the impossible; they have finally come home. Janeway mutters a quiet thank you to her future self. A hail comes in. Janeway orders it answered on-screen. The wonder- and joy-filled filled faces of Admiral Paris and Lieutenant Barclay appear. Other officers stand behind them, beaming. Janeway quietly apologizes for the surprise. Admiral Paris welcomes them back. He begins to ask about what happened with the sphere, but Janeway respectfully interrupts, telling him it will all be in her report. He responds that he is looking forward to reading it, and ends the communication. The Doctor hails the bridge from sickbay. The cooing of a baby is heard. Paris turns around in surprised joy; he had completely forgotten. In sickbay, The Doctor hands the newborn, Paris' new daughter, to her mother, and grins as he tells Paris that, "there is someone here who would like to say hello." Janeway also beams as she gives Paris leave to go and join them. He rushes off. She quietly invites Chakotay to replace him at the helm, which he does with pleasure. And finally, she walks to her seat, sits slowly down and, swallowing back emotion, joyfully gives the order she has waited seven long years to give, using the very same words she used to give that order to Paris at the start of their journey: "Set a course for home." The fleet is seen in formation around Voyager, escorting her, slowly, toward Earth. 
<EOS>
From beyond Earth's atmosphere, a Vulcan ship descends and lands in Bozeman, Montana. Watched by a crowd of onlookers, a member of the Vulcan crew disembarks and approaches Zefram Cochrane. The alien performs a Vulcan salute and recites a Vulcan salutation: "Live long and prosper." Cochrane tries to imitate the newcomer's salute. After an unsuccessful attempt, he lowers his hand and, instead of holding it for a handshake (which is what happened in a similar parallel universe), he reaches into his coat and pulls out a shotgun with which he shoots the Vulcan, who instantly collapses. A bearded man in the crowd tells the other Human spectators to board the alien ship and take everything they can. Then the crowd storms the Vulcan craft with guns and attack the crew. Aboard the ISS Enterprise, Reed and Dr. Phlox demonstrate their new invention of an agony booth to Captain Maximilian Forrest and First Officer Jonathan Archer, using the booth on a Tellarite officer named Terev. The observers discuss attributes of certain torture methods. Although Reed is unsure why Terev is being punished, the Major believes all Tellarites are guilty of something. Captain Forrest exits, followed out by Archer. In a corridor, Archer reminds the captain of a proposal he made to venture into Tholian space (which in the Mirrorverse is NOT linked the senses-scrambling sector in the tholian web), as Archer has received news of a technology there that would give the Terran Empire the upper hand against a rebellion. However, Forrest wants to help the Empire's assault fleet annihilate the rebels, as ordered by Starfleet. Although Forrest suspects that Archer wants to use the technology to attain personal glory, the first officer repudiates this. Archer's insistence on his plan influences Forrest to threaten the first officer with a place in the agony booth. Archer finally yields to Forrest's authority. Forrest is later busily reviewing work in his quarters when Hoshi Sato, the captain's woman, approaches, eager to relax him. They kiss passionately, Forrest conceding to her advances. Hoshi remarks that she is likely the only person aboard who doesn't want to kill him. Relaying rumor that a recent battle with the rebellion at Tau Ceti went well, Hoshi plans that -- once the war is over -- she will return to teaching students in Brazil while Forrest will accept a desk job at Starfleet Headquarters. He, however, explains that the battle was much worse than she has heard; Forrest implies that he is hiding the truth from the rest of the crew. Hoshi advises him to forget about the war and goes back to passionately kissing him. As Enterprise warps through space, Forrest is making his way through the ship, closely followed by a MACO, when they are ambushed by Archer and MACOs allied with him, including Major Reed in a turbolift and Sergeant Travis Mayweather. Despite Archer ordering Reed to lock Forrest in the brig, the Major is intent on killing the imprisoned captain. Archer threateningly insists that Forrest be kept alive so Reed ultimately relents. T'Pol is sitting in the bridge's command chair when Archer and his MACOs arrive. Archer seizes control of the bridge and -- via a ship-wide communication that is heard by Hoshi Sato, Dr. Phlox and the disfigured Chief Engineer Charles Tucker -- he assumes command of the rest of the ship, claiming that Starfleet ordered not only his takeover but also that he direct the ship on a vital, secretive mission into Tholian space. He assures the crew that if their mission is successful, Starfleet will crush the rebellion once and for all. Following the message, Archer tells a suspicious T'Pol that his orders were privately sent to him. He oversees the ship's change of course and orders T'Pol to help with the installation of a stored Suliban cloaking device, as it will be necessary to the mission. In the captain's ready room, T'Pol reluctantly accepts that Archer is in command. He shows her Zefram Cochrane's shotgun from a century prior, wondering what might have happened if Cochrane had not used it to kill the first Vulcan who set foot on Earth. Reminding T'Pol that she is also Vulcan, Archer asserts his authority. She lets him know that they have likely already entered Tholian-occupied space, as they frequently annex systems outside of their core territory. Archer assigns her to search for a particular warp signature and, just as she is about to leave, he calls her back in with news that he is promoting her to first officer, explaining why he prefers to assign her to that position rather than Reed. Finally dismissed by Archer, T'Pol exits. He meanwhile returns Cochrane's gun to its display. Later, Archer personally promotes Sergeant Mayweather to acting as the Captain's personal guard. Mayweather starts to congratulate Archer on his successful mutiny but the newly appointed captain cuts him short, followed by snarls from a hungry Porthos. Hoshi arrives and Archer dismisses Mayweather. Hoshi admits that she knows Archer didn't receive orders from Starfleet. He shows a curious Hoshi that Forrest is still alive through an image of the brig on his desktop monitor and says the former captain will remain that way as long as Hoshi cooperates. Although she seduces Archer into accepting her continuance as the Captain's woman, she pulls a knife out while they kiss. He disarms her as T'Pol hails him. The Vulcan reports that Enterprise is approaching the sought-after warp signature and Archer warns Hoshi to be "in a better mood" upon his return. Enterprise drops out of warp, nearing its target: a Tholian ship, manned by a single Tholian. Following a failed plan to tractor onto the enemy craft and a subsequent brief exchange of firepower, Enterprise disables the Tholian ship. Its pilot starts an overload in its reactor but is beamed into Enterprise's Decon chamber just as its own ship explodes. Acting on orders from Archer, Dr. Phlox delightedly begins to torture the Tholian by modifying the chamber's atmosphere. The senior staff gather outside the Decon chamber. Archer is initially startled by the Tholian suddenly appearing. He is interested to know where the Tholians have taken a Terran vessel they captured. Phlox tortures the prisoner until it admits that Archer's quarry is at an orbital facility in the Vintaak system. The Tholian then starts using its own crystalline structure to transmit a distress signal. Archer lets his senior officers know that he would prefer to keep the alien alive but unconscious until its information is confirmed. Working with T'Pol on installing the cloak in Engineering, Tucker sees to it that she has a radiation meter from engineering officer Biggs, as it will prevent her from absorbing the same kind of delta rays that disfigured him. Discussion turns, much to T'Pol's discomfort, to a past experience wherein Tucker allowed her to relieve pon farr with him. An electrical overload sparking to the cloaking device electrocutes Tucker. Archer and Reed later inquire into the incident. The captain is insistent that Tucker prioritize the cloak's repair. Reed is suspicious of the overload, while a secretly knowledgeable T'Pol watches, but Tucker objects to Reed's MACOs investigating. In the brig, Archer demands that Forrest identify the saboteur, believing it was a spy assigned by Admiral Black, but Forrest claims ignorance. Archer orders Mayweather, on brig duty, to search the captain's quarters for telltale messages from Starfleet. Mayweather complies, ignoring a cautioning of execution from Forrest. Now alone with Archer, Forrest criticizes him of having always lacked ambition. Archer brutalizes Forrest, citing his imprisonment as a sign that he is incorrect. Forrest pleads for Archer to release him, claiming consequences of both freeing him and killing him. Archer throws him against a bulkhead and departs. In the bridge's situation room, Reed explains to Archer that evidence points to Tucker as being the saboteur. Tucker is later punished in the agony booth. Through severe pain, Tucker claims he is innocent and threatens Reed for having implicated him but Reed merely teases Tucker in return. Archer suspects Tucker is Admiral Black's spy and, despite Tucker insisting to the contrary, a distrusting Archer directs Reed to continue subjecting Tucker to the agony booth. Later in the captain's quarters, Archer and Hoshi lie together, clearly having had sexual intercourse. The captain ensures that Hoshi transmitted data to the fleet admiral but only refers to it cryptically, as an "insurance policy." Archer then starts to suspect T'Pol of being the saboteur, finding that she cannot be located by the ship's computer as the overload damaged the internal sensors. T'Pol meanwhile leads a successful rescue effort to free Forrest from the brig, two Vulcan companions of hers having a brief encounter with Archer, who escapes in a turbolift. Forrest and T'Pol then retake command from the bridge but find that the ship is locked on course, which Archer personally confirms before sarcastically relinquishing command to Forrest. With Archer having spent ten hours in the agony booth, Phlox remarks to Captain Forrest that he is amazed by Archer's pain threshold but the captain is reluctantly forced to release Archer from the booth. Forrest not only wishes to instead use it on Major Reed but also privately informs Archer that Fleet Admiral Gardner has ordered his release, having been intrigued by the data Archer sent via Hoshi; the captain implies that the data pertained to Archer's plan to search for the captured Terran vessel. A seething Forrest lets Archer know that his betrayal is unforgivable and notifies Archer that he is due to brief the senior staff in an hour. While Enterprise continues at warp speed, the senior staff are gathered in the briefing room. T'Pol cites the findings of the Vulcan Science Directorate as proof that alternate realities do not exist but Archer says Tholians are a little more open-minded than Vulcans. He continues briefing the senior staff, explaining that -- after managing to open an interphasic rift into a parallel universe -- the Tholians intentionally lured a ship through from the other side. Archer also reveals that he bought his information from a Humanoid laborer working for the Tholians and shows the other officers some images of the captured ship. The assembled crew members muse over the significance of the craft, which Archer says is not only from another universe but also from about a hundred years into the future. T'Pol strongly objects to the information, fearing it is a trap and reminding Forrest of Archer's crimes, but Forrest insultingly interrupts her -- adamant that they will investigate the ship -- and instructs Tucker to get the cloak working before he exits. While working on the cloak in Engineering, Tucker becomes distracted by T'Pol's presence and vents his anger at her for having apparently falsified the evidence that incriminated him earlier. She explains that she seduced him away from engineering before motivating him, by way of a Vulcan mind meld, to sabotage the cloak himself before using another meld to alter his memory of what had happened. She states that she was duty-bound to help Forrest regain command. Tucker warns that she will regret her actions, although T'Pol dismisses his threat. He calls the bridge and reports that the cloak is ready, so Forrest orders for it to be engaged. The ship at first encounters slight energy fluctuations but then cloaks. Soon thereafter, T'Pol is at the bridge's science station when Enterprise reaches its destination, in proximity of a gas giant in the Vintaak system. The bridge officers spot the captured ship in a drydock built into a moon of the gas giant. The vessel is the Constitution-class Federation starship USS Defiant. Leaving the Federation's universe, it entered a universe with a reverse-timeline, and aolians triggered a wormhole hundred years earlier went to the mirror universe when its tholans triggered a wormhole to it. T'Pol briefs Archer, Tucker, Reed and Forrest in the situation room, telling them that Defiant's systems, even that of life support, are powered down. Those alive aboard the Defiant consist of thirteen non-Humans, including one reptilian. Although Tucker is impressed by the vessel's engineering capabilities, Forrest plans for Archer to lead an assault team to salvage as much as possible from the craft's databanks before destroying the ship, as the captain fears that the region of space is too dangerous-because the tholians have military there. Archer objects to this plan but Forrest shouts him down. Moments after the others leave, Forrest instructs T'Pol to join the assault team, conspiratorially implying that he wants her to ensure Archer dies during the mission. Wearing environmental suits, the team (now including Sergeant Mayweather) beam into a corridor of the Defiant to find that the Tholians have been gutting the vessel. The team also come across a dead Human security officer lying beside a discarded phaser-who in the federations universe halucinated and shot his own arrm Reed offers to hold the weapon but Archer takes it instead, holstering it to his EV suit's pants. On Enterprise, a sedative that Phlox has been using on the Tholian pilot stops working and the alien begins retransmitting its bodily distress signal. After the signal is detected on the bridge, Forrest contacts Phlox, ordering him to kill the Tholian. Doing so takes time and Phlox becomes impatiently frustrated. He eventually succeeds in destroying the Tholian but its communication has attracted the attention of three Tholian vessels that approach Enterprise and start to hail the ship. The assault team meanwhile arrive on the Defiant's darkened bridge. They find only two deceased officers there, one of whom is a man wearing a command division uniform; Archer assumes he is the captain and T'Pol reports he has a broken neck. With Archer's approval, Tucker begins attempting to repower the vessel. Four more Tholian ships approach Enterprise and, despite an initial attempt by Forrest to withdraw from the mission, the alien vessels are not only jamming communications between the pair of Starfleet ships but also subsequently create an energy web that surrounds Enterprise. Forrest first tries to fire the ship's weaponry through the web and then maneuver out of it but neither method succeeds; Enterprise is trapped. Tucker's eventual restoration of power to the Defiant's systems enables T'Pol to monitor Enterprise's situation. Moments later, Forrest orders the crew to abandon ship but, much to Hoshi's concern, he chooses to stay behind in the hope that he might be able to buy the survivors more time. Archer orders that the Defiant's weapons and engine systems are brought back on-line and, with the help of Mayweather and Reed, he starts to remove the two dead officers from their positions in front of the command chair. Enterprise meanwhile launches its complement of escape pods but many are instantly destroyed. Forrest holds on to the helm station of his dying ship, moments before the assault team watch through the Defiant's viewscreen as Enterprise explodes. 
<EOS>
On the bridge of the USS Defiant -- having just witnessed the destruction of the ISS Enterprise by the Tholians -- Commander Archer supervises Chief Engineer Tucker, T'Pol, and Major Reed, as the team desperately try to escape from a Tholian drydock that holds the Defiant. Even though they manage to shake the starship free from the facility's docking clamps with the ship's deflector shields, six Tholian ship approach and speedily construct an energy net over the opening of the dock, effectively barring the Defiant's escape. With T'Pol's assistance, Tucker manages to restore power to the Defiant's weapon systems from the bridge's engineering station. The ship then blasts its way out of the dock, destroying half of the Tholian ships in the process and continues maneuvering away, firing aft photon torpedoes at the Tholian facility while departing. Reed detects escape pods from Enterprise, so Archer orders that they be brought aboard. As the Defiant continues on impulse power, Archer confers with his officers, including Doctor Phlox and Hoshi Sato, in the ship's briefing room. He demands that Tucker carry out the difficult task of restoring the advanced ship's warp drive, and T'Pol suggests using the expertise of the alien slave workers aboard to do so. Archer implies an agreement with T'Pol's recommendation. Although he plans that the ship will rendezvous with the Terran Empire's assault fleet, T'Pol argues that they are unprepared for battle. Archer insists on his plan and dismisses the other officers, but ensures T'Pol stays behind. He is furious that she betrayed him while aboard Enterprise. Now that Captain Forrest is dead and T'Pol finds herself threatened by Archer, she pledges allegiance to her new commanding officer, who claims the only reason she is still alive is that he needs her to help run the Defiant. Finally, after threatening her with death if he hears so much as a rumor that she's working behind his back, he angrily dismisses her. Hoshi Sato later arrives at the captain's quarters and is amused to find Archer proudly adorned in a tunic belonging to the Defiant's former captain. After discussing the uniform, Archer tells Sato about the parallel universe that the Defiant is from, having reviewed the ship's databanks. While she pours him a green drink, he says that the other universe has no Terran Empire but that Earth instead is a founding member of the United Federation of Planets. Archer and Sato humiliate one another by showing each other the service record of the other's counterpart, Sato finding that Archer's duplicate was a highly successful Starfleet officer. Archer finds difficulty with accepting that his own counterpart was so instrumental in the Federation's founding. Sato tries to distract Archer with thoughts of his own promising future but, when she mentions that Starfleet will have to give him a command of his own, Archer declares he already has that -- the Defiant. At a vertical Jefferies tube, Tucker is irritated by Ensign Kelby reporting that a pair of plasma regulators have recently gone missing from the tube's interior. Tucker threatens Kelby to find the regulators, or be made responsible for the Defiant's inability to go to warp. After Tucker hurries away, Kelby climbs into an access tunnel above, hearing strange rattling. He finds one of the regulators lying on the floor but is pulled headfirst into a Jefferies tube directly above him. On the bridge, Phlox reports to Archer that evidence regarding Kelby's death indicates the killer was a large reptilian. T'Pol, Reed, and Phlox discuss the reptilian. Tucker arrives and irritably comments that, without the plasma regulators, the ship is stuck at impulse, indicating -- as T'Pol deduces -- that the saboteur was well-acquainted with the ship's systems. Reed enthusiastically approves with Archer ordering him to bring one of the alien slaves to the briefing room. There, Archer brutally interrogates a blue-skinned alien, who fears the reptilian will kill him and is therefore initially tight-lipped. Archer pressures the slave by pushing a phaser into his neck, threatening to disintegrate him with the weapon. This eventually makes the alien divulge information about the reptilian saboteur -- a slave-master named Slar who was responsible for gutting the ship and whose species is Gorn. On the bridge, Reed shows Archer a schematic of the Defiant on the viewscreen and updates him on the search for Slar, who recently escaped from Reed's MACOs. Archer sees a hallucination of his counterpart from the Federation universe, who criticizes the lengthy search effort and boasts about how he handled a similar situation. A frustrated Archer directs Reed to form an assault team that Archer himself will lead. From the communications station, Sato detects Slar but cannot pinpoint his location. Archer contacts the Gorn but is unwilling to negotiate the return of the plasma regulators in exchange for allowing Slar to leave in a shuttlecraft. Eventually, Slar abruptly ends the transmission. Archer reminds Reed to form the assault team and explains to T'Pol, as he heads off the bridge, that he is skeptical of the Gorn's sincerity. Inside a turbolift, Archer's hallucinatory double reappears, whispering to him that defeating Slar will finally earn Archer the respect he deserves. Archer later leads the assault team -- including Reed and four MACOs -- through the ship, first heading up a vertical Jefferies tube and into an access tunnel. Reed and two of the MACOs fall victim to a trap, however, and are downed by a remotely triggered explosion. Contacting T'Pol on the bridge, Archer learns of the Gorn's whereabouts and tells her to standby with that deck's environmental controls. He and the remaining MACO near the Gorn's location silently search a corridor that is strewn both with exposed internals of the ship and with the bodies of several deceased officers. Without noticing Slar, Archer passes directly beneath the Gorn. He gives the MACO an all-clear signal, moments before Slar plummets down on Archer, causing him to drop his phaser. As he and the MACO assault the Gorn, it scratches Archer's torso before turning its ferocious attention on the MACO, who Slar picks up and slams into a bulkhead. The Gorn approaches Archer as he quickly contacts T'Pol, instructing her to increase a certain section of the gravity plating. Her doing so drags the Gorn to the deck. Joined by two MACOs from a nearby turbolift, Archer repeatedly shoots the Gorn 6 times, killing Slar. As the Defiant proceeds at warp, T'Pol and Phlox sit together in the officers' lounge. Phlox reveals to a curious T'Pol that Reed could just as likely die as survive and that he himself has been researching classical literature of both universes. With the exception of the consistently grim playwright Shakespeare, Phlox has a lowly opinion of the other universe's stories, finding the characters to be weak and compassionate. T'Pol begins to speak of the Federation's equality but Phlox fears the danger that the crew could learn such discoveries. Their conversation is interrupted by a call to battle stations. Meanwhile, the NX-class starship ISS Avenger rushes out of a debris field, under attack by four rebel vessels in pursuit. The Avenger is fighting a losing battle, with Admiral Black assuming command from a dead captain. However, the Defiant soon arrives and speedily dispatches three of the rebel ships, despite T'Pol trying to dissuade Archer from destroying a Vulcan craft. He leaves an Andorian ship to warn the other rebels of the mass destruction and then contacts Admiral Black, who is puzzled by the absence of Enterprise. Archer says the situation will take time to explain and invites the admiral aboard the Defiant. Returning from a tour of the ship, Archer and an impressed Black later enter the briefing room, accompanied by Sergeant Mayweather, the Avenger's Vulcan second-in-command (Soval) and a guard of the admiral's. As the admiral refuses to grant Archer a battlefield commission to captain of the Defiant and Archer is teased by an illusory reappearance of his own duplicate, he insists that he is already a captain and -- immediately after Mayweather kicks the admiral's guard to the deck -- Archer disintegrates Black with a phaser. With Avenger and the Defiant traveling side-by-side, officers from both ships are gathered in Avenger's launch bay and watch Archer make a dramatic spiel, gradually moving from a walkway above the bay to a kneeling position atop a shuttlepod. He lengthily criticizes Starfleet Command for having allowed the recent annihilation of the assault fleet and rallies the officers to his cause against Starfleet Command, proposing that they utilize the Defiant's advanced capabilities. Later, T'Pol and Soval have a conspiratorial meeting in the latter Vulcan's quarters. Soval remarks that T'Pol's use of a Vulcan salute, upon her arrival, is socially hazardous. She confirms that he read about the Federation, from the Defiant's historical database. Fearing that Archer will decimate the Vulcan species and their homeworld, T'Pol appeals for Soval to help her betray Archer, suggesting that she acquire the Defiant's schematics before giving them to the rebels. Soval at first argues against her and is alarmed by her announcing that she will destroy the Defiant but he eventually acquiesces to her intentions. Meanwhile, Archer and then Sato -- the captain's woman -- sit up from the bed of the captain's quarters, which are now darkened. Archer worries that his senior officers, particularly T'Pol, doubt that he can succeed. Attempting to reassure him, Sato suggests disposing of T'Pol, now that the Defiant is operational. Archer suddenly reveals he is intending to transfer all the non-Humans off the ship but Sato reminds him that Phlox is one of those aliens. As the couple begin to passionately caress each other, Archer accepts that Phlox can remain aboard, as his species are not rebels, and Sato wonders what will be required in the role of the Emperor's consort, to which Archer says she seems to have mastered the basics. On the bridge, T'Pol secretly downloads Defiant's schematics from the science station. After arriving on the bridge with Mayweather and a MACO, however, Archer not only orders that he be put in contact with Fleet Admiral Gardner, but also directs the MACO to escort T'Pol to transporter room two. Just before she leaves, Archer makes it clear to T'Pol that she is no longer needed nor wanted aboard the ship. Gardner appears on the viewscreen and is furiously astounded that Archer has had the gall to demand Starfleet's "unconditional surrender." Explaining that Admiral Black is currently unavailable, Archer exchanges threats with Gardner over the consequences of whether the Defiant is permitted access to Earth, though the Fleet Admiral is far more serious in his demeanor. He warns Archer that the Defiant will be fired upon if it continues to approach Earth, then cuts the channel. While walking through a corridor of the Defiant, Phlox is signaled by an intercom with a request for his immediate presence aboard the Avenger, apparently due to an unspecified medical emergency. Soon after arriving there, however, he finds that neither T'Pol nor Soval are injured. On the walkway above Avenger's launch bay, the Vulcans attempt to convince Phlox to join their mutinous crusade. The doctor is initially astonished that they want him to sabotage the Defiant. Although he continues to dispute their ideas, Phlox starts to become convinced to join them, after the Vulcans tempt him by imagining what the Emperor might grant him in return for saving his life from Archer, such as an unlimited number of concubines. Ultimately, Phlox justifies the Vulcans' plan to himself. T'Pol later hurries through a corridor aboard Avenger but is confronted by Hoshi Sato and a MACO, who have phase weapons poised at the ready. Sato demands to know where the downloaded schematics are, but T'Pol feigns mere confusion. Despite Sato trying to take T'Pol back into custody, the Vulcan repeatedly attacks the MACO and a fight ensues between T'Pol and Sato, the women exchanging catty insults. T'Pol eventually knocks Sato to the deck, but her attempted escape is thwarted by the MACO, who stuns T'Pol with his own particle rifle. Standing back up, Sato orders the MACO to bring T'Pol with them. Meanwhile, Phlox sneaks into a Jefferies tube aboard the Defiant and Soval oversees the securing of the Avenger's bridge, an Andorian male and an Orion female manning the helm and tactical stations, respectively. Having learned of T'Pol's most recent mutiny against him, Archer talks with her in the briefing room, having obtained her copy of downloaded Defiant schematics, while Sato sits nearby. An uncooperative T'Pol contends that an alliance like the Federation is inevitable in their own universe and that Humanity will eventually pay for its arrogance. Phlox begins to sabotage the Defiant from inside an access tunnel and is, at first, assisted with vocal commands from Soval, who remains on Avenger's bridge. Aboard the Defiant, the sabotage results in a power drain developing, which Tucker decides to personally investigate. Aided by the gradual loss of the Defiant's total power, Avenger launches an incessant offensive against the Defiant, aboard which Tucker finds and battles Phlox. After managing to floor the saboteur, Tucker re-energizes the Defiant, restoring the craft's shields and weapon systems. The Defiant retaliates against Avenger, which Archer purposefully destroys. Later lying down on their bunk while drenched in sweat, Archer tells Sato to delete the historical database on the following morning. As Sato hands him a glass from the floor and takes one for herself, Archer fears that anyone else might become inspired by the Federation. The couple toast their drinks to his plan before Sato changes the subject of discussion, wondering if he thinks Starfleet's commanders will support him. Archer believes they are consistently loyal to whomever holds the title of Emperor and, upon considering the start of his own reign, he pours a celebratory drink into his throat while holding his glass in the air. He continues to plot his reign but his words become thready and he collapses to the floor, clutching his chest in agony. After rushing to the room's door, Sato opens it for Mayweather, who she passionately kisses while a pained Archer watches, realizing she has betrayed him before he loses consciousness. The Defiant orbits Earth as Sato enters the bridge, accompanied by Mayweather and a MACO. At her instruction, Fleet Admiral Gardner appears on the viewscreen. Sato threatens the admiral that the Defiant will attack Earth if Starfleet does not immediately surrender. She identifies herself, to a perplexed Gardner, as "Empress Sato" and advises him to await her commands. 
<EOS>
In a jungle, space-suited aliens are chasing down a primal-like creature whom they promptly kill with their flame throwers. Captain Archer is able to discover, from the Xindi's stolen database, the last planetary stop of the destroyed Xindi ship. Upon arrival at the planet the Enterprise discovers a metallic signature on the planet and an away team is assembled to go down and investigate. The away team, consisting of Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Hoshi Sato, Archer, and T'Pol, discovers a landing craft and some scorched corpses. Within mere moments Reed is infected with a virus and transformed into a primal-like creature. T'Pol discovers this and heads back to the landing craft, only to discover that Archer is now also infected. After stunning Archer in a defensive maneuver, T'Pol (who seems unaffected by the virus) is attacked by Sato. T'Pol attempts to run away but falls and is rendered unconscious. The troop of new mutants carries T'Pol to a clearing and has a discussion about her in a strange language. T'Pol, in a highly agitated state for a Vulcan, convinces them to give her the universal translator. She makes little progress talking to them, but discovers they are looking for Urquat. Meanwhile, Trip Tucker has put together a rescue party despite Doctor Phlox's advice about visiting the planet. On the planet, the rescue team is able to stun Reed and take him back to the ship while T'Pol rejoins the Archer mutant. The doctor discovers he needs T'Pol's Vulcan DNA in order to synthesize a cure. At this point, Tucker is called to the bridge as two alien ships have just appeared at the planet. Upon communicating with the ships, Enterprise discovers it is in restricted space and that the aliens know they have an infected person on board and are preparing to board Enterprise. Tucker attempts to defuse the situation and has the alien visit the ship. With the visit it is revealed that an ancient race, called the Loque'eque, created the virus to perpetuate their race as they could no longer propagate. The aliens (who were never named) intend to eliminate all infected victims as the virus spreads like wildfire and drives all who change into Loque'eque to find their home. On the planet it appears the Archer mutant discovers a lost underground city teeming with life but then wakes up from a dream. Then Archer, Sato, and T'Pol manage to get to the lost city, Urquat, only to discover it is dead and lifeless. Confused by the dead city, Archer assumes it was T'Pol's race that destroyed them, at which point they are discovered by the aliens searching to destroy them. In the ensuing melee, Archer manages to destroy the suit of one of the aliens, thereby infecting him. His comrades promptly "torch" him. The mutants make it outside of the caves and are surrounded by the aliens, but Tucker appears and rescues the mutants. They make it back to the ship, scramble out of orbit, and are chased by the aliens. After a brief battle, the partially-cured Sato and Archer appear on the bridge and the aliens finally accept that a cure is possible, and break off the attack. Dr. Phlox wants to destroy the last of the mutagenic virus, thereby possibly eliminating the last vestiges of the Loque'eque. Archer doesn't want that to happen and orders the doctor to put the vial in stasis. Archer assumes that the unnamed aliens will destroy the last traces of the virus on the planet with their new cure. He reasons that soon the last trace of this civilization will be Dr. Phlox's sample. 
<EOS>
In San Francisco of the year 2121, a young boy named Jonathan Archer paints a model of his father's spacecraft. When he recites a famed quote from a speech by Zefram Cochrane, Henry Archer tells him the inventor of the warp drive would be proud of him. Jonathan curiously asks about his father's upcoming ship, wondering if it will be bigger than "Ambassador Pointy's" ship. Henry corrects his son, noting that the ambassador is actually named Soval, an extremely helpful Vulcan. Jonathan responds that -- according to Billy Cook, an acquaintance of his -- Humans would already be flying at warp five, if the Vulcans had not intervened. Although Henry Archer does not fully understand the reasons behind the Vulcans' constraint, he believes that there must be an explanation. Thirty years later, the Broken Bow Incident takes place in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, on Earth. A pair of aliens pursue Klaang through a corn field, the Klingon pilot of a crash-landed K'toch-class scout ship, attract the attention of a farmer named Moore. Although Klaang eventually manages to kill the aliens by blowing up a corn silo with them in it with his disruptor, he is shot with Moore's plasma rifle. Aboard a inspection pod, Orbital 6, Jonathan Archer, now a captain in Starfleet, and Commander Charles Tucker inspect the prototype NX-class starship Enterprise NX-01 in the Orbital Drydock Facility, a spacedock orbiting Earth. After being urgently called back to Starfleet Medical, Archer attends a meeting where a group of high-ranking Starfleet officers, including Admiral Forrest, discuss Klaang with several Vulcan dignitaries: Ambassador Soval, Tos, and Sub-Commander T'Pol. Archer also meets an alien doctor who is providing Klaang with medical care. Eventually, it is decided that Enterprise will launch ahead of schedule on a mission to return Klaang to the Klingons' homeworld, Qo'noS. The Vulcans completely disagree with this; they had objected to Humans returning Klaang out of fears that a perceived provincial attitude and accompanying volatile nature of Humans would complicate Human contact with the Klingons so soon. However, Archer manages to convince Forrest to approve Enterprise delivering Klaang to Qo'nos over Soval's protests. After the Vulcans leave, Forrest reminds Archer to not "screw this up." Archer looks at the alien doctor treating Klaang and taps on the glass to get his attention. Aboard Enterprise, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Travis Mayweather discuss the vessel's transporter, a brand-new piece of equipment first installed on their ship. As they walk through a corridor, Mayweather reminisces about his childhood aboard cargo ships, particularly about their artificial gravity. When they enter engineering, Reed introduces Mayweather to Commander Tucker. Meanwhile, Archer travels to Brazil to recruit linguist Hoshi Sato as his communications officer. Sato is reluctant at first, but Archer plays a Vulcan recording of Klingonese, and tells her to think that she would be the first Human to talk to these Klingons. "Do you really want somebody else to do it?" She smiles at him. Another addition to Archer's crew is Sub-Commander T'Pol, whose assignment for the position of executive officer and science officer was obligatory in exchange for Enterprise's use of the Vulcan star charts. In the captain's ready room, T'Pol is introduced to Commander Tucker by Archer and she gives him a PADD confirming her new assignment. An embarrassing encounter with the captain's dog, Porthos, then follows, since Vulcan females have an heightened sense of smell. Along with T'Pol -- whom Archer saw as a Vulcan "chaperone" -- the doctor he met before, at Starfleet Medical, is also added to Enterprise's crew. At Enterprise's launching ceremony, Admiral Forrest makes a speech and remarks there is no better person to captain the first warp 5 starship than the son of its inventor, Jonathan Archer. After this, a recording of a speech by Doctor Zefram Cochrane is played, from the dedication ceremony of the Warp Five Complex, 32 years ago. As these historic words are spoken, Archer remembers his childhood, when he and his dad placed an anti-gravity controller into the model. Mayweather then asks for instructions. He responds, "Take her out, Mr. Mayweather. Straight and steady." And so, the NX-01 Enterprise leaves spacedock and jumps into warp. Meanwhile, in a strange chamber aboard an alien complex, a Suliban officer confers with a mysterious silhouetted figure and promises to recover evidence that the figure requires. This evidence apparently was in the hands of Klaang when he was pursued by the Suliban. Aboard Enterprise, Archer observes a jar full of immunocytic gel worms in sickbay. The doctor he met earlier, a Denobulan in the Interspecies Medical Exchange program named Phlox, asks the captain to make sure that he doesn't shake the worms. Archer helps Phlox unpack medical equipment and an Altarian marsupial, an animal that makes the captain squirm because its droppings are used as medicine. Meanwhile, Travis Mayweather shows Commander Tucker the "sweet spot", an area of every ship where gravity is reversed. Mayweather is a well-traveled "space boomer" and has visited the planets Trillius Prime, Draylax, and both the Teneebian moons. Later, when Tucker enters the ship's mess hall, he is offered a seat by Crewman Fletcher but the engineer replies that he has already been asked to the captain's mess. There, the engineer eats with Archer and T'Pol while they discuss Human evolution. However, all is not well -- during a test of the ship's warp reactor, a verbal conflict between Hoshi Sato and T'Pol arises. When Ensign Sato insults T'Pol in the Vulcan language, the science officer retorts that she herself was instructed to speak English during her assignment aboard the ship and expects Sato to do the same. Later, the vessel loses main power while Archer, Sato, and Phlox are in sickbay, trying to interrogate Klaang. Alien soldiers board Enterprise and attack the Starfleet officers. Klaang recognizes the aliens as Suliban and, although Archer manages to shoot one of the aliens, the Klingon is abducted from the ship. On the bridge, an irritated Archer asks his crew why the Suliban were not detected by Enterprise's new state-of-the-art sensors. When Lieutenant Reed tells him that the starboard sensor logs did record a spatial disturbance, the captain orders the bridge crew to conduct a full investigation into the incident. T'Pol advises Archer to consult the astrometrics computer in San Francisco, believing that he himself has no hope of finding Klaang. However, the captain decides not to take her advice and forbids T'Pol from contacting Starfleet. In sickbay, Phlox shows Archer the corpse of the alien soldier that was left aboard Enterprise. The doctor has learned that the alien has Suliban DNA, but its anatomy has been radically altered by very sophisticated genetic modifications. In engineering, T'Pol helps Tucker to review the sensor data. Archer and Sato soon enter. Using both Sato's translation of Klaang's words as well as T'Pol's reluctant assistance, Archer learns that Klaang visited Rigel X just before his scout ship crashed on Earth. The captain contacts the bridge and orders Mayweather to set course for the tenth planet in the Rigel system. Meanwhile, an alien officer aboard the Suliban complex interrogates Klaang in Klingonese. This Suliban officer asks Klaang where he left a particular unnamed item, but the Klingon claims ignorance. He tells the officer that he was sent to meet a Suliban woman named Sarin on Rigel X but that Sarin did not give him anything. As Enterprise approaches the planet, Archer and T'Pol brief an away team in the ship's launch bay. Archer informs the officers that Klaang was a courier and tells them to find the person who gave the Klingon whatever he was carrying, so they might find out why the Suliban have captured Klaang. The team travel to Rigel X in Shuttlepod 1 and search in a trade complex on the planet's frozen surface. Reed and Mayweather are persuaded, by a man who claims that he saw Klaang, to watch a pair of alien females performing with butterflies. The pair of officers doubt the man's honesty and soon leave. While T'Pol investigates, Tucker finds difficulty with accepting several aliens that he encounters, including a Lorillian mother and son. Archer and Sato meanwhile catch a fleeting glimpse of a group of Klingons. Soon after, the entire away team is attacked and captured by Suliban. Sato, T'Pol, and Tucker are imprisoned by the alien soldiers in a section which is sealed by a force field. Archer is taken to a woman who looks Human but who changes her appearance after she kisses the captain. The woman's name is Sarin -- the same Suliban female that Klaang met on Rigel X earlier. Sarin was once a member of the Cabal, the Suliban military. She informs Archer that the Cabal are following orders from a faction in the Temporal Cold War, a conflict which is being fought through time. The Suliban are promoting internal strife within the Klingon Empire, making it appear that one house is attacking another and Klaang was transporting evidence of this back to Qo'noS to prevent a civil war. Sarin offers to help Archer find the Klingon, but agents of the Suliban Cabal discover them and open fire. Sarin frees the Starfleet officers but is killed in the fight between the Cabal and her small group of renegade Suliban. Archer, injured while on the run, manages to escape in the shuttlepod. With a damaged thruster, the shuttlecraft ascends into the atmosphere as T'Pol contacts Enterprise and announces that she is taking command of the ship. When Captain Archer starts to lose consciousness, he dreams about himself as a child flying his model spacecraft on a beach with his father. He is disappointed when the model crash-lands in the sand, and his father tells him that he can't be afraid of the wind as T'Pol watches from the shore. After Shuttlepod 1 has returned to Enterprise, T'Pol and Tucker use the decon chamber to rid themselves of a protocystian spore they picked up on Rigel X. Here, Tucker questions whether he should take command rather than T'Pol, because she was only assigned to the ship as an "observer". The engineer worries that T'Pol will not continue the search for Klaang if she takes command. Six hours later, Archer regains consciousness in sickbay. Phlox removes, from Archer's leg, an osmotic eel that the doctor used to cauterize the captain's wound. T'Pol and Tucker visit and the Vulcan informs Archer that they have tracked a Suliban ship that left Rigel X just after the captain was injured. Archer is surprised that T'Pol didn't order a course back to Earth, but the Vulcan states that, as acting captain, she was obligated to anticipate Archer's wishes. Archer responds that, as acting captain, she could have done whatever she wanted. As Enterprise continues to follow the Suliban ship, Archer, back in his quarters, is making a log entry, pausing the log several times to question himself about T'Pol's motives to continue the mission. Archer hears the warp drive changing and looks out his window to see that the ship has dropped out of warp. He contacts T'Pol, who asks him to come to the bridge. There, a class 7 gas giant is displayed on the viewscreen. T'Pol tells Archer that the Suliban craft entered the planet's radiation belt a few hours ago, scattering the vessel's warp trail. T'Pol instructs Reed to run a spectral analysis on fragments he has detected nearby. The bridge crew finds that the fragments were left from fourteen different ships. Realizing that Enterprise has found an area used frequently by the Suliban, Archer orders Reed to activate the ship's weapon systems and to polarize the hull plating. The captain then directs Mayweather to lay in a sixty degree vector that will take the ship into the planet's atmosphere. Aboard the alien complex, the Suliban officer talks with the mysterious figure. The officer is unsure whether Sarin gave the Enterprise crew anything, but he knows that Enterprise has followed a Suliban ship and is nearby. He promises the figure that he will destroy the Human vessel before it locates the helix, the complex that he is currently on. The figure says that he didn't intend for Humans or Vulcans to become involved yet, and demands that the officer must stop Sarin's message from reaching Qo'noS. In the atmosphere of the gas giant, Enterprise almost loses the warp trail. T'Pol estimates that the ship's condition should improve, shortly before the bridge starts to shudder. She uses a viewer at her station to determine that the quakes are being caused by unexpected liquid phosphorus. When the ship's condition improves, the officers detect two Suliban cell ships and the helix. Sato reads more than three thousand bio-signs aboard the alien station, but is unable to find Klaang with the ship's sensors. When Suliban ships start attacking, Enterprise returns to the phosphorus layer, where the enemy vessels can't find the Starfleet craft. T'Pol reports that the helix seems to be comprised of hundreds of other vessels, locked together by magnetic seals. When Sato finally detects Klaang aboard the complex, Reed suggests using the transporter to get him out but Archer finds Reed's plan too risky. The captain decides to use Enterprise's grappler to retrieve one of the attacking cell ships and bring it aboard Enterprise. In the situation room, aft of the bridge, Mayweather questions Archer and Tucker about the workings of the captured Suliban vessel. As the engineer seems to be slightly unsure of the craft, Mayweather believes that he would make a better pilot. Archer replies that the ensign is needed on board Enterprise and Tucker believes that piloting the Suliban vessel won't be as hard as it seems. In the captain's ready room, T'Pol attempts to discourage Archer from leaving. She suggests that he appeal for support from a nearby Vulcan ship. The captain suspects the Vulcan is displaying emotional concern, but T'Pol claims that the Vulcan High Command will hold her responsible if anything happens to Tucker or the captain. Reed enters, carrying two cases into the room -- one holds a magnetic device and the other holds two newly-designed weapons called phase-pistols. According to the lieutenant, the weapons have two settings -- stun and kill. He advises Archer not to confuse the two. Archer and Tucker leave Enterprise and use the captured cell ship to travel to the helix, where they eventually locate Klaang. Although the Klingon is initially hostile, Archer threatens the alien with his phase-pistol so he will cooperate with the captain's orders. Together, the three men move through the helix and attack any Suliban guard that approaches them. The captain instructs Tucker to return to the cell ship with Klaang while he stays behind and tries to separate the helix using the magnetic device. After doing so, Archer contacts Tucker and tells the engineer not to return for him, but to take Klaang to Enterprise. Tucker complies as several of the drifting enemy ships surrounding the commandeered cell ship collide. Tucker ignites the cell ship's thruster exhaust, giving Sato, on board Enterprise, the opportunity to tell T'Pol what to look for. When T'Pol detects Tucker's position, she thanks Sato in the Vulcan language. Aboard the helix, Archer fights with the alien officer. The alien nearly kills Archer with his own phase-pistol, but the captain moves out of the way just in time. The alien chases Archer into another room where a strobing, pulsating light throbs. Just as the alien shoots again, Archer is beamed aboard Enterprise. Tucker apologizes for using the transporter, but claims it was the only way to recover the captain. Enterprise immediately leaves the gas giant at warp speed. After arriving on Qo'noS, Archer, Klaang, Sato, and T'Pol enter the Klingon High Council Chamber. As Klaang addresses the High Council in Klingonese, Sato tries her best to interpret his words. According to the linguist, Klaang says something about disgracing the Klingon Empire and mentions that he's ready to die. The Klingon Chancellor approaches Klaang and makes a small cut in his hand with a jagged dagger. The Klingons then pour some of Klaang's blood into a vial which they examine with a large scientific device. The extracted DNA from his blood contains a wealth of Suliban information. The Klingons shout in gruff approval, but soon quiet again. The chancellor approaches Captain Archer and, holding the dagger against the captain's throat, says something in Klingonese that Archer interprets as a thanks. Once the Chancellor leaves, Sato comments that the captain's interpretation was incorrect, and claims that Archer wouldn't want to know what the Klingon actually said. Aboard Enterprise, Archer tells his crew that the starship's mission is to continue forward. Tucker begins work on repairing the starship as Archer orders Mayweather to set a course for an inhabited planet nearby. Although there is an ion storm between the starship and its destination, the captain tells Mayweather that they can't be afraid of the wind. He orders Enterprise to engage at warp four. Archer remembers himself as a child, standing beside his father as his model spacecraft flew across the sunny morning sky. 
<EOS>
T'Pol has been analyzing data on the Delphic Expanse spheres, and has discovered that there must be a second sphere to create the anomaly pattern the crew has discovered. She needs precise measurements of this second sphere, so Enterprise NX-01 sets course for its probable location. Meanwhile, Ensign Hoshi Sato has been feeling watched and hearing whispers for the past several days, but Lieutenant Reed insists there is nothing. Doctor Phlox thinks she may be hallucinating, but then she is telepathically contacted by an alien named Tarquin who tells her that he may be able to assist the crew in finding the Xindi and their weapon. Enterprise diverts to his planet to talk to him. Tarquin explains that he can telepathically read objects to learn about their creators, so Captain Archer supplies him with a piece of the weapon used to attack Earth. Tarquin will only work on the condition that Sato stays with him, so Archer reluctantly leaves with Enterprise to examine the second sphere while Sato stays behind. Tarquin talks with Sato and tries to get to know her better, however Sato is disturbed by how much he knows about her. She eventually learns that she is not his first companion: he is long lived and has had four previous companions while living out his exile and he intends for Sato to be his next, she is to stay with him for the rest of her life. Back on Enterprise, the ship has been unable to approach the sphere because of the severe number of anomalies it is generating. Commander Tucker lines Shuttlepod 1 with trellium, enabling Archer and Tucker to fly inside the cloaking barrier and take the measurements T'Pol requires. They run into a bit of trouble with the sensors and thrusters, but are successful. They set a return course for Tarquin's planet. Sato tells Tarquin she won't stay.  He gives her the book as a parting gift; she thanks him, saying she was hoping to find out how it ended. As Enterprise returns, Tarquin tries a couple of last ditch efforts to trick Sato into to staying with him. First, he tries to telepathically trick her with an image of Archer, but when that fails, he causes the Enterprise's system's, including life support, to shut down and threatens to kill the crew. Sato counters with a threat to destroy his telepathic enhancer, he relents and lets her go. As a parting gift, he provides her with the coordinates of a Xindi colony where part of the weapon is being built. 
<EOS>
The crew of Enterprise NX-01 is finally settling in on the new ship, and crewmembers are slowly getting acquainted with one another. While Ensign Hoshi Sato is having Dr. Phlox take a look at her sick pet, Sluggo, Captain Jonathan Archer, not having done much exploring in space, is doing some exploring in his own quarters instead, trying to locate an irritating squeaking sound under his deck plating. He is also unhappy about the fact that they still have not run into anyone. According to T'Pol, scans of the sectors ahead indicate little chance of finding inhabited planets and even Vulcan star charts have limited data on the course Starfleet set Enterprise on. Archer is not happy with this answer, but T'Pol points out that Vulcans don't select their destination by what piques their interest as they don't share Humanity's enthusiasm for exploration. Space is vast, with only one out of every 43,000 planets supporting intelligent life. Archer is still not satisfied with this response, pointing out that at warp 5 they should be running into someone by now, when Sato comes in to see the captain. T'Pol leaves them alone to talk. Sato complains that her quarters are "on the wrong side of the ship" where the stars are going the wrong way. She wants port-side quarters and would like the captain's permission to switch with someone else. He grants her wish and somewhat uneasy about all this, she leaves. While itching for a first contact, everyone keeps busy with various tasks. The captain, for instance, offers Malcolm Reed a little "target practice" session to adjust the torpedo targeting system. Dr. Phlox, on the other hand, is taking all this with the most easy-going spirit: in the mess hall, he is exploring a variety of dishes, pointing out their remarkable flavors. He loves speaking at the dinner table, as on his home-planet of Denobula speaking during dinner time is usually considered a waste of time. Somewhat bitter, Trip Tucker points out that wasting time is all they have been doing lately. For Phlox, however, every moment has been an adventure. He considers Humans so unpredictable, pointing out the various little observations he has been making. It seems the day will go by with nothing interesting happening, when they suddenly encounter an alien vessel. The vessel does not respond to hails. Shortly after a debate ensues regarding how to approach the situation: while the captain is eager to make contact with a new race, T'Pol goes by her Vulcan training, suggesting that they don't let their curiosity dictate their actions, go by protocol and just resume their previous course while ignoring the vessel. But Archer insists on letting that curiosity dictate their actions and explore what's out there. Scans of the vessel indicate bio signs which T'Pol interprets as the aliens not wanting to make contact, while Captain Archer interprets them as aliens not being able to make contact. After discovering multiple hull breaches as a result of possible weapons discharge, an away team is finally dispatched to the vessel. T'Pol protests, pointing out that there are a number of protocols they have not tried yet, but somewhat irritated by her constant objecting to and discouragement of their actions, Archer ignores her objections and proceeds as planned. He takes Sato and Reed with him to the vessel, even though Tucker cannot wait to get out there and do some exploring of his own. Archer tells him to be patient and that there will be plenty of other opportunities for him to explore. While recording his personal log, Archer complains about T'Pol's behavior and how he didn't sign up for a mission with a Vulcan in tow who continuously sucks the air out of the room. He admits that she might be right to some extent, but still is reluctant to just ignore someone in distress based on some protocol. He realizes that if they are to make history with every light year, they are not going to do so while sitting on their hands. Later, Sato comes in, thinking that it would be better if she stayed on board, but Archer really believes it would be better if she joined them. She finally admits that her reason for not wanting to join the away team is that the environmental suits make her a little claustrophobic. But Archer doesn't buy this as an excuse and insists on having her there. On the vessel, they discover that everyone on board is dead and that the bodies are hanging upside down, having been washed out with some kind of fluid. T'Pol suggests leaving, pointing out that since the crew is dead, assistance from Enterprise is no longer required. A reluctant Archer agrees and resumes course. In sickbay, Sato, somewhat embarrassed for having "screamed like a twelve-year-old" while discovering the bodies on the the vessel, is talking to Dr. Phlox, who tells her that she really has nothing to be ashamed about. But she still feels uneasy, pointing out that no one else screamed. She also stresses that she came out here to explore and not to run into corpses on hooks. Phlox asks if she considered going back to the university, teaching, but Sato says that studying languages as an exolinguist is what she came out here to do. She doesn't want to go back. While Sato goes off on how she cannot just quit and go teach, Phlox points out that if her slug doesn't take the nutrients he is giving her, she won't survive. Sato feels bad, realizing that she shouldn't have brought her on board. She wonders if she can convince the captain to find a planet with an argon-rich atmosphere where they can drop off the slug; she thinks that the slug needs to get back to an environment that is more suited to her. Phlox jokes, stating that maybe she needs to go some place where she can teach. During dinner, Archer feels guilty about having just left the alien vessel behind like that. He is especially edgy with T'Pol, accusing her of having no remorse and guilt. He is angry for not having even tried to do anything. He just cannot come to terms with the fact that they basically stuck their tails between their legs and ran, leaving them behind to rot, hanging like some slaughtered animals. He is asking if he is the only one who is bothered by this. He doesn't believe in avoiding confrontation at all costs and burying his "head in the sand" as he accuses Vulcans of doing. Coldly, T'Pol responds that they have a code of behavior which they try to obey, but that only upsets Archer even more, who points out that Humans have a code of behavior as well; something which he almost ignored. So, he decides to return to the abandoned ship to investigate. This time he wants to take Phlox with him to examine the dead crew and see if he can find out what happened to them. On the alien vessel, Sato has initially a hard time deciphering the alien language. While working on it, she tells Tucker that she plans on asking the captain to take her home. She thinks she should have never left the university, as apparently she is not suited for this. She tells him about her behavior here yesterday and how she fell apart at the sight of those bodies. She believes that the captain needs a translator he can count on, someone who shows a little grace under pressure, and not someone like her. But finally, she is able to crack the language, enabling its communication system and sending a distress call from it. In the meantime, Phlox is able to shed some light to the circumstances that caused the crew's death. He, for example, finds out that whoever did this was trying to collect triglobulin from them; for what reason exactly, he is not sure, as triglobulin has a wide variety of uses. Shortly after, a ship drops out of warp and, not responding to any scans and not being disturbed by the not-yet-aligned targeting system, proceeds to disable Enterprise's engines. T'Pol points out that the vessel's power signatures match the scans he took of those bio-pumps. It appears that whoever killed that crew has returned. Following that, another ship emerges from warp. They are of the same species as the dead crew. Following a difficult communication, culminating in Sato being forced to communicate without her translator, the alien from the second vessel understands that Enterprise was just trying to help. The ship attacks the hostile vessel, finally destroying it. Archer is relieved, believing that they just made a friend, thanks to Sato. On an alien planet that has a suitable atmosphere, Sato is dropping off her pet slug, hoping that she'd feel better there than on Enterprise. She smiles at Phlox and together they leave to return to Enterprise. 
<EOS>
While headed for an unnamed nebula, Enterprise NX-01 unexpectedly passes an unknown planet with an Earth-like atmosphere and surface. T'Pol designates this type of planet as Minshara-class. Sensor scans of the planet reveal no sign of intelligent lifeforms. An away team comprised of Captain Archer, T'Pol, Malcolm Reed, Trip Tucker, Travis Mayweather, Elizabeth Cutler, and Ethan Novakovich travels to the surface by shuttlepod. After a few hours of exploration, the captain and Reed return to Enterprise, while the rest stay on the surface overnight for scientific investigation (though Tucker and Mayweather stay more for personal interest). After some time telling ghost stories, a storm emerges and the surface crew needs to take shelter in a nearby cave. While T'Pol and Tucker are discussing how to settle in the cave, Novakovich notices movement in the back of the cave. When Mayweather goes back to the original camping site to recover food which they had forgotten, he as well sees a few seemingly humanoid lifeforms wandering around outside. As he tells this to the rest of the crew on his return Novakovich seems to lose his mind and runs away out of the cave. Tucker and Mayweather try to follow and search for Novakovich, to no avail. However, Tucker briefly notices a lifeform which apparently emerges out of a rock and sinks back in again. Meanwhile T'Pol has gone to explore the deeper parts of the cave, leaving only Cutler behind, who does not feel at ease about it at all, and eventually decides to go after T'Pol. When she nears T'Pol, she finds her talking to a few lifeforms, but by the time the two actually meet there is no one else there anymore and T'Pol denies any meeting. They go back to the front of the cave where they meet Tucker and Mayweather again and hear about the rock body. Cutler then tells about T'Pol's meeting but the latter denies again. The others do not believe her and are becoming suspicious about the away mission as the prolongation was specifically upon the instigation of T'Pol. The captain finally decides to get the away team back to Enterprise but the shuttle is unable to land due to the storm. The away team is then forced back in the cave for the night. However, since Novakovich would not go in the cave with the others, it is decided to use the still experimental transporter to bring him back. The transporter is unable to distinguish between Novakovich and the plant life being blown around him, several leaves are embedded in his skin as a result. Following that, Phlox discovers that he has been affected by a kind of local pollen brought by the storm (and that the others could be affected as well). This is followed by a phase where the state of all the members of the away team becomes more serious. Tucker become quite delusional and keeps pointing a phase-pistol at T'Pol and shooting at the rocks. Meanwhile, on board Enterprise Phlox discovers that the pollen has a poisonous effect, creating the need to transport an antidote (as well as a sedative) to the team on the planet. The tension reaches its maximum in T'Pol and Tucker pointing a phase-pistol at each other. Finally, the captain, unable to reason with Tucker, resorts to elaborating on Tucker's delusions. This way T'Pol -- who is being given instructions by Hoshi Sato because she has fallen back to her native speech, suggesting that she has been affected as well, only able to control it better -- is finally able to overwhelm Tucker. She then proceeds to administer the antidote to all members of the away team, herself included. The next morning, the storm is over, everyone is fine and the planet is as beautiful as it was the day before, making the previous night look like a bad dream. 
<EOS>
A sudden wave of odd malfunctions are affecting Enterprise, such as a gravity outage while Captain Archer is showering. It is soon discovered that this is caused by a cloaked alien ship which is using Enterprise's plasma exhaust to replenish its teraphasic coils because its own engines are malfunctioning. The aliens deeply regret the incident and Captain Archer graciously offers to help them. Commander Tucker is sent to the alien vessel to assist them with the repairs. At first, Trip Tucker has an unpleasant experience as he adjusts to the ship's environment: refusing to rest after going through a three-hour decompression makes him feel nauseous and feverish. However, he finally accepts the suggestion to rest a little and begins to feel better soon afterward. The female Xyrillian engineer on board the ship helps Tucker recuperate. Between repairs she also shows him around the ship and introduces him to some interesting features of their technology: notably a kind of holodeck where various environments are simulated. She also plays some sort of a "game" with him whereby both reach into a pool of pebbles that enables them to read each other's minds. It is an interesting and enjoyable experience for Trip. When the coils come back online and thus the repairs are concluded, Trip finally returns back to the Enterprise, having thoroughly enjoyed his three-day trip. After the Xyrillian starship leaves, Tucker discovers a strange growth on his lower arm. He thinks it is an allergic reaction but after being examined by Dr. Phlox, he learns that it is actually a nipple and that he is pregnant (though since Phlox also states no genetic material is taken from the male involved and Tucker is in no way reproducing, the life form is in actuality a parasite).. After being asked some rather uncomfortable questions by Archer and T'Pol about his stay on board the alien vessel, he states that the only thing that could come close to having had physical contact would have to be the pebble "game" he played with the female engineer. The doctor tells him that apparently the "game" served to transfer genetic information to him. Tucker is not biologically related to the embryo but is merely being used as a host to grow the embryo, as it is typically done by the Xyrillians. However, not knowing enough about the process, they cannot do anything about it. They realize that they have to find the Xyrillians to find information about the gestation process. While searching for the Xyrillian ship, a hormonal Trip finds himself irritated frequently. He grows another nipple, eats a lot and is sure that T'Pol told everyone about his pregnancy. Finally, they discover the Xyrillians hitchhiking on a Klingon battle cruiser as they did with Enterprise. After a difficult explanation of the situation to the Klingons who find all this very amusing, the Klingons decide not to destroy the Xyrillian ship if the Xyrillians promise to share some of their technology, in particular the hologram program, with them. Tucker can then go back on to the ship to get some answers. When he explains his situation, Ah'len apologizes, saying she didn't know that was possible. After examination, she finally concludes that the embryo could safely be transferred to another host -- it is also revealed that the embryo is a girl. As they depart, T'Pol informs Tucker that he may be pleased to know that after some research she found that this is the first recorded incident of a Human male becoming pregnant (the term again being misapplied even by their own definitions) -- "just how I always wanted to get in the history books", Tucker responds. 
<EOS>
The crew of Enterprise is heading towards Terra Nova to investigate what happened to the long lost colony. Helmsman Ensign Travis Mayweather is the most excited to visit, as he has been fascinated by the colony since his childhood. Terra Nova was the first extra-solar Earth colony, after New Berlin on Luna, Utopia Planitia on Mars and a few asteroids were colonized by Humans just in the Sol system. The colony was referred to as "The Great Experiment" and Earth had lost all contact after a couple of unfriendly transmissions. When Enterprise arrives at the colony, the crew finds no one, only a ghost town, built from disassembled components from the SS Conestoga, the vessel that transported the colonists for nine years to the colony. The site also has a low level of radiation that would be harmful to Humans in the long term. An away team composed of Ensign Mayweather, Sub-Commander T'Pol, Captain Jonathan Archer, and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed is dispatched, going down to the planet in Shuttlepod 1. After Reed notices some rustling in the woods, the crew converge at a cave opening. Archer and Reed head into the cave to investigate. The two make an unfriendly first contact with strange humanoid figures, resulting in Reed being shot with an MK-34 machine gun and being taken hostage. Mayweather, T'Pol' and Archer scramble back to the shuttlepod, where T'Pol reveals that the inhabitants in the cave are actually Human beings. After returning to Enterprise, Archer calls a meeting in the ship's situation room, asking the chief medical officer, Dr. Phlox, to accompany him back to the colony. Archer and Phlox then return alone, unarmed, to try to build trust with the residents. The doctor offers to take Nadet, an elderly Novan, to Enterprise to treat her lung cancer. It turns out that the Novans were opposed to a second convoy of Humans going to live in the home they struggled to build. Following that, relations with Earth degraded and, when an asteroid hit the planet, the colonists erroneously concluded that Earth was taking the colony back by force. The ensuing radiation from the impact left only the children surviving, which led to three generations of hatred for off-worlders and a migration to the "underside," a network of caverns where there was no radiation. With this insight, it becomes clear why the Novans are still suspicious, even when Phlox offers his help. Phlox later discovers that the water supplies of the underside have recently been poisoned by radiation and that could lead to the colonists' descendants' extinction. T'Pol suggests that the Novans be relocated in caverns in the southern hemisphere where there is no radiation. Archer tries to get through to Nadet by showing her a photo taken of a young girl named Bernadette Fuller and her mother Vera before the asteroid hit Terra Nova. Archer seems to be getting through to her with the photo. However, Jamin, Nadet's belligerent son, believes Archer has simply found a plan to take their home from them, accuses him of lying and demands the captain return him and his mother back to their home. Later, in Shuttlepod 1, Nadet and Jamin appear to finally agree to talk to their people about the idea. When they return to the planet, Shuttlepod 1 is engulfed in a sinkhole and plunges eight meters below the surface. Jamin requests Archer's phase-pistol and Archer reluctantly hands it over after he threatens Reed's life. Later, Archer, Jamin, and Nadet hear the screams of a Novan named Akary. Archer and Jamin scale a large sinkhole to get to Akary, during which Archer nearly falls, but is pulled back up by Jamin. The two finally make it to Akary, but he is trapped by a large tree trunk. After both being unable to lift it off Akary's broken leg, Archer demands his pistol back from Jamin and is able to slice the trunk in half with the beam. The rescue of Akary helps build trust between Nadet's son and the captain. When they finally reach the other Novans, Nadet insists on telling them what awaits them and they finally accept the relocation plan, avoiding extinction. Afterwards, in the captain's mess, Archer, Tucker, T'Pol, and Mayweather eat dinner together and discuss the recent events with the colony. Archer suggests that Mayweather write the official report for Starfleet, as he was the most eager crewman on Enterprise to visit Terra Nova. 
<EOS>
Several hooded Vulcan priests are meditating in a monastery, when there is a loud banging. The doors fly open and four aliens walk into the room: Andorians. In the ready room, Trip Tucker is telling Captain Archer that using the Vulcan star charts takes all fun out of being explorers. Archer replies that Humans have never been to these places and mentions that a protostar encountered a week before was nowhere to be seen on the charts. Tucker jokes that if the charts are inaccurate, good luck getting the Vulcans to admit it. T'Pol enters, saying that Archer wished to see her. He explains that while going through the charts he found a remote outpost on a planet a few light years off their current heading. T'Pol replies that she is aware of the outpost, which she calls P'Jem. She describes it as an ancient Vulcan spiritual retreat, a place for kolinahr and peaceful meditation. Archer's interest is piqued and he asks if they could visit. T'Pol replies that the Vulcans may object to the intrusion. However, Archer decides that it is worth a detour and has Ensign Mayweather change course. T'Pol notes that she will find the proper protocols for the visit, and leaves. Later, she is sharing a meal with Dr. Phlox in the mess hall. He observes that she seems hesitant about being seen with a Human crew. She remarks that it would create a "certain awkwardness." Phlox states that he sometimes feels out of place aboard Enterprise and reminds her of the Vulcan motto 'Infinite diversity in infinite combinations'. Phlox states that the Human mission is to seek diversity, so a Human/Vulcan cultural exchange is simply fulfilling that mission. In the launch bay, Tucker incredulously asks if the monks don't even know that they are coming. T'Pol states simply that it was not possible to hail the monastery, as the monks consider technology a distraction from their spiritual pursuits. T'Pol then explains that they should not speak to anyone unless spoken to first, talk to anyone who appears to be meditating, or touch any relics or ornamentation. The three then enter the shuttlepod. Planetside, the trio notes that door to the monastery looks bashed in. T'Pol rings for admittance, but no one answers. They enter anyway, but are told by a solitary monk that they have arrived at the time of kolinahr and that the order must remain in silent reflection for the rest of the lunar cycle. Disappointed, they only wait for the reception of the stone of J'Kah before leaving. However, T'Pol notes that there are too few monks in the main atrium, and that a figure of Surak appears to have been knocked over. Archer and Tucker pretend to wander around aimlessly, looking at the monastery. When Tucker remarks on a broken vase, the monk states that kohlinar encourages the members of the orders to face their emotions and that the repercussions can sometimes be violent. The threesome are not convinced, and continue to wander until Archer spots the reflection of a blue alien hiding behind a wooden frame. Tucker and Archer rush the frame, knocking over the alien. Before they can restrain him fully, more rush in and take the three hostage. The three are led to a back room where the rest of the monks are being held. The blue-skinned aliens are from the Imperial Guard of Andoria -- Commander Shran, Tholos, Keval, and Thon. When Shran questions Archer about their reasons for visiting the monastery, he explains that the Humans have come out of simple curiosity. But given that they are traveling with a Vulcan, the Andorians find this incredible. Shran states that their arrival has proved that P'Jem is far more than a spiritual sanctuary. After the Andorians leave them in confinement, T'Pol and the elder monk explain that Andorians are known for their suspicious and volatile nature. Vulcans and Andorians are from neighboring systems and have been in conflict for many years. A treaty was signed to alleviate tensions, but some Andorian factions still believe that the Vulcans are bent on the conquest of their homeworld. When Tucker asks why the Andorians have invaded P'Jem, the Elder points to their suspicion that the Vulcans may be hiding a long-range sensor array here. The Andorians have actually come twice before, he says, both times leaving on the same day. Unfortunately, Archer's arrival has amplified their suspicions and -- in the words of an initiate -- "endangered us all." Learning that T'Pol has been aboard the Human vessel for "nine weeks and four days", the Elder asks her how she has been able to bear it. She tells him she has used a nasal numbing agent. Back on Enterprise in the situation room, Lieutenant Reed points out an alien vessel that the sensors have detected. He is distressed that they had scanned for alien ships before sending down the landing party and that they have not heard from Archer in some time. Sato and Mayweather feel he's over-reacting -- the captain is probably on a tour or observing some meditation ritual. Archer is brought out for interrogation. Shran wants to know where the sensor array is. Wrongly disbelieving Archer's protestations of ignorance, Shran beats him. He is no more satisfied with Archer's explanation for the use of a Vulcan science officer aboard a Human vessel. Enterprise tries to contact its captain by his confiscated communicator. Shran seizes it and declares the landing party to be prisoners of the Imperial Guard -- and its hostages, to be killed if Enterprise attempts any action. Shran terminates the conversation and destroys the communicators, one after the other. When Archer is returned to confinement, Tucker is appalled by the signs of torture. Even the Vulcans now relent; there is a transmitter which the Humans may use, it turns out, in the monastery's catacombs, amongst the sacred relics. Following the initiate by torchlight through the catacombs, Tucker spots some natural light coming in through holes at the top of a stairway. Next he is startled by the remains of Haadok, one of the founders of P'Jem, and addresses the other dried bodies as "fellas". Just before reaching the transmitter he asks about another passage, and is told it leads to the reliquary of sacred artifacts. Tucker recognizes the transmitter as using a krellide power cell and is sure he can fix it. He gets back in time for the Andorians' midnight headcount. The merits of a transporter landing are debated. The Andorians do not have this technology, T'Pol says. Archer offers to share his blanket; she says she'd rather freeze, as "it's been 24 hours since I took my nasal numbing agent." Finally lying down beside her captain, she debates his planned resort to non-pacifistic means then turns away and snags the blanket from him. Tucker raises the Enterprise and tells Reed that the landing party has walked into a "hostage situation". Reed has read about the Andorians in the Vulcan database. Tucker tells him that they suspect P'Jem to be a covert spy station, and have left Archer with "a face full of bruises". Nonetheless the captain's orders to Reed are to wait. In the morning the monks and the landing party make a model of the catacombs. The Elder lies to Archer about the reliquary, saying "no one has entered it in years." T'Pol notes that the stairway must be under the atrium. Tucker models the pattern of light he saw there and Archer wonders if it might not be the large face on the atrium wall. He braves one more torture session, feigning such desperation to escape confinement with the Vulcans that he would even promise information for Shran and then delay giving it. After a punch in the kidney and a kick in the stomach, Archer offers trivia about Earth -- the fact that bacteria accounts for 70% of the planet's lifeforms, and amusing anecdotes about historical Humans in Canton, Ohio, the USA, and in Denmark. Archer is returned to confinement -- but he has tossed a green figurine through one of the openings in the atrium wall for Tucker to recover. Reed has the two tactical crewmen in his rescue party set their phase-pistols on stun. One expresses hesitation about beaming down; Reed dismisses his fears and orders him onto the transporter platform -- but confesses to some nervousness of his own. The rescue party heads off into the catacombs. The Andorians come fast but are too late to find anything that might account for the energy surge. T'Pol suggests that their detection equipment may be at fault; Shran prefers the possibility that the Vulcans may have equipment of their own. He leaves Tholos to watch the prisoners. Reed's party finds the stairway and places charges inside the Atrium wall face. Tholos pays T'Pol unwanted sexual attention, telling her what he has heard of her world's exotic mating rituals. Intervening, Archer is threatened with death. Reed sets off the charges and Keval is knocked forward onto the floor. The rescue party enters the atrium and stuns Thon before he can rise and fire. Shran fires and hits the hesitant beamer; Reed drags him to safety. Keval has come to; Shran calls his name and tosses him a weapon. The two escape the Humans by plunging into the exposed stairwell. In the confinement room, Tucker has failed to subdue Tholos and has been beaten for his efforts. Archer nearly succeeds but he too is thankful for Reed's entry. The Elder hypocritically --and with some emotion -- says: "You've turned a place of solitude into a war-zone." Reed, Archer, and T'Pol prepare to hunt for the two Andorians in the catacombs. Tucker is given a phase-pistol and told to stun Tholos if he wakes. The initiate takes up Tholos' weapon and will come along, saying to the Elder meaningfully: "We must protect what is ours." T'Pol locates the fugitive aliens in the reliquary. The initiate tries to block the Humans, but Archer pushes through. A firefight ensues, smashing several religious treasures -- but sparing a statue of what looks very much like a horse. Even the initiate gets off a shot. A great metal portal is uncovered and Archer opens it. Beyond it is a huge multi-level spy station. Archer calls a ceasefire and invites the Andorians to take a look. The sensor array is powerful enough, Reed observes cynically, to tell the Vulcans "what every Andorian is having for breakfast." Archer commands T'Pol to make full scans of the station. The initiate briefly takes Archer hostage in a last attempt to protect the remaining secrets of the base. Archer's blow, which handily disposes of this threat, is quick but "boy," Archer says, "did it feel good." He commands T'Pol to hand her scan records over to the Andorians; she commands Enterprise to allow them to leave the planet unmolested. Shran remarks that he is in Archer's debt. 
<EOS>
Enterprise discovers the biggest comet ever observed by Humans -- or Vulcans. An away team consisting of Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather is sent to collect samples, as the comet is found to contain the rare substance eisillium under the surface. The Vulcan ship Ti'Mur mysteriously appears out of the blue, asking that they be allowed to observe while the Enterprise investigates the comet. Captain Archer is not happy about the Vulcans looking over his shoulders, but in the interest of cooperation agrees. Meanwhile, Trip Tucker discovers that T'Pol has received secret encrypted transmissions from the nearby Vulcan ship and is suspicious. Captain Archer is especially disappointed that T'Pol has apparently been in touch with the Vulcans behind his back. He has Hoshi Sato decrypt the data, who gives it to Tucker unread. It turns out, though, that the transmission was not correspondence concerning the Enterprise but a personal letter for T'Pol regarding her arranged marriage. Archer, embarrassed at having intruded on T'Pol's privacy, does not ask Tucker to reveal its contents. Tucker feels guilty, however, and, as the one who actually read the letter, decides to tell T'Pol what he did. On the bridge, a recording to some Earth school children who go to a school in Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland, is dispatched, containing comments about ongoing events on Enterprise and answers to the many questions the popular crew previously received. Tucker is extremely uncertain about answering a question about ship sanitation as he is worried that he will be assumed to be a sanitation engineer. Tucker apologizes to T'Pol for having read her message from the Vulcan ship by mistake, telling her that an encoded letter just looked suspicious. T'Pol is upset and asks Tucker to keep the contents of the letter to himself. Meanwhile, Archer decides to invite the Vulcan captain, Vanik, to dinner aboard Enterprise to "break the ice" so to say, hoping to establish some level of trust between their species. He is not successful, however, as the Vulcan is disrespectful, does not share Archer's enthusiasm and viewpoints, and otherwise is very dismissive and patronizing. It appears to Archer that all he can really prove to the Vulcan is whatever stereotypes he already has of Humans. Upset at Vanik's attitude, Archer concludes the meal by accusing the Vulcan of spying on the Enterprise and then asks him to leave. Archer notes that an explosion triggered on the surface of the comet by the away team has altered the comet's rotational axis, resulting in the shuttlepod facing the star in two hours, causing temperatures to shoot up a couple of hundred degrees. The away team promises to be out of there as soon as possible. Later, T'Pol invites Tucker to her quarters to discuss her planned marriage. Doctor Phlox had advised her earlier that it might be helpful if she discussed her problems with someone instead of keeping it inside. In the interest of sharing her predicament with as few people as possible, T'Pol decides to talk to Tucker, since he already knows about the contents of the letter. Apparently, the impending marriage is causing some concern for her, since she would have to leave Enterprise immediately and remain away for at least one Vulcan year. She wants advice from Tucker, who does not share her views on Vulcan culture and tradition, stating that arranged marriages have been discarded at the same time as slavery was abolished -- a comparison T'Pol does not appreciate. Whatever advice Tucker gives T'Pol is met with resistance, as she believes that he simply does not understand her culture and commitment to tradition. At the end of the conversation, Tucker is frustrated at T'Pol's insistence on devotion to heritage above all while T'Pol feels that it was a mistake altogether to consult Tucker's help. Meanwhile, the away team runs into complications and is stuck on the comet due to a malfunction in their shuttlecraft. Unable to rescue Mayweather and Reed on their own, the Vulcan ship offers to help. Archer is reluctant, but T'Pol tells him that Vanik expects Archer to refuse his offer as he sees Humans as arrogant and prideful, and that accepting his offer would be the perfect opportunity for Archer to prove the Vulcans wrong. Archer swallows his pride and lets the Vulcans help pull the shuttle out with their tractor beam -- a technology Starfleet does not possess. When the away team returns, attempts by Archer at friendliness are blocked by Vanik, who has no interest in receiving the data Enterprise collected on the comet. T'Pol chooses to reconsider her marriage and obligations to her culture -- and some pecan pie in the privacy of her quarters --, showing that her discussion with Tucker wasn't as fruitless as it first appeared. 
<EOS>
During a briefing detailing possible phenomena for Enterprise to visit, T'Pol mentions an M-class planet on their course. Excited, Archer takes Enterprise into orbit around the planet. Early scans reveal a pre-industrial society, but also, curiously, low-level neutrino emissions. Hoshi Sato remarks that there are numerous languages being spoken on the planet, but that she's found at least one useful word: Akaali, the name of the planet's humanoid species. While T'Pol objects to sending an away team, mentioning the Vulcan protocol of waiting until a species has managed warp flight before making first contact, Archer is determined to investigate firsthand. After using sensors to get a closer look at the planet and its people, Phlox performs cosmetic surgery to disguise an away team consisting of Archer, Trip Tucker, T'Pol, and Sato. On the planet's surface, Archer and Tucker manage to localize the source of the neutrinos; a shop owned by an antique collector. On the streets nearby, they see various people covered in lesions. Breaking into the shop at night, Archer and Tucker are confronted by an Akaali who has been watching the shop for some time. She believes Archer and Tucker to be in league with whoever owns the shop and that they have caused a disease among the Akaali. T'pol stuns the Akaali woman before she fires a loaded crossbow. The next morning, the Akaali woman wakes up to see Archer watching over her. They discuss the situation on the planet, and she reveals her name to be Riaan. She believes it is not coincidence that the shop owner arrived two months ago and that people have only become sick in that period. Archer and Tucker later return to the shop. Upon scanning the owner, they discover he is not Akaali but a different species. He then asks Archer who he is, as he too must not be native judging by his scanning technology. The owner's name is Garos, a Malurian, and he relates the story of being on a survey mission in the area before he decided to settle down on the planet. The source of the neutrinos is Garros' antimatter reactor, but he assures Archer that it is simply to replicate food and materials. Tucker and Archer are then asked to leave before they can question him further. Taking some of Riaan's samples of the "disease" back to Enterprise, Doctor Phlox discovers that the water supply is contaminated due to leaks of tetracyanate 622, an industrial lubricant, into the environment. The Malurians were using the antimatter reactor to gather a kind of veridium isotope they most likely used to make weapons. At night, Archer and Riaan spy on the shop. At one point, Archer's translator malfunctions. To prevent Riaan from suspecting he is not Akaali, he kisses her. He says afterward that someone had been watching them, and the kiss was an attempt to avoid suspicion, as it might be considered normal behavior from a man and a woman alone together in the dark of night. She expresses no objection. Shortly after, they follow a man who is taking crates from the shop. In a clearing in the woods, a Malurian shuttle tractors the crates aboard. Unfortunately, Archer and Riaan are seen and fired upon by a Malurian on the surface. Stunning him, Archer takes a small device from him. They return to the city and using the Malurian device, manage to gain access to the reactor. Archer disables a dampening field which allows Enterprise to get a transporter lock on the reactor before beaming it into space and destroying it, disabling Garros' ship in the process. Archer instructs Garros to leave the planet, which he reluctantly does. Before leaving, Archer shares a moment with Riaan, giving her the required treatment for anyone affected by the toxic compound, and explaining that it would be best if she kept everything that happened to herself. Before leaving, the two kiss, with Riaan teasing that it's because his translator has malfunctioned again. 
<EOS>
Aboard the cargo ship ECS Fortunate, Captain Jackson Keene and first officer Matthew Ryan play a game of low-gravity football in one of the cargo bays, while they discuss the ship's operations. Their talk is interrupted by the arrival of Nausicaan pirates, who launch an attack on the ship. Enterprise, being the only ship in the area, is called away from its mission of dropping subspace amplifiers and ordered to help the Fortunate. As they approach the freighter, Mayweather briefs the rest of the crew on what they can expect to find, including that most freighters are slow and lightly armed, but that the crews are used to dealing with problems on their own. On arrival, T'Pol reports that the Nausicaans have left the area, and that the Fortunate has moderately heavy damage; the ship's structural integrity seems fine, but most of the major systems appear to have been disabled by targeted strikes. The Enterprise gets no response to hails, and so Mayweather flies Archer, Reed and Phlox over to the freighter. On arrival, the Enterprise crew are greeted by Ryan and the rest of the freighter's command crew, who report that Keene was badly hurt in the attack, but that they can handle the damage and require no further assistance. Phlox insists on treating Keene, however, and then Archer insists on sending engineering crews over to help speed up repairs. Ryan eventually agrees to both of these with some trepidation, not wanting to raise suspicion, but also wary of the Enterprise crew finding that he's holding a Nausicaan prisoner. Aboard the Enterprise Ryan initially bonds with Mayweather due to their shared background of having grown up on freighters. Mayweather discusses his early life on the ECS Horizon, while Ryan reveals that he was born on the ECS North Star, a freighter which was destroyed in a pirate attack; Ryan survived, but his parents, who were crewmembers, did not. The mood of the discussion quickly sours after that, with Ryan taking offense to Travis's suggestion that he upgrade the warp drive of the Fortunate to a faster model, and then accusing Travis of having betrayed his family by choosing to join Starfleet rather than staying on and replacing his father. Aboard the Fortunate, T'Pol becomes suspicious when she finds that the crew have disabled the internal sensors, and decides to run a full scan of the ship when she returns to the Enterprise. A little while later, Ryan is summoned to Archer's quarters under the pretense of discussing the repairs, only for Archer to confront Ryan about the captive Nausicaan. Archer tells Ryan that taking prisoners is immoral and asks that the Nausicaan be handed over, so that he can be returned to his people. Ryan refuses to do so, on the grounds that this at best would achieve nothing and at worst would embolden the Nausicaans, and so Archer decides to force the issue by telling Tucker to remove all the newly-installed components from the Fortunate, which will leave her stranded and helpless. Ryan seemingly caves in, but dupes Archer, T'Pol and Reed into entering an empty cargo bay, which he then blasts through the outer hull of before detaching it from the rest of the ship, and then attacking the Enterprise and disabling her sensors before warping away. Once the Fortunate is safely at warp, Ryan interrogates the captive Nausicaan and demands the shield frequency of his ship, intending to take on and destroy it. With its faster warp drive, the Enterprise is able to effect repairs and begin chasing down the Fortunate before it leaves sensor range. During the journey, Mayweather asks Archer whether or not they should be interfering with this matter, but Archer tells Mayweather that Ryan's actions are immoral and driven solely by revenge, and gently reprimands Mayweather for questioning his orders. When the Fortunate finally chases down the Nausicaan freighter to an asteroid field, it turns out that not only did their prisoner give fake shield frequencies, but that the asteroid field is home to a heavily armed Nausicaan base. Ryan only becomes even more determined, believing that they can destroy the entire base and deal a crippling blow to Nausicaan operations in this area of space, but the rest of his crew argue that they're out of their league. The matter is soon rendered moot, as the Fortunate is attacked and quickly loses all engine power, and the Nausicaans begin to board her. The Enterprise arrives on the scene, and hails the Nausicaans. The base's commander is initially bullish, saying that because the Fortunate attacked them, the ship and the lives of her crew are forfeit. He orders the Enterprise to leave the area, threatening them with same fate if they do not comply. Archer, on the other hand, points out that while the Nausicaans may have the numerical advantage, Enterprise is far more heavily armed than any of their ships. The Nausicaan Commander sees sense, and consents to letting the two Earth vessels leave if the prisoner is returned unharmed. Archer tries to get Ryan to hand over the Nausicaan, without much success, as Ryan continues to point out that unless they send some message to the Nausicaans, their attacks on Earth freighters will continue. Archer and Mayweather dismiss his argument, however, pointing out that he has surrendered the moral high ground by taking a hostage and launching a sneak attack on the Nausicaan base. Mayweather further points out that, if anything, Ryan's actions are guaranteeing that any future attacks by the Nausicaans will be even more violent, and that not only will he be responsible for the death of his own crew, he will be endangering the lives of many more freighter crews, including Mayweather's own parents. On hearing this, Ryan finally caves in and surrenders. Some time later, Archer meets with Captain Keene, who has finally regained consciousness. Archer offers to take Ryan into custody and take him back to Earth to stand trial for his actions, but Keene asks that Ryan not be charged with anything. He intends on punishing Ryan himself, by demoting him to the lowest-ranking crewmember on the Fortunate. Both captains regret that things got to this point and that Ryan could not look past his need for revenge, but agree that it is the right course of action, and Keene says that next time the Fortunate makes port, he will install the warp drive upgrade that Ryan had earlier scorned. The two captains shake hands, before the Enterprise departs. 
<EOS>
While on its way to a stellar nursery, Enterprise NX-01 encounters an alien transport ship with Borothan pilgrims aboard. The pilgrims have come to see the Great Plume of Agosoria, a phenomenon their religion associates with the beginning of the universe. Captain Archer invites the pilgrims aboard to show them Enterprise. The guests are greeted without incident. After the guests are given a tour of the ship, Enterprise is hit by a plasma storm. An antimatter cascade occurs, nearly destroying Enterprise. Without the actions of an anti-saboteur, who unplugged an antimatter conduit before the storm while no one was looking, destruction of the Enterprise would have been certain. At this point, a crewman named Daniels begins explaining strange things to Captain Archer; Daniels talks about the events of a Temporal Cold War, and claims that the 22nd century is seen as an important front in the war. Archer is skeptical at first, but is convinced when Daniels shows him amazing technological devices, such as the Temporal Observatory in Daniels' quarters. Daniels also reveals facts that would be impossible to know otherwise. He reveals that there is a Suliban named Silik aboard Enterprise, who saved the ship, and must be captured by Daniels. Captain Archer offers Daniels his full cooperation. Silik then makes contact with the captain to find out who is searching for him: he has detected tachyon radiation that would not normally be on the ship, as there are no devices on board that emit tachyons. He learns from an unfortunate communication between T'Pol and the captain that it is Daniels who is seeking him. Before stunning the captain, Silik presents relativist arguments about Daniels just being in another faction and not being who he seems to be. He also suggests that the antimatter cascade was not accidental, and reminds the Captain that he (Silik) saved the ship and every life on it. In Engineering, Daniels brings his sensors online. Tucker notices a movement, and orders everyone except Daniels to evacuate Engineering. Silik appears, and twice shoots Daniels, who seems to explode, but his body parts disappear. Doctor Phlox revives Archer, who realizes that Silik has stolen Daniels' Temporal Observatory device from his quarters. After Tucker works out how Daniels' sensor system works, he pinpoints Silik's location. Archer goes after him with a phase device, which allows the captain to walk through walls. After a brief struggle in the shuttlebay, during which turbulence from the Plume disrupts both men, Archer destroys the Temporal Observatory device with a phase-pistol. Silik escapes, however, by flinging himself out of the launch bay, before being picked up by a Suliban cell ship. The last words Silik tells the captain are "You may have endangered your future, Jon," leaving the captain with a final puzzle. On the bridge, Archer orders Reed to re-assign Daniel's roommate and seal his quarters, stating that there may be more technology inside. Daniels' quarters are thereafter locked. 
<EOS>
Enterprise NX-01 launches Echo Two, a subspace amplifier. Hoshi Sato wants to run some tests, which will take about an hour. Malcolm Reed then detects an alien ship. Their configuration is unknown, but the captain tries to hail them, sensing an opportunity for first contact. Unfortunately, he gets no reply. The vessel then warps away, leaving Captain Archer to surmise, "Was it something I said?" The only information Malcolm Reed is able to gather from their first contact is that their ship is protected by a sensor-dampening field, preventing the Enterprise from scanning the vessel. Sato guesses that perhaps Enterprise's signal didn't make sense to the alien ship, but T'Pol thinks that they simply didn't understand their motives. Travis Mayweather thinks the aliens didn't find them interesting. As Archer tells them to calibrate the new subspace amplifier, Sato speaks to the captain in private, saying that she has tracked down Reed's parents, which currently live in Kotabaru, Malaysia. Stuart and Mary Reed speak to Captain Archer, thinking that perhaps Malcolm is in trouble. Archer finds out that they don't even know what position Malcolm has taken aboard Enterprise. When Archer tells them he is an armory officer, Mr. Reed says that Malcolm's grandfather would be pleased -- he was an ordnance officer in the Royal Navy. Mrs. Reed says that the Reeds have been Navy men for generations. Archer then says that he is going to be making a special dinner for Malcolm's birthday, and he would like to know what he likes to eat. However, they don't know if he has a favorite food, as he "always ate what was put in front of him." Ending the conversation, Archer finds Sato and asks her to find out instead. Sato thinks that maybe Chef would be a better choice, but Archer claims that as it is a "delicate assignment", it needs her "finesse." Sato says that she's busy, but Archer orders her to complete the task. Archer is talking to Trip Tucker. Tucker missed "dinner and a show" -- T'Pol's latest bout with chopsticks. Tucker has been catching up with people from home. He received a letter from "the Natalie from Pensacola", who thought that their long distance relationship wouldn't work -- after all, they are 100 light years apart. Archer then talks about Reed, saying that they don't know much about him at all. Their conversation is cut short however, as the Enterprise drops out of warp and Archer is called to the bridge; the alien ship has returned. Archer tries hailing the alien vessel again, although the results are the same as the previous attempt. Sato then picks up something, and a high-pitched squeal is heard, temporarily startling the bridge crew, who clasp their hands over their ears in pain. T'Pol says that they're being scanned, as the alien ship comes about and fires on the defenseless Enterprise, before going to warp. Nobody is hurt in the attack. Reed managed to get some scans when the vessel fired, as their shielding dropped for just a few seconds. He detects at least fifteen bio-signs, but T'Pol doesn't recognize the species. Reed doubts that their torpedoes would have made much difference anyway. Archer tells them to stay on long-range sensors, and leaves the bridge with T'Pol. Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker assess the damage caused by the alien's attack. Archer says that Enterprise just wasn't equipped to handle some of the threats they are facing. There are phase cannon ports, but the weapons weren't installed because of their early departure from Earth. He suggests they should head back. However, Reed and Tucker are convinced they can install the phase cannons within two weeks; Archer mentions that the crew at Jupiter Station is trained for the work. Tucker assures Archer that his engineers are just as good, but Archer says that other systems need overhauls as well. Reed asks for permission to start the work, as it would mean less time in spacedock. Archer gives them the green light, and as they get to work, Archer orders Mayweather to set a course for home. Reed and Tucker go over the specs for the phase cannons with the engineering crew. They must get their only cannon working and build two more from scratch. Tucker believes they can finish the work long before they get to Jupiter Station, saying the only thing the station's crew will be doing is giving the Enterprise a "wash and a wax." Tucker gives them the motivational speech, and they get to work. Meanwhile, Sato is talking to Madeline Reed, Malcolm's sister. Unfortunately, she also has no idea what her brother likes to eat, but says that he went for a week without eating. She says that Malcolm isn't the easiest person to get to know, something that Sato is discovering. Sato then speaks to Mark Latrelle, Malcolm's best friend. He thinks it is fish, because he went to a restaurant on the Embarcadero with Malcolm, but the latter only went there because of Maureen, a waitress. Latrelle then says that Malcolm hates fish, to Sato's frustration. Mayweather walks in as Sato cuts the communication, and asks her how the secret mission is going. She has spoken to Malcolm's sister, his best friend, his uncle Archie, and his two spinster aunts, but all they know is that Malcolm "occasionally eats". T'Pol interrupts, and suggests that if Sato wants to know something about Malcolm, perhaps she should ask him. Sato sits with Reed in the mess hall. He is looking over the phase cannon schematics, and Sato attempts to make conversation. She asks him how his meal is, attempting to coerce the answer she wants out of him without him realizing. She says that maybe one night she should cook something herself, but Reed isn't paying attention. She goes directly to the point, asking him what his favorite food is, but he refuses her previous offer of cooking, without answering the question. Sato says that eating in the mess hall lacks a personal touch, and that she has a hot plate in her quarters. Unfortunately, Reed takes this the wrong way, thinking that Sato is flirting with him. As she realizes this, she takes her meal somewhere else, leaving an embarrassed Reed behind in the mess hall. Enterprise detects the alien ship behind them, and they attack again. Reed, still in the mess hall, tries to contact the bridge and armory, to no avail. He orders the crewmen there to report to their stations. The alien ship activates a dampening field, as the lights go out. They then launch a shuttle. As all main systems go off-line, T'Pol reports that the doors in launch bay 2 are opening. Archer heads there with a security team. Two crewmen are examining a relay, and they see two strange looking aliens walking past. Suddenly, they are knocked to the floor, unconscious. Archer and his team find them being probed by the two aliens, who are very tall and thin bipeds, with faces that looks slightly humanoid. Archer fires his phase-pistol at one of them, but there is no effect. The two aliens walk off, and Archer sends his team after them. He calls Phlox to the two injured crewmen. The alien shuttle leaves and docks with its mothership, which promptly fires at the port nacelle, damaging it. They then go back to warp. Phlox tells Archer that the two injured crewmen were subjected to some rather invasive scans, but they'll recover. Tucker calls and tells them that it'll be a few days before they can go to warp, but the impulse engines will be up and running within a few minutes. On the bridge, Mayweather suggests that they contact the Vulcan High Command, who could "give them a hand". Archer swallows his pride and agrees. Sato can't make contact with Echo Two, and T'Pol finds out that it has been destroyed -- along with Echo One. They can't contact Vulcan. Reed and Tucker are busy installing the phase cannons. While Tucker is calm and just getting on with the work, Reed is annoyed that they are falling behind. He gets even more agitated when his hand receives a rather nasty shock while touching the relays. They talk about power distribution with the phase cannons, but Reed wants to cut a few corners with what he describes as "acceptable risks". Tucker tells him that he's the one who should decide what is an acceptable risk. Reed reluctantly agrees. Archer asks Tucker for a progress report in engineering. Tucker says the engines should be back by the "end of day tomorrow." Archer tells him about his failed attempt to contact the Vulcans, who would "oh-so-politely" offer to help them. He also says that Enterprise won't leave Earth before they're really ready. Tucker asks him if his ears are "a little more pointier than usual". Archer says that he rushed out of spacedock because he had something to prove. Tucker however says that if he asked the crew whether their journey has been worth the risk so far, he'd get the same answer from them all. Tucker and Reed continue working on the phase cannons. Reed disconnects them from the impulse engines, and asks Tucker to give him a hand. Two days after their last encounter with the alien vessel, and there has been no sign of them. It has taken just 48 hours to get the phase cannons working, and Archer congratulates the engineering team in his log. They are ready to test the new weapons, and find a moon with no signs of life. Archer asks for a couple of meters off the top of a mountain on the surface. The phase cannons do more however, completely obliterating the mountain and causing a power surge on Enterprise. The blast was ten times what was expected, and there was an overload. T'Pol detects an anomalous reading from Launch Bay 2. Archer, T'Pol, Tucker, and Reed head there, and find a small device attached to the top corner of the wall. It caused the power surge in the phase cannons. Archer activates a visual sensor, and leaves a message for the aliens. After telling them he'll defend Enterprise, he destroys the device. Sato enters sickbay, and sees that Phlox has released his patients. Asking him about Reed's favorite food, he notes that he likes eggs, cooked any way, pancakes, sausages, and bacon. Sato asks if there is one food in particular, but once again her plan is foiled as Phlox doesn't know either. Just as she is leaving, Phlox shouts out "bromelain!", realizing that maybe he can help, after all. It would mean going into Reed's medical files, but Sato says she is under orders from the captain. Phlox notes that Reed suffers from a number of allergies, including dust mites, oak pollen, tropical grasses, and various plant enzymes, including bromelain. He has been taking regular injections so his body can tolerate bromelain, which is found mainly in pineapple. Relieved, Sato thanks the doctor and leaves. The alien ship returns, but this time, Enterprise is ready for them. This time, they want to talk, but the only communication that Enterprise receives is a reworking of Archer's speech to them earlier, albeit with the word order changed: Archer cuts the transmission, and orders Reed to fire. The phase cannons have little effect though, only causing a slight fluctuation in the alien ship's shields. Archer wonders if they can overload the cannons again, but Reed is worried about the damage it would cause to Enterprise. Tucker comes up with a solution to feed the extra energy through structural integrity, and Archer tells him to do it. Enterprise fires again, and this time the alien ship's shields are penetrated, causing damage. Reed then fires two torpedoes, which disable the alien ship's warp engines. The bridge crew watches as the aliens flee at impulse, one of their engines leaking plasma. Archer then decides that there's little point in returning to Earth. Sato says that maybe it's a good thing they have come back so far -- they can launch another subspace amplifier. Archer tells Mayweather to resume their previous course. It's September 2nd. Archer, Tucker, and Reed are sharing a beer in the armory, and they toast to their "mysterious friends". Tucker says that a way to thank them for the job they did was to let them sleep in the next morning, which Archer agrees to. Sato enters, with the "component" that Archer asked for. He opens the case, and reveals a birthday cake to Reed, who cuts open the cake. He is surprised to see that it has pineapple inside, and he reveals it to be his favorite, to smiles all round. Asking how on Earth they knew, Sato replies that they "have their sources". Smiling, Reed dishes out some cake to them. 
<EOS>
Doctor Phlox is taking care of the various creatures he keeps in the med lab. Hoshi Sato enters bearing a letter from Phlox's exchange doctor, Jeremy Lucas, who is serving a term on his home planet. The rigors of the mating season are making things very difficult for the exchange doctor. Phlox begins to compose a letter describing his experiences with the crew, commenting on the many differences between his own society and point of view, and the ways in which Humans are different. Phlox shares that he thinks a crew member, Elizabeth Cutler, has a romantic interest in him. On the bridge, the crew are discussing a pre-warp vessel they have encountered. It is not responding to hails, and has two weak bio-signs on board. They dock the vessel in Bay 2 and take the aliens to their medical bay. The alien they speak with begs them to assist with a medical emergency their species is facing. They are a pre-warp culture known as the Valakians. They have met two warp-capable species, one of which is the Ferengi. T'Pol reveals that the Vulcans are unaware of either species. She states that as the Valakian culture has already been exposed to a couple of warp-capable races, the risk of cultural contamination is acceptable, and she agrees with Archer to help them. Phlox continues his letter describing the situation, stating it as the greatest challenge he has faced -- with over fifty million lives at stake. Sato and Phlox discuss the issue of crewman Cutler having a romantic interest over dinner (in English and Denobulan). Sato says she thinks they'd make a good couple. The Enterprise arrives at the Valakian homeworld. T'Pol, Phlox, Archer, and Sato make a tour of the medical facility. Sato discovers that there is a second race, the Menk, which live alongside the Valakians. The Menk are apparently not affected by the disease. Phlox continues his letter, describing the challenges of treating the disease, and his discussions with T'Pol about the possibilities of inter-species relationships. Phlox makes the startling discovery that the Valakians are dying not from an easily curable medical condition, but because of a genetic disease which is experiencing an accelerated rate of mutation. He reveals this to Captain Archer, and states that he does not have confidence in curing it. He predicts that the Valakians will be extinct within two centuries. Phlox describes how studying two humanoid cultures simultaneously is exciting. He continues that while he looks forward to the medical data, he finds the way that the two cultures live in harmony to be amazing. The Menk must live where the soil is not good for planting, despite the fact that the Menk culture is fairly agrarian. The Menk continue to state that the Valakians treat them well. The Valakians say that they can farm the land more efficiently with better technology, and just give the Menk whatever they need. Sato is upset and thinks that the Valakians are oppressing the Menk and treating them like "pets", but Phlox says that she is making assumptions based on Human history: from Phlox's perspective, the Valakians and Menk have found a way to live in harmony, when on most planets with more than one sentient race, they fight each other until only one survives. Phlox, Sato, and Cutler discover (while studying at one of the Menk settlements) that the Menk are actually surprisingly advanced -- they demonstrate that they are able to learn some English, and organize tissue samples correctly. After a long day of work, the group takes some time to pack up. Sato excuses herself to let Phlox and Cutler have some private time. Phlox reveals to Cutler that he has three wives, and each of those wives has three husbands including himself. He asks Cutler if she is interested in him romantically, or if he has been misinterpreting the signals. Cutler confirms that she was giving off romantic signals. She replies that she is not looking to become wife #4, but she's interested in Phlox as a friend, and is ready to see where it leads (hinting that a romantic relationship may indeed be on the horizon). Archer visits, in the hospital, the first alien he rescued. The alien asks Archer for warp drive technology so that that if Enterprise cannot find a cure, the Valakians can search for other races who might be willing to help them. Archer returns to the ship to learn that Enterprise has received 29 hails and requests for help from other clinics, and has been approached by a couple of vessels, all of whom thought they already had a cure. Archer and T'Pol discuss the situation in the ready room. Archer tells T'Pol that he is reluctant about trying to teach the Valakians about warp drive: they do not possess much rudimentary knowledge about warp technology, and have almost no experience working with anti-matter, an essential part of the process. It would take years if not decades to teach the Valakians how to develop their own warp-capable ships. As T'Pol points out, the Vulcans stayed on Earth to help them along, but generations later they are still there. Archer tells T'Pol that he understands now how the Vulcans felt when they chose to contact Earth ninety years before. Later that evening, Archer is mulling over the situation in the crew mess. Phlox enters and makes small talk (revealing that Denobulans hibernate for six days each year). Archer asks about the progress of Phlox's medical research. Phlox says that he thinks it is incorrect to be helping the Valakians -- that the Menk are supposed to survive, and will only be allowed to properly evolve and prosper if they are not tied to the Valakians. Phlox explains that the "disease" is actually an inherent flaw in Valakian DNA; they've reached an evolutionary dead end. Archer demands a cure for the Valakians, saying he doesn't agree with Phlox's point of view. Phlox reveals that he already has a cure. The next day, Archer enters the medical facilities. Phlox tries to again state that he does not believe that they should interfere with the natural pace of events on the planet. Archer cuts him off, and makes the statement that he has reconsidered the matter, and that he agrees that the Enterprise and the Human race did not go to the stars to play god for other species. They go down to the planet and give the Valakian doctors a medicine which will ease the symptoms and help them. They state they won't give them a warp drive, that their race must help itself. Finishing off his letter to Doctor Lucas, Phlox expresses relief that he could trust Captain Archer with the results of his research, and that he wished the Vulcan diplomats had acted in a similar manner in letting the Humans make their own decisions over the past ninety years. Sato enters to take the letter away, and suggests that he should take a break. Phlox contacts Cutler and asks her on a meal date in the mess hall. 
<EOS>
Hoshi Sato is performing combat training with Malcolm Reed in the armory. She's having trouble adjusting to the new phase-pistol, which doesn't need compensation for particle drift, as the older EM-33 does. Her practice is interrupted as the ship drops out of warp to survey a class 9 gas giant. After launching a probe, Enterprise NX-01 detects siren sounds and other radiation. They also discover a damaged ship sinking into the atmosphere with some bio-signs on board. Malcolm, one of the members selected to investigate the vessel, visits Phlox to see about some kind of treatment for a cold he has picked up. In the meantime, Sato visits Captain Archer to request to be added to the team. She gives several arguments as to why she should be added. Archer agrees that they are valid reasons, and says that T'Pol had already requested that Sato be added to the team. After suiting up and taking a shuttlepod, Sato, Reed, and T'Pol enter the atmosphere. Due to the rate at which the ship is descending, they will only have an hour to investigate the vessel. After detecting a breathable atmosphere, the crew removes their helmets. Sato remarks that Reed is lucky to have a cold and be unable to smell the stench in the vessel. They soon discover that this is a Klingon ship, a class never encountered by Humans before. They find the crew unconscious. There is a debate about whether they should rescue the crew or not. Reed argues that they shouldn't let them die, but T'Pol explains that dying at their posts is exactly what they would want -- and that they would kill the Humans if they found them on board. The team signals Enterprise and details the situation. The crew has been incapacitated due to some kind of airborne neurotoxin. While this is happening, a Klingon female approaches the bridge and spies the away team. She moves quickly away from them, with Reed pursuing. She surprises him and knocks him down, then dives into the airlock and takes the shuttlepod just as T'Pol and Sato arrive. The away team is now stuck on a damaged Klingon vessel, surrounded by potentially dangerous enemies, and sinking into the core of the gas giant. Back on board Enterprise, they are surprised as the shuttlepod flies past them into open space. The Klingon starts sending out a com signal which they are able to translate as a signal for any available warships to come and attack Enterprise, who the female believes has attacked. After grappling the shuttlepod back into their docking bay, they subdue the Klingon with their phase-pistols, though it takes two shots to do so. Archer makes the decision to take Enterprise into the atmosphere to rescue the away team. Back on the Klingon vessel, the away team has the problem of decrypting the control panels and discovering a way of piloting the ship out of the gas giant. Sato manages to translate some of the consoles, including the weapons panel (which includes photon torpedoes, something Reed has never heard of). Enterprise contacts the away team to inform them that they are attempting a rescue. The attempt is very quickly aborted, as a probe launched by Enterprise's is destroyed by a wave of pressure which begins to affect Enterprise itself, pushing its hull plating past the maximum pressure it can sustain. Archer informs the away team that they will attempt another rescue later. In the medical bay, Phlox briefs the captain on the situation. The reason the Klingon female had not lost consciousness is that she hid in a low-temperature environment, slowing the effects of the toxin. But like the rest of the Klingon crew still trapped on their own ship, if she is not treated, it will kill her. Archer tries to talk to the Klingon, but is rebuffed. After researching the Vulcan database, Travis Mayweather determines that the Klingon vessel is a Raptor-class scout vessel. It is very well designed, with a tough hull, and coherent molecular alloy reinforcement. Trip Tucker suggests a possible way to reinforce a shuttlepod to allow them to reach the vessel. Sato, Reed, and T'Pol discover the Klingon crew logs, which reveal that after a raid on a Xarantine outpost, the crew had fallen ill. They also discover what's wrong with the Klingon ship's engines. They go down to the engine room to find the port fusion injector, which is malfunctioning. On Enterprise, Archer discusses the situation with Tucker. He feels he's made a tactical error in talking with the Klingon woman by asking for her help. He felt she saw it as a sign of weakness. They discuss why the Klingons are always so determined to destroy the Humans when they meet them. On board the Klingon vessel, Reed complains that he feels light-headed. T'Pol remarks that he is dehydrated, and suggests he drink some water. Sato and T'Pol set out for the galley in blue sector. When they get to it, they find it to be very different from what they were expecting. Sato is disturbed by the food, notably the gagh and live targs that the Klingons keep as food. T'Pol notes that the Klingons prefer freshly slaughtered food. Sato has a minor anxiety attack, T'Pol then takes Sato's hand and with what is implied to be a mild telepathic suggestion, helps Sato with a visualization exercise to help calm her anxiety. She promises to teach Sato how to do it by herself once they are back on Enterprise. Just as T'Pol finishes saying this, the vessel begins to experience hull integrity failure. With the away team assembled in engineering, Reed explains his new plan. He intends to use the weapons systems to help get them up and out of the atmosphere. Tucker updates Archer on the status of the modifications to the shuttlepod. Archer updates Tucker on his research into the Klingon society, and the importance "honor" in Klingon life -- and death. With this improved understanding of the race, Archer returns to the medical bay to talk to the Klingon. Phlox has developed a cure for the toxin. Archer explains the situation to the female, notably that the toxin comes from Xarantine ale. The female reveals that they had indeed attacked an outpost and consumed the ale they captured. Telling her that without her help, the Klingon crew would all die dishonorable deaths, Archer convinces her to help in the rescue. On the Klingon vessel, the away team has begun firing photon torpedoes into the atmosphere to raise their altitude. They manage to raise the vessel enough to allow the Enterprise shuttlepod, carrying Archer and the Klingon, to dock. After the two enter through the airlock, Archer introduces the Klingon as officer Bu'kaH. He hails Enterprise from the Somraw just as two more Klingon vessels come into sensor range. As Archer retakes his command chair from Tucker, the Somraw hails them again and demands that Enterprise surrender. Archer calls the captain's bluff and demands that the Klingon vessel stand down or be destroyed. Archer orders the ship away before the reinforcements arrive. In the decon chamber, the away team takes a much-needed break, relaxing in the warmth of the UV radiation. When Phlox tells them that they are ready to leave the chamber, they ask to be scanned again, just to make sure they didn't pick anything up. Reluctantly agreeing, Phlox closes the com channel. Sato and Reed both comments about how enjoyable the chamber is. T'Pol agrees, remarking that the chamber is pleasant. 
<EOS>
Soval informs Admiral Forrest that P'Jem has been destroyed in an attack by the Andorians. Although Forrest feels sympathy over the loss of a religious sanctuary, he points out that the Vulcans are partially to blame since they were using it to engage in spying against the Andorians. Soval states that Enterprise's crew are also partly responsible as they revealed P'Jem's covert activities in the first. Forrest refuses to accept this, arguing that if the Vulcan High Command had been more open with Starfleet then the incident might not have occurred. Soval tells Forrest that Earth-Vulcan fleet operations have been suspended and he is returning to Vulcan. Forrest immediately asks to speak to Captain Archer. On board Enterprise, Archer mentions he's found an interesting place to visit in the Vulcan database: the Coridan system. One planet in the system is home of over three billion humanoids. He mentions this to Trip Tucker over breakfast, but is pulled away by a communication from Earth. Forrest forwards news of P'Jem's destruction to Archer. The monks and operatives were given advance warning so no one was killed, however Forrest admits that he agrees with the Vulcans decision to spy on them after reading reports about the race. He also warns Archer to be more careful and not to get involved in inter-species conflicts. Forrest then gives him some bad news. Archer calls T'Pol to his ready room and tells her about P'Jem's destruction. He also tells her that Enterprise is being held responsible and she has been transferred off the ship. The Vulcan ship Ni'Var will arrive to pick her up in two days. She says she will get Ensign Travis Mayweather to finish the sector scans she was performing. Archer is unhappy about the transfer, and tells her this. He feels that the Vulcan High Command is having an emotional response, and that they are punishing him and her by taking her away from the ship, depriving Enterprise of a capable officer and her skills. T'Pol says she is responsible for the destruction at P'Jem, and leaves. Archer tells Tucker that he'll be taking T'Pol down to the surface alone so he can have some final time with her before the transfer. He wants to try to convince her to fight the transfer and stay on Enterprise. Phlox visits T'Pol in the mess, drawing her attention from the PADD she was studying, to talk to her about the transfer. She indicates that she thinks the High Command's punishment is logical. Phlox reveals that T'Pol is not the first Vulcan posted to Human ships, but she is the first to last more than a few weeks. The other Vulcans all requested transfers, citing the Humans as too unpredictable. He also warns her that the rest of the crew are planning a going-away party in her honor. Once Enterprise is in orbit, Archer and T'Pol head down to the capital city in a shuttlepod. Archer's attempts at small talk are broken by the sudden approach of a fixed-wing aircraft. They are told to change heading and reduce speed. Sensing trouble, Archer brings the weapons online and attempts to defend the shuttlepod, but it is shot down and Archer and T'Pol are both captured. After they regain consciousness, they struggle to break free from their restraints. They are interrogated by the leader of the dissidents, Traeg. He doesn't recognize Archer's species, but he does recognize T'Pol as a Vulcan, and states that the Vulcans are supporters of the government, meaning they are enemies. They demand to know about the shuttlepod and the phase-pistols they found. Archer mentions that the protein resequencer can make chicken sandwiches. For this response, he is pistol-whipped. T'Pol quickly lies and says that Archer is a steward to stop him from being beaten further. She also does not correct the mis-impression that she is the captain. Meanwhile, on board Enterprise, the crew learns from Chancellor Kalev about the capture of the hostages. She isn't very helpful, merely telling them not to give in to any demands from the dissidents. Archer and T'Pol manage to stand up and shift in their bonds until they are facing each other. As T'Pol is undoing the knots, Archer tries to tell her that she's not responsible for the destruction of P'Jem. She says she should have protested, instead of letting Archer take Enterprise to the planet and visit the sanctuary. Just as they manage to get their bonds off, a guard comes. They subdue him, but more guards arrive and quickly recapture them. On the ship, Tucker and Malcolm Reed are discussing a possible shuttle location in their sensor readings. As they are deciding whether to send a rescue team to the location, they receive an audio transmission from the dissidents demanding forty phase-pistols in exchange for their hostages. The communication cuts off abruptly. Reed mentions that they only have fifteen phase-pistols aboard, and that even if they exchanged them for the hostages, there is no guarantee that they would return the hostages. Another transmission interrupts the conversation, this time from the Ni'Var. Captain Sopek demands to know where Captain Archer is. Tucker fills them in on the situation, including the fact that T'Pol has also been captured with Archer. Sopek states that since it involves a Vulcan citizen, they will take over the investigation and handle the rescue. He cuts off the transmission right after telling Tucker to not do anything foolish. Sopek meets with Tucker and Reed on the bridge of Enterprise. He outlines the Vulcan rescue plan: they intend to go in, strike at the terrorists, and recapture the hostages. Tucker tries to talk him into using a different approach, but Sopek is firm in his logical decision. After Sopek leaves, Tucker orders Reed to warm up the shuttle and get ready to move in. On the planet, Archer and T'Pol have been retied separately. A guard comes in and leaves food dishes at their feet. Archer orders T'Pol to eat to keep her strength up, and then does his best to eat his food. T'Pol copies him, flopping over and pushing her face up to the dish. As they are eating, Archer discovers a com device inside his dish. On the bridge, Sopek contacts Enterprise to ask about a shuttle launch they have detected. He demands to know where it was headed. Hoshi Sato stalls him for a few minutes before intentionally breaking off the transmission, making it look like an accident. On the planet's surface, Reed and Tucker are making their way towards the shuttle signature when they are captured by a pair of masked assailants. Thy'lek Shran takes the hoods off of the officers and interrogates them. He claims that the Vulcans are preparing for a war against the Andorians. He also tells them that both Archer and T'Pol will be killed once the weapons are delivered to the dissidents. Shran also says he and Tholos will release the officers, as he feels he has a debt to them for helping him to discover the listening post at P'Jem. Once he rescues Archer and T'Pol, he'll consider the debt repaid. Given the number of guards, Tucker feels the odds are unfair and he volunteers himself and Reed to help rescue the hostages. Shran agrees to let them help, and returns their weapons. Via a com device that was smuggled in by a guard who is working with the Andorians, Tucker tells Archer about their plan to rescue him and T'Pol. Tucker approaches the guards outside the compound and distracts them with Andorian ale. At the same time, the operative lets in the Andorian agents. Suspecting a trap as Reed makes a noise, the outside guards grab Tucker, causing a commotion and distracting the wall guards. The Andorians make short work of the wall guards, and open the main gates to let in Tucker and Reed. Just as they are moving further into the compound, a Vulcan commando team led by Sopek blows a hole in the fence and starts firing. The Andorian operative is shot by a wayward blast just as he enters the cell to release Archer and T'Pol. With their escape cut off and the guards alerted, the rescue team is forced to join the firefight to save the hostages. After exchanging fire with the dissidents, the team manages to reach the cell. Shran gives back the Vulcan scanning device to T'Pol and pronounces his debt repaid. Just as this happens, the Vulcans fire a rocket launcher, causing an explosion which knocks out the remaining dissidents. As the rescue team is leaving, the Vulcans accuse the Andorians of violating the Tau Ceti Accords. As they argue back and forth, Traeg, despite his wounds, aims his plasma pistol at Sopek. T'Pol notices this and moves to defend the Vulcan leader, and as a result is instead hit by the blast, and is seriously injured. As Archer orders the crew to take T'Pol back to the ship for medical treatment, Sopek says she's no longer Archer's responsibility. Archer disagrees, and they carry her off to the shuttlepod to return to Enterprise. In the medical bay, Phlox updates Archer and Sopek on T'Pol's status, which is apparently quite serious. Phlox refuses even to express optimism that T'Pol will survive. Archer discusses the situation with Sopek, telling him that he can see how the Vulcan High Command could be annoyed at her, but that it is unreasonable to punish her by stripping her of her position. Using the argument that she risked a lot to help Sopek, he asks him to go before the High Command and ask for leniency for her. Initially, Sopek disagrees, but Phlox mentions that it will be impossible to move T'Pol for some time. With this strong reminder of what T'Pol risked to save him, he agrees to discuss the matter when he meets with the High Command in three days time. With Sopek gone, Phlox injects T'Pol with something to bring her around; perhaps her condition was not as serious as the doctor implied in front of the Vulcan. Still, when T'Pol attempts to return to her quarters, he tells her that she is confined to the infirmary for 24 hours. Archer tells her that she made a strong impression on Sopek, and that he (Sopek) will talk to the High Command. After saying that he thinks she's likely to stay on board Enterprise for a long time, she replies that she should have been consulted about it. Archer suggests she still has time to catch up to Sopek, but she lies back, stating (conveniently, perhaps) that doing so would violate doctor's orders. 
<EOS>
Malcolm Reed and Trip Tucker are surveying an asteroid field, using the Enterprise Shuttlepod 1. Tucker is trying to troubleshoot the system to fix the problems they have been experiencing; the sensor array and communications circuits are both down. As they are doing this, Reed mentions that he has brought a copy of Ulysses with him to read on the return trip while Tucker remarks that he'd "rather realign every micro-circuit on this shuttle than try to wade through that baby". Reed states that British schools have a core curriculum to provide a well-rounded education, joking that apparently North Americans read nothing but comic books and "those ridiculous science fiction novels." While they are kidding around, Reed spots an asteroid with what appears to be an impact crater and debris on it. The wreckage appears to have been a spacecraft of some sort. As the field of view rotates, the wreckage is shown to have Enterprise's markings on it. On the Enterprise, Hoshi Sato reports to Captain Archer about the recent rescue of some Tesnians whose ship was destroyed in a recent docking attempt. Enterprise's second launch bay door was also damaged in the accident, and the captain and T'Pol go out in a shuttlepod to inspect the damage. T'Pol theorizes that the loss of control occurred because of microsingularities, and that the Enterprise was not as affected because of its polarized hull plating. Scheduled to arrive at Tesnia in twenty hours, Archer notes that this should get Enterprise to their rendezvous point before Tucker and Reed get there. On the shuttlepod, Tucker and Reed are discussing what to do. They think that the Enterprise has crashed and is destroyed. With no way to detect the black boxes, no radio to detect a beacon and no signs of the life pods, they fear the worst. They have only about ten days of breathable air and the journey to the nearest subspace amplifier, Echo Three, would take longer than their remaining oxygen supplies, let alone the time for a replacement ship to come and rescue them. Tucker still wants to go to Echo Three, but Reed insists that it is pointless. They argue, but agree to try and find a way to get help. Helpless in the face of their apparently hopeless situation, Reed starts to record a log entry, which Tucker finds annoying and interrupts several times. The two eventually end up arguing about what to do: Tucker feels that Reed is being far too pessimistic, recording farewell messages for everyone and giving up so easily, while Reed feels they will never be discovered and should just face their situation. With nine days of oxygen left, Tucker feels that now is the time to get to work so they can be detected and saved. Reed thinks that maybe at warp they would have a chance to find someone but not at impulse speed. At impulse, they are not likely to run into any planets in at least six or seven years. Tucker is not convinced, however, believing that someone could run into them maybe. After some bickering, they decide to have have a meal. They sit down to some rations and a bottle of Kentucky bourbon that Archer left in the shuttle. Later that night, Tucker is having trouble sleeping as Reed dictates another letter, this time to a former girlfriend. He has been recording these for hours and hours, much to the annoyance of Tucker, who is trying to get some sleep so he can get some more work done later. The friction between the two crewmen escalates as they have another argument. Reed says he wants to tie up some loose ends before his impending death, but Tucker does not want to hear any of it. Reed promises to give Tucker all the time he needs to dictate his own letters, but Tucker snaps off the recorder and tells Reed to go to sleep. Reed awakens in the medical bay in the presence of Phlox and Archer. The captain thanks Reed for saving Tucker and being heroic. T'Pol then walks up to him and gives him a similar speech -- and then begins to get closer to him. She tells him that Vulcans are very attracted to bravery, and that she believes Reed to have been a very brave man. As she leans over closer to kiss him, Tucker wakes him up by telling him that the receiver is online. Reed realizes he was dreaming but doesn't tell Tucker about the dream and works on the receiver right away. They are getting static, and their transmitter is still down. Just as Reed sits down at the conn, the vessel is rocked by an impact of some kind. The cabin begins to lose air pressure. Without sensors, Reed considers finding the source of the leak a near impossibility. Thinking quickly, Tucker vents some nitrogen from the storage tanks and uses the swirling of the gas to find the puncture points. There are two holes in the cabin. Each officer manages to plug one of the holes with their fingers. Reed gets the idea to use Tucker's leftover mashed potatoes from the rations, to fill the holes until they can get some proper puncture sealant. With the emergency temporarily handled, they check on the status. Whatever hit them managed to rupture one of their oxygen tanks, leaving them with only two days of air left. The next problem they decide to figure out is what damaged the shuttle. The hull is designed to withstand meteorites up to five times larger than the puncture in the cabin. Tucker theorizes that whatever hit the shuttle could have damaged the Enterprise. Unable to find a real answer, they sit down to talk about memories. Tucker mentions that he used to go to a bar, the 602 Club, where he knew a nice waitress named Ruby, who was the girl of his dreams. Reed states he also knew Ruby (apparently very well, to Tucker's chagrin). Nonetheless, Tucker remarks that it is good that they have something in common. He then asks Reed if he'd rather spend the next two days warm or if he'd prefer staying alive for two and a half days but being cold instead; he has figured out how to divert power from the heaters to make the air recyclers last longer. Reed agrees to roughing it out and lowering the temperature so that they at least got half a day more. Reed then starts to shave, stating that an officer at his best is always well groomed and he wants his corpse to look good when they are found. Tucker is glad that Reed has been developing a positive attitude but reminds him (erroneously) that hair and nails keep growing quite a while after death. Upon hearing this, Reed puts down the mirror and stops shaving. On the ship, T'Pol brings in the results of her investigation of the damage to the Enterprise and the other vessel. She thinks this could be a very important discovery. Archer thinks it is also a reason to signal the shuttle and set a different rendezvous point, since the shuttle is not equipped with the same hull plating that kept the Enterprise safe. Back on the shuttle, where it is freezing, Reed continues to record his letters to former lovers and girlfriends; letters, which according to Tucker, all sound exactly the same as the previous ones he has been recording. Reed disagrees, stating that there are subtle differences between the girls he is writing to. Then they remember Travis Mayweather and Hoshi Sato, stating that they could not have been more than 24 or 25 years old. Tucker states that they died doing what they loved. The two continue to talk about their lost crew members and before they know it they are arguing once again. Reed tells Tucker that his unfounded optimism is becoming tiresome, to which Tucker replies that his heartfelt letters of farewell to half the girls of San Francisco have been annoying him for hours. Reed believes he is being realistic and accepting his fate while Tucker thinks that it cannot hurt to have some hope. They break off, and Tucker opens the bourbon. After protesting that he doesn't drink on duty, Reed accepts the drink. Tucker lights a candle and they drink a toast to the Enterprise. Reed mentions that the candle will consume valuable oxygen, and Tucker replies that he won't mind dying five or six minutes sooner, and how it might be just what Reed wants. Reed finally breaks, confessing how important the crew of the Enterprise was to him. He tells Tucker that he has always had difficulty getting close to people: the girls in the letter, friends and even his own family -- but that it was different with the crew of the Enterprise. He is saddened that the only one of them who is left thinks that he is the Grim Reaper and the bloody angel of death. Tucker blows out the candle and says that a few more minutes sound kind of nice. Some hours later, the two are very drunk, and bundled together. Reed and Tucker giggle about how the universe isn't going to get any of their bourbon. Reed confesses he finds T'Pol attractive, particularly her "bum". Just as they're laughing about it, they start to receive a transmission. Reed is practically beside himself with joy as he hears Sato's voice, meaning the Enterprise, and its crew, survived after all. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation dawns on Tucker as he realizes that the rendezvous that is supposed to happen in two days' time will not be soon enough for them, as they have only a little over a day's worth of air left. Reed enters the new coordinates, but they will be eleven hours short on air. Tucker and Reed start trying to figure out how to signal the ship and get them to arrive sooner. Reed comes up with the idea of jettisoning the impulse engine and detonating it, as a means of signaling the Enterprise. At first Tucker resists, but then agrees that it is probably the only solution since they can't hold their breath for eleven hours. Adrift, Reed and Tucker take bets on how much air they have left. If it is less than twelve hours, Tucker gets the remainder of the bourbon; more than twelve, and Reed gets it. Reed checks the indicator and sees that they have ten hours left. After drinking, Tucker says that if they had one person, there would be twice as much air left for whoever was left. Reed jokingly suggests that Tucker go into the airlock and let himself out. Tucker agrees, and goes to climb out. Reed tells him to stop, and they have an argument. Reed pulls a phase-pistol on Tucker and threatens him with being stunned if he doesn't stop trying to climb into the airlock. After a shouting match, Tucker gives up and sits down. Reed wakes up in sickbay. Archer fills him in, explaining that their plan worked and that the Enterprise did detect the destruction of the impulse drive. They managed to get them with just a few hours of air left. Reed asks T'Pol if she's supposed to say something about heroics to make sure it is not a dream. T'Pol tells him to sleep well. 
<EOS>
Jonathan Archer shows T'Pol his first textbook of astronomy. He's happy that he will be seeing the Arachnid Nebula, something he's wanted to see up close since he was a child. After T'Pol inquires why his astronomy book is property of "Admiral Jonny Archer," the captain's reply regarding his "high hopes" is interrupted by the arrival of a vessel with a Vulcan warp signature. On the bridge, Archer doesn't recognize the type of vessel. T'Pol explains that the vessel is of a design not used for some time. The vessel hails Enterprise NX-01 and identifies itself as the Vahklas. Captain Tavin, speaking formally but with a friendlier, more casual tone than is typical for a member of his species, says he's on a mission of exploration, and would be grateful for any assistance that Enterprise could provide. In the captain's mess, Archer, Tavin, Tolaris, and T'Pol are having an introductory meal. After Archer mentions that his chef is getting better at making Vulcan cuisine, Tavin asks to try the captain's chicken. Archer reminds Tavin that the chicken is made of meat (as Vulcans are vegetarians), but Tavin insists on trying it. T'Pol identifies them as being V'tosh ka'tur, literally "Vulcans without logic." Tavin describes how they have found a balance between emotion and logic, one which others are unable to achieve. Tolaris says that T'Pol must know a great deal about emotions, since she's on a Human starship; he then apologizes to T'Pol for the offense of implying she knew emotions. T'Pol replies that she cannot feel offended. In engineering, Trip Tucker mentions that their engines are heavily damaged and will require many replacement parts. Kov, the Vulcan engineer, asks if the Humans really mate year-round (with anyone they choose), eat six meals a day, and sleep over half the day. Tucker offers to share a meal in the mess with him to clear up some of his misconceptions. T'Pol gives Archer the request list. The Vulcans want many replacement parts, a thousand liters of plasma coolant, and the recipe for chicken marsala. Archer notes that T'Pol seems to be avoiding the Vulcans. He says he likes how they aren't giving him a hard time like most of the Vulcans he knows. T'Pol says the fusion of emotions and logic is dangerous, and that all other Vulcans who have tried it in the past have failed. Archer says they don't seem dangerous, and encourages T'Pol to keep an open mind. Later, T'Pol is in the mess when Tolaris enters. He asks her to show him how to operate the food sequencer, asking to have what she is having. He finds her choice of mint tea over Vulcan tea interesting since it is very flavorful. He asks her how long she has lived among Humans. T'Pol says she has spent two years at the Vulcan consulate, and seven months on the Enterprise. Tolaris asks why she stays on Enterprise. T'Pol says she is there to act as a science officer for Archer. He says that her emotions are much closer to the surface than other Vulcans, but she claims it is just because she hasn't meditated for the evening. T'Pol confronts Tolaris, saying that what they are doing is dangerous. He replies by saying that the Vulcan primal nature is exaggerated, propaganda from five thousand years in the past. He asks T'Pol to have some pizza with him, but she says she has already eaten. However, as she leaves she suddenly turns back to him and does suggest that they do it another time. Enterprise arrives at the Arachnid Nebula. The captain notes that the nebula is eight billion kilometers across, but his astronomy text said it was six and a half billion kilometers. Tavin offers to help them complete the scanning sooner using their translinear sensors. Archer assigns T'Pol to work on the Vahklas in coordinating the sensor readings. On the Vulcan ship, Tolaris engages T'Pol in conversation to gauge her emotional control. She replies that it is odd how those who would reject Surak's teachings would display his likeness. Tolaris claims that his people merely interpret Surak differently. He describes logic as a point of view; he used to teach literature at the Shirkar Academy, but that he believed there was more to life than logic and reason. T'Pol admits that she had also felt that way once. Tolaris suggests that she try not meditating, as an experiment, to see what her dreams are like. In the mess, Tucker continues to clear up Kov's false impressions of the human race. For example, Tucker tells Kov that football is not about murdering the quarterback -- it is just a game, not a fight to the death. After encouraging him to clear up the myths about Humans, Tucker asks him about sex. Malcolm Reed joins just as Kov is about to speak. Kov states that the Vulcan males are driven to mate every seven years, and that his group has been working on methods of speeding up the mating cycles. Reed and Tucker both make faces at the idea of mating so infrequently. On the bridge, Hoshi Sato picks up a transmission from Starfleet via Echo Three. Admiral Forrest wants to talk to Archer about his guests; it seems Ambassador Soval knows about the Vahklas being docked with Enterprise. He mentions that Kov's father, a minister in the Vulcan High Command, wants to talk to his son. He has been unable to contact him since the two of them had a falling out nine or ten years ago. Forrest tells Archer that Kov's father is dying, and wants to talk to his son one final time before he dies. Admiral Forrest reminds Archer that the Vulcans let him keep T'Pol, and that it would be good to return the favor. Meanwhile, T'Pol has just gone to bed. She starts to dream, and finds herself walking along a street in San Francisco, following jazz music, and entering a night club named Fusion. Her point of view shifts between conversations with Tolaris, mating with Tolaris, music, the Arachnid Nebula, and finally the destruction of a statue with the likeness of Surak. She wakes up with a gasp. T'Pol visits Phlox in the medical bay. She complains of a headache. Phlox says that she has much higher blood pressure than usual and unusual synaptic activity. He wants to run a more detailed scan, but T'Pol says that won't be necessary. She mentions that she didn't meditate and woke agitated, and that it requires 25 milligrams of inaprovaline to be treated. Phlox is surprised that she would stray from her routine, and she mentions it was an experiment that Tolaris told her to try. She complains that contrary to what Tolaris said, the dreams were unsettling. Phlox says she shouldn't be so dismissive; he says that she has only been changing her routine for two days, whereas they have had years to perfect the technique. Archer invites Kov to his ready room. After making small talk about the repairs with Tucker, he mentions that his father is very ill, and wants to talk to him again. Archer offers the services of Hoshi Sato to assist in the communication. Kov thanks him, and gets up to leave. Archer asks if Kov will speak to his father. Kov reveals that the last time they spoke, his father said that he'd brought shame to fifteen generations of his family. He tells Archer to relay the message that they said goodbye a long time ago. On the Vulcan vessel, Tolaris brings chamomile tea to T'Pol. He asks how her dream experiment went. She says she won't discuss them, and he says that they'll get easier. He asks T'Pol about the details, but she refuses to talk about it. Tolaris insists. T'Pol describes the dream: she left the compound on Earth and went into the streets of San Francisco. She describes how she went out of the compound and walked until she heard music. She was drawn to the unusual music, and entered a restaurant where musicians were playing. Tolaris asks how this made her feel; she described how she felt invigorated by the music. She does not tell Tolaris that he also appeared in her dream. Tolaris says that emotion isn't difficult and isn't something to be afraid of, and that he can help her. Archer goes to engineering and talks to Tucker, asking him to help Kov talk to his father. Tucker agrees to try. Archer then asks Tucker about Tolaris. He is curious about what's going on, but Tucker dismisses his fears, saying that if he was the only Human on a ship full of Vulcans, he'd spend as much time as possible with the Humans. Meanwhile, in T'Pol's quarters, Tolaris describes a mind meld to T'Pol. He describes it as a good way to release and deal with emotions; much more effective than guided meditation. He gives her the choice, and she agrees to the meld. Initially, she resists the meld, but it succeeds after she relaxes. Tolaris directs her to remember the details of her walk in San Francisco. T'Pol relives the experience. Tolaris joins her vision. He describes all the other emotions he sense: her fear of getting caught, the exhilaration of breaking protocol. T'Pol tries to break off the meld and Tolaris tries to hold her to it. She breaks free of it, and refuses to go any further. Tolaris leaves in disgust. T'Pol collapses and contacts sickbay. In engineering, Tucker is trying to convince Kov to talk to his father. Kov politely refuses. Tucker asks if Vulcans dance. Kov replies that it only happens as part of tedious ceremony. Tucker launches into a story about his first time he wanted to dance with a girl. He talks about all the preparations he did, and how he didn't ask her to dance -- and how he regrets it twenty years later. He mentions that regret is one of the strongest emotions, and that Kov is pretty close to having to deal with regret on a personal level. Archer invites Tolaris into his ready room to have a discussion about the ship repairs and the survey. He thanks him for all of his help in charting the nebula. He also reveals that T'Pol won't be joining Tolaris on the surveying that day. Archer says T'Pol is in sickbay because of the mind meld, and accuses Tolaris of assaulting T'Pol. Tolaris denies the charge, and says that he's trying to help her to shed years of repression. Archer goads Tolaris, and Tolaris shoves him against a wall and lifts him against the ceiling, demonstrating the clearly superior physical strength of Vulcans as compared to humans. After being thrown across the room, Archer grabs a phase-pistol and tells Tolaris that his friends are no longer welcome aboard Enterprise. Tucker escorts Kov back to the docking point, reviewing the engine status and repair methods. Kov mentions that his father is getting better, and may live a few more years. He says he knows this because he contacted him the other night. He thanks Tucker for encouraging him. As the Vahklas departs, Archer visits T'Pol in her quarters. He asks her if she feels better, and she asks if the Vahklas has left. Archer says he thinks he finally understands why she meditates every night. Before he can leave, T'Pol asks him if he dreams. He says he dreams sometimes in color. She asks if they are enjoyable, and he says they are -- most nights. T'Pol says she envies him. 
<EOS>
Captain Jonathan Archer is uncomfortable posing for pictures for Starfleet Headquarters, when the Enterprise discovers a rogue planet that has broken out of its orbit. They decide to lay in a course to take a closer look. Scanning the planet, T'Pol discovers that this planet supports a diverse animal population despite being a rogue, because of hot gases venting from its interior, forming oases where most lifeforms are concentrated. Even though there is no evidence of humanoid life, they are nonetheless able to pick up a power signature from the equator indicating a starship landed on the surface. When attempts to hail go unanswered, they decide to send a landing party consisting of Archer, T'Pol, Malcolm Reed, and Hoshi Sato. Making their way through the thick, dense, and dark jungle, Archer points out that this place reminds him of the rain forest in New Zealand where he earned his Wilderness merit badge as an Eagle Scout. Reed mentions that he was also an Eagle Scout, with twenty-eight badges, two more than Archer earned. As they put on their night vision sensors and penetrate deeper into the jungle, they locate evidence of alien passage and a campsite, which appears to be deserted. As they split up to investigate, T'Pol and Reed are attacked and struck down by a group of aliens. However, when the aliens realize that the two are not a threat, they release them and bring them back to the campsite, where Archer has already met their leader, Damrus. The Eska, as their species is called, explain that there are dangerous animals in the forest and that they have never seen humanoids on the rogue planet before. They explain that even though this planet, which they call Dakala, is no one's territory, it is special for them. It turns out that their people have come to this planet for nine generations to kill the indigenous species in a ritual hunt. They use sensing cloaks, which prevents the wildlife from spotting them. Hunting wild animals is part of their tradition. Noticing T'Pol's apparent disgust with the hunting practices of the Eska, Archer diplomatically comments that even though hunting living things went out of style on Earth over a hundred years ago, they nonetheless appreciate the hospitality of the Eska. Reed points out that the gear they carry seems quite elaborate for taking down a few game animals. But one of the Eska warns to not underestimate the game on this planet. Curious about their endeavor, Reed is begrudgingly allowed to join them on their hunt to observe the powerful alien camouflage and sensing technology at work. Down on the planet, Reed and Tucker decide to turn in earlier to be ready for the hunt, while Archer decides to sit up for a while to enjoy the natural beauty of the alien oasis, sleeping by the campfire. A few hours later, he awakes to a woman's voice calling his name from the foliage outside the camp. He cannot make out where it is coming from, but he is drawn to it, and goes to investigate. He wanders through the night jungle with a flashlight, looking for the voice that was calling him, wondering whether he just imagined it. At first he cannot find anything, but suddenly he sees a woman from afar, standing in the woods, surrounded by some kind of a ethereal light. He is barely able to make out her shape when she vanishes again. Confused, Archer tells the rest of the hunting party what happened, explaining that the woman he saw was young, had long blonde hair, and was wearing some kind of a nightgown. She knew his name and who he was and, what's more, he thinks that he actually knows her and has seen her before, but he cannot recall specifically. The Eska point out that on this planet it's always night and that one is surrounded by things one cannot see; he wouldn't be the first person who looked into the jungle and thought they saw something that wasn't there. Archer insists that she was real, but Damrus mocks him, asking him what the chances are that he'd encounter a half-naked woman who he knows dozens of light years from his homeworld. He jokes that if he is lucky, maybe she'll visit him in his dreams. Even the Enterprise crew thinks that what he saw was nothing but a figment of his imagination. The next "day", while Reed gets ready to join the hunt, Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker gear up to explore some of the nearby steam vents and mineral springs. The hunters ask Archer if he slept well, joking again about the beautiful woman (Archer never actually said she was beautiful; the hunters merely assumed) he claims to have seen yesterday. Archer's team is exploring one of the steam vents Damrus talked about, but Archer is still distracted thinking about the woman he saw last night. Tucker notices Archer's disquiet and asks him about the woman again. Archer insists that he wasn't hallucinating, yet he is also doubting himself for having walked into an alien jungle, chasing a woman who couldn't possibly have been there. He is frustrated that he cannot explain what happened to him when he heard her voice. While continuing with their exploration of the steam vents, Archer spots the mysterious woman again, following her deep into the jungle. This time she talks to him, telling him that she needs him to understand, for he is different. He says that he knows her and wonders how that is possible. The woman replies that if he didn't know her, he wouldn't have come. Archer asks why she needs him but she appears frightened, shaking and before she can explain, she is scared away by T'Pol and Tucker, who have come to look for Archer. She mumbles something about being harmed and disappears again. This time, however, Archer does not tell them what he saw. During the hunt, Damrus and one of his men, Burzaan, split up to pursue what they call a "Wraith", while Reed and one of the other hunters take another path into the jungle. However, during the hunt, Burzaan is badly injured, requiring medical assistance. Archer offers to take Burzaan to the ship so he can be treated by Doctor Phlox. Somewhat reluctantly, Damrus agrees, suggesting that they all leave because it is just too dangerous. However, Archer is not ready to leave yet and decides to stay on the planet with Tucker and T'Pol. While Burzaan is being treated on the ship by Phlox, Archer tells T'Pol about his second encounter with the woman and how she asked for his help. T'Pol is still not convinced that there is a woman, yet offers to accompany him to find her. She further suggests it would not be safe for Archer to wander around alone, especially in view of the fact that an experienced hunter had just been seriously injured. But Archer insists on going alone, believing the mystery woman would not reveal herself if someone else was around. Back on the ship, after having treated Burzaan, Dr. Phlox explains that the cellular residues he found in Burzaan's wound are in a state of chromosomal flux and thus mutating -- almost as if they are trying to change into something else but can't quite figure out what. Hoping to see the mysterious woman again, Archer starts wandering off into the jungle by himself. She finally appears and Archer learns that she is a telepathic shapeshifter, and that she and her kind are in fact the "animals" being hunted by the Eska for sport. When Archer asks why he feels that he knows her, the woman replies that he in fact does know her and that her kind chose to contact him because he is different. Archer returns to the camp where everyone is toasting to the hunt tomorrow. While they are sitting around the campfire, Archer asks why the Eska come to this planet to hunt if they also hunt on their own planet. He points out that it seems like an awfully long trip to make just to hunt typical game. Damrus explains that the prey here is different because it is something that gets inside their minds and senses their thoughts. He explains that the Wraiths are shapeshifters who can look like anything -- even people one knows. T'Pol points out that they sound like intelligent, sentient beings, but Damrus denies that, claiming that their shapeshifting is not a sign of intelligence or sentience but a mere instinctual response. Archer wonders how they catch them, and Damrus explains that when the beings are afraid, they emit a chemical signature which their modified sensors can detect, especially the younger creatures. Outraged, Archer (now on board the Enterprise) informs the crew that the Wraiths have requested his help to survive. Reed points out that the Eska are well armed and know the terrain well. T'Pol states that she finds this as distasteful as Archer, but that she is not sure how to stop them. Moreover, she believes that they have no right to stop them from doing what they have been doing for generations anyway. Archer, however, refuses to accept this, believing that hunting wild boar is one thing, but killing a sentient being is quite another. T'Pol goes on to point out yet another, more pressing dilemma: even if they manage to stop them this time, the Eska species will simply return later and continue to hunt as they have been doing for generations. However, Dr. Phlox believes he can find a way to mask the chemical signature that the Wraiths emit when frightened, protecting them from the hunters' scans. They might not be able to stop the Eska from hunting there, but they can level the playing field at least. When discussing the matter with Tucker, Archer tells him about a Yeats poem called "The Song of the Wandering Aengus" that his mother used to read to him, about a man who catches a fish that turns into a beautiful woman with "apple blossoms in her hair". She calls his name and then vanishes and the man spends the rest of his life searching for her; for this "glimmering girl" was his vision of perfection that he could never quite find. Archer realizes the woman he saw down on the planet is her: the way he always pictured the woman in Yeats' poem when it was read to him as a child. She isn't someone that he ever knew, she is someone he imagined as a child; the elusive woman from the poem. Tucker wonders why the shapeshifter slipped into his mind and picked an image he had almost forgotten, pointing out that maybe that poem is on his mind more than he realizes. On the planet, the hunters are chasing a Wraith who takes the form of a tree when it is cornered. The hunters catch up but are unable to detect it with their equipment. Hoping to evoke fear in the Wraith, resulting in its giving itself away, the hunters begin randomly firing their weapons. Then suddenly the Wraith attacks one of the hunters but only knocks him down. When they think that their equipment must be malfunctioning because they were unable to detect a frightened Wraith so close, they return to camp, where Archer and Tucker, noticing their rattled state, approach them to offer assistance. Damrus finds it strange that they never failed in a hunt before Enterprise arrived, to which Archer smugly admits to being "bad luck" -- but doesn't explain the issue further. Archer has a final encounter with the thankful Wraith woman, who was given the masking agent. He says that he knows who she is and thanks her for reminding him. She tells him to never stop seeking what seems unattainable, and to never forget her, that woman in the poem. Then she takes on her true, somewhat snake-like form, and vanishes into the darkness of the rogue planet. 
<EOS>
An unidentified alien vessel is closing on Enterprise NX-01, which is drifting in space. The crew of the approaching vessel, speak in an alien language, although they seem to be discussing the Starfleet craft. They dock their ship to the starboard docking port and board the ship, each wearing a gas mask. Finding the Enterprise crew unconscious, but apparently having been in the midst of going about their normal routines, the aliens begin exploring the ship. While they are not too particularly impressed with the Humans' ears, one of them seems rather fascinated by T'Pol's. They disable a device in engineering, apparently the source of whatever knocked out the crew as they safely remove their gas masks shortly afterward. They proceed to a turbolift, heading for the bridge, where they find Captain Archer and other bridge officers unconscious. One of them calls their ship on his communicator, reporting to someone he refers to as Ulis. Meanwhile, Trip Tucker is in the decontamination chamber, lying on the floor and wearing bright blue Starfleet-issue underwear. Having been there for a while, he gets up and calls Dr. Phlox on the com, wondering why the twenty minutes' time he was supposed to be in decon isn't up yet, since he's been in there for at least an hour. But Phlox, like the rest of the crew, is lying unconscious at his post in sickbay. Hearing no response, Tucker breaks out of decon by shorting out the door panel, and discovers unconscious crewmen throughout the corridors and turbolifts. Meanwhile, the aliens get to work ransacking Enterprise. They wheel trolleys on board via the airlocks, loading them with items ranging from bridge chairs to spatial torpedoes -- even Enterprise's dedication plaque. While in sickbay, they are spotted by Tucker, who entered the room moments earlier to discover the unconscious Phlox, and was forced to retreat to an access tunnel to avoid detection. Not content with taking only inanimate objects, the aliens drag all of the ship's females to the launch bay. They also remove Captain Archer from his chair and take him to the launch bay, which is seen by Tucker via a security monitor in engineering. They handcuff the captain to a handhold in the bay, and wake him up; as soon as their universal translator manages to decipher English, they demand that he tell them where the ship's vault is. Archer is at first confused by their request, and tells them that there is no vault on the ship -- that as a ship of exploration, not of commerce, they would have no need for one. But the aliens can't believe that there would be no valuables of any kind stockpiled aboard, and are convinced that he's lying. They discuss among themselves how to proceed, revealing the name of one of them to be Krem, a cousin of Ulis'. While they are talking, Archer spots Tucker up on the second level of the launch bay, unbeknownst to the aliens. Krem mentions taking the females to a slave market on Stameris, which prods Archer to do something to prevent this. He decides to play along with the aliens' idea that there must be a vault on-board, offering to show them where to find it if he can keep half of the gold therein. The aliens are not satisfied with that; Archer makes a final offer of 35% for himself, with the rest going to the aliens, but they decide to proceed without his assistance and find the vault themselves. Ulis orders Krem to begin loading the booty onto their ship, eliciting protests from Krem, at which Ulis suggests he make Archer do it. While loading the booty onto the aliens' ship at gunpoint, Archer engages Krem in conversation, learning a bit about the aliens' philosophy of "a man is only worth the sum of his possessions", embodied in the Rules of Acquisition. Archer also learns that Krem is rather at the mercy of his cousin in all his business dealings -- as the Rules put it, "Never allow family to stand in the way of profit." Krem seems to accept this as the way things are supposed to be, believing that his cousin is going to help him acquire a ship of his own one day. Spotting Tucker around a corner, Archer asks Krem to get him a glass of water and some food from the mess hall. Krem handcuffs him to a nearby hand grip and goes off to get the food. Tucker fills Archer in on the situation, and that the aliens have looted the ship so thoroughly that there aren't any phase-pistols left for him to get his hands on -- not even a hypospray with which to wake the rest of the crew. Archer tells Tucker to get the hypospray the aliens used to wake him up, which they left in launch bay 2. Just then, Krem returns, prompting Tucker to leave so he isn't spotted. Tucker finds the hypospray and injects T'Pol with it. He then tries repeatedly to inject Hoshi Sato, but the hypospray is empty. T'Pol immediately wakes up, at first startled by Tucker's mode of dress, then she deduces that the crew was knocked out by gas emitted by an artifact they had retrieved from the surface of a moon when T'Pol examined it; it must have been placed there intentionally by the aliens. Tucker had been isolated from the effects of the gas due to his being sealed off from the rest of the ship in decon. Just then, the door to the launch bay opens, admitting Krem and Archer. T'Pol pretends to still be unconscious, while Tucker hides. Krem is fascinated by T'Pol, asking Archer questions about her. Despite Archer's attempts to convince Krem that she's not very interesting, Krem isn't dissuaded, though he is torn away from admiring T'Pol when Archer needs his help to move a heavy cabinet from the launch bay. After Archer and Krem leave, T'Pol expresses her irritation at Krem's attention, and discusses with Tucker how to proceed. As Sato still hasn't woken up, Tucker concludes that the hypospray is empty, and thus will be of no use to the rest of the crew; he, T'Pol, and the captain will have to take back the ship themselves. Tucker then heads to a crewman's quarters and puts on a slightly too-small sciences division uniform before proceeding any further. In sickbay, Ulis and Grish are convinced that the imaging chamber must be the vault, though Muk is more skeptical. Confounded by an apparent lack of locking gear, they eventually manage to activate its opening mechanism, triggering the built-in gurney to slide out and nearly slam straight into the aliens, sending them scrambling. To Ulis and Grish's shock, there is no loot inside, though Muk seems more impressed with an unidentified medical gadget, which he insists on keeping for himself, despite their earlier agreement to split the profits of this endeavor between them. Ulis eventually agrees, but only after saying that he'll deduct the gadget from Muk's share of the gold. Meanwhile, Tucker attaches a security lock to the door of the bio-matter resequencer, which also serves to cover the label on the door. T'Pol, who had been monitoring the aliens' hunt in sickbay from a security monitor, proceeds to an area just outside the bridge, where she monitors the aliens conversing in the situation room. Muk has collected various gadgets from around the ship (including a number of scanners) to add to the booty, while Grish finds the captain's quarters on a map of the ship and suggests to Ulis that the vault might be there. But while they are discussing how to get there, T'Pol sends an ear-splitting squeal out of the com system at the aliens, who, with their sensitive hearing, are quite keenly affected by this. They pull out their weapons and search for the source of the sound; meanwhile, T'Pol sneaks out onto the bridge and takes the scanners Muk had collected. By the time Muk shoots the science console and stops the noise, T'Pol is gone. Muk then notices that his scanners are gone, for which he blames Ulis. He demands that Ulis open his bag so he can prove his innocence, but Ulis refuses, claiming that he wouldn't be interested in some "worthless" scanners. T'Pol, however, remotely triggers one of the scanners to make a beeping noise -- revealing that they are in Ulis' bag. Muk is outraged, and Ulis claims ignorance, when Muk notices that there were only two of them in Ulis' bag, whereas he had three of them. He immediately turns to Grish, who runs away with Muk in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, T'Pol monitors the unfolding events from her post outside the bridge, holding the third scanner in her hand. In engineering, Krem is directing Archer to remove parts from the warp core. Archer attempts to convince him that the only way he can ensure he gets a fair share of the vault's contents is to see the vault for himself. He offers Krem a deal: Krem helps him put the rest of the aliens in the brig, and Archer gives him half of the money. Though clearly tempted by the offer, Krem refuses and tells Archer to get back to work. Grish and Muk, meanwhile, are attempting to interrogate Porthos as to the location of the vault. Porthos, not understanding a word they're saying, happily wags his tail and woofs. They realize that he's a lower lifeform, speculating that he might be the captain's next meal, but Grish isn't so sure, noting Porthos's large ears. Muk takes Porthos to the launch bay and puts him in a cargo container, but spots Tucker hiding elsewhere in the bay. He chases him out into the corridors to the mess hall, alerting the others via communicator that one of the crew members is awake. In the mess hall, Tucker tries to blend in with the rest of the sleeping crewmen there, but is spotted by Muk, who attacks him. Tucker gets Muk's weapon and makes a run for it, only to be stopped by Ulis with an energy whip. In the launch bay, Krem and Archer are still at it, loading items into the aliens' ship. Archer is still trying to work on Krem, trying to convince him that he's being treated unfairly by his partners. The other aliens enter with Tucker, after which they start discussing the possibility of other crew members being awake, and consider taking what they have and leaving to avoid tangling with them. They almost come to blows, Muk and Ulis even pulling weapons on each other. Muk, while still quite angered at Ulis, calms down and gets to work with Grish to haul the females to the ship. Tucker, however, tells them to wait -- he'll show them to the vault, provided they leave the females. Archer, realizing that Tucker has a plan, plays along, ordering him not to reveal the location of the vault no matter what. Tucker pretends that Sato is his wife, and that he doesn't want the aliens to take her -- thus, becoming increasingly angered when Archer threatens to throw him in the brig for insubordination, he launches himself at Archer and begins wrestling with him until the aliens pull them apart. Ulis accepts Tucker's offer, and the aliens, knowing that they all need to see the vault for themselves to avoid being cheated by the others, all follow Tucker, with the exception of Krem who is told to stay behind and finish loading the ship. Krem, inspired by Archer's words, stands up to Ulis, insisting that he's tired of doing the menial work and wants a chance to prove he has the "lobes for business". Eventually he backs down, however, and he gets to work with Archer. Archer fakes a flare-up of an old water polo injury, leading Krem to handcuff him to a hand grip and continue loading the ship himself. While Tucker leads Ulis, Muk, and Grish to the bottom deck of the ship, Krem encounters T'Pol aboard his ship. She claims that she's a prisoner aboard the Human ship, and begs Krem to take her with him. Krem is mesmerized by her and asks her to perform oo-mox on him. She begins to perform it on him per his instructions, at which Krem melts in ecstasy, allowing her to knock him out with a Vulcan nerve pinch. She takes the keys to Archer's handcuffs, as well as a phase-pistol from a case, and leaves. Via an extremely circuitous route, Tucker leads the aliens to the bio-matter resequencing section, finally announcing to them that they've reached the vault and releasing the lock. Tucker offers to go in first and scout out any booby traps, which makes the aliens suspicious; they all enter simultaneously, each one wanting to get to the gold first. Upon finding the bio-matter resequencing center empty of gold, they realize it is a trap, but it is too late -- T'Pol springs out from behind the door and stuns them with a phase-pistol. After T'Pol releases Archer with the key, the crew supervise the aliens as they unload their booty back to its rightful places; now the tables are turned, with the aliens under armed guard by the Humans. Archer frees Porthos from the box in which Muk put him, and once all is back where it belongs, the aliens are all manacled on board their ship except for Krem, who is informed by Archer that he's going to contact the Vulcans and Starfleet to warn them about the aliens, and that if they come within a light year of an Earth or Vulcan ship they won't know what hit them. Krem readily promises that they won't ever see them again. Archer suggests to the others that they might try showing Krem a little more respect if they'd like to be released, eliciting scowls and insults. After Archer and T'Pol leave, Krem, clearly enjoying the situation, sits in the captain's chair, smiling as the others offer him bribes for their release. Krem takes the controls of the ship, disengages it from Enterprise, and flies off into parts unknown. 
<EOS>
Enterprise enters orbit of said planet, where the crew finds the ship as predicted. No life signs are detected and an away team is dispatched to recover some useful parts. On the planet, they experience some "ghosts" and soon discover that a whole colony has been living in a small oasis hidden behind a dampening field. These Kantares were on their way home when they were attacked by unknown aliens and forced to crash land on that planet. They had been surviving since but were not able to get the ship flying again. They also say that no distress calls were sent to avoid giving away their position (the dampening field serving the same purpose). This happened about three years prior. Trip Tucker begins to work on repairing the ship systems and fraternizes with Liana, the daughter of the ship's chief engineer, Ezral. For the rest of the Enterprise crew, things do not go so smoothly. They discover a number of inconsistencies in the story they have been told: the ship appears to have crashed some twenty-two years previously instead of three years, the oasis is not big enough to sustain the whole colony, and they don't seem to have suffered any attack. An escape pod is also found in orbit, and the body in it is actually that of Shilat, who appears to be alive and living on the planet. T'Pol apparently also discovers something, but before she can report her discovery, she is captured by the colonists. A team returns to the planet to get some explanations, but the colonists begin to be aggressive, forcing Tucker to perform repairs and the rest of the team to go back to Enterprise. A rescue team is sent on the planet to get T'Pol and Tucker back. Things get ugly, and people begin shooting at each other. When a phase-pistol beam passes right through a colonist, the significance of the ghost story D'Marr told earlier becomes apparent. Liana shares the secret of the colony with Tucker; everyone in the colony except Liana and her father are holograms, and he convinces her to deactivate them before anyone gets hurt. With no more lies needing to be told, Ezral then explains the real circumstances of the crash. They were caught in a plasma storm, and the ship being too severely damaged, they had to crash land on the nearby planet. The only problem was that Ezral left his station during the landing to prevent his daughter's death, causing the death of the rest of the crew by his negligence. After he realized they were stranded on a deserted planet, he re-created all the crew as holograms so that Liana would not have to grow up completely isolated. Tucker agrees to assist in repairing the holographic system, but still says that Liana deserves more than to live her life alone with her father on that forgotten planet. Ezral says that he is happy there, but, he is finally convinced by Archer that what is best for him may not be the best for his daughter. In the end, Ezral decides to accept Archer's help, getting the required components from Enterprise to fix his ship. 
<EOS>
Travis Mayweather wakes up in a prison cell, oblivious to how he got there. Lying next to him is Captain Archer, unconscious. Travis goes to his cell door and opens it. In the corridor outside of his cell he sees two Suliban. Travis explores the corridors and discovers that all the inmates are Suliban. He returns to find a conscious Archer. The captain asks if Travis knows who attacked their shuttlepod, but he doesn't know. Trying to learn more about the place, Archer boosts Mayweather up so he can take a look outside. There is a five-meter-high wall surrounding the building and possibly a guard tower, though there are no people visible. They proceed to walk the corridors when they meet a lone Suliban who calls them the "new arrivals". An alarm goes off, prompting all the Suliban to exit their cells and remain still. Guards enter. One Suliban drops a cup and is rewarded with a shock from one of the guards. A Major instructs Archer and Travis to follow him. They are then taken to Colonel Grat, the man in charge of the detention complex. He tells them that the Tandarans are at war with the Suliban Cabal. The shuttlepod Archer and Travis were on had been at the wrong place at the wrong time (near Tandaran military installations) and the Tandarans mistook them for disguised Sulibans. But since their DNA identified them as Human, Grat tells them they should be released shortly. Unfortunately, Grat doesn't have the authority to release them. They'll have to appear before a magistrate on Tandar Prime. A transport will be arriving in three days to take them there. In the meantime, they'll have to wait it out in the complex. Archer wants to contact Enterprise NX-01, but that's also against regulations. However, Grat assures him that he will personally call Enterprise to explain the situation. Grat also suggests that they keep to themselves and not become too close to the Sulibans detained with them. The Major returns to escort Archer and Travis back to their "quarters". Back in their cells, Archer and Travis are seen eating. Travis suggests that the Tandaran food would be better used as a valve sealant for Commander Tucker. Archer goes to refill his cup from the common area when he spots a Suliban child, Narra, helping her father hang clothing. Archer, being a "very curious man" as he later says, makes contact with a Suliban named Danik. From him, he learns that not all Suliban are in the cabal or genetically enhanced and that they are only normal civilians. The alarm goes off again and Klev enters. Because he was out past curfew, Danik is put into isolation for the night, which leaves Narra alone without her father. Meanwhile, Enterprise is trying to find out what happened to Captain Archer and Ensign Mayweather. T'Pol and Trip want to speak to Archer, but Grat won't let them. He explains the situation to them and assures them that their captain is fine. He tells them that the Central Magistrate's Office on Tandar Prime will contact them once they arrive. Hoshi tried to trace the signal but couldn't locate it. T'Pol and Trip discuss what should be done. Tucker considers a rescue mission, while T'Pol favors diplomacy. In the end, the Enterprise sets a course for Tandar Prime. Back at the complex, Archer learns from Danik that the Suliban homeworld had become uninhabitable about three hundred years ago and as a result they are mostly a nomadic people. The Suliban who have settled in the Tandar sector have been confined to detention camps since the early times of the war between the Tandarans and the Cabal. The Tandarans had questioned the loyalty of all Suliban living in their territory. For everyone's safety, the Suliban were relocated, but only temporarily. Once the Cabal is destroyed, the Suliban will be released. Danik's friend Sajen brings him a letter which informs him that the appeal his wife had requested, which was to be transferred to the same complex as her husband and daughter, had been rejected. The alarm goes off again for midday inspection. After Archer leaves, Sajen expresses his distrust of Archer and fear that he may be working for Grat. In the common area, Major Klev informs Archer that Colonel Grat wants to see him. Archer tells Grat that he's spent some time getting to know the Suliban in the complex. Grat learned from the Tandaran Intelligence Agency that the captain has considerable knowledge about the Cabal and asks Archer to tell him what he knows. Since Archer is unwilling to take sides in their conflict, he is not cooperative. Grat then warns Archer that another transport won't be arriving for another 60 days, implying that if he doesn't get the information he wants, Archer will miss the original transport scheduled to arrive in the morning. Grat contacts Enterprise to inform them that the hearing has been postponed for at least a few more days (enough time to interrogate Archer in the complex). He suggests they continue to Tandar Prime, where an ambassador will show them their capital city. At that point, Enterprise is able to trace the signal back to the prison camp and T'Pol decides to take matters into her own hands. Archer and Danik continue to talk. Danik suggests that Archer tell Grat what he knows about the Suliban since it would foster his release. Archer refuses because he dislikes being "strong-armed" and seeing how the Suliban are being treated in the complex. He asks if anyone has ever tried to escape. He learns that there is a docking bay in the complex about 100 meters away. Three Suliban previously tried to escape, but they were all killed under the false pretense (planted by Colonel Grat) that they were armed. Archer implies that with help they may have escaped. He says Enterprise will come looking for him, and when it does, he'll offer to help any Suliban escape that wants to. In the common area, Travis tries to spark up a conversation with Sajen, but he is cold towards him. While Archer looks over schematics of the complex in his cell, a communicator is beamed next to him. He contacts Enterprise and discovers that they are in orbit of the detention complex. Because it won't be long until Enterprise is detected by the Tandarans, Trip suggests beaming Archer and Travis out. But the Captain has other ideas. He wants to help the Suliban escape. When Archer tries to enlist the Suliban in an escape attempt, Sajen refuses because he believes that there is no hope of escape and that he would be killed. He also believes that Archer and Travis may have been planted among the Suliban to stir up trouble so that the guards would have an excuse to kill them. However, Danik agrees to the plan. Archer is questioned by Grat about some unusual energy readings that came from Archer's quarters. Archer avoids revealing anything, only to have a beaten and bruised Ensign Mayweather brought into Grat's office. When Grat discovers a communicator Travis had on him, and after Archer refuses to explain himself, he sends Archer into an isolation cell. Back on Enterprise, Doctor Phlox performs a procedure on an unseen crewmember. On the bridge, Hoshi receives a call from the captain, but it turns out to be from Colonel Grat (who is using Travis's communicator). Learning they are no longer on their way to Tandar Prime, he openly threatens Enterprise if they come any closer to his patrol ships. Sajen has a heated conversation with a bruised Travis, which leads him to reconsider his attitude towards escaping. Enterprise is hailed by Colonel Grat who threatens to attack if they don't withdraw. T'Pol insists they didn't come for a fight. Under the pretense of sending Grat copies of Earth's historical database, the Starfleet Charter and a record of all Human contact with alien species, as well as the Vulcan database, Hoshi jams Grat's frequencies. Meanwhile, Trip is able to transport Lieutenant Reed (who is disguised as a Suliban) into the prison. There, he finds Travis and arms him. They meet up with Danik and go over the details of the escape plan, as well as figuring out where Archer is being held in isolation. The alarm goes off again, this time without incident. In space, the Tandaran patrol ships open fire on Enterprise, but are quickly disabled and veer off. Enterprise enters the atmosphere and launches Shuttlepod 2 with Trip at its helm. On the planet, Malcolm sets off some explosions that blows out a wall and also manages to incapacitate Major Klev and two of his guards. Following Malcolm's lead, the Suliban begin trying to escape. As it approaches the complex, Shuttlepod 2 destroys the unmanned guard towers protecting it. A firefight ensues in the common area, with Danik trapped. Just as Malcolm reaches Archer in isolation, Grat arrives and knocks Malcolm out. He yells at Archer, telling him that he has condemned these people rather than free them. During the Suliban's escape, at Narra's behest Sajen goes back for Danik. Malcolm comes to, disarms Grat, and leaves with Archer and Travis. On the shuttlepod home, Archer is satisfied to have helped these people, but following his last encounter with Grat, he wonders if these homeless Suliban will stick to their conviction or fall to the attracting Cabal as Grat predicted. 
<EOS>
On board Enterprise, a first contact with a new species called the Kreetassans has gone terribly wrong, with the aliens leaving the ship in anger, quickly. Captain Jonathan Archer, his first officer, T'Pol, Commander Charles Tucker III and Ensign Hoshi Sato are running down the corridor trying to find out what's wrong. However, the universal translator seems to be malfunctioning and Sato cannot figure out what they are so mad about. The Kreetassan captain and his crew make their way to the ship's airlock and demand to leave. Archer tries to settle the situation by apologizing for whatever they have done. The Kreetassan captain refuses to budge, so Tucker opens the airlock door and the Kreetassans leave. However, just as the ship's outer airlock door is closing to the Kreetassan ship, a strange web-like creature enters Enterprise. With the disastrous first contact over, the crew returns to duty. On the bridge, Sato is depressed about being unable to translate the Kreetassan language and make the aliens stay on board and feeling like it was all her fault. T'Pol, however, does not make Sato feel better about her failure, saying that she should practice more so her next first contact will be successful. Tucker enters the bridge, and Sato asks him to repair a communications device so the annoying static will be taken out. Tucker promises that he'll look at it first thing in the morning. He then makes his way to T'Pol's science station and asks about the captain's mood. T'Pol replies that seeing him now is not a good time. Tucker ignores T'Pol's advice and make his way to Archer's ready room. The door chime sounds and Archer, while looking at Vulcan starcharts, angrily says "it had better be important." Tucker comes in and tells Archer that Chef will be serving prime rib with real horseradish. Archer is not interested and says that he'll ask the ship's steward to send some up. Tucker then suggests that they play some pool and that Archer can start off first. Archer declines again, then Tucker takes a computer card out of his pocket and says that he was going to save it for a rainy day, and tells Archer that it is a water polo match, Stanford vs. Texas. Archer immediately stops reading the starchart and asks Tucker if it is the finals. Tucker tells him that it was freshly transmitted from Earth. This breaks Archer out of his depression and he agrees to watch it with Tucker later in the evening. In Archer's quarters, his dog Porthos is laying on his bed, seemingly bored. However, a strange noise grabs his attention and he starts to bark. Inside a conduit above the captain's quarters, the strange web creature flows through. In the mess hall, Sato, Ensign Travis Mayweather and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed are eating food, discussing the first contact and what could have possibly gone wrong. Seeing that Sato is uncomfortable with the subject, they both drop it. Reed asks what is playing on movie night on the ship. Mayweather replies that it is a classic French film called Wages of Fear. At first, Reed does not want to go, but Mayweather insists that he'll like it because things blow up. Reed then reverses his stance and says that it sounds good. He asks Sato if she'll come to the film, saying that they might need a translator, given that the subtitles go by very fast. Sato says that she has had enough communication failures for one day and leaves. Sato walks down a corridor, where she hears a strange noise, as Porthos had. She leans her head into the corridor so she can hear better, and unknown to her, the web creature is moving right through the interior of the corridor wall. She dismisses the sound and walks away. In engineering, two crewmen, Michael Rostov and J. Kelly, are working during the midday shift. Rostov is impatient, asking if they can go to the film now. Kelly says to Rostov to wait one minute while she does the warp core maintenance. Rostov gets more impatient and Kelly says that Rostov could always watch the movie in his quarters, since it is in the ship's database. He claims that it is not the same, since he does not want to see part of the movie in the mess hall, then see the beginning later, which he claims makes no sense. Kelly laughs, then, on her computer screen, she sees that there is a power failure in one of the ship's cargo bays. Rostov says that it can wait for the night shift. Kelly replies that Rostov can fix it in less than ten minutes. Meanwhile, in the captain's private mess, Tucker and Archer are watching the polo match while having beer and pretzels, while some members of the crew are watching Wages of Fear. Just before the film starts, the screen begins to display images of Enterprise, and it shows the bridge and sickbay. Reed goes to a communications panel and asks for a maintenance team to come and see what is wrong. Just then, Rostov enters the cargo bay. As he is moving through with his flashlight, he sees a white substance on the floor with webs surrounding some cargo containers. Rostov activates his communicator, but before he is able to speak into it, something grabs him. Kelly, in engineering, answers his call, but he is not responding. In the captain's mess, Tucker and Archer are enjoying themselves while watching the polo match. Tucker tells Archer that he should get ready to compose himself, because Texas is going to defeat Stanford. Archer then asks Tucker if he has seen the whole transmission, which Tucker sarcastically replies that he has not. Kelly arrives in the cargo bay and sees the webbing and Rostov enveloped in it. She activates her communicator and contacts Archer, and she tells him that there is a strange creature in the cargo bay; before she can finish her sentence, she is also cut off. Tucker and Archer leave the mess hall quickly. Archer, Reed, Tucker, and a security officer head down to the cargo bay, fully armed with phase-pistols, while the security officer is armed with a plasma rifle. They enter and see the creature which has two crewmembers inside. Archer talks to Crewman Rostov, who tells them to leave before they become trapped as well. But it is too late: As Archer and Tucker are grabbed by the webbed creature's tentacles, Tucker tells Reed and the security officer to leave now. Then, the web sends more tentacles toward Reed and the security officer. The security officer is pulled in, but Reed manages to escape, and, in the process, severs a piece of the tentacle. On the bridge, T'Pol, Reed, and Sato assess the situation in the situation room. On a call coming from the ship's decontamination room, Dr. Phlox comes up with a solution. Upon examining the tentacle, Phlox believes the creature appears to be sensitive to EM radiation. However, Sato has a different idea. She tells T'Pol about some of the data Phlox has collected about the creature; its emissions seem to be similar to math equations and could possibly be a language. T'Pol refuses Sato's suggestion since time seems to running out and asks Reed to assemble EM emitters. Meanwhile, in the cargo bay, Archer, Tucker, and Rostov are the only people conscious while in the creature. Rostov asks Archer, because of the situation they are in, if the movie will likely be moved. Archer tells him that he will see what he can do to show it again. Just then, Reed and a few security officers enter the cargo bay, armed with EM emitters. T'Pol orders them to activate the devices. Phlox, on the bridge, notes that it is working. However, the crewmembers are beginning to feel intense pain. Phlox tells them to shut the EM emitters off. Phlox comes to the conclusion that the creature has linked the members of the crew together, and therefore they can feel the same pain it can. T'Pol, seeing that there is no other solution, tells Sato she has limited time to learn how to communicate with the creature. While walking down a corridor with T'Pol, Reed reveals that Starfleet has been working on creating a stable force field for a number of years. Reed believes that he can build a few for use in the cargo bay. T'Pol tells him to begin working on it. Sato, with little time, begins to learn the language, but she is having a difficult time with it. Since she cannot do it alone, she asks T'Pol, who regards math to have its own language, to help. Meanwhile, while the rest of the crew are busy dealing with the situation, Ensign Mayweather is the only senior officer on the bridge. Then, the ship receives a hail. Mayweather activates the hail; it is the Kreetassan captain. The Kreetassan captain is speaking English, noting that it was not hard to learn. Mayweather talks to the captain and learns that the reason that they left quickly was because they saw that crewmembers were eating in public, which they see as much like mating for them. He states that they also eat with their mouths, but do so in private.  Mayweather makes an apology, which the captain accepts. Mayweather then asks if the captain has seen the web creature before. He replies that he has and sends Enterprise the coordinates for the creature's homeworld. Meanwhile, Sato has figured out the language with help from T'Pol, and enters the cargo bay with Reed, T'Pol, Phlox, and a security officer. Sato begins to tell the creature to let the crewmembers go. The creature then tells Sato the exact latitude and longitude for its location on its homeworld. The creature slowly releases Rostov, Kelly, the security officer, Tucker, and Archer. Then, Reed, Phlox, Sato and T'Pol head down to the symbiotic lifeform's homeworld in a shuttlepod. They release the creature back to its "people." When the pod leaves, it is revealed that the organism covers nearly the entire planet. 
<EOS>
In the captain's private dining room, T'Pol bluntly asks Trip Tucker and Captain Archer whether they suffer from a lack of sexual activity. A little amused and taken aback, they ask her why she feels that way. T'Pol says that it is her understanding that Human mating ritual is effective in easing tension and since officers are not supposed to fraternize with subordinates, she wonders what Archer and Tucker have been doing to relieve said tension. She has noticed a drop in crew efficiency. Archer points out that they all have gone for ten months without a break after all and that it was normal for people to get a little sloppy. T'Pol suggests that the crew take a little shore leave; in that regard, she has done some research and located a suitable planet called "Risa" whose humanoid culture, as she points out, is quite receptive to relieve tension. When Tucker enters the bridge wearing a rather colorful Hawaiian shirt, T'Pol comments that the Risian women won't be as "receptive" to his choice of clothing as he'd probably want. While discussing the captain's shore leave plans, a message from Starfleet Command arrives. Admiral Maxwell Forrest explains the situation of an Ambassador V'Lar, the Vulcan ambassador to Mazar. The admiral orders Enterprise NX-01 to pick up the ambassador from Mazar and transport her to a rendezvous with the Vulcan ship Sh'Raan. Ensign Hoshi Sato has decided to give up her cabin for Ambassador V'Lar during her stay. The Mazarite High Council hails Enterprise, and immediately sends the ambassador to the ship. The High Councilman explains that Ambassador V'Lar has been "expelled for abuse of her position and criminal misconduct." Once the ambassador arrives, she surprises everyone by offering a handshake to the Human officers. In the captain's private dining room, V'Lar joins the senior officers for dinner. V'Lar continues to surprise her hosts by asking to meet Sato in order to thank her for allowing her to interrupt her routine, then even makes an attempt at humor; when her role in a treaty which predates Human-Vulcan First Contact is mentioned, Tucker asks how long she has been a diplomat, and the ambassador responds that she had been told that Human men aren't supposed to ask a woman how old she is -- though when the commander desperately attempts to save face, she cuts him off and admits her response was in jest. Even more surprising, she seems to allude to her guilt in the charges brought by the Mazarites. After dinner, T'Pol walks V'Lar to her quarters, obviously uncomfortable. When T'Pol tries to leave, V'Lar confronts her, saying that she senses her disappointment. With a curt good night, T'Pol excuses herself. Later, T'Pol and Archer discuss the evening. Archer tells T'Pol that he is concerned about her, that the situation with V'Lar seems to be weighing heavily on her. T'Pol admits that she finds it troubling that V'Lar would return to Vulcan under such circumstances. If V'Lar were innocent, T'Pol believes that she would have stayed to defend herself. Then, T'Pol relates to Archer the story of her first meeting with V'Lar, her hero, a meeting that T'Pol believes V'Lar has forgotten. In the midst of the Mazarites' accusations, T'Pol is troubled to see her hero fall. Archer commiserates with T'Pol, telling her that he knows what it's like to see a hero's name be sullied. T'Pol assures Archer that Vulcans have no heroes. Then, Archer is called to the bridge. On the bridge, a Mazarite ship is hailing the Enterprise, claiming that the Mazarite High Council sent them to take V'Lar back to Mazar for further questioning. When Archer tells the Mazarites that he must verify this with Starfleet Command, the Mazarites tell him to do whatever he needs to do. Once communications are ended, Sato reports that the Mazarites are jamming their long range communications. Then, the Mazarite ship attacks Enterprise. Reluctantly, Archer returns fire, but their spatial torpedoes are ineffective. Dropping to impulse, the Enterprise begins firing with the phase cannons, damaging the Mazarites before jumping back to warp. Turning to T'Pol, Archer accuses her of knowing more about what's going on than she's telling him. Later, in private, Archer turns his accusations to V'Lar, who denies any further knowledge. However, when T'Pol confronts her, V'Lar concedes that anything further she might say could have unacceptable diplomatic repercussions. With nothing more to go on, Archer informs V'Lar that he has decided to set a course back to Mazar, in order to protect the lives of his crew. Later, Archer discusses the situation with Admiral Forrest, who assures Archer that he will talk with Soval, in order to learn more about the situation. At the same time, T'Pol enters the mess hall to find V'Lar and Sato sharing a drink. Sato quickly excuses herself. Once she and V'Lar are alone, T'Pol attempts to convince V'Lar to tell Archer the truth about what is going on with the Mazarites, admitting to V'Lar that Archer resents Vulcans for holding back Human development. V'Lar defends the Vulcan way, which T'Pol insists only fuels Human resentment -- the Vulcans must earn Humanity's trust, though V'lar shoots back that her century-long diplomatic career would not have been possible without earning people's trust. T'Pol apologizes, but V'Lar responds that she merely spoke her mind -- just as she'd always done. Noting T'Pol's surprise, V'Lar reminds her about the blunt way T'Pol had addressed her years ago, when they first met -- an experience that would be difficult not to remember. T'Pol apologizes for her youthful exuberance, but V'Lar replies that it actually helped her, encouraging her to rethink her methods. Finally, V'Lar confides in T'Pol. Cryptically, T'Pol reports her findings to Archer, defending V'Lar and asking for his help. She explains that the charges are false, merely a diversion to allow for the removal of V'Lar and her safe return to Vulcan territory. T'Pol believes that V'Lar will be killed if she returns to Mazar. Archer, however, cannot accept her story. Without further proof, he will have to return the ambassador to the Mazar. Desperate, T'Pol pleads with Archer, stating that she has never asked for anything until now. Reluctantly, he agrees. The Mazarites pursue Enterprise, but she speeds away at a speed warp 4.9, with the Mazarites slowly gaining on them. V'Lar comes to the bridge, concerned about the situation. Captain Archer explains that they are being pursued by hostile Mazarites, something that obviously upsets the ambassador. V'Lar asks if they will be able to outrun the Mazarites. When Archer admits that he doesn't know, V'Lar asks to speak with him privately. She admits to him that their pursuers are criminals, members of an organization that has infiltrated even the highest levels of the Mazarite High Council. These criminals will kill anyone who stands in their way, even V'Lar. She finally admits to being undercover, collecting information in order to build a case against them. The allegations were a ruse to protect her and get her off of Mazar safely. Since it obviously failed, V'Lar asks Archer to drop the ship out of warp so that she may surrender herself in exchange for the safe passage of the Enterprise. Archer, much to V'Lar's surprise, refuses. V'Lar argues that it is the most logical course of action. Archer reminds her with a smile that Humans aren't known for following the most logical course of action. T'Pol calls Archer to the bridge when the Mazarites contact Enterprise. They demand the return of V'Lar, offering in exchange the safe passage of Enterprise out of Mazarite territory. Archer, again, refuses, stating that he has orders to deliver her to the Vulcans and that he will do just that. Suddenly, the Mazarites end communications and increase their speed to warp 4.95, fast approaching weapons' range. Archer contacts Tucker, telling him he needs more power. Slowly, Enterprise accelerates. The Mazarites match speed. Finally, warp 5. Enterprise begins to shudder at the exertion. Then, Reed reports that the Mazarites are still gaining on them. T'pol reports that their rendezvous point with the Sh'Raan is 53 minutes away but, if a message could be sent, they could rendezvous in twelve minutes. V'Lar offers a special diplomatic channel, but just as she thinks a message may have gotten through, the engines begin to catch fire. After Mazarite weapons fire cripples one nacelle, Enterprise falls to impulse with the Sh'Raan still eight minutes away. The Mazarites slow to impulse and hail them. Archer sends V'Lar to sickbay, asking her to simply trust him. Once she leaves, the captain opens communications with the Mazarites. While Archer tries to stall, the Mazarites threaten to and eventually send boarding parties. Archer meets the boarding party and explains that V'Lar was badly injured in the attacks and she is currently in sickbay undergoing treatment. The boarding party demands to be taken to sickbay, where Doctor Phlox refuses to allow them access to V'Lar who, he explains, is in the imaging chamber and cannot be removed since premature removal would kill her. When the Mazarites hail their boarding party to tell them that their communications are being jammed, the Mazarites open fire on the chamber. Just then, the Vulcans arrive and quickly disable the Mazarite ships. Once the situation is under control, the Vulcans hail Enterprise, demanding that the Mazarites hand over their weapons and surrender, after which their leader tells Archer that they had accomplished their goal, and that is what really mattered. As the Mazarites leave sickbay, however, they are greeted by an uninjured V'Lar, who smugly apologizes for disappointing them, and promises to mention the day's actions in her testimony. Beaten and indignant, the Mazarites depart. Captain Archer records a log, explaining that the Vulcans allowed the Mazarites to leave. V'Lar thanks Archer, then comments on the bond that Archer and T'Pol share, a bond of trust, respect, and even friendship. This bond, she says, bodes well for the future of their people. After shaking Archer's hand, V'Lar offers T'Pol a traditional farewell and departs. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is on its way to Risa again, with Captain Archer listing the places he'd like to visit, when they suddenly pick up a distress call from an alien craft. The man aboard the craft, Zobral, is very friendly and thankful even if the repairs were minor. Zobral is surprised to hear that responding to distress calls is routine for the crew of Enterprise and invites Archer and Tucker for a meal on his homeworld. Archer declines, saying he promised his crew a trip to Risa. However, Zobral says there will be a Geskana match, and that he is easily offended. Tucker wants to stay behind, saying he has too much work, and that he doesn't like the idea of the desert. He eventually relents, however, accompanying Archer to an encampment constructed in Cygniai Expanse, a large desert. They are welcomed by Zobral and his men. While eating, Zobral is amazed to hear that Earth is two-thirds water. When discussing Enterprise and its mission, Archer refers to a time when he felt he had to back down from an enemy and set a course back to Earth to upgrade the ship's weapons. At one point during the meal, Archer points out a tapestry hanging on the wall. Zobral offers it to him, but Archer declines, saying it is too large, so instead Zobral gives him a Suliban artifact. Sounds are heard, indicating the start of a Geskana match. A glowing ball is passed between players with sticks, who attempt to throw the ball into a goal. Tucker and Archer then agree to play. Meanwhile, Enterprise is contacted by a Torothan chancellor from a larger city hails Enterprise, informing T'Pol that Zobral is a terrorist. Archer is contacted by T'Pol, who passes on the newly-acquired information about Zobral. Archer makes an excuse and attempts to leave. Zobral informs the captain he is aware of the Torothan message, and convinces him to stay. Upon returning to Zobral's house, he informs Archer and Tucker that his people were persecuted by the Torothans. Zobral considers Archer a reasonable and just man, and wants to use Enterprise in their war. Zobral also relates the story of Archer liberating a Suliban prison camp, but states that thousands, not dozens, of people were freed. Zobral believes Archer to be a great warrior. In the distance, explosions are heard, which turn out to be Torothan cruisers, bombing the encampment. Archer and Tucker are made to hide underground in small bunker. Archer considers the Suliban prisoners, saying that they wouldn't be in their current situation if they hadn't helped them. Tucker says the situations are completely different and that they shouldn't be drawn into a war after Zobral deceived them. When a bomb detonates above, part of the bunker collapses and the two decide to leave. The house above them has been completely leveled. Since Zobral advised against using the shuttlepod as it would be easily detected, they take supplies from it, but begin a long walk through the desert. Meanwhile, on Enterprise, communications with the captain are being jammed and they are warned by the Torothan chancellor that any rescue team will be seen as a hostile act and will be treated as such. On the surface, Archer and Tucker are walking across sand dunes. Archer directs them to an abandoned camp about thirty kilometers away. They hear a ship and bury themselves in the sand to hide from it. Tucker soon succumbs to heat exhaustion, saying he is feeling cold. Tucker refuses to take Archer's water, but Archer orders, then threatens him to. Archer says they are heading towards an abandoned camp he saw when landing the shuttle. On Enterprise, Zobral's shuttle is detected heading towards the ship. Zobral then explains there is a gap in the Torothan detection grid that a shuttle could go through to get to the surface, but that Archer and Tucker are not his responsibility. T'Pol disagrees and convinces him to help. Archer and Tucker find the abandoned camp, but there is no drinkable water. They sit silently, realizing the bleakness of their situation. Archer starts a fire using his phase-pistol and boils the water to make it drinkable. Archer keeps Tucker active by talking about the warp reactor. They then discuss food, Tucker saying he wants prime rib, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and pecan pie, among other things. A shuttle is sent with T'Pol, Reed, and Zobral inside, to find the two on the surface, but they have to fly very low to not be detected, prolonging their search. While Archer and Tucker are talking, a bomb suddenly explodes nearby, shaking the camp, and Archer runs to a window to see another being launched. Shortly after they leave the camp, a bomb destroys it, knocking them to the ground. Luckily, the bombs indicate to the shuttle that the Torothans have detected Archer and Tucker, and they follow the shots to their location. Back on Enterprise, Zobral is ready to leave as Archer explains that he could never have helped him in his war. T'Pol and Archer talk, with T'Pol stating that it is up to governments, not starship captains, to make decisions regarding other species' affairs. Archer agrees with her but says he believes the cause, in this instance, may have been worth fighting for. 
<EOS>
After two aborted attempts, Enterprise NX-01 finally arrives at the pleasure planet of Risa. Since they can only stay for two days, the crew draws lots to see who can take shore leave and who must stay on board to keep the ship running. Captain Archer, Ensigns Hoshi Sato and Travis Mayweather, Commander Trip Tucker, and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed get to be among the lucky few who get to go down. Captain Archer feels bad going down while half the crew has to stay on board, but T'Pol reassures him that he need not worry because everyone drew lots and it was a fair draw. He still feels uneasy, believing the crew should come first, but she insists that he needs a vacation. On their way down to the planet in a shuttlecraft, they discuss their plans. Mayweather plans to spend his shore leave rock climbing at a place called Galartha, where the cliff-face changes pitch while one climbs it; Reed and Tucker plan on broadening their "cultural horizons", as they state somewhat mischievously, making Sato wonder if that is all they think about. Sato herself plans on doing something constructive with her time, such as learning new languages without relying on her universal translator so much. Reed and Tucker poke fun at her, teasing her that she only has two days, which she probably shouldn't be spending by just merely talking to people. Captain Archer does not seem nearly as excited and adventurous about his plans for shore leave, stating that he got a little villa overlooking the ocean and plans on relaxing there with Porthos and reading. Back on the ship, Doctor Phlox, who also received shore leave, plans on spending his time not by going down to the planet but by hibernating, telling T'Pol and Crewman Cutler to wake him up only if there is a medical emergency. Down on the planet, Tucker and Reed, who plan to spend their shore leave seeking female companionship, go to a bar where they meet plenty of what they are looking for. Archer goes to his villa overlooking the ocean to find that T'Pol left him a copy of The Teachings of Surak to read. While he spends some quiet time alone relaxing on his patio, he meets a beautiful alien woman named Keyla who appears somewhat reserved and reluctant. She turns down his invitation to go for dinner but suggests meeting up the next day. In the meantime, Sato, who has been planning to spend her shore leave learning new languages, strikes up a conversation with an elderly Risan couple, who are surprised that she speaks their language so well and that she bothered to learn it in the first place, since so few people do. After the couple leaves, an alien male approaches Sato. He overheard her conversation with the Risan couple and is fascinated by her ability to learn new languages so rapidly. He tells her the name of his home planet (which is quite long). When Sato asks him to repeat it more slowly, he informs her that to do so would change the meaning of what is said. Intrigued, Sato continues to talk with him, trying to learn his language. He invites her to dinner and she agrees. Tucker and Reed, meanwhile, have the time of their life surrounded by beautiful women in the nightclub they visited. They meet two particularly attractive and interested women who suggest a stroll down to the subterranean gardens. Reed and Tucker eagerly accept. The women lure them to a secluded place that does not resemble gardens at all, suddenly asking them how much starship captains get paid on their world and about the kind of valuables they have. Tucker and Reed quickly realize that there has obviously been a misunderstanding here, but before they can explain, they find out that the alien women are actually male thieves in disguise, who, disgusted to find that Tucker and Reed are carrying nothing of value, knock them out with their weapons and steal their clothes so they can sell them. Back on the ship, T'Pol receives a message from Mayweather, asking her to send down a shuttle for him to come up; he had a little rock-climbing accident, and is currently being treated in the central hospital. He complains that not only does the rock face change, but that it also has handholds that change - causing him to fall. T'Pol asks him why he didn't let them treat him down there on the planet, but Mayweather explains that he is not too fond of alien hospitals and wanted his own doctor to take a look at him. However, he soon finds out that Phlox is actually not available as he is in hibernation. Mayweather is not too happy about this, especially since he has been experiencing difficulty breathing. To be sure, they take him to sickbay for observation. Down on the planet, Tucker and Reed finally regain consciousness. Their hands are tied and the aliens have stripped them down to their underwear. They realize that they have been down there all night and that shore leave is almost half over. They scream asking for help, but no one can hear them as the aliens sealed the door when leaving them down there. While Tucker is angry, stating that he doesn't plan on spending his short time on the planet tied down in some basement, Reed notes that the Vulcan database never mentioned anything about crime on Risa. Tucker states that actually it contained some warning about such things, and before they know it, they start arguing with and blaming each other for their situation. On the ship, Mayweather's health is deteriorating further and he is experiencing more difficulty breathing. It appears as if the pain medication he was given on Risa has caused an allergic reaction. Crewman Cutler recommends they wake up Phlox to treat Mayweather. However, the doctor isn't fully awake and it takes him a while to both remember what he's supposed to be doing and how to treat Mayweather. Despite his almost delirious state, he finally manages to treat him, confirming that he has had an allergic reaction. He promptly passes out face down on a biobed the moment he has finished treating Mayweather. On Risa, Sato continues spending time with her new alien friend, who invites her to a steampool that he has been planning on visiting and she agrees to join him. They get along quite well, and Sato ends up spending the night with him. While Sato is enjoying the time with her new companion, and Tucker and Reed try to find a way out of their embarrassing situation, a somewhat lonely Archer finally receives a visit from Keyla, who is suddenly very talkative and asks him many strange questions. She tells him that she had a family that was killed by the Suliban. Archer feels bad, remembering how he aided a few Suliban prisoners escape once. They open a bottle of Risan wine, but Keyla doesn't appear to be in the best mood. Upon asking her if something was the matter, Keyla begins talking about the Suliban again, asking Archer if he has ever seen any of them and what he knows about them; she insists on knowing where they come from and where they live. Archer apologizes for not being able to tell her more, however, Keyla doesn't stop prying, acting more agitated, yelling at Archer to tell her more about where they live. This is when Archer realizes that something is not right and that there is more going on here than what meets the eye. When she leaves his place to get a sweater for their walk along the beach, Archer transmits a bioscan of Keyla to the ship. It turns out that she is a Tandaran who has undergone plastic surgery to disguise herself. Once Archer discovers her true identity and confronts her, she knocks him out and disappears. While Reed and Tucker manage to cut through the ropes to free themselves, leaving the cellar and walking back to the bar and to their rooms in their underwear, Sato, who has spent the night with the man she just met, is getting ready, albeit reluctantly, to go back to the ship. She explains that she wished she could spend all day lying in bed with him, but that she has to go. Captain Archer also finally awakens with a headache, realizing that he was out all night after Keyla knocked him unconscious. On the shuttle flight back to the ship, everyone is rather quiet and not nearly as eager and talkative as they were on their way down two days ago. An embarrassed Tucker and Reed are sitting there in their underwear and robes, trying not to smell or let anyone know what really happened to them down there, while Archer smiles, stating that he in fact got plenty of rest and went out like a light. Sato seems to be the only one with a smirk on her face, even though she also doesn't reveal what really happened, merely stating that she in fact learned several new conjugations. Thinking that Archer had a dull time just reading, Tucker suggests that next time they have shore leave, instead of just sitting around and reading books, he should try and get out, look for a little excitement and meet new people. Archer nods and smiles. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise is on its way to meet with the colonists of Paraagan II. This colony has been growing very rapidly since the initial thirty miners arrived there twenty years ago. The population is now about 3,600. Since the mining operations release large amounts of tetrazine into the atmosphere, the shuttlepod from Enterprise has to follow a strict protocol to prevent igniting it with its propulsion system. However, something goes wrong and the atmosphere suddenly explodes, causing a massive shock wave that wipes out the entire colony in a few seconds, killing all the colonists. An investigation is immediately launched, but yields no immediate results. Lieutenant Reed, who was piloting, swears he didn't make a mistake during the landing and the Paraagan protocols were correct. This accident leaves everyone aboard Enterprise devastated, especially Captain Archer, who puts full blame on himself. But the worst news comes to him from Admiral Maxwell Forrest when the latter says that, at the suggestion of Vulcan Ambassador Soval, Enterprise's mission has been officially canceled. Even if all logs seem to indicate that the shuttlepod did nothing wrong, and a strange reading discovered by Reed seems to suggest that there is more than there appears to be, Archer remains despondent. T'Pol visits him and tells Archer that as captain he has a responsibility to try and convince Starfleet not to cancel the mission, and that she's willing to recommend to the Vulcan High Command the same. Archer is grateful, noting this is likely the first time a Vulcan has tried to cheer up a Human. When Archer goes to bed, he is suddenly transported back ten months in the past to the day before Klaang was brought to Starfleet Medical. This is exactly the same past and he can remember everything that happened all those months ago. He, however, is still the same man he was on the Enterprise and quickly establishes the last ten months were not a dream. He then encounters Crewman Daniels, who had brought him back in time. He wants to help Archer discover the truth, because the Enterprise's mission must go on to preserve the timeline. As this would probably be in violation of the Temporal Accords, he explains a plan that will uncover the Suliban's involvement in the explosion and warns the captain to follow it very carefully to prevent any butterfly effects in the timeline. Back in the present, Archer tells his senior staff what happened and what they are to do next. The first thing they find is that the strange EM readings in fact came from a cloaked device whose purpose was to ignite the atmosphere while putting the blame on the shuttlepod's engines. They then proceed to check the specifications of a Suliban cloaked ship in a database still in Daniels' (now isolated) quarters. With the information (and a tip from Daniels saying where to find the ship), they plan an operation to steal data disks containing ship logs that will prove the Enterprise innocent. With the information from Daniels, the assault team has a clear advantage over the Suliban and they are able to steal the data disks very easily. Back on Enterprise, things looks much brighter, as they are able to prove that the explosion wasn't their fault, effectively exonerating Enterprise. T'Pol is, however, still skeptical about the time travel explanation for all this as the Vulcan Science Directorate has concluded that time travel is impossible. But trouble comes again, as the Suliban have help from the future as well. Enterprise begins experiencing warp field problems and soon detects Suliban cell ships surrounding them. Silik hails them, saying that he wants the captain. Even though he is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his crew, Archer never makes it to the Suliban shuttle, as he is time-transported again, this time to the future. There he walks through ruins before encountering a frightened Daniels. He explains that he transported the captain to the 31st century to protect him, but he suspects his actions have not gone unpunished, as the ruins were his base of operation and there is no time portal left intact, trapping Archer in the future. 
<EOS>
Since Jonathan Archer is not in the 22nd century anymore (and therefore unable to save Enterprise), T'Pol chooses to surrender the ship to the Suliban to let them verify her claims. They do not find any trace of Archer, but they get their data disks back (which have not been duplicated yet) and detect a temporal signature at Archer's last known location (the turbolift). Back on Earth, Ambassador Soval decides to send the D'kyr to recover T'Pol since Enterprise failed to be at the rendezvous point on time. In the 31st century, Daniels realizes that there is no technology that could be used to send Archer back and because of that, a monument to the Federation simply "ceased to exist". He recovers some confidence when Archer gives him his communicator and scanner, saying that he will be able to make a device from these to contact Enterprise. The Suliban have brought Enterprise to a nearby helix and confine the crew to quarters. Silik is interrogating T'Pol to learn where Archer has gone, but realizes that she knows little. From his quarters, Trip Tucker is able to set up a communication link between the senior staff, and they plan an escape. When T'Pol is returned to her quarters, Archer contacts her and gives her instructions on how to bring him back. The crew then formulates a plan to take back the ship, save the captain, and escape the Suliban. However, the locks on their room doors can only be opened on the outside, so someone has to crawl through the air vents and Hoshi Sato is the only one small enough. Despite her claustrophobia, she is able to reach to Phlox's quarters, where he has prepared a hypospray to knock out the guards. She then makes her way to Malcolm Reed's room. However, her shirt catches on a hook. As she tries to get it off, she accidentally slips off -- without a shirt. She opens the door, with her hands over her chest, telling Reed to not say what he is about to say and to get her a shirt. In the next scene, two Suliban find T'Pol at the transporter, acting delirious, and are injected into unconsciousness from behind by Reed and Travis Mayweather. Malcolm goes to Daniels's quarters to get a device, but he is caught by the Suliban. In the following interrogation, he tells Silik that Archer gave him orders to destroy it to prevent Silik from contacting his captain (he hasn't been able to do so since Archer's time transport). Meanwhile, Tucker and T'Pol initiated a faked warp core breach and as soon as they are freed from the helix, Enterprise goes to warp, pursued by many Suliban ships. On the helix, Silik is trying to contact his master with the device, butunfortunately for him, the person that he is contacting turns out to be Archer, who the device transports back to the present for him to attack Silik. Archer takes Silik's sidearm and puts it to his head, warning him not to "shift shape or pull one of his chameleon routines," otherwise he'll blow his head off. Archer then takes him as an hostage, destroys Daniels' device, and secures the Enterprise's escape, returning to Enterprise aboard a cell ship with Silik as a hostage. They finally reach the D'kyr and present their proof to Starfleet Command and to the Vulcans. Soval, making an assessment of the Enterprise mission up to this point, still recommends to cancel the mission. Archer compares Humans' growth in space exploration to the development of a Human child, which occurs gradually instead of instantaneously, and promises that Humans will learn from their mistakes. After Soval attempts to dismiss this argument, T'Pol protests, adding her commentary about the Vulcans' historical need to learn from their mistakes as well. Admiral Forrest promises that there will be further discussion in the council regarding these deliberations. Later that night, Archer visits T'Pol to thank her for standing up for the Humans' right to explore space. Enterprise's mission will be allowed to continue, and Archer believes her speech to the Vulcans were what finally convinced the council. T'Pol tells Archer that despite everything, she still doesn't believe in time travel; however, Archer isn't so sure. 
<EOS>
Jonathan Archer, Trip Tucker, and T'Pol are informally celebrating T'Pol's official one-year anniversary on board the Enterprise. Despite T'Pol insisting that she is only carrying out her duties and that a toast or a celebration are not needed, Archer tells her that it is indeed a special occasion considering that the previous record for a Vulcan serving on a Human ship was just two weeks. T'Pol corrects him, stating it was only ten days. Archer goes on to tell her that he has been filling out her annual crew evaluation. He points out that in her record he noted that while she was stationed in Sausalito, she took a five-day leave to visit an old mining town in Pennsylvania called Carbon Creek. T'Pol tells him that she went there for personal reasons. Both Archer and Tucker wonder what kind of personal business T'Pol could possibly have in Pennsylvania. She tells them that she went to Carbon Creek because she wanted to visit the site of First Contact between Humans and Vulcans. This comes to quite a surprise to Archer and Tucker, who both insist that first contact took place in Montana in 2063, over a century later. Encouraged by her dinner companions, T'Pol begins the story of the first Vulcan-Human contact that took place in 1957 in Carbon Creek: A Vulcan survey ship is performing a survey from Earth orbit after the recent Sputnik I launch by Humans. Unfortunately, after three weeks of surveying, they experience impulse manifold problems and are forced into an emergency crash landing on Earth, or more precisely, near the small town of Carbon Creek in Pennsylvania. Their captain dies in the crash, leaving T'Mir (T'Pol's second foremother, which she explains is her mother's mother's mother) in command of the two other surviving Vulcans. Their subspace transceiver is damaged in the crash and so they have no way of knowing if their distress signal has even been transmitted. To make matters worse, their emergency rations are used up within a week. After five days without food, their situation grows so desperate they decide to investigate all their options and pay a visit to the town nearby. Mestral and T'Mir disguise themselves by stealing clothes from a backyard clothesline and agree to limit their interaction to Humans as much as possible so as to not contaminate their culture. They wander around town, somewhat confused as to all the things they observe, until they find a restaurant and bar where they learn they can acquire food. They have no currency to pay for the food, but this problem is resolved when Mestral decides to accept a challenged wager, from Billy, on a game of pool. If Billy wins, T'Mir must have a drink with him; if Mestral wins, he wins a quarter per ball. T'Mir protests, but Mestral assures her that this is simply a game based on geometry, and wouldn't even present a challenge to a Vulcan child. Finally, T'Mir relents. After a rough beginning to the game, Mestral rallies back to win. While T'Pol is telling her story, a much-amused Tucker can't help but question it. He states that two Vulcans thrown into a bar, hustling for a game of pool, and then walking out with an armload of TV dinners seems more like an old episode of The Twilight Zone. While he and Archer have a good laugh over this, T'Pol continues with her story. The three Vulcans, realizing that they cannot go on relying on gambling, begin taking whatever employment they can find while they wait for a rescue vessel to arrive. However, as the weeks pass, it seems less likely that their distress call had been received. Coming to terms with their situation, the three build a life for themselves. T'Mir takes a job at the bar that they visited earlier, which is run by a woman named Maggie. Stron has taken on a job as a plumber, using Vulcan technology when no one else is looking. Mestral takes a job in the local coal mine where Billy works, becomes very interested in and fond of Human culture and technology, and makes new friends. He even becomes romantically interested in Maggie, much to the dismay of T'Mir, who refuses to engage in a more meaningful relationship with Humans. Stron, on the other hand, is very unhappy about his situation, complaining about the trivial nonsense of Humans he is exposed to every day, such as being compared to one of the three Stooges; as a warp field engineer, he finds the situation intolerable. T'Mir states that if they remain there they will die, because Earth seems to be on the brink of self-annihilation. Mestral, however, doesn't believe her, saying that if she spent a little more time observing Human behavior she might not have such a pessimistic view of them. He states that, despite their weaknesses, Humans possess great potential, such as empathy and compassion. Furthermore, he becomes more reluctant to take orders from T'Mir, stating that it was about time they realized that their mission is over and that no one will come to their rescue. Even if T'Mir is not willing to make deeper contact with the Humans, her opinion changes when she has a conversation with Maggie's son, Jack, who shows interest in meditation and astronomy and has a desire to learn. Jack is one of the few Humans T'Mir doesn't find repulsive and crude. Later, when an accident in the coal mine traps twenty people, Mestral wants to use a particle weapon to free the trapped men. Stron and T'Mir are both initially reluctant to help save the miners because they fear being exposed. However, T'Mir eventually ends up helping Mestral free his friends. Three months later, a Vulcan survey ship finally contacts them, saying their distress call made it to Vulcan through a Tellarite freighter. The three are taken by surprise at this new development, yet know that the time has come to finally say goodbye. When T'Mir says goodbye to Jack, he tells her that he cannot go to college after all, because he and Maggie can't afford the tuition. T'Mir decides to salvage the crashed Vulcan ship and finds a large patch of Velcro, something advanced and yet benign to Human technology, and sells it to Big Creek Manufacturing and Sales Co. in downtown Pittsburgh in order to be able to anonymously help out Jack with his college tuition. Mestral, however, has decided that he doesn't want to return to Vulcan, not wanting to let the chance slip by to study an emerging species at the verge of countless social and technological advancements. T'Mir at first protests, but soon accepts (and respects) Mestral's decisions, telling Captain Tellus from the Vulcan rescue ship that Mestral had died in the crash together with the captain and that their bodies were cremated. Back on the Enterprise in the present, Archer and Tucker are speechless at what they are hearing, for this new information shakes to the core their long-held beliefs about first contact with Vulcans. T'Pol says that the event is very well documented in the Vulcan archives, but maintains the ambiguity by saying that she just told them "a story" like they had asked her to. They laugh this off. Later in her quarters however, T'Pol takes out and unwraps what is revealed to be T'Mir's vintage 1950's purse, holding it up in reminiscence of her great-grandmother's story and time on Earth. 
<EOS>
As Reed works, he suddenly becomes aware of a strange alien starship de-cloaking nearby. The ship hails Enterprise, but the universal translator can't quite get a lock on the strange language, and Sato is out of commission in sickbay. The aliens begin to fire warning shots at Enterprise, so Archer orders Travis Mayweather to move them out of harm's way -- slowly, so as not to injure Reed, who is still hard at work on the hull. Mayweather must also be careful not to collide with any of the other mines in the field. The unknown alien ship cloaks immediately after the enterprise starts to move away from the planet. But Archer still thinks they're still out there. Reed begins to make some headway in his efforts to disarm the mine, but just as he's making progress, the motion from Enterprise jostles the mine. A spike thrusts out of the mine and through Reed's leg, pinning him to the ship's hull. Hoping to disarm the mine and save his officer, Archer heads out to the hull. With Reed unable to reach the mine, Archer must depend on him for instructions to disable it. Reed thinks it is too dangerous, but Archer insists that he's a quick study. Meanwhile, Sato is translating the mysterious alien language from sickbay. The aliens have ordered Enterprise to leave immediately or be destroyed -- they have annexed the planet in the name of the Romulan Star Empire. Only T'Pol has heard of this species, and she reveals that they are an aggressive, territorial race. Archer orders Sato to compose a response explaining the crew's desperate circumstances. Out on the hull, Archer works painstakingly to deactivate the mine. He also tries to engage Reed in casual conversation, but it doesn't seem to calm the armory officer's nerves. Rattled, Reed reveals that he doesn't believe socializing with superior officers has any place on a starship. Archer, however, points out that the crewmembers all have to depend on one another, and that Enterprise's mission is not a typical one. As they continue to talk, it becomes apparent that Reed is prepared to sacrifice himself for the ship. Archer, however, is determined to save both his officer and the Enterprise. Just then, Reed and Archer both turn to see two Romulan vessels decloaking behind the Enterprise. On the bridge, the crew is being hailed yet again by the Romulan commander, who insist's that Enterprise leave. The Romulan commander knows that Reed is trapped outside, but demand that the ship jettison the section of hull plating, expressing the view that the loss of a single crewman is insignificant. The Romulan ships then re-cloak. Complicating things even further, the mine re-arms just as Archer believes he's defused it -- he is forced to quickly reset it again. Reed ascertains that they will now have to dismantle the entire mine, but there's no time. Reed once again volunteers to sacrifice himself, even going so far as to disconnect his air supply hose. Archer, however, won't have it, and quickly attaches the auxiliary air hose from his own suit to Reed's. Desperate, Archer comes up with one last-ditch plan, and requests two shuttlepod hatches and a plasma torch. Tucker detaches the section of the hull plating. Then Travis Mayweather witnesses two Romulan vessels decloak and Trip warns T'Pol that the Romulans are charging weapons. As they drift away, Archer uses the torch to free Reed from the hull. As the mine begins to arm itself, Archer and Reed grab their shuttlepod hatches and launch themselves out of harm's way. The mine explodes. As the Romulans descend on Enterprise, Archer and Reed make it back to the ship just in time for T'Pol to order the ship to warp speed. Enterprise makes a safe getaway as the Romulans do not pursue, and Archer and Reed are left to ponder their ordeal (it takes the mine 34 seconds to explode). 
<EOS>
Following an encounter with a Romulan mine, Enterprise has suffered damage that requires extensive repairs. Trip Tucker estimates that he needs three to four months to complete the repairs, assuming they can even find tritanium alloy. Moreover, the damage is so extensive that Enterprise cannot travel faster than warp 2.1, leaving Enterprise about a decade away from Jupiter Station. Meanwhile, Malcolm Reed is in the middle of rehabilitation following the serious leg injury he sustained while trying to disarm the mine. He is frustrated to learn it will be another week or two before he can return to duty. Given their dire situation, Captain  Archer orders Hoshi Sato to send out a distress call asking for assistance with repairs. The call is answered by a Tellarite freighter, which points them to a repair station. When Enterprise arrives at the station, they find it to be completely automated and quite sophisticated: it can adapt its environment to its guests and possesses impressive technology such as a food replicator, a kind of protoplaser, and more. It shows Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker a scan of Enterprise that displays even the most minor damage, such as Reed's injured leg and where Tucker scratched the ship with an inspection pod just before the ship launched. Even more interesting is the station's offer to completely repair the ship in less than a day and a half (work that would take Jupiter Station three months) in exchange for a choice of several nearly trivial compensations. After discussing the loss of any irreplaceable items, they settle on an exchange of two hundred liters of warp plasma. The station warns that crew members must not enter any area undergoing repair, and then sets to work. The station's work is rapid and impressive, fixing systems in minutes that it would take days for the crew to repair. It also manages to completely heal Reed's leg, leaving no sign that he was ever injured. Despite all this, Archer is troubled that the station's builders are nowhere to be found, nor did they leave any kind of message. He also can't shake the bad feeling that such extensive repairs are being conducted for a relatively insignificant payment. T'Pol tries to alleviate his concerns, suggesting that the station's builders may have wanted to simply help other ships and wish to remain anonymous. Nevertheless, Archer is wary enough to decide he prefers Chef's cooking over the station's replicators. In the station's mess hall, Tucker shares with Reed the fact that he is mystified that the station's computer core, despite being far more advanced than the one used by Enterprise, appears to be much smaller than they would have expected. The two decide to try and access the restricted compartment to have a look, but they are detected before they get too far and are transported back to Enterprise's bridge in front of T'Pol. Archer gives the two a dressing down for acting without authorization and setting a bad example for the rest of the crew. He confines them both to quarters, but takes the chance to ask if they noticed anything unusual. Before the conversation can get further, Archer is informed that Ensign Mayweather has been found dead in launch bay 1. The evidence suggests that he disobeyed orders to stay out of the sections under repair, leading to his death by isolytic shock. However, Archer refuses to believe that Mayweather was that foolish. The autopsy confirms the captain's doubts: the body is not Mayweather's, but that of a near-perfect replica: even if Mayweather was dead, there would still be microorganisms (from a Rigelian fever vaccine recently administered ship-wide after a crewmember was infected with the disease) living in the bloodstream, but they are also dead. Since they thrive on isolytic energy, the shock that killed Mayweather would have, if anything, increased their number. Doctor Phlox suggests that replicating living organisms is beyond the abilities of the station. The captain decides to investigate the matter in more detail and assembles a team to reach the computer core, using Tucker and Reed's previous infiltration as an advantage. While Tucker keeps the computer occupied with banter, they easily disable the protective mechanisms and are surprised by what they find: dozens of unconscious bodies, connected to the computer. They are still alive, but (with the exception of Mayweather) their cerebral cortices have been reorganized by the station's core, causing irreversible brain damage. When they unplug Mayweather, the station turns hostile. With everyone finally back aboard Enterprise, the station refuses to let the ship disembark. It threatens to destroy the ship, locking out the crew from all systems. Archer still has an ace up his sleeve, however, as he had arranged to place a detonator next to the warp plasma canisters that Tucker delivered as payment for the repairs. The detonator ignites the plasma and seemingly destroys the station, finally allowing Enterprise to escape, repaired and with its entire crew. As Enterprise warps away, however, some parts of the repair station that had been left in ruins slowly come together and begin repairing themselves. 
<EOS>
Captain Jonathan Archer, Ensign Hoshi Sato, T'Pol, and Porthos are in the decontamination chamber after a not-so-successful visit to the Kreetassans home planet. Captain Archer is very frustrated because for the past five days Enterprise NX-01 spent in orbit, they have been doing nothing but apologizing to and humiliating themselves in front of the aliens because months ago they ate lunch in front of them on their own ship. T'Pol points out that the Kreetassans manufacture plasma injectors and that Enterprise needs one. But Archer has a hard time containing his frustration because once again, after all the waiting and "groveling" as he calls it, they have been asked to leave, empty-handed, because they somehow offended the Kreetassans again. How, they do not know, again. Archer does not want to hear it anymore, saying that he is exhausted and pretty much had it with these people. After their decontamination cycle is over Doctor Phlox lets them know that they can leave except for Porthos: apparently he picked up a pathogen on the surface and the decon-agent has not been effective. With a heavy heart, Captain Archer leaves Porthos behind in the decon chamber. In main engineering, Commander Trip Tucker explains to the captain the importance of getting those plasma injectors, no matter how uncomfortable the situation is. Archer complains that these people are impossible, but Tucker insists on getting the injectors from them because their components are metallurgically sound and dependable. He tells Archer to take the "high road" as the trained diplomat that he is. Reluctantly, Archer agrees, saying that he will have T'Pol find out what they did wrong this time so they can apologize for it again accordingly. Meanwhile, Porthos has been relocated to sickbay because the pathogen is affecting him in unexpected ways. Dr. Phlox explains that his immune system is collapsing and that even though he was successful in isolating the pathogen and breaking down its protein sequence, he still cannot explain it, as it should not be affecting Porthos like this. Dr. Phlox is, therefore, running more tests to see what is happening. Archer is worried that this might be a life-threatening situation, but Dr. Phlox says that it is still too early to tell. Archer wonders why the Kreetassans did not notice that there is a pathogen in their atmosphere that Porthos' immune system cannot handle, given that Enterprise had submitted the genomes of the away team to them to check against the environment of their planet. Dr. Phlox says that they should have noticed any incompatibilities, assuming they actually took the time to check. This angers Archer who points out that if the carelessness of the Kreetassans has hurt Porthos or ends up killing him, they will find out what being offended is all about. After he leaves sickbay, he speaks with T'Pol and learns that the Kreetassans are offended because Porthos urinated on one of their sacred trees, which they consider cultural treasures. But Archer has no sympathy for them, exclaiming that maybe if they had bothered to read the genetic profile that was sent to them, they would have told them that the dog should have stayed on the ship, in which case he would not have had an opportunity to pee on one of their precious trees. T'Pol explains that she apologized on behalf of Archer, but Archer doesn't like that at all, saying that they are the ones who should be sorry and apologizing, not him. He says that if anything happens to Porthos, he will be the one watering their Alvera trees. Later, Archer -- unable to sleep and worried about Porthos -- asks Phlox whether he could spend the night in sickbay in order to cheer up Porthos. Dr. Phlox says that Porthos is in no condition to know the difference either way, but Archer insists on being there nonetheless. He begins chatting with the doctor and asks him whether there are any dogs on his homeworld of Denobula. Phlox explains that the Denobulan lemur, which is highly sought after, is similar to a dog, with a tail, fur, and mostly one head. He also reassures the captain that he need not worry because he is qualified enough, holding six degrees in interspecies veterinary medicine, in addition to half a dozen other degrees in various other fields such as hematology and botanical pharmacology. Moreover, he has been able to eliminate the pathogen and now wants to see whether the treatment that he has devised will stabilize Porthos' autoimmune system. He tells him to go get some rest, but Archer is still concerned and unsure how to feel. What's more, continuously throughout the night he is disturbed by the doctor's various odd activities in sickbay, such as feeding the animals, chasing them when they escape their cage, clipping his toenails, and engaging in other strange grooming behavior. Realizing that he won't get much sleep like that, Archer decides to go and work out. In the gym, he runs into T'Pol who tells him that he should not have brought his dog on a diplomatic mission, especially after they had offended the Kreetassans previously. She goes on to say that once again he was ignoring the consequences of his actions, because apparently he places more importance on the quality of the air his pet breathes than on the quality of the plasma running his ship. She is questioning his priorities. Archer takes issue with this and while they are arguing, Hoshi Sato tells them that the Kreetassans have finally submitted their reconciliation demands and that the captain is not going to believe it. Archer glances somewhat dismissively at their undoubtedly ridiculous demands, and returns back to sickbay to get some sleep before the doctor's results are back. At around 01:32 am, he is awoken by the alarm in sickbay. Porthos has gone into anaphylactic shock because his body is rejecting the treatment. Dr. Phlox is able to temporarily stabilize him until he devises a different one. Archer is frustrated once again, complaining to Phlox that the Kreetassans won't give them the plasma injectors until he makes a fool out of himself by going through a series of ritual apologies. He also expresses his frustration with T'Pol who accused him of caring more about the dog than his ship. Doctor Phlox wonders why T'Pol's opinion concerns him so much and not Commander Tucker's, for instance, who is a friend he has known for years. But Archer sort of ignores his question and goes on and on about the Kreetassans and their unreasonable demands and audacity to expect an apology in the first place. However, Phlox does not give in, asking if Archer ever considered that his anger might encompass more than just Porthos and the Kreetassans. He even goes so far as to ask him how long it has been since he was intimate with a woman. This really catches Archer's attention, as he is becoming increasingly frustrated with Phlox and his prying. But Phlox does not give in, asking him a little later if he thought anymore about why T'Pol's opinion is so important to him. He points out sexual tension, stating that for the past few months he has noted increasing friction between him and T'Pol. He goes on to say that if a person believes that their own sexual attraction toward another is inappropriate, they will often exhibit unexpected behavior, such as inordinate anger towards comparisons made between their ship and their Beagle. But Archer insists that there exists no sexual attraction between them, and that he and T'Pol have been getting along just fine. At 02:49 am Archer wakes up again after having had strange dreams involving Porthos, T'Pol, and the decon chamber. Phlox informs him that the second treatment is not doing well either. Archer looks at Porthos, who is lying unconscious, and tells Phlox about how he got him from among a litter of four male puppies -- "The Four Musketeers" -- and has had him since he was six weeks old. He asks if Phlox had any pets when he was a kid, but Phlox says that his people don't keep any pets. The Denobulan lemur he was talking about earlier is highly sought after because its kidneys are considered a delicacy. Somewhat appalled and shocked, Archer doesn't know what to say. When T'Pol later arrives with food, he keeps stumbling over his words (accidentally saying "breast" and "lips" while conversing with T'Pol) and is nervous. Doctor Phlox's treatment is effective but only partially: Porthos' immune system is stabilizing, but his pituitary gland was severely damaged and is almost completely disintegrated. Dr. Phlox wants to transplant the pituitary gland of a Calrissian chameleon into Porthos. In order to do that, however, he needs to submerge him to minimize the shock to his pulmonary system. Once the surgery is complete Dr. Phlox will not have any problem resuscitating him. Phlox also tells Archer that after receiving the transplanted chameleon gland, Porthos may be harder to find, blending into the background when frightened, but this turns out to be an attempt at humor. Archer is apprehensive about letting the doctor perform a procedure he has never done before, especially given his peoples' attitude and insensitivity towards pets. But Phlox states that this is the only alternative available to them. Seeing that there is no choice, Archer agrees to go on with the procedure suggested by Phlox. While operating on Porthos at nearly four am, Archer finally opens up regarding his anger towards T'Pol, which, as he admits, could have a component of sexual tension to it. He wonders what he should do about it. Dr. Phlox suggests to do nothing but simply be aware of it. Archer asks him whether his expertise on sexual tension comes solely from professional training or first hand experience. Phlox explains that he has three wives, who each have two other husbands besides himself -- a total of 720 relationships, 42 of which have romantic possibilities. He says that there are 31 people in his extended family and that he has five children: two daughters and three sons. Archer apologizes to him for having accused him of being insensitive before and Dr. Phlox accepts. The night is over and Archer eventually decides to swallow his pride and proceed with the apology, which is long and ritualistic as expected. In the end, everything turns out all right; the Kreetassans are visibly pleased, his apology is accepted, and they finally give them their injector, as well as two spares. Archer also apologizes to T'Pol about his recent behavior and goes to pick up Porthos, who is recovering nicely from his operation and can finally go home. 
<EOS>
Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker make a landing at a mining colony where they hope to make a trade for deuterium, but the colonists appear unwilling to trade even a small amount despite the fact that Enterprise has detected they have a large reserve. The colonists' leader, Tessic, states they are keeping this reserve for someone else and demands the Enterprise crew leave immediately as the colonists are anxiously preparing for the arrival of this other ship. By offering to help with repairs to some broken deuterium pumps however, the crew manages to make themselves more welcome. After further negotiations they strike a deal to exchange power cells and medical supplies in exchange for deuterium, though only if they also manage to help repair the pumps within two days. Upon further inspection of the colony the crew learns how poor the colony is despite its deuterium riches. While the Enterprise is still in orbit around the colony, a Klingon starship arrives. Archer orders the Enterprise to hide from the Klingon ship, while he and the rest of the crew stay out of sight in the colony observing Tessic's meeting with the Klingons. The Klingons turn out not to be interested in any trade with the colony; instead, they expect to be simply given all the deuterium reserves. Because of their early arrival and the broken pumps the reserves are not at the expected level and the Klingon leader Korok turns violent against Tessic. Demanding that more deuterium be ready when they return within four days, the Klingons leave. Archer discusses the situation with Tessic, finding out that the Klingons have been bullying the colonists for some time already. While they did try to revolt, several colonists were killed in the attempt and Tessic now simply wants Enterprise to settle its deal and leave before the Klingons return. After returning to Enterprise, Archer feels uncomfortable simply leaving the colony and wants to help. While T'Pol agrees interference would be allowable in this case, she argues it would only make matters worse for the colonists in the end as the Klingons will simply return when Enterprise is no longer around. Archer however returns to the colony to offer Enterprise's help not just to drive the Klingons off once, but to teach the colonists some self-defense. After Tessic accepts Enterprise's help, Reed and Sato teach some of the colonists improved fire aim, while T'Pol and Mayweather teach them Vulcan weapon strike avoidance techniques. A plan is also set up to lure the Klingons into a deuterium field trap, which involves moving all of the colony's buildings. When the Klingons return, the colonists and the Enterprise officers manage to successfully battle them and lure them into the trap, setting the field on fire to block their path. Tessic demands the Klingons to beam back to their starship and not to return as the colonists will be ready for them next time. Korok seems humiliated, denounces the colony's deuterium as worthless, not even fit for a garbage scow, and beams back. Before finally leaving the colony, the Enterprise is granted a lot more deuterium than originally agreed to in the deal as a reward for their help. 
<EOS>
T'Pol is reading a book in the middle of the night when she receives transmission from the Vulcan High Command. The only thing her interlocutor tells her is that they have located a man named Menos, three days from Enterprise's location. The next morning, T'Pol informs Captain Jonathan Archer that he will receive a transmission from Admiral Maxwell Forrest which will give him orders to assist T'Pol in a classified mission. She will need a shuttlepod, a pilot, restraints, and phase-pistols. Even if she is unwilling to tell the details of her mission at first, she later asks Archer to be part of the mission because she needs someone she can trust. The captain accepts when she agrees to tell him more about the mission. Menos, the fugitive, is a surgically-altered Vulcan ex-agent that wouldn't return when his mission was over, and is reported to have been a smuggler since then. A couple of years prior, T'Pol, then under the Vulcan Ministry of Security, had been in charge of apprehending six of these fugitives, and Menos was the only one that she hadn't been able to catch. The Vulcan High Command, considering that a matter of honor, assigned the mission to her again. Even though Trip Tucker repeatedly entreats Archer to tell him what the situation is about, Archer refuses, and simply hands over command of the ship to him. Tucker finds out in regular intervals that being captain has its drawbacks and comes with answering everybody's inquiries. Meanwhile Archer, Travis Mayweather, and T'Pol arrive at a bar situated on the Pernaia Prime moon where Menos is supposed to be hiding. They find him, and have no difficulties apprehending him; however, they cannot leave the moon because of a technical issue and will have to remain there for several hours. Menos, shackled to the bar, appears harmless, and tries to convince them that he has never actually been a smuggler, since he only cooperated with them as part of his cover, and is sustaining his family with an honest job (hauling spent warp injector casings). At the same moment, T'Pol has a strong flashback that seems to come from repressed memories. She remembers chasing him on Risa, as she previously explained to Archer, but someone else was there. With Menos' manipulative attitude and all the strange memories, she begins to doubt herself. When she checks his ship and finds only what he said she would, she feels sure he is telling the truth about everything, and her entire memories of the incident return to her. Back on Enterprise, the crew is hailed by the Vulcan ship who was ordered to pick up Menos after the operation. Tucker has to pretend to be Captain Archer so that the Vulcans don't realize T'Pol asked for his help. Tucker manages to convince the other captain, Tavek.  The "important message" from Admiral Forest relayed by Tavek is the score of a water polo game, Cal beat Stanford 7 to 3. Back on Pernaia Prime, T'Pol leaves the bar with Archer and explains to him that while she was chasing after Menos on Risa, she killed another man named Jossen, and didn't remember it until some minutes ago. At the time, it appeared as if Jossen was about to draw his weapon, so she shot him. Now she remembers her guilt about this, since she was never entirely sure that he was a threat. Because she was unable to handle her guilt, she went through fullara, a ritual meant to suppress that memory and even the memory of performing the ritual itself. Their discussion is cut short by a disturbance in the bar. Menos caused a fire by turning over a table and claims that he would rather die on that frozen moon than be brought back to Vulcan for crimes he didn't commit. T'Pol decides to free him from the restraints and he quickly vanishes. When the three of them go to his ship, they don't find him aboard. After a little investigation however, Mayweather finds a system still running on the otherwise powered-down ship. When Archer turns it off, it reveals a secret area behind a cloaking field where Menos was hiding. He takes T'Pol hostage and after a short fight he tries to escape. T'Pol goes after him and points her phase-pistol at him, threatening to shoot. He tries to play on T'Pol's insecurities, telling her that catching him would be the same as killing another innocent, something that would make her feel even more guilty. Archer interferes at this moment and asks T'Pol to trust him. She does and finally stuns Menos as he is about to disappear again. Back on his ship, Mayweather discovers that Menos was indeed smuggling biotoxins. Back on Enterprise, T'Pol thanks Archer for what he did on the moon and tells him that if he ever needs someone he can trust, she will be glad to return the favor. 
<EOS>
Jonathan Archer, Malcolm Reed, and Hoshi Sato are back from an away mission in a pre-warp civilization. Unfortunately, Malcolm realizes that he has lost his communicator. After scouring Enterprise and making certain it wasn't lost after returning aboard, the crew realizes it must have been lost on the planet. T'Pol stresses the importance of not contaminating a pre-warp culture, and Archer decides to head down with Reed to retrieve the communicator hoping it hasn't been found by someone else. When Archer and Reed go back, the communicator has already been found and they fall into a trap set by the local military. This time, a lot of technology is found on them, including a phase-pistol and scanners. While interrogating them, a general named Gosis also finds that Archer and Reed are not of the same species as they are. On Enterprise, a plan is made to rescue the captain and Reed. Trip Tucker suggests using a Suliban cell ship to rescue them, but says that he will need a little time to get the cloaking device working. He has a little accident in the process, and his forearm becomes "long-term" cloaked. On the planet, Archer and Reed manage to explain their situation without going out of the local social context; they are spies, genetically enhanced prototypes and equipped with prototype devices as well. Following that, a doctor suggests killing them to study their enhanced organs. Back in their cell, Archer and Malcolm discuss the implications of their actions, concluding that it is better never to tell the truth to the aliens (at the expense of their lives) and that T'Pol will certainly be able to retrieve the technology and their bodies when they are dead. When she learns of the execution plan, T'Pol decides to rush things a little and Trip has to finish his work on the cloak on their way to the planet, confusing three local aircraft they encounter in the process. They finally rescue Archer and Reed and get all their technology back. Back on the Enterprise, Archer and T'Pol have a conversation about the recent events in which they both conclude that they contaminated the civilization no matter what they tried, making the faction they had contact with believe that their enemies were far more advanced than they were. T'Pol also informs the captain she would not have expected them to sacrifice their lives to protect the inhabitants of the planet, suggesting that she is impressed by Archer's selflessness. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise discovers a class IV black hole, which is unusual because it is part of a trinary star system. It will take two days to reach the system at impulse and Captain Archer decides to set a course. He also asks Trip Tucker to fix his chair when he has some free time; it is uncomfortable because when Archer leans back, he feels like he is sort of sliding out of it. Back in his ready room, T'Pol informs Archer that Lieutenant Reed has a new security protocol that he wishes to discuss with him. She also informs him that Chef has fallen ill and that Ensign Sato has offered to take charge of the mess hall. Archer informs T'Pol that he has received a manuscript from Earth -- a biography of his father -- and that he has been asked to write the preface. He is concerned that he will not get it finished and wonders how he should sum up his father's life in one page. In the mess hall, Sato gets ready to prepare one of her grandmother's specialties for the crew from scratch, no protein resequencer. In sickbay, Ensign Mayweather complains about a minor headache and Dr. Phlox insists on examining him before he dispenses any medication. While he is at it, he says, he might as well check up on him and see if he has any problems ever since the neural implants he received at the repair station were removed. On the bridge, Commander Tucker works on the captain's chair, with a lot of noise, much to the dismay of T'Pol who is trying to do some work. Meanwhile, Lt. Reed recommends to Archer implementing a ship-wide emergency alert, something more comprehensive than battle stations. He believes that the crew is taking far too long to react to potential threats. Archer is slightly irritated, stating that this is not a warship, but that he will run this by the senior officers and will get back to him. During meal time in the mess hall, Lt. Reed continues obsessing about the various ways he can name the new security protocol while an annoyed Tucker is wondering if adding a cup holder to the captain's chair might be too much. They continue irritating each other, as each believes that his task is far more relevant than the others. Hoshi Sato gets slightly upset as Lieutenant Reed finds her dish a bit salty, while Dr. Phlox decides to keep Ensign Mayweather overnight for observation for he is convinced that there is something wrong with Mayweather that he must find. Meanwhile, Captain Archer is struggling with the task of writing something about his father for the upcoming biography. He gets especially impatient with Porthos who keeps barking for cheese. T'Pol, who seems to be immune to this, calls Tucker to her quarters, informing him that the trinary system is emitting some unusual radiation which she is trying to identify. But Tucker can't believe that she actually dragged him up there to identify radiation. He believes that she is just doing this to get back at him for having made so much noise earlier. He consequently refuses helping her, stating that he has no time to cater to her whims. When she asks him if he is feeling all right, he goes off on the importance of the captain's chair and its relevance to the well-being of the ship. All throughout the ship, crewmembers continue experiencing obsessive behavior that keeps escalating. In sickbay, Dr. Phlox wants to perform a cerebral microsection on Mayweather, who is worried about getting a reprimand on his permanent record if he does not get back on the bridge to finish those upgrades. He is even worried about being court-martialed. When he tries to leave, Phlox knocks him out with a hypospray and ties him to the biobed. Lt. Reed plays the various alert signals he has been working on for Tucker, who is diligently working on the captain's chair and is getting seriously irritated by Reed. Reed says that he needs Tucker's assistance, but Tucker sends him away because he has to work on the chair first. Sato, who has been cooking the same meal over and over again, is once again in the galley adding various spices to her dish and obsessing about the amount of salt in it. As T'Pol enters the armory, Reed asks her for a clearance code, because supposedly the armory is a restricted area and such a code is required as part of the new security protocol. T'Pol tells Reed about needing assistance in establishing a sensor interface in her quarters and about Tucker's strange behavior and asks him whether he noticed anything, but all Reed cares about is why T'Pol wanted to access the sensor array from her quarters in the first place. She notices that he is armed as well and finally realizes that there is something more going on here, when Reed threatens to go to Starfleet Command if Archer does not take his proposals seriously. After taking apart the captain's chair, Tucker informs Archer that the captain deserves better than sitting on chairs they have been using on warp 2 ships for over a decade. He decides to build him a "throne" and starts taking Archer's measurements. While being measured, Archer begins reading what he has been drafting about his father to Tucker. It is nineteen pages long, and Tucker has no interest in listening to it all. Tensions and belligerence among crewmembers increase. While a hungry Archer pries the food away from Sato, who is working on the perfect recipe, Reed decides to test one of his security alerts and run a drill on the crew's response time. He reprimands Archer for his slow response time while Tucker rushes in, dragging away the captain just to show him the extra features on his new chair. Reed is outraged that the tactical alert is being ignored for the chair, stating that this isn't a "bloody pleasure cruise." They become so agitated that Archer has to separate them. T'Pol, who is highly alarmed at the seriousness of the situation tries to talk to the captain about the crew's erratic behavior. She suggests declaring a medical emergency and have Dr. Phlox examine the crew, beginning with the captain, but Archer doesn't want to listen to it and throws her out of his quarters. As the Enterprise approaches the trinary system, crew members begin to fall unconscious one by one until T'Pol is the only one left awake. T'Pol rushes to the captain's quarters and tries to revive him. She explains to him what is going on, but he is only semi-conscious, so she drags him out and puts him in the shower. She explains to him what the black hole is doing to them and that they need to get out of there as quickly as possible. She explains that they have to pass within two million kilometers of the black hole and that the course she charted will get them out of the radiation in seventeen minutes. However, given the massive debris field, she needs Archer to pilot the ship while she determines the course corrections. They encounter large debris pieces that require phase cannons. To their surprise, they realize that weapons are all online and ready, thanks to Reed's recent upgrades. Finally, a groggy Archer manages to pilot the ship out of the system. The crew regains consciousness as they clear the field and everyone is in relatively good health. Archer tells Reed that his new tactical protocols were very useful during their crossing of the debris field and wants to make them standard procedure, only insisting that a better alarm sound be devised. Finally, Archer examines the new chair Tucker prepared for him and realizes that it feels much better and is, in fact, "totally different". Tucker says he just lowered it by one centimeter. 
<EOS>
Hoshi Sato and Trip Tucker are on an unnamed planet, devoid of lifeforms, taking pictures and gathering data from a set of ruins. They wonder what happened to the people that built the ruins and are forced to leave their work when they learn that a diamagnetic storm is approaching. Before they can reach the shuttlepod, another storm pushes the first one in much faster than expected, so they are forced to use the transporter to return to Enterprise. They must transport one at a time due to the storm's interference. Sato is hesitant to use the transporter and relates her fears of having scrambled molecules to Tucker while they await transport. However, after being reassured over the communicator that Tucker is fine, Sato beams up to the ship, and the transport sequence goes smoothly and without incident. As it is the first time she has used the transporter, Sato starts to feel that things are not quite right. When she goes to relax and change her uniform in her quarters, she sees her reflection in the mirror fade away and water drops pass through her hands as she is taking a shower, among other things. Later, in the mess hall, some of her fellow crewmembers jokingly tease her, relating the story of Cyrus Ramsey, a man who was lost in an early transporter test and subsequently became the subject of various ghost stories. Despite the obvious familiarity her friends show with the legend (even Dr. Phlox has heard the stories, after being stationed on Earth for a mere nine months), Sato has never heard of Cyrus Ramsey before. Sato retires to her quarters for the night, hoping to feel better in the morning. She is awakened by an emergency call from T'Pol and realizes that she has uncharacteristically overslept by three hours and missed the beginning of her shift. When she arrives on the bridge, Captain Archer informs her that Tucker and Travis Mayweather have been taken hostage on the planet by aliens that, somehow, hadn't been detected the day before. Sato is not able to be of any help, failing to translate a simple bi-modal syntax. Her relations with the crew increasingly deteriorate, with crewmembers apparently ignoring her more frequently. Because of her failure with the alien language and her missing shifts, Sato begins to question her own competence, and her duties are eventually assumed by another crewman. After a couple of visits to sickbay, Phlox still can't find anything wrong with her, attributing Sato's strange experiences to emotional trauma caused by her experience with the transporter. A short time later, while in the gym, Sato vanishes completely. Although she is still conscious, she cannot see herself in the mirror and is unable to interact with her environment. When they can find no trace of Sato, the crew begins to search the ship for her. While sitting, undetected, in sickbay, she hears Phlox tell Archer and T'Pol that he had missed some subtle changes between two bioscans, taken only twenty-four hours apart, indicating that her sub-cellular membranes were degrading. Later, while in the transporter room, again undetected, she hears Tucker tell Archer, T'Pol, and Phlox that the secondary phase coils are out of alignment, and that was the source of the problem with the transporter when Sato went through it. She is unable to tell the crew that she is still alive and can not help but watch as Archer calls her father to inform him of her death. In her wanderings through the decks of Enterprise, Sato encounters two aliens who are planting bombs throughout the ship. Because of her condition, she is not able to warn anyone and, in the end, she takes it upon herself to save the ship and crew from destruction. That eventually leads her to use an alien transporting device, which mysteriously brings her back to Enterprise's transporter room. There, Malcolm explains that she had been trapped for 8.3 seconds in the pattern buffer because of the storms on the planet's surface. This leads her to the realization that all of her experiences since beaming back to the ship had been hallucinations, including the alien saboteurs and the story of Cyrus Ramsey. 
<EOS>
The Enterprise answers a distress call from a Retellian cargo ship that is experiencing problems with its life support systems. Two crewmen come aboard Enterprise and explain that they have been hired to return a young woman back to her homeworld but a few days ago her stasis pod began to malfunction. Their ship is a small cargo vessel, however, not designed or equipped for more than two people; they still have a long journey ahead of them (at warp 2) and if she wakes up, there won't be enough food or air. They gladly accept all the assistance Captain Archer offers them and are grateful for Trip Tucker taking a look at the power cells for the pod. When Archer offers to help them get to their destination in just a few days, they get nervous, however, politely declining the offer, insisting that they are on a schedule and that the family is not even expecting her on her home world for another five months. However, when the passenger awakens following another malfunction, it becomes obvious that she is not there of her own will: she is kicking and screaming in the pod that she is being held in, demanding to be let out. When Tucker tries to help her, one of the Retellian cargo pilots, Goff, strikes him down and flees the Enterprise at once -- leaving his brother behind. Enterprise is able to catch up easily, however when dropping out of warp, the cargo ship manages to release a dilithium hydroxyl cloud that disables Enterprise's warp drive, and it gets away. On the cargo ship, the outraged passenger, whose name is Kaitaama, explains to Tucker that she is a prisoner and that she was attacked on her way back from a diplomatic mission. She is surprised that Tucker doesn't know her, for her family is apparently known on hundreds of worlds. She is to be the First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime. She is sure that she has been kidnapped by the Retellians for a ransom -- so she suggests just waiting until the ransom is paid and they are returned safely. Tucker, however, doesn't want to sit around and wait, so he suggests trying to escape the cargo vessel through an escape pod he saw earlier. She protests, stating that it is too dangerous, but Tucker tells her that he is not one of her subjects and that he will try to get out regardless of what she says. Despite protests and refusal to help at first, she finally changes her mind and takes her chances with Tucker aboard the escape pod, which is entirely too small, obviously made for one person only. Crammed inside a tiny space, they irritate each other immensely and do not get along very well at first, but manage to tolerate each other until they can land on a habitable planet. Back on the Enterprise, Archer and T'Pol tell Plinn, the alien left behind, that under Starfleet regulations, he will be held responsible for the actions of his brother and severely punished if he doesn't reveal the cargo vessel's warp frequency. Archer is playing "good cop" and offers him leniency versus T'Pol, who assumes a position of high authority. After much pressure and theatrical performance, they are finally able to get that information out of him. In the meanwhile, the escape pod approaches a planet that supports a breathable atmosphere. They manage to land and end up in a hot, humid, swampy area that does offer a breathable atmosphere but is not very hospitable otherwise. Kaitaama and Tucker continue irritating each other again, but after some arguing, yelling and bickering they end up physically intimate. Shortly after, the escape pod beacon is traced back by Goff, who lands on the planet in pursuit of the two. They set a trap for him and manage to strike him down just as Archer, T'Pol, and Lieutenant Reed arrive on the planet to rescue the them. Back on the Enterprise, Tucker accompanies Kaitaama to the battle cruiser that is to take her home. He jokes that he doubts that from what she told him, her family would allow her to see him if he were to ever visit Krios Prime. But she states that once she has been made First Monarch, she will have the authority to change the rules and asks him to come visit her to find out. 
<EOS>
Captain Archer prepares to lead an away team consisting of Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather to survey a planet that Archer describes as "teeming" with plant and animal life. Archer and Tucker talk excitedly about the mission as they board Shuttlepod 1. Tucker remarks that there is a gorge on the planet five times deeper than the Grand Canyon, and suggests "a little river rafting." He adds that there will be plenty of daylight, because there are only four days of night in an entire month due to the planet's binary suns. Archer estimates the survey will take at least a week, adding that there should be time for some R&amp;R. T'Pol contacted from the bridge that an alien vessel has approached and is hailing Enterprise NX-01. Rellus Tagrim appears on the shuttlepod's display, introduces himself, and asks permission to come aboard as soon as possible, because a neutronic storm is "almost here." Tucker checks the Enterprise sensors, which do not detect anything. Rellus says that the sensors won't detect the wave for a while as it's traveling at high warp speed, and recommends going to warp 7 as soon as he and his crew are aboard. Archer informs Rellus that their top speed is warp 5. T'Pol announces that the wavefront spans more than half a dozen light years, and tells of a Vulcan starship that encountered a similar class 5 storm over a century ago and was nearly destroyed. Enterprise has four hours until the arrival of the storm. Reed claims that with the proper reinforcement the ship can survive, but Doctor Phlox warns that the crew will not, as the storm is saturated with deadly radiolytic isotopes. He suggests sheltering in sickbay as it's the most heavily shielded section, but it's not big enough to hold the entire crew. Tucker reminds the senior staff about the catwalk in the warp nacelles, one of the most shielded areas of the ship, with the caveat that when the warp coils are on-line the temperature in the area can reach over 300 degrees. Archer orders the evacuation of all personnel to the catwalk. Archer goes to sickbay to speak with the visitors once they're on board, and mentions that he understands they're from Takret, a distant system. Rellus says that their work often takes them far from home, and his partner says that they're a group of stellar cartographers. Archer asks if they could help to update Enterprise's star charts after the storm. Rellus readily agrees. In all areas of the ship, the crew starts moving essential equipment to the catwalk. T'Pol goes to sickbay to see why Phlox is behind schedule. The doctor says she has allotted him fifteen cubic meters for medical supplies, which means there's only enough space for two-thirds of his animal cages. When the sub-commander suggests that some of the creatures share the cages, he replies it's impossible as they'll eat each other. Phlox says that the creatures are vital to both his work and the health of the Enterprise crew, and although unaccustomed to making emotional appeals, he urges that T'Pol not ask him to choose between them. She allots him an extra five cubic meters of space, for which the doctor thanks her on behalf of his Edosian slugs. Already in the nacelles, Tucker apologizes to Rellus' group that the accommodations are not first class. Rellus says he and his group are grateful for the hospitality. After Tucker leaves, one of Rellus' partners, Guri, tells him that he doesn't know anything about stellar cartography, and won't know how to answer if the Humans start asking questions on the subject. Archer is packing his bags when he sees the approaching storm through the window. T'Pol enters his quarters and he tells her that he didn't expect it to be beautiful, expressing regret that there will not be time to take scans of it. She points out that as they will be in the catwalk for nearly eight days, it'll be possible to take as many scans as he wants. She also mentions that Lieutenant Reed has completed his modifications, and Archer confesses to being a little nervous about shutting down the power grid. T'Pol replies that a single neutronic surge could overload the grid and damage critical systems. Archer tells her that he's done some research in the Vulcan database, and has learned that when the Vulcan ship T'Plana encountered a class 5 storm a century before, it resulted in the loss of its entire crew, contradicting T'Pol's account. T'Pol simply says that she must have remembered incorrectly. Archer enters the bridge to transfer the main systems controls to the temporary command post at the nacelles. Tucker gives the green light and the captain does so. He also orders to Reed to shut off the main power. After seeing the bridge with the lights off, Archer leaves to the nacelles. Once in the temporary command post, he checks if the entire crew is safe, and make a brief speech to his subordinates "All hands, this is the captain. This catwalk is going to be our home for a while. A week, maybe more. You may not be comfortable, but you'll be alive. We have the best crew in the fleet and the sturdiest ship. I promise you, we'll get through this." With the hull plating polarized, Enterprise turns around and heads directly into the wavefront, immediately encountering high turbulence. After Mayweather engages the ship's stabilizers, things get smoother and the crew expects the worst has passed. Archer passes through the catwalk to check how his crew is dealing with the situation. First he helps a third class crewman with her crossword puzzle -- the question is "who was the first Vulcan ambassador on Earth," and he guesses that the answer is Solkar. He then talks to Ensign Sato, and opines that this experience should cure anyone of claustrophobia. He finally reaches where their guests are, covered with several clothes, right at the side of Commander Tucker's place. Archer asks him how the visitors are doing. Tucker says he doesn't know; one of them came out a few hours before to complain about the Enterprise crew making too much noise. The captain suggests giving them a little time to adjust to the situation. Reed approaches Phlox hesitantly, and asks if he can depend on doctor-patient confidentiality. Phlox asks if this has anything to do with gastrointestinal distress, as he saw an annotation about an unfortunate incident during zero g training in Reed's file. Reed tells him that was the EV simulator at Lunaport, also known as "the Vomitorium." The doctor says there is nothing to be embarrassed about, as he has already treated a number of crewmen for motion sickness, and applies a hypospray that should last about twelve hours. Reed thanks him and leaves the "sickbay," as the captain arrives. Archer says to Phlox that some of the equipment in his area could be relocated, but the doctor says there's no need since he finds close quarters rather comforting. It reminds him of conditions on Denobula, where twelve billion people share a single continent. On the temporary bridge, Mayweather informs Archer a cluster of plasma eddies are ahead, but that he'll be able to avoid them. Archer lies down on a mattress, with T'Pol opposite him. He starts to watch a water polo game but stops when this bothers her and tries to sleep. T'Pol continues to use a PADD, which in turn is a little distracting to Archer, and she stops too. Archer tells her that the situation has a bright side, as it'll bring the crew closer together, almost like a camping trip, and asks if she has ever gone camping. She tells him about the kahs-wan ritual when she was taken to the desert and left to survive for ten days. He comments that she hasn't left the command area all day and suggests that she might want to get to know the crew, beyond simply knowing their names. He considers it would be good for her to fraternize a little. T'Pol asks if that's an order; she is not skilled in fraternizing. Archer thinks she now has a chance to learn. Mayweather, Sato, Reed, and Tucker play cards, and discuss the need of a shower which, in Reed's view, was neglected by Tucker, and about the movie that will be shown on movie night. Meanwhile Mayweather smells something burning, and Tucker angrily finds Rellus and his fellows cooking on top of a plasma manifold. Rellus apologizes and tells him they've had trouble digesting Human food. Tucker says that he'll see if Chef can cook their own food for them. Archer requests Tucker's presence at the temporary bridge. Once there, Archer notifies him of a potential problem in engineering. The antimatter injectors have come online, but Tucker thinks that could be a glitch. While checking the systems, he complains to the captain about Rellus and his partners' behavior, but Archer points out that Enterprise owes them for the warning about the storm. Tucker realizes that the matter and antimatter injectors are online, which removes the possibility of a glitch, and the only way to shut them down is by going to engineering. Tucker puts on an EV suit that will protect him for only 22 minutes; in engineering, he notices some odd things and hears noises, hiding himself afterwards. While Tucker is hiding out in engineering he sees some people walking by. When the intruders pass he leaves, spotting more of them on the way. He manages to get into T'Pol's quarters and sees the docking port, where a ship is docked with Enterprise. Tucker accesses the camera on the bridge, where there are aliens making a mess. He makes a close-up of one of them and is able to see that he is from same species as Rellus. The aliens' leader is reading the Enterprise crew profiles in the captain's ready room, when Lieutenant Paltani informs him they can't find any sign of the fugitives, and that the Enterprise crew appear to have deserted. The leader believes that Archer may have taken refuge in a nearby system with the intention of returning. He asks about the status of the warp engines, and is told there is some difficult to them with the dilithium matrix. Paltani leaves to continue working on the ship's systems, and his captain starts listening to more of Archer's starlogs. In the catwalk, Phlox's examination confirms that Rellus' species are immune to radiolytic isotopes and therefore the storm was never any threat to them. Archer asks Rellus who the intruders are and what they're doing on Enterprise. Rellus tries to deny any connection between his group and them, but the whole situation is too full of coincidences for this to be true. Guri gives up and says that the aliens are officers of the Takret Militia, who've been pursuing them for weeks. The trio had hoped to evade them by hiding aboard Enterprise but the officers must have detected their vessel in the launch bay. Archer asks why they are in pursuit, and Renth continues the explanation. They were members of the Militia's lower ranks, but they realized that the commanding officers were corrupt, seizing alien vessels without provocation, murdering the crews and taking anything of value. Rellus' group tried to resign to their commissions but the Militia wouldn't allow it, forcing them to desert. Rellus says they'd have told Archer the truth but were unsure if he would help. Guri says that if the Militia find him and his partners, they'll be executed. Rellus apologizes, but warns the captain that if the officers find them they won't leave, and have captured less impressive vessels than Enterprise. Reed tells the captain that the Militia officers are trying to re-initialize the warp reactor, which shows that they've already decided to help themselves to Enterprise. T'Pol says that the intruders aren't aware that the crew is in the catwalk, but if they find out the crew will be in danger. In engineering, Paltani tells his captain that the dilithium matrix is active and the warp reactor is ready to initialize. The Takret captain orders him to bring the warp engines on-line, but Paltani can't manage the helm controls as the navigation relays aren't responding. Back in the catwalk, T'Pol observes that the crew may have the Militia outnumbered, but they currently have only three EV suits. Reed recommends leading a security team to get more, but Tucker doubts he'd get far as there are several Takret in the launch bay. Suddenly the warp engines come on-line, and Tucker says it'll take no more than twenty minutes for the warp coils to charge and the nacelles to superheat. A suited team of T'Pol, Reed, and Archer prepares to go down, and receives a briefing from Tucker and Sato. On the bridge, the Takret captain asks about the helm controls, but his officers had not yet make any progress, and recommends leaving Enterprise taking what they can as their own ship could be lost the storm. The Takret captain sternly orders him to get helm control. The team splits up, with the captain going to the galley where he starts to use some panels. Meanwhile T'Pol and Reed arrive in a maintenance corridor and are instructed by Tucker about how to shut off the injectors. On the bridge, the Militia is hailed by someone inside the ship: Archer. He tells the Takret captain that his crew was killed by the storm and he is the only survivor, and demands that the intruders leave Enterprise. The Takret captain says he's detected the three fugitives' vessel in the launch bay. Archer says he's been watching the Militia seize Enterprise, and refuses to let it happen. The Takret captain replies that Enterprise has been impounded under the authority of the Takret Militia, and once they return to their homeworld Archer will be charged with criminal conspiracy. Archer says he only recognizes the authority of Starfleet Command and has orders to stop any attempt at an enemy takeover, and to that end he'll destroy Enterprise. The Takret captain sneers that he doesn't believe he'll do anything to Earth's first warp 5 starship, driven by his father's engine. Archer defiantly tells his counterpart that he'd be surprised, and closes the channel. In the temporary bridge, Archer tells Mayweather to change course towards a plasma eddy. While heading back to the catwalk, the captain is intercepted in the galley by the aliens who start shooting at him. He takes cover and returns fire. On the other side of the bridge, T'Pol and Reed are having trouble to disarm the engines, but the nacelles' temperature continues to increase. On the real bridge, the Takret realize that Enterprise is heading for the plasma eddy with an ETA of about eight minutes. The Takret captain wants the helm control, but Paltani doesn't think they can regain control in time and recommends that they leave. The Takret captain still thinks that Archer is bluffing. T'Pol finally manages to shut down the warp reactor. Under intense turbulences, the Takret captain is forced to order his soldiers to retreat. They quickly go to the docking hatch, and leave. In the temporary bridge, the crew are still far from safe as Enterprise approaches the eddy. Archer informs his officers that the intruders have gone, and tells Mayweather to break course for calmer space. Later, still in the catwalk, the crew is watching a western. Tucker is puzzled why one of the characters shoots one of his own men, but T'Pol explains that the dead man was secretly working for Sheriff Boggs, which she considered obvious. Archer tells the crew that Mayweather's piloting has gotten Enterprise out of the storm sooner than expected. Tucker invites T'Pol to join the next movie night. While everyone is getting out of the nacelles, Rellus apologizes to the captain for the trouble and tells him that he and his fellows intend to go to the Gyrannan system, where they should be safe. Archer wishes them good luck, and after his crew has left the catwalk, he and T'Pol make their way back as well. 
<EOS>
Trip Tucker is in a shuttlepod orbiting a gas giant with dozens of moons. The location is perfect to test the new autopilot upgrades, but he is suddenly attacked by an unknown ship and pushed into the atmosphere of one of the moons, where the engines of both ships go offline, forcing Tucker's shuttlepod and the alien ship into emergency landings. At the time of the incident, Enterprise NX-01 is too far away to see where Tucker crashed. Enterprise's search efforts are further hampered by the selenium isotope content of many of the moons' atmospheres. The ship soon encounters an Arkonian ship, which initially appears hostile. The Arkonian ship is also missing a scout ship and suspects that Enterprise may be involved. Moreover, the Arkonian captain is suspicious of T'Pol, as the Arkonians have had a rather unfavorable relationship with the Vulcans. However, Captain Archer manages to make a tentative arrangement by suggesting that they join forces to find their missing crew members; in return, he promises to leave their system as soon as their crew members have been recovered. On the moon, where it is nighttime, Tucker is repairing his transceiver when Zho'Kaan, the Arkonian pilot, attacks him and steals it. Tucker is taken prisoner when he tries to recover the device. Even though the absence of a universal translator prevents the two from understanding each other, they are able to exchange simple words. Zho'Kaan agrees to let Tucker try some repairs. However, the poor communications prevents Tucker from doing a efficient job and he falls back on having to use force to make progress. Knowing that necessary components are back at his shuttlepod (as well as a supply of edible rations and water), Tucker tricks and subdues Zho'Kaan. On board the Enterprise, Archer laments the delay in finding Tucker. T'Pol advises him that many of the moons have an approximate overnight temperature of −10 degrees and, more importantly, a daytime high of 170 degrees. Archer states that he hopes Tucker landed on the nighttime side, but acknowledges that time is limited. Back at Tucker's shuttlepod, the horizon is beginning to glow with the approaching sunrise. With their roles reversed, Tucker is able to fix the transceiver, but it is useless because of the interference from the content of the surrounding volcanic rocks. He tries to explain to Zho'Kaan that he will need his help to bring it to a nearby mountain, but as soon as Tucker unties him, the Arkonian assaults him. They are exhausted by the ensuing fight and the Arkonian finally understands that it is best to cooperate. The two climb the mountain and Tucker is finally able to get a message out. By that time, Zho'Kaan has begun to succumb to dehydration; the sun has begun to rise and the temperature is rising rapidly. Since no shuttlepod can get them back, Archer suggests using the transporter, but Doctor Phlox advises against it, as it will probably be fatal to the dehydrated Arkonian's fragile endocrine system. Tucker refuses to let his new "friend" die on the moon and suggests the Arkonians make modifications to one of their shuttles to be able to get them. Just as everything seems to be lost, they are finally rescued. Back on Enterprise, the Arkonian captain tells Archer that if Zho'Kaan fired on Tucker unprovoked, he would be disciplined. He also reminds Archer of his agreement to leave the system as soon as the missing crew members were found. T'Pol congratulates Archer, as he was able to establish better relations with the Arkonians in one day than the Vulcans in a hundred years. In sickbay, Tucker and Zho'Kaan recover, and  through the universal translator Zho'Kaan thanks Tucker for his help. 
<EOS>
One of Phlox's wives, Feezal, comes on board Enterprise to install a neutron microscope, and begins flirting heavily with Trip Tucker. Tucker is uneasy that a colleague's wife is making overt sexual innuendo toward him. When the Vulcan physicians are skeptical of Phlox's interest in the disease, they arrange to meet with T'Pol and covertly gather some of her DNA, which shows she is infected with the disease. The physicians inform Captain Archer of T'Pol's condition and threaten to reveal her status to the High Command and have her recalled. They also rescind Phlox's invitation to the conference. Captain Archer is disappointed that Phlox and T'Pol hid information from him regarding her condition, but is more outraged that the Vulcans would destroy an officer's career due to a disease or how the officer expresses intimacy with others. The Vulcan physicians remain unaffected by Captain Archer's pleas for assistance and understanding. However, Dr. Yuris, the youngest doctor in the Vulcan delegation, covertly contacts T'Pol and gives her the research that Phlox had requested. T'Pol asks why he is jeopardizing his career and he reveals that he himself is a mind-melder. He is not infected himself -- he tells her only a very small minority of melders have the illness. T'Pol tells Yuris that she became infected during a violation, and the physician suggests T'Pol tell the others this, that they will sympathize with her if they believe she contracted the disease through no fault of her own. T'Pol decides not to reveal the specifics for moral reasons, not wanting to justify their prejudice. Back on the ship, Tucker continues trying to avoid Phlox's wife while she continues to pursue him. Tucker asks Reed for advice, but Reed just suggests Tucker try to avoid her. He warns Tucker that Phlox has a real temper when he's angry, and strongly disagrees with Tucker's suggestion that Phlox be informed. Phlox reviews the research from Yuris, and tells T'Pol it's not a cure, but it will help his own research. Since he is more motivated than the Vulcan Medical Council in this case, he has hopes that he can find a treatment. The captain enters sickbay and tells them both that the senior doctor in the Vulcan delegation is a ranking member of the Vulcan Medical Council, and he has decided to recall T'Pol and take her back to Vulcan with them. The High Command will be informed of the situation when they reach home. Archer urges T'Pol to tell them she was forced into the mind meld. She says it doesn't matter how she got the illness, she won't condone their prejudice. Archer goes down to the planet and confronts Dr. Orat. Archer says T'Pol is entitled to a hearing under Vulcan protocols, and Orat agrees to hold one the next day. In sickbay, Phlox is treating Travis Mayweather for a sports injury when Tucker comes in and asks to speak to him privately. Tucker explains that Mrs. Phlox has been expressing an attraction to him. Phlox is delighted, and Tucker is very confused. Tucker says he was brought up not to fool around with another man's wife, and Phlox says that it's Tucker's loss. Archer tells T'Pol about the hearing. She is reluctant to participate, but Archer says this is her opportunity to defend the minority, and the unjust treatment they have been receiving from Vulcan authorities. She says she won't reveal the assault, and Archer assures he will respect her conditions. At the hearing, Archer says every Vulcan he's ever met told him Humans were narrow-minded and prejudiced, but now the Vulcans are showing even more prejudice. He argues that an enlightened culture has to embrace diversity. T'Pol tells the doctors they are just afraid. Dr. Yuris then declares himself to be a member of the minority, and says he has to tell another truth: T'Pol was assaulted. T'Pol refuses to confirm this. In sickbay, the Phloxes examine the new microscope and talk as Tucker stands by awkwardly, eventually leaving. The Phloxes laugh at the Human's inability to respond to her advances. In Archer's ready room, he tells T'Pol that Yuris has been suspended and T'Pol says that was to be expected. Archer says one good thing did come out of this -- the delegation believed Yuris that T'Pol was infected as the result of an assault. She will not be recalled. T'Pol asks for Archer's permission to contact the High Command and speak on Yuris' behalf. He agrees, and she says she hopes this incident will encourage others to speak out. 
<EOS>
Hostilities have escalated on Weytahn (or Paan Mokar, as Vulcans call it). Commander Shran has brought a military force to the planetoid, hoping to renegotiate the old, unsatisfying, and oppressing hundred-year-old Territorial Compromise treaty. The Vulcans managed to get half of the colony back, but both sides have suffered. Captain Jonathan Archer is ordered by Admiral Maxwell Forrest to go there as a negotiator. Archer is not sure how they expect him to help in a conflict they have not been able to resolve in one hundred years, but Admiral Forrest emphasizes the importance of this mission, stating that this is the first time the Vulcans asked them for their help and that Archer is the closest thing Starfleet has to an ambassador out there. Despite initial hesitation, Archer agrees to get there as fast as he can. During dinner, Captain Archer asks T'Pol about Paan Mokar, claiming that he doesn't really know much about it except that it is a class D planet, not much bigger than Earth's moon, and that it was claimed by the Vulcans in 2097. Trip Tucker notes that a class D planet is uninhabitable and wonders why they are fighting over it. T'Pol explains that when the Andorians first arrived a century ago, they began terraforming the planet; once an atmosphere was developed, they established a settlement. Archer asks why there is a problem if it was unclaimed at the time. T'Pol explains that the planet's sole value is its strategic location near Vulcan space and that Vulcans believed that the only logical conclusion was that the Andorians were setting up a military base there -- even though, technically, they did not have any evidence of a military settlement built on Paan Mokar. She states that the Andorians refused to let the Vulcan High Command inspect the colony, upon which Paan Mokar was finally annexed to Vulcan territory. The Andorian colonists were removed by force and after this forced removal, a surveillance satellite was put in orbit to monitor the agreement. The planet has been deserted for nearly a century -- until now. When they finally arrive in orbit, Archer first meets with Ambassador Soval, who is not very happy about the situation and the fact that Archer has been asked to negotiate this. He wonders why an officer of the Andorian Imperial Guard would personally ask for Archer's involvement in such a matter. Soval makes it clear that given the nature of these negotiations, he does not really consider Enterprise's presence there an asset. Archer regrets that he feels that way and offers to leave if they so desire, but Soval does not seem to like this alternative either. He explains that six days ago, Commander Shran landed a force on Weytahn, occupying the settlement. While the Vulcans attempted to enforce the treaty of 2097, several were wounded in these efforts and three taken hostage. Shran has agreed to discuss terms for the safe return of the hostages, however, but only if Archer acts as mediator. Archer's presence during these negotiations therefore, seems indispensable and they need his help whether they like it or not. However, Soval wants to send one of his officers, Sub-Commander Muroc, down with Archer, something Archer does not want to do, stating that this would just makes matters worse. He says that the only Vulcan he will bring down with him on the planet will be his first officer -- T'Pol. Archer and T'Pol then proceed to the surface to meet with Shran. He explains to T'Pol that his first goal is to convince Shran that he can trust him. On the surface, a group of armed Andorian guards meet with them and take them to Shran. The Andorian commander does not hesitate to reveal his demands of immediate withdrawal of all Vulcan military forces, the rescinding of the so-called compromise, and the conceding of full sovereignty of Weythan to Andoria. But Archer doesn't want to play that role, stating that if all Shran needs is someone to deliver his list of demands, then he should find someone else. But Shran says that he needs Archer's help because he wants to speak with Soval personally, someone who actually can make binding decisions without having to ask his superiors and drag on the issue forever. Archer agrees to see what he can do. Shran wants the negotiations to take place on the planet. In return, and as a sign of good faith, he agrees to release one of the Vulcan hostages. Back on Enterprise NX-01, Soval finds the proposed conditions unacceptable. He says that if he agrees to a meeting, then it simply legitimizes the Andorian position, but Archer says that if he does not, then these negotiations end before they begun. Soval is reluctant, which in turn irritates Archer who is trying to reach a compromise between the two by opening up the channels of communication. Soval says that he did not ask for Archer's help and that he also does not feel obliged to accept it, but Archer points out that at least the Andorians are willing to talk, which is more than can be said of the Vulcans; the next move has to come from the Vulcan, Archer tells him. Despite his reservations, Soval finally agrees to go down to the planet with Archer to speak with Shran. On the planet, Shran's lieutenant, Tarah, asks Shran whether talking is really the way to go because after all, they have been talking for nearly a hundred years with the Vulcans without getting anywhere, except for the Vulcans constantly stalling the situation and lying to them. She believes that backing down now would be a bad idea. But Shran says that he is willing to give Archer a chance. Tarah believes that Shran is putting too much faith into the "pink skins", believing them to be nothing but the pawns of the Vulcans, working for their best interests accordingly. If they attack now, Tarah tells him, the Andorian forces will have the Vulcan warships on the defensive before any reinforcements can arrive. Shran simply notes her recommendation, but this makes Tarah more insistent and she continues to argue the point, which angers Shran. Meanwhile, T'Pol, Archer, and Soval make their way down to the planet via shuttlecraft. However, upon entering the planet's atmosphere, they are fired upon by Andorian weapons and are forced to make an emergency landing without taking much damage. As soon as they exit the shuttle, Soval is already backing up, suggesting to fall back on Vulcan positions, but Archer insists on trusting Shran and giving this a fair chance. He points out that they really do not know what happened, while Soval is adamant about blaming the Andorians for the attacks that crash-landed them here. He thinks that Archer is naive not realizing that Shran is just using him, but Archer believes that it is Soval who is mistaken. Before they can reach Shran's base, they are attacked by Tarah and other Andorians, wounding Soval. Archer manages to get around them and neutralize them just as Shran arrives. Tarah tries to accuse Archer of betraying them, but Archer tells Shran he'll find Andorian weapon signatures on Soval's injury and on their shuttle. Shran confronts Tarah and demands the truth. Tarah finally admits she was unwilling to follow "orders to do nothing, while you betray us."  She once again urges him to take a stand against the Vulcans, but instead he places her under arrest. In orbit, the situation is at least as tense. Three Andorian battle cruisers come out of warp and are in a standoff with the two Vulcan cruisers that were there previously. Tucker decides to enforce his neutrality by taking the Enterprise between the two enemies that are already charging weapons. The situation is defused when Archer calls from the surface, saying that everyone is fine. From there, negotiations can finally proceed, and while both sides are not fully happy with the terms of the cease-fire, they are at least equally dissatisfied, which is at least something they have in common at this point. Shran proposes a toast to their mutual dissatisfaction, which Soval accepts, though Vulcans usually do not drink, given the exceptional circumstances, a drink was merited. The negotiations will be continued on Andoria and Soval grudgingly acknowledges Archer's help in the matter. 
<EOS>
Enterprise finds a shipwreck adrift in deep space. Scans indicate no lifesigns inside, but T'Pol says that its hull seems to be scattering Enterprise's sensors. Reed then says that he can't read any weapon signatures, indicating that the ship may have been disabled in an accident. Archer orders the vessel to be brought into Launch Bay 2. After its arrival, neither Reed nor Archer can see anything that makes sense about its design, but T'Pol finds a hatch, which has been fused shut. Using their weapons, the officers open the small hatch, whereupon entering the captain finds a long-dead corpse. T'Pol confirms that the corpse is Human. Phlox confirms that the pilot was a Human male and comments that the Enterprise crew are apparently not the first Humans to venture so far into deep space. Archer asks the doctor to perform a DNA test, and check the Starfleet genetic database to see if there is a match. T'Pol enters sickbay and says that there are no inhabited systems for several light years. Archer wonders if this Human could be Zefram Cochrane, who disappeared years before piloting a one-man vessel. He was rumored to have been testing an experimental warp ship, which would explain how the vessel traveled so far if that is indeed who the occupant is. In the hangar, Reed, Travis Mayweather and Trip Tucker are making an analysis. The vessel's hull seems to absorb EM radiation, and without the damage it never would've shown up on sensors, suggesting it could be a stealth ship. They eliminate a lot of possibilities of how it could have gotten there, so they believe it may have been taken there in a cargo ship. Trip also realizes that the ship did not have any apparent power source, engine, or propulsion system. Wanting more information about the mysterious ship, Archer talks with Admiral Forrest, who informs him there have been no new missions to account for it. Forrest skeptically says it could be from the distant Vega colony, and that he'll consult the Earth Cargo Authority for more information. Archer tells him his theory that the corpse may be Zefram Cochrane's, and the admiral says that if so, this could be the solution to the greatest missing person mystery of the century. Continuing their analysis, Tucker and Malcolm Reed find another hatch inside the ship covered by organic circuits. When they manage to open it, they see a tunnel that leads deep into the vessel, a physically impossible occurrence! because it would mean the ship is "bigger on the inside than it is on the outside". Once they've descended, the officers find a chamber with a wall that has a very faint energy signature. Meanwhile, a Suliban ship drops out of warp. Its captain hails Enterprise and claims possession of the vessel. Archer argues that it's an Earth spaceship because of its Human pilot, to which the Suliban replies that they don't want the corpse, just the vessel. Archer continues to argue with the Suliban, asking why it is so important for them to take a damaged ship. After repeating their demands, the Suliban charge weapons and fire on Enterprise. Archer returns fire, while in the launch bay, Reed and Tucker get some kind of box out of the mysterious ship's chamber. They immediately realize that Enterprise is under attack and get out of the vessel. Tucker tries to contact the bridge, but two cloaked Suliban appear and attack him. Reed gets a phase-pistol and shoots one of them and starts a firefight with the other, who goes to the control room to try to open the launch bay doors. On the bridge, Hoshi Sato is unable to lock out the intruders, but Enterprise damages the cargo vessel's weapons sufficiently to force them to withdraw, taking the two attackers in the launch bay with them. Looking at the box that was found in the mysterious ship, Tucker tells Archer he thinks that it must be very important, since it was heavily shielded, and guesses that it's the black box -- which could reveal essential intel about its builder or why it was there -- and it seems to use the same organic circuitry as the rest of the ship. Phlox requests Archer's presence immediately in sickbay. Once there, the doctor says that he only managed to find a few undamaged cells but enough to make a genetic analysis. The corpse's DNA did not match anyone of Starfleet database, but did show him to be no ordinary Human. Phlox found an unusual deviation in the nucleotide sequence, with a familiar chromosome structure. Further research in the interspecies database revealed that the dead body has Vulcan and Terrellian nucleotide sequences, along with those of an unknown species. Phlox believes this is the result of several generations of interspecies breeding. Suspecting the Temporal Cold War may be involved, Archer goes with T'Pol to Crewman Daniels' quarters, where his database from the future is secured. While they search the database, T'Pol says she finds it unlikely that Vulcans and Humans could reproduce because of their significant biological differences, causing Archer to wonder if a child with Vulcan and Human parents would have pointed ears. Finally they find information about the mysterious ship: its commission date is almost 900 years into the future. Archer remembers that Daniels talked about historians from the future who traveled back in time to study the past, which could be what the pilot was doing. The database says the small vessel is powered by a temporal displacement drive, which is probably why the Suliban want it. Archer is concerned that if they get their hands on it, they may use its technology to change the course of the Temporal Cold War. Archer receives a call from the bridge; another alien vessel is approaching at high warp. Archer and T'Pol arrive at the bridge, where T'Pol says she recognizes the vessel as Tholian, an extremely xenophobic race. Reed reports some unusual thermal readings; the temperature is over two hundred degrees inside the Tholian ship. T'Pol says they're believed to be a non-humanoid species. Archer opens a channel with them and starts to talk but is interrupted by the Tholians who say they were sent to retrieve the vessel. They say it is dangerous to Enterprise's crew because of its "temporal radiation". Archer denies the request and the Tholian ship locks onto Enterprise with a tractor beam. The captain tells the Tholians that if they don't release Enterprise he'll destroy the vessel in the launch bay. The Tholian ship withdraws, leaving Archer to wonder if there are others who think they have a claim on the vessel. Phlox joins T'Pol in the mess hall, and delightedly tells her that he's found another nucleotide sequence in the pilot's genome that appears to be Rigelian. She tells the doctor that the captain asked her to perform a metallurgical analysis of the vessel's hull, revealing several unusual alloys. The doctor comments about Archer's theory that the vessel traveled from the future, and he thinks there is a lot of evidence to endorse it. T'Pol remains skeptical. Phlox remembers the Vulcan Science Directorate has asserted that time travel is impossible, and suggests that after Enterprise's findings, they might reconsider their opinion. She replies that the impossibility of time travel is not an opinion, but simple logic. Phlox remembers a time when Denobulans believed they were the only intelligent species in the galaxy until the B'Saari made first contact, eventually forcing even the hardened cynics to re-evaluate their beliefs. T'Pol states that she prefers to embrace logic over surprises. In engineering, Reed and Tucker try to make the mysterious device work. Realizing that it could be from the 31st century, Reed recalls his childhood dream of building a time machine, but Tucker dislikes the idea of knowing the future and rejects the hypothetical invitation to go there. As an example, he asks Reed to consider learning the name of the woman he will marry from a book from the future. When he eventually he married her, would he do it because he loved her or because of the foreknowledge he had received?  Malcolm thinks that is irrelevant. Finally, Tucker manages to power up the device, and goes to the ship to get some organic circuits to build an interface. In the launch bay, Tucker says that he would like to travel to the past, to see the dinosaurs, while Reed says he'd choose to go to 1588 to witness the defeat of the Spanish Armada. When they open a hatch on the vessel's hull, the situation repeats itself: Tucker anticipates Reed's choice of destination as 1588, while Reed has a feeling of repetition. The conversation starts over a third time, and each officer anticipates what the other is about to say. They visit Phlox to see what's happening with them, but the doctor can find nothing wrong. T'Pol says that the craft is emitting some type of high energy particles, which could be the temporal radiation mentioned by the Tholians. Phlox believes there are unlikely to be any lasting effects since the radiation intensity is quite low. Archer orders Launch Bay 2 sealed to prevent more incidents, and learns from Tucker that he was unable to get data from the black box. T'Pol asks to speak with the captain in private, and she comments that she thinks that it's too dangerous to keep the craft with them, since they've been attacked by two hostile species and the radiation could spread to other sections of the ship. She suggests destroying the vessel. Archer dislikes this option, saying he is tired of the Temporal Cold War interfering in his century, and it's time they took a more active role in it. T'Pol does not fully believe that this war really exists, but even so she comments that they should not become involved. Archer replies that they've been involved since they left spacedock. He also remembers that Daniels told him that there were other factions in this conflict, and wonders if the Tholians are working with one of them. T'Pol thinks that Archer's curiosity is placing Enterprise in an unnecessary danger, but he has already made his decision, saying that this situation is an important opportunity to gather information. She leaves the ready room but advises Archer to put the ship on tactical alert. Archer enters engineering to see what Tucker has learned about the device. Tucker says that it is not a black box or some kind of data-storage matrix, but that it started to generate a subspace signature working like an emergency signal. T'Pol informs them that there are several Suliban vessels approaching. On the bridge, T'Pol alerts them that the ships will be within weapons range soon. Archer orders the ship to go to maximum warp, but the Suliban match speed. With less than three minutes to the rendezvous with Tal'Kir, the captain tries to contact the Vulcans, but Sato gets no response. Instead, the Suliban hail Enterprise and tell them to prepare to be boarded. Archer tells them that there is a Vulcan combat cruiser nearby and that if they do not stop bothering Enterprise, they will have one more enemy. The Suliban commanding officer doesn't believe that the Vulcans would defend an Earth vessel and starts to fire, trying to blast the launch bay doors. Enterprise drops out of warp near the rendezvous point, where they see the Tal'Kir almost destroyed by Tholian vessels, which see Enterprise as it approaches. Enterprise tries to escape the Tholian ships, but they all fire together disabling the warp engines, weapons, and hull plating. The cell ships drop out of warp and start a firefight with the other aliens. Archer asks Tucker about the warp engines and is told that it will take a few hours to fix them all; the weapons have also been rendered inoperable by scrambled power relays. Archer orders Tucker to bring the mysterious device online, believing its subspace signature could bring the future vessel's builders to help Enterprise. T'Pol thinks that even if the captain is right, it is unlikely that aid will arrive in time. He asks Reed to get a torpedo and send it to the launch bay where he is going. Once there, Archer and Reed try to remove a warhead from a torpedo to destroy the future craft. T'Pol informs the captain that the Suliban are losing the battle, with more than half of their ships already destroyed, and that there is not much time left. When they finally remove the warhead, time repeats itself just as it did with Tucker and Reed earlier, and he tries to remove it once again. Although time repeats itself in the launch bay, it does not outside, where all the Suliban ships are defeated, and the Tholians hail T'Pol asking for the vessel. She tries to delay them, but their ships dock with Enterprise. Security teams go there as the Tholians try to blast the doors. Meanwhile, Tucker manages to get the future device online. Despite the time loops, Archer puts the warhead onto the ship and opens the launch bay doors, dropping it into open space. A Tholian ship locks onto it with a tractor beam. Reed tries to detonate the warhead, but the Tholians quickly neutralize it. In engineering, the future device disappears in front of Tucker, along with the corpse in sickbay, and the vessel itself. The Tholian ships withdraw, causing Archer to wonder why they didn't continue the fight. With the battle ended, Archer asks about the Tal'Kir's status. Their warp engine is damaged, but the life support is stable, and he prepares a shuttlepod to help the Vulcans. The captain still doesn't believe what happened. Tucker, T'Pol, and Archer are dining, and Tucker says that he wishes had more time to explore the future ship, wondering how many rooms could be down in the ship. It appears everything was sent back to the 31st century, but T'Pol says there is no evidence to support that view. Tucker replies that there is no evidence to contradict it either, but he still does not understand how quickly everything disappeared, since the device was online for less than a minute. Archer says that time is irrelevant to these people as, if it were from the future, whoever sent it had plenty of time to locate the signal and then travel back to any point in time to retrieve it. Tucker leaves and, alone with T'Pol, the captain says that he will make contact with the Vulcan High Command to apologize for the trouble to Tal'Kir and thank them for the help. T'Pol thinks that the gesture will be appreciated and, before leaving, she says that the High Command asked her to prepare a report about this incident with his permission. Archer gives it, and wonders what the High Command will make of Vulcans and Humans exchanging chromosomes some day. T'Pol dryly says they're probably more likely to believe in time travel. 
<EOS>
The crew of Enterprise NX-01 finds Shuttlepod 1 without anyone on board. After a forensic analysis, Doctor Phlox discovers blood traces and that leads Lieutenant Malcolm Reed to conclude that the crew, Captain Jonathan Archer and Commander Trip Tucker, have been abducted. After contacting the Enolian officials, an Enolian official informs Sub-Commander T'Pol that they were caught by Enolian guards and charged with smuggling contraband. They are now on a transport ship on its way to Canamar. As soon as T'Pol explains the situation, the Enolians agree to release Archer and Trip and they inform the transport crew. On board the Transport Archer and Trip are shackled to benches and guards patrol the ship. If anyone gets up the guards will pull out their tricorder remotes and shock the inmates with extreme pain. During dinner Trip and another inmate named Zoumas pick a fight with a Nausicaan and both get shocked. Unfortunately for the two Enterprise crewmembers, two prisoners hijack the transport at the same moment they were to be set free. Archer then decides to play out his smuggler role and offers to pilot the transport. While taking the transport to a nearby binary system, he learns that Kuroda Lor-ehn, one of the hijackers, served seven years on Canamar and he had subdermal implants installed to depolarize triburnium alloy (that was how he broke from his constraints) before he left. Soon, two Enolian patrol ships engage them and proceed to disable the transport. While refusing to step from "smuggler" to murderer, Archer is still able to get them away, disabling the two ships by igniting a plasma cloud released from the transport. Realizing Archer's resourcefulness, Koruda asks the captain to join him when they rendezvous with his friends. The former prisoner then tells a little more about himself. He was fourteen when he first went to prison. The first time he was innocent but he explains that Duronom's guards taught him more than his father ever could. When he was released, five years later, he put his new skills to "good" use and had a pretty interesting life since then (and is grateful for it). When they arrive at their rendezvous point, he tells Archer to put the ship in a decaying orbit around a planet so it will look as if the transport has merely crashed trying to land with everyone aboard. When he informs Archer that he has no intention of bringing the rest of the prisoners with him, Archer decides it is time to take control of the transport. He then gets Tucker freed in order to repair the docking hatch, which had been damaged in the previous attack. There, he informs his engineer of his plan. Though Tucker is able to take out Kuroda's Nausicaan partner, he fails to disable the Enolian because the latter was warned by Zoumas, another prisoner. However, when they finally dock with Kuroda's "friends", there is a team from the Enterprise on board which emerges from the hatch and stuns Kuroda and his partner. Still in a decaying orbit, they proceed to transfer the prisoners and Enolian crew to the shuttle. Just as everyone is to be evacuated, Kuroda, who recovered quickly from his stun, and Archer have a fight, ending in Kuroda's refusal to go with them to avoid being taken back to Canamar -- he tells them he would prefer to die. Back on Enterprise the Enolian official apologizes to Archer, and insists on a report, but the captain is pretty acid in his remarks. He doesn't take the mistake very well, and, from his new-found understanding of the Enolian penal system, he says that he wonders "how many other don't belong there [on Canamar]". 
<EOS>
Enterprise is being chased by an unknown vessel approaching at warp 6. Apart from observing its size to be over five hundred meters wide, the Enterprise crew is unable to tell anything more about it -- the hull has an unidentified composition and there is no warp signature. Attempts at contact fail, as the ship probably doesn't have any transceiver. As the alien ship gains on Enterprise, it opens a foward bay hatch and traps Enterprise inside. Captain Jonathan Archer immediately orders tactical alert, only to discover that all weapon systems and engines have gone offline. Looking outside, the crew sees a spacious hall with blue wisp-lights dancing below the ceiling. Learning there are no detectable lifeforms on the ship, Archer takes Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Commander Trip Tucker to investigate the alien ship's interior. As the away team, clad in EV suits, leaves the shuttlepod they detect change in the atmosphere -- from one composed mostly of helium, it turns into Human-breathable nitrogen and oxygen mixture. Even though their scanners still don't detect any lifeforms, watching the wisps they grow certain they're dealing with sentient beings. Soon one of the wisps approaches them and, through his helmet, enters Trip Tucker's head. It emerges a second later, its color changed from blue to golden. Tucker remains conscious, however he is unresponsive and seems disoriented. A little later, the golden wisp returns, switches back with the blue one, and Tucker regains control over his body. Bewildered and not sure about what happened, he recalls watching the away team from above and also a very realistic vision of him swimming at Tarpon Springs with his former girlfriend Lisa. Archer and Reed immediately take Tucker back to Enterprise, where Dr. Phlox examines him, but finds nothing out of the ordinary. Although Archer is still worried about the incident, he tells Tucker to work on activating the engines. He also asks Reed to bring the weapons online as soon as possible. Back in his quarters, Archer discusses their current situation with T'Pol. She tells him to consider that the creatures might not be hostile, but Archer remains skeptical. She also informs him of Hoshi Sato's unsuccessful attempts at communication and the uneasiness of the crew. In engineering, Tucker is working at the main console when the wisp returns and enters his body again. He exits engineering, leaving behind engineer Michael Rostov puzzled by his strange behavior. Rostov immediately informs Archer about the incident and they find Tucker shortly thereafter in the mess hall, enjoying various types of food. Confronted by Captain Archer, the creature admits switching places with Tucker, but assures he will be back. It also explains that they're explorers, just like the Enterprise crew, that used to be corporeal beings generations ago and are trying to learn more about their ancestors' way of living. At Archer's request, it releases Enterprise from the alien ship's bay and soon after the golden wisp returns, returning Tucker back to normal. Again he tells them about reliving some wonderful memories during his time in non-corporeal form and says that "they" offered everyone in the crew to try the experience. Archer however is apparently more worried and orders Reed to take Tucker to sickbay. In his quarters, Archer ponders his distrust of this strange lifeform when he's interrupted by the entrance of visibly agitated Dr. Phlox. Just a moment ago, one of the wisps tried to enter Phlox, but without success, probably due to Denobulan physiology being incompatible with the beings. In the armory, another wisp infests Reed, who at first tries to shoot it with a phaser, but to no avail. The creature in Reed's body makes several lewd remarks to a female crewman in the turbolift, and when the confused woman leaves the lift, he makes his way to T'Pol's quarters. After voicing Reed's opinion about T'Pol being the most beautiful woman on board, he makes some rather crude advances towards her. She at first thinks him drunk, but soon realizes what happened and summons Archer and a security team. As this creature isn't as cooperative when asked to leave Reed's body, Archer orders him locked in Reed's quarters. Hearing the grim news, Tucker and his engineers hurry to get the engines working. Tucker finds that Rostov had also been infested and soon the bridge is flooded by reports of similar incidents throughout the Enterprise. Archer orders the security teams to have anyone acting strange confined to their quarters, then asks T'Pol and Phlox to find a method of detecting infested people. The engineering team manages to get the impulse engines back online, but Archer decides not to move until they find a way to bring back Reed and the others. Meanwhile, Phlox and T'Pol discover raised levels of acetylcholine in the autonomic nervous system of the possessed people and program scanners accordingly, thus gaining ability to identify infested crewmembers. On his way to a warp nacelle, Travis Mayweather spots a wisp approaching him and starts running away. During his frantic escape, he accidentally finds out that the wisps are unable to penetrate the osmium alloy shielding of the catwalk. Hearing about existence of such safe area, Archer immediately orders transferring command functions and evacuating all non-infected crew to the catwalk. Despite this ray of hope, there is another grim discovery: Hoshi Sato has been infested and tries to once again convince Archer for the crossing. It turns out that 58 non-affected crewmembers retreat to the catwalk, leaving outside Dr. Phlox (who is immune to possession) and 24 infested crewmembers locked in their quarters. With situation more or less under control, T'Pol asks the captain to allow her to leave the catwalk. She wants to discover more about the creatures and their intentions by coming into contact with one of them. She believes that with Vulcan mind discipline she should be able to resist the possession. Meanwhile, Sato's resident summons Dr. Phlox to her quarters, saying she has a broken leg and requires medical attention. When he examines Sato and finds she is in fact unharmed, the alien possessing her violently attacks Phlox, screaming she needs to get the rest of the crew. He manages to subdue her using a hypospray and goes to assist T'Pol. T'Pol carries out her plan and discovers the true motives of the aliens. It turns out they can't survive in space without the ship, which is breaking down -- and they're unable to repair it. They need to find corporeal hosts in order to survive, and 82 of them are trying to get Enterprise crew as their hosts. T'Pol also reveals there are hundreds of these creatures on their ship, hunting for more vessels with compatible hosts. Captain Archer is adamant about saving the infested crewmembers, so he, T'Pol, and Phlox decide to try flooding the ship with carbon dioxide. As T'Pol learned that dead bodies can't serve as the aliens' hosts, suffocating the possessed will force wisps to leave. Purging CO<sub>2</sub> at the right moment will give Phlox enough time to resuscitate the victims. Phlox puts on an EV suit and starts working on the ventilation system, with Archer and T'Pol giving him instructions via communicator. However, it turns out that one of the wisps has found its way into the sealed catwalk, and once again possessed Tucker. When he hears about the plan, he storms out, beating Mayweather who tries to catch him. Tucker finds Phlox and tries to stop him, but after short struggle, Phlox opens the CO<sub>2</sub> valve and Tucker falls unconscious. When the gas gradually fills all decks and the infested people suffocate, the wisps escape their dying hosts and return to their own ship. When the last wisp leaves, Enterprise goes to full impulse speed, but the wisps aren't willing to give up. They move to recapture Enterprise, with their ship's maw wide open. However, it seems that Reed and his team managed to get at least some weapons working and two spatial torpedos fired into the ship's open hatch tear it apart from the inside. On the Enterprise, Phlox revives Tucker (who remembers only he had "just been at a barbecue") and takes him along, stating that they "have a lot of doors to unlock". 
<EOS>
On Narendra III, a Klingon court magistrate commands that the prisoner be brought in. That prisoner is Captain Jonathan Archer. He is informed that he stands accused of conspiring against the Klingon Empire. Responding that he is not guilty, he is informed that the following day he will be given a chance to prove his innocence, and that if he cannot, there is only one punishment. In his cell, the captain contemplates his prison ration of targ flesh when Dr. Phlox is shown into his cell for five minutes by the guard. The doctor proceeds to check the captain for xenopolycythemia, commenting both on how contagious the disease is and how surprised he is that Archer has not been placed in isolation. Once the guard has retreated to a safe distance, Dr. Phlox quietly informs Archer that it has taken T'Pol two days to convince the Klingons to allow the visit due to his "condition". Phlox further informs him that both Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command are doing everything possible to get him released. Archer then informs Phlox that when the case is over, he is relying on T'Pol and Tucker to get Enterprise NX-01 out of Klingon territory. A Klingon then arrives, and once informed that the "patient" is not contagious, tells the doctor to return to his ship. He introduces himself as Kolos, his advocate and that the tribunal is about to begin. Archer protests that they have not discussed the case, but Kolos assures him that he is familiar with the charges. In the tribunal, Prosecutor Orak calls Duras, the former captain of the battle cruiser IKS Bortas. Duras explains to the court that Enterprise was holding Klingon fugitives, and was fired upon when he requested that Archer surrender them. He then declares that Archer is a conspirator and therefore an enemy of the Empire. In his cell, the captain contemplates his prison ration of targ flesh once again, trying some and spitting it out immediately. Archer is joined by Kolos who explains to him that the magistrate will be willing to spare the captain's life if he revealed the location of the fugitives. Archer refuses and asks that he be allowed to defend himself. When Kolos displays reluctance at the idea, Archer gets angry. Kolos tells Archer that there once was a time when everyone was tried fairly, but there was now no honor in a justice system that favored the warrior class. Later, Kolos convinces the magistrate to allow Archer to recount events from his point of view; by stating that the Judicial Charter of Koloth states that a Advocate has the right to challenge the charges at any point during the tribunal, and since the time of Kahless that their courts have always stood for honor. Archer then explains that they found a small starship adrift in space, and when the aliens were brought aboard, found that the refugees aboard were from a colony which had been annexed by the Klingon Empire only to be abandoned when they were of no further use. When Duras arrived with the Bortas, Archer refused to hand over the refugees. Duras grew angry and fired upon the Enterprise. Kolos now turns the court's attention to how Archer had assisted the Empire in the past, such as exposing the Suliban plot and rescuing a Klingon ship, the IKS Somraw, caught in the dense atmosphere of a gas giant. Kolos and Archer await the decision of the magistrate. Kolos offers Archer bloodwine to make the wait more pleasurable. They discuss Kolos' career and history, and the way the warrior class has risen to dominance in Klingon affairs. The magistrate agrees to spare Archer's life on the grounds of his deeds, and instead of death, he sentences him instead to life imprisonment in the dilithium mines on Rura Penthe. Kolos loudly objects to this sentence, demanding that Archer be treated with honor, and pointing out that being sent to Rura Penthe is a death sentence. Kolos is promptly sentenced to one year at Rura Penthe for speaking out of turn. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol informs the bridge crew that they must now leave Klingon territory, and that a rescue attempt is not an option. However she also reveals that she has dealt with several Klingon bureaucrats in the past and that they can be "persuaded." On Rura Penthe, Archer and Kolos work at the mine, and Archer defends Kolos from being kicked after being knocked down by the guards. He comments that it's an old Earth axiom, and Kolos responds by inquiring if all Humans are so "stupid". New arrivals appear and, surprisingly, Malcolm Reed is one of them, there to rescue the captain. Lieutenant Reed explains that T'Pol had found a few Klingon officials to bribe. Archer offers Kolos a chance to come along, but he refuses, explaining that he wanted to restore honor to his people but that he could not do so as a fugitive. While the captain points out the statement made at the trial, that most prisoners at Rura Penthe don't survive a year there, Kolos smiles and responds that those people, for the most part, don't have anything to live for, and that's not the case with him. Archer bids him well, and leaves the mine with Reed. 
<EOS>
Mayweather has a surprise when he first contacts the Horizon: his father died six weeks previously and, since the ensign left on bad terms when he departed for Starfleet, it is even more shocking. Captain Jonathan Archer tells Mayweather what his father said to him when he was doing a background check on him, a pretty good comment suggesting that Travis' father didn't quite disapprove his choice even if he wouldn't admit it. On the Horizon, everyone is happy to see Travis again except for his brother, Paul, now captain, who greets him coldly. When Travis tries to make some upgrades to the ship's navigational sensors and port stabilizers, the coldness changes into sarcasm. Even though it appears that Paul still likes Travis, he apparently feels a little insecure with his new responsibilities and is under a lot of pressure. At some point, the Horizon is attacked by unknown aliens in a ship using Mazarite engines who leave a beacon/mine on the freighter. When Travis decides to make upgrades to the ship's weaponry against his brother's wishes, Paul becomes openly hostile, throwing irrational accusations at his brother. Fortunately, after a conversation with his mother, Travis understands that only time will help his brother, that Paul is now in a worse situation than his father was in when he first took command of the ship, and that no upgrades or extended leave for Travis will make it faster or easier. On Enterprise, Archer finally gets T'Pol to go to a movie night by using arguments about crew fraternization. However, the captain and his chief engineer are both surprised by the conclusions the Vulcan pulls out of the movie, Frankenstein. She makes an analogy between the villagers' reactions to the creature and the reaction Humans had when the Vulcans first arrived on Earth. She says that she will suggest to Ambassador Soval that he show the movie to every Vulcan newly arrived on Earth. When the aliens return for the Horizon, they want every crewmen to get out of the freighter, and Paul decides to make use of the new weapon system -- to protect not only his ship, but the whole freighter fleet in general. With Travis at the helm, the mooring clamps disengage from the cargo section and the light J class tug section outmaneuvers the aliens' ship and using the enhanced plasma weapons disables the alien ship's weapons. Paul allows them to leave so that they can warn their fellow pirates that ECS freighters were the wrong ships to attack. Paul is much more friendly at the end as he finally understood that Travis was not trying to undermine his authority and he leaves his brother with his best wishes. 
<EOS>
Phlox, Captain Archer, Commander Trip Tucker, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Travis Mayweather discuss the news in the situation room aboard Enterprise NX-01; the Denobulan Science Academy has asked Enterprise to find three of their geologists in the caves of Xantoras, as that planet has a new government which has just declared that all off-worlders must leave the planet within three days. Captain Archer sends Tucker, Reed and Mayweather on the mission to retrieve the Denobulan scientists. While the three Starfleet officers are in the caves searching for the scientists, Enterprise assists an alien transport ship which has problems with a reactor leak. One of the wounded individuals happens to be an Antaran, the traditional enemy of the Denobulans. Even if Phlox is able to overcome his first impression, the Antaran, Hudak, refuses to receive medical care from him, even at the expense of his life. The Denobulan-Antaran wars set the two species apart 300 years ago and neither side has tried to reconcile since that time. At the time, Denobula's military tactics resulted in 20 million Antaran casualties and, for that reason, Antarans are raised to fear and hate the Denobulans. Symmetrically, the Denobulans are raised to believe that Antarans are evil. Back on Xantoras, the away team seems to be making progress when finding some Denobulan rock samples, but then Mayweather breaks his leg and they have to leave him behind. Tucker and Reed eventually find the scientists, but the three Denobulans refuse to leave, saying that the government changes often and that is not enough to interrupt their current research. Tucker has to threaten to tie them up and drag them before they finally decide to go. Back on the Enterprise, in the mess hall, Phlox has a discussion with T'Pol about his situation. From what he says, she understands that he did everything possible to prevent his children from having the education he had about Antarrans, to make them embrace other cultures. It becomes clearer why he is so upset by the irrational behavior of his patient. On the following discussion with the Antaran, Phlox tells him about his children. He also says that he created a rift with his youngest son, Mettus, about these beliefs. He concludes, saying that Hudak should do the same and accept the treatment to set an example for his children and Hudak finally does, after some reflection. Hudak returns home on the same transport as the three geologists, clear progress in his perception of the Denobulans. On his side, Phlox realizes that indifference to hatred also had its part to play in the continuation of the myths about the Antarrans and decides to try once more to bring his son to a more tolerant position by writing him a letter. 
<EOS>
On Enterprise, Malcolm Reed makes friends with the Vissian tactical officer while Trip Tucker has a conversation with the chief engineer and his wife. Tucker then learns that the Vissians have three sexes: male, female and cogenitor. Cogenitors, who make up about 3% of the Vissian population, are treated in a very pragmatic way, being shipped from one couple to another to keep the population growing. A side effect is that they are treated like objects, not deserving names nor education. Feeling that they are less than slaves, Tucker makes friends with the Vissian engineer's cogenitor after he learned from Phlox' analysis that they have the same intellectual potential as the two other sexes. He teaches them how to read and tries to make them understand that they have the same rights as the rest of their species. He then shows them the Enterprise and is amazed when they beat him at a game of Go, since the engineer has been undefeated for the last two years. From there on, events chain up fast. T'Pol makes a speech to Tucker about the touchy nature of First Contacts when she learns that he is not welcomed on the Vissian ship after the time he spent with the cogenitor. Then, the cogenitor asks Captain Archer for asylum, understanding that they will never be able to have a decent life among their own people. In order to not offend the Vissians, Archer refuses. Even though the two ships depart with the best wishes and their captains hoping that the incident will not interfere with the relation between Earth and Vissia, the situation gets a lot less bright when Archer learns that the cogenitor committed suicide, an evident result of the independence they developed out of Tucker's teachings. Calling Tucker to his ready room, Archer severely reprimands him for his interference, as it has only resulted in the cogenitor's death, but has also denied the Vissian couple the chance to have a child for a long while. Tucker is deeply shocked, as Archer reminds him that despite all his time on Enterprise, he still compares other cultures to Earth standards and interferes without thinking first. Archer is upset that first contact with the Vissians led to this conclusion, and Tucker begins to realize the consequences his actions can cause. 
<EOS>
The Arctic, Earth. A scientific expedition is in progress. A transport flies in a research team. Three Human scientists tramp through the snow, holding scanners. Their names are Drake, Rooney and Moninger. They find what they seek: the crash site of an alien craft. They break up, searching in different directions. Rooney picks her way quickly but carefully through debris and snow, until her scanner starts beeping. She stops, kneels and brushes away snow, uncovering something. She calls her comrades over to see what she has found. It is the face of a frozen humanoid figure, unlike anything they have ever seen. Its skin is grave-pale, mottled with black. A grotesque cybernetic implant is where its left eye should be. The scientists comment on the creature's humanoid appearance and how well preserved it is. Drake, the leader, calls in for a base camp to be set up. Then Rooney gets another reading, goes to the spot of its origin and finds another frozen cyborg. Later, with the camp set up, the two lifeforms have been placed on tables in a laboratory. They are covered, neck down, in a black exo-plating. Moninger examines them, while Rooney examines a small piece of the ship's hull. They show Drake their findings. Moninger, after examining a bulky cybernetic prosthesis that one of the lifeforms had on its right arm where the forearm should have been, has found that it had been integrated into the creature's circulatory and nervous system; it could have probably controlled the device as if it were its own flesh and blood. He has also examined the eyepiece of the first discovered individual, and has found that with it, the creature could have seen most of the EM spectrum. Rooney finds that their ship crashed about a hundred years prior. Drake instructs them to transmit the findings to Starfleet. But as they speak, they hear a mechanical whirring, and see the tool at the end of the cybernetic prosthesis whirring and clicking. After a hundred years, frozen in ice and snow, it still works. A further examination of the prosthesis is in order. Moninger does the examination, looking at a bit of the tissue from the part of the prosthesis that was attached to the lifeform's arm under a microscope. He shows Drake. Microscopic machines, some form of nanotechnology, are among the cells, repairing them. There are thousands of them in each creature. Not only are they regenerating the tissue, but they are repairing the mechanical parts on a microscopic level. The prosthesis is fully functional, with Moninger calling it "as good as new." As incredible as he finds this, Moninger also finds it disquieting. How far will this regenerative process go? These creatures do not look very friendly. What if they are fully revived and prove dangerous? And just what were they doing on Earth a hundred years ago? Did they come in peace or otherwise? He suggests that, just to be on the safe side, they freeze them again and examine them under more controlled conditions. But Drake says no; re-freezing might damage them. They will remain in the laboratory and the regeneration will be allowed to continue. He goes outside to where Rooney is further investigating the ship's debris. Her report to him is that, from the fact that every piece of outer hull debris has precisely the same curvature, the ship appears to have been a perfect sphere, about six hundred meters in diameter. Meanwhile, another researcher brings a flask of a hot beverage for Moninger in the lab. Before he leaves, he looks at the two lifeforms and voices concern; will Moninger be alright? Moninger assures him that he will, showing him a rifle he has for protection. Alone again, Moninger pours a cup of the beverage. Then he hears a mechanical clicking noise from one of the lifeforms. Alarmed, he checks the monitor that displays the lifeform's neural activity. Nothing. Outside, Drake and Rooney have found something else: a transwarp coil. But though they can guess as to its function, i.e. faster-than-light space travel, the technology is way beyond them. Inside the lab, Moninger still watches the monitor. Then, suddenly, a spike appears. Then more spikes, then full signals; neural activity has begun in the lifeform's brain. The lifeform awakens with a gasping breath. Moninger grabs a scanner and begins scanning it, as it opens its organic eye. Its mouth closes and its face lapses into a cold stare, as it beholds him. Outside, Drake and Rooney hear his scream and see the light beams of his weapon. They rush back to the lab, which is now ruined, with two large streaks burnt through the walls from the rifle and all the equipment thrown to the floor. They find one lifeform on the table where they left it, while the other is gone. And they find Moninger behind some tossed-over shelving, gasping painfully. The left side of his face is streaked with black, mottled lines that are spreading, as the nanoprobes that the revived lifeform injected him with move visibly under his skin, multiplying rapidly and assimilating him. Drake tells Rooney to get a medical kit. She turns to do so, and turns right into the revived lifeform, its organic eye staring at her coldly, the red laser light of its eyepiece on her face. Three days later, at Starfleet Headquarters, Commander Williams rushes into the office of Admiral Maxwell Forrest. He informs the Admiral about the prolonged loss of contact with the research team. Forrest orders him to ready a shuttlepod. He and an armed team go to the site. All they find is snowed-in, abandoned shells of structures; no sign of the research team or the debris from the crashed ship. Out in space, aboard Enterprise NX-01, Captain Jonathan Archer speaks to his senior staff in the situation room. Admiral Forrest has informed him of what has happened and has sent him the data the scientists gathered, believing the creatures abducted the research team. The transport the team used was detected leaving Earth at warp 3.9. This shocks the chief engineer, Commander Tucker; these transports cannot exceed warp 1.4. Archer surmises that the "aliens" improved the ship's systems using technology from the wreck of their own ship. The transport's projected course puts it within six light years of the current position of Enterprise. Forrest has ordered that they intercept it and rescue the research team. Sub-Commander T'Pol surmises that isolating the transport's warp signature should not be difficult. Archer decides that the search should start at specific coordinates, which he inputs onto the table's display. He orders a tactical alert and orders Ensign Travis Mayweather to lay in the necessary course. As the ship heads for the area, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, the armory officer, speaks to Doctor Phlox, the chief medical officer, about the "aliens" possible weapons. He and Phlox look at the research team's biometric data on the creatures, but find no evidence of weapons. This worries Reed; the team was well armed; how did these two "aliens" manage to overpower them without weapons? Enterprise continues toward the coordinates. Captain Archer is in his ready room, reading something on his computer terminal. Then T'Pol calls him to the bridge; they are receiving an automated distress call from a Tarkalean freighter. He goes out onto the bridge, where Ensign Hoshi Sato at the communications station tells him what the message says: the freighter is under attack. He orders Mayweather to alter course toward it. The freighter is, banged up and dead in space. The transport, heavily modified now looks very menacing, far from the ordinary-looking vessel it originally was. It is cutting into the freighter with a cutting beam. Enterprise arrives. Archer orders a hail to the transport, warning to cease and desist immediately or be fired on. The transport responds with a volley of proton bursts at Enterprise. T'Pol scans nine Human life signs on the transport, but the readings are erratic. Reed believes he can disable its weapons; Archer orders it done. Enterprise fires on the transport, which breaks off its attack and takes off at warp. Archer orders a shuttlepod deployed to the freighter to bring the survivors aboard. The survivors, two in all, a man and a woman, are lying unconscious in sickbay. Their faces and hands are marred with emerged implants. Archer and T'Pol are present. Phlox informs them that the two should live, but then shows them what is happening to them: the nanoprobes in their bodies are transforming them into "some sort of cybernetic hybrid." T'Pol surmises this as the reason for the erratic Human life sign readings; the research team is likely being similarly transformed. Archer asks if the nanoprobes can be removed. Phlox says no; they are multiplying extremely fast; he could never remove them all. T'Pol advises that the two should be secured in the decon chamber. But Phlox makes the same terrible mistake the research team's leader made; he says that he cannot treat them properly there, and he does not believe them to be a danger to the crew. However Archer is not so sure. He will have Reed post a guard. Later, in Archer's ready room, T'Pol comes to tell him she has contacted Tarkalea and informed them of their rescue of their people. Archer shows her what he was reading before. It is a speech that was given 89 years prior by Human history's inventor of warp drive, Zefram Cochrane. In it he had spoken about the events surrounding his first warp flight. He had spoken of a group of cybernetic creatures from the future who had intended to "enslave the Human race". They had tried to prevent the flight, but were stopped by a group of Humans, also from the future. T'Pol reminds Archer of Cochrane's over-active imagination and the fact that he was frequently drunk. Archer acknowledges this, saying that nobody took the story seriously and Cochrane recanted the whole thing years later. But there are similarities between the story and these current events that cannot be ignored. And if the story was indeed true, then these creatures may be heading back to where they came from, so that another attempt can be made. In sickbay, the two Tarkaleans begin to stir. Phlox goes to the male, who wakes up very agitated on seeing him. He demands to know who Phlox is and his location, and is horrified to see the implants in his hands. Phlox tries to calm him down, then picks up a hypospray with a sedative to administer it to him, as he suddenly convulses and screams with pain. But then, as Phlox comes close, the implants take full control of their victims. On the other biobed, the woman rises behind the guard Reed posted in the room. The man grips Phlox's arms with incredible strength, and the woman throws the guard all the way across the room. The man forms a fist and brings it to Phlox's neck. Assimilation tubules dart out, injecting Phlox with nanoprobes. He throws Phlox over the bed. Phlox collapses in a heap on the other side, unconscious. The two Tarkaleans leave the room via a maintenance shaft ladder. Meanwhile, the skin around the injection point on Phlox's neck starts to change color, as the nanoprobes begin the process of assimilating him. While unconscious, Phlox begins hearing the Collective's hive mind. However, this is stopped, when Archer wakes up Phlox. Reed is present with Archer, along with security officers, all well-armed. Phlox quickly scans his neck and confirms what has happened; he has been infected with the nanoprobes. Scans by the security officers reveal the route the two Tarkaleans used to leave. Archer orders Reed to seal off the maintenance shaft, post guards at every access point, and find and subdue them. Phlox warns Reed about their greatly enhanced strength and to avoid being touched by them. He scans the security officer, who was with him when the attack happened, and confirms that he hasn't been infected. Archer orders the officer to keep guarding sickbay. Meanwhile the two Tarkaleans move through maintenance shafts, never rushing, but moving quickly nonetheless. They come to a set of wall panels, remove the covers and inspect the circuitry. In engineering, Commander Tucker shows Captain Archer scans of the modified transport. It has been greatly enhanced, with more powerful engines, hull plating, weapons, and other modifications Tucker cannot even guess the functions of. Archer notices that the aft plating has not yet been enhanced; a couple of torpedoes should break through and knock out a nearby EPS manifold, disabling the ship. Then T'Pol calls from the bridge; she has detected the transport, less than two light years away, moving at warp 4.8; a significant development; its top speed has doubled in less than twelve hours. Archer orders Ensign Mayweather to alter course to intercept it. Meanwhile, in the maintenance shaft, Reed and his security officers move carefully, looking for the Tarkaleans, using scanners to track them down. They find displays that, instead of showing what they should, are filled with strange green script on black backgrounds. They come upon the individual that used to be the Tarkalean woman altering more panel circuitry. It is seen plunging its assimilation tubules into the circuitry, which instantly morphs into modified technology, taking on the familiar black and green color. Reed sternly and repeatedly orders it to stop, but it continues after a cursory glance at them. They fire their weapons at it. The shots merely make it lose balance a bit. And then subsequent shots hit nothing but personal shield. They crank the weapons up to maximum power, and fire again. Again, the woman is unharmed. However, their attacks cause the Tarkalean to register them as a threat. It turns and advances on them. Remembering Phlox's warning, they quickly withdraw, only to run into the cybernetic lifeform that used to be the male Tarkalean. It overpowers one of them and tries to inject him with nano probes. With its tubules shooting out mere inches from the guard's head, Reed whacks it in the head with the butt of the officer's fallen phase rifle, temporarily stunning it. He calls the bridge and reports the location of the two to Captain Archer, and what they appeared to have been modifying systems. Archer asks T'Pol what is in that area. Her answer: warp plasma regulators, essential for the warp engines to function. Suddenly Mayweather reports the destabilization of the ship's warp field; they are falling out of warp. The assimilated Tarkaleans have disrupted the regulators. Without warp, Enterprise has no chance of ever catching the transport. Archer recalls that there is an outer hatch in that area. He orders Reed and his officers to clear the area and seal it and orders Ensign Mayweather to bring Enterprise down from warp. When this is done, he orders T'Pol to open the hatch. The two Tarkaleans are instantly blown out into space. At Archer's order, T'Pol closes the hatch and re-pressurizes the area. He is dismayed at having to resort to this, but T'Pol tells him he had no choice. Archer orders course for the transport resumed, and orders Reed to work with Tucker to find out exactly what the two were doing to the systems. In sickbay, Ensign Sato, who is wearing a phase-pistol at Malcolm's insistence, brings food for Phlox and his small menagerie of little alien animals. He accepts her offer to feed the animals, but he will not eat himself, for fear of accelerating his metabolism and causing the nanoprobes in his system to spread even faster. He now has a sickly white and black-mottled patch over the tubule wounds. She desires to stay and keep him company once she finishes but he insists that, for her own safety, she leave immediately when done. "I underestimated these nanoprobes once; I do not intend to make the same mistake twice," he tells her. Meanwhile, Tucker and Reed examine the modified circuitry but they cannot determine what has been done to it. Captain Archer goes to the mess hall. T'Pol is there. She advises him that perhaps it is better not to try to rescue the Humans, saying that it is logical to assume that all aboard the transport has either been transformed or are transforming and that bringing any of them aboard may be extremely dangerous. The transport should be destroyed, she adds. But Archer is not ready to do this. Then Phlox calls him, asking him to come to sickbay. His condition has worsened. His hands tremble, the patch on his neck has spread over the entire right side of his face, a second patch has formed on his forehead and a third is forming on his right hand. He tells Archer that his Denobulan immune system seems to be baffling the nanoprobes, but they are persistent and will adapt and keep multiplying. Eventually, he will be transformed. However he has found a possible treatment. Their processors appear to be susceptible to omicron particles. Exposure to this may destroy them and cure him, but the level has to be very high, lest even one nanoprobe survive. Such a high level would be very painful. Should it fail, he has one surefire cure: death. He gives Archer a hypospray containing a neural toxin that will almost instantly end his synaptic functions, and asks him to use it if the treatment fails. Archer is shocked, but Phlox is resolute: he will not allow himself to be turned into one of these "cybernetic creatures". In the armory, Reed and one of his security officers test modifications of phase-pistols to try to get them to penetrate the personal shields. A particular setting works. They begin modifying as many weapons as they can. They work quickly; Enterprise will catch the transport in less than an hour. Sure enough, less than one hour later, they come upon it. Its defenses have been further enhanced since their last meeting. It accelerates almost to the limit of Enterprise's speed, warp 5. Archer orders speed increased to match. The ship begins to shudder with the effort, but they close the distance. Archer orders Reed to target the EPS manifold that he and Tucker agreed on. The transport drops out of warp. Ensign Sato reports an incoming transmission; it is an activation sequence. On Archer's order, she tries to stop it, but cannot. The Borg-modified circuits suddenly become active. Main power and other systems, including weapons, begin to fail. Archer angrily realizes the truth: the assimilated Tarkaleans sabotaged the circuits, modifying the appropriate systems so that this signal would cause them to fail. Then Sato reports a hail coming in. Archer orders it answered. He angrily begins to identify himself and Enterprise. But he is cut off. Cut off by words spoken in a cold, soulless, multi-track resonant intonation: "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.' The transport closes ominously on Enterprise. The transport hammers Enterprise with weapons fire, wearing down her defensive polarized hull plating. Commander Tucker feverishly works trying to undo the sabotage so that they can at least regain use of weapons. But it will take several minutes. Captain Archer gets an idea. He asks Reed if the transporter is still working. It is. He orders Reed to come with him, telling T'Pol to be ready to beam them off the transport. Meanwhile, in sickbay, Phlox's condition has worsened considerably. Both sides of his face now look cybernetically enhanced, as well as both hands. He again hears voices in his mind. His movements are hunched and painful. His voice is tremulous. But he determinedly sets up the omicron treatment, telling the guard to activate it once he is in the imaging chamber. He gets in. The guard activates it. Lights strobe over Phlox. He grimaces and grits his teeth in agony. Captain Archer and Lt. Reed, armed with Reed's modified phase-pistols, beam onto the transport. Its interior has been completely assimilated and modified, including the presence of alcoves. They carefully pass by regenerating individuals. Archer scans for any possible victims to be rescued. The transport continues to hammer Enterprise. Suddenly, two assimilated lifeforms round a corner and march toward them. They fire, unaware that they will be ignored as long as they do nothing threatening, and they drop. The two men check them. One of them is a scientist from the Arctic. On scanning them, Archer realizes that he labors in vain to rescue them, or anyone else on the transport. These two are no longer Human. The one he scans used to be Rooney. Then more lifeforms round the corner, having registered them as a threat due to their previous action and advance on them. They withdraw, making their way to the EPS conduit they tried to destroy before. Meanwhile, things get much worse on Enterprise as six individuals board her. T'Pol, as first officer, dispatches security to try to stop them, but the officers experience the same result as Reed and his team did against the individuals that used to be the Tarkalean woman: their shots kill two, then hit nothing but force fields on the remaining when they adapt. The individuals advance relentlessly, pushing the officers ever backward. Meanwhile, Commander Tucker manages to isolate one of the power relays and begins to reroute power to the engines and weapons. On the transport, Archer and Reed continue toward the conduit, killing the lifeforms that try to stop them. Each one Archer scans confirms unrecoverability. Reed's modifications of the pistols work for now; they kill several. But it will not be long before they adapt. Reed is briefly lifted against a wall by the neck, only for Archer to kill it by ripping out the wiring on its head. They find the conduit and Reed quickly places charges on it while Archer fends off advancing individuals. At the same time, Enterprise's polarized hull plating finally fails and the transport begins to use its cutting beam on her hull. But Archer and Reed succeed in mining the conduit. Just as the individuals finally adapt to their weapons, he has T'Pol beam him and Reed back. As soon as they materialize on the transporter platform, he has Reed detonate the explosives. The desired effect is achieved: the transport's power is disrupted. The cutting beam stops. At the same time, Trip manages to disable the alien circuitry on Enterprise, restoring power to the systems. Returning to the bridge, Archer is asked about the research team by T'Pol. He tells her: there is no longer anyone aboard they can help. But then the individuals that boarded Enterprise beam off. Reed reports with alarm that the transport's systems are being restored; it is charging weapons. Archer is now versed enough in what they are dealing with to know exactly what to do; he orders full weapons directed at the transport's warp core. Enterprise fires all her weapons at the transport, which explodes as she quickly departs. The transport destroyed, he grimly orders Sato to contact Admiral Forrest before going off to his ready room. Later, with Enterprise having resumed original course, he and T'Pol go to sickbay to see Phlox. He has fully recovered; the omicron treatment was successful. But Phlox has ominous news; he tells them about the "strange experience" he had while he was infected; the voices in his mind, as if he were part of a collective intelligence. T'Pol suggests he hallucinated it. But he does not think so; he got the distinct impression the "aliens" were trying to send a subspace message: a numerical sequence he heard over and over again. He gives them a PADD with the numbers. Later, T'Pol goes to see Archer in his ready room. He has had the computer analyze the numbers. The results have him even grimmer than before. They are spatial coordinates; Earth's spatial coordinates. The aliens sent a message detailing Earth's location. T'Pol asks him where the message was sent to. His answer: deep inside the Delta Quadrant. T'Pol tells him that there is no immediate worry as a subspace message would take at least two hundred years to get there, providing it even makes it at all. This does not comfort Archer. He surmises that the invasion has merely been postponed until the 24th century. 
<EOS>
Enterprise detects a nebula of what they believe to be dark matter. Although it is not visible at the moment, Captain Archer recalls an experiment in which Vulcans excited dark matter using metreon particles, and Archer decides to give it a try in a shuttlepod. Archer's excitement at discovering the nebula is dampened when Admiral Forrest contacts him and informs him that an old comrade, A.G. Robinson, had died in a mountaineering accident. After Trip Tucker loads six spatial charges onto a shuttlepod to excite the dark matter, the two briefly discuss Robinson and how he survived all the warp trials only to die in a random accident. Tucker offers to come along, but Archer would rather go alone. Before he can go, T'Pol arrives and insists on accompanying him due to ship regulations prohibiting the captain from leaving the ship unaccompanied. As they head to the first set of coordinates to launch the charges, T'Pol asks Archer about Robinson, having gotten the basic details from Tucker. Although Archer initially claims that he doesn't want to talk about it, he finally begins to tell her about him and how they were in the NX test program along with a couple of others and that they both wanted to be be the pilot of the first flight to break warp 2. Commander Jonathan Archer meets with Commodore Forrest and proudly announces that he achieved a 92% efficiency in the warp reactor simulation. But he is disappointed when Forrest tells him that Robinson had been selected to pilot the NX-Alpha. Archer is clearly disappointed, but promises to fully support Robinson's flight. That night, he has a drink with Robinson and several other pilots at the 602 Club. Taking him aside, Robinson tells Archer that he did not get the assignment because he is too by-the-book and that Starfleet want someone with more than just piloting ability take command of the first starship. T'Pol is confused, as she had thought Archer and Robinson were friends but it sounds like they were opposed to each other. Archer admits they were more rivals than anything at this point, but they both enjoyed the competition. T'Pol points out that Robinson was right, in that it takes more than piloting abilities to be a captain. Archer agrees, and T'Pol notes that he has developed the necessary skills. Archer is bemused that T'Pol just gave him what came close to a compliment, but tells her than the test flight didn't go as planned. Two weeks later, however, Robinson easily breaks the warp 2 barrier. But when he ignores orders to drop to impulse, he accelerates and the ship explodes shortly after reaching warp 2.2. Robinson, fortunately, survived by jettisoning an escape pod while at warp. At this point, Archer and T'Pol launch two of the charges but fail to get a reaction. They decide to move deeper into the nebula, and T'Pol asks what happened next. Archery notes that Robinson did indeed enter the history books as the first Human to deploy an escape pod at warp. However no-one was very happy. The Vulcans immediately claim that this proves that Humans are progressing in warp technology too quickly, and that the warp program will have to be postponed and the warp engine built from scratch. Archer expresses outrage at the idea, and he is joined by Lieutenant Charles Tucker, an engineer working on the NX Program. Later in the 602 Club, Archer and Tucker agree that it isn't the engine at fault, but rather the intermix ratio. However Forrest arrives with bad news on the advice of the Vulcan Advisory Council, Starfleet Command has decided to put the NX Program on indefinite hold and wish to begin designing a new engine from scratch, a process that will likely take years, if not decades. Later, after Forrest has left, Robinson arrives after his debriefing. Archer and Tucker ask him what he told Starfleet and the Vulcans and he tells them he told the truth. This just adds to Archer's anger, since if Robinson had claimed pilot error they could have had a chance to save the NX Program. Robinson tells him that he had no intention of taking the blame and wants Archer to admit that his father's warp engine design is not sound. Archer is incensed and the two get into a fight, which is shortly broken up. The shuttlepod's systems are affected by the dark matter. T'Pol is unsure if they should proceed, but Archer tells her that taking risks is part of their job, something Robinson taught him. He admits that the fight turned out to be the beginning of his friendship with AG, who may have been responsible for nearly derailing the program but was also partly responsible for getting it back on track. Archer discovers Robinson in the locker room packing, and convinces him that if they could get the intermix right, the ship would achieve stable warp flight. The two apologize for their earlier words, with Archer admitting that he had problems being objective about the engine but knows that if they prove the findings they can stop the program being scrapped. Robinson points out that the Vulcans will need a lot more than just findings, and reminds Archer they still have the NX-Beta. Archer knows they'll never get clearance, but Robinson never said anything about getting clearance and reminds him that a good captain will need to take risks. Archer is reluctant, knowing this likely lead to dismissal from Starfleet and possibly even prison, but agrees. Archer and T'Pol fire the second round of charges which again fail, leaving them with only one more attempt to excite the dark matter. T'Pol notes there is no record of Starfleet pilots stealing the NX-Beta. Archer thinks T'Pol doesn't believe him, and she responds that the part of the story she has trouble believing is that he had to be convinced to take the risk. Archer tells her he was quite different back then, an officer who always followed the rules. T'Pol wants to hear what happened, and Archer agrees on the condition she doesn't enter it into the Vulcan database. Archer and Robinson decide to launch at night, and Tucker quickly agrees to assist on the ground. Tucker notes how much he wishes he could go out there too, and Archer promises to have the engineer on his crew if he ever gets his own ship. Tucker disables the tracking sensors and creates false data to make it appear the NX-Beta will still be in its hangar. NX-Beta launches and it goes unobserved by people outside, but the three officers know it won't be long before New Berlin's sensors pick the ship up. Archer and Robinson are unconcerned, knowing they'll be too far away to be caught before then. Indeed, New Berlin quickly detects the ship and Commodore Forest realizes what has happened almost immediately. On the NX-Beta, Robinson allows Archer to pilot since he got to do it last time. Watching the intermix closely, they receive a communication from Forrest ordering them to return immediately, promising he'll do his best to see they avoid criminal charges if they do. The officers cut him off and, just as Forrest thinks things can't get any worse, two Vulcans enter, ruining any chance he had of keeping this incident from them. NX-Beta reaches warp 2, but then starts to have the same engine problems that the NX-Alpha had. Robinson quickly brings it under control and the ship holds steady at warp 2.5, a new record. Forrest congratulates them, and sternly orders them back to Earth. Archer and Robinson are hauled to Forrest's office where he furiously reprimands them for their actions, telling them their actions were irresponsible, reckless, and verging on criminal. He immediately suspends them from duty and reminds them that they've undermined the program by making it seem like Starfleet can't keep its pilots under control. Archer and Robinson accept they're likely to be kicked out of Starfleet for this, but its a small sacrifice to keep the NX Program going. Every engineer on the staff believes the engines work, and Archer asks Forrest why they're waiting to explore the galaxy. Archer tells T'Pol that he and Robinson managed to avoid a court martial, but were suspended for three months. However the NX Program continued, and for over a year the Vulcans ran every test they could on the engine before finally confirming the design worked. Eight months later, the NX-Delta broke the warp 3 barrier and five years later Enterprise was built. The particle density of the dark matter has increased, so they decide to fire the last two charges. At first, nothing seems to happen but then, a few seconds later, a new nebula begins to appear. T'Pol admits this is going to cause a debate at the Vulcan Science Directorate, however Archer is enraptured at the beauty of what's happening, and he urges T'Pol to leave the sensors alone and just watch what is happening. He tells her that this sort of thing is why he and AG worked so hard and risked so much. T'Pol notes that Robinson obviously wanted to command Enterprise as much as Archer did. Archer tells her that while there were plenty of candidates, he and Robinson were the final two remaining. Six months before Enterprise's launch, Archer was selected to command the new starship. Captain Robinson congratulates Captain Archer on getting the much-wanted assignment, joking that he'd rather wait for NX-02 so that Archer can make all the mistakes first. He then leaves to get an early night as he has survival training the next day, but promises he'll see Archer 'out there'. Archer is sad at the thought that Robinson never did make it into deep space, as he and T'Pol head back to the Enterprise. Docking, T'Pol reminds him of the Human custom that when someone makes a discovery of merit they have the right to name it. Archer suggests the T'Pol-Archer Nebula, but T'Pol believes the Robinson Nebula would be a more appropriate choice. Archer is touched by her thoughtfulness. 
<EOS>
From the discussion between Archer and Skalaar, we learn that the Tellarite is a bounty hunter and that he is planning to return the captain to the Klingons, since they offered a big reward after Archer's escape from Rura Penthe. Even if Skalaar had not been hunting criminals all his life -- he was a freighter captain until the Klingons seized his ship, the Tezra -- he seems to be pretty experienced and sends the Enterprise in the wrong direction with a beacon emitting a false warp signature. A short while after, another bounty hunter, Kago-Darr, shows up to steal Archer from Skalaar. The Tellarite prefers to let Archer take the helm instead of having him taken away and they are able to knock off Kago's engines before they are also forced to land in order to make external repairs. Archer's attempt at sabotaging the ship is unsuccessful. In the Enterprise's decon chamber, the microbe is giving T'Pol a hard time. She has difficulty controlling her emotions and eventually enters an artificially induced pon farr. Phlox is able to stay very professional in spite of the science officer's attempts at seduction. Unfortunately, T'Pol soon becomes aggressive and escapes from the chamber, but she doesn't go far as the deck is soon sealed and the Vulcan is stunned. After a stop at his brother's workshop, Skalaar learned that the Klingons already cannibalized his dear Tezra and he becomes more compassionate towards Archer. He "locks" Archer with false handcuffs, a wise move since the Klingon captain, Goroth, decides to give him only 6,000 of the 9,000 promised darseks. On the Klingon ship, Archer eventually escapes from his holding cell and is able to make it to an escape pod. The Enterprise has no difficulty finding him after Skalaar gives them the Klingon ship's position. They get back their captain after disabling Goroth's ship's weapons. In the end, Phlox's treatment seemed to have worked fine on T'Pol and Skalaar wishes best of luck to Archer, for the Klingon bounty will probably double after this new escape. 
<EOS>
High above the planet Earth, an alien probe seemingly appears out of nowhere. The probe descends toward the planet below and comes to a stop above Earth's atmosphere. It fires an energy blast at the western continents from Florida, North America, to Venezuela, South America that cuts a swath of destruction across the planet's surface. When its task is complete, the probe self-destructs, with one component falling towards Earth. On the Klingon homeworld, Qo'noS, in an organized gathering inside the Klingon High Council Chamber, the Council meets with Duras, son of Toral. The Klingon Chancellor is infuriated that Duras allowed Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer to escape from imprisonment on two occasions. As a result of his failure to permanently secure Archer, Duras was dishonored by the Klingon Empire. When the Chancellor informs Duras that the High Council is providing him with a chance to regain both his command and his honor, Duras assures the Council he will succeed. In the briefing room aboard Enterprise NX-01, Archer solemnly tells his senior staff the news that a probe has attacked Earth and cut a swath 4,000 kilometers long between Florida and Venezuela. Enterprise has been recalled by Starfleet Command. Although the journey back to Earth will be long, Helmsman Travis Mayweather complies with Archer's instruction to set a course for the planet at maximum warp. Worried about his younger sister, Elizabeth, an architect who lives in Florida, Chief Engineer Charles "Trip" Tucker enters the Captain's ready room. Unfortunately, Archer has not been told the specific areas of the American state the probe attacked. Sub-Commander T'Pol enters the room and reports that a Vulcan transport found a pod from the alien probe in central Asia. The transport brought the pod to Starfleet Headquarters, where it was studied. Starfleet has discovered that the probe was operated by an unidentified pilot, who was killed on impact. While the officers continue to discuss the situation, eight Suliban vessels approach Enterprise at high warp and surround the ship. On the bridge, Lieutenant Reed activates the tactical alert, but three Suliban soldiers board Enterprise and kidnap the Captain. They take him to one of their ships, where Archer meets with his arch-nemesis, Silik. Archer accuses him of the attack on Earth, but the Suliban agent claims he was not involved and has no knowledge of the incident. Instead, Silik takes the Captain to his leader -- a man from the future who can only project his image through time and not participate in events directly. In a temporal chamber, the figure claims that the alien probe was launched by a race known as the Xindi, who were told that their homeworld would be destroyed by Humans four hundred years in the future. The figure explains that the Xindi were informed of their planet's annihilation by another faction in the Temporal Cold War that can communicate through time. According to the mysterious figure, the probe was only a prototype for a much bigger and more powerful weapon that the Xindi are currently building. They plan to use the weapon to destroy Earth and eradicate the Humans before they can cause the destruction of the Xindi planet. The figure implies that, in his time period, history does not record Earth's destruction in the 22nd century. However, if the planet is destroyed, the disaster will contaminate the timeline. The Captain is soon returned to his ship, where he tells T'Pol of the figure's story. The Vulcan doubts the recounted explanation but Archer asks for her support. He fears that her skepticism could lead him to mistrust the man, who might be telling him the truth. On Enterprise's bridge, Ensign Mayweather sees Earth's sun, Sol, on the main viewscreen. He shows Archer the spectacle shortly before Lieutenant Reed notes that a ship has dropped out of warp nearby. T'Pol is unable to identify the craft, which opens fire on Enterprise. In space, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey continues its attack as it swoops over the Starfleet vessel's hull. As the battle proceeds, T'Pol finally identifies the attacking ship. Since Enterprise loses both forward phase cannons, Archer orders the deployment of spatial torpedoes but the weapons cause insignificant damage. The Klingon ship retaliates with a destructive volley of torpedoes that detonate on contact with Enterprise's starboard nacelle, causing plasma to leak out into space. When the Klingon ship sends a message to Enterprise demanding Archer's personal surrender so that honor may be regained, the captain realizes that Duras is commanding the Bird-of-Prey. Suddenly, a series of explosions erupt on the Starfleet vessel's bridge as the ship's nacelles are crippled. Seizing his opportunity to secure Archer, Duras issues orders to stop the attack and to prepare a boarding party. However, three Earth vessels, including the starship Intrepid, suddenly appear and destroy the Klingon ship's third and fourth disruptor banks. In furious frustration, Duras reluctantly withdraws from the battle. The Intrepid's commanding officer, Captain Ramirez, contacts Enterprise and welcomes the crew home, implying that he feels sorry the situation is so bleak. As Enterprise orbits Earth, T'Pol, Hoshi Sato, Mayweather, Archer, and Reed contemplate the devastation that the alien probe caused. The officers gaze dishearteningly at the burned zone on the main viewscreen. Commander Tucker, wracked with worry, diverts his attention away from the image. In Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, Admiral Forrest and Vulcan Ambassador Soval notify Archer that both Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command doubt the mysterious figure's story. The Captain urges Forrest to assign Enterprise the mission of searching for the Xindi. However, Soval reveals that the Xindi's homeworld is in the Delphic Expanse, a dangerous region of space where many Vulcan ships have gone missing. Archer likens the area to Earth's Bermuda Triangle, but Soval adds that the region is also rumored to hold several hostile alien species and inexplicable phenomena, and that in some areas of the expanse, even the laws of physics do not apply. The Vulcan is definite in his belief that the mission should not be authorized. When Forrest suggests that sufficient evidence may persuade Starfleet to authorize Archer's plan, the captain admits that the mysterious figure provided him with proof. The three men enter another room, where the wreckage of the alien probe remains. The captain removes a concealed component from the rubble and uses the quantum dating function of two scanners to demonstrate that the component is from the future. Although Soval is unwilling to acknowledge the evidence, as Vulcans do not believe time travel is possible, Forrest states that he plans to talk with Starfleet Command, apparently believing the captain's proof. With Forrest's authorization, Archer walks over to a secured freezer unit and looks inside. The unit contains a frozen alien corpse that the captain analyzes with a scanner. When Soval asks Archer if he believes the alien is a Xindi, the captain replies that he intends to find out. Meanwhile, Reed and Tucker visit the site of the alien attack. The two officers look out across a narrow valley where "the house" once stood. Tucker shows Reed where a nearby movie theater was, and recalls that he used to take Elizabeth there when she was a baby. Tucker solemnly states that Elizabeth would have contacted someone if she were still alive, believing that the fact she hasn't is proof that she died in the attack. Inside an inspection pod, Archer and Forrest survey the starship Columbia, the second NX-class spacecraft to be built. Incomplete, the vessel is docked in one of Earth's orbital drydock facilities. Forrest hopes that Enterprise will have returned long before Columbia's launch in fourteen months. The Admiral notifies Archer that the new vessel will have the same armament as Enterprise, once the prototype NX-class starship is completely retrofitted. Archer reveals that he notified his crew of their new mission in the morning, although several officers have decided to leave the ship. When the Captain admits that he spoke to General Casey several hours ago, Forrest remarks that he was surprised at Archer's request for military personnel. The Captain responds that he doesn't have a problem with non-Starfleet officers and that security will be of vital importance in the Delphic Expanse. Although Forrest worries that the mysterious figure did not reveal where to look in the Delphic Expanse, or when the alien weapon will be ready, Archer believes that the figure warned him because Enterprise still has enough time to stop the aliens from destroying Earth. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol enters sickbay and finds Doctor Phlox. She asks whether he is sure of his decision to remain aboard the ship. According to the Vulcan, Crewman Fuller just informed her that a shuttle carrying two hundred snow beetles is on its way. Although Phlox suggests that the beetles might be for his replacement, T'Pol is certain that any doctor in Starfleet would be completely unsure of how to use them. The Denobulan smiles and asks T'Pol if she will also be staying on the ship. She replies that the Vulcan High Command has forbidden her from entering the Delphic Expanse. When Phlox asks T'Pol what she wants to do, the Vulcan states that she must obey the High Command. However, the Doctor reminds her that she has not always acted in accordance with the High Command's orders. Phlox contemplates their decision of whether to leave the ship, revealing that he found the choice an easy one to make. He believes that T'Pol will have greater difficulty in deciding whether to leave, as her choice will indicate her allegiance to Archer or to the Vulcan High Command. A female ensign enters sickbay, moving a large white case into the room. T'Pol thanks Phlox for his help and follows the ensign out of sickbay. In the starship's armory, Reed shows Commander Tucker a stack of photonic torpedoes, advanced weaponry installed for the vessel's change of mission. The torpedoes have a variable yield and a range fifty times greater than the old spatial torpedoes. Reed tells Trip that three teams of security officers are working on adapting the torpedo tubes and have promised that they will have completed the task by the time Enterprise leaves spacedock. The lieutenant adds that he has to start integrating the weapons into the vessel's power grid. He then leaves the armory with Tucker. Back in San Francisco, Soval shows Forest, Archer and T'Pol disturbing imagery from a previous Vulcan mission to the Delphic Expanse. Grainy imagery from the Vaankara shows Vulcans that lost control of their emotions. They are savagely attacking each other with their bare hands. Soval says that less than an hour after the transmission were recorded, the ship was destroyed, without "indication of malfunction or an attack". Despite Starfleet's acquiescence to Archer's new mission, Soval remains firm in his opposition. Outside fleet headquarters, Soval has a private conversation with T'Pol. He discusses her imminent assignment at the Ministry of Information on Vulcan. He assumes that because the Vulcan High Command has opposed Starfleet in this matter, she has been de facto recalled. T'Pol, however, reacts strongly against being pulled from Enterprise. She argues that there is still a need for Vulcan assistance. As her words fail to sway Soval, she flirts with insubordination, saying that it should be up to her whether or not to stay on Enterprise. After returning to Enterprise, Archer has one last conversation with Forrest. He informs the Admiral that Soval has given him permission to take T'Pol back to Vulcan on the way to the Delphic Expanse. Forrest wishes Archer luck on his mission. A few hours later, Enterprise departs spacedock with her repairs and upgrades complete. Meanwhile, Duras detects Enterprise heading for Vulcan and tells his weapons officer to "charge weapons, and prepare to bring them online". Duras interrupts their discussion with a second attack. As Archer reaches the bridge, he gives Reed the green light to use the new photonic torpedoes. An initial, low-yield hit fails to shake their pursuers, so Archer tells Reed to bring up the yield. This second volley temporarily disables the Klingons. Archer believes that Enterprise now has the ability to make it to Vulcan space before the Klingon ship can catch up with them. He hopes that the threat of Vulcan reinforcements will be enough to make Duras break off his attack. As Enterprise continues on course to Vulcan, T'Pol has a conversation with Archer in his ready room. He tries to remind her of all the problems she's had adjusting to life on board a Human vessel, but she dismisses his attempts to cheer her about the virtues of returning home. Ultimately, she announces that she intends to resign her Vulcan commission, and asks to remain aboard Enterprise. Archer is surprised, and wonders why she would be willing to throw away her career for Enterprise. She insists that he needs her at the science station. Archer considers her statement silently, then exits to the bridge. There, he moves to his command chair and orders Mayweather to alter course to the head directly to Delphic Expanse. The bridge officers understand this means no stopping at Vulcan; T'Pol will remain a part of the Enterprise crew. The Enterprise is now close to the border of the Expanse. The size of the Expanse, however, makes the area seem much closer than it really is. At a million kilometers distance, Archer orders Mayweather to enter the thermobaric clouds which mark the border at a slow impulse speed. After travelling inside the clouds for six hours, the crew begins to express impatience at not making contact with anything on the scanners. Suddenly, they pick up three distinct signals, belonging to Duras' three ships. They open fire on Enterprise, but have difficulty hitting the ship due to interference from the clouds. Duras orders his ship to get closer to Enterprise to give his targeting scanners a better chance of success. As the shots now begin to hit Enterprise, Tucker notes that Archer had said the Klingons wouldn't enter the Expanse. Archer points out that they aren't actually in the Expanse yet. He then puts the ship at full impulse to evade their pursuers. Tucker objects, citing the stress the clouds are putting on the intake manifolds. Archer overrules him. Duras hails and orders Enterprise to come about and prepare to be boarded. Archer cuts the communication. T'Pol announces that she detects clear space close by. Because he now understands that Duras wanted Enterprise to come about to avoid entering the Expanse, Archer repeats his order to increase speed. Archer then orders Mayweather to perform an L-4 maneuver, so that they can orient Enterprise toward the unprotected part of Duras' ship. In the meantime, two of the three Klingon vessels break off their attack for fear of entering the Expanse. Now with just one Bird-of-Prey in pursuit, Mayweather is able to do a hard vertical roll, which neatly places Enterprise aft of Duras. Reed concentrates his torpedoes on the unprotected part of the Klingon vessel, and the craft is easily destroyed. Enterprise emerges from the thermobaric clouds at about the same time, whereupon Archer gives a final order: "Straight and steady, Mr. Mayweather. Let's see what's in there." 
<EOS>
The Xindi Council is discussing the coincidental arrival of the "Earth ship." The Xindi-Reptilians and Xindi-Insectoids believe it is the beginning of an invasion. Jannar asks when the weapon will be ready. Degra says he needs time to run some more tests, but Dolim believes they will accomplish nothing if "all you do is run tests". Dolim is asked to learn everything he can about Enterprise. Enterprise is en route to a trellium mining facility. A freighter captain of questionable character according to Reed has provided them with a tip that one of the miners there is possibly Xindi. Reed wants to proceed with caution. Archer turns to Reed and asks him what room they're in. It is the new command center, which used to be a storage bay for conduit housings. Archer tells Reed that they don't have the liberty of being safe or cautious anymore. In six weeks they haven't collected any data, so the lead given to them by the "freighter captain of questionable character" is all they have, then Archer is satisfied. In the mess hall, Hoshi Sato approaches a table with MACOs sitting round it, so she joins them. They introduce themselves as Major Hayes, Sergeant Kemper, and Corporals Romero and Chang. When asking Kemper about Phlox, Sato surprises him by saying where he was from, Duluth, Minnesota. Major Hayes tells Kemper that Sato is a linguist, and that, given enough time, she could probably tell him which street he grew up on. Chang asks where they're headed, but Sato says that the captain will let them know at the right time. Excusing themselves, the MACOs leave for a briefing. Tucker takes Archer to Cargo Bay 2, where all the equipment has stuck itself to one of the walls. Archer wonders if it is the grav-plating, but Tucker says it isn't. They watch for a moment as suddenly the equipment is sent flying to the opposite wall, where again it attaches itself. Archer asks Tucker to seal it off. T'Pol enters sickbay where Phlox is studying epithelial cells taken from the corpse of the Xindi pilot recently recovered. It turns out that he has Reptilian characteristics. T'Pol asks Phlox why he needed her. Phlox tells her about Tucker, who is struggling with sleep because of the death of his sister. He has been using sedatives, but wants T'Pol to try Vulcan neuro-pressure with him. T'Pol thinks that Tucker wouldn't have the patience for it. Reluctantly, she agrees. Unfortunately, Phlox has already asked Tucker if he would like to try the neuro-pressure, and he declined. Enterprise arrives at the mining facility, and Archer and Reed go down in a shuttlepod, to meet the foreman at the mine. When talking to him, he wants Archer to give him something so that they can meet the Xindi miner -- half a liter of platinum. Reed says it would take some doing, but it is possible. Archer demands to see the man and confirm that he really is Xindi, however, the foreman gives them a finger belonging to the Xindi, claiming it was an "unfortunate accident." In the meantime, Tucker wakes up from a nightmare of watching his sister die when the Xindi probe fires its weapon. Phlox has studied the finger and found that he is and is not Xindi. In relation to the corpse however, the base-pair sequencing is much closer than that of Humans and chimpanzees. He notes that while the corpse was of a Reptilian, the finger isn't. Tucker enters, and tells Archer that 200 relays must be stripped, but it'll be done by the afternoon. Archer leaves, while Tucker asks Phlox for "something stronger" to help him sleep. Phlox tells him to return at 2200 hours, and he'll see what he can do. Back on the planet, Archer prepares to hand over the platinum, but the Xindi's work group is still asleep. Archer tells him that he can wake them early, because it took his people half the night to get the platinum. The foreman agrees. Taking them down to one of the lower levels, Tucker asks the foreman what trellium-D is used for, to which the foreman replies, "insulation, mostly for interstellar vessels." The Xindi, Kessick, is shoved into the area, and Tucker gives the platinum to the foreman, who tells them to take their time, and promptly leaves with his guards. Archer gets straight to the point, asking him if he is Xindi and where their homeworld is, as he has "important business" with them. Kessick says he'll tell them, but only if Archer helps him escape. Tucker confronts Kessick angrily -- and rather forcefully -- prompting Archer to tell him to take it easy. T'Pol contacts Archer, telling him that three warships are on the way. Realizing that they have to leave, albeit without the information that they wanted, Archer and Tucker make their way to the door -- only to find it locked from the outside. Kessick says he can take them back to the shuttlepod, but he has to go with them. T'Pol is contacted by the mine foreman, who tells her that Archer and Tucker will be "slightly delayed", as they've had to start deionizing the landing decks for the three incoming "cargo ships." He explains that the ships are heavily armed because trellium-D is highly valuable, but Reed doesn't buy it. Archer, Tucker, and Kessick are wading through waist deep sewage and reach an access port. The trio gain access, and start climbing. Reed and Hayes are discussing their plans as T'Pol enters. Hayes thinks Reed's security team is too valuable to send on the mission, saying that they'd be better off defending Enterprise should an armed force come on board. T'Pol agrees with Hayes, but leaves the decision to Reed. He asks Hayes to select six of his men, but Reed himself will lead the mission. After Hayes leaves, Reed tells T'Pol that coming from a military family, he's seen men like Hayes all his life. Hayes just thought his team would be more successful than Reed's. Back on the planet, one of the guards reports to the foreman telling him that Archer, Tucker, and Kessick have escaped. The foreman tells the guard to put a security force at the shuttlepod. Meanwhile, the escapees are scaling a vertical wall, with small indents so they can hold on to it. Archer asks Kessick why he hasn't used the duct before, but the atmosphere is about 30 times more toxic on the surface and there has never been a ship "waiting for him" before. Mayweather pilots the second shuttlepod down to the planet's surface, and tells them that they only have half an hour to complete the rescue mission. Meanwhile, the foreman has detected the escapees. He asks the guard to reroute the plasma flow into their section. Kessick tells Archer about the five species of Xindi. Their conversation is interrupted by the emergency baffles being closed, and the sound of the plasma coming towards them. As they don't know how far up the next access port is, Tucker suggests they go back to the previous one, which means sliding down -- and fast. Archer makes it in time, and Tucker and Kessick push each other out of the way to get in safely as well. Both are pulled in by Archer, who closes the port just in time. Tucker fumes at Kessick, who can only stare open-mouthed at the guards who have just arrived. Kessick tries to feign innocence, claiming that they took him with them. He thanks them, and receives a hit in the face by one of the guard's rifles. Archer and Tucker carry Kessick to an open area, where the foreman says that they are too much trouble -- so they must be killed. As they are taken away, the MACOs abseil in, starting a firefight. The foreman gets away, but the Earth commandos make short work of the mining guards, killing several. One of the MACOs is injured, but Archer helps him up. When the firefight is over, Kessick begs Archer to take him back to Enterprise as well, promising him the co-ordinates of the Xindi homeworld. Archer agrees. As Reed contacts Mayweather, telling him to set down, more shots come from the mist. One hits Kessick, who collapses. One of the MACOs uses his scope to shoot down their attacker -- who just happens to be the foreman. On Enterprise, T'Pol asks Sato to tell the shuttlepods to dock simultaneously, as the warships are closing. The Enterprise then goes to warp. Phlox enters Archer's ready room and apologizes, telling him there was nothing he could do. Kessick has died. Fortunately for Archer, Kessick told Phlox something with his dying breath, saying that Archer would know what he meant. They are the co-ordinates. Tucker tells Reed that he's been in the shower for two hours, but still can't get all of the trellium out of his hair and from under his nails. He also tells Reed that the rescue team did a pretty good job, but he's sure that Reed's security team could have done just as well, which Reed dismisses with a smile. Reed says goodnight to Tucker, who enters sickbay. He asks Phlox for something to sleep, so Phlox gives him an injection. He then asks Tucker to deliver some bioscans to T'Pol's quarters, as he is busy with work. Tucker says it is no problem. As he leaves, Phlox walks to a comm panel and contacts T'Pol, saying that she has her work "cut out for her." He also says that he injected Tucker with a placebo. Tucker arrives at T'Pol's quarters, giving her the bioscans. T'Pol asks him to sit down. Tucker says he wouldn't be very good company, and still needs to take a few showers. T'Pol offers him a cup of tea, but he graciously declines. T'Pol says that she has been having trouble sleeping as well. She says that Vulcan science teaches them to prompt their own bodies to create medicine, but she can't reach the neural nodes that need stimulating. She asks Tucker to help her, then offers the same in return. Unfortunately, Tucker thinks she's making sexual advances, before claiming that his 'sedative' is starting to kick in, but T'Pol tells him about the Vulcan neuro-pressure that Phlox wanted him to try. T'Pol says she told Phlox this wouldn't work, that Trip is intransigent and unwilling to compromise. Trip protests that he is too willing to compromise. "Then take off your shirt." He does, and T'Pol begins the treatment. Enterprise arrives at the co-ordinates given to them by Kessick. There is no sign of technology, ships, or even planets. Archer fumes that he lied to them, but Trip questions why the Xindi would use his last breath to lie about the location of his homeworld. Mayweather detects a debris field, too big for a ship. T'Pol discovers that it was a planet, 120 years in the past. Trip detects indicators that there had been a civilization there, including an alloy that matches the probe that attacked Earth. Archer orders them deeper into the Expanse, although Reed detects more concentrated spacial distortions ahead. In the Xindi Council chamber, Dolim reports that Enterprise has scanned the debris field and left. They are headed for the Orassin distortion field. Jannar laughs, saying that it is unlikely they'll survive. The Xindi-Insectoid councilor thinks they may survive, and wants to destroy them instead. Degra says it would be best to remain hidden, in case it is the first ship of an invasion force. The Xindi-Insectoid tells them to finish the weapon quickly or he will destroy Enterprise, with or without the council's approval. 
<EOS>
Porthos is lying down in Captain Jonathan Archer's ready room when suddenly he begins barking. When Archer asks what's up, a book falls down from the shelf. Confused, Archer looks around. In engineering, Trip Tucker and his staff are also confused. In sickbay, Doctor Phlox's animals are more overactive than usual. Phlox looks worried. In the mess hall, a strange sound is heard as everyone's plates, cutlery and cups are lifted onto the ceiling, where they stick, leaving everyone covered in their food. In a corridor, a distortion is followed as it bumps into two crewmen, knocking them flat on their backs. Back in the ready room, a distortion passes through Archer's desk, knocking the cup into the air, and leaving the contents hanging there as well, as if there were no gravity. T'Pol calls him to the bridge. There, she reports that there are anomalies all over the ship. The warp field is fluctuating, and purple sparks are seen flying from the warp reactor. Tucker is forced to shut down the reactor, as main power gives out. Malcolm Reed restores emergency power, but primary systems are off-line, including weapons, says a concerned Reed. Tucker asks Archer for time to deduce what went wrong. Travis Mayweather detects a ship, but as the transceiver is off-line as well, Archer sets a course to intercept it. Unfortunately, their best speed is one-quarter impulse power. Arriving at the vessel, T'Pol discerns there are no bio-signs and no gravity. Archer prepares to take a team aboard in EV suits. The MACOs consist of N. Kemper, J. McKenzie and F. Hawkins and as they have only been in simulations of weightlessness, Archer briefs them on what to expect. He also tells them to set their weapons to stun. The shuttlepod docks with the alien vessel. When inside, they find various tools floating around. Reed detects the remains of weapons fire. One of the MACOs opens a door to find a corpse hovering in midair. Arriving on the bridge, the team finds three more bodies drifting silently. Archer asks Reed to download whatever information he can. Back aboard Enterprise, Archer informs T'Pol that they found seventeen bodies, and that most were killed when life support ran out. The others were killed by particle weapons. The only repair that has been made is to the transceiver. Archer tells Mayweather to continue on their previous course. T'Pol thinks that Enterprise should stay and try to make more repairs, but Archer comments that the aliens have only been dead for two days, and if so -- staying there might get them attacked as well. In engineering, Tucker is trying to restart the engines, but to no avail. Archer asks for a report, and Tucker tells him that the Cochrane Equation isn't constant, so they can't create a stable warp field. He says that he'd probably have to rewrite the book on warp theory -- which would take a long time. Archer tells him to get weapons online. Going back to his ready room, Archer finds his cup still hanging in midair. After ignoring it for a few seconds, he grabs hold of it and slams it onto his desk. An alien ship approaches Enterprise. They charge weapons, as Archer orders hull plating to be brought online, but it is still inoperable. He tries the diplomatic solution, hailing them, but gets no response. Suddenly, four aliens beam into engineering. One of the engineering crew is shot, while another one runs for safety. They begin stealing antimatter injectors. In a cargo bay, a crewman is hit on the back by another alien, who, with his accomplice, places transporter tags onto equipment, before they are beamed away. In the armory, three aliens are pinned down by a security team led by Archer. One of them is shot, leaving the remaining two cornered behind an armed warhead. Archer tells a MACO to use a stun grenade, but the intruders beam out with their injured comrade before it explodes. Reed and Archer find more intruders in the cargo bays and engineering, and split up to find them. One of the aliens tries to download the computer. Tucker, having taken refuge on top of the warp reactor, picks up a hyperspanner and attacks one of them, knocking him out cold. He then activates the reactor, pinning the rest of the aliens into one corner, as Reed bursts in. The aliens are forced to beam out, leaving one of them behind. Archer arrives at the cargo bay to find it completely stripped to the bulkheads. The alien ship then leaves. Doctor Phlox is tending to many injured patients in sickbay, who have suffered extensive disruptor burns. Archer walks over to a biobed with a curtain around it. Inside lies the body of Crewman Fuller, who has become the first casualty of the Xindi mission. Archer then walks over to another biobed, where the injured alien is lying, under sedation. Archer orders his movement to the brig, where Phlox can treat him. Phlox also says he recognizes the alien's species -- the Osaarians -- a species not originally from the Expanse. Tucker tells Archer what is missing -- and it's not good. All the antimatter storage pods have been taken, and if they aren't retrieved within a month Enterprise will be stranded, and unable to move. T'Pol meets with Archer to discuss the Osaarians. Unfortunately, the Vulcan High Command had only had limited contact with them. They are a race of merchants, and have never been pirates. Archer asks T'Pol to keep looking for their ship, but T'Pol is worried that the Osaarians are too well prepared for Enterprise. Archer goes to meet the Osaarian prisoner, Orgoth. He tells the Osaarian that he's going to help look for their ship, and when the supplies have been returned, he and they will be free to go. Orgoth thinks that Archer is "far too civilized to torture him", and knows that Enterprise is new to the Expanse. He shows Archer his distorted face caused by the anomalies, and tells him that when the Osaarians first entered the Expanse they were just trade ships. When hit by distortions they tried to leave the Expanse, but couldn't get beyond the thermobaric clouds. One of their ships was destroyed. Now the area of space they operate in is a hunting ground, because ships that run aground there are easy targets. At first they didn't kill anyone, but that changed, and Orgoth reveals that they kill without remorse. Archer tells him to consider his offer -- but if it ends up giving him remorse, it's something he can live with. T'Pol tells Archer about the other alien ship they found. It appears they went looking for the Osaarians as well, but their life support ran out before they could start. T'Pol also informs Archer that hull plating is back on-line and phase cannons will be ready within an hour. Archer heads off to the armory to help Reed with the torpedoes. Tucker is in the mess hall, attempting to rewrite the book on warp theory. There he is joined by Reed. They reminisce about Fuller, who knew a lot about the torpedo systems. Tucker doubts that Fuller won't be the last one to be killed on the mission. The Osaarian's ion trail comes to an abrupt halt, and Enterprise can't find the ship at all. T'Pol finds that the trail continues a few thousand kilometers away. They must be close by, so Archer orders weapons brought online. As Enterprise approaches the end of the first trail, the ship starts shaking. They then pass through a cloaking barrier and exit to see a huge sphere. It is nineteen kilometers in diameter and constructed of a single alloy. Archer orders them in closer. They cannot scan the interior, however. Moving the ship into a lower orbit, T'Pol detects a portal, but it is too small for the actual Enterprise to get into. Archer, Reed, Mayweather, and three MACOs take a shuttlepod into the sphere. When inside, Mayweather notes that there is enough energy to power "a dozen cities". Reed notices a module with a breathable atmosphere, and sets a course. Breaking into it, the team looks around, finding most of their equipment. Mayweather finds a cargo manifest, but it's in Osaarian. Archer tells him to send it to Hoshi Sato. As she works on it, the crew still on board Enterprise put their equipment back in place. Tucker goes to sickbay with a wrist injury caused by a deuterium injector. He and Phlox discuss the Vulcan neuro-pressure treatments, but Tucker has only been to see T'Pol once for them. Phlox says he understands that it requires a certain level of intimacy, but Tucker wants to switch back to injections. Phlox gives him a third alternative: Aldebaran mud leeches. Tucker declines, saying that an hour with T'Pol "isn't so bad". The salvage teams on the sphere have found around 80% of the antimatter that was stolen. Archer surmises that the rest "is running through the reactor of that Osaarian ship". Warp drive will be online in thirty minutes. Archer wants the teams to speed up, so they can go after the Osaarians. T'Pol says that the sphere is nearly 1,000 years old. It is run by seven enormous fusion reactors, of which only three are still operational. T'Pol guesses that the gravimetric energy that it produces may have something to do with the spatial anomalies. Sato calls them to the situation room, where she reveals that the Osaarians attacked a Xindi vessel. Archer confronts Orgoth, who claims not to know about the Xindi vessel. However, he gives in, saying that it was a small vessel. When they resisted, their ship was destroyed. Archer enters the brig and, holding a phase-pistol to Orgoth's neck, escorts him to the airlock, startling some of the crewmembers on the way. Shoving him into the airlock, Orgoth refuses to respond, still thinking Archer is too civilized. Archer starts to decompress the airlock, saying that if he doesn't talk, he has less than forty seconds to live. Reed arrives on the scene, but Archer says that he's got everything under control. Realizing that Archer wasn't bluffing, Orgoth says he'll give Archer the information he needs. Opening the airlock, Orgoth stumbles out, panting heavily. Archer tells Reed to take Orgoth back to the brig. Archer briefs the senior staff on Orgoth's information. Not only did the Osaarians take the fuel and supplies of a Xindi ship, they downloaded its database, which Archer now wants. Unfortunately, to do so, they would need to be within a kilometer of the ship to be able to get it. Mayweather says that the ship is probably too far off, but Archer, confident they'll return, decides that the Osaarians will come back. That is when they will attack. Mayweather detects a ship passing through the cloaking field -- it's the Osaarians. Moving into position, Enterprise opens fire on their ship. After firing a few torpedoes, Archer contacts the Osaarians, telling them to stand down. Their response is to fire back. Enterprise pursues them into the cloaking barrier, as Sato tries to tap into their computer. Mayweather struggles to keep up with them. The Osaarians open fire, just as Sato finds the Xindi database. She starts the download. Losing the forward hull plating and impulse drive, Archer orders them out of the cloaking barrier and back to the sphere. As the Osaarians are not returning, and Sato only has a third of the Xindi database, Archer tells Reed to fire at the portal on the sphere, hoping to lure them back in. It works. Emerging from the cloaking field, the Osaarian ship runs at Enterprise, all weapons firing. Sato gets 90% of the database, as Enterprise loses hull plating. Archer tells Reed to target the Osaarian's engines. He scores a direct hit, disabling them. Archer releases Orgoth to the Osaarians, then Enterprise leaves. He then goes to the command center and looks at the Xindi database, looking for answers to unsolved questions. 
<EOS>
The Xindi Council continues to monitor Enterprise's advance through the Delphic Expanse and debates whether to develop a bio-weapon to be used instead of Degra's weapon. Meanwhile, Enterprise has arrived at a floating bazaar on the Xanthan homeworld to secure the formula for liquid, synthesized trellium-D to insulate the ship hull against spatial anomalies within the Delphic Expanse. While looking for this commodity, they come across a beautiful slave woman named Rajiin, who is invited back to Enterprise. Trip Tucker and T'Pol are working together on helping him realign his neural pressure. Tucker wants to stop their exercises due to the perceptions of the crew, but T'Pol dismisses his concern and they continue the exercises. Archer has a nightmare and gets out of bed to find lesions all over him. Phlox chides the captain for scratching because it's hindering his healing. Archer and Phlox discuss the possibility of finding a way to synthesize the trellium-D needed to reinforce the hull. Archer mentions the nightmares that are residual of his recent alien transformation, and Phlox assures him that the healing process will not happen overnight. Archer, Tucker, and Malcolm Reed go to the Xanthan floating bazaar in search of the recipe for trellium-D. Archer keeps the other two from souvenir hunting for Phlox when they are approached by an alien. Archer asks about barge 12, where they can find the chemist B'Rat Ud. After unsuccessfully trying to unload some wildlife on the men, he directs them to the chemist. Archer enters the barge with Tucker and Reed and announces he has an appointment when B'Rat says he is closed. Archer then reminds B'Rat that they met at the deuterium station on another planet. B'Rat tells them to come back later, but Archer presses him, stating that he claimed he could sell them formula to synthesize trellium-D. B'Rat remembers him and asks about his well-being, but Archer seems impatient with the conversation because he is pressed for time. B'Rat comments how rare trellium-D is when Tucker realizes he is only trying to drive the price of the formula up. B'Rat asks about their interest in the Xindi, and Archer will only say they are on a diplomatic mission. B'Rat mentions that the Xindi were there the week before. Reed asks B'Rat where they could find them now. B'Rat says he would direct them for a small fee. Archer then explains that Tucker has a list of items they would be willing to barter with, and that Tucker can work out the trade details for the information with B'Rat. The liquid trellium formula is purchased from B'Rat in exchange for a variety of "exotic" spices, including pepper, paprika, mustard seed, and one Tucker is partial to, cayenne pepper. Tucker and Reed are warned by B'Rat to follow the protocols precisely, as liquid trellium-D is highly unstable. Upon returning to the ship with the trellium-D recipe, T'Pol recommends synthesizing the compounds on E deck, within the emergency bulkheads. T'Pol and Tucker's first attempt results in a major explosion in their workspace, which they narrowly avoid by exiting the door moments before. While at the bazaar, Captain Archer talks to Zjod, the owner of a sex-slave shop. Zjod tries to sell him a slave, but as Archer leaves, one of Zjod's slaves, Rajiin, runs after him, asking him to take her along. Zjod protests, and after a fight, Archer brings Rajiin on board Enterprise. No compensation is offered to Zjod. Archer speaks with Rajiin over a meal, asking what she knows about the Xindi, but she does not provide much information. He grants her access to explore the ship, except for restricted areas. Rajiin later returns to talk to Archer to repay him for his kindness. Archer informs her they have located her home world of Oran'taku, only two days away. She states she doesn't remember the place, but wants to thank him, and kisses him. While Archer recovers from said kiss, Rajiin proceeds to scan him with her hands, giving the audience an inside out view of Archer. Once her scan appears to be complete, she snaps him out of what appears to be a daydream or trance, and exits his quarters. Rajiin later explores Enterprise's transporter room, where she meets Hoshi Sato. Rajiin says she's looking for the mess hall, which Sato states she's heading for, noticeably entranced by Rajiin. Rajiin asks what Hoshi does, to which she replies "communications officer". A look passes between the two, and Hoshi seductively states that she'd love to hear Rajiin's language. T'Pol is startled to find Rajiin entering her quarters, Rajiin claiming that the door was open. She starts to seduce T'Pol physically and mentally, scanning through her head and spine, but the Vulcan shows some resistance. Rajiin knocks out T'Pol, and when Tucker arrives she attacks him as well. However, he remains conscious and alerts the entire ship. Rajiin is soon thrown in the brig. Archer demands to know what she was doing. She tells him that the Xindi want information on Humans for a bio-weapon. The Xindi-Reptilians and at least one Xindi-Insectoid attack Enterprise, boarding the ship and taking Rajiin away with them so that they can use her biometric scans to construct the bio-weapon. They escape through a subspace vortex, leaving only one Reptilian corpse and rifle. Rajiin goes before the Council, which is furious at the Reptilians' unauthorized actions. She uploads the data necessary to create the bio-weapon. She tries to state that there is more to Humans than they realize, but Commander Dolim orders her away. The rest of the Council fears that the Xindi are now more vulnerable than ever. 
<EOS>
Archer is carrying T'Pol's body into sickbay. "She's coming to!" he shouts to Phlox. As they place her on the biobed, they restrain her, just as she regains consciousness. She briefly strangles Archer and threatens to kill, calling him a liar when he says they are not trying to hurt her. Phlox applies the last restraint as T'Pol lets out an ear-splitting scream. Phlox tries to sedate T'Pol, who thinks the doctor is trying to kill her, like they "killed the others". Archer holds her head still as T'Pol calls them murderers and Phlox applies the sedative. T'Pol struggles briefly, but the sedative takes effect, as Phlox sends the biobed into the imaging chamber. Trip Tucker and Archer are in the command center. Tucker says that he has been talking with Chef, who is worried about the crew's morale and their lack of meals. He recommends they re-introduce movie night again, but Archer says there'll be plenty of time for movies after the Xindi mission. Tucker says it is either that or Phlox will have to start medicating the crew. Archer asks what he has in mind. "A comedy," Tucker replies, as T'Pol enters. She says she would have helped the two men with their work, but Archer didn't want to get her out of bed too early. "Besides, our resident insomniac was looking for something to do." Tucker asks T'Pol if she is doing anything on Tuesday night. She guesses that it is movie night. Hoshi Sato contacts them from the bridge. She has picked up an automated distress call -- it is Vulcan. They have had no response to hails. On the bridge, T'Pol recognizes the transponder frequency. It is from the Vulcan cruiser Seleya, a ship that entered the Expanse nine months previously. They set a course. Enterprise NX-01 arrives at the coordinates, finding an asteroid field affected by spatial anomalies. With their paths so unpredictable, Archer guesses that Enterprise will be too big to go in. Tucker finds out the reason the Seleya is there -- the asteroids are loaded with trellium ore. Archer asks Sato to wake up Malcolm Reed, and send him to the launch bay. He then asks Tucker to get some of the ore. He and T'Pol then leave the bridge. In the asteroid field, Archer is piloting the shuttlepod manually. MACO F. Hawkins makes up the fourth member of their away team. Two of the asteroids collide, sending bits of rubble on to the hull of the small craft. Reed says they may need a fresh coat of paint when they return. T'Pol offers to take the helm. "Maybe on the way back," Archer replies. He then finds out from T'Pol that she served on the Seleya for over a year, as a deputy science officer under Captain Voris. It was her last assignment before joining the Vulcan consulate on Earth. The Seleya was charting the thermobaric perimeter when they reported being caught in a subspace eddy. They were eventually pulled in to the Expanse, and were never heard from them again. The Vaankara was sent to find them. "You already know what happened to that crew," says T'Pol. Tucker and Travis Mayweather are transporting some of the smaller asteroids on to the ship, in an attempt to get some trellium. Tucker aims for something bigger, but as they energize transporters, an anomaly passes over it, and the transporter circuits become fused. The asteroid dematerializes, then rematerializes as small pieces, practically phased in to the transporter alcove. Mayweather says that with transporters down, he can land on one of the asteroids in a shuttlepod, even though it is risky. Tucker looks back to the transporter. "This'll be a new one for the maintenance crew," he says, before leaving with Mayweather. Shuttlepod 1 arrives at the Vulcan cruiser, which has taken quite a beating. Main power is off-line, life support is at a minimum, and T'Pol detects bio-signs. Archer tries to contact them, but again gets no response. They dock at the starboard docking port. Reed is the first one on board, followed by Archer, T'Pol and Hawkins. Reed discovers a smattering of a blue compound on a bulkhead, and finds out that it is trellium. T'Pol's scanner picks up some biosigns on their deck, but it can't isolate them. They split into pairs. Reed and Hawkins go starboard. They find Vulcan blood on another bulkhead, next to a computer terminal. Archer and T'Pol hear a knocking, and head towards a jammed door. Picking up a single biosign, T'Pol tries the override to the door's control panel and succeeds. When the door opens, a Vulcan, with a deteriorated and sickly appearance wielding a blunt weapon, nearly striking T'Pol. Archer wrestles him to the ground, where the Vulcan crewman scratches his face. Now standing up, T'Pol shoots him, but he does not fall to the ground. Next she kicks him, before Archer downs him with another shot. T'Pol is leaning against the door, recovering from the shock. As they start moving the Vulcan crewman to the shuttlepod, two more crewmen wielding the same weapons walk towards them. Again, it takes two phase-pistol shots to down them. Archer contacts Reed, who has not run into anyone yet. As soon as they stop talking, Reed and Hawkins are attacked. Hawkins is downed, while Reed keeps firing at the Vulcans heading towards them. Eventually getting up, Hawkins uses his stun baton to defend himself, as Reed himself is attacked. One of the Vulcans puts his weapon around Reed's neck, intent on strangling him, but he is saved by Archer, who shoots the Vulcan down. More Vulcans are converging on their position, so Archer suggests they retreat, as the other Vulcans begin to rise. Hawkins sets his weapon to kill, which T'Pol notices. T'Pol, then Archer, order him to switch back to stun, as there is still a chance the Vulcans could be rescued. The team get back to the docking port, but they are blocked by two Vulcans, who just stand there, staring coldly and almost hatefully at them. Archer tries to talk to them, but they seal the hatch, giving them no access to the shuttlepod. The rear door opens, revealing three Vulcans, one of them being armed a welding tool and firing at point blank range. They are downed by several shots, as even more crewmen approach. The team moves away from the area, up a ladder leading to the next deck. Archer is the last one to go up, and the Vulcans grab him as he climbs. Fighting them off, he gets up the ladder and closes the hatch. The Vulcans on the other side begin banging. Archer tries to contact Enterprise, to no avail. T'Pol believes they can contact Enterprise from the bridge if their com system is intact, but there is one slight problem -- the bridge is seven decks above them. If the whole crew is still alive, there will be 147 Vulcans on board. Malcolm suggests using one of the Vulcan shuttles, but the bay has decompressed. The four bulkheads leading to their own shuttle have been sealed. They decide to press on. As Hawkins is badly injured, they decide to go to the Seleya's sickbay, which is just two decks up. T'Pol tells Archer that she may be succumbing to the same thing that is affecting the Vulcan crew, so Archer tells her he'll get her out of there as soon as possible. Tucker and Mayweather are in Shuttlepod 2, looking for a large asteroid with plenty of trellium near the surface. "There isn't a flat spot much bigger than my quarters," says Mayweather, but Tucker gives him the choice. He takes the opportunity. Hitting a small outcropping and then skidding to a halt, Mayweather asks the chief engineer not to write up that particular landing in his log. "Are you kidding?" he replies. "I'm gonna recommend they give you a medal." They set out. Archer and his team have reached the Seleya's sickbay. They are almost surprised when yet another Vulcan jumps down from above, but Reed has it covered, shooting the man before he hits the floor. As Reed patches up Hawkins' wound, Archer asks about the man lying in the isolation pod. T'Pol is slowly losing her grip on her emotional control. She tells Archer that the man on the biobed is called Solin, and that he is the chief engineer. When T'Pol asks him questions, he doesn't answer, but only struggles to break free from his restraints. She eventually shouts at him, causing her to recoil when Solin again doesn't answer. She knows that she is losing control and believes that it is too late to save her. Archer reassures her, and with a steady hand on her shoulder, calms her down enough to continue. Moving through an access tube, T'Pol struggles to keep moving. When they come out, they find a lot of debris blocking their way. Archer and Reed squeeze through, telling Hawkins to look after T'Pol, while they proceed towards engineering and the two biosigns they have just picked up. Hawkins gives T'Pol some water, before apologizing for his earlier actions. He asks how the crew could have become so violent when they don't have emotions. T'Pol corrects him on a common misconception -- they do have emotions, but they are kept suppressed and under control. She relates Vulcan's past to their present situation. Vulcans used to be extremely violent, and they nearly destroyed themselves. Archer and Reed go through the access tube next to engineering, but as they open the hatch there is no-one there. Archer climbs out, before being promptly attacked by two Vulcans who had hidden themselves at the side. Reed takes one out with his particle rifle, and Archer punches the other one. Calling T'Pol and Hawkins to them, they continue. On one of the asteroids, Tucker and Mayweather have collected a whole box with trellium ore. Mayweather remembers about the "accident" that Tucker and T'Pol had in the lab while trying to synthesize trellium-D. Suddenly, the asteroid shakes as a spatial anomaly strikes. Sato contacts them to tell them that the asteroid has changed course and is headed into a denser area of the field. They look up as they see a particularly large asteroid moving towards them. Tucker and Mayweather board Shuttlepod 2 and Mayweather launches it. The two large asteroids collide, sending small pieces at them. They only have one thruster left, but Mayweather can get them back to Enterprise. Inside the Seleya's engine room, Archer's team find out that the transceiver has been damaged. T'Pol is in a very fragile state, but remains calm for long enough to tell Archer what needs to be done. Reed has encrypted the locking mechanism on the doors but he doesn't know how long it'll hold. In the launch bay, Tucker, Mayweather and an engineering crew are working on repairs to Shuttlepod 2. Tucker is contacted by Sato, who is receiving a transmission from the captain. Archer asks if they can go and pick them up, but it'll be a few hours before Shuttlepod 2 is ready to go again. Archer says he's sending some biodata that he wants Phlox to analyze, before terminating the comm link. Tucker tells his men to get a repair team. On the Seleya, T'Pol has rerouted the bulkhead controls to engineering. Reed has finished realigning the actuator circuits, and as T'Pol puts her hand into an access port, she gets a shock. Angry, she throws the circuits at Reed and Archer. She then accuses them of undermining her work when Archer and Tucker looked over the Xindi starcharts without her. Archer tells her they are all going to get off the ship, safely. Reed suggests causing an overload in the Seleya's power grid that would override all systems, including the bulkhead mechanisms. T'Pol says that with the warp core being unstable, it would probably shut down antimatter containment, causing a reactor breach. Archer says there isn't any other choice. Backing off, T'Pol draws her phase-pistol on Archer, as Hawkins and Reed point their rifles at her. Reed notices, and informs Archer, that T'Pol's phase-pistol is set to kill. T'Pol thinks Archer is trying to get revenge on the Vulcans, who undermined his father's work, among other things. Archer reiterates: they're on a rescue mission. T'Pol doesn't believe him. Archer asks her why would they keep their weapons on stun if they were trying to kill the Vulcans. There is a bang at the door, and as everyone turns, Archer seizes the moment. Disarming T'Pol, he then grabs his own phase-pistol and points it at T'Pol. In Enterprise's sickbay, Phlox and Tucker are analyzing the bioscans. They have found out that trellium is the cause of the Vulcan crew's symptoms. Tucker notes that T'Pol hasn't shown any signs of trellium exposure, but Phlox guesses that it is because she has not been near large quantities of it. Unfortunately for the crew of the Seleya, they had the misfortune of wandering into an asteroid field loaded with the compound. Trellium-D has become a potent neurotoxin to the Vulcan nervous system, and it is stopping them from controlling their emotions. In a corridor, two Vulcans open a panel and pull out an actuator. Archer is talking to Phlox about the condition of the Vulcans. T'Pol can yet be treated but the Seleya's crew is beyond help. T'Pol thinks that Phlox is lying. Suddenly, communication is cut off, and the compartment is being filled with hexafluorine gas. The Vulcan crew is attempting to gain access to engineering as Archer's team is trying to escape. They can't shut off the gas. Reed activates the overload as the team leaves through an access tube above them. As they walk along the corridors, the Vulcan ship begins its slow path to destroying itself. T'Pol tries to escape from Archer's care, but he stops her. Continuing, they find a rather large obstacle -- part of the floor is missing, and the gap is significant. If they miss the jump, they will fall several meters to their certain deaths in space. They find a piece of framework, and throw it over the gap, so they can cross over. Archer asks T'Pol to go over with him but she refuses. As she is about to attack him, Archer stuns her, and lifts her over his shoulder, making his trip a lot more dangerous. He makes it however, as the ship rocks around him. Suddenly, the Vulcan crew appears, and Reed and Hawkins become occupied. Reed sends Hawkins across, but some Vulcans come from the side and almost pull him off. Archer and Hawkins get the bulkhead open slightly, as Reed attempts to cross the gap, firing all the time. He jumps the last part, before getting rid of the framework and sending another Vulcan plunging to his death. Finally back in Shuttlepod 1, Archer's team find that the docking clamps are locked. They have just moments before the ship explodes. Then they are hailed -- it is Shuttlepod 2, which frees them by firing phase cannons at the docking clamps. Both ships then race away from the cruiser as it explodes. Tucker has collected over sixty kilograms of trellium, and it should be enough to cover the forward hull. As Phlox could take a while in finding an inoculation for T'Pol, Archer orders Tucker to put the trellium in a bio-hazard locker in cargo bay 1. In sickbay, T'Pol is recovering. She is informed of the Seleya's destruction and Tucker's efforts getting the trellium. T'Pol wishes to be left on the next habitable planet, but Archer disagrees. It is Tuesday night: movie night. Phlox, with a big bowl of popcorn, is discussing the film with Tucker. They are trying to solve the mystery out loud, much to T'Pol's chagrin. She tells them to use logic more quietly. He gives Phlox the "that's not fair!" look, as the film stops. Archer calls the crew to their stations, for a tactical alert. T'Pol walks down a corridor by herself, rather quickly. She suddenly slows however, when she hears something behind her. She turns, then, ignoring it, turns back as someone walks right past her. She enters the turbolift, and a Seleya crewmember appears next to her, attacking her. She walks out on to the deck, which has an eerie red glow, and is acting like one of the Seleya's corridors. She is grabbed by several Vulcans who push her to the ground. she hears Phlox call "T'Pol!" and wakes up in sickbay, hyperventilating. She looks up and sees yet another Vulcan, before sitting up straight and being held by Phlox. He calms her down and says that she is safe. Her breathing slows, and she lies back down on the biobed, scared by what could happen next. 
<EOS>
In the Xindi Council chamber, Degra and two Xindi-Reptilian soldiers view a hologram of the latest version of the weapon. Degra reports that the weapon prototype is nearly complete and will soon be tested in the Calindra system. However, the Xindi need at least one hundred additional kilograms of kemocite before the weapon can be tested. One of the soldiers says that he will contact Gralik and inform him about the new shipment. He then asks Degra how long until the weapon can be launched should the test be successful. Degra replies, "A matter of weeks." Archer, T'Pol and Reed are in the command center discussing the co-ordinates Tarquin gave them, a planet with seemingly no defenses of any kind. Archer wonders about the energy readings, and surmises they could be from a weapons complex. T'Pol lists the alternatives, including a sensor glitch, but Archer wants to take the chance that he's right. He says that Enterprise NX-01 will stay hidden on the far side of the planet's moon, to keep out of sight. He tells Reed that Major Hayes will be joining them on the mission. Archer is flying the shuttlepod down towards the surface. T'Pol notes that their signal is breaking up; this is because the shuttlepod is on a steep vector, making them look, according to Reed, like a meteor. Having landed and hiked to the complex, Archer looks through his binoculars, and watches three Xindi walking in and out of the building. Hayes wonders if they're Reptilian, but Archer just says that they're "one of the other species we saw in the database". They are, in fact, Arboreals. Archer reports back to T'Pol, saying that there is a lot of energy coming from their location. T'Pol says that Corporal Hawkins is on standby with an assault team, however Archer doesn't want to "send in the troops" just yet. He believes that he, Reed and Hayes can get into the compound undetected and wants to keep communication silence when they're inside; he'll call back at 0400. Using a phase-pistol, Archer makes a hole in the fencing around the compound. When inside, they make their way to one of the control rooms, where Reed discovers several hundred kilos of a radiolytic compound. At that moment they hear voices and hide, as Gralik enters, with two associates. Overhearing the conversation, the three officers find out what the radiolytic compound is: kemocite. Gralik tells his associates that they have to increase production by 60%, to which one of his colleagues opines that "Degra" isn't being realistic. As his associates leave, Gralik notices that one of the canisters from the crate is missing. Spotting it on a nearby table, he holds it in his hands as he looks around, as if suspicious of something. Dismissing it quickly, he replaces the canister, and leaves the room. Archer beams back one of the canisters and asks T'Pol to begin an analysis on it. Meanwhile, Reed and Hayes tell the captain what they think should happen with the compound. Hayes suggests using two spatial charges, but Archer wants to wait until they know where the kemocite is being taken; it may help them locate the weapon. Gralik leaves the compound, obviously tired after a long days work. As he arrives at home he skims over a PADD, then pours himself a drink, as Archer, Reed and Hayes burst in. Sitting at a table, Gralik asks who Archer is, as the latter is looking out the window for signs of Xindi heading his way. Archer tells him to sit down, pointing his phase-pistol at the Arboreal. Reed and Hayes report back saying there's no-one else around. Archer tells them to stand watch outside. After asking for his name, Archer asks Gralik about kemocite. Gralik says it can be used for a number of purposes. Archer then asks about Degra, but Gralik tells him that it's not his concern. Archer tells Gralik that Degra is using his kemocite to make the weapon that will destroy Earth, and he wants to know where it's being built. Gralik doesn't know what he's talking about, but Archer thinks otherwise. Pointing a phase-pistol squarely at Gralik's chest, Archer demands answers. T'Pol's analysis is complete; she and Trip Tucker have found that the isotope used is the same one that the Xindi probe used in the first attack. Tucker also found the quantum imprint on the rifle they "picked up". He wants to take it apart so Archer lets him. Reed congratulates Archer on how much progress they've made; however Archer wants to prevent a war. He says that if they destroy the weapons complex they'll be confirming the Xindi's worst fears about Humanity. Reed reminds him of the seven million people killed, and Archer asks him to get Major Hayes to lay down blast suppressors, so that when the weapons complex is destroyed the settlement isn't. Reed then asks, "What about Gralik?" Archer says he won't let anyone know they were there and will deal with Gralik when the time comes. Archer asks T'Pol and Tucker for the fragment from the Xindi probe, to "prove a point". Gralik wants to go to his study to work, but Hayes keeps him where he is. Archer enters, throwing the fragment across the table to Gralik and asking him to explain it. Gralik doesn't know. Archer thinks he does, telling him about the seven million who are dead. Gralik wants to know why Archer is trying to prove he is a "mass murderer", claiming that the probe fragment is just a "twisted piece of metal". Archer pins him against the wall as Gralik explains that he knows nothing about Earth, Humans or even the probe. Archer takes his hand away from Gralik's shoulder, thinking for the first time that Gralik may be telling the truth. Phlox is called to the armory by Tucker, who says that the Xindi rifle has organic components. He believes that Phlox will know more about it. Tucker opens the casing to reveal two worm-like creatures, which are generating synaptic impulses. He removes one and asks Phlox if it's alive. Phlox tells him that it's definitely organic, placing it in his hand and smelling it. The rifle then makes a sound and the two look at it as another worm takes the place of the one just removed, to which Phlox comments that it also must have reproductive capabilities. Archer is talking with Gralik, who explains that when Degra requested such highly-refined kemocite, he and his workers celebrated, knowing the wealth they would gain from it. But he admits they never considered what it would be used for. Archer learns that Degra is a Primate, and that usually the Primates are fair and truthful; this is why Gralik believed Degra when he said the kemocite would be used for research. Gralik tells Archer that there used to be a sixth species of Xindi, the Avians. They are now extinct. Gralik tells of the war that destroyed his planet. Archer says that they found some debris. The war went on for nearly a hundred years. The species changed sides constantly, and most likely forgot what even started the war. But they all knew what ended it -- the Insectoids and Reptilians detonated massive explosions beneath the eight largest seismic fissures. Gralik says that the Xindi who escaped the planet before its destruction are now scattered across the Expanse, and many of them are peaceful. Hayes interrupts the conversation to tell Archer that the blast suppressors are in place, and that there seems to be an increase in activity around the compound. T'Pol contacts Archer and tells him that a ship is approaching -- one of the ones that attacked them. The Reptilians have arrived. Archer watches as the Xindi shuttle opens, and two Reptilians appear with two Primates -- one of which is Degra. Reed notes that the Reptilians seem "rather upset about something". Phlox is analyzing the weapon on the monitor in sickbay. Phlox is seemly impressed with it, saying it's the "most sophisticated example of biomechanical engineering" he's ever seen. Tucker asks him for the good news. Phlox has been trying to "kill" the worms in the rifles by infecting them with different viruses and pathogens, but they were immune to all of them. He then started using different radioactive spectra, and found that delta radiation could kill them. Tucker explains that he could use portable EM emitters to irradiate an area so that the weapons would become useless as quickly as possible. However Phlox says that it would take a lot of radiation and that it would be extremely hazardous to Humans in the area. He advises against using omicron radiation, showing Tucker a large canister with at least ten worms in it. Back on the planet's surface, Gralik explains that the Xindi are three days early. He says that Archer might not have much time left as they are collecting their final shipment. As he is the primary technician at the facility, he surmises that the Xindi will want to talk to him first. He says that he may be able to obtain some information about the weapon, but Archer thinks it is too dangerous. Gralik says he will take that chance. Archer wonders if Gralik will expose them but Gralik doesn't want another attack to happen on Earth. He says that if he'd chosen his clients more carefully he could have avoided the incident involving the probe's attack. Reed alerts Archer to two Xindi heading toward them; they are some of Gralik's colleagues coming to tell him that the Reptilians and Degra have arrived to receive the kemocite. Archer is hiding inside the house and Gralik keeps quiet. The two Arboreals leave. Gralik says that the next time they come to look for him they'll probably bring armed Reptilians with them. Tucker is about to test the Xindi rifle with T'Pol and Phlox watching. He plans to shoot at four inches of solid duranium, to see how powerful the weapon really is. T'Pol wants to find a more suitable environment to test it but Tucker explains that there's no time. Degra is in the control room inside the compound as a Reptilian walks in, claiming that although they are early the Arboreals should have been finished by then, and calls them "such lethargic creatures". Degra states that the Reptilians could learn something useful from the Arboreals, "patience, for example". The Arboreals enter and tell Degra that no-one can find Gralik, also saying that he sometimes takes walks outside the settlement. They'll organize search teams, but the Reptilian interrupts them saying that they'll look for him themselves. Archer, Reed, Hayes and Gralik are walking through the forest when Reed detects someone moving towards them. Reed can't identify if they're Reptilians or not, but they're very fast. The four of them hide behind trees as two Seekers appear. One of them locates Archer, who abruptly shoots it down. The other appears behind Reed, who fires, missing it. As it flies off it takes a hit, but it disappears into a vortex not unlike the ones that the Reptilian ships use. The Seekers, it turns out, are used for reconnaissance by the Reptilians. They were used to great effect in the Xindi war. Gralik tells them about some caves which should protect them from the Seekers. Tucker is about to test the rifle, and as the force field is in place, he aims and pulls the trigger but nothing happens. He tries again, but with no success. He doesn't understand why it won't fire. As Phlox thinks that it may have a safety device, the rifle begins make noises. Tucker sees little green icons disappearing one by one on it, and surmises it is a countdown. T'Pol's scans show that the power is increasing, but Tucker can't shut it down. Suddenly thinking of an idea, he sprints off with the rifle, knocking over someone on the way. Placing it on the transporter pad, he beams it into space just in time. The rifle explodes harmlessly. Tucker half-jokingly tells T'Pol that yes, they should have found a nice empty asteroid to test it on. T'Pol suggests to Archer that he return with the others to the ship as they may have been detected. Archer says that he'll stay as he has a few loose ends to tie up. Reed can't find any trace of the Reptilians and Gralik explains that the topaline ore in the caves will protect them from scans. Gralik asks Archer on what he plans to do next. Archer tells him that as the people in the colony had nothing to do with the probe's attack it would be wrong to sentence them all to death. He asks Gralik if he is still willing to help them, and he tells Archer to trust him. Archer says that they'll give the Xindi their kemocite, but it won't be "what they ordered". Gralik goes home as Reed and Hayes speak their mind, stating that they didn't think it wise to let Gralik go. Back at the compound, Gralik arrives. His colleagues are surprised to see him. The Reptilians and Degra aren't there so Gralik asks his colleagues to do another refinement test. Archer receives a canister which is identical to the ones found in the crates at the compound. Hoshi and T'Pol have modified the radiolytic signature of it so that they'll be able to track it. As Gralik works, the Reptilian rushes in with Degra and grabs Gralik, demanding to know where he has been. Gralik says that it's personal; however the Reptilian brings up the destroyed Seeker. Gralik says that he was hunting tree scarabs and that the drone was scaring them. Degra asks why Gralik didn't return when he saw the Seeker as he must have known the Xindi were there to collect the shipment, and Gralik reminds them they are two days early. The Reptilian asks why the shipment isn't ready, Gralik says he's running some final tests. He has been running the facility for 42 years and says that he wants every gram of kemocite to be perfectly calibrated. Degra tells him to hurry up. Reed and Hayes look through the binoculars and tell Archer that there are two Xindi loading containers. As they move back toward the compound, Archer goes to the shuttle. Once inside, he replaces one of the canisters of kemocite with the one fabricated on Enterprise. Reed then contacts Archer telling him that three Xindi have just exited the complex. With Archer coming out of the shuttle, Gralik sees him and realizes he has to stall Degra and the Reptilian for time, as the shuttle is out in the open and Archer's escape would be seen easily. Gralik asks Degra what the shipment is being used for, and he confirms Archer's statement -- they've learned that a "ruthless alien species" is going to destroy them if they don't act. As the Xindi ship leaves orbit, Hoshi Sato picks up the tracking signal, and tells Archer. Meanwhile, Archer and Gralik share a toast -- to trust. Archer worries for Gralik; when Degra discovers that some of his kemocite is sabotaged he will come back. Gralik says that he can deal with Degra. As Archer prepares to leave, Gralik tells him to remember that not all Xindi are the enemy. 
<EOS>
Jonathan Archer wakes in his quarters in the midst of battle. He rushes to the bridge, demanding to know what's happening. T'Pol, dressed in a command division Starfleet uniform, orders security to take him back to his quarters. Hoshi interrupts both of them, and everyone stares at the viewscreen as the Xindi weapon emerges from a subspace vortex and fires on Earth. The weapon's powerful energy beam boils the oceans, and the surface begins to splinter. As the bridge crew look on in horror, the molten Earth breaks apart and finally explodes. Archer wakes in a small house and is puzzled to find himself with visible grey hair, cut in a Vulcan-like style. Emerging into the house he finds T'Pol, who now has far longer hair and addresses him by his first name. Archer is puzzled, as T'Pol insists that he sit down for breakfast, promising the full story. She asks him what the last thing he remembers is, and he replies that they were leaving the command center. T'Pol reveals it has been twelve years since then. Twelve years earlier, Archer and T'Pol are discussing the upcoming showing of Rosemary's Baby on movie night. Suddenly the ship rocks as it is hit by anomalies. A powerful one hits and runs through the corridor where Archer and T'Pol are. They try to escape but are caught by the wave, and although they escape serious inury T'Pol is trapped by debris. As another wave is about to hit, Archer tries to free T'Pol despite her urging him to leave. Although he is successful and she escapes, Archer is struck by the full force of the anomaly and is left unconscious. Archer wakes up in sickbay under Phlox's care. Although Archer believes only an hour or so has passed, Phlox reveals he's been there for three days. He explains that the anomaly has infected Archer's hippocampus with interspatial parasites that have left him with anterograde amnesia, preventing him from forming any long-term memories since the incident. Phlox promises to do everything he can to find a cure. As a result of his profound disability, Archer was relieved of his command and replaced by T'Pol, who accepted a field commission as a captain in Starfleet. After the change in command, Enterprise was unable to find the Xindi weapon. When Enterprise drew close to the weapon in 2154, it came under attack by Xindi-Reptilians. Many crewmembers, including Travis Mayweather, died in the assault. The ship also suffered severe damage limiting it to warp 1.7, mainly due to a ramming maneuver T'Pol used to defeat the Reptilians. By the time Enterprise reached the Azati Prime system, the weapon had already been launched. After destroying Earth, the Xindi continued searching the galaxy, determined to hunt down and kill all Humans. Almost all of humanity was ruthlessly wiped out. Archer goes out of the house crying after he hears the bad news. T'Pol explains to Archer that Enterprise, Intrepid, and another two Starfleet starships led a convoy of around 6,000 surviving Humans to Ceti Alpha V. On this remote world, a secret, desolate refugee camp was built to house the remnants of Human society. Enterprise, under the command of Charles Tucker, was stationed in orbit with the remaining Starfleet vessels. Archer retired to the civilian community on the surface. T'Pol, refusing an offer to return to service with the Vulcans, resigned her Starfleet commission and chose to remain at the refugee camp to care for Archer, having felt an intense obligation to care for him since he saved her from the anomaly, an action which resulted in his disability. For over nine years, this last outpost of humanity had survived by remaining hidden from the Xindi. Concluding her story, T'Pol says, "At this point you often wonder if you are the victim of some elaborate deception." Archer admits that the thought did cross his mind. T'Pol makes certain Archer believes her by reminding him about Margaret Mullin, a woman he once asked to marry him. Archer asks how T'Pol could know so intimate a detail, and she explains that their relationship has "evolved." Shortly after T'Pol explains all this, Phlox arrives from Denobula, also looking a little older. He is ready to try out a revolutionary new treatment for Archer's condition, which he has been developing for nearly a decade. Many of Phlox's colleagues in the medical community were convinced that nothing short of a subspace implosion would destroy the parasites. Phlox persevered and developed an alternative but energy-intensive treatment which can target and destroy the parasites without any harm to Archer. With T'Pol, they return to Enterprise, where the warp core will provide the energy necessary for the treatment. Archer receives a hero's welcome aboard his old ship. After the first phase of treatment, Phlox and T'Pol examine records of Archer's brain scans from twelve years ago and realize that the parasites they have eliminated in the present have apparently disappeared from the past as well. If Phlox were to successfully complete the treatment and eliminate all the parasites, then it would be as if the parasites had never existed. This would effectively change history, and Archer would never have suffered from memory loss. Perhaps with Archer in command, Enterprise would have stopped the Xindi weapon, Earth would not have been destroyed, and humanity would not have been nearly wiped out. Unfortunately, Archer's treatment is cut short when Enterprise detects Yerdrin Lek, a Yridian spy, near Ceti Alpha. Lek tips Tucker off to the fact that the Xindi have found the last outpost and are on their way to finally annihilate the last of the surviving Humans. With Enterprise's power needed for battle, T'Pol and Phlox cannot complete Archer's treatment. Hoshi reports to Captain Tucker that six Xindi ships are entering the system. The battle begins. At first Enterprise and the other Earth vessels manage to ambush and disable two enemy ships, but ultimately humanity's last stand does not go well -- the Intrepid loses its port nacelle and is forced to withdraw, and Enterprise's bridge is destroyed, literally torn from the rest of the ship, presumably killing the bridge officers. As Xindi-Reptilian soldiers board the now-adrift starship and start gunning down the crew, Archer recalls that Phlox said a subspace implosion would destroy the parasites. Desperate and with nothing to lose, Archer, T'Pol, and Phlox feverishly work at the warp core to trigger an implosion. With Xindi soldiers firing around them, Phlox and T'Pol are killed. Archer is also shot, but with his last breath, he manages to push the final lever which initiates the subspace implosion, destroying the parasites in his brain and Enterprise with them. In 2153 of the new timeline, Archer wakes up in sickbay after saving T'Pol from the spatial anomaly. Although Archer suffered a concussion, Phlox expects a full recovery. 
<EOS>
A group of men on horseback take another man and lynch him. They refer to the hanged man as a "Skag". They shoot their guns in the air and ride off. While searching for the Xindi in the Delphic Expanse in 2153, Enterprise NX-01 discovers a planet inexplicably inhabited by Humans in a setting that resembles the late-nineteenth-century American West. Wearing period dress, members of the Enterprise crew visit the planet surface and learn that the Humans are descended from Americans abducted from Earth in approximately the 1860s by a species called the Skagarans who, after bringing them to this planet, used them as slave labor. T'Pol, Tucker, and Archer scout out the town to find useful information. Reed, back on Enterprise, informs the captain that there is a smaller town filled with aliens only ten kilometers away. Archer tells T'Pol and Tucker to go to the town and find out what they can, while he heads off to a local bar. Tucker and T'Pol go off to find the town, but Tucker thinks getting a horse first will speed up the journey. Tucker finds a horse dealer and offers him his gun as security, along with his harmonica for the use of a horse for a few hours. T'Pol asks Tucker about his experience handling the creature and Tucker says he has seen every John Ford western. While at the bar, Archer finds out that a man called Cooper Smith was the man who liberated the Humans from the Skagaran. He meets the deputy sheriff Bennings and stops him from harassing a Skag, who also was his waiter. When the sheriff comes in to see what the trouble was, the deputy informs him that Archer butted into a conversation he was having with the waiter. The sheriff asks what Archer's business is in town, and tells him it is too hot for coffee, a drink he got free from the bar. Archer says he is passing through on his way down south, to meet his brother who was herding bluehorn. Once Archer leaves the bar, the sheriff tells his deputy to "keep an eye" on Archer. Archer goes to the house of a teacher who he saw earlier in the day, standing next to a dead Skag in a coffin. After a short conversation with the teacher, asking him why he barged into her home, he says he would like to know more about the Skagarans. She replies that everyone knows about the Skagarans. Archer says in response that up north quite a ways, where he lives, there are none. He goes on to say that his actions in the bar were because he doesn't think that the Skagaran life is any less valuable than his. The teacher asks Archer if he would like to meet more of them and, when Archer nods his head in agreement, they go off in a carriage to Skag town. On the way the deputy and some men come out of an alley way and watch the pair leave. When the teacher and Archer arrive at the place, the teacher has to inform some Skagarans that Archer is all right. While Archer walks through some metal archways he spots T'Pol and Tucker. He calls the teacher, Bethany, over and says these are the friends from up north he was telling her about. Bethany goes back over to a fire pit and lets Captain Archer talk to his friends. T'Pol shows him some data logs retrieved from the wreckage of what was apparently the spacecraft that had brought the Humans to the Delphic Expanse. Archer tells Tucker and T'Pol to go back to Enterprise and find out what they can. T'Pol asks what Archer is going to do. He tells her that he doesn't want to miss his first day of school. Bethany starts to teach six Skagaran children, among them Yral and Kret, multiplication tables. She says next week they will start long division. The deputy, Bennings, and some men, Nash and Franklin, then come out from the shadows to arrest Bethany. She tells the kids to run home. From these logs and the short lessons from Bethany, Archer and his officers learn that shortly after the Humans' arrival, they had revolted against their Skagaran oppressors, overthrown them, and thereafter subjugated them as a means of preventing them from regaining control. As a further means of keeping the Skagarans -- or "Skags," as they were disparagingly called and referred to -- subjugated, the liberated Humans had made it illegal to teach successive generations of the aliens to read, write, or calculate. When Archer's involvement indirectly led to Bethany's being discovered doing so, she was given a minimum ten-year prison sentence and incarcerated. Feeling responsible, Archer helps her escape from jail, but during the effort she is shot and seriously wounded by Bennings. With Bethany incapacitated and facing the deputy's gun himself, Archer is forced to beam himself and Bethany up to the ship in full sight of the locals, some of whom became convinced that Archer, although evidently Human, is a Skagaran sympathizer. On board the ship, Dr. Phlox treats Bethany's injuries. Archer asks him if she is going to make it. Phlox says he believes so, there are a few things about her physiology he does not understand. Archer wonders what Phlox means. Phlox says he thought Archer was familiar with Bethany's ancestry, he says that Bethany is one-quarter Skagaran. Archer goes off to talk with his senior staff. Meanwhile on the planet, Bennings has a debate with the sheriff about his handling of the Skags. Bennings hands in his badge and walks out the door. On Enterprise, the Skagaran logs have been translated, which confirm Bethany's story, and the crew finds out the Humans were abducted from America's rocky desert regions because they were best adapted to the new planet's identical environment. Archer decides that the planet's inhabitants deserve to know that Earth has not abandoned them and decides to make themselves known. After the meeting with the senior staff Archer leads T'Pol and a security team to the planet in a shuttlepod, wearing their twenty-second century uniforms. Archer explains to the sheriff, MacReady, that he is from Earth, which MacReady had come to believe was a mythical place, and that Humans have evolved past bigotry and the subjugation of other sentient species. Archer informs the sheriff that unfortunately the Enterprise isn't equipped to take the entire colony of 6,000 Humans to Earth and promises to send help once their Xindi mission is completed. Archer also informs the sheriff that Humans have grown to be more tolerant of other cultures and says their band of Humans will have to grow before they can live normal lives on Earth. Archer and the sheriff leave the building and go to the shuttlepod. Once there Archer introduces MacReady to his first officer T'Pol. As Archer says that they were going to take MacReady up to Enterprise former deputy Bennings shoots MacReady. Both sides prepare for a shootout. Archer, T'Pol, Reed, and a security force engage Bennings and his men in a shootout. Close to the end of the shootout, T'Pol is captured by one of Bennings' men. Bennings' man tells Reed that he will kill her if Reed does not put his gun down. Reed proceeds to stun T'Pol with his phase-pistol and then turns to T'Pol's captor and shoots him, too. While this is going on, Archer engages in a hand-to-hand fight with Bennings, ultimately subduing him, despite having temporarily lost the use of one arm due to his injury. The shuttlepod departs the planet and returns to Enterprise. Once on Enterprise, Archer talks to Bethany, reassuring her that the Humans on the planet will be able to change before ships come to rescue them. Once Bethany returns to the surface, Enterprise leaves orbit, leaving behind a more enlightened community and apparently some historical materials, as Bethany openly teaches a classroom of students, Skagarans, Humans, and Sheriff MacReady about the Wright brothers' first powered flight, which had taken place forty years after her Human ancestors had left Earth. 
<EOS>
At a funeral ceremony, Captain Jonathan Archer is eulogizing a dead crewman who appears to be Charles Tucker III. In a flashback to events that began two weeks earlier, Tucker wants to do some tests to see about compressing the antimatter stream in the warp core in order to get the engine running more smoothly to achieve greater speed. Unfortunately, only seconds after the experiments have begun, a primary injector flare forces Tucker to do a manual shutdown. While on the top of the warp core, he is injured by a nearby explosion and falls. In sickbay, Phlox informs Captain Archer that Tucker has slipped into a coma due to extensive neural damage. He proposes to use a Lyssarian Desert Larvae to make a clone of Commander Tucker and harvest neural tissues from it. Because of highly sensitive ethical implications, Archer does not make a decision right away. T'Pol informs Archer that particles from the field they are inside are building on the ship's hull. The highly magnetic properties of the particles could become a problem if they are not able to clear the field in time. Archer agrees to allow the cloning procedure, sacrificing the ethical implications for the sake of the mission's objective, and perhaps the life of his friend. The clone quickly grows from an infant to a child and eventually begins to ask questions about its existence. At a very young age, the boy demonstrates that he has the memories of Tucker at the same age, including his family. The captain finally tells him the truth. As the clone, named Sim, ages, the repairs to the warp drive go slowly. Because the particles building on the hull have a dampening field effect, at the rate the crew has been proceeding, every system on the ship will fail before the repairs are complete. When Sim becomes an adult, just days later, he helps with the repairs. He comes up with a solution to the particles problem, which although risky, appears to be the only viable option. It involves having two shuttle pods tow the ship to create enough acceleration so it can float free of the particle field. Sim wants to pilot one of the pods since it is his plan, but the Captain assigns Reed and Mayweather instead. The plan succeeds. It is around this time that he confesses the feelings for T'Pol he has inside him, wondering if they're his or Tucker's. Later, Phlox informs the captain that according to his predictions, and contrary to his earlier views, Sim won't survive the transplant because human DNA is not as resilient. What would only seem a couple of days for everyone else would seem half a lifetime for Sim And he begins to question why his life is not seen as as valuable as Trip's. The doctor tells Archer about an enzyme he discovered about that could slow down the aging process, but after hearing an extensive report from T'Pol, Archer says that the odds are too thin and that he is not willing to jeopardize the mission. Meanwhile, Sim still questions why he is expected to give his own life to save Tucker's. He plans and begins an escape, but at the last minute he aborts it. When the captain meets him in the launch bay, Sim says that what stopped him was the thought of his sister, insisting on the fact that she was his sister as well as Trip's, and that he doesn't want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. Just before the surgery, T'Pol comes to Sim's quarters to say her goodbyes, giving him a kiss, something she had never done with Tucker. Sim returned the gesture, showing that he meant something to her, more than just being a clone to save Trip's life. Sim goes to Sick Bay, where Phlox and Archer are waiting. Sim tells Phlox he doesn't just remember Trip's childhood, he remembers his own, and Phlox was a "damn good father." Phlox says Sim was a damn good son. Sim then tells Archer that just as Archer was meant to be a starship captain, he realizes saving Trip's life is what he was meant to do. In his final preparations, he stands near the comatose Trip and says, "You owe me one." At the funeral ceremony, the dead crewman seen earlier is revealed to be Sim. The crew, including a recovered Trip, pay their last respects as Sim is placed in a torpedo tube and fired out into space. 
<EOS>
A man from the early 21st century receives a phone call from a Xindi-Reptilian. From what they discuss, it appears that the man probably does not know to whom he is talking and that his motivation is money. Later, the man abducts a prostitute and brings her into a room with other sedated people who he apparently kidnapped earlier. Loomis works at a blood bank and has been selecting people who are examples of different blood types. On Enterprise NX-01, Daniels, the Temporal Agent, contacts Captain Archer at night in the ship's galley. He tells Archer that there is no record in the 31st century of a conflict between Humans and Xindi, so everything that is happening is the result of temporal incursions. That's the same thing the Suliban controller from the future had told Archer and Daniels says there's no reason to disbelieve it. Daniels has come to ask Archer for his help -- three Xindi Reptilians from Archer's century have been detected on 21st century Earth. Daniels gives Archer a communicator and "temporal tags" he can use to mark anything from their time for Daniels to bring back. He is allowed to bring one person with him, and he chooses T'Pol, who is still skeptical that time travel is possible. Archer tells Trip Tucker where they're going and leaves him in charge of Enterprise. The captain and T'Pol are then transported to Detroit, Michigan back in 2004. They then "borrow" a Dodge Ram truck and begin searching to find the Xindi hideout. They soon find it in an abandoned factory on Carpenter Street and witness Loomis, the abductor, bringing another specimen. They detect three Xindi biosigns inside, as well as the five sedated Humans. Archer tells T'Pol to set her phase-pistol on kill since stun hasn't seemed to affect the Reptilians much. Inside the facility, the Xindi asks Loomis to bring specimens for the last two blood types by the next day. Loomis wants to wait because there are news reports about people going missing and he is worried about being caught since they can all be connected to the blood bank where he works. The Xindi offers him a double reward, and he agrees. Archer and T'Pol then follow Loomis to his apartment and eventually get him to talk. He says the man he brings people to said he was a doctor working on a vaccine who said he wasn't going to hurt anyone. The "doctor" wanted eight people, one of each blood type. He always stays in the shadows. Archer says he matches one of the last two profiles, a healthy male with B-negative blood, and he will be the next "abduction", to be able to get inside the building undetected. On the way, they stop at a drive in and Loomis and Archer get hamburgers while T'Pol looks on in disgust. After being brought in, Loomis puts Archer on a bed and hooks up an IV. He tells him the doctor comes by every hour for blood samples and readministers the sedative every six hours. Loomis leaves with T'Pol. She fires her "raygun" into the car door to prove it is real. Loomis is worried that the doctor will come after him if Archer is caught. He lights a cigarette and she tells him to put it out. He complains about not getting paid. At the factory, the Xindi walk through the room taking blood samples, including Archer's. He pretends to be asleep. After they leave, Archer explores and, from what he sees, suspects the Xindi are building some kind of bio-weapon, a viral agent. T'Pol contacts him on the communicator and they discuss the situation. Archer guesses they went to the past to hide from someone. He thought about trying to destroy their equipment, but is afraid of releasing the bio-weapon. T'Pol says they must have some kind of temporal beacon -- if he can destroy that, it would prevent the Xindi from bringing back what they have collected so far. He modifies his scanner to locate the beacon, then destroys it and shoots one Xindi before being forced to withdraw. The other two take the virus and run. Archer pursues to prevent the two remaining Xindi from releasing the toxin in the present period. He gives T'Pol their location in the west alley and she tells Loomis to drive there. When they arrive, Loomis beeps the horn to warn his associates, then tries to stab T'Pol with a switchblade knife. As they struggle inside the car, T'Pol manages to shoot the second Xindi and Archer pursues the third. T'Pol switches her phaser back to stun and shoots Loomis, then joins Archer in the pursuit. The Xindi finds a ventilation fan and prepares to release the toxin. Archer and T'Pol engage him in a firefight, then T'Pol shoots as Archer sneaks up on the Xindi from the other side. The Xindi says they will not allow Humans to destroy them. Archer and T'Pol bring the three Xindi and their equipment back to the 22nd century using the temporal tags given to them by Daniels and store most of it in Cargo Bay 2 as Tucker looks on. Archer keeps one virus sample for Phlox to examine. Back in 2004, Loomis is arrested by police officers from the Detroit Police Department for abducting the six people. He starts babbling about lizard people and ray guns and they assume he is on drugs. 
<EOS>
In November 2153, Enterprise NX-01 comes to the aid of a Triannon vessel that has been disabled by spatial anomalies in the vicinity of a Delphic Expanse sphere. The Triannons are a group of religious pilgrims led by Pri'Nam D'Jamat that venerate the spheres and their "Makers". They believe that the Delphic Expanse is the "Chosen Realm" of the "Makers", and that the anomalies are reshaping it into a paradise for the faithful. D'Jamat seizes control of the starship when he reveals that organic explosives are implanted in the bodies of all of his followers. After he instructs one to detonate, blowing a hole in the Enterprise's hull and killing a crewman, he threatens Archer with the destruction of the warp core if Archer does not hand over control. D'Jamat plans to take Enterprise back to Triannon and end a religious war that has consumed his people for a century by using the firepower of Enterprise to destroy their enemies, the "heretics". D'Jamat also wipes out the ship's database deleting 19.3 XB of information on the spheres and demands they select a crewmember to die for the act of desecrating them. Captain Archer chooses himself; impressed by this sacrifice, D'Jamat grants his request for the quick, painless death offered by the use of a special disintegration device, and the Triannons are tricked into thinking Archer was killed, when in reality he was simply transported to another part of the ship. Beamed to a secluded part of the ship, Archer begins fighting back against the Triannons; he assists Phlox in developing an airborne agent to nullify the organic explosives. Archer and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed free the MACOs and take back the ship, partially with the help of the Triannon couple Indava and Yarrick who no longer believe what D'Jamat preaches. Before Archer can seize the ship, however, D'Jamat destroys two of the four ships in a convoy of the enemy sect. Archer and T'Pol return D'Jamat and several others to Triannon, where Archer reveals that the war is already over. They stand looking out over the charred remains of a city. Archer explained that the conflict decimated their planet eight months before. There were millions of deaths on both sides and no major cities left. Archer notes that D'Jamat thought his faith was going to bring peace through violence, but in reality that mindset resulted in a different kind of peace: the mutual destruction of both sides. 
<EOS>
Enterprise is hot on the trail of the Xindi primary weapon, and the ship must traverse an exceptionally intense anomaly field. When the anomalies become too erratic, the ship is nearly destroyed; at the last moment, an unidentified ship locks on with a tractor beam and pulls Enterprise to safety. When Captain Archer contacts the ship to express his gratitude, he is flabbergasted and speechless to see Commander Shran looking back at him on the viewscreen. Shran comes aboard the ship and explains that he brought his ship, the Kumari, into the Delphic Expanse to help stop the Xindi from destroying Earth. Shran phrases his speech so that it seems that the Andorians are using the occasion to show moral superiority to the Vulcans, who have not assisted their allies on Earth despite possessing the resources to do so. After a moment of hesitation, Archer accepts Shran's offer of assistance. Andorian engineers and maintenance crews come aboard. Shran himself brings Archer some Andorian ale and alludes to future cooperation between Humans and Andorians. Shran's tactical officer, Lieutenant Talas, is visibly annoyed by her assignment to help Lt. Reed repair the weapons systems. Trip Tucker later convinces Shran to share an advanced antimatter injector after they discuss the death of his sister, Elizabeth, in the attack. Meanwhile, Degra contacts the Xindi Council and informs them that while the primary weapon is not ready, he is testing the second prototype in the Calindra system and will broadcast the test back to the Council. Enterprise and Kumari arrive just outside the Calindra system and the Andorians are able to obtain limited sensor data. During a brainstorming session, it is decided that since the Andorians are unknown to the Xindi, the Kumari will travel into the system and take scans during the test, then fly back out. Archer and T'Pol join Shran on the bridge of his ship for this venture, which leads to a humorous moment when Shran claims he is with the "Andorian Mining Consortium" and searching for a valuable mineral called "Archerite." Degra is not amused and orders the Kumari to stop scanning the weapon and leave the system or else be fired upon. With detailed scans in hand, the Kumari returns to Enterprise and the crew focuses on repairs to the ship. T'Pol deduces that this test weapon is not large enough to destroy an entire planet, and Archer concludes that this is a proving ground, not unlike Bikini Atoll. The crew of Enterprise is able to watch the Xindi test via a relay from the Kumari's more advanced sensors. The crew members are horrified to see a moon split in half by the weapon; however, it is later found that this was a failure. The Xindi Council is furious with Degra for this setback, but Archer is gratified that Gralik has kept his promise to sabotage their weapon. Back on Enterprise, Archer muses aloud that he wishes they could capture this prototype and study it, but T'Pol does not believe the weapon can be brought aboard due to lethal radiation it is emitting. At this point, Shran offers to steal the weapon and store it in the Kumari's better shielded cargo bay until it is safe to transfer it to Enterprise. Archer is immediately suspicious of Shran's motivations for this uncharacteristically altruistic offer, which leads to a confrontation. Archer accepts Shran's offer, but only on the condition that he be allowed to command the Kumari during the retrieval. Shran grudgingly agrees. Talas and Reed have come to an understanding and are working together quite nicely, even getting phase cannon efficiency up to 94%. Reed mentions that Talas' talents would be appreciated in Starfleet, and Talas retorts that Reed should consider joining the Imperial Guard if he ever tires of exploring. Shran has an ominous conversation with an Andorian general, during which he questions his mission and asks if it is worth making enemies of the Humans. Meanwhile, Reed catches Talas working on the sensor array without reason, but pretends to believe her flimsy excuse. Enterprise enters the system first, and Degra orders all the defending ships to attack; while those ships are distracted, Kumari enters the system from the opposite side and tractors the prototype into its cargo bay. Before Degra realizes that the Andorians are assisting the Humans, the weapon has been captured and both ships exit the system, without any damage. After the surprisingly successful raid, Archer orders the Kumari to rendezvous with Enterprise. At this point, the Andorians end their charade of cooperation and reveal that their real intention was to steal the Xindi test weapon for themselves. Archer is angry, but Shran tries to defend his actions. First, Shran emphasizes that his loyalty is with the Imperial Guard, and not with the "pink skins." Shran reveals that the Imperial Guard wants to keep the Xindi weapon for themselves, as a weapon to potentially be used against the Vulcans. Archer states that Enterprise will fight for the weapon, but Shran counters that Talas has secretly sabotaged their sensor array and that Enterprise would not be able to find them. Furious that the Andorians would endanger Earth over a border dispute with the Vulcans, Archer punches Shran in the jaw, drawing blue blood from his lip. Shran orders Archer dropped off in an Andorian escape pod equipped with a navigation beacon so Enterprise will know where to find him. The Andorians begin making detailed scans of the weapon. When Shran informs his superiors of the mission's success, he is visibly upset. When Enterprise arrives to pick up Archer, it is revealed that Lt. Reed had been closely watching Talas and her sabotage attempt was unsuccessful. Enterprise catches up with the Kumari at an anomaly field, and Archer reveals that T'Pol has decrypted the weapon's arming protocols; Archer threatens to detonate the weapon while it is in Shran's cargo bay, but Shran believes he is bluffing. Shran asks Archer why he would do this, and Archer counters that he can not take the risk that the Andorians would use the weapon against the Vulcans. Shran questions Archer's loyalty to the Vulcans, and Archer senses that there is no compromise to be had. With no other options, Archer orders the weapon armed, and it begins to overload while still on board. Shran orders the weapon jettisoned, and it explodes in space. Enterprise is far enough away to avoid damage, but the Kumari is heavily damaged. Archer offers help, but Shran graciously refuses. When the ships part ways, the Andorian vessel is limping away on auxiliary power. Just before it leaves sensor range, someone aboard Kumari sends a covert transmission to Enterprise, consisting of the detailed scans of the Xindi weapon. Archer orders the scans sent to Starfleet, and offers to share some Andorian ale with Tucker and T'Pol. 
<EOS>
Captain Archer, disheveled, long-haired, and not in his normal uniform, is on board an unusual shuttle with a grey-haired Xindi-Primate, who is unconscious on the floor. As the Xindi wakes up, the shuttle rocks, and Archer tells him that the ship is being attacked by Xindi ships. Startled and disoriented, the Xindi looks out a portal, and sees two Xindi-Insectoid patrol ships firing at them. He demands that Archer let him communicate with the attacking ships, because they will listen to him. After raising the shields and eluding the attacking ships by dumping warp plasma into their intake manifolds, the Xindi demands to be told what is going on -- he can't remember anything. Archer tells him his name is Degra, and that, by working together, they've just escaped a Xindi prison camp where they've been held in the same cell for over three years. Degra isn't convinced, and he demands some proof. Archer rolls up his sleeve, and reveals Xindi prison script on both of their forearms. Degra still isn't convinced that a Xindi and a Human could have put aside their differences and become friends so easily. Archer explains about how they used to try and kill each other, but then decided there was no point -- both of their species had lost the conflict. Degra is told that the Xindi weapon had been launched against Earth, with the desired effect -- Earth had been destroyed. However, since then the old Xindi rivalries had re-emerged, with the Xindi-Insectoids coming out victorious after having stockpiled weapons and ships during the building of the weapon. Many colonies of other species of Xindi had already been wiped out. During the discussion, Degra mentions his family, staying in a colony near a red giant. Archer asks the coordinates but Degra dismisses it as too risky, since they are being followed. Just then, a section of the shuttle's hull is ruptured, and coolant gas is expelled into the cockpit. Degra and Archer work together to fix the leak before settling down for the night. After a few hours of sleep, Archer gets up and uses a hypospray on Degra, then opens the shuttle door. As Archer steps out of the shuttle, it is revealed that the shuttle is in fact some type of simulator, and they are actually inside the Enterprise. Archer, Trip Tucker, T'Pol, and Hoshi Sato discuss the tricking of Degra. The red giant mentioned by him could be a red herring and would not necessarily mean that it would be the construction site of the weapon; however Archer insisted that his family would certainly live in close proximity to where Degra worked. Another problem is that there were seven red giants in that vicinity. Archer dismisses T'Pol's advice to ask Degra directly and tells them he needs more time with him. Three days earlier, the crew of the Enterprise had returned to the weapon test site and incapacitated a Xindi-Primate ship. After boarding, they found only three Xindi, and that any useful data had already been deleted. They took the three Xindi and searched the ship for anything useful. Archer tried to convince the lead Xindi, known as Degra, to tell him where the weapon was being made. After failing, he decided to try to trick him into telling him. Doctor Phlox told the captain that he can selectively wipe their short-term memories. With this information, Archer decided to create a simulation of a shuttle, and use Degra's wiped memory as an advantage. Captain Archer was implanted with a MACO subdermal transceiver so he could covertly communicate with the Enterprise crew. T'Pol also helped Archer work out the details of the backstory. Phlox created tattoos on Degra's arm as prison markings and injects him with a (harmless) Regulan bloodworm, which Archer tells Degra are a means of interrogation and are the explanation for his memory loss. Back inside the shuttle, Degra is woken again by a sudden jolt. The captain tells him that they're entering a region with high concentrations of spatial anomalies. Apparently the ship's hull was not lined with trellium-D. Archer convinces Degra to send out a distress message to his colleagues, hoping that it won't be intercepted by a Xindi-Insectoid ship. In the command center, Sato and T'Pol are working to gain any information from Degra and the garbled data they recovered from the Xindi ship. Sato intercepts Degra's "transmission", and begins to formulate a reply. T'Pol is told by Lieutenant Reed that another Xindi ship is approaching the system, about six hours away. Sato reminds T'Pol that Xindi sensors are more advanced than those of the Enterprise, and that they would probably notice them a long time before they arrived in the sector. With that, T'Pol orders the Enterprise back into the debris field of the test moon. Archer and Degra are sharing a bottle of Andorian ale when their message alert sounds. It is a response to their call for help. After clearing it up, the voice claims to be Thalen, one of Degra's colleagues. Sato is using a voice synthesizer of some sort, presumably after having sampled the voice of one of the Xindi prisoners in the brig. "He", tells Degra that "he" is safe on Azati Prime, to which Degra responds by asking if his wife Naara and his daughters are "still there". Degra is convinced to enter the coordinates of the system, and does so, being intercepted by Hoshi. Just then, the Enterprise experiences ship-wide power fluctuations from the debris field that affect the shuttle enough for Degra to notice the windows aren't windows, but computer screens. After asking Archer some questions to validate his story, Degra lunges forward and attacks him with a knife. The Enterprise crew bursts into the shuttle just in time, and take Degra back into custody. The crew discovers that the coordinates that Degra input lead to a red giant that will take three-weeks to reach, which could be a critical waste of time if Degra was lying and the weapon isn't located there. Archer puts another plan into action, involving the entire ship this time. Reed bursts into the ship's brig, and demands that two of the Xindi, including Degra, follow him. The ship is being rocked and jolted as they race to engineering, where Archer explains that they've adapted the Xindi technology from their ship to open one of the Xindi's subspace vortices. After Travis Mayweather inverts the warp field and brings them back into normal space, Degra is led with Archer up to the bridge. Once on the bridge, Archer shows Degra a red giant on the main viewscreen. The other officers on the bridge confirm Xindi ships in the sector, along with high levels of kemocite. This is enough evidence for Degra to shout out: Archer slowly turns round to Degra, and reveals that it has been another hoax, and the viewscreen reverts to show the test site. A stunned Degra is led back to the infirmary. "Thanks for your help," Archer says. After wiping all three Xindi's memories, returning them to their ship, and faking a plasma leak to explain their loss of consciousness, the Enterprise leaves the test site for Azati Prime, on what Archer hopes to be the final leg in their search for the Xindi weapon. 
<EOS>
Commander Tucker is in his quarters, practicing Vulcan neuro-pressure on Corporal Amanda Cole's foot rather than his usual partner, T'Pol. After completing a few other pressure points, Cole turns round, and stares at Tucker. She kisses him, and then walks out, leaving him looking surprised, but happy. Captain Archer calls Lieutenant Reed to his ready room to discuss training sessions with the MACOs. Major Hayes has already discussed including the senior officers in the training sessions, but Reed has some objections to taking orders from the major. However, he reluctantly accepts his orders. On the bridge, Ensign Mayweather comments that the stars directly ahead appear to be shifting positions. The Enterprise proceeds to investigate the phenomenon. They arrive to find that it is a convergence of a large number of spatial anomalies. Ensign Sato picks up a weak transmission coming from within the disturbance. T'Pol identifies its source as a small pod containing one humanoid life sign. Archer instructs Reed to deploy the grappler, and they attempt to remove the pod. Upon trying to pull the pod out, the disturbance suddenly expands and envelops the primary hull. Small spatial disturbances begin forming on the bridge, disrupting a few systems, and ammonium sulfide starts accumulating in the atmosphere. The captain orders full reverse from the engineering crew, and the Enterprise manages to escape, along with the pod. Dr. Phlox asks T'Pol to join him in sickbay to discuss Corporal Cole. She has been to see the doctor because of headaches, which Phlox associates with the neuro-pressure sessions she'd been receiving from Commander Tucker. Phlox recommends that T'Pol should try to remedy the situation by conducting further sessions with the corporal, and that Tucker should be discouraged from continuing with her. Meanwhile, Reed and Hayes argue over the timing of the training sessions, much to the major's exasperation. Reed is unhappy about the major going over his head with his recommendation to the captain. In the launch bay, Archer, Reed and Tucker open the pod, and discover a humanoid inside, alive, with many electrodes connecting him to the pod. They take him to sickbay, where Phlox tries to revive the alien. In the command center, T'Pol has been working on the readings from the disturbance, and has gathered some interesting data. She has deduced that the disturbance is located exactly in the center of five spheres. Archer hypothesizes that the spheres are the cause of the disturbance. In one of the cargo bays, Major Hayes has set up a session of hand-to-hand combat, and the MACOs and the senior officers are paired up against each other. Cole immediately pairs with Tucker. Both groups appear to be equally matched, much to Reed's relief. The session goes well, until one of the MACOs goes over the top with Mayweather. Mayweather seems to not be too badly hurt, but Reed stops the session, and demands that the major keeps control of his soldiers. Hayes disagrees there is an issue, and the animosity between them continues. T'Pol and Tucker discover evidence that the pod is associated with the makers of the spheres. T'Pol shares this information with the captain, who speculates that the alien is a "canary in a coal mine," intentionally placed in the disturbance to monitor its effects. The captain wants the doctor to revive the alien, but Phlox states that's unethical. Archer says they're going to have to bend a few ethics. In T'Pol's quarters, she is conducting a neuro-pressure session with Cole. They discuss Cole's apparent attraction to Tucker, which she admits to, much to the surprise of T'Pol. The doctor confirms to Archer that the alien is dying, but not just dying -- he is disintegrating. There isn't much that Phlox can do to stop the alien's demise. Hayes sets up a weapon targeting session as part of his new training regime. Reed doesn't score very high in his first attempt, much to his disappointment, and he isn't consoled by the major's comments. The major then scores considerably higher -- on a higher level -- and states that the record for this training exercise is held by Cole. Afterward, in the crew's mess, Tucker engages Reed in discussion concerning the training sessions. Reed doesn't wish to discuss Major Hayes, but is more interested in the rumors of a relationship between Cole and Tucker. Tucker is equally not keen to follow this line of conversation. The alien's condition continues to deteriorate, and he continues to demand to be returned to the disturbance site. However, Archer is adamant that he needs more answers about why he was there. Finally the alien reveals that he is from a trans-dimensional realm. He demands to be returned to his pod, even though he knows he will die. Tucker goes to see T'Pol for his neuro-pressure session, and discusses his situation with Cole with her. T'Pol learns that Tucker is attracted to her, and quickly kisses him before taking off her clothes and kissing him again. In sickbay, the Doctor talks to the steadily sickening alien about Denobula and Earth. As the Doctor turns away to consult a medical screen, the alien attacks him, knocking him unconscious and discovering that he can pass through solid material as his arm passes through Phlox's neck. After briefly examining his hand in surprise and testing this new-found ability on the sick-bay wall he then precedes to walk through the sickbay wall. The alien's passage through the ship causes ship-wide power failures that T'Pol notes are a way to track his progress. Meanwhile, Reed and Hayes' conflict has escalated, and they are in the middle of a big fight, which began as "sparring" but has escalated; clearly, this is personal. Both men trade having the upper hand, but what is now nothing short of a brawl is broken up when they are called to duty to attempt to track down the alien. They intercept him, but their weapons' fire passes right through the alien; they have no effect. In engineering, Tucker encounters the alien, but is knocked unconscious seconds before the MACOs and Reed arrive. The alien then pushes his hand into the warp core, destabilizing the magnetic seals. With Hayes' help, Reed is able to reverse the polarity of the field coils, and this repels the alien. The next day, Tucker and T'Pol discuss their intimacies over coffee and tea in the crew's mess. T'Pol thanks Tucker for his assistance of her "exploration of Human sexuality". They both agree to keep their dalliance between themselves, in fact Tucker, feeling uncomfortable with T'Pol's logical approach to the matter, suggests they "forget it ever happened", but, as an afterthought, suggests that they need not discontinue their Vulcan neuro-pressure sessions together. Hayes and Reed are called to the captain's ready room for a dressing down because of the wounds they inflicted on each other during their fighting. The captain orders their dispute to be ended immediately, though Reed and Hayes both confirm that the dispute has already been settled. When the captain leaves, a bit of humor is added when Reed and Hayes are left wondering if they're dismissed yet. Back in sickbay, the alien deteriorates further, and disintegrates completely, but not before telling Archer that his people are somehow involved with the Xindi plan to destroy Earth. 
<EOS>
Enterprise NX-01 is moving very slowly through a pinkish-purple cloud. The warp nacelles are inactive. On board, there is nobody on the bridge, in engineering, in the mess hall, or even in the corridors, apart from Porthos, who is being chased by Doctor Phlox. Porthos stops, but only because he's got to where he wants to be; he paws at one of the crew quarter doors. Phlox suddenly understands, and lets him in. In the cabin, Porthos jumps up onto the bed to look at Captain Archer, who is lying there unconscious, with a small silver disc on his head. Phlox and Porthos are in Phlox's cabin, discussing why Porthos keeps trying to go back to see the captain. Phlox discovers on his PADD that dogs are very territorial, and that a dog called "Scruffers" once traveled three thousand kilometers to get back to see his master. Phlox tells Porthos that he has heard of a Pycan space moth that traveled half a light year, but that it probably didn't have a name. Phlox takes Porthos for a walk, meanwhile dictating a letter to Dr. Jeremy Lucas via the PADD. They arrive at the galley, where Phlox gets some leeches to eat, and gives one to Porthos, claiming he probably won't like it but that his intestinal tract will be thoroughly cleansed. Phlox then continues his letter, musing about his assignment to Enterprise. Two days earlier, Enterprise first encountered a trans-dimensional disturbance, the "cloud" which the vessel is currently in. It is similar to another phenomenon the craft encountered a few weeks ago. However, this one is different, because it has only just started forming. It is also on a direct path between the ship and Azati Prime. To avoid several weeks of a detour, T'Pol suggested going through the disturbance. Dr. Phlox explained how he would need to put all the crew members into a coma, though Commander Tucker was extremely reluctant about this proposal. He suggested that they should cross the disturbance at impulse, rather than risk the unpredictable effects of warp drive in the disturbance. Despite Tucker's lack of enthusiasm for Phlox's plan, Captain Archer agreed to it. Visiting Travis Mayweather -- who is also in a coma, with a metallic, disc-shaped medical monitor on his forehead -- Phlox continues his letter, saying that his own physiology is sufficiently different from the Humans' that he won't be affected by the disturbance, so he volunteered to oversee the wellness of the crew. Phlox then received basic training in the running of the ship, including helm and engineering operations. He also assured Captain Archer about the plan, thinking Archer was having second thoughts, though the captain clarified that he already trusted Phlox with his forthcoming supervisory role, a vote of confidence he was thankful for. In engineering, Phlox hears something odd, but finds nothing. He continues his letter, saying he'll be relieved when he can wake the crew, in another two days, sixteen hours, and forty-three minutes. Phlox is jogging through the corridors of Enterprise, singing a song in Denobulan. He walks into sickbay, appearing naked, and apologizes to his animals because he's late for their feedings. Later, in the mess hall, Phlox is watching The Court Jester, a 1956 movie, with some popcorn. Suddenly, he hears something odd. Phlox looks at Porthos as if to check to see if the dog heard it, then goes to see if he can find out what it was he heard, though Porthos is at first hesitant to accompany him. Walking through the deserted corridors, Phlox tells Porthos that he shouldn't have let Tucker talk him into watching The Exorcist last week. Then, he hears a sound again, and tracks it to launch bay one, where Porthos runs away from him. Phlox looks up and sees a small gas leak, which is rattling a chain. Suddenly, T'Pol appears behind Phlox, startling him. Phlox voices a rhetorical question to T'Pol, asking if they are on a starship or in a haunted house. Eager for some company, he invites her to dinner later, which she accepts without much enthusiasm. Back in engineering, Phlox is running one of the routine operations that Tucker showed him when he hears, and this time sees, a shadowy figure running away on one of the upper platforms. Angrily frustrated, Phlox calls T'Pol on the intercom, presuming it must have been her, and compares her to a Draxxan cloud viper. However, she claims to be on the bridge. Phlox and T'Pol are in the galley, where Phlox prepares a meal that his fifth grandmother made for each of his weddings. Apparently, Chef can never get it right and was lacking in his Plomeek broth skills as well, an opinion Phlox and T'Pol agree on. Phlox talks to T'Pol about how crowded his homeworld is, not by necessity but by choice, because Denobulans enjoy living in large groups. For him, being alone on the Enterprise has been unsettling, but T'Pol has found it to be a welcome respite. T'Pol doesn't eat or drink anything during the meeting. While back in sickbay again and then wandering through the corridors, Phlox continues his letter to Dr. Lucas, talking about how much he misses Denobula. He visits Captain Archer to give him a check-up, and is startled by a shadowy form that he sees on the hull, directly outside the window in the captain's quarters. Frightened, he calls T'Pol. In the situation room, they discuss Enterprise's sensors, which have found no unaccounted lifeforms aboard Enterprise nor any alien ships nearby. Phlox is unconvinced but T'Pol simply advises him to catch up on his sleep. Phlox continues with his rounds, only to find a Xindi-Insectoid in Ensign Sato's quarters. He is chased by the Xindi through the corridors and sees the silhouette of a second Insectoid that pursues him until he gets to an airlock, in which he traps himself until the Xindi move away, having apparently given up. From inside the airlock, Phlox contacts T'Pol, reporting that the Xindi are on board Enterprise. In the ship's armory, Phlox relays news of the incident to T'Pol, who is very skeptical of his account. He meanwhile arms himself with a phase-pistol that he, after loading, offers to T'Pol. Although she doesn't take the weapon, he insists on searching the entire ship, with or without her help. Phlox is conducting the shipwide search, T'Pol with him. The areas they search include a set of crew quarters and a cargo bay. By the time they have searched four decks and are walking through a corridor together, T'Pol has become very vocal about her doubts that they will find anything out of the ordinary. Despite using a scanner to look for other lifeforms, Phlox almost shoots Porthos by mistake. This leads to an argument between Phlox and T'Pol, who starts to get uncharacteristically angry with him. Adamant that he will prove he is not hallucinating, Phlox leaves her. In an adjoining corridor, he hears Ensign Sato calling him over the com system. When Phlox reaches Sato's quarters, she is in a steaming shower. He sees, as she emerges from the shower, that she is grossly disfigured. Sato blames him for her condition and reminds him that the crew were under his care. Stumbling from her bathroom, Phlox looks back and then sees Sato lying peacefully on her bed. No-one is actually in the bathroom and the shower is turned off. Phlox calls T'Pol with a request for her to meet him in sickbay. En route, Phlox opens a turbolift door but is shocked to find Archer apparently standing inside the turbolift. As the captain seems unconcerned about Phlox having claimed to have witnessed Xindi outside the ship, Phlox realizes "Archer" is actually another illusion. This belief is proven when T'Pol meets Phlox in the corridor, momentarily distracting him, and he looks back to see there is no-one else there. Back in sickbay, Phlox -- having scanned his own brain -- notifies T'Pol that the scan shows he's been subtly affected by the disturbance as well, and has in fact been hallucinating. Phlox considers handing over control of the ship to T'Pol, but she refuses after she admits she's been having trouble controlling her emotions due to the trans-dimensional disturbance and could become irrational. On the bridge, they discover that they're still over a quarter of a light year from the edge of the disturbance, although they should have been out of it by now. If they continue at impulse, it will take them another ten weeks to get out of the phenomenon. In the situation room, Phlox struggles to understand why the ship is still in the trans-dimensional disturbance. T'Pol concludes that the phenomenon must be expanding at an accelerated rate. She insists they engage the warp drive. In engineering, T'Pol is exceptionally unhelpful, because she is finding it too difficult to concentrate on anything. Although Phlox has a dozen scientific degrees, none of them are in warp field propulsion. Since T'Pol can't help, she essentially advises Phlox to instead "read the manual" about how to engage the warp drive. Phlox is momentarily distracted by another hallucination, this time of Tucker reminding him about his warning not to engage the warp drive inside the disturbance. A few minor problems with the warp reactor briefly cause T'Pol to advise Phlox to awaken the real Tucker so he can help, regardless of the fact he will consequently die due to exposure to the disturbance. Finally, Phlox manages to take the ship to warp two and stabilize the vessel. Once the ship is out of the trans-dimensional disturbance, Phlox wakens Archer, commenting there were "only a few minor glitches" during the transit. Phlox additionally reunites Porthos with the captain. T'Pol and Phlox subsequently walk through a corridor with Commander Tucker, who is feeling slightly light-headed due to having eaten no food during the past four days. After Phlox recommends Tucker to "get to the mess hall", Tucker dutifully departs, having had no interaction with T'Pol. She offers to help rouse the still-comatose officers but Phlox politely declines her assistance and instead arranges to walk her to her quarters. There, Phlox finds that T'Pol too has been unconscious in her quarters the whole time, and realizes that he has actually hallucinated her presence during most of the journey through the disturbance. Having realized large portions of his letter to Dr. Lucas are obviously fictitious, Phlox admits in the letter that he has therefore considered deleting the document but has concluded it might nonetheless prove "entertaining", a statement he uses to end the letter. Phlox joins T'Pol at a table in the mess hall, bustling with officers who have since been awakened. She relays to him that Tucker has complimented the way Phlox supervised the ship. Whereas she suspects he enjoyed being alone on Enterprise, he mentions he was not as alone as he had expected. Meanwhile, Enterprise is still warping toward its Azati Prime destination. 
<EOS>
Enterprise is orbiting an uninhabited planet en route to  Azati Prime. They discover a derelict Xindi-Insectoid ship on the surface. Interested in finding out more about their technology, Captain Archer sends down an away team in a shuttlepod. On the Xindi ship, they discover that all the crew are already dead, and that there is no atmosphere. In EV suits, the Enterprise crew members explore the ship. They find no discernible bridge, only access terminals scattered around the ship. This corresponds with what they've already discovered about the decentralized nature of the Insectoid government and hierarchy. Investigating further, they discover an intact Xindi-Insectoid shuttlecraft, which they take back to Enterprise. The away team then finds an active power source, and move it to a pressurized room with breathable air. Inside, they find a room filled with eggs -- a hatchery. Captain Archer inspects one of the eggs, and one of the tendrils attached to it squirts him with some substance. He is taken back to the ship. Dr. Phlox looks the captain over, and finds that it was only a mild neurotoxin, and that there was no permanent damage. Back on the Xindi ship, the crew discover that the life support systems have only a few days of power left. If they fail, the eggs will all die. On Enterprise, Archer calls Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T'Pol to his ready room, and tells them to prepare to help power up the derelict ship so the eggs don't die. Tucker objects strongly, claiming that the longer they stay near the planet, the more likely that they'll be discovered by another Xindi ship. However, Archer is adamant that they should try to preserve the lives of the baby Xindi. The Enterprise crew have spent the past two days on the derelict ship, trying to power it up, but nothing is working. Archer is getting more and more annoyed by each failure by his crew. Then he has an idea. On Enterprise, he orders that enough antimatter be sent down to the planet to re-start the Xindi ship's engines. He then goes back down to the planet. T'Pol is against the idea, and tells Trip to hold back the supplying of the antimatter until she has had a word with the captain. On the derelict ship, T'Pol confronts Archer about their low antimatter reserves, and how much of a strain giving a third of their antimatter to the damaged ship would put on Enterprise. Archer absorbs this information, but still insists that the antimatter is transferred. T'Pol bluntly refuses, at which point Archer relieves her of her post, and orders Major Hayes to escort her back to Enterprise and confine her to her quarters. Hayes and Lieutenant Reed discuss Xindi ship tactics, and Hayes discovers a weak spot in the Xindi ship's shields where two torpedoes could knock out their engines. Reed, initially skeptical as to Hayes' investigation methods, is impressed. Learning of T'Pol's insubordination, Tucker visits her in her quarters, after having convinced Corporal Chang (stationed outside T'Pol's quarters) into letting him in to see her, claiming he was only there for his regular Vulcan neural pressure session. T'Pol convinces Tucker that the captain is acting irrationally and is jeopardizing the mission. Tucker is wary about directly confronting the captain over the matter because he could also be relieved of his duties and sent to his quarters as well. On the bridge, Lieutenant Reed is in command when a Xindi-Insectoid scout ship arrives, fires on Enterprise, and attempts to escape. Reed decides to put Hayes' plan into action, and fires at the vulnerable section of the ship. The Xindi ship is destroyed. Archer arrives on the bridge, and is angered because Reed destroyed the ship. He relieves him of his post, and confines him to his quarters too. Captain Archer puts Major Hayes in command of Enterprise and posts MACOs all over the ship. He then orders Ensign Sato to send out a distress call, as soon she completes her translation. Then, Archer goes to the shuttlebay and starts loading the antimatter into one of the shuttlepods. Tucker and Dr. Phlox (who has been informed of the Captain's increasingly obsessive behavior) enter and gently suggest that the captain go to sickbay for an examination. Phlox reminds Archer of the ship's doctor's medical authority to relieve the Captain of command if Archer will not submit to be examined, citing, "Starfleet Order 104 Section C" as his authority. Archer still refuses, and forces them to leave under the threat of a MACO. Unbeknownst to Archer, however, Phlox had used his medical scanner secretly to discover if anything was wrong with the captain. In sickbay, Phlox and Tucker find out that there is nothing visibly wrong with the captain, much to Tucker's shock. However, Tucker is not convinced, and begins to plan to take over the ship. Back at the derelict ship, the captain and other co-workers witness the eggs growing bigger. Getting past T'Pol's guard again, this time by force with help from Reed, they release T'Pol, and begin their insurrection. First, they take over the armory and retrieve some more phase-pistols. Then, Tucker and another crewmember transport to the surface to confront the captain. Reed and T'Pol, with a few loyal crew members, attempt to get to the bridge. On the bridge, Hayes discovers that Chang has been incapacitated and that T'Pol has escaped. A second later, the mutineers burst onto the bridge, startling everyone. There's a standoff between Hayes, Reed, T'Pol, and another MACO. Travis Mayweather seizes an opportunity and grapples with Hayes on the floor. The situation is quickly resolved, and the MACOs are secured in their quarters. On the derelict ship, Tucker confronts the captain, and discovers him covered in Xindi hatchlings. He doesn't appear worried or injured, but Trip has to shoot him to get him to come back to the ship. Back on Enterprise, Archer is put through the main scanning chamber in sickbay, and Phlox discovers that the captain had been "reverse-imprinted" with the Xindi eggs by the substance that was squirted onto him. Subconsciously, he had been caring for the Xindi babies to the exclusion of everything else. Phlox is able to reverse the effect, and, after retrieving the antimatter, the Enterprise continues on its course to Azati Prime. 
<EOS>
Enterprise NX-01 enters the Azati Prime system at the same time as Degra's ship. Enterprise positions itself behind a planetoid, so as to remain hidden. Meanwhile, Degra toasts the fact that the Xindi weapon will soon be completed. The inner planets of the system are protected by a detection grid in which Reed can find no weakness, so Trip Tucker and Travis Mayweather take the Xindi-Insectoid shuttlecraft in for a closer look. They find the weapon under water on the planet Azati Prime, nearing completion. While away, Captain Jonathan Archer orders the destruction of a lunar base they fear will reveal their position. After Tucker and Mayweather return with information about the weapon's position, Captain Archer says that he will personally take the shuttle back in and destroy the weapon with photonic torpedoes. It is clear that this is a suicide mission, and the crew tries to talk him out of it, especially T'Pol.  Even Daniels pays a visit to convince Archer to try a diplomatic solution, taking Archer to the future to see the Battle of Procyon V on board the USS Enterprise-J in the 26th century. During this visit, Crewman Daniels reveals to Captain Archer that in the future, the Federation will be responsible for the success in averting a galaxy-wide takeover by the Sphere-Builders. He manages to convince Archer to take with him a relic from the future. After giving his farewell speech to the crew and asking Phlox to look after Porthos, Archer arrives at the construction site on Azati Prime. He discovers the weapon has been moved and he is immediately captured by Commander Dolim and his security forces, and interrogated. Archer manages to convince Dolim to let him talk to Degra, to whom he shows the relic: an initiation medal of a Xindi who has joined the Federation. Archer is beginning to convince Degra, Jannar, and the other Xindi-Primate councilor when Dolim returns, growing impatient. Archer is to be taken away for further interrogation. Meanwhile, four Xindi vessels descend on Enterprise and open fire after investigating the destruction of the aforementioned lunar base. Hull plating quickly goes off-line, as does the intercom system. As the Xindi inflict major internal and external damage to the ship, coolant leaks in engineering force Tucker's crew to evacuate. As the Xindi continue their onslaught, a major hull breach in the primary hull blows several crewmembers out into space. Facing imminent destruction, and seemingly certain death, all the crew can do is prepare for the worst as Enterprise drifts defenselessly in space still under heavy fire. 
<EOS>
On the Xindi Council ship orbiting Azati Prime, Dolim is angered by the rest of the Xindi recalling his ships behind his back. Degra is becoming more and more convinced that Captain Archer told him the truth. Dolim remains unconvinced, but is forced to release Archer by the Xindi-Arboreal councilor. Captain Archer is taken on board a Xindi-Aquatic ship, and is released back to Enterprise in an escape pod. At least fourteen crew members have died from the attack, and there are further casualties in sickbay. With only one phase cannon and the aft torpedo launcher working as defense against another attack, the captain orders that they should try to find somewhere to hide, just in case the Reptilians come back to finish them off. They head towards a nearby comet dust field for cover. En route, they intercept a small Illyrian ship in distress. The smaller ship has sustained damage from the spatial anomalies, and asks the captain for assistance. Captain Archer tries to convince the aliens to part with their warp coil in exchange for a supply of trellium-D, but they refuse, as it would knock out their own warp engines, leaving them years away from their home world. T'Pol begins experiencing withdrawal symptoms, because she has been cut off from the supply of trellium-D by all the damages sustained. She uses an EV suit to get to it, nearly kills herself in the process and injects some into herself, relieving the symptoms. From the escape pod, Ensign Sato translates some coordinates and a stardate, indicating where Degra will be on that date, three days from now. Unfortunately, it's over four light years from their current position, and without their warp drive the Enterprise will never get there in time. Archer decides to throw the rule book out of the window, and board the alien ship to steal their warp coil. In the Xindi Council chamber, Degra and the Primate and Arboreal Council members meet with a member of the trans-dimensional species. They question if she had anything to do with sending the Reptilians into the past to build a bio-weapon. She admits to helping the Reptilians in order to keep them and the Insectoids from leaving the Council. This angers Degra, and he questions if Archer's claim that her species built the spheres is true. She deflects the question, angrily demanding that Earth be destroyed for the benefit of all Xindi, and to not summon her again unless all the members of the Council are present. After she leaves, the Primate Council member asks why they should doubt her. Degra insists that they must examine the proof offered by Captain Archer. After an emotional argument with the captain about the planned attack on the alien ship, T'Pol consults Dr. Phlox, and he is shocked. T'Pol explains how she began to experiment with trellium after their encounter with the Seleya, and how injecting herself with the compound allowed her to access certain emotions, but that she has now become addicted. He decides to help her overcome her problem, and agrees to not tell anyone. With a boarding party, Archer and Tucker transport onto the vessel, and manage to steal their warp coil while leaving behind three containers of trellium-D as well as other supplies in "compensation". When the captain asks why Archer is doing this, Archer simply states that he has no choice before leaving, knowing that by taking their warp coil the alien crew has been left stranded three years from their home. After integrating it into the Enterprise systems, Archer orders maximum warp speed (now only 3.2), and they set off to meet Degra at the coordinates. T'Pol and Phlox discuss her residual emotional instability. T'Pol fears that she may never fully be able to suppress her feelings again. 
<EOS>
T'Pol visits sickbay for further treatment for her trellium addiction. She tells Doctor Phlox that she is concerned that the new emotions will overwhelm her. Phlox counsels her that it will take time to learn to control the emotions, but she will get used to it.  He tells her of the Earth cautionary tale of the genie who, once let out of the bottle, is difficult to control. While eating in the heavily-damaged mess hall, Tucker reveals to T'Pol that not only is he having trouble writing the letter, he has not slept since the Xindi attack in nearly two days. Moments later, their meal is interrupted by a nearby explosion. T'Pol and Tucker respond to the emergency and assist in shutting down the damaged systems and summoning Phlox. When Phlox learns of Tucker's lack of sleep, he orders the commander to get some rest. While sleeping, Tucker has a dream where he is confronted by Crewman Taylor in her quarters, who demands to know why he has not written that letter yet. She wants to know why it is so much that Tucker simply remember her. Tucker tries to run from Taylor, but finds the exit blocked. He awakes in a cold sweat, alone in his quarters. Following hidden instructions left by Degra, Enterprise arrives at a sphere, where it meets with Degra's ship. Degra invites Archer aboard his ship to discuss the bio-weapon. Archer attempts to convince Degra and Jannar that what he is saying is true; that the Xindi are being misled by the Sphere-Builders. Archer invites the two Xindi aboard Enterprise and shows them the bodies of the Reptilians he stopped from releasing a bio-weapon in 2004, as well as the bio-weapon itself so the Xindi crew can test it for traces of time travel. He also shows them the scans of the Sphere-Builder test subject they rescued several months ago. Additionally, T'Pol and Archer show Degra the information they have acquired on the spheres, which surpasses that of the Xindi in some respects. Degra comments that he is surprised by the detailed nature of the scan, considering that Enterprise is a warship, to which Archer responds that Enterprise was originally a ship of exploration. Degra replies that if their mission succeeds, it will be again. Meanwhile, one of the warp plasma EPS conduits ruptures out of the ship's hull, necessitating an EVA trip by Tucker and Malcolm Reed to fix it. Reed is required to operate a shut-off valve extremely close to the venting plasma.  The temperature in his suit rises to near-lethal levels, but Reed ignores orders to stop his task, and nearly dies of overheating. Tucker rushes Reed back into the ship, where the lieutenant is hurried off to sickbay. Degra expresses his hope that Reed survives, causing Tucker to verbally lash out. Tucker accuses Degra of hypocrisy and asks if "seven million and one" is too many deaths for the Xindi to take. Archer orders Tucker to stop and escorts Degra from the room, but not without Degra pausing mournfully before he exits. Moments later, a Xindi-Reptilian ship arrives at the sphere, having followed Degra, despite his attempt to mask his warp trail. The Reptilian captain demands that Degra and Jannar dock with his ship so that appropriate action can be taken against Enterprise. Archer begs Degra for some piece of information about the Reptilian ship that would give the still-weakened Enterprise an advantage in the imminent firefight. Degra and Jannar are conflicted. They know that Archer has provided them with compelling evidence of the Reptilians' deceit, but to aid in an attack upon another Xindi ship would be treasonous. Degra's ship leaves Enterprise, but instead of docking with the Reptilian ship, it attacks in conjunction with Enterprise, quickly targeting key systems of the Reptilian ship. Once the ship is disabled, Enterprise stands down, but Degra continues his attack, destroying the Reptilian vessel. Degra tells Archer that to leave the Reptilians alive would only make matters worse for them, as the Reptilians would have reported to the council immediately. Degra provides Archer with coordinates for a subspace corridor that can take him to the Xindi Council planet. T'Pol confronts Tucker about his problems, and he reveals that it is not Jane's death that's bothering him; it is his sister, Elizabeth. He wants to know how someone so young and full of promise could just die. He has been repressing his emotions for months now, but finally lets go and cries for his sister. Tucker says that he envies the Vulcans, and how they do not feel any emotion. T'Pol tells Tucker that Vulcans feel sadness at the loss of family and colleagues, just as Humans do, but Vulcan emotions can be so strong that they would be overwhelming if they were not suppressed. As such, it is she who envies him. Having finally accepted the loss of his sister, Tucker finally writes the letter to Crewman Taylor's parents. 
<EOS>
An elderly Vulcan woman is seated in her chambers meditating. Her son Lorian enters and grimly announces that they were unable to prevent the Xindi weapon probe from entering the vortex and that it is now on its way to Earth. Lorian notes that everything is happening as before. The elder woman is T'Pol, and replies that he now has no choice. He must find Jonathan Archer. On board the Enterprise, Tucker enters T'Pol's quarters and requests neuro-pressure due to his stress and insomnia. A stricken look crosses T'Pol's face and she turns away asking that they break off the sessions. Tucker confesses he is not there for neuropressure and that he was worried about T'Pol's withdrawn behavior. T'Pol asserts that she is fine -- and Tucker's resigned expression reveals he knows this is false but that she doesn't want to open up to him. Enterprise is approaching the Kovaalan nebula containing a subspace corridor that will take it to its rendezvous with Degra near the Xindi Council planet. Degra warned that there were 1 or 2 Kovaalan ships in the nebula and that they were hostile. However, upon arriving, sensors indicate his information was out of date, as there are at least a half a dozen ships in the nebula. Archer orders measures to avoid detection for as long as possible, including using a Metreon cloud to hide their signature. Reed is optimistic that with luck they may be able to reach the corridor before they are confronted. Degra's ship is docked with a Xindi-Primate starship for a meeting between three councilors. Degra's Xindi-Primate colleague on the Xindi Council is furious that he has told the Humans the location of the council's meeting place. Degra responds that the Enterprise was heavily damaged and could easily be destroyed by a single Xindi ship. He brushes aside rumors of other Earth vessels in the expanse. The three Xindi councilors debate the wisdom of allowing Archer to address the council. Jannar admits that Archer's evidence is difficult to explain. Degra asserts that the meeting is worth the risks, since if what Archer is saying is true, then all the council's work will have been for nothing. They will have to defend the Enterprise from the reptilians when they arrive for the meeting. Lorian recounts the history of his crew. After entering the nebula, Enterprise was immediately ambushed. Enterprise escaped certain destruction from the Kovaalan ships by reaching the subspace corridor. However, her impulse manifold creates a particle wake that destabilizes the corridor creating a shift in time causing them to emerge in 2037. Archer decided that Enterprise couldn't return to Earth, or they would contaminate their own history. T'Pol determined that return via the corridor was not possible. Archer resolved to wait until the time that they could either warn Earth or prevent the launching of the probe. To do this, Enterprise became a generational ship forming alliances with other species and gaining fuel, provisions and technology to survive. Lorian addresses a startled T'Pol as "mother". Lorian advises Archer that he can avoid the disaster by not entering the corridor and instead enhance the plasma injectors using technology gained from Haradin traders. Lorian could not perform the modifications on his Enterprise because of the deterioration of his injectors. However with new injectors and structural modifications to Archer's ship, Lorian's calculations are that Archer's Enterprise will be able to achieve warp 6.9 for short periods -- long enough for it to make the rendezvous with Degra in time. Archer decides to trust Lorian after Phlox confirms via DNA matches that the executive officer, Karyn Archer, is Archer's great granddaughter, and that Lorian is in fact the son of Tucker and T'Pol. Phlox had discovered a way to combine the Vulcan and Human genomes. Karyn Archer gives her great-grandfather a tour of her ship, and he takes note of the doubling of efficiency of the atmospheric processors, the aliens aboard ship, old women, Denobulan children playing. Karyn explains that many of their crew are descendants of Phlox, who fathered nine children with Amanda Cole. She tells the captain her own great-grandmother was an Ikaaran named Esilia whose ship Enterprise rescued from an anomaly, and who Archer married. Archer observes that the existence of the future Enterprise would explain why the Xindi kept asking during his interrogation for the number of Earth ships in the expanse. Karyn confirms that they were likely scanned multiple times by Xindi ships. Archer is taken to the elder T'Pol's quarters where it is evident from her warm embrace that she has learned to express her emotions. At an age of around 182 years, she is the only remaining original crew member. She inquires about Trip but declines Archer's offer to send him for a visit, knowing that such a meeting with her husband would be awkward. She regrets that there is no time to become reacquainted and hands to Archer a PADD that will prove that Lorian's plan could result in the destruction of Enterprise. Discussing their future relationships in the mess hall, Hoshi tells Mayweather she had two children, Toru and a girl named Yoshiko, but has declined to discover who would be her husband. Mayweather says he married Corporal McKenzie, who he's only spoken with once so far. Reed joins them and Hoshi asks him who he ended up with on the other Enterprise. Reed uncomfortably mentions that he never married, while Hoshi notes there were bound to bachelors as women only comprise a third of the crew. Sensing Reed's uneasiness, Mayweather and Hoshi excuse themselves. After they leave, Reed sees a female crewmember looking for a seat. Fearing he might one day end up alone as he did in the alternate timeline, and he quickly invites her to take a seat. T'Pol advises Archer that she and Tucker agree with the elder T'Pol's assessment that Lorian's modifications could overload the injectors and destroy the ship. Elder T'Pol has an alternate plan to modify the impulse manifolds so the corridor will not be displaced. Archer confronts Lorian about the risk of injector overload who claims the risk is only 22%. Archer is infuriated that Lorian withheld critical information regarding the risks and alternatives. Lorian is emphatic that Enterprise will be thrown back in time again but Archer retorts that he has two T'Pols who disagree, and flatly states the matter is not open for debate. It is his mission and his decision- Archer will proceed into the subspace corridor with modified impulse manifolds, and requests the assistance of Lorian's engineers to speed the work. Lorian next meets with Karyn Archer and his tactical officer Greer to outline his plan to steal the plasma injectors, proceed at warp 6.9 so that he can meet Degra and the council in Archer's place. He claims his father will be able to fabricate new plasma injectors in response to his first officer's complaint that Archer's ship will be unable to go to warp. Tucker is working with T'Pol on the modifications, states that their hundred-year old son is a "good kid," and relates to her the romantic events that would transpire between the two of them. T'Pol responds with apparent disinterest to the story of how Tucker would fill cargo bay 3 with sand and manufacture them a palm tree for their honeymoon. She puts up a good front as she rationalizes that acts of their counterparts don't necessarily imply they will do the same. Yet she is visibly irritated when he points out that she simply doesn't want to admit that under the right circumstances that she could have feelings for him. She states ruefully that she should never have experimented sexually with Tucker because she should have known that he would be unable to participate without also developing an emotional attachment. Tucker doesn't buy her evasion, and sarcastically insinuates that she is not truly in as much control as she wants him to believe. On the bridge, Archer is informed that the warp engines are disabled and that the plasma injectors are disengaged. Engineering doesn't respond and Lorian's Enterprise undocks, refusing responses to hails. As the ship prepare to go to warp, Archer orders Reed to disable their engines. The starboard nacelle is damaged preventing warp, and Lorian orders retreat at full impulse and for Greer to return fire. Archer orders T'Pol to the transporter room. Enterprise is hit again, losing hull plating and weapons, but Mayweather brings Enterprise close enough for T'Pol to transport an EPS manifold off of Lorian's ship. Archer orders T'Pol to next take the primary relays from C-Deck, after which Lorian's ship loses all power. Archer hails Lorian suggesting that each has some things that belong to the other. Reed warns Archer that Lorian has a torpedo locked onto their starboard engine, and Archer emphasizes to Lorian how many people would be hurt if he pulls the trigger. Karyn Archer persuades her captain that the action is over with, emphasizing that these people are family and that she won't let him continue. Lorian reluctantly orders a stand down of weapons. Later in the brig, Lorian is informed by Archer that he was lucky and that all injuries on both ships were minor. Archer's ship was almost crippled, and his mission would have been over. Lorian is unrepentant, repeating his assertion that Archer's mission is already over and that his course is the only logical one that has a chance of success. Lorian then reveals the guilt that has been driving him. He feels he is responsible for the death of the 7 million because he did not exhaust all options to stop the probe. He believes he could have rammed the probe but hesitated because it would mean the death of his crew. He blamed himself for allowing his emotions take over and prevent him from giving the order. Archer sees Lorian's determination and dedication to the mission and tells Lorian that with or without him, he is taking his ship into the corridor. Archer tells Lorian that the mission has a stronger chance of success if he agrees to work together with him, and decides to free Lorian and allow him to make the choice. The two T'Pols meet in the elder's quarters. Elder T'Pol offers some advice about both isomagnetic collectors and emotions. Young T'Pol was unable to achieve more than 86% reduction of the particle wake with the impulse manifold modifications. The elder shows where to place an isomagnetic collector (a piece of Ikaaran technology the younger T'Pol was unfamiliar with) to reduce any residual particles, and gives T'Pol the schematics for it. While looking for the schematics, the elder T'Pol inquires whether she is feeling better after the effects of her Trellium withdrawal, warning that she will never fully recover from the effects and that the emotions she accessed will be with her the rest of her life. Young T'Pol looks stricken and wanders across the room to her tea. The elder advises her that there is someone on board Enterprise who can assist her. In a dazed manner, the young T'Pol responds that Phlox has already given her a neural suppressant. The elder shakes her head that she must reach out to Trip. Young T'Pol is at once revolted, fearful and relieved to hear confirmation of what she has suspected about her emotions for Tucker. The elder assures her that she cannot imagine what life would have been like without Tucker and that she should follow her heart. Enterprise emerges from the corridor in the correct location in the correct century with no sign of pursuit. They wait five hours for Lorian, but his ship never emerges. T'Pol states that it is unlikely they survived. Archer theorizes that perhaps by going through the corridor they fixed the mistake of the original Enterprise going back in time, therefore causing it to cease from existence. T'Pol points out that if that were true, then they would not remember the other Enterprise. A ship drops out of warp near Enterprise and interrupts further consideration of the fate of the other Enterprise. It's Degra's ship, ready to escort Archer to meet with the Xindi Council. Degra remarks that Archer is early. 
<EOS>
While Enterprise and Degra's ship are on their way to the Xindi Council planet, a shuttlepod containing Sub-Commander T'Pol, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Ensign Travis Mayweather, and Corporal F. Hawkins heads off to investigate a sphere; T'Pol thinks they can access the redundant memory core and acquire some data on the Sphere-Builders. After being confronted by a Sphere-Builder concerned with his actions, Degra briefs Captain Jonathan Archer on the various members of the Xindi Council he will soon meet. A fleet of Primate and Arboreal vessels escorts Enterprise into the security zone surrounding the Council planet. A few shots are exchanged between the escorts and Commander Dolim's flagship, but he is forced to let them in. Archer (assisted by Hoshi Sato, who translates) enters the Council chamber. The session does not go well; the Reptilians walk out. In order to bring the Aquatics onto their side, Phlox and Commander Charles Tucker prepare a biometric hologram of the Sphere-Builder test subject they encountered a few weeks ago. It works -- the Aquatics see the resemblance between the test subject and their so-called "Guardians", and agree to delay the launch of the Xindi weapon. Amazingly enough, so do the Reptilians. Meanwhile, the away team manages to acquire the sphere's redundant memory core, but a gigantic claw emerges from the walls of the sphere. Hawkins defends the rest of the team as they get away and is vaporized in the attempt. The claw is destroyed by the shuttle as more claws converge on them; the team barely escapes and begins heading for Enterprise. Dolim's conversion was nothing more than a ruse. He murders Degra, and then the Reptilians and Insectoids walk out on the Council; they launch the weapon. Enterprise, the Arboreals, and the Primates try to stop the weapon, but are not fast enough; it and its escorts enter a subspace vortex. Just before the Reptilians leave, they transport Hoshi Sato onto their ship. 
<EOS>
Sato resists early on, further encrypting the launch code and trying to commit suicide, but eventually she unlocks the third code. As the weapon begins to arm, a massive fleet consisting of Enterprise, the Aquatics, the Arboreals, and the Primates arrives to intercept the Reptilian and Insectoid fleet guarding the weapon. The Aquatics' presence gives Enterprise's allies the edge they need, but the Sphere-Builders see that their pawns are losing and create spatial anomalies to assist them. In the midst of the battle, a MACO squad consisting of Major Hayes, Corporal Kelly, S. Money, and R. Richards boards the Reptilian vessel to rescue Sato. It is successful, though Money is wounded and Hayes is fatally injured. Meanwhile, the weapon's arming sequence completes, and it departs into a subspace vortex with one Reptilian and one Insectoid ship, heading for Earth. While in the vortex, the Insectoid captain contacts Dolim, angry as he realizes that the anomalies appearing just when they needed them was more than good luck, and starts to realize that Captain Archer may have been correct about the Guardians building the spheres. After the communication ends, Dolim has the Insectoid ship immediately destroyed. The Xindi state that the weapon will reach Earth in ten hours. Although Aquatic ships are powerful, they have limited speed and only Degra's ship has hope of intercepting the weapon in time. Captain Archer resolves to bring a team on board and disable it from the inside. Archer, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Ensign Sato, and three MACOs board Degra's ship, the only ship fast enough to catch the weapon, in pursuit. Meanwhile, Enterprise prepares to make good on Archer's promise to Amman'sor and destroy the spheres by taking out Sphere 41. 
<EOS>
The Xindi weapon is inside a vortex with a Xindi-Reptilian starship. Aboard the vessel, Commander Dolim stands with two other Xindi-Reptilian officers, one of whom joins Dolim in imagining how the Xindi would have benefited if the Guardians had made the Reptilians the dominant Xindi species before their civil wars. Dolim remarks that, thanks to the fact that the Guardians have finally come to their senses, the Reptilians will take their place at the head of a new Xindi empire once Earth is destroyed.  They toast to their success by devouring live mice whole. Aboard Degra's ship, the Xindi-Primate councilor informs Captain Archer that the weapon is almost three hours ahead of them but notes that they are closing the gap. Malcolm Reed states that their vessel may be faster but is not well-armed and asks how many ships are escorting the weapon, something they do not know. Archer concludes that the only way to destroy the weapon is from the inside, but all of Degra's schematics are encrypted, making it impossible to destroy the weapon. Archer decides that they need Hoshi Sato to help them and, despite Reed's initial objections that she is too weak, he eventually agrees. In the Guardians' realm, they discuss the fact that their favorable timelines continue to diminish, even though the weapon has almost reached Earth. They note that Enterprise is on course for a primary Sphere and decide to increase the transformation of space around it. In engineering aboard the Enterprise, Trip Tucker reports to T'Pol that the main power grid has been realigned to increase the deflector pulse but it will fry almost every system on board. T'Pol orders him to be prepared to initiate the pulse in two hours but Tucker repeats that, if they do, it will almost certainly destroy the ship. T'Pol gives the order again but Tucker states that the captain told the Xindi they would try to destroy the Spheres and did not say anything about destroying the ship in the process. T'Pol asks Tucker if he realizes what will happen if Earth is destroyed and states that, without Humanity, no one will combat the Sphere-Builders and the Delphic Expanse will continue to grow and will encompass many systems, including Vulcan. She states that Earth is no longer the only world in jeopardy. On the bridge, Travis Mayweather discovers a problem with the Sphere's cloaking barrier; nothing should be on the sensors, yet they can see spatial anomalies clustered much tighter than ever before. In sickbay, Phlox tells T'Pol that the space around the Sphere is being transformed, not unlike the disturbance where the ship found the trans-dimensional being. T'Pol notes that, if they are to disable the Spheres, they will need to get within one kilometer of the surface of Sphere 41, but Phlox points out that if they enter the disturbance, the crew will be dead within minutes. He says that he can synthesize a neuroleptic compound which could keep the crew conscious for about twelve minutes, but suggests that they find a way to shorten the plan to destroy the spheres. On board the weapon, Dolim is told that when they exit the vortex, they will need to be two million kilometers from Earth to allow the firing sequence to start. In engineering, Tucker tells Mayweather that he has found a way to destroy the sphere without tearing the ship apart but they will need to take power from the impulse engines and travel on thrusters when they reach the anomaly. Mayweather notes that it would be hard with the time limit but Tucker encourages him. Reed tells Archer that they will not be able to transport directly onto the weapon's control platform due to deflector shielding. Despite Reed's objections, Archer decides to take Sato with him to the weapon because she has been on the weapon before. When asked what will happen if they cannot escape in time, Archer announces that he will give everyone plenty of time to get to the beam out point. Reed asks what Archer intends to do and receives the reply that Archer has no intention of dying on the weapon. As he exits the room, Archer finds himself on a balcony overlooking a large hall. Daniels is there and tells him that it is a very important day. Daniels points out a man in a blue jacket, saying that it is Archer a little more than seven years in the future. He reveals that the elder Archer is about to make history, and that he must not risk his life or the United Federation of Planets may never come to be. Enterprise drops out of warp as it arrives at Sphere 41. Mayweather states that the anomaly is growing and it is one hundred thousand kilometers larger than the first time they encountered it. Phlox informs the bridge crew that he has enhanced the neuroleptic compound as much as he can and that they should stay in the disturbance no more than fifteen minutes. The compound is released and the Enterprise makes its final approach toward Sphere 41. Back on Degra's ship, Archer tells Sato that they need to disable the reactor at a specific point during the inversion sequence but he does not know the sequence and if this is not done correctly, the internal safeguards will kick in and it will be impossible to overload. Sato tells him that she has the sequence but decrypting it is another problem. One of the Xindi tells Archer that they have gotten close enough to isolate the weapon's signature. Archer is informed that the Insectoid ship is no longer with Dolim's fleet and that the weapon is being escorted by a single craft, Dolim's ship. On that vessel, one of Dolim's crew informs him that Degra's ship is less than twenty minutes behind them. Dolim instructs the weapon crew to prepare to initiate the firing sequence as soon as they exit the vortex. It is then reported that there are no Earth vessels in the vicinity and only one orbital station nearby. Much to the Reptilian's delight, the station is unarmed. When Earth is shown on the viewscreen, Dolim comments that the Aquatics would feel at home here, due to the large amount of water present. Back by the Weapon, Dolim's vessel exits the portal only 800,000 kilometers ahead, on a direct course for Earth. Just as Archer instructs Reed's team to prepare to beam to the weapon, one of the Xindi at the bridge console notes that Dolim's ship is changing course for a space station. When it comes on screen, Archer identifies it as Yosemite 3, a research station having at least thirty to forty civilians on board. Archer instructs the crew to hail them on the frequency provided, only to be told that they can't get anything through due to the weapon's disruption wave. Enterprise reaches the sphere and T'Pol instructs them to drop to two thousand meters. Tucker tells Phlox that something is happening to his skin and Mayweather also admits to seeing the same on his own. Phlox responds and informs them that it was expected, that they shouldn't scratch it and that there is only eleven minutes remaining. Meanwhile, Dolim quotes the Guardian's orders that, once Earth is destroyed, they are to destroy all remaining Human colonies. The ship begins to fire their weapon, and Yosemite 3 is destroyed. T'Pol gives Tucker the firing coordinates and the deflector pulse is fired at the sphere. Phlox informs them that there is less than ten minutes to go. In engineering, as the crew continue to check the systems, three Sphere-Builders appear out of thin air and begin to attack with balls of charged particles launched from their palms. The Sphere-Builders begin to use their trans-dimensional abilities to disrupt Enterprise's power systems in hopes of shutting down the deflector pulse. The power drain is immediately felt on the bridge. In response, T'Pol hails engineering and Tucker states he is losing power for the pulse. Phlox points out that there are nine alien lifeforms, likely the trans-dimensional beings. The environment has been altered enough to sustain their presence. As Dolim prepares to intercept Degra's ship, calling them pathetic due to their weaker weapons, the Arboreal informs Archer that the intercepting vessel is arming their torpedoes and that there is another vessel approaching at high warp asking for Archer; it is the Andorian, Commander Shran. Shran tells them that their ship is no match for the Reptilian vessel and that he anticipated that they would need assistance. On Enterprise, the deflector pulse is disappearing and the MACO weapons are not affecting the Sphere-Builders as the pulses pass right through them. Tucker reports that the Sphere-Builders have to be stopped or the process will take additional time, which they no longer have. Corporal Kelly orders his men to reset their weapons to a modulating frequency, as per Phlox' instructions. This has an effect and forces the Sphere-Builders to retreat, as they use their abilities to pass through walls to find a new console, where they continue to disrupt the power systems. Shran's vessel, the Kumari, proceeds to escort Degra's ship and takes weapons fire from the enemy vessels while they approach the weapon. Deciding to fight back to buy Archer time, Shran fires back, and then declares that he no longer owes Archer -- now Archer owes him. Archer and his boarding party then beam over to the weapon, surprising the Reptilians and killing them all. Archer switches some power cells to begin the overload process. At this time, Dolim discovers that the boarding party has left the ship and that the Kumari is attempting to distract him. Aboard the weapon, more Reptilians engage the MACOs, one forcing Sato to lose her data pad. Archer attacks the creature, and Reed forces the Reptilian off the platform into a shaft, to the depths of the vessel. On Enterprise, Phlox informs the crew that their time is up, and T'Pol orders an evacuation. Tucker intervenes by letting them know that he needs a minute to finish his task. Seconds later, when Phlox repeats that they have no time, he concurs and presses a button. The pulse intensifies and the Sphere begins to collapse. A pulse-like signal is emitted and the next Sphere in the network also starts collapsing. The Sphere-Builders aboard Enterprise scream as they dematerialize back to their home realm, allowing the ship's power to return. The crew then discover that the entire Sphere network has been destroyed. Meanwhile, Shran discovers that a Reptilian, Dolim, has transported to the weapon. Shran orders all weapons targeted on Dolim's ship's starboard engines, destroying the ship in the process as the shields in that area were knocked out in the battle leaving that particular spot vulnerable. Enterprise is holding position to rendezvous with Degra's ship. T'Pol notes that the long-range sensors are detecting no Spheres, that all spatial anomalies within their scanning range have vanished and that the thermobaric clouds they detected earlier are starting to dissipate. While the crew tries to establish communication with Archer, T'Pol shares her age (65) with Tucker, informing him that some Vulcans believe that this information is intimate. In sickbay, Phlox mentions that the animals can sense that they are traveling within another ship and are upset by it. Phlox asks T'pol how is crew morale holding up. T'Pol tells him that losing a captain is not easy for any crew. Phlox agrees and states that they are all going to need time to heal. When T'Pol inquires about the well being of  Porthos, Archer's dog, Phlox said he will be fine in time. In an uncharacteristic gesture, T'Pol then comforts and pets Porthos for the loss of his best friend. When the ships near Earth, Enterprise leaves the Xindi vessel and sets a course for home. Hoshi -- despite Phlox's medical objections, insists on taking her station as they head home. Earth is soon within visual range, and the entire bridge crew stares in awe at the planet that they fought so hard for and that some of their shipmates gave their lives to save. Reed states that the captain would have been proud at this moment, as Tucker notes that Earth is the prettiest sight he has ever seen, and more importantly, it's in one piece. However things begin to take a strange turn when Hoshi is unable to raise Starfleet Command despite everyone expecting them to be waiting anxiously for news. Scans show that all the orbital platforms are missing and there is no communication with the Lunar One Colony either, despite all of their attempts. T'Pol sends Tucker and Mayweather in a shuttlepod to San Francisco to find out what is going on and at first everything looks fine. However, Mayweather detects three vessels approaching but, as they try to hail them, they hear metallic noises coming from their hull. Three World War II era airplanes, P-51 Mustangs, are flying toward them and firing at them. Meanwhile, in a Nazi medical camp, a Nazi officer requests to see a patient. A doctor takes the officer to the patient, a man that turns out to be Archer, badly burned. When the doctor asks if they recognize his uniform, an alien in Nazi uniform steps out of the shadows. 
<EOS>
Commander Trip Tucker and Ensign Travis Mayweather are piloting a shuttlepod toward Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco to discover why they have lost all communication with Earth since the destruction of the Xindi weapon. Their "first contact" comes in the form of an attack from a small formation of aircraft. Tucker attempts to contact the planes, but they refuse to answer and continue shooting. Mayweather recognizes the aircraft as P-51 Mustangs, World War II-era aircraft. He explains to Tucker that he has seen the same design of plane before at air shows. The aircraft seem to be breaking off, so Tucker looks for a landing area on the ground. However, the planes were simply making sure they wouldn't get hit by heavy anti-aircraft artillery being fired at the shuttlepod. When the shuttlepod's starboard engine is damaged, Tucker and Mayweather flee back to the orbiting Enterprise. Captain Jonathan Archer, having recovered from his wounds in a German field hospital, is being transported by the SS as a prisoner-of-war in the back of a Ford Model 51 truck, escorted by a BMW R75 motorcycle and a Wehrmacht army Volkswagen Kubelwagen. While Enterprise continues its orbit of Earth, communications officer Hoshi Sato is monitoring radio transmissions from the planet below. When the crew listens to a speech by Winston Churchill, Sato comments that the broadcast was made only thirty minutes ago. Malcolm Reed realizes they have traveled back in time two centuries. While T'Pol calmly suggests a check of the sensors, Tucker becomes aggravated. He argues that three .50 caliber bullets were just removed from the hull of Enterprise's shuttlepod. He has no doubt that the starship has traveled to the past, as bullets are no longer used on Earth in the 2150s. T'Pol explains that she is not disputing the fact that Enterprise has traveled in time. She is simply trying to find a way back to 2154. She repeats that a diagnostic on the ship's systems should be completed and instructs Reed to then check for anomalies. Mayweather suggests there may be a reason why Enterprise is in the past, a possibility which T'Pol will not rule out. Secretly, the Suliban leader Silik lurks stealthily through the corridors of Enterprise, camouflaged and undetected. On Earth, a Na'kuhl officer, Ghrath, wearing the uniform of an SS obersturmfuhrer reports to Vosk, his leader, that the Germans believe there are now more than five thousand resistance fighters. Ghrath attempts to explain Archer's escape by stating that the resistance is becoming better organized and more determined. Vosk is disappointed in the Na'kuhl officer and suggests that Ghrath should have ensured that the Starfleet captain was securely imprisoned. Vosk indicates that Archer was more than just another American prisoner and explains that he was carrying a communications device from the future. Ghrath suspects that Archer is a temporal agent, and promises that the captain will be recaptured soon. In the captain's ready room, Tucker arrives and apologizes to T'Pol for his earlier outburst. He believes the Vulcan was too busy for his outrage on the bridge, although T'Pol understands his reaction. Like her, Tucker had expectations of finally returning to Earth after Enterprise's perilous search for the Xindi weapon. T'Pol reveals that she had been looking forward to returning to Vulcan. When Tucker remembers that captain Archer always looked for positive aspects in a dour situation, T'Pol thinks the captain would have difficulty doing so in Enterprise's present circumstances but would try anyway. Reed enters and reports that the military dispatches picked up have told of battles being fought in Virginia and Ohio, which shouldn't be the case as the Nazis never made it to North America. The officers slowly grasp that they are in an alternate timeline, one in which events have digressed significantly from recorded history as they knew it. In sickbay, Phlox is trying to tempt Porthos into eating chicken liver with grated cheese, the dog's favorite meal. When he accepts that Porthos won't eat the food, he wonders if the dog would like to hear a Denobulan lullaby, then decides it is more likely that Porthos would prefer to enjoy a steak and heads toward sickbay's doors, with the intention of visiting Chef. Suddenly, Phlox is surprised when a strange, grotesque figure barges through the doors and falls into the doctor's arms. Although Phlox doesn't realize it, the figure is a severely deformed Daniels, the temporal agent from the 31st century. Meanwhile, Archer wakes up in the apartment of Alicia Travers, who is tending his wounds. She mistakes Archer for a sailor from the Enterprise, a WWII-era aircraft carrier bearing the same name, commenting that it sank in this timeline. Archer looks out of a window and sees Nazi soldiers as they patrol the barricaded, burning streets outside. When Travers informs Archer that he is in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, the captain realizes that there is something terribly wrong with the timeline. Later, in the US White House, which is draped with swastikas and guarded by German Jagdtiger tank destroyers, Vosk shows the German generalmajor a film of a Na'kuhl weapon, which uses a modulating plasma pulse to destroy a tank. The weapon, which Vosk refers to as a plasma rifle, requires a considerable amount of energy. Vosk implies that the weapon is from the future, where power is much more easily obtainable. The Na'kuhl submits requisition forms of materials which he needs. The lists include vast quantities of aluminum and carbon steel. The German general worries that the American military may be planning a counterattack against the Nazis. He notifies Vosk that the Germans have suffered difficulties in Africa and in Moscow, Russia. Vosk replies that the Na'kuhl weapon will ensure the Nazis are safe from any further insurrections and suggests the possibility of creating a water-based pathogen to wipe out all non-Aryans, supplanting the need for Nazi extermination camps. Vosk warns the German general to deliver the supplies which the Na'kuhl need, or their alliance will be dissolved. Aboard Enterprise, Phlox reports the findings of his analysis of Daniels to T'Pol. Portions of the time traveler's body have aged at extremely differing rates. Although Phlox has learned that Daniels is not suffering from an infection, the doctor finds it hard to make a diagnosis. He is surprised that his patient is still alive and doubts that Daniels will survive for longer than a day. T'Pol raises the possibility that Daniels is the reason for Enterprise's time displacement and that he may hold the answer to the crew's return to 2154. The Vulcan states that she must speak to the time traveler, who is currently unconscious. As several gangsters try to hide their identities from a group of nearby Nazi soldiers, they wander past a man whom the Nazis kill. The Germans force several other civilians into a large truck, as the gangsters enter a building. When Alicia Travers hears a heavy knock on the door of her apartment, she takes a gun to the door to ensure her safety. She realizes that the visitors are Sal and Carmine, two of the gangsters who watched the Nazis outside. Sal notifies Travers that their friend, Vic, was arrested a few hours ago and is probably being tortured. The Gestapo are clearing out entire buildings and shooting people on the street in their search for Archer. Sal demands to know why the Nazis' search is so important and why they are being so ruthless. Archer refuses to divulge his identity, citing the confidentiality of his assignment. Sal assumes that Archer is a member of the American military, an organization which didn't defend their own country. Sal worries that Vic might succumb to the Nazis' interrogation and fears for Travers' life, if she stays in her apartment. However, Travers refuses to leave her home. The gangsters exit, attempting to find more information about Vic. As T'Pol enters sickbay, Phlox tells her that Daniels has regained consciousness. When the time traveler asks where Archer is, T'Pol tells him that he died destroying the Xindi weapon. Daniels informs them that the Temporal Cold War is no longer a "cold" war -- it has become an all-out conflict, with temporal agents trying to alter history to their own side's advantage, leading to paradoxes and turbulence in the time stream. Daniels admits that Enterprise can't return to its own time, as it didn't exist in the same way that the crew knew it before they left. Before passing out, the time traveler insists that the crew "Stop him", but T'Pol doesn't know to whom Daniels is referring. On Earth, Ghrath informs Vosk that the Nazis are searching for Archer within a fifteen-mile radius of the area in which he escaped. They haven't found the captain, yet, although they did arrest several resistance fighters, who are now being interrogated. Ghrath suspects a particular member of the resistance of assisting with the ambush that resulted in Archer's freedom. Vosk tells the Na'kuhl officer that the Nazis have detected Enterprise and orders Ghrath to bring the suspected resistance fighter before the Na'kuhl leader. Meanwhile, Archer has changed from his Starfleet uniform into typical attire for the time period, which are Travers' husband's clothes. He and Travers sit down to eat a meal. Travers informs Archer that her husband, whom they were talking about previously, is aboard a destroyer in the Pacific Ocean. Travers stands up again, stating that the Nazis take all the good food. She recalls seeing a German tank when the Nazis first arrived in New York. She also recalls hearing a speech on the radio by the President, vowing to persevere, shortly before the American government evacuated Washington. Archer recognizes music in the background as a recording by Billie Holiday of "My Old Flame". Outside Travers' apartment, she tells Archer that the Nazis outlawed "colored music", which includes songs by Billie Holiday. However, some of Travers' neighbors pass around a phonograph, or record, between each house every night, so that the Germans won't find the recording. It is their way of telling the Germans off. When Archer asks Travers about the alien Nazi, a creature with gray skin and red eyes, he learns that Travers has heard similar stories about the alien from Sal. Archer thinks that these stories may actually be factual and asks Travers if she could contact Sal. In Enterprise's launch bay, Tucker discovers that the damaged shuttlepod's EPS conduit is "fried" and asks an engineering officer, Walsh, to retrieve a replacement EPS conduit from the injector assembly in engineering. As Tucker lies alone, attempting to repair the shuttlepod, a shadow crosses over his body. Alarmed, the engineer stands up and scans the launch bay. With a disruptor aimed at Tucker, Silik alerts the engineer to the presence of the Suliban leader. Although Silik explains that he didn't bring Enterprise back in time, he claims that the reason for the starship's travel through time is beyond Tucker's understanding. When he orders Tucker to get into the shuttlepod, the engineer is reluctant to do so. Eventually, Tucker acts as if he is about to climb aboard, shortly before he slams the shuttlepod's door onto Silik's hand. The two wrestle, with Tucker eventually attaining a hold around the Suliban's neck. However, using his shape-shifting abilities, Silik slides out of Tucker's grasp and stuns the engineer with the Suliban disruptor. On the bridge, Mayweather notices that a shuttlepod is being launched from the depressurized launch bay. When T'Pol orders Hoshi Sato to hail the craft, Reed detects a Suliban life sign aboard -- the only occupant of the shuttlepod. T'Pol, who is extremely alarmed at this news, orders Reed to fire Enterprise's phase cannons. In space, the shuttlepod avoids any serious damage from the starship's phase cannons and slowly descends into Earth's upper atmosphere. On a stairway leading down from the street to the Sixth Avenue subway line, Archer, Travers, and Carmine secretly meet to discuss the alien Nazi. Carmine agrees to let Sal know that Archer wants to talk with him. Carmine then offers Travers a hamburger, explaining that the Nazis are cutting the meat ration again, increasing the rarity -- and thus also the value -- of meat. Carmine tells Travers to be careful and walks away. As Archer and Travers leave after him, they pass a store called T. Purser Hardware and Plumbing. Travers explains to Archer that the Nazis have slowly decreased the amount of meat that they give to the American citizens. The Germans blame the members of the resistance for disrupting the food shipment, which makes the Nazis look like heroes, fighting to feed the American public. When Archer and Travers notice that two Nazis have spotted them, Travers tells Archer that eye contact with the Germans has been banned. Travers quickly discards the hamburger as the Nazis approach. As the Germans taunt Archer and Travers, the Starfleet captain responds to their questions with more assertiveness than Travers does. Eventually, the two Americans leave, Travers remarking that the neighborhood has worsened with the occupation of the Nazis. On the bridge of Enterprise in the situation room, T'Pol remembers Daniels' words -- "stop him". Tucker believes that the temporal agent was referring to Silik, who has escaped by disabling a transponder. However, Enterprise is detecting trace plasma signatures, probably from the minor damage that the starship's phase cannons caused. Reed believes he will be able to beam an away team to within three kilometers of where the shuttlepod landed. Tucker can't understand why Silik saved the engineer, when the Suliban could have depressurized the launch bay without removing Tucker from the room. Archer, Travers, Carmine, and Sal hide as an American automobile rushes through a nearby street. Sal notifies Archer that curfew starts in an hour. However, Travers adds that the Nazis don't always wait for curfew, as nearby gunshots resound. Carmine and Sal don't appreciate the fact that the Nazis now dominate areas which the gangsters used to own. When Travers hints that Sal and Carmine used to be loan sharks, Sal is reluctant to tell Archer. Sal claims that he and Carmine were delegates for the Construction Workers Union before the war. When Travers informs Archer of Sal and Carmine's criminal activities, Sal is eager to continue with Archer and the other resistance fighters. Later, Sal advises Archer not to believe too much of Joe Prazki's claims, as Prazki is a drunk and a welsher. Prazki informs Archer that a member of the Na'kuhl regularly seeks information from him, concerning both the resistance and the Gestapo. Because Prazki is not well-informed, he invents the stories he tells the Na'kuhl man, who always wears a hat to remain hidden. Prazki adds that he caught a glimpse of the man once, and saw that the man is an alien. The drunk is not willing to arrange a meeting with Archer and the alien until Sal offers him more money. When Prazki is still reluctant to set up the meeting, Sal threatens him. Using the transporter, Tucker and Mayweather beam into a forest near the location of the stolen shuttlepod, just outside New York City. Searching the area, they find artillery which the Nazis have been using. Tucker comments that the wooded area they have beamed into is very different from the Earth he and Mayweather are used to. When Commander Tucker detects a plasma signature, he and Mayweather start to head towards it. In a dark alley, Sal tells Archer he is certain that the resistance effort is succeeding. The gangster remarks at the diversity of people who have joined the effort and seems particularly impressed with the aiming accuracy of some of the women resistance fighters. Archer and Sal watch a Nazi dressed in a black fedora and trenchcoat round a corner and come into full view of the Americans. Sal hands Archer a loaded gun shortly before the captain heads towards the Nazi. Because Archer is wearing a cap, the Nazi, who can only see Archer's silhouette in the dark, assumes that the captain is Joe Prazki. When the alien realizes that the silhouette actually belongs to Archer, the Nazi raises his gun. Alicia, Sal, and Carmine intervene and force the alien to surrender. When they push the Nazi into a lit section of the alley, they found out that the Nazi is actually an alien in a black fedora and trenchcoat, Carmine is shocked at the Nazi's alien appearance. The "alien" is Ghrath. Meanwhile, Tucker and Mayweather have found the crashed shuttlepod, damaged and deserted. The Starfleet officers enter the craft and Tucker contacts Enterprise, unsure of whether the shuttlepod will be able to gain altitude. Elsewhere, Sal and Carmine discuss their shock at seeing the alien Nazi's appearance. While Archer searches Ghrath, the captain finds an alien communications device. He attempts to interrogate the Nazi, but Ghrath refuses to talk. Eventually, the alien informs Archer that the Na'kuhl know the captain is from the future and have detected Enterprise in Earth orbit. Ghrath claims that the Na'kuhl are trapped in 1944 and are using the help of the German Nazis to construct a time conduit to get back. When a siren begins blaring and the shuffle of soldier's boots approaches, Sal shoots the alien three times in the midsection, killing him, as Alicia and the men flee the scene. Satisfied that Tucker has adequately assessed the damage to the shuttlepod, he and Mayweather walk away from the craft. Tucker contacts Enterprise and notifies T'Pol that the shuttlepod won't be able to fly. On the bridge of the starship, Reed informs T'Pol that several vehicles are approaching Mayweather and Tucker. Tucker overhears Reed and reports that "Plan B" is in progress. The engineer is frustrated that Silik has not been found, but T'Pol assures Tucker that the Suliban leader will be caught. When Sal and Carmine begin to question if Archer is from the future, the captain tells them that he was born in upstate New York. Suddenly, Archer, Travers, Sal, and Carmine grow suspicious when they realize that many people are watching them in the dark. Suddenly, the Americans are ambushed by Nazi soldiers. Carmine escapes, but Sal is gunned down in the street by machine gun fire. Archer and Travers flee in a running gun battle down an alley. There, Archer frantically tries to contact Enterprise with Ghrath's communication device, while Travers tries to shoot the pursuing Nazis, screaming at Archer that the help he's calling for will never reach them in time. Meanwhile, Tucker has set up explosive charges in the shuttlepod, so that the Nazis won't be able to use the technology aboard the craft. A deployment of Nazi soldiers with Alsatian dogs approach, so Tucker and Mayweather hide. When the Nazis find and enter the shuttlepod, Tucker detonates the charges, causing the craft to explode. Mayweather and Tucker are chased down a hill by a Nazi vehicle and are soon surrounded. On the bridge of Enterprise, Malcolm reports that the damaged shuttlepod has been destroyed. Sato adds that the explosion of the shuttlepod has interrupted the starship's communication with the away team. However, she also picks up another signal -- although the transmission is weak. Intrigued, T'Pol orders it put on speakers -- and to the utter astonishment of everyone on the bridge, the voice on the other end is Captain Archer, having finally gotten through to the ship. However, Archer is pinned down in the alley as Vosk approaches, ordering the two Americans to surrender, which at which point they emerge from the shadows with their hands up. Just before Vosk reached them, however, Archer had been able to contact T'Pol and order a beam-out, and when Vosk informs Archer that they have much to discuss, the captain replies that there would be another time as he and Alicia are transported safely to the ship. Vosk furiously fires a machine gun at their previous location, realizing that Archer has escaped again. Materializing aboard Enterprise, Alicia is amazed at the capability of the transporter. When she wonders how the device works, Archer claims that the transporter is complicated. She asks Archer to promise her they won't have to go through it again. Together, they step off the transporter platform and head for the bridge. There, the crew welcomes back their captain, who asks a speechless T'Pol to brief him on Enterprise's situation. As T'Pol and the captain walk through a corridor, the Vulcan informs Archer that the away team destroyed the shuttlepod shortly before they went missing. The captain orders the continuation of the search for Tucker and Mayweather and shows T'Pol the Na'kuhl communication device. He wants her to disassemble the device and find out how to monitor the Nazis' transmissions. In sickbay, Daniels informs Archer that his main nemesis is Vosk, who must be destroyed, along with his time conduit, a massive device being built with 20th century technology. The Na'kuhl used a one-way stealth time travel device to travel to 1944 just before Daniels and his fellow agents could capture him and are now constructing the temporal conduit to return to their own time. Archer has been sent back to this point in time because it is here that Vosk can be stopped, in order to restore the proper timeline and erase the Temporal War from history. Uttering his final words -- "stop him", which the crew now understands refers to Vosk -- Daniels dies. On Earth, Vosk informs Tucker and Mayweather that the Nazis haven't managed to detain Captain Archer. The Na'kuhl leader prepares to question the Starfleet officers as potential temporal agents. Mayweather and Tucker are led out of the room, as Vosk tells their Nazi guards that he will be "supervising another test". Vosk walks through a long hall, which overlooks the massive time conduit, as production on the conduit continues posthaste. TO BE CONTINUED . . . 
<EOS>
A newsreel segment from 1944 shows Adolf Hitler as he visits a conquered New York City, getting a hero's parade through Times Square, touring the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, and receiving the keys to the city. The newsreel's commentator reports Hitler has pledged to eradicate the "financial profiteers" that have plagued America's economy since the 1920s. It may be Earth, 1944, but the timeline has been drastically changed in favor of the Nazis that were destined to lose the planet's Second World War. In the swastika-draped US White House, a German general continues to discuss the Nazis' occupation of America with Vosk, a 29th century Na'kuhl time traveler responsible for the corruption of the timeline. The general fears an imminent counter-offensive from the American resistance, a rumor that he argues is now fact. The Na'kuhl officer notices the general is holding an intelligence report in his hands. Vosk is offended when he learns that the Nazis have been spying on his people, including recent field tests of his squadron. In retaliation, he tells the general the Nazis will receive his squadron when he decides it is ready. Although the general retorts that Vosk's squadron is already prepared for deployment, the Na'kuhl leader replies that the Nazis' intelligence is mistaken. The general raises his voice in anger and throws the intelligence report on his desk, arguing that the Na'kuhl have promised to defend Germany yet they continually work to stall progress. Questioning Vosk's loyalty, the general tells the Na'kuhl officer that his people will not receive additional supplies until they have fulfilled their part in the alliance. Vosk imagines the devastation that the Na'kuhl's weapons, such as plasma cannons, could cause if the American resistance managed to steal them. When the Nazi general argues that Vosk's statements are treasonous, the Na'kuhl officer grows tired of the Human and threatens the general's very existence in history. Above Earth, Enterprise orbits the planet. Aboard the starship, Alicia Travers, an inhabitant of 1940s Earth, stands alone in Ensign Patricia O'Malley's quarters. As Captain Jonathan Archer enters the room, Travers looks at a picture of Ensign O'Malley with her friends. Archer tells Travers that the Ensign died at age 26 in a battle with a hostile species. Travers is upset when she learns that war still exists in the 22nd century, but the captain adds that the Humans who reside on Earth in the future live there in peace -- unfortunately, the same cannot be said about all of many species Humanity has encountered. Travers implies that she finds it hard to accept a reality that includes starships, aliens and time travelers. Archer realizes that she would more readily return to her homeworld than stay aboard Enterprise when it travels to the 22nd century. He offers to leave her anywhere on Earth and suggests that she may want to choose a place that the Germans have not invaded. However, Travers decides that she wants to remain in her neighborhood, where she can assist the resistance movement and help provide aid to the many people there who suffer every day under Nazi rule. The captain asks her to help him locate two of his missing crew members, Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather, and she promises to get the word out on the street. She appeals to Archer to destroy Berlin with Enterprise's weaponry, but the captain responds that he will use another way to stop the Nazi/Na'kuhl alliance. He informs Travers that the starship's shuttlepods are damaged, so she will have to use the vessel's transporter to return to Earth. Travers, with some reluctance, agrees. She wonders how the transporter works, but when Archer merely shrugs, she replies she has lost interest. On Earth, Vosk supervises a test of his temporal conduit. He agrees with one of his officers, Kraul, that the Na'kuhl's prisoners, Tucker and Mayweather, are not temporal agents. Although Vosk has arrived at that conclusion due to the level of the prisoners' technology, he believes that their presence in 1944 is not accidental. When the temporal conduit powers up, Vosk turns his attention to the device. The test fails when there is a surge in one of the conduit's power modules. Vosk instructs a technician to determine the problem and orders Kraul to ensure that the prisoners receive medical attention. At first, Kraul is puzzled but he soon leaves to carry out his duties. Later, two SS agents carry Tucker and Mayweather into a small holding cell. After undergoing demanding interrogation, the Humans are exhausted. Kraul enters and tells one of the SS agents to immediately bring a doctor to the holding cell. The agent exits the room, soon followed by Kraul and the remaining SS agent. As Tucker lies on the ground alongside an unconscious Mayweather, his blurred vision clears, although he is puzzled when he sees a strange silhouette of a humanoid figure stealthily creep on the ceiling above him. Soon, Tucker recognizes the figure is a Suliban agent as it falls directly onto him. Analyzing the radio transmissions of the time, Lieutenant Reed has assembled a "working history" for their current timeline. In the captain's ready room, Reed informs Archer and T'Pol that Vladimir Lenin was assassinated in 1916, preventing the Communist revolution in Russia. Without a strong Soviet Union, Hitler concentrated his attacks on the West, conquering Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and the Eastern USA in conquest after successive conquest. T'Pol reminds Archer the Na'kuhl only arrived a few years ago, leading the captain to conclude that they were not responsible for Lenin's assassination. She speculates the assassin may have been working for a different faction in the Temporal Cold War, as suggested by Daniels, a temporal agent who had helped the crew of Enterprise on several occasions. Archer speculates that this might still be indirectly related to the Na'kuhl's being there. From the bridge, communications officer Hoshi Sato contacts Archer and tells him Vosk is hailing the Starfleet vessel. Once the captain, T'Pol and Reed make their way to the bridge, Archer talks with the Na'kuhl leader. Vosk tells the Human that he wishes to discuss the condition of his prisoners in a neutral location. He urges Archer to meet him in a remote area outside New York City. Vosk notifies the captain he will have five men with him -- the two prisoners and three of his own officers. Archer makes his objections clear, fearing for the safety of the prisoners and recalling that Vosk attempted to kill him two hours ago. The Na'kuhl leader replies, "the situation has changed," and sends Enterprise the coordinates of his suggested meeting place. Vosk asks Archer to be there in one hour if the captain is interested and ends his transmission. Sato's console signals that the ship has received Vosk's coordinates. Later, Archer beams down to a wooded embankment on Earth with two MACOs. The captain is puzzled that Vosk is nowhere to be seen, but a Nazi Dodge WC63 truck soon arrives on a road above the embankment. Vosk steps out of the truck with two armed SS officers and claims he is pleased to see Archer again. Upon Archer's request, Vosk orders an SS officer to bring Tucker and Mayweather out of the Nazi truck. The prisoners seem puzzled to find their captain alive; the crew of Enterprise believed Archer died due to the fact he was aboard the Xindi weapon when it was destroyed. When Tucker indicates that he and Mayweather have been treated harshly by their Nazi captors, Vosk apologizes. He explains his troops' perception of Tucker and Mayweather was mistaken. Archer sends the two officers back to Enterprise, using a communicator to contact the ship. Once they beam up to the vessel, Vosk comments he is slightly confused. The primitive technology Archer and his officers use suggests they have not developed time travel yet, although they obviously traveled to the past because their technology is more advanced than that of the 20th century. In response, Archer reveals his crew had assistance from the future. Vosk claims he expected as much and asks what Archer knows about him. The captain is aware that Vosk is stranded in 1944, has made a deal with the Nazis and is attempting to build a time machine with German supplies to return to the 29th century. Although Vosk's belief that Archer is a time traveler was mistaken, the Na'kuhl leader has now learned that the Human is working for temporal agents. Archer explains his motive for helping them -- he fears that Vosk will initiate a war that will destroy the timeline if he manages to return to the 29th century. The Na'kuhl leader argues that Archer's view is biased, as he has only heard the temporal agents' version and not the Na'kuhl's. Vosk claims that the temporal agents are an oppressive faction in the Temporal Cold War that dictate their own rules to many cultures throughout history. Although Archer believes they enforce the Temporal Accords and work to protect the timeline from alterations, Vosk disputes this, stating that they manipulate and interfere with the timeline to suit their own needs. When Vosk remarks the temporal agents have an agenda, Archer retorts that the Na'kuhl also have a plan that they adhere to. However, Vosk answers that, unlike the temporal agents, the Na'kuhl do not attempt to hide their intentions. He admits he does not agree with the concept of the Temporal Accords, believing that time travel is a technology that can be used to improve the cultures and societies of all species. Archer wonders about the identity of the person or people who would decide the extent of the "improvements", but Vosk refuses to enter a philosophical debate with the captain. The Na'kuhl leader attempts to persuade Archer by offering to send Enterprise back to the 22nd century, but the Captain thinks that the changes in the timeline will severely alter his own time period. However, Vosk promises to restore the timeline after the Na'kuhl defeat the temporal agents. He adds that his people are extremely limited by the undeveloped technology on Earth and comments that the resources aboard Enterprise will greatly aid the Na'kuhl in their victory against the temporal agents. Vosk urges Archer to return to his ship, reunite with Tucker and Mayweather and consider Vosk's offer. In Enterprise's sickbay, Doctor Phlox informs Archer that Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather are not seriously injured. As the Denobulan doctor scans Tucker, the Commander asks Archer whether he made a deal with Vosk. The captain responds that Vosk believes the crew are considering his offer. Phlox seems slightly startled as he shows the result of the scan to Archer. The captain realizes that Tucker is not who he appears to be; a shapeshifting alien intruder has switched places with Tucker and taken the commander's identity. When Archer asks about what the intruder saw on Earth, the alien responds that he and Mayweather were in a large building, possibly a factory, and that the Na'kuhl are building a large construction with help from the Germans. Phlox quietly activates a companel on a bulkhead. Mayweather tells Archer that he overheard a group of Na'kuhl speaking about a "temporal conduit", a device the ensign correctly suspects is a time machine. Archer notifies the two officers that Daniels transported the crew of Enterprise back to 1944 in an attempt to stop the Na'kuhl from building their time machine and using it to return to their own period. Archer notices that Phlox is no longer using the companel. The captain confronts Tucker, stating that a protective energy shield around the temporal conduit is proving to be problematic. Realizing that Archer is aware of his real identity, the alien intruder struggles with the captain while still using the disguise of Commander Tucker. Mayweather seems extremely puzzled when the fight breaks out. Eventually, Archer holds the intruder tightly around the waist, but the alien uses its shapeshifting ability to slide out of Archer's grasp and kicks the captain against a shelving cabinet. The alien runs to a door and escapes from the confines of sickbay. However, the intruder doesn't manage to run far through a corridor outside before it is shot by two MACOs. Shortly after it falls face-down on the ground, Archer exits from sickbay and turns the body over. The facial features of Commander Tucker morphs into the alien's true identity -- the Suliban agent Silik. Ensign Mayweather runs out of sickbay and is shocked to see the Suliban aboard Enterprise once again. In a darkened room on Earth, Alicia Travers tends to an American resistance fighter's injured leg. The resistance fighter, Carmine, is a gangster and Travers' friend. His leg is in a bandage that Travers is carefully attempting to remove. When she asks who dressed the bandage, she is disappointed to hear the answer is Nicky Giorgo, a mechanic who she believes should only stick to repairing cars. Travers remarks that the injury doesn't look infected and Carmine adds that he could have been as badly injured as their friend, Sal. Like Carmine, Sal is also a resistance fighter and gangster. They were fleeing from Nazis when Sal was shot in the back. Travers indicates her amazement that Carmine managed to escape. Although she and Archer were with Sal and Carmine at first, they separated when the Nazis came. While Sal was injured, Archer and Travers ran into a nearby alley and Carmine stayed behind to shoot some of the Nazis. Carmine gasps in pain as Travers continues to tend to his wound. He informs her of a rumor he has heard -- when the soldiers cornered Archer and Travers in the alley, they disappeared into thin air, like ghosts. In reality, they were beamed aboard Enterprise by the starship's transporter, but Travers claims that there is no truth to the rumor. Carmine reveals he didn't believe the rumor, but he also did not believe in "Nazi Martians", the term he uses for the Na'kuhl, until he saw Ghrath, a Na'kuhl officer. Carmine removes a communicator from one of his pockets and asks Travers what the device does. Travers is angry when she learns Carmine must have searched through her jacket to retrieve the communicator. Carmine answers that he was looking for a cigarette. When he repeats his question, Travers tells him that the device is a radio, but Carmine responds that the communicator does not look like any radio he has ever seen. Instead, he opines that it resembles a device Archer took from Ghrath in their meeting before fleeing from the Nazis. Travers grabs the communicator from Carmine and reveals that Archer gave her the device to contact him. Although Carmine inquires about Archer's location, Travers does not answer, even considering her long and close relationship with Carmine and the other members of the American resistance. As Carmine persists, however, Travers learns that she may have to disclose the truth about Archer and his ship that is capable of traveling to different worlds. In Enterprise's brig, Silik paces around his cell. Archer enters and questions the Suliban about Tucker's whereabouts, and about a disc Silik had that contains technical schematics of Vosk's facility, including the temporal conduit. Archer theorizes that Silik came to 1944 to retrieve the disc. When the Suliban refuses to answer Archer's questions, the captain enters Silik's cell. The captain knows about a man from the 28th century who the Suliban Cabal are in contact with and who occasionally lends assistance to the Cabal, such as giving them genetic improvements. However, the Suliban's benefactor can only project his image to the 22nd century and cannot travel there himself. Archer thinks the man requires the disk to enable him to travel into the past. The captain believes the man discovered his enemy, Daniels, was sending Enterprise to 1944. According to Archer's theory, the man ordered Silik, a senior officer in the Cabal, to sneak aboard the starship, infiltrate Vosk's compound and send the disk to the future. Silik laughs at the captain's theory, and asks how Archer thinks the Suliban would be able to send the disk to the future. Archer suggests that Silik's return to Enterprise indicates that the Suliban needs the starship in order to complete his mission. Silik comments that he is impressed by Archer's theorizing, but does not reveal whether any of the Captain's assumptions are correct. Although Archer did not expect the Suliban to reveal the answers, Silik reminds the captain that he still does not know where Tucker is. Archer grabs Silik around the throat and forces the Suliban against a bulkhead. Archer guesses Silik abandoned Tucker inside Vosk's compound, and that Tucker is still there. The captain threatens Silik that he will pay the consequences if Tucker is dead. Silik judges that Archer has changed during Enterprise's intense search for the Xindi weapon in the Delphic Expanse. Releasing Silik, Archer states that those changes are not necessarily improvements. The captain leaves the cell while Silik stares after him. In a small, darkened service conduit in Vosk's compound, Tucker regains consciousness. He lies on the floor in a room that has a single door with a small window that lets in a little amount of light. A glass lamp shines from a wall near one of the many vertical pipes that line the walls. Tucker's hands are bound together, as are his feet. Occasionally, he hears German voices as Nazis pass the other side of the door. Using his hands, he unties the bonds at his ankles. He stands and continues to look around the room. Meanwhile, Na'kuhl technicians work in a computer control room, preparing the temporal conduit for operation. Vosk is in contact with Enterprise, telling Archer that the disk contains a large amount of data from the Na'kuhl's computer system. Vosk mentions that the Na'kuhl found trace amounts of bioresidue, indicating that the thief is from the 22nd century. Archer informs Vosk the thief is Suliban and is a stowaway aboard Enterprise. Vosk admits that the Na'kuhl have previously encountered the Suliban and asks to speak with the thief. Archer refuses and also reveals that his crew is analyzing the disc. Vosk demands the disc be returned and threatens the captain that a Na'kuhl plasma cannon is currently being focused on Enterprise. In response, Archer announces his starship has phase cannons aimed at Vosk's facility. When Vosk asks Archer to accept his offer, the captain refuses. The Na'kuhl leader ends his transmission, angrily turns to a Na'kuhl technician and nods. The technician interprets the gesture as an order to activate the plasma cannon. On the roof of Vosk's facility, the weapon, decorated with several swastikas, is raised out of the ground on a platform. It fires green bolts of plasma into the atmosphere. Aboard Enterprise, the bridge shudders violently and sparks fly from the tactical station. Archer orders Reed to fire back at the compound, but the shields protecting the facility remains in place. Taking heavy damage from the continual attacks, the captain instructs Mayweather to maneuver the vessel up to a higher orbit, out of range of the plasma cannon. On Earth, a Na'kuhl technician reports this new development to Vosk. The Na'kuhl leader turns to see Kraul, who cautions his superior that they required resources from Enterprise. However, Vosk answers that they will use the technology on Earth to complete their task. The Na'kuhl leader directs Kraul to resume his duties. Vosk turns his back to the Na'kuhl officer as Kraul walks away. On board Enterprise, Reed notifies Captain Archer the ship's engines are seriously damaged and the weapons systems are not functioning. Archer orders Reed to begin repairs and walks over to the science station. He tells T'Pol to examine the disc and to determine a means of disabling the shields that surround Vosk's facility. In the brig, Silik continues to pace to and fro. Archer enters the Suliban's cell, admitting he has realized that he and Silik are pursuing the same goal. Archer intends to join forces with the Suliban to kill Vosk and destroy the temporal conduit. Although Silik informs the captain that he doesn't care what happens to Commander Tucker, he agrees to help Archer because he wants Vosk to fail. However, Silik raises one concern he has -- to enter Vosk's compound the first time, Silik used his genetic enhancements. Obviously, Archer does not have Silik's ability to alter his appearance and the captain's presence will mean that Silik will not be able to properly disguise himself. The captain assures the Suliban that they will find another means of entering the facility. Together, they exit Silik's cell. As they walk through a corridor, Silik and the captain are dressed in clothing that is typical of the time period of the 1940s. T'Pol shows Archer a procedure of using a console to deactivate the energy shields surrounding the Na'kuhl facility. She notes that the data disc was extremely helpful in devising a strategy to shut down the shields, to which Silik sarcastically replies "You're welcome." The captain instructs T'Pol to destroy the facility ten minutes after the shields come off-line, to allow Archer and Silik ample time to escape. Although T'Pol mentions that the starship's targeting array is not responding and opines that Tucker would be able to assist Enterprise, Archer responds that the crew will have to try their best with the resources available to them. In case the need arises, the captain gives T'Pol permission to maneuver the ship extremely close to the compound and fire directly at the temporal conduit. She indicates that she understands her orders, as Archer and Silik step onto the transporter platform. T'Pol wishes them good luck before she activates the transporter and beams Archer and Silik down to the surface of Earth. Meanwhile, in Vosk's office, the Na'kuhl leader sits at his desk and analyzes several papers as Kraul stands at his side. The German general approaches the desk and reports three divisions of American forces have crossed the Ohio River and two American divisions are advancing from the south towards Washington -- the American forces have initiated their counter-offensive. Hitler has ordered Vosk's squadron to immediately be transferred to Luftwaffe regional command. The general seems pleased to announce that he has been given responsibility of the squadron's deployment. As he stands, Vosk argues that his squadron consists of weapons too complex to be operated by untrained officers. Pressed by the general to transfer the squadron, Vosk demands six hours to prepare the airplanes that will transport the weapons. The German general leaves, frustrated at the delay. After the general has exited the room, Vosk notifies Kraul that he plans to activate the temporal conduit before six hours have passed, returning to the 29th century and leaving the timeline corrupted forever. Kraul reminds Vosk that the Na'kuhl have experienced trouble in their attempts to open a stable conduit, but Vosk replies it is their destiny to return to their own time period. In the dark service conduit where Tucker is imprisoned, he has managed to loop his bound arms around an exposed pipe in the room and is busy climbing up it. Near the top, he kicks and breaks a small lamp, plunging the room into an even deeper darkness. Tucker clambers back to the ground and starts to use a shard of glass from the broken lamp to slice through the bonds around his wrists. Silik, who now appears Human, follows Archer through the darkened streets of New York City at night. When they hear gunfire from somewhere nearby, they quietly hurry away from the noise. As they walk, the Suliban indicates he was surprised at the aggressive behavior of 20th century Humans when he arrived on Earth. He explains that he believed every Human was as peaceful as the crew of Enterprise, the only Humans he had encountered before coming to Earth of 1944. Still, even in the 22nd century, Silik believes that Humans are capable of taking action when it is required of them. He believes Archer's handling of the Xindi threat is an example and the reason that Daniels chose the captain to stop Vosk. Archer and Silik hide in a doorway as a Nazi truck passes. Waiting until the truck has disappeared from sight, Archer wonders why Vosk and Silik have never formed an alliance to defeat Daniels. However, Silik replies the Na'kuhl leader only cares about his own people and would never join forces with another species, as he considers them inferior. Silik tells Archer the Na'kuhl once traveled to the past and attempted to prevent the Suliban from becoming sentient, but the temporal agents allied with Daniels prevented the eradication of Silik's people. Silik and Archer continue on their way. Although Archer is surprised that the Suliban owe Daniels and his allies for saving them, Silik states the two factions will always be enemies. Archer and the Suliban stop when they see several men in the dark. As Silik and the captain approach the men, Archer tells them that they are looking for Alicia Travers. From behind the men, Travers and Carmine walk towards their visitors. Alicia comments that Archer "just missed Billie Holiday" and Carmine asks if the Captain is still hunting Martians or if he is now searching for the Loch Ness monster. Aboard Enterprise, the crew learn of the American counter-attack. Hoshi Sato tels T'Pol that she is detecting many orders being issued over radio, in both English and German voices. From his station, Lieutenant Reed reports heavy bombing, primarily focused on Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern Virginia. He suspects the fighting may be an allied attack and tells T'Pol that the bombs are being dropped too far from New York City to harm Captain Archer. Left in command of the ship, the Vulcan plans to join the battle. However, Enterprise is heavily damaged and the targeting array is useless, meaning that Reed will not be able to aim at anything. On Earth, Archer is telling Carmine he intends to destroy Vosk's compound. He explains that the Nazis are using the facility to build weapons of mass destruction. Carmine relates to Archer that Travers informed him of the captain's true identity and told him that Enterprise is also equipped with powerful armaments. He adds that he found the information hard to believe. Giving Archer his complete attention, Silik wonders why he and the captain need the 20th century Humans when he can't understand how they will help to destroy Vosk. Insulted by Silik's remarks, Carmine threatens to punch him, but Archer and Travers are able to break up the argument. Carmine is reluctant to assist Archer after seeing how Sal was so badly injured helping him. Travers confirms she will help Archer and tells Carmine the only decision he has to make now is whether to help her. Facing the temporal conduit, Na'kuhl scientists and officers observe Vosk as he makes a speech. He quotes the greatest Na'kuhl scientist to ever live and promises that his people will soon make their journey back to the 29th century. Meanwhile, an American automobile rams through the front security gate of Vosk's compound. As the car comes to a halt, Nazi officers take their positions. They start to fire their weapons as Carmine and another gangster step out of the vehicle. As the battle continues, Archer and Silik make their way down a nearby alley. Using a phase-pistol, Archer shoots the guards they encounter on their way. When they reach the end of the alley, they come to a door that can only be opened from the other side. Silik uses his biological enhancements to slip through a narrow grating next to the door. When the Suliban is completely on the other side, Archer moves to peer through the grating. Elsewhere, the battle between the gangsters and the Nazis is going badly. Carmine orders a retreat, outnumbered by the Nazi soldiers, but the gangster is relieved when a second car arrives, providing valuable reinforcements. When Travers exits the vehicle, Carmine mentions he is pleased to see her. Travers acknowledges Carmine's remark and joins the fight against the Nazis. Outside the entrance to Vosk's compound, Archer regains his breath. The door opens and Silik motions the captain to enter the building. Archer moves quickly inside and quietly closes the door. Meanwhile, Kraul reports the battle to Vosk, commenting that the Nazis are unsure of how many Americans are attacking the compound. Vosk remarks the incident is fortunate for the Na'kuhl. He instructs Kraul to ignore the American insurgents, as the Germans will deal with the threat, and to continue preparing the temporal conduit. In a corridor inside the building, Archer contacts Enterprise, notifying T'Pol that he and Silik have gained access to the facility. He adds that they are moving towards the console that will bring down the shields surrounding the compound. The captain hears T'Pol state that Enterprise's targeting array is still not functional, making it necessary for the starship to move further into Earth's atmosphere. When she asks Archer if he and Silik have managed to find Tucker, the captain replies negatively but assures her that they mean to locate him after they deactivate the shields. Archer ends the transmission as he and Silik reach the console. The Suliban moves to a corner to watch for approaching guards as Archer begins his work. Soon, however, Silik runs back to the captain and tells him to hide. Na'kuhl technicians walk past without detecting their presence, but as he stands, Silik hears the temporal conduit being activated. He turns his attention to Archer and tells the captain to work quickly. Reading from a scanner, the captain types a sequence of keys on the console. When he has finished his work, he deactivates the scanner. However, he and Silik are shocked when they hear alarms sound overhead. Aboard Enterprise, Reed informs T'Pol that Archer was successful. The Vulcan orders Ensign Mayweather to break orbit of Earth and maneuver the ship closer to the planet's surface. In Vosk's facility, two Nazi guards have been alerted to the presence of intruders. They fire machine-guns at Archer and Silik, who hide behind barrels. The captain waits for the right time before he peers around the barrels and shoots one of the guards with his phase-pistol. The Nazi officer falls to the ground, but the remaining guard continues his attack. Aboard Enterprise, the senior officers wait as the bridge shudders around them. Above a layer of cloud, the spacecraft heads towards the light of Earth's sun, Sol, slowly descending through the atmosphere of the Minshara class planet. As Archer continues to defend himself and Silik behind a group of barrels in Vosk's compound, the Suliban asks for a weapon. The captain responds that he only has one weapon -- the phase-pistol he is already using. Paying close attention to the two Nazi officers shooting at him, Archer loses track of Silik. However, the Suliban soon jumps from the top of the barrels and expertly attacks the Nazis. Believing that the two soldiers are dead, Silik walks back to Archer, but another Nazi enters from an open door directly behind Silik and shoots him twice in the back. The Suliban falls to the ground, experiencing intense agony. Although Archer shoots the Nazi in return, Silik is seriously wounded and lies on the ground, breathing heavily as he resumes his Suliban appearance. In another room of the compound, Kraul informs his leader that Enterprise has entered Earth's atmosphere. Vosk permits the officer to use the plasma cannon, but the weapon would need too much power to be operated. Vosk then gives the order to send his squadron of airplanes to destroy the starship, but the German general immediately enters with two Nazi guards. The general refuses to allow the squadron to be deployed, arguing that the planes are to be transferred to the front line. Although Vosk instructs the General to follow his commands, the German officer still ignores his orders. When the general relieves Vosk of command of the facility, the Na'kuhl leader shoots the Nazi. The general's two guards attempt to fire their own weapons, but they are killed by a Na'kuhl officer before they succeed. On the ground in front of Vosk, the general groans in pain. The Na'kuhl leader apologizes for having to end their alliance and kills the German general. Meanwhile, Archer desperately struggles to contact Enterprise. Silik, who remains on the ground, believes the starship can't receive the captain's signal due to the ionization in the atmosphere. Archer ensures the Suliban they will find a way out of Vosk's facility together, but Silik doubts the captain's sentiment is likely. The Suliban chokes and states that Archer has been "a worthy opponent". As he continues to suffer in pain, Silik tells the captain he would have preferred to have died in battle with Archer, but as he must concede to the reality of his actual death, fighting at Archer's side was an acceptable alternative. Silik's entire body then freezes. For a moment, Archer rests a hand on the Suliban's shoulder before he hurries to escape Vosk's compound. He stops running when he sees Commander Tucker, who promptly points a gun in his face. At first, Archer is mystified, but when an enraged Tucker threatens Silik with dire consequences should he keep up this disguise, the captain responds that this is not a good idea, and upon looking over and seeing the Suliban's dead body, the commander's anger turns to amazement as it dawns on him that Archer truly is alive. In disbelief, Tucker stumbles forward to embrace Archer, who tells the commander that the building is about to explode and leads him out of Vosk's facility. On Enterprise's bridge, Lieutenant Reed notifies T'Pol that the vessel is 100 kilometers from the Na'kuhl compound. With the targeting scanners continuing to malfunction, Reed activates his station's visual scanners. T'Pol instructs Mayweather to decrease the craft's velocity to 200 kph. When a console at Reed's station begins to signal, the lieutenant informs T'Pol that a group of aircraft are approaching from a base north of New York City. Outside Vosk's compound, the American resistance fighters are still shooting at Nazis. When Carmine notices Archer and Tucker attempting to escape from the building, he tells a gangster called Nicky to shield the Starfleet officers from harm until they are safe. Nicky runs forward and shoots at the Nazis until Archer and Tucker can get past. With Archer safely behind one of the automobiles, the captain advises Carmine to order a retreat, but the gangster claims he is "having too much fun" -- however, when Archer informs Carmine that the destruction of the building is imminent and they should get to safety, Carmine pays attention to the captain's words and directs the gangsters to withdraw from the battle. Together with Carmine and the resistance fighters, Archer runs to the back of the car farthest away from the Nazis. There, the Starfleet captain says goodbye to Alicia Travers for the second time. He promises he will try to reset the timeline to the way things were for Alicia, living in her old neighborhood with her husband. When Archer thanks Travers, Carmine attracts the captain's attention and indicates he is happy to help. The captain gazes up at Carmine and smiles. Suddenly, a squadron of planes passes high in the sky directly above them. Aboard Enterprise, Reed identifies the planes as German Stukas. The lieutenant recalls that the planes don't pose much of a threat and are fitted with sirens intended to frighten the enemy during an assault. When Reed seems to become too engrossed in the fact that the planes fire 7.92-millimeter rounds, T'Pol draws the lieutenant's attention back to reality. Reed tells the Vulcan that Vosk's facility is still too far away from Enterprise for him to target it. However, in the skies above Manhattan, the German dive-bombers begin to attack Enterprise using Na'kuhl technology. Following several explosions on the bridge of the Starfleet ship, T'Pol concludes that the planes seem to be equipped with more highly-advanced weaponry than simple bullets and sirens. Captain Archer enters from a turbolift and gives Reed a command to ready photonic torpedoes. On Earth, the temporal conduit's internal machinery pulses like a warp core. In the control room, Vosk watches his time machine stabilize. Kraul notes that the temporal conduit is holding. At the science station on Enterprise's bridge, T'Pol detects a massive power surge emanating from the interior of Vosk's compound. Archer grows impatient, interpreting the surge as an indication that the temporal conduit is active, but Reed reports that Enterprise is still one kilometer away from the facility. Meanwhile, the battle rages between the starship and German Stukas. On Earth, Vosk approaches the temporal conduit, uttering a single word -- "Destiny". Aboard Enterprise, Reed targets the facility and Archer orders him to destroy it. Above the New York skyline, the starship swoops down and fires three torpedoes at Vosk's compound, causing the building to explode. The Na'kuhl shouts as his face becomes distorted in the temporal conduit. Communications officer Hoshi Sato picks up signals from the Lunar One Colony and multiple orbital platforms, indicating that Enterprise is indeed in the right time, as well as in the right place. A makeshift armada of vessels rushes out to greet Enterprise, swooping protectively around her, surrounding the battered but unbeaten ship in a victory formation as they head home to an ever-grateful Earth. 
<EOS>
Carrying the senior officers of the Enterprise NX-01, a shuttlepod swoops down from orbit to the Bay Stadium, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. A ceremony celebrating Enterprise's success in the Delphic Expanse pays tribute to the heroic crew, although Captain Jonathan Archer says in a speech that it's important to remember the heroes who didn't make it back, the 27 crewmates who died on the mission without whom none of them would have made it home alive. A crowd of thousands gratefully applauds their efforts which saved Earth from the Xindi weapon. Archer, dressed in civilian clothes, walks into a bar and meets up with Erika Hernandez. She is not only Archer's former love interest, she is also a Starfleet captain, preparing to command the upcoming Columbia NX-02. The two discuss the upcoming debriefing and how the people of Earth have been waiting at knife-point for the last year, not knowing if the Xindi would return and succeed in destroying the planet. On Enterprise, which is undergoing an extensive repair and refit, Commander Trip Tucker enters T'Pol's quarters and mulls his options for shore leave -- with his hometown in Florida destroyed, he has nowhere to go. T'Pol invites him to join her on a trip to Vulcan, which she hasn't visited in many years; Tucker accepts, leaving to pack his bags. Archer visits Hernandez aboard Columbia, still being prepared for its maiden voyage. He recommends she make several changes to the ship before leaving, based on his starship experience. Archer notes the ship's new weapons upgrades, recalling how he once naively opposed weapons on Enterprise to the designer of the NX-class, Captain Jefferies, as they might deter from any first contact missions. As Archer is debriefed by Starfleet Command and the Vulcan High Command, the topic drifts to the trellium-infected Vulcan ship Seleya encountered by Enterprise in the Expanse. When Ambassador Soval insinuates that Archer destroyed the vessel without doing enough to help the delusional crew, Archer becomes outraged, blaming the High Command for not providing enough assistance in their mission, saying that he received more help from the Andorians than from the Vulcans. Admiral Forrest later chews Archer out for his behavior, and the captain refuses to apologize. Forrest suspends the debriefing and forcefully orders Archer to take some time off to clear his mind. Back on Enterprise, Doctor Phlox, toting a large array of travel bags for his vacation on Earth, is warned by Lieutenant Malcolm Reed about the heightened level of xenophobia on Earth in the aftermath of the Xindi attack; Phlox dismisses the warnings and continues to the surface. In a beautiful wilderness retreat, as Archer prepares to go rock climbing, Captain Hernandez suddenly appears, offering to join him, to Archer's chagrin. Arriving on Vulcan, T'Pol leads Tucker into the house where she grew up. Her mother T'Les greets them, surprised to see that T'Pol has brought a guest -- a Human guest, moreover. She informs T'Pol that she has "retired" from her teaching position at the Science Academy. She also shows T'Pol a letter from Koss, T'Pol's fiancee since childhood; however, much to her mother's chagrin, T'Pol expresses no interest in seeing Koss. High up in the hills, Archer and Hernandez discuss his new hero status, Starfleet politics, personnel issues, and encounters made by Enterprise in the past three years. Herself eager to explore the galaxy, Hernandez finds Archer a significantly changed man, not as "gung ho" about space exploration as he once was. Early the next morning, T'Pol awakens Tucker at four o'clock so that they, as guests in the household, can prepare the morning meal. While eating, T'Les is unhappy with many of the changes she notices in her daughter, such as T'Pol's unwillingness to marry Koss as well as her plans to join Starfleet. In a bar on Earth, crewmates Reed, Ensign Travis Mayweather and Phlox enjoy their new-found celebrity, until they are confronted by a nasty bar patron exhibiting the very xenophobia they had heard of. When the man strongly urges Phlox to leave the establishment, Reed and Mayweather come to their friend's defense; a brawl ensues. During the fight, Phlox expands his face to three times its normal size, an instinctive defensive posture, scaring away the troublemakers. Afterward, Phlox calmly munches on a pretzel. T'Les confronts Tucker about being in love with her daughter, a point he reluctantly concedes. As he adjusts a field generator to fix T'Les'  Stasis box, Tucker answers a knock on the front door; it is Koss, asking to speak to T'Pol. When alone with T'Pol, Koss expresses his interest in going forward with the marriage, for traditional reasons more than anything else. T'Pol tries desperately to dissuade him, hinting at her sickness, even suggesting the kal-if-fee, a fight to the death -- to no avail. Koss tells T'Pol that if she goes forward with their marriage, he will have T'Les reinstated at the Science Academy, hinting that her retirement wasn't voluntary. When T'Pol asks her mother about the circumstances of her retirement, T'Les reveals that she retired to halt an inquiry into her alleged criminal behavior; the trumped up charges were retribution for T'Pol's actions which partially led to P'Jem's destruction. Since T'Pol was aboard Enterprise and untouchable, the Vulcan High Command punished her mother instead. Back in the mountains, Archer has a frightening dream, in which he is attacked on the mountainside by Xindi-Reptilians and is thrown off the mountain by them. Awakening with a start, he admits his guilt over some of his actions while in the Expanse and feels like he lost something, no longer feeling like the explorer he was three years ago when Enterprise first launched. Hernandez offers to help, kissing Archer, and rekindling their romance. T'Pol gives Tucker a tour of a Vulcan lava field, which resembles Earth's Grand Canyon, yet with giant statues ringing the valley. Tucker offers to show her sights of Earth to return the favor. Afterwards, she tells him of her plans to go forward with the marriage to Koss in order to restore her mother's position; Tucker angrily storms off. Back on Enterprise, Phlox informs Hoshi Sato that the Xindi neural parasites that Dolim injected her with are almost completely gone from her brain. To celebrate, she invites him to Madame Chang's for their famous egg drop soup, but he pretends to be too busy caring for an ailing osmotic eel. Having spoken to Mayweather about the bar fight, she knows the true cause of his reluctance to return to the planet's surface. She urges him to stand up to the prejudice; when he sadly declines to join her, she promises to bring him take-out. Once Archer and Hernandez return from their climbing trip, Archer continues the debriefing at Starfleet Headquarters. After it is concluded, he apologizes to Soval for his prior outburst. Soval, who opposed Archer's appointment to Enterprise, now acknowledges that he was in error; while some of the captain's actions were morally questionable, he argues, they were necessary to save Earth, as well as Vulcan. Remarkably out of character for a Vulcan, Soval thanks Archer, shaking his hand in friendship. Tucker has donned T'Pol's father's Vulcan attire for the wedding ceremony. At the last minute, T'Les urges Tucker to divulge his true feelings to her daughter; Tucker declines, reasoning that T'Pol already has enough pressure on her as it is. Stunned at his selflessness which reveals the depth of his love, T'Les walks away, wondering herself if T'Pol is really doing the right thing or not. Arriving at the ceremony, Tucker compliments T'Pol on her beautiful purple wedding gown; kissing him delicately on the cheek, she proceeds to the ceremony, as Tucker stands near, quietly and regretfully watching the wedding. 
<EOS>
While on patrol in the Borderland, an area of space between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey discovers a transport shuttle containing two Human bio-signs. While the two Humans are being escorted to the brig, they attack and murder the entire crew. Back on Earth, Dr. Arik Soong sits in his prison cell, working on plans for improvements of the Human genome. At that time, Jonathan Archer visits. After Soong reveals his sarcastic and pretentious personality, Archer tells Soong about the Bird-of-Prey. According to Archer, it was attacked by Augments whose DNA matched ones that Soong stole from a medical facility when they were embryos twenty years before. He raised the children as his own, and never revealed their location. They have been left alone since they were 10. Soong is removed from prison and is to work on board Enterprise, which is fully repaired from its mission in the Delphic Expanse, to help locate the Augments. He is fitted with a transponder so he won't be able to escape without being tracked. Soong tells Archer to search the Borderland for the Bird-of-Prey. As Enterprise prepares to launch, Archer takes a moment to regard his reassembled crew and tells them he wouldn't have it any other way as the ship leaves spacedock and warps towards the Borderland. On the Bird-of-Prey, a power struggle ensues when the Augment leader Raakin scolds Malik for stealing the vessel. Malik takes great offense to this action and contemplates Raakin's future as their leader. In Enterprise's sickbay, Phlox and Soong have a discussion about genetic engineering and the Augments, as well as the disastrous Eugenics Wars of the 20th century. Phlox says his people have used genetic engineering to help cure disease for over two centuries, but that is very different from what Soong does. He is not pleased about Soong's work and behavior. Upon entering the Borderland on May 17, 2154, Enterprise is almost immediately attacked by two Orion Interceptors. The Orions abduct nine of Enterprise's crewmembers, including Commander T'Pol and Ensign Jeffrey Pierce. The crewmembers are taken to Verex III to an Orion processing station, where they are auctioned off as slaves. Soong guides Archer to this planet as he used to acquire supplies he used to survive while on the run. All of the slaves are fitted with a neurolytic restraint. If they try to escape, they will die. On the Bird-of-Prey, Malik is able to earn the respect of many of the Augments and spearheads a mutiny against Raakin, which he confides to Persis, a female Augment. He says he should be the Augments' leader because he is the smartest and the strongest and it is what their "father" would have wanted. Arriving at Verex III, the Enterprise is able to enter the auction due to an old identification code used by Soong. All prisoners are wearing neurolytic restraints, so Enterprise is not able to beam the crew back. T'Pol is found to be a high demand individual and is sold for a high price to a Tellarite. Archer and Soong beam down to Verex III. Archer is able to locate most of his crew in cells. After Soong and Archer view an Orion slave girl up for auction, Ensign Pierce is up next. Archer buys him using his scanner and bribes an Orion to deactivate his restraint but to leave it on Pierce's neck. On the Klingon Bird-of-Prey in the Klingon captain's quarters, Persis tells Raakin of Malik's upcoming plan to overthrow him and take his place as leader. She tells Raakin that Malik believes he is weak and is making all of the Augments weak. Persis further tells Raakin that Malik believes that if their "father" were with them he would choose Malik to lead them. Raakin announces that he will betray their father's principles -- by killing Malik. Back in orbit of Verex III, Ensign Pierce is beamed back to Enterprise where, upon removal from his neck by Dr. Phlox, the restraint is analyzed by Tucker. In a corridor on the Bird-of-Prey, Raakin attempts to kill Malik but, unfortunately for him, all of the Augments on the Klingon vessel have turned on him, choosing Malik as their new leader. This eventually leads to Raakin's death at Malik's hands and command of the ship is officially handed to Malik. Persis also now becomes Malik's partner after Raakin is killed. A code to deactivate all the restraints is discovered and Archer returns to the auction, along with Soong. Archer is able to deactivate all restraints for the slaves and a riot ensues. The Enterprise crew is beamed back to the ship five at a time, but Soong stuns the captain and escapes. Soong deactivates his transponder so he can't be tracked. Archer climbs one of the slave cages and spots Soong, then activates his arm restraints. Soong uses this to climb a wall, but Archer catches up with him and deactivates the restraints, causing Soong to fall back to the ground. They return to Enterprise. Archer accuses Soong, now locked in Enterprise's brig, of having planned the whole thing, knowing the Orions would attack the ship. He says two of the captured crew may suffer permanent injury. Soong pleads with Archer to just leave the Augments alone; they are the future of mankind. They're stronger, faster, and live longer than the average Human. Archer tells him they are dangerous and have to be stopped and proceeds to leave. Soong tries to insist that genetic engineering could have saved Archer's father, who was suffering from Clarke's Disease; those who had banned genetic engineering had condemned him to death. Yet the captain refuses to listen. Tucker and T'Pol speak briefly in sickbay. He asks how her honeymoon was, and she says that although she was on Vulcan for two weeks after Tucker left, she spent the time alone in meditation. Tucker says it isn't really his business anyway. Resuming their search for the Bird-of-Prey, the Enterprise is, again, attacked by two Orion Interceptors claiming they stole Orion property. Enterprise is suffering damage until a Bird-of-Prey appears and chases off the Interceptors. Docking with Enterprise, they find out it is the Augments. Malik meets with Archer and tells him that Soong has contacted him and they have come to rescue him. Archer says his orders to take the Augments back to Earth. Malik says Earth despises the whole idea of his kind, and besides they are superior to Humans. He warns Archer that he is going to hurt him, then a moment later, he grabs Archer's neck threatening to kill him if Malcolm Reed or anybody else interferes. He says that even with a warning the Humans are helpless compared to the Augments. They are five times as strong, twice as smart. Reed lowers his weapon. Then Malik, with Archer as a hostage, exits the ready room onto the bridge and then to the turbolift. At the docking port, the other Augments led by Persis hack into the door controls and storm the Enterprise's dock, stunning all guarding MACOs. They proceed to the brig and release Soong. Persis hugs him and Soong smiles. At the docking port, Malik arrives with Archer in front of the rest of the Augments and Soong. Soong says he is proud of all of them. Soong tells Archer to go home and start learning to speak Klingon. Malik leaves Archer and returns to the Bird-of-Prey with the others. The ship warps out with Enterprise unable to pursue due to damaged engines. On the Bird-of-Prey, Soong takes command and tells the Augments that they are going to retrieve thousands of their "brothers and sisters" who are waiting to be born. "Let's go get them", Soong states to his "children". 
<EOS>
In 2144, Arik Soong gives a lecture to his young children, remarking on how genetically-engineered people like them have been feared by Humans since the Eugenics Wars of the 20th century. Young Malik asks if there are any others like them. Soong remarks that there are -- and one day, it will be their duty to free them. Eleven years later, Dr. Soong and his grown Augment children head to Cold Station 12 aboard a Klingon Bird-of-Prey to free other embryos following his escape from the custody of the starship Enterprise. Enterprise arrives at the planet Trialas IV, the settlement where Soong raised his children. Upon entering the structure, Commander Tucker finds that some medical equipment from the settlement has been taken. Captain Jonathan Archer orders him to find out what exactly was removed. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Reed and a detachment of MACOs search the settlement, they discover there is only one person: Udar. After he tries to escape with a knife in his hand, Captain Archer punches Udar, knocking him out. Aboard the Bird-of-Prey, Soong is looking at a PADD that was kept by Raakin. He remembers him as a bright young man, very interested in astronomy. He asks Malik where Raakin is noting that none of the other augments is willing or able to provide any information, and Malik tells Soong that Raakin is dead. Malik admits to killing him, in what he claims was self-defense, in a confrontation in a corridor. He begins to get emotional and Soong, enraged by this news, grabs Malik and pushes him against the wall. Malik tearfully apologizes to his father for the killing and Soong forgives him, telling Malik that maybe, if he had been there for his "children", things would have been different. Captain Archer talks to Udar in sickbay. Udar, who had been left behind because for some reason did not have the same physical or intellectual gifts as his "siblings",refuses to tell the captain where his "brothers" and "sisters" are headed; only that Enterprise will not be able to stop them. Just then, Tucker contacts Archer and tells him that the medical equipment that was missing from the settlement were incubators -- artificial wombs. Archer then receives new orders from Starfleet. He learns that there were over 1,800 other embryos kept at Cold Station 12 and, since Soong is probably headed that way, Archer is given orders by Admiral Forrest to stop him, using whatever force is necessary. After formulating a plan to get the embryos, the Augments then hijack a Denobulan medical ship, the Barzai, and easily take control of the station without killing anyone as Soong wished. Upon breaking into Cold Station 12, things get a little uglier when Soong realizes that Jeremy Lucas, the station's senior medical director, will not give up the code that unlocks the embryo chamber, even at the expense of his people or his own life. Malik shoves the station's deputy director into a tube and has him exposed to Symbalene blood burn. The deputy director dies a horrible death, while Lucas and his colleagues stand by, helplessly watching. Soong was almost desperate at Lucas for his continued lack of cooperation, clearly uncomfortable with the use of torture to achieve his goals. In fact, Soong had tried to stop the torture, possibly preventing the deputy director's murder, but Malik openly defied him, continuing to raise tension between himself and Soong. Enterprise then arrives at the station and, after not being allowed to approach, is able to transport a team to the station before backing off and moving out of transporter range. However, the team is no match for the Augments and they are easily detected and captured. Nevertheless, Archer is still able to give a final order to T'Pol: activate the station auto-destruct sequence as Starfleet ordered. The security measure is quickly disabled, thanks to the hacking skills of one of the Augments. Enterprise has to then proceed to destroy the station manually. Realizing the friendship between Dr. Phlox and Lucas, Malik decides to take things into his hands as he openly defies his father and proceeds to expose the Denobulan doctor to one of the various pathogens studied on the station. Understanding now that the Augments are not bluffing, Lucas reveals the code and the Augments are finally able to steal the embryos and get away before the Enterprise, which is busy with the Klingon Bird-of-Prey, destroys the station. In the last minutes before the Augments leave, Malik clearly shows sadistic tendencies and little regard for his father's wishes. He beats Archer badly, decides to take some virulent pathogens to the Klingon vessel, and programs a containment breach that will release all the pathogens stored on the station -- killing everyone there. He also kills Udar, with the excuse that it is to spare his brother a horrible death. T'Pol tries to disable the Barzai with Soong and his Augments aboard, but the Denobulan shuttle is able to dock with the Bird-of-Prey quickly and it immediately jumps to warp. After Lucas tells Archer how he can stop the breach, he then runs to the primary junction at Cold Station 12 where it can be averted but he has less than four minutes left. 
<EOS>
Captain Jonathan Archer has just reached the primary junction in the central core of Cold Station 12. The captain has forty seconds to divert the power to the secondary relays in order to isolate the central lab and keep "hundreds" of lethal pathogens from reaching the lab personnel as well as the Enterprise away team inside the lab. Unfortunately, the captain can't completely stop the pathogens from being released; as the clock reaches zero, he's informed by Dr. Jeremy Lucas that the ventilation grid will carry the pathogens throughout the rest of the station, including the central core. At that point he has less than a minute before he becomes contaminated. Because Enterprise, situated nearby, is unable to obtain a transporter lock on Archer due to interference within the central core, Archer orders Commander T'Pol to fire the starship's phase cannons at exterior hatch J-9 to decompress the station's central core. As the pathogens begin to be released, Enterprise destroys the top of the shaft where Archer is located. The captain is blown out of the central core due to decompression. As he clears the top of the central core into space, Archer is quickly beamed back aboard Enterprise by Commander Tucker. Elsewhere, Malik tells Doctor Arik Soong that their stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey has "crossed into Klingon space." Soong asks about the Enterprise, and is informed that the ship is holding its position. Soong notes that "Archer's not foolish enough to follow us." Malik responds that Archer won't be following them, as Malik believes Archer is dead. This triggers an angry confrontation between Dr. Soong and Malik. Dr. Soong becomes furious, shouting "No one was to be killed without my express order!" When Malik tries to excuse his actions, Soong interrupts and tells Malik that if Malik disobeys him again that he'll lock Malik in the Bird-of-Prey's targ pit where Malik "won't see the light of day for a month." Still in a state of anger and unsatisfied with the ship's lack of speed, Soong attempts to reassert authority over Malik by ordering him to engineering to repair the port inducer assembly, which Enterprise damaged previously. Malik balks, saying he's not an engineer. Soong tells Malik to go back anyway; "You're a bright boy, Malik, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Malik then leaves the bridge in a sulk. Meanwhile, still in temporary command of Enterprise, T'Pol records a log entry. Archer, T'Pol, Doctor Phlox, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, and Commander Charles Tucker discuss plans to stop Soong and his Augments in Enterprise's sickbay. Reed notes there are a half dozen Klingon patrols that will intercept Enterprise if it follows the Augments' stolen Bird-of-Prey into Klingon space. To better the odds in Enterprise's favor, the Starfleet officers decide to emulate a Klingon warp signature in order to slip past the Klingon patrols. T'Pol reports that the Dr. Lucas and his team are anticipating their return to Cold Station 12 to begin decontamination of the station. Commander Tucker notes "that's quite a mess they gotta clean up." T'Pol says that Lucas estimates it will take more than a year to fully decontaminate the facility. On the Bird-of-Prey, Soong talks of taking the Augments to an area flooded with radiation from supernova remnants. He refers to it by its Klingon name of "Klach D'kel Brakt", or more colloquially as the "Briar Patch". Soong knows that there are signs of at least two habitable planets and it would be difficult to find them within the clouds of radiation. Malik impatiently interrupts Soong with "This is your plan? To hide, again." Soong tries to explain the need for a safe haven for the embryos to develop. Malik tries to reason with Soong that Starfleet won't give up, that they'll send other ships to pursue them, that the "gas cloud" won't protect them. Soong asks Malik what he would do, but Malik is uncertain, only that running away is not the answer. Malik then asks if Soong is familiar with Botany Bay, a "pre-warp vessel launched at the end of the Great Wars." Malik goes on to recount how the vessel left with many of "their brethren", including their leader Khan Noonien Singh. Soong states that the Botany Bay is a myth and that there is no evidence it ever existed. Malik believes that it does, but his point is that Khan made the fatal mistake of running away from his enemies on Earth rather than facing them. Malik does not want to make that same mistake but instead wants to face Starfleet rather than constantly running and hiding. Soong ends the argument by stating that "the matter is not open to debate." He orders the ship to head to the Briar Patch. As the Augments head towards the Briar Patch, Enterprise positions itself on the border to Klingon space. Commander Tucker reports that the warp coils have been realigned to look like a Klingon battle cruiser, but Commander Tucker warns the captain "this trick's not gonna work if we get within 80,000 kilometers." The captain puts the Enterprise on tactical alert and orders a course into Klingon territory at warp 4. Meanwhile, back on the Bird-of-Prey, Malik enters Soong's temporary laboratory. Soong tells Malik "you have to stop challenging my authority in front of the others." Malik responds with "Can't a son disagree with his father? I thought we were family." Soong tells Malik he's willing to overlook what he's done up to that point, but that Malik has to trust that Soong knows what is best for the group. Soong says "You used to have faith in me!", and Malik replies "I was a child then, I didn't know any better." Soong begins to talk about how it wasn't easy after he left, but Malik interrupts by asking about the embryos. Malik realizes Soong is manipulating the embryos' DNA, to remove aggression and violent behavior. Malik says "You're changing its personality.", to which Soong replies "I'm correcting a defect in its genome." Soong goes on to tell Malik that genetic engineering was in its infancy when he was conceived, and that they weren't able to correct "all the mistakes." Malik takes exception to that analysis. He says "What right do you have to tamper with their genome?" Soong replies "Trust me I know what I'm doing!" Malik retors "You don't know that this is a defect. Maybe this is the way our creators wanted us to be." The discussion is interrupted by a signal from the bridge: a ship is approaching at high warp. The ship is quickly identified as Enterprise. Soong orders an increase in speed as Enterprise arms torpedoes and Captain Archer orders Soong to drop out of warp or face the consequences. Malik is in shock as Soong remarks Archer "sounds pretty confident for a dead man." The Augments shoot first with little effect; Enterprise returns fire, causing aft damage to the Bird-of-Prey. Malik wants to engage Enterprise, while Soong does not, noting Enterprise out-guns them "three-to-one." In desperation, Soong orders that the Denobulan pilot be placed on board the shuttle. The Bird-of-Prey makes a detour to a star system with a gas giant, where Soong ejects the shuttle into the gas giant's atmosphere between two thermal layers. Enterprise, following, sees everything. Soong hails the Enterprise, telling Archer that the shuttle pilot is fine and will stay that way for "the four or five hours" it will take Archer to mount a rescue. Archer acknowledges the situation he's in, allowing Soong to escape, though he warns the doctor that this isn't over. While the Enterprise works to rescue the Denobulan, Soong and the Augments are working on repairs to the Bird-of-Prey. Malik has worked to cloak the warp trail so that Enterprise cannot easily reacquire their position. Malik quickly tells Soong of the two dozen canisters of biogenic agents he beamed aboard the ship from Cold Station 12. Soong is immediately horrified by the act. Malik tells Soong the biogenic agents can be placed aboard a torpedo to create a bio-weapon, and Soong assumes Malik means to fire it at Enterprise. Malik quickly fills Soong in on his idea to fire it at a nearby Klingon colony named Qu'Vat. Malik quickly outlines how hitting the colony with the agents would kill every living thing. Malik's reasoning is that once the Klingons learn it was humans who decimated their colony, they would declare war on Earth and keep them "busy for years." Soong immediately recognizes it as mass murder, but Malik will not be dissuaded. Soong tries to order Malik back to the bridge, but Malik no longer has any fear or respect for Soong. Malik says "What happened to you in prison? You're not the man who raised us. The man who was willing to do whatever was necessary." Later, in his quarters, Malik tells Persis in bed that he is ready to take command away from Soong. Persis is reluctant to go along, but Malik tells Persis that while Soong may have raised them, "he'll never be one of us." Malik is angry that Soong will not go along with Malik's play to use the biogenic agents as a weapon to launch the Klingons and the Humans at each others throats, protecting the Augments from both. Malik tells Persis that Soong is altering the embryos' genome, "making them weak and docile like ordinary Humans." This is a change that Malik can't abide. In the end Malik convinces Persis to go along with Malik's plans of mutiny. Not long after Malik, Persis, and two other Augments take Soong prisoner in his lab and lock him in his quarters. While confined to quarters, Persis visits Soong and explains why she went along with Malik; Malik would have killed her if she hadn't. Soong understands, then tells Persis that if Malik deploys the weapon he will confirm what Earth has always feared about the Augments, in the process destroying them all. Soong tries to plan some way to disable some key ship system, but in the end both Soong and Persis realize Soong needs to get off the Bird-of-Prey. Persis takes the internal systems off-line and helps Soong to leave in an escape pod. Not long after, Enterprise picks up the pod's automated distress beacon, pulling the pod and Soong back aboard the Enterprise. In Enterprise's brig, Soong soon finds it difficult to explain to Archer why he came back, and to try to get Archer to stop Malik and his plans. In the end Soong tells Archer about the three hundred kilograms of biotoxins that are missing from Cold Station 12's inventory, and that Malik intends to use them on the Klingon colony. Archer already knew about the loss. Soong tells Archer about Malik: "You saw what he did on the station; you know what he's capable of." Archer replies "You didn't know. You had to see him murder someone in front of you." Soong tries to tell Archer that if Soong had been there for them none of that would have happened, but Archer tells Soong that in the end "none of that would have mattered. It's in their nature superior ability breeds superior ambition. One of their creators wrote that. He was murdered by an Augment." Soong is soon helping the Enterprise crew to track the Augments in their Bird-of-Prey. T'Pol is concerned that Soong is leading them into a trap, but Archer believes Soong. To get the to colony, the ship has to travel at a high warp speed that might compromise the phony warp signature. Back on the Bird-of-Prey Malik confronts Persis in private, determining that Soong escaped with Persis' help. In the end Malik and Persis have a fight, and Malik kills Persis with a d'k tahg knife. Because of Enterprise's high warp, a Klingon D5-class battle cruiser picks up Enterprise's warp signature and recognizes them as an Earth vessel. The crew of the D5 attempts to board Enterprise, but Archer, using the ship's grappler, manages to damage the D5's port nacelle, leaving the D5 disabled while Enterprise escapes. Malik's scans of the colony reveal three population centers, two in the southern hemisphere and one in the northern. Malik plans to detonate over the southern in order to maximize the number of casualties. Problems with the torpedoes guidance systems and the appearance of Enterprise on their long range sensors complicated Malik's plans. Problems with Enterprise's engines make an intercept with the Bird-of-Prey over the target colony problematic. In the end, Malik launches the bioweapon, but Enterprise manages to fire a trio of torpedoes, one of which manages to destroy the bioweapon. In a firefight with the Bird-of-Prey, Soong tells Archer where the Bird-of-Prey is most vulnerable. Archer fires a torpedo at the most vulnerable part of the Bird-of-Prey, disabling the ship. Malik prefers to die rather than be captured and proceeds to overload the dilithium matrix, causing the Bird-of-Prey to explode. Malik, however, manages to transport himself onto Enterprise unnoticed and attacks Archer and a MACO in an attempt to kill Soong for betraying the Augments; Archer manages to kill Malik by blasting a hole in his stomach with the MACO's particle rifle. Back on Earth, Soong is taken back to his very clean cell. Soong remarks "You'd at least let me finish my work before you take it away and destroy it." Archer replies that none of his prior work during his time in prison has been destroyed and is stored in a secure location for potential future use. Soong doubts that will ever happen. Soong, now believing that Humanity cannot be perfected, instead turns his attention to creating an artificial lifeform, though he doubts he'll "finish the work myself. Might take a generation or two." 
<EOS>
In 2137, a young Vulcan male wanders alone through a subterranean tunnel on the planet Vulcan. He finds a sculptured casing that is completely covered in dust. Using a brush, the young Vulcan wipes away the dust from the casing to reveal a symbol. He mutters a single word: "Surak". Seventeen years later, in 2154, Admiral Forrest has traveled to Vulcan to learn of the Vulcan High Command's decision on whether to start conducting joint missions with Starfleet. At the embassy, Forrest discusses the matter with Ambassador Soval and is surprised to learn that Soval was not consulted by the council. Regarding the Vulcan reluctance to share technologies, Soval explains that Humans are confusing to them and that the fast progress of Human development in recent years greatly concerns the Vulcans. Suddenly an explosion is heard by the two men and Forrest quickly pushes Soval to the ground as the embassy is engulfed in flames. On the Enterprise, the senior officers are enjoying a spirited game of basketball in launch bay two. Phlox, who is exceptionally good and has to keep switching teams, likens the game to Octran fertility contests but with more clothing. T'Pol then summons Archer away from the game to give him the bad news. Archer is met by Administrator V'Las at Enterprise's airlock. V'Las is the head of the Vulcan High Command. He is joined by Ambassador Soval and Stel, chief investigator of the Vulcan Security Directorate. After Archer rejects the suggestion that the bomb was planted by Andorians, Stel reluctantly reveals that Syrrannites are also under suspicion. Archer mistakes this as the name of another species but T'Pol corrects him, explaining that they are a small group of Vulcans who follow a "corrupted" form of Surak's teachings. The Syrranites' logical and peaceful nature make them unlikely candidates. When Archer asks if there is any evidence, Soval points out that the embassy is officially considered to be on Earth soil therefore placing any investigation of the crime scene under Starfleet jurisdiction. Archer sends Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Mayweather transport down to investigate the blast site where Mayweather uncovers an undetonated bomb. Reed scans the device and discovers Vulcan DNA on the controls. A closer scan triggers the device but the two officers manage to transport back to Enterprise, seconds before it explodes. Phlox's investigation matches the recovered DNA to T'Pau, a well known Syrrannite. The Captain asks if she has a previous criminal record, but T'Pol explains that the DNA of every Vulcan is recorded at birth. When Archer attempts to pursue the leads further, however, Stel says that since T'Pau is Vulcan, the overall investigation consequently now falls under Vulcan jurisdiction and that Starfleet assistance is not required. He will have Soval inform them of anything they need to know, much to Archer's chagrin. Archer enters Enterprise's cargo bay, where the bodies of the Humans lost in the bombing are being held for transport back to Earth. While quietly reflecting over the coffin of Admiral Forrest, the captain is joined by Soval who notes that the Admiral died saving his life when he could have saved his own instead. Soval makes clear there is no reason or evidence to suggest the Syrranites are responsible for the bombing, and does not understand why they are being accused. He urges Archer not to leave the investigation in the hands of the Vulcan High Command but to question everything and go down to Vulcan, while also promising the captain his full support. Meanwhile, Koss visits his wife T'Pol in her quarters. T'Pol is not particularly pleased to see her husband but he insists that a face-to-face meeting was necessary. He gives T'Pol an IDIC that T'Les, her mother, wanted passed along claiming it was a family heirloom. Koss explains that the new security conditions on Vulcan, following the bombing, have forced T'Les into hiding because she is actually a Syrranite. T'Poli, having never seen the supposed heirloom before, presents the IDIC to Archer, explaining that it has been modified, and activates it. The IDIC displays a holographic topographical map of Vulcan's Forge. Archer and T'Pol beam down to Gateway. T'Pol explains to the captain that it was here that Surak supposedly began his journey into the Forge. Archer questions T'Pol about her apparent lack of belief in some of the stories of Surak. She answers by telling him that Surak's writings from that period were lost and that the current copies of his teaching are open to interpretation -- a fact Archer finds familiarly amusing. Later, at night, their conversation is abruptly interrupted by a Sehlat screech. Fortunately, they are able to get to high ground before the creature reaches them. T'Pol tells him about the domesticated sehlat. Vulcan children keep as pets, and says that the wild one may keep them trapped there for several days. On Enterprise, Phlox is examining the bomb to find other DNA traces. He discovers that the telomeres from T'Pau's DNA are too long to belong to the thirty-two year-old Vulcan, and concludes that someone has falsified the evidence. They must have been taken from her infant DNA in the Vulcan database. From a recording Reed recovered from the embassy, they are able to pinpoint the moment at which T'Pau's DNA signature was recorded. They are not able to identify the suspect, but the guard on the recording seems to recognize the person. Coincidentally, that same guard, Corporal Askwith, is currently in the Enterprise's sickbay -- in a coma. On Vulcan, the Sehlat is driven away by a person named Arev, who claims to be on a pilgrimage. Archer pretends that he is also on a pilgrimage and asks if the three of them can walk together. Arev agrees, but not without saying that the Forge will be hard on the Human. As they walk through the desert, Arev asks some questions of the captain and comes to the conclusion that Archer and T'Pol are not really on a pilgrimage. Their discussion is interrupted by a sandfire storm. Aboard Enterprise, Tucker and Phlox speak to Soval, hoping he could find someone capable of melding with Askwith, the comatose guard. Given the taboo nature of the practice, Soval won't even consider their request -- but as he turns to leave, Tucker reveals that the DNA evidence implicating T'Pau had been planted on the bomb. Assured by Phlox that the forgery could be proven, Soval, realizing that the tampering with the DNA records suggests a high-level conspiracy, offers to meld with the guard himself. In the Forge, the three "pilgrims" find a shelter from the sandfire storm in a cave. After seeing T'Pol's IDIC, he realizes who she is. Arev says that he has respect for the captain's actions and agrees to bring them to the T'Karath Sanctuary when the storm is over. T'Pol's mother is hiding there with the other Syrannites. Archer then tells him the real reason they are there. Archer explains that the High Command claim the Syrannites believe in a corrupted version of Surak's teachings. To that, Arev answers that some say Surak's katra was found and is now carried by a Syrannite. According to the rumor, all who mind meld with him may touch Surak's mind. Looking at T'Pol, Arev says that Surak said the mind meld was the heritage of all Vulcans, whether they believe in it or not. On Enterprise, Soval, Phlox and Trip meet with V'Las and Stel. When they ask who the real culprit is, Soval reveals the truth -- it is Stel. They claim to have an eyewitness who identified him as the one who planted the bomb in the embassy. When Stel and V'Las ask to speak with the witness, Phlox says that his patient is in a coma. After Soval admits to performing a mind meld, Stel protests, noting that telepathic evidence is inadmissible. V'Las informs the ambassador that he will be summoned to appear before the High Command to account for his actions. In the Forge, the storm is gaining in strength. T'Pol is hit by an electric discharge while trying to reseal the cavern entrance. Another discharge hits Arev, deadly this time. Just before dying, Arev mind melds with the captain saying that he must carry "it" to the sanctuary. On Enterprise, Soval is going to turn himself in to the Vulcan High Command. When Tucker protests and accuses the ambassador of not trusting Humans, Soval responds "Peace and Long Life", suggesting that he has more respect for Tucker than the engineer realizes. Archer is awakened by T'Pol. He says Arev said something to him, which turns out to be the Vulcan word for "Remember," but neither Archer nor T'Pol understand what it means. They agree to continue searching for the sanctuary, which is supposed to be nearby, after burying Arev. Archer has strange intuitions and finds the sanctuary easily. As they enter through a disguised portal, Archer tells T'Pol not to resist. Inside, they are seized by a group of armed Vulcans. 
<EOS>
Soval appears before the Vulcan High Command to answer for his use of a mind meld on Corporal Askwith in sickbay on Enterprise NX-01. Soval states that he needed to conceal his abilities for the best interests of Vulcan. He felt that the service he performed outweighed his crime. V'Las states that although Soval's record is impressive, there is no excuse for deception. Soval states that deception is no stranger to the High Command. V'Las dismisses Soval from service and orders him to return all confidential material. In addition, V'Las reminds Soval that his oath of loyalty is still in effect. On Vulcan, the mysterious people who have captured Archer and T'Pol in the T'Karath Sanctuary are revealed to be Syrrannites under the de facto command of T'Pau. Archer, who still believes that T'Pau bombed the Embassy, angrily confronts her over the death of his friend, Admiral Forrest and 42 others. T'Pau denies involvement in the bombing and chides Archer for crossing the Forge with false information. Afterward, as T'Pol and Archer explain they befriended the late Arev while crossing the desert, they are welcomed with sorrow. As T'Pau explains, Arev was in fact Syrran, their leader. Locked in a room at the sanctuary, Archer slumps over near a window. T'Pol goes to his side and asks if he is all right. Archer recalls that before Arev died, he put his hand on his forehead and now he feels something inside his head. Archer confides to T'Pol that since the incident, he has not felt like himself. Meanwhile, T'Pau confronts T'Les, T'Pol's mother, over her decision to lead her daughter and Archer to their hiding place with a modified IDIC pendant. She explains that she only wanted to assure her daughter that she was fine. T'Pau regretfully remarks that if Syrran is indeed dead, all they have worked for is lost. In the captain's ready room, Commander Tucker expresses his disbelief on Soval's expulsion from the High Command. Soval notes that he can file a protest but V'Las is not one to change his mind. Soval remarks that his lost position and future career plans are the last thing they should be concerned with now and asks the commander if they have been able to contact Archer or T'Pol. "We can't reach them and they can't reach us." Soval reveals that V'Las is planning on bombarding the Syrrannite's sanctuary in the Forge -- which is where Archer and T'Pol were headed. Soval remarks that they are in grave danger. After some time, T'Pol is brought to her mother. Their discussion goes nowhere as the daughter can't understand her mother's choice to join people she considers as extremists. Even after she hears T'Les' explanation, the High Council's propaganda still holds. In his cell, Captain Archer has a vision. He sees explosions in the far distance. "The war is taking its toll. Vulcan is tearing itself apart", an elderly appearing Vulcan man says. The man stands at a distance from Archer. "Who are you?", Archer asks. "You know who I am, captain". Archer quickly deduces that the Vulcan man is Surak himself, the father of Vulcan philosophy. Archer tells Surak that this does not feel like a dream. Surak tells Archer that he is viewing the past through his eyes. From what he tells Archer, Syrran transferred Surak's katra to Archer's mind before he died. Surak tells Archer that he must return his people to the right path and that, to use a Earth expression, they are stuck with each other now. Later, this is confirmed when T'Pau mind melds with the captain. Even with the new facts, T'Pol is still skeptical. A dangerous ritual to pass the katra from Archer to T'Pau is planned. T'Pau tells Archer that he has no choice but to agree to the ritual, despite T'Pol's objections. Archer agrees as he is eager to get Surak's katra out of his mind. However, during the ritual, Surak decides to stay with Archer for the time being. Surak, who is suffering from radiation poisoning from the fallout of Vulcan's war, says to Archer during the vision that the captain must find the long lost Kir'Shara, so the Vulcan people can find a new path of enlightenment. In the meantime, V'Las has been unsuccessful in getting Enterprise to break orbit and postpones his extermination plan against the Syrrannites. Deciding not to leave Archer and T'Pol behind, Commander Tucker sends Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather in a modified shuttlepod to attempt to recover Archer and T'Pol from Vulcan's Forge. Despite Soval's assistance in disabling a surveillance satellite, Vulcan patrol craft fire on them, and the shuttlepod is forced to return to Enterprise. V'Las orders Enterprise to leave orbit, so there are no witnesses to his plan to destroy the Syrrannites. Tucker refuses to leave orbit, even after ordered to do so by Admiral Gardner. As a result, V'Las sends three Vulcan ships to intercept Enterprise. After Enterprise is damaged, Soval suggests retreat and Enterprise withdraws. As soon as the Humans are away, bombardment of the sanctuary begins, forcing the Syrrannites to evacuate their sanctuary. Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol remain behind to attempt to locate the Kir'Shara. Archer leads them down a corridor. He finds the mummified corpse of T'Klaas, one of Surak's students and one of the first kolinahr masters. T'Pol expresses surprise at Archer's identification of the master, as there is no inscription or nothing to indicate his bloodline to be found. They continue on. Archer opens a door to the room where the Kir'Shara is kept. The Vulcans then begin to fire on the sanctuary. Archer then leads them out of the sanctuary, which has been reduced to rubble. In the remains of the sanctuary, T'Pol finds her mother T'Les gravely injured and holds her in her arms. T'Les remained behind as she was afraid T'Pol was still inside. T'Les admits she came to the sanctuary for her, as T'Pol has always struggled with her emotions. While Archer and T'Pau look on, T'Les apparently dies just after she tells T'Pol she has always been so proud of her. T'Pol cradles her mother's lifeless body in her arms and sheds a tear. Commander Tucker is in command of the Enterprise. Privately, Soval who is still on board informs Tucker in Archer's ready room that Vulcan is planning to attack Andoria, believing they are developing a weapon based on the Xindi weapon. Tucker and Soval return to the bridge and Tucker orders that Ensign Mayweather set  a course to Andoria at maximum warp, to the surprise of the bridge crew. 
<EOS>
In the chambers of the Vulcan High Command on Vulcan, Administrator V'Las shows the assembled Vulcans the Andorian ship movements around Paan Mokar. Kuvak points out that the Vulcans themselves gave the Andorians that planet when they signed a treaty. He wonders why the Andorians would mount a defensive position around it. V'Las tells him the Andorians believe that the Vulcans are intending to retake it because probes have been generating false warp signatures. Kuvak questions why the council was not informed of this but V'Las says that it is possible that Andorian agents have penetrated the High Command and that it was necessary to limit the information. V'Las then shows Kuvak the actual location of Vulcan forces preparing an invasion of Andoria. V'Las is preparing this as he believes that the Andorians are in possession of Xindi technology, namely a prototype of the Xindi weapon taken from the Calindra system. V'Las is convinced that the Andorians will make use of this weapon against his species someday. Elsewhere on Vulcan, Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol continue on towards the Vulcan High Command, Archer safely carrying the recently discovered Kir'Shara. Archer is intent on getting the artifact back to the High Command but it is two days away. T'Pau underlines the importance on getting the sacred object to the High Command, as it is the only surviving record of Surak's teachings and it would have an enormous impact on not only the High Command but Vulcan society itself. On Enterprise, in Archer's ready room, Lieutenant Reed is informing Commander Tucker on the status of the ship's torpedo launchers. The lieutenant asks for permission to speak freely. When he is granted this, he asks the commander why they are heading for Andoria when Admiral Gardner has ordered Enterprise back to Earth. Tucker informs him they are going back; they are just taking a small detour first. When Reed asks him what Gardner will do when he finds out what Tucker is doing, the commander sarcastically promises Reed a seat at his court martial. Reed believes the Vulcans have legitimate reasons for launching the strike and if they alert the Andorians, they will be betraying their closest ally. Tucker tells the armory officer he is just trying to prevent a war. When Reed plans to go on how they should not get involved, Ambassador Soval enters and Reed is dismissed by Tucker. Soval asks Tucker why he had asked for him and he says he knows the Andorian Imperial Guard will likely not believe them about the imminent Vulcan invasion but there may be one Andorian who will trust them -- Shran. Tucker has no idea where the Andorian commander is but Soval reveals he may be able to help. In the High Command's chambers, Kuvak tells V'Las that their patrol has returned with eight Syrrannites from the destroyed sanctuary. The Syrannites have revealed their leader Syrran is dead but there were three more survivors from the bombardment, two other Vulcans and a Human, Archer. Kuvak reveals that the Syrrannites have disclosed that Archer is carrying the Kir'Shara but V'Las dismisses this, saying the Kir'Shara never existed. He dismisses Kuvak and orders a sublieutenant to inform Talok to find and eradicate the remaining Syrrannites. Enterprise arrives in Andorian territory, it stops near a nebula. Soval and Tucker telecommunicate with Shran, who has apparently concealed his own presence inside the nebula. Later, Soval, Tucker, and Shran meet aboard Enterprise. Soval and Tucker inform Shran that a Vulcan fleet is planning to attack Andorian space near Regulus. However, Shran is not totally convinced. In the Vulcan desert, T'Pol and T'Pau observe a Vulcan patrol craft flying in the red sky -- it is the fourth one they have seen just today. When T'Pol angrily informs T'Pau of the urgent need to get Archer who is nearby, sleeping, to a doctor, she quickly apologizes, saying the death of her mother T'Les has affected her deeply. T'Pau sympathizes, telling T'Pol she valued her mother's counsel. She reveals to T'Pol that they also melded. When T'Pau offers to share the thoughts she experienced with T'Pol's mother, T'Pol informs her she has Pa'nar Syndrome, a result of when a Vulcan man improperly mind melded with her and that it is incurable. T'Pau tells her this is yet another lie perpetrated by the High Command. T'Pau tells T'Pol that Pa'nar Syndrome was known in Surak's time and is caused by an improperly performed mind meld. It can be cured by an accomplished melder. T'Pau melds with T'Pol, and presumably cures her Pa'nar Syndrome. In the nebula, Shran orders the abduction of Soval. The abduction is successful, and Shran tortures Soval using a device that affects Soval's nervous system, causing Soval to lose control of his emotional barrier. Shran, suspicious of the information Soval has given him about the impending invasion, demands that Soval reveal the truth Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol encounter resistance along the way by members of the High Command, causing Archer and T'Pau to separate from T'Pol. T'Pol pretends to be a Syrrannite to convince the High Command officials to go to Mount Seleya. While the officials continue on, T'Pol is sent to the High Command. On the way to Mount Seleya, Archer and T'Pau attack the officials, and learn that T'Pol is at the High Command. Archer then performs a Vulcan nerve pinch on one of them; T'Pau says he's improving. Soval, even under this severe emotional stress and torture, insists that he has told the truth. Enterprise fires on Shran's ship, and Shran relents, accepting Soval's information as true and returning him to the Human ship. The torture leaves Soval in a coma in Enterprise's sickbay, where Shran visits him to examine his condition. He reveals that the Imperial Guard is re-deploying their forces to Regulus and believe it would be helpful if Enterprise joined them. Enterprise and the Andorian fleet mobilize outside of the Andorian system, and encounter the Vulcan attack fleet. Minister Kuvak acknowledges to V'Las that the Andorian fleet is equipped with only particle weapons and there is no evidence of Xindi technology -- they should call off the attack. V'Las says that their forces are committed and they must destroy Andoria. V'Las orders the battle to commence; the Vulcans outnumber the Andorians two to one. Commander Tucker orders Enterprise to move between the two fleets, where it is quickly caught in the crossfire. Eventually, when the Enterprise fires on a Vulcan cruiser to aid a wounded Andorian ship, the Vulcans are ordered to destroy them by V'Las. During the firefight, the Kumari takes a hit for Enterprise, causing Shran to inform Tucker that Archer now owes him two favors. Back on Vulcan, Archer and T'Pau enter the High Command chamber. V'Las attempts to contact security, prompting Kuvak to pinch a sublieutenant and grab his weapon. Archer reveals to the council that V'Las bombed the Earth embassy as part of his plan to round up the Syrrannites so they wouldn't find the Kir'Shara. Despite V'Las' insistence that the Kir'Shara is a myth, Archer activates it, showing the holographic teachings of Surak. T'Pau reinforces that quantum dating will prove to the assembled Council that it was from Surak's time. V'Las tries to destroy the Kir'Shara only to be stunned by Kuvak, who then contacts the assault fleet to call off the attack. Aboard Enterprise, Koss releases T'Pol from her marriage. At the Vulcan High Command, a Vulcan priest removes Surak's katra from Archer. Soval informs him that the High Command will be disbanded and T'Pau says that "it's time for Earth to stand on its own." In a cave, V'Las meets clandestinely with Talok who is actually a Romulan. V'Las is angry that they didn't kill Archer. The Romulan tells him to wait, that forcibly freeing him will cause his disappearance to be noticed. He says that the "re-unification" is only a matter of time. 
<EOS>
Enterprise NX-01 is in orbit of Earth. Captain Archer and Commander Tucker walk down a corridor towards the ship's transporter. Tucker admits to the captain that he has more than a few butterflies in his stomach, as Emory Erickson, the inventor of the transporter, is coming aboard. Tucker tells the captain that as a seven year old, his mother bought him Emory Erickson: Father of the Transporter and he had her read it to him every night for a month and the book is the reason why he became an engineer. Upon handling the transporter console, Tucker makes some last minute adjustments to his Starfleet uniform much to Archer's amusement before beaming up the legendary inventor, along with his daughter, Danica. "Nothing seems to be missing", the elder Erickson quips upon materializing, sitting in his wheelchair. Archer warmly greets the two Ericksons, his old friends, and introduces Tucker to the both of them. While being wheeled down the corridor by his daughter, Emory hopes that Archer won't mind his "borrowing" the ship for a test that may make Enterprise and indeed all of Starfleet obsolete. "Sounds like you're trying to put me out of a job", Archer says while Emory laughs. In Enterprise's mess hall, Commander T'Pol is reading a PADD. Tucker asks if she wants some company. She gestures for him to sit and he notes that they have not talked to each other too much since she returned from Vulcan. He notes that she has spent much time alone and she tells him she has been reading the Kir'Shara, which she finds "Interesting, extremely". Tucker tries to get T'Pol to open up to him about the recent death of her mother, T'Les. T'Pol would rather not and Tucker brings up the loss of his sister Elizabeth as well, telling her that losing a family member is the worst thing that can happen to a person. T'Pol sees no point in discussing her situation further and Tucker decides to leave her to her reading. Later, in the captain's dining room, Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker have dinner with the Ericksons. Emory discusses his new invention: sub-quantum teleportation. He explains the process as stepping onto a transporter pad on Earth, a few seconds later, the person materializes on Vulcan. Tucker remarks that that is over sixteen light years. Emory states that, theoretically, there is no limits to the distance, which is one of the things he is on the ship to test. After Emory repeats that starships may soon be a thing of the past, Archer suggests he really does want to put him out of a job, to which Danica slightly admonishes her father. Emory believes Starfleet will look quite different after his invention reaches widespread use. Archer recalls Emory and his father having discussions over the future being in either warp drive or the transporter pad. Emory admits he misses having those talks as well as Henry Archer himself. He raises a toast to his late friend. When Tucker admits that it is hard to imagine beaming anyone that far, Erickson reminds him that all breakthroughs seem hard to imagine before they actually happen. Emory recalls when he developed the first transporter, most people could not grasp it and some still cannot. He remembers when the transporter was first approved for use on bio-matter, people gave off a litany of unsafe terms about the device and how he had to fight all "that nonsense", as he puts it but notes that he eventually won out. Tucker then raises his glass and toasts to a successful experiment. As Tucker makes the necessary modifications to Enterprise's transporter for the test, Emory recalls the early days of the transporter and how he was the first person to go through it. He remembers it taking a full minute and a half to cycle through and that he could actually feel himself being taken apart and put back together again. He lost his lunch the first time he materialized, then promptly got stone drunk, something he learned from Zefram Cochrane. Tucker notes that the experiment is going to require more power that he thought. Tucker asks Emory if he can take a look at his power converter so the test will not require as much energy. Emory evades giving Tucker the converter and insists he can handle a simple power upgrade himself. Meanwhile, in engineering, Archer gives Danica a tour. He is surprised that she seems to know as much about his ship as a member of her crew. Danica admits she has read everything she could about Enterprise and could describe all of her missions. When he wonders why she has not yet signed on to the vessel, she admits she cannot leave her father alone, especially as he still has not gotten over the loss of his son, Quinn Erickson, even after losing him fifteen years prior. Later, in the Erickson's quarters, Danica arrives to inject a needle into Emory's deformed back. He asks if she liked her tour and she says she did. He notices that she is upset. She admits she is at having to lie to the crew and tells her father that they could talk to Archer and he might be able to help them, since he is a longtime family friend. Emory insists they cannot, as Archer's first duty is to his ship and he would not understand. Meanwhile, in Enterprise's armory, the lights flicker and go out. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Ensign Burrows notice something in the room with them. Reed takes the upstairs part of the armory and orders Burrows to take downstairs. Burrows looks around and does not see a deformed shapeless matter head toward him until it is too late. He screams and Reed contacts sickbay through his communicator for medical assistance. Reed turns Burrows' body over and sees his face has been completely deformed. Near the transporter, T'Pol and Archer ask Emory if he had ever encountered anything like the anomaly that killed Ensign Burrows out here in the Barrens. Emory replies that he did not and wishes he had an explanation for Captain Archer. He shifts in his wheelchair in discomfort and notes that it is time for his treatment. Danica wheels him away to their quarters. Alone together in their quarters, Danica yells at her father, telling him that they are responsible for Burrows' death. Emory tries to make her calm down but she says that they must come forward with the truth. Emory tells her he only needs a couple of days to complete his work and bring Quinn back. Later, Tucker and Emory begin work on the "test" by beaming a probe to the target coordinates, under the supervision of the bridge. The probe was beamed 40,000 kilometers away from Enterprise. According to Tucker, nothing has ever been beamed that far before. To celebrate, he offers to take Emory to the mess hall to eat. Emory refuses, opting instead to view the data as it comes in. Tucker offers to bring something back but again Emory turns him down and asks him politely to stop distracting him. In Archer's quarters, Tucker enters, now suspicious of Emory's true motives. He tells Archer that all the things Emory had him do -- such as tapping into the warp core and re-routing the plasma flow was not necessary for the test. His sub-quantum version of the transporter should use less energy, which is one of the reasons why it is so brilliant. Tucker suspects that Emory's sub-quantum transporter may be a smokescreen for something else. Archer admits that he now too has suspicions about his old friend. Emory's earlier claim that he never encountered the anomaly earlier in the Barrens was not the truth. Five years prior, a crewmember on his research vessel had seen something similar to the form that appeared on Enterprise. Just then, T'Pol calls Archer and tells him they are picking up another anomaly on the ship. Archer meets up with T'Pol on C deck with two MACOs. The MACOs split up and Archer warns them to not let the anomaly touch them. Archer and T'Pol go into the decontamination chamber and are cornered by the anomaly. It passes through a door through T'Pol who yells in agony. Later, T'Pol is being treated in sickbay. Dr. Phlox notes that she is fortunate she did not sustain prolonged contact. T'Pol tells Archer that she managed to take visual readings of the anomaly with her Vulcan scanner. Upon being projected onto the main sickbay monitor and visually enhanced, Archer recognizes the anomaly as being Quinn -- Emory's son. Archer confronts Emory with this new information in his assigned quarters. Emory admits to lying to Starfleet and the captain. He has not come aboard to test a new transporter, he is on Enterprise to bring his son back. He explains that he was conducting first trials fifteen years ago and Quinn wanted to be the first one to go through the transporter. Emory admits that the sub-quantum transporter is a fundamentally flawed concept. It will not work in the 22nd century nor even a thousand years from 2154. Archer is incredulous that Emory would let Quinn go through with the test but Emory said that after inventing the first transporter, there was nowhere to go but down and he saw his new invention as a way to try to recapture past glory. Archer tells Emory he should have trusted him. Emory says all he needs is one more scan and he can bring Quinn home. He begs Archer to let him try. In Archer's ready room, he orders Tucker and T'Pol to help Emory with whatever he needs. Tucker angrily chastises Archer, telling him that had Emory alerted them to the dangerous anomaly in the Barrens, Burrows might still be alive. Archer says all they need is one more day to get Quinn back. If they do not attempt it now, Quinn's signal will be irretrievable, as it has been decaying for the past fifteen years. Archer orders Tucker to get started. Back in the transporter, Tucker is grudgingly helping Emory to complete the modifications. Emory tells Tucker that he liked it better when he worshipped his shadow, like he did when Emory came aboard. Tucker looks back at him and Emory tells him "It's an honest answer." When Tucker suggests he may be out of practice with the "honest" part, Emory asks him to reserve judgment on his actions when the engineer loses a son. Tucker tells him forcefully that he has indeed lost someone close to him, his sister, and he would do almost anything to get her back, but he would not put others in danger. He eventually heads to engineering, leaving Emory alone. In the captain's quarters, Danica asks Archer if she can come in. After meeting Porthos, Danica apologizes to Archer for lying and inadvertently causing an Enterprise crewman's death. Archer accepts it and states that while they can't get Burrows back, some good may still come out of this with Quinn's rescue. Danica tells Archer that getting Quinn back is all her father has thought about for the last fifteen years. Archer hopes that with Quinn coming back to his father and sister, Emory and Danica can finally think about something else. In engineering, T'Pol hands Tucker some power conversion tables to help with the transporter modifications. Tucker tells her he is trying to decide what to show on movie night, either a horror film or a musical. T'Pol tells him she doesn't think she'll have time for either. Tucker tells her she can't stay in her quarters all the time reading the Kir'Shara and that she joined Starfleet to be able to interact more with Humans. She tells him she may have found some new priorities and leaves for the bridge. In launch bay 1, Archer is pushing Emory around in his wheelchair, looking for Quinn with a scanner. T'Pol tells the captain that she had picked up something his area but it had disappeared. Suddenly, the lights in the bay flicker and Quinn appears. His father tries to speak to him, but the anomaly goes into a wall and causes a massive explosion in front of Emory. Archer pushes him out of the way, saving his life. Tucker tells the captain that the anomaly knocked out an EPS junction and he cannot believe Archer is still going through with the plan. Archer angrily tells him that they will not be arguing about this subject again. Tucker tells the captain that Quinn just barely missed a stack of torpedoes which would have destroyed the ship. Archer maintains that when they retrieve Quinn, these distortions will stop. Tucker suggests that Archer is putting his personal feelings before the safety of Enterprise to which Archer tells his chief engineer he is very close to insubordination and angrily orders him to do his job. In Emory's quarters, he tells the captain he got what he needed of Quinn on his scanner, so they should be able to get a solid transporter lock on him when he reppears. Emory apologizes for putting so much onto Archer and that he does not deserve it. Archer tells him to make this worthwhile, they need to get Quinn back. Emory admits he is very scared about bringing his son back, as he has waited so many years for this moment and worries about something going wrong. Archer recalls a piece of advice his father gave him the day he entered flight training when Archer asked him basically the same questions. "Don't fail" was his response. Standing at the transporter console, Archer, Danica, Emory, Tucker, and Dr. Phlox are standing by, waiting for Quinn to turn up somewhere on Enterprise. T'Pol reports nothing initially, then finds a distortion on B deck. Locking on, Emory and Tucker beam the shapeless mass into the transporter chamber. Something goes wrong, however. Tucker does not have a strong enough signal so Emory has him recalibrate the confinement beam. Phlox is reading massive cellular deterioration in Quinn. He is losing cohesion and if he is materialized, he will die within seconds. Emory tries a few technical solutions but Archer, Phlox, and Danica try to persuade him to let his son go, as there is nothing he can do to save him. Emory cannot bring himself to do it but finally beams him aboard, apologizing to his son. Quinn materializes and promptly collapses. Emory goes to his son's side and begs him to forgive his father. Quinn asks "What is it? What." and dies. Emory closes his son's eyes with his hand and breaks down in tears. Afterward, Archer visits Emory in his quarters. Emory has come to terms with the loss of his son, stating that he could not leave Quinn in between life and death. He supposes he accomplished his goal of bringing his son home. However, Emory will have to answer to Starfleet for his actions. Archer believes, with all of Emory's accomplishments, Starfleet will take that into consideration when determining his punishment. Emory also realizes that, as he let go of Quinn, he will have to let go of Danica, as well. He considers becoming a teacher, something Archer thinks he'd be good at. In sickbay, Dr. Phlox can find absolutely no traces of Pa'nar Syndrome, which was cured by T'Pau on Vulcan by the use of a mind meld. Dr. Phlox notes that she was diagnosed with an incurable disease and now it is gone. Vulcans all over their homeworld with Pa'nar Syndrome are coming forward because of the Kir'Shara, no longer afraid of the stigma that was attached with it. Phlox notes that T'Pol and her people are reexamining their core beliefs, which is something most individuals never do. T'Pol comes to engineering to speak to Tucker. She tells him that she is going through some very complicated issues and that she is learning, for the first time, what it truly means to be a Vulcan. With this profound realization, she tells him they will not have time to pursue a relationship. Tucker tells her he understands. "At least my warp engines still need me." Emory and Danica bid Archer and the Enterprise crew farewell. Before beaming to the Sarajevo, Emory hands Tucker a PADD containing information about boosting the transporter's range a few hundred kilometers. Archer wishes the Ericksons good luck and Tucker beams them away. Archer, Tucker, T'Pol, and Phlox walk away from the transporter and down the corridor. 
<EOS>
As Enterprise orbits a nearby planet, it seems that Travis Mayweather and Malcolm Reed are rapidly playing chess on board the ship in the mess hall. In reality, however, they are under the control of two noncorporeal aliens. They talk about the game in technical terms and discuss the Humans they are observing on Enterprise. When "Mayweather" asks "Reed" how the Humans will react to what they find on the planet's surface, "Reed" answers that, in his experience, at least one member of every species that has come here has died as a result. He also mentions that some species have lost an entire crew. In a shuttlepod, Commander Trip Tucker and Ensign Hoshi Sato are returning to Enterprise from the M-class planet, where they were excavating a Klingon garbage site. Tucker hails the starship and speaks with Captain Archer. He tells the captain that their search was unsuccessful. All they found was an old power cell, some empty ration packs and a latrine. Suddenly, Tucker starts coughing uncontrollably and eventually collapses. Sato informs the senior officers of Tucker's condition. "Mayweather" and "Reed" watch as Archer asks Sato to pilot the shuttlepod into the launch bay and requests that T'Pol notifies Doctor Phlox to be ready. Archer and Phlox watch Tucker and Sato from outside the decontamination chamber. Archer says that the shuttlepod will have to be inspected to check whether any of its environmental systems were the cause of Tucker's condition. Phlox tells Sato that three landing parties have returned to Enterprise with no ill effects and passes medkits to them through an opening in the bulkhead. He requires samples of their blood which he can then begin to analyze. Sato starts to cough and recalls that Tucker started coughing shortly before he lost consciousness. Phlox tells his two patients to get him their blood samples as soon as possible and leaves with Archer. As he and the captain walk through a corridor that leads away from decon, he informs Archer that he's having difficulty determining the cause of their infection using standard scans. In another corridor, "Mayweather" mentions that he studied "Reed"'s report on how the Klingons dealt with the infection, to which "Reed" answers that they responded typically for a species at their level of development. When "Mayweather" comments that he believes Archer and the Klingon commander acted differently, "Reed" disagrees. "Mayweather" argues that the Klingon commander didn't allow his landing party to beam back on to their ship, although Archer did. In response, "Reed" explains that both courses of action were extremely similar -- the areas of the ship that Tucker and Sato have visited since their return, the launch bay and the decon chamber, are completely isolated from the rest of the starship. He claims that it doesn't matter if a member of the landing party returns to their vessel and that the aliens learned everything they can from humans. "Mayweather" remembers that, like the humans, the Cardassians were also concerned for each other. However, "Reed"'s response is that the Cardassians eventually killed the infected members of their crew, as did the Klingons, if not quite so rapidly. Although "Mayweather" seems hopeful that the Humans may overcome the virus, "Reed" answers that he's been observing aliens for eight hundred years and hasn't been surprised yet. Their protocol dictates that they should question the infected crew, which "Reed" tells "Mayweather" to do, and says that he will go to sickbay to speak to Phlox. In decon, Tucker looks over the temporary medication which the doctor has provided, to be used for muscle pain and nausea. There is also a cough suppressant but Sato comments that they aren't coughing any more. She thinks that could be because they're slowly recovering. Trip reminds her that Phlox issued the medication, which he feels is an adequate reason to take them. "Mayweather" arrives at decontamination and asks what's in the hypospray. Trip explains that Phlox has been unable to make a diagnosis. "Mayweather" continues to question them, asking if they've ever faced serious illness before and how their present condition compares with any other illness they may have experienced. Trip gradually gets annoyed by the entity's questions and eventually closes the hatch that allowed "Mayweather" to observe. In sickbay, Phlox is analyzing Sato's and Tucker's blood samples when "Reed" enters. He claims he has a headache, so the doctor tries to find some relevant medication. "Reed" is interested in the computer displays of Sato and Tucker's blood. Phlox returns and scans "Reed", determining that the headache is not serious. "Reed" explains that it could get worse, though, so Phlox administers him with a mild analgesic. "Reed" asks the doctor how he plans to create an effective antidote but when Phlox begins to believe that "Reed" is afraid that the virus is contagious, he shows him the door. In decon, Tucker asks Sato if she has ever seen a movie from the 20th century entitled, The Andromeda Strain. Unaware of the film's premise, the semi-delirious Sato guesses that it is about a Doctor Andromeda who builds a monster which eventually kills him. When Tucker tells her that the film actually involves an alien virus, she replies that she finds it hard to differentiate between the plots of the many films that Tucker likes, due to their extreme similarities. Tucker recalls that he "got into a lot of trouble" at Starfleet Training Command and Sato confesses that she was dismissed from Starfleet. She recalls that when she was trying to run a poker game for some of the new recruits and several members of the training staff stationed there, a company commander attempted to terminate the game by sweeping the chips off the table. As a result, Sato, an experienced student of aikido, broke the commander's arm. Tucker wonders how she managed to be assigned to Enterprise following the incident, to which Sato replies that Starfleet was desperate for language specialists and that she was reassigned on probation. In sickbay, Phlox tells Archer that Sato and Tucker are suffering from a silicon-based virus. Archer wonders how the virus could have evolved on an M-class planet, where only carbon-based life is known to exist. Phlox theorizes that it may have traveled to the planet on the surface of a meteorite, which could explain why only one of the four landing parties sent by Enterprise contracted it. He informs Archer that there is no record of the virus in the Denobulan medical database, so he'll have to work without prior research. He says that the pathogen is reproducing at an incredibly fast rate and that if he cannot find an antidote, Sato and Tucker may only have five hours to live. As Enterprise continues its orbit of the planet, "Mayweather" and "Reed" discuss their observations of the crew in the mess hall. "Mayweather" tells "Reed" that Phlox has managed to make a diagnosis and that no one on board has made the decision to abandon the infected members of the crew. "Reed" believes that everyone aboard the ship will die as a result. Archer arrives outside the decon chamber and tries to open the observation hatch. Trip thinks that "Mayweather" has returned but is relieved to find instead that his visitor is Archer. He tells the captain that Sato is asleep and that the medication which Phlox gave them seems to be working. Archer informs him that the doctor has identified the pathogen but has so far been unsuccessful in creating an antidote. When Tucker begins to speak pessimistically about the amount of time he has left to live, Archer tells him that his immune system could still reject the virus. Trip recalls that, due to their carbon-based nature, Human bodies don't repel silicon, which he learned from Exobiology 101. When Archer advises him not to give up, Tucker seems optimistic about exploring new worlds. Deeply saddened by the engineer's ill health, the captain asks him to rest. As they walk through a corridor, "Mayweather" and "Reed" agree that they are searching for indications of advanced rational intelligence within the species which they observe. However, "Reed" remarks that Captain Archer hasn't shown signs of rational intellect. By allowing Sato and Tucker to remain on board, he has increased the possibility that their quarantine may fail. However, "Mayweather" is certain that Archer knows the risk that the virus represents and that perhaps it is not as important to him as being committed to his crew. "Reed" thinks that "Mayweather"'s suggestion is as probable as the chance that Archer is unaware of how unfortunate the situation has become. So, in order to learn whether Archer realizes the risk of contamination, "Mayweather" suggests that he and "Reed" transfer to new hosts. He elects the bodies of Phlox and T'Pol to be used, since Archer's decisions are based on their findings. "Reed" responds by reminding "Mayweather" that the noncorporeal beings have a strict non-interference policy and claims that the more hosts they occupy, the greater the chance of accidentally influencing the crew. On the other hand, "Mayweather" states that the more crew members they inhabit, the more they will be able to observe. In decon, Tucker and Sato discuss Sato's linguistic capabilities. Tucker reveals that he's always been jealous of her ability to learn new languages, while Sato claims that she wishes she had Tucker's skill to repair warp engines with "duct tape and a pocket knife", as she puts it. He tells her that he hasn't always been good at construction and gives a humorous example of how he once enjoyed taking things apart. Once he has finished recounting the story, Sato stands up and sees Phlox and T'Pol at the observation window. Unknown to Sato, they are now occupied by the noncorporeal aliens, although both she and Tucker seem surprised at the sight of them. When Tucker asks how their research is progressing, "T'Pol" replies that they are waiting on some new test results and "Phlox" adds that they came to check the condition of their patients. When Tucker asks them to return to sickbay and continue their work, "T'Pol" claims that they intend to immediately do exactly that. "Phlox" is more reluctant to leave than "T'Pol" but eventually does so, too. Sato realizes that "Phlox" and "T'Pol"'s joint visit could be an indication that they're almost finished their work in sickbay, though Tucker isn't as optimistic. While "Phlox" and "T'Pol" wander through a corridor, "Phlox" comments that Sato and Tucker are very brave in the way they are facing death. "T'Pol" replies that their intelligence is in question, not their courage. When "Phlox" judges that "T'Pol" wants the Humans to fail, she answers that it isn't a contest. She explains that it is more a question of whether the Humans are sufficiently intelligent for the noncorporeal aliens to initiate first contact with them. "Phlox" suggests that the aliens also consider other qualities in that decision but "T'Pol" clarifies that they have used that characteristic for ten thousand years. She maintains that they aren't responsible for changing the factor which is used as an indicator but "Phlox" asks who is. On the bridge, Archer and Reed look over sensor data from the planet below. They have detected a crater, which could prove Phlox's theory that the virus traveled to the planet on a meteorite. The captain thinks that the crater could be the source of the pathogen. If so, the Klingons who set up the campsite which Tucker and Sato explored would also have been infected. Archer orders Reed to contact Starfleet to find out whether the crew of the Klingon vessel which visited this world were able to develop a cure. In sickbay, the new test results which Phlox is waiting for are ready. "T'Pol" states that the aliens should transfer into new hosts to allow Phlox and T'Pol to continue their work. They agree to re-inhabit the bodies of Reed and Mayweather, who are on the bridge, and soon leave Phlox and T'Pol. With no indication of the alien's presence, Phlox observes a viewscreen which shows the results of the blood test he performed earlier. He comments that the alterations they made to the blood's immune receptors weren't effective. Indicating an area of the viewscreen, T'Pol mentions that it may show evidence that the virus is sensitive to fatally extreme ionizing radiation. The doctor agrees and, with his encouragement, she begins to prepare new blood samples for testing. In decon, Sato wakes from a nightmare. She dreamed that she was in Brazil, where, in reality, she taught as a university professor of languages, shortly before her assignment as Enterprise's communications officer. In the nightmare, which seemed very real to her, a shuttle was on its way to take her to the ship. Tucker reminds her that she is aboard Enterprise, which seems to calm the ensign. She tells Tucker that she didn't have enough time to say goodbye to her students but the engineer promises that she will see them again. On the bridge, Archer informs "Mayweather" and "Reed" that he's spoken to the members of Starfleet Command, who are working through diplomatic channels to contact the Klingons. However, their communication may be unnecessary, as Archer has found evidence of a Klingon alloy in orbit of the planet. The alloy is used as the Klingons' standard hull plating and comprises the remains of a Klingon shuttlecraft. Archer has realized that the vessel's crew, infected with the silicon-based virus, were killed by their commanding officer. "Reed" remembers that the crew "didn't even plead for mercy" but, when he notices that Archer is watching him, he disguises the recollection as an observation on Klingon honor. When "Mayweather" asks if learning about what happened to the Klingons helps the crew of Enterprise in any way, Archer replies that it would be pointless to ask the Klingons for the cure, since they now know that the Klingons didn't develop one. He says that he would do anything it took to acquire the antidote if the Klingons had developed it. In the decon chamber, Sato is desperately trying to escape. She frantically speaks several different languages, including a diverse range of Terran as well as Klingonese. When Tucker tells her that she won't be able to break the security lock-out code, she answers that "math is just another language". An alarm klaxon blares, signaling that there is a quarantine breach in their area -- Sato has broken the code. On the bridge, "Reed" reports the breach to Archer and looks at "Mayweather", surprised by Sato's actions. Meanwhile, Sato walks through a corridor outside decon in an extremely delirious state. Sato opens a door at the other end of the corridor and walks through. On the bridge, "Reed" informs Archer that the ensign is overriding the safety interlocks on D Deck. The captain orders him to shut down all power on that deck in an attempt to seal every door there. As Sato tries to break through another door, sections of the corridor behind her darken. Eventually, the entire deck is plunged into darkness and a red emergency light is automatically activated. Tucker appears behind her and tries to persuade her to stop what she's doing. He tells her that the door which she is attempting to open is actually an airlock. If she succeeds, she and Tucker will die of exposure to space. She replies in Russian, insisting that she must say goodbye to her students before she leaves for Enterprise. When Tucker attempts to hold her back from the airlock, Sato wrestles with him. She is weakened by the virus, however, and doesn't have enough energy to fight against him for long. Tucker misunderstands her when she says, "I need to tell them while there's still time." He thinks she is speaking about the senior officers when she says "they", and that she believes she and Tucker will die because of the virus. He reminds her of Archer's determination and leads her back to the decon chamber, where the alarm ceases to sound. As she rests on one of the bunks there, Tucker contacts sickbay and tells Archer and Phlox that they have returned to quarantine. The doctor instructs Tucker to use a hypospray and inject Sato with three units of sonambutril, an extremely high dosage. The captain adds that the sonambutril will ensure that Sato remains in the decon chamber. Complying with the doctor's orders, Tucker remarks on Sato's ability to escape. Once he has injected Sato, Archer tells him to do the same to himself. When he argues with that decision, Phlox explains that the virus is incompatible with carbon-based life and that the Denobulan hasn't found a method to predict its attack. After some debate, Phlox and Captain Archer persuade Tucker to comply. After injecting the sonambutril, the engineer collapses down onto the other bunk. In sickbay, Phlox reports that he and T'Pol have managed to isolate a specific frequency of radiation which disrupts the silicon matrix of the virus. However, the dosage of radiation which the potential patient would have to be subjected to would be lethal. Archer thinks that there must be a way to cure the patient without killing them. Phlox agrees and notifies the captain that he is currently working on that. Archer advises him to quicken his research. On the bridge, "Mayweather" walks to the tactical station and whispers to "Reed" that they should stop the effects of the virus. "Mayweather" recalls that they came to observe the crew's reaction to the unexpected, not to watch the crew suffer. "Reed" doesn't recommend their discussion take place on the bridge, so "Mayweather" advises that they speak elsewhere. In the decon chamber, Sato and Tucker sit straight up as they are occupied by the two non-corporeal aliens. "Tucker" is surprised by how the sensations of his host differ from those of the other crew members. Uncomfortably, the alien comments that he, like "Sato", is also experiencing physical pain. He wonders why Humans should endure pain, which he regards as a weakness. "Sato" claims that the desire to overcome pain will eventually drive Humans to evolve beyond the limitations of the physical world. "Tucker" hypothesizes that "Sato"'s argument might not be applicable to every species which they encounter but "Sato" answers that it can at least be applied to their own species. In sickbay, Phlox is shocked when he sees "Sato" and "Tucker" standing in the decon chamber, talking to each other. He doesn't suspect their alien influence and is puzzled that they are even awake. For a brief moment, he watches as the aliens discuss the Human and Klingon crews which they have observed. Soon, "Sato" senses that they, too, are being observed and the aliens leave their hosts' bodies. When Phlox sees "Archer" and "T'Pol" walk through the doors to sickbay, he expects that they are also their usual selves. He hands "T'Pol" a PADD which shows the brain wave patterns of "Tucker" and "Sato", surprised that the patterns aren't Human. When he eventually discovers that Archer and T'Pol are occupied by aliens, Phlox asks whether they are responsible for what happened to Tucker and Sato. "Archer" responds that they are not, and "T'Pol" explains that they are only interested in studying how physical species respond to the unknown. She adds that Phlox could assist the aliens by explaining how he noticed their presence. The doctor tells them that Sato and Tucker were sedated and, therefore, should not have been able to stand or talk. "Archer" tells Phlox that they were unable to distinguish between sleep and sedation, as it had been so long since they had inhabited physical beings. When Phlox asks the aliens if they could help Sato and Tucker, "T'Pol" reminds him of their non-interference protocol. The doctor argues that they are interfering with him, which contradicts their protocol, but "T'Pol" replies that they are observing Humans, not Denobulans. When the alien informs him that they recently occupied his body, Phlox is surprised that he can't remember that happening but "Archer" tells him of the simplicity of memory adjustment. The doctor believes that since the aliens have the ability to alter Human and Denobulan memories, they must also be able to help Sato and Tucker. "T'Pol" refuses to assist the doctor's patients and thanks Phlox for his help. He, however, is appalled at the aliens' actions and isn't surprised that they erase memories. Later, "Archer" and "T'Pol" walk through a corridor outside sickbay. "Archer" thinks the Humans may have developed a cure for the virus, but "T'Pol" informs him that she has watched several other species develop the same treatment -- although after their patients had died. She tells him that they didn't initiate first contact procedures with any of those species and that it would be illogical to have done so. Reminding "Archer" that their current hosts are busy members of the crew, she insists that the aliens return to Mayweather and Reed. As Enterprise continues its orbit of the planet, Phlox and T'Pol report to Captain Archer. Phlox says that if the radiation is to be precise enough as to destroy the virus without killing Sato or Tucker, the bio-scanner in sickbay will have to be used. T'Pol suggests that the quarantined area is expanded in order to accommodate the infected crew members. Determined to help his crew, Archer replies that implementing Phlox and T'Pol's plan won't be a problem. Some time later, Phlox notices Sato's bio-readings deteriorate. Dressed in environmental suits, he and Archer enter the quarantined area of the ship, as "Mayweather" and "Reed" watch them on a monitor. When they arrive at the decon chamber, the doctor notes that Sato is entering oligemic shock and may soon be dead. Phlox and the captain carry her and Tucker into sickbay, where Archer calls out that Sato isn't breathing. Meanwhile, "Reed" repeats several words he said earlier -- "someone always dies". In sickbay, Phlox and Archer attempt to revive Sato. Just before Phlox removes one of his EV gloves, the captain stops him and asks what he's doing. The doctor replies that he needs a better grip to operate the medical equipment, so Archer removes his own gloves, saying that a doctor is more urgently required on Enterprise than a captain is. The captain is risking infection -- and his own life -- in the hope that the doctor will find the antidote. They prepare the equipment for a cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique. Meanwhile, "Reed" comments that their behavior is highly unusual. In 800 years, no one else that the aliens have observed has attempted to resuscitate their infected crew. In sickbay, Phlox instructs Archer to inject forty units of trinephedrine into Sato's heart. Phlox also tries to revive her using electrostimulus, but to no effect. Sato dies on the medical bed. Next, Archer and the doctor try to save Tucker. Outside the quarantine area, "Mayweather" wonders why so many Humans have to die before "Reed" will acknowledge that they are different. "Reed" answers that he will not ignore the aliens' protocol. He says that the incident which they have been directed to observe isn't over, and, now that the first death has occurred on the ship, there is a higher chance that the other crew members will become infected. He reminds "Mayweather" that the aliens are not responsible for the virus and that members of the crew would have become infected even if the aliens had not observed the situation. "Mayweather" asks what more can be learned from the Humans and suggests that the aliens should perhaps start to take responsibility for the effects of the virus. In sickbay, Archer completely covers Sato with a blanket, signifying her passing. The captain then helps Phlox move Tucker into sickbay's imaging chamber, where they irradiate his body. When they remove him from the chamber, Phlox murmurs that the procedure was ultimately unsuccessful. The doctor says that he did all that he could have done for Tucker, but Archer -- infected by the virus when he removed his EV gloves -- could still be cured in the few hours he has left to live. The captain orders Phlox to go to the bridge instead, saying that the doctor could be infected if he remains in sickbay. Once Phlox has left, Archer contacts the bridge. He makes sure that T'Pol knows she is now in command of Enterprise and tells her not to let Admiral Gardner place anyone else in command. He also says that if Tucker regains consciousness, he will immediately inform T'Pol and closes the communication channel to the bridge. Placing a hand on Tucker's chest, he watches a monitor as the engineer's low bio-signs fall to zero. Like Sato, Tucker also dies of the alien virus. Archer is startled when the engineer's body is inhabited by one of the non-corporeal aliens, who tells the captain of the respect the alien has for Archer. When the captain becomes confused at Tucker's regaining health, the alien tells Archer that the engineer has been inhabited by an Organian, a "nonphysical life-form". The Organian explains why the aliens come here and repeats information regarding their non-interference protocol. He tells Archer that he wanted to warn the captain of the silicon-based virus, but that decision was not his to make. When "Sato" sits up and debates with "Tucker" on the subject of the Organians' directives, Archer interrupts that he doesn't care about their rules. When he questions them, "Sato" responds that the Organians are instructed to leave their hosts' bodies as they found them -- they will have to leave their current hosts dead. The captain agrees that the decision of whether to become involved with a species' natural development is a difficult choice but suggests that the aliens could communicate verbally with their subjects, in order to learn more about them. Sato argues that talking is a "limited form of communication" for the Organians, who are much more advanced than that. Archer disagrees, replying that the aliens don't seem more highly evolved than Humans, due to the fact that they have lost empathy and compassion -- characteristics which give life meaning. When "Sato" tells the captain that the Organians will soon leave, erasing his memory of their presence, she informs him that he himself will die in just three hours. However, "Tucker" refuses. When a stunned "Hoshi" accuses him of insubordination, "Trip" responds that he's defying 10,000 years of protocol on alien interaction. He insists that they save the Humans and gives Archer's compassion as a reason. When "Sato" promises that the aliens will eventually study other Humans, Archer suggests to her that the Organians experience compassion for themselves, in an effort to learn more about what it means to be Human. On the bridge, Phlox and T'Pol are contacted by Archer. Recalling his promise to let T'Pol know if Trip ever came to, he tells her to come down to sickbay, where he's not only awake, but quite talkative -- as well as Hoshi. When Phlox grimly interjects that she's dead, Archer insists that the doctor come as well, since he might have a better shot at figuring out what just happened. Later, a baffled Phlox reports that he has detected no sign of the virus in Sato, Tucker or Archer. He thinks their rejuvenation must have been a delayed result of Tucker's radiation treatment, although that wouldn't explain why Archer and Sato are well again. T'Pol suggests that the pathogen's behavior is more unpredictable than she and the doctor had assumed, which could account for Sato and the captain's health. Smiling, Archer comments that the virus will later be studied by Starfleet Medical and notifies the crew that he plans to leave a warning beacon in orbit of the planet, to warn visitors of the harmful effects of the virus. In a turbolift, "Mayweather" is pleased that the Organians will never be able to observe another species encounter the virus and that, after 10,000 years, the aliens' rules will finally be changing. He informs "Reed" that he plans on advising the other Organians to begin preparations for first contact with Humans, which "Reed" suspects will occur in five thousand years. "Mayweather" tells him that they had better get started. Finally, Enterprise leaves the planet's orbit. 
<EOS>
On the bridge of the Andorian warship Kumari, Commander Shran crawls out from under the wreckage of his damaged ship which has been attacked by a Tellarite vessel. He attempts to contact Imperial Command, but communications are down. The computer announces a warp containment breach in two minutes, leaving Shran no other choice but to order the crew to abandon ship, vowing to make the Tellarites pay for the loss of Kumari. In Captain Archer's ready room aboard Enterprise, Archer and Hoshi Sato roleplay that Sato is a Tellarite ambassador, in preparation for the real ambassador's arrival. They discuss the Tellarites' frequent arguing and Sato tells the captain to keep Porthos out of sight during their stay, as they consider canine a delicacy. While Archer and Trip Tucker walk through a corridor, Tucker tells the captain that the engineering staff are busy trying to finish a mud bath which the Tellarites requested. He also asks why Enterprise is transporting the Tellarites to Babel, since they also have warp capability. Archer responds by explaining that Babel is on the far side of Andorian space, and that the Andorians won't allow Tellarite ships to pass through their territory. Archer reminds Tucker that the conference is urgent -- if it fails, it may ultimately mean war between Andor and Tellar. Meanwhile, a shuttlepod docks with Enterprise, carrying the Tellarite delegation. Archer, T'Pol, Tucker, Hoshi Sato and a group of MACOs arrive to greet the Tellarite delegation. In Enterprise's mess hall, Archer and Ambassador Gral talk. Archer tells him that the starship has just entered Andorian space. Gral recalls the last time he was in the Andorian territory, on the command deck of a Tellarite cruiser. He asks why his race should trust Starfleet to settle the dispute between the Andorians and Tellarites, when the Andorians helped save Earth from the Xindi. Archer reassures Gral that Starfleet's intention is to establish peaceful relations between the two species, which won't happen if they choose sides. When Gral argues that Humans have no experience in interstellar affairs, Archer reminds Gral that the Tellarites' options are limited. On the bridge, Sato reports that Enterprise has received an Andorian distress call. At the helm, Travis Mayweather notifies him that there are no other Andorian ships within range of the vessel that sent the distress call and that it would take Enterprise two hours to intercept the Andorian ship. Archer orders Mayweather to change course. Enterprise arrives at the source of the distress call. Judging by the debris pattern left by the Andorian vessel, Malcolm Reed determines that the vessel's reactor breached. T'Pol detects large amounts of duranium alloy and concludes that the ship was probably an Andorian combat vessel. When Reed reports that he's found multiple bio-signs aboard escape pods launched from the ship, Archer orders that they are brought into Enterprise's launch bay. In sickbay, Phlox is attending to Lieutenant Talas' injuries when Archer and T'Pol enter. When Archer tells Shran that nineteen of his crew were brought aboard, the Andorian commander informs Archer that the complement of the Kumari was eighty-six. Shran also tells Archer that he believes they were attacked by Tellarites. The Kumari was escorting the Andorian ambassador's ship to Babel when they were both attacked. The ambassador's vessel was instantly destroyed and the Kumari shortly after that. Shran was surprised at the attacking vessel's maneuverability. He suspects that the Tellarites have been improving their warships and suggests that Enterprise scan for the Kumari's data recorder. When he tells Shran that a Tellarite delegation is aboard Enterprise, the Andorian immediately becomes agitated. Archer reminds Shran that he's on board Archer's ship. The Andorian commander warns that if the two groups' proximities are significantly reduced, it will result in bloodshed. In Enterprise's armory, Malcolm Reed reports that he's analyzed hull fragments and that the damage seems to have been caused by Tellarite particle cannons. T'Pol tells Archer that the memory core of the Andorian data recorder was damaged, but that she was able to reconstruct the last few seconds of sensory data that it recorded. She plays back a visual record of a Tellarite vessel firing. Archer orders Enterprise to proceed to Andoria at maximum warp speed. In Gral's quarters, the ambassador denies that the Tellarites attacked the Andorian ships. Archer offers the Kumari's sensor logs as proof, but Gral replies that they could have been fabricated. When Archer tells Gral that his intention is to transport the Andorians back to their homeworld, the Tellarite responds that his delegation will be arrested by the Andorians and held responsible for the incident. Shran makes a toast to his ship in the captain's dining room while he and Archer share a bottle of Andorian ale. Archer and Shran talk about the Tellarites. Shran is convinced that they attacked the Kumari and the Andorian ambassador's vessel. T'Pol hails Archer and informs him that Enterprise has detected an Andorian ship on an intercept course. On the bridge, Sato fails to contact the Andorian vessel, which soon attacks Enterprise. Mayweather reports that they have lost warp velocity and are now traveling at impulse speed. Shran attempts to command the attacking vessel to cease hostilities, but with no success. Archer asks Shran to provide Reed with the location of the vessel's shield generator. Reluctantly, Shran provides Reed with the target. Reed fires on the attacking ship's shield generator but this strangely does nothing. With a fluctuating power grid, the vessel retreats, but Reed is confused. He claims he didn't target its power grid and can find no explanation for the damage which it apparently took. In the briefing room, Archer asks Shran why the Andorians are attacking Enterprise when their government requested Starfleet's assistance. Ambassador Gral is convinced that the Kumari sent out a distress call to lure Enterprise into a trap, but Shran assures Archer that the Andorians do not wish to begin hostilities with Starfleet. Gral suspects that the Andorian Imperial Guard may have taken action without consulting their government first. Shran theorizes that the vessel which attacked Enterprise may not have been Andorian in design. He noticed that its shield matrix had a completely different configuration to any of the other ships in the Andorian fleet. He argues that there have been several reports of missing Andorian ships, and that the Tellarites could have commandeered such a vessel, enhancing its systems. Gral claims that the Andorian is suffering from paranoia. Eventually, their verbal arguing becomes physical and Archer and two MACOs have to restrain them. The captain threatens that if they continue to fight, he'll have them arrested and held in the brig where they can both "tear each other to pieces" themselves, Archer states. In the Tellarites' quarters, Gral tells the other members of his delegation that Archer claims to be impartial, but Gral believes the captain is more inclined to trust the Andorians. One of the other Tellarites comments that a MACO has been posted outside their quarters and that it is evidence to believe that they are being held prisoner. He offers the possibility that Archer is conspiring with the Andorians. When Shran arrives on the bridge, Archer and T'Pol show him that the energy signatures of the ship which destroyed the Kumari and the vessel which attacked Enterprise are identical. Shran finds it hard to believe and still thinks that the Tellarites are behind the attacks. Tucker contacts the bridge from engineering with the news that warp power is almost ready to go back online in ten minutes and that hull plating will be ready to use within an hour. Archer informs Shran that Enterprise has detected the attacking vessel's warp trail and his intention is to follow it. Shran argues that some of the Kumari's crew require urgent medical attention from Andorian physicians, but Archer replies that if they continue to Andoria, the vessel will have disappeared again. In the captain's mess, Archer and T'Pol eat alone. Archer thinks it may have been a mistake for Starfleet to involve itself in the continual feuding between Andoria and Tellar, a dispute which has lasted for more than a century. Perhaps Starfleet should have allowed the Vulcans to mediate the conference. T'Pol informs him that the Andorians still do not trust the Vulcans, even though relations have improved between them. Archer struggles to find much that the Andorians and Tellarites have in common, but T'Pol answers that similar statements have been made concerning Humans and Vulcans. She tells Archer that she received a personal message from Koss on Vulcan. Their marriage has been officially dissolved. Archer says that he's sorry to hear that, but T'Pol replies that his apology is unnecessary. Malcolm Reed contacts Archer and tells the captain that the Andorian ship has been detected. In space, an alien vessel continues on its course. In a large, darkened room, two Romulan officers detect a vessel approaching. One, Admiral Valdore, orders the other, Nijil, to display the approaching ship on a viewscreen. It is the Enterprise, on an intercept course. On the bridge of the Starfleet vessel, Archer and Reed are puzzled. Enterprise has followed the warp trail to its present location. There is a ship on the main viewscreen, but it looks nothing like the Andorian ship that attacked earlier. Sato hails the vessel, but there is no response. When Archer asks what the spikes on the vessel are, T'Pol replies that they appear to be subspace transceivers. She determines that its hull is also lined with multispectral emitters, but she doesn't wish to guess their function. Archer orders Reed to take a team of MACOs aboard the alien ship. The security officer reports that the vessel's life support is not functioning, so Archer orders him to take Tucker, thinking the engineer will be able to fix it. The away team beams on board the alien ship and begins their work. Nijil reports that the propulsion matrix is still not operating on the alien ship. Valdore seems impatient when he asks how much longer it will take to be fixed, but all Nijil says is that it is being repaired. Valdore orders Nijil to prepare a core overload, as he isn't prepared to allow Starfleet to gain possession of the ship. Tucker contacts Enterprise from the alien vessel. He reports that the away team hasn't met with any resistance, yet, and that he's found a computer interface. The only problem is that there's no power on the ship. The away team requires T'Pol's assistance to bring it online. She tells Tucker to uplink his scanner. Suddenly, the away team are thrown to the deck as the alien ship lunges forward and fires on Enterprise. Archer calls for evasive maneuvers on the bridge of his ship as his crew attempts to retrieve the away team. T'Pol reports that the hull plating of the alien vessel has been reinforced. As a result, Enterprise is able to transport only one member of the away team at a time. Both of the MACOs, Carender and Myers, are beamed off the ship before the primary phase coil is fused and the transporter goes off-line. It will take several hours to repair and Enterprise is beginning to suffer extensive damage. Archer contacts the away team and explains the situation to Tucker before Enterprise withdraws from the engagement at maximum warp. The alien ship pursues Enterprise, as Malcolm Reed begins to run out of oxygen. Tucker shares his supply of air with Reed, but Reed comments that Tucker's supply won't last forever. The engineer tries to get life support on-line. On the bridge of Enterprise, Mayweather struggles to outrun the alien vessel, and with the help of new injectors, he eventually manages it. In the Andorian's quarters, Shran is still slightly suspicious of Gral. He wonders how Archer could have been fooled by the Tellarite's deception. He tells Talas that he won't entrust the security of Andoria to Starfleet, even though Talas believes Shran has little choice but to allow Archer to deal with the situation. Shran promises never to trust the Tellarites again. He wants Talas to bypass the security protocols so that he can interrogate Gral. On the alien vessel, Tucker is struggling with the environmental controls when Reed asks if life support is operational yet. Tucker wonders if the ship has life support at all but Reed is sure that the bridge must have an environment, so both officers head to the bridge. Nijil reports that Enterprise has moved out of sensor range of the Romulan ship. Valdore insists that it must not be allowed to escape, as too much has been revealed to its mostly Human crew. Nijil argues that the Romulan ship is only a prototype which wasn't ready for combat. Valdore orders that the Romulans begin a search for the Starfleet vessel. In Archer's ready room, T'Pol has determined that the alien ship is neither Andorian or Tellarite in origin, but there's an extreme possibility that it is Romulan in design. She reports that the vessel's power matrix uses boridium cells, a similar technology to what the Romulan minefield used in 2152. When Archer asks why the Romulans would be in this area of space, T'Pol replies that they have been known to retaliate against species which they view as a threat. However, the captain answers that he doesn't know anything about Humans, Andorians or Tellarites having threatened the Romulans. He thinks it is possible that the Romulans feared an alliance between all three species, which is why they interfered. He tells her that the conference on Babel has been postponed for the foreseeable future. T'Pol reports that Enterprise is too far away from the alien ship to contact Tucker. On the Romulan vessel, Tucker and Reed are having difficulty locating the bridge. Tucker suggests following data conduits that run throughout the ship. He tells Reed that they probably lead to the bridge. They find a chemically-fueled maneuvering thruster, powered by oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Reed suggests that they refill their air tanks. Outside the Andorian's quarters, Talas tries to seduce the MACO on duty there. When the officer tells her to return to her quarters, she and the MACO fight each other. The Andorian eventually knocks the MACO to the ground. She and Shran escape from their quarters. Nijil detects a problem with one of the fuel tanks on board the Romulan ship. He's certain that it is not the result of another malfunction, but that the starboard transfer valve has manually been opened. Valdore orders Nijil to activate the drone ship's internal sensors. While Tucker and Reed work on restoring their air supplies, they are detected by Valdore. He asks if the inertial stabilizers are off-line, to which Nijil replies affirmatively. Valdore orders the pilot to initiate evasive maneuvers, throwing Tucker and Reed to the deck of the Romulan ship. Talas and Shran make their way through Enterprise's corridors. After firing at a pair of MACOs, they enter the Tellarites' quarters. Talas assaults Gral's aide, Naarg, while Shran points a particle rifle at maximum setting at the Tellarite ambassador. On Enterprise's bridge, T'Pol and Hoshi Sato have determined that the function of the emitters on the Romulan vessel's hull is to act as holographic projectors. The vessel is designed to use the emitters to mimic a wide variety of different ships. The vessel's disruptor uses tri-phasic emitters which can simulate the effects of different kinds of weapons. The ship is unable to mask its power signature, however. An officer hails the bridge, reporting weapons fire outside the Tellarites' quarters on G Deck. Archer rushes off the bridge, calling for a team of MACOs to go to the Tellarites' quarters and for that deck to be sealed off. In Gral's quarters, Shran insists that the Tellarites were the reason for the disappearance of several Andorian ships, but Gral argues otherwise. Fighting Andorians on the way, Archer and several armed MACOs run towards the Tellarites' quarters. The captain enters and convinces Shran to give his weapon to Archer. Just as Shran does, though, Gral's aide fires at Talas. Archer returns fire at the Tellarite, who falls to the deck. The captain sends for Doctor Phlox, but Talas' injuries are only superficial. On the Romulan ship, Reed and Tucker arrive at the bridge, only to find it deserted. Nijil reports that the away team has entered the bridge of the drone ship, as Valdore gazes out a window on Romulus. 
<EOS>
Aboard the prototype Romulan drone ship, Commander Trip Tucker and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed struggle to regain their footing as the ship is violently shaken. On Romulus, the drone ship's pilot works on erratically maneuvering the vessel. When Nijil announces that Reed and Trip won't last long, Admiral Valdore informs him that the drone ship is approaching its next target; Nijil's attempts to eliminate Trip and Reed will have to wait. Ordering the pilot to stabilize the ship, in preparation for its imminent attack, Nijil reports that he is activating the vessel's multispectral emitters -- its holographic "skin". Valdore orders him to use a particular holographic design to annihilate its target. On board the drone ship, Tucker asks Reed if he has recovered from the effects of the vessel's instability but the lieutenant answers that he is still dizzy. Tucker comments to Reed that he can feel the ship's warp drive being deactivated. Meanwhile, Nijil tells Valdore that the drone ship is aiming at its next target, a Rigellian vessel. When he announces that the Rigellian crew are hailing the drone ship, Valdore orders Nijil to respond. On the bridge of the Romulan ship, Tucker hears the vessel fire at an unknown adversary. Reed advises him to prepare for the target to defend itself, moments before the drone ship comes under heavy fire. Nijil notifies Valdore that the Rigellian ship is causing damage to the drone ship, although Valdore instructs Nijil to allow the Rigellians sufficient time to transmit a distress call. Once Valdore realizes the distress call has been sent, he directs Nijil to destroy the Rigellian vessel. In the dark vacuum of space, the drone ship swoops down on its prey, disguised as Enterprise. Gathered around the situation table on the bridge of Enterprise, Captain Archer tells Ensign Travis Mayweather and Commander T'Pol that the Rigellian vessel was a heavily-armed scoutship with a crew of seventeen, none of whom survived. Archer shows his officers a visual record which was sent by the Rigellian ship -- it shows Enterprise, firing at the vessel. The Rigellian Trade Commission is demanding compensation from Starfleet and Archer's arrest to which the captain slams the monitor off. Archer encourages Mayweather and T'Pol to search for the Romulan drone ship. T'Pol tells him that she has discovered a method to detect the stealth vessel's warp signature, while Mayweather has designed a sensor grid which will extend Enterprise's range. Although the grid will require 128 vessels, it should prove to be an effective way to find the drone ship. In sickbay, Shran jokes that Phlox must be in love with Talas, as the doctor is treating her for more than a superficial wound, which he claimed was all she suffered. Although Talas was only grazed, the phase-pistol that Naarg shot her with was set to kill. Talas is outraged at the Tellarite, and is worried about the severity of her wound. Shran tries to reassure her that she will be well again and that they will soon be back on their homeworld, Andoria. When Talas asks, Shran promises not to let her die unavenged. Phlox enters and apologetically asks Shran to leave. Before he does so, however, Archer enters and offers him a proposal. Shran doesn't listen to the captain's suggestion but answers that he will take part if the plan includes killing Tellarites. As he leaves, Archer realizes that uniting the Andorians, Tellarites, Vulcans and Humans to provide the ships needed for the sensor grid will prove much more difficult than he thought. On Romulus, Senator Vrax complains to Valdore that the drone ship is damaged, defenseless and adrift in enemy space, following its battle with the Rigellian scoutship. Valdore reminds him that the Romulan vessel has automated repair systems, but Vrax fears the consequences of the vessel's potential discovery. Valdore replies that because the drone ships have no crew, the Romulans will never be blamed for their actions. Vrax's reply is that the prototype drone ship, is simply a modified Romulan warbird, a fact that the Vulcans would discover if they scanned the ship's propulsion matrix. He orders Valdore to have the drone ship return to Romulus, where he plans to tell the Romulan Senate that Valdore's test was a success. If the admiral doesn't carry out Vrax's orders, Valdore will be held responsible for the loss of the prototype drone ship. Uttering jolan tru, a Romulan farewell, Senator Vrax strides out of the command center with his Reman Commandos. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol enters Captain Archer's ready room. Archer tells her that he was just contacted by Admiral Gardner, who told him that Starfleet is sending every available starship to Enterprise's location. Even at their maximum velocity, most of the ships will arrive in three weeks. When T'Pol asks about Columbia NX-02, Archer tells her that the vessel is undergoing repairs at Earth's orbital drydock facility. T'Pol reports that Minister T'Pau dispatched only 23 vessels, as the Vulcan High Command has recently experienced a period of political upheaval and many Vulcan ships are currently not fully manned. Archer sarcastically notes that T'Pau could not have picked a better time to clean house. T'Pol seems surprised when she notices Andorian and Tellarite fleet deployments on a monitor on the captain's desk but Archer explains that more ships will be necessary if the sensor grid is to be successful. T'Pol suggests that a command hierarchy be organized, due to the difficult relations between most of the members of the alliance. Archer comments that Humans are the only species that are allies of the Andorians and Tellarites and that Enterprise could relay all orders to the armada of vessels. T'Pol isn't convinced, however, due to the fact that Humans, Andorians, Vulcans and Tellarites have never cooperated on a mutual endeavor before. Archer believes that if action against the Romulans isn't taken now, they may later return in greater force. Aboard the drone ship, Lieutenant Reed and Commander Tucker are inspecting the systems on the bridge. Tucker tells Reed that he thinks he's found an environmental system, which he operates. Tucker hears a rush of air as oxygen is released into the room. Reed wonders if the ship could be deserted -- perhaps it is a prototype, which would explain the design of its bridge. The vessel may have been an existing ship, modified with the latest technological advancements available to its designers. If Reed is correct, and the ship is run by computers, all that he and Tucker will have to do is to find a control which will deactivate the vessel's propulsion system. They set to work, searching for such a control. On Enterprise, Shran and Ambassador Gral argue. When it seems as though their quarreling is about to erupt into physical violence, Archer refuses to intervene. He asks them to put aside their differences and try to cooperate. To do otherwise would be to allow the Romulans what they want to achieve -- the destabilizing of relations between political powers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Aboard the drone ship, Reed senses that the vessel has resumed warp speed, a perception that is substantiated when Trip remarks that he detected a power spike from one of the conduits on the bridge. When Reed asks if the engineer believes warp is controlled from there, Tucker answers that all of the ship's controls should connect to the bridge, if it was originally built for a crew. Trip asks Reed to observe the bridge consoles, which the armory officer does. Working together, Reed and Tucker find the propulsion controls. On Romulus, Nijil tells Valdore that he isn't certain what Reed and Tucker are doing aboard the drone ship, as the vessel's visual surveillance system is off-line. He exclaims that the drone ship is no longer traveling at warp speed. Meanwhile, Reed hears the Romulan vessel drop out of warp as he stands on the deck of the bridge. Modestly, Tucker tells the lieutenant that he simply interrupted the power to the warp controls. He expects a backup system will come on-line soon. Reed draws his attention to a computer monitor which displays a map of their location. Together, they find their bearings. Reed believes that an area of the map could represent the power coupling for the entire warp control system but the area is separated from the bridge. Touching the section of the map that corresponds to the dividing wall, a door opens, leading to the area that Reed and Tucker want to reach. On Romulus, Nijil reports that one of the intruders has left the bridge of the drone ship and is in the service junction, having located the main coupling for the warp matrix. The Romulan scientist tells Valdore that they have what they need to kill him in the service junction. On board the drone ship, Tucker tells Reed to monitor a diagram as the engineer flips through some alien equipment as if they were circuit breakers. After Tucker calls that he's cut the first one, Reed comments that a section of the map dimmed. Meanwhile, Nijil reports to Valdore that the intruder they are monitoring is disabling the warp system and that the ship's automated self-repair systems will take more than a day to restore its warp capability, more time than Nijil and Valdore have. When the Romulan scientist announces that the vandalizing intruder is still in the service junction, Valdore orders Nijil to seal him in there. Tucker is about to look for a communications circuit when the door to the service junction closes. He contacts Reed using his communicator and asks if Reed touched anything that might explain why Tucker is locked on the other side of the door. Reed tells Tucker that he didn't and that the hatch controls on his side aren't responding. On both sides of the door, the officers try to force the hatch open but stop when they hear the transmitted voice of Admiral Valdore. The Romulan reveals that he is in command of the vessel. When reactor coolant begins to fill the service junction, Tucker lets Reed know, mentioning that the radiation level is at one hundred roentgens and increasing. Valdore warns Tucker that if he doesn't reestablish the drone ship's warp matrix, he will ultimately die within seven minutes. On Enterprise, Shran hands Captain Archer an Andorian PADD. It displays the communication codes that the Andorian fleet will use in the sensor grid. Archer informs him that the Tellarites have also agreed to participate and that they, too, will require the communication codes. Distracted by the pictures of craft named Enterprise on Archer's ready room wall, Shran asks the captain if he has served on all those ships. Archer explains that although he wasn't even born when some of them were on active duty, every craft on the wall was called Enterprise. He tells Shran that one of the vessels sailed Earth's oceans almost four hundred years ago. Shran reveals that the ship he recently captained, the Kumari, was named after the first ice-cutter to circle Andoria. He speculates that perhaps future ships will be named after his and Archer's ships, if they achieve something historic together. Seeing no reason why Andorians and Humans can't become allies, he shakes Archer's hand. On the drone ship, Tucker plans to deactivate the reactor which will stop the release of reactor coolant but Reed tells Tucker that he has thought of a better plan. The lieutenant tells Tucker to stand back from the door. Valdore tries to convince them that their attempts to save Commander Tucker are futile -- he'll be dead in three minutes. Reed shoots the door but the phase-pistol has no effect. Tucker deactivates the reactor but the backup sequencer comes on-line. While reactor coolant continues to flow into the service junction, Valdore attempts to persuade Reed and Tucker to follow his instructions. On the bridge of Enterprise, T'Pol moves towards Archer in the situation room and reports that all 128 ships that are needed for the sensor grid have moved into position. Phlox contacts Archer and urgently asks him to come to sickbay. Later, Shran storms into sickbay, where he finds Archer and Phlox. The doctor apologizes to Shran and says he did everything that he could have. The Andorian is furious -- his beloved, Talas, is dead. Archer convinces Shran that this is the wrong time for anger and, over her dead body, Shran breaks down and mourns Talas. Aboard the drone ship, Tucker notifies Reed that the radiation level is at 180 roentgens and continuing to increase and that his attempts to shut down the backup reactor sequencer have been unsuccessful. Reed tells Valdore that he will reestablish the warp matrix to save Commander Tucker but Tucker orders him not to, before passing out. Reed sets to work to try to save Tucker's life. On Enterprise, Ambassador Gral indicates that all the Tellarite ships have joined the sensor grid. All that will be required now is patience, which Archer and Naarg agree will be hard for the Tellarites. Shran interrupts proceedings outside the conference room when two MACOs stop him from entering. Archer orders them to let him in, once Shran convinces the captain and the MACOs that his intentions are peaceful. Inside, he talks about Talas and shows Naarg a leather pouch full of her blood. He explains that when a guardsman dies far from Andoria, his, or her, companions carry a part of him, or her, back to the ice of their homeworld. In a furious rage, he empties Talas' blue blood onto Naarg. Archer hauls him off the Tellarite, where Shran warns that if Naarg doesn't face him in combat, the Andorian Imperial Guard will withdraw its ships from the sensor grid. Tucker is still unconscious aboard the drone ship. Reed demands that Valdore stops the release of reactor coolant now that the lieutenant has reconnected the warp matrix. The Romulan opens the hatch to the service junction and Reed enters the area, as the hatch closes behind him. He reveals that he and Tucker are in a better location than on the bridge, where he has set a phase-pistol to overload. Meanwhile, Valdore instructs Nijil to take the drone ship back to Romulus at warp speed. Aboard the ship, Tucker senses that the vessel has resumed warp propulsion and reminds Reed that he disobeyed a direct order. Reed sarcastically retorts that he's sorry for saving Tucker's life and promises that he won't do it again. Grateful to still be alive, the engineer apologizes. Reed works on opening an access panel which leads away from the bridge and, aware that the Romulans may be monitoring his and Tucker's conversation, indicates his plan to Tucker. He and the engineer have only a minute before the phase-pistol explodes, so they work together to escape the service junction. When questioned about the access panel, Nijil responds that it opens onto a "superstructure" and leads away from any critical equipment. Valdore intends to deal with the Humans when the drone ship returns to Romulan space. On board the vessel, Reed and Tucker climb through the access panel. Tucker believes they are a safe distance away from the overloading phase-pistol, but Reed replies that he wired the weapon directly into the power conduit on the bridge. Valdore hears this and discovers Reed's plan, seconds before the phase-pistol explodes, disrupting the Romulans' control of the drone ship. On board Enterprise, Hoshi Sato and T'Pol tell Captain Archer about the Ushaan -- a fight to the death using a weapon called a ushaan-tor, an ice-miner's tool. Citing the fact that Andorians play with the ushaan-tor as children, Hoshi is certain that Naarg wouldn't stand a chance using one against Shran. Archer tells Sato and T'Pol that Ambassador Gral is refusing to let Naarg fight, although T'Pol remarks that the Andorians will consider that a further insult. In his quarters, Shran sharpens the blade of his ushaan-tor. Archer enters and recalls that he and the Andorian spoke about an alliance between their species two hours ago. He finds it hard to believe that Shran would risk severing that alliance for his own personal vengeance. Shran explains that he has lost more than Talas; he has also lost his ship and most of his crew. Now, he fears that he would lose his crew's loyalty and the respect of the Imperial Guard if he doesn't confront the Tellarite delegation. In Shran's opinion, Archer should be supporting him -- the Andorian commander represents the Humans at the Imperial Guard. Archer notifies him that, in accordance with the rules of the Ushaan, the captain will act as substitute for Naarg. Shran doesn't want to fight his friend but, after a long pause, he refuses to call off the match. Aboard the drone ship, Tucker is surprised at the extent of the damage which Reed caused with only one phase-pistol. They decide to head for the vessel's outer hull, where Commander Tucker may be able to link their communicators to the subspace transceivers on the hull, in order to contact Enterprise. In the Romulan Command Center, Nijil reports that they have restored contact with the drone ship and that the vessel's repair systems are starting to function again. Valdore asks to be notified when the ship has reestablished its self-destruct capability. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol enters Archer's quarters with the belief that the captain will lose the fight against Shran. She states that the Andorian has much more combat experience and won't yield to the captain. Archer is the only one who can be killed in the fight, since Starfleet insists on locating and destroying the Romulan drone ship, which won't happen if an Andorian or a Tellarite is killed in the Ushaan. T'Pol reveals that she is worried about what might happen to Archer in the fight. On the bridge, Sato tells Mayweather that she is studying the Code of the Ushaan. T'Pol hopes that Sato will be able to uncover a loophole in the code -- some way to forfeit the match without insulting the Andorians. Mayweather offers to help her with the research. In the briefing room, Sato and Mayweather discuss several possible loopholes, without success. Eventually, Mayweather suggests that perhaps they should be looking for a way for the captain to win, not a way out of the fight. Sato reminds him that the Andorians will withdraw their vessels if Shran dies. When Mayweather tells her that his father was challenged to a duel on Neubilia Prime for looking at the native tribal elders in the wrong way, Sato asks him how his father withdrew from the fight. Cued by Sato's question, he searches for the combat rules. Later, in launch bay two, Sato, Gral and Phlox advise Archer on how to fight Shran. T'Pol calls the two combatants to take their positions where they briefly talk, each one certain that the other will lose. Soon, they begin their duel and, midway through the fight, Archer claims that he is trying to help Shran impress the Andorian soldiers. Eventually, the captain grips around Shran's neck and asks him to yield. The Andorian refuses to give up, so Archer swings the blade of his ushaan-tor towards Shran. Later, Shran lies in sickbay with an amputated antenna. He tells Archer that he deserved to be decapitated by the captain, and, walking to a monitor, reacts to the severity of his injury. He states that Andorian antennae can take up to nine months to regrow untreated, although Phlox answers that with electrical stimulation and cranial massage therapy, Shran's antenna will be fully regenerated in around half that time. When Archer recalls being told that Andorian antennae aren't vital, Shran retorts that his loss was a humiliating experience. But, as the captain honored Andorian custom and complied with the Code of the Ushaan, the Andorians will continue to assist with the sensor grid. On the bridge, T'Pol reports that the drone ship's power signature has been detected by four of the allied vessels. Enterprise is too far from the suspected ship to scan for bio-signs, so Archer orders an intercept course. Although even at maximum warp, the starship will still take 47 minutes to intercept the craft. Archer orders Sato to inform the allied fleet of Enterprise's situation and anxiously settles into his chair. Meanwhile, the Romulans realize that Enterprise is closing on the drone ship. Valdore commands Nijil to activate the vessel's holographic skin. In space, the Romulan ship seems to be changing form, an illusion created by its multispectral emitters. On board, several lights fail, shortly before Tucker explains that all the ship's systems that were damaged in the explosion are restoring power, draining the vessel's other systems. Power hasn't been restored yet to the drone ship's warp matrix, although Tucker suggests that they hurry if they wish to contact their starship. As Enterprise nears its target, T'Pol announces that the starship is approaching visual range of the supposed drone ship. When Archer directs T'Pol to display the vessel on the main viewscreen, it appears that the craft is a Vulcan starship. Checking the vessel's power signature, T'Pol clarifies that the ship is not of Vulcan design. Archer gives the order to raise tactical alert, charge weapons and prepare to engage the enemy. In the Romulan Command Center, Nijil is annoyed that Enterprise will intercept the drone ship before the vessel restores its warp matrix. Senator Vrax enters with his Reman bodyguards, startling Valdore. When Vrax disapproves of the admiral's inability to stop intruders aboard the drone ship from boarding and disabling the vessel, Valdore realizes that the senator must have a spy in the command center. Vrax reveals that he has come to witness Enterprise's destruction. On the bridge of Enterprise, T'Pol identifies two Human bio-signs on board the Romulan vessel. However, the Starfleet ship will still need to narrow its proximity to the drone ship to engage a transporter lock on Tucker and Reed. Archer attempts to hail his officers and is relieved when they eventually answer. Soon, Enterprise and the drone ship engage in combat. The Romulan craft is causing severe damage to the Starfleet vessel when Enterprise finally manages to eliminate the drone ship's disguise. Aboard the Romulan craft, Reed wonders why the crew of Enterprise are firing at the drone ship when they know that he and Tucker are aboard, although Tucker assumes that they are only aiming at the drone ship's weapon systems. Contacting Enterprise, the engineer asks Archer if the starship is able to establish a transporter lock on his and Malcolm's positions. The captain replies negatively and instructs them to move closer to the drone ship's hull. Meanwhile, Nijil reports that the Romulan ship has lost its holographic ability and will reestablish its warp capacity in two minutes. He calls that more enemy vessels are nearing the drone ship and worries that the ship will lose its self-repair systems again. Vrax is certain, however, that the ship will escape the allied fleet. As Enterprise continues to fight the enemy vessel, Tucker shouts that he and Reed have reached the vessel's hull. T'Pol still fails to get a transporter lock on Tucker and Reed, as the Romulan ship's maneuvers are too erratic. The drone ship targets Enterprise's warp core so Archer orders T'Pol to take the weapons off-line and boost power to the hull plating. Telling Mayweather to turn the ship around, he contacts Tucker and Reed and demands that they leave the drone ship. Meanwhile, Vrax sees that the Starfleet vessel doesn't have weapons -- a vulnerability which the Romulans can take advantage of. Tucker and Reed jump out of the drone ship and hurtle through open space at an incredible rate of acceleration. Just when T'Pol is about to engage a transporter lock on them, Enterprise is hit again, this time taking damage to its sensor assembly -- she still can't get a lock. The Romulans discover six more enemy vessels heading toward the drone ship, which will be able to engage warp in twenty seconds. When Sato reports their arrival, Archer tells her to ask the allied vessels to hold their fire -- he doesn't want his officers to be injured. Meanwhile, Tucker and Reed swim through space, watching as the allied ships approach and the drone ship, which has regained its warp capacity, darts past them. On Romulus, Vrax orders the pilot, wearing the synaptic interface helmet which covers most of his features, to withdraw the drone ship from the battle. In the vacuum of space, the six allied ships race after the Romulan craft. Alone, Reed pessimistically believes that he and Tucker are doomed to spend the rest of eternity spinning endlessly through space when, above their heads, the massive Enterprise appears and beams them aboard. Later, Tucker and Reed remove their environmental suits, which they have been wearing for three days. Tucker thanks Reed for saving his life aboard the drone ship but says that he is putting the lieutenant on report. Eventually though, Reed determines that Tucker is only joking. In the briefing room, Archer notifies T'Pol, Shran, and Gral that the drone ship escaped. He also tells them that the crew of an attacked Tellarite vessel was rescued by an Andorian warship. Shran and Gral agree that the drone ship is a menace to both their species and sit down to discuss a potential alliance between Andoria and Tellar. 
<EOS>
As Admiral Valdore gazes out a window on Romulus, Senator Vrax, with two Remans standing near him, complains that the mission they were assigned to has become a disaster. The Romulan Senate expected them to cause political discord throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants but, for the first time ever, the Andorian and Tellarite governments have now formed an alliance. Vrax tells Valdore that a group of Romulans in the senate doesn't share the admiral's opinion that the alliance won't last. The senators are presenting a motion to cancel the mission and Vrax, who regrets supporting the mission, blames Valdore for weakening his position in the senate. Claiming that Vrax will eventually become First Consul when the mission is completed, Valdore reveals that the second Romulan drone ship is now ready to be launched. Since it was the crew of Enterprise that brought Andorian and Tellarite delegations together, his plan is to use both drone ships to track and destroy the Starfleet vessel. In a briefing room aboard Enterprise, Commander T'Pol informs Captain Archer, Lieutenant Reed, Tucker, Phlox and Shran that the drone ship is being navigated using telepresence -- a process which allows remote operation of a vessel. Shran comments that in the past, the Andorians experimented with telepresence for a short period of time. When T'Pol adds that the drone ship's pilot is able to operate the vessel from light years away, Reed and Tucker accept that as an explanation for the ship being devoid of crewmembers. T'Pol suggests that the crew of Enterprise build their own telepresence unit to interfere with the Romulans' navigation of the drone ship. She also states that the data which Enterprise gained from the Romulan vessel included a brain wave pattern of a highly telepathic individual -- the pilot. T'Pol explains that telepathy is apparently required to operate the drone ship but Doctor Phlox mentions that the pilot is seemingly related to the Andorian species. On Romulus, Nijil reports that Tucker and Reed caused considerable damage to the drone ship while they were on board. Valdore orders him to assign every Romulan supernumerary to replace the prototype vessel's receiver array. Nijil is concerned about the pilot, who is currently mentally fatigued, operating the vessel alone. The Romulan scientist doesn't dare to imagine what might happen if Valdore orders the deployment of another drone ship. The admiral replies that the pilot will be allocated at least three days to rest and advises Nijil to increase the pilot's stimulants, even though they are already at a dangerously high level. If the stimulants are increased, Nijil worries that the pilot may die, resulting in the end of their mission. Valdore shows little concern for the pilot's well-being, however, but tells Nijil to be certain that the pilot survives until Enterprise is destroyed. Meanwhile, Shran enters the captain's ready room, where he tells Archer about a transmission he just received. Andorian scientists have analyzed the brain wave pattern and concluded that the pilot is Aenar -- a blind Andorian subspecies of ice-dwellers. Prior to their discovery fifty years ago in Andoria's northern hemisphere, they were considered to be simply a myth, due to their highly secretive nature. Shran thinks it is unlikely that they built the drone ship and even more unlikely that they deployed the vessel, due to their pacifistic beliefs. Obviously, one of the Aenar's ethics differ from the majority, so Archer and Shran agree to find out which one. Contacting the bridge, the captain instructs Ensign Travis Mayweather through the intercom to set course for the Andorian homeworld at maximum warp. In sickbay, Tucker and T'Pol have begun to construct Enterprise's telepresence unit. When Commander Tucker exhibits signs of fatigue, T'Pol advises him to rest and recalls that Phlox believes he shouldn't return to duty yet. Surprised that T'Pol and the doctor spoke about him, the engineer argues that the Vulcan doesn't have the same level of engineering expertise as he has, which will be useful in the construction of the telepresence unit. When Trip asks her if she has ever faced death like he did aboard the drone ship, she replies that she doubted her survival when Enterprise attempted to destroy Sphere 41 in the Delphic Expanse. When Tucker asks what she thought about in that instant, T'Pol answers that she wondered whether to transfer auxiliary power to the starship's deflector array, leaving Tucker disappointed at her reply. Enterprise arrives in the Andorian system, which includes the ringed gas giant of which the the Andorian homeworld is a moon. As Archer and Shran walk through a corridor to the transporter, Reed is reluctant to let them leave without a contingent of MACOs. There is a dampening field surrounding the Aenar compound which will inhibit communications between the surface and Enterprise. However, Archer insists the MACOs stay behind -- the Aenar might interpret their presence as a threat and refuse to cooperate. Stepping onto the transporter platform, the captain and Shran beam down to the frozen Northern Wastes of Andoria. When Archer remarks at how cold it is, Shran informs him that Andoria is midway through its hottest season, despite the fact that it is -28 degrees below. The captain and Shran begin to search for the entrance to the Aenar compound, twenty meters from where they beamed in. Shran tells Archer that Andorian cities are subterranean and are designed to use geothermal energy. He adds that he didn't see the Andorian sun until he was fifteen years old. Nearing the entrance to the compound, Shran falls to his knees, experiencing balance problems due to his cut antenna. He refuses Archer's help and rises to his feet unaided. Notifying the captain that the tunnels ahead of them reach out for thousands of kilometers, he and Archer enter the Aenar compound. On Romulus, Nijil reports that the pilot of the drone ship is resting, in preparation for the vessel's launch in twelve hours. When Nijil promises to ensure the pilot will be ready, Valdore comments that the scientist sounds like the soldier he really is. When Nijil maintains that he is simply a scientist, Valdore claims that mistakes occur when a Romulan forgets that he is a soldier from birth. The Romulan admiral recalls that he served as a senator early in his career, when he once considered Vrax a friend. However, he made the unforgivable mistake of challenging the precept of unlimited expansion and was expelled from the Senate. Nijil apologizes, although Valdore states that his intention is to teach the Romulan scientist a lesson, not to seek pity. After Valdore lost his position as senator, he vowed never to repeat his error and never to forget his birthright as a soldier of the Romulan Empire. Satisfied that Nijil has learnt the moral of Valdore's tale, the admiral orders the Romulan scientist to continue with his preparations. On Andoria, Shran notices holes in an ice tunnel roof that were left by burrowing ice-bores -- worms that generate warmth through a chemical reaction. Archer thinks that Phlox would like to acquire some, although Shran tells the captain that would be a bad idea -- any physical contact with an ice-bore results in third-degree burns. When Archer and the Andorian reach a steep incline, the captain suggests that they look for another way to the bottom of the slope. Shran disagrees and foolhardily starts his descent. Suddenly, the ice gives way beneath him and he falls to the base of the slope. Seeing an icicle jutting through the Andorian's leg, Archer hurries down the slope. In agonizing pain, Shran insists on freeing his own leg from the ice. Bleeding and moaning, he lies on his back after hauling his leg free. As inquisitive Aenar observe Archer and the Andorian, the captain provides Shran with emergency medical aid, unaware that they are being watched. Archer tells Shran that the Andorian's leg has stopped bleeding. However, if Shran moves, he may lose more blood. If he and Archer stay where they are, he fears that they will freeze to death. Archer attempts to contact Enterprise with his communicator, although Shran reminds him of the dampening field. The captain claims that he remembered the field, but attempted to signal the starship anyway. When Archer asks how far they are from the Aenar compound, Shran indicates that he has just caught sight of an Aenar female. She, and other members of her Andorian subspecies, step out of the shadows toward Shran and Archer. The captain informs the Aenar that Shran requires their assistance. The young female who Shran saw agrees to provide the Andorian medical aid. On board Enterprise, Phlox comments that he wishes he, T'Pol and Tucker had more information on the neural interface which connects the pilot to the telepresence unit. Due to this, he states that connecting someone to the unit will be dangerous -- if the neural interface malfunctions, the wearer may suffer extreme neurolytic shock, which could possibly result in brain damage. Trip seems certain that there must be some way to make the interface safer, although the doctor responds that they have learned everything they can from the diagnostics of the Romulan drone ship. When Phlox tells T'Pol that the unit will be ready in a day, Trip voices his wish to be the first crew member to try the unit. The Vulcan reminds Trip that he is not telepathic and that the trial wouldn't be a true test of the unit's effectiveness but the engineer argues that the experiment would at least give an indication of whether the neural interface is dangerous. When T'Pol states that she will test the unit, Tucker maintains that she is the highest-ranking officer on board the starship and is not expendable due to this. The engineer asks her to wait until the captain returns but T'Pol is intent on having the unit ready by the time of his arrival. To accomplish this, the preparations will have to include a thorough series of tests. T'Pol declares that their discussion is concluded and walks away. Deep under the icy surface of Andoria, a subterranean city, built by the Aenar, clings onto large icicles which have formed in a massive underground cavern. In one of the city's rooms, Archer watches as an Aenar female enters and walks to where a physician stands, attending Shran's wounds. Nodding to the physician, she tells Shran that he will soon be fully recovered. The Andorian thanks the physician shortly before the doctor leaves. When the Aenar female tells Archer his name, the captain believes it is proof of her telepathic ability. However, she explains that the Aenar strictly prohibit telepathy without permission. She learned the captain's name when the Andorian chancellor contacted her species. When Archer asks to speak with an Aenar leader, the female replies that she has been chosen as Speaker in this particular case. The captain wonders if she understands why he and Shran require her species' assistance. She answers that the Andorians have told the Aenar that Starfleet believes her species is involved with anonymous attacks on the alliance ships. When the captain informs her that she wasn't told the whole story, she asks permission to read Archer's thoughts. He accepts and the Aenar female soon comments that his mind is an interesting one with many facets, some of which are conflicting. She believes that the evidence which has been gathered to prove that an Aenar was in control of the Romulan drone ship appears irrefutable. However, she is extremely disturbed by the thought that a member of her race could cause so much death. She postulates that Gareb, an Aenar citizen who disappeared the year before while collecting ice-bores, may have been abducted and forced to control the drone ship, which would explain why his body was never found. She reminds Archer and Shran that they need someone to control the telepresence unit on Enterprise and leaves the room, telling them that she will consult with the other Aenar. As Enterprise continues its orbit in the Andorian system, Tucker enters the mess hall and orders a strong coffee. Walking through a corridor with a mug of the coffee, he wanders past T'Pol. When the Vulcan calls his name, he eventually stops walking. T'Pol informs him that his concern for her is appreciated. He claims that he is only trying to make sure Enterprise doesn't lose a good officer, although T'Pol believes that his emotions are interfering with his duties. Trip disagrees and retorts that his feelings are completely professional. He walks away as the Vulcan looks on. As Shran lies in his quarters within the underground city, a young Aenar female stands over his body. She is surprised when she realizes he is awake and, fascinated by Shran, explains that she has never met a blue-skinned Andorian before. She adds that she can't explain how she can tell he has blue skin when she is blind and asks about the Andorian's home. Shran tells her that, every few years, the temperature rises above freezing for several weeks. He reveals that he has visited planets which had temperatures that were only slightly below the boiling point of water. The young female laughs in wonderment when the Andorian comments that, in a couple of days on a planet such as the ones he was describing, he lost ten percent of his body weight. She regains a serious expression when she remembers the reason for her visit -- she wanted to apologize to Shran for unintentionally sensing his thoughts when she first saw him. She relates to how he must feel to lose Talas when she divulges that she is Gareb's sister. She seems certain that her brother would never intentionally harm anyone, which correlates with what the Speaker told Shran earlier. The young Aenar female confesses to having experienced recurrent nightmares concerning her brother. Meanwhile, two Romulan officers lead Gareb to the telepresence unit on Romulus. Nijil asks for his forgiveness shortly before the Romulan scientist injects the pilot with stimulants. Wearing the neural interface helmet, T'Pol gasps as Phlox activates the telepresence unit in Enterprise's sickbay. Her condition stabilizes and she seems to be doing well. Phlox reports that her synaptic response has become erratic but T'Pol insists that she will recover. However, her condition deteriorates and Trip orders Phlox to power down the unit. Trip removes the interface helmet from T'Pol's head and, scanning her, Phlox makes a positive diagnoses -- T'Pol is relatively unharmed. The engineer confirms that, for a brief period of time, she did manage to operate the telepresence unit. T'Pol informs Tucker and Phlox that she will rest for a few minutes before testing the unit again. In a room within the Aenar city, Archer attempts to convince the Speaker to help bring an end to the Romulan drone ship's violence. When she tells them that the Aenar won't participate in the use of violence against the drone ship, Shran believes that he and the captain are wasting their time and leaves. Archer reluctantly follows. With their systems ready, Valdore gives the order to launch two Romulan drone ships. They depart Romulus at warp speed to intercept Enterprise. On Andoria, Gareb's sister advises Shran to recuperate, as they walk with Archer through an ice tunnel. The Andorian replies that he has had enough rest and Archer, following Shran and the young Aenar, informs them that they will soon be out of range of the dampening field which surrounds the Aenar compound. When the young female urges Shran to wait, telepathically sensing a swarm of ice-bores, the Andorian commander looks up to see the ice-bores falling through the roof of the tunnel. Shran stands back to make sure that none of the ice-bores, which generate immense heat, touch him. As they burrow through the ground, Gareb's sister recalls that she and her brother once chased a swarm of ice-bores near the planet's surface for two hours. When she and her brother returned to the Aenar city, she learned that their family was extremely worried about them. She fears her family will be worried again. When Shran asks if she is sure that she wants to leave Andoria, she replies that she wants to help save her brother and wonders what Enterprise is like. Captain Archer describes the starship as warm, which makes her smile. In Enterprise's sickbay, Tucker asks Phlox if the doctor thinks it is wise for T'Pol to test the vessel's telepresence unit again. Phlox replies that T'Pol knows the risks of using the unit and is simply doing her job. When he advises Tucker not to interfere with T'Pol's duties, Tucker suspects that perhaps the crew of Enterprise have lost their sanity. Phlox believes Tucker is crazy to attempt to have both a romantic and professional relationship with a member of the crew, a feat which no species in the galaxy has managed to achieve. Tucker blames the doctor for the Vulcan neuro-pressure which initiated the engineer's relationship with T'Pol. However, Phlox reminds him that the Denobulan recommended neuro-pressure simply because Tucker was experiencing problems sleeping. When Tucker asks Phlox how he should deal with his problem, the doctor states that he will just have to suffer the effects of the universally untreatable ailment. On Andoria, Archer looks up at the roof of an ice tunnel which he, Shran and Gareb's sister are traveling through. There, the captain sees holes left by the ice-bores the group observed earlier. Gareb's sister exclaims, "They're trying to stop us! They're not letting us see the path to the surface!" It is unclear whether she means the ice-bores or the other Aenar. However, a holographic projection of the Aenar Speaker appears in a tunnel opening before the group and tries to persuade Gareb's sister, Jhamel, to return to the underground city. Archer protests that Jhamel is acting of her own conscience. Using her telepathic ability, the Speaker discovers that Jhamel is doing what she believes to be right -- leaving Andoria to save her brother. Accepting Jhamel's choice, the Speaker's projection disappears, revealing the tunnel behind her to also be a projection. Following Jhamel, Archer and Shran walk through an opening to the surface of the planet which replaced the tunnel entrance. Later, as Enterprise travels through space at warp speed, Archer notates a log entry. As they walk though a corridor, T'Pol informs the captain that Enterprise is too far from the Ticonderoga to detect the freighter on long-range sensors. She adds that Enterprise will arrive at the cargo ship's last known coordinates in approximately six hours. Archer tells T'Pol that he wants Lieutenant Reed to finish upgrading the targeting scanners so that Enterprise will make more effective shots if they encounter the drone ship again. T'Pol leaves the captain, heading for the armory. As Archer enters sickbay, Tucker reports that Jhamel is ready to test Enterprise's telepresence unit. Jhamel confirms Tucker's report and the engineer places the neural interface helmet around the Aenar's head. At first, Shran thinks Jhamel is uncomfortable using the unit. However, she describes the experience as "strangely enjoyable" and rises the unit's power to maximum. Archer and Trip exchange glances before the captain tells her that she is doing incredibly well. Tucker suggests simulating a course correction and the captain agrees. Suddenly, Jhamel's breathing becomes erratic. Phlox reports that Jhamel is having synaptic trouble. As the Aenar's whole body starts to shake, Shran demands that the unit be shut down. Tucker removes the interface helmet from around Jhamel's head and Phlox administers the Aenar with a mild sedative. On the bridge, T'Pol reports that the starship's sensors are detecting debris, consisting of hull fragments, nacelle casings and several Human bodies. Archer orders her to search for the drone ship's warp signature. When T'Pol asks the captain about Jhamel's condition, Archer replies that the Aenar will recover. However, Phlox has advised the captain that it would be too dangerous for her to use the telepresence unit again. Archer comments that his visit with Shran to Andoria may have been a wasted journey. In sickbay, Jhamel regains consciousness and asks Shran, who is standing over her, what happened. The Andorian replies that she had a convulsion earlier and is now recovering. Jhamel reveals that she had a dream about her brother and appears to be annoyed with herself when she recalls that she failed the telepresence experiment. Shran answers that she should be proud of her courage. He adds that even though he is a commander of the Andorian Imperial Guard, he wouldn't be brave enough to test Enterprise's telepresence unit. Jhamel smiles and comments that Talas must have been a fortunate woman to have had a relationship with Shran, although the Andorian boasts that he was the fortunate one. When the Aenar claims to think her brother will die, Shran refuses to let her believe that. On the bridge, T'Pol notifies the captain that a ship which appears to be a Tellarite freighter is dropping out of warp near Enterprise. Archer orders Ensign Sato to hail the ship and Lieutenant Reed to target the vessel's engines. T'Pol suggests that the ship may simply be a freighter, although there is no response to Sato's communications. The vessel is at 100 kilometers distance from Enterprise when Archer gives the order to open fire. After receiving the first impact from Enterprise's phase cannons, the unidentified vessel returns fire. As the third bolt of energy from Enterprise hits the vessel, it loses its form, revealing that it is the drone ship. The bridge of Enterprise shakes as the enemy craft fires at the starship. Archer orders Reed to target the drone ship's weapons but the vessel is moving too fast and the lieutenant can't get a lock. In sickbay, Shran tells Jhamel that Enterprise is under attack and starts to head for the bridge. However, the Aenar sits up, stops Shran and insists that she use the telepresence unit. Jhamel claims that she can sense her brother and is certain she will be able to make Gareb stop his attack. Shran advises the doctor to allow her to use the unit again, although Phlox is not too keen on the idea. On Romulus, Nijil informs Valdore that Enterprise is suffering extreme damage. The admiral orders Nijil to use the second drone ship to target the Starfleet vessel but the Romulan scientist believes that more force may not be required. Valdore demands that Nijil follows his orders and the scientist eventually complies. On Enterprise's bridge, Reed detects the arrival of the second drone ship, which appears as an Andorian battle cruiser. Scanning the craft's power signature, T'Pol confirms it is not an Andorian vessel and Archer demands that Reed target the ship. When T'Pol recognizes the telepresence unit in sickbay has been activated, the captain contacts Phlox. The doctor informs him that Jhamel is insisting an attempt to use the unit again. Enterprise trembles as the second drone ship sheds its holographic skin and joins its predecessor to exchange blows with the starship. In sickbay, Phlox reports a cortical fluctuation, which could cause Jhamel to have another seizure. However, the Aenar maintains her belief that she will be able to save her brother and stop the attack against Enterprise. When Phlox's equipment signals an emergency, the doctor instructs Shran to disconnect Jhamel from the telepresence unit. However, the Andorian has faith in Jhamel and refuses to comply with the doctor's orders. In the Romulan command center, Nijil notes that Enterprise has lost warp power. Valdore directs him to continue targeting the starship's engines, although the scientist exclaims that someone is hacking into the telemetric array. Sensing Jhamel's presence, Gareb is confused that she is still alive. When he asks her where she is, he learns that Jhamel is aboard the ship which he is targeting. The pilot instantly stops his attack, which Valdore notices. On Enterprise, the crew also realize that the drone ships, which are now defenseless, have halted their assault. Meanwhile, Gareb telepathically communicates that the Romulans had told him he was the last living member of his species. He feels guilty that the Romulans lied to him and forced him to destroy so many ships, thus killing so many people. Jhamel appeals to him to end the violence now. Nijil is alarmed when the Romulan drone ships attack each other. When Valdore directs the scientist to disengage the ships' weapons, Nijil states that he has lost control of the vessels. When Reed notifies Archer that the drone ships have become suicidal, the captain instructs him to fire a full spread of photonic torpedoes at the ships. On Romulus, Valdore threatens Gareb that if the drone ships don't target Enterprise again, the Aenar pilot will be killed. Nijil tries to stop Valdore, but two Romulan officers hold the scientist back. Gareb asks his sister to remember him after his death, as one of the drone ships explode. In his frustration, Valdore kills the Aenar pilot. Meanwhile, Phlox and Shran disconnect Jhamel from the telepresence unit in Enterprise's sickbay. Firing photonic torpedoes, the Starfleet vessel destroys the remaining drone ship. On Romulus, Valdore realizes that the mission is over. He stands as Gareb's head falls to one side and Nijil removes the interface helmet. In Enterprise's sickbay, Jhamel is relieved that the drone ships have been destroyed and that they won't be able to do any more damage. However, she is also saddened by her brother's death and embraces Shran in both despair and relief. As they near the transporter, Archer thanks Jhamel for lending her assistance to the crew of Enterprise. Jhamel concludes that if she hadn't accompanied Shran and Archer to the starship, her brother would have died alone. They say goodbye to each other and Jhamel steps onto the transporter platform. Shran, following the Aenar female, mentions that he regrets much of what has occurred between Archer and himself, a feeling which the captain shares. Shran reveals that the Andorian Imperial Guard rarely rewards a commander who has lost his ship with another one and suspects it may be a long time until he sees Archer again. As a member of Enterprise's crew, T'Pol offers to provide assistance to the Andorian in any way the crew can, an offer which Shran appreciates. Stepping onto the transporter platform, he advises Archer to stay out of trouble before T'Pol beams Shran and Jhamel back to their homeworld. As Enterprise continues its journey, Tucker enters Archer's quarters. With the engineer's report displayed on a PADD in his hand, the captain says that he feels Trip is being too negative about his own behavior. Tucker blames himself for missing a ten degree variance in the telepresence emitter but Archer tells the engineer that he spoke with Phlox, who doesn't believe the variance is related to Jhamel's near fatal seizure. However, Tucker argues that the doctor can't be certain about that and that he should have been paying more attention to his duties. He informs Archer that he is interested in a transfer to Columbia NX-02, the second NX-class starship to be built. Although Archer finds Tucker's decision difficult to accept, the captain eventually does and dismisses the engineer. Tucker exits Archer's quarters, leaving the captain alone in quiet reflection. 
<EOS>
A Klingon scientist works in a laboratory, watched by a Klingon general and a guard. A representation of a DNA helix is displayed behind the scientist. A door opens and a Klingon prisoner is led into the laboratory by two soldiers of the Klingon Empire. In Klingonese, the prisoner claims that his death sentence was commuted and demands to speak with the magistrate who presided over his trial. The Klingon soldiers strap him to a chair and hang a vial of green liquid above his head, which the scientist injects him with. Confused, the prisoner wails as his cranial ridges ripple and begin to dissolve. Returning to Earth, Enterprise finds the NX-class starship Columbia in the orbital drydock facility, undergoing final preparations for her maiden voyage. Meanwhile, Commander Tucker is packing a technical manual for Enterprise into a bag. He stops to look through a window in his quarters as the construction work to Columbia is being completed. When T'Pol enters his quarters, Trip remarks that the new starship is beautiful. The Vulcan states that Enterprise and Columbia are virtually identical, although Trip claims that an experienced engineer can see the differences between the two. Tucker notifies T'Pol of a "going away party" in the mess hall later and asks if she will be there. T'Pol says she doesn't understand the logic behind the engineer's departure and Trip eventually explains that he will find serving aboard Columbia more challenging. He believes he can fine tune Columbia in half the time it took him to do for Enterprise. He claims that T'Pol is not the reason for his transfer and that there other considerations in his life, apart from her. Upon hearing this, she departs the engineer's quarters. In San Francisco, Doctor Phlox and Ensign Hoshi Sato exit a restaurant called "Madame Chang's". Phlox is surprised that the place was so busy, although Sato explains that she told a few of her Starfleet friends about the restaurant. Phlox tells her that, earlier in the day, the organizers of the Interspecies Medical Exchange asked the doctor if he would like to serve as their Director of Xenobiology. Phlox states that he is considering the offer, although he would find it difficult to leave his shipmates on Enterprise. Suddenly, two shadowy figures step out of an alleyway and order Phlox to accompany them. When the Denobulan voices his confusion, one of the men aims a disruptor at the doctor. Sato uses her knowledge of Aikido against the men but another hooded assailant appears behind her and knocks her to the ground. Phlox is struggling with one of the men when a disruptor blast hits him, rendering him unconscious. The doctor is restrained and carried away as Hoshi lies on the ground, barely conscious. As her eyes flutter, the linguist hears one of the men say something in an alien language. Later, when Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed arrive at the scene of the crime, they meet Commander Collins of Starfleet Security. Sato tells Archer and Reed that she is fine and recounts that there were three men who came out of the shadows. Collins recalls that the ensign had told her the men spoke in a foreign, or alien, language. Collins tells Archer and Reed that the only DNA which Starfleet Security found belonged to Sato and Phlox. However, the security officers also detected some ionization traces nearby. Reed believes that the men were beamed away, although Collins explains that very few individuals have obtained transporter technology which would leave ionization traces. Collins presents the possibility that the men may have been organized by the same Human who attacked Phlox several months ago. Reed, however, doubts that -- having taken part in the brawl along with Ensign Mayweather, he feels quite confident that said drunken loudmouth would not be capable of such a well-executed plan. Collins informs Archer that Starfleet Security will continue to thoroughly investigate the crime and leaves the captain and Reed. Archer orders the lieutenant to check whether Starfleet Operations satellites picked up any transporter activity at the approximate time that Phlox was captured. Reed acknowledges and walks away. Aboard Columbia, Tucker informs the engineering staff that they will have to align the dilithium matrix to within 0.3 microns. When Ensign Rivers replies that Tucker's order doesn't correlate with what is written in one of the tech manuals, Tucker answers that he probably has more practical experience than the warp field specialist who wrote the manual does. He orders Biggs and Pierce to recalibrate the warp field stabilizers and asks Rivers and Strong to start work on the injector assembly. As the engineers begin their duties, Tucker notices that Captain Erika Hernandez has entered engineering. The captain reminds him that it is Starfleet protocol for a transferred officer to report to the captain when they come on board and asks Trip to come to the captain's mess for a meal later the next day. Before she leaves, Hernandez advises him to report to the quartermaster and update his uniform patch. In the captain's ready room aboard Enterprise, T'Pol enters and informs Archer that the Denobulan ambassador has notified Phlox's wives of the doctor's kidnapping. Archer tells the Vulcan that although Sato was barely conscious, the linguist thought she heard Phlox's kidnappers say something in an alien language. Archer asks T'Pol to conduct a mind meld with Sato. When the Vulcan worries that she has never initiated a meld before, Archer replies that he will advise her with the knowledge he gained from carrying Surak's katra. Meanwhile, in Enterprise's armory, Lieutenant Reed is puzzled when he discovers that Starfleet satellite grid 137 was off-line for maintenance at the time that Phlox was kidnapped. When he contacts Starfleet Operations, there is no reply. A Human male dressed in dark clothing appears on the viewscreen which Reed was using to check the satellites. The man, Harris, claims he will tell Reed why the satellite grid was down if the lieutenant meets him at a specific address in San Francisco. In a darkened room, T'Pol tries to meld with Sato. When the ensign senses the meld isn't working, Archer suggests that the Vulcan tries to slightly relax her emotional suppression. Eventually, their minds merge. T'Pol helps Sato remember a time just before she and Phlox were assaulted. The Vulcan appears in Sato's mind and the ensign indicates to the shadowy figures before they attack. When they begin their assault, Sato struggles to focus. The ensign manages to focus long enough, however, to remember the men's words. She realizes that the aliens spoke in the Rigelian language. On the bridge, T'Pol reports to the captain that a Rigelian freighter left Earth approximately two hours after Phlox was captured. The freighter was scheduled to travel to Proxima colony, although the vessel's trajectory would suggest it was heading elsewhere. Canceling shore leave for the crew on Earth, the captain orders T'Pol to make sure that all officers are returned to Enterprise. He exits the bridge to contact Admiral Gardner in his ready room. At night in a foggy San Francisco, Reed meets up with the man he spoke to earlier. The lieutenant soon discovers that Harris was involved in shutting down the satellite grid. When Reed asks him if he knows Phlox's location, Harris answers that the section he is working for requires Reed's help. The lieutenant implies that he used to be employed by the same section, although he believed his tenure to be over. Harris claims that if Reed doesn't provide the assistance which is required, Phlox may die. In the same laboratory where experiments were conducted earlier, the Klingon general, K'Vagh, watches the scientist prepare another vial of green liquid to be tested. Restrained by two Klingon soldiers, Phlox is led into the lab. K'Vagh welcomes the Denobulan to the Qu'Vat Colony and warns him he will die unless he cooperates with Doctor Antaak, the Klingon scientist. When Phlox assumes he will be assisting Antaak, the general corrects him that he will be in charge. Antaak recognizes Phlox from an IME Conference on Tiburon in 2149. When Phlox fails to recall Antaak, the scientist claims he was disguised as a member of the Mazarite delegation because Klingon medics weren't invited to the meeting. As K'Vagh leaves, he states that he expects Phlox to prepare a progress report by sunrise on the following day. Antaak apologizes for the general's impolite behavior, a characteristic of the warrior caste. The scientist reveals that the Klingons are facing their greatest threat since the Hur'q attacked the Empire -- an infection which has claimed millions already. Antaak fears the Klingons may become extinct if the infection isn't stopped. Phlox wonders why the Klingons didn't just ask Starfleet for help, and Antaak replies that would have made the Klingons look weak and dishonorable. The scientist recalls how Phlox's paper on viral propagation impressed him and tells the Denobulan he is interested in metagenic research. Antaak encourages Phlox to begin mapping the virus's nucleotides, and repeats that the virus is a great threat to the Klingon people -- while he didn't like resorting to abduction any more than Phlox, it has occurred, and the need for his medical skill is very real. On the bridge of Enterprise, T'Pol reports that she is no longer detecting the Rigelian freighter's warp trail. Reed suggests that the freighter could have resumed its course on impulse power and Travis Mayweather mentions that Enterprise will intercept the vessel in 8.2 hours. When Archer hails engineering, no-one responds. The captain eventually speaks to his new chief engineer Commander Kelby and tells the engineer that Enterprise needs more acceleration. Kelby says he'll try to increase the starship's velocity. On board Columbia, Trip Tucker and Captain Hernandez are enjoying a meal. Tucker remarks that the food tastes good, and Hernandez recalls that when she left her last assignment, Republic, she stole Captain Jennings' chef. Tucker laughs, although his expression turns serious again when the captain makes him aware of two crew transfer requests since his transfer to Columbia. Not willing to reveal any names, Hernandez adds that she denied them their requested transfers, stating that engineering is already short-handed as it is. She comments on the impression Trip seems to have made with the engineering staff. Tucker doesn't care about his impression as much as he does about his staff's work. He notifies the captain that Columbia is almost ready for warp trials. Hernandez remembers that in an interview she saw with Tucker after Enterprise returned from the Xindi mission, the commander said he couldn't imagine serving on any other vessel. She wonders what changed his mind. Trip explains the crew of Enterprise were becoming too familiar and that he sometimes prefers working with colleagues rather than friends. In T'Pol's quarters, the Vulcan is meditating. In her mind, she and Tucker are in a completely white place. She asks him why he is with her, as he isn't usually in her meditations. Tucker replies that the same question puzzles him and T'Pol explains that they are in her meditation. Tucker comments that he doesn't find the white place as interesting as a beach or the Fire Plains she showed him on Vulcan. When T'Pol asks Tucker to leave her meditation, the engineer retorts that she should leave and reveals that the white space is his daydream. Rivers disturbs Tucker's reverie and the commander returns to the real world. Rivers hands him a diagnostic on a PADD and walks away. In her quarters, T'Pol is puzzled by her meditation. Archer contacts her from the bridge and informs her that Enterprise is nearing the coordinates of the Rigelian freighter. Rising to her feet, the Vulcan tells Archer that she is heading to the bridge. Later, the bridge's viewscreen displays the wreckage of the Rigelian craft. T'Pol determines that all of the vessel's Rigelian complement are dead and that there are no Denobulans on board. When Archer questions Reed if he can identify the vessel's destroyer, the lieutenant's station displays a message -- "weapons signature confirmed". However, Reed erases the alert from his screen and lies to the captain that he can't verify an identification. Believing the lieutenant's deception, Archer orders him to scan for the ship's data recorder. In his quarters, Reed opens a secure channel to Harris. The lieutenant communicates his frustration that the section of Starfleet which Harris works for destroyed the Rigelian freighter. When Reed asks what the complement of the Rigelian ship was, Harris refuses to reply. Reed discloses that he has completed an analysis of the weapons signatures and that he hasn't told Archer the identity of the destroyer vessel yet, although he doesn't know how long he'll be able to keep that information secret. Harris implies that Reed could say Orion raiders destroyed the Rigelian vessel but the lieutenant suggests divulging his secret to Captain Archer. Harris reminds Reed of Archer's duty as a captain and advises the lieutenant to become comfortable with Harris' orders. He recalls that Reed agreed to serve Harris' section long before he was assigned to Enterprise. As an explosion rocks the ship, Hoshi hails the crew and orders the crew to man the battle stations. Shortly before Reed closes the channel to Harris, he explains that Enterprise is under attack. As a Klingon ship fires its disruptor cannons at Enterprise, Reed falls out of a turbolift onto the bridge. T'Pol announces that the Starfleet ship's hull plating is holding, although the Klingons are not responding to Ensign Sato's hails. Archer orders Reed, now at his post, to target the warship's weapons. Meanwhile, a Klingon boarding party transports into a corridor on Enterprise and shoots an officer who tried to call for help. Unlike usual Klingons, the members of the away team are missing their cranial ridges. They race through the corridor and enter an access tube. On the bridge, Sato confirms the presence of the intruders. Archer instructs Reed to seal the access tube where the Klingons are and deploy a team of MACOs. When one of the Klingon officers races to a computer panel, another Klingon, Marab, issues the officer an instruction in Klingonese. The MACOs arrive and fire phase rifles at the Klingons. Marab shoots back but the MACOs hide from view and none are injured by the Klingon's disruptor fire. Using a communicator to contact his ship, Marab orders the warship to target the MACOs' location. In space, Enterprise fires its phase cannons at the Klingon craft. However, the warship thrashes the Starfleet vessel, pounding the starship with its disruptor cannons as it swoops downward before it slowly recedes. On board Enterprise, Marab watches as the section where the MACOs are located explodes, forcing them to retreat. On the bridge, Archer authorizes Reed to disable the Klingon ship to prevent it from escaping. Meanwhile, the Enterprise computer terminal that a member of the invading boarding party is working on displays Klingon text and graphics, which the officer soon disguises and returns to Starfleet characters. Satisfied that their work is completed, the Klingons head to the area of the ship where they beamed aboard. On the way there, however, Marab is shot by a MACO and lands beside a bulkhead. Another of the Klingons fires back and the MACO is thrown to Enterprise's deck by his disruptor blast. The boarding party is forced to flee when they become aware of armed security officers running towards the Klingons' position. When they depart, they leave Marab behind, who the security officers find. On the bridge, T'Pol and Travis detect that the boarding party has transported aboard the warship, which has activated its warp drive. At Archer's command, Travis attempts to pursue the Klingons but the helm station doesn't respond. When Archer later enters sickbay and questions Marab, the captain, T'Pol and Hoshi Sato are surprised to discover that their prisoner is Klingon, as Marab is missing the cranial ridges which are usually traits of his species. Later, Archer, T'Pol, Sato, Mayweather and Reed gather on the bridge. Reed theorizes that Marab may have been genetically altered to appear Human. T'Pol states that because the boarding party disabled Enterprise's antimatter flow regulators, the starship's warp drive should take six hours to be repaired. The captain orders Travis to help Chief Engineer Kelby in analyzing the extent of the Klingons' damage. As Reed listens, T'Pol informs Archer that the data which was stored in the Rigelian freighter's data recorder has been erased. T'Pol complies with the captain's request to work with Sato in an attempt to reconstruct the data. On Qu'Vat Colony, Boshar -- Antaak's pet targ -- nibbles at Phlox's clothes. Antaak shouts at the animal to return to its domain. The Denobulan doctor is appalled when he finds Augment DNA in the mutagenic virus. General K'Vagh explains that the Klingon Empire could not allow the Human Augments, two of whom boarded and commandeered a Bird-of-Prey, to provide Starfleet with a superior advantage. Phlox argues that the Augments who were genetically engineered by Arik Soong were relics from a time from decades ago before Starfleet banned genetic engineering. K'Vagh tells Phlox that the Vulcans weren't very persuasive when they told the same story to the Klingon High Council. When Phlox remembers that all of the Augments which Soong created were killed, he wonders where the Klingons obtained the Augment DNA. Antaak replies that several embryos were found on board the Bird-of-Prey which the Klingons used to resequence the DNA of some test subjects. However, the subjects exhibited several unexpected side effects -- their cranial ridges began to dissolve and they were more aggressive than the other Klingons had anticipated. For a time, it seemed that the experiments had been successful. The Klingon Augments were stronger and more intelligent, though they later suffered an excruciating death when their neural pathways began to degrade. One of the test subjects was suffering from the Levodian flu, which was modified by the Augment genes to become airborne. When Phlox becomes irritated that he wasn't told this information earlier, K'Vagh orders him to return to his work. Later, Archer, T'Pol and Sato are in the captain's ready room. Archer holds a microdyne coupler which was used to erase the data recorder's memory core. The coupler was found in storage locker C-14, which was last accessed by Malcolm Reed. Archer later calls Reed to the captain's ready room. There, the lieutenant hears the evidence against him. Reed acts as if he is innocent and insists that the Rigelian freighter was attacked with Orion weapons. Archer contends that T'Pol examined Reed's analysis and concluded that Klingon disruptors destroyed the freighter. When Archer asks for an explanation, the lieutenant refuses to answer. The captain opens the door of his ready room, where a MACO corporal, W. Woods, stands. Relieving Reed of his duties, Archer orders the MACO to escort the lieutenant to the brig and confine him there. In Enterprise's brig, Archer informs Reed that the starship is heading into Klingon territory, a dangerous place to go. The captain asks Reed if he knows where Phlox is, but the lieutenant assures Archer that he doesn't. Archer seems appalled and surprised that Reed would commit treason, although the armory officer insists that he isn't working for the Klingons. When the captain asks who did recruit Reed, the lieutenant doesn't answer. He implies that he has an obligation to withhold certain information and is disgraced by the thought of his father, Stuart Reed, learning that Malcolm is facing court martial. On Qu'Vat Colony, General K'Vagh has become impatient with Phlox. The doctor notes that Arik Soong would have been able to map the virus more efficiently than the Denobulan. Antaak states that the Klingons tried to abduct Soong but he was under heavy guard. K'Vagh reveals that the Klingon High Council has launched a fleet of ships which have annihilated N'Vak Colony, one of the first planets to be infected. Phlox is appalled that the victims of the plague are being massacred, although K'Vagh argues that the Council are absolutely determined to contain the outbreak. When the Denobulan notifies K'Vagh that the development and testing of an antiviral agent will take weeks, the general worries that millions of Klingons will have been infected by that time. He tells Antaak that the fleet will reach Qu'Vat Colony in five days, although the scientist claims that the Council wouldn't order the colony's destruction if they learned that Klingon Augments had been created there. Although the experiments haven't been successful yet, Antaak informs K'Vagh that he and Phlox may be able to sustain the Augments' DNA. If successful, K'Vagh could then use the Augments to force the High Council into allowing more time for the research of a cure. When Phlox refuses to cooperate in the creation of the Augments, K'Vagh pulls a disruptor from his belt and orders a Klingon soldier to take the Denobulan away. On Columbia's bridge, Captain Hernandez contacts the dockmaster, who permits the starship to depart. She then hails Engineering, where Trip is ensuring that final preparations are complete. Ensign Rivers reports that the dilithium matrix is stable and the drive coils are properly configured. Trip notifies the captain that engineering is ready, so Hernandez gives the order to engage aft thrusters as Columbia departs spacedock, before going to warp. In space, the new starship launches from the orbital dry dock station, before plunging into the depths of space at warp speed. Aboard Enterprise, a partition within the brig's cell has been added, dividing it into two. Reed watches as a couple of MACOs enter and push Marab into one of the cells. As the MACOs exit, the lieutenant speaks with Marab, who thinks Reed is fortunate to be alive after lying to the captain. He reveals that if a Klingon betrayed their captain, he would be immediately executed. Reed claims that his goal is the same as Marab's -- a cure. Suddenly, the starship shudders. On the bridge, Travis reports a malfunction in the matter/antimatter intermix chamber. The pressure of the warp plasma is increasing and the anti-matter flow regulators are locked open. T'Pol is unable to determine whether the Klingons damaged the regulators. Travis states that the pressure of the warp plasma is approaching critical levels. If Enterprise dropped to impulse velocity, the warp reactor would breach. However, if the starship's speed increases, the pressure of the warp plasma would fall. Archer instructs Travis to go to maximum warp and orders T'Pol to assist the engineering crew. In the brig, the captain demands Marab to instruct Archer how to repair the damage which the Klingons did. When the captain explains that Marab will die if Enterprise's reactor breaches, the Klingon states that he is prepared to die. When Reed shouts that he can help, Archer leaves the brig, not listening to the lieutenant's pleas. In Main Engineering, T'Pol and Kelby learn that the warp matrix has been compromised by a Klingon subroutine, which has also infiltrated the command protocols. Although T'Pol is uncertain whether she will able to remove the subroutine, she states that she will try her best to help regain control of the ship. In a turbolift, Archer is contacted by Travis, who tells the captain the warp plasma pressure is rising again. The captain orders Travis to increase Enterprise's velocity to warp 5.2, a speed which the starship won't be able to hold for long. Eventually, the ensign complies and the starship races through space to an uncertain fate. 
<EOS>
With 47 minutes to a potential reactor breach on Enterprise NX-01, Archer forms a plan which involves freeing Reed from the ship's brig. Thirty minutes from a rendezvous with Columbia NX-02, Reed notes that the transporter won't operate at warp, so he'll have to transfer Tucker while at warp speed. As the Klingon watches, Reed explains that he transferred personnel at only warp speed one and after several simulations; but they have little choice. T'Pol is working on calculations to merge the warp fields of both Enterprise and Columbia, but the ships have to be less than fifty meters apart. Archer says that Ensign Mayweather can handle the flying, so long as Reed can bring Tucker safely aboard. Reed muses that Archer will have to let him out of the brig. As Tucker says he's ready to go, Captain Hernandez contacts Enterprise, as the ship has matched Enterprise's speed and trajectory. Reed is in Launch Bay 1 on Enterprise, and tells Archer that Columbia can start their rotation. With the Columbia nearing final position, Archer tells his crew to brace for warp field contact. The two ships shake momentarily, and Reed tells Mayweather to hold the ship steady, or "Chef'll know who to blame for the mess in the galley". T'Pol heads to engineering to prepare everything for Tucker. Reed fires the tether across, and Tucker begins his trip over. Reed notes that the tether is tightening, as T'Pol detects a fluctuation in the warp field. Mayweather then begins to have trouble maintaining a good distance from Columbia. Tucker asks what is happening, but Reed tells him he's doing fine, before realizing that he has to hurry up. T'Pol is unsuccessful in diverting enough power to the warp field, and Tucker is released from the tether just before it snaps. Tucker can think of only one way to fix the warp engines: a cold start. Shutting down the engine will reset the algorithms, and when it restarts, the subroutines will be back to normal. Archer points out the flaw -- but Tucker says that Enterprise will have to enter Columbia's warp field. They will only have a minute or two, but Tucker has thought of a shortcut. Instead of decrypting the subroutines -- which would take hours -- Tucker suggests purging them completely. Heading for engineering, Tucker notes the two MACOs outside the launch bay. Reed says he has had a slight misunderstanding with the captain, and heads back to the brig much to Trip's confusion. Gathering all the stats on the engines, Tucker notes that someone "hasn't taken very good care of [them]". T'Pol suggests he speaks with the Klingons. Tucker tells the science officer to take note: he is about to perform a manual shutdown and restart in less than two minutes. T'Pol declares that it's not possible. "Watch me", he replies. Hernandez contacts Enterprise, and informs them that they've routed everything they can to the warp field, but asks Archer for a favor: "Make this quick." Archer gives Tucker the go-ahead and the engineer performs the shutdown procedure. As soon as the nacelles power down, Tucker sets the engineering crew to work. Hernandez tells them they have less than a minute. With mere seconds to go, the warp engines spark into life and the extended warp field collapses, but Enterprise is warp-capable again. Tucker asks that Enterprise drops to impulse, so he can look things over. Archer asks Hernandez and Columbia to stick around for a while. Back on Qu'Vat Colony, Doctor Antaak finds Phlox in his cell, who has been brutally handled by the general and his men. Phlox tells Antaak to "end it", and contact Starfleet, as he refuses to create Klingon Augments, "living weapons", as he puts it. Antaak however has been looking over Phlox' research, and has found a weakness in the virus. Phlox notes that he's right, but K'Vagh wouldn't get his Augments, and would therefore refuse the doctor's treatment. Antaak thinks they should do it without telling the general, who will eventually find out, but Antaak notes that saving millions of innocent lives would give them both a more honorable death. Reed is taken, rather forcefully, to his quarters where Archer is awaiting him. On his screen is a picture of Harris, and Reed complains that Archer has gone through his personal files. Archer has used the database to identify Harris, who worked in Starfleet Security until 2149. Reed says there is nothing more to add, but Archer replies that that is unacceptable, as Reed has put every member of the crew at risk. Saying he is only following orders, Archer retorts that he'll go to Starfleet and blow open the whole conspiracy if he has to. As Reed doesn't know any more, Archer tells him to contact Harris, so he can find out himself. Antaak and Phlox are comparing family histories, and Antaak sees that Denobulan mating practices must be "very complex". Phlox asks the Klingon about his family, and the older man replies that his own father disowned him when he became a healer. He then blames himself for the Augment virus, and Phlox is there ultimately because of his failure. The Bird-of-Prey with the Klingon Augments aboard it arrives back at the colony, and Laneth reports that the Enterprise was destroyed, and Starfleet will believe it to be a catastrophic engine failure. K'Vagh sees that one of them is missing: his son. Laneth says that he was killed by the Humans, and it was therefore without honor. K'Vagh checks up on the two doctors, who report excellent progress. Phlox claims to have found the "switch" that will "turn off" the virus; he will have it within the hour. K'Vagh contacts Krell, who tells him that his project has been shut down by the Klingon High Council. K'Vagh argues that all their research will be lost if the colony is destroyed, so Krell gives them three days, or Qu'Vat will be destroyed. On Enterprise, Tucker says he'll help out a little in engineering -- more specifically, help the vessel's new chief engineer, Kelby. He then asks why Reed is in the brig, but Archer says he can't go into it for the moment. Tucker decides to head back to Columbia, and T'Pol offers to walk him down. On the way in a corridor, T'Pol asks him if Tucker is having any problems, specifically with sleep but he says that he's fine. He asks if she is sleeping well and she awkwardly replies that she is and then promptly leaves him. K'Vagh returns to the lab and tells Phlox they are running out of time and the Denobulan asks how K'Vagh's son contracted the virus. The Klingon reveals that they tested the virus on prisoners first, and when they had none left, Command chose a unit to be experimented on -- the unit in which his son belonged. As his son asked for no special treatment, he was given none by K'Vagh. Reed is tucking into his small dinner in the brig, but Marab, the Klingon next door to him, refuses to eat his meal, objecting by throwing his tray against the wall. Reed questions the Klingon need to fight, but he replies that anyone questioning that need would be imprisoned, if not killed. As Reed notes that that's not the way things are done in Starfleet, Marab believes that the Klingon Empire will defeat them because of it. Reed however, notes that the Klingon is sharing the same brig as he is. Laneth and her shipmates are all becoming weak as a result of the virus, and that they'll stay together -- as comrades -- until they die. K'Vagh tells them that Phlox is working on a cure and they will all be healthy again. Laneth wonders if their appearances will be the same -- otherwise they will be outcasts as other Klingons won't accept them for the way they are. She also tells the general that she felt fear in the battle with Enterprise for the first time since she was a child, and thinks they are all becoming weak like the Humans. K'Vagh assures them that he will not let the Empire turn their back on them as long as he is alive. Archer is sitting in his quarters with Porthos, who is "missing Phlox" as well -- and undoubtedly, his "stash of cheese". His line of thought is broken as Harris contacts him through his desktop monitor, telling him that Phlox is on a mission of great importance to Starfleet. As they would never allow the kidnapping of one of its personnel, Harris directs Archer to Article 14, Section 31 of the Starfleet Charter. Archer guesses the Klingons are involved, but Harris insists they talk about Reed, who has done some good work for them over the years. Archer informs Harris that Reed was put into an impossible situation, but Harris replies there's more to it than just one captain and one ship. If Phlox is stopped from completing his mission, the repercussions will affect entire worlds. Phlox holds four strains, one of which has the genetic trigger to stop the virus before it becomes lethal; unfortunately, he doesn't know which one. He will need a week to check, but as Krell won't extend his deadline, Phlox must infect four healthy Klingons. K'Vagh, Antaak and two guards are in the room, so the general advises Phlox to infect them instead. In Archer's ready room, Reed is explaining to the captain why he joined Section 31 as a young ensign. He hasn't done any work for them since before joining Enterprise. Archer shows him the medical scans of Marab, and thinks that it is a military experiment that went wrong. Harris also claimed that a cure needed to be found in order to create a more stable Empire for Starfleet to deal with. Reed confesses that he wanted to tell Archer anything, so the captain tells him to decide where his loyalties lie. Although Reed doesn't know where Phlox was taken, Starfleet Intelligence knows that there is a genetic research facility on Qu'Vat Colony, and that is a good place to start. Archer reinstates Reed, who returns to the bridge much to the surprise of the bridge crew. Enterprise is six hours from Qu'Vat Colony, and Reed recommends that Columbia withdraws to a safer distance so that Klingon patrols don't have a single target. Phlox asks K'Vagh why he chose to pursue the Augment project, when Soong failed. The general replies that Soong's only mistake was making only a few Augments, and that Klingons have discipline -- although Phlox points out that Augments don't. Preparing the final strain, Phlox injects K'Vagh with it, and the general asks if bloodwine would affect the results. Phlox doesn't believe so, and the Klingons begin to drink. K'Vagh offers him some but Phlox refuses, saying he never imbibes while on the job. Archer is interrogating Marab in sickbay, who is becoming ill like his shipmates. Remaining defiant, Archer tells him that if he won't help them, he can at least help his own people. Marab agrees. Phlox is taking scans of Laneth, who has become bed-ridden when Antaak enters, saying that the guards are displaying the first symptoms of the virus. Phlox also scans Antaak, but the look on his face tells all: K'Vagh has the cure, and Antaak will die. Phlox assures Antaak that if they work quickly enough, he too can be cured. Krell is enjoying a bowl of gagh when Harris contacts him, saying that the Klingon failed to stop Enterprise or Columbia. Krell orders Harris to withdraw both ships, but as Harris has no authority to do that, Krell would rather destroy them. Harris reminds Krell of the arrangement and that it would benefit both Starfleet and the Empire, but Krell laughs it off, saying that Harris believed him. As Antaak prepares to extract the cure from K'Vagh, Archer enters the room, phase-pistol at the ready. Marab enters behind him, to the astonished K'Vagh. Archer announces his intentions to retrieve Phlox, to which K'Vagh insists that the Klingons need him -- at which point the doctor cuts both of them off, since he can speak for himself, and asks Archer for a few more hours to cure the virus. K'Vagh is furious that he will cure the virus rather than perfect the Augment genome as he'd promised, but with the captain there to back him up, Phlox informs the general that he was lying. Reed's sensors pick up the three Klingon warships in orbit, but communications to Columbia are jammed. On the surface, an alarm makes the Klingons aware the ships have arrived, and Archer has no luck contacting Enterprise. Krell informs that that the colony will be eradicated, against Archer's objections, claiming he has a "more effective solution". Phlox speaks directly to Antaak, transmitting details of the anti-virus, but Krell says his orders are clear, claiming both Enterprise and Columbia as property of the Klingon Empire. Krell gives his tactical officer orders to proceed, and to leave nothing standing. His battle cruiser enters a lower orbit and begins to fire on the colony. Enterprise attempts to disable the enemy ship's disruptors, but is constantly drawn away by the two birds-of-prey. The Columbia arrives on scene, taking up a position behind the birds-of-prey, attempting to distract them while Enterprise disables the battle cruiser. Phlox says he will be able to finish creating the cure quickly if he has a Human host to replicate enough antibodies. Archer notices he is the only Human there, and knows the risks. Sitting down on the chair in the middle of the lab, Phlox straps him in. Columbia disables the engines on one of the Klingon ships as their shields begin to fail. Phlox informs Archer of the possible side effects he will get from being injected with the virus. On Enterprise, Sato manages to cut through the jamming signal, but as Archer isn't available, Phlox talks to them instead, asking them to protect the colony until his work is complete. T'Pol orders Mayweather to place the ship directly between the battle cruiser and the colony, and orders Reed to increase power to the hull plating. In the lab, K'Vagh looks on as ridges appear on Archer's forehead. The Klingon battle cruiser attempts to throw off Enterprise by shifting orbit, but the Starfleet ship stays with them. Finally breaking through the interference, T'Pol asks Hernandez for help, only to find that Columbia has lost its weapons. At Qu'Vat, Archer breaks free from his restraints, so K'Vagh holds him down while Phlox extracts the antibodies. During the process, Antaak has prepared a canister containing the virus, and sends it to Krell's ship, infecting its crew. On Enterprise, Reed notes that they can't hold their position for much longer. Phlox speaks to Krell, telling him the contents of the canister, but Krell believes he's lying. Phlox tells him to either check his internal sensors or wait half an hour -- which is when the first symptoms will appear. Krell brands it a cowardly attack, but Phlox says that if the cure is destroyed now, he too will die from the virus, unless he orders his ships to stand down. Reluctantly, Krell agrees. Antaak is in Enterprise's sickbay, having been treated successfully. He complains that his targ won't be able to recognize him now that he has a smooth forehead, which he calls a disfigurement. Phlox tells him he did his best to correct all his mistakes, which is all he could ask of himself. As he realizes his superiors will most likely end his career as a geneticist, he will have to find a new specialty -- maybe in cranial reconstruction, something Phlox believes will soon become very popular. As Phlox goes to check on the captain, Antaak stops him for a moment, and thanks him for all that he did. Archer is recovering, although he feels like having some gagh. Phlox says that his cranial ridges, along with his cravings for Klingon cuisine, will disappear within a few days, but Tucker says he should keep them -- as he looks intimidating. Thanking Hernandez for her help, Archer thinks that at least one of them should do some exploring. Tucker says he will be staying around for a little while longer which, T'Pol muses, will make Kelby "delighted". Tucker reminds her it will only be temporary. Reed is in his quarters, quietly reading, when Harris contacts him, thanking him for his work. As the conversation progresses, Reed tells Harris never to contact him again, but Harris tells him that recruitment policy dictates that no one can just walk away. Reed's reply is simple, he answers to one man alone: Jonathan Archer. Cutting Harris off mid-sentence, Reed returns to his reading. 
<EOS>
While en route to the Berengarius system to scout prospective sites for Starfleet's first starbase on the system's seventh planet, Enterprise is intercepted by an Orion Syndicate vessel, captained by Harrad-Sar. He invites Captain Archer aboard his vessel in the name of "smoothing relations" between their peoples; Lieutenant Reed expresses his misgivings, given their last unfortunate encounter with the Orions nearly turned nine Enterprise crewmembers into slaves. Archer tells him it is worth the risk just for the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with the Syndicate and Starfleet, "to have one less hostile species out there." In engineering, Commander Tucker is treated brusquely by Kelby, who feels that his promotion to chief engineer may be threatened by Tucker's continued presence. T'Pol volunteers her services to help with the engines; she asks Tucker if he has been experiencing intense daydreams. He jokes around and says no. He asks her if she is going to tell him what this is all about but she refuses. On the Orion ship, Archer and Reed are sipping Meridor that Harrad-Sar obtained from the Gorn Hegemony. "The less said about them, the better", the Orion man states. When Archer asks Harrad-Sar what he had wanted to discuss with him, the Orion tells him that is poor custom to discuss business "before entertainment. If the food didn't arouse your hunger, this should." Soon, three Orion slave girls emerge, who dance, scantily-clad, in front of the mesmerized Enterprise crewmates. Afterward, Harrad-Sar offers Archer the coordinates of a planet rich in magnesite; he proposes to broker a deal between Starfleet and the Syndicate for mining operations. As a token gesture of good will, he gives Archer the three slave girls -- Navaar, D'Nesh and Maras. As Enterprise travels to the coordinates to examine the planet, T'Pol reports numerous disruptions due to the presence of the women; she also reminds Archer of Starfleet's official stance on slavery. The crewmembers seem obviously distracted by the three very seductive women: the men begin competing with one another and exhibit aggressive behavior, while female crew-members experience intense headaches. Reed and Ensign Travis Mayweather discuss the recent arrival of the Orion women while working out in the ship's gymnasium. Mayweather recalls when he was fifteen years old, the ECS Horizon picked up some Deltan women whose ship was having engine trouble. He recalls that they "were very open." The only thing that helped him get through it was weight training with his father, as the pain of working out took the images of the females out of his mind. Reed decides to take his advice, but Mayweather suggests he use bigger weights. Later, Ensign Hoshi Sato enters sickbay and asks for a treatment for a headache she's having. Dr. Phlox can detect nothing wrong with her -- just as he did for Ensign Keeley, a fellow female officer, a few minutes prior. Phlox nearly falls to the floor while preparing a medication for Sato. He notes that he seems to be nearing a new sleep cycle even though he just finished one recently, as Sato points out. Numerous skirmishes and challenges to authority are also observed. Navaar works her way closer and closer to the captain, while D'Nesh has chosen Kelby as the object of her affections and manipulations. Archer tells Navaar that she and her sisters are guests, not slaves, but Navaar says she can't imagine any other life other than slavery. She says even though Archer doesn't wish to own her, she still wants to please him. They kiss, but are interrupted by the Enterprise arriving at the planet. Enterprise reaches the planet and, as promised, detects significant amounts of magnesite. Archer appears unsteady on the bridge. A small ship with minimal weapons fires on them. T'Pol says they're probably a science vessel and Reed says it's impossible for the small ship to damage Enterprise even if they keep continuously firing on the Starfleet vessel. Archer orders the phase cannons to fire and destroy the vessel, but Reed refuses the order. The ship moves off unharmed. Meanwhile, Kelby and D'Nesh are in bed in the engineer's quarters. He is complaining about Tucker. She starts to leave, saying Kelby doesn't know what he wants. He says he will do anything to keep her. They lay back in bed and passionately kiss. Kelby covertly enters engineering and quickly makes his way to an engineering console on the upper level. While Tucker is operating controls on the warp core, an alarm goes off and he finds Kelby above him, sabotaging the EPS system. Tucker and Kelby engage in a fistfight and Tucker eventually subdues him, but the system is severely damaged. In sickbay, Doctor Phlox reveals that Kelby is suffering from escalated levels of adrenaline, brought on by pheromones from the Orion slave girls. These pheromones are accelerating the crew's metabolism, causing aggression and delusional behavior among men and headaches and discomfort among women to divert competition; Phlox himself has been affected, he says, forcing him to rely on stimulants to counter his interrupted sleep cycle. Only Tucker and T'Pol appear to be immune. Phlox says for everyone else, the longer they're exposed, the worse the effects will be. The slave girls are imprisoned in the decon chamber, and a search of their quarters turns up a communications device, which they have been using to speak with Harrad-Sar. Archer confronts them, and Navaar nearly convinces him to release them, but T'Pol brings the captain to his senses. The Orion women continue to deny everything. T'Pol wants to go back to the bridge to keep an eye on Archer, but he orders her to Engineering to help Trip work on the repairs. T'Pol tells Tucker that there have been altercations throughout the ship, and she is worried about the Captain. Tucker says he can't figure out why he is the only male on the ship to be unaffected by the pheromone. T'Pol says that since Tucker and T'Pol have "mated", he is bound psychically to her, and thus he enjoys the immunity granted by her Vulcan physiology. With Enterprise's engines disabled, Harrad-Sar returns. He says the Syndicate has put a reward on Archer's head, dead or alive -- and they don't care if it is still attached to his body. He is ready to claim his reward -- the Enterprise and Captain Archer. After a brief battle, the Orion vessel knocks out the Enterprise's weapon systems, including both fore and aft phase cannons. The Orion ship hooks Enterprise and begins towing her away. Harrad-Sar then reveals that he himself is the slave -- a slave to the Orion females on Archer's ship. T'Pol and Tucker have a plan to release the Enterprise, and Archer tells her to try it. She just has to wait on Tucker's final adjustments. Having convinced their guards to let them escape, the Orion females now emerge from the turbolift onto the bridge. D'Nesh begins fondling Reed while Navaar talks to the Captain. Navaar persuades Captain Archer to have T'Pol arrested, saying she is just jealous; Archer complies and orders Lieutenant Reed to arrest the Vulcan. Hoshi protests but the men ignore her. Reed draws his phase-pistol and begins to carry out the order, but is stunned unconscious by Commander Tucker, who also stuns Archer and Ensign Mayweather. He signals T'Pol, who uses the ship's deflector to send a positron burst through the grappling line to Harrad-Sar's ship, disabling it and releasing the grappler. The Orion females, after one final failed attempt to woo Tucker, are escorted off the bridge by phase-pistol and are later sent back to their ship. Phlox begins treating the affected crew, who are slowly starting to recover. The after effects will last for a few days. T'Pol makes a joke, and Archer says she seems to be picking up some of Trip's bad habits. As Enterprise warps away to continue its mission, T'Pol and Tucker walk down the corridor together. He says Captain Hernandez must want her Chief Engineer back on the Columbia NX-02, and T'Pol says there are still repairs to make on Enterprise. T'Pol asks him to remain on board as part of their crew to benefit the Enterprise. He asks if she wants him to stay for personal reasons and she says she doesn't understand. Angry, he turns to leave, but T'Pol pursues him, and says she does want him to come back. He says he'll think about it, and starts to walk away again. T'Pol grabs him and kisses him. Tucker agrees to stay, and reveals that he had actually made an official request to transfer back to Enterprise three days earlier. 
<EOS>
In a corridor on the Orpheus mining facility on Luna, Earth's moon, Paxton and Mercer confer on the health of a baby girl -- a Vulcan-Human hybrid. "She looks so innocent. It's almost possible to forget what she represents", Paxton notes. Meanwhile, on Earth, the Enterprise crew has been called home to appear at a meeting of Human and alien delegates discussing the formation of a "Coalition of Planets". Everyone applauds after a speech by Nathan Samuels, presiding over the convention -- everyone except Trip Tucker, whom Jonathan Archer orders to clap louder than he currently is. While Phlox remarks that he enjoyed Samuels' speech, the rest of the crew is dismayed by Samuels' failure to mention their contributions, without which the meeting would not be taking place. As the meeting adjourns and the crew begins to leave, Samuels compliments Hoshi Sato on the recent improvements she made to the universal translator. Travis Mayweather is intercepted by Gannet Brooks, a reporter covering the event -- an old flame who still expresses romantic interest. Across the room, T'Pol confides to Archer that Tucker had a point -- the Enterprise crew was responsible for making the event possible -- just before a medical technician, Susan Khouri, approaches and gives her a vial containing a hair follicle. Khouri warns "they're going to kill her", then collapses, fatally wounded from a phase-pistol shot to the abdomen. Archer, Tucker, T'Pol, and Malcolm Reed join Phlox in the Enterprise sickbay a while later, after Phlox has analyzed the hair follicle. Extensive DNA testing by Dr. Phlox reveals that the hybrid child is Tucker and T'Pol's offspring. Shortly, T'Pol is meditating in her quarters when Tucker arrives to discuss the matter. T'Pol assures him she was never pregnant, yet somehow knows the child is theirs. Archer meets with Samuels elsewhere on the ship; Samuels refuses to let the news of the child out into public, afraid it will stir anti-alien sentiments which have been heightened since the Xindi attack the year before, and fuel such factions as the Terra Prime movement, which could hurt the burgeoning coalition. Samuels urges Archer to let Starfleet conduct the legal investigation. However, at Archer's request, Reed meets in San Francisco at night with Harris, the shadowy Section 31 agent, for information. Harris notes that Reed had asked him not to ever contact him again but Reed says he contacted him. Harris tells Reed that by agreeing to see him, Reed is acknowledging he still works for Section 31. According to Harris, Khouri was a member of Terra Prime, and if the crew can find the child, they'll find the answers to the mystery of its origin. In Paxton's office on the moon, Paxton and Mercer discuss Khouri's -- and Mercer's -- allegiances where the child is concerned. Mercer is conflicted over Paxton's plans for the baby, but denies it. Paxton calls the child "an abomination" and claims "when the time comes, it will be treated as such". Paxton sends for Daniel Greaves after Mercer departs and tells him to put together "a team" and to meet him at the "third junction in one hour". On Earth, Archer pays Samuels a visit in the delegates' conference hall, where the Coridan ambassador argues with the Earth statesman. The Tellarites have been pushing for a trade embargo against the Orions, who have supposedly been attacking Tellarite freighters, which the ambassador dismisses as "Tellarite slander", citing that Coridan has traded with the Orions for centuries, and warns that his people will never agree to such sanctions. As Archer joins them, Samuels introduces him to the ambassador, who excuses himself to go discuss diplomatic affairs with his government. The Starfleet chief investigator has rejected Archer's request for a case file; Archer asks Samuels to intervene. After Samuels initially refuses, Archer reveals that he has learned Samuels was once a member of Terra Prime himself, which Samuels calls a mistake of his youth, having blamed a Denobulan pilot for his father's death in a flight accident. Samuels realizes he underestimated Archer and agrees to get him the case file. Brooks comes to see Mayweather in his quarters; she claims she's doing a story on Enterprise from the crew's perspective. They get into an argument over their past romantic relationship, but Mayweather agrees to give her a tour of the ship. In sickbay, Tucker discusses his doubts over whether T'Pol is telling the truth with Phlox, which Phlox dismisses as foolish. Tucker says his father always wanted a granddaughter, which he bugged Tucker's sister about constantly. Phlox points out that he got his wish. In his lunar complex office, Paxton watches a video recording of Colonel Phillip Green, made three years after a cease-fire ended World War III. Greaves enters; they discuss the moral implications of Green's genocidal policies, before Greaves hands him a diskette containing a status report on the Vulcan-Human child's condition. After Greaves leaves, Paxton self-administers a hypodermic injection to his neck. Mayweather and Brooks' tour ends up in launch bay 1. When asked by the reporter which of shuttlepod he used to penetrate a sphere in the Delphic Expanse, he replies that it was Shuttlepod 1. The two open the shuttlepod's hatch and go inside. Mayweather remarks that the crew is using the shuttlepods less and less due to everyone becoming comfortable with the use of the transporter. Mayweather remarks that when he saw Brooks at the conference earlier, he began to rethink some of the decisions he had made in his life. When she makes a joke about him now beginning to open up to her, he chides her for it. She tells him it is one of her bad habits and then suddenly kisses him. She admits another bad habit of hers is being unable to hide her attraction to someone. "You and your bad habits", Mayweather remarks and then begins to passionately kiss her further. While Mayweather and Brooks are rekindling their romance, elsewhere the crew discusses Khouri's autopsy from her case file. Phlox has found levels of growth hormone containing traces of myofibrilin, used in the Orpheus mining facility, a hotbed of Terra Prime activity. Reed says Mayweather has "a friend" in the Orpheus facility who may be able to smuggle in an undercover team; T'Pol and Tucker volunteer for the mission. At the same time, on the moon, miners remove rocks from what looks like a cave-in, and find Mercer's body buried beneath. While Tucker and T'Pol search the mining tunnels on the moon, T'Pol informs him that she knows of his doubts. Tucker assures her that he completely believes her. In Mayweather's quarters, his relationship with Brooks takes a steamy turn. In bed together, they discuss goals; Mayweather considers settling down, believing that another challenge for him to face may be staying in one place for a change. On the bridge, Sato informs Reed of a glitch in the universal translator system. Back at Orpheus, Josiah introduces himself to Tucker and invites him to a Terra Prime assembly. T'Pol joins Tucker and tells him of Mercer's death and of his connection to Susan Khouri. On the ship, Brooks is placed under arrest for spying -- Archer and Reed reveal to Mayweather that she's a member of Terra Prime. Tucker and T'Pol's identities are discovered and they are taken hostage by members of Terra Prime. Inside, in Paxton's office, he compares Tucker and T'Pol to Romeo and Juliet. He wonders if their "drama" will end happier than the suicide that Romeo and Juliet committed inside a medieval tomb. Tucker demands to know who Paxton is; he reveals that he is in charge of the facility and that he leads the Terra Prime movement. He tells Tucker and T'Pol that his ultimate goal is to return Earth to its "rightful owners". He declares "it is my life's work, it is what I was born to do, and there is no one, not an alien, not a Human, that will stop me from achieving it." Paxton orders Daniel Greaves to take the facility to launch mode. When Tucker asks Paxton where their destination is, he tells the engineer that "this will be like a walk across the street" for him. The enormous mining facility launches off of the moon's surface. Back on Enterprise, Brooks is being interrogated by Archer and Reed. Archer notes that her universal translator was reconfigured to record the alien delegates at the conference. Brooks denies doing anything wrong but Archer notes that, during a background check, they discovered that she had made three trips to the lunar colony in just the last month. She claims she was on assignment from her editor but Reed reveals that her editor never sent her there for a story. Archer asks her if she knows if Tucker and T'Pol are in danger; but she demands to speak to legal counsel. Archer angrily orders she be taken to the ship's brig and given whomever she requests. Archer tells a visibly hurt Mayweather that he's sorry. Just then, Archer is paged over the intercom. An officer tells the captain that the Orpheus mining facility has taken off of the surface of the moon. Afterwards, when the facility is in open space, Paxton reveals to Tucker and T'Pol that Orpheus is actually a warp-capable vessel. Tucker says they'll be lucky if the facility does not tear itself apart at warp but Paxton says he plans on luck. With that, the facility proceeds to warp and flies to Mars. Archer orders a pursuit course and tells Sato to inform Starfleet that Enterprise is going after it. The facility lands on the surface of Mars. Terra Prime seizes control of the verteron array on the red planet, normally used to redirect comets, and uses it to fire a blast of verteron energy at Luna as a demonstration. Paxton issues a demand via subspace radio for all non-Humans to leave the Sol system. "As of this moment, mankind casts off the shackles of alien interference and now determines its own fate. Terra Prime forever." Archer stares at the viewscreen, uncertain what to do next. 
<EOS>
On the bridge through Enterprise NX-01's viewscreen, John Frederick Paxton, the self-proclaimed leader of Terra Prime, is continuing to speak of his threat to use the powerful verteron array. Captain Archer orders his communications officer Ensign Sato to block the transmission, but it is going system-wide. Suddenly, an infant with pointed ears appears on the screen. Over the image, Paxton says "The citizen soldiers of Terra Prime will act to protect you against the most dangerous enemy that humanity has ever faced." At the meeting hall at Starfleet, Paxton's video of the baby Vulcan plays on a large screen, in front of the gathered alien delegates. Nathan Samuels, through a communicator, orders that the transmission be blocked, but Starfleet cannot break through. He demands the officer he is speaking to find some way to contact Captain Archer on Enterprise. On the bridge of Enterprise, Paxton, through the viewscreen, states that Terra Prime is devoted to the protection of life in all its diversity, so, for the next 24 hours, they will allow aliens safe passage through the solar system. They must leave as soon as possible before the deadline is up. Archer asks Lieutenant Reed to scan Paxton's ship for Vulcan life signs, so they can obtain a transporter lock on T'Pol, as well as the infant. Just after this, Paxton warns that if any extraterrestrial individual remains on the surface of the Earth, he will fire the verteron array directly at Starfleet Command, the institution he believes is responsible for putting all Humans at risk. He says Terra Prime does not want war, but he makes a solemn promise to the sons and daughters of Earth -- their future will be secure because humanity will prevail. Just then, Reed notes that Paxton's ship has targeted Enterprise. Archer orders the vessel be taken away from Mars, but the ship is hit by the beam. Half of the vessel's relays are completely fried. The beam that was fired at the ship was only at two percent. Archer considers them fully warned by this action and has the ship put on a course back to Earth. At the conference hall, Ambassador Soval moves to speak with Minister Samuels. Soval notes that spontaneous demonstrations have begun forming around the Vulcan Compound due to Paxton's threat. Samuels believes that this is only an isolated incident, but Andorian Ambassador Thoris walks up and talks of similar demonstrations occurring at the Andorian embassy -- they are using words not in the universal translator. Soval finds it troubling that Paxton has the support of so many Humans. Thoris thinks the proposed Coalition of Planets will be unsuccessful, as this proves that Earth is still deeply divided. In Archer's ready room, Samuels orders the captain to attack the array but Archer cannot, as two of his people are being held hostage. The Council has been made aware of this, but the decision has been made. Without the use of the verteron array, in the next thirty months, fourteen comets will impact on the surface of Mars and could hit anywhere on the planet, including the populated domed cities. Archer proposes that he take a small team into Paxton's facility to stop them. Samuels notes that Paxton can destroy any ship that approaches but Archer has a solution to that. Meanwhile on Mars, T'Pol and Tucker are held as hostages by Paxton. Paxton finally shows them their Vulcan-Human hybrid baby. He reveals an agent of Terra Prime on Enterprise obtained their bio-samples to create the child. Now that Paxton has fulfilled his part, he asks Tucker to help refine his targeting system for the array. Tucker at once refuses, but Paxton forces him to after he has Josiah aim a EM pistol at point blank range at T'Pol's head. On a foggy night in San Francisco, Reed meets up once again with Section 31 agent Harris in a dark alleyway. Reed asks Harris for further information on Mars. He reveals that planetary sensor grid on Mars becomes faulty in the terraformed atmosphere, which is more thicker, allowing for false signals, which would allow a small vessel to arrive without being detected. Harris tells Reed that they will still need to reach the surface undetected but the crew of Enterprise has already come up with a solution to that -- without Harris' help. Reed tells Harris that if the coalition is formed, Enterprise will be busier than ever and this will likely be the last time they will see each other. Harris wishes the lieutenant good luck and they part ways. In a briefing with Samuels, Archer, Reed and Mayweather devise a plan to disguise a shuttlepod in the wake of the comet Burke which is currently heading toward Mars' north pole. Samuels doubts this plan will work but Mayweather assures him he has experience with comets. Archer assures Samuels that if the plan is unsuccessful, Enterprise will destroy the facility. At Orpheus, T'Pol is rocking the baby back and forth when Paxton enters and tells her that what she is doing will not make the child fully Vulcan or Human. She responds that Human and Vulcan genes created the child which proves that both species have more similarities than differences. Paxton nevertheless calls the baby a threat to humankind. During this, T'Pol notices Paxton's hand shaking. As he turns to leave, T'Pol quickly scans him. T'Pol says she will not let Paxton hurt her child but he cryptically says he will not have to before leaving. On Enterprise, Archer has the ship taken on a course toward the comet Burke and toward Mars. In Enterprise's brig, Mayweather visits Gannet Brooks after she has requested to see him. She tells the ensign she has not spoken to her lawyer to which Mayweather tells her she'll have to speak to Archer but she has been told he's busy. Brooks tells Mayweather that she does not work for Terra Prime -- she's an agent for Starfleet Intelligence. After opening the brig's door, he asks why she has not contacted her division head to free her already. She tells him if she had done that, her cover would be blown and the Terra Prime operative would know her true occupation. Mayweather is contacted on his communicator by Reed, informing him they are assembled in the launch bay. Brooks tells Mayweather that she is telling him all of this because he and the assault team are going after Paxton and since there is an operative on board, he could know they are coming. Mayweather sarcastically tells her he's "touched" by her concern and leaves. In the launch bay, Archer leaves Ensign Sato in command of the ship. He reminds her of when she first came aboard Enterprise and used to jump when the warp engines hiccupped. She says she still does -- she is just now better at hiding it. Tucker is in Orpheus' weapons room, doing what Paxton told him to -- fix his targeting array. While Greaves supervises Tucker and his repairs, he goes into a xenophobic rant about Vulcans and how they refused to assist Earth during World War III and sat back while millions of Humans died. When the Terra Prime operative refers to Tucker and T'Pol's daughter as some "half-Human thing," Tucker punches him in the face. While Greaves falls back in pain, Tucker sabotages the targeting system. Greaves kicks Tucker to the ground and calls the engineer "a traitor to humanity." On Shuttlepod 1, Archer, Reed, Mayweather, and Dr. Phlox are being rocked around inside. The shuttlepod's inertial dampers were taken off-line so it would appear to be a chunk of the comet. Reed becomes nauseous and Phlox hands him a bag to throw up in. After Tucker has been caught sabotaging the weapons, Paxton arrives. He knows Tucker has been trying all along to sabotage the targeting systems, as Paxton has been monitoring his progress the whole time. Paxton tells Tucker that in only two hours, he will fire the beam at Earth but the way the targeting system currently is, he will take out half of San Francisco, along with Starfleet. When Tucker refuses to work on the system further, Paxton states "If you are so eager for a bloodbath, a bloodbath is what you'll get." Paxton orders that Tucker be put into the detention center, equipped with a news screen, so Tucker will see the numerous deaths resulting from his actions. T'Pol holds her child up in her quarters. She tells the baby she is her mother and she will need a name. She scans the child and looks concerned. Meanwhile, on Shuttlepod 1, Archer reports that the sensors have picked up ionization from the Martian atmosphere. However, there is a sudden, violent jolt. The shuttlepod's engine has suddenly shut down without warning. Also, Mayweather's console has locked up and the hull plating is offline. The shuttlepod is spiraling out of control and coming in hot with the comet. Mayweather bypasses from auto flight control and has switched to manual, despite the speed the shuttlepod is traveling. Mayweather has no choice, as they are out of options. The shuttlepod levels off with five seconds to spare before the comet impacts on Mars' ice cap. The comet Burke crashes on the surface and Shuttlepod 1 emerges from the impact, flying away. "Well, that was fun. Can we do it again?", Reed sarcastically asks. Mayweather pilots the shuttlepod over the Carl Sagan Memorial Station to a ridgeline and lands it there. The four Enterprise crewmen exit the shuttlepod in thermal garments and make their way to Orpheus. When Tucker is thrown into his cell, he creates a makeshift tool using pieces from around the room and items on his miner's belt. He opens a door panel and notes that it is a mark three interlock and starts to bypass it. In Paxton's office, T'Pol is brought in by Josiah. Paxton has been told that the Vulcan has something she wants to say to him but she wants to talk in private. "I keep no secrets from my men," he says. "You and I both know that's not true," she states. Paxton tells Josiah to leave. T'Pol tells Paxton that he will arrange for her daughter to have medical care at once at the Utopia Colony. Paxton wonders what makes her think that she can dictate terms to him. "This," she says. T'Pol takes his shaking right hand and reveals that she knows he is suffering from Taggart's Syndrome and is using Rigellian gene therapy to treat it, making him not only a terrorist but a hypocrite. When Paxton asks what is wrong with her child, T'Pol tells him she is suffering from an elevated white blood cell count and low grade fever. Paxton tells her that her child's two halves are at war with each other and that conflict was inevitable. He has T'Pol taken away and tells her that both the Coalition and her child were doomed from the beginning. On Enterprise's bridge, Samuels emerges from a turbolift and tells Sato that Paxton's deadline is up. He believes that Archer and his team have failed in their mission. Sato tells the minister that the array will need two minutes to fully power up. Samuels is incredulous but Sato insists that she will only order to destroy the array if there is no other choice. Samuels gives her an order to destroy the array now. Sato refuses, stating she is following Captain Archer's orders, not his. Samuels asks to be patched in to Admiral Gardner, but Sato belays that, telling Samuels that they need to maintain radio silence. "You're risking the lives of hundreds of thousands of people." "I know what I'm doing," Sato tells him. When Archer, Reed, Phlox, and Mayweather finally infiltrate the Orpheus Mining Complex, they find Tucker in a corridor and they team up together to defeat Paxton. They manage to get into the control room. Archer contacts Enterprise and informs a relieved Sato they have made it. Archer orders Tucker to shut down the array. Greaves tries to prevent Tucker from shutting down the array, shooting him. Greaves is also shot and a firefight ensues between Paxton and Archer. A phase-pistol shot from Archer misses and hits the window, causing the viewport to crack and the room begins to depressurize. Reed is hit by Paxton and is taken out the room by Mayweather and Phlox. While Archer puts his mask on Tucker, Paxton speaks about Henry Archer and tells Captain Archer the reason why he turned his back against Humanity. He says Henry embraced the Vulcan aliens only because he wanted the warp five engine so badly. Paxton tells Archer they should go to the stars taking worlds and taming their civilizations. "The galaxy's more crowded than we thought," Archer tells him. After telling Paxton it is over, the window at this point breaks and Paxton is able to arm the weapon, since he used to breathing with low oxygen. The beam fires harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean near the Golden Gate Bridge, and not at San Francisco. This is a result of Tucker's intervention. Later, Mayweather finds T'Pol and her daughter. "She's dying," T'Pol tells the ensign. In sickbay, Dr. Phlox is trying to find a cure for the baby, now named Elizabeth by T'Pol. Tucker tells her that his sister would have liked that. Phlox informs Elizabeth's parents that she is dying due to defects in the Terra Prime doctors' attempts to reconcile Human and Vulcan DNA. Phlox is trying to stabilize her nucleotides but there has never been a child like her before. "Her name is Elizabeth," T'Pol tells the Denobulan doctor. In the launch bay, Reed and Mayweather discover that the Shuttlepod 1 was indeed sabotaged, confirming there is a Terra Prime operative on Enterprise. After the two initially suspect Commander Kelby of wrongdoing, he reveals that the shuttlepod underwent maintenance by Ensign Masaro. After discovering this, the crew scrambles to protect Nathan Samuels from harm. With the whole ship searching for him, Archer is confronted by the operative in a corridor, revealed to be Masaro. In a corridor, he apologizes to his captain, then puts a phase-pistol to his head and pulls the trigger. In front of the assembled alien delegates, Samuels tells them that in the last week, they have all seen what Humans can be at their worst. However, he insists they cannot and must not use that as an excuse to end a dream that started here in the room. Instead, he wants to properly honor the people who made the conference possible -- the crew of Enterprise. Archer steps forward and begins to speak. "Up until about a hundred years ago, there was one question that burned in every Human, that made us study the stars and dream of traveling to them. Are we alone? Our generation is privileged to know the answer to that question. We are all explorers, driven to know what's over the horizon, what's beyond our own shores." Archer believes, however, that the more he's experienced while exploring in space, that the most profound discoveries are not necessarily beyond the next star. They are within everyone, woven into the fabric that binds them all together to each other. "The final frontier begins in this hall. Let's explore it together." Ambassador Soval, who had once opposed Archer's appointment as captain of Enterprise, stands up and begins to applaud. Soon, everyone in the room joins him. In a corridor on Enterprise, Gannet Brooks, now released, walks with Mayweather. She hears the conference is back on track now, though Mayweather says it will take years to iron out all the details. She tells the ensign that because of him, it will now happen. He tells her he was just doing his job. "So was I," she says. Upon stopping at the transporter alcove, she asks if that is the fast way down to Earth. Mayweather instead offers to take her down the old fashioned way and they head to the launch bay holding hands. Later, a tearful Tucker arrives in T'Pol's quarters, where she is sitting on her bed holding an IDIC pendant. Tucker informs T'Pol that the delegates want to attend Elizabeth's memorial. Though they are both still mourning their devastating loss, Tucker tells T'Pol that Phlox has determined that Elizabeth's death was caused by the flawed cloning process and that in the future, Humans and Vulcans could indeed have a natural child. In an ironic turn for the woman who refused to shake his hand when they first met, T'Pol takes the sobbing Tucker's hand in hers as they sit together. 
<EOS>
In 2161, the bridge officers of the NX-class spacecraft Enterprise have a casual discussion on the bridge of their ship, Captain Archer exiting from his ready room midway through the conversation. The officers mention both an upcoming ceremony -- the signing of a charter between the members of an interstellar alliance, for which Archer is busy writing a speech -- and the similarly imminent decommissioning of Enterprise, which Archer intends to postpone until after the charter has been signed. Following a vocal command that signals all senior officers to report to the bridge, a bearded William T. Riker -- having been quietly sitting at Enterprise's engineering station, dressed as a 22nd century Starfleet ensign of the command division -- states a directive for a computer to "freeze program"; the environment of Enterprise's bridge and the other officers therein are actually holograms, and Riker's instruction was to the computer of the real ship he is aboard. After Riker saves and ends the simulation, the resultant change in his surroundings and uniform reveal he is, in fact, serving as a Commander and is in the holodeck of the USS Enterprise-D, which he promptly exits. On board the Enterprise-D, Riker is seated with Counselor Deanna Troi in the Ten Forward lounge. He is reluctant to speak about his personal dilemma, as it is highly classified. When Troi asks about the holoprogram she recommended, Riker admits he is unsure how the simulation will help him but the counselor sarcastically replies that that is why he runs a starship and why she is a counselor, to which Riker smiles. While later walking through a corridor, they continue to discuss the holoprogram, Troi advises Riker to skip ahead to when an Andorian contacts Enterprise and suggesting that he assume the sociable role of the vessel's chef, the only crewmember who came close to being a counselor on the ship back then. Riker agrees to remember Troi's advice. Arranging to have supper together, the pair depart, Riker stepping into a holodeck while Troi proceeds to a turbolift. On the simulated Enterprise bridge, Archer is shocked when Shran signals the ship, as the Andorian was believed to have died three years earlier. He says certain people, including Archer, had to think he was dead and appeals for Archer to repay a favor. As Riker watches from the engineering station, Archer wordily refuses to aid Shran, due to the closeness of the ceremony date, until the Andorian reveals that former associates of his have abducted his daughter. After Archer agrees to rendezvous with Shran, Riker freezes the program, advances it by an hour and switches it to objective mode. Passing through a door, he heads into the captain's ready room. There, Shran complains to the captain about his predicament, implying that the reason he faked his own death was due to the disreputableness of his former allies, who mistakenly believe he has stolen something of theirs and who have taken his daughter to Rigel X, a trading outpost with which Archer is familiar. Shran appeals for help with his daughter's recovery. In the captain's quarters, Riker witnesses Commander T'Pol object to the possibility of aiding Shran. Archer retorts to her objections, reminding T'Pol that Shran helped him gain access to the Xindi weapon and that she has never trusted Andorians. Ultimately, T'Pol relents. Archer asks her to visit the galley as the ship's chef is about to prepare the crew's final meal. After T'Pol exits, Archer assures Porthos that the chef has promised at least six varieties of cheese. Posing as Enterprise's chef, Riker has a lengthy conversation with T'Pol in the galley, who is unenthusiastic about both selecting a dish -- although Riker has already begun to make plomeek broth for her -- and the ship's detour. Riker defends Archer's decision to help Shran, assuring T'Pol that the vessel likely won't miss the ceremony. In response to Riker inquiring if she misses "Trip" Tucker, T'Pol is at first unforthcoming, saying that their intimate relationship has been over for six years, but eventually remarks that -- as a Vulcan -- she does not miss people. She and Riker discuss Trip's loyal relationship with Archer. T'Pol admits that, during her service aboard Enterprise, she has come to embrace the Human crew's illogical favorance for instincts over automatic compliance with orders, an insight for which Riker is grateful; freezing the program, he kisses T'Pol on the cheek and thanks her. In the Enterprise-D's observation lounge, Riker is reviewing the crew complement of the USS Pegasus when Troi enters. She soon senses that he is upset about an incident wherein most the vessel's crew died, but he is standoffish until they change the subject, he telling her of his progress on the holodeck. Troi is unfamiliar with the NX-class Enterprise, so Riker invites her to the simulation. The couple survey Archer's ready room and the bridge, with both areas empty, the duo commenting on the differences between the vessel and their own ship. As they pace through a corridor, Riker -- much to Troi's approval -- adds crew members to the simulation. In Engineering, Lieutenant Reed worries, to Trip, about the mission on Rigel X. Although Trip is still conducting maintenance tasks, Reed questions the necessity of doing so since NX-01 is about to be mothballed, but Trip says he wants to, noting that he practically built the engine. He and Reed nostalgically remark on the end of their assignment. Watching them exit, Troi tells Riker she is saddened by Trip's unawareness that he wouldn't return from the mission. The search effort is then plotted in the ship's situation room. Shran indicates where his daughter, Talla, is reportedly being held and talks with T'Pol, who has created a fabrication of the Tenebian amethyst Shran is accused of stealing. Troi freezes the program, opines that Archer is "cute" and leaves for an appointment with Reginald Barclay. Riker forwards the simulation to when Enterprise reaches Rigel X and has the simulation stay in objective mode. As Archer is about to lead an away mission there, Tucker tries to convince him to stay aboard, worrying for his safety. Archer insists otherwise, however, noting that Rigel X both was the first and will be the last place visited by Enterprise. On a shuttlepod en route to the planet's surface, Riker listens -- dressed as a MACO -- as T'Pol recounts to Trip that the chef spoke about them. She hesitantly broaches the topic of their former relationship, admitting that she hasn't considered it in a long time. She also worries that they may never see each other again but Trip is adamant that they won't lose contact. With the shuttlepod encountering slight turbulence, T'Pol says that, no matter what, she will miss him. Once Archer -- in another shuttlepod -- reports that Shran has made contact with his daughter's abductors, the shuttlepods begin their final descent to the planet. Shran and T'Pol later meet with the kidnappers and speak to the group's alien leader, who is highly suspicious of the newcomers. Disdainful of Shran, the alien leader oversees that Talla is brought out, Shran finding that she is unharmed and merely hungry. He presents the amethyst and the leader surrenders Talla, who is excited to be reunited with Shran but -- on his instruction -- accompanies T'Pol away. The away team, having been hiding on catwalks high above, use the fabricated amethyst to dazzle the aliens with brilliant flashes, allowing Shran to flee. A battle ensues, despite Reed warning the aliens to stand still. The leader causes the catwalk below Trip to give way but, while Reed stuns the alien, Trip is pulled to safety by Archer, the pair exchanging friendly sentiments pertaining to Trip's recovery. The team arrives in Enterprise's launch bay, Archer having agreed to escort Shran and Talla away from the alien pirates. Shran mentions that the aliens' ship can barely maintain warp factor two and Talla thanks the captain, referring to him as "pink skin." Alone together, Trip and Archer humorously allude to Trip's near-fall, both officers thankful that the captain went on the mission. As the Enterprise-D enters an asteroid field, Data contacts Troi's quarters, eager to continue a discussion. He misinterprets her use of the phrase "rain check" but she explains they will talk later. Troi is visited by Riker, who is worried that the ship will soon find the Pegasus but that he is still undecided about his dilemma. Confidentially, he confesses that the Pegasus was equipped with a prototype cloaking device, that the ship's disaster was due to a test of the cloak and that Pressman, the craft's former captain, intends to continue the experiment. Riker criticizes the project but, sworn to secrecy, he is insecure about alerting Captain Picard to it. Troi is confident Riker will make the right choice but he is less sure of himself. Again acting as Enterprise's chef, Riker consecutively consults Reed, Ensigns Sato and Mayweather, as well as Dr. Phlox, asking them about Trip while they help knead dough. At one point, Riker accidentally refers to Archer as "Picard" but then corrects himself. Archer and Tucker are in the captain's mess. They consider the planetary alliance, including its uneasy beginnings, and the upcoming ceremony. With an historically significant bottle of whiskey, given to Archer's father Henry by Zefram Cochrane, the holograms toast to "the next generation." After the vessel shudders, Archer -- watched by Riker -- learns from T'Pol on the bridge that a small, unidentified craft is attacking Enterprise. He continues to observe in sickbay, as a badly injured Trip converses with Archer, apologizing for having had him knocked out cold and expressing enthusiasm for the fact that Enterprise will make it to the ceremony on time. Thanks to a hurrying Phlox, Trip, giving Archer a reassuring smile, is moved into the imaging chamber. Phlox looks grimly at the captain. A somber T'Pol is packing away personal effects from Trip's quarters when Archer arrives, although she politely refuses help from him. Archer lets her know that Trip's parents will be coming to the ceremony and hands T'Pol a figurine of Frankenstein's monster to pack. T'Pol expresses an eagerness to meet Trip's parents, who Archer describes as eccentric. The holographic duplicate of Archer nears a mirror in which Riker is reflected but the hologram does not see him. T'Pol and Archer agree that T'Pol's mother was also eccentric. Archer tries to explain to T'Pol the often contradictory nature of emotions. He also recounts how, when he took command of Enterprise a decade earlier, he had the mindset of an explorer, whereas now -- faced with Trip's death -- he has to make a speech about how worthwhile the voyage has been. T'Pol interjects that Trip would be most eager to agree it has been worthwhile. Riker later visits an event that chronologically took place while the ship was heading to pick up Shran, about an hour before T'Pol's visit to the galley; Trip now arrives there to talk with Riker, who has resumed the role of chef. The pair make small talk about the crew's final meal. Trip details the extremely trusting relationship he has with Archer. Leaving to do some packing, Trip wonders what the chef will do, following the ship's return to Earth. Riker is unsure but Trip is confident that the chef will make the right choice. A large crowd is gathered in an auditorium wherein Reed, Sato and Mayweather have been assigned seats that Reed complains about. The trio discuss the career plans of Mayweather and Archer, after which Reed says he -- like Mayweather -- is planning to stay with Archer. In a waiting area backstage, Archer prepares to present his speech, while both T'Pol and Phlox try to bolster his confidence. Phlox notes that there are visiting dignitaries from eighteen different worlds and is certain it won't be long before the alliance expands. He then gives the captain a wide grin before heading to meet with his three wives, who are in the audience. T'Pol, on the other hand, prefers to remain backstage, influencing Archer to remark that she has never liked crowds. Just before he heads out to greet the masses, T'Pol comments that he looks very heroic and Archer turns back to embrace her in a hug. As he strides to the central platform, the spectators applaud and Riker walks up to Troi, watching from a balcony above the crowd. They agree that, although Archer is understandably nervous, he will be fine. Troi considers the historical importance of the event, mentioning that the alliance would lead to the Federation, and Riker finally decides that he is ready to speak with Captain Picard, so the pair subsequently leave the holodeck. Captains Picard, Kirk and Archer can be heard taking turns paraphrasing Zefram Cochrane as all three Enterprises each captain first commanded continue their journeys. 
<EOS>